TV Squad http://www.tvsquad.com TV Squad http://www.tvsquad.com/media/feedlogo.gif TV Squad http://www.tvsquad.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/TV 101: Do we have more TV channels than we do TV talent? http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/15/tv-101-do-we-have-more-tv-channels-than-we-do-tv-talent/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/15/tv-101-do-we-have-more-tv-channels-than-we-do-tv-talent/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/15/tv-101-do-we-have-more-tv-channels-than-we-do-tv-talent/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Geico CavemenIn the 90s, one of the most popular (and annoying) memes that circulated through the geekier magazines was that we were only a few years away from having "500 channels" on our cable systems. Unlike most tech predictions, this one actually came true. Sure, it took 1200% longer than they thought it would, but that's still pretty good considering most of the stuff Wired talked about in the 90s was made up by the editorial staff after downing a couple of those schizophrenia-inducing Transformers 2 pot brownies.

Having recently installed Verizon Fios, I've spent the last few months ignoring my wife and young son so I could explore what the 500 channel landscape looks like. Like Charlton Heston in the Forbidden Zone, I was shirtless, on horseback, and ready to uncover some sad truths about the world.

Here's the question I've come back with: what if there isn't enough talent for humanity to adequately fill 500 channels?

Continue reading TV 101: Do we have more TV channels than we do TV talent?

 

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]]>according to jimAccordingToJimCavemenfeaturedmy mother the carMyMotherTheCartalent peakTalentPeakthe flying nunTheFlyingNunTV 101Tv101Jay BlackWed, 15 Jul 2009 14:05:00 ESTTV 101: How ESPN controls the world and what the other networks can learn from ithttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/03/tv-101-how-espn-controls-the-world-and-what-the-other-networks/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/03/tv-101-how-espn-controls-the-world-and-what-the-other-networks/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/07/03/tv-101-how-espn-controls-the-world-and-what-the-other-networks/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

ESPN is like the borg, only with more bald people.You're about to become a soccer fan.

I know you don't believe me. Hell, I'm not sure I believe me. After all, America has resisted soccer for going on 150 years. Crapping on soccer ranks right up there with eating horrible chain-restaurant food and producing slobs-versus-snobs camp movies as a quality that define us as Americans.

Further, you've heard this claim before: the "Grab your shin guards, soccer is about to be a hit in the US of A!" column has been written approximately 2.8 million times since the early '70s. Every time a new soccer league starts in this country, everyone rushes to be the first to write that America is about to become Uruguay North.

And yet, those leagues invariably crash and burn, WNBA-style. So what makes this time any different? Why will we finally care about something that we've gone out of our way to not care about for so long? What force is powerful enough to make that happen?

The most powerful force in the universe: ESPN.

Continue reading TV 101: How ESPN controls the world and what the other networks can learn from it

 

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]]>contraespnfeaturedglobal dominationGlobalDominationsoccertv 101Tv101Jay BlackFri, 03 Jul 2009 11:04:00 ESTTV 101: Three reasons why I loved Artie Lange's complete dismantling of Joe Buckhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/17/tv-101-three-reasons-why-i-loved-artie-langes-complete-dismant/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/17/tv-101-three-reasons-why-i-loved-artie-langes-complete-dismant/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/06/17/tv-101-three-reasons-why-i-loved-artie-langes-complete-dismant/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Artie LangeMonday night, Artie Lange went on Joe Buck's awful new show Joe Buck Live and did to him what Keyser Soze did to the Hungarian gang in The Usual Suspects.

If you didn't see it, let me tell you this much: Artie didn't kill the show; it was already dead when he got there. What he did was the equivalent of finding a dead squirrel (with awful, frat-boy hair), filling it full of firecrackers, then cackling gleefully as the guts rained down onto Jason Sudeikis and Paul Rudd.

Artie Lange's appearance on Joe Buck Live was boorish, crude, mean-spiritied, and blatantly homophobic. It was the kind of thing that'll probably end the career of the poor person who booked him on the show.

It's also something that we need a hell of a lot more of...

Continue reading TV 101: Three reasons why I loved Artie Lange's complete dismantling of Joe Buck

 

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]]>artie langeArtieLangefeaturedhoward sternHowardSternjason sudeikisJasonSudeikisjoe buckJoeBuckpaul ruddPaulRuddtv 101Tv101Jay BlackWed, 17 Jun 2009 19:03:00 ESTTV 101: Could a woman get as fat as Jason Segel and eight other intriguing questionshttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/27/tv-101-could-a-woman-get-as-fat-as-jason-segel-and-eight-other/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/27/tv-101-could-a-woman-get-as-fat-as-jason-segel-and-eight-other/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/27/tv-101-could-a-woman-get-as-fat-as-jason-segel-and-eight-other/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Coud this picture be any more perfect for this TV 101? I didn't think so.One of the joys of being a blogger is all the comments we receive. Once you weed out the personal threats, the discussions of your stupidity, the prayers to various gods that you get struck by a particularly painful STD, and the calls for you to be fired, you're actually left some solid contributions to the online discussion.

With that in mind, I've decided to turn this week's column over to you guys, a collection of commenters that I think I can say without hyperbole is the greatest collection of commenters in the history of the known universe. I've put together nine questions about TV that I'd love for you to answer. Don't feel like you have to answer them all: choose which ones are most interesting to you and then have at it.

I'm anxious to hear your opinions, so let's get to it...

Continue reading TV 101: Could a woman get as fat as Jason Segel and eight other intriguing questions

 

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]]>American IdolAmericanIdolBill SimmonsBillSimmonsFatfeaturedJason SegelJasonSegelSimonTV 101Tv101Jay BlackWed, 27 May 2009 15:02:00 ESTTV 101: Arise, Serpentor, Arise!http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/04/tv-101-arise-serpentor-arise/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/04/tv-101-arise-serpentor-arise/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/05/04/tv-101-arise-serpentor-arise/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I've got two for this one: 1) This, I command! Or 2) Cobra LaLaLaLaLaLaLaLaGenerally speaking, if your doctor is wearing purple pants, metal studded suspenders, a blue cape, and no shirt, it's probably best to regard him with a healthy degree of suspicion. Cobra Commander learned this the hard way at the start of the second season of G.I. Joe, when his own shirtless, cape-wearing science officer, Dr. Mindbender, usurped his authority by crafting the ultimate COBRA leader: Serpentor.

Serpentor was grown out of genetic gumbo: by taking the DNA of history's greatest leaders and mixing them all together, Mindbender hoped to create the perfect ruler (or at least one that didn't always call him "Fender-Bender.")

Alas, as is so often the case, Mindbender's plan was thrown off when he was forced to substitute Sun Tzu's DNA with that of professional wrestler Sgt. Slaughter. Because of this, Serpentor was cursed with impatience, a fatal flaw G.I. Joe was able to use against him time and time again.

Even though Mindbender failed with his Serpentor, creating the "Serpentor of [insert profession here]" is still one of my favorite games...

Continue reading TV 101: Arise, Serpentor, Arise!

 

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]]>gi joeGiJoeserpentortv 101Tv101writersJay BlackMon, 04 May 2009 14:03:00 ESTTV 101: Dear Jay - Eight e-mails answeredhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/15/tv-101-dear-jay-eight-e-mails-answered/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/15/tv-101-dear-jay-eight-e-mails-answered/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/15/tv-101-dear-jay-eight-e-mails-answered/#commentsFiled under: , ,

From what I've seen in direct to video comedies, it's a good idea NOT to get your tie caught in one of these.As a member of the media elite, I tend to run in some pretty impressive circles. Some days it's a Yankees game with Lorne Michaels, Fergie, and Jason Hervey. Others, it's World of Warcraft with Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer (hint for dealing with those two: do NOT wonder aloud who the best Batman of the '90s was).

Obviously, writing a bi-weekly column that has readership literally in the hundreds carries with it a lot of perks. But it's not all fun and games. My place as America's foremost pop culture commentator ("It's like Chuck Klosterman and Andy Warhol had a baby!" reads the blurb I'll ask my editor to put on my book should I ever write one) means that my inbox is constantly being spammed by other members of the media asking for advice.

Instead of answering those emails privately, like good manners and the explicit instructions of many of the emails demand, I figured I'd share both the emails and their answers with you, my loyal readers...

Continue reading TV 101: Dear Jay - Eight e-mails answered

 

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]]>american idolAmericanIdolbattlestar galacticaBattlestarGalacticacougaremailfeaturedfoxglen beckGlenBeckkal pennKalPennryan seacrestRyanSeacrestJay BlackWed, 15 Apr 2009 14:32:00 ESTTV 101: Thirteen undeniable truths about TVhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/01/tv-101-13-undeniable-truths-about-tv/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/01/tv-101-13-undeniable-truths-about-tv/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/04/01/tv-101-13-undeniable-truths-about-tv/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I could have gone with a lot of pictures, but I figured a hot cylon was the way to go.Some things you never wanted to know about me, but that I'm going to tell you anyway: I'm 32 years old, 6'3" tall, and I weigh 235 hairy, pasty pounds. I have a weak chin and very strong glasses. I'm not balding (yet!) but I've got a head reminiscent of The Leader from the Incredible Hulk comics. Seriously, in a pinch, Sully Sullenburger could land a jet on my forehead.

Looking at myself in the mirror after a shower the other day, I came to some realizations. I'll probably never play in the NBA. It's doubtful that a woman will ever use me Brad-Pitt-in-Thelma-and-Louise style. Should my comedy career catch fire, it will be more Ray Romano than Dane Cook.

These are the facts and they are undisputed.

In the spirit of my heartbreaking realizations, I figured I'd list some of the sad (but undeniable) truths about television ...

Continue reading TV 101: Thirteen undeniable truths about TV

 

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]]>American IdolAmericanIdolbattlestar galacticaBattlestarGalacticaconservative biasConservativeBiasfeaturedliberal biasLiberalBiaspoliticssaturday night liveSaturdayNightLivesimpsonsTV 101Tv101Jay BlackWed, 01 Apr 2009 11:05:00 ESTTV 101: Why we need public figures who lie to us (and how TV screws that up!)http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/11/tv-101-why-we-need-public-figures-who-lie-to-us-and-how-tv-scr/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/11/tv-101-why-we-need-public-figures-who-lie-to-us-and-how-tv-scr/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/03/11/tv-101-why-we-need-public-figures-who-lie-to-us-and-how-tv-scr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I am so gonna ponder the hell out of you!Because I tend to hang out with mostly hobos and philosophy majors, about 90% of my conversations wind up in hypotheticals about the kind of superpower I would most want. While I don't yet have an answer to that worked out, I have figured out the superpower I would least want: mind reading.

Think about just how awful it would be to read another person's thoughts:

You would know for certain that your wife fantasizes about other people in bed (probably your friends). You would know for sure that your father doesn't brag to his friends about the $110 a month you make as a semi-professional blogger. You would know just exactly what websites your husband is looking at with the "private browsing" function turned on in Safari (and you would be blinded by them).

It would be horrible. And that's just the kind of world TV is making for us.

Continue reading TV 101: Why we need public figures who lie to us (and how TV screws that up!)

 

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]]>and the lying liars who tell themAndTheLyingLiarsWhoTellThemclintonfeaturedlewinskyliesrush limRushLimtv 101tv newsTv101TvNewsJay BlackWed, 11 Mar 2009 10:02:00 ESTTV 101: How to fix the Backyardigans (OR: Teach your children well...)http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/25/tv-101-how-to-fix-the-backyardigans-or-teach-your-children-we/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/25/tv-101-how-to-fix-the-backyardigans-or-teach-your-children-we/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/25/tv-101-how-to-fix-the-backyardigans-or-teach-your-children-we/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Just what the hell is Uniqua? Seriously?I have a 19 month-old son named Keane Black who has recently graduated from a boob-obsessed pink blob into a happy-go-lucky toddler. (Little does he know that, if he follows his father's path, he's only a few decades away from regressing back into a boob-obsessed pink blob, except this time with back hair).

The transition has been great for me because it means that my son and I are now actually able to do things together: we play ball, we color, and we watch TV.

Babies are greedy in the sense that my son seems to have no interest in watching PTI (regardless of how many times I explain to him the myriad delights of LeBatard). Thus, when we watch together, we're stuck watching his shows, specifically his all-time favorite, The Backyardigans.

While I've grown to enjoy the show, it's occurred to me there are several ways that it can be made a more effective educational device..

Continue reading TV 101: How to fix the Backyardigans (OR: Teach your children well...)

 

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]]>austinbackyardiganschildrens programmingChildrensProgrammingfeaturedkids showsKidsShowsnickelodeonpablotashaTV101tyroneuniquaJay BlackWed, 25 Feb 2009 11:55:00 ESTTV 101: Why Howard Stern is the best role model on TVhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/04/tv-101-why-howard-stern-is-the-best-role-model-on-tv/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/04/tv-101-why-howard-stern-is-the-best-role-model-on-tv/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/02/04/tv-101-why-howard-stern-is-the-best-role-model-on-tv/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Howard SternMichael Phelps recently went from big-time role-model to big-eared pothead in about the time it took for some d-bag with a cameraphone to press "send."

This got me thinking about role models in general. Like it or not, most of us wind up choosing role models from television, probably because we see the people on TV more often than we do our own family. Considering the amount of alcohol-fueled Thanksgiving fistfights in my own family, that's probably for the best.

So, seeing as my son is going to be raised by TV, I decided that I needed to pick out the best role model on it. My choice?

Howard Stern.

Continue reading TV 101: Why Howard Stern is the best role model on TV

 

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]]>featuredhoward sternHowardSternmichael phelpsMichaelPhelpsmidgetsondemandporn starPornStarrole modelsRoleModelsTV 101Tv101Jay BlackWed, 04 Feb 2009 11:03:00 ESTTV 101: The inauguration running diary (OR: History huddled together like a gaggle of newborn puppies)http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/21/tv-101-the-inauguration-running-diary-or-history-huddled-toge/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/21/tv-101-the-inauguration-running-diary-or-history-huddled-toge/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/21/tv-101-the-inauguration-running-diary-or-history-huddled-toge/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Dean and the Duh.I've been waiting a long time for a piece of history big enough to justify writing a running diary for this column. I thought I had it when Rock of Love: Tour Bus was announced (has one show ever advanced the cause of dimwitted, surgically-enhanced skanks more than this one?), but my editors wanted to wait until we had something just a little bit bigger.

It occurred to me last fall that Barack Obama being inaugurated would be a pretty big deal. So I called some of my friends in the liberal media and asked them to arrange for Obama to win the election, then waited patiently until yesterday. Now, after months of waiting, we're ready to roll.

The running diary starts after the jump...

Continue reading TV 101: The inauguration running diary (OR: History huddled together like a gaggle of newborn puppies)

 

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]]>audacitybushfeaturedhopeinaugurationinauguration dayInaugurationDaylets hope we get out of this messLetsHopeWeGetOutOfThisMessobamatransitionTV 101Tv101Jay BlackWed, 21 Jan 2009 10:03:00 ESTTV 101: Why Leo Laporte represents the future of TV (kinda) - VIDEOhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/07/tv-101-why-leo-laporte-represents-the-future-of-tv-kinda-vi/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/07/tv-101-why-leo-laporte-represents-the-future-of-tv-kinda-vi/http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/01/07/tv-101-why-leo-laporte-represents-the-future-of-tv-kinda-vi/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Man of the future? Or just well-produced nonsense-ary?Seeing as this is the new year and all, I figured today's column would concentrate on the future. My original plan was to write extensively about what television will become following the detonation of the Yellowstone supervolcano -- who's ready for static?! -- but in the spirit of Hope (tm), I scratched that in favor of something a bit more positive.

My guess is that the numbers break down this way: 90% of you have no idea at all who Leo Laporte is, 7% kinda sorta remember him from the ill-fated ZDNET cable channel, and 2% of you are TWitTs like me. (The other one percent? Spambots worried about my "girth").

It's time to get to know Leo, because over the last year he has single-handedly created a brand-new paradigm for how TV is going to be viewed on the net ... kinda.

Continue reading TV 101: Why Leo Laporte represents the future of TV (kinda) - VIDEO

 

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]]>featuredfutureinternetleo laporteLeoLaportepodcastpodcastingtv 101Tv101videoJay BlackWed, 07 Jan 2009 13:03:00 ESTTV 101: The true meaning of TV Christmas specials (OR: You're a mean one, Mr. Black)http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/12/24/tv-101-the-true-meaning-of-tv-christmas-specials-or-youre-a/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/12/24/tv-101-the-true-meaning-of-tv-christmas-specials-or-youre-a/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/12/24/tv-101-the-true-meaning-of-tv-christmas-specials-or-youre-a/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

See, a public domain alternative to the real thing is just as good... right?If there's one universal among TV Christmas specials it's this: they all seem to want to tell you what the "true" meaning of Christmas is. There are so many specials trying to explain the true meaning of Christmas, it actually makes you wonder if the power of TV to influence has been exaggerated. I mean, you'd think after watching approximately eleventy-five billion hours of holiday programming, we'd have gotten the point already.

Perhaps the reason why America continues to view Christmas less as a time for spiritual reflection than as one for reindeer sweaters, crass consumerism, and suicide contemplation is because our Christmas specials aren't really sending the messages that they claim to be. Sure, on the surface we're told about "peace on earth and goodwill to men, blah blah blah", but there's a bubbling subtext in these specials if you only look hard enough.

I've decided to put my New Jersey state college English degree to good use and break down what Christmas specials are really saying...

Continue reading TV 101: The true meaning of TV Christmas specials (OR: You're a mean one, Mr. Black)

 

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]]>charlie brownCharlieBrownchristmasfeaturedgrinchrudolphsantastephen colbertStephenColberttv 101Tv101Jay BlackWed, 24 Dec 2008 12:03:00 ESTTV 101: An open letter to TV executives about why you should stop worrying and learn to love PIRACYhttp://www.tvsquad.com/2008/12/10/tv-101-an-open-letter-to-tv-executives-about-why-you-should-sto/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/12/10/tv-101-an-open-letter-to-tv-executives-about-why-you-should-sto/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/12/10/tv-101-an-open-letter-to-tv-executives-about-why-you-should-sto/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Oh, you went as me for Halloween? How creative.Hey TV executives, it's me your good pal Jay Black. Maybe you remember me from my one man "Bring Back ALF" letter-writing campaign? If not, that's okay. I'm just happy that we're talking like this and not through Yvonne Strahovski's lawyers like last time.

As you can probably tell, I spend a lot of time thinking about you guys and your tough job of coming up with so many creative shows. I don't envy your having to sort through pile after pile of successful European reality shows trying to find one uncomplicated enough for American audiences. I don't know how you do it!

I'll be honest with you, I'm worried about the future of your industry. I know you're worried too. You think that if you don't act fast to counter all those people pirating your content that you'll wind up like your good buddies over in the music industry. I don't want that to happen to you, so that's why I'm writing this letter: TV, you can save yourself if you don't fight piracy, but rather embrace it.

Continue reading TV 101: An open letter to TV executives about why you should stop worrying and learn to love PIRACY

 

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]]>downloadfeaturedopen letterOpenLetterp2ppiracypiratestelevisiontv 101Tv101Jay BlackWed, 10 Dec 2008 11:03:00 ESTTV 101: How beer commercials got Barack Obama elected (OR: Presidential Drinkability) - VIDEOShttp://www.tvsquad.com/2008/11/26/tv-101-how-beer-commercials-got-barack-obama-elected-or-presi/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/11/26/tv-101-how-beer-commercials-got-barack-obama-elected-or-presi/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/11/26/tv-101-how-beer-commercials-got-barack-obama-elected-or-presi/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I'd like to have a beer with that man!It's recently been explained to me that Barack Obama is an African American. As someone who was raised not to "see" color, it never registers to me if someone is black or white or Asian or Italian. One consequence of this heightened way of thinking is that I often don't know what kind of restaurant I'm in until literally the moment I'm served. Another consequence is that the historical significance of Obama's win didn't hit me until a few days ago.

At first, I thought that America had finally embraced my colorless way of thinking and elected the best man for the job, regardless of race. Judging from the editorials I've been reading, however, this is not the case. Apparently, America was ready for a black president not because we've become enlightened, but because of 24, Tony Dungy, and soccer.

Analyzing Obama's win on those terms, it becomes easy to see why he won the election: beer commercials.

Continue reading TV 101: How beer commercials got Barack Obama elected (OR: Presidential Drinkability) - VIDEOS

 

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]]>barack obamaBarackObamabeercolumnistscommercialsfeaturedpoliticsstar trekStarTrekstupid ideasStupidIdeasvideoJay BlackWed, 26 Nov 2008 11:06:00 ESTTV 101: How Friends caused the current financial crisis (OR: Say it ain't so, Joe the Actor)http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/11/12/tv-101-how-friends-caused-the-current-financial-crisis-or-say/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/11/12/tv-101-how-friends-caused-the-current-financial-crisis-or-say/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/11/12/tv-101-how-friends-caused-the-current-financial-crisis-or-say/#commentsFiled under: , ,

That bed cost $18,000.If you haven't heard, the country is in a recession and things are getting bad. I spend every afternoon watching CNBC and weeping. My father, who deals in real estate, calls me every night just to scream and babble incoherently. My wife splits her time between loading up the Model T to head out west Californee-way and burning our quarterly financial statements for warmth.

We're on an economic roller coaster right now, and I don't mean a reputable roller coaster like at Six Flags. We're talking one of those death-trap coasters that even the carnies won't ride. The depressing thing is that the whole bag of crap we're in right now just seemed to come out of nowhere, like the last season of Roseanne. How did we get here? Why is this all happening now?

You might be tempted to blame the usual suspects: the president, the congress, the Stone-Cutters. But you'd be wrong. The real culprit behind this whole problems is Friends.

Continue reading TV 101: How Friends caused the current financial crisis (OR: Say it ain't so, Joe the Actor)

 

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]]>all in the familyAllInTheFamilyecofeaturedfriendsgood timesGoodTimesjeffersonlucky louieLuckyLouieTV 101Tv101Jay BlackWed, 12 Nov 2008 14:06:00 ESTTV 101: Celeb-Security (OR: Another fool-proof plan to save the world!)http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/06/12/tv-101-celeb-security-or-another-fool-proof-plan-to-save-the/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/06/12/tv-101-celeb-security-or-another-fool-proof-plan-to-save-the/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/06/12/tv-101-celeb-security-or-another-fool-proof-plan-to-save-the/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The big cube of death.Judging from the amount of hyperbole being used each day on The Drudge Report, it appears that the nation might be sliding into an economic downturn. While a lot of you might be worried about this, I'm completely confident that the current presidential brain-trust will solve the problem and in no way will it lame-duck its way through the next seven months, leaving the economy's problems for the next poor schlub who gets elected.

So while most of the big media outlets focus on silly, soon-to-be-solved problems like "the economy." I've moved on to bigger and better things. In fact, I believe I have found the number one problem facing the next president and some practical advice on how he might be able to fix it. This is a problem that affects democrats and republicans, the rich and the poor, the old and the young, the black and the white. I'm talking, of course, about...

Continue reading TV 101: Celeb-Security (OR: Another fool-proof plan to save the world!)

 

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]]>celebrealitydumb ideasDumbIdeaseconomicseconomyscreechtv 101Tv101vh1Jay BlackThu, 12 Jun 2008 10:02:00 ESTTV 101: Five VERY SPECIAL EPISODES that saved society - VIDEOShttp://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/18/tv-101-five-very-special-episodes-that-saved-society-videos/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/18/tv-101-five-very-special-episodes-that-saved-society-videos/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/18/tv-101-five-very-special-episodes-that-saved-society-videos/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Estrogen? Yeah, I'm pretty sure we both need that.There's no denying it: we're currently living in a utopia. Not a day goes by that I don't thank my lucky stars that I get to live in the greatest country on earth during the greatest time to be alive. I think even the harshest critic of the current world order would agree with me when I say that there's not a single problem anywhere in the world that anyone is dealing with.

But how did we get here? What was the spark that spurred us from barely cognizant man-apes into the enlightened, elegant creatures that we are today? Look no further than that great black monolith sitting in your living room: your TV. Five VERY SPECIAL EPISODES that saved society after the jump...

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]]>diffrent strokesDiffrentStrokesfeaturedlesbianroseannesaved by the bellSavedByTheBelltv 101Tv101valerievideoswhats happeningWhatsHappeningJay BlackFri, 18 Apr 2008 10:58:00 ESTTV 101: Auteur Theory (or How YOU can make TV better, a practical guide)http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/10/tv-101-auteur-theory-or-how-you-can-make-tv-better-a-practica/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/10/tv-101-auteur-theory-or-how-you-can-make-tv-better-a-practica/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/10/tv-101-auteur-theory-or-how-you-can-make-tv-better-a-practica/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sure, he looks like a less-than-affluent grad student, but the man moves mountains every Thursday!Blogsmith, the software that we write TV Squad on, keeps a running tally of how many words we've written for the site. I can therefore tell you with precision that since I was hired in November of '06, I've written exactly 169,676 words of news, reviews, and opinion. While I'd like to think that most of those 169,676 words were entertaining, I have no illusions about whether or not they were helpful. My future brother-in-law is a surgeon; his job helps people. I write reviews of The Office.

That changes today. Last night, as I was drifting to sleep, I happened upon an idea that will not only make television better, it's something that we can all start doing right now. My idea, after the jump....

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]]>auteur theoryAuteurTheorylindeloflostsoprasopranosthe officeTheOfficetv 101Tv101Jay BlackThu, 10 Apr 2008 11:04:00 ESTTV 101: Seven reasons Simon Cowell should be our next presidenthttp://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/03/tv-101-seven-reasons-simon-cowell-should-be-our-next-president/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/03/tv-101-seven-reasons-simon-cowell-should-be-our-next-president/http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/03/tv-101-seven-reasons-simon-cowell-should-be-our-next-president/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Who wouldn't want to see this face on the one dollar bill?Here is an unimpeachable truth: anyone who wants to be president probably shouldn't be president. If you spend $400,000,000 for a $400,000 a year job, you're either stupid or corrupt or (most likely) both. In an ideal world, a presidential hopeful accepts the nomination with reluctance, George Washington style.

It's with this in mind that I'd like to start a movement to draft the one man who I think can turn this country around. The one man who has the credibility and the credentials to unite a society fractured by war and recession. The one man who connects with young and old; gay and straight; really, really gay and butchy gay. That's right, I'd like to nominate Simon Cowell for president.

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]]>american idolAmericanIdolfeaturedpoliticspresident 2008president bushPresident2008PresidentBushsimon cowellSimonCowelltv 101Tv101Jay BlackThu, 03 Apr 2008 11:02:00 EST