welcome to the neighborhood yanked

I'm thrilled to report that I literally just read in the Bible's industry news that ABC has cancelled its airing of the [non]reality series Welcome to the Neighborhood, which I wrote about below. Woo-hoo!

i'm an indie guru, what are you?

The plethera of personality tests online is quite ridiculous, and since I was less than happy with my aparent resemblence to Begbie, I was a little hesitant to take this one. But damn, I'm so indie / non-mainstream, I knew I couldn't be fucked over this time.

It really hit the nail on the head when it declared: "You hang with other gurus and people you can lord over. You're intelligent, but big-headed. Passionate, but hot-tempered. You will one day rule the earth."

I'm the Indie Guru!
Take What sort of Hipster are you? today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.

P.S. Check out BigYawn.net for some cool indie insight.

Rock Star: INXS

I find this very amusing and oddly exciting. We've all seen the promos for Rock Star: INXS. Of course I've dismissed it as another crap [non]reality show (though I admit I do like the movie Rock Star, which has the same premise). Well someone unaffiliated with this (as far as I know) pointed out on MySpace that Neal from Bona Roba (if you remember, or check the archives, I praised them when I saw them at the Velvet Lounge last month) is one of the contestants. Allie pointed out that he may win because he's the only one that actually looks like a rock star. I second that--just click that link above and check out the motley crue. Plus, this guy actually has the talent. As if I'd weigh in on such a thing, but he'd get my vote.

Me and You and Everyone We Know

Today was my first day of work, and I got home later than I would have liked due to a variety of factors. When I walked through the door Allie told me that Matt Cowal (communications director for Washington area Landmark Theatres) had sent out a last-minute invite to see Me and You and Everyone We Know at Bethesda Row. Having heard so much praise for it, we have talked about how we want to see it, so we decided to dash out of the house at 6:45 to catch the 7:30 screening, hoping it wouldn't already be full since it was last-minute (and these things rarely fill even with advance notice). We made it just after 7:20 (parking was a bitch, as usual in Bethesda). All I have to say is that it's quite clear the filmmaker has a performance art background. It's funny, it's endearing, but not as great as I expected. I'm not sure I even get it--or if I'm supposed to.

Arch Campbell was there (and that means nothing to you outside the Washington area, I know, and trust me, it's not worth explaining). He laughed maybe once (you know that distinctive, annoying laugh of his). Though I have it on good authority he was howling at the Unleashed screening. That's the caliber of local TV news film critics in these parts.

Saving Face

Tonight I attended another free screening at the E Street Cinema that I won tickets to. The film was Saving Face, about a Chinese-American lesbian doctor and her (un)traditional family. Her mother is kicked out of her home with her parents, and then lives with her daughter the doctor, after they learn she is pregnant at 48 (while a widow without a husband). Very funny, if still quite formulaic in the end (that's what makes it a romantic comedy, though, isn't it?). I also love it when the characters are sharp and understand what's going rather than having so many "duh" moments. This is one to see.

P.S. Joan Chen, who plays the pregnant mother, directed Autumn in New York. What was she thinking?!

not welcomed to the neighborhood

When I first saw a commercial for this new [non]reality crap that passes for television programming these days, I seethed with anger, but I couldn't write a blog about it because I was having difficulty articulating the disgust and frustration it unleashed to an audience with varying levels of understanding of the situation. I've gone on and on about my leftist ideas and my obsession with urbanism, but I don't think you necessarily know that housing is my particular interest. And of course I'm particularly focused on social justice/civil rights issues. So perhaps I can let this little blurb from The Bible's industry news speak for itself. If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention (or so a bumpersticker on my car says). Also note that I added the emphasis (bold) to the last bit. Is that executive stupid, naive, or on crack?

New Reality Series Draws Fire From Minority Activists, Others

Welcome to the Neighborhood, a reality game show in which the prize is a new home in a suburb of Austin, TX, is drawing fire from minority rights activists long before its scheduled launch date on ABC on July 10, the New York Post reported today (Monday). Neighbors will be allowed to select the winning contestants, who include African-American, Caucasian, Korean, Latino and gay families as well as one in which husband and wife are heavily tattooed and another in which the couple practice a kind of witchcraft. Among those protesting against the show is Shanna Smith of the National Fair Housing Alliance, who told the Post that it "perpetuates the problems of housing discrimination, segregation and racism in America." The gay organization GLAAD said that watching the neighbors "get rid of disenfranchised families they don't like is really disturbing." However, the show's co-exec producer Tony Marsh told the Post: "This isn't like [the judging families] were renting an apartment to somebody or actually the sellers of a home. This is a prize, so in that realm, those discrimination laws and all that stuff are not part of this process." He added that the intent of the program is "to show what people really say behind closed doors."

You know I could go on and on, but I'll be brief. You must understand that just because this stupid "game" is not subject to such discrimination laws does not mean it operates outside their context. If anything this show highlights the extreme importance of these laws and their enforcement to protect people's rights from such stupidity and ignorance.

Bale out Winona Ryder

Allie and I were talking last night, and we think that Christian Bale and Winona Ryder should reteam. Let's face it, she could really use the work. Plus, he owes her a lot. She picked him for Little Women and introduced him to his wife. Now he could use some of that Batman clout to jumpstart her career again.

adventures in la la land

As promised, here's a little bit on my trip to L.A. (my accomplices were my father and Allie). I've never seen so many Denny's in my life. We returned last night and immediately felt the oppressive humidity, which wasn't even bad by Washington standards. Today is absolutely miserable after enjoying the best weather possible for a week.

We arrived on Sunday and decided to check out Santa Monica since it wasn't too far from the airport. It's basically Los Angeles's Georgetown (but it is technically its own city)--and we all know what I think about Georgetown. Monday I spent visiting USC meeting key people. That evening we went to a game at Dodger Stadium (the Dodgers beat the Tigers in an interleague game). Tuesday was also spent partly at USC and then onto Hollywood (still the dump I remember from two years ago, but seems to have some new upscale development). I think it would be very funky to live in Hollywood, and that's one of the areas I'm keeping an eye on.

Wednesday we got a late start and headed over to Hollyhock House, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (the first of his California homes). We were part of the first tour group allowed in the house in five years. There's still some restoration work to go, but I guess they wanted it to open on the 8th in honor of Wright's birthday. It was interesting, but of course the tour guide frustrated the hell out of me with her narrow conception of significance, which is no surprise since she's just following mainstream preservation interpretation.

After killing some time on Wednesday we headed over to CBS Television Studios, which aren't really in Hollywood, but instead in the vicinity of the Farmer's Market and The Grove (a new New Urbanist-like outdoor mall). We had tickets to see The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson like I told you before so I hope you watched. It's such a tiny studio! The guests were Dennis Hopper, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and comic Carlos Alazraqui. Dennis and Craig were talking about the Cinevegas film festival, which Craig said he went to a few years ago with a movie he made about a gay, Scottish hairdresser to which Allie and I made a lot of noise (Allie more than me) and a handful of other people clapped [he's referencing The Big Tease, by the way]. Our reaction seemed to surprise Craig, he looked our way and made a comment about how everyone that saw the movie was in the audience today. Last night we watched the tape, and during the couple of audience pans, Dad and I are visible, but Allie is mysteriously absent (blocked by people's heads or something). However, Allie is heard in the aforementioned incident and later during the interview with Marianne Jean-Baptiste when she said something under her breath that the very sensitive microphones picked up since no one else was making noise!

Thursday was Disneyland. Ugh. If I never go to a Disney theme park again, I'll be happy. Within five minutes I couldn't handle the number of children everywhere. The place seemed packed to the hilt but we didn't have to wait very long for most of the rides. The ones with insanely long waits we skipped since we've done them before at Disney World. Friday we spent the day in the Newport Beach vicinity with relatives. Saturday Dad made us get up very early to arrive at the airport more than three hours before our flight. Yeah, he's like that.

All in all, not bad. I didn't find a place to live, but I have a much better handle on the city and at least have made arrangements to stay with a relative until I find a place. The weather is great. I'm still freaking out about it all, but it'll be okay.

Fuck yes! TFC in DC!

Yes, I've just returned from a week in L.A., but I'm not writing about that now (see above, it's bound to be written shortly). I arrived home, rushed to my computer (it's very sad that I am so addicted to this machine and its capabilities to bring information and communication literally to my fingertips), and started reading my piles of email. I received an email from The Knitting Factory in Hollywood informing me that Teenage Fanclub would be performing there on August 7 (I did buy the new album at Amoeba Music on Sunset in Hollywood on Tuesday). I started screaming. I still don't know exactly when I'm moving to L.A. so that's why I was freaking out. How could TFC finally play the U.S. and I might miss it in the midst of this big move?! Well, I decided they're probably playing on the East Coast too, so I went to their website but only found a date for Paris in June. Hmmm... I decided that the 9:30 Club would be the most likely venue in my neck of the woods, and so I mosied on over to their site to see that TFC is indeed playing there July 20. You bet your ass I'm driving to the 9:30 Club tomorrow evening to purchase my tickets. I'm not taking any chances nor am I paying any damn service charges.

victory is mine!

I'm thrilled to report that I have successfully defended my thesis. As if my committee would let me get to this point and fail me. But at least the work I need to do to it is only minor. That's a load off my mind, which is full of frightening things for Type A's like me (though I perhaps belong to the AAA class). Sunday I head for a week in L.A. so don't keep checking this page everyday wondering when I'm going to write again (I know you do). Worrying about scheduling things for that has been a headache as is the general anxiety of moving across the country and finding housing. Plus, I still don't have a summer job, which I need to fund my move and my time before USC actually pays me.

But I'm looking forward to the trip. The first time I'd been west of Chicago was two years ago when I went to visit relatives in Orange County. During that trip I spent one day in L.A.--and I did it all by transit! L.A. natives don't believe it. So now it's time to get intimate with my future city, and I'm doing it by car (because yes, the obviously east coast [i.e. very "political" bumpersticker laden] Toyota Tercel is coming with me in August). I'm going to try to see about as much housing as I can. I'm going to see The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Wednesday, so look for me in the audience (not that he shows much of his audience). Somewhere in there is a Dodger game and perhaps even Disneyland (ugh). Any souvenir requests?

i ♥ the bonapartes, don't you?

Last night was my first trip to the Black Cat Backstage--a quaint, intimate space, and yes, I rather like those really small venues. The Bonapartes rocked the tiny stage and attracted a very respectably-sized crowd for their Black Cat debut. The set was full of catchy, sophisticated tunes, Ian Curtis-inspired dancing from Scott, and classic-rock guitar bopping (I'm coining that term right now) from Ben. As always, skinny rock 'n' roll boys rule.

On our way out, Allie and I stole the very rad poster for the show from a wall display. We made so much noise in peeling away the clear packing tape we attracted plenty of attention and a couple of people making sure we weren't stealing an advertisement for a future show (of course we would never do that, that's disrespectful). Really, we made a ton of noise, were slightly embarrassed, and ran out of the club giggling like idiots. It was right out of a movie; you know, that movie I feel like I'm perpetually trapped in.