Because, in addition to clutching a narrow pole on top of an unsteady buoy for thirteen hours, Westman told Jeff Probst that they needed to kill the fire because the smoke was getting in his eyes. Darkness? Cold? No sweat for Lt. Tom Westman.
Is that all you got?
See Probst talk more about this challenge, which he deemed his favorite of all-time, on EW’s PopWatch.
We never tire of that beard.
Filed under Mancrush, Tribal Council, Who's the Boss?
Not as exciting as when Clinton and Stacy took on Miyam Bialik (or likely as difficult, since Bialik had pretty much resigned herself to being a frumpy orthodox Jewish mother), but What Not to Wear continued its trend of fixing former teenage TV stars by recently making over Facts of Life actress Mindy Cohn (you probably know her better as “Natalie“).
Vodpod videos no longer available.Looking good, Mindy! Now you’re ready to jet to Paris!
Who’s next? Maybe someone from Facts of Life‘s progenitor Diff’rent Strokes, like Danny Cooksey?
Also:
Vodpod videos no longer available.Huh? Are you talking about your real daughter or Samantha Micelli? Or Alyssa Milano? We’re confused. And so is Jillian.
Filed under Century 21 Reality, Who's the Boss?
Last week we hypothesized that the Halloween episode of SNL hosted by Jon Hamm would either be the best of the season or the laziest. Hamm, making his third hosting appearance, has already proven to be a go-to, top-notch host, one that brings out the best in the cast and crew. But, on the other hand, what often happens when the show is blessed with a skilled host is that they relax, relying too much on the host’s charm and natural comedic talents (see: Galifiankis, Zach). However, what we were treated to this week was something in between, and something, in hindsight, typical of a third hosting go ’round. During a debut performance the material can often be safe, figuring out if the host has what it takes, a bit of a feeling out process. If that host succeeds, then when he or she comes back for a second stint the crew is energized, knowing that they have someone who will deliver. You could see that confidence, motivation and excitement in Hamm’s second hosting job last winter. But when a host comes back for the three-peat, the crew is now so comfortable and at ease that they’re willing to taking more chances, throwing more caution to the wind. So what you receive is not mainstream yuks and recurring sketches, or weary, unmotivated punchlines and recurring sketches, but a sense of adventure laced with apathy for the viewer. This is what happens when you have a host who no longer needs to prove himself, who has tenure, which is why so many of Alec Baldwin’s shows are peppered with offbeat sketches, some that delight (like last season’s bizarre “Timecrowave“) and some that crash and burn (like “Arizona Evenings” from the same episode). Judging from this past weekend’s show, it seems that Hamm is now in that class.
More: Mustaches, kisses, Rihanna, Star Wars & Sam Kinison! Plus, WHOM did they rip off this week?
Filed under Analysis, Lady Holiday, Makes You Think, Mancrush, Saturday Night Live
As we wind down before the Halloween weekend, we would be remiss if we didn’t remind you that, two nights after Jon Hamm graces the Studio 8H, SNL will return with returning female alumni for the Women of SNL. The primetime special will include old sketches as well as new material with former cast members like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Nora Dunn and Cheri Oteri (while it’s clear there’s going to be retrospective interviews, we’re not sure if they will offer any original sketches). As we mentioned when this was announced a few weeks back, Fey, Poehler, Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch have appeared on the show frequently over the last couple seasons, so the special feels a little redundant, but we guess they deserve some specific recognition.
Vodpod videos no longer available.No word on appearances from Sarah Silverman, Janeane Garofalo or Laura Kightlinger
But if you’re in NYC on Monday night you should go to this show, as it will feature Atticus, the cutest dog in the world. Ever. You won’t regret it.
Filed under Good Humor, Local Flavor, Saturday Night Live
Around this time last year Fresh Air host Terry Gross interviewed directors Judd Apatow and Wes Anderson, asserting her place on the Judd Apatow Chart. Last week she welcome Jason Schwartzman, who appeared in both films the directors discussed with Gross last fall, those being Funny People and The Fantastic Mr. Fox respectively. Now that Gross has interviewed all three talents it’s clear now that she’s really angling to be included on our Apatow web. Well, Terry, you keep at it, and next time we do an update we’ll see what we can do. If you could somehow finagle an appearance in one of their movies that would certainly be a big boost to your chances.
In addition to discussing his roles in Apatow and Anderson’s films, Schwartzman also talks about Bored to Death, as well as what it was like growing up in the Coppola family, so if you have 45 minutes, it’s worth a listen.
And to stimulate your visual cortex, here’s a couple of our favorite Schwartzman moments:
Filed under Flashback!, Judd Apatow, Marconi & Cheese, Team Zissou
Well, now there’s a book (not written by us). Bill Carter, who chronicled the first Tonight Show War in The Late Shift, is set to release The War for Late Night, an in-depth look at last winter’s late night talkie drama, what many of us referred to as the Jaypocalypse. With Conan, beard and all, set to premiere his new show on TBS in just a matter of days, the book should be a fascinating recount of how the late night landscape was perhaps forever changed, and how, in the end, the skirmish might have been the best thing that ever happened to Conan O’Brien.
Read an except from The War for Late Night on Vanity Fair
And since there will inevitably be a movie based on the book, let’s remember the last one:
(Fun Fact: did you know that the actor who played Jay Leno in The Late Shift, Daniel Roebuck, went on to play Dr. Leslie Artz on Lost? It’s true! I know, right?! Oh, and Letterman was played by John Michael Higgins, who is just generally awesome. Crazy!)
Filed under Flashback!, Literarally, LOST, Other people's stuff, Talkies
A little over a year ago I posted a piece comparing the David Bowie avatar from Lego: Rock Band to his look as Jareth in Labyrinth, noting the obvious discrepancies between the groin-regions. It went on to be one of our most read posts of all time, due in no small part to the frequent search term “Labyrinth David Bowie, ” a group of words that sees its most action during the Halloween season. So, with that in mind, let’s revisit that post one more time:
The first images and video of the David Bowie avatar from the upcoming Lego: Rock Band game hit the web this week. Vulture posits that “Bowie’s penchant for androgyny makes him a perfect candidate for being immortalized in Lego form.” However, while Ziggy Stardust certainly is the standard for androgyny, the image of David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth has been burned into my brain, and I can’t help but feel that Lego Bowie is missing something.
(Hint: It’s not the gloves)
On a related note, great Halloween costume idea: Slutty Hoggle.
Filed under Fashion Show at Lunch, Flashback!, Lady Holiday, Muppets
Jumped The Snark 