A good year for women in entertainment

It seems that recently we are up to our ears in entertaining women. This summer Bridesmaids made huge waves at the box office. Back in November I commented on an article about the surplus of lady spy shows. This week I've found not one, but two interesting articles on women in entertainment, both from the Atlantic.

The first is on the "Rise of the female action film" inspired by the release of two female-headed action films on the same day: Underworld:Awakening and Haywire.

When you are done with that, check out the other post detailing a list of female characters you are likely to see in prime time for quite a while.

It's a little bit misleading to say that women starring on Television and in Movies is a recent phenomenon, because it ignores the contributions of women like Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore, and, more recently, Tina Fey. But it is also undeniable that women are starting to get starring roles more often and that they are playing more nuanced roles.

I, for one, say bring on the ladies. The buddy comedy is a tired, pathetic imitation of itself (see The Hangover 2) and the male action flick is even more so (see The Expendables). I'm even more heartened by the recent news that Kristen Wiig is refusing to star in a Bridesmaids sequel. It seems that some women, unlike their male counterparts, know when to leave a good thing alone.

The only "Best of" List you will ever need

It's nearing the end of the year folks and that means plenty of "Best of" lists. We want this to be your one-stop-shop for all your "Best of" needs. I am your "Best of" host and will update this post until the last "Best of" list has been written. Here's what we have so far broken down by topic.

Mythbusters Experiment Gone Horribly Awry

Apparently a cannonball experim...er, uh, stunt for the Television show Mythbusters went wrong. Really wrong. Like, firing-a-cannonball-700-yards-out-of-test-range-through-a-front-door-up-some-stairs-through-a-wall-and-across-four-lanes-of-traffic-and-off-the-roof-of-another-house wrong.





I'm no physicist, but what happened here? Someone forget a decimal? Presumably these scientists -- and I use that term lightly --  do multiple calculations and possibly simulations before running these stunts, right? I think this could have some pretty big implications for the show's future. Imagine if that thing picked someone off.

The Smartest Show on Television: Community

Hey Folks. I assume that most of you have heard of Community by now. However, based on the ratings it has been getting  -- the CW's Vampire Diaries drew more viewers at one point this season -- my assumption might be wrong. So here is a quick primer.

The premise is rather plain. It's a show about the misadventures of Spanish study group at Greendale Community College. But in a few short seasons, it is proven itself to be one of the most cleverly written and executed shows on television.

A surplus of lady spy shows

Have you noticed all the female spies on TV lately? Of course you haven't because by the time you realize it, you're already too late. You're dead. But seriously, the reason we see so many super sexy secret agents may have to do with on-screen flexibility (not that kind):

There are plenty of career paths for female TV characters who lack secret identities: police officer, doctor, lawyer, advertising copywriter, forensic anthropologist, inn keeper. Spycraft, though, confers the advantage of adaptability. In a single episode, Covert Affairs’ rookie CIA agent Annie Walker (played by Piper Perabo) uses the skills of a linguist, a bodyguard, an investigator, a psychiatrist, and a diplomat. Corman and Ord told me that flexibility wasn’t the reason they made Annie a spy, but they agreed that “it allows us more storylines than just being a cop.”

Or the secret could be something more simple, as one commenter points out: 1.) men like action movies AND 2.) men like watching pretty girls. I personally think that the truth lies somewhere in-between.

The Kardashians have ruined many things, including marriage and the letter "K"

There isn't anything that the Kardashians won't do, including re-branding c-words as a form of self-promotion:

The Kardashians, as it’s very hard not to know, have turned their family into a ubiquitous commodity—or, as they would have it, a kommodity, as they grab every opportunity (even those rightfully belonging to the letter “C”) to advertise themselves. All the Kardashian daughters have names beginning with the letter “K”; the shows’ website is filled with phrases like “get to know who’s who in the krew” and invitations to view the Kardashian Kollection for Sears. Their nail polish line includes colors like Hard-Kourt Fashionista and Kendall on the Katwalk. When Kim Kardashian briefly married basketball player Kris Humphries earlier this year, there was a half-joking assumption that his first name played a major role in inspiring the short-lived union. The impetus here is clear: The family is the brand and the brand is the family. The more they can remind consumers (konsumers?) of this, the more they stand to benefit. They’re not the types to let spelling stand in their way.

I can think of one c-word the Kardashians haven't klaimed, which is a shame because it describes them so well. Also -- as an aside -- if you choose your child's name because it happens to koincide with the name of a "character" on a reality television show, you ought to lose parenting rights. Just sayin'.

Some shows end before they should

Things aren't looking good for the NBC show Community. The network insists that the show will return, but it is more than likely on its way to the t.v. show graveyard known as "Netflix streaming." Grantland gives us the hall of fame of television shows that met their demise well before their time. I've only seen one of these (Freaks and Geeks) but if they others are of similar quality it is truly a shame that they had such short life spans. Anyone else surprise that Firefly didn't make the list?

(source: Grantland)

Watch this: America in Primetime

Oh PBS. You never cease to amaze me. Starting tonight you can see a 4 part series talking about the major archetypes of american television called America in Primetime. Here is a description of tonight's installment:

Independent Woman

The evolving portrayal of women opens this look at TV's main character archetypes. Included: remarks from Roseanne Barr ("Roseanne"); Candice Bergen ("Murphy Brown"); Eva Longoria and Felicity Huffman ("Desperate Housewives").

The remaining episodes are "Man of the House," "The Misfit," and "The Crusader." Seems like a must-watch for anyone who truly loves TV. If tonight doesn't work for you, don't fret, they are re-airing the program multiple times throughout the course of the week. You can find programming information here.

(Soure: Kottke.org, nextdraft)

Six Feet Under

The entire series of Six Feet Under is the deal of the day on Amazon (October 26th). I've never seen the show, but I hear it is good. And at that price, it is tough to turn down.

-Ed

Shatner and The Captains

Captain's Blog; Stardate: 10-25-11.

Whether you're a nerd who know's why Voyager's virtual doctor was able to walk around freely outside of the holo-emitters in Sick Bay (he had a a mobile emitter, built by Ed Bagley, Jr in the 29th century) or you're just a run of the mill television historian (yes, that was Jamie Farr in the band of Gypsies on The Andy Griffith Show) there's something in this documentary for you. William Shatner, Star Trek's original Captain Kirk, directs The Captains, which premiered this July on Epix and can now be seen streaming online. It's a light hearted collection of surprisingly candid interviews featuring each of the leading actors from the Star Trek series and films. The conversations range from backgrounds to acting philosophies to the toll being Captain can take personally and professionally. And if that wasn't enough for you, the 80-year-old Shatner also has a few other projects in the works which you can hear about on last week's episode of Studio 360.

End Blog. Is that how they end it? They always cut straight from the voice over to an interior with someone interupt - "Captain, we're approaching Cardassia Prime." Uh, gotta go - On screen Leiutentant.