Don't laugh at me. I don't generally watch Dancing with the Stars, but as Jenna mentioned, Tuesday is a wasteland.
So, I'm only posting for one reason, though there are additional things I could talk about. But there is only one reason I'm going to actually watch this show - sometimes - this season.
Kelly Osbourne.
She is absolutely fabulous. Everything about her performances is genuine and full of joy. I have seen portions of this show before, and I'm sure there have been better dancers, but I seriously doubt there has ever been anyone on the show who is such a complete joy to watch.
Even better was Ozzy getting choked up when asked about what it was like to watch is daughter dance. He was so proud. He was seriously a choked up. It was incredibly sweet.
I will actually keep watching, just to see her. But I'll probably flip the channel while everyone else is dancing.
Read more!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
TV - The Emmys
Remember last year's Emmys? Oh the horror. A gaggle of uncooperative and uncomfortable reality TV hosts took the stage and "improved" an intro that made everyone shudder.
Thank goodness the Television Overlords recognized the splendor that is Neil Patrick Harris, and thank goodness NPH had the good sense to demand being a producer for the show as well, so that there was some hope in it being run efficiently while also being entertaining. I think he was successful. Read on for more.
In general I thought the show was good, the winners were boring. None of my favorites won in the acting categories, nor did any of my second favorites with the exception of Kristen Chenoweth, who I still love and think is great and looked amazing, although I though Wiig or Poehler probably deserved the nod after an actually amazing year of SNL.
Grouping the awards in genre was a neat idea, by which I mean that it was tidy and easy to follow. However, that kind of lead to a real boring middle section of who-gives-a-care about Amazing Race, Little Dorrit, or Gray Gardens.
But the real story here is NPH. I loved how dapper he was, that he's a song-and-dance man, that he cared enough and showed that he cared by staying on stage. I cannot believe that he didn't win his Emmy! That was the biggest crock-of-hoohah especially considering who he lost to. Anyway, I loved the Dr. Horrible bit and the blunt discussion that broadcast television is fading into the background as the world expands into On-Demand and Internet viewing.
Wait, maybe that's the real story: the television world is certainly in a crazy shifting, expanding state. The way ratings are determined and valued is in flux as DVR viewings have to count almost as much as live-viewing, let alone factoring in Hulu or iTunes downloads. America isn't all sitting down on the couch at the same minute to have a shared experience anymore, and valuing commercials that air along with live programming is sooo 20th century. To quote presenter and nominee Julia Louis-Dreyfus, perhaps this is the "last official year of network broadcast television" ... but probably not. : )
Read more!
Thank goodness the Television Overlords recognized the splendor that is Neil Patrick Harris, and thank goodness NPH had the good sense to demand being a producer for the show as well, so that there was some hope in it being run efficiently while also being entertaining. I think he was successful. Read on for more.
In general I thought the show was good, the winners were boring. None of my favorites won in the acting categories, nor did any of my second favorites with the exception of Kristen Chenoweth, who I still love and think is great and looked amazing, although I though Wiig or Poehler probably deserved the nod after an actually amazing year of SNL.
Grouping the awards in genre was a neat idea, by which I mean that it was tidy and easy to follow. However, that kind of lead to a real boring middle section of who-gives-a-care about Amazing Race, Little Dorrit, or Gray Gardens.
But the real story here is NPH. I loved how dapper he was, that he's a song-and-dance man, that he cared enough and showed that he cared by staying on stage. I cannot believe that he didn't win his Emmy! That was the biggest crock-of-hoohah especially considering who he lost to. Anyway, I loved the Dr. Horrible bit and the blunt discussion that broadcast television is fading into the background as the world expands into On-Demand and Internet viewing.
Wait, maybe that's the real story: the television world is certainly in a crazy shifting, expanding state. The way ratings are determined and valued is in flux as DVR viewings have to count almost as much as live-viewing, let alone factoring in Hulu or iTunes downloads. America isn't all sitting down on the couch at the same minute to have a shared experience anymore, and valuing commercials that air along with live programming is sooo 20th century. To quote presenter and nominee Julia Louis-Dreyfus, perhaps this is the "last official year of network broadcast television" ... but probably not. : )
Read more!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Book - The Road
The most recent pick for my book-club was "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. I am so happy that this was our choice. What an amazing novel: my favorite since "...Edgar Sawtelle." It doesn't sound like it should be an enjoyable book: the story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a father and son wander the lands trying to survive. However, thanks to the captivating writing and the powerful emotions it provokes, reading this book was a beautiful experience. Read on for further discussion.
The reader doesn't know what cataclysmic event took place to ruin the continent, but the land is now burnt to a crisp and ash hangs in the air making is dusty and gray during the day and absolutely pitch-black at night. We don't know how long the world has been in this shape, but can estimate that it's been perhaps somewhere around eight years (the boy was born into this world just a few days after the incident and seems to be around eight years old when we pick up their story). The father and son, who are given no names nor any real physical descriptions, are heading south to beat the worst of the winter and to perhaps see the state of the ocean. They search for survival supplies and exist on any found canned foods, as nothing is able to grow in this utterly barren landscape. Perhaps most frighteningly, there are roving gangs of evil people who have resorted to cannibalism - real life zombies!
The writing is simple prose mixed with poetic and cryptic passages that are chilling and beautiful. I had to resort to my dictionary about a thousand times thanks to McCarthy's vast vocabulary, but his way with words is worth the effort. One reviewer remarked that the urgency provoked in the writing made the reader feel they HAD to turn the pages in order to help the father and son survive: so true!
This is a tremendous parable about love and humanity that has often been associated with a biblical style. It's true that the father comes off as a sometimes vengeful God while the son is the encapsulation of mercy and hope. Together these two "carry the light" while in the darkest of circumstances that is in no way clichéd. Read more!
The reader doesn't know what cataclysmic event took place to ruin the continent, but the land is now burnt to a crisp and ash hangs in the air making is dusty and gray during the day and absolutely pitch-black at night. We don't know how long the world has been in this shape, but can estimate that it's been perhaps somewhere around eight years (the boy was born into this world just a few days after the incident and seems to be around eight years old when we pick up their story). The father and son, who are given no names nor any real physical descriptions, are heading south to beat the worst of the winter and to perhaps see the state of the ocean. They search for survival supplies and exist on any found canned foods, as nothing is able to grow in this utterly barren landscape. Perhaps most frighteningly, there are roving gangs of evil people who have resorted to cannibalism - real life zombies!
The writing is simple prose mixed with poetic and cryptic passages that are chilling and beautiful. I had to resort to my dictionary about a thousand times thanks to McCarthy's vast vocabulary, but his way with words is worth the effort. One reviewer remarked that the urgency provoked in the writing made the reader feel they HAD to turn the pages in order to help the father and son survive: so true!
This is a tremendous parable about love and humanity that has often been associated with a biblical style. It's true that the father comes off as a sometimes vengeful God while the son is the encapsulation of mercy and hope. Together these two "carry the light" while in the darkest of circumstances that is in no way clichéd. Read more!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Important Issue #1: Male Boob Equivalent
Women have butts and so do men. Full-frontal shots of pubic areas carry the same "wow" factor regardless of sex. But what packs the same punch as a full frontal boob-shot when men are involved? Yes, I know that men have nipples and chests, but those are hardly as sexualized as the female breasts.
Although this area could be found on the female form as well, my vote is for the pelvic indentations found on the male lower abdomen, usually accompanied by some sort of "treasure trail," as illustrated within the yellow box below. I anxiously await your thoughts on this important issue!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
TV - Fall Schedule
This is more for my convenience, but please feel free to read-on for a handy schedule of when television shows start their new seasons. I edited the one created by Ausiellio from EW significantly, but you can view his complete schedule HERE.
Thursday, September 17:
Bones, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Community, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
Fringe, 9 p.m. (Fox)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 10 p.m. (FX)
The Office, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Parks and Recreation, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Friday, September 18:
Crash, 10 p.m. (Starz)
Sunday, September 20:
Bored to Death, 9:30 p.m. (HBO)
Curb Your Enthusiasm, 9 p.m. (HBO)
Monday, September 21:
The Big Bang Theory, 9:30 p.m. (CBS)
Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Heroes, 8 p.m. (NBC)
House, 8 p.m. (Fox)
How I Met Your Mother, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Thursday, September 24:
Flash Forward, 8 p.m. (ABC)
The Mentalist, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Friday, September 25:
Dollhouse, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Ghost Whisperer, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Saturday, September 26:
Saturday Night Live, 11:30 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, September 27:
The Cleveland Show, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Dexter, 9 p.m. (Showtime)
Family Guy, 9 p.m. (Fox)
The Simpsons, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Friday, October 9:
Ugly Betty, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Thursday, September 17:
Bones, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Community, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
Fringe, 9 p.m. (Fox)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 10 p.m. (FX)
The Office, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Parks and Recreation, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Friday, September 18:
Crash, 10 p.m. (Starz)
Sunday, September 20:
Bored to Death, 9:30 p.m. (HBO)
Curb Your Enthusiasm, 9 p.m. (HBO)
Monday, September 21:
The Big Bang Theory, 9:30 p.m. (CBS)
Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Heroes, 8 p.m. (NBC)
House, 8 p.m. (Fox)
How I Met Your Mother, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Thursday, September 24:
Flash Forward, 8 p.m. (ABC)
The Mentalist, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Friday, September 25:
Dollhouse, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Ghost Whisperer, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Saturday, September 26:
Saturday Night Live, 11:30 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, September 27:
The Cleveland Show, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Dexter, 9 p.m. (Showtime)
Family Guy, 9 p.m. (Fox)
The Simpsons, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Monday, October 5:
Sherri, 7 p.m. (Lifetime)
Sherri, 7 p.m. (Lifetime)
Friday, October 9:
Ugly Betty, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Thursday, October 15:
30 Rock, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
30 Rock, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
Tuesday, November 3:
V, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Read more!
V, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Book - The Lovely Bones
Alice Sebold's debut novel was a huge best-seller a couple of years ago. Now more readers are looking at it with a more critical eye. Why? Because it doesn't really live up to the hype. The story is a bleak one: a 14 year old girl, Susie, is raped and murdered by her next-door neighbor. I'm not spoiling anything by telling you that, it happens in the first couple of pages. Susie then proceeds to heaven where she is able to look over her grieving family and have insight into their thoughts.
Don't be fooled: this is not a murder mystery. The story is not about the evil man getting caught and being brought to justice. Although Susie's father pursues finding the culprit, this novel is much more about how each member of the family deals with grief... and nothing really happens. They live troubled lives and suffer a bunch but nothing really progresses except time (the book spans about eight years).
Beyond the critiques of the narration "gimmick," due attention has been brought to the fact that the writing style is forced. There are some crazy similes, one of the worst being "Her pupils dilated, pulsing in and out like small, ferocious olives". THIS WOMAN wrote a hilarious and scathing review that is worth reading for other examples of the crazy language and just for a good laugh. However, whereas this woman would only recommend the book "to enemies" I would recommend it to anyone who can handle somewhat sappy stories. The book isn't all that long and the depiction of heaven is interesting and thought-provoking.
Even though this review is long enough already, it's still worth talking about the fact that this is going to soon be a major motion picture that has been cited as a possible Oscar contender. I have to say this is an incredibly ambitious endeavor. Let alone the fact that there is 14 year old getting raped and murdered at the get-go... half of the story takes place in heaven! There's also the fact that the story covers eight years (the younger brother ages from 4 - 12 years old)! It is also a book that depends greatly on the like-ability of multiple children and tweens (yikes! child actors!). And, without giving too much away, there is a bizarre, erotic, exorcism-type scene. So yea... should be good! I certainly want to trust Peter Jackson, however, this is also the director who decided it was okay to leave this as the final line of "King Kong": " 'Twas beauty killed the beast!" 'TWAS IT?! Read more!
Don't be fooled: this is not a murder mystery. The story is not about the evil man getting caught and being brought to justice. Although Susie's father pursues finding the culprit, this novel is much more about how each member of the family deals with grief... and nothing really happens. They live troubled lives and suffer a bunch but nothing really progresses except time (the book spans about eight years).
Beyond the critiques of the narration "gimmick," due attention has been brought to the fact that the writing style is forced. There are some crazy similes, one of the worst being "Her pupils dilated, pulsing in and out like small, ferocious olives". THIS WOMAN wrote a hilarious and scathing review that is worth reading for other examples of the crazy language and just for a good laugh. However, whereas this woman would only recommend the book "to enemies" I would recommend it to anyone who can handle somewhat sappy stories. The book isn't all that long and the depiction of heaven is interesting and thought-provoking.
Even though this review is long enough already, it's still worth talking about the fact that this is going to soon be a major motion picture that has been cited as a possible Oscar contender. I have to say this is an incredibly ambitious endeavor. Let alone the fact that there is 14 year old getting raped and murdered at the get-go... half of the story takes place in heaven! There's also the fact that the story covers eight years (the younger brother ages from 4 - 12 years old)! It is also a book that depends greatly on the like-ability of multiple children and tweens (yikes! child actors!). And, without giving too much away, there is a bizarre, erotic, exorcism-type scene. So yea... should be good! I certainly want to trust Peter Jackson, however, this is also the director who decided it was okay to leave this as the final line of "King Kong": " 'Twas beauty killed the beast!" 'TWAS IT?! Read more!
TV - Thursday
Are you serious Thursday night?! That's way too much quality television for one evening. Once things get cooking this fall there will be:
That's 6 hours of TV I would gladly watch all on one night. Yikes. None of these could've been moved to the barren waste-lands of Tuesday or Wednesday?! Read more!
- FlashForward on ABC
- Bones on FOX
- The Vampire Diaries on CW
- The Office / Community / 30 Rock on NBC (and yea, probably Parks and Recreation, too)
- It's Always Sunny... on FX
- AND Project Runway on Lifetime.
That's 6 hours of TV I would gladly watch all on one night. Yikes. None of these could've been moved to the barren waste-lands of Tuesday or Wednesday?! Read more!
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