Six Degrees of Separation?

Working in the TV biz, I watch a fair amount of the boob tube. Some news (okay, a lot of news) and some not, but one thing stays true in both cases: there are a ton of commercials. For the most part, I put the commercial breaks on mute and sort through emails. But every once and a while, one commercial comes along that actually makes me wait for the commercial breaks.

My latest favorite involves a balding, dweeby Kevin Bacon uber-fan named Ivan Googling TV shows and Internet clips of the movie icon in his basement. Downright creepy, right? Wrong. The twist is that under all that make up, Kevin Bacon's biggest fan is ... Kevin Bacon.



Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon just got a little more complicated.

With most actors, this would have been little more than some self-serving egotistical attempt at reviving a career. But Bacon takes the mildly creepy role and turns it into something that's both charming and hilarious.

"I didn't know how far they wanted to go with the look and the character. If it was just me kind of walking around, people would think it was weird," Bacon said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "I walked into this house and I was like, 'Oh my god, you gotta be kidding me.' I loved it."

It's not the thousand and one pieces of Bacon memorabilia or how obsessed Ivan is with the "Footloose" actor that's scary. What disturbs me most, I think, is that I actually like this commercial. I don't know what they're selling and quite frankly, I don't even care. What I've learned from that commercial: Kevin Bacon is as cool now as he ever was! Maybe cooler.

Back in Action

This blog has been woefully neglected lately. So much so, I'm not sure my blog and I are even on speaking terms. I assure you, blog, it's not you, it's me. Life has been incredibly hectic lately, but that's no excuse. I think it's time we rekindled our relationship. It might not be an everyday thing, but we should try to catch up at least a few times a week. Deal? Good. Now for the sake of keeping things pithy, let's get right to it, shall we?

Real life is scary as hell. Yup, I've officially graduated college and have been a full-fledged, real-life adult for more than 3 months now. I've successfully accomplished my first post-college goal (get a real job in my chosen career field, journalism), but I'm not entirely sure where to go from here. Don't get me wrong, life is great. I'm working nights as an associate producer from 13WHAM news in Rochester (coincidentally, the station I literally grew up watching) and I'm still freelancing feature pieces for City newspaper. Every day presents me with new challenges and ideas and I'm loving it (hey, just because I don't have to get up for 8 a.m. classes anymore doesn't mean I have to stop learning, right?).

And even though I've picked up tons of new skills -- like how to simultaneously check my email, import new HD graphics into ENPS, write two completely different stories, take three phone calls and listen to the police scanner (yes, I assure you, it can be done) -- what I've learned the most about is myself (stop rolling your eyes -- I know you're rolling your eyes).

Self-awareness has been a strong trait of mine since I was about five years old. But that only takes me up to the present. I know myself NOW. As I am, and how I was in the past. But who I'll become in the future? I'm clueless. Friends around me have specific career goals, places they want to live, even potential life mates. I don't have any of those nailed down.

But maybe there's something wonderful about that. Taking life at face value. Life hasn't dealt me a royal flush (oh yes, kiddies, it's a poker reference), but clutching a four of a kind is a solid hand to win with.

And I need the win -- being a "real" adult means paying bills and student loans!

Geeky Guilty Pleasure

There are many things in life with which we have love/hate relationships. But rarely do two of those things come together in one. So behold closeted Trekkies and Ke$ha fans/haters alike, because this video might just top the list of awesomely bad things in life.



I never watched a whole lot of "Star Trek" (practically none in fact), but I never realized how much drinking there was on that show. Nor did I notice the bromance between Kirk and Spock. But they do help make that song bearable. Brilliant.

Thanks to Jen Wilson for the link!

LIVEBLOG: The 64th Annual Tony Awards

How did these sneak up on me again? That's right, folks, the 64th Annual Tony Awards are tonight and I'll be bringing you the play-by-play (no bad pun intended). I'll be doing the Live Blog thing again as we watch Broadway starlettes and vets duke it out for the coveted Tony Awards.

There are a handful of interesting nominations this year -- particularly "American Idiot," a jukebox rock musical based on the popular Green Day album of the same name, nominated for Best Musical -- as well as the hosting choice: Sean Hayes. Hayes is nominated for his role in the critically-condemned revival of "Promises, Promises," and although the show itself was not praised, many critics said Hayes was one of the production's redeeming qualities.

That said, this year's award ceremony is sure to be an interesting one. So join me at 8 o'clock to follow along with the good, the bad and the ugly for this year's Tonys.

REVIEW: "All in Good Time"

“All in Good Time”
Barenaked Ladies
Raisin’ Records
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 4 stars

The wisecracking Canadians of Barenaked Ladies have had a rough year. They’ve withstood the departure of co-founding member Stephen Page, the death of lead singer Ed Robertson’s mother and even a private plane crash. But the boys are back with a more reflective sound on their 9th studio album, “All in Good Time.”

The album offers a bluesier pop rock sound than fans may be used to, but one listeners will still enjoy. Despite the more mature, introspective sound, “All in Good Time” still balances poignant with fun — something the band has mastered during their 22-year existence.

Robertson takes lead vocals for ten of the album’s 18 tracks, while keyboardist Kevin Hearn and bassist Jim Creeggan step up on the remaining eight songs. Robertson’s voice offers a familiar sound for listeners (he used to split lead vocals equally with Page), but Hearn’s and Creeggan’s voices croon with mixed success. Creeggan’s song “On the Lookout” sounds less Barenaked Ladies and more Maroon 5.

Their track “Four Seconds” is a bouncy pseudo-rap filled with pop-culture references (think “One Week” but slower and goofier) that proves the guys haven’t lost their signature sense of humor. The first single off the album, a dulcet ballad titled “You Run Away,” astutely reflects the band’s split with Page, while other tracks, like “Ordinary” and “Golden Boy” are akin to BNL classics like “Jane” and “Brian Wilson.”
Beyond the group’s pensive new light rock sound is the same comic charm that will keep old fans and help attract a new generation.

Confessions of a Foodie

There's something about potatoes. I don't know what it is, but I swear there's something magical about them. Baked. Deep fried. Mashed. Salted. Drowned in butter. It almost doesn't matter how I cook them, their mysterious power over me and my taste buds still remains.

There's something cathartic about slowly devouring an entire bowl of potatoes. Maybe this train of thought is coming from a hungry place. Maybe it's because potatoes just happened to be what I was craving when I got home today. Maybe it's because I was just watching 'Julie and Julia' in class and now all I can think about is food.

But as I sit here eating a huge bowl of mashed potatoes for dinner, two things occur to me: 1.) that my parents are probably horrified to learn their almost grown-up daughter is eating only mashed potatoes for dinner — and is admitting it freely on the Internet — and 2.) potatoes may be the single greatest food on the face of the Earth.

Not that I am discriminating against other foods — all food is wonderful. But potatoes in all their glory, particularly mashed, are the granddaddy of all foods. The velvety texture as they roll around in my mouth. The warm sensation as they pleasantly crawl down my throat. The satisfactory feeling as they nestle comfortably in my stomach. They're simply wonderful.

Bus Stop

This was an observational exercise for my Print Journalism Workshop. Just observations, no personal interjections or narration allowed. My observations came from the Green Street Bus Stop in Ithaca, NY at 9:41 a.m. on a Wednesday.


"When's it s'posed to come?"

"Ten minutes ago."

Grunt. Ratty hiking boots scuff the sidewalk. The gray slush-sopped concrete squishes beneath them.

A hand rummages through a coat pocket. Keys jingle. Gum wrapper crinkles. Plastic card emerges. The Dijon mustard color is disguised only on the one side with glossy black letters: TCAT.

Creak, creak, creak, creak. Man with a baby backpack strolls by. Each step bounces with pride. Probably a boy in the back. He's bundled in a robin's egg blue blanket.

Yellow Labrador trots by. Squish, plop, squish, plop. Ears alert, eyes darting in every direction. Ears perked up, they bounce with each step. Owner strolls listlessly behind.

Scuff, plop, scuff, plop. More snow the color and consistency of raw sewage splatters.

Rrrru-ne-ne-ne-ne. The gaunt, sallow-skinned young man in the red Toyota revs his engine. Rrrru-ne-ne-ne-ne!

"What a douche."

Squish, slish, blech. Wheels spatter more snow-turned-sewage across the street.

"Dude, let's just walk."

"Nah, it's uphill!"

Snort. Then silence. Glances down the street. Back at his watch.

Waaah-koooh! Waaah-koooh! Pedestrian cross signal pierces the bitter winter air. No one crosses. No one pushed the button.

Crunch, crunch, crunch. Salt crackles beneath a lovey-dovey couples' boots -- Uggs on her and mud-stained Gore-texes on him.

Rock music blares from someone's iPod. Old school AC/DC.

Hey Satan! Payed my dues
Playin' in a rock band

Overweight mother and her gaggle of three kids wander to the stop. "Mommy, when are we a-gonna have lunch?" He tugs at her hand. "Just wait, we gotta take the bus home first," her voice growing higher and more sing-song with each syllable.

I'm on the hiiiiiighway to hell!

A distant hum. Everyone is on tip-toe, looking expectantly down the street.

A blue and white bus lurches down the slushy road. Coated in a thick layer of snow sewage and salt.

"Is that the 30?"

"I can't ... tell ..."

It's stopped at the light. Chuuuuuuuh! The driver lets off the brakes and bounds down the street toward the stop.

Squeeee! Brakes screech for a second. Slowing down, the driver becomes visible: a hefty bleach blond with dark roots.

She wags her sausage-like finger at the expectant passengers.

Whoooooooooosh! The bus whizzes past. Without stopping.

"Fuck."

MOVIE REVIEW: "Invictus"

Directed by Clint Eastwood
Starring Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon

Among the wealth of popular movie genres that sometimes rely on over-fluffed storylines or technical gimmicks to spark an audience reaction, sports stories lend themselves seamlessly to film and evoke an unusually high level of weepiness among otherwise tough sports fans. In the darkened safety of the theater, jocks (and, of course, other theater-goers) are free to well up over the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Though many flicks in the sports film genre rely heavily on the dramatic nature of sports to evoke inspiration (Cinderella Man and Seabiscuit come to mind), Invictus parallels that sideline fervor with the powerful political story of Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) in the turbulent first year of his presidency. Few other sports films use historical context so well to make a point. Chariots of Fire shows the haughty, snobbish side of British social structure through the lens of the 1924 Olympics, but most sports films stick to an oversimplified, feel-good script.

However, Invictus director Clint Eastwood utilizes the South African rugby team’s unlikely triumph in the 1995 World Cup and Mandela’s remarkable courage and strength to magnify South Africa’s struggle with crime, poverty and unification after the Apartheid in the 1990s.

As Mandela, Freeman ambles humbly around his office and the country, greeting each person genuinely as a worthy individual with charmingly slow, deliberate speech. Freeman’s eyes seem weary throughout the film, which is a subtle nod to Mandela’s tenacious work ethic — we only see Mandela in his bedroom once and he’s not even sleeping, he’s preparing for his daily 4 a.m. stroll.

The South African president’s exhaustive concern about his excessively fractured nation is established in the opening scene with an immediate contrast between the trim, clean rugby stadium of white athletes and the barren dirt field used by a group of black children.

In an effort to unite the country while maintaining the delicate balance of black aspiration with white fear, Mandela asks Springbok captain Francois Fienaar (a taciturn and noticeably bulked-up Matt Damon) to lead his ninth-seeded team to beat the heavily favored Australian rugby team in the World Cup. Though initially skeptical that a sporting match can repair a country’s spirit, a hand-written copy of the poem “Invictus” from Mandela gives Fienaar all the inspiration he needs to be a leader for his team, even if he is not as skilled a leader as President Mandela is. Damon’s performance is arguably strong, but often overshadowed by Freeman’s Mandela. Then again, it’s hard to compete with such a historic figure (and actor).

Sport is almost secondary in this multi-layered profile of an iconic leader, but Eastwood puts rugby front and center when it matters most — at the World Cup. The sweeping colorful crowd shots and fast-paced montages of bulky players beating each other to a bloody pulp are visually stimulating, but fail to give any context to rugby as a game. As far as I could gather, rugby is a barrage of bone-crunching tackles where every play looks foul and it seems anything goes.

Nelson Mandela was a leader who clearly saw the big picture, and Eastwood does too. The lack of sporting context is supplemented with historical context. A few fleeting details — one exaggerated slow-mo sequence toward the end that disrupts the film’s otherwise perfect pacing and many of the supporting characters’ often inconsistent accents — are the only faults in this celebratory biopic that transcends the sports film genre.

Ithaca's Idols

Until this year, I'd never been bitten by the "American Idol" bug. Until this year, I'd never seen a single episode (though I'm a big fan of many of its alums). Until this year, I didn't really get what all the hype was about. But after much convincing from one of my editors, I finally broke down and began watching this season.

I can't say I'm all that impressed so far, however, certain tragically bad ahem ... interesting auditions have stuck out. Probably none more memorable than General Larry Platt's rendition of his original song "Pants on the Ground." Seemingly overnight, "the General" as he calls himself achieved William Hung levels of Internet meme success.

I absolutely hated this song and how popular it became after it debuted on "Idol". But the Ithacapella version is surprisingly catchy and oddly captivating. The all-male Ithaca College-based a capella group caught the attention of Ryan Seacrest Productions and will be featured on an upcoming show. And as much as I hate myself for it, I can't wait.

Check out their video (spontaneously filmed in a hotel room from what I can gather):

Permanently Hilarious

Most of my friends know and love hate me for correcting their grammar and spelling all the time. And though I'm admittedly not so great at the latter, I always use spell check -- something these people probably should have considered before getting misspelled/grammatically incorrect tattoos.

If you don't know the difference between "your" and "you're" then you probably shouldn't get it tattooed on your body. If you don't get the joke, you should probably give your grade school English teacher a call.

Thanks to my friend Lena for pointing this out to me. I haven't laughed this hard in a while.

One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor: The Obama State of the Union Edition

When Presidents used to make national speeches, the whole country would tune in to hang on every word he said because at least many of them cared deeply about what was being said. Nowadays, Americans are more concerned with what words the president utters because it's the difference between a swig of your adult beverage and not.

I did a quick GoogleNews search for "Obama State of the Union Drinking Game" and came up with around 6,300 results ... just in the last 24 hours. The only scarier fact is that there were only about 100 more on the State of the Union specifically. I realize that there is probably a bit of overlap, but within the first page that I checked, the results accurately reflected the search terms I was seeking.

It's a sad, sad commentary on our society, yet it's oddly fascinating and quite funny to glimpse through the ways the public plans to get sloshed tonight. The rules I found range from hilarious fantasies (the Huffington Post blog suggested taking a shot every time Joe Wilson yells something and an additional shot if Obama yells back) to more likely possibilities (like every time Obama says "make no mistake" or "let me be clear"). It's amazing how predictable one of the great orators of our times has become.

More serious sources are predicting the actual content of his speech will focus on the economy and unemployment, as well as the health care debate (each mention of which, by the way, will cost you another shot if you're playing along). Needless to say, it's crucial for Obama to give a knock-out speech tonight.

A VERY SERIOUS NOTE: I do not condone binge drinking.

LIVEBLOG: The Golden Globes

Roll out the red carpet, 'cause it's time once again for the starlettes of Hollywood to pat themselves on the back. The 67th Annual Golden Globes, hosted by Ricky Gervais (interesting choice), start tonight at 8 p.m. I'm not usually a fan of these shamelessly excessive awards shows, so what better way to enjoy it than to jot down some clever, sardonic quips as it happens?

I'll be live-blogging the show starting at 7 p.m. (for the Red Carpet pre-show) using Cover-It-Live (thanks to my editor, Eric Rezsnyak, for introducing me to it). Feel free to join me (below) in my inevitable snark-fest. Should be fun!



Check out my predictions from before and the actual winners here.

Golden Globe Predictions

*UPDATE* Now that the show is over, I've updated the list to include the actual winners (noted in bold).

Here are my bets for this year's Golden Globes. I'll use an asterisk (*) to denote my choice & elaborate on each.

Best Motion Picture (Drama)
*Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

My Prediction: "Avatar" will probably win (it's got more buzz than an over-populated bee hive right now), but I wouldn't mind (nor surprised) if "Up in the Air" pulled out the win. No points for "Inglourious Basterds" in my book -- they spelled both words in the title wrong.

Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
*It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

My Prediction: I've only seen two of the five in this category -- (500) Days and Julie & Julia -- so it's hard to judge. From everything I've heard and read about Nine, it almost has no business being nominated (surprising, given Rob Marshall directed) and The Hangover was a typical frat-boyish humor movie, so it's chances are slim too. My bet would be on It's Complicated (it's got a bunch of Hollywood A-listers & has gotten pretty good reviews, despite its predictability).

Best Actor (Drama)
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
*Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Tobey Maguire, "Brothers"

My Prediction: This one's a toss up between Morgan Freeman, who was incredible as Nelson Mandela in "Invictus", and Tobey Maguire, who made a practically seamless transition from Spider-boy to emotionally wounded soldier.

Best Actor (Musical or Comedy)
Matt Damon, "The Informant!"
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Nine"
*Robert Downey Jr., "Sherlock Holmes"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "(500) Days of Summer"
Michael Stuhlbarg, "A Serious Man"

My Prediction: The only other person I could possibly see wining this category would be Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was adorably funny in "(500) Days".

Best Actress (Drama)
*Emily Blunt, "The Young Victoria"
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Helen Miren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"

My Prediction: New Queen Emily Blunt will definitely beat out former Queen Helen Miren, but Sandra Bullock could be a threat (she did win the Critic's Choice Award).

Best Actress (Musical or Comedy)
Sandra Bullock, "The Proposal"
Marion Cotillard, "Nine"
Julia Roberts, "Duplicity"
Meryl Streep, "It's Complicated"
*Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"

My Prediction: Streep beats Streep in this category, but again, Bullock could steal the win here too (she made quite a comeback in "The Proposal" this year).

Best Supporting Actor
*Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanely Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

My Prediction: I didn't believe Matt Damon's British accent for a minute, but he was outstanding in that role otherwise.

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, "Nine"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
*Mo'nique, "Precious"
Julianne More, "A Single Man"

My Prediction: Of the flicks in this category, I've only seen "Up in the Air", and neither Farmiga nor Kendrick gave an award-winning performance. Based on the buzz I've heard, Mo'nique has this one in the bag. You go girl!

Best Animated Feature
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
*Up

My Prediction: "Up" was not only funny, but also poignant and moving. I don't think there's a bad one in this bunch ('cept maybe Coraline), so this category could definitely be a toss-up.

Best TV Drama Series
Big Love
Dexter
House
*Mad Men
True Blood

My Prediction: After my European Mass Media professor raved about "Mad Men" for an entire semester, I finally broke down and watched a few episodes, and I have to say, I'm a fan. I've loved "House" forever (no matter how formulaic the show's plots are), but I seriously doubt it'll win again (Season 5 was a bit of a mess).

Best TV Comedy Series
30 Rock
Entourage
*Glee
Modern Family
The Office

My Prediction: Even though I wanted to hate it, "Glee" officially gets my vote in this category. I officially hate myself for loving that show. But it's fabulous.

Best Actor, TV Drama Series
Simon Baker, "The Mentalist"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
*John Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
Bill Paxton, "Big Love"

Hugh Laurie's always received high praise as House, but I think this could be Mad Men's year for a win.

Best Actress, TV Drama Series
Glenn Close, "Damages"
January Jones, "Mad Men"
*Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Anna Paquin, "True Blood"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

My Prediction: I could see Kyra Sedgwick winning this award too, but she's already won in the past.