Chelsea: Charlize Theron, Eva Longoria & Competency Tests (Review)

Chelsea Handler on Netflix

Chelsea this week had two beautiful and talented performers on. Eva Longoria, who was on for “Mexico” night and Charlize Theron to promote her latest film effort and to talk about HIV and Aids.  Topics included Donald Trump, on both episodes, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Sumner Redstone.

The upcoming Republican and Democratic National Conventions were touched on briefly by Jacob Soboroff  from MSNBC and her third  guest was Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef .  Two assistants came on at the beginning to talk Sumner Redstone, part two.

Both shows were informative and interesting but episode 26 was, perhaps, the  most amusing.  The Sumner Redstone “Part 2” analysis was a rehash of the billionaire’s increasingly bizarre behavior.

Politics slowed things down but at least there was talk of dumping Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for the presidency.   Interestingly enough, Bassem Youssef showed how to lose a western audience with his “killing Christians” quip before talking about red Christmas cups.

Right up until the quip, Youssef had the audience in the palm of his hand. He made some great humorous points about the US  political system and made fun of Trump’s campaign rhetoric “I’m going to bring back Christmas.”  (As Bassem pointed out, “Where did it go?”)

Theron, was on at the start of the episode (after the Sumner infographic) and she talked a little about her latest film, Kubo and the Two Strings.  The oscar winner voices the monkey who “adopts” a boy and looks after him.

She then moved on to speak about her own adopted son and how her body generated pregnancy symptoms while she waited for the process to finish. She and Chelsea talked about  more Charlize’s son Jackson and then the subject moved to HIV and AIDs charity work.  Theron passed on some disturbing facts about the disease and ended by saying that “We could be the generation  that ends HIV.”

The previous night featured Eva Longoria who revealed that she is Mexican. That episode was about “all things Mexico.”  Chelsea went to a bullfight, which was rather revolting – the bullfight, not Chelsea being there – and visited with the former presidente  and Diego Lun.

Longoria came on to talk about moving to Mexico and being a “Texican.”  She also talked about her new clothing line opening.  Eva explained a good bit about Texas history, which used to be a country.She also reveled that she only recently learned Spanish.

This week on Chelsea things were not quite as bubbly as the prior week.  The guests were interesting but not quirky and the humor was fairly  low key.  There was an educational slant to these episodes. Longoria with her history lesson on Texas, the bullfighting lesson and the political information about the Republican Convention.

It is to Chelsea’s credit that all her shows are entertaining, even the esoteric and eclectic ones.  The actual sight of matadors stabbing the bull and eventually killing it was disturbing  and those who are easily upset should not watch this segment.

There was a plus side however. Only Chelsea Handler could  turn the whole bullfighting segment into a joke about anal sex and prison.

Chelsea airs on Netflix.   Tune in if you are fan of Ms.Handler.

The Mindy Project: Freedom Tower Women’s Health – Jody (Review)

Osha Roquemore as Tamra

The last few episodes of The Mindy Project have not been kind to Dr.Jody Kimball-Kinney.  Last week,  after admitting he slept with his sister-in-law,  Jody was smacked in the face by his brother. This week in “Freedom Tower Women’s Health” his troubles escalate, while he attempts to get together with Mindy.

In the previous episode, Dr. Lahiri broke up with her football coach boyfriend (Jay R. Ferguson) and her son lost out on becoming a  star after Mindy’s actions got Leo fired. Jody stopped by to offer commiserations and the two kissed. 

After the romantic smooch, Mindy apologizes and Jody goes to break up with Courtney.  This goes awkwardly as she believes that Jody means to propose to her.  He gives up and later Courtney arrives at work furious. Her boyfriend has given her Chlamydia and Courtney confronts him in his office.

After her shock announcement Jody breaks up with her, or vice versa as she throws his drink in his face. Then  to add insult to injury  Courtney tells the reception area that  Jody gave her Chlamydia. Kimball-Kinney, via text message,  then informs Mindy that he and Courtney have broken up.

She insists they go out immediately but Jody suggests waiting for 7 – 10 days, giving the antibiotics a chance to work.  Mindy declines the wait.  After their meal she forces him to go upstairs to be ravaged. Meanwhile, Morgan and Jeremy go to see Danny about his edict that Mindy cannot date.

The two men meet with Danny and his girlfriend, Sarah. She has issues with Mindy as Danny still apparently has feelings for the mother of his child.  Sarah meets with Dr. Lahiri and after they  talk for a bit, Danny’s fiancee realizes that Mindy is clearly over  her intended.

Morgan goes back to see Danny and insists that he tell Mindy that he is engaged to Sarah. He also texts his boss to tell her that Jody has Chlamydia. This ends the evening of fun that Mindy had planned as Jody will not mention the STD until Mindy prompts him. She kicks him out of her apartment.

As usual The Mindy Project offered up some splendid bits of comedy.  Courtney storming through the office and tossing the drink in Jody’s face was funny. The entire STD thing, where she tells the world that Kimball-Kenney gave it to her,  is hilarious yet cringeworthy.

The reactions of his staff, especially Tamra, was equally funny and the text gag was brilliant. (After  Kemball-Kenney admits to having the STD he asks the staff to tell no one. The two women decide this does not include texting and they begin to type.) Jody’s increasingly desperate search for a condom at Mindy’s place was spot on right up to and including the banana and sandwich bag moment.

Garret Dillahunt does comedy brilliantly and his delivery in this episode was spot on. Mindy Kaling is, as usual, excellent as the sexually focussed ob-gyn and single mother. As Dr. Lahiri,  Kaling knocks it out the park weekly. She manages to convey  a certain amount of eccentricity along with her ability to turn every thought she has into sex.

Sadly, it appears that Jody’s reluctance to reveal his STD status to Mindy may have shot down this blooming romance and sexual pursuit in its first stages.  As she kicks Jody out of her apartment, she says, with disappointment and a bit of anger, “I liked you too.”

It appears that Dr. Kimball-Keney may have spoilt his chances with Mindy full stop.

The Mindy Project airs Tuesdays on Hulu.

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