CRUSHES

Following in the footsteps of such esteemed hotties as Captain Von Trapp, Marty McFly, Triple X, and Faith the Rogue Slayer, comes 2007's crushes. Now unlike many people, Gig's tends to crush on a character rather than the actor who plays the part. Why? I don't know...maybe it's my ability to separate the actor from the character they play. Side note: did anyone else watch The Sound of Music on tv last nite? That Christopher Plummer is so handsome!

So without further ado....2007's crushes!
Guy-

Link Larkin from Hairspray. To paraphrase Colin, er, I mean Mark Darcy, "He loved Tracy-just as she was!" Granted anyone could have played this role, and at times, it seemed that Zac Efron didn't look as if he was having the time of his life. Hell, all you have to do is listen to the movies' commentary to figure out what the director and star thought of him. (He was mentioned exactly one time in their 2 hour talk). But something about a teen playing a teen was so refreshing. And Link was a good person, giving up all he worked with to give someone else a chance.

Girl-

And here we come to the exception....my crush is on the actor, not the character, simply because I don't think this person can do no wrong. She is fall down funny, a wonderful comedic and drama actress, always looks amazing on the red carpet, and someone who I have admired for years, but has finally received the credit she deserves: Helen Mirren! She is so awesome! You'd think that winning the Oscar for The Queen would be the pinnacle of her career, but she said that working on National Treasure 2 was the most fun she'd had! It was a fun movie. And her work in Cal was amazing! She's so cool! I want to grow up to be just like her.

SONG

I had to really think about this one. Not because there were SO MANY great songs released this year (there weren't) but because I thought I would have trouble finding one that I first heard this year. Turns out, I didn't have to go far.

I checked out my iPod and all the songs I'd purchased over the past year, and the one that stands out is a frothy little ditty with an unbelievably great hook and fun lyrics. Not to mention a fun video. "When Did Your Heart Go Missing" by Rooney. The band got it's big break playing on The O.C. a few years ago, but I never really listened to them. Then this song hit, and I really liked it. It's been on replay for the second half of the year. Check out a snippet at the band's website.

Runner up:
Also another iTunes replay: God Only Knows by the Geoff Gascoyne Trio featuring Jamie Cullum. I figured this couldn't count as my favorite new song b/c it's a remake of the Beach Boys classic, but WOW. A wonderful recording. Go buy it on iTunes. No need to sample it, trust me. And hearing the song live? Yowza!

BOOK

I shouldn't have even given it a second glance. I should have kept on walking. But while visiting Book Expo with Sharon last June, I was stopped in my tracks by the most sumptuous dress I have ever seen! It was on the cover of a book called The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. I asked the book rep what it was about. She replied, "Well, it's Gossip Girls in turn of the century New York!" I assumed she meant turn of the twentieth century, given the dress. She turned away from me, but I grabbed her arm, and asked, "But what's the story? What ages is it for?" She again said, "Well, it's Gossip Girls in turn of the century New York." Clearly, she had not read the book she was promoting. (Don't you hate when people do that?)

That was all I needed to grab a copy--not the description from Miss I Know Nothing, but the dress, and the prospect of sending this woman MY review of the book. Never did I think it would be my favorite book of the year! In fact, it sat on my desk for almost 2 months before I finally picked it up.

Sure, you can compare it to Gossip Girls. I'll admit the characters are nearly identical. I had someone come up to me and tell me it's just like the British Royalty-there's Charles and Diana, Camilla and the Queen! That's pretty cool. But the story----a historical romance, where love conquers all. But let's be honest, that's not where the fun lies.

Here's a more in depth description from Harper Collins' Website:

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.
Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions.
White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.
This is Manhattan, 1899.

Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone—from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud—threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.

With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear...

In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

Still need more convincing? The book opens at Elizabeth's funeral! The sequel is out in June, 2008.

So what did I miss while I was obsessing over The Luxe?

Best of the Best

It's time for the FIRST ANNUAL GIGS AWARDS, or FAGA for short (Next year will, of course, be SAGA.) Each day between now and the new year, I will post my favorite in a category such as movies, songs, fictional character, etc. And of course you have the opportunity to tell me what you favorite is. Please keep in mind the winners are what I saw, read, heard this year, not what actually was released this year. So without further ado, today's category:

MOVIES
"Hey, baby, you look like you could use a stiff one!"

As if you couldn't guess, ( "Is it charm, is it poise?), no it's Hairspray." No other movie this year made me laugh as much as this one. Who would have guessed that Travolta's return to the musical oeuvre ( I love that word!) would be dressed as a woman, and a woman who wore the coolest dress, made of pink sparkles! And how bout that Nikki Blonsky? How amazing was she? No doubt that this might be the only movie she wil be in, but what a way to break into Hollywood! And that supporting cast! Bynes, Walken, Snow, Efron, Latifah, and Marsden! Could your big break BE with better actors?!??! But the real prize should go to Adam Shankman, who has been a Gigs fav since he choreographed the Buffy musical episode. For an added happy, watch the movie with Adam and Nikki's commentary. You'll learn that, yes, it was alluded that Corny got that girl pregnant at the beginning of the movie, and that Nikki is indeed a very comfortable girl on her 4'11" frame. What a great role model for teens (better than, ahem, any of the Spears clan. Or anyone in Hollywood for that matter).

Runner Up:
The Lookout with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Wowee! Talk about nail biting! One of the BEST young actor working today. The other being Ben Foster. Put these two onscreen together and watch it explode!!!!!

I Want My MTV back!!!!!

Remember when you were a teen (or younger) and you had to sneak cigarettes so your parents wouldn't find out? I don't b/c I never did. I sneaked music videos! A friend and I were reminiscing about music videos from the 80's. The conversation started by him mentioning Cradle of Love by Billy Idol. I used to sneak watching that one, b/c it was very risque for it's time. A girl come to her dorky neighbor's door with a tape, asking to use his tape player and proceeds to dance to the song through his living room, on his bed, while wearing-GASP- a black bustier and skirt. This is so tame by today's standards.

That got me thinking about all the videos I grew up on...well, until 1987, when my parents had MTV scrambled off our cable b/c they didn't like the content. My parents were so forward-thinking! Before it was cool to hate MTV, they were already doing it! Anyhoo, here's a list of my favs in no particular order:

Land of Confusion by Genesis
anything by Madonna
Cold Hearted by Paula Abdul (another one i had to sneak)
Goin' Crazy by David Lee Roth
Simply Irrestiable by Robert Palmer
When I Think About You by the Divinals ( keep in mind I was 8 and had NO IDEA what this song was really about).
Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
anything by Poison
Dancing In the Dark by Springsteen
that Paul Simon video featuring Chevy Chase

There are more....TONS more...but I want to hear about the ones you remember watching.

The End is Near

The title of this post is based on the fact that the sky is falling, hell has frozen over,a giant meteor is headed for earth that even Ben Affleck can't save us from, and the weekend box office top movies. Yes it's no big surprise that I Am Legend took the top spot, and the Golden Compass slipped to number 3, but the BIG SHOCK was the number two movie of the weekend! Any guesses? Yes those adorably creepy CGI'd chipmunks beat out a talking polar bear to gross $45 mil! That's not even mentioning the ginormous amount between Alvin and Compass--Compass only made $9 mil this weekend. Guess people are getting sick of the is it or isn't it blasphemous Compass. And Enchanted made only $6 mil! Isn't this family movie viewing season? Though given the choices I'd see Legend,too. Enchanted is a close second, tho.

But this is all nonsense. Let's talk about the next GREAT movie I just can't wait to see.....Cloverfield! What's it about, you ask? I have NO IDEA! NO ONE DOES!!!!! Don't believe me? Check out the trailer. But it's written by Drew Goddard (of Buffy and Angel) produced by JJ Abrams (you must know that name by now) and directed by Matt Reeves (who co-created Felicity with JJ). So that is where I will be on Jan 18. What movies can you not wait to see?

"Just a Sprig of Holly"

It's officially Christmas Movie Viewing Season! I kicked off the season with probably my absolute favorite holiday flick, Love, Actually. I still cry at the sappiest of scenes: the one with Juliet and Mark, the one where Jamie asked Aurelia to give him her hands, and of course when Rufus gift wraps the perfect gift in that perfect way. Course, that last one are tears of laughter. And how bout John and Judy's meeting as, ahem, stand ins. And the most perfect use of my fav xmas carol, All I Want for Christmas Is You. Lest we forget the amazing Colin Firth. He made a great movie so much better. Doesn't every girl dream of being proposed to in front of her whole town, with her intended bumbling his way through her language.

"I've come here with a view of asking you to marriage me. I know I seems an insane person - because I hardly knows you - but sometimes things are so transparency, they don't need evidential proof. And I will inhabit here, or you can inhabit with me in England."


**SIGH** Colin, I will inhabit anywhere with you.
To get you in the mood, check out this wonderful snippet:




So tell me, what are your favorite Holiday movies?

Engaged Couples-Take Note

Check out this clip my sister sent me. No, I am not planning a wedding any time soon, but if you're sick of all those smaltzy first dances at weddings, this is the clip for you. And if you are planning a wedding, take note:

Jamie needs to record a Christmas Album

Has it really been 3 weeks since my last post??!?? Where has the time gone? Hope I didn't lose any faithful readers, but you know how the holidays are. And, yes, according to Al Roker, who lit the tree in Rockefeller Center last night, the Holidays are officially here!

I thought Thanksgiving was the start of the Holiday season. Retailers seem to think it's Halloween. And Boston lit their tree the weekend before Thanksgiving. So, methinks NYC is a bit late this year. Or trying to hold onto their glory days as the best city to be decorated for the holidays. Actually,I think they still are. I went to London over Thanksgiving, and was surprised to find that there weren't trees on every corner, lights on all day and night. I expected it to look like that scene in Love, Actually. Sloane Square was done up nicely, Harrods looked nice, but no better than Macy's in Times Sq.

Let me tell you about my trip. For the first time in ages, I didn't visit any bookstores (unless you count the mini-Borders at Heathrow, which I don't), libraries, and I didn't worry about my job or what was waiting for me when I got back! My desk was not piled up with notes that I did not understand, my mailbox was not overflowing. Sure I still had lots to do, but not overwhelmingly so. Don't get me wrong: I miss my friends (very much) at SPL, but that was a real treat, walking into my office and seeing it just as I left it.

Course, our office was closed the Friday after Thanksgiving (and on the weekends), where the library is open all weekend! That does not seem fair...I really think having the library be closed on Black Friday would assist the economy. So next year I propose closing all public libraries on Black Friday, not for the staff to enjoy their day after cooking and hosting 30 people, but to boost the economy.

But back to my trip. I spent the whole time walking the city with my sister, we saw Jamie Cullum in concert, and even managed to get tickets to see Mary Poppins (another musical--what a surprise). We also shopped, went on the London Eye, and ate! The fruit in England is AMAZING! I don't know how it can be so fresh in the middle of November. I hope to go over again for another fun girl's weekend--maybe next summer.

So, how was your holiday? As exciting as mine?

STRIKE DRAGS ON FOR SECOND DAY! IS THIS THE END OF WRITTEN WORD?-Joss Whedon

So let's talk about this strike. Every night this week, there's a blurb on the news about day __ of the writer's strike. Are they gonna do this every day of it? Cuz I think this one is going to be a doozy. 25 years ago they went on strike, but not much changed. 2 years ago, they were planning on it, but it never happened (I believe that it was the actors' union that time). But this one...well, they are doing it for a reason I can get behind. Y'know how cool technology is? How you don't have to choose between Heroes, Chuck, and sleep on Mondays at 9? That's because we know that we can always go online an see what we missed. Networks are streaming their shows on their website--so awesome. AND, now you can buy individual episodes on iTunes, so you can take them to go on your iPod.

But here's the thing...while the actors, directors, producers, advertisers, and just about everyone else involved gets some sort of payment for their work, the writers aren't making a cent off of additional showings of their work. So for example, Keifer Sutherland gets paid for his work on 24, then if the show goes online and to iTunes, he gets another check. THEN, if the show goes into syndication (which it has) he gets another check for that.

Writers get money for the original show and syndications, but not that middle, "new technology" stuff. Now please don't misunderstand me...Hollywood has enough money. I stopped watching Friends when the stars demanded (and got!) one mil an episode, somewhere around the 4th season. But writers have a long history in Hollywood for being neglected, so I understand their reasoning.

Hopefully this will all end soon (an in support of the writers!). As it is, most of the late nite talk shows are in reruns, 24 has been postponed, and there will be no more new episodes of our favorites. The Heroes team has reworked an episode to serve as a season ender, in case the strike continues for longer than a few weeks. Lest we forget what this may do to views of shows like Lost: they've already lost (haha) many fans due to the convoluted storytelling ( I am not one of these fans--I learned long ago to trust JJ Abrams and his team and just enjoy the ride). What will a strike mean to shows depending on their fans? And most people who know me, know I feel that the writers are the stars of the shows--Joss, JJ, Tim, and Josh, you're the reasons Buffy, Alias, Heroes, and Chuck/Gossip Girls work. Oh sure, the actors and everyone else are important, but every show begins with a word, and it comes from you guys.

Note to strikers: feeling that writing bug bite? Try your hand at writing a YA novel! I'd love what some of you would do in the publishing field (I'm talkin' to you, Tina Fey!)

And the worst part of all this? More "reality" tv--as if they weren't stealing enoughs jobs from actual actors and writers!

Penny's boy Nick Lachey is 34 today. He's had such a hard time after his divorce, and would really appreciate it if you showed your support by buying his cd, right Pen? Yuck!

Sorry, all. Gigs has been so very tired due to lack of sleep due to the hard schedule of the games during the World Series. But hey, no complaints! Boston won! First team in the 21st century to win 2 series! That's what someone said on the radio, but let's try and remember that's it's only 2007. But whatever! Red Sox won!

And of course, we barely have time to bask in the glory of these hard working men, and talk turns to contract negotiations. Leave it to a Yank (or former Yank) to crash our party with news that he's opting out of his contract. I'm talking about Alex Rodriguez. But we already have a fantastic 3rd Baseman, Mike Lowell. Now if A Rod wants to put on a Sox uniform, well that's all fine with me, so long as he leaves enough money in the piggy to re-sign Lowell. Also, he would have to take another position. I mean it's not like we NEED A Rod to, I don't know, WIN or anything. Honestly, what is the big deal with him anyway? Yes he's a great player, and we would probably benefit from having him in Boston. And yes, he would up our cute players quotient (which in my professional opinion is already pretty durn high), but are these reasons enough to turn our backs on players who have been with us, when A Rod first turned us down? Alex, Boston is not standing at the back of the gym because you didn't want to dance with us. And now just because you've realized that we are the prettiest girl at prom, doesn't mean we will dump our current partners for you. There might be room for you to join us, but please don't think you broke our hearts or spirit.

OK, I may have gotten a bit carried away, but I'm sure GDD readers are smart enough to find my point in there.

Heeeeyyyyy. Henry Winkler is 62 today.
Only 122 days til Spring Training starts! Rest up, boys!

"Nah, we aint got no ticket."

In honor of the new Dunkin Donuts ads, y'know the "Made for everyday people" ones featuring the likes of Corey Hart and Jermaine Dupree (see title of post), here's my list comparing DD and Starbucks coffee:

Coffee:
Dunkin Donuts is milder of the two, which is nice if you don't like burnt tasting coffee. But it's also too weak, sometimes tasting like dishwater. Also, 1 time out of 4, you're likely to get a cup of actual burnt coffee.
Winner: Starbucks cuz you can always add extra milk if it's too strong

Price:
Dunkin Donuts is cheaper than Starbucks, but it all goes back to you get what you pay for.
Winner: DD for your second cup of the day (if needed) but for your first, Starbucks

Location: How come cities have both on every corner, but once you hit suburbia, Starbucks' are scarce?
Winner:
DD for cornering the suburban market.

Promotions:
DD doesn't have to many in my memory. But Starbucks came out with the promotion to beat all promotions. For 31 days, the're giving out free song downloads. A new song every day. Sure they're prepicked, but there are some artists you have actaully heard of: John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, and Joss Stone. Plus you get the chance to hear new artists. They partnered with iTunes for this magnificent idea.
Winner: Starbucks

So in conclusion, Starbucks is clearly the winner. Of course, you could take my mom's advice and make your own coffee. But that would knock off 5 oh so precious minutes of sleep in the morning. So instead I choose to wait and pay someone to make my coffee. I know---the priorities of youth.

Ryan Reynolds, the hottest vampire slayer next to Buffy, is 31 today.
Didja hear? The Red Sox are in the series! First game tonight at 8!!!!!!!

Oooooh! Glowy!

For those of you who know my true identity, you know that i am easily fascinated by shiny and glowy objects. Pins that blink, keychains that shine, you get the idea. Pens that glow are no exception. Now, I am known in some circles as a Freebie Queen. I put on my freebie voice and usually I can score very cool stuff from business: free books, posters, a stuffed cow, free repair on my digital camera etc. But the one that I didn't have a chance at was a glowy pen from a sales rep that visited the library a few months back. I walk in and everyone at circulation is playing with their super cool blinking pens. "Where's mine?" I wondered. Turns out, there weren't enough to go around. I was deeply put out by all this. Sure these librarians are having fun now, but in a few minutes they would get bored and the toy would go back to being just a pen. Worse, it might get taken by a fascinated patron! Nooooooo!

For my birthday, GDD corespondent Mr. J bought me my very own glowy pen. It's pink and glows blue! I am SO EXCITED. I don't know where to keep it: at work to entertain me but might get stolen or at home for safe keeping. I love my pen!

"I’ve got the 411. And you are not going out and getting jiggy with some boy. I don’t care how dope his ride is." 10 Things I Hate About You's awesome Larry Miller is 54 today.

Red Sox tied with Cleveland. Next game is tonight!

"Damn it, Tony! This is the only way!"

Dung Dink Dung Dink Dun..... It has been too long since I have heard this, the most popular ticking clock in the history of television. And sadly I have another 3 months before I will hear them again.

For those of you who don't remember what happened to the guy who played the bully in Stand By Me, he grew up to be a super badass CTU agent, stopping off once to play a super badass Musketeer.

I'm talking about Kiefer Sutherland on 24. Sure last season was...let's say interesting for lack of a better term. Fans have been whining about the lack of good storytelling and "realism" (?!) as the reasons why the show's sixth season was not so great. But here's the real reason....Tony Almeida. The former head of CTU and the perfect foil for Jack Bauer's break all the rules attitude died in season five. "Nooooo", I moaned as Tony fell to the floor after being pathetically stabbed. It was the lamest death on tv since Wesley bit it on Angel. C'mon...both characters survive being blown up, tortured, and, had their neck slit/shot and we're supposed to believe that getting stabbed is what kills them?! Please.

Now comes news that gives me a very big happy....Tony is not dead!!!! Apparently, when a major character dies on 24, the bumper to the commercial break shows the digital clock ticking down, but no ticking sound. BUT, when Tony "died" there was clock and sound, so the astute viewers knew Tony was still alive. Huh. I guess that's what keeps the show fresh...I will have to be more attentive and less emotional when it looks like the end of a character. And who cares if this is the most random "re-introduction" of a character since J.R.
Tony's back! Read more here.

Carlos Bernard, who plays Tony, has gotta be pretty happy too! He's 45 today.
Red Sox are playing the Indians in the first game of the ALCS today!

"I call her Vera."

I'd like to know what I did to deserve this. Really, cuz I'd be glad to do it again. Joss Whedon's late, great series Firefly gave us lots to buzz about: Nathan Fillion in another "he's so great , so why don't any of his shows last on tv" role (see also Drive), Joss and co.'s smart and sharp dialog, and Adam Baldwin. Adam played tough guy Jayne, the gun naming (see title of post) mama's boy rebel on Serenity. And when Firefly ended, he jumped over to another Whedon favorite, Angel. And when that ended, he was gone.

Fast forward to fall, 2007. Adam's back! He costars in the new NBC show, Chuck. Now I was a Chuck fan before it aired: Awesome writer/produce-check (Josh Schwartz). Established production company-check (Wonderland Sound and Vision). Lovable lead-check (Zachary Levi). But Monday night's episode just made it must see tv: with is quirky casting, hilarious plot, and razor sharp dialog (courtesy of former O.C. scribe and current Gossip Girl producer Schwartz) it makes for a very funny hour. I swear the only thing better than the sly Lost reference ("Oceanic flight #815 was shot down by...") was the opening scene, where Adam's character (who is and undercover agent working at a Best Buy type store ) racing through the parking lot to stop a shoplifter, only to be stopped by Chuck. Funny, funny, funny. Now we just need some sort of reference to Jayne's hat from Firefly and the Nerd Herd will go nuts!

Liev Schrieber is 40 today.
Red Sox won their first post season game, thanks to amazing pitching by Josh Beckett.

Mia, I'm still a cop! Or, am I?

Just when I had given up hope comes news that there will be a fourth Fast and the Furious....this one maybe starring Paul Walker and Vin Diesel!!!!! YAY! Read the story here. Wonder what the surprising twist will be this time. And who they will get for the token rapper turned actor role.

BIG news in the YA books-to movie genre: Catherine Hardwicke has been tapped to turn Twilight, Stephanie Meyer's wannabe Buffy novel into a film. Though I didn't really like the book, I am def. excited to see who they will cast as Bella, a lonely teen in Washington State, and Edmund, her creature of the night boyfriend. And Edmund's family should be a hoot. But I should give the film the benefit of the doubt-Hardwicke is the director of Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown, two edgy teen related flicks that treated its audience with respect. Check out who the author and fans want to see cast here. All I have to say is NO, absolutely not! They CANNOT cast Logan Lerman as Edmund. He is way too good for this movie. Plus, he is my inappropriate crush and I am not ready to share him with anyone, let alone millions of girls. Though from his standpoint, this would be excellent for his career. But noooooo...I want him to play another great teen character for another book adaptation (sorry, not at liberty to say titles).

Seann William Scott is 31 today.
Red Sox play their first post season game against the Angels at 6:30 tonight.

CSI: The Experience

On Saturday, I was invited by the very cool Terry family of Westborough to attend an advanced tour of of CSI: The Experience at the Museum of Science, Boston.

SO COOL! The exhibit is set up with 3 crime scenes, and you get assigned to one of them. You job is to collect evidence, and process it thorough databases and the lab like actual investigators. Along the way, you have the opportunity to learn more about the skills it takes to solve these crimes. It took about 45 min and was packed! I highly recommend going at an off time and making a reservation via the MOS website.

I gotta say, I think it made me like the show even more! Kids, who I'm not even sure are old enough to watch the show, were running around comparing notes and making sure they hit all the exhibits inside. The only disappointment was that Warrick Brown and Greg Sanders weren't there to greet us personally.

Julie Andrews is 72 today.
WE DID IT! RED SOX are playing in October! Our first postseason game is Wed against the Angels. Gotta tape Gossip Girls!

Hello wonderful readers! I have no idea what to write about as I am so tired (Premiere week--YAY!). Just watched Journeyman, soooo good! Will be watching The Office and Earl (love Jamie Pressley) tonight, taping the encore of Reaper over on the CW. So tell me, what have you been watching? New shows, movies, entire seasons on DVD? Too busy playing Halo 3?


Gwyneth Paltrow is 35 today.
Red Sox up by 3, October is fast approaching, which means major juggling of my tv schedule. Should I break and buy a TiVo? Or stick with my trusty VHS??

Gossip Girls---TRASH!

You know those people who say they hate rap music but never actually listen to it? I don't like those people. I actually was on my way to becoming one a few months back, but I was against the Gossip Girls book series by Cecily Von Zigesar. Not because of the content, mind you. But because of the negative portrayal of teenage girls I was just sure it depicted.

Well, I decided that if I was going to bad mouth a book that millions of girls loved, the least I could do was read it. And something surprising happened....I was right: the girls are depicted in a negative fashion, all snooty and self-absorbed and doing things that I didn't know existed at that age (lotsa sex, alcohol, and drugs). But here's the surprising part: I LIKED IT! Couldn't put the damn book down. Oh sure, I was reading the book in the safety of my own bedroom, so no one would see, and I was still embarrassed! And when WHDH TV, (channel 7 to those of us in Beantown), ran a segment on the Racy Reads teens can find at the library, I immediately got on the defensive. There is nothing worse that a teen reading, right? I mean, omg, the library may actually be entering the realm of coolness just by having these books in their collection. Way to go, 7 news. Let's not promote all the awesome things libraries are doing for teens, let's focus on the trashy reads....and that is exactly what the GG books are...fun, mindless trashy reads. Just wait til they make the movie, I thought after seeing the segment. **Please note: the article isn't as negative as the actual tv spot was, but it was all I could find.**

Well, I wasn't too far off. Last week gave us the premier of GG: the series (Loved it, loved the guy who plays Dan, and I love Josh Schwartz). More Cruel Intentions, less O.C. But when I ever saw that 7 news was "taking us behind the scenes of the CW's newest hit teen series", I almost puked. The 60 second bit gave us clips of the show, stars, and a positive blub on the series, no doubt put together to increase promotion for the show. But how dare they not mention the basis of the show. Wouldn't want to come off as a bunch of hypocrits, would we? Promoting the show, and trashing the books.

Just my thoughts on the matter. Sure it won't be my favorite show of the fall, but like the books, it's a nice filler while waiting for something better to come along. Kinda wish they launched it as a summer series; this summer was boring! And no, I will not tell you if the books/series are appropriate for your teen. That is a decision you, as the parent, have to make.


Tom Felton is 20 this weekend. 20!
Red Sox up by 2, but are currently (as in this instant) beating the Devil Rays 5-2.

Pink and Sparkles-my two favs at the Emmys

Greetings, fair bloggers! Sorry about the delay in posts, Gigs was getting subpoenaed by K-Fed.

We won't spend too much time discussing the Emmys, as they were such a BAD show (the exception goes to Terry O'Quinn of Lost--keep rockin' the pink and sparkles--you looked awesome and happy to be there! Congrats on your well deserved win!)

Did I call it or did the masses finally listen to me? It looks like Kanye has outsold 50 Cent-by 300,000 copies! And it turns out that Jay-Z, producer on Kanye's album has also lent his talents to Fiddy, as a contributor to the remix of the song "I Get Money". Why do I feel betrayed? Then again, it will probably make me like the song, just as his additions made me like Umbrella by Rihanna and (don't kill me for saying this, Dan) Rehab by Amy Winehouse. That song got so much better with a Jay-Z beat and rap.

And while we're on the topic of 50, have you seen his new video? So stylish and sleek...almost made me forget who the artist was. The half naked girls reminded me. This might be the first song by Fiddy to make it to my iPod. Great beat, great vocals, and I kinda dig the dressed up 50. Put some clothes on the girls and I might become a fan. Seriously, the amount of half clothed girls on MTV (and I'm talking about the video chicks, the reality star,etc.) is just plain embarrassing. Put some clothes on! What's that? Skin sells? Well, ok...I suppose you can show JT without his shirt once or twice. No wonder people from other countries think American girls are sluts. If I had to base my opinions on what I saw, I'd believe it too!

Rosemary Harris is 80 years young today.
Red Sox are up by only 3 games, and no, I don't want to talk about it. It will be ok.

Perez Hilton...who is this guy?

So for today's post, I thought it'd be fun to attempt to find out just who this Perez Hilton is. I mean, yes, he's a celebrity blogger, but recently he seems to be everywhere! VH1 gave him his own show, Backstage at the VMAs. Victoria Beckham confronted him on her reality special, Coming to America:

"Let's talk about some of the names you've called me..., VB says.
"I may have called you....a robot with really big boobs.", Perez responds.
"Really? (pause) Do they look that big?", VB asks.
Perez:"Well, they're squished in today, are you wearing a bra?"

Classic! That Victoria, at least she as a sense of humor. I like her.

Anyway, I digress. Perez Hilton, according to Wikipedia, was born in Florida, and used to be an actor. But he started blogging about celebrities in late 2004. Within 6 months, he was at the top of Hollywood's Hate list. He claims that over 8 million people viewed his blog on July 3, 2007. Not as of July 3, but just on July 3. He's known to have outed some celebrities--even when they haven't confirmed the details. (Off subject: I could care less what sexual orientation celebrities are. I'm gonna like/dislike your work regardless.)

He also calls himself a journalist. Well, hell, then I am one too! Yippiee! I've always wanted to be a journalist!

That's about it. That's all we know. I don't know what the fascination is, his blog is messy and he draws on people's pictures: coke lines and captions. But then again, I'm sure I've posted tidbits that can be traced back to Perez. So, ok I'm still sick of him. No more reality tv for Perez; hire Victoria Beckham instead!!!

Kimberly Williams-Paisley is 36 today.
Sox up 6 and are prepping to kick some Yankee ass!

Savage brothers! TV needs you!

Sorry about my lack of posts the past few days. I was away on a top secret miss.....I mean, I was visiting my mother. Yes, that's it.

So Jon Stewart is hosting the 2008 Oscars. All I have to say is...thank goodness it's not Ryan Seacrest! He's doing the Emmys, AI, The Superbowl opening ceremony, and quite frankly I'm sick of him. Not that I have an ill feelings toward him, but buddy, give some gigs to the funny people. My pick for new hosts for any events: Ricky Gervais, Rainn Wilson, in full Dwight Scrute-mode, and Stephen Colbert. And hey, since I'm dreaming, let's add Stephen's own Papa Bear, Bill O'Reilly, as a co-presenter.

Kanye says he is through with MTV, stating that they exploited Britney and him to gain ratings at last week's VMAs. Um, duh? When has MTV not exploited anyone? Madonna, countless cast members of The Real World, and others are why MTV is so popular. And, sad to say, even if Britney hadn't performed, they would have had their ratings, simply with them rumor of her performing. Come to think of it, they should have put her on last. That would have guaranteed viewers for the whole show.

With all the talk about Britney, no one has even bothered to mentioned the amazing performances of young Chris Brown and the always awesome Foo Fighters. This is what I wish MTV would be about: amazing live sets featuring people who actually play instruments and sing out loud! Actually, it's possible Brown wasn't singing live, but who could blame him with all the shimming and jumping he was doing. At least it looked real.

OMG: Ben Savage is all grown up. When did that happen? He's 27 today.
Red Sox are up by 6 games.

Awards, embarrassments, and birthdays

JT and Andy Samberg won the Emmy for Best Original Music and Lyrics. JT also had quite the night at the VMAs. He won 4 awards including Male Artist of the Year.

His former girlfriend, Britney, well...she opened the show with her new single "Gimmie More" (gim-ey, gim-ey more, gim-ey oooh, gim-ey more) Give me less, please. Waaaaaayyyyy less. Good Golly! I'd like to know who talked her into: 1. Wearing that outfit 2. Recording that song 3.Putting the "It's Britney, bitch." at the beginning of the song. Like there was any guess that it wasn't Britney's song. And please don't refer to me as a bitch. Makes me reminisce about the skin colored bodysuit days. Still, I don't think we have seen the last of Ms. Spears. I hope not....I think she's due for an amazing comeback. Whether it's good or bad remains to be seen.

And I won't dwell, but High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens has had some private pictures go public. Good news: Disney is standing by her. Wonder if they would have made the same decision over, say, Lindsay Lohan back in the day. And I wonder how it would have changed things.

Mr. Colin Firth is 47 today. Sadly he is still married (thought happily for him and his wife I suppose).
Sox are up 6 games.

I Love Musicals!

No I don't actually, but I seem to be getting awfully excited about a few of them in recent months. The movie Hairspray was awesome! I had such a good time, I went twice and I think it just might be my favorite movie of the year (certaintly the only movie with no deaths in it to make my top 5 list). And I've been dying to see Avenue Q for about 5 years, and my friend and co blogger Dan invited me to go see it when it comes to Boston next Spring. Also coming to Boston is Sweeney Todd, and I am going to see that too! Spring Awakening has been all over the news, and well, I just can't wait til it tours, so I'm planning to trek into NYC for a matinee one of these days.

Which leads us to today's BIG scoop...remember that day you heard the anguished wails of parents all over Britain and the squeals of all the girls ages 11-98 around the world? That was the day Daniel Ratcliff announced he was starring in Equus in the West End in London. But here's what brought the screams...he appears naked (HORRORS...not that!) for a part of the show! And now it looks like he's bringing the nudie show to the U.S.

So to answer the big question....why would Daniel, who is so loved and adored by millions of girls worldwide, strip down on stage? Because he is an actor (say it with me: actor). He is not Harry, nor any other character he has played. Let's face it: Harry is all well and good, but talk about being typcasted. He's barely out of his teen years, and he will forever be remembered as a 13 year old wizard. So, please, let's not make a big deal over this. Equus won rave reviews in London, and I'm sure it will here. Parents, don't like what Daniel's doing? Don't let the kids see the play.

Oh, and the worst kept secret in showbiz has been confirmed: Britney will perform at the MTV VMAs on Sunday. Whoo-hoo.

Michael Emerson is 53 today.
Sox won, we're up by 7 games.

Even slower news day

My apologies for today's post. It seems that there really isn't too much going on in Lala Land.

Premier Magazine has listed it's top 20 movie plot twists ever! Sure I agree with a couple of them....Fight Club and The Usual Suspects, but I can't believe they left off the biggest plot twist ever! Was I the only one who never saw that Paul Walker's character in The Fast and the Furious was (GASP!) an undercover cop?!?! Could have knocked me over with a feather! What a great twist! Cop proves himself to bust up an underground ring of illegal racers and thieves and then befriends the leader and macks on his sister! The leader then goes on the lam from cops, doing stints as a nanny and a maybe-human with glowing eyes. Unfortunately, I am not joking about the generic twist in The Fast and the Furious, and I enjoyed the movie much more sitting in my little world of oblivion. "I live my life a quarter mile at a time.". Me too, Vin. Me too.

Now don 't get too excited (didn't stop me from screaming like a 12 year old at an High School Musical concert), here's some casting info on J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot. Never saw the show or any of the movies, but my ass was there on opening night b/c it was an Abrams flick. Then I hear that Zachary Quinto signed on to play Spock, and my ass was in the center of the last row (best seat in the house) on opening night. NOW comes news that Nathan Fillion is rumored to be up for the role of Captain Kirk! Add Eliza Dushku to the cast (I don't care how) and I will be one of those lame people that camp out for movie tickets a week before they go on sale! Thanks to DD corespondent, Mr. J, for this story.

Swoozie Kurtz is 63 today.
Red Sox lost, Yankees won. Boston is STILL 6 games up!

Slow news day

Not much going on today...

Halle Berry is pregnant.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is the new face of Agent Provocateur, and she's beautiful enough to make even the straightest girl swoon! Except the chair picture, that one scares me.

We're one week away from knowing if 50 Cent will leave the recording business (pretty please, you promise?) Next Tuesday, Fiddy's new CD comes out and he and Kanye West, whose disc will also be released that day, are in a sell off, with 50 saying he'll retire if he doesn't outsell Kanye. So who does yours truly think will win it? Well, 50 does have JT on his first single, but as far a quality and air play, I think Kanye's Stronger won that round. But my pick is....Kenny Chesney! NEVER underestimate the power of a hot man in tight jeans and a cowboy hat! His songs are pretty good, too. Like Trace Adlkins says, Ladies Love Country Boys (and Maggie G.)! Not sure about middle American white teens, cuz you know that's whose buying all those Fiddy discs.


Bob Newhart is 78 today.
Red Sox are 7 games up, after beating the Blue Jays last night at Fenway.

D**k in a Box Censored!

How bout this? You're on SNL for the second time and the whole world could care less what you do, as long as you reprise your role as a lyric skewing mascot in a funny costume. I wonder if that's what Justin Timberlake was thinking last December when he hosted SNL's Christmas Show. Of course, he did the mascot skit--which, I have to admit, is probably the funniest reoccouring character played by a guest since The Continental by Christoper Walken. Anyway, imagine his surprise (or maybe not) when Justin woke up the next morning and found that everyone was taking about a new skit, a song performed by JT and Andy Samberg, the aforementioned D**k in a Box. Now why the bleeped our word, you ask? Well, that's how it appeared on tv, but the uncensored version can be found here. I strongly recommend taking a look because the random little ditty earned JT and Samberg an Emmy nomination! No joke. What's more is that the Emmy committee asked JT and Samberg to perform it at awards show, censored, of course. Read the full story here. While we won't know for sure what their decision will be until show time, it's reported that they have declined. Could it be because they don't want to recreate a censored version for the masses (hey, it's been a long time since the "masses" watched SNL and I really don't think they could find their way out of a paper bag online, let alone watch the skit on YouTube) or because the best song Emmy is given out almost a week before the broadcast, at the "your're important, but not that important" show, aka the Creative Arts Emmys. Whatever the reason, I hope they win just so some hoity toity presenter has to say that the Emmy goes to JT and Andy Samberg for "D**k in a Box"!


Beyonce is 26 today (is that all?!)
What a weekend! YAY Buchholz! Sox up by 7 games!

Superbad ***Spoilers below***

So I finally made it to the theaters to see Superbad. I say finally because I am a big Apatow/Rogan fan, from the Freaks and Geeks days. So really, I should have seen this already, plus it's totally my kind of movie, and by that I mean it's a "gross out teen comedy". But here's the thing, it's not. It's only disguised as a gross out teen comedy. It's really a very sweet look at two friends growing up. I'm not going to use this post to summarize the movie, as I'm sure you've seen the trailers, read the synopsis.
I will say that this movie took the genre up a notch, and (dare I go so far as to call it) a respectful teen comedy. What do I mean by respectful? Yes the characters, like many, are obsessed with having sex. Yes, they go to great lengths to impress their crushes, even though it seems that they are liked just fine at the beginning of the movie. But instead of the usual 2 hours of accidental run ins with strippers, spying on the hot neighbors undressing, etc, I am proud to say that Superbad didn't feature one exposed body part--no boobs, no butts-- (unless you count the naked girl on the porn magazine, which I don't). The other element I was so proud to see was a conversation about safe sex. Not done as a caution or lecture, but just as part of the conversation. The term "safe sex" wasn't even spoken, and it was treated as though this is part of the rule, not the exception. Condoms and spermicidal lubricant were just as important to the teens as the alcohol, but much easier to acquire, apparently.
So does this make Superbad better, more respectful of teens than teen flix of the past? I don't know. I'd like to think so, but I'm not sure that it will be strong enough to start a movement.
And not to end on an I told you so, but I knew Seth Rogan would be the breakout star of Freaks and Geeks, I just thought it was going to take longer. I am so glad it didn't. If anyone that knows these guys is reading this, please tell them I would be honored to work with them in any capacity. For more about Superbad, click here.

Britney, David, and Jessica

For those of you who care (and let's be honest, we all do!), KISS 108 has Britney's new song on their website. Surf over and take a listen.

David Beckham may be done in the US. Read the full story here.

Now I love John Mayer as much as the next person (well, not more than Ca), but I'm not sure I get the obsessing over his love life. But this was BIG NEWS today:

It seems that his new relationship with Cameron Diaz has upset Jessica Simpson. For those
of you who missed it, Jessica and John dated like, 5 months ago. Don't know; don't care...but I do like Cameron more than Jessica. Read more here.


Richard Gere is 58 today.
Sure the Sox lost, but we're still 5 games up!