Wednesday Links

Hello to anyone reading this. I'm back from my trip to New York for the Romance Writers of America Conference. I'll have a full report on the conference later, but I thought I needed to get back into the blogging game before I got too rusty, so here are some links. 1. ESPN acquires all rights to Wimbledon starting next year. This is fabulous news for me. I'll never forget being pissed off last year when NBC aired a match that had already been played instead of one that was being played right then because the network was too afraid to go over its time slot. In 2010, when all it took was a few clicks of the mouse to know the score was unacceptable. Tape delayed matches in the 1980s worked because the public had no other choice. Today? It just makes you look ridiculous.

2. Two ADAs return to Law & Order: SVU. As a long-time viewer of the show, I'm happy because I loved both of them. It's a good step, but the show still won't be the same with Mariska Hargitay's reduced role and with no Christopher Meloni at all. I still haven't decided if I'm watching or not.

3. Yesterday, Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murdering her daughter. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker breaks down last night's ridiculous media coverage.

4. Wanna know where the 2018 Winter Olympics are going to be held? Of course, you do. And as of this morning, we have an answer.

5. Hollywood executives are so desperate for movies stars that they do the everything in their power to convince us that certain people are stars and therefore can carry movies based on their name alone. I've thought this for years. The most recent example: Ryan Reynolds. The truth is there are very few movie stars who people will line up to see just because he or she is in the movie. The Tom Cruise of the 80s and 90s is gone. So are Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks.

I think the only true movie stars today are Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Oh, and I guess Johnny Depp, but that last movie with Angelina Jolie (who is NOT a movie star) tanked. Will Smith was one, but not any longer because his last few movies haven't done well. Reese Witherspoon built up some goodwill with Legally Blonde, but it's gone now.

Am I forgetting someone?

Remember Way Back When...

Last week, I saw a post on Twitter from CSI: NY star Hill Harper. Someone asked him if he'd ever been on Married with Children. He answered yes, that was one of his first TV gigs. It made me chuckle because I love when I watch old movies and TV shows and see people who are now huge stars in bit roles or in their first movie. George Clooney on Golden Girls, anyone? (It's on the Hallmark Channel, people. The show is still hilarious). Or on The Facts of Life. Or on Sisters before he blew up on ER. It always amused me when people would drool over him because I was like, "That's the guy from Sisters. He's been acting a long time. He didn't get hot overnight."

Another show I've been watching lately is Single Ladies starring Stacey Dash. I always wonder how old her character is supposed to be. I'm guessing early to mid thirties, which is fine because she doesn't look older than that. Except I know she is. Of course, she starred as the teenage Dionne in Clueless in the 90s, but at least ten years before that, she guest starred as a friend of Denise's on The Cosby Show.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyP-x0rJiJk]

My favorite example - In 1987, I saw a movie called Can't Buy Me Love and developed a huge crush on the star of the movie. Over the years, whenever I saw him in something, I would get excited that he was still working. He never blew up, so seeing him wasn't a frequent occurrence. And then about six years ago, I started seeing promos for a little show called Grey's Anatomy. And I thought, "Hey! That looks like Patrick Dempsey." And, of course, it was. He was the reason I decided to watch the show. And he quickly became known as McDreamy. I was happy for his success, but at the same time I was like, "Back off, bitches. I knew him way back when." LOL.

And I can go on. Ryan Reynolds on Nickelodeon's Fifteen, Sarah Michelle Gellar on a little teen soap before All My Children or Buffy, the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie when she was known as Stacey on Kids, Incorporated. The list really does go on, but I'll stop.

Do you remember people from way back when or am I the only one with the crazy memory?

Commercials - Love or Love to Hate 'em?

The beauty of the DVR is that you can skip past the commercials. With a press of the fast forward button, that hour-long episode of Grey's Anatomy becomes 40 minutes. When I do DVR a show, I like being able to skip the commercials, but honestly it doesn't bother me to watch a show live. That's how I watched TV for the first twenty-five years of my life, so it's all good. And by not skipping commercials, I get to discover commercials that I love that become part of pop culture. For instance, a few months ago, I kept seeing people posting about the Sun Drop commercial on Twitter. I had no idea what they were talking about, but it was on my radar. I could have looked it up on Youtube, but that requires effort and we can't have THAT, can we? Psshh. Anywho, I finally saw the commercial and I got excited and felt like I was one of the cool kids. I love the ad because it's soooo ridiculous and has a cool song.

Anywho, I have a new favorite commercial. I crack up every time I see it. I stop what I'm doing so I can give it my full attention.

I love the guy's passion. He is READY. You know he practiced the moves at homes after rehearsal every night. And the looks of disdain on his fellow flash mobbers' faces? PRICELESS.

Hooray for great commercials? Do you like commercials or find them annoying?