Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Miscellaneous thoughts and rants

My wife does not agree that Piper Perabo from COVERT AFFAIRS is a great serious actress. How she can’t see that I don’t know. But this season I proved my point. Piper’s character has gone undercover. Instead of being a blonde, she’s now a brunette. Proof that the woman has range. Boom! Game over!

Toldja! Nikki Finke is out at Deadline Hollywood. This is like when Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson left SANFORD AND SON but they kept the show going as THE SANFORD ARMS. One writer said, “They just renewed the set.” I look forward to reading Nikki somewhere else very soon.

Not a good election day for Tea Party candidates. Turns out all those federal workers who got furloughed during the recent government shutdown were registered voters.

Miami Dolphin coaches responding to Rickie Incognito’s threats and taunts and racist slurs: “Sociopathic behavior from players at certain positions is not only tolerated but cherished.” America’s game.

Great SIMPSONS tribute to Marcia Wallace who played Mrs. Krabappel and passed away last month.
Huffington Post Headline: Paula Abdul Wears Sexy One-Piece In Israel

Another Huffington Post Headline: Cher Takes Over 'DWTS' And Even Makes Sense Occasionally

Brad Ausmus will be a great manager for the Detroit Tigers. He is the sixth Jewish manager in big league history, joining such household names as Lipman Pike. I love the fact that Brad will be wearing the same uniform as the great Hank Greenberg.

There will be a GAME CHANGE sequel. Julianne Moore will play Mitt Romney this time.

Now that I have Google+ installed, I have no idea what it is.

I wonder which idiot franchise will pay big money to sign Ubaldo Jiminez.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER is the one bright spot on the CBS Monday night lineup. 2 BROKE GIRLS is slipping (I guess America stopped laughing at the word “vagina” after 546 times in 2+ seasons). THE “NEW” MIKE & MOLLY and MOM did meh.

The NBA has begun its 82 game exhibition season. Then three teams are eliminated, they begin the playoffs, and the games start to count. Wake me in May.

I’ve officially given up on THE BLACKLIST. They’re now using James Spader less and Megan Boone more. That’s like someone on MORK AND MINDY saying, “More with the girl; she's your money!"

Are we starting to take Hostess Twinkies for granted again?

ENDERS GAME really didn’t catch on with young audiences. I can’t understand it. The ads sold it as a Harrison Ford movie. What more do those kids want?

I miss Dave Sims calling the radio play-by-play of Sunday Night Football. He made those sociopaths sound interesting. 



Great tweet from Mark Jordan Legan: All in all, you don't really need to see "12 Years A Slave " in 3-D.

Thanks to everyone who bought my book so far.  I hope you're rewarded with lots of laughs. 

30 comments :

YEKIMI said...

Unfortunately, Nikki Finke cannot do anything like her old blog until her contract with Penske runs out in 2016.

Todd A. said...

Call it my Gen-Y short attention span, but these Twitterish blogs are always my favorite of yours. Non sequiters just have that special zing.

Love the Hostess Twinkies one. America... so fickle...

Carol said...

I just wanted to say (MINOR SPOILER FOR MUST KILL TV DON'T LOOK BECAUSE IT WILL RUIN THE JOKE)..........





I would totally watch a cop show about gay cops living together, and the fact that you put NPH in there as a singing serial killer made me literally laugh out loud, and made me wish it was true.

McAlvie said...

I checked out Mike and Molly this season for the first time since, well early in the first season. They have definitely tweaked it, giving Melissa McCarthy more room to do her thing. Whether this will save the show or not, I don't know; but at least they have moved away from it being one endless fat joke.

Covert Affairs - Even her character isn't believable. Did they have her go brunette to try and maker her seem smarter?

VincentS said...

Much as I hate to admit it, Ken, I wouldn't be surprised if the Yankees signed Jiminez. And I wonder (pun intended) if the whole Twinkies thing was a publicity stunt (unlike the Jonas Bros. breaking up).

Scooter Schechtman said...

Last Sunday FOX aired "Bart The Lover", one of the classic 1990s ones, right next to one of the new rancid ones, tribute indeed.

forg/jecoup said...

"at least they have moved away from it being one endless fat joke."

I watched Mike and Molly for all of its 3 seasons and believe it or not, the fat jokes were not abundant at all. Sure there are fat jokes but it was never overdone unlike the vagina jokes in 2 Broke Girls *which for the record I do watch because I like Beth and Kat*
The sitcom basically focused on relationship of the two leads and their engagement and episodes leading up to the wedding were very strong and made up for some really good emotional moments.
It's not the funniest show out there but it's sweet and a comfort to watch. I haven't seen the new season but I hope the drastic change on Molly's character will not affect the show's sweet core. I do understand the retooling of Molly because well Melissa has 3 100 million movies under her belt so they want to capitalize that

Charles H. Bryan said...

I'm looking forward to Brad Ausmus' managerial efforts, although he's walking into a tricky situation -- the only thing the Tigers haven't done lately is win a World Series. If they don't win the division again next year, assuming no major injuries to the players, people are going to give him the stink eye and then try to get Jim Leyland to put out that smoke and get back to the dugout.

While I don't watch 2 Broke Girls any longer, when I did watch it was because of the lead actresses -- very likable. I wanted to pull them out of that show and put them in the middle of a good one. But I'm a rescuer. I like to rescue.

Mike said...

I'm happy to report that Dredd 3D passes the Bechdel Test. But then one of the women shoots the other woman.

Curt Alliaume said...

Jiminez's ERAs over 2013, month by month: 7.13, 4.23, 3.09, 2.83, 3.10, 1.09. And his BABIP was actually highest in September - but he also had a 51-7 strikeout to walk ratio. You wonder if he was hiding an arm injury for awhile.

Ender's Game was based on a book first published in 1985, which might be the difference - the young adults that read the book back then are now middle aged.

Howard Hoffman said...

Scooter...don't know if it was the same anywhere else, but they never aired the "Bart the Lover" episode here. They opted for the one where Mrs. K and Ned first hooked up. Another sweet episode, but one in HD. Too bad. I was looking forward to Gordie Howe's cameo.

Joseph Scarbrough said...

I had no idea Piper Perabo was still relevent.

But I agree, it seems like if a woman does something to her hair (color it, cut it, change the style, what have you), she somehow becomes a completely different person, I'm not really sure why that is.

Chris said...

To continue with the spirit of your rants, run, don't walk AWAY from any theater showing "August: Osage County." It's dreadful (performances notwithstanding). I'm also hearing the same from moviegoers who aren't afraid to criticize "12 Years a Slave."

Frank M said...

Hey will you be doing a spoken word version of your book? I would love to hear it.Reading is so last century. If not how about I call you up occasionally and you read a chapter? Would that kill you?

Jeremiah said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
A Bullfrong said...

PS: when I read your book on my Kindle Fire, I have the spoken word option. When I read it on the Kindle Touch, I do not have that option. Seems odd that one has it. You know why? (The spoken word is horrible rendition, but if I'd been able to boot the Fire during the power failure, I would have gone w/the mechanical voice.)

Wendy M. Grossman said...

Are you seeing the same HIMYM I'm seeing? Far from a bright spot, for me it's a depressing black hole where a great show used to be. The writers seem tapped out.

wg

Jeffro said...

Ken, is there something wrong with me that every time I see/hear the name Piper Perabo that I think of her and Jessica Paré getting jiggity with it in Lost and Delirious? I know Nell would have a problem with it. But you, Ken, would be the first to admit to the same thing regarding Natalie Wood. No?

Jeez, listen to me. What's wrong with a society where any full red-blooded males feel self-conscious about being a full red-blooded males? Thanks, Nell!

Anonymous said...

Federal workers didn't get furloughed, they got a paid vacation. Now the people who are losing their health insurance are also registered voters.

Pete Grossman said...

HIMYM? Really? Man, I'm finding it incredibly annoying - more so than usual - and that's saying a lot. Enjoyed it for the first couple of years and it started to head south for me. Would occasionally watch it afterwards, and almost every time didn't make it through the end. Yeesh.

By Ken Levine said...

I deleted a comment because it gave away too many plot points of my book.

I didn't say HIMYM was a CREATIVE highlight. Just a ratings one.

Cap'n Bob said...

Jim Leyland retired.

Ben said...

Since I already have 65 unread books on my Kindle, I promise to post a review in 2016.

Hamid said...

Kind of off-topic - it's a variety of subjects today anyway! - but I caught up with the latest Homeland (SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN IT YET) and all I can say to the Dana haters is: you happy now?! You complained and complained and now she's run off to pout and whine somewhere else! Shame on you!

Seriously, though, as annoying as Dana could be, Saul's wife is far, far more annoying, especially that grating voice of hers.

Some other random observations about Homeland. That tech guy could be Matthew Perry's twin. When are they going to resume the mole subplot? And am I alone in believing Carrie and Quinn are going to hook up at some point? Every time they share a scene, the sexual tension is ridiculously palpable.

Lorimartian said...

Let's just go ahead and add Megan Boone to the "lucky" list.

Re the "new" Mike and Molly, I had mixed feelings. A lot is made of McCarthy, deservedly so, however, I also like Billy Gardell. I've seen his stand-up special on HBO, and he is very funny in his own right. I'd hate to see him take too much of a back seat. I also like Reno Wilson who plays Mike's partner, Carl, and his character's interaction with the others. I would watch a spin-off featuring his character. I think Wilson has great potential.

On the other hand, Molly giving up her pension/benefits without having a semblance of a contingency plan didn't seem like a good idea. The show has always been more about the family dynamics than her workplace anyway, but she can't just stay at home and write. No doubt the writers have something more in mind for her. So I guess I'm curious enough to watch and find out where they're going with this approach.

Anonymous said...

I'd agree with you on Blacklist, except you complained that Hawaii 5-0 should center around Scott Caan.

Pete Grossman said...

Ken - thanks for clarifying your point about HIMYM. Us Grossmans (though I don't believe I'm related to Wendy) were perplexed.

lawrence said...

I love the fact that Brad will be wearing the same uniform as the great Hank Greenberg.

Ausmus is gonna wear #7. Hank Greenberg wore #5.

Hank Gillette said...

Ken,

What do you think of the decision to compress the last season of HIMYM into a 48 hour period? For some reason, they have one of the leads on a road trip with a new unfunny character, and the rest of the normally likable characters are displaying a multitude of unlikable traits.

I think the writers took the title How I Met Your Mother entirely too literally, thinking that the show had to end once Ted met the title character. Because of this, they've stretched the meet far beyond the point of interest.

Professor Longnose said...

Ha. I was able to not know what google+ is without installing it.