Lawsuits Won't Stop The Hangover II

For all of those who love the odd couple of The Hangover, I have some good news: the sequel will be released as planned!

Despite a lawsuit over the tattoo in the movie that may cost the directors a bit of money, a judge decided that the movie should be released because it had already been made and it would be devastating to Warner Bros. if it were to be postponed or canceled.

Personally, I am very excited for its release. I was quite impressed with the first film and would like to see how the sequel compares. I just hope that everyone won't talk about for three months afterwards. It was funny, yes. But I can't hear the same people say it over and over and over again.

Canseco Wants Some Bad Romance

A star of baseball loves the pop culture queen.

Jose Canseco professed his love for Lady Gaga over Twitter on Monday, stating that "he wished that he could meet her" and that he "would marry her in a second." He even proposed to her, waiting at the Cocoa Casino in Yuma, Arizona for the pop diva. This has similar parallels to when Jose was confronted by Madonna in the 1990s, his biography claiming she wanted him to father her child.

I highly doubt Gaga will be tamed by ANYONE, Canseco included. She is a sex symbol of the music industry now. Even if she wanted to, i don't believe that she will be able to settle down with anyone for quite some time. Maybe Canseco can go back and try again in a few years. Perhaps people will stop worshipping her long enough for some real bad romance.

The Daily Show (5/16/2011)

The episode that aired on May 16, 2011 featured such news as: Osama's pornographic stash, Trump's dismissal from Presidential candidacy, Dominique Strauss-Kahn's (a presidential candidate in France) sexual assualt charge in New York, Mike Huckabee dropping out of the run for President, Disney requesting a trademark on the name "Seal Team 6" for movies and toys, the FCC approving Comcast's purchase of NBC Universal from General Electric, FCC's commssioner Meredith Baker's move to become Senior Vice President of Comcast-NBC after approving the merger and resigning from her old position, and a discussion with Jon Ronson about how to tell who is a psychopath.

Obviously, there was much to talk about over the weekend. not only was there more fuel for the embarassment of Osama bin Laden, two Presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee, dropped out of the race. Trump gave no good reason for dismissing himself. Huckabee called himself a follower of Christ and said that he would rather follow Him than follow a political position. He said this after Ted Nugent recited the lyrics "I make the pussy purr with the stroke of my hand" on his show. What a Christian. Then, there was the sex scandal with potential French Presidential candidate and head of IMF Dominique Strauss-Kahn after he allegedly chased an African immigrant through rooms in a New York hotel, forced her to perform a sex act, and tried to rip off her clothing. I would think that it's safe to say that he will not be the new President of France. Disney is attempting to trademark the name "Seal Team 6" for movies and toys. To me, this is a bit disturbing. the name of the team that took down bin Laden should nationally free to all. It is unfair for Disney to request exclusive rights to the title. Also, the Comcast-NBC merger was approved by the FCC. Stewart believes that it is monopolistic and should not have been passed because it takes away other companies' ability to compete efficiently. It was passed in part by commisioner Meredith Baker, who said that the FCC was moving too slow in the process to pass the merger. Then, it was discovered that Baker was resigning her position as FCC commssioner to become Senior Vice President of Comcast-NBC. I can't help but think that there was some sort of under-the-table deal with her and the large company. Finally, guest speaker and author of The Men Who Stare At Goats and The Psychopath Test, Jon Ronson talks about how to tell if someone is a psychopath and how he became "drunk with power" after figuring out how to do this. It was ironic in the fact that Ronson has an anxiety disorder.

The amount of information was quite overwhelming. But of course, this is what happens when The Daily Show leaves for three days: it needs to make up for all of the news that was missed on Friday and over the weekend. Jon Stewart does a very good job at preparing the program. He always seems to find a way to make the show interesting. Now that I look at it, he has so much to accomplish in one day. And the fact that he offers a show almost every day is amazing. I have so much more respect for Jon Stewart now that I have done this project. He's really something.

The Daily Show (5/17/2011)

I watched the episode that aired on May 17, 2011. It featured such news as Arnold Swartzenegger's affair, Donald Trump opting out of the presidential candidacy, Obama's plan for mass reform in regards to immigration, and Annie Jacobsen's new book about Area 51, the top secret military base in southern Nevada. Stewart starts the show by saying that the news about Osama is finally dwindling down and things on The Daily Show can proceed accordingly. However, news about Arnold's affair is the top news story. Then, Obama's new immigration reform is criticized by Senior Latino Correspondent Al Madrigal, saying that the reform has come too late in his term to be realistic. He doesn't believe that immigration reform means much to the President. Afterwards, Stewart and John Oliver make fun of Donald Trump for dropping out of the race for Presidency, mocking his narcissistic comments. Finally guest speaker Annie Jacobsen explains her theories behind Area 51. Not necessarily an alien encounter, she believes that Russians actually sent a "spacecraft" to the United States in order to "scare us." Also, even President Clinton was denied information from the base when he was in office.

This episode reveals quite a bit how The Daily Show is more than just a political show. Though Arnold is a political figure, his personal affairs would be brought up in political debate. Whatever he does as governor of California should be what is highlighted in such a show. Leave the personal issues for The Soup to gawk about. Also, a political show would not display such information as Area 51. There would be no reason to bring it up, nor would there be a reason to have an author on the show. If anything, a political figure would be present. It seems that Jon Stewart was speaking truth when he said it's just a comedy show with a political twist. In this manner, it's a show to get people to laugh. That's all.

Gaga's #1...What Else Is New?

WILL WE EVER GET ENOUGH OF LADY GAGA???

Lady Gaga reached the milestone of 10,000,000 followers on Twitter two days ago. To celebrate she commented on her status: "10MillionMonsters! I'm speechless, we did it! Its an illness how I love you. Leaving London smiling." She was also the first to reach 10,000,000 fans on Facebook and have over 1,000,000,000 views on Youtube.

Though I don't particularly like her style of music, I've always been fascinated with Lady Gaga. Her unique style tells me that she's not afraid to show people who she really is. And the fans love it, obviously. Even through all of the mental breakdowns she's gone through (or so I've heard) from being too nervous to go on stage, she's overcome the nonbelievers and has stepped into the spotlight for all to see. She really is quite the success story.

The Daily Show (5/9/2011)

I watched the episode that aired on May 9, 2011 regarding the following topics: Osama's belongings, Fox's Presidential Debate, the gayest city in America, and the wedding of Prince William. Jon Stewart poked fun at Osama's possessions, including a video of him watching himself, avena syrup (used for verility enhancement), and dye for his gray beard. Afterwards, Stewart mocked the potential candidates for presidency, and even posted all of the Republicans who did not attend the debate on his website. Also, Jason Jones discussed how San Francisco has been knocked down from the list of the Top 10 Gayest Cities of America, taking the 11th spot. Finally, Keira Knightly was the guest speaker. Her movie, Last Night, was promoted, but the focus of her interview was mainly on the marriage of Kate and Prince William.

What a way to go for Osama. He gets shot in the face, thrown into the ocean, and derided on national television for his inability to deliver sexually. I guess that's what you get when you mess with America. The Daily Show has always found a way to criticize Fox for its bias. Of course, it wasn't Fox that was made fun of this time; it was the possible nominees for president. He judged the supposed "winner" of the debate, an African American who owns a pizza business. Stewart seemed like he thought it was hopeless to run, however, because President Obama is the one who is praised for bin Laden's death. It was very surprising to me that San Francisco had been knocked off of the Top 10 Gayest Cities list. Of course, The Daily Show exaggerates how gay the city actually is. However, I still feel that the city gave rise to the mass popularity of the gay civilization, and should be respected as one of the founding cities. Finally, I felt that Stewart should have focused on Knightly's movie more rather than Prince William's marriage. After all, the interview wasn't supposed to be about the Prince of England, it was supposed to be about Keira's latest happenings and her movie. Maybe a side note of the wedding would have been appropriate, but not the entire interview. Yet, in all, it was still an enjoyable interview. At least Jon Stewart spoke his mind and even made fun of himself in this episode, showing that he is less affected by political standpoints and more so by his personal views and character.

The Daily Show (5/2/2011)

I watched the episode that aired on May 2, 2011, the day after Osama bin Ladan was killed. The show basically was a celebratory event of the death of the mastermind behind the 9/11 tragedy. It even went so far as to use the marriage of the Prince William as a smaller event, making it seem less important. The Hangover 2 was also featured. Jon Stewart even apologized to Philip K. Howard for his unfortunate timing on the show.

I couldn't help but laugh at this episode. It was one of the better episodes I've seen of the show. Maybe it's just me being patriotic. Osama was a symbol of the hatred of America. Stewart expresses how America has "won." Perhaps we haven't quite yet, but it puts confidence in the hearts of the people of our great country. He a very inspirational figure, even if his inspiration comes from satire and sarcasm.

PSN Still Down, Sony's Dark Age Commences

WILL THE CHAOS EVER END?

Weeks after the initial hacking, Playstation's online service is still under construction. Understandably, this is majorly concerning to those of whom had their personal information in Sony's database. Now, their information is free to anyone who wants to place their greasy fingers on it. Obviously, the gaming giant needs to find a better way to protect its users. Otherwise, this type of catastrophe can occur once more. Playstation will be setting up a "Welcome Back" program to encourage its users to keep playing. Any current user affected by the hacking will receive Playstation Plus, the premium service, for free, for 30 days. Current Playstation Plus users will also get the package for free.

I hope that Playstation will be forgiven. The system has always been very reliable, and this one slip-up shouldn't bring the company down single-handedly. They are obviously quite apologetic (I mean, look at all the people they are willing to give free Playstation Plus service to). Plus, I believe the Playstation is superior to other gaming systems. Let's face it: the Wii's graphics are naturally terrible, and the Xbox's failure rating is a bit too high for this guy. Meanwhile, the PS3 continues to astound me, with no Red Ring of Death to send me into a frenzied panic. I stand by Sony and their Playstation. I'm very confident that they'll fix the problem AND more.

The Daily Show

Airing in 1996, with Craig Kilborn as the anchor, The Daily Show had a slow start to fame. In its early days, Kilborn primarily focused on pop culture only. Then, in late December of 1998, Jon Stewart took over the show and introduced a new concept to television: a comedy show that revolved around politics. And the worldwide audience ate it up. It has become one of the most successful shows of all time. Some even say that it's the way most young people get their news nowadays. And I wouldn't argue. Not only is The Daily Show more appealing than regular news casts, with its comedic and satirical aurora, but it also informs and keeps the people updated about major events in America. Add a team of weather experts and few sports freaks, and you've got yourself the greatest news station this world had ever seen. It goes even further by interviewing people, from political figures to novelists to actors, about their lives and viewpoints. In all, it's an excellent source to get a laugh from, but also a great place to find information, and hear what other important people's opinions are.

A Problem With Ethics, But A Great Discovery

WILL THE SMITHSONIAN BREAK ITS OWN RULES?

A shipwreck was found off the coast of Indonesia by fishermen. There were several pieces of valuable Chinese ceramics onboard the ship. Without many laws concerning such things in Indonesia, the fishermen began looting the site and selling the pieces. Luckily the Indonesian government took charge and had a German company, Seabed Explorations, excavate the site. The exhibit can now be found in Singapore. The Smithsonian Museum wanted to bring the exhibit to the United States, but many believe they shouldn't do so because the merchandise was looted, and the policy of the Smithsonian says that they would never display items that have been stolen. However, members of the museum argue that the artifacts were from the German Seabed Explorations and not the looting fishermen. An announcement will be made later this month to determine if the artifacts will come to America.

To be honest, I think the Smithsonian is just pulling strings to attract more people to the site. The items were indeed looted.Therefore, the museum should have no business even taking a glance at the objects. If you're going to make a code and regulations to follow, make sure you stick by it. Don't try and bend the rules for yourself to make a profit. It will anger a lot of people, as the article shows.

Another thing, why aren't there any regulations in Indonesia about things like this? This is why America is so great. We have thought of every possible law there is, and have spelled it out so that all know what is legal and what is not. Clearly, looting is illegal here. Yet, Indonesia accepts such behavior. I think it's about time to start revising the laws in that country.

While reading the article, I received massive amounts of information...and I mean MASSIVE. My brain was at an overload. I wanted to cram everything in, but the cramming made me lose focus. With the radio, it was more enjoyable, but I missed some facts that I would have seen had I read it. Neither method captured me honestly. I think that seeing it for myself woud be better. I prefer a visual with an explanation. It simply helps me to retain all of the information.

The Daily Show: A Synopsis

I have chosen The Daily Show to analyze for my Mass Media project. In a breakdown of a typical show, I have found the following facts:

Each show usually follows a certain layout. In the opening, an announcer cites the date of the episode (which is always the title of the show as well) and introduces the host, Jon Stewart. After the music (and audience) simmer down, Stewart tells the audience of the upcoming special guest of the show, then goes straight into the main story of the day. This session is all Jon Stewart-oriented. No other cast members take part in this portion of the show. Clips of other news casts are featured, and Stewart proceeds to make fun of them. There is much satire and comedic language. This makes up roughly the first 10 minutes of the show.

After the first set of commercials, the second portion of the show can vary. It will either focus on a secondary story or further analyze the first, fitting in less important news as a joke. This section brings in the rest of the cast. Some common members are John Oliver, Samantha Bee, and Jason Jones. This section lasts approximately 5 minutes. Then, the second set of commercials follow.

The final portion of the show (which lasts another 5 minutes approximately) is the anticipated guest speaker. The speaker is greeted with applause from the audience, and then Stewart talks with them about their book, career, movie, or whatever the case may be. The speaker's thoughts on the main story may also be inserted here. With the conclusion of the speaker's 5 minutes is the last set of commercials.

The final minute of the show is meant to inform the viewer of the next day's guest speaker, and send a personal goodbye and good night to the fans. Then, The Daily Show's signature music plays, and the camera fades out of the studio.

Now that I have analyzed the basics of how the show is set up, I will begin to analyze certain shows to prove or disprove my thesis.

All Tripped Up: Music Stars in the Moment Have Mishaps Onstage

HOW CAN YOU NOT TRY AND FIND THESE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE?
Ah yes, concerts are what I live for. To see the shining stars perform their masterpieces and bask in their greatness as I look on, only wishing I could be of that calibre. And then, there are times when I am envious. Jealous. And that's what these moments are for. Maybe I'm just a sick person, but I like to see that those glorified stars onstage are just human beings like the rest of us. It makes me feel as though I really can achieve such a fanbase and can "make it" in the music industry.

Of course, these type of falls could end careers. Stephen Tyler's fall ended an Aerosmith tour that was highly anticipated. He was injured. But others could end it just from sheer embarrassment. Even being mocked by just a few people is too much for some. Try wiping out at the Grammies, a show that gives awards to the best performers on music, with an entire crowd laughing at your expense. That would be pretty rough. Even I have had personal experience with shameful moments onstage. In my first concert ever, on the first song I ever played to an audience, on the first word that came out of my mouth, I hit myself in the face with the microphone. For the rest of the show, it was cottonmouth central. All I could taste was blood. But you can't just stop. You have a duty to entertain, and that's what I did. And that's what any musician would do. Because, even though you're rich and famous (in regards to me, neither nor), you're still just an entertainer. You serve the people that like your music. And that's all.

Goodbye, Steve

Steve Says Goodbye to The Office


The last episode of The Office, starring Steve Carell, aired last Thursday. The hour long special featured the big boss attempting to say goodbye to all of his co-workers. It even had a suspenseful ending, the viewer thinking that he won't say goodbye to Pam (played by Jenna Fischer) after he hands the cameraman his microphone. In airport ambience, she runs up to Michael, Carell's character, and gives the last goodbye. What a great ending to a fantastic series by superstar Steve.

Of course, the show will continue on without him, but at what cost? Carell has made The Office the hit it is today. How could they ever bounce back from the departure? In all honesty, The Office was nothing, even WITH Steve. When he got to be such a success, that's when The Office became a success. I just don't see this ending well for the show, not to mention for the network. The Office was all that NBC had, and now what do they have to stay afloat? I really can't name anything off the top of my head.