If Only CNN, MSNBC, and Fox Could Do This

Politician Jon Huntsman on the Colbert Report

Former GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman appeared on the Colbert Report yesterday, and the ex-Utah governor's willingness to address the real substance of what's wrong in American politics was refreshing.

In just a few short minutes, Huntsman manages to tackle the worst corruptors of the American political process (Super Pacs and the absence of term limits), as well as policy issues related to jobs, the national debt, and the economy.

Huntsman also showed his humorous side, quipping about the polygamist ancestor he shares with Mitt Romney and telling us what he really thinks of Romney - but doing so in Mandarin Chinese.

It's sad that (1) Americans don't elect more genuine and thoughtful leaders like Jon Huntsman to national political office and (2) Americans have to rely on Comedy Central to showcase the kind of useful and honest conversation we should be able to see on "real" news channels.

You can watch the clip of Huntsman on Colbert here.
(Just wait out the advertisement - it may play twice.)

Chehon's Inspired Solo on SYTYCD

With three weeks left in season nine of So You Think You Can Dance, only six dancers are left in the competition.

The three men and three women who remain on the show are immensely gifted dancers, but none is more talented than 23 year-old Chehon Wespi-Tschopp.

Chehon's story is an interesting one. Born in Chicago, Chehon (pronounced key-on) was adopted in early childhood by Swiss parents, who then moved their family to Australia and later to Switzerland.

With the support of his adopted family, Chehon left home in his early teens to pursue his passion for dance at the Royal Ballet School in London. Since graduating, he has become a professional dancer, performing for two seasons with the Los Angeles Ballet.

While he is low-key and humble and sometimes even awkward in on-camera interviews, Chehon is elegant and intense when he takes the stage to dance. In July, we posted a moving contemporary routine Chehon performed with his dance partner Witney, and since then he has continued to impress.

This week, it was a solo performance from Chehon that blew me away. Though his solo only lasted a minute or two, the young dancer was particularly inspired to pour everything into the performance, as his (adorable) mother Edith had flown in from Switzerland to see him dance.

With the fluidity, grace, and power of his movement, Chehon paints the stage like a canvas.

Movement That Moves Us - Chehon and Witney on SYTYCD

A couple of months back I shared an incredibly beautiful and pained solo dance performance by a very unusual dancer named Hampton Williams. Since then, I've faithfully watched So You Think You Can Dance each week on Fox, and waited patiently for that next great inspirational routine.

Last night's contemporary number choreographed by Stacey Tookey, and danced by Chehon Wespi-Tschopp and Witney Carson, was that piece. The routine was about love, or to be more precise about the end of love, and Chehon and Witney completely gave themselves over to it. 

The choreography perfectly captures the devastation and turbulence of disintegrating love, and the bodies of Chehon and Witney, like our own conflicted yearnings during those gut-wrenching moments of life, are simultaneously fused together and forced apart.

Dance = Art.

(The first minute is fun facts about the dancers. The routine starts around 1:18.)

 

Game of Thrones Puts Bush's Head On a Spike

Prop head of President GW Bush,
with medieval wig/hairdo.

If you watched season one of HBO's Game of Thrones, then you looked on in horror as the bastardly and scathingly cruel King Joffrey forced his bride-to-be to gaze upon the severed and staked head of her father.

What you probably didn't notice was the decapitated head of former President George W. Bush a few spikes over.

The shows creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, pointed out the appearance of the presidential prop on the commentary portion of the Game of Thrones DVD.

You can see the short clip here where the image of Bush's head makes its acting debut, and you'll hear Benioff deny any political motivation for the use of the former president's likeness. Explained Benioff, with so many beheaded characters in the episode, "we had to use what heads we had around." Riiiight.

Turn of Phrase - Neil Patrick Harris Outs Clint Eastwood on Colbert

Neil Patrick Harris appearing
on The Colbert Report

"Colbert: Who else in Hollywood is gay?

NPH: There's a couple. There's a few of 'em. Do you want names?

Colbert: Eastwood? Clint Eastwood?

NPH: Clint Eastwood, super gay. Super duper gay."

- From Neil Patrick Harris, in a recent appearance on The Colbert Report. NPH was promoting the upcoming telecast of the Tony Awards.

Other interview topics include making theater an Olympic sport and juggling your children. NPH and Colbert go together like gay peanut butter and straight jelly. Watch the clip below and just try not to love both these guys.

Dan Harmon Fired From NBC's Community

I have a confession to make. I have never watched a single episode of NBC's Community. Not even one. What's even worse? I've never even tried. I know, I know. I should watch, you're right. I just haven't.

I mean, I've heard about Community, and I have more than a few friends who are incredibly passionate about the show.

I read all about the sitcom's huge and loyal cult following, a cult which is apparently large and vocal enough to snatch the show from the jaws of cancellation. I know Community is hip and meta and parody, the cool kind of television that not everyone "gets." What's not to love, right?

But somehow, none of that has piqued my curiosity enough to give Community a shot. Nothing has, until today.

Today, I read that NBC has picked up the show for a fourth season, but that the network and Sony Pictures Television, which produces the show, sort of fired the show's (sometimes asshole-ish)  creator Dan Harmon. I say "sort of" fired, because apparently, they didn't actually fire Harmon, they just stopped calling him.

The network and Sony ended their relationship with the Harmon pretty much the same way sophomore boys break up with their girlfriends. You know how when a high school guy comes to the ambiguous conclusion that his current relationship is just "not working out," instead of having the balls to actually tell his girlfriend it's over, he just shuts down communication until the poor girl figures it out. Apparently, it works the same way in network television.

In response to the network's hasty "breakup" with him, Harmon wrote an incredibly funny and bitingly sarcastic blog post (read Harmon's rebuttal here). It's a pretty brilliant piece, and oddly enough, now that I've sampled his writing, I think I'm motivated to give Community a chance.

Of course, I'll start from the beginning and watch my way forward. I have no doubt the first three seasons, the episodes where Harmon's skilled hand guided the creative process, will be of significantly higher quality than the upcoming fourth season without him. Now that I think about it, maybe I'll watch those first three seasons on Netflix, and then just lose interest and walk away when the fourth season of Community starts on NBC next fall.

Jane Lynch Guest Hosting On Maddow Show

What do you call it when two lesbians appear on television to discuss politics? MSNBC. More specifically, The Rachel Maddow Show.

I wouldn't normally share a 10-minute video, but this clip was utterly enjoyable from start to finish. First, Lynch guest anchors the show's "Best New Thing In the World" segment (and does an admirable job), and then Maddow joins the set for a two-woman roundtable conversation about politics.

The discussion includes their reactions to President Obama's same-sex marriage announcement, the value of coming out, and the importance of never underestimating the dorky kids in high school.

The banter is so genuine and personal that it almost feels like you're spying on Maddow and Lynch enjoying a coffee together. All-in-all, a refreshing moment for 24-hour news channel programming.

News Anchors Blowing It On Air

I lost count of the number of times I gasped and chuckled watching this clip!

 There's nothing intentionally dirty in the video (these are newscasts after all), but if you're watching this at work, headphones might be a good idea.

SNL's Backstage With Gotye Parody

Since I raved about Gotye's music yesterday, including his hit single "Somebody That I Used To Know," I had to share this awesome digital short "parody" from last night's SNL. 

Gotye did a nice job with his cameo appearance, playing "straight man" to obsessed fans Andy Samberg and Taran Killam.

Best Mashup Ever - Walking Dead Mad Men

Cable networks have been working overtime to produce some unbelievably great weekly television series, many of which seem to air on Sunday nights in competing time slots. Sure, you can watch some when they are originally broadcast, and DVR the rest for later. Or, you can just combine them into one awesome megashow.

Best. Mashup. Ever.

Mad Men Is Back - It's Zou Bisou Bisou Time

Millions of people have been waiting a year and a half for new episodes of the series Mad Men to return to television. Last Sunday, the wait was over as AMC launched the show's new season with a 2-hour premiere.

With a plethora of complex characters working at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, all of whom lead complicated and disparate personal lives, the creators of Mad Men used the premiere episode primarily to catch us up on where we stand with the bounty of different story lines.

The most memorable scene from last week's season opener was undoubtedly the musical performance of a 60's French cocktail number by Don's new wife Megan at his surprise 40th birthday party.

Those of you who saw the episode last week are probably still humming "Zou Bisou Bisou" and visualizing Jessica Pare's mini-skirt clad song-and-dance seduction of her husband (hopefully, the video clip below will stop that ear worm once and for all - if you want it to, that is). For those of you who didn't see Mad Men last week..you're in for a treat.

HBO Kills Third Horse and Euthanizes "Luck"

A third horse has died on the set of the HBO original series Luck leading the network to cancel the underperforming television drama. Two horses were hurt and subsequently euthanized during filming of the first season of the horse-racing centered series, and now with filming of the second season underway, another of the star animals has been put down due to injury. Citing that "safety is paramount," HBO has pulled the plug completely on the project.

Considering that Luck is executive produced by David Milch, who also created and produced the critically acclaimed and moderately popular HBO series Deadwood, I had high hopes for the series.

Sadly, Luck fell far short of crafting the kind of compelling story lines and vibrant characters that populated Deadwood, and the series has been a major disappointment. Critics described Luck as "impenetrable" and "a drag," and based on its ratings struggle, the rest of the viewing world agrees.

If Luck had been a ratings blockbuster, rather than declining to barely half a million viewers weekly, I imagine HBO would have found a way to continue filming while keeping its animal actors safe. As it stands now though, putting the series down is probably better for viewers, and definitely better for horses.