I Heart Jemaine & Bret

Posted at 09:31, 2007-Oct-23 in On TV

“There’s just a little bit of dust in my eye.
That’s from the path that you made when you said your goodbye.
I’m not weeping because you won’t be here to hold my hand.
For your information there’s an inflammation in my tear gland.
I’m not upset because you left me this way.
My eyes are just a little sweaty today.”

How could you not laugh at these lyrics? How could you not love them especially when they're sung in a melodramatic ballad called "I'm Not Cryin," complete with a boy band like video? Jemaine Clements and Bret McKenzie, who make up the duo Flight of the Conchords, are the New Zealanders whom have won a very special place in my heart. Claiming to be “New Zealand's 4th most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo,” the two actors turned comedic musicians have been touring the world with their hilarious songs with unexpected lyrics for some time now.

So when they landed a deal with HBO for an original series, it was very easy to revolve the plot around these songs. Jemaine and Bret play a monotone version of themselves; a two-man band that is trying to make it big in New York City. Jemaine stars as a cocky so called Ladies Man when it is actually a naïve Bret who gets the women. Along with Rhys Darby as their manager, Murray Hewitt, Arj Barker as their pawn shop owning friend, Dave, and last but not least Kristen Schaal as their obsessive and only fan, Mel, they set up episodes that are shockingly funny.

The songs they sing in each episode reveal their true feelings that aren’t necessarily portrayed by their dialogue. Jemaine definitely had me with the first note of “Beautiful Girl,” a parody of Prince’s “Most Beautiful Girl in the World.” I wish someone would get in a cab with me and buy me a kabob. I would also find it to be a compliment if anyone were to say I'm so hot that I'm like a curry. I like the way Bret thinks about women. The songs start as well as end abruptly forcing the viewers to ask themselves… what just happened? Advantages Flight of the Conchords has with this show are the great visuals that accompany the lyrics. Of course, they were in space for “Bowie’s in Space.”

As a show that usually follows Entourage, HBO viewers have either claimed it as a new favorite or just a show to watch as they talk about Entourage. Perhaps it’s because people have a different perspective on what a sense of humor is. However, as an avid fan, I recommend Flight of the Conchords for fresh pick-you-up kind of comedy.

For those of you who may be even more of a fan than Mel, their DVD of the complete first season comes out on November 6th. It is currently only $19.99 on Amazon.com. Not a bad price for fantastic songs performed by two ridiculously good looking funny guys.

- sl

Flight of the Conchord's "Beautiful Girl"

Flight of the Conchord's "I'm Not Crying"

What About Some Encouragement For The Other Sex?

Posted at 08:03, 2007-Oct-9 in On TV

It would be nice to think that our society is becoming less shallow nowadays. We may not be hippies who only care about mother earth and reprimand others for not being organic; however, most of us don’t think of ourselves as superficial. It’s the person that counts, not what the person actually looks like, right? People fall in love with personalities all the time, so why should looks hold significance anymore? Well, I think there’s an obvious answer to that.

I started thinking about this when I was channel surfing on the couch the other day. Nothing kept my interest for longer than five seconds so I just left it on the last channel it was on. It happened to be showing According to Jim which I hardly watch. I have the same thought every time I see this show. How did he end up with her? I’m sorry, but I just don’t find Jim Belushi attractive. However, I am a little jealous of how pretty his wife is in the show. Courtney Thorne-Smith, who I remember from Ally McBeal, is able to flaunt what a lot of women would be jealous of. She’s a skinny cute blonde that all guys with girlfriends probably think about when they’re not with their girlfriends… or maybe they still do. So my first answer to my perturbed thought at the moment is: Perhaps he was more attractive when they first met? However, I then recall seeing an episode that served as a flashback to when they first met. They looked exactly the same minus the 80’s styled clothing and hair. Jim’s character was still awkwardly huge and Courtney’s character was still pretty and petite; I got the feeling she was the popular type in high school. If this couple is hilarious enough to exist in a TV sitcom, then both characters must consist of Emmy award winning wit. So this is why each character has fallen in love with the other one… right?

There are plenty of other shows that have the same set-up: Hot wife and not-as-hot husband. There is also King of Queens, Still Standing, Everybody Loves Raymond and probably a million other ones like them on other networks around the world. Why are there so many shows where the husband is less attractive than the wife? There isn’t anything wrong with this concept, but why do so many of these shows exist?

Perhaps it is because the writers and producers of these shows think it will encourage men out there in the dating world? Or maybe it’s because viewers are encouraged to see that romance can, in fact, happen with someone you’ve never found attractive? These are all great things. I’m not trying to argue with TV entertainment here, but I can’t help but think… why is it never the other way around?

I’ve asked a couple of girlfriends why there isn’t a TV show with an extremely attractive husband with a less attractive wife (and perhaps a bit awkward like most of us girls feel like). One of my friends flat out said that “It would never happen.” When I asked why not, she simply said, “I don’t want to say this and be stereotypical but it’s because most guys who are that hot are too much of a jerk.” I don’t know if I agree with this theory and here are some of my reasons: 1) There are hot guys out there that just don’t know how attractive they are so they don’t act like it. 2) “Hot” girls who know they’re attractive may also be bitches and this makes it equivalent to being a hot jerk. 3) I’ve also known a few guys who do look past looks. There may not be many men like that but they do exist.

However, I like to disagree with her statement most importantly because I know that there are women who can take charge of what they have in order to reel in a good catch. There are many reasons why it CAN happen so I don’t see a reason why networks can’t create a show to encourage women! What about those of us who haven't been on a date for a while? What about those of us who are just too scared to ask for that guy's number we see in the coffee shop everyday? Not all of us are Giselles or Natalie Portmans but we all are bound to find someone. So there is no reason why average looking women can’t snag a hottie too.

Hopefully, we'll get to see evidence of this in a sitcom one day.

- sl

Is Original and Fresh Always Better?

Posted at 09:08, 2007-Sep-25 in On TV

Networks tend to put new shows on after an established and successful show. This way, viewers are too in awe of whatever fabulous episode they had just seen and are too dumbfounded to change the channel. This has worked for shows such as October Road which had a time slot after Grey’s Anatomy as well as Brothers & Sisters which premiered after Desperate Housewives.

This past week, a brand new show titled Gossip Girl aired after cycle nine of America’s Next Top Model. Gossip Girls had been heavily promoted for a couple months on the CW. The theme song for the commercial was Fergie’s “Glamorous,” a song which has had popular radio play for mainstream music. The lyrics couldn’t have fit any better as the CW flashed images of young hotties that were either ethereal looking legs-up-to-there blondes or bachelors with the bluest of blue eyes lusting and then preying on their next victim. The commercial gave its viewers the impression that the show was to be another “The OC” type of show complete with the same creator, Josh Schwartz. A few familiar faces among the cast include Blake Lively (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Accepted), Penn Badgley (The Mountain, The Bedford Diaries) and a grown up Taylor Momsen (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Underdog).

The show shares its title with a popular novel series that served mainly as a foundation for creators of Gossip Girl. Written by Cecily von Ziegsar and read mostly by teen girls, the plot of the novels revolve around rich teens in New York’s Upper East Side whom all deal with melodramatic problems that involve sex and drugs. Unpredictably, for the seasoned readers of Gossip Girl, each episode will build upon the fact that these problems eventually disrupt the flow of their socialite culture. Although the series has been criticized to be too racy for young girls, many parents and organizations have just been happy enough to see more teens reading.

Perhaps it is this teen audience that will help the ratings of the new CW show. If the drama in these books has been that captivating then having a visual and concrete story on the screen can’t hurt… can it? For the past couple of years the movie industry has been having great turnouts with screenplays based on books, such as Notes on a Scandal, The Namesake, and The Devil Wears Prada. Will it turn out the same for a TV show such as Gossip Girl? Whether it is their TV or the theater, are viewers still searching for something original and fresh to come to the screen? Or are we getting comfortable with watching a familiar story come to life?

Some readers don’t mind seeing a show or a movie after they have read the book, because they have already gotten the chance to create the characters in their minds. But alas, there are some readers that are too distracted by the changes the entertainment industry makes. There are already a couple of changes producers have made in Gossip Girl, such as Jenny Humphrey’s physical looks not matching the dark brown curly hair description given in the book. Her straight blonde hair is something unexpected for Gossip Girl readers but perhaps the slight alteration will grow on them as viewers.

We’ll just have to wait and see. HBO didn’t have any problems with Candace Bushnell’s Sex and the City coming to life. Bushnell’s characters even managed to get their own movie which comes out in 2008. Perhaps, it will work out for Gossip Girl as well.

- sl

Official Gossip Girl Site