Stars are NOT like Us

Contrary to what US Weekly will tell you, Stars are NOT just like us. They may take out their own garbage, and go to Starbucks, but they also pay $22 for a hamburger at the Ivy and live in phat houses in Beverly Hills that none of can afford.

That's my take from my trip to Los Angeles for my 30th birthday.

Some of the highlights:

• Saw Debra Messing (she looked angry), Rob Reiner and Martin Sheen
• Viewed a taping of The King of Queens and it seems Leah Remini hates everyone
• Ate at the Ivy
• Dug in to some food at In n Out Burger
• Drove around in a convertable and had a chance to check out Wisteria Lane, Aaron Spellings house and the Playboy Mansion.

Spent the day today catching up on the TV I missed. Haven't had a chance yet to check out Prison Break but will do so some time this week.

Watched Rock Star: INXS tonight and my only real comment is that the choir sucked, please don't ever bring them back.

Bawling for Alan Ball!

Yes, I'm a little delayed. I was at a wedding Sunday night and then went away again and didn't get a chance to see Six Feet Under until last night. I have also since read all the reviews that I had avoided for two days and I have to say I disagree with most of them.

The ending montage got a lot of flack in all the rags that I read, but I have to say I was bawling at the end and couldn't stop. I thought it was great and a perfect way to end the show.

With regards to other elements of the episode, I love all family gatherings whether they are at Brenda's house and Ted is stuck talking to Billy or at the Fisher house where they are all doing a well deserved, touching toast to Nate and reminiscing.

I was a little disappointed that there was no death at the beginning and expected Willa to be the final opening death on the show.

Overall a great show and I was sad that it was the end. I had to be reminded that they aren't real people.

ANOTHER Vacation

So I'm turning 30 on Sunday.... and to celebrate I'm going to the mecca of all pop culture...Los Angeles. Look for me in the rags as I'll be dining at the Ivy and trying to get on the Price is Right.

I have some shows from this weekend to still catch up on and from this week. I won't be back until the 29th of August (Monday) so I start catching up then.

Important TV Taping Alert

Even thought the official Television season doesn't start until the end of September. Fox is starting theirs with Prison Break this Monday the 29th at 8pm with a two hour premiere. This is supposedly one of the best new shows of the season so check it out.

Fall TV

So this morning as I drink my coffee getting ready for an state exam I need to take I started to review the fall TV schedule. I have to say there are a lot of conflicts with only two TV's. I admit that often these things work themselves out as shows are not as good as they are promoted to be, but from a starting point there are some problems.

Monday 8:30-9:00: Do I go How I Met Your Mother on CBS or Kitchen Confidential on Fox?

Tuesday 9-10: Already have Amazing Race on CBS. Now do I go Commander in Chief on ABC as well or My Name is Earl on NBC from 9:00-9:30?

How do I fit in the new Chris Rock Show? It overlaps too much.

There are some other conflicts which I'm going to take a gamble on. Also this show Reunion is getting some buzz with regards to guilty pleasures. Probably will check that out.

Movie Day

Yesterday spent the day at the movies. I checked out Four Brothers and Broken Flowers. I have to say I was eh on both of them. Both left a lot of unresolved questions but the first came to more closure. I would say if you have nothing to do on a weekend night months from now in the cold of winter rent FB and maybe pass on BF.

Bill Murray was pretty good. The movie was really slow paced and intriguing but it left me sort of flat. The movie just sort of ended and if it was really good I would have been disappointed. In this case I was like "un, ok." and walked out of the theatre. I could overanalyze it and make it into something deep, but I don't' really want to do that. I just want to watch a movie be entertained and leave. If I really wanted to think and over analyze I would read a book. I went to solely be entertained. Not to say movies shouldn't intellectually stimulate me, because they do, it just wasn't what I was in the mood for yesterday. I also think part of my problem is that I don't like Bill Murray. I HATED Lost in Translation and this is sort of like that but with more of a plot.

Overall Grade:

Four Brothers - C+
Broken Flowers - C/C+

Another little Vacation....

So I went away again for a few days, this time to Connecticut to hang with my friend and her 3 and 5 year old children. Once again, I found myself watching pre-school television. It mainly centered around Dora the Explorer and her little friend Boots. I have to say maybe slightly better than Battle of the Network Reality TV Stars.

Now don't get me wrong, there is a good chance I will continue to watch this show and I anticipate it will get much better given all the fighting I saw on the previews, however I found myself fast forwarding through a lot of the first episode.

First of all I'm not sure I even understand why they have the "Correspondents." They bring nothing to the table. My favorite part though was Omarosa trying to be a real "sideline" reporter and it just made her look all the more ridiculous.

One of the funnier moments was Gervase saying how Susan Hawk should have had something done to her face as well as her body. It's clear that Jonathan is still an ass. I have to say that Charla did a really good job in jousting although I thought for a moment when she was pushed back that next time she was going to be picked up and thrown over by the stick.

The one thing that seemed the most ironic to me is that none of these people must watch RW/RR Challenge (which is a better show by the way--Oh Johnny Mosely). If they did watch especially men vs women they would know that the best way to do elimination with the least amount of fighting and in the most fair way is to do it solely on performance and then be done with it. All the personality, secret voting it never works. C'mon people do you not watch MTV?!

Speaking of Music...

I caught up on Rock Star: INXS and I have to say I actually thought all three women were going to get sent home the way it was being set up. I mean really none of them are going to lead INXS so you might as well get rid of them.

I actually didn't think anyone really except for MIG did that great of a job. He definitely has the advantage and the Australian thing only helps. It was nice that he called Jordis and Marty up, but they look ridiculous because they didn't know what to do, probably didn't even know the words.

I'd like to see more fighting between Marty and J.D. It's clear Marty and the whole house really can't stand the dude. I really believe there is no way J.D. can win. He has too much ego and the band doesn't want to deal with that.

Only One More Episode Left....

I will be a little sad to see Six Feet Under go. But I have to say, it's clear to me that because the show is going off the air, Alan Ball and crew felt it was easy to make it political and throw out an American soldier death into the mix. Now it's not that I don't agree with the sentiments of Claire in her drunken/high/grief outburst/rage it's just that I prefer the deaths when the baker falls into the mixer or the hiker gets mauled by a cougar. It's more in the spirit of the show. Now I see the whole brother connection, but I didn't need that.

Given all this it was interesting to see everyone grieving in their own demented Fisher way. And by demented I know you all thought that scene between Brenda and Billy was real and you were covering your eyes and saying "no no no."

At least the one thing we know about how things are going to leave off next week is that Maya is going to be the most fucked up kid in the universe. David needs to serious counseling, and Maggie will get kicked out of the quaker community because she clearly has some rage and there is no room for that in the room of peace.

The two saddest parts for me were Claire having to give up her car which really was her staple to sanity and the conversation between Vanessa and the dead guy's sister. I hope Rico doesn't leave the Fisher's because they really need him to keep it all together.

I'm a little bored with the boyz...

I haven't written about Entourage in a while because I haven't been so thrilled with it. Yes there are a few moments in each episode where I chuckle aloud (Turtle saying he's never had a job, or Drama getting hard in front of Brooke Shields), but the Aquaman storyline went on too long and now the Mandy Moore "relationship" is a snoozer to me. I think this show does better when you treat this "Entourage" as a group and not different character storylines.

All Coming Together

This is what I found most annoying on Hooking Up. Last night was the final episode of this show and I have to admit as annoying as Amy was I actually missed her a little bit. She added the desperation to the show. As much as this show was trash I have to say I didn't mind watching it, but was extremely annoyed that at the end when they followed up with a lot of the women they were all in relationships now. (even Amy had met someone). It was a little too convenient for me, but I guess that is TV.

A few comments on The Real World. So Danny's mother died. The cameras go with him to Boston and intrude on his grieving. What is more annoying is the Iraqi soldier girl and her lack of understanding on anything. When discussing whether Danny will come back she had decided he will only because he'll miss Melinda. She had no concept on the fact that his mother died. It was infuriating to me. I'm not doing justice to her overally lack of common sense. I actually don't understand how she was a soldier.

Only a few more weeks until fall tv returns. Thank god, I've been watching too much trash.

Is that Allowed on CBS?

By that I mean Brooke Burke's "outfit" on Rock Star: INXS I mean seriously, what was she wearing?!

So my first question is is why do you almost never hear a person's accent when they sing? Can someone please answer that?

Secondly, it seems the group LOVES R.E.M and loves to have that as a song choice.

My bottom three: (Based on tonight's performance ONLY, not overall)

Jessica
Jordis
Brandon.

I would like to see Brandon go home. He is so irritating. First of all you don't say "the whole schmegege" you ARE a schmegege...you schmegege! Secondly, get rid of the pimp hat and hobo look. (I really like the word hobo and believe it should be brought back..whatever happened to Hobo's anyway....)

Dave Navarro is seriously getting on my nerves. Not quite Paula nerves, but he is too cliche.

It seems that Rock Star is taking its cue from Idol by getting rid of the Monday (although it is on VH1) and doing those video clip things. I actually kind of liked not having Monday and not knowing what they are going to sing.

J.D. seemed like he was trying to be humble tonight. His whole cockiness is going to bring him down ultimately so it is interesting that he is trying to tone that down.

I thought Marty was AWESOME and I bet if he sang that song with the band it actually would have sucked and this really pulled him through. I doubt it would happen but an all acoustic week would be interesting.

It was pretty funny that any time anyone did poorly the camera panned to Jessica. She is probably going home even though Brandon is more irritating.

Best performance of the night - TY. I don't think I have ever really listened to the words of that song and really got into it. He should definitely do the encore.

Oh in defense of Jordis going in the bottom three I think overall she rocks just not on tonight's song and therefore won't go home.

Lastly, since I opened it, let's close with outfits. What was Deana wearing? She definitely she have given some of that extra cloth to Brooke.

Death

Back from VA Beach and there is so much crappy summer TV to be watching (except SFU of course)

First it was Nate last week on Six Feet Under, now we have to see Danny lose his mom on The Real World. Clearly, one is way more traumatic for all involved than the other.

Overall I thought SFU was another strong episode. The two things I didn't like were that the hijacking guy kept coming back and that no one paid any attention to Brenda. Now I realize no one likes her, but I do feel like people other than her own mother should be consoling her. I was hoping for a big scene between her and Maggie at the gravesite, but the scene at the front door had to do. I was also expecting some sort of miscarriage, but that would have been too much for one episode. Whereas this episode was handled really well, bringing out all the key character traits in everyone there is a lot to be desired in

The Real World: Austin.

Yes, I am too old to be watching this show. Yes it is horrible, yes the characters only play to the camera and have nothing to say and yes I should almost not be allowed to write about television if I watch this show. However a few points:

On this episode (valentine's day incidentally) Danny's mother died. We already knew they had a tumultuous relationship so you knew there would be drama. It seemed to me that people in the house knew before Danny knew like the staff was given a head's up. It seemed to scripted. (except for Danny.) Plus, it seemed like people were laughing (although that is how people sometimes deal when it is uncomfortable, and awkward.) However it was like a wake up call to the other "characters" because they have been playing to the cameras, making shit up, looking at this like one big party which it is and then some real shit happened and they don't know how to deal.

I was hoping that by Danny going home to deal with the death of his mother that maybe the show would open up and we would see some other stuff with other characters, etc and leave Danny alone to his grief in private with his family. But no, it seems that MTV is going with him to invade this very personal moment in time. I'm sure it is all part of the contract, but there should be a level of decency for god sakes.

Speaking of decency...(as I say in a mocking tone)

Hooking Up

This show is still awful, but there is only one episode left. As always, let's break it down:

The Bad:

1. Who goes to Lucky Chang's as their hang out?

2. Riesha - She calls her police friend to let him know she is having a man stay over on the couch. Um, let's discuss our trust issues.


The Very Very Bad:

1. Amy - it's a good thing no one watches this show except for me, because she would never date again.

2. Sonya - I feel like if the cameras weren't on her date with her, there could have been a very after school episode (date rape) issue with her and that guy.

3. Sharpie - Who the hell puts sharpie on their skin to cover up holes in their sweater AND THEN ADMITS it on the date.

Back to the rest of my tv...there is so so much.

The Wiggles....

Just wanted to let you know that I'm on vacation in Virginia visiting my friends who have a 2 year old (actually turned two yesterday.) Therefore my television watching has been relegated to The Wiggles (gay australian men), Oobi (a bunch of people with plastic eyes glued to their hands) and Sesame (that's Sesame Street for those not in the two year old know..and who doesn't love Sesame.)

All I can tell you is that I'm happy that Barney is not being watched and that there are a lot of new people on Sesame Street since I was a kid and suprisingly a lot of people are still there. Also for those of you who don't know Snufalufagus (not spelled right I know) is no longer invisible. My oh my how things change.

I did catch an episode of that American Idol dance show You Think You Can Dance (I think that is what it was called) and to be honest I was very eh on it. Although I was told given all the crap that I watch it really isn't for me to judge. I will say I was intrigued by the one final storyline where a dancer contestant totally dissed a judge and it seems that next week he gets called out on it, that I would watch.

I also had an opportunity to see March of the Penguins. I definitely liked Winged Migration better, but it was a totally fascinating movie and it seems that the life of a Penguin is very difficult and requires a lot of walking and being freezing. It also seems they are hungry a lot. Plus I'm not convinced they can really tell each other apart which would prove difficult if you are trying to find your Penguin child.

I'll be on vacation through Sunday so next week there will be lots of TV catch up.