Yes, I like. I like a lot.
More Incontrovertible Proof That Jimmy Fallon Is on Fire
And that proof is that last Thursday he welcomed our good friend Eliot Glazer and, more importantly, Eliot’s dog Atticus (whom I like to consider as my dog nephew, or dog Godson).
Atticus first achieved fame by setting the blogosphere with his Bold appearance on Cute Overload.
After this pic hit the internetwaves I told Eliot that a star was born, that Atticus had reached the pinnacle in the sport of cute. However, I should have known that the mutt (allegedly a Shih Tzu-Schnauzer mix, but we think he might have some Havanese in him, or maybe a tiny bit of Terrier), was destined for even bigger things.
And his next step? Conquering late night television:
Vodpod videos no longer available.And with that, Atticus now holds a world record (oh, and Eliot, too). Thanks, Jimmy!
What could be next for this conquering canine?
Whatcha think, Reege?
Filed under Freak Out Control, Other people's stuff, Talkies
Jude Law is One of Our Finest Actors, and a Look Back on the Last Three Weeks in ‘SNL’
Jude Law maybe one our finest actors. But that doesn’t mean he’s funny.
However, I won’t pin this past weekend’s thoroughly average installment on Law. He made Sean Penn good on his word, and proved to be an extremely talented thespian, seamlessly transitioning from Shakespearean actor to Russian ballet dancer to Spanish serial killer to Jude Law to American lawyer. If the reminders that Law recently appeared on Broadway as Hamlet weren’t evidence enough, the way Law breezily donned new accents showed that he’s indeed meant for the stage. However, acting talent alone doesn’t result a funny show, and outside of a couple bright spots, this one sorta just sat there without much life.
Read on: The perfect host formula, killing time, and Smash Mouth!
Filed under Analysis, Saturday Night Live
‘California Dreams’ Twins?
Just wanted to follow up last week’s post about the California Dreams reunion on Jimmy Fallon with this visual evidence confirming the resemblence between Brent Gore and Will Forte. Long lost brothers?
Unfortunately, another former California Dreamers may also have celebrity lookalike.
Actually, maybe triplets?
Filed under Count Bleh, Makes You Think, Nostalgia Corner
Sorta In Memoriam: Tom Westman (and a brief discourse on celebrities and moral turpitude)
And so begins my long overdue thoughts on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. It’s a shame we have to start on such a sour note.
A few weeks ago my mom and I were talking about the Tiger Woods scandal (it was what she came up with after brainstorming topics for dinner conversation) and she asked me if there was some one in the public eye, a role model perhaps, that would really break my heart if they were exposed to be in some kind of scandal or lascivious activity. I told her that as I’ve become an adult I’ve learned to let go of such things, that as a 26 year-old you can’t put another person, especially a public persona, on such a pedestal. She suggested that we should hold these people to a higher moral standard, but I argued just the opposite, that with celebrities – actors, musicians, athletes, politicians – we should expect less adherence to a moral code. These are people who are told they are great, they are special, and thus think they are exempt from common behavior, that they are above the law, both legally and morally. Now there are, of course, exceptions, but too often their celebrity status goes to their heads, and they think the rules don’t apply to them. And the bigger they are, the harder they fall, and the less we should be surprised when they do. Sad but true. So to answer my mother’s question, there was no one I could think of whom I believed in so deeply that any discovery of indiscretion would be utterly soul crushing (unless it was revealed that Tom Hanks has cheated on Rita Wilson with a harem of Golden Corral buffet attendants, but I can think of almost nothing less likely).
However, a couple nights later I sat down to dig into the premiere of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and I realized that I was mistaken. There remained at least one person I felt that strongly about, whom I believed to be nearly infallible, with whom I couldn’t fault and would be shocked to learn of one. And that man is former Brooklyn firefighter Tom Westman. Yes, as a fellow Long Islander I’m biased. But the way he so thoroughly dominated Survivor: Palau is really unparalleled in the show’s history, and he did so by a mixture of uncanny physical prowess and the utmost integrity. In my eyes he played a flawless game, and perhaps became the last role model standing.
Filed under Century 21 Reality, Freak Out Control, In Memoriam, Local Flavor, Mancrush, Tribal Council
3 Days Until Pi Day!
Which means it’s 3/11. So to honor the date we had two choices, either call New York City and complain about the building manager or post a music video from the premiere rock/rap/punk/skater/reggae outfit of the mid-90s. We went with option B.
On my alphabetically organized middle school-era CD rack 311 comes right after Sublime. And there’s something appropriate, perhaps even poetic, about that.
See you again in a year, 311! (unless I need to report a rude cab driver)
Filed under Count Bleh, Tyranasaurus Sex
Four More Examples of How Jimmy Fallon is Killing it (and One That Shows Why He’s Not)
Talking up the good work that Jimmy Fallon and the Late Night crew have been doing is nothing new on this blog. In fact, we’ve been complimenting their efforts as far back as last Fall. But with the show celebrating its one year anniversary last week, and with the program demonstrating as much creativity and spontaneity as any show in late night today (effectively filling the absurdity vacuum left by Conan), we thought it fitting to highlight some recent clips to show how Jimmy continues to impress (and then one more to illustrate how in other respects he continues to disappoint).
Late Night has particularly excelled in slickly produced, exceptionally accurate television parodies, first with the Hills spoof 7th Floor West and then with The Real Housewives of Late Night. The show has continued this hot streak by taking on the height of the pop culture phenomena, Lost, with their new recurring series, Late. Below is the 2nd episode, as the castaways (brought together by an elevator crash and now stranded on a creepy abandoned office floor) struggle to make sense of their new and mysterious surroundings.
Vodpod videos no longer available.More Fallon goodness: California Dreams, Lazy Sunday & Blood!
Filed under Freak Out Control, Good Humor, LOST, Saturday Night Live, Saved by the Bell, Talkies
Muppet Monday Movie Thought
Since we covered the big Muppet movie(s) news last Friday, for this Muppet Monday post I just have a brief thought/question about the Muppet-verse going forward. In Muppets From Space Gonzo learns that he is not a weirdo or a whatever but an alien. However, I never really considered this official canon (not that the movie wasn’t good, but just that I didn’t buy the alien explanation). So the question is, as the Jason Segel-penned The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time inches closer to production, will Gonzo maintain his alien status, or will it be brushed under the rug like Terminator 3?
*Indeed, Muppet Wiki entry on Gonzo notes that his alien origin has been disregarded. Let’s see if that holds.
Filed under Muppet Mondays, Muppets
“Presidential Reunion”; Or Will Funny or Die Kill ‘SNL’?
By now you’ve all seen this Funny or Die sketch (because it was uploaded almost a week ago, which this day in age classifies it as old) that brings together the all time team of SNL presidential imitators. It’s great, right? Totally awesome (especially Chevy, doing what Chevy does best).
Vodpod videos no longer available.However, what concerns me is what this video, and videos of its ilk, means to SNL. Why I am so concerned about a show that has basically been skating by since 1993, if not earlier, and has never really faced any real competition, I don’t know (and no, MADtv doesn’t count). But the more I see the Funny or Die videos featuring both SNL and non-SNL talent I wonder how long the show will be able to compete (especially now that Funny or Die has its own show on HBO, although the one episode I saw was rather underwhelming). And this Presidential Reunion, directed by Hollywood heavyweight Ron Howard, really caused me pause.
Filed under Analysis, Good Humor, Saturday Night Live, Virulent
Muppet Friday (Somewhat Nostalgic Too): The Muppet Man Lives?
Vulture reports that Disney is in talks with The Jim Henson Company to produce The Muppet Man, a Jim Henson bioipic that made last year’s “Black List,” the compendium of Hollywood’s “hottest” unproduced screenplays. Yay! With the new Jason Segel-penned Muppet movie seemingly on the horizon, could it be that we’ll soon be treated to two Muppet-related movies? Maybe!
Burning question? Who will play Kermit in the biopic? (Tina Fey?) And, for the record, I am available to play the Swedish Chef.
The film will undoubtedly touch on Henson’s personal life and his non-Muppet ventures, so with that in mind, here’s a clip from Time Piece, Henson’s trippy, experimental Oscar-nominated short film from 1966:
Vulture Exclusive: Disney Planning a Jim Henson Biopic
Filed under Mickey Mouse Club, Muppets, Nostalgia Corner
Jumped The Snark 