Category
Pop Culture
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05.12.08End of the World Update: Coming Sooner Than You Think.
Ok - so they announced Jimmy Fallon is going to be taking over the “Late Night” job in 2009, after Conan moves on to the Tonight Show, and Jay Leno moves on to greener pastures. I was hoping to find the clip from Family Guy in which Meg gets a makeover, becomes super popular, starts a band, goes to be the musical guest on SNL (hosted by Jimmy Fallon) and the episode ends with Peter beating the shit out of Jimmy Fallon - calling out his bad acting, Taxi being a shitty movie and how no one likes his inability to learn lines and always smirk into the camera. It’s that last part I agree with. I don’t find Fallon entertaining, interesting, funny or even moderately respectable. I really don’t care if he gets to sit down with Hugh Jackman, Heidi Klum or Amy Winehouse. This is just some of the most disturbing news in the industry in a very long time…To help you swallow that bitter pill - here’s a good clip from the Family Guy parody of Star Wars. Pay special attention to Stewie/Vader - especially at the end…
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05.05.08Consider his name cleared — mayyyyybe?
Though I have yet to see his appearance on today’s episode of Oprah (wherein he’ll be paraded in front of her adoring pre-screened-Tom-Cruise-let’s-not-talk-about-Scientology-audience), Tom Cruise is well on his way to clearing his name and washing his hands of this 3-year history weirdness — at least as far as Oprah’s concerned. Full disclosure, no doubt, Oprah’s smart to host Tom Cruise’s big old honest American comeback on her show, sure to be one of the highest rated ever. Last Friday’s was one of the few episodes of Oprah I’ve ever seen all the way through, and Tom Cruise, in a one-on-one from from his Colorado home, appeared calm, collected, and fully medicated. Aside from the obviousness that this highly-chroegraphed event featured a “pop-in” from Katie Holmes — OH, KATIE! I didn’t think I’d see you! // Nahh, just off to take the kids into town, because that’s how regular Tom and I are here in Telluride, just regular folks taking the Subaru to town — I was wishing I had one of those focus group dials with readings indicating “I Believe Tom right now!” or “Tom’s lying right now!” Fascinating television. Its affect on me? I’d still go see Top Gun II and Mission Impossible IV. But not that German movie.
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05.02.08Sam and Erin are Movin’ Up!
Before you go to the Red Line Tap this Saturday night to see our next Rent Party, set your Tivo’s to record “Moving Up,” the reality show on TLC. Schadenfriends Sam and Erin Dotzler will join reality television fame when their new Chicago condo is redecorated for all to see. The plug from the website reads: “City professionals Sam and Erin can’t agree on what size TV to get, let alone how best to use the new-found space in their bedroom.” Awesome. It’s this Saturday at 9 pm on TLC. Remember, set your recorders, and hit 2 shows at the same time!
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04.28.08Are These Photos Going to Ruin a Franchise?
Sure, she’s worth a billion dollars. Her show ranks #2 right behind American Idol. My 4 year-old niece knows her by name. She’s wildly famous. Will taking off her shirt, being covered by a sheet when her parents were in the room saying, “Sure, let’s do this.” being shot by Annie Liebowitz ruin that Billion Dollar enterprise? Disney’s worried? Should they be? Should Hannah apologize? Should Billy Ray be put out to pasture? Should Annie be held responsible for suggesting in the first place? Should Vanity Fair stop trying to increase sales by posting risque photographs? Should the internet be banned? Should America’s eyes be sewn shut so we aren’t exposed to such craziness???? The questions do NOT stop. On top of that - the picture after the jump of Miley and Dad is just kinda weird…. MORE »
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04.23.08Why is it SciFi Only That Gets Rebooted?
Bionic Woman, Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider… tons of old shows getting “retooled” with a more “21st Century” appeal. (Read: The shows are getting hot chicks, and blowing shit up a little more than the 70s/80s version of the shows.) My big question - why is it only the SciFi shows? Why are they getting all the attention? There’s a lot of old material new writers can latch onto if they can’t come up with their own ideas. I mean, I know we just suffered through a torturous writer’s strike, and I’m glad I went without any new TV for months - so it only seems right that we go through and outline some shows that we would like to see rebooted!
- Facts of Life - 5 troubled girls living under one roof? C’mon. Greenlight it already.
- What’s Happening - Innercity youth trying to make it through their day, in a funny, hilarious way. ReRun would get t-shirts sold on Threadless.
- WKRP - With the way radio stations are going down the tubes to “no-DJ” formats - what if it was the final radio station with DJs trying to keep their jobs?
- Diff’rent Strokes - An old white guy adopting a couple black kids? It’s kind of like a “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” except with race relations. I think this is pretty much sold
Any others?
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04.02.08Mad Fold-Outs.
I, like most readers of this site, grew up reading, looking at, experiencing the full awesomeness of Mad Magazine. Never had a subscription, parents didn’t like it, was filled with crazy jokes and parodies galore - but somehow, I always read it.
One of the things that I always loved, even if I was young and did not understand the political significance of it was the back-page fold out. It was always fun to see what image it was going to be, even if the message of the image was lost on me. The NYT did an AMAZING article on the genius artist, Al Jaffe, who’s been the single mind behind them for the past 40+ years - and they put together an even better interactive review of them. Go Play. It’s worth 10 minutes of your time.
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04.01.08Fun at the Office.
Want some fun? Ask people if they know who this is, and WHY you know who this is. We did that here - and the answers that came back as to why we should know who she is are:
She has a big butt.
She is dating Reggie Bush.
She has a bigggg butt.Kate, as resident “People” reader, and all around trash-tv specialist, can you tell me why in God’s name I should know who she is? I don’t want to go to Wikipeida, I want someone to answer me. I want someone to look me in the eye, and say, “Stephen, you should keep up with her because….” And the answer can’t be because of the two(three) reasons I listed earlier.
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03.28.08
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02.26.08It’s Old… But it’s Good.So this one has been sparking around the ‘webatubes recently. Fisher-Price and Sesame Street, in their bid to take over the world, pulled a little “I, Robot” with Will Smith action - the doll is repeatedly saying, “Kill James.” James is the name of the kid, Melissa is the name of the over-indulgent mother who SEEMS to be having trouble keeping this one Elmo doll away from the kid (why not replace it with one of the other 2,346 Elmo dolls from the shot of the living room, I don’t know) and Peter is the name of the reporter who does his VO in classic reporter intoning. Enjoy. I think I may have found my new ringtone.
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02.25.08I Am One Step Closer to Being Batman…
Schadenfreude.net” />For $20 I can get this awesome Snowbarder belt. What makes it so special? This sucker’s got two screwdrivers, a hex socket wrench and one bottle opener. All I need to do is figure out how to add a car remote control, a batarang, some smoke grenades and gaydar, and I’d be all set. And c’mon - it’s only $20. You spend at least that much on a belt at Kohl’s. At least this one has a bottle opener, isn’t found in the ladies lingerie section and smell of desperation.
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02.14.08This is how much I love you…
For Valentine’s Day I got us tickets to see that dude from Living Color (the band, not the Wayans) play Judas in the touring company of Jesus Christ Superstar this week at the Cadillac.
You’re welcome.
I love you, too.
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02.11.08Chicago in ‘da house at the JLA.
Geek Alert! Geek Alert!
So Chicago Hometown Hero
Kanye WestCommon will be playing a superhero. A black superhero. Traditionally, the only real named black superhero that shares tights with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Green Lantern. Now, although the WGA Strike has put the Justice League of America movie on hold - Common has gone on record with:“It’s a blessing really, to know that I could potentially be this superhero,” he enthused. “Justice League itself is an honor, and Green Lantern is an incredible character to play. It’s a blessing to be associated with it.”
In particular, Common felt it was a special privilege to be the cast’s only black super.
“Just being a black person, a black man, playing a superhero is an honor in itself,” he smiled.
So. Common has nailed the single black role in the movie! Sure beats a stupid little Grammy, huh? Take that Kanye.
Of course, we here at Schadenfreude feel for you Kanye… We know you need to be in movies. Heck, we even wrote a role for you. That’s right… a role for you. Let us know, we’ll take your email.
