Info Meme

Because the Super Bowl isn’t really over until we’ve analyzed it to death, we’ve got about a week to go. But since I don’t care about the game itself, I’ll stick with pop culture. For example, here’s a detailed story of how the Leno/Oprah/Letterman commercial happened.

In other Super Bowl news, the broadcast was the most watched television program in the history of television programs. It even eclipsed the finale of M*A*S*H which had held the title since I was a kid, and the urban legend was that when it was over, the collective run to the bathroom caused flooding in some urban areas. It’s estimated that 106.5 million people tuned in.

There’s a really Lost-esque analysis of Willie Adama on Caprica over here. I’ve never paid close enough attention to any show to have noticed this stuff, but it’s logically consistent. I have gone out of my way to not explain it here, so if you go read it, no complaining about spoilers, and put spoiler warnings in any comments.

Presented with minimal comments, an Australian man has broken the world record by swallowing 18 swords at the same time. There’s video at the link. And does anybody have his number?

Bill Murray gave a rare interview in support of The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and I see why he doesn’t do interviews. He could be joking on the arrogant parts, but my gut says he’s not. The interesting part is that he says he’s told them he’ll come back for Ghostbusters III if they kill him off in the first reel and he gets to be a ghost. After reading the interview, I’ll kill him off now.

I don’t know why, but I love watching Christopher Lloyd onscreen. He does crazy really well, so the fact that he’s playing a therapist on Chuck later this year makes some sort of trippy sense. If you buy the oft-quoted wisdom that most shrinks are crazy. Or judge them all by Dr. Phil.

You know what makes me laugh? All this talk about Howard Stern replacing Simon Cowell on American Idol. It’s not the fact that he’d want $100 million a year, or that he has no music background. What’s funny is that anybody thinks Fox would put him on broadcast live, repeatedly, with that mouth of his. They’d run through seven-second delay guys like candy.

Uniformed staff at North West Ambulance Service in the UK have been banned from wearing novelty socks under threat of being sacked. I don’t know what’s more disturbing – that a supervisor would care about people wearing happy socks, or that there were enough people wearing novelty socks to be a problem.

Carrie Prejean is engaged to be opposite married to a quarterback. This will last until fans start heckling him on field like they did Tony Romo over Jessica Simpson. You have your assignment, homos. Make it happen!

Fresh on the news that the Captain America movie will have a musical aspect, we find out he’ll have a backing group of sorts. The Avengers don’t appear until a later movie, but Captain gets the Invaders covering his back for the second half of the movie as he battles Red Skull.

The Glee-ful podcast today reveals that Sandy, the predatory gay drug dealing, former show choir director, is coming back in episode 16. Naturally, we’re thrilled. See our smiles?

This week’s TV Guide Canada poll is about which soap star needs to release a sex tape. It’s an interesting mix of nominees that includes men and women, gay and straight character portrayals, and even Jeanne Cooper on The Young and the Restless, who’s 80 years old. Of particular interest here is the inclusion of Jake Silbermann (Noah, ATWT) and Brett Claywell (Kyle, OLTL). So go and vote for our boys so Jef doesn’t have to do it all by himself.

Today in Hollywood recycling, Gunsmoke is up for a movie treatment. Competing to step into the Marshall Matt Dillon role are heartthrobs from two generations – Brad Pitt and Ryan Reynolds. I’m torn here because I really think Ryan is too young for the part, but Brad has already done westerns, and the results weren’t always pretty. Anybody remember The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford? The name is two hours too long.

There’s a rumored list of shows on TheCW that are being renewed for the fall. Missing is Melrose Place, which while not surprising, is kind of sad. Heather Locklear wasn’t given much of a chance to save it, and Caleb was an interesting unexplored gay character.

Speaking of ratings-challenged shows, Caprica viewership slipped again this week, down to 1.128 million viewers. This doesn’t bode well for Sam Adama and young Willie.

But a show that keeps improving in the ratings is Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The .858 million viewers was an 11% jump over the previous week. Starz has a solid hit on their hands. Sex sells.

A NOAA scientist has figured out that the snow that fell this weekend over the Mid-Atlantic United States would have filled 12 million Olympic swimming pools or raised the depth of Lake Superior 14 inches. But the most interesting fact is tax dollars paid this guy to think of such useless information. 

For no logical reason, Jack White of the White Stripes has made an unsolicited offer to produce Dolly Parton’s next album. It’s not without precedent, as White produced Loretta Lynn’s 2004 album, but Jack, sweetie, Dolly is Dolly – she’ll call you (no she won’t).

Daniel Dae Kim will stay in Hawaii when Lost ends to pick up the role of Detective Chin Ho Kelly in the Hawaii Five-O reboot. The lead in the CBS series still hasn’t been cast, but Alex O’Loughlin of Moonlight is still considered the sexy frontrunner.

Photo Meme

It took me a minute, but I laughed when I saw it.

Words I live by. But you knew that by now.

Is this not the cutest thing? See, I don't hate kittens!

Again, you are under my power. 

Or for those of you who aren't color blind, you are under my power.

Playgirl is going back to print, at least when they have a celebrity to print. First up, Levi Johnston, and they say they have never before seen pictures. But it doesn't include never before seen (except by Bristol Palin) penis. It does, however, seem to show never before seen abs. He wasn't that cut on the web.

Have a little airbrushing done? Paint on some muscles?

MTV officially dropped all pretense of being about music today when they released their new logos. They still haven't bothered explaining what the "M" is for now. A few words come to mind, but I'd like them to keep signing my paychecks.

A cheap redesign where they just cropped the old logo. And fatter. We're all fatter 30 years later.

This is the one that makes all the words come to mind. Those awful people!

There's a lovely gallery of the 10 Most Incredible Abandoned Mental Asylums. The topic sounds impossible, but on viewing, it's breathtaking. These lonely buildings sit with nature slowly pulling them apart.

The Main Hall of Hellingly Asylum