Well, Big Brother is wrapping up this week, Gossip Girl is coming back, there’s a Real Housewives of New York City reunion, American Idol heads into the home stretch, and The Hills… well, it’s new. And what am I doing? I’M GOING OUT OF TOWN. Yes, on Thursday, I begin an international odyssey that will take me to Prague and Vienna. I’m incredibly excited for it, and I plan to blog about all things Eastern European in the coming days, but in the meantime, my posting schedule will be all screwed up. I’m already behind on my Big Brother photocaps, and I can guarantee that the Hills recap will be going up late this week as well. Rest assured though that these posts will go up — just a tad behind schedule. Of course, once I’m abroad, things will get very tricky, but hopefully, I’ll be able to check out all necessary TV on the internets (we’ll see). Failing that, I’ll just write something about beer or schnitzel. Oh, and there most certainly will be a flight blog. How could I resist the international flog?
Thanks in advance for your patience…
Sights From The Airport
Fred and Jan get ready for the flight.
Well, I’m back in New York for the Jewish holidays, but regrettably, I did not have time to do a flight blog because actual work deadlines necessitated that I do real writing on the plane. That’s okay though. You didn’t really miss much — you know, beyond the wretched toddler that screamed like a demon THE WHOLE WAY. And did the parents ever sternly tell their awful child to be quiet? No. Instead, they just softly patted him on the back and kissed his forehead. TERRIBLE. Needless to say, these parents were the recipients of many passive-aggressive stares, and not just by me. A good portion of the people around me did the whole turn-around-and-glare thing too. I felt empowered.
'Housewives' Conclude Fantastic First Season With Delightful Mix of Awkwardness and Snobbery
If you’re like me, you’re already missing The Real Housewives of New York City the way Amy Winehouse misses crack (allegedly). This week’s season finale was yet another fine installment in this tremendous guilty pleasure, which again leads me to wonder why Bravo only produced a paltry six episodes. They were probably afraid the show wouldn’t catch on. Well, fear not, people. The show most certainly did catch on, and I just read somewhere that it’s been renewed for a second season (along with another spin-off, The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Eh). We may have to wait a few months before the next batch of haughty adventures, but in the meantime we have what looks to be a juicy reunion show on Tuesday. Until then, enjoy this photocap of the season finale…
Pressing Questions from CBS
Note the warmly curious look on anchor Paul Mager’s face. Welcome to local news, Los Angeles style.
Don't Do This To Your Facebook Profile
Looks normal, right?
People, this is a very important lesson about Facebook etiquette. What you’re about to see represents exactly what you shouldn’t do to your profile.
What's In Giada's Lap?
It’s been a while since I checked in with one of my favorite Food Network personalities, Giada De Laurentiis; so I thought now would be as good a time as ever to see how’s she’s been doing. Today I turned on Everyday Italian mid-episode, and voila! It only took about three seconds before I started to laugh, and no, it wasn’t because of her patented googly eyes and giant smile (although, they were pretty funny too). No, what made me chuckle the most was a random shot of Giada with — well, I don’t want to ruin the surprise. A few images after the jump.
'30 Rock' is Back!
Tonight at 8:30 PM, NBC
Don’t forget to set your Tivos tonight. The best comedy on television is finally back! If you don’t watch this show, now is a perfect time to start. But don’t take my word for it. Just watch the clip above.
Food Disposal 1, Spoon 0
Sad.
A few nights ago, an innocent little spoon fell undetected into the dark abyss that is my In-Sink-Erator, soon become the latest victim to the monster’s gnawing teeth. Yes, this wayward piece of flatware endured an unceremonious demise as I flipped on the food disposal switch and heard all too late the loud clattering of a utensil in peril. I immediately shut down the operation and plunged my hand into the depths of my sink, hoping I’d find nothing more than an errant bottle cap or two. But as we all know, I was wrong. My heart sank as I discovered the mangled and thrashed spoon, its head bent backwards as if it were Kristin Scott Thomas at the end of The English Patient. Poor guy never had a chance.
I sort of knew something like this would eventually happen. The spoon was actually one of many diminutive utensils donated to my apartment by my friend, IndianJones, who was in the process of upgrading his kitchen inventory. I mocked him for ever having such tiny — verging on baby-sized — spoons, but my roommate and I are never ones to throw away free items; so we took on the pint-sized flatware, knowing full well that the risk of some dreadful In-Sink-Erator tragedy would increase tenfold. And now it has happened. If only the spoon had been a little bit bigger — it would have stuck out of the drain! I would have seen it! I could have saved it! But alas, it was not meant to be. A sad day for all.
A few more gut wrenching photos after the jump. Viewer discretion is advised…
I Just Heard An Explosion
Well, that was unsettling. It’s 2:15 AM, and I just heard a loud, echoey explosion outside my window. It sounded like it was about a mile away. It was very disconcerting. Plus, I was playing a game of Scramble on Facebook when it happened. Needless to say, I became very distracted. My score was undoubtedly affected.
Now I hear people’s voices down on the street below. I can’t tell if they’re talking about the random boom or if they’re just drunk. Oddly enough, I have not heard any sirens. Is it possible that I’m just going crazy?
Pending…
EAT, DRINK, AND BE AWFUL: An Instant Classic 'Housewives'
“Here’s to the most awkward dinner party of all time!”
Anyone who missed tonight’s episode of The Real Housewives of New York City should run, not walk, to their DVR and watch it. I guarantee it will be one of the best hours of 2008. This is what we watch reality television for: unpredictable, awkward, crazy, and jaw-dropping moments. Whether it was Alex and Simon’s pretension at the opera or LuAnn’s haughty behavior in the limo or Jill’s meltdown over seating arrangements or Bethenny’s reaction to bad floors, it was 100% brilliant. But of course, as amazing and funny as most of the episode was, it all paled next to the show’s centerpiece: a dinner party so completely bizarre and awful that we could only thank the reality gods for providing it to us. Yes, it was girls’ night with the housewives, but when Simon crashed the party, Ramona went completely nuts. That alone would have been enough, but oh no. The following treatise on class and etiquette, as seen through the eyes of Ramona, was an instant classic. I’m telling you, this was such a good episode that I’m literally giddy right now. Absolute perfection.
Oh yeah. Here’s a photocap…
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