Image Credit: Dario Cantatore/Getty ImagesI’ve mentioned it before on PopWatch that Josh Groban’s cut of “Little Drummer Boy” has made my sister sob (she was pregnant at the time) and me tear up (the ox and lamb keeping time gets me before the baby Jesus smiling). Well, I went to see Andrea Bocelli at Madison Square Garden last week, and it happened again. My eyes got so misty during his rendition of “Silent Night” that things looked as soft focus as a Barbara Walters’ special. I attribute it to multiple factors: I’ve always loved that song since I was a kid. It’s just a simple, gorgeous melody. It was always the last song we sang at both my Christmas Eve service and my high school chorus Christmas concert growing up. In both cases, everyone got to light a candle, which made the otherwise nondescript church and auditorium instantly beautiful. Once the song ended, my family would leave to go home, and since I grew up in rural central Pennsylvania, all really was calm and bright on the walk to the car. It’s like when I’m listening to the song, I’m also hearing that silence, and feeling the freezing, still air, and seeing the Christmas lights across the street or a field. Obviously, Bocelli’s voice is perfection, and I was sitting in the top row at the Garden, where I could I truly appreciate how it filled the arena and brought that sense of calm and clarity to the center of New York City (at the holidays!), if only for five minutes. Will it translate for you in fan-captured video below? No. But watch it anyway. Then, tell us if a holiday song has ever made you tear up. Be specific. If there’s an artist that got you, give him/her/them credit. Maybe we’ll spot a trend. READ FULL STORY »
Tag: PopWatch Confessional (91-100 of 315)
PopWatch Confessional: Forever ruined entertainment
Image Credit: Everett CollectionIs there a movie or TV show you’ll never watch again, not because it’s bad (though it may be) but because it reminds you of something or someone you’d rather forget? Maybe it’s a song that makes you change the station, or a book you can’t bear to pick up. Here’s why I’m asking: I realized after seeing multiple commercials for last night’s airing of the film The Family Stone on ION that my personal aversion to that movie is so strong, I will never see it again. I’ve blogged about it before on PopWatch, how in December 2005, I went to see what I thought was a lighthearted holiday comedy to, for two hours, get my mind off the fact that my father was in the hospital for his first round of chemo, and ended up sobbing in front of my mother, sister, and the theater’s clean-up crew because the trailer neglected to mention that a parent was battling cancer. (Watching the preview again just now, I concede that Dermot Mulroney does look inexplicably sad, for a second.)
Your turn. What entertainment has forever been ruined for you due to a reason beyond its control? (The reason doesn’t have to be as dramatic as the Big C.)
Man pulls gun on TV over Bristol Palin's 'DWTS' run
Image Credit: Adam Larkey/ABCWe’d hate to see what he would’ve done last night… Steven N. Cowan, a 67-year-old man from Vermont, Wis., fired a shotgun at the television in his house Monday evening while watching the performance night of Dancing With the Stars. Dane County police were called to the residence after Cowan’s wife fled their home and phoned saying her husband, who authorities believe suffers from bipolar disorder, was intoxicated, armed, and threatening to commit suicide. The trigger for the incident was Cowan’s belief (and anger) that Bristol Palin was on the show because of her famous politician mother instead of her dancing ability. Tactical response and hostage negotiation teams arrived on the scene, and it took them roughly 15 hours to coax Mr. Cowan out of the home. He’s been charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, the Dane County Sheriff’s office confirms to EW.
Now we don’t want to make light of this situation. We’re happy to hear that his wife was unharmed and are assuming he’ll get the psychological help he needs to live a happier life. But it does seem like a good time to confess whether you’ve ever struck out at your TV. I have yelled at it, but I’ve never thrown anything at it. I love my flatscreen too much to hurt him. You?
More Dancing With the Stars:
Annie Barrett recaps last night’s controversial DWTS
Eliminated DWTS contestant: ‘I am numb’
Hidden Gems of the season 11 semifinals
PopWatch Confessional: Which concerts have made you cry?
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.comLast night was not the first time a live performance from a musician has brought me to tears, but it was certainly the most unanticipated.
I went to the 4th Annual Stand Up for Heroes event, presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival, at the Beacon Theatre in New York anticipating a certain amount of emotional response. (Most event organizers are well versed in the art of heartstring tugging.) But I managed to keep myself in check through the personal stories of triumph and the inspiring videos about veterans’ courageous recovery. I was there for work, after all, which meant I had to wear my (p-p-p-)poker face. Well, I tried.
Enter The Boss for a three-song set. READ FULL STORY »
On what date is it okay to let the Christmas song that came up on shuffle play?
If, like me, you have a substantial number of holiday tunes on your iPod and like to hit shuffle, you will occasionally find yourself having to skip over one. Well, it’s becoming harder. Particularly when it’s Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” which is a great pop song, period. I used to be an emphatic Day After Thanksgiving Girl, but last year, I broke that rule because my father, who’s still battling an illness, took a turn in October that made us unsure if we’d be celebrating the holiday in December, and hearing him hum along to the 10 versions of “Silent Night” in my iTunes gave me some comfort. So now, I could be forever compromised.
What’s your rule for letting that first Christmas tune play? And what are the first 10 holiday songs you intend to listen to when it’s go time? Mine: READ FULL STORY »
PopWatch Confessional: Which cheesy cartoon moments make you cry?
Image Credit: Everett CollectionThis past weekend, I found myself watching An American Tail at 2 a.m. No, I wasn’t cruising for a nice bout of depression (“Somewhere Out There,” anyone?); I simply felt like falling in love with it all over again. It was one of those random movie cravings. You know the kind.
But before I pressed play, I told myself I’d fast-forward through the especially tear-inducing parts so as not to be the person who weeps by themselves in the middle of the night. So I didn’t watch when Fievel got separated from his family, and I didn’t watch the part where a pair of bullies gave the lonely little mouse a bed of straw to sleep on. They were obviously sad parts, and I’m not into cartoon self-flagellation. (Confession: I still haven’t worked up the courage to watch Up.) Then, I was caught off-guard when I found myself weeping during the happy ending (of all things!). There was something about watching disheveled Fievel follow the sound of his papa’s voice to reunite with his family that just had me bawling.
I immediately recognized the cheesiness of the situation, but I couldn’t help it. I hadn’t anticipated being moved by a predictable happy ending. Maybe the cynical, grown-up in me thought I was beyond it. Apparently I’m not. Sometimes, you can’t help but be moved by cartoon corniness.
We all cried during Toy Story 3, during that heartbreaking Peanuts episode, during that dog episode of Futurama, and during every Pixar movie. But what I want to know, PopWatchers, is which really cheesy cartoon moments get you every time?
On Twitter: @EWSandraG
Coldplay puts many Brits to sleep. What's your entertainment sleep aid?
Image Credit: Tom Sheehan; Kwaku Alston; Martin Philbey/Redferns/Getty ImagesA survey of 6,000 British adults conducted by Travelodge found that eight out of 10 Britons rely on music to help them fall asleep at the end of the day. Coldplay tops the list of most turned-to artists, followed by Michael Bublé, Snow Patrol, Alicia Keys, Jack Johnson, Taylor Swift, Mozart, Barry White, Leona Lewis, and Radiohead. Even more interestingly, a quarter of adults surveyed reported they fall asleep listening to their iPod and they have a specific sleep-inducing playlist. What’s your nighttime entertainment sleep aid?
If I’ve gone to bed thinking I’d be able to fall right asleep but then couldn’t, I’ll reach for the TV remote and turn on the Singers & Swing Music Choice channel. If I’ve anticipated the need of a mental distraction, I will, in fact, cue up my “Shut It Down” playlist: READ FULL STORY »
What pop culture phenomena still lies before you unspoiled, making your friends insanely jealous?
The new behind-the-scenes featurette on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 below doesn’t really tell us anything new — they’re alone, on the run, outside Hogwarts, we know — but it does run through the first six films in the series in a way that made me think how amazing it would be if you’ve never read the books or seen the movies and still have all of that to look forward to. The idea was fresh in my mind after seeing a recent trailer for Deathly Hallows, turning to the friend I was with, and having her tell me she’s only read the first two books. I imagine the combination of pity/envy is similar to what some people feel for me when I tell them I’ve never seen Arrested Development. (I know I’ll love it. That could be why I’m saving it for when I really need it.)
So, back the headline: What pop culture phenomena still lies before you unspoiled, making your friends insanely jealous? Why haven’t you pulled the trigger? And when do you plan to? READ FULL STORY »
PopWatch Confessional: What scripted show do you DVR and routinely fast-foward?
Image Credit: AMCOver a few mojitos earlier this week — it makes coming home to Hawaii Five-0 all the more fun — I may have admitted to a few colleagues that I DVR Mad Men for the sex scenes. I look for the “S” in the episode rating and then fast-forward to watch only the scene(s) that warranted it. I used to tape Mad Men to actually watch it in full like other people with good taste in television, but then I got bored during some hour last season and made the mistake of fast forwarding — slippery slope — and now, this is what I’ve been reduced to. (It may sound a bit pervy, but it’s still better than being someone who doesn’t tape Mad Men, right?)
Needless to say, I was properly ridiculed, but, having survived that, I found the strength to make this public because I’m curious: What scripted show do you DVR but routinely find yourself fast-forwarding for whatever reason? Maybe there’s one storyline you’ve lost interest in, or maybe there’s only one storyline left in which you’re invested. Or, maybe you should just break up with the show, but the “S” is good.
Read more:
More PopWatch Confessionals
‘Mad Men’ recap: Tomorrow comes too soon
‘Mad Men’: Why I’m rooting for a Megan-filled season 5
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