Dear Showtime

I have a humble suggestion to help out a very good show that seems to be slipping in quality. It wouldn't take much, you could keep the current cast, make a minor title tweak, and shift the limelight from one character to another. Here's my idea: Nurse Zoey.

Why?

1. Merritt Weaver is a gem.
2. Jackie's becoming more and more unlikable (not a good ting in a title character, particularly in a comedy)
3. Zoey is just about the only character on the show who's demonstrated growth.
4. If you do this, not only will the show be more enjoyable, but it will actually deserve the label comedy, which should involve something evoking laughter--and the only character that can be counted on to bring the laughs--as well as heart, pathos, whatever--is Zoey (and usually Thor, true, but, Zoe's more reliable).
5. Did I mention that Jackie's harder and harder to like?
   

Just sayin',
Me

This Past Weekend

So, this weekend I:

laughed a lot, but not as much as I hoped I would at

laughed more than I expected to and totally DID NOT cry at but there was a lot of pollen and dust in the room while I watched

celebrated her 9th birthday

got this for TLoML

tried this yummy yummy beer (Kona & Maui Brewing Companies make the best argument for relocating to the Aloha State)

spent far too much time with this guy (have just started the 5th week of P90X Doubles)

finished this good stuff

started this remember this being good in 10th Grade

watched the latest episodes of and NPH got it done on all fronts this week (tho' Segal absolutely killed, as per usual)

tried out this very, very tasty cake recipe mine didn't look quite that good. BTW, if you make it, double the KoolAid like I did (accidentally yesterday, on purpose from now on)

all in all, a good weekend. How was yours?

Eye of the Storm

what? not a book review? I know, I know, sorry. Other posts have been eaten by sloth or time lately...but anyhow

This is an awesome music video (decent song, too, I need to pay more attention to it than the video next couple of times I watch) that once upon a time would've been shown on a cable network devoted to the media...a magic time, known as the 80's


more about the musician and the making of the video, check out this post at The Nerdist.

And, yeah, I know, it's a cheap shot to talk about MTV not showing videos anymore, but given the fact that they're talking about airing new episodes of Beavis & Butthead, can't help feeling nostalgic for the good ol' days. (am seriously torn on the appropriate reaction to that piece of news, actually)

Odds 'n Ends Reviews

Here's a handful of things I've been meaning to blog about, but the posts would be very small, or I can't just find the time. So, in no particular order:

TV

• Rubicon. This show is like the anti-Damages, yet it's so similar. Like Damages, you have no idea what's really going on most of the time (and you're okay with that), you're pretty sure you're not really going to know if it's worth it until the last episode (but it probably is), it's absolutely riveting, and it'll make you paranoid, seeing conspiracies everywhere. On the other hand, it's not like Damages--it's told sequentially (not that it's any help figuring out what's happening), it's slow. Glacially slow. People stare out the window and think. People stare at paper and think. People do crosswords. And you can't take your eyes off it. Seriously good stuff. I hear AMC is running all the episodes this weekend for those who've missed out on the first half of the season. It's worth the try.
  
• Mad Men, I didn't get the appeal of Season 1. I still didn't get it for most of Season 2 (but kept on just to see what the fuss was about, and 'sides, I needed something to watch at work). But then something--don't ask me what--clicked with me, and I can't get enough of this world. Well, most of it. If Betty Draper vanished into thin air, I'd be absolutely okay. Great, great show.
  
• Monk it feels weird not spending time with Natalie, Leland, Randy and Monk any more during the summer.
  
• Sons of Anarchy comes roaring back next week and I cannot wait!!!
  

Books

• Scott Pilgrim 6: Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour. Not the way I'd have ended the epic, but I can't complain. This series was a real treat to read. If you've watched the movie, or have seen the commercials and thought you might want to watch the movie, you need to check out the source.
  
• Richard Yancey -- I've spent a lot of time with Mr. Yancey over the last month or so. Frodo and I have worked through his YA series about the last descendant of Lancelot, the unlikeliest of heroes--Alfred Kropp, and I've read the first three installments in his Highly Effective Detective series. Both feature "heroes" that don't fit the mold for their genres (similarly at times), who nevertheless get the job done. Both are fun, both are well-told/plotted/paced, and both are far more satisfying than you'd think from reading the cover blurbs. Can't wait for the more from this guy.
  

Movies

• Greenberg/The Runaways. I just don't get it. Some of the acting in these is great. I'm glad to see Ben Stiller can act as well as he did in Greenberg, and it's always great to see Merritt Weaver. Kristin Stewart rocked (sorry, couldn't resist) in The Runaways, and it hardly needs to be said that Dakota Fanning was great. And most everyone else in both films was just about as good. But--UGH. Both were such monumental wastes of time. Is there a word for the opposite of Gestalt? If so, it's what describes these. If not, there should be.
  
• Cop Out--not Kevin Smith's greatest movie, but so funny once Tracey Morgan was reigned in. Bruce Willis should do more comedy.
  
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World because of time/money, I've been to the theater 5 times this year--2.5 times mostly as a chaperone/chauffeur. I'd be 100% willing to go another 5 times just to watch this movie. Sure, it's not absolutely faithful to the source material--but it captures the essence and got the story to fit in a decent runtime, so I can't complain. So much fun. So much heart. Why isn't this a hit?
  

Music

• The Reason Why by Little Big Town. I've only had this album for three days, and have listened to it maybe 4 times, but it already feels like an old favorite I can turn to and relax/think with. These guys are too good to be so small.
  

Summer Belongs to You

This is going to be a no-brainer for many of my readers, but the Phineas and Ferb extra-long episode, "Summer Belongs to You," is a must-watch. Those of you with kids probably knew/assumed this, based on the rest of the series. Those of you without kids should rent some (or volunteer to babysit some) so you have an excuse to watch this series--you'll be glad you did (this is probably not the episode to start with, tho).

The episode opens with Phineas looking for a more difficult daily activity (than something simple like building a self-aware robot who decides that jumping rope is his raison d'être).

"Our vacation is more than halfway over. And what have we accomplished? (Looking through Ferb's Log) Okay, so we built a roller coaster, traveled through time twice, found Atlantis, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. See, we've hardly done anything. We need a real challenge. We need to make the biggest, longest, funnest Summer day of all time."

He and Ferb build an airplaneish thingy (The Sun-Beater 3000) to fly around the world on the summer solstice keeping up with the sun as it travels, to make what's already the longest day even longer (yeah, I don't understand that sentence either, let the little pointy-headed kid explain it when you watch).

So Phineas, Ferb and their friends (and sister) take off on a quick 'round the world trip--with scheduled refueling stops in Tokyo and Paris (and an unscheduled stop in Nepal and one somewhere in the Atlantic). These stops allow other supporting characters to join (and leave) the voyage and some hilarious musical moments.

There's action, laughs, music galore (and even a couple of odd choices in the way of guest singers), a little romance, intrigue, good advice, and a silly "you can do anything you believe in" after-school special lesson that doesn't detract too much from the overall quality of the episode.

I don't remember the last time my kids and I were able to sit down and laugh at something together (mostly, but not entirely, at the same things) so consistently and frequently since early Veggie Tales. Wish we hadn't watched it while TLomL was at work so it could've been a whole-fam thing, but we'd been too busy over the weekend to watch it, and none of us were in the mood to wait any longer. Honestly, can't wait to watch it again--and figure I'll laugh almost as much, and probably find a joke or two I missed.

Chuck Season 3

The biggest fear I had last week (and this should tell you something about the a-perilous nature of my life) was that, despite my anticipation, despite my giddiness at the prospect of its return topped off with the unexpected gift of the Season 2 set from TLomL (squee!), Chuck's magic would be gone, or at least greatly diminished. Given the season 2 finale, and the new/augmented direction the show would take as a result, the possibility was certainly there.

And after the first two episodes aired as the season premier, I thought that might be true. Yeah, it was good to see Chuck, Sarah, Casey, Awesome, Ellie and the Buy More gang back, something felt off. I enjoyed the episodes, don't get me wrong, but it was almost like an athlete coming back from an extended time injured to be almost his former self (obviously, this was an athlete who didn't take PEDs). Were all those Subway sandwiches bought in vain?

Nope. Episode 3, "Chuck Versus the Angel De La Muerte," proved that the show was the same goofy bundle of action, comedy, romance, and fun that it's been, it just needed those first two episodes to establish its new direction. Between Chuck's new abilities, and new organizational nemesis there was enough foundation to be laid that it makes sense the episodes wouldn't feel quite the same.

What did this episode feature? The episode featured Awesome being awesome, Ellie getting to do something other than be in the background/nag her brother, Sarah and Chuck (hopefully) putting the crushes aside for awhile, Casey being all sorts of growly-gruntily awesome, getting to see another aspect of the Intersect 2.0. A decent bad guy, a great bad guy trying to be not-so-bad, and a jaw dropping cliffhanger.

Should've seen the cliffhanger coming, but was enjoying myself too much to look around for it (which made it so effective); and NBC's promo department have ruined it between commercials for next week/promo photos they've released. Oh well.

It wasn't quite a pure return to formula, there was only a passing reference to any of the good people down at the Buy More(which we can use less of--as long as it's not too much less), which is good, really--I'm not against growth, I'm just not crazy about fixing what ain't broke.

I should note, in light of episode 3, the previous two seem better, which is a plus.

If you missed these episodes, fear not, you can still catch them thanks to the magic of teh Intranets.

6 Reasons Why You Should Watch Chuck

As I've indicated a time or two in the past, I really love NBC's Chuck. Super TV Critic Alan Sepinwall wrote an open letter to people who don't watch the show earlier this week listing the reasons why they should start watching Chuck now.

Especially now, when NBC seems to be trying to self-destruct, the fact that they air any goo TV is laudable and should be encouraged. But frankly, I don't care what network this is on, you should watch Chuck. Therefore, I've copied and pasted the bulk of Sepinwall's letter for your perusal and consideration. Be sure to read the whole thing and/or send some love and pageviews to The Star-Ledger.

...this particular open letter is for the many of you who don't watch "Chuck" — either because you didn't realize it existed, or it was on in a brutal timeslot, or even if you watched the show in its earlier days (when the show was still finding itself) and decided it wasn't for you. I gave NBC six reasons to renew the show, and here are six reasons you should watch, in large enough numbers that we might get a fourth season:

1. It's funny. When I wrote last spring that "Chuck" was the best comedy on NBC at the time, I wasn't exaggerating. Now, most of NBC's Thursday sitcoms were slumping back then, but even with that quartet in much stronger shape this season, "Chuck" remains a goldmine of laughter.

As Chuck, an underacehiving nerd who does tech support at an electronics store, Levi is a gifted, expressive physical comedian, and creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak have surrounded him with a cast of exceedingly funny sidekicks, whether disturbing store employees Jeff and Lester (Scott Krinsky and Vik Sahay, aka Jeffster!), Chuck's homicidal government bodyguard John Casey (Adam Baldwin, able to wring laughs with just a grimace or grunt) or Chuck's brother-in-law Devon (Ryan McPartlin), so perfect in every way (even his awareness of his perfection seems admirable) that he's nicknamed Captain Awesome.

The series' comic tastes range from abundant pop culture references (early in Sunday's premiere, Chuck morphs into a character from "The Big Lebowski") to slapstick (Chuck falls down a lot) to explosive dialogue (when Jeffster! crashed Captain Awesome's wedding last season, his father complained, "Why are you letting Sam Kinison and an Indian lesbian ruin your wedding?"), and all of it lands, hilariously.

2. It's exciting. No, it's not a Bond movie, or maybe even "24," but "Chuck" doesn't skimp on the cool stunts and fights. Sometimes, they've been done relatively straight, like Chuck's CIA handler Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) having a fight inside a tiny sports-car (using the CD player, bucket seats and airbags as weapons). Other times, they get a comic twist, like Chuck being chased through the Gravitron ride at an amusement park.

The new season offers plenty of both stripes, with a highlight being a sword fight between Chuck and wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin in the cargo hold of a passenger jet. In seasons past, the show leaned on Strahovski (a trained dancer who's become very good at martial arts choreography) and Baldwin (who's been beating people up on-screen since 1980's "My Bodyguard") for the fight scenes. The kung fu twist, in which the computer in Chuck's head can briefly turn him into a great martial artist (among other skills), doesn't put them on the sidelines, but it does let Levi in on the action, and Levi (and/or his stunt double) proves adept at the punching, kicking and gymnastics that go with the new role. While Chuck's new abilities aren't reliable enough to solve every problem, they do let him at times appear more the confident hero than the trembling coward he often turned into in years past.

3. It's dramatic when it needs to be. It would be easy for the show to just ride the '80s movie references and fight scenes, but "Chuck" takes itself just seriously enough to feel like something more than a diversion. Strahovski in particular does a strong job reacting to this world like it's real, and in the process making even the most ridiculous plot seem believable. And she has chemistry to burn with Levi, making Chuck and Sarah's mutual, unconsummated crushes on each other something more than an excuse for the show to leer at Strahovski in a bikini or lingerie (opportunities for both are provided in the first two episodes), or to make a joke out of the nerd falling for the sexy spy.

(If the show has an obvious flaw, it's that the writers have dragged things out a bit too long with keeping the two apart. It's not so much that the show needs them to be together to work, but that the number and duration of the obstacles in their path has become distracting. Take a cue from "The Office," guys: resolving sexual tension can actually make a show better if you do it right.)

4. It has great guest stars. This was one of the biggest improvements of the second season, and one that carries over to the third. Where most TV shows that employ a lot of recognizable guests lean on them like a crutch, "Chuck" does something smarter: it takes your familiarity with the guest and uses that as shorthand to establish a new character, so they can then spend less time on exposition and more time wringing laughs and/or menace out of them. So when you see soccer-thug-turned-actor Vinnie Jones as a lovestruck arms dealer, or Armand Assante as a smarmy Central American dictator, or Brandon "Superman" Routh as a square-jawed spy, you get what they're about in 10 seconds and then the show can quickly get to the good stuff.

5. It has great music. As he did on "The O.C.," Schwartz enjoys filling the soundtrack with songs from his favorite indie bands, which the show uses to pump up the action or heighten the drama. (I've been listening to In-Flight Safety's soaring "Model Homes" pretty much non-stop since I heard it in a key scene in Sunday's second episode.)

But Schwartz and company also take great pleasure in slathering on cheeseball classics of yesteryear, sometimes for giggles, sometimes to make you appreciate a song you long ago dismissed. Last year featured the likes of Huey Lewis & the News, Toto and Rush (Chuck used "Tom Sawyer" to save the world), while in the new episodes we discover that store manager Emmett Millbarge (Tony Hale) has a fondness for embarrassing power ballads, and the second episode makes liberal use of David Lee Roth's "Just Like Living in Paradise."

6. It is, simply, fun. Because the comedy is so strong, the cast is so likable, and everyone involved so obviously has a passion for making the show as entertaining as it can be, there's a sense of joy around "Chuck" that's infectious. Rare is the episode that doesn't make me smile for the hour.

For all that it likes to mock the '80s culture its writers grew up on, "Chuck" also feels like exactly the kind of mass-appeal adventure series that would have been an enormous hit in that decade. It deserves to be a success in this one.

So watch already. Okay?

The 2009-10 TV Season, MidSeason peek

Since it was popular (moreso in other forums than these comments), figured I'd do a follow-up on the post from Sept. 30 now that things are starting to come back from the December break...

• Better off Ted it's so, so, so tragic that ABC has tossed this on the trash pile to burn off in January. At least we'll have DVD. Never fails to deliver big, big laughs. My wife has no interest in the show at all, but if I'm playing it in the background, she'll crack up at least twice.
  
• Big Bang Theory--They don't seem to know for sure what to do with Leonard while in the relationship with Penny, but the show's good enough that it'll survive. Still the funniest thing on TV.
  
• Bones--really enjoying this show this year--they've even turned the rotating assistants thing into a strength, a good improvement over last season.
  
• Castle--fun, fun show, improving on it's first short season. Great comfort food.
  
• Community--a real treat, now that they've started focusing on the whole ensemble especially. Watching these people bounce off each other is everything a comedy should be.
  
• Cougar Town--also strongest when it's an ensemble comedy, not just a Courtney Cox vehicle. Not as good as the first episode or two made me think it would be, but it's good, and the writers/producers seem to be learning how to improve.
  
• Dexter--what to say about this year? Jennifer Carpenter remains the best reason to watch this show (not that Michael C. Hall's any slacker). John Lithgow is the creepiest serial killer this side of Silence of the Lambs, but until the end of the season finale, I really didn't find it all that compelling. But for the first time since Lila set her last fire, I'm really looking forward to the next batch. One faithful reader told me on facebook that the finale is where Dexter jumped the shark, tho. He's encouraged to defend that thesis in the comments here.
  
• Dollhouse I'll be honest, I only watched the first episode of this season. Watching "Epitaph One" on the BluRay set really soured me on the series, but from what I hear, I really need to shake it off and get back to this.
  
• Family Guy--wearing a bit thin for me this year. Not worth a lot of effort, but good for a laugh.
  
• Fringe--I really wish this show would get the ratings it needs to survive, I'm getting more and more into this one. The character development--and show mythology development--has really endeared Fringe to me. Definite appointment TV.
  
• Glee--a not-so-guilty pleasure. This article sums up everything I wanted to say (and a few things I should've thought of) about it.
  
• The Good Wife--I can't say enough good things about this show. Still not sure it can sustain the story for more than a season, but want to see it try.
  
• House--has eroded most of the good will that the first episode or two of the year generated from me--not as bad as last year tho, but stumbling again. But that Wilson-centric episode? Loved it.
  
• How I Met Your Mother--this isn't the strongest season, but it still has its golden moments--and even when it's not that strong, it's still one of my favorites. Can't wait for the 100^th ep, what little I've heard (and I've avoided as much as I can) sounds great.
  
• Lie to Me--much improved over a good first season. Some outstanding individual episodes. Still essentially The Mentalist but far less annoying.
  
• Men of a Certain Age--this quiet little drama is a real treat. Nothing flashy--in fact, it avoids the flash--just a few friends growing old and trying to get by.
  
• The Mentalist--really don't know why I watch this show. It's moderately entertaining at best.
  
• Modern Family--great, great sitcom. Something heartfelt, something laugh out loud hilarious, and more than a few quotable lines every episode. Great characters (all of the kids not named Manny need a bit more work tho'), good stories. People actually caring about every member of the family.
  
• NCIS--nothing remarkable, but a solid procedural show with good characters. Textbook entry on how to get it done right. Am actually watching the latest episode as I wrap up this entry--Ziva just quoted Charles De Mar of Better off Dead, even in NCIS there's character development. :)
  
• NCIS: Los Angeles--when the best episode of the year relies on a guest star from the show you spun off of, you know you're struggling. There's potential here, but I think it's being wasted.
  
• Numb3rs--something seems off this season, can't put my finger on it.
  
• Scrubs--AfterScrubs, Scrubs 2.0, Scrubs: The Next Generation, ZombieScrubs/whatever you want to call it. Close to funny, better since Braff left (can't believe I said that!). Still wish ABC let this thing die a natural death.
  
• The Simpsons--hey, it's The Simpsons still pretty good after all these years. What else can you say?
  
• Supernatural--lovin' absolutely lovin' this year, I should have something more to say than that, but I don't. Can't wait for the second half of the season.
  
• V--Never got into the original version--even after I bought TLoML the series on VHS (kids, ask your parents to explain) for our first Christmas, so I'm coming to it new. I've only seen 50% of the episodes ABC ran this fall, and think it has promise, but not sure it's gonna deliver on 'em (or that ABC will give it the time it needs). But hey, Tudyk and Baccarin back together again--score.
  
• White Collar--I don't think it's lived up to the promise of the pilot episode, but it's close. Hope they haven't screwed things up too much with that mid-season finale cliffhanger.

Coming up soon: Caprica (intriguing pilot DVD, very curious about it), can't wait for Burn Notice's return, and so, so, so psyched about Chuck's premier--am like a kid on Dec. 22^nd thinking about this weekend's episodes (not to mention Monday's). Oh, and there's this little thing called Lost--don't know if you've heard about it, guess it's coming into its last year soon. I finally succumbed to peer pressure and have started watching it. Now pushing myself to get through with the previous seasons by Feb 2 (if for no other reason than I won't be able to talk to coworkers once it comes back if I don't).

Changing of the Guard

Several things I wanted to try to talk about today, but all my efforts along those lines were derailed by waiting for mechanics and washing machine repair people to come by (don't want to be mid-thought and interrupted, makes for posts weaker than the norm)--and then further derailed by both of them being hours late.

If only I didn't need clean clothes and a running vehicle. Silly me.

Anyway, I don't know what the rest of you thought of Part 2 of The End of Time, but I quite enjoyed it--it made up for some of the weaknesses of Pt. 1--and the self-indulgent victory lap taken by Russell T. Davies/David Tennant was justifiable, earned--and best of all, fun to watch. The first few seconds of Matt Smith's tenure were amusing as well.

I cannot fathom the hate that Mr. Smith has already engendered. Mind-boggling, really. Particularly from people like my co-worker, who is proud to not have watched an entire Tom Baker episode--and has watched less of the other pre-Eccleston Doctors than of him. Yet, based on watching each episode of Davies' run (some even twice), she has pronounced Smith unfit to helm the TARDIS. And there are many, many like her.

Frankly, I'm not sure--why am I not sure? Haven't seen much of him, practically nothing. A few seconds at the end of an episode aired within the last week (far after many people had judged him a mistake). That's all--who knows what TPTB have in mind for this personality, this regeneration, this actor. And given that one of those powers is Steven Moffat, and other powers include a network that's been dealing with this character since the 60's...just don't get why everyone's prejudged him so harshly.

Anyhow, BBCAmerica launched a trailer for this Spring's upcoming episodes...still can't tell much about him. But looking forward to meeting this guy--and seeing Karen Gillan move from a one-episode character to a companion (worked out pretty well for Freema Agyeman).

...can't say I'm looking forward to the Weeping Angels from "Blink" coming back all that much, had finally got the nightmares to stop. But hey, if Sally Sparrow gets to come along for the ride, it could be worth it.

But just so I can remain relevant to the hate-fest surrounding this upcoming season, I should note that I'm not crazy about the new logo. Seriously. Not my cup of tea at all. Down with the New Logo!!!

Phew. Glad I got that off my chest.

(you know what's really funny? I'd initially titled this post "In Lieu of Actual Content" and planned on whining a bit in the first paragraph and then embedding the preview, but once I got started, guess I was able to find the time today to write something)

And I Thought TV Was Fake Before I Watched This...

(h/t: Lee Goldberg)

If only all lessons in ethics were as catchy

from this week's Lie To Me:

Sometimes Congress Makes it Too Hard to Complain

I've wondered how much weight I could lose if I hid my remote control and forced myself to get up and manually change channels, adjust volume, etc.--particularly the volume: stand up, walk to the TV, turn the volume on commercials to a comfortable level, return to the couch, wait 3 minutes, stand up, walk to the TV, turn the volume up to a level you can understand what people are saying, return to the couch. Repeat as needed.

Wondered about it. Won't do it. But, man...my thumb strength is up (you don't want to thumb wrestle me).

Sure, there are other ways to deal with the louder-than-everything-else commercial volume, my dad's approach, for example, is to adjust for the commercial volume and then strain to hear 80% (at best) of the dialogue on whatever show you're watching. Reason #1 I don't watch anything I care about in his house.

But now, the government is stepping in to help--a frightening concept, indeed. Frankly, I think Congress has as much business messing around with this as they do College Football (read: None.At.All.), but man...it's hard not to be happy to read on USAToday's site:

The House passed has passed a bill that would bar TV commercials from being louder than the programs in which they appear.

The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM) passed Tuesday on a voice vote, presumably expressed at a comfortable level.

It now goes to the Senate, which is considering an identical bill...

(the whole article is here)

Just Who Approves the Ads at CBS Nowadays?

Sure, I have/will defend the "Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman" ad. But this? I can't think of anything to say, honestly.

Ken Levine titled his embed of this as, "A jaw dropping CBS ad. Not a joke. They really aired this"...pretty well sums it up.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Thinking of Starting a New Series of Posts

"What I Almost Choked to Death on While Watching The Big Bang Theory

• "The Vengeance Formulation" (11/23/09): Reese's Pieces
• "The Athens Recurrence" (12/7/09): Coffee

Or, I guess I could just stop eating and drinking while watching the show...kind of like you have to with Bones nowadays...did anyone else catch "The Gamer in the Grease" last week? When they carefully pull the corpse out of all that cooking grease and the flesh literally falls off--followed by the entrails? If I watched that a couple more times, I'd probably lose 10 pounds this week.

Talk About Missing the Point

Good Night Nurse. Really? Are you kidding me?

So last week, I and several fans of the show How I Met Your Mother (and other people, too) hooted and hollered, ROTFLOLed, tweeted, retweeted, shared, embedded, digged and had all other sorts of social media responses to CBS' "Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman" advertisement. I thought about posting it, but not really the style of this place...I think.

Anyway, I just read a story over on FOXNews.com about the commercial is "is offensive and should be pulled" according to many critics. The story claims:

Colleen Raezler, a research assistant for the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the Media Research Center, said the spot is "highly inappropriate," and improperly uses a Christmas special to promote an adult-oriented comedy.

"The ad introduces children to the idea of strippers and pornography," Raezler told FoxNews.com. "The people in charge obviously thought this was funny, but the question they should ask themselves is if this is appropriate, not if it's funny."

Wow, the ad does that? Children are clearly not the target demographic for this advertisement. Did this person watch the whole thing?

Raezler said the advertisement is another example of popular culture "pushing the envelope" on everything.

"It's sexing up Frosty," she said. "It really drives home the idea that nothing is sacred anymore."

Again, watch.the.whole.thing.

...says Bob Peters, president of Morality in Media, adding that officials at the Federal Trade Commission should be concerned about the promotion.

"CBS is doing much the same thing that alcohol and tobacco companies have done in the past -- namely, using imagery in advertising that would naturally attract children in order to market an adult product," Peters said in a statement to FoxNews.com. "Legal matters aside, it should go without saying that CBS TV ought to be ashamed of itself -- using an animated Christmas season setting, complete with young children, to chat about strippers, whores, pornography, sadomasochism, sexual promiscuity, and more."

Tim Winter, president of the Parents Television Council, a watchdog group based in Los Angeles, said the advertisement was reprehensible.

"It's either ignorance or arrogance, but I can't imagine the folks at the once-Tiffany network should think this is OK," he told FoxNews.com. "Someone had to write it and someone had to approve it. It speaks to the decisions that are being made at CBS these days."

Winter also called for the advertisement to be pulled, characterizing it as the outcome of the network attempting to do "everything they can to be offensive rather than creative."

The whole point of the ad is that it's crass, tasteless, offensive, etc to do this to a holiday classic. Which is why "Some Holiday Classics are Better Left Untouched." Where did I get that line? The end of the ad in question. Instead, you should watch the classics the way they're meant to be seen, in their original form on CBS Friday.

Really people, your shoes are on wayyyy too tight. Adjust your laces, watch the whole thing, and think a moment to see if the frenzy you're trying to lather up is either on target or worth it. You missed it this time.

A Nice Niche, but Probably Not a Career Path of Choice

I started catching up on season 3 of The Guild this week, and was pleasantly surprised to see everyone's favorite Starfleet alumn, Wil Wheaton.

I keep running into Wheaton over the last few months, and think I've spotted a trend. Wheaton, who spent years being the target of the spite of geeks everywhere because he was cast as Wesley Crusher (and honestly, most of the blame for the Crusher stuff belongs to the writers/producers, if you ask me). Now, Wheaton's basically embraced that spite, and turned it into affection via his blog, books, appearances, etc. And how he's taken it a step further, and he's turned it into a niche career, I've run into him as:

• hacker Colin Mason, foil of beloved hacker Alec Hardison on Leverage
• MMORPG player, foil of the much beloved Codex on The Guild
• former child actor/gamer/douchebag Wil Wheaton, foil of beloved uber-nerd Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory

He's gone beyond being the unjust target of spite, to being the geek we're all supposed to hate. Nice way to turn lemons into imdb credits.

I just remembered him playing a real prick of a comic collector on Numb3rs a couple of years ago, too, now that I think of it...so this isn't a totally new thing, just something he's doing more often, and with a certain focus.

Some Things to Ponder

Another one of those days where as much as I might sit and stare at the blank white space here, nothing fills it.

• Fantasy author Jim C. Hines has a spot-on piece, "Lincoln U’s Big Fat Fail"

  In 2006, Lincoln University in Pennsylvania instituted a policy that students with a BMI of 30 or higher must take a "Fitness for Life" class. The students affected by this rule are now seniors, some of whom may not be able to graduate, either because they haven’t gotten their BMI tested by the university or because they have a BMI of 30 or higher and haven’t taken the class.

  As a follow-up, he posted a link to Kate Harding’s slideshow of various BMI ranges
• TV Writer Ken Levine tells some of the behind-the-scenes tales from A Charlie Brown Christmas that make our possession of this treat seem even more special.

  A holiday tradition is A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS and we pretty much have a Mad Man to thank for it. John Allen was a Don Draper at McCann-Erickson in the mid 60s. On behalf of Coca-Cola he was lobbying for Charlie Brown. It would be the first animated adaptation of Charles M. Schultz’s classic PEANUTS comic strip. But Allen had to really twist arms because in typical fashion, CBS hated it.
  
  They thought the animation was awful, the story too thin and depressing, the jazz score inappropriate for kids, and of course wanted a laugh-track.

• Over at the Campaign for Liberty, Sheldon Richman discusses the similarities between Inconsistent Conservatives and ProgressivesListening to the leading voices of conservatism and progressivism, one gets the feeling they are not quite listening to themselves. On any given day you are likely to hear each side make arguments against the other that fully apply to itself in some area of public policy.
• Last, but not least, Jon Stewart on Climate-gate/problems the Left is having under our new prez

  The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
  Scientists Hide Global Warming Data
  www.thedailyshow.com
  Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

  
  

Quote of the Day

There's nothing really behind this, I saw it on a web toon's blogpost yesterday, and I remembered really, really liking it when John Spencer said it. Figured if I posted it here, I'd remember it a bit more easily.

This guy's walkin' down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, "Hey you! Can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole, and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole; can you help me out?" The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. "Hey, Joe, it's me. Can ya help me out?" And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are ya stupid? Now we're both down here." The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.

- Leo McGarry
from The West Wing

Sure The Doctor Danced with Rose,

... but Capt. Jack can do just fine on his own.


When I saw this posted over at Sci Fi Wire, the only thing I could think was, "This guy came across as too straight to be cast in the lead of Will & Grace???" Oh well, rather have him as Capt. Jack/The Face of Bo anytime.

The Category "Dramedy" Eschewed

If I was a smarter person, this is the kind of thing I'd like to write. Even if I differ on specifics, Myles McNutt's blog post "Screw Dramedy: How We Distinguish Between Comic and Dramatic Television" is thoughtful, thought provoking, and entertaining.