Two quick items of interest:
1. My "Office" supplies giveaway closes today at six. Get your entries in and don't forget you can earn an extra entry if you blog or twitter about it!
2. Handbag Planet is opening up shop on October 15th. In celebration of this, they're giving away 24 gorgeous purses. Check it out! (I call dibs on the 4 AM blue purse.)
Saturday morning, my family trekked up to Silver Lake and Lake Solitude. The weather was behaving perfectly and the colors were sublime. The aspen had turned saffron-yellow and the other trees were just beginning to rust. Utah in autumn is simply resplendent.
Happy Banned Books Week, everybody! I don't know about you, but it's one of my sincerest desires to write a book that will be placed on the Banned Books List.
Books
Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence, by Paul Feig
The emotion you feel when you realize most of the gags on Freaks and Geeks actually happened to Paul Feig is something akin to pity mixed with mirth. Kick Me covers Paul's life from kindergarten through high school and holds a very high cringe factor. There's this one story where he finds a Nazi flag his father brought back from the war and I won't spoil it, but just know that it's classic. My only gripe was that the fifteen or so stories are all one-shots, so some of the characters get introduced multiple times. Instead of trying to forget everything about adolescence, Feig remembered every single, painful detail and is now using it for his own benefit. Paul is also co-producing Greg Daniel's new show and was recently grilled by The New York Times. It's a great interview--I suggest reading it even if you aren't a fan of his.
Rapunzel's Revenge, by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and Nathan Hale
You know how I worship Shannon Hale, New York Times bestselling author? Yeah, we're tight. (Seriously, she knows who I am, either because of the sparkling comments I leave on her blog or the fact I stalk her at signings. Hopefully both!) RR is a collaboration between Shannon and her husband. Nathan (no relation) provides the delicious illustrations to this re-telling of the Rapunzel story. It's a graphic novel, which is essentially a long comic book. Once you begin, it's easy to swallow up the story in no time at all (and it leaves you with that feeling of "wait, it's over?"). Everything about it screams clever. If you have kids (or likely nieces and nephews for most of you), you've got to give this as a gift.
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
When I first picked it up, I was all, "Oh, this is a lot shorter than I thought it would be." In hindsight, that's actually a good thing. Nick & Norah is so intense and lusty that 180 pages is more than enough ground to cover the topic. There's no way I'd let really young teens read it and it's probably too explicit for most conservative types. From what I've seen of the previews, there was lots of liberty taken with the storyline. I'll go see the movie and all, but the book didn't live up to the hype.
Music
The Cars, Complete Greatest Hits
A couple of weeks ago, I had this epiphany that I really like The Cars. Based purely off the radio hits, I thought I'd look more into their past songs. They have a formula that worked for them, so I don't think I'll go more in depth with their anthology. In small doses, The Cars are lots of fun.
Dan In Real Life Soundtrack
One of the many things I loved about Dan in Real Life was the music. Sondre Lerche provides both instrumental and vocal tracks for one of the best soundtracks I've heard in the past year. You get the feeling that this is a man that understands romance and heartbreak. The strings are bold and the brass is understated--a refreshing change as it's usually the other way around. There's a cover of "Fever" by A Fine Frenzy that feels somewhat incongruously tucked in the middle, but otherwise it's all superb. The real treat was the duet by the always coy Regina Spektor and Sondre. I listen to most of my music from the library and this is one cd I plan on adding to my permanent collection.
The Watson Twins, Fire Songs
I was worried about Fire Songs because the divine Ms. Jenny Lewis wasn't helping out this time around (see: Rabbit Fur Coat). Don't worry, it's all good. And I mean all of it. The album is kind of like pop/indie/flamenco/The Cure/alt-country amazingness packed into eleven songs.
Movies
Ghost Town
I was so stoked to see this that I went on opening day. TOTALLY worth it. Ricky Gervais could carry the show by himself, but Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni multiply the humor exponentially. And I don't even like Tea Leoni, so you know I'm not kidding. There was so much laughter packed into every minute that my stomach hurt just a little at the end. Also, my heart hurt from the few gripping and serious scenes. Apparently, this movie was painful but only in the best way. Every single kind of comedy is employed successfully. If I handed out ratings, I'd give Ghost Town four stars.
Just a few things to help take the edge off of a Monday...
(Some of these have been cross-posted over on my tumblr, but it's all worth a second glance.)
Saved the best for first! I L.O.L. every single time I see this.
In case you were wondering, this is a picture of a young Steve Martin ironing a kitten.
(via OfficeTally)
Jemaine: Are you and Lisa gonna get married now?
Bret: I wish, but I don't know. She's got to go to war.
Jemaine: What?
Bret: Yeah, Iraq.
Jemaine: Iraq?
Bret: Yeah.
Jemaine: Lisa?
Bret: Yes, she's in Delta Force. She's been deployed to Fallujah.
Jemaine: But she works in the croissant shop.
Bret: Yeah, well, she's got two jobs. She's a pastry chef and a sniper.
(Via Flight of the Conchords)
(via marriedtothesea.com)
Maybe I made this and it still makes me laugh. So what?
(Via Snorg Tees) I know, I know. I'm a geek.
(via The Deseret News)
Dear Archie,
If anything, thank you so much for bringing this to Utah. I kind of hate that I know all the words to "Crush," but I still think you're a cutie.
Lots of love,
Gretchen
You guys! The Office is back! Wiki-wiki-wiki-wha?
This, my friends, is how television is done. "Weight Loss" is by far the best season premiere of the show thus far. Maybe "The Dundies" runs a close second, but I'd still rank it second.
The episode kicks off straight into the opening credits--no cold open, which makes me sad. As opposed to the usual format of skipping straight to real time, this episode took us through 8 weeks of a glorious Scranton summer. Corporate is trying to get everyone to lose weight--the winning branch gets three five vacation days. Not a shabby reward!
Let's start with the new girl. Holly Flax, a major dork and girl after my own heart, is adjusting to her role. She teaches yoga, is not a lesbian, and has a sesame seed allergy and a butt that will not quit. (The bit with Oscar was probably the most awkward scene of the hour. Awkward and awesome!) She still understandably thinks Kevin is slow. When Angerela-ella-ella starts verbally abusing Kev, Holly jumps to the rescue and makes a complete fool of herself. It's actually quite endearing. Things don't go so well with the yoga instructor and there's a strong connection with Michael. Any couple who can rap together like those two deserve one another.
Oh, Michael. He's still pandering to Jan (who, thankfully, wasn't around much in this ep). Michael's going to be a good dad, but he deserves a wife and kids of his own. The Michael highlight was the Body Image Celebration, complete with inane pictures and Michael Klump-impersonation. Okay, so I get that he bought the sumo suit, but it also involved buying an entire business suit to go with it. At least he got the gender of the suit correct! His man-crush on Ryan hasn't diminished. "Go.....tee!" I loved the so-close attempt at wooing Holly. I know this never occurred to him, but seriously, you couldn't have asked her to go see Counting Crows with you?
Kelly and Darryl have still got it going on. I don't believe for one second that Ryan wants Kelly back, but of course she's going to fall for it. This is a girl who drank maple syrup, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and water for three days straight. (The "cleanse diet" was a tidy jab at the Oprah fad from this last summer. Edit: Noelle corrected me and said that Beyonce did it years ago. That makes sense, given Kelly's affinity to all things Beyonce.) When Michael made Kelly stand up in the chair, it reminded me of this time in college when a professor made everyone say something nice about me. I don't really remember why, either. At first it was uncomfortable, but it is disappointing when it's over. "What else do you like about me?"
Angela Martin, with a routine like that, it's no wonder that you sleep so well at night. Of course she feels slightly guilty, but I can guarantee that it's all neatly rationalized in her mind. Andy really is kind to her (check out their fairy tale wedding website!), but only Dwight is man enough for her. I try not to think too much about Dwangela bow-chica-bow-wow, but it was pretty hot in this episode. How on earth will she ever decide? (Note: I have concocted rampant speculation on this subject, but The BFF reads this and she hates it when I speculate.) "Little Drummer Boy" is a call-back to both "The Pilot" and "A Benihana Christmas," so there has to be a hidden agenda. Andy's a Capella troupe, Here Comes Treble, is the collective best man. Individually, however, they have nicknames like Broccoli Rob, Jingle Jangle, and Sandwich. I wonder how many of them are still single...
Hoo boy. Jim and Pam. Where do I even begin? She's in New York; he's in Scranton. I like how she's the Hall RA and has to deal with issues like stolen soy milk, which is almost too realistic. It's hard on both of them (TWSS), but Pam at least has new challenges and friends. Mad Men's Rich Sommers makes a non-threatening appearance as a skilled artist of professor portraits. Jim doesn't actually do a whole lot in this episode, beside pledging to lose sixty-five pounds. (Side note: John Krasinski has lost lots of weight since the beginning. I prefer JKras with a little more meat on his, erm, bones.) Jim makes his trademark faces at the camera and that about covers it.
Oh yeah. I guess he also proposes to Pam. (!!!)
Holy heavens above, that was the most perfect engagement I could have imagined for the two. I was sure the writers would drag it out through November sweeps, but no, it happened during a summer rainstorm, at the Fairway Gas Station off Exit 17 where that soda once exploded on Jim. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS? I cried and squee'd and essentially flipped out. And wow, talk about a passionate kiss! I love those crazy kids.
Utica barely beats out Scranton and Toby is injured in Costa Rica. Ha! The next episode airs on October 9th. I expect I'll be on a giddy JAM high for the next two weeks and that is what will carry me through 'til then. If I didn't know any better, I'd say #5 is shaping up to be a season of epic proportions.
Happy Office Season 5 Premiere Day, everybody! The new episode airs at 9/8 central. (Giveaway|Best Fan Videos|The Jim & Pam Saga)
"Office" Supplies Giveaway
Here's the dealio, kids. I've got these nifty gifty packs to give away. Kind of like swag (Stuff We All Get), but only three of you actually get something. The rest of you get my love and admiration and well, that's all one can hope for in life.
The Michael Package
(1) TWSS Mini Legal Pad
(1) From the desk of... Magnetic List Pad
(1) TWSS Sticky Notes
(1) Leadership notebook
The Pam Package
(1) Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam Mini Legal Pad
(1) Dunder Mifflin Fridge Magnets
(1) This is Pam Sticky Notes
(1) Pam Beesly Quote Pens
The Dwight Package
(1) DWIGHT Mouse Pad
(1) DM Crew Mini Legal Pad
(1) Dwight Head Stress Ball
(1) Information is Power Sticky Notes
Unfortunately, there is no Jim Package. Yeah, I went there. But I will give you this!
How To Win
1. Leave a comment on this post about your favorite tv show.
2. If you have a blog or twitter, post about it to earn one extra entry. Make sure you let me know if you did this so I can count it.
3. Only readers from the United States and Canada. Sorry if that's not you, but you know how it is.
4. I will close comments at 6:00 PM Mountain Standard Time on Thursday, October 2nd.
5. If you do not have a blog where I can reach you, please include a valid email address.
6. Winners will be selected using random.org.
7. I will announce the winners on Friday, October 3rd.
8. Winners will be responsible to contact me with the necessary shipping information.
9. If one of the winners does not contact me within three days, then a new winner will be selected.
10. No kicks to the groin and home by dinner.
Even though it's a downer to not have any good tv aired from May to September, summer is a great time to watch the shows from seasons past. So for this edition of PoP, I thought it'd be fun to review my television selections from the summer.
Freaks & Geeks, The Complete Series
I ended up watching this whole thing twice because it's just that good. Set in 1980 Midwest USA, F&G so completely encapsulates the high school experience that it's painful to relive those memories again. I usually have no problem with watching awkward scenes, but during the course of F&G it was common for me to pause an episode half-way through just so I could make it through the rest. I mean that in a totally positive way, as the total sum of writing, situations, and peer relations adds up to one heck of a tv show. In case you ever need any insight into my personality, you only need to look no further than Lindsey Weir (Linda Cardellini). I have never found a girl more like myself in any form of media. Lindsey has a more developed rebellious streak, but had I been placed in her situation I would have turned out exactly the same. Exactly. Not even kidding, you guys. From the sarcasm, to the begrudging academic talent, to the desire to do something else, anything else with your life, and two well-meaning but sort of clueless parents and adoring younger brother, she really is my tv twin. To sum up: Watch this show for the realism. Watch it for Bill Haverchuck and Neal Schweiber. Watch it to remember just what it was like to be a teenager.
Wonderfalls, The Complete Season
As irritated as I get when good shows are canceled, there is something to be said for single-season masterpieces. Typically complete storylines, these shows are perfect gems, untainted by shark-jumping or meddling network execs. Wonderfalls is a prime example of this. Jaye Tyler is a Brown graduate with a degree in philosophy. Therefore, she now lives in a trailer park and works at a Niagra Falls souvenir shop. Disaffected 20-somethings represent! Oh yeah, and inanimate objects talk to her. Her family is Bluth-esque in that they're very bizarre and loveable at the same time. A larger budget and more episodes would have been nice, but it's quite good as is.
How I Met Your Mother, Season One and Two
I got into this show with the intention of watching a fun sitcom--one where I didn't have to troll for spoilers or worry about watching the episodes in a certain order. A tv show without commitment? Awesome!
Yeah, that worked out well for about six episodes or so. I fell head over heels in love with HIMYM. It combines the best elements of Friends and Scrubs to maximum effect. HIMYM is irreverant, witty, and the greatest thing to grace CBS since maybe ever. Ted Mosby, can I be the mother of your children? Please?
Wipeout, Select Episodes
My goodness, what a ridiculous concept for a tv show. "Let's have cash-hungry America be humiliated in as many ways as possible on the World's Largest Obstacle Course!" But of the few episodes (including, sadly enough, the faux awards show grossly called "The Wipies") I caught, I laughed so hard I maybe couldn't breathe. Lame. But super hilarious. I kind of hope it comes back for a second season.
Pushing Daisies, Season One
I hold so much affection for this little show in my heart. I watched it last fall, but recently snatched up the DVDs and managed to view all nine episodes this last weekend. It will forever be in my top five tv shows and not just because of Ned/Lee Pace.
PD is an expertly balanced blend of twee and macabre, kind of like the illegitimate love child of Tim Burton and Betsey Johnson. In the special features of the DVD, they talk about the importance of color. Everything is heavily saturated and relies on reds, golds, and greens, which represent life, spirituality, and growth. Gorgeously crafted and straight out of a fairy tale, it is all too wonderful to embrace the world of The Pie Maker. Chuck's inability to touch Ned is very easy to relate to, as I can't hug or kiss Ned either. I feel your pain, sister! Bryan Fuller is a master at blending the worlds of life and death. Heads up: Have pie at hand--you will crave it like crazy.
Currently watching: My So-Called Life and Dead Like Me
Seen anything good lately? I still plan on watching Buffy and probably Felicity after that. (Edit: Oh, and Alias! Thanks to AllTheWine for reminding me about that one.) Lost is going to wait until the end of the series. Also, I only saw a couple episodes, but Doogie Howser, M.D. is insanely funny. No, really!
Hi, I'm Gretchen and I'm an addict. Like most of us, there are recognizable steps in the progress of addiction. I was introduced as a child and soon began to put it ahead of other interests. Eventually, I found others who were the same and the enabling process began. I've been four months sober, but this is the week I fall off the wagon. (Or is it on the wagon?)
You see, I'm addicted to good television.
I'm thrilled to announce the First Annual TV Week here at Blog Headquarters. I'm planning a special Proselytizers of Pop for later today, as well as lists, recaps, and prizes. While it was my intention to kick things off yesterday, I happened to be out of town and vacations trump blogging. But never fear because it's gonna be legen...wait for it...
...DARY!
My love affair with television really started with Sabrina the Teenage Witch. There was this one episode where her bratty relative was going to turn her into a life-size doll and I had to miss it because of some lame family event. Needless to say, there were tears.
The second step was the summer the Lil' Bro and I borrowed the first few seasons of M*A*S*H from the library and would spend hours laughing our heads off. I think this was when I really fell in love with television. The humor of the 4077th was so timeless and you couldn't help but get attached to the characters. I may have not seen it when it first aired, but I can admit that I wept when Henry Blake died and that connects me to the millions of others who felt the same.
The final nail in my tv-loving coffin isn't hard to guess. I started obsessively watching The Office about halfway into the second season. That summer, propelled by the greatest season finale to ever grace tv, I tapped into the dangerous combination of tv fans and the internet. It was one of those joyous moments of "Wait, there are others out there like me? Let's be friends!" As my tastes and options expanded, I branched out to love so many shows.
Television connects stories and art, which happen to be my two of my very favorite things. It's only natural that I love it as much as I do. It allows for instant gratification, expansion and growth of characters, and the visual exploration of words. Even though nothing can ever replace the book, television challenges text. Television persuades, teaches, and entertains. Those can be used for evil, but just because something has the ability to be used for evil doesn't mean it always is.
Sunday was the 60th year of The Emmy Awards--the least-watched Emmys in history. It's ironic that the Academy decided to honor the hosts of reality television (who, BTW, sucked all the funny out of the room) while reality television is probably the cause of the low numbers. Not that all reality programming is bad, but every intriguing drama or comedy that gets canceled means yet another night of Deal or No Deal. Television isn't dead, but it means that those of us who appreciate it will have to fight just a little bit more. We're a rare breed, but some of us watch The Emmys with the dream that maybe one day, that will be us up there accepting the award for Best Writing in a Comedy Series.
Those who criticize and malign television don't know what they're missing, because there is so much greatness already produced and so much potential to be realized.
Basically, I'm just really glad it's September.
Ahoy! Today be the greatest day on yonder high seas...International Talk Like A Pirate Day! (Now infamous with a little help from that scurvy dog Dave Barry.)
(Tina Fey and the Bookaneers)
Get yer pirate name here and be dubbed somethin' fierce. Guard this knowledge well, me hearties!
Godspeed,
Marilyn the Malformed
