Conor Gregory Birmingham

Bored During Quarantine? Watch These Retro TV Shows

March 24, 2020 by Conor Gregory Birmingham Leave a Comment

Everyone is still getting used to their new lifestyles and adjusting to new routines. I mean, I put on jeans just to feel accomplished for the day. After a week of quarantine, you could be running out of options for things to watch. Here’s a list of 90s TV shows that’s definitely binge-worthy. Just note that other than the first choice, everything else listed aren’t the most popular shows of the era, but rather ones that you hopefully haven’t watched yet.

Seinfeld (1989-1998)

Jerry Seinfeld, playing himself, leads a cometic all-star cast who is always getting into some misadventure in New York City. They’re neurotic, self-centered, and always saying or doing the wrong thing. You won’t be able to stop watching them and how they navigate everyday life in the city. Every episode is different, yet they all seem so connected to one another which makes it easy for binge-watching. Bonus points if you can imitate the Elaine dance or any of Kramer’s movements.

In Living Color (1990-1994)

This show is wacky from the beginning and how could it not be when lead by Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx. The Wayans brothers and their comedic family give the audience African-American focused comedy that keeps the audience on their toes. Many actors got their start with this shows and some current A-listers (Jennifer Lopez and Chris Rock) even made appearances. You’ll love the reoccurring characters/skits and the high energy that many new shows seem to be lacking.

Beavis and Butt-Head (1993-1997 and 2011)

This show is dumb, obnoxious, crude, and sexist. But it still finds a way to make me laugh by watching these high-school-aged boys comment on popular videos and music of the time. The show received critical acclaim and a cult following but may turn off some people with its outdated ideas and script. The plot and characters of the show are all very simple so don’t expect anything too heavy when it comes to what they talk about. This is the perfect show to watch when you’re drinking with your buddies and you can just laugh at it.

Whose Line is it Anyway? (1998-2007)

Okay, I might be breaking the rules with this selection, but it was released in the 90s so that’s good enough for me. This is one of the most quotable shows I’ve ever watched and can have you hooked by just watching five minutes of it. This show, hosted by Drew Carey, featured improv while incorporating the audience’s ideas into skits and games. This show is really nice to watch because it doesn’t matter where you leave off or pick up. This show is where I learned a lot of my sarcasm which accounts for 99% of my humor today.

Recess (1997-2006)

Okay again I’m half okay here, but this is my blog so I’m saying it’s okay to include. Anyway, I loved this show growing up as it felt super relatable to me watching fourth graders on TV. The show itself taught some good lessons about standing up for others and the battle between conforming and individuality. This is a nice relaxing show that helps you escape from today’s problems and reminisce about being a kid.

Popular Shows to Watch

Here’s a quick list of popular shows from the 90s that you should watch if you haven’t already. What are you doing with your life if you haven’t seen these already anyway?? I won’t give an explanation for each show or why you should watch it. This last part is simply serving as a reference list of the most popular shows of the era.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)

Home Improvement (1991-1999)

That ’70s Show (1998-2006)

Cheers (1982-1993)

Whichever show you chose just remember to stay inside, practice social distancing, and wash your damn hands! Stay safe and keep exploring pop culture.

Cutting Through the Noise: 2020 Albums to Get Excited About

March 3, 2020 by Conor Gregory Birmingham Leave a Comment

Wait! Before getting into this post, let’s start with a music pun.

What is the difference between a fish and a piano? You can’t tuna fish.

Hilarious, I know. Anyway, 2020 is setting up to be a big year for music with plenty of well-known bands releasing big albums. There are so many releases that deserve recognition, but neither you or I have time for that. So, here’s a quick list of the albums to look out for the most.

Kesha – High Road

Release Date: Jan. 31

Look, I’m not the biggest Kesha fan or even this album. However, there’s something charming about it as it brings me back to the nostalgic middle school days. ‘My Own Dance’ is essentially a sequel to ‘Tik Tok’, but don’t let that fool you. Because while the album does have some reminiscent aspects of Animal, it finds a nice middle ground between those early party days and the more mature statement of Rainbow. The arrangements were everywhere in this album and showcased everything from her rapping to a country-twang chorus. So, let this be your guilty-pleasure album that you’re too embarrassed to tell people you listen to. Your secret’s safe with me.

Weezer – Van Weezer

Release Date: May 15

Weezer, safe for the Red Album, has always been able to adapt their sound to the times and keep from sounding outdated to their fans. Considering they started in the mid-90s and continue to produce quality music through every decade since proves that and makes me even more excited for this release. Now, they haven’t received the same praise as their early albums, but there’s always those 3 or 4 songs that you can take away from the album which can’t be said for every artist.

Migos – Culture III

Release Date: May

The fourth studio album and the end of the Culture trilogy is probably one of the most anticipated albums of the year. The group kept teasing a release, but for one reason or another it continued to get pushed back and the group has remained non-committal on an official release date. With that being said, their last two albums have been absolute hits receiving at least platinum status with both and their features on other songs indicate the group hasn’t lost a step. We’re seeing a rap group in it’s prime and this album should be their best yet.

Luke Bryan – Born Here, Live Here, Die Here

Release Date: April 24

Bryan’s seventh album points to a tribute to his hometown as indicated by the song ‘Born Here, Live Here, Die Here’. With that song and “Knockin’ Boots”, they give us a pretty good idea of the direction of the album. It has similar elements to Eric Church’s Cheif album which he pointed to the small-town USA aspect of country music. He’s on record with saying he expects to add in some traditional elements into the album while incorporating the new sound his latest songs are now recognized by.

J. Cole – The Fall Off

Release Date: 2020

Talking about an album that keeps getting pushed back, Cole’s next album has been kept under wraps for years now. Fans have known the album was being worked on since 2018 when he released 1985 (intro to the fall off) on KOD, but we have yet to know more than it’s release year. Regardless, Cole’s discography is one of the best in the game and we’d be fools to think his next work isn’t going to live up to the hype considering his skill and the amount of work he pours into every album.

Honorable Mentions

Green Day – Father of All Motherfuckers

The 1975 – Notes on a Conditional Form

Good TV Shows to Watch if You Ever Found the Time

February 17, 2020 by Conor Gregory Birmingham Leave a Comment

I’m always watching a TV show. As soon as I finish watching one, I’m onto the next show and it’s never-ending. The problem isn’t finding shows to watch, but good shows that you can tell your friends about. I’ve committed more time to pop culture and specifically TV than I’d like to admit. That’s good news for you because I filter out the crap. We as college students don’t have time to watch every show or even give our time to search for good ones. This list is here to help with that and provide a couple of shows that you need to be watching.

1. Schitt’s Creek

This recently nominated show is about a super-rich family who now has to live in the town of Schitt’s Creek after losing everything. The only catch is they bought this town as a joke. It’ll have you laughing from the get-go after seeing how this family tries to adjust to living in poverty and how they try to unsuccessfully to get out of it. The character development and story cohesion are strong points for the show along with no other hidden social agendas. All of these characters display real values that allow the audience to connect and understand them which is a far cry from where the series started. It highlights small business entrepreuership without sacrificing that feel-good notion of middle-class America. The 6th and final season comes out next week on Netflix so be sure to check it out!

2. Better Call Saul

The sequel to Breaking Bad (side note: see Breaking Bad if you haven’t already) follows the life of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) and how he transforms into the lawyer Saul Goodman. This series is a multiple award-winner that is carried by its smart writing and outstanding acting. The series revolves around Jimmy’s transformation, but he’s not the only one who sees a change as the series progresses. The wide array of characters just strengthens the overall scope of the series rather than just relying on a few to carry the story. I also really enjoyed that the writers included some background information of Breaking Bad to help fill in some plot holes or unanswered questions. If you’re looking for a ground-breaking drama that always keeps you on your toes, then this is for you! Catch recently released Season 4 now before the fifth one comes out in the next couple weeks.

3. Sex Education

This is my underrated pick of the post and one of my personal favorites. We all remember high school right? It was a weird time filled with many questions and little answers. This series dives into sex education Q & A’s and other social issues that many high schoolers face, but never get the proper answers to. Those often shunned social issues are not only discussed about among the characters, but given their needed attention with a respectable tone and thought-provoking dialogue. The main character Otis, who is more than a bit awkward, is the catalyst for getting these questions answered as he turns into the student body’s unofficial sex therapist. Things get even more complicated in Season 2, but I’ll let you find out what I mean by that. There’s sex, drugs, parties, and everything else that used to be too taboo for TV. This show holds no punches and features a great soundtrack that’ll have you grooving for days after.

4. Stranger Things

One of the biggest shows to hit Netflix ever, they just keep getting better and better with Season 4 coming this summer. The middle school group of Hawkins can’t seem to escape the constant danger with the stakes getting higher every time. They use real-world situations that you might’ve even experienced in middle school and also put in a classic game of D&D every now and then. David Harbour and Winona Rider along with the rest of the cast keep the audience invested in the story and carry the series to the popularity it sees now. As the kids turn into their teen years, they deal with all the problems that come with that as well. The retro setting will have you feeling nostalgic about the 80s even if you weren’t alive for it. The writing remains cohesive, bright, and unexpected which is always welcomed no matter what series you’re watching. Check out the trailer they just dropped for Season 4!

The Best of the Rest

Rick and Morty. Don’t get me started because this show would definitely make my list, but they keep taking extended breaks in between seasons and now their newest season. What the hell Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, I need the next five episodes already! Anyway, this is a really great show that features twisted storylines and space adventures. The characters are deeply flawed, the trauma is there, and the artwork is top notch. What’s not to love?

Bob’s Burgers. This show is so smart and gives me that deadpan humor that I crave for my entertainment. They stay within their realm and don’t try to do to much to get a laugh or gain an audience. However, there isn’t enough substance there consistently for me to put this in my list. The show is a little too mundane for me to rank it higher. Still check it out though.

Big Mouth. This one is similar to Sex Education, but featuring middle schoolers and the questions they have. This is a hilarious show and brings up some interesting points especially when they talk about depression and test anxiety. Nick Kroll does almost all the voices which is even more impressive considering that it features both genders. Some episodes are definite hits, but disappointingly almost as much as misses for me. However, it’s still a show that brings forth an interesting perspective the audience might’ve never considered before.

A Review: Rise of Skywalker

December 23, 2019 by Conor Gregory Birmingham Leave a Comment

The last installment of the Star Wars saga is here and it’s fair to say that most of the feedback has been divided. The ninth edition of the Lucasfilm galaxy certainly has seen commercial success with over 374 million made globally up to this point.

With JJ Abrams directing, the movie felt more on track with Episode 7 than Episode 8 and followed the outline of Return of the Jedi that we saw in the original trilogy. We get the culmination of the newest trilogy and the saga is officially wrapped up.

I thought this entire trilogy was handcuffed by what happened in Episode 8 because of the entire story including character development, cohesiveness, etc. failing to follow a great point a to point b storyline. Episode 9 is forced to answer questions that are leftover which leads to an accelerated pace and the audience is playing catch up.

We are introduced to some new characters and worlds that give some freshness to the story and keep the audience engaged in whatever setting the story took them to. However, the main characters are the ones who carry this trilogy into its end.

For me personally, I did not like a lot of what they did in Episode 8, so I was encouraged to see they reversed some of what was done in that movie and answered the plot holes that remained. With that being said, the overall lack of obvious plotline and subsequentially the subplot lines was extremely disappointing for a story arc that is expected when a trilogy is introduced.

The action sequences in this movie were very well choreographed and gave the audience chances to see real emotions from these characters which was lacking in previous films. These sequences made you feel for these characters and the Resistance in general.

I also liked the nostalgic factor and how we got one more movie with all of my favorite characters (Luke, Chewy, Han, C-3PO, R-2, Lando, and Leia). They gave each one their proper time and even gave Leia a relatively big role in this movie despite the unfortunate and untimely death of Carrie Fisher.

There were some plot holes with this one as is with every movie and the lack of developed background for most characters limited the emotional attachment we could make to these characters. I was really hoping for some time with these characters to learn about their stories, but we never got the chance.

Another frustrating part was the ending and the direction they decided to take it which, in turn, canceled out many of the important events that occurred in Episodes 3 and 6. Even with that, this movie did the best it could to end the saga especially when one considers what direction the trilogy was trending after Episode 8.

Overall, I was very satisfied with this movie and how they decided to wrap up the saga that has been Star Wars. This ranks in the middle at 5 of all of the movies for me and had the potential to be so much more if they weren’t limited by what happened in Episode 8.

So, for anyone looking for an action-packed science-fiction film that feels like a classic Star Wars movie, then I recommend checking this one out! Don’t let the critic’s or online review shape your own opinion. See the movie for yourself and decide!

My Semester in State College!

December 19, 2019 by Conor Gregory Birmingham Leave a Comment

Oh boy what a couple of months it has been!

For those who don’t know, and I’m sure it is many, I moved to University Park from Penn State Berks to finish my degree in August. This was the first time that I spent more than a couple weeks away from home.

It was a weird balance of feeling far away from home and feeling like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I always understood that this is where I was going to end up, but after talking about/planning it for so long it almost felt weird actually following through on those plans.

(My humble abode! Plus the bathroom and kitchen/living area)

After a few days it felt like I’ve been living there for years and I immediately got into a daily routine. The real challenge was mastering the bus system. They’ve got so many routes, times, and different directions that it took me a couple weeks to get down which wasn’t particularly enjoyable having to wait another 40 minutes for the next one.

The bus, once I figured it out, was a live saver for saving time walking around campus or getting to work on time.

I met all kinds of different people through work and THON which led to some friendships and great memories!

But yeah as I was saying (obviously I wasn’t, but I needed a natural transition), this semester was really busy just like the other ones. I started a new internship, kept working, worked out/read when I had the chance, and went to the football games!

This semester especially kept me honest when it came to time management because I was responsible for buying groceries, taking my car to the mechanic, and paying rent among other things. These adult activities took up a lot of time, but I was glad to have experienced it!

With all of this change happening, I was grateful for the times of familiarity throughout the semester. From the phone calls with family members to watching football with Penn State Berks buddies to tailgating with old friends, this semester really made me appreciate my past.

A lot was different from that past I was used to. The classes with their size and professors, the campus with all of it’s space and beauty, and the people with their group-think and busy-bee attitudes were all unlike what I had experienced.

The transition took some getting used to, but I caught my stride and even became comfortable with my situation as the semester went on. I really hope going forward that everyone has the opportunity to get out of their hometown, actually get out and not just 15 minutes down the road, and takes it. There’s so much of the world to see and adventure is out there like UP taught us.

(Get it? UP the movie, UP the campus? No? Okay, I’ll see myself out)

This was a great experience and I can’t wait for 2020 to see what these last two semesters in college have in store for me! Hopefully more pictures of me likes this ↓

(I’m actually happy in the first two. Don’t let the lack of smile fool you)