Deliciously random

Not a lot to say today.

Last night was Ugly Betty and 30 Rock. Ugly Betty was just learning a little sophistication at work, despite the protest of her family, but was wildly punished for it when her dad had a heart attack while she had her phone on mute at a party. I'm not sure what lesson she can learn here, and still actually move up. Is she supposed to decide to be happy to be an assistant? She did learn that schmoozing with a caterer has value, but that schmoozing with a fellow heavy girl did not and was in fact detrimental. While she wasn't dressed much better than she usually is, at least she didn't make my eyes bleed and her fucschia coat was actually cute and looked nice with the yellow bag. The blouse/dress with floppy bow was pretty bad, though.

30 Rock is just so deliciously random. I laughed out loud several times in a way I only seem to, when home alone, during 30 Rock and The Office, and even the latter hasn't caused that much lately. Can I recall any dialogue? No, except for Jenna singing "take a little bit of my lung" which wasn't too funny--it was just the delivery, and the fact that Jack said he wrote it. Salma Hayak seemed to fit right in, too.

I'm also halfway through a book, Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--And the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weller. It's very interesting, though the writing style is a little breathless and the research seems kind of random--mostly she's interviewed old friends of the women who may or may not still be friends. She also repeats herself a lot and defines some stuff that I personally do not need defined, but most importantly it really needs to come with a soundtrack. So far I know most of the songs mentioned, either by these three or by their peers or inspirations, but soon I won't and I can't remember enough of the words. It's tempting to download some stuff, but first I'll see what friends of mine have. Someone's gotta have Tapestry. It's actually Carole King that interests me the most, as I just love the movie Grace of My Heart, which is loosely based on her life and includes great music not actually from the period, but similar by people like Elvis Costello. Evidently the main truly amazing song in the film, "God Give Me Strength" which I have on CD but by sung by Elvis, not the woman Illeana Douglas lip syncs to, is not even on the soundtrack, but only on an album that has a bunch of songs I don't want and costs $70. Some day I'll find it, though.

Betty's bad clothes and solid gold staplers

I'm listening to very loud music while I blog and I've got two people cleaning my place, one of whom seems very upset--and not so great either if the bathroom is any evidence. But better than I feel like doing before a party I'm having on Sunday. I never entertain because I hate to clean and my cats make messes and shed everywhere and I don't want to let anyone in without having it really clean--so I'm in a bind.

Anyhow, TV. The Office was more like old school Office last night I think--they were in the office, Jim and Pam were pranking each other, and everyone was taking sides over chairs or a copy machine. I would have gone with chairs myself--a bad back is part of the reason I hate to clean so much. Of course I also hate all the copy machines at my office which, on the rare occasions I try to use one, inevitably jam. I don't think we're going to have a surplus this year--nor is any paper company but hey, that's why fiction is fun. Somehow, when I read the description on TiVo, that the office mates were trying to decide how to spend a surplus, I was thinking of it more like when they had a surplus at Springfield Elementary and people were ordering solid gold staplers and stuff (I just searched for a good ten minutes and could not figure out which episode this was or precisely what they ordered), so I will say I was a wee bit disappointed to find them asking for such pedestrian things, although Michael's $675 man fur from Burlington Coat Factory, that he turned out not to be able to afford because he didn't get the bonus he could have for turning the surplus back in, but couldn't take back because an anti-fur activist threw red paint on it, was much closer to what I had in mind.

30 Rock was OK, but I'm not really sure I got the whole Liz being a bully thing. Yes, obviously her funniness comes from defensiveness, and I'm sure she muttered nasty things under her breath about the popular crowd, but who would have listened or cared? It's an interesting conceit to think they might have cared but what kind of wimpy popular crowd did that school have? Anyhow, the whole thing came off as mean spirited. Not my favorite, but interesting by being, I believe, the first episode this season without a celebrity guest. Just the core, plus Rip Torn who is semi-regular anyhow.

Ugly Betty--oh my fucking god what was she wearing. I honestly don't get it. She goes out with Amanda, and Amanda gets a fabulous $2000 dress for free (well, she pays for it, but keeps the tags in and intends to take it back) and scores Betty a scarf that same way that doesn't even match. I mean nothing on earth would have matched that monstrosity, but it was sort of teal and pink (I think--I was too blinded to really see it) and the tights another non-matchy color, and the scarf was a deep red. And her wig is terrible, and her braces binding (are Invisiline really that much more expensive?) and there was just no way those "Italian" guys would have picked her up if it wasn't some kind of trick--which it was since those guys dined and dashed. It's a good storyline to have her and Amanda teamed up, and Ignacio encouraged her to learn from Amanda, which I hope to god she will if only fashion-wise. It's driving me nuts. The ugly in Ugly Betty is not supposed to be literal, not after this many seasons.

How come Marc or Amanda can't be Jewish?

Thursday makes for a hard flow. I switch from ABC to NBC to ABC again, and it's sometime quite jarring. At least Ugly Betty, The Office, and 30 Rock all take place in offices, but then Life on Mars comes along and the police station doesn't resemble any of the others. Not that ER should have made more sense, but somehow it never seemed quite as abrupt.

Maybe it's because LOM is such a guy show. I still don't see what it has to do with me, but I'm sufficiently intrigued, if only by the music and as I've said, TV at 10 on Thursday is so ingrained, it really keeps me from watching ER.

But where are all the Jewish characters? I don't just mean only on these shows, I mean overall. A medium that brought us George Burns, Rhoda Morgenstern, Joel Fleishman, Michael Steadman, Ross Gellar, Grace Adler, and Ari Gold (who admittedly is still on) and there's no one. No one on Gossip Girl, even though Rufus was in the books, and therefore Dan and Jenny half, I guess Navid and Silver on 90210 are at least part, but it's been hardly mentioned (and in Silver's case, not, but her dad is Mel Silver and her brother David), no one on Heroes, or Lost, or The Office or 30 Rock or Ugly Betty. Maybe we're supposed to be so assimilated now that we're just "there" and no one needs to notice that Judah Freedlander, Christine Rose (I think), Amy Brenneman and others are Jewish (granted I haven't watched Private Practice this year, maybe they've acknowledged it). It just strikes me as odd, though.

Anyhow, Ugly Betty was Lindsay-free and was better, though still not great, The Office was better, with tons more Pam and tons more Kelly, but still not great--I chortled once. Obviously the fact that Jim is buying his folks' house in Scranton, while Pam, who is extremely suggestible, will probably really want to stay in New York now that the guy from Mad Men told her to. Awkward given the mortgage-meltdown. Frankly I think buying a house without consulting your fiancee is dumb, anyhow. I feel the same way about a diamond ring. She's going to have to live with that stuff a long time.

30 Rock was pretty damn good and between that and all the Obama stuff, I have a newfound respect for OPRAH, and also for Tina Fey who just played that perfectly. The look on her face when she said Oprah's name was excellent. Life on Mars was interesting enough, and Whoopi was pretty good. Liked, didn't love, the music. You can never go wrong with Sly and the Family Stone. In fact, if I actually liked cop shows, I probably would have really liked this one, but I don't so I didn't.

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.

"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.

Thursday night TV

Last night I watched Ugly Betty, followed by The Office, the SNL Thursday Night edition and Life on Mars.

Ugly Betty seems to me to be spinning its wheels. We've seen Willamina get power and lose it over and over, and Betty doesn't seem to get much of anywhere, despite her spandy-new-much-too-big-and-expensive-for-her apartment. I have noticed though that she doesn't fall down before the credits happen anymore, which seems to be progress. How they dress her doesn't make a lot of sense to me as they are actually often nice and expensive-looking garments--they just don't match at all. It seems as if in real life even if someone was color blind, or as in Betty's case, pattern blind, they'd learn the glories of a predominantly black wardrobe. She doesn't even have a white cat like I do to make that problematic!

I also wonder how they could have a teenage kid on for four episodes, and never let him interact with Justin. Seems like they missed a great opportunity for some character development for Justin there, or at least some humor, but in these shows with giant casts, there always seems to be someone shortchanged. In this case it was Justin and Amanda, though Christina never gets much to do either. Anyhow, the posters at Television Without Pity seemed to love this episode, mostly because of Gio, who doesn't interest me much, especially as we know he isn't staying.

I enjoyed The Office "Baby Shower" even if it wasn't my favorite episode. Somehow when Michael dropped the watermelon I laughed for about 10 minutes. I think these days that's so valuable that I kept up my good mood just based on that. Oddly, that part was the part that TWOP folks seemed to hate. It was very gross and dumb, which on any other show would be a real turnoff but for some reason or other doesn't bother me on The Office. I did notice Phyllis was wearing orange while party planning, the color that former head of the party planning committee Angela said was "whorey," which made me giggle too.

I kind of missed having Pam there, but at the conference I attended last week, there was a panel on female comedians on television, specifically Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Sara Silverman. I really enjoyed that panel but started thinking about Mindy Kaling who plays the very funny Kelly on The Office. She's also a writer/producer and I wonder how much influence she has over storylines and if that's part of the reason I enjoy a show so much that might skew very "guy" otherwise. I've read her blog (which sadly doesn't seem to have been updated since April or I'd link) and she's very girly--the blog is all about things she's bought like cute shoes and candy. Candy doesn't impress me much, so I don't know.

There's really no one to identify with on the show--Pam's too unambitious--though maybe her recent education will change some of that, Kelly's too silly, Meredith too drunk, Jan too certifiably insane and Phyllis is too--Phyllis. Angela's cat obsession and occasional inexplicable bitchiness make her the closest but obviously I can't imagine dating either Dwight or Andy. And Holly won't be there much longer, but I don't recognize her in me either. Maybe that isn't necessary--I like the show for the "surprise" that makes up most of the humor, and the funny and sometimes touching romances, and even for the discomfort that often makes me want to hide my face but there's no one in particular I feel for.

The SNL special was OK--better than the actual shows seems to be. I realized while seeing the movie Hamlet II that I really am not too crazy about Amy Poehler. She just seems very smug to me, and not all that funny. It bugs me that she's taken the Office team that was working on the spinoff for her own show that I'll probably feel compelled to watch but won't like very much. But maybe she'll surprise me. I've been know to change my mind.

Life on Mars was OK, but as I said in my previous post, awfully violent and full of that guy thing where men bond by literally punching each other in the face and then become best friends. This is mystifying to me. My concern with the first episode was that these period pieces often draw you in with wall to wall music and then they can't afford to keep that up. There was somewhat less music this time, but fun enough choices though the Gilbert O'Sullivan song was simply not as evocative as "Little Willie" from last time. Ditto the Kinks song v. the Who song from the first episode, which is weird because I like The Kinks better, but it just wasn't as exciting. (Edited later to say apparently it was Mott the Hoople, not The Kinks, which might explain that). Anyhow, I'm not sure what to make of this one yet, but will probably watch next week too. Thursday night has been a huge TV night for me since the days of Hill Street Blues and at times I've tried to cut down on my watching, that's always a spot where I need a show.