First Grade First Grade

For my kindergarten graduation, we sang a song called "First Grade First Grade," sung to the tune of "New York New York."  "Start spreading the news.  We're leaving today.  We're gonna be a part of it.  First grade first grade."  It was beautiful.  And then I got to first grade.  New school, new kids, new biker chick teacher in leather pants.  It was great.  I was one of the only kids in the class who knew how to read, so I showed off and read chapter books, like Sweet Valley Kids and Baby Sitter's Little Sister and the American Girl Doll books.  Felt like the smartest kid in the world.  

My biker chick teacher made us write in journals every day, so we could improve our writing skills.  I was already a pro with a paper and pencil, so I was able to branch out and write about actual events, instead of writing things like "I have a mom and a dad." I was able to go all out, writing things like "My mom and mom-mom took me to see Too Wong Foo this weekend."  I was in the phase of telling my mom every little detail of my life at that point, so I told her what I put in my journal and she FLIPPED OUT. Apparently mothers aren't supposed to take their 5, 6, and 8 year olds to see PG13 movies about drag queens.  She was beyond embarrassed that my teacher learned about her lax parenting techniques.

On the bright side, I don't think that I understood anything that went on in the movie. I rewatched it yesterday, and I actually didn't remember a single thing in the movie.  It was as if it were brand new.  I remember after I saw it, I was shocked when Robin told me that the girls in the movie were men.  Despite the fact that the whole plot of the movie revolves around the fact that they are drag queens.  But I suppose that the term "drag queen" isn't that familiar to 6-year olds.  I think that when I grow up and have kids, I will let them watch whatever they want to.  They won't understand any of the dirty stuff until they are older anyway.  I didn't get 90% of Clueless until I was like 14 anyway.  Screw what the biker chicks think.  Freedom of parenting!  Now the matter of finding the guy to knock me up...

Another quickie

I know that I just wrote one, but I have a little time and I was excited about my ideas.  I just posted an additional movie reference on IMDb!!!  I am really excited about it, since it is my first time contributing to my all-time favorite website.  I wrote on the Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar page.  I made two changes actually.  There was a subtle Some Like it Hot reference that no one caught, and I edited the spelling of Bala Cynwyd in another reference.  Wahoooo!  Although I hope that I wasn't wrong about that Some Like it Hot reference.  Patrick Swayze did his hair and wore an outfit in one of the earlier scenes that made him look like Jack Lemmon's character.  I think I'm right.  I need someone to verify it for me though, or I'll feel stupid.  But for now, I sort of just feel elated to finally have made some contribution.

The Show Remembers its Title

The show that I refer to is How I Met Your Mother.  I have mentioned before how I started watching it last month and am now obsessed with it.  Because it's great.

It was really hard for me to pick a topic to discuss today.  I am really supposed to be writing about this operation in the Vietnam War in January of 1967, but this is more interesting to me.  All of the other topics I had to talk about were genius brilliance and I still plan on writing about them, so just wait for another entry.  This one can't wait, because pretty soon it won't be news to anyone.

Right now my facebook status is a link to an article on Entertainmentweekly.com that validates that the How I Met Your Mother season finale will reveal who the ellusive mother is.  I know that some people have already seen the link on my facebook.  But I am so excited.  I was so sure in the pilot episode that Robin was going to be the mother.  The show seemed to have forget the premise that Ted (Bob Sagot) was telling his kids the story of how he met their mother, in exchange for a more fun plotline, telling the story of Ted and his ridiculous friends.  While I love all of the storylines, it's seriously exciting that the show remembers its goal.

One thing I was always most impressed with by this show was its ability to remember everything they have said or done in past episodes.  Ted's accidental tramp stamp didn't go unnoticed, nor did his claim to be "vomit-free since '93," or the infamous "slap bet."  It's smart writing and I cant wait to see what they have next.

I Like Lists; Volume 2: Cancelled before I Was Done Edition

I read this Website, Television Without Pity, and a while ago, it made a list of shows that it thought were cancelled too early.  I am sure that countless websites or magazines have made this type of lists, so I figured, with another recent cancellation of a show that I like, that it's time that I make one.  Here it goes...

(warning, I accidentally get really into listing the cast members.  it gets pretty drawn out.  additionally, this is really way too long.  feel free just to skim.)

10.  Pushing Daisies- An obvious choice, but for a good reason.  It was clever, interesting, and had a killer cast.  I loved the coloring and visual effects.  And I still wish that I knew what happened with Ned's dad.  I'm still waiting for the one final episode that is set to air soon.

9.  Related-  I'm really not surprised that this one was cancelled.  It was fairly unknown, with a largely unknown cast and no overtly sexual, mysterious, or funny themes.  But it was cute.  A comedy about four sisters living in New York.  My sisters and I loved it.  But it was bound to meet its end, as it came to The WB, just as it was becoming The CW.

8.  Grosse Pointe- Most people don't remember this show.  Which is really sad, because this comedy about the making of a teen television drama, very similar to 90210 was hilarious.  It starred Big Red from Bring it On, Ross's girlfriend, Mona, from Friends, and this adorable guy, Kyle Howard, who you will recognize from whatever. He was actually on Related also.  Fortunately, my sister bought me the dvds, so I can watch it whenever.  Unfortunately, it ends without the chance to see the start of the romance.

7. Reunion-  Not the greatest show ever, but maybe on of the most attractive casts ever.  I'll explain that after I get a chance to explain the real tragedy behind the cancellation.  It was a mystery.  I have no idea how the mystery ends.  I NEED TO KNOW.  But yeah, it has the cute brother from Brothers and Sisters, the older brother, JJ, from American Dreams, sexy Sean Faris, from Sleepover and Life as We Know It, Meredith's sister, Lexi, from Grey's Anatomy, and Hailey Nichol from The O.C.  I was upset when the show started because it meant the ends of two shows (both on this list) and one character I liked, but I got attached.

6. Off Centre-  I can almost guarantee that no one other than my sisters, myself, and the cast remembers this show.  It was created by the makers of American Pie and starred Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and John Cho, best known for playing Harold in Harold and Kumar.  It was hilarious.  But I guess no one watched it, so buh bye.

5. Undeclared-  Judd Apatow.  Brilliant.  College comedy.  Only 17 amazing episodes.  It was after Freaks and Geeks, but in typical Judd fashion, it retained a lot of the same cast.  Seth Rogen and Jason Segel came from Freaks and Geeks, some other of the stars came to guest star.  Jason Segel played an insane boyfriend who worked at a copy store.  His girlfriend was played by period blood girl from Superbad (also known as Carla Gallo).  She is in a lot of Judd's work.  So is the lead character, Steven Karp, played by Jay Baruchel.  Love him.  It also had Dawson's Creek's Monica Keena.  She is amazing.  And the beautiful, like beyond beautiful Charlie Hunnam.  And Rufus Wainwright's dad, Loudon Wainwright III.  Singer of "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road."  I almost cried when the dvd series stopped for this tv show.  Best comedic guest stars I have ever seen on a tv show.

4. Life on Mars-  This is the one that propelled me to write this absurdly long list.  I just read on EW.com that it's being cancelled.  Fortunately, it's getting a proper send off, with a real finale and everything.  I loved this show.  Because I love American history and cities.  And this took place in New York City in the 70s.  But the main character, who is apparently British, came from 2008, so he retained all of the same awareness we have.  I like the crime solvings, and the slow to come mystery of why he is in 1973.  I don't want it to end!

3. Life as We Know It-  Before it came out, people thought it would be the male equivilent of My So-Called Life.  Angsty boys moaning over their families and relationships.  The boys were hot, like really really hot, the dialogue was snappy, and it was partially written by the writers of Freaks and Geeks.  Weirdly enough, Kelly Osbourne was on it.  Some people mocked her for being fat, but her boyfriend and pretty, popular best friends didn't mind the weight.  God, Sean Faris, Chris Lowell, and the non-hot one, Jon Foster.  His brother is Ben Foster, from the hilario movie, Get Over It.  This show really shouldn't have ended.  But it totally predicted the eventual popularity of Snow Patrol.

2. Freaks and Geeks-  An obvious choice.  The obvious choice.  In an era where the only comedies worth seeing are the ones written by Judd Apatow and his gang, there is really no need to even explain.  

1. American Dreams-  Typical American family living in Philly in the 1960s.  It uses culture from the era and real American news to propel it.  It was seriously smart, and seriously entertaining, with weekly musical guest stars appearing as singers from the 60s on American Bandstand.  Brittany Snow (pre Hairspray, John Tucker, and the Lily VDW GG spin-off) starred, alongside a ton of other insanely talented actors.  The show lasted 3 seasons, which is better than the one-season runs of the rest of the list, but the show had so much more it could do.  And what's worse, the music rights from the show make it nearly impossible to put to dvd.  I bought first season after waiting two years for the pricing to drop from $100 to $45.  But I'm still waiting for those next two...

p.s. My So-Called Life was a little too angsty for me.  I'm not that upset it was cancelled.

p.p.s. sorry this was so long.

FINALLY

It's finnnnnally March, which means that my tv shows are all coming back, including GREEK.  I can't wait!!!  Gossip Girl and 90210 and How I Met Your Mother and whatever else I watch are coming back too, but I'm obviously most excited for Greek.  Will Rebecca stay with ZBZ or go with Frannie? (my guess is ZBZ, she has this weird allegiance to it)  Will Casey ever get back together with Cappie or will she stay with Kostos forever?  Will Kara McGrath watch this season or is she too good for ABCFam?  And what's the deal with the new guy, Jesse McCartney?  Kappa Tau or Omega Chi?  Apparently he is going to be Calvin's friend from high school, so he will probably go to Kappa Tau, to mix things up.  Calvin supposedly has a new love interest. Nice!  As do Rusty and Ashleigh.  Good for them.  No more Travises or Jen Ks.  Gah I love this show. March 30th, can't wait!

Difference of Opinion

My best friend told me that she didn't like my last blog entry.  She said that even though Zac looks super hot on the Rolling Stone cover, he never should have gotten that cover, and he has never again looked that hot.  She also told me that he is super gay and untalented.  She didn't mean gay offensively as she is a theater student and has no straight friends.  But she did mean the Zac comments offensively and I got mad and hung up on her.  

Both my older sister and this best friend have questioned why all of our low-culture interests are totally different.  Danit loves Twilight and that weird love story Australia while Molly likes The Real Housewives of New York City and The Hills.  And as anyone who has read this blog, or who has met me knows, I like Disney Channel and the best of the 80s.  That's the problem with guilty pleasures.  Even though I may love them, they are guilty for a reason.  Some people will hate and mock them. Fortunately, most of my guilty pleasures are pretty wide-spread, so I am able to share and discuss them with lots of people.  But I still need to anticipate the Danits who will make me angry with their Zac-bashing.  

The trick is to avoid to disputable topics and try and stick to things that you have in common.  Maybe I'm just not a debater.  With my conservative Southern friend, I try to stay away from discussing homosexuality and similar topics because we will drive one another crazy.  Save it for a time when you are ready to defend yourself and the things you care about.  I care about Disney Channel.  Pathetic as I may be.  But you need to understand that I get that it is low-culture.  I have further interests.  Swear!  So don't judge fully based off of my so-called guilty pleasures.  Love you.

The New American Heart Throb

I don't know whether or not heartthrob should be one or two words.  I think that one word looks better, but my Rolling Stone poster on my wall of Zac Efron makes it look like two words.  And since that poster with that boy is what I'm talking about, I'll follow its example.  Even though he isn't the newest heartthrob (I still like one) anymore, he is certainly one of, or maybe The biggest.  Not fattest or tallest, but most beloved/famous/beautiful/most talked about hotties in the country.  

I wonder why hottie has always been spelled with an IE.  It could easily be spelled hotty, but no one does that.  

I know that Zac is an obvious topic to discuss, for all of the famous/dreamy/publicized crap I just spewed, but I am a victim to his looks and can't stop looking at pictures or watching videos of him.  My iPod is already fillllled with all of the pictures from his EW photo shoot, from paparazzi of him at the beach, and with that shirtless shot from the trailer for Seventeen Again (in which he makes out with Leslie Mann.  Weird.).  But I decided to see Zac from the beginning, thanks to youtube and I saw the not-yet-hot, gap-toothed boy of yore.

My older sister recently visited the set for the new Fame remake and she talked to one of the stars, Kay Panabaker, who I recently saw on Grey's Anatomy.  I know that I admitted that the show is bad, but I still keep up.  Kay (may I call her that?) told my sister that Zac Efron was her first kiss, back when they were on Summerland together. Seriously, imagine kissing some awkward guy in one of his first roles and he turns out to be The New American Heart Throb (went back to two).  It was not just her first onscreen kiss.  I mean her first kiss.  His first onscreen kiss was with the girl who plays Dinky in Sydney White.  It was in The Derby Stallion, which I have no interest in seeing.  But yeah, I watched their kisses on youtube.  It was cute.  Thank god my first kiss is not searchable on youtube.

Zac is hot.  On seventeen.com (I admit, I read it.  But it's not that weird because my sister writes for it.) there is a slideshow of Zac blooming from cute(ish) kid to crazy sexy dreamboat.  Seriously.  So hot.  So so hot.  But unlike Perez, it doesn't make me like Vanessa any less.