I'm a Loner Dottie, a Rebel.

The Josh Wells Weekly, Episode 207

Aug 04, 2023

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That’s me telling jokes at The Dojo in Morris Plains, NJ. Fun club to tell jokes! Shout out to the very funny Vinny Scarpa for the pic and the spot on his show. You should follow him on IG:

@vinnyscarpacomedy

Random Thought

Filed under things I regret, sometimes I find that I’m mean to people who don’t deserve it. On the flip side of that coin, sometimes I’m nice to people who don’t deserve it as well. I won’t realize it’s happening in the moment but somewhere later down the line I’ll think back on either of these situations and wonder why I’m not giving people the energy they deserve.

I’m pretty sure one of the core reasons I’m mean to people who don’t deserve it is because it’s easier to be mean to people who are usually nice to me. There’s more comfort there so for whatever reason, that’s when I’m willing to let my guard down and set loose the mean. That’s definitely no good excuse. I suppose this is more of a confessional, “what can I do to be a better person?” type random thought.

But I also think a part of the problem is that I’m not being mean to the people who deserve it. Some people got it coming to them, a big fuck you. And I think that’s okay. I think we should say, “fuck you,” to the people who’re asking for it. But I suppose that’s a scary thing to do so a lot of times I’ll just try to get out of the situation with the least amount of resistance. Now I’m walking around with this, “fuck you,” in my pocket and I don’t know what to do with it. And I believe that’s how it sometimes manifests itself and is used in a misguided fashion towards someone I hold in high regard.

I think it’s okay to be an asshole to other assholes. You’re just doling out the same energy they’re throwing at you. And being nice or non-resistant isn’t going to help them on their own road to self-discovery. A well placed, “fuck you,” might set some asshole straight and maybe they’ll even consider it and be less of an asshole in the future. This is a big MAYBE though. Assholes are usually set in their ways.

But who cares if they do or don’t become less of an asshole over time? What I should really be concerned about is if I’m showing love to the people I love and who love me, even if I’m in a bad mood or having a bad day. And I think I can help myself be better at that if I burn my, “fuck you’s,” on the people who deserve it instead of repressing it and having it come out against people I enjoy being around. That in turn makes me an asshole and puts them in a position to drop a, “fuck you,” on me that I totally deserve. It’s a viscous cycle, one that I like to think can be avoided if I keep my, “fuck you’s,” in a row and remain aware of who I’m dealing with and their energy towards me.

Movie I Watched Recently

Smokey and the Bandit

(Netflix)

While the rest of the world was suffering from Oppenheimer/Barbie fever, I decided to take it back to 1977 and watch this movie that I’ve been told is a classic over the years. I honestly don’t know why I avoided it for so long. On paper, the premise is rad. It’s about a couple of cool Southern dudes who are good at things like bootlegging and driving fast, who get in a caper to transport a shitload of beer over many state lines (Texas to Atlanta).

This movie delivers. It’s not just rad on paper, it’s all around rad. I kinda loved everything about this movie (except for the Confederate flag license plate, but I guess nothing’s perfect). It stars a young Burt Reynolds and Sally Field who have their whole lives ahead of them and honestly both stayed cool as they aged, so this pairing in hindsight feels like some kind of good omen.

Reynolds plays Bandit who’s the hero of the movie even if what he’s doing is technically illegal. The cops are the bad guys. Also, the cops constantly look like buffoons. I don’t even know if this would fly in 2023. Were cops dumber back then? Was it easier to get away with stuff? Am I reading into things too deeply? Probably. But if you enjoy cops looking like idiots and cool people getting away with crimes that don’t hurt anybody, then you’ll love this story.

Jackie Gleason plays the main villain/sheriff, Buford T. Justice, and if you think that name’s ridiculous, his performance is so over the top, it’s high-fucking-art. He almost steals the show and owns every scene he’s in. He’s a force that can’t be reckoned with in this movie. Reynolds is cool and I’m sold on him as the protagonist, but it’s hard not to think that Gleason’s performance as the villain he runs up against is what really makes this movie work.

Also, I think every song on the soundtrack is about the movie. I could be wrong but so many of the lyrics you hear along the way are specific details about the movie sung in a classic country twang.

Bottom line, this movie is fun, cool, and enjoyable. I’m ready to add myself to the list of people who call it a classic.

Smokey and the Bandit Burt Reynolds Jerry Reed holding dog 8x10 Photo | eBay

There’s also a cool dog, Fred, in this movie. Look how much fun they’re having being around Fred. I can confirm after watching that Fred is indeed a good boy.

TV show I’m currently watching

Shameless

(Netflix)

I am currently one episode away from entering the final season of Shameless. For the past few weeks, I’ve felt this slight anxiety about all the other shows that are piling up that I wanna watch. But just the other day I had a much different thought. I was starting to get a little bummed that my Shameless ride will be over soon. Once I get through it, I’ll never be able to watch it for the first time ever again. I’ve enjoyed this show so much and although binging 11 seasons of an hour long show is time consuming and has forced me to put other shows on the backburner, I’m suddenly concerned that I might not be ready for it to end.

Although, one nice thing about this when it’s over, I won’t have to dodge spoilers anymore. I’ve talked to friends along the way and while no one’s spoiled the ending of the show for me, I know something happens that’s either sad or heartbreaking and I sorta don’t like knowing that going in, but it is what it is and although I have my guesses on what that might be, I’m just glad I don’t know for certain.

Anyways, speaking of spoilers, spoilers abound below…

Lip almost broke my goddamn heart when he told the family he was moving to Milwaukee. I was just like, goddamn, first Fiona and now Lip. I felt bad for his siblings. It just seemed like a lonely place to be. In a matter of months, the two eldest siblings were out of their lives.

But then he rented the house down the block and I’m not sure how that’s gonna play out because the last episode I watched, he told Tami and she just walked away. He probably should’ve worked that out with her before renting it… but Lip had his reasons I suppose. Them moving to Milwaukee did seem like a wild move. Sure, it’s better than living in an RV, but it felt wrong.

I really enjoyed the triangle Debbie got in with the mom and the daughter. It was just a messy disaster from the jump and it didn’t last long… of course, but that was a fun thing to watch her go through.

Carl is a garbage man but really he’s an informant for the police to investigate crooked garbage men and I don’t really know where this is going but I hope it pays off for Carl. Sometimes I wonder if Carl’s best option was doubling down and getting serious about climbing the fast food corporate ladder.

Kev is just getting into some story where it looks like he might become some kind of alternative fitness trainer. Like instead of going to the gym, people will get in shape by lifting kegs and other normal day shit that Kevin does that somehow keeps him super buff. I’m a sucker for a good Kev storyline. Kev’s the best.

Frank went to rehab after dodging a bullet and avoiding serious jail time. Now he’s staying at the house of the woman who tried to send him to jail while she’s away for the winter (unbeknownst to her).

Liam doesn’t seem to be involved in much of a storyline at the moment but he does keep growing up and becoming more jaded.

Ian and Mickey are gonna get married and it turns out Mickey is a bridezilla (or he’s just trying to overcompensate for his dad who disapproves of him marrying Ian, or any guy).

That’s it for now. By this time next week, I will be somewhere in the final season of Shameless.

Album of the Week

When Horses Would Run / Being Dead

This is one of the strangest albums I’ve heard in some time, but strange in a good way. If I could sum it up, I’d say it’s some kind of low-fi Mama’s and the Papa’s with maybe a dash of the B-52’s and mix it in there with a little surf rock and psychedelia. It mostly rocks but not in a loud, obnoxious way. It’s straightforward, like good rock music should be but also, very weird (it’s an enjoyable weird though). I now have such an odd curiosity about this band, I sorta wanna see them live just to see what the vibe is like.

Being Dead: When Horses Would Run Album Review | Pitchfork

That’s the album cover. Weird and cool at the same time much like the songs on this album.

Book I’m Currently Reading

Lapvona / Ottessa Moshfegh

It’s my favorite new-ish author. This is the third book of hers I’m reading in about the past year or so (it started with, ‘My Year of Rest and Relaxation,' which is absolutely one of my favorite books of all time). It’s off to an odd start but I’m mostly digging it.

Lapvona is a fictional village and I have no idea where in the world this might be or what year it is. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s the 1600’s, but who knows for sure? It’s about a shepherd and his son and their very unhealthy relationship. Jude, the shepherd, seems to despise his son, Marek. Marek also happens to be disfigured which seems to anger his father further. He’s always mean to him and always beating him.

There’s the Lord of Lapvona, Villiam, who seems to be mostly spoiled and useless and doesn’t care much about the village or its people. He has a son, Jacob, who pals around with Marek from time to time.

I don’t know how many specifics I wanna give without giving things away but something major happens between Marek and Jacob that changes Marek’s life forever and I don’t know if I’m gonna spoil it here because I’m not that deep into the book but I imagine after another chapter or two, it will be impossible not to mention the thing I’m refraining from mentioning now.

But there is a lot of disturbing imagery in the book. Before I started reading Lapvona, I’d read reviews that called it a gore fest, disgusting, and a tote bag that said, ‘I Survived Lapvona.’ Up to a certain point, this book was mostly gross and hopeless (the hopelessness being Marek’s situation) but things seem to be changing which might start to make this book a bit more palatable… but I don’t want it to become too palatable. I kinda dig how this book is giving off a vibe that it doesn’t want to be loved.

Sick merch for a sick book.

Random sports thought of the week

I have this conference call at my job that I have to be on bi-weekly. And for the first time in a few months, football came up during the call. And I was reminded how during football season, talking football had been kind of an ice breaker for us on this call and in a way, it strengthened relations. But once football ended, the talk sorta subsided. Now that we’re just a few weeks away from the regular football season (preseason began last night though with the Hall of Fame game), it’s in the air and I’m starting to hear people talk about it again.

It reminded me of the power of sports and how being a fan can help you connect with other people who are also fans. It opens conversation and communication. It bonds strangers at bars and tailgates. And is there any more powerful example of that in American culture than with football?

It’s almost odd that as summer fades and we transition back into the school year, instead of getting bummed, football fans are at their peak excitement. Some might even call it the best time of the year. People put on their fun team shirts and hats and devote their holy Sunday sabbath to the pigskin.

I feel almost obligated to keep up with what’s going on in football. Not just cause I’m a fan and I want to but because it’s this whole other avenue of community that I have access to just as long as I too can walk into work on a Monday and talk about that one crazy play everyone else is talking about.

DeMarcus Ware performs National Anthem before his own Hall of Fame enshrinement in touching tribute to Demaryius Thomas - but fans are divided over his rendition | Daily Mail Online

Shout out to Demarcus Ware who is not only being inducted into the Football Hall of Fame this year, but also got to sing the National Anthem before the game. This dude would wreck your shit on the field any given Sunday but last night he had the voice of an angel, an angel that I’m pretty sure can still kick your ass.

Random pro wrestling thought of the week

I sorta wanna write a thing where I basically say you’re crazy if you think anyone but FTR is the best tag team on the planet right now… but I can save that for another day. Let’s do SummerSlam predictions!

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

Cody wins because he needs it more.

Seth Rollins (C) vs Finn Balor

This is gonna be my craziest prediction of the night… Balor wins the championship. It probably won’t be clean.

Bonus: Priest cashes in on Balor and becomes champ.

Asuka (C) vs Charlotte Flair vs Bianca Bel Air

Gonna go all heart on this one and say Asuka retains.

Bonus: NO cash in from Io Sky

Roman Reigns (C) vs Jey Uso

Roman wins LOL. But Jey has a really good match and maybe we start talking about him as a main event caliber guy again like we did a couple years back.

Ricochet vs Logan Paul

WWE is paying Logan Paul a ton of money and I don’t believe he’s won a match yet this year. That changes on Saturday. Sorry to see Ricochet be the guy who takes the L but it’s nice to see him spotlighted in a premier match.

Gunther (IC) vs Drew McIntyre

Gunther wins. It’s gonna be a hard loss for Drew. Maybe he’ll go heel or something after? The top of the card is looking a little crowded for babyfaces. Maybe Drew gets more traction playing the villain.

Ronda Rousey vs Shayna Baszler

I’m kinda mad they made this an “MMA rules” match. I would’ve just liked to see them have a classic one-on-one rasslin’ match. No matter, I think Baszler wins mostly because there’s heavy rumors that Rousey is done with wrestling and for her, this would be an opportunity to put a friend over on her way out (don’t get me started on the dysfunctional booking of Baszler who I believe deserves better so hopefully a big win here helps).

Slim Jim SummerSlam Battle Royal

The winner? Besides Slim Jim? It has to be LA Knight, right? I mean, they’re doing this just so he has something to do, aren’t they?

BONUS PREDICTION: There will be 1-2 more matches added to the card sometime between now and showtime.

MAJOR GRIPE: No title defense on a PPV card for Rhea Ripley. That don’t seem right. Rhea rules. I have this dream scenario where she comes out during the Rousey/Baszler match and lays them both out and it’s a no contest and when they ask Rhea why she did it, she says it’s because they left her off the card.

Top 5 Pee-Wee Herman Catchphrases

1- You don’t wanna get mixed up with a guy like me. I’m a loner Dottie, a rebel.

2- I know you are, but what am I.

3- That’s my name, don’t wear it out.

4- If you love (fill in the blank) so much, why don’t you marry it?

5- Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer.

Weekly Quote

“I’m just trying to illustrate that it’s okay to be different- not that it’s good, not that it’s bad, but that it’s all right. I’m trying to tell kids to have a good time and to encourage them to be creative and to question things.”

-Paul Reubens aka Pee-Wee Herman

We lost a legend. Rest in peace Pee-Wee.

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