Idol Upset: Can this season be saved?

Siobhan Magnus got kicked off American Idol. I say it again, Siobhan Magnus got kicked off! What the hell? She was one of the most interesting contestants, and she was a great singer. She was an early front-runner for the top two!

This has got to be one of the weirdest seasons of AI ever! Nothing would shock me anymore. Well, at least Crystal, Lee and Casey are still in it. I've always liked Crystal's music, but her whole attitude of "I'm only here for my son" was starting to rub me the wrong way. But when she broke down and cried during one of her last performances she rose several notches in my book. At that moment we finally saw a hint that this actually meant something to her.

Lee has gone so much further than anyone would have predicted. He gets better and more confident each week. And Casey? Ahhh Casey, with his halo of golden hair, his raspy rock growl, his blue eyes...I'm sorry, what was I saying? Mike and Aaron are alright, but nothing about either really stands out to me.

So long Siobhan. Let's hope your quirkiness and big voice will find another platform to shine on.

So, can this season be saved? Sound off.

What does South Park get for hitting the big 200? Death threats

South Park hit a major milestone these last two weeks with their 200th and 201st episodes. And true to form both episodes featured a lot of controversial stuff and, of course, people took notice. But this time, perhaps the wrong people took notice.

Personally I enjoyed the episodes quite a bit. The story centered around a joint lawsuit by celebrities who have been burned by the show in the past and want to sue the town of South Park. They agree to drop the lawsuit if the townspeople can produce the prophet Muhammad. Without giving any of the plot details or surprises away, I'll just say that both episodes featured references to past episode plot lines and attempted to re-address past events, which I think worked really well as a tribute to how far the show has come.

But, like I said, it turns out the wrong people took notice. And unlike a lot of people who are put off by the show, these people said something about it. The people in question are Revolution Muslim, a New York-based radical Muslim organization, and their beef was with the Muhammad subplot. Here's what they wrote on their website after "200" aired in the United States, about four days before it aired here in Canada.

"We have to warn Matt and Trey (Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of the show) that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them."

For those of you like me who are not too up to speed with world events, Theo Van Gogh was a filmmaker who was murdered in 2004 by an Islamic extremist for making a short film about violence against women in Islamic societies. So yeah...this is not a threat towards Matt and Trey but a 'warning'. And the fact that the website also posted a link to an article which gives details about Stone and Parker's mansion in Colorado and made references to other people who have been threatened or killed by Islamic extremists apparently also doesn't mean this should be construed as a threat. No, not at all.

It should be pointed out that Muhammad was never shown on screen during the episode but was instead censored. But, that apparently wasn't enough.

News media picked up on the quote and, of course, interpreted it as a threat. But my favorite reaction to this came from Jon Stewart, who spoke out in support of his Comedy Central brethren Matt and Trey on The Daily Show with him and a gospel choir singing "Go F**K Yourself" to Revolution Muslim.

Comedy Central, while they declined to comment on the website quote, were apparently very rattled by it. The following week they aired "201" the conclusion to "200" but it was heavily censored. Even the word "Muhammad" was bleeped, as was the entirety of Kyle's final speech. Some subsidiaries of Comedy Central refused to air the episode at all. I can only hope the DVD release will be complete and uncensored.

A couple of problems I have with this whole thing. The first of course being any radical group issuing death threats against anyone. Secondly, the irony of the fact that Radical Muslim is based in New York, and are therefore able to enjoy the freedom of speech they apparently don't feel that South Park has any right to. Thirdly the fact that Comedy Central, though I'm sure with the best of intentions for protecting their staff, pretty much gave into this hysteria and over-bleeped their follow up episode, where they even aired it at all. Many critics blasted the network for giving the Muslim extremists this public victory and that it would result in more threats from radical groups, and I agree. My final issue is that this whole controversy of showing Muhammad on screen has now been addressed twice in South Park with "200", "201" and the two-parter "The Cartoon Wars" back in 2006. But the fact of the matter is that South Park has already shown Muhammad on screen in the July 2001 episode "Super Best Friends" with nary a ripple of backlash. Granted, that was just before the September 11th terrorist attacks, and no one will argue that, among other things, the cultural landscape changed forever that day. But it still boggles my mind that there would be so much fuss over something that has already happened before.

So a pretty shocking way to ring in 200 episodes, a landmark that would be a happy and proud moment for most series. I hope that everyone at South Park can still take this in with pride, and continue to push the boundaries in a funny, heart-felt way. I don't pretend to fully understand all of the idiosyncrasies of Muslim radicalism and the impact it has, but I hope that no radical group of any belief would ever stomp out that most sacred of rights: freedom of speech. Because, as was so eloquently pointed out in "The Cartoon Wars", "...if we aren't willing to risk what we have, then we just believe in free speech, but we don't defend it."

Any reactions to all this? Post away.

Looks like a bright, gorgeous summer...for movies!

My EW Summer Movie Preview arrived in the mail. So now not only do I have warm weather and good times to look forward to, I have a whole list of movies to check out in a darkened, air-conditioned theatre. How could I be so lucky?

You see, fall and winter is when studios trot out their Oscar fair. Spring and summer is when they cut loose and air the high-action, loads of fun flicks that get people abuzz. And it looks like this year is no exception. Here is a list of the summer movies I can't wait to see, in chronological order by release date.

Iron Man 2 (May 7): This is one of the big ones on my list. The first movie was so brilliant, everything a comic book movie should be. If the trailers are any indication, the sequel seems to follow the same formula. Plus, we get War Machine this time! He's like Iron Man, but with a whole lot of machine guns!

Shrek Forever After (May 14): As much as I love the first three movies, I do worry that this franchise may be getting tired. But you know I'll be in line to buy a ticket regardless. The sight of a chubby Puss in Boots is too good to pass up.

MacGruber (May 21): I'm on the fence about this. Movies based on SNL sketches are really hit and miss. I'll have to see how the reviews go. But I love the sketch, so as long as they don't royally screw it up it should be at least a little fun.

Sex and the City 2 (May 27th): I admit I was surprised when this project was announced, seeing as how I thought the first S&C movie tied things up so nicely. But how can you not be excited by another outing with Carrie and the gals? Fashion and girly things galore!

Get Him To The Greek (June 4): I admit I have a thing for Russel Brand. Weird I know, but it's true. This is a sequel of sorts to Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and made by the same people. It looks like a comedy of rock & roll proportions.

The A-Team (June 11): Funny enough, having never seen the original TV show, this offering wasn't on my radar at all...until I saw the trailer for it. Now it's near the top of my list. It's looks like high-octane action. Besides, Bradley Cooper is freakin' hot. His abs have a nice moment in the trailer.

Toy Story 3 (June 18): It's been eleven years since the first sequel, and that fact does absolutely nothing to diminish the excitement. It's Toy Story for God's sake! Buzz and Woody and the gang! You know it's going to be fantastic no matter how much time has passed.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (July 16): Another movie I wasn't all that interested in until I came across the trailer. Such is the power of a good trailer. I'm thinking this could be a good little fantasy flick.

Dinner for Schmucks (July 23): 'Cause Carrel & Rudd, together again. I actually don't know that much more about it, but Carrel and Rudd, people!

So there's the short list. Films may be added or removed depending on buzz, reviews and my interest level. I can assure you, however, that I will be avoiding Twilight: Eclipse like the plague regardless of buzz or reviews.

Glee and "The Power of Madonna"

Now THAT's what I'm talking about!

After the downer that was last week's episode Glee bounces back in a big way with a spectacle that not only shows once and for all why Madonna is such a fixture in popular culture but also propelled the Glee story arc along, featured so many memorable moments and let the characters shine.

My God, there were so many great musical numbers. From the cheerleading routine set to "Ray of Light" to the high energy all-girls take on "Express Yourself" to Finn and Rachel's mash-up of "Borderline/Open Your Heart". There's more? You bet there's more. Then we have the three couples of Rachel/Jesse, Will/Emma and Finn/Santana singing "Like a Virgin". Then the school band and the Cheerios give us "4 Minutes". Then a tender moment of an all-guy rendition of "What It Feels Like For a Girl". Then, BIG FINALE; a gospel-choir infused "Like a Prayer" capped the episode off. Not a single sour note was struck throughout the whole hour+.

But a special mention has to go to Jane Lynch, who starred in an almost shot-for-shot remake of the video for "Vogue". Lynch continues to expands Sue's character by showing more layers, and this video really gave her a chance to shine. The hilarious changes to the spoken-word portion made it a true Sue Sylvester original. Plus we didn't know Lynch could sing until that moment.

Episode extras like seeing the background high school students in different Madonna outfits helped spark things up even more.

Plus, big time drama. Kurt and Mercedes as Cheerios? How long will that last? Will and Emma continue to complicate their relationship, but things still ended on a positive note for them this time. But the biggest surprise was Jesse joining New Directions. One big question lingers. Has he really gone over to the white hats, or is he still batting for Vocal Adrenaline?

Things are looking up for Gleeks everywhere. More please!

Movie Review: Blind Date

So during a night out at the movies with my roommate I very graciously let her pick the film. Last time we went to the theatre together it was to see one of my sci-fi movies, so it was only fair that she choose this time. Of course, she went with the romantic comedy Blind Date. But I figured Steve Carell and Tina Fey are in it and they're funny, so it could be good.

It wasn't good. It was GREAT! Surprisingly, delightfully great. One of those films that's not remotely deep or profound, but it doesn't have to be because it's just a real crowd pleaser.

I'm so not big on rom coms, but this is not your typical romantic movie. Carell and Fey play Phil and Claire Foster respectively, a middle-class New Jersey couple worried that their marriage is in a rut. While on a night out in New York City and due to mistaken identity they become involved with mobsters, shirtless security specialists (played by Mark Wahlberg, who really should do every movie shirtless) and other high jinks. Hilarity ensues, and it's balanced out with a lot of action.

Date Night does not escape cliche-free. It's all a little too crazy, some of the lines are old and the ending is way too tidy. But Carell and Fey make it work with their own brand of comedy. The whole theatre was in stitches at several points, including me.

I may have to let my roommate pick more movies in the future.

Verdict: A surprising treat, with a lot of laughs. Carell and Fey need to do more projects together.

Glee is Back! So why am I not gleeful?

Finally, FINALLY, after months of waiting Glee has returned.

And yet, after watching the aptly named "Hell-O", I'm feeling a little depressed more than anything else.

Was I let down? No, it was a solid episode. It's just the characters were going through some bad times, and I don't like that. This is supposed to be a happy show, dammit! But I guess you can't do the happy without the sad.

As I predicted, the Will/Emma romance fizzled pretty quickly. He's not ready, as he aptly showed by making out with Vocal Adrenaline's coach after just splitting with his wife and getting together with Emma (btw, said coach is played by Idina Menzel, and she better damn well be singing at some point in the near future). Will and Emma were both swept up in the thrill of it; as she sagely pointed out, they're around teenagers so often they sometimes act like them. I think it will happen for them at some point, but it's just too early for the characters and in the show.

Their problems ran parallel with Finn's and Rachel's. Rachel wants to date Finn, Finn is enjoying being on his own after splitting with Quinn, and Rachel is therefore left vulnerable to the romantic manipulations of Vocal Adrenaline's lead male singer Jesse St. James (cool name). It seems that Jesse is going to fulfill the fears of the rest of the Glee club and cause some trouble, and Rachel is such an insecure ball of angst that she'll probably see him on the sly. Trouble brewing!

At least Sue is back and in fine form. My favorite line, said to Will: "I have no intention of burying the hatchet, unless I have a clear shot to your groin."

But one of the biggest let downs for me has to be the final performance. I had seen previews of the cast's performance of "Hello/Goodbye", by my favorite band the Beatles. I had expected it to be a glorious return to form. Instead, it was an awkward summary of the back and forth decision making between the characters. If you're going to take on the Beatles you better damn well make it fantastic (I'm saying damn a lot, aren't I?)

But I was depressed after watching the first episode the show aired in September too, and it got better. And next week is the much hyped Madonna episode, another of my favorite artists. I admit, I'm excited, despite the gloominess of "Hell-O". That's the power of Madonna.

Your thoughts on Glee's return?

My new musical obsession with Girls Aloud

So I've discovered a new band that I'm totally in love with. Well I should say it's a band that's new to me, as they've actually been around for a while. It's Britain's own Girls Aloud, and their upbeat dance tracks have been playing non-stop on my iPod.

You see, there was a time in this media-head's life where she was enraptured with another five girl British group called the Spice Girls. And since then, I've been looking for another girl group to fill the void. But who? All Saints? They had some good songs, but they didn't have the charisma of the Spice Girls. The Pussycat Dolls? Again, some good tracks but they're not really a girl group; more like one singer and a bunch of back-up dancers. Plus, the message they pose to young girls is questionable.

A while back I was flipping through an old issue of UK's Cosmopolitan and saw a page on Girls Aloud (they were named the Ultimate Fun Fearless Females in that issue). I was intrigued. Who was this supergroup our friends across the Atlantic had been enjoying since 2002? Going to iTunes and sampling a few tracks I downloaded their take on "I Think We're Alone Now". It's played on the iPod for a while, but this last week I thought to myself 'maybe I ought to check out some more songs'.

Boy, am I glad I did. I've gotten to know Cheryl, Nicola, Kimberley, Sarah and Nadine a little better, and what I've discovered through YouTube and downloaded tracks is just how freakin' catchy their songs are. Some are remakes, many of them are original tracks, and almost every one I've heard is really cool. So far I've downloaded "Long Hot Summer", "Swinging London Town" and "Racey Lacey" from their album Chemistry, and "Sound of the Underground", "Love Machine", "Jump" and "I Think We're Alone Now" from Sounds of Girls Aloud. I also got "Something Kind of Ooohhh" from the Run Fat Boy Run sound track. I've been humming them around work, which has probably been annoying the heck out of my co-workers.

You know what the weirdest part about the success of Girls Aloud is? The group actually started out on a reality show? They're from Popstars: The Rivals. Can you believe it? They're actually in the Guinness World Records as the most successful band to come out of reality programming.

So if you're looking for something new, check them out. You can find their videos on YouTube, or try their website. Cheers dears.

Shocker! Conan's new show - on TBS!

So Conan O'Brien has just been signed to a new show to air this fall.

That's not shocking news. That's excellent, well-deserved and fully expected news. No my friends the shocker is that this new show will be airing...on TBS!

TBS? Really? Most insiders had anticipated that O'Brien would create ties with Fox, but apparently the basic cable channel beat the major network to it.

I would be happy to see Conan on TV at all, seeing as how I'm still bitter over the whole Leno-gate situation and how O'Brien totally got the short end of it. Except for on thing; I don't get TBS where I live. What the heck am I supposed to do come September? I hope to God that a Canadian station will also pick it up and air it here. Please, please, please...

Anyone else out there as surprised as I am? Or do you think this turn of events makes sense?

The one and only time Joss Whedon broke my heart

Joss Whedon. A name that commands the utmost respect in the pantheons of geekdom. Very few individuals in any media have brought us such side-splitting humor mixed with heart-wrenching drama and deep mythological lore. Over several different series with many different characters, Whedon has pushed the boundaries and redefined television several times. The term 'Whedonverse' hasn't been coined for nothing.

In case you can't tell, I'm a big fan.

My first big exposure to Whedon came from a little show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Maybe you've heard of it? In my humble opinion, which is shared by many critics and fans alike, it is a travesty that Buffy didn't get any real recognition from the Emmy Awards over it's seven seasons. A more complex, sharp-witted, funny, dramatic, heart-breaking, action-packed, well-acted and written hour of television you'd be very hard-pressed to find. It's spin off, Angel, also had it's moments.

Then I was introduced by two of my friends (who were fellow members of the University of Waterloo Buffy Watcher's club; yes, I am that much of a geek) to Firefly, Whedon's short lived Western-in-Space experiment. Why that show got cancelled, I'll never know and forever regret. It had the scope of vision that Buffy had, with a band of outlaws traveling in a space-ship in a far and distant future. You wouldn't think that it's Wild-West flavour, villains of both the government and cannibal variety and Mandarin swear words would work well together, but by God they did! And the characters and story lines had just as much humor and depth that Whedon's other projects had shown. But then it was cancelled. Boo! Fortunately, the fans got another taste in the feature-length film Serenity.

But every subject of fan worship is allowed to hit a stumbling block or two. For me, that came about when the show Dollhouse premiered on Fox in February of 2009. I was all excited for Whedon to return to television, and I was looking forward to discovering a new world added to the Whedonverse.

I think I lasted about three or four episodes, then stopped watching. What gives?

It's not that it was a bad show...but it was one that just did not appeal to me. The plot lines were somewhat intriguing, and what I saw hinted at a very rich future ahead that would be carefully laid out as we went along. But it was a no go for me.

Why? Two reasons. The first was that I just could not get behind the premise. The whole idea of taking human beings and stripping away their memories, their personalities...basically what makes them who they are and reprogramming them as someone else time and time again was just so deplorable to me I could not root for the organizations known as 'The Dollhouses'.

The second reason was that I could not get behind and support the shows main character either. That would be Echo, portrayed by Eliza Dushku (who, if you're keeping track, played Faith on Buffy). Echo was one of the 'actives' or 'dolls' who was reprogrammed every episode as a new person and hired out for a variety of missions. And while Dushku handled the acting challenge very nicely, I think there was one thing the creators of the show didn't consider: How in the heck were we supposed to get to know and cheer for a character who was a different character every episode? It just wasn't going to happen, at least not for me.

Apparently I was not the only one who thought so. Due to low ratings Dollhouse was officially cancelled in November of 09, and the final episodes aired this past January. As sad as I am that another Whedon show was cancelled so soon, to me Dollhouse just was not in the same league as Firefly, so it is not a loss I'm going to loose sleep over.

So there you have it folks. The one time Joss Whedon broke my heart. But like I said, we all stumble and fall every once in a while. Even geek icons who have whole universes named after them. So Joss, I forgive you.

Now if you really want to make it up to me, how about giving Spike his own movie?

The mystery of the Tearjerker

What does it take to make you cry? Tough question, and one I've found is not easily answered for a lot of us. For some people tears are not easily shed. They can feel deeply, but they just don't express it that way. For others, like me, it does not take much at all to bring tears to the eyes.

But this leads to another question. What does a movie need to do to make you cry? What makes a film a so-called 'tearjerker'? There are lots of sad movies out there that are designed to bring about an array of emotions. And if we're being honest, sometimes they don't succeed. There are happy movies that can make someone tear up as well. Like everything else I think it's different for different people. Kind of a cop-out answer, but what can you do? For what it's worth, here are a few that have brought about that reaction in me. And not just my eyes welling up, which happens quite often, but actually crying.

Cheetah - The first movie I can remember that pushed me over the edge. That last scene was just so sad for an impressionable child like me. Besides it's about an animal. That alone will do it.

Moulin Rouge - I've seen this movie like eight times, and it makes me cry every time. Even when you know how it ends, the final scene with Ewan MacGregor and Nicole Kidman is so brilliantly acted you just can't turn the tears off.

Brokeback Mountain - I almost made it through the whole thing without the waterworks, though I got close a few times. Then, one line did me in. "Jack, I swear..." And cue Niagara Falls.

The Last Temptation of Christ - Yes, I know, this is a controversial film, but honestly no other movie on Christ has moved me like this one has. The scene in the garden, when Willem Defoe's Jesus breaks down, I broke down with him.

Up - Thank God I was wearing 3D glasses; they hid my red, tear-stained eyes nicely. Anything to do with Ellie, and I was bawling.

Judging from the release dates of most of these titles, it seems like the whole crying-at-movies has mostly been a recent phenomena for me.

Anyway, food for thought. If you're brave enough to admit it, what films have made you cry over the years? And what films have been described as tearjerkers but have left you dry eyed. Sound off below.

A Basket of Easter Eggs (and not the video game kind)

Happy Easter! Chocolate! Spring! BUNNIES! It's a very enjoyable holiday, isn't it? And we've had some gorgeous weather for it this year too.

Maybe I'm wrong on this, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of selection in pop culture regarding the celebration of Easter, outside of maybe a few corny cartoon specials. But, in an attempt to give you at least a little bite of the chocolate bunny, here's some things to check out to get you hopping.

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown: Like most most Peanuts specials it stands the test of time. Sweet, funny and simple. Plus, Snoopy dances with a group of bunnies. Awww!

South Park "Fantastic Easter Special": This parody of The DaVinci Code attempts to answer one of the great mysteries of our time; What do eggs and rabbits have to do with Christianity? I could tell you, but the South Park answer is much funnier.

Chocolat: An Oscar nominated movie I love to watch at Easter, about a chocolatier and her daughter who move to an uptight French town over Lent and set up shop. Johnny Depp is in it, and you know that he and chocolate go very well together!

Any other examples you can name? Post away.

So whether this holiday strikes a spiritual chord with you or you're more into the egg hunts and visiting the Easter Bunny at the mall, I hope it's a very happy Easter! Long live the Bunny!