A little bit of background info: "If I Can Dream" is a show on Hulu that's basically like the Real World except everyone in the Los Angeles house is pursuing music/acting/modeling. I didn't start watching the show until they put Alex Lambert in the house, because he was one of my favorites on American Idol. Unfortunately, he got voted off right before the top 12, thus leading to the suckiest season of Idol to date (I will likely devote multiple future entries to American Idol - mark your calendars!).
There's also a live feed to watch the cast members inside of the house. I refuse to link to the website, because this is where I draw the line on reality shows. Even I, who gave up my Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights for 4 seasons of Big Brother, could never understand why people would want to watch the live feeds. That's just so damn creepy. And besides, I usually only skip to the parts of each half-hour episode where Alex is on, but some of the other cast members are pretty entertaining too. There's Ben, who's gorgeous yet awkwardly cute. And then there's Miley Cyrus' ex-boyfriend, Justin, who has the personality of a bowl of cat food. Sigh. You win some, you lose some.
Now, the reason I'm giving you all of this useless information isn't so that one day you'll win on VH1's World Series of Pop Culture (please, please, decision-makers at Vh1 and Viacom, please bring back this show). No, the reason that I'm giving you this information is so that I can now present to you the Acoustic Song of the Day!
Today's song is by Veronica Ballestrini. Veronica won some contest that allowed her to come to the house for a few weeks, or something like that. I'm a little foggy on the details. If Justin was explaining it then I probably got really bored and started watching stuff like this on YouTube (Side note: They should replace Justin with one of those puppies! They are 10 times more fun to watch). So, Veronica came to the house, recorded a few songs, had a showmance with Alex (ugh. Seriously, do they think they're on Big Brother? I swear, if Evel Dick becomes the newest cast member, I will boycott the show). One of the songs that Veronica sang on the show is called "Don't Say," and is available on iTunes but only in the country version (she's a country artist, even though she doesn't sound like it in this video). I'm hoping that she'll release the acoustic version of this soon! There's also a version of the song that she sings with Alex, although I prefer this version. Alex also has some great songs, like "Imperfectly Perfect" and this "Use Somebody" cover with the American Idol winner from this year, Lee Dewyze, and that other dude that I've written about before.
So enjoy! And if you're looking for a show to watch this summer (besides Friday Night Lights and iCarly) then go check out "If I Can Dream" on Hulu!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Wom Quote of the Day & The Hills
Remember that one post where I mentioned how Wom never let me watch the MTV Challenges? Well, I learned tonight that now, I'm apparently not even allowed to watch The Hills. It's ironic, since The Hills is probably the only show left on MTV where most of its' stars don't fall asleep covered in their own puke at least 3 times a week.
But tonight, I got suckered into watching some old episodes, as the network is showing a marathon to commemorate the show's season finale this Tuesday. The episode I was watching included the cast traveling down to Costa Rica, where Kristin hooked up with a bartender to make Brody jealous. While I was watching, Wom, who was in the other room, exclaimed:
"I forbid you to watch this on my television! This is narcissistic trash." She then commented on how the cast should be doing volunteer work, rather than, I assume she meant, traveling to exotic locales where all they do is drink and gossip on the beach- which is pretty much what they do every day back in LA.
Now, I'm assuming Wom wasn't serious in these restrictions she set for me, since I continued to watch the show. I even endured a "Hills: Revealed" behind-the-scenes episode, as well as part of a special that summarized each season.
I don't think Wom understands why The Hills is so fun to watch. Unlike Real Housewives, where I really get sucked into the drama, or The Challenges, where I have become oddly attached to the cast members over the years, I watch The Hills with a sense of disbelief and curiosity. While Laguna Beach and the first few seasons of The Hills felt authentic in how they portrayed the lives of the cast members, the show now feels like it it's giving you an inch of perspective into the ocean that is each of these people's worlds.
The people on The Hills (I want to call them actors, but I'll refrain) don't acknowledge that they are followed by cameras, or written about in tabloids. On the behind-the-scenes episode I watched tonight, the producers mentioned how the "Speidi" wedding was flooded with paparazzi, yet there was nary a mention of it in the episode, as far as I remember. Or how about in Season 3 when Lauren and Heidi's friendship ended? Lauren mentioned to Whitney how "rumors" about her had ended up on the "Internet"-failing to mention how Perez Hilton, among other websites, were covering the scandal. This wasn't just some nasty status that a classmate put up on their Facebook.
Now, Kristin is reportedly seeing a member of the production team, while Brody is with Avril Lavigne, which indicates that the stars of The Hills don't just magically find their lovers at Les Deux, or Area, or whatever the club du jour is- who they are dating is significantly influenced by the fact that they are not just normal people living in LA. Kristen first starred on Laguna Beach when she was a junior in high school. She has been famous for a good portion of her life. Brody's been on several other reality shows, and his extended family has a very popular show. The Hills still tries to sell itself as reality and its cast members as regular young adults, when you are much more likely to get a true sense of who these people are by picking up a new Us Weekly. Even the cast members realize this, with Lo Bosworth referring to the show as a "docu-soap", as if The Hills has turned into an almost unclassifiable genre where importance is placed on romance and drama over reality and truth. On the behind-the-scenes special, the producers kept referring to the cast members as "characters" and talked about their "stories," as if their lives are just plot points for The Next Great American TV Show.
So, Wom, yes, I know The Hills is narcissistic trash. But even if the cast members did spend their time doing volunteer work, I doubt we'd see it. It would probably be written off as a boring story line.
But tonight, I got suckered into watching some old episodes, as the network is showing a marathon to commemorate the show's season finale this Tuesday. The episode I was watching included the cast traveling down to Costa Rica, where Kristin hooked up with a bartender to make Brody jealous. While I was watching, Wom, who was in the other room, exclaimed:
"I forbid you to watch this on my television! This is narcissistic trash." She then commented on how the cast should be doing volunteer work, rather than, I assume she meant, traveling to exotic locales where all they do is drink and gossip on the beach- which is pretty much what they do every day back in LA.
Now, I'm assuming Wom wasn't serious in these restrictions she set for me, since I continued to watch the show. I even endured a "Hills: Revealed" behind-the-scenes episode, as well as part of a special that summarized each season.
I don't think Wom understands why The Hills is so fun to watch. Unlike Real Housewives, where I really get sucked into the drama, or The Challenges, where I have become oddly attached to the cast members over the years, I watch The Hills with a sense of disbelief and curiosity. While Laguna Beach and the first few seasons of The Hills felt authentic in how they portrayed the lives of the cast members, the show now feels like it it's giving you an inch of perspective into the ocean that is each of these people's worlds.
The people on The Hills (I want to call them actors, but I'll refrain) don't acknowledge that they are followed by cameras, or written about in tabloids. On the behind-the-scenes episode I watched tonight, the producers mentioned how the "Speidi" wedding was flooded with paparazzi, yet there was nary a mention of it in the episode, as far as I remember. Or how about in Season 3 when Lauren and Heidi's friendship ended? Lauren mentioned to Whitney how "rumors" about her had ended up on the "Internet"-failing to mention how Perez Hilton, among other websites, were covering the scandal. This wasn't just some nasty status that a classmate put up on their Facebook.
Now, Kristin is reportedly seeing a member of the production team, while Brody is with Avril Lavigne, which indicates that the stars of The Hills don't just magically find their lovers at Les Deux, or Area, or whatever the club du jour is- who they are dating is significantly influenced by the fact that they are not just normal people living in LA. Kristen first starred on Laguna Beach when she was a junior in high school. She has been famous for a good portion of her life. Brody's been on several other reality shows, and his extended family has a very popular show. The Hills still tries to sell itself as reality and its cast members as regular young adults, when you are much more likely to get a true sense of who these people are by picking up a new Us Weekly. Even the cast members realize this, with Lo Bosworth referring to the show as a "docu-soap", as if The Hills has turned into an almost unclassifiable genre where importance is placed on romance and drama over reality and truth. On the behind-the-scenes special, the producers kept referring to the cast members as "characters" and talked about their "stories," as if their lives are just plot points for The Next Great American TV Show.
So, Wom, yes, I know The Hills is narcissistic trash. But even if the cast members did spend their time doing volunteer work, I doubt we'd see it. It would probably be written off as a boring story line.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Hey, Whatever Happened To...
...The cast of Lizzie McGuire?
Recently, a friend informed me that the Lizzie McGuire Movie was on TV, and later that night it became a trending topic on Twitter. Obviously, the world loves Lizzie, and with good reason. The television show from the era of Zoog Disney (if you know what i'm talking about, you are a superstar, my friend) was totally boss. It was about a trio of friends: the main leader was a middle school girl with blonde hair that was always worrying about boys, including her main crush. There were her best friends: an outspoken brunette who wore much better clothes than the lead character, and a nerdy guy friend. There was also the annoying little brother, normal mom, Dad who tried to be cool, popular girl, popular girl's best friend, and a whole host of other characters. Wait....wasn't that a different show? Nope, definitely Lizzie McGuire.
Anyways, I was always a big Lizze McGuire fan. I even crimped my hair like her. Probably not the wisest choice, but hey, 4th grade is the time for trial and error when it comes to these types of things. And really, could you expect any differently when it comes to my hair history?
But Lizzie McGuire earned my respect for several reasons:
1. The show was much more grown up than other shows on Disney Channel at the time, but it was still wholesome fun. To think that just one year later I would start watching The Real World: San Diego really makes me question my judgment as a tween. And I can't even blame Wom for letting me watch MTV, because in high school I wasn't even allowed to watch the MTV Challenges, and I still feel ashamed whenever I turn it on to watch (not that that stops me).
2. In the episode where they went to camp, the tribe names for the campers were the same ones from the first season of Survivor. Only true survivor buffs (get it? buffs! so punny) probably caught the reference. Any show that squeezes in a reference to Survivor is alright with me (Ok, I love sneaky American Idol references even more).
3. One episode featured the song "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran (it was the episode where Matt searches the town trying to find his mute friend Lanny. Wikipedia is telling me that it was called "El Oro De Montezuma"). I wish more kids' shows featured 80's music. iCarly, I expect you to take the lead on this one.
Anyways, we all know that Lizzie McGuire (aka Hilary Duff) moved onto bigger things. But what about the rest of the cast?
I was devastated when I learned last summer that LaLaine (Really? No last name?) was arrested in 2007 for meth possession. WTF, LaLaine? I mean, this is seriously hardcore! I think you've been watching a bit too much Degrassi.
And whatever happened to Adam Lamberg, who played Gordo? Yes, I definitely had a crush on Gordo. Even at the age of 11, I knew I would forever only be attracted to Jewish guys. I never understood why Lizzie fell for Ethan Craft over Gordo. Maybe she didn't like pasty boys. The world may never know. She eventually changed her mind and (SPOILER ALERT) kissed him in the Lizzie McGuire movie. Now, I doubt Hilary Duff even remembers who Adam Lamberg is.
So, forgotten cast of Lizzie McGuire, if you are reading this, what the eff have you been doing all this time?!? Lifetime movies? Charity work? A tell-all memoir? Let me know in the comments, or have your agent (if you still have one) give me a call.
Picture Credit:
Lizzie McGuire Cast
Recently, a friend informed me that the Lizzie McGuire Movie was on TV, and later that night it became a trending topic on Twitter. Obviously, the world loves Lizzie, and with good reason. The television show from the era of Zoog Disney (if you know what i'm talking about, you are a superstar, my friend) was totally boss. It was about a trio of friends: the main leader was a middle school girl with blonde hair that was always worrying about boys, including her main crush. There were her best friends: an outspoken brunette who wore much better clothes than the lead character, and a nerdy guy friend. There was also the annoying little brother, normal mom, Dad who tried to be cool, popular girl, popular girl's best friend, and a whole host of other characters. Wait....wasn't that a different show? Nope, definitely Lizzie McGuire.
Anyways, I was always a big Lizze McGuire fan. I even crimped my hair like her. Probably not the wisest choice, but hey, 4th grade is the time for trial and error when it comes to these types of things. And really, could you expect any differently when it comes to my hair history?
But Lizzie McGuire earned my respect for several reasons:
1. The show was much more grown up than other shows on Disney Channel at the time, but it was still wholesome fun. To think that just one year later I would start watching The Real World: San Diego really makes me question my judgment as a tween. And I can't even blame Wom for letting me watch MTV, because in high school I wasn't even allowed to watch the MTV Challenges, and I still feel ashamed whenever I turn it on to watch (not that that stops me).
2. In the episode where they went to camp, the tribe names for the campers were the same ones from the first season of Survivor. Only true survivor buffs (get it? buffs! so punny) probably caught the reference. Any show that squeezes in a reference to Survivor is alright with me (Ok, I love sneaky American Idol references even more).
3. One episode featured the song "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran (it was the episode where Matt searches the town trying to find his mute friend Lanny. Wikipedia is telling me that it was called "El Oro De Montezuma"). I wish more kids' shows featured 80's music. iCarly, I expect you to take the lead on this one.
Anyways, we all know that Lizzie McGuire (aka Hilary Duff) moved onto bigger things. But what about the rest of the cast?
I was devastated when I learned last summer that LaLaine (Really? No last name?) was arrested in 2007 for meth possession. WTF, LaLaine? I mean, this is seriously hardcore! I think you've been watching a bit too much Degrassi.
And whatever happened to Adam Lamberg, who played Gordo? Yes, I definitely had a crush on Gordo. Even at the age of 11, I knew I would forever only be attracted to Jewish guys. I never understood why Lizzie fell for Ethan Craft over Gordo. Maybe she didn't like pasty boys. The world may never know. She eventually changed her mind and (SPOILER ALERT) kissed him in the Lizzie McGuire movie. Now, I doubt Hilary Duff even remembers who Adam Lamberg is.
So, forgotten cast of Lizzie McGuire, if you are reading this, what the eff have you been doing all this time?!? Lifetime movies? Charity work? A tell-all memoir? Let me know in the comments, or have your agent (if you still have one) give me a call.
Picture Credit:
Lizzie McGuire Cast
YouTube Star of the Day
Dude is hilarious.
And...some people in the comments on this video think he's being serious. SMDH.
A Brief History of My Hair
**WARNING: On a scale of one to narcissistic, this post is an 11. Read at your own risk.**
At the beginning of summer, I made a list of goals to accomplish or work towards for the few months I'll be home: read more books (check), learn to cook (eh...no), exercise more (well, I mean I HAVE gone to the gym a couple of times...oh who are we kidding, the freshman 15 i going to be nothing compared to the summer 70...oh God please don't let that be a real phenomenon). One thing I forgot to add to the list: Decide what to finally do about my hair.
Here's the thing: I love my hair. I don't care if that's an immodest thing to say, but it's true. It's not that it's my hair that's so special, per se, but just the idea that your hair can still look good even if you've gone back for seconds at the dining hall (damn you, freshman 15), or if you haven't laid out all summer and are pale as a ghost (excuse me, vampire).
I wouldn't say that I've been very adventurous with my hair over the years, at least not compared to certain celebrities. But I do like to try out different styles. It all started in 5th grade with what one of my teachers dubbed my "tiger stripes." You know - brown hair with chunks of blonde stripes in an almost wallpaper-like pattern.
For reasons that God only knows, I thought this looked cute. So cute, in fact, that I wanted to bring more edge to my look, and add red stripes to my hair, a la Kelly Clarkson on the cover of her freshman album.
Tragic, I know. Thankfully (no pun intended...come on, look at the album title!), I had a change of heart and decided not to go make the change. Actually, I just went through my old middle school diary trying to find an entry about this, because I knew I wrote about it, and I'll let 7th-grade me explain what happened:
2/28/04: "BTW, I'm getting chunky highlights and red streaks in my hair on March 7!"
3/12/04: "I actually didn't go through with the highlights. I thought they would be to 'look at me!.'"
1.) I commend 7th-grade me on using the BTW abbreve. So forward-thinking. Or, I'm just really immature and still use IM-speak in my blog entries.
2.) My handwriting back then was really good. I should brush up on my penmanship.
3.) I regret my improper choice of the word "to" over "too." 7th-grade me really should have paid more attention during grammar lessons.
(Sidenote: Now I'm reading old entries in my diary and this is freaking hilarious. 7th graders are so dramatic. Oh, and apparently I was so obsessed with the Gossip Girl books that I liked to sign my entries "You know you love me." Ah, I can't even take the nerdiness. Oh my god, I referenced Arrested Development in one of my entries. I take back what I just said - I was so cool in middle school.)
Then, in 10th grade I decided to go ballz to the wallz and dye my whole hair blonde. Now, this was nice for a while, but then I decided to change it up again and dye it super dark. I LOVED it at this color (a deep, deep brown, almost black), but eventually the dye washed out, and now I'm back to my natural lighter brown color.
So now, I'm face with the biggest dilemma of my life (sarcasm, folks): What color to dye my hair! Should I keep it brown? Go back to dark? Relive my middle school dream of getting those K. Clar red streaks? (Hell no.) I'm most likely not going back to blonde because:
A. I've been told I look better with dark hair.
B. It's a bitch to maintain, and expensive too. Hey, I can't buy properly keep up with my highlights AND have leftover money to buy the new Hanson cd!
As if this weren't enough to mull over, I also have to think about what length it should be. Last summer, I cut my hair to shoulder-length with layers, and now it's like 4 1/2 inches past that (Ok, that's totally an estimate. I have no idea how long it is. It's pretty long though). Now I need to figure out if I should go back to a short cut, or keep growing it out. One of my biggest goals in life is to have mermaid hair. Meaning, if I were a mermaid, my hair would cover where my seashell-bra would be. So, obviously I cannot achieve this look and get a sassy short hair cut at the same time. Well, there is one way, but I don't have $24,000 to purchase extensions, unlike some people.
Watching "Pretty Little Liars" (GREAT show, btw. Yes, dumb name, but whatevs) this summer has fueled my desire to have long hair, like the actresses on the show. For example, Lucy Hale:
(Note: I could never pull off a center part like this. Also, she has bitchin eyebrows. Perfectly arched!)
BUT, I've also ben watching the "Real World: New Orleans," and while I don't normally advise basing beauty decisions around a show where its participants urinate on each other's toiletries, one roommate this season, Sahar, has the cutest hair cut.
So, basically, I should just decide which summer show I like more. Or, I could think about which haircut would look better on me.
Nah, I'll just let the octopus decide.
Picture Credits:
Kelly Clarkson album, Lucy Hale, Sahar
At the beginning of summer, I made a list of goals to accomplish or work towards for the few months I'll be home: read more books (check), learn to cook (eh...no), exercise more (well, I mean I HAVE gone to the gym a couple of times...oh who are we kidding, the freshman 15 i going to be nothing compared to the summer 70...oh God please don't let that be a real phenomenon). One thing I forgot to add to the list: Decide what to finally do about my hair.
Here's the thing: I love my hair. I don't care if that's an immodest thing to say, but it's true. It's not that it's my hair that's so special, per se, but just the idea that your hair can still look good even if you've gone back for seconds at the dining hall (damn you, freshman 15), or if you haven't laid out all summer and are pale as a ghost (excuse me, vampire).
I wouldn't say that I've been very adventurous with my hair over the years, at least not compared to certain celebrities. But I do like to try out different styles. It all started in 5th grade with what one of my teachers dubbed my "tiger stripes." You know - brown hair with chunks of blonde stripes in an almost wallpaper-like pattern.
For reasons that God only knows, I thought this looked cute. So cute, in fact, that I wanted to bring more edge to my look, and add red stripes to my hair, a la Kelly Clarkson on the cover of her freshman album.
Tragic, I know. Thankfully (no pun intended...come on, look at the album title!), I had a change of heart and decided not to go make the change. Actually, I just went through my old middle school diary trying to find an entry about this, because I knew I wrote about it, and I'll let 7th-grade me explain what happened:
2/28/04: "BTW, I'm getting chunky highlights and red streaks in my hair on March 7!"
3/12/04: "I actually didn't go through with the highlights. I thought they would be to 'look at me!.'"
1.) I commend 7th-grade me on using the BTW abbreve. So forward-thinking. Or, I'm just really immature and still use IM-speak in my blog entries.
2.) My handwriting back then was really good. I should brush up on my penmanship.
3.) I regret my improper choice of the word "to" over "too." 7th-grade me really should have paid more attention during grammar lessons.
(Sidenote: Now I'm reading old entries in my diary and this is freaking hilarious. 7th graders are so dramatic. Oh, and apparently I was so obsessed with the Gossip Girl books that I liked to sign my entries "You know you love me." Ah, I can't even take the nerdiness. Oh my god, I referenced Arrested Development in one of my entries. I take back what I just said - I was so cool in middle school.)
Then, in 10th grade I decided to go ballz to the wallz and dye my whole hair blonde. Now, this was nice for a while, but then I decided to change it up again and dye it super dark. I LOVED it at this color (a deep, deep brown, almost black), but eventually the dye washed out, and now I'm back to my natural lighter brown color.
So now, I'm face with the biggest dilemma of my life (sarcasm, folks): What color to dye my hair! Should I keep it brown? Go back to dark? Relive my middle school dream of getting those K. Clar red streaks? (Hell no.) I'm most likely not going back to blonde because:
A. I've been told I look better with dark hair.
B. It's a bitch to maintain, and expensive too. Hey, I can't buy properly keep up with my highlights AND have leftover money to buy the new Hanson cd!
As if this weren't enough to mull over, I also have to think about what length it should be. Last summer, I cut my hair to shoulder-length with layers, and now it's like 4 1/2 inches past that (Ok, that's totally an estimate. I have no idea how long it is. It's pretty long though). Now I need to figure out if I should go back to a short cut, or keep growing it out. One of my biggest goals in life is to have mermaid hair. Meaning, if I were a mermaid, my hair would cover where my seashell-bra would be. So, obviously I cannot achieve this look and get a sassy short hair cut at the same time. Well, there is one way, but I don't have $24,000 to purchase extensions, unlike some people.
Watching "Pretty Little Liars" (GREAT show, btw. Yes, dumb name, but whatevs) this summer has fueled my desire to have long hair, like the actresses on the show. For example, Lucy Hale:
(Note: I could never pull off a center part like this. Also, she has bitchin eyebrows. Perfectly arched!)
BUT, I've also ben watching the "Real World: New Orleans," and while I don't normally advise basing beauty decisions around a show where its participants urinate on each other's toiletries, one roommate this season, Sahar, has the cutest hair cut.
So, basically, I should just decide which summer show I like more. Or, I could think about which haircut would look better on me.
Nah, I'll just let the octopus decide.
Picture Credits:
Kelly Clarkson album, Lucy Hale, Sahar
Friday, July 9, 2010
23 Going On 30
Today, I was informed via Twitter that Jessica Simpson will soon be turning 30.
Hold the eff up. What?!? I clearly remember the "Newlyweds" episode where J. Simps hilariously complains to then-hubby Nick Lachey about her upcoming 23rd birthday, "Well, 23 is old! It's almost 25 which is almost mid-twenties!" (Thanks to IMDB for having the actual quote, so I didn't have to rely solely on my somewhat faulty memory.)
So, this means it's been SEVEN years since that moment which feels like yesterday. Seven years ago I was 12. Seven years ago, Lindsay Lohan was a successful actress. Seven years ago, Justin Bieber was in 3rd grade (or whatever the Canadian equivalent is).
Wow, I feel so old right now. I mean, granted, its been years since Jess and Nick have been in happily wedded bliss (BTW: Did anyone else love the Newlyweds theme song as much as I did? Yet, I was perplexed as to why they never used Nick's former group's very appropriately-themed track I Do (Cherish You). Maybe Nick wanted to properly establish himself as a solo artist - yeah, how'd that work out for you? Actually, his other album did a lot better, which we all know was due to his awesome music video where random stuff magically disappeared from his fridge. Kudos, Nick's graphics team.)
And, both have moved on with other lovers. Nick, more successfully than Jessica. I mean, really Jessica, this guy? And don't even get me started on this asshole.
But still, the fact that it's been so long since the show that I used to tune into for for marathons every weekend has aired, makes me feel ancient, and a little nostalgic (oh no, you know what happens when I get nostalgic). Ah, "Newlyweds," I hope MTV will reruneth you in the near future.
Happy birthday, Jessica! May all of your birthday wishes be granted. Just remember: no matter how old you are, don't lose that youthful sense of joy and curiousity.
Question of the Day: Does it make you feel older when celebrities get older? Is there a certain celeb's birthday that you watch to help mark the passage of time?
Hold the eff up. What?!? I clearly remember the "Newlyweds" episode where J. Simps hilariously complains to then-hubby Nick Lachey about her upcoming 23rd birthday, "Well, 23 is old! It's almost 25 which is almost mid-twenties!" (Thanks to IMDB for having the actual quote, so I didn't have to rely solely on my somewhat faulty memory.)
So, this means it's been SEVEN years since that moment which feels like yesterday. Seven years ago I was 12. Seven years ago, Lindsay Lohan was a successful actress. Seven years ago, Justin Bieber was in 3rd grade (or whatever the Canadian equivalent is).
Wow, I feel so old right now. I mean, granted, its been years since Jess and Nick have been in happily wedded bliss (BTW: Did anyone else love the Newlyweds theme song as much as I did? Yet, I was perplexed as to why they never used Nick's former group's very appropriately-themed track I Do (Cherish You). Maybe Nick wanted to properly establish himself as a solo artist - yeah, how'd that work out for you? Actually, his other album did a lot better, which we all know was due to his awesome music video where random stuff magically disappeared from his fridge. Kudos, Nick's graphics team.)
And, both have moved on with other lovers. Nick, more successfully than Jessica. I mean, really Jessica, this guy? And don't even get me started on this asshole.
But still, the fact that it's been so long since the show that I used to tune into for for marathons every weekend has aired, makes me feel ancient, and a little nostalgic (oh no, you know what happens when I get nostalgic). Ah, "Newlyweds," I hope MTV will reruneth you in the near future.
Happy birthday, Jessica! May all of your birthday wishes be granted. Just remember: no matter how old you are, don't lose that youthful sense of joy and curiousity.
Question of the Day: Does it make you feel older when celebrities get older? Is there a certain celeb's birthday that you watch to help mark the passage of time?
TV Shows & Emmy Nominations
In case you haven't noticed, I'm a pretty big TV watcher. But my TV watching is not just limited to quality reality shows.
I do like shows that can actually garner accolades by a host of their television peers. I thought that since Emmy nominations were announced yesterday, now would be the perfect time to point out some of my favorite current shows.
Friday Night Lights
2010 Emmy Nominations: Kyle Chandler for Actor - Drama; Connie Britton for Actress - Drama. After these nominations were announced, I screamed, texted my friend who is also a huge FNL fan, and posted it on Twitter, where both actors' names soon started trending.
One Word Summary: Realistic
More Praise: I shouldn't like FNL. I hate football, I don't particularly like Texas, and I'm more into comedies than dramas. But that goes to show how amazing FNL is. The cast is superb. They improv a lot of their dialogue which, with the distinct camera-work, makes it feel like I'm watching a documentary (although it's not in a mockumentary format.) I don't watch an episode until I'm in the mood to cry because, believe me, FNL will make you cry. But is is so, so, so worth it.
Emmy-Worthy Scene: Julie, who is the daughter of the town's best football coach and the school's principal, is reeling from a recent breakup with her boyfriend Matt. Matt stayed in Dillon, TX a year after high school graduation so they could still be together, but after his father died in Iraq, he decided he needed some space and left Dillon. Julie has been trying to keep it together, but eventually breaks down. (Note: the song in the clip is "Fire" by Augustana).
LOST
2010 Emmy Nominations (not including minor ones): LOST for Drama; Matthew Fox for Actor - Drama; Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson for Supporting Actor - Drama
One Word Summary: Epic
More Praise: Like FNL, I shouldn't like LOST. It's sci-fi, scary, and so damn complicated. I've never watched a show like LOST. Almost every episode contains Biblical allusions, references to literary classics, tons of plot twists, and really, deeply moving characters. During the 2.5 hour finale, I cried 4 times before I just succumbed to my emotions all together and bawled during the entire last 20 minutes. When I woke up the next morning, tears began pouring down my face again. LOST fans get made fun of a lot, but there's a reason this show has the passionate fan base that it does. LOST was the show that made me go online and read 10 page recaps so that I could fully (well, partially) understand the subtext contained within each scene. I referred to LOST in 2 of my final papers for college first semester. LOST made me (and, I know, some of my friends) really give thought to heavy questions. LOST is definitely not for everyone. I like to think of it as a really good book- you can't just passively take it in, you really have to think about it (or "let it marinate," which is a new phrase I learned at school this year). It is, in my eyes, the best show every created.
Emmy-Worthy Scene: LOST is an extremely hard to follow show. You have to start watching with the first episode and you can't miss any episode or else you won't understand the story. Therefore, choosing one scene to help someone understand the whole show is basically impossible, but I'll still choose one of my favorite scenes. The character of Desmond, throughout the episode, has been going back and forth in his mind between 1996 and 2004, which could result in his death. The only way to prevent dying is to find a "constant"-someone that he loves in both time periods. That person for him is Penny- his one true love whom he broke up with before he crash landed for the Island in 2001.
Modern Family
2010 Emmy Nominations: Modern Family - Comedy; Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, and Ty Burrell for Supporting Actor - Comedy; Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara for Supporting Actress - Comedy; Fred Willard for Guest Actor - Comedy
One Word Summary: Goofy
More Praise: Modern Family has taken over The Office in my heart as the best mockumentary-style comedy on TV. The show, about a large, extended family, has plenty of goofy characters that make you laugh out loud. The writing is great, and the show is very smart and sets up plots so that they all come together at the end, and is usually topped off with a very kind and funny closing statement about family.
Emmy-Worthy Scene: A pigeon flew into Cameron and Mitchell's house. Cameron has locked himself in his daughter Lily's room as he is terrified of the bird, and Cameron is singing at a wedding so he can't help. Eventually Mitchell has to face his fear, and hilarity ensues.
Glee
2010 Emmy Nominations: Glee - Comedy; Lea Michele for Actress - Comedy; Matthew Morrison for Actor - Comedy; Chris Colfer for Supporting Actor - Comedy; Jane Lynch for Supporting Actress - Comedy; Mike O'Malley and Neil Patrick Harris for Guest Actor - Comedy; Kristen Chenoweth for Guest Actress - Comedy
One Word Summary: Fun
More Praise: I'm such a big supporter of all the success Glee has earned. The Pilot episode premiered after the finale of American Idol in 2009, and I remember seeing trailers for it even before then that made me want to check it out. Once I saw the Pilot episode, I was hooked. The show has laugh-out-loud one-liners, fantastic musical numbers, and surprisingly sweet moments. Some episodes deal with heavier and more emotional themes, and those have been some of the best episodes. I have the sinking feeling that Glee might get off track in Season 2, but here's hoping that it stays just as wonderful as the first season has been.
Emmy-Worthy Scene: The show really shines at its musical numbers, and "Somebody to Love" was one of its best.
I do like shows that can actually garner accolades by a host of their television peers. I thought that since Emmy nominations were announced yesterday, now would be the perfect time to point out some of my favorite current shows.
Friday Night Lights
2010 Emmy Nominations: Kyle Chandler for Actor - Drama; Connie Britton for Actress - Drama. After these nominations were announced, I screamed, texted my friend who is also a huge FNL fan, and posted it on Twitter, where both actors' names soon started trending.
One Word Summary: Realistic
More Praise: I shouldn't like FNL. I hate football, I don't particularly like Texas, and I'm more into comedies than dramas. But that goes to show how amazing FNL is. The cast is superb. They improv a lot of their dialogue which, with the distinct camera-work, makes it feel like I'm watching a documentary (although it's not in a mockumentary format.) I don't watch an episode until I'm in the mood to cry because, believe me, FNL will make you cry. But is is so, so, so worth it.
Emmy-Worthy Scene: Julie, who is the daughter of the town's best football coach and the school's principal, is reeling from a recent breakup with her boyfriend Matt. Matt stayed in Dillon, TX a year after high school graduation so they could still be together, but after his father died in Iraq, he decided he needed some space and left Dillon. Julie has been trying to keep it together, but eventually breaks down. (Note: the song in the clip is "Fire" by Augustana).
LOST
2010 Emmy Nominations (not including minor ones): LOST for Drama; Matthew Fox for Actor - Drama; Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson for Supporting Actor - Drama
One Word Summary: Epic
More Praise: Like FNL, I shouldn't like LOST. It's sci-fi, scary, and so damn complicated. I've never watched a show like LOST. Almost every episode contains Biblical allusions, references to literary classics, tons of plot twists, and really, deeply moving characters. During the 2.5 hour finale, I cried 4 times before I just succumbed to my emotions all together and bawled during the entire last 20 minutes. When I woke up the next morning, tears began pouring down my face again. LOST fans get made fun of a lot, but there's a reason this show has the passionate fan base that it does. LOST was the show that made me go online and read 10 page recaps so that I could fully (well, partially) understand the subtext contained within each scene. I referred to LOST in 2 of my final papers for college first semester. LOST made me (and, I know, some of my friends) really give thought to heavy questions. LOST is definitely not for everyone. I like to think of it as a really good book- you can't just passively take it in, you really have to think about it (or "let it marinate," which is a new phrase I learned at school this year). It is, in my eyes, the best show every created.
Emmy-Worthy Scene: LOST is an extremely hard to follow show. You have to start watching with the first episode and you can't miss any episode or else you won't understand the story. Therefore, choosing one scene to help someone understand the whole show is basically impossible, but I'll still choose one of my favorite scenes. The character of Desmond, throughout the episode, has been going back and forth in his mind between 1996 and 2004, which could result in his death. The only way to prevent dying is to find a "constant"-someone that he loves in both time periods. That person for him is Penny- his one true love whom he broke up with before he crash landed for the Island in 2001.
Modern Family
2010 Emmy Nominations: Modern Family - Comedy; Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, and Ty Burrell for Supporting Actor - Comedy; Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara for Supporting Actress - Comedy; Fred Willard for Guest Actor - Comedy
One Word Summary: Goofy
More Praise: Modern Family has taken over The Office in my heart as the best mockumentary-style comedy on TV. The show, about a large, extended family, has plenty of goofy characters that make you laugh out loud. The writing is great, and the show is very smart and sets up plots so that they all come together at the end, and is usually topped off with a very kind and funny closing statement about family.
Emmy-Worthy Scene: A pigeon flew into Cameron and Mitchell's house. Cameron has locked himself in his daughter Lily's room as he is terrified of the bird, and Cameron is singing at a wedding so he can't help. Eventually Mitchell has to face his fear, and hilarity ensues.
Glee
2010 Emmy Nominations: Glee - Comedy; Lea Michele for Actress - Comedy; Matthew Morrison for Actor - Comedy; Chris Colfer for Supporting Actor - Comedy; Jane Lynch for Supporting Actress - Comedy; Mike O'Malley and Neil Patrick Harris for Guest Actor - Comedy; Kristen Chenoweth for Guest Actress - Comedy
One Word Summary: Fun
More Praise: I'm such a big supporter of all the success Glee has earned. The Pilot episode premiered after the finale of American Idol in 2009, and I remember seeing trailers for it even before then that made me want to check it out. Once I saw the Pilot episode, I was hooked. The show has laugh-out-loud one-liners, fantastic musical numbers, and surprisingly sweet moments. Some episodes deal with heavier and more emotional themes, and those have been some of the best episodes. I have the sinking feeling that Glee might get off track in Season 2, but here's hoping that it stays just as wonderful as the first season has been.
Emmy-Worthy Scene: The show really shines at its musical numbers, and "Somebody to Love" was one of its best.
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