Entertainment
Comedy Legend’s Disturbing, Most Hated Film Was Just Ahead Of Its Time
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Jim Carrey rose to fame as a rubber-faced funnyman in films like The Mask and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, but he later showed how serious he could be with films like The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Before those acclaimed movies, however, Carrey starred in a film so dark that it threatened to jeopardize his career as Hollywood’s favorite comic actor. That movie is The Cable Guy (1996), and you can now hop on Tubi to stream an underrated classic that was way ahead of its time.
The premise of The Cable Guy (directed by comedy icon Ben Stiller) is that an architect getting over a nasty breakup (a proposal gone wrong; ouch!) befriends the cable guy who helped him watch movies for free. Unfortunately, that cable guy soon proves to be as obsessive as he is demented, and the toxic friendship he offers begins to ruin the architect’s life. His new “friend” is a one-man social wrecking ball, and it soon becomes clear that his free cable comes at way too high a price.
The Greatest Comedy Cast Of The Decade?
The Cable Guy has a surprisingly all-star cast, including Ben Stiller (best known for Tropic Thunder) and Jack Black (best known for School of Rock). It also stars prolific actor Eric Roberts (best known for Runaway Train). Oh, and to really drive home just how ‘90s this film is, it also features David Cross (best known for Arrested Development) and Andy Dick (best known for getting arrested).
Of course, the primary stars are Matthew Broderick (the ‘80s icon best known for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and Jim Carrey (the ‘90s comic legend best known for the Ace Ventura films): the former plays the straight man trying to get his life back together, while the latter plays the chaotic force of nature trying to tear everything down. The movie’s sublimely weird tone (it’s basically What About Bob? mixed with Cape Fear) helps challenge each actor, forcing Broderick into more of a dramatic role and forcing Carrey into a horror role. This nicely subverts our expectations about these characters even as it subverts our very understanding of what is and isn’t funny.
The Movie That Broke The Critics
In some ways, The Cable Guy was a victim of Jim Carrey’s outsized success as a breakout ‘90s comedian. The film earned $102.8 million against a budget of $47 million, making it a certified hit; nonetheless, Carrey was such a box office draw that both the studio and the audience expected his dark comedy to earn more money. As producer Judd Apatow (who would later become a director and tastemaker for early aughts comedy) put it, “people looked at it as a failure because it didn’t make even more money.
The Cable Guy was quite baffling to reviewers when its weird vibes first wired their way into theaters. It has a 57 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics complaining that the movie is frustratingly uneven throughout its runtime. They did admit, however, that the film has some deliciously subversive humor and provocative ideas that are often (though not always) enough to offset the uneven tone.
The Star Who Sang The Movie’s Praises
Interestingly, nobody likes this controversial film quite as much as Jim Carrey, who told LADbible in 2022 that “The Cable Guy is one of my favorite movies.” He went on to claim that his deranged character in the film “is all of us: we were all raised by the TV.” In that way, his character is less of a pop culture anomaly and more of a dark mirror image of an audience that is increasingly obsessed with media.
Dancing Into The Future
Personally, I think The Cable Guy was ahead of its time in presenting someone so obsessed with pop culture back when the World Wide Web was relatively new. Now, we live in an age where some people communicate almost exclusively in memes from movies and TV shows, and influencers make their living by reacting to whatever they have recently watched. Furthermore, the meteoric rise of Comic-Con-style events since this film first came out is proof that everyone is collectively crazier about pop culture than ever before.
While it still provides some wonderfully dark chuckles, the modern state of media obsession makes The Cable Guy a bit surreal to watch. It’s difficult to see the titular protagonist’s crazy antics and not think about some of your friends or family members who freak out over movies and TV shows and develop parasocial relationships with online personalities. This makes the film feel downright prescient at times, even as it introduced us to the darker side of Jim Carrey.
A Movie Ahead Of Its Time
Speaking of which, a fascinating side effect of The Cable Guy is that it opened unexpected doors for Carrey: for example, he almost certainly wouldn’t have landed serious roles in films like The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind if not for this earlier dark comedy. This was the film that proved that Carrey could still be compelling and charismatic even when he’s not doing his rubber-faced Ace Ventura thing. He’s gone on to do even more amazing work since then, none of which would have been possible if he hadn’t starred in the most transgressively hilarious film of the ‘90s.
Will you agree that The Cable Guy is a disturbing film that was frighteningly ahead of its time, or would you rather switch back to cable than stream this film on Tubi? You won’t know until you stream it for yourself and discover just how crazy a film can get. Come for the weird comedy and stay for the weirdest homage to Cape Fear ever made!
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 11, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you’re an animal activist.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
No animal products.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter V.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
VEGAN
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for February 11, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re a snacker.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Crack and snack
The words are related to snacks.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe small, crunchy snacks.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is Go Nuts.
NYT Strands word list for February 11
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Pecan
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Filbert
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Macadamia
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Go Nuts
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Cashew
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Pistachio
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Almond
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 11, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you’re head over heels.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
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Yellow: Infatuated
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Green: Money in
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Blue: Densely packed
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Purple: Has wheels
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Act lovestruck
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Green: Earnings
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Blue: Compact mass
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Purple: Roller ___
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #976 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Act lovestruck: MOON, PINE, SWOON, YEARN
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Earnings: GAIN, NET, RETURN, YIELD
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Compact mass: BLOCK, BRICK, CAKE, PUCK
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Roller ___: BAG, COASTER, DERBY, RINK
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
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