Is there another station as consistent as Adult Swim? Either you like what they do — short-form, irreverent, bold humor — or you don’t, so any new show is either met with glee or total indifference. Put me in the "like it" and "glee" category because today’s news that Robot Chicken‘s creators are getting another show has me…I don’t know, making bizarre referential jokes and thinking about Star Wars. (Ahem, as usual.)
Titan Maximum will be another stop-motion animation series, but unlike RC, it’ll have a continuous storyline with regular characters. Series creator Tom Root told the Hollywood Reporter, "The last thing you want when giant monsters attack is a bunch of teenagers in charge of defending you. Titan Maximum is about what would really happen if a team of idiot kids was in charge of a 6-story-tall robot."
Anyone who comes up with deranged Monchhichis gets an automatic "will watch" from me:
What about you, PopWatchers? Are you as devoted to the ways of Robot Chicken as I am? Enough to get you excited about Titan Maximum?
Kate Gosselin was on the TodayShow this morning, and she told Meredith Viera that she didn’t think her family would "lay it out there" on the upcoming season of their reality show. "I’m very hesitant to believe any of [the accusations of infidelity],"Gosselin says in the interview. "We’re dealing with it privately,"which she admits is ironic, and she makes it sound like there’s no planto stop doing the show (fifth season! coming up!), even if the rumorspersist.
Given that J&K+8 has, in a lot of ways, turned into a show about having a show, I’m outrageously curious about this upcoming season. What about you, PopWatchers?
A dating show? On this guy? That’s what I asked when I first heard the news. I sadly envisioned some sort of Bachelor-type situation where producers insultingly found grossly hairy women — or otherwise deformed ladies — for him to choose from. Or maybe they’d be able to find a few tragic, fame-obsessed bombshells who’d "feel sorry" for him and enter the mix, too. I could only think of offensive situations.
But one of the producers, John Stevens, claims the show will be more documentary-style: "The idea is to document his search to get out of the freak factor category" — we’re talking about a guy who has been on both Maury Povich and Ripley’s Believe It or Not — "and try to get people to look at him as a normal guy," he tells Variety. It’s not like Gomez hasn’t had success with the ladies before: He has been married and has a child.
I want to believe this producer and his plan to help the poor overly hairy guy "out of the freak factor category." But with the sensational nature of television, it’s hard for me to believe that this won’t be anything other than totally ridiculous and a touch mean-spirited. Maybe it won’t be in concept, but will the editors be able to resit creating a whole episode around the "Wolfboy" and his failed attempts at picking up ladies at the bar? An episode where his potential girlfriend/bride has to prove herself by shaving his face to perfection? Blind dates, anyone?
What say you, PopWatchers? Is there a way to chronicle the "Wolfboy" without being offensive? Will you be tuning in to see how they handle this?
Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather popped up on last night’s Daily Show to remind us that the news media’s recent obsession with President Obama’s fast food adventures is actually an honored journalistic tradition steeped in copious amounts of a substance known to locals as…guacamole. A 1973 version of Rather reports hard on a Nixon/Kissinger power lunch in the following clips. "I am not a cook!"
Tonight is the 100th episode of Grey’s Anatomy, which…holy emo soundtrack, Batman, that’s a lot of overwrought metaphors and "he’s crashing!!!" and hooking up and….Well, welcome to the century club, Shonda Rhimes et al!
In keeping with the celebratory atmosphere, I’ll refrain from airing grievances against the show — but trust me: I have many, many grievances — and instead just focus on my favorite things. Here, I’ll do a voice over to get us all in the mood:
As doctors, we’re taught to cut away the bad — slice out that tumor; remove that damaged tissue. Sometimes, it seems like all we can see is what’s wrong with her, or what’s destroying him. At the end of the day, it’s a relief to finally, finally start looking for something good…
Bailey She’s the only character I’ve never hated. Bailey, don’t fail me now!
Meredith and Cristina Easily my favorite relationship on the show, and one of my favorite buddy relationships on TV in general (second place: Grace and Rhetta on Saving Grace). I like that their friendship isn’t just a series of gushy moments — it’s casual and understood and present in all their interactions without constantly being a big deal.
It’s all right to cry* I’m getting choked up just thinking about "Into You Like a Train." Or Kyle Chandler assploding. Or Cristina ripping off her wedding dress and that fugs necklace. Or Derek having to admit that Meredith is "a good swimmer" after she almost drowns/kills herself. Or that girl wanting to "die Amish." Or even that doofy face-transplant guy’s orchid buddies loving him. This show is scientifically engineered to make me weep. Cathartic!
Hey, good lookin’ Any time two people face each other on this show, I just want them to kiss. Any two people! Even couples I don’t really want to see together, somehow Grey’s makes it seem like a really good idea in the moment — the fumbling, the moody music, the longing gazes, the schmaltzy lighting, all of it = smooch factory.
Group huuuuuug! I like when the whole staff is in on the same problem or issue, instead of everyone having his or her own crisis o’ the day. Grey’s has spent a lot of time fleshing out a sprawling regular cast, and one of the show’s enduring themes is that there are lots of ways to be a good doctor — the show’s at its best when the different doctoring styles play off each other.
Okay, PopWatchers, what makes you check in to Seattle Grace?
Farrah Franklin — formerly of short-lived fame as a member of uber-successful girl group Destiny’s Child — has been found! She (super randomly) turned up in last week’s episode of Bravo’s delightful dating show for rich people, Millionaire Matchmaker. (Also questionable: The fact that Franklin has a million dollars in her bank account, but that’s a different blog post.)
And what do you know? Nine years after being booted from the group for missing major concert dates, Franklin is still being a diva, showing up to her Patti Stanger-arranged date four hours late. Not four minutes or even 40 minutes. Four hours. See Patti give it to her good here:
You know what they say: Once a diva, always a diva. (Or maybe I just say that.) Guess Matt Knowles (Beyoncé’s dad) was justified in booting her from the group, then? So much more is illuminated now — that’s just the amazing power of Millionaire Matchmaker, I guess.
I’d always, always wondered about those ex-members of Destiny’sChild. You know, Franklin, along with original membersLeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson — the ones who were cast away as the grouprose to fame. Because, honestly, their lives must now be tragic. Theymust kick themselves every day, wishing they hadn’t questioned QueenBeyoncé and been taken out with the garbage.
Think about it this way: Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams — whowere actually in the group when it disbanded — are doing alright.Rowland hosts Bravo’s new Project Runway wannabe The Fashion Show, which debuts tonight, and Williams had an album last year and guest-judged on RuPaul’s Drag Race earlier this year. Not bad, sure, but they still live in the titan-sized shadow of superstar Beyoncé. Luckett, Roberson, and Franklin? They’re so far below all that. See: Millionare Matchmaker from last week.
PopWatchers, do you even care at all about the extinguished members of Destiny’s Child?
Before today if someone had said "music lounge" I would immediately have pictured myself sitting in a comfortable chair drinking something cold and strong while a jazz band played in the background. Mind you, that’s where my mind pretty much always drifts whenever people start bothering me with their inane yammering. In fact, the Music Lounge is a new website from ABC which showcases the music featured on the likes of Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, and Grey’s Anatomy (the launch of the site coincides with the latter’s 100th episode). The Music Lounge will host performance footage, music videos, information about what tracks will be heard on forthcoming shows, and so on.
Over the past few years TV shows such as Grey’s have become an increasingly important way for what’s left of the music industry to promote its product and this seems like a smart move on everyone’s part. But check out the Music Lounge for yourself and tell us what you think.
Comedian Zach Galifianakis’ web series storms back into action with this hilariously inappropriate and awkward interview with Natalie Portman, "acteress."
Well, so that happened. I mean, what do you want me to say, PopWatchers? I know. I know. You want righteous indignation. You want fireballs. You want to hear about how I desired to throw up on Kara DioGuardi’s face when she was spazzing out during Allison Iraheta’s gutsy final performance as though she’d ever given that girl more than the most cursory compliment over the course of the season. (EDIT: As many of the commenters have pointed out, however, those cursory compliments were often the only ones A.I. got.)
Whatever. We’re in a recession. There’s swine flu. The Taliban is taking over Pakistan. Santa Barbara is on fire. And tonight was one of my best friends’ birthdays, and I could only pop in at her party because I had to come home and write this silly recap about a silly talent show that attracts silly voters who wouldn’t know real talent if it hit them with the mic stand that it carries around because it’s trying to look "rock." I get it. It’s not such a big deal. Allison went home. Adam Lambert’s gonna win. Or Danny Gokey. Or Kris Allen. (?) And I guess we’ll go on, unless we die broke and sneezing and on fire while subject to hardcore Sharia law. It’s fine. I’m fine. You’re fine. This…is what happened tonight at American Idol.
In the mess of morning news was this weird little gem: 
