Friday, February 27, 2009

Ironically, Jumping The Shark Has Jumped The Shark

Once upon a time, there was a website known as jumptheshark.com. The site was dedicated to all those little moments in television history where our favorite shows seem to lose their pizazz.

For those of you who have never heard of the term, first...crawl out from under your rock once in a while. Second, I'll tell you that the term originates from an episode of Happy Days in which The Fonz (Henry Winkler) literally jumps a shark while water skiing. Many people cite that as the moment Happy Days began to suck (though, I'd contend that Happy Days began to suck the first time there was a scene featuring Donny Most). Since then, the term Jump The Shark has been used to catalog the moments when a tv show has began to suck.

Anyway, Jumptheshark.com cataloged all of those moments. For example, you could go to the page about The Simpsons, and post about when the show jumped the shark (or voice your opinion if you felt the show never jumped the shark). The site was cataloged by tv show, and by typical jump the shark moments (for example:"Exit Stage Left" which cataloged all the moments characters left tv shows, or "New Kid In Town" which cataloged all the moments "cute kids" were added to a fledgeling show...I'm looking at you, Brady Bunch's Cousin Oliver). The site was never a goto site (you know...one of those sites you go to every time you sign online), but it was a great way to kill a little time when you were bored.

Well, tonight, I thought I'd pay a visit to the site and catch up on what was going on over there. Imagine my surprise when the web address took me to TVGuide.com! Apparently Jumptheshark.com has been bought out by Tv Guide Magazine. The origional concept of Jumptheshark.com is no more. It has basically become a TV Guide blog that reports on deaths of characters from tv shows, cast changes, replacement characters, etc. TV Guide has taken a pretty good thing and ruined it.

So, Jumptheshark.com has officially jumped the shark.
In the words of Alanis Morisette..."Isn't it ironic?"

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Blogging On The Office

After reading Dave Barry's hilarious blog posts about the tv show 24, I came to two conclusions:

1. Dave Barry is infinitely funnier than me.
2. I should blog about some of my favorite shows too.

One of my favorite shows (definitely my favorite network sitcom at the moment) is The Office.

DISCLAIMER: I don't want a bunch of you British people coming here with your crooked, yellow teeth and saying things like "You dumb, sloppy American, the British version is SO much better." You know what? We kicked your ass at Bunker Hill, so lick it, you Mr. Bean worshiping idiots!

Tonight's episode was part 2 in a two part series (which, in retrospect, isn't the best time to start blogging). Anyway, the story picks up with Michael and Pam going to the Nashua branch of Dunder Mifflin so that Michael can give a sales lecture, and see old flame Holly (who was transferred to Nashua after The Man at corporate discovered that she and Michael were dating).

Meanwhile, back in Scranton, we continue the subplot of Dwight and Jim making plans for Kelley's birthday party. Also, a new subplot was introduced involving Angela and her cats.

In Nashua, Michael discovers that Holly has a new boyfriend, and he leaves Pam to finish the sales lecture...Which is not the best idea considering she's a receptionist and not a salesman. Holly, meanwhile, is at an HR retreat, so unavilable to speak to Michael. Michael sneaks to her cubicle and, after using a pair of scissors to steal a sleeve from a cardigan that Holly left behind at her desk, finds a saved file on Holly's computer called "Dear Michael..." Obviously an email she never had the guts to send. He steals it with a flash drive.

Back in Scranton, Angela has rushed back home because sheobserved her cats misbehaing on her work computer's cat cam. When she arrives home, her coworkers watch her on the catcam as she bathes her cats with her tongue...That's right...I said her tongue! At the same time, Jim and Dwight offer Kelly options for a birthday present: Either an hour of tv, or a one hour nap at work.

The episode closes with Michael and Pam debating the ethics of reading the message that Michael stole from Holly's computer. Pam said it would be ok if she read it, and told Michael what the message said. She reads it, and tells Michael that Holly still has feelings for him.

Now, I'll close the blog with random observations I made during the show.

OBSERVATION: Angela's actually smiling. It must be Bizzaro Angela!

OBSERVATION: Cat Cam! Available at Brookstone.

OBSERVATION: Dwight is like a little Neo-Fascist hobgobblin.

OBSERVATION: Dwight and Jim are like Butch and Sundance from Hell.

OBSERVATION: Holly has a new boyfriend! Dun Dun Dunnnnnn!

OBSERVATION: Cat Porn Cam! Available At Naughty Pet Smart

OBSERVATION: Everyone in the office is watching kittie porn...Perverts

OBSERVATION: The Nashua branch is a hotbed of ugle people.

OBSERVATION: Angela is the real life Cat Woman! No wonder she's so evil.

OBSERVATION: Oh, Dwight did NOT just badmouth triceratops!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Things Are Gonna Happen To Me Now!

So, here I am. After running across this site and realizing that you're basically already a member here if you're a member of Gmail (and I always love a site that requires me to do a minimal amount of work when registering), I figured I'd give blogging a try.

So...Here's my first entry. At the moment, I'm sitting at home in my robe, and have no idea what I should type up here. I'm usually a font of witty asides, and random knowledge. Tonight...not so much.

Don't worry, though. I'm sure by the time I wake up tomorrow (probably just minutes before it's time for me to leave for work), I'll come up with an idea for an excellent post. Then I'll have to wait until the end of the day to come back here and type it up. In the meantime, I'll be at work. I'll probably be so busy there, I'll forget what I wanted to type up. Then I'll come back here after a hard day at the office and have NOTHING to write...again.

It'll be a viscous cycle until finally I go crazy and have to be sent up-state to the "funny farm," which is right next to what used to be the leper colony (seriously,there's a town here that is home to the state nut house, and used to house one of only a few leper colonies in the US). Then I'll sit there constantly staring out the window and muttering things like "The squirrels steal my luggage in springtime."

Anyway...take care. I'll talk to you all soon...Or I'll be caught with a butterfly net, and taken away by the men in the white coats.