This week on The Malliard Report Jim welcomes some of the best guests…the listeners. This week it is a live call-in show, and the range of diversity of topics discussed is about as wide as they come. Everything from when is too early to put up your Christmas Tree, to what the future of Hollywood looks like in Covid riddled world. So sit back, buckle in, and don’t feel bad for indulging in that cheesy movie that you claim you only have on for background noise, but you actually are watching, and you are wondering if the big city girl that moved to the small town will fall in love with the hunky scrooge and Christmas will be saved.

This time of year, there is a phenomenon that occurs and its origins are still a mystery. Hallmark movies. How did they grow to the popularity that they have reached? How did a few movies with a handful of B list celebrities turn into a full-scale studio and channel takeover? Unless you live under a rock in a remote location, or have not had a TV with cable for more than decade; every year from October through February The Hallmark Channel runs open throttle on a menagerie of low budget, bad writing/acting Christmas themed movies that one can’t help but watch. What is it about these movies that sucks you in? Inevitably you find yourself scoffing at the movie, then next thing you know, there you are, cheering as Christmas is saved in the most improbable way, and everyone enjoys hot cocoa.

There were several predecessors that helped blaze the social media trails, but none was as prolific as that of Myspace. It spurred a generation of bathroom selfie narcissists set on a quest to find the perfect sparkly GIF and page landing song…and there are a whole lot of us that are guilty. The Myspace revolution brough social media to the mainstream. It was a way that people were able to find old friends, connect with their favorite bands, and showcase themselves in a way that had never been done before. It was the genesis of an addiction for many, and a bane for others. Myspace saw a meteoric rise and an almost instant death, but it truly helped shape the world we know today. Tom will always be my friend.

Live calls always make for some of the best shows, because it is driven by you dear listener. Make sure to join in on the action every Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST in the duckpond live chat over on malliard.com where you can also catch up on past shows, subscribe to the newsletter, score some merch, and much more. While Jim isn’t on Myspace (at least as of right now), you can find him on the other social media platforms via @malliard.