It's very strange being in the land of Green Bay Packers when the big Seattle game is coming up this Saturday. I am hardly a Seahawks fan, but the never-ending smack-talk being aimed at my home-state team is still kind of surreal to me. But not surprising. In all my travels, it's hard to think of a state more devoted to to their football team than Wisconsin. They LOVE the Packers, and their devotion is hard to miss. Everywhere you go, everything's green and gold and team logos are plastered on every available surface. Brett Favre is worshipped as some kind of demi-god (though his three-time MVP status and amazing record probably justifies it).
To balance things out, I feel obligated to give a shout-out to the Seahawks, and wish them luck on Saturday...
Oooh, look! I'm one of THOSE people now.
With nothing good on television lately, I've been distracting myself with DVDs of old television shows. On this trip, I brought Kitchen Confidential: The Complete Series with me...
The douchebags at FOX cancelled the show after only four episodes, but the DVD set gives you all thirteen episodes that were produced. Loosely based on Anthony Bourdain's scandalous tell-all novel of the same name, Kitchen Confidential was a truly funny show with a remarkable cast of actors. I remain mystified as to why this wasn't a massive, massive hit. Oh well, it was cancelled at the same time as the brilliant Arrested Development, so at least it was in good company.
The Writer's Strike has me not only revisiting old television shows, but also watching stuff that I never in a million years thought I'd ever be watching. My latest addiction? Disney's Hannah Montana...
Starring the father-daughter team of Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, this series is about an average school-girl who lives a secret double life as the massively famous pop-star "Hannah Montana." Yes, it's a kids show that's meant for the teen-girl demographic, but it's also kind of clever as far as crap television goes.
Either that, or I'm just a big girl.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I'm also addicted to Fight Quest!! The show follows two bad-ass fighters, Jimmy and Doug, as they travel the world to study different styles of fighting and martial arts...
It sounds like mindless violence, but it's actually pretty smart. While there is fighting, the show focuses on fighting as an art, not as moronic fisticuffs. Surprisingly fun to watch.
Either that, or I'm really needing to balance out my Hannah Montana habit.
Anyway... now that I'm done with work, I'm flying off for a vacation all my own. Sure it's only a day-and-a-half, but it's better than nothing. I just hope I'm not too tired to enjoy it.
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heh don’t worry, the manliness of Fight Quest totally balances out Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana? Dave, I think you’ve gone off the deep end.
i’m trying to show seattle pride (go hawks!) but if they win and dallas loses then i have to work another home game next weekend. i’m kind of over working on the weekend. don’t tell the fella. he’s a huge hawks fan. 😉
I’m totally with you. One of my guilty pleasures is “Drake & Josh”. Also aimed at teenage girls, but I feel like I even it out by watching it with my 3 1/2 year old daughter.
You make me want to start watching television again.
GO SEAHAWKS!!!
This might be a good time to mention my secret shame. I have a crush on Billy Ray. It’s so wrong.
There is so much Hannah Montana craze out here right now. She came for a concert in December (?) and tickets were sold out immediately. Parents wanted to please their children so they bought them at ridiculous prices off the internet ($3500?!).Is it that crazy out there? As long as it is a wholesome show for little girls, who cares if they go a bit nuts over it? (But not $3500 nuts!)
You know, I got some crap for admitting my addiction to Hannah Montana…however I found the strength so continue, to move on…LOL.
I have a crush on Billy Ray as well.
I also have to admit I have a seven year old who loves Hannah. We have tickets for her new movie that comes out on February 1st. Of course we didn’t have 4K to buy tickets for the concert.
Hannah Montana is not that bad, especially when compared to other children’s programming. We just bought our daughter tickets to the 3D concert movie coming out in early Feb. Want to come with us?
Yeah, both my kids (5yr old son and 13yr old daughter) like Hannah Montana a lot.
Neither of them like the Packers.
More news alerts will come as events warrant.
GO PACKERS!!
Dude, packers fans are like the nicest people in the whole wide world. Seriously.
I loved Kitchen Confidential, and the episodes they didn’t air were even better than the ones they did.
Fuckers.
My daughters love Hannah Montana (it’s a wholesome show, tries to teach life lessons in some of the episodes, and the music isn’t that bad…)
Plus, any show that’s going to put Brooke Shields and Heather Locklear in episodes can’t be that bad…
Plus it’s something that the girls and I can do together…
mG
At least I can say I watch H.M. because I have teens.
pssst… the one with Dolly Parton was hysterical
LOL, hm.. I can totally picture you loving Hannah Montana. Not sure why that is.
My 12 year old daughter loves her and has posters, all her books, and watches her faithfully every day. I’m actually ok with it because right now these girls need someone decent after Britney and Lindsey let them down.
I love all the shows like Hannah Montana (Drake and Josh, iCarly, etc). I don’t let on to my kids that I do, I watch with them because “it is very important for me to see what they are watching”. I mean it is, but that isn’t necessarily why I am watching with them.
The other day I was bee-bopping to a song on Sirius when I looked down to see…the horror…it was Miley Cyrus!
Been to a Green Bay game. When the wind was blowing and the temperature never saw the double digits. Lots of thick around the middle, camouflage body coats and yes, green & yellow. There aren’t many professional sports teams in cities that don’t share the spotlight with other sports (e.g., hockey, baseball, basketball, etc.).
Kitchen Confidential was awesome. I’m signing off now to add it to Neflix.
I suppose now that I’m in good company (you) I can finally admit that I’ve watched and enjoyed an episode (or two) of Hannah Montana. As brainless fluff goes, it’s not awful, and it makes me smile. I get the feeling it’s like the “Saved by the Bell” for today’s kids.
The A.V Club posted a really good interview with Anthony Bourdain the other day. I liked his take on selling out and endorsements. I had no idea the man wrote crime novels either.
Packers had a nice run this season but their fan base doesn’t deserve success because they’re like, you know, Packer fans and stuff. End o’ the line.
Is it just me or does the Seattle Seahawks logo look like the United States Postal Service eagle?
I’m pretty sure I saw an episode of Fight Quest late one night. It was part way in so I missed the title. They were in Japan studying karate with hardcore old dudes who hit rocks for training and had bodies like steel. At the end, one of the hosts faced off with a black belt.
It does sound like mindless violence, but it was so interesting to watch all the different old school training techniques. And they showed with digital graphics why certain moves were effective, how the force was applied to the body.
I’ll have to check that out again.
Since most Cubs fans are Bears fans, some people in St. Louis root for the Packers just because the Bears and Packers are rivals.
I’d rather root for Hannah Montana too.
I’m opting for the concept that you’re just a big girl. Heh.
“teen-girl demographic”? 4 1/2-year-old Princess Granddaughter was able to tell me that Hannah Montana is really Miley Cyrus pretending to be Hannah Montana. I guess this show really crosses the age boundaries!
I loved Kitchen Confidential and even blogged about it when it was still on the air.
And Hannah Montana is soooo badly acted it is nearly unwatchable. Try out iCarly which is much better. I don’t have a daughter but I do have a tweener tag, so read into that what you will.