tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54400199630141825782025-11-22T02:21:27.323-05:00Notes from the AsylumWatercooler observations on pop culture, news & politics fueled by lots of caffeineMeredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.comBlogger1023125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-30438714108797181672013-05-01T10:06:00.001-04:002013-05-01T10:54:47.568-04:00Where the Heck Have I Been?
Mad Men has started its strange new late-60s season while The Good Wife concluded its fourth with great Florrick flourish.
The Red Sox season thus far, hasn't, surprisingly, been cringe-worthy.
The Boston Marathon was bombed and a violent manhunt was waged through the streets of the Boston metro area.
Two of my favorite humorists -- David Sedaris (saw him speak recently in Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-67065144133364093722013-02-25T11:52:00.002-05:002013-02-25T11:52:26.660-05:00No, I Don't Want to Talk About MacFarlane
I'd rather discuss:
1) Ben Affleck's beautifully awkward speech after Argo was named best picture.
2) Jennifer Lawrence's down-to-earthness after snagging the Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook.
3) And this awesome 9-year-old.
Images via Mashable and Jezebel.
Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-80523075960812639022013-02-20T14:16:00.002-05:002013-02-20T14:16:40.529-05:00Downton Abbey + One Direction = Pop Culture Nirvana
Here's some salve to apply to the wounds left behind from the odiously cruel Downton Abbey season finale on Sunday. (I mean, seriously now ...)
A mash-up involving the stiff upper lips of the Brits at Downton Abbey (plus Tom Branson) and the One Direction tune, "You Don't Know You're Beautiful."
Fabulous.
Still unhappy? Go visit this site where the creator of the post felt the same Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-26412541392678668532013-01-23T15:45:00.001-05:002013-01-23T15:45:21.030-05:00Mark It Down: 'Mad Men's' Season 6 Starts April 7
Breaking news for my Mad Men peeps: On April 7 it shall begin.
It'll be a two-hour extravaganza on AMC.
Season 6 of Mad Men in all its dark and twisty glamour.
Don Draper, Roger Sterling, Peggy Olson, Megan Draper, Betty Francis, Joan Harris (or did she drop Harris for Holloway?), Pete Campbell et al. return and delve even more deeply into the 1960s. (Take a long look Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-58718012786612439892013-01-23T09:11:00.000-05:002013-01-23T09:11:07.019-05:00'The Feminine Mystique' at 50: Have You Read It?
The New York Times' Gail Collins has a great piece out today which puts Betty Friedan's landmark 1963 book The Feminine Mystique into not only the context of the era, but in ours as well.
"When The Feminine Mystique emerged in 1963, it created a reaction so intense that Friedan could later write another book about the things women said to her about the first one (It Changed My Life)," Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-30889820396424452202013-01-22T11:11:00.004-05:002013-02-15T08:57:25.366-05:00'Mortified: A Novel About Oversharing' Now Has a Cover
My publisher, Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, has just listed my forthcoming novel, Mortified: A Novel About Oversharing -- yep, you read that right, MY forthcoming novel -- on its web site with its provocative cover.
Promo copy for the book:
Maggie Kelly started her personal blog for one reason: to prevent her head from exploding with frustration. She is, frankly, tired of at-home Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-84032275771770325842013-01-03T21:42:00.003-05:002013-01-06T20:34:20.979-05:00Of 'Downton' and 'The Hour' Brits, Brody, Caitlin Moran & Abe LincolnCheerio and good day! I trust you all had a Happy Christmas and a bloody good time of it on New Year's . . . aw, forget it . . . there's no way I can maintain a cartoonishly dodgy British accent for the length of this sentence, never mind this entire post. Why the feeble attempt? I've come down with a terrible case of Brit fever over the past few weeks.
From a comedic literary romp through Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-65194908920463892392012-11-02T17:35:00.003-04:002013-01-03T16:26:48.225-05:00Tag! The Next Best Thing (In the Book World), UPDATED
One of my favorite Boston Globe columnists, Joanna Weiss, invited me to participate in a very cool thing called a "blog hop," where one author "tags" another and the person who's "It" fields questions about her next writing project.
Weiss -- who wrote the sharp and amusing satirical novel Milkshake, about the lunacy of the political and feminist politics surrounding breastfeeding -- Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-28045940500626014822012-10-30T15:36:00.003-04:002012-10-30T15:36:41.350-04:00Where Have I Been? Well Let Me Tell You . . . I have missed you, my blog-reading peeps, missed writing and musing about all the latest doings in politics and pop culture.
During my blogging absence, we've seen the beginning of the stellar second season of Homeland in all of its outstandingly taut dramatic glory. The Good Wife has been continuing to kick some serious behind with a fierce Alicia Florrick. Kelsey Grammer Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-4873995555777223922012-08-31T09:23:00.001-04:002012-08-31T09:23:08.651-04:00Notes from the Political Middle: The Good, Bad & Ugly of the GOP Convention
The Good
Liked the powerful speeches -- particularly the you-go-girl optics -- given by South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Secretary of State Condi Rice and New Mexico Gov. Susan Martinez. Regardless of one's political stripes, you've got to admire strong women who hold or have held executive positions who delivered talks containing substantive material that Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-70050459757282679322012-08-14T15:29:00.001-04:002012-08-14T15:29:39.671-04:00Happy 100th Birthday Julia Child
Big kisses to the folks at PBS for this tribute to the great Julia Child. Love.
Makes me want to watch Julie & Julia. Again. And re-read Child's autobiography.
Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-63468500680541007852012-08-01T14:58:00.003-04:002012-08-01T14:58:35.026-04:00Notes on Pop Culture: Olympics, Good Reads, 'To Rome with Love' & 'The Newsroom'Olympic Opening Ceremonies: With the exception of the Queen-James Bond thing, I generally disliked not only the London Olympics' Opening Ceremonies, but the way NBC not only riddled the broadcast with ads (seriously, way too many, way too often), had horrifically stupid scripts and replaced footage of the ceremony with a pre-taped Ryan Seacrest interview with Michael Phelps. I was so annoyed thatMeredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-56068530176353379682012-07-18T22:33:00.001-04:002012-07-18T22:35:39.410-04:00Notes on Pop Culture: Periodical Beach Reading, The Newsroom & Political AnimalsI spent the past week on a Cape Cod family vacation where I swam, biked (rode a bike for the first time in many, many years), enjoyed sunsets, fresh seafood and got thoroughly and embarrassingly crushed on a farm-themed mini-golf course. (My 10-year-old handily kicked my behind.)
But when we weren't scanning the seas for seals, the favorite snack of sharks -- we were a few miles away Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-85815709694540715992012-07-09T09:47:00.001-04:002012-07-09T09:47:18.567-04:00And Now We Pause for This Brief Blogging Break . . .I'll be taking a blogging break. But don't despair . . . I'll be back in this space next week -- Tuesday, July 17 -- to tackle pop culture & politics goodness.Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-41473807502620115612012-06-28T17:43:00.002-04:002012-06-28T17:43:12.227-04:00Nora Ephron's Films Were Inspirational Love LettersShe was a reporter, essayist, author, blogger, director, producer and Oscar nominated screenwriter. Plus she was sharply funny.
But to me, Nora Ephron -- who died this week from complications related to leukemia -- meant four things: Humor, optimism, insight and magic. To make my case, I present you with my four favorite Ephron films, all of which I have watched countless times and will no Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-82198778517401956802012-06-28T11:59:00.001-04:002012-06-28T11:59:14.616-04:00Notes on Politics: CNN Boots the Supreme Court Health Care Ruling
In a complicated, highly anticipated ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote, declared that the massive federal health care law, spearheaded by President Obama and the then-Democratic-led House, is constitutional. It stays. (The nearly 200-page opinion can be found here.)
As I awaited news of the ruling, made myself comfy in front of the TV as I opened my Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-67605252392926973822012-06-20T13:50:00.000-04:002012-06-20T13:50:24.823-04:00New Breaking Dawn Trailer: Don’t Mess with This Vampire Mom
I finally got around to watching Breaking Dawn Part 2 over the weekend with my two older kids, one of whom fled the room during the graphic birth scene. There was also a chorus of "Ewwws!" and "Yucks!" when Bella and Edward consummated their marriage.
The fourth installment of the Twilight series felt stilted, as many Twilight films do (though I do have a soft spot for the first Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-30762069573250694832012-06-14T16:07:00.001-04:002012-06-14T16:19:38.636-04:00Leading TV Actors Ponder Their Craft & Professional Embarrassments
Reporters from The Hollywood Reporter sat down with two groups of leading dramatic TV actors who were surprisingly willing to talk frankly and openly about their work, the challenges of their craft and their own foibles, sometimes in gruesome detail.
Representing the female actors were The Good Wife's Julianna Margulies, Homeland's Claire Danes, The Closer's Kyra Sedgwick, The Killing's Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-86348649763075919382012-06-11T21:52:00.000-04:002012-06-11T21:52:09.392-04:00Mad Men: Season 5 Finale Filled with 'Phantoms'
* Warning: Spoilers ahead from the season finale of Mad Men.*
Lane Pryce.
Adam Whitman.
Beth Dawes.
Megan Draper's acting career.
Roger Sterling's quest for enlightenment.
Pete Campbell's vision of what he was supposed to want out of life versus what he has.
Mad Men show runner Matthew Weiner explicitly says that the season five finale was all about phantoms, Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-24975434467492238442012-06-05T20:55:00.000-04:002012-06-05T21:01:13.884-04:00Mad Men – It’s Getting Grim
*Warning – Spoilers ahead from the recent episode of Mad Men.*
There’s only one more new episode left in the fifth season of Mad Men and damn, has it gotten grim. A bright, upstart suffered one too many insults and attacks from her mentor last week and headed out the door of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. The savvy office manager was pimped out by the partners in order Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-79459820940265708762012-06-05T18:03:00.000-04:002012-06-14T16:24:35.064-04:00Suddenly, Women Pols on TV Shows is a ThingIn the recent documentary Miss Representation -- which criticized American culture and the media for its negative impact on women and girls -- child advocate Marian Wright Edelman lamented the scarcity of American women politicians saying that, "You can't be what you can't see." Given the latest uptick in the number of fictional female pols appearing on television, the Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-74749894625946482912012-05-31T16:43:00.000-04:002012-05-31T16:43:22.180-04:00Reducto! A Fan Mashes Up Spells from All Potter Movies
Imagine watching all eight of the Harry Potter films in a row.
Now imagine reducing the movies down to just their magical spells.
That time-consuming task was taken on by a fan who created a YouTube video which was a blast to watch for your resident Potter fan. It reminded me of how very, very young Daniel Radcliffe was when he first embodied The Boy Who Lived.Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-71947877320338533122012-05-31T16:22:00.001-04:002012-05-31T16:26:31.856-04:00Notes on Pop Culture: Great TV FinalesWe've just concluded the traditional TV season and were treated to ample season/series finales. Most of them were moderately entertaining, some were really good and many were disappointing. I really liked the season enders for The Good Wife, Parks and Recreation (Councilor Knope!), The Mentalist and Scandal. I wasn't all that thrilled with the finales of Grey's Anatomy, Awake (was ticked Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-16184357293121144832012-05-29T19:27:00.002-04:002012-05-29T19:27:42.373-04:00'Homeland' Season 2 Promo Promises Answers
"The answers are coming . . . Brace yourself."
I have no idea how the geniuses behind the Showtime drama Homeland are going to possibly top their first brilliant season. And this trailer for their sophomore season raises expectations sky high.
This show is like the anti-The Killing, which I've stopped watching because I got so fed up with the series and because of the botchedMeredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5440019963014182578.post-62421174806709853972012-05-29T14:57:00.002-04:002012-05-29T14:57:22.923-04:00Mad Men: A Woman's Worth
*Warning -- Spoilers ahead from the recent episode of Mad Men.*
What. In. The. World. Was. That?
Dollar bills balled up and angrily hurled at a woman's face.
A married woman with a baby at home asked to put out in order to land an account for her firm.
Another married woman at an audition asked to turn around slowly so men could examine her figure, not her acting abilities.
Two Meredith O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13931703511561742340noreply@blogger.com0