The, "Bachelorette," Season That Wasn't

I used to watch, "The Bachelor," and, "The Bachelorette," as well as their spin-offs, religiously. Eventually, I grew tired of the franchise's predictability. Besides occasionally dipping my toe in the metaphorical franchise pool once in a while when something looked interesting ("Golden Bachelor,") I simply drifted away from the franchise to other shows. A lot of people seem to share the same story, with it not being any particular scandal the franchise weathered that made them quit (and there were some big fiascos, just ask former host Chris Harrison if that NDA he signed for a big paycheck ever expires), they simply were bored. Perhaps that is why the latest season of, "The Bachelorette," was designed from the start to tweak the formula and outright break some rules. Someone who had never been on the show (that has happened with later seasons of the Bachelor version) and was, in fact, known for different reality series (that has not happened) would be the Bachelorette. A woman named Taylor Frankie Paul. Popular on, "The Secret Wives of Mormon Housewives," she was the first Bachelorette lead to have a wrap sheet due to a, "2023 arrest, in which she ended up pleading guilty to one count of aggravated assault, per the local Salt Lake City Fox affiliate. She took a plea agreement, which dismissed two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, a class-A misdemeanor charge of child abuse, and a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief...That 2023 incident kick-started her Mormon Wives career, as it was chronicled on the very first episode of Hulu’s reality hit. But then it resurfaced in the news cycle last week via a leaked video." Oh no.

TMZ released a video from 2023 that showed, "Paul engaging in violent behavior toward her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. The video captures Paul putting Mortensen into a headlock and kicking him. She is then shown throwing three stools at Mortensen while a child cries in the background. Mortensen tries to comfort the child, but Paul refuses to let him." The fallout from this resulted in ABC canceling this 22nd season of, 'The Bachelorette," a mere three days before its scheduled premiere. The whole show had been filmed, edited, the post-production was done, and a lot of money had been spent only for a metaphorical collapse inches from the finish line of making it to air. There were ads running with clips from the show being broadcast already. Hell, they still have magazines at Target on the shelves promoting the show as I snapped a picture of today:

"She's Not That Innocent," turns out to be weirdly prophetic.

This is a PR mess for ABC and a monetary fiasco. Oh, and the fifth season of Paul's original Mormon Wives show has paused development for now due to an apparently recent incident of her engaging in domestic abuse towards Mortensen, yet again, after, "The Bachelorette," finished filming. Is ABC really going to flush the whole season down the drain and take a big loss, or possibly try to present it with disclaimers? Is this simply the end of the, "Bachelor/Bachelorette," franchise as we know it due to a last-ditch effort to inject some life, turning out to be a deadly concoction, instead?

I, personally, don't think ABC will give up completely on Bachelor Nation, as even with this latest shitshow, there is still way too much money to be made. ABC played with fire, picking someone who already came with controversy, and got burned/had this blow up in their faces. The network can try and lean into this, making the show less about fairytale romance and instead focus on flawed individuals looking for love (they aren't role models), or try and run in the opposite direction towards the veneer of wholesome, "I'm only here for the right reasons!" kinds of love that even diehard fans ain't buying after this many years of broadcast. Hell, maybe in the end this scandal could somehow help. Lord knows I'm suddenly more interested in watching Taylor Fankie Paul hand out roses (and possibly uppercuts) than I was a couple of weeks ago due to all the hubbub.

Open AI Kills Sora

Whether you have used Sora or not, you are probably inadvertently familiar with it. Used to make short AI-generated videos that can vary in quality, most of those new, "Viral," Ring videos you see lately are AI digital fakery (the faux-grainy look makes it easier to overlook legit glitches in the images). Sora is basically a form of TikTok where all the videos are AI...so Hell, it is one of the circles of Hell. In all seriousness, I've fiddled with the app, and it can at times, be creepy with how it essentially generates occasionally realistic yet still totally fake clips. Disney even had a 1 billion dollar deal to partner with Sora (perhaps to avoid having their IPs outright stolen and get some money) and use a bunch of their characters in AI videos. However, OpenAI (the parent company who are also behind ChatGPT) announced Tuesday that they were going to shut down Sora very soon. Disney then pulled out of any possible deal (they possibly could have killed the deal in secret first, and that is why Sora fell apart--it isn't yet clear), and now you'll have to imagine the weird stuff you could've prompted the app to make. 

Yes, you could have theoretically enjoyed trying to find a way around filters for questionable content and generated your own, "Simba brutally mauls Prince Eric" animation. That will have to remain a pipe dream, however, along with Oalf fathering a child with any Disney Princesses. This is probably for the best, as while AI tech can potentially be handy for adding up random numbers or looking up the name of, "That one high-school movie, with the funny guy in it too," the AI-generated videos made in Sora were eerie and already being used to fool people or engage in questionable, "Pranks." I don't know about you, but fake security camera footage showing me stealing a pound of liverwurst could be an issue if folks fail to notice how rubbery I appear. This isn't to say there is a lack of other AI video programs that will rush to fill the space, but Sora was the one getting lots of headlines during these months it was in operation. Soon it will be gone, however, and we won't be able to say, "Make me a video of a giant-sized baby being interviewed by a helicopter with a microphone about his favorite snack." Society may never recover. In all seriousness, what is next with OpenAI? Are they going to try and do some other video generation tech all within one big, "ChatGPT Video," program? Could we be ending one vaguely troubling dream only to be about to dive into the real nightmare? We don't know, and that's honestly a bit scary.

Oh, the movie was, "Clueless," and that funny guy was Paul Rudd. Good stuff.

Comics Grading Company CBCS is Shutting Down

Comic grading company CBCS is shutting down and will no longer be accepting comics for grading as of April 17th. Apparently, this news is, "Hot off the presses," as people are getting emails, but I have not seen an official release to comic news outlets. Many are not surprised (and predicted this) as the parent company of CBCS is Beckett, and Beckett was bought out by the company known as Collectors...who also own PSA. If you haven't connected the dots yet, PSA moved into comic book grading somewhat recently. Hence, I guess Collectors looked at CBCS versus PSA, and the conclusion was made to shutter CBCS and avoid redundancy, considering how PSA may be newer at comic grading, but is the big name in card grading. 

All of this makes me think that Beckett's card grading service probably has its days numbered as well and results in CGC and PSA being the two big names in comic grading, as of today (PGX still exists, but isn't especially popular). CBCS was often considered the second-place underdog to CGC, but it had some hardcore fans, and it is always good to have a degree of competition in the marketplace. With all these mergers and acquisitions, however, more and more power gets consolidated in fewer hands (this applies to lots of industries, honestly). There will undoubtedly be more discussion and thoughts on this as the news spreads.

Music Mondays: Chappell Roan and When the Headlines Threaten to Overshadow Your Music

Sometimes a music artist will make good stuff, but their personal life becomes so interesting to their fans/haters/the media that it ends up overshadowing their output. Britney Spears is a big example of this. Chris Brown had this happen, Justin Timberlake, and his recent legal troubles, also come ot mind. When people talk about you more than your music, it is arguably an issue. Kanye West and his very public mental health struggles, Ted Nugent and his very public political opinions,  P. Diddy and...well, everything that went on with his life. These are drastic examples, but even a bunch of small things can snowball and create a narrative, hence Chappell Roan and the concept of how she hates being famous, and as of this week, apparently had to clarify she does not, "Hate children."

Chappell Roan wants to make music and not be harassed by the paparazzi. She doesn't owe you a selfie or hug. It is apparently controversial that she wants to be left (relatively) alone. This recently came to a head when former Chelsea and Arsenal soccer/football player Jorginho claimed that his family suffered, "A deeply upsetting situation," involving Roan's security guard in São Paulo. Apparently Jorginho's wife, Catherine Harding, and step-daughter, Ada, were at a hotel, saw Roan, walked past her and smiled, which resulted in a security guard yelling at them and otherwise bringing an 11-year-old girl to tears. Roan posted that the man was not her own security and must have been with the hotel and overreacted as she never even complained, adding, "I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do not hate children. Like, that is crazy. However, with a narrative that Roan is somehow, "Difficult," already existing, damage has been done.

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro declared that Roan was no longer welcome at a music festival. Various memes have been springing up, and people are demanding Jude Law comment too (he is the biological father of Ada) while Harding has been claiming, "100% this security guard was not a security guard of the hotel--that is what I can say. He looks after artists, so I don’t know if it was her personal security guard, but he was with her." So either this is a huge misunderstanding, or someone is lying. Regardless, lots of folks are cracking jokes at Roan's expense, and I feel bad for her. I'm not even that big a fan of Roan, either!

Seriously, I don't dislike Roan's music and find some tunes catchy. That said, I also don't actively seek out her jams to listen to. They just kind of pop up on the radio, I let them play in my car, and then I listen to whatever comes on next. That said, I feel bad for her as she is suffering from the headlines about her (supposed) actions and (so-called) attitude) overshadowing the thing she wants to be known for, making music--and nothing else! Unlike many of the examples I listed above, Roan isn't seeking fame. She wants to make some music and live her life, but due to a perception that she, "Hates," her fans, whether they are young or old, she's embroiled in a weird scandal. I guess this all could have been avoided if, instead of eating at the hotel restaurant where the issues occurred, she had gotten her food hot to go, eh? I'm sorry, that's an awful joke.

The Debut Spector Club Comic Show for 2026 Was Stellar!

Today was the first Spector Club Comic Show of 2026, and it was the first-ever show in their location at 4690 Lansdowne Avenue! They got a large space in the American-Czech Educational Center, making it easy for all the vendors and guests to be in one single big room! I had a superb time chatting with a bunch of awesome folks and browsing a bunch of cool comics. I snapped a picture of the space before too much setup was complete:

As vendors started to populate the space and prepare their tables, I thanked Dave of All-American Collectibles and Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles for working so hard to help put on a show I always enjoy visiting. I then had a good chat with my friend, John of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles, who had a wide assortment of comics and vintage magazines. Here's John:

Thanks to Wayne Judge for this photo.

I then caught up with David of Callisto Comics and had the chance to shoot the breeze with the always-affable Bruce Reynolds. Wayne Judge was at the show, and I was excited to hear he is doing a lot better (I shared previously about the challenges he faced). Dan Yezbick had some amazing comics for sale as well. Here he is:

Thanks again to Wayne Judge for this photo as well.

My chums from Tatertot Comics had a bunch of snazzy books available, and the cool guys from Crypt of Heroes, whom I've met before, were present as well! CoMo Comics was at the show with a metric ton of great stuff for sale. As I continued talking with folks, I saw the crowd excitedly in line, ready to enter the show! Observe:

As 9AM arrived, the Early Bird crowd eagerly entered and began shopping. I had the chance to greet two creators who were guests of the show, Jim Ousley and a longtime friend of the blog, Lorenzo Lizana. Lorenzo let me snap a pic of him:

Between all the vendors, the cool creators, guests, and the nice spacious area, I was ecstatic to be at today's Spector Club Comic Show. I would highly encourage my readers to attend the next event on May 31st, at the aforementioned new location of 4690 Lansdowne Avenue. You already know I plan on being there!

Chuck Norris Has Died

Chuck Norris died this week. He was 86, and the cause of death was not disclosed...but he was 86. Norris is best known as the star of various fun action flicks and for how he made, "Walker, Texas Ranger," one of the most-watched shows around in the 1990s. He also inspired jokes about how tough he was that became a Worldwide meme. Norris was quite conservative (he did not hide it) and in the last couple of decades seemed to move more and more towards the reactionary-right, supporting conspiracies about Obama not being an American and loudly voicing opposition to LGBTQ rights. Basically, Norris was unabashedly himself, for better in some opinions and worse in others. 

Chuck Norris leaves a massive legacy much in the manner of another big name who died not too long ago, Hulk Hogan, although to Norris' credit, many people who knew him seem sad about his passing (Hogan had few friends and many foes by the time of his death). Norris was popular with the many people he knew and worked with in various capacities, from martial arts to acting to his activism in politics. Even Donald Trump has commented on Norris' passing, although Trump found a way to make it all about himself (as usual), discussing how Norris was a, "Great supporter." At least Trump didn't outright insult Norris at the news of his death, as Trump did to Robert Mueller. Norris made some fun action flicks and shows, had an impressive mastery of martial arts, and was unafraid to say what he believed--even if I and others would personally disagree with him on many issues. I know I'll always thank him for the countless sometimes-funny and sometimes-awful Chuck Norris jokes I would see flooding the chat in the Barrens back when I played old-school, "World of Warcraft," around 2005, however.

Flashback Friday: "Small Favors," Remains the Cutest and Silliest Smut You'll Ever Read

Colleen Coover is an insanely talented comic creator who has worked on superhero stuff like the Power Pack and X-Men to doing her own stuff like, "Banana Sunday." One of my favorite creations by her, however, remains the cult hit queer erotica series, "Small Favors." Usually you don't see the words, "Cute," and, "Silly," used to describe titillating comics, but, "Small Favors," is surreally fun, sex-positive, and an oh-so-raunchy piece of Sapphic-focused porn.

The general, "Plot," involves a young woman named Annie who is extremely aroused all the time and engages in self-pleasure so much a manifestation of her conscience named Nibbil has been assigned to monitor Annie and ensure she no longer engages in touching herself, as she's used up her maximum amount of times she's allowed to ever do such a thing again (the universe apparently sets a limit). Thankfully, Nibbil is as horned-up as Annie and capable of shrinking to be basically pocket-sized or make herself normal-sized. This results in a wide range of hilarious and sexy scenarios as Annie, Nibbil, and various friends they make along the way get into mischief and get each other off in the meantime.

I've interviewed Ms. Coover before about, "Small Favors," and her other works, and spotlighted it some time ago in a post as well. The hardcover collection of, "Small Favors," has gone out of print, but there is good news in that a brand-new softcover edition has been published this year, full of all eight original issues and tons of extra artwork. It truly is--as the subheading says--"The Definitive Girly Porno Collection," of an erotic masterpiece. If you love comics that are happy, sexy, and don't mind things getting really spicy, I'd encourage you to acquire the latest printing of, "Small Favors." Just, maybe, read it at home lest you offend any overly-sensitive passerby who peeks over your shoulder!

MapQuest Wants you to Know it is Back and Ready to Guide You

MapQuest used to be huge. If you're over 30 (or so), you probably recall your parents printing out routes with it or doing such a thing yourself. With the rise of map apps on the phone, the idea of printing a bunch of pages with step-by-step directions for vacation or even to find a new spot locally became less than needed. MapQuest didn't really leave or stop existing, but it was a bit of a relic of the past with the most recent notable thing being a company called System1 acquiring MapQuest in 2019, with nothing else of interest happening, until recently. A smidgen ago, System1 launched, "Private Maps by MapQuest," which uses the tech of MapQuest to allow folks to have an app that doesn't, "Save," information about users in a sense. There is no data tracking, it doesn't show ads tailored to your interests, and your travel data isn't shared with other companies (i.e., if you always drive to McDonald's a certain time of day, you won't suddenly start seeing ads for the golden arches in the app). The standard MapQuest has been tweaked heavily, too, even if it lacks the extra privacy features--and it is being advertised with gusto. I mean, I learned that MapQuest in general was, "Back," when I started hearing ads for it and was intrigued. 

New updates both of the MapQuest-related apps continue to make it an appealing proposition with upgraded traffic monitoring features and the like. That is snazzy, but I'd argue the privacy aspect of Private Maps by MapQuest is a big selling point in an era where all of our information is always just...out there. In the same manner that Duck Duck Go has gained increased popularity thanks to not tracking IP addresses, tracking browsing history, or such, Private Maps by MapQuest could appeal to people who find the constant surveillance of Google and its Maps (or Apple Maps, if you're freaky like that), admittedly a bit creepy. I'd love to try the Private Maps by MapQuest app...but it isn't on iPhones.

Yes, that's right, Private Maps is unavailable on iOS. You can use the aforementioned, "Regular," MapQuest and its handy traffic features, but Private Maps is out of reach if you're on an iPhone (and not skilled at fancy hacking tricks or such). It is a bummer, but that could change at some point in the future. As it is, with an Android or iPhone, you can use a newer MapQuest--which is cool--but you need an Android to get the privacy-focused program. MapQuest has risen from a grave of obscurity to be the surprise underdog in a field it once dominated, and now you don't even need your printer!

Marshawn Lynch Has a, "Beast Mode 510," Comic Coming

Marshawn Lynch is known for many things. Being a former Pro Football player and loving Skittles enough that they hired him and made ad campaigns poking fun at how much he usually hates press conferences are two fun aspects of Lynch. Also, he has acted and is a fan of comics enough that he's partnered with AWA to release, "Beast Mode 510," as was recently announced. That is, of course, a nickname he earned through his superb playing of football, and it makes a pretty good name for a superhero comic as well. The number comes from how it is, "Set in the heart of the 510," as AWA's website about the comic discusses. Set to release as an original graphic novel this October (you can preorder it via Amazon or at your local bookstore),  the plot involves a superhero (who looks a lot like Marshawn Lynch) invovled in, "What begins as a surprise birthday celebration for his mother [that] spirals into a globe-spanning conspiracy involving missing young women, Silicon Valley corruption, Yakuza assassins, reptilian billionaires, and a million-dollar bounty on his head."

"Beast Mode 510," features a great creative team, including Axel Alonso (formerly of Marvel), Marshawn Lynch, and Sheldon Allen on plotting, plus the amazing Denys Cowan on art and Dexter Vines providing inks. Chris Sotomayor is the colorist with AndWorld Design, serving as letterer. My curiosity is piqued, and I look forward to hearing more about this comic as the release date nears!

I Test Drove a Tesla and It Was Interesting, All Things Considered

I went to a Tesla showroom yesterday and drove a Tesla Model Y with Clarkson. It was mainly for fun and to give him something to do during his Spring Break. This came about as we would often play around on the Tesla display at a Mall Clarkson enjoys visiting. One time, they asked if we wanted to do a test drive from the showroom location (in Chesterfield, Missouri), and I said, "Sure." Having now driven a Tesla Model Y, I can say they are nice cars, but I doubt I'd own one as they are quite expensive (way out of my price range) and have a weird mix of politics around the brand from the good like the importance of conservation and saving energy (they're electric and don't waste fossil fuel) to the bad like having the face of the company (Elon Mush) who is...problematic.

Tesla vehicles are snazzy. Elon Musk is a terrible person to have as the CEO due to how divisive he is. Both of these things can be true. Having a car with a bunch of sensors and cameras capable of driving itself to a degree and parking for you is impressive. Having your CEO spend hours on Twitter/X posting weird political opinions or outright lies/propaganda is less-than-optimal. Still, I enjoyed tooling around in a Tesla Model Y, and Clarkson had fun too--he was especially intrigued by the unique car handles.

Clarkson examining a Model Y in the showroom.
He has Christmas pants on in March, yes.

The person who assisted us with our test drive was very nice (and not pushy at all about buying the car once I made it clear I lacked the moolah to ever consider that). Frankly, everyone was pleasant and eager to answer questions at the Tesla shop/showroom/service center. It wasn't high-pressure or awkward like some car stores; it felt more like a computer shop or Apple store than anything else. The focus was on all the tech in the cars and in the displays, and it got me thinking about something. These aren't exactly cars being sold, but extremely fancy computers that can transport people, in a sense. You don't use a key; you sync it to your phone. There is no gas, oil, or combustion, but there are monitors with touchscreens that you use to handle a lot of attributes. It's all fascinating, and other companies have taken note and made their own fully electric or electric-focused cars, seeing the success Tesla has had. It's a popular product, and a snazzy one, with a literal front trunk called a, "Frunk," which I find hilarious and clever. Yet, still, he's involved.

Not to harp on Elon Musk, but it matters. I mean, if you were asked to name the CEO of Ford, Toyota, or the like, could you? Perhaps that relative lack of public presence helps those brands more than it hinders them, as Musk is Tesla at this point in time, for better or worse. Eventually, he may leave the company, and it will remove the shadow he casts over everything there to a degree. For now, even if you have the funds to purchase a Tesla, Musk's involvement complicates things, to put it in a polite manner. His love-hate relationship with Trump, messy politics, and the like is alarming ot think about, no matter how fun a test drive can be. 

The wild thing at the end of the day is how Musk is known for making outlandish claims (we ain't going to Mars anytime soon) and screwing things up (he did a number on the US Government with his short-lived DOGE), but this company, which started in 2003, that he joined way back in 2004, has kept chugging along. Perhaps if the Musk of the early 2000's (he was actually somewhat liked back then) were similar to the Musk of today, we'd all have a very different opinion on the public image of Tesla and therefore Musk. That's a big hypothetical, however, and when people with a Tesla need to slap a, "I bought this before Elon went crazy," sticker on their car...well, that says a lot. Some day, Musk will depart Tesla, and on that day, many in the company will breathe a sigh of relief as he takes off for retirement or a trip to his colony on Mars. For now, however, we're all stuck here on Earth with the planet's richest man trolling everybody on Twitter/X as if that's his true passion. Just slap a, "I was on Twitter before Musk changed its name and ruined it," on your iPhone, and we'll be alright.