Bishop to Boycott Obama Commencement Speech
South Bend is heating up over the controversy surrounding Obama and the local bishop...Read the post2009 College Grads: We're the Lucky Ones
Why there is hope for the graduating Class of 2009, and how they can find work in a recession...Read the postBeer in Vending Machines -- What Drinking Age?
U.S. policies on drinking age seem restrictive when examining the rest of the world...Read the postHow The Press Can Remain Relevant
Is it any surprise that Obama has employed a strategy to cordon journalists that is similar to previous administrations?...Read the postBe Afraid, Cheney Warns. Be Very Afraid.
Just when you thought the Bush-era warnings of Armageddon around the corner were over, Cheney strikes again...Read the postObama: You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry...
Obama threw down his stick, spat on the floor and growled in the face of cameras -- metaphorically... Read the postObama to GOP: 'I Won, I'm The President'
"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," Obama told GOP leaders...Read the postPalin Seeks $11M Book Deal, but Can She Read?
One can only imagine what Republican rising star Sarah Palin could possibly write about in her memoirs...Read the post
moviespop culture
Is Your Favorite Film Coming in 3-D?
When Pixar came out with Toy Story, the first computer-generated full-length feature film, audiences were in awe of the what this meant for the future of animation. Now, animators are making another step with animated feature films into the world of 3-D.
Dreamwork's Monsters vs. Aliens, the first this year in what will be a slew of 3-D animated films, opened at number one in the weekend box office earning almost $60 million. This total was definitely bumped up as 3-D viewings cost more than regular theater viewings. However, this does show that audiences are ready for the next big thing.
Dreamwork's Monsters vs. Aliens, the first this year in what will be a slew of 3-D animated films, opened at number one in the weekend box office earning almost $60 million. This total was definitely bumped up as 3-D viewings cost more than regular theater viewings. However, this does show that audiences are ready for the next big thing.
moviesculturepop culture
Can a 'Three Stooges' Movie Live Up To the Hype?
Rincey AbrahamPosted: Mar 27th 2009 1:10PM
Filed Under: Culture, Movies, Pop Culture, Fiction, Marquette University
Variety has reported that the casting for the new Three Stooges film, which is to be directed by the Farrelly brothers, is finishing up casting. Sean Penn has been signed on to play Larry, Jim Carrey is in negotiations to play Curly and the brothers are looking to Benicio Del Toro to play Moe.
The movie got off to a rough start when Warner Bros. decided to drop the project, but it was later picked up by MGM. However, it's still unclear how the whole things is going to work.
The Farrelly brothers, known for such hits as There's Something About Mary, have already been quoted as saying that the film will not be a biopic, but will instead take place in the modern day with them still acting, dressing and looking like The Stooges.
"When the economy started turning, we felt like the world could use a Stooges slapfest," Peter Farrelly told Daily Variety. "Bobby and I haven't done a real physical comedy in a while, and it's the most exciting thing we could think of now, to have people go to the movie, see some great slapstick fun family humor."
I'm not going to pretend to be a Stooges aficionado, but now that there are actors attached to the film, it is much easier to see it all coming together. Carrey seems like the perfect fit for the movie since he is best known for his comedic roles (even though he proved his serious acting chops in The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Penn, who just won an Academy Award for his role in Milk, and Del Toro seem to be odder fits, but you never know what range these guys will be able to show off if given the chance.
Because of the fact that the Stooges are beloved by so many around the world, this movie has quite the standard to live up to. Hopefully the Farrelly brothers will be able to create a movie that exceeds expectations.
pop culture
Teens Think Rihanna To Blame For Beating?
Here's something that might blow your mind: Nearly half of 200 Boston teenagers interviewed actually said that Rihanna was to blame for the alleged beating she took from boyfriend Chris Brown.And if you think the amount of failed marriages has risen, wait until these kids get married. Of those participating, 71 percent said that arguing is a normal part of a relationship and 41 percent said fighting is routine.
The results were part of a survey conducted by the Boston Health Commission and were found to be equally among boys and girls. The startling results clearly demonstrate a generation of youths who have grown insensitive, to domestic violence.
"I think you'd have to be pretty jaded if you weren't startled by it," said Casey Corcoran, director of the health commission's new Start Strong program.
national newspop culture
Schwarzenegger's Anti-Video Game Law Nullified
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for the state of California ruled on Friday that legislation restricting the sale of violent video games violates the First and Fourteenth amendment rights of free speech and equal protection.
Three judges reviewed the case, Video Software Dealers Association v. Schwarzenegger, et al., and invalidated Civil Code 1746-1746.5, which California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had signed into law (formerly AB 1179) on October 7, 2005.
Code 1746 had prohibited the sale of a violent video game (refer to the code for the definition) to a minor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.
The appeals court, however, upheld that video games "are a form of expression protected by the First Amendment" and that "minors are entitled to a significant measure of the First Amendment protection," referencing Interactive Digital Software Association v. St. Louis (2003) and Erznoznik v. City of Jacksonville (1975).
The decision also found that "when the government seeks to restrict speech 'it must demonstrate that the recited harms are real, not merely conjectural, and that the regulation will in fact alleviate these harms in a direct and material way,'" citing Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission (1994).
One might remember Gov. Schwarzenegger's career, prior to his term in office, as a Hollywood movie star where he portrayed a sword-wielding "barbarian," a "commando," a mercenary fighting a headhunting alien, and a time-travelling cybernetic organism programmed with an expertise in "terminating" humans (in three films), among other roles.
Et tu, you big brute?
Three judges reviewed the case, Video Software Dealers Association v. Schwarzenegger, et al., and invalidated Civil Code 1746-1746.5, which California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had signed into law (formerly AB 1179) on October 7, 2005.Code 1746 had prohibited the sale of a violent video game (refer to the code for the definition) to a minor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.
The appeals court, however, upheld that video games "are a form of expression protected by the First Amendment" and that "minors are entitled to a significant measure of the First Amendment protection," referencing Interactive Digital Software Association v. St. Louis (2003) and Erznoznik v. City of Jacksonville (1975).
The decision also found that "when the government seeks to restrict speech 'it must demonstrate that the recited harms are real, not merely conjectural, and that the regulation will in fact alleviate these harms in a direct and material way,'" citing Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission (1994).
One might remember Gov. Schwarzenegger's career, prior to his term in office, as a Hollywood movie star where he portrayed a sword-wielding "barbarian," a "commando," a mercenary fighting a headhunting alien, and a time-travelling cybernetic organism programmed with an expertise in "terminating" humans (in three films), among other roles.
Et tu, you big brute?
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money & financepop culture
How to Legally Destroy Bernie Madoff
For just $99.95 plus $15 for shipping you can have your very own smashable Bernard Madoff doll! For a limited time that fee also includes a matching "Hit Bernie" hammer.
The doll, which stands roughly seven inches tall and features Madoff wearing a red suit and yielding a pitchfork, is made in the Philippines but sold to the financially ruined, worldwide.
Modelworks, the Phoenix-based company that sells the doll along with other customizable models, claims that 1,000 orders for the Mini-Me Madoff have already been placed.
For those of you keeping score at home, that's $99,950 in revenue, already, for an effigy of the man who orchestrated what has been called "the largest fraud in the history of Wall Street."
And in other financial news, the times are so dire that former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has declared that the recession, which has persisted since the fourth quarter of 2007, will "surely be the longest and deepest" since the Great Depression.
So maybe on second thought, paying three figures for a useless, inanimate object is a horrible idea.
The doll, which stands roughly seven inches tall and features Madoff wearing a red suit and yielding a pitchfork, is made in the Philippines but sold to the financially ruined, worldwide.Modelworks, the Phoenix-based company that sells the doll along with other customizable models, claims that 1,000 orders for the Mini-Me Madoff have already been placed.
For those of you keeping score at home, that's $99,950 in revenue, already, for an effigy of the man who orchestrated what has been called "the largest fraud in the history of Wall Street."
And in other financial news, the times are so dire that former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has declared that the recession, which has persisted since the fourth quarter of 2007, will "surely be the longest and deepest" since the Great Depression.
So maybe on second thought, paying three figures for a useless, inanimate object is a horrible idea.
weird newspop culture
To Catch a... War Criminal?
Emily LaskyPosted: Feb 17th 2009 8:00AM
Filed Under: University of Pennsylvania, Weird News, Pop Culture
Not to be outdone by CBS and its show Arranged Marriage, the potential ratings smash (or sign of the cultural end times, depending on your viewpoint), NBC just baked up its own batch of crazy: a show about catching war criminals.
The show would be a spin-off of To Catch a Predator. Predator used online traps to bring potential pedophiles and sex offenders to the houses of decoys pretending to be underage boys and girls. Instead, waiting inside the houses would be host Chris Hanson, a camera crew, and a lot of questions (see below; the interview begins at 5:17).
This new version would feature foreign-born war criminals. The first episode will be focused on Leopold Munyakazi, who is wanted for perpetrating a genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda in 1994. He is currently a French professor at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland.
The government is a wee bit displeased with NBC's plans to chase around war criminals with cameras. The Department of Homeland Security believes such a show would interfere with the government's ability to capture these predators and use legal force against them.
Due to the government's negative reaction and the overal logistics, it's hard to imagine this show actually coming to fruition in the To Catch a Predator mold. A more reasonable version would be a documentary series shedding light on awful war criminals. But that probably wouldn't get high ratings.
So cue Chris Hanson, waiting for war criminals in a house NBC has rented and outfitted as a fake embassy.
The show would be a spin-off of To Catch a Predator. Predator used online traps to bring potential pedophiles and sex offenders to the houses of decoys pretending to be underage boys and girls. Instead, waiting inside the houses would be host Chris Hanson, a camera crew, and a lot of questions (see below; the interview begins at 5:17).
This new version would feature foreign-born war criminals. The first episode will be focused on Leopold Munyakazi, who is wanted for perpetrating a genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda in 1994. He is currently a French professor at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland.
The government is a wee bit displeased with NBC's plans to chase around war criminals with cameras. The Department of Homeland Security believes such a show would interfere with the government's ability to capture these predators and use legal force against them.
Due to the government's negative reaction and the overal logistics, it's hard to imagine this show actually coming to fruition in the To Catch a Predator mold. A more reasonable version would be a documentary series shedding light on awful war criminals. But that probably wouldn't get high ratings.
So cue Chris Hanson, waiting for war criminals in a house NBC has rented and outfitted as a fake embassy.
pop culture
CBS Arranges Marriages for Lonely Hearts, Ratings
Till cancellation do us part!
From CBS and the producers of quality reality shows (ignore the oxymoron) Top Chef and Project Runway comes the first sign of the Apocalypse: a show about arranged marriage.
The series, currently called Arranged Marriage to make sure America gets the point, will feature four single adults between the ages of 25-45 who agree to be set up by friends and family. Unlike on Fox's 2003 matchmaking scheme, Married By America, on CBS's show, the two couples will actually get married. The series will then follow their lives as newlyweds/strangers.
Dating shows are almost as old as the concept of dating itself and reality TV is known for its incendiary subject matter (see: CBS's Kid Nation, anything that's aired on Fox that isn't American Idol), so it's not that surprising that we've reached this point. Plus, the show could try to use the angle that arranged marriage is an ancient tradition in some Eastern cultures that could work here, with the right producing team. And, in a society with a 50% divorce rate, seeing an unlikely marriage succeed (if one of them in fact lasts) could be a huge pick-me-up.
But this feels like television has become a satire of itself. This joke of a show got picked up because the envelope has been pushed so far that network execs no longer know what to do to manipulate peoples' lives for entertainment. As usual on reality shows, love has nothing to do with marriage, but this goes to the extreme. CBS is putting the carriage well before the horse, giving the whole concept a more unseemly feel than one usually experiences, even when thinking of reality TV.
I have no idea if I'll be watching, but one thing's for sure: now that Arranged Marriage has been announced, we are clearly days away from Tiny House:
From CBS and the producers of quality reality shows (ignore the oxymoron) Top Chef and Project Runway comes the first sign of the Apocalypse: a show about arranged marriage.
The series, currently called Arranged Marriage to make sure America gets the point, will feature four single adults between the ages of 25-45 who agree to be set up by friends and family. Unlike on Fox's 2003 matchmaking scheme, Married By America, on CBS's show, the two couples will actually get married. The series will then follow their lives as newlyweds/strangers.
Dating shows are almost as old as the concept of dating itself and reality TV is known for its incendiary subject matter (see: CBS's Kid Nation, anything that's aired on Fox that isn't American Idol), so it's not that surprising that we've reached this point. Plus, the show could try to use the angle that arranged marriage is an ancient tradition in some Eastern cultures that could work here, with the right producing team. And, in a society with a 50% divorce rate, seeing an unlikely marriage succeed (if one of them in fact lasts) could be a huge pick-me-up.
But this feels like television has become a satire of itself. This joke of a show got picked up because the envelope has been pushed so far that network execs no longer know what to do to manipulate peoples' lives for entertainment. As usual on reality shows, love has nothing to do with marriage, but this goes to the extreme. CBS is putting the carriage well before the horse, giving the whole concept a more unseemly feel than one usually experiences, even when thinking of reality TV.
I have no idea if I'll be watching, but one thing's for sure: now that Arranged Marriage has been announced, we are clearly days away from Tiny House:
pop culture
Phelps Apologizes For Marijuana Photo
U.S. Olympic hero Michael Phelps apologized today saying he exhibited "bad judgment" after a photo surfaced of him inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
Phelps, winner of eight gold medals at the Bejing Olympics, did not dispute the authenticity of the photo, published in News of the World. The British tabloid said the photo was taken at November house party on the campus of the University of South Carolina.
"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps said in a statement released by one of his agents to the Associated Press. "I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."
Information with the photo did not actually claim that Phelps was smoking pot (but I doubt he thought that was a fashionable pose) but a partygoer was quoted as saying Phelps was "out of control from the moment he got there."
Phelps, winner of eight gold medals at the Bejing Olympics, did not dispute the authenticity of the photo, published in News of the World. The British tabloid said the photo was taken at November house party on the campus of the University of South Carolina.
"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps said in a statement released by one of his agents to the Associated Press. "I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."
Information with the photo did not actually claim that Phelps was smoking pot (but I doubt he thought that was a fashionable pose) but a partygoer was quoted as saying Phelps was "out of control from the moment he got there."
politicspop culture
Congress Unanimously Saves American Television
Adam KirchnerPosted: Jan 27th 2009 6:42PM
Filed Under: Politics, Pop Culture, News, Towson University
In the midst of the worst recession in decades, the U.S. Senate passed a crucial bill on Tuesday that saved 20 million Americans from losing... drum roll, please... television.
Three weeks from now, analog over-the-air broadcasts would have become obsolete, and all analog television sets will require a digital-to-analog converter in order to display digital transmissions, but the crisis has been averted. Well, at least it's been delayed.
Out of the 304 million Americans, 20 million wouldn't be able to watch endless commercials, so Congress saw fit to step in and delay the transition from February 17 to June 12.
As of December 2008's national unemployment data, 7.2% of the workforce haven't had a job to go to in the morning for a month, but 6.5% of U.S. citizens wouldn't be able to watch TV at night, three weeks from now. Luckily, a bipartisan, unanimous support of Senate Bill 328 pulled that bacon out of the fire! That's taxpayer dollars at work!
Although America is losing jobs left and right, at least there's still reality TV. For now.
With so many viewers - strike that, consumers - strike that, jobless workers - strike that, citizens - without the necessary $40 converter box, the federal government has run out of assistance coupons, and 2.5 million viewers - strike that, citizens - are on a mailing waiting list.
Will the American public still be able to watch television in June? Can 20 million Americans even afford a $40 converter box anymore? Will the federal government provide the necessary converter box coupon aid in time? Stay tuned to What Has The World Come To, to find out!
Edit: Thanks to commenters for clarifying that cable TV was not the issue; the converter box is for television sets that have been receiving over-the-air transmissions.
national newspop culture
The First Limo's Slick, But It's Still No KITT
Adam KirchnerPosted: Jan 19th 2009 10:08PM
Filed Under: National News, Pop Culture, Towson University
Part of the grandeur and spectacle of Tuesday's inauguration for Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, will be the official debut of the new presidential limousine. The commander-in-chief's official ground transport is traditionally rotated out and upgraded at the beginning of each four-year term.The 2009 First Limo, code-named "Stagecoach", is built around a modified GM truck chassis, encased in inches of military-grade composite capable of stopping armor-piercing rounds and grenades, as well as ballistic-proof tinted windows, drives on run-flat tires, carries a wireless data uplink, and houses a sealed A/C impervious to chemical weapons assault. And what would the Executive whip be without footing for Secret Service agents to hop on for the ride?
Despite being the slickest anti-assault vehicle on the planet, though, there's plenty of room for improvement when the 2013 model comes out. Mr. President, I submit for your consideration some of the specifications of KITT from Knight Rider:
Voice Stress Analyzer: say you're driving with Medvedev and Sarkozy and you aren't sure if they're lying. KITT's got you covered.
A snarky, egotistical artificial intelligence: not only can it take over at the wheel when the driver is otherwise occupied (or absent at the helm, altogether), trading words with KITT will help you warm up for the "gotcha" media's press conference questions.
Auto-deflatable and reinflatable tires: run-flat has nothing on these.
Flame thrower and tear gas launcher: because you never know when you might need them if a rally gets out of hand.
Two words: Turbo Boost!
Surveillance Mode: see who's hiding in buildings along the parade route. Watching you, watching me, watching you 'cause you're watching me...
Microwave Jammer: on second thought, the C.I.A. probably has this covered.
pop culture
McCain and Palin Living It Up in Late Night
With nothing left for the Republicans to do but wait and hope, the GOP nominees have apparently decided that the way to turn things around is to appear on late night television. First, John McCain visited Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday because when Letterman says, "Jump," world leaders say, "How high?"
Then Sarah Palin and her doppleganger Tina Fey stopped by the show the pair accidentally revived from its Saturday Night Dead status. Thankfully, putting Palin and Fey in the same place at the same time did not create a rip in the time-space continuum in which the entire universe would have been swallowed, as pundits had predicted.
Unlike Hillary Clinton, who appeared on SNL with her impersonator standing right next to her, Palin watched Tina Fey reenact a press conference while talking with Lorne Michaels and Alec Baldwin, the latter of whom mistook Palin for Fey. Then Palin took Fey's place onstage to call out the show's starting gun catchphrase. Watching Palin and Fey pass each other was kind of like that scene in The Matrix when Neo has to fight a hundred Agent Smiths, only this wasn't special effects, it was just two eerily similar-looking women.
SNL wasn't too hard on Palin (in fact, it wasn't hard on her at all), but that's got to be like looking a gift horse in the mouth and then beating it senseless. Plus, Palin's appearance allowed the world to see a very pregnant Amy Poehler perform a rap about Palin while the governor bounced to the rhythm of the boogedy beat, so it all worked out in the end:
*Speaking of world leaders, Letterman followed up his interview with McCain with a chat with Tina Fey the next night, and of course, the conversation quickly turned to the Palin impression and Fey's friend's grandmother.
Then Sarah Palin and her doppleganger Tina Fey stopped by the show the pair accidentally revived from its Saturday Night Dead status. Thankfully, putting Palin and Fey in the same place at the same time did not create a rip in the time-space continuum in which the entire universe would have been swallowed, as pundits had predicted.
Unlike Hillary Clinton, who appeared on SNL with her impersonator standing right next to her, Palin watched Tina Fey reenact a press conference while talking with Lorne Michaels and Alec Baldwin, the latter of whom mistook Palin for Fey. Then Palin took Fey's place onstage to call out the show's starting gun catchphrase. Watching Palin and Fey pass each other was kind of like that scene in The Matrix when Neo has to fight a hundred Agent Smiths, only this wasn't special effects, it was just two eerily similar-looking women.
SNL wasn't too hard on Palin (in fact, it wasn't hard on her at all), but that's got to be like looking a gift horse in the mouth and then beating it senseless. Plus, Palin's appearance allowed the world to see a very pregnant Amy Poehler perform a rap about Palin while the governor bounced to the rhythm of the boogedy beat, so it all worked out in the end:
*Speaking of world leaders, Letterman followed up his interview with McCain with a chat with Tina Fey the next night, and of course, the conversation quickly turned to the Palin impression and Fey's friend's grandmother.
pop culture
Marcia Brady Not So Brady-Like
With the third debate just hours away, let's talk family values, Brady family values, as Maureen McCormick, aka The Brady Bunch's Marcia Brady, goes on a rampaging media tour to talk about her memoir, Here's the Story. Apparently child stars don't deal with fame well; everybody's favorite eldest daughter spent her post-Brady years freebasing cocaine and trading sex for drugs. Oh my nose, indeed.
Other than the ca-razy revelations about her lifestyle and syphilis-prone family, McCormick spends the rest of the memoir dishing the stuff fans have known about for years, like her relationship with Barry Williams and her feud with Eve Plumb. Still, to watch McCormick's interview is to wonder the same thing one always wonders about random celebrity memoirs: is she brave to be writing about the pain in her life or cheap to be throwing every tawdry memory out there to see what the public might try to catch?
And as for Bobby and Cindy, you don't want to know what those two did to Tiger the family dog.
Other than the ca-razy revelations about her lifestyle and syphilis-prone family, McCormick spends the rest of the memoir dishing the stuff fans have known about for years, like her relationship with Barry Williams and her feud with Eve Plumb. Still, to watch McCormick's interview is to wonder the same thing one always wonders about random celebrity memoirs: is she brave to be writing about the pain in her life or cheap to be throwing every tawdry memory out there to see what the public might try to catch?
And as for Bobby and Cindy, you don't want to know what those two did to Tiger the family dog.
pop culture
SNL Finds Humor in People Not Named Palin
Thanks to Sarah Palin, 70 million people watched the vice presidential debate (18 million more than the viewership for the first presidential debate) and SNL is scoring its biggest rates in forever. In fact, the Palin vs. Fey battle has gotten so big, there's a good chance the governor of Alaska will be stopping by SNL's Weekend Update primetime show this Thursday or the next new SNL broadcast on October 18.
But SNL's latest opening sketch managed to highlight, in addition to the so-obvious-it's-amazing-no one's-said-anything-so-far idea of a "maverick" drinking game, something about somebody who isn't Sarah Palin.
And that was Joe Biden's performance in the debate, from his emphasis on repetition ("Let me repeat that again: time!") to his dissing of Scranton, PA, "an absolute jerkwater of a town," to his pendulum-swinging opinion on the Republican candidate ("John McCain, and again, this is a man I would take a bullet for, is bad at his job and mentally unstable"). And while Tina Fey had Palin's winking, Jason Sudeikis had Biden's game show host smile at the end of every answer.
Citizens can rest easy knowing that comics will be able to write jokes in the event of an Obama-Biden win.
But SNL's latest opening sketch managed to highlight, in addition to the so-obvious-it's-amazing-no one's-said-anything-so-far idea of a "maverick" drinking game, something about somebody who isn't Sarah Palin.
And that was Joe Biden's performance in the debate, from his emphasis on repetition ("Let me repeat that again: time!") to his dissing of Scranton, PA, "an absolute jerkwater of a town," to his pendulum-swinging opinion on the Republican candidate ("John McCain, and again, this is a man I would take a bullet for, is bad at his job and mentally unstable"). And while Tina Fey had Palin's winking, Jason Sudeikis had Biden's game show host smile at the end of every answer.
Citizens can rest easy knowing that comics will be able to write jokes in the event of an Obama-Biden win.
pop culture
Tina Fey Continues As Sarah Palin
On this week's Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were at it again, this time recreating Sarah Palin's recent interview with Katie Couric. And once again, Fey said pretty much what Palin actually said, like when they started talking about the bailout. Not as funny as the first sketch, but this one still had that same unsettling aura that all they had to do to perform the sketch was print out the interview transcript and put in on some cue cards. Also...:
pop culture
What Do John Adams and Tina Fey Have In Common?
With 30 Rock, Mad Men and Damages winning big, it was a huge night for cable shows (and shows that have cable-sized audiences).
Starting with the dramatic side of things, tiny shows cleaned up. Critical darling Mad Men took home awards for Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Writing for creator Matthew Weiner. Unfortunately, Mad Men's maddest man, Jon Hamm, lost to Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston in the Lead Actor Category. Meanwhile, Damages damaged the hopes of many a performer when Glenn Close won for Lead Actress and Zeljko Ivanek won for Supporting Actor. Dianne Wiest was named Outstanding Supporting Actress for her work on HBO's nightly psychologist drama In Treatment. The only major network show to win in any dramatic category was House; director Greg Yaitanes won for the episode "House's Head."
As for comedy, the night was full of surprises. Jean Smart beat out Ugly Betty favorite Vanessa L. Williams to win for Best Supporting Actress, though odds are voters picked her because they loved Designing Women and not necessarily because they like Samantha Who? And Jeremy Piven's THIRD WIN IN A ROW for Entourage confused everybody who assumed that either Neil Patrick Harris or Rainn Wilson would be named Outstanding Supporting Actor. Looks like Piven is the new Tony Shaloub -- the guy everybody loves to hate for continually winning for no reason. What wasn't a surprise, however, was Barry Sonnenfeld's directing win for the pilot of Pushing Daisies. That pilot was too pretty not to get something.
But Tina Fey was the big winner last night; the only way she would hear the word "Emmy" more often is if she changed her name to Emily. Fey picked up statuettes for Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Lead Actress, and Outstanding Comedy for 30 Rock. Alec Baldwin also won for Outstanding Lead Actor. Fey's plea to viewers in her acceptance speech for Outstanding Comedy, in which she listed every possible place one can watch 30 Rock, shows that the occassional screw-up aside (stop giving awards to Jeremy Piven), the Emmys usually celebrate the best of television, and we would all do well to start watching what they're touting.
Oh, and John Adams won every other award. I am 99% sure I am not exaggerating.
Starting with the dramatic side of things, tiny shows cleaned up. Critical darling Mad Men took home awards for Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Writing for creator Matthew Weiner. Unfortunately, Mad Men's maddest man, Jon Hamm, lost to Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston in the Lead Actor Category. Meanwhile, Damages damaged the hopes of many a performer when Glenn Close won for Lead Actress and Zeljko Ivanek won for Supporting Actor. Dianne Wiest was named Outstanding Supporting Actress for her work on HBO's nightly psychologist drama In Treatment. The only major network show to win in any dramatic category was House; director Greg Yaitanes won for the episode "House's Head."
As for comedy, the night was full of surprises. Jean Smart beat out Ugly Betty favorite Vanessa L. Williams to win for Best Supporting Actress, though odds are voters picked her because they loved Designing Women and not necessarily because they like Samantha Who? And Jeremy Piven's THIRD WIN IN A ROW for Entourage confused everybody who assumed that either Neil Patrick Harris or Rainn Wilson would be named Outstanding Supporting Actor. Looks like Piven is the new Tony Shaloub -- the guy everybody loves to hate for continually winning for no reason. What wasn't a surprise, however, was Barry Sonnenfeld's directing win for the pilot of Pushing Daisies. That pilot was too pretty not to get something.
But Tina Fey was the big winner last night; the only way she would hear the word "Emmy" more often is if she changed her name to Emily. Fey picked up statuettes for Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Lead Actress, and Outstanding Comedy for 30 Rock. Alec Baldwin also won for Outstanding Lead Actor. Fey's plea to viewers in her acceptance speech for Outstanding Comedy, in which she listed every possible place one can watch 30 Rock, shows that the occassional screw-up aside (stop giving awards to Jeremy Piven), the Emmys usually celebrate the best of television, and we would all do well to start watching what they're touting.
Oh, and John Adams won every other award. I am 99% sure I am not exaggerating.
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