tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74543218255953092532024-03-12T22:34:50.592-04:00Pink Diamond MediaA blog about all things media: television, film, and journalism.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-66542048270387224772014-01-23T19:58:00.000-05:002014-01-23T19:58:22.465-05:00Why All the Bieber-Hating?Justin Bieber got arrested early today. We all know. E! News had his smiling mugshot plastered all across their set. He's been trending on Twitter and Facebook all day.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsPvY7gWUeaY1EXA_7fQdDttqKH3VVFTKwrl4qReDzgMSsaxxlNDG_QcQ_Ncxhgm1H0dGSTa45v0rK1lGhFsUSYKoR9aRxzjBpKVyF_r_RYGjXe3mB0Tzdhmt_QXySNJQBUbGV0LRBv4/s1600/justin_bieber_mugshot_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsPvY7gWUeaY1EXA_7fQdDttqKH3VVFTKwrl4qReDzgMSsaxxlNDG_QcQ_Ncxhgm1H0dGSTa45v0rK1lGhFsUSYKoR9aRxzjBpKVyF_r_RYGjXe3mB0Tzdhmt_QXySNJQBUbGV0LRBv4/s1600/justin_bieber_mugshot_0.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><br />
And yes, it's fascinating and sad and not surprising. <br />
<br />
What's actually concerning is the amount of senseless bullying going around social media.<br />
<br />
Putting him up for a ProActive commerical, comparing him to Miley Cyrus without make-up<br />
, and the countless memes of the Biebs on the receiving end of... well... prison life...<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
Is it really schadenfreude? We love seeing these perfect people crumble?<br />
<br />
Look, I'm not a fan of the kid. His songs are average. But I've been a young tween in love with pop stars before (BSB for life, yo) so I can respect that. I don't know if he's really talented. Not really my thing. And over the past year or so, he's been getting into scraps, exhibiting poor behavior, and clearly trying to break from his younger public image. <br />
<br />
Not to get all "Leave Britney Alone," but honestly, he's a 19-year-old egotistical brat and he's acting as such. A lot of 19 year old boys have the same complex, we just don't hear about them because they aren't a public personality. I'm not defending him. He screwed up. Drag racing in a residential neighborhood while stoned? Not cool, dude. Definitely not an ideal role model, but neither are the people posting and reposting those humiliating images. What if that were your son? I know, I know, your kid would never be caught dead doing something that stupid. The fact is, lots of kids screw up. They get in trouble. It's part of being a kid, no matter how involved your parents are or aren't.<br />
<br />
Instead of defacing this kid, maybe we should remind his young fans that what he did was wrong and he's lucky nobody got hurt. Celebrities are not role models. Parents are. Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-18148316699642752492013-09-23T13:52:00.000-04:002013-09-23T13:52:04.481-04:00The Disjointed Emmys 2013 Broadcast<br />
This year's Emmy broadcast was, across the board, disjointed. There was no rhyme or reason to absolutely anything. For every down moment (death tributes), there was an up (Bob Newhart). For every predictable win (Candelabra), there was a surprise (Meritt Weaver - I gotta go.) It was kind of jarring. <br />
<br />
The biggest problem with last night's show, without question, was the focus on sadness. While beautiful, the special tributes to various industry members who've passed on brought the show down in a big way. And the worst part was they didn't have to. Edie Falco's tribute was especially moving. But honestly, why were there no clips? It felt as though they kept setting up for snippets of Mork & Mindy and Family Ties, but no. If I were Jean Stapleton, I'd be like, "If you think I'm so great, show my stuff!!" I would have loved to see some genius Edith Bunker moments.<br />
<br />
Then there's the whole controversy over who was left out of the "special tribute" moments - Jack Klugman and Larry Hagman particularly. These guys were TV legends with Emmy wins in their past, yet no mentions, no clips, just a photo in a RIP reel. <br />
<br />
Television in particular is at a time where it's history is so rich. Why not celebrate it? That's what I thought was happening when they kept promising a look back at an important year in TV history - the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Yes! What a great moment! ... except that it started with Walter Cronkite announcing Kennedy's death. Then, a briefest of clips of The Beatles singing away. Then Carrie Underwood crooning Yesterday...? Wha....?<br />
<br />
I will always watch awards shows. But I won't always like every broadcast. And this was not one of my favorites. <br />
<br />
Best Moments:<br />
<br />
Julia Louis-Dreyfus's in-character acceptance speech, accompanied by Tony Hale.<br />
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, heckling NPH, then rolling and stumbling up the stairs to the stage.<br />
Meritt Weaver's brief acceptance speech.<br />
Stephen Colbert's series win.<br />
Kevin Spacey's House of Cards hijack in the opening. <br />
Bob Newhart. Every time.<br />
<br />
Worst Moments:<br />
Shemar Moore. Every time.<br />
The cut-off music. It was scary sometimes.<br />
Speaking of, cutting off winners a little too early and a little too often. <br />
Some of the other stuff mentioned earlier. <br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-50294446957609948382013-07-01T15:17:00.000-04:002013-07-01T15:17:43.918-04:00Why I Love The Food Network (and What That Means About Paula Deen)This Paul Deen situation is intriguing me. While it's embarrassing to admit, there's something about watching a celebrity crash and burn. And Twitter especially has opened up this window where we can watch it happen before our eyes (Amanda Bynes and her terrifying self-image issues, Alec Baldwin's colorful threats, Charlie Sheen, I miss #winning. Can we bring that back?) Twitter also serves as the best place to gossip at the speed of light. Stories, pictures, and opinions can fly back and forth instantaneously, digging a deeper hole before the celeb in question even knows there's a hole in the first place. Since I am clearly not a celebrity, I can only speculate as to what it feels like on that side. To be adored and prosperous, then having the dream crumble to pieces in your own hands... that feeling must be devastating, at least for those who are aware it's happening, like Paula Deen.<br />
<br />
But why do I care? Partly because of the celebrity gawker in me. But mostly because of my profound interest in celebrity chefs, Food Network chefs more specifically.<br />
<br />
Here's why it's strange to people who know me. I don't like food. Well, I don't like most food. I am an insanely picky eater. I truly hate that "full" feeling after eating. The smell of red meat makes me sick, which makes my job as a server at a bar & grill an incredible acting gig. I don't cook. I like to bake when the mood strikes, but when it comes to consumables, chances are you'll find me at the bar, mixing liquors like a boss. (That's right, I said it.) If I could live off of Panera Mediterranean Veggie sandwiches and Parmesan-garlic popcorn, I would. But I can't. I tried. Failed miserably. <br />
<br />
However, I do appreciate the artistry that goes into food. I have great admiration for chefs who try new things, who care about plate presentation, who respect where their ingredients come from. But I also respect interior designers and I am bored out of my freakin' mind watching HGTV. Ugh. <br />
<br />
So, why the crush on Food Network?<br />
<br />
I think it goes back to my Grandmother.<br />
<br />
Growing up, I had two grandmas. Gram, my paternal grandmother, lived a few blocks away. She was the anti-grandma: Italian through and through. She yelled. All the time. She rarely smiled. She had hysterical mood swings. She had no toys at her house and never encouraged her grandchildren to spend the night at her home. I loved her dearly.<br />
<br />
Then there was my maternal grandmother, Grandma Helen. I saw her about once a week until she became too ill. She was much more typical. She let us have ice cream before lunch. She encouraged funny stories and outdoor playing. Her attitude could be summed up in one story. I was a freshman in high school, and at this point, Grandma Helen, burdened with unusually progressive ALS, was living in a nursing home. She could no longer move most of her body, but her mind was as sharp as ever. The evening before visiting, I had been out until "all hours of the night" because it was closing night for the high school musical. About 100 teenagers and very few adults swarmed a TGI Friday's, where I stayed until getting a ride home after midnight. My parents were furious.<br />
<br />
The next day, we go to see Grandma Helen. My mother pushes me toward Grandma's bed. "Tell Grandma Helen what time you came home last night." Sheepishly, I look at the floor. "One." "One in morning!" My mother yells, as if it bears repeating (my grandmother was not deaf). Grandma Helen looks at me from behind her huge glasses. Then, with precise comedic timing, looks at my mother and says, "So?"<br />
<br />
My grandma wasn't in the nursing home very long before she lost the ability to eat on her own, so she had to have a permanent feeding tube. This was a hard thing for my mom and the family to deal with, which makes complete sense. It's a scary situation. It's losing one more faculty, knowing there isn't much else to lose and it's only a matter of time before it's all gone. Before she was gone. (Grandma Helen lasted for years on a feeding tube, amazingly.) At first, the topic of food was an uncomfortable one. My brother and I weren't supposed to bring food into the room, or chew on anything, lest we upset her, things like that. But it wasn't long before we noticed a trend. Grandma Helen's TV was always tuned in to the Food Network.<br />
<br />
"How?" my mom finally asked. "Why not? It looks good," was the response. And such a simple, logical one. Even though she knew she could never have what was on screen, she enjoyed watching it happen. My mother and I, in turn, got hooked on Food Network. And that was 15 years ago.<br />
<br />
The Food Network has changed in that time, of course. It's a lot heavier on competitions and reality programming, and a lot lighter on cooking shows. So much lighter, they had to create a new network so they had a place to put those cooking shows. Even though the programming is almost all competition series, it's really entertaining, for the most part. True, I don't buy into the "caught on camera" shows - too staged and cheap, in general. But there's a whole lot I love about Food Network:<br />
<br />
Adoring Alton Brown more and more as he goes from a nerdy food professor to a shrewd content producer.<br />
<br />
Watching Bobby Flay duke it out with anyone over anything. I just like seeing Bobby Flay go down in flames.<br />
<br />
The network's annual live event before Thanksgiving has become a tradition in my household.<br />
<br />
Giada's Italian recipes, despite the cleavage and ridiculously giddy smiles.<br />
<br />
Ted Allen and the Chopped judges are absolutely addictive. I feel like we're BFFs.<br />
<br />
It is a life goal of mine to meet Masaharu Morimoto in one of his restaurants. <br />
<br />
And yes, I would even watch Paula Deen.<br />
<br />
Is everyone being too harsh on Paula? I don't know. Coming from a PR Standpoint, she lost major standing with her diabetes scandal. And while she didn't let it take her down, she never made a full recovery. So when the current accusations hit, she had less to fall back on.<br />
<br />
Standing up Matt Lauer, and the subsequent video apology debacle threw acid on an already painful burn. When she actually did the interview, a lot of people found it scripted and insincere. Paula was pleading as a victim, and capped with a phrase that essentially solidified what everyone was saying about her. <br />
<br />
Food Network had to drop her. Because TV chefs need several components to make it. They have to prove themselves. They aren't just sharing their opinions; they're sharing their work, their art. And showing you how it's done. They're the celebrities you really can idolize. You learn from them, listen to their preachings, buy their books. That's where the brand comes from. <br />
<br />
Her restaurants will still be fine. And I don't think this, in the end, would have hurt her product sales. I trust she's a fine chef with great food, good recipes, and helpful cookware. But I don't want to see her on my TV anymore. <br />
<br />
If she eventually puts forward a mea culpa that rings true, it's entirely possible she can make some gains. We are a forgiving audience when we believe the apologies are sincere. But she'll never the butter-toting mega TV chef that she once was. And I'm okay with that. I will continue to watch The Worst Cooks in America. I will tear up at Restaurant Impossible. I will practice my judge stare when taking a bite of food. And while watching these shows, I will remember that everyone makes mistakes. Celebs just make them publicly.<br />
<br />
But right now, if someone catches me watching the Food Network, and says indignantly, "They fired Paula Deen! Can you believe it?" I will look at them and respond. "So?"Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-79424780995271738972013-06-13T13:51:00.002-04:002013-06-13T14:06:41.043-04:00ATX TV Festival - FridayI had thing on my mind Friday morning: Boy Meets World.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3cnn9AYk8CNKjWL0w8AjQEp5p2IP1gw5sI93kWr2wF00BziEpO_yd0KW-GEhfZVzYWHPuSAS1Yv5DCxzqmwdnAYictx2PdOZMWiNu0sO2tJp91nyl2qxQR-NVymjczPMJHtPqtbga24/s1600/bmw1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3cnn9AYk8CNKjWL0w8AjQEp5p2IP1gw5sI93kWr2wF00BziEpO_yd0KW-GEhfZVzYWHPuSAS1Yv5DCxzqmwdnAYictx2PdOZMWiNu0sO2tJp91nyl2qxQR-NVymjczPMJHtPqtbga24/s320/bmw1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I watched BMW during its original airing on ABC's TGIF line-up. I stopped before the last season, but I made a special point to watch the series finale (there's a story to go along with that, but I'll save it for another time).<br />
<br />
Then I watched it in reruns on Disney Channel and ABC Family, usually with my brother or best friend. It was then that I started to pick up on the inside jokes and the meta-humor. And that all happened to coincide with my growing love of television studies, so my appreciation grew by, like, 1000%. A few years after that, I introduced my Cory to Cory Matthews - he was a casual viewer during the original run. But we watched the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=boy%20meets%20world%20dvd&linkCode=ur2&tag=remtha-20&url=search-alias%3Daps" target="_blank">DVD</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=remtha-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> set (available on amazon, of course) and the reruns on MTV2 on Saturdays, and I successfully got him hooked.<br />
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I have a lot of friends who are hardcore BMW fans - we can throw quotes at each other all day. What I'm trying to say is that this series means a lot to me, not only for nostalgia's sake but because it truly shaped sitcoms, with the meta jokes and absurd situations.<br />
<br />
There seems to be this recent backlash against '90s nostalgia, particularly on social media. But that's a whole other topic for a whole other blog post. The moral of the story is this is a series that I grew up with, and it serves as a connecting point for friends and people in my generation.<br />
<br />
First, I think it's important to explain a unique trait of the <a href="http://www.atxfestival.com/" target="_blank">ATX TV Fest</a>. Because this was unlike the conventions that I'm used to. <br />
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ATX TV FEST Reservation System = Awesomeness. <br />
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The way ATX TV Fest works is actually super awesome. They open up a time-frame before the event to make reservations. Using your badge number, you can reserve a seat for up to 3 events each day. They only put up half of the seating capacity for reservations. If an event "sells out," you can still make it into the panel if there's room once all of the reservations have been seated. The ATX TV Fest volunteers and coordinators were really organized about this. There were always 2 lines - one for reservations (they printed out your tickets when you registered) and one for stand-bys. It prevented the whole camping out style that bigger conventions (I'm looking at you, SDCC) are infamous for. We got in line an hour early for the one panel we didn't have reservations for, and we were probably the 3rd or 4th people in that line. So we got in without any issues. This was really an interesting way to do something like this.<br />
<br />
So, Friday... <br />
<br />
We had reservations for the Boy Meets World screening, so sure, we had seats. But I wanted great seats. The best seats. So we got in line maybe an hour and half early. A small line had already started. When they let us in for seating, we had to wait a few minutes once in the lobby of the State Theater. I sent Cory over to the concession stand to inquire about mimosas. It was that exact moment that they decided to open the theater doors. A few people got in front of my while I waved Cory down, but the good news was we ended up with 2nd row seats. Perfect. Throw our mimosas into that, and I was a happy girl that morning. <br />
<br />
They screened the 2nd half of the final episode, so everyone was sniffling by the time the cast came up on stage. And that.... was amazing. I was so happy to be there, listening to them talk about the great times they had. Everyone seemed to be grateful for their time on the show, and I believed them when they said there were like a family. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZ_y0ZGraz_s0KhkhJgV3_3r3s3uRM_DnJRnl3Yg1e2bqCY7kfu9auabZ4CtJ_8WnecOZ3KiNuKAzE_432djwl_mXKTMWgJcMRB0PBms-qJMhg_XuzJGke4x-0KPgcpheAGiGeo0mz1g/s640/blogger-image--1277482482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZ_y0ZGraz_s0KhkhJgV3_3r3s3uRM_DnJRnl3Yg1e2bqCY7kfu9auabZ4CtJ_8WnecOZ3KiNuKAzE_432djwl_mXKTMWgJcMRB0PBms-qJMhg_XuzJGke4x-0KPgcpheAGiGeo0mz1g/s200/blogger-image--1277482482.jpg" width="200" /></a>Some memorable moments:<br />
- Rider Strong took Shawn's leather jacket with him after the series wrapped, only to have it stolen out of his car in Brooklyn sometime later.<br />
- A cast favorite is what they call "The Scream Episode," technically titled "And Then There Was Shawn." They had a blast that night, though the adults didn't find it nearly as fun.<br />
- When the main cast was younger, they all thought William Daniels was British - a joke they later worked into the show. (I can totally relate to this. I had a great aunt who we'd visit a few times a year and my brother and I swore up and down she was British even though she had never lived outside of the US.)<br />
- There was a family lovingly referred to as "The Stalker Family" who attended every taping of the series.<br />
- "We never talked down to you and you knew that." Michael Jacobs.<br />
<br />
Great event. Loved every minute of it. <br />
<br />
Structure of a Sitcom<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6ni6hcjagFCkHtyF3RKt6WxAQejIqsiLTFYV_-bW-JPjszkdzHp0aehhVaStTyn7w8qykg2g8w322HYM6K7yLHZjB6EZRo0JpGyRwBonSCEojOT6TbPxQDdRqu0cRpWyc88umzFzPSE/s1600/StructureTicket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6ni6hcjagFCkHtyF3RKt6WxAQejIqsiLTFYV_-bW-JPjszkdzHp0aehhVaStTyn7w8qykg2g8w322HYM6K7yLHZjB6EZRo0JpGyRwBonSCEojOT6TbPxQDdRqu0cRpWyc88umzFzPSE/s320/StructureTicket.jpg" width="234" /></a>Initially, I was really excited about this. My thesis paper for my MFA was about the very same thing, or so I thought. The description mentioned comparing multi-cam sitcoms with more trendy single-cam comedies. I really wanted to hear about this because this is where I'm currently struggling my script. <br />
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The panel consisted of veteran comedy writers & showrunners (though no women) including Dan Harmon, Tim Doyle, Rob Schrab, Paul Scheer, and David Finkel. <br />
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What happens when you get that many comedy guys in a room - it's hard to keep them focused. They didn't really talk to much about the subject matter, but they were entertaining. At least there's that. I partly blame the moderator. She was very nice but she had no ability to reign in the energetic personalities and most of her questions didn't really have much to do with the advertised topic. Paul Scheer did a great job moderating at one point, asking great questions and getting good answers.<br />
<br />
The best part of this panel was Dan Harmon's epic rant about how the storyteller used to be the respected one (something about cavemen sending the others to hunt while he stayed back and told funny stories) and how networks and studios have systematically taken away any power the storyteller has anymore. He is truly a fascinating mind. <br />
<br />
A Conversation with Michael Jacobs<br />
<br />
Michael discussed his various shows, how they came to be and why they ended. He fiercely defended the finale to "The Dinosaurs," insisting this was an environmental statement that needed to be made.<br />
<br />
After the session, Michael<br />
stayed afterward and answered questions one-on-one. He seemed very genuine, looked the person straight in the eye and his answers were always both blunt and encouraging.<br />
<br />
I asked him about the state of the family sitcom and he reassured me that TV is cyclical (which I absolutely believe) and the time for family comedy is coming back. But, he also said this time around, the term "family" doesn't mean mother-father-daughter-son anymore. It's gotta be a little different to be interesting.<br />
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Later on that night was the "Friday Night Lights" screening, which I heard was great. We opted out, though, since we weren't fans of the show. Instead, we hung out at the Stephen F. Austin bar. It was very quiet. A few folks showed up over the course of the night but really, it was just a nice quiet evening for us.<br />
<br />
Friday was a great day. I'm sure the attendees at the FNL screening had a blast. And that's why I really like this festival - in spite of its size, it still has enough going on to keep every type of fan involved. Can't deny that. Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-26622733812906534582013-06-12T13:31:00.000-04:002013-06-12T13:31:40.232-04:00ATX TV Fest 2013 - Thursday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSS4xOsAkTA9y5Hy9Vi3OweP-K7KLiQ0irFbqL_7VEB7GGETJuN-zhkZN8uRQiqhpYMbXBajfll_wAY9-32CTv9lJ0gxkx4RcQ8c-62adX3nPuSKC8F06MoD5fUCawi8j8jHVskAMHUM/s1600/ATX+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSS4xOsAkTA9y5Hy9Vi3OweP-K7KLiQ0irFbqL_7VEB7GGETJuN-zhkZN8uRQiqhpYMbXBajfll_wAY9-32CTv9lJ0gxkx4RcQ8c-62adX3nPuSKC8F06MoD5fUCawi8j8jHVskAMHUM/s320/ATX+Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a>I honestly don't remember how I stumbled upon the <a href="http://www.atxfestival.com/" target="_blank">ATX TV Fest</a>. I'm going to guess Twitter. All I know is when I saw they were holding a TV Pitch Competition, I swore to myself I could only attend if I entered the contest. And I did.<br />
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My pitch made the Top 25 Semi-Final round, which was crazy exciting. But it didn't go any further. While it took my ego some time to recover, this allowed me to enjoy the festival without mega-stressing all weekend long about pitching to industry professionals on the last day of the event.<br />
<br />
Here you'll find my thought on the event, written from the perspective of a few days later. I'm breaking it up by days, since each day was definitely jam-packed. <br />
<br />
Be warned: I have to say upfront that I was not in this strictly as a fan girl. Yes, I had specific screenings I wanted to see and actors I wanted to meet. But there are a few popular screenings that I chose not to attend. So if you're looking for some fun info about the Friday Night Lights screening or Party of Five, you'll have to search elsewhere.<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
My boyfriend Cory and I arrived in Austin around noon. We found our hotel, then found the venue, a few blocks away: The Stephen F. Austin Hotel - and we registered. There were no events that night that we were planning to attend so we spent the evening walking around downtown. We eventually ended up back at the Stephen F. Austin bar for the kick-off party. This was not our intention. We just went back to check out the hotel & realized something was going on. So, somehow, we got in.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing. Cory and I are bad at this kind of stuff. Really, really bad. We're bad at getting into after-parties. And in the rare instances we do get in, we stand around awkwardly, clutching our drinks for dear life, and scanning the room for... I don't even know. What are you supposed to do at an after-party other than drink? Don't get me wrong, I like drinking, but... I don't know... Anyway...<br />
<br />
Cory and I are standing around the door, drinks in-hand. We didn't really socialize and were probably about 2 sips away from leaving, when a group of people approached the girl checking names at the door. A few seconds later, the cast of Boy Meets World walks past us. Ben Savage, Rider Strong, Matt Lawrence, Trina McGee, Maitland Ward, Betsy Randall, and Lily Nicksay. Each about a foot away from us. We smiled at them as they came in, but didn't hound them for photos (an urge I had to resist all weekend long). But seeing them up close, hearing them talk to each other, even for a few seconds, was definitely worth it. They all sat down together, so Cory and I stayed around a little longer. We felt like extras at Chubbie's. That was kind of fun.<br />
<br />
That about wrapped up our Thursday. Friday morning kicked off with the Boy Meets World screening & panel so we had to get some rest for that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
PS - If you're wondering why I didn't ask for a pic with the actors from one of my all-time favorite shows -- a few reasons. First, the festival organizers asked that we respect the actors and their space. And most attendees seemed to behave. It wasn't like a Comic Con situation, where the actors are instantly mobbed if left unattended. Second, it's just not in my nature to approach someone. A personal weakness, I suppose, but that's what being an introvert does to you. My dad has no qualms approaching famous people in any situation, offering a handshake and "I enjoy your work." I need to learn that. <br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-39374365750928829022013-05-17T12:44:00.001-04:002013-05-17T12:55:01.732-04:00The Office Finale - Thanks, Dunder Mifflin.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7bKR8O99Yy3X_bLqSevhexQtn2V7mKm2Y-lvxrJMorbKz3RHCOc6byJ2lyuQaICkTpUMKcO2f-wQHDmBJAbwphhQ_H9Rt_EMxWznEyGatupMy33raRf67AgOPL1jffIGJLvm3VQyrzY/s1600/OfficeWrapParty.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7bKR8O99Yy3X_bLqSevhexQtn2V7mKm2Y-lvxrJMorbKz3RHCOc6byJ2lyuQaICkTpUMKcO2f-wQHDmBJAbwphhQ_H9Rt_EMxWznEyGatupMy33raRf67AgOPL1jffIGJLvm3VQyrzY/s400/OfficeWrapParty.png" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cast Members at The Office Wrap Party, Scranton</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Series finales are never easy for anyone. No matter what the state of the series, whether it's been on too long or not long enough, there's always a sadness surrounding the end, particularly for older shows like "The Office." Then there's the insurmountable pressure on the show to put on a "perfect" finale. Critics will pull out references to "M*A*S*H" and "Cheers," fans will have their say about Michael Scott's screentime. But realistically, we, as viewers, should only ask for one thing: Are we content with where we left these characters? Because we may never see them again. I just need to know they'll be okay.<br />
<br />
Television comedies are about character connections. You allow these people to come into your home, you follow their lives, you want them to get what they deserve. "The Office" had the leisure of taking us one year into the future, giving time for things to change. I'm happy Oscar is running for Senate. Kevin wasn't a great accountant, and by the looks of his pour, he's not a great bartender, but at least it looks like he's having fun. Creed's probably going to jail, but he's ready for it. Phyllis and Stanley are friends.<br />
<br />
The only story that felt a little forced was the Kelly/Ryan situation. While I believe that Kelly would certainly suggest ditching the baby so they could start fresh, I'm surprised Ryan would simply ditch little Drake (Drew and Blake). But story misstep does not a disaster make. <br />
<br />
Dwight and Angela were married, standing in their own graves, as
Schrute tradition states. Jim and Pam are moving to Austin because it's
what they both want. Michael has a family. And that's enough for me. <br />
<br />
On a side note, I'm grateful Greg Daniels was back this season. In the finale alone, there were tons of throwbacks to seasons 2 & 3 (Dwight's stripper was also the stripper from S3's "Ben Franklin," Carol Stills makes an appearance as Pam's realtor, Devon, who was fired on Halloween in S2). It plays to the idea that everything's a cycle, a point "The Office" tried to make once in awhile. <br />
<br />
So complain that Steve Carell wasn't in it enough, or that the episode was uneven or unrealistic or pulled in too many different directions. <br />
<br />
Then watch Dwight's talking head, describing his relationships with his subordinates and tell me this was not a great finale. <br />
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<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo credit: Sarah Pugh, May 4, 2013, Scranton, PA)</span>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-14322327654900183422011-05-02T02:03:00.000-04:002011-05-02T02:03:22.864-04:00Bin Laden News: Social Networks Trump Traditional News OutletsTonight, I learned that Osama bin Laden was dead. From Twitter.<br />
<br />
Everything about this event I learned first from Twitter.<br />
<br />
We had MSNBC on the TV. The Sunday evening anchor was struggling to tell the story w/out telling the story.<br />
<br />
Twitter knew. I felt like a newbie journalist with a big scoop, shouting Tweets as they streamed. <br />
<br />
"Why aren't they saying this?" My mother was sorely frustrated w/ the lack of information she was getting from the TV. <br />
<br />
This was the news story that legitimized social networking. We hear news, share feelings, thoughts, and bad jokes. While our generation is said to be less social because of the Internet, when big things happen, we are all together in that moment. You can read about it in the newspaper tomorrow. We already know.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-33086561824158348462011-03-10T15:13:00.002-05:002011-03-10T15:45:38.873-05:00Nickelodeon is Listening - '90's Kids Pay Attention!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheog3550pCvPNZIV1Mxz39ySiz57jf6LALsnp0LUK14UzEkq2RHh7XFReYmmKo1XoEqnxOednIeY1pHuPjE3MaDDtVv97TjYlWu6GIOXtMfMXClmyE4TOt-EQltu6O1xR_0AYmQmC1Hc0/s1600/AdvPete%252BPete_S1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheog3550pCvPNZIV1Mxz39ySiz57jf6LALsnp0LUK14UzEkq2RHh7XFReYmmKo1XoEqnxOednIeY1pHuPjE3MaDDtVv97TjYlWu6GIOXtMfMXClmyE4TOt-EQltu6O1xR_0AYmQmC1Hc0/s200/AdvPete%252BPete_S1.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>Today, Entertainment Weekly announced there will be a new "Nick at Nite" - meant for us 20-somethings. TeenNick will air Clarissa Explains It All, Pete & Pete, All That, and The Amanda Show, Kenan & Kel, and Rugrats.Say what you will about the programs mentioned in the press release, but it's better than nothing. And this all sounds great, like maybe they will eventually put on other shows like older Nicktoons, Salute Your Shorts, Hey Dude... But there's only one way that's ever going to happen --<br />
<br />
We have to give them the ratings. Here's why:<br />
<br />
<br />
Clarissa Explains It All and Pete & Pete came out on DVD in 2006. They sold so poorly, that they never released Clarissa's second season. Considering the DVDs were never marketed to the proper demographic (they were placed in the Children's section), its failure was inevitable. <br />
<br />
A multitude of Nicktoons & older series such as Clarissa and Hey Dude became available on iTunes around 2008. While they have been slow to add to the collection, there as at least some way to get them. But again, marketing is an issue. The last I checked, the link to Nick Rewind was buried in the Nickelodeon pages. You'd really have to know what you were looking for in order to find it.<br />
<br />
Finally, Amazon started producing DVDs on-demand for the original Nicktoons. I personally have not ordered any of these DVDs, though from my understanding, they are your basic print-on-demand issues - no extras, no fun menu options, nothing special. Also, a little expensive.<br />
<br />
So it's not like Nickelodeon (and when I say Nick, I'm also referencing MTV Networks and Viacom), hasn't been trying. They've just been missing the demographic. Now that they've finally caught on, it's up to us to give them the ratings and social network buzz so they not only continue this new Nick at Nite, but add to it with more programming.<br />
<br />
<br />
After all these years, we're finally getting (some of) our '90's programming back. Let's make sure we appreciate it and push for more.<br />
<br />
Check out the original press release <a href="http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/03/10/teennick-goes-retro-with-90s-programming-exclusive/">here</a>. <br />
<br />
(Image courtesy Paramount)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-7924591081552121442011-03-08T00:59:00.000-05:002011-03-08T00:59:31.228-05:00Charlie Sheen - The Business of A Break-Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicT1jBIR-vRZ5o6MUFCl8NnmKpX59h2dHxP4YRJvd46GG2Zp08Zrm82VSvCWCgSvWrcdxUpASx66KQU47lHLtwjEYgJo8VsBmB2_0b6b6r_Lfqin5fo4cQMJlz3ObnRJX8hbRAE18TRdY/s1600/two-and-a-half-men-season-6-episode-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicT1jBIR-vRZ5o6MUFCl8NnmKpX59h2dHxP4YRJvd46GG2Zp08Zrm82VSvCWCgSvWrcdxUpASx66KQU47lHLtwjEYgJo8VsBmB2_0b6b6r_Lfqin5fo4cQMJlz3ObnRJX8hbRAE18TRdY/s200/two-and-a-half-men-season-6-episode-17.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> About eight hours ago, CBS announced it fired Charlie Sheen from "Two and a Half Men."<br />
<br />
Was I surprised? Yes and no. Not surprised that it happened, just at how soon. "Two and a Half Men" is a HUGE franchise and for CBS to give up on it's star so quickly is quite the statement. Theoretically, they had until April to decide -- still plenty of time to come up with an alternative plan for up-fronts in May. But alas, here we are. CBS won't be hurting too much - the syndication cash from the show will provide, for the network at least.<br />
<br />
But back to the man who is the center of this strange, strange whirlwind.<br />
<br />
Charlie has called himself many things over the past few weeks - warlock and winner among them. Crazy? Sure. Stupid? Not even close.<br />
<br />
<br />
What Charlie Sheen has done better than any other celebrity who has had a very public break-down is succeed. He's being compared to Lindsay, Britney, Mel -- pretty much any celebrity who, in the last ten years or so, has had some brutal, wicked outburst. But none of them survived like Charlie has thus far. And it's not dumb luck.<br />
<br />
Sheen broke records for followers on Twitter. (I followed him when he was only a little over 100k. At the time of this post, he's at 2.1 mil.) His media blitz can't even be rivaled by big name stars hawking an awful film. He's headlining magazines and news blogs. He's broadcasting Sheen's Korner or Charlie's Korner or something... <br />
<br />
Charlie Sheen is (seemingly) in control of his own downward spiral. He is extremely open about his beliefs, his feelings, his living situation, making no apologies for his behavior. He's cashing in on it by creating a brand of #winning and #tigerblood. In a celebrity world of laying low and publicist spin, Charlie is driving his own downfall with both hands on the wheel.<br />
<br />
That's not to say he doesn't have a problem. The man clearly has a problem, probably along the lines of the celebrities with which he's compared. It's the same disease, just different symptoms.<br />
<br />
Charlie will take his dear, sweet time hitting rock bottom. And when he finally does, the question will be -- will anyone care? Initially, the general feeling was concern toward him. Many were begging him to seek serious help for his own well-being. Thanks to Charlie's own doing, that concern turned to curiosity and intrigue - what will he do next? But the mood is starting to shift again. He's becoming dangerously overplayed, saturating every media outlet 24/7 and the general opinion is sure to turn against him if it keeps up at that pace. Only then will we see just how "in control" Charlie really is.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-65974703468657721962010-08-12T14:45:00.001-04:002010-08-12T14:48:58.545-04:00Judges? No - American Idol Must Focus on Contestants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRehFkHsUnG7S_bQBPpfBhtapqE4XsB-dVV1z7Oa7jqJQHCnuclxYYn2cxDu6BKqOtQkjKW5cHXLUsBR7Si2m6Mo_oRvD40P6NwRJB_EuwpMFeHK-RzCH8wGVbqt8JFHoEwKJDBlM6LI/s1600/ai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRehFkHsUnG7S_bQBPpfBhtapqE4XsB-dVV1z7Oa7jqJQHCnuclxYYn2cxDu6BKqOtQkjKW5cHXLUsBR7Si2m6Mo_oRvD40P6NwRJB_EuwpMFeHK-RzCH8wGVbqt8JFHoEwKJDBlM6LI/s200/ai.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>For the last two weeks or so, entertainment websites have been buzzing about the judges table on American Idol. We knew all along Simon would be gone. Then suddenly, Ellen gracefully bows out after her lackluster season. And nobody knows what's up with Kara DioGuardi - she's in TV limbo somewhere. So all of the attention is going toward the replacements.<br />
<br />
Celebrity names have come and gone through various sources. Harry Connick Jr., Shania Twain, and Jessica Simpson are all out of the picture. Elton John, a potentially awesome choice, reportedly wanted too much money. Steven Tyler is spewing his own rumors though nothing has been confirmed. The one possibility that almost seemed certain was Jennifer Lopez, but her diva demands seem to be getting in the way of anything final.<br />
<br />
This is all well and good. Keeps Idol in the news. And Nigel Lythgoe is smart enough to know whoever the judges are, they must have great chemistry. It's the crucial element to any good series, whether scripted or "reality." But Idol is in dire need of some fixin'. Okay, dire may be a stretch. After all, it still roped in millions of viewers during primetime on a network; a rarity, indeed. But I'm going to be honest with you. I did not watch this last season of American Idol. And that's kind of a big deal.<br />
<br />
I've been an avid fan since the end of season 2. I watched it all - auditions, Hollywood week, semi-final rounds, the big 10... all the way up to the grand finale. I remember when Carrie Underwood won over Bo Bice, when Fantasia dropped to the floor (by the way, I feel very sorry for Fantasia, I really do), David Cook's genius takes on the Beatles and Mariah Carey, and, well, everything Adam Lambert did. I could not, however, tell you any of the contestants names this year, not even the guy who won (it was a guy, right?). I did watch some of the auditions and most of Hollywood week, but completely lost interest after that. And sure, apart of me missed Paula but it was more than that. It was the contestants. I couldn't care less about them.<br />
<br />
I'm not entirely sure what the problem is but I'm willing to take a guess. This will be Idol's tenth season. The kids who are auditioning now were only 5 or 6 when the show started. They literally grew up with it and within the whole "reality/competition" television trend. Anyone who is serious about getting on the show can do their homework. They know how to play the game - what gets camera time, what gets Ryan Seacrest's attention, what pitchy means. It's now all an act. Which, to be fair, is what a lot of reality TV really is: an act. BUT - let's remember Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson or even Allison Iraheta. They were genuine. They struggled. They made honest mistakes and tried to fix them - all while staying true to themselves (for the most part).<br />
<br />
<br />
While it may be darn near impossible to find contestants who don't know the game, it might be wise for Idol to put its efforts into finding interesting, real contestants. That way, no matter who the judges are, the audience will care enough to form their own opinions and fight about them in the "comments" section of recaps. Isn't that what competition shows are all about?<br />
<br />
(Photo Credit: FOX)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-10255374645619932562010-08-03T14:52:00.000-04:002010-08-03T14:52:09.450-04:00Toy Story 3: Not Just a Child's Play Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZH8DidH7EhbBmmDgmiYKM6gTuJRKdybGUUiavx16uU42O_UqVpAyXnWF0tGXs-YDYdUQt5yV-SRJCgUWwQFHPVUyQMyTzZnUfkyRGPSoWC6LpoJ6fbsW97pc3B_YP2XnAV_Quw0PcQY/s1600/ToyStoryPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZH8DidH7EhbBmmDgmiYKM6gTuJRKdybGUUiavx16uU42O_UqVpAyXnWF0tGXs-YDYdUQt5yV-SRJCgUWwQFHPVUyQMyTzZnUfkyRGPSoWC6LpoJ6fbsW97pc3B_YP2XnAV_Quw0PcQY/s320/ToyStoryPoster.jpg" /></a></div>Since 1995, I've seen every Pixar film in theaters with only one exception: A Bug's Life. I waited for the VHS on that one. So excluding one, that's ten films. Starting with Monsters Inc., I've seen every film more than once in theaters. That's because I was finally at age where I didn't need a parent to drive me to the movie theater. Let's see...<br />
<br />
Monsters Inc. - 3 times <br />
Finding Nemo - 3 times <br />
The Incredibles - 2 times<br />
Cars - 3 times<br />
Ratatouille - 2 times<br />
Wall-E - at least 5 times<br />
Up - 2 times<br />
Toy Story 3 - once<br />
<br />
Okay, now keep in mind there are a lot of different factors as to why I saw some more than others. Clearly, Wall-E was just my favorite. I wish that film was in theaters permanently. But I've only seen Toy Story 3 once. And it's not for a lack of loving the movie. I loved it. Genius. Not for a lack of money or time, either. It's because ... it hurts.<br />
<br />
Most Pixar movies have major emotional moments. Whenever Andrew Stanton writes and/or directs, you know death isn't far behind. And why not? It's part of what makes these movies more than kids fare. Up hits me very hard - I sob through the entire opening and then again at the end of the second act. I still saw that one twice.<br />
<br />
But I cannot seem to bring myself to watch Toy Story 3 again, no matter how good it is. The mere thought of watching those toys, the ones my friends and I spent recess mimicking in the 5th grade, hold hands as they accept their fate... it breaks my heart.<br />
<br />
My love of Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang helped me define myself. Toy Story 2 came out in 1999. I was a freshman in high school. My two best friends and I planned to see the movie opening night. While at our friend's house, we were playing on her computer. Suddenly a boy we liked IMed her. He asked what we were doing that night. The three of us looked at each other. Do we lie? Say "hanging out at the mall duh. u?" Or maybe there was a more teen-appropriate movie we could say we're seeing. No. Collectively we agreed to tell him the truth, and let his judgements fall where they may. Anyone who's been a 14-year-old knows how difficult it is to risk sounding uncool. We had every opportunity to change our story. But we didn't. The boy made fun of us, of course. But the moral of the story? We stayed true to who we were. It wasn't easy. But it was the beginning of a long lesson in staying true to yourself.<br />
<br />
So how could I watch Andy struggle with his decision? I wanted to yell at the screen "Take them to college! Who cares?" Andy's final decision was brave and selfless. Admirable traits. Great ending. Doesn't matter. It's a coming of age story that hits too close to home. I live through it. Why must I watch Woody and Buzz go through it, too?<br />
<br />
I am hoping to see Toy Story 3 one more time before it goes out of theaters. But it's taken me six weeks. And I'm still not fully recovered. I just hope that little girl loves those toys as much as I do. <br />
<br />
(Image Credit: Pixar)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-12976740701295333882010-07-30T13:56:00.004-04:002010-07-30T14:24:31.703-04:00I Love Shark Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGLShT1avhOs-jBCU1d9pm8otB3Ap9Z9lPr197dX9KMd-57V0H_DOF55F9KFEz9I1hCv6guveL3egSf3x5zgM7i-GuBc1FkXBB19m-ipOtB5M1833LP2dEjkVtEQuYBXgdossN3y1KVo/s1600/great-white-shark-teeth-625x450.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGLShT1avhOs-jBCU1d9pm8otB3Ap9Z9lPr197dX9KMd-57V0H_DOF55F9KFEz9I1hCv6guveL3egSf3x5zgM7i-GuBc1FkXBB19m-ipOtB5M1833LP2dEjkVtEQuYBXgdossN3y1KVo/s320/great-white-shark-teeth-625x450.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499766548563815634" border="0" /></a><br />Sunday, August 1st, 2010, it will begin. Discovery Channel's annual ode to the fish with many teeth: Shark Week. For one week, the network will load it's schedule with new and old programming devoted entirely to sharks - documentaries, educational shows, real-life accounts. I believe Craig Ferguson will even make an appearance somehow.<br /><br />I don't remember when I started watching Shark Week. Feels like forever. But I'm looking forward to it again this year. Not necessarily because I love sharks. I like them. Jaws is one of my all-time favorite movies. They're fascinating, simply prehistoric. And Air Jaws is just plain awesome.<br /><br />No, my love of Shark Week can be traced back to my mother. My mom is by no means a violent person. She's not crude or loud. She's really all class with a dash of goofiness. Her soul belongs to the sea. Yet despite all the violence and sea mammals bitten in half, on Sunday morning my mom will be sitting in her chair, in her pajamas with a cup of coffee, watching the Discovery Channel. Her eyes will be wide and her voice will have the same timbre of Christmas morning.<br /><br />"It's Shark Week," she'll say.<br /><br />And together we will watch lemon sharks, bull sharks, and tiger sharks. We will see great whites leap into the air in slow motion on our HD TV. It will be amazing. But it will only be as great as my mom's excitement. This is her week. So thank you, Discovery Channel, for giving us this annual tradition.<br /><br />Happy Shark Week.<br /><br />(Photo Credit: Discovery Channel)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-5466253501697449922010-07-27T11:35:00.003-04:002010-07-27T12:00:53.171-04:00"The Office" Must Go On (So Says NBC)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRYdfLblzFLI6vDlDPUIaAW80prXJBer2vCuj6c51jRn7IsYf3skbUBCa69a3uz3oZ6-8akB5A_grRxVmelNfA8bsKMHHQIkTVCT0eUdDGsaQI68GrNJfeNUqrS_PbYXABDha11rQxeI/s1600/steve.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRYdfLblzFLI6vDlDPUIaAW80prXJBer2vCuj6c51jRn7IsYf3skbUBCa69a3uz3oZ6-8akB5A_grRxVmelNfA8bsKMHHQIkTVCT0eUdDGsaQI68GrNJfeNUqrS_PbYXABDha11rQxeI/s320/steve.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498616309391252866" border="0" /></a><br />Today, NBC confirmed Steve Carell's exit from "The Office" at the end of next season. The actor himself said so awhile ago, but the network has been in denial. NBC also confirmed that the show will continue on without Carell's Michael Scott. Sigh.<br /><br />It wasn't too long ago where I was borderline obsessed with "The Office." When you live 15 minutes away from Scranton, it tends to feel personal. Thursdays were my favorite day of the week again. That second and third season, I practically drooled over every episode. In 2007, my boyfriend and I sat on the bedroom floor and rolled coins so we could afford VIP tickets to "The Office" Convention in Scranton. It was thrilling. I was super defensive of any critics of the show. I stuck with them through Jim's move, the Connecticut branch closing and moving in with Scranton, Pam's stint in art school... the whole thing.<br /><br />But now... I'm almost ashamed. I still have not seen the last few episodes of this season. After Jim and Pam's wedding, which was a great episode, I almost no longer cared. Everyone in the show is great, but I was fully invested in their relationship. After they were officially married, it's like everything I watched for had been realized. That wasn't a conscious decision. But I can't think of any other reason.<br /><br />Maybe the show should end. This will be it's seventh season. That's a great life span for a sitcom. There's nothing worse than watching a once great show putter to a weak end. (Friends, Seinfeld... NBC, hello?)<br /><br />But it's too late. The show is going on without Michael Scott. No disrespect to the ensemble cast. They're awesome. But it will be a very different show without Michael.<br /><br />There was a very important balance of heart and stupidity, ego and emotion. This was a lesson they had to relearn on "Parks and Recreation" with Leslie Knope. She only started to work when she reacted with heart. Otherwise, the stupidity and ego feel too harsh or too dull. It works in England with Ricky Gervias. It doesn't work in America were sitcoms run for years and years.<br /><br />Who can replace Carell? Dwight Schrute? Holly Flax? Somebody new? Whoever it is, they must be different and interesting enough to highlight the ensemble. I wish the best for Dunder Mifflin.<br /><br />(Photo Credit: NBC)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-2235372750703722632010-07-26T11:41:00.004-04:002010-07-26T12:27:16.728-04:00Who Will Die on True Blood?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXM0Y30BwhvQFL-bLp-75e9nDlcBoyKrWlAG2XQ6LH7mYmGUm5Vj8mOBllKWuOY0vwVf7oDtM1hOhJVT37WvEMnkadOKAZY_r8qC6DM-9EDZqe_0N4hDO4c1FTcHEnmF3Bsvqt-kRXpc/s1600/episode1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXM0Y30BwhvQFL-bLp-75e9nDlcBoyKrWlAG2XQ6LH7mYmGUm5Vj8mOBllKWuOY0vwVf7oDtM1hOhJVT37WvEMnkadOKAZY_r8qC6DM-9EDZqe_0N4hDO4c1FTcHEnmF3Bsvqt-kRXpc/s320/episode1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498251600272125490" border="0" /></a><br />It's been circling for awhile now - Joe Manganiello, werewolf Alcide and series director Scott Winant have both confirmed there will be deaths this season on HBO's True Blood. Well, duh. This is a vampire soap on a pay cable network. There better be deaths. But we don't really know who.<br /><br />Sure, we know who probably won't. Manganiello, for example, who recently signed on as a regular for True Blood's fourth season. According to the telling article on E!, it's not so much the amount of deaths, but the chosen characters that are shocking. So it's somebody important. Then who? Most of our favorites are simply required to stick around - Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Jason... These guys are pretty safe. But thanks to the influx of new characters this season, we have a wide variety to choose from. Here are my thoughts on who it could be and why or why not.<br /><br />1. The King<br />Why: Eric is hellbent on revenge for King Russell's wolves killing his family. Understandable.<br />Why Not: If Russell is murdered, there must be a steep penalty for the offender. And I'm not sure if Russell is really a "shocking" death.<br /><br />2. Talbot<br />Why: He's in a stalled relationship that's lasted 700 years. He's tired of coming in second to the King's work. And supposedly, the King will be devestated by something...<br />Why Not: Talbot's had some of the series best lines this year. But again, not really the huge loss we've been teased with.<br /><br />3. Lorena<br />Why: Because it's time. Lorena has wrecked havoc over Bill's life for long enough. Also, Lorena does meet an untimely end in Charlaine Harris's books (but we all know that doesn't always mean something for the series, thank you Lafayette). Since it appears Lorena will send Sookie to the ICU, it's just a matter of time. But how? Eric, perhaps?<br />Why Not: Lorena does provide a great enemy to pretty much everybody. Not sure another character could pull that off.<br /><br />4. Tommy<br />Why: Might be easy if he's dog fighting or if Joe Lee loses it. It might give Sam's character major grief and guilt to deal with. And losing either Joe Lee or Melinda Mickens wouldn't be a huge loss. Tommy would be, sort of.<br />Why Not: Tommy's character while working at Merlotte's has been refreshing. He's great with Jessica and Lafayette. Not sure if he'd stick around til next season, but he's providing some fresh blood at the bar.<br /><br />5. Franklin<br />Why: He's crazy. Tara will do just about anything to escape him. He's not dead yet, despite the mace-bashing. Unless he actually turns Tara, she's going to get away. Then what will he do? Besides, Franklin's become more popular once it was revealed just how insane he is. Losing him would hurt a little.<br />Why Not: He's too much fun. A great wild card in a world of somewhat predictable supes.<br /><br />6. Pam<br />Why: This would upset me greatly. But it's very possible. Pam's life is in the hands of an angry Magister and Eric's been forced to take his time working with Russell. And this is a character worthy of the "shocking" death we've been promised. A heartbroken Eric may turn to Sookie for some comfort.<br />Why Not: Because Pam is awesome. There's a severe lack of female vamps and Pam's provided baby vampire Jessica with a role model of sorts. Did I mention Pam is awesome?<br /><br />7. Tara<br />Why: Franklin's determined. It might be interesting if Tara is actually turned. It's a great tease - somebody dies and it's big. They could kill Tara without losing her.<br />Why Not: If Tara is successfully vamped, there will be one less human character on the show. Not sure we can afford the loss.<br /><br />There are a number of other characters who probably will disappear one way or another (Coot, Deb, the Queen), but none of those would be a major issue. I guess we'll find out soon enough. We're already halfway through the season. Place your bets, folks.<br /><br />(Photo Credit: HBO, Inc.)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-48055896845804379442010-07-08T12:03:00.005-04:002010-07-08T12:44:26.193-04:002010 Emmy Nominations - Thoughts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV0a8xgDvFgvGykGlDqh3rJupVo0YkEzKkWTaz498SsJhpUpiXKFb78TFYZl1x_k-sPC2dTN3VOM3xR0ED1KKuW3nbRo4ctL3pxS8z9XV_wHi9saCXwNQ-j3EnNZU8cvTS6ZoTDcwC-c/s1600/11116__emmy_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV0a8xgDvFgvGykGlDqh3rJupVo0YkEzKkWTaz498SsJhpUpiXKFb78TFYZl1x_k-sPC2dTN3VOM3xR0ED1KKuW3nbRo4ctL3pxS8z9XV_wHi9saCXwNQ-j3EnNZU8cvTS6ZoTDcwC-c/s320/11116__emmy_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491577076534725394" border="0" /></a><br />The 2010 Emmy Nominations came out today and for once, there are some fresh faces in the categories. My quick thoughts:<br /><br />Most excited about Chris Colfer and Mike O'Malley. Playing Kurt and Kurt's dad on Glee, they are my favorite characters. I mean, I do not like Wicked, but I'll listen to Kurt's version of Defying Gravity any day of the week. And I just have a soft spot for O'Malley. Not to belittle his performance. He plays the tough-guy, single dad of a gay kid really, really well. But Mike and I go way back, back to the days of d-d-d-do ya have it? Have you watched GUTS recently? It used to be on Nickelodeon's digital cable channel GAS, which is no longer in existance. But O'Malley's extreme energy is certainly worth some kind of award. Agro Crag, baby.<br /><br />Also excited about True Blood sneaking into the Outstanding Drama Series category. The second season had some brilliant episodes. On a side note, it also got a Best Make-Up w/ Prosthetics nomination for the episode "Scratches."<br /><br />And I am most certaintly thrilled about the multiple nominations for The Tonight Show with.... Conan O'Brien. That's right, folks. The jilted host makes a strong Emmy nominee while his replacement didn't even get a mention. Whether Conan will win or not is a tough call. He's in the same category as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, both of whom have had really creative seasons. But who knows? Maybe the voters want to stick it to the networks and vote for the guy they kicked out.<br /><br />My usual darling, The Office, had an off-year. However, it still snagged a nomination for show and for Steve Carell. Steve has yet to win and I don't think this is his year. He'll have to wait for next year, which if it will be his last, will let the voters give him the "last chance, why the hell not" win. The episode "Niagra" got a writing nod, which I think is fitting. I really enoyed that episode. Thought it was true to the characters, funny, and heartfelt. Awww.<br /><br />Great to see all the Modern Family nominees. Hope they get some wins.<br /><br />Did anybody see the Nonfiction series nominations? This is where you'll find The Deadliest Catch and Life. Also, America: The Story of Us. I'm sorry. I did not like that series. I watched it up until the last episode. It focused on strange facts and skimmed over imporant events... not a fan of the Michael Bay-ish visuals and commentary by random celebrities. I hope the Deadliest Catch wins every award it's nominated for.<br /><br />I'm not commenting on Reality or Competition Series. Not worth it.<br /><br />Emmy snubs? Hard for me to say. At the very least, Alexander Skarsgard deserved a nomination. Nelsan Ellis would have been nice, too. Maybe some more Community attention - Joel McHale, perhaps, and even Chevy Chase.<br /><br />Emmy noms gone wrong? Look, I love Tony Shalhoub. Loved him in Wings, in Men in Black, and in Monk. But he wins every damn time. It's almost not fair at this point. Supporting Actress in a Comedy - Kristen Wiig... WHY??? I don't get why people think this woman is funny. She's not. She plays every character the same. Ana Gasteyer could show her thing or two.<br /><br />That's about it. For the first time since I don't know when, I'm very excited to watch the Emmys (on Auguest 29th, NBC - oh, even sweeter if Conan wins). The great nominees will keep me entertainted since Jimmy Fallon probably won't.<br /><br />PS - Betty White must win. The writing for that epsidoe of SNL should not, but Queen Betty must win. Do you hear me, people? Must win.<br /><br />(Image Credit: NBC)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-22067666226848326772010-06-23T12:30:00.019-04:002010-06-24T14:39:25.126-04:00Michael Jackson Rewind: A Gen Y Poing of View<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ycD6VPxlr2_BlWCGwZbaL7URfembfXdVDoa3-Y8tccKXaw14ALWG-syQxqRzfPk8oieIn7ShXv8Ego6CmcE0uztxn4iAnqY_eBItxC49kuE6ZQpl0ReikYDR-BJMtMtSzkshWpRNOPU/s1600/Jackson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ycD6VPxlr2_BlWCGwZbaL7URfembfXdVDoa3-Y8tccKXaw14ALWG-syQxqRzfPk8oieIn7ShXv8Ego6CmcE0uztxn4iAnqY_eBItxC49kuE6ZQpl0ReikYDR-BJMtMtSzkshWpRNOPU/s200/Jackson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486411643023235106" border="0" /></a>As the one year anniversary of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span>'s death approaches, God knows the Internet and <span style="font-weight: bold;">24-hour cable news stations</span> will fill the void with reminders (which admittedly will be a welcome break from covering the evil empire of <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">BP</span></span>). They'll play his videos, footage from his incomplete concert, images of the doctor who most likely killed him.<br /><br />And we will all remember - after all, this is one of those "remember when" moments. Celebrities leave us all the time, but so few hit so hard that we actually stop what we're doing in order to absorb the information.<br /><br />My story? I was walking in downtown Wilkes-Barre, PA with my boyfriend. We were in the middle of an on-campus residency for our Master's program, and we were hungry. We just crossed the busy street on our way to Subway when a friend and fellow classmate stopped us in our tracks.<br /><br />"Did you guys hear? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> died."<br /><br />A moment.<br /><br />"Wait, what?"<br /><br />I knew who <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> was. And I knew what "died" meant. But it was one of those times where putting those two words together did not make an understandable sentence. Our friend pointed to the Subway we were headed toward. We ran in and joined the crowd, staring up at the television. It was true. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> had died.<br /><br />I ran back to our dorm which did not have a TV, and desperately tried to connect to the shaky Internet. I couldn't get onto <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">facebook</span> or Twitter (later, of course, it was revealed that when the news broke, when <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span> died, he took most of the Internet with him). I found some streaming video on a news website. My brother, much like myself, not so much an <span style="font-weight: bold;">M.J</span>. fan as a <span style="font-weight: bold;">celebrity news</span> fan, sent me a text I missed earlier in the day: "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span>!?"<br /><br />So I remember.<br /><br />But my understanding of who <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> was that day versus the man I know today are two very, very different people.<br /><br />I was born in 1985 therefore belonging to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Generation Y</span>. We are really two totally different generations in one. My half, the earlier half, is individualistic, content with social diversity and sharing power. The later half, still growing, is self-focused, self-empowered, and easily affected by their own social status. Believe it or not, this is all relevant because it impacts how I understood the legend of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span>.<br /><br />Before I entered preschool, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span> already had his hit albums, epic videos, and monster business. His hair was set on fire, and he was responsible for creating a huge star-studded single. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Moonwalking</span> </span>was a verb accepted into the lexicon - and I knew what it meant, learning it with other verbs like "sing" and "jump."<br /><br />But at that age, I couldn't visually describe the guy. It wasn't until the nineties that I could put a face to that name... and what a face it was --<br /><br />White, chalk white complexion. Jet black, straight hair. Red lips. Lined eyes. This was the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> I knew from tabloid images I saw while waiting in the grocery check-out lines with my mom. That guy was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span>.<br /><br />As I got older and more engrossed into the era's <span style="font-weight: bold;">pop culture</span>, I learned about <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span> from sitcom jokes and stand-up comics. He had a falsetto voice. He spent a lot of money on weird things. He was in some kind of legal trouble involving children.<br /><br />Understanding <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span> as I did, I didn't think of him as a bad or evil man. He was a weird guy with equally weird behavior who people loved to talk about. I"m sure there was a time when I asked my poor parents why <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael </span>is white now when his siblings were black, when he was referred to as black. I don't remember an answer.<br /><br />Ultimately, it was weird. My knowledge and understanding of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> was not defined by his talent. It's as though everything he achieved, every quirk and dance move was already ingrained into <span style="font-weight: bold;">pop culture</span>. I absorbed it without experiencing it. When a comedian or cartoon character wore a sequined glove, it wasn't a reference; it was a trend.<br /><br />By the time <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span> dangled his third child off a balcony in Germany in front of a street-full of cameras, I had a solid grasp of who this guy was: crazy, confused, entertaining. And throughout the rest of his life, he would occasionally supply the news/entertainment world with antics - his trial, for example. Or when he announced his comeback tour in London. I vaguely remember seeing those headlines and and not thinking too much of them. Little did I know that 2 years later I'd be paying 8 bucks to sit in a movie theater just for the chance to watch his rehearsal footage.<br /><br />On June 25, 2009, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> died. Reports flew that he was ill, the concert rehearsals were draining him, he completely lost his singing voice, blah, blah, blah. But when the news outlets released the footage, even from that split second clip, it was obvious none of those rumors were true. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span> was fine. Thin, but fine.<br /><br />And while the media usually eats up a celebrity death, not since <span style="font-weight: bold;">Princess Diana</span> did the news world come to a screeching halt. There were clip shows, re-airings of tribute shows, video marathons, old interviews... suddenly <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">fandom</span> was at an all-time high. And I was right there with them, watching it all.<br /><br />Surrounded by everything <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span>, I could only piece together what I was shown. I wanted to dig deeper. I bought a book hoping to discover more about the man I knew very little about. The book was a bad choice: Poorly written and researched. Move back 2 spaces.<br /><br />I studied interviews and determined the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Martin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bashir</span></span> interview from 2002 was the most telling. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bashir</span></span> is a respectable journalist so this was a good source. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Bashir</span> </span>spoke with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span> on three different occasions. And each time it was as though he were interviewing a completely different person. The first interview was the most sincere. It was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael </span>as he truly was: a man clearly in a state of arrested development. He had no concept of the real world, sounding like a 5-year-old in a Toys R Us - "I want one of those and one of those and three of those..."<br /><br />Except there was no parent to tell him no. He really could do whatever he wanted.<br /><br />The second and third interviews were just as illuminating - further telling the tale of this troubled man. The second interview was during <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span>'s Berlin stunt. In a moment of sheer adrenaline, held his son, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blanket</span>, over the railing of a balcony. Immediately afterward, it was clear <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span> was hopped up - on what, I don't know. But he was talking very quickly, stuttering, sweating. In other words, here was a guy who was not in control of his impulses, again, much like a child.<br /><br />Interview #3, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael</span> #3. His previous stint clearly left him feeling vulnerable and self-conscious. He came off as paranoid and neurotic - almost scared. He wouldn't answer questions. He was constantly worried about the lighting in an apparent need to desperately control the situation. Given, I am not a psych major, but it seemed pretty clear that this man was seriously troubled.<br /><br />But through all of that, the most overwhelming thing I studied was his music. His songs, his videos, his appearances and concerts. I couldn't get them out of my head. His videos were a blast: huge productions. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> wasn't just talented - he was talent - walking, talking, dancing, singing talent.<br /><br />Okay, so what's the point to this whole story?<br /><br />After <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span>'s death, his whole life was re-examined and the question arose if he'd be remembered more for his early music career or his later wild life involving his changing looks, his criminal charges, etc.<br /><br />Most said his talent would outshine his later years despite the severity of the crimes of which he was accused. But "most" were those who grew up with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span>. They remember how big his hits were, how amazing the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">moonwalking</span></span> moment was, how sharp a business man he was. And because of that, many stuck with him through his rough years. So they lived it.<br /><br />I only lived the second half. I had to do some work to learn about the first, to see if my first impression was correct. But learning about <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> convinced me. His talent wins. It's that simple.<br /><br />Everything in <span style="font-weight: bold;">pop music</span> today stems from him. My <span style="font-weight: bold;">generation</span> may take that for granted.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson</span> led a questionable life. I don't know if he committed crimes. I can't say for sure why he did what he did to his face. But when compared to the influence he had on pop culture and music, it doesn't matter. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Jackson</span> the entertainer will outlive <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wacko <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Jacko</span></span>. And while both sides of his life will echo in <span style="font-weight: bold;">pop culture history</span>, his career will overshadow everything else.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-47252459952205388162010-02-15T11:27:00.006-05:002010-02-15T11:59:33.360-05:00NBC's Ad-lympic Weekend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvim92Km1utiyx_gAtGj36SaAhhT4JHV9wCet8pDFtccL6hHw4kENKSPLv_V7yZy3QZw669YRDhK4iJ9yF2js4Wtv1ZLGVS4-pj5ZQ2s6UV0LWEKmAbKaW7wx-ElB7Rvh_d4vq7Riblg/s1600-h/2010_winter_olympics_logosvgpn.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvim92Km1utiyx_gAtGj36SaAhhT4JHV9wCet8pDFtccL6hHw4kENKSPLv_V7yZy3QZw669YRDhK4iJ9yF2js4Wtv1ZLGVS4-pj5ZQ2s6UV0LWEKmAbKaW7wx-ElB7Rvh_d4vq7Riblg/s320/2010_winter_olympics_logosvgpn.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438515004457585586" border="0" /></a><br />And so it began - the 2010 Winter Olympics on NBC. For weeks now, the network has been whining about how much cash they're going to lose ($250 mil). I guess that's why they're airing hours and hours of ads occasionally interrupted with sporting events.<br /><br />Part of the problem going in was there was no big-name star, specifically a female figure skater. Gone are the days of ice princesses Peggy Flemming and Kristi Yamaguchi, drama queens Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding. Divas and drama are the basic concepts that reality/competition shows thrive on. This year, there's nothing. And unlike a reality show, the producers can't really create anything, either.<br /><br />So, no skating queen. And there are very few athletes who are household names. Taking all of this into consideration, NBC projected a loss. I suppose to compensate for cheaper ads, they sold more time. I'm only supposing this because all weekend the ad-time seemed to be more important that any of the games. During pairs figure skating, they'd cut to commercials before scores were announced. Moguls and luge, each about 25-seconds per run, were given two runs before a 60-second break. It is impossible to build any anticipation or excitement when every 30 seconds it's broken up with an ad for E*trade, Coke, or McDonalds.<br /><br />NBC's Olympic problem stands for the whole network: They don't know how to build a good program block without getting in the way.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-60992435620792158132010-02-08T15:00:00.007-05:002010-02-08T15:20:29.248-05:00Super Bowl Ads 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCzT75ux1ZtuAMIzGXFaf9zWxTKqoOcKlhyNhqQ_whUoyxHvhfFRm6X6e62Jj58-YXbjCI9b5PIjVELvaj7h2Iia5MT2a47OCNgRnrvbG4Dx_wClCHsYuopFYnr7nuKmJg5dZl4Qh2T4/s1600-h/Betty+White-10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCzT75ux1ZtuAMIzGXFaf9zWxTKqoOcKlhyNhqQ_whUoyxHvhfFRm6X6e62Jj58-YXbjCI9b5PIjVELvaj7h2Iia5MT2a47OCNgRnrvbG4Dx_wClCHsYuopFYnr7nuKmJg5dZl4Qh2T4/s400/Betty+White-10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435966661950096914" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Ah, yes, it's that special time of year where millions of people actually look forward to commercials. We all know how much money companies shell out for 15 or 30-second spots. Expectations are high. And now that the Neilsen numbers are out (and HUGE: 106 million people, beating out M*A*S*H as the most watched program EVER), these ads got major exposure. But were they any good?<br /><br />Mmmm, not so much. About 85% of the ads were absolutely terrible: Set-ups with no punch, stupid instead of stupid-funny, or just plain dull (the Denny's chickens? Really?)<br /><br />The best of the best? Betty White, no contest, although by the end of the game, we all forgot what the ad was for (Snickers). Great visuals, clear explanation, awesome tag.<br /><br />Honorable mention goes to "The Late Show." Yes, it was cool seeing Dave, Oprah, and Jay all together. There could have been another joke or line in there to finalize the ad. It just ended awkwardly. But that star power all on one couch was impressive.<br /><br />Worst? Hard to say. Dove for Men was pretty lame. Teleflora wasn't anything we haven't seen before. And personally, I'm not digging the new E*trade baby. Oh and those chickens...<br /><br />The major themes this year were old people (Betty, future Brett Favre, the Boost Mobile "Shuffle" crew), and dumb men (Bud Light Book Club, multiple Doritos spots, "I Wear No Pants,").<br /><br />Overall, kind of a disappointing year for ads. And there were over 45 minutes of them. Maybe next year will be better.<br /><br />You can watch and rate all the Super Bowl 2010 ads <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35224995/ns/business-business_of_super_bowl_xliv">here</a>.<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-30356617921424517802010-01-18T16:01:00.004-05:002010-01-18T16:41:04.643-05:00The Worst is Yet to Come for NBC's Late Night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvJQJIZJkV2tp_4cg0BgFMzaia11tq0lH0a20BeOxImslUxS4VAwAHwrz9SMYJWJFItb9NjKAQ47nD896LSBksQsMI8jyeq2l_F0jlBuB6ygHvXWN1n3Vc8K8AABkxcGSHryEMa9W82Y/s1600-h/conan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 57px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvJQJIZJkV2tp_4cg0BgFMzaia11tq0lH0a20BeOxImslUxS4VAwAHwrz9SMYJWJFItb9NjKAQ47nD896LSBksQsMI8jyeq2l_F0jlBuB6ygHvXWN1n3Vc8K8AABkxcGSHryEMa9W82Y/s400/conan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428197456479736338" border="0" /></a><br />As if the current situation isn't bad enough, NBC now knows where the industry stands: Team Coco all the way.<br /><br />The PR nightmare drowning "The Tonight Show" worsened thanks to the Hollywood elite at last night's Golden Globe ceremonies. Ricky Gervais's comment during his monologue was expected. Arnold's jab was quaint. But it was during the red carpet walk where barbs flew from some very telling sources.<br /><br />In reference to the rain that was pouring from the sky yesterday afternoon in L.A., Tina Fey said it was "God crying for NBC." Fey is known for speaking her mind about the network that employs her. In an Emmy acceptance speech, she thanked NBC for keeping "30 Rock" on the air, despite its cost compared to a talk show -- a not-so-subtle jab at NBC's reasoning for giving Leno an hour of prime time every night.<br /><br />But the bigger concern for the future of "The Tonight Show" came from two stars whose celebrity status is above the "A-list."<br /><br />When approached by NBC red carpet "correspondent" (I use that term loosely), Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks double-teamed the network. Julia started with claiming NBC was "in the toilet" right now. Hanks chimed in with "NBC said the rain would start at 10pm, and then they moved it to 11:30."<br /><br />While these might have come off cute little quips by two well-liked stars, there may be more there then meets the eye (ear?).<br /><br />Last night's ceremony is a giant, red flag for NBC. The industry came out for Conan. They took it personally because it could've happened to any one of them. And it's true that the industry's general opinion usually doesn't matter in television, that's not really the case for a variety show. "The Tonight Show" works from a careful balance between guests and viewers, with the host in charge of keeping the balance. The host must remain consistent but guests create those "must-see" and "YouTube" moments. If the vibe stays, Leno may find himself scrounging for guests.<br /><br />NBC is in major trouble. Unitl they're ready to invest time, creativity, and yes, money into their schedule, their ratings won't be moving much.<br /><br />Best of luck, Comcast.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454321825595309253.post-41531296746295134372009-07-17T22:27:00.000-04:002009-07-17T22:39:41.522-04:00Walter Cronkite vs. Today's Journalism<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtPUp9pALmz1tIUgKpMh-V8oEcV_e1D14FW-LdfCt0i5vtNpq5YBPKC2BKgxLW76tAHkiRcNcAvMF390UkIIJ4In61ZAb-WNaM8YaaZGWu5DtG_IEnzNrPhMlQSeHRtQZTgu3V2TRmns/s1600-h/WalterCronkite.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtPUp9pALmz1tIUgKpMh-V8oEcV_e1D14FW-LdfCt0i5vtNpq5YBPKC2BKgxLW76tAHkiRcNcAvMF390UkIIJ4In61ZAb-WNaM8YaaZGWu5DtG_IEnzNrPhMlQSeHRtQZTgu3V2TRmns/s320/WalterCronkite.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359624120534798994" border="0" /></a><br />The journalism world lost one if it’s few heroes tonight. Walter Cronkite, journalist and CBS Evening News anchor for nearly 20 years, died at the age of 92.<br /><br />The name might not be familiar to viewers today. What with our numerous networks of 24-hour coverage and up-to-the second updating online, it would be surprising if anyone under the age of 30 could name just two network news anchors. But there was a time when a significant portion of the population got their news from one source: Walter.<br /><br />Maybe that was why Cronkite was completely objective in his reporting. Or maybe that was just the way journalism was back then. The proof of his objectivity? Just look at his most memorable anchoring moments…<br /><br />There was the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Cronkite was a huge believer in the space program, and guided American without condescension through the complicated technologies behind NASA’s launches. And when those astronauts finally set foot on the moon, Walter looked on with admiration as a tear came to his eye, a happy tear.<br /><br />But a sad tear came when Cronkite reported the devastating news of the death of JFK. Walter had only been on CBS for a little over a year at that point. And it proved to be his defining moment, a moment that would follow him throughout his career. Solemnly, he told the nation that the President of the United States had died. He didn’t break down. He took in the news with the rest of the country, but he was visibly upset by the news. He was simply reflecting what the rest of the country was feeling – that this was tragedy.<br /><br />One of Cronkite’s boldest moves was in 1968 after he toured Vietnam on a “fact finding” mission. The war was not going well. A backlash was slowly brewing in the public. When Walter arrived back, he made a special commentary where he deemed the war a stalemate, at best, for the US. This was a huge step away from the rigid objectivity he practiced. Not long afterward, Lyndon Johnson announced he would not run for reelection. Johnson’s reason? “If I lost Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America.”<br /><br />These moments were memorable not only because of the sheer newsworthiness of the events, but because they were a few brief televised moments where Cronkite’s unshakable anchoring was clearly shaken.<br /><br />We have no singular anchor figure today. The closest we had was in the eighties and nineties with Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, and Peter Jennings anchoring their network news desks. They stayed with us through 9/11, offering their familiar voices and faces to help a nation understand what had happened. But after that, the “anchor” image shattered, split into a million little pieces across cable channels and Internet videos.<br /><br />Journalism today is all about the immediate, the opinions, and the entertainment value. That could simply be a repercussion of the media today. The Internet is now. Everyone can communicate with everyone else in a heartbeat. Pundits snapping at one another pull in ratings. Now, in a time where the country is divided by petty politics, where we’re at war in the Middle East for reasons we still don’t know, where our economy is down, we need a figure like Walter Cronkite to trust. To tell us exactly what’s going on without bias or fact-skewing. Cronkite made his break at a time where America was very skeptical. We need someone with the same integrity and the same values in journalism to help us through these times. To keep us together.<br /><br /> There was only one Walter Cronkite. We can only hope this generation finds that one media figure to trust.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14746218004263121470noreply@blogger.com0