Estradiol Illusions

Continuing our Rankin/Bass holiday coverage with what might be their most normal special of them all. Despite its unwieldy title, The First Christmas actually tells a relatively cohesive story, albeit a fairly mundane narrative about a young shepherd who regains his sight through the magic of a Nativity play. Oddly secular given its church setting, The First Christmas is a good case study for how other Rankin/Bass specials might have turned out if they didn't try to pad out their runtimes with bizarre filler.

Be sure to check out our other episodes covering the Rankin/Bass cinematic universe! 

Have you ever watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and wondered if all the bullying might be better with a firmer helping of Jesus? That's basically Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, a shorter ripoff of Rudolph with a truncated plot and fewer compelling characters. One of the more forgettable entries into the Rankin/Bass canon, Ian struggles to understand the point of this mess.

Be sure to check out all of our other holiday episodes, including coverage of most of the Rankin/Bass stop motion specials. 

We are back in the Rankin/Bass cinematic universe with a special that’s mostly Christmas adjacent. Jack Frost mostly identifies, for whatever reason, as a Groundhog Day special. Despite its incredibly annoying narrator, Jack Frost stands out as one of the most cohesive holiday specials in the Rankin/Bass canon, a tragic narrative that shines above its abundant filler. Maybe Ian just really likes Jack’s sparkly outfit.

Be sure to check out all of our other Rankin/Bass holiday episodes.

We are back in the Rankin/Bass cinematic universe for another December full of overanalyzing bizarre children's television. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town is a fairly straightforward (at least by Rankin/Bass standards) origin story, albeit one that spends a bit too much time explaining every single facet of Claus lore. Ian looks at the special's legacy against some of its popular contemporaries and its peculiar underwhelming third act.

Be sure to check out all of our past holiday coverage, including episodes on most of the Rankin/Bass stop-motion specials. 

We're back with an episode on a controversial relationship practice that ITM happens to love. The Irish Goodbye of dating gets a bad rap, but life is not a journey that always requires closure. People come and go in each other's lives all the time, not necessarily for reasons that take things like fault or rejection into the equation. As shitty as ghosting can feel, the alternatives are often far more unpleasant for both the recipient and the executioner. 

Christmas coverage will begin in the next few days! Please leave a rating or review for EI on Apple if you enjoy our show. 

Grab your gamma radiation and your law degree, we're doing a whole episode on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Ian dives into what she referred to as the MCU's best TV series, examining the mash-up of Ally McBeal with Marvel's established formula. Ian also examines the state of the broader MCU TV affairs, a territory we haven't revisited on EI since WandaVision. The incels may have hated it, but what do they know about comic books anyway? 

Ian's written review:

https://ianthomasmalone.com/2022/10/she-hulk-attorney-at-law-confidently-grows-into-marvel-studios-best-television-series-to-date/

EI's previous WandaVision review:

https://ianthomasmalone.podbean.com/e/wandavision-1615313625/

Another election season is upon us. The Senate hangs in the balance, a 50/50 split that will come down to just a few states. Republicans have put forth morally bankrupt morons such as Herschel Walker and Dr. Crudité Oz for their candidates, threatening to further sully the already rancid cesspool that is our government.

Biden isn't a perfect president and the Democrats have left a lot to be desired. That said, there is no comparison with the alternative, and it is our civic duty to try and bludgeon expected GOP gains. Every ballot has candidates on it who can improve your community. Please vote. 

Our 2020 Senate episode, where ITM got most of it right: https://ianthomasmalone.podbean.com/e/vote-joe-biden-2020-senate-analysis/

On the eve of Big Brother 24, we are absolutely delighted to welcome Kevin Jacobs, winner of Big Brother Canada 10, to the show. Kevin played a subtlety dominant in the BBCAN house, shaping the trajectory of the game without ever besting a Head of Household competition, becoming the first winner to pull of that feat since the iconic Dr. Will Kirby back in BB2.

Kevin shares his extensive knowledge of game theory, navigating the murky waters of the early game to survive a week one eviction, steering clear of the carnage wrought by BBCAN10’s multiple seven-person alliances, and forging the Crash Test Dummies alliance that took center stage down the stretch. Ian throws in some Kant for good measure.

Past seasons of Big Brother Canada are available on Paramount+. Canadian viewers or viewers with one of those things called a VPN can get a taste of the delicious BBCAN10 action at https://www.bigbrothercanada.ca/ 

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @KevinTedJacobs or Instagram @kevintedjacobs

Another vagina-themed episode! ITM talks about the current state of her downstairs equipment since her service on the Tinder front lines. Things on the home front are looking in tip top shape, validating her semi-problematic assertion that the best gender affirmation comes through others, coming into you. She may not be the woman America wants, but ITM is committed to being the champion our country desperately needs.

Ian's debut comedy album Confessions from My New Vagina is streaming wherever you get your music. 

It's Pride Month, which comes with the obligatory discourse on kink at Pride (absolutely, which we covered in last year's episode on Bloodsisters), cops at Pride (absolutely not, ACAB for life), and the concept known as "bi-erasure."

As a person who uses gay, straight, and bi all interchangeably, ITM has some unique perspectives on this tedious discourse. A staunch opponent of gatekeeping, she questions the very notion of a hierarchy within our letters LGBTQ.

Long story short for those who don't want to commit to the episode: never let your own identity or sense of self be defined by someone else. You are bi enough.