Jon and Kate+My Indifference

Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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Like most people, I have a morning routine. I wake up, turn on the coffee pot, grunt at myself in the mirror (bed head is not really a good look for me), and fire up the computer to check email and other websites. Nursing a cup of coffee and twirling a piece of hair around my fingers, I peruse the world wide web. I check the message Ben left on my facebook wall, and laugh at what Michael Ian Black tweeted ten seconds ago. I also check Perez Hilton's blog. Thanks to his blog and my daily reading of it, I've become a bit of a pop culture guru. I could probably tell you who's pregnant, who's in rehab, and who's got a new movie coming out all in under 30 seconds. And one of Perez's favorite topics to blog about is Jon and Kate Gosselin. And one of my favorite stories to scroll over and completely skip is Jon and Kate Gosselin.



I have lost my ability to care for either of them. I don't care that he slings mud at her from tabloids. I don't care that she's buying houses with her body guard. I can't even pretend to be interested in their dealings anymore. I think their kids are more mature than they are. And their kids are like, six. I should know, I used to be an avid fan of the show. I loved watching their lives. I loved believing that it was all real. It was a reality built around a some what fantastical idea. One couple, eight children--insane, right? How could this family possibly survive? How could they afford anything? How do they sleep at night? I found myself needing to know every second of every detail of these children's lives. In an episode around Christmas Time, Kate tells us how viewers of the show sent the kids Christmas gifts. And that seemed totally fine to me. Why not? They're my kids too, ya know.

Except...they aren't. In fact, they aren't even that special. It is no great feat to raise eight children. It's a stressful one, yes. But other than that? No big. My father is the oldest of eight. Big woop. My grandparents were married till the end (may they rip), and while I never had the privledge of meeting my grandfather, I hear he was light years ahead of Jon in terms of fathering skills. And I bet Kate would kill to have been my grandmother. I don't blame them--since their parenting skills are atrocious.

Being from PA, and knowing alot of people from around multiple areas, I hear and see things. A friend of mine works at Sesame Place, and was there the day the show taped "The Gosselin's Go To Sesame Place". She said neither parent watched the children, just complained about the heat and let babysitter's "handle" the kids. She also said that Kate was demanding, mean, and downright sassy. She continued to report to me how Jon didn't care and just went along with everything. He was a poor pauper in the kingdom that is Kate Gosselin. I felt so bad for this friend of mine, that I wanted nothing more than to take her out for a drink. When I told her this, she said "Don't feel bad. I just experienced the free kind of birth control"



I do find the kids absolutely adorable. And my heart absolutely bleeds for them. It can't be easy for them. I mean, the life of an older daughter, with a younger brother, is hard enough. Having 7 brothers and sisters, fighting parents, and cameras in your face? No thank you. And I think that's where my indifference starts. They can't get their act together. They are so worried about presenting themselves to the media, doing interviews and talk shows, traveling away from home for days at a time, that they forget about what made them famous in the first place--THEIR KIDS. Without the "Plus 8", there would be no show. When you can't take care of your kids because you're too busy being a media whore--strike one. Actually, the more I think about it, that's more like a strike one, two, three and please get off the field.

Get off the field, stop throwing each other's crap back and forth, and pull out of the media world. With the money they made from the show, they've gotta be rolling in it. Money made. Get a real job and get the cameras out of the house and out of the faces of your children.

I mean, unless you really want your twins to write a collaborative memoir about living in a new Circle of Hell.

~AvK~

What'dya Say to Taking Chances?

Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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It's Wednesday...so you know what that means!!!!

Normally, I'd talk about So You Think You Can Dance, and then Glee. But, I'm sorry. Tonight I was so moved by this week's episode of Glee that I'm going to devote this week's recap to Glee. The only SYTYCD note is that next week they will be in Atlanta.

This week on Glee:
  1. Coach Sylvester gains popularity by getting a slot on the local news. She also convinces Sandy, the former Glee coach, to come back as "Arts Administrator". Sandy wants to see Glee fall, and steals the lead singer Rachel away from the club.
  2. After getting caught singing to Beyonce, Kurt lies to his father about being on the football team. His dad wants to attend a game. So, Kurt begs Finn to get him an "audition". After loosening up to "Single Ladies", Kurt kicks an amazing field goal, and is immediately on the team.
  3. Quinn tells Finn she is pregnant with his baby. Finn goes to Will because he doesn't know who else to talk to. Later we learn that Quinn's really pregnant with Puck's baby. Puck is Finn's best friend. Puck taunts Quinn in front of Finn, testing her to see if she'll break.
  4. Finn, now thinking he has a child to support, begs Will to help the failing football team. "I need football scholarships...and I can't get that unless we start winning". So, after teaching the team Kurt's "Single Ladies" routine, the team miraculously pulls off a win!
Finn's breakdown with Mr. Will Shuester is by far one of the more moving moments I've seen on television in awhile. I was really touched by the raw honesty of the moment. The fact that I'm still thinking about it hours after watching says alot. Just seeing this football quarterback completely fall apart and be so openly scared really pulled at my heartstrings.
I was also moved by Kurt finally coming out to his father. We knew from previous episodes that Kurt's father didn't approve of his "fruity" tendencies. But again, in another moment of raw and honest emotion, I was moved by Kurt coming out to his father. And, his father (played by Mike O'Malley?!?!), took it in stride. "I know...I've known since you were three when all you wanted for your birthday was a pair of sensible heels"
Both instances were very very tenderhearted.

A very interesting development has also cropped up in this episode. Rachel, the clubs lead singer and leader, quits. She begs Will for the West Side Story solo, but Will gives it to Tina. Believing that she her talent won't be used at it's full potential, Rachel leaves Glee to help Sandy produce "Cabaret", where he has told her she will be the star. Will confronts her and the two have a very poignant discussion about her status in the club. Rachel is incredibly frustrated, and Will is incredibly stubborn. If you ask me, he should realize that she's only a sophomore-so what, like, 16? He can totally pull rank at any moment. I mean, he's the teacher. He's in charge, and she needs to understand that. I was annoyed by her this week.

Next Week--
  • SYTYCD Atlanta
  • KRISTIN CHENOWETH on Glee!!!
  • Kristin seduces someone? Key word in advertisments is "SCANDAL!"
Till Then...

~AvK~

*Taking Chances--Glee (but really Celine Dion)

I Bust the Windows Out Your Car

Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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Who knows what tonight was??

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN GLEE WEDNESDAY!!!!!

I know, you're all thrilled. I can tell.

Anyway, on SYTYCD, we met some pretty interesting characters. The judges were in Arizona tonight. Sorry for my earlier entry. I'm pretty sure I said they'd be...well, somewhere NOT Arizona. This week our judges were Nigel, Mary, and Mia. Nigel is the Simon Cowell equivalent of the show. Mary is the Paula, and there isn't a steady "Randy" character. So, they have guest judges every week. Tonight was Mia Michaels turn. She's an Emmy award winning choreographer, and most of those Emmy's came from SYTYCD. She's done some of my favorite routines over the years, and I love her.
Tonight we saw some great dancers. I was particularly moved by Allison, a dancer who was born with Spinal Meningitis, and is hearing impaired. The judges were moved to tears by her performance, and she ultimately got her ticket to Vegas. We also met Jarvis. Jarvis is a young man who was very...excited, to be on the show. He was literally jumping up and down, rolling on the floor, screaming, rambling, and going at least 90 miles a minute.

He was incredibly entertaining.

Unfortunately, he didn't make it to Vegas. But I enjoyed watching him.

Tonight on Glee:
  1. Quinn and her cheerleader friends convince Rachel to have Mr. Shuester leave.
  2. Quinn and her cheerleader friends convince Mercedes to try and date Kurt.
  3. Finn, upset by Mr. Shuester leaving glee, quits himself--causing alot of tension within the original group.
  4. Mr. Shuester creates a group with some guys called "Acca'fellas", and performs in a bar at that the school's PTA meeting. He realizes that he's happier than he's been in awhile.
  5. Mercedes asks Kurt if they can officially say they're dating. He denies her, coming out of the closet.
  6. The new Glee director is horrid. He insults every member, and Rachel steps up to him and lets him go. Mr. Shuester comes back into the picture.
One of the most touching moments of the show was Kurt coming out to Mercedes. After she gets upset at being rejected, he quietly tells her that he's gay, and that he's never told anyone. Mercedes smiles, and tells him he should be proud of who he is--supporting this episode's theme of finding confidence in yourself. It was a really nice moment between the two characters, and I'm happy it was there. Trust me, in the theatre world, sexual orientation is kind of a big thing. It's awesome for those music and theatre kids to see a positive message about sexuality.

Oh, and the best part of the episode? There was a guest star. I have two words for you: JOSH GROBAN!!!!!!!
He's by far one of my favorite singers/performers, and I love love love him. I was so excited to see his name pop up as a guest star!! He played himself, visiting the school to serve the former Glee teacher, Sandy, with a restraining order.
And, while he didn't sing, it was nice to hear his speaking voice.

For Next Week:
  • Terry, Mr. Shuester's wife, confides in her sister that she's not pregnant.
  • What will Coach Sylvester do now that her Cheerio spies have failed?
  • Kurt tries out for football. Really??
Till then!

~AvK~

*Bust Your Windows--Glee

Everyone Knows I'm in Over My Head

comments
"At its core, the job of the working journalist today is unchanged"

Yes, it is in fact unchanged. Journalists still do their best to produce objective stories and to get information out to people. Journalists still work to inform their target audiences of what is going on in the world. The job itself has not changed. But the area where the job is located? That has changed greatly. Every day there are more ways of getting information out to people. Gone are the days of printing a newspaper and hoping it gets to everyone in town. Now, journalists are focused on getting their stories posted on mediums like Facebook and Twitter, and hoping that little girl across the globe got to see it. Now, the definition of being a journalist has changed dramatically. Before, a journalist was that guy with the notepad and glasses that tried to think of a hard hitting question to ask a public official at a press conference. And today? My little brother could technically be considered a journalist depending on what definition you chose to use. Anyone that has access to the internet, and has something they want to say, could be considered up for journalistic merit. And, some would argue (as I often do), that it is up to the reader to decide if the author is a journalist or not. If I’m reading a blog post about bad lunchmeat in Susie’s lunchbox, then I’m not going to think this was a real journalist—just a pissed off housewife.

The key part of that quote is “At its core”. That’s the entire lynchpin in the changing world of journalism. Everything has changed, and maybe the true journalists are the ones that can adapt and stay afloat amid all the newness that is the internet and social media. Most people seem to be content complaining about new things, like Twitter and Facebook, and blogging. Well, I’m not. I’ve fully embraced the idea of going viral. I update my twitter, I check my facebook account daily, and, well, here I am blogging. Who knows, I could be the next Perez Hilton! He started out as just another guy who was bored and decided to blog about his life and celebrity gossip. And at first, no one really tuned in to him. They didn’t get him. But then…he started getting first dibs on “hot gossip”. And the world paid attention. Now, I’m not saying Perez is a “credible” journalist by any means. The day he writes an objective story for the New York Times will be the day that pigs fly. But, he’s known all over the world. And it’s because he made the decision to embrace the world of the web and make the best of it.

At its core, the job of the journalist is unchanged. The job is to report and inform your audience about what is going on out there. What has been changed is how you do that job. Your audience changed, your means of communications have changed; the world changed the channel. And now the job is all about how well you can handle a new remote.


~AvK~


*Over My Head (Cable Car)--The Fray

They Tried to Make Me go to Rehab and I said No

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
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Tonight was So You Think You Can GLEE Wednesday!

"But Amanda, what's So You Think You Can GLEE Wednesday?"

Fabulous. That's what.


On Wednesday night's at 8, FOX airs the summer dance craze show "So You Think You Can Dance". Following that is "Glee". SYTYCD is like a dance version of "American Idol". And, while I may not be all that into "Idol", I've been watching SYTYCD for all five seasons. And, season six looks incredibly promising. I was glad to see familiar faces like Ryan Kasprzak and Bianca Revels return. They just missed the Top 20 last season, and they had won over alot of hearts already. Especially Ryan. His younger brother, Evan, did make it. In fact, he made it to the final 3. So, I really look foward to seeing Ryan and Bianca again. I hope they make it this time! But, the catch will be that SYTYCD has never put a tap dancer through to the Top 20...and Ryan and Bianca are two very strong tappers. I'll keep my fingers crossed!!!


"Glee" is about a high school Show Choir that is floundering. Mr. Will Shuester (Matthew Morrison) decides to take over glee club, and make it as award winning as it was in his day. He comes up against alot of opposition though. I thought the school principal summed it up quite nicely "Would you like to captain the Titanic, too?"

This week, we learned the following:
  1. Glee needs 12 students to be able to compete at regionals. So far, they have 6.
  2. Finn (the quarterback tricked into joining glee) is conflicted. He doesn't want to highlight the fact that he's in the glee club, but he loves to perform.
  3. Rachel, the lead singer in glee, has a crush on Finn, and doesn't quite know what to do. And after the two share an intimate kiss, she is doubly confused.
  4. Will's wife, Terry, is not pregnant after all! She's having a hysterical pregnancy. She doesn't tell Will.
  5. Emma, the guidance counselor, agrees to go on a date with the boorish football coach.
  6. Coach Sylvester is slowly getting her extreme privledges taken away because of the rising needs of the glee club. She has three of her cheerleaders ("Cheerios") join Glee to spy on them.
The show, I believe, appeals to a vast audience. My parents, government stiffs that wouldn't know a Soprano from a Tenor, and my brother, a 17 year old punk that watches wrestling and eggs his buddies' houses, loved it. They can't wait till next week!
It's got humor, it's got drama, it's got flat out entertainment. And audiences are eating it up. In May, FOX aired the pilot episode to test the waters as it were. The show was an instant hit. And, because of the performance aspect, the songs covered in the show are sold on iTunes. Back in May, Glee's cover of "Don't Stop Believin' " was number 1 on iTunes. The rave reviews were pouring in, and people could not wait for Glee to come back. Well, it's back. And it's fabulous.

What to look forward to Next Week:
  • SYTYCD Boston Auditions
  • Quinn joining New Directions? How do members react?
  • What songs will they perform?
Till Then...
~avk~

*Rehab--Amy Winehouse (GLEE Version)

The future started yesterday and we're already late

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
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How has Journalism and Mass Communication changed over the past decade?

I would say that both have developed a personality, and found ways of creatively expressing it. The biggest innovation is obviously the internet. But to just say that the internet has changed the Journalism world is simply not enough. Through the internet, people began to garner journalistic freedom. And as they started to transform and re-invent aspects of mass communication, other journalism outlets began to reform as well. More and more radio stations, newspapers, television stations, and magazines are turning to the internet to open up channels of communications for their audiences. And with the openings of those channels, the personalities of different members of journalistic society are starting to shine through. So, how as it all changed within the past decade? It is a lot easier to incorporate your personality within your story, or your article, or news package.

It ultimately boils down to the fact that with the innovation that is the world wide web, everything is changed. I've simply chosen to focus on one aspect of that change here. Thanks to the internet, journalism has more of a personality than it ever has before.

Fine by me!

~avk~

p.s. I always like to title my entries with a song lyric :-)
"If You're Out There"--John Legend