Blog-Tism with Autism and other non-video ramblings

PLUS SIGNS EVERYWHERE  Why is it that, following Disney+, every new streaming service after it follows the "brand+" naming scheme to the point that the + doesn't add anything. Keeping in mind we already had + versions of Pac-Man and Password that earned their suffix in the late 70s/early 80s. At this point, most of the names seem generic, unless you're Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Max, due to the + being in all of them.  What's next, SUPER-branded services? We lived through Super Password, Super Pac-Man, and Super EVERYTHING from the SNES era of video gaming... we can go without SUPER sizing streaming for now. Nevermind the SUPER sized pricing they'll bring.

  DOWNSIDES: INCOMPLETE AND NEEDS $ Amazon has a select bunch of episodes of the often forgotten American Gladiators spinoff featuring a pre Wheel of Fortune (and pre Idol) Ryan Seacrest that also was bogged down with E/I stuff as it aired on Saturday mornings.  Now the way they have it listed on those pages over on Amazon Video, it would seem they have the full series, but not every episode is there, and like I said... it will cost money ($1.99+tax per episode in the states)   This spinoff, which is definitely not trying to ride the glowing coattails of GUTS, ran parallel to AG's 6th and 7th seasons (Gladiators 2000's first season had Nitro, who rejoined the Gladiator lineup in season 6) had some fan favorite events that would be kid safe, including: The Wall Snapback (as Bones, where you pass magnetic bone pieces to your teammate then that teammate places said piece on (hopefully) the right place AND orientation on a display of the human body The Pyramid (turned in...

WITHOUT GOING FULL HERMIT MODE  These days, just going online is an even harder game of Minesweeper than the one in the "So.. why do I recommend the way I do on here?" article from before.  That's because news media talk about things as they happen, assuming everyone sees things day one.  In fact, social media make spoilers trend like clockwork and clicking on the wrong link or trend will blow up in your face.  Heck, even talking to your Discord friends could lead to a moment something gets said or shown that you haven't seen yet (and Discord has a LITERAL spoiler tag feature)  So... how do we navigate the minefield? Avoid trailers (they tend to OVERSHARE like they get paid by the second of footage used) Avoid official social media: they might reveal something you're not ready for Avoid certain fandoms, as they might treat "early info" as currency Don't click any videos talking about whatever movie or tv show you're wanting to watch spoiler-free,...

  NOTHING CLEVER HERE So you never watched anime, subbed or dubbed... So you never watched toku, subbed, dubbed, or Americanized And you think you never touched anything that has any Japanese influence... (Ok, MAYBE except for Nintendo, Sega, or the PlayStation line) Well, you have!  For over 35 seasons. On a show with America IN THE TITLE! America's Funniest Home Videos: an American Sunday night tradition... was licensed from a Japanese variety show. Want proof? Don't skip the credits. Any episode, Any hosting era, they all have the same acknowledgment of this fact. In fact, a lot of early season 1 clips were from Japan (while the tapes were still being filtered from all the mail Americans have sent) Another thing: ever actually seen a extra messy Japanese game show? No? That's because it's a myth Best I can offer is Marc Summers with Super Sloppy Double Dare right here in the USA.  If not JD Roth's Fun House So the thing you thought was US born and bred?  Japanese...

  WELL, TO QUOTE A WEIRD GUY, EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG  I get it, you think Super Sentai only started in 1992 or 1993 just to be a spring board for a toy market here in the states. Well, what if i told you it actually started the same year as Chuck Woolery's game show career and his Wheel of Fortune? Or that Kamen Rider as a franchise is older than the modern Price is Right on CBS daytime (WITH Bob Barker). Or how SASUKE (no, not the rival of a hyperactive knucklehead ninja) inherited the hard obstacle course gene from American Gladiators' Eliminator after the latter ended its original run. Heck, The same year volunteer armies tried their first attacks on Takeshi's Castle, American kids first attacked a giant nose to grab an orange flag. But most people don't know this because of what we got instead: Mighty Morphin' Nostalgia Loop .. I mean Power Rangers, modern Kamen Rider slowly making it to the US prior via fan dubs before TokuSHOUTsu got the license to offic...

  SERIOUSLY... WHY? Surprise.      It's not just a retired Wheel of Fortune space.     It's a real feeling that somehow, we lost the ability to feel.    But the culprits are known.   Leakers, spoilers, dataminers, those who CLAIM they known what's coming before the time for the reveal gets revealed, those who use the old "My uncle works at Nintendo" (which I bet nobody seriously buys as that line is older than Cranky Kong and deader than Wrinkly Kong post DKC3), and the ones with blurry screenshots that have the same quality as Bigfoot photos,  This goes for pretty much anything, including major movies (Hi Mario) to video gaming (Hi Mario, again) to game reveals, like the Nintendo Direct (Don't eat me, Kirby) When we let the rumor mill, the leakers (even if their leaks are as fake as a game staring Waluigi), or a spoiler-ologist whose uncle was NEVER under employment by Nintendo grab hold of our expectations, we either: Lose our sen...