August 2011
1 post
10 tags
line \ˈlīn\ n : a number of persons standing one...
I’ve heard this question many times in my life: “You waited how long?” Followed by the inevitable: “Was it worth it?” And honestly, I don’t know that I’ve ever answered that question in the negative. I’ve waited for many an hour on many a line for my pop culture, and it’s totally worth it.
Most recently, I probably waited the longest I ever...
June 2011
2 posts
7 tags
providence \ˈprä-və-dən(t)s, -ˌden(t)s\ n : the...
This weekend, my improv group, Dumpster Tequila, went on a road trip. And I have to say, it was just magical. In improv, there’s a thing called “group mind,” which is when everyone in the group is so linked in their collective consciousness, they instinctively know what moves the others are going to make. Well, it’s like Providence and Dumpster Tequila had developed some...
6 tags
excitement \ik-ˈsīt-mənt\ n : 1. an excited state...
Obligatory reference to how long it’s been since I’ve blogged. Now that that’s out of the way, on to more important things. Words cannot even describe how excited I am. After almost twenty years of hope and several months of planning, yesterday I bought tickets to see the stage show of Newsies. I blogged about this two posts ago (which was four months ago :-/), but now it’s...
February 2011
4 posts
6 tags
chief \ˈchēf\ n : the head or leader of an...
It’s Presidents’ Day, a day in America where we celebrate the 44 men (MEN) who have held the highest office in our government. Also, a day for mattress sales. Why are there so many mattress sales? Anyway, like Africa and the Bible, the Presidents are one of my weaknesses when it comes to trivia. And don’t even bother with Vice Presidents. I have a few stock answers that are...
9 tags
love \ˈləv\ n : strong predilection, enthusiasm,...
It’s a Valentine’s Day miracle! The most amazing thing has happened. No, I didn’t run into Jonathan Taylor Thomas on the street, making him fall in love with me. And no, *NSYNC isn’t reuniting. And we all know I didn’t get a call to come in for a Jeopardy interview. But something about as amazing as all of those things was announced today. In the fall, Paper Mill...
7 tags
fail \ˈfāl\ v : 1. to fall short of success or...
Well, I can pretty much guarantee I’m not going to be on the next season of Jeopardy. So, Jeopardy used to have “contestant searches,” where I’m assuming you would go to a conference center and take a written test. Then for a while, they also had a “Brain Bus” that would go to cities. You could play a game, and possibly qualify to take the test. Like the Cash...
5 tags
harmony \ˈhär-mə-nē\ n : a consistent, orderly, or...
Hey y’all. I’m back. Sorry about the laziness. Oprah’s trying to help me through it, but I’m really stubborn. Anyway, there has been a lot of crazy pop culture happening lately: the Super Bowl and all it included (hang in there, Xtina!), blizzards, Ricky Gervais at the Globes, etc. But tonight, I want to talk about two of my favorite things, which have come together so...
December 2010
1 post
unsuitable \ˌənˈsü-tə-bəl\ adj : not suitable;...
So, the Golden Globes nominations were announced today. You know I love awards shows; I don’t really know why, but I do. I was pretty excited about it, but then I saw the nominees. They were pretty wacky, but there are really just two things I want to address in this post. And both of those have to do with the fact that Burlesque was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Musical or...
November 2010
3 posts
11 tags
highlight \ˈhī-ˌlīt\ n : an important,...
I have been bad. It’s been almost two weeks since my last post. Fail. Sorry, dudes. I’ve experienced so much pop culture since then, I’m going to give you the highlights. As I sit here listening to the Christmas music channel on digital cable (why do I always forget about those music channels?!), let’s look back on the past two weeks, shall we? When last we talked, it...
6 tags
princess \ˈprin(t)-səs\ n : 1. a nonreigning...
Contrary to what fairy tales like Cinderella, (terrible) movies like The Prince & Me, and even some people’s real lives like Grace Kelly having been telling me all my life, I guess this regular girl is not going to be a princess. Not Prince Willam’s princess anyway. It finally happened: Wills and Catherine “Kate” Middleton are engaged. (Does anyone else find it weird...
8 tags
holiday \ˈhä-lə-ˌdā \ adj : of or pertaining to a...
Well, it has begun: the holiday season. For me, it starts with Halloween and goes straight through New Year’s. Yep, about two months worth. I’ve already caught flack for the fact that I start listening to Christmas music November 1st (more on that later), but I don’t care. This is my celebration. And if my Halloween was any indication of how awesome this year’s...
October 2010
3 posts
3 tags
trick \ˈtrik\ n : a crafty or underhanded device,...
I understand how reality TV works. Really. I get that it’s not really real. You have some people who are putting on an act, and even those who aren’t are acting only as “real” as they can in an abnormal situation. And there are the editors, who are the real storytellers, taking hours of footage and turning out storylines of compelling melodrama or just silliness. And I...
8 tags
timing \ˈtīm-iŋ\ n : the selecting of the best...
It’s that time again: October baseball! Now, neither of my teams are still in it. The White Sox started slowly, had a strong mid-season, and petered out at the end. And the Mets…well, I told you guys Jerry Manuel sucks. But, I still love the Postseason. Okay, non-baseball fans, that’s all the sports talk you’ll have to endure. Because the real point is that I happen...
8 tags
overwhelmed \ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm- ed\ adj. to be...
Oh my god. I haven’t blogged in awhile because when you last heard from me, I was preparing for the arrival of eleven family members. Before they came, I had another friend come stay with me, so I needed to clean my apartment. All of this plus my work, improv, and Patty & Emily duties, then the actual arrival of my family, meant I’ve been extremely busy. Add to all of this my...
September 2010
5 posts
6 tags
conflicted \kən-ˈflik-təd\ adj : to come into...
Britney Spears and I have a complicated relationship. (Of course, it’s probably safe to say Britney has a complicated relationship with most people.) It’s always been that way. Part of me loves her, but part of me really, really hates her. Britney rose to fame when I was a sophomore in high school. That was before I admitted I liked dance pop for some stupid reason. I had some...
6 tags
anticipate \an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt\ v : to expect; look...
Guys! It’s Tuesday night! And that means Glee is back! I was so excited for this!!! Now, I did take notes during the episode, but I promise, I won’t just recap the entire episode. I know not all of you watch Glee (though you should), and some of you who do may not have watched yet. But based on my notes, here are a few observations (Careful, though, there may be things some...
10 tags
autumn \ˈȯ-təm\ n : the season between summer and...
It’s always best to be cautious when welcoming in a new season. Those first couple of weeks are dicey — you never know if it’s going to be t-shirt warm or jacket cold. In fact, I’m outside, and it went from one to the other as I sat here. But I’m not afraid to say it: I’m so glad it’s finally fall! In my rankings of the seasons, fall comes in at two,...
8 tags
breakdown \ˈbrāk-ˌdau̇n\ n : an analysis or...
It’s already started: the Fall TV season is upon us! In the coming weeks, there will be premieres galore, and my DVR is hopefully ready. I will be carefully checking the scheduled recordings, since my DVR likes to forget I told it to record things if they haven’t been on in awhile. A good sign, however? ANTM recorded without me reminding it. So, here are the shows I’m looking forward...
5 tags
franchise \ˈfran-ˌchīz\ the right or license...
Oh man, America’s Next Top Model starts tonight! I’m excited about this for two reasons: one, I <3 ANTM, and two, the Fall TV season is beginning! Yay! Now, I have loved Top Model since the beginning, and I can’t imagine I’ll ever stop watching it, but Tyra needs to cool it with the crazy. Just like I watch American Idol for the contestants, I watch ANTM for the models. While some things...
August 2010
7 posts
3 tags
realize \ˈrē-ə-ˌlīz\ v : to grasp or understand...
Have you ever listened to a song you really like, one that you’ve heard a million times, and suddenly you’re actually comprehending the lyrics and cannot believe how terrible they are? And I don’t mean nonsensical or bad lyrics, but the actual message of the song is horrible. But the catchy melody and jangly guitars disguised it as something else. Who knows why, but I recently...
4 tags
comeback /ˈkuhmˌbak / n : a return to a former...
I love how well people know me. The other day I tweeted about how excited I was about the show Melissa & Joey, concluding with “(I’m not kidding.)” To which my friend Brian replied, “Nobody who knows you thought you were kidding.” Then, yesterday, in the middle of an email chain about something else, I get this email: “I have been meaning to ask if you...
7 tags
review \ri-ˈvyü\ n : a viewing of the past;...
A few months back, Entertaintment Weekly did a story on the best years for movies. I can’t find it, but I swear they did. I’m not sure if one of the years they talked about was 1994, but if we’re talking about my life, that was certainly a year in film for the books. I’m not sure why, but the other day, I pulled up the Wikipedia page for that year and was shocked by how...
8 tags
interjection \ˌint-ər-ˈjek-shən\ n : (Grammar) a....
What better way to spend a Friday night than watching Pushing Daisies on Netflix. No, I have not yet gotten an account, but I’m puppy-sitting for friends who have it. I’m super lazy about things like that. It took me several threatening “last offer” letters from Entertainment Weekly to finally renew my subscription. It’s certainly not that I didn’t want to. ...
6 tags
notoriety \ˌnō-tə-ˈrī-ə-tē\ n : the state,...
So pretty much anything anyone could talk about today was Steven Slater, the flight attendant who lost his shit after dealing with one idiot too many. I’ve worked service jobs; I get it. I think most people do. And while some of us may be more predisposed to act on those feelings, haven’t we all at least fantasized about leaving somewhere in a dramatic fashion? Really leave an...
4 tags
gateway \ˈgāt-ˌwā\ n : allowing entry, access, or...
Attention! New TV trend alert! Fat people shows. And no, I don’t mean weight loss shows. Those have been around since just after the Reality Show boom of 2000. I mean shows whose main characters are not only overweight, but that fact is woven into the premise of the show. There are currently two of these shows on the air and one that’s going to premiere in the fall. And...
6 tags
attraction \ə-ˈtrak-shən\ n : attractive quality;...
Yesterday, Entertainment Weekly posted the a poll asking which cartoon readers thought was more attractive: the Beast as a Beast or the Beast turned back into a human. I thought, along with columnist Annie Barrett, that the answer was fairly obvious. 72% of the readers agreed with us. The Beast as a Beast was so obviously more attractive. I don’t know why, but Disney animators missed the...
July 2010
9 posts
5 tags
tribute \ˈtri-(ˌ)byüt\ n : a gift, testimonial,...
Guys, I’m so sad I’m missing the big convention! No, not Comic-Con. If you know me, and you’ve been anywhere near the Internet today, you should know I’m talking about Pacey-Con 2010. Please feast your eyes on this hilarious Funny Or Die video the brilliant Joshua Jackson did:
Pacey-Con with Joshua Jackson from Joshua Jackson
Awhile back, I wrote an entry titled...
8 tags
fantasy \ˈfan-tə-sē, -zē\ n : the forming of...
So, in my improv class tonight, this girl told the craziest story. She used to work in film production and was working an event Universal was throwing to honor Julia Roberts for her work in Erin Brockovich. One of the attendees was George Clooney. This girl was helping a bunch of executives get settled at the event, and George came up to her and asked if she would hang out with him because he...
5 tags
icon \ˈī-ˌkän\ n : an important and enduring...
Please excuse the glitter and feathers everywhere. I’ve worked myself up into a gay panic. Emily and I went to a CD signing at a Barnes and Noble today and met CAROL CHANNING! Can you believe it? Carol Channing! Hello, Dolly! Raspberries! And everything else you can think of that is magic and musical theatre. She couldn’t have been more delightful, and at almost 90 years old,...
10 tags
catch-up \ˈkach-ˌəp, ˈkech-\ n : an effort to...
I haven’t posted in four days. Whoops. Two of those days it was because I was busy being awesome and living my life: improv, drinking, birthdays, Grease Sing-A-Long (AMAZING), gay sketch show, etc. But the other two, I was literally doing nothing but watching things on Netflix streaming. No, I didn’t get my own account yet, but after this week you can bet I’m gonna. ...
7 tags
potential \pə-ˈten(t)-shəl\ n : a latent...
This morning, I learned an important lesson from Full House. Okay, it was a lesson I already knew, but there’s nothing like a Danny Tanner lecture to hit home a point. Turning the spotlight away from himself (he had kissed DJ’s Spanish teacher!), he asked DJ what had started this whole mess to begin with. Accustomed to most things coming easily, DJ was frustrated that she...
6 tags
robot \ˈrō-ˌbät, -bət\ n : a machine that...
Today my friend Evan introduced me to one of the creepiest and funniest things I’ve seen in a long time. Below is a video of a New York Times reporter interviewing a robot, Bina48. Watch it; it’s amazing. (Also, if you do, this post will be way funnier.)
The very first thing this exchange made me think of was IM Bots. Smarterchild, anyone? I don’t know why it was so...
4 tags
cliché \klē-ˈshā\ n : anything that has become...
Guess where I am right now? I’m on my laptop, writing my blog, in a COFFEE SHOP! Could you just die? Isn’t that the perfect place in 2010 to write your blog? I love it! There are a lot of other people here also using their laptops. And we’re using the Internet too! For FREE! WIRELESSLY! I feel like we’re having a meeting of a super cool club. But in this club,...
4 tags
blackout \ˈblak-ˌau̇t\ n : a period during a...
Dudes, it is HOT in NYC. So hot, the electric company told us all to keep our air conditioners at 78 degrees. I’ll do you one better, ConEd. I don’t have an air conditioner. My windows have been closed all day, I’ve got one fan on me, and it’s cooler in here than it is outside. I’m doing my part. And yet… I’ve been in New York for over three and a...
5 tags
perspective \pər-ˈspek-tiv\ n : the state of one's...
I was delighted today to discover, as one often does on a weekend afternoon, that one of my favorite movies was on basic cable. TBS was airing My Best Friend’s Wedding. I adore this movie, but I hadn’t seen it in a while. At least not all the way through. And man, is it good. And it’s so much more interesting to watch now. In the first scene of the movie it comes out that...
June 2010
11 posts
4 tags
masochism \ˈma-sə-ˌki-zəm\ n : gratification...
I often find myself extremely irritated with the host of one of my favorite games shows. I will refrain from naming the host or the show, as I hope to one day appear on said show (I’m sure you’ve figured it out already). I find myself talking back to the host frequently, saying the host isn’t funny or telling the host to shut up. For example, when one contestant answered...
5 tags
beauty pageant \ˈbyü-tē ,pa-jənt\ n : a...
Today I found out Miss Illinois 2010 is a fellow Illinois Wesleyan alumna. Which, of course, got me thinking two things: A. My school turns out very successful people and B. I love watching beauty pageants. They’re ridiculous and amazing and such a weird thing to me. Yes, I get the whole “scholarship program” thing, but with the amount of money you put into pageants,...
5 tags
camp \ˈkamp\ n : something that provides...
In honor of PRIDE weekend, I wanna talk about the gayest thing I’ve ever seen. And no, I’m not talking about Boxers, the gay sports bar where all the waiters wear boxing trunks, that I went to yesterday. I’m talking about the Adam Lambert Glam Nation tour! The way he presented himself on American Idol is even more impressive when you look at the joyful, glitter-filled...
6 tags
summer \ˈsə-mər\ n : the season between spring and...
Well guys, today was the first official day of summer. The longest day of the year. And it was balls hot in New York City. And I don’t have air conditioning. I’m like A Time to Kill-level sweaty right now. Summer is my least favorite season. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a nerd, a stickler for the rules. I really liked school when I was little. I got...
6 tags
future \ˈfyü-chər\ n : time that is to be or come...
Do you remember in Back to the Future Part II when they’re all talking to each other on video phones? On their TVs?! Well, that movie may take place in 2015, but the future is here y’all. Yesterday, I talked to my parents, sister, brother-in-law, nieces, and nephew in Illinois. And I not only talked to them, I SAW THEIR FACES?! I know Web cams have been around for a while now, but...
4 tags
decorum \di-ˈkȯr-əm\ n : dignified propriety of...
I’m super excited to see Toy Story 3 this weekend. I love the first two so much, and Pixar knows how to make good movies, so I trust them with a sequel. There’s one thing I’m not excited about, though. Seeing Toy Story 3. But wait, Patty, didn’t you just say you were excited for that? Yeah, but to see Toy Story 3, it means I have to actually go to the movies. In New...
6 tags
reconcile \ˈre-kən-ˌsī(-ə)l\ v : to cause (a...
So, Drake’s album came out today. To be honest, I don’t really know any of his music (I should get on that), and it doesn’t really matter if I like it or not because the first thing I will always think about whenever I see him will be Jimmy Brooks. Just like my mom still calls some of her friends by their maiden names, I will always be amazed to see Drake walking around onstage...
5 tags
sacrifice \ˈsa-krə-ˌfī\ n : the surrender or...
So, yesterday was amazing. Emily and I got super cheap mani/pedis (just $16 total for each of us!), had our makeup done so we’d look really hot, and wore our fancy dresses. Oh, plus there was that whole thing of making videos from the Memphis viewing party, Memphis winning the Tony for Best New Musical, and getting to interview the amazing cast members of the show at the after party. That...
5 tags
plug \ˈpləg\ n : the favorable mention of...
Okay, so here’s something exciting. The TONYs are this weekend. Sunday on CBS! I know, right?! And that’s not even the exciting part. I’ve mentioned before that my bestie Emily and I make YouTube videos. We started doing this because we’re funny ladies, and we love pop culture (obviously). It started a little more broad, but we quickly gained a focus as a...
7 tags
adaptation \ˌa-ˌdap-ˈtā-shən\ n : a composition...
I am a fan of adaptations: books to movies, movies to musicals, plays to movies, movies to plays, TV shows to YA book series, the list goes on and on. I have no problem with this so long as the intentions and integrity of the original are maintained, and the new medium to which it’s adapted also maintains its integrity. Just with any original material, things can turn out well or badly:
Books to...
5 tags
open letter \ˈō-pən, ˈle-tər\ n : a letter, ...
Dear Glee, I love you, but if you ask any of my other loved ones, they’ll tell you I’m not one to shy way from criticizing them, sometimes bluntly. And I’m a little pissed at you. Look, I was busy this past week, so I didn’t have a chance to watch last Tuesday’s episode. Well, I’m watching it now, and the seed of annoyance that was planted two weeks ago at a...
May 2010
19 posts
9 tags
character \ˈker-ik-tər\ n : a person represented...
This is Entertainment Weekly’s 20th anniversary year, so they’re doing a lot of looking back. In this week’s issue, they count down the 100 Greatest Characters of the past 20 years. Now, there are some I feel are missing (No Daria? No Angela Chase? No Camden family from 7th Heaven?! Okay, that last one was a joke), but it’s a really good list overall. And I just wanted...
4 tags
local \ˈlō-kəl\ adj : pertaining to a city, ...
I’m writing this on the subway. (I posted it later though.) How is that possible, you ask? Why, because I’m on my new laptop. It’s so small, it fits in my purse! One of the best things about living in New York is the subway. Everyone has good subway stories. Right now, for example, I’m looking at two sixteenish-year-old girls, who are pretty average seeming...
6 tags
gush \’gəsh\ v : to express oneself extravagantly...
Lee DeWyze is someone I’ve known for years and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I would never claim he was a close friend of mine, but whenever I saw him around AH or MP, he would always check in and ask me how I was doing. Tonight, he won American Idol.
To be able to do what you love is an incredible gift. Sometimes you can even make money at it. Lee, I feel, is going to have a...
4 tags
junk food \’jəŋk-,füd\ n : food, as potato chips...
The most amazing thing happened to me the other day. You know how you’ll be doing your laundry and you’ll find $20 you didn’t know you had in a pocket? Well, it was kind of like that, but instead of finding $20 in my pocket, I found Bagel Bites in my freezer! I have been trying (and failing) to be better at cooking for myself, but I’ve been so busy lately, my pantry and refrigerator are...
