Some random bits

These two bits of celebrity gossip make me sad. I know it's stupid to feel badly when celebrity relationships go belly up, but it's too bad all the same.

I'm also sad to hear of the passing of Pavarotti. Check Lance's place for a video.

For another music clip, check out Josh Ritter's video for his new song, "The Temptation of Adam." This song *kills* me, as does this video. Nothing like a pre-apocalyptic love song. It works on so many levels. "If this was the cold war, we could keep each other warm... I didn't have to learn to love her, like I learned to love the bomb, she just came along and started to ignore me..." His new album is good (and rocking), but is lost some where in the wilds of my storage unit. Boo.

I feel like I'm getting a little sluggish and lazy at my parents'. I keep saying I'm going to get up and go on a bike ride, but it just isn't happening.

Last night, I watched a sneak peek of Tim Gunn's newest show on Bravo and was very disappointed. It's basically a re-hash of What Not To Wear, but with bigger names and labels and expensive things. I just don't think it works as well as WNTW. Don't get me wrong, I love Tim Gunn, but don't think this is working. Maybe I'll be wrong, but it's dull so far. At least Stacey and Clinton know how to throw around quips and can make a woman feel better about herself without a lifestyle coach. But Tim has access to big designers and freebies from Coach. Maybe Tim just shouldn't mingle with the normal people.

For more not-so-great-tv-but-we-watch-it-anyway, check newcritics tonight, where MA Peel will be hosting the live blogging of Mad Men. I still think that the writers just make the characters do the worst thing possible in every situation. Which I find to be lazy and uninteresting. Where's the nuance to that?

Fun part about being home? All of the old photos to paw through. Check out how cute I was at two.

Comments

[Lance Mannion]

You were a little sweety, no doubt about it.

[Jennifer]

"I know it's stupid to feel badly when celebrity relationships go belly up, but it's too bad all the same."

Claire- this post made me remember how sad I was when I had heard Sonny and Cher were divorcing. I know it's silly...

You were a cute little kid who grew into a beautiful woman. I can't believe how blonde your hair was!

[grasshopper]

So cute, Claire, and so you. Jennifer's right. That little beauty, who looks as if she's expecting something only she can deal with, is obviously you. She's blonder and smaller than you now, but the difference is superficial.

[blue girl]

Ok, first of all -- that picture of you is too cute! Love it.

Secondly, I had a thought today about Mad Men. Tell me what you think of this...

Last night, I found the scene and the exchange between the two gay men at dinner to be the best scene so far on any Mad Men episode. So, I wonder if the writer/writers are gay? They seemed to really *get* that scene -- where every single solitary flippin' scene between a man and woman on that show is so *off* -- so over the top with how "in control" the men are and how "dippity-do-dah" the women are (that is, if they're not 38DD's busting out of a bra and acting so "in control" that way.)

I don't know. Something about that scene just told me the writers are writing for THE WRONG SHOW.

Is it bad to think they're gay? I think they are and they've got real issues with male/female portrayals.

Whatever. I'm rambling. What do you think?

[blue girl]

I'm normally of the opinion that divorce is probably the best thing when it happens. It's too *big* of a thing to initiate unless there's a big problem there -- and life's too short.

That being said, you know which celebrity break up I'd *really* like to get the scoop about? Larry and Laurie David. I can only imagine how hard it would be to tolerate him, but how in the heck do I even know what I'm talking about? I don't. For some reason, I want to know the real deal there.

[Claire]

BG, I completely agree with you about that scene in Mad Men last night. And doesn't it go along with what some other people have been saying about how this is trying to emulate Cheever too much? That it's too much from the viewpoint of a closeted gay man? I still think the show sucks and that the creators are WAY to proud of themselves. I hate smug tv people. It's like, you're making a tv show. For the boob tube. C'mon. You're not writing a novel or doing brain surgery.

As for divorce, well, yes sometimes it is necessary. But in Hollywood it seems that people get divorced as soon as something hard comes up. Like Heath and Michelle. You know what? It's not easy having a small child. It strains your marriage. Be adults and work through it.

Thanks to everyone else for the nice words. I was totally fishing. Haha, I'm terrible.

[blue girl]

I guess it's blue girl hour in Claire's comment thread!

But, I have to clarify something I said above about the writers for Mad Men.

I'm not saying that all gay writers could not write about heterosexual relationships. But, I feel like *these* writers CAN'T AT ALL. And it's been driving me straight up a wall since the first episode. So, when I saw that scene last night and saw how nuanced it was, it just led me to believe that the writers have some sort of weird issue with men/women relationships and are taking it out on these characters.

I'm not sure whether the writers hate men or women more. To me, the portrayals are that bad. I just got the feeling it went beyond "bad writing" last night when I saw that scene.

Ok. Enough!

[blue girl]

Oops! Posted that last one before I saw yours. I'm glad you didn't think I was gay-bashing.

Yeah, Hollyweird marriages. Why do they even bother most times? It seems most don't take it seriously at all.

Hey, I could go on and on about my thoughts on staying married vs. getting divorced -- but, I think I've said enough over here today!

:)

[Claire]

Yay for the Blue Girl hour! :)