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Rajiv Satyal
Rajiv Satyal

845 Followers

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Mar 30, 2022

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Smacktalk — This post is an exercise in free speech. And if you don’t like it, per the How-Can-She-Slap video: “Why don’t you go and f*ck off then?” Early Monday morning, I realized why I consider 2008’s Best Picture, No Country For Old Men, the greatest film of the millennium. The movie opens and closes with Tommy Lee Jones monologues, the former of which concludes thus: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦…

Oscars

11 min read

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Oscars

11 min read


Jan 1, 2022

From Violent to Vicious

Why SUCCESSION Is the Definitive Piece of Our Times — No Real Spoilers Involved: I give away remarkably little. If you haven’t watched this incredible HBO show, this’ll hopefully convince you to do so. And if you have, then it’ll validate your many hours of investment. Succession is an HBO series that centers on the Roy family, the dysfunctional owners…

Succession

10 min read

From Violent to Vicious
From Violent to Vicious
Succession

10 min read


Oct 14, 2021

Wish It Were Special

What Dave Chappelle’s Last Netflix Special Says About Us — Standup comedy is either a mirror or a window. When you’re at a comedy club, you get the sense that the comedian onstage is either “one of us” or “one of them.” If they’re one of us, they’re reflecting our behavior back to us. If they’re one of them, they’re…

Dave Chappelle

10 min read

Wish It Were Special
Wish It Were Special
Dave Chappelle

10 min read


Sep 13, 2021

Heroes and Villains

On Novak Djokovic “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” - The Dark Knight (2008) Though golf may be the more fitting analog, there are so many parallels between standup comedy and tennis, not least of which is the sheer individualism. Sure, you can have a team behind you, but when it’s game time or show time, it’s just you up…

Djokovic

11 min read

Heroes and Villains
Heroes and Villains
Djokovic

11 min read


Mar 3, 2021

Hysteria

C’mon, Get It On — “When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.” — Henny Youngman One of my first nights after moving to LA at the age of 30, some friends and I went out on the Hermosa Beach Pier. The last bar on the left (which sounds like a…

Democrats

3 min read

Hysteria
Hysteria
Democrats

3 min read


Jan 11, 2021

OZARK CHARACTERS, RANKED

Ozark is Breaking Bad if the whole family were in on it. — I’m finally caught up on Ozark! Who wants to discuss it? Yes, this is long, but writing it provided a much-needed respite from real life. (So, let’s watch a dark show about murder instead?) …

Ozarks

11 min read

OZARK CHARACTERS, RANKED
OZARK CHARACTERS, RANKED
Ozarks

11 min read


Nov 12, 2020

Is It Happening Here?

To My Fellow Biden-Supporting Friends — “They realized that to be in power, you didn’t need guns or money or even numbers. You just needed the will to do what the other guy wouldn’t.” — The Usual Suspects It was a thrill commiserating and then celebrating the 2020 election results with so many of you. The…

Politics

7 min read

Is It Happening Here?
Is It Happening Here?
Politics

7 min read


Nov 3, 2020

2020 Election Prediction

Biden 278 — Given that the polls open in a few hours, we’re now in the vortex. I’m at the point where my spiritual side and my superstitious side merge. Crazy thoughts started to swirl even as I was watching the World Series. If the LA Dodgers win… Dodger Blue… then we’ll have…

Politics

4 min read

2020 Election Prediction
2020 Election Prediction
Politics

4 min read


Nov 3, 2020

Why Biden Will Win

Post-Election Headlines (Written Pre-Election) — Here’s a list of headlines we may see once we know who’s headed to the White House in January 2021. I’m placing these in the order I think most likely to happen. This isn’t meant to be the be-all, end-all of reasons. I sat down and wrote out which points…

2020 Presidential Race

9 min read

Why Biden Will Win
Why Biden Will Win
2020 Presidential Race

9 min read


Nov 3, 2020

Why Trump Will Win

Post-Election Headlines (Written Pre-Election) — Here’s a list of headlines we may see once we know who’s headed to the White House in January 2021. I’m placing these in the order I think most likely to happen. This isn’t meant to be the be-all, end-all of reasons. I sat down and wrote out which points…

2020 Presidential Race

12 min read

Why Trump Will Win
Why Trump Will Win
2020 Presidential Race

12 min read

Rajiv Satyal

Rajiv Satyal

845 Followers

Ohio-born, LA-based comedian.

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