Maybe it's just me, but I think I witnessed a hat trick

HLN is slowly but surely becoming a network that I try to avoid. Last year (pre-MJ's death), I watched their primetime programs fairly regularly, although I barely remember what shows I watched back then. But then, primetime became an estrogen block: Jane Velez-Mitchell, Nancy Grace, and Joy Behar. Actually, it's more like PMS lane, but who am I to quibble.

But late last night, I was up and I caught a bit of Nancy Grace and Behar's show and marveled at how, despite their best efforts to control and manipulate their particular messages, that the home truths tumbled out. I smiled at Nancy Grace, something I haven't done in like... ever, when she was talking about the runaway mom case. She had the woman's father, a pastor, on the show, and she was so emphatic that she was sure that the woman may have ran afoul with some miscreant, since she couldn't imagine the woman abandoning her one year old daughter. Obviously, the episode was one filmed earlier last week, since we did find out that, indeed, the woman DID abandon the one year old daughter, staged a crime scene and ran off with some loser dude to Florida. So much for Nancy Grace's 'instincts'. But then again, Grace's 'instincts' are usually colored by her particular political leanings, not on sheer gut feeling. I'm armchair quarterbacking it, but even I knew that the chick was okay, and I was hardly paying attention to the story. Score one, for following one's own instinct versus some shrieking shrew's.

Next... Behar. Her Friday edition was reran last night, which happened to be a rehash of her week's highlights. She had a panel discussing various subjects like Sandra Bullock, Scott Baio and other stuff; a panel consisting of Nancy Giles, that dude who used to host TV Guide Network's TV Watercooler, and a playwright I have never heard of, but one I now want to know about. The subject was Roman Polanski and his sending a letter to France's president to give to President Obama about his long delayed (and denied) trial regarding the rape of a 13 year old girl. Naturally, Joy wanted the discussion to remain on her level - righteous indignation and general resignation - but the playwright said something that I would never forget. He essentially said that talk about the Polanski case by the media (read: yes, you, Joy Behar) is useless, because this is supposed to be between Polanski and the court of law. And my next question is 'Where were you during the Michael Jackson trial, dude?' Because that should've been said back then when it was absolutely clear that the press was trying to impede the investigation and influence the verdict.

And finally... this one didn't involve HLN or any of their anchors/rags, but it involved an everpresent guest on the show. On this morning's Today Show, Robi Ludwig was on, discussing how the whole community has to support 'mothers by choice', which made me wonder if that is the consensus of opinion within the psychiatric community. Or maybe, the psychiatric community had a 'coming to Jesus' moment after Michael Jackson's death, because as many remembered, he didn't get support from the community when he became a 'father by choice'. If anything, psychiatric buttinskys like Carole Liebermann made his attempts at parenting a talking point for her insatiable need to park her botoxed butt in front of a camera.

So the point of this post? Well, I hope that many who have been on the fence about things dictated to us by the persistent and often over presently, learned a lesson. Agendas and not necessarily bipartisan-dictated agendas, are what drives these people who are placed in a position of authority and respectability. But every once in a while, the truth escapes from the vice grip that these wenches have on it. Or in other words, trust your instincts, distrust anyone working overly hard to persuade you otherwise, and keep an eye out for anyone who play both ends against the middle.

Mexican telenovelas are bringin' it, by GOD!!!!!

For months, I've been debating whether to remove The Young and the Restless from my recording program. The writers' lackluster approach to storytelling, their rush to hook up some characters (Jack and Emily; Ashley and Neil), while dragging their feet towards others (Hot Chance and Chloe), and currently, having two doubles stepping into the lives of the originals (I mean... come on!!!) - Y & R is just not what it used to be. There's a complete lack of the Bell magic. The only true bright spot of the show is the potential of a Billy and Victoria pairing, two characters I couldn't stand due to their individual selfishness, and yet, I eat them up whenever they are together. They 'get' each other, but the possibility of dirty, loathsome hate sex is always there and actually welcomed. Of course, a J.T/Mac pairing is looming and the writers may, foolishly, use this as a distraction for Billy and Victoria, but they would be stupid, since Mac is probably the most boring Y & R character, which is something since Ashley is always stiff competition. And unfortunately, J.T.'s continual sanctimony regarding Victoria, nevermind that his past wasn't that pristine, makes him the third dog in the race. In short, I am fed up with the never-ending Adam storyline (although I doubt that he's really dead), tired of the missing Janna and Lauren storyline starring the Wonder Twins, the Lily and Cane storyline since nothing is really happening, and I'm tired of Neil being set up as the Bellamy, since it is clear that the writers are trying to pair Ashley with Tucker McCall. And BTW, while I love Stephen Nichols, I prefer the original actor more.

Now to the good... the Mexican telenovelas, specifically Hasta Que El Dinero Nos Separe. While I do watch Mi Pecado as well, HQEDNS is my favorite. Yes, it absolutely has campy aspects to it - I mean, there was a Michael Jackson impersonator on it, for reasons I haven't quite figured out yet, but despite the language barrier, I am genuinely enjoying the show. Mind you, I was extremely pissed that Claudia (the sexy blonde) slept with Alejandra's fiance, Marco, the most weaselly pig I've seen recently, and I hope that ole girl has a damn good explanation for doing it. But the money is Rafael aka Medina and Alejandra. They are very funny to watch, given Itati's pint-sized kewpie doll looks contrasting Pedro's dark good looks, but it's Alejandra and Medina's personalities that are the clincher. Alejandra is kinda bossy and impatient while Medina is childlike and enthusiastic. Clearly, the bossiness and impatience is a facade on Alejandra's part, since whenever Medina is in a precarious place, she defrosts and reveals her true feelings. So when Medina and Alejandra had to pretend to be a couple, it was inevitable that this was going to happen. Thank you, jealousy and oneupsmanship:



The kiss continued and it was delicious and sensual. Very Thomas Crown Affair, Notorious, and Vertigo romantic rapture. For me, it was among one of the best kisses I've seen on both American soaps and telenovelas. Oh so nice, I have to post it twice:



I wish, wish, WISH that American soaps would take a peek at Mexican telenovelas. Telenovelas are what American soap operas used to be: romantic, funny, dramatic, pot boilers. Sure, telenovelas have an advantage, given that they have a finite amount of time on-air, therefore, there is a lack of tendency and need to drag $h*t out. If Wiki can be believed, I know that HQEDNS will end in November, so waiting for Medina and Alejandra to get together will not be as torturous. Some may think that would ruin the fun - uh, I've been watching soaps for nearly 33 years; it's time to explore a different form of fun, like unpredictable storylines, and depicting couples who don't take love or their partners for granted. Yes, Alejandra is engaged to douchebag Marco and Medina is saddled with shrieky Vicky, but when Alejandra and Medina are alone and being open and honest with each other, it is must see TV.

Fingers crossed that HQEDNS keeps up the good work.

My current YouTube fixation

Dixie Carter... gone

It is unfortunate that my first entry for April is about this. Mind you, Suzanne and Charlene were my favorites, which is not to say that Mary Jo and Julia were slouches, because they were not. Especially, Julia.

Julia Sugarbaker.

It's strange, but lately, I've been thinking about sitcom rants - Steve's bathroom and naked bottoms rants on Coupling; Edina's rants about the laws and the sucking away of fun in favor of political correctness on Absolutely Fabulous. Yeah - the Brits know how to write fantastic rants. But the Bloodworth-Thomasons of the late 80s and early 90s were no joke and thankfully, they cast Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker and she delivered the goods every single time.

Carter, a conservative, remarked that everytime she had to give a Julia tear, which was usually in a liberal vein, the Bloodworth-Thomasons had to give her an opportunity to sing on the show. I assume that this clip was a result of the under the table bargain. And it's just funny as hell!



And rarely did Julia make a misstep, but when she did, it was fantastic:



But Carter's signature, beyond the much lamented cocky walk and great legs, was her rants. One of my favorites didn't require her to yell or anything, but I think of it whenever I go into Barnes & Noble or any bookstore. It involved Julia attempting to buy Tess of the d'Urbervilles and a kid was minding the register - a kid who obviously wasn't that into books. He didn't know where Julia could find Tess because he never heard of it, but he knew where she could find 'the hind end of a cartoon cat' that you could attach to your car window with suction cups. Just the way Julia pronounced 'literature' - classic. I hope to find that clip, but there are others that are classic Julia 'The Terminator' Sugarbaker moments. Like this:







So... a hat tip to one of the last great big shouldered, big-mouthed dames to ever grace night-time television.