Janelle Monáe: A Concept Worth Sharing

Originally, I didn't even piece together that each one of Janelle Monáe's albums was a concept album, let alone her entire discography is a concept.  So when I found this out a few months ago with the release of her new album Electric Lady.  Her albums follow an android woman Cindi Mayweather (Android 57821), who is sent back in time to free the android citizens of Metropolis from the Great Divide, a secret organization that suppresses freedom and emotion.  In the first EP Metropolis, Cyndi falls in love with a human named Anthony Greendown and is disassembled for it. 

Nine for IX - An Inspiration

Summer Olympics 1996 I was sitting in my preferred spot on our living room floor in front of my family's TV watching in awe. My heroes at the time, The Magnificent Seven (who I'll be calling the M7), had just won their gold medals. The following school year suddenly we all wanted to be gymnasts again. My friends and I had always done cartwheels at recess, but now we were inspired. These girls were our idols. I can remember wanting to be Shannon miller (that hair!) as well as wanting her poster for my wall. (I never did get one - I'm thinking b/c my mother and I had a mutual, unspoken agreement that such a poster would clash with my ballerina decor. Also, it was made very clear that we didn't poke holes in Mom's wall.)

As time went on other figures covered those walls (i.e. NSYNC) and the inspiration I got from Miller, Strug, Dawes, Moceanu and the like was replaced with, well, let's face it, hormones.

Quitting Time: A Farewell Post to The Office

Tonight marks the end of an era. The Office airs its last episode tonight. The television series, adapted from the British version in 2005, has been on the air for 9 years and has been a Nerdy Pop favorite since we started. Although the series has had its highs (Jam Wedding! Dwight Pranks!) and lows (Jam Fighting. Michael Leaving.) we'd still like to give it a proper send off. Below Auddie P and S.E. Andres discuss the TV series' impact on their lives.

S.E. Andres:

I had always been a dry humor person, and it was easy to find indie movies that I'd love.  Christopher Guest gives me my favorites.  So when The Office came along, it was an instant must.  My oldest brother told me to watch the second episode after he raved about the first and said I'd love it.  (This is exactly how I got into It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Archer, as well.)  And I did.  I couldn't get enough, despite how different the first season was.  As I found out, it was essentially the first season of the original British version with different actors that acted in the same manner and had similar looks.  But I loved it, and I loved every background character that appeared.  I wasn't as vocal about my love for it until we watched it junior year together in Auddie's apartment (before I left to go to English Theory Club, of course).  My fondness for The Office exceeded its humor.  I connected to the characters.  It was like each one was a different part of my personality: Meredith's love of alcohol, Jim's pranking, Pam's gapes, Dwight's entirety (I love bears, I grow beets, and I LOVE Battlestar Galactica), Creed's random musings, Angela's control.  I'm starting to think I am more complex than I might be.

Auddie P:

I remember the first time I watched the Office. Season 2 was airing and the episode was Take Your Daughter to Work Day. If you're familiar with this episode you should understand why, from that moment, I was not exactly hooked. I was so confused by Dwight's strange behavior, Pam's desperate attempts to get the kids to like her and Creed's unusual feet. I didn't understand the show at the time. I found no humor in its awkwardness and ended up wondering what the big fuss was about.

Fast forward a couple months to me passing time at S. E. Andres's apartment and he and his roommate pop in season one. This time I got it and I was hooked. Over the next few weeks I became obsessed, binge-watching before it was a thing. I got caught up with the show in time for the season three premiere, as did my roommates.

S.O.S. Save Our Shows!

It's that time of year again. The snow has melted, flowers are beginning to bloom and network television shows are coming to an end. For many shows it's not the true end - only the end of a season. We'll see them again in September. Sadly, the fate of other shows is still unknown.

Many of our favorites here at Nerdy Pop are on the brink of extinction. It's happened before and it's bound to happen again. Brilliant, funny and top-notch series get left behind while shows we've never seen continue to be seen by tens of millions of viewers, apparently.

Luckily, the way ratings are tabulated is beginning to evolve along with the way we all watch, taking social media into consideration. But, in the meantime, we'll still lose shows way before their time. Below are my three favorites that need saving this season.

Emily Owens M.D.

If you're one of the few of us who have even heard of this show, you might be thinking "Um, wasn't this already cancelled?" and technically you are correct. I don't think time of death has been called yet, but not being granted a back 9 by the network pretty much means you're done. I, however, love this show so much that I'm not giving up hope!

Emily Owens M.D. reminds me of the early seasons of Grey's Anatomy, except Emily, for me, is much more relatable than Meredith Grey. 

Emily (played by the fabulous Mamie Gummer) is a hospital intern who knows her stuff, but is also able to connect with patients on a personal level in ways her colleagues often aren't. Although she knows what she's doing at work, in her social life Emily's more unsure of herself.

Yes, it sounds like you've seen this show before. But, it's so well done and Emily grows up so much just in the 13 episodes of season one that it's more believable than many other series that's have tried this angle before. You root for Emily at every turn. After introducing this series to a friend she was raving about it FOR DAYS!

If you haven't watched I encourage you to do so. Maybe we can help it make a full recovery!

Community

By now you probably know how much I love this show. It's been back for a few months and is just as good as ever.

I was concerned at first. It took a few episodes for the new show runners to find their own voice without compromising the Community tone fans are used to. If you ask me, I think by now they've got it down.

So You Still Haven't Seen Community: A Not-Yet-A-Viewer's Guide

We're just two weeks away from the triumphant return of Community, NBC Thursday's little comedy that could. If you haven't been watching what is, in my opinion, one of the funniest, most creative shows on television, I'm here to help. Below is a quick cheat sheet to prepare you for the season 4 premiere on February 7th. In this guide I'll introduce you to the characters, recurring themes or bits, as well as my favorite moments and episodes. 

If you have been watching, how great is Community? I mean, let's talk about it... or maybe we should just move on to the guide.

BACKGROUND
Community focuses on the everday life and shenanigans of a small study group at the fictional community college, Greendale. The study group first formed when each member attended the same Spanish class. 

CHARACTERS

Jeff Winger
- Former lawyer is attending Greendale to earn an actual degree, unlike the degree he lied about that lost him his job
- Unofficial  and sometimes reluctant leader of the study group
- Puts a lot of time and effort into looking like it took no time or effort
- Joined the study group to persue Britta
- Hooked up with Britta, has a will they/won't they relationship with Annie


Britta Perry
- Passive activist, more active feminist
- Often annoys the group with her causes
- Psychology major, but acts as if she already has her degree
- Reluctantly hooked up with Jeff, has sexual tension with Troy
- Pronounces bagels like bah-gels

Best Songs of 2012

As mentioned in my best albums of 2012 post, it's been a wonderful year for music, and I found it so difficult to narrow down the best of 2012 songs.  I tried to not make it all Karine Polwart, so I hope you enjoy its fairness.  This is the mix that accurately represents what I feel are the best songs of 2012.  Listen to all the songs after the jump!

Chris Hardwick's New Nerdy Deal

Deadline reported that nerdy pop culture entrepreneurial god Chris Hardwick has landed a deal with BBC America in hosting a 10-episode variety talk show named after his internet empire The Nerdist.  Only 10 episodes?  How British of them!  The show will entail "celebrity guests, UK and U.S.-based correspondents, and stand-up and musical performances."  The Nerdist TV program will hit your TVs in Spring 2013 on Saturdays to round out the extremely nerdy lineup of Doctor Who, Being Human, and Orphan Black, hosted by Chris Hardwick as well.  Hardwick will produce under his production company Nerdist Industries. 

Luke Winslow-King's The Coming Tide

Luke Winslow-King has been gently rocking the New Orleans music scene with his elegant mix of blues, folk, ragtime, and old-timey.  His latest album The Coming Tide, featuring Esther Rose, has made waves across the country, enough to be signed to Chicago-based label Bloodshot Records, joining the likes of The Riptones, Bobby Bare, Jr., Bryan Adams, Neko Case, Ha Ha Tonka, Kelly Hogan, and other incredible acts.  Under the new label, he'll be re-releasing The Coming Tide with bonus tracks in March of next year.

Cincy ComiCon: A Comic Nerd's Dream Con

The Greater Cincinnati area is getting ANOTHER comic con, you guys!  That's how great Cincinnati is!  But the reality is: the new Cincy ComiCon will be vastly different.  I want you to think about your favorite aspect of a comic convention really is.  Do you want the maze of insanity that is (now) Comic Con International (CCI) or New York Comic Con (NYCC)?  

Site of the Week: My Drunk Kitchen

My Drunk (Sexy) Kitchen

Have I not told you about this before?  I thought I had, so I deeply apologize for not alarming you of uber-nerd Hannah Hart's awesomeness.  Ms. Hart provides us the best sort of entertainment: drunk cooking on her webseries My Drunk Kitchen (now in HD!).  Her witty puns and quirky personality are irresistible as she fumbles around the kitchen in an attempt to assemble something that looks like food and has been on the floor a few times.  Unfortunately, guys, Ms. Hart is not available to date.  But, ladies, she's all yours.

Lord of the Rings Drinking Game!

I find the only way to tolerate Sam and Frodo (if I don't fast forward through them) is to drink.  Now you don't have to watch LOTR alone!  It'll be enjoyable with friends!  Okay, you can still watch it alone and play this, but it probably won't be as fun, and I think people would worry about your addictions.  Click after the jump to see how to play!

TV Updates Galore!

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.

New Fall Shows: A Second Opinion

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.

Feminist Feature: Leslie Knope

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.

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

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.

Jump on the Bandwagon!

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.

Age of X: Review

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.

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings: The Harrow and the Harvest

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.

Variety Shows: Ferguson/White/Bell

I'm a fan of variety shows. I wasn't too much of a fan of Carrie Underwood's, mostly because I'm not a fan of hers but I enjoyed her guest appearances from Dolly, KChen, and Christina Applegate. Alex Borstein and Seth MacFarlane's variety show I thought was funny but also awkward at times. Obviously a weekly variety show, no matter who hosts, will not work, maybe unless it's a different host every week. But I say the next variety show special should be Betty White, Craig Ferguson, and Kristen Bell. Craig has fun rapports with his guests, but I think the most outrageously adorable and hilarious are when White and Bell are on. The senses of humor are similar and the cuteness factor of the show rises to exceed the cute-o-meter. With Betty's dirty jokes and get-rich quick schemes, Kristen Bell's singing and adorableness, and Craig's presence and Scottish insanity, this variety show will be utterly awesome. I'm thinking of the abdominal pains I'll have when the show is over from laughing so hard. Please, CBS, make this variety show happen. I would post youtube videos of the dynamic duos together, but I don't know how to do that haha. Perhaps one of my ghost of co-bloggers could do that.

Thoughts? Who would you like to see host a variety show?