Mostly stream-of-conscious thoughts what I have thought about ( Addison on Grey's! )

( Ugly Betty )

You know how I know that my TiVo loves me? I set it to tape me Smallville tonight (I wanted to see who Chloe was engaged to in the AU; I was hoping it was Lex, of course. I am sure I will be disappointed.), and it totally did not. It has my best interests at heart!

And Paula Abdul is so full of it! The more she tries to explain, the less sense she makes! Really, she should just admit that she took notes about how Jason Castro sucked like a thing that sucks during his dress rehearsal. And, yeah, she should be really ashamed that she did that, because that's pretty crappy. If you want to observe something about the arrangement, fine, but you don't get to judge the strength of the performance BEFORE THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE.

Either that, or Idol really is rigged. I KNEW IT.

Also, Hilary Duff turned down the role on the 90210.2! I am positively gutted! They cast some girl from Degrassi instead. TRAGIC.

Also? Obama's reverend is a dick. Not because of anything he said, but because he knowingly screwed Obama over after Obama defended him at a time when it was the POLAR OPPOSITE of politically advantageous. And then he turns around and repays him by making a spectacle of himself and voicing the kinds of superficial remarks that a.) are unfortunate in the first place and b.) were flagrantly inappropriate in that setting. Ugh. Crazy old people! What are you gonna do? (I really hope I do not turn old and crazy.)

Okay, this is awesome. You know NaNoWriMo, in which thousands of amateur writers attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in one month? Amateur musicians have the same thing! It's called the RPM Challenge, and over 2,000 artists with varying levels of experience wrote and recorded albums in February! I heard about it when one of the songs from an RPM Challenge album made it's way onto a new release podcast I listen to pretty regularly.

I also watched the Legion of Super Heroes (or something) finale with my littlest sister. It's SO INFERIOR to Teen Titans, but it is endlessly entertaining because there is TOTALLY PURPOSEFUL slash happening between Superman and Brainiac 5. You guys know that I do not exaggerate about slashiness! For instance! The Legion is set in the future, and when Superman had to go back to the past, Brainiac 5 missed him so much that he went into the simulator training facility he invented and did a program where he and Superman are fighting baddies together. And when simulation!Superman saved him, he enjoyed being in Superman's arms. He was all like, "Oh, Superman! You saved me!" I AM NOT EXAGGERATING. Everything about their relationship is completely shippy and adorable.

This week, with the Top 5 meme making the rounds again, I realized that I have NEVER done a Top 5 meme in the history of my journal! Never!

So! Fannish Top 5's. Go!

Last week, one of my sisters called to ask me to tape a show for her. I was like: "No problem, what show?" And she was like: "I am too embarrassed to tell you!" Which is pretty rich considering all of the grief she gives me about my TV choices. BUT WHATEVER. Bygones! It turned out to be the Terminator show, which was funny because I have been meaning to watch that ever since it won my poll. She told me she'd bought most of the episodes from iTunes, and we agreed to get together and marathon them.

( And so we did! )

I think I will try to watch the Terminator movies, too. It is kind of crazy I've never seen them. I would not say that it is a gaping hole in my cultural knowledge or anything, but still. I should watch them, if only because I have a feeling that a lot of stuff from the show flew over my head.

This is a perfect example of what I mean when I say that a lot of Democrats are being CRAZY about Hillary Clinton. In her stupid fear-mongering "red phone" commercial, one of the little kids is wearing pajamas with a GOOD NIGHT pattern written all over them. The most prominent letters on the kid's shoulder are the N, I and part of the G in "NIGHT." Do you see where I'm going with this?

Stuff like this is why I have been so frustrated. It is ridiculous nonsense. There is plenty to complain about in the commercial without turning Hillary into a racist, which she is so clearly not. We're seriously going to entertain the notion that her campaign deliberately planted racist subtext into that commercial? Assuming the commercial wasn't 90% stock footage, we're entertaining the notion that the devious Clinton media consultants deliberately dressed this poor little African-American kid in Good Night pajamas, oh-so-carefully arranged them so that the NIG would be most visible, and then crossed their fingers that all of those gigantic racists in Texas would notice the two second frame? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.

And there is such a double standard! For example, when Obama actually says something sexist*, it's okay because he obviously didn't mean it that way! Whatever, liberal blogosphere.

( * )

And just so this entry isn't ALL about politics! Did you guys hear that:

1. Addison is going back to Grey's for at least one episode? I will be watching!

2. Mischa Barton was offered a reoccurring role as Georgina Sparks (Georgie!) on Gossip Girl! QUELLE HORROR. keenai, you have been weirdly and creepily prescient these past couple days. STOP IT. The good news is that she turned it down, thank God.

3. Ausiello says that Gossip Girl looks like it's going to cruise to a second season, so that makes me incredibly happy. New seasons of Chuck and Gossip Girl mean that for the first time I can ever remember, I will be sitting pretty during renewals!

A picture of Addison in USA Today caught my eye this afternoon. It was your standard article about how the networks are feeling hassled over prepping for pilot season. I know! Cry me a river, right? Anyway, they talked about some surefire pilots that have already been green-lit, and one is the new J.J. Abrams supernatural procedural starring Josh Jackson, which I will obviously be giving a shot. All for you, Josh! But also, a "scientific drama" from producer Jerry Bruckheimer starring Rufus Sewell!

So, themis. We will obviously be watching that, yes?

The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are on hiatus now? Just as soon as they'd finally gotten their writers back?! I get that this probably has something to do with Jon's Oscar gig, but seriously?! Without Jon and Stephen, there is LITERALLY NO NEW TELEVISION WHATSOEVER for me to watch. The tearing of hair, the rending of garments... yeah, it's happening.

I mean, okay, there is American Idol. But I totally hate American Idol! So that doesn't count.

I am thinking now would be a good time to check out one of the shows that I have been vaguely interested in watching, only I am sort of unmotivated to do so.

Poll #1142346
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Which television show that I sorta kinda think I might want to watch should I actually really really want to watch?

I watched the debate tonight, which was generally a pretty boring time. But this statement from Hillary at the very end was totally surreal. It really feels like the writing is on the wall, and it seems like she knows it. It makes me really sad. If/when she concedes, I will probably cry a lot. It is kind of weird how even though I voted for Obama and everything, I am way more emotionally engaged in Hillary's candidacy. I wouldn't have expected that would be the case, back when this all started.

I think that astronomers must be the most Zen people ever. Because when I watch The Universe or read about the discovery of a truly ancient galaxy, it is a very humbling experience. Life exists on Earth because our galaxy, our solar system, our sun, our planet, our orbit, our moon and our atmosphere all came together to create an unlikely primordial cocktail of hospitality. And in the grand scheme of things, it will be fleeting. The 200,000 years of human history are next to irrelevant on the time scale of Earth's planetary history, and even less relevant in terms of the universe's. Which is not to say we should feel insignificant or anything; for me, the scheme doesn't get much grander than my day-to-day life. But if studying this stuff is what you do, and you're thinking in terms of billions of years and millions of light years on a daily basis? I can only imagine the amount of Zen that requires.

So, yes, I am sick and currently making my way through the TiVo backlog, which includes many episodes of The Universe. I also really like the new Jamie At Home show on Food Network. I cannot believe that Globag moved into the Abbott mansion! And I am watching Hollywood Week right now. Unfortunately, I am kind of loving a lot of the contestants. They are playing instruments! I do not think it will manage to hook me again, but it is looking kind of possible. Is anybody else watching Idol this season?

( Primary Politics )

I read Cornelia Funke's new(ish) book this afternoon -- the one about the girl knight. It was not fantastic or anything, but I thought it was funny that said girl knight had a talking pet cat and a debilitating fear of spiders. Sort of like another girl knight we all know and love! The thing I liked best about it was that the Girl Power that is inherent in these sorts of books was so practical and matter-of-fact. It was very post-feminist, compared to the books I read as a kid. So I thought that was pretty neat.

Manga really brings out the crotchety eighty-three year old woman in me. My sister has started following this series called Tokyo Something or Another. My mom asked me to vet them to make sure they're appropriate, but I could not do it! Because they open the wrong way. The binding is on the right side! What. The. Hell. I literally found myself bitching to my mother that they're published in English for Americans and how this is America where we bind our books on the left side. Amazingly, Little Miss Ten Whole Years doesn't seem to have a problem adjusting to the change. And they are published in black and white and cost ten dollars an issue! Even used, they are something like $7.50. Ridiculous much? You could buy a real book for that much money! (See? Crotchety old lady!)

( complaining about annoyingly bloated network bugs... )

Probably rendered more annoying by the fact that I am kind of sick and therefore easily annoyed. In fact, many many many people on my f'list seem to also be sick. So I hope we all feel better soon.

And, heeey, the strike is OVAH. Which is cool, I guess. The deal seems sort of crappy to me, but as long as the writers are happy... Looking at the chart of strike-affected shows, I weirdly found myself not caring about all that much. I'm not caught up on FNL, and the news of its possible cancellation leaves me pretty cold. I'm still not caught up on Pushing Daisies. Don't care about Addison's Anatomy. I haven't been watching The Wire since I stopped HBO. I mean, I pretty much dropped everything but Chuck, Ugly Betty and Gossip Girl. Speaking of which, we were supposed to get 9 new episodes of Gossip Girl, but the CW seems to have trimmed its order to 5 or 6. Bummer, but I'll take what I can get.

Why is Psych suddenly out of nowhere shipping Juliet/Lassiter? I thought it was just my imagination last week, but it was SO blatant in the newest episode. And not just in a partnersy way! He knows what her hair smells like, and he doesn't (as in totally does) think she's hot? That is canonical shipping! I thought this show shipped Shawn/Juliet? Stop confusing me, show!

Also, PBS is airing the new Northanger Abbey tonight! It's fluffier and less eventful than Austen's other books -- it's basically about a young woman whose penchant for imagining that her life is like the gothic romances she loves to read gets her into a bit of trouble -- but it's still interesting to think about. I actually think the JABC movie had the best take on the book. It was Austen's first, so it makes perfect sense that she chose to write about novels -- about what makes a heroine a heroine, about what makes a story good or bad, about whether or not novels are worthwhile. She was working out her issues, her questions, and even her fears -- was writing novels really what she should be doing? See, this is why all that crap about how The Author Is Dead is no fun at all. Context rules! And so does this movie! I totally recommend it.

The writer's strike sucks so hard. I read today that the last three pre-strike Bones episodes aren't slated to air until MAY SWEEPS. (Not that I watch Bones, but I still feel the pain!) And I haven't heard anything about the last two episodes of Chuck. And the last Gossip Girl airs Wednesday. It is all so depressing!

But Cashmere Mafia finally aired, and I watched that. Not good, sry2say. It kind of reminds me of Private Practice in that it *should* be really good -- the talent and the money is definitely there. But instead it is a fustercluck of mediocrity. ( Read more... )

So, yeah. It was lame. That said, the first season of SatC mostly sucked pretty hard, so I'll be giving this show a couple more episodes to impress me. I mean, why not? It's not like there's anything else to watch on TV.

Although! NEW JON STEWART TONIGHT, YAY. Only, should I watch it? (I am boycotting Young and the Restless because they're using scabs.) But it's not like I have a Nielsen Box, so it doesn't matter anyway. At least, that's what I'm telling myself.

( Gossip Girl )

I watched it in high definition! So that was kind of cool. Not earth shattering or anything, but it was pretty nifty. But HD = unfortunate lack of TiVo, so I had to watch commercials. Which sucked, obviously. To those of you on my f'list who use TiVo and HD, did you upgrade to a HD TiVo?

But I did enjoy all of the highly amusing OTH promos. Nathan drinking vodka OUT OF THE BOTTLE was funnier than anything on Gossip Girl tonight. And his hair! Hilarious! And is that seriously Kevin Federline? How totally appropriate!

This is totally the most depressing thing I have read all week:

I'm told the moguls are determined to write off not just the rest of this TV season (including the Back 9 of scripted series), but also pilot season and the 2008/2009 schedule as well. Indeed, network orders for reality TV shows are pouring into the agencies right now.

I really, really hope that this is not true. I hope this is just AMPTP leaking crap to DHD to try and scare the WGA into submission. Because otherwise? You do not even want to know. What will I do without my TV? Knit? Read books? Probably I will DIE or something.

( Hannah Montana )

( Ugly Betty )

( Avatar )

( Private Practice )

( OMFG Y&R )

I am in the middle of the second Gossip Girl book! I will probably talk more about this some other time, but I gotta say that Nate Archibald is even lamer in the books than he is on the show. I know, I can't believe it either. (In the books' defense, they openly acknowledge his lameness.) Chuck is also TEN BILLION TIMES grosser.

P.S. OH MY GOD, WHY ARE THE STRIKE NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSED?! D:

1. Almost every time I watch Pirates of the Caribbean, I end up having a conversation about whether or not Jack and Will's stunt with the overturned boat would have worked. Anyone who has ever owned pool toys knows that trying to drag a noodle or a boogie board (or anything intended to float) underwater is very tough to do, and it seems like it would be impossible to hold an air-filled boat under the water, unless you were in possession of super human strength. I'd thought maybe the weight of a wooden boat would help keep it submerged, but I've never been convinced that it was actually possible. IT BOTHERS ME, OKAY. So I was thrilled to see that Mythbusters is doing an episode on PotC during which they will put this trick to the test. Wednesday at 9:00!

2. I feel very strongly that if you are in a band and your band fails at enunciation, then you have an OBLIGATION to print your lyrics in the liner notes. If your label won't spring for more than four pages, or if you are a pretentious asshat who prefers cryptic artwork or elaborate photo shoots, then you should at least have the courtesy to post your lyrics at your website. In an obvious place and labeled properly! I do not want to have to poke all over your stupid webspace to find them because you are too creative to have an intuitive site. GOD. Why do I even buy music?

3. One of my sisters loves the Jonas Brothers, and it is not who you would think. Little Miss Ten Whole Years actually calls them the Bogus Brothers -- and she claims to have made that up herself which, frankly, makes me proud. Heather is the fan, and she has been inflicting them on the rest of us all weekend. Surprisingly, I think they are kind of cute and do not mind them at all. I keep catching myself humming "Hold On."

4. I did manage to see Enchanted, so go me. It was so overwhelmingly sweet that I sort of felt as if I should go eat a lemon or seventy afterwards, but it was a fun time at the movies. It is very much a homage to the Disney Princess classics, so if you like those I would definitely recommend it.

5. I watched some of the Planet Earth encore with my sister tonight and got a little weepy during several parts. We have such a beautiful planet, you guys! But I am kinda disappointed with Fearless Earth. It is very... melodramatic.

6. I find it difficult to comprehend that Japan is going to kill 50 Humpback Whales from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Can you imagine going into a restaurant and being all like, "I WILL HAVE THE HUMPBACK WHALE. MEDIUM RARE, PLZ." You must have to be a SERIOUS DOUCHEBAG. I assume it is a conspicuously expensive meal, which makes it even grosser. According to this article linked by gelxgel, the Japanese government is actually spending millions of dollars to promote the consumption of whale meat, which has waned in popularity over the past few decades. How messed up is that! I also read that whale (and dolphin) meat is particularly high in mercury and other toxins. So it makes even less sense to me than it did before. JAPAN MUST BE STOPPED, YOU GUYS. Somebody call Hayden Panettiere!

7. Blake Lively is awesome in this clip from The View. She addresses a rumor that she and Leighton aren't getting along, and instead of just denying it, she points out how sexist the rumor is and that none of her male costars have had to deal with articles speculating about their professional relationships. FTW!

8. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE SEC, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. Tennessee won in their fourth overtime, which was hard to stomach since it means that Georgia's season is basically over, aside from whichever probably awesome bowl game we will get. And watching the LSU/Arkansas game was SO CRAZY. On the one hand, Arkansas winning was a fun upset, and I do enjoy seeing grown men cry. But LSU is >>> OSU and Kansas and probably Missouri, so it is sad that they will not get to play for the championship. But that is always the way! The SEC eats its own and then watches other teams play for the glory. (Admittedly, we were not as fantastic as usual this year, but neither was anyone else, so.)

9. I am really, really hoping the the WGA strike will end this week. Talks resume today, and everyone sounds hopeful, so fingers crossed. In the meantime, go watch the best video to come out of the strike so far: hungVP158 gives us the AMPTP's perspective on the issues. God, I miss The Colbert Report.

Avatar tonight was... weird. It's like they knew they needed a calm-before-the-storm episode, but it was kind of really terrible? I mean, even more terrible than the Angst of the Fire Nation episode, because at least that one was unintentionally funny.

( FNL Negativity )

Question! Does the phrase "more's the pity" really mean unfortunately? Because I'd always used it as the British version of tough shit, but I was trying to use it today to defend Blair (a'la "If Blair's choice in rebound guys hurts Nate, more's the pity.") and I looked it up because I've only ever been about 60% sure of what it means. "More is the pity" just doesn't really MEAN anything to me. Not as an American, anyway. But I needed something that sounded politer than tough shit or too bad. Okay, I am rambling. But really, please enlighten me.

So I have several new Gossip Girl friends. *waves* I can't decide whether I should bid you welcome or good luck, hee.

( Chuck )

( Gossip Girl: Mean Girls and Date Rapists )

Two weeks again, sigh. I am trying not to think about how awful it will be if the writers' strike goes on for much longer, and it seems like it will. I support them 100%, but I am going to miss my TV like crazy, especially if that means shortened seasons. It is all very tragical.

Thanks for all the comments on yesterday's post! I seriously do not deserve my f'list.

( Chuck )

( Gossip Girl: Game respects game! )

I always feel silly after these posts. I am sure many of you wonder how it is possible to have so many Thoughts on Gossip Girl. But I always think of lots of things to say! And, you know me, I do like to say things! Really, it is a fun time and a surprisingly decent little teen soap. I highly recommend it!

Also, if I lived in L.A., I would so have been at Disney Studios yesterday to stalk Rob Thomas. (Um, the showrunner, not the singer.) The Heroes showrunner also apologized yesterday via the picket line for the suckage that has been S2. So it is not just me, ha.

P.S. CBS has allegedly sent all their showrunners letters saying that they will be sued for breach-of-contract if they don't resume their production duties immediately. D:

So I know this is no big shocker, but I am all Team Writers!!! over here. The writers *did* drop their DVD proposal (which would have doubled the money they make from the sale of DVDs), but the studios/producers were still being complete jackasses about the other proposals, all of which sound incredibly reasonable to me. In addition to that, the networks were willing to compensate writers for Internet use only if a "free period" was established, i.e. no one from Grey's Anatomy would be compensated for the ABC.com viewing during the days when the show is being downloaded the most. Now that the networks and studios have successfully changed the ratings standards to INCLUDE the first week's downloads of the show, it is entirely ridiculous that they would not compensate the writers for viewings that they themselves consider to be on par with broadcast views. Where is the earth logic in that?

But still. This totally breaks my heart. I've added Deadline Hollywood Daily, which has up-to-the-minute insider deets on the strike and the negotiations, to my blogroll, and it really sounds as if this will not be resolved in the near future. The negotiations are contentious, and the WGA and the studios/networks still seem to be very far apart on the issues. The networks and studios have been stockpiling scripts, episodes and alternative programming, so they won't be feeling the pinch for awhile.

I even heard that Heroes filmed an alternative ending to their last December episode so that it could function as a season finale if need be. The Office, which has several writers who double as actors (i.e. B.J. Novak) could run into problems especially early. I do not know about the rest of you, but the idea of most of my TV wrapping in December and January until as late as September is incredibly painful. And the thought of The Daily Show missing most of primary season is just sad. :(

Anyway. I did a gigantic post of TV this weekend that I think most people missed. I have decided that I will watch Spooks, My So-Called Life, Mad Men and Wonderfalls over the possibly-very-long hiatus. I will just have to ration out the episodes, sigh.

( Pee-Esses )

( Friday Night Lights )

( Avatar )

( Ugly Betty )

( Big Shots )

( Private Practice )

( Pushing Daisies )

( Nip/Tuck )

( Y&R )

( Chuck versus The O.C. )

So the writers are set to walk out this Monday. The last writer's strike (in 1988) lasted five months. Immediately, stuff like The Daily Show will be affected. Three-to-four weeks and there will be no more Y&R (good!), and then in January, there will be no more new TV! So let's hope that the networks and studios decide to properly compensate their writers in the VERY near future, because I will be completely devastated if there is no new TV come spring.

In the meantime, I will be thinking of shows to watch and catch up on during the possibly longer-than-normal hiatus. I am thinking Life, Samantha Who?, Mad Men and possibly Damages. I still need to watch S2 of The Closer. I might retry Dexter. Any other suggestions? Maybe we could start like a TV club or something, if the strike seems like it will go one for a super long time.

( Gossip Girl )

Pushing Daisies continues to be cute. My favorite line this week was about how the older aunt calls being in love "having a condition." Hee! My black heart approves!

And did you guys hear about the new Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie? Apparently America Ferrera is very unhappy about it, but there was an option for a sequel in her contract, and what with she and Blake Lively turning out to be pretty big stars, I guess the suits want to capitalize on that while they can.

Also, I finished S1 of Moonlighting a billion years after the fact. Wow, television is so much better today. And, hey, I kind of hate Bruce Willis's character and do not think that he and Cybil Shepherd have chemistry at all, so clearly I fail at this show. And, also, all the behind-the-scenes metatextual stuff is completely creepy to me. Maddie constantly having to grovel to David was just awful to watch. I also failed at shipping Laura Holt/Remington Steele (the premise was kind of offensive to me?) when I watched some of that with my mom, so maybe I am crazy.

So, hey, here's another one of those first-come-first-served For the Cost of Shipping offers, although I tend not to collect unless the shipping is over $5 or $6 dollars.

1. S1/S2 boxset of Moonlighting
2. A complete Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series