Confession: I'm addicted to trashy reality TV. As they say, admitting is the first step, but this isn't an addiction I want to get over. Reality television always gets a bad rap, and for the most part, that's true. But there are always diamonds in the rough, even if the rough is filled with wannabes and STDs.
Not just all trash is treasure to me, though. Few reality shows can rise above the title of filth and gain a place in my heart. The following are four of the best.
The Paper
It saddens me that this show never saw a second season, because the casting and concept were pure genius. What would happen if cameras followed around the staff of the United States' biggest school newspaper? (Let me tell you, if they followed around my staff... well, let's just say MTV would have a new hit on their hands.) The Paper was a show with a surprising heart, led by the superb editor-in-chief, Amanda, who truly wanted the best for the newspaper but never quite understood how to work with her staff to achieve it. Even better was the tension between Amanda and her former best friend/love interest, Alex, who was shut out of the EIC position. Their final confrontation was just as inarticulate and awkward as the best high school brawl. Whenever The Paper comes out on DVD, you can bet I'll keep a copy in The Word's offices. Just to remind my staff that things could be so much worse (*grin*).
Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School
Plus-size commedienne Mo'Nique takes the trashiest girls from Flavor of Love seasons one and two and tries to set them straight. Mayhem ensues that includes psychological torture from one girl and tantrums from many, many more. There was something heinously genius about this show, but Mo'Nique was the standout, with such witticisms as, "The whore jumped out, then jumped back in." The show's charm was diluted in recent years due to hosts Sharon Osbourne and Ricki Lake, who took the show in an unimpressive direction, but the original was trashy genius.
NYC Prep
Somewhat of an anti-Paper, the strikingly bad NYC Prep contained a cast of completely unsympathetic characters who deep down likely believed the world really did revolve around them. So what made the show watchable? It's reminiscent of a train wreck: you simply cannot look away. The Fashion Week episode, "Guests of Guests Do Not Bring Guests," is notable for being by far the series' best episode, and Bravo knows it, as it reruns only that one episode during its regular daytime programming. From the flamboyantly evil PC to the social climbing Taylor to the clueless Sebastian to the somewhat interesting Kelli, the show ended this summer, and Bravo would be brain-dead not to renew the show for a second season. It was horrible, yes, but it knew it and embraced it. Which actually brings us to the final show on this list...
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
So many things to say about this show, yet so little time. Season One of the Atlanta branch of the Bravo Real Housewives of.... franchise was nothing to write home about; simply a retread of the earlier franchise installments, each more uninspiring and unfunny than the last. Season Two is a whole different breed of animal. The dead weight was removed (sorry, DeShawn), a new powder keg was added (Kandi, proving that the best drama takes some time to develop before harvesting), and alliances were broken and reformed (self-proclaimed HBIC NeNe mended fences with newly-divorced Sheree and the two took on the designated white woman and country singing disaster Kim). Stir in the flamboyant and hilarious Dwight (pronounced Doo-white) and you have the most genius reality show in history. It's horrible, and that's what's fantastic.
What are your favorite trashy reality shows? Is there any show you're embarrassed to admit you watch while you TiVo 24 or Lost? Post 'em in the comments!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
22 is the Luckiest Number
Dear Emmy Voters,
Thank you so much for your recent list of Emmy nominations. They were both surprising and welcome, with a few disappointments here and there. But most of all, it seems you listened to what people are watching, and I don't mean Boston Legal.
First, let's look at the seven nominees in each of the series categories. It's great to see Damages and Mad Men return in the Drama category, and even Big Love is a welcome surprise, but I am absolutely thrilled to see Breaking Bad get recognized for its even-better second season. On the Comedy side, it's no question that 30 Rock is going to win (22 nominations, for God's sake!), but the voters nominated three first-time programs as well: Weeds, How I Met Your Mother, and the fantastic Flight of the Conchords. Overall, no complaints here, but I wasn't a fan of Battlestar Galactica, so its snub doesn't mean a whole lot to me. Oh, and thank you for snubbing the vampy train wreck that is True Blood. I am eternally grateful.
In the lead acting categories, you more or less kept things the same, with a nice inclusion of Simon Baker for The Mentalist, and though I would have liked to see Tim Roth from Lie to Me get nominated, I don't think there's anyone from this group I would drop. I will remain silent about the insufferable Mariska Hargitay getting nominated again over the superb January Jones from Mad Men, and instead praise the nomination of Elisabeth Moss from the same show. Sarah Silverman's nod is a head-scratcher, as is Jermaine Clement's, because they're both just playing themselves, but the biggest annoyance is Tony Shalhoub's seventh nomination. Monk is done; it shouldn't hog any more nominations.
The supporting acting categories are where you guys went a little bit off the rails. First, you paid almost no attention to my suggestions (¿Dónde están B.J Novak y David Costabile?), and worse even, you didn't nominated Mad Men's sublime Christina Hendricks! She had a rape plotline in this season! You guys are suckers for that! Nonetheless, even with these glaring omissions (and by glaring, I mean I'm glaring at you), you still made some good choices. I love seeing two differerent In Treatment ladies get nominated, even if neither of them is named Allison Pill, and Cherry Jones really is the only award-worthy thing about 24 anymore. Katherine Heigl's snub is a bit puzzling (again, a cancer plotline should be irresistible), and I'm irritated that once again, even though John Slattery (a terrific actor) made it in, Vincent Kartheiser did not. Vanessa Williams' nod in a year otherwise Bettyless doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but she's good, so I'll say she deserved it. Rose Byrne was fantastic this past season in Damages (arguably better than her more famous co-stars), and I really hope she wins this Emmy. Finally, the recognition for Amy Poehler and Kristin Wiig should make it clear to all of their male Saturday Night Live compatriots who exactly are the stars of the show.
Glossing over the reality show categories, I thank you for the inclusion of Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi and Tom Collichio and the omission of Howie Mandel, but wonder what So You Think You Can Dance and its host, Cat Deely, need to do to get a little love. Jon and Kate Plus Eight's snub was a welcome surprise, even more because it makes Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List right where it belongs: in the frontrunner's seat.
I never have much to say about the movie/miniseries categories, but I'm thrilled with Grey G-ah-dens' 17 nominations, especially the ones for Jessica Lange, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and the absolutely spectacular Drew Barrymore.
In the guest actor categories, I love that SNL's Tina Fey and Justin Timberlake category-frauded their way to nominations (and a surefire win for Tina Fey, don't cha know) but I'm also thrilled for Jon Hamm, Steve Martin, Jennifer Aniston, Elaine Strich, and Alan Alda's nominations for 30 Rock, though I have a feeling only one of them is going to win (I'm looking at you, Arnie Vinick).
Thank you for snubbing Jay Leno. That is all.
It's nice to see almost all modern comedians fill out the Variety, Music, or Comedy Special category, including Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais, Kathy Griffin, and Will Ferrell. I'm rooting for Gervais or Griffin, mainly because their speeches will be the best part of the show if they win.
Finally, just one note for the writing categories. In both comedy and drama, one nod each went to a show OTHER than 30 Rock and Mad Men. Woe to you, Conchords and Lost; the odds are stacked against you this year, 4-1. Better luck next year.
Overall, I was very happy with your crop of nominations, Emmy Voters, and hope that your wisdom continues when the actual voting starts. I'll be posting my choices soon; you'd be wise to follow.
Thank you for your time,
Kevin O'Keeffe
PS: Great job getting Neil Patrick Harris!
Thank you so much for your recent list of Emmy nominations. They were both surprising and welcome, with a few disappointments here and there. But most of all, it seems you listened to what people are watching, and I don't mean Boston Legal.
First, let's look at the seven nominees in each of the series categories. It's great to see Damages and Mad Men return in the Drama category, and even Big Love is a welcome surprise, but I am absolutely thrilled to see Breaking Bad get recognized for its even-better second season. On the Comedy side, it's no question that 30 Rock is going to win (22 nominations, for God's sake!), but the voters nominated three first-time programs as well: Weeds, How I Met Your Mother, and the fantastic Flight of the Conchords. Overall, no complaints here, but I wasn't a fan of Battlestar Galactica, so its snub doesn't mean a whole lot to me. Oh, and thank you for snubbing the vampy train wreck that is True Blood. I am eternally grateful.
In the lead acting categories, you more or less kept things the same, with a nice inclusion of Simon Baker for The Mentalist, and though I would have liked to see Tim Roth from Lie to Me get nominated, I don't think there's anyone from this group I would drop. I will remain silent about the insufferable Mariska Hargitay getting nominated again over the superb January Jones from Mad Men, and instead praise the nomination of Elisabeth Moss from the same show. Sarah Silverman's nod is a head-scratcher, as is Jermaine Clement's, because they're both just playing themselves, but the biggest annoyance is Tony Shalhoub's seventh nomination. Monk is done; it shouldn't hog any more nominations.
The supporting acting categories are where you guys went a little bit off the rails. First, you paid almost no attention to my suggestions (¿Dónde están B.J Novak y David Costabile?), and worse even, you didn't nominated Mad Men's sublime Christina Hendricks! She had a rape plotline in this season! You guys are suckers for that! Nonetheless, even with these glaring omissions (and by glaring, I mean I'm glaring at you), you still made some good choices. I love seeing two differerent In Treatment ladies get nominated, even if neither of them is named Allison Pill, and Cherry Jones really is the only award-worthy thing about 24 anymore. Katherine Heigl's snub is a bit puzzling (again, a cancer plotline should be irresistible), and I'm irritated that once again, even though John Slattery (a terrific actor) made it in, Vincent Kartheiser did not. Vanessa Williams' nod in a year otherwise Bettyless doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but she's good, so I'll say she deserved it. Rose Byrne was fantastic this past season in Damages (arguably better than her more famous co-stars), and I really hope she wins this Emmy. Finally, the recognition for Amy Poehler and Kristin Wiig should make it clear to all of their male Saturday Night Live compatriots who exactly are the stars of the show.
Glossing over the reality show categories, I thank you for the inclusion of Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi and Tom Collichio and the omission of Howie Mandel, but wonder what So You Think You Can Dance and its host, Cat Deely, need to do to get a little love. Jon and Kate Plus Eight's snub was a welcome surprise, even more because it makes Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List right where it belongs: in the frontrunner's seat.
I never have much to say about the movie/miniseries categories, but I'm thrilled with Grey G-ah-dens' 17 nominations, especially the ones for Jessica Lange, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and the absolutely spectacular Drew Barrymore.
In the guest actor categories, I love that SNL's Tina Fey and Justin Timberlake category-frauded their way to nominations (and a surefire win for Tina Fey, don't cha know) but I'm also thrilled for Jon Hamm, Steve Martin, Jennifer Aniston, Elaine Strich, and Alan Alda's nominations for 30 Rock, though I have a feeling only one of them is going to win (I'm looking at you, Arnie Vinick).
Thank you for snubbing Jay Leno. That is all.
It's nice to see almost all modern comedians fill out the Variety, Music, or Comedy Special category, including Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais, Kathy Griffin, and Will Ferrell. I'm rooting for Gervais or Griffin, mainly because their speeches will be the best part of the show if they win.
Finally, just one note for the writing categories. In both comedy and drama, one nod each went to a show OTHER than 30 Rock and Mad Men. Woe to you, Conchords and Lost; the odds are stacked against you this year, 4-1. Better luck next year.
Overall, I was very happy with your crop of nominations, Emmy Voters, and hope that your wisdom continues when the actual voting starts. I'll be posting my choices soon; you'd be wise to follow.
Thank you for your time,
Kevin O'Keeffe
PS: Great job getting Neil Patrick Harris!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Five Plus Five Still Equals One Winner
Much ado has been made the past few days of AMPAS' decision to up the number of films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar from five to ten. Many have discussed the possible benefit for films like The Dark Knight, Star Trek, WALL*E, and Up. Others worry about the economic toll it will take on studios forced to produce more For Your Consideration campaigns (though that's more needless whining than anything else). Some have even responded with little more than a shrug of the shoulders, seemingly indicating a "who cares?" attitude about the change.
Personally, I have two opinions.
The first comes from a desire to see Oscar recognize more than the standard awards-bait fare. Last year, deserving movies like Rachel Getting Married, Doubt, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the aforementioned WALL*E, and yes, even the dramatically overhyped Knight were passed over in favor of the Ron Howard halftruth-ridden Frost/Nixon, mediocre Holocaust flick The Reader, and the epic disaster that was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. (Note that I left Milk out; though the movie wasn't my cup of tea, I do think it probably deserved its spot in the Top Five.) Yet Ron Howard, the Holocaust, and epics are standard-bearers for the Academy, and a shaky camera-filmed character portrait like Rachel, a play-on-screen like Doubt, or the equivalent of a comedic powder keg like Vicky.
Such ignorance isn't new, either. Two years ago, Juno was the only heartwarming movie in a batch of grim, dark pieces. The year before that, both Dreamgirls and The Devil Wears Prada were left out in the cold in favor of The Letters of Iwo Jima, a somewhat surprising fifth nominee. Still, boasting foreign film cred, plus the Eastwood factor, it really shouldn't have been much of a surprise.
With ten nominees, such films become harder to ignore. That's the advantage. Still, no matter how many movies you nominate, there can only be one winner. The other films, as Heidi Klum would say, will be "out." (They would leave the runway, but they're movies. They don't have legs.)
That's where the problem lies. Some would argue that by expanding the field, the Academy is simply making the voting process more difficult for an already-apathetic voting body. As such, they are more likely to vote for the biggest name on the ballot. The Hangover for Best Picture, anyone?
The point of this system should not be to help honor unworthy films given a chance by strange circumstance, but find the singular best movie and give it the highest distinction in the land of film. This move arguably doesn't do anything to help advance that cause, only hinder the process getting there.
In the end, five plus five still equals one winner.
Personally, I have two opinions.
The first comes from a desire to see Oscar recognize more than the standard awards-bait fare. Last year, deserving movies like Rachel Getting Married, Doubt, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the aforementioned WALL*E, and yes, even the dramatically overhyped Knight were passed over in favor of the Ron Howard halftruth-ridden Frost/Nixon, mediocre Holocaust flick The Reader, and the epic disaster that was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. (Note that I left Milk out; though the movie wasn't my cup of tea, I do think it probably deserved its spot in the Top Five.) Yet Ron Howard, the Holocaust, and epics are standard-bearers for the Academy, and a shaky camera-filmed character portrait like Rachel, a play-on-screen like Doubt, or the equivalent of a comedic powder keg like Vicky.
Such ignorance isn't new, either. Two years ago, Juno was the only heartwarming movie in a batch of grim, dark pieces. The year before that, both Dreamgirls and The Devil Wears Prada were left out in the cold in favor of The Letters of Iwo Jima, a somewhat surprising fifth nominee. Still, boasting foreign film cred, plus the Eastwood factor, it really shouldn't have been much of a surprise.
With ten nominees, such films become harder to ignore. That's the advantage. Still, no matter how many movies you nominate, there can only be one winner. The other films, as Heidi Klum would say, will be "out." (They would leave the runway, but they're movies. They don't have legs.)
That's where the problem lies. Some would argue that by expanding the field, the Academy is simply making the voting process more difficult for an already-apathetic voting body. As such, they are more likely to vote for the biggest name on the ballot. The Hangover for Best Picture, anyone?
The point of this system should not be to help honor unworthy films given a chance by strange circumstance, but find the singular best movie and give it the highest distinction in the land of film. This move arguably doesn't do anything to help advance that cause, only hinder the process getting there.
In the end, five plus five still equals one winner.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Pop Fiction
Two posts in one, folks. This week's deals with two events in pop culture that got a strong reaction from me, one positive, one not-so-positive.
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I have never watched Jon and Kate Plus 8. True story, true story. No, I have never watched the bizarrely popular TLC show about the married couple with eight kids. Frankly, I can't understand why one would want to watch it. I work at Target. I see enough screaming kids every day.
Even though I don't watch the "show," the pop culture universe has been swirling with news about the titular couple, Jon and Kate Gosselin. Though I'm not sure of the details, I believe Jon cheated on Kate, then Kate cheated on Jon, and so on and so forth. (I'm not sure who the Plus 8 cheated on, but I'll research it and get back to y'all.) Anyway, after that little bit of Melrose Place-style infidelity, they decided to divorce, and their show is now going on hiatus until August.
"...Wait. I'm sorry, what? On hiatus? Not cancelled?" That's right, the show must go on, even if Jon and Kate aren't Jon and Kate anymore. (A new Bachelorette-style show for Kate, perhaps? Date her and her eight kids, make it through the date without pulling your hair out and you win?) The show's not ending any time soon, either; EW.com reports that the couple still have quite a few more episodes to produce this season.
I don't know why this story bugs me so much, but maybe it's because of that eternal question: "What About the Children?" These parents go on television with their eight kids and essentially pimp them out to make money for them. Yes, I understand that they need a lot of money to raise eight kids, but this is not the way to make it. This is Billy Ray Cyrus-style child abuse: riding your kid's coattails until you've made yourself a pretty penny; never mind the psychological damage to them. Why CPS hasn't swooped in and taken these kids away yet I don't quite know.
If Jon and Kate want to get divorced, that's their business. If they want to pimp their divorce on televison, that's their business. If they want to let their celebrity consume them, that's their business. Those kids, however? Shouldn't be anyone's business.
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As an American Idol devotee, I would have pulled my hair out if Allison Iraheta, fourth-place finisher, had missed out on a record contract while third-place finisher Danny Gokey received one. Iraheta's treatment on the show was lukewarm at best, spiteful at worst. Judge Simon Cowell, who these days cares more about the personalities of contestants than their singing ability, was particularly harsh on the scarlet-haired rocker. I didn't think my fear was unfounded.
The history of talented Idol finalists to not get record contracts with 19E is a sad one. Finalists Tamyra Gray, Elliott Yamin, Melinda Doolittle, and Carly Smithson all had to venture to other labels to get signed, and Vonzell Solomon and Syesha Mercado remain unsigned to this day (those last two particularly piss me off). Iraheta's snub seemed to not be far behind.
Yet my worry was unfounded, as Iraheta received her record deal two days after Kris Allen did, and the day after "big brother" Adam Lambert did. As for Gokey? He's still languishing without one, which is where he will hopefully stay.
Finally, a snub I can get behind.
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I have never watched Jon and Kate Plus 8. True story, true story. No, I have never watched the bizarrely popular TLC show about the married couple with eight kids. Frankly, I can't understand why one would want to watch it. I work at Target. I see enough screaming kids every day.
Even though I don't watch the "show," the pop culture universe has been swirling with news about the titular couple, Jon and Kate Gosselin. Though I'm not sure of the details, I believe Jon cheated on Kate, then Kate cheated on Jon, and so on and so forth. (I'm not sure who the Plus 8 cheated on, but I'll research it and get back to y'all.) Anyway, after that little bit of Melrose Place-style infidelity, they decided to divorce, and their show is now going on hiatus until August.
"...Wait. I'm sorry, what? On hiatus? Not cancelled?" That's right, the show must go on, even if Jon and Kate aren't Jon and Kate anymore. (A new Bachelorette-style show for Kate, perhaps? Date her and her eight kids, make it through the date without pulling your hair out and you win?) The show's not ending any time soon, either; EW.com reports that the couple still have quite a few more episodes to produce this season.
I don't know why this story bugs me so much, but maybe it's because of that eternal question: "What About the Children?" These parents go on television with their eight kids and essentially pimp them out to make money for them. Yes, I understand that they need a lot of money to raise eight kids, but this is not the way to make it. This is Billy Ray Cyrus-style child abuse: riding your kid's coattails until you've made yourself a pretty penny; never mind the psychological damage to them. Why CPS hasn't swooped in and taken these kids away yet I don't quite know.
If Jon and Kate want to get divorced, that's their business. If they want to pimp their divorce on televison, that's their business. If they want to let their celebrity consume them, that's their business. Those kids, however? Shouldn't be anyone's business.
----------------------
As an American Idol devotee, I would have pulled my hair out if Allison Iraheta, fourth-place finisher, had missed out on a record contract while third-place finisher Danny Gokey received one. Iraheta's treatment on the show was lukewarm at best, spiteful at worst. Judge Simon Cowell, who these days cares more about the personalities of contestants than their singing ability, was particularly harsh on the scarlet-haired rocker. I didn't think my fear was unfounded.
The history of talented Idol finalists to not get record contracts with 19E is a sad one. Finalists Tamyra Gray, Elliott Yamin, Melinda Doolittle, and Carly Smithson all had to venture to other labels to get signed, and Vonzell Solomon and Syesha Mercado remain unsigned to this day (those last two particularly piss me off). Iraheta's snub seemed to not be far behind.
Yet my worry was unfounded, as Iraheta received her record deal two days after Kris Allen did, and the day after "big brother" Adam Lambert did. As for Gokey? He's still languishing without one, which is where he will hopefully stay.
Finally, a snub I can get behind.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Now Stop; Emmy Time.
Ah, the Emmy Awards. The ugly duckling of awards shows. What are supposed to be the television equivalent of the Oscars are so often left alone, stranded outside of awards season with few viewers. Yet they are still the television industry's highest honor, and are just as subject to intense journalistic and Internet scrutiny.
Here's the problem with all that- while there are a limited amount of viable options at the Oscars for nominations, at the Emmys, the options are seemingly limitless. Even with the expanded number of nominations in each field (6, up from 5), it still makes predicting nominees a fool's game. So, unlike what I did with the Oscars, I'll simply be highlighting actors, actresses, and programs worthy of Emmy attention come nomination time. (Names in bold are my recommended nominees for each category.)
And away we go!
Best Comedy Series
This one's no contest. I'm sorry, Office fans, but the Emmys just aren't that into your show anymore. It's 30 Rock all the way, though I'd like to see a nod for a strongly-resurging Scrubs or the sadly-cancelled Samantha Who?.
Best Drama Series
Mad Men won this award last year, and considering how stellar their second season was, I see no reason why they won't repeat. However, I would also urge consideration for Damages, easily television's best thrill ride, and the criminally underrated In Treatment. What shouldn't be nominated that will be? Boston Legal is the biggest example, especially considering the fact that the Emmy favorite went off the air in December, but I'd also strongly warn against nominating True Blood. Bizarrely, the show is riding a tidal wave of good buzz right now, despite a weak first season, so a nomination is likely.
Best Reality Competition Series
The award's gonna go to The Amazing Race anyway, so why not throw in a few fun nominations along the way? Must-recognize shows include So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, and the brilliantProject Runway, but I would love for Bravo's other awesome reality competition, Make Me a Supermodel, to see a little Emmy love.
Best Variety Series
Saturday Night Live came off a brilliant season, so it should see a nod. After years of Daily Show dominance, it would be nice to see compatriot show The Colbert Report get recognized. I beg Emmy voters to ignore the idiocy of Jay Leno, and since he didn't really leave television, maybe the sentimental factor won't come into play. My big appeal is for the comically brilliant Chelsea Lately to get a nod. The E! show is finally getting its due from critics, and I'm hoping it will see some Emmy love. It's not probable, but I'm hopeful.
Best Actor, Comedy Series
There's a lot of love for Jim Parsons, but I'm not a huge Big Bang Theory fan. I'll stick with what works and throw my support behind Alec Baldwin.
Best Actress, Comedy Series
As far as Tina Fey is concerned, though I love her work on 30 Rock, I don't think she deserves this award again. I'd recommend JoAnna Garcia from the underrated Privileged and Judy Reyes of Scrubs. To me, however, it belongs to Christina Applegate for her brilliant Samantha Newly.
Best Actor, Drama Series
Jon Hamm is in a class of his own on Mad Men, and probably deserved this award last year, though I was thrilled that Bryan Cranston got the Emmy. Still, let's not kid ourselves. The fact that Hugh Laurie has never won this award is criminal. He's a perennial nominee, and should win posthaste. (Yeah, I said posthaste.)
Best Actress, Drama Series
You gotta love the ladies of cable. January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Glenn Close, and Kyra Sedgwick are all award-worthy, but Moss is the true wonder. Her work on Mad Men is so subtly emotional that she can make even the staunchest detractors swoon. That's what happened with me, anyway.
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy Series
Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, and Scott Adsit are all worthy for their work on 30 Rock, as is B.J. Novak, a standout in an uneven season of The Office. It seems silly to campaign for the oft-recognized Neil Patrick Harris, but that doesn't make him any less award-worthy. One request, though: don't nominate Jeremy Piven!
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy Series
I have but one nominee in mind: Jane Krakowski, brilliant as Jenna on 30 Rock. I wouldn't be mad at Emmy voters if they awarded last year's winner, Jean Smart, or her co-stars Jennifer Esposito and Melissa McCarthy. Voters would be wise to recognize SNL's funny ladies, Amy Poehler and Kristen Wiig.
Best Supporting Actor, Drama Series
I'd love to see Robert Sean Leonard recognized for his work on House, J.K. Simmons of The Closer, or either John Slattery or Vincent Kartheiser of Mad Men, but more than anyone else, I want to see David Costabile, the creepy bearded man from Damages, recognized. They gave it to Zeljko last year, let's see another Damaged man get it this year.
Best Supporting Actress, Drama Series
Lots of choices here. Rose Byrne and Marcia Gay Harden are both worthy for Damages, Lisa Edelstein was especially brilliant this season on House, CCH Pounder gave a brilliant flair to the final act of The Shield, Allison Pill, Hope Davis, and Dianne Wiest were all genius on In Treatment, Cherry Jones made for 24's best President ever, and Stephanie March was a welcome return to Law and Order: SVU. Still, there's one fiery redhead whose flawless acting and bombshell style has made one hit show even more phenomenal: the incomparable Christina Hendricks. If she submits the episodes "A Night to Remember" and "The Mountain King," she's won, no doubt. If not, she still deserves the win, but as you can tell, the competition here is stiff, possibly the stiffest of the whole lot. But Hendricks is a revelation, and it would be a shame if her work went unrecognized.
So, to recap, my picks are:
Best Comedy Series: 30 Rock
Best Drama Series: Mad Men
Best Reality Series: Top Chef
Best Variety Series: Chelsea Lately
Best Actor, Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Best Actress, Comedy: Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Best Actor, Drama: Hugh Laurie, House
Best Actress, Drama: Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy: B.J. Novak, The Office
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy: Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Best Supporting Actor, Drama: David Costabile, Damages
Best Supporting Actress, Drama: Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Of these, I'd say four are likely, four are within the realm of possiblity, and four are pipe dreams. Care to guess which are which? Head to the comments section, and respond to my picks! Did I snub worthy performances and series? Which of my picks are crazy? What chance in hell does David Costabile have of winning an Emmy? Sound off!
Here's the problem with all that- while there are a limited amount of viable options at the Oscars for nominations, at the Emmys, the options are seemingly limitless. Even with the expanded number of nominations in each field (6, up from 5), it still makes predicting nominees a fool's game. So, unlike what I did with the Oscars, I'll simply be highlighting actors, actresses, and programs worthy of Emmy attention come nomination time. (Names in bold are my recommended nominees for each category.)
And away we go!
Best Comedy Series
This one's no contest. I'm sorry, Office fans, but the Emmys just aren't that into your show anymore. It's 30 Rock all the way, though I'd like to see a nod for a strongly-resurging Scrubs or the sadly-cancelled Samantha Who?.
Best Drama Series
Mad Men won this award last year, and considering how stellar their second season was, I see no reason why they won't repeat. However, I would also urge consideration for Damages, easily television's best thrill ride, and the criminally underrated In Treatment. What shouldn't be nominated that will be? Boston Legal is the biggest example, especially considering the fact that the Emmy favorite went off the air in December, but I'd also strongly warn against nominating True Blood. Bizarrely, the show is riding a tidal wave of good buzz right now, despite a weak first season, so a nomination is likely.
Best Reality Competition Series
The award's gonna go to The Amazing Race anyway, so why not throw in a few fun nominations along the way? Must-recognize shows include So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, and the brilliantProject Runway, but I would love for Bravo's other awesome reality competition, Make Me a Supermodel, to see a little Emmy love.
Best Variety Series
Saturday Night Live came off a brilliant season, so it should see a nod. After years of Daily Show dominance, it would be nice to see compatriot show The Colbert Report get recognized. I beg Emmy voters to ignore the idiocy of Jay Leno, and since he didn't really leave television, maybe the sentimental factor won't come into play. My big appeal is for the comically brilliant Chelsea Lately to get a nod. The E! show is finally getting its due from critics, and I'm hoping it will see some Emmy love. It's not probable, but I'm hopeful.
Best Actor, Comedy Series
There's a lot of love for Jim Parsons, but I'm not a huge Big Bang Theory fan. I'll stick with what works and throw my support behind Alec Baldwin.
Best Actress, Comedy Series
As far as Tina Fey is concerned, though I love her work on 30 Rock, I don't think she deserves this award again. I'd recommend JoAnna Garcia from the underrated Privileged and Judy Reyes of Scrubs. To me, however, it belongs to Christina Applegate for her brilliant Samantha Newly.
Best Actor, Drama Series
Jon Hamm is in a class of his own on Mad Men, and probably deserved this award last year, though I was thrilled that Bryan Cranston got the Emmy. Still, let's not kid ourselves. The fact that Hugh Laurie has never won this award is criminal. He's a perennial nominee, and should win posthaste. (Yeah, I said posthaste.)
Best Actress, Drama Series
You gotta love the ladies of cable. January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Glenn Close, and Kyra Sedgwick are all award-worthy, but Moss is the true wonder. Her work on Mad Men is so subtly emotional that she can make even the staunchest detractors swoon. That's what happened with me, anyway.
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy Series
Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, and Scott Adsit are all worthy for their work on 30 Rock, as is B.J. Novak, a standout in an uneven season of The Office. It seems silly to campaign for the oft-recognized Neil Patrick Harris, but that doesn't make him any less award-worthy. One request, though: don't nominate Jeremy Piven!
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy Series
I have but one nominee in mind: Jane Krakowski, brilliant as Jenna on 30 Rock. I wouldn't be mad at Emmy voters if they awarded last year's winner, Jean Smart, or her co-stars Jennifer Esposito and Melissa McCarthy. Voters would be wise to recognize SNL's funny ladies, Amy Poehler and Kristen Wiig.
Best Supporting Actor, Drama Series
I'd love to see Robert Sean Leonard recognized for his work on House, J.K. Simmons of The Closer, or either John Slattery or Vincent Kartheiser of Mad Men, but more than anyone else, I want to see David Costabile, the creepy bearded man from Damages, recognized. They gave it to Zeljko last year, let's see another Damaged man get it this year.
Best Supporting Actress, Drama Series
Lots of choices here. Rose Byrne and Marcia Gay Harden are both worthy for Damages, Lisa Edelstein was especially brilliant this season on House, CCH Pounder gave a brilliant flair to the final act of The Shield, Allison Pill, Hope Davis, and Dianne Wiest were all genius on In Treatment, Cherry Jones made for 24's best President ever, and Stephanie March was a welcome return to Law and Order: SVU. Still, there's one fiery redhead whose flawless acting and bombshell style has made one hit show even more phenomenal: the incomparable Christina Hendricks. If she submits the episodes "A Night to Remember" and "The Mountain King," she's won, no doubt. If not, she still deserves the win, but as you can tell, the competition here is stiff, possibly the stiffest of the whole lot. But Hendricks is a revelation, and it would be a shame if her work went unrecognized.
So, to recap, my picks are:
Best Comedy Series: 30 Rock
Best Drama Series: Mad Men
Best Reality Series: Top Chef
Best Variety Series: Chelsea Lately
Best Actor, Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Best Actress, Comedy: Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Best Actor, Drama: Hugh Laurie, House
Best Actress, Drama: Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy: B.J. Novak, The Office
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy: Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Best Supporting Actor, Drama: David Costabile, Damages
Best Supporting Actress, Drama: Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Of these, I'd say four are likely, four are within the realm of possiblity, and four are pipe dreams. Care to guess which are which? Head to the comments section, and respond to my picks! Did I snub worthy performances and series? Which of my picks are crazy? What chance in hell does David Costabile have of winning an Emmy? Sound off!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
That Bitter Struggle for Independence
As I mulled in an earlier post, 17 is a weird age. You don't get a whole lot of new privileges (though that blood donor thing is pretty damn exciting, lemme tell you), but you're still stuck in this awkward stage between teenagerdom and adulthood. One of the big pains that comes with that is the battle for independence.
Seriously, this one rivals that whole "Revolutionary War" skirmish everybody gets all in a tizzy about. What I'm talking about is the bloody, impassioned, no-holds-barred struggle between parents and teenagers for their independence. At 17, that battle gets so much more complicated.
In just a little over 400 days, I will be off to college (please NYU or UCLA), and because of this, my parents have hit the stage of parenthood I like to call "MY BABY'S LEAVING!!!" In this stage, commonly rational parents have the tendency to, simply, lose it. Not their fault. They're faced with the idea of losing their flesh and blood to a harsh, cruel world that they seemingly haven't prepared their progenee for. To be sure, my parents have done a wonderful job of raising me, avoiding almost every pratfall parents are destined to hit. They've raised me to be an adult. Yet even with this in mind, facing this change, all rationale goes "Bye Bye, Birdie."
I, as a teenager, am also locked in a stage I have termed "Get Out My Face," in which I want to do my own thing, have my cake and eat it too, and cry at my party if I want to. I know that my parents are doing for me exactly what they should be doing with their sole motivation being their undying love and devotion to me, but even still, I'm just being a brat.
These two stages, when mixed, have a deadly reaction I call "Vesuvius II." Simply because the two states are so highly dangerous when combined, the reaction formed is poisonous and can kill an otherwise healthy parent/child relationship. Though everyone involved has the same basic goal, our methods differ, and our bond suffers for it.
...what? You were expecting some solution here? Oh, God, you can't really expect me to come up with the solution to Vesuvius II on a BLOG? *Sigh* Okay, here's what I got. Understanding each others' motives is Step One. Truthfully, when you know that the other person is really not in it to win it, but simply to do what's best for you, it's a lot easier to get along. Also, try to negotiate a middle ground. Parents should still have a say in what their kids do, but make sure they know you need to take control of your life.
...you say that didn't work? Hey, I'm not God. Your results may vary. And sometimes, the struggle is vastly different. But the fundamental rules apply. Your parents, for better or worse, are two (+/-, not trying to be insensitive) of the best friends you've got. Plus, they put up with a lot. Don't take them for granted, and don't lose them to Vesuvius II. Because, as my mom so aptly put it when I was four days old, "My baby's gonna leave!" And as my dad even more succintly put it, "Not tomorrow."
No, not tomorrow, Dad. But the tomorrows are running out.
Seriously, this one rivals that whole "Revolutionary War" skirmish everybody gets all in a tizzy about. What I'm talking about is the bloody, impassioned, no-holds-barred struggle between parents and teenagers for their independence. At 17, that battle gets so much more complicated.
In just a little over 400 days, I will be off to college (please NYU or UCLA), and because of this, my parents have hit the stage of parenthood I like to call "MY BABY'S LEAVING!!!" In this stage, commonly rational parents have the tendency to, simply, lose it. Not their fault. They're faced with the idea of losing their flesh and blood to a harsh, cruel world that they seemingly haven't prepared their progenee for. To be sure, my parents have done a wonderful job of raising me, avoiding almost every pratfall parents are destined to hit. They've raised me to be an adult. Yet even with this in mind, facing this change, all rationale goes "Bye Bye, Birdie."
I, as a teenager, am also locked in a stage I have termed "Get Out My Face," in which I want to do my own thing, have my cake and eat it too, and cry at my party if I want to. I know that my parents are doing for me exactly what they should be doing with their sole motivation being their undying love and devotion to me, but even still, I'm just being a brat.
These two stages, when mixed, have a deadly reaction I call "Vesuvius II." Simply because the two states are so highly dangerous when combined, the reaction formed is poisonous and can kill an otherwise healthy parent/child relationship. Though everyone involved has the same basic goal, our methods differ, and our bond suffers for it.
...what? You were expecting some solution here? Oh, God, you can't really expect me to come up with the solution to Vesuvius II on a BLOG? *Sigh* Okay, here's what I got. Understanding each others' motives is Step One. Truthfully, when you know that the other person is really not in it to win it, but simply to do what's best for you, it's a lot easier to get along. Also, try to negotiate a middle ground. Parents should still have a say in what their kids do, but make sure they know you need to take control of your life.
...you say that didn't work? Hey, I'm not God. Your results may vary. And sometimes, the struggle is vastly different. But the fundamental rules apply. Your parents, for better or worse, are two (+/-, not trying to be insensitive) of the best friends you've got. Plus, they put up with a lot. Don't take them for granted, and don't lose them to Vesuvius II. Because, as my mom so aptly put it when I was four days old, "My baby's gonna leave!" And as my dad even more succintly put it, "Not tomorrow."
No, not tomorrow, Dad. But the tomorrows are running out.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A Different Type of Top Ten
Thanks to everyone who's said nice things about my last post, the Top Ten American Idols. To follow it up, I've compiled another Top Ten American Idol list, but this one isn't an achievement to be on; this is the worst ten Idols of all time. Unlike the first list, post-show experience has nothing to do with this ranking. Only Idol performances qualify a contestant for this list. Note that this is incredibly subjective; one look at WhatNottoSing.com (which is a site I highly recommend for any Idol fan) shows who the Bottom Ten would be on performance merit alone, and the two lists don't exactly match up. Still, sometimes inability to sing is relative, and with that warning, I present my Bottom Ten Idols Ever.
10) Bucky Covington
Don't remember Bucky? Consider yourself lucky. The country crooner was part of the legendarily talented Season Five group, but his performances were anything but good. His incredibly mediocre (oxymoron? discuss) performances wouldn't have won him any singing contest, and while he slid by, power singer Mandisa (she lost her last name somewhere, have you seen it?) was eliminated. The guy couldn't even perform well in his own genre (see Best I Ever Had), so his elimination during Queen week couldn't have been more welcome.
9) Scott MacIntyre
Let me preface this one by saying I think letting a blind singer compete on American Idol is a bang-up idea. Blind musicians like Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles have given us some of the best songs of the past century. Still, giving them a pass simply because they're handicapped is just condescending and, ultimately, pointless. Scott still finished ninth after a string of bad performances, and the endless debate from the judges about whether or not he should play the piano was boring and distracting. Scott always conducted himself with grace and poise, despite insensitive and demeaning treatment from the show. Still, he was no world-class singer, and when he exited as poised as ever, it was the right time.
8) John Stevens
John Stevens is responsible for three of the greatest disasters ever on Idol: My Girl, Crocodile Rock, and Music of My Heart. All three were almost universally derided, yet his personality got him to sixth place. John represented something truly tragic about Season Three- despite having three of the most vocally talented performers ever to be seen on Idol, it also hosted some of the worst singers in any year. By far the most schizophrenic season of all time, John was the figurehead of the worst of it, and made it further than now-Academy Award-winning Jennifer Hudson (#7 on my Top Ten). That's a disaster in and of itself.
7) Meghan Joy Corkrey
Er, no, it's Megan Joy Corkrey. No, it's Megan Joy. Ah, who cares, she's eliminated. The songbird of a thousand names (and one "Caw! Caw!") turned in one bad performance after the other, and her attitude only got more and more poisonous. She was ousted by America after she asked them to Turn the Lights Down Low, and the judges didn't even pretend to contemplate saving her. She is truly one of the more annoying contestants, and by far the worst of Season Eight.
6) Haley Scarnato
Her name may have sounded like an exclamation (just try it: "Haley Scarnato!"), but there was nothing too exciting about the leggy Season Six finalist. Sanjaya Malakar may have dominated that season with his sensationally bad singing, but Haley was just as bad, if not worse. Still, she knew when her time was up, and finally went down in flames. Points from being a San Antonio homegirl, though.
5) Taylor Hicks
Yes, I'm serious. I know Taylor won, but come on! He may have had a good performance or two, but none of them were memorable. Without looking, name one of his song choices. He had no A Song for You (Elliott Yamin), no Hemmorhage (Chris Daughtry), no Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Katherine McPhee), no These Foolish Things (Paris Bennett), no I Don't Hurt Anymore (Mandisa). In one of the most stellar seasons, he never stood out for anything more than spastic dancing, gray hair, and his idiotic screams of "Soul Patrol!" He might be the one contestant I personally hate the most, but there were others who were worse. Much worse.
4) Kevin Covais
Chicken Little couldn't sing for beans, but he had spunk. Unlike Ed Asner from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, America loves spunk. He was eliminated at his time, before the Top 10 of Season Five (gee, for such a great season, a lot of Fivers show up on this list, no?), which is more than can be said for the next three train wrecks, so he wins some points for that, but he was still an absolute mess.
3) Kristy Lee Cook
If any contestant could rival Taylor Hicks for my most hated, it would be Miss Kristy Lee Cook, also known in my house as She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-Because-She-Murdered-The-Beatles-Which-Is-An-Unforgivable-Offense. (We don't mention her much at my house, partly because she sucks, and partly because we don't have the lung capacity for that name.) Her Eight Days a Week is my most-hated performance in the show's history, and she survived far too long for my tastes. Plus, her blatant showboating for Middle America's votes by picking God Bless the USA disgusted me. She is, in my opinion, the worst female Idol in the show's eight seasons. And she has a record deal, while Syesha Mercado languishes without one. Which probably makes me hate her even more.
2) Scott Savol
The master of overstaying his welcome, Scott Savol, or "Scotty the Body" as Ryan Seacrest so annoyingly called him, outlasted much better contestants in Season Four and was the first major VotefortheWorst.com victory. He was untalented, a jerk, and deserved to go home long, long before his fifth place finish. I don't harbor the same disdain for him because I wasn't a huge fan of Season Four, and he didn't take down my favorite (Vonzell Solomon, FTW), but he really was an unqualified catastrophe every week.
1) Sanjaya Malakar
You know that guy who takes a joke long after it's stopped being funny and still keeps beating the dead horse until you forget why it was even funny in the first place? Sanjaya was that guy, that joke, and that horse all wrapped up in one screechy, pitchy, arrogant package. Still, he did give us the Crying Girl incident, and since I spent many a night laughing at her, I'll give him a few points. They don't really help anything, though, when your score is already in the low, low negatives. Sanjaya truly was the worst contestant in Idol history, and if there is a God, he'll remain it. We don't need any more like him.
What do you guys think? Did I miss a particularly bad contestant? Was I wrong to pick on Scott or Taylor like I did? Post your thoughts in the comments section!
10) Bucky Covington
Don't remember Bucky? Consider yourself lucky. The country crooner was part of the legendarily talented Season Five group, but his performances were anything but good. His incredibly mediocre (oxymoron? discuss) performances wouldn't have won him any singing contest, and while he slid by, power singer Mandisa (she lost her last name somewhere, have you seen it?) was eliminated. The guy couldn't even perform well in his own genre (see Best I Ever Had), so his elimination during Queen week couldn't have been more welcome.
9) Scott MacIntyre
Let me preface this one by saying I think letting a blind singer compete on American Idol is a bang-up idea. Blind musicians like Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles have given us some of the best songs of the past century. Still, giving them a pass simply because they're handicapped is just condescending and, ultimately, pointless. Scott still finished ninth after a string of bad performances, and the endless debate from the judges about whether or not he should play the piano was boring and distracting. Scott always conducted himself with grace and poise, despite insensitive and demeaning treatment from the show. Still, he was no world-class singer, and when he exited as poised as ever, it was the right time.
8) John Stevens
John Stevens is responsible for three of the greatest disasters ever on Idol: My Girl, Crocodile Rock, and Music of My Heart. All three were almost universally derided, yet his personality got him to sixth place. John represented something truly tragic about Season Three- despite having three of the most vocally talented performers ever to be seen on Idol, it also hosted some of the worst singers in any year. By far the most schizophrenic season of all time, John was the figurehead of the worst of it, and made it further than now-Academy Award-winning Jennifer Hudson (#7 on my Top Ten). That's a disaster in and of itself.
7) Meghan Joy Corkrey
Er, no, it's Megan Joy Corkrey. No, it's Megan Joy. Ah, who cares, she's eliminated. The songbird of a thousand names (and one "Caw! Caw!") turned in one bad performance after the other, and her attitude only got more and more poisonous. She was ousted by America after she asked them to Turn the Lights Down Low, and the judges didn't even pretend to contemplate saving her. She is truly one of the more annoying contestants, and by far the worst of Season Eight.
6) Haley Scarnato
Her name may have sounded like an exclamation (just try it: "Haley Scarnato!"), but there was nothing too exciting about the leggy Season Six finalist. Sanjaya Malakar may have dominated that season with his sensationally bad singing, but Haley was just as bad, if not worse. Still, she knew when her time was up, and finally went down in flames. Points from being a San Antonio homegirl, though.
5) Taylor Hicks
Yes, I'm serious. I know Taylor won, but come on! He may have had a good performance or two, but none of them were memorable. Without looking, name one of his song choices. He had no A Song for You (Elliott Yamin), no Hemmorhage (Chris Daughtry), no Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Katherine McPhee), no These Foolish Things (Paris Bennett), no I Don't Hurt Anymore (Mandisa). In one of the most stellar seasons, he never stood out for anything more than spastic dancing, gray hair, and his idiotic screams of "Soul Patrol!" He might be the one contestant I personally hate the most, but there were others who were worse. Much worse.
4) Kevin Covais
Chicken Little couldn't sing for beans, but he had spunk. Unlike Ed Asner from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, America loves spunk. He was eliminated at his time, before the Top 10 of Season Five (gee, for such a great season, a lot of Fivers show up on this list, no?), which is more than can be said for the next three train wrecks, so he wins some points for that, but he was still an absolute mess.
3) Kristy Lee Cook
If any contestant could rival Taylor Hicks for my most hated, it would be Miss Kristy Lee Cook, also known in my house as She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-Because-She-Murdered-The-Beatles-Which-Is-An-Unforgivable-Offense. (We don't mention her much at my house, partly because she sucks, and partly because we don't have the lung capacity for that name.) Her Eight Days a Week is my most-hated performance in the show's history, and she survived far too long for my tastes. Plus, her blatant showboating for Middle America's votes by picking God Bless the USA disgusted me. She is, in my opinion, the worst female Idol in the show's eight seasons. And she has a record deal, while Syesha Mercado languishes without one. Which probably makes me hate her even more.
2) Scott Savol
The master of overstaying his welcome, Scott Savol, or "Scotty the Body" as Ryan Seacrest so annoyingly called him, outlasted much better contestants in Season Four and was the first major VotefortheWorst.com victory. He was untalented, a jerk, and deserved to go home long, long before his fifth place finish. I don't harbor the same disdain for him because I wasn't a huge fan of Season Four, and he didn't take down my favorite (Vonzell Solomon, FTW), but he really was an unqualified catastrophe every week.
1) Sanjaya Malakar
You know that guy who takes a joke long after it's stopped being funny and still keeps beating the dead horse until you forget why it was even funny in the first place? Sanjaya was that guy, that joke, and that horse all wrapped up in one screechy, pitchy, arrogant package. Still, he did give us the Crying Girl incident, and since I spent many a night laughing at her, I'll give him a few points. They don't really help anything, though, when your score is already in the low, low negatives. Sanjaya truly was the worst contestant in Idol history, and if there is a God, he'll remain it. We don't need any more like him.
What do you guys think? Did I miss a particularly bad contestant? Was I wrong to pick on Scott or Taylor like I did? Post your thoughts in the comments section!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
This... is American Idol's Top Ten
American Idol just finished its eighth season, and thanks to a few popular contestants, as well as possibly the biggest upset victory in eight years, it's finally the buzz-filled, watercooler show that used to dominate the ratings. Despite slipping in viewership again, the actual announcement of the winner drew more viewers than any other in the show's history. Since AI is finally buzzy again, sites like WhatNottoSing.com are becoming popular once more, blogs are getting more traffic than ever, and it's fun to discuss Idol again. Now that we've come to a cool point in Idol history, here's the Top Ten best Idols of all time. And not just the winners; all former finalists are applicable. They're chosen based off of performance in the show and post-Idol experience.
10) Chris Daughtry
The rocker who placed fourth in Season Five has had one of the best careers, with his first album going multiplatinum and selling out arenas on his first tour. He's had major Nickelback-style success, but his attitude and familiar sound create more than a few detractors. He's still one of the best male finalists in history, and he's definitely the champ of Biggest Idol Ego.
Download: It's Not Over, Hemorrage (In My Hands)
9) Jordin Sparks
The Season Six winner didn't deserve to win her season, but she has had a strong career, complete with the most downloaded single from any Idol (No Air). Her new single, Battlefield, was just released, and is enjoying critical success. She is definitely one of the better winners, despite an overall weak performance in her season.
Download: Battlefield, I (Have Nothing)
8) Adam Lambert
He shook up TV's biggest talent show with big performances and bigger glam, but he still couldn't deliver as he was defeated by Kris Allen in the show's biggest upset in eight seasons. Despite this, he was still responsible for some of the best performances last season, and is sure to have a massive international career.
Download: Mad World, Tracks of My Tears
7) Jennifer Hudson
The seventh-place finisher from Season Three is the only Oscar-winner in the show's history, for her historic performance in Dreamgirls. She's both an actress and a Grammy-winning artist. Though she suffered through several major tragedies last year with the deaths of several of her family members, including her beloved mother, her career is on a major upward slope and she'll be here for years to come.
Download: If This Isn't Love, And I Am Telling You
6) Allison Iraheta
Save the rocker! Allison "Cherry Bomb" Iraheta, the fuschia-haired power balladeer from Season Eight rocked out more than a few great performances, yet a tiny fan base led her to be eliminated before the instantly-forgettable Danny Gokey. Still, Daughtry showed us how finishing fourth can boost a post-Idol career. Until her undoubtedly awesome debut album comes around, enjoy two of her finest performances of the season.
Download: Give In to Me, I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing
5) Kris Allen
Don't believe everything you hear. Though Lambert was heavily favored for most of the finals this past season, this Arkansas good ol' boy came on strong with unbelievably strong, innovative performances including the stirring Falling Slowly, the super original She Works Hard for the Money and Heartless, and (in my opinion) his best performance of the season, the genius Ain't No Sunshine. Lambert may have had the bombast, but Allen has the chops.
Download: Heartless, Ain't No Sunshine
4) Carrie Underwood
One of the top champions, Underwood's country stylings allowed her to verge in a different direction from past Idols and forge her own path. Though she didn't catch on right away (Jesus, Take the Wheel was a bigger flop than most remember), a little song called Before He Cheats dug its keys into the side of our pretty little souped-up four-wheel drives and carved its name into the leather seats. The rest, as they say, is history.
Download: Before He Cheats, I Told You So (f/ Randy Travis)
3) Elliott Yamin
Who says nice guys finish last? Turning in consistently good performances throughout Season Five only led Yamin to a third place finish when faced with Taylor Hicks' inexplicable popularity and the unstoppable force that was Katharine McPhee's Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Still, his first album went gold despite being on an independent label, and his single, Wait for You, fared better than anything Hicks or McPhee could dream up. Now with his second album out, the crooner's doing just fine.
Download: Fight for Love, Wait for You
2) Melinda Doolittle
When you think of the shocking eliminations of Idol lore, the names that arise (Gray, Hudson, Maroulis, Daughtry, Johns, Smithson) never include the brilliant Melinda Doolittle, an impressive former backup singer who turned in the most impressive run of performances in Idol history. Yet when faced with two young rivals (Sparks and Blake Lewis), Doolittle fell. Still, she is a brilliant vocalist, and her debut album is better than Lewis and Sparks' efforts combined.
Download: My Funny Valentine, Have a Nice Day
1) Kelly Clarkson
There's no one who tops the original. Clarkson's Stuff Like That There is the best performance in Idol History, she has sold more albums than any other Idol or finalist in eight years, and she has won two Grammys. She famously fought with her label over her artistic direction, which led to the unspeakable mess My December, but she's back with a new album, a new single, and a new attitude. She is truly the American Idol.
Download: Since U Been Gone, Because of You
10) Chris Daughtry
The rocker who placed fourth in Season Five has had one of the best careers, with his first album going multiplatinum and selling out arenas on his first tour. He's had major Nickelback-style success, but his attitude and familiar sound create more than a few detractors. He's still one of the best male finalists in history, and he's definitely the champ of Biggest Idol Ego.
Download: It's Not Over, Hemorrage (In My Hands)
9) Jordin Sparks
The Season Six winner didn't deserve to win her season, but she has had a strong career, complete with the most downloaded single from any Idol (No Air). Her new single, Battlefield, was just released, and is enjoying critical success. She is definitely one of the better winners, despite an overall weak performance in her season.
Download: Battlefield, I (Have Nothing)
8) Adam Lambert
He shook up TV's biggest talent show with big performances and bigger glam, but he still couldn't deliver as he was defeated by Kris Allen in the show's biggest upset in eight seasons. Despite this, he was still responsible for some of the best performances last season, and is sure to have a massive international career.
Download: Mad World, Tracks of My Tears
7) Jennifer Hudson
The seventh-place finisher from Season Three is the only Oscar-winner in the show's history, for her historic performance in Dreamgirls. She's both an actress and a Grammy-winning artist. Though she suffered through several major tragedies last year with the deaths of several of her family members, including her beloved mother, her career is on a major upward slope and she'll be here for years to come.
Download: If This Isn't Love, And I Am Telling You
6) Allison Iraheta
Save the rocker! Allison "Cherry Bomb" Iraheta, the fuschia-haired power balladeer from Season Eight rocked out more than a few great performances, yet a tiny fan base led her to be eliminated before the instantly-forgettable Danny Gokey. Still, Daughtry showed us how finishing fourth can boost a post-Idol career. Until her undoubtedly awesome debut album comes around, enjoy two of her finest performances of the season.
Download: Give In to Me, I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing
5) Kris Allen
Don't believe everything you hear. Though Lambert was heavily favored for most of the finals this past season, this Arkansas good ol' boy came on strong with unbelievably strong, innovative performances including the stirring Falling Slowly, the super original She Works Hard for the Money and Heartless, and (in my opinion) his best performance of the season, the genius Ain't No Sunshine. Lambert may have had the bombast, but Allen has the chops.
Download: Heartless, Ain't No Sunshine
4) Carrie Underwood
One of the top champions, Underwood's country stylings allowed her to verge in a different direction from past Idols and forge her own path. Though she didn't catch on right away (Jesus, Take the Wheel was a bigger flop than most remember), a little song called Before He Cheats dug its keys into the side of our pretty little souped-up four-wheel drives and carved its name into the leather seats. The rest, as they say, is history.
Download: Before He Cheats, I Told You So (f/ Randy Travis)
3) Elliott Yamin
Who says nice guys finish last? Turning in consistently good performances throughout Season Five only led Yamin to a third place finish when faced with Taylor Hicks' inexplicable popularity and the unstoppable force that was Katharine McPhee's Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Still, his first album went gold despite being on an independent label, and his single, Wait for You, fared better than anything Hicks or McPhee could dream up. Now with his second album out, the crooner's doing just fine.
Download: Fight for Love, Wait for You
2) Melinda Doolittle
When you think of the shocking eliminations of Idol lore, the names that arise (Gray, Hudson, Maroulis, Daughtry, Johns, Smithson) never include the brilliant Melinda Doolittle, an impressive former backup singer who turned in the most impressive run of performances in Idol history. Yet when faced with two young rivals (Sparks and Blake Lewis), Doolittle fell. Still, she is a brilliant vocalist, and her debut album is better than Lewis and Sparks' efforts combined.
Download: My Funny Valentine, Have a Nice Day
1) Kelly Clarkson
There's no one who tops the original. Clarkson's Stuff Like That There is the best performance in Idol History, she has sold more albums than any other Idol or finalist in eight years, and she has won two Grammys. She famously fought with her label over her artistic direction, which led to the unspeakable mess My December, but she's back with a new album, a new single, and a new attitude. She is truly the American Idol.
Download: Since U Been Gone, Because of You
Sunday, May 24, 2009
I'm a Senior, Get Me Out of Here
Give or take a few final exams, I, along with the rest of the class of 2010, am a senior. I can’t begin to fathom what that means. All of a sudden, my world seems like a rush of numbers and deadlines that are all so finite, so within reach. Everything I’ve been working for over the past three years is finally coming to a head. Hours of extracurriculars, studying for exams, arguing over course registration, and balancing social life, home life, work life, and school life, all finally mean something. The résumé I’ve spent years discussing so hypothetically becomes all the more real when it starts getting sent out to colleges. Those SAT and ACT scores I’ve been meaning to raise have to get much better during the summer. And those college visits that everyone harps on about need to get taken.
But this is my senior year. I don’t want to focus so much on getting to where I need to go that I lose sight of what’s around me. I have plenty of high school left to experience. This summer, I’ll be working at Target once again, and will be getting a car (finally!). I’m also writing a screenplay with a couple friends of mine, and hopefully shooting it, too. I wanna go on road trips, party with friends, and live my life without worrying every second about what comes next.
When the year starts, I’ll have a fantastic schedule that will actually allow me to relax every once in a while, do Varsity Drama, which I’ve wanted to do for years, take Creative Writing, and still take a few interesting AP classes. I’ll have six more issues of the newspaper to put out in my tenure, this time with Mrs. Kirby at the helm of Desktop Publishing. I’ve got an all-new staff to work with:
- Joe Aragon - David Cruz
- Stephen Muela - Austin Sandford
- Isabel Swartz - Nicollette Violante
- Cody Ruggio - Alice Schneider
- Arianna Zeb - Elizabeth Hoover
- Eric Sherrill - Zach Ojeda
- Stephen McDonald - Irene Minderhoud
- Emma Nicolas - Sierra Mountain
- Patrick Roland - Alex Zeb
- Kira Parsons
I’ve got a great group of friends to make the next year a blast with, too. From my best friends to my long-time friends to friends I want to get to know better to friends I haven’t even made yet, there truly isn’t a better group of people to spend the days with.
Junior year wasn’t one I’m going to remember too fondly. Sure, there were some incredibly fun moments, and the summer before is one I’ll never forget, but it was too high-drama, not enough carefree fun. A lot of it was my fault, too. I don’t want my senior year to be like that. I want senior year to be fun.
And if I don’t screw it up too bad, it should be.
But this is my senior year. I don’t want to focus so much on getting to where I need to go that I lose sight of what’s around me. I have plenty of high school left to experience. This summer, I’ll be working at Target once again, and will be getting a car (finally!). I’m also writing a screenplay with a couple friends of mine, and hopefully shooting it, too. I wanna go on road trips, party with friends, and live my life without worrying every second about what comes next.
When the year starts, I’ll have a fantastic schedule that will actually allow me to relax every once in a while, do Varsity Drama, which I’ve wanted to do for years, take Creative Writing, and still take a few interesting AP classes. I’ll have six more issues of the newspaper to put out in my tenure, this time with Mrs. Kirby at the helm of Desktop Publishing. I’ve got an all-new staff to work with:
- Joe Aragon - David Cruz
- Stephen Muela - Austin Sandford
- Isabel Swartz - Nicollette Violante
- Cody Ruggio - Alice Schneider
- Arianna Zeb - Elizabeth Hoover
- Eric Sherrill - Zach Ojeda
- Stephen McDonald - Irene Minderhoud
- Emma Nicolas - Sierra Mountain
- Patrick Roland - Alex Zeb
- Kira Parsons
I’ve got a great group of friends to make the next year a blast with, too. From my best friends to my long-time friends to friends I want to get to know better to friends I haven’t even made yet, there truly isn’t a better group of people to spend the days with.
Junior year wasn’t one I’m going to remember too fondly. Sure, there were some incredibly fun moments, and the summer before is one I’ll never forget, but it was too high-drama, not enough carefree fun. A lot of it was my fault, too. I don’t want my senior year to be like that. I want senior year to be fun.
And if I don’t screw it up too bad, it should be.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Most Predictable Oscars Ever
Sorry this is so late, guys. I'm still recovering from my 75% score. Then again, a 75% is a B in Oscarology. But I'm taking it and running with it.
I went 18/24 overall on Sunday, and 10/12 in the major categories. Unfortunately for the readers, the closest score next to mine was 9/12, so there was no winner. Thanks to you guys who did contribute, though, and for recognition's sake, the runner-up to me was Nicollette, with 9/12, missing only Director in addition to my misses.
Speaking of which, here's a breakdown of Oscar Night, including the awards I missed.
My God, That Set
I'm pretty sure that the set was designed by God himself, because it was BEAUTIFUL. The crystal curtain alone was enough to get the guy an Oscar himself for Art Direction. It was gorgeous.
Wow, She Can Sing
That opening number from Hugh Jackman was great. Better was Anne Hathaway's involvement. I thought she was actually a decent singer, much to my surprise. And "I haven't seen The Reader would become the rallying cry of this Oscars.
Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz! (1/1) Don't worry, honey, even if you had fainted, you still would have looked beautiful.
Speaking of Beautiful...
Getting the worst snubbing for the most beautiful dress: Marisa Tomei.
Steve and Tina Take the Screenplay Categories
Don't remember who actually won the Screenplay categories? I don't blame you, what with the hilarity Steve Martin and Tina Fey brought upon the audience. By the way, it was Dustin Lance Black for Milk for Original and Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire for Adapted. (3/3) And the Slumdog Count is at 1.
Weirdest. Title. Ever.
After the completely expected win for WALL*E, the animated short La Maison en Petits Cubes won in its category. I forgot to be angry that Presto lost. I was too busy trying to prounounce the winner's title. (4/5)
Carrie's New Man: James Bond!
Sarah Jessica Parker and Daniel Craid aren't the weirdest pairing, but they're up there. Still, props for getting through Best Art Direction and Best Makeup (both Benjamin Button) and Best Costume Design (The Duchess) quickly, though it was the first set of categories that could easily put you to sleep... (6/8)
Give Ben Stiller His Oscar
His biting parody of Joaquin Phoenix's drugged-out performance on David Letterman was the most brilliant moment of the night. And Natalie Portman's reference to his "Haasidic meth lab" doled out the funniest line of the night. By the by, Slumdog took their award, Best Cinematography, raising the SD Count to 2. (7/9)
A Toyland and a Broken Doll
Sorry to Toyland's producers that Seth Rogen laughed at the German title. Seth, much to your dismay, German isn't funny simply because it's German. Nor are you funny simply because Judd Apatow makes your career. (8/10) Then there was that musical number, and oh, God, it was awful. Beyonce resembled a broken Barbie doll (never mind her lip-synching), the younger couples couldn't hold their own, and Hugh Jackman cancelled out his goodwill from the first performance with this disaster. Sorry, Hugh, you're back to neutral for me.
Best Supporting Obviousness
Heath Ledger did deserve this, and I'm glad his family's acceptance speech was eelegant, to say the least. But shocking? Not in the least. (9/11)
Documentarians
Worst two categories of the show? Quite possibly. Man on Wire takes Best Documentary Feature, and Smile Pinki takes Best Documentary Short Subject. (10/13)
Will Smith Presents the Rest of the Show
I'll forgive the Iron Man-type entrance because Will Smith had to present four awards in a row. I'm not joking. Best Visual Effects (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Best Sound Mixing (The Dark Knight's second win of the night), and the first two awards of the Slumdog 4-in-a-row: Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing. (The SD Count is now at 4, and my record is 13/17.)
Jai Ho!
Raising the SD Count to 6, Slumdog Millionaire prevailed over a really, really, really, REALLY bad Best Original Song medley and a bad "Jai Ho!" cover by the Pussycat Dolls (ugh) to win Best Original Song and Best Original Score. Which will both be forgotten by next year. (15/19)
What in God's name is Departures?!
Best Foreign Film? Not The Class. Not Waltz with Bashir. No, instead, it's some movie from Japan. That I've never heard of. Stupid (15/20).
The Big Four
Best Director to Danny Boyle (good), Best Actress to Kate Winslet (boo), Best Actor to Sean Penn (yay?), and Best Picture to Slumdog Millionaire (YES!). And with an SD Count of 8 and my personal record fo (18/24). And, like the Oscar night itself, you just want it all to end about two hours in.
Final Length: 3 hrs. and 27 min.
Final Grade: B+ (but it's weak)
I went 18/24 overall on Sunday, and 10/12 in the major categories. Unfortunately for the readers, the closest score next to mine was 9/12, so there was no winner. Thanks to you guys who did contribute, though, and for recognition's sake, the runner-up to me was Nicollette, with 9/12, missing only Director in addition to my misses.
Speaking of which, here's a breakdown of Oscar Night, including the awards I missed.
My God, That Set
I'm pretty sure that the set was designed by God himself, because it was BEAUTIFUL. The crystal curtain alone was enough to get the guy an Oscar himself for Art Direction. It was gorgeous.
Wow, She Can Sing
That opening number from Hugh Jackman was great. Better was Anne Hathaway's involvement. I thought she was actually a decent singer, much to my surprise. And "I haven't seen The Reader would become the rallying cry of this Oscars.
Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz! (1/1) Don't worry, honey, even if you had fainted, you still would have looked beautiful.
Speaking of Beautiful...
Getting the worst snubbing for the most beautiful dress: Marisa Tomei.
Steve and Tina Take the Screenplay Categories
Don't remember who actually won the Screenplay categories? I don't blame you, what with the hilarity Steve Martin and Tina Fey brought upon the audience. By the way, it was Dustin Lance Black for Milk for Original and Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire for Adapted. (3/3) And the Slumdog Count is at 1.
Weirdest. Title. Ever.
After the completely expected win for WALL*E, the animated short La Maison en Petits Cubes won in its category. I forgot to be angry that Presto lost. I was too busy trying to prounounce the winner's title. (4/5)
Carrie's New Man: James Bond!
Sarah Jessica Parker and Daniel Craid aren't the weirdest pairing, but they're up there. Still, props for getting through Best Art Direction and Best Makeup (both Benjamin Button) and Best Costume Design (The Duchess) quickly, though it was the first set of categories that could easily put you to sleep... (6/8)
Give Ben Stiller His Oscar
His biting parody of Joaquin Phoenix's drugged-out performance on David Letterman was the most brilliant moment of the night. And Natalie Portman's reference to his "Haasidic meth lab" doled out the funniest line of the night. By the by, Slumdog took their award, Best Cinematography, raising the SD Count to 2. (7/9)
A Toyland and a Broken Doll
Sorry to Toyland's producers that Seth Rogen laughed at the German title. Seth, much to your dismay, German isn't funny simply because it's German. Nor are you funny simply because Judd Apatow makes your career. (8/10) Then there was that musical number, and oh, God, it was awful. Beyonce resembled a broken Barbie doll (never mind her lip-synching), the younger couples couldn't hold their own, and Hugh Jackman cancelled out his goodwill from the first performance with this disaster. Sorry, Hugh, you're back to neutral for me.
Best Supporting Obviousness
Heath Ledger did deserve this, and I'm glad his family's acceptance speech was eelegant, to say the least. But shocking? Not in the least. (9/11)
Documentarians
Worst two categories of the show? Quite possibly. Man on Wire takes Best Documentary Feature, and Smile Pinki takes Best Documentary Short Subject. (10/13)
Will Smith Presents the Rest of the Show
I'll forgive the Iron Man-type entrance because Will Smith had to present four awards in a row. I'm not joking. Best Visual Effects (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Best Sound Mixing (The Dark Knight's second win of the night), and the first two awards of the Slumdog 4-in-a-row: Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing. (The SD Count is now at 4, and my record is 13/17.)
Jai Ho!
Raising the SD Count to 6, Slumdog Millionaire prevailed over a really, really, really, REALLY bad Best Original Song medley and a bad "Jai Ho!" cover by the Pussycat Dolls (ugh) to win Best Original Song and Best Original Score. Which will both be forgotten by next year. (15/19)
What in God's name is Departures?!
Best Foreign Film? Not The Class. Not Waltz with Bashir. No, instead, it's some movie from Japan. That I've never heard of. Stupid (15/20).
The Big Four
Best Director to Danny Boyle (good), Best Actress to Kate Winslet (boo), Best Actor to Sean Penn (yay?), and Best Picture to Slumdog Millionaire (YES!). And with an SD Count of 8 and my personal record fo (18/24). And, like the Oscar night itself, you just want it all to end about two hours in.
Final Length: 3 hrs. and 27 min.
Final Grade: B+ (but it's weak)
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