Grid Effect

Our friend with Showtime is out of town, so we never got around to watching Weeds last night. We’ll try to watch it at lunch and try to post about it this afternoon. In the meantime — you could probably guess — here are some links.

Oprah Winfrey brings in #315 million more than the second place television personality, Simon Cowell, who rakes in about $50 million. Do you think if they ever get together at some upper-crust social function she mocks him and his measly annual earnings? Maybe she pulls pranks on him or has him barred from these events all together. And really, do these lists need to keep being released every six months? We all know that Oprah is the highest earner in television. As it is and always will be, so long as she remains on television.

The only man who will ever be able to make Oprah happy.

The backlash on Mad Men’s success and popularity has begun, and we are barely surprised. The writer here is saying that Weiner’s portrayal of the early sixties is done so in a way for us to feel superior to it. I guess he is referring to everyone who watches and enjoys Mad Men, I’m really not certain. Obviously when everyone likes something, they all like it for the same reason. And the reason everyone likes Mad Men? Vindication. Any time something gains traction like this series has, there will always be a couple naysayers who attempt to derail it. I can never tell if it is a genuine divergence of opinion or if it’s an article written to attract an outraged, vitriolic audience. In most cases it’s probably both.

The Same thing happened with Dark Knight, and the small sector of people calling it a failed effort were claiming its popularity was based on some sort of bandwagon. Then the fans of the movie were claiming they were only saying that because the critic either “didn’t get it” or was attempting to make a name for himself. I will say this, however, in this website’s humble opinion, we loved Dark Knight but there is a lot more that you can criticize about that film than this series.

I mentioned yesterday that HBO’s upcoming vampire series True Blood had potential, and it appears it is getting positive feedback from focus groups. Albeit very cliched, predictable positive feedback. But HBO is desperate at this point and will take anything they can write off as a success. We doubt John From Cincinnati had this type of focus group reaction.

And finally, ex-wife of Charlie Sheen and notoriously ridiculous, semi-actress Denise Richards is selling her mansion for $4.25 million. It is amazing how someone who actually has a property like that to sell can be so fucking miserable half the time. Honest to God, if anyone ever agrees to marry her again they better be homeless or an ex-convict; otherwise she isn’t worth the trouble.

We’ll try to get to Weeds later. No promises.