Super Bowl 2012 [commercials and half-time]

While I do watch the Super Bowl for the actual game play [whoot Giants!], I also enjoy watching the commercials and the half-time show.

In regards to commercials... I was a bit disappointed. While I did miss the first quarter commercials, I saw most of the others. There were the usually distasteful GoDaddy.com commercials [thankfully I only really see them on during the Super Bowl].

I was especially disappointed that there were not many funny commercials this year. And by funny, I mean actually amusing and not just trying to be amusing.

I did think that VW did a pretty good job with this year's commercial. Last year's Darth Vader kid was going to be hard to follow, so I like that they kind of did a follow up on it.

It was certainly a different approach than most of the other vehicle competitors, who decided to pull out heavy hitters for their ads.


There was Matthew Broderick for the Honda CR-V in a Ferris Bueller-esque style

Acura got not one but two big names: Jerry Seinfeld and... Well, I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone who has yet to see it.

And my personal favorite, Chrysler with Mr. Clint Eastwood. While it was a bit sappy, Mr. Eastwood has that way of speaking that makes you pay attention.

Chevy took a very different approach to their commercial this year. You've probably seen glimpses of the commercial here and there. Honestly, the best part of this commercial is the music used [and if you check the US iTunes charts, it is currently #1]. The stunts are really awesome but the song really brings it all together. For those interested, it is called "We Are Young [feat. Janelle Monáe]" by Fun. And yes, I purchased the song. For those interested, Glee did a cover of this song this season [Hold on to Sixteen]

Outside of David Beckham's ad for underwear, nothing else really seemed to stand out. And either way, it's not like that isn't something we haven't seen before [not that we mind].

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As for the half-time show... It was definitely better than previous years. Black Eyed Peas was kind of awful and confusing for most people. And while the following artists are very good, they are not very relate-able for/known to younger generations: The Who, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, The Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney.

But that doesn't mean this year's show was amazing by any means.

I loved that Madonna involved so many different acts in her show. Outside of LMFAO, I felt like all the acts were used well and incorporated in a way that did not seem so awkward as it could have been.

What I can't get over is Madonna's new song "Gimme All Your Luvin'." That would be an ok song... for a twenty something. The song is very pop-like and her enter movement on stage during this segment just doesn't seem to fit right. The whole concept from the dance moves to the musicality of it seemed forced. It also felt like a move back to her old style instead of a move to evolve her music beyond her past.

Also, it's sad when an artist feels the need to pull off a stunt to become relevant, aka M.I.A. It may have helped that I knew who she was before, but pulling off the middle finger did not interest me in her at all. Her part in the song is insignificant, which is a shame because she is an ok performer. I'm not really into rap/hip hop but I have heard her song "Paper Planes." The fact that she did flip the bird to the cameras shows that she is relying on the publicity of the stunt to sell new music instead of letting the music speak for itself. This just shows me she lacks true integrity as an artist. Appearing next to Madonna during the Super Bowl half-time show should have been enough to get people interested.

Outside of LMFAO and the entirety of "Gimme All Your Luvin'," it was a very good performance. I loved all the older songs and most of the guests that appeared with Madonna on stage. Hopefully this performance is the first step back into having [mostly] quality half-time shows in the Super Bowl.

The Voice [Season 2]

I'm sure you'd think I would create a post on the Super Bowl commercials... Which I will. Because there was a some good ones and some ... Well, not bad but not good ones. But with The Voice, I definitely need to watch and write at the same time. Where as with the commercials, I'll go back and watch them all again. And maybe even name my top 3.

I watched some of the first season of The Voice. And it was interesting while each judge/professional trainer/whatever were selecting their team. After that... I wasn't really interested in watching anymore. However, this season should at least have a little bit of extra time dedicated to selecting team members because the numbers per team have increased. Again, I don't know if I'll be able to keep it up.

For those who don't really know anything about The Voice, it is a singing competition. There are four "judges": Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Cee-Lo Green. When the performer first comes out to sing [and maybe play], the judges are facing the other way. In front of each judge is a button that s/he can press if s/he decides that s/he wants that performer on their team. The button turns the chair around so the judge can see the performer. If one judge turns around, that judge gets that performer. If more than one judge turns around, the power is in the performer's hands. That performer gets to choose who s/he works with.

Another aspect with this show is that you miss out on all the bad performers. I believe these people have already been through at least 2-3 auditions before even making it on the show to perform the judges.

All my thoughts on these people are based solely on their performance. I'm not really interested in their back stories. Throughout the show, they will show some random people in between where it will be a quick "We didn't chose these people." I won't be writing about those people, only performers who are shown in full.

1. RaeLynn - I wasn't particularly impressed. I don't know if this is because she was singing country [which is a genre I am very selective about] or what. There just wasn't enough power behind her voice for the song. She managed to turn around Adam and Blake [who she chose].

2. Jesse Campbell - I had mad goosebumps when this guy was singing. He also managed to get all the judges turn around. He chose to work with Christina.

3. Daniel Rosa - He is playing a ukele in the previews which is ... awesome. But he is not impressing me with his voice. He picked Neon Tree's "Animal" which was part of the problem. It wasn't a particularly interesting rendition and like all the judges said, pitch was definitely off. He was not selected.

4. Juliet Simms - She definitely has a raw voice that is very much in right now. She could use some refining to the raw voice [and yes, that is possible] but I think she has a lot to work with. She managed to turn around Adam, Cee-Lo, and Christina. It's hilarious how much tension there is between Christina and Adam right now. She chose to work with Cee-Lo [which could have been because she was turned off by the fighting between mommy and daddy Christina and Adam]

5. Chris Mann - I love him. End of discussion. His voice is strong and unwavering. And he chose something so unconventional for a show like this [aka not in English]. He managed to make Cee-Lo and Christina turn around. I think that Blake and Adam were certainly intimidated with how powerful his voice was. Either way, he seemed to know what he was doing with his voice.  He chose to work with Christina.

6. Tony Lucca - His performance was good. Singing and playing guitar certainly helps... But I honestly was not amazed. And while I said that I would not talk about the back story, I think it is hilarious that Christina did not recognize him until after he left the stage [they supposedly worked together on the Mickey Mouse Club]. Afterwards, she went and met up with him and his family back stage. He managed to turn around everyone [though Adam "helped" Cee-Lo press his button]. He chose to with with Adam.


For the most part, I think this night was pretty good in relation to musicians. Tonight is a 2 hour showing but there are other shows that I'll probably watch instead. I'm pretty sure this show is OnDemand.

The Borgias

It's the most wonderful time of the year... For watching TV. Because Showtime OnDemand is free for this weekend courtesy of Comcast. Basically, it is a "let's watch what we can in one weekend" in my house. So my younger brother and I have decided to try out The Borgias. I really want to watch this because I have been watching two people on YouTube playing Assassin's Creed games and Borgias is thrown about quite a bit.

I also love historical fiction[ish?] type shows. I call it historical fiction if only for the fact that the show does take some liberties with history. The writers add their own flair to the story that is already there and fill in any gaps that need to be fillled. If you've seen The Tudors, it is very similar to that show... Well, the guys could be better looking, but the story is interesting enough. I wasn't too familiar with the history of the Borgias family. I recall hearing of them in history class but it was in passing.

Either way, I would say this is certainly a worthwhile show to check out.

On a side note...

Sherlock is back for another 3 episodes. I'm hoping maybe they will show it on BBC America. The first episode aired today on BBC One but no word on that.

I could just find them online but the quality usually sucks... Or I could wait till May when they will be on PBS... But that requires patience. We'll see what I do.

Finally!

We're finally into 2012 and I'm just excited for my shows to finally come back! Just going to post the TV watching schedule of my household:

Monday, Jan 2
2 Broke Girls [8:30pm]
Two and a Half Men [9:00pm]

Tuesday, Jan 3
NCIS [8:00pm]
NCIS: LA [9:00pm]
Parenthood [10:00 - OnDemand]

Wednesday, Jan 4
Modern Family [9:00pm]
Revenge [10:00pm]

Thursday, Jan 5
Vampire Diaries [8:00pm]
Grey's Anatomy [9:00pm]
Private Practice [10:00 - OnDemand]

Friday, Jan 6
A Gifted Man [8:00pm]
Merlin [10:00pm]

Sunday, Jan 8
Once Upon A Time [8:00pm]
Pan Am [10:00pm]

Monday, Jan 9
Castle [10:00pm]

Thursday, Jan 12
Bones [8:00pm]
The Finder [9:00pm]

Friday, Jan 13
Grimm [9:00pm]
Person of Interest [9:00pm - OnDemand]

Monday, Jan 16
Being Human [9:00pm]

Tuesday, Jan 17
Glee [8:00pm]
New Girl [9:00pm]
Raising Hope [9:30pm]
White Collar [10:00pm]

Wednesday, Jan 18
American Idol [8:00pm]

All items that are italicized are shows that someone other than myself will be watching [read as: Mom]. All the shows that have OnDemand next to them will be watched the following day or when available OnDemand and not at the initial air time.

Top 5 Shows I'm excited for, in this order:

1. Once Upon A Time
2. Vampire Diaries
3. New Girl
4. The Finder
5. White Collar

I used the TVLine.com January Calender to make my list - Items in bold are season/series premieres.

The Help

Got my laptop on my lap and a frozen hot chocolate [with some liquor], so I think I'm ready to watch The Help. My mom has been wanting to watch this movie since she heard it was coming up.

It starts off pretty dramatically. A black woman starts talking about her story. How she knew she was going to be maid growing up and how she spends her life raising white babies.

And we flash over to Skeeter [Emma Stone], who is trying to get into the publishing world. She tried to get employed at Harper Publishing company but needed more experience. And she is pretty much given her break at a small town gazette, the Jackson Journal.

Skeeter seems to be different from all the people she grew up with. She seems to have an appreciation for the help and loved Constance, the black woman who raised her [though not according to Skeeter's mother]. Apparently, while Skeeter was at college, Constance "left" to be with her family in Chicago. She is very independent for her generation.

And the maids are the best part of this movie. They are passionate and have a hard life due to the times. You see things you don't learn in history class, like the idea of a house having a separate bathroom for the help. And you get to see the thought process of the white people of the town. It's amazing to see what they considered being "racist" versus "separate but equal."

Also, there is an interesting lack of men in this movie save for a few glimpses here and there. But then again, this is a focus not only on black peoples' rights, but black women's rights. And so it would be pointless to have much focus on the men.

Either way, I'd definitely recommend this movie. It is certainly different from all those other "chick flicks," for lack of a better words. It's not a laugh a lot movie like Bridesmaids or sappy like anything like Jodi Picoult or New Year's Eve [and yes, I consider that movie to be a chick flick]. It has some comedy, some serious notes, some highs and some lows. All the actresses in this movie definitely did their job of making you feel. They deserve all the award nominations they got and then some.

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Fun Side Notes

• Crisco is to The Help like Windex is to My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
• Stuart Whitworth was played by Chris Lowell, who also played Piz in Veronica Mars

Once Upon a Time [mid-season finale]

Spoilers! The following post does contain spoilers for the Once Upon a Time episode The Heart is a Lonely Hunter [episode 7]. Do not read if you have not seen the episode and do not want it spoiled for you.