Ms. Emmy, It’s Your Move

Two days ago, I posted the nominees’ episode submissions for the Lead and Supporting dramatic actress Emmys. Well, Chris “Boomer” Beachem at boomer.awardsheaven.net has posted his predictions for each category of nominees (with episode titles provided by Tom O’Neil at goldderby.com). Below, I have provided the episodes that the Academy will consider when determining which actors, directors, writers, and producers will walk away with Emmys. As a side-note, performance, directing, and writing nominees submit one episode; each show nominated for the dramatic or comedic series Emmys submit 6 episodes to be considered, with 2 episdoes per DVD. Ms. Emmy, you’ve got all the tools you need, now it’s your turn to put together the (right) decision.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• 30 Rock – “Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001” & “Black Light Attack”, “Anna Howard Shaw Day” & “Don Geiss, America & Hope”, “The Moms” & “Emmanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land”
• Curb Your Enthusiasm – “Vehicular Fellatio” & “The Reunion”, “Denise Handicapped” & “The Table Read”, “The Bare Midriff” & “Seinfeld”
• Glee – “Pilot” & “Preggers”, “Wheels” & “Sectionals”, “The Power of Madonna” & “Home”
• Modern Family – “Pilot” & “Starry Night”, “Fizbo” & “Coal Digger”, “Come Fly with Me” & “Fears”
• Nurse Jackie – “Pilot” & “Tiny Bubbles”, “Ring Finger” & “Health Care & Cinema”, “Apple Bong” & “Monkey Bits”
• The Office – “Gossip” & “Murder”, “Niagara, Parts 1 & 2”, “The Lover” & “Secret Santa”

Fall TV Shows’ Premiere Dates Announced

For all you TV fanatics engulfed in all the recent Emmys hype or for those of you that just want a heads-up for the upcoming Fall TV season, you’ve got some relief. Today, the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) announced the premiere dates for their shows starting in the Fall. Be aware of any changes in terms of days or hours for some of your favorites!

*NOTE: All new series are in bold-type.

Wednesday, Sept. 8
8-9 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (CW)

9-10 p.m. Hellcats (CW)

Thursday, Sept. 9
8-9 p.m. The Vampire Diaries (CW)

9-10 p.m. Nikita (CW)

Saturday, Sept. 11
8-8:30 p.m. COPS (Fox)

8:30-9 p.m. COPS (encore) (Fox)

Monday, Sept. 13
8-9 p.m. 90210 (CW)

9-10 p.m. Gossip Girl (CW)

Tuesday, Sept. 14
8-9 p.m. One Tree Hill (CW)

9-10 p.m. Life Unexpected (CW)

Wednesday, Sept. 15
8-9 p.m. Survivor: Nicaragua (CBS)

The “Sherrod Saga” Sees the Speaker’s Side

Yesterday, I posted a blot condemning Shirely Sherrod for her seemingly racist comments. She continued, in vain, to have her side of the story presented throughout today and this week. Today, another development in what can only be called the “Sherrod Saga” occurred when the NAACP posted a video with Sherrod’s FULL speech. Needless to say, the supposedly racist comments that cost Shirely Sherrod her state director’s job at the USDA seemed to have been taken out of context.

After watching the entire 43-minute, 14-second speech (the out-of-context comments start around the 17-minute mark), I was mostly wrong to condemn Sherrod for her comments and apologize for doing so. I say “mostly,” though, because Sherrod seemed to still, unconsciously or not, cling to racism and black exclusiveness. After sharing the controversial story, in which there should be no doubt Sherrod was conveying racism, the former state director claimed she learned to move beyond race to a more class-oriented approach regarding aid.

She proclaimed that she desired to help only the poor, the ones without help, to survive. And while I think all people, regardless of money, race, religion, etc., deserve help, I don’t take as much issue with her approach. That said, Sherrod’s not totally off the hook.

Intolerance Is Now Their Best Friend

About a week ago, my fellow blogger and good friend Joey posted a blot on former Alaskan governor—or, as he so lovingly puts it, a “future nobody”—Sarah Palin’s recent Facebook post on racism regarding Reagan, Republicans, and herself. Though my post today is in some ways tangential to it, it pertains to a different kind of racism: the purely intolerant kind.

Shirley Sherrod, Georgia’s former Director for Rural Development of the Department of Agriculture, spoke at a state-wide convention for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in March (March 27th, according to BigGovernment.com). In a speech during which she discusses her relations with a struggling white farmer and the private conflicts she experienced, she proves intolerance is not always the result of ignorance:

Has America’s Past Time Changed?

Since the 19th century baseball has been considered America’s favorite sport, mostly because it was an easy game to watch and play and could be played with anything. Since it was the time of the Great Depression and money was scarce, baseball was a good sport for children to play because it could be played with a stick and pine cones while the bases could be cans or even worn out clothing. Baseball also connects on a deeper note due to the fact that it is very family oriented. I remember myself as a child, always wanting to go to games and my biggest dream was to catch a baseball in the stands. I would get my mitt and my baseball cap all ready and hope that this game would be the one. Yet my parents always kept my hopes up by taking me to the games. I never did catch a baseball, but I learned that baseball was not always about winning and traditions made up a huge part of it. One of the most famous traditions were the rally cap which was when your team was losing and was up to bat and fans would turn their caps inside out to bring luck that their team would win. There was also the 7th inning stretch when everyone would sing “Take Me Out to The Ball Game” or even when the opposing team hit a home run whoever caught it would throw the baseball back onto the field. The last tradition that always was exciting was the fireworks after the team would hit a home run or win the game. They were so bright and after a hard fought victory from your team, watching them was the end to a perfect day. So why are baseball teams attendance so low and games being watched by less and less people?

Should Loyalty Matter in Sports?

To the left is a picture of LeBron James who is considered to be one of the greatest basketball players in the world. When LeBron was only a sophomore in high school, scouts were already touting him as a future NBA superstar. When he was 18 he skipped college to enter the 2003 NBA draft and was eventually picked by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the number one pick. Before LeBron even picked up a basketball he signed a 90 million dollar shoe deal with Nike. He has set and broken countless NBA records and has racked up awards such as MVP (Most Valuable Player) which he won two times. He also won Rookie of the Year and helped the USA basketball team win gold medals at the 2008 Olympics.

Ignorance Is Still Their Best Friend

The NAACP voted on July 13th “to condemn extremist elements within the Tea Party, calling on Tea Party leaders to repudiate those in their ranks who use racist language in their signs and speeches.” Which is to say, they stated the obvious about America’s hot/new/overblown political movement.

JK! Nothing is obvious to these Founding Father-lovin’ patriots except Obama’s rampant Fascist Nazi Communism™, as future-nobody Sarah Palin was only too glad to demonstrate in her latest Facebook missive.

While most of the post is just the standard vomit-inducing drivel embracing such delightful garbage as “post-racial America,” and was replete with the expected worshiping of the ever-tolerant, fag-murdering Ronald Reagan, I must say I had to reserve a special snort of (near-)disbelief when I came across this gem: “To be unjustly accused of association with what Reagan so aptly called that ‘legacy of evil’ is a traumatizing experience, and one of which the honest, freedom-loving patriots of the Tea Party movement are truly undeserving.”

*GUFFAWSQUAWK*

You know you’re privileged when you consider having your oppression of others pointed out to be “traumatizing.”

Ms. Palin, I think I have a few million current victims of the Prison-Industrial Complex who’d like a word with you…for starters.

Anyhow, all this hubbub made me think of my favorite song of the moment, Paramore’s “Ignorance”:

Perhaps it’s time for some COCs (children of conservatives) to step forward and start to sing, because

The same tricks that, that once fooled me
They won’t get you anywhere
I’m not the same kid from your memory
Well, now I can fend for myself

Onward to November!

The Emmys’ Year of Change?

Last year, the Emmys, the “Oscars for TV,” continued their love-fest for perennial favorites like 30 Rock, Mad Men, Bryan Cranston, and Glenn Close. For the third straight year, critical juggernauts 30 Rock and Mad Men won the “Outstanding… Series” award, comedy and drama, respectively. Cranston and Close won their second straight “Outstanding Drama” actor and actress, respectively. All four nominees were nominated again this year, but not without their due. All four have continued to be critical darlings and thus deserved the nominations. So? What about the rest of the field?

Across the board this year, the nominees were favorites of the critics. Now, many of you may ask what do the critics have to offer that makes them more qualified than the average busybody to decide what’s good and what’s not. My article doesn’t focus on critics’ qualifications, so I’ll keep it brief. Not all of them are qualified to review as they do, but the majority of them have been around long enough to know what’s good TV and what’s not. As such, I consider them the main source in determining the nominees for awards. This year, more than any other, has proven that the AoTAS is taking critics’ opinions seriously, while also considering popular appeal.

Some of the good:

• Friday Night Lights vets Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler are finally up for lead actress and actor in a drama series. Only problem, why not the show for dramatic series?