Relations

One of the things that I've been noticing a lot lately are the stock characters that populate me favorite TV shows. So I've assembled some of my favorite sets here.

*NOTE* I decided to only go with shows that are currently on the air. If I wanted to fish back into the cancellation zone, this list would be far too epically long.

Andy Dwyer (Parks and Recreation), Finn Hudson (Glee), and Marshall Erickson (How I Met Your Mother)

These three have truly been cut from the same midwestern doofus cloth. Sure, Marshall has risen above the other two, after all he's a top corporate lawyer in New York. And while Finn is still in high school, let's be honest, he's probably not going to get past mid level insurance agent. And Andy is a shoe shine boy at a tiny city hall. But there's something that all three of them have in common, they're adorable, funny, and unfailingly sweet. OK, Finn not so much lately, what with the whole stealing Quinn from Sam thing, but generally, super sweet.

Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl), Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother), and Ari Gold (Entourage)

Where to begin? The "I am so above you attitude?" Check. The catch phrases? "Let's Hug it Out Bitch?" "Legen...wait for it..." "I'm Chuck Bass!" "DARY!" Check. The deep seeded insecurity that creates the bravado that masks a heart of gold? Check and check! Honestly, this one is what got me thinking about these connections, when my friend Crystan proposed the theory that Bart Bass was Barney's father, and that there should be an epic cross over between GG and HIMYM. (Other storylines include a Serena/Ted hookup, because he reminds her of Dan, but maybe someday I'll outline the entire plot in a post!) Ari comes in for two reasons, like Chuck he is a ruthless business man, and like Barney, he's a pig, but oblivious to it, and therefore still kind of lovable. Also, the suits. Which are really important.

Rebecca Logan (Greek) and Alice Verdura (Hellcats)


These two are quite literally the exact same character. They even look the same. They manipulate their respective systems to stay on top. (Bex the Cyprus Rhodes Greek system and Alice the Hellcats) But when it comes down to it, Rebecca would do anything for ZBZ and Alice would do anything for the squad. That's why we don't want them to go away. That's also why Santana Lopez (Glee) wasn't included on this list. Because as much as I love her, she'd probably sell New Directions down the river if they got too much on her bad side.

Mac (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Brendan (My Boys)


Aside from the looks again, these two have a few other key characteristics in common. An affinity for tee shirts, they both own bars, they both get caught up in oh so many hijinks. Plus they both have strong sexual tension with their best friend/roommate. Of course it's slightly less dysfunctional in Brendan's case, mostly because PJ is not a sociopath and Dennis is.

Andy Bernard (The Office) and Rajesh Kuthrapali (The Big Bang Theory)



Both men add an element of innocence and happiness to their respective groups. Both are socially awkward and unaware and both belong to distinct social groups. (Geek and Prep) Both are probably my favorite part of both of their shows.

Brooke Davis (One Tree Hill), Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl) and Rachel Berry (Glee)

Can't win for trying these girls. Although Brooke finally got married and Rachel finally realized that she needs to focus on her career and well, OK I stopped paying attention to Gossip Girl because it got terrible, but I'm sure Blair will get it together. Last I watched she had just started Columbia. Also, Rachel will never ever be happy until she realizes that she and Puck need to get together unless she ends up with Jesse St. James.

Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory) and Commander Steve McGarret (Hawaii Five-O)



At first sight, maybe not. But then when you think about it, they're both socially awkward, incredibly good at their jobs and dependent on a group of people who are less effecient than them to do their jobs. Which of course leads right into:

Leonard Hoffsteader (The Big Bang Theory) and Danny "Danno" Williams (Hawaii Five-O)


They spend most of their time correcting their brilliant counterpart, in the snarkyest way possible and dedicated to a pretty blond girl. Sure, Leonard it's his ex girlfriend Penny, and Danno it's his daughter Grace, but the idea is the same.

So, those are mine, any to add?

A Surprising Gift from Hell...cats

During my blog hiatus, I got hooked onto a new brand of CW branded crack, right after I kicked my Gossip Girl addiction, unfortunately. But that crack, was the cheerleading themed soap Hellcats. Like One Tree Hill before it, it seduced me with promises of being something vaguely different. It seemed like it was going to be like the original Bring it On movie, but a show. It quickly spiraled into a standard "anything can and will happen to these people but they'll all rally around something innane to get through these nutso situations," kind of show. Just like One Tree Hill, actually.

But really, what I'm grateful to Hellcats for doing is giving us the character of Savannah, played by Ashley Tisdale. First of all, I've always felt that Ashley was kind of underrated. Yes, I did used to refer to her as "That blonde from Zach and Cody with the unfortunate nose." But now she's a brunette and got a nose job, and now that she's dealing with slightly more grown up material, she's doing really well. I'm glad to see it. But it's not just Ashley's bloom that makes me happy about Savannah.

Savannah is a devout Christian, and it's a key part of her character. She's saving sex for marriage, puts her trust in God, and oh, did I mention she's not considered, crazy, weird, preachy or stupid. She's the captain of the Hellcats cheerleading squad, on a scholarship to college, was dating a nice guy, goes to parties and is a normal and functioning human being.

As someone who considers her faith paramount to her identity, and gets increasingly frustrated at how people of faith, particularly women of faith, are portrayed, usually as one of two categories, idiots and hypocrites and they're all shrewish and overly opinionated and set to convert the world. But Hellcats is giving us neither, they're giving us a fully fleshed out character, or as fully fleshed out as anyone on The CW is. Last night's episode cemented it. Because as the rest of the squad whined about how they were going to lose everything when Marty revealed that football star Jake robbed a pharmacy and framed her law professor's client causing him to be convicted of his "third strike" and put in maximum security prison for like ever or something. (See, I told you anything and everything!) Savannah insisted that whatever happened was God's plan and then got on her knees to ask Him for guidance, in the privacy of her dorm room, without pushing this element on any of the other Hellcats. It's too bad that not that many people are watching.

A Little Story

I just want to tell everyone a quick story, and then make an announcement:

Once upon a time there was a very unhappy princess, who decided that it was shameful that she was so unhappy. After all, she lived in a beautiful castle, the king and queen loved her very much and denied her nothing. She was given beautiful gowns and jewels, books to read to both entertain and educate her, and what she didn't understand, the greatest wizards would come and explain to her. She had many courtiers who made her laugh and smile, and although she had not yet met her handsome knight in shining armor, she knew that any day he could come riding in and they would live happily ever after.

But still the princess was unhappy, and because she decided that this unhappiness was shameful she told no one of it. She went away on a quest, where she met many more kind and wonderful people who were happy to help her along her way. As she neared the end of her quest the princess's unhappiness grew and began to present itself as a terrible dragon. The dragon mocked the princess and told her that she should be ashamed. Because she was afraid of the dragon, the princess hid in a dark cave, with only those books that entertained. She turned away her friends and courtiers and the kind wizards who had taught her so much. She hid in the worlds of the books where there was no dragon to torment her.

Finally, the wisest and kindest wizard who had tried to help her on her quest had enough and sent the princess home to the king and queen, with the instructions to not return to her quest until she learned how to slay her dragon and could complete her quest unfettered. Despondent, the princess hid, but when she returned home to the king and queen they also sent her away. She then found a village, where no one knew she was a princess, and she spent her days there, coming home at night to be with her parents and the one most faithful lady of her court, who along with the people of the village taught the princess that the dragon was not so scary, and she was certainly not the only princess in the world to face such a dragon! There was still no knight, but the princess was beginning to accept that perhaps she did not need a knight to be happy. After all her mother and many of the wizards had always taught her to be an independent and strong princess who did not need the support of any man, as all princesses should be taught.

After many months, the princess marched back out on her quest and when the dragon mocked her she laughed at it. For she had learned that she was not alone, and that if she was unhappy occasionally that was not shameful, but she had learned the difference between ignoring that unhappiness and choosing not to feel this. And so the princess slayed the dragon, though she kept one of it's teeth to remind her of the ordeal, and she moved closer to completing her quest. She also learned that while it was alright for her to enjoy the entertainments, she could not hide from her life and unhappiness in them.

Um...so I'm the princess, and this blog and my obsessive TV watching were the books, and the quest was my college education...the dragon was the pretty tough bit of depression I've fought through and uh, I think you can figure out the rest. (The Village was my job after I was kicked out of school temporarily.) I'm still trying to find balance in my life, but I'm going to try to start blogging again. I miss it. I'm still focusing on pop culture, but I'm going to make it more about my opinions and stories, than just straight up recap. Hooray!

I know, I'm sorry

So, here's the deal, Popgirllives is on a hiatus for a while.

Because I've started a new blog! It's much more focused and project oriented than this one, so hopefully I'll be less neglectful but check it out please!

The Reading List

Check it out! Read it, comment. It'll be great!

Best and The Worst

So, Glee is over for the year. And here is my list of my ten favorite, and least favorite musical moments from the show this season.

Best:

10. "Highway To Hell" Episode 14: Hell-o

We'd already been introduced to the hilariously dramatic Jesse St. James, played with soulless intensity by Jonathan Groff a few moments before when he sang Lionel Richie's "Hello" with Rachel, but this was the real world's true intro to Groff (this performance matched the intensity of his Spring Awakening stuff) and it actually sort of made me root for him and Rachel to be together, since we'd already been subjected to the awful/awkward version of "Hello I Love You" from Finn in this same episode.

9. "Don't Stand So Close to Me/Young Girl" Episode 10: Ballad

Anytime Mr. Schu gets his performance on it's special. But this particular mash up, which was meant to warn Rachel off of her crush on him, was that perfect mix of energy and charisma. And of course it failed miserably, because if Matthew Morrison sang to you, would you stop having a crush on him?

8. "The Lady Is A Tramp" Episode 18: Laryngitis

OK, so here's the deal. I love Puck. I love everything about him. I love the stupid things he says, I loved his mohawk. But I especially love that for some reason, no one on the show has acknowledged what a superior performer he is to Finn, except for the producers, who gave him this number (Sammy Davis Jr's version, "He was a back Jew, you know.") to help Puck win Mercedes affection. Why? Because we will not rest until Puck has at least made out with every girl in Glee club!

7. "Don't Stop Believing" Episode 1: Pilot

You never forget your first time. While yes, there were other glimmers of greatness in the pilot, it was in this rousing version of everyone's favorite power ballad that I knew I had found my new favorite show. Plus it introduced us to some New Directions choreographic staples, moving lines, walking with purpose...uhh, Artie sitting off to the side and bopping.

6. "Alone" Episode 5: The Rhodes Not Taken

Link Larkin and Galinda are singing a duet! Let me repeat, LINK LARKIN AND GALINDA ARE SINGING A DUET! So there was that. Also, just amazing.

5. "Set Me Free" Episode 7: Throwdown

In an episode full of great musical moments, it also included the pitch perfect ballad "Keep Holding On" (my sister's favorite moment all season) I had to pick Quinn's breakout moment as my favorite. It might just be because I LOVE Quinn, but it really was a great performance.

4. "Dream on" Episode 19: Dream On

NPH, Matt Morrison, Joss Whedon, Aerosmith, a community theatre production of Les Mis. Nothing about this moment was wrong. It was pure Joss, and pure Glee at the same time. (Which just further proves that they are a match created by the TV gods!)

3. "To Sir With Love" Episode 22: Journey

Maybe it's because I love the song. Or maybe it's because it was just lovely, especially compared to the club's winter finale tribute to Mr. Schue, Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You." The moment preceding the actual song, where they all talked about how Glee changed them, who could help from crying.

2. "Dancing With Myself" Episode 9: Wheels

Glee does reclaiming the 80s better than most things, and this song was not an exception. Artie's jazzy aucoustic interpretation of the song, which turned out to be his way of expressing his crush on Tina, was lovely, touching and just perky enough to keep us from doing more than just welling up.

1. "Don't Rain on My Parade" & "You can't always get what you want" Episode 13: Sectionals

For me, this was the definitive Glee moment. While a few months later their regionals performance would also be good, nothing will ever beat New Directions first competitive set, Rachel's exciting run down the aisle (which Lea Michele then repeated at the Tonys this past weekend) and the tears in Will's eyes as Emma held up a cell phone so he could hear his kids was so beautiful.

And now to the worst (some are just awesomely bad, but still)

10. "Run Joey Run" Episode 17: Bad Reputation

OK, so it was supposed to be bad. Rachel's bizarre music video to this terrible song was ridonkulously awful. And that was the point. But I had to mention it, just because after the episode aired, I had the song stuck in my head for 48 hours.

9. "Like A Virgin" Episode 15: The Power of Madonna

The performance was really good, actually I really like the version of the song, and I'm totally on board whenever Santana sings, but I was so uncomfortable during this montage of the shows three virgins, Emma, Rachel and Finn, singing to their possible first times, with Will, Jesse and Santana respectively (Only Finn and Santana actually did the deed) as they all writhed around on beds in era inappropriate nighties that I had to mention the spot.

8. "Hello, I Love You" Episode 14: Hell-o

Again, I don't mind the version of the song, but it was just so heavy handed, the "Gosh Mr. Schu, I guess I can learn something about myself and do my Glee assignment" lead in, Finn singing while dribbling a basketball (Love him but he is not the Zefron) staring at Rachel, Santana and Brittney and then stalking Quinn down the hall. It was weird, and not good.

7. "Bohemian Rhapsody" Episode 22: Journey

I loved the song. I think it was a perfect fit for Jesse and Vocal Adrenaline at Regionals. But doing the WHOLE song? Not necessarily the most time effective idea. And splicing it in with Quinn's labor? Just BAD. Both scenes would have been great on their own, but they did not work together.

6. "No Air" Episode 7: Throwdown

Probably the only time I've been out and out bored during a number on Glee. And the wind blowing Finn and Rachel's hair as they walked down the hallway didn't help matters much.

5. "Pink Houses" Episode 18: Laryngitis

Again, it was kind of supposed to suck, and it was kind of funny. But just no.

4. "Tell Me Something Good" Episode 21: Funk

It was UNCOMFORTABLE and BAD and put pictures in my head that will NOT GO AWAY AND I WISH THEY WOULD!

3. "Poker Face" Episode 20: Theatricality

You have Lea Michele and Idina Menzel staring at eachother and they're singing an acoustic version of Lady Gaga? Really? That's where you went? And who would sing Lady Gaga with their mom? I mean, really?

2. "Last Name" Episode 5: The Rhodes Not Taken

I should have loved this number. It was Kristin Chenoweth singing Carrie Underwood. I should have loved this number. I didn't. Again, it was just awkward.

1. "This is a Man's World" Episode 21: Funk

OK, we get it. Quinn's pregnant. She's a good girl who made a mistake and got pregnant. We get it. Did she have to do pregnant ballet? It was weird. It would have really been enough to have her sing the song. As Artie put it, "This is just, inappropriate."

So, those are mine, anybody have any different opinions?

In a world where supernatural beings do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

So, here I am, two weeks later finally getting around to writing this review for New Moon on DVD.

Let me preface it by this. Obviously I watched the movie again. I did not enjoy the second viewing. I think the Buffy/Angel binge I went on over the past few months completely ruined Twilight for me. Which is why I'm waiting until after Eclipse comes out (in 18 days) to watch more of Buffy and or Angel. I want to enjoy the film version of my favorite book in the series.

It's just so frustrating to see them all do nothing but mope, but Taylor is still beautiful. So there's that.

Moving on to the special features. The extended scenes were worth the extra ten bucks for the special edition. They included more things from the book that I didn't even know I missed until I saw them, as well as more Emmett, which is nice. Because I love Emmett.

The cast interviews and red carpet were all pretty good, especially the ones with the wolfpack and the "Making of" documentary, which focused mostly on Christ Weitz and his special effects team was really good.

Overall though, I wouldn't suggest investing in the DVD unless you're a hardcore fan. Even more hardcore than me, because at this point, I'm really thinking I should have just rented it.

I'm back

Hi everyone! I know it's been forever since I updated, and I'm going to try to get back in the groove of updating in the next week or so. Just to explain my long absence, my life has changed a lot in the last few months.

I'm out of school. At least for a little while, I'm going back in the fall, but for now. No school. It's a long, complicated story, that if you want to know, I might tell you someday.

I have a full time job, that I love. It takes up a lot of my time, and it's in New York City, so between actual work and the commute I'm really tired at the end of the day, plus I don't always have time to analyze the way I used to, so I haven't been blogging.

But, I do have some things that I want to talk about, and so in the next week I should be writing them and getting those posts up!

1. I finally got the New Moon DVD, I got the Borders Exclusive 2 Disc Special edition. I'm still sifting through the special features (there are a lot of them on this version) before I get a full review done.

2. I'm in love with The Pacific. LOVE it. I'm going to wait until the series is over to really get into it, but I plan to deal with it.

3. I read the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series and OH MY GOD they're amazing. Again, I plan to extoll their virtues over time.

4. I'm into Idol, this season I think Crystal Bowersox is amazing but I think Lee DeWyze is going to win.

5. I'm mad at Gossip Girl, and unenthused by it. If things don't pick up soon, I'll keep watching but probably won't write about it.

6. GLEE IS BACK!

So over the next week I'll write about this stuff, or try to, just to get used to blogging again. If anyone's still reading, obviously!