Believe it or not, the new Apple TV+ comedy series “Ted Lasso” isn’t the first TV program or movie to be based on an advertising campaign, as it follows in the footsteps of such endeavors as:
o “Uncle Drew,” the entertaining film from 2018 based on a 2012 spot starring Kyrie Irving as an elderly hoopster.
o “Cavemen,” the execrable and mercifully short-lived series from 2007 “inspired” by the insurance ads about modern-day Cro-Magnons.
o “The Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid,” the 1981 made-for-TV movie expanding the story of soda pop-drinking Mean Joe Greene and the kid who gets his jersey — played in the movie by Henry Thomas a year before “E.T.”
Three episodes premiere Aug. 14 on AppleTV+, with future episodes premiering on subsequent Fridays.
On paper (or PDF pitch), “Ted Lasso” would seem to be awfully thin material for a full-length series, given it’s based on what was basically a one-joke ad campaign for NBC Sports back in 2013, the joke being Jason Sudeikis’ titular character is a folksy American football coach who knows nothing about soccer but is hired to become manager of a British soccer team. And true enough, by the end of the 10-episode first season run, we’ve pretty much reached the bottom of the well of running jokes about Ted knowing almost nothing about soccer, hating tea and learning the true meaning of “wanker” and other popular British slang. But thanks to an infectiously affable performance by the likable Sudeikis, a terrific supporting cast and a surprisingly warmhearted center wrapped inside all the sitcom wisecracks, “Ted Lasso” is a charming, easygoing little biscuit of a treat.
(Note: In England, they call cookies “biscuits.” They have cookies as well, but they’re more like our biscuits. Something like that. Crazy!)
The setup for “Ted Lasso” is reminiscent of the first “Major League” movie in that the no-nonsense, female owner of the franchise actually wants to burn the team to the ground for her own gain. That explains why a mustachioed, cornpone, second-tier football coach from America has been imported to coach AFC Richmond, much to the dismay of the rabid fan base as well as the colorful but underachieving members of the team, including the iconic but over-the-hill and rage-filled Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), and the young pretty-boy star Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), who is more concerned with individual stats and endorsement deals than team success.
One key difference from “Major League”: Whereas Margaret Whitton’s Cleveland Indians owner Rachel Phelps was a cardboard caricature (literally, on one level) of a villain, the wonder Hannah Waddingham’s Rebecca is smart and cunning, but also vulnerable and lovely and quite funny. The complicated and changing dynamic between Ted (who doesn’t know it’s complicated, as he pretty much takes everyone at face value and is an eternal optimist) and Rebecca is one of the more intriguing storylines in “Ted Lasso.”
In fact, any number of potentially stereotypical characters prove to be more than the first impressions they give, e.g., Juno Temple’s Keeley, who makes a splashy entrance as Jamie’s seemingly superficial and daffy model girlfriend but turns out to be something more — just as “Ted Lasso” turns out to be something more than just a padded version of an old ad campaign.
EDMONTON, ALBERTA – JULY 29: Patrick Kane #88 of the Chicago Blackhawks skates during the third period against the St. Louis Blues in an exhibition game prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on July 29, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks could really use a big-time game from Patrick Kane.
The Chicago Blackhawks were outplayed in almost every facet of the game on Monday night against the Vegas Golden Knights. It was pretty ugly because Vegas is so much deeper than Chicago which makes them dangerous in all three zones. They run four lines of forwards and three defense pairs that protect their goaltender as well as any team in the league. The Blackhawks need a huge game from Patrick Kane to overcome this.
Patrick Kane is still one of the best offensive players in the league. You know that is the case when he can have four points in four games against the Edmonton Oilers and people see it as underwhelming. Most players would very much love that sort of production but we are sort of expecting more from Kane. He is capable of changing a series all by himself as we have seen in the past and that might be what the Hawks need to beat Vegas.
The Blackhawks were only able to get one past Robin Lehner and it was a sweet short-handed goal by David Kampf that came as a result of a great play by Brandon Saad. That was a nice play but it was certainly not enough scoring to win a game. Everyone knows that Chicago’s offense starts and ends with Kane so seeing him ramp it up in game two would go a long way.
As good as Kane is, however, it can’t all be on him. You saw in the play-in series how much some help from Jonathan Toews, Dominik Kubalik, and Kirby Dach amongst others really elevated them. We even saw Duncan Keith play as he used to in the glory days against Edmonton. Guys like Olli Maatta and Matthew Highmore contributing were nice too. Depth is the key to winning hockey teams but seeing a big game from Kane tonight would be awesome.
This is an afternoon game as the puck drops at 4:30. It is a key game in the series because coming back from down 2-0 against the Golden Knights would be extremely difficult. They make it hard to create offense and they have plenty of players who can put the puck in the net themselves. This is an exciting matchup for sure and hopefully, the Hawks can see a big game from Kane lead them to victory.
I mean I could write about how the Cubs got yet another quality start from their starting pitcher. Kyle Hendricks matched Jon Lester tonight. Or I could write about how once again the Cubs lineup battered an opposing starting pitcher. Tonight it wasn’t some dude pressed into starting, but a very good Carlos Carrasco that couldn’t make it five innings. The Cubs bats frequently do well in Ohio, but it seems like homecomings for Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ that highlight the night. Today it was the top of the order breaking out with both Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo crushing bombs.
Either way, the Cubs are on a roll that is positively 2016-like and the only meaningful question at this point is whether this is real or timing every team’s hot streak with the start of the year?
Kyle Hendricks matched Jon Lester’s score line from last night pitching six innings of one run ball. He got there a slightly different way. The Cleveland squad was able to put a runner in every inning except the third inning, but the Professor was rarely in trouble. Cleveland only had runners in scoring position in the first and fifth inning. The lone tally Hendricks gave up occurred in the fifth inning. Tyler Naquin and Sandy Leon hit back to back singles to lead off the frame. Bradley Zimmer struck out looking before the bases were loaded on Cesar Hernandez’s single. Jose Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly to put Cleveland on the board, but a Francisco Lindor ground out ended the threat.
The Cubs however had built a solid lead by that point in the game. Anthony Rizzo hit a laser beam shot to lead off the third inning. The Cubs added to their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez hit back to back singles to lead off that inning. Carrasco struck out Willson Contreras before being yanked for Oliver Perez. Ian Happ was walked intentionally to load the bases. Jason Heyward hit a sacrifice fly to double the Cubs lead. David Bote singled to drive in a pair but he was tossed out trying to stretch a single to end the inning.
The Cubs entered the sixth inning leading 4-1. Kris Bryant’s two out blast made it a 5-1 score. Dan Winkler was given the seventh inning. He was able to retire two Cleveland batters but also walked a pair. Rowan Wick was summoned to calm things, but Lindor singled back up the middle to cut the lead to 5-2. Wick would retire the next four Cleveland batters.
The Cubs added tallies in the eighth and ninth innings. Jason Kipnis hit a ground rule double to drive in Jason Heyward in the eighth inning. Jason Heyward hit a double to score Ian Happ as the bottom of the Cubs order continues to do damage. Jeremy Jeffress pitched a clean ninth as the Cubs stretched their NL Central leading record to 12-3. For those keeping track at home that is a better record than the 2016 version had 15 games into the season.
Random Reference
But right now I don’t really care if this is real or not because it was another game for Milos…I mean the Cubs.
Now that life revolves so much more around the kitchen, it’s appropriate that September — designated Whole Grains Month — reminds us of the importance of the underdog of the food pyramid.
What are whole grains anyway?
They’re the healthy alternative to refined grains, credited with keeping weight gain at bay, and providing fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium and other nutrients. A whole grain contains the three key parts of a seed — the bran, germ and endosperm.
Whole grains can be regular foods, such as rice, bulgur, farro, quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, or ingredients such as buckwheat in pancakes.
Even more important, research has shown whole grains are an important part of the kind of diet that can keep weight gain at bay as we age. A Harvard University study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, identified whole grains as one of five foods that helped participants stay healthy and trim. The others were vegetables, fruits, nuts and yogurt.
The foods that contributed to weight gain included what might be considered whole grains’ evil twin — refined grains.
Refined grains are milled, stripping away the bran and the germ, as well as fiber and other nutrients.
They’re among the foods that the researchers found contributed to age-related weight gain — crackers, pastries, desserts, white rice, white bread, potato chips and many kinds of cereals. Other foods on the weight-gain list were potatoes, processed meats, red meats and sugar-sweetened beverages.
Most refined grains are enriched, but they still lack fiber and important vitamins and nutrients.
So keep boosting your immune system, and feel great about your self-discipline, as you keep whole grains top of mind.
Barghoff was apparently made in Tennessee at some point.
So, a few things worth reporting this weekend:
Brixie’s is having a “parking lot sale” this Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. They are selling out fixtures, chairs, tap handles and signs to prepare for conversion into an Imperial Oak taproom. 9526 W. Ogden Ave., Brookfield, IL.
Finch Beer Co. has opened at taproom at its brewery this week. The facility is at 1800 W. Walnut St., Chicago, in the “Chicago Brewing District” that also holds Goose Island, All Rise, Great Central and On Tour breweries.
Brewbound.com has reported that distributor Breakthru Beverage is selling its Illinois beer and cider contracts to Heartland Beverage. Breakthru is the former Wirtz Beverage, whose local beer portfolio includes Haymarket Pub & Brewery, Spiteful Brewing, 18th Street and BuckleDown Brewing. Heartland is affiliated with Anheuser-Busch InBev, with Goose Island as its only Chicago-based holding.
Hopewell Brewing is conducting a recall of some of its beers, which they say was contaminated by a secondary yeast strain. The yeast could cause continued refermentation in the can, leading to gushers and off-flavors. The brands and can dates affected are Lil Buddy (date 6/19 & 7/15), Going Places (date 6/30) and Ride or Die (date 7/27). Facebook
Tangled Roots Brewing of Ottawa has posted that they are planning a new location in Glenview. Details coming later.
As of posting this article, I have all the events that mention beer tappings. Some more pop-ups and food trucks will keep coming in.
Fresh Beer Events, occasional bacon, but always spam free, opt out any time.
Meet The Blogger
Mark McDermott
Writer, trivia maven, fan of many things. I thought to learn all there is to know about beer as a way to stay interested in learning. It is my pleasure to bring Chicago’s craft beer scene to you.
Though the coronavirus pandemic has brought in many hardships for local businesses, there are others trying to bring solidarity and community to the city by innovating their restaurants or opening new establishments. Qiana Allen, the operator behind Culture’s Closet, a women’s boutique in Beverly, is opening a new cereal bar and candy store in the same neighborhood.
Photo Credit: Munchiez
Munchiez, opened earlier this month, is a new cereal bar and candy store that has 33 types of cereal, an endless variety of sweet goods, zany milkshakes, and so much more. Qiana, a parent along with being an entrepreneur, wants Munchiez to be more than just a place for locals to grab sweet treats, she also hopes the venture can be a way to teach her sons, 15 and 20, the basics of starting a business. In an interview with Eater, Allen remarked on how much her kids love cereal and sugar. “They go through so many boxes of cereal every day, it’s crazy. I wanted to find something they enjoy so it won’t seem like work,” said Allen.
Advertisement
There are, of course, a seemingly endless amount of cereals to consider stocking up on these days. In combing through the many options, Allen had a neighborhood tasting to get an idea of what customers from all age groups would be interested in. She also deferred to her children in selecting some of their favorite brands as well.
Photo Credit: Munchiez Facebook Page
Those familiar with the cereal game will be delighted to see names such as Trix, Apple Jacks, and Lucky Charms served up with flavored milk, put into cereal bars, or infused into their “loaded milkshakes.” Allen doesn’t want the buck to stop with the sweets, offering savory favorites from her own childhood, like walking tacos mixed with Doritos, Takis, or Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and topped with salsa, sour cream, jalapeños, and cheese. Even the candy selection has some items packing a punch like the Paqui, the novelty at the center of the “One Chip Challenge,” holding a single blue corn chip dusted generously with Carolina Reaper pepper. For those not acquainted with the spice life, Munchiez will still sell Charleston Chews and Jolly Rancher in bulk by the pound.
Through their social media, Allen wants to sell little packages for patrons to send candy to their loved ones. Eventually, Allen wants to incorporate a “Munchiez After Dark,” a space for adult socializing and karaoke. She has no plans for a liquor license given that she aims to keep Munchiez all ages. With bright walls and retro arcade games to keep folks entertained between snacking escapades, Munchiez will keep the kid in all of us quite entertained.
Advertisement
At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.
Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!
The Chicago Bears have had a weak run of it at the tight end position in recent years, but we boldly predict 2020 will be different.
A weak run? A weak run might be having to trot out Kellen Davis as your starting tight end for an entire season — which some Chicago Bears fans might remember a little while back. That was a weak run, but at least Davis offered some athleticism, despite his problematic hands.
The Bears’ 2019 tight end group was much worse than just a weak run. It was an all-out embarrassment.
So, what? Ryan Pace signed Jimmy Graham to a contract that most teams likely wouldn’t have; and drafted Cole Kmet at a spot where some considered it a reach. Is that really unforgivable considering the debacle at the position last season?
How quickly we forget the level of incompetence the Bears saw at tight end in 2019 between Adam Shaheen, Trey Burton, Ben Braunecker, among others. We’ll go into, once more, just how bad these guys were last year in just a moment.
But, how about we try some positivity for once? I’ll admit: It’s easy to have a negative outlook as a Bears fan. For the most part, we’re used to the negativity, especially at the quarterback position. But, when it comes to the tight end spot, Pace ensured the Bears will at least be better than they were before.
RELATED PRODUCT
Chicago Bears Short Sleeve Soccer Style Jersey – M
How much better will they be than 2019? That remains to be seen. But, if these bold predictions hold true, we will see a vast improvement at the tight end position in Chicago. Call it wishful thinking. Call it crazy. Call it whatever you want, but let’s get into it.
EDMONTON, ALBERTA – AUGUST 11: Reilly Smith #19 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates a goal with teammate Paul Stastny #26 against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period in Game One of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 11, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
The Vegas Golden Knights were way too much to handle for the ChicagoBlackhawks.
We all knew that the Vegas Golden Knights were a far superior team to the Chicago Blackhawks. They were playing in the round-robin round apposed to a play-in series (let alone the last seed in the play-in round) for a reason and they went 3-0 against the other best teams in the Western Conference. Well, they showed everyone why they are so good in this first game against the Hawks. They are so deep and that made them way too much to handle for the Blackhawks in game one.
The Golden Knights decided to go with Robin Lehner in the net which might surprise some people. Marc-Andre Fleury has been the face of their franchise since they selected him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the expansion draft but they went with Lehner. Lehner was traded over to Vegas from the Hawks at the trade deadline so that adds to the storyline. Since going to Vegas, he hasn’t lost a single game. He went 3-0 in the regular season before the pause and was 2-0 in the round-robin which is probably why he was the choice for Peter DeBoer in the net.
Outside of goaltending, Vegas is also very deep in other areas of the ice. They have so many great forwards that allow their coach to run four lines at a pretty steady pace. The two scoring lines at the top are right there with some of the best teams. Mark Stone is Vegas’s best player but Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith were the two standout skaters in the game. Smith had an assist on the Shea Theodore goal to go with two goals himself that were both assisted by Marchessault which led to the 4-1 Golden Knights win.
Where do the Blackhawks go from here? They need to be better at controlling the puck. Vegas was clearly the better team all game long and they dominated possession as a result. It also led to them outshooting the Hawks 33-20. Corey Crawford let up a couple of goals that he would like to have back but he was also left out to dry on multiple occasions. This needs to get cleaned up if they want to have a chance in this series.
They are back at it against Vegas on Thursday afternoon. This will be their best chance to redeem themselves against a very good team. The Golden Knights have won 9 of 10 games that they have played in their history against Chicago so they need to start turning that around. Vegas’ deep lineup might be too much for this Hawks team to handle as they are clearly a lot different than the Edmonton Oilers. They have to show that they can keep up with them otherwise this is going to be a short series.
Both COVID-19 and the recent IHSA decision to move football to the spring have greatly affected recruiting. (photo courtesy of Illinois State University)
As decisions continue to be made and delayed for a possible fall college football season, recruiting is also heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s a huge impact,” Rivals recruiting analyst “Edgy Tim” O’Halloran told Prairie State Pigskin last week. “Just the seniors alone, it’s really hard to swallow. You’re competing against all these kids from out of state for all these different spots and positions. You’re not going to be able to show those guys early and kids are going to lose spots, I don’t think there’s any question.”
Additionally, Southern Illinois head coach Nick Hill addressed the topic in a recent media conference.
“I really feel for the seniors in high school going through all of this. For them to get their worlds turned upside down, that’s tough news,” Hill said.
SIU head football coach Nick Hill originally played basketball at Western Kentucky University (photo courtesy of WKU Athletics)
Hill has a firsthand understanding of the prep athlete. During his senior year of high school in 2002-03, Hill was a two-sport star at DuQuoin High School where he was the area’s Player of the Year in both football and basketball and led the Indians to the Illinois High School Association 3A state championship football game. After originally signing with Western Kentucky University on a basketball scholarship, Hill later transferred to SIU and developed into a record-setting quarterback who took the Salukis to the playoffs.
Meanwhile, late last month, the Illinois High School Association announced its decision to move prep football from the traditional fall to the spring.
“I’m glad they . . . will get an opportunity to play,” Hill said. “Nothing surprises me. I don’t think there’s any right or wrong answer. No matter what decision is made, there are going to be some people who agree and some people that don’t agree.”
Both the ongoing pandemic concerns and that IHSA decision directly affect recruiting.
“In-state recruiting will change a little bit. Our signing days are in December and February. I’m not sure what the NCAA is going to do,” Hill said. “We [SIU staff] have to adjust and adapt. Some of it might be without senior film and with some states you might have senior film.”
Illinois State recruiting director Khenon Hall told Prairie State Pigskin, “Not having senior tape is a big challenge. That’s where we as a staff had to be really thorough and trust our eyes and rely on our relationships with coaches and trainers and things of that nature. We had to have kids go out and send us a lot of workout tape and have them do things that we would normally have them do.
“Obviously it’s made it tough, but our staff does a great job of building those relationships before that period even hit us so we had a good hold on the guys we knew we wanted to target.”
Some high school recruits have tried to control things as best they can.
“A lot of kids and their families are literally picking up and moving out of state,” O’Halloran said. “While that’s great, you’ll have a chance to play in the fall, again there’s no guarantees with that either. Kids are going to Iowa and Missouri and they’re going to Indiana, but again there’s no guarantees. What happens when you transfer, you move out and two weeks into your season it’s done for the year? That’s a big gamble to take.”
Further impacts
“Then you’ve got the kids who are going to sign letters of intent before they even play their senior year,” O’Halloran said. “Even in the case of the FCS kids, they will sign letters of intent in either December or February if those are indeed the dates (this season) because nobody knows. Will they keep the early signing period, get rid of the early signing period?”
Hall, who also serves as the ISU running backs coach, said that the cancellation of summer camps hurts recruiting.
“Gathering that information that we need from seeing them live, getting eyes on them (was lost),” Hall said. “With (ISU head coach) Brock Spack it’s very thorough when it comes down to recruiting. That’s the bread and butter.
“But we’ve adjusted. We’re finding a way to find a way.”
Spring fling
If indeed IHSA football is played in the spring, will it resemble what fans and recruiters would normally see in the fall?
“The IHSA decision certainly played a factor in all of this,” O’Halloran said. “A lot of the kids realized they can’t hold out for senior tape anymore, so they’d better look at what they have (in terms of offers) than what they don’t have for making their decisions. And that’s going to continue.
Tim O’Halloran (photo courtesy of CSNChicago.com)
“What about the kid who signs that early letter of intent, will he want to play that spring season? Or, will he not play and just report and be ready to play for college ball? There’s a lot of that going on now, I’ve talked to a bunch of kids that are Power 5 commits that are saying, ‘Well . . .’
“These colleges aren’t telling them not to (play in the spring), but they’re not really telling them to play either.”
Hall said once the IHSA announced its decision, the ISU staff expected recruits to reach out to them.
“When it hit, we kind of knew that we’d get a flux of calls from guys we had offered in-state,” Hall said. “It’s good and bad. We’ve got some kids that we’re hoping to get by no later than October once they go through those first few periods and the big boys [FBS schools] didn’t come calling and then we’d probably be able to get on board with those players. But with the (high school) season being pushed back, some of these kids are also waiting as well.
“I don’t know how it’s going to play out with the new rules as far as signing days in December and February. We’re supposed to get something here soon.”
Trickle down effect
All of this goes beyond just this upcoming prep football season.
“Even the younger guys are affected,” said O’Halloran, who has been publishing and covering IHSA football since 1995. “Usually we’d be much deeper into the evaluation process for the Class of 2022 and even earlier, and even though there are still some kids that have gotten offers, that’s come to a crawl.
“I talked to a couple of Big Ten assistants who have said, ‘How can you recruit when you can’t leave your office?’ The response in general, just to paraphrase, is we’ve got bigger things to worry about now. (In past years) you’d never hear that from a coach. So even they are taking a ‘this has got to be in the rearview mirror for now’ approach because obviously they’re just trying to get their own season going.”
FCS benefits?
With on-campus recruiting visits currently being off limits, could the likes of the four Illinois FCS programs actually benefit?
“Another aspect is all of these colleges are going to open up and allow 20-30,000 students to come back to campus, but kids that are trying to make maybe the most important decision of their lives are not allowed to come on campus with their parents to visit the school?” O’Halloran said. “Everything I’ve been told, coaches I’ve talked to have said, there’s no way in hell they’re going to let us have kids on campus this year. That’s just the feeling from the coaches.
“Well, that helps the Illinois States of the world because you lock up a kid like a Corey Walker, who when you see this kid in person looks like he could play in the NFL. If that kid starts walking around a Big Ten campus, he might not stay committed to Illinois State for very long.”
Khenon Hall
While Walker, a 2021 defensive end recruit from Normal Community West High School, didn’t wind up on a Big Ten campus, he did decommit from ISU to sign with FBS member Western Michigan of the Mid-American Conference.
Nevertheless, Illinois State certainly has jumped ahead in its recruiting game. According to a recent tweet by O’Halloran, the Redbirds have nine commitments — five of which are from Illinois prep programs, including Wheaton St. Francis quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse.
“I think they (Illinois State) saw it coming,” O’Halloran said.”They’ve always been working it early, but they’ve worked it very well. It’s a good group they’ve picked up so far in-state, and they’ve definitely wanted to get things done sooner. Their time frame and time tables got pushed ahead like everyone else’s, and so far, so good.
“So, if kids can’t make campus visits, they fall by the wayside a little bit, you can kind of hide some kids. You’ve got them locked up, but you probably can’t sign them until December at the earliest so you’re getting them now and hoping to hang on.”
How much has recruiting changed in the midst of the pandemic world?
“We’ve already got more kids that have verbally committed than signed letters of intent last year. Again, it’s a better class than last year, but this early? And as you’ve noticed, we’ve seen a lot of FCS kids commit now, and there’s going to be more coming,” O’Halloran said.
Blog co-authors Barry Bottino and Dan Verdun bring years of experience covering collegiate athletics. Barry has covered college athletes for more than two decades in his “On Campus” column, which is published weekly by Shaw Media. Dan has written four books about the state’s football programs–“NIU Huskies Football” (released in 2013), “EIU Panthers Football (2014), “ISU Redbirds” (2016) and “SIU Salukis Football” (2017).
So now we know. Kamala Harris, Senator from California, will be Joe Biden’s running mate in the November election. And President Trump has wasted no time in bringing out the “nasty” adjective. That gives me an opportunity for me to resurrect a blog post from 2016 when Trump called Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman.”
(October 20, 2016) Yes, Hillary accused Donald Trump of cheating on his taxes. And how did he respond? As everyone knows, he called her a “nasty woman.” For the sake of argument, let’s say her remark earned her a one-star (★) evil rating. How does she stack up against some other famous nasty women in history?
Eve ★ ★ ★ : Here was a gal who knew how to get her man in trouble. If she hadn’t gone after that apple, none of us would be paying income tax.
Bonnie Parker ★ ★ : Yeah, she robbed banks, killed people, and wrote awful poetry. But Faye Dunaway was just so damn alluring.
Norman Bates’ Mother ★ ★ ★ : Now this was a mean one. Even dead and mummified she got poor old Tony Perkins to off Janet Lee. But that was a great shower scene.
Marie Antoinette ★ ★ ★ : No, she didn’t cause the French Revolution by herself. Did she really say “let them eat cake”? In any case, it’s a great line.
Hansel and Gretel’s Witch ★ ★ ★ ★ : A true nasty. Kidnap kids, fatten up kids, eat kids. It wasn’t until Hannibal Lecter came around that we had a comparable male maniac.
Cathy Ames ★ ★ ★ : John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” is one of my all-time favorite reads, and Cathy is my favorite character. A prostitute without a heart of gold, she killed her parents and slept with her brother-in-law on her wedding night. But at least she didn’t eat her children.
Polk Salad Annie’s Mama★ ★ : A wretched spiteful, straight-razor totin’ women. And I hear Annie was no sweetheart herself!
Queen Isabella ★ ★ ★ ★ : Whether you hate her for sending Columbus to the New World and blowing the ecosystem, or her role in the villainous Spanish Inquisition, there is not much for redemption.
Gemma Teller Morrow ★ ★ ★ : The Mama Bear of “Sons of Anarchy, ” she almost killed her first daughter-in-law, and succeeded in killing her second one. And I had always thought that is was daughters-in-law that wanted to kill their mothers-in-law.
Elizabeth Holmes ★ ★ : Yes, I know, I should stop picking on the Temptress of Theranos. But her whole deal just gets me so pissed off…
So Hillary, you barely nudge the nasty meter. So keep on smiling that smile and do what you’ve got to do. Only one person on the ballot is truly evil.
Don’t forget to vote on or before November 3, 2020
Like what you read here? Add your name to our subscription list below. No spam, I promise!
___
Hi! I am Les, a practicing pathologist living in the North Suburbs and commuting every day to the Western ones. I have lived my entire life in the Chicago area, and have a pretty good feel for the place, its attractions, culture, restaurants and teams. My wife and I are empty-nesters with two adult children and a grandchild. We recently decided to downsize, but just a bit! I will be telling the story of the construction of our new home, but also writing about whatever gets me going on a particular day. Be sure to check out the “About” page to learn more about where we plan to go with this blog!
Chicago’s Favorite Food Critics and Bloggers
Through their social media
3 comments