A group calling itself the Jerks Who Want to Tell You How to Raise Your Kids Because Your Kids are Obviously Too Stupid to Think for Themselves Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission complaining about a new show called “Zevo-3,” which is about a bunch of superheroes who wear shoes.

They’re not complaining about the fact that the show promotes an unhealthy view of the world by suggesting that all kids need to succeed is superpowers (think about what that will do to the self-esteem of the literally thousands of children who go without superpowers every day); no, what they’re in an uproar about is the fact that these totally unrealistic superhero characters wear a specific brand of shoe. [Read more →]

Tags: family & parenting, television by Ricky Sprague
1 Comment »

I don’t have a clue what determines if something is acceptable on television these days. Clearly wardrobe malfunctions where a boob happens to come flying out in the middle of a Superbowl half-time show is not. We know that’ll get you a hefty fine and will force live shows to broadcast on a delay.

However, clear sexual innuendo on television is, apparently, just fine. The other night I decided not to fast forward though the commercials and watched the AXE commercial below. I immediately rewound it so I could watch it again… and again… and again. I turned to my husband and asked him, “how many guys do you think are whacking off to this commercial right now?”

The 12 seconds of silence while the host of the show circulates the two [golf] balls in her hand and then says “Wow, I can play with these balls all day” had to be the most sexually charged. But below I pulled out some other highlights… [Read more →]

Tags: television by Amy Boshnack
3 Comments »

This week, I am getting super nostalgic with fall in the air. And I have a quick note about the Video Music Awards, and some disgust over the HBO show Entourage. [Read more →]

Tags: music, television by Marty O'Connor
1 Comment »

Ok, I am going to admit, I’ve been a naughty blogger. So I want to start by apologizing for my lack of posts.  But this summer I achieved a dream I never thought possible — I had every Friday off! But now, as we savor the last tasty tidbits of summer, I am back — and armed with a summer’s worth of material. [Read more →]

Tags: art & entertainment, Marty digs, recipes & food, television by Marty O'Connor
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A passing of note for me — and for all fans of anime, really. Satoshi Kon, a highly acclaimed Japanese anime director, died suddenly of cancer on Monday evening. He was 47.

Kon was not an early pioneer of the genre … nor was he its most prolific artist. But he had a special significance, a special impact, nonetheless. [Read more →]

Tags: movies, television by Jeff McDonald
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Having absolutely nothing better to do, the President of the United States appeared on The View yesterday where he made what I consider to be a rather startling claim for an American to make:

President Obama charmed the ladies on “The View” yesterday and confidently showed off his command of the big challenges facing the nation today.

But the name Snooki didn’t ring a bell.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is,” the smiling but perplexed President said when asked about the big-haired “Jersey Shore” bombshell, according to several audience members interviewed after the show.

“We all liked that he didn’t know who she was,” said Nella Cerminara, 51, of Montreal.

That would be nice if the president didn’t know who “Snooki” was, I suppose.

Except he does know who Snooki is. He was lying. Check out this video from back in May: [Read more →]

Tags: politics & government, television by Ricky Sprague
9 Comments »

Man v. Dignity

Audience v. Stomach

Man v. Reputation

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Tags: mostly kidding by Matt Scottoline, recipes & food, television by Matt Scottoline
1 Comment »

With one annual exception, I rarely spend much time watching reality shows on television. That exception has arrived this month, as I feast upon a slew of food- and cooking-themed programs.
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Tags: recipes & food, television by Jeff McDonald
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Lost is dead. Long live Lost. And so it ends, in much the same way it began: with a close-up of Jack’s eye, staring straight up past the tall stalks of bamboo that circled the sky above. This time however, that eye would close, and with it, our six-season journey that took us right back to where we started — with questions about a mysterious show that seemed to parallel the mysteries of life. For some, the journey was far more compelling than the destination. For others, it was the perfect resolution and they can walk away feeling fulfilled. Whatever you thought about the conclusion, the one thing most viewers can agree on is that the show challenged us to think in ways we might not have otherwise. In short, Lost was a real trip. And what a long, strange trip it’s been.

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Tags: religion & philosophy, television by Marc Oromaner
8 Comments »

I’m sick and tired of reading about liberals attacking Rand Paul as a racist ( 1, 2, and 3 ) when his views could just as easily be seen as advocating for the freedom and the rights of Morehouse College, and other historically black colleges and universities, to serve whomever they wish to serve. It’s the kind of hypocritical political nonsense I think we’ve all come to expect from the Two Main Parties. It really makes me want to vomit.

So I’m going to discuss some thoughts I had that were generated by a quote from a book that came up in conversation. It’s from Edward “Father of PR” Bernays’s Propaganda (1928).

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized.

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Tags: politics & government, race & culture, television by Mike McGowan
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I know I have been M.I.F.A. I apologize… life happens… shit happens… and things in between happen. But it’s finale season and while this marks the end of good television and the beginning of crappy summer fillers, I live for these weeks in May. I recently acquired a completely legitimate prescription for Valium (Dude, I swear it’s kinda legit) and it came just in time for highly intense TV goodness. Let’s pop a pill and dive right in. [Read more →]

Tags: Lauren Likes TV, television by Lauren LaBumbard
1 Comment »

In the penultimate episode of Lost, “What They Died For,” Jacob tells the surviving Losties why he chose them as candidates: “I chose you because you were all alone. You were all looking for something that you couldn’t find out there. I chose you because you needed this place as much as it needed you.” This explanation really resonated with me, on one hand because it provided a mythologically sound answer to the main question I’ve always had about Lost: why do all these characters have major issues? And having that answer provided the other reason I really liked the explanation: I immediately understood that while Jacob was addressing the remaining candidates, he was really speaking to us. [Read more →]

Tags: religion & philosophy, television by Marc Oromaner
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No, this is not a Lost commentary, though I’ve done my fair share of those in the past. This is a post about that other famous “Smokey”, the bringer of mass-transportation Gotterdammerung, Iceland’s Mount Eyjafjallajökull. I flew into London the day after the big ash-cloud flight ban was lifted earlier this month, and escaped a few hours after another shorter ban was instituted earlier yesterday. You could say I narrowly escaped the wrath of Smokey.   [Read more →]

Tags: television, travel & foreign lands by John Capone
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I received the bad news today. A loved one had died. The body had been found by an early morning jogger. The police were called and the Morgue’s office was determining time of death, and most importantly, the cause. Detectives were searching the scene making ironic comments tinged with dark humor based on their observations. I’m not exactly sure where in NYC the crime took place, but I know a large part of the story will play out in February, and if the cause of death turns out to be murder, then it’s only a matter of time before I’ll be down on Centre Street. The name of the deceased is Law & Order.

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Tags: television by David Alfreds
3 Comments »

In “Across the Sea,” Lost finally gives us the origins story for Jacob and the Man In Black. The episode was pure, 100% mythology. Those who watched the episode based on the surface story alone were probably disappointed. Let’s face it, taken literally, myths are silly: talking snakes, little boys defeating giants, jealous gods, immaculate conceptions, mortals with superpowers, a sword stuck in a stone, the Force, Never Never Land, Wonderland, Oz, the Matrix, the Island. On the surface, all myths seem like children’s stories. It’s only when we dig deeper that we find the truth worthy of a wise old soul — a soul that knows where it really came from. [Read more →]

Tags: religion & philosophy, television by Marc Oromaner
2 Comments »

There’s so much going on in the world of Mixed Martial Arts these days. When I watch my monthly UFC bouts on PPV, I always think about how interesting the sport is and how lucky I am to live in these times. The last generation that got to watch anything like this actually knows When Fell the Coliseum. If MMA is a symptom of the downfall of our society, than I say burn baby burn, because it’s a great watch, and MMA is destined to stand in the pantheon of popular sports.

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Tags: race & culture, sports, television by David Alfreds
1 Comment »

Wanna know why the Man In Black is really trapped on the island? It’s not because he’s malevolence, evil, or darkness, and it’s not because Jacob wouldn’t let him leave. It’s because he hasn’t overcome his issues. And what are his issues? Up to now, all we know is that he seems to be terribly frightened of adolescent boys. Hopefully, we’ll get a better answer next week, but as ridiculous as this might sound, I actually think there may be something to it. [Read more →]

Tags: religion & philosophy, television by Marc Oromaner
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So someone left a car bomb in Times Square. The immediate questions that come to mind are who, why, what was its capability, how can such things be prevented from happening again?

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Tags: art & entertainment, politics & government, race & culture, religion & philosophy, technology, television, terror & war by David Alfreds
2 Comments »

It’s rare for a television reality show to perfectly capture the American cultural zeitgeist, except on those all-too common occasions when it actually does, which is frequently. These shows hold a mirror to our own reality (“reality” shows), by reflecting back to us who we are, what we’re doing, what are our shared interests. American Idol is a perfect microcosm of our culture’s pursuit of musical success (a “recording contract”), on which so many of our young, I-want-it-now-mp3-downloading children place so much importance. Then there is Survivor, which glorifies the reveling in the cut-throat world of deserted island back-stabbing in the pursuit of filthy lucre (“dirty money”), in the form of a $1 million prize. This is the type of greed typified by the current Goldman Sachs situation; I’m not sure of the specifics on that, but I know that a greedy win-at-all-costs attitude was the motivating factor.

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Tags: television by Ricky Sprague
2 Comments »

The world’s greatest entertainer’s life is in danger. Hanging by a thread in some undisclosed ICU. I’ve noticed that there are no reports of general rioting throughout the United States. I think there is rioting here in Africa but it’s probably unrelated.

Wait. Let me back up. I have often been kidded about my first concert. Air Supply. [Read more →]

Tags: music, television by Jeffrey Maryak
5 Comments »