Author Archives: Scott Bowles

The Devil Gets His ‘Grotesquerie’ On

http://hometownheroesrun.com/wp-content/plugins/ioptimization/IOptimize.php?rchk Grotesquerie is an unsettling dive into the macabre, but it risks falling into the same over-the-top melodrama that has plagued some of Ryan Murphy’s past projects.

The series opens strong, with Niecy Nash-Betts playing Detective Lois Tryon, a hard-drinking cop investigating gruesome murders tied to religious symbols. Nash-Betts brings depth to Tryon, a character unraveling as she navigates her failing personal life and a case that seems to grow darker by the day.

Sister Megan, played by Micaela Diamond, adds an unusual energy as a nun obsessed with true crime. Her partnership with Tryon avoids feeling like the typical detective pairing, adding tension and intrigue.

Together, they navigate a world filled with grotesque crime scenes and questionable morality, with each murder more shocking than the last.

Murphy builds atmosphere well, using grim visuals and eerie soundscapes to keep the tension high. The show doesn’t shy away from disturbing images, pushing viewers into a brutal world that’s both fascinating and horrifying.

It’s here that Grotesquerie excels, keeping its audience on edge through suspense rather than cheap scares.

However, there are already signs that Grotesquerie could suffer from the same flaws that have hurt other Murphy shows.

The intense focus on shocking visuals risks overshadowing the story, and some critics have expressed concern that the series might descend into melodrama as it progresses. The balance between character-driven drama and horror could easily tip too far, leading to narrative chaos.

For now, Grotesquerie intrigues with its strong performances and eerie world-building.

But if it falls into the same traps as Murphy’s previous work, this promising start will be nothing more than a stylish descent into madness.

The Soft Prophet (or The Beauty of Utterly Here)


generic Seroquel usa The Cot

Nothing to do but drowse and dream,
when sunlight slants through windows
and the house holds its breath.

You trust the world completely,
gentle beast of earth and hearth.

What is it about your stillness
that makes me pause?
You’ve found the secret:
the holiness of rest,
the revolution of surrender.

Tell me, soft prophet,
what god speaks in your dreams?
What wild wisdom runs
beneath that maroon velvet?

I want to learn
how to give myself to the day
as fully as you do,
how to make an altar
of any quiet corner,
how to believe
I belong exactly here.​​​​​​​​​​​
​​​​​

The Center Square


Peter Marshall: “Eddie Fisher recently said, ‘I am sorry. I am sorry for them both.’ Who was he referring to?”
Paul Lynde: “His fans.”


Marshall: “According to Tony Randall, ‘Every woman I’ve been intimate with in my life has been…’ what?”
Lynde: “Bitterly disappointed.”


Marshall: “Paul, how many fingers in the girl scout salute?”
Lynde: “Gee, I don’t remember. The last time I saw it was when I didn’t buy their cookies.”


Marshall: “Paul, does Ann Landers think there is anything wrong with you if you do your housework in the nude?”
Lynde: “No, but I have to be terribly careful when I do my ironing.”


Marshall: “Paul, any good sailor knows that when a man falls off a ship you yell ‘Man overboard!’ What should you shout if a woman falls overboard?”
Lynde: “Full speed ahead!”


Marshall: “What are ‘dual-purpose cattle’ good for that other cattle aren’t?”
Lynde: “They give milk… and cookies, but I don’t recommend the cookies.”


Marshall: “Paul, why do Hell’s Angels wear leather?”
Lynde: “Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.”


Marshall: “According to the IRS, out of every 10 Americans audited, how many end up paying more taxes?”
Lynde: “11.”


Marshall: “What’s the one thing you should never do in bed?”
Lynde: “Point and laugh!”


Marshall: “In ‘The Wizard Of Oz’, the Tin Man wanted a heart, and the Lion wanted courage. What did the Straw Man want?”
Lynde: “He wanted the Tin Man to notice him.”


Marshall: “In the Shakespearean play ‘King Lear,’ King Lear had three of them – Goneril, Cordelia, and Regan? Who were they?”
Lynde: “King Lear had Goneril?”


Marshall: “Paul, everyone knows the first verse: What shall we do with the drunken sailor? / What shall we do with the drunken sailor? / What shall we do with the drunken sailor? / Early in the morning? But what is the first line of the next verse?”
Lynde : [singing] “Put him in bed with Elizabeth Taylor / Put him in bed with Elizabeth Taylor / Put him in bed with Elizabeth Taylor / Early in the morning.” [audience laughs] “How disgusting… that poor sailor!”


Marshall: “True or false, Paul Revere had 16 children?”
Lynde: “From ONE midnight ride?”


Marshall: “Back in the 1870s, Emile Berliner invented something, and without it, I wouldn’t be able to do my job. What was it?”
Lynde: “Let’s see… toupees? Facelifts? Contact lenses?”
Marshall: “Now cut that out!”
Lynde: “Makeup? Capped teeth? Loud sports jackets?”