Haters Back Off!

Haters Back Off!, one of Netflix’s latest original series, is bizarre, off-putting, and cruel. The first eight episodes introduce Miranda Sings (Colleen Ballinger), who is an aspiring singer with extreme confident but no talent, and her dysfunctional family. As uncomfortable and cringe-worthy to watch Miranda’s full-of-herself-yet-clueless personality, I enjoyed its first season. There’s something humanness underneath that self-destructiveness. I definitely looking forward to the next season.

Russell Peters: Almost Famous

In his latest special for Netflix, Russell Peters continues to bank on racial jokes. Even though the material is familiar, he is still killing it, especial his interaction with the audience. One particular line stood out is when he mocked Trump hypocrisy on immigration. How could he be against immigrants when when two out of his three wives were immigrants?

Cedric the Entertainer: Live from the Ville

Live from the Ville, streaming on NetFlix, lives up to Cedric’s nickname: It’s entertaining. His deep voice helps when he incorporates singing into his routine. He has lots of funny lines, but doesn’t delve deep into a particular topic. For instance, I was hoping for more than a white dude who eats lots of Cheetos when he makes fun of Trump. It’s enjoyable, but not quite fulfilling.

Spotlight

Recapturing the investigative report that shook the Catholic community in Boston, Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight is a powerful film that is both well written and superbly performed. I enjoyed every minute of watching it.

David Cross: Making America Great Again!

Cross’s latest special, Making America Great Again!, is controversial, thoughtful, and of course, hilarious. From Trump to gun to religions, Cross holds nothing back. Not only I enjoyed his dark comic style, but also have tremendous respect for his provocative position on politics.

Jim Jefferies: Freedumb

Jefferies’s latest special clocks in an hour a half, and yet he managed to make every moment counts. From rape (Bill Cosby) to misogyny to vaccine to autism to parenting to shitting, he is ruthlessly hilarious. The highlight is his view on U.S. politics. On gun and abortion, he mocks the Republicans: “All life is precious unless they step on my property.”

Agree with him or not, the Australian comedian will make you think about the meaning of freedom in American. We claim to be the land of the free and yet we have one the highest rates of incarceration in the world. When it comes to assisted suicide, are we free to decide what we want to do with our live? Freedumb is streaming on Netflix so I’ll save the Trump jokes for you to enjoy.

Thảo’s Library

In this poignant documentary, filmmaker Elizabeth Van Meter and Orange Agent victim Huỳnh Thanh Thảo found a profound connection that transcends locations, languages, cultures, and races. Helping each other through their darkness, they bonded and built a new library and their new life. Thảo’s Library is streaming on Netflix.

Palm Trees in the Snow

Fernando González Molina’s Palm Trees in the Snow clocks in almost three hours, but every minute is worth watching. It’s a gorgeous, sensual, and romantic film set in the colonial period of Equatorial Guinea. Bisila (Berta Vázquez) is simply stunning.

Drugs & Sugar

Over the weekend I managed two watch two informative documentaries on Netflix. Chris Bell’s Prescription Thugs interviews athletics (mostly wrestlers) who are addicted to painkillers. Michèle Hozer’s Sugar Coated shows how the food industries add toxic sugar into their processed food. If you have some down time, check them out. They are both worth watching.

For me, drug is not a problem yet. Even though I popped Tylenols every time I had a hangover. That part of my life is in the past now. I was taking some Naproxen to help ease my foot problem. It works like magic, but I stopped as soon as the pain goes away. Hopefully I won’t have to depend on painkiller in the future for injuries that will cause chronic pains.

For sugar, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I used to crave for flan, cheesecake, or donuts, when I drank coffee. Now without coffee, I don’t feel the temptation anymore. I am more worried about our son Đán. Like most kids his age, he loves candy. I am guilty as hell for giving sweet treats when I pick him up from daycare. I am stopping that now. Đạo used to love candy too, but after his tooth problems, he has been very good at controlling his sweet intake. Amazingly enough, Đán has no cavity yet despite his love for sugary food. Still, Sugar Coated is a good reminder to be more strict with him about sugar. As parents we have to make these choices for him.

Ali Wong: Baby Cobra

Ali Wong is a funny, filthy, and witty Vietnamese-Chinese American comedian who doesn’t give a fuck. Even with a seven-and-a-half-month pregnancy, she delivered a solid special, Baby Cobra, that is now streaming on Netflix.

She tackles a variety of topics ranging from anal sex, feminism, pregnancy, race to white privilege. One of her best jokes in Baby Cobra is about feeling powerful when a white man eats her pussy. She just absorbing all the entitlement from a white dude. On feminism, she thinks it is the worst thing that could happen to women. Their jobs used to be no job. On anal sex, she encourages women to stick their thumb up their men’s ass and married couple to change it up.

Wong’s materials are bold, sensitive, and smart. She is as unapologetic as George Carlin and Louis CK. By performing while pregnant and being open about her career with a baby, she is making a statement on the role of a female comic in the industry. I have tremendous respect for her.

You did it, my little cunt (Wong’s term for a woman with executive leadership skills).

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