Unusual sexy Halloween costumes for 2019: Sexy Mr. Rogers and more

The United States of America is a great country. It is celebrated for its freedoms and relentless innovation. That creative spark extends to Halloween costumes.
Just look at the category of sexy costumes for women. Our great costume designers have moved beyond sexy nurse, sexy teacher and sexy cop to sexify just about anything you can imagine.
What follows are some unusual people and things that Yandy.com and others have made sexy for Halloween.

Sexy Mr. Rogers

The sexy Mr. Rogers costume for women is advertised by Yandy as the “Nicest Neighbor Costume.” The unsexy male version is called the “Be My Neighbor Costume Kit.”

Sexy Bob Ross

Yandy calls its sexy Bob Ross costume for women the “Happy Tree Painter Costume.”

Sexy Meghan Markle

Yandy has created a costume called “American Princess Costume” that parodies Meghan Markle, the “Deal or No Deal” model who became Duchess of Sussex after marrying Prince Harry.

Sexy Rosie the Riveter

Cultural icon Rosie the Riveter, a symbol of female empowerment, has been turned into a sexy Halloween costume as well.

Sexy Beyond Burger

Yandy will appeal to vegans with its “Beyond Burger Costume.”

Sexy Tariff costume

Yandy has a couple of ripped-from-the-headlines costumes that should appeal to fans of President Trump.
First, there is the “Sexy Tariff Costume.” This is the only way tariffs could be considered sexy.
Here’s the description: “A distant trade war is upon us! Will you resist it? Show off your assets and be the hottest import in town in this exclusive Sexy Tariff costume featuring a sleeveless dress with a money print, a stretch fabrication, TARIFF printed in red block letters at the bust, a sexy scoop back, an A-line skater hem, and a black IMPORT stamp.”

Sexy Fake News costume

Next, Yandy tries to make “fake news” sexy with its “Fake News Costume.”
Here’s the description: “Spread all the alternative facts in this exclusive Fake News costume featuring a white tank dress with a scoop neckline, thick shoulder straps, an allover newspaper design, "FAKE" printed in red across the bust, and a scoop back.”

Sexy Donald Trump

Finally, Yandy is selling a sexy female Donald Trump costume called the “Donna T.” costume. Oh, my eyes!

Related articles:

‘Sexy Mr. Rogers’ costume drops just in time for Halloween 2019 (New York Post; Sept. 18, 2019)

There Is Nothing Neighborly About This ‘Sexy’ Mr. Rogers Halloween Costume (Huffington Post; Sept. 19, 2019)

Pittsburgh Model Featured In Sexy Mr. Rogers Costume That Is Heating Up The Internet (CBS Pittsburgh; Sept. 20, 2019)

An infamous lingerie brand is selling a sexy ‘Beyond Burger’ costume this Halloween (Business Insider; Sept. 20, 2019)

Now There’s A ‘Sexy College Admissions Scandal’ Halloween Costume Making People Irate (BroBible; October 2019)

Now there’s a sexy Popeye’s chicken sandwich Halloween costume (New York Post; Oct. 22, 2019)

Peak TV problem: Not enough reviews to help consumers decide

Pity the poor TV reviewer in the age of peak TV. There are simply too many shows to watch on broadcast, cable and streaming television networks.
Just a few years ago, most shows were thoroughly vetted by professional reviewers before they premiered. Now reviewers are playing catch-up with the explosion of content, especially from new streaming networks.
Let’s look at Netflix. Most hit new shows and movies on the service seem to catch on with viewers organically as they share their enthusiasm for the programs on social media. The news media often is late to the party, responding to comments on Twitter and other platforms. This is an important way of gauging the popularity of new programs since Netflix is stingy with viewership data.
One major blind spot is with non-English language foreign programming that Netflix offers to its U.S. subscribers. It’s hard to tell if these foreign shows are worth watching because English reviews are scarce.
I like a few foreign programs on Netflix including “Dark” from Germany and “The Rain” from Denmark. But I have several other foreign shows in my queue that I haven’t watched yet. And review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes isn’t very useful in helping to decide whether these shows are worth my time.
Of those foreign-language TV shows in my Netflix queue, eight don’t have enough reviews from critics to garner a “critics consensus” on Rotten Tomatoes. Shows need at least five reviews from top professional critics to earn a score.
These shows include “Better Than Us” from Russia (3 critic ratings), “Black Spot” from France (0 critic ratings), “Deadwind” from Finland (3 critic ratings), “Diablero” from Mexico (3 critic ratings), “Marianne” from France (1 critic rating), “The Forest” from France (4 critic ratings), “The Frozen Dead” from France (3 critic ratings) and “The Protector” from Turkey (0 critic ratings).
With the proliferation of non-English content on Netflix, the problem is likely to get worse.

Photo: Poster from “Marianne” (Netflix)

Netflix can’t take a hint about shows I don’t like

Why does Netflix put shows in the “Continue Watching” section that I obviously hate?
Netflix is supposed to be an expert at knowing what subscribers want to watch based on their viewing behavior. So, it is baffling that Netflix prompts me to continue watching shows that I didn’t like.
Everything I watch on Netflix streaming video is from the “My List” queue. If I read about an interesting show or find a trailer intriguing, I’ll add the program to “My List.”
Lately I’ve sampled some shows from that list that I didn’t like. In each case, I rated the show as “thumbs down” and removed it from the “My List” queue.
Those are two clear signs that I no longer want to watch a show. Still, Netflix’s technology apparently isn’t smart enough to realize this. It keeps those programs in the “Continue Watching” row on the home screen. Yes, the shows are shaded gray, but why keep them there?
Come on, Netflix, you should know better.
I made it through the first episode of “The I-Land” because the Dominican Republic locale and actress Natalie Martinez are nice to look at. But the premiere episode of the show was so terribly written I couldn’t continue. As I said, I gave the series a “thumbs down” rating and removed it from my list.
But even days later, the series still shows up in my recommendations to continue watching.
Other shows that turn up in my “Continuing Watching” list now include series “Another Life” (I didn’t even finish the first episode) and comedy movie “Game Over, Man” (I lasted maybe 15 minutes). Once again, I hit “thumbs down” and took them off my viewing list. These are just a couple of recent examples.
It’s a little thing, I know. But Netflix needs to be smarter. Also, it is a good idea for Netflix not to remind subscribers of all the content they didn't like on the service.

Post-apocalyptic TV shows ready for comeback

Despite being the age of peak TV, the genre of post-apocalyptic-themed shows peaked three years ago.
In 2016, there were a record 16 post-apocalyptic shows airing on broadcast and cable channels.
Today there are just five such shows and two of those (“The 100” on CW and “The Rain” on Netflix) are scheduled for their final seasons in 2020. The others are AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead,” both of which are suffering ratings declines, and “Van Helsing” on Syfy.
I didn’t include “Black Summer” from Netflix as a current show, because it hasn’t been renewed for a second season and now appears to be a one-and-done mini-series.
But more post-apocalyptic-themed shows are in development. So, perhaps there’s a comeback ahead for the genre.

Snowpiercer

TBS will premiere “Snowpiercer” in spring 2020. The long-gestating series is based on the 2013 movie “Snowpiercer,” which was adapted from the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige.” The series takes place on a globe-circumnavigating train seven years after an attempt to reverse global warming froze the world.
“Snowpiercer” stars Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs. Originally slated for TNT, WarnerMedia moved the show to TBS and approved a second season. (See articles by Entertainment Weekly, Deadline, Wikipedia and WarnerMedia news release.)

The Last Kids on Earth

Netflix is scheduled to premiere the first season of animated show “The Last Kids on Earth” on Sept. 17. It’s based on the New York Times bestselling book series.
The humorous show follows “13-year-old Jack Sullivan and a band of suburban middle schoolers who live in a decked-out tree house, play video games, gorge themselves on candy, and battle zombies in the aftermath of the monster apocalypse.” (See article by Deadline.)

Untitled Walking Dead spinoff

A third show set in AMC’s “Walking Dead” television universe is due to premiere next year. The as-yet-untitled series will follow two female protagonists and focus on the first generation to come-of-age in the zombie apocalypse, according to Variety.

Y

FX is developing a TV series based on the comic book “Y: The Last Man,” which is about the world after an illness wipes out every male on the planet except one man, Yorick Brown. The series, “Y” starring Barry Keoghan and Diane Lane, is set to premiere in 2020. (See FX press release and article by GeekTyrant.)

War of the Worlds

Canal Plus, Fox Networks Group Europe & Africa, and AGC Television are making a TV series of the classic H.G. Wells sci-fi novel. It stars Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern, according to Variety.
“Set in contemporary Europe, the reimagining will follow the pockets of humanity left on earth following an apocalyptic extra-terrestrial strike,” Deadline said. “The series is due to debut later this year on Canal+ in France, and on Fox in more than 50 markets.”

See

Apple’s new subscription video-on-demand service Apple TV+ has ordered a series called “See.” The drama stars Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard. It “takes place centuries after a virus wiped out most of Earth’s inhabitants and left the only survivors blind,” Entertainment Weekly reported.
(See Wikipedia article.)

Into the Night

Netflix will introduce its first series from Belgium in 2020, a drama called “Into the Night.” The series “tells the story about retaining humanity in the face of a cosmic disaster, as a flight departs Brussels,” according to Programming Insider.
Here’s the official synopsis from Netflix: “‘Into the Night’ begins with a sudden solar event, as the sun inexplicably starts killing everything in its path. The show centers around the ‘lucky’ passengers and crew of an overnight flight out of Brussels, as they attempt to fly west — into the safety of the dark night. The plane’s manifest is multinational and multilingual, with passengers rich and poor, young and old, civilian and military. The seemingly ordinary travelers share but one thing: A desire to survive the sun — and each other — by any means necessary.”

Reality Z

Netflix is doing a Brazilian remake of the British horror series “Dead Set,” created by Charlie Booker of “Black Mirror” fame. The show depicts what happens on a “Big Brother” type reality TV show when a zombie apocalypse breaks out. The series is set to premiere in 2020.
(See article by Deadline.)

V Wars

Netflix is producing a TV series based on the graphic comic series “V-Wars.”
“V Wars follows the story of a scientist and his best friend, as they face the evolving crisis of a deadly outbreak, that fractures society into opposing factions, potentially escalating to a future war between humans and vampires,” Wikipedia says.
(See articles by CinemaBlend and What’s on Netflix.)

Daybreak

Netflix has ordered a post-apocalyptic dramedy called “Daybreak,” based on the graphic novel of the same name. “Daybreak” follows a 17-year-old high school outcast in post-apocalyptic Glendale, California. The world is “populated by Mad Max-esque bands of marauders, including cheerleaders who have become Amazon warriors and evil jocks, and zombie-like beings known as ‘Ghoulies,’” according to the Hollywood Reporter. Season one premieres on Oct. 24.

Station Eleven

WarnerMedia has ordered a limited series based on Emily St. John Mandel’s bestseller “Station Eleven” for its HBO Max streaming video service. The story takes place after a swine flu pandemic kills most of the world’s population, according to Deadline.

Aeon Flux

MTV is doing a live-action reboot of its animated series “Aeon Flux.” The series is set in a dystopian future and revolves around a young assassin who teams with a group of biohacking rebels to save humanity. (See article by the Hollywood Reporter.)

More post-apocalyptic TV series in the works

Other post-apocalyptic themed shows have been discussed in recent years, but some might have slipped into development hell. Those shows include adaptations of novels “Dawn,” “MaddAddam” and “Who Fears Death.”
Another long-in-development show is “Judge Dredd: Mega City One,” based on the comic book and movie series.

Related articles:

Comprehensive list of post-apocalyptic TV shows

Rock Hall proposal: 20 for ’20

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a major backlog of worthy honorees. This calls for a catch-up year. I propose “20 for ’20” as in 20 inductees in 2020.
This would be like what the Pro Football Hall of Fame is proposing for its ceremony next year. It is expanding its potential inductees to 20 in 2020 as part of the NFL’s celebration of its 100th season, the AP reported.
A catch-up year for the Rock Hall would allow it to induct a bunch of older acts that keep missing the cut year after year. These acts are respected by music industry insiders and historians, but are of lesser interest to your average music fan today.
The hall needs to clear the decks of older acts to focus on more current acts. I’ve previously suggested that the hall do this by means of a veteran’s committee like the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The reasons for a backlog are manifold. For starters, the hall is highly selective, inducting just five to seven artists each year.
A second problem is a broadening of the scope of the rock hall to include more pop music and hip-hop artists. This has been a good thing generally by bringing more diversity to the hall. But the rock hall shouldn’t stray too far from its roots.
There’s already a prominent Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, but some pundits want to include such major country artists as Patsy Cline, Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton in the Rock Hall. I’d like the Rock Hall to focus on acts that don’t already have a hall of fame for their main genre of music.
Meanwhile, two competing ventures are looking to build hip-hop halls of fame in New York City.
The Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum project hopes to open a museum, hotel and entertainment complex in Harlem in 2021, according to a news release.
The Universal Hip Hop Museum is looking to open a facility in the Bronx in 2023, according to AM New York.
There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding both projects, but it’s only a matter of time before a hip-hop hall of fame is built.
When that happens, how much emphasis should the Rock Hall place on hip-hop acts? I would suggest that it focus only on those with major crossover appeal and influence.
As for the Rock Hall, a “20 for ’20” promotion would help reduce the lengthening lists of snubs that music writers regularly compile.
Nominations for the 2020 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are due for release in October.

Here are some predictions from Rock Hall followers for the next round of nominees:

Rock Hall: My Predictions For The 2020 Ballot (Zoot Marimba; April 5, 2019)

Official Predictions for #RockHall2020 (Alex Voltaire; Aug. 12, 2019)

Predictions: The 2020 Rock Hall Nominees (E-Rockracy; Aug. 29, 2019)

2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominee Predictions (Nick Bambach; Aug. 30, 2019)

2020 Rock Hall Nominee Predictions (Special Edition) (Tom Lane; Aug. 30, 2019)

The Idealist’s Ballot: Mary Picks 15 Nominees (E-Rockracy; Sept. 1, 2019)

Photo: Guitar art at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2004. (Photo by Flickr user Whatknot via Creative Commons.)