Pop Off of the Week

Ragan Rachel

Big Brother 12, for the most part, was a Master Class on failure. There were many reasons why I couldn’t get into the show like I usually do, but I think the biggest reason was the casting. Ragan and Britney aside, I found most of the cast, as edited and portrayed on TV, to be quite insufferable - particularly Brendon and Rachel, who on numerous occasions made me want to simultaneously vomit and stick a jackhammer in my temple.

 That said, there were a few gems that came from the season (and afterwards… oh, herwo “Penisgate” lolol) One of these gems was hands down the best fight of the season, and arguably one of the best fights of the entire summer TV schedule. This fight between Ragan and Rachel was a long time in the making, and when Rachel was released by Pandora’s Box into the house, all hell broke loose. The Big Brother house makes crazy people even crazier and unstable, so it was natural that Ragan would inevitably lose his shit. Thank God he took his wrath out on Rachel because this fight borders on brilliant. The way Rachel comes at Ragan, all annoying and condescending like, makes Ragan’s absolute verbal assault of her so much sweeter.

Ragan’s claws come out and he starts diva snapping all over the place. Meow bitch. Meeooow!


The action really starts around the 2:00 mark, but if you want to see some of the build up go ahead and watch it all.

Take it as a tip, and learn from it!

.pop off at me.

Badadadadadada….GLEE!

GLEE! is now in its second season and it’s continuing to grow and gain momentum. If you’re not watching the show, die. Just kidding. But seriously, you need to be. Most people (guys in particular) who don’t watch the show generally refer to it as gay or whatever. Yes, Glee is over the top. Yes, there are gay characters. Yes, people sing and dance. And YES, the show is great. If people genuinely don’t like the show because they don’t find it funny (child please) or don’t care for the music (considering they sing almost all styles) fine. But, to not watch the show, or even give it a chance because of the “gayness” of because of how over the top it is, then that’s just absurd.

Glee is hands down one of the best comedies on TV. Critics agree with this statement given the fact that Glee garnered 19 Emmy nominations – more than any other TV show save The Pacific – and also best acting nods for many of its lead characters. Although Glee isn’t a traditional comedy in the vein of How I Met Your Mother or 30 Rock, it still brings in the LOLs just as effectively as its more traditional brethren.

One of the strengths of Glee is definitely the writing. In my opinion, Glee has the best comedic writing on TV. Sure, Modern Family might make my roflcopter whoop whoop louder, but I think the wit, creativity, and delivery of Glee’s writing is second to none. For examples of said writing, check out the GleeQuotes Twitter. So far this season the writers are really killin it, and Brittany’s character has had some awesome one-liners (not to mention a ferocious episode devoted to her). Speaking of that episode, my god, Heather Morris’ body is on point! Photographic evidence found below:

morris

Because of copyright laws the video of “I’m a Slave For You” isn’t on YouTube and Fox doesn’t allow embedding. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. The video can be found: HERE

That being said, you didn’t think I was going to keep on with this love fest, did you? Considering the fact that I hate everything, this wouldn’t be Poppin Off without a bit of hatred. I’m definitely critical about some aspects of the show. Although it’s wildly entertaining, it’s far from perfect.

First, the tribute episodes. For some reason people tend to lose their shit over these. Yes, the music is good, but the episodes as a whole are garbage. Part of what makes the music in Glee so effective is that the music is used to DRIVE the story. With the tribute episodes this model gets flipped and I feel like the story becomes a stretch because they have to try and make the story fit the music, instead of having the music propel the story. As awesome as the Britney Spears episode may have been in your head, think about how ridiculous the episode actually was in the context of the show.

Second, the guest appearances are getting out of hand. After Glee became a pop culture phenomenon it seemed like everyone wanted to be a part of it. J-Lo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Javier Bardem, John Stamos? Give me a break. The show should be about the main cast – Sue, Schue, Puck, Finn, Quinn, Artie, and so on. With all of these guest appearances (which are starting to border on stunt casting) the main storylines get diluted instead of enhanced. Hopefully I’m wrong and Ryan Murphy finds a way to seamlessly integrate all these celebrities who have no business being on the show.

Finally, how does a band magically appear out of nowhere whenever someone starts singing? If someone knows the answer, by all means…

.pop off at me.

BRB. Whippin my Hair

My fellow pop culture enthusiasts, don’t revolt against me, but, I only just now watched the video for “Whip My Hair” If you haven’t seen it, here it is:

Holy ferocity. Speaking of ferociousness…


Lil Willow (Really Will and Jada? Willow? Really..?) Smith is GETTIN’ it in this video. She be whippin that hair and shuttin it down. It’s beyond impressive. And to think, she’s only 269 years old.

The whole video in my opinion is perfection. Since she’s so young I really like that the vibe of the video is fun and youthful. It’s clear her neck hasn’t fully developed yet cause lord knows if an old bitch tried whippin her hair like that she’d throw something out. That aside though, the part where Willow starts steppin and has that curled lip, I’m the baddest chick, super swag style thing goin on. GET IT.

This bodes well for her future, and I hope that whoever is producing for her can capitalize on the funk and style of this song and take it further. She could be very successful, and you know she aint about to fizzle out with parents like Will and Jada. She reminds me of a little Beyonce in this video…

Speaking of Beyonce, if this were her song – she. would. murder it. I can’t even imagine. If she started whippin her hair (Grammy’s performance style) oh… my.

.pop off at me.

I’m Not Dead

dead

Fear not my relentlessly devoted followers, my legions of readers anxiously awaiting and salivating over every new post, my faithful adherents who consume this blog like a pack of Twihards…I’m not dead!

But seriously, to the three of you who actually read this: I’m still alive and kickin.

While I might not be dead, there was a time when this blog was hanging by a thread – on life support, if you will. Ultimately, I lost the motivation to write. If I’m being self-reflective here, I think it was because I wanted this blog to be an active place for me to comment about not only my thoughts on TV, but also about my thoughts on pop culture as a whole. After a while I realized that this was a daunting undertaking; one I wasn’t prepared to accept – particularly because to my estimation nobody was reading. Not only that, but why would anyone frequent this blog when there are so many other places doing the same thing with much higher levels of devotion and content production. Essentially, all of this combined into me losing the desire to pop off. A horrific thought, I know.

So, instead of pulling the plug on the blog I thought to myself, “How can I become motivated again?” Finally, the answer came to me: Restructuring! What does this mean for the content of the site? Basically, I’m shifting the focus slightly. Instead of holding myself to the absurd expectation of trying to pop off about everything, including the ridiculous amounts of TV I watch, I’m instead just going to pop off about whatever I feel like.

When it comes down to it though, a lot of the focus will still probably be on entertainment, TV, and pop culture. From a mental standpoint though, knowing I have the freedom to be creative with what I write is much more liberating, and motivating. Also, I think with my humor and wit (or lack thereof?) I feel that by shifting the approach slightly the site may have a broader appeal.

So, will I pop off about Glee? Probably. Trashy TV? Sure. But maybe if I feel like poppin off about how I find drunken freshmen to be insufferable, or how having graying balls sucks, then so be it. Ultimately, I’m removing the constraints on the blog and will pop off about whatever the F I feel like.

Let’s get poppin, shall we?

.pop off at me.

So You Think You Can Dance: Performance Finale

We’ve come to the end of the experiment known as Season 7 of SYTYCD and I have to say I think it was a success on many levels. First, as I’ve said before, not having a Top 20 really trimmed the fat and suck from the beginning half of the season. This year the dancers weren’t stuck in awful partnerships and we didn’t have to endure some truly heinous routines. Also, the talent level was much higher this year, particularly with the Top 7. It was much more competitive and we really got to know the dancers and their personality better. Not to mention, we got to see everyone dance with each other on multiple occasions, including some amazing, and awkward, guy on guy dances.

Finally, the last successful part of Season 7 was bringing the All-Stars back and having some of my favorites return. Lauren, Kathryn, Allison, Neil, Courtney, Comfort, Pasha, Mark, and Anya. Love. I’m glad you’re relevant again.

Now, lets pop off about this finale, shall we? The final three contestants are Kent, Robert, and Lauren. I’m happy with these three and think they were the best out of what was left. I truly wish Alex and Ashley hadn’t gotten hurt as they were two of my favorites and I would have been just as happy with either of them in the finale. I’m looking forward to Alex coming back next year and taking a giant shit on everyone else, but I digress.

Of the final three, I think everyone knows who’s going to win, which is a little unfortunate. Kent has been whored out as the favorite basically from the beginning, and especially after Alex got hurt. I’ll be shocked if Kent doesn’t win. I’m betting the tweens came out in full force on this one.

Personally, I’m a big fan of Robert and Lauren. I’d be happy if either of them won. I think Lauren has the best solos and I feel Robert has gotten a shit ton better as the seasons progressed. At first I was wary of Robert because he was a little too goofy, and I got annoyed with his shock and awe faces. His mouth was always open and his eyes were always wide like a fat load was shot in his eye and caught him by surprise. Maybe him and Kent have something in common here. Hah.

In terms of the content of the finale, I was severely underwhelmed and disappointed. For a performance finale I was expecting a whole lot more than what I got. To be honest, I can’t really think of any routines that were particularly memorable. They were all just okay, but nothing had me saying “Wow. That shit was fire.” If I’m wrong, pop off at me because I can’t think of anything.

I truly thought that we’d see a return of Mary Murphy on the performance finale and it’s a damn shame she didn’t choreograph anything for the contestants this season. My theory is that Nigel Lythgoe, being the egotistical control freak he is, didn’t want her coming back and overshadowing him. But, without Mary the judging panel is lamer than a retirement community sex party.

Here’s to hoping she comes back for Season 8. Choo Choo!

.pop off at me.

MEMPHIS!

I’m making another departure from the depths of television hell to write about something of substance and class: the Great White Way.

Last week I went to New York City, and when I go to the city I make it a priority to catch a Broadway show. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to see, so I figured I’d make it easy on myself and see whatever won Best Musical at the 2010 Tony Awards. What a great decision that was.

I saw MEMPHIS!and am so happy I did. It’s easily one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen, and I had an absolute blast from beginning to end. The combination of the story, the music, and the acting resulted in a truly magnificent show. The music was an unbelievable mixture of blues, R&B, rock and roll, gospel, and more. This mixture made the music so infectious, and more often than not I was tapping my foot, nodding my head, and clapping along. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe how much I enjoyed this musical.

Briefly, the story is about a white radio DJ, Huey, in 1950s Memphis who loves black music, or as it was called then “race music.” He meets a black club singer, Felicia, and tells her he’s going to play her music on the middle of the radio dial. True to his promise, he gets her on the radio, and the two fall in love. MEMPHIS! tells such a deep story about how music, and more importantly love, should know no color. Not only is the story poignant for the 1950s, but it also applies to what’s going on in America right now as people fight for equality.

This video is the cast of MEMPHIS! performing “Steal your Rock ‘N’ Roll” at the 2010 Tony Awards.

Here is a video montage of various clips and songs from MEMPHIS!

Finally, I wanted to include the video of MEMPHIS! winning for Best Musical, and the performance that followed their win. The genuine joy and enthusiasm the cast displays after winning is inspiring, and it makes my black heart swell a bit watching. If the ending of “Steal your Rock ‘N’ Roll” doesn’t make you want to clap along then shame.

By all means, if you’re in New York City and are looking for a show I couldn’t have any higher recommendations than I do for MEMPHIS! In my opinion it’s a must see. You won’t be disappointed.

Hockadoo!

.pop off at me.

Big Brother Update - ZzzzzzZ

I don’t think I’ve blogged about Big Brother since the premiere because, well, nothing has really happened.

I thought I’d be posting after every episode, watching the feeds, (thank God I didn’t buy them) and be thoroughly wrapped up in the drama and backstabbing. That obviously hasn’t transpired. These first three weeks have been quite lackluster and I’m begging that something happens soon to spice up the house and bring the drama. Something like Annie coming back because we all know the houseguests are being sequestered. I mean, they could bring back Monet (or even the others voted out pre-jury house) but nobody would make quite the splash that Annie would. And hopefully they don’t give the HGs the option to vote on who comes back in the house like previous seasons. Speaking of Annie, how funny is it that CBS’ big twist of the summer got shit out and flushed the first week.

I’m praying that if Annie does come back in the house she automatically gets HOH and then can have a reign of terror on the Brigay. Speaking of the Brigay, in my Meet the Houseguests post I said that Enzo, Lane, Hayden, and Brendon would have some horrible Bro Nation alliance. I was pretty close. If Brenda weren’t such a pussy it probably would have happened. I don’t mind that there’s a dudes alliance, but I think The Brigade is a horribly retarded name. Also, they haven’t done anything yet so there’s no reason for them to be all hype and cocky. If Annie doesn’t come back, my next wish is that this Kristen/Hayden hoemance blows up on the Brigay and the alliance implodes and goes after each other. Matt and Enzo vs. Lane and Hayden ftw.

As far as actual game play, it’s almost as bad as the hoemances and general inactivity. Voting out Annie and not getting rid of a KNOWN Alliance between Brendon and Rachel made no sense. Not to mention, it subjected the audience to more of Blahchel’s suicide inducing relationship. Then for Rachel to make it personal and nominate Britney and Monet, who may have posed a threat (but then again EVERYONE was coming after her and Brenda, except maybe Andrew) didn’t make sense.

In my mind, if you know you’re the target then take out another strong player. What do I know though? I haven’t been in the house and can’t comprehend what it’s like.

The only game play that I actually agree with is Matt. He knows everyone is going after Brenda and Rachel so he says “yah yah yah we’ll backdoor them,” while simultaneously taking out floaters if something goes wrong. We know that Brenda is a competition beast so by Matt not having the blood on his hands he can say in the future, “Look, I didn’t nominate you and saved you both, do the same for me.” I just wish he weren’t such a cocky douche. Like, gtfo.

We’ll see what happens tomorrow. As much as I really hate to say this, I kind of hope Brendon wins HOH and goes after the Brigay, simply for entertainment sake.

At this point in time, I have my money on Matt or Ragan for the win - it’s still early though, but, I like where they’re at. I particularly like Ragan’s position, especially if he can form a late Alliance, or latch on to someone in the Brigay until they implode.

America’s Got Talent: First 8 Semi-Finalists

America’s Got Talent fills the void in my life that American Idol leaves me with during the summer (although, this summer that void was relatively small due to the horrificness of Idol).

What I like about AGT is the same thing that I dislike about it. It’s a talent competition for everyone, including singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and more. The good thing about this is that it brings exposure to acts that otherwise would remain in obscurity. But, in order for the show to be diverse, they put through some bogus ass acts. I can live with watching garbage though if it means I get to see some truly talented people.

The “diversity” of acts isn’t that big of a deal, but there are two other things that really bug me. The first is that cheesinass goober lookin clown Nick Cannon. He doesn’t necessarily do anything wrong, but his hosting skills don’t seem genuine and come off a little forced. There are moments where his comedic chops pull him through, but as a host, he’s no Cat Deely. The second thing that bothers me are the singers. There have certainly been very talented singers, and AGT is a great place to showcase older, or specialized types, such as Opera singers. But, the run of the mill twenty something singers usually aren’t good…at all. If they were, they’d be on American Idol (or saving their talents for the X-Factor, which I can’t wait for!) Oh, and don’t get me started on America voting through these people with sob stories who can’t sing. Uggggh.

So, with that off my chest, lets pop off about the semi-finalists. To date, we’ve seen 36 of 48 quarterfinalists and know 8 of the acts that have made it through to the semi-finals.

The first group of semi-finalists includes:

Nathaniel Kenyon

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Remember me talking about America pissing me off and voting through people who can’t sing? Prime example. For whatever reason the judges laud these acts and the producers give them gobs of screen time and puts them in the pimp slot. Whatever. I’m not impressed with him.

Fighting Gravity


In my opinion, this is the group to beat. Lest people forget, the show is trying to find an act that can headline in Vegas. This is exactly the type of act that’s compelling enough, and interesting enough, that if given the budget and production value could put on a sick show. To an extent it reminds me of the Blue Man Group and I could see this act doing well. I think they’re the ones to beat until I see otherwise.

Christina & Ali


Ugh. Again. These girls are talented, but they can’t SING. And when I mean sing, I mean saaaang. Their story is inspiring and pulls at the icicles surrounding my heart, but are they talented enough to move on? No!

Future Funk


These little funkified dudes are the shit. Their moves weren’t the tightest or the most in-synch, but it doesn’t matter. Watching these little pint-sized breakers brought a smile to my face and I couldn’t help but cheer them on. Go on withcho bad selves lil pimps.

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The second group of semi-finalists includes:

Michael Grimm


Michael Grimm is one of the singers who I actually like. He may be a bit old for the American Idol route, which is why AGT is a good fit for him. He’s passionate about the music he’s playing and he has a nice tone to his voice. I agree with the judges that there’s a bit of a disconnect between him and the audience, but that can easily be fixed the more he performs. I think he’ll be in the finals.

Alice Tan Ridley


Phewwee! Now she can sang! And her story is fantastic too. Precious’ moms?! I see you. These are the kind of singers that I truly appreciate and enjoy on America’s Got Talent. She’s clearly talented, she has a great background, and is a joy to watch on stage. Again, of the “singers” that have made it through I think she’ll be a finalist.

AscenDance


This act is like Fighting Gravity for me. A truly original and captivating act. Actually, AscenDance is even moreso original because we’ve seen a similar thing to Fighting Gravity with the extreme Matrix ping-pong, or whatever it’s called, that blew up on YouTube a few years ago. I’ve never seen anything like AscenDance and I really enjoy it. Like Piers said, this is another act that if given the budget and production could be really cool to watch in Vegas.

Antonio Restivo


He’s an emotional wreck and a little unstable. Perfect for what he does. It doesn’t do anything for me though.

Now…what I WOULD have loved to see is

HANNIBAL MEANS!


You all know I love me some over-the-top, obnoxious, hot mess, crazy, right? Well, that is Hannibal Means personified. Watch and enjoy!


 

Like… what? Whaat?! WHAT?! I can’t even comprehend how brilliant that is. The fact that people like Hannibal Means actually exists? God, I love America.

Here’s his audition for your enjoyment.


I wish the producers could bring him back as a wild card. Or better yet, give him his own show.

Brilliant.

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Last night 12 more acts performed and tonight four more go through. We’ll see who it is. Off the top of my head, nobody particularly stood out so I guess I don’t really care. We’ll pop off about it later.

.pop off at me.

Pop Off of the Week

It’s been a minute since my last POW, and I apologize. To make up for it, I’m bringing you two this week, both from the classiest of the trash Teresa Giudice.

Before I go further, let me preface with this: I fully admit that I watch some particularly awful television. You all know I get endless entertainment from watching a televised train wreck or a whirlwind of mess week in and week out. However, I’ve never really gotten into the Real Housewives franchise. Given the TV that I do watch, it seems like a no-brainer that I’d watch this nonsense, but I definitely don’t on a regular basis. It’s likely because the casts have just become insufferable. I don’t know.

Moving on.

Teresa, and her lack of a forehead, generally kills me whenever I watch the RHONJ. Two moments stand out in particular. The first is from a few weeks ago.

Allow me to set the scene: Teresa and Jacqueline go to a country club, probably at the behest of the producers, and what do you know, Danielle is there too! And the nonsense and madness ensues. Gotta love producers.

So, Teresa goes to talk to Danielle and they start fighting. The best shit happens when goes Teresa sprinting through the country club calling Danielle a “Coke whore bitch!” and then Jacqueline’s daughter rips out Danielle’s weave. Lmao. Pop off bitches.

The second clip is, in my opinion, reality TV gold. I don’t even need to set the scene. It makes me die over and over and over again. Prostitution whore!

But the best part (prostitution whore table flip aside) is how after Teresa comes back from Planet Crazy, she kisses her husband, tells him she loves him, and then goes back to the dinner like nothing happened – all while her confessional narration talks about how hot it made him to watch her flip a table. Wtf. I can’t even dream up shit like this.

God I love reality TV.

.pop off at me.

Emmy Nominations - Reactions and Commentary

Emmy Nomination Reactions

If you’ve read my blog you know that I thoroughly enjoy television of the trashiest variety. While I may hold this mindless entertainment in high esteem, I actually sometimes prefer scripted television dramas over the ridiculousness of reality television. That being said, I realize I’m a few weeks late with this but I definitely wanted to comment on the not so recent Emmy nominations…because I’m such a knowledgeable TV critic and everything.

Let’s start with Comedy.

COMEDY

BEST COMEDY SERIES 

Curb Your Enthuasiasm

Glee

The Office

Modern Family

30 Rock

Nurse Jackie 

I like to think that I have a nice grasp on pop culture and what the masses would enjoy and gravitate towards to. Whether it is with music, a television show, or a movie, I think my pop culture barometer is fairly accurate. So, I sort of agree with these nominations. I’ll be honest though; I didn’t know Curb Your Enthusiasm was back and eligible for an Emmy. Also, I didn’t know Nurse Jackie was a comedy. Since I didn’t know either of these should be in this category that automatically rules them out as awful.

The Office and 30 Rock have been staples in this group since they’ve been created. Actually, not only have they been staples, but also as far as I know they’ve basically dominated this category. I’ll say this: 30 Rock is funny. The Office, not so much. Their time has passed.

With their passing, this leaves only two shows left. Modern Family and Glee. Both provide a breath of fresh air on network TV. Glee has brought show choir to the masses, and Modern Family has taken the progressive idea of the American family and brought it into our living rooms. Modern Family is a perfect blend of outrageous family dynamics combined with ridiculous stories, and in my mind they’ve created a masterpiece. Glee deserves all the respect and attention it’s gotten, but ultimately, towards the end of the season it fell a bit flat and lost its comedic “umph.” If I were a voting member of the Academy I would hands down give this award to Modern Family. Never have I seen a show that legitimately makes me LOL week in and week out. Not to mention, almost the entire adult cast received a nomination for their individual contributions to the show. That, my friends, is outstanding.

Honorable Mention: In my mind, I would take Nurse Jackie off and put How I Met Your Mother or Big Bang Theory in its place. Hate me for it, but these shows, and their ensemble, are fantastic.

mf

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BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Matthew Morrison, Glee

Tony Shaloub, Monk

Steve Carell, The Office

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

This category has been an ongoing battle between Steve Carell and Alec Baldwin for years. I’m happy Matthew Morrison was able to sneak in this category and shake things up, but ultimately I think he’s out of his league. If you take a long, hard look at Glee and the actors, their comedic strength just isn’t there individually (aside from Jane Lynch, who we’ll get to soon). I personally think Jim Parsons does an astounding job on The Big Bang Theory, but is it enough to beat heavyweights like Alec Baldwin and Steve Carell, who both have established television and film careers? I don’t think so. Either Steve or Alec will win this. Steve has confirmed he’s leaving The Office when his contract expires, and Alec has hinted at leaving 30 Rock when his is done. Both are in roughly the same spot, so this is a toss up. Advantage Alec Baldwin.

baldwin


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BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Lea Michele, Glee

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine

Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Toni Collette, United States of Tara

I’m going to be completely honest here: Of these shows, the only one I watch is 30 Rock and Glee. I believe (and am too lazy to confirm) that The New Adventures of Old Christine was canceled, which means the show sucks and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (was she the chick on Seinfeld?) should definitely not win. Lea Michele is one hell of a singer, but her comedic prowess is slightly lacking. She’s funny on Glee, but I definitely think it’s because of her fantastic writing staff and not her comedic chops.  I don’t know who should win this category, nor do I care who wins. Next.

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SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family

Chris Colfer, Glee

Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Ty Burrell, Modern Family

Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother

Dear Academy: Why must you do this to me?!

Jon Cryer, gtfo. Two and a Half Men is old and stale. Plus, you won last year. Yawn.

Everyone else is fantastic. The fact that three members of the cast of Modern Family were nominated in this category (partly because none of them are necessarily LEAD actors in the show) just reinforces the fact that Modern Family should win for Best Comedy. That aside, it’s extremely hard for me to pick between all these talented actors. Going strictly on portraying the role and how comedic I find it, I would narrow the list down to Neil Patrick Harris and Eric Stonestreet. Of the two, I find myself quoting and rofling at Eric more so than Neil. However, I think that’s because Modern Family is fresh and HIMYM has been around for a while and Barney Stinson has become somewhat of a caricature of what he once was. However, Neil Patrick Harris deserves an Emmy. He truly does. To be an openly gay man playing a believable womanizing manwhore is a feat few actors could accomplish and he NEEDS to be rewarded. NPH, I’d vote for you. If Eric Stonestreet wins I’d be just as happy though. He is, as Cam would say, faaaabulous on Modern Family.

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SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jane Lynch, Glee

Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Julie Bowen, Modern Family

Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men

Again, Modern Family has multiple people in the category (do I sense a trend here? It has to win). But, I really don’t need to comment much on this category. Jane Lynch will take home the Emmy. No questions. If she doesn’t win, then I will personally fly to Hollywood and light a bag of skunk shit on the door of the Academy president. Glee is a great show, but Jane Lynch makes Glee comedic. Without her, it’d be half as funny and would resemble a more entertaining version of High School Musical as opposed to the brilliant show it is.

j

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GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Mike O’Malley, Glee

Fred Willard, Modern Family

Eli Wallach, Nurse Jackie

Jon Hamm, 30 Rock

Neil Patrick Harris, Glee

Will Arnett, 30 Rock

Yawn. Who are these people? Jon Hammlegitimately wasn’t funny on 30 Rock and didn’t Mike O’Malley host like… Global Guts on Nickelodeon? If I’m thinking right he’s Kurt’s dad on Glee, and I assume the episode about Kurt’s sexuality and whatever garnered him this nomination. Whatever. Neil Partrick Harris should win, again. If he doesn’t win Best Supporting Actor then he must win this. Give that mo an Emmy already!

a

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GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Kristin Chenoweth, Glee

Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live

Jane Lynch, Two And A Half Men

Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives

Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory

Betty White, Saturday Night Live

Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock

Note to the Academy: Desperate Housewives isn’t a Comedy. It has NEVER been funny. That said, Betty White deserves this Emmy hands down. Her ish on SNL had me dying. If she doesn’t get it then Kristin Chenoweth should. Next.

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DRAMA

BEST DRAMA SERIES

True Blood

Dexter

Mad Men

The Good Wife

Breaking Bad

Lost

How dare you Academy. This is like picking between my favorite flavors of edible lotion.

It’s my understanding that Emmy nominations are made off of submissions by the networks of a single episode. I don’t watch Breaking Bad or The Good Wife. I definitely should, but my TiVo is filled with dramas that I feel obligated to watch, and it’s also filled with my favorite trashy reality shows. However, if I understand correctly, and nominations are based off a single episode and NOT an entire season, then I’m almost positive that the Dexter and LOST finales were submitted. Mad Men is a fantastic show and has had amazing success at the Emmys, but I personally find it a bit hard to stay attached to.

Based on what I assume are the episodes submitted for the Academy’s review (the finales), Dexter should win HANDS DOWN. Never have I been so disturbed, thrilled, anxious, and perturbed at the same time. The season finale of Dexter was without question some of the best television I have EVER watched. That said, Dexter will continue on for a few more seasons at least. LOST, on the other hand, is done. And at its prime LOST was some of the most innovative and captivative television ever. Because of that, and the Academy’s respect for LOST, I think it will win for Best Drama. If LOST doesn’t win, then so help me, Dexter better win because Season 4 was incredible.

Oh, and True Blood is awesome too. But, it’s not compelling enough to win over these shows.

l

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BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights

Hugh Laurie, House

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Matthew Fox, Lost

Again, how am I supposed to pick this? I will say that major, major, major props go to Kyle Chandler. Friday Night Lights is one of the most underrated shows on TV and EVERYONE should watch it. It’s so unfortunate that it’s been screwed over the way it has. NBC has royally fucked over the show. I get why its tough to promote a show named Friday Night Lights, but seriously, when you have such an amazing show with an unbelievably talented cast, you should promote the shit out of it.

Back to the category. I honestly can’t pick. I would love to see Kyle Chandler win as a big F YOU to NBC and all the haters. But, I don’t think it will happen. Should he not win, I want to see Matthew Fox or Michael C. Hall win for their work. Honestly, I’d like to see Matthew Fox be rewarded for his efforts with LOST. As annoying as his character may be, I do feel that he deserves some recognition for being Dr. Jack Shephard.

a

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BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Glenn Close, Damages

January Jones, Mad Men

Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights

I swear I’m not sexist.

I don’t particularly care for any of these women, besides Connie Britton. My god is she amazing as Tami, Coach Taylor’s wife on Friday Night Lights. Again, I would love to see her win as a giant F YOU to NBC and I’d die if she took a dump on all the other high-minded hoes in her category. But, that obviously won’t happen. Whoever wins this category, congrats to them. I don’t really care.

PS. Why the hell isn’t Sally Field nominated? I realize Brothers and Sisters is getting a bit blah, but she still out-acts all these other chunks in this category.

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SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

John Slattery, Mad Men

Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

Martin Short, Damages

Terry O’Quinn, Lost

Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age

Michael Emerson, Lost

Rep the Cedar Rapids Michael Emerson. As much as I may love CR and the fact that Michael Emerson has ties here, there is literally no question in my mind who should win this. Terry O’Quinn was BRILLIANT this year on LOST. I’m not saying this because it was the final season or whatever. I’m saying this because the depth of his character, and the way he transitioned between the “real world” and the “flash sideways world” was seamless. His acting talent shined like a beacon of awesome during this season and he needs to be rewarded again and again and again and again for it.

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SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Rose Byrne, Damages

Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife

Sharon Gless, Burn Notice

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Christine Baranski, The Good Wife

I didn’t watch any of these recent seasons. But, I have watched the first few seasons of Mad Men. Christina Hendricks, you have my vote. ;-D How you doooin?

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GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Robert Morse, Mad Men

Alan Cumming, The Good Wife

John Lithgow, Dexter

Ted Danson, Damages

Gregory Itzin, 24 

Dylan Baker, The Good Wife

Beau Bridges, The Closer

John Lithgow. Next. The Trinity Killer? So creep and sadistic. I’m getting chills just thinking about it. What a terrific display of acting by John Lithgow. Absolutely brilliant.

Oh, and writing this is seriously reinforcing the fact that I should watch The Good Wife.

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GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Mary Kay Place, Big Love

Lily Tomlin, Damages

Sissy Spacek, Big Love

Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost

Ann-Margret, Law & Order: SVU

Shirley Jones, The Cleaner

Umm. I don’t watch these shows, so I can’t accurately comment. Sorry. But, what a weak category if Elizabeth Mitchell was nominated for her contributions in the series finale of LOST.

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REALITY (YES! MY FAVORITE!)

REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM

American Idol

Dancing with the Stars

The Amazing Race

Project Runway

Top Chef

You all know Reality TV is my life source. But, it’s laughable how disrespectful the Academy is towards this category when the majority of programming on TV is reality television. Reality Blurred had a great write up on the blatant lack of consideration the Academy gives Reality TV. My God. Seriously. If they knew anything about anything about reality TV they would KNOW that Project Runway is god-awful and that The Amazing Race shouldn’t win EVERY year. Why aren’t shows like Survivor, or better yet, So You Think You Can Dance nominated? These shows are far superior to Project Runway.

Let me guess. The Amazing Race will win for the 8th year in a row for their stale ass terrible season.

If I had my way So You Think You Could Dance would win this category. The contributions this show has made for the dance world is astounding, and far superior to Dancing with the Stars. I consider it an injustice that SYTYCD wasn’t nominated and that nonsense DWTS was.

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HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM

Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars

Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race

Jeff Probst, Survivor

Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

Heidi Klum, Project Runway

Heidi Klum? LOL. Really? She doesn’t even host. She looks pretty, attaches her name to the show, introduces the challenge, and then judges. That’s not hosting. Switch out Heidi Klum for Cat Deely and then you would have a legitimately competitive category. However, there’s no question that of all the Reality TV hosts Jeff Probst has the hardest job. He has to be isolated in remote locations, he plays a large role in the casting process, he has to be in the jungle, moderating and commentating competitions, leading tribal councils, and living away from friends and family for months. Jeff Probst should win this category hands down, over and over and over and over for as long as he continues to host Survivor. Sorry, Ryan, but putting product in your hair and shining your gayface twice a week live doesn’t cut it in this category.

j

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REALITY SERIES

Antiques Roadshow

MythBusters

Undercover Boss

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List

Dirty Jobs

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

You already know how I feel about Kathy Griffin. If I were a voter, she would have my vote every time. But, she’s crude and has offended half of Hollywood. Because of that, I highly doubt she’ll get it. I’m betting this goes to a network show because they have lots of resources to get behind the show. I expect this award goes to Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution or Undercover Boss.

h

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All in all, I know I was a little late in getting this out there because of my vacation, but I hope you enjoyed my commentary and predictions. We’ll have to wait until August 29th to see what actually happens. Until then,

.pop off at me.

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Themed by: Hunson