As shown above, the entire episode was filmed as stop-motion animation, which could have been a cheap gag, but instead, established a high point for the show. Now, for the most part, I kind of hate Christmas. I'm not saying that in an attempt to be an ironic grinch, I just find other times of the year more enjoyable, and in recent years, I've become jaded by it. So, I was awfully surprised by how moved I was by this episode.
Abed, everyone's favorite television obsessed oddball, wakes up one day with his entire world in stop motion, and the study group tries to get him out of his funk. What follows is an episode that both satirizes and embodies holiday television traditions in a funny and sweet way. I'm not entirely sure how much of the episode's dialogue and events were real, or figments of Abed's imagination and worldview, but it was a fun ride that also put me into the Christmas spirit, which is a pretty remarkable feat. Plus, I have to love any show that manages to work the phrase "wash your dupa" into the plot (as a Polish person who hears her grandma, excuse me, Busia, say the word "dupa" all too often, I was cracking up).
Please, do yourself a favor and watch "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas." Community is one of those shows where it's fairly episodic, and you can watch any episode and understand what's going on. I'd like to also recommend 4 other episodes that showcase the show at its finest:
Modern Warfare (season one): As the title suggests, this episode involves war. A paintball game, more specifically, a campus-wide game for early class registration. It turns into an all-out blood bath straight out of a video game, complete with jabs at Glee.
Contemporary American Poultry (season one): The Godfather (and other mob movies), revolving around chicken nuggets. Need I say more?
Anthropology 101 (season two): Here's how good this episode is: Betty White is the weakest link.
Basic Rocket Science (season two): This was another episode that was so outrageous it was funny. I think what sold me on the episode was the KFC product placement. I can't help but laugh and smile at a great Colonel Sanders joke/reference:
I love Emmy night. Most people I come into contact with on a regular basis don't understand the fierce passion I have when it comes to Emmy nominations, wins and the broadcast itself. After last year's show was fairly terrible, I was concerned about whether I'd be impressed again, and I certainly was (yes, NBC did something right).
This year's epic opener kind of proves why I love the Emmys so.
Jon Hamm and Betty White shimmying. Perfect song choice. Joel McHale being Joel McHale (side note: I loved that the Emmys used Joel liberally throughout the show, yet never nominated Community for anything). Jimmy and Tina Fey bringing back their adorable chemistry from their Weekend Update days (but, Tina, don't try to sing, please). Lea Michele not making me gag. If that alone doesn't make the Emmys worth watching, I don't understand how you can call yourself a television fan. For God's sake, they made you laugh at Kate Gosselin without hating her. That's quite the feat.
This year really provided a lot of fantastic moments. My second favorite?
Jimmy's dead-on impression of Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, during his tribute to LOST. While I love TV, I'm also a very devoted Green Day fan, so I nearly fell out of my chair in a combination of laughter and giddiness. Just ask anyone at the BG News, who put up with my reactions to the awards all evening long.
I know a lot of people hate Jimmy, but I think he delivered tonight. He played to his strengths but he didn't dominate the show.
Now, to the actual winners.
I was impressed with the comedy wins. I love 30 Rock, but I can handle them losing, especially to a show like Modern Family. I've expressed my feelings about Glee here before, and I just think that they won the awards they deserved, mainly Jane Lynch. I expected vote-splitting for the three Modern Family nominees in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category, but I'm happy Eric Stonestreet took it (actually, I would have been happy with anyone but Jon Cryer). I strongly believe that in terms of consistency, cast excellence and comedic value, Modern Family is a far superior show to Glee. I have no complaints about it winning, even if it isn't 30 Rock. It's time for some new blood. As for one Modern Family complaint? I wasn't wowed by the pilot episode, which earned Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan an Emmy tonight. 30 Rock's Anna Howard Shaw day, written by Matt Hubbard, was a better episode.
Edie Falco won for her wonderful performance on Nurse Jackie, making her the first woman to win for both comedy and drama acting categories. I would have liked to have seen Amy Poehler (who looked amazing so soon after having her baby) win, so it would help the woefully under-viewed Parks and Recreation, but there's no denying that Edie is great. Due to my inherent bias against CBS comedies, I haven't seen the Big Bang Theory, so I don't know about how deserving Jim Parsons win was. Like with the suppporting actor category, I was just happy it wasn't Larry David, Tony Shalhoub or Matthew Morrison.
As for guest actors, I was impressed. As much as I love and adore Will Arnett, Neil Patrick Harris was great on Glee, and Betty White's win for SNL was also well-deserved. John Lithgow for Dexter was a no-brainer, too.
Now, for drama. Mad Men won once again, over Dexter's amazing season four. As I've said before, Mad Men may be a show that's well executed, but it would have been nice to see Dexter rewarded for its stellar season. Likewise, I'm frustrated Michael C. Hall lost for Outstanding Actor. Yet, since he lost to Bryan Cranston, who put forth a great body of work this year on Breaking Bad (even if the season was a little inconsistent), who has deserved his three consecutive awards.
The award that brought me the most joy, though, was seeing Aaron Paul win for Outstanding Supporting Actor for Breaking Bad. He was just astounding to watch this season. I loved hearing the insane amount of applause for him and his speech was so heartfelt. I'd say it's a three-way tie between him, Edie Falco and Eric Stonestreet for favorite speeches tonight.
(I'm ashamed to say that I'm very unfamiliar with the nominees for the dramatic actresses. However, just because I do root for the underdogs, it would have been nice to see Connie Britton take home the award. I have seen a scant few Friday Night Lights episodes, and her work impressed me.)
Lord knows I love the Daily Show and Jon Stewart, but I wish Conan O'Brien or Stephen Colbert and their respective shows could have won instead, if only so we could have actually received an acceptance speech for them. Conan's nomination intro was pretty humorous too, and it was wonderful seeing him in the audience, strike/unemployment beard still in tact.
Another highlight? Ricky Gervais, as always. It was silly for NBC to book him to host this year's Golden Globes, a show where the host does little work. This isn't meant as a dig at Jimmy, because I think he did great, but the Emmys are what Ricky is made to host. A low light, however, was seeing Jason Sudeikis bring January Jones as his date. I don't care too much about celebrities' private lives, but I just find January to be boring and basic (put on display during her awful SNL episode), especially compared to his ex-wife, the hilarious and gorgeous Kay Cannon (who was nominated tonight for 30 Rock). It's just one of those couples that baffles me.
Alright, I've rambled on long enough about the Emmys, but I just love them so. What did everyone else think were highlights and low points? Any red carpet mishaps I missed? Seriously, if there were any awful/hilarious/amazing red carpet moments, please let me know. I had to work, so I was only able to watch the show on a stream online, and it was hard enough to pay attention to them, I didn't have time to watch red carpet shows, either.
As I'm sure everyone's heard, Rue McClanahan, best known for playing slutty Southern belle Blanche Deveraux on the Golden Girls, passed away this morning at the age of 76 after suffering a stroke on Monday. This means that the likely savior of the free world, Betty White, is the only surviving member of the girls (Bea Arthur, who portrayed Dorothy Zbornak, died in April 2009 and Estelle Getty, who played Dorothy's mother, Sophia Petrillo, died in July 2008).
Death is, sadly, a natural part of life, and when you're discussing actresses who were on a show that featured the lives of seniors TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO, it's not like these women haven't lived long lives. But, it's still very sad.
Like so many people my age, I became a fan of the show thanks to my grandma. When I would stay overnight at her house in elementary school, she'd ask me to turn off my Disney VHS tapes so she could watch the Golden Girls that aired on Lifetime at 2 a.m. or so (yes, my grandma's pretty cool, she isnt' the type to go to bed at 4 in the afternoon so she can be at the Country Kitchen Buffet by 6 a.m.). I, of course, assumed it was going to be a very boring show that I'd hate, because, well, I was 6 or 7 years old and who likes shows their grandma likes?
Before long, during the summer months I would turn on Lifetime every night to see these ladies. I didn't always get the jokes due to being so young, but Rose's ridiculous stories and Sophia's entire existence killed me. The show reminds me so much of my childhood, and I love knowing that my grandma helped me to discover one of the funniest shows ever, which I wouldn't have otherwise known about. I hate calling my grandma and telling her that one of the Girls has died, because it just reminds me that those days of my childhood are over.
While Rue was best known for being Blanche, she also appeared in numerous Broadway productions, including a stint as Shiz University headmistress Madame Morrible in Wicked from 2005-06. She also played Vivian, the best friend of Maude Findlay on Maude (played by Bea Arthur, of course).
In fact, Rue originally auditioned to play Rose Nylund on the Golden Girls and Betty auditioned for the role of Blanche, but it was decided that the two were both auditioning for roles similar to their past work (Betty was famous for playing the cruel and sardonic Sue Ann Nivens on the Mary Tyler Moore Show), so they switched the roles, and two television icons were born.
From all accounts, Rue seemed like an incredibly funny and sweet woman who loved and respected her fans just as they loved and respected her. She was a breast cancer survivor and animal rights activist. And, for so many people, through her roles, she was a friend. Thank you for being a friend, indeed, Rue. I hope Bea and Estelle were waiting for you at the gates, ready to make a tawdry joke about Blanche and her, well, experience with men.
This is easily Blanche's best moment, in which she hallucinates after an all-night book writing session.
(Image via Facebook. I love SNL bumpers regardless of who is featured in them, even though they're ridiculously Photoshopped, everyone always looks so nice.)
As I'm sure everyone and their grandmothers knew (and, I mean that ... didn't every grandmother know about this?), Betty White hosted SNL after Facebook users petitioned for the 88-year-old television icon to appear on the show. Expectations were high for the show, and, unlike most of the lackluster episodes this season, the show was funny from beginning to end.
One fact that's been proven this evening: Betty White could probably describe everything in the Kama Sutra and it would be inappropriate and hilarious. When she said such words and phrases as "Lez it up," "balls," "dust muffin," "Trojan" and more, it was just so insane and delightful.
Granted, it got a little silly with the sketches (even though I enjoyed Betty as Macgruber's grandma, one sketch would have been enough). But, with Betty's perfect balance of both deadpan and heartfelt line delivery, she could save even the weakest sketches.
Even though I'm not a fan of rap music, I was utterly captivated by Jay-Z's performance. He actually performs live, without a backing track (and, obviously, he would never use Auto Tune) and never misses a beat, very impressively. His backup singer, Bridget Kelly, is a great substitute for Alicia Keys, seamlessly singing her part on "Empire State of Mind." Plus, his dedicated to Betty at the end of "Young Forever" was sweet.
I'm upset the Vince Offer (ShamWow guy) joke didn't get more laughs, since, after all, the Internet loves Vince, and the Internet helped to put this show together. Plus, the CSI: Miami sunglasses/YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! meme is on the show. For anyone, like me, who watches too much TV and spends too much too much time on the Internet, it's like a cornucopia of awesome.
In all of the interviews she did before the show, Betty explained how nervous she was about doing the show. However, I think she really brought a fantastic energy to the show. The writers knew how to effectively utilize their host (this is something they have had problems with this season, especially with Ryan Reynolds), and I think they did a great job. The former female SNL castmembers (Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Molly Shannon) didn't play as big of a role as Betty, but it was nice to see them again. SNL proved that they can remain relevant and funny.
As if there was any doubt about Betty's legacy in entertainment, she proved tonight that she can tackle anything (and, based on that Digital Short, anyone!) and remain relevant and hilarious no matter her age. I am glad such a random Internet movement helped to bring audiences such a hilarious show, and brought Betty a new career highlight. Any entertainer should aspire to be as wonderful and timeless as Betty. As this Facebook group says, The Internet should pick who hosts SNL more often.
The only Debbie Downer? Well, the lack of Debbie Downer! Plus, there was a rumor of a Golden Girls sketch that was likely cut during dress rehearsal. Yet, even without those moments, this will go down as a high point for this generation of SNL and its fans.
I apologize if this entry sounds whiny, because, frankly, I'm not in the best of moods. Once again, someone (in this case, formerly) associated with NBC has broken my heart. And this one really stings.
Rumors began swirling a couple of weeks ago that Conan O'Brien was going to be using his time in unemployment to go on the road for a cross-country tour. Well, that rumor was confirmed today. Tour dates for O'Brien's "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour" were not only announced today, but, unfairly, the tickets also went on sale at the same exact time dates were announced. I woke up today, excited about the prospects of buying tickets in the near future, only to go on Ticketmaster to find that any dates I could potentially attend were sold out already. This is because the lucky people who happened to have Internet and credit card access at 10 a.m. this morning got the first and only opportunities for tickets.
So, this has been my feeling all day (image is via TinyPic, although I'm 99 percent positive someone from ONTD made it):
It is not right that those behind this tour did not give fans advanced warning about tickets going on sale, and sprung the sale upon people at the last minute, leaving people to scramble to attempt to get any tickets. Additionally, I have a problem with the dates themselves. As an Ohioan, I'm upset that the two Chicago dates are essentially representing all of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Plus, with the monumental demand for tickets, playing venues that seat less than 5,000 people (such as the Chicago Theatre) just does not allow for the massive amount of O'Brien's fans to see this tour. His main demographic has traditionally been college students, and I feel that it would have been more suitable for O'Brien to play on college campuses and sell more tickets for cheaper prices, so that more students could afford them. The cheapest tickets for the Chicago shows were $39.50, but on eBay, they are currently going for hundreds of dollars.
Reading the tag line for the shows, "A night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence" just makes me all the sadder to be missing it, because that sounds like heaven. I would love to hear O'Brien perform with his guitar, and I'm very jealous of the lucky souls who will get to see him. I just hope that for the people who were not lucky enough to secure a ticket, there will be other opportunities to see the show (a DVD release would be fantastic).
Were you a lucky person who bought a ticket, or were you left feeling like Pierre Bernard in his Recliner of Rage, ranting like I am about not getting a seat? Let me know, and we can wallow in our sadness together.
