That Insane Video for DJ Shadow’s “Nobody Speak”

I think I just found my new favorite music video. Directed by Sam Pilling for the song “Nobody Speak” by DJ Shadow featuring Run the Jewels from the June 2016 album The Mountain Will Fall, the unofficial video depicts some kind of negotiation of international importance between the United States and the United Kingdom. Set to the truly fantastic track, the countries’ representatives are in disagreement from go, lip-syncing rhymes at one another as the meeting quickly devolves from discord to fury to full-on chaos. It’s exquisitely filmed, beautifully stunt-coordinated and lots of fun, and it includes inexplicable (but who cares?) cameos from a pig and a rooster. At a time of intense political and ideological strife, the video is making a clear and colorful statement about white male rage. I’ve survived some intense meetings in my day, but this is holy shit crazy. Enjoy.

Read more

The Days of Joan and Roses

Two years ago today (September 4, 2014), we lost a legend. At the beginning of that summer, three months prior to Joan Rivers’ death, I received a phone call that changed my life, pitching an opportunity to work for a comedy icon I had admired since her days guest hosting The Tonight Show.

Read more

Podcast Episode N.37: Watch Snobs, Dressing with Dignity and Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka

In this episode, I respond to some readers’ reactions to an article about a new affordable automatic tool watch that resembles similar watches on the luxury spectrum. I also share a few anecdotes about how dressing with a sense of occasion served me very well. The last segment is about what Gene Wilder’s performance as Willy Wonka meant to me as a young boy.

Read more

September 2016 Playlist: The Get Down

“The Get Down” was a warm breeze of late summer fun on Netflix. Against the backdrop of a broke (and broken) Bronx in the summer of 1977, “The Get Down” tells a story at the crossroads of disco and hip-hop. This was a time when New York City was severely in debt and was denied federal assistance to avoid bankruptcy under President Gerald Ford, yielding the famous New York Daily News 1975 headline: “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” The Bronx and its residents were really suffering.

The show was created by Baz Luhrmann, who also directed the pilot. I’ve heard from a few friends who had lukewarm feelings after watching the very densely packed first episode, which I completely understand, since watching a Baz Luhrmann project is like eating a really rich, over-sweetened layer cake with frosting made of ecstasy and sprinkled with cocaine, then washing it down with Red Bull. You almost need to chase a Luhrmann movie with an Ingmar Bergman film just to come down. He starts off his new Netflix series, “The Get Down,” with a similar three-ring circus fervor, though it’s not his usual boisterous pageant of bells and whistles. Fortunately for “The Get Down,” the remaining five episodes are helmed by other directors who allow the story to breathe with more finesse and nuance. And it’s a pretty fabulous story.

One of the best best features of the 8-episode show was the music. Wow. Like, fuck me wow. It’s an early-to-mid ’70s aural orgy of soul, R&B, disco and even some rock in a beautiful blend of the popular and the more esoteric. My September 2016 playlist is a curated selection of some of my favorites that appeared in the series.

Read more

Gene Wilder and Willy Wonka

“Hold your breath… Make a wish… Count to three…”

There are those movies from our childhood that stay with us forever, creating cultural and emotional tentpoles that support a tapestry of our young lives. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was one of those movies for me.

Read more

The Absence of Mastery in the Era of the “Instabrand”

Over the past decade, the internet and social media have enabled many entrepreneurs to start new businesses very quickly and relatively cheaply. Ventures like this used to require much more time and money than they do now, where we have a saturated market of young clothing, grooming and accessory brands. These young companies, however, often sell a product with a very shallow breadth of understanding, knowledge and appreciation of history and how/why things work the way they work.

Read more

The Sartorial Illiteracy of the American Television Host

It’s a good bet that a lot of American men get their cues about wearing suits from television. Unfortunately, most TV personalities wear their suits poorly, spreading bad information to the masses.

Left to their own devices, male on-camera personalities would likely make even bigger sartorial mistakes than they already do. It’s not totally their fault. Their main job is to be informed, intelligent, engaging and entertaining, which is a genuinely difficult full-time job. Other than a few hosts who actually have a sense of style and a knowledge of what to wear and how to wear it, these men need help. To get dressed appropriately and look right, they retain the services of a stylist, designer or dresser whose job can range from advising and consulting to an all-out dictation of what otherwise clueless talent should wear. This is where the problem lives.

Read more

Sex on Wheels: My Five Favorite Bicycles, 2016-2017 Edition

A couple of years ago, I published a post about my favorite five bicycles. In the wake of a discontinued design and a couple of new discoveries, I figured it was time for an update.

These bikes I love are not racing bikes, daredevil bikes, fixed-gear bikes, mountain bikes or any other specialized configuration. These are basic bicycles anyone can jump on and ride, no matter what one is wearing, enabling the rider to pleasurably, effectively and stylishly get from A to B. However, safety when riding a bicycle is just as important as the bike it itself. Accidents involving cyclists could leave the cyclist unable to work, or under financial stress due to hospital bills. If you find yourself in an accident, although many may not want to, it is worth getting in touch with someone similar to these Bike Accident attorneys in North Myrtle Beach or a law firm local to you, as they might be able to help you with your case.

Read more

Effective and Affordable Hair Loss Therapy from Revivogen MD

Looking at the genetics on my mom’s side and combing through my own hair at age 45, I have a low probability of any notable hair loss. For a huge percentage of men, however, the opposite is true. And while I’m a fan of guys who buzz or shave their heads, I also understand that a lot of men just aren’t comfortable with that and don’t feel confident with the shape of their head or any of the social insecurities one might feel by having less than a full head of hair. For those guys, there is a terrific, non-invasive, non-prescription, affordable and effective solution: The scalp therapy treatment, shampoo and conditioner from Revivogen MD.

Read more
Back To Top
Search