Television

Reservations with Anthony Bourdain

Filed under: Food , Food , Food , Food

One only has to tune in to the Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations to see that in the past two years the man has truly become a globetrotter. Hardly a regurgitation of the Zagat-approved restaurants of the cities, Bourdain dines on the street, with locals in hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and even occasionally at private residences. His show, much like his writing, can be hilarious, critical, and endearing—all in one segment.

Although he received a lot press for merging politics with food as war broke out in Lebanon, that special episode was hardly the first suggestion Bourdain has made that food and politics are intertwined. For example, recently while traveling through Texas and Mexico, Bourdain struggled with the concept of borders, citizenship, and the people who deal with these issues on a daily basis—all while dining in Texas on sushi prepared by a Mexican chef. Although he was traveling in Jamaica with a cold at the time of this interview, Anthony Bourdain managed to take a moment to chat with City Pages.

City Pages: How do you feel about the rise of the celebrity chef? Do you feel that it’s good for the industry? Is it detrimental in any way?

Anthony Bourdain: I think that on balance, it's a good thing. Even at its most annoying—if you're talking celebrity "chefs" and not including the industry created bobbleheads, the phenomenon has raised the hopes and expectations and prestige of working cooks. Kitchens have more pride and hope than when I started out—and that can only be a good thing. And almost anything that informs the public and raises their awareness and knowledge—aspirations and expectations for a meal is a good thing. The downside is the poor bastards who are taking out huge student loans to go to cooking school at age 35—without really knowing what they're getting into. Basically—if you're going to culinary school to be a "celebrity chef," you are in for a very hard—and likley very short ride in the restaurant biz. The industry will always shake out the unprepared, the uninformed, the weak, and the delusional. A lot of nice people are going to get shredded in the interim. Prestige may have grown for cooks—but the work itself is NOT glamorous.

CP: Has your cooking style changed since traveling extensively for your show?

AB: No. I cooked old school French bistro classics ‘til the end of my cooking days. Even I am not so arrogant as to think I could cook Thai food—or add anything to that glorious, centuries old tradition, after only a few weeks in Thailand.

CP:Have you ever been terrified of a meal (be it the situation or the actual food)? How did you get through the experience?

AB: Chicken McNuggets terrify me. That, and uncleaned warthog ass encrusted with sand, fur, crap, and redolent of undigested reflux. I won't be having that again. Oh yeah—I think those Cinnabon things are pretty scary. They're fucking huge. You see some Jabba-sized monster shoving one a those things into their face in an airport at six in the morning? That's the sort of thing that haunts your dreams.

CP:Do you have any theories as to why Americans are obsessed with food safety, yet continue to consume junk food?

AB: We're afraid of everything these days. We're quickly becoming a nanny state—and it's not just us. The EU is way ahead of us in building in and reinforcing the notion that the State owes you a guarantee that everything you could possibly shove in your mouth is "clean," "pure, " and without any risk. It has been decided that we are too stupid to make even the most basic of decisions about our lives—what to put in our mouths. We have essentially called for our own infantalization, and not without reason. One only need look at the current stats for expected cases of Type 2 diabetes, percentage of Americans currently considered "morbidly" obese, or unhealthily overweight, to see the point of view.

CP:If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

AB: Sushi. It's clean, it's light, it's delicious. I would, of course, want Masa Takayama preparing it for me.

CP:How do you feel about people that say they search for “authentic” food—people that expect to eat Thai food in Minnesota as if dining in Thailand, for example. Does the addition of the cream cheese wonton to a menu destroy any attempts at authenticity? Is authenticity important?

AB: Authentic first. I'm willing to try and occasionally enjoy improvs on the classics. But just as chefs should know and respect the classics before expanding their horizons, I think diners should know the "real thing" before they start eating cream cheese, crawdad, and avocado novelty hand rolls at Cajun Sushi Dome.

See Anthony Bourdain read, sign, and discusses his latest book, No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach at the Triple Rock tonight. The event is all ages, free, and starts at 7:00 p.m.

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at November 26, 2007 3:01 PM | Comments (0)

 

Minnesotans Represent on Conan Tonight

Filed under: Television

It's a Twin Cities bonanza tonight on The Conan O'Brien Show (NBC, 11:30 p.m.). Minnesota native (and rumored resident) Josh Hartnett will be pimping his vampire flick, 30 Days of Night, while local hip hop favorite Brother Ali will be showing up to perform with Mint Condition backing him. Actor Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) will also be talking shop, but whatever— he's from Georgia. Too bad they didn't film the show somewhere local like the Walker...

Posted by Jessica Armbruster at October 19, 2007 2:45 PM | Comments (1)

 

Tom Snyder, R.I.P.

Filed under: Television

Snyder to Manson: "Were you happy when you found out you weren't going to go to the gas chamber, Charles?" One of the great TV interviewers has died. Via Youtube, here's a retrospective, the first TV appearance by Weird Al, an amusing interview with the Clash, walking out on Howard Stern, who gets him riled by swearing at the end, a Star Trek special, and a 1981 interview with Bono and the Edge of U2.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at July 30, 2007 10:14 AM | Comments (0)

 

Jay Leno to shoot in Twin Cities tomorrow

Filed under: Television

Comedian Mo Rocca and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno crew will be filming a segment in Minneapolis-Saint Paul tomorrow, according to a press release: "Because the cities are the site of the 2008 Republican National Convention, Rocca will talk with local residents about what to see and do in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, how they are preparing for the election and their thoughts on the influx of politicians coming to their cities next September. He'll also interview Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak while commuting to work on his bike and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman as he plays the bagpipes... [on Thursday, July 12], Rocca and crew are scheduled to film along Nicollet Mall, in the Warehouse District, around the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis, at the State Capitol building, in Rice Park, and at Xcel Energy Center--the venue for the convention." (Whoops, missed the MNSpeak thread.)

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at July 11, 2007 2:53 PM | Comments (0)

 

Answer: He's the St. Louis Park teen who's going to be on Jeopardy! next week

Filed under: Television

Jeopardy! Productions Inc.

The Jeopardy! Summer Games Teen Tournament starts next Monday and runs through Friday July 27, featuring 15 kids from around the country competing for a $75,000 grand prize. One of the youngest in contention for that college nest egg will be 15-year-old Aiden Pink (shown above with host Alex Trebek) from St. Louis Park. We tried to get Pink on the phone and grill him about the capital of Burundi and from what animal's milk do we get mozzarella, but summer break has found Pink out of the country. We wish him well with that whole answering a question with another question thing—good practice for future relationships. Jeopardy! can be seen locally on KARE 11 at 4:30 pm weekdays.

Posted by Corey Anderson at July 11, 2007 10:14 AM | Comments (4)

 

HGTV comes to town, points, shakes head, laughs

Filed under: Television

Interested in learning how badly your most valuable possession has tanked in the last few months? Look no further than HGTV, which is bringing its show, "My House is Worth What?" to town this summer.

Back when the program started airing about a year ago, producer Holly Schwartz says, the housing boom was in full bloom and "everybody was getting really good news."

But in the present market, the show's incredulous title has taken on a new and unintended meaning. For her part, Schwartz insists the appraisal-themed program is not meant to make people feel bad. "It's really fun," she says.

She must be a renter.

Posted by Jonathan Kaminsky at May 14, 2007 11:18 AM | Comments (0)

 

The MPD vs. Mutant Ninja Citizens

Filed under: Television

Last fall, one of the former producers for The X Files shot a pilot for A.M.P.E.D., a present-day sci-fi drama centering on the Minneapolis Police Department that was to begin airing on Spike TV this year. The premise: MPD homicide detectives battle violence and destruction caused by city residents suffering genetic mutations caused by a virus. Lee Tergesen was cast as Detective Brian Spicer, a sensitive, levelheaded sleuth and Tony Curran as Mark Jacocks, the tough cop he clashes with. Tergesen, left, is best known for his portrayal of prisoner Tobias Beecher on HBO's Oz and, more recently, Peter McMillan on Desperate Housewives. Curran has appeared in a number of films, including Gladiator and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

The pilot was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, but the story was originally to take place in Los Angeles. Just how did that become Minneapolis? We've got a theory: A.M.P.E.D. is the creation of Fox 21, a division of Twentieth Century Fox, that focuses on keeping production costs down. Vancouver is an inexpensive place to shoot TV shows and movies, but it doesn't look much like Los Angeles. Of course, it doesn't look a whole lot like Minneapolis, either. Except, maybe, a genetically mutated Minneapolis?

Spike TV spokeswoman Jenni Runyan declined to comment, or to say whether in fact Spike picked up the show. "We don't comment on pilots," she says. Maybe the skyline was the least of the problems with A.M.P.E.D.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at April 16, 2007 12:32 PM | Comments (0)

 

Barb Ryman scores one for dysfunctional American Idols everywhere

Filed under: Television , Television

Ten years ago, I reviewed local singer/songwriter Posted by Jim Walsh at March 16, 2006 8:43 AM | Comments (0)

 

Was it the Bloody Mary?

Filed under: Television

Isaac Hayes, a Scientologist, announces he will leave "South Park" because of recent episodes that have embarked upon what he calls "inappropriate ridicule of religious communities." Press release after the jump:

ISAAC HAYES REQUESTS RELEASE FROM "SOUTH PARK"

Legendary soul man Isaac Hayes has officially requested a release from his contract with the "South Park" television show, and the Comedy Central cable station. Mr. Hayes has been a cast member of "South Park" since 1997 as the voice of "CHEF".

Mr. Hayes has decided to part ways with "South Park" because of recent episodes and press that have embarked upon what he feels are inappropriate ridicule of religious communities. While fully acknowledging "South Park's" right to freedom of speech, Mr. Hayes is disappointed with what he perceives as a growing insensitivity towards personal spiritual beliefs, not only with "South Park" episodes but also the recent Danish cartoon controversy.

"There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins." Mr. Hayes adds, "religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored. As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

Posted by at March 13, 2006 11:25 AM | Comments (11)

 

Where the streets have a lame name

Filed under: Television

A couple in Duluth this week proposed renaming their street Wisteria Lane, based on the trifling but high-rated ABC show Desperate Housewives. Apparently their street was filled with so much petty drama they thought the name suited their little hood.

Thankfully, the City Council rejected the couple's request, otherwise Minnesota would be known as the home of governors who wrestle and stalk, weird things called skyways that unfortunately aren't made entirely of glass, and a street embarrassingly named after the world's most vapid primetime players. If you're going to name a street based on a television show, at least use a good show for inspiration, like this one in the picture to the left. It looks like the folks who named DuBois Avenue must've really loved the butler-turned-politician Benson DuBois, from the 80s sitcom Benson. Don't you think? Don't you?

If you could rename your street anything you wanted to, what would it be and why? And what other Twin Cities streets should be renamed?

Posted by at February 15, 2006 3:29 PM | Comments (10)

 

Prince on SNL: Scott Seekins in red?

Filed under: Television

Is it me, or is Prince looking more and more like artist Scott Seekins? During his first Saturday Night Live performance in 16 years (video here), Prince wore the trademark Seekins pencil 'stache, headband, and suit, but in dark red and black rather than all-white (what Seekins wears in summer) or all-black (what he wears in winter). If you think you're up on your Minneapolis icon trivia, here's a quick quiz that asks the question: "Seekins or Prince?" 1.) Local rock band Jerungdu has performed dressed as him. 2.) For a while he owned the web site www.madonna.com 3.) He's obsessed with Britney Spears. 4.) He used to own a store across from Calhoun Square. 5.) He enjoys fly fishing. 6.) According to unsubstantiated rumor, he was banned from the last place that showed him. 7.) He once served everyone Mint Julips at a show. 8.) He and Larry Graham once proselytized as Jehovah's Witnesses during a Sunday Vikings game. 9.) He makes model train-set miniatures on the side. 10.) He is his own greatest subject. And the answers are...

1.) The band dressed as Seekins, as reported here. (A couple photos for reference.) The artist has also encountered people dressed as him, both summer and winter versions, on Halloween.

2.) Seekins owned www.Madonna.com for years before Madonna acquired it. The Warehouse District artist has long made a specialty of painting the Madonna.

3.) Seekins reportedly adores Britney. Check out this Seekins painting.

4.) Prince opened the Uptown store called New Power Generation in 1993. It closed in 1996.

5.) Seekins has been an avid fly fisherman for years, and can be spotted at many local lakes.

6.) The rumor that Prince was just banned from Saturday Night Live is most likely not true; the cast member who impersonates him, Fred Armisen, reports nothing of the kind (scroll down for his NPG post).

7.) Prince prefers to party without alcohol. Seekins was the one offering Mint Julips, according to this TCPunk thread (here's another).

8.) Prince has never denied this episode, reported in the Star Tribune. More on Graham here.

9.) Seekins is much sought-after for his train-model work.

10.) Arguably both make themselves their subject, but Seekins puts himself in many of his paintings. (More work here.)

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at February 6, 2006 8:03 PM | Comments (10)

 

The game was better than the commercials

Filed under: Television

...which isn't saying much this year. A few flashes of excitement and trickery, between dubious calls by the officials, and the decrepit Rolling Stones going through the motions during their half-time show meant the commercials really had to come through this year. Sadly, most were misfires and retreads (enough with the Clydesdales, Bud!). Check out a few Super Bowl commercial highlights after the jump and let us know what you thought...

Burger King does Busby Berkeley with that dash of David Lynch its been using in its humorous, albeit creepy, plastic-faced King campaign. A kitschy production number featuring showgirls dressed as condiments ends with a dog-pile to create a Whopper, with model Brooke Burke, as the top bun, finishing the job.

The "Best Week Ever" and MAD TV vets that make up the latest series of Sierra Mist commercials are joined by the ever-annoying Kathy Griffin, who brings the funny as an airport security worker who goes all Michael Winslow on Michael Ian Black's Sierra Mist.

A football commercial staple: The really dumb guys who really love beer ad. In "The Magic Fridge," a guy fills his refrigerator with Bud Light (ew) for the impending game, then tugs on a light fixture, employing a revolving wall to hide said refrigerated beer from his thirsty guests. The equally dumb guys in the apartment next door are the unwitting recipients of said beverages. Dumb, snarky, fun... a successful beer ad happily viewed by half-drunk guys watching a football game. Meta-larious!

A tongue-in-cheek commercial for the ABC hit Lost features the late Robert Palmer's 1980s staple "Addicted to Love" tweaked to sound like "Addicted to Lost." Probably good humor for fans of the show, a little creepy for those who aren't fans of watching dead celebrities selling stuff.

The Clydesdales line up for their annual football game on the prairie when a streaker, a shorn sheep, decides to venture onto the field for a little show-boating to the cheers of the assembled four-legged crowd. A couple of cowboys provide the punchline. Very silly and more effective than the other Bud ad which featured a young Clydesdale attempting to pull ye olde beer wagon all by himself in some sort of Currier & Ives meets alchohol distribution dynamic.

Michelob Ultra Amber's commercial features a friendly game of touch football that goes a "little darker." A spindly female player gets up-ended by an over-zealous opponent, but gets the last laugh with a "late hit."

Posted by Corey Anderson at February 6, 2006 1:27 PM | Comments (9)

 

Getting Arrested

Filed under: Television

Fox cut Arrested Development's current season from 22 episodes to just 13 last month, giving the critically acclaimed show little hope of ever garnering an audience beyond its cult following before its yanked from the network for good. But Hollywood Reporter announced today that the Emmy-award-winning show might get picked up by Showtime.

Arrested Development has never been on sure footing with Fox, despite the critical acclaim its received: The show's been in danger of cancellation since it first premiered in 2003, and when news hit this year that the series would indeed be cut back before becoming a Fox footnote, fans organized a petition to save the show. Unlike a decade or so ago, when comedies ruled the roost, only two comedies have consistently landed in the Nielsen Top 20 this year: My Name is Earl and, perhaps one of the worst shows on TV today, Two and a Half Men. Why isn't anyone watching comedies anymore? If we supposedly have shorter attention spans and a need to escape from current events, why are hour-long crime dramas so popular? Leave your answers in the comments.

Posted by at December 14, 2005 12:39 PM | Comments (0)

 

Insult to injury

Filed under: Television

Maybe NBC's "must-see" Thursday line-up should include a show about sock puppet from 2003. As NBC continues to take a precipitous fall in the ratings, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog became the peacock channel's top iTune download after the network announced its partnership with Apple on Monday. Meanwhile, NBC has been struggling to crack the Nielsen Top 10: According to the latest Nielsen ratings, only three NBC shows even land in the Top 20, and one of those shows is E.R., which is barely breathing at 11-years-old.

Whether the Insult factor is a reflection of NBC's lack of imaginative programming or America's tastes is to be determined. Do we really want to spend two bucks to download an entire program to watch on matchbook-size screens when we can DV-R it for free? Why does this sound like the ultimate rip-off? But there is some good news for NBC, or at least viewers vying for smart (and free!) comedies: The network announced last week that My Name is Earl and The Office are moving to Thursdays in January, a sign that the network is willing to support these fledgling but clever shows. Let's just pray the opportunists at NBC don't call for Triumph to make sweeps-month guest appearances as the office's new temp.

Posted by at December 7, 2005 12:34 PM | Comments (2)

 

Jordis blogs, doesn't play Ascot Room

Filed under: Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music

This post was revised on November 29 (see above); the following represents the corrected version: Some news about Jordis (alternate site here), the Rock Star INXS breakout from St. Paul: She has a new blog (here's her old one), and she has left Liars Club (formerly Fighting Tongs), who have changed their name to the Payback, and play a show on New Year's Eve in Minneapolis. (Catch up on the entire Jordis saga via MNSpeak.) The breakup news arrives via a correction from Gingerjake's Ian Severson to this post, which previously (and erroneously) reported that Jordis would be performing with Liars Club on New Year's Eve. She will not. Instead, she's pursuing a solo career, with a Sony debut due in early 2006. (Jordis doesn't post many details about performing on November 20 at the opening celebration for the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, but turns up in photos with Bill Clinton, Jim Carrey, and Ali himself.) As for New Year's, it's only one show, not two, as previously published, in the Quest Ascot Room, with Gingerjake (more here), Crashing By Design, and the Lid: Doors at 5:00 p.m., and it's over before 10:00 p.m., so you can still make that New Year's Party. $8 under 21; $20 for 21+, which includes "2 top-shelf drink tickets at $14 value." Call 612.338.3383 for advance tickets or keep checking www.thequestclub.com (currently down).

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at November 22, 2005 8:48 PM | Comments (0)

 

Trio Network goes internet-only

Filed under: Television

NBC Universal will celebrate the new year by cancelling an entire network-- Trio, one of the few channels that evoke the more enjoyable days of early cable programming, will be unplugged at the end of 2005. The next day, however, it will come back to life as an internet-only offering. Unlike CBS and NBC, which actually think people will spend money to watch their crap on-line, Trio appears to be ad-supported. (The upcoming web-only Warner Brothers channel, which will start showing dozens of old series for free, will have commercials that can't be skipped.) No word on which of Trio's programs will be carried over to the new net-channel, but let's hope they find a way to keep running Johnny Staccato with John Cassavetes on their series "Brilliant But Cancelled."

Posted by Steve Monaco at November 22, 2005 12:52 AM | Comments (0)

 

Arrested on death row

Filed under: Television

With running jokes about cousinly incest, bizarre chicken imitations, and a rare psychological disorder known as "never nudism," Arrested Development is the smartest and funniest comedy on television since BBC America started showing The Office. So naturally, Fox is giving it the ax. (Call it divine compensation: on the same day, the WB announced the cancellation of the wholesomely icky 7th Heaven.) The news isn't surprising; AD's end has been in sight since its first season (it's currently in the middle of its third), when low ratings kept the show's future in question. Then came a fatal scheduling shift from Sunday to Monday night. Although Fox is chucking out the Emmy award winner, the network is hanging on to shows that draw a more mainstream audience, like The War at Home (Michael Rapaport as bigoted family man) and Stacked (Pam Anderson as bookseller with large bosom and moderate intelligence). Once the home of television's most cutting-edge comedy, Fox now gets its chuckles from a bargain-basement Archie Bunker and tit jokes.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at November 14, 2005 4:01 PM | Comments (2)

 

Q: What's 2, 298 times better than Two and a Half Men? A: Nearly everything else on television

Filed under: Television

I've taken an incredibly unscientific poll. And I'm starting to believe Nielsen ratings are a sham. Now before anyone gets all ten months ago on me and bellyaches that blue states just don't understand red staters' moral objection to switching the channel from CBS, let me say that my Eye-watching family members in the South were included in this study, all 12 and a half of 'em. (An unscientific poll-taker such as myself could never be accused of weak coupling my non-random sample.) And what I've found could forever alter the way we don't watch really awful sitcoms: No one, not a single person interviewed, watches Two and a Half Men, the supposedly highest-rated primetime comedy starring Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, aka Duckie.

So how is it that the show, which makes the abysmal According to Jim look Emmy-worthy, consistently lands in the Top 10 most-watched programs? How is it that 16.8 million people plop down in front of their plasmas to watch a show where the biggest guffaws occur when the meddling grandmother winds up with a bowl of spaghetti soaking into her bad dye job and stiff two-piece suit? Please settle the debate over who watches this program and why in the comments section. Nielsen Families (if the even exist!) are encouraged to participate in this significant and life-altering CTG study.

Posted by at November 10, 2005 12:56 AM | Comments (6)

 

CMT goes Kinky-- Friedman, that is

Filed under: Television

In keeping with his campaign slogan, "Why the hell not?", cable channel CMT previews a new reality series called Go Kinky, which will document Kinky Friedman's run for governor of Texas. Friedman, a musician, mystery writer, and author of the country classic "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore," will be featured in weekly episodes that follow him on the campaign trail. (A typical Friedman stump speech includes the promise, "Make me the state's first Jewish governor and I'll bring the speed limit down to 54.95.") His independent campaign is gaining some momentum-- Willie Nelson just performed at a fundraiser, and Jesse Ventura is one of Kinky's informal advisors-- and if the pilot episodes go over as expected, CMT will make the show a regular feature next year.

Posted by Steve Monaco at November 6, 2005 1:41 AM | Comments (0)

 

Archive of American Television interviews now online

Filed under: Television

TV lovers with lots of time to kill can now wallow in hundreds of hours of interviews with many of the medium's most important stars and creators. Thanks to the Google video site, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has made its interview archives available for online viewing. These are not soundbite overviews, but lengthy, multipart discussions of careers and programming history. There are about 400 online now (scroll down for the list), from Edie Adams talking about Ernie Kovacs to syndication pioneer Frederic Ziv. (Note: videos require Flash 7.0 or higher.)

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 29, 2005 3:03 AM | Comments (1)

 

Host with the most finds best way to make toast

Filed under: Television

Following his cringe-worthy sitcom and even more embarrassing toothpaste shilling, it's safe to say Emeril has worn out his welcome. Rachel Ray has Oprah's financial blessing but she also has that creepy Joker smile. How is it that these kitchen clowns have their own big-time cable shows, while the genuinely likable Christopher Kimball is exiled in Saturday morning PBS? Kimball, the founder and editor of Cook's Illustrated, hosts America's Test Kitchen, one of the few culinary shows on television that views cooking as more of a science than an art. Kimball and his equally talented crew won't fancy up their raspberry cheesecake with sprigs of homegrown mint and lemon zest curlicues. They will, however, investigate over a dozen springform pans and twice as many brands of cream cheese. While his colleagues do most of the actual cooking, the gangly Kimball plays kitchen aide, quiz master, and guinea pig, asking a chef how many species coexist in a box of animal crackers or gamely downing Dixie cups of balsamic vinegarette for a taste test. Now that's a cooking show host. Kimball plugs America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook at the Edina Barnes & Noble November 8.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at October 28, 2005 6:03 PM | Comments (1)

 

"Do they Know It's Halloween?"

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Watch the video for "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" and consider plunking down dough for the charity single, now in stores. Performed by "the North American Halloween Prevention Initiative," the parody track benefits UNICEF (as in "trick or treat for...") and features Beck, Sum 41, Les Savy Fav, the Arcade Fire, Sonic Youth, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Joey Waronker, Sloan, Peaches, Feist, Devendra Banhart (who performs Tuesday at the Fine Line, and is reviewed by Andy Beta in this week's City Pages), Wolf Parade, Postal Service, Buck 65, Elvira, Malcolm McLaren, Gino Washington (for more on him, see "Gino vs. Geno" at Complicatedfun.com), Roky Erickson, Rilo Kiley, Sparks, Tagaq, and producer Steven McDonald of Redd Kross, though I have to admit, the only voice talent I recognized on first listen was David Cross. (By the way, did you read his parody of Pitchfork reviews?) Here are the lyrics. Listen while you carve your own virtual jackolantern.

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at October 19, 2005 8:07 PM | Comments (4)

 

Fake presidential debate = ratings bonanza! Huh?

Filed under: Television

When did you stop watching "The West Wing?" Was it when the earnest Sam Seaborn headed to the West Coast? Was it when series creator/producer/writer Aaron Sorkin was shown the door? Or are you the die-hard that's now wondering why it's even called "The West Wing" anymore, the focus having shifted to the inner workings of the Santos and Vinick presidential campaigns? Pundits lauded the sixth and most-recent season, declaring Dub-Dub got its groove back and ratings reflected renewed interest, but will delivering a one-hour drama each week about a presidential campaign really capture viewers' attention? Especially after wall-to-wall year-long coverage of the 2004 presidential campaign, and speculation about 2008 all over cable news and the internet?

This fall, the Commander in Chief people seem to be watching wears high heels and shills for ABC, so on November 6 "The West Wing" plans on airing a live episode featuring Democratic nominee Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Republican nominee Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) in a presidential debate. Given the public's disinterest/fatigue/apathy - whichever - for televised political debates, who the hell thought this would be a great idea? Smits and Alda seem to be intelligent human beings, but it's doubtful they will be required to do any improvising. The entire episode needs to be scripted lest a gaffe by one of the "candidates" sends the ongoing story line off the tracks. Live episodes of other NBC shows such as "Will & Grace" and "ER" have generated buzz and good ratings, but it's becoming a tired gimmick, and betting your Nielsens on something the vast majority of the public would avoid like the avian flu if it were real, seems like a grand miscalculation. Only those who are with Dub-Dub to the bitter end (including yours truly) may be sitting in front of the TV a couple of Sundays from now to watch a fake presidential debate. Besides, it seems that even when the real president is on TV, it's fake!

The Santos and Vinick characters are interesting, and supposedly one of them will be "elected" when the season wraps up next March to possibly launch an all new "West Wing" to renewed interest in the fall of 2006. Will the left-leaning sensibilities give way to a moderate Republican administration dodging and parrying with liberals and neo-cons? Or will Santos sit behind the desk, with Josh next door for a little continuity? And will it matter to the faithful? Popular characters such as C.J. Cregg, Toby Ziegler, and the president himself get very limited screen time these days, save for the rare episode that is still actually set in the White House, as this Sunday's appears to be. (Oh, yes, and after six seasons on Wednesdays, the show has been dumped onto Sunday nights.) The president's wife is off trading barbs with Fonzie on CBS, the Veep's failed presidential aspirations seem to have ended Donna Moss's tenure... one has to wonder whether "The West Wing" is dying a slow, painful death before our eyes, or if the fresh faces of a new administration will re-energize the show in the model of "Law & Order" and "ER." Will you be tuning in to find out?

Posted by Corey Anderson at October 14, 2005 3:26 PM | Comments (0)

 

There's a place in France, etc.

Filed under: Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music , Local Music

King of France singer Steve Salett can be seen in promo spots for MTV's The Real World: Austin playing much the same role as Jonathan Richman did in There's Something About Mary--he has the same utter empathy bordering on goofiness. He also has Frank Black's range, but an octave lower and without the screams, and makes jumpy indie-jazz-country-rock with his old Deformo keyboard collaborator Tom Siler (of Tulip Sweet and Her Trail of Tears) and drummer Michael Azerrad (the noted American punk historian). Tonight's homecoming of sorts at the Quest Ascot Room, opening for Robbers on High Street, celebrates the Echo Records release of The King of France, which you should own (and which I should review!). Buy the old one first if you don't believe me. With headliners Robbers on High Street and openers the Mercy Kiss. All ages. $10. 6:30 p.m. The Quest Ascot Room, 110 Fifth St. N., Minneapolis; 612.338.3383. (P.S. Jonathan Richman is coming soon, too.)

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at October 11, 2005 4:04 PM | Comments (0)

 

Muppets reality show?

Filed under: Television

"Chris Curtin, general manager and vice president of the Muppets Holding Company, said the Disney-owned venture also is developing an 'American Idol'-style 'reality' TV series featuring Kermit and friends conducting a talent search 'for the next Muppet,'" reports Yahoo. Muppetcentral.com broke the story earlier this month that America's Next Muppet would be slated for Spring-Summer 2006. More pitches for Disney: Behind the Music: Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, Gonzo's Gonzo Porn series, Fozzie Bear: Comedian, Muppets Gone Wild, Real World Muppets, etc. (Old magazine scan from Phrog.)

Posted by Peter S. Scholtes at September 28, 2005 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

 

Must-flee TV?

Filed under: Television

The new fall TV season thus far has felt more underwhelming than when NBC tried to re-create the Brit-sitcom Coupling with blow-up dolls that had no sense of comic timing. Yes, Seth Cohen has worn on every last nerve and Laguna Beach (Laguna Beach!) actually is a more entertaining show than the pseudo-soap it attempted to rip-off. The first few episodes of The O.C. have reminded us that plot lines can be sewn up in less than 40 minutes, and that whenever anyone is about to emerge from a month-long coma, they always warn us by tapping their index finger a few times. Meanwhile, NBC's much-hyped My Name is Earl feels too smart for primetime, but too banal and preachy to really gain a loyal cult following. And the once-brilliant Curb Your Enthusiasm now feels like it was written from a tired sitcom template: Larry David gets angry about [an issue]. Larry David tries to fix/deal with/meddle in [the issue]. In the end, [the issue] is resolved, but Larry David pays his dues because his meddling has caused a twisted karmic warp in the event cycle.

But there is one standout comedy that, like the British version of The Office, could serve to redefine the sitcom: Ricky Gervais's Extras (co-written by Stephen Merchant), has all of the uncomfortable situations and awkward pauses that made The Office a prototype for emerging comedy, as well humor so brilliantly dark and subversive it makes some of the jokes in The Aristocrats look benign. The first episode (airing Sunday nights on HBO) had Kate Winslet in a nun's outfit talking about masturbation against the backdrop of Nazi flags, and Gervais' character courting a woman, among the flags, while pretending to be a Catholic. But unlike the aforementioned disappointments, Extras is about more than the poorly delivered quips and one-liners: It's Gervais's willingness to explore what makes us uncomfortable, what we say when we think no one is listening, and what is forbidden and why that makes his shows so revolutionary. Too bad CBS isn't paying attention.

Posted by at September 28, 2005 12:26 AM | Comments (1)

 

Tut tut! Naughty kiddie shows, part deux

Filed under: Television

If you thought Mario and Luigi were careless with the tender ears of their juvenile viewers, check out this hysterical inneundo-laced clip from '70s and '80s British kids' show Rainbow. "Playing," indeed! Leave it to the Brits to trump us in cheekiness.

Posted by Diablo Cody at September 21, 2005 12:19 PM | Comments (1)

 

Mama mia!

Filed under: Television

This clip from '80s kiddie program The Super Mario Brothers Super Show has been making the rounds among snickering Gen-Y types. The clip features everyone's favorite Italian plumber murmuring a certain vulgar expression under his breath--and it ain't "Holy cannoli." Pair this shocking discovery with the fact that the actor playing Mario closely resembles Ron Jeremy, and you've got a potent one-two punch to your already endangered innocence. What's next, a low-res video of Princess Toadstool screwing Rick Salomon?

Posted by Diablo Cody at September 19, 2005 8:58 AM | Comments (5)

 

Fall Mini-Preview: The Ghost Whisperer

Filed under: Television

September is like Christmas for television's super-heavy users. The airwaves hum with promise. Entertainment rags tease us with exhaustive fall previews. Backsliding movie actors headlining doomed sitcoms insist that they've "always wanted to do TV." Even though we've groaned through this song-and-dance before, September still feels magical, somehow. Network elves struggle adorably with last-minute packaging, affixing shiny bows to their rancid mincemeat. George Lopez's belly shakes like a bowlful of jelly. And we, the eager viewers, can't wait to tear into this year's premieres. Geena Davis as the first female President? Bring it on! Denise Richards as an Amanda Woodward-esque bitch on wheels? Hooray! Jennifer Love Hewitt with the ability to see dead people? Thank you, Santa!

Nope, even J-Love can't scare us off the goodies. The Ghost Whisperer (not affiliated with Ghost or The Horse Whisperer) is Hewitt's second attempt at headlining a series. (Remember Time of Your Life, the spinoff that begged us to care about the milquetoast girlfriend of a character we never liked in the first place?) Surely, we can forgive Hewitt's hubristic misstep, The Audrey Hepburn Story--after all, she doesn't hang with those orange-skinned chainsmoking starlets at the Roosevelt Hotel, and her lad mag interviews always contain numerous modest denials of her own hotness. Unfortunately The Ghost Whisperer looks like a shameless retread of Medium, Joan of Arcadia, and other shows in which luminous young women commune with the supernatural. (Meanwhile, on the Internet, JOA fans are incensed that CBS canned their cult favorite and greenlighted this derivative.) My prediction: The Ghost Whisperer will, surprisingly, be a modest hit. Hewitt will announce her engagement to a costar in time for sweeps. The bust of her runway-sample Vera Wang gown will require considerable alterations.

Posted by Diablo Cody at September 14, 2005 1:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

Family Guy to be slightly less inappropriate this weekend

Filed under: Television

A new episode of FOX's Family Guy entitled "Perfect Castaway" was scheduled to debut this Sunday but will be shelved due to a couple of references to a hurricane. Apparently, even Family Guy has its limits. The episode will be replaced with another new episode entitled "Peter's Got Wood." Oh, and, if you missed it, here's that awesome Ipecac scene from a recent episode. Barftastic!

Posted by Corey Anderson at September 9, 2005 4:31 PM | Comments (0)

 

"ANTM" sashays back into our hearts

Filed under: Television

Cycle 5 of America's Next Top Model (premiering September 21) is already shaping up to be delectable fan-candy. For starters, Tyra "BE QUIET!" Banks has jettisoned her unfortunate "Rusty Jones" weave in favor of more flattering brunette tresses. Secondly, ANTM has added a "plus-sized" model, Diane, to its jewel-box assortment of hotties--though calling Diane "plus-sized" is like diagnosing a 5'3 woman with dwarfism. Best of all, we get another Minneapolitan contestant this year, (Coryn) who hopefully will go further than lightheaded Rebecca , who sent us running for the smelling salts last season--er, "cycle."

Favorite to win: Jayla, the token "punk" who makes Lex from Survivor look like Richard Hell by comparison.

Posted by Diablo Cody at September 8, 2005 3:57 PM | Comments (0)

 

With a name like "ASSSSCAT", it's got to be good!

Filed under: Television

Tonight marks the premiere of ASSSSCAT Improv on Bravo, which stars founding members Upright Citizens Brigade and hey-you-should-actually watch-this! guest stars like Tina Fey, Horatio Sanz, Andy Richter and Rachel Dratch. Rest assured, you'll be spared Whose Line?-esque "hilarity" ("Sing a song about Wayne's underwear in the style of Luther Vandross!") in favor of fresh, family-unfriendly comedy. And NYC improv groupies know that ASSSSCAT's live shows are pants-shittingly sublime, so the TV version's bound to elicit at least a couple of guffaws. It's an unmissable treat for those of us (cough) who dream of being the creamy lard filling in a Fey/Poehler sandwich cookie.

Posted by Diablo Cody at September 7, 2005 2:35 PM | Comments (0)

 

My Super Mean 16!

Filed under: Television

It initially seemed like a one-season throwaway; an MTV documentary series about spoiled teens who throw extravagant birthday bashes on Daddy's dime and summon 400 of their closest frenemies to attend. Who could have predicted that My Super Sweet 16 could be so habit-forming for otherwise rational adults? Most of us will never slap down a black AmEx for a pair of Gucci heels, so seeing an adolescent brat do so--with a frown, no less!--makes for a compelling watch.

The masochists who adore this show (and I'm of that number) tend to align themselves with a specific SSS "star". I'm an Ava gal myself. Young Ava, as fans may recall, couldn't find a decent dress for her party even after wiggling her saline orbs into every designer frock in Beverly Hills. So naturally, she jetted to Paris to continue her shopping mission, a decision that was met with sluggish disdain by her detached parents. In addition to the party, Ava also insisted on getting a new Land Rover for her birthday; the suggestion of a lesser luxury vehicle was met with a delicate "ewww," which quickly escalated to tears. Tears!

Other fans favor Hart, who traveled via private plane and hired go-go dancers for his superbash, or poor Jacqueline, whose drunk, blowsy mother and absentee dad all but ruined her already-tragic Mardi Gras-themed bash. And everyone loves to hate bossy Sophie, who delivered her invites via Rolls Royce and continues her social reign via MySpace. (Note that "only cool people are aloud." That's right, nerds! Those with spelling competency need not apply!) But the delusional, not-quite-loaded kids are even easier snark-targets than the legitimately wealthy ones; witness last week's subject Amanda bragging about visiting "the best hairstylist in central Florida." At a mall. High falutin'! That's like hiring the best caterer in eastern Montana.

Admittedly, it's a bit cruel to mock these children, most of whom have been raised by indifferent folks who parent with their wallets. And yet, if a kid is old enough to pilot a vehicle, have sex, and demand "fire dancers" at his or her party, then said kid should be exepected to exhibit a modicum of respect toward friends and family. So far, not a single My Super Sweet 16 subject has seemed genuinely sweet. Fragile? Perhaps. Disadvantaged? Surprisingly, yes. But not sweet.

Posted by Diablo Cody at September 1, 2005 11:37 AM | Comments (1)

 

Get Ready for "The Making of 'Down in the Groove'"

Filed under: Television

Martin Scorsese's Bob Dylan doc is coming soon to PBS. Here's some info on the film and a summary of other Dylan product being released in conjunction or in response to the film.

Posted by Dylan Hicks at August 30, 2005 1:57 PM | Comments (0)

 

Ain't 2 proud 2 beg

Filed under: Television

Based on it's unfortunate title, one might think UPN's newest reality show R U The Girl documents a riotous abortion pill trial. In actuality, the premise ain't much better: R U is the televised search for a new member of R&B trio-turned-duo TLC. After rapper Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes--arguably the group's most charismatic member--died in 2002, remaining members T-Boz and Chilli kept busy with such nonglamorous jobs as parenting (T-Boz) and getting publicly cuckolded by Usher (Chilli). Something had to be done to resuscitate TLC without the crucial L.

Enter UPN. On R U, T-Boz and Chilli will select one lucky hopeful from a pool of thousands to record a single with them and perform at a concert. The terms of this reward are carefully described--it's never explicitly promised that the winner will officially join TLC or even be invited to perform with the duo more than once. These ambiguous conditions dampen the drama considerably--we want to see someone plucked from obscurity and thrust into the limelight Kelly Clarkson-style, dagnabbit! One token concert is not enough for us calloused Star subscribers--it's gotta be life changing. We need to smell fear.

Shows like R U and Rock Star seem crass and exploitative for obvious reasons; are groups suddenly choosing to replace deceased members--on television, no less--for artistic reasons? But perhaps this vaguely morbid new subgenre simply lays bare the truth about the industry; most performers were always in it for the money, so why should loss change that? R U is a charming enough show, and T-Boz and Chilli are likeable gals; it seems pointless to hold the premise against them. However, they totally need to up the ante on the grand prize. No risk, no drama.

Posted by Diablo Cody at August 10, 2005 11:14 AM | Comments (0)

 

Oh, Those Inept Dads! 'Meet Mister Mom'

Filed under: Television

For years, sitcoms and commercials have delighted in portraying fathers as incompetent boobs who fall to pieces in Mom's absence. If TV is to be believed, chaos theory takes hold the instant Dad's left in charge of the brood: socks go unlaundered, kids run wild, and Whoppers are on the menu until further notice. But in the age of dual incomes, same-sex couples and fluid parental roles, the whole notion of Dad-as-bumbling-homemaker seems beyond quaint. Being an attentive, nurturing father is de rigueur these days, at least in our neck of the woods. Which is why Meet Mister Mom (7:00 p.m. Tuesdays on NBC), a new show that challenges fathers to "see how hard Mom's job is," already feels like a relic.

The rules of this competitive reality series are simple: two dads are left to care for the kiddies while their wives vacation at a McResort in the tropics. The father who parents the most effectively (based on categories such as "Housekeeping," and "Time Management") wins a scholarship for the sprogs. Sounds potentially "hilarious," but NBC's seemingly airtight premise fell apart by the very first episode when it was revealed that the contestants were actually good fathers. Both men scored high marks across the board, even with such scripted crises as a "new pet" (ie; a llama) appearing in the yard and wild ten-kid slumber parties arranged by the producers. Sure, one of the dads allowed his son to consume 14 Fudgsicles in a five day period, but where's the harm? Guess a bad dad is hard to find.

Posted by Diablo Cody at August 4, 2005 12:03 PM | Comments (1)

 

The pitch: So, like, you know how funny anorexia is, right? Well imagine it times four.

Filed under: Television

On Thursday night, FX premieres the (surprisingly) critically lauded Starved, a sitcom about four thirty-somethings who all suffer from varying degrees of eating disorders: There's Adam, a bulimic cop; Dan and Sam, two compulsive overeaters; and Billie, a bisexual recovering anorexic-bulimic. Sounds like a real knee-slapper. If the oh-so sagacious US Weekly has taught us anything, it's that people with eating disorders are to be gawked at from afar, not mocked in primetime like they're simply some teenagers with emotional problems or something.

But if diseases are the new comic devices, I'd like to show the execs at FX a script I have about five recovering-alcoholic roommates who all have different STDs. The slogan is, "Like Friends...only sometimes 'painful.'" Oh, the shenanigans that ensue!

Posted by at August 3, 2005 10:27 PM | Comments (0)

 

'Commander in Chief' creator: We're running like madmen away from politics!

Filed under: Television

Creator/executive producer Rod Lurie wants to make it clear that his new ABC show, "Commander in Chief," starring Academy Award winner Geena Davis as an independent vice president thrust into power following the death of a Republican president, will take great pains to skirt as many political issues as possible. Even though the show is set in the White House. And it's about America's first female president. "We're going to deal with East Wing stuff, residential stuff," Lurie says. So it's a family drama, only Mom is always wearing a navy blue suit while she reads the bedtime stories... through the intercom from the Situation Room. While Aaron Sorkin, an unabashed lefty, shepherded his politically-charged "West Wing" to high ratings and numerous Emmy Awards, Lurie, also a Democrat, wants to be clear: "We don't want to be caught on the left side of the world at all." With a flaccid sales pitch like that, even conservatives won't be caught on ABC Tuesdays this fall.

Posted by Corey Anderson at August 3, 2005 10:55 AM | Comments (1)

 

Paula Abdul gets a special prosecutor to call her own

Filed under: Television

Fox has hired an independent counsel to look into claims that she had an affair with an American Idol contestant. Do we smell a spin-off? How's about a reality show that investigates other reality shows? If CBS picks it up, it could replace 60 Minutes II.

Pos