Podcast Reviews

Posted on October 2, 2011 by michebel

I listen to a large amount of podcasts. From the beginning. I decided that I wanted to have my reviews for them posted on my page. So I’m going to do a bunch of them here, and update them as I listen.

DIGGNATION

OK, I’ve been watching Diggnation from the beginning, but I just started doing the reviews at 171. Sigh.

171. Hummer Kevin and Alex explore more Michelob beers. Do chicks dig leather couches? (This chick says yes.) Alex: “Being bent over one of these things? I don’t know.” This is a best-of-the-year Diggnation.

172. Live from London: Alex Proposes! “The Tuna Pocket.” So many people! Alex proposed, but off camera. Awww. Hippie Glen chugs a beer. Sheep chase Kevin, and Scoble takes pictures. How to pay down your credit card debt. Really incredible footage from the Dead Space game. “If you invested $1000 a year ago, you’d have (average) $21. If you bought $1000 in beer, and took the cans back for recycling money, you’d have $241.00.” Wow.

173. Shot Through the Glass Virgin in London offers a taxi/limo service on motorcycles. Looks very cool. They also have a tour of Virgin in London. Very cool conference rooms. Kevin and Alex have a bizarre idea for an iPhone app for your cat. Really awesome site: www.macrumors.com. Click on the Buyer’s Guide, to see when the latest one was released, and when the next one might come out. Fabulous info! Kevin and Alex have a difference of opinion about Krispy Kreme (Alex is right). All about eyebrow threading and Rachel Ray. Rachel Ray and corn. Oh my! Alex: “Pound away, my friend, just don’t get caught on tape doing it.” Kevin is cancelling his cable, and just doing Netflix and Hulu. RE: Internet fame Kevin: “Everybody’s got to have their own little thing.” Prager’s Borg bear. Kevin: “You’d have to be blazing hot in order for me to do that.” Fabulous footage of driving around London. More on the wonderful Virgin offices. The candy dispenser! Kevin (in the “Love” room): “I guarantee people have thrown down in this room.” The poster of Virgin history is phenomenal.

174. Alex’s Halloween Arachnophobia Um… Kevin and Alex are wearing hats. Cutbacks at Revision 3. Kevin has a new MacBook (unrelated). It’s beautiful. Even Alex likes it. Alex: “Do you think aliens exist?” Kevin: “Sure. To rule them out would be foolish.” Hippie Glenn: “I’ve met ‘em.” By this point in the show, these hats make them look hot. Time Warner vs. ATT Uverse. Alex is a bit afraid of spiders. “Pragerpedia.” Watch how red Alex gets when he accidentally says a bad word in the GoDaddy ad. hehe

175. No Shoes First time Kevin and Alex wear no shoes on the podcast (Alex barefoot, Kevin with socks). Kevin thinks that Star Wars MMORPGs shouldn’t focus on killing, but on working things out mentally (since that’s what Jedis do). “You wanna have the Jedis that are meditating, and expanding their mind with tea,” Alex. “It’s not about leveling up by killing things,” Kevin. They don’t know who won the presidential election yet. Kevin does’t wanna group with people. He wants to be a “lone wolf.” Kevin is astonished that the US Army thinks “Twitter is a terrorist tool.” Kevin is astonished that among the people to fear, the US Army adds “vegetarians.” Kevin’s pretty drunk. Hippie Glen messes with the audio, cause he’s a radical vegetarian. Kevin enlightens the Army about “voice-changing technology.” Alex and Kevin talk about whether or not the government is behind the times. They applaud DARPA and some other agencies that are ahead of the times. “I’m not a terrorist, just because we have followers.” They want to go back to Japan. Alex: “I’m gonna kill you, eat your face, and then snowboard.” (About being a vampire at Mammouth.) Kevin and Alex discuss whether or not AIDS would affect vampires. “They’re not even alive!” says Alex. “Blood transfusions are no joke,” Kevin. Whether or not a leather couch would be good for sex. “This is the best email we’ve ever got,” Alex. “It’s gonna be good. Who cares if you get a little sweaty and sticky?” Kevin.

KEITH & THE GIRL

BEST SHOWS (early variety)
1. The Pat O’Brien Phone Sex Tapes
2. Jeff the Jerkoff
3. Customer Service
4. Show No. 1

WORST SHOWS (don’t listen)
1. Marriage and Hookers
2. Scams & Horrors
3. Bartleby the Scrivener

22. Mitch Hedberg, Hippies and the Pope I was just thinking how swoony (and in love) Chemda sounds when talking about Keith in this ep. Then, the next one…

23. Pay Your Fuckin Tab Keith takes another girl on a date (which he says isn’t a date, but he pays for the movie and dinner. And he takes her to see Sin City.). Did anyone tell Chemda about how much SEX is in this movie? He keeps saying that “she wouldn’t have liked it,” but I’d be PISSED if my boyfriend took some other girl to this movie… Hm. I think this ep is the beginning of the end (of their relationship, anyway). And, I think this girl blew him, and he’s lying about it. Also, how Keith & Chemda met. Some other crap about people not paying a tab. Further crap about Michael Jackson. All the car crashes by Keith and Chemda’s. Keith: “It’s always worth it to punch someone.” K & C don’t get excited about going to see Jane Fonda and Bloc Party, since they are missing Greg Giraldo and Bruce Willis. Chemda thinks they put the pretty people in front at talk shows. Keith thinks Terri Hatcher is hot, cause “she’s skinny.” Also thinks Rene Russo is hot. Keith gets kicked out of The Late Show with David Letterman. “That’s why I want to be famous, and be on Letterman.” Some Greg Giraldo comedy. FOUR STARS and major gaping mouth action

24. I’ll Find You, John Petrie Peter Jennings is dying. More on Terry Schiavo. The Michael Jackson trial. Keith gets irate about someone stealing some of his stuff. About how drug addicts love to talk about others, say Keith and Chemda about people they lived with. Bums who sell “camcorders.” Keith: “Remember crack is fucking awesome.” THREE STARS

25. The Relationship Hour Keith and Chemda see Farrah Fawcett at the Late Late Show with David Letterman. Keith: “[Farrah Fawcett and Anna Nicole] should have a crazy-off. My money’s on Farrah Fawcett.” Black albinos. How Chemda hit on Keith. They both hated their first kiss. And had sex on their first date. Chemda: “That’s a big thing with Keith. Do not be cunty to the waiter.” Chemda: “There’s a lot of Ews in this one, and I don’t like it.” K & C talk about getting married. THREE STARS

26. Oy to the Vey Crank calls. Useless for other people. Boring as crap. In-depth Jewishness. Keith’s dad is a bad tipper. Keith’s dad’s jobs. Hasidic Jews leave their hats on in strip clubs. Lameness. Some more anti-Jewness. ONE STAR

27. Then Stop Acting Like Your Stereotype Keith gets hateful email about the last racist show. Chemda defends her Jewishness “coming from love.” This week’s racist group to mock? “Indians.” (Dot Indians) Keith does a party for Indians. They are a bit reserved. Chemda has tooth problems. TWO STARS

28. How to Get Pregnant Chemda’s ordeals at the gyno and the dentist. Clown agent rondelle. Getting pregnant from basketball player’s blowjob sperm. Tricks to get pregnant. KATG’s problems with audio. THREE STARS

KEVIN POLLAK’S CHAT SHOW
(I’ll go back and write up my reviews for the early shows at some point.)

1. Paget Brewster. Great interview out of the gate. Wise, funny, so watchable. She talks about how she and Jon Hamm used to be “pilot killers.” FOUR STARS
1. part 2. Elon Motors guy.
2. part 1.
2. part 2.
3. part 1.
3. part 2.
4. part 1.
4. part 2.
5. part 1.
5. part 2.
6. part 1.
6. part 2.

7. part 1. Matthew Perry. Need we say more? This was one of the best KPCS podcasts ever. FOUR STARS
7. part 2. more Matthew Perry. He’s awesome. FOUR STARS
8. part 1. Curt Smith. From Tears for Fears. He wrote a song for Kevin’s show. TWO STARS
8. part 2. Felicia Day. She is wonderful. She talks about Dr. Horrible, and how she made The Guild herself. FOUR STARS
9. part 1. ??
9. part 2. Josh Malina. TWO STARS
10. part 1. Adam Carolla. TWO STARS
10. part 2. Dana Carvey. Fun stuff. Kevin and Dana knew each other back in the day, starting out in standup comedy. A treasure trove of memories. Carvey seems to have difficulty talking about himself. FOUR STARS
11. part 1. Nia Vardalos. How she got “Big Fat Greek Weddng” made. Possibly the best Larry King Game ever. THREE STARS
11. part 2. Ileana Douglas. Much more entertaining than I thought it would be. She knows/knew a lot of people. On making “Action.” THREE STARS
12. Dan Finnerty. He explains “The Dan Show,” and what it’s like to be married to Kathy Najimy. THREE STARS
13. Kevin Smith. Can this man talk? Um, YES, he can. I unsubscribed from “Smodcast” and “Hollywood Babble On” after watching (er, suffering through) this podcast. ZERO STARS
14. Mike Binder. About the movies he’s made, being a director, his new restaurant. THREE STARS
15. Nick Swardson. Eh. He works with Adam Sandler, and does comedy. TWO STARS
16. Jason Lee. Hear all about how Jason used to be a skateboarder before he started acting. Through the whole interview, he never seems really sure why he’s there. TWO STARS
17. Craig Bierko. Bierko gets all hot and sweaty. Talks about his Broadway chops, and how he never really understood what the hell David E. Kelley was having him say on Boston Legal. THREE STARS
18. Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer. I found this extremely annoying as an episode, but people who like their comedy, or people who salivate over improvers finishing each other’s sentences will salivate over this ep. ZERO STARS
19, part 1. Samm Levine. The guest was supposed to be a director, but since Inglorious Basterds just opened, Samm is a convenient choice, and the first ever repeat guest. ONE STAR (for the lame masturbatory vibe)
19, part 2. Steve Agee. Yawn. Steve is BIG. Kevin is not. Fun topic of convo. Not. NO STARS
20. Hank Azaria. They talk poker. They talk voiceover acting. They talk Huff. Good good stuff here. FOUR STARS
21. Seth McFarlane. McFarlane talks about going to the Rhode Island School of Design, working for Disney, and how the mega show Family Guy was saved by the fans. FOUR STARS
22. Rob Corddry. About being a writer on the Daily Show. TWO STARS
23. Michael Gladis and Rich Sommer (from Mad Men). Jon Hamm is not the only hottie from this show. They talk about the early days, the “unicorn” dilemma, how Michael had to audition again after his contract had been signed. And how great it is to work on this show. FOUR STARS
24, part 1. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Stick to comedians, Kev. Wow, does this slow down to molasses! Singers, not his specialty. Struggling with success. What it’s like to win an Oscar. How Glen met Van Morrison. Singing at Eunice Kennedy’s funeral. No mention of: “Are you a couple? Are you not? What’s up with that?” TWO STARS
24, part 2. Jane Campion. Her intro to Cannes. On her filmmaking process. Kevin and Jane on the joy of writing. Jane: “Everybody is extraordinary.” The power of discovering Keats and Fanny’s love letters. “Who wants to tell stories about poets?” Finding the right actors for a role. Shockingly, she likes Bruno and Borat. THREE STARS
25. Kevin Nealon. Nealon’s been wiretapped. Starting as a bartender at comedy clubs. If Kevin Nealon did impressions, he’d do John Malkovich and John Lithgow. How he got the SNL gig. The madness of SNL. His standup special. His book. Blah blah. Nealon about being on Twitter: “I’m always kidding around.” RE autoasphyxiation: “If someone broke into my house, and was strangling me anyway, I might try it.” TWO STARS
26. Lisa Loeb. Kev likes Zombieland. Lisa is with child. She has a Camp Lisa CD. All about Liz and Lisa. Kids stuff. The national anthem vs. “God Bless America.” Pretty boring. Get some Fage yogurt. Pollak: “We’re foodies too.” The intro of “Oprah, Miley, Demi.” Please make it go away. Explaining her recipe Tweets, and how to find them. Talking about how fun it is to sit home and watch TV was the highlight of this ep. You get the idea. Explaining what cale is. You’re rushing to watch this now, aren’t you? Worst outfit ever. (Did anyone tell her it’s a black background?) Keep hearing someone whispering in the background. They must be bored too. She’s making a line of glasses. Cat cafes in Japan. ONE STAR
27, part 1. Eddie Izzard. Kevin loves Canada. Sammy flips off fans. Please stop these guests from wearing black!! Rewatching Chaplin “in the venue it was designed for.” Does comedy age? The Edinburgh Festival as a career path. How “Stomp” influenced him. Going from being a street performer to a stand-up situation. “Your confidence keeps building. Eventually the material catches up with your confidence.” Ancien Regime vs. meritocracy. “Study the Battle of Austerlitz, if you want a comedy career.” How getting NY to buy into a “straight transvestite” would help the whole rest of the country cave to his brilliance. Eric Idle about Izzard: “You’re doing the stand-up version of Python.” How standup is more respected in Britain. How Brits, Mexicans and aliens would all be classified as “aliens” by the US government. A health-care discussion. “How hard did you have to fight to get rid of slavery?” On being a transvestite. On doing international standup and learning the languages. Whether God exists. Dissecting Hitler’s rise. Going from drama to comedy. TV vs. stand-up. On Jack Nicholson’s progress as an actor. “Thinks like an American.” “In the 1700s, I would’ve been on that boat.” Whether or not we landed on the moon. Doing marathons. About Ricky Gervais and Steve Martin. About ending war, starting with the E.U. Seeing the crew in drag. My eyes!!! FOUR STARS

MACBREAK WEEKLY
88. Drobotized Leo, Scott, Alex and Andy discuss the technology of the Drobo, how people don’t recognize how powerful the Drobo is. “You’re buying a rack for $500.” Movin to the cloud.

THE NERDIST
1. Tom Lennon. Annoying only because all the nerds keep butting in. ONE STAR cause it’s the first show.

2. Drew Carey. Drew talks about his secret life in Second Life. FOUR STARS

3. Adam Carolla. Adam really really really doesn’t like Sid and Marty Kroft. He really doesn’t. THREE STARS

4. Rob Huebel. Eh. TWO STARS

5. Jon Hamm. Hear one of the sexiest men on the planet swear like a banshee. Then Jon does too. FOUR STARS

6. Joel McHale. Drop into the time machine 50 years, when Chris and Joel are still doing versions of the Soup (Web and straight-up). TWO STARS

7. Andy Richter. This was taped pretty much right after the Conan debacle, before the new show started. Bitter? Him bitter? Oh, and you learn why Hispanics like Morrissey (according to Richter). Dissecting Lady Gaga. Nose fucking with Andy Richter. How fetishes begin. Richter: “I don’t need a hairbrush in my ass.” Hardwick: “Kubrickian sex club where people are nose fucking each other.” Fat stories from the set of “Arrested Development.” How Andy and Conan first met. TWO STARS

WTF with Marc Maron

1. Jeff Ross
2. Jim Earl/Matt
3. Patton Oswalt
4. David Feldman
5. John Oliver/
6. David Cross
7. Nick Griffin
8. Caroline Rhea
9. Jim Gaffigan
10. Sam Lipsyte
11. Todd Barry/
12. Nick Kroll
13. Jerry Stahl/
14. Steve Agee/
15. LIVE
16. Eugene Mirm…
17. Listener Email
18. Al Madrigal
19. Jack Boulwa
20. Zach Galifanakis
21. New Mexico…
22. Doug Stanhope
23. Wyatt Cenac
24. LIVE at UCB
25. Janeane Garafolo
26. Jen Kirkman
27. Jon Benjamin
28. Eddie Brill/
29. Andy Kindler
30. Kyle Kinane
31. Steve Ranna
32. Todd Glass/
33. Sarah Silverman
34. Dana DeArmond
35. Dave Pullano
36. Howard Kremer
37. Bill Burr
38. Matt Braugher
39. Chelsea Peretti
40. Dave Attell
41. Jimmy Pardo
42. Seattle Roadtrip
43. Antonia Cran…
44. John Caparulo
45. Matt Walsh/
46. W. Kamau Bell/
47. Margaret Cho
48. Brendon Small
49. Kumail Nanji
50. LIVE: Ladies Night from UCB
51. Glenn Wool
52. James Wolcott
53. All-Star Super…
54. Vegas/Ron…
55. Rob Delaney
56. Scotland/Do…
57. Jon Dore/Gr…
58. El Chupacabra/
59. Robert Hawkins
60. Bob Odenkirk
61. Dave Hill
62. Myq Kaplan/
63. Jim Short/
64. Road Trip with Eddie
65. Scott Aukerman
66. Brendon Burns
67. Robin Williams
68. Steven Pearl
69. LIVE in Portland
70. Dave Anthony
71. David Wain/
72. Maria Bamford
73. Jim Norton
74. Tracy McMilan
75. Carlos Mencia**
76. Willie Barcen…
77. Moshe Kash…
78. Dylan Brody
79. Ben Stiller
80. Ireland
81. Tig Notaro
82. The Sklar Brothers
83. Jim Jeffries
84. Marga Gomez
85. Dane Cook/
86. Bring the Rock
87. Daniel Handler
88. Nick Swardson
89. Andy Richter
90. Joe Wagner/
91. Matt Besser/
92. Paul Provenza
93. Dana Gould
94. Mike Birbiglia*
95. Patrice O’Neal
96. Judah Friedlander
97. Moshe Kasher
98. Stewart Lee
99. London
100. Episode 100
101. Natasha Legero…
102. Jimmy Pardo
103. Judd Apatow, part 1**
104. Judd Apatow, part 2**
105. Thomas Lennon
106. Whitney Cummings
107. Patton Oswalt
108. Jesse Thorn
109. Bob Saget

You can get previous episodes if you get his iTunes app and buy them (sorta). You can also buy live eps at his store. I like the live eps WAY less, for the record. But for those who want COMEDY from a comedy podcast, these are the way to go.

110. LIVE David Cross, Michael Showalter, et al. Eh.

Remembrance: Robert Schimmel and Greg Giraldo So sad, but so poignant. A remembrance by a friend. Beautifully done. FOUR STARS

111. Louis CK, part 1. Louis talks about his early days, and gets emotional at the birth of his daughter. Poignant and real. A keeper. FOUR STARS

112. Louis CK, part 2. Friends talk, friends make up, friends vow to keep in touch. And Louis CK talks about his current projects. And the reason he writes, edits, acts, directs them. FOUR STARS

113. Ray Romano and Mike Royce. The interesting thing to me about this ep is what you can do on cable that you can’t do on network TV. How gambling is a current in Romano’s life that is now reflected in his Men of a Certain Age character. THREE STARS

114. Jonathan Ames Novelist who talks about some Spaulding Gray revelations. Wrestling with a Mangina. The most emotionally detached guest so far. Ames: “I wanna hide. I don’t wanna put myself out there anymore.” He writes for Bored to Death. Ames: “We’re middle class clowns with the luxury of trying to figure their brains out.” Ames: “I tend to be more oral.” God bless the men who love cunnilingus. Some boxing stuff. Ames: “That is our job. To make people laugh, to feel a little less alone.” Some talk about Bored to Death. Ames: “People don’t really pay attention too much to other people.” TWO STARS

115. LIVE at the Vancouver Comedy Fest. Racist comedy. Oh fun. A deep discussion of the “N” word. Giving someone pudding. Unrated.

116. Sarah Silverman Marc is in Dallas. He marvels at the “Texas fat.” “Death of a Salesman” according to Maron. The plethora of Christian radio in Texas. He ponders what George W. Bush is doing right now. Maybe dropping by? There are pineapples on the comforter. Talking with Sarah Silverman from her Beverly Hills apartment. “I’m not for everyone.” On doing commercials. “I’m hated more than loved.” They look at her book, that Marc is in. How Sarah’s dad looks a lot like some of her boyfriends. “Fuck the comedian until you get funny.” Whether or not she was the defining moment in Dave Atell’s career. About her show cancellation. Sarah’s rabbi sister. Sarah’s never been to Israel. “I’d rather watch Law and Order at home.” About whether or not they want to have kids. “Get kids at the shelter. There’s way more kids at the shelter than dogs.” About letting a joke evolve over a year. “Book people are buffoons, just like Hollywood.” “Remember when we had a band? Me, you, Todd and Louie? For like a day?” TWO STARS

117. Ira Glass Originally scheduled to be a doctor, Ira Glass found NPR and radio. Yet, he marvels at Marc’s ability to be emotionally honest on the mic, as much as Marc marvels at Ira’s “singular voice.” Marc talks about how talking into a mic allows one to be more honest than on a stand-up stage. MM: “A lot of my struggles (on mic) is me becoming a better person. It’s an experiment in humility.” Ira: “A story is always an answer to the question, ‘How should I live my life?’ …And that’s the structure of the podcast.” MM: “By my natural intensity, (I frighten people).” Ira: “Some stories are not inherently interesting.” Marc’s “This American Life” story. Ira: “Most radio stories work best, if where they lead you to is some thought you have about the world.” On being self-involved. MM: “When we are talking to another individual, if we are listening, we are not self-involved.” FOUR STARS

***********************************

Survivor Has Found God… and Social Media

Posted on September 22, 2011 by michebel

When people talk these days about reality TV, the images of Snooki making out with a girl (both drunk), or loud housewives screaming at each other in restaurants probably come to mind. But quietly, oh so quietly, the show that started it all is taking this whole concept in another direction.

Let’s for a minute revisit the old direction. Survivor started out eons ago now, with conniving, back-stabbing Richard Hatch winning its first season (you remember him, he later ended up in jail for tax evasion). Throughout its seasons, it has pretty much been thus, too. Lying, cheating, backstabbing, blindsiding people who trust you. That’s how you win.

But its strength, right from that very first episode, has been in listening. In letting people do what they do, and letting things happen. That first outburst by Sue at Tribal Council still gives me chills if I think about it. People are funny, and people will surprise you.

That is really what has kept Survivor at the top of its game all these years, and is, frankly, why Jeff Probst keeps scooping up those Emmys every year (well-deserved). They let people do their thing and they capture it on camera.

But something really significant happened last season. While there had been many backstabbing moments captured on film, this was different. These last couple of seasons of Survivor have added a new wrinkle called Redemption Island. Where you aren’t voted out immediately, you kind of go to a holding area, to fight one last battle for your survival.

The brilliant thing about this new thing is that the Survivors who get sent there are pretty much removed from all the pre-planned and produced hoopla going on with the others. They are pretty much on their own, for days or weeks sometimes.

Matt was the contestant who changed the path of Survivor. You see, Matt believed in God. Strongly. And you’d see him on Redemption Island, getting spiritual, connecting with God, then winning all these challenges. Survivor producers may not have originally planned it that way, but it turned out to be great TV.

Sometimes competitors would get to hang out for a bit, before they had to do battle. Such a thing happened with Matt and an opponent from the opposite team. They were on opposing teams on Survivor, but in the team of religion, they were on the same side. They shared Bible verses with each other, and prayed before their battle.

And here was the moment, as stunning a Survivor moment as that first outburst by Sue when she described Richard as a rat. One competitor on Redemption Island lost. Matt was left behind to fight another later. As the competitor left, he turned and gave his Bible to Matt. “You need it more than me right now,” he said. It was stunning, heart-wrenching. Poignant. Real.

Ratings gold.

And also, brought up a whole new question, one which had been bounced around, in some contestants here or there through the seasons, but usually played down. What if there was a different kind of Survivor? What if you picked people who had a very strong faith, of whatever kind? People who might play Survivor with integrity instead of the old, played-out backstabbing mold? What if you quietly, but surely, looked at the various contestants to see how they make it through their days? What types of prayers do they share? When do they call on God, and how?

And most importantly, is the structure of Survivor such that you cannot win without cheating, lying and back-stabbing? It is, after all these seasons, a thrilling question. A compelling spin on an old game.

We are two episodes into this new season of Survivor: South Pacific. Another recent new wrinkle: contestants from past seasons are brought back. Last season, two “villains” returned: Rob Mariano (who ended up winning) and Russell Hantz (possibly the most hated and evil manipulative player ever). This season, a new direction. The two brought back were known for their spirituality.

Cheerful loving Ozzy, and “Coach,” who was primarily known for meditating and doing yoga on the beach. Right out of the gate, both are molding their teams, not through sneaky manipulation (lying to this one or that), but by trying to function through integrity. Being truthful to their tribemates.

In a really bizarre wrinkle (it’s almost like a parallel-universe Survivor), evil Russell Hantz’s nephew is on the show. Except, he’s the exact opposite. He quotes Bible verse, and gets so troubled when he tells a lie that he has to blurt out the truth, sometimes at very inopportune moments. He is physically struggling with lust in Ep. 2. He endeavors to get the object of his lust booted out, since “I’m a married man. I can’t have her around.” It’s fascinating.

There are hints that in the next episode, he’s struggling with the good and bad sides of his nature.

And it’s not just these three. Ozzy, whom contestant Dawn had called “Bob Marley” just a bit earlier for his free spirit, calms Dawn down when she freaks out a bit, after realizing the tough conditions of actual Survivor. Jeff Probst (whom I take for a very spiritual man himself) always says that Survivor will “kick your ass.” Sometimes it takes awhile to see this, as contestants get emaciated and pass out, or quit. Sometimes it shows up right away.

Dawn, whom I love, cause I can relate to her so much, seems very tightly wound. Very much in control in her normal life. Suddenly in an out-of-control situation. You can imagine. But there, in a deeply spiritual moment, Ozzy the veteran, stops what he’s doing, to counsel Dawn. Tells her (what is obvious to us) that she’s “got what it takes.” (I think she’s got what it takes to win, too.)

And really, the truth of Survivor always has been that you have to push yourself to limits you didn’t know you could get through. There was a moment last season, where two tough talking chickies pulled all sorts of shenanigans, but one week of solid rain brought them to their knees. They both quit.

Since then, new rules have been put into place about the whole quitting thing. It was a Survivor disgrace. To say nothing of the thievery and pushing down people with one leg. It got very nasty. Maybe this is a karmic way for Survivor to get its good mojo back.

Other cast members have their own methods of religion or connection with the Universe. One calls upon her Native American roots, and prays to their gods. Another, a gay policeman, talks about how now he “has nothing to lose.” Each, in their own way, seems to be on a spiritual quest of some kind.

Of course, TV is about conflict, so amidst all these do-gooders, you have to have some evil. We have a poker playing pot seller (medical), a scheming selfish shrewish woman (who’s already been voted out), and maybe a couple of others. But it really looks like this season, the good guys are going to win. Or at least those connected to God. You really should watch.

********************

In other Survivor news, host Jeff Probst continues to push the envelope with social media. Last season, he simultaneously Tweeted to first the East Coast, then the West Coast, as each’s episode aired. It was wonderful. So far this time, he is only Tweeting for one show, but he’s also adding an element called “Tout,” where he can post video segments (answering fan questions during the commercials). It is the most effective use of social media from any show I’ve seen on TV. Great way to get the fans involved–and watching in real time.

All great reasons to tune in to Survivor: South Pacific. It’s going to be a good season, God told me so.

“Social Network” prism as multifaceted as Zuckerberg himself

Posted on October 3, 2010 by michebel

Two things are the most fascinating after watching “The Social Network,” easily the most fascinating movie of this year. One: most of the people involved with making this movie don’t have a Facebook page themselves.

Two: People can see the exact same movie and come away with totally different viewpoints on who did what. Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter, wasn’t kidding when he likened this movie to “Rashomon.” It is an incredible script, one that is sure to garner Sorkin a long-overdue Oscar. It is as easy to understand if you are a longtime Facebook user, or never even looked at Facebook in your life.

It is a machination of plot, spinning around the transcripts of real court cases. Friend against friend, classmate against classmate. And yet, it speaks to the quintessential question of our techie age: how can we create a cool app/product/website that everyone is going to love and use and make us rich in the process?

What a strange dichotomy that someone who seems to have such difficulty making friends creates the most social product out there.

My friend viewed this movie and came away with an image of Mark Zuckerberg as a “manipulative asshole.” I saw the same movie and saw, finally, the whole story laid in front of me. Saw how Zuckerberg pretty much had to do what he did. I don’t fault him at all, and I was rooting for him. In fact, in finally paying the amounts in question, he did right by his friends. Saverin is back on the Facebook masthead. All is now right with the world.

And just to be safe, he donated to some New Jersey schools on the day the movie opened. No, I see Zuckerberg as a good guy here.

Incredible director David Fincher also excels. The movie is stunningly shot. Harvard has never looked so good. Jesse Eisenberg, in the lead, does a fantastic job of walking us through the story. His best friend, Eduardo Saverin, played by the new Spiderman, Andrew Garfield, really makes you feel the pain he’s going through. Justin Timberlake is just perfect as Sean Parker, creator of Napster.

It’s like a multi-faceted prism. You can see each side clearly, as well as how they are all battling to be most beautiful, or in this case, most right. Wars of class and culture come into play. And out of all this morass, we have the incredible Facebook.

If there is anything faulting this movie it is Sorkin’s lack of knowledge about Facebook. And the fact that really, its key battle: the privacy wars, was completely neglected in this story. Maybe they are saving that for “Social Network 2: Privacy.” I can only hope they have someone who really knows the Internet writing about it this time.

Cause here’s the thing. Nora Ephron got it wrong too, when she wrote the almost instantly dated, “You’ve Got Mail.” It’s different when you live here. When you live on Facebook, online, on Twitter. There are nuances and details that it’s obvious this writer, though brilliant, missed though he combed through mounds of testimony and facts, and got an incredible story fashioned out of it. He missed the heartbeat of Facebook.

This is Facebook basically from the genesis of the idea until it starts branching out into other countries. Then the storyline drops the Facebook part, and focuses on Zuckerberg battling the court cases. By which time, he’s already a billionaire. You’re just not really sure why, if you aren’t already on Facebook.

I can just imagine the Twitter movie. Sigh. I heard Craig Ferguson (who used to mock Twitter himself until he actually got on it and used it) talking to two celebrities this week (on the same show). Both celebrities used the tired old canards: “why would anyone care that I’m getting a haircut? or eating a sandwich? or blah blah blah…” Obviously, they don’t get it. It’s like that with this Facebook movie too.

And, I’m sad to say, that’s what keeps it, for me, anyway, from being one of the best movies ever. It’s like Sorkin was so busy making all the partners dance that he kinda forgot what the party was there for. I’ll bet, if you asked him right now, he couldn’t even explain why Facebook’s growth was so incredible (and continues) and MySpace got huge and stopped growing. That’s pretty key to this story, and would’ve served him well as a screenwriter.

So much of the story is built around the “college campuses” idea, it doesn’t even really branch out into when other people besides colleges started using it. Or why. Why moms and grandmoms are suddenly on it. There is really a deep rich story there, too.

But for now, if we want the Facebook genesis story, this is it. I think it’s a wonderful film. I think it’s going to win the Best Picture Oscar and an Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Aaron Sorkin, and it’s deserved. Go see it!

Why I Continue to Watch Reality Shows, Or You Can’t Fight the Future

Posted on May 28, 2010 by michebel

When the first season of Survivor (the very first reality show) started, my friends here in Hollywood who write shows for a living loudly proclaimed that reality shows were taking dollars out of the writers’ pockets, and therefore, they (insert footstomp here) were not watching them! Surprisingly, many of them still have this attitude (in Survivor’s 20th season).

This week, I read an article which stated that MILLIONS of people who lost their jobs in this economic crisis were just simply never getting them back. These two items are related.

Simply put, the world is changing. You have two choices: Change with it, or die. Seriously.

You can say all day long that scripted television is better than reality television (and I would agree with that), but that won’t make the networks stop putting cheaper programming in place of it. All writers everywhere can stop watching it, but does that make American Idol less successful? No, it just makes those writers out of touch.

People can argue about how pervasive the Internet is, and how really, they still love to curl up with their favorite newspaper on Sundays, but is that going to stop the iPad from becoming a dominant way to read books or what used to be printed content? No.

So you can stomp your feet and cling to your mainstream media and outdated jobs, or you can evolve and evolve now. The Internet is where it’s at, folks, like it or not. People want media that’s better, faster and on their phone. Whatever that is, and whoever provides it.

As much as big media hates this reality, people can find just as much enjoyment (you heard me, I said JUST as much) from a YouTube video of a cat playing with yarn, or a podcast created in someone’s garage, as with whatever the Big Media is pumping at us currently.

Face it, principled writers: Dancing with the Stars is glitzy and glamourous and fun to watch. Survivor has some of the best location shooting and underwater photography on television. The Amazing Race travels all over the world, so you see cultures you’d never otherwise see. Every hugely popular reality show has good points.

This is our world now. Computerized, mechanized, at your fingertips 24/7. That is our entertainment. Those are our jobs. Come and get ‘em. Or at least, quit your bitching about it. It’s not going away.

Kanye’s Stunt Was Staged, Or Who Are We Kidding, WME?

Posted on September 18, 2009 by michebel

Let’s look at the facts for a minute here.

Kanye West gets up on stage and interrupts an acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards by Taylor Swift.

The audience boos, the country is in an uproar (it’s all Twitter can talk about for awhile). There are rumors of him “being drunk” (as if that makes it ok or understandable).

The next day, everyone apologizes to everyone, and we go on.

Except this. It was fake. And here’s why.

Jay Leno, whom NBC is banking a heck of a lot on with his new 10 pm gig, just happens to have his first show right after the VMAs. Funny. His guest is Kanye West. Huge ratings.

Two days later, Taylor Swift is on The View, also talking about the VMA debacle. Also huge ratings.

Except this. BOTH guests were booked prior to the VMAs.

And, further, both guests are clients of agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment. Coincidence? I think not.

Remember that Bruno/Eminem debacle, which later turned out to be staged? Both of them, also clients of WME.

Now here’s the thing.

Do these people actually think this kind of media manipulation works? Obviously they do. They did it with Bruno/Eminem and came back for more for the VMAs.

They don’t, apparently, realize that we are in a different age now. The age of transparency. Where a person is accountable for their actions. Further, where things can be checked with a few keystrokes.

The end result of all of this, to my eyes, is that everyone looks bad.

Eminem. Bruno. Kanye. Taylor Swift.

But most especially the charlatans at William Morris Endeavor, who use these old school tricks when we are in new times. Shame on you!