Fun Friday: Lorelai-ing Thai Food

To me, "The Lorelais' First Day at Yale" is one of the best Gilmore Girls episodes. I always enjoy "first day of school" storylines, but this "first day of college" plot is especially adorable because it features Lorelai trying to help Rory make friends at Yale. And, being Gilmores, this means using a lot of food to do so - Lorelai goes to town ordering take-out from every place around! Not only does having tons of food bring in all of Rory's neighbors, but it also helps the girls figure out which places are worth their time and money in the future. If you haven't seen the episode, here's a clip that picks up mid-way through the situation:

Ever since originally seeing the episode, I've been wanting to do something similar, though on a much smaller scale. So, when my husband went out of town, I decided it was time to give it a try with some Thai food, a cuisine I enjoy but is not his favorite so he wouldn't be missing out. I chose two restaurants near our place that we've just never made it to in the almost-four years we've been in this area. Now, I did judge them on different characteristics than the Gilmores did (for instance, I ordered to-go, so no delivery boys to rate), but it was still a fun experience and one I'd try again with another type of food.

Some quick background: I chose to order Chicken Pad Thai, No Peanuts from both places so I was judging the same, simple meal. I ordered at about 4:45pm so neither restaurant was very busy. One is across the street from our local grocery store (technically in Santa Clara), the other in the plaza next door to the gym (in Sunnyvale).

	Pad Thai ($10.82)	Thai Chili ($9.73)
Ordering	Quick! Average friendliness.	Asked spiciness preference (medium); very friendly.
Pick-Up	Simple. restaurant was warm.	Friendly, greeted by name.
Presentation	leftovers-sized plastic dish with clear lid. fork included, not chopsticks. carrots partially covered entree.	full-size Styrofoam box, labeled "no peanuts." utensils offered, no chopsticks included. Side items under corner of foil (see inset).
Appearance
Aroma	Citrusy.	Spicy.
Flavor	Spicy. Dry chicken.	Sweet, eggy. Dry chicken.
Consistency	Noodles pulled apart easily.	Noodles very congealed and sticky.
Ingredients	Chicken, tofu, cilantro, carrots, cabbage, noodles, green onion, egg, lime.	Chicken, cabbage, noodles, green onion, egg, lime (dried out), orange.
Upon Reheat	Bland.	Oily & spicy.
Overall	It's less food for a higher price, but I liked the additional flavors the tofu and cilantro added, plus it was easy to eat.	Portion was huge and I liked the sweetness, but everything was horribly stuck together and the leftovers were kinda gross.

Honestly, I don't plan to visit either of these establishments again, as convenient as they may be. The dry meat in both was a turn-off, and neither truly satisfied what I was looking for. The search continues!

Have you ever ordered from two or more places in a single night to compare them? Would you?

Melissa & Joey: Coming Together

I think I would have preferred Joe to suffer a little longer! Of course, that might have complicated things with him moving out to avoid Mel and all, but the events taking place in this episode moved a little too quickly to seem real to me. That said, the direction of this show is sure to change, and I wonder if we're not already winding it down. Lennox is heading off to college, the kids have a new stepfather, and now Mel may be settling down to eventually begin her own family at long last. If I had to bet now, I'm thinking the series finale will come at the end of the fourth season and will feature Joe's proposal to Mel... any takers?

facebook.com/MelissaandJoey

Melissa & Joey "A Decent Proposal" (S03E17): Joe acts as if he's been dumped by Mel upon returning to see her with Austin, so he decides to move out. [bad six months joke.] Two days later, Austin wants to propose, and asks Lennox's opinion on a ring, as he bought three. [overkill! plus, very Gilmore Girls.] Lennox tells her that Mel doesn't like diamonds, but that falls apart when Mel is wearing diamond earrings. [haha.] Lennox convinces Joe to go intercept the proposal, and that's where things get sticky. See, Ryder had been leaning to cook so the family could survive without Joe, and he assumes his stomach hurts from bad pork. In reality, it's appendicitis, so Joe rushes him to the hospital. Mel leaves dinner to head to the hospital, spoiling the proposal, which Austin hoped would go significantly better than it did. [haha, Joe tried to put together the surgical team and even Yelped the doctors!] When Mel gets to the hospital, she tells Joe that she loves him, and he keeps talking until Lennox makes them kiss. [weird.] They decide to give their relationship a chance, and they toast with some wine. [because Mel Burke is ever anywhere without wine?] 

Newsroom: It's not about Will

note: Recaps and Remarks are going up later than usual due to Comic-Con and TCA.

The first episode of the season made it clear that the timeline would jump around from one period to another to tell the story. This episode allowed a month to pass from beginning to end, and the subsequent ones may eat up more time than that in order to catch-up to the depositions, so this is a technique to which viewers must quickly adjust. This episode also brought viewers some more history, explaining that, when 9/11 happened, Will was the legal correspondent, but when nobody else was available, he was put on the air for the first time, and stayed there most of the day. Whether he remained on-screen immediately or if anchoring was a gradual promotion remains unknown, but it certainly helps put into context Will's new obsession over the internet sites that blast him. Given that fact, why has his bodyguard not appeared recently? One would think that he is in danger now more than ever. And, one more thing about Will before admitting that this episode is actually not about him... the phrase "living outside the law keeps you from getting its protection" was very intriguing. It doesn't sound original, but it's not cliche (at least for non-attorneys), either. Are you familiar with that line?

The Newsroom "The Genoa Tip" (S02E02): August 25, 2011: Cyrus West told Jerry about Operation Genoa, and he asks Mackenzie for permission to look into the use of Sarin gas. She hesitates but allows him to. After a month of calls, he tracks down someone who knows about the Black Op, and admits that it existed, was an extraction, and confirms that Sarin gas was used. [Jerry was really dedicated to figuring this out!]

Don wants to help a guy on death row and hopes Will might assist in tearing apart the case. [his insistence on breaking into programming to cover the possible lobbying of a swing vote was interesting to the point of being disturbing...] Will, however, feels that the guy received due process, even if it wasn't with the best representation. Both men see reasonable doubt, and, in the end, the guy receives a lethal injection, though he maintained his innocence until his death.

Maggie tells Sloan about the youtube clip, and the two track down to poster to have it removed before more than 1,118 people see it. [where's Maggie's makeup? and why did they haul all that luggage to Queens??] The poster wants her Sex and the City blog to get hits, and the only way she'll take down the video is if Sloan promotes the blog on Twitter. Sloan reluctantly agrees, but rather than take down the video, the girl blogs about her encounter with Maggie and Sloan. [what a horrible woman!] So, when Maggie goes to move back in with Lisa, she's seen it and is upset, destroying the friendship between the roommates.

Now completely hating her life, Maggie wants a reason to go to Africa. Jerry suggests it's the next place that US soldiers will go to die, so she pitches it to Mack and gets permission to go with Gary, though there are many dangers of going there which are kept from Mackenzie. [... and we already know that Maggie will undoubtedly be deeply affected by what she experiences in Africa. also, what's with showing the gym twice in one episode??]

Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, Jim has issues getting on the press bus again, and he also learns that competitors can be helpful from time to time. He struggles to do his own camerawork and get a one-on-one with the candidate. [I always wanted Gilmore Girls to depict Rory going on the road as a political reporter, so I'm a little intrigued to see these scenes.]

September 19, 2011: Mackenzie makes fun of Neal for continuing to follow the OccupyWallStreet story, but two days later, he gets arrested for covering the first major protest of the group. He calls the newsroom from the precinct, and Will goes down to the station as Neal's lawyer and gets the arrest voided. [I love that the video footage was able to be salvaged.]

Top 10 Television Democrats

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

With the 2012 Presidential Election upon us, I thought that it would be cool to take a look at some openly political television characters. Today we'll look at Democrats and tomorrow we'll look at Republicans. No special reason that we're doing one before the other.

all images pulled from wikis, except Family Ties from IMDB

10. Joe Quimby, The Simpsons. Mayor Quimby is largely portrayed as an animated collage of political Kennedys, with an accent, a passion for womanizing, and uses money to solve as much as possible.

9. Grace Adler, Will & Grace. She wastes no time in declaring her political affiliation - in the fifth episode, "Boo! Humbug," she says, "I'm a Democrat" when she has to take Harlin's children trick-or-treating and one is dressed as Richard Nixon!

8. Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan, Friends. Though the show never gets very political, it would be difficult to peg Phoebe as conservative! She's a vegetarian, respects the environment, loves all animals (even smelly cats and rat babies!), donates to the homeless, and is really a free spirit in many ways. She's a lover of peace, not a big fan of Western medicine, doesn't like mass-manufactured products, and generally doesn't worry about how others see her. One very liberal thing she does is after she gets married she legally changes her name to Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock for an episode! 

7. Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H. Hawkeye was drafted and opposes the war, often disagreeing with everything the army stands for and disregarding their policies. In "Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde," he sends a telegram to President Truman, asking "Who's Responsible?" for the insanity taking place. Many seasons later, in "Give 'Em Hell, Hawkeye," he writes a letter to Truman, begging for him to stop the Korean war. He explains how dire the situation is and that the peace talks need to take place.

6. Christine Campbell, The New Adventures of Old Christine. For someone who is hardly motivated about anything, Christine founded her college's Democrats group. She doesn't talk about her political beliefs specifically all that much, though in the early season 4 episode "White Like Me," she does point out to Richard that she's a Democrat (and also says that's why she won't take alimony). She also drives a Prius, liberally drinks wine, and marries a woman for a short period of time, if you want to further stereotype a character who thoroughly stereotypes throughout the series.

5. Winnie Cooper, The Wonder Years. Winnie genuinely cares about stopping the war, as it took away her brother far too early. So, she works for the McGovern campaign in 1972 ("Politics as Usual" in season six), and is genuinely sad that there are folks who won't take a leaflet about a guy who wants to end war, poverty, and pollution. She is swept up in wanting to see change in the world, and even meets the Senator, who loses by a landslide. The local head honcho, Mike, depresses Winnie further when he says that McGovern never stood a chance, and Kevin says their political views were forever changed that night. 

4. Dorothy Zbornak, The Golden Girls. Though she never comes out and says it, Dorothy is implied to be a Democrat - she supported both Mondale and Dukakis and planned to "tell off" George H. W. Bush about the educational system's flaws. Dorothy also believes in female independence and allowing immigrants to stay in the country as long as they're productive members of society.

3. Rory & Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls. In "Dear Emily and Richard," Lorelai thinks back to being pregnant with Rory, when she planned to register as a Democrat because it's so far from her parents' ideals. Multiple times throughout the series, Rory and Lorelai talk about their liberal thinking, solidified toward the end of the series as Rory goes to work as a reporter on Obama's campaign. 

2. Brian Griffin, Family Guy. A supporter of Dennis Kucinich, this dog is anti-religion, hates George W. Bush, served in the Peace Corps, believes that marijuana should be legalized, and supports gay marriage. He considers himself an intellectual (attended Brown University and all) who thinks global warming is man-made, yet he drives a Prius. Surprisingly, he did vote for John McCain.

1. Steven & Elyse Keaton on Family Ties. This show depended on the liberalism of the Keaton parents being contrasted with the conservatism of their children (except maybe Jennifer). They married young, joined the Peace Corps, had their first child, THEN went to college at Berkeley, when they had their second child. They often speak of protesting, Elyse is a hardcore, independent feminist, and Steven works in public television. Imagine his cries as Mitt Romney tries to assassinate Big Bird!


Honorable Mentions include Brian and Joe Hackett from Wings, Mary Richards from Mary Tyler Moore, Lindsey Weir from Freaks and Geeks, Eric Camden from 7th Heaven, and Shirley Feeney from Laverne & Shirley. Am I missing anyone?

Top 10 Single TV Moms

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Since Mother's Day was this past Sunday, I thought that it would be nice to take a look at some great television moms. And, not just any moms, specifically single moms on TV. There are quite a few out there, and in order to excel, they have to work much harder than mothers with more of a support system. I had a fun time thinking of single mothers, and then choosing which ones to feature today. Since I undoubtedly missed some candidates, feel free to suggest other fabulous single moms!

10. Millicent Torkelson, The Torkelsons / Almost Home. Raising five children (three in the second series) is a great deal of work for any parent. Millicent works hard to give her family what they need, and takes on the odd job here and there to make ends meet. She tries to be creative about their issues (like altering thrift store dresses, using recycled bottles to serve bottled water at a party, etc.), and is rather proud to be able to make it on her own (she was shocked that the community donated a box of canned goods to her family). While they do have a boarder to help with expenses, and they later move across the country (Pyramid Corners, Oklahoma to Seattle, Washington!) and move in with another family to keep things going. While the kids weren't in love with their situation, they appreciated everything that their mother did for them, time and time again.

9. Lisa Cuddy, House. Now a mother to Rachel, Cuddy tried for a while to have her own child through IVF, with donor sperm. Then, she tried to adopt with unsuccessful results for a while. Finally, she got Rachel, and she has been an overly caring mother to her. When Social Services came to inspect, Cuddy was so afraid that she'd lose custody because of an old diaper that hadn't been disposed of. Cuddy genuinely cares about her daughter's health and well-being, and despite having such a high-profile job, still makes a lot of time to spend with Rachel, though she does have a part-time caretaker for the toddler.

8. Christine Campbell, The New Adventures of Old Christine. Though she was technically married to her best friend, Barb, in the fourth season, (to keep her in the country) Christine was a singe parent throughout the show. She tried hard, making sure her child went to a good school, that the school was diverse, and that she wrote down everything that might help her son through life. She even volunteered for multiple programs at the school, though she sometimes had to push her ex-husband or her brother to fulfill those obligations if she got slammed at work. 

7. Angela Bower, Who's the Boss? The situation here is a bit different. Though Angela does have her mother living with her, and she hires a live-in male housekeeper, she is still a single mother to Jonathan. Parenting isn't the biggest topic in this series, but Jonathan has his share of issues that Angela must deal with... stolen hubcaps, being bullied, trying to get a girlfriend, etc. Luckily, when Angela knows that she isn't the best person to deal with her son's troubles, she has Tony there to help her out and lend a manly ear to whatever is going on.

6. Jackie Harris, Roseanne. Jackie was a doting mother to little Andy. She was paranoid about what he'd eat and how he'd play, which was a big change from the way her sister raised her own kids. Jackie wanted Andy to have a good life, and that even meant breastfeeding at the altar. But, the marriage (to Andy's father) didn't last long, and Jackie went back to being a single mother, who continued to pay much closer attention to her child than anyone else paid to theirs on that show (with perhaps the exception of David & Darlene's little Harris, since she was so premature).

5.  Amy Juergens, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Of all the women on my list, this one is the hardest to argue for, since she has a great support system when you look at it. Peers at school found a daycare for her son, a job for Amy, and throw her a shower. Her family provides her with a car, helps her with household chores, and even gives her the opportunity of a lifetime to attend a summer music camp - by watching her son while she's away for several weeks. Nonetheless, Amy started the ninth grade pregnant, and conceived during her very first intercourse, so she definitely faces a difficult life ahead of her, as her child will practically be reading when she starts college!

4. Murphy Brown, Murphy Brown. It would be wrong not to include Murphy Brown, as she made such strides for single mothers both on and off the screen. While it was heavily criticized for a woman to willingly take on becoming a single parent (perhaps you remember Dan Quayle's issues with Murphy Brown?), Murphy did it in stride. She chaperoned field trips, hunted down the hot Christmas toy, stressed over how to talk to her son about death, and even dealt with having cancer while being a single mother.

3. Ms. Tonitini, The Weekenders. Tito's mom doesn't have a first name from what I can remember. Her ex-husband lives on the other side of the country, and only appears once throughout the run of the series. She has some very great characteristics for single motherhood... she's really into cooking healthy meals (tofu and seaweed often appear in their household), she has a very open relationship with Tino (it's clear that she knows a lot about his past problems, as she finishes sentences for him when he tells stories), and she gives very sensible advice without sounding overbearing and matronly. While she's not a major character, she appears frequently, and is always saying or doing something interesting.

2. Reba Hart, Reba. She is perhaps one of the most memorable single moms out there. It's not a bed of roses for her, as she deals with her oldest daughter's teenage pregnancy immediately after getting left by her husband for a younger woman, but she tries. Nobody knows how bad things are (she takes out a second mortgage on the house that nobody knows about for a while), and she eventually takes a job working for her ex-husband before starting a business with her son-in-law. While parenting Jake isn't a problem often, Reba often has to deal with helping Cheyenne to make good decisions and steering Kyra in the right direction. And, she does this all while her ex-husband's new wife continually pops in on her and her family.

1. Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls. Clearly, Lorelai is a wonderful single mother. She left home as a teen mom, and made her entire life out of nothing. Her wealthy parents offered her support, but she chose to ignore them completely for many years. Instead, Lorelai worked as a maid while she a Rory lived in a small guest house. She eventually bought a jeep and a house, and eventually went to night school, got a degree, and opened an inn. Rory is delightfully well-adjusted, an ambitious academic, and very cautious in all of her endeavors. The relationship that Lorelai and Rory share is enviable in many ways - from hanging out on weekends watching movies to sharing bits of personal experiences to just being a phone call away at all times. Lorelai Gilmore, winner!

For those who missed this post when it was first published, my apologies. It was one of the many lost in Blogger's maintenance problems. I was waiting it out for Blogger to correct the problem, but it's been a week and I'm just going to move on.

Drinking to Gilmore Girls

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

This one, I must admit, was not my idea. I was sitting around at work talking about drinking to television shows and a co-worker mentioned that her friend had a great one for Gilmore Girls. I've looked over it, and I must agree - it's pretty awesome! I have not personally tested it, but it has some great reviews, so let's take a look! Original with credits here, it doesn't fit on this page correctly. I cut it into two pieces so you can see it here directly, although many of the photos are cut.I think my favorites are:
- when someone drinks coffee
- take two drinks if there's a reference to something that you don't get
- when Luke isn't wearing flannel (or plaid, really)
- when someone is listening to a message on an answering machine or voicemail
- there's a town meeting
- Richard knows the name of a maid

I actually had to sit there and think... has it ever rained in Stars Hollow? Do we ever see Mr. Kim? LoL. Try it and and enjoy, let me know what else you think should be on here! :)

10 Best TV Weddings that Didn't Happen

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

you know. when the characters are set to get married but something doesn't go as planned. [My apologies to those who may have received this before it was finished - I had an internet problem.]

This isn't an original thought of mine... I saw another list done here recently, but I have different ideas of what should be at the top of the list (and my list is a top ten, LoL). Keep in mind, this is based off of shows that I watch, so things like Hayden & Christine on Coach aren't gonna make the cut, regardless of how interesting that may have been.

10. Danny & Vicky on Full House. They show up so low on the list because I never really warmed up to Vicky. Sure, Danny and the kids liked her, but I kinda wished Danny would have made it with Cindy (about two seasons before Vicky showed up, LoL), plus then we'd have Rusty in the picture for the girls to contend with.






9. Sam & Diane on Cheers. I think I would be more intrigued by Frasier & Diane, but I haven't seen any episodes that dealt with that. Anyway, Sam and Diane have a tortured history, and several really bad breakups along the way. It makes the list today because Diane left with the promise to return after she finished her novel... even though Sam knows it'll never happen.

8. Will & Lisa on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I liked Lisa a lot, but didn't think she was right for Will. But I think she does make a good sister to him. That's right. The second time the couple tried to wed (the first was the Shaft wedding in Vegas), they called it off and their respective parents married each other. Strangely, Lisa is never seen again.

7. Ted & Stella on How I Met Your Mother. We all kinda knew that Stella couldn't be the mother of Ted's children (it just didn't seem logical), but it would've been interesting if he had a first wife before the mother, LoL. Stella leaves Ted for her ex-husband and father of her child, and Ted is devastated. I'll never forget how sad he looks on the ferry boat.





6. Luke & Lorelai on Gilmore Girls. They belong together. Truly. From their first interactions, I think many fans wanted them to come together. It took four seasons for them to kiss, another for the engagement, and sadly it comes to a close when Lorelai doesn't want to wait any longer, and Luke does. Then there's an awkward phase (that seemed like forever!) before the two seem to rekindle in the series finale. It could've been a beautiful marriage.

5. George & Susan on Seinfeld. I think this one wins in the comedy department. It all starts when George & Jerry decide to "grow up" and settle down. But, when George decides he doesn't want to get married after all, he tries like HELL to break up with Susan. She turns into the world's most-accepting woman and puts up with everything he does. The only way the wedding gets called off is because she dies, poisoned by the glue on the wedding invitations. Classic.

4. Sabrina & Aaron on Sabrina, The Teenage Witch. Yeah, yeah. You probably stopped watching that show about the time Sabrina went off to college and lived with Soleil Moon Frye, LoL. But, it kept going for several years, and she eventually meets a guy named Aaron in the (middle of the) final season (although I think she would've been better with Josh!). They date for about 5 episodes, are engaged for about 5 episodes, and then she calls it off because she realizes that Harvey is her soul mate. Best part of the wedding? Zelda is a candle so Sabrina's mother can attend her daughter's wedding.

3. Donny & Daphne on Frasier. I never liked Donny (I wanted Niles to have her and be happy, LoL), and was surprised when the pair got engaged. This episode gets ranked so highly purely because of the craziness that takes place in the wedding episodes. Not only are Daphne's brothers so much more than a handful, Niles and Daphne constantly being interrupted by one thing or another. And, let's not forget, the moment on the balcony where we were all pulling for dear, sweet Niles, was one of the most dramatic scenes EVER.





2. Brandon & Kelly on Beverly Hills, 90210. These two went through a million different problems through the years. They first seriously consider marriage at the end of Season 5, miscarry at the end of Season 7, get engaged toward the end of Season 8, and the wedding goes awry in the Season 8 finale. Really, the couple just decides that they have too many doubts. But they were TOO CUTE together! And Jim and Cindy's return to see it happen was great. And as much as I liked her with Dylan, he could have Brenda. I really wanted Brandon and Kelly to work out. In fact, I think I still do (I don't watch the newest spin-off, but I hear Brandon has made an appearance... and Kelly is a regular...).

1. Simon & Rose on 7th Heaven. She was all wrong for him. I don't know that many people were pulling for them at all! But, it was still an amazing set-up. And the fact that they still had the party without the wedding was fun, because we heard about the three oldest children all expecting twins! It made for an interesting (faux) series finale, and for a crazy start to what became the final season (poor Lucy and her miscarriages).

who's missing?

The 100 Greatest?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

So Entertainment Weekly put out an issue back on December 11th that covered a lot of different "through the decade" overviews. One of the articles was "The 100 Greatest Movies, TV Shows, Albums, Books, Characters, Scenes, Episodes, Songs, Dresses, Music Videos, and Trends that Entertained us over the Past 10 Years." A lot of it I completely disagreed on, of course. But at the same time, there were things I couldn't agree with more. Here, I've reproduced only the ones I agree with. :) 32 out of 100, not too bad!

1. Harry Potter (Best Character) um, I was a little surprised that he came in at #1, but that franchise has made so much money because of that kid, I guess I believe it.
3. YouTube what a fantastic invention! I don't really remember when it entered my life, but I don't go a month without using it now! And, apparently a lot of people use it a heck of a lot more often than that!
11. Brokeback Mountain I won't lie, it wasn't as good I was expecting. But we needed it. And, "I don't know how to quit you" ... I think that phrase is applicable to a lot of different scenarios. I'm glad it's become well-known.
12. A Scoundrel named Capt. Jack Sparrow Those movies are soooo good. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the first one, and how much of a priority I now make the ride when I'm at the Magic Kingdom!
16. Facebook really? all the way down at #16? I would have placed it in the top 10, at least!
17. The Dark Knight I didn't have the love for this film that everyone else seemed to, but at the same time I thought it was good in spite of the fact that I'm not a big Batman fan.
21. WALL-E I really liked this film, as did so many others. But, it doesn't keep my attention enough to really watch it over and over, and that's what makes a good animated film.
30. An ogre named Shrek I think the parodies are what made this series. They're all okay, but the first one is just good.
35. Guitar Hero yeah, buddy! Clever idea and precise execution. The timing is so resolute it's almost mind-boggling, especially when you think back to Super Mario Bros. and making Mario avoid the swinging sticks of fire in the fortresses!
41. Children of Men now, I actually didn't like the movie. But I think it deserves a place because of its unique plot.
42. A matriarch named Madea I love me some Madea. She is so funny.
44. Brangelina I don't follow all the drama (because, really, it's so boring at this point), but I like them as a couple, and love them in Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
45. Gilmore Girls I was pretty psyched to see this on the list. Lorelai and Rory were such a perfect pair, it was sad to see their wit and pop culture references go.
46. A baby named Stewie I can't say I'm a big fan. But I know why he's up there and respect that.
49. Wicked (Best Stage Musical) um, there's a reason it's still selling out 100% of it's nearly 2000 seats eight times a week. And the fact that you can listen to the soundtrack every time you fly Delta is awesome, hehe.
55. Penguins (Best Bird) they were ALL OVER forEVER. Even that dumb cartoon with the disabled penguin named "Kevin" became popular. honestly, I haven't seen many of the now-famous movies... except what's probably the worst one, Surf's Up.
58. Wii awesome concept, great system, fun games.
60. Matt Damon as action star works out for him, probably much better than all those dramatic roles in the 90s.
64. Friends, "The One That Could Have Been" I actually don't like this one much. The personalities are just too different. But I know it's a favorite of many, and the concept is entertaining, if nothing else.
65. Twitter I initially hated the idea. Not sure why, since I always had involved "away messages" (remember when EVERYONE was on AIM??) and this is fairly similar. But, I came around. I've been on since summer 2008, and have over 2,000 tweets.
66. "Since U Been Gone," Kelly Clarkson she was good, the song was better. that is all.
73. How I Met Your Mother, "Slapsgiving" what a funny, funny idea. And the fact that they had an active online countdown for it was amusing (of course, this show often incorporates real media, but still). And, it is a classic Thanksgiving episode, after all.
78. A legal eagle named Elle Woods I had almost forgotten that this was less than ten years ago. I must have watched it thirty times, it always seemed to be in the DVD player at my now-husband's parents' house. cute film.
80. The Ocean's Eleven heist scene (Best Caper) I'm such a big fan of these movies. Just the best. which is kinda funny when you consider the fact that I didn't really want to see the first one... we went at the birthday boy's choice.
82. Prison inmates' "Thriller" video such a neat idea! As have been all of the large amateur choreographed pieces that have come out. but "Thriller" was an excellent choice.
87. Michael Phelps at the Olympics I usually don't watch swimming (but diving is cool), but with all of the Michael Phelps hype, I had to tune in for each of his races, and watch his (de)formed body win gold medal after gold medal.
89. Avenue Q Although I still haven't seen it properly (just clips and such), it really brought Off-Broadway back into the mainstage for non-theatre folk.
90. The Departed I'm actually not a big fan of this movie (omg it's long), but it's well-written and directed.
92. Mean Girls I'll never forget the first time I saw this movie... one of my best male friends in college and I went to an early screening and got our picture taken and everything, LoL. It is really meant for teenagers, but it's funny.
93. Ken Jennings on Jeopardy! this man was unstoppable! Amazing, he was. And it's really, really sad that not everyone recognizes his name yet.
99. Lolcats I was really late in discovering this one, but those dumb cats are super funny.
100. The kiss in Spider-Man only for its uniqueness will I agree on this one.