Kids Today: Relationship Drama

I've had a difficult time getting into the new season of 16 and Pregnant, and yesterday I think I may have figured out why that is.

I still enjoy watching the show, for the most part. I thought maybe I was just bored with the concept--if you've seen the story of one teenage pregnancy, you've seen them all. But that can't be true, can it? Of course I assume that MTV picks a certain type to appear on this show. There has to be some drama, after all. I wouldn't really want to watch a show about a girl who got pregnant, decided to have an abortion/give the baby up for adoption/keep the baby and everything turned out OK, no major drama. The people who typically are cast for any MTV show are pretty high-drama people. But when I was watching Tuesday night's episode, I finally realized--it's not that I'm tired of watching the same type of teenage girl over and over. I'm tired of watching teenage girls stuck in what I would consider abusive relationships.

I realized that most of the drama on 16 and Pregnant has little to do with the pregnancy or even the young women's decisions to keep these babies. Most of the drama is generated from the terrible, horrible relationships that these girls are in. And if one watches these kinds of relationships portrayed on "reality" television over and over again, they become the norm.

Of course the girls' parents are not happy with the jerk boyfriend/baby daddies either. But more concerning to me are the attitudes displayed by the girls' friends, and the attitudes of the girls themselves who can't seem to see that these guys really are jerks and that they deserve better, baby or no baby. It was heartbreaking to watch Nikkole deal with her jerk of a boyfriend who treated her like crap even through her entire labor, painful to watch as Valerie (only 15 years old and pregnant) received a message from her boyfriend saying he wanted nothing to do with her...and this week's episode was the worst yet. I wish the show would take more time to deal with, not only the fact that these girls are having babies, but that these kinds of relationships are not OK.

Another reason that these relationships have me upset: these girls are all way cuter than the guys they are with. Way cuter. So you're dating a douche bag and he's not even very good looking?? Dump that sh**! He knocked you up and he still won't commit or treat you with respect? Your boyfriend, the uggo, gets upset and calls you a whore when you go out with your friends? But you want to make things work because of the baby??? It is NOT better for a kid to have a douce bag father than no father. That is a myth. Your babies will be better off with one parent who is actually mature enough to love another human being.

In this week's episode, our teen mom did eventually cut the bad news baby daddy out of her life, and I was happy about that. I'm not giving up on this season yet, and hopefully in the coming weeks MTV will show a little variety or at least address the fact that these guys are total jerk faces. I'm also a little tired of the fact that every girl this season has been a "party girl." Don't non crazy party girls sometimes end up pregnant, too?

Whew, sorry for the rant, blogosphere! In happier news, the newest cycle of America's Next Top Model began this week! Hooray! This cycle's theme is social networking. Each girl had to create a "My Fierce Page" and hope to "Friend" Tyra. If the girls' friend requests were not accepted, they were eliminated. Perez Hilton gueststarred because he won a bet that he made six months ago on the Tyra Show. Tyra said that if he could go six months without blogging about celebrities' kids then he could appear on an episode of ANTM. None of the girls stand out so far, but I'm sure I'll come to love and hate them as the cycle continues.

Kids Today: Same old, Same old

Greetings! The thing we've been waiting for has finally arrived: the second season of 16 and Pregnant started...and I missed it! Where have I been? I've been a devout watcher of Teen Mom, and I was really looking forward to the new season of 16 and Pregnant, and then I just completely forgot about it until I was channel surfing last night after LOST and happened upon some back-to-back rerun episodes of the new season. There have already been two new episodes. I feel like such a bad television viewer.
Image courtesy MTV.com, where you can watch full episodes.

I tried to watch one episode last night, and I found my interest quickly waning. The girls seemed the same as last season, the boyfriends were still total douche bags, and the parents were...less than supportive. Maybe I was just mentally tired after watching LOST and couldn't get into it. Or maybe...if you've seen one season of 16 and Pregnant, you've seen them all.

I'm not ready to give up on this show yet. I'm going to watch some on Saturday morning while I eat my breakfast and get ready to start my day. The series really seems appropriate for a Saturday morning program (a little light entertainment...nothing life changing like, you know, childbirth or anything).

I'll report back next week with a better review. Hopefully a little distance from Jack, Kate, and the gang will put me in the correct frame of mind to watch teenage girls become mothers. I'll be more sympathetic and emotionally involved when I'm not thinking "Oh, boo hoo, you're having a baby. At least you aren't on a crazy island, and there are no Others waiting to steal the baby once he's born (or are there?)." I'm starting to think that nothing can really follow LOST. I need to spend the rest of the night in silence, contemplating what I think I know about my own existence.

Or else spend the evening reading Sweet Little Lies: An L.A. Candy Novel!! So far, much like in the last book, nothing has happened. I'll let you know when something does.

Speaking of nothing happening: I've heard a few complaints (very few, that stick out from the mostly rave reviews) regarding my Avatar fan fiction. Some of you have said that "nothing has happened yet." To which I say: doi. Did anything happen during the entire movie? And you loved it! Keep reading in the hopes that something does, someday, happen.

Fan Mail!

Hello readers,

I think it's about time that I take a look into my fan mail bag and answer some of your letters. Here's one from Stephanie K. of Richmond, VA. Stephanie writes:

Dear Brigitte,
Hi! Long time reader, first time writer. I love your reviews of MTV reality shows, and I especially loved your write up of 16 and Pregnant. I was just wondering--have you been watching the follow up show, Teen Mom? They just had their season finale special last night with Dr. Drew (I love him!). I've been reading every week and I keep waiting for you to blog about this series, but I haven't seen anything in your blog posts about Teen Mom (at least not for a long time) and I was just wondering: do you watch the show? What's your take on it? Do you think it's really helping any kids by showing the grim reality of raising a baby as a teenager, or do you think it's in some ways glamorizing teenage pregnancy? Or is it just exploitative of these young girls? Personally I'm a fan, but I'd love to hear your take.
Sincerely,
Stephanie

Thanks for the letter Stephanie. Yes, I do watch Teen Mom--in fact it's one of the few shows that I've been watching regularly as it airs each week. I know, it's been awhile since I've written about this series, and I apologize. I've been so absorbed in my Avatar craze that I haven't had time for much of anything in my life. In fact, I've recently sunk into a deep depression because I will never experience living in Pandora. It's so beautiful...why was I created never to experience such beauty! Damn you, James Cameron. I've only recently stopped attending the "It's OK that I'll never experience the Titanic's maiden voyage and tragic shipwreck" support group, and now this! I was depressed enough when the I came down from the high of watching Titanic and settled back into my own bleak, pointless reality.

After first seeing Titanic back in 1997, I knew that my day to day life would never be as compelling or as tragically romantic as the love that existed between Rose and Jack. I knew that I would never face something as historically significant as those passengers aboard the Titanic did that cold, dark night. I knew I'd never feel the icy water surrounding an iceburg. The only thing that made me feel again was watching Titanic, over and over. I began to neglect my family, friends, school...and after awhile, even watching the movie wasn't enough. I would take pour bags of ice into my parents bathtub and sit in the icy cold water until my mom wondered what was taking me so long in the bathroom and I ended up in the emergency room. I would dress in turn of the century clothes and a life vest, but still it wasn't enough. I never thought I'd be able to experience beauty in my own life after viewing something as awesome as Titanic. But time passed, I got involved in a good support group and started seeing a therapist twice a week, and slowly, things got better. Little by little, the world around me began to come alive once again. I began to date real men instead of just writing letter after old fashioned letter to Jack, assuring him in each that I would never let go. I did let go, however, and I was making real progress. And then Avatar came along.

I knew I shouldn't go see it. I didn't want to. I figured that I already knew the plot, the characters would be one-dimensional and predictable, and really, 3+ hours seemed like a long time to sit in a movie theater.

Oh, how wrong I was.

I could have sat in that theater for 33 hours, until I finally lept from my seat into the magical world of Pandora. And now I find myself in a predicament very similar to the one I was left in so many years ago. Why, James Cameron, Why?! I was just moving on with my life!

I'm sorry...what was the question? Oh yes, Teen Mom. Well, I don't think it's necessarily making teenage pregnancy seem glamorous. I think that the series certainly tries to show how difficult being a teen mom really is, and how many sacrifices these young people have had to make. As to whether or not this series is making any strides in preventing teenage pregnancy...who knows. Probably not. Is the show exploitative? Does a Na'vi average three meters in hight and chose a mate for life? I think that answers your question.

Stay tuned for more fan fiction next week. I was just too depressed to write any this week, but I promise that my next post will be entirely devoted to my fan fiction...one of the few things that gets me out of bed in the morning.

[Ed. note -- the pseudo-exploitation will continue next Summer, as MTV has announced Teen Mom has been renewed for a second season! Also, Bentley is the cutest baby ever.]

Kids Today: A Review, and some Fan Fiction

Well, readers, The Pregnancy Pact came and went, and apparently it totally killed in the ratings. I give it a solid B, but I'm judging it against other movies of its type. Were I to judge it against all other films, it would probably receive a C. It was entertaining, in a ridiculous sort of way. However, I was confused by the characters and their motivations. At first it seemed as if some of the girls were getting pregnant on purpose, but not our main character. However, we later discover that she, too, got pregnant on purpose.

Another weakness, for me, was that the movie began after the pregnancy pact was already underway. It didn't really get into the background of the girls, or what led them to make the ridiculous decision to all get pregnant together. It also didn't establish what the girls were like, and what the school was like, before the pregnancy pact. And really, I already knew this by watching the news, so I was hoping the writers would provide me with some fictionalized background to make the story more meaningful and the characters more human.

One theory I had heard about the infamous pregnancy pact scandal was that the school made up the pact to cover up the fact that students were getting pregnant at an alarming rate due to a lack of sex education. There were certain times in the movie when it did seem like maybe the pact was made up, but then the girls confess to it and we get to see in flash-back style when they all decided to have babies together because it would be so totally fun to dress them in cute little clothes. Again, I would like for the characters to be something more than dumb girls who got pregnant simply because they thought it would be fun.

Another frustration with the film was Thora Birch's character, who was a successful (???) blogger, which of course meant she had a video blog and was a reporter.

Now, here's more Avatar fan fiction:

Jake turned to face his people. His eyes scanned their desperate faces, and their eyes met his, hopeful. He took a deep breath, and began to speak as Neytiri translated.

"My friends," he began, "we have been through a great trial. We have seen our home nearly destroyed; we have witnessed the kind of corruption and evil that exists all around us. We have lost our friends, or family, our children. We are bruised, but we are not broken. We have survived, and we will continue to survive. We will protect our home and each other. We will rebuild and allow Pandora to heal her wounds, and we will move together into the future."

Neytiri smiled at him as she finished her translation. He offered a weak smile back to her. He had heard almost the same speech once during his days as a marine. He thought it was appropriate, and he really wasn't much for public speaking, so he knew he could never come up with anything that inspirational on his own. But when Neytiri smiled at him, and he heard the slow rumble of applause and cheers coming from the people he was supposed to lead, he felt a twinge of regret that he had not come up with those words himself.

He turned back towards the people and tried to shout over the comotion. "First we need to find a suitable place to live. We need shelter and we need food. We'll divide into groups." He glanced over at Tsu'Tey. He saw the anger and fear in Tsu'Tey's eyes. The fear frightened him.

"Tsu'Tey will give out assignments and directions for each group. We must begin the rebuilding today."

Upon hearing his name, Tsu'Tey jumped abit, as if drawn out of a daydream. He looked at Jake, but Jake could not read his eyes now. Tsu'Tey nodded, slightly, and began organizing the men and women into groups. Jake felt a bit of relief wash over him; with Tsu'Tey as his second in command, he knew that the people would feel more at ease. Who was he kidding? He would feel more at ease, too. He knew that this job was too big to tackle without someone who knew Pandora better than he did.

I'm Back!

Hey fans! It's been awhile since we've corresponded. I've missed you, too! No, I've missed YOU more! No, I've missed...OK enough of that. Let's get down to business.

What's new in Brigitte's life of pop culture? I'm glad you asked. Make it or Break it and Secret Life of the American Teenager are now back with new seasons (does it count as a new season if the last one ended in the fall? Can seasons just start and stop whenever networks want?). SLAT is still totally unwatchable. Sadly, Make it or Break it has become less watchable, too. After only a few weeks, I've already lost interest. I'm not sure what has changed...maybe the lives of young gymnasts only really holds my interest over a summer. Now that the premise of the show has lost its novelty, I'm not sure that there is enough to keep the audience (read: me) interested. I'll give it a couple more weeks, but what I really need is Gossip Girl to return and save my Monday nights.

Remember that pregnancy pact scandal that happened way back in 2008, when 9 high school girls got pregnant at the same time in the small town of Gloucester, MA? Well, Lifetime does! And now it's been turned into a movie, appropriately (if not creatively) titled Pregnancy Pact. It airs this Saturday, and I have moderate expectations. Look for a review next week.

Qualler and I got a PS3 for Christmas, which means we have a blu-ray player! And we purchased our first blu-ray disc, Edward Scissorhands. This movie is one of the earliest theater-going memories I have. I saw it in theaters in 1990, at the tender age of 7. And boy was I freaked out. After two months of nightmares and a lot of reassurance that Johnny Depp did not, in fact, live in my closet, I moved on and tried to put the nightmarish experience out of my head. It wasn't until years later when I revisited this film as an adult that I really fell in love with it.

Like everyone else, I saw Avatar...and loved it! Or did I hate it? I'm not going to waste your time with a review, readers. What I will do, however, is write a bit of Avatar fan fiction with each blog post. Here's a little sneak peak:

After waking up in his new, alien body and surveying the landscape and people that had united to defeat the humans, Jake Sully embraced Neytiri. "We did it, Jakesoolly," she whispered, her beautiful eyes glistening. "We did it." He held her tighter, and sighed. "Yes," he said, "but there is still so much work to be done..."

Neytiri's eyes moved from Jake's kind, worried eyes to his handsome brow, then beyond him to the dying landscape. Yes, the war had ended, but will they survive what must come next?

"Hey," Jake whispered, lightly brushing Neytiri's face and stooping to meet her gaze. "It's going to be OK." She met his eyes and feigned a smile. He held her tighter. "I promise you," he said. "We can get through this." She knew that he meant it. She wanted to trust him; she knew that if anyone could lead her people through this difficult time, he could. She believed in him, but she was still afraid of what the future would hold for Pandora. Would this attack be the last? Would her people and her home move beyond survival and begin to thrive again?

"You need to say something, Jakesooly," she said, piercing his eyes with hers. "You must build their hope. You speak, and I will translate."

Jake nodded. He knew what he had to do. He had been a leader through war, and now he had to lead his people to peace and comfort. After the wave of relief which passed through the land after the last human left subsided, a new kind of fear had set in. He had to be even stronger for them now than ever before, and he knew what he had to say. He rose and turned to face the people--his people.

Stay tuned for more as the untold chapter of Avatar unfolds!

Kids Today: Guidos and Guidettes

Well, MTV has done it again. Their newest reality show, Jersey Shore, premiered last Thursday with a 2 hour special. Qualler and I watched the entire thing. And we enjoyed every minute of it. Qualler commented that he liked Jersey Shore because it's a lot like The Real World, only instead of lots of different kinds of douche bags, they're all the same kind of douche bag. Well put, Qualler.

The premise of this show is very much like The Real World, except that all the contestants are Italian-Americans (a group that I forget to stereotype sometimes, so thanks for reminding me, MTV) all from New Jersey. They are also all self identified Guidos and Guidettes, which I thought was a derogatory term, but apparently it's something to take great pride in. The group of young people, four boys and four girls, spend the summer together at the Jersey shore in a house that is also full of Italian-American stereotypes, like Scarface posters on the wall. Do the Guido's mind? Of course not! They LOVE Scarface. They also love peppers, Italian sausage, eating big meals together, gold crosses, their mothers...and of course they know how to party.

One of the Guidettes, Nicole "Snooki", got sloppy on the first night, and so of course now she's the outcast. Poor thing! The next night (or maybe a couple nights later? I have a difficult time keeping track of the passage of time as one douchey day just bleeds into the next...) the boys brought home some girls, and the girls who were already in the house were not happy!

Another Guidette, Sammi "Sweetheart" (though I have yet to see anything very sweet about her) has already hooked up with two guys, one of whom refers to himself (and his abs) as Mike "The Situation." He is 29 years old. Another Guidette, Jenni "JWOWW" (yep, two Ws) hooked up with Pauly (my favorite Guido so far) even though she has a boyfriend back home. Uh oh! Looks like some serious DRAMA to come.

I'm not sure why, but this show is so hilarious that I've watched it twice, and enjoyed it both times. I cannot wait for the new episode tomorrow night. If you watch just one crappy reality program on MTV this month (and you probably should only watch one) this should be it! You'll be drinking shots with your buddies, eating some peppahs, and starting all your sentences with "how you gonna be ---ing" in no time!

Kids Today: Tis the season...

Hey everyone! That magical time of year has come already, when MTV has its season finales and makes way for new programming which begins in January! Now, I know I've already complained about how much I miss the old, traditional seasons that would guarantee a television show to last from fall until spring, I'm kind of OK with these particular shows coming to an end (at least for now).

Tuesday night we saw the season finale of both The Hills and it's more enjoyable spin-off The City. And what fantastic cliff hangers were we left with at the end of the season? Well...Brody likes Kristen, and Whitney has to make a decision that will make or break her career. Oh, and Spencer admitted to Heidi that he might one day want to have a baby, maybe, and by gum, that was enough for her! What a great guy, that Spencer. She was so happy to hear that he might someday want to be a dad that she probably won't try to surprise him with a pregnancy anymore. Hooray!

The Hills ended with Kristen and Justin deciding to give their relationship a chance. But we the audience know that Brody also has feelings for Kristen, despite his recent reconciliation with Jayde! What is with everyone liking Kristen? I just don't get it. She's not that cute, she's a total b****, and...she's not that cute. Audrina is way cuter. Heidi is way cuter. Even Lo is way cuter. She doesn't seem to have much of a personality, either. Oh well...I guess everybody loves Kristen.

Or do they?

According to an article from the LA Times, it's all a hoax! Kristen and Justin are totally not even together! What am I to believe?! The interview with Justin Bobby is perhaps the most vague and fuzzy interview I've ever read--not the questions, just the responses. Mr. Bobby certainly likes to answer straightforward questions such as "Are you and Kristin in a romantic relationship" and "are you still a hairdresser" with "not necessarily" and "not particularly," respectively. Not particularly? Really, Justin? Are you unsure about your profession? Can you elaborate for us? No, you can't, because you have to go on stage at The Hills live afterparty and pretend to be in a relationship? OK then.

Though I missed the live after-show special, unfortunately, but while I was watching The Hills, I did see the promos in between scenes of Heidi, Spencer, and all my other good friends. The hosts of the afterparty promised that Kristin and Justin would make their first appearance as an official couple. While the article claims that they were clearly not a "couple," it seems like they did go along with that perhaps invented title and only gave vague "well, we'll see what happens in the second season" answers when asked directly whether they are romantically involved. We'll see what happens in the second season???? I'm pretty sure that answer only works when the writers of a show don't want to give anything away. If this is real life, how can there be spoilers? How can we wait to find out whether they are in a relationship by watching the second season?

I really wish that MTV would just give up the "reality show" aspect of The Hills and just give everyone what they want: a really highly produced scripted drama in which good looking people deal with problems that aren't really problems. I would like to know how many viewers tune into the show because it's "reality," and how many tune in because they want to see an over the top fight between Kristen and Audrina.

I was much more entertained by the season finale of The City...probably because those characters acutually have jobs and lives. I look forward to another season, and I hope we the viewers will get to see how Whitney's fashion show goes! Whitney, if you read this, we at the Blogulator are rooting for you!

Pop Fashion: Another Cycle Ends

This week, another cycle of America's Next Top Model came to a close. For the first time in ANTM history, I really like the models who are left in the final two. I'm not sure why this cycle they decided to narrow it down to two girls instead of the typical three, but, whatever. My favorite girl, Nicole, is in the final two. You may recall from my post about the first episode of this cycle (it seems like only yesterday...) she carried a rusty wheel barrow to school instead of a backpack. Right away I knew she'd be my favorite. Throughout the competition, she did not disappoint, and she turned out to be not only the token weirdo in the model house, but also a pretty fantastic model. She consistently took good photos, she was never catty with the other girls, and I think she showed a lot of growth throughout the cycle.

But oh, why do I always let myself get attached?! I feel like Fern in Charlotte's Web. I know those piggies are not meant to be kept as pets...but I just can't help myself! I always get attached and then I always get too emotionally involved in these episodes. I can't just watch all the pigs be taken off to slaughter, cold and detached--I always pick a Wilbur. And this cycle, Nicole is my Wilbur.

In this final episode, we learn again that Nicole was a weird kid with no friends, and that she would often have to sit alone in bathroom stalls a la DJ Tanner on the first day of high school because she couldn't stand to eat alone. Making it as a finalist in ANTM will surely show high school kids everywhere what they were already supposed to learn from watching Ally Sheedy in the Breakfast Club: that weird girls who keep to themselves are probably secretly hot, so you should be nice to them. All Laura teaches us is that girls from a small town who are kinda dumb can also be beautiful, and I'm pretty sure we already knew that.

My favorite part of the cycle finales is not the runway show (and this show was nothing special), but the photographic rhetrospective. I like remembering each week and each photo shoot challenged. It feels like ending a movie with a delightful montage, just in case we were sleeping through parts of it. And, of course, I love seeing the Cover Girl commercial. I thought that both girls did pretty well, no one ended up crying and no one completely forgot the lines. Another fun thing about watching ANTM is that we get to catch up with former winners to see how successful they are now, and be reminded how Tyra made it all possible. Thanks again, Tyra! You believe in me--I mean them! You believes in them!
Before announcing the winner, Tyra tells the girls "this had been a long and beautiful journey" and reminds them that the show is called "America's Next Top Model," not "America's Next Top Models." Throughout the entire episode, and especially during the judging, I thought that Laura would win. Much to my surprise, Nicole is America's Next Top Model!! I'm so proud of my little weirdo. She was my Wilbur!! Take that, other girls who were mean to her throughout the show! Her last words to the viewers are "I'm a dork, and I'm America's Next Top Model!" Keep dreaming, girls eating lunch in bathroom stalls across America. Tyra believes in you!

P.S. Today I purchased a copy of Lauren Conrad's novel, L.A. Candy. Yes, I am continuing to add to the wealth and celebrity of these horrible people. Look for a review very soon.

Kids today: Threesomes

Remember when Gossip Girl used to mean hot parties, hot fashion, and hot sex? OMFG, anyone? I feel like, so far, this season has fallen far short of last year's sexy promos and steamy episodes.
Things are finally heating up on Gossip Girl! In this week's episode, HDuff had to decide between being a normal college student and continuing her movie career. In the end, she chose movie career (doi) but before letting her go, Vanessa and Dan (otherwise known as my two least favorite characters on this show) wanted to remind her why she came to college in the first place: TO PARTY. Cause, movie stars don't party. They're serious about their work. But not students! The three friends made sure to go through a list of the 15 things all students must do before leaving college. These typical college student activities were meant to remind HDuff that college is about more than just books and exams--it's about P.A.R.T.Y.I.N.G. Cause, you know...movie stars never party. Just college students. Broke, stressed out, average college students. I like to think that most countries get their information about American youth from watching shows like this one. Our students party so hard that movie stars have no chance of keeping up with them. Take that, Lindsay Lohan! You thought you were so cool...

Dan, Vanessa, and HDuff went through the typical college party check list: shots, beer pong, threesomes...wait a minute. What kind of college is this? Again, I feel like this is something that would be more likely to happen to a young Hollywood celebrity than to your average college student. Aren't most college students just trying to fine ONE person drunk enough to sleep with them at at time?
Despite my objections that this is not something most college kids indulge in (I can hear all you current college students saying "wake up, grandma! everyone does it"), when Dan, Vanessa, and HDuff woke up in bed together, I was thrilled that something crazy FINALLY happened this season! I was completely bored with the Nate storyline (the grandfather subplot is not at all sexy), I didn't really care about Dan and Serena sharing a sibling (which by the way, seemed to resolve itself way too easily), but now it seems like GG is getting back to its racy roots. I would have been happier if this had been a Blair, Chuck, and someone else sexy romp, but I'll still take it.

While I was thrilled that Dan and Vanessa found a way to be less boring, I'm not so happy with the whole Jenny transformation--it just doesn't feel believable. Who is Jenny? She wavers between queen bitch and "I so don't care what others think of me, live and let live!" that I'm starting to get motion sickness. I like Jenny, and despite her meanness, I always want her to come out on top. But I really thought that the whole point of the second season, for Jenny's character, was to show her transformation from a superficial, vapid tween to a mature, sure of herself young woman. I don't feel like I react the way I should, though, to Jenny's devolution into the next Blair Waldorf. Instead, I just want her to win. I find myself getting angry with Eric for being angry with Jenny...even when he should be angry with her. I'm glad that Nate acted as her escort, I'm glad that she bested Eric and Blair (get over it, Blair, you're in college now. Go have a threesome), and I hope to see more Jenny and Nate togetherness as the season continues. I'm hoping that this week's episode is just a preview of more OMFG moments to come!

Fan Mail!

Hey bloggers! Every day, I get loads of fan mail. Yes, I get comments and emails from fans, but that's not what I'm referring to--I'm talking about real, paper, postmarked, SWAK* letters from my fans around the world. How they manage to track me down, I'm not entirely sure, but that's beside the point. I've been a bad celebrity. Typically, I try to respond to each letter personally--typically this involves a drunken dictation to Qualler, who so willingly gives his time to help me respond to my fans because he's able to pretty easily respond to his own modest fanbase while I struggle to keep up with the heaps upon heaps of letters I get each day. However, I've been busy lately and I haven't been able to respond personally, so I thought I'd do the next best thing. I thought I would take some time to respond here--that way all my readers could see what kinds of questions I'm typically asked and benefit from my insightful response!

(*Editor's Note: Brigitte says this acronym stands for,"Sealed With a Kiss.")

This first letter comes from Steve in Santa Barbara, CA. Steve writes:

Dear Brigitte,
Hi! I love your posts. U R SO MUCH FUNNIER than Qualler. Anyway, I just wanted to ask: r u sick of HDuff on GG cause I am!! She is such a Texas fatty, OMG. I wish Dan would get back with Serena already, don't u?

Keep rockin, UR GR8!

Steve S.
Thanks for the letter, Steve. First of all, I have to take a moment to say that I don't like the term "Texas Fatty." I think that Hilary Duff is a beautiful young woman, and I think it's refreshing to see someone on the cast of Gossip Girl who is not built just like Leighton and Blake (no disrespect to those ladies either, they're definitely hot--but it takes all kinds, folks). However, to respond to your query: I'm torn as to how I feel about her on the show. I find her character annoying and unbelievable, and I kinda feel like she's still just playing Lizzy McGuire (but if something works, why change it, right?). However, I'm a big fan of HDuff in general, and I do NOT want Dan and Serena back together, ever. In fact, the character I AM totally tired of is Dan. Leave the show, please. Things would be so much more interesting without you there. And HDuff can stick around--maybe she can be Blair's new best friend who teaches her the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, this next letter comes from Brandy in Newark, NJ. Brandy writes:

Dear Brigitte, Just gotta say, first off, that I LOVE your posts. Thursdays are my favorite days of the week thanks to you! I especially enjoyed your brief series about Halloween movies. I have to ask, will you be writing a similar series for Thanksgiving and Christmas films? Do you have any favorite Thanksgiving or Christmas movies that you like to watch every year? Thanks, and keep the funny coming! Your fan, Brandy

I'm glad you enjoyed those posts, Brandy! I hope others did as well. I actually hoped to do even more scary movie reviews, but I just ran out of time, what with trying to keep up with all my favorite shows. I will definitely try to do something similar with Christmas movies, but I hadn't thought about Thanksgiving. To be honest, I don't have many Thanksgiving favorites, so this could be an interesting challenge. I find that Halloween and Christmas are the prime seasons for holiday specials on TV as well as in theaters. I'm sure we can all name our favorite Christmas films--mine is Home Alone Two: Lost in New York.

But Thanksgiving films are a bit trickier! What I might do instead is review a series of Thanksgiving television specials. Most of my favorite shows have a Thanksgiving episode, and I LOVE these episodes. Take Beverly Hills, 90210, for example. The Walsh Thanksgivings that feature the whole gang going over to Jim and Cindy's for an unexpected dinner and the time the gang spent creating Thanksgiving memories at the Peach Pit are among my own most treasured holiday moments. And there's always a fantastic lesson to be learned. I find that with Christmas episodes, something supernatural is often involved, namely angels. I don't care for these "angel" episodes (or the mysterious old homeless man who may or may not actually be Santa Claus). I feel that they are more often than not "fillers" that stray too much from the show's other episodes. The Thanksgiving episodes, however, manage to be holiday theme appropriate but continue to move the plot forward without any ridiculous supernatural devices or tricks.

Well, it looks like we have time for just one more letter. This one comes from Cynthia in Austin, TX. Cynthia writes:

Dear Brigitte, I often read your blog, and you seem like a reasonable, intelligent woman. It's a wonder to me, then, that you continue to not only watch but also blog about a show like America's Next Top Model. It's disgusting. Don't you see that even when you ridicule it, you participate in its popularity? When you ridicule Tyra, you add to her celebrity, and when you make fun of the girls, you ignore the very real and very present objectification of all women in our society. Frankly, I don't know how you can be a self-professed fan of this show and look at yourself in the mirror each day. Don't you feel that it's time to stop giving your readers the same worn-out run-downs of a show that is basically unchanging from season to season? Don't you feel that it's time to move on, as a blogger and as a human being, and stop watching this horrible, horrible show? ~Cynthia

Dear Cynthia,
No.

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek into my fan mail and reading my responses. Keep the letters coming, and keep on believing in your dreams!

2 More Days till Halloween!

Hello everyone! Just two more days till Halloween! Hooray! All the world is aglow with the Halloween spirit, and I've been no different. My pumpkin is carved, and as I sit here in the dark with nothing but the eerie glow cast from my jack-o-lantern's crooked smile and my computer screen, I can reflect upon the scary movies I've seen and those I hope to see soon in honor of this holiday.

Halloween
Last weekend some friends gathered with me for some Halloween cheer, and as is my annual tradition, we carved jack-o-lanterns and watched my all-time favorite holiday movie. I don't have a DVR description for this one, because I own the DVD (I like to watch it sometimes even when it's not Halloween); however, I did watch the documentary feature on my DVD which told about the making of Halloween. The film's biography told me that the movie's original concept was something to do with babysitters. The producer liked this idea because: everyone in America knows what a babysitter is! I found this strange because of all the words I would use to describe the central plot of this movie, "babysitter" is not one of them. Sure, I guess the characters are babysitting, but, I never really thought of this as a film about babysitters. Interestingly, the documentary also said that this was the first movie made about Halloween. Ever. I was a little suspicious of this claim, but...I'll buy it. First movie about Halloween or not, this is certainly the quintessential Halloween movie, and none of the sequels or remakes come close to it's suspenseful and beautifully shot scenes. If it isn't part of your family's annual tradition, I would suggest purchasing your own DVD. Soon you'll find it's just as cherished a holiday film as How the Grinch Stole Christmas and you'll enjoy experiencing it with your family and friends as much as I have with mine.

Cruel World
This 2005 release (and btw, the movie seems WAY more dated than 2005) stars Edward Furlong, and I have to say that Qualler, Chris, and I could hardly enjoy the movie because we were so weirded out by how chubby and weird he had gotten. It also took us about 30 minutes to catch the clever play on words in the title: Cruel World is supposed to sound like Real World. Get it? That really popular reality show? But this is a reality show with a terrifying twist indeed! The DVR description reads: "A deranged reject from a TV reality show holds hostage a group of curvaceous college students." Now, call me sexist, but based on that description, imagine my surprise when half these students turned out to be male. The movie was not nearly as sexy as I would have imagined, but it did hold our attention until the end. In one particularly un-sexy scene, Edward Furlong's retarded brother who is also his partner in crime is chasing after one of these college students, trying to kill her, and in order to escape, she pees on him. She is climbing a tree, he's following her up the tree, and she pees. On. Him. I think it goes without saying that I would definitely recommend this movie.

A Scooby-Doo Halloween
This came out in 2003, but Casey Kasem still did the voices...the DVR description says: "The gang spends Halloween in a town where a ghost disrupts the annual festivities, which include a performance by the rock band KISS." That's right, KISS is the guest star. In 2003. Spoiler alert!! It isn't really a ghost. It's just a disgruntled towns person.

I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to watch all the movies piling up on my DVR, but I still have a couple days left! Some films that I'll have to give a shot include:

Ring of Darkness
2004. DVR description: "And unwitting singer joins a boy band in which the members ar really zombies in disguise." This could go one of two ways, but I'll give it ten minutes to impress me.

Videodrome
1983. DVR description: "A programmer at a TV station that specializes in adult entertainment searches for the producers of a dangerous and bizarre broadcast." I have seen this Cronenberg classic once before, though it's been a few years, and I look forward to watching it again (theme party, anyone?). The programmer at that TV station doesn't know what he's getting himself into!!

Hide
2008. Starring Rachel Miner. NO DVR DESCRIPTION FOR THIS ONE, FOLKS! What could it mean? The lack of description is more gruesome and horrifying than any spine-chilling summary my DVR could have come up with. I'll definitely have to give this one a try.

In addition to these and the many more scary movies that I'll have to watch from the safety of my own home, I might end up seeing Lars von Trier's Antichrist when it comes to Minneapolis theaters. I don't really want to see it, since the preview was enough to give me nightmares, but it's already gotten into my head, and much like the lack of a DVR description for the movie Hide, my own imagination is probably scarier than any movie could ever be. Although...that might not be true about this movie. Expect a review from me in the coming weeks if I'm able to drag myself out from under the fort I'll surely have made out of blankets and pillows where I'll sit whimpering and refusing to let go of my flashlight. Until then--Happy Haunting, everyone!

P.S. All joking aside, I understand that sometimes watching scary movies can just be too much to handle. If you need a break from the horror this weekend, I suggest visiting my favorite website. It's sure to chase the monsters away. :) And don't worry, it's work appropriate. In fact if you have your volume turned up at your desk you'll probably make a friend out of that grouchy cubicle neighbor to your right!

Where the Wild Things Are: Deck or Fin?

It seems that much of our generation's contribution to pop culture is rooted heavily in nostalgia. Yes, each generation has the same sense of "weren't things so much better during whatever decade I happened to be 10 years old" but I personally feel like our generation is sometimes running on nostalgia overload. One thing that most overtly belies our generation's need for some sort of return to the womb is evident in all the hip t-shirts that sport '80's cartoon characters. It's cool to admit that you're still into Rainbow Brite, right? And that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt is not a reason to get beat up at the bar. Rather, a man in his mid to late 20s wearing a child's television show has a certain hip sex appeal that I'm not sure is entirely healthy. And I completely fall into this category--I LOVE anything from my pop culture childhood. I'm guilty of buying those cartoon shirts for my husband as well as for myself. And now another memory is becoming a hip comodity, with the theatrical release of Where the Wild Things Are.

(You can buy all your very reasonably priced Wild Things accessories and appearal here)

Another tricky thing about my generation is that as soon as things get too popular, they cease to be cool. So, if I want to wear a Jem and the Holligrams t-shirt because I've always been a fan, that just shows my hip "I don't even care that I'm wearing a child's shirt I'm so comfortable with my own quirkiness" personality. Once I can buy that shirt en masse from Ragstock? No, thank you. So where does that leave us with this new film? Surely, we all want to see it...right? But do we want to see it knowing that every other pseudo hip 20 something will also see it? Wouldn't it be cooler if it was just me and my friends...oh, and, I gues also the children and families who are actually part of the target demographic...Or are we the target market? Why haven't we moved beyond our own childhoods? What would Freud say? (Oh, and JSYK, I totally bought Qualler his Where the Wild Things Are t-shirt like, years before this movie was coming out, so, yeah. I guess that makes it pretty authentic, right? RIGHT?!)

With Halloween just around the corner, you can bet that many young adults and children alike (particularly children whose parents still pick out their Halloween costumes and who have fond memories of the book themselves) will be decked out in Max and Wild Thing outfits. Not, me though. No, I don't really get in to that kind of ridiculous "whatever nostalgic thing is hip right now" trend. What will I be going as this Halloween? Why, one of the Rainbow Brite color kids, of course. Because...that was hip like, 3-5 years ago, so...I'm completely my own person.

What do we think about Where the Wild Things Are, in theaters this Friday? Is this something you're excited about or are you irritated that your childhood has been turned into an Urban Outfitters uber hip overly produced thing? That's not what the wild things were about, was it? I have to admit that I feel completely torn about the whole thing. I'll probably see the movie, and I'll probably love it. But there is still something unsettling about the whole thing. I doubt that when Maurice Sendak first imagined this world of childhood fantasy he also imagined a heroine chic model sporting his illustrations on a shirt.
Man, I REALLY want those t-shirts.

Halloween!

Hey bloggers! The season of Halloween is upon us--my favorite holiday season of all time. And with Halloween comes my favorite scary movies and television specials of all time, too! As soon as October 1 rolled around, I rang in the season by setting up the trusty DVR to record scary movies. Only one week into October, I've already revisited some old favorites and added new favorites to my list of Halloween films. Perhaps eventually I'll copy Chris and come up with some candidates for the best Halloween/Scary movie of our generation, but for now, here are some reviews.

Halloween III: The Season of the Witch
This 1982 film has nothing to do with Mike Myers. It was meant to begin a franchise that would launch a new Halloween movie each Halloween. Each movie would have something to do with the holiday, but they would have little to do with each other. This didn't really pan out. People liked Michael Myers too much (even though it was never really about him, people!!). The Dish Network description says: "Two people discover that a TV commercial will cue a madman's Halloween masks to explode." I have to admit that I absolutely LOVE this movie. I've already watched it twice (both times it was just on in the background to get me into the spirit of the season while I baked Halloween cookies and got my other fall chores done, but still). It's a ridiculous film from beginning to end. I love this era of film in the early 80s when computer chips could somehow receive a signal from the television and make children's heads explode. I love that moment when our antagonist figures it all out--it was a computer chip! Of course! It's so simple! And television! The antagonist's motive is my other favorite part of this movie--kids today don't know the real meaning of Halloween! If you have not seen this film, you must. I will definitely watch it at least two more times before Halloween this year.
The Gate
This new favorite came out in 1987, but you wouldn't know it from the crappy production quality. You would guess it, however, from the outfits and hair! The Dish Network description for this one reads: "Two boys and a girl learn from a heavy-metal record that a gaping backyard hole is the gate to hell." This movie had me at that description, and it did not disappoint. What the description didn't tell me was that the "gaping backyard hole" was dug by the two boys because they were looking for geodes. How cool is that? Of course, the hole leads directly to hell, and things start to get out of hand. When the parents are out of town for the weekend and the 15-year-old sister is left in charge, she of course throws a party, and that is of course the exact moment that things tart to get kooky. There are even a set of annoying twin sisters as side characters, and adorable little demons that attack you at the ankles! This is another "must-see" on my list of holiday favorites.
Rob Zombie's Halloween
Ew. Do not see this. Srsly. I LOVE the original Halloween. Love it. It is one of my top ten favorite films of all time--I'm talking all films, not just scary films. This remake was terrible. It literally made my stomach hurt and I could only watch about twenty minutes until I had to turn it off and delete it from my DVR. Michael Myers is not supposed to be human. He is scary because we don't understand him, and because we cannot sympathize with him or reason with him. Rob Zombie's Michael Myers was a young boy who seemed pushed into killing as a result of too much bullying, both at home and at school. This, to me, completely ruins the original premise of Halloween. I don't care to know Michael Myer's back story. In fact, he shouldn't really have a back story. He is supposed to be the boogy man for crying out loud! Do not watch this one unless for some reason you're a big fan of creepy movies that make you feel physically sick and ruin an original classic.

One Missed Call
This 2008 release was pretty bad. I'd give you a synopsis, but after watching it, I'm not totally sure what it was about. People were dying and they would get a call from themselves in the future, and the message left on their phones was themselves talking right before they died...yeah, it was as confusing as it sounds. And when horror movies are too confusing, they are NOT SCARY. Look again at my favorite example, the John Carpenter's1978 Halloween, and keep it simple. More complicated usually means less suspenseful.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The description for this 1995 version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reads: "Psycho Leatherface and his gruesome clan terrorize a high-schooler who loses her way the night of her prom." Renee Zellweger was that teenager, and she was actually with a group of high schoolers who left the prom early for some silly reason and of course were in a car accident in the middle of nowhere. The place they went looking for help? Why the home of Leatherface of course! And Matthew McConaughey was a member of his "gruesome clan." This was a pretty run-of-the-mill teen slasher film, but it held its own. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. If you're a fan of the teenagers lost in the woods and only the one, kind of nerdy, but actually hot, shy girl will survive (SPOILER ALERT!!) horror flicks, then I'd give this one a watch. I've got the 2006 version on my que. (Interesting note: the actual title of this film was difficult to track down. My DVR tells me that it is called Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The..., and I though I saw it referred to as Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. IMDB calls it The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and gives it a release date of 1994 instead of 1995. Pretty freaky.)
In addition to all the actually scary (or at least scary to me) Halloween movies, I usually enjoy ABC Family's 13 Days of Halloween (each year on the 13 days leading up to Halloween they air a scary but family friendly Halloween flick each night), but this year I'm pretty disappointed with the lineup. One of the films airing this year is The Mask. Um...The Mask? Really? How is that a Halloween movie?! I'm not alone in my disappointment--the message boards are full of upset viewers. Yeah, so I went on ONE ABC Family message board ONE TIME. Big deal.

Right?

Stay tuned for more spooky reviews in a couple weeks! If you have any favorite Halloween-type movies that I must see, let me know about them!

Kids Today: The Show Must Go On...for some reason.

This week I, along with at least a few other viewers, I'm sure, saw the first episode of MTV's The Hills: post LC, which originally aired Tuesday night on MTV at 10 pm. What used to be a show documenting LC's journey from a wealthy, sheltered suburb to the fast-paced unforgiving city of Los Angeles is now...well...the Kristin Cavallari and Audrina show. Which, is interesting, because Audrina is the least organic cast member on The Hills.

I wondered how this show would work without LC. If you and your entire social group star in a reality show together, and then you decide to leave that reality show, but continue to live in the same town...how does that work? Are you just not allowed to hang out with your friends? Can you frequent the same coffee shops and restaurants that you used to visit and just hope the cameras aren't there? Or maybe when your contract with MTV ends so do those friendships. Poor Lo, who had always been described as "Lauren's friend," now is described as "Audrina's friend." This made me feel kind of bad for Lo, since she's been around way longer than Audrina has...why does she still need to be described as someone's "friend"? And really, why do I still need a little subtitle with the character's name and the role that character plays at the beginning of every sing scene with that character? I think this really says something about the expectations of the audience for this show.

In hopes to distract viewers from the fact that LC is no longer with us, this show is being publicized with the new catch phrase (I'm pretty sure MTV made this up because I'm too young to remember that popular Elton John song...he wrote for the Lion King, right?) "The Bitch is Back," letting us know that we don't have to worry. LC may be gone but our favorite love-to-hate-her reality star is back! Despite the marketing, and try as I might to rack my brain for a time when Kristin was, indeed, the reality star that I loved to hate, I can't seem to recall a time when I cared about her. At all. You know who else I've never cared about? Audrina. But here I sat, watching The Kristin and Audrina show, and trying to figure out why this is interesting.

It wasn't.

I believe Qualler described it as "the worst half hour of his life."

Now, some of you might say to me, Brigitte, The Hills has never been interesting. Why are you still watching it? Doesn't it kill you a little inside to know that you're contributing to the Heidi and Spencer phenomenon and allowing them to continue their lives as worthless celebrities every time you watch them?

Sadly, even if I never watched another episode of this poor excuse for a show, I would still be enabling Heidi and Spencer to continue their 15 minutes of ill gotten fame because there's no escaping them. They're on The Soup, they're all over the celebrity gossip mags, they're cropping up on pseudo-legitimate morning talk shows, they've appeared on late night talk shows, they're...everywhere! And if I can't cut them out of my life completely, then I'd like to go right to the source and at least see what the fuss is about.

Heidi and Spencer are married now and in the market for a new home. Something modest, good for newlyweds...and something with a nursery!! Heidi has baby fever, and it's making me nervous. Please, please, please don't reproduce. Don't adopt either. Please. Just to prove that he hasn't grown at all and isn't ready to be a husband, much less a father, Spencer ended up buying a house without telling Heidi. Surprise! Much to his shock and dismay, she was a little upset about this. Their argument ended with emotional music (to remind me how I should be feeling while I watch this scene) and Spencer saying it was either his way or "the lame way!"

The season premier of The City was only slightly more interesting, and if these shows are in any way accurate representations of New York and LA, I'd MUCH rather live in New York. The people there seem to be slightly less unbearable. Despite disappointing first episodes, I'll probably be tuning in next week after watching Gossip Girl (which finally seems to be heating up!). If nothing else, these MTV series make me appreciated the art of a well-scripted drama.

Gossip Girl!

Hey Gossip Girl fans!

The series that I'd been so looking forward to premiered its third season last Monday, and now that we're two episodes in, I have to say that I'm feeling kind of...m'eh. Serena is still creating scandal. Blair still can't seem to catch a break. Dan is still king of the freaking world for some reason. And Nate is still...well...Nate. Chuck may have changed a bit, but...we'll see. I'm already kind of bored with his relationship with Blair (I know, I know, this is what I wanted, but...eh, where's the drama?) but I would also be bored if the relationship failed because Chuck can't handle relationships. I guess what I'm getting at here, and what keeps echoing in my head as much as I try to shut it out: has it all been done before?

Poor Blair. Poor, poor Blair. She doesn't get into Yale, she's still struggling with the same self-esteem issues from season one, and now she can't even make a nice group of friends at NYU? And Dan is now the big man on campus, totally popular amongst the freshman class? I'm angry with the writers for acting like the "tables have turned" for Blair and Dan. Blair hasn't really been on top of her game for some time now, and Dan has always been the stupid golden boy. Stop acting like Dan being on top and Blair on the bottom is something new!

Blair is totally cute, has great clothes, a sociable if snotty personality--I just don't buy that it would be so hard for her to make friends in college. And are we to believe that she's learned nothing since the first season? I don't think that the Blair of today would really try to "rule" at NYC by gathering a bunch of girls together and giving them a condescending lecture about what it takes to be popular. This is the new Blair, I thought! She's in a good relationship (kind of) with Chuck. I don't buy that she would live in the dorms. I realize that the writers had to make her live in the dorms so that Georgina could be her roomate, but really...I don't think so. She would continue to live at home, or move in with Chuck even, but the dorms? That just seems so...beneath Blair. And while we're on the subject of Georgina...ew. Ew, ew, ew. I don't want her back, not even as a bad guy, on this show. Go away, please. How about more interesting bad guys? It seems like her only motivation is to destroy Blair. She doesn't seem like a real person at all. And Blair should be able to outsmart her. Change rooms, Blair! Leave the dorms and move back home!

I hate Dan. I hate him SO MUCH. I would really just like for him to go away. I'm also a little peeved that the gang is all sticking around New York this year. I understand that this is somewhat necessary to keep the teen dramas going, but...I would have at least liked for the whole gang to go to Yale together, it would have been a different backdrop. And now Serena won't even be going to Brown. Boo!

Despite these lackluster first two episodes, I'll still tune in. I'm hoping this is just a slow start to a good season. If I remember correctly, the second season started kind of slow, too. Here's hoping that Blair finally gets some good things coming her way, that her relationship with Chuck can be interesting without him being unfaithful, and that Dan gets kicked to the bottom where he belongs. I also hope Serena gets over the whole looking for her father thing (you don't need your biological father, Serena...you have Rufus!) and we get some more Jenny-centric episodes soon! I also think that things could spice up if Rufus and Lily's son actually makes his way into the picture. So far he's just kinda been there, lurking, reminding us that something scandalous is about to happen. Enough foreshadowing! Let it happen, already.

How do other GG fans feel about the third season thus far??

Pop Fashion: The Ugly Truth?

Last Friday I had the opportunity to see the limited release RJ Cutler documentary The September Issue (hooray for Mpls’s dedication to the arts!). I went into it thinking that it would be a shocking behind the scenes look at the making of Vogue, similar to The Devil Wears Prada (in fact, the documentary’s main subject, editor of Vogue Anna Wintour, was supposedly the inspiration behind Meryl Streep’s character in the film). However, I was somewhat disappointed. Or was I pleasantly surprised? I can’t yet decide what emotional effect this has had on me, but for better or for worse the fashion world just didn’t seem that shocking to me. What was so shocking was not a world full of constant drama, the evil snobs running the show, or backstabbing coworkers, but rather how…normal everyone seemed. No one was evil; they were just busy trying to get their jobs done. The drama seemed minimal and even appropriate for such a high stress world.

Overall I think the documentary was very well done and I enjoyed every moment of it. While some might have found the lack of outrageous drama boring, I appreciated that the world presented to us by the filmmaker seemed real, even attainable, and not at all sensationalized. It was kind of like what the Sex and the City movie could have been if they had taken out the stupid storyline and just let us look at the clothes. Of course some *cough* Qualler *cough* think that I generally enjoy "boring" movies *cough* Marie Antoinette *cough* I, however, would not equate lack of action or lack of outrageous conflict with boring. The characters were real and interesting, there were several laugh-out-loud moments, and there were also moments when the audience truly felt for some of the main characters, particularly Anna and Grace Coddington, Vogue's Creative Director. Anna was often harsh but at other times very human and vulnerable, particularly in the closing scene when she said that her uber successful siblings are "amused" by what she does. The director did a good job of painting a portrait of his two main characters, Anna and Grace, without making the audience feel as if it had to sit through any tacked-on exposition or biography. We knew exactly what we needed to know about their families, their childhoods, their aspirations, and their intentions through spacely utilized direct interview, and the rest we could gather for ourselve by watching the characters do their work and interact with each other.

One thing I loved about the documentary was how little the models seemed to matter. For the most part, older women who dressed like they could be my college French teachers were calling the shots. No one looked like they’d had any work done. The world of high fashion is not what we see in America’s Next Top Model. The models might be more fun to watch and definitely seem to be full of drama, but they aren’t even close to running things. For the most part they weren’t even featured in the film—it was all about the creative directors, the writers, and the editors, and a little bit about the designers. But even the designers weren’t really in charge of things. The good women at Vogue magazine were.

I think that this movie managed to show that the world of fashion is not really the Tyra banks show—it isn’t models dealing with constant drama and ridiculous challenges. It’s people going to work and doing a job. In some ways this might make these untouchable icons more human and more accessible, and thus, fashion is more accessible. I often give Tyra a hard time, but reality shows like hers and like Project Runway did manage to bring the world of high fashion to the level of the masses. Designers like Isaac Mizrahi and (?) make lines for Target so that we can all afford designer names (sort of). Fashion isn't so scary--and it really shouldn't be. The film opened with Anna speaking directly to the camera, saying that people tend to mock fashion because they're afraid of it. That might be true...afraid or not, at times it still seems to ask for a little mocking. But whether you love it ironically or just love it, fashion has always been a major factor in pop culture, and Fashion as an industry seems more accessible than ever.

I really did enjoy this film. When I first heard about it, I hoped against hope that it would come to Minneapolis, and when it did, I was thrilled. I wondered what this movie would reveal to me that I didn't already know--what would be the shock factor. Well, there wasn't really one. The revealed secret was that people in fashion are just people, the industry really isn't full of drama, and that there's nothing scary about it. I give the movie my highest rating: Puppy Playtime

It wasn't shocking, but I was happy about that. It was a real documentary that let me glimpse a world in a way I haven't before. If you aren't into fashion, I think you could still enjoy this movie. If nothing else it's a lovely backdrop to a nice nap, right Qualler?

Pop Fashion: America's Next Top Model, Shorty Style

Tyra Banks reminds us that she has ALWAYS been pushing the boundaries of what is considered beautiful. She’s tackled the fatties, the autistics, and now she’s moving on to the shorties. This two hour season premiere showcased 32 semi-finalists who will be narrowed down to 13 finalists, all of whom are under 5’7”.

I already hate Amber, age 18. She’s on America’s Next Top Model for Jesus Christ, and He will show her how He wants her to change the world. Apparently Jesus wants her to be the winner of America’s Next Top Model. She says that one is supposed to have a burning sensation for our Lord Jesus, not for another man. She made it through the first two rounds of cuts, despite the fact that her overt and vocal love of Jesus over anything else in her life was obviously annoying to Tyra, who no doubt felt threatened by the competition. After all, Tyra is the one making history here, the one who decides who is chosen, thankyouverymuch. As she called the name of the final girl in the final 14, she said “I know you’ve been through a lot, but I saw something special in you, and I chose you.” It was kinda creepy. Unlike Tyra, I do not dislike Amber at all for her religious zeal. I felt bad that the other girls were laughing at her. I do dislike her for her annoying personality and piercing voice. She was obviously chosen for the potential drama that her character would create on the show, but unfortunately she chose not to continue the competition due to “personal issues.” And that’s all we hear about Amber. I’m disappointed—I was looking forward to her antics. Alas, life goes on!

These girls say that they’re going to be inspirational because they are the size of “real girls.” I’ve never understood the whole height thing in the fashion world. I get the skinny thing. I do. It’s easier to dress a skinny girl. Garments typically look better on them. But tall girls? I guess they look better on the runway, but what about print? You can’t tell how tall a model is when you’re looking at a high fashion spread of the model with some handbags.

Tyra commented on one girl saying that she likes that she has no boobs. Um…yet another thing that real girls can look up to I guess?

One girl has been “doing math” since she was three years old. I’m not really sure what “doing math” means, but apparently it means she’s smart, which is good because modeling is an art, and to appreciate the arts, you have to be smart. Thanks for making the connection for me, Tyra.

I also already have a favorite! Her name is Nicole, and she’s really into eyeballs. Yes, eyeballs. You see, she was born with a bloody eyeball (my nurse friend assures me that “bloody eyeball” is not in fact a condition one is born with) and so her nickname when she was little was “bloody eyeball.” Best. Nickname. Ever. She also brings a large, rusty wheelbarrow to school instead of a back pack. I love her so much. She talks like she is on many downers.

Tyra kept talking in a fake French accent for some reason…she would talk in a French accent and say that she is “making history!”

Now, normally we have to wait at least two episodes for the makeover episode. However, the second half of this two hour premier was the makeover! Hooray! Normally, Tyra has prepared artists sketches of what the girls will look like with their makeovers. Not this time! This time Tyra discovered Microsoft Paint. She had the headshot of each girl and we got to see as she “drew” in awkward, squiggly lines what their new styles will look like. Microsoft Paint is a good tool, Tyra, but guess what? I already did that, last season.
Nicole said she wanted her head shaved because it would make things faster in the shower. Another girl remarked that Nicole made her nervous. They did not shave her hair, but they did give her a giant red lion mane. It did not look good.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a makeover without some tears! Bianca had her eyebrows bleached, and she couldn’t seem to get over it. Get over it, Bianca! All in the name of beauty (and Tyra Banks).

For the girls’ first photo shoot they had to recreate a photo from their childhoods. Because, they’re short, you see, so they’re still those same little girls…or something. I didn’t really see the connection with this one, but it was a unique idea. Most of the photos were interesting and tasteful, except one girl, who had to remake a photo of her as a toddler wearing a droopy diaper…except in the remake, she was wearing some giant white sexy (?) underpants. It made me uncomfortable. The judges didn’t enjoy her photo either, but for some reason that was her fault—not the fault of the giant underpants.

In the end Lisa was sent home. Bye Lisa! I don’t feel so badly that she was sent home when she said that she was most disappointed that she was going miss out on enjoying the really cool house with the other girls.

During the whole episode I kept waiting for a really good shot of Tyra amidst the short girls. I’m guessing, however, that she didn’t want to look like too much of a giant, so those shots were, for the most part, avoided. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled as the season continues for giant Tyra standing among the petite models!

My hopes for this season are high, but the drama so far is not…great. However, the photo shoot was innovative and creepy, and Tyra’s God complex seems to have increased since last cycle. Overall, I give the season premiere my second highest rating: Cast of Frasier.

Poplanta

Qualler and I returned from our trip to Hotlanta (Atlanta, GA) and we managed to have a lot of pop culture related fun on our trip. We stayed across the street from the historic Fox Theater, though, unfortunately, nothing was playing while we were in town (though Chicago starring Jerry Springer was coming soon…yes, Jerry Springer). We saw the sites, attended a lovely wedding where I heard my first Michael Jackson covers by a wedding band post Michael Jackson’s death (I personally thought it was too soon, but the other guests seemed to enjoy it), and still managed to catch some downtime and watch Stephen King’s Dreamcatcher on TV, starring Thomas Jane. While watching Dreamcatcher, Qualler pointed out that Jane has spoken more in one episode of Hung than in his entire movie career. I also saw The Family Stone for the first time (what a progressive and open minded family! And Sarah Jessica was so uptight! This will never work out) and we got to explore CNN, home Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, and Nancy Grace! We picked up some True Blood memorabilia in the gift shop—why the CNN gift shop had souvenirs regarding True Blood I’m not sure, but a cool magnet is a cool magnet, amiright? We also saw the home of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind, which was my personal favorite novel of all time until I read Jurassic Park and declared it my new favorite novel of all time.

Our vacation also included a three hour tour (“a three hour tour!” “good reference!”) to the Georgia Aquarium, where we were greeted by a friendly little orange-finned computer animated mascot called Deepo, who is not at all the same as Nemo. He had so many adventures with his deep sea friends! And he really brought the world of the ocean to life for us. We also coughed up the extra money to see the Titanic exhibit. After making our way through the exhibit, seeing the relics retrieved from the mighty ship, touching a little bit of an iceberg to get a sense for how cold it was, and seeing just what it would have been like to be a first, second, and third-class passenger on board, we felt as if this tragedy had really come alive for us. Qualler remarked that he’d like to make this historic event come alive for a wider audience, and that he would one day make a film that would reach millions, so that we could all come together and remember the lives lost and the lives saved that cold, moonless night.

The best part of our trip happened while at the museum when Mark and I invented a fun game that we like to call "Popcorn the Video Game 2: Stream of Pop", and which I now humbly present for you, the reader. See how quickly you can catch on, and try to keep it going in the comments section! (Editor's note: See more on this game in a future post, including official rules and regulations on how to play.)

Qualler: This aquarium was great. And it looks like they’re adding a dolphin exhibit in 2010!
Brigitte: The dolphins make me cry
Qualler: Cry me a river
Brigitte: A River Runs Through It
Qualler: Stephen King’s It
Brigitte: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Qualler: Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks
Brigitte: Tom Bergeron of Dancing with the Stars
Qualler: Starz, the network
Brigitte: Network, with Faye Dunaway

Now you take it from here!

Farewell Summer Series

Once upon a time, we watched our series during the school year, then had summer to devote to outdoor activities with the family. Well, screw the outdoors. The family, however, can still spend some quality time together, provided that time is spent mostly surrounded by the "television's warming glow" (quoted from The Simpsons--a series I used to enjoy with my family as a youngster). As an adult, I've come to love the Summer Series, as I no longer have a summer vacation and time to devote to playing outside or watching the occasional movie on a rainy afternoon. Nope, I want my TV all year long, thank you very much. I would prefer that my favorite programs continue through the summer, so that I could just keep watching them all year long. I don't get a summer break, so why should TV?

On the other hand, the break in programming does make me feel a bit like a kid again, and summer programming is usually a bit easier and a little more carefree, so I can have a break from my serious programs and remind myself that despite the lack in change in my day to day activities, we are in the throws of a new season. And who wants to watch Gossip Girl on a hot day? No, thank you. I'll take some lighter fare to match my new summer diet of fruit salad and no bake desserts. I wouldn't enjoy a hot bowl of chili in July, so why would I want to watch episodes of 30 Rock during the hot months?

OK, so, there actually seems to be no reason to air special series in the summer. Maybe most people go on vacation during the summer and ratings are down? Maybe if the series continued through the summer people just wouldn't be able to schedule their vacations and thus the tourism and hotel industry would suffer. So how can we appease Americans who want to watch new programming during the summer without ruining everyone's vacation? Behold the summer series.

In the past, such summer series as The O. C. successfully became series aired during the fall, winter, and spring months. Beverly Hills 90210 aired episodes during the summer as well as during the school year. Fancy cable channels like HBO can air their shows whenever and their viewers will watch. Unlike films, which save their blockbusters for the summer, television saves its leftovers and the series that just might be good enough for back to school premiers, but probably not, for the summer. However, once in awhile, a summer show comes along that is totally worth watching, and this summer, Make it or Break it was that show.



Make it or Break it has already ended its first season, and I was sad to see it go. This week's episode was the season finale, but don't worry--a new season is coming soon. ABC Family is vague about what "soon" actually means, but rest assured that there will be a second season and it will be coming...soon. Things really heated up during the last couple episodes. The season ended in unexpected tears, as Payson, my favorite character, ended up in the hospital with a back injury, told that she'll never do gymnastics again. Sure, her friends all made the Olympic team, but she deserved it the most! Gymnastics was her entire life. What is she going to do now? I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and watching them struggle to make it to the top of their sport. Realistic might be too strong a word to use, but the characters do seem real, and there is something honest and natural about their interactions with each other. Will this series go the way of an O. C., or will it meet the fate of a Hidden Palms? Only time will tell.

This was perhaps my favorite series of the summer (not counting True Blood or Hung, which I personally place in different categories of entertainment). Like a true summer series, it can never really compete with my programs that begin in September, and once it's over, I probably wont think about it again. However, should this become something more than a summer series and continue into the fall, I will most definitely tune in. Overall, I'll give it my second highest rating: Cast of FrasierP.S. I'm watching Toddlers and Tiaras right now (I know, I know...I'm sick) and one pageant dad actually said that he was against his daughter doing pageants. His reason? Some of the mothers seemed like they were doing it more for themselves than for their daughters, and many of the mothers are overweight and unhealthy. If that's not a good reason to be against having your 4-year-old daughter compete in beauty pageants, I don't know what is!