The Mothership, Fear Factor, American Idol, and The Office

Thursday, February 09, 2006

The Mothership, Fear Factor, American Idol, and The Office

I'm not going to comment much on last night's Mothership episode; it was a good one, I was interested, but I'm a little tired of these "antidepressants/Ritalin made me do it" storylines. Time to move on. I did appreciate McCoy's line of "What's next? My inhaler made me do it?"

Heh.

I'm such a bad fan. The people in this house are huge fans of the movie Serial Mom. During the last scene last night, OD walks in and asks, "Isn't that Serial Mom?" I say yes. She sits down and mutters, "Wasn't he her husband?" Oh, hell-- she's right! But I didn't remember til that moment. So, very cool to see Mr. and Mrs. Sutphin back together.

***

This week's Fear Factor was entitled "Freaks and Geeks". Four couples: two freak, two geek. They really played it up. One guy's pants were so hitched up his armpits were gasping for breath. Geeks can't dress well? One of the lady freaks had her tongue split (both sides could move independently), and her guy had those piercings that stretch out the holes. Argh. That's a little too much for my taste, but hey, you can float your own boat.

The geeks won, whom I was rooting for. Guess geeks can be triathletes as well, which the woman in the couple was.

They must be hurting in the ratings, because they keep thinking up these themed shows. I don't mind the Couples editions, but I wish they'd go back to the original format of six individuals competing for the money.

***

I've watched quite a bit of American Idol this season. I agree with the articles that say the judges have gotten meaner this season. Simon's the same, and Randy, to a degree, but it's Paula that surprises me. She just outright laughs or makes faces, and has offered some less-than-patented-nice comments. It's weird. You could always count on Paula before to at least not make the contestants feel like utter failures.

As usual, they've had the clueless and beyond clueless. I've no doubt for some of them it's just to get camera time, but one thing that always struck me about these contestants is how they lack self-awareness. Or the ones that get pissy when they're not invited to Hollywood. It's not a given, you're not entitled, but yet you still get these people who rant and rave against the judges, talk about what idiots they are and how they're gonna make it regardless (Fame!) when they're cut. Someone needs to teach these folks that bitchiness is never endearing.

Anyway, my favorite contestant is the girl who sang Billie Holiday and The Dixie Chicks in her initial audition. She sang my favorite song by TDC ("Cowboy, Take Me Away", and anyone who isn't moved by that song is dead), and it sounded just as beautiful.

***

I've been watching The Office every week this season. I'm happy and heartened that the show's ratings have gotten better as the year's gone on, and last week I made my mom a fan. My favorite ongoing storyline has been the Jim-and-Pam one, but I thought I'd offer a few of my favorite Michael Scott (Steve Carell) moments.

Michael holds the "Dundie Awards", and gives one of the officemates, Kevin, the smelliest bowel movement award, because he followed him into the bathroom one day after he'd used it and it smelled horrible.
Michael uses a blowup doll to demonstrate sexual harassment in the office. He asks Pam to be the other lesbian in the demonstration.
When the fire alarm is set off in the office (turns out the temp tried to cook a pita pizza in the toaster oven), Michael shoves everyone out of the way and runs like a stereotypical girl out of the building. This ep also marks the beginning of his man-crush on the temp.
Michael sees a guy with a turban walking toward the building, and shuts off the lights and makes everyone hunker down. Turns out the guy was the IT guy.
For the office Xmas party, Michael overshoots the $20 max for the Secret Santa gifts and gets the temp a video IPod. When he hates the pot holder Phyllis (a real sweetie) made for him, he turns the Secret Santa into a Yankee Swap (ugh).
When he pukes on the Booze Cruise, he tells the company rep that it's because of his medication: "Vomicillin".
Michael likes to cook bacon on his George Foreman grill, which rests beside his bed. He likes to wake up to the smell of bacon. When he steps on it and burns his foot, he comes to work with his foot encased in bubble wrap. Dwight gets a concussion by wrecking his car on the way to save Michael, and they later have to take him to the hospital. Best lines of the ep: (Dwight) "Where are we going?" Jim: "Chuck E. Cheese." Michael: "Oh, God, I'm sick of Chuck E. Cheese."
Jim, a little tipsy, told Michael ("the world's worse confidante") about his crush on Pam. Michael befriends Jim, takes him to Hooter's for lunch ("I'll have the chicken breast, hold the chicken"), then blurts out to the office that Jim's in love with Pam.
Someone takes a dump on Michael's office carpet (turns out it was his "friend", a company salesman that loves to joke around). He calls it a hate crime. Stanley (black): "That's not a hate crime." Michael: "Well, I hated it!"
Left out of the Women in the Workplace seminar, Michael holds his own Men in the Workplace seminar, takes all the guys to the warehouse, and proceeds to destroy it by working the forklift and playing Snow with the styrofoam popcorn.

Tonight's the Valentine episode. Of those moment above, it doesn't mean I loved Michael Scott. In fact, I would have gladly thrown him out the window after how he treated Phyllis during Secret Santa. Really, a little boy throwing a hissy fit isn't as bad. He's still a clueless jerk a lot of the time. It's part of what makes it a terrific show.