Why The Vampire Diaries Doesn’t Suck

It was the little things that pulled me in at first. To begin with, I only tuned in to the series premiere because of a bizarre loyalty I have to a little Canadian show called Degrassi, which compels (little TVD pun there) me to watch at least one episode of every show starring an alum. (That’s right, I watched a show about teenage vampires because of teen mom-turned-threesome-having model Mia Jones, aka Nina Dobrev.) But when I did, I found myself appreciating all the little things that differentiated it from other similar shows. The way “the vampire rules” were subtly slipped in, the relationships given time to build and develop… and then I saw Ian Somerhalder. Have you ever involuntarily said “Wow” aloud in an otherwise empty room at the mere sight of a person? Uhhh, yeah, me neither.

And so, I stayed on for the next week, and the next, and the next after that, and slowly but surely, I came to realize the truth: What I’d thought was simply a guilty pleasure is actually one of the best shows on TV. (Vague spoilers to follow.) Continue reading →

Study Says Guys Named Todd Always Get Promotions

Yep, you knew it. You’ll never get ahead because brown nosing, fantastic dickwad, Todd, has been given the gift of irreparable, yet disgustingly buoyant, job affinity, all with a miraculous amount of perseverance and persuasive inner manna that tells all superiors who encounter him that they should “Like the cut of his jib” and that “Todd is really going places.” Fucking Todd. Continue reading →

Black History Month, Athlete Week: Ballers and Shots Callers

You can’t discuss the impact black women have had on sports without discussing basketball. College basketball and the WNBA have afforded black female athletes a one of the very few high-profile, professional platform to pursue their sport and the financial opportunities that go along with being a successful athlete. Continue reading →

House of Lies Continues the Trend of “Despicable Chic”

Showtime just ordered a second season of its newest “quirky/awful protagonist” series House of Lies. Well, congrats, I suppose, to the writers and producers, the cast and crew, the executives and transpo guys.  You have a job for at least another year. And the network has what passes for a hit these days on television. But I wonder if this “quirky/awful protagonist” business—practically patented by Showtime with series like Weeds, Californication, and Nurse Jackie—is starting to fray around the edges, turning from something fresh and interesting into something curdled and coarse. Maybe it’s just over-exposure; these protagonists seem to be turning up everywhere, not just in these half hour cable “comedies” but in feature films as well. At what point do we go from thinking, “Wow, I’ve never seen a character like this before! As the lead! How delicious!” to thinking, “I just want to have a nice cup of tea and make it go away.”  For me, I think, that turning point has happened. I’m done. I love you, Don Cheadle—I love you even more, Kristen Bell—but I’m done. Continue reading →

The NFL Post-Mortem

In twenty total games this season, the New York Giants defense faced a total of 1,072 plays including 637 pass plays. 48 of those plays were ended with a thunderous sack of which thrice-first-named Jason Pierre-Paul had 16. 20 of those 637 pass plays ended with New York interceptions – Corey Webster paced with six while Kenny Phillips and Aaron Ross each grabbed four. A sack or an interception can change the course of a game and a season. But a defensed pass play in Week 14 that was far more innocuous-looking on the play-by-play was the one that allowed the Giants to even get in the tournament, much less win the Super Bowl:

3rd and 5 at DAL 25 (Shotgun) T.Romo pass incomplete deep right to M.Austin. Pass incomplete on a “go” route.

Continue reading →