Warm Glowing Warming Glow

OMFG, Again

Here is a funny discussion of the idea of Gossip Girl as a web-based phenomenon, as opposed to a show that actual people watch. I think that this sort of online buzz might eventually translate into actual viewership, sometime down the road -- say when the show returns for five episodes this summer. Or, on the other hand, TV might actually be dead. It could go either way. I do think it's interesting that the online aspect of the show is approaching that of The Hills, but that many more people watch The Hills (even though it's on cable). So what's the difference? I think the big difference is the gossip rags are covering Lauren, Heidi, Spencer and Audrina, and they're not covering Serena, Georgina, Dan and Blair . . .I may have this wrong, though, because actually comparing Gossip Girl and The Hills is making me a little queasy.

Today in 90210 News

TVGAsm has a 90210 cast photo here. For some reason, I can't stop giggling over it. Also, the latest is that the show will debut on the CW in the fall, Tuesdays at 8:00.

The Non-Judging Breakfast Club

Dear Jenny,

Did you see our girl Lisa Loeb on Gossip Girl? Does it age us to refer to Lisa Loeb as "our girl"? Wait. Do we even like her? I know that we loved #1 Single. I think I used to hate that "Stay" song, except I know it by heart -- how? -- and I really enjoyed hearing it at Rufus's concert last night. I might even get it from iTunes, because -- not old!

In any case, singer-songwriters of our collective past aside, pretty great episode last night: not as pop-culturally funny as last week's* but well-plotted and satisfying. We did not yet get Chuck + Blair vs. Georgina (next week?), but we did get Blair, in Great Friend mode, vs. Lily, in Awful Mother mode. I finally decided that I like what Michelle Trachtenberg is doing with the Georgina role. I was hating Georgina in general, but this week she seemed to slip over from hateful nuisance to screaming psychopath (around the point where she tried to bring Serena coffee -- the Hell?), and it turns out Dawnie can do that. I think we should all be glad that Mischa Barton allegedly passed on that role, because Coop? I don't think Coop can do that.

Love,

-- Pete

*Last week's was almost Sherman-Palladinian in its speed and fluency -- I only just remembered that great, throwaway Zac Efron joke.

90210 The Next Gener-Something

The latest Beverly Hills, 90210 Extreme casting news is a bit of an anti-climax: Jennie Garth has signed on to play Kelly Taylor, now a guidance counselor at West Beverly. Nothing against Garth, but I feel like we already knew about this.

Everything's Coming Up Amanda

Here's an interview with The Paper's Amanda Lorber.  She seems like a nice, smart, not particularly forthcoming young woman.

Lost Youth

What Is the What, Dave Eggers. I feel a little weird writing about this book at all, and in fact, wasn't going to, just because we (that is, Jenny) know and work with the author. The subject matter, furthermore, is so serious and the format is so unfamiliar to me, that I feel ill-equipped to evaluate the book. Anyway, as you probably know, Eggers worked with Valentino Achak Deng, a Lost Boy of Sudan now living in Atlanta, and produced What Is the What, which is described as both a novel and as Deng's autobiography. I am having a similar experience to that of reading The Man Who Loved Children: I frequently have to put the book down and pace, because it is so troubling, but I keep reading it because the writing is so beautiful and clear.  -- Peter

The Gay Bomb Drops

Dear Jenny,

I am still hyperventilating as a result of last night's Gossip Girl and I'm kind of pissed off at Us and Kelly Rutherford for leaking the business about Eric. We've got bigger problems, though, don't you think? Here are mine:

1. The show only really sings when Rutherford, Leighton Meester or Ed Westwick is on screen. Last night's episode was extraordinary in being entirely Chuck-free (and Nate-free, for what it's worth), and yet compelling from beginning to end. But it brought home how dependent the tone of the show is on those three actors.

2. Are we sure this show isn't on Fox? Last week's Nelly Yuki material made me more uncomfortable the more I thought about it (I think I initially praised that subplot because Blair was so good). The take-away from this week was mildly supportive of gay teens, but we got there via some pretty homophobic stuff.

3. Michelle Trachtenberg is still not clicking for me. I think the problem is maybe the character: Georgina is unbearably evil. Even when Blair was being mean to Serena at the beginning of the season, she was never this bad. Also, again, see above about Leighton Meester doing no wrong.

What did you think? Do you care? After all, the fashion remains so great.

Love,

-- Pete

Chloe Has Two Mommies!

Dear Jenny,

Um, The Hills was on last night and then and then . . . oh crap. I watched it. I just have nothing to say. That shouldn't stop me from posting, though.  Let's see:

I worry about those girls. Not Heidi, because my guess is that she was that creepy before this show came along, and not Whitney or Lo, because they appear to be handling their weird fame appropriately, but the others. Where is this all going to lead?  How do you go back to living your own life, without cameras, once we all stop caring about whether or not you're still talking to your ex-best-friend?

What is really going on in that house? Is Lo really that mean (and Lauren that clueless) or is this Lo-Audrina-Lauren conflict just the usual weird mix of coaching and editing?

I guess we're supposed to care about Spencer and Heidi's broken hearts, but all I could think was "Why did Spencer let himself into Heidi's apartment?" and "Are we really supposed to believe that he's going to figure out that she's left maybe for good?"

Remember when Whitney was on this show? And sometimes we would see her and Lauren at People's Revolution? Where did that story go? Less compelling than the entire cast marveling that Lauren and Stephanie are now friends, I guess.

Still find The Paper completely thrilling as well. Last night's episode did seem to be heading down the familiar Laguna Beach/The Hills route a little more than I felt comfortable, ie endless scenes of Cassia interviewing Amanda about how Amanda thinks Alex feels about Alix, vis a vis Amanda. On the other hand, we had the amazing High School Reunion on Ice subplot. Also, next week, mark your calendar, we're going to get that weird Adam hissy fit that we keep seeing in the promos.

Love,

-- Pete

Today in Project Runway CRISIS

Holy crap! I think NBC Universal just won. No, not the silly lawsuit, but the real battle for the soul -- the soul -- of Project Runway: Magical Elves, the company that produces Project Runway, is staying with NBC Universal. So, although the Weinsteins and Lifetime get the show and Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, they've got to find someone just as good to shape the show. Interesting.

Wow!

This is even more exciting casting news. Reuters reports that Tristan Wilds, aka Michael on The Wire, has joined the cast of the 90210, as "Dixon Mills," the adopted son of the family that already includes Jessica Walter, Shenae Grimes and Lori Loughlin.