I don't think I remember the famous Apple commercial from the 1984 Superbowl game itself. I know the commercial, but I think it was one of those things that got discussed for many years and then it came to the forefront for me while studying advertising in school. It was a breakthrough commercial and it resurfaced in conversation again recently when Steve Jobs passed. At some point along this sine wave of life, I'd made the assumption that everyone my age knew that commercial. That assumption seems to get harder to make in the world of the Internet, but I think every book in college referenced it once. (You'll see why 1984, won't be like The Golden Ass. I kid.)
I forgot not everybody had so many books about advertising, so I was surprised to learn that C hadn't seen it. I made her watch it, but I don't think it changed her much.
Not too long after my run-in with memories of the 1984 commercial, I visited Wendy's. Up on the signs it said, "Where's the beef?" I pointed in amusement, but the college guys I was with didn't even smile. Then it hit me. I was 6 when that older woman and her two friends were squawking, "Where's the beef?" They were 10 years from being born. I know my teachers discussed the Wendy's commercial in college, but that one was a cultural tsunami. I saw it for sure. Probably during Dukes of Hazzard. Everybody got inquisitive about meat. My memory isn't much, but I'm almost certain I remember my own grandmother asking, "Where's the beef?" and laughing.
Now, today, out of the deep recesses of my mind I recalled another commercial from the 1980s. It was a Folgers coffee commercial that involved secretly switching regular coffee with Folgers crystals. I wasn't drinking coffee or even thinking about coffee, so I'm really not sure what stirred memory.
Caught up in this wave of 1980s advertising, I have to wonder what will shake out next and also what I'd do for a Klondike bar.
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
New TV is shiny
Internet, I have to admit something. The new TV season is making me giggly inside. I can't stop watching new shows. There's hope and promise that comes with the season. It's like going back to school with a fresh slate. Freshmen year is over. We're sophomores now, so we kick butt.
I know that I sometimes rail against television and the negative effects it has on my life, but for now I'm mildly enthralled. That's a step up from slightly jazzed, but down from medium pumped.
In a few words, maybe even a sentence or three, let me give you my rundown on the latest shows (and some of the not-so-latest).
The New Girl: The promos were everywhere and I was sick of them, but it's Zooey Deschanel. Claims have been made that hipsters could watch her eat spaghetti and be pleased. After watching an episode, I'll give it a C. Zooey managed to pull off a few adorable moments, but there's something just off about the show. I'll probably watch another. The Douchebag jar was a nice flourish.
The Hart of Dixie: Wow. This show is a giant cliche, written poorly, acted poorly, and really predictable. Rachel Bilson is amazingly unbelievable as a wanna-be heart surgeon. Eight minutes in, C asked me how much longer we were going to give the show. I answered slowly, six to eight.... weeks. She laughed at me, but I might be serious. It's so bad, it's fun. Plus there's Bilson and banjos.
Free Agents: It's now been on in my house twice and I didn't like it either time. I'm just not interested.
Up All Night: Will Arnett should stop trying to be the lead in shows. The end.
Ringer: It's great to see SMG back, but not so great that we need to see her on screen with herself. That didn't last long, but I think the show is moving too fast for its own good. The idea of suspense is starting to build, but episode two made me start to lose interest. Grade: B-
Whitney: I watched a tiny bit of Whitney, died a little inside, and considered writing a show for Will Arnett. No thanks.
The Office: I'm still clinging to some hope. The Nard Dog pulled it together as boss and the writer's reminded us that even without Michael Scott Dunder Mifflin is a big ol' family. Wait and see mode on.
Community: They are hyper-aware of their awareness and it's getting to me a bit. The song about their awareness was pretty funny and so was the Britta/Chang symbiosis, but they might be pushing Jeff Winger to places I don't want to follow. I'm hoping they return to form soon.
Modern Family: I keep missing the first 8 minutes of Modern Family, so I'm giving them a pass for now.
Parks and Rec: This is a warning to myself. I hated this show when it first came out. I hated it so much that I swore it off forever. Well, after some badgering, forever ended and I decided to give it a chance. It was kind of funny, then Ron Swanson enacted an elaborate high-speed escape plan from work. He ended up in the woods with a giant beard. That, my friends, was a turning point. I'm cruising on through the season with this show. I may even find time to catch up on the episodes I missed.
TV. You've got my number. Please keep it away from the Internet. Oh, crap.
(Added late: Oh, I forgot Suburgatory. It's got a "Mean Girls" flavor. It seems promising.)
Internet, I have to admit something. The new TV season is making me giggly inside. I can't stop watching new shows. There's hope and promise that comes with the season. It's like going back to school with a fresh slate. Freshmen year is over. We're sophomores now, so we kick butt.
I know that I sometimes rail against television and the negative effects it has on my life, but for now I'm mildly enthralled. That's a step up from slightly jazzed, but down from medium pumped.
In a few words, maybe even a sentence or three, let me give you my rundown on the latest shows (and some of the not-so-latest).
The New Girl: The promos were everywhere and I was sick of them, but it's Zooey Deschanel. Claims have been made that hipsters could watch her eat spaghetti and be pleased. After watching an episode, I'll give it a C. Zooey managed to pull off a few adorable moments, but there's something just off about the show. I'll probably watch another. The Douchebag jar was a nice flourish.
The Hart of Dixie: Wow. This show is a giant cliche, written poorly, acted poorly, and really predictable. Rachel Bilson is amazingly unbelievable as a wanna-be heart surgeon. Eight minutes in, C asked me how much longer we were going to give the show. I answered slowly, six to eight.... weeks. She laughed at me, but I might be serious. It's so bad, it's fun. Plus there's Bilson and banjos.
Free Agents: It's now been on in my house twice and I didn't like it either time. I'm just not interested.
Up All Night: Will Arnett should stop trying to be the lead in shows. The end.
Ringer: It's great to see SMG back, but not so great that we need to see her on screen with herself. That didn't last long, but I think the show is moving too fast for its own good. The idea of suspense is starting to build, but episode two made me start to lose interest. Grade: B-
Whitney: I watched a tiny bit of Whitney, died a little inside, and considered writing a show for Will Arnett. No thanks.
The Office: I'm still clinging to some hope. The Nard Dog pulled it together as boss and the writer's reminded us that even without Michael Scott Dunder Mifflin is a big ol' family. Wait and see mode on.
Community: They are hyper-aware of their awareness and it's getting to me a bit. The song about their awareness was pretty funny and so was the Britta/Chang symbiosis, but they might be pushing Jeff Winger to places I don't want to follow. I'm hoping they return to form soon.
Modern Family: I keep missing the first 8 minutes of Modern Family, so I'm giving them a pass for now.
Parks and Rec: This is a warning to myself. I hated this show when it first came out. I hated it so much that I swore it off forever. Well, after some badgering, forever ended and I decided to give it a chance. It was kind of funny, then Ron Swanson enacted an elaborate high-speed escape plan from work. He ended up in the woods with a giant beard. That, my friends, was a turning point. I'm cruising on through the season with this show. I may even find time to catch up on the episodes I missed.
TV. You've got my number. Please keep it away from the Internet. Oh, crap.
(Added late: Oh, I forgot Suburgatory. It's got a "Mean Girls" flavor. It seems promising.)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Live Blogging the Oscars (until I get bored)
Oops. I'm late. Good thing I don't actually have live readers. (Not that you're not alive, just, well you know...) I caught the introduction, got excited about Back to the Future and then thought that it was poorly used. I liked the younger dynamic joke, but am unsure about these hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco. Hey, Morgan Freeman! Why isn't he hosting?
Gone with the Wind references and all this mom talk have me missing mine.
8:45 Let the awkward speeches begin.
8:49 First commercial break- affordable fashion with JCPenney, inspiring children with McDonald's, the family angle with Hyundai. Finally, iPad (oops I mean Samsung Tab) is the first one to not hit the "women's Super Bowl" demographic hard.
8:52 Kirk Douglas pulls off that compliment to Anne Hathaway with class.
8:54 Helena Bonham Carter looks great and King's Speech is the only one I saw, but I bet True Grit gets best supporting actress.
8:56Good thing I don't bet. Melissa Leo from The Fighter seems completely shocked, genuine, and just got censored. Yes!
9:01 The hosts seem to be relaxing. Maybe that's not good.
9:02 An app joke? Unimpressed. And are those breast tattoos Mila? I know they aren't and I might still be impressed.
I'm not sure I'm young and hip enough for this Oscars, though.
The problem I'm having here is providing context and a response. I'm starting to doubt my talent as a LiveBlogger. Perhaps, I'd be better off watching with someone else rather than reaching out to the Internet.
9:09 Commercial break: We're going less overtly female this round. Hyundai is back again. So's Samsung Tab; no wait, that's Kindle. I kind of liked the quiet pitch they made. Then came the quiet pitch for Fancy Feast. How in the world does a cat food manage to tie itself into the wedding industrial complex? And does that make sense?
9:15 Aaron Sorkin can write. He just picked up the Screenwriter's Oscar. Seems like an interesting fellow. I'd listen to more but the musical hook is coming to take him away. Still he manages to ask for respect from a guinea pig. Not bad.
Ok. Thanks for reading. I'm through. This isn't doing it for me. I'm not sure how much Oscar I have left in me anyway. Good night and good luck.
Oops. I'm late. Good thing I don't actually have live readers. (Not that you're not alive, just, well you know...) I caught the introduction, got excited about Back to the Future and then thought that it was poorly used. I liked the younger dynamic joke, but am unsure about these hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco. Hey, Morgan Freeman! Why isn't he hosting?
Gone with the Wind references and all this mom talk have me missing mine.
8:45 Let the awkward speeches begin.
8:49 First commercial break- affordable fashion with JCPenney, inspiring children with McDonald's, the family angle with Hyundai. Finally, iPad (oops I mean Samsung Tab) is the first one to not hit the "women's Super Bowl" demographic hard.
8:52 Kirk Douglas pulls off that compliment to Anne Hathaway with class.
8:54 Helena Bonham Carter looks great and King's Speech is the only one I saw, but I bet True Grit gets best supporting actress.
8:56Good thing I don't bet. Melissa Leo from The Fighter seems completely shocked, genuine, and just got censored. Yes!
9:01 The hosts seem to be relaxing. Maybe that's not good.
9:02 An app joke? Unimpressed. And are those breast tattoos Mila? I know they aren't and I might still be impressed.
I'm not sure I'm young and hip enough for this Oscars, though.
The problem I'm having here is providing context and a response. I'm starting to doubt my talent as a LiveBlogger. Perhaps, I'd be better off watching with someone else rather than reaching out to the Internet.
9:09 Commercial break: We're going less overtly female this round. Hyundai is back again. So's Samsung Tab; no wait, that's Kindle. I kind of liked the quiet pitch they made. Then came the quiet pitch for Fancy Feast. How in the world does a cat food manage to tie itself into the wedding industrial complex? And does that make sense?
9:15 Aaron Sorkin can write. He just picked up the Screenwriter's Oscar. Seems like an interesting fellow. I'd listen to more but the musical hook is coming to take him away. Still he manages to ask for respect from a guinea pig. Not bad.
Ok. Thanks for reading. I'm through. This isn't doing it for me. I'm not sure how much Oscar I have left in me anyway. Good night and good luck.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Hey KIDS!
I thought I'd try to live blog the State of the Union address. I'll give my reactions as we go. A few disclaimers before we start:
1. I really just need a new blog post, I don't expect to pull out much insight.
2. I usually don't last the whole state of the union.
3. It somehow seems important to watch since I'm down the street.
9:13 It's nice to see the ceremony of politics sometimes. It gets so much more polite than the rest of the TV shows that I watch about politics. Let's go. (edited that comment a bit).
9:15 Is Joe Biden updating his Facebook page?
9:18 Xerox corporation CEO? It's been a busy day for Xerox in my life.
9:19 Nice. I like the spin on what the election meant. Figure it out together.
9:21 Oh. I just realized why there were so many police officers around the capitol tonight. (forehead slap).
9:23 "The future is ours to win." I missed the how.
9:24 Oh. That's the rest of the speech. Thanks, Obama.
9:27 Can't help but hope that the budget isn't out of this world, with all that space talk.
9:31 I won a science fair once. It was a tea-related experiment.
9:32 I like all these sports comparisons- race to the top, ours to win, etc.
9:34 Teachers as "nationbuilders". Wow. Makes me want to be a teacher and build a nation. Too bad I'm most interested in English.
9:39 Taking on the issue of immigrants seems like a massive undertaking.
9:40 Highspeed rail and highspeed Internet? Awesome.
9:44 Snack time.
9:46 Is our food safe to eat? Maybe our foodstuff is. I realize how lucky I am when I can make that snarky comment and also how much I've been reading about nutrition and/or watching The Biggest Loser
9:53 He's really pushing the bipartisan approach. He does it well.
9:55 YES! Simplify the tax code. Please.
9:56 Reorganization? I wondered if that was coming earlier when President Obama was talking about cutting the budget. I've been hanging around big companies too much lately. Sheesh.
10:00 C's home. I'm feeling a little sheepish about this project now.
10:03 "Begin" to bring our troops home. This seems like what's been said before...
10:05 I'm losing steam, but it seems rude to abandon the President. My landlord just started rocking out on his electronic keyboard. John Kerry would smile if he could hear it.
10:08 "One voice." The push for unity is everywhere around me too.
10:10 Selling messy democracy. He's at it again. Man, he's good. Somebody should elect that guy.
10:15 BAM. Let's do big things.
Well, looks like the VCR clock is running a couple of minutes ahead. That's the clock I was using. How embarrassing (right). That was an interesting way to view the address. I missed a few things, but it was also a bit like taking notes. I wasn't very clever, but I think this might be interesting to look back and read. In some ways, it made me feel shallow, but in other ways I felt good because I was really paying attention and being thoughtful. Several themes have emerged from my life of late. A number of speeches and books are on the motivational, even inspirational side. The reorganization, the budget cuts, the push for unity all keep cropping up.
I have high hopes for highspeed Internet and rail, as well as electric cars, alternative energy, simplified tax codes, and more. I'm ready for big things.
I thought I'd try to live blog the State of the Union address. I'll give my reactions as we go. A few disclaimers before we start:
1. I really just need a new blog post, I don't expect to pull out much insight.
2. I usually don't last the whole state of the union.
3. It somehow seems important to watch since I'm down the street.
9:13 It's nice to see the ceremony of politics sometimes. It gets so much more polite than the rest of the TV shows that I watch about politics. Let's go. (edited that comment a bit).
9:15 Is Joe Biden updating his Facebook page?
9:18 Xerox corporation CEO? It's been a busy day for Xerox in my life.
9:19 Nice. I like the spin on what the election meant. Figure it out together.
9:21 Oh. I just realized why there were so many police officers around the capitol tonight. (forehead slap).
9:23 "The future is ours to win." I missed the how.
9:24 Oh. That's the rest of the speech. Thanks, Obama.
9:27 Can't help but hope that the budget isn't out of this world, with all that space talk.
9:31 I won a science fair once. It was a tea-related experiment.
9:32 I like all these sports comparisons- race to the top, ours to win, etc.
9:34 Teachers as "nationbuilders". Wow. Makes me want to be a teacher and build a nation. Too bad I'm most interested in English.
9:39 Taking on the issue of immigrants seems like a massive undertaking.
9:40 Highspeed rail and highspeed Internet? Awesome.
9:44 Snack time.
9:46 Is our food safe to eat? Maybe our foodstuff is. I realize how lucky I am when I can make that snarky comment and also how much I've been reading about nutrition and/or watching The Biggest Loser
9:53 He's really pushing the bipartisan approach. He does it well.
9:55 YES! Simplify the tax code. Please.
9:56 Reorganization? I wondered if that was coming earlier when President Obama was talking about cutting the budget. I've been hanging around big companies too much lately. Sheesh.
10:00 C's home. I'm feeling a little sheepish about this project now.
10:03 "Begin" to bring our troops home. This seems like what's been said before...
10:05 I'm losing steam, but it seems rude to abandon the President. My landlord just started rocking out on his electronic keyboard. John Kerry would smile if he could hear it.
10:08 "One voice." The push for unity is everywhere around me too.
10:10 Selling messy democracy. He's at it again. Man, he's good. Somebody should elect that guy.
10:15 BAM. Let's do big things.
Well, looks like the VCR clock is running a couple of minutes ahead. That's the clock I was using. How embarrassing (right). That was an interesting way to view the address. I missed a few things, but it was also a bit like taking notes. I wasn't very clever, but I think this might be interesting to look back and read. In some ways, it made me feel shallow, but in other ways I felt good because I was really paying attention and being thoughtful. Several themes have emerged from my life of late. A number of speeches and books are on the motivational, even inspirational side. The reorganization, the budget cuts, the push for unity all keep cropping up.
I have high hopes for highspeed Internet and rail, as well as electric cars, alternative energy, simplified tax codes, and more. I'm ready for big things.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Strasburg on the tele
He's three starts in and approaching the fourth, so Strasburg has been well covered, especially in this area. Speaking with the authority of someone who has lived here for this Nationals section of history, Strasburg, rookie starting pitcher, is a bigger story than baseball coming to town. My gauge of his impact: I have heard conversations about him on the streets and in the lunch lines. People in this town don't usually talk about baseball. They talk football. Sometimes they'll talk basketball. They might talk hockey for the short time the Capitals are in the playsoffs, but they don't talk baseball. The baseball park is just another joint that serves overpriced drinks. Strasburg has changed that. His name seems to appear in almost every newspaper chat. I bet he was in the advice columnist's wedding chat. The poster probably wanted Strasburg to be a bridesmaid. Another indication of his impact: My household has watched portions of two of his three starts. I think I last intentionally watched baseball on TV when I lived in Ohio. I can tell, everybody can tell, that he's special. He had fourteen strikeouts in his first outing. He was cool. The crowd was nuts. They were cheering every pitch. Most games half the crowd is in danger of being whacked in the skull with a foul ball. Now, they're awake. They expect to win. This town expects them to win. I'm amazed that one player can do that, but it's been neat to witness, if not directly yet, then in the outer rings of Strasburg's splashdown.
He's three starts in and approaching the fourth, so Strasburg has been well covered, especially in this area. Speaking with the authority of someone who has lived here for this Nationals section of history, Strasburg, rookie starting pitcher, is a bigger story than baseball coming to town. My gauge of his impact: I have heard conversations about him on the streets and in the lunch lines. People in this town don't usually talk about baseball. They talk football. Sometimes they'll talk basketball. They might talk hockey for the short time the Capitals are in the playsoffs, but they don't talk baseball. The baseball park is just another joint that serves overpriced drinks. Strasburg has changed that. His name seems to appear in almost every newspaper chat. I bet he was in the advice columnist's wedding chat. The poster probably wanted Strasburg to be a bridesmaid. Another indication of his impact: My household has watched portions of two of his three starts. I think I last intentionally watched baseball on TV when I lived in Ohio. I can tell, everybody can tell, that he's special. He had fourteen strikeouts in his first outing. He was cool. The crowd was nuts. They were cheering every pitch. Most games half the crowd is in danger of being whacked in the skull with a foul ball. Now, they're awake. They expect to win. This town expects them to win. I'm amazed that one player can do that, but it's been neat to witness, if not directly yet, then in the outer rings of Strasburg's splashdown.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Super Bowl commercials
Once again I'm late to the Super Bowl commercial reviewing party. Heck, John was reviewing them live. I've read a few reviews, given it some thought and decided only a few are even worth mentioning. I may be getting old and crusty, but this year's crop of commercials was pretty sad. The jokes weren't funny. The sex wasn't sexy. The animals were kind of weird and the babies were a bunch of milkaholics. What gives? Further, why did so many ads with similar themes/gimmicks air together? Bad luck?
-The Tim Tebow ad was nothing. This commercial has defeated us because it entered the conversation long before it aired. I bet 75% of the audience would have missed it had we not heard about it for a week. Too bad, so sad. public relations-1, personal politics- 0.
-The Google ad was quaint, quiet, engaging, interesting and darn good. Google is verb. Google is life.
-My favorite commercial was the Kia Sorento ad. I haven't seen this ad on any of the lists. Dude. This ad had a sock monkey on a jet-ski. It had a robot doing the robot on the dance floor. It had the toys in a slow-motion Reservoir Dogs walk. If toys think the Kia Sorento is cool, then it must be cool.
Wait. Am I being sarcastic? Yes, but I still really liked the ad.
Doritos? Bud Light? The Hangover on wheels with a whale? Whatever. Until $2.5 million brings us together again next year...
Once again I'm late to the Super Bowl commercial reviewing party. Heck, John was reviewing them live. I've read a few reviews, given it some thought and decided only a few are even worth mentioning. I may be getting old and crusty, but this year's crop of commercials was pretty sad. The jokes weren't funny. The sex wasn't sexy. The animals were kind of weird and the babies were a bunch of milkaholics. What gives? Further, why did so many ads with similar themes/gimmicks air together? Bad luck?
-The Tim Tebow ad was nothing. This commercial has defeated us because it entered the conversation long before it aired. I bet 75% of the audience would have missed it had we not heard about it for a week. Too bad, so sad. public relations-1, personal politics- 0.
-The Google ad was quaint, quiet, engaging, interesting and darn good. Google is verb. Google is life.
-My favorite commercial was the Kia Sorento ad. I haven't seen this ad on any of the lists. Dude. This ad had a sock monkey on a jet-ski. It had a robot doing the robot on the dance floor. It had the toys in a slow-motion Reservoir Dogs walk. If toys think the Kia Sorento is cool, then it must be cool.
Wait. Am I being sarcastic? Yes, but I still really liked the ad.
Doritos? Bud Light? The Hangover on wheels with a whale? Whatever. Until $2.5 million brings us together again next year...
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Top 10 top 10 lists from the last 10 years as we head into 2010
I'm working on 10 lists to highlight some of my experiences over the last decade. I'm afraid that some of my lists are going to be more heavily weighted to the last few years because I don't remember stuff that well. I don't have all 10 lists yet, but I'll keep at it. Some of this may spill into next year.
Top 10 books I read in the last 10 years
10. Pistol: The Story of Pete Maravich
9. Count of Monte Cristo
8. Jitterbug Perfume
7. Harry Potter (I'm just lumping them all together, but I preferred the ones with Quidditch)
6. Ender's Game
5. Interpreter of Maladies
4. Prodigal Summer
3. The Perfect Mile
2. Bel Canto
1. Time Traveler's Wife
Top 10 years of the last 10
1. 2004
2. 2009
3. 2001
4. 2005
5. 2006
6. 2008
7. 2000
8. 2003
9. 2002
10. 2007
Top 10 songs played on iTunes (This is obviously skewed to the mid to late aughts)
10. Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly
9. Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz
8. Pale Moon by Shannon McNally
7. Screaming Infidelities by Dashboard Confessional
6. These Boots Are Made for Walkin' by Jessica Simpson
5. Gracie by Ben Folds
4. Age Six Racer by Dashboard Confessional
3. Half Acre by Hem
2. The Comeback by Shout Out Louds
1. 1B by Yo-yo Ma, Mark O'Connor and Edgar Meyer
Top 10 Athletic Achievements (I really feel like I'm forgetting something)
10.6k victory
9. making HOV and contributing in the early season
8. consistent weight training (165 front squat!)
7. Return to Ultimate after the year (?) of the psoas
6. The Golden Cup from Wildwood
5. Sectionals '02 game-winning Callahan
4. Pacing MB to a 5-minute mile on the first try
3.breaking 30 minutes in a 5-miler PRs including 15:46 5k, 29:36 5-miler...
2. 4:41 mile, the fastest in quite some time by bunches
1. The training and completion of the Marine Corps Marathon in '04
1a. MUtants and the Peter L. Offense Sectionals '01
Top 10 TV shows (some on DVD)
1. Gilmore Girls
2. Buffy The Vampire Slayer
3. The Office
4. Friends
5. Project Runway
6. Coupling
7. Flight of the Conchords
8. Sports Night
9. Ed
10. Alias
I'm working on 10 lists to highlight some of my experiences over the last decade. I'm afraid that some of my lists are going to be more heavily weighted to the last few years because I don't remember stuff that well. I don't have all 10 lists yet, but I'll keep at it. Some of this may spill into next year.
Top 10 books I read in the last 10 years
10. Pistol: The Story of Pete Maravich
9. Count of Monte Cristo
8. Jitterbug Perfume
7. Harry Potter (I'm just lumping them all together, but I preferred the ones with Quidditch)
6. Ender's Game
5. Interpreter of Maladies
4. Prodigal Summer
3. The Perfect Mile
2. Bel Canto
1. Time Traveler's Wife
Top 10 years of the last 10
1. 2004
2. 2009
3. 2001
4. 2005
5. 2006
6. 2008
7. 2000
8. 2003
9. 2002
10. 2007
Top 10 songs played on iTunes (This is obviously skewed to the mid to late aughts)
10. Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly
9. Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz
8. Pale Moon by Shannon McNally
7. Screaming Infidelities by Dashboard Confessional
6. These Boots Are Made for Walkin' by Jessica Simpson
5. Gracie by Ben Folds
4. Age Six Racer by Dashboard Confessional
3. Half Acre by Hem
2. The Comeback by Shout Out Louds
1. 1B by Yo-yo Ma, Mark O'Connor and Edgar Meyer
Top 10 Athletic Achievements (I really feel like I'm forgetting something)
10.
9. making HOV and contributing in the early season
8. consistent weight training (165 front squat!)
7. Return to Ultimate after the year (?) of the psoas
6. The Golden Cup from Wildwood
5. Sectionals '02 game-winning Callahan
4. Pacing MB to a 5-minute mile on the first try
3.
2. 4:41 mile, the fastest in quite some time by bunches
1. The training and completion of the Marine Corps Marathon in '04
1a. MUtants and the Peter L. Offense Sectionals '01
Top 10 TV shows (some on DVD)
1. Gilmore Girls
2. Buffy The Vampire Slayer
3. The Office
4. Friends
5. Project Runway
6. Coupling
7. Flight of the Conchords
8. Sports Night
9. Ed
10. Alias
Friday, November 13, 2009
TV: my viewing habits
I thought I'd provide a run down of the shows that I am watching, so you can watch them too and prevent another Dollhouse.
I have been watching Dollhouse, but it's been an uninspiring season. There seemed to be some intrigue and interesting questions about what it meant to be human last season, but this season there wasn't much to go on. Fox must have noticed the same since they've killed it. I'm disappointed that we won't get resolution, but I'm not even sure there was anything to resolve.
I'm still holding on to How I Met Your Mother, hoping that one day we'll actually find out. The show manages about one genuinely likable moment per episode and is sometimes good for a really hearty laugh. Slap bets are pretty amazing and I find that like FutureMarshall and FutureTed, I'm making FutureDave deal with more and more of the ramifications of my decisions (or non-decisions).
I've recently picked up Modern Family. It's got Carol Vescey from Ed, the actual Ed from Married With Children and a pretty hilarious kid. The other cast members have their moments, but the kid just cracks me up. It's three families who are all part of one big extended family and I like the balance of the three stories and the interplay of the group. The kid is holding this one together though.
I also watch Glee. I have some concerns about their ability to tell a story throughout the season, but for now I like the music and the drama is on the right side of that show about pies that I quit watching. This could really go either way.
I'm still holding strong with The Office. I don't like Jim in his new role as much and Pam seems a touch crazier, but overall this group is one that I'm willing to continue to watch for quite some time. I feel pretty connected at this point. It's almost like a real office.
Community has my attention. The character Ahbed is the funniest character on TV. He has stolen the show multiple times. His Batman was hand-waving, foot-stomping fantastic. The other characters have good roles and the right mix of likable and not.
There are a lot of ensembles on this list, eh?
I'm still watching Grey's Anatomy. It has some good moments, balanced by some pretty silly overblown drama, but I feel invested enough to stick it out for at least this season.
I'm also still watching Project Runway. I have the sense that they are moving away from the creative process and into the human drama. I don't approve. I probably should've called it quits, but I'm loyal to Heidi and I like Tim and a some of the designers were really good looking this season.
Oh yeah, I'm all about the creative process.
Tivo is keeping me up to date and I just found a new hour on Fridays. Tuning in or out or on or rewinding to catch that again...
I thought I'd provide a run down of the shows that I am watching, so you can watch them too and prevent another Dollhouse.
I have been watching Dollhouse, but it's been an uninspiring season. There seemed to be some intrigue and interesting questions about what it meant to be human last season, but this season there wasn't much to go on. Fox must have noticed the same since they've killed it. I'm disappointed that we won't get resolution, but I'm not even sure there was anything to resolve.
I'm still holding on to How I Met Your Mother, hoping that one day we'll actually find out. The show manages about one genuinely likable moment per episode and is sometimes good for a really hearty laugh. Slap bets are pretty amazing and I find that like FutureMarshall and FutureTed, I'm making FutureDave deal with more and more of the ramifications of my decisions (or non-decisions).
I've recently picked up Modern Family. It's got Carol Vescey from Ed, the actual Ed from Married With Children and a pretty hilarious kid. The other cast members have their moments, but the kid just cracks me up. It's three families who are all part of one big extended family and I like the balance of the three stories and the interplay of the group. The kid is holding this one together though.
I also watch Glee. I have some concerns about their ability to tell a story throughout the season, but for now I like the music and the drama is on the right side of that show about pies that I quit watching. This could really go either way.
I'm still holding strong with The Office. I don't like Jim in his new role as much and Pam seems a touch crazier, but overall this group is one that I'm willing to continue to watch for quite some time. I feel pretty connected at this point. It's almost like a real office.
Community has my attention. The character Ahbed is the funniest character on TV. He has stolen the show multiple times. His Batman was hand-waving, foot-stomping fantastic. The other characters have good roles and the right mix of likable and not.
There are a lot of ensembles on this list, eh?
I'm still watching Grey's Anatomy. It has some good moments, balanced by some pretty silly overblown drama, but I feel invested enough to stick it out for at least this season.
I'm also still watching Project Runway. I have the sense that they are moving away from the creative process and into the human drama. I don't approve. I probably should've called it quits, but I'm loyal to Heidi and I like Tim and a some of the designers were really good looking this season.
Oh yeah, I'm all about the creative process.
Tivo is keeping me up to date and I just found a new hour on Fridays. Tuning in or out or on or rewinding to catch that again...
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Another 60 seconds, another lollipop
I think I pay more attention to advertising than most people. At one point, I intended to make a career out of it. Now it's more of a hobby. I can't help but think about strategy, or appreciate a good line, or cringe in embarrassment for some client somewhere who thought that was a good idea. Now and again I see an ad or a campaign that makes me want to shake somebody's hand, or at least gets to me. I don't run out and buy things in response, but when it's really good, I can't stop talking about it for a while. It doesn't last, it's pop art, it's as disposable as most of the products, but it's something for a minute or two. As fast as things come these days, that's got to be worth the cable it runs through. Right now, I find two TV commercials worth talking about.
The first may be directed solely at me. This is part of cotton's new campaign. It's got Zooey Deschanel, whose music and look I find charming, singing about cotton while she goes through her day surrounded by music and cotton. She tickles the ivories on a great looking up right, she leafs through some records, she swings her hips while walking a bike, but what really gets me is when she reaches up for a banjo. Look out. I'm changing out of my dri-fit and putting on my cotton. Hi Zooey.
I did a little research and this ad is part of what is now a three-piece series. There's one for a country singer and one for an R&B singer as well. All are shot beautifully, with lots of color, glossy lips, and suggestions of creativity. Each takes the viewer on the journey from "fame" to everyday ordinary life. And look at that, everybody ends up in cotton when they aren't all glammed up. I'll be. Cotton just might be the fabric of our lives.
The second ad worth mentioning reaches me on a different level. Long ago, I'm not sure I understood what about advertising interested me. Now, I know. I wanted to take some words, rearrange them, and when they came out on the other side, they'd have some power, even if they didn't have meaning. Perhaps, I was (I am?) a little lazy, so I figured it would be best if I was limited to 30-second spots, or maybe a billboard. Advertising would have been a great outlet for that, instead I've got a blog. Which leads me to the "most interesting man in the world" campaign for Dos Equis. This campaign packs enough meaningless statements in 30 seconds for six young aspiring copywriters. A couple contenders:
"His beard alone has experienced more than a lesser man's entire body."
"His reputation is expanding faster than the universe."
My favorite and the champion meaningless statement, deserving of the highest honor, "He lives vicariously through himself."
That's enough to make me re-think my career path.
Wait, I have a career path?
I think I pay more attention to advertising than most people. At one point, I intended to make a career out of it. Now it's more of a hobby. I can't help but think about strategy, or appreciate a good line, or cringe in embarrassment for some client somewhere who thought that was a good idea. Now and again I see an ad or a campaign that makes me want to shake somebody's hand, or at least gets to me. I don't run out and buy things in response, but when it's really good, I can't stop talking about it for a while. It doesn't last, it's pop art, it's as disposable as most of the products, but it's something for a minute or two. As fast as things come these days, that's got to be worth the cable it runs through. Right now, I find two TV commercials worth talking about.
The first may be directed solely at me. This is part of cotton's new campaign. It's got Zooey Deschanel, whose music and look I find charming, singing about cotton while she goes through her day surrounded by music and cotton. She tickles the ivories on a great looking up right, she leafs through some records, she swings her hips while walking a bike, but what really gets me is when she reaches up for a banjo. Look out. I'm changing out of my dri-fit and putting on my cotton. Hi Zooey.
I did a little research and this ad is part of what is now a three-piece series. There's one for a country singer and one for an R&B singer as well. All are shot beautifully, with lots of color, glossy lips, and suggestions of creativity. Each takes the viewer on the journey from "fame" to everyday ordinary life. And look at that, everybody ends up in cotton when they aren't all glammed up. I'll be. Cotton just might be the fabric of our lives.
The second ad worth mentioning reaches me on a different level. Long ago, I'm not sure I understood what about advertising interested me. Now, I know. I wanted to take some words, rearrange them, and when they came out on the other side, they'd have some power, even if they didn't have meaning. Perhaps, I was (I am?) a little lazy, so I figured it would be best if I was limited to 30-second spots, or maybe a billboard. Advertising would have been a great outlet for that, instead I've got a blog. Which leads me to the "most interesting man in the world" campaign for Dos Equis. This campaign packs enough meaningless statements in 30 seconds for six young aspiring copywriters. A couple contenders:
"His beard alone has experienced more than a lesser man's entire body."
"His reputation is expanding faster than the universe."
My favorite and the champion meaningless statement, deserving of the highest honor, "He lives vicariously through himself."
That's enough to make me re-think my career path.
Wait, I have a career path?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
I've got a theory
Groups with enthusiasm are an awesome force. Saturday night I was part of a sing-a-long birthday party. We had parts and dressed up and we performed. Some more than others. The stage was set on a cardboard and construction paper Sunnydale, California. If we'd ripped up the carpet we probably would have found a cardboard Hellmouth, but we were contented with magic shop contents and eating at The Bronze between the store fronts of main street. The Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV show episode "Once More with Feeling" was our assignment and celebrating Kim was our motivation.
I practiced many hours to learn the part of Xander as best I could. I still clung to the security of my script during my songs. Others either practiced more or have more natural talents. It was an impressive display of modest singing ability. The most impressive part was the enthusiasm everyone shared. We were into it and thrilled by each performance. People knew or made up choreography. Everyone smiled and laughed and sang like he or she was in the episode. We could have been the understudies. I'm a little biased, but it was that good. And if it wasn't, at least it was that much fun.
Somehow, it felt like more than fun . It was more like teamwork. It felt like it meant more than just a sing-a-long. I've heard most of my friends sing karaoke in that same basement, but this was bigger. I saw the talents of my friends in a renewed light. It felt important that we had trusted each other enough to show that we cared about something, even a basement performance. The event didn't transform my view of my friends, but it reminded me a little of what it was like to first meet them and be amazed. That's a special gift and quite a party.
Groups with enthusiasm are an awesome force. Saturday night I was part of a sing-a-long birthday party. We had parts and dressed up and we performed. Some more than others. The stage was set on a cardboard and construction paper Sunnydale, California. If we'd ripped up the carpet we probably would have found a cardboard Hellmouth, but we were contented with magic shop contents and eating at The Bronze between the store fronts of main street. The Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV show episode "Once More with Feeling" was our assignment and celebrating Kim was our motivation.
I practiced many hours to learn the part of Xander as best I could. I still clung to the security of my script during my songs. Others either practiced more or have more natural talents. It was an impressive display of modest singing ability. The most impressive part was the enthusiasm everyone shared. We were into it and thrilled by each performance. People knew or made up choreography. Everyone smiled and laughed and sang like he or she was in the episode. We could have been the understudies. I'm a little biased, but it was that good. And if it wasn't, at least it was that much fun.
Somehow, it felt like more than fun . It was more like teamwork. It felt like it meant more than just a sing-a-long. I've heard most of my friends sing karaoke in that same basement, but this was bigger. I saw the talents of my friends in a renewed light. It felt important that we had trusted each other enough to show that we cared about something, even a basement performance. The event didn't transform my view of my friends, but it reminded me a little of what it was like to first meet them and be amazed. That's a special gift and quite a party.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Somewhat of a tradition
I don't think last night's commercials gave me a lot to work with, but there's something to be said for sticking to a tradition. I wrote down some notes before I went to bed, but I spent the day reading reviews, so my biases may have shifted. Oh, it's easy to be a critic...
*Since there was a ton of animation, I feel like I need to make a special category for that. My award for coolest CGI goes to the Coca-Cola picnic. I especially liked the butterflies as coke bottle effect. (Disclaimer: One of my favorite childhood stories was about a can of root beer in a park.)
*The commercial that made me stop and watch was the Hyundai commercial with the various languages. I don't know that it had a lot of sticking power, but it caught my attention initially.
*The updated mean Joe Green commercial with Troy Palamalu hurt me. I couldn't tell how many from my party even caught the reference.
*The Godaddy ads were painful to watch on tv. I broke down and went to see the "Too hot for TV" versions. As far as I know, they weren't too hot for tv, but at least they made sense online. Godaddy needs to get a real strategy. This one trick pony should be put out to pasture.
*I thought the cars.com commercial with the guy who had it all going his way showed a lot of promise, but the payoff was cars.com and that seemed like squat. Nothing like having your product come off as a disappointment to drive people to your site.
*I liked the John Elway twist at the end of the Heroes promo ad.
*The women at my party didn't seemed pleased with the talking flowers ad, but for my money it was right on. How can I buy boxed flowers now?
I don't really have a favorite ad this year, but the one that was just one stray alien tentacle away was the Alec Baldwin hulu.com ad. He had me until he became an alien. I was perfectly happy with a Baldwin sucking my media-addled brain, but as soon as he became otherworldly it had all gone too far.
It's a fine line. Or at least that's what I think.
What a game.
I don't think last night's commercials gave me a lot to work with, but there's something to be said for sticking to a tradition. I wrote down some notes before I went to bed, but I spent the day reading reviews, so my biases may have shifted. Oh, it's easy to be a critic...
*Since there was a ton of animation, I feel like I need to make a special category for that. My award for coolest CGI goes to the Coca-Cola picnic. I especially liked the butterflies as coke bottle effect. (Disclaimer: One of my favorite childhood stories was about a can of root beer in a park.)
*The commercial that made me stop and watch was the Hyundai commercial with the various languages. I don't know that it had a lot of sticking power, but it caught my attention initially.
*The updated mean Joe Green commercial with Troy Palamalu hurt me. I couldn't tell how many from my party even caught the reference.
*The Godaddy ads were painful to watch on tv. I broke down and went to see the "Too hot for TV" versions. As far as I know, they weren't too hot for tv, but at least they made sense online. Godaddy needs to get a real strategy. This one trick pony should be put out to pasture.
*I thought the cars.com commercial with the guy who had it all going his way showed a lot of promise, but the payoff was cars.com and that seemed like squat. Nothing like having your product come off as a disappointment to drive people to your site.
*I liked the John Elway twist at the end of the Heroes promo ad.
*The women at my party didn't seemed pleased with the talking flowers ad, but for my money it was right on. How can I buy boxed flowers now?
I don't really have a favorite ad this year, but the one that was just one stray alien tentacle away was the Alec Baldwin hulu.com ad. He had me until he became an alien. I was perfectly happy with a Baldwin sucking my media-addled brain, but as soon as he became otherworldly it had all gone too far.
It's a fine line. Or at least that's what I think.
What a game.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The Midas remote control
You've seen Click and read up on your Greek mythology, but if you'll indulge me for just one moment, I'll tell you about the time my remote control was pure gold. Literally. Except, not literally at all.
Last night, I found myself stumbling around the digital air waves. (What are these now? They aren't air waves, are they? Where do we stumble when we're flipping channels; why it's not even a flip anymore, maybe a blip...) In a New York minute, I can never remember if those are fast or slow, but I want the fast ones here, I went from having nothing to watch and very little meaning in my Monday evening to having three sporting events that I cared passionately about. When I say passionately here, I mean the sort of passion that one might feel for his third favorite pair of pants- that's the passion I'm talking about. First, I found Georgetown upsetting Connecticut in some Big East basketball. I don't know when I became a Georgetown fan exactly, but I think it happened. It might be because they are good and nearby, some sort of beacon of awesome or something. Between channel blipping, I found that G-town was able to hold off Connecticut for the victory. Yay! recently adopted team. Then, through the telepathy of ESPN and the rippling facebook status updates, I found that Missouri was battling the vastly inferior except when they weren't which was like all night Northwestern team. Missouri escaped with a victory. All right. That actually concluded after the Washington Wizards went on their first winning streak of the season. These 2 recent victories bring their record to 6-23. Needless to say, that's been fun to cheer for.
All of this through the magic of my remote control. And I want to get rid of cable...
You've seen Click and read up on your Greek mythology, but if you'll indulge me for just one moment, I'll tell you about the time my remote control was pure gold. Literally. Except, not literally at all.
Last night, I found myself stumbling around the digital air waves. (What are these now? They aren't air waves, are they? Where do we stumble when we're flipping channels; why it's not even a flip anymore, maybe a blip...) In a New York minute, I can never remember if those are fast or slow, but I want the fast ones here, I went from having nothing to watch and very little meaning in my Monday evening to having three sporting events that I cared passionately about. When I say passionately here, I mean the sort of passion that one might feel for his third favorite pair of pants- that's the passion I'm talking about. First, I found Georgetown upsetting Connecticut in some Big East basketball. I don't know when I became a Georgetown fan exactly, but I think it happened. It might be because they are good and nearby, some sort of beacon of awesome or something. Between channel blipping, I found that G-town was able to hold off Connecticut for the victory. Yay! recently adopted team. Then, through the telepathy of ESPN and the rippling facebook status updates, I found that Missouri was battling the vastly inferior except when they weren't which was like all night Northwestern team. Missouri escaped with a victory. All right. That actually concluded after the Washington Wizards went on their first winning streak of the season. These 2 recent victories bring their record to 6-23. Needless to say, that's been fun to cheer for.
All of this through the magic of my remote control. And I want to get rid of cable...
Monday, February 04, 2008
Go to the fridge during the game
There are 4 Super Bowl ads that I feel the need to mention and react to in some way, mostly negatively, which may say something about me. They are also all liquids which may say even more; like I was thirsty.
1. SoBe LifeWater- these ads were kind of dumb. I don't really know what to make of LifeWater (if that's what it was even called.) I guess I'll drink it if I want to dance with lizards. Isn't that why I have Geico insurance or is that just for the talking?
2. Gatorade- This ad broke my heart and not in a "aw, we were so close to making things work" sort of way, but in a "Gatorade, WTF?" I get that they were falling in the babies, animals, sex syllabus of selling, but Gatorade is one of those products that has the potential to make me want to get up off the couch and be somebody. Maybe they are searching for a new market that includes dogs? I'm uninspired, disappointed, and reconsidering LifeWater and the lizards.
3. Coke- This ad containing parade floats chasing Coke was intriguing and kind of fun to watch, but I'm at a loss as to what to do with the end. Charlie Brown ends up with the highly sought after bottle of cola. Doesn't this go against the very thing we love about Charlie Brown? Is this a slap in the face to the memory of Schulz? Charlie Brown is the lovable everyman who doesn't kick the field goal, doesn't win the game, doesn't get the red-headed girl, so how does he end up with the Coke? I need more back-story or I need someone else to end up with the Coke. Good Grief.
4. Amp- I guess this is my winner. When the winner involves a large man attaching jumper cables to his nipples, this was a year when the game outplayed the ads. I don't want to downplay this one completely. It was horrifyingly appealing to watch and about an energy drink, so right on target in my mind.
There are 4 Super Bowl ads that I feel the need to mention and react to in some way, mostly negatively, which may say something about me. They are also all liquids which may say even more; like I was thirsty.
1. SoBe LifeWater- these ads were kind of dumb. I don't really know what to make of LifeWater (if that's what it was even called.) I guess I'll drink it if I want to dance with lizards. Isn't that why I have Geico insurance or is that just for the talking?
2. Gatorade- This ad broke my heart and not in a "aw, we were so close to making things work" sort of way, but in a "Gatorade, WTF?" I get that they were falling in the babies, animals, sex syllabus of selling, but Gatorade is one of those products that has the potential to make me want to get up off the couch and be somebody. Maybe they are searching for a new market that includes dogs? I'm uninspired, disappointed, and reconsidering LifeWater and the lizards.
3. Coke- This ad containing parade floats chasing Coke was intriguing and kind of fun to watch, but I'm at a loss as to what to do with the end. Charlie Brown ends up with the highly sought after bottle of cola. Doesn't this go against the very thing we love about Charlie Brown? Is this a slap in the face to the memory of Schulz? Charlie Brown is the lovable everyman who doesn't kick the field goal, doesn't win the game, doesn't get the red-headed girl, so how does he end up with the Coke? I need more back-story or I need someone else to end up with the Coke. Good Grief.
4. Amp- I guess this is my winner. When the winner involves a large man attaching jumper cables to his nipples, this was a year when the game outplayed the ads. I don't want to downplay this one completely. It was horrifyingly appealing to watch and about an energy drink, so right on target in my mind.
Friday, October 19, 2007
STUCKEY-ville
I'm in the mood for Ed. Mix up some of that Tom Cavanaugh goofiness, throw in some Carol Vescey angst, and a few wacky bowling alley lawyer high jinxing fun and man... that'd be swell. Will Ed and Carol get together? I mean he did kind of ride in on that white horse or as a knight, or man he was a little bit too much of a hopeless romantic. It was kind of sickening. I think I stopped watching before they cancelled that show.
I could go for some right now.
I'm in the mood for Ed. Mix up some of that Tom Cavanaugh goofiness, throw in some Carol Vescey angst, and a few wacky bowling alley lawyer high jinxing fun and man... that'd be swell. Will Ed and Carol get together? I mean he did kind of ride in on that white horse or as a knight, or man he was a little bit too much of a hopeless romantic. It was kind of sickening. I think I stopped watching before they cancelled that show.
I could go for some right now.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Searching for this season's woman of substance?
With Veronica Mars and the Gilmore Girls relegated to DVDs, it appears I'm searching for new tv women to fill a void. Tonight Bionic Woman faced off against Gossip Girl. On the surface, the edge would seem to go to the bionic one. She's strong and can leap from building to building, plus I have vague childhood memories of another bionic woman or maybe it was a six-million dollar man. There were definitely cool sound effects. The sound effects have gone away; there's no money in sound effects. The money is at the track, the soundtrack. I couldn't be bothered with more than a few minutes of the Bionic Woman at a time. It was dark. The lead was not very attractive and I have the sense that the show should have kept with the current trend of turning old tv shows into movies. It worked for Dukes of Hazzard. The Bionic one didn't really get a fair shake, as I was busy watching that girl from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Pants connections to Alexis Bledel aside, there's something about this show that isn't quite horrible. Gossip Girl is narrated by Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars fame. Listening to Kristen Bell is not the same as watching her, but then watching a show by the creator of the O.C. is also not the same as watching a show by Rob Thomas. There's no sound effects in this one either, although we do get some class warfare, some high-schoolers trying to fit in and more than our fair share of forced (as in crammed down our throats) intrigue. Also, The Bravery made an appearance on the soundtrack which was fun. (Ooh. They're playing here on Halloween.) There were fewer drinks and sex this week than last, but the world isn't light, even if what's her face's hair is. Finally, the potential villain, if rich high school boys without twirlable mustaches can achieve villain status, was drinking a scotch. That's kind of a draw. Though I do wonder why CW shows tend to portray more scotch drinkers than any other network. Is that in their mission statement?
I'm not calling this one completely in favor of Gossip Girl yet, it is the CW after all, but I'd say Gossip is poised to take Bionic based on early returns.
With Veronica Mars and the Gilmore Girls relegated to DVDs, it appears I'm searching for new tv women to fill a void. Tonight Bionic Woman faced off against Gossip Girl. On the surface, the edge would seem to go to the bionic one. She's strong and can leap from building to building, plus I have vague childhood memories of another bionic woman or maybe it was a six-million dollar man. There were definitely cool sound effects. The sound effects have gone away; there's no money in sound effects. The money is at the track, the soundtrack. I couldn't be bothered with more than a few minutes of the Bionic Woman at a time. It was dark. The lead was not very attractive and I have the sense that the show should have kept with the current trend of turning old tv shows into movies. It worked for Dukes of Hazzard. The Bionic one didn't really get a fair shake, as I was busy watching that girl from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Pants connections to Alexis Bledel aside, there's something about this show that isn't quite horrible. Gossip Girl is narrated by Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars fame. Listening to Kristen Bell is not the same as watching her, but then watching a show by the creator of the O.C. is also not the same as watching a show by Rob Thomas. There's no sound effects in this one either, although we do get some class warfare, some high-schoolers trying to fit in and more than our fair share of forced (as in crammed down our throats) intrigue. Also, The Bravery made an appearance on the soundtrack which was fun. (Ooh. They're playing here on Halloween.) There were fewer drinks and sex this week than last, but the world isn't light, even if what's her face's hair is. Finally, the potential villain, if rich high school boys without twirlable mustaches can achieve villain status, was drinking a scotch. That's kind of a draw. Though I do wonder why CW shows tend to portray more scotch drinkers than any other network. Is that in their mission statement?
I'm not calling this one completely in favor of Gossip Girl yet, it is the CW after all, but I'd say Gossip is poised to take Bionic based on early returns.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Monday, August 06, 2007
Dear Jen
(of NBC's reality series Age of Love),
I know that you were trying to win the affections of a man 18 years your junior, not just any man either, the tennis star Mark Philapoulousasasas I won't spell his name, you know it. I just wanted to say that despite your covered-in-darkness massage (MASS-age according to the Aussie boy) and the on-air snogging that everyone in this show partook in, I thought you did a bang-up job. I can say this with some authority because I was able to watch all of the episodes of Age of Love. Some people might be ashamed of this fact, but when NBC pitted 40 vs. 20 I knew almost instantly that I was a fan of yours. Your hotness defied age and you seemed pretty cool too. And really, wasn't that the point of this whole experiement?
Sometimes, during the commercials I would picture our lives together. I pictured our 50th wedding anniversary. By then, I'd learned over and over again that age really didn't matter. Even at 98, your smile still melted my heart and you still looked great in motorcycle chaps. As I stood next to our cake, a tiny tear formed in my eye as our adopted Guatamalan daughter, Jane, 38, hugged her 75-year old step-brother. Or was she holding him up? Regardless, he and I had shared some good times, too. Those years where he lived with us are some that I'll cherish forever. I know you grew tired of our thirty-something antics, but we grew out of them as he entered his fifties and you and I were able to appreciate an empty nest. You always said that 70 was the new 50. Thank goodness for early retirement.
The commercials would end and I would be plunged back into reality tv, which as we all learned long ago is different than reality. It hurt me to see you with another man, but then I realized that you'd been with another man when I was born. That took away some of the heartache. It was hard to see the chemistry you shared with Mark, but when the credits roll, I just want you to be happy. If not with me, I hope you find it with someone, no matter his age. Good luck, Jen. Thank you for teaching me that hotness and coolness can come at any age at least with proper make-up and editing.
Ignore that last part. That's the heartache talking.
With (ageless) love,
Dave
(of NBC's reality series Age of Love),
I know that you were trying to win the affections of a man 18 years your junior, not just any man either, the tennis star Mark Philapoulousasasas I won't spell his name, you know it. I just wanted to say that despite your covered-in-darkness massage (MASS-age according to the Aussie boy) and the on-air snogging that everyone in this show partook in, I thought you did a bang-up job. I can say this with some authority because I was able to watch all of the episodes of Age of Love. Some people might be ashamed of this fact, but when NBC pitted 40 vs. 20 I knew almost instantly that I was a fan of yours. Your hotness defied age and you seemed pretty cool too. And really, wasn't that the point of this whole experiement?
Sometimes, during the commercials I would picture our lives together. I pictured our 50th wedding anniversary. By then, I'd learned over and over again that age really didn't matter. Even at 98, your smile still melted my heart and you still looked great in motorcycle chaps. As I stood next to our cake, a tiny tear formed in my eye as our adopted Guatamalan daughter, Jane, 38, hugged her 75-year old step-brother. Or was she holding him up? Regardless, he and I had shared some good times, too. Those years where he lived with us are some that I'll cherish forever. I know you grew tired of our thirty-something antics, but we grew out of them as he entered his fifties and you and I were able to appreciate an empty nest. You always said that 70 was the new 50. Thank goodness for early retirement.
The commercials would end and I would be plunged back into reality tv, which as we all learned long ago is different than reality. It hurt me to see you with another man, but then I realized that you'd been with another man when I was born. That took away some of the heartache. It was hard to see the chemistry you shared with Mark, but when the credits roll, I just want you to be happy. If not with me, I hope you find it with someone, no matter his age. Good luck, Jen. Thank you for teaching me that hotness and coolness can come at any age at least with proper make-up and editing.
Ignore that last part. That's the heartache talking.
With (ageless) love,
Dave
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
The problem with syndication
It was just 30 minutes ago when young Rachel Green was getting her first real job. The world was hers for the taking. Happiness abounded. Then just like that, in the blink of a plotline, Rachel and Ross were on a break. U2 played loudly in the background. Hearts were breaking all across non high-definition television sets. The ups. The downs. It's almost too much for one man to weather.
I'll be brave.
It was just 30 minutes ago when young Rachel Green was getting her first real job. The world was hers for the taking. Happiness abounded. Then just like that, in the blink of a plotline, Rachel and Ross were on a break. U2 played loudly in the background. Hearts were breaking all across non high-definition television sets. The ups. The downs. It's almost too much for one man to weather.
I'll be brave.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Talking to my TV
Every so often a commercial comes along that makes me say, "Spot on."
Hanes new commercial starring one Jennifer Love Hewitt is that commercial. Admittedly, I don't buy a lot of bras, but the attitude, the casting, the lines seem perfect.
Every so often a commercial comes along that makes me say, "Spot on."
Hanes new commercial starring one Jennifer Love Hewitt is that commercial. Admittedly, I don't buy a lot of bras, but the attitude, the casting, the lines seem perfect.
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