Top Chef tastes pretty good, actually

I wonder if we'll ever really see what happens on Dirty, Sexy Money? It seems like they're building to something, but the chances that the producers didn't plan ahead or NBC won't even run all 13 episodes is pretty damn good, so it seems somewhat pointless to be watching it. Thank goodness I don't care about it. I do care about Pushing Daisies, but since I went to a going away party last night, I didn't get to watch it yet. Without Life on Mars, I have my choice tonight of watching it (and Stylista, ugh), or checking back in with ER, which I don't really want to do. I feel like Michael Scott saying, when Holly and he essentially broke up, "I just know I'll go back to Jan, and I hate Jan!" Anyhow, it seemed like more of the same--someone screws someone over and Nick ends up doing shit work and having a moment with Karen Darling. What. ever.

You know, I was dubious at first about Top Chef, since it bugs me that all we have to go on is personality and the opinion of the judges. We can't taste the food, and even if we could, with all that bacon and all those scallops, I wouldn't be able to anyhow. But it really is a perfect reality show. Just enough time spent on the Quickfire--which is much more interesting somehow than Pop Design, just enough on the elimination challenge, just enough at Judges table, much better music than on Top Design where there happy shiny music when someone wins gives me the creeps. I just wish they didn't start with so many contestants, since I still don't know most of their names, but it wouldn't be the same if no one got eliminated and this allows for a longer season, so I guess that's fine as long as I know the name by the time the show ends.

Damn, I just looked for a picture of the one I was going to root for to win, and got spoiled. I hate that. Almost as much as I hate Jan.

Should Michelle wear a turtleneck to the inaugural ball?

Well, who knew if I put Rex Parker's blog on my list of links, that I'd be able to get to mine from his page, even if he doesn't know I'm there. I almost wrote to him because he snottily said that the Venn diagram of CW watchers and NY Times Crossword Puzzle viewers is small. Maybe, but I nestle right in there quite nicely. I may still write.

So as long as I was here, I had a lot of trouble concentrating on Pushing Daisies last night, but I don't think it was its fault. My eyes were stinging from the nasty flourescent lights at the Holiday Inn where our annual All Area of Studies Meeting was. So even though I did my normal Wednesday (for now, since these shows likely won't be here by January) of PD, Stylista, and Dirty, Sexy Money, I don't have a lot to say about the shows. I haven't watched Top Chef yet, and I guess I'll get spoiled for ANTM before I can watch it tomorrow. Bummer. I actually thought I'd be so busy with the AAOS meeting like I was last year that I wouldn't get to most of my TV, but it's been very poorly attended this year, and unlike last year pretty lackluster, and it just didn't make sense to stay when our Cultural Studies meeting broke up two hours early and dinner wasn't for 3, not to mention the food at the Holiday Inn sucks. I'll go to talk about "My life in TV studies" at 1:30.

So, I'm still pissed that PD is likely canceled (at this point it's just not on the schedule) and that evidently it ends on a cliffhanger. In fact I thought last night might have been the last for this year but there was a preview so I guess I should have remembered that ABC isn't the CW and doesn't replace its shows for a full 6/7 weeks. That's a long time for teenagers to get used to not watching 90210, though of course I'll be watching January 6th or whatever that date was. I had hoped they might rerun Privileged, so I could watch it on actual TV, but next week is an 8 year old Mandy Moore movie that looks dull, so I guess not.

Stylista is still awful, and now the "fat girl" is gone and the ones who fight all the time are the only ones left. I think next week is one of those clip shows I hate so much. I really thought I might learn something, and I did learn something about a party page last night--we're supposed to feel like we're there at this party we weren't invited to and wish we were there. I almost always skip those, especially when they're full of people I haven't heard of. And Nigel Barker. I'm not the Elle audience I guess. The fact I don't read it would probably prove that.

Dirty, Sexy Money? It was there. I like it enough while I'm watching it but it has no traction with me. I suspect shows like it and Lipstick Jungle--which was announced as canceled, but Brooke Shields says it ain't so--may fade as the economy worsens, along with $12000 handbags and Jimmy Choos. When even the president-elect is supposed to scale down the Inaugural Ball--while still celebrating for the benefit of America, and even CNN is recommending that Michelle wear a Gap turtleneck, the stories of the wealthy idle just gets more and more unlike how we are living these days. On the other hand, the rich will always be with us, and don't we need escapism? I'd hate to end up with a bunch of ugly shows that look like Sanford and Son, or even My Name is Earl.

I also watched Forgetting Sara Marshall last night since my eyes wouldn't allow anything else. My reaction I'm sure, is colored by the fact that the closed captioning didn't work, and when the heat is on it gets pretty noisy in here and I simply couldn't hear a lot of the jokes. Love Jason Siegel. Love Kristen Bell. Love Mila Kunis. Love Paul Rudd. Love romantic comedies. Did not love this movie. Enough with the guy humor/shlubby guy who hot girls adore for strange reasons.

I guess I missed a day in there, due to three meetings yesterday and a few minor but annoying health issues. Tomorrow I need to plan for a presentation about my work for our annual All Area of Studies meeting. I'm not sure what I'll say yet, but I guess I'll backtrack all the way to the beginning, and talk about my dissertation, and then what little I've been doing since.

Anyhow, TV Tuesday was 90210--or as I like to call it, the city of Jessicas--I think there are at least four on the show right now--and House. Kelly was back, but 90210 was pretty bad, what with the over-emoting by Annie and Naomi. Naomi only think she's Blair Waldorf, she ain't even close. Nor is she pretty. However, having them as enemies makes for a better storyline than having them as friends, I suppose. Ho hum. I did enjoy Adrianna and Navid--and whoever did the production design on Navid's house did a great job--and it's interesting that more than half the teenage cast (Navid, Silver, Dixon, and Annie but not Naomi, Ethan, or Adrianna) are admitted virgins. I guess that's actually only slightly less than the ratio on the original show when it started (David, Scott, Andrea and Donna, with Brandon having sex the first time in the first few episodes, and Brenda by the winter dance), but surprising for this day and age and the style of show. I can't imagine that will last long as several couples seem on the way, if they don't break up first. Which I imagine Silver and Dixon will soon do, as they've been happy for weeks now. Thank God Brenda's back next week. Boo on demoting grandma Bluth to occasional player, though. Thinking about what her casting indicates the show was supposed to be, given the Freaks and Geeks pedigree of the showrunners makes me sad.

I watched two reruns of House because my students just love it. I could see some of the allure, but to me a good mystery means that I can assemble the clues myself and at least get part of it right. On a show like this, with my (and I assume most viewers') basic lack of medical knowledge, it's not even close. Anyhow, both episodes seemed to follow the same trajectory--in one a Mafia guy going into Witness Protection falls into an unexplained coma, in another Samatha Mathis's husband turns blue and can't breath while having kinky sex with her, in a much more disturbing and gross episode. There's a lot of writing on a flip chart. How retro. No one ever consults a computer, say, (or any books or medical journals even,) they just sit around and toss ideas around, or stare into the air and think. And House is completely right both times, and the others are wrong. I don't know if every episode is like that or not, but I assume so. I have always liked Lisa Edelstein, but that was a fantastic episode, and I didn't even recognize Chi McBride for a while--he's so much better as Emerson Cod. I may watch again, though not only has it been on the same time as my must watch for work 90210, but now they're moving it into the Monday night clusterfuck slot, against Gossip Girl, Chuck, and How I Met Your Mother, so I definitely won't watch in first run. But Tuesdays at 9 are a gaping hole unless I catch up with Privileged, so I may check it out in reruns.

Last night Pushing Daisies, and Dirty, Sexy Money, neither of which are long for this world evidently, (sob for PD, at least), were preempted, so it was once again all reality, all the time. The last interesting one of the Top Models was kicked off last night after drinking a lot of wine, so my money's on McKey but really it's just a buncha boring white girls. Stylista, same train wreck and I hope the fact that two dull people were sent home last night means it will be even shorter than planned. Top Chef seems almost exactly the same, and no one impressed me much--not surprising as I can't keep 17 people straight--although it's nice that none of the brown or black people were sent home in this first round. Just two very young white folks who knew each other from the CIA, and not the fun Chuck one.

Nice guys don't win reality shows

Last night was an extravaganza of Reality shows. The AMTM model wannabes got lost all over Amsterdam, the Stylistas threw a birthday party for a 10 year old, and acted about 6, and the Top Designers decorated for the finale and Nathan won the whole she-bang. He was the only logical winner, even if the judges didn't seem to think so. I'd live in Ondine's rooms/house--I must have those fuschia sofas--but she's simply not the sort of person who wins these shows. And Nathan's room with the kinetic sculpture was a true winner, even if the sarcophogas was entirely too huge and even if a chandelier made from paper plates sounds like a fire hazard of the highest order (and even if not, wouldn't they turn brown or dirty really fast, or get ripped? I hope they were at least Chinet, and where did they shop that he could get paper plates anyhow?)

Either is Marjorie from AMTM. I'm really quite shocked that there wasn't a woman of color left in the final 5, much less the winner. My money was on Sheena pulling it out and getting more ladylike, but I guess that won't happen. But the others who remain are so boring. There's no way Marjorie, who really looks like a model, but is hopeless, can do one of those Cover Girl commercials so she can't win it all but McKey reads old to me, Sam too commercial, and Annaleigh just blah. Then again I never know who is going to win this show or even have the remotest clue. I can't figure out if last season's winner Whitney is just so very blah that TiVo doesn't even pick her commercials up--and I've even rewound the whole show just to see "My Life as a Cover Girl" twice--or if they've just quit doing it in favor of those "Top Model in Action" slots, which are really pretty interesting. Non-winners from this show really do get real work. Who knew?

Stylista is just so trashy. It isn't a class thing, since these kids clearly range from comfortable to rich (the one with the Chanel dress for daytime), but their behavior is just tacky. I'm sure it's too young for me and unlike on AMTM, there's too little adult supervision or something like that. Hate all of them.

On the other hand, now that I'm caught up, Dirty, Sexy Money just got interesting. Sort of. It's been a long time since I've watched a straight soap opera, but this is it. Still don't care about anyone in particular or find anyone especially attractive--Jeremy only thinks he's Chuck Bass--but it's fun enough. And fun TV is just disappearing it feels like.

President Obama!! It's a beautiful day!!

I was struck by a posting the other day and had a few thoughts. I never realized just how class-based my television decisions may be. I thought about all the television I watch on a weekly basis and nearly all of it is about the lives of upper-middle or upper class people, or those who aspire to be in those classes. Gossip Girl, 90210, Dirty, Sexy Money, Entourage, and 30 Rock are mostly about rich people. Everyone on Mad Men does quite well, even with income disparity. Desperate Housewives has a blend, but even when they struggle, they never lose their large homes in a well-manicured neighborhood or seem to be wearing old clothes (uglier, but not old). Project Runway, Top Design, Top Chef, America's Next Top Model, and the new Stylista are all about people who work in creative industries where there are a lot of people struggling, but where the best/luckiest can make tons of money. Pushing Daisies is in a universe of its own, as are Heroes and Lost, but none has its characters worrying about money. We are meant to believe that Chuck is slumming it, working at a big box store, but his sister, with whom he lives, is a doctor, and he works with spies who are certainly paid well. Only The Office and Life on Mars are about people who would seem to be solidly middle class.

There's a whole world of TV about lower middle and working class people too, of course. I loved Roseanne, and Grace Under Fire, but don't find any sitcom on these days really has that sort of powerful message about working people. I got sick of My Name is Earl, which makes fun of its trashy characters. I have a feeling that most of the working class people on TV are on reality shows I do not enjoy watching and actual poor people have never been anything but victims or criminals on any show, I don't think.

Anyhow, as I've mentioned, there's so much TV out there that it's really easy to find niches, whether in fiction, reality, or news, that reinforces our own sense of our selves, and the identity we've constructed, and only watch those shows and those channels.

Lighten Up, It's Just a Fashion Magazine

Last night I forewent the Obama thing in favor of Pushing Daisies, a show that's just really enjoyable. Although it's about death, and about a relationship that can never be consummated, it's also relentlessly cheery in a way we need today. Or at least I do. I seem to be the only one and the show is on the cancellation block. That will make me sad. Even if it stays on we haven't seen the aunts for three weeks. Are they trying to save money by not having to pay the whole cast? I know that's how the CW seems to work, which is why there is a b or c tier cast member (Vanessa, one of the parents, Erik, who really should be main cast) missing from most episodes, and Greek seems to have this issue too, but I don't think it's common for major network shows. Anyhow, I hope last night's ratings are either really great because people are sick of politics and watched the only other thing available on a major network, or don't really count.

Anyhow, I'm not sure if the whole Chinese restaurant/Chinese mafia thing was racist or not, and it sort of might undo a little the goodwill I had for them not even questioning the fact that white Debra Mooney was very dark Chi McBride's mom, but on the other hand I really want to play Dim Sum poker. And Ned's brothers are cute, even if magic is goofy.

I'm way behind on Dirty, Sexy Money (they don't use that serial comma that I would), but finally watched the one from 3 weeks ago that I fell asleep during (and I fall asleep in front of the TV, like once a year). It's an OK show, but somehow when they made it dirtier, sexier and monier as I asked for, they removed something. Or maybe it's just in really bad taste to be watching rich adults right now. Teenagers, like the ones on Gossip Girl and 90210 are supposed to live in a bubble comprised of their own friends, lovelives, and plans for the mythical future and don't have to understand the economy, but the youngest Darling is at least 20, so they really should be more careful about conspicuous consumption. But with Mad Men, Greek, Project Runway, Top Design, and I assume Entourage soon out of the picture for a while, unless I want to find something else to do, I'll keep watching I guess. I need something fictional to enjoy.

Top Design got it right, I think, but the only one I really liked was Ondine. I liked her home as well and am jealous of her modern design classics. She won't win, though. Nathan or Preston will. I imagine Nathan will do something really clever and pull it out. But between this and Stylista, a real train wreck, and not necessarily in a good way, I'm just sick of watching people be mean about petty shit. So Preston doesn't drink. So what? Speaking of Stylista, Kate may be very dislikable, but anyone who doesn't know that bubble tea is so 5 years ago is lame, and she was right. And I'm sure a panic attack is no fun at all and I'm sorry for that guy I guess, but seriously, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's just TV. It's only the second week, if he can't take that little amount of pressure, he can't work at a magazine, or really any other workplace.

"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.

Monday night is cluster&6%$ night.

Heroes almost made sense to me last night--there must be something wrong with me. I still watch mostly for Hiro and Ando's scenes, which I think are intriguing because they're funny, but we're reading subtitles. I really don't know where they are going with all this though, or why I care. I'd love it if they'd move Chuck to that time slot, so I could watch it in real time, but since they're both on NBC, that won't happen. I'm only caught up until last week on that show and How I Met Your Mother, so later this week I want to get to last night's episode. I hate Monday night at 8 for being so good.

Gossip Girl is still great, though I didn't love last night's episode. I promised myself I'd write this blog before I read any other commentary and forgot and already read the recap on http://www.zap2it.com/. The reviewer and I both agree Vanessa is pointless. As I said to emily the other day (and I don't know if that's one of the two emilies I know, or one I don't), I love GG, but if I had teenagers, I sure wouldn't want them watching it to learn about love but the Blair/Chuck scenes are definitely the hottest things I'm watching these days--not that there's much competition as most shows are more like Pushing Daisies, where no one actually touches or Chuck, where they can only have a fake relationship. I'm not sure that the portrayal of Lily as a totally neglectful mother holds true to what we know about her, but it does explain some of Serena's wild child rep that we also haven't seen much in evidence and maybe more of why Erik tried to commit suicide. But Vanessa and Nate and Jenny are all pretty boring characters--they need to spice someone up. But they're all more interesting than Annie on 90210--I'm not the least bit sad that's in reruns for the second week in a row.

This week three shows I watch come to an end for the season, Mad Men, Greek, and The Janice Dickinson Modelling Agency (which I don't watch on purpose, yet have managed to catch every sordid episode--and it's been much trashier this season in the model house). I assumed there would be a Project Runway reunion tomorrow, but it doesn't look like it, so I don't know if that's next week or never. I could then replace those shows with Privileged, Fringe, or My Own Worst Enemy, (I have episodes of the latter two on TiVo but haven't watched them) but Stylista is looking like it's going to make the cut instead. I need something that doesn't require constant attention. One of the reasons I like Greek, despite it being about fraternity/sorority people, who never interested me before, is that it's so relentlessly lighthearted. I don't think most TV is like that--nearly all hour-long series tend to get darker as they get older. The ads for Privileged make it look pretty sunny, though, and a friend at the conference I was just at said I'd really like it, so maybe next week I'll try catching up in the middle (something I hate doing) since that space will be empty, and that's right after 90210, which I'd have to keep watching even if I didn't know I'm unable to look away. Anyhow, god forbid I could pick a weeknight and say "that's my reading night." There's really no law that I have to watch things the night of and I could use my TiVo to better effect, particulary if I dropped a slot or two.

If I were a really good teacher, I'd check out shows my students watch--House, Fringe, John and Kate Plus 8, The Biggest Loser, Intervention, and Little People, Big World seem to be the leaders there. But I can't bring myself to do it, especially those last four. Drippy/Sentimental is just not in my vocabulary, and I hope I'm not coming off as too judgmental. Mostly I just ask those students questions. A lot of my students seem to exist entirely on reality shows and seem to think that only older sitcoms are any good, but not so old as to be in black and white (a few were shocked to actually love Lucy). I try to make it clear that I know that there's a lot of crap out there, but that there's good stuff too. But I don't think I'm going to have a lot of luck getting working adults who are going to college on top of it (which is most of my students) to invest the mindwork it takes for Mad Men and Lost, though I'm shocked none seem to love The Office. Too real maybe?