URRRRRG.
Alright, fine, listen. I wasn’t gonna, but the opinions, every week. And then, no one in my house or work watches, so I have to keep them to myself. Which, if you’ve met me, well. Not the most possible thing ever. So, fine. I have opinions. I make no promises for consistent recaps every week, but I have to say at least a little something about these most recent seven dances.
First of all, the praise the judges heap on Travis Wall is crazy well deserved. The kid is creative and resourceful and has created some amazingly physical, musical and emotional routines.
This week, he did a routine to one of my all-time favorite songs, “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” by Stars, so I was pre-disposed to love the dance. The song tells the story about being introduced, as though for the first time, to that one Ex that brings up all your FEELINGS, and is sung in a man/woman duet in 6/8 time accompanied by romantic cellos and French waltzy accordian, and just listening to the song can give me chills and make me cry when they sing, “I’m not sorry I met you. I’m not sorry it’s over. I’m not sorry there’s nothing to say” in unison, one octave above the other.
Not to music-geek out on you, but this is how I feel about music and it’s best you just understand it up front. I am passionate about what I listen to, and I am way passionate about how freaking much I love this song.
So, you can imagine, when Ryan and Ellenore took Travis’s brilliant choreography, and transformed a handshake into the story of an entire relationship that’s run its course, and told that story SO BEAUTIFULLY…. Well. It was overwhelming. It was a moment I never felt in Season 5, as you know. I loved it far too much not to share.
Obviously, I felt Ellenore & Ryan's Contemporary was the best of the night. And I’ll go ahead and add: considering how eye-gougingly awful they were last week? Pretty amazing accomplishment.
Second best couple was Katherine & Legacy. I really thought I was going to hate Legacy, if only for being a douche-tard who calls himself Legacy. But then, dammit, he started winning me over. And this week I needed a cigarette after their Paso Doble (and I don’t smoke). It was just that hot. Again, they were fully committed to the style and the performance and I loved the hell out of it.
The rest break down like so:
3. Noelle & Russel, Foxtrot – Yeah, Russell has improved, and yeah, Noelle is darling, but really this routine was all about their back-to-back shimmy and their genuine, confident smiles throughout the steps. Not a masterpiece like my two faves of the night, but nicely executed and super joyful to watch.
4. Ashleigh & Jakob, “Hip Hop” – Dumb routine (as usual, Napitholeanitha) but danced well. I like these two, I think they really committed to what they were given the best they could, and think they’ll go really far.
5. Channing & Victor, Jazz – Conceptually, this piece didn’t work for me because music and dancing were too much of a contrast for me, the song being too quiet for their strong dancing. I thought it was really well done, but I had no emotional reaction to it whatsoever.
6. Mollee & Nathan, Pop Jazz – I’m not 14, so I really don’t give a shit about these two or how cute they are, and I’m not a judge (or their parents) so I really don’t care how much they grow or mature as people. I mean, Nigel is so invested in trying to snap Nathan out of his spoiled, immature cute boy bullshit that he hardly had a thing to say about his dancing. Which was great, actually. This number was way better than that pile of garbage they handed in last week. But, like with Channing & Victor, it elicited no emotion from me whatsoever.
7. Karen & Kevin, Broadway – I really loved the song and choreography, and the dancing was decent & cute, but only just. Also, I’m super tired of Nigel referring to Karen as “sexual.” Like, he’s not even saying “sexy,” he’s saying “sexuality” and it’s gross & creepy. Also, she’s pretty & all, I guess, but I don’t get what all this hot tamale “Ah-OOO-ga” fuss is all about, frankly. As for Kevin, he's up against Russel & Legacy as a hip hop dancer, and for whatever reason, he's just not rocking it as much as they are.
I meant to do just a short thing about all this, maybe one sentence per couple, and now it’s this long essay. Which took way longer than I expected. This is why I’m not supposed to be recapping this season, y’all. But, whatevs, thems my opinions, and I look forward to hearing yours, and seeing how the votes shake out!
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
How Can I Miss You if You Won't Go Away?
I'm just going to rip this Band-Aid off first: I will not be blogging the fall season of So You Think You Can Dance. (Or, as Brigid accidentally, brilliantly re-named it, "Do You Think You SHOULD Dance.")
It's too much. It's 3 hours a week just to watch it, and the writing and the thought I like to put into it. I have too much to do, and if I'm being honest, too much other fall TV to enjoy.
Also, as far as I'm concerned, it's just too soon, and Too Much of a Good Thing. Which inspired the following list, entitled, "How Can I Miss You if You Won't Go Away?"
1. So You Think You Can Dance
My summer treat, my guilty pleasure! You started as the bastard step-sibling to the American Idol monster, and became the little show that could, impressing more and more people every season by showcasing contestants with actual talent and darling personalities. Your judges were unique and crazy, yet (mostly) surprisingly insightful and accurate, and four years running the results were totally satisfying.
And then you watered down your Top 20 cast for season 5 so you could build a story and a Top 20 cast for Season 6. The contestants were darling at first but we tired of them quickly, and no one was So Outstanding or So Committed that we felt like we couldn't miss a show, and desperately needed to vote. The Emmy nominations rolled in for dances that included Twitch standing by a door, and you celebrated your 100th episode, and suddenly it just felt like you were not just taking the dance seriously--something I have ALWAYS appreciated--but you were taking yourselves too seriously. Which is less fun. And just when I was thinking, "Yeah, but I bet I'm over it and ready for more dancing by next summer," you're already back with a whole new season? I don't know, honey.
2. Spike
Remember when Spike first showed up on Buffy, and her mom threatened him with an axe, and he was all new and scary and funny and interesting? And then when he showed up you were like Eeeee! Spike's back! Fun! And then they kept bringing him back? And then he was in Sunnydale all the time? And no one really knew why? And then there was that ill-advised romance with Buffy? And then suddenly there were TWO be-souled vampires and we were all like, What??? And then he was Crazy in the Basement for, like, ever? And then he moved over to Angel, and while Marsters & Boreanaz had awesome chemistry it was still like, "Great, just what this show needed: MORE DUDES."
Spike is the perfect example of how shit goes wrong when you give The People what they think they want. Spike was awesome as a recurring character. As a series regular, it was Too Much Spike. There weren't enough stories for him, so the stuff they ended up giving him was weird and shark-jumpy and just rang false. As someone who loved the character, I was pretty bummed when I realized I'd gotten totally sick of him.
3. EVOO
Sometimes, you don't need Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sometimes, you just need to cook with regular vegetable oil. Or canola. Or Pam. I'm looking at you Food Network. Seriously.
4. Cupcakes/Bakeries
I realize that I am spoiled with this in LA, but sweet fancy frosted Christ the cupcake bakeries have gotten OUT OF CONTROL. These used to be a rare and exciting TREAT. Now it's like, oh, cupcakes. There they are again. There's another bakery. Yawn.
And the thing is, if you taste the cupcakes they're still delicious. They're still a fairly exciting treat. The problem is that people have gotten so used to them being around, that they're no longer impressed when you bake them.
Or I bake them. So really, I'm just complaining that people don't appreciate my cupcakes enough.... yeah. Moving on.
5. Michelle Forbes
When Michelle Forbes showed up on Battlestar Galactica as the scary commander we were all like, "DUUUUUUDE YESSSSSS." And for awhile, it was awesome. Then it got tiresome.
Same thing on True Blood. She shows up and we were all, "Awesome! Scary villain time!" And she was a scary villain. She was slinky and mysterious and weird and creepy and it was great for a good long while. And then it got tiresome again.
I think the problem with Michelle is not her. She brings an intensity to her roles that is gripping. It's just that her level of intensity is hard to take, week after week, with no break. Maybe there's a problem with the stories she's in as well. But the upshot is that Michelle Forbes is like black pepper. It'll season up your food/show, but a little sure goes a long way.
I'm sure there are other things for this list, but that's all I got for now. What would be on your list?
In conclusion:
It's too much. It's 3 hours a week just to watch it, and the writing and the thought I like to put into it. I have too much to do, and if I'm being honest, too much other fall TV to enjoy.
Also, as far as I'm concerned, it's just too soon, and Too Much of a Good Thing. Which inspired the following list, entitled, "How Can I Miss You if You Won't Go Away?"
1. So You Think You Can Dance
My summer treat, my guilty pleasure! You started as the bastard step-sibling to the American Idol monster, and became the little show that could, impressing more and more people every season by showcasing contestants with actual talent and darling personalities. Your judges were unique and crazy, yet (mostly) surprisingly insightful and accurate, and four years running the results were totally satisfying.
And then you watered down your Top 20 cast for season 5 so you could build a story and a Top 20 cast for Season 6. The contestants were darling at first but we tired of them quickly, and no one was So Outstanding or So Committed that we felt like we couldn't miss a show, and desperately needed to vote. The Emmy nominations rolled in for dances that included Twitch standing by a door, and you celebrated your 100th episode, and suddenly it just felt like you were not just taking the dance seriously--something I have ALWAYS appreciated--but you were taking yourselves too seriously. Which is less fun. And just when I was thinking, "Yeah, but I bet I'm over it and ready for more dancing by next summer," you're already back with a whole new season? I don't know, honey.
2. Spike
Remember when Spike first showed up on Buffy, and her mom threatened him with an axe, and he was all new and scary and funny and interesting? And then when he showed up you were like Eeeee! Spike's back! Fun! And then they kept bringing him back? And then he was in Sunnydale all the time? And no one really knew why? And then there was that ill-advised romance with Buffy? And then suddenly there were TWO be-souled vampires and we were all like, What??? And then he was Crazy in the Basement for, like, ever? And then he moved over to Angel, and while Marsters & Boreanaz had awesome chemistry it was still like, "Great, just what this show needed: MORE DUDES."
Spike is the perfect example of how shit goes wrong when you give The People what they think they want. Spike was awesome as a recurring character. As a series regular, it was Too Much Spike. There weren't enough stories for him, so the stuff they ended up giving him was weird and shark-jumpy and just rang false. As someone who loved the character, I was pretty bummed when I realized I'd gotten totally sick of him.
3. EVOO
Sometimes, you don't need Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sometimes, you just need to cook with regular vegetable oil. Or canola. Or Pam. I'm looking at you Food Network. Seriously.
4. Cupcakes/Bakeries
I realize that I am spoiled with this in LA, but sweet fancy frosted Christ the cupcake bakeries have gotten OUT OF CONTROL. These used to be a rare and exciting TREAT. Now it's like, oh, cupcakes. There they are again. There's another bakery. Yawn.
And the thing is, if you taste the cupcakes they're still delicious. They're still a fairly exciting treat. The problem is that people have gotten so used to them being around, that they're no longer impressed when you bake them.
Or I bake them. So really, I'm just complaining that people don't appreciate my cupcakes enough.... yeah. Moving on.
5. Michelle Forbes
When Michelle Forbes showed up on Battlestar Galactica as the scary commander we were all like, "DUUUUUUDE YESSSSSS." And for awhile, it was awesome. Then it got tiresome.
Same thing on True Blood. She shows up and we were all, "Awesome! Scary villain time!" And she was a scary villain. She was slinky and mysterious and weird and creepy and it was great for a good long while. And then it got tiresome again.
I think the problem with Michelle is not her. She brings an intensity to her roles that is gripping. It's just that her level of intensity is hard to take, week after week, with no break. Maybe there's a problem with the stories she's in as well. But the upshot is that Michelle Forbes is like black pepper. It'll season up your food/show, but a little sure goes a long way.
I'm sure there are other things for this list, but that's all I got for now. What would be on your list?
In conclusion:
Friday, June 05, 2009
Less crying, more cutting!
VEGAS, BABY: PART 2
Why this show needs a whole damn hour to show us which 20 people they chose is beyond me.
Janette is first and she’s going through. From everything I’ve seen, she’s an excellent salsa dancer and should be good for the competition.
Diana is next and I’m not interested in her at all, and she’s cut.
And if they’re going to do a whole weepy package for all 32 dancers, now I don’t know how they’re going to get through them all in one hour. Less crying, more cutting!
Vitolio is next, and we haven’t seen much of his dancing so far, but the clips they show us here are amazing, as is his life story. So of course he’s in the Top 20.
The next guys who get cut, evidently, do not deserve names. Bad dancer! No name for you!
Kayla is a tiny blond contemporary dancer—Nigel’s favorite—and she has adorable grandparents, so of course she’s in. I haven’t seen enough to know if she deserves the tongue bath Mia just gave her, though.
Kupono is next and the judges give him a bunch of notes, joke about his name and put him in the Top 20.
Paris, aka Chin Implant, is put in the Top 20. Ugh. I have no idea how I’m going to look at that chin week after week.
Jeanine, from whom we haven’t seen …anything? Gets in. She must not have a dramatic story OR cute grandparents. Stupid boring plain ol’ good dancers. Others who get in who we may or may not have seen who you may or may not remember include Ade, Karla, and Jonathan.
Brandon, and all the drama that comes with him, is next. Mia says, for some reason, “I can’t take you, as an artist, for what you bring to the floor. It annoys the shit out of me.” Mia: I can’t take what you’re bringing to the table, right now, as a judge, and don’t understand why you can’t articulate why you don’t like him more specifically or constructively. It annoys the shit out of me. Same with Lil C, he doesn’t like Brandon and can’t explain why. Mary goes nuts and actually says she can’t listen to their crap anymore. I’m SO CONFUSED. Is he being a giant dick off camera? Is there a question of his sincerity, or something? We have at least one week to figure it out, because he’s in the Top 20. And he handles Mia & Lil C with humor and grace, so good for him.
Tony, who for me is all personality and not enough dance, tells us a story about his brother in Afghanistan, and is put through. Nigel holds up a giant sign that says “We’re casting a TV show here, people, we need personalities and underdogs!” Not really, but he might as well. He admits that they’re going out on a limb for him. I’ll say.
(At this point, my laptop informs me that it is almost out of power and needs to be plugged in asap, and I find myself hunting around my bedroom for an outlet at 2:00 a.m. because that’s how crazy I have become. I decide a little bit of juice is better than none and opt to plug it into the power strip behind the TV, hoping to get it just enough juice to get me through the show… and accidentally turn off the power strip. Which turns off the TV and the TiVO. So I’m basically sitting on the floor typing this, waiting for it to boot up again. Hi, I’m a winner.)
Back to the other winners this week. Some guy named Maxim is in, despite wearing a leather vest over a bare chest: honey, no. Caitlin-the-mouth-breather’s-sister is in. Melissa, a ballerina we haven’t seen much from, is in even though she’s wearing the Worst Tutu Ever. Jason, whom I haven’t seen dance much but who seems to have impressed all the judges, is in. I was psyched to see more from him until his dumb victory dance in the hallway.
Ashley has auditioned for this show FOUR TIMES. That’s some serious determination, yo. She’s in the Top 20. Randi, on the other hand, succeeds in getting Mia to say “unitards” no less than FOUR TIMES. And in getting in the Top 20.
Alex, of the amazing first dance of Vegas, is next, and he walks with his feel turned out and absently rolls his foot on and off point while he waits. He even fidgets with grace and strength. Love! However, he is also under contract with a company in Miami and they won’t allow him out of it to do the competition. Weak. I love this guy. I love how hard he wants to try all these other styles, and he would have been such a strong competitor this season. “You have the appetite of a true artist,” Lil C says. Beautiful. I hope he comes back in a future season, ‘cause I don’t see myself getting to Miami anytime soon and I want to see him dance some more!
After all that, four more dancers you may or may not remember who evidently don’t deserve names are cut. I recognize one of the crybaby girls from the group choreography bit, and the hot Asian salsa dancer guy.
Phillip is next and is in the Top 20—duh. Which brings us to the final four, where they have left the two Broadway brothers for Maximum! Dramatic! Effect.
Deena (Deanna? They pronounce it both ways, which is annoying) and Asuka go first, however, and Asuka gets in. Deena is devastated. And between Evan and Ryan, the brothers who can’t stop hugging or crying, the judges choose Evan. Considering the talent of both, I’m going to assume it’s because he’s slightly younger and has more hair?
And with that, we have a Top 20: Ade, Ashley, Asuka, Brandon, Caitlin, Evan, Janette, Jason, Jeanine, Jonathan, Karla, Kayla, Kupono, Max, Melissa, Paris/Chin Implant, Phillip, Randi, Tony, and Vitolio.
Let the games begin!
Why this show needs a whole damn hour to show us which 20 people they chose is beyond me.
Janette is first and she’s going through. From everything I’ve seen, she’s an excellent salsa dancer and should be good for the competition.
Diana is next and I’m not interested in her at all, and she’s cut.
And if they’re going to do a whole weepy package for all 32 dancers, now I don’t know how they’re going to get through them all in one hour. Less crying, more cutting!
Vitolio is next, and we haven’t seen much of his dancing so far, but the clips they show us here are amazing, as is his life story. So of course he’s in the Top 20.
The next guys who get cut, evidently, do not deserve names. Bad dancer! No name for you!
Kayla is a tiny blond contemporary dancer—Nigel’s favorite—and she has adorable grandparents, so of course she’s in. I haven’t seen enough to know if she deserves the tongue bath Mia just gave her, though.
Kupono is next and the judges give him a bunch of notes, joke about his name and put him in the Top 20.
Paris, aka Chin Implant, is put in the Top 20. Ugh. I have no idea how I’m going to look at that chin week after week.
Jeanine, from whom we haven’t seen …anything? Gets in. She must not have a dramatic story OR cute grandparents. Stupid boring plain ol’ good dancers. Others who get in who we may or may not have seen who you may or may not remember include Ade, Karla, and Jonathan.
Brandon, and all the drama that comes with him, is next. Mia says, for some reason, “I can’t take you, as an artist, for what you bring to the floor. It annoys the shit out of me.” Mia: I can’t take what you’re bringing to the table, right now, as a judge, and don’t understand why you can’t articulate why you don’t like him more specifically or constructively. It annoys the shit out of me. Same with Lil C, he doesn’t like Brandon and can’t explain why. Mary goes nuts and actually says she can’t listen to their crap anymore. I’m SO CONFUSED. Is he being a giant dick off camera? Is there a question of his sincerity, or something? We have at least one week to figure it out, because he’s in the Top 20. And he handles Mia & Lil C with humor and grace, so good for him.
Tony, who for me is all personality and not enough dance, tells us a story about his brother in Afghanistan, and is put through. Nigel holds up a giant sign that says “We’re casting a TV show here, people, we need personalities and underdogs!” Not really, but he might as well. He admits that they’re going out on a limb for him. I’ll say.
(At this point, my laptop informs me that it is almost out of power and needs to be plugged in asap, and I find myself hunting around my bedroom for an outlet at 2:00 a.m. because that’s how crazy I have become. I decide a little bit of juice is better than none and opt to plug it into the power strip behind the TV, hoping to get it just enough juice to get me through the show… and accidentally turn off the power strip. Which turns off the TV and the TiVO. So I’m basically sitting on the floor typing this, waiting for it to boot up again. Hi, I’m a winner.)
Back to the other winners this week. Some guy named Maxim is in, despite wearing a leather vest over a bare chest: honey, no. Caitlin-the-mouth-breather’s-sister is in. Melissa, a ballerina we haven’t seen much from, is in even though she’s wearing the Worst Tutu Ever. Jason, whom I haven’t seen dance much but who seems to have impressed all the judges, is in. I was psyched to see more from him until his dumb victory dance in the hallway.
Ashley has auditioned for this show FOUR TIMES. That’s some serious determination, yo. She’s in the Top 20. Randi, on the other hand, succeeds in getting Mia to say “unitards” no less than FOUR TIMES. And in getting in the Top 20.
Alex, of the amazing first dance of Vegas, is next, and he walks with his feel turned out and absently rolls his foot on and off point while he waits. He even fidgets with grace and strength. Love! However, he is also under contract with a company in Miami and they won’t allow him out of it to do the competition. Weak. I love this guy. I love how hard he wants to try all these other styles, and he would have been such a strong competitor this season. “You have the appetite of a true artist,” Lil C says. Beautiful. I hope he comes back in a future season, ‘cause I don’t see myself getting to Miami anytime soon and I want to see him dance some more!
After all that, four more dancers you may or may not remember who evidently don’t deserve names are cut. I recognize one of the crybaby girls from the group choreography bit, and the hot Asian salsa dancer guy.
Phillip is next and is in the Top 20—duh. Which brings us to the final four, where they have left the two Broadway brothers for Maximum! Dramatic! Effect.
Deena (Deanna? They pronounce it both ways, which is annoying) and Asuka go first, however, and Asuka gets in. Deena is devastated. And between Evan and Ryan, the brothers who can’t stop hugging or crying, the judges choose Evan. Considering the talent of both, I’m going to assume it’s because he’s slightly younger and has more hair?
And with that, we have a Top 20: Ade, Ashley, Asuka, Brandon, Caitlin, Evan, Janette, Jason, Jeanine, Jonathan, Karla, Kayla, Kupono, Max, Melissa, Paris/Chin Implant, Phillip, Randi, Tony, and Vitolio.
Let the games begin!
shenanigans
VEGAS, BABY: PART 1
I LOVE Vegas Week on So You Think You Can Dance. It’s like the whole season boiled down to 2 hours of hardcore, intense dancing and choreography, and RUTHLESS cutting. Ideally, by the time the judges arrive at a Top 20 they’ve got a crème de la crème of dancers, and if there’s any erroneous picks (ahem, Susie), then we the viewers can just vote ‘em away next week. It’s all about Excellence and there’s no room for any shenanigans whatsoever.
Or at least, that’s what I was thinking when this episode started.
About halfway through I was calling shenanigans all over the damn place, but we’ll get to that in a bit. The show kicks off with Alex Wong, who is HOLY BUCKETS OF AMAZING. Strong, precise, musical and those push-up/splits thingies he did at the end blew my mind, and the judges’. The next guy is all comedy and no dance. Yawn. Then, after a montage of Amazing! Dancing! (Yay!!!) the judges get right to the ruthless cutting. YES. DO IT. EXCELLENCE ONLY PLEASE.
Next it’s hip hop to the Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow” which was promptly purchased by me and dropped into my workout playlist because this show is how I get all my fun summer dance music. That Gaby Rojas the judges are all sprung over is a MESS. It’s so awful and hard to watch. But because Nigel doesn’t like to be wrong, she gets to stay.
Then the dancers try to get through the jazz round with Sonya, and we’re treated to clips from Brandon and Natalie’s solos from Denver. The two of them also perform as Sonya’s examples during rehearsal. The two BFFs are clearly extremely comfortable dancing together, and they attack the number with precision and style and it’s awesome. But then, when Natalie dances with a different partner during the audition, it’s lackluster and stiff. Whether because of nerves or switching partners or whatever, she just lost it, and is cut. Sad, but fair.
Brandon’s jazz audition is, I think, fantastic. Mia & Lil C are not at all impressed and they rip him a new one, but Nigel sticks up for him so he gets to stay.
But then Gaby Rojas does her jazz audition and it sucks almost as much as her hip hop. It’s also worth noting at this point that it is also MUCH WORSE than Natalie’s jazz audition. But they let her dance for her life, so of course her pre-prepared solo that she’s had however many months or whatever to rehearse is wonderful. And while I’m sitting on my couch going, “Yeah, but isn’t learning a variety of different kinds of choreography quickly—which she clearly can’t do at all—kind of, I don’t know, INHERENT TO THE VERY PREMISE OF THE SHOW?!?”, they let her stay.
Shenanigans.
Now it’s time for the group choreography project. This endeavor is a disaster every year, and a great way to identify Drama Queen jackasses and eliminate people en masse. At this point I’m hoping that pageant girl with the ginormous chin is finally cut. You know the one I mean. I’ve just started calling her Chin Implant.
And the crappy dancing and ruthless cutting begins. Like, there’s a montage of what I’m sure the judges were just thinking was total bullshit. The “Nerdography” bit was admittedly extremely cute, well rehearsed, and well-performed.
When Mia’s choreography starts, we’re supposed to care about some girl who dances with her mouth open, and she’s allowed to stay but her sister is cut because she can’t dance with her group/to the music or do a solo better than your average football cheerleader. Psych. They let both sisters through and I call shenanigans.
At this point, Mac notes how he loves how gleefully the judges drag out the verdicts and just torture the dancers. I note that just want Day 3 to be over so these fools will get some sleep and stop freaking crying.
Tasty Oreo shows up and I appreciate him just so much more as a choreographer than as a catty judge. We see a snip of him dancing and it makes me want to see more. Instead we see all the girls try & keep up with “America” from West Side Story, some more successfully than others. Gaby is finally cut, as well as that Priscilla girl I didn’t love and the mouth breather. Chin Implant is still around, however, which doesn’t bode well. The guys dance to “Cool” next, which is just fast and crazy. Again, some successfully, others way not, and the judges ruthlessly cut them. They’re down to 16 each girls and guys, with 12 more cuts before we get a Top 20. The montage of the best of the best 32’s solos is, of course, amazing, and now I’m going to have to stay up even later to see the results. Damn.
I LOVE Vegas Week on So You Think You Can Dance. It’s like the whole season boiled down to 2 hours of hardcore, intense dancing and choreography, and RUTHLESS cutting. Ideally, by the time the judges arrive at a Top 20 they’ve got a crème de la crème of dancers, and if there’s any erroneous picks (ahem, Susie), then we the viewers can just vote ‘em away next week. It’s all about Excellence and there’s no room for any shenanigans whatsoever.
Or at least, that’s what I was thinking when this episode started.
About halfway through I was calling shenanigans all over the damn place, but we’ll get to that in a bit. The show kicks off with Alex Wong, who is HOLY BUCKETS OF AMAZING. Strong, precise, musical and those push-up/splits thingies he did at the end blew my mind, and the judges’. The next guy is all comedy and no dance. Yawn. Then, after a montage of Amazing! Dancing! (Yay!!!) the judges get right to the ruthless cutting. YES. DO IT. EXCELLENCE ONLY PLEASE.
Next it’s hip hop to the Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow” which was promptly purchased by me and dropped into my workout playlist because this show is how I get all my fun summer dance music. That Gaby Rojas the judges are all sprung over is a MESS. It’s so awful and hard to watch. But because Nigel doesn’t like to be wrong, she gets to stay.
Then the dancers try to get through the jazz round with Sonya, and we’re treated to clips from Brandon and Natalie’s solos from Denver. The two of them also perform as Sonya’s examples during rehearsal. The two BFFs are clearly extremely comfortable dancing together, and they attack the number with precision and style and it’s awesome. But then, when Natalie dances with a different partner during the audition, it’s lackluster and stiff. Whether because of nerves or switching partners or whatever, she just lost it, and is cut. Sad, but fair.
Brandon’s jazz audition is, I think, fantastic. Mia & Lil C are not at all impressed and they rip him a new one, but Nigel sticks up for him so he gets to stay.
But then Gaby Rojas does her jazz audition and it sucks almost as much as her hip hop. It’s also worth noting at this point that it is also MUCH WORSE than Natalie’s jazz audition. But they let her dance for her life, so of course her pre-prepared solo that she’s had however many months or whatever to rehearse is wonderful. And while I’m sitting on my couch going, “Yeah, but isn’t learning a variety of different kinds of choreography quickly—which she clearly can’t do at all—kind of, I don’t know, INHERENT TO THE VERY PREMISE OF THE SHOW?!?”, they let her stay.
Shenanigans.
Now it’s time for the group choreography project. This endeavor is a disaster every year, and a great way to identify Drama Queen jackasses and eliminate people en masse. At this point I’m hoping that pageant girl with the ginormous chin is finally cut. You know the one I mean. I’ve just started calling her Chin Implant.
And the crappy dancing and ruthless cutting begins. Like, there’s a montage of what I’m sure the judges were just thinking was total bullshit. The “Nerdography” bit was admittedly extremely cute, well rehearsed, and well-performed.
When Mia’s choreography starts, we’re supposed to care about some girl who dances with her mouth open, and she’s allowed to stay but her sister is cut because she can’t dance with her group/to the music or do a solo better than your average football cheerleader. Psych. They let both sisters through and I call shenanigans.
At this point, Mac notes how he loves how gleefully the judges drag out the verdicts and just torture the dancers. I note that just want Day 3 to be over so these fools will get some sleep and stop freaking crying.
Tasty Oreo shows up and I appreciate him just so much more as a choreographer than as a catty judge. We see a snip of him dancing and it makes me want to see more. Instead we see all the girls try & keep up with “America” from West Side Story, some more successfully than others. Gaby is finally cut, as well as that Priscilla girl I didn’t love and the mouth breather. Chin Implant is still around, however, which doesn’t bode well. The guys dance to “Cool” next, which is just fast and crazy. Again, some successfully, others way not, and the judges ruthlessly cut them. They’re down to 16 each girls and guys, with 12 more cuts before we get a Top 20. The montage of the best of the best 32’s solos is, of course, amazing, and now I’m going to have to stay up even later to see the results. Damn.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Eeeeeee! Yay dancing!
I started writing this last night at the end of my work day being all, "You guys, I know you want So You Think You Can Dance blogs but I'm SO BUSY and these first audition shows are SO LONG and I just don’t know if I’m going to be able to do consistent blogs this year, okay?”
And then I fired up the TiVO and the opening shots of dancers came on and I was all, “Eeeeeee! Yay dancing! I LOVE THIS SHOW!” all over again. At which point I proceeded to watch six damn hours of So You Think You Can Dance. I was up until 1 a.m. Yes, I am tired this morning.
As for recapping, I thought about taking notes but decided I’d rather just watch & enjoy, so that’s what I did. I don't typically recap the audition shows anyway, if you recall. I mean, why a person would spend even a second of their "15 Minutes" dancing like an elephant just to get chewed out by Nigel Lythgoe is BEYOND me, but whatever. I don’t care for the manipulative biography packages terribly much, nor do I enjoy watching some jackass get all pissy when they’re cut or critiqued. People, for God’s sake, you watch the show, right? You’ve seen the caliber of dancer on here, and yet you think you’re good enough to go through? To the point that you’re going to get all tantrumy about it? No. I don't need to see your meltdown, honey. Dance well, or get the hell off my TV.
So yeah, no, those jerks don't get covered in my blog. Here’s what I will say about the first six hours:
I love seeing good dancers come back, especially some of those who made it to the final rounds in Vegas before being cut from the Top 20. I’ve seen recaps where people have referred to them as “Season 4 Rejects,” but with at least four of them, I’ve seen serious improvement, and the fact that these dancers can take a rejection and turn it into something fabulous on stage is inspiring. That guy Brandon, who moved Mary to tears, was dazzling. Quiet or not, I want to see more of him on the show. Natalie was also sensational, and all those goofy adjectives that Sonia & Mary were using—organic, sincere—were spot-on. I also loved Evan, the Gene Kelly guy, as well as that tapper Bianca. Season 4 rejects or not, I’d love to see them on the show.
There were some new dancers that I’m very excited about as well. Not as excited as Nigel was, I’m sure, to see so many tiny blond 18-year-old contemporary dancers flit across the stage in front of him. At a certain point Mac was like, “How many is that, now?” And I was like, “Not enough for Nigel.”
Speaking of the judges I would like to invite them to get over themselves before the season goes much further. Maybe they should take a note or two.
Nigel: Anyone who watches the show knows that you’re shockingly homophobic for a man who works in the dance industry, but you can’t keep trying to pass it off as legitimate critique. If you’re struggling to find a way of saying a dancer isn’t “masculine” enough without being a dick, maybe that’s a hint that what you’re really trying to say is, “I don’t like how gay you look,” and is therefore a comment you should keep to yourself.
Mary: I’d love to hear a little more originality in your critiques rather than the same words over and over again. Also, backhanded compliments are actually insults. They’re fairly easy to spot and it doesn’t make you seem nicer just because you tried to veil them with insincerity. I respect you more when you just speak honestly.
Tasty Oreo: OH MY GOD honey put a sock in it!! I like a bitchy queen as much as the next person, but enough already! Yes, there are some delusional jackasses on that stage wasting your time, but calling them out so extensively doesn’t teach them anything and only makes YOU look like an asshole.
Sonya: An orgasm every time a good dancer takes the stage? Actually, it bugs Nigel so much that it kind of tickles me, so knock yourself out. But maybe a few less drugs before judging next time, okay?
Lil C: I love you. Sometimes I wonder if you’re reading critiques that someone fed you? Like, it doesn’t seem totally real, but maybe that’s the whole “unreality of reality TV” messing with my head. Even so, I love you.
Adam: Even though the whole bit went on for too long, I really appreciate that you got up and danced for us. You showed us what the natural, instinctive carriage of a dancer looks like, even when he’s goofing around, and it helped convince me that you know your stuff. And your critiques are generally spot-on for me, I just feel like they would carry more weight if you were a little less full of yourself. You’re a famous director with some hit movies; you didn’t solve world hunger or anything.
Mia: If you stopped taking this all way too seriously you wouldn’t be you, and that would be tragic. Don’t change a thing, you fabulous, intensely scary diva, you. MWAH.
Finally, a note to our favorite host Cat Deeley: Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, please stop drinking the blood of kittens in order to stay so freaking beautiful, darling, and sweet. Surely no human can maintain that consistent level of sincerity and kindness, nor that perfect hair, without some kind of sinister ritual to make it work. Right? I am consistently delighted by you without fault, and it’s starting to make me worry. So maybe a little less kitten and your hair can go in a ponytail and you can be a little crabby for a couple seconds? I won’t hold it against you.
Next week: Vegas. I’m rather excited to see what happens, aren’t you?
And then I fired up the TiVO and the opening shots of dancers came on and I was all, “Eeeeeee! Yay dancing! I LOVE THIS SHOW!” all over again. At which point I proceeded to watch six damn hours of So You Think You Can Dance. I was up until 1 a.m. Yes, I am tired this morning.
As for recapping, I thought about taking notes but decided I’d rather just watch & enjoy, so that’s what I did. I don't typically recap the audition shows anyway, if you recall. I mean, why a person would spend even a second of their "15 Minutes" dancing like an elephant just to get chewed out by Nigel Lythgoe is BEYOND me, but whatever. I don’t care for the manipulative biography packages terribly much, nor do I enjoy watching some jackass get all pissy when they’re cut or critiqued. People, for God’s sake, you watch the show, right? You’ve seen the caliber of dancer on here, and yet you think you’re good enough to go through? To the point that you’re going to get all tantrumy about it? No. I don't need to see your meltdown, honey. Dance well, or get the hell off my TV.
So yeah, no, those jerks don't get covered in my blog. Here’s what I will say about the first six hours:
I love seeing good dancers come back, especially some of those who made it to the final rounds in Vegas before being cut from the Top 20. I’ve seen recaps where people have referred to them as “Season 4 Rejects,” but with at least four of them, I’ve seen serious improvement, and the fact that these dancers can take a rejection and turn it into something fabulous on stage is inspiring. That guy Brandon, who moved Mary to tears, was dazzling. Quiet or not, I want to see more of him on the show. Natalie was also sensational, and all those goofy adjectives that Sonia & Mary were using—organic, sincere—were spot-on. I also loved Evan, the Gene Kelly guy, as well as that tapper Bianca. Season 4 rejects or not, I’d love to see them on the show.
There were some new dancers that I’m very excited about as well. Not as excited as Nigel was, I’m sure, to see so many tiny blond 18-year-old contemporary dancers flit across the stage in front of him. At a certain point Mac was like, “How many is that, now?” And I was like, “Not enough for Nigel.”
Speaking of the judges I would like to invite them to get over themselves before the season goes much further. Maybe they should take a note or two.
Nigel: Anyone who watches the show knows that you’re shockingly homophobic for a man who works in the dance industry, but you can’t keep trying to pass it off as legitimate critique. If you’re struggling to find a way of saying a dancer isn’t “masculine” enough without being a dick, maybe that’s a hint that what you’re really trying to say is, “I don’t like how gay you look,” and is therefore a comment you should keep to yourself.
Mary: I’d love to hear a little more originality in your critiques rather than the same words over and over again. Also, backhanded compliments are actually insults. They’re fairly easy to spot and it doesn’t make you seem nicer just because you tried to veil them with insincerity. I respect you more when you just speak honestly.
Tasty Oreo: OH MY GOD honey put a sock in it!! I like a bitchy queen as much as the next person, but enough already! Yes, there are some delusional jackasses on that stage wasting your time, but calling them out so extensively doesn’t teach them anything and only makes YOU look like an asshole.
Sonya: An orgasm every time a good dancer takes the stage? Actually, it bugs Nigel so much that it kind of tickles me, so knock yourself out. But maybe a few less drugs before judging next time, okay?
Lil C: I love you. Sometimes I wonder if you’re reading critiques that someone fed you? Like, it doesn’t seem totally real, but maybe that’s the whole “unreality of reality TV” messing with my head. Even so, I love you.
Adam: Even though the whole bit went on for too long, I really appreciate that you got up and danced for us. You showed us what the natural, instinctive carriage of a dancer looks like, even when he’s goofing around, and it helped convince me that you know your stuff. And your critiques are generally spot-on for me, I just feel like they would carry more weight if you were a little less full of yourself. You’re a famous director with some hit movies; you didn’t solve world hunger or anything.
Mia: If you stopped taking this all way too seriously you wouldn’t be you, and that would be tragic. Don’t change a thing, you fabulous, intensely scary diva, you. MWAH.
Finally, a note to our favorite host Cat Deeley: Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, please stop drinking the blood of kittens in order to stay so freaking beautiful, darling, and sweet. Surely no human can maintain that consistent level of sincerity and kindness, nor that perfect hair, without some kind of sinister ritual to make it work. Right? I am consistently delighted by you without fault, and it’s starting to make me worry. So maybe a little less kitten and your hair can go in a ponytail and you can be a little crabby for a couple seconds? I won’t hold it against you.
Next week: Vegas. I’m rather excited to see what happens, aren’t you?
Monday, May 11, 2009
It's a weird world
Last update April 3. My goodness.
I've started to wonder if my life is really happening if I'm not posting about it on Twitter/Facebook. I just spent 45 minutes reading all my people's updates on Facebook from the weekend (300+ people, 3 days worth of updates) and actually felt bad that I didn't post something for Mother's Day. I called my mom, and sent her a present and a card that showed up ON TIME for once. Is it enough if I didn't post it on Facebook too? It's a weird world we live in these days.
I haven't been blogging in months mostly because I've been very short on time. Also because as I've been sitting here trying to compose my thoughts, I forget what I was going to write just as soon as it pops into my head. Let's assume it was brilliant, shall we?
This past weekend we celebrated the 2-year anniversary of our company, Click Communications. When Mac and I started this gig, it was just the two of us and our one client. Today we still have that client, as well as two others, as well as 6 full-time employees, 3 part-time contractors, and 2 advisory board members. Our press list, and the strength of the relationships that go with it, has more than doubled. I feel anxious sharing our success because I constantly feel, every second, that there's still SO MUCH MORE TO DO. Do more! Be better! But we'll get there, and in the meantime, I feel very lucky and grateful to see our hard work pay off this way. There are many hard-working people in our country right now who are not enjoying as much success, and we will not take this for granted.
We celebrated with a party here at the house on Saturday, a day that started with coffee and watching Friday's Dollhouse finale. [Sidebar: Friday we were discussing Dollhouse with our friends, and I said to Mac, "Remember that episode that got all surreal and rapey?" His response: "You mean all of them?" I'm intrigued by this show, but he's not wrong, and it bums me out. I love a Joss Project, but I'd prefer to see his next one with a little less rape. Is that too much to ask from the guy who's all, "I'll quit writing strong female characters when everyone keeps asking me WHY I write strong female characters"? I think not.] The party was a fabulous success, which I say myself because I know we could not have pulled it off without Mac's sister, our dear friends visiting from Seattle, and our rock star staff helping set it up and make everything go smoothly. The night ended with me getting a face full of veggie burger juice, which made me very cranky, and also made me realize A) throwing a party for 10+ hours after two weeks of Work Insanity is Exhausting, and B) sobering up and cleaning while your friends are still drunk & partying is no fun. I think the solution is maybe to stay drunk? A theory to test at the next party, perhaps.
In other news, Captain Awesome has a gimpy leg from jumping on the fence trying to catch squirrels/our neighbors and has been limping around for a week. I thought it would heal on its own but it hasn't, and it just breaks my heart and I'm taking him to the vet today. Both of our dogs have been extra cuddly and clingy lately, I think because of our recent Hawaii trip. I would take them with us if I could. Penny would love chasing geckos.
Now that I'm thinking of taking Captain to the vet, I'm reminded of preparations I need to make for a meeting tomorrow morning, and all this other work I have to do. I think I'm a little rusty at the blogging, but I think I could fit it back into my life. This took 15 minutes to write, as opposed to the 45 I spent on Facebook, which is supposed to take less time. It's a weird world we live in these days.
I've started to wonder if my life is really happening if I'm not posting about it on Twitter/Facebook. I just spent 45 minutes reading all my people's updates on Facebook from the weekend (300+ people, 3 days worth of updates) and actually felt bad that I didn't post something for Mother's Day. I called my mom, and sent her a present and a card that showed up ON TIME for once. Is it enough if I didn't post it on Facebook too? It's a weird world we live in these days.
I haven't been blogging in months mostly because I've been very short on time. Also because as I've been sitting here trying to compose my thoughts, I forget what I was going to write just as soon as it pops into my head. Let's assume it was brilliant, shall we?
This past weekend we celebrated the 2-year anniversary of our company, Click Communications. When Mac and I started this gig, it was just the two of us and our one client. Today we still have that client, as well as two others, as well as 6 full-time employees, 3 part-time contractors, and 2 advisory board members. Our press list, and the strength of the relationships that go with it, has more than doubled. I feel anxious sharing our success because I constantly feel, every second, that there's still SO MUCH MORE TO DO. Do more! Be better! But we'll get there, and in the meantime, I feel very lucky and grateful to see our hard work pay off this way. There are many hard-working people in our country right now who are not enjoying as much success, and we will not take this for granted.
We celebrated with a party here at the house on Saturday, a day that started with coffee and watching Friday's Dollhouse finale. [Sidebar: Friday we were discussing Dollhouse with our friends, and I said to Mac, "Remember that episode that got all surreal and rapey?" His response: "You mean all of them?" I'm intrigued by this show, but he's not wrong, and it bums me out. I love a Joss Project, but I'd prefer to see his next one with a little less rape. Is that too much to ask from the guy who's all, "I'll quit writing strong female characters when everyone keeps asking me WHY I write strong female characters"? I think not.] The party was a fabulous success, which I say myself because I know we could not have pulled it off without Mac's sister, our dear friends visiting from Seattle, and our rock star staff helping set it up and make everything go smoothly. The night ended with me getting a face full of veggie burger juice, which made me very cranky, and also made me realize A) throwing a party for 10+ hours after two weeks of Work Insanity is Exhausting, and B) sobering up and cleaning while your friends are still drunk & partying is no fun. I think the solution is maybe to stay drunk? A theory to test at the next party, perhaps.
In other news, Captain Awesome has a gimpy leg from jumping on the fence trying to catch squirrels/our neighbors and has been limping around for a week. I thought it would heal on its own but it hasn't, and it just breaks my heart and I'm taking him to the vet today. Both of our dogs have been extra cuddly and clingy lately, I think because of our recent Hawaii trip. I would take them with us if I could. Penny would love chasing geckos.
Now that I'm thinking of taking Captain to the vet, I'm reminded of preparations I need to make for a meeting tomorrow morning, and all this other work I have to do. I think I'm a little rusty at the blogging, but I think I could fit it back into my life. This took 15 minutes to write, as opposed to the 45 I spent on Facebook, which is supposed to take less time. It's a weird world we live in these days.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Only in fiction
Dear Film and Television Writers everywhere,
Excuse me while a pick a nit, but this has been bothering me for years--nay, decades!--and I need to get it off my chest.
There is a phrase that I hear ALL THE TIME in movies and on my shows, that I have NEVER ONCE heard someone utter in real life. I don't know why it keeps showing up on screen, except that I think writers are watching a lot of film and TV, and their ideas about What People Actually Say are being fed by fiction in some kind of vicious, weird meta-cycle.
What is this phrase I loathe so much? The phrase that makes me wince at the uncreative weakness of the writer that wrote it and generic blandness of the actor that uttered it?
"I'd like that."
Not as in, I'm at a bakery and I see a fresh batch of jumbo chocolate chip cookies come out from the oven and placed in the case and the mere sight of them makes me drool all over the glass and lose my ability to speak politely so that when it's my turn to order all I can do is point to the cookie and say, "I'd like THAT."
No, no. It's more like, the couple has cute-met at the bakery and she spilled her coffee on him and after splitting a cookie and arguing sweetly over the merits of Scrabble, or something, he gets up the nerve to ask her on a date, and she responds, "I'd like that."
Only in fiction to people ever respond to an invitation with, "I'd like that." In real life, people say, "Sure" or "That sounds fun" or even, "I'd love that!" (Even though, "I'd love to!" is far more likely.) I've never once heard anyone I know utter the response, "I'd like that."
The first time this got under my skin was in the movie Heathers. (Oh, Heathers. You beautiful masterpiece of noir teenage comic camp. I love you so much.) The dialog in this movie was so creative and fresh that it created its own lexicon of words and phrases that are still in heavy rotation today. And then, Veronica blows up the school and her boyfriend, steals the almighty red scrunchie, plants a sooty kiss on Heather Duke's bewildered mug, invites Martha Dumptruck to hang out, and what does Martha say?
"I'd like that."
Even at 14, when I first saw this movie, I was like, ...Really? Not that Martha wouldn't want to hang out with a sooty Veronica, but who says that?? (You'll note that I easily believed that teenagers in high school said all the other crazy stuff that was in the movie's dialog; this was the only bit that rang false. You'll also note that people today will still throw out lines about Diet Coke-heads, or eating a brain tumor for breakfast, but no one, I swear, ever says the other thing.)
Now, nearly 20 years later, it has become (or still is, I don't know how far back this goes) this over-used crutch meant to indicate that the person saying it is, or has recently become, warm and receptive to the person with the invitation. Or something, I honestly don't know why it's used so over-much. All I know is, I would enjoy all the myriad movies and shows I watch a hell of a lot more if you would knock it off with the weak "I'd like that" response, and start writing the way people actually talk.
I would love that, in fact. I really would.
xoxo
D
Excuse me while a pick a nit, but this has been bothering me for years--nay, decades!--and I need to get it off my chest.
There is a phrase that I hear ALL THE TIME in movies and on my shows, that I have NEVER ONCE heard someone utter in real life. I don't know why it keeps showing up on screen, except that I think writers are watching a lot of film and TV, and their ideas about What People Actually Say are being fed by fiction in some kind of vicious, weird meta-cycle.
What is this phrase I loathe so much? The phrase that makes me wince at the uncreative weakness of the writer that wrote it and generic blandness of the actor that uttered it?
"I'd like that."
Not as in, I'm at a bakery and I see a fresh batch of jumbo chocolate chip cookies come out from the oven and placed in the case and the mere sight of them makes me drool all over the glass and lose my ability to speak politely so that when it's my turn to order all I can do is point to the cookie and say, "I'd like THAT."
No, no. It's more like, the couple has cute-met at the bakery and she spilled her coffee on him and after splitting a cookie and arguing sweetly over the merits of Scrabble, or something, he gets up the nerve to ask her on a date, and she responds, "I'd like that."
Only in fiction to people ever respond to an invitation with, "I'd like that." In real life, people say, "Sure" or "That sounds fun" or even, "I'd love that!" (Even though, "I'd love to!" is far more likely.) I've never once heard anyone I know utter the response, "I'd like that."
The first time this got under my skin was in the movie Heathers. (Oh, Heathers. You beautiful masterpiece of noir teenage comic camp. I love you so much.) The dialog in this movie was so creative and fresh that it created its own lexicon of words and phrases that are still in heavy rotation today. And then, Veronica blows up the school and her boyfriend, steals the almighty red scrunchie, plants a sooty kiss on Heather Duke's bewildered mug, invites Martha Dumptruck to hang out, and what does Martha say?
"I'd like that."
Even at 14, when I first saw this movie, I was like, ...Really? Not that Martha wouldn't want to hang out with a sooty Veronica, but who says that?? (You'll note that I easily believed that teenagers in high school said all the other crazy stuff that was in the movie's dialog; this was the only bit that rang false. You'll also note that people today will still throw out lines about Diet Coke-heads, or eating a brain tumor for breakfast, but no one, I swear, ever says the other thing.)
Now, nearly 20 years later, it has become (or still is, I don't know how far back this goes) this over-used crutch meant to indicate that the person saying it is, or has recently become, warm and receptive to the person with the invitation. Or something, I honestly don't know why it's used so over-much. All I know is, I would enjoy all the myriad movies and shows I watch a hell of a lot more if you would knock it off with the weak "I'd like that" response, and start writing the way people actually talk.
I would love that, in fact. I really would.
xoxo
D
Monday, November 03, 2008
open for business
Okay, so I know it's the night before Election Day and also I have, like, sooo much work to do and hiring and stress and shmeh whatever. But. I was watching Gossip Girl tonight, and while I love the show and the fact that it gives me a reason to bond with teen girls everywhere, hearing the young 15-year-old girl on the show say, "I need Bacardi and a boy: this body is open for business," and knowing impressionable teen girls everywhere just watched her say that, really bums me out.
"This body is open for business." I mean...... ? The girls watching this show know that's not cool, right?
Right?
"This body is open for business." I mean...... ? The girls watching this show know that's not cool, right?
Right?
Monday, September 08, 2008
f**k
This was posted last week, but it's just one small reason why I frakking love Battlestar Galactica. 
(Other reasons: cute soldier boys, mind-blowing storylines, authentic reactions and relationships, sensational acting, kick-ass battles & action scenes, real emotion, and so much more.)
(Other reasons: cute soldier boys, mind-blowing storylines, authentic reactions and relationships, sensational acting, kick-ass battles & action scenes, real emotion, and so much more.)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
nothing better than a dance-off
It's almost back.
I'll do my best not to bore everyone to tears this summer with my obsession. But yeah. I'm super excited.
In the meantime, Stephen Colbert proves my theorem that there is nothing better than a dance-off.
I'll do my best not to bore everyone to tears this summer with my obsession. But yeah. I'm super excited.
In the meantime, Stephen Colbert proves my theorem that there is nothing better than a dance-off.
Monday, December 03, 2007
addiction and/or daddy issues
At the risk of sounding like Linda Richman, I'd like to give you a topic to discuss among yourselves or at least comment on.
True or False: There is NO SUCH THING as a primetime, hour-long TV show that isn't about addiction and/or daddy issues.
I say TRUE. Thoughts?
True or False: There is NO SUCH THING as a primetime, hour-long TV show that isn't about addiction and/or daddy issues.
I say TRUE. Thoughts?
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Is this the right answer?
Everyone in LA is all up in bunches about the writers strike. I have friends closely connected to the industry here--writers, sound techs, grips, talent managers--and I am extremely sympathetic to their plight. I am also concerned for how the effects will trickle down in ways that we can't even yet imagine.
I find that people here are very quick to be sympathetic to the writers. After all, studios are raking in cash hand over fist for all these movies and TV shows, and the writers are only asking for pennies to the dollar in residuals resulting from sales in "new media" (e.g. downloads on iTunes). I've Googled the crap out of this, and am having a hard time finding the exact terms to source, but I've heard it's around $.04 for every $15.
Why so stingy, you stinking studio bastards?
Rich, high-profile writers contend that they're fighting for the little guy, the one who doesn't get a lot of writing gigs, and needs his residual checks to get him through the dry patches. They garner sympathy with movie goers and couch potatoes everywhere, saying that the only reason we're being deprived of our late night talk shows and promising new shows like Journeyman is because of studio greed.
This is all probably true. I think that, ultimately, we the consumers will suffer in entirely different ways.
I'll explain (warning: math ahead!). Let's work with my un-confirmed, yet conservative estimates of $.04 for every $15 per writer. The size of a writing staff will vary between TV and movies considerably, but for the sake of easy math I'm going to discuss TV only, and make an assumption of five writers for an average TV show. Some quick multiplication and the studios are now paying out a total of $.20 per $15 made by that one show, and netting $14.80.
These still seems unreasonably stingy, right?
My question is, what happens when this strike lays groundwork for the directors guild, and then the actors guild? Right now, none of these hard-working artists are seeing dime one from new media, and that should change, right?
The truth is both the directors guild and the actors guild contracts are also coming up soon. Terms reached in this strike WILL lay groundwork for the directors and actors.
If (when) it does, let's see how that adds up. Let's suppose a TV show is working with about 5 different directors, has 10 writers, and has a cast that includes 20 actors. Let's suppose the terms are exactly the same. Now, for every $15 made on iTunes, writers get $.40, directors get $.20, and actors get $.80, yielding a grand total of $1.40 per $15. Now the studios get $13.60. Still, a lot.
These are conservative estimates, mind you, for small shows. Late night comedy teams can be up to 15-20 people strong. The Lost cast is ridonkulously huge. Payouts for these kinds of shows could start to look like $3 - $5 per $15, making the studio net around $12 - $10.
It still doesn't seem like much. My question is, when does it stop?
I ask this question based on my experience at Ticketmaster. Everyone hates Ticketmaster, because of their so-called ridiculous, expensive fees. The truth is that there was a time, when Ticketmaster was first starting, when they were the good guys. They usurped the big bad ticketing company, Ticketron, by making an event's entire inventory available to purchase everywhere at the same time, instead of different record stores having different inventory. For this service, they charged a service fee. It was bundled into the ticket price, and no one was the wiser.
Then Pearl Jam, and the fees were broken out, and everyone got furious. What they didn't know is that all of the people involved in an event-promoting chain, like buildings and promoters, saw that little fee as their own "new media," and they wanted a piece. Ticketmaster said, fine. BUT. For every cut divied up for someone else, they needed to make up that profit elsewhere. And these entitled parties said, Fine. Pass it on to the consumer. We don't care if everyone hates you.
And ever since Ticketmaster's fees started becoming a revenue stream for all these other parties, they've started asking for bigger and bigger cuts, passing along the increase to the consumer every time. There are even buildings and promoters who now think they can provide the same service as Ticketmaster, and collect the whole fee (note: this doesn't mean the fee goes away if Ticketmaster goes away).
Back to the topic at hand. Right now, you can download Ratatouille on iTunes for $12.99. You can get 6 episodes of Reaper Season 1 for $11.94.
Presumably, a cut of this sale goes to iTunes, and a cut goes to studios. Fair. No cut goes to writers, directors, or actors. NOT fair.
I guess my question is, what happens when studios start sharing their new media profits? They'll put the squeeze to iTunes, and renegotiate that contract. Ultimately, however, every party still wants (needs?) to get their share.
And prices go up. Maybe it's $13.99 for Ratatouille and $12.94 for Reaper. Maybe it's more. Most likely, it will be more. All this before anyone really knows for sure what the market will bear.
Look. Even as I'm exploring this, I feel I must state for the record, that I do agree that $0.00 is NOT the right answer. But is squeezing the consumer at the end of the day the right answer either? Ultimately, how much do you want to pay for a movie that takes up space on your hard drive, and plays on a small screen with crappy speakers? Sure, technology will advance to keep up with new media, and mediaphiles and early adopters will upgrade, and spend more money for the convenience. We'll grumble about it--we may even learn to hate iTunes the way we despise Ticketmaster--but we'll do it.
I don't know. I don't know the answer. I think it's generally a good idea to ask questions and look at every side of the issue, but I don't really have a powerful conclusion. I don't want anyone to lose their jobs, I'm not advocating one side or the other. I'm just wondering, will the outcome of this strike kick off a slippery slope of kick-backs, and, if so, where does it end?
And will anyone in this town give a shit when Joe Consumer ends up paying for it?
I find that people here are very quick to be sympathetic to the writers. After all, studios are raking in cash hand over fist for all these movies and TV shows, and the writers are only asking for pennies to the dollar in residuals resulting from sales in "new media" (e.g. downloads on iTunes). I've Googled the crap out of this, and am having a hard time finding the exact terms to source, but I've heard it's around $.04 for every $15.
Why so stingy, you stinking studio bastards?
Rich, high-profile writers contend that they're fighting for the little guy, the one who doesn't get a lot of writing gigs, and needs his residual checks to get him through the dry patches. They garner sympathy with movie goers and couch potatoes everywhere, saying that the only reason we're being deprived of our late night talk shows and promising new shows like Journeyman is because of studio greed.
This is all probably true. I think that, ultimately, we the consumers will suffer in entirely different ways.
I'll explain (warning: math ahead!). Let's work with my un-confirmed, yet conservative estimates of $.04 for every $15 per writer. The size of a writing staff will vary between TV and movies considerably, but for the sake of easy math I'm going to discuss TV only, and make an assumption of five writers for an average TV show. Some quick multiplication and the studios are now paying out a total of $.20 per $15 made by that one show, and netting $14.80.
These still seems unreasonably stingy, right?
My question is, what happens when this strike lays groundwork for the directors guild, and then the actors guild? Right now, none of these hard-working artists are seeing dime one from new media, and that should change, right?
The truth is both the directors guild and the actors guild contracts are also coming up soon. Terms reached in this strike WILL lay groundwork for the directors and actors.
If (when) it does, let's see how that adds up. Let's suppose a TV show is working with about 5 different directors, has 10 writers, and has a cast that includes 20 actors. Let's suppose the terms are exactly the same. Now, for every $15 made on iTunes, writers get $.40, directors get $.20, and actors get $.80, yielding a grand total of $1.40 per $15. Now the studios get $13.60. Still, a lot.
These are conservative estimates, mind you, for small shows. Late night comedy teams can be up to 15-20 people strong. The Lost cast is ridonkulously huge. Payouts for these kinds of shows could start to look like $3 - $5 per $15, making the studio net around $12 - $10.
It still doesn't seem like much. My question is, when does it stop?
I ask this question based on my experience at Ticketmaster. Everyone hates Ticketmaster, because of their so-called ridiculous, expensive fees. The truth is that there was a time, when Ticketmaster was first starting, when they were the good guys. They usurped the big bad ticketing company, Ticketron, by making an event's entire inventory available to purchase everywhere at the same time, instead of different record stores having different inventory. For this service, they charged a service fee. It was bundled into the ticket price, and no one was the wiser.
Then Pearl Jam, and the fees were broken out, and everyone got furious. What they didn't know is that all of the people involved in an event-promoting chain, like buildings and promoters, saw that little fee as their own "new media," and they wanted a piece. Ticketmaster said, fine. BUT. For every cut divied up for someone else, they needed to make up that profit elsewhere. And these entitled parties said, Fine. Pass it on to the consumer. We don't care if everyone hates you.
And ever since Ticketmaster's fees started becoming a revenue stream for all these other parties, they've started asking for bigger and bigger cuts, passing along the increase to the consumer every time. There are even buildings and promoters who now think they can provide the same service as Ticketmaster, and collect the whole fee (note: this doesn't mean the fee goes away if Ticketmaster goes away).
Back to the topic at hand. Right now, you can download Ratatouille on iTunes for $12.99. You can get 6 episodes of Reaper Season 1 for $11.94.
Presumably, a cut of this sale goes to iTunes, and a cut goes to studios. Fair. No cut goes to writers, directors, or actors. NOT fair.
I guess my question is, what happens when studios start sharing their new media profits? They'll put the squeeze to iTunes, and renegotiate that contract. Ultimately, however, every party still wants (needs?) to get their share.
And prices go up. Maybe it's $13.99 for Ratatouille and $12.94 for Reaper. Maybe it's more. Most likely, it will be more. All this before anyone really knows for sure what the market will bear.
Look. Even as I'm exploring this, I feel I must state for the record, that I do agree that $0.00 is NOT the right answer. But is squeezing the consumer at the end of the day the right answer either? Ultimately, how much do you want to pay for a movie that takes up space on your hard drive, and plays on a small screen with crappy speakers? Sure, technology will advance to keep up with new media, and mediaphiles and early adopters will upgrade, and spend more money for the convenience. We'll grumble about it--we may even learn to hate iTunes the way we despise Ticketmaster--but we'll do it.
I don't know. I don't know the answer. I think it's generally a good idea to ask questions and look at every side of the issue, but I don't really have a powerful conclusion. I don't want anyone to lose their jobs, I'm not advocating one side or the other. I'm just wondering, will the outcome of this strike kick off a slippery slope of kick-backs, and, if so, where does it end?
And will anyone in this town give a shit when Joe Consumer ends up paying for it?
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
crazy-making time suck
For people visiting my blog for updates on my life, I'm sorry I've been absent. As it turns out, quitting the job you've had for, like, EVER, to start a new company and work from home in a new industry can be somewhat of a crazy-making time suck. I still think that I made the right move, but, well. As I explained to my sister this morning, I left a very secure job that was making me unhappy, to work in a very happy environment, but in a more insecure situation. And that's exactly how it feels.
So that's the short & sweet update before I get back to work. In the meantime,
VOTE PETRELLI!!
So that's the short & sweet update before I get back to work. In the meantime,
VOTE PETRELLI!!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
side-holding, couch-shaking, milk-snarfing, tear-inducing
If you haven't figured this out yet then I'm just going to tell you: This year's Thursday night lineup of sitcoms on NBC really is Must See TV. Scrubs is a mean-yet-heartwarming, random and hilarious gem. My Name is Earl actually left me cold in it's first couple episodes, and now I love it so much I can't wait to go back to Season 1 and get caught up on everything. The Office is a shameless addiction--the second it's in TiVO I have to watch it. And 30 Rock is straight up brilliant.
There are a million things I love about these shows, but one is that they all feature some of the funniest women on TV, EVER. It's a bold statement but I'm sticking with it. Sarah Chalke, Jaime Pressley, Tina Fey, Jenna Fischer--LOVE THEM.
But also, besides being funny on their shows, they're also completely charming off camera. Check out this TV guide interview with Jenna and Tina. Absolutely DARLING. I don't want to go all stalker-y, but seriously it's stuff like this that makes me want to be all BFF with these women.
In the meantime, I'll settle for side-holding, couch-shaking, milk-snarfing, tear-inducing peals of laughter every Thursday night. You rock, ladies.
There are a million things I love about these shows, but one is that they all feature some of the funniest women on TV, EVER. It's a bold statement but I'm sticking with it. Sarah Chalke, Jaime Pressley, Tina Fey, Jenna Fischer--LOVE THEM.
But also, besides being funny on their shows, they're also completely charming off camera. Check out this TV guide interview with Jenna and Tina. Absolutely DARLING. I don't want to go all stalker-y, but seriously it's stuff like this that makes me want to be all BFF with these women.
In the meantime, I'll settle for side-holding, couch-shaking, milk-snarfing, tear-inducing peals of laughter every Thursday night. You rock, ladies.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
all carried away
Golden Globe nominations are out! And while I certainly fall into that group of entertainment consumers who think a Golden Globe isn't as good a TV award as an Emmy, or nearly as good a movie award as an Oscar, it's still exciting. It's nice to see what new TV shows are getting recognition in their first season (Heroes!). Plus the movie nominations often provide clues for what we might see come Oscar time, and I put money on those nominations.
The one I'm most excited about, however, is Ben Affleck's nomination for Best Supporting Actor. SO WELL DESERVED. I'm so freaking happy for him. Like, an unreasonable amount, considering it's not like I know him personally or anything.
It's just, look. I like Ben Affleck. I would consider myself a Ben Affleck Fan. I think he's dreamy, for starters, all tall & swaggering and cute smile, plus the sharp sense of humor and rich vocabulary (yes, a good vocab is a turn on. The rest of you young lads need to read more books). I've seen him do a couple special feature things with Kevin Smith as well as a couple interviews, and he's always intelligent and self-deprecating and funny and charming. And that's just why I like him as a person.
As an actor, I find him wholly engaging. I'm not even going to point to Chasing Amy, though I could, because it's not even my favorite. I really loved his supporting role in Good Will Hunting, actually--mostly understated, but the bit about the sandwich on layaway kills me every time (and I watch that movie a lot). I thought he was the perfect hero in Armageddon, which I've also watched a lot. What? It's entertaining, and that's what movies are FOR. I thought he was viscous and funny in Dogma, I thought he was sympathetic and sweet in Jersey Girl, and I thought he was a perfect Matt Murdock in a somewhat imperfect Daredevil. His entrance in Shakespeare in Love is one of the best, ever.
But y'all, he was AWESOME in Hollywoodland. Really, really good. He delivered a multi-layered performance that was fascinating and heartbreaking. Of course it was absolutely perfect casting, but he really owned that role. I was so impressed, and have been rooting for him to get awards ever since I saw the movie.
I didn't expect to get all carried away with the Affleck love here, but whatever. I'm happy for him. He's got really tough competition in his category ( Eddie Murphy for Dreamgirls, Brad Pitt for Babel, and Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg for The Departed) so I guess we'll just see how the Hollywood Foreign Press votes. (If I had to pick someone else in this category, I'm going with Wahlberg for what was, in my opinion, his Best Role Ever.)
In conclusion: Yay!
The one I'm most excited about, however, is Ben Affleck's nomination for Best Supporting Actor. SO WELL DESERVED. I'm so freaking happy for him. Like, an unreasonable amount, considering it's not like I know him personally or anything.
It's just, look. I like Ben Affleck. I would consider myself a Ben Affleck Fan. I think he's dreamy, for starters, all tall & swaggering and cute smile, plus the sharp sense of humor and rich vocabulary (yes, a good vocab is a turn on. The rest of you young lads need to read more books). I've seen him do a couple special feature things with Kevin Smith as well as a couple interviews, and he's always intelligent and self-deprecating and funny and charming. And that's just why I like him as a person.
As an actor, I find him wholly engaging. I'm not even going to point to Chasing Amy, though I could, because it's not even my favorite. I really loved his supporting role in Good Will Hunting, actually--mostly understated, but the bit about the sandwich on layaway kills me every time (and I watch that movie a lot). I thought he was the perfect hero in Armageddon, which I've also watched a lot. What? It's entertaining, and that's what movies are FOR. I thought he was viscous and funny in Dogma, I thought he was sympathetic and sweet in Jersey Girl, and I thought he was a perfect Matt Murdock in a somewhat imperfect Daredevil. His entrance in Shakespeare in Love is one of the best, ever.
But y'all, he was AWESOME in Hollywoodland. Really, really good. He delivered a multi-layered performance that was fascinating and heartbreaking. Of course it was absolutely perfect casting, but he really owned that role. I was so impressed, and have been rooting for him to get awards ever since I saw the movie.
I didn't expect to get all carried away with the Affleck love here, but whatever. I'm happy for him. He's got really tough competition in his category ( Eddie Murphy for Dreamgirls, Brad Pitt for Babel, and Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg for The Departed) so I guess we'll just see how the Hollywood Foreign Press votes. (If I had to pick someone else in this category, I'm going with Wahlberg for what was, in my opinion, his Best Role Ever.)
In conclusion: Yay!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
imagine my joy
If you know nothing else about me, know this:
I love a good dance-off.
Obviously.
I mean, there you are at the club. The music is loud the cocktails are flowing and those jerks no one likes are bumping and grinding away in the middle of the dance floor, demanding attention and respect from those who fear their high-heeled, polyester-clad, booty-shaking scorn. Enter our heroes. The clothes are pretty, the hair is prettier, and they move without pretense onto the floor--not to compete, but to have fun. They just want to dance. Soon, however, the crowd's attention is drawn to them; their moves are smokin'. The jerks realize they're losing attention. They HATE our heroes! They look across the room, the two couples lock eyes, and with that, IT'S ON.
Imagine if more problems were solved this way.
In cinema, they solve problems all the time (with the notable exception of Grease, in which that cad Danny actually switched partners in the middle of the Hand Jive to dance with that slutty Cha Cha and left darling Sandy all alone without a partner, a dance-off tale that pisses me off and breaks my heart every time I watch it. Seriously. You ALWAYS escort your partner from the dance floor. That's just good manners. Anyway). And while I really can't recommend the classic Girls Just Want to Have Fun enough, a good dance-off is not only found in dance-centric movies.
Starsky & Hutch, Eurotrip and American Pie 3 all featured a dance-off. Zoolander took the concept into the modeling world with its own variation, the walk-off. And who can forget the way Napoleon Dynamite got his friend Pedro elected with the smooth, inventive moves that surprised, amazed and delighted movie fans everywhere?
The dance-off is a beautiful thing. And it makes me very, very happy.
So imagine my joy when I discovered this. An entire TV show that's essentially one big dance-off? And it's on twice a week? Oh, and by the way, it's all different styles of dance, from hip-hop to ballroom and the hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks is a freaking GENIUS and the dancers are all kind of earnest or swishy or bitchy or all of the above and they compete both as couples and as individuals? And it's all just kind of amazingly AWESOME?
Yeah. Hi. TIVO. I'm so happy.
I love a good dance-off.
I love a good dance-off.
Obviously.
I mean, there you are at the club. The music is loud the cocktails are flowing and those jerks no one likes are bumping and grinding away in the middle of the dance floor, demanding attention and respect from those who fear their high-heeled, polyester-clad, booty-shaking scorn. Enter our heroes. The clothes are pretty, the hair is prettier, and they move without pretense onto the floor--not to compete, but to have fun. They just want to dance. Soon, however, the crowd's attention is drawn to them; their moves are smokin'. The jerks realize they're losing attention. They HATE our heroes! They look across the room, the two couples lock eyes, and with that, IT'S ON.
Imagine if more problems were solved this way.
In cinema, they solve problems all the time (with the notable exception of Grease, in which that cad Danny actually switched partners in the middle of the Hand Jive to dance with that slutty Cha Cha and left darling Sandy all alone without a partner, a dance-off tale that pisses me off and breaks my heart every time I watch it. Seriously. You ALWAYS escort your partner from the dance floor. That's just good manners. Anyway). And while I really can't recommend the classic Girls Just Want to Have Fun enough, a good dance-off is not only found in dance-centric movies.
Starsky & Hutch, Eurotrip and American Pie 3 all featured a dance-off. Zoolander took the concept into the modeling world with its own variation, the walk-off. And who can forget the way Napoleon Dynamite got his friend Pedro elected with the smooth, inventive moves that surprised, amazed and delighted movie fans everywhere?
The dance-off is a beautiful thing. And it makes me very, very happy.
So imagine my joy when I discovered this. An entire TV show that's essentially one big dance-off? And it's on twice a week? Oh, and by the way, it's all different styles of dance, from hip-hop to ballroom and the hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks is a freaking GENIUS and the dancers are all kind of earnest or swishy or bitchy or all of the above and they compete both as couples and as individuals? And it's all just kind of amazingly AWESOME?
Yeah. Hi. TIVO. I'm so happy.
I love a good dance-off.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
14:59 and counting
So evidently, mAc and I know a lot of comedy fans. Or at the very least, we have a lot of friends who watch Last Comic Standing on NBC. Because they all saw us on TV last week, and they all let us know.
Let me back up a bit.
A couple months ago, we got invited to a taping of Last Comic Standing. Except I didn't realize it was a taping, really, until we got there. Or maybe I thought it was just a live show that was being recorded for HBO or something, like the time I went to the recorded shows for Margaret Cho and Madonna (and they ended up using the second night of performances, but whatever. Still cool).
But it's a TV show on NBC, similar to American Idol, only it's comedy. I remembered it when we got there, something about comics competing, America voting, but it kind of sucked and Jay Mohr was involved? Anyway, they have a new host (Anthony Clark, whom I will love forever for his role as Paul the barber in The Rock) and a new season and we went to a taping.
And last Tuesday we were on TV. See?
(That's actually our whole group pictured, with our friend Rick, who invited us, sitting next to mAc, his partner Keith, and Keith's sister.)
And a second of fame goes down the drain. I'm now at 14:59 and counting...
The thing is, though, we watched the episode and only two of the comics on the show last week actually performed for us when we went to the taping. There are 18 other comics that we saw that haven't aired yet. There's another episode with them, I think, tonight. So we might be on TV even more, if you're interested. (NBC, 9 Eastern, 8 Central)
It's all very surreal. I've never been on national television before. Just so you know, though, I'm still the same Dinah. Fame hasn't changed me. In fact, the only thing I was thinking as I watched our faces flash by is, "Thank God I remembered to put on lipstick."
ADDENDUM:
Yup, we were on again last night and I hear they've also been using that clip of us laughing in the promos. In fact, they used it a couple more times last night as well. Either that, or we laugh so similarly every time that they just look the same, which, no. It was totally the same clip. We showed up a few other times in different clips as well, so that's like 5 seconds? Total? So I'm at like 14:54 now or something?
Let me back up a bit.
A couple months ago, we got invited to a taping of Last Comic Standing. Except I didn't realize it was a taping, really, until we got there. Or maybe I thought it was just a live show that was being recorded for HBO or something, like the time I went to the recorded shows for Margaret Cho and Madonna (and they ended up using the second night of performances, but whatever. Still cool).
But it's a TV show on NBC, similar to American Idol, only it's comedy. I remembered it when we got there, something about comics competing, America voting, but it kind of sucked and Jay Mohr was involved? Anyway, they have a new host (Anthony Clark, whom I will love forever for his role as Paul the barber in The Rock) and a new season and we went to a taping.
And last Tuesday we were on TV. See?
(That's actually our whole group pictured, with our friend Rick, who invited us, sitting next to mAc, his partner Keith, and Keith's sister.)
And a second of fame goes down the drain. I'm now at 14:59 and counting...
The thing is, though, we watched the episode and only two of the comics on the show last week actually performed for us when we went to the taping. There are 18 other comics that we saw that haven't aired yet. There's another episode with them, I think, tonight. So we might be on TV even more, if you're interested. (NBC, 9 Eastern, 8 Central)
It's all very surreal. I've never been on national television before. Just so you know, though, I'm still the same Dinah. Fame hasn't changed me. In fact, the only thing I was thinking as I watched our faces flash by is, "Thank God I remembered to put on lipstick."
ADDENDUM:
Yup, we were on again last night and I hear they've also been using that clip of us laughing in the promos. In fact, they used it a couple more times last night as well. Either that, or we laugh so similarly every time that they just look the same, which, no. It was totally the same clip. We showed up a few other times in different clips as well, so that's like 5 seconds? Total? So I'm at like 14:54 now or something?
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
BOYEEE, YOU KNOW! BRING IT! AW HELL YEAH!
Hi everyone. I haven't blogged properly in ages. I hope to make it all up to you today. It's long, so just pretend they're all separate entries and you're the one who's behind and needs to get all caught up. Not me. Heh.
April 14: Got my hair done.
April 15: Decided haircut was Pretty.
Also, went to Santa Barbara for Easter, hung out with mAc's family, did a truckload of shopping in preparation for annual marketing conference. Purchased first pair of Really Huge Sunglasses to ever look good on me (not pictured... yet).
April 18 - 21: National Sales & Marketing Conference.
For which I crafted three completely kick-ass mixes named for our conference theme (Fun, Focused, Fearless!), led a fun and fabulous session on making the most of your Powerpoint presentation, and delivered some of the worst karaoke of my entire life. I think at this point, it was Raining Men. Hallelujah.
April 22: Had some lovely ladies over for tea, tiny sandwiches and lemon cupcakes.
(Note to self: Do not schedule parties, no matter how small, directly following a work conference ever. Again.)
April 25: Rob Zombie at the Wiltern.
A great show to be sure, but I was a little disappointed that he didn't have any go-go dancers in fetish costume to dance along to songs like "Living Dead Girl." I had to do all the go-go dancing by myself. Not that I mind.
So there we were at the show, in your basic Rock Pose (arms crossed/in belt loops, one foot forward, rocking front to back, head bobbing), enjoying the thumping and screaming of Zombie while a screen filled with anime, horror, death and porn flashed behind him, and as I'm watching the bazillionth animated bouncing boob on the screen it occurs to me, "I wonder if there are any gay Zombie fans? I wonder if there are any here?" At which exact point, no joke, my gay friend Robert taps me on the shoulder and goes, "Dinah? Is that you?" What are the odds? He was there because his brother manages the opening band or something (and I want to follow that sentence with "of course" but I don't know if that's bitchy). But he quite enjoyed Zombie's set. I believe those were his exact words.
April 28 - 30, May 3: Vegas, baby, Vegas
Vegas was fun, for the most part. The first trip, anyway. Actually, the whole thing was awesome except for the entire day I spent at the LV airport trying (and failing) to fly home standby on an earlier flight. That day kind of sucked.
The rest of the trip was a blast, though, and a delightful reminder about why we keep in touch with our friends out of town. Because, aside from being super cool and fun (duh), old friends are the ones that you can meet up with and just start chatting about whatever. No catch-up, no "So.... what's new since we last saw you?" Just a simple "How are you" and we're off.
The exclusive Scrubs party we got to attend was pretty cool, too. Everyone I met was so nice and happy and groovy--Dave Foley shared his bottle of vodka with me. And for anyone who ever worried about how I might behave when I've tied on one too many, worry no more. Evidently, I just get hyper-professional. I walked right up to Bill Lawrence, creator and producer of Scrubs, and told him, "Bill, I've met lots of people from both the cast and crew at this party tonight, and every single one of them has told me, individually and independently, that they love their jobs and love coming into work. And Bill, YOU create that environment, and make Scrubs such a happy place to work, and that's a really cool thing. And I know you have a hard time taking compliments, but you should know that." After which he kind of sputtered a thank you (he really can't take a compliment), and I just turned around and sauntered off.
Going back to Vegas for work on the 3rd was less fun, unless you count all the ass I kicked in my Big Important Client Meeting. That was totally fun.
**By the way, you should go ahead and assume that in between the dates listed here, I'm at the office working my ass off, or at home recovering from either work or travel. Meetings and conferences don't prepare for themselves, you know.
May 5: Captain Awesome turns 1!
May 6: Cinco de Mayo Part Deux: Revenge of the Tiki Gods vs. Captain Awesome
Really good friends Janice and Kelly came to stay with us from Seattle this weekend, and on Saturday we unveiled the glory of the completed tiki bar in the backyard. And celebrated Captain Awesome's birthday with a yard full of (mostly well-behaved) puppies and (mostly well-behaved) friends. With margaritas. Lots and lots of margaritas.
May 8,9: Flew to Chantilly, VA and flew back.
The weirdest part was never adjusting to the time zone change. I couldn't get to sleep before 1 am EST because my body thought it was only 10 pm, Pacific. And when, the next day, I finished my presentation at around 10:30, I couldn't help but feel in my bones that it was simply not right to have woken up, eaten breakfast, gone into the office, and completed a one-hour presentation all before 7:30 in the morning. WEIRD.
May 12-14: Birthday celebrating and wine tasting in the Santa Rosa
On May 13, 2006, my best friend from high school and beyond, Kate, turned 30. We kid about her being "30 going on 13" but the truth is I'm jealous because she's still so young and pretty.
We went to Korbel, Roshambo and Armida wineries, ending the day with a couple bottles of chilled, delicious sauvignon blanc and a fairly civilized game of bocce ball. At which I KICKED ASS, BOYEEE, YOU KNOW! BRING IT! AW HELL YEAH!
*ahem*
May 15: mAc & Dinah, one year and counting.
As mAc said, "Year one went down like a shot of Hangar One. Smooth and buzzy."
May 17: Sucked.
First, I got a ticket. For not stopping completely at a stop sign. Which... yeah, I fucked up and got busted, and it's totally embarrassing, but damn. That stupid ticket broke an over 10-year streak of NO traffic tickets.
Second, I spent all day in a Really Big REALLY Important Client Meeting, for which I had prepared and prepared and rushed all these materials that I normally do in about 2 - 3 weeks, but had about 4 days to throw together. And y'all? My shit was TIGHT. I was ready to ROCK. So, naturally, I never got the time or opportunity to present during the entire five-hour-long meeting. Which was awesome because, you know, I LOVE wasting my time.
May 20 - 25: In Chicago
I spent the Most Relaxing Weekend Ever with my old college friends, Ryan and Carrie ("Bell"). We ate good food, hung out with the pets (including a big, sweet horse named Louie), went to the Morton Arboretum, ate more good food, and talked and talked and talked. I haven't seen Bell & Ryan in nine years, yet we caught up like no time had passed. You know, the way you do with old friends. It was beautiful and amazing.
The rest of the time was spent at a conference for work, which. Eh. It was fine. I got some decent pictures, though.
Finally,
May 27-29: Big ol' heaping gobs of NOTHING
So nice. So necessary.
May 30: Back at it.
Hopefully the next entry will come faster. Many thanks to all y'all who keep coming back and reading! *MWAH*
April 14: Got my hair done.
April 15: Decided haircut was Pretty.
Also, went to Santa Barbara for Easter, hung out with mAc's family, did a truckload of shopping in preparation for annual marketing conference. Purchased first pair of Really Huge Sunglasses to ever look good on me (not pictured... yet).
April 18 - 21: National Sales & Marketing Conference.
For which I crafted three completely kick-ass mixes named for our conference theme (Fun, Focused, Fearless!), led a fun and fabulous session on making the most of your Powerpoint presentation, and delivered some of the worst karaoke of my entire life. I think at this point, it was Raining Men. Hallelujah.
April 22: Had some lovely ladies over for tea, tiny sandwiches and lemon cupcakes.
(Note to self: Do not schedule parties, no matter how small, directly following a work conference ever. Again.)
April 25: Rob Zombie at the Wiltern.
A great show to be sure, but I was a little disappointed that he didn't have any go-go dancers in fetish costume to dance along to songs like "Living Dead Girl." I had to do all the go-go dancing by myself. Not that I mind.
So there we were at the show, in your basic Rock Pose (arms crossed/in belt loops, one foot forward, rocking front to back, head bobbing), enjoying the thumping and screaming of Zombie while a screen filled with anime, horror, death and porn flashed behind him, and as I'm watching the bazillionth animated bouncing boob on the screen it occurs to me, "I wonder if there are any gay Zombie fans? I wonder if there are any here?" At which exact point, no joke, my gay friend Robert taps me on the shoulder and goes, "Dinah? Is that you?" What are the odds? He was there because his brother manages the opening band or something (and I want to follow that sentence with "of course" but I don't know if that's bitchy). But he quite enjoyed Zombie's set. I believe those were his exact words.
April 28 - 30, May 3: Vegas, baby, Vegas
Vegas was fun, for the most part. The first trip, anyway. Actually, the whole thing was awesome except for the entire day I spent at the LV airport trying (and failing) to fly home standby on an earlier flight. That day kind of sucked.
The rest of the trip was a blast, though, and a delightful reminder about why we keep in touch with our friends out of town. Because, aside from being super cool and fun (duh), old friends are the ones that you can meet up with and just start chatting about whatever. No catch-up, no "So.... what's new since we last saw you?" Just a simple "How are you" and we're off.
The exclusive Scrubs party we got to attend was pretty cool, too. Everyone I met was so nice and happy and groovy--Dave Foley shared his bottle of vodka with me. And for anyone who ever worried about how I might behave when I've tied on one too many, worry no more. Evidently, I just get hyper-professional. I walked right up to Bill Lawrence, creator and producer of Scrubs, and told him, "Bill, I've met lots of people from both the cast and crew at this party tonight, and every single one of them has told me, individually and independently, that they love their jobs and love coming into work. And Bill, YOU create that environment, and make Scrubs such a happy place to work, and that's a really cool thing. And I know you have a hard time taking compliments, but you should know that." After which he kind of sputtered a thank you (he really can't take a compliment), and I just turned around and sauntered off.
Going back to Vegas for work on the 3rd was less fun, unless you count all the ass I kicked in my Big Important Client Meeting. That was totally fun.
**By the way, you should go ahead and assume that in between the dates listed here, I'm at the office working my ass off, or at home recovering from either work or travel. Meetings and conferences don't prepare for themselves, you know.
May 5: Captain Awesome turns 1!
May 6: Cinco de Mayo Part Deux: Revenge of the Tiki Gods vs. Captain Awesome
Really good friends Janice and Kelly came to stay with us from Seattle this weekend, and on Saturday we unveiled the glory of the completed tiki bar in the backyard. And celebrated Captain Awesome's birthday with a yard full of (mostly well-behaved) puppies and (mostly well-behaved) friends. With margaritas. Lots and lots of margaritas.
May 8,9: Flew to Chantilly, VA and flew back.
The weirdest part was never adjusting to the time zone change. I couldn't get to sleep before 1 am EST because my body thought it was only 10 pm, Pacific. And when, the next day, I finished my presentation at around 10:30, I couldn't help but feel in my bones that it was simply not right to have woken up, eaten breakfast, gone into the office, and completed a one-hour presentation all before 7:30 in the morning. WEIRD.
May 12-14: Birthday celebrating and wine tasting in the Santa Rosa
On May 13, 2006, my best friend from high school and beyond, Kate, turned 30. We kid about her being "30 going on 13" but the truth is I'm jealous because she's still so young and pretty.
We went to Korbel, Roshambo and Armida wineries, ending the day with a couple bottles of chilled, delicious sauvignon blanc and a fairly civilized game of bocce ball. At which I KICKED ASS, BOYEEE, YOU KNOW! BRING IT! AW HELL YEAH!
*ahem*
May 15: mAc & Dinah, one year and counting.
As mAc said, "Year one went down like a shot of Hangar One. Smooth and buzzy."
May 17: Sucked.
First, I got a ticket. For not stopping completely at a stop sign. Which... yeah, I fucked up and got busted, and it's totally embarrassing, but damn. That stupid ticket broke an over 10-year streak of NO traffic tickets.
Second, I spent all day in a Really Big REALLY Important Client Meeting, for which I had prepared and prepared and rushed all these materials that I normally do in about 2 - 3 weeks, but had about 4 days to throw together. And y'all? My shit was TIGHT. I was ready to ROCK. So, naturally, I never got the time or opportunity to present during the entire five-hour-long meeting. Which was awesome because, you know, I LOVE wasting my time.
May 20 - 25: In Chicago
I spent the Most Relaxing Weekend Ever with my old college friends, Ryan and Carrie ("Bell"). We ate good food, hung out with the pets (including a big, sweet horse named Louie), went to the Morton Arboretum, ate more good food, and talked and talked and talked. I haven't seen Bell & Ryan in nine years, yet we caught up like no time had passed. You know, the way you do with old friends. It was beautiful and amazing.
The rest of the time was spent at a conference for work, which. Eh. It was fine. I got some decent pictures, though.
Finally,
May 27-29: Big ol' heaping gobs of NOTHING
So nice. So necessary.
May 30: Back at it.
Hopefully the next entry will come faster. Many thanks to all y'all who keep coming back and reading! *MWAH*
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Total badass and totally huggable
Okay, so I was watching last week's Daily Show featuring action star Vin Diesel last night (TiVO!), and here's all I have to say.
Vin? Come out. Seriously. It's obvious to anyone with a halfway functioning Gaydar (and mine's way off with all the prissy straight bitches in LA) that you are gay.
Here's what's also obvious: you are DARLING. Oh, yes, you are. You big bad action star, you. Total badass and totally huggable. Come on out, honey, and CALL ME. Because I know all kinds of cute boys who would dig a nice butch beefcake like yourself, plus we could totally go dancing and dish about how pretty and dumb Paul Walker is.
Right??
Vin? Come out. Seriously. It's obvious to anyone with a halfway functioning Gaydar (and mine's way off with all the prissy straight bitches in LA) that you are gay.
Here's what's also obvious: you are DARLING. Oh, yes, you are. You big bad action star, you. Total badass and totally huggable. Come on out, honey, and CALL ME. Because I know all kinds of cute boys who would dig a nice butch beefcake like yourself, plus we could totally go dancing and dish about how pretty and dumb Paul Walker is.
Right??
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
"My girl-crush thinks I'm gay."
Or, non-sequitur bullets for the blogger on the go.
1) My darling friend Loren, whose quote headlines this list, does not have a blog but she totally should.
2) Fall is the best season EVER. I love autumn the best because:
4) Last night, I put away more things around the house, including a bunch of dishes and things in our new sideboard that mAc put together. Which means our new soup tureen has a home.
5) I can't believe that I have a SOUP TUREEN in my SIDEBOARD.
6) Do you even know what a sideboard is? It's a little buffet/dresser type thing that goes in the dining room. It's part of the dining set we just bought. A set, as in table, sideboard and matching chairs.
7) Note to self: more rock shows. Less Ikea.
8) Veronica Mars, aka the BEST TV SHOW EVER, starts its second season tonight. Do yourself a favor, and set up your TiVO. I know, I know, it's on UPN, but trust me. It rocks. If not me, then trust Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith and Damon Lindelof. They love it too.
9) I actually met Kristin Veitch (from the link above) when we were in Hawaii. She was super nice, and I'm bummed that we didn't get to chat more and geek out over favorite shows like Veronica Mars and Lost and Arrested Development. The woman's got taste.
10) I don't have ten things for this list. It just seemed like I should end on a nice round number.
11) No, wait! Yes I do--I've been meaning to say this for ages, but if you live in SoCal and are looking for a good stylist, go to Frenchy's in Burbank, ask for Petrina, tell her Dinah sent you. She is the best, and keeps my hair looking all kinds of pretty. (The stray hair in the bangs is totally my fault.)
12) How cute is our dog?
*mwah*
1) My darling friend Loren, whose quote headlines this list, does not have a blog but she totally should.
2) Fall is the best season EVER. I love autumn the best because:
- The weather cools off enough for cute jackets and boots.
- New fall TV.
- The best films, usually for Academy consideration, are released in the fall. (Best year ever: 1999)
- I look hot in orange.
- When it starts to rain, I want to bake things and stay home and hunker down with a warm throw and a Twin Peaks marathon.
- The air smells better, like mountains and leaves and bonfires and homecoming football games.
- Halloween.
4) Last night, I put away more things around the house, including a bunch of dishes and things in our new sideboard that mAc put together. Which means our new soup tureen has a home.
5) I can't believe that I have a SOUP TUREEN in my SIDEBOARD.
6) Do you even know what a sideboard is? It's a little buffet/dresser type thing that goes in the dining room. It's part of the dining set we just bought. A set, as in table, sideboard and matching chairs.
7) Note to self: more rock shows. Less Ikea.
8) Veronica Mars, aka the BEST TV SHOW EVER, starts its second season tonight. Do yourself a favor, and set up your TiVO. I know, I know, it's on UPN, but trust me. It rocks. If not me, then trust Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith and Damon Lindelof. They love it too.
9) I actually met Kristin Veitch (from the link above) when we were in Hawaii. She was super nice, and I'm bummed that we didn't get to chat more and geek out over favorite shows like Veronica Mars and Lost and Arrested Development. The woman's got taste.
10) I don't have ten things for this list. It just seemed like I should end on a nice round number.
11) No, wait! Yes I do--I've been meaning to say this for ages, but if you live in SoCal and are looking for a good stylist, go to Frenchy's in Burbank, ask for Petrina, tell her Dinah sent you. She is the best, and keeps my hair looking all kinds of pretty. (The stray hair in the bangs is totally my fault.)
12) How cute is our dog?
*mwah*
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