Grey's Anatomy is back... with lesbians!

Since I started writing for this blog, I’ve wanted to write something about one of my favorite shows, Grey’s Anatomy. The problem was that I could never figure out what to say about Grey’s that would fit the theme of a website called “Lesbiatopia.” I mean, I could go on about how hot Kate Walsh is, but that’s kind of like telling you that the sky is blue… and anyway, she’s not technically on the show anymore. I could relate stories about how my friend and I used to watch this show, and rank the girls in order of hotness. (Addison usually won, followed by Callie.) But let's pretend that I’m not really that shallow.

However, thanks to this week’s episode, which I’m sure has already inspired tons of fan fic, I can legitimately write about Grey’s Anatomy on a site called “Lesbiatopia.”



It seems as though Ms. Rhimes and her cohorts have finally run out of combinations of people who can sleep together on this show, leaving themselves with no choice but to resort to – gasp – lesbianism! For those of you out of the loop, or even those of you who prefer to watch Tina Fey over Patrick Dempsey on Thursday nights, I’ll fill you in. It seems our girl Callie, who is recently divorced from George (after he cheated on her with Izzie), has unwittingly fallen for her new colleague – heart surgeon extraordinaire and Cristina’s alias nemesis, Erica Hahn. The two have been seen gal-paling around the hospital, sharing drinks at Joe’s, and polishing off intimate bottles of wine in Cristina's living room. The catch is Callie doesn’t seem to know she’s fallen for Erica, and doesn’t want to know. Addison, in all of her special guest star wisdom, points this out to us by asking Callie about Hahn, which causes her to collapse in a fit of giggles and to continually stammer the word “penis.” Later, Callie attempts to further prove her heterosexuality by going home from Joe’s with Sloane, which unfailingly makes Erica jealous. You got all that? Good, now we can talk about it.

Undoubtedly, this episode will raise many questions among fans, critics, and many others who overanalyze television. If some of the forum posters on Television Without Pity are to be believed, Grey’s does indeed have a political agenda, and is using this storyline as a soapbox to preach about gay rights. Others on the forums are convinced that the writers are turning Hahn into a manipulative bitch, because she is seducing a woman who claims to be heterosexual. Critics for publications such as Entertainment Weekly are a bit disgruntled about the fact that Grey’s is following a trend started by many other TV shows and movies, by using “late on set lesbianism” as a “plot device.”

However, I’m going to go out on a limb here and presume that the crafty folks over in the Grey’s Anatomy writers’ room are doing none of the above. Grey’s has always included its share of gay, lesbian and transgendered characters, mostly in the form of patients at the hospital. It’s perfectly plausible that a character like Callie could find herself falling for a close friend like Erica – especially on a show where romantic entanglements are the name of the game. Remember, this is the same girl who rushed into a shotgun marriage with George, and then fought like hell to keep him around, even though she knew deep down that they weren’t right for each other. She even managed to completely mess up her job as chief resident in the process. She doesn’t strike me as someone who is completely sure what she wants in life OR love. As for Hahn, well, all we know about her is that she does heart surgeries and likes to torture Cristina.

It seems as though this storyline may be just what this show needs to get back to the top of its game. Let’s face it – recent plot developments, as well as all of the rotating cast members have rendered Grey’s downright lame in the past few months. Addison’s departure, the death of Meredith’s mother, Joe’s mysterious disappearance, and the addition of Meredith’s boring sister have certainly not helped things. A new romance between two characters who have never tried to date before (as opposed to Derek and Meredith getting back together for the 47th time) is just what this show needs. It certainly helps, too, that Sara Ramirez and Brooke Smith have more chemistry in one scene together than Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo have had in four years of scenes together.


Besides all of the giggly, squee-worthiness of a developing lesbian relationship with good chemistry (and hot women), what is most remarkable about this storyline is how unremarkable it is – at least in its own fictional world. In the grand scheme of television, including a happy lesbian couple formed out of two regular, semi-lead characters on a prime time, network, top ten drama is HUGE. Sure, thanks to the legacy of Will & Grace, gay men are popping up in more places than ever before (at least, they are on ABC) - places like Brothers and Sisters, Ugly Betty, and Desperate Housewives. The only place we usually see lesbians are in the form of guest stars during sweeps, and on cable reality shows. However, in the fictional world of Seattle Grace, one more new romance, whatever form it’s going to take, is just a part of everyday life. Nobody even gave it a second thought when Joe introduced us to his boyfriend, and I suspect that if Callie and Erica become an item, the only person who will think it’s extraordinary is Callie herself – which is exactly the way it should be.

I can only hope that I’m right in my predictions, and that the writers actually are leading us to the climax (no pun intended) this developing story arc suggests. Hopefully, this time will be different from all of the other times network television has attempted to realistically portray lesbian characters, and they won’t drop this storyline once all of the sweeps dust settles. Despite my recent apathy towards this show, I’m once again putting my faith in Shonda and co., and I hope they come up with something great.

"We are the members of the All-American League..."

Admit it - we all have our specific movies that make us cry. For some people, it's the obvious ones, like Terms of Endearment, Beaches, or The Way We Were. But aside from those, there are the less common ones that make me emotional - the comedies that bring tears to my eyes, or the sentimental, overwrought dramas that make me bawl, even though nobody else finds them engaging.

One of those movies for me is A League of Their Own. Yes, that one. The baseball movie with Madonna. I don't know how I got attached to this movie in the first place, considering the fact that I hate baseball, but nonetheless, this movie has been making me cry since 1992, when I saw it in theaters.



From the first piano notes of Carole King's "Now and Forever", which plays while an older version of Geena Davis's character gets ready to go to the Baseball Hall of Fame, to the teamwork montages in which Rosie O'Donnell and Madonna throw baseballs at each other, to the scene where Betty Spaghetti's husband dies and she has to be escorted away by Tom Hanks, as well the scene where Dottie's husband come back - all of it gets me emotional.

Despite the fact that no one dies, has a fight with their mother, or falls in love with their best friend, A League of Their Own is the ultimate chick flick. There's a sibling rivalry, a love story or two, a dancing scene, a sing along on a bus and in a locker room, and in the end, it's all about the bonds of sisterhood. It even stars Tom Hanks, and was directed by a woman. And if that's not enough, it's also got a little something for us gay girls, in the form of a bunch of girls playing baseball in skirts.

Not only is this movie ABOUT sentimentality and reminiscing, but the film, as well as the soundtrack, also holds some personal nostalgia for me. "Now and Forever" was the prom song at my high school, and it was chosen in part by my best friend, who used to sing this song with me as we trudged through the halls. "This Used to Be My Playground" was released as a single on cassette (I know!) the sumer I went to travel camp, and I used to play it on the bus during the last week of camp so we could all lament our return to junior high. "There's no crying in baseball" was a popular catch-phrase among my college roommates. And yes, I do know all of the words to the made-up Girls' Professional Baseball song.

In case that last paragraph didn't tip you off, one of my big weaknesses, both in real life and on film, is learning to let go of the past, and being nostalgic. Needless to say, by the time the ending credits roll and "This Used to Be My Playground" starts up, I'm a pathetic mess of a puddle on the floor. I still remember being the only one left in the theater long after the credits ended, trying to pull myself together and recover from the sadness of all that, uh, baseball.

"Reality" in High School

This week in “obscure reality shows chickflick is forced to watch because of the writers’ strike”, I bring you a little show called High School Confidential. Even though it was originally picked up by MTV, apparently the show wasn’t even interesting enough for MTV, and is now relegated to WeTV (the same network which airs such quality fare as Bridezillas and Cheerleader U).

This series claims to follow 12 very different girls through all four years of high school, but in the end, all of the girls just seem to be, well, average. Upon the first viewing of the first three episodes, the girls all seem to be white, affluent, Christian, and heterosexual. It takes sitting through half of the episode, or in some cases, a second viewing, realize that's not the case. Upon first impression, I wanted to say that I find this show hard to relate to because of it’s failed attempt at diversity. However, I think the real problem is not that it’s not diverse – the problem is that the editors buried the lead. There are so many glossy shots of Kansas sunny skies, kids walking the halls, cheerleaders and town churches, to the point where they take away from the story we’re actually watching. What results is bland, formulaic, and looks just like every other TV show or movie we’ve ever seen about high school.

In each episode, the series focuses on one or two of the 12 girls, and follows all four of their high school years. In the first episode, we are introduced to Lauren and Cappie, and I think these two were meant to show us how very different high school can be for different people. Upon viewing, though, the only thing separating the two girls is their GPA. Lauren is on the drill team, was elected homecoming queen and is an overachiever. In tenth grade, she is diagnosed with a fully operable brain tumor which is eventually removed, and she moves on with her life. Cappie is popular, plays volleyball and likes to party. One or both of them (they’re so bland I can’t even remember) goes through a pregnancy scare, and freaks out because she doesn’t believe in abortion. That’s pretty much it. By the end of the episode, everything these two girls have gone through seems like it’s just par for the course in high school.

In the second episode, Courtney spends the better part of four years deciding whether she likes cheerleading or soccer better, and deals with a bunch of sports injuries while her mother claims not to be a pushy stage parent. And her younger sister gets pregnant. (Are you sensing the theme here?) Jessi, the subject of the third and most recent episode, does a lot of drugs, drinks a lot, dyes her hair too blonde, and eventually ends up in the hospital for suicidal tendencies. Following which, she gets pregnant and eventually has a miscarriage. In the episode airing next Monday, Allyson gets pregnant and has an abortion.

Instead of High School Confidential, they should have called it Adventures in Teen Pregnancy. Not that teen pregnancy is not an important issue, and I am really curious and a little bit impressed regarding next week’s abortion episode, given the running Christianity theme on this show. Plus, I always love another reason to rant about how the abstinence only education programs taught in schools like this one don’t work. However, teen pregnancy is not the only problem girls face in high school, and the soccer team is not the only activity girls enjoy in high school. I was hoping for a little more depth from this show, but once the editors and network execs got their hands on it, the problems and situations these girls run into seem about as interesting as an episode of 7th Heaven.

I’m going to keep watching though, because now I’m determined for it to defy my expectations. The girls are all presented so similarly that I’m thinking there must be a catch, or a plot twist somewhere – like that very special 7th Heaven episode where Ruthie suddenly had a Muslim friend. And if we’re lucky, maybe the editors will ease up on the football field shots a little, and we’ll actually get to see the plot twist.

Speaking of reality shows with the words “high school” in the title, I also managed to catch the first episode of High School Reunion. If any of you are TV geeks like me, you’ll remember that several years ago, this same show aired on the WB. Apparently, TVLand has resurrected it from the TV graveyard, for reasons no one really knows. I want to blame it on the writers’ strike – but um, it’s TVLand. A network built on reruns. Moving on.

On High School Reunion, the producers of the show bring together high school classmates and throw them a 20 year reunion in Hawaii. Each cast member gets a Breakfast Club inspired nickname, like "the Geek" or "the Princess." Within ten minutes of the first episode, the woman who they call "the Lesbian" comes out to the rest of the classmates, who are shocked and confused that she's gay, and then proceeds to make them feel better by saying that she's there because she and her girlfriend are “on a break” and she wants to "explore her sexuality" and see if she can find romance among the guys. Needless to say, by the second episode, her date with “the Stud” convinced her she was gay again. But I didn’t even get that far, because when one of the guys’ ex-wife showed up with his best friend, who she left him for, I had to turn it off.

Lastly, for one more bit of news concerning TV shows set in high school. Sadly, South of Nowhere has not been picked up for a fourth season, and on top of that, the rest of the third season has been pushed back to September. Crap! Now I’ll be forced to watch High School Confidential instead.

Author’s note: This post has been edited in order to correct some of the information about the girls in High School Confidential.

5 "Lesbian Movies" which aren't really Lesbian Movies

If you're like me and you're suffering from frequent unemployment, an inability to afford premium cable channels, and a general bitterness towards of all the reality shows and reruns we've been subjected to during the strike, here are some craptastic films that can be easily found on basic cable, and usually more than once a day. These are movies that will warm your queer heart, but you won't find them on Logo or at Outfest. Instead, you can find them on USA, TBS or TNT running on a loop for an entire Sunday.

None of these films are actually about lesbians, and they usually don't even mention lesbians at all, but they still manage to appeal to our gay sensibilities. They all feature a barely-there plot, usually about a naive girl who is "saved by" something ridiculous, like surfing, singing, or her math teacher. They mostly include an on again/off again romance with some boy who is inevitably going to help the girl be "saved" by whatever she's going to be saved by. And they all include at least one young, cute movie star... before they were movie stars, drunks, or both.



1. Blue Crush. Girls in bikinis. Michelle Rodriguez. Water. Lots of it. Some kind of surfing contest. Did I mention Michelle Rodriguez in a bikini?



2. Coyote Ugly. Logic and common sense seem to dictate that this should not be a movie lesbians (or women at all, actually) like. Naive girl moves to big city, virtually becomes a stripper, meets a boy, without whom she would not end up with the singing career she ends up with at the end of the movie. All the rules of feminism dictate that we should not like this movie. Yet... it's a craptastic joyride of a movie for lesbians everywhere. There's something about that wide-eyed ingenue (played by Piper Perabo, who later went on to star in that fine lesbian classic, Imagine Me and You) surrounding herself with debauchery and semi-nudity that gets me every time. Oh, and did I mention the scene(s) where the girls all "dance" on the bar to "Pour Some Sugar on Me?" Klassy.



3. Mean Girls. What is it with lesbians and this movie? Is it the idea of Lindsay Lohan as a teenager in a push up bra? (I hope not.) Is it because, as women who were once teenage girls, we unwittingly relate to this movie in ways no one wants to admit? Although it's frequently lumped in with the rest of the high-school-movie genre, I find that this particular flick has slightly more intelligence, depth, and well, hotness. And there's a reason for that: Tina Fey. Her character is a great dorky predecessor to Liz Lemon, and Fey is absolutely charming as the math teacher who saves high school. Forget the boy in this one - Tina Fey is the real heroine in this movie.



4. Bring it On. "I'm sexy, I'm cute, I'm popular to boot. I'm bitchin', great hair. The boys all love to stare. I'm wanted, I'm hot. I'm everything you're not. I'm pretty, I'm cool. I dominate the school." I didn't do that from the top of my head. I swear. Cheerleaders, catfights, bitchy high school wackiness, what more could you ask for? Eliza Dushku as the rebellious, somewhat dykey anti-cheerleader who has frequent sleepovers with Kirsten Dunst? Done.



5. Bend It Like Beckham. Girls playing soccer to the sounds of rollicking chick-pop, female friendship wackiness, and an un-supporting family define the appeal of this movie. But when you dig a little deeper, it's the idea that Jess has to learn to be herself and not hide her, uh, soccer playing from her family anymore that makes this movie brilliant - what gay girl can't relate to that? The parallels are not lost on the filmmakers either, who peppered their screenplay with lots of silly "soccer player = lesbian" jokes. The best ones come from Keira Knightley's mother, who says things like, "All I'm saying is, there's a reason why Sporty Spice is the only one without a fella!" Plus, no matter your sexual preference, there's no denying how cute Jonathan Rhys Myers is.

Betrayed by my "Friends"

I love Friends.

In college, I lived and breathed Friends. I wrote my thesis on Friends. I worshiped the ground that Marta Kauffman and David Crane walk on. I watch the reruns every night, just so I can pretend it's still on. But last night, when I sat down for my nightly dose of a syndicated pick-me-up, I was severely disappointed. It was like being betrayed by my usually loyal best friend. It was unexpected and a little bit traumatic. In the late-in-the-series 9th season episode that aired in syndication the other day, titled "The One with Phoebe's Rats," my beloved Friends resorted to a joke that not only have they used before, but that they are most definitely above.



Amidst all of the other chaos in the episode, which includes Phoebe keeping rats as pets and Rachel having a birthday party, Ross manages to hire a new nanny for Emma. The girls are immediately threatened when the guys start fawning over how hot she is, and and Joey immediately hits on her. Wackiness involving Joey ensues, and for 23 minutes, we have to listen to Ross whine about what will happen if Joey sleeps with his new nanny. The payoff for that already brilliant setup? The nanny is actually a lesbian! Just in case you don't understand the joke, let me explain. This is funny to sitcom writers because a) now Joey can't hit on her anymore! b) all of that drama between Ross and Joey was unnecessary! and c) lesbians can't be pretty! Are you kidding me with this? The oldest, most boring of lesbian stereotypes and sitcom jokes in the book was just uttered by people who were supposed to be my Friends.

As I looked at the clock, and realized that my beloved TV show had just spent most of the episode setting up that "joke," I couldn't help but shout "seriously?!" in true Meredith Grey fashion. Really, Marta and David? Is that the best you could do? Not only has that joke been done before, but it's been done by you! And the first version was better, too (see video below). The one that had three dimensional characters, an actual developing lesbian relationship, and went on for about five seasons, until Carol and Susan disappeared into some kind of sitcom graveyard. (They're buried next to Paul's sister from Mad About You, Ellen Morgan, and Jessie and Katie from Once and Again).



I find it hard to believe that the show that came up with Carol and Susan is now resorting to the "hot girl is really a lesbian" joke. Perhaps that wise TV sage Emily Gilmore was right when she said "there's nothing funny about being a lesbian," because, well, just being a lesbian isn't particularly funny. The problem with the punchline on this particular Friends episode is that it's the type of joke frequently used in sitcoms and in recent romantic comedies - one that doesn't require the writer the know their character's personality at all. It's the type of joke which singles people out and ostracizes them for being who they are, which is a strange thing coming from the show which usually touts acceptance by welcoming us into it's characters' living rooms every day. Worst of all, though, it's old, it's boring and it's ordinary. And frankly, I expect a lot more than "ordinary" from my Friends.

Ode to South of Nowhere

Since I don't write poetry, I guess this isn't really an ode. It's more like an essay, or just me rambling. But ode sounded better.

South of Nowhere returns April 11! I know that's still a month and a half away, but The N is already marathoning the first two seasons and first half of the third season, and I'm already giddy with excitement.



Wait, you've never heard of South of Nowhere? That's probably because it airs on a teeny-tiny digital cable network called The N - an offshoot of Nickelodeon aimed at teenagers. If you have a cable box, you probably get this channel - now is the time to check it out! (Psst - they also have Saved by the Bell reruns. Not that I watch those or anything.)

South of Nowhere tells the story of the Carlin family - a beautiful, blond, Christian Midwestern family who moves to Los Angeles in search of a better career for Paula, the matriarch. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, they find all kinds of things they were never exposed to in the third world country of Ohio: gay people, black people, drugs, sex, West Hollywood, rich kids, children of celebrities, racism, gang violence, and diners owned by guys named Nat. OK, that last part isn't true, but you see where I'm going with this.

The premise was never original in any sense of the word. The brilliance of the show came when the writers took the time honored formula invented by Aaron Spelling and turned it around a bit, by making daughter Spencer's homosexuality the most shocking thing to happen to this family. In the pilot, amidst all of the chaos of her new surroundings, Spencer met Ashley, the school wild child and resident bisexual. It wasn't long before Spencer and Ashley were playing hooky at the beach, debating about the virtues of dating girls instead of boys.

During the first two seasons, when ex-sitcom writer Nancylee Myatt ran the show, South of Nowhere was an honest-to-goodness teen soap opera which, despite it's hyperbolic TV tendencies, dealt with what it's like to be a gay teenager. It was refreshing to watch, if only to marvel at the fact that a show about teenagers exists where the central on again, off again love story revolves around a lesbian relationship. Granted, the other characters were ordinary teen soap archetypes - Glenn, the drug addicted older brother; Clay, the adopted kid searching for his birth mom; Aiden, the confused ex boyfriend. Even so, the show was hugely addictive, and teen soap opera lovers such as myself could revel in all of the debauchery, while still shaking our heads in amazement when Spencer chose Ashley over Aiden.

However, in season three, once Ms. Myatt exited the scene, it seems as though the powers that be over at The N hired some ex-90210 writers to take over and turn the show into... 90210. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, it's just... ordinary. When watching the current third season compared with the first two, the behind the scenes writing coup is obvious. Gone are Myatt's subtle commentaries on teenage culture, not to mention three dimensional characters and teenagers who actually act like teenagers. The beginning of the third season saw changes that make it look more and more like it's predecessor: Clay is gone (he died in a gang shooting), but his ex girlfriend is now pregnant with his baby while lusting after Glenn. Ashley and her long lost half sister Kyla now have 25 million dollars of inheritance money, and no longer attend school. Aiden has now slept with every single girl on the show, and is in therapy for PTSD following the gang shooting. Madison is a cheerleader and annoys everybody with her scenery chewing.

But surprisingly, despite the insipidities of the rest of the characters, and despite television's usual tendency to only turn characters gay for one episode, the new regime has managed to keep one thing intact: Spencer is, in fact, still gay, and despite her sometimes bad judgment when it comes to dating, she remains a watchable and relatable teenager struggling with her sexuality. A particularly moving and insightful moment came right before the season 3 hiatus, when Spencer, with the help of then ex-girlfriend Ashley, took both of her parents with her to Pride. Including her homophobic mother. Moments and storyline like that are what keep me watching this show.


The first half of season 3 aired during the summer of 2007, and I have no idea what's in store for the second half. Will Ashley finally settle down and stay true to Spencer, despite her lingering feelings for Aidan? Will Spencer finally come to her senses and find a girlfriend who's actually gay? Will Madison get killed in some kind of freak accident (hopefully)? Will Spencer and Ashley actually get to kiss for more than a split second before the scene fades out? I can't wait to find out!

My new strategy for watching South of Nowhere involves Tivo-ing the episode, and then fast forwarding through anything that doesn't involve Spencer or her parents. This usually reduces the episodes to about 10 minutes... but that's OK. It gives me more time to watch The L Word, or Coyote Ugly for the 417th time on basic cable.

A bunch of lesbians sitting around the living room on Oscar Night...

No, that's not the beginning of a joke. That's a description of my Oscar party yesterday. But before we get to that, I think some introductions are in order.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Gabi, aka chickflick, aka your resident pop culture enthusiast. I'm obsessed with TV, I can kick anyone's ass at "Friends" trivia, and I know way too many things about Musical Theater.


Now, let's get to the pop culture event of the year, The Oscars.

Let me start by explaining that I spent my morning sitting around stiffly at a wedding reception/brunch for a cousin I rarely see. At this obligatory family simcha, I was seated with the daughters of my aunt's best friend. One of them asked me if I "notice a lot of gay people in West Hollywood."

So imagine my relief when I finally got to come home, order pizza, and uh, 'notice' the gay people in West Hollywood, by way of having half of them crammed into my apartment.

The Oscars and The Emmys are my favorite days of the year. I celebrate them the way most people celebrate New Years or the Super Bowl. And I have to admit, now that the Oscars are over, I feel slightly empty. I have that sense of withdrawal that inevitably occurs when you've spent a while looking forward to something, and then suddenly it's over.

But enough of that. Let's discuss the actual show. I recently had a job where whenever we wanted to get something done, our boss would tell us to write a memo about it. So here's my memo to Oscar.

To: Producers, Writers, Presenters, Nominees and Winners at the Oscars.
From: Chickflick, a concerned TV and movie watcher.

To Nicole Kidman: You're NICOLE KIDMAN, not Michael Jackson. You don't need plastic surgery.

To the producers of "Enchanted": Shut up. Even Kristin Chenoweth couldn't save your annoying song.

To the kids from "Once": You are both adorable, even if your movie was a little bit overrated and a lot boring.

To Marketa Irglova: Call me.


To invitation envelope stuffers: Be careful, there. You accidentally sent invitations to Miley Cyrus, Owen Wilson, Colin Farrell, The Rock and Jessica Alba. See those brightly colored pieces of paper? Those are for the Teen Choice Awards. They're down the street.

To the two women who produced and directed "Freeheld": Congratulations! I know nobody knows or cares about your category (Documentary Short), but I saw you at Outfest, and am still amazed that you now have an Oscar. Most of the movies at Outfest fall by the wayside due to their lack of originality or Blair Witch-like camera work. But you managed to claw your way out, and I now feel like one of the lucky elites, because I got to see your movie way back when.

To Keri Russell: Will you be my BFF? Check this box for yes, this one for no.


To Penelope Cruz, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba and anybody else wearing feathers: No. Just no.

To Jennifer Hudson: You need to wear a bra. You just do.

To everybody else, especially Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren, Katie Heigl, and Jennifer Garner: Nice job with the dresses.

To Tilda Swinton: Next time, get dressed after you put your contacts in. Under the kitchen sink is not your closet, and a garbage bag can not substitute for a dress.

To Diablo Cody: Congratulations! We all knew you could do it. Have you ever thought about making a movie about yourself? "Former stripper gets saved by screenwriting." See, you already have a pitch.

To all of the old white men who won awards: This includes pretty much everyone except for the people from Juno. You bore me.

Please take these notes under consideration and get back to me next year with your changes.

Sincerely,
chickflick



And before I go, just a word or two about The L Word:

Tasha rocks. I knew she and Alice were going to make it somehow! Despite the rest of the sucky storylines this year, I have been rooting for them right from the beginning. Go, Tash!

Also, I loved when Cybill Shepherd's daughter said, re: Shane, "We're going to adopt Chinese babies and live in a trailer park."

chickflick

I'm Gabi, and I watch a lot of TV. I mean, a lot. I think I have about 33 shows on my Tivo season pass. I'm thinking that there might be some kind of support group for this, but in the meantime, I'll just write a blog about it instead.

I've been living in Los Angeles for the past five years, and before that, I lived in Boston and New York. I moved out west to become a TV writer, and have spent the last five years getting lunch for a lot of TV writers. That's almost the same, right?

I like Los Angeles for the fact that I can go to the beach in January. I miss Boston for the snow, the changing of the seasons, and the fact that you can go places without a car.

When I'm not watching TV, I can usually be found incessantly quoting TV shows with my friends, rollerblading, dancing, hanging out at the beach, or reading a young adult novel. Very occasionally, when I'm lucky, I can be found working at an actual job.

Everything I need to know about life I learned from Chandler Bing, Jessica Stein, or Lorelai Gilmore. I often get into trouble for this. I think this quote, spoken by the great Chandler Bing during the 8th season of "Friends", sums up my outlook pretty well:

"I'm not great at the advice. Can I offer you a sarcastic comment? Some cheese?"