Type Click Mailbag: Shared Universes And Pet Peeves
I will put Perd Hapley in any show if given the chance.
Hello and welcome back to the Type Click Mailbag. As always, here’s the rundown of how this works:
— There’s a whole special email address for the mailbag that I’m only giving out to paid subscribers because I am always trying to think of ways to provide value to the people who help make this sucker sustainable
— I still like hearing from people in the comments and I do try to respond to most of those, too, so don’t be a stranger
— If you want to send in emails for these things going forward, you can subscribe…
Okay, email time.
From Amy:
Given that Widow’s Bay was created by Katie Dippold, a writer on Parks & Rec, I feel like I have to ask: What Parks & Rec character do you think would fit best in Widow’s Bay? To increase the level of difficulty, you can’t say April Ludgate, only because that seems too obvious. At first, I thought my answer was Tom Haverford because I wanted to see him try to promote the town for a few episodes and then start shrieking when things go wrong, but now I’m wondering if they should do another season where Bobby Newport becomes mayor of a haunted island. I’ll hang up and listen now.
Hmm. These are both very strong selections. I especially like the idea of Bobby Newport trying to manage a beach town that is overrun with demonic spirits. I feel like Paul Rudd could really nail that one. I also am very into the idea of plopping Perd Hapley into this show as a news anchor of a town on the mainland that has Widow Bay’s in its coverage area. I can already hear that one in my head as I’m typing this sentence. “What is causing the demonic possession of a nearby town? Some say it could be... a demon.” God, I miss Perd. Let‘s remember some classics.
Anyway, my answer here is probably either…
- Jerry Gergich, because I would love to see how he reacts to things like an old evil Sea Hag and a murderous Boogeyman while everyone in the new office tells him to shut up
- Tammy 2, because I would like to see Megan Mullally interact with a demon
I’m open to other suggestions but I think those are a decent start.
From Justin:
Bigger pet peeve for you as a wheelchair user: when someone parks in a handicap spot when they’re not supposed to or when a place you want to go isn’t accessible?
Oof. Well, I don’t love either, honestly. I guess I give more leeway to the accessibility thing. Sometimes people — small businesses, especially — will comply with the letter of the law and think in their hearts they’re doing what they need to do to be helpful. What usually happens is I’ll show up and we’ll quickly pick up on something that doesn’t quite work – maybe there’s a little lip to get into the entrance, or maybe there’s a problem with the parking lot, or maybe they’ve just overcrowded the floor with stuff in a way that no one in a wheelchair could possibly navigate it – and they'll immediately feel terrible and set about trying to correct it. I try to cut people slack for general ignorance and honest mistakes.
I’m less forgiving of people just being dicks. My favorite thing to do when I catch someone in a designated parking spot idling while they wait for someone or when they do the “I swear I was just running in quick!” thing is to just kind of look at them for a while. No words, no emotion on my face. Just look with unflinching eye contact until they look away or do something. The best is when they see me and look down and silently shift the car into reverse to move. Gotcha, sucker.
That said, I do want to be clear about something here: please don’t assume anyone who can, like, walk doesn’t need those spots. Disabilities come in all shapes and sizes and don’t all present themselves in obvious ways. It doesn’t help anyone if you’re out there playing Disability Cop and embarrassing a person who is just trying to live. Please try to be normal. That seems like a pretty reasonable ask.
This is the thing where I pitch you on subscribing and especially upgrading. I really enjoy doing this newsletter. I hope you enjoy reading it. If you do, please consider smashing the button below and supporting me so I can keep doing it.
A paid subscription does get you some extras, too, not just the joy of giving me money. You’ll get access to the Friday newsletter and you’ll get to contribute to our periodic mailbags and reverse mailbags. Maybe there will be other benefits coming soon. All that for $5/month or $50/year. Basically a buck a week. A buck a week! Wow! What a deal!
STUFF I CLICKED ON
— Mike Ryan wrote a great blog about an email he got from Jason Sudeikis
— Scott Tobias interviewed the geniuses who made Documentary Now
— always read Caity Weaver
— this sucker is long as hell but if you’re at all interested in Steven Spielberg’s career, buckle in
— House of the Dragon is back on Sunday after a two-year break and if you, like me, need a refresher, this one is pretty good
— I watch just about every Phillies game and having John Kruk on the microphone for three hours is a big reason why, for moments like this and this from the last week alone
— congrats to Tom Holland and Zendaya
— I’ll probably have something more on the Widow’s Bay finale in Friday’s newsletter, but for now, here’s a good primer on how it took over TV the last few weeks
— I need to see The Furious
— Hollywood remains obsessed with making a Monopoly movie for some reason
— pickles are the new pumpkin spice
— “AI Animal Videos Are Ruining One Of The Internet’s Last Good Things”
— “Fireworks truck catches fire on Tennessee highway”
— huge fan of this duck
Okay, that’s it for this week. Please subscribe and share and try to be normal whenever possible.
