It’s sweltering hot in parts of America, so this week you had an excuse to stay indoors and watch TV/surf the internet. So I’ll assume you’re mostly caught up on pop culture as it is. But in case you were busy splaying out under an air conditioner or sleeping off a Post-Porch-Drinking-First-Anniversary-Bottle-Share-And-Party hangover… here’s the stuff you might have missed. Quick hits, because as I type in this heat my fingers are already beginning to sweat. Not really. That’s a gross image. I apologize.

Here we go.

CNN Made ALL People Pretty Uncomfortable

In a time where racial, political, and class distinctions have our nation divided, it’s nice when we all can agree on something. And we can all agree CNN’s hour-long special on the “N-word” was super uncomfortable and ill-advised.

Remember when you were in 10^th grade English class and you cringed because your teacher or classmate used the full, uncensored n-word when reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Well, CNN did that. Dozens of times. It was water-cooler worthy and cringe-worthy at the same time. No matter what your race.

 

Jay-Z’s Album Is Going to be Huge; Kanye’s is Fading

Shawn Carter/Jay-Z/Hov/Mr. Beyonce has an album dropping this week. It’s called “Magna Carta Holy Grail Yeah I Totally Just Compared Myself To Two Enormous Historial Icons Because That Is What I Consider Myself” (okay, the first four words were true). And thanks to a recent change in policy at the Recording Industry Association of America, digital album sales towards platinum certification take one day to register, not 30 days. So it’s possible that by the time you’re reading this, Jay’s new album is already platinum. Good for him.

Meanwhile, his buddy Kanye West has seen an 80% drop in sales of his new album. Maybe that makes sense, since a lot of Kanye/Yeezus/Mr. Kardashian fans buy upfront. But a drop that steep makes you wonder if people are hearing the word-of-mouth reviews about Kanye’s new album being… weird. For the record, the number one album this week was from Wale. But he isn’t a media whore like Jay-Z or Beyonce, so enough about him.

AWFUL SEGUE ALERT: Hey. Kanye and Jay-Z made an album together called “Watch the Throne.” And SPEAKING of thrones…

Lego Loves G.O.T. as Much as You

I’m a recent convert to “Game of Thrones.” So maybe the show is played out and no longer cool. Don’t care. I still get excited by nerdy stuff when it pertains to my latest pop culture obsessions. So check out these soon-to-be-released Legos characters from “Game of Thrones.” It’s convenient that their heads are detachable since… well… you get it if you watch the show.

“Happy Endings” is Dead

It was a beloved show on ABC about six friends living in Chicago. And when the network canceled it, the studio tried to shop it around to save it. No go. As of this week, the actors’ contracts expired and any hopes of keeping the show around are a bust.

Now your only mission as a fan of “Happy Endings” is to write a lot of letters to Netflix and then wait seven years for a disappointing fourth season.*

*Clearly I’m referring to “Arrested Development” season 4 which I STILL say was AWESOME.

Saul Might Get His Own Show

Another show we’ll soon mourn is “Breaking Bad.” On August 11, the show comes back for its final run of 8 episodes. And now that it’s firmly ensconced in the minds of 21^st-century TV viewers, it’s time for “Breaking Bad” to pull a “Joey” and risk tainting its legacy. Rumors about a spin-off for Saul Goodman have been swirling for awhile, and the media’s latest check-up on the fan favorite character seem to indicate that this may be a go.

Yes, I will watch. But it’s troubling from a creative standpoint that no one knows if this will be a 60-minute drama or a 30-minute sitcom. Which just goes to show that Saul works best as the comedic relief in a dark, gritty, merciless crime thriller. Not in his own show.

But like I said. I’ll watch.

STAFF PICKS

You may not know this, but we at PorchDrinking.com collaborate a lot. We are a constant source of inspiration, recommendations, and sometimes rancor (you ought to see the roundtable discussion so controversial Tristan never posted it) for each other. And in deference to my fellow PorchDrinking staffers, I will post with no comment two videos I hadn’t seen until they were brough to my attention by the fine folks on this site. Enjoy them and enjoy your long weekend. It’ll be a few years before July 4^th lands on a Thursday to give you a long weekend like this again.

Best Wedding Toast Ever:

Mashup of all Those Songs You Can’t Get Out of Your Head: