Well, it’s official. The strike is over! And just in time. The drought of 30 Rock, House, and Gossip Girl (not to mention 24) was just about to cause my brain to explode. Thankfully, I have a glorious roster of reality TV to pass the time. I’m thrilled to be able to go back to work, but I will say, not everything about the past three-and-a-half months was bad. Here’s what I’m going to miss about my first strike experience:
Jesse Metcalfe = Punched in the Face
I think my favorite part of this clip, aside from the vicious cold cocking, is towards the end when a raging Jesse Metcalfe shouts, “Yo! Yo! VICTOR!” I was really hoping he’d go all Amazing Race on us and yell, “Stop this car, VICTOR, right now!!!” Alas.
Best R2D2 Cake EVER
ADVENTURES IN GRILLED CHEESE: Giada Experiment Edition
A few months ago, I saw Giada De Laurentiis making a most peculiar sandwich on the Food Network. It involved brie, chocolate chips, basil, and a panini maker. Everything about it seemed wrong, but I couldn’t help being intrigued — especially when Giada insisted that the sandwich was delicious despite its unconventional ingredients. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to give the chocolate and brie panini a whirl, but I just couldn’t bring myself to buy a whole wedge of brie and a bag of chocolate chips for one sandwich experiment. There was something about it that just seemed entirely too indulgent. As a result, I waited around, knowing that eventually, the ingredients would somehow someday find their way into my kitchen.
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First Glimpses of Spielberg's New Videogame Released
Award-winning director/producer/writer/mogul Steven Spielberg has set his sights on yet another new endeavor: a videogame for that lovable treasure chest of joy that we call the Nintendo Wii. Up until now, details have been scant, with only the name, Boom Blox, leaking out to the media (I was hoping for something titled Wii Color Purple, but i guess it’ll do).
Nevertheless, Spielberg and videogames seem like a match made in heaven. After all, this is the man who brought us nightmarish chills in Jaws; exciting thrills in Jurassic Park; gritty realism in Saving Private Ryan; moving drama in Schindler’s List; unmitigated imagination in Minority Report; sweeping adventure in the Indiana Jones saga; and total, unabashed awe in E.T. and Close Encounters.
So with that in mind, behold the first peak at BOOM BLOX!!!!
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Mayer Crotch
What’s Super Tuesday without some super thong action to go with it. Here, courtesy of A Socialite’s Life are the photos you’ve been dying for: John Mayer jogging in a Borat-esque, unitard-thong contraption (kind of NSFW, depending on how puritanical your employers are). Also worth checking out is Best Week Ever’s coverage of “The Mayercraft Carrier” extravaganza from which these photos sprung forth.
• John Mayer Sports a Borat-Style, Butt-Floss Bathing Suit [A Socialite’s Life]
• Best Week Ever’s Mayercraft Carrier Coverage [BWE]
Best R2D2 Cake EVER
Hard to believe, but this recreation of R2D2 is not made of plastic. It is 100% edible. That’s right, ladies and gents. You’re looking at a cake. Of course, sugary recreations of R2D2 are nothing new to this planet, but one sample search of “R2D2 Cake” on Google Images reveals that this might just be the best version ever.
Now, before you put your hands on your hips and give me the skeptical Mo’nique face, rest assured that this is no prank. I can vouch personally for this fondant masterpiece. Turns out it was actually created by my friend Mark Randazzo, a professional baker who just set up shop in NYC. And the answer is YES, I am shilling for him, but for good reason. I mean, look at that damn cake!!! If you’re not convinced, check out the cakes at his new site, markjosephcakes.com. I guarantee you’ll be impressed.
SUPER BOWL ADS: The Good, The Bad, and the Mildly Disturbing
From left to right: Funny, AWFUL, strange.
After that thrilling Super Bowl, it feels almost silly discussing the accompanying ads — the combined entertainment value of which paled dramatically next to the big game. However, it’s hard to for me to go three seconds without voicing my opinion on one thing or another, especially when so much hype is involved; so here goes with my roundup of this year’s commercials.
Overall, it wasn’t a great night for commercials. Bugs and rodents and critters in general seemed to dominate the airwaves, which wasn’t always a good thing. You’d think marketing execs would know better, but then again, these are the same people who bring us a talking baby year after awful year. Why? WHY? Nevertheless, very few spots were noteworthy this year, and there didn’t seem to be any instant classics in the bunch, but there were some gems that deserve accolades. My reviews of nearly all the Super Bowl ads after the jump.
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Happy Anniversary, New Wave of Puritanical Values
Unbelievable as it may be, today marks the four year anniversary of Janet Jackson’s notorious nip-slip, a seminal event which ushered in a new (read: ridiculous) movement of media conservatism. Suddenly, practically everything on TV was blurred and bleeped out, evangelical fringe groups were the new taste-makers, and the networks found themselves scrambling to defend benign depictions of teen orgies. (Seriously, they were benign!) On the upside, we did get a nifty new phrase (“wardrobe-malfunction”), and women across the land learned the value of a strategically placed sun ornament on the nipple. So I guess what I’m trying to say is… time flies and radical zealots suck.
Wow, this post certainly turned activisty. I guess that’s what happens when I blog on an empty stomach. TO THE KITCHEN I GO!
THOSE WERE THE DAYS: Some of Advertising's More Regrettable Missteps
Is there any better way to spend twenty minutes than by revisiting all the sexist, racist, and simply ill-conceived ad campaigns of yesteryear? I think not. Unfortunately, I’m too lazy to look up every last cringe-worthy ad on YouTube, but the good people at Cracked have aggregated five worthy selections, each one worse than the next.
The Jell-o ad is particularly awful as it happily utilizes seemingly as many Asian stereotypes as possible in under sixty seconds, but then again, there’s no denying the simmering sexism that Folgers serves up to one unlucky housewife. Then there are the toy guns, the asbestos flooring, and the cigarettes — the last of which are hawked by our old friend, Fred and Barney. The creators of these spots are certainly Mad Men indeed…
• 5 Retro Commercials Companies Would Like You To Forget [Cracked]