Laura's Favorite Things - 2015 Edition

Hello Lettuce Heads! It's Laura here, closing out this series of blog posts about the things we at TLP loved most in 2015. Personally, I think 2015 was an exciting year for the entertainment industry. Some of the world's most beloved franchises expanded and/or got revitalized (I'm looking at you, Star Wars!), some of our favorite TV shows ended, music lovers rejoiced at the release of Adele's 25, and the podcast medium is more popular than ever. Here are some of my favorite entertainment topics from the past year:

Books:

I read a lot of books this year! Many of them were for the podcast, but I also got some extra-curricular reading done. My favorite non-podcast book that I read in 2015 was Neil Patrick Harris' Choose Your Own Autobiography. As you may have guessed from the title, this autobiography is written in the same format as the Choose Your Own Adventure books, which were popular children's books many moons ago. This unique style made NPH's life story a fun and fascinating read. It was interesting to see the many facets of his life divided into their own equal time, yet somehow intertwined. A great read, especially for those who like to learn about people. My favorite podcast reading assignment was A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. I really enjoyed my introduction to this series. If you've read or watched any of the GoT content, you know how complex the story is and how captivating the characters are. For my full opinion on this book, I'll suggest listening to our A Game of Lettuce episode if you haven't already. 

Comedy:

It was a banner year for women in comedy! Jen Kirkman has been a favorite of mine for many years. She has a reputation for being raw and honest about her womanhood. She stands out as a woman who embraces that her life may not fit into the traditional trappings of her gender (i.e. must be married, must have children, etc) and doesn't want you to pity her for it. Her comedy embodies her strength, while still pointing out the ways in which it can be hard to be a woman. Or even just a person. Her Netflix comedy special is top notch! Of course, Amy Schumer is quickly becoming a household name. I have not yet seen Trainwreck (gasp!), but I've watched Inside Amy Schumer and some of her comedy specials. Her comedic timing is truly something special and her comedy is not just about shock and being potty-mouthed. She presents well-crafted, smart jokes. Not only is she challenging us to consider what topics are "male" and "female", she's also created a standard for sex and beauty. Someone else who climbed up the comedy ladder this year was Aziz Ansari. He's a seasoned stand-up comedian, but the closing of Parks and Recreation allowed him to focus the spotlight on his comedy career. Ansari is one of nine comedians to sell out Madison Square Garden. Similar to Jen Kirkman, Aziz Ansari highlights the struggles of an adulthood that doesn't follow tradition. His comedy is smart, snappy, witty, and fast. His MSG performance, which was released as a Netflix special, is like watching a master craftsman do his work. It's effortless, charming, and undeniably funny.

Movies:

My favorite movie of the year, hands down, was Spectre. I'm a huge James Bond fan and was extremely excited for this release. Although the film has flaws and is not the best in the series, it was still a highlight of the year for me. I'm very much looking forward to adding this to my collection when the Blu-Ray comes out. Honorable mentions for 2015 in movies go to: Inside Out and Creed. Inside Out was a beautifully made film, both visually and story-wise. I'm loving this shift in children's movies to more complex stories. The movie industry is starting to treat children like the living, breathing, thinking beings that they are, as opposed to hitting them with loud sounds, bright colors, and no content. Creed was also released in 2015, right at the end of the year. On the surface, this may seem like a shameless attempt to keep the Rocky franchise alive. It is so much more- this is a feel good story about hard work, challenges, fighting, and accomplishment. It's expertly made and features a truly masterful performance from Sylvester Stallone. That man deserves EVERY award he's going to win for his portrayal of the running-on-fumes Rocky Balboa. 

Music:

My favorite release of 2015 was Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly. Full disclosure: this is a very recent choice. My college bestie, Phil, has been proselytizing the talent of Kendrick Lamar for years and I finally dove in about a week ago. This album is every bit as masterful as my friend indicated. Lamar is extraordinarily prolific, unique, and just a damn good rapper. His style is unlike any other and is such a breath of fresh air in the hip hop community. You can't lose with this guy. Moving on, the Foo Fighters' Sonic Highways was released in late 2014, but its singles quickly became the soundtrack to early 2015 for me. The Foo Fighters just never disappoint me. They have a way of maintaining both their sound and style without becoming played out or boring. Sonic Highways rich and thick with good sounds. It also contains a lot of history, which can be thoroughly studied via the compensatory HBO docu-series of the same name. My last pick for favorite music of 2015 is First Aid Kid. I discovered this duo a little over a year ago and have been obsessed ever since. They are a Swedish duo who fuse folk and old school country and western music. They have sweet vocal harmonies and toe-tapping rhythms. The first track I heard of theirs is called "Emmylou" off the album The Lion's Roar. It's an ode to the late country great Emmy Lou Harris and just beautiful. This led me down a rabbit hole and I've consumed of much of their fantastic music as possible. Some honorable mentions for 2015 include: Sleater-Kinney, Belle & Sebastian, and Florence + The Machine. Each had a new release in 2015 and already stand as some of my favorite musicians.

Podcasts:

It should come as no surprise that I love podcasts! I have many favorites, but we'll stick to 2015. Hands down, my favorite podcast discovery this year was Stuff You Missed in History Class. This show is a part of the Stuff You Should Know network, which produces several high quality shows on a range of topics. Each week, Tracy and Holly present two 30 minute episodes about a topic in history. Topics can be people, places, events, or even food. Not only is the subject matter typically very fascinating, but the two hosts have an infectious rapport. They truly have a fun time research and creating content for their listeners. This is not your run-of-the-mill history lesson! Another podcast that I

enjoyed this year was Undisclosed. This is a follow-up show to the story that we all heard on Serial. Rabia Chauddry and a team of legal experts examine the case against Adnan Syed from a purely legal standpoint. They present each beat of the case in a sequential order to help the listener understand what exactly happened in 1999, as far as they know. They also make some interesting discoveries about the case that were not discussed on Serial. It's a great way to continue the story from Serial, but even more so a great introduction to how the justice system in the United States works. Last, I have to promote my favorite podcast of all time, Never Not Funny. It's a comedy podcast hosted by

comedian Jimmy Pardo and his producer Matt Belknap. Each week, they welcome a guest to the show and just goof around for 90 or so minutes. It's a simple formula with the most wonderful rewards. Also, if you're a comedy nerd like me, you'll learn so much about the comedic process. 

Television:

I gotta give it up for the final season of Mad Men. Mad Men is my favorite TV show of all time. It's beautiful and well crafted, and I'm enamored by the characters. I won't get too far into my love of this show, because I wrote a series of blog posts highlighting my favorite episodes from every season. Dig back into our archives for more of my thoughts! If you're not willing to do that, just know that I love Mad Men! Another favorite show of mine ended in 2015: Parks and Recreation. I was a HUGE fan of The Office when it was airing, so this spin off seemed right up my alley. It was a slow start at first, but it quickly grew to a favorite. I live in a town where local government is extremely prominent, so I was able to relate to many of the show's foibles. Plus, this show was perfectly cast from the comedic goddess that is Amy Poehler to the hyperactive Rob Lowe. I was sad to see the show go, but was thoroughly entertained by its exit. Lastly, I had the pleasure of acquiring an HBO go account in the latter part of 2015 and dove head first into Veep. This is similar to Parks and Recreation, but on a much larger scale. The political aspects are all there in spades, but the real joy of this show is that it is jam packed, bursting at the seems with incredibly smart jokes. It is just so so so funny! The $15/month is well worth it. And hats off for a political show that manages to not push the agenda of any political party. I'm seriously in awe! 

That's all for 2015. See you next year!
Arugalator!

End of Year Wrap Up - Tori Style

End Of Year Wrap-Up

Tori Style

So during this last month of 2015, we at The Lettuce Podcast decided that we wanted to look back at the year and talk about the things in media that caught our attention. Now this might be because they were released this year, or it might be because it was the first time we found it, but what these items share in common is that they gripped our imaginations. I'm going to be starting us off, and I decided to go by categories, the first one being...

Television: The Flash

The Flash premiered in the 2014-2015 year and quickly became one of my favorite superhero shows. Many shows and movies in this genre struggle with trying to take the material too seriously or treating it like a joke. The first season of Flash combined serious and engaging drama with fun comic book tropes. This show truly embraces its origins and is one of the few DC properties that doesn't feel the need to be dark and gritty. One of my favorite things about this version of Flash is that the show is dedicated to showing that, even though Barry Allen has some extraordinary powers, they also have drawbacks and consequences that he always has to be conscious of. One of his most interesting powers, at least for me, is time travel and the ways a time jump can affect the same events. speaking of time, 

Television: Forever

Forever was another show that premiered in the 2014-2015 season, but unlike Flash, it was also cancelled in that year. Despite that this was another show that dealt heavily with time that really appealed to me. The premise of this show was that a doctor was killed in the 1800s but, because of mysterious circumstances, he came back to life and ever since then, he has been unable to die. He is always reborn in the nearest body of water, which in and of itself lends for some fun moments. This show really explores mortality and how we fear the passage of time, and even though it had its corny moments, I'm glad I got to watch it while it aired. 

Movies: Inside Out

This was the first Pixar movie to come out this year and, even though there were a few inaccuracies, it was a wonderful exploration of emotion. It was really cool to see a movie that is aimed towards children explore a complex topic like how the mind works. I loved that there really wasn't a villain and that all of the conflict came from perspective. I also can't deny that one of my favorite parts was the end credits where we entered the minds of many different characters and animals from the film. If you haven't seen it, or you've forgotten, do yourself a favor and indulge in a youtube visit. 

Music: Hamilton

I'm including this under music because I have only been able to experience Hamilton through the soundtrack. Hamilton is the story of Alexander Hamilton, the ten dollar founding father. Hamilton's life is full of drama and fight, as he claws his way from an island in the Caribbean, to George Washington's right-hand man, to treasurer of state, to one of only two people to have been shot by a sitting vice president. He is also responsible for one of our nations first sex scandals, as detailed in The Reynolds Pamphlet. This show is also just as much about his political rival Aaron Burr. Burr is responsible for some of the biggest numbers in the show, including Wait For It and The Room Where it Happens. One of the best things about this show is that it covers such a wide variety of modern styles. Guns and Ships is a fast paced rap number that I am still frantically trying to sing perfectly. On the other side, It's Quiet Uptown is such a moving and melodic song that I teared up the first time I heard it. I then had to quickly hide my tears since I was at work. This show will be a definitive show for my generation of broadway lovers, and it is one of those rare shows that will be able to cross interests and draw people to musical theater who swore they would never see a broadway show. 

Books: His Majesty's Dragon

So this series has been out for a long time and I actually tried it back when I was still in high school. This book is a historical fantasy novel that is set during the napoleonic wars and questions what those conflicts would be like if both side had dragons. Dragons in this world introduce the possibility of aerial warfare in the greco-roman world, so by the time the napoleonic era has arrived, dragons are an integrated part of the military, and when our main character bonds with an egg that his ship captures, he must make his way in this distinctly unique wing of the British King's military. I re-visited this series this year, and my larger knowledge of Napoleon, his conquests and his defeats made this series a lot more intriguing. You do have to have an interest in military history and tactics, since the story revolves entirely around war. As the story progresses however, you get to see Temeraire, our dragon, and William Laurence, our handler, in many different environments, including a diplomatic trip to China. This series is a really good example of historical fiction, and I am glad that I gave it another try.  

Podcasts: Read it and Weep

So this is a little bit of a cheat since I have been listening to this podcast for a long time, but it is truly one of my favorites and they started doing something that made me truly happy this year. This podcasts covers bad movies, books and television and over half of their episodes are sponsored by listeners. Between this and monthly contributions, they have enough funding that they were able to really have fun with their ads this year. They have always had storylines, such as space shark and meatburg, but this year they started doing fake, sarcastic ads for typical podcast sponsors. In this vein, one of my favorite things they did this year was their series of ads for bing, entreating you to bingle instead of google and even coming up with their own catchphrase. Adding this to a podcast that was already extremely fun to listen to and is one of the few podcasts I know that is willing to cover books just reaffirmed why I love this show and look out for a new episode every week.

So that is a quick summary of my highlights for this year. I hope it was fun to read, and maybe you found your new adventure for 2016. Have a great season lettuce heads! Arugulater!