The View: Blonde Ambition

The View like most talk shows goes for controversy not actual intelligent conversation. When they first announced Sherri Shepard and Whoopi Goldberg I was excited because I thought two comediennes meant more discussion and logical arguments. I was so wrong.

It turned out Whoopi hardly joins in especially in interview segments. On the other Shepard is constantly jumping in showing how ignorant she is on most topics. Her blind faith dulls her logical side to the point she has made some amazingly stupid quotes that should not be repeated.

That leads us to Jenny McCarthy the replacement for Elizabeth Hasselback. McCarthy is from that funny and talented McCarthy clan and she has hosted many other things before. The fact is she has a great TV personality and her comic timing is great but she is also as ignorant as 80% of The View's former hosts.

McCarthy mistakenly believes vaccines are bad and other ridiculousness about autism. While she has a right to her opinions that does not mean her opinions are right. Just the opposite many of the claims she makes are scientifically inaccurate. What I like about Whoopi is that if she is provided more information she will adjust her opinions which is how science works. McCarthy like Hasselback has chosen a side and set a belief system to it and will never budge even when hard evidence is presented, that is the definition of ignorant.

Hopeful for the seasons without any original members but bracing for a storm of ignorant quotes, like Juror B37.

Café

Café was a movie with then couple Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jaime Kennedy that I just saw on TV. With the exception of Jaime Kennedy trying to play a tough guy everyone else was believable.

The movie centers around an incident in a Café and what happened the days before that led up to the fateful day. The twist is that this is also a sci-fi fantasy. In the style of The Matrix we are told that what is real may not be. The ending was less than satisfying but in all the movie was enjoyable. As a short movie I think this would have worked better. Several characters were not needed and nothing.

That unwritten rule of you should never act on screen with your girlfriend/boyfriend because it will break you up seems to be in effect.

Remembering Joe Conley

Joe Conley spent 50 years on TV playing different characters but he will be best known or his role on The Waltons as Mr. Godsey. As the gentle shopkeeper on Walton's Mountain he brought humor and sympathy to a non-starring role.

Conley was a great character actor during a time where if you started on TV you stayed there. He had dementia during the last ten years and passed away in a elder care home. For those too young to have seen his work a quick Waltonsmarathon may help you appreciate what a good actor can do with a small role.

Frontline: Two American Families

Another great documentary from PBS, available free online. In Two American Families Bill Moyers and the Frontline crew chronicle two families over 22 years starting with their unemployment in 1991.

The personal struggles of each family is powerful but the underlying cause is much more important. These families had male head of household who got non-college degree jobs at $18.00 an hour back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The head of these companies decided to make a larger profit and either moved thier jobs or reduced the pay to $7.50 an hour.

Throughout the next 22 years more companies hired women at lower pay and offered only part time positions. This made the executives of the companies richer but destroyed the middle class. The mother in one of the families got a job at an armored truck company for $7.50 and hour but she only stayed for 2 years leading me to wonder what guy lost his job at a high pay while the company got a bonus for hiring a woman in a male dominated industry.

Look I am all for equal rights for equal pay but not at $7.50. These women should be making the $18 the husband made 22 years ago but they are so desperate that they always take less. I always remember that college was not needed in America as long as you work hard. Today so many people have degrees that they are almost useless. 

The kids in these family are fairing worse but it mostly to their own mistakes/choices but in the old America you could redeem yourself by getting a 9 to 5 job and support a family or two. Even at their relative success now these families cannot support more than themselves.

Sunday Night Round-Up 07/07/13

The Simpsons: What Animated Women Want
While I have been an irregular watcher of The Simpsons I still enjoy watching it. This one has Homer trying to please Marge and Milhouse trying to displease Lisa. The whole episode tries to peek into the minds of women and does it very well. After 20+ years The Simpsons still no how to balance adult and kid cartoons well.

Under The Dome: The Fire
After ranting about missing last Monday's episode they repeat it tonight. The townspeople are begin to crack. The villainous types are working hard to try and cover their secrets while the heroic types are moving slow to understand the scale of the problem.

Falling Skies: Be Silent and Come Out
The Masons just cannot catch a break. Fallout from another mind-bug puts everyone in jeopardy but as you know the Masons are a tough bunch. A nice look at new technology for fighting the aliens probes is explored. This show is more of a family drama than a sci-fi or political show.

True Blood: At Last
The obvious Ben/Warlow connection is made but is it too late. Poor baby vamp Jessica cannot control her urges and the funny 4 fairies may have to pay the price. Next week is going to be a tough one to watch. 

All that and I still need to watch Dexter.

This Week in Whoops

I posted about Under The Dome and the I completely forgot to watch Monday's episode. Then I decide to wait until Friday to watch it on CBS.com when suddenly they pulled it off and now it is being sold on Amazon, Under The Dome Online.

Honestly the lack of free repeats in this day and age is annoying.

On the Fourth of July I went to a backyard barbecue and recorded the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks on NBC. Unfortunately it is 2 hours long and I am already out of the celebration mood. As long as I can remember I never missed one but should I spend the time watching it. Even in fast-forward it is a bit long.

Then I checked my TiVo and was upset that none of my weekly show like Burn Notice were not recorded and then I spent some time searching for them. Well it turns out since it is the holidays that all shows took a week off.

Stephen King's Under The Dome

Tonight at 10PM on CBS is the premiere of Under The Dome a short series by Stephen King and Steven Spielberg, and probably a bunch of other people.

The people of a small town suddenly find themselves trapped in a bubble. How they react to this dilemma is the main part of the story while trying to figure out why is it happening is a secondary concern. This was one of Stephen King's most massive books. He also felt the story needs to be stretched out on TV and should span several seasons.

For those fans of The Simpsons Movie you may remember a similar plot but everyone involved agrees it was just a coincident. Another trapped in a fish bowl movie that I enjoyed was Dark City and may be a bit of spoiler to the book.

The book is guaranteed to be different than the series as King himself said that the book ending and reasoning would not work well on TV. Still I would wait to read the book if you have not yet. I find it better to read the book later as people tend to be disappointed with the TV/Movie versions.

The Chew

Recently stayed home on a weekday and left ABC on after the news was over. Back in the day that meant hours of soap operas but I forgot those days are over. Recently ABC replaced the soaps with The Revolution and The Chew, months later only one show survived.

The Revolution was almost immediately canceled since it had to do with exercise and a healthy lifestyle change.  The Chew on the other hands celebrates foods and crafts which everyone loves. Another plus for The Chew are the hosts.

Daphne Oz, ‎Carla Hall, ‎Mario Batali, ‎Clinton Kelly and Michael Symon make up the co-hosts. Michael and Mario are like feuding brothers. Carla is the cool kid. Daphne is a sweetie pie. Clinton is the main host and is like the older brother who occasionally gets no respect. The cast works well together and they seem to be having fun.

That is the good but the bad is they play to many games with the audience, that is a new thing among talk show. Even Katie Couric plays games in her show. They also make a lot of comfort foods. They try to balance the cooking with healthier alternatives and remind people this should not be everyday food. Still all that food make me full. I am not a foodie but I see why many enjoy this show.

Granted I prefer soaps when I am sick at home but watching a show with fun people is always good.

P.S. I have no plans to make any of their recipes but I may order out.

Remembering James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini, American actor. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Italy James Gandolfini died of an apparent heart attack. The great actor leaves behind a young family. It always makes me upset when I hear these stories not only because the guy was so young but he died in Europe.

European countries tend to treat first and then take the victim to the hospital. In America they take you to the hospital first then treat the patient. In cases of heart attacks or strokes or internal damage it means almost certain death in Europe.

I must have seen Gandolfini in a dozen small time roles before the world discovered him in The Sopranos. He was a great character actor and that is not a knock. Character actors are so difficult to do well and Gandolfini often stole the scene.

After Sopranos he became leading man material and while he never reached the same heights each role was better and more believable.At this moment I hope everyone remembers him and his family quietly like James would have wanted.

Nurse Jackie

The season finale of Nurse Jackie just passed and it was great. The show about a drug addicted constantly lying nurse changed last season. This past season she was sober and starting her life anew. The final moments of the season finale ended with hope that the old Jackie is finally back.

The acting and writing for this season was great but I still wanted the old less apologetic Jackie. While I normal cannot stand drug users I think the drugged up Jackie is better. For new fans a marathon of all the seasons will be a good investment.

Game of Thrones

I came late to The Game of Thrones on HBO but all the talk about Peter Dinklage's performance made me check it out. Turns out he was not the only great thing. As the season just finished on Sunday let me summarize what happened.

Oh, aah, eww, aha, OMG!, ooh okay.

An expanded summary is more about how people are battling for leadership of an entire world. This world has many kingdoms, magic, the walking dead, and even a few dragons. While all the people are killing each other a powerful evil is coming from the far north.

After the first few episodes you should refer to the cast guide as you may need it. 

Now that you got the faces straight now try and get the houses and orders sorted out.

If there is ever a show to watch in marathon form it is this one. I do admit the first season is slow and mostly uneventful until the end. They hint at magic but it is not confirmed until the last episode. After that the show picks up with the Red Wedding being the cherry on an awful sundae.