Dexter really messes with my brain sometimes. The show is so fascinating and yet the character is so self-involved, in a completely unattractive way, he could have been a regular on 30-something. I still find myself rooting for him. It’s crazy. Manipulative tv bastards make some good stuff, though, huh?\
Who else is watching this show?
Category: tv
Got a dollar?
I am 100% behind the writers in the strike, but also want the strike to end because tv is fun to watch. Except for reality tv; me no likey that. But regular tv? That I like a lot. The strike means no new tv. Boooo. If you’re wondering how to show support for the writers and put pressure on the other side to end this strike, well, I just happen to know:\
United Hollywood has organized a Pencils2Moguls campaign a la the peanuts to the network for Jericho.\
As stated by Joss Whedon on Whedonesque:
The campaign itself is fairly simple. We’d like to start it right away, and it goes like this:\
Point the fans to http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/, where there will be a banner or button allowing them to click through to buy boxes of pencils. The pencils are plain wooden \#2’s, and the company uses sustainable farming for the wood (seriously. They do.) The pricing will be “a buck a box.” (Sustainably harvested wood pencils + PayPal cost per transaction puts us a little higher than the cost of a box if you buy at Office Depot, sorry.) If there’s any money left over, it will be donated to the Union Solidarity Fund, which is a nonprofit for non-WGA members affected by the strike.\
When fans click to buy the pencils, they can choose to identify the show they are supporting if they want. (This will generate a database of fans by show – among other things, allowing showrunners to thank fans by group if they want to.)\
The pencils will be delivered in bulk, by trucks, like the peanuts were. The deliveries will be to the 6 CEOs of the 6 congloms (Disney, News Corp, Viacom, Time Warner, CBS, GE) one by one – we’ll probably start with GE. If we get enough to pencils to do all 6, then we will. If we don’t, we’ll concentrate on one or two.\
If the logistics can be worked out, showrunners who choose to can take part in a “load the pencils” photo op – unpacking the boxes of pencils and shoveling them into bins or boxes for transport to the CEO’s. The visual has the potential to be worth a thousand words – for the fans as well as the general public.\
We will suggest that the fans send a message similar to this: “We’re all on the same page. Make a fair deal.”\
This has the potential to be a historic moment in fan history – the first time that all fandoms band together to show that they are a force to be reckoned with to the corporate world. Given the passion and commitment the fans are already showing, this seems a good way to both show our appreciation and respect, as well as giving them the direction they’ve been requesting.\
We hope you’ll be willing to join us in this effort. It won’t be our last.\
Carol Barbee Jericho\
John Aboud\
United Hollywood\
Jane Espenson\
Buffy, Battlestar Galactica\
Jeffrey Berman\
United Hollywood\
Rob McElhenney\
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia\
Laeta Kalogridis\
United Hollywood\
Ron Moore\
Battlestar Galactica\
Marti Noxon\
Buffy, Private Practice\
Jaime Paglia\
Eureka\
Bill Prady\
Two and a Half Men\
Shonda Rhimes\
Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice\
Stephanie Savage\
Gossip Girl\
Joss Whedon\
Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse
Go ahead. It’s \$1.00 per box and it’s a way to be involved and show our support.\
Plus, I get to feel like the 12 year old fangirl I never was!! (Until I hit my 30s. Shhh, let’s keep that between you and me, ok?)
TV recommendations
The writers’ strike starts tomorrow. Eeeep! I am not sure how long it will last, but let’s prepare anyway: Question: What television shows, available on DVD, are must-see?\
You all know my answer but I am going to post it anyway: Veronica Mars, Season 1. The best season of tv, ever. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but… you can skip the other seasons. Shhh, you didn’t hear it from me. But Veronica Mars Season 1? Rocks so hard core! Here are all of the reasons why. The show follows my favorite format: there are bad guys to catch each week but there is also a season-long mystery/Big Bad. Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer also worked this way.\
Other awesome shows I highly recommend: Firefly, Sports Night, The Office, Friday Night Lights, and Supernatural. For those of you living under a rock, and not just merely uninformed, The West Wing and Friends are must-sees as well.\
Hit me with all of your recommendations and we’ll get through the writers’ strike together and with the status quo intact: the scrapbooking incomplete, the quilting unfinished, and the great American novel unwritten.\
ETA- I know the strike won’t affect prime time tv for a couple of months, but how will I know what to ask Santa or the New Year’s Elf for if you don’t tell me now?
Yakity Yak, Talking Back
Yesterday after Max’s therapy appointment, he told me about a questions board game that he and the doctor played. One of the questions was, “If your walls could talk, what would they say about your family?” Max’s answer: We are a silly family. That is probably the best thing he could have said. It really warmed my heart.\
Kevin and I watched the premiere of Friday Night Lights last night and I was hugely disappointed. Some of the new story lines were lame and tired. Kevin liked it though. He was like, “How can you call this show bad when you used to watch Seventh Heaven?” Well. After I knocked him upside the head for doubting my taste, I said that I never thought Seventh Heaven was good. It wasn’t. But it never had the potential to be good like FNL has. So there. But y’all should watch Friday Night Lights anyway! The first season was superb and I have faith that this new season will correct itself shortly.\
TV BigShots over at TWoP is starting to really bug me. There are constant errors in the scores and values of the shows, multiple problems with trying to buy and sell shows, plus (and here is the biggie) there is no gaminess to the game. It isn’t about skill or luck. All you have to do is check the shows’ ratings and then buy based on the previous value. It’s an exercise in spreadsheet coordination, but it’s not so much a game. I would tell you my ranking in the game, but my score hasn’t been updated since last week.\
My fantasy football team is close to 200 points behind the next lowest team, so maybe I should stick to games that require no skill. I would really like to blame my poor showing on the many, many injuries my players suffered (seriously, if I listed my players, you would laugh), but that would be small of me.\
And how are you guys doing? Start any new hobbies? Fall in love with any new shows? Tell me! Tell me! TELL ME!
Wanna be a Big Shot?
Kevin and I are playing TV Big Shot at Television Without Pity. It is a fantasy tv ratings prediction game similar to fantasy football. Our shows are:\
Back to You\
Chuck\
Heroes\
Kitchen Nightmares\
Reaper\
The Biggest Loser\
Anyone else playing the game?
Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater
About a month ago, I gushed about how awesome Big Brother was this season. Murphy’s Law dictates that when a show starts out so freakingly good that it must crash and burn before the end, (Lost anyone?), so of course Big Brother had to totally blow chunks as this season came to a close. I’m not going to go over the specifics except to say: Dick cheated!! On camera! There is proof. I saw it with my own little eyes!! Booo to CBS and the suits behind the show for not ejecting Dick immediately. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.\
Aww, MSNBC agrees with me.\
And an even bigger BOO to Kraft and the NFL for not firing or, dammit, at least suspending, New England Patriot’s head coach Brian Belichick. His assistant got caught cheating, Belichick admitted to it, and he barely got a slap on the wrist? Are you FRAKIN kidding me?
Big Brother Spoilers Below!
I’ve joked in the past about being a bad mom, a bad friend, maybe even a bad wife. Tonight, I come to you humbly to admit, with no reservation or joking, that I am truly a bad, bad person: I LOVE BIG BROTHER! Kevin’s all sad and thinks it is a train-wreck of a show because the people are mean, dumb, and selfish. I, however, think it is entertainment gold because the people are mean, dumb, and selfish. I haven’t intentionally watched Big Brother since the first or second season, but this season just grabbed me from the start (I was in the room when Kevin watched the premiere).\
Amber asking, “What’s integrity [etc] mean?” Priceless.\
Amber crying while saying that she was done crying. Priceless.\
Amber adamantly saying that she wasn’t going to agree with anything Danielle offered and then volunteering to give away ALL of her power to Danielle? Priceless.\
And just so you don’t think it is all about Amber, Zack cock-blocking Eric was so awesome! Add in Eric’s squeaking and it becomes… Priceless.\
I don’t like any of these people, so watching them go at it is entertaining as hell. However, I feel like an attendee at one of Michael Vick’s parties. I need a shower.\
My one non-bitchy thought: I am naively hopeful that Amber or Danielle will win something during their surprise trip. It won’t happen, but the thought makes me squeee. Really.\
Also, I don’t mind Amber’s focus on God, but I wish someone could give her some kind, but faithful, perspective. I am sick of the sentiments like this one from TWoP: “…perhaps the lord has been remiss in his duties in Iraq because he has been planning this big event for Amber.” I laughed, cuz yes, I am a bad person. But really, maybe God is blessing Amber by not winning. Seriously. Or maybe God gave her a vision (I am just going to accept that she believes it) so that she would have the confidence to win 2nd place and get to go on a neat trip and/or to get off of the block.\
CBS has been editing the hell out of the show- not showing Dick’s misogynistic attacks on the women, Amber’s anti-Jewish rant. But whatever, I am enjoying the show. Like I said, I am a bad bad person.
My boys
Kevin and Max spent Saturday at a computer conference-thingie. Max loved it. Much more than I was expecting. He did utilize the markers and paper I sent along though. He wants to present sometime on animation and scratch. I am not sure what computer professional would want to listen, but hey- go for it, kid. He came home all psyched to hop on the computer and get started with some new project but Kevin was too tired. This morning he woke up at 5:30 (maybe because Brian and I were already awake and making noise) and immediately went to the computer.\
Brian and I spent all day Saturday gorging on preseason football games! Wheee. Brian wasn’t so happy with this, actually. Too bad, kid, you’ve got another six months of football to endure! I tried to teach him how to catch a football, but my boobs kept getting in the way of the appropriate position. Booo.\
The other day I went clothes shopping for the boys and put the bags on the couch. Brian saw them and asked, “What’s this?” I told him it was some shirts for Max. Brian wanted a shirt too. Being awesome, I said, “I got you some too. Here they are,” and pulled out his totally cute new shirts. Brian flipped out! He started screaming and crying, “Too big, too big,” (which is what he says when he doesn’t like something). Jeeze, what a drama queen. He could give the people on Project Runway a lesson or two.\
Last week Max asked for his first pair of name-brand shoes. Sniff. They grow up so fast. Since the shoes, Skecher Airators, were on super sale and available during the tax-free weekend, I decided to get them. He was interested in them because the supposedly keep your feet color by letting air in, or air goes out. Something. After wearing them for a few minutes, he was disappointed by the lack of air wooshing. I was thinking about taking the shoes back, since he wasn’t so keen on them. “They don’t do a thing,” he said, but I decided that it would be a good lesson that commercials aren’t so accurate. Ten minutes later Max said he wants Skech-Airs. Headdesk.\
Brian’s started saying, “Yank you,” instead of “Go” for thank you. He also says, “Peek-a-you,” instead of peek-a-boo. Totally cute.\
Last week the boys came home from Babba’s with a toy pet. It was an egg that when put in water, a little rubber lizard hatches. Since then, it has more than doubled in size. I am not sure if it is still growing or not. It’s kind of awesome. Max named it Buddy 2, after my dad’s dog. I want another one of these things so Buddy can have a friend. Currently Buddy is living in my large glass mixing bowl. I am not sure we have room for two. Hmm. Max really wants a fish tank, so Kevin and I are going to get one for him for his birthday (no one steal our idea!). I need to make sure the tank is big enough to house Buddy too.\
Speaking of birthdays, Brian got screwed out of his big birthday gift. Kevin and I had decided to get him a little kitchen, but the store didn’t have the one I wanted. We then spent a few days checking out online stores and shipping rates. By this time, Brian’s birthday party was over and we just sort of forgot about it. Oops. The kids have way too many toys though. So many in fact that it is hard for me to go present shopping for them because they pretty much have everything- blocks, trucks, little people, etc. How many trucks do they really need? Plus, Brian only really plays with two marbles, two cars, and a handful of blocks all day long. This makes me feel not so bad about planning to box up half of their toys for storage and/or Goodwill.\
Let’s end on a random note. I rarely agree with Heather Havrilesky’s Salon column, but this week she pimps the season premiere of Weeds (I stopped watching) with my all-time favorite quote:
My all-time favorite is when Doug and Andy are getting high in the living room and Andy asks the housekeeper, “Lupita, settle an argument for us. What do you call the thing between the dick and the asshole?” She answers, “The coffee table.”
Man, look at all of the tags on this post!
The Sopranos
LOVED the ending!\
What did you think?\
The TWoP episode thread is at 67 pages in less than 12 hours. I’m not even going to attempt to trudge through that.
Robin Hood
The BBC series Robin Hood is playing now on BBC America. It’s not spectacular groundbreaking television, but it is a rollicking good adventure show where the bad guys are delightfully bad and the good guys are good but conflicted. It’s lots and lots of fun, and you should watch it, if only to encourage BBC America to bring good shows over here quicker (like, concurrent with their UK release).