"Fast Car" is my favorite Springsteen song, too.

Last night was Wednesday's episode of Stylista, then the normal Thursday Ugly Betty, The Office, The SNL Thursday Night thing and Life on Mars.

I forgot to do this first and just read that Lindsay Lohan's time on Ugly Betty has been shortened by two episodes. Good. I really hate this storyline. I know Betty is supposed to be a lovable loser, but I thought we were going to see some growth. I'd like to see her get an Assistant Editor spot or something like that. I did like that Justin got a real storyline and a new friend--maybe a boyfriend? We don't know that yet but I like that character and it's nice that both teen boy characters on prime time shows (Erik on Gossip Girl being the other) seem to have found some acceptance.

On the other hand, I really wish we could have more of Holly on The Office. She's just perfect for Michael, and as absurd as that whole storyline is, the idea that every pot has a lid is a really nice one. Looks like whassisname from corporate is going to make trouble for them, though, which is weird as practically everyone in the office (or at least the complex, if you count Phyllis) is sleeping with or has slept with someone else there. It's nice Phyllis is getting a storyline, but I wish it wasn't at the expense of Kelly, who I don't think had a line last night. I can't say I really got the whole Crime Aid thing, but it's nice how they're using some different sets, and I have to say "Fast Car" is my favorite Bruce Springsteen song, too. "Rosalita" can suck it.

Between this show and Chuck, I'm sure I've heard more Huey Lewis in the past two weeks than in the last 10 years, although he did walk past the bookstore I was working at in San Francisco. I was talking to the young skate punk from the Peet's Coffee next door when I looked up and there he was and I said "Hey, It's Huey Lewis!" Of course the skate punk thought it was funny but actually ran into the coffee shop to ask them what HL's big song was to yell after him, instead of asking me, which is weird. Anyhow he yelled "It's hip to be square" down the street. I don't know if Huey turned around.

Anyhow, I'm glad those SNL specials are over, though I guess they're doing something on election eve, but I want Tina Fey in her proper spot, which is 30 Rock, which starts again next week. I miss that show. At the conference I went to a few weeks ago there was a panel about women comedians on TV and Fey was brought up, and I argued she was a Rhoda, not a Mary. I love Rhoda and in a meeting yesterday a co-worker, one of those who claims never to watch TV except for news, was all excited about Rhoda, so I really think there's a paper about the influence of Rhoda Morgenstern on a whole generation of women (no one else better write it either). Would there have been a Daria, or a Janeane Garofalo, or an Elaine on Seinfeld, or Phoebe on Friends (or is it Janice) without her? I don't think so. There definitely wouldn't be a Cathy from the comic strips. As Tracy Jordan would say, to quote Liz Lemmon, "Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate, Ack!" Do Rhodas have to be brunette, or ethnic? What's the fundamental difference between a Mary and a Rhoda? I don't think Ugly Betty is a Rhoda really, nor is Pam on The Office. What does it mean to be a Rhoda? There's an underresearched archtype there I'm sure, but I guess I'll have to see what those panelists are saying--one told me she tried to find Rhoda the show on DVD and it doesn't exist, and at this point neither to seasons 5-7 of MTM, which is a bummer. Hopefully they show up on www.Hulu.com sometime soon, at least.

As for Life on Mars, as I suspected the music is getting more and more obscure, and there's less of it. The music supervisors do have a talent, however, for finding catchy earworms. I haven't had Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Get Down" out of my head for over a week, and now there's some crazy song about King Kamehamehamea and the King Macadamia Nuts that I don't remember ever hearing before but I'm sure is going to pop up for days. I went ahead and set a season pass because the mystery interests me, but man I hate procedurals.

I forgot to write yesterday but I think this week's prize for best episode goes to Wednesday's Pushing Daisies, if only because of the use of Debra Mooney for Emerson Cod's gumshoe mom. I was especially impressed that in the alternate universe of this show that they just simply never even attempted to explain or question how white Mooney was the mother of pretty darn dark Chi McBride. Other than their color, they really did seem an awful lot alike. The setup was an agency that rented out friends to lonely people and my favorite line by far was said by Emerson who wondered why people needed that and couldn't just say, "My name is blah blah. Do you like blooby bloo? Me too! Let's be friends" if only because there's no chance whatsoever that that character would ever say that.

Stylista was a little interesting, but a whiner group of spoiled brats I have never seen. They put the groups of model wannabes to shame. I don't know if I'll actually learn any more about making a fashion magazine than I have from Ugly Betty, but I'll give it another chance.