Straight Gay Reviews
Welcome to SGR - Straight Gay Reviews! Yes, I'm Gay, hence the name. I'm Rumeal; it's like Ru Paul & a Meal you'd eat! Feel free to share this with anyone; SGR started as a movie review channel, which I did with a friend. However, it has morphed into something I love doing: learning from others and networking. There are many different segments; I hope you have time to listen to them when you can, and they provide value in your world. Oh, if you want the visuals check us out on YouTube.
Straight Gay Reviews
All About Abbott: Books & The Abbott Elementary Breakdown
Remember when songs like Rihanna's "Umbrella" and 50 Cent's "In Da Club" were the soundtrack to our youth? Well, Abbott Elementary just slapped us with the cold reality that today's kids consider these tracks "oldies" their parents listen to while cleaning. If that doesn't make you question your mortality, nothing will.
The brilliantly titled "Books" episode (or as we've dubbed it, "Shady and Reedy") delivers some of the series' most cutting humor yet. When the school librarian returns to defend a controversial book called "Sassy Wizard Kid," we're treated to an episode brimming with shade, reads, and unexpected alliances. Raven's character leaning dramatically against bookshelves while describing herself as "a bad bitch" had us howling, while the revelation that Tariq now heads the "Parent-Tariq Alliance" (not Parent-Teacher Association) showcases the show's genius for character-driven comedy.
What makes Abbott Elementary truly special is its balance of laugh-out-loud moments with genuine heart. Gregory's search for a second job highlights the financial struggles many educators face, while Melissa's resourcefulness in solving school problems (including orchestrating a false fire alarm to get the police chief's attention) reflects the creative problem-solving teachers employ daily. The show has become a cultural touchstone because it captures the dedication of educators who truly care for their students – from Melissa's panic when her class guinea pig goes missing to Ava's reluctant but genuine support of her staff. No wonder it's surpassed Modern Family in viewership and earned a fifth season renewal. Subscribe for weekly episode breakdowns as we celebrate this beacon of light and laughter when we need it most.
so this is a new segment called all about avid. I got phoenix back. Welcome to straight gay reviews. I'm sgr. Welcome, phoenix, welcome, welcome, welcome. So this episode was called books and they maybe should have called it Shady and Reedy, because I felt personally attacked and these cold openings and these direct cameras and it's just, if y'all don't know what Outer Elementary is, check it out, just check it out. I love, I love, love, love, love Quinta for this one. But before we get into it, let me ask you a question Do you consider us old?
Speaker 1:Yes and no, I went to my high school last year and the kids was like, sorry, you're ancient, I'm like you know what? I'm not about to argue with you because in two more years, literally it'll be 18 years since I've been out of high school. So I'm not even about to lie and tell you like, oh no, I've already went to the class 10 year Because COVID, you know, we ain't had like the, you know the whole 15 year situation and math man, I think the 15's supposed to be this year. I don't know, it don't matter, Probably not. I think it was. I think it was because of COVID. But I guess, like on some real stuff, Phoenix, this episode should have just been called. Reading is Fundamental in Shading, you know because there was so much shade thrown.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, and again we may be butchering it, but it had me on the floor when I was like so the music teacher is out because you know, good old.
Speaker 1:Gregory Eddy, you know his dead pants. I wish he was my teacher. Jesus Christ, Not in that school.
Speaker 2:Well, not in that school, no, if it was high school, baby, trust me, I keep that secret, honey.
Speaker 1:Nobody never knows I'm done, I'm done, I'm done. The music teacher is out. Okay, so let's talk about some oldies. And the first kid goes in the club about 50 cent. He's like that's not an oldie. It's not, do you remember?
Speaker 2:what the second one was.
Speaker 1:Umbrella. I was there. My mama listens to Umbrella on. I was there, my mama listens to Umbrella on the weekends when she's cleaning.
Speaker 2:When she's cleaning your mom's 30. Yeah, and she's old, but then they even going to mention Amelie, oh my God.
Speaker 1:Amelie is not an oldie. Yes, it is. It's a great song. It came out in 2006. Yeah, I was born in 2015. I was, I don't even think it was. I think he said 2019.
Speaker 2:No, he said he was born in 2018.
Speaker 1:2018. I was like bro.
Speaker 2:That's the thing, though. When Instagram used to I'm glad it doesn't do it anymore when it would show, I'll never forget the first time I ever saw it, it was Dilemma, and it said in the caption that this song is 20 years old. I was like, oh my God, I'm like.
Speaker 1:I remember when that song came out, had me on the floor and it really had me on the floor. So I gotta take a little sneak track and look at my phone real quick, because you know.
Speaker 2:I'm thinking about it right now, like I remember when oh my God, I was in the sixth grade. Oh Jesus, I'm aging myself right now. I was in sixth grade when Janet did the MTV myself. I'm aging myself right now. I was in sixth grade when Janet did the MTV Icon performance for All For you. I was in sixth grade. That was like what 24 years ago, jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:Well, all I gotta say is this episode literally was reading back and forth left and right. So much shade, so much. The Return of the Librarian, I forget her name.
Speaker 2:Love Cree.
Speaker 1:Her real name. We know we love a good Cree Summers. And do you remember what the book was called that they were trying to get in?
Speaker 2:I want to say it was like Sassy Black Wizard Kid or something, but it had sassy in the title.
Speaker 1:Sassy Wizard Kid and essentially the whole premise of this episode was Raven, who has bitch on her titties and the fact that she wait a minute.
Speaker 2:Let's back up, though. And the fact that she wait a minute, let's back up, though. Can we just talk about how the the shot when the camera pans to her? She's leaning on the books, talking about I know what y'all thinking. A bad bitch like me, that's a perfect.
Speaker 1:I'm like wait a minute, wait, wait, wait a minute that's what makes the show so good, because it's like everyone can stand on business and they're all right like. Another little side story was Melinda Chamenti like feeling that she ain't got? Options no more. What was it? The vending machine guy's like, hey, you know, like you know how you doing, oh, you know I'm getting married what? And then she hit up the captain and the captain was like hold on, we're casual you said this, and you know what?
Speaker 2:And I love I mean I love all the characters, so I can't really say who's my favorite. I can tell you who my favorite is. I know Ava's your favorite.
Speaker 1:It's a recent discovery, though, because it was like she's so multi. Okay, so it used to be Janine, then it switched to Barbara, and then it just it hands down as Ava, because she literally don't give a hoot.
Speaker 2:See, it's a toss-up for me. Ava and Melissa are like two of my favorites.
Speaker 1:When they did their little okay a couple episodes ago, they were essentially going at 60 seconds. They were going back and forth.
Speaker 2:That had me on the floor when they were at the country club. Yes, that was that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's my wife first and foremost. Abbott literally has just a lot of good gems and a lot of people don't. I don't know. It's a good. To me it's a good little 30 minute feel-good show. It's already been renewed for season five. Um it's. It has brought in as many viewers as actually it surpassed our family.
Speaker 2:It is truly like the beacon of light and hope that we need right now to just make us laugh, because it's like I literally binge watched the first, I think three seasons in like two days, because you know, like you said, they're so short but you get so much in those 30 minutes like the. The one episode that is like standing on my mind right now is when they went to the conference and we saw Tatiana Ali, who's like Ava's rival, and her sword war and that goddamn bingo card. That was hilarious as hell.
Speaker 1:Well, I just to be all the way honest, there's just been so many different things. But my favorite line, I'll ask you your favorite line, because I mean whatever you know, we go all over way, honest. There's just been so many different things. But my favorite line, I'll ask you your favorite line, because I mean whatever you know, we go all over the place. Sweet baby Jesus in the grown one too. My desk, a being desk, that took me out. That sounds like a you problem, not a me problem. I love Barb. And then my most recent one that really took me out and I'm going to pass it to you Swear Jeez. Yeah, if I was Goldilocks, I would have been. I'd be eating her ass too. In this situation. I'm a bear, it's just.
Speaker 2:I, oh my God, I don't have a favorite line. Literally, it's anything that comes out of Ava's mouth, because the way she makes it seem like it's always. She's the one that came up with the idea. She's the one that did it.
Speaker 1:She did and it's like.
Speaker 2:that's why they get a principal. You have bosses point them out and Gregory Eddie could do nothing. Those are the things that Uh-uh, her secretary. She said, i'm'm letting you know.
Speaker 1:I am slowly building my case I love her so much and she'd be acting like she don't like him and it'd be killing me.
Speaker 2:I'm like give him the time of day scrolling down his ig like uh-uh and then and then it was like gregory and janine's trying to help old boy from the district and he just went in there and just said, hey, what you want to go on a date?
Speaker 1:yeah, whatever gregory and janine are a match made in heaven. But I do crack up because and going back to this episode books gregory was trying to find a job, like a part-time job, to help, and, first and foremost, no part-time jobs. You got to work and you got to do what you got to do, you know, and it's about to get tougher out here, so um.
Speaker 2:But when you have a master's degree like really nigga, you're going to get a part. He said that's low hours and pay high. You ain't going to find that.
Speaker 1:You ain't going to find it. And he cracked me up because I swear for you, swear for you. He was like Janine was upset Because I'm like obviously this had to be the weekends because when they going to have the PTA, or after five, because I went to go out to PTA and he was doing two jobs at once. He was like I'm delivering the pizzas and I'm doing a ride. Sure, he's like you don't get to tell me where to go. Get back in the car. I was like, okay, that's the reality. Shout out to Melissa because she paid Mr Johnson to pull the fire alarm to get the police chief there or shoot the fire. And then like, oh, for real, it had me on the floor when it was like, yeah, I'm going to have to arrest Mr Johnson. Just go easy on him. Don't tell him, oh, I'm not going to. I'm like, oh, you know she's not going to. Oh, she not. That has always been her whole thing.
Speaker 2:It was like when they were the teachers and I'm discussing the jobs and what's the white boy name? Oh my God, jacob, jacob. When he was told to. So you told me you didn't know how to play pool. When you told me, and she just looked at him like yeah, motherfucker, that's right, I'm a pool shark, stupid.
Speaker 1:She ain't about to tell you. The one thing I love about this show Is you never know the history, so you know they'll go from sister I mean sister They'll go from serious to jokative, back to serious, but like you never know the history of all these people. And oh geez, barb, I do not want to live in a world where white people explain dance moves to me she can't even get one actor or singer's name correct never, never.
Speaker 1:God bless her. But she knows what she. I'm only gonna count to one one uh-uh, how about when?
Speaker 2:the last last week's episode when her daughter called her to tell she's pregnant, she's calling her, the iPad ringing, the phone ringing. She's like, why are you calling me on every device in the world right now? And her little student was like, just swipe it.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you. Yes, but that's the thing like today, we at my job, we had my job, we had to take picture proof and one of my peers was like what is this? My manager, I posted the picture and clearly they did like some iPhone stuff, taking the picture, put it in the notes, copy and paste the picture from the notes, put it into and it just looks trashy. It looks and I'm just like. And then they was like what is this? I'm like they old. So I ain't got nothing else better to say other than they old. I'm getting to this point that I feel like, okay, I'm old, just accept it, I got the grades, just run with it.
Speaker 2:See, this is my thing. What I did enjoy about the episode was I mean, I enjoyed everything about the episode. But the crazy thing was Janine's ex who's dating one of the student's moms and now he claims that student as his child how he actually did low-key one-up the staff to keep that book in the library. He did, and he's the president of the PTA. So we find out Raven's character's the VP and he's the president. Oh hell.
Speaker 1:And keep in mind the PTA stands for the Parent-Tariq Alliance. It don't stand for parent-teacher.
Speaker 2:It don't stand for parent-teacher.
Speaker 1:The Parent-Tariq Alliance. His character always cracked me up. He was like yeah, yeah, you want me to use my subterf? He goes yeah, yeah, go ahead and handle that. Don't go past it. You know what? Actually, don't go off the live stream, just go ahead and like go ahead.
Speaker 2:My jaw dropped, though, when I saw him in Doji's video. I couldn't believe he was in Doji's video. The true comedian, he coming up in the world.
Speaker 1:Oh no, he's been.
Speaker 2:And that's the thing. I can't tell you all the stuff he's been in, but the people that Quinta puts in her shows be real people.
Speaker 1:They be, them.
Speaker 2:Either people she's known in her life and then the guest stars, like Taraji is people she would love to have on the show, and Taraji was a perfect fit for her mom.
Speaker 1:Jesus Christ, there are so many good things about this show. If there was an episode that you had to tell people to watch to get the good feel out of elementary from any season, I'm going in. I'm telling you, mine is the desk-y one. That was so funny, it was so hilarious. And then Jalene was like the best part is when is go back to the classroom because you're not spilling nothing. That's fine. That's where the desk are.
Speaker 2:When the district came in and Janine, not Janine, ava, oh my God, ava just knew. No, what was it? No, what's the other one? Oh, when she tried to blackmail the superintendent. You mean William? Yeah, baby.
Speaker 1:William did not look like William did back in the past.
Speaker 2:William looks like the ghoul character that Michael Jackson did in Ghost. That's who he looks like.
Speaker 1:Ain't right? Nah, I mean we all change as we get older. That ain't his name. I know we call everybody everybody, but that's not his name.
Speaker 2:I love Reggie Dent, because I was just watching Charlie's Angels and I didn't realize he was an extra in one of the scenes. Anyway, I love how she tried to blackmail the superintendent and then the superintendent one-upped her ass. I said, damn girl, you slipping.
Speaker 1:That's the thing that even though it gets super comedic, it does get serious. One of the things this school never had was resources. Ava is a hustler and Melissa is a hustler and Janine cares about the kids. They were like we need new computers. If you don't do this, we need new computers for our school. And they got the computers and IT guy was like none of these computers are actually like how did you get these computers? Because the district didn't have this. I just like I crack up because is it O'Shea or O'Shawn? I think it's O'Shea, I can't remember, I don't know if I'll say it, but it cracks me up because she really be caring about them kids, even though it comes off comedic.
Speaker 2:She cares about all her staff. It's like Ava has a heart. She just don't want you to know that she has one, because she ain't trying to show the soft side of her.
Speaker 1:She's trying to be hood and hard she is, and going back to the grandma episode, which is the 100 day episode, I was like I'm not a girl, I'm you, I'm you what? I'm not a 100 year person, I know.
Speaker 2:Or when they went to the conference and she did that sweet thing for her soul war, knowing her soul war is her rival. And that's why she was like thanks, she was like girl, it's nothing. And that's why she was like dang, she was like girl, it's nothing. I'm just doing what I had to do, but that's they don't play low.
Speaker 1:That's the reason why good, feel good comedy and again, there's just so many good things and, like you said, you can binge it two days, three days, but I'm happy you got renewed for season five. I'm looking forward. That's one of my feel good like you know. Go back there. One of mine feel good Like you know, go back.
Speaker 2:It's definitely a feel good show and I think the other thing that makes it so wonderful, it's very relatable. It's very relatable because it takes you back to like, it makes you know that school has truly changed since we were in school.
Speaker 1:It has.
Speaker 2:The dynamics has changed. I'm hearing about this thing called new math. Kids are not graded the way we were. We don't. They don't get A's and B's, they're graded on a percentage and it's just like what the fuck, it's a lot, and it's it's a lot.
Speaker 1:A brain then goes to like what is it for teachers, what is it for the parents, what is it for the you know, all of that stuff, and that's that's kind of weird. You know, I want to keep this one short, this, this, because we can go on and on and on. I want to keep this one short, oh my God, because the episodes are only 30 minutes.
Speaker 2:So I'm like you know, half the time, kind of you know. So we'll be back next week to talk more about it. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Well, I will say this, though, and I'll probably say this every single time we talk about it is the the thing that stands out the most, that is relatable, but that is not talked about in the real world? Is the teachers truly? These teachers care for their students? They truly care for them, because Melissa will ride a die for her class.
Speaker 1:You remember who Sweet Cheeks is?
Speaker 2:Baby, that fat ass, ooh, that big ass, gerbil Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:She don't care about where's Sweet Cheeks. Where's Sweet Cheeks?
Speaker 2:Sweet Cheeks went missing. Honey, it was full-blown alert. Don't nobody move that step show she was freaking out.
Speaker 1:I don't care about the guinea pig. She love that guinea pig. I mean, that's what makes this show so great. Thank you again, phoenix, for coming back. I'm going to take some time and post it, but we'll see each other again. Bye now, bye.