When Comedy Ladies Write Books

I hate Lena Dunham's book. Whew that feels good to get off my chest. I hated it. I remember running out to buy it and thinking why I didn't like it at all. I loved Mindy Kaling's book and Amy Poehler's and Tina Fey's. Why didn't I like Lena Dunham's? When my comedy friends, especially the women asked me, I couldn't articulate an answer. Only after I took the time to re-read Kaling's, Poehler's and Fey's book did I realize: Dunham's didn't follow the formula. The former mentioned followed a strict formula of an advisory tone, an objective assertion of truth and a promise that being a woman in comedy is a universal union. Dunham's was a book about herself because, as promised, it was a memoir.

This same truth carries into these women's shows, in the formers' shows they are all working professionals, unapologetic about their opinions and goals. While Dunham's show, GIRLS, is a more objective portrayal of how women can sometimes suck. Like her book, Dunham's show also receives more criticism because of what it asserts. It doesn't propose a truth that women are strong and powerful, it represents a truth that sometimes they're not and she is not the authority to say that they are. With her book Dunham was trying to say "this is me" while the other three were trying to say "this is me and you" and I hated Dunham's because I wasn't represented in the equation.

I bring this up because of the release of Mindy Kaling's new book, Why Not Me? A book I hope lives up to the standard of the other one but that reaches it in a new way. I want to work an industry that allows women to be varied in their portrayal even if I'm not part of it.

Saturday Night Live: The Alligator

I love Saturday Night Live. Ask anyone I know and they'll tell you I'm the ultimate SNL nerd. I collect the merchandise, I've camped out to get standby tickets and I've absorbed every bit of knowledge and trivia I could about the show. I often encounter people who tell me that the show isn't funny or that "it used to be really funny but now it sorta sucks". I try to take these comments in stride and to squish my normally argumentative disposition down into my gut. Truth be told most of the people who make these comments often don't or rarely watch the show and are parroting things they've heard from their parents or the endless amounts of op-eds you can find online. However this is as good a medium as any to finally tell them they are wrong and why (one of my favorite things to do).

Saturday Night Live is often referred to as a dinosaur. It relies on more old fashioned ways of producing, especially those popular when live television was a more consistent form of broadcast, and it costs a million dollars an episode because of it. Because of these methods, some of which many deem archaic, it is called a dinosaur, a beacon of the "old ways of doing it". But SNL isn't a dinosaur. Dinosaurs go extinct because they can't face new environments or refuse to evolve. SNL instead is an alligator. Sure it existed in the time of the dinosaurs, or as I like to call it, the 70s, but they learned to adapt and were unafraid to do so, they became ready to enter dangerous situations and tread unforseen territory. While many networks have seen a steep decline since the dawn of the streaming age, SNL was already built for the internet, especially making digital shorts their mark on the web. In addition they have consistently called for innovation, circulating in new players to keep the show fresh and capture a new younger audience. Yes each episode cost a million dollars to make but it doesn't matter because SNL, because of it's nature, almost always captures their time slot in terms of ratings. In a television landscape that calls for the survival of the fittest, SNL has proved to be the head of the foodchain.

THE GIRLS ARE BACK AT IT AGAIN ____BRINGING YOU BROAD CITY

   Board City is back! Created by Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, and produced by Amy Poehler, broad city is a comedy between two best friends steering their way through the New York City life.
Abbi and IIana are two eccentric, crazy girls. They next stray away from situations that my lead them to trouble in the streets of NYC. They are two bad ass b****es! Not matter the trouble they always find a way out.

This is an amazing show to get in tact with.  Abbi and Ilana are the girls you want to hang with.  They're what us city gals call our kind of people.  They remind us of horrors and joys the city life provides us with.

What do Abbi and Ilana do a daily basis?

• Talk about a lot of sex
• Wear flea market vintage clothing along with some American Appeal and H&M 
• SMOKE A LOT OF WEED

This show portrays two strong Feminist Women ---- in which they refer to each other as "dude". They are the true representation of women in their 20's with their minimum wage jobs, mediocre roommates, but enjoy their friendship.  

Broad City is the true representation of the imperfect female. Broad City recognizes that no one is perfect. The ideal of perfect women on TV is getting old its time we live in the real and embrace our inner imperfections and never be ashamed of who we are.

Parks and Recs' Mocumentary Style

My favorite comedy show by far is the sitcom, "Parks and Recreation" starring Amy Poehler and many other hilarious actors. The style that is used in Parks and Rec is "mockumentary" and the cinematographer, Michael Trim, conducts it in such a way that is so entertaining and flows beautifully. Many people compare the style of the show to "The Office," but I believe that "Parks and Recreation" exceeds the cinematography of "The Office" and makes it smoother and funnier.

The shots are sometimes rough and shaky, but that is an aspect of the mockumentary style that really makes it come to life. Throughout every episode there are several times where characters break the fourth wall and stare straight at the camera. The actress who stands out the most when doing this is Aubrey Plaza who plays the character of April Ludgate. In many scenes she makes hilarious faces and reacts to things that other characters say by breaking the fourth wall and it adds to the humor of the show perfectly.

The excellent zooms, pans, and various other camera movements follow the characters in a way that is intriguing and entertaining. There is never a dull moment because the camera is basically always moving. "Parks and Rec" has come a long way since its pilot episode, which was not the strongest, to their seventh and final season where I'm going to bawl my eyes out because this show became a television phenomenon. The mockumentary style was a perfect way to go about filming this series, and it really makes it easier not only to connect with characters but to be involved with the various different plots. The writing for this show is absolutely hysterical and the style of it keeps viewers entertained for hours on end. I highly recommend that everyone take some time out of their days and watch this show.

Parks and Recreation (It's awesome)

Hey guys, short post today because if I make it much longer it will be me just going on and on about why Parks and Recreation is currently my favorite TV show. If you haven't seen it, you definitely need to check it out, it's great.

I just started watching this show a week ago and I've gotten through four seasons already. It's extremely addicting, but more than that it's really well crafted!

If you haven't seen this show, or you don't know what it's about I'll give you a little summary. The show follows Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), the Deputy Head of the Parks and Recreation Department of the Pawnee, Indiana, and her many coworkers at City Hall.

For the most part I'm not a huge fan of comedy television. I usually either find it crude or plain unfunny. The other problem a lot of comedy TV seems to be plagued with, is that while the show itself may be funny, the characters are only comic relief and you don't care about them at all.

Parks and Rec doesn't have any of these issues. The show is genuinely funny, while never need to move into territory that could be considered "crude" or "offensive".  The characters, while sometimes sensational, all have qualities that are relatable and as an audience you find yourself actually caring about their struggles, even if they may be ridiculous and comedic in fashion.

The show is shot much like Office, in a "Documentary" style, although the show's events are fictitious. One of my favorite things about the show is the video confession parts, where the characters break the fourth wall and talk seemingly to the viewer. Not only is this usually to reveal some hilarious insight into what the characters are thinking, but it also helps the audience feel engrossed and a part of the show as they are watching it. It's almost as though you, the viewer, are one of the characters.  

The show also explores important social issues. They use comedy to do it, but important issues such as feminism, politics, and government never feel like a punchline, even though this would be easy to do. This is something I applaud the shows creators for. 

Basically the show is just really awesome, and everyone should watch it.  There are 6 seasons so far (they are all on Netflix, fyi) and the 7th season premieres this August. 

Colin Jost, Cecily Strong, and the Weekend Update Desk

This week, Saturday Night Live announced that Michael Che, currently a correspondent for The Daily Show, would be replacing cast member Cecily Strong and joining head-writer Colin Jost at the Weekend Update anchor desk. This comes just half a year after Jost took Seth Meyers' seat at the desk. I think that Lorne Michaels and the show's other creative staff made a serious misstep in this decision.

The history of the Weekend Update segment in the 21st century is dominated by names that went on to achieve even greater success elsewhere. Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Seth Meyers have all gone on to anchor their own shows: Poehler and Fey found second lives on the NBC sitcoms Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock, respectively, and Fallon and Meyers occupy back-to-back time-slots in the network's late-night schedule. However, when Meyers announced his plans to depart at Christmas 2013 posed a unique problem for the show, with no truly strong contenders in the cast available to take his place. Lorne Michaels decided to pair Meyers with Cecily Strong for the first half of the show's 39th season last fall:

Meyers and Strong

After strong reviews of the pair, hopes were high when Jost, the show's head-writer and Meyers' best friend, replaced the male half of the pair. However, Jost gave a less than memorable performance in his first couple of shows, and although he began to improve by the end of the season, he had already lost the trust of much of the SNL audience. It was clear that the show was going to make changes at the desk going into the 40th season. However, this week's announcement seems like a step in the wrong direction to myself and many other fans. 

Michael Che's work on The Daily Show has admittedly been strong. His correspondent segments often dealt with race and the experience of being a modern black American in interesting ways. 

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

However, Lorne Michaels' decision to go with Jost instead of Strong shows a bit of bias towards the longer-tenured writer, who may have payed his dues on the show more. That's all well and good, but I     believe that the stronger performer should have won out. Many fans are speculating that the decision was based on giving Cecily Strong more time to write and perform sketches and characters. I hope that that's the case. 

Characters are what makes a show: Parks and Recreation

The television series Parks and Recreation is one of my favorite shows. The subtle humor and natural goofiness is what drives the show to become a successful comedy. The show is about Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) who is the deputy director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Indiana, Pawnee. Leslie is incredibly passionate about her job. Leslie will do anything in her power to become a woman involved in government. She has an interesting, yet supportive team behind her the entire way she strives for the top. The way the show is composed is documentary like. The camera is constantly moving and the characters talk directly to the camera in each episode.

                                                     

As soon as I began to watch, I found myself hooked. The character development in the show is what makes the show so interesting and attractive. Even though the characters have very different views from one another, they all work well together and support each other. For many people my age, politics can tend to be boring, unless one has a strong interest. This show is a spoof on politics and the government. It is humorous and enjoyable to watch. The characters engage the audience by adding humor and relatable jokes.

Each character in the show is very different, yet adds something to the show. Leslie Knope, the protagonist, is a passionate, hard-working, ambitious woman who loves her hometown and will do anything to climb to the top. Leslie cares deeply for her friends and her coworkers. She will always put others before herself.



                                                  

There are several relationships in the show that are very interesting. Ron Swanson’s relationship with Leslie is one of many. Ron hates the government and having anything to do with the government, where as Leslie’s passion is about the government and becoming a woman in politics. Her main role model is Hilary Clinton. Even though Ron has a completely different view than Leslie, they still have a strong friendship and work well together. Another interesting relationship in the beginning of the show is the romantic relationship between Andy Dwyer and Ann Perkins. Ann is a neat, kind, smart, loving character that will do anything for her loved ones and friends. She is a nurse and has a general direction of where she is going in life. Andy on the other hand is a low-life with good intensions who does not have a real job. He plays in a low-key band and shines shoes. Andy is clearly out of Anne’s league and Anne can do a lot better. The characters continue to grow and connect with each other, which makes the show easy to keep watching.

Late Night with Seth Meyers

As my all time favorite late night show host moves on to the bigger leagues, it is time for Seth Meyers to move up in his career. Seth is taking over the Late Night show on February 24th. I have always been a huge fan of Seth on SNL. My favorite part of the show would be the Weekend Update with Seth and Amy Poehler (when she was still on the show.) It will not be the same without him, however I could not be more thrilled for the launch in his career. Seth has a way of connecting with his audience and is an incredible writer. He is funny, but not too cocky. He has wrote some amazing sketches on SNL.  One of my all time favorites that he co-wrote was the opening with Tina Fey playing the role of Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler playing the role of Hilary Clinton. This was one of the best sketches on SNL of the presidential election back in 2008.

To start off the show, Amy Poehler will be Meyers' first guest. I think this is the best decision for the show. It will create tons of hype because it will be a reunion and a new beginning at the same time. The Late Night show is going to be different for sure, but it is time for a change. Seth deserves to move up in his career and to be the spotlight. As devastasting as it is that after 22 years, Jay Leno is retiring, it is time for a new face to shine in Late Night. I believe that Jimmy Fallon is the perfect choice to fill Leno's shoes and will continue the shows longtime success. With Seth Meyers going into the Late Night Show, I have complete faith that he will make us all proud. I can't wait to see what these two shows, Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon have in store.

Shock of 65th Emmy Awards

Award Season has finally kicked off! The Emmy Awards were this weekend and they were quite different from years before. Check it out.

Neil Patrick Harris was the host this year so expectations were high, not only because he has quite the experience with hosting big award shows like the Tonys, but also because he is the main character of the funny sit-com How I Met Your Mother.  However, perhaps my expectations were too high.  The grand entrance of an original musical number, specially choreographed to the Emmys for our excitement and to keep us wanting to watch more was none other than disappointing.  Mostly because there wasn’t one.  Instead it was like most previous openings where other celebrities are in some way trying to tell him how to host a show and what he is doing wrong, as well as him taking a few jabs at other celebrities in the audience.  The opening of the show was quite sad, much like the rest of the show.

 

This year the show seemed more to me as a funeral reception more than anything.  Like Ken Levine, a hollywood comedic writer, put it, “it was one long funeral interspersed with production numbers.” There were individual tributes, musical tributes, presidential tributes, and they even felt it necessary to show Lee Harvey Oswald get shot again. I was very confused by all of this. Especially by Elton Johns tribute to Liberace.  Its been over 25 years, I didn’t get it but maybe im just missing something, I don’t know.  Regardless, I did not see the relevance most of that had to do with the actual Emmy awards.

To kick off one of the big shocks of the night. Merrit Wever, from Nurse Jackie, won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She out-won Anna Chlumsky from Veep, Jane Krakowski from 30 Rock, Jane Lynch from Glee, Mayim Bialik from The Big Bang Theory, Sofia Vergara in Modern Family, and two-time consecutive Emmy winner, Julie Bowen, from Modern Family. I definitely didn’t see that one coming. And perhaps what was even more unexpected was her speech.  A short and humorous “ Thank you so much. I gotta go. Bye” was all she said in response to her new piece of gold.  Maybe she was afraid of the getting cut off by the music cue in the middle of an important acknowledgment like every other winning actor and actress of the night. Either way it was actually pretty fun to watch since it was not at all what I was expecting to happen.

The other major shock of the night was when Jeff Daniels, as Will McAvoy, in the show The Newsroom, was the winner for Outstanding Lead Actor in Drama Series.  He beat out John Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men,  Hugh Bonneville  for Downton Abbey, Damian Lewis for Homeland,   Kevin Spacey for House of Cards, and Bryan Cranston as the infamous Walter White of Breaking Bad.   My mouth dropped to say the least. I definitely would have lost a bet on this one.  All of these actors do tremendous work, however I firmly believe Breaking Bad would not be the show it is without Bryan Cranston.  His performances are incredible and very much worth of the acknowledgement. 

 On a different note, The mid-show performance referencing all of the shows for best TV drama was really cool to watch. The choreography was spectacular in the way that every move correlated to the different themes of the shows and what they represent.  It was by far my favorite part of the entire show.  Besides when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler decided to crawl up the stage. That was priceless.

The Emmy awards are always something I look forward to watching around this time of year.  However this year was a miss in terms of entertainment for me so I hope for the Oscars and Golden Globes to make up for it in the next few months.                             

Reasons Why I Love Parks and Rec

The beginning of the school year always brings new and different things back into my life. New classes and clubs starting, seeing my friends after the long summer, and a cold. I always see getting sick as an excuse to binge watch Netflix for a few days until I'm feeling better. This time I chose to start watching Parks and Recreation. It seemed as if all of my friends watched this show so I figured, why not? I love a good television sitcom. And now, as I just finish episode 15 of season 3, I completely realize the appeal of the show. I'm basically addicted to it. Here are some of the reasons why I absolutely am in love with this show:

First off, show creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur came up with such an original concept. They manage to show something as completely mundane as a local government in a small town and make it hysterical, witty, and endearing. Leslie Knope, played by the always laugh-worthy Amy Poehler, just has the most contagiously positive energy and always makes the show memorable along with her other, equally funny costars. There isn't a character that I don't like. They all are so different from each other, but when you put them all together, they are genius.

The show is just so happy. The writers of this show have created something that just leaves the viewer in such a positive spirit. I definitely was in a much better mood after watching this show even though I was feeling under the weather. Knope is just this ball of sunshine that just loves what she does and all of the people around her. This positive energy and pure happiness is so different from any show that I've ever watched because there are literally no sad moments. I never found this constant positivity a detraction to the show. The characters were not flat and the episodes have substance.



I also love the strong female roll in this show. Poehler plays Leslie Knope so perfectly. She is driven, hard-working, smart (though I would say only book-smart), and she is well-respected. I always love a strong female character. The friendship between Leslie and Ann Perkins (Leslie's nurse friend played by Rashida Jones) is another reason why I'm in love with this show. Their friendship is so true. There is no cattiness or competition between the two friends, like many female friends are portrayed on television. They just have a true, almost sisterly bond for each other.

I love this show and I can't wait to watch the next episode right after I post this!