http://slyoyster.com

Now that’s a fun party time game fit for all ages. I tell ya, after a few beers, things get really interesting. Anyway, since I’m sooo super clever I just figured out a lame way to tie in two unrelated things into one post. It’s like killing the cat when you throw it out with the bathwater.

What Would Jesus Buy?

This is the new documentary from producer Morgan Spurlock. Anyone get the distinct impression that he’s trying to become the new Michael Moore, albeit less offensively? I’m not sure that’s someone to live up to but live and let live. But his new doc looks really fascinating. It’s something I always think about this time of year as stores gear up for Black Friday and pushing us to buy shit on Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Jesus is good and presents are bad, in fact, I’m not particularly religious, so for me the holiday season pretty much means watching Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas and drinking hot toddies under a warm blanket. However, I feel as if the entire point of gift giving has been lost. I hate the pressure of having to pick out the right gift or get people gifts just because. Also, I hate having to tell people what to get me because that defeats the whole purpose of giving someone a gift. It should be heartfelt, it should be a surprise, it should be a simple gesture of love or gratitude.

Spurlock uses Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as a vehicle to explore these notions. Hopefully, Rev. Billy will help stop the shopocalypse.

The Great Debaters

Denzel Washington is following up his directorial debut with another true story, The Great Debaters. Denzel plays a professor in 1930s Texas who inspires his students to form a debate team. Turns out they’re really great at debating, so they get to challenge Harvard in a national championship. Looks like this will mine similar inspirational territory / race inequality, etc. Antwone Fisher was actually pretty good and at least in terms of acting Denzel can do no wrong in my book.

This one comes out on Christmas and it looks like a nice story for this time of year, as opposed to say Aliens versus Predator: Requiem which aslo comes out on Jesus’s b-day.