Way More Important Than Health Care

Here's an issue everyone can agree on. Bipartisan television-watching!

Hi Honey, I'm Home

AMC has created one of the best marketing campaign's I've ever seen for the new season of Mad Men. Between teaming up with Banana Republic and holding their "Be on Mad Men" competition, it's a great way to get people interested and involved.

Now they show you how to make classic cocktails, like a Tom Collins or an old-fashioned or eight versions of the martini.

When you get home from work today, loosen your tie, put on some music, make yourself a drink.

Very Crafty

Whenever someone says something a little silly or outrageous, I like to say, "That's what my grandmother stitched on a sampler." Some Whedon fans are taking that seriously.

And more power to them! Why get your wisdom from grandma's samplers when you could get sampler messages from the likes of Buffy and Firefly? Click through to check out more.

This is yet another reason why I need to get to Comic-Con one of these days. There are more people like me out there.

Get Your Daily Dose of Potassium

Harry Belafonte and the Muppets? Oh heck yeah!





(Although even a Muppet spider doesn't thrill me.)

Mad About Voting For Will

If you've been to Banana Republic recently, you've probably seen their recent promotion, teaming up with Mad Men. Best thing they've done in years, in my opinion. They're also running a contest (with AMC) to offer a walk-on role on the show.

This is where you come in.

No, not to try to get on yourself. To help out the very coolest, sweetest, most talented person you can imagine. My friend Will Gatlin is one of the top contenders, and he needs our support if he's going to go all the way. Please vote for him! If he gets the part, it could not happen to a nicer, more adorable person.

Go, Will Gatlin, go!

Exactly Like the Book

Carol Burnett, please be my friend. Please?







Best lady punch ever!

Obviously This Needs to Be a Trailer Remix

The Godfather is considered to be one of the best films of all time. Arrested Development is considered to be one of the best prematurely canceled TV shows of all time. So it only makes sense that they're about the exact same thing.

It's hard to choose a favorite of all the pairs. I mean, Michael vs. Michael? It's like choosing a favorite child. A favorite child who either shoots people or probably wishes he could sometimes.

And both The Godfather and Arrested Development carry the same message--your family may be screwed up, but they're yours for life, so you'd better learn how to deal with them.

Someone with video editing powers--I am begging you to make two mash-ups out of this combination. In fact, I challenge you! I want to see this videos and laugh so hard I cry like I found a horse's head (or my bicycle handlebars) in my bed.

Somebody Needs a Speechwriter

Jon Stewart takes on the Sarah Palin goodbye speech and guinea pigs with guns.

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Tiny talented starlets? That's really what you want to take about in your farewell address?

Mmmm...frozen wolf patties.

To the New World!

For the longest time, Justin Timberlake didn't really enter my radar. Sure, I danced to 'NSync songs at dances, and I thought going solo was a good move, but I was never in love with him. Well, SNL has made me love him so much. The music? That's fun and catchy and great, but it's the comedy that puts him over the top. I mean, Dick in a Box? Hip Hop Kids? Motherlover? Freakin' awesome. Every time he's on, it's funny. Who'd have known that he'd fit into SNL so well?

This one isn't quite 'Dick in a Box,' but it's a great send-up of Timberlake's career.





Keep dreaming of that new world, Cornelius Timberlake. It's a glorious world for us all!

Are You There Gob?

Will Arnett reads aloud from Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.

What more do you need, right?





Best thing he's done since the end of Arrested Development.

One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

Forget about the Addams Family. I'm all about the Munsters, mostly because I feel like Marilyn half the time.

What About the Climbing Music?

Personally, I like the eerie Lost opening hum, but producers think there could be more. So they're looking to the fans to compose a Lost theme song.

Okay, that doesn't mean they're getting rid of the opening hum. But it does mean that the winning entry will premiere at the Lost Comic-con panel for the show's fifth anniversary. That's right--thousands of fans cheering for your song!

Well, I think someone already has the winning entry, and Lady Faces already expressed our approval. Try to beat this, kids!

Jon and I Had the Same Reaction

Remember this? Naturally, Jon Stewart has a few words.

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Keep yelling at the TV, Jon. Maybe someday they'll listen.

Sink Your Teeth In

The New York Times takes on why vampires are so hot right now. From books to movies to TV to fashion (I know), they're everywhere.

Michael Dylan Foster, Indiana University professor in folklore, says it's based on real-world fears:

“Especially during these post-9/11 times of increased vigilance, representations like the ‘Twilight’ series reflect a kind of conspiracy-theory mentality, a fear that there is something secret and dangerous going on in our own community, right under our noses.”

I'd disagree with this. It's been almost eight years since 9/11; if this vampire crazed were based on post-9/11 vigilance, wouldn't this have started earlier? I'd say zombies are more related to the current political state--that anyone among you could suddenly change and turn deadly, that you have to be on alert at all times, etc.

Fashion designer Rick Owens thinks it's more about sex and inhabitions:

"[It's] all about the titillation of imagining the monsters we could be if we just let ourselves go. We’re all fascinated with corruption, the more glamorous the better...[along with the idea of] devouring, consuming, possessing someone we desire.”

That makes sense. Although, again, why now? Why would we feel the need to 'let go' right now? Perhaps it's because of the recession--you can't live the high life, but a vampire potentially could. They live outside the rules of a normal society.

Also hot right now is the non-threatening vampire. You know, the one who could bite you but probably won't. It's sexy and just dangerous enough. Thomas Garza, chair of the department of Slavic and Eurasian studies at the University of Texas at Austin, wonders if this is because of the recession"

"Periods of war, economic downturns and cultural turmoil all give rise to the production of vampire and fantasy fiction...With a recession and war, the conflict has indeed seemed to turn inward, as we question our fiscal, political and moral status. 'Have we been too excessive? Do we need to be more restrained?' We seem once again to be questioning these very fundamental values."

I think that makes sense for this new, non-threatening breed of vampire. Readers/viewers want something a little dangerous but not very scary. Something inhumanly powerful, but something that won't hurt them. It's a little thrill without a lot of the danger.

This is yet another reason why I think Buffy > Twilight. In the Buffyverse, vampires are generally bad. You have exceptions like Angel and Spike, but even then the lines get blurry. In Twilight, you get threatening vampires, but you also get a bunch that will throw a human a birthday party. I like my vampires with a little more bite.

Stalking Is NOT a Turn-on

This is how Twilight should have been. (Or maybe it's just because I think every vampire mythology should involve a slayer.)



Thanks to bookshelves of doom!

Can I Get a Wax Conan?

Dear Conan,

Want to start the Redheaded Society of Awesome and Chicanery (RSAC) with me? I will help you find more cool places like the Celebrity Wax Factory.




Love,

(Your BFF) Annie

Another Reason to Love Tina Fey

I think 30 Rock is one of the best shows to come along in a while. You could call it a sitcom, but it's way more off-the-wall and daring than a more traditional sitcom like, say, Friends. But is it entirely original? Brian Lynch argues that it's not.

That's right--a 30 Rock/Muppet Show throwdown!

He does make some excellent points. (Jenna is Miss Piggy.) Of course, this doesn't make me love either show any less. In fact, it makes me love them even more! The more funny shows, the merrier!

And when they combine--oh my lord.

Liz Lemon as a muppet? Rock on!

Who Shot First?

Of all the reboots and movies-into-tv-shows-into-movies-into-old-tv-shows stuff, I think this works best.





I'd totally watch young Harrison Ford fight crime in space!

Friends Forever!

This makes me like Mark-Paul Gosselaar (and, by extension, Jimmy Fallon) so much more than I thought I did. And seriously, he does look better without that weird long hair.





Two steps away from the reunion!

Those Kids Today

This makes me want to get out of my rocking chair and yell at kids for not appreciating how good they have it.





I have to admit, I am one of those "plane horror stories" people. Next time, maybe I'll just trying cheering instead.