Weinergate, Dirk Nowitzki, "Go the F*ck to Sleep" and a Quick Schedule For the Month of July (a.k.a. Blog Post #324)

(The Anthony Weiner sex scandal and resulting resignation was just one of the many events that dominated the headlines in June 2011.)


Before we look back at the past, let me just give you a heads up on the future.

July is going to be one hectic month here at The mj15 Blog (and, coincidentally, my most exciting time as a blogger). To begin with, the Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced during the month (the 14th, to be exact), and veteran readers know how much time I like to spend analyzing it as well as bash the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for their usually poor choices of nominees. Not only have I dedicated three posts each of the previous two summers to predicting around twenty of so of the award show's main categories, but it's also one of the two or three things that I like to live-blog every year. Even as the months have passed and I have begun to realize each year just how ridiculous this awards show is, I still fall for the trap of writing 3,000 words dedicate to it and explaining my opinion on things like why "Modern Family" will defeat "Glee" to win Outstanding Comedy Series or why the voters should be ashamed of themselves for nominating Jon Cryer over Nick Offerman in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category. And you know why? Because I love certain television programs while hate others, and I'll be damned before I have to accept a show/actor/writer/director getting recognized in a major entertainment awards show over a more deserving one, that's why!

July is also going to be the month where I will celebrate the two year anniversary of not only my introductory blog post but also my first official blog post (both of which happened in a four day span), so you know what that means? You guessed it...the announcement of The mj15 Blog's 2nd ever Hall of Fame class! Just like last year, at the end of July I will introduced the Fabulous Five that helped the most in either shaping the blog into what it is today and/or gave me some good material to write about. And what will these five choices get? Why, a spot among some other distinguished Hall of Fame members, (such as the 2010 Tonight Show Conflict, and child vomiter Matthew Clemens) at the same labeled page, of course! So many great potential nominees: Charlie Sheen, Rebecca Black, Brett Favre, Kanye West...I practically can't wait to settle down sometime and narrow the list of candidates down myself!

July is also the month that, beginning this Sunday, I will also embark on my annual two-or-more week-long vacation. Beginning this Sunday and ending the on the 17th, I will be on hiatus, which means that during this time there will be absolutely no new columns, with one notable exception, that being my annual "Happy Independence Day!" post in which I will probably just modify the same column from last year (the one about my five favorite renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner). The reason? Well, for one thing I have plans to visit the Washington D.C. area on a week-long trip beginning on the 10th of next month. The second reason is that I just feel that there needs to be some time for me to recharge my batteries in preparation for not only those two big July events mentioned earlier, but for my Random Thoughts column that has been lacking in quality as of late and for some of the other major event coming up in the coming weeks after, like the start of the NFL season (if in fact both the owners and the NFLPA agree to sign a new CBA) or the upcoming fall TV season.

So, without further ado, here's a quick calendar featuring the dates that you will see all of the following columns and important dates mentioned earlier (and then some) right her on The mj15 Blog:

Saturday, July 2nd-Sunday, July 17th (Following my "End of the Week" post for the week beginning on 06/26): The mj15 Blog is on vacation.

Monday, July 4th: Vacation Exception- My 2nd Annual Independence Day post.

Monday, July 18th: The mj15 Blog returns from vacation with part one of my 2011 Emmy predictions along with the return of "Random Thoughts".

Saturday, July 23rd: Part two of my 2011 Emmy predictions, along with the return of "End of the Week".

Monday, July 25th: My final 2011 Emmy predictions, along with a brand-new "Random Thoughts" post.

Tuesday, July 26th- Monday, August 1st: The 2nd Annual mj15 Blog Hall of Fame Class is revealed with five daily posts dedicated to each selection.

Now that the first issue on my list has been tackled and the schedule for the month of July has been created for you, dear reader, as a reference guide, let's get to the real reason for this post: a selection of the best and most memorable moments from the month of July. Ladies and gentlemen..."End of the Month"!

END OF THE MONTH:

Book of the Month: "Go The F*ck To Sleep" by Adam Mansbach
What a despicable, nconsiderate piece of literature! I mean, just think about all those neglected crack babies and children that have to fall asleep without any parents because they're living in all those bad neighborhoods! Now those foul languages don't seem so hilarious, huh?

Nah, I'm just kidding! Who am I, CNN's Karen Spears Zacharias? In actuality, I am a fan of this book. It's hilarious and it's a good satire of the many parents who struggle to put their awake child to sleep at night. Plus, it's got an audiobook version narrated by the master of profanities himself, Samuel L. Jackson! It's like the Pope reading the Bible, or Dwight Gooden reading a book on cocaine abuse.



Picture of the Month: "The Vancouver Riot Couple"
Probably the only good thing to come out of that infamous riot, involving drunk fans of the Vancouver Canucks following their game seven loss in the Stanley Cup Finals. Apparently, the couple (Canadian Alexandra Thomas and Australian Scott Jones) started when the boyfriend decided to calm the girlfriend down by kissing her after they were knocked down by rioting police. Many people decided to take a photo of them, but none of them were as well-done, as professional and as memorable as this one. And who says that destruction of city and private property can't be romantic?














TV Finale of the Month: "Glenn Beck"
Oh, how we will miss those tears! The conspiracies? Eh, maybe not so much.

Facebook Invite of the Month: The One That Brought 1,500 People to a German's Birthday Party
Maybe now the girl will learn how to privatize invites.

Controversial TV Season Finale of the Month: "The Killing"
Watching that ending got me thinking about creating my own crime drama for AMC to air for 13 episodes. Right now the only thing I have is "the alligator did it," but at least it IS an ending.

Videos of the Month:
- The Most Athletic: "Eric Hassli of the Vancouver Whitecaps Scores a Wonder Goal!"
A score so good that even Seattle Sounders fans recognized it and applauded.



- The Creepiest: "eHarmony Video Bid"
A lonely white woman who loves cats? Now that's wife material!



- The Most Inspirational: "Thumbs Up for Rock and Roll!"
And with that, the next great speech-writer is born.



- The Best Music Video: "Golf Boys- Oh Oh Oh"
No surprise that Rory McIlroy wasn't included in the video. While they were off making music video that took little to no effort to produce, he was off training and crushing all of them in the U.S. Open by at least 15 strokes.



- The Best Burn: "Sesame Street: Spider Monster- The Musical"
This video just proves that making fun of "Spiderman: Turns Off the Dark" has yet to get old. Maybe Bono and the folks involved with it should reconsider continuing it (besides the constant production delays). After all, if Sesame Street of all shows decides to make fun of video, then how much low can you possibly go?



-The Best Reality Check of a Memorable '80s Film: "Ferris Buehler's Last Day Off"
It's really good, but they missed the part where Ben Stein is still yelling out "Buehler" even after the class ended 25 years ago.

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- The Most Awkward: "The Dalai Lama Walks Into a Pizza Shop..."
Oh, Karl! How naive you were! You should've known that Buddhist monks are like Jezebel commenters when it comes to jokes.



- The Best Duel: "Neil Patrick Harris and Hugh Jackman Duel at the 2011 Tony Awards"
Two men enter, and only one comes out more fierce than the other.



- The Most Supermarkety: "Whole Foods Parking Lot"
This guy is keeping things more real in this song than the store's $1.99 special on Wonder Bread.



- The Best Commercial: "T-Mobile Angry Birds Live"
I swear, those birds are taking over the world one pig smashing at a time.



- The Best Reaction: "Game of Thrones Episode 9 Post Show Reaction"
If this is how he reacts to Ned Stark's death, then his reaction to the "Red Wedding" should be epic (so I've been told by those that have read the books).



-The Most....Contemporary: "Katy Perry- Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
Hmmm, Katy Perry, Rebecca Black, the handicapped guy from "Glee," the word "epic fail"...yeah, I'd say that this video did a good job of summarizing some of the major pop culture phenomenons of early 2011.



- The Funniest: "Bill Maher: The Weinerlogues with Jane Lynch"
If he was as smooth talking with that woman as he was dealing with the scandal that ultimately made him resign, maybe he would still be a representative of New York.



Basketball Player of the Month: Dirk Nowitzki
After a twelve year odyssey of ups (2006 NBA Finals trip, 2007 MVP award) and downs (losing the NBA Finals despite having his team lead the series two games to none, Dallas' 1st round playoff loss to Golden State in 2007 as a #1 seed), the 7 foot small forward finally won his first NBA championship this month as he led his Dallas Mavericks to a six game series win over America's anathema sports team, the Miami Heat. He did so through a two month playoff performance that included nearly 28 points per game, over 8 rebounds per game, a 48% field goal percentage, some memorable single game moments (such as his 48 point performance in game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City). And what did he earn for all of this? An NBA Finals MVP trophy, a chance to sign "We Are the Champions" in front of thousands of people and a LEGO statue. Overall, not a bad month for what is now America's most lovable German since Knute the Polar Bear (may he R.I.P.).

Convicted Politician of the Month: Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
On Monday, in regards to the retrial of a 2010 case involving the ex-Governor of Illinois, Blagojevich was found guilty of 17 out of the 20 charges against him in a Chicago courtroom. Some of the charges that he was convicted of included several regarding political corruption, including the attempt to exhort The Tribune Company, release nearly $8 million of state funding to the Children's Memorial Hospital, and shopping around Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat following his 2008 Presidential victory. For both the Governor and the Prosecution led by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, it is the end of a 2.5 year process of trying to provide their side correct in the fight, and one that has made Blagojevich a comedic punching bag. He will also be the second consecutive elected Governor of Illinois to be sent to jail, increasing the percentage total to 57%, so...eye's on you now, Pat Quinn! Will you keep the streak going or actually keep yourself in check for once? Can't wait to find out!

Rant of the Month: Tracy Morgan's Homophobic Stand-up "Routine" at a Nashville Comedy Club
Now I don't know whether Tracy Morgan is playing Tracy Jordan on "30 Rock," or if Tracy Jordan is playing Tracy Morgan in real life.

Stories of the Month:
- The Most Scandalous: NY Congressman Anthony Weiner Resigns
Lesson learned: Never believe that a politician with the surname of a genital can be an honest person.
- The Most Ironic: "To Catch a Predator" Host Chris Hansen Caught on Tape Cheating on His Wife
The situation got more unusual when the reporter asked Hansen to have a seat and answer whether this was his first time.
- The Most Awful: Man Dies After Raping Elderly Woman
Yeah, it's fair to say that the guy got what he deserved.
- The End of an Era: MySpace Sold For Less Than 1/10th of Original Buying Price As Massive Layoffs Begin
Glad that I officially jumped that ship half a year ago. I feel like an American that was able to sell their home in May 2008 before the housing credit bubble exploded a few months later.
- The Most Relieving: President Obama Announces That He Will Bring 33,000 U.S. Troops Home by Fall 2012
Considering how he has said multiple times that this was going to happen, this nationally televised speech regarding it was about 1/50th as surprising as his "Osama Bin Laden is Dead" speech. But, hey, at least he got to use the same room, right? Lord knows how many good memories he has had in it.
- The Strangest: Russian Woman Dies in Her Own Funeral
I wonder if the funeral home made the family pay twice.
-The Most Revealing: William Shakespeare May Have Smoken Marijuana
Well, drugs are the key to many people's talent and inspiration...
- The Funniest: Naked Man Locks Himself in Bathroom, Turns Plane Around With His Penis
Why is it that a flight is on the news when there's a crash or something weird happens? Oh, that's right! It's interesting.
- The One With the Best Headline: Ohio Woman Arrested For Spraying Breast Milk At Police During Argument
A charter school teacher, huh? Well, at least it's good to know that we have the nation's finest teaching the next generation of Americans.
- The Sexiest: Nude Photos of Actress Blake Lively Leaked
God, she has the body of a Greek goddess...I mean, er,uh, what a disgrace! Whoever released these photos should be asahmed of themselves!
/looks at them three more times
-The Most Costly: $36,000 Is Spent To Drain Oregon Reservoir After Someone Urinated In It
Look on the bright side: at least the town's water isn't coming from public swimming pools.
- The Most Disastrous To Someone's Election Campaign: Newt Gingrich's Campaign Manager and Senior Staff Resigns
Ironically, it's the most interesting that Gingrich was involved with in a while.
- The Most Historic: New York State Legalizes Gay Marriage
Kind of weird how this state and Iowa have been added into the small lists of states allowing gay marriage, while California is still fighting it. Should of happened in reverse if you ask me.
- The Most Awesome: Gabriel Giffords Released From Hospital

Survey of the Month: North Korea Ranked 2nd Happiest Country in the World, According to North Korea
Oh, those North Koreans! What will Kim Jong Il make them think and say next?

Name Change of the Month: Ron Artest to Metta World Peace
Of course he did.
/changes all "ron artest" labels to "metta world peace" labels from now on.

Person of the Month: Former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner
for obvious reasons, like going from one of the most prominent and respected Democratic politicians in the country to disgraced man forced to resign his post in less than a month, and all because he either couldn't control his horniness or he wasn't smart enough to be careful with what he was doing online and who he was doing it with. Also, with this scandal he created a story that, for a three week period beginning around Memorial Day weekend, was the biggest and most covered story in the entire country (at least in the mainstream media). Honestly, what else is there left to say about it?
-Runner-ups: Dirk Nowitzki, Tracy Morgan, Patrick Fitzgerald, Michele Bachmann, Rory McIlroy.

And there you have it! A look back at the past and a quick look ahead at things to come. See you on Saturday!

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15






If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

Random Thoughts: 06/20/11- 06/27/11

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

The good news? This post will not feature me talking about how much I hate "The Killing." The bad news? I don't know. I suppose you're just gonna have to answer that question for yourself. Anyways, the following were on my mind between Monday, June 20th and Monday, June 27th:

- Not a big fan of summer during odd-number years, at least in terms of sports. No Men's World Cup soccer, no UEFA European Cup, no Summer Olympics; just the two remaining golf majors, the two remaining tennis majors and baseball games that don't really get interesting until mid-August. Now I just might have to go outside to get some entertainment.

- I've started to watch fucking "Deadwood" on DVD for the first time over these past few fucking weeks. My early thoughts: the show is fucking fantastic so far, but God damn! Those cock-sucking mother fuckers swear too much! Sheeeeeeit!

- Hey, SportsCenter! When you had Chris McKendry discussing the NFL Lockout's 100th day by having her say "it's been 100 days without football," you know that the NFL would still have not played over that time span, right? Because that was nothing short of strange hearing it the first time. After all, the lockout started in March and has since continued on until what is now late June, the time of the year in the NFL calendar where there is nothing going on in the league besides the draft and mini-camp. Had it started in September and continued onto December, then I would agree with it. But in this case? Just poor writing on your part.

- Truth is...a noun.

- Are the Beastie Boys now the official soundtrack to ESPN telecasts now?

- I wonder what Sad Bill Cosby thought about the cancellation of "Sports Show with Norm MacDonald."

- Very disappointed in the makers of "Cars 2." Not only was it the first Pixar movie that I ever saw where I finished it thinking that the sole reason for creating it was to make money, but it failed to finally delve into something important: the actual mythology of the world of "Cars." Two movies in and I have yet to hear and answer to some of the show's most important questions, like:
a) How was the car world created?
b) Is this "Cars" world set hundreds of years in the future after the cars took over the planet in a way similar to "Planet of the Apes"?
c) When someone's of a lower level in the car world like a tire changer, do they have the chance to improve their lifestyle over the time or are they going to be in that lower class level forever (such as a serf in the Middle Ages)?
d) Is there a Car Jesus? If not, then are all cars atheists?
e) Do those married cars make their own babies, or does some factory make the parts to create the baby by request like in the movie "Robots"?
f) If they procreate their own offspring, then how does that process work?
g) If tractors are also technically cars, then why are they of completely different species (in their case, the Car's world version of a cow)?
h) How do you differentiate between a male car and female car beside their voice?
i) Is racing and bull riding the only sport that the cars play and enjoy?
j) What makes a car attractive to people of another gender? Is it their model and year? Is it their everyday actions, accomplishments and biography? Are they specifically programmed to be attracted to certain cars?
k) What is the "Cars" world form of monetary currency?
l) How does a child "grow" in the cars world? Are they upgraded into a larger model?
m) How can these cars talk like humans?

These are the pressing issues in the entertainment industry that need to be solved, people!

More to come next Monday. Until then, enjoy the workweek and remember...I'm, in fact, not serious about the questions related to "Cars" but am rather bored enough to think of an idea like this.
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15




If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or
tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 06/19/11- 06/25/11

END OF THE WEEK:

Another week, another bunch of stuff happening. Here, without any further interruption, is this week's picks for the best and/or most memorable moments of the past seven days (and, yes folks, it will include another anti-"The Killing" rant, in case you were wondering):

Death of the Week: Peter Falk, longtime actor most notable for his role that won him 4 Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy victories as Lieutenant Colombo in the TV series "Colombo." He was a one-of-a-kind character actor, and the TV landscape would have probably been a lot different without him. May he continue to wow other dead people with his great acting skills in the Great Beyond.

Commercial of the Week: Peyton and Eli Manning in "Football Cops"
Fighting crime one lockout at a time.



Stories of the Week:
-The Actual Story of the Week: President Obama Announces That He Will Bring 33,000 U.S. Troops Home From Afghanistan by Fall 2012
Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
-The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Russian Woman Dies At Her Own Funeral After Being Mistaken For Dead
And the award for Most Convenient Place To Die goes to...

Petitioned Name Change of the Week: Ron Artest to Metta World Peace
Damn! I had Prince Destiny's Child on my "Ron Artest Name Change" betting pool! Anyways, good to see Ron Artest continuing to remember that he's Ron Artest and that it's been a year since he's been able to try to top his 2010 NBA Finals postgame interview.

Video of the Week: "Tom Hanks en Univision "Despierte America' "
Two Oscars and 90 seconds with the weather girl and her too-good-to-be-true rump? Man, some guys just have all the luck!



Proposed Bill of the Week: Barney Frank's and Ron Paul's Proposed Reduction of Government Enforcement of Marijuana
This thing will probably get tossed out of the House by the 4th of July, but hey...at least it's some kind of marijuana bill! That almost counts as something!

Person of the Week: "The Killing" Executive Producer and Show Runner Veena Sud
for co-writing the season finale of TV's most disappointing and nerve-racking drama of 2011, "The Killing," one that has already received the strongest criticism of any episode since the "Lost" finale (especially if you've read the post-episode review from TV critic such as Alan Sepinwall and Maureen Ryan, who sounded like they wanted to get medieval at whoever came up with the idea for the episode). Now, while the show's first season was a failure and an overall waste of people's time (you can read my full explanation of why here), all that seemed like just like a very long prologue to what would turn out to be the show's ultimate failure, which was the final five minutes of Sunday's episode, the last one of the season. To recap: by the fifty five minute mark of the episode's airing, we saw the show's main character, Sarah Linden, sitting inside a plane heading towards Sonoma, California (where she would soon get hitched) with her son, Jack, thinking that the 13-day long investigation into the murder of Rosie Larsen was complete, with the supposed killer (Seattle Councilman Darrel Richmond) arrested and in the process of being prosecuted. But then, at the exact same time that the airline stewardess was asking her to turn off any electronic device, she manages to pick up a phone call from another police officer saying that the photo that was taken of Richmond the night of the murder (the one that convinced Seattle police to arrest the man) was manufactured by none other than her partner, Detective Holder, for some currently unknown reason. In other words, it turns out that the murderer may not be Richmond after all, and that we're going to have to wait until season two. But, oh wait, there's more! Around the same time that this occurred, we saw Belko Royce, disturbed friend of Rosie's father Stan, walk towards Richmond (who was being escorted into a police car) and do a Jack Ruby on him just before the screen went blank. So, not only do we not know who shot Rosie, we don't even know if the prime suspect is alive or not!

So, for those of you who have never watched "The Killing" before (and, I suppose, those who still like it), here is a six point list that, in a nutshell, details why this ending (and the episode as a whole) has now reached "Lost" finale levels of hate and vitriol:
1) Another f@cking red herring! Throughout the season, it seemed that Sud and the writers of "The Killing" completely abandoned any chance at character development and an inside look into the actual life of Larsen (after all, what's the point of watching a show about a dead girl if we don't know what the dead girl was like before she passed away) into creating one false hope and clifffhangers after another to keeping drawing viewers in. It was fine after a few episodes, but once that became a formula repeated itself every week, it just became irksome as a whole. And this...this final red herring just seemed like the last straw for many people.
2) For the viewers of the show (including myself) that grew tired of the show thanks to many of its flaws (and there were many), finding out who killed Rosie Larsen was the only reason that they continued to return from week-to-week. So, as you can probably guess, ending the episode to realize that they would have to come back next spring to this mediocre show to have the murder solved was not taken very well.
3) All season long AMC used the tagline "Who Killed Rosie Larsen?" as well as a weekly suspect tracker to promote this show, suggesting that THERE WILL BE RESOLUTION by the time the season finale aired. To see that not take place just seemed like the network had been lying to its viewers about the show the entire time.
4) They took what was arguably the most compelling and most likeable character of the show, Holder, into a villain (at least that's how many have interpreted that ending to be). That's the television equivalent of a bad baseball team trading away they're only star in favor of a few no-name minor leaguers.
5) We are arguably leaving the season knowing less about who killed Rosie Larsen than when we did coming in. Seriously! You could've skipped the entire season (except the first one) and still know as much about the murder investigation as the people who viewed all thirteen episodes.
6) No reason to justify the ending other than the dumb "Cliffhangers happen all the time!" reasoning that I've been hearing from the remaining fans of "The Killing." This is where those major flaws that the show had comes into play. Seriously, why should I (and the other viewers who complained about the show) tune in next season other than to see who killed Rosie Larsen outside of maybe the good acting and cinematography. Is the show wonderfully written? No! Does the show have a wide range of compelling characters? No! Does the show have realistic and/or competent policework? No! Are the red herrings interesting? No! Is the show really better than those "Law and Order" and "NCIS" franchises that they were trying to avoid being? You can argue that's it's probably worse! An hour before, "Game of Thrones" aired a season finale that also ended a cliffhanger. But you know why I loved it? Because season one of "Game of Thrones" had the exact opposite qualities of "The Killing," in that all of it was mostly superb.

But that now-infamous ending is not the only reason why I chose Veena Sud as my Person of the Week. I also chose Sud because she did something to AMC's original programming that no previous show runner has done before: damage it's brand. What I mean by that is that, because "The Killing" was so bad, it ruined the reputation of the network (previously 4-for-4 in its programming) as a cable channel that offered its viewers a well-constructed, emotionally engaging and intelligently scripted program to watch week after week. For all we know, this show (as well as "The Walking Dead," which was entertaining in its first season but not as well-made as "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," and "Rubicon," which I liked but, considering its cancellation, most people didn't seem to) might have also given its once loyal fanbase some hesitation to tune in to its upcoming new shows. I mean, will "Hell on Wheels" (premiering in the fall) be good? Considering the network's slate of recently new shows (like "The Killing") I really wouldn't bet on that just yet.

Don't think that the first two reasons were good enough to justify my choice? Well then, how about the arrogant way that Sud carried herself through interviews after the episode finally aired. Read her interview on HitFix following the episode as an example. First, she justified the ending by saying that it was it was a continuation of the show's approach to avoid becoming a formulaic show, which makes no sense because the show was indeed formulaic in that each week had one suspect who the police tracked only to find that they did not end up killing Rosie. Then, she continued to justify it by saying that she never said that they would solve the murder by season's end. Hey, Veena, if that were the case then why would you allow AMC to use "Who Killed Rosie Larsen?" as a tagline of the show throughout the season if you knew that the question would be solved by the time it ended?

Third, she actually compared the show to TV dramas of much higher quality like "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad" (and later "The Sopranos") when she had no reason to do so! She actually believes in her right mind that she's making a show just as good as the ones she's comparing them to when in fact she just put together a show that has been nothing more than mediocre. In other words, she has the ego of a David Simon or a Matthew Weiner but with only less than 1/64th of a talent! So, congratulations, Ms. Sud! In a span of thirteen weeks you have gone from the producer of "Cold Case" to showrunner of one of the most hated dramas on TV, and it all culminated this week with an episode that the Los Angeles Times called "one of the most frustrating season finales in TV history." Can't wait to see how you follow it all up next spring with the second season of a show that I'm sure you have no clue of what you're going (though I'm sure it will still end up insulting viewers intelligence).

-Runner-up: Rory McIlroy. Not only did he win this year's U.S. Open this past Sunday in dominating fashion (8 strokes) and in record strokes (199), quickly rebounding from his epic final round choke at The Masters two months prior, but he's now officially carrying the torch as golf's leading young superstar and leader of the new generation of male golfers with the win. Overall, not a bad week for the 22 year old from Hollywood, Northern Ireland.

And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and once again, up yours Veena Sud!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or
tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

Random Thoughts: 06/13/11- 06/20/11

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

I'm glad that I ended up writing my anti-"The Killing" rant yesterday three hours before the season finale premiered. Those criticisms that I gave would have turned a lot more hostile and a lot more venomous had I decided to give that post more time to write (a.k.a. Sepinwall/Ryan/Simmons-esque hate). But enough about "The Killing"...at least in this paragraph (I'm not promising to stop bashing it for good). Here is this week's fresh, new installment of the RTs! The following were on my mind between Monday, June 13th and Monday, June 20th:

- Kind of a good back-to-back juxtaposition last night as "Game of Thrones" aired their season one finale right before "The Killing" aired their season one finale. Whereas "Game of Thrones" continued to show why it's one of the best shows on television with a fantastic prologue for season two, capped off with its usual slate of great writing, supreme acting and a final scene that has to rank as one of the most epic season-ending moments in TV history (nothing beats a tribe bowing down to a hot, naked woman with three baby dragons standing right on her, after! all!), "The Killing" did the exact, with a menacing season finale that had an ending that just made you want to regret spending 13 hours of your life watching it in the first place (as if those previous ten didn't help).

- You know who I pity the most in this world? The world's second shortest man. Not only is he probably smaller than two footballs and is probably getting constantly mocked at, but that person also doesn't have the title of "World's Smallest Man" to actually feel slightly better of his very short stature.

- If the 5'7'' Tom Cruise can be cast as a 6'5'' tall Jack Reacher, than Ving Rhames can be cast as a character based on Kevin Hart.

- Rebecca Black took down the original "Friday" music video from YouTube?!?! But now what song will I play on the computer twenty-eight times in a row ironically? WHAT?
(Update: Just found out that it's been put back on YouTube as a director's cut. Phew! Should be interesting to see how it compares to the original in dislikes)

- Need a reason to not act like an asshole in public? How about the case of Hermon Raju, who was videotaped on a New York subway train making an ass of herself by yelling to a train conductor and using how more educated she is as an argument point. Now that the video has been released online for public viewing it should probably take a while for her reputation (and job opportunities) to recuperate as right as the criticisms of her personality are.



Apparently, she wasn't never educated in manners. HEY-OH!

- Congratulations to Rory McIlroy on his victory in the U.S. Open! After seeing (and live-blogging) his pitiful demise at The Masters two months earlier, the fact that this talented 22 year old can come back two months later into the next major championship and basically dominate the competition from the first to the last was nothing short of impressive and almost a sign of future dominance to come. Can't wait to see how the rest of his career unfolds!

More to come next Monday! See you soon, and up yours Veena Sud (sorry, sorry, sorry)!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





f you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or
tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

Blog Retraction: "The Killing" Is Actually a Waste of Your Time

(All right, one of these two people killed Rosie Larsen. I just know it!)

[Ed. note: This post was written before the season finale of the show, which has since received some scathingly harsh (and justifiable) reviews, most notably here, here, here, here and here. Whatever my thoughts of the series are relates only to the show's first 12 episodes].


Take yourself back for a moment to a much more simpler time. The date was April 3rd, 2011, better known as the Sunday when The Rock hosted WrestleMania 27 to a pay-per-view audience in the hundreds of thousands. Oh, how much has time changed since then! Back then, Osama Bin Laden was still alive (assume to still be hiding in the same Afghani cave that he's been living in for years), while Harold Camping was still technically not incorrect about his 05/21 Judgment Day prediction. It was also during that time when Tupac Shakur was still pronounced alive (according to PBS), the original iPad had still yet to be considered inferior compared to the completely different and more revolutionary iPad 2, and the film adaptation of "Mr. Popper's Penguins" with Jim Carrey had yet to take a dump on the eyes, ears and mouth of the moviegoing public.

It was also during this date when AMC, a network that previously had a perfect 4-for-4, 1.000 batting average with dramas the likes of "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," and "The Walking Dead," debuted "The Killing," a new original series based on the critically acclaimed (and BAFTA award-winning) Danish series of the same name and developed to the U.S. by former "Cold Case" producer Veena Sud, with two back-to-back episodes. A day after that season premiere, I wrote a quick, two paragraph opinion of it on the 04/04 installment of "Random Thoughts" that basically praised those first two episodes. To recap: I thought it was a fantastic premiere while also praising the show for its abandonment of the usual crime procedural cliches, their focus on the grief of Rosie Larsen's family, the good writing and the stellar acting from the cast. I also said in the very same post that I was so impressed by the show's first two episodes (still am to this day, actually) that I just couldn't wait to see how the rest of the season played out.

Now, with 12 episodes down and the season finale scheduled to air in mere hours (10 p.m./EDT to be exact) I would just like to say...boy, how times have changed!

See, it's not that I currently despise "The Killing" so much as I have become incredibly and utterly disappointed by it. What started out as a crime procedural with an interesting concept (see a crime that would've been solved on network TV in 40 minutes extended into 13 episodes, showing the impact of it throughout the lives of the friends and family of the deceased person) has turned itself into a show that is just as cliched as the network TV shows it was trying to separate itself from, complete with one bogus red herring after another that at times made it seemed that the show forgot what it was trying to accomplish in the first place (which was finding the killer for teenager Rosie Larsen). Basically, it has become a body without a soul, or a show that has pieces in place to make it great but just never seemed to put it all together and make it into one beautiful, fun-to-watch whole, whether it was because of bad writing, poor creative decision and...well, yeah, that's pretty much it.

How did my drastic change of opinion change? Well, for the first four or five episodes in I actually still found myself liking this show, wanting to tune in week-to-week to see what would happen next like the lady who wrote this New York Post review of the show (one that AMC constantly used to promote the show during most of its season one run and seems pretty bad in retrospect) said I would. Yes, it was there were still some things that the show needed to fix, but I forgave them for being so early into the series and for my previous brand loyalty to AMC. But then came the beginning of the Bennett Ahmed arc, and that was the moment where I believe that the show began its downward plunge into mediocrity, one where its early mistakes never became fixed and the product worsened. For those of you that haven't watched the show, the Bennett Ahmed arc saw the investigators of the murder of Rosie Larsen (Detective Sarah Linden, played by future Emmy-nominee Mireille Enos, and Stephen Holder, played by Joel Kinnaman) investigate Ahmed, who was Larsen's literature teacher prior to her death, for six episodes only to find that Ahmed has nothing to do with the murders but was instead just hiding some 12 year old Somalian girl in order to protect her from some forced marriage or something. In the process of that investigation, we saw a youth-organization get cut-off of Seattle city funds unnecessarily because it was associated with Ahmed, anti-Muslim hate among the city's racists (capped off by the hilarious scene where a mosque was graffitied with messages like "Kill Muslims" as they were written by middle schoolers), and Ahmed eventually critically wounded by Stan Larsen (Brent Sexton), the ticked-off father of Rosie with a mob-related past, and co-worker Belko Royce (Brad Sexton III). Now, the reason why I just described the basic plot to a story that took over six episodes to solve was simple: it ended up having zero help, I repeat ZERO HELP, to with finding out who Rosie was killed by! Instead it just ended up being six episodes that Veena Sud and company used to stall for the final four (which was when the investigators finally started to get really close into solving the murder). In other words, you could have watched episode four, skipped the next six, and come right back to watch episode ten without missing a thing! It actually made me regret spending hours watching TV in primetime, and that's usually something that I don't often do.

But my hatred for "The Killing" goes way beyond the main plot of those six episodes and its really bad writing. No, it goes much beyond that.

For instance, let's talk about the crap-tastic police work, shall we? Now, while I am for having police detectives on TV who aren't super geniuses but rather imperfect, believable human beings (which is what the main character, Sarah Linden, is supposed to be on the show), it doesn't mean that those same police officers should also be incompetent in their job. Take Detective Bunk Moreland in "The Wire" as an example. He's not a mega genius in crime solving as other TV characters like Patrick Jane in "The Mentalist" or Dr. Cal Lightman in "Lie to Me" are, but rather an often down on his luck regular detective who even admitted in season three of the show that if there's ever a man that would want to take his life, it would be him. And yet, despite all that he's still a very respectable detective who, through hard work and dedication towards policework, does his job well enough to help solve the investigations assigned to him (such as the 14 Jane Doe murders in season two) and arrest a few bad guys in the process.

But with Linden, and really the entire Seattle police department staff assigned to solve Rosie Larsen's murder, it's a whole other story, one that has featured glaring investigative oversights and breaks in the case that really only seem to come through some lucky breaks. Take the most recent episode, "Beau Soleil," for instance, where they finally decided to manually check every single link of the murder victim ever of Rosie. Now, this would be considered smart police work in my opinion...except if it didn't take 11 days after the start of the murder investigation for that to happen. Need another example of the incompetency of the police work? Well, how about how it took them nearly 10 weeks to realize that Rosie's keychain with an ambiguous name could possibly lead to the name of an individual or organization that could potentially be connected to her death, or how the police never made a statement or comment to a press that Bennett Ahmed was not accused of murdering Rosie so as to not have the anti-Muslim rage among some of the city's residents or Stan Larsen's quest of vengeance to continue forward, or not interrogating Rosie's aunt hard enough earlier in the season so that she would've given the information on Rosie's escort service career sooner than last week. And the only times that there were any progress were after some coincidences like Linden jogging to the location with the name similar to that on Rosie's keychain. This poor investigating might have been okay with me had in been on a show like "CSI" because they have 40 minutes to solve a murder, but when it's a show like "The Killing" that has their murder investigation stretched to around 500 minutes (give or take) you need to make the whole thing believable and logical. That, sad as it is to say, did not happen in season one.

(And, please, don't argue that this is because of Linden dealing with their complicated personal life, like the relationship with her son Jack or the situation with her and her Sonoma fiance. If this were the case than Linden would not have agreed to be assign to investigate the case in the first place)

Another main criticism that you can add to the first season of "The Killing" lies in its poor characterization. Outside of Holder (and perhaps Stan Larsen in the last episode) there has really never really been a single character on the show that I have either liked or cared for. Linden has become either annoying or frustrating to watch, the constant grief of Mitch Larsen has become nothing short of tiresome by episode nine, Rosie's brothers have become almost non-existent to actually know if I should hate them or not, and I could care less about anyone in the Darren Richmond campaign (which I suppose is a good thing if one of the three turn out to be Rosie's killers, because that way I wouldn't feel a thing once they go into prison for life). Even Rosie Larsen, the girl whose death is supposed to be the center focus of these 13 episodes, was pushed aside as a character to the point that you would often forget about her existence if it weren't for the show airing newest developments in the life of her family. This could be okay for maybe one or two episodes but not for 75% of the season!

The reason why I bring this up is simple: in a show where there is a deliberately slow pace like "The Killing," the show's writers are supposed to give us characters that we're supposed to have some care or deep investment over so as to make up for the fact that most of the show is filled with nothing but filler and that there is nothing happening of major notes towards the overall plot. A good example of this would be another AMC show that aired during this past TV season, "Rubicon," the low rated conspiracy thriller drama that was cancelled back in October two weeks after their only season finale. This was a show that had a pace far, far more slower than "The Killing" (the main reason why it got cancelled in the first place) yet greatly made up for it with characters (ranging from main character Will Travers to badass gay API supervisor Kale Ingram) that were so compelling it made you want to continue watching it week-to-week just to see them go about their daily lives episode after episode. With "The Killing," on the other hand, I get none of that feeling. This very handicap of the show is what would end up posing problems for it later on in the season as there were certain scenes (like Councilman Richmond throwing the unintentionally hilarious $5 million dollar basketball shot) where the show asked viewers such as myself to hold their collective breaths in anticipation and wait to see what happened next to those characters, yet ended up only doing the exact opposite. And even when the show's writers actually tried to deliberately make the viewers care for the their two main characters (Linden and Holder) in the episode "Missing" (the show's answer to Mad Men's "The Suitacse" and to Breaking Bad's "Fly"), that also didn't end up working because it was simply a case of too-little, too-late, or the writers planting this episode at a time in the season where it just didn't fit the overall narrative.

And finally, there's the red herrings. Oh, how they've become the bane to me enjoying the show! You would figure that the show about a murdered teenager would involve spending one episode after another into the life of that murdered teenager, who was killed despite being apparently kind and likeable. Well, no...it did not happen that way. Instead, what season one of "The Killing" ultimately became was a show whose main goal was basically to spend one episode after the next focusing its attention on one suspect after another, whether it was Rosie's friend Sterling to Ahmed, and then find ways to make them innocent only to never hear from them or have the show pay attention to them again. Not only that, but they decided to completely abandon an opportunity to examine Rosie's personal life (her friends, her hobbies, etc.) to do so. And the worst part of the whole thing was that each red herring became more pointless and wackier than the last (which is what sucks about season two once again having 13 episodes, because it will most likely be just another continuation of this annoying trend). Sometimes, I just wished that they would have revealed the killer to the audience much sooner (like in season one of "Dexter," for instance) so I could've just stopped seeing the show's writers continue to figuratively blue-ball the viewer and instead spend the next few episodes seeing how the police finally found out what we realized a while back, giving us the added enjoyment of feeling smarter of the entire situation.

Maybe this was just be a one season thing. Maybe by the time that this show comes back next spring (AMC renewed the show this past Tuesday), Suds and the writing staff will have realized the mistakes that they made this season, work out the kinks and deliver the show that is a much more different, much more interesting set of episodes. Maybe the "Who killed Rosie Larsen?" story will be solved tonight, giving way to a new season-long story arch that offers the viewers with more than one of two interesting characters, acceptable and comprehensive police work, and less episodes written as something other than works of pure stalling purposes. Maybe...but that's what I have been hoping for while watching other mediocre to slightly above average dramas like "Dexter" and "House," and those have yet to happen (and probably never will). Besides, considering how bad dramas usually don't tend to get better overtime (especially when it's run by someone whose previous body of work included producing a mediocre CBS crime-drama), I have a good feeling that these hopes will not come to fruition.

For those of you that have enjoyed this show regularly from week-to-week, I offer you my deepest congrats. I honestly do. The fact that you didn't find this series a waste of time and investment like myself actually makes we want to envy you the same way I envy children who still innocently and truly believe that Santa Clause is real. Alas, barring some ultra-incredible finale tonight that makes me want to completely forgive eight out of the past nine episodes, it appears that my final thoughts of the season will resemble the city of Seattle throughout the entire run of the show: gloomy, and without any hope of some sunshine (a.k.a. any positive feelings towards it).

Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15

UPDATE (06/20): Just finished watching the season finale. Veena Sud could punch herself in the crotch for all I care. What an awful, piece of crap ending! Oh, and considering Sud's interview with Alan Sepinwall, her arrogance makes me sure that none of the episodic (and seasonal) mistakes will get fixed at any point, in which case (barring some raving reviews about how much it has improved overtime) you can officially add me onto the list of those not sticking around for next spring.

If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or
tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 06/12/11- 06/18/11

(A couple apparently kissing on a city street was just one of the many sights and sounds from this week's post-game seven riot in Vancouver)

END OF THE WEEK:

Before I begin this week's installment, I just want to take this time to wish every one of you fathers and/or father-like figures a happy, safe and celebratory Father's Day. And for all you offsprings, well I hope that you at least bought the man a nice gift. I wouldn't recommend buying him a Marvin Gaye CD, though. Your home will self-destruct in the irony. Now, let's get onto what we all came here for, shall we? Here are my choices for some of the best and most memorable people and moments from this, the twenty fifth week of the calendar year 2011:

Mugshot of the Week: John Edwards'
Considering his reputation-tarnishing life that he's had over the past three years, I'm surprised that the emotional toll didn't give this photo a Nick Nolte vibe.












Commencement Speech of the Week: Conan O'Brien at Dartmouth University
This one just narrowly edged out Stephen Colbert's commencement speech at Northwestern. Both were great and given by someone who I would actually enjoy listening to anytime, but this speech was just overall funnier. Plus, it happened nearly five days earlier, so additional points to CoCo for making his available for plagiarism first.I have nothing more to add. Just sit back and enjoy...



Stories of the Week:
-The Actual Story of the Week: Congressman Anthony Weiner Forced to Resign
I'm sure his replacement, George Burner, will do a heck of a job as interim.
- The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Portland Spends $36,000 To Drain Reservoir After Man Urinated On It
Personally, I think that this is a bit too extreme. After all, anyone who has ever visited a fast-food restaurant knows that they must've eaten something coming from the hands of a worker who didn't wash after being in the restroom.

Sore Losers of the Week: Vancouver Canucks Fans
for rioting the streets of the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics this past Wednesday following their team's loss to the Boston Bruins in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals 4-0, and for making jackasses of themselves in the process with the entire world watching their car burning, car flipping and window destroying shenanigans. Apparently, alcohol does create idiotic sports fans...even in Canada!
Video of the Week: "Dalai Lama Doesn't Get Dalai Lama Joke"
I know one news anchor who won't be able to understand the secret to a rich and enlightening life anytime soon.



P*ssy of the Week: Republican Presidential Candidate Tim Pawlenty
I don't care how much you want to be Mitt Romney's vice president nominee in case he wins and you don't. If you've been bashing him for weeks about "Obamney care" and how his health care plan in Massachusetts was similar to the one that the President signed into law last year, you're supposed to continue doing so and not just back down the criticism once you get to debate him face to face, which is exactly what the former Governor of Minnesota did during this week's debate between the party's major candidates. Talk about defeating your chances of the party ticket!

Person of the Week: NBA Forward Dirk Nowitzki
for leading the entire Dallas Mavericks to an NBA Finals victory over the Miami Heat in six games Sunday night with an overall fabulous performance. In those six games that were played, four of which were won by Dallas (including a late-game 15 point comeback in game 2) Nowitzki averaged 27 points per game, nearly 10 rebounds per game (9.4), a 50% 3-points percentage, and 97% free-throw shooting among other things. This victory also joins him in a very distinguished list of individuals ranging from Michael Jordan and Larry Bird to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant that have won the NBA title, MVP, Finals MVP, and over 10 All-Star appearances. Not only did his leadership finally give him and his team the NBA title that took over 10 years (and some surprising NBA playoffs series wins) to earn, but it's also who Nowitzki did not help win the NBA title which was arguably more notable, which are Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the rest of the Miami Heat in their 1st season together following last July's The Decision. And considering how the Heat famously celebrated the joining together of the Big Three the day after The Decision last summer, the fact that we didn't get to see the team with the most arrogant players celebrate with the country's most bandwagon fanbase in a parade that would've been over 10X douchier than what we saw last summer greets nothing but a sigh of relief in my mind (and I'm sure millions of others, as well). So, thanks for that, Dirk, along with other notable members of the organization ranging from owner Mark Cuban to coach Rick Carlisle to SG Jason Terry! Now, go enjoy botching more famous songs in celebration why don't ya!

And that's the way it was! Have a wonderful Father's Day, everybody!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15




If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or
tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

3 Really Quick Thoughts on This Week's Game of Thrones Ending

(Note: LIKE WINTER, A MAJOR SPOILER IS DEFINITELY COMING. If you haven't seen this episode, or haven't read any of the books, I suggest you stop reading right here.)

1. Uh, wow! As someone who has never read the books, count me among one of those who were incredibly surprised that Ned Stark was actually killed by orders of King Joffrey (now officially the most unlikeable character on TV) at the end of tonight's episode, what with Sean Bean playing one of the show's biggest (and most heavily promoted pre-season) characters and then just getting killed nine episodes in. If this were an original TV series and not based on some plot of a book, I would have considered it one of the ballsiest moves in TV history. Oh, and speaking of the book, George R.R. Martin had major iron-clad balls for making this plot decision 15 years ago and basically saying "Welcome to Westeros, motherf*cker!" to his readers. Can not wait to see how the hell that breaks loose from this pivotal moment in the series occurs.

2. If you want my opinion of the ending from an artistic and critical standpoint (basically judging based on just how the scene played out) than my reaction is the same...wow. Just seemed like everything about it was gorgeous, from the shooting to the direction by Alan Taylor to the acting by Bean and Maisie Williams to even the heavy breathing and emphasis on the birds' wings flapping, made it not only suspenseful and horrifying to watch, but also very beautiful in a way. Not many shows these days can possibly counter that scene.

3a. Yep, this show is still excellent, once again delivering an episode that was better than the last one (a constant for this season one) while continuing to deliver great writing and directions, superior acting and a truly dynamic plot. I was a bit hesitant to like this show at first after a so-and-so first three episodes, but it has since won me over completely.

3b. If someone can possibly create a few T-shirts that say either "They Killed My Nigga, Ned, man!" or "Fuck the Blonde Man!" I will forever offer you my sincerest thanks and gratitude.



Feel free to add on your opinion of this ending, or the episode itself, if you want. Otherwise, enjoy Sunday's season finale!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or
tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

Random Thoughts: 06/06/11- 06/13/11 ft. The Most Awe Inspiring Facebook Status Ever (!)

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

I have a Facebook page, and have been using it since January of 2010. Most of the time that I've used Facebook have been for no purpose other than to write some Random Thoughts-esque statuses that ranged from serious to snarky and maybe share some interesting links or two. That's pretty much it, actually. I hardly post pictures, I never post any videos or poke people, and I only occasionally like others' statuses. Basically, I just treat Facebook as Twitter but with 290 extra characters left to type.

However, there are some among my Facebook friends that don't use it so infrequently and discretely. Others just end up going as far as using their Facebook page as their own diary, posting pictures and statuses that are basically too much more information than it should be. This type of usage of Facebook culminated this past week when, at Wednesday around 10:30 a.m./CST, one of my 230 or so virtual friends (that I've known since elementary school, no less), posted this quick, simple status, one that stunned me when it was first posted:

"I just took a shit."

That's it; no more, no less. Basically, a one sentence statement posted in a free, public website that 482 or his friends could read in an instant, saying that he took a dump. Now, it's been nearly a week since that status and I still have no idea what to think of it. Either this is one of the darkest moments in social media history, one in which a person thought it was so damn important to tell the world of his f@cking bowel movement of all things and just basically reflected this sense of deep narcissism that it stereotypical or my fellow generation-Y mates OR one of the secretly greatest things that I've ever seen on the social networking site, a perfect one-sentence unintentional satire (because I'm sure this person never intended it to be an actual satire) of how far and how open social networking has come. I mean, as someone who has joked with others in the past of how open with releasing information some people are on Facebook, to actually see a status like this...it's like seeing Mike Tyson bite off Holyfield's ear after months about joking of his craziness.

Anyways, moving on, here are the fresh new set of random thoughts, all prepped and ready to go. The following were on my mind between Monday, June 6th and Monday, June 13th:

- I'm not sure which united the country more: Osama Bin Laden's assassination, or Lebron James and the Miami Heat officially losing the NBA Finals to the Mavericks last night.

- I love it when you watch an old episode of a TV show and you see some now famous actor in a relatively minor role. Makes you feel better of yourselves knowing what audiences in, say, 1998 didn't know when they saw a then unknown Hugh Laurie play a really small role on an episode of "Friends," or those in 2005 who saw Jack McBrayer of now "30 Rock" fame play a waiter with two lines on "Arrested Development."

-It's okay for a comedian to say offensive and inappropriate stuff on stage as long as it's funny or at least trying to be funny. Tracy Morgan's now infamous rant in Nashville was neither one of those, but rather an inappropriate, unfunny bashing of homosexuals, which is why I was pretty angry of this story.

-Apparently, Family Radio leader/two-time false prophet Harold Camping suffered a stroke Thursday night, almost a full month since May 21st came and went. Guess that means that at least one person is experiencing the rapture after al1!

- If there's a single statement last night that by Lebron James that basically reinforced everything that people hate on him, it's this:

"All the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today," James said. "They have the same personal problems they had today."

In other words, I'm not gonna stress about the haters because I know that, deep down, they're just hating on me because I'm better than them (according to Worthington's law, that is). See, because I am a gentleman that has been bestowed with God-given athletic abilities, have been considered one of the best players in basketball since my arrival to the league, have made around $500 million in earnings in the 8 years since I've graduated and am one of the biggest names in sports while those people that consistently criticize me are not like me, one must assume that it's because they're envious of my awesomeness, that they're doing so to escape the reality that they're all miserable and wanting of a better life (though that's not true). I mean, what else can it possibly be? I mean, come on!

In all seriousness, if you want to know why people can possibly hate James more than say, a player who is also a convicted felon or made some stupid, offensive comments in the past, look at that statement over again. It has all: the arrogance of James that many saw during "The Decision," the self-centerdness, the feeling of his that he's the best since sliced bread (even though he has yet to win a single title in his lifetime as of this date), and the complete lack of self-awareness of how many people view them. Look, the guy is a great player (one that just about any team would want to have), and his reputation will get better once he starts to win a few Larry O'Brien trophy, but God damn it's really hard to say positive things about this guy's character whenever he keeps spewing asshole statements like these (not to mention his poor sportsmanship following any playoff defeat)!

- What a brilliant midseason finale by "South Park"! Not only was the episode itself both gut-bustingly hilarious (at least in this viewer's opinion) and poignant (a rare combination for the show these days), but the final three minutes was one of the biggest game changers in the show's history (possibly the biggest since Kenny remained dead for an extended period of time). By many people's guess, it was a clear sign by Parker and Stone that the show was either going to wrap up soon (something that I never even thought about until then), whether it's this fall or in 2013 during the end of the "Teen Wave" movement as described in this episode, or a sign that there was going to be the becoming of many fresh storylines to come (most notably Randy as a single man or Kyle and Cartman spending more time together). Either way, I loved it, and can't wait to see what "You're Getting Old" will have in the future.

- Damn you, Don Carter! How dare you accept the Larry O'Brien Trophy following the end of game six and come in-between David Stern giving a trophy to Mark Cuban, the NBA's version of Pete Rozell giving the Vince Lombardi trophy to Al Davis! I wanted awkwardness, dammit!

- If there's anything that I've learned from the AV Club's 4-part interview with Dan Harmon it's that I should be even more critical of the show once season three comes along. After all, if Harmon's insecurity and overthinking of the show after reading the online criticism of every episode lead to the great second half of season two, than who knows how great the show will be once more people decide to become more negative thoughts on the show for the cause!

More RTs to arrive to this site next Monday. Until then, enjoy the rest of your Lebron H8rade Christmas!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or
tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

End of the Week: 06/05/11- 06/11/11

END OF THE WEEK:

No monologue this week, so let's just get to the juicy stuff. Here are some things to remember from the first full week of June, 2011:

Interview of the Week: The AV Club's 4-Part Interview with "Community" Creator Dan Harmon
After much delay, the entertainment-related website finally made their fascinating interview with the executive producer and showrunner of one of TV's best and most criminally under appreciated comedies available to the masses for their viewing pleasure. The interview, which reportedly lasted four hours between Harmon and writer Todd VanDerWerff (who does the excellent "Community" episode recaps on the site), was split up into four separate installment, with one posted everyday from Tuesday-Friday; each dedicated to having Harmon simply rabble on about the creative process and behind-the-scenes look at the making of his episode (along with his sincerely honest thoughts about each one of them). It's a simply terrific and insightful read if you are a fan of the show, and for anyone who is interested in seeing the mind of any dedicated showrunner of a TV program. Among some of the highlights in the interview, to name a few, are:
- He originally hated two of the show's better episodes, "Critical Film Studies" and "a Fistfull of Paintballs"
-He had to constantly battle with NBC and the studio during the making of this episode, most notably while making "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" (the studio apparently hated the episode's concept so much, they wanted it to be completely thrown away).
-The show's writers are composed of half male, half female, and he loves it that way.
- There were times when even he didn't know what to do with the characters of Britta and Shirley.
- He plans to use elements from "The Wire" of all shows to make season three (great, now I'm really amped up for the fall!).
- He's a very critical. self-loathing man who would occasionally get himself all teared-up if he felt things were going wrong and occasionally drive himself to the brink of depressing. Basically, he's the opposite of the easygoing Bill Lawrence ("Scrubs," "Cougar Town") when it comes to making a TV show.

There's of course plenty of more interesting things to include, but since the entire interview takes up around 18,000 words or so, it's best that you should just check it out for yourself (Parts one, two, three, and four are linked here).

Video of the Week: "Shampoo Prank (Original)"
Some say that boy is still shampooing his hair. Some say he got out of that shower weeks ago and is now in his room playing "L.A. Noire." What we can all agree on...was that this was pretty damn hilarious for a prank simply involving shampoos.



Party of the Week: Jack White and Karen Elson's Divorce Party
Why not? After all, divorce marks the end of an unhappy relationship and the beginning of a potentially promising life of being single. So, by that logic, why wouldn't you celebrate with a few friends and family members?

Stories of the Week:
-The Actual Story of the Week: Anthony Weiner Admits to Online Relationship and Sending Explicit Photos
So, remember kids: never write anything, whether it's on paper or online, that can shame you on the front page of the New York Times, no matter how much you get the urge to.
-The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Tracy Morgan Apologizes For Homophobic Rant At Nashville Stand-up Performance
Obviously, he was just angry about the Nashville crowd not laughing about taking them to the back of a middle school and getting them pregnant.

Verbatim Reading of the Week: The Anthony Weiner "Sexts" By Bill Maher and Jane Lynch
And that, my friends, is just one of the perks of having an uncensored comedy on HBO.



LeLetdown of the Week: Lebron James During the 4th Quarter in Games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals
Game 4: O points (8 points total)
Game 5: 2 points (a major blemish in a game which he had a triple-double)
The Majority of America: Self-Combusts in Joy

Person of the Week: New York Congressman Anthony Weiner
for once again proving this week, and in this past fortnight as a whole, just how powerful horniness can have on even the most rational and most respected male individuals. In a span of two weeks, the man has self-created a major 180 turn of his reputation from one of the most brazen and respected politicians in not just the state of New York but also the entire Democratic politicians into another horny politician who showed a complete lack of sense and critical judgment in favor of wanting to please himself sexually. Kind of fascinating, isn't it? And to think, many people put his name in the hat on multiple occasions to potentially be the new Mayor of New York City, too. Just goes to show you: no matter how intelligent, rational and wise men can be, add power and horniness in his way and it could make most of them dumber than anyone who fell for Harold Camping's apocalypse prediction. All that's left to say now is: can't wait to see who falls under the trap next!

And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your weekend and don't you dare pull yourself a Weiner!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or
tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.

Random Thoughts: 05/31/11- 06/06/11

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

It's kind of strange what type of people that you see waiting on the CTA's L-line stations on Saturdays. For instance, just two days ago, for instances, I saw an attractive-looking young woman, possibly in her early 20's, wearing pink-dyed hair like the main female character in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" and a stuffed-lion backpack like one that a four year old wears to preschool every day, innocently chasing a pigeon just out of curiosity with a smile on her face. And I could think of was how more adorable could this girl in a woman's body possibly get more adorable?

Why do I bring this up? Because it's just as pointless as this weekly as this "Random Thoughts" column, that's why! Now, let's get this new installment started! The following thoughts were on my mind between Tuesday, May 31st and Monday, June 6th:

- Congratulations to the folks who made "The Hangover: Part II" for creating the greatest shot-for-shot parody of "The Hangover" EVER!

- A commercial for the Shake Weight airing during an episode of "Big Time Rush," one of Nickelodeon's highest rated programs, at the 7 p.m./CT primetime slot has to ran among the strangest advertisement placements of all-time.

-Honestly, "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" is just the most perfect Coldplay name for a Coldplay song ever Coldplayed. It's moody, and it has Chris Martin describing his feelings written over it. It's just like how Benedict Cumberbatch is such a perfect name for a British actress.

-When the best parts about the movie trailers are the unintentionally funny moment that a talking gorilla praises the restaurant "TGI: Fridays," you know that the film is gonna suck. I'm looking at YOU, "The Zookeeper!"

- What the..."Community," "Louie" and "Parks and Recreations" nominated for Best Comedy Series? Nick Offerman and Danny Pudi nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series? John Noble nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series? Finally, a respectable TV awards show that actually honors both the popular and underappreciated! Thanks, The Critics Choice Television Awards!

(http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-critics-choice-television-awards-liked-communi,57073/?utm_campaign=recirculation&utm_medium=section_tv_newswire)

- Not a real big fan of companies using positive reviews from random people on Twitter to sell their product. After all, this is the same social networking site where, if you look hard enough, you can find tweets of people saying that "The Paul Reiser Show" was one of the funniest shows in 2011, or that "Batman and Robin" is a better movie than "The Dark Knight." Granted, some of those tweets might be sarcastic and intended as a joke. But with Twitter, you never really seem to know, do ya?

- Man, "Treme" has been awesome in season two! If fellow HBO show "Game of Thrones" had not been airing right now as well, I might've gone as far as calling it the best currently airing show on TV (that is, until either "Louie" or "Breaking Bad" returns), especially when they're airing episodes that consist of the main characters' happenings around a major holiday. Great writing, wonderful acting, terrific music, and it's gotten to a point where the show has masterfully managed to include and mix in plotlines for every one of the major players. Thank God HBO renewed this for a season three, or else it would've been really depressing to see the show leave the airwaves for good a month from now.

More RTs to come next Monday. Until then, don't you all stop being adorable!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15





If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or
tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.