CrankyYank Vol. 23: Maya’s Money | Ham Planet | Feeding Kindness & More

Maya Rudolph is a national treasure. End of story.

Actually that’s not the end of the story, thankfully. Rudolph is a Saturday Night Live alum and an incredibly talented singer and comedian. My favorite character she played on SNL was Bronx Beat with Amy Pohler, mainly because it reminds me of home.

She’s also done memorable turns as Beyoncé and Whitney Houston. She had me rolling on the floor for years doing all the characters and singing her ass off.

Cut to today and she’s just out with Maya & Marty, a new variety show on NBC that she co-hosts with Martin Short, another SNL alum. The debut episode was about as epic as you might imagine—with Jiminy Glick interviewing Larry David (above). Martin Short and Jimmy Fallon did a hilarious send up of Little Big Shots.

I ain’t a fan of Miley Cyrus, but have a look at the medley duet Rudolph did with her for the program:

This is a welcome return to the primetime variety format, and I’m so glad to see Rudolph back in action in a vehicle that does her talent good. Grade: B+

 

The only show worth watching on MSNBC is The Rachel Maddow Show… the factual, reasoned and non-consensus news that I crave. NBC as a whole used to be down-the-middle journalistically, with its sister network MSNBC leaning left.

But the NBC suits have decided that the best way forward for MSNBC is to emulate its competitors and invite discredited wingnuts to comment on the idiot things our politicians do. This is not smart journalism; it’s disgusting pandering that, ultimately, will not work and alienate viewers.

Tommy Christopher over at Mediaite has the epic takedown of this craven, ridiculous advertising campaign.

MSNBC has now launched an ad campaign seeking to build on its Trump-fueled success with an appeal to conservatives that’s so ham-fisted, they actually had to clear it with Oscar Mayer‘s legal department first.

Bottom line: You can take your Coultergeist “analysis” and shove it, MSNBC. Starting with Morning Joe, I have MSNBC dayside on a complete boycott, much in the same way I do Fox News. Under no circumstances will I watch these programs. Watch your step, MSNBC.

 

Designated hate group and organized dingus party American Family Association has admitted to sending men in to women’s restrooms to stir up Transphobia controversy (AddictingInfo)… Jason Leopold has another blockbuster post about torture by the CIA in Iraq—it will make all your blood boil (VICE News)… Will Bernie Sanders actually skydive in to his next campaign rally? Odds are yes, but it’s reminiscent of George W. Bush’s landing on an aircraft carrier—and we all know how that went (TPM)… “I bet he’s writing a few tweets right now.” Hillary Clinton gave a foreign policy speech that ended up being a much-needed Donald Trump reality check smackdown (YouTube).

Update: Sanders will avoid looking like Dubya and not skydive in to his campaign rally. crisis averted.

 

A round-up of the week’s greatest tweet hits—from me and my Tweeple. Featuring: Cory Booker, Ana Marie Cox, Katharine Zaleski and Rosie O’Donnell.

 

Breast feeding in public gets a bad rap. Oftentimes people cower in fear when they see new moms whipping out their boobies for their babies to nuzzle on. But let’s not forget the facts: new babies need the specific nutrients in mom’s breast milk, and—to the point of the post above—can’t do anything for themselves while they’re focused on that action.

Enter a good samaritan who stopped and offer to cut mom’s food while she was breast feeding. It’s a pretty incredible and selfless act from a stranger who could have reacted in a consensus way. An inspiring moment that hopefully Cures Your Crankies for the week.

 

That’s it from me this week Cranker Darlings… We’ll see you right back here next Thursday at 2 p.m.

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Will Pollock is an Atlanta-based freelance multimedia journalist and author of two books (Pizza for Good & Leaving Triscuit), with more on the way. Sign up for the mailing list, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram—and check out the book links below.

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