Television | WhiteEyebrows

Red Flag of Surrender, Blu Prevails

Today, the ‘red’ flag of surrender was raised by Toshiba, the maker of the HD-DVD format DVDs and disc players. They have announced they will not produce any more products with the HD-DVD technology.

It’s final. Blu is better than Red.

For those who’ve been hiding under a rock for the last 2 years, HD-DVD was one of the two competing next-generation DVD formats who were competing for the High Definition DVD market. It was an all-out VHS vs. BetaMax rehash.

Sadly, last time evil prevailed and VHS became the standard. However, this time methinks the powers that be have made the correct choice, and Blu-ray was the right way to go.

The only thing that makes this victory even more sweet is that Microsoft backed the HD-DVD format, and once again has picked a loser. Now what are all the poor souls who bought Xbox 360’s going to do?

What does this mean for the average bear? If you’re planning to buy a new dvd player in the next year or so, you will have two options – future proof and pay a little more for a Blu-ray, or get a very cheap standard DVD player.

I say ‘future proof’ because unless you have one of the most recent HDTVs (one that does 1080p), you will not reap the full benefit of the Blu-ray disc. In some cases, you might as well be watching a standard DVD. Don’t let silly people who speak of ‘upconverting’ make you think it’s the magic bullet either. You won’t see much difference in DVD vs Blu-Ray until you have a top of the line HD set.

Do you need to upgrade all your DVD library? No. Blu-ray players will play standard DVDs. But Blu-ray discs cannot be played on standard DVD players.

Personally, I will wait until a high quality player is under $150 before I upgrade. Right now the low end players are still well over $200.

Sesame Street: Not suitable for Children

We have a problem. A big problem. This problem is bigger than Iraq and iRan put together. It’s bigger than the medicare and social security problems put together.

Recently the original seasons of Sesame Street were released on DVD. However, the package carries a clear warning: “These early Sesame Street episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”

Um… OK. So either 1) today’s preschool child has drastically different needs than I did as a preschool child or 2) we are just too freaking hypersensitive to the creative programming our children watch.

Apparently while no one was looking, cookie monster became “vegetable monster” and Oscar the Grouch was sent to rehab and years of group therapy. The Count had to go for sensitivity training, and Grover had to go get his narcissism evaluated.

Is it just me, or have they taken the “character” out of the characters?

I really don’t think I was adversely affected or scarred by these rogue sesame street episodes. If you want to talk about shows I am scarred by, let’s talk about the guy with the affro who wore the skin tight unitard with a representation of his internal organs on it.

Sesame street is innocuous. In fact, I feel so strongly about it, I think I’ll buy these DVDs, and purposefully show them to my children, just to make sure they end up as awesome as me!

Green Week

I was watching NBC last night, and during one of the commercial breaks on “Heroes,” they had the cast of the show do a small commercial/feature on planting trees out in front of Rockefeller Center in NYC.

I thought, “how nice. they are jumping on this green bandwagon, trying to promote eco friendly ideas and tendencies.”

Then, every NBC show I watched had some major plot element that centered around being “green.”

Then on my local news, there was several feature stories about being eco-friendly, and NBC’s green week.

Then I checked the website to see the schedule, and the whole website is now in hues of green.

Apparently, it is Green Week on NBC.

Turns out, NBC’s parent company, General Electric, has made it “Green Week” for all of their subsidiaries.

When I went to bed, I turned on talk radio, and these guys were blathering on about NBC’s Green Week. I didn’t realize promoting “green” living was such a controversial subject, but apparently they have ruffled some feathers with their green talk. They were going on and on about how Global Warming is not a proven fact, and how the earth warms and cools every few thousands of years… blah blah blah.

As I was listening to these people blather (yes, that is the right word to describe talk radio), I thought to myself, “c’mon guys… what is “Green Week” actually hurting?”

I mean, I’m going to get sick of hearing about how to have a Green Wedding on Days of Our Lives, and leaving a small carbon footprint as you travel through time on Journeyman, or how to be an eco-friendly Hero. I don’t think all this “green” promotion will really enhance the entertainment value of NBC’s shows (which it actually desperately needs), but honestly, what is green week really going to hurt?

What does it hurt to turn the lights off, turn the air conditioning up 2 degrees, drive around less, buy a more fuel efficient car, and recycle your recyclables? Who does it hurt if I use less energy? No one. Who does it hurt if a corporation uses less energy? No one. In fact, being green usually saves you money. Lots of money.

I’m just not understanding what part of that I can feel good about crusading against…

And while I’m on this subject, let me say…

Being “green” is not something you just wake up one morning and decide to do. Being “green” is a process and a way of life. We have been thinking “green” as a nation for several decades, which we don’t give ourselves enough credit for. We have made great strides in being Green:

Catalytic converters on cars
Recycling programs in major metro areas
Better recycling of e-waste: silicon, toner cartridges, batteries, etc.
Corporate use of email and document control systems to totally replace paper (most e-corporations are almost entirely paperless)

The truth is, we have grown GDP in our nation in the last 30 years while becoming greener and greener. Now is not the time for a radical shift. Let the “green” movement continue organically. We already are green and we keep getting greener and greener as it makes business sense to do so.

We stand at the brink of a new era of “green.” There is a big inflection point in American thinking now centered around looking for the next big breakthrough in energy. Everyone wants less dependence on foreign oil, dirty coal, and politically impossible nuclear energy. Something big will break, we hope. In the meantime, just use less.

It’s really as simple as that.

Someone should do this poll…

Many organizations have polled the question, “Would you vote for a Mormon candidate?” Well, I propose they try a new poll question, particularly among Mormons… “Would you vote for a candidate solely because he was a Mormon?”

When I talk to other Mormons about Mitt Romney’s candidacy, they typically don’t know too much about him. That is understandable because it is still early in the presidential race, and up until now he has been living and working in Massachussetts (which might as well be Timbuktu to some Mormons…). When I ask them who they are leaning toward, they usually say something like, “Well… I’d vote for Mitt just to get a Mormon in the White House.”

It’s basically the same logic that kept Sanjaya in American Idol for so long. People vote for the least likely candidate just to see how far he will go. (Well, the analogy breaks down when you realize that Sanjaya had no business in AI, whereas Mitt has qualifications to be President)

However… this is a dangerous position. You should get to know Mitt politically. Decide if he is the leader you want leading the country. I would be very curious to see how many Mormons would vote for their religion even if the candidate were Hillary herself.

While I’m on the topic of Mormonism, did you see “House MD” last night? I thought it was absolutely hilarious. One of the “applicants” for the new positions on House’s team is a black Mormon which House identified by a class ring from Brigham Young. This was funny to me because:

BYU has no medical school… (and it is a well known fact that no doctors worth a hill of beans would get their undergrad at BYU… hehehe…)
Class rings are not popular at BYU. I personally don’t’ know anyone who has one.

The character asserts early that Mormons now have a “very progressive” view on african-americans, then agrees to get slammed on Vodka as the “control group” for House’s latest medical test, after putting up a good fight contrary. (C’mon… wwjd if having a few shots cured a woman) I am really curious to see if this character will get anywhere in the series, and if House will continue to bash on his religious views. Who knows, maybe Mormonism will be the cure for House’s atheism! Um.. Not.

Sally… Why’d you have to muck it up again!

So, Brothers and Sisters was one of my favorite new shows last year, and Sunday Sally Field was honored with an Emmy for her great portrayal of the imperfect, yet sincere matriarch of the fictional Walker family.

So… toward the end of her speech she got a little flustered (a great human moment in the whole formality of these stupid events), and then recalled her place in the memorized text like all good actors: by repeating to herself the last line she could remember, until she remembered the next one.

So she was in the middle of making this beautiful point about how the work of mothers should be more valued in the world, and then she said “If mothers ran the world there would be no [g-d] wars at all.” A great point, a beautiful sentiment, and none of the 39 viewers at home got to hear it. She was censored at the “G-“.

I just loved the way she shrugged it off though when she learned she was censored. “Oh well. I’ve been there before,” she says.

You’d think, though, that she would have shown up a little more prepared. It’s not like she is any stranger to Emmy speech embarrassment. This is the same woman who famously makes the stupidest acceptance speeches known to man by saying “I can’t deny that right now, you like me, you really like me.”

And yet I can’t bring myself to slam Sally too hard. She’s a great little actor who has played a myriad of heartfelt and memorable roles. And the way she allows herself to age naturally and gracefully, not trying too hard to cover the grey whisps, makes her almost refreshing in the Hollywood crowd.

I think one day I would like to meet Sally Field.

Fall TV Preview: Audience Participation Edition

OK. I was short on inspiration today for a blog, so I’m going to go with a topic I’ve been actually avoiding lately, but knew I would have to face sooner or later…

The Fall Lineup.

I’m not thrilled about TV. The formula goes something like this, find a hit, then beat the life out of it for a few years while searching for another hit. TV is like Fast Food. Whip it up really quick, consume, defaecate, and repeat; with varying quality and relatively ZERO shelf life.

Every once in a while this tired recipe does actually creates some GREAT television, though. Something that just hits on all cylinders, makes perfect sense, and fits the time perfectly. The West Wing, Seinfeld, Cheers, Friends, and others.

Here’s my take on this year’s lineup.

FOX’s House is nearing a critical point. The writers and producers will have to pull a hat trick this year to keep it alive. Last season was less than memorable, and we are all passed the moment of shock and awe that Hugh Laurie is actually faking the American accent.

NBC is hanging on by a thread, and betting the farm on season two of Heroes. It was a big surprise from last year, and the most anticipated show of the year. Hopefully the writers have had an active summer dreaming up an exciting follow on.

Brothers and Sisters was one of my favorites from last year, which I hope gets some good press this year. Yes, I know it’s like a little self-indulgent domestic drama, but the point is, it has some real seriousness to it, and a bravery to tackle social issues, and even disagree with itself in points.

CBS has been promoting the life out of it’s newest reality show Kid Nation, and for good reason. The concept certainly draws out your childhood fantasy and works in a 30 second pitch, but can they make an actual show out of it?

Also a surprise for me last year was Shark, a lawyer drama that got past the Law and Order formula, and concerned itself a little more with the life of a defense attorney turned prosecutor who is trying to be a single parent too. It has good writing and some heart.

I purposefully ignore Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty, mostly because I know pretty much nothing about them.

I’m looking forward to FOX’s new Kitchen Nightmares after I surprisingly fell in love with Chef Gordon Ramsey in this summer’s Hell’s Kitchen. I don’t have high hopes for the show itself, but will certainly look forward to being entertained more by the Chef.

Now… here’s the audience participation part. Everyone reply with your take on the Fall Lineup. Having trouble starting? Try responding to these questions:

Favorite show from last year?
Show you are sick of seeing the promos for?
Show you wish woud be taken off the air?
New show you are looking forward to?

That should get you started! I look forward to reading the responses.