One of the most bizarrecreature commercials to date involves the Liberty Biberty, a furry, yellow ball-like thing in Liberty Mutual commercials that manages to be cute, ridiculous, and creepy all at the same time! While lacking appendages (visible, at least), the Liberty Biberty unnervingly or disarmingly has both big, blue eyes and teeth! (*shudders*)It’s head wears a Statue of Liberty -type crown.I have no idea what sex this Biberty is, or even if it has any. It is wearing a Statue of Liberty crown, and that iconic figure is usually portrayed as female. The voice of the creature sounds male, so perhaps it is gender-confusedor ambiguous. I don’t want to even consider the mechanics of how or if it reproduces…
The Liberty Biberty is actually a physical embodiment of the mangled speech of a previously-featured fumble-mouthed spokesman for Liberty Mutual, whose articulations are so poor that he wouldn’t have lasted ten minutes on my college radio station. The Biberty creature just seems to somehow appear on the roof of cars, and has no visible means of ambulation, although it seems capable of being launched by force. In one commercial, the creature (designed by the JimHenson studio) appears in a location where the human spokesman is also present, and clearly idolizes him, asking for an autograph!
The Liberty Biberty reminds me somewhat of the furry, ball-like creatures that roll around in the 1986 science fiction horror-comedy film called Crites, better known as Critters. That film I believe drew inspiration from the superior 1984 film, Gremlins…
At any rate, I’d advise you not to take any chances should you run across the Liberty Biberty, at least until they’ve been investigated by Monster Quest, Unsolved Mysteries, or a similar paranormal show. They do have teeth, after all, and might prove carnivorous…APPROACH WITH EXTREME CAUTION!
(As I walk through my forest, many strange things I see…)
I’ve viewed the Pilot/First Episode of Lanterns, and liked it, although I didn’t really know what to expect beforehand. What fans did know is that we didn’t want to see a reiteration of the Ryan Reynolds 2011 Green Lantern movie, which failed to launch a franchise. Reynolds himself frequently frequently mocked his own role in the movie, which went on to do better in streaming. In all fairness, the film did capture the charming but cocky attitude of Earth’s first Green Lantern, Hal Jordan…
Wisely, the new series has dispensed or played down some of the traditions of The Green Lanterns, such as wearing the iconic suit and little mask everywhere. Such things don’t always translate well from comics to the screen, unless you’re Batman. In the first episode, we only see Hal Jordan wearing the suit for his first interview in 1996. In the present day,Hal Jordan (played by Kyle Chandler) and his trainee John Stuart (Aaron Pierre) usually wear their everyday grubby clothing. When asked by a restaurant server why no costume, Jordan responds that they’re like ties, which are initially worn to be respected and taken seriously. When you get older and wiser, explains Jordan, you know that ties are a “pain in the a**.” The Lantern suit is now worn only for “special occasions.”These are very relaxed, earthy-superheroes, complete with potty mouths…
The series does retain certain iconic totems of Lantern lore, however, such as the awesomeness of the Lantern rings, which are sentient and retain a kind of interactive likeness of their wearer in case something happens to that agent. Hal Jordan hardly operates incognito, since everyone on Earth knows who and what he is. Indeed, Jordan goes to a taco stand in Nebraska, where he patiently signs autographs for the locals.Jordan employs kind of a “sink or swim” training methodwith his trainee, bailing out of a speeding car headed down a cliff, and leaving John Stuart with only his ring to determine how to escape annihilation…
Described as “cosmic cops” who each have charge of a chunk of the galaxy (Earth is Sector 2814), our Green Lantern and his trainee are hot on the trail of aliens who are killing people. It seems that fully 14 alien species have the technology to pass as human, so this is not an easy task.Fortunately,Jordan has good if unconventional detective skills, and can use his Green Lantern abilities to contain the explosions the aliens generate when discovered…
Lanterns employs multiple non-linear timelines, specifically 1996, 2016, and 2026. Most of the series takes place in 2016, and I will not give a “spoiler” for a shocking event at the end of Episode 1. Althoughnot what one would have expected, this superhero detective drama surprisingly works!
(Lanterns airs stateside Sunday night at 9:00 PM on the HBO television network and streams simultaneously on HBO Max…)
When all is said and done, Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog are just working stiffs, grubbing to make a buck just like you and I. Heck,they even punch in and out on a time clock, just as I used to do when working summer factory jobs! The difference is that their time clock is attached to a tree, rather than a cinder block wall…
Although Ralph and Sam are mortal enemies while on the job, it’s really just a job for them, and they are acting out their expected roles, Ralph Wolf trying to claim the sheep grazing in the field, and Sam Sheepdog thwarting Ralph at every turn, often with extreme force. Sam is easily the physical superior to Ralph, fully capable of giving the wolf a pounding, as he often does…
Now, an inevitable comparison must be made between Ralph Wolf and Wile E. Coyote. Ralph so resembles the coyote that you might think Wile E. is making a guest appearance in another cartoon series where he is battling a sheep dog rather than a road runner. The differences in drawing styles are so minimal that Ralph and Wile E. might be considered twins separated at birth who just chose different avenues of employment, with each remaining predators…
Now, the physical differences between Ralph and Wile E. are so minimal that they can easily be overlooked or discounted. Sometimes, Ralph is drawn with a red nose, whereas Wile E. isn’t. The real difference between the two is one of attitude and psychological disposition. Wile E. Coyote is obsessed with catching the road runner; it’s what he always plots and attempts to do all the time. For Ralph Wolf, catching sheep is strictly a day job, one which he engages in only after clocking in, and ceases immediately upon clocking out. Ralph has a life outside of the sheep fields, and in his off-hours doesn’t define himself in terms of absconding with sheep. Heck, he even retires after hours to a house, and is cordial and genial with Sam Sheepdog, because after all he’s just working a job, and doing what’s expected as a predator. Ralph’s job doesn’t define him, whereas Wile E.‘s doesas a life calling, a mission, a total purpose for his existence…
As evidenceof the surprising geniality between the wolf and the sheepdog, consider that they greet each other cordially each day upon clocking in and out, and cease hostilities completely to observe lunch break, which is also signaled by a whistle. Clearly, these two have good unions working for them…
Ralph Wolf does share traits with Wile E., and occasionally orders products from Acme! I would love to own stock in that company, even though many of their products are defective, or don’t work as intended. From cradle to grave, Acme has something for you to meet your every need…
Something that’s touching is the fact that Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf actually seem to respect and even care about each other. When Ralph in one cartoon came back to work one morning visibly in bad shape from the previous day’s thrashing, Sam actually advised the wolf to take the next day off! I don’t see the same element of concern between the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. Arguably the Road Runner enjoys being chased, knowing that there’s virtually no chance of the Coyote’s schemes succeeding, and his being caught. At times, the Road Runner seems to enjoy taunting or startling the Coyote, although he once after the Coyote endured several falls, held up a sign indicating that he “just didn’t have the heart” to inflict another one upon the suffering canine…
Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog do talk at the beginning and end of their days to one another, whereas Wile E. Coyote can talk, but rarely does. I have upon occasion seen Ralph Wolf hold up a sign to convey his thoughts, just as Wile E. often does. I rather like the relationship that Ralph and Sam have with each other, because after all, they’re just working a job, and the mayhem on it is nothing personal…
(It all reminds me of the day I encountered Foghorn Leghorn in a henhouse…but that’s a tale for another day.)
When AI is used for good rather than evil, you can get some wonderful creations such as the rash of Kung Fu Cats that are on the internet on sites such as YouTube. Fighting dogs, cats, humans, and even hamsters, these martial arts adept felines are almost unstoppable, although their weakness appears to be cat toys, which can distract them..
The images and videos can satirize those hokey old martial arts flicks that have been around for decades, and the traditions and characters that we loved and hated in them…
I for one will never look at my cats the same way again, lest a script for Hidden Tiger, Hiding Human play out before my eyes with my unwilling participation…
With a title such as “Mating Season” and a cast of anthropomorphic cartoon animals, you may rightfully have a suspicion of what the show is largely about. Your second clue comes with the realization that the new 10-episode first season show on Netflix is produced by Titmouse, the same studio that gave us Kevin, about the anthropomorphic tuxedo cat trying to find himself in the big city after his human owners break up, and essentially dump him in an animal shelter…
“Kevin” is Shakespeare, however, compared to “Mating Season.” This show is RAUNCHY, and definitely NOT FOR CHILDREN! I cannot shoutthat from a sufficiently tall enough building. Not only do the denizens of an anonymous forest have sex, but they have it often, and with others outside of their own species! Struggling a bit to relate a somewhat sanitized version of a central occurrence in episode 1, a hyperactive, highly sexualized male raccoon named Ray winds up sharing intimacies with a flirty female skunk, and in the aftermath of that, they wind up with a “copulatory tie,” joined together at the genitals until later in the episode…
(Picturedabove; Ray, Josh, Fawn, and Penelope…)
Now I do know that raccoons are stereotypically among the bad boys of the furry fandom, and that the fandom has always had a “yiffy” component, but I worry a bit that some outside of the fandom are going to see all of the highly sexualized animals on parade here, and think that’s mostly all that the fandom is about. It took us a long time, for example, to put the CSI episode featuring fursuits behind us…
The artwork in Mating Season is good, as is characteristic of Titmouse studios, and far better than most of the mass-produced cartoons on television. We need to consider, however, the messaging conveyed by such an adult cartoon. The show is unapologetically vulgar, and emphasizes shock value at the expense of character development. It’s strangely reassuring, however, to learn that I am still capable of being shocked, almost to the point of feeling violated as a furry. I do not enjoy wallowing in the mire; we furries are better than this! 😼
I mean, Rigby the raccoon of Regular Show (below) would be shocked by Ray the raccoon, and that’s saying something! 🙀
Nowin all fairness to the series, episodes beyond the initial one do seem to be slightly tamer, and we can sense the closeness of the animal community. There’s quite a variety of different species represented, such as Penelope the lesbian fox, her straight friend Fawn the deer, Josh the bear deserted by his mate, Dylan the wolf, and Summer the lesbian hound, who has an intense but doomed relationship with Penelope.So beyond the sexuality, the series deals with relationships, and the difficulties inherent in them. For example, the wolf moves in with the deer, but they split up as the wolf urinates everywhere to mark his territory, and invites his pack to a real “animal house”-styled celebration of the full moon, complete with drinking and howling….
Now this is cute; furries are actually directly referenced in the series (I believe in episode 3), and some of the animals play at being human! Turn-about is fair play, I guess. So perhaps I was initially too harsh on the series out of my initial shock, and Mating Season can be quite funny and clever if you’re OK with the vulgarity and strong sexual content…it’s just not for everyone, and definitely for adults only…
Amazon Prime’s adult animated series “Kevin” featuring anthropomorphic animals is highly polarizing to viewers, with one review terming it “unpleasant, unfunny, and unwatchable,” while others have found it “heartwarming!” But as a furry and cat lover, I had to check this out…
At the heart of Kevin is an anthropomorphic neurotic tuxedo cat (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) who loses his home when his humans break up, casting him into a local pet rescue center in Queens called “Furrever Friends” filled with “independent” animalswhere he encounters a number of homeless and displaced animals, predominantly felines, most of which are even more disordered and scarred by life than he is. Take for example “Cupcake,” voiced by Whoopi Goldberg, who portrays an emaciated, battered, and battle-scarred feral catwho is fearless, cynical, and yet quite adept at surviving in the environs of New York City…
…and man, the animals in the city are tough! His feral instincts triggered, Kevin chases a squirrel who in turn pulls a knife on him! A half-dead pigeon begs Kevin to eat him to put him out of his misery (thankfully, he refuses)! These are not cutesy animals, but rather hardened, grim individuals who provide the inexperienced, once pampered house cat with an education in the “School of Hard Knocks.”
Make no mistake, this is NOT a cartoon series for children! The language is generously sprinkled with vulgarities and obscenities, and the animals are raunchy, and at times quite twisted. There is humor here, but it’s quite dark. There is a content advisory for “nudity, violence, substance use, alcohol use, smoking, foul language, sexual content, and flashing lights and strobing patterns that might affect photosensitive viewers.”- – Something for everyone, right?! As a furry I like all things furry, but this series at times pushes the boundaries into rather extreme territory that will turn off many. The series explores the question of finding where you belong in the world, which is something that most of us will ultimately contend with. It just won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s why we have buttons to change the channel or turn sets off…
All eight episodes of the first season of Kevin may be streamed from Amazon Prime, and I’d consider it an acquired taste…you’ll either love it or hate it, but it may grow on you…
Imagine, if you will, an authentic Viking longboat of the historic period with members of its crew weary of their steady diet of gruel. Offered the usual slop, one crew member dares to ask one in charge if they have any ribeye. They even presume to ask for how they would like their steak prepared, as does their mate, who wishes theirs well done. “Why would you do that to a piece of meat?,” questions the first of the second’s preparation choice…
But as you might imagine, a Viking longboat is not a restaurant, and the picky Vikings are issued a ladle full of gruel, which looks about as unappetizing as you’d think. “Thank you for the gruel,” meekly says the first Viking, probably lucky not to be thrown overboard…
Despite the monotonous diet, Vikings like pirates remain popular fantasy figures, despite sea raids never yielding pizza or fast food…
(- -Ahh, to be a Sea Fox with a hardy crew back in the day! )
I’m a fan of The Green Lantern, and have been since childhood; he’s my second favorite DC character, ranking just after Superman. As a fan, I’m glad to see the Green Lantern as a series coming to HBO and HBO Max, but am somewhat apprehensive about the way that they’re treating the character and mythology. The Green Lantern needs to be treated as a sci-fi property, not as a detective and mystery concept…
Witness the new incarnation of Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) there on the right; he’s older, a bit worn and weary, and nearing retirement, engaged in the training of his 30-some years younger replacement, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Not exactly cosmic looking, are they, and in their street clothes you don’t even see much green on them…
When you finally see the uniform, it looks kind of muddied, the greens looking kinda brownish-green. Muddied might be a good description of the show’s premise, which seeks to blend sci-fi, mystery, and superhero action. The Green Lanterns are kind of treated as an intergalactic police force working in precinct Earth…
Oh look!- -There’s the iconic Lantern! The eight-episode series to air in August supposedly has recognizable Green Lantern lore, and pays more attention to characterization than spectacle, which is one of the reasons that the Green Lantern movie of 2012 was a commercial failure despite having its moments…
So I’ll give this Green Lantern series a fair try. It’s not the sci fi Green Lantern that I wanted, but maybe it’s the Green Lantern that I deserved…and if Hal Jordan looks like he’s seen better days, haven’t many of us? Listen for the lastline in this trailer clip, it’s a keeper…
(I always wanted to be a Green Lantern, but more of an intergalactic one…)
We haven’t seen the Woodland Critters on South Park in 21 years, and although many thought that we’d never see them again, they make a roaring return to the finale of South Park’s Season 28!
Now the Critters were originally created as part of a Xmas story dreamed up by 4th grader Eric Cartman for a twisted Xmas story that he wrote, and while they appear cute, lovable, and child-like are really satanic creatures with dark powers including the ability to summon demons and hellfire. They engage in murderous and sadistic acts, including the torture and murder of Strawberry Shortcake.
There are a dozen Woodland Critters that include a bear, deer, rabbit, squirrel, and a fox. All are named simply by adding a “y” to their species name, so here we have Foxy the fox. (We foxes do struggle to control our dark side, you know.) Despite their apparent innocence, the Critters are quite sadistic, and use their dark powers to engage in violent and despicable acts that I don’t wish to even describe in a blog that tries hard not to venture beyond PG-13 territory.This time, the Critters are all excited because Donald Trump has impregnated Satan, who is going to give birth to the Anti-Christ. Things get very strange in a show that includes a talking towel prone to getting high, Towelie…
I know of no other show that has an anthropomorphic, marijuana-addicted talking towel as a recurring character. In Towelie’s defense, however, the government created him, and he’ll do the right thing when he knows what’s going on. He’s actually saved the boys from an evil towel on one occasion…
South Park at its best reverses and confounds our expectations, and the re-appearance of the Woodland Critters after a long absence from the series is an example of that, mixed in with the saga of satirizing the Trump administration and its key players for several seasons.- – Y’all have a Merry Xmas now, ‘ya hear?
In a CGI Progressive Insurance commercial, we are shown animals driving. Human nature is seldom seen at its best when behind the wheel of a car, and the roadways can truly be seen as a jungle of sorts. The question that then emerges is, What kind of animals will you encounter while driving?And inevitably, What kind of animal are YOU when driving?!
We can largely imagine how a sloth might drive, but how about a deer? They freeze in headlights, of course! A lion drives ferociously, roaring and embodying road rage. Hyenas laugh as they zip across lanes. A ram drives true to his name…
And not to be forgotten,Progressive’s own spokesperson Flo voices a llama safely from curbside, reassuring that with Progressive that you won’t be held responsible for other people’s mistakes. In a reference to another llama commercial featuring a llama at a hairstylist, she asks also if people are staring at her because of her hair…
FOXSYLVANIA 
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