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Well it’s been a long time since I wrote. I’ve been meaning to write for weeks now, really. But I just couldn’t find the time. That is until today. And what is it that compels me to write a post after months of putting it off? Well, I can’t believe I’m going to say this but it’s Eminem and Rihanna.
Before I get into this, a slight disclaimer for you all. I really don’t like Eminem or Rihanna’s music. No offense to them, it’s just not my thing. And I haven’t really sat down and watched a music video since TRL was in it’s heyday and Backstreet Boys were fighting it out with N*Sync. But I just had to see the video for Eminem’s new single, “Love The Way You Lie” featuring Rihanna. And it all started a few hours ago…
I was sitting there watching E! News, don’t ask why, even I don’t know why I watch these things. And the very first thing they show is clips of the music video. Then Giuliana and Ryan start discussing that the video is controversial because a lot of people think it glorifies domestic abuse and makes it sexy. From the clips I saw, I had to disagree, but I couldn’t form a real opinion until I saw the video.
In case you’re not the million other people who have viewed it on YouTube then this video depicts the darkest time in Eminem’s life with his now ex-wife, Kim. Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox portray Eminem and Kim, and the video isn’t for the kids. It’s chock full of extreme domestic violence and, yes, there is some sex in there. But in my opinion, I don’t think it glorifies anything; in fact, I think it does the opposite. Short of being a PSA, it shows what a real physically and mentally violent relationship looks like with a bunch of symbolism thrown in. Having Rihanna sing the chorus is also a good and haunting choice as only a year ago she herself was a victim of abuse. And the only “glorifying” I can see is that they used big name Blockbuster stars as the tumultuous couple instead of unknowns.
Now again, a disclaimer: I have personally never been in a physically or emotionally violent relationship but I know a couple of friends and co-workers who have. One that comes to mind is someone I work with. She has told me flat out that her boyfriend has hit her in front of her own children. She says at least once a month that it’s time for him to go and she doesn’t want her children to be exposed to this type of violence. But there she is a week later with a fresh bruise on her arm that suspiciously looks like a hand print and a black eye that no make-up can cover up and her excuse is she walked into a door. I thought that was something you only heard in movies but there you go, right out of the mouth of a real life person.
And when I sat there and watched this music video, it really puts you in the mindset of someone in a relationship like this. Yes it depicts the steamy and passionate love scenes but you see it’s only because the violence is what sets it off. You see Monaghan give her a teddy bear and a flower with promises that he’ll never do it again, and seconds later there they are going at it, Monaghan punching holes through walls and mirrors and Fox not holding back in her punching and spitting. It’s like what Eminem says in the song, not only are they addicted to the fighting but they’re addicted to the making up as well. And you say you’re going to leave but in the end, like in the music video, the cycle just starts all over again.
So I really don’t think this glorifies or sexualizes anything. Some people think the message is lost in translation but I don’t think making it clearer by putting a hot-line number for domestic abuse at the end of the video is what this is all about. It’s about the psychology of it. About being sucked into this whirlwind that you can’t escape from. This comes straight from someone who has been there and I for one think it’s insightful for those of us not exposed to situations like this, and, hopefully, eye opening for those who are.
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So I didn’t write about last weeks Glee but I did like that episode. I thought the way it was handled was different from what we usually got and Murphy pretty much covered his entire demographic by dealing with weight issues especially in teen girls, divorced/widowed parents finding new love and their children coping with that, and newly outed teens struggling to fit in at home and in life in general. I would say that 99.9% of the Glee watchers out there have dealt with at least one of these issues in their lives.
As far as Kurt’s and his dad’s story line, I thought that it was beautiful and sad. I wish they went into it a little more during the episode because those two need to be on screen together more often. Hopefully we’ll see more of that relationship develop because right now, it’s not looking good for the Hummel household. By the way, Kurt’s song “A House is Not a Home” was done beautifully.
I love Kristin Chenoweth but I feel like her character and that story line was bit forced. Maybe that’s not the right word, I still love having April back but I think the story could have been a little better. And the mashup with Will was great but just a little long.
Mercedes weight issues was really poignant. And it was really wonderful to see Quinn trying to help her through it all. Of course “Beautiful” was the perfect song and it was only slightly cheesy that the Glee club joined her while she sang. It would have been nice to see more of the school kids singing with her though.
And so that episode was good. Now this weeks episode… to be honest the first time I saw it I thought it was one of the weakest and weirdest episodes of Glee but upon second viewing, I changed my mind. Some of the stories were a little… off. And I think it was a little too early to have another Sue Sylvester music video because next to Vogue, it was just alright. But the two things I absolutely loved about this episode were the “Run, Joey Run” intentionally over-acted performance and the entire end of the show.
“Run, Joey Run” was hilarious. I LOVE how they made it seem like a high schooler, especially one Rachel Berry, would think it was the best thing in the world. The over-exaggerated emotions, the drama, the Rachel Berry faces… it was just an amazing thing to behold. I keep watching it because it is so ridiculous. And to see Finn wearing that leather jacket.
Of course this little ditty made Puck, Finn, and Jesse all angry at her. Well Puck was mad because he thought the video was stupid, but Finn and Jesse had a certain right to be pissed. Finn because he’s still struggling with his feelings for Rachel and she used him to make herself look promiscuous. Jesse because two other dudes were in the video when it should have been just him. If you really think about it though, these reasons are pretty high schoolish. Anyways this leads to the entire Glee club losing more respect for her and she ends up alienating herself from the group. Again.
Anyway this all leads to Jesse dumping Rachel and then a beautiful rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Lea Michelle sang it so beautifully. And she is doubly talent for doing that ballet scene. Now I’m the last person to judge a ballet performance because I have minus zero knowledge of the subject but I read that she did it pretty well. And there’s one part where Jonathan Groff kind of twirls her from his chest and twists her arm and glides her to the floor. I don’t even know if that’s what he did, but it looked so graceful and effortless. I really, really loved this performance and when I first watched it on Tuesday night, I thought this song pretty much redeemed the entire episode.
Next week looks great. Kurt is definitely going through something. Rachel loses her voice. I didn’t see any sign of Jesse which kind of makes me sad. I know he’ll be back for the finale but I hope we’ll see more of him before then. Until next week, I know I’ll be watching those two performances over and over again.
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As much as I adore Chuck, I don’t think I’ve written about it yet. I think I mentioned it as a point in my Leno/Conan debacle post. Anyway, what better episode to blog about than Chuck vs. The Honeymooners?
Now I watched this episode with a non-Chuck fan and she absolutely didn’t get what was going on. But if you’re like me and have watched every single episode since season one then you know what I’m talking about when I say that Monday’s episode of Chuck was definitely one for the fans, and I am a BIG fan.
I was practically giddy with excitement at seeing Chuck and Sarah together in a real, honest-to-God relationship. Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski have the best chemistry, especially now, and Chuck and Sarah are the cutest TV couple since Jim and Pam started dating. And from what I understand this new relationship of theirs is here to stay, hopefully until the end of the show (which may be sooner than Chuck fans want… more on that later). I just hope that now that they are together, the interest in the show won’t decline because the Chuck/Sarah “will-they-won’t-they” tension was a huge part of the success of the show. But if Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak can keep up the momentum that the “Honeymooners” episode had, than I think everything will be completely fine.
Besides the cuteness of Chuck and Sarah (which left me smiling after the final scene) the episode also provided some other great and new things. Obviously the Morgan and Casey relationship is something to behold because it is perfect. And who knew Morgan could be so helpful when involved in the CIA? I think it’s kind of funny that Casey and Morgan fighting the bad guys tied together was such a clear call back to an early episode where Chuck and Casey are tied together fighting the bad guys. It’s like a dawning of a new bromance and both started the same way. And I just want to go on record saying Casey is one of the best things about this show.
Another interesting thing to see was Ellie and Awesome’s good-bye party. It was the first time that Chuck wasn’t there for Ellie, but in true Ellie form she forgave him in the sweetest way. And I know that they’re going to Africa but I have a feeling they will be back in no time. And by “no time” I mean the season finale. But I think this story line was the only rushed part of the show. But hey, an acoustic Jeffster performance, you can’t get a better going away present than that. Well… maybe you can.
Chuck has had a great season so far. I know some fans were apprehensive with Chuck’s new intersect, Shaw, and Chuck and Sarah relationships that didn’t involve them together. But the episode before this one, which was supposed to be a finale episode, was incredible and they are definitely keeping that general feeling of awesomeness going. I hear the real finale is going to be epic and I’m not exaggerating.
But will the finale be a series or a season? NBC is making BAD choices lately so I hope for their sake that they keep Chuck. The ratings have improved and held steady for the last three or four episodes and that’s with a three week break because Monday’s and the one before. If NBC does get rid of Chuck, they will be making a HUGE mistake because the only thing they’ll have going for it is the Thursday night comedies not to mention a large and devoted fan base will be extra pissed with the network.
Honestly if they are having doubts that Chuck can keep up the ratings then give the show a chance and move it to another night. Right now it’s going up against House, Dancing with the Stars, and the CBS comedy hits. Why not move it to Wednesdays at 8 or 9? Sure it would be going up against Idol and Modern Family at those times, but I feel like Chuck isn’t getting the ratings it deserves because it’s up against three or four shows instead of just one viable competitor. I know I said before that it might do well on Thursday at 10, I’m not so sure now because it might be a bit late for Chuck’s younger viewers. All I know is if Chuck was moved, I think it would do a lot better in the eyes of the NBC execs.
Until then, Chuck continues to develop into an even better show than us fans could have imagined. I can’t wait to see where all these new relationships and story lines are going to go. And for those fans that want to help out, watch the show live. Don’t watch something else and DVR it for later. Take all the polls you can find to save Chuck. And www.chucktv.net is doing some amazing things with their fan campaigns including asking fans to submit ads to their local papers or Craigslist AND a flash mob in certain cities (unfortunately I am too far away from any of them). We saved Chuck from an early fate last year and we can do it again.
I still love Chuck and I always will.
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For those of you who are tired of my jabbering on about Glee, let’s take a quick second to talk about The Office.
I have been a fan of The Office for almost as long as it’s been on the air. In college I had all my friends over for an Office night. I have recruited even the most adamant Office opposer to fandom. I have seen pretty much every episode of most of the seasons multiple times and I kick ass in The Office boardgame I have. All that being said, this season has sucked. A lot.
Of course, Jim and Pam’s wedding and the birth of their baby were the best episodes we’ve gotten in a long time, but other than that, there really is only a handful that have been good. I mean a clip show, REALLY?!? Doesn’t the very fact of airing a clip show go against everything The Office is supposed to stand for? But I digress;
Last night’s episode was good. Everything in it was a call back to Season 2 and 3. The story lines were funny and Michael’s extreme social awkwardness, that has been a bit out of control this season, was toned down to the Michael we all love and have come to expect; that is, the Michael that majorly screws up a situation that doesn’t involve him.
It was nice to see the newcomers get more face time and that the supporting cast got a major story line, ie.) the Oscar-made video of Kevin as the Cookie Monster and everyone reacting to it. All in all this episode made me laugh, which lately I haven’t been doing while watching this show and I hate to admit that because I really am a devoted Office fan. Hopefully this is just the phase in The Office life cycle where a season kind of sucks. Every show that’s been on the air as long as The Office has been goes through this phase. I just hope that The Office can maintain a good episode like this for longer than one week.
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The last episode of Glee, “The Power of Madonna,” was just too good to not write about.
Even before the episode aired it was being called “the best hour of television this year” (from Ken Tucker at Entertainment Weekly, also known as my-holy-grail-even-though-they-don’t-like-Psych). And Glee definitely did not disappoint.
I think I mentioned this in my last post but I am not the biggest Madonna fan. I don’t have anything against her, but I was just never into her music (although for some reason I REALLY loved “Hung Up”). I knew of pretty much all the songs before Ryan Murphy Glee-afied them and I have to say that the cast really did a fantastic job.
I was nervous when I heard that there would be ten songs in this episode because I didn’t know if it was possible to have so many songs integrated into the already full plot. What we got was eight performed songs, one of which was just the Cheerio’s dancing to a recording of Madonna’s “Ray of Light” and another was a mash-up of two of her songs which I will get to shortly. I had nothing to be nervous about as Murphy clearly knew what songs were best and this is one of the few episodes where I didn’t question why he put a certain song in a certain scene.
The plot was simple. Sue idolizes Madonna and wanted to empower her Cheerios by doing a Madonna-themed routine. Will wanted to help out the girls because they haven’t been treated well by the boys and so the girl empowerment begins.
Some important things to note: I don’t like when people call this a kids show because it’s not. Especially this episode. It is geared toward high schoolers and anyone under the age of 14 probably should just stick with the music videos (and in this episode I’m thinking “Like A Prayer” is the only one suitable for tweens and younger). But I like how Murphy handled the subject of losing one’s virginity. The truth is, teens are having sex at a younger and younger age. I really liked how Murphy didn’t preach, “Sex is bad; Abstain” because that gets no where. He showed three characters, Rachel, Finn and Emma, struggling with the idea of having sex for the first time.
I like how Rachel decided that she wasn’t ready and telling Jesse “No.” And as much as I didn’t want Santana to be the one to usher Finn into the World of Sex, I’m glad a male lead actually felt guilty about it instead of turning around and high-fiveing his buddies and acting like a tool. Finn didn’t want to be labeled as “The Big V” anymore so he gave it up to someone random, which is true for a lot of people. And he felt nothing because Santana meant nothing to him. Now he is regretting giving in to peer pressure and I applaud Murphy for going this route because not a lot of shows do this. And poor Emma: I really wanted her to finally have sex and I’m sure Shue would have been good to her, but she still wasn’t ready. And while I’m sure her OCD has something to do with it, I also think there is a subconscious feeling that she’s just not there yet with Will and she doesn’t want to give herself to him just to get hurt in the end.
Another thing to bring up was the degradation of women. While I felt it was odd that high schoolers should be feeling this way, obviously the Power of Madonna wouldn’t be complete without girl empowerment. The only thing a bit unnatural about this episode was the guys being so gung-ho at the end. Yes, they realized that the girls need to be treated better but Finn and Shue constantly reiterating that point I think detracted from the importance and reality of the situation. But the songs sure did help get the girls empowered and for the boys to start treating them better so I’m going to end this post with a rundown of the songs, all of which I thought were performed extremely well.
Ray of Light
Performed by the Cheerios and the only song not sung by the Glee cast, I thought the cheerleading routine was mind-boggling. Where do you find people to dance and swing around on incredibly tall stilts? Whoever is responsible for finding the back up dancers for the Cheerios, bravo.
Express Yourself
I still can’t decide if this is my favorite song from the episode but I keep going back to watch it over and over. The girls did a great job performing this and the choreography was really fantastic. I loved how fiercely the girls sang this, they were full of attitude and it was amazing. And I would love to know where I can find whatever it was they were wearing under the suit jackets. Anyone?
Mash Up of Borderline/Open Your Heart
What a good mash up. Perfectly captures what Rachel and Finn are thinking at that moment. Rachel singing “I don’t want to be a prisoner so baby set me free” and Finn’s “Don’t try to resist me/Open your heart to me,” I mean, could it get anymore perfect? Um yes, the ending where they have that awkward moment and go their separate ways. LOVED IT. And the Madonnas in the background at first got me confused but at the end when you realized that it’s almost a daydream like sequence then it made sense. And Cory Montieth: loved your singing and I love when you play the drums. My crush on you has officially tripled.
Vogue
I don’t think I will ever get tired of this video. Jane Lynch of course makes this video awesome but the more I watch it, the more I love Chris Colfer. I almost wish they didn’t show this last week just so we can fully appreciate the grandeur and general awesomeness that is Sue Sylvester’s take on “Vogue.”
Like A Virgin
There may not have been any dancing involved but this was one of the best choreographed (and edited) scenes in all of Glee. Three couples in three different bedrooms doing this same, I guess you can call it a bedroom dream performance, and all at the same time was incredible to see. I’m not sure what the right word to describe this performance is; hot, flush-inducing, risque, sexy… but it was amazing.
4 Minutes
Another one of my favorites. Loved the marching band, especially the trumpets. And LOVED that Mercedes and Kurt got to shine. Chris Colfer, where did that voice come from? Performed amazingly by everyone. This song was just a plain old good time.
What It Feels Like For A Girl
Compared to the other songs, this wasn’t the best of the episode but having the boys sing it gave it almost a new meaning. I almost wish it was straight up acapella but it was a good song nonetheless.
Like A Prayer
Beautiful. And the extended version is even better. In fact, the extended versions of all these songs are better than on the show if that is possible. And maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for gospel choirs but man, what a great song. And Amber Riley got to dance and sing with her mom! When I learned that it just made the whole performance even better. Beautiful way to end one of the most dynamic episodes of the season thus far.
This episode has been hyped up for so long and I’m really glad it lived up to it’s expectations. I have absolutely no idea how next week will live up to this episode. Maybe it won’t, maybe it will. But this was just a good, solid, and entertaining hour of television.
For those that missed this episode or don’t like Glee but are thinking of giving it a try, “The Power of Madonna” will be airing again tonight at 9/8c on Fox
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If I do have any readers out there, first of all, thank you for reading! Second, I really do apologize for not posting often. And I’m afraid I might not be able to post even more because starting this week I’m now working all seven days and I am NOT one of those people that can work on no sleep. My body needs a decent amount otherwise it’s really, very bad. So me going to bed early every night really puts a damper on my blogging.
So I’m going to try to write my usually very long posts as quickly as I can. Hey, maybe now I will post more often, just not as long as usual. I don’t know, we’ll see how it goes, eh?
Alright well I just want say a quick thing about the return of Glee. I’m VERY glad it’s back on because I have missed this show possibly a little too much. And it got ridiculous ratings that other networks can only get with dancing and singing competitions. And while I’m glad it’s back, I have to say that it was just alright for me. Oh I hear you booing me but it’s the truth. I mean, especially following “Sectionals” which was amazing with both the story and the singing.
I’m not saying “Hell-o” was bad because it wasn’t. It was just a little weak in my opinion, possibly because they threw in new plot points rather quickly. First Finn and Rachel are together, then they break up, then Finn wants Rachel back but she’s dating their rival. That happened in about what, the first twenty minutes?
But like I said, it’s great to have this show back. Some things I did like:
- Sue back with a vengeance. Oh how I missed you Ms. Sylvester.
- Finn singing Hello, I Love You. It may not have been the best version of the song, but Montieth’s singing skills are greatly improving. C’mon, when he started that song he sounded hot.
- Britney! The stuff that comes out of her mouth is amazing.
- Jonathan Groff as Jesse St. James. I never did see Groff and Lea Michelle in Spring Awakening but I have read a lot about their chemistry and it really is undeniable. Great casting. Singing that Lionel Ritchie song together was probably the best song in the whole episode. And what the H is he up to? Is he good or bad? I’m going to assume bad but you just never know with Glee.
- Idina Menzel as the coach of their rivals, Vocal Adrenaline. That was quite the make-out scene she had with Mr. Schue. Can’t wait to see how they use her in the rest of the season.
Things I didn’t enjoy:
- They didn’t use enough of the cast in this one, although I will allow it since I hear that everyone will have at least one episode where we really get into their characters more. I hear especially good things about another Artie-centric episode.
- Will and Emma. I knew they wouldn’t last the episode. It’ll be interesting to see where it goes though as next week it seems the power of Madonna rouses up something in Little Miss OCD. Also Will, saying “There are so many things you don’t know about me and I can’t wait to show them all to you,” is NOT okay. It makes you sound like you have multiple personalities and some of them are creepy. Like the one that said that line.
- As I said before, the ups-and-downs of Finn and Rachel. I think it’s a little too early for that. But I have faith in Ryan Murphy. They OBVIOUSLY can’t get together this season for good, but I think it”ll be nice to see jealous Finn instead of jealous Rachel this half of the season.
- The way everyone repeatedly tells others they need to find themselves. We get it. That’s why Finn and Schue are so crazy this episode. But let’s break it down. Schue told Finn. Shelby told Schue. Rachel kind of tells Finn. Emma tells Schue. How many times do we have to hear the same line in an episode?
Well this is all from memory so I’m sure I’m forgetting the rest of the good and the bad. But now it’s time for me to get ready for bed. Let me just say that even though I’m not the biggest Madonna fan in the world, especially compared to my cousin Nikki (Hi, Nikki!) but I am REALLY looking forward to Tuesdays episode. Maybe more for the plot then the songs. From what I hear it’s really quite different from what we’ve seen so far. A bit more risque. And the sneak peak of Sue’s Vogue video was insanely awesome. I don’t know how the heck they will weave that little gem into the plot but I sure as hell can’t wait to see how it all works out.
Alright time for bed. Lame. Looking forward to what’s to come though…
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Oh I am being such a bad blogger. It’s not that there’s not anything good on. Quite the opposite in fact. The finales of Psych, Burn Notice, and Big Love were incredible. Chuck has been fantastic even though I hear NBC might pull the plug again (I know I’m not the only one that thinks it would do better on USA and deserves to be on TV). How I Met Your Mother makes me laugh. 30 Rock and Community have been consistently hilarious. It’s my bad that I haven’t been posting because there is a lot of good stuff out there, you just have to know where to look.
Which brings me to Southland. In it’s freshman year, Southland went above and beyond any cop drama I have ever seen. Granted I haven’t been watching cop dramas as long as some others since my generation has really only been exposed to the Law and Orders and the CSI’s (etc) and I’m too young to remember any cop shows that predates the 90s (although I’m not that young). Also I didn’t get HBO on my own TV until this year. But that’s besides the point…
I knew from the first five minutes of it’s pilot episode that Southland didn’t belong on NBC because this was a quality, gritty, in-your-face drama and we all know shows like this don’t last on anything BUT cable. So I wasn’t surprised when NBC canned it while they were in the middle of filming their second season (although c’mon NBC execs… if you knew you weren’t going to keep it then why did you tell them to start filming?). So I was very happy to hear that TNT picked it up because there couldn’t be a better channel to show it on. The “We Know Drama” channel. And so the second season started and it’s just as good, if not better, than the first.
For those that don’t know, Southland is set up as a documentary and unlike other “documentary” shows, this one actually feels like it. They let the swearing fly. They show crime scenes almost too realistically, unlike the contrived CSI episode that just happens to be on the TV as I write this. When they do car chases, the camera man is right there in the car feeling every bump and swerve. When they do foot chases it’s like the camera man is really running down the road with them with a huge camera on their shoulders, and keeping up. Even when they delve into the individual cops personal lives, it’s like we are one of them. Their flaws are our flaws. Except they hold the weight of the diverse LA citizens’ safety on their already damaged shoulders.
Southland goes where other cops shows are afraid to and that’s why I like it. It actually feels like you’re on a ride along with the LAPD. They deal with everything from something minor, like busting a prostitute or pulling drunk people over, to the very serious, ie. murders, kidnapping, domestic disputes turned ugly and so much more. This scripted show is more real than the “unscripted” reality TV that is forced on us TV viewers. Every situation on Southland is true-to-life and there’s no sugar coating it. Oh and sometimes they don’t always get the bad guys and crimes do go unsolved.
I read that the show’s producers and actors don’t know if it will be coming back for a third season and that is a real shame. So I implore all of you who happen to read this; if you’re tired of the same old cop drama, give Southland a try. Yes, it might be too gritty or intense for some of you. But for others you might just see something you like. Oh and the acting is above and beyond as well.
Take a step into their shoes and see that police officers and detectives are an entirely different breed of people and that it’s not all open and shut like most cop dramas make it seem.
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Well I’ve been a bad blogger although I’m pretty sure no one reads these posts. But anyways I felt I would make it up to you, the person who stumbled across my page while searching for something completely different, with a little insight into me and my pop culture confessions. Let’s get started.
1. I am a young woman and I have NEVER seen The Notebook. And to top that, I have only seen about 10 minutes total of Titanic. And here’s a news flash: I don’t want to see any of The Notebook or any more of Titanic. I think both are over done and I just have no interested in either of them.
2. I don not want to see Avatar… ever. Again, I have zero interest in it. Sorry James Cameron and the “future” of movies.
3. I went to college and I didn’t (and still don’t) have any Dave Matthews Band or Green Day songs on my iTunes. Well at least at my college, pretty much everyone listened to them. And I can’t stand them. I hope I’m not insulting anyone.
4. Oprah bothers me. Ellen is awesome. I also tend to stay away from the books in Oprah’s Book Club. I guess I should be happy that she gets so many people to read but I prefer to read something I find interesting and not because a mass amount of people are because some famous person suggested it.
5. I can’t get into Lost. My sister made me watched the first couple of episodes and I just wasn’t feeling it
6. I do not want to see Dear John. A Walk to Remember is about as much Nicholas Sparks as I can take.
7. I really, really don’t like Greys Anatomy. It is at the top of my list of things I never want to watch. Right up there with The Notebook.
8. I actually enjoy NCIS but it is probably the most predictable show on television. And I think that’s part of the reason why I like.
9. I can’t stand the Twilight series. My love for anything vampire related died when Buffy ended. Also on a similar note, I don’t see why every girl likes Robert Pattinson. But I will say that I LOVE Harry Potter and have always had a literary crush on Ron Weasley.
10. I don’t find George Clooney, Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp attractive. I will say Cory Monteith, John Krasinski, and Zachary Levi are right up my alley. On the flip side, if had a role model in an actress, I’d want to be like Tina Fey or Anne Hathaway.
Well it think ten pop culture confessions should be good although there are plenty more. I feel like I may have angered everyone my age and younger with some of the stuff I don’t like but oh well. I’m sure not all of you like Glee and Otis Redding and Psych, etc, etc, etc. But if there is someone out there reading this, I’d love to hear, well.. read, your pop culture confessions. One entertainment lover to another.
Until next time and I’ll try to make next time sooner than a month from now…
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After reading the statement Conan O’Brien issued today regarding his stance with NBC all I can say is, bravo Conan! I completely agree with your decision.
When I first heard Leno was coming back I was disgusted with NBC and Leno. NBC shouldn’t have offered Leno his new show and time slot and Leno should have had the good grace to bow out and retire. Conan was offered the job to replace him and I think he would have done a wonderful job had they not royally screwed him over. I absolutely knew that Leno’s show would not work and it would sink NBC lower in the ratings. Millions of people obviously agreed with me. Not only did Leno’s show tank, but it took down the local affiliates late night news, Conan, Jimmy, and Carson.
I would hate to see this happen but I fully endorse Conan opting to leave a station that has been nothing but disrespectful to him. They stuck with him years ago and they should have kept that up. NBC can say they want to make it work all they want but they disgraced him when they decided Leno needed to stay after they had already agreed with Conan years ago that Leno would be out of the picture.
Also, Conan showed a lot of class with his statement and he added a bit of his humor in there. If the people running NBC had any sense at all they would keep this man and dump the one that is ruining what little chance they have left of keeping fans and rising in the ratings. Here are a couple of things NBC should do to save their network, which I have always had a soft spot for. These are merely ideas from a person fanatical about anything TV related and I’m by no means a professional. But if you do just one of these things, you’ll be on your way to better standings and have gained the respect back from your viewers.
1. DITCH LENO. KEEP CONAN (if he’ll still air with you)
2. Move Heroes to your sister station SyFy. It would do a lot better on cable then where it is now. If you don’t want to move it, have the decency to put it out of it’s misery and cancel the show.
3. Move Chuck to Thursday nights at 10. Yes it will go up against Burn Notice on USA but I think Chuck fits better on a comedy night and with the lead in from 30 Rock I think it would do well.
4. Don’t rely on your Law and Orders. They aren’t doing as well as the CSI’s and the NCIS’s. I think you should drop the idea of a Law and Order LA before it even starts because you’ll not only be copying NCIS, but people won’t want to watch it.
5. When you’re vetting for new Fall shows, for the love of God, go with something different and stick with it. We didn’t need two hospital based dramas to fill the void of ER’s departure. If you want more dramas, you should have stuck with Southland. That was a great and gritty police drama that we rarely get to see (although I’m glad it moved to TNT it fits better there… Because. They. Take. Risks.). Stop copying other networks. It just comes off as desperate.
6. When you hear pilots for sitcoms, don’t go with it because it’s Office-esque or reminds you of Friends. Those shows worked for a reason. Stop trying to duplicate it because copies are never good.
7. If you must stay with reality shows do a good one (if there is such a thing). Sing Off was relying on the fans from Glee and trust me, Glee is better. No one watches Celebrity Apprentice. America’s Got Talent was your attempt at being American Idol but Idol is losing it’s steam and AGT never had it in the first place. The only one that works is Biggest Loser. How about a reality show we, the working public, can relate to? Or none at all?
8. Know what works and what doesn’t BEFORE you make major decisions about your network. Thrusday night comedy night works. Leno obviously didn’t. Chuck has a bigger fan base than you think and it’s growing. Heroes is dying. Your dramas aren’t really that great. Take all these facts and go from there.
9. Face the reality of your situation. You can improve you network status if you stop doing the same things you’ve been doing because it’s not working. You need to change and you need to change fast.
10. And here’s one final, radical idea. Listen to your fans. Hey you still have some left! Poll them. Have them fill out surveys. Invite them to New York and just talk about the state of your network (if you have the money and resources for that). We know what we want. We knew Leno wouldn’t work. You’re lame excuse about his show saving you money made us lose even more respect for you. Get it back by listening to the people that actually watch what you put on TV.
Oh NBC. You deserve your low network ranking for all the crap you’ve done these last couple of years. Chuck, The Office, 30Rock, Community and most importantly, Conan, can do better than you. Although you did give them a chance and look at how well they are/were doing. What happened to the good old days when sticoms/dramas meant something and if it didn’t work for a season, you gave it another shot and didn’t can it to bring in something no one wants to see. Accept that you need to change.
And to Conan. You are funny, intelligent and classy. You deserve to be on a station that sees that and I do hope you find a home and can continue to make people laugh. You bought more comedy and class to the Johnny Carson legacy then Leno ever did. Good luck to you for whatever happens in your future.
-Always a fan
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Hello all and Happy 2010! I hope all your New Years festivities were fantastic! Mine was amazing. Saw friends I haven’t seen since last New Years and we had a great time! Miss you Melanie and Denny!
Anyways, I’m writing this because I love reading. I love books. I love adding to my book case. So when I first heard about things like the Kindle and the Nook, I didn’t really think anything of it. I knew I wouldn’t be using them and I figured there would be more people out there like me.
I guess I was wrong because shortly after Christmas I kept reading reports that e-books outsold real books. Now I’m sure this was because everyone who got a Kindle/Nook/whatever-it’s-called on Christmas were eagerly downloading books to read. But this is still mind-boggling to me.
Do people not appreciate the feel of a good book in their hands and turning real pages? Why would anyone want to hurt their eyes more from reading off a bright screen? Look, I work on my computer all day, my eyes are already screwed up. I like the fact that when I read, my eyes aren’t going nuts on me. It’s an escape from the damage I’m inevitably putting my eyes through from staring at my computer for the majority of the day.
And then I had a horrible glimpse into the future: Bookcases empty except for a lone Kindle. Children of the future not knowing what a real book is. Bookstores being eliminated.
Okay, maybe I’m overreacting. I’m sure that real books will still be around but I’m really afraid that our future children are going to reach for a screen to read The Berinstein Bears and Cat in the Hat instead of the actual, wonderful, real hold-in-your-hands turn-real-pages books. Not to mention that Borders, my sanctuary, is closing A LOT of their Express/Waldenbook stores all over the country. When will the actual stores be next? I hope not soon because that will be one very sad day.
I get why people are interested in these things. It’s an easy way to buy books. It’s cheap. It’s lightweight. But I will never, ever own one. I honestly don’t believe that books should be read like this. I like going to bookstores and browsing the aisles. I like reading a book and feeling it’s weight in my hands. I like the smell of the ink and paper. I really don’t believe that books should go the way of music and movies. Those need to be evolving, but books just seem… sacred. I’ll be buying my books the old fashioned way.; until I die or there are no bookstores left on Earth. And I hope I never, ever have to see that in my lifetime.
