There’s no buzz.

That used to be the mark of success, whether people were talking about it. You could feel it, it was palpable, you had to investigate, check it out.

Now almost nothing has sustained buzz. You’re foraging by yourself, deciding whether to dip in or not. Sure, there might be hype at the advent, upon release, but after that you’re on your own.

What is it, is it hard to gain traction on Hulu?

Then again, people were talking about “Normal People,” I still here it referenced now and again. Then again, it was romance-centered, it was not challenging.

Netflix still gives you the best shot. But only for a short period of time if the production does not turn into a phenomenon.

Amazon is a black hole.

Disney+ is seen as kid-centric.

The sleeper here is Apple. With little product, and that which there is is dripped out week by week. Apple has got the show with the most buzz today, “Bad Sisters.” It comes up at dinner, Felice’s hair stylist mentioned it. I haven’t started yet, I’m waiting for the final episode to drop next week. And people have e-mailed me frustrated about the week by week drip, and I do not think that created the buzz. I think it’s about the quality. Apple could win this race by focusing solely on quality, not trying to be everything to everybody. Apple sticks with a show as opposed to canceling it willy-nilly. It’s a more diverse HBO, but without the attitude. Apple’s whole business has been about appealing to the elite, the thinkers, the creators, those who are not brain dead. It just may work for them in the streaming sphere. And they’ve got enough money to wait it out.

Oh, HBO Max. Who the hell knows what is going on there. Canceling foreign development. Few HBO Max-specific shows. The merger with Discovery now has a stink upon it, the press mania is gone, will the company, unlike Apple, be hobbled by financial considerations?

Which brings us back to Hulu. What exactly is it? A cable substitute? With both new streaming fare and on demand network and cable shows? People say they must have Netflix, I never hear the same thing about Hulu. Sure, they’ve got “The Handmaid’s Tale,” but unlike “Stranger Things,” buzz has not sustained. People don’t think of Hulu when they think about made for streaming fare, which leaves some shows unseen, like “Ramy.”

You must watch it. On a most basic level, it’s the singular viewpoint of Ramy Youssef. Even the most vaunted comedies are written by committee, and they feel like it. Whereas “Ramy” feels of a piece, it doesn’t waver.

So the first season is the best.

And the second season is really good.

The third? It starts off slowly, almost a caper movie, and just when you think that’s going to be the arc of the entire season, it settles back down in New Jersey, the true locus of the show.

So what you’ve got here is…

An American family, but they’re Muslim. And they’re believers.

Farouk, the father, is a dreamer. As are many who find themselves at the bottom, they’re trying to get rich. His wife, Maysa, played so well by Hiam Abbass, is an intelligent thinker subservient to her husband under Muslim law, but not happy about it. She doesn’t want to hear contradictory opinions, but she knows something isn’t right.

Ramy’s sister Dena is trying to escape. Going to law school. Not wanting to live by conventional Muslim mores.

And then there’s the supporting cast, who are just as good, if not better, than the main characters.

Mo. An entrepreneur with a ghost kitchen is up-to-date, positively modern, yet is still a believer.

Naseem, a closeted, self-hating gay jewelry merchant who believes the world is against him, looking out for those who want to take advantage of him 24/7.

And of course Steve. Who has muscular dystrophy, but that’s not what you focus on, his identity shines through.

So, Ramy has given up his dreams and become a jewelry entrepreneur in order to pay the bills. The progeny of immigrants want to fly from the nest, be artists, live their dreams, but like so many in America, Ramy’s dreams died, reality interfered, he’s earning a living.

And he’s conflicted constantly by religion.

How much does the average person know about Muslims and their religion? Well, other than that terrorist thing, not much. And I’d tell you to watch “Ramy” for educational purposes, but also because it’s so funny!

And the mix of religious issues with practical life issues.

Ahmed is married, but his wife won’t commit to a baby, which he wants so much.

Mo wants Little Mo to win the Quran competition like others want their kids to win the spelling bee, or soccer trophy.

And everybody wants love. But religion is never far away, it plays a part, it interferes.

I wish Ramy was featured in every episode, but ultimately the focus on the supporting characters pays dividends, getting into their unique problems.

Dena working in a law office before taking the Bar Exam… She screws up. Every young lawyer does. And is reprimanded by a higher up, and usually not nicely. She has a crisis of confidence, is this the right career for her?

And Farouk and Ahmed plead their case in their respective situations and you think everything is going to go their way, but it does not, just like in real life.

And the desire of the flesh, the Quran says one thing, but your body says another. You want to have sex but have to hold off and do you end up inexperienced and…

Some are re-evaluating their choices, and others are too fearful to look inside.

Maysa is practical. They’re going to lose their house. She turns to Instacart. But when she delivers for friends, the issue of status comes up. Do you want to admit you’re struggling?

And everybody wants more.

I’ve told you so much, but really I’ve told you so little.

Just like Liv Lisa Fries in the latest season of “Babylon Berlin,” Ramy has grown up, he’s no longer a child, but an adult. He’s physically aged. And once you become an adult the rules change.

And there are issues of friendship. What you’ll do for others and whether you disappoint them and…

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is I strongly recommend “Ramy.” The third season might not be quite as good as what came before, but it’s not like the usual sitcom in later years, just proffering situations to keep the series going and the money flowing. The Muslim religion underlies everything, and whatever religion you may believe in, the questions remain the same: do you do what’s in your heart or what the good book says, does religion ultimately make you feel better or worse, to what degree is God involved in your everyday life…

In a three or four network world…

“Ramy” doesn’t even get made.

In the old basic and pay cable world…

Well, sitcoms are hard to do, and HBO has focused more on dramas.

And in the streaming world, now financially challenged, it’s becoming more about mainstream fare, that which catches on immediately, but in truth, that’s what “Ramy” is. Everybody can relate. How do we get everybody to partake? The hurdles are too high. You’ve got to subscribe to Hulu, you’ve got to find the time…

The old paradigm that if you’re great people will find you is dead. You can be great today and no one can find you.

But if you don’t watch “Ramy” it’s your loss.

Really.

“New York Times” reporter Joe Coscarelli’s “Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story” is the definitive book on today’s rap scene. Whether you’re a fan of rap or not, you need to read “Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story” to understand the culture, not only where the rappers come from, but how they make their impact and cash. This is the story of what is happening now!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joe-coscarelli/id1316200737?i=1000582515519

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/00a9db38-cb92-490b-bae1-82daba71ef6c/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-joe-coscarelli

https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast/episode/joe-coscarelli-207570360

Showtime trailer: https://bit.ly/3Vdo0R0

It’s great, I give it a big thumbs-up, but it’s not the movie I thought it would be.

You see today’s documentaries are not truth, they’re hagiography. The one that bugs me the most is the Bee Gees’…watching it you’d believe they were as big as the Beatles in the sixties, when nothing could be further from the truth, they were just another act, not to take anything away from their disco years. And unfortunately, as time goes by these documentaries become the historical record, because no one else cares enough, or can land enough cash, to set the record straight, meanwhile those who were there and can testify fade away.

So…

You’re watching this flick and thinking how Sinead O’Connor was ahead of her time, that she was right. Especially about the Catholic Church. But then this is all the film turns out to be, and you want so much more. Obviously, if there was more, Sinead wouldn’t have participated. Because if the acts do, it’s hard to get them to agree to something negative, but that’s what I was most interested in, the past two decades. It’s not like Sinead’s not been in the news, she’s been making news, which has left a lot of us scratching our heads. The film does an excellent job of telling us where Sinead came from, explaining her early behavior, but the four children with four fathers, the death of her son, the diagnosis of mental illness, the chest tattoo, the “crazy” statements in the press…these are barely referenced, if touched upon at all.

So what we’ve got here is a young woman from a broken home with an alcoholic mother who dies on her. Along the way, she’s put in an institution because of uncontrollable behavior and…

It’s amazing she survived, never mind became a big star.

But it was thirty years ago, even longer. You watch the movie and you’re shocked. Because it was such a different era. MTV still ruled. Everybody saw the “Nothing Compares 2 U” video. And when she ripped up the Pope’s picture on SNL… There might have been cable, but there was no streaming and certainly no internet and therefore it was big news, whereas nothing’s that big anymore, even Kanye, people have already stopped talking about his heinous remarks, and Kanye’s got the most media attention of any musician.

And it wasn’t hip-hop back in the late eighties, early nineties. Rock still ruled. Sure, hip-hop had a presence, and indie, especially punk and Nirvana, was nascent, but the big labels with their big spends still dominated the business. You had to be with a major to play, to get albums in the store, to get on radio and TV. And if you had a hit, it was EVERYWHERE!

So, it doesn’t appear that Sinead was inherently rebellious, but more that she was sheltered, couldn’t see the bigger picture, and saw no reason to compromise, to not be herself 24/7.

She’s probably still pissed at the Catholic Church, even though she’s now a Muslim. You don’t get over a background that bad that quickly, even though everybody tells you to, it smolders.

So…

Sinead O’Connor was Irish in an era where we didn’t really know what that meant. Before liberalization. Before women’s rights and abortion rights. Yes, they can have a national referendum in Catholic Ireland, and abortion can be legalized, but in the U.S. we’re going in the wrong direction. If only we had a spokesperson like Sinead with that reach. But music has fallen from its perch in importance, and the acts are all about becoming brands, and money is paramount. Sacrificing and standing up for your rights? No one does that anymore. Oh, they’ll e-mail me protesting, but believe me, times were different.

Then again, thirty years ago wasn’t like the sixties. By the time Sinead broke music was huge business and acts were making more money, were being ripped-off less, still being ripped-off, but there were more dollars in the pot and more awareness of what was going on.

Not that Sinead was involved in the business end of things.

Nigel Grainge found her in Ireland and brought her to the U.K. But since Nigel is gone, he can’t speak. But Nigel was an interesting character. With a sense of humor, someone who could see the truth and articulate it, a smart guy but also a fun guy, in an intellectual way, not a rousing, beer-drinking way. But we do get the opinions of Peaches and…how come they have to use contemporary voices when it comes to history? In time, these people will be forgotten. Sinead will outlast all of the acts featured in this flick, at least her music will. I don’t want reflections, I want the essence, what went down.

They do talk about her taking control of the reins and insisting “The Lion and the Cobra” be recut, she hated the initial version. And she resisted the label’s call for an abortion when she got pregnant. She has always had a backbone. And when she stands at the mic and starts screaming…

You realize what a long strange trip it’s been, how this isn’t the sound anymore. But she loved to scream, to get the energy, the anger out.

But Sinead could also be quiet.

And she always stood her ground. Standing up for Public Enemy at the Grammys and refusing to appear the following year. But the Grammys are a period piece too. Today “Hits” is rambling about secret committees at the top and I just can’t get excited, no matter how flawed the organization is. If you need an award to feel good about yourself, you must have huge self-confidence/image issues. And now no one watches, and no one remembers who won, but back then…

I remember being at the Lilith Fair at the Rose Bowl. I’d left the stadium to go outside to the second stage to see K’s Choice, remember “Not an Addict,” and Billie Myers, remember “Kiss the Rain”…you probably don’t, but the latter was a smash and even the former got MTV airplay, but in a moment of silence, through the tunnel, I heard:

“I am stretched on your grave

And will lie there forever”

I RAN to the football field. I had to get closer to the sound. I’ve got goosebumps writing about it now. Sinead’s voice transcended the venue. She had the loudest and most piercing and most memorable vocal of anybody appearing, and she was not at the top of the bill. And after that, “I Am Stretched on Your Grave” became one of my favorite songs.

Which had been “The Last Day of Our Acquaintance,” about her former manager Fachtna O’ Ceallaigh. I know Fachtna, a great guy. I figured representing an urchin and being from Ireland he would be dark and edgy, but he is not. But the film says he previously ran U2’s label and…I remembered the excitement of the old music business, when titans truly were, when everybody tried to get a foothold, when it was exciting, when it was EVERYTHING! TV and movies were behind the time, now it’s reversed, never mind social media.

And then there was the appearance on Letterman. I recorded it and saved it so I could watch it again and again. It was literally the best performance I ever saw on Dave’s show.

Crap, it’s been taken down from YouTube, but Sinead was singing “You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart” from the movie “In the Name of the Father” and she had her eyes closed when the music was quiet and then she started stomping her foot and the song became louder and she was completely animated, looking into the camera, and she was singing like she MEANT IT, which is something else that’s gone by the wayside.

So, who is Sinead O’ Connor?

That I’d like to know more about. This film is a canonization. But no one’s perfect, far from it. So she made it and offended people and…

That’s another thing, some things never change. The same crap they were mad at Sinead for thirty years ago, they’re still mad at today. She ripped the Pope’s picture…no one’s got a sense of humor, no one can say anything negative about religion. As for refusing to air the National Anthem at her live show… I mean come on, WHO WOULD WANT THAT? It’s your gig, people paid to see YOU, it’s not a baseball game, it’s not a law. God, why are people so offended.

Because they’re dumb and caught in a rut, defending that which oftentimes they cannot even see. Once upon a time, music made you question, the creators were vessels who had opinions we hung on, now they’re just mannequins for clothing, selling perfume and tchotchkes trying to get rich when in truth they can never be as wealthy as the rulers of this country. You might get seven figures to pay the private, but there’s a good chance people won’t even pay attention to you, BECAUSE THAT’S HOW LITTLE THE MONEY MEANS TO THEM! You’re just a court jester, when you used to be so much more.

“Nothing Compares” will rivet you. It will make you think.

But it will leave you wanting.

I’d like a subsequent documentary, but I doubt that’s forthcoming, after all the credits say this documentary was first played at a film festival back in 2019, THREE YEARS AGO! It’s a game, raising money, getting distribution, no wonder the youth just make it themselves on their hi-res phones and put it on TikTok, those clips have a lot more authenticity than the ones that are labored over.

At this point, Sinead O’Connor is a fading footnote. This brings more attention to her talents and career, which she fully deserves. If only we could have more.

The Republicans have the Democrats exactly where they want them. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

Every day there’s another faux pas by Trump and Walker in the news. Sometimes criminal behavior. There’s a belief that if we just add enough data, people’s minds will be changed. THIS IS A FICTION!

Let’s start with the vaunted “independent” voter. They’re almost nonexistent. Frequently, they’re Republicans afraid of admitting they voted for or will vote for Trump. And they’ll go haywire when I say this, but ask them the last time they voted for a Democrat. They say they might, BUT THEY NEVER DO!

And it’s not only me. Thom Hartmann feels the same way. Because we both interact with these people each and every day. Whereas most people are so deep in their camps that they believe they’ve got a handle on what is going on when in truth, THEY’VE GOT NO CLUE!

Also, please remember, it’s not the media’s responsibility to take up the cause and enact change. Yes, the right does, with Fox News and the “New York Post,” but on the left, the NYT and the WaPo, they’re just reporting the facts. Sure, on the opinion pages writers might take a stand, the outlet itself might take a stand in an editorial, but don’t confuse these papers with the Party. It’s the Democrats themselves who need to take action, you can’t rely on the media to do your bidding.

But, if the Democrats take a stand, one that is not inclusive of absolutely every American, they’re excoriated, not only by the right, but by the media itself, even the “left-leaning” media, which is fearful of appearing biased. Yes, the Republicans have the media under their thumb too. Forget that they’ve convinced the rank and file not to even read the NYT or WaPo, they’ve beaten up these papers so much that the papers are gun-shy. Ergo false equivalencies. The right gets to render an opinion, even if the facts are clear and there’s only one side. A Republican shoots someone and the media ask the right for an explanation. And they pull one out of their ass. The left does this too, but in truth it’s the right that is undermining elections and democracy, and to say otherwise is to create one of those false equivalencies referenced above.

So, if Biden takes a stand for democracy… IT’S NOT INCLUSIVE ENOUGH! Old Joe was beaten up so bad that he blinked and no one supported him, even though there’s not a single rank and file Democrat who doesn’t believe that democracy is in peril. The Democratic leadership is being held hostage by the Republicans and the media, and the Republicans are laughing all the way to the ballot box.

Every single day Trump utters a falsehood. But that’s fine, because he’s Trump, he’s a Republican. But a Democrat can’t be outrageous, can’t call it like it truly is. Not only will the right and the media beat him or her up, but so will people in their own party! Yes, the Democrats are always convinced that the sky is falling and they must play it safe, when in truth they’ve got to play for the win, it’s the only way TO WIN!

There have been so many revelations. But the Republicans stand behind Trump. Chris Christie was bloviating on Bill Maher’s show how bad the Republicans are, but then he said he voted for Trump both times and wouldn’t rule out voting for him again. Yes, they kick and complain, but then they fall into line. And if they don’t, they’re excommunicated. Like Liz Cheney. It’s all about the party. And the party says Herschel Walker must be elected, even though he’s a lying, cheating scumbag who paid for an abortion, BECAUSE HE’S A REPUBLICAN!

Don’t you get it, no one’s changing their mind!

But let’s get really scary. Two weeks ago there was an election in Brazil. Bolsonaro was even worse, more detached from reality, more of an autocrat than Trump. All the polls said he was gonna lose. And then people voted… AND IT WAS DAMN CLOSE, no one got 50% so there’s going to be a runoff, and Bolsonaro just might pull it out.

Kinda like 2020. Forget that Biden won, the truth is it was damn close, not in total votes, but in the electoral college. The polls said one thing, but they turned out to be untrue.

Do you really think all those “independents” are going to answer poll takers correctly, IF THEY ANSWER AT ALL! Come on, you know people who were good friends, who were always silent on politics, but if you pushed them hard enough, you found out they voted for Trump. Mostly because of their pocketbook. And then there are those who feel they’ve been left behind by the Democrats and want to throw a spanner in the works. Even want things they think will benefit them that don’t. Like lower income taxes when they don’t pay any at all. And like every American except the few who are winners, they’re overwhelmed by how hard life is so they dream of making it, otherwise life is too depressing, and when they do THEY don’t want to pay taxes. They feel a kinship with the rich, even though the rich don’t give them a second thought.

God, some Democrat tells the truth and they’re seen as a pariah. Everybody’s so afraid of turning off a theoretical voter that they won’t go on record. Meanwhile, wishy-washy turns people off. But what these wankers don’t understand is people aren’t changing their minds, they’re not going from Republican to Democrat, not going to happen, and the only way out of this is to excite the base, to get them to come out and VOTE!

I’m completely disillusioned. Other than Biden, they’re all wimps. Chuck Schumer never gets mad, never raises his voice, and always says his hands are tied. Pelosi is a bit better, but not much. Who would want these people to represent them, especially when those on the other side have no problem playing dirty and making outrageous comments. Spineless Lindsey Graham was outspent, cried foul, and STILL WON ANOTHER SENATE TERM IN SOUTH CAROLINA!

We keep hearing it’s about money. But really it’s not. He said/she said is worthless. It’s about energizing the base. How come the Republicans know this and the Democrats don’t? Do you think voters are running from nitwit Marjorie Taylor Greene? Even her husband abandoned her. As for Kellyanne Conway, a new book says she was hated by Trump’s team. But no one says this publicly, and the news doesn’t even laugh at her, they take her seriously, whereas AOC is excoriated all around, even though she’s young and a fighter, which resonates with not only those who do vote, but those who have historically not. I mean give me some fresh blood, will you? The NFL doesn’t tolerate losing teams. They fire the coach, someone takes the blame and they start again from scratch, whereas with Democrats it’s all about legacy. WHAT legacy? The sixties were long ago.

The truth is the Democrats have been branded coastal elites, and they keep denying this while history shows us they were all behind shipping the jobs overseas. The optics are bad, irrelevant of the truth. And sure, the Republicans were even worse, but a lot of this was enacted during Clinton’s reign. Oh, the truth is the Democrats have been tarred by the Republicans, rightly or wrongly, and they keep saying the Republicans have it wrong and it’s a worthless argument. Like the Democrats are going to change the Republicans’ position? IT’S WORKING!

As for change, Tucker Carlson is worse than Bill O’Reilly. And Murdoch’s son seems to have no conscience. If you’re waiting for all wounds to be healed by time, you’re expecting the right to castigate Orban’s authoritarianism and to embrace Ukraine as opposed to Russia.

They get away with it. BECAUSE WE LET THEM!

And now the big story is we’d better not prosecute Trump, all hell will break loose. So the left blinks, is very afraid. When in truth the proletariat is disillusioned, if the President can break the law, go scot-free, even after ADMITTING THE CRIME, why in the hell should they fly straight?

Kinda like Clinton. Lying under oath. Let’s not get into definitions, that’s the perception. Now people don’t think twice about lying under oath. Why tell the truth? It’s not to your advantage. And you want to support the team at all costs.

So forget the news. Nothing is going to make ANYBODY change their mind re who they’re going to vote for. No, it’s all about the parties themselves. Give the Republicans credit, they’re super-organized, while the Democrats are in disarray, with no bench to boot.

What do they say, get your own house in order first?

If the Democrats would start worrying about, appealing to those who agree with them, maybe they might come out and vote. Hell, Obama let McConnell slide re the Supreme Court and…now we’re in this pickle, people don’t even trust the court, but unless there’s a revolution, it makes no difference. Meanwhile, all the talk of revolution is on the RIGHT! Man, I’d like a revolution. A fair and balanced Supreme Court. Elections based on popular vote. National health care. I could go on, but I’m supposed to shut my mouth for fear of offending…exactly who? Oh, I know, the vocal right who are never going to change their minds, period.

It’s not like what I’m saying is hidden, it’s completely obvious. How come Trump can state the obvious and get away with it, and the left keeps saying it’s taboo. Forget his lies, Trump energized his voters by speaking like a regular person instead of in political gobbledygook, using swear words, not worried about being so politically correct as to be neutered.

But the left obfuscates. Or says it would like change, but it’s impossible. Get in the back of the bus, no matter what color you are.

The public will respond if you give them hope. Where is my left wing, Democratic hope? All I see are professional politicians afraid of their own shadow. Can you at least GIMME SOME TRUTH?