Conan's Big Night

Last night marked the first episode of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
First and foremost, I love seeing Conan and Andy Richter reunited. As he grinned and waved like a madman, it was endearing to see Andy so excited for his friend's big moment. There were the worries that he would lose his crazy schtick he's known for. But as he tug on his invisible strings, it was clear this was the same old Conan, or "Conando." (His spanish wasn't shabby.)
Granted, not every joke killed (Desperate Housewives line), but that didn't matter. A bad Conan joke is still 20 times funnier than any good Leno joke. But I love Conan for all of his little quirks. The dorky faces, the self-deprecating hair humor, the Leno impression.
There's only so much you can tell from the first show, as was the case with Jimmy Fallon and his painful Late Night. And plenty are going to continue to worry that Conan's humor is to obscure to reach the masses quite like Jay's dry and obvious humor tended to do. Maybe Conan doesn't beat Letterman everyday. Maybe there's actually some competition in late night again. But if nothing else, Conan proved he can more than handle taking over the desk that once belonged to his hero, and perhaps the greatest television host of all time, Johnny Carson.

Just added 'Laodicean' to my repertoire

For one day a year, the American public forgets about reality television and embraces its nerdy side. The Scripps National Spelling Bee aired last night on prime-time with over six million viewers tuned in to watch 13-year-old Kavya Shivashankar become the new Spelling Bee Champion. The Daily Beast is featuring a list of the 7 best moments of the night which are pretty spot on.
Despite our failing education system, it's refreshing to see these talented kids who have dedicated years of their lives to memorize the dictionary. Granted, the title comes with more than just bragging rights. Shivashankar walked away with $30,000 and other prizes. But regardless, for one night, America was fascinated with some of the brightest faces of America's youth.

A quick commercial break

Although this blog's purpose is to discuss pop culture and entertainment, I thought I would delve away from television and film to focus on something even more exciting: sports. After a pretty lackluster May sweeps, save for finales from Chuck and The Office, leave it to the NBA to remind me what truly exciting live TV was.
I thought things couldn't get any better than the Celtics-Bulls first round series, but leave it to the King, LeBron James, to show me just "Where Amazing Happens." Here's hoping the NBA hasn't hit its high point just yet. I want to see a LeBron-Kobe final.

Cat Deeley, How I Adore Thee

There are plenty of things to love about summer. The lack of school work. The weather. The vacations. The graduations. But for me, the end of May marks the new season of one my favorite shows, So You Think You Can Dance. And while I can't but smile watching the dancers and their amazing stories, one person truly makes this reality show Must-See TV- Cat Deeley.
Unlike every other reality host, Cat never has an attitude as if she's above the competitors. Instead, in nearly every episode you see her joking with the contestants, trying her hand at dancing despite her four-inch heels and gorgeous designer duds. She's incredibly earnest night in and night out, as she never seems to grow bored of the dancers. In some ways, she's the biggest fan of every dancer, there to support those whose performance was subpar, or celebrate after a jaw-dropping performance.
After seeing hosts like Ryan Seacrest seep with disdain and ambivalence, it's incredibly refreshing to see someone so excited truly love going to work everyday.

The Obligatory Gossip Girl Post

There's really no denying it. I partially wanted to start pop rocks again so I could blog about "Gossip Girl."
I should hate it. The TV snob in me should mock those who sign their emails with the now famous "XOXO." The repeated storylines, the ridiculous scenarios, the unrealistic portrayal of high school. Every now and then I question the merits of spending an hour with B and S.
But I just can't turn away. Not from the clothes or the prettiness of it all. I have to see Chuck and Blair finally make it work, because damnit, who else could they possibly end up with? I want to Serena suddenly become "bad" again, knock back a few cosmos and kind of-almost-but-not-really kill someone. I need Georgina Sparks to wreak havoc on everyone's lives because this season hasn't exactly been amazing. And I really want to see someone finally let Dan know he's a hack of a writer. I have to hear Kristen Bell say those corny lines before each commercial break because of my Veronica Mars withdrawal. And I just really want to look at Nate.
My roommate and I sit there week after week, criticizing this plot line or piece of dialogue. When the credits roll, we shake our heads wondering what the writers were possibly thinking.
And every morning I anxiously await the recaps. From New York Magazine to Gawker, I love seeing the opinions of others.
There's something about asking someone if they're a Blair or a Serena that you just can't help but love. This ridiculous show has absolutely captured the public's attention and no one is really sure quite how. Is it the New York backdrop? The fashion? The acting? (On second thought)
And then it hit me. Why does America love "Gossip Girl?" Dorota.

Seriously?

The numbers are still coming in tonight, but Fast and Furious has been shattering records left and right. Best opening this year. Best April opening ever. Best opening for the franchise.
I'm happy for the actors, who haven't exactly had the best success after they first filmed The Fast and the Furious in 2001. Sure, Michelle Rodriguez was on Lost and Vin Diesel attempted to continue as an action star, but neither of those panned out. Paul Walker hasn't been much more than a pretty face. Granted, I've enjoyed Jordana Brewster on "Chuck," but it's only a recurring role.
On the glass is half-empty side, I'm amazed that there were so many people ready to rejuvenate such a questionable franchise. When I saw the trailer months ago, I thought it was some weird prank by Universal. Somehow, the film studio finally got a sense of humor and chose to delete the "the's" in the title to pretend it was a brand new film. But alas, not so much.
I get the appeal of mindless action films. I've never enjoyed them, but I do understand the American need to watch things blow up. It's just interesting to think that in the times of a recession when hundreds are losing their jobs daily, this movie made 75 million dollars in three days.
That's America for you.

Restart

I missed blogging. Plain and simple, twitter is a cheep substitution, serving as nothing more than a quick fix for my narcissistic needs. Because when my friends get tired of my ramblings and my hand cramps from writing in my journal, I'll still have pop rocks. Here's to hoping to this time it sticks.