Sarah Wiener in Asien (2014): Fremdschämen für eine österreichische Gastrotouristin

Screenshot „Die kulinarischen Abenteuer der Sarah Wiener in Asien“ (© zero one film, ARTE G.E.I.E., ORF)

Mir begegnete gerade durch eine Netflix-Empfehlung die Serie „Die kulinarischen Abenteuer der Sarah Wiener in Asien“ (DVDs), die erstmals im September 2014 auf arte ausgestrahlt wurde. Die erste Folge („Indien und Chili“) war ärgerlich: Ich habe selten eine solch oberflächliche und teilweise ignorante Reise- und Food-Reportage gesehen. Vor allem nicht von einer Fachfrau.

Während zum Beispiel Anthony Bourdain tief in die Kulturen der von ihm besuchten Länder eintauchte und kundig oder zumindest gut vorbereitet die lokalen Spezialitäten vorstellte, war Wiener damals in Nordindien als staunende Touristin unterwegs. Sie ließ sich planlos durch Märkte treiben, sprach mit den Indern Deutsch und kam innerhalb von 3 Minuten 41 Sekunden nach einem einzigen Restaurantbesuch (BMB Sweet Shop Restaurant in Jaipur/Rajasthan) zum Schluss: „Ja, in Indien wird scharf gegessen.“ Und das ausgerechnet in Nordindien, wo die meisten Gerichte eher zurückhaltend scharf sind.

R.I.P., Anthony Bourdain! (Obits, videos and my favorite quotes)

Anthony Bourdain at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards (Author: Peabody Awards / This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license)

None of the most recent deaths saddened me as much as Anthony Bourdain’s. He was my favorite non-fiction writer and travel show host. I enjoyed his enthusiasm, his humor, his opinionedness and the resulting rants, his love for food and its creators, his curiosity about the culture of the countries he visited, and the empathy and respect he showed towards his interviewees. I’ll miss him.

I first became aware of him in 2000 when he published his powerful book „Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly“ which made me think of him as the Hunter S. Thompson of culinary writing (although Tony probably was more truthful and benevolent). Since then, I have read all of his books and watched pretty much all of his shows.

In celebration of his extraordinary and inspiring talent, I have collected some of the most touching obits and, as a result of regular binge-watching, my favorite Tony quotes (accompanied by videos).

Obits

“Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.” This is how I’ll remember Tony. He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We’ll miss him. pic.twitter.com/orEXIaEMZM

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 8, 2018

A brief remembrance of the insatiable, indelible, irreplaceable @bourdain. I'll miss him. https://t.co/2R8stLplJO

— Patrick Radden Keefe (@praddenkeefe) June 8, 2018

Buffy goes to Bollywood: „So, how does the water buffalo fit in again?“

„Buffy the Vampire Slayer“ turned 20 this March – and, revisiting the first two seasons, I think it has aged quite nicely.

I just ran across a funny exchange in the „Reptile Boy“ episode (S02E05), featuring Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) watching a Bollywood song & dance scene together:

Xander: Is she dying?
Buffy: I think she’s singing.
Xander: To a telephone, in Hindi. Now, that’s entertainment. – Why is she singing?
Willow: She’s sad because her lover gave her 12 gold coins. But then the wizard cut open a bag of salt and now the dancing minions have nowhere to put their big maple fish thing.
Xander: Uh-huh. – Why is she singing?
Buffy: Her lover? I thought that was her chiropractor.
Willow: Because of that thing he did with her feet? – No, that was personal.
Xander: And we thought just because we didn’t have any money or any place to go, this’d be a lacklustre evening.
Willow: I know, we could go to the Bronze, sneak in our own tea bags and ask for hot water.
Xander: Hop off the outlaw train before you land us in jail.
Buffy: I, for one, am giddy and up. There’s a kinda hush all over Sunnydale. No demons or vampires to slay. I’m here with my friends. – So, how does the water buffalo fit in again?

Don’t miss the brilliant music documentary „Searching for Sugar Man“ (free streaming until March 23)!

My favorite movie of Filmfest Hamburg 2012 (blog post in German) is being streamed for free by German/French public broadcaster arte until Monday, March 23, 2017 (link to arte’s media library). Watch the trailer of „Searching for Sugar Man“, „the incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest ’70s rock icon who never was“ (Rotten Tomatoes):

Here Are Donald Trump’s Unpresidential Tweets About Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson From 2012 (via Saturday Night Live)

As if Donald Trump’s current Twitter ramblings weren’t crazy enough, Saturday Night Live host Kristen Stewart brought a particularly notorious string of tweets back to memory in last Saturday’s opening monologue:

Robert Pattinson should not take back Kristen Stewart. She cheated on him like a dog & will do it again–just watch. He can do much better!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2012

„Pop around the clock 2016“ bei 3sat: Alte weiße Herren machen Musik – dennoch ein paar Download-Tipps

Pop around the clock (3sat-Screenshot)

Im vergangenen Jahr war ich gnädig und sprach von einem „Festtag für Freunde der Live-Musik“, denn damals gab es wenigstens noch „Ausrutscher“ wie Katy Perry, Miley Cirus, Die Fantastischen Vier, One Direction und Revolverheld. Gegenüber dem, was ab morgen (am Samstag/Sonntag, 31.12.2016/1.1.2017) bei „Pop around the clock“ auf 3sat läuft, war aber selbst die Programmgestaltung des Springsteen-Fans Peter Rüchel beim WDR-Rockpalast vergleichsweise progressiv. Der hatte damals immerhin auch farbigere bis buntere Bands wie George Clinton und Parliament/Funkadelic oder Ian Dury & the Blockheads dabei.

3sat hingegen versteht unter „Pop“ 2016 primär alte weiße Herren – und holt dafür selbst Journey und Foreigner aus der Mottenkiste.

Jahreskonferenz des Netzwerks Recherche: Die #nr16-Twitter-„Presseschau“

„Journalismus heute: An der Grenze“ lautete das Motto der Jahreskonferenz 2016 der Journalistenvereinigung Netzwerk Recherche, die am vergangenen Wochenende (3./4. Juli 2016) im NDR-Konferenzzentrum in Hamburg-Lokstedt stattfand. Video-Mitschnitte vieler Podien gibt es bei der Spreerunde, zahlreiche Blog-Beiträge auf der Tagungsseite. Weitere Links finden sich im #nr16-Pad. Die Konferenzzeitung „Nestbeschmutzer“ kann hier abgerufen werden.
Auf dieser Seite habe ich Tweets zu diversen Diskussionen und Info-Links zusammengestellt:

Post-binge watching: My favorite quotes from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s season 2 (#KimmySchmidt)

Season 2 of „Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt“, the hilarious sitcom created by Tina Fey and her „30 Rock“ show runner Robert Carlock, is at least as strong as its premiere season. I especially enjoyed the addition of Tina Fey’s role as Andrea Bayden, „an alcoholic therapist who is separated by work Andrea at day and drunk Andrea at night“ (Wikipedia). On RottenTomatoes.com, the series still has the same approval rate by critics as in season 1: 95 %. In short: „Not letting up in season two, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is still odd in the best of ways, wonderfully building on its unique comedy stylings and brilliantly funny cast.“

Here is a selection of my favorite quotes:

S02E02: Kimmy Goes on a Playdate! (Recap by Entertainment Weekly)

Jane Krakowski (Photo: The Heart Truth. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.)

Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper): I did it for your own good, Xan. Someday you’ll thank me.
Xanthippe Voorhees: Yeah, when pigs fly. – Oh, my God. I sound so lame now! And stupid.
Kimmy: Pigs fly all the time, Xan, or did you think prize pigs walk to international pig competitions?

Kimmy Schmidt: What do I call you now? Mrs. Voorhers?
Jacqueline White (Jane Krakowski): Ms. White. That’s my Sioux family name. It was given to us in the 1920s by a sarcastic census taker.

Jacqueline White: Kimmy, I need your help.
Kimmy Schmidt: Help? That’s what we elves are born to do.
Jacqueline: Oh, you are dressed like an elf. I just assumed it was the trucker pills.

Jacqueline White: Oh, Kimmy, I also need you to call my hotel. My suite is so big, I keep getting lost. Have them send up a guide monkey.

Deirdre Robespierre (Anna Camp, to Jacqueline): I have a 150 IQ, but I spent all morning picking out dog stationery. Maybe I’m just tormenting you just to feel alive, but also there is a chance this is real empathy.

Favorite quotes from „House of Cards'“ season 4

Season 4 of „House of Cards“ which premiered on Friday (March 4, 2016) was a little slow to get into, but it picked up steam in the second half – starting with episode 7.

My favorite quotes

Episode 1 (chapter 40)

Francis Underwood: Claire is the First Lady of the United States, and you still think she made the wrong choice.
Elizabeth Hale (Claire’s mother): Reduced to tabloid gossip? She might as well be living in that trailer park you come from.
Francis: Well, it was a peach farm. But you’re right, I am still white trash. I just happen to be white trash that lives in the White House.

„Pop around the clock 2015“ bei 3sat: Festtag für Musikfans (Download-Tipps)

Screenshot 3sat.de

Heute ist mal wieder ein Festtag für Freunde der Live-Musik: Seit 6.20 Uhr zeigt 3sat​ beim jährlichen „Pop around the clock“ jede Menge Konzertmitschnitte, die alle parallel alle schon jetzt in der Mediathek verfügbar sind. Das bedeutet, dass ihr sie auch mit der kostenlosen Software MediathekView (Windows, Mac, Linux) herunterladen könnte – einige davon in HD-Qualität. Weitere Informationen und Installationstipps findet ihr im Blogbeitrag „MediathekView: Der schnellste Weg zu ‚Das TalkGespräch‘ und anderen ö.-r. TV-Sendungen“ aus dem vergangenen Dezember.

Dabei sind unter anderem Konzerte von Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner, The Who, Die Fantastischen Vier, Annie Lennox, Bruce Springsteen & Friends, Eric Clapton, Miley Cyrus, Kylie Minogue und Revolverheld.

Tina Turner

Die Fantastischen Vier

The Who