Time To Erase This Family

I think it was around ninth grade when my family's cat of 20 years began to show signs that death was imminent. There were a few false alarms, which were followed by periods of rejuvenation and misguided hope. Ultimately, though, Angie's life became intolerable and we put her down.
If we had been honest with ourselves we never should have let things go as far as they did. Angie probably suffered more than she had to at the end, and let's face it, this isn't a person we're talking about.
But in the order of putting something out of their misery the chain doesn't merely go humans and then cats in order of difficulty of decision. Below cats are probably a whole host of other animals, namely ones that are more often eaten, and then tv shows. Specifically in this instance, THE SIMPSONS.
(Editor's Note: Wow, that was a long setup for basically nothing. I think someone is feeling some residual guilt about killing his cat. It's that or he's still drunk from last night and this makes sense to him.)
I was a devout follower of the THE SIMPSONS for about six years, and then my interest tapered off in college. It was around that time that I began collecting the DVDs from the shows renaissance period and had my love of the show reaffirmed forever.
But while I loved the good times, I've also suffered through some pretty terrible times, which could included the last 6 years of the show. It just hasn't been funny. It has relied on nostalgia and super sweet story lines to putter along towards the record of longest running scripted show.
When THE SIMPSONS movie came out, and I found it funny, I thought there was hope. Maybe they still had some juice left in them. Now it seems like that was the writers' last bit of funny they had left, because the show has been pretty terrible in the wake of that brief blip of funny.
Sure, there have been the occasional laughs and positive signs, but after the most recent episode of THE SIMPSONS I'm ready to officially abandon ship. It's probably too late for me, though, as I've basically ridden this sinking vessel to the bottom of the ocean. While I'm happy to finally get this weight off my back and move on with my life, I will say it was a good ride overall.
(Editor's Note: THe Lombardo's cat, Stewart, is looking for a new home. He is terrified that they have become cold blooded killers and will slaughter him at the first sign of weakness.)

The apprentice becomes the Master

The biggest news surrounding Celebrity Apprentice has been the brain hemorrhage of contestant Brett Michaels. While this didn't impact the show, as it was filmed a while ago, it has grabbed the country's attention as evidenced by the ratings increase for the most recent episode.
And those new viewers who turned in were not disappointed, as they were treated to the best episode of Celebrity Apprentice ever! You might think, the "Whore Pit vipers" debacle of last season might take the cake, but that episode represented the worst in reality television. It was entertaining, except it appealed to the lowest common denominator.
In Sunday night's episode we had teamwork, comedic moments and super sweet sappy moments that belong over on ABC with HOMEMAKEROVER EXTREME EDITION SEARS. (That might not be its official name...)
This season has been marred by too much tension amongst the women. Every week induced a squirmtastic moment, where it all became unbearable. It was so bad that Sharon had decided she wouldn't just skip another task, but that she would quit.
Luckily this was avoided, because The Donald switched up teams. He created team Brett, formerly known as Rock Solid, which is characterized by the singer's loosey goosey attitude and penchant for creative jibber jabber. THe other team is still just team Tenacity, with its hodgepodge of personalities that will eventually serve as a pressure cooker.
What made the episode enjoyable was that the drama had been removed, and we got to watch celebrities work at tasks. Team Brett focuses their sexually charged atmosphere to create a sexually charged workout. Team Tenacity utilized their no nonsense approach to generate a plain jane workout, but in the process raise a ton of money through tireless fundraising efforts.
(Editor's Note: This show does not sound entertaining. At what point will he give up and just say, you had to be there.)
But I digress... Hear are some of the high notes:
1. Brett Michaels has a great body. Granted, there is a 99% chance he is bald under that bandanna, but there's a 99% chance he could wash it on his washboard abs.
2. Brett Michaels finds some ugly ladies attractive. That totally explains ROCK OF LOVE.
3. I'm worried about Cyndi Lauper's mom. She is super old.
4. Summer Sanders is really hot.
5. The show finally added a caveat to its fundraising episodes, so that it wasn't simply about getting checks. Now when someone made a donation, the team had to find a body to represent the check. Undermines the task a little bit, but it is a step in the right direction.
6. The former WWE DIVA has a really charming personality. I would watch her on her own reality show.
7. The Donald's current wife made an appearance on the show. It was as awkward as you think it was.
8. In the end, The Donald didn't fire anyone. He was happy with everyone's performance, so he opted to keep them all. Sort of saw it coming, since there wasn't enough time to fire anyone. Was surprised that Holly offered to write a check to Sharon's charity

Ok, I'll admit that this was a bad post. Probably should have taken notes. If you made it to this point, I apologize.

The Week in Review

This is the second installment of my week in review segment. Based on last week's responses no one read it or everyone was just apathetic about it. Regardless, I will try again with week 2.
1. On the Celebrity Apprentice things got more catty than usual, as we finally realized last year's Joan Rivers vs. Annie Dukes rivalry in the form of Cyndi Lauper vs. a WWE Diva. (Sure, I could look up her name, but I won't.)
I totally love the Diva, who has proven herself to be a valuable asset and doesn't deserve the diva moniker i'm using. Lauper on the otherhand, was a terrible director of talent and basically just reminded me of my mom. Granted, my mom is a smart lady who runs a newspaper, but at home she has the same kind of attention deficit disorder and dictatorial tendencies that Cyndi exhibits.
Anyway, the two ladies butted heads, adding another enemy to Lauper's growing list of haters.
In the end, though, it was Goldberg who was sent home. He deferred to Brett Michaels and ended up losing, but kept on smiling. (That joke makes sense if u watch the show. If not, then just know that Goldberg was adamant about smiling. Ok, it doesn't work.)
2. On Monday there was no Chuck. But, I did get a return of HOUSE, even if it was 8 days after its originally airing since I watch it on HULU.
(Editor's Note: Not only is this week in review dated, it includes shows that are two weeks old! If you think we're editing this for valuable content, then think again. The only thing we took out was naked pictures of Cyndi Lauper that David photo-shopped, because we don't want to get sued.)
The episode was directed by Hugh Laurie, and it actually offered a different style as almost every scene revolved around the interplay of two characters. This was the product of some terrible scripting that required the hospital to be shutdown after a baby is misplaced and forced Cuddie to think unconventionally at the end of the show. The whole thing was uninspiring, especially the David Strathairn scenes that wasted a great actor in boring scenes opposite Hugh Laurie. Oh yeah, there was also stupid sex between Chase and Cameron. Basically HOUSE sucks. I WANT CHUCK
3. Why didn't I remember to DVR JUSITIFIED?!?!? Now i have to wait for it to show up OnDemand, which seems to take forever. So blame the stupid network's OnDemand provisions for my inability to comment on this show.
4. Wasn't wild about the Madonna episode on GLee. Loved the Like A Virgin remake, which was uber hot, but felt it was covered better in MOULIN ROUGE.
5. FLASHFORWARD killed off an interesting character in a surprising way. Well the death itself was more surprising, since i didn't think the writers would have the balls to kill off a compelling character without a bigger payoff. The death is proposed earlier in the episode, but I thought there would be a too convenient way around this outcome. But no, this guy gets wacked and the show opened another can of worms it will never close if it gets canceled.
6. FRINGE was really good. Not just episodic good, but serialized excellence was on display. Peter (joshua Jackson) finally learned that he's from the other dimension and responded by going on the lam. I also love the bad guy, whoever he is, and look forward to more tussles with him.
7. The food revolution met it's match in the series finale, and the winner was a lack of self-control! Boy I hate Jamie Oliver and hope I never have to hear from him again. Some people admired him personally and others appreciated his task, while I just hoped West Virginia would be bombed. I did get to learn that the Rascal Flats are a huge band, according to Jaime. Thanks!

SO this review didn't hit everyday or every show i watch, but offers you a little glimpse of the crap i devour. (Crap Jamie Oliver lets me eat with no second thought)

The Man in Locke wants you!

(Editor's Note: Dave was bleeding from the nose while watching this episode, so it may not make any sense. Luckily, regular readers shouldn't recognize a difference.)
• Just caught the last second of the Dancing With The Stars results show. It appears that Kate was sent home, but the real losers in this are her kids.
• Love the idea that Jack deferred to Hurley. I hope he had a good time captaining the ship, but now daddy’s home and he’s psyched up to make some decisions that will get a lot of people killed (e.g. Get on that boat, we got to go back, and we got to blow up a bomb).
• I feel like I’m cheating on a test, because we’re getting answers! It has now been confirmed (with some room for doubt) that the Man in Black (MiB) is the one masquerading as dead people. I think I believe him, if only because he knew where Christian led Jack. Still a little confused about whether he pretended to be Dave, since that guy existed in Hurley’s mind…. My guess: Dave, donning bathrobe and slipper will return as real head honcho of the island. (kidding)
• Totally forgot about Sun! This coincides perfectly with my theory that all the Losties will be coming together in the sideways world. Hopefully, though, we don’t have a CTU situation here where there’s only one capable surgeon and someone ends up dying. Good thing Charlie hasn’t killed Ethan yet, because he could come in handy, especially if we need to stick someone with a needle.
• “It’s him!” Apparently sideway Sun should be called Conscious-Sun, because she recognizes Locke.
• It’s a family reunion! What a happy moment, except for the fact that Claire wants to kill Kate, her possible sister in law. Her logic is flawed though, since Richard resisted the urge to join MiB after he heard his spiel. However, I do find it amusing that Mr. Freewill can supposedly remove someone’s free will by talking to them…
• As if I didn’t have a big enough boner already (always a full two inches when watching LOST), they bring back the Star Wars references! Plus it’s great to have Han (Sawyer) and Chewbacca (Hurley) reunited.
• Here’s the plan sideways Kate: When you’re in the holding cell you can have hot cage sex with Sawyer. Not sure what this accomplishes, but it sounds hot… On a more serious note, I love that Sideways Sawyer references their run in and contemplates fate.
• “Here we go.” You’re darn right Man in Locke. Maybe not as compelling as Heath Ledger’s, “And here we go,” in the Dark Knight.
• I’ve brought this up in the past, but I think it is worth repeating: Ilana is a babe. Her, Libby and Naomi make up the underrated All-Stars. Their rival would be Kate, the overrated hussy who needs to die, ASAP.
• Vintage LaFleur! I missed this guy so much. It’s nice to know he was working a long con on MiL, especially since he appeared mentally checked out after Juliet died.
• Sideways Sawyer is totally around back. Nice to be validated.
• “Of course note, it’s a terrible idea.” Sawyer delivers my favorite line of the night, and also points out what an idiot Kate is for the double whammy. Sawyer is the only one on this show who has ever been able to appreciate his surroundings and adequately judge the people around him, as evident by the fact he realizes Claire is a lost cause and Sayid’s a zombie. By the way Kate, who did you make this promise to? And another thing Kate, is Loreal pissed that your hair looks so terrible on the island? And finally, will you please kill yourself?
• I don’t think Claire wants to get abandoned again. I wonder what will happen. Are there different levels of crazy? Like now she’s crazy enough to still play connect four with Hurley, but pretty soon she’ll be rambling off numbers? 95,81,80,76,72,20. (Spoiler Alert: That’s Kate’s decreasing IQ through the seasons)
• No way Sayid killed Desmond. Pretty soon we’ll be spelling redemption, S-A-Y-I-D!
• Anyone else bothered by the LOST finale airing on a Sunday? I’m pretty pissed. On a sidenote: I want to put together a LOST party. WE’ll have dharma rum, nicknames and bathing suits for everyone!
• At this point I’m pretty confident that Jack’s ex-wife is Juliet. It’s his prodigy son’s blue eyes that give it away. That and Elizabeth Mitchell’s complete absence from any of the sideways stories so far. It won’t be his normal ex-wife, since that won’t mean anything to us.
• What is making this boat go? The sails aren’t up. Is there an engine?
• “Doesn’t feel right.” Classic Jack. Love that he’s going with his gut again. His “the island’s not done with us yet,” line is reminiscent about Eloise’s proclamation about Desmond. I think he is right. I’ve always been a Jacobite, and for the first time it feels like Jack is actually in touch with my god. WE’RE HEADING TOWARD A FACEOFF BETWEEN MiL AND JACK, which will basically be a substitute for the MiB and Jacob standoff. Now more than ever I’m also convinced there is a higher power on the island, a referee of sorts. Right now there are four people playing the game, or at least aware of it, and they’re MiL, Jacob, Widmore and Eloise.
• Three things: Jack should have gotten run over by the boat and guy’s love jumping into that water to get away Kate. (That’s why he jumped, right?) The third thing is how quickly LaFleur became season four Jack, with his intense desire to get off the island. This is pretty depressing, unless of course Sawyer gets to grow a beard.
• My heart stopped for about a minute, as we finally got the reunion we’ve been waiting for since we learned Jin was alive in season five. The payoff didn’t reach the epic proportions we saw in the season four finale when Penny and Desmond saw each other, but it was still sweet.
I had basically given up hope at this point that their reunion was even in the cards anymore, so I’ll take what I can get.

And that’s basically it. Before I comment on the tone and flow of this episode, which reminded me of earlier episodes before the show was steeped so heavily in its own mythology, I want to talk about the sideways story.
Until now I haven’t had a real theory about the sideways world, except for the idea that it stemmed from the detonation of Jughead. But now I’m ready to posit the beginning of a theory, and it doesn’t involve Jughead. I think Jughead was a red herring, as far as the sideways story is concerned, and that it only served to transport out Losties through time.
The real initiation for the sideways story hasn’t happened yet. I think it will play out in the finale, and the sideways story will be a consequence of actions on the island in that episode. This makes more sense than dual realities occurring at the same time, since you’ve got dead characters and Desmond’s attitude on the island. His attitude could reflect his belief that whatever happens on the island is meaningless, as they’ll ultimately end up in the sideways reality.
After saying all that, though, I don’t think the end game is the sideways story. Actions there will end up being the deciding factor for the island, which is why sideways (conscious?)-Eloise was so adamant about Desmond’s path. It felt like she had plans for the Losties, and my guess is that they involve restoring the correct order.
How this ties into cask’o’wine and everything else, I don’t know.
Finally, this was an episode not really weighed down by the lore of the show. Sure, we got answers, but they weren’t the focus. This episode relied heavily on action, like something from the end of season four when we were dealing with the people on the freighter. I’ve made this comparison earlier, and I think it deserves real consideration. Both situations involve Widmore’s water traveling vehicles and characters faced with the choice of leaving/serving on the island. Plus, in both cases I doubt the intentions of Widmore. He still hasn’t answered for the first time he tried to destroy the island…
So what did you think about the episode? Excited about where the show’s heading? Like this format again??? Ilana is hot, right????

ALMOST THERE

I rarely try to anticipate anything on LOST, but I think I have an idea about tonight's episode. (If you don't want to read a possible spoiler, stop.)
The episodes of LOST lately have been pushing toward a culmination of events. This is pretty obvious, as we're coming to the series finale. But specifically i'm referring to the tribal council we'll have tonight with the Jacobites and the Men in Locke.
In my opinion, though, the more interesting come to jesus moment is occurring in the flashsideways world. It appears that Desmond has taken it upon himself to wake everyone up to the previous reality. I think he was successful with Locke when he hit him with the car, as it seemed vaguely reminiscent of when he was pushed out of the building by his dad. Ok, so this time he didn't die, but i think it works.
Where is Locke going to go now? Why to the hospital. But what hospital, Sacred Heart? No, wrong show. He'll go where all-star surgeon Jack works. This could possibly bring about his awakening too!
Anyway, that's where the show is heading. It makes sense if you consider that the flashsideways could then mirror the island events, since in both scenarios Locke (or MiL) would be dealing with Jack. No idea what's going to actually come from all of this, but that's the setup I think we'll get tonight.
Crazy? Possibly on the right track? I'm going to watch TOTALLY LOST now and listen to people smarter than me talk about Lost.

Women Roles I Love/HATE

(Editor’s Note: This blog contains many assumptions and claims that will come across as either sexist, stupid or spot on. We will watch joyfully as Dave crashes and burns.)
In the wake of a debate about Kristen Stewart’s film personality and after being accused of having a type, I’ve been thinking about female actors and the roles they play. (My brain doesn’t follow a normal progression.) Specifically, my thoughts have been revolving around the female personas that I become enamored with after watching them for about two hours. (That sounds creepier than I intended. You get that I’m not stalking actresses, right?) Anyway, I have a penchant for falling in love every time I go to the cinema.
I’m no studio sellout, though, as I have no patience for the work of Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johannson, Julia Roberts, Megan Fox, Katherine Heigel, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate a pretty face, since I’m still prone to the same shallow urges that dominate most men. However in my case personality plays a huge role in the characters, which is why I wanted to explore the archetypes I’m drawn to.
The best way to approach this task is by eliminating the stereotypes that drive me crazy.
1. The Girl Who Doesn’t Need a Man to be Happy.
• This is a reasonable attitude, if it is applied reasonably. Ultimately it becomes the basis for a caricature of the working woman, who devolves into nothing more than a bitch. She’s got an unnecessarily hard outer shell that ends up cracking for no reason, and as an audience we’re supposed to coo with delight over the fact that a man has shown her what she’s been missing. I’m sorry, but that seems like the brainchild of an idiot guy that had a negative encounter with a woman who he deemed, “needed to get laid.” Only a man could conceive a character that is this simple, uninteresting and unappealing to a male looking for someone he can have an emotional connection to.
(Editor’s Note: This blog has not been hijacked by a girl. It is in fact the odd sensibilities of a 22 year old who obviously received feminine hormone injections and is therefore offering a skewed perception that most men would reject.)
Examples: Julia Stiles in 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU (with the caveat that her demeanor stemmed from a bad encounter with a boy earlier in life)
2. The Girl Looking for a Man to Complete Her
• The only thing as bad as a woman who adamantly denies a man in her life is the woman who believes she can’t live without a man. These ladies typically have a desire for a baby, a fear of dying alone or have an overly romantic view of marriage. While representing a more realistic depiction of women, these traits become even less attractive when blown up on a gigantic screen.
Examples: Kirsten Davis in SEX AND THE CITY (before she met Harry); Katherine Heigel in UGLY TRUTH; Kristen Stewart in the Twilight movies
3. The Girl With No Self-Esteem
• While no guy wants to be dominated by a bossy control freak (ok, it’s kind of hot), we do want a girl who has a back bone. A woman who can’t stand up for herself can never be an equal partner in a relationship, let alone be interesting enough to hold a conversation with.
Examples: Renee Zellweger in JERRY MAGUIRE
4. The Girl With the superfluous WTF attitude
• This character is reminiscent of my favorite type, except their demeanor is akin to James Dean’s annoying approach: What are you rebelling against? “What do you got?” These ladies won’t change for anyone, which is admirable, except for the fact that they go out of their way to be cantankerous.
Examples: Bridget Wilson in LOVE STINKS (no one saw this movie. French Stewart, the weirdest guy from 3rd Rock From the Sun, plays the love interest)
5. The crazy and annoying girl. (Self Explanatory)
Example: Anna Faris in JUST FRIENDS and Selma Blair in CRUEL INTENTIONS
6. The self-righteous girl
• This is essentially reserved for Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls and Reese Witherspoon in Cruel Intentions. Their holier than thou outlooks, and their eventual transitions, drove me up the wall crazy. Lohan in particular was painful to watch, since she ended up being the opposite of her character.
Ok, so at this point I feel like I’ve documented enough of the types I hate. Plus, I’ve probably alienated all my women readers and have had my blogging rights revoked, so I guess I’ll move on to what I do like. To be fair, I should also admit that this next part really just describes the composite character I would want to date, so if you fall into this description and want to start sluming it, I’M IN!
So my composite dream character has these qualities: Steely resolve and a soft side; witty repartee and soft spoken; ebullient and reserved; grounded and prone to flights of fancy; whimsical and contemplative; not too serious and not fake.
Now that I’ve finished my list of contradictions, let me explain. The perfect female character walks a very fine tightrope, with one wrong step being perilous.
Oh my god, this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever written. How about I just give a list of female characters I like and we forget this ever happened? (I would just trash this whole thing, but it took me a while. Doesn’t say too much about me as a writer or a person…)
Here’s the list: Kristen Stewart in ADVENTURELAND; Elizabeth Mitchell on LOST; Mila Kunis in Forgetting Sarah Marshall; Meryl Streep in JULIE AND JULIA; Cameron Diaz in THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY; Carey Mulligan in AN EDUCATION; Mary Louise Parker in THE WEST WING; Natalie Portman in anything where she’s herself; Uma Thurman in BEAUTIFUL GIRLS; Ellen Page in JUNO
Now that this is over, can we pretend it never happened?

Let's get this party started!

In this post-live television viewing world we live in, I have opted to take many shows at my own pace. That means DVRing, watching on DVD or viewing illegally/legally online. Sometimes the choice stems from viewing conflicts or other times it is just a matter of convenience.
In the case of BREAKING BAD, I typically watch an entire season online before the next season comes out. It's one of those shows that you really want to devour all at once, but isn't water cooler fodder so you don't need to be current. Unfortunately, LOST is a show where you need to be current or you'll have it ruined for you, otherwise I'd watch it all on DVD.
There are also shows that I simply didn't get into in time because I wasn't in on the ground floor. That list includes Battlestar Galactica, The Wire and Deadwood. I eventually went back and became devout followers, and in the case of the first two became a live viewer. There is now another show to add to that list, and it's STARZ's PARTY DOWN. I've always been cognoscente of the show's existence, but it was on a channel I didn't get and eventually it fell to the wayside.

With the debut of season two, and a relatively empty queue list I've decided to begin season one of PARTY DOWN, and i'm very happy with my decision.
Maybe this post is premature, but after one episode i've emotionally bonded and committed to this show.
As a Ben and Jerry's employee, PARTY DOWN is extremely accessible to me. The intense level of reality that the show cultivates is depressing and hilarious.
The attraction of PARTY is the writing and the character actors that deliver. You'll recognize almost everyone on the wait staff from something else, whether it's Jane Lynch (GLEE, Role Models), Lizzy Caplan (True Blood/Mean Girls), Ken Marino (Role Models), Adam Scott (Step Brothers) or Martin Starr (Knocked Up, Adventureland). THe only person I didn't know was Ryan Hansen, who is a regular in show creator ROb Thomas's other stuff, like Veronica Mars.
This cast is what makes the show so great, in that they're not scene stealing stars. Like the staffers they're playing they're people who can blend into the scenery and become a party of the reality they're trying to convey.
I really like the developing dynamic between Caplan and Scott, which seems to foreshadow a love connection. Scott is the show's lead, and he plays an actor who had his fifteen minutes and has given up that life. At this point we don't know what happened, but we can glean that the experience has changed him. (To the point where he doesn't enjoy a handy from a MILF during the premier.)
Unfortunately, I don't think Jane Lynch will be a regular on the show. Martin Starr seems to be playing the same misunderstood loser he always does, which is ok as long as he's thrown into some interesting scenarios.
As long as PARTY remains true to the pathetic premise it offers I'm in for the long haul. In my book the show is more promising than other semi-scripted comedies like CURB.
I really look forward to getting down with PARTY DOWN.

Week in Review

This is the first in a new weekly installment I'll be doing every Sunday, where I recap what you need to know about the past week in television. I'll delve into the things I felt were interesting or that you might need to know.
Why am i doing this? Basically because EW does something like this and I liked the idea. Besides that, though, it is as pointless as everything else I read.
Anyway, if you haven't stopped reading already, enjoy...
1. On The PACIFIC, Steven Spielberg got to use left over stock footage from SAVING PRIVATE RYAN for another island invasion scene.
2. For some reason Donald Trump loves Cyndi Lauper and Sharon Osbourne, since he refused to fire them, even though the latter missed the entire challenge and the former missed 80% of it. The same treatment was denied to Michael Johnson, who asked for a leave of absence, but was told that leave would have to be permanent since he'd miss a task. This double standard was infuriating, especially since Sharon is useless and will be fired the next time her team loses.
3. There was no CHUCK. I mean what the heck. No Chuck? What the F*$%?
4. On V we got an introduction to John May (Michael Trucco) via a flashback. It was exciting to see Trucco back on television in a character eerily similar to his Battlestar Galactica role. The only problem was that he was summarily killed off during the flashback...
5. I don't know why I'm watching FLASHFORWARD anymore. I've seen the future, and it won't be on in the fall.
6. Jamie Oliver asked the high school kids to try his food ... and they did!!! Unfortunately, the elementary school still offered flavored milks and all the kids died.
7. SNL was totally underrated. It was a character-centric show with limited stories, but they were still giggle worthy. My favorite was Andy Sandberg as an accountant for celebrities. It show cased the cast's ability to mimic tons of stars. COPY AND PASTE the link.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/143265/saturday-night-live-celebrity-taxes-mort-feingold

Ok, so that was the first week in review segment. Any thoughts? SHould it be longer or shorter? Should it try to be somewhat relevant or cohesive?

More Stuff White People Like: TREME

Last Sunday was David Simon's return to HBO with his new show TREME. This is his first return to a scripted television show since his miniseries GENERATION KILL. Simon, though, is better known/revered for his creation of THE WIRE.
The main difference between THE WIRE and TREME is the focus of the shows. I'm not talking about their settings, but rather the fact that THE WIRE revolved around a city and its institutions, while TREME is based on the zany characters that occupy a city and its institutions. The result is similar, in that you're forced to deal with a broad spectrum of characters and a vast array of stories.
Where the difference is notable is in the way that the stories all feel isolated from each other, even when the show tries, to its detriment, to create one big picture.
The two protagonists appear to be New Orleans DJ, Davis McAlary (Steve Zahn) and trombone player, Antoine Batiste (Wendell Pierce). My inclination here is to analyze these men as representing different aspects of WIRE hero James McNulty, but i will ward off that feeling. It is a tough one to beat back, as they both walk to their own beat in a F U to the institutions they're semi-rebelling against and they both seem reliant on the help of others in a parasite type way.
Ok, getting way too analytical here. Let's get back to my bread butter...
I like TREME. I don't love it, since it feels like work to a certain extent. THis is evident by the fact i added an intermission and found my interest waning at points. The problem stems from the central theme, New Orleans, being inaccessible to me. Where THE WIRE was about institutions in B'more, TREME is about the city itself. I now that sounds like a contradiction to what i wrote earlier, but i mean it in the sense that the characters deal with a setting that is unique and therefore doesn't translate well to this white suburban dude.
Anyway, I felt that John Goodman was more of a wikipedia page than an actual character. Don't get me wrong, he was entertaining, but he feels more like an educational tool than a character. He seems to represent all the themes the show is trying to get across, without subtly letting us glean them for ourselves.
Goodman's wife on the show, portrayed by Melissa Leo, also leaves a little to be desired. Reminiscent of ED the bowling alley lawyer, she appears to be the only shyster in town after the Hurricane. I make this assessment based on the fact she seems to be everyone's lawyer or if not, is a patron at their establishment. Additionally, she seems far too altruistic, as if she's overdosing on a guilty trip.
I really enjoy DEADWOOD vet and LOST flashback participant Kim Dickens as a chef trying to run a restaurant without any staff. Her story doesn't seem poised to blend well with the rest of the show, unless every scene takes place in her restaurant, and this reality disappoints me. She is a captivating starlet who demands my attention in any role, which is obvious from the way she stole the premier with just a few lines in her restaurant.
I'm also a willing participant on the Steve Zahn train. His high-strung DJ has the potential to be annoying, except he has avoided this danger after one episode. Basically he's entertaining, and I'm fine with that. He's an amusing distraction.
Ultimately, though, that's what the show feels like. A series of distractions thrown together. The caveat being that this is a David Simon production, and as such it will take time to develop, so i'm going to refrain from embracing this negative characterization and will only let it exist as a possibility to be wary of in the back of our mind.
Hopefully I'll have more coherent thoughts as the show progresses. For now I'm committed and look forward to next week's episode.
Are you going to watch? Did you watch? Do you get enough New Orleans flavor from Emeril???

EDITOR'S NOTE

Note from the Editor: We've seen record visits to Dave's blog recently, and we wanted to express our concern. You realize there is porn to be watched and qualified writers to be read? Or does this just mean Saratoga Springs has been taken over by a syphilitic insanity?
Regardless, we appreciate the interest and are open to suggestions of possible topics. Because we here at Entertainment Daily might not provide quality or timely content, but we love getting suggestions that we can shrug off.
Finally, all this exposure has gotten to Dave's head and it might be reflected in his writing. Don't be surprised if he gets all political, begins diatribes against Jennifer Hudson or just offers links to videos of cats waking up.

Glee As I Want To Be

(Editor's Note: If you're looking for a raw masculine breakdown of the return of GLEE, then look elsewhere. If you want to hear the giddy ramblings of a moron, well, what's wrong with you???)
Screw it, I'm going to be like a runaway Toyota, and just roll with it.
The old me was a critical SOB when it came to Volume 1 of GLEE, but i'm on board for the ride now. It is what it is, which is a series of amusing references aimed at forwarding the plot until the next song number. I'm fine with that, since the lines are amusing and the songs win me over every time.
Plot, eh. Development, blurgh. Some sort of continuity, blah.
SO with that in mind I just allowed myself to be swept away with the return of GLEE, and it was a fun ride.
Love the introduction of porn star Jesse Saint James. While I can't confirm that's his actual occupation, it will be eventually with that name. I also like the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, who seems poised to be the evil yin to Shu's girly yang. I smell drama, and it smells fabulous!
(Editor's Note: Who writes like this???)
I can't believe we were denied a makeout (seems like that should be one word) scene between the cheerios.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED that Finn sucks at basketball. He's the anti-HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL protagonist. He can't do everything. He can't even make two hot chicks make-out (Hyphen?).
THis episode was way too light on Puck and Quinn, and way to heavy on Shu. Perfect amount of Sue. Could have used some lines for Other Asian, but I was happy that he got to dance.
Was anyone else a little weirded out by the way everyone started dancing during Rachel's song number? Seemed like that came together strangely. Stop it DAVE! DOn't question it, Dave! Just go with the flow.
No more dwelling on it. People are here and it's time to drink.
SO EXCITED FOR NEXT WEEK!!!

TICK TOCK HOLY CRAP!!!

1. Chloe is put in charge of CTU!!! Totally implausible, but totally delicious
2. CHARLES LOGAN IS BACK!!!! Always a good idea to trust this guy.
3. RENEE WALKER WAS KILLED!!!!(Not 100% convinced about this one) Hopeful, though, since it means loose cannon Jack. WEll more than he already is. Loose Nuclear Bomb! Watch out Manhattan, this guy will blow!