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By Beth in Entertainment, NBC, Heroes, comedy, ABC, Hollywood, Dancing With The Stars, CBS, Posh, pop culture, celebrity, gossip, Victoria Beckham on September 24 2007
No doubt Monday nights will be my favorite TV night of the week. Why? Just read below and piece together the clues.
8-9 PM EDT
Chuck: A nerdy secret agent (in the form of a computer geek salesman) going undercover in a screwball comedy that elicits memories of SledgeHammer? I’m in…
How I Met Your Mother: If you can get thru another season of buying Neil Patrick Harris as a misogynist heterosexual player, why not?
Dancing With The Stars: Marie Osmond, Wayne Newton, Mark Cuban, Mel B, and Kelly from 90210 all in one action-packed, self-effacing hour? Ok, make that two hours a week, but hey, it’s a guaranteed upgrade for most of these celebs.
9-10 PM EDT
Heroes: “It” girl Veronica Mars aka Kristen Bell joins the cast this season and for those of us who caught a glimpse of Bell (on Gossip Girl), earlier on this season, it might be a welcome cast. Someone’s gotta save the world, anyways, and it aint gonna be the cheerleader.
10-11 PM EDT
Weeds: It may have started a few weeks ago already, but Mary-Kate Olsen plays a bad girl/dope-addicted nympho in this episode and hey, why should you limit your Monday nights to one reality TV show?
Journeyman: Cause if I had TiVo, I’d be all over this Quantum Leapish show. As is I’ll be flipping coins with my husband for the coveted 10:30 slot, which may end up going to Californication.
By Beth in Uncategorized, NBC, Heroes, comedy, Comedy Central, ABC, Lost, Hollywood, Dancing With The Stars, FOX, TV, HBO, pop culture, Amaldo.Com, reality TV, celebrity, Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Football, Family Guy, Chuck on September 23 2007
 I’ve been looking forward to the end of September ever since the beginning of May when I was left wondering just why Charlie may or may not have been killed off the island, how many new Fall shows the Heroes phenomena would spawn, and who would be the next cast of D-list celebs breaking onto the Dancing With The Stars scene.
As it turns out, September is here and the season doesn’t hold better TV than what’s airing today and tomorrow. Tonight marks the return of two of my favorite shows on TV-Simpsons and Family Guy. For those of us who got some sort of interim Simpsons fix this Summer having watched the Simpsons movie, we were left with ravenous appetites which only called more attention to the lingering gap left behind last season after Homer saved Mr. Burns from a fatal mall accident involving a fountain. So now we’re on to this season, Mr. Burns debt of gratitude to Homer and Mr. S taking stock of his life with the help of life coach, Stephen Colbert. (yeah, we’re not kidding) And all this in the first episode of the season…
Tonight’s Family Guy has patriarch Peter Griffin enlisting the help of the Star Wars saga to entertain his family when their power goes out. Brian the dog as Chewbacca and Quagmire as C-3PO have my head spinning already. Not to mention the juxtaposition of life sabers and Darth Vader (Stewie). Well, who better to destroy the Griffin household than Stewie, after all…And while the Curb Your Enthusiasm premiere aired a few weeks ago already, tonight is a new episode in the unfolding dramedy involving Larry, Cheryl, the Dansons, and the Blacks (the family they adopted from the Hurricane).
Conflicts/Footnotes to Sunday night premiere week: Cold Case is back as well tonight and personally, for me, this show is compelling enough (if I can drown out the slow-mo soundtrack of your life anecdotes coupled with the morally righteous preachy ending long enough). One thing this show is a testament to is the power of the band Coldplay. As long as this show is around, that band isn’t going anywhere.Tomorrow night is perhaps one of the most exciting TV premiere days of the week. With the return of Dancing with the Stars and the premiere of the much-anticipated show Chuck, be sure to check back here tomorrow for more of a preview of the two hottest shows of the season.
Till then, get your comedy on for Sunday night! It will help you get thru the work week, or at least put your attitude in the right place.
By ariel in Uncategorized, Entertainment, Smut Advertising, News, ABC, Dancing With The Stars, TV, pop culture, media, reality TV, celebrity, gossip, Tori Spelling, Jane Seymour, Mark Cuban on August 27 2007
Mark Cuban, Wayne Newton, Jane Seymour, Tori Spelling and more are among the names that will fill our TV screen on the next season of Dancing With The Stars. According to TMZ, a list of the shows lineup leaked, and got to their hands, while the official ABC announcement won’t be made until Wednesday. I personally don’t like the show, and not going to watch it. However, I can smell a PR spin from miles away…
Enjoy the show.
 
By ariel in Uncategorized, Entertainment, NBC, Heroes, comedy, News, ABC, Lost, The Office, TV, The Sopranos, HBO, 30 Rock, gossip, Emmy Award on July 3 2007
Television lovers, I have something good for you. Apparently, there was an online leak of the Emmy Award finalists in the comedy and drama series categories.
And the nominees are:
Comedy:
ABC: Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty
NBC: My Name Is Earl, The Office, Scrubs and 30 Rock.
CBS: Two and a Half Men.
HBO: Entourage and Extras
Showtime: Weeds.
Drama:
ABC: Lost, Boston Legal, and Grey’s Anatomy.
NBC: Heroes and Friday Night Lights
Fox: House and 24
HBO: Rome and The Sopranos
Showtime: Dexter.
Reuters also reports, that naturally The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences refused to comment on the accuracy of the information.
Anyone who read this blog before knows that The Office in comedy and Heroes in drama are my favorites, although my wife will probably choose Lost in drama.
By Beth in Uncategorized, Entertainment, Politics, ABC, Dancing With The Stars, CBS, The View, pop culture, Amaldo.Com, media, celebrity, Rosie O'Donnell, gossip on June 20 2007
 Ms. O’Donnell has made it clear that her top dream gig (post-”View”) would be as host of the “Price Is Right” now that the geriatric Bob Barker has grown too old or too tired to make sexual advances on his female cohorts. So Barker has retired and Rosie wants in, but is the rest of America ready to embrace a gay female host? Considering the roster of male hosts being considered, Rosie would be in the minority as far as testosterone quotient (she has more) and sexuality (ok, maybe not), but Bob Barker has made it known he wants Rosie.
Rosie’s professional move would also require a possible personal move from Nyack, NY where she lives with her partner and kids to LA where “Price Is Right” is filmed. S
Stay tuned for developing details.
By Beth in Entertainment, ABC, Hollywood, film, pop culture, celebrity, season finale, gossip, the 80s on June 9 2007
 It’s Saturday night and I’m watching the 80s teen flick “Loverboy” on TBS with Patrick Dempsey. I’m also arguing with my husband that the scrawny dweeb that once wooed current Weight Watchers spokesgal (before she was on WW of course) Kirstie Alley in the movie is in fact the one and only Dr. McDreamy. He doesn’t buy it and keeps trying to convince me Dempsey is Sean Penn. This got me thinking that Dempsey and Penn might have started out on similar 80s film role paths, but their careers definitely diverged. Somehow Dempsey became McDreamy and Penn opted for more er, um socially conscious work?
Moving right along, I heard today Isaiah Washington’s character Dr. Burke will not be returning to “Grey’s Anatomy” next season. I guess one botched up season of slurs was one too many. No doubt the cast is pleased, especially T.R. Wright. But from where I stand it was a lame character/plot development write-in for the producers to dispose of Burke the way they did on the show’s season finale. Just cause Washington may or may not be a jerk in real life doesn’t give the writers license to downgrade a formerly upstanding character and have him suffer the same fate as his portrayer.
By ariel in Uncategorized, Entertainment, ABC, sports, NBA, TV on June 4 2007
LeBron James is not my favorite basketball player, far from it. There are many others I prefer to watch then the 23 year old, 6-8 Small Forward. As a person who grew up in the days of Magic and Bird, and saw Jordan’s entire career, including 2 comebacks, I am not easily impressed. But, if LeBron brings the title back to Cleveland with him, he will prove that his place is among the greatest. And it’s not an easy task to win the Finales, because the team that faces him is a machine, and if using the words of Pink Floyd’s song again then the Spurs will ask ” Where have you been, we know where you’ve been”. Because they have been there before, this team is an expert in winning finales. Although I appreciate the Spurs Basketball, I don’t like it at whole, in fact I find it boring. NBA finales are made for legends, and the legend awaits writing is the one of King James.
NBA Finales starts Thursday on ABC
By Beth in Uncategorized, ABC, TV, The View, Rosie O'Donnell on May 29 2007
After the heated scuffle between Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Rosie opted out of “The View” and we’re still mourning the cat-fights and she-power quotient.
So how does one of Times Top 100 Most Influential People constructively deal with her emotions? On her blog naturally….
By Beth in Uncategorized, ABC, Lost, Amaldo.Com, quirky newsbits, podcast, season finale on May 27 2007
In this week’s Amaldo.Com podcast, I tackle haiku and fail miserably. The good news is this attempt at poetry spawned a very creative poem entitled, Ode To “Lost” Season Two: I Didn’t Want To Get Punk’d Or Bent But I Did.” There are quite a few laughs to be had here, for both viewers and non-viewers. I’m hoping J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof take note of my stellar use of creativity here and hire me on as a writer next season…A girl’s gotta have dreams afterall!
By Beth in Uncategorized, ABC, Lost, season finale on May 24 2007
 I’ve been a little disappointed in season finales as of late. It’s a general rule of thumb that all that anticipation and excitement built around one major event will inevitably fall short of expectation. I can say that after enduring 2-hours of repeatedly asking myself “Huh?” while watching the “Lost” season finale last night that I’ve been humbled into making this particular season finale the exception.
Warning: Don’t read ahead if you you’ve TiVoed and haven’t yet watched. This is a post-analysis of last night’s season finale.
So here’s why I’m still in awe, even 12 hours later:
1) There were no flashbacks in last night’s episode. Rather, we catch a glimpse into life after the island as Jack struggles to come to terms with his own and his desire to go back to the island. In the future, Jack’s become an alcoholic, abuses painkillers, takes trans-Atlantic flights in the hopes that the plane will crash, and he’s still hung up on Kate as his sole connection to the island. We learn that someone (presumably from the island) died and that no one other than Jack bothered to attend the funeral. When Jack confronts Kate on this mysterious person’s passing, her reaction is, “Why would I go?” leaving us all to think that the dead person is Ben and he clearly makes it off the island. In the future, Kate pities Jack, but has moved on leaving Jack behind. There are clear 9-11 allusions going on here as well.
Jack’s fate leaves us with the open-ended question: Were Ben and Locke ultimately right about the island and Jack’s rescue mission being the worst thing for his people? It clearly was the worst decision for Jack.
2) Walt=Jacob? I’m still unclear as to whether or not Walt was an apparition or has some sort of special connection to the island, like Locke. Either way, it would appear that Walt harbors supernatural abilities and his uncanny timing with regards to stopping Locke from committing suicide and getting him to walk again. Is Walt Jacob? More likely, he holds some connection to the island’s force.
3) Charlie dies, but WHY? I’m glad Sayid, Jin, and Bernard survived but I felt Charlie’s death to be superfluous, yet inevitable. On a more existential level, the Charlie dies storyline carries out the fate vs. individualism metaphor carried out throughout the show. After initially objecting to dying, Charlie subscribes to Desmond’s prophetic spells/visions that he must die so that the rest of them be rescued. As being rescued is the objective, Charlie sacrifices himself. But Jack’s fate leaves us to think that perhaps Charlie sacrificing himself was in vain, at least as far as Jack goes. In back-to-the-future flash-forwards, Kate also seemed a little hardened around the edges, but perhaps she too was torn out of obligation to an old friend/former love? and her desire to move on from the experience of the island.
4) Has Sawyer’s experience killing Locke’s father and the man responsible for his mother’s death turned him into a killer? Sawyer killed off Tom in last night’s finale without flinching leaving Juliet and Hurley a bit blown away. (no pun intended) And even Kate commented on Sawyer’s withdrawn behavior post-Locke episode. Will this have a long-term effect on the former con with a heart of gold? Has the island transformed him into a killer with a heart of stone?
5) I’m super glad Locke didn’t die, but still questioning if him killing Jack wouldn’t have made for a better ending to the season finale. We know that Locke represents island/fate and Jack represents rescue/reason and given all this a showdown was necessary. But with everything that lies ahead, the ending leaves you thinking: Maybe Jack would have been better off dead? Of course the beginning flash-forward featuring Jack wanting to jump from the bridge also follows along with this theme.
6) Jack/Sawyer/Juliet/Kate Love Quadrangle: Jack has always loved Kate (he tells her so in the season finale), but she clearly loves Sawyer. In the future episodes, he is not with Kate, but hung up on her in some capacity, even if it is just the island connection. We don’t know about Sawyer and Juliet, but Kate alludes to a “he” waiting for her in the future sequences so perhaps she ended up with Sawyer. I don’t think Jack and Juliet ended up together. Maybe Juliet died, but since he didn’t really love her I guess it’s a non-issue.
That’s if for my AM-after-finale notes. Feel free to add your own comments here. I love to think about this stuff.
On an end note, what I really enjoyed about the way “Lost” ended the season (and the show on a whole) is that it delves a little deeper. For example, it doesn’t leave you thinking life is always preferable to death or to elaborate, that death has to be the end- more that it can act as a portal or perhaps even if it doesn’t function as that, it’s how you spend your time and were able to resolve your issues while you were on “earth” that really mattered. I don’t know if I buy the whole island as time-space continuum theory, but I like that the shows gives a little humanity and breath to this subject. It f*cks a little with societal conventions and ideas about mortality and right/wrong and for that I’ll miss this show dearly over the course of the next 8 mos.
How bout you?
By Beth in Uncategorized, Entertainment, ABC, Dancing With The Stars, pop culture, reality TV on May 23 2007
 The boxing gloves are officially off. At least according to this season’s “DWTS” finalist Laila Ali who is quitting boxing and in talks to have her own cooking show and go where all drug induced-happy Martha Stewart wannabes have gone before.
Said Ali after finishing up in second place:
I want to follow in the footsteps of Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray. It has always been a dream of mine to have my own show, which could include cooking, fitness and other household components. In fact, I just came out with a fitness/cardio DVD with Sugar Ray Leonard. My show would feature healthy food with fresh ingredients that taste great.
By ariel in Uncategorized, Entertainment, Heroes, ABC, Lost, The Office, CBS, TV on May 21 2007
 Season Finale season is almost over, so let’s see what happend on my favorite shows (Lost, Desperate Housewives, Brothers And Sister, Grey’s Anatomy etc. are not my favorite shows.) The Office ended with Jim finally asking Pam out while Ryan gets Jan’s job in corporate after she is kicked out and decides to his dismay, to move in with Michael.
My Name Is Earl ends with Earl finding himself in jail after taking the blame for Joy. I like the cast and the idea of this show, but I can’t see them making another good season.
The Simpsons 2 Great episodes last night, to reach 400. Can’t wait for the next 400 episodes.
Family Guy ended with a back-to-the-future episode. Peter travels back in time, and when he comes back, he finds that his actions changed everything and Lois is now married to Quagmire.
It’s almost over, we are almost there but the season will not end before we watch tonight season finale of Heroes and see if all the producers’ promises are kept and the story comes to a resolution. If not, I’ll try to keep my promise, and won’t watch the show when it returns…. Now that’s a threat!
By Beth in ABC, Lost, TV, season finale on May 17 2007
 I don’t know why I haven’t thought of doing a “Lost” play-by-play before for this site. I used to dissect reality TV to the point I wrote a book on it, so why not do the same with a show I actually enjoy watching?
Well, perhaps I feared that by breaking down my favorite show into tiny little critical bits of dusty particle-like matter, I wouldn’t enjoy watching anymore. But then I realized that it’s not passion that fuels me to write, it’s compulsion and since the latter is the very thing that also compels me to give up my Wednesday nights for the sake of a 10-11 ABC timeslot, it’s all pretty much the same anyways.
So as mentioned previously, last night’s “Lost” was Charliecentric. And as most “Lost” fans have grown to love the flawed bugger, we didn’t want to see him endure the same careless whisper of a fate as John Locke. We learn in the first five minutes of last night’s episode that Charlie knows new girl Naomi (and no, not from Las Vegas, her old stomping grounds) but from Manchester, England. They’re Mancunians. Naomi informs Charlie that he’s famous posthumously, in that everyone in the rest of the world thinks he’s that rockstar that died on that airplane.
Ouch!
This makes Charlie sad because later on when Desmond tells Charlie he must die so that Claire and her baby can live (A little Jesus, anyone?), all is not forgotten. Like the martyr/hero he is, Charlie volunteers himself for the life-sacrificing role of going underwater to work some magic on the hatch. In Desmond’s premonition, Charlie drowns for our sins. Ok, so the latter half of that sentence isn’t entirely accurate and in real life, he doesn’t actually die, but more on that later…
While Charlie is battling his childhood demons (in flashbacks), we’re also getting propelled forward with the Jack/Juliet/Sayid storyline as they prepare the island and wire it with explosives in preparation for the invasion of The Others/Hostiles. Unfortunately, they learn through Rousseau’s daughter’s boyfriend that Ben’s cult of crazy, gun-happy, baby stealers will not be coming in three days as Juliet anticipated, but that very night.
The remaining episode features more Charlie. We learn that he was afraid of the water as a lad, that his brother considered him the more mature, responsible one and gave him some sort of family heirloom for keep safing. There is also a tender moment between baby Aaron, Claire, and Charlie in which Charlie shares a platonic kiss with Claire, but more protective emotion is conveyed through expression.
The final scene has Charlie and Desmond on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Charlie is wrestling with going down, and Desmond senses his hesitation so he once again steps in on Charlie’s behalf and offers to save him. Charlie whacks Desmond over the head unconscious to show his disapproval of this and to prevent Desmond from risking his life once more on his behalf.
Charlies jumps, but does he die?
I will say that he makes it to the surface and that the hatch is actually more of an indoor pool, not unlike the one in Charlie’s childhood flashback with his dad and the pool. Charlie climbs up the ladder only to be met with two machete-happy “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” lookalike women. We want to feel sorry for him, but he looks so positively happy to be alive and in the presence of such girls, it’s hard to feel too bad for the chap.
Next week’s “Lost” season finale features the conflict we’ve all been waiting for between the clash of The Others & The People We Care About. Stay tuned throughout the week for updates on this episode.
By Beth in Entertainment, ABC, Lost, TV, Amaldo.Com on May 16 2007
 There’s been heavy speculation that one of the major characters on “Lost” would be killed off before the season’s end. While for a while, it looked to be Charlie, when Locke was cruelly shot by Ben suddenly last week (which I’m still mourning btw), it seemed that at least that made Jack, Sawyer, Kate, and Charlie safe.
However, on tonight’s episode, the flawed Charlie gets center seat and rumor has it actor Dominic Monaghan, who plays Charlie was told he was not coming back next season. Considering there is only one more week of “Lost” left and Desmond continue to have prophetic insights as pertains to Charlie’s demise, I’d say the odds aren’t in the former Heroin addict’s favor.
Then there’s this little tidbit I found on SpoilerFix.com:
While Jack devises a plan to do away with “The Others” once and for all, Sayid uncovers a flaw in “The Others’” system that could lead to everyone’s rescue. But it requires Charlie to take on a dangerous task that may make Desmond’s premonition come true.
To see a trailer for tonight’s Charliecentric episode, click here.
By Beth in Uncategorized, ABC, Dancing With The Stars, love & lies, relationships, American Idol, reality TV on May 15 2007
 Jason Priestley is all about watching his former “90210″ alum co-stars’ careers go down the D-list celebrity tube. He just don’t wanna be anywhere near that sinking ship anytime soon. [Reality TV World]
First comes fame. Then comes money. Then comes nose job. Then comes domestic partnership for “DWTS” Karina Smirnoff and “Extra” boy toy Mario Lopez. [People]
Is it Sanjaya or Liberace? (said by judge Bruno to which contestant?) [Entertainment Weekly]
If everyone performed “perfect 30s” last night, how’s this show any different than “Thank God You’re Here”? [The Mercury News]
Wait. So you mean to tell me Bruno Tonioli is straight? Or just over-compensating by pretending to be hot for Laila Ali? Or perhaps just European. [Orlando Sentinel]
By Beth in Uncategorized, ABC, Lost, TV, The View, Amaldo.Com on May 15 2007
 ABC unveiled their Fall Line-Up yesterday. Comprised of six new dramas and two new comedies, “Grey’s Anatomy” spin-off “Private Practice” made the cut securing a Wednesday 9 PM. Wednesday is ABC’s ifiest night as it’s the only night with all new dramas debuting at each time slot and ”Pushing Daisies” and “Dirty Sexy Money” sandwiching “Private Practice.”
The James Patterson-written/Brett Ratner-directed “Women’s Murder Club” will air after “Men in Trees” (which I guess won’t be on perma-hiatus status by that point and hopefully Heche and her steamy co-star’s real-life affair won’t have fizzled by then) on Friday night. The premise of “Women’s Murder Club” is a bit “Desperate Housewives” meets the spawn of “Murder She Wrote” and “CSI,” but the show might be the best new pilot ABC has to offer. But who’s going to watch a show on Friday night on ABC? That hasn’t been done since Steve Urkel and Fred Savage’s little brother were on TGIF.
ABC’s Sunday night line-up is remaining the same (Why not? Nielsen LOVES it!) with “Brother & Sisters” rounding out the 10 PM slot. And as if “Sam I Am” could compete with “Heroes,” it’s filling the Monday night at 9 PM slot…Personally, methinks the only show that might be able to compete with a show like that is “Lost.”
But wait??? Where is “Lost” on this line-up? Does this mean the show is over? That there will be no more podcasts devoted to my gripe with the show’s writers??
No. Phew. It’s just being pushed back till January 2009 to make room for “Private Practice.” Early word is that “PP” is no “Laverne & Shirley” or “Jeffersons” for that matter.
Huh? Has ABC lost it?
By Beth in Uncategorized, NBC, Heroes, Amaldo' Home, ABC, Lost, Amaldo.Com, podcast on May 14 2007
 On this week’s podcast I dish and gripe about my favorite shows and their season finales. It’s a must listen for “Heroes” and “Lost” fans out there!
By Beth in Uncategorized, Entertainment, NBC, ABC, Lost, Hollywood, pop culture, Amaldo.Com on May 10 2007
 For some strange reason, I’ve had death on the brain since about 10:48 last night. Oh wait, I know why. Because ABC and their crew of “Lost” writers were stupid enough to kill off the best character on the show! And they did it in the typical “Heroes” tradition of trying to manipulate us emotionally into feeling sympathy for the bad guy. Well guess what ABC and NBC, none of us care what makes an evil man, evil. We just enjoy watching him get taken down by the good guy. So when you kill of the “good” guy as was the case last night when the evil hostile Ben shot our resident protagonist ballsy hero John Locke in the chest and he fell into the pit with all the other dead Darma skeletons.
Did John Locke, who is for the most part, the most heroic and redeeming character on that show deserve to suffer that fate?? I only hope that Jacob (aka Ben’s alter ego aka the mysterious force that lives in a dark cabin and keeps Mason jars of blood on his window ledge) comes back and breathes life into Locke and heals him. We already know that the island has the capability of healing someone (based on Locke’s ability to walk after being paralyzed), but can it bring that same person back to life?
The big season ender on “Lost” will be the climax showdown of Hostiles/The Others Vs. The Good Guys and I want some shred of promise that holds me till next season that Locke will come back.
As an aside, all this morbid talk had me thinking of all the network shows that died in the past few months so I’ve created a list I’m calling TV Show Graveyard. Feel free to add to this list in the comments section if you feel I’ve left out a show.
- Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (A surprisingly good show, I was sad to see go.)
- Andy Barker P.I. (Reminded me of “Sledgehammer” from the 80s so it had the potential of the offbeat quirky appeal that people might have grown to appreciate.)
- The Winner ( I guess serie’s star Rob Corddry will have to continue renting his apt.)
- October Road (Never saw it, never wanted to.)
- Six Degrees (Watched it once, felt very ugly, but not as shallow as the peoples’ lives depicted on the show. Never watched it again.)
- Black Donnellys (Another show trying to ride the wave of success from “The Departed.” I was secretly happy it bombed since it replaced Studion 60).
And now if you will. A moment of silence for John Locke.
By Beth in Uncategorized, ABC, Dancing With The Stars, reality TV on May 8 2007
 Highlights of last night’s “Dancing With The Stars” include:
- Billy Ray Cyrus proves he’s just another dude with a mullet, at heart. Oh and ego. Storming off of sets? Ripping a mic out of the hands of a pregant woman? Tsk. Tsk. You’re breaking my achy heart, Mr. Montana. [Entertainment Weekly]
- I guess boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s promised presence in the audience was part of the deal ABC struck with mannish Laila Ali when they decided to keep her on. [TV Guide]
- The bad news: CW canned Joey Fatone’s new pilot. The good news: Joey Fatone & Lance Bass will not be doing their version of “The Odd Couple” for CW. [National Ledger]
- I don’t personally enjoy watching Apollo dance but as far as small, slight, compact dancers go, he boogied his arse of last night. [TV GrapeVine]
- In national epidemic news, “DWTS” is taking on regional proportions. And you thought last season’s segment filler documenting the training of the average mom/middle-aged lady as she became a dancer was gut-hollowing enough. [GoUpstate.Com]
By Beth in Uncategorized, Amaldo' Home, ABC, Feminist, Female Empowerment, Amaldo.Com, 30 Rock, celebrity, Ugly Betty on May 7 2007
 Two days ago I posted a piece responding to The New York Times commentary on insecure, self-doubting women as depicted on television. I alluded to the show “Ugly Betty” and its status as the critics’ darling.
As much as I can appreciate what “Ugly Betty” executive producer Salma Hayek is trying to convey with the “dowdy is beautiful” message, it just feels so shallow and contrived. Not to mention borrowed material. But what gets me is the attempt to glam up Betty’s appeal (as evidenced by ”Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera on the cover of W Magazine striking a seductive pose with the words Hot Betty) both onscreen and off.
It’s no longer acceptable for her to be walking around with unstyled hair and a Guadalajara poncho because now that viewers “like” her and can see her “instrinsic” beauty (not to mention her love life kicking into high gear), Ugly Betty doesn’t have to be so frumpy anymore.
In fact, it’s not a “beauty in the eye of the beholder” tranformation that’s taking place but a deliberate glamming up of the character. And doesn’t this go against the very intent that’s being incited in the first place? If Hayek’s message was to get America to stop looking and assessing people skin-deep, then why bother with the Betty’s wardrobe/make-up change? Is this a trend? Is the fate of the loveable, better than average-looking, smart, likeable protagonist/heroine on successful shows to have to pretty herself up? Tiny Fey’s character on “30 Rock” has fallen victim to a similar phenomena. Each week, her hair is a little bigger, her cleavage a little more exposed.
Is what we’re saying through these otherwise “flawed” women is that in today’s society, less than perfect might get you in the door, but less than pretty won’t keep you happy and employed for very long?
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