Star Wars Anti-Smoking PSA

Robots don't have to worry about lung cancer, so this seems a little pointless. I think it would be more effective to show Han Solo shooting a guy who had the gall to smoke in an intergalactic bar, and then turn to the camera, saying "Smoking kills, and so do I." Yeah, that would be rad.



Hilarious.

So Good it's a Crime

Hell yes. I have watched this fifty times already, and I will probably watch it again. IT'S THAT GOOD. Here's MC Chris' tribute to one of the best shows ever on television, Twin Peaks.



Special Agent Cooper, why so dreamy?

House Season Six Finale Review

I have been pretty vocal about my lack of interest in season six of House, but I have to say that I really did enjoy the finale, "Save Me." For the most part. I think.

The episode centered around a disaster, which, yes, is a little bit cliche' (I'm thinking of the season four finale), but it made for an interesting change of pace. But before we get to the scene of the disaster (which, can I just say—a fallen crane? Kind of lame. But, oh well) we see House give Cuddy a book that her grandfather wrote as a present to her and Lucas, in celebration of their moving in together. Cuddy becomes pretty weird after this happens. But I shrugged it off. After all, she has been acting weird all season.

(BEWARE OF SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP)

House arrives on the scene to help bandage up some people. He is like a fish out of water without his team and his hospital equipment, and his bedside manner is as starkly unfeeling as ever. But then he finds a woman trapped in an underneath tons of rubble, who is in danger of losing her leg, which is crushed and trapped.

He becomes the only doctor that she trusts, but it turns out that his desire to help her save her leg may not be the best course of action.

Meanwhile, his team is working to diagnose the crane-driver. These scenes are mostly filler—except for some revelations about Thirteen's health. I guess they are going to have to find a new 20-year old to fill her shoes next year. Darn.

Cuddy comes out of her Stepford coma in this episode, which is refreshing, although I don't really know what to make of the last scene. Was it a hallucination again? I still don't know what to think. Granted, I was crying (Hugh Laurie makes my heart hurt when he plays House as completely broken down) and when she showed up I felt like cheering. But I have to wonder, how is this all going to play out in season seven?

I have mixed emotions, but I can at least say that they are all running high.

I Wish I Could Hop On The Glee Train

So, next Tuesday my beloved Joss Whedon is directing an episode of Glee, guest starring none other than my other beloved, Neil Patrick Harris. There is no way in Hades that I am going to miss it, but while some out there will be experiencing brain melt from their two fandoms colliding, I'm afraid I will just have to appreciate the episode on its own.

Because, you see, I do not like Glee. It's a bit too Twee. Ok, a lot. (How's that for rhyme-age?)



I feel like an outsider because of this. Everywhere I go (mostly on the internet, but sometimes in the real world as well) people are like, wow, did you watch Glee last night? Isn't it the best thing ever? OMG.

Ok, first of all. The songs aren't original! These songs existed before they were on Glee. I don't like that they become popular just because they are on Glee. Grrr...music snobbery, blah blah.

The show also promotes some pretty tired stereotypes. I guess the reason I really got turned off from it is because I watched how the Glee club teacher's pregnant wife was portrayed, as a psycho pregnant wife who is bringing him down. It's totes ok if he cheats, because his wife doesn't deserve him.

Bored now.

UPDATE: I just tried to watch this week's episode. I had to stop. Why, Joss, why!??

Sexism and Season Six of House

Originally posted here at Blogcritics.

I want to preface this commentary by stating that I am actually a huge fan of House, and of Hugh Laurie in particular. The writing in this show has often astounded me in the past. From a feminist perspective, there are a few episodes in seasons one through five (“Skin Deep,” I’m looking at you) that I have problems with; but on a whole I think that the characters—especially Dr. Gregory House and Dr. Lisa Cuddy—are complex and believable.

Be that as it may, there are aspects to the current season that I find troubling.

The first instance I felt swindled by the writers this season was with Dr. Allison Cameron’s departure. This turned out to be quite a point of contention within the fandom, between those who wanted House and Cameron to hook up, and those who wanted House with Cuddy. I don’t necessarily root for any one relationship on the show. I merely saw her departure as a blow because I had come to care about the character, and I thought that she provided a nice balance for House and the other characters.

Much was made of the House/Cuddy relationship last season, and yet this season we see very little of Lisa Edelstein, besides her “superwoman” episode (don’t get me started on that not-so-empowering trope). Mostly, when she is onscreen she can be found passively listening to House’s diatribe, or his now obligatory sexual innuendos. In fact, Stepford Cuddy has lately been shown for only a few minutes in each hour-long episode.

While the female cast members of House have been given substantially less screen time, many of the episodes this season do focus on women. Indeed, the writers seem to focus heavily on women being punished in every medical and psychological form possible—punished for partying too hard (the young girl in “Known Unknowns”), for having hobbies (“Private Lives”) and finally, for having sex (“Black Hole,” “Open and Shut.”)

The presence of Dr. Remy Hadley, also known as “Thirteen,” has done little to alleviate the gender inequality of the show’s current season. Although she is portrayed as bisexual, we rarely get a glimpse of her alternate sexual identity, other than blatant titillation. What happened to her Huntington’s disease? How is she coping with her breakup from Foreman? All we know is that she hangs out in lesbian bars, but is never actually shown having a meaningful relationship with a woman. Rather, it seems that they are grooming her for an interlude with Chase.

I have hope that the writers will see the plot clichés that they are falling prey to so far this season, and that as it progresses, they will bring the female characters of Princeton Plainsboro out to play more often.

Paul Rudd on Tim and Eric

I'm in love with this new sketch by Tim and Eric, and I think I now have a crush on Paul Rudd. Seriously, every time I watch this, it keeps getting funnier.



Celery Man! Tayne!

See what he did there?

When it comes to Buffy, Season 8, you'll usually find me singing the praises of a certain Jo Chen when it comes to the cover art. But Georges Jeanty's alternacovers are often just as good, in a whimsical and often silly way.

Check out his new cover for Buffy S8 #36:

Look familiar? That's probably because you've seen the original. And if you haven't, you must be living under a rock.

By the way, I really, really need to get caught up on these comics!

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