"Smash"-ing

So, it turns out that if I miss a month, people notice.  I apologize, I wish I had an awesome reason for missing October, but in all honesty I think I just forgot.  All the drinking is catching up with me.  Or I'm just getting old.  And as I look back, I realize that my post for last October was basically "nothing happened," so maybe October's just a bad month for this blog.  In any case, let's let bygones be bygones, shall we?

This will be my second post in a row about television, and if you aren't into the medium I'm afraid you're in for a dismal read.  That being said, I think I know my audience pretty well, most of you are TV geeks just like me and I believe you're all salivating at the thought of more posts about it.  I'll just state up front that I'm currently reeling at the news that my beloved Cougar Town has been left off of ABC's mid-season schedule, fresh on the heels of NBC's announcement that Community was taking a knee come January as well.  It's been a bad week for cult comedies (news of Arrested Development rising from the ashes like a phoenix not-with-standing).  So let's talk about something completely different: NBC's upcoming Smash.

I am the target audience for Smash.  It's true.  It's a show about making a Broadway musical!  As I often performed full productions of Broadway musicals in my bedroom growing up (my Pippin was truly something to behold), this show isn't going to hit my sweet spot; it's going to destroy it.  It's going to follow a team of writers as they attempt to write a musical about Marilyn Monroe, complete with full production numbers each week.  It's a TV show about New York that is actually filmed in New York!  Jack Davenport's in it! Debra Messing's in it!  Anjelica Huston's in it! And it's introducing Katherine McPhee!  *record scratch*

Look, I've got nothing against Katherine McPhee.  Don't know the woman.  Never having been a fan of American Idol, I didn't catch the McPheever when she was on it; I know she sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" a lot and that she's real purty, which means she was probably Simon's favorite.  I get that NBC is at the bottom of the ratings barrel, is desperate to come across any hit for their schedule and is probably hoping that there's some draw left in having a former Idol contestant headline their production.  So I will do my best to give Katherine McPhee an honest-to-goodness chance to impress me with her performance.  That being said, I'd like to kick NBC's advertising team in the taco.

They are not "introducing" Katherine McPhee.  She got the job because she was the runner-up on American Idol.  That may not be only reason she got the job, but it's a big one.  Idol generally gets over 20 million viewers per episode and since she survived to the end, she was on every single live show her season as well as a lot of the audition episodes.  I would say it's possible that more people in the target demographic of 18-49 that advertisers love so much know who Katherine McPhee is than know who Anjelica Huston is (I seriously just realized that fact, and it's making me a little sick.  Everyone immediately go watch Addams Family Values or Prizzi's Honor and report back here when you're done).  If NBC really wanted to "introduce" someone to the general public, there's only a couple hundred fantastic Broadway actresses that are completely unknown to America at large.  Katherine McPhee's not one of them.

Again, I hope she takes this opportunity and proves to be excellent in the role so I can be completely lost in a Broadway musical once a week, cause my gay ass loves a good show-tune.  But seriously, NBC?  "Introducing Katherine McPhee?"  Suck my left nut.

**As I was finishing this post, I was notified by Vulture.com that Harvey Weinstein is apparently stirring up rumors that he might mount a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway and wants Katy Perry to play Marilyn.  Perhaps there was some memo sent around Hollywood that today was the day to try to give every New York Actor an aneurysm with one news story, because that's really the only excuse for this.  I realize that the chances of this actually happening are basically nil and that Harvey's just trying to drum up business for his Marilyn movie with Michelle Williams, but seriously...I read that and almost burst a blood vessel.  I'm lucky I don't have that bloody eyeball thing going on right now.  Katy Perry headlining a Broadway musical...I think that might make me quit the business.**

Oh, Just Film in New York, Would You?

Ah, Fall TV Season.  'Tis one of the best seasons of the year, up there with Baseball Season, Rabbit Season (Duck Season!) and, my personal favorite, Margarita Season.  Fall TV Season is always a crap shoot; what new pilots will be canceled right after you fall in love with them (R.I.P. Lone Star)?  What horrible pilots will inexplicably find an audience and continue on ad infinitum (Rules of Engagement, airing this year on Saturday night)?  What new city can CBS put a carbon copy crime drama in (Tulsa)?  But the most burning question I have every year is what fresh, hellish portrayal of my beloved New York City is going to be forced upon me by television producers.  Dear Readers, I give you: 2 Broke Girls.

Let me say upfront that I actually enjoyed the pilot of 2 Broke Girls (the second episode not so much).  It was reasonably funny and, given that it was on CBS, pretty risque.  That being said let's go over how the sitcom, which takes place in Brooklyn, proceeded to get everything completely wrong about it's setting.

1) The "New York Subway"- The generic set that Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs) meet up on during the morning commute was incorrect in just about every way possible.  First of all, I know it's fun to think of New York as a disgustingly dirty pit, but that fact of the matter is that our metro system is no longer covered in graffiti.  The set looked like it was from Coming to America...I half-expected Eddie Murphy to pop out and started talking about his royal penis.  Secondly, if Max and Caroline are riding the subway during rush hour there would be a crush of people on that train so strong that they would be unable to move.  Thirdly, if Caroline, as implied by the script, slept the night on the subway train there is no possible way she wouldn't have been woken up by someone sitting so close to her that her personal space bubble would have been forever violated. 

2) The "New York Apartment"- The series is called 2 Broke Girls.  At the start of the series, one of the titular Broke Girls lives in an apartment with her slacker boyfriend who does not appear to contribute to the rent.  Said apartment that the girl (who you must remember, is broke!) is paying for all by her lonesome is a one-bedroom, with a separate living room and kitchen and...drum roll please...a backyard.  Yeah, not so much.  Not unless "broke" is code for "independently wealthy with a trust fund."

3) The "New York Smell"- I know New York smells.  Among the things it smells like are street meat, roasted peanuts, the homeless, garbage, fresh coffee, fresh bagels, fresh danishes and urine.  It does not, I repeat does not, smell like horse crap.  The only time New York smells like horse poo is when you are walking directly behind a mounted cop.  In any case, the second episode of the show repeatedly posits that Caroline's horse, which they're keeping in the backyard...oh, wait, did I forget to mention that the backyard is big enough to hold a horse?  Guess what!  The backyard is big enough to hold a goddamn horse.  And naturally, the horse is leaving little gifts all over the luxurious outdoor space, which the characters have decided smells like Brooklyn.  It.  Does.  Not.

Look, I get that this kind of stuff bothers essentially nobody.  But it makes me nuts, and it's my blog so I can bitch about whatever I want.

Oh, and while we're on the subject, Prime Suspect?  Yeah, I'm looking at you, Annual-Unnecessary-Adaptation-of-a-Far-Better-British-Original.  20th Street and 4th Avenue doesn't exist.  4th has already become Park that far north.  You're welcome.

I Survived Hurricane Irene, and All I Got Was Scurvy, Rickets and Generalized Malnutrition

Before anyone panics, let me assure you that I have not contracted any diseases that were stomped out a few hundred years ago.  But come on, that's pretty damn good title.  Hyperbole is the soul of blogging.  Or at least of this blog's title.

In any case, I'm sure that everyone knows at this point that Hurricane Irene was actually Tropical Storm Irene in NYC and it was basically a non-event for us.  A lot of anticipation for a really un-momentous climax. Like virgins having sex.  I realize that it was awful in other places, and my sympathies to those people who were negatively affected. Is that enough?  Have I acknowledged others sufficiently that I can go back to talking about myself now?  Fantastic.

As I have told many stories on this blog about my current workplace, I'm sure I don't have to refresh loyal reader's memories that I work in a hotel in Manhattan that is run by what essentially amounts to an arrogant, moronic garden gnome and a cheap, evil ogre.  In response to the forecast for the weekend, Gnome and Ogre decided that employees would have to stay over in the hotel in order to keep the place running; mind you, Gnome and Ogre were running back to their homes to stay with their families and take care of them.  It was the little peasants that would be required to stay at work the whole time.  Let me say now that I don't really have a problem with Gnome and Ogre staying at home; their presence could only have gummed up the works further, as neither one of them has managed to make an effective decision in their entire tenure.  Getting one of them to do something useful is like trying to flush a floater: a waste of time and resources.

As I'm sure you can tell, I was one of the employees who stayed at the hotel.  I actually didn't have a huge problem with this, as my boyfriend was stranded in LA due to flight cancellations and I obviously wasn't going to be able to do much with a hurricane raging through Brooklyn.  However, the crux of the problem arose when I brought up the idea of the hotel providing a per diem for the affected employees.  After all, since I was going to be away from my home during this time and would be unable to get food in the area, I thought it was reasonable that the hotel provide some sustenance for it's 30 workers that would be keeping the business up and running during a natural disaster.  The hotel could either give everybody a small per diem and we could go get food to bring along, or they could provide food for us. 

Well, Gnome and Ogre were having none of the per diem idea.  GIVING money to WORKERS??  That's just insane!  The hotel, of course, would provide food as it always does.  Luckily, I was aware of the worth of a promise from the establishment and wound up packing food for two days and a wine supply.  Let's jump ahead to 3 o'clock on Saturday.  At this point, all stores in the area have closed, as the MTA shut down operations at noon.  Most employees who are on the evening shift have arrived early, as the only way into work was the train and bus system.  Cut to the hotel cafeteria, which would not be receiving any further shipments as, again, there was an act of God occurring outside.  The hotel has thoughtfully provided the following for it's 30 employees for 4-6 meals each.

-Two (2) Ten Ounce Campbell's New England Clam Chowders
-Three (3) Maruchan Instant Ramen (Beef Flavor)
-Six (6) Two and a Half Ounce Velveeta Mac & Cheese
-Six (6) Hot Dog Buns
-The Bottom of a Crate of Tootsie Rolls
-One (1) Italian panini
-One (1) crate of apples (containing approximately 60 units of fruit)

I realize I should no longer be surprised by this place demonstrating a complete dearth of managerial skills.  Yet, somehow, hope springs eternal.  I think to myself "Self...I know that these people are the dregs of humanity and the fact that they make exponentially more than you is unfair in the extreme given their incompetence, maliciousness and generalized idiocy.  But Self, even THEY have to eat!  Even THEY understand that you can't have employees at work for 36-48 hours and not provide food!"

Surprise!  They don't understand this!  As I said, I had food with me (I didn't expect them to provide GOOD food) and I was fine, but I hope everyone else working there had the same instincts.  I wrote an angry letter to the HR Department, the final paragraph of which I will reproduce for you below:

How [the food provided] is expected to keep a 35 person staff fed and healthy for at least another 36 hours is a mystery to me.  I can only hope that most people had the foresight to pack food from home.  However, I cannot help but feel as if this blatant disregard for a hard-working staff's time and health is anything but indicative of either a deep ignorance of the situation or a complete lack of caring.  As I know the problem was brought up to the Executive Committee on Friday, with plenty of time to implement a course of action to avoid such negligence, I don't see how anyone could reasonably claim ignorance.  Whatever the reason, the result is unacceptable and I, for one, feel as if the powers that be at this hotel owe their employees compensation and a heartfelt apology.

Bitch probably needed a dictionary to read that one.

No response as of yet!  Let's see how long it  takes before they acknowledge anything happened at all...I'm guessing I never hear a peep.

The European Gelato Conundrum

I recently went to Spain.  I saw Madrid, I saw Ibiza, I saw Barcelona and as is my tradition, I didn't see set foot in any cathedrals.  However, after spending ten days in Spain, I'm left with one burning question: why can't the US get gelato right?  Seriously, for all the money that's being thrown around for frozen treats during the dog days of summer, no one wants to step up and just figure out what, exactly, they're putting in this stuff across the Atlantic?  No fewer than five new ice cream shops have sprung up in my neighborhood of Brooklyn alone in the last year, and not one of them has gelato on the menu.  The only place with "gelato" is a small stand outside of a pizza place that serves their "gelato" in small paper cups that generally fall apart and can only hold a maximum of two scoops of their pale imitation.  In Madrid, I was able to get a heaping cup with chocolate, pistachio and coconut gelato scooped on top of each other, and a solid transport system that could carry it while I strolled through the city streets, eating it at my leisure.

It's not as if America has a problem with treats that are fattening.  We are a culture that keeps Paula Deen in the money as she shows us how to fry up whole sticks of butter, or make a deluxe hamburger with Krispy Kreme donuts serving as a bun.  We aren't afraid of few calories, and those of us who are go to Tasti D-Lite, a self-described "frozen treat."  So serve it up, America.  I want all of the creamy goodness that I get in my Eurpean gelato to be imported directly to Brooklyn.  Frankly, I would prefer my tax dollars be spent on this task than supporting organizations like the Boy Scouts.  Make it happen.

Take a Look. It's In a Book.

This post is inspired by my dear friend Amber, otherwise known as The Bookwench.  If you'd like to read her consistently hilarious, salty musings on her time working in bookstores, head on over to http://bookwench42.blogspot.com/ and find her thoughts on everything from stupid people who can't count to her overwhelming need for a herd of attack ponies.  Oh yes.  Attack ponies.

But back to my point.  This is about people who say the following statement:

"I'm SO EXCITED for the final Harry Potter movie!!  I can't wait to see how it ends!!"

Really?  Can you not wait?  Are you SO EXCITED???  Here's an idea: read the books.  The ending of Harry Potter has been spoiled since the final book was published in 2007.  For those of you keeping track, that's four years ago.  FOUR YEARS in which you could have borrowed them from a friend (because every person on the planet has a friend who owns the complete series) and read them.  You are not that busy.

And the thing is, it's not like it's a chore to read the things.  They're almost universally adored by everyone who takes the time; they fly by.  It's not like I'm demanding you slog your way through Atlas Shrugged before going to see the movie, or insisting that you read Moby Dick before catching it on AMC one Saturday afternoon (side note: I haven't read either of these books, though I was supposed to read Moby Dick in high school and didn't...still aced the test, because my teacher wasn't the brightest).  The Harry Potter novels are modern classics, written for a modern audience, at a low enough comprehension level that 10 year-olds can read them, understand them and love them.

I'd like to point out that I don't care if you don't want to have anything to do with the entire Harry Potter phenomenon.  I mean, I think you're missing out and you're judging a book by it's cover, which is really not okay when dealing with an actual book (incidentally, it's totally fine when dealing with people). But whatever, you hate fantasy novels, you hate children's literature, you hate all things bright and beautiful...that's your affair.

I also don't care if you enjoy the movies and don't really feel like reading the books.  And I happen to think the movies are excellent adaptations of the books.  But seriously, people...you are not super-fan if you haven't ever bothered to look at the source material. And if you continue to insist on squealing as if you know what the hell you're talking about, I'm going to have to recommend you get punched in the neck.

Let's round this out with a haiku:

Not illiterate?
Fantastic! Now suck it up
And read the damn books.

What Did You Expect?

Has everyone heard about the Northwestern University Human Sexuality class that was canceled after the professor had a voluntary, after class demonstration involving a non-student couple and their fucksaw?  No?  How this didn't blaze across the internet like the news of a Bieber shearing I'll never know.

It seems this past February, Professor John Michael Bailey invited a guest lecturer into class, one Ken Melvoin-Berg who runs the "Weird Chicago Red Light District Sex Tour" (I'm not making this up).  The esteemed speaker proceeded to inform the student that there would be a graphic exhibition following class, which some of the students chose to stick around for.  At which point, a couple (I assume they volunteered) climbed up onstage and the man proceeded to get his girlfriend off with the aforementioned fucksaw, while Berg narrated the goings on and held forth on topics such as proper usage of a fucksaw and how important it is to make sure you have the blessing of your partner before whipping it out. This went over about as well as you would expect and since, the class has been canceled and Bailey has been placed under investigation.  I can't help but think that this entire situation could have been avoided if people had applied a little bit of critical thinking to the matter. Observe.

What did you expect, Professor John Michael Bailey?  You invited some dude who runs an experience that he's named the "Weird Chicago Red Light District Sex Tour" to come speak to you college course, and apparently gave him carte-blanche to speak about and do whatever he wanted. Your course getting canceled was probably fated as soon as you heard the words "fucksaw demonstration" and that didn't raise any red flags for you. People support your school with donations and tuition;  how many parents and alumni do you think would be thrilled to find out that they're paying for this?  The alumni would be pissed that they weren't enrolled when this kind of stuff was getting offered, and most parents would probably prefer that their kids learn about things like power tool-sex toy hybrids in their spare time.

And further, what did you expect, students who stayed after for the demonstration that you had been warned would be graphic? There are three possibilities for how this shook out: either one of you complained, one of the people who didn't stay complained, or one of you told your parents about what happened and they complained.  Since I sincerely doubt that anyone would want to tell their mother about an experience like this, that leaves us with a student as the culprit, and I'm guessing it was one of you, as someone who left really shouldn't be offended enough to pursue this.  So you chose to stay for the show, and then afterwards wished you hadn't and decided that you should get your professor axed. Look, the guy clearly should have put the kibosh on this before the model climaxed all over your term papers, but it was voluntary.  You should be glad it wasn't on the final. And what's up with a bunch of college students leaving when they're being told there's going to be a graphic sexual act being performed for their viewing pleasure?  For shit's sake, you're what, 20?  Where are your raging hormones? You all should have been GLUED to those chairs.  All that free porn on the internet is de-sensitizing our youth.

And finally, what were you expecting, Northwestern University?  That this story wouldn't be reported with glee as soon as one snarky blogger got a hold of it?  Wouldn't it have been better to just give this guy a slap on the wrist and let him know that you don't think showing a bunch of college kids an orgasm is something that upholds the great tradition of your institution (although from what I've heard about straight college guys, there might be some women out there who are very thankful for the kind of education this may have provided)?  Instead, you have a news story about it, and your school is going to forever be associated, at least by me, with the phrase "fucksaw demonstration." Seriously, I promise sweeping this one under the rug was the the better choice.

In fact, I'd say the only people who got what they expected out of this were the exhibitionist couple who performed for the class.  They clearly got EXACTLY what they wanted, and are probably still getting it regularly at the thought of all those eyes glued on them, so more power to them. Also, that is one confident dude, as I don't know of any human pelvis that can match a rate of 2500 strokes per minute, which the fucksaw claims to reach. I bet they're a blast at parties. As the two most intelligent people who are a part of this story, I wish them and their fucksaw all the best.

The Wedding Bell Blues

A few weeks ago, while in California, I stumbled across a report on NBC's today show.  What was it?  It was a hard-hitting expose on girls that were traveling to England and hanging out in pubs that Prince Harry supposedly frequents in hopes of bagging themselves a prince.  Congratulations NBC, you've now validated a practice that sets women back further than Jersey Shore.  Yeah, I said it. 

What the hell is up with Royal Wedding Fever?   RWF is like social herpes: it pops up in unexpected places and it won't go away.  I would really love someone to develop some kind of Valtrex for all major media outlets.  Let's actually say all minor media outlets as well; really anyone or anything with the ability to produce more "news" about this non-event should be treated. I'd buy it in bulk.  I just found out that apparently ABC has produced a 3D animated breakdown of tomorrow's ceremony, and I barely managed to swill a large gulp of malbec to stop my head from exploding.  Didn't a bunch of our ancestors fight a war so we wouldn't have to care what the British royal family did?  I mean, not my ancestors...they were all scattered throughout Italy, Ireland and Germany during the American Revolution.  Besides, we're lovers not fighters.  But someone else's ancestors definitely fought for freedom!

For the record, I have nothing against Prince William or Kate Middleton.  I'm sure they have beautiful souls. This is also not a "I can't married and I hate that they can" thing.  I'm not a homo who begrudges other people their marriages.  Go forth.  Prosper.  Don't procreate if you're stupid.  If you're not sure if you're stupid, err on the side of sterilization.

But getting back to the upcoming nuptials, every time I hear someone saying that they're going to wake up at 3 am to "see the hats" and "eat scones" and watch this ridiculous pageant I want to punch them in the neck.  First of all, who the hell ever wants to eat scones?  They're a shitty dessert; it's like someone decided to take cookies, overcook them and throw in some bad fruit to try to make it "fancy."  Furthermore, if you're going to do the party right, don't get up at 3 am, STAY up until 3 am.  It'll be much easier, and if you just get completely schnackered you might not hate yourself so much for getting no sleep.  Instead, you'll have a pounding hang-over, and hate yourself for that instead; luckily if you just strap on your boot flask in the morning a little hair-of-the-dog should get you through work.  Don't even get me started on the people who are actually taking a the day off.

I realize that the Royal Wedding is, at this point, a gigantic snowball that is hurtling down the mountain at unimaginable speed.  The most anyone can do is to leap out of the way and hope to not get splattered with too much unwanted detritus when it hits bottom and explodes.  Personally, I'll be holed up in my room loving Parks & Recreation and The Vampire Diaries.  Yes, I believe The Vampire Diaries to be a far more entertaining and intelligent way to spend time in front of the TV then this union.