Friday Flotsam

Frrrrrrrrrrrrreh deh fleh seh!

Today is 100% pop culture talk so pa-ho-ney erp. (<–that’s pony up, mom.)

Let’s start with Harry Styles’ new album. You’re either reaching for the x button or your ears have perked up and grown sparkle wings.

Yes, girl. Come hither.

Now, let me just say, I was never a One Direction fan. Didn’t give a single ish. Boy bands (besides NKOTB, duh <Jonathan forever>) have never done a lick for my soul. But I gotta say, Styles’ new album is a total pop treat. So much so that my friend Sarah and I have been video messaging all week long “Okay what’s grabbing you today?” ” This one is growing on me.” “I’m starting to obsess over this one and it’s verging on problematic.” “OKAY WHOA THIS IS SO GOOD I CANNOT SLOW DOWN.” We’re spiraling and it’s wonderful.

Besides the fact that Harry’s locks are more successful than the stock market, and his bare chest is worthy of Shania Twain’s once over (right?), the album is pretty fantastic.

Now, I will confess that the very first song (Music for a Sushi Restaurant) reminds me of the christian group Prism from the ’80s and I just cannot. (sorry, mom.) Something about the vocal BA BAAAAs and the scatty DOBEBEBEEBEEDOOOs that are so confusing for me. But Grapejuice and Daylight can live in my head forever.

Where do you land? Are you into Harry’s House yet? And what are your faves? (not favs)

Spill it.

Next up! STRANGER THINGS.

Tell me, are you watching the fourth season?

See, this is my beef. The first season was magical. Pure syrupy ’80s nostalgia and I loved every single moment of it. Winona (forever, ha), and the kids were perfection. The setting, the clothing, the music, the dialogue, the coziness, the spookiness. No better way to start a series.

And then season two was . . . good. Right? It was good. Season three was weird. But listen, I think all things sci-fi are hokey and a bit forced. So I’m probably the wrong demographic for this show, but in the beginning I was like, “LOOK, I WILL WATCH A SCI-FI MONSTER FOR WINONA. And only for Winona.”

But come on, it’s gotten so cheesy. Now, I will admit, I have yet to even start the fourth season, because I need to know if it’s worth it. I hear it’s darker than previous seasons, which I’m totally fine with, only if it’s not silly. Like, are the monsters so over the top that it takes away from the early-season coolness of the show? Will I be rolling my eyes the entire time wishing for Billy and Barbara (remember Barb?!) to return from the dead? Has it lost its spookiness and gone straight corny?

Give it to me straight. Watch the fourth season or remember the past ones in cozy fondness?

(yes I’m listening to Kate Bush, I’m not an idiot.)

Spill it.

The kids have been begging to watch Jaws lately. BEGGING.

So, we did it. The original, of course. 1975. A classic!

And they loved it. Like, absolutely loved it. I can’t tell if this makes us the worst parents ever or the coolest. Jaws at eight years old? I’m going with cool. No nightmares since, and only requests to watch the sequels. Yay?

But this is my thing: it’s PG-13. And some PG-13s are WILDLY different than other PG-13s. A PG-13 in the ’80s is veeeeeera different than a PG-13 now. Aren’t those movies meant for 13 and up? Okay, yikes.

TELL ME, are you overly concerned about movie ratings, or do you just cough loudly over curse words and shield eyes during smooches or what? How do you do it? Or do you avoid it all together? Or do you simply not overthink it? (mom, ignore this whole section) Or do you only show your kids what you think they can handle? Because the entire time Jaws was snarfing down Quint like cheese on crackers, Nat was like, “It’s all fake, mom. He’s in a robot. That blood is not real.” Like it was totally fine. Totally fine!

. . . Is that bad?

PARENTS: TELL ME HOW YOU NAVIGATE THE RATINGS sorry to yell.

Spill it.

(I’m not going to show them Stranger Things s4, chill out.)

On a scale from “Eh, I’ll wait ’til I can rent it” to “CAMPING OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE, BISH” – just how excited are you for Where The Crawdads Sing?

(Swift has a new song in it! I might be more excited for that.)

Weekend plans?

IT IS SO HOT. Which happens in the summer, I realize, but there’s no end in sight for these mid-to-upper 90-degree temps. Brutal. So the pool is happening twice and an air-conditioned movie matinee once. I’m not going to tell you the movie because I was in the cool category and I’m afraid I’ll teeter back to bad but I will say it rhymes with Schmurassic Zorld. Don’t come @ me.

From this week, in case you missed it! A Classic Potato Salad that you simply must get in your face immediately. And a Sour Cream and Roasted Onion Dip that will have you falling apart. Really. Here’s a video on how I made it!

I’m craving takeout tonight – what should we get?!

, , ,

15 Responses to Friday Flotsam

  1. Laura Lee June 17, 2022 at 8:42 am #
    I watched Adventures in Babysitting with my 12 year olds last week - 80s PG-13 and there was a surprising bit of suggestive language about girls which is weird with my boy/girl twins and they said shit AND the F-word. Shit maybe but I was really surprised by the F bomb!šŸ¤£ I actually apologized to my children and said I didn't remember what is was like, just rememberd it being a fun movie!šŸ˜‚ Granted I grew up in the 80s and watched these thjngs and turned out "perfectly fine"šŸ˜‰ but the differences between the ratings in the 80s and now are surprising. It's amazing that we're wrapping them in bubble wrap regarding movies yet they can be shot to death at school nowadays. Stranger Things 1 was FABULOUS!! Each successive season has been less than. It's sad but it seems to be a trend with shows now. Nevertheless, I'm watching 4! Just waiting on volume 2 now... I find the Harry thing intriguing, he seems like a real character but I don't know any of his music yet..
    • Pam June 18, 2022 at 1:59 pm #
      I too talked my kiddos into watching Adventures in Babysitting with me, as it was a fun movie from when I was a kid. They were "clutching their pearls" scandalized over it. I think it was the f-bomb that pushed them over the falls. Bahahaha! Though, I was actually pretty surprised how rough 80's movies were in retrospect. Partly because most of it probably went right over my head when I was a kid and also because my mom was generally pretty strict about what we were allowed to watch. Which is really funny as my babysitter let me watch Jaws and Piranha with her brother when I was four, and while I've mostly recovered (ha!), she'd be dead on the floor if she knew I watched them.
  2. Courtney June 17, 2022 at 9:22 am #
    Season 4 is really good (but I liked season 3). I feel like it has some of the first season vibes. Iā€™m intrigued by the crawdads movie but will definitely be streaming from my couch.
  3. Annie vR June 17, 2022 at 9:41 am #
    Ooook. Harry Styles. Donā€™t hate me but I actually liked some songs of new direction (I can feel you cringing). And also, shockingly, I have not listened to his new album. I will say that the songs that I have heard I love, so I think Iā€™m going to love it! Stranger Things. Oh. My. Gosh. Completely agree that season one was amazing, canā€™t remember if I loved season two as much, but season 3 was weird for me. But season 4 I LOOOOOOOVED. LOVED!! Like it ended and I was like what??? Because I was not aware of the holding off on the last two episodes that are coming next month. It is DARK. Like creepy psychological twisted dark that has the upside down mixed into it. It is also somehow the funniest season so far? You might actually like it because it hearkens some of the thriller books you read for your book club. I donā€™t know. You might hate it. Donā€™t hate me if you hate it. All I know is that it ended and I fell into a depression that only comes after watching amazing shows or reading amazing books because I feel like nothing will ever be that good again. Am now trying to find a book to get lost in, but itā€™s not working so I did start watching the show from the beginning again ;).
  4. Ti June 17, 2022 at 9:50 am #
    Okay, Harry. His latest album is definitely a different vibe but I like it. The Grape song, LOL, my fave. I love his energy. Heā€™s adorable. Stranger Things. Season 4 was a stretch. No spoilers but it could have been better. Very dark. Too much time with the cast split up. They are best together.
  5. Tara June 17, 2022 at 11:51 am #
    I really enjoyed season four of Stranger Things but it is definitely more horror focused and less sci fi than previous seasons. We pay attention to the ratings but usually also look things up on common sense website to see why it is rated certain ways and what to be on the lookout for. I feel like that helps. My kids got very, very upset about the jungle Cruise and could mot finish it but had no issues with jurassic Park or world. šŸ¤·šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø
  6. Kindy June 17, 2022 at 12:19 pm #
    Season 3 was not my fave, but loved Season 4!
  7. Laura June 17, 2022 at 12:42 pm #
    I love Harry! My favorite song is Satellite. I really liked Stranger Things S4. I thought it was much darker compared to S1, but I didnā€™t find it too silly.
  8. Stasha June 17, 2022 at 1:01 pm #
    Big fan of Stranger Things S1 and then 2 and 3 were kind of meh for me. But 4. Omg 4. Watched it all in 24 hours and am thinking about watching it again. Do it! I donā€™t think youā€™ll be sorry.
  9. Jess June 17, 2022 at 1:08 pm #
    I thought Strangers Things 4 (so far) is my favorite since season 1. I really enjoyed how the season developed. Some parts I thought were slow ended up paying off. Can't wait to see the last two episodes. I think I saw Jaws pretty close to 8. My parents were pretty lax with what movies I could watch when I was younger and I think it made me quite a movie lover. I turned out just fine I think haha. Also I'm totally down for Harry Styles!
  10. Kori Bartholomew June 17, 2022 at 4:39 pm #
    Harry, love the new album! I donā€™t do scary, Iā€™m a wimp. Thrillers yes, spooky, goryā€¦ no thank you. Where the crawdads sing, loved the book. Kind of worried the movie will not do it justice. I will watch it though. Hope I am wrong.
  11. Deanna June 17, 2022 at 7:00 pm #
    Ok. So maybe I was just an exceptionally naive kid, but adult themes and scenes always went over my head. For example, I grew up watching Grease. I didnā€™t realize until I was 16 and babysitting for some very uptight people that the scene in the car was more than people kissing (ditto for the car scene in Titanic). Or I loved Clueless for the clothesā€¦ I did not know what they were smoking at the party in the Valley or ā€œyouā€™re a virgin who canā€™t driveā€ meant when I was 10. I think drawing attention to it makes it a bigger deal than just letting it go over heads until theyā€™re old enough to figure it out.
  12. Kristi June 17, 2022 at 8:47 pm #
    I liked using common sense mediaā€™s website when my kids were younger. They review movies and list every swear word, drug talk, sex content etc. Ratings for movies are inconsistent in my opinion. I was middle of the road- didnā€™t want my kids exposed to too much but didnā€™t wait until they turned 13 for PG-13. Also canā€™t wait for the crawdads movie!! Such a great book.
  13. FlwrPwrChick June 17, 2022 at 9:54 pm #
    Love season 4 of Stranger Things. Definitely extra gory but itā€™s really good!!
  14. jen July 5, 2022 at 7:45 pm #
    this looks really pretty , thanks for sharing this with us.

Leave a Reply