Tyra Banks And Shakespeare
Kudos to the inventiveness of Tyra Banks, and a big cyber high-five for her optimistic nerve as well. There’s just no end to the entertaining and educational opportunities on Dish Network! Last night on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show, the featured ‘moment of zen’ displayed Tyra Banks bravely trying to teach Larry King how to “smize.”
I’m not sure that’s the correct spelling. Possibly it’s “smeyes”…? In any case, you may be wondering what exactly it means. Smize (we’ll go with that spelling until we know better) is a verb, meaning (per Ms. Banks’ definition) to “smile with one’s eyes.” Okay then. For most of us the word probably sounds odd, but we should applaud the literary effort. After all, Shakespeare invented 1,700 words. No doubt his contemporaries in late 1500’s era England were initially a little taken aback when the words ‘dwindle’, ‘gnarled’ and ‘seamy’ first fell upon their ears.
And for all his originality and creative prowess, I’m not sure even Shakespeare would have had the nerve to attempt teaching Larry King how to smize.
Kelly Osbourne Looking Like A Star
Have you seen the amazing transformation of Kelly Osbourne?! The daughter of famed rocker Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon, is currently a contestant (and a very viable one at that) on the hit show, Dancing With The Stars.
When we last saw Kelly she was a chubby teen with goth-black hair and a somewhat scruffy appearance; quite honestly, not all that appealing. Now elegantly dressed, with an upswept blonde coif and tasteful makeup, she is an undeniable reflection of her mom's vibrant beauty and dad's once-youthful rock star good looks. No longer can we imagine that Mr. and Mrs. Osbourne accidentally took the wrong baby home from the hospital.
With her proud parents looking on, Kelly and partner performed a very nice Viennese Waltz, after which she stated, “That was the most fun I ever had.” No doubt she’ll be around for several episodes. Kelly O. shows a definite degree of dancing skill and talent and, now, she’s quite lovely to look at as well.
Infatuating Boredom. Another Enticing Original HBO Series.
Bored with all the same old shows? Dish Network’s fall offerings include some great new selections, especially on the premium channels. If you’re in the market for something different, tune into HBO’s original series, Bored To Death. The show is loosely based on some of the very personal real-life experiences of creator, Jonathan Ames. It’s funny in an honest, non-slapstick sort of way.
Jason Schwartzman plays the lead and seems ideally cast in this role. I’ve never really liked this guy before. Not that I disliked him. He’s appeared in many of the indie films that I’ve sat through, basically tolerating his existence with uncharacteristically un-opinionated ambivalence. But here, in Bored To Death, his performance is almost infatuating. The premiere was intriguing, lightly comedic and definitely interesting. I’d recommend tuning in.
What I've Learned From The Emmys
Looking over today’s list of Emmy winners, I’m inclined to believe that I really need to watch more TV. In addition to missing out on many award-winning shows, there is also a social element to regular TV viewing. I often hear co-workers engaging in light-hearted banter about their favorite Dish network television programs. With all my viewing curtailed primarily to HBO, I often feel left out of the network TV sitcom and dramatic series cliques.
I noticed that the HBO special series ‘Grey Gardens’ (I missed that, too) won an Emmy. Now I really regret not watching it when it first aired. Hopefully HBO will re-run it! Just more evidence that I need to spend a little more time in front of the TV. I’ll try to work that into my schedule!
Crime Drama Comes To Life - Maday Arrested
I sometimes wonder if career criminals glean any of their real-life inspiration from televised dramas. We have a great assortment of them these days, from 24, to Amercia's Most Wanted, Cops, the forensic drama Bones, and several more. I know my family loves the variety we're able to view on Dish TV! There is something enticing about the way that TV and the silver screen romanticize the lives and sordid acts of the criminal mind. It’s not like public fascination with seedy sorts is anything new; look at the acclaim and aura of mystery that surrounded Jesse James and Billy the Kid way back in the wild west.
Some of today’s events are pretty wild, too. Seasoned bank robber Robert Maday was caught in West Chicago today after a high-speed chase. In a VW Jetta that he’d hijacked earlier in the morning, Maday’s attempted race to freedom ended in a crash that landed him in an ambulance. A crowd of several dozen onlookers cheered the capture.
One witness stated that the scene "…was like a movie when the cops came out…"
I'll bet most of us would prefer to keep our crime drama on the television, versus being in the middle of a firsthand altercation. The latter is far more frightening.
