I'm getting back in the blogging saddle and posting my running commentary on tonight's Oscars and red carpet, starting at 6pm eastern. Feel free to post your responses!
6:00 - Y'all ready?
Blah blah blah, Ryan. Just show me the dresses.
6:01 - FYI: Heather and I are doing the E! Red Carpet right now.
6:04 - What the hell's Zac Efron doing there? Not that I'm complaining. Ah... presenter.
6:09 - Not caring for Anna Kendrick's hair, but the dress is lovely. A little too close to her skintone, but still beautiful.
Mariska!!!
6:12 - Classy answer, Mo.
6:17 - Is blue the color of the evening? Mariah looks great, though -- and not insane!
6:19 - Am I supposed to care about this behind-the-scenes stuff?
6:27 - FYI: ABC has a live stream of the red carpet.
6:50 - A little late to the game with this one, but I'm so glad that Nicole Richie's settled down. She looks a bit dowdy tonight, though. A little too far on the opposite end of the spectrum.
7:00 - Sandra Bullock's pretty tipsy, I think. She had to hold on to the velvet rope stand.
7:03 - I'm watching Amanda Seyfried on both ABC.com and E! Aack! Brain freeze! Brain freeze!
7:50 - RDJ was on a little while ago. Normally, I hate when guys don't take off their sunglasses when being interviewed, but he's just so wonderful that I can let it go.
8:06 - "It's because she doesn't understand English." Oh, George Clooney! You rogue.
8:11 - Screw the Nelson Mandela celebration. I want to see Invictus because I want to see Matt Damon playing rugby. Hot.
8:22 - POSTURE, MILEY! POSTURE!
8:25 - Just to be "that guy," I think it's hilarious that Kathy Ireland, the supermodel, interviewed Gabourey Sidibe, the official Oscars big gal.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Friday, June 12, 2009
AMC - Rant
Okay, first of all, I have to give myself a WHOO-WHOO for dragging my mom back into the AMC fold.
Second, I have to say this... I'm a smart person. I always tested in the 99th percentile. I got into a well-respected college. I ran several organizations and performed admirably in my classes. I've worked in challenging environments.
My point: I'm not a lazy, drooling nincompoop. Neither are my friends who watch soaps. So why do Pratt and Frons treat us as though we are?
Wednesday's show was a dud. It was absolute filler. But even beyond that, I'm sick of the "New" Tad. I'm sick of David's whining. PLEASE recast Colby. (BRING AMBYR BACK!) Why is Aidan suddenly on the "Annie's crazy" train?
Don't get me wrong. There are things that I love, but the things that I hate... I feel they insult the intelligence of the audience. I don't think that soaps have ever been stupid. Cheesy? Maybe. Unrealistic? Sometimes. Outrageous? Always. But stupid? Never. Only recently have EPs decided that their audiences lack brain stems.
I remember being five years old and having my grandmother babysit us. We'd sit and watch All My Children and One Life to Live with her. I recall one time when she had to run to the drug store during her "stories," so she plugged her portable TV into the car cigarette lighter, and away we went! Those were the halcyon days of soaps. When Vicky fought Dorian and Erica fought bears.
Soap writers didn't take their viewers for granted. And they certainly didn't try to change their demographic. Message to Brain Frons: There ARE 14 year old boys watching your show. And they're FAGS. And they like the shows the way they are -- or, were.
Sorry. I know you were expecting a commentary of the past couple of days, but I just don't have it in me.
I will admit that yesterday was getting back to the soapy goodness that I fell in love with as a child. Erica flouncing and menacing? Awesome. But there are still drips of mediocrity that I can't stand. Jamie Luner as Liza? If she'd been a new character, fine. But she is NOT Liza Colby. As I've mentioned, Brianne Moncrief is a horror. (BRING BACK AMBYR!)
I could extend this rant to TV in general, but I'll keep it small.
For now.
Second, I have to say this... I'm a smart person. I always tested in the 99th percentile. I got into a well-respected college. I ran several organizations and performed admirably in my classes. I've worked in challenging environments.
My point: I'm not a lazy, drooling nincompoop. Neither are my friends who watch soaps. So why do Pratt and Frons treat us as though we are?
Wednesday's show was a dud. It was absolute filler. But even beyond that, I'm sick of the "New" Tad. I'm sick of David's whining. PLEASE recast Colby. (BRING AMBYR BACK!) Why is Aidan suddenly on the "Annie's crazy" train?
Don't get me wrong. There are things that I love, but the things that I hate... I feel they insult the intelligence of the audience. I don't think that soaps have ever been stupid. Cheesy? Maybe. Unrealistic? Sometimes. Outrageous? Always. But stupid? Never. Only recently have EPs decided that their audiences lack brain stems.
I remember being five years old and having my grandmother babysit us. We'd sit and watch All My Children and One Life to Live with her. I recall one time when she had to run to the drug store during her "stories," so she plugged her portable TV into the car cigarette lighter, and away we went! Those were the halcyon days of soaps. When Vicky fought Dorian and Erica fought bears.
Soap writers didn't take their viewers for granted. And they certainly didn't try to change their demographic. Message to Brain Frons: There ARE 14 year old boys watching your show. And they're FAGS. And they like the shows the way they are -- or, were.
Sorry. I know you were expecting a commentary of the past couple of days, but I just don't have it in me.
I will admit that yesterday was getting back to the soapy goodness that I fell in love with as a child. Erica flouncing and menacing? Awesome. But there are still drips of mediocrity that I can't stand. Jamie Luner as Liza? If she'd been a new character, fine. But she is NOT Liza Colby. As I've mentioned, Brianne Moncrief is a horror. (BRING BACK AMBYR!)
I could extend this rant to TV in general, but I'll keep it small.
For now.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
AMC - June 9, 2009
Today’s show was a whole lot of nothin’. My personal plusses were Jake and Amanda getting engaged and Angie and Kendall interacting.
First, I love Jake and Mandy two together. Probably more than I loved Zach and Kendall. Okay, that’s not really fair. I’m being colored by my current annoyance/ennui with them. They were my It Couple when they began, and the reasons I loved them were different than the reasons I love Jake and Amanda. Sure, both couples began with the pretext of some sort of protection against an antagonizing force, and that alliance grew into love. But where you saw raw passion with Zach and Kendall, you see a tender sweetness with Jake and Amanda. It’s the ultimate fantasy of two friends falling in love. It’s not exactly how I would have written the relationship’s progression, but I’m more than okay with the results. I’m so excited, in fact, that I have yet to brace myself for whatever’s to come.
Second, Angie and Kendall. I’ve been dying for a Hubbard-Slater friendship since the returns of Jesse and Angie. Especially since I never got a Slater-Dillon friendship. I’m ecstatic that Angie and Kendall are sharing these scenes together. Kendall needs someone on her side who comforts her. Everyone on Team Kendall seems to think she’s fragile and needs protecting (Ryan, Erica, Zach), but what she really needs is a friend – and co-conspirator. Her two biggest supporters (Greenlee and Josh) are both dead. (And, in a way, both deaths were because of her. But I won’t get into that now.) She’s had no one to turn to who’ll just listen, rather than run out and try to squash whatever’s bothering her. Angie’s that new someone, and that just tickles me.
Angie took a personal interest in Ian’s case, which she really didn’t have to do. She’s been championing Kendall during the investigation, talking to Jesse on Kendall’s behalf. But most importantly, she lets Kendall vent. Plus, their mutual excitement over the possibility that David could go away for murdering Stuart is adorably insane. They’re both pretty hot-headed and make impulsive decisions when it comes to their loved ones – and their enemies. They’re perfect friends!
But speaking to Angie’s interest in Ian’s case, can we take a sidebar and talk about “Dr. Sloan” for a minute? Or, more precisely, Disney’s incessant need for self-promotion? Maybe I’m off, but I definitely took “Dr. Sloan” as a reference to Grey’s Anatomy. And here’s why: Over the past several months, we’ve seen Emma going on about Ariel, Little A preparing to watch The Lion King and having a crush on Hannah Montana, and Ryan offering to dance with Erica (a plug for Dancing with the Stars, on which both Cameron Mathison and Susan Lucci appeared). The list goes on, but I just don’t have the time to research it. I’d be on the nets for HOURS. As anyone who knows me will attest, I have no problem with product placement or cross-promotion, and lord knows I’m a sucker for a good inside joke. There’s just a point when it gets tiresome. Now, the Sloan reference may not even be a reference at all, and I’m losing my head over nothing. But, come on. I don’t think I’m reaching here.
Anyway, let’s move on to what’s sticking in my craw the most: Colby. Good gravy, if this isn’t one flipping-flopping, whining brat, I don’t know who is. When SORASed Colby first showed up, she was pissed at Liza for keeping her from her father. She grew to learn that Adam truly did love her, despite what Liza had told her. But whenever Adam disappointed her, she turned on him on a dime. She ran away to live with Tad and Krystal a couple of times. And now, she’s mad at him again for keeping Liza’s letters from her. Never mind that Liza called Colby several times and those calls were ignored. Never mind that there are such a things as email, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook and texting at Liza’s disposal and which a teenager is FAR more apt to read and that Adam couldn’t have easily interfered with. Now Colby’s realized that Liza really did love her (which I don’t think was ever a question until very recently), and Adam’s the Big Bad again. So she’s moved out of Chez Chandler. I say good riddance to bad cheese. This character has been grating for awhile, and the actress’s limited abilities haven’t helped one iota. (Bring back Ambyr Childress!) I’m sure Colby’ll be back in the manse soon enough because she’s a twit who has no idea how to fend for herself. And news that Liza faked her pregnancy will probably send her running back to Daddy’s credit card, anyway. But for now, one fewer child in the Chandler mansion is just ducky.
Hm… Yeah. I didn’t really care about anything else today, and this shit’s long enough. Maybe if I stew longer, I’ll post more later.
Until then, please feel free to respond, criticize, whatever. The floor is yours.
First, I love Jake and Mandy two together. Probably more than I loved Zach and Kendall. Okay, that’s not really fair. I’m being colored by my current annoyance/ennui with them. They were my It Couple when they began, and the reasons I loved them were different than the reasons I love Jake and Amanda. Sure, both couples began with the pretext of some sort of protection against an antagonizing force, and that alliance grew into love. But where you saw raw passion with Zach and Kendall, you see a tender sweetness with Jake and Amanda. It’s the ultimate fantasy of two friends falling in love. It’s not exactly how I would have written the relationship’s progression, but I’m more than okay with the results. I’m so excited, in fact, that I have yet to brace myself for whatever’s to come.
Second, Angie and Kendall. I’ve been dying for a Hubbard-Slater friendship since the returns of Jesse and Angie. Especially since I never got a Slater-Dillon friendship. I’m ecstatic that Angie and Kendall are sharing these scenes together. Kendall needs someone on her side who comforts her. Everyone on Team Kendall seems to think she’s fragile and needs protecting (Ryan, Erica, Zach), but what she really needs is a friend – and co-conspirator. Her two biggest supporters (Greenlee and Josh) are both dead. (And, in a way, both deaths were because of her. But I won’t get into that now.) She’s had no one to turn to who’ll just listen, rather than run out and try to squash whatever’s bothering her. Angie’s that new someone, and that just tickles me.
Angie took a personal interest in Ian’s case, which she really didn’t have to do. She’s been championing Kendall during the investigation, talking to Jesse on Kendall’s behalf. But most importantly, she lets Kendall vent. Plus, their mutual excitement over the possibility that David could go away for murdering Stuart is adorably insane. They’re both pretty hot-headed and make impulsive decisions when it comes to their loved ones – and their enemies. They’re perfect friends!
But speaking to Angie’s interest in Ian’s case, can we take a sidebar and talk about “Dr. Sloan” for a minute? Or, more precisely, Disney’s incessant need for self-promotion? Maybe I’m off, but I definitely took “Dr. Sloan” as a reference to Grey’s Anatomy. And here’s why: Over the past several months, we’ve seen Emma going on about Ariel, Little A preparing to watch The Lion King and having a crush on Hannah Montana, and Ryan offering to dance with Erica (a plug for Dancing with the Stars, on which both Cameron Mathison and Susan Lucci appeared). The list goes on, but I just don’t have the time to research it. I’d be on the nets for HOURS. As anyone who knows me will attest, I have no problem with product placement or cross-promotion, and lord knows I’m a sucker for a good inside joke. There’s just a point when it gets tiresome. Now, the Sloan reference may not even be a reference at all, and I’m losing my head over nothing. But, come on. I don’t think I’m reaching here.
Anyway, let’s move on to what’s sticking in my craw the most: Colby. Good gravy, if this isn’t one flipping-flopping, whining brat, I don’t know who is. When SORASed Colby first showed up, she was pissed at Liza for keeping her from her father. She grew to learn that Adam truly did love her, despite what Liza had told her. But whenever Adam disappointed her, she turned on him on a dime. She ran away to live with Tad and Krystal a couple of times. And now, she’s mad at him again for keeping Liza’s letters from her. Never mind that Liza called Colby several times and those calls were ignored. Never mind that there are such a things as email, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook and texting at Liza’s disposal and which a teenager is FAR more apt to read and that Adam couldn’t have easily interfered with. Now Colby’s realized that Liza really did love her (which I don’t think was ever a question until very recently), and Adam’s the Big Bad again. So she’s moved out of Chez Chandler. I say good riddance to bad cheese. This character has been grating for awhile, and the actress’s limited abilities haven’t helped one iota. (Bring back Ambyr Childress!) I’m sure Colby’ll be back in the manse soon enough because she’s a twit who has no idea how to fend for herself. And news that Liza faked her pregnancy will probably send her running back to Daddy’s credit card, anyway. But for now, one fewer child in the Chandler mansion is just ducky.
Hm… Yeah. I didn’t really care about anything else today, and this shit’s long enough. Maybe if I stew longer, I’ll post more later.
Until then, please feel free to respond, criticize, whatever. The floor is yours.
Those Magic Changes*
Golly! It's been over a month since my last post. I know I've fallen down on the job. I'll make no excuses.
In an effort to rectify this situation, I'm going to start posting analyses of "All My Children" episodes. I write daily recaps over at Lobster and Branch, my home for the past three years. I found myself commenting more than recapping, which made the recaps far longer than they needed to be. So, taking a friendly suggestion from the board admin, I'm moving my commentary here.
I'd thought about doing this before, but decided against it in favor of broader entertainment discussion. But, well, you see how well that's gone. Besides, commenting on the shows I watch fits perfectly well within this blog's mission statement.
That said, I'm still figuring out how to go about doing this, so bear with me. I'm going to shoot for daily commentary, as I had been doing over at L&B. But I may very well end up doing them weekly.
So stay tuned.
*Points to whomever can figure out where this gem comes from.
In an effort to rectify this situation, I'm going to start posting analyses of "All My Children" episodes. I write daily recaps over at Lobster and Branch, my home for the past three years. I found myself commenting more than recapping, which made the recaps far longer than they needed to be. So, taking a friendly suggestion from the board admin, I'm moving my commentary here.
I'd thought about doing this before, but decided against it in favor of broader entertainment discussion. But, well, you see how well that's gone. Besides, commenting on the shows I watch fits perfectly well within this blog's mission statement.
That said, I'm still figuring out how to go about doing this, so bear with me. I'm going to shoot for daily commentary, as I had been doing over at L&B. But I may very well end up doing them weekly.
So stay tuned.
*Points to whomever can figure out where this gem comes from.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Oh, God. He's Dead? But He Was So Hot!
I was watching The Apartment and noting that Jack Lemmon was quite a looker in his day. I, of course, posted it to my Facebook page and got a couple of responses. I, then, realized how often I do this, since I watch a ton of old movies. I'm lusting after a guy until I realize, "Wait a tick!" Then I immediately run to IMDb, only to discover that either he's older than my grandmother or dead. This happens especially with musicals because singers and dancer are, by default, hot. (James Mitchell, aka "Palmer Cortlandt"/"Dream Curly," I'm looking at you.)
Anyway, I'm curious about which old stars you find attractive. So far we have Jack Lemmon, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Sidney Poitier and Rock Hudson.
Please, add more to the list.
Update: I'm clearly not the only person to have this weighing on my mind. Here are some awesome old dudes over 50. This is a slightly different list than what I'm thinking, really. But it's along the same (vericose) vein.
Anyway, I'm curious about which old stars you find attractive. So far we have Jack Lemmon, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Sidney Poitier and Rock Hudson.
Please, add more to the list.
Update: I'm clearly not the only person to have this weighing on my mind. Here are some awesome old dudes over 50. This is a slightly different list than what I'm thinking, really. But it's along the same (vericose) vein.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Happy Effin' New Year from Your Pals at ABC
So, apparently, ABC won't be airing the remaining episodes of Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money. You have GOT to be kidding me! As I've said, there is nothing else on this network. From a programming standpoint, this is an absolutely moronic decision.
From a fan's viewpoint, this is a major "screw you" to these shows' audiences.
I swear, despite my intense love of television and having survived many an excellent show's cancellation, I have never reacted this way over a show's being axed. But it's the combination of the loss and the network's utter cluelessness that has sent me over the edge.
I still have four ABC shows that I watch (All My Children, Scrubs, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters), so I can't officially cut ties with ABC. (Not that, you know, they'd even care. But it's the principle of the thing.) But I can sit here and seethe. Which is, of course, imminently healthy and productive.
From a fan's viewpoint, this is a major "screw you" to these shows' audiences.
I swear, despite my intense love of television and having survived many an excellent show's cancellation, I have never reacted this way over a show's being axed. But it's the combination of the loss and the network's utter cluelessness that has sent me over the edge.
I still have four ABC shows that I watch (All My Children, Scrubs, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters), so I can't officially cut ties with ABC. (Not that, you know, they'd even care. But it's the principle of the thing.) But I can sit here and seethe. Which is, of course, imminently healthy and productive.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Forgetting the Alphabet
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know I was supposed to write about the heat in the Top Chef kitchen, but I've been distracted. For one, SAG is threatening a strike. I -- I can't even begin to go into the foolishness of all this. You may recall that I buried my head in the sand on this matter long, long ago. Besides, my dear friend joy posted a far more eloquent rant at her far more esteemed blog, joymagnetism. I think I could only manage a series of sputters, which doesn't really translate to print very well.
What I can articulate, however, is my fiery anger at ABC for canceling one of the quirkiest, most creative shows on network television, Pushing Daisies. If you've never seen Pushing Daisies, well, then I blame you. Okay, okay. That's not fair. Well, not completely fair. Pushing Daisies is a delightful, whimsical tale of a young man who can bring the dead back to life, but only for 60 seconds, else something or someone else nearby dies in its place. He's also brought back to life his murdered childhood sweetheart, but can't touch her again, lest she die permanently. Sounds creepy. But in the hands of Bryan Fuller (who dealt with death so humorously and stunningly in the late lamented Dead Like Me), what could be fluff and tritely disturbing nonsense, is actually a colorful (literally and figuratively), giddy hour of fun featuring a foursome of detectives solving mysterious murders, as well as a rib-tickling duo of eccentric, retired-mermaid, spinster aunts. Yes, you read that right.
Don't you wish you'd been watching? Yeah, I know you do.
But, alas, it's too late. Because ABC (whom I normally laud for its non-traditional choice of dramas and comedy-drama hybrids) decided to pull the plug, as it were, on this wonderful romp. Ratings, they say. And, to be fair, ABC has enough hits to buoy it. For now.
Yes, Lost is returning in January, a return I'm eagerly awaiting, especially now that there's an end date which has really focused the writing. Ugly Betty is still holding strong, as is ABC's Sunday night line-up. But let's face it, just how long are Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice going to hold up? By all accounts (and that's all I have to go on since I don't watch either), both shows have dipped in quality so far that they're pretty much irredeemable. So what does ABC have left? Life on Mars? Heh. Spare me.
Not only did they scrap Pushing Daisies, they got rid of fellow critical darling Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money.
I called it. I knew the changes would doom Dirty Sexy Money to the trash heap. The network called for the drastic change in tone, demanding something soapier. What they got was soap scum. So good riddance to that. However, Eli Stone is a different story. I've only seen a few episodes of Eli Stone, but I've heard nothing but praise for it.
So what's the deal ABC? Why cancel these shows when you've got nothing lined up and when you have shows that are inarguably flagging in quality, if not ratings? In a season blighted by a drought of new, quality pilots due to the strike [*shakes fists at SAG*], you've chosen to do away with shows that may not have the audience, but definitely have the promise.
This was the perfect time for the Alphabet to show its commitment to excellence. Instead, it's shown nothing but a slavery to idiotic programming decisions.
So, my darlings, what do you think? Am I off-base, here? Letting my love of a show cloud my judgment? Weigh in on ABC's decision.
What I can articulate, however, is my fiery anger at ABC for canceling one of the quirkiest, most creative shows on network television, Pushing Daisies. If you've never seen Pushing Daisies, well, then I blame you. Okay, okay. That's not fair. Well, not completely fair. Pushing Daisies is a delightful, whimsical tale of a young man who can bring the dead back to life, but only for 60 seconds, else something or someone else nearby dies in its place. He's also brought back to life his murdered childhood sweetheart, but can't touch her again, lest she die permanently. Sounds creepy. But in the hands of Bryan Fuller (who dealt with death so humorously and stunningly in the late lamented Dead Like Me), what could be fluff and tritely disturbing nonsense, is actually a colorful (literally and figuratively), giddy hour of fun featuring a foursome of detectives solving mysterious murders, as well as a rib-tickling duo of eccentric, retired-mermaid, spinster aunts. Yes, you read that right.
Don't you wish you'd been watching? Yeah, I know you do.
But, alas, it's too late. Because ABC (whom I normally laud for its non-traditional choice of dramas and comedy-drama hybrids) decided to pull the plug, as it were, on this wonderful romp. Ratings, they say. And, to be fair, ABC has enough hits to buoy it. For now.
Yes, Lost is returning in January, a return I'm eagerly awaiting, especially now that there's an end date which has really focused the writing. Ugly Betty is still holding strong, as is ABC's Sunday night line-up. But let's face it, just how long are Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice going to hold up? By all accounts (and that's all I have to go on since I don't watch either), both shows have dipped in quality so far that they're pretty much irredeemable. So what does ABC have left? Life on Mars? Heh. Spare me.
Not only did they scrap Pushing Daisies, they got rid of fellow critical darling Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money.
I called it. I knew the changes would doom Dirty Sexy Money to the trash heap. The network called for the drastic change in tone, demanding something soapier. What they got was soap scum. So good riddance to that. However, Eli Stone is a different story. I've only seen a few episodes of Eli Stone, but I've heard nothing but praise for it.
So what's the deal ABC? Why cancel these shows when you've got nothing lined up and when you have shows that are inarguably flagging in quality, if not ratings? In a season blighted by a drought of new, quality pilots due to the strike [*shakes fists at SAG*], you've chosen to do away with shows that may not have the audience, but definitely have the promise.
This was the perfect time for the Alphabet to show its commitment to excellence. Instead, it's shown nothing but a slavery to idiotic programming decisions.
So, my darlings, what do you think? Am I off-base, here? Letting my love of a show cloud my judgment? Weigh in on ABC's decision.
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