Fall TV Returns!

Okay.  I was going to talk all about the premiere episode of Glee last night on FOX.  It was awesome.  It had the same charm as the pilot episode.  I’m definitely a huge fan of this new show.  My husband is a morning radio host so he always gets lots of cool promotional stuff in the mail. Check out what he brought home from work yesterday:

It’s a Glee cardboard high school locker.  My kiddies have been playing with it all day.  They don’t know yet that I plan to steal it for my PopMommy office.

Then, I was going to talk all about Ellen being picked as the new judge for American Idol.  I was a little sad to hear it because it now means Paula is definitely out.  Plus, I really don’t think Ellen is a great fit.  This article explains it best.

But now, I HAVE to talk about the 24th season premiere of Oprah!  OMG.  The Black Eyed Peas opened the show with one of my favorite songs of the summer, “I Gotta Feeling.”  I was a little bummed out at first because the 20,000 people who came to downtown Chicago to watch the kick-off party were just STANDING there.  They weren’t dancing or clapping or anything.  Then, I saw one crazy chick in the front row going nuts.  I giggled.  Then, I saw more people dancing.  Then, it all..happened.  Check it out below.  The largest Flash Mob Dance ever! 

Laugh Out Loud TV

I can think of only a few television shows that make (or made) me LAUGH OUT LOUD: Friends, Seinfeld, The Office, How I Met Your Mother and now, one of my new favorites, The Soup on E!  It really took me by surprise.  The Soup is so HILARIOUS.  It’s basically a talk show that recaps the best television and pop culture moments of the week.  What makes the show so funny is really the host, Joel McHale.  He’s super likable and sarcastic. He’s also starring in a brand new Fall sitcom, Community.  It’s a single-camera comedy that also stars Chevy Chase. I’m really excited to see it, but also a little sad.  Could this be the end of Joel on The Soup?  I hope not.  But this show looks really funny too.  Hopefully I can add it to my “Laugh Out Loud” TV list.

Jon & Kate Plus 8: The Next Chapter

I just saw this promo for the new August episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8.  Which is worse: that they are continuing with this reality show or that I will continue to watch this reality show?  Hmmmm….

Where’s my “Team Kate” T-shirt?

I wrote about the deterioration of Jon & Kate (Plus Eight) Gosselin’s marriage here.  I wished, back then, that they would have worked on their marriage a little more before calling it quits.  But I think I may have spoken too soon. 

Here is a list of headlines from the popular entertainment and tabloid magazines that feature “Jon Gosselin.” 

(And these are JUST from the month of JULY):

Jon Gosselin Gets an N.Y.C. Bachelor Pad

Jon Gosselin Holds Hands With New Girlfriend in France!

EXCLUSIVE: See Mugshot of Jon Gosselin’s New Girlfriend

Pal: Hailey Glassman Dating Jon Gosselin “to Get Famous”

Jon Gosselin Brags He’s Bringing Back “Good Ol’ High School Days!”

Jon Gosselin and 22-Year-Old Girlfriend Enjoy PDA-Filled Day in the Park

Jon Gosselin Hits the Hamptons – with Lindsay Lohan’s Dad

Jon Gosselin’s New Girlfriend Shocked He’s Out with Another Woman

Jon Gosselin’s Double Date with a New Kate – and Real Housewive’sJill Zarin!

Tabloid Reporter Resigns Over New Boyfriend Jon Gosselin

Need I say more??

Goodbye MJ

Today was Michael Jackson’s Memorial Service.  It was broadcast on all the major TV networks.  A billion people watched the service from their television sets around the world. Thousands of people attended the service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  The broadcasters said that Michael Jackson’s Memorial Service will now be the biggest one in history. 

It’s so surreal because I’m sitting here watching it all unfold while my kiddies are napping.  Will I always remember this day?  Will I always remember eating this turkey and cheese on rye and drinking this Coke Zero while my dog laid at my feet?  I definitely feel mixed emotions.  I have not thought about Michael Jackson at all over the past several years.  He really was out of the limelight for awhile.  I now CHOOSE to remember only the good things, my fondest memories of Michael Jackson.  Those memories that make me smile and reminisce about my childhood.  The memories that make me realize how fast time flies and how weird it is to have such an important icon in your life pass on.

My favorite highlights from today’s King of Pop Memorial Service include:

* Mariah Carey singing “I’ll Be There.”  I remember when she first performed this on MTV Unplugged.

*Stevie Wonder’s whole performance.  I just cried.

*Jennifer Hudson singing “Will You Be There.”  She is eight months pregnant and looked gorgeous in a white dress.  I keep forgetting what an INCREDIBLE SINGER she is.

*John Mayer playing “Human Nature” on the guitar.  SWOON.

*Brooke Shields was really touching and shared some fun memories when she was friends with, and dated, Michael.

*Michael Jackson’s backup singers performing “We Are The World.”  I sometimes forget what a powerful, iconic song that was and still is today.

*Finally, when MJ’s daughter Paris spoke at the end and said “Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine.”  Heartbreaking.

Goodbye Michael Jackson.  Rest in peace.

Glee!

I just saw this brand new Glee promo spot on Fox and I got so excited!  I saw the first sneak peek and fell in love with this cool new show.  I can’t wait until the Fall.  It premieres September 16th. 

Jon minus Kate

It was so ominous when that paragraph flashed on the screen last night in black and white:

“On Monday, June 22, 2009, legal proceedings were initiated in Pennsylvania to dissolve the ten-year marriage of Jon and Kate Gosselin.”

It is just so sad.  I have been a loyal watcher of Jon & Kate Plus 8 since the very beginning.  I even watched the very first two stand alone documentaries about the birth of the sextuplets.  I was fascinated by the juggling act of caring for the twin girls and sextuplets.  There were a couple flashback scenes last night.  I miss those earlier episodes when it was really about taking care of those cute kids. 

So, Jon & Kate are going to divorce each other, but not the show?  I think this is the first time a reality show will actually document the end of the relationship.  Sure, Nick & Jessica and the Hogans both split up, but that was AFTER their reality shows were off the air.  Jon & Kate are sticking around to document the demise of their marriage. The press often wrote about the “curse” of the celebrity reality show.  Now it seems it is happening again.  Jon & Kate did not start out as celebrities.  But they sure are A-listers now.  They were on the cover of every entertainment and tabloid magazine last week.  I know everyone thinks Kate loves the limelight, but who would really love that light shining on you?  Those magazine covers say her husband is a cheat and she mistreats her kids.

I cringed a couple times during last night’s episode.  Once when Jon said, “I don’t hate Kate, but…”  Ouch.  There should have been a period at the end of that sentence.  She is still the mother of your EIGHT children.  Also, when Kate was calling Jon on his cell phone to tell him where to put those crooked houses.   She did seem a little nervous about it and I was just waiting for Jon to FINALLY  lose it.  He has always been (portrayed as) super laid back and nonchalant.  Now he seems like he’s just DONE.  He seems relieved that his marriage is over.  He even said the word “excited” at one point.   What is he excited for?  A new life with another woman?  A new wife? Does he want to drink and party because he was married so young and he missed out?  Does he want to snowboard all day? What does he WANT?

How is it going to work with Jon & Kate sharing that Mansion?  Kate mentioned that she will be sad when she has to leave the house on the days when Jon has the kids.  So weird. At least it means Jon & Kate are truly thinking about the eight children and giving them some day-to-day stability.  The children were cuter than ever on last night’s episode.  They loved their new crooked houses and they looked happy and relaxed.  I wonder what they actually know.

Kate seemed so sad and I’m curious about the truth of her statement that Jon has a lot of anger and just won’t talk to her. She made it seem like he wouldn’t even TRY to work on their marriage. I was wondering the same thing throughout this entire sullen episode.  Why no marriage counseling first?  They are religious churchgoers, so why no try at some church intervention?  Why doesn’t Jon get a job outside of the house so he could be happier?  Why does Kate have to travel SO much? 

I LOVE this show, but even I have to ask this final question?

Why not quit this reality show for good and SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE?

:::

On another, and completely different, note: 

Happy Birthday Mom!  I hope you had a super fun and worry-free day!  You deserve it. 

PS: Only 16 more days until Big Brother 2009!

AND she’s a SUPERMODEL

I’ve been searching for the perfect skincare product for awhile now.  And when I say “searching,” I really mean reading In Style, Allure and other magazines that print ”best of” beauty products issues.  But once I find a product that looks interesting, and in my price range, I always chicken out and go back to my mainstay, Clinique.  I’m been using the “Dramatically Different” bottle of yellow moisturizing lotion for SO long now, it is really hard to change.  I love my Clinique lotion, but I want to really dig in and find a great anti-aging product.  I am fair skinned and super sensitive so I also need extra protection. 

The other day I did something that is (slightly) shocking. I ordered this after watching an INFOMERCIAL:

It’s Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford.  Cindy developed this skincare line together with a leading dermatologist from Paris.  She calls it a “complete age maintenance” system.  I was literally glued to the television screen for 30 minutes watching this infomercial.   I was SUCK(er)ed in!  Just look at all the cool stuff I get!

There is a cleanser, a daytime moisturizer, a nighttime moisturizer, a mask, an eye cream, a serum, and a (bonus!) neck cream.   It’s every product I need/want and I didn’t have to keep “researching” (ie: awkwardly asking the chicks behind the cosmetic counters what they recommended.)

It was just so easy to call the number, give my credit card, and then have all the products at my front door in five days.  (Geez, now I sound like an infomercial.)  But honestly, it really wasn’t that expensive and I figure if Cindy Crawford is putting her name on it AND there is a dermatologist involved, I can feel good about it.  I just started using the products today, so I’ll see what happens. 

I just hope it’s not “Bean Bag Tuna.”

Loving Adam Lambert

Even while getting “attacked” by the paparazzi, Adam Lambert is still a nice guy and a class act.  (But he should probably not be going out alone!) There were some recent reports that Adam had turned into a DIVA, but that is obviously not true.  He is also supposed to “tell all” in an upcoming Rolling Stone article.  Honestly, I just don’t care.  I just want to buy his album.

 
 

And this is just TOO CUTE for words.  Everyone is falling in love with Adam – even babies

Big Bird and Big Macs

I worked in the world of media and marketing for many years before I became a full time Mommy.  So I try really hard not to be a hypocrite when it comes to allowing media or marketing into my home or into my kids’ world.  I already wrote about how I get sucked into marketing, so I can’t be surprised when it happens to my kids. 

I am definitely cautious when it comes to my children’s television viewing habits.  Daniel and Annabel are only 2 1/2 years and 16 months old, so they definitely should not be watching TOO much television.  They watch an hour in the morning and 30 minutes before dinner.  I also believe that there are some benefits to educational television like the shows found on PBS or Noggin.  One of the benefits is that I get a break.  (Ha.)   Some days I really need that extra time in the morning to get dressed, check my email, or even go to the bathroom.  The hour program they watch each weekday morning is the ol’ classic, Sesame Street.  It’s a PBS program, it’s educational, and I watched it when I was little, so I feel pretty good about it.  The characters are familiar (although we never had that crazy ELMO), so I enjoy it as well.  Daniel loves the “Letter of the Day,” the “Number of the Day,” and all the fun songs.  We love the family life vignettes when the children take a bath, bake a cake, or go to the dentist.  It’s a great show and they are LEARNING something too.  (Win-Win!)

The funny thing is sometimes Daniel gets most excited at the very beginning BEFORE the show actually starts.  He loves to recite the Sesame Street show SPONSORS.  (Each sponsor has a colorful 15 second “commercial” with a voiceover that thanks them for “sponsoring” Sesame Street.)

“Mama, Mama!…NEW BALANCE!”  “Mama, Mama!…BEACHES!”  “Mama!  Mama!…MCDONALD’S!”

It’s hilarious because the professional side of me is thinking, “Wow! These corporations are super smart.  They even have my two year old son shouting out their brand names!”  Then, the other side of me is thinking, “Wait. The entire point of watching a show on PBS with my kids is to avoid the infiltration of advertisers.”  But they found a way around that by having corporate “sponsors,” not advertisers. Well, good for them.  This is America.

We also listen to a lot of music in the house.  Most days I throw in a children’s CD to sing along with while we play or do projects.  My husband works in radio so, other days, we just leave the radio on.  Well, today I’m making lunch and the radio is on in the kitchen.  A commercial comes on for “Money Pages” (some coupon mailer) and after listening to it for about 10 seconds, Daniel starts singing the jingle. “The Money Pages..la la la..in your..MAILBOX!”   He’s been listening to 50 different kid songs on the CD all morning and THIS is what he decides to sing along to while waiting for his PB&J?!  It’s a little scary, but still so darn cute!  I start clapping my hands and singing along too.  Annabel starts to laugh and we all sing the chorus, “The Money Pages..la la la..in your..MAILBOX!”  (If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right?)

BTW, today’s blog entry WAS NOT brought to you by The Money Pages or Beaches Resort or New Balance or McDonald’s. (Although I sure could use one of their new Caramel Iced Coffees right now – Yum.)

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