OMGlee

I never thought Mr. Schuster was hot... until this picture.

Oh, TV Guide.

'Dancing's DeLay Convicted of Money Laundering'

Just for the record, Tom DeLay was House Majority Leader before he ever graced the ballroom. 

If you really want to read the full article, check it out. 

Cutthroat Update... a little late.

1. My apologies for taking so long on a post about Cutthroat.... whoopsie daisy.

2. Laurel in the gulag?! Are you freakin' kidding me?! I'm not even joking... my heart was racing, my palms were sweating, I was freaking out (I know, it isn't healthy to be this invested in a television show... whatever). Anyway, thank god she won. Here is what I have to say to her team...
Sarah- good job. You're normal.
Cara Maria- You don't really suck that bad, you're just not as good as Sarah and Laurel. Sorry, Charlie. Stop being mushy with Abe and get ready to go in the gulag if your team loses again.
Abe- You're dumb. And weird. And seriously are crazy to throw Laurel in just to keep your little snuggle buddy around. And don't say it's on performance when you admit that you are keeping Cara around because she's cute. Pshhh.
Luc- Ah, Luc. Buck up, kid. Stop doing what Abe tells you to do and think for yourself. (Although, you had a good point in saying Laurel should go in because she is the one who can for sure beat the other team's players.... you should have ran with that.)

3. I'm sad Dan went home. I like him (sober).

4. Camila... I don't care. Seriously, why is she such a victim? I don't really think she rocks it in any challenges. She's good.... but most the girls left are too. Jen and Johnny and Derick coming to her defense is stupid. If she was on their team, they would be sending her in too. Why? Becasue she sucks? No. Becasue she is flirting/conspiring with the other team? No. I'll tell you why.... because she is a rookie. No matter how good you are... these people have known each other for years. They have been competing trying to win this money for years. You... haven't. You're out.

5. That's CT and Tina they keep showing in the previews right? Where will they go?

Community Christmas FTW

It's just a TV show.

I guess I'm not the only one mad that Bristol Palin is still on Dancing With The Stars....

A Wisconsin man has been arrested after he fired a gun at his TV when Bristol Palin performed on Dancing with the Stars and then held police at bay in a 15-hour standoff.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court, Janice Cowan told police that her husband, Steven Cowan, 67, became enraged when Palin started dancing on Monday's show. She said he screamed, "the f---ing politics," because he was upset that Palin, daughter of Sarah Palin, was still on the show since he believes she's not a good dancer.

Full story here.

Things I liked about GLEE last night...

1. Gwyneth Paltrow
2. Broccoli (otherwise known as a toilet brush or a small tree where gummi bears live)
3. Taco Bell
4. "Top 40, sweet cheeks"- Holly Holiday
5. Animal Hoarders
6. Big song and dance numbers for Make 'Em Laugh, Nowadays and Umbrella/Singin' in the Rain.
7. Baby glee clubbers
8. Mean (and powerful) Sue.... please tell me she really is going to be principal forever, or at least for a while.
9. Becky, as always.
10. 'Oh a little pink purse just came out of my mouth.' -Kurt, in Mercedes' mind.

And one thing I didn't like...
Kurt.

I love Kurt. Really, I do. But if last season was the Rachel Show this season has become the Kurt Show. Does every single episode have to revolve around him and his homosexuality? I can see an episode here and there- about the bullying, the struggles he faces, his insecurities and how he overcomes them with grace and humility- but does it have to be brought up in every episode? Wouldn't it be more effective to show Kurt as a normal kid? To show that he is a person beyond his homosexuality? I feel like that is how it was last season... Kurt was the gay kid, sure, but he was also funny and at times menacing and diva-like. This season, Kurt is becoming just the gay kid.

And to say that they needed to bring Kurt's budding relationship friendship into the equation in order to set up the Mercedes' tots obsession is ridiculous. Tots could have been a bunch of the McKinley kids' favorite lunchtime snack, and when Sue banned them they ALL could have been outraged and led to charge by the outspoken Mercedes. Is that hard to believe? Take away a kids favorite cafeteria food and they will be mad. They don't need to feel jealous or insecure to want their tots back.

Jason Stackhouse Loves Hugs

New Gap winter ads.... LOVE. 

Glee + Gwyneth + Cee Lo

Could this combination get any better? Seriously.

I am so super psyched for Gwyneth on Glee next week. She isn't really considered a comedic actress, but this chick is hilarious. I saw her on an ep of the Marriage Ref last season and she was so charming and clever- and IMHO it was the best episode of the season! I have no doubt that she will impress on Glee next week as well....

Twitter Hearts Live TV

Just finished reading this Fast Company's article about Twitter driving people back to must-See, live, appointment TV, and I have to say, I wholeheartedly agree. A lot of emphasis is given to the whole DVR, watch-it-online, streaming-thru-Hulu-or-Netflix phenomenon that is going on out there, but live TV is not dead.... thanks to social media.

 “[In the last 18 months], I think we actually saw the pendulum swing back toward things like shared experiences, back toward live TV. I think Twitter, of course, is one of the things that drove this." 

-Robin Sloan (who can be found here)

I love my DVR, really I do. But when I'm watching Hawaii Five-0 and tweet about Kevin Sorbo making a cameo or blast out via GetGlue that Christian Shepard is romancing Nora on Brothers and Sisters it is a little less exciting when I'm watching the episode days later. Not to mention, sort of irrelevant.

I've always loved TV, duh, and it is probably one of the reasons I started loving social media too. My first @ mention came from Becky Buckwild (of VH1 Reality TV). Some of the first 'strangers' I started following were people who were talking about Real World/Road Rules Challenges or America's Best Dance Crew. I saw the power of live tweeting during the 2009 VMAs.

Am I going to give up my DVR? No way, Jose. But I will say my heart breaks a little when I can't watch (and tweet) about my favorite shows as they are happening.

Does that make me addicted to television? Yep, probably.

Up in Smoke

Dubya is not a hater

-George Bush to Matt Lauer on Today

Here'sssss Conan.

Conan's new late night talk show, apply titled 'Conan' (so it will be harder to replace him, LOL) premiered last night on TBS. And while it wasn't the funniest thing I've ever seen, I think the critics are being a bit harsh.

I agree- he looked tired, a bit frazzled at times, there wasn't really anything new or inventive...

But come on! I would be tired too if I had worked for months to get to this day. I would be frazzled too if I was in a new studio, in front of a live audience, for the first time after so much build up, hype and anticipation. And I would argue that who needs new or inventive? We all loved Conan the way he was before.... why fix what isn't broke?

And let's be real here folks- the show is only as good as its guests. When Seth Rogen was on, I didn't really care. But as soon as Lea Michele sat down with her perfect hair, I was glued to the screen. And I usually tune out the musical guests, so kudos to Conan for doing something cool and actually playing with Jack White! I hope he does this more in the future...

My only real gripe is that I hope Conan can get over the NBC jokes. Throwing it out here and there is fine, but practically every joke last night went back to him being fired. Granted, it was his first show and so commenting on the happenings of the last few months is relevant, but I hope that he gets over it.

Bottom line: Conan needs is some great guests, less NBC jabs, and for the critics to cut him some slack. 

Pale Whale

Has Grey's Jumped the Shark?

So I've been trying to get into this new Get Glue app. It's basically Foursquare checkins for TV shows... sounds like I'd love it, right? Hmmm... we'll see.

Anyway, you gte badges when you check into certain shows- like A Rocky Horror badge for that Glee episode, a cult badge when a bunch of people are checked in at the same time, all star badge when you reach a certain number of checkins, whatever. So the other day, I check into Grey's Anatomy and got the 'Jump the Shark' badge.

Wha?!

I was actually thinking that Grey's was hitting its stride this year... getting back to the way it used to be. I'm (crazy, I know) actually enjoying it. Seriously. It is always one of the first shows I try to get to on my DVRed list (unlike some other ABC shows.... cough cough Brothers and Sisters).

And EW recently put out a list of 10 Reasons they are loving Grey's this season....

1. DR. AVERY

Dr. Avery wasn't quite clicking as part of the ensemble when Jesse Williams first joined the cast. But now? Oh, mama. He's flirty - to a fault - but he's also a decent dude, and the show was in need of a seriously single dude. Game, set, match.

2. CRISTINA'S STORY LINE

Cristina's been through hell on this show - actually, she's been through it about once a season. But now that she's settled down on the relationship front, her story arc of personal anguish in the wake of the shooting gets to take center stage. Sandra Oh's acting has always been one of the show's greatest assets, and she's getting some of the best material she's had in years.

3. IT'S FUNNY AGAIN

Sure, Grey's is a melodrama, and you're guaranteed to cry roughly once an episode. But it's also peppered with silly, fun, honest dialogue between characters who genuinely seem to like one another. We could listen to Mark and Callie chitchat all day.

4. NO MORE IZZIE

Izzie Stevens. Love her or loathe her, Izzie's story line cast an intense shadow on the show over the past few years, be it the ill-conceived Gizzie, Denny's ghost, or her battle with cancer. Enough was enough, and now Grey's is finally moving on - for real.

5. CRISTINA AND MEREDITH'S FRIENDSHIP

Romance, schmomance. The best relationship on this show is definitely Meredith and Cristina's, and this season it's been even more important. Both docs are dealing with some serious issues following the shooting - Meredith's miscarriage, Cristina performing emergency surgery — but they're helping each other cope. Who wouldn't feel better snuggling with Meredith and Derek?

6. PATIENTS ARE WILD, BUT WITHIN REASON

Let's never speak of the deer CPR again. Grey's is finding its way back to the right balance of bizarre patients/cases as metaphors for the doctors' problems. To wit: Tree Guy. Indeed we are all freaks, as the episode told us. Also, HPV is a hell of a virus.

7. FINALLY, APRIL IS LESS ANNOYING

Sarah Drew slayed us as Hannah on Everwood and broke our hearts as Sal's wife, Kitty, on Mad Men. She finally landed on a hit show and... uh, yikes. April was chirpy, irritating, and immature, and her crush on Derek didn't endear her to us either. But these days, we say hooray for April; since Meredith declared that the two of them are pals, April's become a lot more tolerable, instead of being Lexie 2.0.

8. IT'S JUST SCHMOOPY ENOUGH

Hey, it's still Grey's Anatomy. We want some romance and cutesiness, and the Mer-Der relationship is hitting a terrific stride. They're so happy as a couple, yet each is going through some heavy stuff. But they're getting through it together! Yay, love.

9. ALEX HAS FOUND HIS CALLING

Once upon a time, Doug Ross was the scruffy rogue pediatrician with the womanizing issues and sexy smirk. These days it's Alex Karev. Finding his calling as a peds specialist has given Alex a depth and sweetness we've seen him try to cover up for the entire series.

10. THE MONOLOGUES ARE IN TOP FORM

''Pick me, choose me, love me.'' Izzie stripping down to her bra while yelling at everyone. The amazing Dr. Bailey speeches. Somewhere after that, though, the show's signature monologues started losing a little bit of their verve and impact. But welcome to the spiel renaissance, as ushered in by Dr. April Kepner, and her terrific ''we're all freaks'' (and virgins) speech.

Besides, who are you Get Glue, to decide a show has jumped the shark?

Camilla the Outcast

I haven't blogged about the new RW/RR Challenge once this season, so it seems kind of funny to be jumping in right now when we're already a few episodes in, but whatever. Today, I saw this post on MTV's Remote Control blog about Camilla making herself an outcast by befriending Johnny.

If you want to gain your teammates' trust on "The Challenge: Cutthroat," then it's probably a good idea not to become besties with character-killing competitors like Johnny Bananas. Somehow, Camila missed that part, cuz she's been hanging out with JB even though her entire team is against it. Paula even explained to her that her "friendship" with him was the precise reason she was voted into the Gulag, but she just didn't seem to get it. Even though Camila defeated Katie in the Gulag and returned to her team, has she done enough to earn their trust, or is it too late? 

Ok, I get it. Johnny plays dirty. He has totally burned bridges with a bunch of people on the red team, most notably (in my opinion) Paula. So it makes sense that Miss Walnuts herself would be warning Camilla against spending so much time with him, right? Sure.

But this is just a ridiculous excuse. What girls are left on the red team besides Camilla? Tori, Paula and Melinda. All vets. All vets who seem to get along really well. None of them are crazy. None of them pick fights or get really drunk, they are (gasp!) normal. And they're pretty good competitors too. The reality is that none of those girls want to go in the Gulag. None of those girls want to vote each other in. So why not keep sending in little ole Camilla (who, for the record, wasn't even on Real World or Road Rules or even Fresh Meat. She is from the stupid Spring Break Challenge. Lame).

I'm not saying she should go in or she shouldn't. I'm just saying that all this Bananas bull is just an excuse.

And in other news.... What was up with Ty? I seriously think that he faked a mysterious injury because he was afraid he'd lose to Brandon. Ty is real nice to look at, but think about it- he has pretty much underperformed in every challenge so far. As much as he thinks he is the 'most athletic one on the team' (his words, not mine), he really is the weak link (maybe even weaker than my beloved Big Easy who went home last week? Sigh). PLUS, just the day before at the challenge, Ty saw Chet say he had a headache and felt weak and couldn't see straight... and they stuck an IV in him and rushed him to the hospital. Why wouldn't Mr. Ty think he could just say, 'I can't move,' 'I need to lay down' bla bla bla and people would think there was actually something wrong with him. Instead of facing his competition, maybe losing with some dignity, he gave up. Now he can always say, 'I never lost in a one on one challenge, I was hurt and couldn't perform.' Bull with a capital S.

Don Draper says, 'What?'