Warm Glow

Parenting Porn

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:43:05 -0800

Sound the alarm! Something is happening on some of the more innocuous cable television channels! OK, let's not get too worked up, but instead be responsible and reasonable television anthropologists here.

Jon & Kate Gosselin with Mady, Cara, Colin, Joel, Aaden, Hannah, Alexis, and Leah

TLC has a hit show on their hands with Jon & Kate Plus 8 which is a reality show about a family comprised of a set of twins and a set of sextuplets (lots of fertilization science caused these multiple births). It's a pretty fascinating show. Who doesn't want to see how a house like that operates for a while plus the kids are cute (they have a 3 year old with glasses!) and Jon & Kate are just weird enough (Kate freaks out a lot and is a germaphobe, Jon is really good at rollerblading) and have enough trouble communicating that it is endlessly entertaining. Well, if 8 kids are popular why wouldn't 13 kids be a bigger hit or 17 kids be THE BIGGEST SHOW IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION? TLC has followed up the success of Jon & Kate Plus 8 with a show called Kids by the Dozen which profiles families for an hour at a time in a reality, peek into daily life, style. There is the Casons who have 14 kids and the Jeubs who have 13 and the Heppners who have 17. But wait, why stop there, TLC has just debuted a new show called 17 Kids and Counting. This show is about the Duggar's. They're from Arkansas. The Dad's name is Jim Bob and all of their 17 kids' names start with J. The mom is pregnant. So that happened.

The banner from the Jeubs website

I am really enjoying watching these shows. It's certainly a feat of management to be able to handle this many kids. It took me a while to be able to enjoy watching them cause they would really stress me out. There is something about these shows which really disturbs me though. On the surface these shows appear to be the exact opposite of something like a Paris Hilton reality show. These are salt of the earth people who are working hard to provide a good life for their multitudes of children. These people are buried in responsibility and hard work. I find that these shows are actually much closer to a Paris Hilton reality show than you would think. The continuum looks like a circle not a straight line and these opposite behaviors end up right next to each other when the straight line is bent into a circle. These people are representing a pretty irresponsible lifestyle! To bring so many children into this world is crazy and selfish! I think in each case these people mean well and are trying to raise the kids in a way that they think is prudent (a couple of the families the Jeubs and the Duggars are super deep homeschoolin' pentacostals). Why does your family get to have 17 kids? Why are you the people that get to overpopulate our world with your seed? We would be screwed if we had a nation full of Paris Hiltons just like we would be screwed if we had a nation full of Duggars. Is TLC airing this as an example or as an oddity? I'm sure they actually don't care as long as we watch. I have a hard time not watching. Family Websites: The Gosselins The Jeubs The Duggars The Heppners

Why Is It Funny?

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:28:12 -0800

Why is this so funny? -Mikey

Dear Mike, I'm delighted by your inquiry. You rightly assume that "Slow-Motion Laughing Baby" is funny, and though one can't possibly say definitively *why* it is funny (humor, it turns out, is far from universal), I can do my best to explain why it is funny to me. I welcome your response. Most obviously, the humor of the video depends on a disjunction of sound and image: in this case the baby's face paired with a deeper, adult-sounding laugh. An ostensibly more popular, but less funny, point of reference here is Stewie of The Family Guy. A baby speaking with an adult voice, or doing anything babies can't physically do (remember Dancing Baby?), is usually funny. The almost debonair, casual-sounding laughter (an interpretation of the laughter as such is reinforced by the video's "Doonesbury" caption) continually counterpoints the irrefutable image of the baby's wild babydom. This, I might add, is a kind of highbrow/lowbrow play that has its most recent origins in much of the British sketch comedy (say, Python) that inspired and sustained the "alternative comedy" movement in the United States over the past few decades. There's another layer of humor informing my laughter as I watch "Slow-Motion Laughing Baby" though, and for me that has something to do with the blobs of food on the baby's face. There is something messy, fecal, even *farty* about this video. I don't want to explain it away, but I do think there is a certain family resemblance between this video and a video like "Star Wars Trumpet Solo" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wffwg7pA0t8), in so far as its very, very simple premise is surprisingly resilient, able to generate consistent laughter in us, almost in spite of ourselves. This has something to do with the reason fart jokes are funny to us, no matter how erudite our comedic taste. There is something *farty* about "Star Wars Trumpet Solo," obviously, especially in so far as the trumpet sounds are wrong, embarrassing, emitted on stage for all to hear and see, etc. A further explanation would fall under the purview of psychoanalysis. Let's not take that road. Sincerely, Andrew V. Peterson

The Shining Stars of Raw Teenage Torture

Thu, 08 May 2008 10:15:52 -0800

MTV has a new show that airs in the lucky slot after The Hills on Monday nights. It's called The Paper and it follows the leaders of the high school newspaper at the largest high school in America, Cypress Bay High School. It's kinda the anti-Laguna Beach in theory. A group of high school kids centered around an academic focus who clearly aren't the traditional popular kids who spend 85% of their time at the beach (like the Laguna kids). The Cypress Bay Circuit's first issue of this school year in PDF The show does a pretty good job dealing with the mechanics of the paper and that is somewhat interesting. Where the show really succeeds is portraying the painful cruelties that exist in all levels of high school/teen culture. I think we tend to think that is reserved for just the "shallow" popular kids. The star of the show is Amanda Lorber, who is chosen Editor in Chief in a stiff competition in the first episode. She is a intense overachiever possible goody two-shoes. She is a real life Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon's character from Election), but the thing about Amanda that makes her such a star is she is not just a overachieving goody three shoes she is absolutely bursting with personality. Amanda is unabashedly a ham, dorky in very joyful ways, and neurotic is hilarious ways (writing self motivating post it notes, picking her outfits for the next week). Amanda is also the target of the vast majority of the cruelty of The Paper. She's a total outcast from the main social crew. They are always always always talking crap about her. It has to be because of her overachieving and they seem to simply think they are cooler than her. It's a real shame because Amanda is the real deal. She's not trying to hide who she is and she is being punished for it. She actually seems to deal with it pretty well consider. Amanda and her BFF singing The Facebook Song. I actually found them singing a different Facebook somewhere else on the internet! TWO FACEBOOK SONGS! Some more Amanda Lorber love: Four Four Videogum Here's one from her personal youtube channel where Amanda parodies youtube talking heads:

Brilliant Ideas Do Not Mean Brilliant Shows

Tue, 06 May 2008 16:31:44 -0800

Boy do I love the reality television. Love love love it. Watch a lot of it. Enjoy it. Pretend that I am able to glean important things about society and my place in it from watching it. The Hills, Survivor, Beauty and the Geek, Top Chef, LA Ink, Ax Men. All kinds. Don't get me wrong, I do have standards. I have stopped watching both Flavor of Love and A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. So, I'm always on the lookout for new delicious nuggets of my favorite kind of television fruit. Somewhere I saw the description for this somewhat new show, Curl Girls on the LOGO network. A Laguna Beach/Hills style show following 6 lesbian surfers. BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE. I mean, seriously folks, that is a truly good idea for a reality show. It has something for everyone. All lesbian cast! An interesting focus (so cal lesbian surf culture) so it's not just all about interpersonal drama. The beach! I immediately told my TiVo to tape an upcoming mini marathon of the show. When I sat down to watch this eagerly awaited beautiful artificiality reality quickly set in. This show was all idea and no execution. It seemed to be formed in a brainstorming session without any idea how to really pull it off. My main beef is really that some of the girls had like ZERO surf experience. Like they found one lesbian who could surf and asked her "do you know other surfing lesbians" and she was like "ummmm....well i know one lady who lives by the beach." It's also clear that both of the girls who had zero surf experience were clearly chosen for their drama potential. They are the 2 cast members who are focused on the most because of their cheap and easy romantic and arguing dramas. It felt cheap. Instead of focusing on the characters who actually had ability and love for surfing those characters weren't developed at all and were just used for legitimacy. The show barely kept my attention through its 6 episode run. I think the lesson to be learned is that just because The Hills is successful with its vapid drama that doesn't need to be the focus of shows with similar formats. Utilize the possible intrigue in your own good ideas (lesbian surf culture). Don't get me wrong, I won't look away if you keep pumping out middling reality shows cause I'm easy!

Tipsarevic, Giants, and Amazing Race

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:46:19 -0800

I watched the end of some fantastic television this weekend. First was the end of the epic four and a half hour tennis match between Roger Federer and Janko Tipsarevic. Tipsarevic was the unknown underdog (ranked 49th) going against the reigning Lord of Tennis and the match was an epic back and forth battle down to the wire. There is a full review on the New York Times. Next was the last few freezing minutes of the NY Giants vs. the Green Bay Packers. The game was tied 20 to 20, and the Giants were attempting a field goal in the final four seconds of the game. If they made it they'd be going to the Super Bowl. They missed. So it's overtime, where the first team to score wins. There is a coin toss, which goes to the Packers. Things are looking grim. A interception and a beautiful redeeming field goal and the Giants made it! Epic sport moment. Finally was the final episode of Amazing Race, which sucked me in as they ended their around-the-world race in Anchorage Alaska. The show is edited to build tension, which you just have to accept, but it was clear that the Ron and Christina were the early favorites. It came down to one roadblock where they had to complete an overly complicated puzzle. This was where "the hippies" (TK and Rachel) took the lead and went on to win the game. Reality Blurred makes a great point: "Alaska's a beautiful place, but the best location the producers could find for the finish line was a dirt airport covered with weeds? Seriously?" All three of these were incredibly satisfying and tense ends of things I don't normally watch. I'm sure it was just happenstance that I was able to see three good endings (imagine only seeing the last episode of Lost), but it seems especially remarkable that all three were unscripted events. The Tipsarevic/Federer match felt like watching tennis history. The Giants/Packers game was not as important to the whole of football, but was huge to Giants fans. Least important was the win by TK and Rachel, but even that reinforced the "Never Give Up" theme of The Amazing Race. It reminds me of Marshall McLuhan recommendation to decide if you want to read a whole book by just reading page 69. By watching just the ends of these events I am much more inclined to watch Federer and much more inclined to watch Tipsarevic. I will be rooting for the underdog Giants in the Super Bowl, and I'll check out next season of the Amazing Race.

The Wire

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:33:32 -0800

Kottke.org sometimes blogs about HBO's The Wire and while I haven't read all of it (still watching Season 4), I thought people who are up to date would enjoy checking it out.

Exposing 'Northern Exposure'

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:41:26 -0800

Originally posted on North When people find out I'm from Alaska, there are some expected questions that I can readily speak to -- Is it really light/dark all the time? Have you seen the northern lights? How cold does it get? -- but there's one question that has come up regularly for which I haven't had an answer: Is Alaska like the TV show "Northern Exposure?" After watching the first few episodes of season one on DVD, I'm beginning to formulate an answer. The Premise The first task was to take on the show's premise. Joel Fleischman is a Jewish doctor from New York who agrees to work in Alaska because the state will repay his school loans.

Joel: I mean do you have any idea what it costs to go through medical school? I mean, a lot! I know what you're thinking, scholarship, right? Let's face it, Jewish doctors are not exactly an endangered species. ... So, seventy five scholarship applications later, seventy four turn-downs, only one comes through. Alaska... [T]he state agreed to finance my medical education to the tune of one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars, and in return? I agreed to be their indentured slave for the next four years.

Joel has signed a contract to practice medicine in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The state does have a student loan repayment program for medical personnel, but it looks like it is currently limited to students participating in the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI) medical education program. The Alaska legislature considered a bill to establish loan repayment programs for a wider range of students, but it looks as though it died in committee.[1] The National Health Service Corps, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has a loan repayment program for medical personnel who agree to work in under-served (mostly rural) communities. They have many opportunities in Alaska, but the few in Anchorage are scored low, meaning the loan repayment is less.[2] Verdict: The show's writers appear to be ahead of their time. As of the show's air date, Alaska did not have a loan repayment program for med students outside the WWAMI program, but the state appears to be considering one. There is a federal program, which I assume existed as of the air date, so it's plausible that Joel's service in Alaska is tied to a med school loan repayment program. Where is Cicely? Now that it's been established that Joel's motive for going to Alaska is at least plausible, let's examine where he might be. Cicely, Alaska, is fictional, but through clues given throughout the show, we can try to locate where in the Last Frontier it may be located. Our first clue is that it's a "bus ride from Anchorage." This may not seem very helpful for people outside Alaska, but since most of the state is inaccessible by road, it's actually very helpful. When Joel gets off the bus, the road is paved, which is also helpful, as it eliminates pretty much everything north of Fairbanks as a possibility. Later in the first episode, we get another important clue. Maurice mentions that folks traveled from Ninilchik, "300 miles away as the crow flies." Though Maurice is a former Astronaut who is presumably accustomed to precision measurements, I'm guessing this statement is a casual estimation, so we'll give him a 25-mile margin of error on either side. If the actual distance were beyond that, I think he would have rounded to 250 or 350 miles. This helps narrow it down, but not as much as one would think. This region includes all of Highway 1 from Fairbanks to Tok, the northern half of the Richardson Highway as well as a good chunk of Highway 3 near Fairbanks. We're going to need a little more information. The fictional town is located in Arrowhead County, which would be helpful in any other state but Alaska: There are no counties in Alaska. The state is divided into regions called "boroughs," and none of them are named "Arrowhead."[3] Not to mention about half of the land is outside any of the 16 boroughs.

In the DVD menu, Cicely's welcome sign places the elevation at 6,572 feet -- or about 1.25 miles. Unfortunately, in our range of possible locations, the highest elevation accessible by road is about 1,200 meters, or about 4,000 feet. So we'll ignore this criteria. Other clues that might help pinpoint the possible location of Cicely have been scarce. I haven't watched beyond the sixth episode, though, so perhaps I'll run across some more clues. For now, I'm inclined to believe Cicely is somewhere between Tok and Delta Junction. Depending on how much credit you're willing to give the writers, this ambiguity may be intentional. If it were easy to pinpoint exactly where the town was, it would be easy to say there should/shouldn't be a mountain/river/lake/road/etc. Since we don't know exactly where the town is, it's a little easier to take those details on faith and focus on the story instead of the details. Other items Weather: In the first episode, Joel says "The median temperature [of Anchorage] is only five degrees lower than French Lick, Indiana." I'm not sure which almanac he was using, but he should consider buying a new one. The chart below shows the range between the average low and average high temperatures throughout the year for French Lick, Indiana, and Anchorage, Alaska. Even if you use the Celcius scale, Anchorage's temps are colder by more than five degrees.

Daylight: In episode two, Dr. Fleischman visits Maggie to give her some pain medication. It's 11 p.m., according to the dialogue, but the sky is pitch black. This doesn't track. If they are as far south as Tok, sunset in July is around 11 p.m. -- if they are closer to Delta Junction, sunset in July is 20-30 minutes later -- according to this sunrise/sunset calculator. (Note: We don't for sure that it's July, but we do know that it's summer. The days are a bit shorter in August, but longer in June, so I picked the middle.)

On the more accurate side, Joel is seen drinking an Alaskan Amber in the bar. Though most self-respecting bars would have it on draft, it's nice to see a local product included in the program. Conclusion Despite some inaccuracies and ambiguities, the overall feel of the show is right on. Northern Exposure is one of the best representations of Alaska life available in a fictional TV show or movie (that I've seen). We'll see if there are any changes as I watch more episodes.

[1] This summary of SB 32 says the bill would "establish a loan reimbursement program for registered nurses and doctors who are trained outside the WWAMI program." I take that to mean there is currently no state-sponsored reimbursement program for students outside the WWAMI program. Status of SB 32. [2] Thanks, Fiona, for the NHSC links. [3] This is a common factual error in movies and TV shows set in Alaska.

Turn On TV Week

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:22:55 -0800

I was watching the Colbert Report last night and he mentioned that it was TV Turnoff Week and everyone watching was a hypocrite. I've been aware of TV Turnoff Week in the past, but I always thought it was some Adbusters campaign. Turns out it's the Center for SCREEN-TIME Awareness, a Washington D.C. non-profit led by Robert Kesten. Robert Kesten says, "Excessive use of screens has led, in the West, to obesity, illiteracy, antisocial behaviors and violence." And yet, we is also a documentary filmmaker and the president and founder of The Director's View Film Festival. To be fair, TV Turnoff Week is directed towards kids. But they have expanded the "TV" to include computer screens, and it seems like in this age of DVR and the time-shifted viewing we are no longer the captives to television that we were back in 1995 when this crazy idea started. And this idea is crazy! Kesten says, "Doctors recommend no more than 1-2 hours of overall screen-time per day... we think everyone can live with that." (Remember he is including computers as screens!) Robert Kesten needs to specify that this is about the kids. The website says that TV Turnoff Week is for "Children and adults." Limiting screen time for kids, sure, who is going to argue with that? But for adults... Sorry Kesten, I work on the computer and I have a filmfest to attend this weekend and Heroes is back on and LOST is really good and I have some great NetFlix waiting for me and I still need to play Super Paper Mario. I don't consider these things a waste of my time or antisocial. The warm glow of the screen is a creative inspiration and canvas. I think rather than demonizing TV we need to teach kids how to use it better. Screw TV Turnoff Week, what we need is national "Create TV Week".

The New Political Reality

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:45:01 -0800

Rarely do so many of my interests combine into a single piercing point of light like the laser that is the just announced MySpace/Mark Burnett political reality show concept for Independent. The catch is brilliant: While there is a $1 million cash prize, the winner can't keep the money. The prize has to be used to fund a legitimate run for the White House or be given to a PAC or political cause. Contestants in the show interact with the public via MySpace.

While there is no TV Network partner yet, being that MySpace is owned by FOX I'm not sure that isn't much of an issue. Television, reality show, politics, Mark Burnett, social networks... I'm very excited about this show, and I can think of only one man who needs to enter:

Rich Rodgers

Remember Rich Rodgers? He is the man who said, "I challenge Kyle Chisek to a cage match. We can decide who the strong mayor should be." I think now is the time for Rich Rodgers to stand tall and show America what he is made of. I am urging Rich Rodgers to enter this competition and jump start his political career! (Note: Rich Rodgers now has a mustache, and looks somewhat like the man in this photo.)

When asked about his potential application, Rich Rodgers responded, "Would I challenge all 25 Democrat & Republican 2008 Presidential Candidates to a Winner-takes-the-Presidency $49.95 Pay-Per-View Battle Royale? Yes. My Prediction? Pain."

Clearly this is a man who understands not just the intricacies of the political arena, but also the ever-fickle terrain of the modern media landscape. How is it that Rich Rodgers is the name on the tip of everyone's tongue? As you might expect, Rich Rodgers has the answer, "The groundswell of support is awesome. Sure, I'm pretty pumped, but I'm not surprised. Violence and sex sell, which pretty much explains my appeal. I think it has something to do with a reaction against what Max Weber termed the 'iron cage', wherein we are culturally constrained by various manifestations of innerweltliche asceticism, yet physically and emotionally yearn for satisfaction of our impulses and our will to power. In a nutshell, America has an appetite for destruction, and I'm the man to satisfy that appetite."

The mysteries that swirl around Rich Rodgers are fading, and he credits his family for teaching him the values of being a superstar. "I was raised by my parents to always put my fans first. My pop always told me, 'When you see a million faces, rock them all. Don't live a life of regret like me'. You see, when he was my age, he only rocked a little more than half of them. Opportunity doesn't always knock twice. It's painful when he gets that far off look in his eye."

Grounded in family values, politically sharp, and a media darling, it doesn't seem like there is much that could stop Rich Rodgers from attaining victory. "The timing is good. I just turned 35, yet I still have all my teeth. I remember some of what I learned in college, but not so much that I'll get bogged down considering different sides of a complex issue. I run fast, and at 250 lbs, I'm heavier than ever, and force equals mass times acceleration," he said. "Ultimately, though, I need to have a conversation with my family. Which is tough, because I can't understand a word my four month old daughter says."

TV Doesn't Suck

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 19:36:52 -0800

At UrbanHonking we are fond of saying, "Television is dead." By that we mean "the system of television", not the content itself. With iTunes, TiVo, bittorrent, DVDs, and tv-links.co.uk the idea of sitting down to see what is on is an antiquated way to . But TV? TV has risen like a phoenix from the laugh-track ashes of "Must See TV!"

And so we revive Warm Glow, the blog about about TV, because TV is more important and interesting than it has been in a very long time. We start with a round-table wrap-up of some of the shows that UrHo is watching.

30 Rock

Curt: This is one of the funniest shows on TV.

Steve: Everyone knows what this show is, right? Tina Fey (former head writer/weekend update host on SNL, writer and star of Mean Girls) has a sitcom now on NBC about the backstage life at a sketch comedy show. I watched an episode or two and enjoyed it but wasn't fully hooked. This show unfolds and gets better and better with each episode. It is very possibly the smartest show on TV and sometimes DUMB TOO! The greatest combo ever. Everyone has probably heard that Alec Baldwin is great on this show, which is 100% true, but I am equally pumped up by and excited every week to see Tracy Morgan. What a star. He's such a weird awkward actor in a way that is mind breakingly funny to me. Tina Fey is a genius and actually a talented actor. I love her. I leave you with 2 words: Dr. Spaceman.

ANTM

Liz: Half of me loves this show for the show itself, and half of me loves it for the brilliant recaps FourFour does. I fully expected to be disappointed this year, because how could the show get any better? But then they pull out some fantastic shit like Russian mail order brides and trotting girls out on Salvation Army runways and I fall in love all over again.

Best Week Ever

Steve: Avoid the gossip blogs, and just watch this show instead. It recaps pop culture for the week with talking head comedians saying funny stuff. As a description it sounds pretty dumb to me, but IT'S ACTUALLY VERY FUNNY. Some really good comedians, this show has been somewhat of a launching pad for talented folks in the last year or so (Rachael Harris has gone on to be in For Your Consideration and the brand new TV Show Notes from the Underbelly. Aziz Ansari, Rob Heubel, and Paul Shceer all now are in the new MTV sketch comedy show Human Giant). I really love Mr. Show alumni Paul F. Tompkins and Doug Benson (who has a pretty funny podcast called I Love Movies). It's a really great way to catch up with all the TV you missed, memes that slipped by you, and gossip not worth reading but maybe worth hearing jokes about.

The Dog Whisperer

Steve: Cesar Milan is powerful. Cesar Milan saves (dog) lives. Cesar Milan is The Dog Whisperer. This show is the most uplifting on television. It's totes feel good, and nothing is better to put on when you are just feeling sorta blah. Cesar is an incredibly kind dude who rehabilitates problem dogs. He makes the dogs and the owners happy with a striking power he has over these animals that is awe inspiring. So much good talk of energy, also the strength of a pack.

Friday Night Lights

Curt: I admit to having preconceived notions about how I would not like this show because it's about high school and football -- two things I don't much care for. However, it's less about those two things than characters and relationships in general.

Heroes

Liz: Great characters with great pacing, what's NOT to love? I am constantly comparing it to Lost because while I like the shows for a lot of the same reasons, so far Heroes is doing a much better job of answering mysterious questions and keeping the plot moving right along. This is the best possible show to start the week with. I credit it entirely for making me look forward to the end of the weekend.

Curt: This series premier didn't grab me like I was hoping, but it certainly has grown on me. I consistently look forward to it every week -- well, not any more since it's on a break until April. I'm really drawn to the characters of Hiro/Ando and the Petrelli brothers. I like the dichotomy of how both pairs have someone who is impulsive and almost blindly devoted to their "path" and another who is more cautious and pragmatic. I think everyone struggles with maintaining a balance between those two characteristics.

High Stakes Poker

Josh: Through the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour, poker fans have gotten to know the best and the most entertaining players in the poker world, but they're usually mixed in with plenty of random scrubs. High Stakes Poker gets these players together at one table, and has them play for huge amounts of cash money. It's not a tournament, where the chip values are basically meaningless. It's a cash game, one in which fifty or a hundred thousand dollars is a perfectly reasonable bet. It's occasionally intense, but also frequently easy-going and jovial. The commentary stays out of the way whenever possible, allowing the players' banter to carry the show.

The Hills

Steve: A true guilty pleasure. This is a spin-off of Laguna Beach. It's a reality show focused on people in their early 20s in Los Angeles, trying to figure out their lives, love and business. The first season on The Hills was pretty okay, but not special. The just completed second season was FANTASTIC. RICH BEAUTIFUL YOUNG PEOPLE TV DRAMA the way it is supposed to be. There was a villain like never before seen in Spencer Pratt, the boyfriend of one of the stars Heidi, who was creepy in every possible way. He was creepy to look at with weird very fake looking veneers on his teeth (although, I think he is the son of The Dentist to the Stars, so he might just have supernatural oral health). He is always scheming in an evil evil way. He is manipulative of everyone around him, and maybe the fakest seeming human ever. This season was the epic tale of Lauren trying to let her best friend Heidi know that she was dating a total creep, and Heidi pulling away from her friend for the love of a weird creep. Plus some other really amazing things like Lauren's lovable co-worker Whitney falling on a live national TV show the first time she models. GREAT TRASH!

Lost

Liz: In spite of my aforementioned irritation at the show for dragging its feet and getting lazy with all the plot points they spent so much time setting up in the first seasons, I am still a Lost loyalist. For now. I've invested so much time and energy into the show already, I have to stick around for the payoff! But if Lost fails me the way Alias failed me, so help me, Abrams is OFF the Christmas card list.

Curt: The third season hasn't been living up to the bar set by the first two. The pace has slowed, but the characters are still interesting and there are many questions I still want answered, so I keep watching. I don't follow all the crazy theories happening online, so I've just barely scratched the surface of what is going on with the show, but the hour of suspense punctuated by humorous moments keeps me coming back week after week.

My Name is Earl

Liz: Again, this never ceases to be funny for me. It's the perfect mix of in-your-face humor and intelligence, with just the right touch of earnestness. One of the smartest comedies out there.

The NBA on TNT

Josh: Two words: Charles Barkley. Charles tells it like it is! He is unafraid to say whatever pops into his head, and he stands by it, too. He doesn't treat NBA stars like gods in the least -- if he thinks someone is playing like crap, he says so, in so many words. Barkley usually operates from the studio, but one night he was called in to do game commentary when the regular guy was sick. That night, he was ripping on the oldest referee in the league, saying he was the guy who brought down Moses' stone tablets, and the like. Charles ended up challenging the ref to a footrace, which was accepted, and which played out on national TV during the All-Star Weekend. (Barkley carried his considerable girth to a narrow victory.)

The Office (US)

Liz: Love. I love it all. I love that Michael's character is so flawed and terrible, but then there's this added layer of humanity when he does stuff like show up to Pam's art show. The beauty of this show is in the details and the subtlety of the actors' facial expressions and their sad quirks that make them endearing. Plus, it's just funny as shit.

Josh: This show was lucky to make it past its first season, when they were running off the BBC series' scripts. But it's great fun now, and the only currently airing comedy that I watch.

Skins

Steve: As I watched the credits roll on the final episode of the first season of this new British teen drama I was already contemplating its place among the all time great seasons of television. It's such a special show that could probably never air in the US due to its language and subject matter (drugs, sex) other than on HBO or Showtime, but then again it would probably fit in with the high quality shows on those premium channels (Six Feet Under, etc.). The show is really amazing mix of Larry Clark-esque frankness but a with a lighter tone and a sharp sense of humor. It's an ensemble cast of diverse teens who are played by a really solid group of young actors (including the kid from About a Boy, who is now a hunk). This show brings some characters to television that have never been shown before like the amazing Cassie who battles eating disorders and is totally magical in her lost in the clouds vibe also Chris who is abandoned by his parents, addicted to male enhancement pills and somehow woos his psychology teacher and remains lovable while being as stupid as an 17 year old can be. Plus, the show branded itself in promos and some scenes with some music by Portland's The Gossip!

Survivor

Josh: Survivor's structure is pretty formulaic. Even the show's surprises (ooh, the tribes are merging!) are predictable. But the personalities are not, and Survivor's structure (not to mention terrific casting) allows for endless variety in the characters' behavior. I guess that is why it still on after 14 seasons.

The Wire

Josh: This is pure escapism, I guess. I don't think it's necessarily the best show ever, which seems to be the critical buzz. But I like how much it's rooted in Baltimore, a city I never previously thought of at all, and certainly wouldn't have had a sense of what's uniquely Baltimore about it. The Wire's big innovation must be the way they follow characters wherever they end up, instead of anchoring the show firmly in a particular setting.

Some Other Shows

Steve's other shows that he liked and thought about writing about:
Big Love, The Girls Next Door, Adventures in Hollyhood, Human Giant, This American Life, Great Hotels/Passport to Europe, the Bravo Reality shows Project Runway/Top Chef/Top Design/Shear Genius/Work Out, Entourage, The Amazing Race.

HD HD WC TV*

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 00:08:34 -0800

While HD channel searching last night I came across something that made me shout out loud in excitement--"We have ESPN2-HD!! Months ago I had contemplated spending hundreds of dollars to outfit the Hott Denn with DirecTV so we could watch every World Cup game in HD (Comcast was only carrying ESPN-HD and ABC-HD). Now I had received my wish for full High Definition coverage of my favorite television event, and I am actually impressed with Comcast for following through with this demand from my fellow football fans out there. * Hott Denn High Def World Cup Television

Why A Bigger TV Really Is Better

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 00:18:12 -0800

Exhibit A: Bloomberg Channel Exhibit B: Bloomberg Channel on 1/4 of the screen while planning out new things to record is still legible!

David Blaine: Drowned Alive liveblog

Mon, 08 May 2006 16:44:20 -0800

7:30 p.m. In approximately 30 minutes magician David Blaine's special "Drowned Alive" will begin. For those not familiar with his latest stunt, you might want to read up. 7:39 p.m. Entertainment Tonight is on... Other Blaine resources: AP story before stunt; Blaine's official web site and blog; 2003 interview; Wikipedia page 7:57 p.m. Finally the ET credits are rolling. The action begins after this commercial break! 8:00 It's starting!! 8:01 Doctor: lack of oxygen can ruin your brain. Props from Evel Knievel. Warp up from host with sweeping crane shots of sphere. Blaine narration: How long can we really survive without air? Video of baby in the water. Blaine reveals he was the kid who tried to stay underwater longer than his friends. Stunt inspired by Houdini. 8:03 Montage of people visiting David's aquarium, including Chris Rock, Run, Courtney Cox. 8:05 Blaine: everything I've been doing for the last two years comes down to this point right now. 8:06 First commercial break. Wow... this is going to be a two-hour special. Fortunately it's going to include clips of him doing street magic, which I find more interesting than his endurance stunts, anyway. 8:09 And we're back.. ESPN's Stuart Scott is the host. Water is .9% salt to reduce risks of medical complications. Medical tent is nearby. 127 experts monitoring Blaine's conditions throughout week. Dr. Murat Gunel, of Yale, says blaine as lost 20 percent of body fluid. He has suffered from liver failure abnormal liver function. Gunel on record advising against stunt. Risk of stroke. 8:11 Review of Blaine's stunts. Buried alive at age 26. Emotional moment coming out of coffin.. "that's when I realized this is what i want to do with my life forever." Frozen in ice stunt... "I was certain that I was dead." Vertigo... 35 hours on a pole. Blaine: I like to see people wonder. Above the below... in a box over river Thames. Overwhelming to see such a turnout when stunt was ending. "this one almost did me in." 8:16 Stuart Scott: Start holding your breath and we'll tell you long you made it during the commercial break... (holding breath) 8:17 I made it to the Wendy's commercial. Aside: His delivery is very deadpan. He'd make a terrible history professor: His students would all fall asleep. 8:21 And we're back. Scott: Just under four minutes since commercial break started. Someone's beside the sphere coaching Blaine on breathing technique. "In from the diaphragm... nice slow exhalation... relax from the toes..." Guy has coached world champion freedivers. Diver: Blaine does not have ideal body type. Muscle mass means more oxygen needed. Nutrition and sleep will make it harder. Flashback: Blaine has to lose 40 pounds before stunt... exercise montage. Six pack becoming more defined. Breathing exercises: Breathe for a minute, hold for five minutes. cycle includes only 12 minutes of breathing for an hour. Yay!! Street magic time! Guy pics a card. His phone rings... he opens his phone, it says 9 of diamonds is the caller. "that's really creepy" 8:27 Back to Lincoln Center... David's personal trainer: David needed to reprogram diet, exercise -- end result "A good looking body with a sick engine inside." Not sure if that's "sick" as in "that 720 mute grab was so sick!" or "he's sick in the head for trying this stunt." Commercial. 8:32 Spectator has created a snowglobe of Blaine in his "snowglobe" Champion Diver: explains "packing" breaths. Blaine does magic at a max. security prison with over 5,000 inmates. "I came here to see how some people live with the extremes of confinement." Inmate thinks of card... picks queen out of deck. "that's not my card" david: look at what the queen is holding... inmate turns away in disbelief. Blaine bends bars on prison door. "Ain't nobody can bend them bars," says inmate. (I wonder who's going to pay to have those fixed.) Inmate: "David Blaine is real." Blaine is in vegas... banned from gambling all over town. Grabs two hot women and brings them to roulette table. They pick a five-set pattern: black black red black red... start with David's $200, "Happy Birthday" to brunette, who walks away with the $3200. Stuart Scott: Gambling with chips is one thing, but now Blaine is "gambling with his life." Commercial break. After break Blaine will speak from within the aqua-bubble. 8:44 Blaine's personal physician: been with David for all stunts... Is very concerned. Emergency plan: Divers will jump in if David Blaine blacks out. Blaine interviews Aaron Rolston who cut his arm off after being trapped in a canyon. Interview takes place in snowy rocky mountains... Blaine wearing black t-shirt while snow falls. Blaine to Rolston, "To me, you're an incredible magic man." Blaine meets Kneivel, calls him "Greatest daredevil of 20th century." Knievel to Blaine: "Your're a daredevil." Blaine attempts breath hold in front of Knievel lying on couch. Blaine's mouth changes color, he's shaking by the time the 5 minutes is up. Back to LC... Stuart Scott: We can hold our breath longer in water. Checking in with doctors: Liver function is still abnormal (not failure as mentioned earlier). 8:56 Blaine narration: "When you're mind starts to go, it's the scariest thing in the world." eyes open, but having nightmares... "Somethings not right in your brain... truly the most horrific experience." Scott: It's almost go time. Blaine has been in sphere for 176 hours. Flashback to training (Scott: "Don't try any of this at home.")... Blaine; "I wanted to put myself in the most extreme situation... along with 27 sharks." Clips of blaine swimming with sharks in what looks like the Tennessee aquarium. Tricks time: Blaine biting through, eating glass in a casino. Glass has piece missing, blaine shows empty mouth. Asks bystander girl to open mouth, pulls her teeth out!! Then puts them in is mouth and "spits" them back into her her mouth. "This dude is unbelievable... This guy is the real deal." Walks up to kids with his shoes untied... flicks his foot around until shoes are tied. They're New Balance(!!). Then he teaches kids the trick. A couple of them get it. It involves a kick, flick, snap and turn, but I'm obeying Stuart Scott and not trying this at home. Back to LC: Blaine comes to surface, pokes his head out of water... Returns to sphere... time to put on the chains. Blaine has been underwater continuously longer than anyone ever. NYPD officer enters sphere to wrap Blaine in chains and handcuffs. Cuffs will be in 8 different points. Doctors worried chains will strip skin of his hands, hense the gloves. Commercial. 50 minutes to go. 9:11 Scott: David wants everyone to know he appreciates all the support from crowd. Current world record for holding breath is 8:58. Flashback: Blaine training with Navy SEALs. specialize in pain and disorientation, "my two greatest challenges for this event." D.I.: "Let's go magic man! Just snap your fingers and you'll be there!" "Pain is nothing but a cancer, cut it out of your mind." Blaine sits in ocean with "swim buddy" (a piece of driftwood) and sings, "I seen fire and I seen rain..." Back to L.C... Scott: Blaine having trouble standing up under weight of chains. Doctor: water could cause skin damage and nerve damage... may lose dexterity. Diver: Blaine "eats" sports drinks, water. Commercial. 40 minutes to go. 9:21 Commercial for Lost... looking forward to this week's episode. Can you believe what happened last week? (please avoid posting spoilers in the comments.) 9:22 Back at L.C.: "Developing story." Weight of chains have created havoc. Blaine now pulling himself downward to the bottom with the chains. Will take more energy because he's using his muscles. Scott: "Again, this not something you should ever try at home." Freediving segment: Freediver goes down to 500 feet, balloon on sled fails to inflate. Woman dies after 8 minutes underwater. Flashback: Blaine explains stunt: "I will put every part of my body to sleep... Then I go through the alphabet naming friends and family members for each letter." By the time he gets to F, he will be 3 minutes in. "Minute 6, my body becomes a warzone." "The urge to breathe can only be described in the context of torture." "in my dreams I can live underwater forever." Back to L.C... Scott: Moments way from breath hold. Commercial. 9:34 Back... Buffet of emergency medications ready nearby. Ambulance on standby. Doctor: Airbubbles will indicate Blaine losing concsiousness. Commercial (already?). 9:39 One of the big stories on the local 11 o'clock news is a coyote capture. 9:40 Back... count is almost ready to begin... trainer is coaching final relaxed breaths. "nice and relaxed... Close your eyes and focus." 9:42 Clock begins! 9:43 30 seconds in... he hasn't started working on the chains yet. Stuart Scott calls for quiet from the crowd. 9:44 1:45 in. Still hasn't started on chains. Trainer: "nice and easy... You can pull this off." 9:45 Choiral music is playing in the background. 3 minutes. 9:46 4 minutes. David Blaine slowly begins moving. 9:47 5 minutes. He's moving.. wait.. I think he has a key for the handcuffs!! 9:50 7 minutes... handcuffs are free, working on ankles. He's freaking out it. Divers are in!! 9:50 Divers let him out... his lips were the darkest shade of purple I've ever seen. 9:52 Staff gives him oxygen. Blaine waves to crowd. Helpers pull him out of tank so he can sit up. 9:53 Crowd chanting "David" as he his wrapped in towels. 9:54 Blaine's first words: "I am humbled so much by the support of everybody from New York City and from all over the world (crowd cheers). This was a very difficult week, but you all made it fly by with your strong spirit, your energy... I thank you all and I love you all." Official time: 7:08. 9:56 Blaine climbs down ladder with just a little bit of help, reaches ground. Standing under his own power. Scott compares him to astronauts returning from orbit (I'm not sure that's an entirely accurate comparison). 9:59 The gloves are off. Blaine says his hands are numb... credits are rolling. His hands are white and VERY wrinkly. And fade out.

Camera 1, Camera 2

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 09:32:28 -0800

Josh and I were watching the Democratic gubernatorial debate on KGW and we thought there was some sort of conspiracy going on. Incumbent Gov. Ted Kulongoski was looking like a pro, but challenger Jim Hill looked like someone poured acid on his face and attacked him with a rake. KGW was clearly giving Kulongoski a better camera! Then, as we kept watching, we noticed they alternated from the good camera to the bad camera. So Kulongoski and Pete Sorenson had their fair share of time in the "corpse cam". Unfortunately I only thought to snap a picture during the closing remarks, so here is Kulongoski in the "corpse cam" (click for larger image on Flickr):

I've Got a Map in My Leg and I Can't Get Up

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 10:00:33 -0800

We were all on top of Locke's dad being the "Real Sawyer," aka the guy who screwed over Sawyer's family and started him on a life of scamming. I'd noticed Nadia listed in the credits earlier, but completely missed that--duh--she was who Locke was inspecting the house for. Y'know, when the big Oceanic planes were flying overhead? Anyway, turns out all anyone wants to talk about is the mysterious and detailed map that appeared on the interior of the hatch. Anyone else feel like they're plaing Quest for Glory or something when they watch Lost? Anyone? Zoom in on the map here. Some translations of the Latin on the map (says someone. Look at me, I believe everything everyone tells me!): Malum consilium quod mutari non potest: "It is a bad plan which cannot be changed." Aegrescit medendo: "the disease worsens with the treatment." Sursum Corda: "Lift up your hearts." credo nos, in fluctu eodem esse (roughly):"I think we're on the same wavelength" or, more literally, "I believe we are in the same wave/sea." un sit magna, tamen certe lenta ira deorum es: "The wrath of the gods may be great, but it certainly is slow." Cogito ergo doleo: "I think therefore I suffer." There's also all kinds of veiled (oh, LOST, are there any other kind!) hints at things like "activity minimal during lockdown and restocking procedures." We're thinking this could be why the hatch went all haywire at the same time (?) the food drop appeared. And, "Known final resting place of Magnus Hanso. Black Rock." There's all kinds of "incidents" everywhere, too. What to make of all this? As always, the show satisfies us by tossing us a couple bones and then avalanching us with a slew of more questions. I still don't trust Henry Gale from Kans--er Minnesota. I was waiting for his eyes to go all shifty when the lockdown procedure started and the clock was ticking down and Locke wasn't looking at him. That would have been a perfect shifty-eye moment. But: nada. I suppose it's possible he could be someone other than an Other, but it the point is he's totally sketchy. Even if he controlled his shifty-eyes. Upcoming episodes! Libby's a brunette! Hurley has imaginary friends! A Rose and Bernard flashback! Everyone gets double rations of Dharma mac and cheese!