I think it’s time for a new Twitter goal. Last year, I made a fuss about wanting to reach 1,000 followers (with at least one being a noteworthy celebrity), and happily I succeeded on both fronts (thank you, Blair Underwood). Now I’m at it again. I’m restless for more followers, and no, it’s not because I have some deep-seated desire to be popular (although I do have that). It’s because more Twitter followers means more traffic for this site. And more traffic for this site means higher ad revenue. And higher ad revenue means greater happiness for me. And greater happiness for me, means better blog quality for you (theoretically). So really, it’s a win-win situation.
My new goal is to hit 2,000 followers (ideally 2,500). Another celebrity would be fun, but it’s not essential. So if you’re not following me, sign up! After all, The Wrap did include me on its list of “50 TV Insiders to Follow Right Now.” If that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what is. Besides, if you follow me, you’ll be privy to such glorious things as celebrity sighting tweets, impromptu TV observations, and biting social commentary. And by that, I mean whiney posts about being hungry (ie “I am very hungry. And drunk. The two are perhaps related.” 1:53 AM Jan 30th).
So follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/bsideblog. And then tell all your friends. It’s the American thing to do.
Thanks!
Watch 'Cougar Town' Tonight!
Everyone should watch Cougar Town tonight. Why? Well, aside from the fact that the show has been steadily improving on the funny front, tonight’s episode has been written by occasional B-Side Blog personality (not to mention my close friend) sawgee. Even more importantly, this is the first episode of anything he’s written to air on network TV; so it’s kind of a big deal for him career-wise. Let’s help him out and get him the best ratings possible. Tune in at 9:30 PM tonight on ABC.
For a preview of tonight episode, check out the show’s website here. I would have embedded the video, but the geniuses at ABC.com don’t provide code for that. I mean, because who would ever want a promo video to be accessed as easily as possible? Sorry. I’m bitter on account of not having had breakfast yet. Will eat shortly.
In conclusion, watch Cougar Town tonight and then write ABC a letter about how much you enjoyed the episode.
Happy Birthday Ina Garten!
Call the fun police! Today is Ina Garten’s birthday, which means our favorite kitchen maven has most certainly arranged a splendid party for all her gays (and Jeffrey) in the Hamptons. Surely on the menu: an orange floral arrangement courtesy of Michael, a refined table arrangement (not tablescape) courtesy of Miguel, some good quality mustard slaw courtesy of Anna Pump, some fresh yet flawed meringues courtesy of Frank, a box of day-old Costco cookies from TR (that lazy bastard), and a bottle of prosecco and some attitude courtesy of Barbara Lieberman. On piano will be Susan Stroman (aka Stroh) and the cast of Young Frankenstein, who will be only more than happy to reprise their performance of “Nothing Could Be Finer Than To Be With Ina In The Moooorning” — but that’s mostly because they’re all out of work and looking for a gig.
Luckily for them, opportunity might strike when Broadway alumnus and local neighbor Rob Marshall drops by in need of good cheer in the wake of Nine’s poor critical reception. His frown will be turned upside down when Ina serves him a giant slice of pain perdue and then announces that it’s time for Ask Ina. The next ten minutes will then consist of Ina bashing cilantro and raw fennel before suddenly closing her laptop and declaring “Well, I’ve answered every question there can be about THAT” — even though there are still hundreds more questions in the wings, most of them from the Young Frankenstein cast, who know much about singing but little about cooking. Still, they’ll be shamed into silence when Jeffrey chirps, “That was the best Ask Ina segment I’ve ever seen!” to which Ina will reply, “You always say that! How about some sorbet?” Jeffrey will nod his head excitedly (while Barbara Lieberman quietly mutters “I would have volunteered frozen yogurt”), and as Ina rises to fetch the frozen dessert, she’ll deliver a firm warning: “Don’t have fun without me!” Everyone agrees not to have fun, but they most certainly will — except for one poor Young Frankenstein day player who’ll be too busy avoiding TR’s heavy-handed advances to be able to enjoy this party. All par for the course at the Barefoot Contessa’s house!
Hope you have a wonderful day, Ina!
MISS AMERICA PHOTOCAP: Uglier Than Ever Edition
This weekend, the blogosphere, Twitter, and Facebook all lit up with talk of the GRAMMYS, and while the show was certainly impressive — what with its feats of acrobatic placenta symbolism, courtesy of Pink — the real entertainment this weekend came from a smaller, sadder, but no less iconic ceremony: Miss America 2010. The show, long mired in old-fashioned values and schmaltzy production values, has proven itself to be perfect fodder to judgmental jerks like me, and this year was no exception. For those of you who missed this most celebrated of pageants, fear not. I have a full photocap after the jump…
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In Search of Banh Mi: An Adventure For The Ages
My old friend IndianJones came into town this past weekend, and on Friday night, he announced that he wanted to try some of Los Angelee’s banh mi offerings. For those who are unaware, banh mi are Vietnamese sandwiches that are revered for their bold flavors and simple ingredients. Best of all: the sandwiches can usually be purchased for not much more than $2. Cheap? Flavorful? Asian? I’m so there.
I’m something of a banh mi novice; so I turned to my foodie/Vietnamese friends for some recommendations. Pam (a.k.a. Daily Gluttony) at Rants and Craves suggested Banh Mi My Tho (which had strong reviews at Yelp), Cathy from gas•tron•o•my recommended Saigon’s Sandwich and Bakery, and Jenny from, well, this blog insisted that we go to Lee’s Sandwiches.
Ultimately, we decided on Banh Mi My Tho — mostly because it was closest, and it had the highest Yelp score. I do plan, however, on trying the other two banh mi spots at some time in the future. In the meantime, check out the exciting trip IndianJones and I took in search of this mystical sandwich after the jump…
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Disaster at Crate & Barrel!
I’ve always wondered what would happen should I or anyone else accidentally knock over one of the many fragile wares at Crate & Barrel. Would the staff level me with a stern eye and an unforgiving scowl? Would I be forced to pony up the dough to replace the unfortunate item I had so tragically destroyed thanks to the whims of my gangly limbs? Or would I be granted clemency for my accident with nary a penalty or fee thrown my way?
The answer, as it turns out, is the latter. Now don’t get excited. I didn’t break any damn thing. I may be awkward, but I’m not clumsy (necessarily). A fear of shards inspires me to move deliberately and carefully around all ceramic and hyaloid items in a store. However, others aren’t so thoughtful. Take, for instance, the idiot in Crate & Barrel yesterday who just breezed on through the place without any awareness of where any of his limbs might be at any given time. Well, when you play fast and loose, there can be dangerous consequences, which is why it perhaps was no surprise when a loud crash echoed mightily throughout the store (and Los Angeles in general). Everything in Crate & Barrel came to a halt as people swiveled their heads in the direction of the noise, first determining what had broken and then who the hapless offender was.
Luckily for this dude, he had only shattered a benign wine glass (as opposed to an entire shelf of ornamental vases and carafes, as I was hoping). It was only a minor accident, but merchandise had been destroyed, and surely he’d have to face the consequences. IndianJones, jash, and I waited with bated breath to see what pray tell would happen to this awful, awful man. The results: NOTHING. A lovely young Crate & Barrel worker smiled at him politely, which I suppose meant that he was off the hook because he then shrugged, made a strange face reminiscent of Charles Nelson Reilly, and then scampered out of the store as quickly as possible — somehow managing not to ruin more inventory in the process. The saleswoman, meanwhile, fetched a broom and a pan and quickly cleaned up the mess. I must admit that the lack of passive-aggressive glares on her part was highly disappointing; however, she earns points for briefly stepping away from the scene, thus affording me a chance to snap a photo of the horrific crime scene.
And so the great Crate & Barrel Disaster of 2010 came to an end. Now we know what happens when you break a glass at Crate & Barrel. I certainly feel enlightened, and I hope you do too.
HOUSEWIVES PHOTOCAP: Mommy Dearest
The ongoing saga of Lynne and her daughter Alexa ratcheted up in intensity last night on The Real Housewives of Orange County as the two butted heads more ferociously than ever before. It began in the car with Lynne (who drives like an old lady) insisting that her daughter didn’t respect her enough. Alexa, meanwhile, countered that she felt like no one paid attention to her, a notion that was perhaps reinforced by Lynne promptly cutting her daughter off and insisting that they go shopping.
There wasn’t much purchasing going on in the South Coast Plaza Mall, however, because the two women soon wound up on a bench where further accusations from both parties fell on deaf ears. Alexa again demanded attention, Lynne again demanded respect, and the whole thing culminated with Alexa calling her mom a bitch. This was what I like to call a record scratch moment — one that I thought would push Lynne to a breaking point. However, instead of snapping back with an angry rebuke (take away that trollop’s cell phone, lady!), Lynne just sighed and hung her head in her hands. She explained to us via interview that she was in such a state of shock that she didn’t know what to say. That of course is part of the problem. If I told a friend she was a bitch (and actually meant it), she would probably be similarly shocked. If I told my mom that — even now at 31 — she would NOT have it. And thus based on that non-scientific evidence, I’d say Lynne’s problem is that she sees herself as the friend, not the parent. But we all knew that.
SHILL TOWN: Grammys, Models, and Music Edition
As we all know, I’m often wont to shill for friends and other entities on this blog; so I thought I’d compile a small digest of things you should do, check out, or enjoy. In no particular order, here they are:
- The Grammys! My friend Jen does PR for the recording academy, and The Grammys is her biggest event all year long. Not only is she a total sweetheart, but she may be hooking me up with a free ticket to the show! Even if that doesn’t happen though, please all tune in this Sunday on CBS to watch the awards and help her do her job of boosting awareness and ratings. Sunday, CBS, 8 PM ET
- Model voting! Remember my friend Chris? Well, among other things, he’s a model, and when I last posted about him, he was vying to be the winner in an internet competition. Sadly, he lost, but now he’s in another competition — one that actually has a real prize. He’s been featured in the kind of NSFW DNA Magazine (along with — drumroll please — Scott from Real World Brooklyn), and now he needs your help to be January’s man of the month. If he wins, he actually gets a photo shoot, which as we all know from ANTM, is a very big deal. So if you’re so inclined, help a poor male model live the dream by voting here (again, link kind of NSFW, unless your job is cool with guys in speedos).
- Treadmill Trackstar: This band contacted me about two months ago and have been so persistent, I have to give them kudos. Plus, they gave me a free CD. Anyway, if you’re looking to explore new music, check out Treadmill Trackstar. I particularly recommend “I Belong To Me,” which is coincidentally also the name of the CD. Give them a listen at treadmilltrackstar.com.
REAL HOUSEWIVES PREVIEW: Lynne's A Bad Parent, Y'all!
One of the more compelling threads running through this season of The Real Housewives of Orange County has been the very real, very disturbing relationship between Lynne and her youngest daughter Alexa. On the one hand, we have a rebellious kid oozing with entitlement and refusing to respect her parents in any way. On the other hand, we have a hands-off momma afraid to put her foot down and prone to occasional bouts of passive-aggression. Where does the fault lie for this mess? Hard to say. But I think we can probably point the finger in Lynne’s general direction.
Nevertheless, in this week’s two preview clips, we delve deeper into this growing vortex of sadness. Above, check out video of Lynne attempting to reach out to her daughter, culminating in a somewhat shocking response from Alexa (which in turn receives an even MORE shocking/pathetic reaction from Lynne). After the jump, tensions flare between Gretchen and Lynne yet again as the two butt heads on proper parenting. Cursing and finger-pointing ensue…
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Lance Bass Goes For Glambert-Meets-Drumline Look
Ever wonder what Lance Bass would look like if he auditioned for a marching band after ten days of no showering? Well, here it is. Looks like our sweet, young Lance is all grown up now. He was denied a trip to space, but his new look is OUT OF THIS WORLD. Actually, it’s not. I just felt like making a pun.
One more pic of a glammed up Lance (Glance?) after the jump.
Pics via World of Wonder
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