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.

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.

Just resign already.

Last night's TV: Ugly Betty, The Office, the season premiere of 30 Rock, and Life on Mars, plus The Daily Show/Colbert Report.

I am very glad Lindsay Lohan is gone gone gone from Ugly Betty. Still hate that storyline and what Betty has become. I don't know why they can't give her a title, even if she has business cards, or why she has to dress like such a nightmare. Who wears a blue satin cocktail dress to work, even at a fashion magazine? Anyhow, it's old and the only thing I liked was Daniel's behind the scene machinations. And seriously just how bad were Betty's teeth that she still needs braces? I'd fire my orthodontist if I were her, or at least get Invislign (sp?). She has health insurance now, even if she didn't when she got them.

The Office didn't really do it for me. I laughed, but didn't chortle, though I did giggle at Andy biting a raw beet, but not being able to, and Dwight actually doing it. I don't really get why Angela didn't have a single line when Dwight and Andy were fighting, though the facial expressions were good. Michael and Holly are just tragic, and the singing was all pretty funny. But I really just plain didn't get the whole Jim/Pam/Jim's brothers thing. I get that the whole bunch of them like pranks, but the prank was so lame, which I know was the point, but still I'm not sure where they are going with this. It's very sad that a happy Jim and Pam is a dull Jim and Pam, but I'm starting to think that's the case. Though it is pretty funny that Jim just took off without even letting Michael know, and the lunatics were running the asylum. Maybe I was just in a mood, which is why it's still on TiVo because I imagine after I read zap2it and TWOP there may be something I am just forgetting this morning and maybe I'll watch again.

Yay! 30 Rock is back. That was overall pretty good. I don't see how Liz could bring up a baby, but it makes a certain amount of sense she might want to and it's not like that light fell down in her own office. Not terribly memorable, though, as I couldn't quote a line now. I've read that next week with Oprah is much better.

Life on Mars was about the same but the music was actually good stuff and not goofy. Between the Velvet Underground, T-Rex, and the Kinks, I would have been pretty happy to be at that disco, and would defininitely have been dancing, but none of those are songs that are going to be stuck in my head for a week like the last few have had. I also sort of wish that in the part where Sam is watching Nixon on TV talking about energy and George Bush fades in and out that it was Obama because I'd love for future DVD/syndication/online watchers to be able to forget this whole sordid 8 years, but Bush is also a lot more like Nixon so I guess it makes sense. But as I've said before, I don't like police procedurals or "guy shows" and I'm mostly only it it for the music and the hints about "what's going on" so this show runs the risk of losing me if it doesn't keep it up with that stuff. But hey, if it keeps me from watching ER, it's a good thing. Though I have to say if I went back to 1973 my first thought would probably be "everything is so ugly" between clothes, furniture and everything on TV, but then I might think it was kind of restful to have just a few channels, no cell phone, no internet, not so much advertising everywhere. But then I'd look at Nixon and, like Sam, say "Just resign already!" I also don't think people would get my ironic sense of humor too well, either, and god knows what I'd do with myself when work wasn't crazy, so I guess I'll stay here.

For reasons I don't understand, next week there is no Chuck, no Pushing Daisies (for at least two weeks, and the prognosis is really bad for any more being aired) and no Degrassi. My normal watching, between those preemptions, and all the stuff that ended in the last two weeks, will be pretty limited so I really need to get something good from Netflix. Maybe Six Feet Under, but it's just so heavy. Of course, I'll watch what I suspect is the series finale of Top Design (good riddance), and I'll be watching the Indecision 2008 Stewart/Colbert special on Tuesday! Oh, how I can't wait for this all to be over and to have a President Obama. Or not, but at least we'll know. Pu Pu Pu.

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.