So this was the big announcement that was hyped all week about the special, hour-long “Jon and Kate Plus 8” episode!
Yes, sitting alone on the interview couch, Kate announced “The show must go on!”
I, and everyone else, thought the major announcement would be something dealing with the future of their marriage.
And they did mention that the Gosselin’s were separating, and that “legal proceedings were initiated to dissolve the ten-year marriage of Jon and Kate Gosselin” in a Pennsylvania court yesterday. Interestingly, the word “divorce” was never mentioned on the show.
But to me the announcement that stood out the most was Kate’s statement about the show continuing. And if you freeze frame her announcement (as I did), you see the slightest smirk on her face, as she makes the proclamation.
Then there was discussion about the show’s future, which will entail each of them doing their usual activities with the children, but that Jon and Kate will be doing them separately. Of course those activities will entail all sorts of “fun” trips and adventures, all provided for free for the Gosselins, in trade for the product placement.
So the kids will stay in their estate (I mean “house”) which according to both parents was bought strictly for them. Jon and Kate will take turns (according to an unannounced schedule) staying with them.
Where will Jon and Kate be when they are not with the kids? According to several reports Jon is in the process of renting a New York luxury apartment at Trump Tower with a riverside view. One has to wonder where poor Kate will have to live on her “days off.”
The hypocrisy of this show was never more apparent that when Jon (wearing his diamond studs) whined “We have soldiers dying in Iraq, and all they (the paparazzi) care about is what I eat for lunch.”
Of course a segment of the show in practically every episode did focus on the Gosselins preparing and eating lunch. In last night’s show the lunch was a picnic, so the kids could watch the men constructing their “Crooked Houses.” If you didn’t watch the show, don’t ask.
And what about the kids? Well both Jon and Kate assured us that they are terrific and that their future will be nothing but “beautiful” and “peaceful.” What I observed was a bunch of rich kids arguing and bickering on their way to becoming very, very spoiled. Can you imagine what they will be like as teenagers and young adults? Does the name Lindsay Lohan come to mind?
After the big announcement, there was a final segment which was unbelievably ironic. Yes, the whole family was going to an expensive restaurant for a “fine dining brunch.”
It was pouring outside and everyone looked miserable, as Kate yelled at them to pay attention while Cara was ordered to read the menu.
It may be a stretch, and I may have an overly-imaginative mind, but I immediately flashed to the final scene in "Godfather II,” in which Michael Corleone sits alone and looking very sullen, having defeated all his enemies and living in luxury on his gated estate.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
TV Tops Movies in 2009!
I know there is a certain segment of the population that loves to brag "I hardly ever watch television."
And a subsection of that segment loves to exclaim "I don't even own a television set!"
My guess is that 99 percent of such people are over the age of 50 and arrived at their opinions about television roughly 30 years ago, before the age of cable. At that time most people had the choice of watching three network channels and perhaps one or two independent UHF stations.
Television programming was aimed at the lowest common denominator, trying to attract the absolute largest viewing audience. So, schedules were clogged with such sitcoms as "Beverly Hillbillies," and "My Mother the Car," and insipid shows like "Donny and Marie" or "The Love Boat."
Were there some quality programs produced during the so-called "Golden Age of Television?" You bet. I roared while watching "Sergeant Bilko" with my dad in the 1950s, as well as Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows," and "The Honeymooners."
"The Twilight Zone" was great entertainment, and I am sure such series as "Playhouse 90" or "Climax!" produced some excellent dramas, although being a child I never watched them.
But with a choice of only a few shows to watch, it was not uncommon for many people to come to the conclusion that television stunk.
Things began to change in the 1970s, with the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms such as "All in The Family," "Maude," and "The Jeffersons," which took on subjects like racial prejudice and abortion, never before dealt with on the tube. Then came the fabulously funny "Mary Tyler Moore" and "The Bob Newhart" shows. And, of course, Saturday Night Live," premiered in 1975.
But what really changed the face of television was the invention of cable. Today, if you subscribe to cable or have a satellite dish you can easily pick up anywhere from 100 to 400 channels, and before you make the joke "I still can't find anything decent to watch," I challenge you to carefully go through your three page long channel guide.
Sure, there are some excruciatingly stupid and pointless shows. Interestingly enough, many of the absolute worse ones are still produced by the broadcast networks. Can you get any more insipid than "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here!" or "Deal or No Deal?"
And if you are one of the many people who brag "I have never watched one second of "American Idol," good for you.
But no matter how much of an intellectual snob you are, don't tell me you can't find fascinating shows to watch on the National Geographic, Discovery, History, Travel, or Science networks or dozens of similar channels that cater to almost any taste, and that includes one of my favorites, The Food Network.
I won't even mention the thousands of movies and shows that are offered free "On Demand," or the fact that with TiVo or a DVR, you can watch your favorite shows whenever you want and best of all you can fast forward through the commercials! And then there is the "invention" of HDTV and the amazing picture quality that it offers.
But what I love most about television these days is the quality of some of the programming (yes, I said "some") that is offered primarily on the "Premium Channels" like HBO and Showtime. You can have your movies that end in a predictable two hours, usually with a computer-generated car chase and explosions.
I'll take the drama and plot twists that stir and stimulate the imagination when you follow a series like "The Sopranos," "Dexter," "The Wire," or "Six Feet Under" over several seasons!
Even the networks come up with occasional gems like "House," "Lost" and "24."
These series are so far superior to what passes for drama in the movies these days it's not even close. In 2007 when the American Film Institute came up with their 100 Greatest Movies of the past 100 years, the ONLY film from this century listed was 2001's "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," which was ranked 50th.
As for comedies, I laughed more at "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Larry Sanders Show," "Entourage," "Weeds," and even NBC's "The Office" than any Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler movie of the past decade.
So you can have your movie theaters with people yakking on their cell phones, $10 ticket prices, and a handful of change out of a $20 bill when you buy popcorn and a soda. Moreover, when I have to go to the bathroom, they won't even pause the movie for me!
Finally though let's compare the products being offered this summer both at the movies and on television.
The fact is that summer movie fare is not aimed at adults; rather it's aimed at teenagers who just want to get out of the house and away from their parents. So what are the most hyped movies this summer? I did some research and came up with a list that includes yet another entry in the Harry Potter, Terminator, Star Trek, Transformers, and Superman franchises.
How creative! Oh here's something new and exciting, a "Captain America" movie. Wow!
The summer television season is kicking off this week, and while the schedule is packed with lots of trash, I personally can't wait for such series as "Mad Men," "Weeds," "True Blood," and "Entourage" to return.
And by the way microwaved popcorn is a lot better than it used to be.
And a subsection of that segment loves to exclaim "I don't even own a television set!"
My guess is that 99 percent of such people are over the age of 50 and arrived at their opinions about television roughly 30 years ago, before the age of cable. At that time most people had the choice of watching three network channels and perhaps one or two independent UHF stations.
Television programming was aimed at the lowest common denominator, trying to attract the absolute largest viewing audience. So, schedules were clogged with such sitcoms as "Beverly Hillbillies," and "My Mother the Car," and insipid shows like "Donny and Marie" or "The Love Boat."
Were there some quality programs produced during the so-called "Golden Age of Television?" You bet. I roared while watching "Sergeant Bilko" with my dad in the 1950s, as well as Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows," and "The Honeymooners."
"The Twilight Zone" was great entertainment, and I am sure such series as "Playhouse 90" or "Climax!" produced some excellent dramas, although being a child I never watched them.
But with a choice of only a few shows to watch, it was not uncommon for many people to come to the conclusion that television stunk.
Things began to change in the 1970s, with the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms such as "All in The Family," "Maude," and "The Jeffersons," which took on subjects like racial prejudice and abortion, never before dealt with on the tube. Then came the fabulously funny "Mary Tyler Moore" and "The Bob Newhart" shows. And, of course, Saturday Night Live," premiered in 1975.
But what really changed the face of television was the invention of cable. Today, if you subscribe to cable or have a satellite dish you can easily pick up anywhere from 100 to 400 channels, and before you make the joke "I still can't find anything decent to watch," I challenge you to carefully go through your three page long channel guide.
Sure, there are some excruciatingly stupid and pointless shows. Interestingly enough, many of the absolute worse ones are still produced by the broadcast networks. Can you get any more insipid than "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here!" or "Deal or No Deal?"
And if you are one of the many people who brag "I have never watched one second of "American Idol," good for you.
But no matter how much of an intellectual snob you are, don't tell me you can't find fascinating shows to watch on the National Geographic, Discovery, History, Travel, or Science networks or dozens of similar channels that cater to almost any taste, and that includes one of my favorites, The Food Network.
I won't even mention the thousands of movies and shows that are offered free "On Demand," or the fact that with TiVo or a DVR, you can watch your favorite shows whenever you want and best of all you can fast forward through the commercials! And then there is the "invention" of HDTV and the amazing picture quality that it offers.
But what I love most about television these days is the quality of some of the programming (yes, I said "some") that is offered primarily on the "Premium Channels" like HBO and Showtime. You can have your movies that end in a predictable two hours, usually with a computer-generated car chase and explosions.
I'll take the drama and plot twists that stir and stimulate the imagination when you follow a series like "The Sopranos," "Dexter," "The Wire," or "Six Feet Under" over several seasons!
Even the networks come up with occasional gems like "House," "Lost" and "24."
These series are so far superior to what passes for drama in the movies these days it's not even close. In 2007 when the American Film Institute came up with their 100 Greatest Movies of the past 100 years, the ONLY film from this century listed was 2001's "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," which was ranked 50th.
As for comedies, I laughed more at "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Larry Sanders Show," "Entourage," "Weeds," and even NBC's "The Office" than any Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler movie of the past decade.
So you can have your movie theaters with people yakking on their cell phones, $10 ticket prices, and a handful of change out of a $20 bill when you buy popcorn and a soda. Moreover, when I have to go to the bathroom, they won't even pause the movie for me!
Finally though let's compare the products being offered this summer both at the movies and on television.
The fact is that summer movie fare is not aimed at adults; rather it's aimed at teenagers who just want to get out of the house and away from their parents. So what are the most hyped movies this summer? I did some research and came up with a list that includes yet another entry in the Harry Potter, Terminator, Star Trek, Transformers, and Superman franchises.
How creative! Oh here's something new and exciting, a "Captain America" movie. Wow!
The summer television season is kicking off this week, and while the schedule is packed with lots of trash, I personally can't wait for such series as "Mad Men," "Weeds," "True Blood," and "Entourage" to return.
And by the way microwaved popcorn is a lot better than it used to be.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
'Jon and Kate': Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous
After last week’s “train wreck,” I had to watch Monday night’s two half hour episodes of “Jon & Kate Plus 8” to see what kind of drama would ensue.
As I wrote last week, what once was a sweet, cute, and funny family show had evolved into a tearful drama that had reminded me of “Celebrity Rehab.”
Season Five’s first show drew amazing ratings, along with all sorts of national publicity. In fact yesterday’s USA Today had two relatively long (for the “nation’s newspaper”) articles about the show.
So when 9 p.m. rolled around I could not wait to see what was going to happen. Would Kate totally melt down? Would Jon be seen frequenting a strip club in Vegas?
But I am sorry to say the show had morphed into a third incarnation. And in one word, it was boooring!
Yes, “Jon & Kate Plus 8” has basically become “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”…or MTV’s “Cribs.”
In the first exciting episode, we got to see a surprise birthday party visit to the Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes” set. The party was supposedly arranged by the two 8 year old twins, Mady and Cara. Nice cross promotion for TLC’s sister station.
Of course Jon was not there, as he had decided to go snowboarding in Utah at the National Ability Center, an organization that helps disabled children experience the slopes.
Not to sound too cynical, but do ya’ think this might have been arranged to improve Jon’s party-boy image? By the way, was I the only one speculating if anything was “happening” between Jon and the cute blonde staff member Tracey?
I can just picture the planning meeting with the show’s producers.
Jon: “I can’t take another birthday party, especially for that ‘b..tch.’ I’ve got to get thousands of miles away. How about sending me to Vegas or Hollywood?”
Producers: “No, our focus groups show that people are starting to hate you. So you’re going to ski with handicapped kids in Utah.”
Jon: “Well, just make sure there is an attractive blonde there!”
We also got to see wonderful shots of Kate working hard, meeting her fans at book signings. And yes, she admitted to several adoring fans that indeed she did miss being with her kids. By the way, I have to wonder who is doing Kate’s makeup and hair this season. Could it possibly be Adam Lambert’s stylist?
In the second show, Jon was the parent staying home with the eight kids. (You see, raising eight children apparently only requires one parent being on hand at a time.)
So we had lots of shots of the grounds of their estate, and the children riding around in their battery-powered cars. I kept flashing back to one of my favorite comic books when I was a kid…”Richie Rich.” For drama, we got to see little Alexis fall and bite her lip.
And where was Kate? Well, when eight year old Mady said she wanted to spend some alone time with mom, instead of a trip to the local mall, they immediately jetted off to San Diego for four days of spa treatments and trips to the beach.
We discovered that Mady prefers pedicures to manicures! Now I started wondering if little Paris Hilton took similar trips with her mommy when she was eight.
So I was wrong about any comparison between this show and “Celebrity Rehab.” I think it’s just a matter of time before we see Kate teaming up with Donald Trump and appearing on “Celebrity Apprentice.”
And I would not bet against her winning!
As I wrote last week, what once was a sweet, cute, and funny family show had evolved into a tearful drama that had reminded me of “Celebrity Rehab.”
Season Five’s first show drew amazing ratings, along with all sorts of national publicity. In fact yesterday’s USA Today had two relatively long (for the “nation’s newspaper”) articles about the show.
So when 9 p.m. rolled around I could not wait to see what was going to happen. Would Kate totally melt down? Would Jon be seen frequenting a strip club in Vegas?
But I am sorry to say the show had morphed into a third incarnation. And in one word, it was boooring!
Yes, “Jon & Kate Plus 8” has basically become “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”…or MTV’s “Cribs.”
In the first exciting episode, we got to see a surprise birthday party visit to the Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes” set. The party was supposedly arranged by the two 8 year old twins, Mady and Cara. Nice cross promotion for TLC’s sister station.
Of course Jon was not there, as he had decided to go snowboarding in Utah at the National Ability Center, an organization that helps disabled children experience the slopes.
Not to sound too cynical, but do ya’ think this might have been arranged to improve Jon’s party-boy image? By the way, was I the only one speculating if anything was “happening” between Jon and the cute blonde staff member Tracey?
I can just picture the planning meeting with the show’s producers.
Jon: “I can’t take another birthday party, especially for that ‘b..tch.’ I’ve got to get thousands of miles away. How about sending me to Vegas or Hollywood?”
Producers: “No, our focus groups show that people are starting to hate you. So you’re going to ski with handicapped kids in Utah.”
Jon: “Well, just make sure there is an attractive blonde there!”
We also got to see wonderful shots of Kate working hard, meeting her fans at book signings. And yes, she admitted to several adoring fans that indeed she did miss being with her kids. By the way, I have to wonder who is doing Kate’s makeup and hair this season. Could it possibly be Adam Lambert’s stylist?
In the second show, Jon was the parent staying home with the eight kids. (You see, raising eight children apparently only requires one parent being on hand at a time.)
So we had lots of shots of the grounds of their estate, and the children riding around in their battery-powered cars. I kept flashing back to one of my favorite comic books when I was a kid…”Richie Rich.” For drama, we got to see little Alexis fall and bite her lip.
And where was Kate? Well, when eight year old Mady said she wanted to spend some alone time with mom, instead of a trip to the local mall, they immediately jetted off to San Diego for four days of spa treatments and trips to the beach.
We discovered that Mady prefers pedicures to manicures! Now I started wondering if little Paris Hilton took similar trips with her mommy when she was eight.
So I was wrong about any comparison between this show and “Celebrity Rehab.” I think it’s just a matter of time before we see Kate teaming up with Donald Trump and appearing on “Celebrity Apprentice.”
And I would not bet against her winning!
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