‘Silicon Valley’ Nailed the Setup, but Could Now Try Harder
HBO’s Silicon Valley, helmed by Alec Berg and Office Space creator Mike Judge, is in capable hands. But it’s also a show that at this point, is pretty clearly trying to have its cake and eat it too. By making fun of the typical gripes with the tech industry—it’s mostly white, women in power… [Read More]
Jon Snow’s Snapchat Story: A Day at Castle Black
Life at Castle Black can be tough. It’s cold, management sucks, and the dating scene leaves a lot to be desired. But as with all thankless jobs, the people working there are really the unsung heroes of the realm. Without them, we’d all be lifeless zombies with blue Gatorade-colored eyes. So take… [Read More]
‘Mad Men’ Facial Hair and/or Emotional Power Rankings
It’s good to be back. Mad Men’s final seven episodes kicked off Sunday night, and so far, everyone seems to be having a fun, sexy time in the ’70s, with their colorful suits, continued self-damaging love affairs, and of course, progressive facial hair. Although Grantland’s excellent MM power rankings include… [Read More]
What Indie Artists Are Looking At: An Investigation
Indie artists like to look at things in their album covers. Whether or not they stole that tendency from the late dear leader Kim Jong-il is eternally up for debate, and to be fair, we all like vaguely looking at things—myself included. However, musicians are shockingly and consistently more opaque… [Read More]
Saying Goodbye to ‘Parks and Rec,’ TV’s Happiest Comedy
Tonight, probably the most feel-good comedy on TV will air its one hour finale. Parks and Recreation’s seventh and final season has gone by uncomfortably fast, with two new episodes a week and a minimal 13 overall that have quickly tied up most loose ends and set up the final… [Read More]
How ‘Girls’ and ‘Broad City’ Channel the Gawd Larry David
Larry David is the king of living out his fantasies on screen. Not sexually—well, then again he probably did once fantasize about having sex with a Palestinian woman—but primarily with respect to telling people when he thinks they’re being assholes. In line at Starbucks, in traffic, playing golf, eating dinner…the… [Read More]
‘Wild’ and the Perks of Doing Shit on Your Own
It’s hard to write something about how amazing doing shit on your own is without sounding preachy and/or sad. That’s a reality. It always seems to devolve into a “love yourself before you can love others” sort of situation, and while that’s all very good and true, it suggests that… [Read More]
Nothing Hits Its Stride: Mumblecore in the Mainstream
It’s been almost 17 years since Seinfeld, the self-proclaimed show about nothing, went off the air, but thanks to syndication it feels like it never left and never will leave. Though very much a sitcom, shot on set in a studio with laugh tracks and all, it’s impossible to overstate… [Read More]
This ‘Serial’ Show We’re All a Part of is Pretty Good
(SPOILERS) The first season of Serial is coming to an end this Thursday, and with it comes a mixed bag of emotions. As with any good story, those of us who have been with the show for weeks simply don’t want the ride to end. But, all good things must,… [Read More]
Actors Who Should Star in Food Network Biopics
Food Network chefs are an interesting kind of celebrity. The shows they appear on, star in, and host are reality shows, and yet they’re much more compelling than Snooki or whoever’s on The Real World these days because they have actual creative talent. Before I go further, I should mention… [Read More]
