THIS SHOW WILL NOT BE HOSTED BY BRUCE VILANCH: Adam may have been semi-joking in the comments to this thread when he made reference to the "2004 ALOTT5MA Awards," but I'll take it and run with it. Categories are to be created by whim and desire (and, as always, your suggestions are invited), and winners will be determined in a way that in no way involves the fine folks at Ernst & Young. I offer you the following first category and nominations--in the category of Cable Television Network Offering Most Significant Contribution to Pop Culture, my nominees (along with a list of selected programs that give rise to the nomination) are:
Bravo--"Celebrity Poker Showdown," "Queer Eye for The Straight Guy," "Project Runway"
Comedy Central--"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," "South Park," "Chappelle's Show"
MTV--"Pimp My Ride," "The Real World: Philly," "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County"
The N--"Degrassi: The Next Generation," "My So-Called Life" repeats, "Daria" repeats
VH1--"Best Week Ever," "I Love The 90s," "Totally Obsessed"
Vote and share what you think I missed in the comments.
Thursday, December 9, 2004
Wednesday, December 8, 2004
WE'RE NOT THAT KIND OF BLOG: Looking at our site meter, I feel compelled to tell you that this blog is currently the number 5 Google hit for people searching for "Denny Neagle hooker picture." We also remain the only hit for those who, for some reason, are searching for "Gary Cherone Wanksterous Extreme."
STORM STORY: Earlier this week I questioned the extraordinary "About the Series" note that accompanied Julia Keller's compelling three-part series in the Chicago Tribune about a tornado that ripped apart town of Utica, Ill.
Well, prominent Tribune columnist (and blogger) Eric Zorn has responded to my musings with his own theory, and it make sense to me. In a nutshell, Zorn says the note allows Keller more freedom in her narrative. If notes like this are what it takes to get more gripping stories in the Tribune, then I'm all for it, and as a writer myself I was fascinated with the inside baseball the note provided, but on some level I think these kind of notes speak to the general mistrust of journalists these days. Reading the note was a little like seeing a "making of" featurette; fascinating on one level, but on another knowing too much of the process spoils a little of the magic.
Well, prominent Tribune columnist (and blogger) Eric Zorn has responded to my musings with his own theory, and it make sense to me. In a nutshell, Zorn says the note allows Keller more freedom in her narrative. If notes like this are what it takes to get more gripping stories in the Tribune, then I'm all for it, and as a writer myself I was fascinated with the inside baseball the note provided, but on some level I think these kind of notes speak to the general mistrust of journalists these days. Reading the note was a little like seeing a "making of" featurette; fascinating on one level, but on another knowing too much of the process spoils a little of the magic.
Tuesday, December 7, 2004
ROCKY MOUNTAIN VALUES: Okay, let me get this straight. Denny Neagle is arrested for an illegal-but-consensual act -- not yet convicted -- and the Rockies terminate his contract.
But back in 2000, the same Rockies signed free agent reliever Bobby Chouinard in the middle of the season, despite the fact that he had been arrested the prior Christmas (and subsequently released by his then-team, the D'backs) for spousal abuse -- Chouinard had been charged with hitting his wife and holding a loaded gun to her head while she begged for her life. Chouinard pled guilty following the 2000 season, agreeing to serve a year's worth of jail time spread out over four offseasons, and the Rockies welcomed him back the following season.
Seems to me the only "values" at stake here was the $19,000,000 pricetag remaining for Neagle's services, and some opportunism on the part of Rockies ownership.
But back in 2000, the same Rockies signed free agent reliever Bobby Chouinard in the middle of the season, despite the fact that he had been arrested the prior Christmas (and subsequently released by his then-team, the D'backs) for spousal abuse -- Chouinard had been charged with hitting his wife and holding a loaded gun to her head while she begged for her life. Chouinard pled guilty following the 2000 season, agreeing to serve a year's worth of jail time spread out over four offseasons, and the Rockies welcomed him back the following season.
Seems to me the only "values" at stake here was the $19,000,000 pricetag remaining for Neagle's services, and some opportunism on the part of Rockies ownership.
THE BATTLE OF WILL VS. MAY: I don't have much to say about this episode. Yet, anyway. Sure, there was the standard haggling with African taxi drivers (did anyone from this season watch last season?), but nothing too unique, save the fact that the first clue in Senegal was, in fact, a clue -- a puzzle that needed solving. Thank goodness.
I liked that the fact that the detour choice of deliberate v. take-a-chance had a different calculus than last week at IKEA, and appreciated the tiny glimpse into Jonathan's possible humanity, but other than watching Hellboy being even more of a wuss, there wasn't much there there. Still, my brother spent a few weeks in Senegal, so it was good seeing a bit of Goree Island and Dakar, but what did this episode do for you?
I liked that the fact that the detour choice of deliberate v. take-a-chance had a different calculus than last week at IKEA, and appreciated the tiny glimpse into Jonathan's possible humanity, but other than watching Hellboy being even more of a wuss, there wasn't much there there. Still, my brother spent a few weeks in Senegal, so it was good seeing a bit of Goree Island and Dakar, but what did this episode do for you?
OH, MY NOSE: Marcia Brady taking the pigskin in the proboscis is just one of The 100 Most Memorable TV Moments, yet another five-night countdown show, this time from TV Land and TV Guide. The show began Monday and only moments 100-61 are supposed to be up, but being the hacking genius that I am (replacing a single digit in the URL), I can link you to the top 20 here. I won't spoil the results in case you want to be surprised, but overall the list is intriguing, perhaps just because of the odd juxtaposition between fictional moments Ross and Rachel's first kiss (No. 66), reality moments (Clay v. Ruben at No. 80) and news/sports moments (John Dean's Watergate testimony at No. 86/Christian Laettner's shot vs. Kentucky at No. 92). It's TV Land, so the guess is there will be plenty of chances to catch it.
SADLY, NO NODS FOR HUCKAPOO: As promised, here are the 47th Grammy Award nominations. A few preliminary thoughts:
1. I've never heard "Here We Go Again" by Ray Charles and Norah Jones on the radio--what is it doing in Record of the Year, snubbing "Breakaway," "Redneck Woman," and "This Love?"
2. Green Day's "American Idiot" got a surprising (to me) amount of love for the Grammys, which tend to be relatively conservative in taste.
3. A very strong Best New Artist field this year, with nominees running from country (Gretchen Wilson) to white girl neo-soul (Joss Stone).
4. Interesting to see Modest Mouse get quite a few category nominations, but not a Best New Artist nod--apparently Los Lonely Boys edged them out.
5. Is it possible for there to be two more different songs than melancholy "You Will Be My Ain True Love" and the foot-stomping "Redneck Woman" competing in the same category?
6. Steve Martin, David Sedaris, and Bill Clinton square off in Spoken Word, and Jon Stewart and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog square off in Comedy Album--eclectic.
7. The "Original Song From A Movie" field doesn't give us much in the way of clues for the Oscars, since 4 of the 5 nominees are from last calendar year, but "Accidentally In Love" may well get an Oscar nod as a result.
8. Interestingly, the only nomination connected with Ashlee Simpson's megaselling "Autobiography" is for engineering/production. Draw your own conclusions.
Share your thoughts below.
1. I've never heard "Here We Go Again" by Ray Charles and Norah Jones on the radio--what is it doing in Record of the Year, snubbing "Breakaway," "Redneck Woman," and "This Love?"
2. Green Day's "American Idiot" got a surprising (to me) amount of love for the Grammys, which tend to be relatively conservative in taste.
3. A very strong Best New Artist field this year, with nominees running from country (Gretchen Wilson) to white girl neo-soul (Joss Stone).
4. Interesting to see Modest Mouse get quite a few category nominations, but not a Best New Artist nod--apparently Los Lonely Boys edged them out.
5. Is it possible for there to be two more different songs than melancholy "You Will Be My Ain True Love" and the foot-stomping "Redneck Woman" competing in the same category?
6. Steve Martin, David Sedaris, and Bill Clinton square off in Spoken Word, and Jon Stewart and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog square off in Comedy Album--eclectic.
7. The "Original Song From A Movie" field doesn't give us much in the way of clues for the Oscars, since 4 of the 5 nominees are from last calendar year, but "Accidentally In Love" may well get an Oscar nod as a result.
8. Interestingly, the only nomination connected with Ashlee Simpson's megaselling "Autobiography" is for engineering/production. Draw your own conclusions.
Share your thoughts below.
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