More on Tiger....

I'm glad Tiger apologized. I was to the point of giving up on him. He needed to come clean to me and the rest of society. He must never forget that he owes us.

Freddy

Kevin Smith dominating the news......REALLY?

 

Yeah, we get it.....Kevin Smith is fat. I still can't believe he was booted off a plane. It's not like they will be burying him in a piano crate. His weight has been all over the news for two days now. Isn't there anything else in the world going on that we may need to know more about? Since Bush left office, we hardly hear about Iraq anymore. Is Haiti "old news" now? What about Iran coming dangerously close to being a nuclear nation? I suppose those stories take a back seat to a film director who is on the B list and not on the tip of very many tongues around the world of celebrities. Don't get me wrong, I love his films, but why would I care how much he weighs and that he got kicked off an airplane? Is that news? 

One of the "magazine" shows tonight actually had a doctor look at some photos of Smith and guess how much he actually weighs. Huh? Why didn't they just call him and ask? The doctor called him morbidly obese. "MORBIDLY"???? 

OK....this is FAT!

 

And this is morbidly obese.

 

Wow....I'm disgusted by this picture and I actually picked it out. Well, the picture does make sense. I suppose her inhaling a salad wouldn't quite fit, would it?

OK, this is also morbidly obese.

 

What, only two cupcakes? 

What's the point of this blog? Hell, I don't know. Just tired of hearing about Kevin Smith's weight, when it's not even remotely important to anyone except for Smith (but that isn't too obvious), the national media, and Southwest Airlines. Why didn't they just ask him to sit in the cargo hold or tell him he should travel by train?

"Fat bottomed girls, you make the rockin' world go 'round"---Queen

Sitcoms & Lists

 

It's no secret among my friends that I love television.....more specifically movies. But, I do enjoy the occasional sitcom. I usually find out about them after they are long into their run or off the air and have to view the shows on DVD, which I love to do. When I finally discovered "The Sopranos", I went to Blockbuster and rented every season that was released and sat down for a weekend of therapy, f-bombs, and killing. That's just the only way to do it. No commercials. No waiting a week for a new episode. No waiting until autumn for a new season. Alright, back to the topic at hand; sitcoms.

When I was a kid, my mom and dad always watched "All In The Family" and "MASH". They are among the best sitcoms ever. "MASH" really holds up well to time, while "All In The Family" doesn't do quite as well.....but by any standard, it's a fine show and was very cutting edge in its' day. While I have watched various sitcoms on and off during my life, I hold some in high esteem, while others (even though I liked them) were shows I just passed time watching or was too young to realize that they sucked. I'm a big fan of doing lists, so I suppose that I'll turn this blog post into an article of lists.

My Very Favorite Top 5 Sitcoms

WKRP In Cincinnati: I used to love radio, before it went syndicated. WKRP caught the essence of small time radio, even though the show played out in a major market. Like any good sitcom, the characters were well developed and the actors fit their parts well. Dr. Johnny Fever is a TV icon and there are few well intentioned, serious minded screw ups that can match Less Nessman.

Arrested Development:  A gawddammed crime that this show was cancelled. There are few shows that are as funny and well written as "A.D." was. It's only grown in popularity since it's cancellation, as they are now developing a movie, with all the main characters coming back, including "Super Bad" star, Michael Cera. The cast was first rate and delivered the sarcastic and witty dialogue with precision and perfect timing. David Cross has never and will never, be in anything as insanely funny as this show.

Happy Days: Fonzie......the coolest character in the history of television. Enough said.

The Office (American Version): This is another show that hasn't gone over the top in popularity, but should. It's one of those shows that has an odd format and sometimes directly addresses the audience. It's an acquired taste, but if there is a smarter or a better written show on TV, I have yet to find it. This is another show with great character development, which drives the jokes that pay off week after week. 

Curb Your Enthusiasm:  Larry David (creator of "Seinfeld") is the star of this HBO show, which has had a really good six or seven year run. The show is very rude, abrasive, and hilarious. It doesn't take long into the first episode to see where "Seinfeld" got its' wit, charm, and absurd mannerisms. HBO does great television.

Honorable Mention

Leave It To Beaver

Scrubs

30 Rock

Seinfeld

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Dr.Katz

Sanford & Son

Cheers

My Three Sons

South Park

The Most Underrated Sitcoms EVER!!

Freaks & Geeks: This show was created by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin) and employed future film actors Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, Jason Segal, and James Franco. The show takes place in the mid-80's and is worked around high school and teenage traumas. The show had a stellar cast and frankly, I don't see how this show was not a hit. FOX, which has always been a risk taker with programming, canned this show after one year.

Undeclared:  Once again to the Judd Apatow well. This was his second shot at having a hit show. It was also cancelled after one season. The program was sort of like "Freaks & Geeks" goes to college, starring several actors from the aforementioned program. Jay Baruchel (Tropic Thunder, Knocked Up) was fantastic as the heart and soul of the program, but Seth Rogen and Jason Segal also provided plenty of laughs. Singer/songwriter Loudon Wainwright also had a recurring role as the divorced father of Baruchels character.

My Name Is Earl: How in the hell this show got the axe is beyond me. The program was a breath of fresh air and along with "The Office" showed that NBC wasn't scared of taking some risks and changing the face of sitcoms. The show was shot like a movie and featured characters that strayed in and out of Earl's world. How can you not like a show about a former failed criminal trying to make amends with those he has wronged? Especially when those wronged are the biggest band of hilarious misfits to be on television since Malcolm's (Malcolm In The Middle) schoolmates.

The Worst Sitcoms I Have Ever Laid Eyes On

The Nanny:  Fran Dresher. Do I need another reason? I'd rather be hate raped by Fabio than hear the whiny, nasally, abrasive sounds that come out of her cake hole. I guess she calls it a voice.

Full House: Simply because it gave us Bob Saget and the creepy assed Olson twins. I hated them as babies almost as much as I hate them as the ghoulish looking, incestuous siblings that they currently are. The sad thing is, the kids on the show were far funnier than the adult cast. 

Family Affair:  I like Uncle Bill.....he did the best he could. But, really, the butler, Mr.French, raised the kids. And what a terrible little twosome they were. Buffy and Jody. Little manipulative puds. I swear if I ever find a Mrs. Beasley doll, I'm going to buy it, just to watch it burn.

So there it is. In all its' glory. My sitcom blog! 

"You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have, the facts of life, the facts of life."-- The Facts Of Life Theme Song

He's A Thriller

I recently sat down and watched "This Is It", on the recommendation of a friend. This film is sort of documentary style and it follows the rehearsals at the Staple Center in L.A. for Michael Jacksons concerts that were to take place in London. I thought the film would dabble a little into his past, but it pretty much stayed with his preparation for the concerts.

Many things struck me about the film, but first and foremost is the fact that this didn't look like a man who was out of it and weeks away from death. Jackson was in top form. He was doing all the moves. He was hitting all the notes. He was having fun. You always hear about how he didn't like to touch people and all that and there is nothing in the film that would lead you to believe that he wasn't like any other entertainer (except for his physical appearance from plastic surgery). What I learned from the movie is that the man was a perfectionist and worked very hard.

Again, I really have to believe that the doctors totally had him messed up with the medications he was apparently taking. He was working out with Lou Ferrigno to get in shape. He was working with the band (no, not drum machines and tape loops), giving them feedback and he was training the dancers, which all were enthralled with getting to work with a legend.

If you are even just a casual fan of Michael Jackson you are likely to enjoy this film. He does the hits, "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Black or White", "Thriller", etc., and he does them with care, emotion, and near perfection. Sure, Jackson had his troubles and bizarre ways, but there is no denying his talent or work ethic. I would have loved to have seen this show in its' finished state, with all the bells, whistles, and trademark Michael Jackson moves.But, since that will never happen, this is the next best thing. Seeing Jackson at age 50 doing his thing and loving it. 

"...and no message could have been any clearer. If you wanna make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make that change."--- Man In The Mirror-Michael Jackson

American Compassion

What's with all the people pissing and moaning about us helping out in Haiti? I truly believe that any time people are suffering in the world, we are obligated to help them. Not just as citizens of the USA, but as human beings. I don't like that we have people in our own country who don't have shelter or enough to eat. I know there are lots of folks that are going through terrible ordeals of abuse and/or neglect. But that doesn't mean we don't need to share our resources and compassion with others around the globe.

Many people don't realize that over 40% of the population in Haiti are under the age of 18. Half the buildings in the country sustained damage or were destroyed. How can we even beging to justify that we shouldn't get involved? I know this may be overkill, me talking about Haiti again, but I've just read a few things lately that are hard to swallow. We may be Americans, but we are human beings first and if we can't see others that way, we might just as well be blind. We are Americans and to me that means being the first to help in a crisis or defend those who can't defend themselves. Look at how much the Muslim world hates us. But you know what, everytime there is oppression or aggression against citizens in Muslim nations, we usually run to their defense. And rightly so. I wish we were quicker and more active in helping African nations who are seeing faux military powers eradicate certain religious groups or nationalities.

Well, that's my peace on the subject. I'm sure there are people who will disagree with me on this, but when you search your heart, you know it's not right to let anyone, anywhere suffer, simply because they do not share our nationality.