Tag Archives: television

So You Want to Be on a Competition Reality Show?

Posted on March 13, 2013 by

If you’ve ever watched a reality show contestant choke down a Madagascar hissing cockroach smoothie or bungee-jump off a bridge, and thought, “I can do that,” maybe you’ve considered applying. ‘Cause it looks so easy, right? Sure, from the safe, … Continue reading →

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Fear Factor Is Back. Will PETA Be Watching?

Posted on December 15, 2011 by

Well, pass the remote and deep-fry me a Madagascar hissing cockroach. To honor the return of the “new” Fear Factor to NBC (which looks just like the “old” Fear Factor), I’ve updated one of my favorite posts. Enjoy. And kids, … Continue reading →

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Invisible TV Characters

Posted on October 20, 2011 by

Okay, this I know is a departure from my usual writing- and book-related posts, but I needed to have some fun today. Plus, I’ve been studying up on the craft (yes, you cynics out there, it is a craft) of … Continue reading →

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Terra Nova: Nothing “Nova” About It

Posted on September 27, 2011 by

I’d seen the previews for Terra Nova on Fox months before it actually appeared.  Cleverly, their marketing people had positioned this as Jurassic Park meets Lost. But for me, the actual show did not live up to the hype. The … Continue reading →

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Some Popular Wisdom Charlie Sheen Should Consider

Posted on February 28, 2011 by

When a celebrity flames out-and this was damned impressive as far as flameouts go-why does the star in question (or in rehab) so often blame everyone but himself for his misbehavior? Even more disturbing, the character Charlie Sheen plays on … Continue reading →

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10 Guilty Pleasures

Posted on January 21, 2011 by

What I love about guilty pleasures is the way they humanize us. Could you even imagine that your firebrand English Lit professor reads romance novels like popcorn? Or that your macho, beer-guzzling neighbor melts while watching Disney princess movies with … Continue reading →

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Sling A Little Slang

Posted on January 13, 2011 by

I’ve always loved listening to the music of language, especially those words and phrases outside the tidy boundaries of Merriam-Webster. Somewhere in the Exurban Dictionary of my brain, I filed them away, the associated gray matter swelling with each new … Continue reading →

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Irritating Ad Campaigns 2010

Posted on December 23, 2010 by

Having worked in advertising, I understand the pressures on creative departments to produce winning campaigns under sometimes-ridiculous time constraints. I’ve been part of teams that have collectively caved as the deadline loomed, and went with an idea that was not … Continue reading →

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What’s In A Name?

Posted on October 25, 2010 by

I’m pretty sure that everyone writing fiction has at some time been stumped for a name for a character. It has to feel right for the character, match his or her personality, age, socioeconomic status, historical era. Sometimes I’ve been … Continue reading →

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Words You Can Say on Television

Posted on October 14, 2010 by

Come on, people. I thought we’d been through this already. George Carlin said the words, got thrown in jail, and that’s the template the FCC had been using ever since. You could use every pseudonym in the Urban Dictionary and … Continue reading →

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