Hear me out...

I think everyone has entertainment that hits a chord or stands out in our memories that isn't completely mainstream. For me, these are the movies, books, or artists I want to recommend to people, but hesitate before doing so.

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The Movie

"Okay, I've got one you have to watch, but hear me out. It's not what you think."

That's normally what I tell people before desperately trying to explain that, in fact, watching Ryan Gosling buy a sex doll that he proceeds to haul around town is probably one of the sweetest, most sincere movies I've seen.

I'm far better at explaining something with the pen than I am with talking, and nothing drives this home more than when I try to convince people to give "Lars and the Real Girl" a watch.

It came out in 2007 and it is shockingly wholesome given the whole sex doll element of the plot.

I can't remember how I ended up first seeing it, but it's one of those films I'll never forget. I watched it again recently. Even knowing what happens, for the first twenty minutes of the film, I worried it would suddenly go off the rails and be a very different movie. There are sooo many ways 'Lars' could have been crass or raunchy, and yet the film makers steered it away from all of that and stayed true to the message the movie carefully delivers.

What I love is the humor and heart in the slow burn film, and the way it makes me cry and laugh and feel for all of the characters, including one that isn't even alive. Cautiously, it drew me in with its incredibly human story that centers on a silicon life-size doll. I won't spoil anything, but it's ultimately about how a community can help heal someone, mental health, and relationships. (It also tends to get praised by a lot of psychologist online for those wondering about the accuracy of it.)

It's such a strange, moving story that even if I didn't relate to every character, there were still some I saw myself in with their problems and struggles they were experiencing. The movie does a brilliant job slowly unfolding the characters with little details hinting to a bigger story that happened before the opening sequence. I love it, because the whole film just felt so real.

It's one of my favorites. And if you want to watch Ryan Gosling serenade a plastic doll before he sang to Barbie, here you go.

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The Book

Every Sunday, Jack's family gets together for dinner, and if the weather is decent, they all meet up at a random park of whoever's choice it was that week.

One gathering was particularly memorable for a notable misunderstanding that happened.

"I just finished this really weird sci-fi book," I explained to Dave, my brother-in-law (he's married to Megan, Jack's sister). He'd asked me what I'd been reading lately.

"What is it?"

"It's called 'Gideon the Ninth,'" I said. I hesitated, because I knew this is not a book everyone is going to love. "It's basically lesbian space necromancers. They're also nuns. There's a lot of gore."

Dave nodded. He'd read it too, which lead to more side conversations between us discussing how violent the book was. Unique was an understatement. I didn't love the novel, if I'm honest, but it was an interesting enough read that I bought the sequel.

Megan looked between the two of us with concern. "Wait, necromancers?" she'd asked.

"Yeah. You know. Necromancers," one of us had said.

Megan's eyebrows were pinched inward as she straightened her back and looked between the two of us with the rapt attention normally held for depraved deviants. She seemed disturbed by our conversation, more so than what seemed warranted. Animated magical corpses can be a dark topic, but for that much concern? Nah. I can't remember what exactly was said next, but we figured out it boiled down to a very apparent misunderstanding.

Megan had confused necromancy for necrophilia.

Oh, no. No, no, no that is not what happens in the book. Though, I'd be disturbed too if that's what the story had been about. There's actually no sex or nudity, if I remember correctly, other than Gideon's "dirty" magazine collection. With that said, however, given the horrific events that happen in the book, I think they should count as self-care.

This novel went full throttle with completely unhinged scenes featuring some of the most grotesque violence I think I've seen on page. I'll give credit to the author, Tamsyn Muir, though. It is highly creative and hands down different from anything else I've ever read. It's one of those books I might recommend to people only if I'm positive it's their cup of tea.

As far as main characters go, Gideon is a very entertaining one. She's hilarious in a lot of ways, desperate to escape her current circumstances, and spends most of the book being forced to look menacing but on the inside she's dying to talk to everyone. She's one of those people who talks a big game that she equally backs up, but is also a big softy at heart.

Its world building is phenomenal, the characters are engaging, and over all it's a completely twisted, bonkers read. There is more blood, guts, and violence in it than any horror I've read. So, good job to the author for pulling that off. (I can read horror, but watching it is a different story.)

It's good, and I'll throw it out as a recommendation for anyone wanting something from left field, but, uh, lots of warnings.

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The Entertainer

And then there's Geordie Kieffer. Yeah. I can't defend this one. I'm just going to go on the defensive for this choice. If there's a music artist I enjoy that I'd be surprised if other people listened to them, it'd be him.

I found Geordie through TikTok, funnily enough. I think his song had been used for a clip of an Australian Heeler taking on a pissed off bull, being thrown in the air, land on its feet, and then go right back at it with the bull again. It was a cool video that made me realize that the redneck version of a Malinois is a breed I appreciate but respectfully do not want in my house. My little shepherd is enough of a handful. I do not need a dog that's drive overrides any good sense it might have. But what got my attention, after the four legs of crazy, was the song in the background. "Redline." The lyrics were catchy and the music itself was something I'd want blasting through my headphones at the gym. I switched to Spotify and snooped around the artist's page.

There is no tactful way to describe Geordie's music. It's like grungy pop but with the abundance of drugs and sex references usually found in rock music. Some of it is a little much to listen to, but I also have a very high tolerance for that sort of thing.

His music is very upbeat, and he's clearly having a blast making. The titles don't always make sense, and the content and how it's described can only be inspired by whatever substances he enjoyed when writing it. Child friendly they are not. Songs like "The Car Song," or "Sex Party," should not be that catchy. And yet they are, or at least I can't stop putting some of them on repeat. I don't love all of his songs, but I enjoy more than I care to admit to.

So far, he has one album, several EPs, and a lot of singles. Some are straight up weird, but he's different and I appreciate that. I grew up strictly listening to country music, but as I got older I branched out. I listen to just about everything now. I'm always happy when I stumble across a new artist, and Geordie is one that has kept it interesting with his releases.

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I like off-beat, quirky, entertainment, and I love it when someone recommends me something to try. Sometimes it's not always for me, sometimes I'm introduced to something great, but always I'm grateful. So if I see you, please share any of your fringe faves, and maybe I'll have some new ones to share too.