Nerdy Pop

TV Updates

2012-01-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

I'm here with a backlog of your one-stop nerdy TV news.

Ricky Gervais has a new show called Life's Too Short coming out on HBO, in which he will play a supporting character with co-creator Stephen Merchant. It stars Warwick Davis as a fictionalized version of himself who owns a talent agency for Little People in the film industry. You know Davis best as Willow, the magical dwarf. Season One's guest stars include: Johnny Depp, Liam Neeson, Sting, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Carell and Cat Deeley.

Paul Rudd will oppose Leslie Knope for mayor of Pawnee in Parks and Recreation. Supposedly he'll be a formidable opponent. Rudd joins with the second-half guest stars Kathryn Hahn and (also new) Carl Reiner, an elderly man who puts his powerful backing behind Leslie, as she reaches out to the old folk of Pawnee.

Durmot Mulroney will guest star for a multiple-episode arc on New Girl as Jess's new older love interest. That's about it...

Emma Stone will guest star on 30 Rock as herself co-starring in a movie with a huge cast produced by the same creators behind Valentine's Day. The movie's title: Martin Luther King Day. Awesome. Andy Samberg (yuck!) and Nick Cannon will also be featured in the episode as part of the movie within a TV show. 30 Rock returns this Thursday, along with the rest of our faves, save for Community. :( Stone joins the ranks of a slew of guests, including Will Arnett, Liz-Lemon-lover James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer, Denise Richards, and recurring guest Kristen Schaal (of Flight of the Conchords). It should be a strong season.

FOX ordered a pilot from It's Always Sunny mastermind Rob McElhenney. It's called Living Loaded and based off the humorous drunken autobiography of Dan Dunn. Also, be sure to check out his new show Unsupervised, in which all your favorite It's Always Sunny actors will star in and create. It premieres Thursday, January 19 on FX. Perfect replacement for It's Always Sunny while it's off. Too bad their other show never took off, which starred Artemis as Startemis. Now, remember: Justin Long, Kristen Bell, Fred Armisen, Romany Malco, and Alexa Vega also lend talents to the show through voicing the characters.

Next week on Once Upon a Time, Buffy's Emma Caulfield guests as the Blind Witch from the Hansel and Gretel story. Can't wait for that one.

Site of the Week 12/19-25/11: December Well

2011-12-23T06:55:00.000-08:00

For those who don't like Christmas songs and want to get into the season in a different manner, there's a remedy! Listening to winter-themed songs, like I often do, is the best way to get into the holiday and seasonal spirit. It's the one way I don't absolutely hate winter when I can listen to music with bells, xylophones, and other instruments with eerie, dark, hollow, and mute sounds. Former Malinky fiddler Mike Vass has been quite busy with solo projects (as well as being up to no good). His current project: December Well. Read on for more about the project.

Vass has created a vlog for fans to follow the day-by-day production process with videos and song demos on sound cloud. In it, we find out what instruments he uses and the sounds in nature he uses to recreate the seasonal atmosphere. The effect: a truly natural experience, as the fiddle, guitar, melodica, and other instruments fuse with the sounds of sleet on the window and trees moving in the winter wind. The experimental music is defined by unique and specific uses of instruments. The result of these daily ideas, contests, and songwriting sessions is the album December Well, to be released in January or February (not December, I know, but it's recorded in December). Below find the first vlog.

On a side note: I haven't confirmed it with Mike yet, but it seems he and Malinky member Fiona have been teaming up to create an album of traditional Scottish folk music. I've been dying to hear because I've been missing their performances together at folk pubs around Scotland. And on another side note: I haven't heard word of when Malinky will reunite with more new music. As I'm sure you know, this is still devastating to me. Find Fiona's a capella performance of "Young Emslie" (which I've mentioned quite frequently) below.

My Top Albums of 2011

2011-12-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

This year saw one of the best in terms of high-quality indie music. The surge in self-produced and -funded albums creates a true artistic vision. It's also the year of female artists. Half of the top 10 best-selling albums are from women. This is a good sign! Among the top 10 was Mumford & Sons, who had a very big year. I've chosen my top 5 albums to coincide with Auddie P's forthcoming list. These gems are ones you can't let by you.

5. Emily Smith's Traiveller's Joy

Emily Smith continues her trademark sound of rich traditional Scots language and music combined with a sleek, modern folk pop feel with this lovely release.

4. The Pierces' You and I

The Pierces struck gold with this record, marking them on the worldwide music scene. Their rich harmonies and experimental sounds make this record stand out among the rest. With a range from the roaring 20s to an alternative country edge. Though they nail every tone with perfection, their best are always the creepy and haunting.

3.The Decemberists' The King is Dead

The Decemberists release this record, following the amazing Hazards of Love. With it being so much different, it might have come as a bit of a disappointment to some. Being categorized as a rock album has confused me because this record shows more of a country-folk sound than anything, reminiscent of older albums and the former band Tarkio, occasionally infused with a light rock sound.

2. Adele's 21

Anything Adele does is stunning, but her sophomore release certainly does not disappoint. She managed to produce an even more quality sound.

1. Florence + the Machine's Ceremonials

I've already reviewed this album, but it never seems like enough praise. Welch's creativity and honesty, paired with her powerful voice and intelligent writing, create a musical virtuoso necessary for any music library and for any soul.

Other notable albums: Dia Frampton's Red, Seth Lakeman's Tales from the Barrel House, Pistol Annies' Pistol Annies, Bounding Main's Kraken Up, Alison Krauss' Paper Airplane, Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues, Sherrie Austin's Circus Girl, and Gillian Welch's The Harrow and the Harvest.

Dating Tips from Esther Smith

2011-12-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

It's Christmastime(!) and during this season I celebrate in many ways: listening to Christmas music, baking and decorating cookies and watching my favorite holiday movies.

You can learn a lot from these movies. The Grinch teaches you the true meaning of the season. Elf shows you that magic things can happen if you just believe. And Home Alone teaches us how to outsmart stupid burglars. And to remember to not forget your kid when you leave for your family vacation. All are valuable lessons.

In the classic Meet Me in St. Louis we not only learn the importance of family, but also how to get your man.

In the film Judy Garland's character, Esther Smith, is a young woman living in St. Louis who has her eye on the boy who just moved in next door, John. If you're a single gal like me, you know how much work can go into wooing a man. So, even though the film takes place more than 100 years ago, I think many of Esther's strategies would still work today. Take note of the tips below and try them out for yourself!

Tip #1: Be Formally Introduced

This seems like a no brainer, but a lot of times you can fancy someone from afar and not make a move simply because as far as you know, he doesn’t know you exist. Esther solves this problem brilliantly by hosting a party at the Smith home with the sole purpose of formerly meeting John. When she and John are introduced Esther acts as if she didn’t catch the name and has never heard of him and John is intrigued. Very smooth.

Tip #2: Get Him Alone

Not as creepy as it sounds, tip #2 may be the most helpful. At the end of the party held for John (but without John knowing that), he is looking for the hat he wore when he arrived. It’s not with the other hats where he left it, so Rose (Esther’s older and helpful sister, or wingwoman, if you will) goes off searching for it. During the search John and Esther are given some valuable time alone while the other guests are leaving. We soon learn that Esther and Rose hid John’s hat to keep him at the party longer. Again, so smooth.

This tip is brilliant and could absolutely be used today. So, remember when hosting your man-catching party to take his coat or scarf or hat, if he actually wears one in 2011, and hide it. Take it from Esther, this will give you and your guy the perfect opportunity to spend some alone time.

Tip #3: Help Him Help You

There are probably many ways to achieve tip #3 in today’s times, but back in Esther’s day I think her method was probably the best. When John is just about to be the last guest to leave the Smith house Esther asks if he’d help her turn out the lights, claiming to be afraid of mice. It is convenient that the Smith house is a large Victorian home full of oil lamps that have to be put out slowly. So, as John follows Esther around making the house dimmer and dimmer and the two get closer and closer as they put out the lights, a romantic mood ensues. The pair take several chances to stand very close to each other causing John to take in Esther’s scent and make the comment “Wow, that’s nice perfume.” But when Esther tells him it’s Essence of Lavender, he reveals that it’s exactly the kind his grandmother wears… Not so smooth, John.

Despite smelling like his grandmother, John is taken with Esther and her tricks of wooing a man work. By the end of the film the two are engaged and all is well in St. Louis. So, this holiday season when trying to capture the attention of the object of your affection, try out some of Esther’s tips. If you’re feeling extra confident, maybe even let him kiss you, and ignore what Rose Smith thinks: “Nice girls don't let men kiss them until after they're engaged. Men don't want the bloom rubbed off.” Maybe you have too much bloom, and that’s the problem. Good luck!

My Holiday Celebrations, Movie Style!

2011-12-16T10:27:00.000-08:00

Our family's Christmas Even tradition, as of 5 years ago, is to watch Elf together. Last year, I was a wee bit too intoxicated to enjoy it and passed out after accidentally moaning when Zooey Deschanel started singing. It was an awkward moment when the entire family looked at me. I celebrate with other movies, though, leading up to Christmas. I make a point to watch these movies every year, as I did in college.

1. Just Friends
Chris Brander is home for the holidays, and he hasn't been in 10 years. Revolving this film around the holidays made it better, as there was so much more to deal with for physical comedy. Anna Faris brightens my holiday spirit when she sings, "Mall people come and go, mall people they just don't know." The brotherly relationship and motherly advice and friendships, that when you return, are still there, like you never left. This is a classic that I've quoted every line of Anna Faris' with Auddie P during our college years.

2. Mean Girls
There's really nothing Christmasy in this, save for "Jingle Bell Rock", but its inclusion is just an excuse for me to regularly watch this. Let's face it: Mean Girls is downright amazing. This should get more recognition for being absolutely hilarious.

3. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Santa appears, and it's wintery! So I make a point to watch this as well. It's not a great movie, but it's fun, and the beavers are a delight, as is the Ice Queen's dwarf ("It's sooo warm out...").

4. Running with Scissors
I'm not even sure this had any Christmas in it, but there is definitely a Christmas tree, as the family leaves it up all year 'round. Gwyneth Paltrow was stellar in this. It's a great mix of family relations, hilarious insanity, and utter horror.

5. Love Actually
Who doesn't watch this classic every holiday season? It's a feel-good rom com. Everyone needs that once in a while!

6. Little Women
Though Little Women is set over a long period of time, the core of the movie takes place during winter while the Civil War (Gasp! I'm in!) continues, hitting home. I love the strength of the women in their various ways, each contributing to their own version of feminism, and we all know how much I love feminism. Each sister has her individual personality, which the creators of the film had a wealth of character depth to go off with it being a book, solely about character. Beth's death gets me. Every time!

What are your personal traditions every year at this time?

Feminist Feature: Mindy Kaling's New Project

2011-12-08T21:17:00.001-08:00

Mindy Kaling has finally revealed her project: an animated series. She'll executive produce, write, and voice a character on the series about a high school volleyball team. Even if it's like a bunch of mini movies of a frakked-up sports teams, it doesn't matter because Mindy Kaling makes everything better.
And, in case you didn't know, Kaling writes The Office's funniest episodes. Case in point: tonight's "Christmas Wishes." How awkwardly hilarious was that?

In related news, Alan Young is working with Greg Daniels to create another animated comedy. (Are animated comedies getting really popular all of the sudden?) It's about a bunch of guys living together in LA. Just what we needed, another all-male comedy. Those are clearly working well. I don't care that it's made by two brilliant comedy geniuses.

And have you read Kaling's book yet? Co-blogger Auddie P has. Maybe she'll tell you a bit about it one of these days. I haven't gotten around to pick up a copy yet.

Movie of the Week: Immortals

2011-11-29T05:39:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of people have tremendous disdain or depreciation for Immortals, but here I am trying to defend this gorgeous and brilliant movie by Tarsem Singh (and Dhandwar now?). From the dialogue to the cinematography to the acting to the sense of danger, the movie showcases Tarsem's true visionary (when I say this it means an actual visionary, not used loosely) nature. The one thing it does lack, though, is the epic sense. Read on for a not-so-spoilery review.

The movie opens with the seer's vision of King Hyperion releasing the Titans from their tortuous imprisonment, only to destroy all of Greece, or Hellas. The seer Phaedra, played by Freida Pinto, speaks then in Greek. It's a shame the film's entirety was not in the language, but no one would do that to spoiled Americans. Most of the dialogue was highly characteristic, exceptionally beautiful, and daringly smart; however, there were a few parts noteworthy of corniness, and Theseus' battle speech lacked the epic feel that marks movies such as Troy and Braveheart.

Rather than use real locations, fit for fantasy, as in The Fall, Singh turns to green screen, likely due to the producers' demands (as they worked on 300). It does produce the scale the movie needs with all of the cliff dwellings and giant structures. As always, though, Singh's camera, with a few exceptions, catches every nuance and every emotion necessary to convey the intended message. And Signh's signature framing and transitions mark Immortals as well.

The acting was also fantastic, though I would've liked a better sense of strength emanating from Pinto more. Mickey Rourke makes a terrifying villain, powerful and threatening. His voice was not overpowering, but low and growling. And of course Henry Cavill is always a dandy hero. The gods, despite how little they were in it, were wonderfully haughty and stiff, as you'd think gods to be. Athena perfectly imparted bits of wisdom throughout the film, and finally she gets in on the action, highlighted in the final fanciful fight scenes.

Costuming was extravagant and eccentric, as one would expect from Singh after watching The Fall and The Cell. Though we're in the Bronze Age, we see other metals not used until later, but, hey, that's fine. the costumes were incredible. The deities' headgear were fanciful and telling. You could identify gods by the headgear. A sworded helmet for Ares that mocked the plumage of a typical helmet of the time, owls on Athena's armor, and a conch-like helmet for Poseidon. As Phaedra was the only one wearing a bold red color, you knew she was important in the film, as well as in Greek culture. She stood out, so it was a good choice there.

One of the things I love about Singh's direction is his ability to portray a sense of looming danger, horror, and suspense through the weird, the hidden, the story, and the surroundings. What isn't shown aids so much to this aspect, and the tension leading up to the reveals is aching. The atrocities that make Hyperion seriously dangerous are often not shown on camera, but we know, can guess, or are left to wonder what happens. You never know what Hyperion will do when he's driven by grief, anger, and bloodlust. All who stand in his way will be tortured, maimed, or killed to serve his purpose. The sounds and the color add to the sense of death when watching. The somewhat exaggerated gore is not so much scary as it is gape-worthy, and it surely is not as scary as the rest of the film: the scream, tortured victims hidden in corners.

And, yes, the film does lack the epic level of Lord of the Rings, Troy, Braveheart, and other historical and fantasy films. Despite the giant buildings and landscapes, the scope of the enemies was not seen enough for long enough. There were only two or three very brief shots where we saw the scope of Hyperion's army and the minute army of Theseus. There were no close-ups on Theseus' face as he delivered his speech to his army to give facial expression to what would be a pivotal moment in the movie. Some fights scenes were also too brief, like the fight--or lack thereof--with the minotaur. Seriously? That's a famous myth. That's what Theseus is known for, and we get a less-than-stellar fight scene, though in a fun setting. Granted, the focus was on Theseus and his mission to save the Hellenic world, so I don't mind that the film did not focus on the battles as much.

Those who are unfamiliar with Singh's work--the whimsical, suspenseful, character-driven, eccentric productions they are--would find the film baffling and probably laughable in its silliness. Despite the big budget, it is still an independent film, and I doubt audiences know what to think about it. The film ends with the potential for a sequel, but with the reactions from viewers and critics, I doubt a sequel will be in the future.

Celtic Corner: The Chieftains' New Album!

2011-11-21T21:04:00.001-08:00

The Chieftains have struck gold again, or so I foresee, with Voice of Ages, due out February 21. Rather than teaming up with today's best Bluegrass and Country bands, they have taken it upon themselves to collaborate with today's hottest indie bands from all genres: Bon Iver, Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Civil Wars, The Decemberists, Imelda May, Lisa Harrington, The Low Anthem, Carlos Nunez, Paolo Nutini, Pistol Annies, Punch Brothers, and The Secret Sisters will guest this time around. T Bone Burnett is producer. This is so exciting! Congratulations, you've just creamed yourself in excitement.

Find their coordinating tour dates after the break.

February
17 – Santa Barbara, Calif. @ Campbell Hall
18 – Aliso Viejo, Calif. @ Soka Performing Arts Center
19 – Tucson, Ariz. @ Centennial Hall
21 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Davies Symphony Hall
22 – Davis, Calif. @ Jackson Hall/Mondavi Center
24 – Athens, Ga. @ Classic Center
25 – Birmingham, Ala. @ Alys Stevens Performing Arts Center
27 – Edmond, Okla. @ Armstrong Auditorium Performing Arts Center
28 – Fort Worth, Texas @ Bass Hall
29 – San Antonio, Texas @ Lila Cockrell Theatre

March
2 – Chicago, Ill. @ Orchestra Hall
3 – Cedar Falls, Iowa @ Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
4 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Orchestra Hall
6 – Carmel, Ind. @ The Palladium
7 – Kansas City, Mo @ Helzberg Hall
9 – Philadelphia, Penn. @ Kimmel Center
10 – Newark, N.J. @ New Jersey Performing Arts Center
12 – Virginia Beach, Va. @ Sandler Performing Arts Center
14 – Boston, Mass. @ Symphony Hall
16 – Washington, D.C. @ Kennedy Center
17 – New York, N.Y. @ Carnegie Hall

Kit Harington Casting News

2011-11-21T20:54:00.001-08:00

Games of Thrones' Jon Snow actor Kit Harington has been signed to play King Arthur in the upcoming bromance action film Arthur & Lancelot. Not sure how I feel about another King Arthur film, and another male-dominated film.

In related news, your preview for Season 2 is after the jump:

Season 2 - In Production ©ShareURL=http://www.hbo.com/video/video.html/?autoplay=true&vid=1222845&filter=game-of-thrones&view=null

Site of the Week: 11/21-27/11

2011-11-20T19:42:00.001-08:00

This week brings us Jon Boden's incredible undertaking of a folk song a day. Every. Single. Day. Jon Boden posts a song he recorded, either a capella or with bare accompaniment (vocals or instruments) and writes about the song's meaning, origins, and variations. And, if you ever check out my other blog, you know that I indeed love doing that myself. I'm sure this not only is fun for Boden, but educational as well.

Boden graduated with a degrees in Medieval Studies and Composition for Theatre. Needless to say, folk music is his forte, as is the historical analysis of their enigmatic origins. Not only will you hear traditional folk tunes, but also more recent ones with a Bodeny twist.

TV Updates Galore!

2011-11-19T06:45:00.001-08:00

Soooo a few things have occurred in the TV realm that I couldn't report due to long days/nights at work. We have updates on 2 Broke Girls, Cougar Town, Community, Golden Globes, Megan Mullally, Arrested Development, Hot in Cleveland, and Betty White.

First up: Arrested Development. It's official. It's happening. It's returning! It will air on Netflix after the streaming and video rental company had a bidding war with Showtime. Again, it will air ten episodes of a new season, leading to a movie.

2 Broke Girls will win me back with the return of Jennifer Coolidge to prime time television as the girls' neighbor.

Ricky Gervais will again host the Golden Globes. That will be three years in a row! The controversy (including not being invited back, especially to host) must be working in pulling in new audiences. I know I wasn't watching them before he hosted. It's probably having rating peaks. Unfortunately, this will be his final time, and you be sure with that in mind, he will crush the souls of the douchey Hollywood actors and awful movies that so deserve ridicule.

Cougar Town is not on ABC's mid-season schedule. It was originally supposed to return this month, then got pushed back to January, and now it's pushed back to the Spring. Luckily, it won't have competition. Not only that, but the season has been reduced to 15 episodes by ABC's order. Does anyone else hate ABC execs?

In related news, Community is benched to make room for Up All Night and the return of 30 Rock on Thursday night's schedule. (Unfortuantely they're still kepping the dwindling-in-audience Whitney.) Reps report that Community is NOT cancelled, and it will return in the Spring. NBC tends to have faith in their shows and show loyalty to fans, which may be part of why it was financially going downhill recently. But at least they don't cancel at the drop of a dime.

NBC will air Betty White's 90th dinner-style birthday bash. Her birthday is January 17, so expect it to be within the following two weeks. You can guarantee laughs from the likes of her co-stars of Hot in Cleveland, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and NBC's current funny ladies--which probably means Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler (which I actually typed Leslie Knope...woops!), and maybe even Christina Applegate. Hot in Cleveland will do an episode dedicated to Betty's birthday around that time. In other Betty news, her show about old folks playing pranks on young people, Off Their Rockers (BFFs), is missing from the NBC mid-season lineup. No word on when it will air.

Wendi McLendon-Covey will also lend her comedic chops to Hot in Cleveland. I miss Reno 911. The women made that show.

And finally...Megan Mullally, the most sought-after guest star (the Alison Krauss of TV world), will join Breaking In as a series regular in an effort to revive the canceled-and-returning sitcom on FOX. I've never watched, but you can bet I'll at least tune in for her. She will also guest star, hopefully in a recurring role, as a rival talk show host to Ava on Up All Night. She was also Ava's protege! D-R-A-M-A! Drama! I can't wait to see more of her from this season's incredibly hilarious Happy Endings.

And for your enjoyment...

Site of the Week: 11/14-20/11

2011-11-17T06:35:00.001-08:00

Little Big Town has always been one of my favorites in the country scene. Their tight harmonies are quality, and each voice has a distinct tone, yet they all work well together. The only harmonies that beat it in today's music are from SHeDAISY, who creates music outside the box. It's hard for creative groups to make it big in Nashville, but Little Big Town (LBT) does it with ease. Unfortunately, Lady Antebellum took over their place as reigning group. That doesn't stop LBT from having fun and being great to their fans. Continue reading for more info on the best thing to happen to Country music in the past few years, something that reinvigorates a dead music.

LBT has started a series called "Scattered, Smothered, and Covered" on youtube, where they cover popular songs with just their beautiful voices and bare accompanying music. They brilliantly cover Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" with Jimmy in the lead vocals, Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" with Kimberley as the lead, and Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" with Jimmy on the lead again and the ladies coming in together for Aguilera's part in the song. I'm tempted to say I like all their versions better than the originals, but I love Adele like crazy. And what's better than a country band seriously covering Lady Gaga's "Born this Way"? Their bridge "Don't be a drag, just be a queen" blows me away and shouts traditional country and bluegrass, and brings a whole new level of respect to Little Big Town for doing this song.

 And

The wine-making has begun!

2011-11-10T07:05:00.001-08:00

The persimmons have all fallen from the tree, and I've culled them to attempt a new type of wine. I'm documenting the process of the intimidating task of making persimmon peach and persimmon wines. I'll provide my "recipe" as well when the event is through. It should prove to be interesting. I can't wait to see the end result. As of now, the persimmon looks like vomit, but the persimmon peach looks to have a pretty golden color to it. I can't wait to see what it'll look like later. The persimmon always ends up with a light yellow-orange, sometimes even white, color. Mine ends up the darker color because I keep the persimmon pulp in for a week, rather than strain it the first day. Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know I've started!

The Politics of Music

2011-11-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

I've realized something the other day. The political messages of music has changed, or the political messages are no longer there. Now, folk music typically lacks what used to grace it during the 60s and 70s. Country music used to be more progressive in its content. And the Scots and Irish continue their political positions.

Bob Dylan and Joan Baez once were a powerful force in politics, inspiring many folk musicians to do the same. Their music wielded the mightiest of swords, and, in a time of political upheaval due to the events of the Vietnam War, it reflected the left-wing political views. Pete Seeger is still a political force, pushing for peace around the world. But contemporary folk artist, though great music, lack the social and political view that their predecessors once owned.

Country Music, now that I think of it, was actually a combination of left-wing and right-wing political power. It's what made the artists truly unique. Loretta Lynn pushed the highly controversial birth control in her hit song, "The Pill" (featured below). It rocked the world. There was her song "Fist City" in which she turned the tables and made the woman a true threat to a man. "Don't Come Home A'Drinkin'" supplied a strong female voice in the way that the 1950s housewife was really thinking. She sang of the double standards that exist in gender with "Rated X". Lynn convincingly took the role of "The Other Woman" in the same-titled song. She even spoke out against the Vietnam War with the song "Dear Uncle Sam" taking the role of a widowed wife. Despite her left-wing political position, she was best friends with the beloved Tammy Wynette, who respectfully and dutifully stood by her man. Wynette seemed to need a man in her life at all times. She relied on pain meds in the 80s and 90s to fuel her addictions and increasingly unhappy life. Others who took on politics with anti-war issues and anti-monopoly, blue-collar issues were the likes of Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Merle Haggard, and Emmylou Harris. Country is now more right-wing-dominated with the likes of Toby Keith. How did Country become so ignorant when it once tried to promote knowledge and sensibility? One artist who is still a social activist, at least, is Martina McBride with songs like "Independence Day" and "Concrete Angel", raising awareness of child abuse and women's issues. And the Dixie Chicks, of course, make their political views known, but for that very reason, they were ostracized from the Country community, much like Chely Wright has been for coming out as a lesbian. Country has become nothing but down-home, country living being better than anything else, and it's a bore, especially because they're sung by people with unremarkable talent.

This leaves me with the Scots and Irish. Surely since the 1800s, Irish rebel songs have been a staple for the nation's music. "A Nation Once Again", "Go On Home British Soldiers", and "Come Out Ye Black and Tans" leave great impressions on the political scene, often being used to back politicians expressing driving the British out of Ireland. Contemporary popular musicians, such as U2 and The Cranberries, carry on the tradition with an anger and sadness of war. Traditional folk singer-songwriter Tommy Sands actively promotes peace and knowledge, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, as the Troubles defined his musical career with the person song "There Were Roses". Modern folk-rock artist Damien Dempsey (featured below) is perhaps the most active in political protest. No album goes without a message to the government or to the people, declaring change. Through historical events, Dempsey portrays how history repeats itself. Dempsey's very hard on the educational system and colonization. Traditional folk artists, like Karan Casey, continue the Irish protest and political music in their relevance to today's society. With the recent economic troubles in Irleand, "Sailing off to the Yankee Land" has high relevance to Ireland today.

Though the Scots may not have the traditional protest songs as heavily as the Irish, the Scots continue to be incredibly involved in politics, writing new and beautiful songs. Modern folk-rock artists, such as Karine Polwart, continually protest. Polwart's recent protest was inspired by the documentary You've Been Trumped about Donald Trump's battle with the Scots in a shady deal, bribing Scottish officials and declaring environmental agencies are backing him when none are, so he can build a golf resort. Polwart recently formed a group called The Burns Unit (featured below), and their first album consists of many hard-hitting protest song. Tunes such as "No Gods and Few Heroes" work their way into the Scottish sound with their daring and bold messages.

I think now, more than ever, the U.S. needs protest songs, and it's not getting them. Is the country too divided? Do people not care enough about anything? Thoughts?

Lucy & Jack: A Cinderella Story

2011-11-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Although I have seen and frequently watch many of them now, there were few romantic comedies I watched as a kid. The films I watched when I was young consisted of quirky comedies, disney movies and classic "nerd" films I'm now glad my older brother made me watch. After watching it recently, though, I realized that While You Were Sleeping is one of the few romantic comedies I grew up watching, and one of my favorites still today.

I also realized while watching WYWS, that this movie may have shaped my life more than I know. I know, that sounds lame: a movie shaping my life, but hear me out.

If you've not seen it, Sandra Bullock plays Lucy: a lonely, family-less L-Train token taker who at the beginning of the film is in love with Peter: a handsome, well-off lawyer she's only spoken to once. Christmas day Peter takes the train while Lucy is working and ends up being mugged and falls onto the tracks. Lucy saves his life, but because of the accident, Peter falls into a coma. While visiting Peter in the hospital, one employee mistakes Lucy for Peter's fiancé and she doesn't automatically correct this misunderstanding. What results is drawn out confusion that would be avoided in a real-life scenario. During the drawn out confusion, though, Lucy gets to know Peter's family and becomes a part of it. She also gets to know Peter's older less ideal and less prince-like brother, Jack. I bet you can guess what happens next...

As I mentioned, growing up I watched a lot of Disney movies and my favorites were those that revolved around a princess. It is a concern of many parents (and non parents) that such movies put unrealistic ideas in girls' heads of what to expect when they're older. According to some people, if a girl wants to dress up like Cinderella, she will settle for no one less than her "prince charming" later in life. To these people I say "phooey." I am well-aware that the man I eventually marry will not be "perfect," even though one Halloween I breathed through a tiny hole cut into a plastic Cinderella mask. Sure, Prince Charming can dance, will always be financially secure and has a fabulous house, but as we grow we learn that no one is perfect. We also learn that while someone may seem perfect, that someone may not be perfect for us.

In WYWS Lucy spends most of the film believing she's in love with her Prince Charming, but while he's comatose, she connects with Jack. Jack was the guy who got in trouble in school, settles for working for his father's business when he'd rather do something else and is always answering the question "why can't you be more like Peter." On paper, Jack is not Prince Charming. But by the end of the movie you learn that he is who makes Lucy happy and who gives her the gift of family, something she hasn't had since her father died (turns out Lucy is more like Cinderella than I realized). Meanwhile, Lucy learns that Peter is kind of a jerk, a liar and engaged to a woman who is already married. What a winner.

Maybe it's the fact that I'm a rational, realistic adult that allows me to acknowledge that the idea of Prince Charming is unrealistic. But maybe a small portion of that acknowledgement is thanks to Lucy and Jack. Watching these two fall in love over and over again on my worn out VHS copy might have influenced me more than Cinderella and the rest of the gang ever did.

Site of the Week 10/31/11-11/6/11

2011-11-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

I always take an interest in the American Civil War, and there's so much information out there I want my hands on. The best sources, for me, are letters, providing great insight on every person's way of life during the time period. You read these, and the war effects every single person so differently, yet all the same. No one person enjoys it, perhaps at first, but once the reality sets in, it's a terror.

Reading these letters makes it personal for me. The ones form soldiers are heartbreaking, and the diaries and letters from women to other women or to soldiers are uplifting, many taking on the work that men had been doing, something not seen for over a hundred years in the U.S. You can find a plethora of beautiful letters and diaries at CivilianWarTime. Follow them on Twitter as well to receive daily updates.

Seth Lakeman's Tales from the Barrel House

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

November 18, 2011, marks a milestone in music. In an effort to keep alive the dead men who worked dead jobs, Seth Lakeman wrote and sang all songs, played all instruments, and produced all tracks for the upcoming release The Tales from the Barrel House. What makes this record so special is where it was recorded? Read on to find out and to watch an introductory video to the project.

In a song about miner's "The Breakers", Lakeman had recorded the banjo and vocals from the very cave the local miners worked and died in. In a Blacksmith's shop, Lakeman uses the surrounding tools as percussion to provide the sounds that would be heard from the shop. In the video below, you'll see Lakeman hammering an anvil for that very purpose. You'll also find that he tells us that hammering an anvil is no easy task; it rather hurts. You can guarantee that Lakeman will have produced some new traditional folk songs.

The album will be a limited deluxe digipak edition. The first 1000 copies will be signed, and pre-orders start this Friday, November 4, at 10AM.

Music Review: Ceremonials

2011-10-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

Florence + the Machines sophomore album Ceremonials delivers in many ways, perhaps even more than the first album. FATM takes us back in time to the 80s and 90s with power vocals and beat-heavy tunes, combined with an ancient, primal ethereal nature. It's perhaps even darker than the first album as well.

The album opens with "Only If for a Night", in which the narrator performs ceremonials for the dead in the graveyard, and in response the ghost of her loved one speaks to her. So Florence. A great choice for the first songs, as it really hooks the listener in and sets the mood for the rest of the album. We go through songs that never keep the same key, beat, or dynamics throughout. From the feel-good "Shake It Out" to the angry "No Light, No Light" Ceremonials does have varying matter, though dark it may be. The suicide-reflecting, burden-laden "What the Water Gave Me" is surely a highlight with its references to Atlas carrying the world and Virginia Woolf drowning herself with stones in her pockets. It's actually a beautiful depiction, much like that of how Ophelia died in Hamlet.

What's interesting is that the songs have some sort of connection to the one that ensues. Whether it's intended or not, it certainly adds a unique and memorable element to the album as a whole. One thing is for certain: you will have these songs in your head for a long time after one listen. A tip: spring for the deluxe version; the acoustic versions of her songs are worth every bit of extra money you'd be paying. Buy it now if you know what's good for you.

Geek Chic: My Deep Adoration for Argyle

2011-10-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I was not fond of the Argyle pattern, but as I grew older, and my tastes became increasingly old-fashioned, I developed a strong love for the pattern. A few years ago, I heard and fell madly in love with Kate Rusby, who sings a song called, "Bonnie House of Arlie". This song is from the 1600s with origins in Scotland. In the song, I kept hearing the word "argyle", and it struck me with curiosity. How were these two related?

It turns out that the Argyle pattern is derived from the Argyll (archaically Argyle) region of western Scotland. The powerful Campbell clan wore the pattern of what we now know as Argyle. Their power and influence was not only political, but also in the fashion field. With their status, their signature clan clothing became popular throughout all of Argyll and then throughout all of Scotland. It eventually came to where we are now, being popular in England and the U.S. post-World War I when we came into contact with more Scots than we typically cared (not me, but the collective U.S. "we").

I find it so interesting that this pattern that was the signature pattern for a specific fmaily in Scotland became so popular that over three hundred years later, it's the most identifiable and traditional pattern. It never goes out of style...at least not for us nerds. Don't let the golfers take this pattern for themselves! Let's own it! Who's with me?!

Why I'm Going to Stop Watching Modern Family and More...

2011-10-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

I came to the realization that shows that aren't good or I don't like are not worth my time. I've also come to the realization that I don't have the time to watch as much television now that I have to drive so far for my 9-hour-plus job. And I also don't get paid to write a blog...or to watch TV for that matter. So I'm separating the chaff from the wheat.

First on the chopping block: Supernatural. My GOD (pun intended) this show is boring. I found myself so uninterested that I skipped through the episode with Jewel Staite unless the scenes had her in them. I didn't even watch the last one. I'm just not into it anymore. The peen-fest that is Supernatural is way too macho-voice (yet emo) for me. The only women who were on it have been very...dead.

Second: Modern Family. I wanted to give this show another season after a strong premiere. but I find myself annoyed by Cam and Gloria and bored by the rest, save for Phil and Luke. Even Mani is now boring. What happened? I don't know, but apparently a lot of people are still into the show, so maybe my taste is changing (but I don't think so).

Gossip Girl...(shudder). This show went to utter crap quickly. I fell in love with it because of its witty dialogue. That's all it had going for it. I don't even find the wretched evil, vindictive characters interesting. I actually hate them. I'm just orgasm over the intelligent use of words and witty humor. Gossip Girl had that, until this season. Now it's left with the melodrama that so defines it. Even Gossip Girl herself has less of a presence, and we all know how much I love Kristen Bell (which is partly why I chose to start watching in January of last year starting with Season 1. Needless to say I'm highly disappointed.

Next: Terra Nova. I think I was highly delusional when I said I liked this enough to keep watching. It really is awful. A true piece of garbage with not-all-that-great special effects. We had to wait forever for...this. Lamesauce. All mysteries were solved at the very beginning. Where do they go from here? It's a very episodic, generic sci-fi show with stiff, wooden acting.

Lastly: 2 Broke Girls. I'm over this show with a passion. I loved it at first, but now it's turning into a true CBS show, complete with corniness and buddy-buddy light-heartedness. What once I considered dry-humor, sarcastic delivery is what I'm now taking as just plain bad delivery. I want to like it; I do. It's not bad, I suppose, but I can't afford to watch anymore shows. I have a nephew to play with!

And now I don't have to worry about watching The Playboy Club for Laura Benanti (because let's face it: she's uber-talented. Am I right, folks?) due to its canceled status.

Are there any shows you stopped watching recently? Are thinking about not watching any longer?

I (Really) Love Lucy

2011-10-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

From a very young age I adored Lucy. I spent many summer nights camped out in front of our living room television watching Nick at Nite and sure, I’m rather fond of Samantha, Jeanie, Mary, Laverne and Shirley, but it will always be Lucy I love. This past Saturday the show celebrated its 60^th anniversary, and my feelings toward Lucy as well as Ricky, Ethel and Fred have not wavered. Why do I love Lucy? There are so many reasons but here are my top 5:

5. She Makes Me Laugh (especially when she’s intoxicated)
Think of the I Love Lucy moments you remember most. Even if you’re not as big of a fan as I am, I’m sure you remember those moments because they made you laugh. And who doesn’t love to laugh?

I don’t know why I don’t turn to Lucy more often on dim or dawnsy* days, because I know that if I watch Lucy Does a TV Commercial (Vitametavegamin), my favorite episode, my day will be brighter in 22 minutes or less.

4. Her Family Reminds Me of Mine
How lucky was Little Ricky to grow up with such fun parents? Think about it: your mom is hilarious and never boring, plus your dad is always singing, playing the bongos and acting out little skits. That’s his job. Now, my father was never a Cuban band leader, but the stage has always been a hobby of his in one form or another.

When I was younger he’d perform in local theater productions and talent shows, playing the lead in Arsenic and Old Lace as well as Harvey. He asked Who’s On First and directed my brother and cousins in Monty Python skits. My mother didn’t exactly play the part of Lucy, though. She never really expressed a desire to “be in the show” (secretly, that was kind of my role). However, there was one act she and dad perform together that Lucy and Ricky could’ve definitely pulled off. A song number titled “Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian” in which my father portrays a fashionably challenged Hawaiian tourist and my mother, a hula girl. Classic Lucy, no?

3. She’s a Fun Friend
It’s very easy to argue that in the friendship between Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz, Ethel was the better friend. She was the one who would first attempt to discourage Lucy’s crazy schemes, but then later show her support. She consistently stood up for Lucy no matter how many times her best friend got them in trouble.

So why does Ethel continue to go along with Lucy’s zany ideas? I think it’s because she always has fun. Think of what Ethel’s life would be like without Lucy… kind of boring, right? I think the bond Lucy and Ethel share is the perfect balance between fun and practical. These are two middle-aged women having the time of their lives together without their husbands, all thanks to Lucy herself. Afterall, I believe it was Lucy who insisted the Mertzes join the Ricardos in Hollywood, an experience Ethel probably wouldn't have had if it weren't for her best friend.

2. She Never Gives Up
Lucy Ricardo had a dream. She wanted so desperately to be a star that almost every week she planned and carried out some zany scheme that she believed would make her famous. Instead, hilarity ensues. She would do anything to be in “the show.” And I mean anything… if you remember, she once kidnapped and tied up a girl just to be in one of Ricky’s routines.

Did Lucy Ricardo have talent? No, not really except for an unintentional knack for physical comedy. She could hardly carry a tune, couldn’t dance ballet and only knew one song on the saxophone, but she never let that stop her. Embarrassment didn’t stop her either. Would you want back on stage after falling down a flight of stairs wearing a Vegas Showgirl-style headdress? Yeah, me neither. But Lucy did, and you have to admire that level of determination.

1. She's an Inspiration
Traditionally when we think of a woman in the 1950s we see a housewife. The images of a 1950s woman typically show her wearing an apron and pearls cooking or cleaning. For some, this is the dream and while Lucy Ricardo was a housewife she did dream of something more. I think Lucille Ball did too.

Not only did Lucille star in I Love Lucy and several B movies before that, she also co-founded the Desilu production company with then husband Desi Arnaz (Ricky). In 1960 she became the president of the company, and thus the first woman to head a major studio, proving she was so much more than a pretty face. Although she did modeling in her younger days, when we think of Lucille Ball we remember her more for her talents than her appearance (okay, yeah we do remember her red hair). She was smart and witty; a woman who showed many girls (like me) that it's okay to want and strive for more.

*DAWNSY: a word Lucy's mother created for when you're not sick, but you just feel "blah."

Just a Reminder!

2011-10-12T05:53:00.001-07:00

Watch tonight's Happy Endings at 9:30 after Modern Family. It's the Megan Mullally episode!

Buffy Beats

2011-10-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

So listen, Amber Benson (Tara from Buffy) will reunite with Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy from Buffy...) for Ringer on the tenth episode as a stripper. Whaaaaaa?! Yeah, weird, but yay for Buffy reunions!

Also, Emma Caulfield (Anya from Buffy) has given word via Twitter that she'll be appearing on Once Upon a Time! I'm getting more exciting for this show every day!

Fitting photo following...

Lizzy Caplan Guests on New Girl

2011-10-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

After a weak second episode and a really strong third episode, The Hollywood Reporter scoops that New Girl has yet another guest star: Lizzy Caplan (Party Down, Mean Girls). She joins as a love interest for Nick (the hobbit) in three episodes. Julia will be around for Schmidt's 29th birthday celebrations. Her character Julia has anger managements issues and a master's degree in art history. I wonder if she has a job...

Husk Returns from Limbo!

2011-10-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

It's official: Husk will be in Wolverine and the X-Men as a teammate featured on the #1 and #2 Bachalo covers. Jason Aaron confirmed this on Twitter, as well as confirming a romance for her. Iceman? Chamber?

When asked who the blonde on the cover is, Aaron responds:

Oh, I can't wait to see what Aaron has up his sleeve...

The list of Wolverine's team is now:

Wolverine
Kitty Pryde
Iceman
Husk
Beast
Idie
Toad
Marvel Girl (Rachel)
Kid Omega
Brood Baby
AOA Nightcrawler
Lockheed

Will Rogue, Chamber (he did say at least one Gen X character...), or Dazzler join his team? I do hope so! There is so much to look forward to concerning the various relationships the characters have with each other:

Wolverine--Kitty=father/daughter
Wolverine--Iceman=long-time teammates/friends
Wolverine--Husk=former teammates
Wolverine--Beast=long-time teammates/friends

Wolverine--Idie=murderous monsters; he wants to protect her childhood, which she never had
Wolverine--Toad=long-time enemies
Wolverine--Kid Omega=keep close

Wolverine--AOA Nightcrawler=616 counter BFFs, Uncanny X-Force
Kitty--Brood Baby=fought together against Brood
Kitty--Iceman=friends, former teammates
Kitty--Rachel=BFFs
Rachel--Wolverine=former teammates
Husk--Iceman=friends; former teammates; she was asked to pee him into into existence
Iceman--Toad=fought together during X-Men Forever
Husk--Beast=almost killed brother Louis in quest to revive mutant gene
Kitty--Idie=mentorship
Kitty--Lockheed=owner/pet-turned-friends

Still, a lack of female to male ratio and an awful lot of white people, save for the furries and an alien baby.

Husk seems to be in wooden form on the #2 cover in the background on the right-hand side.

Arrested Development Shall Return!

2011-10-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz announced that he's developing a new season of the show to bridge the old seasons to the proposed movie. The new 10-episode season would showcase one character per episode. Via Twitter, Jason Bateman said they'll shoot the season next summer to air nearly 2013. Deadline reports that Showtime and Netflix are in talks with 20th Century Fox to air the series. The rights to the show, though, are not in the creator's hands, so it's proving difficult in moving forward.

The New Shows

2011-10-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

So of the TV shows that debuted this fall and after a few episodes each, I think I see where they're going. Which ones exceeded my expectations, and which ones let me down?

New Girl
While I absolutely adored the pilot episode, the second left me wanting so much more. I think with the new guy the extra spark form the show is gone. He's way too boring. Maybe he'll get some fun stuff in the future, but it was awful. Of course, Zooey was adorably funny as always.

Up All Night
Wowzas! This show keep getting better each episode! Even though it's the same formula, essentially, the jokes are hilarious. And Maya Rudolph's character is less an in-your-face SNL skit of Oprah and more of a subtle satire.

2 Broke Girls
Hilarious, and somehow much funnier than Whitney Cummings' other show that she stars in, Whitney. Kat Dennings' grumpy character that makes fun of the non-regulars at her dumpy diner is comedic gold. Making of hipsters and models is always a good time. Her sidekick is doing well but lacks the comedic chops, but that's why this is a situational comedy. She's not used to living like a normal person and going from riches to rags is not as sad as it is funny in this case.

Terra Nova
Apparently Terra Nova did not premiere well. It was decent enough, but it could be much better. It's an attractive cast, and that's about it. Kings' Allison Miller is fantastic, though. It's worth a watch just for her talent.

Ringer
It was okay, but I stopped watching after the second episode. I was bored. I wanted to keep watching this, but I'm watching too much as it is. The plot was decent, and there's enough intrigue, but it doesn't move very fast.

Playboy Club
This is a very plotless show. There's the overarching plot that revolves around the accidental murder of a mob boss, but each individual episode's plot is very weak. I love Laura Benanti. She's the only good thing about this show, as predicted. It's a shame to see this show go because that means she'll go. And I want to hear her sing on a regular basis.

A Gifted Man
Holy balls, Batman! This show is ever Deus Ex Machina, but damn, is it fine entertainment. I love anything that Patrick Wilson does. He can act his way out of any horrible script. The second episode I cried AT LEAST twice. I typically don't like doctor shows, as they rely heavily on Deus Ex Machina, but the dialogue is lovely. Right now, the show is a bit messy in terms of plot, but it reflects the main character's life. He's a mess. He's seeing his dead ex-wife, he's running his own practice, and he's also juggling his ex-wife's free clinic unintentionally. Of course, he's the most brilliant surgeon ever, and he was also the biggest douchebag ever. Now we're seeing him slowly give way to opening up his heart.

And...
The Secret Circle?
I'm entertained enough by this show to keep watching. Britt Robertson is a great actress, although she tends to play those loner characters, judging by the two roles she's had on major CW TV shows. Witches, twisted plots, murder, teen drama...why not?

When Guest Stars are Signs of Doom or Success

2011-09-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

New Girl has been announcing guest stars left and right (Lake Bell, Natasha Lyonne, Katie Cassidy, Justin Long), so what's this mean for the show? Is it not good enough that it has to rely on guest stars to have viewers from the start? Let's take a look at how guest stars' roles have been a sign of trying to save a doomed show or of a highly sought after show.

Will & Grace
Classic example of how the show went to hell once Harry Connick, Jr., came on as a recurring character/cast member. Cher, Ed Burns, Woody Harrelson, Britney Spears, and so many others guested on the later seasons of the show? How did they snag those folks? They were probably bribed with a crap ton of money or new cars...because that's what NBC got the cast of Will & Grace, right? The characters got to be even more caricaturish of themselves. Karen became a one-dimensional pill-popping boozehound with little to do but one-liners and bitchy remarks. Her characters growth was quickly retracted with racist remarks to Rosario or heartfelt moments turned to mean jokes for laughs. Plots became odd, sluggish, and very stale. Viewership dwindled, so the guest star appearances went through the roof.

Inclusion of Guests: Negative

Modern Family
Even though my interest in the show has become more of disinterest, so many people love it, so much that people ask to guest star on it. So far we've had James Marsden, Fred Willard, Nathan Lane, Danny Trejo, Shelley Long, and Mary Lynn Rajskub, among others. But guest stars are few and not that big of names, so we know the show isn't in trouble. It's just the opposite. The cast is big enough so that it can juggle plenty of story lines with different characters interacting.

Inclusion of Guests: Positive

Any Sci-Fi show
It doesn't say anything about ratings or a show being in danger of cancellation; it's just that if you've worked in Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, Whedonverse, Sanctuary, or any Canadian-based sci-fi or fantasy show, you're going to be showing up on every other sci-fi/fantasy show. They run in circles. Once you're in, you never get out due to the loyal fan base. Sci-Fi shows are like a big family, and it's awesome.

Inclusion of Guests: Positive

30 Rock
Here, guest stars were used, not because 30 Rock had low ratings and was on the verge of cancellation, but because NBC loves the show and wants it to succeed and wants more people to tune in. So they made a marketing move for Season 3 and got high-profile guest stars like Oprah and Jennifer Aniston, even if they're on for 5 seconds. And all guesst appearances are fabulous.

Inclusion of Guests: Positive

Chuck
Chuck has been nearly cancelled every year (and for some reason I still watch it). And it has saved itself through guest stars and Subway. From the original Sarah Connor Linda Hamilton, Bond...James Bond Timothy Dalton, Dr. Beckett (or Scott Bakula, if you will), and National Lampoon's favorite Chevy Chase. Guests are always heavily advertised. And plots always seem to get weaker and loonier. The only thing going for it is the adorable goofiness of Zachary Levi, the hotness of Yvonne Strahovski (yeah, I spelled her name without looking it up), and the out-of-place grumpiness of Adam Baldwin. I could do without the supporting cast, save for Ellie and Awesome.

Inclusion of Guests: Negative

Glee
Due to Glee's craptacular (and this is putting it mildly...I'm talking no-hot-sauce-at-all mild) second season, they counted on guest stars and artist-themed episodes to draw in viewers. Ryan Murphy stated that the entire first half of the third season will not have any guest stars at all, as he is determined to make the season much stronger, and he's hoping the cast can do that without any guest stars.

Inclusion of Guests: Negative

The Office
The Office recently lost Steve Carrell, but before he was even gone, we got a bunch of guest stars in recent seasons. And we all know it was a sign of weakness. The show has been producing very sub-par episodes and some holes-in-one, and guests from Will Ferrell, Kathy Bates, Amy Ryan, and Ricky Gervais (who only is seen for approximately 3 seconds each time). Not to mention the finale's guest stars. Let's see what this season's guest stars will bring...

Inclusion of Guests: Negative

The Notebooks of Hank Williams

2011-09-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

My, my, my. There's a tear in my beer thinking about this. Hank's unfinished songs written in various songwriting notebooks left in his car have been kept from prying eyes until now. The producer Mary Martin gathered Nashville's most celebrated and talented songwriters and asked them to choose a song for the album and finish it, applying their own melodies. Contributors include Bob Dylan, Jakob Dylan, Patty Loveless, Vince Gill and Rodney Crowell, Hank's descendent Holly Williams, Jack White, Lucinda Williams, Alan Jackson, Norah Jones, Levon Helm, and Sheryl Crow. I assure you that we'll discover new Hank classics. Look for The Notebooks of Hank Williams on October 4 on vinyl, CD, and digital release.

The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams EPK from Columbia Records on Vimeo.

The Day Frances Bay Died...

2011-09-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Frances Bay, born January 23, 1919, has died September 17. The 92-year-old has appeared in films such as Happy Gilmore as Happy's grandma and a slew of TV shows, such as Happy Days (as Grandma) Charmed (as old Phoebe), the marble rye loaf lady on Seinfeld, and The Middle as the family grandmother. Here's to Frances, everyone's grandmother! Yeah, I'm drinking at 11 am, so what?

Happy Endings Live Review

2011-09-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

The sound was awful, so the online viewers couldn't hear as well, but what I could hear was brilliantly hilarious. This makes you see the cast as they interact with each other and play off one another's jokes. They truly do have a comedic rapport that feeds off each other in a very natural and respectful way. Adam Pally (Max) and Casey Wilson (Penny) were brilliant as hosts, feeding off each other. Read on for more about it, or simply watch it at yowie.

First Palley takes us on an imaginary car ride to reproduce his Riding Shotgun with Adam Pally videos for Funny or Die with fellow cast mate Elisha Cuthbert (Alex), It's Always Sunny star Rob McElhenney, and It's Always Sunny and Happy Endings now-recurring guest Derek Waters.

The online feed cut out for Damon Wayans, Junior's (Brad) 10-minute stand-up. Whether this is for legal reasons or for technical difficulties is unknown.

Eliza Coupe's (Jane) Claire-Danes-as-Temple-Grandin skit was spot-on (even though I felt horrible for laughing at it) as she sang a song called "I Think in Pictures". And it's super catchy. Thanks, Eliza, for making me laugh at one of my heroes.

Producer Jonathan Groff came out for a couple minutes to do a joke and introduce the two biggest Happy Endings fans to host an interview with the cast. But it was Happy Endings writers Gil Ozeri (the Krav Maga instructor) and Jackie Clarke in disguise hosting the cast skits and interview panel. A question for Adam: "How does it feel to play the first fat person on television?" Also, "What's it like being on the cast of Friends?" in an attempt to play off the constant critical comparisons to Friends.

Overall, very funny, fast-paced, but short. Very short, especially for those of us who missed Wayans' performance.

The show is archived, so you can watch it.

This Just In: Fred Savage Finds Happy Endings

2011-09-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

Director and (former) child actor Fred Savage will reprise his directorial talents on the sophomore season of Happy Endings in the first half of the season. Not only will he lend his hand to that area, but he'll be in front of the camera as a date for Alex. Don't read on if you don't want slight spoilers.

He'll be playing himself, and he'll be a total douchetray, making Alex watch The Princess Bride as he provides her a live commentary. I know a few ladies who wouldn't mind that date, as long as there's also a drinking game involved.

Savage has been known as director for a variety of top-notch comedies, including largely It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Party Down. His style fits with Happy Endings very well, as we know, since he's directed before with the episode "Your Couples Friends & Neighbors".
(EW)

Kristen Bell and Justin Long Unsupervised

2011-09-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

You guys! The writers and producers of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Rob Rosell, Scott Marder and David Hornsby are about to bring about havoc yet again. The show is currently titled Unsupervised, and it's about two teenage boys Gary and Joel, who want to not turn out like their parents, who do not parent them at all. Essentially they parent themselves and try to do right. Voices will be from Kristen Bell, Justin Long, Fred Armisen, Romany Malco, Alexa Vega, Rob Rosell, and Sunny stars Kaitlin Olson and David Hornsby. I expect great things from this show.

Chloe King's Nine Lives Are Used Up

2011-09-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

Skyler Samuels

ABC Family has just pulled the plug on the adorably dramatic The Nine Lives of Chloe King, but it's looking to the future with a new show Strut by Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. Nine Lives followed the trials of The Uniter, Chloe King, who suddenly wakes up (after dying) to find that she revived and has feral powers. She had to deal with her human life and her Mai life. Poor Chloe found love on both sides of the fence. Being fiercely protected by her fellow Mai, she feels caged and has to break rules put on her. It's nice to see a young independent lady making decisions for the just and good. Chloe's decisions often put her in danger, but she risks her life to save others or to do what's right.

The role of The Uniter means different things to different people. To those keeping an eye on her, she was destined to unite the Mai people. For Chloe, it's uniting the Mai and the humans. Skyler Samuels is adorable as Chloe, and you don't care that the show is so melodramatic because she makes it seem less so. Also, Skyler Samuels would make a super amazing Husk in an X-Men movie. And Alicia Coppola is fantastic as Valentina, the leader of the Mai, not mention super sexy. There's nothing like a strong female character, and this show has plenty.


Alicia Coppola

Strut is centered around a Las Vegas showgirl who makes a very drunken mistake and marries a Texan and thereby moving to Texas. She then helps the local high school's drill team by using her...unique talents...to reinvigorate the troop.

Showtime's Time to Shine

2011-09-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot to tell my dearest readers about Homeland's debut. It's one I've been waiting to watch, and I can! The lovely and talented Claire Danes returns to TV in an twisted tale as a CIA agent, determined to find the truth about why a POW was released after years of imprisonment in Afghanistan. She's trying to see what no one else will, that there is a sinister plot veiled beneath the surface of the soldier's homecoming. The first episode can be watched after the jump, but it officially debuts on Showtime October 2. Mandy Patinkin ("You killed my father, prepare to die!") also stars.

What do you think? Worth a watch? Do you think that it will feed the anti-Muslim hysteria or will it attempt to differentiate between radical Muslim terrorists groups and other harmless Muslims? I hope the latter; it doesn't ever happen in Western television.

I'm also looking forward to Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell's House of Lies, where their characters are high-end consultants that take care of morally ambiguous situations. Bell refers to it as a dark comedy. Color me excited! Ben Schwartz, everybody's loveable nerd that plays Jean-Ralphio on Parks and Recreation, and Anna Camp, that lady to who is in a lot of shit, also star. House of Lies is set to premiere January 8 at 10 on Showtime.

Female Creators in Full Swing

2011-09-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

A slew of television pilots ordered are from female creators, but a few really stand out for their content and creators.

Vandalia Films, Jennifer Garner and Juliana Janes' production company, will be hiring Easy A writer (!!!!!!) Bert Royal as the pilot script writer for a half-hour comedy series The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth, based on the popular non-fiction book. Producers will be Donna Roth and Susan Arnold. The show will follow the lives of the loner, the nerd, the popular bitch, the new girl, the gamer, the weird girl, and the band geek to highlight the qualities that set them apart as young adults that later in life will be what set them apart in the working world. (Variety)

Read on for more!

Ellen DeGeneres will produce a comedy put pilot for NBC starring marriage partner Portia de Rossi. The pilot will be written by Samantha who creator and producer Don Todd. It's about two sisters who are bitter rivals. This is DeGeneres' A Very Good Production Company's first sale. Congrats, Ellen! Apparently the Big Four (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX) all were bidding for the show. It must have been a big chunk of money. Sitcoms are being highly sought after these days. Look for even more next season. (Deadline)

Nerdy Pop favorite Josh Schwartz (Chuck, Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie, The O.C.) and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl, The O.C., Hart of Dixie) have sold their production company's show My Best Friend is a Lesbo to NBC. NBC sounds like it's about to get more comedy in its lineup, as they seem to be its moneymakers. Lesbo is about two roomies, one gay and one straight, and their L.A. lives. The show will be written and co-produced by Sascha Rothchild and Randi Barnes, whose lives the show off which the show is based. Schwartz and Savage's Fake Empire is indeed becoming an empire. (Deadline)

Josh Schwartz is also working on deals with a crime drama, starring nerd-favorite Michelle Tractenberg.

Battlestar Galactica's War on Terror

2011-09-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today is the tenth "anniversary" of the 9/11 attacks. While televisions shows (like 24) and action movies fed the anti-Islamic Western fears and fed off those fears as well, other shows handled terrorism with dignity and reason. Enter Battlestar Galactica, the show that made us think about ideas that we never thought of before. By not using real places like America or Afghanistan, it could touch on themes without angering too many people. Some could see it as entertainment, while many who watched loved it for the messages it brought forth as it entertained with thick plots and rich characters. Let's take a look at how BSG made us rethink our position on terrorism, good and evil, and "the other".

In many ways, BSG tells the story of any peoples who were enslaved at one point. The series begins with the Cylons originally used as slaves revolting and retreating. The humans try to make peace, but have not had contact with them in 40 years...until the Cylons decide to wipe out humanity. They see this as what their one God wants them to do. Hmmmm. We're a Christian-based culture with one god in nearly all religions. As are the Muslims. Wow! In ancient times, the Christians also used this as an excuse to eradicate all polytheistic cultures or a different one god. If you didn't convert, you were imprisoned, enslaved, or sentenced to death. The Cylons AND the humans then ask why the humans deserve to live? They're a culture plagued by war, famine, and greed. The Cylons are better: Humans 2.0. Another reasons for cultural eradication.

Don't read ahead if you have not watched, or you will have the show spoiled. So...SPOILERS AHEAD!

/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/

Fear and anger envelopes the surviving humans, as the Cylons chase them into extinction. Slowly the humans are losing their numbers, and they can't afford to lose any more. President Roslin's decisions, then, are motivated by keeping humanity alive, despite taking away many rights and freedoms she believes in. It's an unfortunate loss, but for the human race to survive, it needs to breed. Laws becomes more strict, as they did after our own 9/11 attacks. Rumors spread that anyone could be a Cylon when humans learns that Cylons look like them, much like Americans were thinking secretly and not-so-secretly that everyone who passed who had any Middle-eastern look to them were terrorists or possible terrorists.

So the Cylons become divided. We have two different factions and each model with their own personality. Hey, the humans are starting to see this too. In our reality, many's eyes are being opened. No Muslims are not all the same. They don't all believe in the same tactics. Here, we have one faction who wants to destroy all those who don't believe in their own narrow vision. And we have ones who accept other cultures and love others and even want to be a part of their culture. All Muslims are not terrorists. All Cylons are not terrorists.

The lines eventually become blurred. The human leaders begin to accept the Cylons and even their beliefs or at least question their own. And vice versa. They at least acknowledge and respect each others' views. This poses a problem for the general population, and a human rebellion ensues, just as a Cylon rebellion kicks off. The human rebellion is much like the Tea Party in that they're wanting rights for humans only. They want their freedoms rather than a controlling federal government. But humanity is in danger. Numbers are small still. Here is a question of situational human rights. Even though some of the Cylons are more human than the humans, these rebel humans see all Cylons still as murderous robots disguised as humans. In other words, you must see your enemy as non-human to kill. And the humans become less human by killing their own kind in their rebellion. As the humans want bloodshed in their rebellion, the rebel Cylons simply want to leave and start their own colony.

As the series ends and Cylon and human mingle, we're left thinking: what a nice ending; everyone goes in groups to start their own colonies all over the world. Everyone is now at peace now that they've reached their common destination. The Cavill-led Cylons go into space to find a new home, separate from the humans and the rebel Cylons. It's fitting in that it's what we should do: learn about each other, be immersed in each others' cultures, and love one another. Live with one another. It's simple. There's no need for warfare, for bloodshed. We can be a peaceful people, given worldly education. It's not to say we shouldn't be vigilant against real terrorists that try to harm us, but don't lump all Muslims together or all Americans together. Everyone is an individual with individual thoughts, and many of those individuals share common beliefs. Some are pro-war, some anti-war, some don't care. Some see all Muslims as terrorists. Some Muslims see all Americans as ungodly.

This can only be addressed, as so many activists say, through education. And our education system fails us because parents complain that their children are learning about that terrorism is okay. It's difficult, but the change will come. I know it will, even if it's one-sided. There will always be those who don't see eye to eye, like Cavill and his Cylons, who had to leave. But given the right, education, we can accomplish what was reflected in Battlestar Galactica.

New Fall Shows: A Second Opinion

2011-09-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

S.E. already provided you with his list of new Fall shows he's excited for. While I agree with some of his choices (New Girl, Up All Night, Once Upon a Time), there are some shows I'll be watching that were not included. Below are more new shows to consider.

Pan Am (ABC: Sunday at 10 pm)

Inspired by former Pan Am stewardess Nancy Hult Ganis's work, this period drama, starring Christina Ricci, follows a group of Pan Am flight attendants in 1963. It seems the show will revolve around Laura Cameron (played by Margot Robbins) who begins working for the airline after ditching her finance just before their wedding. She joins her sister, Kate (played by Kelli Garner), who's already a stewardess. Kate, meanwhile, has been acting as a go-between for the government as working for one of the largest airlines in the world allows her to go where others can't.

Many are calling Pan Am ABC's answer to Mad Men, but I think it's more. While I love Don Draper and the rest of the crew, I think Pan Am will be able to stand on its own. For one, the shows seems to be focusing on its female characters, rather than being a boys' club like Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce tends to be. Actually, the only similarity one can see for now is the time period and the fact that both shows are dramas.

Whitney (NBC: Thursday at 9:30 pm)

NBC struggled last year to fill its 8:30 pm time slot. Perfect Couples turned out to be not-so-perfect and the Paul Reiser show was gone faster than you can say "Bye Bye, Love." Luckily, they've moved Nerdy Pop's favorite, Parks and Rec into the slot, giving Whitney a chance at 9:30. A smart move if you ask me.

Inspired by her stand-up, the half-hour comedy series stars Whitney Cummings and Chris D'Elia as Whitney's live-in boyfriend. The two are not married, but tackle many of the same issues married couples in sitcoms face and then some. I'm looking forward to seeing many of my favorite Whitney jokes come to life in this series and hope it can fit in with the rest of NBC's comedy-night-done-right lineup.

Heart of Dixie (CW: Monday at 9 pm)

This drama starring Rachel Bilson wasn't really on my list until about two weeks ago. Once I learned the show is another off-spring of Chuck and Gossip Girl co-creator Josh Schwartz, I was intrigued. Then Entertainment Weekly described it as Gilmore Girls meets Doc Hollywood and Sweet Home Alabama; that's when I was in.

Bilson plays Zoe Hart, a young doctor who is forced to leave NYC for small town life. Hart is mysteriously and luckily left a general practice in Bluebell Alabama where the people are friendly, boys are charming and the pace is a lot slower than she'd like. Yes, the city girl in the country plot can get overdone, but I have faith that Schwartz and his team have created something worthwhile. Here's hoping Hart of Dixie doesn't disappoint.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Free Agents (NBC: Wednesday at 8:30 pm)

Hank Azara and every romcom's best friend, Kathryn Hahn, star in this new comedy adapted from the British series. Free Agents focuses on the drama and awkwardness that comes with inter-office romances.

Suburgatory (ABC: Wednesday at 8:30 pm)

A single dad (played by Jeremy Sisto) and his sassy Olive Penderghast-like teenage daugther (played by Jane Levy) move from the city to the suburbs.

See Happy Endings Cast Live Online!

2011-09-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

You, too, can see the Happy Endings cast when they perform live Sept 18 at 1 am ET. Expect great things because this entire cast is hilarious. I don't know what to expect: a live performance of an episode or two, skits, improv, or stand-up routines, but I'm super pumped to be able to watch this live for free on Yowie.

New Shows for Fall 2011

2011-09-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

What new shows am I excited about for this coming TV season? Not many. From what we hear, the new shows, especially comedies are pretty awful and even downright offensive (and not the It's Always Sunny kind of offensive). Keep in mind, though, that many critical judgments are based only on the pilot, and our opinions are solely based off previews and actually seeing New Girl pilot.

New Girl
We've watched this adorable show many times already, and the pilot was released for free download Tuesday, September 6, on multiple platforms, including iTunes. The things we love already about New Girl: Zooey Deschanel, Lord of the Rings references, the douche jar, and all the singing. Zooey Deschanel is on her way to becoming America's sweetheart, not just nerd fantasy. Deschanel's character Jess narrates her life in song, essentially giving herself theme songs as she goes through the day, which is something I wish I did, if not have a soundtrack for every moment of my life.
Tuesdays, 9 (FOX...surprisingly)

Up All Night
We love Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, and Maya Rudolph. Arnett plays someone who is not Gob Bluth. Cool, right? I'm giving this a definite shot, but I don't expect it to last too long, unfortunately.
Wednesdays, 8 (NBC)

Once Upon a Time
Other than New Girl, this show seems to top many lists. It's fresh and exhilarating, and it's great to have another strong female role in a drama, especially in the world of fairytales when women can be very demselly.
Sundays, 8 (ABC)

On the verge of watching:

2 Broke Girls
Kat Dennings. That is all the reason to watch.
Mondays, 8:30 (CBS)

Terra Nova
Terra Nova looks promising, not to mention incredibly visual. Let's see if it lives up to the hype and delayed premiere. I'm not expecting much, except for a Lost-type rip-off with dinosaurs.
Mondays, 8 (FOX)

A Gifted Man
Solely because of the two core cast members Patrick Wilson (yes, our Patrick Wilson) and Jennifer Ehle (with whom I fell in love in the wonderful film Possession, I want to see this show. I'll give it a go for a few weeks to see if it will indeed be better than what it sounds like. From the sounds of it, it's a solid show that watchable, but not great (but that only pertains to the pilot).
Fridays, 8 (CBS)

Revenge
Wednesdays, 10 (ABC)
Only because Brothers and Sisters' Emily Van Camp is the lead role in a twisted tale of revenge and murder, I just might give it a go. Might be too melodramatic for me, though. Looks a little Desperate Housewifey.

Ringer
All I need is Sarah Michelle Gellar on TV, and I'm set. But perhaps the amazingness of
Buffy has ruined all other TV roles. There's only one way to find out: tune in to the cryptic show and see what Gellar's made of in playing dual roles.
Tuesdays, 9 (CW)

The Playboy Club
I know, I know. I HATE that I want to see this because here at Nerdy Pop, we're feminists (especially me), but I'm wanting to watch it because of the extremely talented Broadway-famed Laura Benanti, whom I so greatly adored in Eli Stone. She's got some pipes, and she's a darn-good actor. Amber Heard and Eddie Cibrian also star if you want eye candy (not that Benanti isn't), which is what the show is about, right? Although it's supposed to have some sort of murder mystery that causes the two lead characters to delve into this world. I think that's just to give a little plot to an otherwise pointless show. I'd probably skip through everything that doesn't have Benanti. Why does she have to be in this singing? DAMN!
Mondays, 10 (NBC)

What are you looking forward to from the incoming batch of shows?

This Just In: David Koechner Guests on Chuck

2011-08-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

Another guest star on Chuck has been announced, as reported by TV Line: David Koechner, AKA Tod Packer from The Office, or that annoying guy from every Frat Pack movie. So if you actually like this dude, which apparently a lot of people do, you'll enjoy his stint on Chuck as Buy More manager Crazy Bob. Hmmm sounds like he'll be the same character he always is...

Prashant Gupta/FX

Also Catherine Dent will be Crazy Bob's friend. Dent is from many different investigation shows, like NCIS, Law & Order, The Shield, CSI, and X-Files.

This Just In: Danny Pudi on Chuck

2011-08-30T19:59:00.000-07:00


Photo by Angela Weiss

Community's very own Danny Pudi, who plays the loveable Abed, will play an unannounced role in the fifth episode of the final season of Chuck, as reported by AOL TV. Other guest stars include Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker from Star Wars) in the Oct. 21 premiere and Carrie-Ann Moss (Trinity from The Matrix) as a recurring role.

Geek Chic: I'm NOT a Hipster

2011-08-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hipsters: "a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter...Hipsters reject the culturally-ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers, and are often be seen wearing vintage and thrift store inspired fashions, tight-fitting jeans, old-school sneakers, and sometimes thick rimmed glasses. Both hipster men and women sport similar androgynous hair styles that include combinations of messy shag cuts and asymmetric side-swept bangs." (urbandictionary.com)

I was recently called a hipster because I said I was making a batch of persimmon wine and also a batch of persimmon peach wine. I'm really pumped about this wine. But I was considerably less pumped because I was labeled a hipster because of it. It didn't help that I was wearing chucks and a Martha White (goodness gracious!) shirt I got 6 years ago from a Rhonda Vincent concert (which was amazing, by the way). I don't like these things ironically. I like them because I like them. I love wearing my faded Martha White shirt. I actually don't care what people think about me if I'm wearing such a shirt. Hipsters would. They want to actively protest the majority and the consumerism that the U.S. so embraces. I simply wear what I want when I want to. It's a matter of taste. I tend to want to dress as an eighty-year-old man or a man from the 1800s. I don't always wear hipster-looking clothes.

And I use persimmons for wine because it's good. Really good. And I decided that peaches might be a good complement to the persimmons. Both have that pulpiness and fall flavor that excites the taste buds. Besides, we have American Persimmon trees. I need to put them to good use. I can't just make delicious bread out them, right? I in no way reject consumerism or actively take a stand against unfair trade and such and such, but I do use what's available to me to the full advantage.

I also support indie bands because I like them...also not ironically. There is so much music out there in the world (Malinky!)? Why stick to the top 40 on a radio station? It's not to say I don't mind listening to them, but it;s matter of what I think is good according to my own taste. I also lack androgynous hair. I wear glasses, but they are not thick-rimmed (though I wish they were).

Let me say this: I don't have a problem with hipsters. I actually do not mind them; I even like them! I'm just not one. Thank you. That is all. By the way, what's with hipsters and PBR? The only time I ever drank it was when it was the cheapest thing in a tourist town (Nashville).

I Can Haz TV DVD 2011

2011-08-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

This last TV season cranked out some great episodes from our favorite shows. So what DVDs do we feel the need to have?

September 6
The Office, Season 7, $49.98 retail
Parks and Recreation, Season 3, $39.98 retail
Community, Season 2, $39.99 retail

September 13
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Season 6, $39.98 retail
The Big Bang Theory Season 4, $44.98

September 20
Happy Endings, Season 1, $35.99

Returning Favorites 2011

2011-08-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of return dates for all our favorite shows. Be sure to check out the DVDs before you start watching!

Parenthood: Tuesday, September 13, 10 pm (NBC)
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Thursday, September 15 (FX)

The Sing-Off: Monday, September 19, 8 pm (NBC)

Glee: Tuesday, September 20, 8 pm (Fox)
Modern Family: Wednesday, September 21, 9 pm (ABC)
The Big Bang Theory: Thursday, September 22, 8 pm (CBS)
Community: Thursday, September 22, 8 pm (NBC)
Parks and Recreation: Thursday, September 22, 8:30 pm (NBC)
The Office: Thursday, September 22, 9 pm (NBC)
Supernatural: Friday, September 23, 9 pm (CW)
Gossip Girl: Monday, September 26, 8 pm (CW)
Happy Endings: Wednesday, September 28, 9:30 pm (ABC)
Psych: Wednesday, October 12, 10 pm (USA)
Chuck: Friday, October 21, 8 pm (NBC)
South Park: Wednesday, Sometime in October or November, 10 pm (Comedy Central)
Cougar Town: November (seriously...)

Feminist Feature: Leslie Knope

2011-08-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

I look up to Leslie Knope--played by the lovely, talented, and hilarious Amy Poehler. On the surface Leslie can seem...ditzy. But she's far from it. Not only is Leslie the most likeable female character on TV; she is the most well-rounded character, which is odd for a comedy. She's not overly aggressive and not dumb. She's herself and she loves everyone, except librarians...and people from Eagleton. Let's take a look at her brilliance and feminism through the past three seasons.

The first thing that should be accounted for is her office. Someone's house or even office says a lot about them. At first glance, Leslie might seem like she's trying to hard to fit in and to be aggressive to eventually be President of the United States. But the more you watch, the more natural setting her office is for her. Her life really is work. And friends. And waffles. Not necessarily in that order. The photos of women in the government (...and Larry Byrd) show her heroes, who she looks up to. Every day their accomplishments aspire her. I'm guessing she feels like they're her friends. Look at how patriotic she is. In her office are the American and Indiana flags. Behind her desk are books of women in the government, as well as the founding fathers and notable presidents. Books include those about Joan of Arc, Jackie O, Thomas Jefferson, FDR, and Ronald Reagan. She even has a philosophy book for those tough decisions she has to make, and she wants to make them just, fair, and morally right. I especially connect with Leslie because we have many of the same books, and it excites me every time I see the book America's Women, which is a beautiful book that I find so endearing and empowering, even for myself as a man. After all, a woman who looks up to Eleanor Roosevelt rather than Cleopatra is highly admirable in my book (though Cleopatra did what she could with what she had. She created internal strife among the Romans.).

The weird thing is that her awareness of feminism is quite unnecessary. Everyone around her knows she's capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. Although, to be honest, the hunting episode does deal with feminism in very clear way and realistically. And Leslie displays her knowledge of how women are perceived through misogynist male eyes. More guys happen to be friends in the office; but Leslie wants to be part of "the boys' club", of which she makes a big deal. The guys really don't care that she's there. She fits in very well. Once she's in the setting, it's natural for her. It's not like she needs to try but she does because she's doing it for all women everywhere. Leslie knows that women in America are underrepresented in government and tries to do her best to represent. She doesn't realize that the Pawnee government employees don't really give a shit about government, let alone a woman in charge. That's what's awesome. She lives in her own little world and cares so much for the rights of women. Look at her valuing the Woman of the Year award. It upsets her so much that Ron receives it and she doesn't. Why? She sees this as the one thing that is for the advancement of women. It puts a spotlight on their hard work. It's not that she really cares about it for herself. She cares about it for women's entirety.

Displaying ignorance of how politics work in the real world, Leslie is extremely admirable. The one drawback I've heard about is her having a photo of Margaret Thatcher in her office and that in itself is a warped view of feminism. But I think it's Leslie's naivete that leads her to not even know anything about Thatcher's political stances. She is ultimately in her own political world. As I pointed out: her inclusion of a philosophy book so prominent on her bookshelf is important in that all her political decisions are pure and honest. She doesn't know how the political system works. She makes her own decisions in what she thinks is best for everyone (or in case of the penguin marriage...cute).

Leslie's mom has to teach her about influencing powerful others for your own agenda. In the episode honoring her mother, Leslie takes Anne as a date. Before the ceremony she gets a haircut that she calls the Hilary Clinton, her hero (aside from her mom). It makes her looks rather masculine, and Anne tags along as her date, or as Anne later notes, "Leslie's trophy wife." Everyone expresses how brave she is for coming out. She doesn't realize everyone thinks she's gay. That's oblivious she is to others perceptions of her. During town hall meetings, the townspeople fuss about what we think is nothing; but she sees it differently. They're expressing concerns about what they think is important. Leslie notes, "I hear people caring very loudly at me." Work is her priority; Leslie breathes it. At first, she doesn't want anything to happen with Ben because it would put their jobs in jeopardy. She resists the urges by making boring conversation (that Ben probably would actually like).

Leslie also takes a stand for her beliefs. After marrying two male penguins, she tries to say she had no intention of taking a political stance because the people of Pawnee don't like their government employees to take stance on any issue. She later succumbs to being the symbol of gay rights in Pawnee and refuses to resign, though many are advocating for her resignation. She will not stop for her own convictions. She married those penguins and she will let them live together in peace.

As I said before, Leslie may seem dingy, but she's far from it. She's the hardest working woman in the Pawnee government. Everyone in her department cares not that she's a woman. Though Ron's her boss, he directs everyone to listen to her. He essentially does nothing. And she doesn't care. She probably likes it that way. Little does the government or public know, Leslie is the brains behind the Parks Department. Her team actually knows she's brilliant and that she does all the work. They know they can't come up with anything better. They all do nothing, but they support her in her endeavors. The camping trip post-Harvest Festival is the perfect example. She asks them all to brainstorm, and all of their ideas are...well, not that great.

In a world where women are typically one-dimensional on the network television, either shown as hardcore take-no-crap or nagging housewife. Leslie Knope takes no crap, but she is the sweetest, most hard-working, most sincere and honest person. She is also a woman who does not typically get into cat fights. The one thing that sets her apart from other females is her ability to get along and be friends with other women at work. Her friendship with Anne is realistic and highly fun. They have their ups and downs. It's not overly dramatized and not peaceful all the time. They have rocky times, just like everyone else. I look forward to when they get drunk together because you can tell that they are "best friends OF EVER!" It's especially adorable that she has an annual Galentine's Day" for her lady friends, showing her appreciation for them by spending loads of time in preparation for it, including five-thousand-word essays on each lady's awsomeness. It's not about the men; it's about the women, sharing stories and bonding. I wish I could partake in Galentine's Day; it sounds fun. I want Leslie as my BFF.

So let's celebrate Leslie Knope's gender role neutrality, her dedication to her work, and her love of friends and waffles! We need more well-rounded women on network television. You'd think we'd have advanced in how genders are displayed on TV, but we haven't. Far from it. Males who display female gender roles, such as cooking are seen as a joke. Women who play sports or hold office are seen as dominating bitches. These are seen comedic values. And it needs to stop. Leslie Knope is a step in the right direction. Even one-liners like Donna, played by Retta, are incredibly complex. There's so much we're left wondering about Donna, but her one-liners reveal so much about her. We know she's got game. she's not just a sassy black woman. How does she come up with all this money to put down for a car and for being part-owner of a bar. There's no comedy like the quality of this show in entertainment and gender equality.

Typically I would not examine a comedic character so closely, as they're typically caricatures, but Leslie Knope and the cast of Parks is anything but, which is outstanding and abnormal. Leslie does not settle for anything else than the best. She would not settle for the person in front of her. Besides, Leslie did this:

This Just In: Bridget Regan in TV Movie

2011-08-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm stoked to announce that the love of my life (who doesn't know it yet) Bridget Regan will be in a TNT original film Hide, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Carla Gugino (of Watchmen, Night at the Museum, Sin City, and Sucker Punch) plays a detective on a case that leads her to Regan's character Annabelle Granger (and who doesn't love that name?!), who essentially has no identity. Granger was moved around as a child with different names, and her life ties in with the case at hand. Mark-Paul Gosselaar, a.k.a. Zack Morris, also stars in this highly-anticipated-by-me telepic. Hide will air December 6. BE EXCITED!!!!

Sister Site: Anything You Can Do

2011-08-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

I've developed a new blog for my feminist rants called Anything You Can Do under the address of womenarepersons.blogspot.com, after the lovely Susan B. Anthony's wondrous speech. You'll still find feminist features here, but as long as they pertain to nerdy pop culture. I was pushing it with the last few feminist posts. If anyone wants be a co-blogger, reply to this post.

Feminist Feature: Aung San Suu Kyi

2011-08-25T06:44:00.000-07:00

"Please use your liberty to promote ours." -Aung San Suu Kyi

And so I will...

With the new film coming out next year, I thought it important that I bring about the awareness of all that is Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner and the symbol of the Democratic revolution in Burma. Before November 13, 2010, Aung San Suu Kyi spent fifteen years under house arrest and other types of detentions. Heroism runs in the family. Her father Aung San was also an advocate of independence, who was killed when she was two. She was highly educated, having graduation from Oxford. In 1988, Burma called her back for her ill mother. Approximately five thousand people were killed in the revolution she got caught up in on August 8. Five thousand! In one day!

Photo courtesy of Asian News

Clearly something needed to be done. Aung San Suu Kyi was appointed General Secretary of the National League for Democracy in September of 1988. Even though the dictatorship tried its best to cheat the system of fair voting, the NLD was voted 82% of the Parliament seats in the 1990 elections. The dictatorship never recognized the votes and refused to hand over power. Despite being under house arrest and released, Suu Kyi never stopped her quest for Burmese independence. She would be detained yet again for her insistence on rallying. In 2003, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, secretly hired by the dictatorship, attempted to assassinate Aung San Suu Kyi in a convoy. The dictatorship continually attacked the NLD parties, going as far as killing them and framing them for violent incidents caused by the dictatorship.

In 2009, Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested just days before her house arrest was lifted and kept in detention until days after the last election in November of 2010, so she would have no influence on the election process. But 66-year-old Suu Kyi is still going strong.

The film named The Lady has a tentative release date of March 15, 2012. Michelle Yeoh (!!!!) plays Aung San Suu Kyi, and the film is directed by Luc Besson of Leon the Professional fame. I have high hopes that this film will bring about awareness to the issue of Burmese independence to our ignorant Western culture! After all, only the Middle Eastern revolutions are being covered by the media. Maybe Burma will get the attention it deserves to help it get the peace and independence it needs.

Book Review: At Issue's Women in Islam

2011-08-25T05:53:00.000-07:00

This collection of essays in Women in Islam confronts the topic of Muslimwomen, so Westerners can better understand points of view of women in Islamwith religion, society, gender, and law. Though some points of view oppose in certain fundamentals, likeEltahawy’s “Muslim Women Should Not Be Stereotyped” and Pollitt’s “Muslim WomenNeed Their Rights to Be Recognized”, they are trying to do accomplish the samefeat: provoking Westerners to overcome their ignorance based on stereotypes,fed by media, history, religions, and politics. Read on for the review.

Gale's At Issue series presents another fine collection of essays (amongst their terrible ones like Is Childhood Becoming Too Sexualized?). Women in Islam presents to us a much needed topic to quellanti-Islamic hysteria. It is necessaryin high schools to help educate the younger generations to be less ignorant ofMiddle Eastern cultures. With more andmore laws banning the wearing of burqas and other traditional headwear of the hijab for Muslimwomen, the topic is more current than ever. Various perspectives from Muslim women and Christian women and esteemedprofessors, Islamic awareness trailblazers, and reporters make a wonderfulwell-rounded read. The most surprisingwork is an interview from U.S. Catholic with a Muslim professor on comparativereligion. It provides us an intellectualconcern and even curiosity. The bookincludes an index, bibliography, table of contents, and a welcomed “Organizationsto Contact” for further information. Highly Recommended for high school, college, and adult reading.

No Duh the 90s Were All That (and a bag of chips)

2011-08-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

I am a child of the 90s. My school supplies were Trapper Keepers and everything Lisa Frank. I collected Pogs and spent summer vacations watching VH1 while memorizing every word to whatever glorious one-hit-wonder was popular that week (New Radicals, anyone?) At age 8 I listed my favorite TV show as Hey Dude when I was Student-of-the-Week. For what it’s worth, my favorite color was fuscia and my favorite animal was penguin (some things change, some things stay the same).

Thanks to my childhood, I never needed a cable network to tell me that the 90s Are All That, but in the recent resurgence of 90s after school and Saturday night programming, I thought I’d share my top three 90s TV shows from my childhood.

3. Flash Forward
We love that the Nickelodeon network, Teen Nick, is embracing its 90s past, but we’ve yet to experience again the glorious 90s programming from Disney. Before Hanna Montana and Alex Russo, there were Tucker and Becca: two teenagers who weren’t rock stars or wizards. They were just your average kids living next door to each other getting through middle school while comparing their current experiences to those from when they were just tikes.

Looking back, I think I loved this show for its simplicity. As I mentioned, there were no bells and whistles to the characters. They were relatable to a young girl like me who didn’t have a record deal, but did have friends and embarrassments. My favorite feature of this show, however, is its cast: more specifically, film actor Ben Foster as Tucker, and Oscar nominated actor Ryan Gosling. True, Gosling was only in two episodes as bully Scott Stuckey, so not as lasting a role as his time on YoungHercules. But when I saw him years later in the Notebook, I recognized him immediately as the dreamy and dangerously cool Stuckey.

The show itself only lasted one season (26 episodes), but I’d watch the episodes after school over and over again. I’d watch wishing Tucker or Becca lived next door so we could throw parties when our parents were out of town and tie a string to cans and chat all night long, or ya know, just use the phone.

2. Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa did explain it all, and she did so with style and flair. I have an older brother, but camped out in front of my Grandmother’s TV on Saturday nights, Clarissa was my big sister. She taught me everything and had a large influence on me. Her hubcap collection inspired me to start my own collection (more than 100 keychains… boo yah.) She is the reason I still want a second-story bedroom with a window seat, and it was Clarissa who inspired my career path toward journalism. Regretfully or thankfully my style didn’t reflect Clarissa’s (save for side ponytails and ankle socks), but mostly everything else came from her.

Again, the premise was simple: Clarissa was your average tween/teenager, except she was an innovator. Clarissa blogged and tweeted long before the invention of social media by having her commentary on that week’s episode pop up on the screen in that unforgettable bright pink or blue comic sanish handwriting. Her parents were normal, not dweeby or mean. They were just parents who weren’t afraid to let their children be individuals: eccentric Clarissa with her wacky outfits and pet alligator, Elvis and nerdy Ferguson with his neatly made bed and khaki pants.

Clarissa showed me (us) how important it is to be yourself long before I was old enough to truly recognize it, and I think that’s “way cool Na na na na na na.”

1. Saved By the Bell
The show in my number one spot needs no introduction. I’m sure many of us who grew up in the final decade of the most recent millennium would list it as one of our favorites, but it didn’t feel right not having it as my number 1. The show is so iconic and popular that it never really had or required a “comeback” because it has always been here; forever living on in syndication for generation after generation to discover it and fall in love. And isn’t that way makes Saved By the Bell (SBTB) so great? That despite the neon swim trunks and colored jeans, teens still find it relevant year after year.

For me, SBTB was a guide for what to expect in high school. Did my four years as a Trojan match up to Zack, Kelly, Slater, Jessie, Screech and Lisa’s years as Tigers? No, not really, but it didn’t matter. To this day I still watch the show and enjoy every second of it. Watching Lisa scratch and scratch after discovering she's allergic to Screech or hearing Slater and Jessie lip sync to a Michael Bolton tune dressed up as Marc Antony and Cleopatra puts me right back to sitting in my living room after school. I still hear my parents mock the “Ooooooh” sound whenever two characters kiss. I still want a chance to go on one date with Zack Morris and to be the fourth member of Hot Sundae; and that will never change. Although I graduated high school a Trojan, my first alma mater in my heart of hearts is Bayside.

Movie of the Week: The Help

2011-08-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

[teen tiny spoilers ahead] I had the pleasure of seeing The Help last week and it did not disappoint.I read the book earlier this year and couldn't wait to see its characters come to life. I rarely assume the film version will not "live up to" the book and go into adaptations with a positive attitude, and I usually leave with a good opinion. There are always exceptions, but I'm happy to include The Help among the list of those film adaptations that, I believe (and think others will agree), did its inspiration justice. Those who read the book may notice a few scenes were left out, but I don't think their absence hurt the overall story. Some elements were added and I think they only helped, especially the strengthening of two characters' presence.

For those who aren't familiar with the story, after the jump is the film's trailer.

I was especially happy with the cast in the movie. Viola Davis was transformed into who I imaged Aibileen was and is beginning to receive Oscar buzz for the role. I knew before opening the book that Emma Stone would be playing Skeeter, so while I was reading I pictured her. I'm a big fan of Stone's and loved seeing her as my favorite character. I was probably most impressed, though, by Bryce Dallas Howard's performance as Hilly Holbrook and Octavia Spencer's performance as Minny Jackson.

When I learned Howard would be portraying Hilly I wasn't sure if it would work. For some reason as I read the book I just didn't see her in that part. Now that I've seen the film, I have a different opinion. Howard created the perfect villain. The only thing I hated more than Hilly was how much I envied her wardrobe.

At first glance Spencer makes the perfect Minny and I had no trouble imagining her in Minny's shoes. In the book most of what makes up Minny, I thought, was her sass and spunk. There's no shortage of those two traits in the film, but Spencer also put a lot of heart and drive into the character and I found myself rooting for Minny even more.

My only gripe had to do with the film's length (2 hours and 17 minutes). I left the theater feeling satisfied, but also left thinking it was a little long. Looking back, though, I can't think of a moment I'd cut.

Overall the film was entertaining and moving. I left the theater with the overwhelming motivation to go change the world somehow... the decision on how to do so is yet to be determined.

A Tribute to Mike Carey's X-Men

2011-08-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Even if you didn't like his work on X-Men (or more specifically his work with Rogue), you have to admit his work is quality writing. Let's take a look at what made his 5 1/2-year run astonishing in so many ways and the kind of legacy he'll leave through plots left unresolved.

I hadn't heard of Mike Carey until he started X-Men, but I was wary of the team I'd heard of so many months prior: Rogue, Cannonball, Iceman, Omega Sentinel, and Cable along with Sabretooth, Mystique, and Lady Mastermind. WTF? So many villains...how could this have worked? And it did. It really did. Carey had something that hadn't been seen since Lobdell's run on Generation X and before that Claremont in the 70s and 80s. The stories were tight, characterization and stakes were high, and action was explosive. Rogue wanted to keep her enemies close, but with an unstable team, something could happen at any moment. And, of course, it did.

Karima Shapandar (Omega Sentinel) fighting Pandemic

Carey wrote characters underused, not in the core cast of those seen in Uncanny or Astonishing. He didn't even use Wolverine very often, which is essentially unheard of in a main X-book. Omega Sentinel was last used by Claremont in 2004 for the Genoshan Excalibur, which was amazing as well. She could have easily fallen off the wayside, but he brought her to the foreground and continued her quest of becoming human again, a major feat considering her transformation into a robotic sentinel by Bastion. And he reinvigorated Lady Mastermind, who wasn't seen much prior to this. Iceman was a joke and reduced to one part of a love triangle. Then Carey took over and built him up to be one of the most powerful X-Men. Since then, he's been reduced to wallpaper...again. Cannonball was also brought to the forefront. Another one of Claremont's favorites had not been really used much since X-Treme X-Men. But he fit in well with the likes of Iceman and Rogue. The trio formed a tight trust, all having establish friendships prior to this.

the last page of X-Men Legacy #233...made me giggle

He continued writing underused or misused characters with Husk, Psylocke, Ariel, Indra, Nightcrawler, Trance, Bling! and Loa. And, oh, how he made me love the ones I didn't already. Carey had a knack for creating teams previously unseen, and starting with Schism it looks like he might have started a trend. But we'll see. After the initial team Rogue, Gambit, Danger, Ariel, and Trance fighting in San Fransisco when Osborn Avengers attacked the X-Men. Then we saw Rogue, Trance, and Bling! as the center of attention in the Emplate arc. Following that was the Necrosha arc, in which Nightcrawler led a team comprised of Rogue, Magneto, Psylocke, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Husk, Blindfold, and Trance to Muir Island. Then came the Second Coming crossover. The post-major-crossover arc saw Rogue take Loa, Indra, and Anole to India to see Indra's parents, with Magneto tagging along to find out why there were anomalies in the magnetic fields in Mumbai. Following was the rebuilding crew of Rogue, Magneto, Psylocke, Colossus, Hellion, Hope, Random (Random...seriously), and Omega Sentinel. Now Rogue's team is comprised of herself, Magneto, Gambit, Frenzy, Legion, and Professor X. We see multiple generations of X-Men in every team, from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. And in every team, there's some sort of internal conflict, as well as an external conflict.

The Children of the Vault

Carey even created new villains. What? NEW villains?! Yes, and they were very threatening: Children of the Vault? Best creation in at least 15 years. Pandemic? Brilliant. Legion's antibodies? Pure awesomeness. Then he used villains unused in years: Emplate and Proteus. All posed great threats to the X-Men.

Then there's the matter of feminism. Carey's X-Men have been less male-dominated, unlike the rest of the current titles, save for X-23 and maybe the adjectiveless X-Men at times. This many females haven't been at the forefront of a title since Claremont's pre-90s run. As I listed all the teams, the majority of them are female-centric. And that rocks. Some say that Carey has been misogynistic by beating Rogue to a pulp every arc, but I disagree. Every character does. But Rogue always ends up pulling through and saving the day for everyone. She goes through hardships, and nothing keeps her down for long. It's impressive. It was interesting to see in the Necrosha arc, a team of all women and Magneto after Colossus and Nightcrawler are taken out. The Emplate arc was not only about Rogue trying to save Bling!, but it turned out to be more about Bling! rising above and refusing to be a victim. She never gave in, and it was a mighty powerful moment when she knocked Emplate on her butt after Rogue prevents others from interfering, saying, "No. She needs to do this." A true female empowerment arc. His females continually impress with amazing feats: Loa taking down a sentinel herself, Rogue knocking down a sentinel with a bus and without anyone's powers, and Trance developing her powers in ways previously unseen.

That Ariel...such a diva!

He made crossovers readable, as they were always most thrilling: dangerous, emotional, cryptic, and and action-packed. His exciting Messiah Complex issues were enhanced by previous Claremontian story lines left in mysterious loose ends, such as Destiny's Diaries. The story was thickened with a labyrinthian plots with Blindfold, Emma, and Kitty and a secondary story of Iceman and Cannonball fleeing and surviving and then overpowering. Second Coming was awful without his writing. His writing of Ariel and was brilliant. And I've raved about his Necrosha arc. That was clearly the best of the bunch, as the rest felt too quick, unresolved, and forced. His part seemed to be in its own world.

And then we got the masterpiece Age of X. A compact, riveting, dark, tense story where we got to see the X-Men's lives warped. Only Blindfold and Professor X knew what was going on. And it was up to Rogue to spark the rebellion to figure out what was going on. Mann's redesigns made the alternate world even better. The fallout has had a great effect on his book post-Age of X, but we may not see any more until he returns. Age of X repercussions have great opportunities for plots and characterizations. The seeds have been sewn for future relationships, transformations, stories, etc.

The Tempo Cadre from Age of X...Pixie/Nightmare's a sluuuut

Farewell, Mr. Carey. You will be missed! You left open plots for Pixie's dark side, Omega Sentinel's coma, Iceman's relationship with Psylocke in Age of X (as well as Storm and Namor's), Husk's potential for terrorism, Mystique's twisted way of showing how she cares, Indra's inner conflict with family and with beliefs, Hellion's rage, Chamber's powers and mental state, Ariel's revival, Legion's increasing sanity, Blindfold's family, Luz's position with the Children of the Vault, and Frenzy's new heroism. These are characters who haven't had good development in years.

Now writers are taking after Carey in team creation, realizing it can create internal conflict. I look forward to a little shakeup, as I feel most of the books are trite and jaded. Carey, Remender, and David have given us consistency in characterization, tight scripts, humor, and action all at the same time. Here's to hoping we'll see some one-shots and minis from you soon, Professor Carey!

This Just In: Carey leaving X-Men Legacy

2011-08-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Mike Carey's final arc of X-Men Legacy will start in November with #259 and end with #260. What a run! #188-#260! That's over 70 issues! He did state under my facebook rebellion, declaring with wet eyes my devastation of the news:

Sorry, guys. I didn't know this was going to break today. It's not the end of me on the X-Men - at least, I hope it isn't. It's me taking a break from the monthly book, and taking stock of where I am on a bunch of other things.

So goes life. But Carey shall return in a magnificent glory. I expect great things form him concerning Blindfold, Husk, Ariel, and the X-kids! Coming soon will be my tribute to his run. Look after the jump for the cover, as of now.

Here's the variant split cover, with only Rogue showing. who knows when the other cast members of all the X-covers will be revealed. It's very annoying.

Feminist Feature: My Feministy Heroes

2011-08-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

It's no secret; I'm a feminist. I'd actually like to think I'm more of a humanist. There are so many people without rights or respect. But it's high-time women gained equal rights and respect. My dad said he'd never want a woman covering him in the battlefield. My response: history has proved otherwise. Women get the job done, no matter what. I wanted to share with you some women who've made me into the passionate feminist I am today. I'll start with the earliest living...after the jump.

Boudicca/Boudica/Boadicea
Sure, she may have failed in the long run, but she put up a good fight and put some fear into the Romans, nearly driving them from Britain entirely. Boudicca became sole ruler of the Iceni people after her husband died. Supposedly they had a joint rulership, uncommon for some societies who had become patriarchal in nature. The Romans saw this an opportune time to take over the Iceni fully, taking Boudicca and her daughters' land and publicly flogging her and raping her daughters. Boudicca, we can surely say, was one of very last vestiges of a matriarchy turned oligarchy. Uniting neighboring tribes, she took back three cities, one being London, from Roman control before having her last stand against Paulinius Suetonius. Leading her unisex army of untrained soldiers into battle against the uniform Romans, she declared death over slavery. When her army was losing and many Brits were fleeing the battle, she took control of her fate and committed suicide to prevent further shame and prevent slavery or worse. Do not take lightly to a woman scorned.

Bat-Zabbai of Palmyra
Better known to the Western World as (Septimia) Zenobia, Bat-Zabbai, daughter of al-Zabbā. She was a highly educated woman, fluent in multiple languages and literate when the majority were not, especially women. She rode with her husband to war, camped and drank with the soldiers, and wielded weapons with the best warriors. Once her husband and step-son died, the power was handed to Bat-Zabbai's one-year-old son Vaballathus. But, as we all know, a one-year-old is incapable of pooping in a pot or even speaking full-sentences, let alone ruling a country. Bat-Zabbai led her country into an expansion only Rome and Macedonia dreamed of in ancient times. She successfully fended off Rome and drove them from neighboring lands. But her conquest spread her too thin. Rome got the best of her, and she and her son were captured and sent to Rome. Supposedly her son died on the way, and she was led in chains through the streets of Rome in a parade of utter shame. The same thing would be tried on Cleopatra if not for her suicide. One account tells us that she could have been freed from imprisonment and/or execution and lived a life as a senator's wife with more children and influence over the government and revitalized the education system.

Sarah Emma Edmonds(on)
Sarah was born as Sarah Emma Edmundson, and throughout her life her name had changed for a variety of purposes, finally landing on Sarah Emma Edmunds before taking her husband's name and living out the rest of her unknown amount of time in a quiet manner. After moving to the U.S. from her overbearing and scornful father in Canada, Edmunds began selling Bibles in the Northeast and later in the North Midwest. It was there that she found her calling: serving in the Union army during the U.S. Civil War. In the Union army, she served as a field nurse, a female spy, a male soldier, and a Black male cook. Taking on various roles, unafraid of crossdressing and doing a "man's duty", Edmunds had a direct line to Lincoln, and he considered her a valuable asset to the country. She was never acknowledged monetarily, though, as other veterans were. She did not live to see her legacy and proper respect.

Susan B. Anthony
This woman could make a solid speech. Part of one of the classes I teach focuses on rhetoric. I use Anthony's speech "Are Women Persons?", and it amazes me every single time. I think I even cry. Not sure, but I'm pretty sure I do. I at least get uber-passionate about it, as I do when I listen to Tommy Sands' "There Were Roses", which I also use as an example for their project. Anthony was a pioneer in women's rights, even though her early efforts were heeded but left untouched by the government.

Photo courtesy of Sharat Ganapati, Chicago Maroon

Gloria Steinem
The feminist of all feminists Gloria Steinem is the modern-day Susan B. Anthony. I guess we should consider her a humanist (as we should all be); she not only focuses on females being equal to males, but she deals with rights and equalizing race, religion, age, and culture. Check out the HBO documentary (premiering as I write this) Gloria: In Her Own Words. I'll have a review of that soon enough. The more Gloria ages, the wiser she becomes.

Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood is coming to par with Steinem. On top of her feminist and sociopolitical writing, she is an environmentalist. Most recently, she's been battling the Toronto mayor in saving the libraries, to which he's been responding by slandering Atwood. What a jerk. If you read one book by her, make it A Handmaid's Tale. If you read more, read Oryx and Crake and then Year of the Flood. And then everything else.

Photo courtesy of Allison Ziemba, Missourian

Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin should be everyone's hero everywhere. Not only was she revolutionary in the cattle industry, she was a woman in a man's world. On top that, she has Autism and learned to work with it, despite people not understanding her and how she thinks. Now she educates on Autism and on how cattle think and the benefits of happy cattle in slaughterhouses and transportation. Definition of hero. Also check out the brilliant HBO film Temple Grandin, in which Claire Danes plays Grandin, much to Grandin's approval.

I'd like to know. Who are your feministy heroes?

Jump on the Bandwagon!

2011-08-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Typically I'm not a supporter of fallacies, but Bandwagon has me on board, playing every instrument possible. Bandwagon started years ago as an independent film from Emma Caulfield (notoriously known from Buffy as bunny-fearing Anya, but more recently in Life Unexpected and the adorable Sci-Fi romantic drama TiMER). She had recently aired the film as a webseries on youtube as the first season, and the second season has just started a few weeks ago. Guest stars are abundant (mostly form the Buffyverse), and the first season is dated when Angel and possibly Buffy were still on air. Continue reading after the jump for more information.

Bandwagon is filmed in a true mockumentary style, with the cast playing as themselves. You would think that Caulfield was really this conceited watching it, but it's just too damn funny. In season 1, Caulfield takes it upon herself to help an aspiring actress get roles and introduce her to her Hollywood circles. The waitress Tubie is also mentally challenged. Caulfield considers this guardianship of Tubie charity. Watch the first season (and hear Caulfield sing a brilliant ragtime tune called "Stardust" in the credits of the final episode) before coming onto the second season, where Caulfield continues her adventures in co-creating an urban Black-focused Glee-type project, as she jumps on the musical TV bandwagon. Guest stars include Community's Yvette Nicole Brown and RENT's Tracie Thoms. And racial stereotypes are played out even more in this season. Check it out. Now.

Site of the Week 8/1/11-8/7/11

2011-08-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

Just so you get your fix of Parks and Recreations, especially Ron Swanson, you'll enjoy the tumblr Cats That Look Like Ron Swanson! Warning: Don't watch at work because you'll look like an idiot laughing really loud at seemingly nothing. This one's top notch.

2011-08-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

T. Bone Burnett and Danny Elfman are musical directors of the upcoming Hunger Games film. The first film of the trilogy would need a haunting folk music sound, as fitting for District 12 and a dystopian novel where we're set back to the 1800s in most districts. So what are my picks according to the choice in musical directors and the film setting? Find out after the jump!

"Dark as a Dungeon" by Vince Gill & The Chieftains from Down the Old Plank Road, Johnny Cash from At Folsom Prison, or Merle Travis from Folk Songs of the Hills
This Appalachian song written by Merle Travis epitomizes the tone of District 12, as they are corely coal miners, and its strong sense of danger and lament for the job and its fallen workers would be a wonderful introduction song as they sweep across District 12 at the beginning of the movie in a pan shot. Gill and Chieftains would be wonderful for the Appalachian Irish-Scots influence.

"A-Hunting We Will Go" by Hem from Eveningland
I hear this when Katniss and Gale go out hunting. It's a beautiful, mellow, melodic Appalachian-sounding tune with vocals that would sound like Katniss singing, I'm sure.

"Molly Ban" by Alison Krauss and The Chieftains on Down the Old Plank Road and Krauss' A Hundred Miles or More.
I also see this as a hunting song for Katniss or when she has memories of her father singing. It's dark nature lends its hand to the vibe of the film, telling a story of a hunter seeing his wife as a swan and accidentally shooting her.

"Down on Our Own Shield" by Jakob Dylan from Women and Country
The sentiments expressed by both Katniss and Peeta have given them a selfless, yet, noble definition of death. They both would rather die "on their own shield" than at the hands of their competitors for the enjoyment of Panem. A touching song for a touching moment when Peeta is lying lifeless in Katniss's hands, expressing love and devotion at the same time as nobility and bravery.

"Joan of Arc" by Jennifer Warnes from Famous Blue Raincoat or by Leonard Cohen from Songs of Love and Hate
This Cohen-penned song is a discourse between Joan of Arc and the flames that consume her, much like Katniss is the Joan of Arc of her world. When she enters the arena in her flaming dress, she embodies Joan of Arc, being consumed at the stake and being "tired of war." This is the perfect song for that moment to show "The Girl on Fire" as it is builds up to a powerful tune.

"When Will We All Be Free" by Karan Casey from Chasing the Sun
Casey wrote this song to support the public, whose opinion seems to not matter while politicians only play their own game for money and power.

"Some people live the high life
They live like Kings and Queens
They go about all dressed up
Well encased in their dreams

"Our politicians run to the altar of gold
To line their pockets with greed
Turning a blind eye to all around
Especially the ones in need"

It's a perfect selection to describe Panem, and a rebel theme song for the districts.

"On Your Shore" by Enya from Watermark
The song perfectly describes Katniss's feelings towards Rue when she dies. She "cannot hold [her] long enough" and has brought back her "forgotten ways" of love and devotion, rather than competition and hate. She reminded her of Prim.

"O Death" by Jen Titus from the Supernatural commercials or Ralph Stanley from O Brother Where Art Thou
When District 12 comes together for the reaping, the song "O Death" should be heard. It needs no reason why; it explains itself. "O Death, won't you spare me over for another year."

What songs would you like to see in Hunger Games?

The Wolverine: Cecilia Reyes casted

2011-07-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

According to the imdb page for The Wolverine--the hopefully-better sequel to the awful X-Men Origins: Wolverine film--Naturi Naughton will play the part of Cecilia Reyes, who has been absent form the comics for a long while, now sidelined as a medic not even good enough for the X-Men's Science club that doctors all mutants on Utopia. Reyes is a mutant who had reflexive force field; when it was a hit, she felt the pain without the injury. Since Psylocke telepathically extended her powers in Uncanny X-Men, Cecilia is now able to expand her force field to an unspecified distance. She despised being a mutant and refused to accept it. It made for a great conflict in having a part in defeating Bastion the first time around. She also brought some well-needed diversity in personality, power, and race.

This Just In: Tammy #1 and Community Professor

2011-07-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

Read after the jump to see who Parks and Recreation's Tammy #1 is, since some want to be surprised. As for our Greendale Community College news from TVLine, Martin Starr will play a political science professor at Greendale Community College. Expect great and odd things.

Ron Swanson's first wife Tammy #1 (technically Tammy #2 since his mom is Tammy as well) will be played by the ever-enjoyable Patricia Clarkson, as reported exclusively by TVLine. Don't expect her to be the sort of demon-crazy that Tammy #2 is, though. She worked closely with the writers and producers to figure out who this woman is, and she is different she'll be from Tammy #2.

My TV BFFs

2011-07-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I watch TV, I think, OH MY STARS AND GARTERS! I COULD BE THEIR BEST BUD! It's why I love certain TV shows so damn much. Listed here are my TV BFFs and reasons why. Who are your TV BFFs?

1. Veronica Mars
Played by Kristen Bell; Veronica Mars
Veronica's spunkiness, dry sense of humor, and witty retorts, complete with nerdy pop culture references make her my ultimate potential BFF. Her ability to handle herself in a dire situation and be able to sniff out clues and piece them together to solve minor crimes to murders. Her ability to ward off all popular people with fear and weirdness can only draw me to her more. "When entering a frat house full of accused rapists, the pant suit is a solid wardrobe choice. It's fashion's way of saying, 'Move along. Nothing to see here.'" Veronica (or, really, Kristen Bell), please be my BFF-entine. If you had, you wouldn't have chosen such awful taste in men.

2. Ned the Piemaker

Played by Lee Pace; Pushing Daisies

Because everyone needs a little more adorable in their life, especially me, awkward Ned would be my second choice for TV BFF. He's dog-like loyal and incredibly bumbly-nice. Don't you just want to pinch his cheeks? I'd want to, but I'd refrain because well...a dude doing that to another dude is just awkward, even for me. In Veronica Mars-like, Buffy-like way, Ned speaks with quick, witty, and spunky dialect. I could see me, Ned, and Veronica Mars solving mysteries together like a modern-day adorable, witty Scooby gang. With his love of cardigans, Chucks, and aprons, how could I not want to hang out with him, drinks a few beers, bake pies and tarts, revive some dead people for fun. You know, typical BFF stuff. "I asked you to not to use the word zombie, it’s disrespectful. Stumbling around squawking for brains, it’s not how they do. And undead? Nobody wants to be un- anything. Why begin a statement with a negative? It’s like say I don’t disagree. Just say you agree." Gush! Ned also makes me want to open my own pie restaurant business. It will happen some day. Mark my words, bitches.

3. Leslie Knope, Ben Wyatt, Ann Perkins
Played by Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, and Rashida Jones; Parks and Recreation

As I think I would be too annoyed by Tom and too scared to be Ron Swanson's friend and because, let's face it, I don't want him shitting in my house, I would find the second most adorably fun folks to hang out with. I like to surround myself with fun and funny people, and these people can fill those roles. Leslie tries so hard to be smart and in charge, and she is, by all means, but she can be the biggest ditz you've met. This is the case with many of my friends, and it makes for a good time. And when you get Leslie and Ann together drinking, it's cause for probably the best drunken night of your life. I look forward to seeing the Parks gang get smashy-smashy (that's my word for it...it's gross sounding but has implications of both drunkenness and sex) because I know it will be hilarious. It already is thinking about the possibilities. Add shy, adorable Ben to the mix, and it's golden. I like to hang out with mostly girls, but those awkward guys make it all the better because they give me something to make fun of. So, yeah, I might be mean sometimes, but only to friends, and they accept it and make fun of me back. That's the way friendship works, right? And Donna can make guest appearances at our functions because she would know how to make it a party and give us some crazy-ass lines.

4. Chuck Bartowski

Played by Zachary Levi; Chuck

Yet another adorable man to add to my BFF list. What nerd wouldn't want Chuck as his friend? He's incredibly loyal and nerdy. He risks his own life to save his loved ones. That's "awesome." He has great taste in women...Bobby Drake-approved. We would play video games together; watch zombie movies, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the Lord of the Rings; and go to the comic book store. These are all in my imaginary weekly agenda. I would not mind getting inducted into his circle of spy friends as well. I feel like I could bring in fantastic communications and sword skills on missions. I know multiple languages (granted they're Gaelic, Scots-English, and Spanish) and can talk to anyone. It would come in handy, I'm sure. NERD HERD!

5. Penny Hartz
Played by Casey Wilson; Happy Endings
Penny can be my gay husband too. She loads of fun, full of energy, and uber-hilarious. I like an expressive person, someone to have fun with working out (except not lifting weights because I would laugh so hard, I would drop the weights on my neck), watching movies, and going out on the town and getting smashy-smashy. I have a feeling that fellow-and-very-absent blogger Sally would feel the same way. If you don't love being with her, you're dead to me. I love being with her every episode of Happy Endings, and I can't get enough. "FroYo. Over it. Other stuff. Over it."

6. Myka Bering, Claudia Donovan, Pete Lattimer

Played by Joanne Kelly, Allison Scagliotti, and Eddie McClintock; Warehouse 13

The cast of Warehouse 13 clicks like no other Sci-Fi cast, and I want to be in their family. You feel it as you watch, and they're all goofy as can be, yet badass. Claudia is perfect in every way. We can geek out together. Pete and I can get stupid drunk. And Myka and I can hold intelligent conversations on literature. Because that's what I want to do with a friend sometime. Like really intelligent. That's how much I miss college classes. I crave intellectual stimulation. Myka can provide that for me. Not to mention, she can be fun, especially in the recent seasons where she loosened up.

7. Ted Crisp, Linda Zwordling, Phil Myman, Lem Hewitt
Played by Jay Harrington, Andrea Anders, Jonathan Slavin, and Malcolm Barrett; Better Off Ted
Second to the cast of Parks is the cast of Better Off Ted. I would love to go to Medieval Fight Club with these people. I'd love to be in a children's book, starring Phil as a sad-eyed lemur, Lem as a fossa, Linda as an aye-aye, Ted as a chameleon, and me as a tortoise. I'd have dance-offs with the company's best dancers Phil and Lem. I'd stick up for Linda's ideals concerning company ethics. And I'd go out drinking with Ted...or just hang out at his apartment while we color with Rose. I'm a good babysitter, mind you.

8. Buffy Summers, Anya, Xander Harris

Played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emma Caulfield, and Nicholas Brendon; Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I almost added Willow, but then I decided she'd be super boring in real life. I would have a blast with Anya. The lack of social filter, which I at times lack, is outstandingly hilarious to me. It would be nothing short of an adventure every minute with her. And think of the amazing songs we could sing! "Bunnies! Bunnies! It must must bunnies! Or maybe midgets..." Xander is a nerd's nerd. Now that he looks like Nick Fury and makes acceptable comic book references ALL the time, I want to keep him in my pocket to make wise cracks and make me look smarter and more coordinated because I'm awfully awkward at moving.

9. Rose Nylund, Dorothy Zbornak, Sophia Petrillo, Blanche Devereaux
Played by Betty White, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan; Golden Girls
Who wouldn't want to be a part of this crew? I grew up playing cards with my grandparents. My idea of a fun weekend during high school was not getting drunk and disobeying my parents; it was playing cards with old ladies. It continues to this day. I, too, am a fan of cheesecake. I imagine coming home after a long day of annoying people or a horrible date that I could break out the cheesecake and, at the first slice, my friends come running for the dining room table. We would share our happenings of the day, and Rose would tell a story about living in St. Olaf. And we'd all gape or laugh at her. I'd have cooking contests with Sophia. And I'd talk books and teaching with Dorothy. And we'd all enter talent shows together. It would be a blast, and I'd forget that I'm decades younger than them.

10. Jon Snow

Played by Kit Harington; Game of Thrones

Fiercely protective and a true gentleman, Jon Snow would be my BFF for sure. He looks out for the outcasts and befriends them when no one else would. Rather than shunning or laughing at them, he makes them feel of worth by using their strengths and their personalities to their advantage, building their confidence. I wish Jon Snow had been my friend in school. Not to mention, he'd probably be a fantastic wing man.

Runners-up
A few need honorable mentions because they were so close to being on the list.

Monica Gellar
Played by Courteney Cox; Friends
We're too much the same, so we would not get along, I'm sure. But it'd be worth a shot. Clean freaks. Cooking fanatics. Similar speech patterns.

The Cul-de-Sac Crew
Played by Courteney Cox, Christa Miller, Busy Phillips, Dan Byrd, Josh Hopkins, Ian Gomez, and Brian Van Holt; Cougar Town
The reason the Crew didn't make the top 10 is because I would find them extremely obnoxious and annoying in real life, even though I AM exactly like Jules, except for the whole Oedipal complex thing with her son. The rapport they all have with each other is realistic, complete with making up 5 minutes later over a few bottles of wine. Did I mention that I'm Jules? That's two Courteney Cox characters. I'm starting to think that Courteney Cox herself and I should be BFFs. Make it happen, world, make it happen.

Age of X: Review

2011-07-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a few months since Age of X ended, and it ended during my absence. I owe it to you now that the arc is out in Hardback. The hardback collects Age of X: Alpha, Age of X: Universe 1 & 2, New Mutants 22-24, and X-Men Legacy 245-247. You get it on Amazon for $16.66, but, as always, I urge you to get it form your LCS.

Carey suddenly delves into a world immediately following X-Men Legacy 244. In it, we see alternative lives of our favorite mutants in a world where the X-Men were never brought together by Xavier and mutants are all hunted down for being a threat. Xavier never existed in this reality, so there were never liaisons or mediums between humans and mutants.

An imagined predecessor to the core books takes place in Age of X: Universe, where the Avengers are formed to kill all mutants. Captain America leads the group comprised of Iron Man, Ghost Rider, Spider-Woman, Hulk, and Invisible Woman. As the team kills mutants, Sue Storm begins to have reservations and feels sorry for the mutants.

With the Alpha issue, which comes before the actual event, Carey provides background stories for our main characters to help build a rich world. Cyclops, or Basilisk, was used a forced executioner of mutants by Arcade. The Guthries, Sam and Paige, learn their family has been slaughtered in a widespread mutant holocaust. The story focuses on how they grieve. Wolverine injects the mutant virus created by Dr. Pandemic, guest starring Dr. Rao. Magneto, or The General secludes mutants in a skyscraper and relocates it.

In uniting under the Magneto-created Fortress X, the mutants fend off humans' attacks with squadrons of mutants, known by their leader's "cadre" (Moonstar's cadre, Tempo's cadre, etc.). Rogue, or Legacy, discovers some inconsistencies within the world, but it soon chased for being a traitor and learns more each issue about their world. This is not your Age of Apocalypse; it's still in continuity with Earth 616 with heavy repercussions for characters post-Age of X.

Review

What's fun about the arc is that we get to see how characters end up with different paths taken. Storm and Namor, Iceman and Psylocke, Cyclops and Frenzy are couples. Then, there are characters who are destined to be friends, such as Jubilee and Chamber. Personalities do not really stretch too far from their originals, save for some--like Frenzy, who is an icon to all mutants; Basilisk/Cyclops, who is a tortured soul beyond repair; and bat-winged Nightmare/Pixie, who is a murderous young woman of a hearty sexual appetite. All of these characters' changes lie within them, as proven by Pixie's worry that she'll turn into Nightmare and Frenzy's attempt to be a hero just to have the glory and admiration of her fellow mutants. Rogue's role is my favorite. Though her codename in Age of X is Legacy, many call her Reaper, for the role she plays in taking memories of those who are dying, so they may live on though her. And Legacy hates the name Reaper. It makes her into a social pariah, as when she enters the battlefield, everyone knows someone is dying.

Clay Mann's redesigns for costumes are outrageously perfect and beautiful. He's given them a rough, uncivilized edge with cloth torn and tattered and men without shirts and both sexes with more armor than usual. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Some, like Jubilee, have similar looks to some costume they've worn. Some, like Cyclops and Husk, are completely different. Storm, still worshiped as a goddess in Africa, wears clothing similar to what she wore when found by Professor when recruiting for the X-Men. Dazzler's costume gives her a punk-rock look that works so much better than any costume she's had.

Age of X: Universe may not in continuity with 616, as it takes place before Age of X, like false memories; however, the two-issue mini is a good read and very bloody. Mutants that died here have either already died in the normal timeline or don't count, as their deaths precede the actual event. The same goes with Alpha. None of the Guthries, aside from Josh and Thomas, have died. The only real death we know of is Tempo, which happens during the pages of the real event, and it takes a great toll on Joanna Cargill.

Many criticize Age of X: Alpha for its flashes of memories that don't do much for the core story, but I think it gives us a better core story. It gives us the reasons why those who are in lead are in lead. The Basilisk story is haunting and heart-breaking, providing him a reason to save mutants, rather than kill them. After discovering their family is dead, Sam wants to lead the survivors to safety and head to the legendary Fortress X; Paige wants revenge on the humans, forming a terrorist group, much like that of the more contemporary IRA. Wolverine's risk for mutantkind was a great one, likened to Colossus' risk of injecting the Legacy Virus in himself. The General's story is one that's much like Magneto's own. After public arrests of mutants and clear hatred towards them, the General is a mass savior, earning his right to be leader of mutantkind's war against humanity, nearly worshiped among those who witness the building of Fortress X.

Each issue of the core story builds momentum. The first half builds the complexity and mystery, and the second half unravels it, as we follow Legacy. Danger is at a constant high; no one is safe; and everyone is stressed. The plot is well thought-out and suspenseful, and the art, especially by Mann is gorgeous, telling a story in its own right. Moira being a sort of antibody that embodies itself in the form that Legion loves most is powerful, as she creates the entire Age of X for Legion, digging into his psyche, which reveals how badly he wants to be a hero and celebrity. Pivotal roles are played by Rogue, Kitty, Magneto, Gambit, Wolverine, Moonstar, Basilisk, Psylocke, Cannonball, and Frenzy. There are heavy consequences on the characters after the Age of X is ended. I'm curious to know how long the effects of it will last. Some opted to get their minds erased. Some opted to keep the memories. This could prove disastrous in dividing between the realities.

Site of the Week 7/25/11-7/31/11

2011-07-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

Funny or Die's Drunk History is a highlight of my life. I highly suggest this wonderful series that takes drunk people telling stories of history. While they tell us the stories, established actors act out the story with guest stars of Zach Galifin...eh I'm not even gonna try with that name...Zooey Deschanel, Don Cheadle, Michael Cera, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Danny McBride, and Jack Black. Sure, I don't care for half of those actors, but it works for this. I think that these people are actually drunk. I don't think it's pretend, especially the guy who pukes his guts out in telling about Ben Franklin.

Watch episode 1, starring Michael Cera as Alexander Hamilton, after the break.

Drunk History Vol. 1 - Featuring Michael Cera from Michael Cera

Movie of the Week: Horrible Bosses

2011-07-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

Go see Horrible Bosses. You're abs will be glad they got a good work out from laughing so much. Horrible Bosses stars Charlie Day, Jason Bateman, and Jason Sudeikis as three men who have absolutely awful bosses, portrayed to be quite deserving of death and played by Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and Collin Farrell, respectively.

I laughed almost as much during Horrible Bosses as I did during Bridesmaids. Though Charlie Day often stole scenes, the other two held their own perfectly. The one thing about Charlie Day is that I think it's difficult to differentiate his characters in every movie from his character in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I'm starting to think he's really his character on Sunny. His boss tries to rape him daily and sexually harasses him, while his friends think it's ridiculous that he complains about this because it's, well, Jennifer Aniston. Perhaps the highlight of Day's performance was when he was on watch in the car, and they showed him alone in the car for minutes, and it couldn't be funnier. Just watching him be stupid in the car by himself was worth my $8.50. He's so adorable.

Bateman's character had a very dry sense of humor and very straightforward, typical of Bateman, right? But it works. And, as always, we love him. As the rational one with his life lined up where he wants it, it's hilarious when this insanity smacks him right in the face.

Sudeikis plays a ladies' man, and he couldn't do it better. His charm is incredible as he seduces every woman he passes, which always gets him in trouble. Clearly, he's not one to think with his brain but with his penis.

These characters together create a fun, always-on-your-toes atmosphere that makes for a jolly good time. Go see this (and sorry I'm behind on writing this review, what little review it is).

Site of the Week 7/18/11-7/24/11

2011-07-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

Not to dwell on the subject, but I found this week's and last week's at the same time...
Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media pleases me in so many ways. It gives well-researched studies on gender, leaned more towards girls, in the media, and the problems that can arise from depicting females in the media as objects of affection, downtrodden damsels in distress, or the bitchy girlfriends or nagging wives. Davis uses her fame (or what's left of it) to promote the subject, even going as far as presenting bills to Congress. Davis is working with the First Lady and the FCC to change the film industry as fast as possible. We need better role models for women on screen.

This Just In: Mullally Wants a Happy Ending

2011-07-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Megan Mullally, best known for her role as Karen in Will & Grace, will join the cast of Happy Endings as a female character's mom, as she told Zap2It at Comic Con. If you've seen the show (and are obsessed with it like we are), you'll figure it's Penny's mom, which Mullally figures to be as well. Mullally will fit right in. Look for more character development this year for those who aren't Dave and Alex. We'll possibly get to know if Jane has a job! The idea of season two will be less serial (which it really wasn't that serial if shown in the real order).

PS--Happy Endings is the best show you're not watching. It has taken the place of our dearly departed golden child Better Off Ted. It's got the same humor at BoT and the same character interactions as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Site of the Week 7/11-7/17: indiewire's Women and Hollywood

2011-07-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

Classify this under Feminist Feature as well. If you're like me, you follow and analyze women's roles in today's media. Women are no longer being resorted to objects of men's affections. Rather they're complex individuals and main characters. There are even female directors and writers! Imagine that, 1990s! Women in Hollywood breaks down critical reception of female-centric TV and film, provides breaking news in female-centric Hollywood, and analyzes female-centric film and television. They also provide week-by-week data analyses, providing numbers and interpretation on what movies have main female roles, female writers, and female directors each week. Check it out, feminist folks.

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings: The Harrow and the Harvest

2011-07-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

It's been too long (8 years) since Welch's last album Soul Journey. It was one eagerly anticipated for years. Since Soul Journey, Welch has been appearing on records, such as Sara Watkins' first solo album and The Decemberists' latest The King is Dead, to make them even better. But does The Harrow and the Harvest arrive on shelves with the folk perfection and soul that have tagged Welch in previous albums? It's worth your money (if not for the cover alone!), but it lacks some of the catchy tunes that marked the previous two albums.

We open with the upbeat-for-Welch "Scarlet Town," which is highly reminiscent of Welch's typical song choices: beautifully haunting tone, melody, and instrumentals. Rawling's picking is outstanding, complete with crescendos and decrescendos that give life to the song, a voice on its own, much like a harmony.

Then we move to the bluesy "Dark Turn of Mind", a song of pain and scary depression, complete with imagery of darkness and night. "Now, I see the bones in the river/I feel the wind through the pine/And I hear the shadows a-callin'/To a girl with a dark turn of mind." Is that not chilling just to read? Wait until you hear it.

Next is the first in a set of three songs "The Way It Will Be" where man is in charge of his own destiny..."The way you made it/Is the way it will be." So go the consequences of our decisions and actions. Following is its up-tempo sequel "The Way It Goes", portraying the harsh realities of life in trying to accomplish dreams. The third in this epic trilogy "The Way the Whole Thing Ends" is actually the final song on the album, and it's reflection of life's problems and reuniting with loved ones when in dire need.

"Tennessee" follows "The Way It Goes", bringing the you down from easy-going song. It's melancholic and flowing, a song of needing the comfort of home.

"Down Along the Dixie Line" is slow and dragging, but in a good way, complimenting the song's nature. The imagery is so vivid that you can put yourself in the song, experiencing the rural life she sings of so longingly and lovingly.

In the fun, harmonica-opening, hand-clapping "Six White Horses", Death comes to carry away the narrator's mother. "Whoa now, horses, easy on the wheels," the narrator cries as they come all too eagerly to take her mother away. Welch has written a fantastic old-timey gospel tune that just may be sung in churches in 50 years, much like Hank Williams' "I Saw the Light."

We are taken back to post-Depression era in the song "Hard Times", in which the character perseveres through the harshness of life, keeping a positive and determined state of mind, declaring, "Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind."

Welch took the old melody from "You Are My Sunshine" and slowed it considerably to a terrifying and haunting tune with "Silver Dagger" in a love that has gone wrong. "Seems that every castle is made of sand/The great destroyer sleeps in every man/Here comes my baby, here comes my man/With that silver dagger in his hand." Happy fairy tales don't exist in the folk world, just the Grimm versions.

Welch has the uncanny knack for transporting you back in time to any era, from a century years ago to thirty years ago, with her slight musical variations, despite only having two instruments at a time. It's amazing that she can make all the songs sound so different. There's a reason why Welch is so highly regarded in the folk world and why her voice is so sought after. If you get one folk album this year, make The Harrow and the Harvest be it (or The Decemberists' The King is Dead).

This Just In: Party Down movie in the works?

2011-06-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

According to Punchline Magazine, Rob Thomas is hoping to rekindle the Party Down magic. What's great about this is that there's not a specific filming deadline for TV airtime, so it can be worked around the cast's schedules. What can also work for this movie is that it was just getting started. People were just beginning to turn in. There were endless formulas for these characters because they interact with so many different people each episode. They don't have to interact with just each other. In other words, it's still fresh, so an added movie would only be welcome.

The Voice: Week 9

2011-06-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

Semifinals are here!

As predicted, Vicci, Nakia, Casey, and Javier have been saved.

Frenchie's "Just Like a Prayer" was odd. It was like disco, soul, and church music combined. What the hell was that? I still won't deny Frenchie's got an amazing voice with supporting control, but it's not anything unique, especially to what Nicci or Dia can do with a song.

Still not a Nakia fan...his performance did make me like him slightly more. But I don't find him to have a great voice, just a great entertaining presence.

Dia Frampton's "Losing My Religion" was amazing. She can sure make a song her own. And I love her. I will say this again: Dia will win this competition.

"I Will Always Love You," which I believe I mentioned last week, should be simple. The song should speak for itself. And Casey Weston allowed that to happen. I did feel, though, that she couldn't quite get Whitney's version out of her performance. The style was wishy-washy, but it was still very Casey Weston-y.

Beverly McClellan was stunning with her version of "The Thrill is Gone." It was beautiful. She will give Dia a run for her money. Her personality is rockin', and people love her.

Javier Colon was much better than he typically is. He didn't overdo the melody of "Fix You." But I still don't think he's strong material for being different.

Poor cute and sweet Xenia...I want her to continue so badly, but I know she won't. In singing "The Man That Can't Be Moved," Xenia displayed her unique vocals, but she wasn't strong in the performance. She's so stoic. After the judge's comments, she stood straight-faced looking at the camera, like she was having her mugshot taken.

Nicci Martinez is the only other one to chaise Dia's tail. "The Dogs Days Over" is one of my favorite songs. And Martinez rocked out. I was a little worried at first, but she pulled through, especially at the end.

The finalist predictions...
Team Blake: Dia Frampton
Team Christina: Beverly McClellan
Team Cee Lo: Nicci Martinez
Team Adam: Javier Colon

UPDATE:
And so it was as I predicted.

The Voice: Week 8

2011-06-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

Told you. Beverly and Frenchie made it through. And Dia and XENIA (Who I wanted to get through)!

Team CeeLo
Tori and Taylor Thompson
The Ts dominated with their tight harmonies, highly reminiscent of the Andrews Sisters themselves, performed "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," one of my favorite songs! They were entertaining and damn-near flawless. But there were a few hiccups along the way, in which they went out of synch and possible stumbled on the lyrics at one point. Tori, the younger one and the blonde, seems to be the less professional. I think she's the one who stumbles. But the other is there to save it.

Vicci Martinez
She made it even more rhythmic than Dolly, emphasizing certain syllables. Her version was filled with anguish, anger, and bitterness. I was a fan. I even got chills. She owned the stage. When you cover Dolly, you really have to make sure the emotion of the song comes through, unlike the horrific train wreck that is Whitney Huston.

Nakia
I'm not a fan, but I can see why people are. His voice is rough. It's more like emotional screaming. I would much prefer he be gone, but I think he'll go through.

Curtis Grimes
I find Curtis boring. He doesn't have anything special. He's got a throwback to the late 80s and 90s. And he doesn't sound any different. "Addicted to Love" could be a great country song, but he held back.

Group Song
Perfect. For all of them. Curtis was shaky at first, but the second time he sang he nailed it. And the Ts fitted perfectly in their sing-songy light-heartedness.

Team Adam
Casey Weston
Wowzas! The gal who has the voice combination of Jewel and Ashley Monroe covered KT Tunstall's song with a folksy blues and brought her A game. She fell in energy in the second half, but brought it back at the very end and then threw the guitar pick at the camera. BAM! Love her. She'll have a country career, no doubt.

Devon Barley
Poor little guy. He's so adorable, and he has potential. His tone is incredible, as proved tonight, but he can't hit power notes and can be pitchy, especially as he strained. But, as the judges said, he does have a stage presence.

Jeff Jenkins
Carson Daily apparently is a medium. I was not a fan of Jenkins. I don't find his tone pleasant. The way he sang the lines, stopping in each line at the same place created an awkward flow, or lack thereof, but he sure can belt a song.

Javier Colon
Overdoes it. He's got a great voice, but I'm over it. He clearly didn't listen to Adam because he did some crazy runs in "Angel," but it didn't sound as crazy as it did in early stages. He'll go through, though.

Group Song
Meh. Jeff and Devon brought this performance down.

Predictions
Team CeeLo: Vicci Martinez and Nakia (though I'd like the Ts)
Team Adam: Casey Weston and Javier Colon

Music to look forward to in 2011

2011-06-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already bought The Pierces' You & I, do so immediately. The Pierces have begun to take over the music scene all over the world, starting with Britain. Their vintage sound recreates the glory of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. I can't recommend them enough. They're smart, sassy, and ethereal.

Fairport Convention has also released an album Festival Bell that rings true with British Folk. They sometimes can veer off and sound more rock, but here they've produced an album that sounds more folk than possibly anything they've done. It's a beauty.

The Greencards' The Brick Album will be released June 21.

Folk Queen Gillian Welch will release an album The Harrow and the Harvest on June 28. Expect greatness in traditional sound, complete with covers of old folk tunes and self-penned genius.

Dolly Parton's new album Better Day will be out June 28.

Sinead O'Connor will release the album Home September 5, much to my eagerness.

And hopefully we'll see Malinky's album out this year. It's been a long time coming.

Feminist Feature: Warehouse of Women

2011-06-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

Warehouse 13 was surely considered female-centric in its first season, but the second season was considerably more so, and I'd say even feminist. The addition of Helena "H.G." Wells, played by Jaime Murray, as a recurring cast member was a wonderful idea. Her character is complex and mysterious. Her motives for her actions were understandable and clear in the end, and I felt so bad for her. I hope one day she'll return to the Warehouse under more trustworthy terms. H.G.'s like X-Men's Mystique: unpredictable, mysterious, sly, and dangerous but with misunderstood good intentions carried out in unfathomable and militant ways. She must have been a hit, and the SyFy network must have loved her because she will be starring in a Warehouse 13 spin-off, revolving around her life prior to being bronzed by the Warehouse agents. Steampunk goodness awaits!

Joanne Kelly plays Agent Myka Bering. Bering feels the need to prove herself in a male-dominated field. At the beginning of the first season, Bering was cold and distant, needing to turn off the emotions to prove herself capable of the job. Since then, she's lightened up and learned to love and trust without regrets. She's still a strong woman, even though she will sometimes cry. She can be sexy, though she may not feel sexy, which is what makes her so endearing.

Allison Scagliotti's Claudia Donovan was once a runaway and a lost individual, dedicated to finding her brother lost in time and space. But she fell in love with the Warehouse and its agents, displaying great loyalty and technological expertise. Though she wants to train to be a field agent, she displays a far greater command and comfort in the background. She's smart and witty and a whole heck of a lot of fun! She's easily the scene stealer and star of the show.

Leena, played by Genelle Williams, is also a highly mysterious character. She was used as a pawn to infiltrate the Warehouse, leading to distrust and contempt from Claudia. Her empathic abilities may seem a little too maternal or stereotypical, but she uses those powers in exciting ways. She is also the caretaker of the Warehouse agents' inn.

Leena and Claudia

Mrs. Frederic is highly intimidating, and you can see why everyone is afraid of her. The way CCH Pounder, as Mrs. Frederic, carries herself can make anyone weep at her feet. She's clever, resourceful, and mysterious.

The males Artie and Pete do not express excessive testosterone levels. There is no gender role in Warehouse 13. There's no stereotypical male role displayed here. There are only quality characters.

Aaron Ashmore adds some male flavor this season, which premieres July 11, and guest stars include Jeri Ryan, Kate Mulgrew, Sasha Roiz, and Alessandra Torresani. You can watch full episodes if you need to catch up before the third season starts.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy

2011-06-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

So I've told you about Mortal Kombat: Legacy before. I watched the first episode when it debuted, and it was amazing. And I totally missed out on the rest of the episodes, so I had to catch up. Let me tell you: they are gloriously realistic. There's one episode left, episode 9, and I already want another season. You can find all episodes here on youtube. Linked is the first episode for you to watch.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy displays a harsh realistic grittiness, as close as realistic as Mortal Kombat can be in its otherworldliness. If we had started the series with the Shao Kahn and Mileena and Kitana stories, it wouldn't have worked as well. Rather, we start with Earth's Sonya Blade, Jax, and Stryker leading a strike force against mastermind criminal Kano, like an extreme CIA drama. It's engages the audience and sets a tone, basing it in a reality, rather than a far-reaching fantasy. In this way, we also have a reference of Earth being lost to Kahn in the Mortal Kombat tournament.

Jeri Ryan and Sonya Blade

One of the best episodes revolves around Raiden, played by the ever-entertaining and impressive Ryan Robbins. Raiden is held imprisoned in a mental hospital, where the doctors try to wipe his brain to rid of his grandeur of being the thunder god and protector of Earth. It's tough to watch because it's so teeth clenching and sad, but it's so damn good.

Ryan Robbins as Lord Raiden

However, the Kitana and Mileena two-parter is infused with animated scenes. I understand it cut the budget, and it would be an awful lot of blood and CGI, but it detracted from the stunning visuals and darkness of their story. I think it worked, though. It was just...slightly annoying because I sooo wanted to see a live action Kitana more.

The animated Kitana

Overall, I highly suggest it and am thoroughly glad I watched it. The acting is great with many of our favorite sci-fi Canadian actors at work, and the introductory stories carry great weight to set up for the MK tournament. We understand character motivations and characters themselves.

Awesome Movie Highlight: X-Men First Class

2011-06-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

X-Men: First Class serves as a prequel, in a way, to the first three X-Men movies. And it's just as good, if not better, than X2, the best of the three originals. I think I even like it better than Thor, which was my favorite superhero movie until First Class arrived. I'm not one to compare to the comics or book because I'll end up being disappointed. Let's face it: movies are no longer original; they are adaptations of comics or novels. I like to separate the mediums. First Class succeeds in its goal of making a fantastic movie, based on the X-Men comics. It takes X-Men from many generations and incorporates them into this First Class. I give it an 8 out of 10. Do not read ahead if you don't want spoilers.

Angel Salvadore, or Angel (not be confused with Warren Worthington, the male Angel), is a nice sassy addition and well played by Zoe Kravitz. I wish, though, she'd been fleshed out more. Just so you know, they made her power much less gross in the movie: she vomits highly acidic fluid rather than spits fireballs. "You're welcome"--Matthew Vaughn

Banshee was a little annoying, but tolerable, and it was fun to see his nervousness at flying, especially after Magneto threw him off the satellite when unprepared.

Darwin was admirable, but I wish he hadn't died. It shouldn't be possible for him to die, but I suppose the most noble and heroic can't live long, right? Or else, it's not interesting. Darwin sacrificed himself for someone who turned her back on her friends. That says a lot about someone: whether it's that he's stupid or a loyal is debatable.

Beast was great, but his transformation looked not-so-great. I was hoping for better, but I'm sure it's a very difficult visual concept to make look good on screen. So my panties aren't in a bunch because of it. Fun tidbit: Beast's fur is supposed to be dark gray, but due to the limits of printing and art in comics, blue was often used for black, which goes for the original X-Men costumes as well being black and yellow, not blue and yellow, as often misconstrued. Anyway, I like how the actor played Beast. His lines were fitting, as were those around him, especially Havok's/Alex's.

Havok was fun. I don't care for him in the comics, but I did like him here, and I liked the visuals. It's much easier to show his powers using red energy, rather than white. It also makes that connection to Cyclops clearer. Havok was always less serious than his brother, a little more crude, so I think his making fun of Beast was fitting. After all, we needed a jokester role, right?

How awesome is Jennifer Lawrence? I love how she played Mystique's early years, someone just yearning to be loved and accepted for who she is. Even Xavier, who knew what she really looked like, was slightly grossed out by her true blue form. I felt so sorry for her that I understood and sympathized with her.

That's something this movie grabbed by the horns: erasing or blurring the lines of good and evil. Because let's face it: there's no such thing. It's all in point of view. Mystique may see Magneto as being heroic and good, whereas Cyclops may see Professor X as being heroic and good (although not so much in the comics anymore). Magneto was seen in a very anti-hero light, killing for revenge, a justifiable revenge. Then he simply takes the place of Shaw. He wasn't out to stop Shaw from destroying the humans; he solely wanted to kill Shaw for killing his mother and torturing him. You felt bad for him, even rooted him on. In killing. I can't believe I ever thought that; I don't support killing or war, but here I am, cheering for Magneto. MAGNETO! I think that's what's always been unique about X-Men. You can see the reason for the antagonists' attacks on humans or X-Men. Mike Carey has been doing an excellent job in writing that with the Children of the Vault. His antagonists are well-rounded and sympathetic.

Fassbender made a wonderful Magneto, serving as a fitting predecessor for Sir Ian McKellen.
You can see why people would follow him so readily. He's got the rhetoric, charisma, fuel, and poise of a leader. McAvoy played a great young Xavier, a playboy and selfish person also with great charisma, rhetoric, and poise. But he also empathizes, especially with Magneto. He knows what Magneto has gone through, which is why they're forever frenemies. The scene where Xavier taught Mags how to get in touch with the rage and serenity at the same time for maximum control over his powers almost made me cry.

The X-Men looking at their new base of operations: Charles Xavier's mansion in Westchester, NY. Caleb Landry Jones as Banshee, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Lucas Til as Havok.

What somewhat irks me about the film is that the non-white folk are reduced to death or villainy. What we're left with is a group of white X-Men, and mostly male, especially at the end. It's not too different from the real first class of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Angel, and Beast, but when the All-New All-Different X-Men splashed onto the scene, we were bombarded with races and cultures previously unseen in X-Men, let alone X-Men. Since Giant-Size X-Men, X-Men has prided itself on its diversity. I wanted that to happen for the movie, considering its symbolism of equality despite differences. I think it could've done a bit better job in developing characters' personalities, but that's tough to do without extending the film's length and without narrowing down the cast.

Overall, I loved the film. It was a well-made movie. I just wonder if they'll produce a sequel to this one or do X-Men 4 instead, showcasing the younger mutants from previous films and new ones, like Generation X, New Mutants, or New X-Men. We'd have some great visuals to work with and varied ethnic backgrounds. It would be wonderful to see something like Dust, Anole, Cannonball, Husk, Omega Sentinel, Siryn, Iceman, and Kitty Pryde as the new team, having an Operation Zero Tolerance storyline, so we can bring in Omega Sentinel, rendering the rest of the X-Men inactive due to capture.

In related news: Due to the X-Men event in the comics Schism, Uncanny X-Men, the last Marvel comic to be renumbered, will indeed be renumbered after the final issue 544, just six issues before 550! Come on! It's not a big deal; it's just for crazy anal-retentive people who don't want change, are completionists, or are proud of having all issues of something so long published. I'm excited for the change. It IS the year of the X-Men by golly! It doesn't really change the content. The X-Men are still there, but I'm curious as to what the book's focus will be and if Legacy will become the co-main book, as it once was in the 90s.

The Voice: A Reality Show I'll Watch

2011-06-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not a fan of reality shows....at all. I watched the first four American Idols and then I realized that most of them are awful and American voters for the show were tweens and teens obssessed with the people they see. It was never about talent. It was always about: can this person sell based on their look?

The Voice is entirely different. I had to catch up after the first three shows because I didn't want to watch it. I refuse to support stupidity and terrible writing. People should be on TV for being good at something worthwhile being good at. Right? So what kept me watching The Voice? The judges have great connections with the contestants and with each other. It makes for a fun watch. The judges work one on one with them, lending them their expertise. It's not just waiting until the last minute. The judges know the contestant's strengths and help build them. Blake Shelton, CeeLo Green, and Adam Levine are especially great together and are all hilarious. But then there's the mess that's Christina Aguilera.

I don't know Miss Aguilera as a person, but on the show, she comes off as condescending and mean. I think she means to have banter with the judges, but her jokes fall flat and come across as rude and obnoxious. She also seems to have chosen only people with strong voices, which I get, but she's also trying to make them just. like. her.

As of last night's episode, 7, we have our teams for each judge narrowed down to four. Last night's was Blake Shelton's and Christina Aguilera's. Not one of these artists are terrible; we're literally down to some of the best singers that can compete with anyone on the radio or on independent labels. I am upset, though, that Elenowen was kicked off (I just wanted to get that out there). So how did each fare in my eyes?

Team Blake
Xenia Martinez
Xenia was outstanding in her rendition "Price Tag," a song I've never even heard before, but I'm sure I won't like the original better than this. Her voice blended perfectly with the bubbly happiness that the song's message sends. She was happy; for once, not deathly afraid! I love listening to her voice. Blake was right about her, and I hope that America or Blake keeps her in.

Jared Blake
Jared seems to not have much original. He seems like a Southern Rockified Chris Daughtry. Not too original. For some reason, he has a stage presence. I don't care much about stage presence. It can help sometimes, but it's all about the music to me. He does a satisfactory job, but he doesn't stand out among what's popular on the radio, which might be a problem. He did very well on his cover of "Use Somebody," which I'm not fond of, and he didn't make me like it either. I'm certain America will keep him, though, I don't want them to.

Dia Frampton
Dia Frampton is AMAZING! She will be huge some day, even if she doesn't win this competition. I love the tone of her voice and her quietness. She doesn't need to be loud to be powerful. When she covered Kanye's song, I felt like she has written it herself. It's so rare to hear a cover so different from its original. Dolly Parton did it with "Stairway to Heaven" and Whitney did it with Dolly's "I Will Always Love You" (though I don't like Whitney's version...she took the simplicity of the song away making it less powerful because it was overdone). Anyway, Dia swept this round away. She'll surely move on. I think if America doesn't keep her, Blake will.

Patrick Thomas
Patrick has something that Country music is missing: soul. I respect his voice and his style. I think he's suited for Southern Gospel. He sounds just like a lot of those artists, not that it's a problem. Let's have one in Country. Why not? He has Josh Turner's tone but the flare of The Crabb Family. I'm just not a fan, especially of his rendition of "I Hope You Dance." It was nice, but it didn't do anything for me, like it did for the judges. I did not pee or cream my pants or want to tear his pants off. I was not impressed, but I guess I'm missing something. It's hard to tell if he'll be passed through. I'm going to say no.

Team Shelton sang "This Love" and did very well on it. Shelton chose a great song to showcase the vocals of his crew. I'm glad it wasn't one of his songs, but rather he chose what he thought would suit his members best. It worked. So well. The only one that didn't seem to blend in was Patrick.

Team Christina
Frenchie Davis
I think Frenchie is a fantastic singer. She's got great technique and vocally nearly perfect, but it's not too different from Aretha Franklin or Sharon Jones. But she is the most melodic and has the best presence and voice. She did a great job on "When Love Takes Over." No problems at all. I think she'll be kept in.

Beverly McClellan
Beverly kicks ass. She has power; she knows how to rock her voice. I love her, and she can own a song, but she she has a few downfalls that the judges seem to not notice. What was missing from her performance of "I'm the Only One" was the melody. Beverly needs to be more melodical in her vocals; she tends to rush through the end of a line, screaming notes around the actual melody, rather than following the melody. Her fashion is also incredible. I'm a fan. I think she'll continue. She's cute and dynamic and just...rocks.

Raquel Castro
Raquel wanted to show America she had the entire package, but it's about the voice. I think her dancing took away from her vocals. Her voice became unstable. She's pitchy. But she's young. I think with training and age, she'll be great. The potential is definitely there. But she's too nasally. I say she's out.

Lily Elise
I admire the adorable Lily. I think she sounds wonderful, but only when she sings in a normal tone. In "Big Girls Don't Cry" she tried to pull some Aguilera moves and get loud. It didn't work for her. Her squeals were a little annoying at the emotional build up. Her power vocals were okay, but not much different from any other pop artist who can belt something out. But during the verses, she was lovely. I think Lily needs to find a style and stick with it; she sounded a bit like Duffy at some points but different enough to be her own. It was a little all over the place (granted she was scared, I think). But I'm pulling for her to move on to the next round, but I doubt she will.

The team's version of Aguilera's "Lady Marmalade" was terrible, being all over the place and mostly a Christina show. Can you tell I'm not a fan of what most people consider power vocals? You have to use your voice well to have a powerful voice to me.

So who's moving on?
Dia Frampton
Jared Blake (though I soooo hope it's Xenia)
Beverly McClellan
Frenchie Davis

Feminist Feature: Esquire's Sexism

2011-06-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

Esquire Magazine recently ran a list of 75 Books Every Man Should Read. Seventy-four of those were by males, Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man is Hard to Find (of course) being the only female work. (They did state, though, that their list was "utterly biased," in their defense.) Why O'Connor and not Margaret Atwood? Don't get me wrong: Esquire is promoting reading! That's a good thing, right? But I'd rather they promote gender equality as well; this is not to say have 50/50 gender split. That in itself would be discriminating...and as retaliation Jezebel released their list for women, including three men...just as discriminating. Good job on the war front, ladies. All that should matter is that a book is stellar. The author's biological makeup should contribute nothing to the quality of writing. As fellow blogger Sally said, "I'm amazed, though, that To Kill a Mockingbird wouldn't be on there because it belongs on any Must Read List, regardless of gender." It's true.

This got us to talking about how in high school, we read no novels by women. Even in our textbooks, female authors were absent, and we only graduated in 2004. It doesn't seem like a long time, but then I think, It's been ten year since I was a freshman in high school. I don't recall seeing a single female author (not even Emily Dickinson!), despite many of their great contributions to literature. And it's a shame that all of our works read were by dead white guys because somewhere along the way, some old smart white guys in charge decided that these were the best works. Excuse while I vomit in boredom of Ernest Hemingway or find that, yes, there is much better work than anything Henry James ever wrote. Sure, I agree that many of the authors were read are high in quality, like Shakespeare (there is no better!), but I think it's high time we recognize women's lit as canonical. I want to see Atwood present in high schools. I want to see Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt, who was largely unheard of until recently.

In 2006 I presented Piatt and her work with a partner to our class in American Literature. We chose her because her poems were interesting, but it was only the second time she'd been in the Norton anthology and was not in the new edition. She was invisible. Now, I think, thanks to Dr. Paula Bennett, she's been brought to attention as a major author in the 19th century literary community. Her experiences made her even more believable and expert, having grown up in Kentucky pre-Civil War, then moving to Ohio during it. She then moved to Ireland because of her husband's job. There, she saw the troubles in the Emerald Isle and the revolutions spattering Europe. She lived in the middle of chaos, and how did she cover it up? In a genteel manner. Quite brilliant really, disguising her bitter tongue in sing-song poetry seemingly meant for children. And that's why she wasn't taken seriously. Her tongue was not specific enough, either, according to many. But she used language in the same way Shakespeare did. Piatt, in my eyes, is Woolf's alternate historical figure Judith Shakespeare, William's sister.

I tend to gravitate more towards women's literature because I find the idea that their writing has been greatly overlooked and dismissed due to their gender, and much of their content makes it fantastic and meaningful for me, but I know that some of it is not quality. But I know some of it is, and I don't see those anywhere. Fellow teachers, I plead for you to include women in your lessons, in Social Studies or English or any other field you see fit. Women have made great contributions to all societies throughout time. Abigail Adams, Elizabeth I, Grace O'Malley, Cleopatra (who goes verily underrated), Bat Zabbai, and so many others. We can help make a difference in becoming a more equal society.

Feminist Feature: Legend of the Seeker's Inspiration

2011-05-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've recently read a book called Women Warriors: A History by David E. Jones, which my students at school have chuckled at because clearly they have not even been exposed to the idea of feminism, of female warriors, or of ancient matriarchal societies. Out here, it's typical for girls to go straight to the marriage life and pop out babies and be a dutiful wife, silent and complacent and in the kitchen. Upon reading this book, I came across certain groups or individuals that reminded me of female warriors in television, books, and movies. Some instances remind me of Legend of the Seeker. In relation to the TV series and the books, these ancient warrior women are present in the development of the characters.

Here, Kahlan the Mother Confessor is killing the Sisters of the Dark, badassly.

The order of The Sisters of the Light are surely figures of historical representation in those of warrior nuns. Yes warrior nuns. They were trained in martial arts, so they would not be taken over. Religious sites were seen as the center of power, and what would be easier than taking over a site of all women? WRONG! In Greece, one order ruled the town, applying taxes to the town, and some rebelled, only to be quelled by the martial nuns. The Sisters of the Light also are in charge of their town. They, too, enforce taxes and live very handsomely due to the large amounts of gold they receive. Geneveive, warrior nun of France, led a force to drive off Attila the Hun from taking over her city in 451. The Poitiers convent became a place not of peace but of war, much like that of the coup staged by the Sisters of the Dark. Chrodielde attempted to displace Leubevre, the abbess of Cheribert, and war between the convents broke out, both with martial nuns. Leubevre called upon Frankish King Childebert to fend off the invading Chrodielde, who had taken to raising an army of a nearby town. The Sisters of the Light participated in a war once Richard came to their land and essentially tore it apart. They, too, were trained in martial arts and were religious women, devoted to the Creator, the all-powerful female deity. The god of the underworld, the Keeper, is the man who undoes what the Creator does.

The Sisters of the Light

The warriors and rulers (kandakes) of ancient Kush were women. The all-female army dressed in the trademark red leather armor and snakeskin boots and gloves. Immediately this reminded me of the Mord-Sith, clad in red leather uniforms, partly with armor. It also rightfully reminded me of the X-Men's Storm in the X-Treme X-Men arc "The Arena," where Storm quite clearly took on the role of a warrior woman, which she always was. She, too, was dressed in red leather armor.

Mord-Sith (played by Charisma Carpenter and Tabrett Bethell)

Not only did the description of the ancient Kush army remind me of the Mord-Sith, but the idea that they were Amazons, perpetuated and witnessed by many writers of the time who traveled Northern Africa. These warrior women, they noted, were likely the source of Homer's Amazons. The Mord-Sith are also strikingly like the Amazons: a female-centric group, martially trained, that only passed down their ways to women and excludes men from the community, going as far as kidnapping children from neighboring villages (just like Mord-Sith) or reproducing with POWs or men from neighboring villages.

Kahlan Amnell, Mother Confessor, in the throne of judgment

The Confessors are similar to that of the Druidesses of the ancient Celtic tribes. Druids and Druidesses were not simply priests and priestesses, though they could be. They were people of the highest order in a caste system similar to the Hindu society. Kings and Queens bowed to those of the Druid order. The same goes with the Confessors. War ceased when Druids stepped in and raised their arms. Confessors kept lands at peace, but if they took sides in right form wrong, it would surely wage war. Druids were the counselors and advisers. They were traveling judges. So are Confessors; they are the ones who decide judgment in any situation, traveling from territory to territory, assisting those in need of her judgment. Druids' education was a long and arduous journey, traveling to a place of higher learning. There, they studied in healing, arts, law, science, philosophy, and other areas of knowledge. Confessors have to go away for years to learn their craft and learn their studies. I don't think I need to go on. Confessors, I'm positive, were written as the parallel to the Druid order of ancient Celts.

PS-the Jones' book is great, but Jones writes many legends and fables as factual. Many sources are questionable. This is surprising, as Jones is a professor.

I also just finished a book called The Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis. Ellis seems to have solid arguments and even uses other Druidical scholars as references, support, and counterpoints. He's well-researched and knowledgeable about the era. He takes into account Roman bias in their writing of Druids and the common elements among all sources to create the most valid argument, and he takes us through that. He brings Druids to life. He does go a little off topic sometimes, but the off-topic information is incredibly interesting and valuable. I highly suggest it.

What to look for in 2011: film pt 3

2011-05-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

The Ledge
May 29 (limited)
Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, Christopher Gorham, Terrance Howard, and Charlie Hunnam star in this thriller revolving around religious differences of an atheist and a Christian. It comes to head when the Christian forces the atheist to rooftop to threaten both their lives: push off the one who has faith in the afterlife or not kill someone and kill himself to save a life. Needless to say this will be uncomfortable and cause decent discourse on the subject at hand.

Ironclad
July 26

In 13th century a determined group of Knights Templar (and Lady Isabel) defends Rochester Castle against the tyrannical King John. Of course we must have an awesome woman in the mix to display her ability to fight alongside men. Lady Isabel, played by Kate Mara, takes after Eowyn in LOTR. Paul Giamatti and Brian Cox also star.

All of the following films are of unknown release dates.

Dance of the Mirlitons
Comedy that stars Chloe Morentz, Jackie Earle Haley, and Kristen Bell. I know absolutely nothing about this.

Frankie Goes Boom
I've heard nothing about this other than it has Ron Perlman, Lizzy Caplan, Chris O'Dowd, and Whitney Cummings. Bound for hilarity.

Freeloaders
This will be a nerd's fantasy movie in which a bunch of people live for free in a rocker's mansion, but their living situation is about to change when the rocker decides to sell the place. What will they do about it? It stars nerd-friendly host-turned actress Olivia Munn, incredible nerd Natalie Morales (from Parks and Recreation, The Middleman, and White Collar), Jane Seymour (mmmmm), Brit Morgan (also from The Middleman), Dave Foley (Newsradio, Celebrity Poker), and Kevin Sussman (Big Bang Theory, For Your Consideration). Look out nerds! Looks like this'll be for us!

Highland Park
Parker Posey. Michelle Forbes. That's all you need. Okay, so Bo Derek and Danny Glover might bring it down in quality a notch, but we should give it a chance. Deborah Ann Woll (from True Blood) and Billy Burke also star, if you even know who they are. It IS a movie about teachers losing their jobs, so I find that interesting in itself.

30 Beats
This movie connects people by the chain of events caused by sexual encounters. LEE PACE, Justin Kirk, and Jennifer Tilly. While not an original plot, it's got Lee Pace, so I'll watch it. It'll probably suck, but I just wanted you all aware of it because Lee Pace is my mancrush.

Red Dawn
For the first time the United States of America (using this term politically for post-colonial) is invaded, and a small town is taken over by North Korean soldiers. Some manage to escape imprisonment and death and form a ragtag group of rebels. They are all mostly teens, too. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson, Josh Peck, Isabel Lucas, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Now I'm just waiting for a movie to star Kristen Bell, Kristen Wiig, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, Betty White, Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, and Tina Fey. This would make me die...of laughter and delight...and maybe a little talent-induced orgasm mixed in too.

Feminist Feature: Bridesmaids

2011-05-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

First of all, we have a Paul Feig directed comedy co-written by Kristen Wiig. How can you go wrong? Its brilliance solely because of their names. But now onto the feminist points at hand.

All-female casts are becoming more common. It's not to say they never existed before Baby Mama because they totally did (Witches of Eastwick, anyone?), but they're appealing to a broader audience now with extremely funny ladies. I've already written on Spring Breakdown and its underrated and misunderstood nature. (It might have actually been my first post.) Bridesmaids succeeded in even taking mostly unknown actresses to the general public and created a sweeping greatness that I've not seen in a comedy, well, since Baby Mama. I've never laughed so hard in my life.

Bridesmaids has been criticized by so-called feminists who had trouble adjusting to the bawdy humor in the film, think they're dumbing it down for men. Tina Fey explicitly spoke of this very conflict in her book, stating "Anytime there';s a bad female stand-up somewhere, some dickhead Interblogger will deduce that 'women aren't funny.'" Women are still fighting for their right to be comedic performers. Fey gave readers a taste of Poehler's broad sense of humor when she made a vulgar, dirty, loud, "unladylike" joke. Fallon responded "in a faux-squeamish voice, 'Stop that! It's not cute! I don't like it!"' Poehler ceased what she was doing and her face changed into one of the Bringer of Death and remarked, "I don't fucking care if you like it." Women like bawdy humor too, so when all the ladies in Bridesmaids get sick from bad food and defecate all over the place, it's less a man's joke and more of a hilarious result due to Wiig's well-meaning character Annie's bachelorette party planning.

The cast of hilarious and admirable women: Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig

There are two women making out (something I don't get as a turn on for guys, even as a guy). But it's a joke, not meant to be sexy. It was part of the story and part of the drunkenness that characterizes many pre-wedding and wedding activities. Even Melissa McCarthy's "vulgar" character Megan is attributed the bawdy jokes and delivers lines in a "manly" fashion. (This is not at all McCarthy's personality by the way.) This can be misconstrued as misogyny or anti-feminist, assigning male gender role to an overweight female, but Megan is incredibly sweet and well-meaning, just very excited about everything, and she's the most honest and giving person. She's given the most depth and becomes one of the most well-rounded characters in the film. This in itself is feminist. Give females better roles, and all of these are great roles.

A friend had stated after seeing it that she thought it could be better because she wanted good looking men to look at and that she was tired of beautiful women in comedies getting average-looking men. The second part is true. Many movies revolve around a man trying to get a really "hot chick." Often they settle for the girl next door, and usually that girl is also amazingly gorgeous. Winning! I guess that's what some people go for. I don't see every Cate Blanchett movie ever because I find her amazingly hot and need to look at her all the time. She's very regal and composed, something I admire in her. Her acting abilities also make her beautiful to me. I see every single one of her movies because I she's so diverse in her acting. She amazes me every time. Even a not-so-great movie like The Gift is saved by Blanchett's amazingness.

Wiig's Annie drinks to remedy her loneliness.

I did not have a problem with Irishman Chris O'Dowd playing opposite Wiig as her love interest, while the classically handsome Jon Hamm as her gross, douchey frak buddy, which she clearly had more invested in that relationship. The good-looking guy is a douche, and the good guy wins her heart in the end. It's great. But I also don't consider Wiig to be outstandingly gorgeous like Rose Byrne. I love me some Rose Byrne, and I'm glad to see her comedic side coming out these days. But I also kind Kristen Wiig incredibly sexy because of her sense of humor. I didn't love this movie because of the fact that it's an entire cast of hot women. I loved the movie because I wanted to see a lot of comedians act up a storm in a well-written movie, and they all just happen to be pretty and happen to be women.

Yes, I'm a straight guy and a feminist. And I find humor the most important thing in a woman. And I'm back from my long leave of absence! My apologies, followers and friends.

Celtic Corner: Bounding Main

2011-05-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

Less Celtic and more maritime, Bounding Main takes traditional Irish, Canadian, and British ballads and shanties and transforms their simple folk melodies into haunting, intricate, tight harmonious tunes. You can hear them having fun in their music and know they're loving it, even if shanty singing doesn't make you rich! They've recently released a new album Kraken Up. Awesome title, right? It kraks me up too.

We open with a classic "Dogger Bank" with Christie at the lead and the rest of the crew providing rhythm and harmony. We then move onto the group effort "Heilan' Laddie", proving the group can work as an entire group without a soloist and backup. They work seamlessly in an out of different parts with great ease and beauty. How have they not taken over the world with their voices? The catchy and high-energy "Sloop John B" will be forever in your head and make you sing along within seconds. "Day of the Clipper" reminds me of a rebel Irish song in its melody but is actually a Steve Romanoff song. The ladies have a song to themselves in "Night Watchman's Lament", and they never disappoint. (Side note: yes, there have always been ladies on the sea, pirate, captain, or otherwise...Grace O'Malley, anyone?) "Pull Down Below" is a classic Bounding Main song with Christie again at the helm. The guys (mostly) take their turn "Green Eyed Girl" with David singing solo, and it's a beautiful tune. You can actually hear the sorrow and eagerness and the beauty in the love between two people separated by the sea in the harmonies that keep in time with the waves and rocking of the boat. The group also sings and adapts "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" to make it their own, and that they do. The other highlight is in the song "Rolling Up, Rolling Down." I cannot get this song out of my head. I feel like going down a street in Chicago and having a battle with a gang, West Side Story style! I've been singing "Rolling Up, Rolling Down" to my nephew. He's eight months and growing up on Bounding Main already. He's going to be one swell guy. He might even grow up to be in the Navy! Retired Bounding Main member Maggie Harrington returns for a lovely solo on the French song "Le Capitaine de Saint-Malo", and I'm glad she did. The album closes with another classic "Strike the Bell."

Get their album on iTunes now, or even better buy the CD to get an extra song! Get both digital and the CD! You won't regret it. Once you go shanty, you never go back.

You can also like them on facebook.

Happy Beginnings

2011-05-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Endings has been airing two episodes at a time after the waning-in-laughs Cougar Town. So why should you be watching through Cougar Town or tuning in so late to watch a comedy sure to fail due to its placement so late in the new episode season? Simple. It's brilliantly hilarious. Your world will be bettered because of this show. Okay, it's a comedy about six friends in a metropolitan area--three men and three ladies--how's it any different than any other comedies, especially those like Friends or Seinfeld?

Happy Endings has more relevance to today's life. It's about six diverse people trying to make it in the dating world and the economic world. Episodes hit themes of people being tolerant but not understanding, hipsters being lame, exploring different types of relationships, and the troubles of small business owners.

We've established relationships in the first episode. Penny is like Max's stereotypical gay BFF, except she's a girl and he's the gay guy. Jane and Brad are an interracial married couple. Lastly, we open the episode with Dave and Alex's wedding, but Alex runs before they make it official. Their relationship becomes complicated, but it works, as it's not set up to have the sexual tension. If they did, though, it would be fine because we know they've already had that chemistry and it might be expected.

What's also wonderful is its ability to sift through the friend combinations. Most of the time they come in duos, sometimes trios, but they relationships are natural, unforced, and play off each others' quirks. The friends also don't screw each other in these combinations; they retain their strict friendships.

SNL alum Casey Wilson steals every scene she's in, especially in the "Jazz-Kwon-Do" and "Dave of the Dead" episodes. Catch up on hulu.

Happy Endings has been renewed for a full season with a premiere September 28, airing at 9:30/8:30 Central on Wednesdays.