Thoughts of The Ultimate Rabbit

The Ultimate Rabbit’s Favorite Podcasts

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Everybody has a podcast these days to where there are far too many to catch up on. However, there are a few which I refuse to miss as they lighten up my day which usually has me wondering how I can continue to survive in an insanely cruel world. Considering that I spend a good portion of the day in my car, they are my go-to whenever I go place to place, and these are the ones I am always determined to be up to date on.

The Ralph Report

Created and hosted by actor, podcaster and voiceover artist Ralph Garman, “The Ralph Report” is the first podcast I listen to each day. This podcast came about after Garman was unceremoniously laid off from the “Kevin & Bean Show” on the KROQ-FM after 18 years, and you can find it on the Patreon platform. It’s never political, and Garman is just aiming to take you away from your daily troubles for an hour and change.

Garman is joined by his “vice host,” standup comedian Eddie Pence who was a classmate of mine at Second City in Los Angeles and has quite the reserved palate when it comes to food, resulting in a daily segment where a certain food is talked about and whether or not Eddie will eat it. Also on the show is Garman’s wife, Jen Stewart (a.k.a. Queen J) who helps run on the visual part of the podcast known as “Garmyvision,” and she also has the most infectious laugh of any human being I have ever met.

Among my favorite segments on “The Ralph Report” include one-hit wonders where Garman talks about a band or a singer who reached the top just once and never experienced the same level of success ever again (the episode on Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash” is classic). Others include “Sex U” which discusses sexual practices in ways that are both informative and educational to where I wonder if other sex education classes offered anywhere could ever be this informative. And there is the “Video Vault” segment on Fridays where Garman and Pence recommend movies many people have not seen or heard about. Garman always has the classiest of choices, while Pence tends to recommend those which only he seems to enjoy. Still, maybe Pence is right to find the good in such films as “Megaforce” and “Leprechaun 4: In Space.”

WTF with Marc Maron

Now granted, this one just came to an end, but there are still 16 years of episodes for you and I to catch up on. Hosted by stand-up comedian and actor Marc Maron, “WTF” is not so much an interview show as it is a conversation between him and his guest. What started as a simple podcast, back when the term was in its infancy, turned into one of the biggest as Maron got to have great talks with such people like Jodie Foster, Spike Lee, Louis C.K. and even President Barack Obama who came back to do the final “WTF” episode. We also got to hear Maron deal with his sobriety and daily anxieties which have resulted in crippling emotions and catastrophic thinking for him, something I can very much relate to as anxiety has been the bane of my existence.

Fresh Air

If there is a single person who has come to influence the way I interview actors and filmmakers about their projects, it is most definitely Terry Gross. Few other people can ask such intelligent questions about the arts, movies, politics and sports than her, and that’s the reason why she has remained so popular for the past few decades. In the past few years, “Fresh Air,” which airs from WHYY in Philadelphia, has brought other hosts who occasionally sit in for Terry like Dave Davies, Tonya Mosley and David Bianculli who, like me, has a great love for the classic television series, “Homicide: Life on the Street.”

Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum

Actor Michael Rosenbaum, best known for playing Lex Luthor on the TV series “Smallville,” started his podcast “Inside of You” back in 2018, and it has talking with fellow celebrities he has worked with as well as those he admires. He has made it clear to all that this podcast is no way political, and much of his questions deal with mental health which makes it a must for people like me. I also like how he talks with people who usually don’t get to appear on other big-time podcasts like Gates McFadden, Barbara Crampton or Jonathan Frakes to name a few. I especially liked his talk with Gates as she took the time to discuss her role on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

The Everything Sequel Podcast

If there is any kind movie which is especially difficult to make, it is the sequel as it more than likely to pale in comparison to the original. But perhaps there a few sequels which can improve upon their predecessors, and that’s where “The Everything Sequel Podcast” comes in. Hosted by Michael Christopher Shantz, a classmate of mine from my UC Irvine days, and Tom Steward, they thoroughly dissect every follow-up to an original film we know and love to where nary a single detail is left out.

Recently, both Michael and Tom took great delight in dissecting the sequels to Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” and they came to agree that “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” was the best of the bunch (of course they didn’t).

The Sackhoff Show

I have had an enormous affection for Katee Sackhoff ever since she portrayed Starbuck on SyFy’s “Battlestar Galactica,” and I have followed her career from there and continue to do so. Like “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum,” Katee uses her podcast to talk with those actors she has worked with on different projects as well as those she has a deep admiration for. Her interviews with her fellow “Battlestar Galactica” actors like Jamie Bamber, Edward James Olmos, Tricia Helfer, Mary McDonnell and James Callis prove to be endlessly fascinating as they discuss not just how their brilliant remake of a classic science fiction show stands on its own, but of how they continue to deal with the fame it all brought them.

But in addition to all of that, Katee talks about her struggles and adventures at being a wife and mother of two children, and of how she continues to rise above her circumstances to be the best person she can be in all the madness life has to offer.

Homicide: Life on the Set/Homicide: Life on Repeat

As I said earlier, I am as big a fan of “Homicide: Life on the Street” as David Bianculli is. With the classic show having finally arrived on the streaming services Peacock and Tubi, a couple of podcasts have emerged to look at what went on in front of and behind the camera, and both have proven to be deeply informative and enthralling in equal measure.

“Homicide: Life on the Set” is a largely look at what went on behind the scenes of the Baltimore cop show, and it is hosted by Susan C. Ingram, a camera assistant on the show for six years, and Chris Carr who is a director and podcaster based in London. So far, they have had great interviews with the show’s assorted editors, directors of photography, and actors like Melissa Leo, Reed Diamond and Daniel Baldwin, the latter of which proved to be incredibly lively and exceptionally entertaining.

“Homicide: Life on Repeat” features two actors from the show: Kyle Secor who played Tim Bayliss, and Reed Diamond who played Mike Kellerman. So far, they have covered “Homicide’s” first season which lasted nine episodes which Secor starred in, and which sparked Diamond’s intense desire to get a role on this show. They have also taken the time to interview key figures involved in the show’s creation such as Paul Attanasio and Tom Fontana who executive produced this show along with Barry Levinson.

Now if there are any other podcasts I can possibly add to this list, I will do so at a near or future date. I shudder to think at what I could have left out.

When I First Watched David Lynch’s ‘Eraserhead’

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Please don’t ask me what “Eraserhead” is about because I’m still trying to make sense of it after all these years. Even David Lynch, who passed away on January 15, 2025 after battling emphysema, refused to tell anyone what it means as he prefers to let audiences come to their own interpretations. I finally got to see this surrealist body horror cult classic for the very first time at New Beverly Cinema back in 2012, and the theater was packed with fans of Lynch’s films as well as others who were also witnessing his cinematic work for the first time. We all came out of “Eraserhead” baffled as to what it all meant, but we were still endlessly mesmerized by the visuals and sounds Lynch came up with, all of which were done on a very low budget of $100,000.

When the movie’s title appeared on the screen, the audience burst into applause which gave me an idea of just how many at the New Beverly had seen “Eraserhead” before, and I imagine that have sat through it multiple times. We were sucked right in as Henry Spencer’s head floated in front of us while some weird looking guy was pulling at a bunch of levers as if he were pulling strings on a marionette. Then we got a visual of a sperm-like creature floating on the edge of Henry’s mouth which is suddenly shot forward into our world. Whatever this creature is, it was clear it would play a big part as the film unfolded before us.

It was fascinating to take in the audience’s reactions to “Eraserhead” that evening, but the most vocal reaction came when Henry Spencer (plated by Jack Nance) and his girlfriend Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) bring home their hideously deformed newborn baby. No one could tell if it was male or female, and its grotesque appearance both repulsed and enthralled everyone.

This very strange looking baby has a long pencil-thin neck, its head looks more like a giant snout, and it is limbless. To many, this is the kind of baby no parent ever hopes to have, but we feel sympathy towards this child because it breaks our hearts to see any baby suffer the way this one does. That it’s whining seriously got on the nerves of its parents is a testament to the meticulous sound design Lynch put together along with sound editor Alan Splet because it irritated us as well. Then again, we couldn’t help but laugh along with the baby when it let out a cackle as if it were belittling Henry and his feeble attempts at attending to it in a meaningful manner.

With Lynch’s films, there are times where we can’t help but laugh because the dreamlike state he invites and propels us into is at times hard to take seriously. But with every moment we laugh, there is another which has us so deeply enthralled to where we are at a loss for words and you can hear a bag of popcorn or a soda drop from someone’s hands in the theater (if it were a cellphone ringing, they would have been kicked out and banned for life). “Eraserhead” is no exception as it has many moments with a kind of beauty impossible to find in any other motion picture, and this makes Lynch an exceptionally original filmmaker.

This is especially the case with Laurel Near who played the Lady in the Radiator because, even with her horrifically bloated cheeks, she has us at hello with her rendition of the song “In Heaven.” While she may not exactly look pretty by any conventional standards, her singing voice is very sweet and gives us one of the more heart-warming scenes you might not expect this film to have.

While we came out of “Eraserhead” utterly baffled as to how to describe or interpret it, we could not say we weren’t enthralled by what Lynch presented to us. This was his debut as a movie director, and it led him to getting a career in Hollywood as one of its most daring filmmakers. I am eager to revisit this film again in the future because, like “Lost Highway,” I would like to think I can figure out what it all means. Lynch was never quick to give us any easy answers as he felt life was far too complicated and complex to do so, but I appreciate him for always bringing up some very interesting questions. Even as human beings all over the world desperately want everything spelled out to them, Lynch reminded us how we need to think about things for ourselves.

Rest in peace David.

All-Time Favorite Trailers: ‘Lethal Weapon’ (1987)

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To be honest, my first introduction to Richard Donner’s “Lethal Weapon” came when I saw a television trailer for it during the world television premiere of “The Karate Kid.” I was immediately hooked, thanks in large part to the unforgettable and adrenaline-pumping music composed by John Eric Alexander. I keep waiting for him to release physical copies and/or downloads of his theme, let alone the music he did for the trailers for “Die Hard” and “Die Hard 2” among others, but the best I can hope for is the track which ended up on the “Hot Fuzz” soundtrack. The only thing, however, is that it features dialogue from the Edgar Wright directed film which is fine, but I would love to listen to it without the dialogue as well.

And now let’s get to “Lethal Weapon’s” original theatrical trailer, which also sold me on this film which has long since become a bonafide action classic. While the font used for its title reeks of a retro 1980’s style, I love how it illustrates the strong chemistry between the two stars, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. There was also something about the way its key action scenes were presented which made it seem unique among others of its kind. While the 80’s was a decade full of larger-than-life action heroes who would look at a bullet wound as if it were a minor inconvenience, Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh were not quick to do the same as they were more down to earth.

Other than that, this trailer made me believe this would be an action flick like few others released back in the 1980’s. It took me a few more years to realize this as I was only 12 years old when “Lethal Weapon” was released, and I had to wait until it was released on VHS to finally check it out. Of course, once I tried to rent it from Take One Video in Danville, California, I was reminded of how my parents issued a no R-rated movie mandate for me. But when an employee of this long since defunct video store offered to call my parents to see if it would be okay to rent “Lethal Weapon,” they agreed to let me take it home, but they also refused to claim any responsibility for the crazy shit I might do after watching it. To this I can only say the following: if only I was that interesting.

Not sure what else I can say about this “Lethal Weapon” trailer other than I never get sick of watching it, and I have yet to grow tired of watching the film it was designed for. You can never grow too old for this shit!

Worst Movie Trailers Ever: ‘Warlock – The Armageddon’

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I remember seeing this movie trailer back when I was an employee at Crow Canyon Cinemas in Northern California. I was aware of the original “Warlock” which starred the late Julian Sands as the title character, a son of Satan who is intent on destroying the world. And like any horror film from the 1980’s, it had to be followed by a sequel. This teaser showed some promise as we watch a peaceful landscape of nature become infinitely degraded to where the end of the world feels far too near for our comfort. And it always feels like the end of the world is just around the corner these days and, unlike R.E.M., we do not feel fine about it. Plus, the man narrating the trailer does make your blood curdle as he talks about “when he comes” and how “the land will be tainted with blood.”

So, why does this teaser trailer for “Warlock: The Armageddon” end up on my list for the worst movie trailers ever? Because it shows a lot of promise, and yet it feels so incredibly and unforgivably cheap. This could have been one for the ages, but it instead illustrates how this sequel had to deal with a far too low budget than its predecessor. While “Warlock” had a budget of $15 million to work with, “Warlock: The Armageddon” was made for only $3 million. Watching this trailer makes me realize how the producers were clearly pinching every penny they had when going into this production, and it makes everything here look so sad.

Seriously, this could have been one of the greatest movie trailers ever had more money and creativity been put into its making. That land tainted with blood looks like it was painted with a red Crayola marker. I look at this piece of marketing, and I cannot help but think about all the things about it which could have been improved on. While the narrator does what he can to sell it to the moviegoing public, the images betray the fact that not enough money was put into this particular film. Talk about a power point presentation gone bad!

It’s no wonder that this sequel’s follow up, “Warlock III: The End of Innocence,” would have an even lower budget to where Julian Sands bailed on the proceedings and was replaced by Bruce Payne and didn’t even get a theatrical release. Going straight to video back then never made anyone look all that good.

All-Time Favorite Trailers: ‘The Silence of the Lambs’

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This teaser trailer for “The Silence of the Lambs” was my introduction to this film, and it immediately grabbed me in a way few trailers do. Back then, the internet had yet to be discovered by me, I only knew Jodie Foster from “The Accused” which she won an Oscar for, and I had no idea who Anthony Hopkins was in the slightest. I should also add that not once in this trailer is there any mention that this adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel was directed by Jonathan Demme. Had Demme’s name been included here, it would have made me all the more eager to check this film out as “Married to the Mob” and “Something Wild” were still very fresh in my mind.

What I love about this particular trailer is how it gives this film a look which makes it feel like no other cinematic experience that was coming soon to a theater near you. Everything about it was full of darkness, but it was a darkness like no other. With its striking images and shrieking noises, and also Anthony Hopkins staring directly into the camera in a way few other actors could, I felt I was being promised an experience which not be average or cliched in any conceivable way. I also very much prefer it to the main theatrical trailer which, quite frankly, gave far too much of the story away to where I am so very thankful I didn’t see it before I saw this brilliant motion picture on the silver screen at Crow Canyon Cinemas.

For the record, “The Silence of the Lambs” is one of my favorite movies ever, and one which I am happy to revisit quite often. This teaser trailer is also one of my favorites as those who put it together made it clear to audiences that this was a motion picture you would be foolish to miss out on. While the darkness it presented could have frightened many audience members off, not once did it feel like your average slasher flick.

‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Commentary on ‘A Shot in the Dark’

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Recently, “Homicide: Life on the Street” has undergone a major renaissance of sorts. The show is now finally available to stream on Peacock, and we have two new podcasts dedicated to the acclaimed series. First, there is “Homicide: Life on the Set” which is hosted by filmmaker and podcaster Chris Carr and Susan C. Ingram who worked as a union camera assistant on “Homicide,” and they have interviewed actors, writers, directors and technicians who worked behind the scenes and have made unforgettable stories to tell. Then there is “Homicide: Life on Repeat” which has actors Reed Diamond and Kyle Secor reviewing each episode of the show from start to finish, and that’s regardless of whether they are in said episode or not. With all this going on, “Homicide” looks to be gaining a new generation of fans and may even become a bigger hit with viewers than ever before.

With this “Homicide” commentary, I focus on the fifth episode of the first season entitled “A Shot in the Dark.” Directed by Bruce Paltrow and written by Jorge Zamacona, it follows multiple plot threads back when the show could get away with that. Stanley Bolander (Ned Beatty) and John Munch investigate the double shooting of a drug dealer, Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher) and Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin) join forces reluctantly to look into a theory regarding Adena Watson’s murder, Tim Bayliss remains convinced that the arabber Risley Tucker murdered Adena and wants to bring him in for questioning, and Steve Crosetti (Jon Polito) and Clark Johnson continue to look into the shooting of Chris Thormann (Lee Tergesen) who has miraculously survived his nearly fatal wounds. It’s amazing just how much the writers got into one single episode!

In the midst of all this, Bolander seems unable to deal with the aftermath of his date with Dr. Blythe (Wendy Hughes), Felton and Pembleton battle with one another over how they see things, and Bayliss gets revenge at Captain Barnfather for releasing information he shouldn’t have released. Of course, Bayliss still pays a price for going after a superior officer. And Munch? Well, let’s just say he steals the show at the very end.

Please check out the commentary below. “Homicide: Life on the Street” is now available to stream on Peacock, and the entire show is still available on DVD through Shout Factory.

The SAG/AFTRA Strike Continues on at Warner Brothers Studios

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It has been a bit, but I finally made the time to walk the picket line in support of the SAG/AFTRA strike. The WGA strike concluded after 148 days after a tentative agreement with the AMPTP was reached, but many of their members still took the time to join the picket line in continued support of the union’s efforts to gain a fair contract. While I have traveled to different strike locations in the past, this one had me returning to Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California. This is because I do not often get over the hill (figuratively speaking) to the other side where the valley is.

Actually, this day, October 2, 2023, is a very significant one as the SAG/AFTRA negotiators are set to meet with the AMPTP in an attempt to end this long-running strike once and for all. In the meantime, we still marched up and down Barham Street to make our presence known. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky, but the temperatures have cooled down a bit and there was a nice breeze going on which we really could have used during July and August.

For me, this day allowed me to catch up with friends I have not seen in the longest time (thanks for nothing COVID). It was fantastic running into Madonna Cacciatore and Robin McWilliams, both of whom have been doing fantastic work as strike captains, making sure everyone crosses the street safely and no one gets hurt. In the past, the three of us trained together for the Los Angeles Marathon as part of Team to End AIDS. More importantly, we ran it in 2011 which became forever known as the monsoon marathon as the rain kept pouring down on us with a vengeance.

I also ran into a former neighbor of mine, a screenwriter whose career has unfortunately taken a hit due to the work stoppage. Fortunately, his wife has a big job which has proven to be all consuming, and this allows him to be a stay-at-home dad to his children. Of course, he would like to get back to work soon.

But even as the SAG/AFTRA strike could be reaching an end, another one is set to begin as the union has a authorized a strike against video game companies. I included a quote near the end of this video I edited about my day on this picket line from Ralph Garman, a longtime voiceover artist and host of “The Ralph Report,” who voiced his frustrations with doing video game work, and his remarks speak volumes about how performers are endlessly being taken advantage of.

Please check out the video below and be sure to make a donation to those artists in need.

‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Commentary on ‘Son of a Gun’

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It has been a bit, but I am now back with another “Homicide: Life on the Street” commentary track. This time it is for “Son of a Gun,” the fourth episode of the first season. This episode contains several plot threads as the detectives furiously investigate the shooting of Officer Chris Thormann (Lee Tergesen), Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor) and Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher) continue to investigate the murder of Adena Watson, Stanley Bolander (Ned Beatty) goes out on a date with Doctor Carol Blythe (Wendy Hughes), and there is also the case of Calpurnia Church (Mary Jefferson) who has murdered many people for the insurance money. This is a lot for any hour-long drama to handle, but everyone involved seems to find the right balance to where nothing feels superfluous.

“Son of a Gun” was directed by Nick Gomez who helmed a couple of indie crime dramas back in the 1990’s: “Laws of Gravity” and “New Jersey Drive.” It marked the first appearances of Sean Whitesell who portrays Dr. Eli Devilbiss, Edie Falco who portrays Chris Thormann’s wife, Eva, and Walt McPherson who plays an patrolman who may or may not be Roger Gaffney, the most odious and bitter character in the “Homicide” series.

This episode was the first thing I ever saw Edie Falco in, and she previously appeared in Gomez’s “Laws of Gravity.” From here, Falco would go on to play a role in Tom Fontana’s HBO prison drama “Oz,” and she would eventually make her breakthrough a few years later on “The Sopranos.”

There are also other memorable performances to be found in this episode. The great Luis Guzman appears as Bolander’s next door neighbor, Lorenzo “Larry” Molera, who has quite the love for wood. Then there is the late Wendy Hughes who plays a potential girlfriend to Bolander in Carol Blythe, and seeing her and Beatty together provides this episode with the series’ more intimate moments.

Check out the commentary below. The complete series of “Homicide: Life on the Street” is currently available to purchase from Shout Factory. To this date, it is still not available to stream on any service. This is likely due to music rights.

SAG/AFTRA and WGA Strike on the National Day of Solidarity

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It was another day on the picket line as SAG/AFTRA and the WGA continue their long-running strike against the AMPTP. The fight for a fair contract and better pay rages on even as it looks as if no end is in sight. But, then again, it was not really another day as this was the National Day of Solidarity which not only brought these two unions together, but many others including the AFL-CIO, IATSE and Liuna to name a few. In addition, they were also fighting for safer working conditions, restrictions on AI technology, and to be given the respect they deserve as it is their works which help to generate these amazingly high profits for CEOs who have far too much money to ever spend in a lifetime.

There was also a big rally held outside of Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. I did my best to film as much of it as I could, but I also got the feeling that now would be a good time to buy a new tripod for my camcorder (the one I currently have is out of commission). Surprisingly, it turned out to be a reunion of sorts for the cast of “The West Wing” as Martin Sheen, Richard Schiff and Bradley Whitford spoke out in support of the strike and for the importance of solidarity in this fight. Sheen was especially powerful as he reminded us all why he got to play the President of the United States on the show for several years, back in a time where a single season of television lasted 22 episodes (remember that?).

Another great speaker was Kerry Washington who talked about how her dream of wanting to be an actor seemed to be impossible because it meant wanting to be famous and be on billboards and magazine covers. But then she said she learned about unions and how they made her dream both a possibility and a reality as it allowed her to make a living. But now, with the advent of streaming and changes in the industry, making a living, let alone a healthy one, has ceased to be possible, and that is unacceptable. Her words rang out loud and true:

“We’ve come to a point in our history where just being a working actor — coming to work every day, devoting oneself to this craft, dedicating oneself for the entertainment and the joy of others — means I can’t make a fair living. It’s not OK. It’s not OK for other people to benefit from our hard work and sweat. It’s not OK for other people to benefit while we work 16-hour days. It’s not OK for other people to benefit when we put our vulnerability and our hearts on the line. It’s not OK for other people to benefit while we do the hard work. That’s not OK.”

But for me, my favorite speaker of the day was “Hellboy” himself, Ron Perlman, who reminded us all as he does on his Twitter (oh, sorry, X) and Instagram feeds that he does not take shit from anybody.  He made this clear right from the start as he said out loud, “I have been a union man my entire mother-fucking woke life.” Not once did he show a single shred of complacency as he laid out how those in power want to break us down:

“The thing is, however much they take will never be enough. So, what they need to do is make us feel small. Devalue us. Gaslight us with the thought that if we don’t walk in line lockstep we can be replaced because any motherfucker can do what we do. … If they’re claiming that they’re losing money, they just made a fucked-up model, that’s all. Don’t blame me for that.”

It was a great day to be on the picket line as thousands of union workers came together to continue the fight for a fair contract and a healthy living wage. I also got to catch up with some friends who I have not seen in years which, in this post-pandemic world, I am deeply grateful for. Granted, the extreme heat took a lot of me to where I had to go home and take a much-needed nap, but it did not stop me or so many others from showing up in Burbank.

As I have stated in the previous articles I have written about the SAG/AFTRA and WGA strike, I am not a member of either union and the video I edited below is not endorsed by them. Still, I am very proud to have joined the picket line as what is currently going on with artists is just a small example of what is happening to the working class at large. These days, I am often reminded of what the late great George Carlin once said about those with all the money and power:

“They want obedient workers. Obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork. And just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and vanishing pension that disappears the moment you go to collect it.”

At this time in history, we want to work, but we also want a healthy living wage. It’s hard enough these days to find a job, let alone which pays enough and comes with benefits. No one should have to work two jobs just to survive, and wages need to start keeping up with the cost of living and that evil beast known as inflation. Those in power continue finding ways to eliminate the human equation in the business world, and we cannot allow this to continue. We will not be exploited anymore.

Please check out the video below and be sure to contribute to those union members in need.

The Story Behind ‘The Ultimate Rabbit’ Name

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Daily writing prompt
What’s the story behind your nickname?
View all responses

I have gotten a lot of nicknames in my lifetime, most of them positive, but none has stuck to me more than “The Ultimate Rabbit” has. It has stayed with me for so long to where I decided to name my website after it. Many people have asked me time and time again what “The Ultimate Rabbit” means and why I named my site as such. I am more than happy to share with you how this all came about.

Back in the summer of 1998, I was an apprentice at the Powerhouse Theatre Program at Vassar College in upstate New York. I was (expletive deleted) years old at the time, aspiring to be a great actor, and we performed Shakespeare’s plays outdoors in humidity which was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. This was also in the town of Poughkeepsie and, as you can imagine, I picked my feet whenever I got the opportunity. Besides, I ended up getting some terrible blisters on them, and they needed to be popped sooner rather than later.

Anyway, one evening when we apprentices were at a party celebrating the premiere of a new play written by, of all people, John Patrick Shanley, we got into a conversation about Chinese Zodiac signs. When I told my friends which year I was born in, which was (expletive deleted), they said I was born in the Year of the Rabbit. This sounded cool to me, but then one of my friends said this meant I was very shy, sensitive as people born in this year tend to keep to themselves a lot. Upon hearing this, I was bummed because, from my perspective, I was all of those things at the time. Instead of being born in a year where I was said to be brave and guaranteed with the greatest of successes in life, I was stuck with this. A moment later, I ended up blurting out:

“Oh, great. In that case I am the ultimate rabbit because that’s where my life is at.”

To this, everybody laughed out loud, and before I knew it, it became my nickname for the rest of the summer. Other apprentices even encouraged me to go up to others at the party and say, “Hi, I’m the Ultimate Rabbit!” When I went up to young women and told them this, they ended up giving me a hug. Of course, they all had boyfriends, so don’t me too impressed.

In addition, we apprentices had acting classes to go to in classrooms which were in serious need of air conditioning, and we did Meisner Technique exercises. These exercises involved us repeating the same phrases over and over in a way which allowed us to get to a deeper meaning about what we were saying. During one particular class, I could not help but bring up the new nickname I had just been blessed with:

“I’m the Ultimate Rabbit!”

“You’re the Ultimate Rabbit!”

“I’m the Ultimate Rabbit!”

“You’re the Ultimate Rabbit!”

“I’m the Ultimate Rabbit!”

“You’re the Ultimate Rabbit!”

The class kept laughing hysterically whenever I said this, and the actress I was doing this exercise with could not keep a straight face after a while. It is always great fun when you get to make everyone laugh around you, and with you, and it is nice to have a laugh every now and then to cope with this incredibly insane world we all live in.

Years later, “The Ultimate Rabbit” nickname stayed with me, and I used it as my MySpace page for a time when I was blogging about and reviewing movies endlessly. When then time came to create my own website, which came about after several of the “content mills” I wrote for like Associated Content (later the Yahoo Contributor Network) and Examiner.com got shut down, I had the hardest time coming up with a name for it. After a while, I figured “The Ultimate Rabbit” would work as it was a name I could claim a deep meaning to more than other people ever could. Granted, I have gotten a lot of quizzical looks when I bring my website name up during interviews as it seems like such an odd name, and many often ask why I call it that. Then again, it is unlike the names of other websites which are mostly dedicated to reviewing or talking about motion pictures.

If it were up to me actually, I would have called this website “The Ultimate Eeyore” as anyone who knows me best knows what an enormous fan I am of the depressed donkey from the “Winnie-the-Pooh” stories. Then again, I imagine the Walt Disney corporation would come up to me at some point, urging me to reconsider this name as if to say, “Look, we are this close to owning everything…” Besides, Mickey Mouse might come to my door under the guise of being all friendly, but once the door was closed behind him, I imagine he would go all Wings Hauser from “Vice Squad” on me to where he would drop that famous smile of his and say, “Where’s my money bitch?”

So, “The Ultimate Rabbit” it is, and it has remained the case for several years now. Hopefully, this nickname will eventually lead to me making a healthy living in this day and age even though corporations keeping finding new ways to eliminate the human equation in pursuit of even bigger profits.