E's TV Update

I watch 'em so you don't have to, folks. Consider it my public service during my hiatus from meaningful human interaction.

First up:
Awwww yeah! Tonight is the finale of Making The Band 4. For those of you with lives and places to be/people to see (and therefore non-viewers of this MTV confection), MTB4 is the creation of Sean "Puffy" "Puff Daddy" "P. Diddy" "The Diddy" Combs.

Over the past several weeks Diddy has been weeding out the men from the boys in his quest to create a new hip-hop boy band, and it has been predictably cliche and yet addictive. There is the overweight "teddy bear" guy who Diddy tells to drop some weight or go home; the relatively younger guy who lost his grandmama and needs to get in touch with his feelings in order to sing some love ballads to the ladies; the one white guy who thinks he's channeling Justin Timberlake; the guy who thinks he's looking like a hoodlum but not; and of course the guy who looks like he's 42.

During the finale the ten finalists all sang a "ballad version" of their "hit song Exclusive." You gotta give Diddy credit for sales- and showmanship... Anyway, all I could think while watching these guys perform was "this reeks of effort." It was painful and yet 100% entertaining to behold.

Speaking of "reeks of effort," I've caught a few episodes of Rock of Love, featuring Brett Michaels of the hair band Poison as he tries to find a female companion. Spare yourself the horrors of seeing women act slutty, b*tchy and trashy as they attempt to "woo" a man who is himself equal parts the same. They are all trying so hard to be edgy, talking about sex and drinking and risky behaviors as if they're hard-up high school sophomores (remember all those, "Oh my god, we got SOOO wasted!" girls, all trying to be "harder" than each other? They grew up and went on this show). I felt so wrong after watching a couple of episodes that I felt like I should donate some cash to a women's education charity or something.

Now, on the plus side of TV viewing, you should check out Damages on FX. Starring the amazing Glenn Close, the gorgeous Rose Byrne and the unexpectedly fantastic Ted Danson. (Yeah, really). I'm sure you can get old episodes online, and you should. The show is unbelievably good. And I'm not just saying that because I have a massive non-sexual crush on Glenn Close. The only issue with the show is how they're going to come up with a second season. That's all I can say without ruining the whole show.

You should also check out Flight of the Conchords on HBO, about two guys from New Zealand who move to New York to make it big in the music business. You will either find this show to be inspired genius at work, or you will learn to hate the person making you sit through it. I think it is worth a look, if only for their one groupie who has her husband drive her around to all of their "gigs" in hotels and bus stations...and for the hilariously creative song montages in the middle of the show. I can't explain it; just give it a look-see.

That's all for now, folks. I need to go watch last week's Top Chef. Happy Monday!