April, Courtney, and I headed to WonderCon yesterday. We parked close to the convention center and then followed the people in costumes to the door. First, we headed to the exhibition hall, where April found some amazing Simpsons toys. Several artists were trying to sell their wares–a few were handing out samples. Then, we came upon the stars.

Which stars? Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar on STTNG), Aaron Douglas (the Chief on BSG), Lou Ferrigno (the Hulk), Richard Hatch (BSG), Richard Herd (the Greatest American Hero), Suzie Plakson (Q’s “wife” on STTNG), Q himself, Brent Spiner (Data), and Lindsey Wagner, the original Bionic Woman. We didn’t actually get to speak to any of these people–they were charging for pictures and photos and thus weren’t open for free geeky conversation. Spike from Buffy was behind a curtain somewhere, charging $40 for an autograph. The Chief from BSG had a sign up that his money was going to a charity, at least.

There was one man we couldn’t resist, however. Adam Baldwin, from Firefly and Chuck, made us gasp in a display of nerdiness we hadn’t experienced in years. We pooled together $10 to get a picture with him. (Just as we were crowding together, he commented on the aroma of weed that passed by us.) The best part was that I got to touch him for free. The second best part was that we kept hearing people say that “Alec Baldwin” was there.

After a quick lunch, we headed back in for panels. We were going to sit in on a panel on Star Trek and Philosophy, but the speaker, a preacher, seemed boring, so we headed off to a celebration of the “anniversary” of the Galaxy Quest television show. We were afraid that a few of the audience members wouldn’t play along with the panel as they discussed their favorite episodes, guest appearances, and the resurgence of the series, but everyone seemed game. In the very entertaining panel, they mocked the conventions of sci-fi tv and showed that we nerds can make fun of ourselves.

Then, as we were heading into a panel on Kick Ass, we were stopped by one of the marketing people of the film. He asked us if we would see the film that night for free and then be interviewed on camera about it afterwards. He said that they needed to reach out to a female audience and that our femaleness (combined with our hotness) made us ideal. He also seemed to think we were young.

Thus, armed with our VIP tickets, we went into a crowded room for a panel discussion with the cast and one of the graphic artists. I’ll be reviewing the film for matchflick soon, so I’ll sign off with this:

April, Adam, Courtney, Karma

As loyal readers know, last weekend was Al-Eddie-Al. The boyfriend even made T-shirts to celebrate the occasion. Here’s what happened with the Al parts (Eddie to follow in a later posting).

After an amazing lunch at Angeline’s in Berkeley, we arrived at Cobb’s Comedy Club. Unfortunately, many people arrived before us, so we had to sit near the back. Weird Al Yankovic was in “in conversation” with Chris Hardwick, the host of Web Soup. I will freely admit here that I didn’t know who he was; even though he’s had lots of gigs, I’ve never watched something that featured him. Hardwick began by talking about Al as his idol (I could relate). The third time they met, he asked Al to lunch, and they’ve been friends ever since. (I’d seen Al in concert three times, but I’d never met him before).

The conversation was good, though I suppose many of us in the audience knew the basics–where Al went to school, etc. I’m glad that we were sitting in the middle, as Al kept turning to Hardwick, which put his hair in his face and blocked the view for one side of the audience.

There were also video clips.

One of the things we were able to see was this clip from Al’s “Eat It” years. He was invited to perform on what was described as Japan’s Saturday Night Live. He assured us that his look of total confusion was not acting: <object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/mJEvTCqToCk&hl=en_US&fs=1&”></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/mJEvTCqToCk&hl=en_US&fs=1&” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object>

They also showed this absolutely awful rendition of “My Sharona,” which Al agreed to do for a friend’s school project in college (this was way before MTV, btw). Apparently, this is an easter egg on his video collection, but I’ve never once found an easter egg, perhaps because I don’t randomly hit buttons when I’m watching DVDs: <object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/1BnfhNNaFgQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&”></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/1BnfhNNaFgQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object>

Then came the audience questions. Most of them were banal and some were below banal (can I take a picture of you; would you sign this?). I wanted mine to be special.

Hardwick was choosing the audience members, so when he got close, I kept my hand up and gave him a flirty look (the things I do for Al!). When my time came, I could hear my own heartbeat. I managed to thank Al for allowing Du and I to use the lyrics to “Weasel Stomping Day” in our book. And then I told him that DJ and I saw a street sign in Maui that had been corrected: When we returned to the mainland, DJ found out who fixed that sign.  Yes, it was Al. (See the video of him altering the sign here: http://www.twitvid.com/BF9B7). I asked Al if he always carried sign fixing stickers around with him. He said usually not and that his wife made him take down the sticker after a few days.

This means two things. One, when DJ and I said the sign was proof that there are intelligent people in the world, we should have known it was Al. Second, Al and his wife were there at the same time as DJ and I.

After the questions, Al graciously signed things for people. He signed a shirt for me and the picture of the sign for DJ. I gushed and had a total nerd freak out when I  got to shake his hand.

Look how happy I am:

Dr. Karma & Weird Al

We saw Al again at midnight, after we’d reunited with the boy. Al was introducing a midnight screening of UHF (after which he left, presumably to get some sleep). DJ and I weren’t sure we were going to make it through the film, but it went at an amazing pace, as usual.

All in all, it was one of the best days of my life. Al is not a disappointment as a hero, as so many people can be–he’s kind and smart and is my favorite star in the world.

The real lesson of the day, though?

The third time I meet him, I’m definitely asking him to lunch!

A few thoughts on the news:

The Supreme Court has just reversed precedent that limited how much corporations can spend on political campaigns. On a theoretical level, I’m torn. I believe in free speech, and the corporations are claiming that money IS free speech.

On a practical level, however, I’m not torn at all. I’m not convinced that money is free speech. If it is, then I don’t really have any access to free speech at all.

If money is free speech, we can’t call it “free” anymore.

The way corporations run everything is already frightening. This decision opens the door to America fully becoming a corpocracy. It’s already absurd that insurance companies get to be “consulted” on health care reform bills (um, they profit when you pay but then they get to deny you the coverage you paid for). Imagine what their “free speech” will be able to accomplish now.

In other news, hearings have shown that one of the major problems that caused the Christmas day Detroit flight near-bombing was a spelling error. That is, the person putting the terrorist’s name into the system spelled it wrong.

Congresspeople yesterday were assured that the government was now using a spell-checker program to prevent this from happening again.

Two things: 1. a spell checker program will not help, because names aren’t in the spell-checker’s dictionary. A spell-checker doesn’t know my last name to know if it’s spelled correctly; it’s not going to know likely bombers’ names, either.

2. To all those people who thought I was crazy for saying that proofreading could sometimes be the difference between life and death . . . I was right.

Finally, Conan’s last show will be on Friday. This is such bullshit. Conan is funnier than Jay has ever been. Jay Leno left The Tonight Show because he wanted more money in prime time. He bombed. And now he’s being rewarded by getting his old job back? Fuck him. If I left my job and my job was filled–with a talented person with a contract–I wouldn’t get my job back after I totally failed at the other job.

In fact, am now boycotting Jay Leno. Yes, he joins Domino’s, Six Flags, Coors, Continental Airlines, and Long John Silvers.

Living under a rock? Then you might not know that The Simpsons is celebrating its 20th anniversary tomorrow. (More importantly, you may want to reconsider your living arrangements. And how are you getting the internet under there?)

Tomorrow night my family will gather around the tv, which has spent more time raising the boy than I have, to enjoy the 450th episode of this groundbreaking series, followed by Morgan Spurlock’s documentary.

As some readers know, I talked to one of the producers of the documentary. (And she said she found my name in her first day of research!) Du and I were hoping to get into the documentary. We’re superfans, right? I mean, our book on The Simpsons is coming out in May and is available for preorder: http://www.amazon.com/Simpsons-Classroom-Embiggening-Experience-Springfield/dp/0786444908/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263072262&sr=1-1 (See what I did there; it’s all about subtlety.)

Apparently, Du and I are not crazy enough. Well, we are, but it’s not that apparent upon just talking to us for a few minutes–we’re a simmering and longer-lasting kind of crazy. But we don’t have our whole back tatooed with images from the show. Who does? Watch the documentary and find out.

A few notes on the anniversary: if you’re counting from the first time the Simpsons family was on the air, the 20th anniversary would have been April 19th, 2007 (we first saw the Simpsons on The Tracey Ullman Show). If you’re counting from the first time the show was on the air, the anniversary would have been December 17th, 2009 (the first full-length episode was “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire“). Sunday night is relatively close to the next possible anniversary date, January 14th, when “Bart the Genius” appeared.

I know, I know, I sound like Comic Book Guy (Jeff Anderson). Well, I sound like him in nerdy-knowledge, but a lot of other bloggers out there sound like him in their constant irritable yammering about how The Simpsons isn’t funny anymore and about how it shouldn’t be on the air. Even my own boyfriend complains about The Simpsons–he got irritated with the show a few years ago when they had too many un-funny guest stars. Admittedly, there have been a few irritating guest stars, mostly of the sports-variety (they don’t card read good). Luckily, the show has gotten better on this particular front.

But I want to address the critics’ repeated concerns. First, if you think the show shouldn’t be on anymore, don’t watch it. Some of us do still enjoy it, so let us have it. However, when you turn from The Simpsons, don’t be surprised when you realize that the vast (vast) majority of what’s on television doesn’t even deserve a discussion about continuing quality, as it never had quality in the first place.

Let’s address the quality issue. Some argue that The Simpsons isn’t funny anymore. I will agree with most critics that Seasons 4-8 were amazing (the Conan years were the best!), but there were some duds then and some winners then. There are dud episodes now, but there are some winners, too.

In fact, I don’t think the show has changed all that much. We’ve changed though. Yes, like Kent Brockman, I’m placing the blame squarely on you, the viewer! Think back to those early years of The Simpsons–it was innovative and scandalous not because of anything inherent, but because we found it so. It was new–we were shocked & pleased. Arguably, The Simpsons and our reaction to it changed television. Now we have South Park and Family Guy and the myriad shows on Adult Swim. Those shows often seem to be the innovative and scandalous things we long for. But note how the older a show becomes, the less scandalous we find it.

A show can only push an envelope in the beginning. Then we get used to the new position of the envelope and something else has to come along to push it into a new place. That doesn’t mean the show changes or gets less funny. In fact, it means the opposite–the show is the same–our expectations have shifted. The Simpsons and South Park often seem quaint today compared to newer shows because we have become immune to their brand of shock. That’s what repeated innoculations do.

I will readily admit that I’ve changed as a viewer. I’m not the same person I was in 1989. I have become desensitized to a lot. But I still believe that The Simpsons is superior to its cartoon progeny. Why? Because it’s still well-written. Because I actually care about the characters and the community it’s built (I actively dislike most of the characters on Family Guy, in comparison, no matter how funny the constant references to the popular culture of my childhood are). I enjoy watching the shows repeatedly–the layers of jokes and references in the show are unparalleled in contemporary cartoons (Arrested Development came close in the non-cartoon world). Thus, I see new things every time I watch. While jokes may be funny on the second viewing of the other shows, I don’t see anything new in the watching.

The Simpsons provides us with a language we speak, a perfectly cromulent language in fact. It gives us something to talk about with people from other cultures–laughter is universal & so is laughing with the show. And please don’t forget, whatever  you think about the show now, that The Simpsons paved the way for the currently edgy shows you love. Wanna take bets on whether your favorite show will reach 450 episodes?

I didn’t think so.

Happy Anniversary, The Simpsons!

Love, Karma

Just saw The Hangover.  Even if it hadn’t gotten a bunch of great reviews, I would have had to due to its starring Zach Galifianakis, one of my favorite stand-up comics.

The film does not disappoint.  Unlike lots of things this film could have been–a gross-out boy movie, an a bunch of shit happens but then I realize I really love her movie, et–this movie was consistently funny.

Now, I’m the kind of person who’s really glad never to have had a night or a next morning (or another night and another next morning) like these boys had.  But I will gladly laugh at their misfortune (for some reason, I was tickled most when animals and babies were hit on the head).

I was happy to see an erect penis.

Those of you who know me know that I think it’s a horrible double standard that you can see an aroused woman naked in a R-movie, but that you can’t see an aroused man.  Fair is fair.

Unfortunately, to avoid an NC-17 rating, they had to use a fake cock.

I can watch a maniac disembowel someone slowly in an R-rating . . .

But I’d rather watch The Hangover, fake cock and all.

As many of you know, my most common form of artistic expression is making lists.  Usually these free-form poems take the form of “to do” and “groceries,” but occasionally, something with more substance emerges.  For example, my book group is currently making a list of books we know we should have read, but haven’t.  We’ve also asked one of our members to compile a list of must-read graphic novels.

As it’s summer, I’m sure we’re all thinking about expanding our reading, our viewing, our cooking . . . something about summer makes us want new things.  So I want to make some lists, but I need your help.  Help me expand the following lists & help me think of new lists.

Shows you’re probably not watching, but should be (netflix them):

1.  Whitest Kids U’ Know–it’s the next generation of sketch comedy (currently on IFC)

2.  Breaking Bad–the dad from Malcolm in the Middle finds out he has cancer.  To provide for his family, he uses his chemistry teacher powers to make meth (currently on AMC).

3.  Slings and Arrows–this series ran for three seasons.  It’s a Canadian show about a repertory theatre troupe.  Their productions mirror the comic drama of their lives.  Very funny.  Mark McKinney, of The Kids in the Hall, is a writer, creator, and star.

Websites you should be checking out:

1.  www.mentalfloss.com  This is the companion site to Mental Floss magazine, which I love.  It feeds all of my trivia needs, but with a wonderful dry humor.  The website not only features articles from the magazine, but also great work by bloggers–they have links to other cool pages, quizzes, and daily trivia articles on awesome topics (best libraries, strange but true ways of death, etc.)

2.  www.theonion.com  This amazing satire site now has video reports.  The satire is so good that some people think the news is real.  For example, years ago, they reported on the annual “gay agenda convention,” which made fun of the idea that there is a gay conspiracy/agenda.  Several preachers sent the article to their congregations, citing it as evidence of said gay agenda.

While you’re perusing The Onion, don’t forget to go to the AV Club, which features media reviews, interviews, and Dan Savage’s sex column.

3.  http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html  Each day, they feature a different astronomy picture.  Discover the cosmos!

Nonfiction authors you should be reading:

1.  Sarah Vowell–she’s a favorite of NPR and Jon Stewart.  Her writing is clever & good for you history buffs.

2.  Mary Roach–she’s a science reporter with three great books.  Want to know how cadavers are used for research & health?  Want to know how people investigate the afterlife from a scientific point of view?  Want to know what sex researchers are up to in their labs?  Yes, you do.

3.  Terry Jones–yes, the Terry Jones of Monty Python, who got his degree in medieval studies.  Check out his editorials for The Guardian & his amazing Medieval Lives, where you can learn about the actual lives of knights, minstrels, and damsels.

Okay, I have to get back to grading.  Add to the list and to the list of lists!

I haven’t read the books, but I’ve been watching the television show on HBO.  I have to say that I’ve been relatively disappointed in television lately, but I’m definitely looking forward to The #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency each week.  I’m hooked.

It’s a detective show, but the attraction for the viewer is not figuring out the mysteries.  Instead, the mysteries exist to reveal character and to explore “issues.”

I love the setting of the show–Botswana and the scenic views the show provides (though I’m not sure how much is actually filmed in Botswana).  I love the gestures toward using authentic accents and colloquialisms (and that the show assumes you’ll be able to get a few foreign words if repeated in context).

My favorite aspect of the show, however, is that it leaves me thinking.  The main characters are very interested in doing the right thing (but they don’t engage in any “what would Jesus do” questions).  They want honesty and a better Botswana.  The problem is figuring out what’s right.  Is it right to confirm that someone is cheating if that means a family will be torn apart?  Should a detective lead on a cheater to confirm that he is so (or is that a sting)?  While it’s the detective’s responsibility to find a “truth,” what is the responsibility in reporting the findings–is she allowed to frame it in a certain way?

Watch the show:

Well, classes start on Monday and I’m finally ready for them, but I didn’t have a day off this week (and I won’t this weekend, either). Oh, well.

I’m almost over my frakking disappointment about the end of BSG. Almost. Maybe I just need to decide that I shouldn’t worry about it. The writer made it all weird–because he’s an angel and god wanted it to suck for some reason.

Things to look forward to: Margaret Atwood is writing a short story for the Canadian libraries. Should be able to access it online next month. A new Monty Python documentary will be available in October.

In other news, The Simpsons won me back with their latest episode. They go to Ireland and the jokes are funny and there are references to Bloomsday and the couple from Once is in it–perfection!

I was rather caught off guard by what was probably the last ever episode of Flight of the Conchords. It didn’t feel like an ending until the last couple of minutes, when everything wrapped up really nicely. Whatever angel wrote that show managed to do a good job.

Oh, wait–maybe god’s plan was to make the end of BSG suck so that I would appreciate the finale of Conchords!

Anyway, as much as I love Conchords, I’m not that upset if it’s indeed over. Season one was great; this season has had great moments, but the songs haven’t been as good (on average). I’m just going to have to get the DVDs and celebrate with them quietly every once in a while.

Flash forward to me doing so in a few decades–and then one of the songs activates the cylon part of me. And then I do some math. And then I ascend, embarrassed that I ever doubted.

Ok, I’m apparently not over it at all.

Courtney wrote a wonderful alternate ending to last night’s BSG atrocity on Facebook.  I agree with her that there was too much spiritualism (any story that can be tied up with “angels” doesn’t do it for me).

Adama is going to be a ghost of a man, talking to a buried woman. Lee is going to be an explorer (good for him). Angels are going to walk around worrying about our robots. Cylons will come out of comas to deliver good byes. God doesn’t like being called God (which Biblically is his own problem since he won’t give us his name). Frak!!!  The producers said we’d be surprised and satisfied with the ending. I’m surprised it was so bad. The only thing that satisfies me is that a certain person got her comeuppance.

Courtney also mentioned that the series seems to have lost the human/cylon distinction, although neither the humans nor the cylons seemed to get that. But if we are to believe the monotheist mythology that the show is apparently grounded in, both humans and cylons are “designed” by an intelligent force. And part of God’s plan is to kill off 11 colonies and most of the cylons for . . . well, not sure. But we’re supposed to be awed by it.

I’m not sure the show is doing what good sci fi is supposed to do, which is to make us think about what being human means. The “other” in sci fi is there to make us think about ourselves, to define ourselves. The cylons became completely us by the end of this. On the one hand, we can take that to mean that the “monster” is us–which is what most sci fi/fantasy/jungian-driven stuff implies–but the mythology is somehow getting in the way. Maybe it’s that I feel that “God’s plan” takes away too much free will. So what are cylons and humans? Just pawns in some cosmic game. Why even worry about the monsters and whether we are they?

Frak.

Here’s my alternate ending:  Starbuck wakes up from a bad dream in a bed.  Her husband, Bobby Ewing, is in the shower, safe and sound. 

In other tv news, Breaking Bad is awesome; Nikki is getting caught for all her shit in Big Love. Family Guy took a swipe at The Simpsons last week (I hope the show takes it as a compliment).

And as for The Simpsons, the last episode bothered me. It was a Da Vinci Code-esque night. There were several fine jokes at the beginning, but The Simpsons, like BSG, got too religious. Lisa cracks a code–she thinks she is supposed to bring peace. She then is told that Maggie is actually the chosen one. While Lisa points out that the code only makes sense if Lisa messed it up first (which should bring doubt), the show ends in un-skeptically. It’s not sitting well with me.

No wonder I can’t frakkin’ sleep.