The End of Season Finale Season

It was a wonderful feeling I had last night. I got into bed at 9:15 PM and without a care in the world passed out. I haven't had that luxury on a Sunday night for a long time. What occurred to me is that I can relax and not be a slave to my television.

I have to say that the last few weeks have been especially brutal for me (or anyone who does not own TiVo). I found myself making notes of which season finales and series finales I would be watching. Ordinarily I have myself making a commitment to only Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy (which fortunately were on in one sitting, but now I'll be screwed when Grey moves to Thursdays next season). But at this time of year, I'd rather see the episodes than read about them in Entertainment Weekly.

Even though I failed to watch these shows regularly I found that I had to see the last of Malcolm in the Middle, That '70s Show and Will & Grace. With each episode I felt a sadness not because of the plotlines, but the fact that I was in high school when these shows started. And I remember watching these shows when then started. I guess it just makes me feel seasoned. I have to say though that I was touched by the ending of Malcolm in the Middle. And I agree with Lois even though she is as harsh as she is. There is more to be gained from working your way to the top than having everything handed to you. As for That '70s Show, I guess from the last episode that home is where the heart is? Or was it how you should stick with the tight knit group you always have? I guess it works in the '70s.

Okay, I have to admit that by the time the fifth season of Will & Grace rolled around, I wasn't watching at all. Personally I think the show peaked with the episode A Chorus Lie with Matt Damon. I have to say though that it's hard to be sad that this show is ending because syndication is bloated with its episodes. I swear at 11PM it is on three different channels. (It might work as a variation of the Caine/Hackman theory from PCU. At any time, 24 hours a day you can find a Gene Hackman or Michael Caine movie on. Only for this it might be the Will & Grace/Law & Order theory.) The finale was sweet but a bit forced on the “they're meant to be together” idea. I guess I'm glad it was done in a way that did not require them to sacrifice there quests for true love. Then again I felt it was all a bit hokey. Though the dose of reality of people aren't friends forever was refreshing. Then again I watch TV to escape from harsh realities. I guess in the end, I laughed enough, I was touched, thanks for the memories.

So for the shows that will be back next fall I admit that the second season of Desperate Housewives did not have me enthralled. If anything I was relieved to finally be done with caring. With Grey's Anatomy, I'm happy that I'm not left wondering about next season for the length of the summer. As it turns out the only cliff hanging I'm really wondering about is Burke. I doubt he'll be off the show, but what exactly are they going to do with him? He better not become an ass. Speaking of doctors who are asses, after watching the finale of House I remembered why I like the show, but do not watch it very much. I love Hugh Laurie and I must admit I have a thing for surly doctors on TV, but the show tends to show more medical stuff than I care to watch. Those of you who saw the finale will probably agree with me that the show is superb, but watching a guy's eye pop out of his head and hang from the socket is a bit much. It became too much when the guy's testicle exploded. I don't even have a set, but I was in pain watching that.

For my comedies, I found myself watching My Name is Earl. I don't even like that show but I watched it just to make sure that I didn't miss The Office. I love Jim. I love Pam. I love Jim and Pam. After what I saw this last episode I have to agree what I read in EW: DO NOT SCREW THIS UP! Finally there's Scrubs. Still on. According to its official website, it will still be on next year. That's all that matters. Back to my surly doctors bit, I love Cox and Jordan. In real life, I wouldn't, but how can you not love their dynamic? I can't wait to be like that.

In the end, it was a pretty decent finale season. I promised myself that I wouldn't get sucked into the summer programming bonanza and get out and life my own life. Then again, it is maybe there's a sale on TiVos this week. Then I can have my cake and watch it too.

Preserving Your Memories Through Entertainment Media

I remember it as if it were yesterday. George Lucas destroying my childhood by announcing that only the new digitally enhanced versions of the Star Wars trilogy would be available on DVD. (Okay the man did not destroy my childhood, but he did selfishly decide to withhold the old versions because his artistic vision was the second version and that's what we should be forced to enjoy.) When they first came out, I refused to watch the new ones because they were not what I would quote with my father back and forth at the dinner table when I was eight years old. Greedo shooting first? Jabba the Hutt in the first one? Who cares about a more realistic futuristic background? I want my Star Wars.

When I was younger, I found an old Star Wars VHS early 90's re-release in the bargain bin at Blockbuster. It completed my copies of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi that I had recorded off of USA so long ago. (You wouldn't turn in a child who doesn't understand the concept of copyrighted materials would you? I just wanted to be a Jedi.) Who would have thought that with $4.99 and two blank tapes I was helping preserve my childhood memories? My three year old niece had dug them out recently and she constantly has them playing over and over again. Or at least did before my sister bought her Carebears DVDs. I think we are determined to make these children live the 80's as we did. (Or at least they lived in the 80's while I was born then but watched all of their stuff. Hehehe, ALF.)

Thinking about Star Wars and all those other movies I watched repeatedly until my parent wanted to curse the man who invented VCRs, I got nostalgic about old movies I loved. I started to find them at Best Buy and without even thinking (or even renting them again) I bought them. I wanted them because I remember enjoying them. But what you loved at eight or even twelve may not translate well by the time you can drink and play craps (hopefully not at the same time).

I tried to ignore the general feeling that these movies weren't all that great. I know most were guilty pleasures, but for some reason, The Cutting Edge wasn't as great as I remember. When I watched Dirty Dancing for the first time in like a decade, I was stunned. I understand why my parents didn't bother to explain everything in specifics. Penny was sick okay I remember that...wait, that was an abortion? Holy crap! So I was picking up on things that were more adult or realized the writing and acting aren't so great. Or both.

It happened with Little Giants (shut up), Ace Ventura (admit you loved it), While You Were Sleeping (again shut up) and Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (I can't tell you to shut up here because I've rendered you speechless). I know now these are all stupid movies that I loved for no reason. Or didn't know better.

So what if this happens with Star Wars? What if it's true what my friends have been telling me? What if Luke was as much of I whiner as Jake Lloyd was? What if I start to root for Darth Vader to kill him like I prayed for the death of Jar-Jar all those times? What if I want to strangle Yoda because he speaks more annoyingly than that little guy in Twin Peaks? And then I realized that in order to save my love of Star Wars completely, I would have to do the unthinkable: never watch it again. I think for the sake of preserving the happy childhood memories I'll make this sacrifice.

So what has hard core Star Wars fans buzzing lately? Apparently George Lucas has announced that they WILL be releasing the original versions but in a package that forces you to buy all of them. So I have to buy the crappy versions I don't want in order to get the original versions I will not watch. What about all those people that caved and bought the trilogy back then? They have to shell out even more for something they already own. I guess Lucas has no more space stories to tell because he's using his creative power to screw over all his fans. I have to say though that as far as profits are concerned, the man is brilliant. Evil, but brilliant.

Celebrity Sighting #4

And now for a little honesty. I didn't want to cram this thing full of celebrity sighting after celebrity sighting because I keep forgetting to write in this damn thing. I did the laugh tracks post as a spacing between the January- March sightings I've been to lazy to post and this one. The funny thing is I am anticipating another sighting (no, I'm not stalker, I have tickets to a show) and now I have to put up another thought provoking post before I do more "look who I saw" ramblings.

I write this the night before (or more accurately the morning of) my second trip to Tahoe in two weeks. That's right. I was in Tahoe not more than twelve days ago and I'm going back. Yes, I am a gambling junkie. We all have our vices. Mine involves the rush of splitting aces and lining up five wilds on the screen in front of me. So before I kick off another fun fest, I have to get this story down. My dad was kind enough to give me vouchers for a free night's stay at Harrah’s or Harvey's and free show tickets. Opting not to see the musical review, I get to go to the Improv. I hate that my years of watching bad comedians created a bit of skepticism in me. All of my favorites have become actors, or at least got their own shows and don't bother anymore.

I guess this was one of those good times I can say that I was gravely mistaken. Having pretty decent seats (I can't complain because they were free) but being incredibly exhausted from the horrible previous night's sleep, we watched as our host Howie Nave came on stage. The man rocks hard. Totally funny and he breaks out his guitar and does this awesome bit on how he crashed a Los Lobos concert and opened for them. He does this fantastic version of La Bamba that I promise will be sung the next time my family is together for a holiday. I even told him that after the show and he laughed with me. (My family has a long standing connection to the movie La Bamba so this story is going to kill come Thanksgiving.)

Next was David Gee. The way it's set up, he's the featured act, so he wasn't on for that long. I felt bad because there was this bit he did where he's talking to his brother on the phone. "He calls me up and he says to me, "Steve......" Only my boyfriend and I were laughing. At that point he says,"..because my name is David." By then people laughed and it caught on when he did it again with a story about his girlfriend. He was really good and did this killer Nicholson impression at the end. Short time on stage, but great stuff.

Here was the kicker. The headliner for the night was Wendy Liebman. For those sad sheltered "didn't watch Comedy Central and stand-up shows on after Saturday Night Live" childhoods, she's a very talented comedian with a flair for quick sarcasm. She incorporated this into her act but the half of the showroom I was on was busting up with laughter while the other side didn't really respond. I think it was her style was more appealing to the college age set. This was a Tuesday in the middle of April so it was mostly the dinner at 4:30 crowd. The two girls sitting next to us were in college (Go to Fresno State actually, as we found out when they did one of those random "anyone in the audience in college?" things. I had to stop myself from responding. I'm out damn it!)

This is what made me laugh. I was excited to see her because I liked her when I was younger. Unfortunately, I know her from the show Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. This was a great show on Comedy Central that had Jon Stewart, Ray Romano, Denis Leary, (all before they hit it big with their shows) and a whole bunch of other comedians in as patients and using their bits for therapy sessions. (A lot of stuff comedians use lately is observational humor, so the format really worked.) Did I forget to mention that this was an animated show? So I know her voice and her stand-up, but I only know her as a cartoon. When we first got there, I thought I saw her come in. It could have been her, but then the person walks over and sits down three seats away from me (one of the Fresno girls). I included a shot of her on the show that I've graciously swiped from the website "The Many Faces of Dr. Katz" (http://www.sassman.com/katz/liebman.html).

So the show ends and I decide I want to hang around and catch a glimpse of the performers. It wasn't like in Vegas were I had to scramble to see Penn and Teller or The Amazing Jonathan after the show. It was practically empty by the time they came out. Davis Gee was out first and he zipped through with some people that he apparently knew who came to the show. Howie was out second. It was after he came out that I realized that I was carrying my small gambling purse containing only cash, my ID, and my comp card. That is to say my purse with my notebook and a pen were in the room. Son of a bitch, I have nothing for them to sign an autograph with! So I go hunting for one at the Hard Rock Cafe, but the hostess girl was on the phone away from the podium thing, and I didn't want to interrupt her or steal while she wasn’t looking. I was taught never to steal. So I run back to the box office and look for a pen and do see one but it's closed off. So as I walk back I see Howie and make eye contact. It's at that point I just go for it.

I walk up and tell him it's was a fantastic show. He smiles. Like I said earlier, I told him the La Bamba thing will have my family rolling. I also told him I was looking for a pen so I could get an autograph and he laughed it off like it was nothing. Yeah that's easy for him to say. I really wanted it. Here's the coolest part. We are about to part ways, I tell him again how great the show was and he gives me a hug. AWESOME!

After riding that high I see Wendy has finally come out (I love how cocky I've become that I'm just referring to them on a first name basis. It's not like we've gotten together and barbequed or something......yet.) I go up and do the same thing, tell her it was a great show. (Going back to the having something to say to the famous person thing, I was prepared this time.) I told her, not that I was making a reference to how old she was or anything, but I used to quote her in high school. Then I told her that I wanted to get an autograph but couldn't find a pen. She said she might have one. ROCK! Turns out she had a Sharpie. (EVEN BETTER!) I give her my ticket and as she's signing it I told her how I thought the college girl who was sitting three seats away might have been her because I only know her in animated for. She laughed at that and said, "Dr Katz?" Nothing inflates my ego more than making famous people laugh (in a good way, not at me). So I step aside realizing I was rude for watching her sign my ticket. Realizing this after she covers it with her hand like my third grade teacher taught me to keep the other students from cheating off me. She asks me what I do and I proudly responded that I'm unemployed. I did recover by telling her I was study for actuarial exams and she told me her dad worked in insurance. She stood up, handed me the ticket and gave me a hug (AWESOME AGAIN!). When I read what she wrote to me, I don't know if I actually turned red, but I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks. Well, you can see for yourself.

Sleep deprived or not, this was one of the greatest nights ever.