This Monday's episode of Gossip Girl stirred up controversy when a menage-a-trois was featured--the act was last on a list of fifteen things to do before you graduate from college. Teasers for the episode had the Parent Television Council ("Because Our Children Are Watching") up in arms, calling airing the subject matter "reckless and irresponsible." The scene ended up being pretty tame, but is still making OMFG waves where parents are concerned. But is there a right way to watch it?
Glee, the show we either love or love to hate, depending on who you ask, is back tonight after a several-week hiatus. Are you going to tune in for the diverse cast and catchy dance numbers? Or has the misogyny and stereotyping of Glee danced its way out of your heart?
If you tuned into Dancing With The Stars last night, you got a real (feminist?) treat – and I'm not talking about Donny Osmond's Viennese Waltz. I'm talking about the cheesy cover of "Standing in the Way of Control" by feminist fave The Gossip!
The word bitch is a controversial one for many people. We love it (surprise!) but many find it to be problematic to say the least. Well, the folks at the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences must be bitch lovers because they awarded it an Emmy! Well, OK, they awarded a news segment on the word with the Emmy, but still! YAY bitch! And as an added bonus, Bitch contributor/blogger/friend Veronica Arreola is the segment expert! Check it:
As Sesame Street turns 40, the media is brimming with think pieces about the groundbreaking show. From its educational impact to its unprecedented portrayal of racially diverse urban life, the show changed the face of not just children's TV, but the medium of television in general.
There's a lot to talk about when we talk about Sesame Street, and people are doing just that. Time magazine postulated that Barack Obama is the first "Sesame Street president," writing that "The Obama presidency is a wholly American fusion of optimism, enterprise and earnestness — rather like the far-fetched proposal of 40 years ago to create a TV show that would prove that educational television need not be an oxymoron." (The show's creator, Joan Ganz Cooney, is happy to support this theory, saying "I like to think that we had something to do with Obama's election). NewsweekponderedSesame Street's global reach, reporting that among the world's Sesame-friendly regions are Kosovo and the Palestinian territories; the South African SS features an HIV-positive character. And New York magazine revealed that 75-year-old Carroll Spinney, who has played Big Bird for all 40 seasons, spends his days with one arm raised above his head, manipulating the puppet's eyes and beak and not even once grumbling that he could be playing shuffleboard on a Carnival cruise ship.
And then there are the videos -- like "Women Can Be," a hilarious feminist ode to the world of beyond-nurses-and-ballerinas careers that I was reminded of this morning, courtesy of my friend Tina. (Rita Moreno, voicing the surgeon, is especially awesome.)
This weekend saw the long-anticipated premiere of The Wanda Sykes Show, which airs Saturday nights on Fox. (That's right, this is my second post in a row regarding an out [and outstanding] lesbian performer on the Fox network.) Wanda Sykes made a strong debut with her usual style of laid-back indignation and smart-assed digs. It's no surprise that she's great in a talk-show format. What is surprising is how much she gets away with. Sykes did a sketch about eco-friendly sex toys. She spoke up for gay marriage. She ripped on Fox News. Wait, what network are we watching again?
Jane Lynch has been doing great comedy for a long time -- Best in Show, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Party Down, the list goes on and on. She may be an out lesbian with a decidedly butch demeanor, but her projects range from the L-Word to Two and a Half Men. Even if people don't know her name, everyone knows she was great in something they liked. And with Fox's Glee, Lynch has finally achieved the celebrity status she deserves. How? By suddenly being the funniest person on television.
If you've ignored your better judgement and checked out Secret Girlfriend on Comedy Central, then
you already know it's the worst show on television. The constant sexism and
occasional racism are big problems, but to find out what makes this show so
unwatchably bad, look no further than the description from ComedyCentral.com:
Based
on Atomicwedgietv.com's
groundbreaking comedy series of the same name, the show follows you, your
buddies and your multiple girlfriends as you deal with wild pool parties,
lesbian bars, Internet fame and more. Each episode is shot entirely from your
point of view and contains two back-to-back mini-sodes in which you navigate
the local nightlife, hang out with friends, and try and decide which girlfriend
to hang on to while keeping them from finding out about each other.
For the last several years, Dove has been busily branding itself as a socially conscious company on a mission to improve women's self-esteem. Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty strives " to free ourselves and the next generation from beauty stereotypes." This is supposedly done through thought-provoking ads, confidence-building programs, and messages that embrace all definitions of beauty (except for those that eschew using beauty products, I assume).
But Dove tested my patience
with "30 Rock Beauty Moments" at NBC.com, in which they insinuate themselves into the hilarious work of Tina Fey...
Fans of Bravo's Top Chef this season know there's been one "cheftestant" that everyone with a remote control and an appetite for snarkiness loooves to hate: Douche de la SemaineMike Isabella. And what's not to hate? Mike I. (not to be confused with Mike V., who is slightly less hate-able) is arrogant, sexist, annoying, loud-mouthed, and just not that funny. So, not to be left off of the "Mike Isabella is a Giant Ass" train, I am awarding him this week's Douchebag Decree.
Congratulations! You're a winner!
Read on for more, but beware: Spoiler (and Douche) Alert!