Sweden House Smorgasbord

[ateolf]

Yesterday I had a very nice and (un)expected surprise where I received the postcard I'd sent Neil Hamburger some money for that I'd forgotten about since. I'll give a detailed description and the full text at the bottom of the post. Also yesterday Mary Beth and I rented and watched Steven Universe: the Movie. I didn't think it was very good. I know it has a handicap for me being a musical and all, but aside from that I felt the every aspect of it felt weak and flimsy and rushed (the animation quality was good so I don't mean rushed in that sense, more that the plot and dialog trying to move from one song-piece to the next and just abruptly tossing everything else along between to get there). And the new major character was just kind of annoying. There were moments here and there that had the joy of the show. But mostly it felt like a regular 11 minute episode (and a minor one at that) stretched beyond its limits to 80 minutes to support a bunch of songs. I mean, I've liked the show so there's no way I would NOT have watched it, but it wasn't my favorite part of the Universe universe. Skimming online consensus it seems I'm alone though or at least in a vast minority so what do I know?

Anyway...my Neil Hamburger postcard! It's for some establishment called Sweden House Smorgasbord (in Miami, FL). Given the color palette/quality, it's from the 50s or 60s. The front has three pictures of the establishment that support the context clues of when it's from. Around its address, it has some small text printed with a description:
Every Day - Hot Dishes - Cool Sparkling Salads
Miami's Finest Smorgasbord Service
Fine Food and Gracious Dining
Without Extravagance
Neil has circled the "Without Extravagance." And he has written:
Dear Robert—
Too much colored gelatin and gloppy pudding—not possible to sustain life this way. I predict doom for the customers. Very bad color in their faces—grey and pallid. Grim!
Neil Hamburger
So this was a bounteous source of joy yesterday!

Comments

[braininthecupboard]

You’re not alone. I honestly thought the same thing (though I am getting into musicals a lot more these days. That didn’t save it though.) The Steven Universe Future feels a lot of the same way. It’s like the network demanded more and they did their best but it just doesn’t have the same feel.

[ateolf]

I'm glad I'm not alone! Though we just picked up on SU Future last night and so far I am liking that. And there have been a couple of episodes that I thought were especially good, namely the one with the two Pearls and A Very Special Episode. I am, however, waiting for there to be MORE Peridot! (And Lapis Lazuli!)

[ifjuly]

whenever R sees the ep's gonna be about Onion 'cause he's featured in the episode box he gets excited, haha.

[ifjuly]

also i feel happy bc iirc right around Peridot's arc being a focus was when i was all "hmmm maybe i should get R in on this" and lo. squee.

[ateolf]

I guess you do know me after all!

[ateolf]

O-N-I-O-N-!

[braininthecupboard]

Peridot and Lapis were always my favorite characters. Just slightly below is Garnet. They have such excellent chemistry!

[braininthecupboard]

Honestly, I thought the same thing when I was first watching it! I often feel like I’m the few adults I know that genuinely enjoys cartoons.

After this, do Gravity Falls and Star Against The Forces of Evil. The teams on those are doing The Owl House which is in current run and really good as well.

And also, always Adventure Time!

[ateolf]

I liked Garnet a lot at first, and still do, but it felt like as it went on the actress was more and more busy and Garnet gradually played less of a role and had less going on as it went on. Also, I liked Pearl more and more as the show went on.

[ifjuly]

the steady-gradual reveal of Pearl challenging the one-note kneejerk assumption of that kind of oft-maligned/dismissed/ignored character was quite notable (and "both" sides of it, the ugly and the inspiring). felt very familiar and true while not being something most stuff goes into; i appreciated it a lot.