With the introduction to Disney+ brings us far more unique and interesting shows we never knew we needed. The first on the list is The World According to Jeff Goldblum, of course many people know Jeff Goldblum from his extensive movie career, but quite recently his personality has grown his stardom to an extraordinary length. So why wouldn’t Disney give him his very own TV show?
The World According to Jeff Goldblum has a different theme every episode, the first episode shows us the world of Sneakers, I have to admit I was really excited for the theme of this episode as I just recently bought a new pair of sneakers I had love at first sight with… but the individuals in this episode investigates just how intense love for a sneaker/brand/design of shoes can truly be.
The episode starts with a sneaker convention where one person easily drops $33,000 in cash on a collection of shoes, which feels crazy just writing it, let alone someone actually doing it! The convention looks fun, but the amount of concentration on the cash getting thrown around shows how the culture isn’t necessarily about what looks good and feels comfortable, but about how much money you are ready to throw towards them. The episode continues with Jeff getting a pair of sneakers designed specifically for him, and the science section of this episode is intriguing – understanding how wearing the ‘perfect’ shoes can reflect the changes throughout your whole body while running. Any sneaker lover should check out episode one.
Episode two revolves around the world of Ice Cream, sounds delicious right? I must disagree, when Jeff is creating his own ice cream flavour and learning about different flavours that have previously been created in this special lab. One of the ingredients that pops up is – pigs blood. That’s right they put pigs blood in ice cream – I’m not sure about you, but my stomach definitely did a turn at that, and the rest of the episode was lost on me. All of these ‘unique’ ingredients to create an interesting flavour for Jeff to make his own may be interesting on an actual cooking show – but in this context, I’m really happy to stick to my boring favourite choc chip mint.
Episode three is on the topic about Tattoos! I love tattoos, and I have 7 of my own so I was pretty excited to see the culture of different tattoos, and Jeff begins to question ‘why do people get tattoos?’. The first 10 minutes of the episode delves into the many themes that can be found with tattoos, and the belief that people choose to get tattoos to take ownership over their body. The next 5 minutes jumps in culture based tattoos and how a tattoo represents an event in one’s life and the spiritual meaning/traditional tattooing methods. Sadly, they do brush over this way too quick. To conclude the episode, can tattoos protect you?
I must be honest I have never once thought about a tattoo being used for protection, sure there is unlikely scenarios where tattoos have been used for a currency in futuristic movies like In Time (2011), but a tattoo being used for sun protection or a reminder to have a drink of water would be a universal revolution to the unexpected team of tattoos and the health industry.
Episode four, with how excited Jeff Goldblum is in this episode it must be his favourite – Denim. Admittedly, I am not much of a fan of denim, but it has always been fascinating at how long denim can last compared to any other clothing material. Jeff later visits a flee market that has all different themed painted denim, showing at how denim has evolved from a workers gear to now a stylish way to show your individuality.
The last episode currently on Disney + is episode 5 that revolves around the BBQ. Being Australian and having a BBQ in summer is just part of our DNA so I’m always interested in how the BBQ traditions differ in other parts of the world. America seems to love the idea of a smoke pit and roasting any type of an animal they can get their hands on, whereas Aussies just love throwing some snags and kebabs on a barbie. The food in this episode once prepared sure does look delicious, but if you are someone who gets upset looking at a lot of meat getting prepared and cooked (there is a full pig) – I would definitely pass on this episode. The idea of cooking crickets, that offer more protein in a small serving than a lot of other meats is interesting, but I’m not sure if that – no matter how tasty it could be – would ever pick up worldwide.
Jeff Goldblum’s charisma shows strong throughout each and every episode, his complete focus to no matter who he is talking to, and his super expressive happiness in relation to any new information he is given makes this show enjoyable and easy to watch in one sitting. Any fans of Jeff Goldblum will love this show no matter the topic. Audiences who are casual fans of Jeff Goldblum may enjoy a few sporadic episodes if they like Jeff, but if you don’t enjoy any of his work this isn’t worth watching as his over-the-top personality is on full steam ahead in The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
Episode 6 and onwards coming soon!
Review written by Sandra Porter
