Tag: tv

ramblings

Best of Blah blah blog: week of 12/5

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Chris has been on a posting frenzy and I wanted to share a few:

Jennifer Aniston’s boobies are on the net and there are many different sorts of law suits happening. The funny thing is that the suits came first – then the pics leaked. I used to think seeing a boob was a huge deal. Now, not so much. That isn’t to say that I don’t think these pics (if in fact real) are nice because they defintely are.

Welcome to adulthood: this Bat Mitzvah is 1000% over-the-top. MTV My Super Sweet 16 eat your fucking heart out.

Yes, Fox News aired this “I have the Power!” lights display last night. Yes its old. Yes a lot of people told me about it. Its still cool (like seeing a boob).

Via Chris

ramblings

The Co-bear Ra-pour

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The Colbert Report (pronounced Co-bear Ra-pour) debuted last night on Comedy Central and simply put it was hilarious. It is a total send up of the O’Reilly Factor and I was amazed at how Steven Colbert was able to keep a straight face for the full 30 minutes, especially when Stone Phillips was flat-out cracking up during the “Gravitas Battle” towards the end of the show. During this segment, they went back and forth, reading increasingly more ridiculous bits of new while speaking in the pompously grave anchor voice that I know and simultaneously love and loath. In a spirit of full disclosure, this anchor also has the body piercing in question. You know, that sort of thing.

Due to the fact that I am such a huge fan of “The Daily Show,” I was critically evaluating the show from start to finish and everything, from the American flag draped with requisite soaring eagle opening credits to the desk shaped in a big “C” to Mr. Colbert’s sheer over-the-topness (a term he would love), was great. As long as they didn’t blow all their good jokes in the first show, I am looking forward to a formidable 1-2 punch from Comedy Central between 11 and 12 from now on. Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn was tough to watch and I’m glad it’s gone. He wasn’t that funny and his guests were even more unfunny. Ah, unfunny – a word Mr. Colbert would love. If you decide to tune in, let me know what you think.

movies

Aarman Studios, home of Wallace and Gromit, has burnt down

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Unfortunately, this is true: The roof and three interior walls of the Aardman Animations building in Bristol, west England collapsed after a blaze tore through the Victorian building. The company behind the new “Wallace and Gromit” film said Monday its “entire history” has been destroyed in a fire at a warehouse containing props and sets.

This is very sad news for a great company founded and run by some great artists. That being said, Wallace and Gromit’s creator, Nick Park, said the earthquake in South Asia helped put the loss into perspective. “Even though it is a precious and nostalgic collection and valuable to the company, in light of other tragedies, today isn’t a big deal,” he said.

I would say that having your entire professional creative life wiped out is a big deal, earthquake or no earthquake. Its okay to be very upset, earthquake or no earthquake. What really matters is the proverbial “where do you go from here?” and it looks as if Mr. Park will not let this loss consume him which is good, especially for those who hope to see more W&G in the future.

ramblings

I Have Good News

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If by just reading that headline you were thinking “I just saved a bundle on my car insurance by switching to Geico,” then you’ll probably agree with the statement that Geico has the most memorable commercials on television right now. Period. I challenge you to present me with an ad campaign that is better. I love how there is no master concept holding them all together yet how that in itself is the master concept of the campaign. I love the randomness and that half of the time you have no clue you are seeing a Geico ad until you hear the tag line. They are short, irreverent and somehow, partly through immense repetition, they stick with you. More importantly, they have become part of every day life. Some examples:

* After my accountant plugged all my info into his PC program to prepare my 2005 tax return, he turned to me and said, “Good news.” I started to guess how much he was going to tell me I was getting back when he said, “I just saved a bundle by switching to Geico.” He is so dry I never saw it coming.

* When I first moved into my new apartment building, I described how I felt about the new place by asking, “Have you ever seen the Geico Tiny House commercial? Its like that.” To see Tiny House, my all time favorite Geico commercial — “I’m just trying to make an omelette!” — click here, then click “What We’ve Done” and “Geico.”).

* When I provided tech support to my friend Greg a few weeks ago, I said that something was so easy “a caveman could do it” and then we both made sure there were no caveman’s around who would be insulted by that statement.

One day, and that day may never come, I’ll call upon Geico to do a favor for me by saving me up to $500 in 15 minutes on car insurance. Until then, I will just get a nice laugh by watching their ads.

politics

Help Keep Partisan Spin Off NPR and PBS stations

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I received a MoveOn.org email spurring me to call a local PBS station and tell them that “I’m a big supporter of PBS and this station. CPB chairman Kenneth Tomlinson is demanding more right-wing programming on public broadcasting. Please keep his partisan spin off the air” or something like that. Since I agree and the phone number was there, I thought, “What the hell, I’ll call.”

So I did. I spoke with a nice man in the viewer relations department at Thirteen/WNET New York. He told me how viewer and/or member comments really do make a difference and he urged more phone calls (um, he’s on our side). My phone call and viewpoint has not gone into a blackhole, rather it was recorded, it will be passed on to those that matter and it will hopefully help push back on the recent government interference. He talked about how 7 lines received 500 phone calls yesterday – an unbelievable number – and how he hoped to receive even more phone calls today. What is with those people at PBS and answering phones? Whether its a telethon or in customer service, they just love it!

If you care at all about those phone whores remaining non-partisan, please call or write and let them know that you want the government to stay away from slanting PBS one way or the other. You don’t have to be a member to voice an opinion. You don’t have to give your name, though there is no reason not to. Here’s the info:

WLIW-TV: 516-367-210; viewers_voice@wliw.pbs.org

WNYE-TV: 718-250-5800; wnyemail@wnye.org

Thirteen/WNET New York: 212-560-1313; web@thirteen.org

ramblings

I Am A Demon God Of Conquest

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This Reno 911 clip just made me laugh so hard I cried. Seriously. The best part is that based on the poster’s comment, whoever posted it thinks that this is an actual arrest and doesn’t realize that its a clip from Reno 911, a cop spoof on Comedy Central. I love it. So much good stuff posted today, I’m busting Jerry, I’m busting. I also think that I have to start TiFauxing Reno 911.

Via Cameron

ramblings

Fox Gets Arrested One More Time

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This just in: Fox gives low-rated ‘Development’ a late reprieve. “Arrested Development” will definitely be back next season as Fox has officially renewed the show for one more season. “Arrested Development” is one of broadcast’s most critically beloved comedies, but the ratings haven’t been there. This season the Emmy winner averaged just a 2.8 share among viewers 18-49s (which is pretty bad).

I thought for certain that it was either getting cancelled or moved to an ancillary cable network that Fox owns. This is one of the very few shows on TV I look forward to watching so I’m very jazzed at this development. ha ha.

Thanks Jessie

ramblings

Frontline Show to Watch on 11/9

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Hurry up and watch this upcoming Frontline on PBS about how “the multibillion-dollar ‘persuasion industries’ of advertising and public relations and how marketers have developed new ways of integrating their messages deeper into the fabric of our lives.” It sounds interesting, compelling, slightly scary and yes, I work at a marketing company so there will be a serving of guilt along with this program for me at least.

I’m saying “hurry up and watch” because who knows how much longer PBS will survive in this “New America.” For illustration, here is part of a post that I got on BoingBoing from someone named Molly:

I got a very clear picture of his base constituency when having a discussion over lunch with some co-workers about our favorite children’s shows. I was commenting on how much I liked Sesame Street, and one woman (a very vocal Christian conservative) said, “Oooh.. Sesame Street is too tolerant for me”. To my horror, several other women nodded their heads in agreement. I guess I didn’t even think there was such a thing as too tolerant.

Yikes.

Uncategorized

NeuCom: The Not-So-Daily Show

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From Neu:

Crossfire had Jon Stewart on last week while his TDS was running re-runs for the week. They expected him to come on the show and add some comic relief while plugging “America (The Book). Boy did they get more than they bargained for.

Of course, as a result, the blogs of the world are on fire criticizing him as a hidden leftist (insert “commie pinko” if you so desire) who disguises himself as a centrist / apolitical comedian. This is because it was Tucker Carlson (from the right) that took most of his flak. However, if you really watch it, Stewart is indicting neither the left not right, but (rightfully so) the media for just being so damn stupid.

It kept coming back to “do shows like crossfire asks the tough questions,” but I think the point Stewart was trying to make was that, regardless of the questions asked, no one presses on the answers anymore. The hard question can be asked but when it is skirted or responded to with campaign talking point fluff no one ever presses the guest / spinner (see also Chris Matthew’s grilling of Republican S. Carolin Senate candidate Jim DeMint this Sunday – here is someone who actually WON’T let the squirmer off the hook. Too bad it’s just the S.C. Senate race and a rare moment). In all honesty, Sterwart looked a bit haggard, which is probably why he was off his game, but also why he was so brutally pissed and honest to begin with that we get this golden TV moment.

Highlights include when Jon Stewart tells Tucker Carlson that he won’t “be his monkey” and when he calls Carlson a dick on live TV.

Thanks to Stewart for another shining moment of public service, and I am sorry he is getting skewered for taking off the satire suit for a moment and making a real point on the state of affairs in the modern American political machine. I am also sorry that the most lucid popular voice in American politics has a lead-in show where puppets make prank phone calls.

The link

I was also lucky enough to see Jon Stewart’s follow-up on TDS last night (now that they are back), although I did not at the time have any idea what he was referring to. He was pretty brutal there as well, and I am trying to find a link.

politics

Newsweek’s Interview with John Stewart

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This was in the October 18th, 2004 edition of Newsweek:

NW: Thanks for taking the time. I know you’re busy these days.

JS: I’m just sitting here playing minsweeper

NW: I don’t kow if you read the reviews –

JS: I can’t read. I did the book phonetically.

NW: Anyway, The New York Times suggested that perhaps your book should be nominated for a history Pulitzer.

JS: Hmm. Is that a cash prize?

NW: What’s your political leaning? I heard your nickname is Lefty.

JS: Lefty? I didn’t realize that. That’s actually a testicular condition. I do write left-handed.

NW: Do you find it hard to be light-hearted sometimes?

JS: Absolutely. Many days start with a soul-crushing analysis of the state of the world. Then the entire digestive process of the show is to try and turn whimpers into laughter.

NS: How do you see the election shaping up?

JS: Any pundit asked what’s going to happen should answer the same way: “I have no fucking idea.” They don’t, you don’t I don’t.

NS: From a purely comic perspective, do you want four more years of Bush.

JS: From a purely comic perspective, you’d want Mr. T to be president. That would be truly fun. But no, I don’t cheer for the demise and erosion of the world purely for my own professional standing. I can write jokes about anything.