I haven't had time to devote to the blog recently, but I have a good excuse: TV. Since my last post, I watched the first half of Season 1 of the original Beverly Hills, 90210 and the first eight episodes of Gossip Girl. Now, while I wait for discs 3 and 4 of GG on Netflix, I write.
Watching these two shows back to back is pretty fascinating. The parallels are never-ending, but the one notable discrepancy is that in the 90s, the dorky cute guy had not yet made an appearance in teen soaps. So while we have the Brandon/Nate and Dylan/Chuck parallels, GG's Dan is definitely a character of the 2000s. Although something tells me Chuck wouldn't be caught dead wearing overalls with one strap undone. Only Luke Perry can pull that off.
The development from 90210 and the rest of its cohort to Gossip Girl (with Dawson's Creek somewhere in between) is crazy. What people thought was scandalous in 1990 isn't even a blip on the radar in 2009. Yet the people who create these teen soaps manage to continue to push the envelope...and it is awesome. But I definitely won't ever let my children watch television.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Episode 221
Good news! Top Chef has come to its senses -- at least for this season -- and no longer employs Padma, the worst television host in history, second only to you-know-who. Do you really want this person hosting a show that is supposed to display actual culinary expertise?
And as the new season of The Next Food Network Star has begun, I remember why it works, even though it's cheesy. In Top Chef, it's a bunch of people who can cook, but most of whom are total d-bags or really bitchy -- so it's fun to watch, but for the wrong reasons. The Next Food Network Star is fun in a less conscience-gripping way, because the people are actually pleasant, for the most part. Moral of the story: Fabio should have chosen The Food Network, not Bravo.
And as the new season of The Next Food Network Star has begun, I remember why it works, even though it's cheesy. In Top Chef, it's a bunch of people who can cook, but most of whom are total d-bags or really bitchy -- so it's fun to watch, but for the wrong reasons. The Next Food Network Star is fun in a less conscience-gripping way, because the people are actually pleasant, for the most part. Moral of the story: Fabio should have chosen The Food Network, not Bravo.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Episode 220
I just experienced the best 9 minutes and 31 seconds of my summer. It's too bad it will all be downhill from here, but it was worth it. Zack Morris makes an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and it is absolute brilliance.
There is a small group of people that actually know exactly what Zack Morris is talking about throughout that whole interview (I particularly liked his shout-out to growing up in Indiana and then moving to California with his two best friends...and his principal). I'm going to estimate this group as those who were born between the years 1980 and 1986 (if you have any objections, let me know). This is particularly the most loyal fans, those who followed "the gang" through Jr. High, high school, college, and all of the various summer, wedding, and vacation specials. I mean, how many different island babes will Slater date before he finds the right one?
And apropos to my most recent post, I like that Zack hasn't forgotten his 1502 SAT score that made him Stansbury material...the Harvard of the West. You'd think that's the kind of thing they only say on sitcoms. You'd be wrong.
There is a small group of people that actually know exactly what Zack Morris is talking about throughout that whole interview (I particularly liked his shout-out to growing up in Indiana and then moving to California with his two best friends...and his principal). I'm going to estimate this group as those who were born between the years 1980 and 1986 (if you have any objections, let me know). This is particularly the most loyal fans, those who followed "the gang" through Jr. High, high school, college, and all of the various summer, wedding, and vacation specials. I mean, how many different island babes will Slater date before he finds the right one?
And apropos to my most recent post, I like that Zack hasn't forgotten his 1502 SAT score that made him Stansbury material...the Harvard of the West. You'd think that's the kind of thing they only say on sitcoms. You'd be wrong.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Episode 219
The entire significance behind my blog has suddenly been undermined. This blog was born out of spite for the many pretentious Stanford people who scoffed at the fact that I had time to watch television. But now I am realizing that even television itself has a idealized vision of Stanford.
Both DJ Tanner and Jessie Spano want nothing else their senior year except to attend [gasp] Stanford University. That's the problem with these west-coast set sitcoms, they act as though Stanford is all that exists. I know for a fact that none of the Dawson's Creekers (not even "I'm fourth" Joey) even thought about going to Stanford, and something tells me that the Gossip Girl kids haven't either: normal east coast people would much rather be an English major at NYU than a d-bag major* at Stanford.
Moral of the story, Stanford is so early 90s. Let's move on, people. 30 Rock has the right idea.
*Disclaimer: I refer only to the graduate degree of d-bag; I can't speak for the undergrads.
Both DJ Tanner and Jessie Spano want nothing else their senior year except to attend [gasp] Stanford University. That's the problem with these west-coast set sitcoms, they act as though Stanford is all that exists. I know for a fact that none of the Dawson's Creekers (not even "I'm fourth" Joey) even thought about going to Stanford, and something tells me that the Gossip Girl kids haven't either: normal east coast people would much rather be an English major at NYU than a d-bag major* at Stanford.
Moral of the story, Stanford is so early 90s. Let's move on, people. 30 Rock has the right idea.
*Disclaimer: I refer only to the graduate degree of d-bag; I can't speak for the undergrads.
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