Megan's Minute

"Avatar:" Simple Entertainment or Destructive Stereotypes?

2010-02-05T11:00:00-05:00

It's gotten nine Oscar nominations and is destined to take home at least a couple, but how good is "Avatar?" Here's my review.

Some have called director James Cameron's "Avatar" a visually stunning film that's not to be taken more seriously than an afternoon's entertainment at your local multiplex. Others have called it another in a long line of films illustrating Hollywood's racial insensitivity.

Which is it? I'll get back to that.

First let me tell you what "Avatar" is all about. Set on the futuristic planet of Pandora, "Avatar" is about a native people, the Na'vi whose planet is being exploited for a valuable natural mineral, unobtanium, by a colony of money grubbing humans. The humans, who include a non-money grubbing staff of scientists are trying to negotiate mining rights to the unobtanium, but if that doesn't work, they're not above taking it by force.

Sigourney Weaver is Dr. Grace Augustine, the head of a science team who've developed a way for humans to become one of the Na'vi using computers and a home grown Na'vi body. Or something like that.

The scientists do it to learn. The military do it to "win the hearts and minds" of the Na'vi and get their unobtanium without a fight.

Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, a paraplegic Marine who becomes part of the experiment when his brother who was scheduled for the program is killed. As Jake becomes accustomed to the nine foot, blue bodies of the Na'vi, he becomes enamored with the Na'vi people, their spiritual connections, culture and traditions.

He also falls in love with Neytiri, the daughter of a clan leader whose people are destined for annihilation if Jake can't convince them to leave their home that sits atop a huge unobtanium deposit.

If this plot sounds familiar to you--and if you're a fan of Kevin Costner it should--that's because this is a 3-D digital space version of "Dances with Wolves." I'm not the first to point that out, but that's because it's way beyond obvious.

"Dances with Wolves" however was a better film because the characters, especially the Native Americans were much more well rounded

Don't get me wrong, "Avatar" is a gorgeous film. See it in 3-D if you see it at all because it's a glorious, visual achievement. "Avatar's" weakness is in the paint by numbers plot which even with the magnificent visuals, had me sleepy by the two hour mark.

An example of the laziness of the plot? The bad guy is such a cardboard bad guy, I didn't care when he and Jake finally went at it. My only real sense of suspense was to see who would live, who would die, and what beautiful Pandora landscape I would see next.

The blandness of the love story is only saved by the chemistry between Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, even in nine foot blue bodies and heavy Na'vi makeup.

Also the name of the valuable Pandora ore: unobtanium.

Un-obtain-ium!?

I know this is supposed to be a special effects movie but put a couple more hours into the script why don't you?

The only thing worse would have been if they'd written Jake acting like a 14 year old boy like so many of these kinds of movies do. Jake is a man and he acts like a man. Neytiri is a woman and acts like a woman.

What the filmmakers did spend time on was the Na'vi language. It's quite beautiful and comes off sounding very real.

And as Clarabela at "Just Chick Flicks points out, unlike many CGI movies, the digital pyrotechnics are seamlessly integrated. Possibly because a lot of the Na'vi's world looks almost like animation instead of CGI:

Director James Cameron went through great pains to create a realistic world for this movie. He even hired University of Southern California linguistics professor, Paul Frommer to design an actual Na’Vi language. Too bad for all the Trekkies who learned Vulcan and Klingon. Now the have another alien language to learn. So with the 3-D glasses and state of the art CGI (computer generated images), you forget that most of this movie was made on a sound stage.

Now to the controversy. There are some in the blogosphere who are upset with "Avatar" because they say it perpetuates the stereotype of the white, hero savior coming in to save the natives.

At io9 there's the post, written by Annalee, a white woman by the way, "When Will White People Stop Making Movies Like Avatar?":

These are movies about white guilt. Our main white characters realize that they are complicit in a system which is destroying aliens, AKA people of color - their cultures, their habitats, and their populations. The whites realize this when they begin to assimilate into the "alien" cultures and see things from a new perspective. To purge their overwhelming sense of guilt, they switch sides, become "race traitors," and fight against their old comrades. But then they go beyond assimilation and become leaders of the people they once oppressed. This is the essence of the white guilt fantasy, laid bare. It's a wish to lead people of color from the inside rather than from the (oppressive, white) outside.

At Global Shift there's "Dances with Discrimination" by Ashley Michelle Papon:

It is, at the basic level, a re-imagining of the great genocide against people of color on America’s original colonial backdrop. And the ethereal, blue-skinned Na’vi, with their painted faces and feathered arrows, are the ideal representations of the systematic oppression that has been lobbed at various incantations of the “savage” that came before. But unlike “Dances with Wolves,” which ultimately asserts the superiority of the way of the native, “Avatar” doesn’t even attempt to hide it’s double-standard. Jake makes his last stand as the Great White Hope with the assistance of a wild bird and a sub-machine gun, effectively turning the narrative of the native into the narrative of the white savior.

Another, different argument with the film came from The Urban Gentleman: "Avatar:" Obvious Racism?

What riddled me was the fact that all the natives were african-american, hispanic, or native-american... and when I say all I mean ALL. While on the opposite end all of the humans, all of whom were scientist or in the army, were european-american (aka caucasion). And that, that was extremely perplexing. I caught on to this about 30 or so minutes into the movie when the main native girl Netyiri, played by Zoe Saldana, brought the main human Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, to see all the other natives. I honestly don't want to drag this on and on, but let's just ask the obvious questions-- James Cameron, are you seriously telling me you couldn't have any main human characters be african-american, asian, hispanic, etc?

I gotta tell ya'. I get where these bloggers are coming from. As black people, we're understandably sensitive when pop culture portrays us as needing to be saved by white people. Or as in the case of the film "Precious," even by light skinned black people.

The Urban Gentleman makes an especially interesting point. Yes, there's Michelle Rodriquez who plays a human fighter pilot, but she's in a supporting role.

Having said all that, I believe the issue with "Avatar" has more to do with simplistic storytelling than anything else.

Has Hollywood worn out the white guy coming to appreciate the natives plot? Sure, but I tend to agree wit Gigshaft who commented on the io9 post when he said the following:

The author seems to be saying these movies show the deep down, white people just want to lead (read: conquer) the natives. Compelling idea, but is that really true? Or is it more true that the conventions of the "Hollywood Action Movie" demand that the hero end up as "on top" as the story will allow? Is it a secret desire to triumph over the primitives? Or just a desire to make the audience feel triumphant through the lead character, no matter what the situation?

It's a product of pure Hollywood storytelling. Drop your classic "fish out of water" lead character into a culture of "noble savages" and you get the ridiculous "Dances With Wolves" scenario we see over and over again, but this seems like less of a "Subconscious White Aggressor Agenda" and more a classic brand of Hollywood naivety.

Speaking as a Left-Leaning White Guy™, I can't help but feel there's a culture of "white guilt oneupsmanship" in academic criticism these days. It's like a game to see who can be more guilty.

"Avatar" is simplistic storytelling but as a film it's much more than that. If anything, the message in the film is not about how the white hero comes in to save the natives, but how the natives are more cognizant and more appreciative of the bounties of the world around them. The natives are the people to be emulated, not the humans.

I don't have a problem with that message. And I don't have a problem with a white guy feeling it's a more valuable way to live.

But just for argument, let's change up the characters. Say the lead human was a black guy who eventually became enamored with the natives. Wouldn't the writers then be accused of perpetuating the "black guy going back to the jungle" stereotype? Or suppose there was a character from a native population who became enamored with human society? A native falling in love with human, aka supposedly "white culture?" That wouldn't fly either.

What needs to be encouraged in Hollywood is better storytelling and more casting of people of color in a variety of roles. That's my soapbox and I'm not getting off of it.

Cross Posted from BlogHer

***PS: I got a note from Annalee Newitz who wrote the io9 post, that explains the "unobtanium" name for the ore on Pandora.

The "unobtanium" thing is a reference to a long-running joke in science fiction novels and films, where many writers have used the name unobtainium to refer to a scientific MacGuffin.

Thanks Annalee!

Related Links:

"Avatar" with Kids: A discussion guide.

"The Women of 'Avatar'" by Melissa Silverstein.

Audiences Experience The "Avatar" Blues

Environmental blogger Beth Terry asks, "Avatar" in 3-D: "What About the Plastic Glasses?

"Lost" Has Returned! Sniff, Sniff... (Spoilers)

2010-02-03T00:45:03-05:00

"Lost" has returned and it's terribly good and terribly sad!

Good because the premiere jolted us back and forth like a ping pong ball and made us question everything we know about our intrepid characters and the island world.

Sad because it's almost over! Only fifteen more episodes before the end.

Look at these pictures from last week's screening in Hawaii of the Season 6 premiere, "LAX" Parts 1 & 2.

The cast looks happy. Hurley, Kate, Jin, Michael, Ben, and Ben's wife--who plays on "True Blood" by the way.

They don't feel our pain, our loss, our devastation at the thought of no more island mysteries.

Oh the humanity!

But just for now, I'm going to try and concentrate on the time we have left. Those special moments that only "Lost" can bring us.

Sniff, sniff...

Let's start with last night's big premiere. We picked up right where we left off with that bright flash of light after Juliet cracked the H-bomb open with a rock. And Jack's plan worked!

Or did it?

Oceanic flight 815 doesn't crash! Doc Jack, fugitive Kate, cocky Sawyer, businessman Hurley, crippled Locke, druggie Charlie, pining Sayid, Shannon-less Boone and an adorable Bernard and Rose, all land at LAX. It's incredible! It's momentous! It's groundbreaking!

It's...impossible!

That's because Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Hurley, Jin, and Sayid are still on the island. Right after the bomb exploded. And the only thing that changed is daytime turned to night. And they're in 2007. We think.

No they are, they are, because Richard and the others on the beach saw the flares the other Others shot off when Hurley told them Jacob was dead. So they are in 2007.

But Jack's plan didn't work!

Or did it?

Juliet's dead--but wait, she's not dead! She's trapped under the rubble and Sawyer and the others dig her out...only long enough for her to really die. This time in Sawyer's arms with his kiss on her lips. Awwww.

Sayid's also dead, or close to it, but a dead Jacob appears to Hurley and tells him Sayid can be saved if the Losties take him to the famous Other temple.

Hurley agrees and when they take Sayid to the temple, the other Others put in him some magic water that makes him comes back to life.

What do you want to bet it's Jacob come back as Sayid, kind of like the Big Bad came back as Locke?

Oh and by the way, the Big Bad is also the smoke monster. The producers promised us answers and by God we're getting answers!

Okay, so meanwhile, Jack's at LAX, Oceanic's lost his father's body, they've also lost Locke's case of knives and Kate's on the run again, this time in a hijacked taxi with Claire.

Also meanwhile, Ben realizes he's been duped by the Big Bad when he comes out of the big foot and sees the real Locke stone cold dead on the sand. Richard realizes too late that something terrible is happening because the Big Band himself comes out of the foot and clocks him one.

Uh oh.

Finally, Sawyer asks Miles to ask dead Juliet what she was going to tell him before she really died. Miles agrees and is shocked to hear Juliet say, "It worked."

Uh oh!

So if the explosion worked and everyone's in LAX going about their crazy business as if there were no crash--and there wasn't--what the heck are the Losties still doing on the island!?

My guess, parallel timelines. Even though it's 2007 for the Losties on the island--we think--it's still 2004 for the Losties that landed. What happens when those Losties get to 2007!?

My head hurts. That must mean "Lost" is back and I love it!

The Oscar Nominations Are Here!| Gold Derby | Los Angeles Times

2010-02-02T16:41:24-05:00

"Julie & Julia" star Meryl Streep is the only two-time Academy Award-winner contending this year. She widened the gap for the most total acting nominations by earning her 16th nod today. And she broke Katharine Hepburn's record of an even dozen Oscar nominations in the lead race, landing what she must hope will he her lucky 13th bid.

via goldderby.latimes.com

The most glaring omission on first glance is "Star Trek." As usual with the Academy voters, out of sight, out of mind.

"Star Trek" came out in the summer and despite it being a very good film and there being ten nomination slots, movies that came out more recently took up the bulk of the slots.

Ah well.

"Mad Men's" Jon Hamm is Hilarious as Republican Scott Brown on SNL (Video)

2010-02-01T12:54:05-05:00

Jon Hamm seriously needs to host "Saturday Night Live" more often, 'cause the show is so much funnier when he's on it.

Check out this fabulously funny sketch where top Democrats have bedroom fantasies about the newly elected Republican senator, and former Cosmo pin-up boy, Scott Brown.

The 25 Best Moments of "Lost"

2010-01-28T10:00:00-05:00

All right Losties, it's here!

The moment we've all been waiting for -- the return of "Lost" for its 6th and final season beginning February 2nd on ABC at 8/7c.

In honor of the big event, I thought it was the perfect time to review where we've been before we move forward. Or backward, depending on what the island is doing.

I spent the last few weeks watching the show from the beginning to pick out my 25 best moments of "Lost."

Here they are:

1. Walt Is Taken from The Raft By The Others - "Exodus" Part 2 (S1)

There's a scene in the mini-series "Roots" where the daughter of slave Kunta Kinte is sold away from her parents because she knew how to read. We see the tied-up, screaming girl being carted away in a horse-drawn wagon as her mother helplessly runs after, screaming her name.

Walt's kidnapping by Tom and the Others was just as emotionally wrenching and terrifying. It's still one of the most harrowing scenes I've ever experienced watching a TV show.

It's pitch black on the open ocean when Jin, Sawyer and Michael think they and Walt are being rescued. That's when one of the Others, Tom, says ominously, "We're gonna have to take the boy."

The ensuing mayhem and gunfire leaves the raft in flames, Sawyer shot, Jin trying to save him and Michael in the water screaming Walt's name as the Others' boat pulls away with his son.

It's a stunning, signature moment in the series, and Michael was never the same again.

"Wallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

2. Jack Tells Kate They Have To Return To The Island - "Through the Looking Glass" Part 2 (S3)

This was the game changer. The moment that turned what was a marvelous series into a classic. This was the moment that we realized: The Jack with the very bad fake beard was in a flash forward, not a flashback The Losties had been rescued, but now Jack wanted to go back to the island.

There was so much in this episode to love, it was hard to pick one moment, so you'll notice this list has a couple more.

3. Charlie Dies - "Through the Looking Glass" Part 2 (S3)

Charlie's death is tragic and heroic. He saves Desmond's life, warns the Losties: "Not Penny's Boat," and insures they can get a signal to the freighter so they can be rescued. RIP, Charlie.

4. Desmond Makes A Christmas Phone Call To Penny - "The Constant" (S4)

In "The Constant," we really learned the true time-traveling powers of the island. Desmond popped back and forth between the past and the present faster than you could say "Eloise." The only thing able to anchor him? A phone call to the love of his life, Penny Widmore.

His constant.

The final "I love yous" between Penny and Des were sweeter than sweet.

5. Michael Kills Ana Lucia and Libby - "Two for the Road" (S3)

One of those amazing "Oh, crap!" moments. For most of Walt's life, Michael was trying to keep his girlfriend from taking Walt away from him. So when the Others kidnap him from the raft, Michael cracks. He sells his soul to the devil -- or rather, to Ben -- to get Walt back.

He finally gets Walt back and off the island, but at a terrible price. RIP, Ana Lucia and Libby.

6. The Plane Crash and Aftermath - "The Pilot" Part 1 (S1)

I'm cheating, because this is really several moments in one, but I don't care. When they talk about quality television, this is it. It's amazing filmmaking for the small screen, with all the iconic images we've come to associate with "Lost:" Shannon standing and screaming at the top of her lungs, Charlie walking around in a daze as flaming debris drops all around him, Jack and Hurley scrambling to rescue a pregnant Claire from exploding wreckage, Locke lying on the ground, amazed that his legs work.

The eventual flashback to the violence of the plane crash is enough to make the bravest flier think twice about ever getting on a plane again.

7. Locke Goes Out the Window - "The Man From Tallahassee" (S3)

They made us wait a long time to find out the answer to this question, but when we got the answer, what a doozy! The question: How did Locke end up in a wheelchair? The answer: The Man From Tallahassee, aka Locke's con artist Daddy, shoved him out an eight-story-high window.

8. Jin Forgives Sun For Her Affair - "Ji Yeon" (S4)

This was the episode where the "Lost" writers faked us out, making us think Jin was running around with a stuffed panda as a gift for his new baby. But, alas, it wasn't to be. It was also the episode where Jin tells Sun he understands why she cheated on the man he used to be and he forgives her. When he then asks her if the baby is definitely his, Sun starts crying, Jin starts crying and I start crying. Great stuff.

9. Juliet Dies - "The Incident" (S5)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Josh Holloway was robbed of an Emmy nomination for this scene. For a character who for most of the series was in love with Kate "Freckles" Austen, to see him happy with Juliet in 70's Dharma-ville was very nice -- which made it all the more tragic when he couldn't save her from the magnetic pit of hell. RIP, Juliet. We think.

10. Ben Gives The "If I Was One Of Them" Speech - "The Whole Truth" (S2)

Little did we know when we heard this little speech by "Henry Gale" to Jack and Locke that it was a preview of the many manipulations to come from good old Ben.

"Henry," supposedly explaining why he's not one of the Others, plays on the division between Locke and Jack. He pours out some Dharma flakes and says if he was really one of the Others he'd have sent Ana Lucia, Sayid and Charlie to a secluded spot where his friends could ambush them and trade them for him. But that's why it's a good thing he's not one of "them."

He finishes with a wide-eyed expression asking, "You guys got any milk?" Michael Emerson? Riveting.

11. Jacob Finally Shows Up - "The Incident" (S5)

Who or what the heck is he? Why does the other guy want to find a "loophole" to kill him? Why did he go to Kate, Locke, Jack, Jin, Sun and Hurley before they ever got on the plane? All questions that should be answered in Season 6.

12. Daniel Does The Island Time Experiment - "The Economist" (S4)

This is where we find out that time on the island and time off the island are two totally different numbers.

13. Bernard and Rose are Reunited - "Collision" (S3)

Because he went to the bathroom at the wrong time, Bernard and Rose were in two separate halves of the plane when the crash happened. When the Tailies meet up with the Losties and Bernard and Rose see each other for the first time since the crash -- sniff, sniff, pass the Kleenex, please.

14. Locke Doesn't Go Walkabout - "Walkabout" (S1)

Poor Locke works for a box company and dreams of going on an Australian walkabout adventure. Problem is, when he shows up in Australia, all ready to go, the tour guide turns him down because, wait for it -- off the island Locke can't walk. He's in a wheelchair.

A devastated Locke yells at the tour guide, "Don't tell me what I can't do!"

15. Sawyer Kills Tom - "Through the Looking Glass" (S3)

After Sawyer, Hurley and Juliet save Bernard, Sayid and Jin from Tom's clutches, Tom says, "Okay, I give up." Sawyer looks at him, picks up his gun and kills him.

"That's for taking the kid off the raft," says Sawyer.

Hurley says, "Dude it was over, he surrendered."

Sawyer says, "I didn't believe him."

16. Jack Decides Not To Save Ben's Life - "Whatever Happened, Happened" (S5)

Jack decides to go make a sandwich instead of trying to save Young Ben's life after Sayid shoots him. Good on you, Jack!

17. The Oceanic Six Greet Their Loved Ones - "There's No Place Like Home" Part 1 (S4)

All in slow motion, the Oceanic Six exit their plane and see their loved ones. Jack hugs his mother, Hurley greets his, and since no one's there for Sayid, Hurley then puts his arm around him and introduces him. Sun greets her mother much more warmly than she greets her father. That's a sign of things to come.

18. Ana Lucia Kills Shannon - "Abandoned" (S2)

Poor Ana Lucia. She just couldn't catch a break to save her life. While she's leading the Tailies to the Losties, they're surrounded by "the whispers." Unfortunately, she's got a gun, and she panics, killing Shannon in the process. RIP, Shannon.

19. Hurley and Miles Debate Time Travel - "Whatever Happened, Happened" (S5)

So Hurley and Miles sit around and debate stuff like, if Ben got shot as a kid, why doesn't he remember being shot as a kid? And if Faraday met his mother, why doesn't he know his mother is who she is and not who others think she is? And ... it's enough to make your brain cells pop.

20. Hurley To The Rescue In the Volkswagon Van - "Through the Looking Glass" Part 2 (S3)

What's there to say? Hurley comes to the rescue and saves the day in heroic fashion.

21. Nikki and Paolo Bite the Dust - "Expose" (S3)

Two characters no one, and I mean no one, cared about or liked bite the dust in the most awesome way possible. It's a modern-day "Twilight Zone" episode. Rod Serling would be incredibly proud.

22. Dead Locke Comes Tumbling Out - "The Incident" (S5)

This was big. Here we think Locke is roaming around the island leading the Others and Ben to Jacob, when we discover it's really that other guy. You know, the one who told Jacob that one day he was going to find a "loophole" so he could kill him. And man, did he!

We know that because poor dead Locke comes tumbling out of the coffin container from the plane.

23. Mr. Eko Gets His Name - "The 23rd Psalm" (S2)

In the opening flashback, Eko is playing soccer with a bunch of kids in Nigeria when guerrillas approach. They're recruiting, and they try to force Eko's little brother to shoot an old man. Eko jumps in and does the job himself to protect his frightened brother. So the guerrillas name him "Mr. Eko."

24. Hurley Announces Ethan Wasn't On The Plane - "Raised by Another" (S1)

Hurley's census discovers Ethan was never on the plane with the Losties. I haven't watched William Mapother, aka Tom Cruise's cousin, the same way since. He'll always be creepy Ethan.

25. The Losties Pop Back and Forth In Time - "Because You Left" (S5)

Sawyer and Juliet and the remaining freighter gang of Miles, Faraday and Charlotte get bounced back and forth through time. At one point, right after two violent bounces in a row, Sawyer can't stand it anymore and yells, "Oh, come on!"

So those were my best moments. I surveyed some of my fellow BlogHer CEs about their favorite "Lost" moments, and here's what they said: Gina loves anything involving Sun and Jin, Elisa "cried my ass off" when Bernard and Rose were reunited, Heather was in tears when Charlie died, Zoe loved when Kate and Sawyer were being kept in cages, Honeybeast loved, "giant, ghost Walt," and Leslie loved pretty much any scene involving Ben and a rabbit. Heh.

But Nordette was the biggest convert. After resisting stories about "Lost" being a great show, she finally watched the first season on her cable's on-demand. She was hooked.

Next thing I knew I was at the Blockbuster renting every season and watching until I got to the end of rentals and had to buy a season because it wasn't available any other way. And so I bought it and watched and then had the DTs until the show returned with new episodes.

My name is Nordette and I'm a Lostaholic.

Finally, if you've read this far, you're enough of a "Lost" fanatic to enjoy the following video.

What do your think were the best moments from "Lost?" Do you agree with mine? Let the debating begin!

Cross Posted from BlogHer

Top Five Recent "Lost" Viral Videos at Connect with Your Teen Through Pop Culture and Technology

Sarah at Just One More Thing is obsessed with "Lost."

The Angry Asian Man has links to some cool "Lost" promos.

Kristy at Catch That Marlin: "Lost" is her favorite show.

Filming Locations for ABC's "Lost"

Megan on Blog Talk Radio - Controversy Surrounding "The Princess and the Frog"

2010-01-27T09:37:44-05:00

Last night I was interviewed by the fabulous Renee of the blog Thinking Out Loud for Blog Talk Radio. Our discussion was about the Disney film, "The Princess and the Frog" and some of the controversy surrounding the star Tiana, Disney's first black princess.

The interview runs about 50 minutes but feel free to skip around.

If you have difficulty with the volume on the podcast, you can download it from iTunes and adjust the volume accordingly.

Glenn Close leads 'Damages' cast in Wall Street charge - USATODAY.com

2010-01-25T17:36:48-05:00

Obviously, what most of us would like is to see it happen in real life, but since that's impossible, FX's twisty legal mystery Damages gives us the next best thing. Patty, played once again with a bracing mixture of venom and good intentions by the inimitable Glenn Close, is about to get our money back for us from a fraudulent financier.

via www.usatoday.com

"Damages" returns tonight at 10pm e/p on FX!

I haven't seen any episodes from Season 3, so I can't give you the benefit of my stellar critiquing skills, however you can check out the review by Robert Bianco in today's USA Today.

He and I almost always agree and until I can give you my own thoughts after tonight's premiere, his will have to do.

Besides stars Glenn Close and Rose Byrne, this new season of "Damages" will showcase guest stars Martin Short, Lily Tomlin and Len Cariou.

Personally, I can't wait.

Hysterical Ken Burns Documentary, "The Late Night Wars"

2010-01-22T12:37:50-05:00

This comes from Jimmy Kimmel and ABC. Enjoy!

It's Done: Leno to Return as ‘Tonight’ Host on March 1 - Media Decoder Blog - NYTimes.com

2010-01-21T13:59:57-05:00

Choosing their words oh-so-carefully, NBC and the comedian Conan O’Brien issued a joint statement Thursday morning about a “resolution of the issues surrounding O’Brien’s contract to host “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.’”

via mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com

It's a done deal. Conan is out and Jay is back.

Conan O'Brien's last "Tonight Show" will be Friday and Jay Leno will return to the "Tonight Show" on March 1st.

The Winter Olympics and an assortment of O'Brien reruns will have to serve late night viewers in the interim.

Now that this long, national comedy nightmare is over, I can go back to worrying about more important things like what's Heidi Montag's next plastic surgery is going to be.

NBC's Leno/O'Brien Debacle: Audiences Chuckle, Letterman Laughs

2010-01-19T14:09:45-05:00

This NBC Leno/O'Brien late night brouhaha is better than "All My Children" in its heyday. It's got everything:

Corporate blunders of epic proportions.
Millionaires fighting it out over turf.
Audiences protesting and taking sides.
Two distinct personalities trapped in a legal, corporate morass.
A peanut gallery of one, cackling about how payback is a bitch.

First, a little background. Five years ago, NBC told Jay Leno, "In five years we're replacing you with Conan O'Brien, 'cause if we don't seal him up now, he's going to the competition. Your audience is old and replaceable and we want Conan's following of 15-29-year-old frat boys who love guys with tilted red hair."

Jay was like, "But I'm number one!"

NBC was like, "But that won't last so you're out!"

Jay was like, "Okay, I'll go home to work on my 500 classic cars, see ya later, peacock."

David Letterman watched from afar.

As the time drew near for Conan to take over "The Tonight Show," NBC got colder feet than a groom at the altar. They wondered if Jay would really go home and work on his 500 classic cars, or whether he might not skip to ABC and give Conan a run.

More and more critics and audience members scratched their heads and asked, "Why is NBC kicking out Leno in 2009? He's still number one!" NBC flew into an executive panic.

They thought, "In primetime we're suffering from a fatal case of no-hit-itis, and we seriously need to save some money. We've got all those Olympics to pay for!"

Led by NBC/Universal CEO Jeff Zucker, the suits figured out a way to save money and also keep Jay out of ABC's clutches.

So they called up executive producer Dick Wolf and said, "Take your 'Law & Order' SUV, SVI, and UVS and your expensive, useless writers and scram! We're putting Leno in your 10PM time slot five nights a week."

I don't know what Dick Wolf said, but I'm sure it was unprintable.

Then the suits, led by Jeff Zucker, sat around congratulating themselves on a brilliant programming move.

It was bold! It was brash!

It was stupid!

I warned you, NBC!

After five months, Leno's un-funny prime-time show tanked, O'Brien's un-funny 11:35 "Tonight Show" tanked, and NBC's affiliates started screaming like a 6-year-old who's just found out there's no Santa Claus.

David Letterman watched and chuckled from afar.

See, "Law & Order" delivered more viewer eyeballs to the affiliates' local 11 o'clock news shows. With Leno, those eyeballs went elsewhere, and the 11 o'clock news shows slid into a ratings red zone.

Hence the screaming.

To make matters worse, the suits, led by Jeff Zucker told Leno, "Hey man, this ain't working. We're gonna put your failing 'Jay Leno Show' on at 11:35 for half an hour and bump O'Brien's failing "The Tonight Show" to 12:05."

Jay and his chin were like, "Okay."

However, when the suits, led by Jeff Zucker, told O'Brien, he went into an emotional tailspin. "The Tonight Show" was his dream, he said. It couldn't go on at 12:05, because as many other comedians had pointed out, that made it "The Tomorrow Morning Show."

So O'Brien said, "You suits, led by Jeff Zucker, if you move my failing show out of that 11:35 slot, I'm going home to work on Jay's 500 classic cars."

O'Brien showed he was serious by writing a letter to the public about it. It said in part:

My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

David Letterman watched and laughed out loud.

You see, this had all happened before. When Johnny Carson was leaving "The Tonight Show" Letterman played the Conan O'Brien role. He was the one being shafted by NBC in favor of Jay Leno.

Payback, it seems, is a bitch.

After days of public hand wringing and private legal negotiations, it appears that Leno, with his old and unwanted audience is indeed returning to 11:35. That means O'Brien is out, out, out -- and all that's left is to figure how much NBC will have to shell out to satisfy his hefty contract.

According to Leno himself, a final deal with O'Brien could be reached later today.

Oh and Dick Wolf's unwanted "Law and Order" SUVs, VSIs and UVSes, with their pesky, unnecessary writers? They're coming back to 10 o'clock in primetime.

Oh, and all that money NBC saved? It's going for a down payment on O'Brien's own collection of 500 classic cars.

Oh, and all those primetime hours NBC has to fill? They have to start producing new pilots, pronto.

Why is the public so caught up in this stuff?

Because it's fun.

Yeah, you heard me. It's fun to see two rich white guys brought down a peg or two over a couple of hours on television. There's no death, or famine, or (like in the case of Britney Spears) mental illness involved. It's all about ego and money and power and money.

Not only that, creatively it's been a godsend for O'Brien. I've never seen him funnier than he's been in the last two weeks.

I guess it took near extinction for him to find the funny.

My favorite part, though? Letterman.

David Letterman watches, laughs out loud and rubs it in. I'd say he's earned it.

"Five Lessons to Learn from NBC's Late-Night Leno/Conan Folly," by Eric Deggans

"Everyone's Pissed at Jay Leno," by Holly Won't

Laurie at Punk Rock HR thinks the Leno/O'Brien mess is bad personnel management.

Jimmy Kimmel as Jay Leno at GabbyBabble.

Golden Globes 2010: Mo'Nique Rehearses for Oscar

2010-01-18T01:51:50-05:00

At last night's Golden Globes, Mo'Nique gave a preview of her Oscar speech when she won Best Supporting Actress in a drama for her role as a monstrous mother in the film "Precious."

Rockin' a gorgeous gold gown, she also gave the most touching speech of the night when she tearfully thanked director Lee Daniels.

I celebrate this award with all the Precious's, with all the Mary's. I celebrate this award with every person that's ever been touched--it's now time to tell. And it's okay.

Other big winners were director James Cameron and his blockbuster "Avatar." "Mad Men" won for Best TV drama and Kevin Bacon took home the award for Best Actor for the HBO TV movie, "Taking Chance."

Comedian Ricky Gervais was this year's Golden Globe host and had some excellent one-liners. For example he celebrated "some of the great work that's been done this year--by cosmetic surgeons."

He also took a pot shot at NBC: "Let's get on with it before NBC replaces me with Jay Leno."

More comedy came in the form of Drew Barrymore's bumbling speech when she accepted the award for Best Actress for her role in HBO's "Grey Gardens."

The marvelous Michael C. Hall won for his lead role in the Showtime drama "Dexter." Hall who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma wore a black cap to the ceremony, possibly to hide his loss of hair due to cancer treatments.

Let's hope he's well on the road to recovery.

Dexter's adversary this season was the Trinity Killer played with fabulous creepiness by John Lithgow. Lithgow was rewarded with a Supporting Actor award.

Several celebrities referred to the crisis in Haiti due to last week's earthquake. Many wore red and yellow ribbons in remembrance.

Meryl Streep, while accepting her award for her role as Julia Child in "Julie and Julia" talked about finding it difficult to dress up and celebrate.

I come to Golden Globes weekend and I am really honestly conflicted how to have my 'happy movie self' in the face of everything that I'm aware of in the real world.

On a more positive note, Julianna Margulies got a well deserved win for CBS's freshman series, "The Good Wife." Taking another pot shot at NBC and the failed Jay Leno experiment, she thanked CBS execs "Les Moonves and Nina Tassler for believing in the10 o'clock drama." Heh.

You can see a complete list of the winners on the Golden Globe website.

Leno Slams NBC: "A Complete Disaster" (VIDEO)

2010-01-12T19:44:18-05:00

Leno went on to slam NBC's decision making process. "NBC said the show performed exactly as they expected it would and then canceled us. Don't confuse this when we were on at late night and performed better than expected and they canceled us. That was totally different,"

via www.huffingtonpost.com

I promise this is my last Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien/NBC post today. But here's Jay Leno responding to what he calls his show being "cancelled" by NBC:

Conan O'Brien Quits, Declares He Won't Do 'Tonight Show' at Later Time - ABC News

2010-01-12T17:17:14-05:00

In a statement released today, the late night comedian, whom NBC planned to unceremoniously oust from his 11:35 p.m. ET time slot come February, said he will not do "The Tonight Show" if his new airtime is 12:05 a.m. He did not make clear whether or not he plans to stay with NBC.

via abcnews.go.com

Poor Conan O'Brien. I know I said earlier that I don't care that he's getting kicked around because I don't think he's funny, but even I have to sympathize with the guy considering how NBC is giving him the boot. Talk about rubbing your nose in the late night hierarchy!

NBC: "Sorry Conan, but Leno is the jewel in NBC's late night crown and you're just around to carry his robes."

If NBC didn't look like idiots before, they've certainly rubbed that egg that was already on their faces, good and deep into the pores.

My prediction: watch Leno and O'Brien both ditch NBC for other networks.

Stay tuned.

Jay Leno Debacle Reversed by NBC

2010-01-12T14:00:00-05:00

We all knew it was a crappy idea. At least those of us who didn't have the highest corner office in NBC's headquarters.

That's right the Great Jay Leno Primetime Experiment of 2009 is over. NBC has announced that Leno's show will return to late night, moving back to its former 11:35 home. To add insult to Jay's injury, the show has also been cut to half an hour. That means Conan O'Brien's show which follows Leno will now be on at 12:05.

See, the guys over at NBC who made the original boneheaded decision to move Leno to primetime have finally caved to the understandable pressure from their affiliates. Leno's yawn worthy ratings at 10PM sent the carryover audience of the affiliates' local 11 o'clock news shows into the toilet. This at a time when local TV station's are suffering an economy induced exodus of advertisers.

Members of the Writers Guild however are dancing around their laptops now that they've reclaimed five hours of NBC's primetime schedule.

On the Conan front, many critics are upset that O'Brien's seemingly getting the shaft. But see, I would only consider he was getting the shaft if I thought his show was funny enough for me to care.

And Jimmy Fallon? Pretty much an afterthought.

The Boston Globe's website, Inside Track has some interesting quotes from Leno friend and fellow comedian Richard Lewis about this whole late night do-si-do. While you're reading them, just remind yourself how much better you'll sleep now knowing the late night TV world is back to normal.

Or is it?

"Battlestar Galactica's, The Plan:" "Let's Get This Genocide Started"

2010-01-10T22:09:59-05:00

"The Plan" is a "Battlestar Galactica" TV movie that tells the story of the destruction of the human civilization from the point of view of the destroyers themselves, the Cylons.

That means the machinations of John Cavil (Dean Stockwell) are front and center. He was an active Cylon instigator on the Galactica and it's only during "The Plan" that we find out how active.

His best line: "Let's get this genocide started." Heh.

Six (Tricia Helfer) is here as well, two or three versions of her in fact.

Some of the key moments from the BSG series retold here from the point of view of the Cylons: the assassination attempt of (Edward James Olmos) by Sharon Valerii (Grace Park), how Leoben (Callum Keith Rennie) became fascinated by Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) and how the rebels on Caprica kept the Cylons on their metallic toes.

If you've never seen BSG, "The Plan" is pretty much a waste of time. It's too much of an inside the airlock tale for an outsider to enjoy but that doesn't mean a diehard sci-fi fan wouldn't appreciate the stellar BSG effects and set design.

I also wish the movie was less disjointed. Cavil is supposed to be the glue that holds it all together, but a little Cavil goes a long way and sometimes there's just a bit too much Cavil. For example the scenes where he's talking to another version of himself are interminable.

Don't expect to see much of Commander Adama, Lee Adama, Saul Tigh or Gaius Baltar in this one. They're just supporting players in this version of the deadly chess game the Cylons set in motion that fateful day the colonies were attacked.

The music by Bear McCreary is especially important for tying the scenes together and conveying the life and death urgency just like in the BSG series.

"The Plan" was directed by Edward James Olmos, Admiral Adama himself and airs tonight on the SyFy Channel at 9/8c.