It's been awhile since I'd last snuggled up in my blue-striped pajamas, glasses and retainers in and curled up on the couch in my living room watching our big screen TV. When I did exactly that the other night, nostalgia kicked in.
As a child and grandchild of immigrants, growing up, our household TV was constantly on, as my grandparents and parents watched to learn English, to pass the time, and to satiate that fascination by the stories that can come out of the little square box. Our show of choice was I Love Lucy (probably because it was always on) and I think I have watched every episode of that six-seasons series. My grandparents and I would talk about Lucy's hilarious hijinks and bond over something our otherwise 60-years age gap might not have allowed for.
So for me, watching TV wasn't only something to pass the time. It was an experience, a ritual, a code of conduct.
In college, I lost the habit and the laptop became my main source for fulfilling my TV shows-viewing quota. OMg, to actually set aside a particular time and drag my way to the living room couch and turn on the TV? That's caveman behavior. And what do I do during the commercial breaks? Go get chips? Give me a break.
Nope, more and more, I would just stay hidden under my bedsheets, store up an insane amount of TV shows for the week and Hulu or DVD it. I don't watch TV shows with anyone else anymore. Don't share in the same viewing experience and talk about the shows at the time we're watching it, only afterwards. Partaking in television watching the other night made me realize how much I miss that experience. I do believe I want to experience it more. Won't you join me?
Oh, and if I still haven't convinced you to shut off that laptop and reach for the remote, maybe Mr. Horrible can...
1) How I Met Your Mother scored a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series!
Maybe it was Britney's guest stints. Maybe it was the increasingly hilarious jokes continually reinforced through the episodes (Sven? Slap bet?). Maybe it was the true-to-heart story-lines, from getting your heart broken at the altar (oops, spoiler) to babying today's generation of kids Maybe it's because this show just freakin' rules.
Friends had to build a following at the start and now, it's... Friends. I have no doubt Mother will follow suit(up). I can't wait until the day where it's... Mother.
2) Double Trouble: Neil Patrick Harris is host and nominee!
The reason why I still laugh when I watch on TV, (and not because it's reality TV, which I find a joke gone wrong, even though he does joke... you get what I mean.)
And the joking has already begun! Look at what he replied in regards to his nom:
"Being asked to host the show—terrific. Getting a third nomination—fantastic. Having the ability to scribble my name in the envelope backstage when no one is looking—priceless"."
3) 30 Rock scored the most nominations ever for a comedy series with a whopping 22 Emmy nods.
I've already declared my love for this show many moons ago but it's nice to see this constant underdog go through puberty and end up the star quarterback on the football team who's won 22 championships, no less. Liz Lemon FTW!
The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on September 20 on CBS.
It's probably not the coolest thing to admit this but I adore the Disney Channel.
With their bubble-gum pop tween stars and cheesy lines and phony laugh tracks, the Disney Channel, in my sugar-coated opinion, has some of the most amusing shows on air right now. Selena Gomez casts a spell on "The Wizards of Wizardly Place" and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" fills me with giggles over the twins' crazy antics.
But before the "It's A Gas Production" perfected this formula of creating zany sitcoms with kids dressed in crazy clothes and speaking lines one might hear in "I Love Lucy" or "Friends," there were a different breed of shows on the Disney Channel. Shows like "Flash Forward" and "The Torkelsons" were a little more somber, the acting a little more natural and the characters a little less endearing but all the more lovable.
My favorite show though was the incomparable "Even Stevens"
Goofball Louis propelled actor Shia Labeouf to superstardom as the talented actor with Tom Hanks' "Everyman" appeal stars in Indiana Jones movies and the ginormous "Transformers" summer franchise.
But as awesome as Shia and his Optimus Prime is, it's always been Ren, played by Christy Carlson Romano, that was my favorite. Uptight, excessively stylish, an ambitious perfectionist go-getter, Ren was exactly the girl I strived to be. (Hey, beats having Hannah Montana as your role model, ok??) I'm even going into broadcast journalism because Ren worked on her school's television station on the show. (Ok, I would never base my life career decision on a television show, ok?! Or would I...)
Now, it's been about 6 years since the show has gone off air and while Shia is off showing off his newfound status as a "movie star" or whatever, Christy is doing this...
The latest blunder by yet another beauty queen has been making the internet rounds these days. At the Miss USA pageant a couple of days ago, Miss California was held under fire for answering Perez Hilton's question about how she feels about gay marriage by calling it "opposite marriage" and then going on to say that she thinks marriage should be between a man and a woman. Most people seemed to show outrage on the "opposite marriage" comment, passing her off as yet another ditz who has no idea what she's talking about.
Normally, I'd be the first one to catch wind of this news and probably have the infamous speech memorized already so that I can re-tell the story to my friends and acquaintances (I'm kind of a gossip girl like that) but there's been so many of these that I didn't even pay close attention to the story for the past few days.
But a couple of minutes ago, I finally watched the Youtube video (shown above).
First thought: "What the hell, I KNOW HER!!"
...flashback...
The year was 2004. It was sweltering hot at the Fresno Convention Center where over 100 girls and their various pageant parents and coaches gathered for the orientation of the Miss California USA and Miss California Teen USA 2004 Pageant. I was overwhelmed by all the flowered sun dresses and heavily hair-sprayed blonde tresses. Me in my stark blue and white retro-printed polka dot top and jet black straight hair seemed so out of place, with my petite mom beside me. Some girls seemed to have already known each other, catching up and giggling over this and that as they waited in line to sign in. I turned to the girl behind me.
"Hi, I'm Janice, what's your name?"
The girl beamed a toothsome grin and very easy-goingly replied, "Caroline. Caroline Prejean but you can call me Carrie."
She was from Southern California (San Diego) and it was also her first time competing in Miss Teen California USA pageant but that was pretty much where our similarities ended. For the rest of the weekend, she racked up so much popularity points, making friends with all the "cool" pageant girls and I mainly tried to disappear into a wall. Caroline-excuse me-Carrie went on to score second place in the pageant. She was a favored shoo-in to take the crown but her last question screwed her over (deja vu...).
...end flashback...
When I first saw the video, I didn't even recognize her. This girl is my age! But she looks like she's 30! And when I heard her speak, gone was the mellow and breezy San Diego tomboy I remembered and in her place was this Nashville cowgirl. Where did she pick up that twang from?
As for her actual claim to 15 minutes of fame speech? I do find that she made a mistake in saying "opposite marriage" because it shows a lack of knowledge on her part on the terminologies of one of the hottest topics in society today but I feel like she is entitled to say how she feels about the subject that was asked of her. I even give her props for saying how she feels even though she is aware of the state she is representing and who is asking her the question (Perez is homosexual and one of her judges.) I don't personally agree with her convictions but I find her respectable to be able to speak her mind.
Perez has been very open in his reaction to Miss California, calling her a "dumb b*tch," and even Prejean's own pageant managers including Shanna Moakler, former pageant queen and ex-wife of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, have turned their backs on her but on the other hand, she has been given invitations to speak with FOX and various other news outlets and it's also rumored that she is now dating Michael Phelps (maybe he doesn't believe in opposite marriage either?) I don't know whether this will be beneficial or harmful to Prejean and her career in the future but as for now, it is what it is. I still finding it weird that I knew her. Who's the next tabloid fodder that I'm going to know?
I have a need to share with the world my passions and interests and hope that they will also enjoy it. Hence, this blog is born- to showcase some of the things I'm most fascinated with.
Most of the posts relate to the media as it relates to me. (Blame the early twenties neurosis of thinking the world revolves around you).
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