???

Why am I the only one up at this hour??? What happened to all you crazy college peeps staying up all night, avoiding your homework??? Why is Brandon, an even more extreme night owl than myself, passed out right now, snoring happily??? The internet just makes me lonely. I quit.

Good Grief, Peggy Sue

So, I was watching "Peggy Sue Got Married" on Netflix View Instantly tonight, relaxing for a bit after putting my kiddo down and before playing some SimCity Societies. I remembered liking it from when I was younger and thought I could laugh at Nick Cage's crazy, goofy performance again.

About 23 minutes into the movie I'm all relaxed and enjoying the cheesiness, marveling at the ability of unrealistic cinema to make me nostalgic about a childhood that was not mine. I alternately appreciate and abhor this theme that directors like to use in old, 50's era pieces. Everyone likes to look back on the early twentieth century and make it out to be some sort of Garden of Eden. I am constantly receiving forwards from older generations lauding the simplicity, honesty, and purity of that period. And they are always wishing the characteristics of that time into the modern age.

But it irritates me to no end because it is so, so wrong. I certainly do not long to be living in a time when one of the greatest flaws was a severe lack of equality between all people. We have enough of that now, we don't need to revert back to a time of pronounced inequality for people of color, women, and especially any other variation in religion or sexuality. But, Peggy Sue has warped back in time to her high school days, the always ideally represented 50's, and is alternately confused and excited to see everything the way it used to be. She walks into her house and (I'm anticipating this from watching it previously) finds herself face to face with her mother. And in spite of the hated idealization, I find myself misty over the thought of a non-existent mother, loving and supportive, with whom I could have been overjoyed to see again in the setting of my youth. It made me chuckle at myself, thinking that if I had experienced the same thing as Peggy Sue, I would run screaming the other direction before walking back into my old house during my high school years.

Yet, on walks Peggy, up to her room to peruse all her lost treasures of old. I've dismissed the notion of nostalgia for my own life, promising in the back of my mind to be the mother I never had, when in walks Peggy Sue's sister.

That's the kind of thing that just brick wall's me because it is so unexpected. I find myself with tears streaming down my face as Peggy Sue fawns over a sister with whom she never had a relationship, trying to make up for lost time by playing a board game with her. As an adult, Peggy realizes what she didn't know as a teenager: she really loves her sister and wants to know her better.

Damn it.

I would go back in time. I'd give anything to do it, even brave the hell hole that was my old house, just to see her again and maybe spend some time with her.

More Tomorrow

Terrible, terrible, horrible, awful, horrific, no good, bad, scary, horrible, horrific, depressing fucking day.

Perfect Strangers

Imagine my delight when I stumbled across this tonight! EEEEeeeeeeee!



The DANCE OF JOY! How could I have forgotten that gem?! It, of course, was featured regularly on "Perfect Strangers"!



Brandon and I were talking about how we both loved "Perfect Strangers" when we were younger, but would probably hate it now. It's still deliciously fun to look back and laugh at something you used to enjoy so much! It's weird how I remember all of the intro without having seen it in years. So cheesy! Yes!

No Rest for the Weary

Do you know how hard it is to go to sleep at a reasonable time, with barely a moment to yourself, only a few hours after your toddler finally passed out when you spent all day dealing with crying, teething, and tantrums so harsh that they almost made said toddler vomit? It's virtually impossible.

This is why I stay up until 3 or 4 a.m., even though I won't get nearly enough sleep by the time my precocious son wakes up in the morning. I desperately need to be an adult for more than an hour a day.

What We Do

We at da club!

You know what I hate about television shows? Everything from stupid sitcoms to intelligent dramas make bar hopping/clubbing/drinking/partying the only viable option for for adults in search of entertainment, fun, time with friends, and even recovery from trauma.

On "The L Word," which I am currently watching, one of the female characters has just found out she has breast cancer, had a mastectomy, and is currently going through vomit-inducing chemo.... and her best friend suggest they go to a bar. How. Fun. Yeah, let's go party somewhere where your nausea will be exacerbated by loud music, sweat, the close press of badly dancing bodies, and - lets not forget - ALCOHOL! Hurrah!

Oh look, uncomfortable cancer patient fresh out of surgery in a club. Will she have a good time?

Images such as this are not uncommon. I can remember many-a-drinkin' scene in "Grey's Anatomy", at least one of which was supposedly cathartic to the poor bleeding hearts that clog that show. And the dancing. Get drunk and dance. Yep, that's the only way to recover from failed relationships, mistakes on the job, and cancer. Absolutely. I remember at least one or two similar scenes in "Alias". Even "30 Rock", one of the smartest shows I've ever seen, has exhibited this shallow pool of activity for supposedly intelligent adults. But "30 Rock" at least gets it right, admitting wholeheartedly that their characters are just too immature and scared to face their issues. The writers of "30 Rock" purposefully poke fun at the lamed emotional states of Liz Lemon, Tracy Jordan, Jack Donaghy, and cast.

Sure, a little drinky and a little dancy is fun. And it can be good. But when it is used as the only outlet for all emotions? By dramas that otherwise assert they are intelligent, peopled by intelligent and thoughtful adults? What? When will these intelligent adults quit drinking their problems away and actually deal with their shit?

It looks like she just might enjoy herself...

Why does the media think that drinking is the only fun things adults want to do? Why do they glamourize it?

Yes, I rant. It's probably all for some more shallow, money driven, corporate media interest reason. Like, alcohol is expensive and brands can be pushed, bar scenes are easy to shoot, clubs can feature up-and-coming artists who are affiliated with the network's sister companies, and browsing the internet is not an entertaining option for the freetime activities of television characters.

With the help of The B-52's, those geniuses who sang "Love Shack", who wouldn't be happy?!

But, can't we figure out something else interesting to make adults do in their free time???

But all is for naught, for the obnoxiousness of the club environment
cannot take her mind from reality. She leaves. More unhappy than before.

Maybe Alan Cumming can cheer her up!

P.S. "The L Word" is a fabulous, great, enthralling show worth checking out if you have the time. Yes, it is about lesbians, and, No, you shouldn't watch it unless you are open-minded.

Restoring My Faith in Television

I LOVE 30 Rock!!! Thanks again to Netflix in all it's magnificence, I started watching 30 Rock about a month ago. I ended up finishing the whole first season really fast because it is short, easy to watch, and above all one of the funniest shows I have ever seen! Above is a clip from a fake song one of the characters made on the show. I cannot get this out of my head!

"Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, Spooky scary,
Boys becoming men, Men becoming woooolves!"

The full version of the song (there is no full video) is below. It is another example of the hilarity on 30 Rock. I think perhaps it is funnier if you see the show, but I just love it. Come to think of it, they are really clever with songs on 30 Rock. There is another song, "Muffin Top" that spoofs so many whoreish celebrities and their crappy, crappy songs in the most perfect way. Check the show out if you ever get a chance. It is sooooo worth it.



Jane Krakowsky plays Jenna Maroney, a self-obsessed t.v. star who makes this hilariously horrific song and video. Enjoy!