https://t.ly/rHlWw

This is not a book for those still at their first rodeo. But if you’re a boomer, or a Gen-X’er, and you can’t relate… Then you probably are not in touch with your inner life.

Life doesn’t work out the way you expect it to. Even if you try and jump through the ordained hoops. Never mind waking up and finding out you don’t want to jump through said hoops, that they don’t resonate with you. Life is an ongoing train of experiences. And the older you get, the more you reflect upon them, and then you ultimately realize they are set in amber, there is no next chapter.

Except when there is.

Get old enough and you’ll realize there are places you’ll never go, people you’ll never see again, that you’ll never be in contact with again. Then again, you never know when you’ll be surprised.

So there’s the one who got away. But sometimes you don’t realize they got away until long thereafter.

And they tell you to listen to your heart. But sometimes your heart is undeveloped, it only knows the short term, it is not as wise it ultimately becomes.

And then there are issues of morality and commitment.

Most people cannot commit, cannot follow through. This was driven home to me by Daniel Glass thirty years ago at the initial SBK Records convention. He said you needed a college degree to work at SBK. This confounded me, I was a college graduate, but many of the music business titans were not, why was this a requirement?

And Daniel told me it had nothing to do with what you learned, but finishing college demonstrated that you could complete things. This has stuck in my head forevermore. If you want someone for the long haul, who won’t jump off the ship when the seas are rough, a college degree is ultimately a demonstration of that character.

Kind of like the aphorism that half of the job is just showing up on time. You’d be surprised how many people cannot.

Which brings us to the ultimate commitment, marriage. Can you get divorced?

I once read a book that said the only reasons to get divorced were physical violence and drug abuse. Otherwise, the breakup would result in too many regrets.

The funny thing is it’s today’s college graduates who get married and stay married. Whereas those with less education are more prone to divorce, and have children out of wedlock.

But just because you did what you were told, is that the right thing for you? You wake up too far down the line and realize you’ve done things for others, your parents, your family, and your entire life has not resonated with you.

So there’s this tension. Between doing the right thing and not getting caught up in it to the point where you become lost and unhappy.

That’s what “Leaving” is about.

Well, much more than that. This is your one and only life. What resonates, what rewards? Work or personal relationships? Or are children primary.

And then out of the blue…

You’re surprised. Something happens that makes you question your whole life. Do you have the power to change, is change the right thing?

I’m skirting around the plot of “Leaving” because I want the experience of reading it to be fresh to you, for you to be surprised by the plot. First and foremost a book is about the story. As for the language…

That’s my only complaint with “Leaving.” It aspires to be literary fiction, and therefore there’s a bit too much description, but even worse words are employed that you absolutely will not know the meaning of. For all I know Roxana Robinson does, but I’ve got to believe she used a thesaurus. Ultimately, you just ride over the unknown terms, you get the gist, but I’m not sure who Robinson was trying to impress. Oh, that’s right, the arbiters of literary fiction, where the form often trumps the story.

But the essence of “Leaving” is the inner dialogue. That which will not leave your brain that you cannot share. We live in a society where you’re supposed to get over events instantly. Crawl from the wreckage into a brand new car. But that’s impossible, that’s denial. Personal bonds when broken leave streaks of memory and discontent, that you cannot get out of your mind no matter how hard you try. You may have moved on, be involved with someone else, but you cannot forget what happened with that previous person, questioning your behavior all the while.

Once again, if you’ve had your ups and downs, if you can look back at life and wonder, I highly recommend “Leaving.”

If you are not self-reflective…you’re just denying your feelings, and it’s not for you.

It’s now on Amazon Prime.

But it’s the kind of movie we used to go to the theatre for, when film was still the national religion, when cinema engendered analysis, conversation, before everything became two-dimensional, in-your-face entertainment made to be consumed with popcorn and then forgotten.

Movies had to play around the world, they had to be dumbed-down, if you weren’t shooting for the fences, you weren’t even in the game. Studios even stopped buying art films, never mind closed their divisions in that area down, they limited production to grand slam efforts and in the process not only ceded the visual entertainment field to streaming television, but alienated an entire swath of dedicated moviegoers. Never mind not inculcating the desire, the religion, in young fans. You need to follow the sport, know what is going on, see the players move from flick to flick, so you can be involved. You need to be respected. Funny how food has gone upscale and movies down.

So “The Holdovers” is a flawed film, because the plot is predictable. You’re waiting for a left turn, something surprising, but when it all plays out as you predicted, as you’ve seen before, you’re disappointed.

Having said that, Paul Giamatti is great as usual, however it does take too long for his character to soften. But his ultimate confessional rings true, and is satisfying.

As for Mary, played by Da’Vine Joh Randolph… She evidences a wisdom, sense of humor and a sense of reality that is the heart of the film. The overlooked, those with less upward mobility, those not reaching for the stars, are the heart of our society, and Randolph evidences this. At first you think she’s a caricature, large Black woman who is the school’s cook. Over decades we’ve been exposed to the archetype, a second-class citizen who has been put upon. But Mary is the wisest person in the film. Not only does she have a sense of humor, she’s the truth-teller, she suffers no B.S. She’s attractive, you’re drawn to her. I’m watching this film wondering when Giamatti is going to fall for her, she’s normal but so desirable.

However the star of this movie is the penumbra. The set, the look.

You want to know what it was like going to college in my era? Watch “The Holdovers.”

It’s snowy. At times bleak. And isolated. You’re there with your peers and your overlords, and that’s it. Finito. In the pre-internet era. When we were not connected 24/7, when people could be unreachable, when there was an emphasis on what was in your head as opposed to the image you presented online.

But as much as the snowy weather enticed me, placed this movie, what blew my mind, the absolute peak of connection, was the poster of W.C. Fields on the dorm room wall.

W.C. Fields was an icon in the late sixties. A little more cult than Peter Fonda in “Easy Rider,” but we quoted him all the time, after having seen each and every one of his movies, back before you could pull them up anywhere, instantly. Today there’s a tsunami of information, of entertainment options, but in the pre-internet era not only were there fewer choices, you had to make an effort to consume them. Anybody could watch the three networks and listen to Top Forty radio. But to go see the films, both mainstream and art, to dive into FM and purchase the albums and read all the information you could get your hands on…that required an effort. And when you participated, did the work, you were a member of a club and reveled in it.

W.C. Fields died in 1946, just after the first baby boomers were born. His last great film, “Never Give a Sucker an Even Break,” was released in 1941. Yet we argued what was said on his gravestone, never mind imitating his vocal style.

And I doubt any youngster today even knows who he is.

W.C. Fields was a cult item on the periphery of the mainstream. Just an inch away. Today cult items are far from the mainstream, they almost never break through to ubiquity. But back then we had these mental totems based on our experience that wove us together. That’s how you knew you had found your people, when they could quote the same movies and records as you.

And then there’s the interactions amongst the students. Put males in a group without females and this is how they act, constantly jockeying for position, bullying, ganging up against the weak sheep, making fun of them. Sure, this is prep school, but many never outgrow this behavior.

And there’s the spark of meeting someone of the opposite sex. Potential. And if they too are interested…

And there’s the kid whose father won’t let him come on vacation because he refuses to cut his hair. Amazingly, this was an issue back then. But even better, the ski trip is to Haystack, a ski area in Southern Vermont right next to Mt. Snow that ultimately went bankrupt and after lying dormant for years is now the private Hermitage Club. Skiing was hip back then, as skateboarding ultimately became. People still ski today, but it’s a mature sport. Back then it was a reasonable question to ask, “Do you ski?” And you didn’t have to be upper class to do so.

Then again, the striation of classes was less defined back then. Most people didn’t know anybody who was rich, and wealthy roles on TV were caricatures. And there were no billionaires. And you never boasted about your financial status, the bluebloods kept their wealth close to the vest.

And the wealthy went to prep school. I went to college with a class that was made up of 45% prep school graduates. They knew the ropes, the college environment was not new to them. And they told tales. How at Lawrenceville the walls in the dorm did not go all the way to the ceiling, and after dark people would throw balls from one room to another.

“The Holdovers” captures a bygone era. And if you lived in it, you’ll recognize it.

But there’s nothing like it today. We’re all connected, but less connected. Because we have options. Back then there were limits, not only technological, but you were beholden to the boss, your parents, your teachers, you chafed at the restrictions. Today kids talk back to their parents. Teachers and administrators are afraid of the students.

And I do not want to go back to this bygone era, but I haven’t seen a film that has captured it as well as “The Holdovers” in quite a while.

It’s hard to sustain this mood, this look and feel, throughout a series. This is where film triumphs, in setting a mood and a story upon it. But that power has been abdicated. However Alex Payne is still working in that milieu.

Once again, you’ll ultimately be disappointed by the predictability of the plot. But the rest of the movie, the look, the feel, the mood? A+!

This is a live show.

Tune in Saturday May 18th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.

Phone #: 844-686-5863

Twitter: @lefsetz

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz

YouTube is a great way to advertise, and it’s free! For me, YouTube isn’t about monetization (I have enough subscribers, but don’t post material often enough to qualify). It’s about creating awareness of my “brand” that’s monetized in other ways.

Those “other ways” also promote the YouTube channel. For one of my eBooks, all the audio examples are in a YouTube video, with links to specific parts of the video for specific topics.

I think success today is all about creating a feedback loop. “Live gig/streams” is one obvious feedback loop, but there are many other ways to create feedback loops using the tools available today.

Thanks as always for your thought-provoking essays.

Craig Anderton

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YouTube premium is one of the best deals in entertainment. It’s actually less than $13.99 per month if you subscribe for a year and do it directly through YouTube instead of through Apple or another source. And in addition to ad-free YouTube, you also get ad-free YouTube Music, which has a huge catalog comparable to Spotify and Apple Music. Most of the “television” I watch is through YouTube on my flatscreen TV, so it’s a great cable alternative for me. And many of the cable networks and news channels also have YT channels, so you can still get a good amount of the content you’re missing by not having cable. I also subscribe to streaming networks like Hulu, Max, Peacock, and Netflix on and off as I need them, or for a year at a time if they have huge discounts deals, which some of them do.

Anthony Ferrara

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Im a teacher now, working with teens and have kids of my own.

In the grand scheme YouTube is all that matters.  Sports still brings people to tv but only for sports fans.

Every once in a while a show will get trendy (suits) and theyll binge it.

But YouTube is by far the most important aspect of their viewership.  Theres an entire world of rockstar celebrities people have never heard of.

YouTube shorts have only entrenched the addictions and why not many kids are super worried about tiktok.  They all say “eh youtube shorts is basically the same thing”

I dont see these kids ever shifting to “normal” television.

The future of content will look nothing like it does today.

Nick Lawson

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yt premium – $14/mo – is all i have and i love it … and i watch everything … nothing compares.

Gary Mendel

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One of my best recent days was when I paid for YouTube and got rid of the commercials.   I could spend all day watching music gear demo videos, jam tracks and DIY build your own “whatever” stuff.   I probably spend 50% of my TV viewing on YouTube.

We still pay for everything else and Hulu maybe comes in second.   Tubi is free and has tons of surprising stuff.

Tim Redman

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If Alphabet spun out YouTube completely what would it be worth? Same as Netflix? More?

It is a sleeping giant within the Alphabet that people dont really have their arms around, IMO.

Jake Malloy

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Yes! You NAILED IT… RIGHT ON Bob! This is where the RIGHT undiscovered tunes/artists LIVE! It’s where I go to discover and hear/see the music that matters to me, along with my Apple Music.

Olie Kornelsen

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Hi Bob—I have YouTube Premium and it is 90% of my TV viewing.  I’m watching podcasts, farmer and truck driver videos, old movies and documentaries, etc.  Some of the content is just as well produced as anything on the networks. The choices are mindboggling.  If it wasn’t for live sports, I’d get rid of everything else.

Steven Monk

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$13.99 per month and worth every penny. We are 62 and 73 years old and watch on our LG TV.

Us Ferbs

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YouTube is pretty much all I watch.  Get news from Canada, England, Scotland, Germany, France,  (all in English).

Doug Thompson

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I’m approaching 60 years old. My media habits have changed, and I personally believe COVID is responsible for accelerating the change. My time is spent with sporting events on my TV (often on as simple background noise) via the FloRacing app, the MLB app, or network sports events on YouTube TV. Toss in some Food Network programming, and that’s about it for what used to be considered “cable” television.

 

Meanwhile, YouTube consumes a lot of time on my laptop and phone. I have a headphone obsession, and there is a lot of headphone content on YouTube. Pickleball Tournaments are on YouTube, in fact, my favorite pickleball player videos her rec games and puts them up on YouTube, garnering a thousand views each. If there are a thousand views of something that random and unimportant, imagine a thousand times a thousand times a thousand for other hobbies. I watch young people critique Yacht Rock songs. Old episodes of Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show. I watch a parrot who sings while his owner plays the guitar. I watched severe weather outbreaks with “Ryan Hall y’all” a few weeks ago, 110,000 people were watching.

 

Thanks,

Kevin Hillstrom

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Everything makes it to YouTube..

If you like news, ALL the major domos have a channel..You can watch clips from CNN, MSNBC, ABC, etc..Without having to pay $120/month for cable! The minor domos are in the space, big time. The Don Lemons, Cuomoes, Tucker Carlsons, Megan Kellies, etc..I’ve seen some shorts of Bill O’Reilly, wearing more makeup than a Reno streetwalker (not quite as much as Dr. Phil’s wife), yelling and railing against bloviating..

Like comedy? It’s (YTube) the new Comedy Central..Don’t get a Netflix deal? No worries.. EVERYBODY is on there.. George Carlin gains has a new audience, every decade..You can watch the talk show monologues..Maybe a guest interview, that YOU choose..Comedian podcasts..For FREE..

Like MUSIC? Watch videos, concerts, live feeds, interviews..Learn how to play songs and instruments.. Learn how to FIX SH*T! How to Cook.Exercise.Meditate.Speak Armenian. Darn socks.WHATEVS! And the PODCASTS! Why listen on a phone? WATCH them..On TV..(You should film yours, I’d gladly pay.)

You can tell everything you need to know about a person, from their YouTube feed..

My neighbor is 70..I showed him the ropes, when he cancelled cable..I visited recently, and perused his thumbnails..

Old TV shows.. They’re ALL there..Free movies.Poker and chess strategists.. Diabetes doctors..Old songs, with young girls dancing to them..Trivia and history..Cat videos..

It’s not that hard to figure out..The app comes pre-installed now..There’s a You Tube button, ON THE REMOTE.. Seinfeld recently ranted about workers coming home, wanting to laugh, and turning on network TV..What century is HE living in!?

 

Not all creators get paid from the service itself..NOT a problem..The fans are often patrons, and send money and gifts to support their favorite channels..It’s enough to live off of, for many ..

In some ways, Tik Tok follows the Chinese child labor factory system..All these kids toiling away, basically, for free..It’s not exploitive, because you CAN get paid, if you KEEP working..(As opposed to Netflix, who pays for their product.)

You Tube is my desert island app..Not sure how the island would get WiFi or electric, but, you know..

James Spencer

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The ads on YouTube are crazy, it’s unwatchable because of the amount of ads, and I won’t pay for something that’s already making so much bank on ads, the whole service is such a scam it’s unbelievable…

I’ll watch it when I need to know something, or following a link, otherwise it’s intolerable.

As far as streaming, they’re trying to get back to me spending the same as when it was all or nothing cable, and THEY will have to get next to the new reality, which is if I have to start spending that much money, then I’m gonna start lopping off this or that service, there’s always BitTorrent and/or videgames….in any case this version of Predatory Capitalism requires my consent and I do NOT.

They don’t have a RIGHT to ever expanding profits, they have a right to TRY for them, and they’re not trying in ways that work for me.

Create something amazing, something that I HAVE to see because it’s so great (GOT/Sopranoes/LOTR/Dexter/etc fill in the blank), and yeh, I’ll buy it for that because it’s so good, but right now it looks like they’re trying NOT to go long, instead filling the pipe with weird aftermarket bullsh*t, and stuff from other countries, which sometimes has a gem in there but is mostly half-assed junk.

And btw, ever noticed that so many of these new series have a really good premise and a decent first coupla episodes, and then quickly devolve into personality driven micro-dramas that most closely resemble soap operas, because it costs little to go straight into that scripting mill bs as opposed to fleshing out giant new ideas with the attendant effects and manpower etc? And nowadays they ALL do that, and for me that’s unwatchable and obvious….

Wade Biery

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You always talk about building a fan base from the bottom up and how important word of mouth is. Did you see the following article about the comedian who works in people’s houses and is making a living. It’s a fun read. https://www.vulture.com/article/zak-toscani-house-show-tour-diary.html

Perry Resnick