TV dominates the landscape as Emma inadvertently is ahead of the game in one respect, and considers her skills of treachery in another
IF you share your kitchen table with kids of a certain age, there’s no doubt you’re familiar with KPop Demon Hunters. It’s a film that arrived very quietly and without any fuss on Netflix back in June and which we watched on one of those very rare wet summer afternoons. Now, I’d like to think I’m someone who has their finger on the pulse and who can spot a good thing when she sees it, but straight away I denounced it as the greatest load of nonsense I had ever seen, the bit I had seen of it anyway, as I fell asleep a few minutes in.
Total rubbish, I declared! Doesn’t even make any sense, and it’s a bit weird, and scary. Nah, Netflix is losing its touch, I decided. Anyway, fast forward a few months, and it turns out the Korean animation musical action-fantasy film (it has it all going on), is the most watched movie ever on Netflix with over 230 million views and rising. I now know the lyrics to most of its insanely catchy songs, which are on repeat in the car thanks to my younger passenger, and am trying to master a few of the dance routines too, again thanks to my younger choreographer pal!
I’m even considering shelling out an eye watering amount of money for a costume of character Rumi for Halloween, not for myself obviously, although I’m considering it. Good to know I can spot a trend anyway; for what it’s worth I also denounced the Labubu dolls as a non-starter. Maybe I should get out more?
In other news we’re getting the inside of our house painted at the end of the week, and I’m down to the wire, still trying to decide on colours. Originally this was to be done before ‘The Communion’ back in May but I called it off as it was getting a bit last-minute and while I’m really excited it’s finally happening, I’m paralysed by indecision. Call around any day and you’ll find me staring whimsically at various colour swatches on the wall, screwing up my eyes and trying to differentiate between nuances that are ever so slight.
My husband is no help at all, taking the ‘ah sure you know best’ approach. To be fair this is an approach I’ve encouraged for years, but I need support at this difficult junction in my life. I’m having sleepless nights over whether to colour drench or not. Maybe I’ll do what I normally do and go with ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe’ and hope for the best.
Not surprisingly I’m among the hundreds of thousands of TV viewers who are watching The Traitors Ireland and who can’t get enough of it. I think it’s the first TV show I’m actively anticipating in years. It’s like the 80s, when you’d be dying to watch Dallas on a Saturday night. The excitement is real. Most interesting to me is Cork presenter Siobhan McSweeey’s outfits, kudos to her stylist, and I’ve also developed a soft spot for traitor Paudie from Limerick and a dislike for his fellow traitor, Tipp garda Eamon (delighted he was finally booted out!)
I’m slightly taken aback though by the prize fund, which can only reach up to €50,000. I only mention it as seems pretty small fry compared to The Traitors UK pot of €120,000, but I think the consensus is that this is very enjoyable TV. It’s also the first programme in ages that my husband and I are enjoying together. We’re glossing over the fact that essentially it’s a show all about liars and lying and what that says about us; there’s no need to go all
deep!
Meanwhile, I enjoyed a fabulous afternoon at the 100th anniversary celebrations at Barryroe Co-op last Saturday afternoon, and browsing the historic photo exhibition, the fantastic work of so many people all those years ago was really evident. These were trailblazers and pioneers, whose vision is still paying off today.
I hold huge affection and appreciation for the co-op. Like Cheers, it’s a place where everyone knows your name. At least once a day in my household you’ll hear someone say: ‘Anyone need anything in Barryroe?’ or ‘I’m just running out to Barryroe for something.’ My husband refers to it as ‘the creamery’ or ‘going east’ which is cute, but my point is that we’d be lost without it. When we were growing up we used to call the co-op supermarket ‘the magic shop’ because you never had to pay for anything. You could toss everything and anything into the trolley with wild abandon and glee, and by golly we did, and when you got your total at the check-out (after a lovely chat of course) you’d just say ‘charge that
please.’
Of course it all came out of the monthly milk cheque but we weren’t bothered with such finer details, and I remember every now and then my lovely dad would emerge from his office with a bunch of receipts and start listing out various things that we had obviously snuck in under the radar. He was an extremely generous person but I can see his point; there’s no such thing as a free shop! Now, regardless of where I do my weekly shop I have to take a deep inhale at the check-out when my total is delivered and that’s with nothing sneaking in under the radar. At the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon where has the value gone? When are they recruiting next for The Traitors I wonder? Suddenly that €50,000 is looking very attractive and I’ve a great game face.
