Category Archives: Lists

The Anti-Valentine Post: TV Break ups

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The thing about Valentine’s Day is…I hate it. I’m not against romance, flowers, and chocolates per se. In fact, I downright enjoy them.  (Well, maybe not flowers. I have issues with taking their fate too seriously.) But I don’t want it thrown in my face, even if it is only for one day out of the year. Ugh. Just, ugh.

Despite my personal feelings, Valentine’s Day seems to be trucking along this year, and with it, the inevitable Vday blogs. To that end, I present my anti-Valentine list. Because as much as I enjoy romance, I also enjoy heartache. (Not in my actual life, of course, but on my TV screen.) C’mon admit it: You like the angst and the drama that goes along with a well-done fictional break up. It might hurt, but, as the song says, it hurts SO GOOD.

There’s no real science going on here; my requirements were the following:
Must haves:
1.) The couple has had a significant relationship.
Optional additions:
1.) Angst, angst hitting you in the face, so much angst you almost can’t take it.
2.) Humor. It happens, sometimes, within a good break up.
3.) It’s not so much heartbreaking as it is, HELL YEAH! YOU GO GIRL (or guy)!

In ranking order, here are my 10 favorite TV break ups:

10.) Michael/Jan – The Office (Their most recent, season 5.)  
I was a huge supporter of Michael and Jan back in the day. I thought Jan was a misunderstood character, I thought that, while dysfunctional, the two were good for each other: His flakiness balanced out her rigidness. He was there for her when she got fired; she was there for him when he was broke. But by season 5, I was tired of Jan. Having a baby from a sperm donor, because “this one had to count?” Manipulating him into believing he was going to be a part of baby Astrid’s life? Flat-out telling him not to date other women, while treating him like dirt? Sorry, Jan Levinson. You are now dead to me.
Which is why it was SO satisfying to see Michael finally stand up to her, defy her orders, and go for it with one Ms. Holly Flax earlier this season. You go, Mike!
Vodpod videos no longer available.

9.) Nate/Brenda – Six Feet Under
In the history of TV relationships, has one ever been as tumultuous as Nate and Brenda? You hate them, you love them, they’re great together, they’re terrible together, they make up, they implode… It was stressful enough watching it on screen; I can’t imagine ever being in a relationship like this one. Still though, they had something, as dysfunctional as it was.  After everything, including a sketchy first meeting, the death of a parent, Nate’s unexpected fatherhood from another woman, an impending wedding, and Brenda’s increasing sexual trysts, things finally blow up. I watched this season knowing they were going to break up, waiting for it to happen, watching the tension build and build throughout the season…and the payoff was nothing short of awesome.

8.) Willow/Oz – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
One of the best things about Joss Whedon’s relationships is one tends to love them all. I love Xander and Cordy just as much as Xander and Anya. Watching Buffy and Angel together is heartbreaking, but so is watching Buffy with Spike. Heck, even Buffy and Riley had some tender moments. (Lest we forget: “You’re a little peculiar.”) To that end, I loved loved loved Willow and Tara. What a beautiful romance, right? If I had to pick one person for Willow to be with for the rest of her life, it would be Tara. (You know, if Josswasn’t EVIL in that way.) Even so, I also loved Willow and Oz, because that was such an important relationship for Willow. The reason almost all of Whedon’s relationships work is because they represent a certain period of a character’s life. Oz was the right person for Willow in high school – she was just discovering herself, what she was capable of, and Oz was there to support her in that adorable non-verbal way of his. And, like most high school relationships, things started to fall apart once the couple moved on to college.
Isn’t that what relationships are really about? You try people on, and they fit for awhile; you outgrow them and move on to someone new until you find that one person who fits permanently. Whedon said of his Buffy characters, “No relationship gets more than two years.” Considering the time frame of the show, (sophomore year of high school through senior year of college) I think that’s about right. Those are the crucial years where we learn and change. Relationships come and go, and even when they don’t stick, that doesn’t mean they disappear or lose all their merit. The transition from Oz to Tara is the epitome of this life lesson. That’s what makes Willow and Oz’s final scene so beautiful. Man…now I really want to go watch some Buffy.
(Please ignore the crappy video and subtitles as much as you can – this was the only version I could find.)

7.) Barney/Ted – How I Met Your Mother
You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. Remember the heartache that Barney suffered last year when Ted ended their friendship? It took two car accidents on the same day to bring these BFFs back together. I’m a big fan of this bromance, and when Ted told Barney he didn’t want to be friends anymore, my heart broke a little. A lesson to everyone out there: Don’t sleep with your best friend’s ex. It’s just never a good idea.

6.) Charlotte/Trey – Sex and the City
Oh, Char and Trey…they were doomed from the start and yet I couldn’t help but care. First with the “alrighty” proposal, then with the pre-nup, then the impotence, and Trey’s horrible mother, and the separation, and then when everything seemed to finally be on track, Charlotte finds out she’s reproductively challenged. (And not to make light of a terrible condition, but that phrase does make me giggle a bit whenever I hear it. So politically correct!)
So y’all know the story right? They find out they can’t have kids, Charlotte wants to adopt, Trey and Bunny decidedly do not. Charlotte starts fertility treatments that play havoc on her hormones, Trey convinces Charlotte not to have kids, they start sleeping in separate bedrooms, Trey buys Charlotte a hideous cardboard baby, their marriage collapses.  I love this relationship, and not just because Trey says things like, “I’m sorry Charlotte. May I offer you a hanky?” when they are finally able to have relations. I love it because of what their relationship does to Charlotte. It changes her entire outlook on life. As Michael Patrick King said, “She finally got her fairytale wedding, and it went horribly wrong.” What a delicious story! Charlotte was never my favorite of the gals, but this plot line made me love her. It made her human. She was no longer the annoying princess waiting for her prince charming. She was damaged. She was interesting.
My favorite part of the episode comes at the end, when Trey shows up for the Home and Garden shoot. It’s a great metaphor for their whole relationship: Pretty on the outside, disaster on the inside. Trey’s earnest declaration and Carrie’s voice over kill me every time (I actually am tearing up thinking about it.)
**So I don’t have a clip of the scene I want, but I do have part of the episode here. The clip runs from 11:33 to 13:17.**
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5.) Buffy/Angel – Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the first time, season 2)
Oh, the eternal debate in the Jossverse: Angel or Spike? It’s unsolvable, really: Neither side will ever reach an agreement, and those of us who simply can’t make up our minds never will. They’re both wonderful. Is Spike a wee bit hotter without a shirt on? Of course. But, then, there’s Angel. An never-ending, unfulfilled love. They can never really be together, and that is why they have to be together. (Of course, then there’s the whole Angel/Cordy debate, which you shouldn’t really get me started on because I might never shut up. Quick answer: I’m for it.)
But forget about all that. Forget about Angel leaving town, Spike becoming lovestruck for Buffy, forget Cordy and Angel’s adorableness, all of it. Just go back to season two, when Angel and Buffy were all the rage, and remember how good it felt to feel so bad for Buffy. Girl never gets a break.
The actual break up of Buffy and Angel is questionable. Did they ever really break up? Did they ever stop loving each other? In my head, no and no. However, the aftermath of it all, after Angel turns evil, after the big fight, at the end of the day, it’s this scene that sticks with me. It’s this scene that makes me cry. From Giles’ speech to Buffy refusing to blow out her birthday candles, it’s heartbreak all the way. Perhaps the saddest thing of all is Buffy’s conversation with her mother:
“What did you do for your birthday? Did you have fun?”
“I got older.”
and
“Go on,  make a wish?”
“I’ll just let it burn.”
Stab me through the heart with a stake-  I’m done.
Vodpod videos no longer available.

4.) Carrie/Aiden – Sex and the City (the first time, season 3)
The thing about Carrie and Aiden is, they were never going to work. Carrie’s attachment to Big is too deep, and Aiden is too insecure to overlook it. (Not that he should; I’m just saying, guy’s insecure.) Then there’s my whole theory about how Aiden was too good for Carrie, but that’s a different post for a different day. (Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE Carrie. She’s my second favorite character from my favorite show of all time… Please don’t throw garbage at me.)
My first thought was to put their second break up on the list. It’s all dramatic, with the fountain, and the yelling, and then the quiet yet powerful ending: “The next day, Aiden moved out.” Fade to black, credits. It’s a punch in the gut, every time. As a viewer, you wish they could make it, even though you know it’s not meant to be. (The remedy to the post-Aiden blues? Watch this episode. As I said to my parents (through our collective tears) when after we watched it, “See. (sniff, sniff) That’s why she can’t be with Aiden.”
So there’s that. But there’s also the break up from season 3 – after Carrie tells Aiden she’s been sleeping with Big. While it doesn’t have the sucker punch of season 4, it’s just…well, it’s just so sad. Here are two people, who really do care about each other, trying to make something work and failing. Plus there’s the sad music, and afterwards, the brave face Carrie puts on for Charlotte. As Michael Patrick King said in his commentary for this episode, “No matter what’s going on in their own lives, the girls are always there for each other.”  Now that’s love.

3.) Luke/Lorelai – Gilmore Girls (the second time, season 6)
I can’t even talk about this one. The only reason it’s on here is because it HURT so much when it happened, and not the good kind of hurt. It broke my heart and made me sad all summer, and then things just got worse in the next season and…yeah. I have to stop talking about it.
I’ll just say that, I’ve only seen this episode once, and hadn’t seen this scene since it aired until I went looking for it on Youtube. Even so, the sound of Lorelai’s voice telling Luke she picks the wallpaper over him has remained in my head for almost three years. It’s just. So. Heartbreaking. Damn you, Amy Sherman Palladino! Why? WHY? If you’re going to break  a couple up, take your cue from the masters above. (See:  Whedon, Joss and King, Michael Patrick.)

2.) Sam/Diane – Cheers (the first time, season 2)
Talk about a sucker punch. It’s one of the greatest scenes in all of television, and one only tends to remember the funny parts: The slapping, the nose pulling, the line “This is it. We’ve sunk as low as human beings can sink.” It’s hilarious, until it isn’t, and that’s how they get you. Also, simply as a piece of TV history, it’s incredible. An almost 10 minute scene between two people, with that much intensity? Can you imagine if a show attempted this today?  (I wish one would, actually. I miss those scenes.)
 

and, drum-roll please…my number one TV break up:

1.) Ross and Rachel – Friends (the first time, season 3)
Could it be any other way? This episode is, IMO, one of the best of the series, and perhaps one of the best in all of television. Everything works, from the Ross/Rachel banter (“A mistake? What were you trying to put it in, her purse?”),  to the hilarious scenario of the rest of the gang getting stuck in Monica’s room (“Do you think I need a new walk?”), to the intensity played by all the cast when the inevitable happens. Half of the show is basically a mini-play, and it never gets old. It also never gets any less sad, even though we all know Ross and Rachel get together in the end.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the whole thing, but here’s the crux of the piece.

So…depressed yet? Ready to toss Valentine’s Day out the door? Or are you forever a Charlotte, always believing in love?

“Now this is a story all about how…”: Top 10 TV Theme Songs

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“….my life got flipped turned upside down, and I’d like to take a minute just sitting right there and tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air.”

I could go on. Do you want me to go on? I’m doing this all from memory, you know. (Ok there is no way for you to check that, but trust me, I am.)

For awhile now, I’ve been wanting to do the counter to my blog last fall on my top 10 opening sequences. That blog focused on the credits as a whole – including both song choice and creativity with video. But let’s face it – there’s a lot of boring opening credit sequences with kick ass theme songs. So today, I’m going to present to you my 10 favorite. The choice was not easy. Ultimately, I decided to go with original theme songs (sorry Gilmore Girls!) with one notable exception, because it kicks that much ass. (I’ll give more of an explanation when it comes up below.)

Requirements: 1.) It must kick ass, and, as an added bonus, psych me up to watch the show.  2.) Have amazing harmony. 3.) Have either clever or hilarious lyrics (or both). 4.) Be catchy, to the point where I can’t get it out of my head. (I currently have about 25 theme songs rolling around in my head as a result of this blog.)

Here they are in no particular order….

“Stand behind me come one May…”
A Different World

For the youngesters who may be reading this: Back in the 80s, there was The Cosby Show. From that came a spinoff called A Different World. Originally it was supposed to focus on Huxtable daughter, Denise, but she left the show after one season, and it was retooled. A lot. So, even though it’s technically a spin-off, it really has nothing to do whatsoever with The Cosby Show, except when Denise is brought up occasionally, usually by Dwayne Wayne (hee!) who had a major thing for her. Denise eventually returned to New York, married a Navy man, had a stepdaughter who would later star in a show that Dawnn Lewis, who played Jaleesa Vinson, one of Denise’s roommates on A Different World was in for the first season. Until Denise left. The moral of this history lesson is twofold: 1.) I watched way too much TV growing up and 2.) I freaking loved A Different World. It’s totally a guilty pleasure show, and I know that. Still though, you could do a lot worse then Debbie Allen as executive producer, Jasmine Guy as your lead, Patti LaBelle as a frequent guest star, and freaking Aretha Franklin singing your theme song.

“On a wing and a prayer.”
The Greatest American Hero

Ok, full disclosure: I’ve never seen this show. It was before my time, and I guess never in repeats on Nick at Nite. Considering it only ran from 1981 to 1983, I’m guessing most people didn’t see it. But the theme song! Oh, the theme song! If it’s good enough for George Costanza, it’s good enough for me.

“Your dreams are your ticket out.”
Welcome Back, Kotter

Now this DID rerun on Nick at Nite. Probably for John Travolta, but either way, I spent my youth watching the Sweathogs try to make something of themselves.

“You’re gonna make it after all.”
Mary Tyler Moore

I mean, obviously. I never really got into this show – in high school, it began to rerun on Nick at Nite, and my parents were delighted. I’m all for watching reruns of shows of yore, but for a solid six months, this was ALL THEY WATCHED. EVERY NIGHT. TWICE A NIGHT. I’d come downstairs from doing my homework, it’d be on. I’d head into the den after dinner, wanting to watch a current show, and it’d be on. I’d wake up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, it’d be on. So you’ll excuse me for not having MTM as part of my TV history. I’m all for watching now – it’s been 10 years, I think I’m recovered. Plus, you know, Liz Lemon before there was a Liz Lemon. Regardless of my history with the show, I can’t deny the theme song rocks.

“Sha nananaa”
Family Ties

So 80s. So corny. So great. And not that it has anything to do with the song, but without this intro, I couldn’t do my Merideth Baxter Birney impression. (Anyone can do it really; it just consists of spinning around in a kitchen and stopping by placing your hand on the table.) Man. What happened to this show? It was fantastic! Alex P. Keaton, ditsy Mallory and her boyfriend Nick…great stuff. I’m not inspired enough to go out and get the DVDs, but why isn’t it in reruns anymore? I’d totally go for a Family Ties marathon. Especially if they showed the one where Tom Hanks plays Alise’s alcoholic brother, who is so hard up that he drinks a bottle of vanilla.

“We gotta be the luckiest dreamers…”
Growing Pains

There’s a lot of versions of the song; this one is my favorite. (Don’t tell anyone but I secretly love a Capella.) Do I really need to say anything more?

“Here we cooooommeeeee!”
The O.C.

Here is my exception to the rule: The O.C. It’s actually a song by Phantom Planet that was written years before Seth Cohen existed. But I had to include it because it’s one of the few theme songs that actually gets me pumped, every single time. The piano, the surf, Adam Brody..it all works for me. (In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit  I stopped watching the show somewhere in season 3. But I think we can all agree: It was amazing in its prime. It’s just too bad the prime only lasted about a year and a half.)

“In west Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground was where I spent most of my days.”
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

I’ve not seen this show in years, and can still recite the song on command. (Well, not this long version, but the shorter, regular one that normally ran.) The lyrics – remember the requirement of hilarious and/or clever? Well this is the epitome, don’t you think?

“We’re bopping along in our barrell…”
Wonderfalls

Most of you didn’t see this show that only aired four episodes. I’m doing you a favor now by showing you the theme song. (You’re welcome, Liz. Look, there’s your boyfriend!) Not only was the show brilliant (all 13 episodes are available on DVD and a must-have) so was the theme song. Oh Wonderfalls. I miss you. You were so great.

And saving the best for last…..

“Be glad there’s one place in the world…”
Cheers

This song is so great, I spent about 15 minutes trying to decide which version to embed. (They’re subtle differences, but they are there.) I finally decided to go with original. Y’all, Where Everybody Knows Your Name  is the reason I am writing this blog. In my Great Cheers Rewatch, I not only rediscovered the bar, I rediscovered the theme song. (Not that I forgot about it, but you know what it’s like when you watch/read/listen to an old favorite again after a long absence.) Others may disagree, but in my humble opinion, this is the greatest theme song ever written. It meets all four requirements with flying colors. (Not sure about the humor? Check out the full version, below.) Not to get all corny on you, but this song, to me, is like coming home. Maybe because I grew up watching the show and it was my Favorite Thing Ever for many years, but, it’s just comforting, you know? And it gets me excited, every time. (Again with the piano; what is it about that instrument?)

More on this after I finish my great rewatch.

I know there’s a lot I missed. Runners up include Friends, Everwood (though it is all instrumental), Laverne and Shirley, Who’s The Boss?, Different Strokes and Saved by the Bell. Any more you would have included?

Video of the Day: Rounding out the TV Theme Songs, here is the full version of my ultimate TV theme song.

Brings a tear to your eye, doesn’t it? My personal favorite clip is the water gun fight.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow – Part Deux

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Back in my days of blogging for my old newspaper, I came up with a list of five male celebrities with effortlessly perfect hair.  So did Liz.

Mine included Matthew Perry, James Gunn, Kyle Chandler, Michael C. Hall and Paul Rudd. Liz honored Matthew Perry (cause really, have you seen the dude’s hair?) John Corbett (I’m guessing Northern Exposure-era), Naveen Andrews, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogan and Gael Garcia  Bernal.

And that was that.

Until this weekend, when we watched Half Nelson, which is a great movie. But when all was said and done, and after we praised the film for its quietness, and for the great performances from Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps, and wondered if “half nelson” was some crack term we didn’t know about (we only know it from wrestling), we got down to the important stuff:

“Ryan Gosling is really, really hot.”

“I know.”

“And I know he’s playing a drug addict in the film, but…that’s pretty much my exact type – tall, skinny, disheveled.”

“Totally.”

“I’m not sure what this says about me. It seems whenever someone plays a drug addict in a film [see – Ewan McGregor, Trainspotting] I find them really hot.”

This led to a discussion of his hair, which brought us back to our lists, and the mutual agreement that if we ever made another one, he’d be on it. (We really are intelligent, sophisticated, cultured women, I promise.)

The next night, I was having trouble sleeping and (like you do) started thinking of who else could be on the distinguished list of Effortlessly Perfect Hair.

Disclaimer before I start: No head of hair will ever be more beautiful and perfectly effortlessly executed than Kyle Chandler. I mean, c’mon.

kyle1

It’s just a thing of beauty, is what it is.

So, without further adieu, here are my additional selections:

Ryan Gosling:
I admit it – Half Nelson was my first Ryan Gosling film. Yes, ladies, I’ve never seen The Notebook. And I am so okay with that. I’ve never seen Lars and the Real Girl or The Believer. (Though the latter two are on my to-see list.)  I knew he had been nominated for an Academy Award for Half Nelson, but I didn’t expect his quiet little performance to be as good as it was. Congrats, Ryan – you’ve graduated from “pretty boy” to “damn fine actor” in my book. And the hair…good lord the hair. So good. Add some tattoos and I am a puddle on the floor.

It’s good a little scruffy:
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and a LOT scruffy
ryan-gosling2

Michael Cera
Yes, he’s a little young for me – dude isn’t even 21 yet. (Seriously??) But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good head of hair. Think not so much George Michael Bluth as Paulie Bleeker and Nick (of Nick and Nora) – the more mature Cera, if you will. (If one can be mature at 20.) What I like about Cera’s hair is that it seems like he doesn’t use any product. He doesn’t need to. It stands well enough on its own. See:
michael_cera_hot25

(Don’t judge me. You know you all wish he was older.)

Ted MosbyJosh Radnor
It almost feels like cheating to put him on here – because Josh Radnor’s hair is so not effortless. (Well, Josh-Radnor-as- Ted-Mosby-‘s hair, anyway). There’s product. There’s scrunching. There’s even a whole episode of How I Met Your Mother dedicated to Ted’s hair vanity. And still, it must go on, because it’s fantastic hair and because it does LOOK effortless.
himym6axw0

Say what you will about Ted as a character (I love him, but most don’t), dude does have an awesome head of hair.

Malcolm Gets
Yeah, that’s right. I’d say his hair is at least 20% of the reason he’s my new celebrity boyfriend. (Well, maybe not. But the hair is a part of the essence, and I’m all about the essence. Or something. Seriously… Shut up, his hair is amazing.) So, I’m not sure this is effortless either. But he does have that tousled “just got out of bed look” down. It’s long and there’s a hint of curl, but it’s not overly curly. Really though, he could be on here for volume alone. Just look at the volume.  As someone with thick, curly hair myself, I’m always impressed when one can wear it so well. Whether it’s in a movie (where clearly, there were stylists and such)
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Or at an event (where it probably looks like he just got out of bed because he just got out of bed. That takes some balls, man. I can’t pull that look off.)
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And, finally, we have the one, the only…

Taylor Kitsch
I know his hair is a THING, and everyone who watches Friday Night Lights LOVES HIS HAIR, but c’mon. He’s got to be on the list. Frankly, I’m embarrassed he didn’t make my list the first time around.  What is there to say, really? As Tim Riggins, dude makes stringy, greasy, unwashed hair somehow beautiful. And effortless? You bet. I don’t think Kitsch washes his hair or does anything to it when he goes on set.

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Which reminds me – FNL comes back on next week, you guys! Watch! I will! And I can’t wait to finally actually talk about the season. It’s been killing me, holding it in, y’all. KILLING ME!

Video of the Day: Classic TV Clip
A shout out another great head of hair – Mr. Peter Krause. He can be an honorary member of this exclusive club. Here he is – with fabulous hair – in one of my favorite scenes from Six Feet Under.

Rock on, TV Boyfriends!

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This just in from the Hollywood Foreign Press (Golden Globes):

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

1. GABRIEL BYRNE – IN TREATMENT
2. MICHAEL C. HALL – DEXTER
3. JON HAMM – MAD MEN
4. HUGH LAURIE – HOUSE
5. JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS – THE TUDORS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

1. NEIL PATRICK HARRIS – HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
2. DENIS LEARY – RECOUNT
3. JEREMY PIVEN – ENTOURAGE
4. BLAIR UNDERWOOD – IN TREATMENT
5. TOM WILKINSON – JOHN ADAMS

I swear if Piven wins this again, I’m going to boycott all award shows. (Okay, that’s just crazy talk. But I will be pissed. NPH doesn’t even have to win, just NOT Piven.

Though, I am not sure how much clout the HFP holds for me this year, as both Mamma Mia! and Burn After Reading are best picture nominees. I will give them the Cohen Brothers, but…Mamma Mia!? Huh? That movie scarred me for life. And as talented as Meryl Streep is…she does not deserve her best actress nomination.

Sorry, no time for Video of the Day. Have to get back to work!

I’m still here!

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Don’t worry, I didn’t get swallowed up by Thanksgiving. After a long car trip, a fun four days and a 14 -fucking-hour car trip home, I am back.  Note to self: Never go anywhere over the Thanksgiving holiday ever again. People will just have to come to me. (This is totally going to work.)

So. Now that it’s officially Christmas season and the end of the year, I’m getting ready for my annual (if you read my old blog last year) blog on my top 10 Favorite Things of the Year in Popular Culture. There’s the obvious (Dr. Horrible, anything that NPH touched); the not-so-obvious (how the Tony Awards totally restored my love of musical theater. Not that it was waining. So maybe I should say enhanced my love); and the surprising (Mad About You Rewatch! Discovering the awesomeness that is This American Life! Discovering Wally Lamb and all of his glory!)

Oh, speaking of Dr. Horrible, it’s now available to order exclusively on Amazon.com, and will be released Dec. 17th.

But anyway, back to the Best of 2008 – I am open to suggestions! What did you love best in popular culture this year? I might split it up into different categories (music, film, etc.) Not sure yet. It’ll be a pretty tough competition. There was a lot of great stuff in 2008.

Video of the Day:
So, I made some mixes for the drive to and from Boston over Thanksgiving. One was a collection of some of my favorite show-tunes (shut up!) and the other was a collection of cover songs. This was one of the cover songs. It’s the performance that made me realize, “Hey, this guy could win this thing. This guys is GOOD. I guess I have to stop hating him, now.”