![[a case of the blog]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdW6m_GKpkUaPi56fHU6TFDQPOe1Rd_Lu0S_T5NgEIvzR2rJYBvUU6yRIyH7xtuBt0hVMDAcuqSlLEu9ooq2iwOOnskdsfS9BMjPZJsFJMVIlMJopdnOVjxqeNRR9etLlOY9wUNdSpW6D/s1600/newblogheader19.gif)
“Stop! Before you hurt yourself!”
I loved Klaus’ delivery of that line. It was just the right amount of awareness without achieving over-the-top sarcasm. Just perfect.
So while conquering Klaus has been an ongoing story throughout the season, there have been so many twists and turns and shifts that I’ve wondered what the climax might be. Initially the story seemed to be Stefan acting as Klaus’ companion as they kept Elena’s survival from him. Then it seemed to be Stefan acting as Klaus’ eyes and ears, as Stefan was forced to turn his emotions off and Klaus discovered that he needs Elena alive in order to create hybrids. Then it seemed to be Stefan wanting to get revenge against Klaus as he reluctantly worked with Damon and Elena. Then they were teaming with Elijah. Then they were turning against Elijah to work with Esther to take out ALL of the originals. And Stefan was now attempting to redeem himself. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a really focused and well developed progression. It’s just difficult to gauge what the climax will be going into the finale.
Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-18"....
Well this episode gave us the latest twist, and it’s made things REALLY interesting. Honestly, I think this is an awesome turn for the story to take. The good guys FINALLY manage to kill an original, but only moments AFTER Bonnie was forced to overturn the spell that had linked them all together. Of course, this turned out to be somewhat serendipitous, as Stefan and crew discovered that any vampire that comes from the bloodline of the original that was murdered also dies. Thankfully (yet not overly convenient to an unrealistic level), all of our central vampires (Stefan, Damon, Katherine, Caroline, and even Bonnie’s mom Abbey) are all from the same bloodline. So the story now shifts to everybody trying to trace back their vampire history in order to discover which of the four remaining originals they must spare in order to stay alive.
Of course, there’s an additional complication with their end game of killing Klaus. The one thing they do know is that Tyler was sired by Klaus, so if they kill the original, their friend dies as well. This is a clever and effective way to build tension. And as I alluded to above, I’m actually really impressed with how none of this seems contrived. One might say, “Well isn’t that convenient” when they note that all of the central characters have the same bloodline (and therefore, either all of them or none of them are at risk), however that’s something that’s been long established since the beginning of the series. And Klaus making a vampire out of Tyler was something that was developed long before this story arc was introduced. And, in fact, that event made sense within the confines of the story they were telling at that time. And one more conflict: Alaric’s vampire hating alter ego apparently hid his stake, and is willing to eliminate any original that comes his way no matter the lineage it may impact.
My guess? It turns out Elijah is their ancestor. We can trace their lineage back to Rose, and if I remember correctly, Elijah seemed to have a special bond with her. Plus, we’ve been trained to have a certain amount of sympathy towards him, so sparing him is the least evil of all the options. Besides which, not giving them an easy “out” on not having to kill Klaus will create a great deal of tension as it relates to sacrificing Tyler.
Overall, this was a very interesting episode that really seems to set the path for the rest of the season. Oh, and we’re FINALLY back to normal with Stefan and Elena, with the two of them admitting that they still love each other and that they’re even willing to move past the strangeness that they’ve experience the past season. However, I did appreciate the fact that Elena didn’t say she loves Damon. I can’t help but feel like the “L” word is tossed around way too casually in these teen dramas. Does Elena have feelings for Damon? I think that’s hard to deny. But to outright say those feelings are love seems like a stretch. Again, I’m really interested in seeing where all of this is going.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-18
Thursday, March 29, 2012
True or False #4 - With Scott Keith (WrestleMania Edition)
Continue reading "True or False #4 - With Scott Keith (WrestleMania Edition)"....
1. The apparent bitterness towards The Rock's return is justified....Scott Keith: FALSE. The Rock is doing everyone a favor by appearing on their PPV and making the company a few extra million dollars. Given the ridiculous lengths that the promotion goes to in order to fit every possible person on the show (seriously, Hornswoggle gets a payoff for being the MASCOT?) it's stupid for anyone to think that a spot is being "stolen" when there's already a million people on the show. Who's losing their place because the Rock is main eventing? Drew McIntyre? Mason Ryan? Wrestling is about making money, and Rock makes money for them. And soon he'll be gone and John Cena can go back to fighting Randy Orton every month and drawing 90,000 buys per show again.
Matt: I know Scott and I are going to disagree on this one. Do I blame WWE for bringing in the Rock? Not in the least. Do I begrudge the Rock for returning and snagging the main event of WrestleMania? Not at all. BUT I do understand why some of the full time talent might be bitter towards him (or his situation). However, I don’t really see it from the perspective of those who might have been left off the card, instead I see it from those who are on the card but might have been in a better position. The fact of the matter is that the Rock vs. John Cena was etched in stone to close the show at the biggest show of the year, and no matter how much success somebody achieved throughout the year, nothing was going to change that. CM Punk is the prime example of that. Furthermore, because they had their biggest match locked up, there wasn't an overwhelming urgency to book their bigger stars in more significant programs. I'm sure it hasn't gone unnoticed that virtually every single upper midcarder is in one match, including the Miz, who main evented WrestleMania last year (on top of that, he seems tacked on to the storyline). You take the Rock out of the equation and I'm sure at least a couple of Superstars' situation might have improved. Is any of this the Rock's fault? No. But is the bitterness justified? For some people, I say yes. I also don't think Rock does himself any favors when he responds to any and all criticisms with aggression and insults. It wouldn’t hurt for him to show a little graciousness, given that he once had to claw his way through the ranks as well.
2. The Rock vs. John Cena will repeat at WrestleMania XXIX....
Scott: TRUE. I don't know that it's a good idea, mind you, but if they can get their desired 1.3 million buys, they'd be foolish not to try again.
Matt: False. I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened, but I don’t see the point. This match has been built for over a year and I think they’ve milked it for all its worth, from both a marketing and creative standpoint. And the fact of the matter is, with the Rock only appearing a handful of dates a year, there simply isn’t enough substance to the story to keep it interesting for another year. I think we’re more likely to see the rumored rematch at SummerSlam.
3. Jim Ross will return to announce at least one match at WrestleMania....
Scott: FALSE. I get the impression that he's done with them for a long while.
Matt: True. In recent years, it seems like they pull out a special announcer for at least one match (Joey Styles for Edge vs. Foley; JR for the latter part of last year's WrestleMania). I expect Ross to come to the announce desk for Undertaker vs. Triple H, and possibly to stay until the conclusion of the card.
4. The World Heavyweight Title match will open WrestleMania....
Scott: FALSE. It'll probably be the WWE title match, however, which is fine. That will allow them to get as much time as they need with a hot crowd.
Matt: I'm going to go with false. I think there's a good likelihood, but for whatever reason I expect that honor to go to Rhodes/Big Show. The WrestleMania opener is a badge of honor of sorts, but I think its best used for an up and comer than a main event-level match.
5. Both the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships will change hands at WrestleMania....
Scott: FALSE. I think Jericho will get the belt, but I don't think they can resist the temptation to draw out the chase of Daniel Bryan and the AJ story a bit longer.
Matt: False. This is mostly wishful thinking, though. I love both Punk and Bryan as World Champions, so I'm hoping at least one of them hold onto the gold (although I enjoy both challengers as well). If I were a betting man, I'd say that Bryan loses and Punk retains.
I’d once again like to thank Scott for participating in this special WrestleMania edition of True or False. Again, be sure to check out his books, visit his blog, and follow him on Twitter. Read more!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
True or False #3 - With Kyle Litke & Javier Rivera (WrestleMania Edition)
While I don’t pretend to have a huge readership, I am lucky enough to have a small group of loyal readers who have contributed to my work immensely. Right at the top of that list are Kyle Litke and Javier Rivera, my two guests for the first of two special WrestleMania editions of True or False. Kyle has been a wrestling fan since 1998 (although he took a small reprieve around 2005-2008) and is also a former writer for Inside Pulse. Be sure to follow him on Twitter at @kylelitke. Javier is from Puerto Rico, which is pretty cool, and is a recently graduated Medical Doctor going in for his first year Residency in Internal Medicine this July. He’s been a wrestling fan for about 16 years. You can follow him on Twitter at @drjavyrivera. I thank both of them for taking the time to participate in this feature.
Continue reading "True or False #3 - With Kyle Litke & Javier Rivera (WrestleMania Edition)"....
1. The year-long build for Cena/Rock has continuously sustained your interest....Kyle Litke: A reluctant false. It was sustaining my interest for awhile because I had no expectation of The Rock showing up all the time, but I think Survivor Series ended up being an error in judgment. Part of the charm in Rock/Cena was seeing Rock in a one on one match against a top guy for the first time since the Goldberg match back in 2003 (he had one more match in 2004, of course, but it wasn't one on one). The Survivor Series build was awful, as Awesome Truth was essentially dominated by Cena alone and then Rock was randomly tossed in. Instead of getting Rock's first match in 8 years against a top guy at Wrestlemania, we got him beating up some scrubs (as those two were booked) and while he did fine in the match, a little of the mystique disappeared. That was also about the time it really started feeling like treading water...I was expecting Cena to attack Rock after Survivor Series, to repay Rock for Wrestlemania and make a slightly edgier Cena (I wasn't looking for a heel turn at that point). Instead Rock just attacked Cena yet again, and then Cena had the feud with Kane that ended up going absolutely nowhere and really felt like a "time waster". I'm still looking forward to the match, but they did lose me for a little while.
Javier Rivera: True. I remember last year, at the RAW after WrestleMania when this match was announced, I was extremely excited for it. I was so excited that for a while there, I was planning to attend WrestleMania this year. I couldn't do it, but still knowing that after 8 years we would see The Rock back in the ring was great! Now I believe that Rock's return at Survivor Series took a little of the luster off for is upcoming WrestleMania return, but WWE has done a very good job of building up for this match. Now obviously, they couldn't go full steam ahead all year long because Cena needed something to do in the meantime but they have been reminding us pretty consistently that this is our main event and this is a match to see, and after Elimination Chamber, Rock and Cena have engaged in mic battles that have been very interesting to see. They have purposely made The Rock vulnerable for us fans to get a feeling that Cena has a shot at this. To be honest, I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.
2. At least one heel/face turn will occur at WrestleMania....
Kyle: False. I can only think of one real possibility out of any of the matches we have, which is Cena (I'll cover that in the other question). I think it's possible AJ turns on Bryan (although I really hope not, that should go a lot longer), but I don't view her as a heel right now, she's acting more like a face who happens to like Bryan.
Javier: False. Looking at the card, I can't see where a face/heel turn could fit in. Maybe they could have sweet, little, naive, AJ come to Daniel Bryan's aid and then reveal that this wholesome personality thing was just an act. It could happen, but I don't think it will. Another match that I maybe could see this happen is in the Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny match. Maybe somebody on Team Teddy turns and gives the victory to Team Johnny, but again, I don't see it happening. The last match I could see something happen is in the main event, Rock/Cena, but that's a whole different topic...
3. Sheamus will break the Royal Rumble winner curse by capturing the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania....
Kyle: True. It's about time the Rumble winner won at Wrestlemania anyway, and this one seems like a no brainer. I'm a huge fan of Bryan and I think he's been doing an excellent job; I'll be pulling for him to win, but I won't be upset if Sheamus wins. I like Sheamus quite a bit as well, and it does seem to be building to a big win for him.
Javier: True. It's Sheamus' time. They have been building him up for months, he has a great following, the fans love him, he has had a very successful babyface run and I believe that he will beat Daniel Bryan and win the World Heavyweight Championship. Now, I love Bryan, I'm very happy that he was given an opportunity as a World Champion (and the fact that this was a match that got booted to the dark segment at last year's WrestleMania and it's one of the main events at this year's Wrestlemania shows just how far both of these guys have come), but it is time for Sheamus to carry the ball and get to that next level on Smackdown. I just hope they don't kill Bryan in the process, I really like the guy.
4. CM Punk will debut a new WWE Championship at WrestleMania....
Kyle: False, although I really, really want him to. I hate the spinny belt so much, but it doesn't seem like they want to get rid of it yet. The time to do it was during the Summer of Punk, I think. While I'd be thrilled if they did it at some random house show, I don't expect it to happen yet. Maybe someday.
Javier: False. Wishful thinking aside, WWE hasn't made an effort in changing the look of the WWE Title at all in almost 8 years. Eight years! I know that it looks like a toy and kids like to buy replicas and all, but it is time to change the look. I know for a fact that CM Punk has been campaigning for a look change (he has said so in interviews), but it ultimately falls on the hands of WWE. I would go bananas if Punk walks into WrestleMania with a brand new WWE Championship belt, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
5. John Cena will turn heel in his match against the Rock....
Kyle: False, but I want him to. It's no secret that I'm not a fan of Cena's character. Cena does a lot of things right, but I don't think he's very good at taking matches seriously. He does sometimes do it very well (his matches with Punk are a good example, and he's been mostly okay with The Rock), but he tends to go way too far, in either direction. Sometimes rather than take a match seriously, he has a big goofy smile on his face while his opponent is cutting an intense promo (as he did recently with The Rock). Other times he seems to go so far over the top with his anger for no good reason that it comes off as comical (see the night after Summerslam, when Del Rio cashed in on Punk and Cena came out the next night flipping out about how Del Rio's cars suck and he's a bad wrestler and how dare he cash in his briefcase...it was bizarre since Del Rio didn't even cash in on Cena). I think Cena is very solid in the ring, and during the course of a match he typically does an alright job selling, but I find he almost always no sells the effects of the match once it's over. Watch, say, Punk after a long match...he'll continue selling an injury while celebrating, making his opponent look stronger even in defeat. I think it's great that Cena is in such great shape that he can wrestle a long match without even breaking a sweat, but his opponents come out of it looking like they couldn't even hurt Cena a little bit. For a heel, I actually am okay with that. I'm a fan of a good monster heel, which is why I'm a big fan of Mark Henry's current character. For a face, I hate it. I like faces to be either the underdogs or on the same level as their opponents. I know it worked for Hulk Hogan, but the wrestling industry was drastically different then. I think a good heel turn for Cena could reinvigorate his character while justifying the fact that his opponents are always the underdogs. But do I think it happens at Wrestlemania? No. I'm going to be extremely disappointed if Cena wins the match, although I could totally get behind Cena winning with a big heel turn on The Rock, and it'd certainly leave me counting the minutes until Raw the next night, but I just don't see it happening. They looked like they were starting to build toward it with the Kane storyline, but then that suddenly ended without really going anywhere, and now it doesn't seem to be going that direction at all.
Javier: False. Again, wishful thinking aside, I think John Cena can be a great heel. He has demonstrated he can be in the past, as a matter of fact he was such a good heel that fans actually turned him face. The John Cena "Superman" character is stale and in dire need of a refreshment. When he feuded with CM Punk last year, we got to see a different side of Cena, we saw that he can be a good babyface without being the goofy, "I say poopy," Josh Golly face. There have been hints of Cena attitude with the Rock/Cena buildup. I think John Cena can be as successful as a heel as he has been a babyface, but Vince McMahon will never allow that. Cena sells a TON of merchandise, he's a cash cow, and the little kids love spending money on John Cena crap, and as long as the kiddies spend money on Cena, he will not change in attitude or behavior as a performer. In an interview with The London Free Press, John Cena discussed the idea of turning heel again, commenting:
"I'm not a bad guy. I generate so much hatred just because of the way I act. I look at Tim Tebow as a good example. People couldn't stop saying his name. He's such a stand-up guy. People don't believe it because it's almost too good to be true. And he generates that hatred. I have fun with this business. I love every second of it. I love to be right there in the middle of the hunt. At the end of the day, it's not my job to force people in any direction. I just to out there and see what happens. You can analyze character development all day, but with the current state of affairs, there's no need or rationale for me to deviate from what I'm doing."
Cena acknowledged getting booed, feeling that comes from holdover fans from the Attitude era. He's probably at least partially right there. So you see, even Cena himself feels comfortable with the way he portrays his character and you can't knock John Cena, the real person, as he goes above and beyond the call of duty to grant Make-a-Wish wishes, do special appearances and he does represent himself quite well. I admire John Cena, the person, I don't really care much for John Cena, the character. Hopefully we will see a change at some point, just not this Sunday against The Rock.
6. You will be ordering WrestleMania this year....
Kyle: True! I order Wrestlemania every year anyway, but even if I didn't, I'd definitely order this one. I am looking forward to Rock/Cena, even if I was looking forward to it more last year. I didn't really need to see Undertaker face HHH again, but it's hard to bet against those two, with HBK involved, in a Hell in a Cell, and I'm expecting a great match. Punk/Jericho is the match I'm looking forward to the most, those two are probably in my top 5 wrestlers of all time. I actually could see Sheamus VS Bryan stealing the show if they're given enough time, it should be a good hard hitting match. I'm even somewhat interested in the 12 man tag and what will happen after. The build for Rhodes/Show has been solid, although I'm not expecting anything from the match, the Diva's match is just there, and I actively don't want to see Orton VS Kane, but this is one of the stronger cards for Wrestlemania (on paper at least) in a long time, and I'm very much looking forward to it, even though I suspect I'm going to be very disappointed in the ending.
Javier: True. It's the biggest event of the year! Every match that has been announced up to this point in the show has been built up nicely. We have 4 quality main event matches in Cena/Rock, Punk/Jericho, Taker/HHH and Sheamus/Bryan. They have done a good job making me interested to see how the Rhodes/Show match unfolds and the Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny will fulfill the "comedy". The Divas match will be harmless and Orton/Kane I'm sure will deliver. We may not see any more matches announced and I still think it's a solid show with ample time to give to your 4 main events and you can expect some fun vignettes to be added in between matches. I love WrestleMania season and I feel that this show will deliver on good wrestling, good comedy, excitement and most important of all, fun!
Special thanks, once again, to Kyle and Javier for their participation. And be sure to follow each of them on Twitter. Check back later this week for yet another special WrestleMania edition of True or False!
Monday, March 26, 2012
LIVE Raw thoughts - March 26, 2012
11:09 - What I love about this Rock/Cena segment.....it explains why both of them need to WIN! They're sure as hell making the match -- AND the result -- seem very, very important.
10:43 - This has been the most oddly booked match in WrestleMania history. ADR is evidently healthy but is being kept on the sidelines for some unknown reasons. Christian has been removed from the match altogether and replaced by DREW MCINTYRE! And then Team Teddy has three comedy characters (Santino, Ryder, and Khali) and a commentator.
10:40 - Odd that Team Johnny's guys so consistently beat Team Teddy guys in matches.
10:24 - Shockingly, it seems that Drew McIntyre (?????) is replacing Christian. What the hell is that? Christian must either legitimately be injured or he's being suspended or something.
10:21 - Ugh, so pissed. Christian has just been removed from the Team Johnny match. I'm guessing he gets replaced by ADR, but there HAS to be something more to the story. Do you think he failed a Wellness test? Because he's certainly not the low man on the totem pole of that match (that would be David Otunga, the captain ironically). Why remove him from the match? He's my favorite guy on there, so that sucks.
10:18 - When Edge grew up, do you think he could have possibly imagined being the headliner for the Hall of Fame ceremony that would include the legendary Four Horsemen? Well deserved, though.
10:10 - See, when they talk about Christian possibly reinjuring one of his three injuries, I can't help but feel like this is going to lead to him being removed from the Mania card.
10:06 - I'm not sure why Christian needed to be in that role. There was no context to the match, so it's not like they even needed an upper midcarder to justify the fact that the person is facing the WWE Champion. Why not use Drew McIntyre? I mean, it was Christian's first match in, like, four months. Why use THAT for his return? Did he fail a Wellness test or something?
10:02 - Why do I get this sinking suspicion that they're going to do a Christian injury angle that gets him taken off of the WrestleMania card, and he's replaced by ADR? I really, really, really hope that doesn't happen.
9:59 - I got a kick out of the fact that Jericho qualified his insult as "the legal definition" of a bastard.
9:57 - Christian's hair freaks me out a bit. Strangely, I actually do believe that's what CM Punk's hair looks like without the gel.
9:49 - For what it's worth, I think WWE missed the boat by not giving Eve somebody to squash following her heel turn. Eve is capable in the ring, with legitimate knowledge in submission holds, and she's surprisingly strong. Yeah, she beat Alicia and Natalya, but they felt like fluke victories (and who hasn't beat Natalya?) It's too bad they threw her into a WrestleMania feud with Kelly, because Kelly would've been the perfect person to feed to her.
9:41 - Ya' know, a lot of people rag on Undertaker vs. Triple H, but I've actually really enjoyed the build and I am interested in seeing what happens. Do I think the Streak will end? No, but I'm still intrigued by what might happen during the match. It's been interesting, with three complex characters.
9:35 - So who do you see joining Team Teddy as the sixth member? My guess is Rey Mysterio or Mick Foley.
9:31 - Did Johnny Ace just forget the name of his team? Ya' know, the one named "Team Johnny"?
9:29 - You know how I always say Cole is more interested in getting himself over than the product or talent? Him saying, "Michael Cole is trending but WrestleMania isn't!" is the epitome of that.
9:25 - I don't know what it is, but David Otunga's flexing routine makes me uncomfortable. He just has this very.....turned on look on his face. As he looks at his own body. It's awkward.
9:24 - Johnny Ace desperately needs to get theme music.
9:17 - Cue Internet saying, "Daniel Bryan won on the show before the PPV, so he's losing at the PPV."
9:12 - I actually sorta wish we weren't getting these matches tonight where WrestleMania opponents are facing each other. Instead, what if they took all the guys on the Mania card and shuffled them "randomly" against each other? There would be obvious exclusions (Rock, Triple H, Undertaker) but it would at least provide us with some fresh matches and wouldn't give away matches that you're expected to pay to see.
9:08 - Heh....maybe they did. Cole just referred to Orton trending as "one of the hottest things discussed on Twitter" instead of the "most discussed" thing on Twitter. Let's see...
LIVE Once in a Lifetime thoughts
8:59 -Oh, one more thing. I do wish they started off the show by noting WHY these guys are fighting. Why not have Rock talk about Cena's comments? I guess the show wasn't really about their feud, it was about their match. So it's excusable.
Okay, NOW onto Raw...
8:57 - Overall, really fun show. They did a great job of making this seem like an absolute epic match. And WWE's production crew truly deserves all the credit in the world. They do a fantastic job with all of their specials and videos.
Now, onto Raw....
8:41 - There's an obvious public relations advantage to all of the Make-A-Wish work WWE and John Cena do, but their work is truly admirable. The fact that Cena has granted more wishes than any celebrity in the history of the organization is a massive accomplishment. And that's a big, huge reason why guys like Orton and Punk will likely never truly replace him as the face of the company. This guy is a business owner's dream. That #1 spot is his until something drastic happens.
8:37 - Based on all those CM Punk pictures I see on Twitter, I am amazed at the fact that they sign 1,000 photos at each live event.
8:36 - Awesome segment on the Rock (the part of him in Samoa). Great, great job.
8:29 - The whole John Cena/Fruity Pebbles thing says A LOT about the abilities and star power of all three involved....the Rock, John Cena, and WWE. You take the Rock out, it wouldn't have happened. You take Cena out, it wouldn't have happened. And if you take WWE out, it wouldn't have happened. If Triple H had said it to Cena, it wouldn't have caught on the way it did. Nor would it have if Rock said it to Miz. Or if Rock said it to Cena in WCW or TNA. It's truly amazing what they did with this off-hand insult.
8:25 - Oh, you just had to know they would do a segment on Twitter.
8:10 - Another thing I like about this special: It adds a very human element to the match. Throughout the build, for necessary reasons, both of these guys have behaved very aggressively and -- arguably -- immaturely. I know A LOT of people have rejected Cena's behavior. I've found Rock's behavior asinine. And that's the thing....it's polarizing and at least one of them looks bad. Both of these guys are coming across great in this special, though.
Plus, it's got Vanessa Hudgens on it. So you gotta love that.
8:04 - I will give them credit....they truly, genuinely are making this feel like an epic match. The build up with this special is truly unique, and it really is making it feel like a huge match. Bravo to them for that.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
They're "hoodies," not "hoodlums"
So the big story of the week -- for good reason -- was the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. For those of you who don't know, Martin was killed on February 26 by crime-watch volunteer George Zimmerman (who claimed self defense and was not arrested). However, as the week came to a close, much of the discussion had shifted to Geraldo Rivera's highly controversial comments, stating that Trayvon Martin's decision to wear a hoodie had just as much to do with his death as the shooter.
Geraldo's stance was that Martin is a black teenager and that hoodies are stereotypical gang-related clothing. He also urged parents of minorities to discourage their children from wearing hoodies because of these stereotypes.
Listen, I'm not going to claim that Geraldo was blaming the victim here, but I do think that his comments are absolutely ludicrous. Is there ANY reason to believe, whatsoever, that Trayvon Martin would still be alive today if he decided not to wear a hoodie (a claim Geraldo boldly made)? And Geraldo's advice is terribly misguided and pretty offensive, as well. Instead of instructing children not to wear hoodies because of their gang-related connotations (which I think is somewhat unfounded....hoodies, in general, are a pretty popular article of clothing), why not teach people that a minority wearing hoodies are not necessarily gang members?
Since when is it okay to tell people to avoid unfair stereotypes instead of educating people on the ignorance of their stereotypical beliefs?
Read more!
Friday, March 23, 2012
A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-17
So this week’s episode confirmed what we were told last week, that Alaric may be responsible for the murders of the Founders Council members. I apologize if this was already answered, but why exactly are these people who go crazy targeting the Founders Council? Of all the supernatural entities out there, witches seem like the only group not in the council’s crosshairs. I assume that witches are behind the insanity, since they created the rings in the first place, so why all the hostility?
Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-17"....
Oh, and I was really intrigued by the conclusion of Alaric’s episode arc. I found it extremely interesting that we not only didn’t actually see the spell Bonnie did for Alaric, but Damon was also very vague when telling Alaric what had happened. And for that matter, the Salvatore switcheroo was noteworthy as well. Stefan was the one who was present during Alaric’s night of terror. Yet when he awoke, Damon was watching over him. Was this just an excuse to give us another Alaric/Damon scene (if so, that’s fine)? Or was there a bigger reason for not concluding the story with Alaric and Stefan?
Speaking of Stefan, I really enjoyed his scenes with Elena this week. Throughout the season he and Elena have had such a tumultuous and typically contentious relationship. At the beginning of the season Stefan still loved Elena, but in order to protect her he needed to act like he didn’t care. Then his feelings were turned off and it seemed he legitimately didn’t care. And once it seemed like these two were at their worst, we discovered that Stefan does still love her, and he attempted to make amends. However, by that point, Elena was keeping him at a distance. Now, things are especially interesting. Stefan is committed to winning Elena back. Elena seems willing to forgive him. And, perhaps most important, she’s drifted notably from Damon over the past couple of episodes. All of those factors resulted in a unique (this season, anyway) chemistry this episode. After the sorta-tease we’ve been getting between Elena and Matt, it was nice to see the build towards a Stefan/Elena reconciliation.
As a loyal Smallville reviewer and recapper, it was great seeing Cassidy Freeman on my television again. And much like her Smallville character, she was a tough book to read. Was she good? Was she bad? Ultimately, she was somewhere in the middle (just like Tess). She betrayed Damon, but only because she wanted to protect the person she loves (like Damon and Stefan have done numerous times in the past). And I didn’t expect to, but I’m actually really beginning to like Rebekah. Who’da thunk it?
I don’t know much, but I do know that when a guy and a girl, roughly the same age, enter into a smiley conversation by reminding the viewers that they’re not related, it’s a pretty strong indicator that they’re going to be getting together. Abby leaving may throw a bit of a wrench in that development, but there was some severe eye-effing going on there between Bonnie and Jamie.
By the way, there were a couple of scene-enders that I thought would happen, but didn’t. The first was when Elena and Bonnie embraced, and Elena asked Bonnie for her forgiveness. Bonnie smiled and said “of course I forgive you.” I thought the scene would end with a shot of Bonnie’s face, showing that she wasn’t quite ready to truly forgive her yet. The other scene was at the conclusion of the episode, when Elena was speaking with Jeremy. After Jeremy hung up the phone and left the room, I thought they’d pan over to Jeremy’s room, where we’d see a letter from Alaric (showing that they actually have been in contact with each other, and either Jeremy doesn’t realize it due to his own black outs, or he simply lied about it).
Thursday, March 22, 2012
SI John Cena Interview
There's a great podcast interview with John Cena on the Sports Illustrated website. He comes across really well here, and seems to have a great understanding for the business. There are some excellent nuggets of information. For example, John Cena -- the literal posterchild for the PG Era -- would love to see WWE return to the crass Attitude Era brand of entertainment. I must say, though, that he makes a great point for why he's so successful though: The PG rating is the reality of the situation, and he's adapted to that to make it work.
He also brings up his heat with the Rock, pointing out the Rock's past comments in interviews and magazines where he said "The Rock is dead" and that he basically rebranded himself to distance himself from the profession that made him famous. This is actually one of the things that bothers me about this angle. WWE frequently posts magazine covers and newspaper blurbs in 30 second promotional pieces that nobody remembers an hour later. Why not devote that same attention to your biggest angle? I do recall Rock's rebranding attempt -- which included not being called "The Rock." Why not show those interviews and magazine covers in order to add fuel to the fire of this angle?
Anyway, it's about an hour long and well worth a listen:
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Not-so-LIVE Raw thoughts - March 19, 2012
Yeah, so yesterday was an especially stressful and exhausting day, so I decided to just sit back and watch Raw in comfort rather than give my streaming thoughts. Nonetheless, here are some day-after thoughts on the show.
- I thought the Rock's promo was fantastic. Easily the best since his return. It was the perfect mix of humor and intensity, and he actually seemed to show a little respect towards Cena instead of tearing him down. And it also made me realize why I've been less than impressed with the Rock up until this point: The Rock is easily one of the most charismatic, quick witted Superstars wrestling has ever experienced. Yet throughout his entire feud with Cena, he's come across as lazy and pandering. He uses the same (somewhat lame) insults over and over again, and only seems to say things that'll get the crowd chanting. The promos have been shallow and repetitive. But this promo was great and really reminded me of the classic Rock.
- Last week, I questioned whether it was smart to have Jericho mention Punk's alcoholic father (I assume this to be true, I don't know). But Punk and Jericho both turned that around this past week with an awesome opening promo. Punk hit ALL the right notes. He didn't come across as judgmental towards people who have substance abuse problems. On the contrary, he came across as sympathetic and understanding. And his response that his father cleaned himself up provided some hope to that story. Jericho's rebuttal, where he deviously mentioned Punk's sister, was utterly fantastic. Brilliant stuff from these two. And I love the twist on the Straight Edge aspect of Punk's character.
- The Undertaker/Shawn Michaels/Triple H stuff was fine. Not quite SO thrilling that it should have ended the show, but it didn't bother me. And I am intrigued by the fact that Undertaker is playing mind games with Shawn and Triple H, creating a rift between them. Good stuff.
The rest of the show was mostly "meh." Which is understandable. Right now, they're 100% devoted to building the stories that are already established.
My guess for the remaining members of Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny? Alberto Del Rio is the final announcement for Team Johnny. Ryder gets added to Team Teddy. That leaves two spots, yes? Honestly, I'm not quite sure. Brodus Clay would fit the bill, but he's been on Raw so inconsistently that it's hard to imagine him getting a spot on the Mania card. Evan Bourne would fit as well, but again, due to his problems I don't know if they'd give him a spot either.
What do you guys think?
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Sunday, March 18, 2012
A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-16
So I think I owe the CW website an apology. I quite frequently criticize them for their lackluster turnaround time for getting their shows online (coupled with the fact that you can only view them on the CW website, and not other sites like Hulu). Well, something must have changed, because this past week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries was up the day after it originally aired. So, bravo kind network!
Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-16"....
This episode picked up where we were left off before the brief hiatus. Apparently Alaric survived his gunshot wound, as Dr. Fell gave him vampire blood before turning him into the police. The twist at the end of the episode, which I did not expect before the build up to the big reveal, was that Alaric actually did commit these murders and that his super ring was actually making him lose time. It seems being the Kenny of this show DOES have repercussions. I’m interested in seeing where this is going.
Another thing I liked about this episode? It incorporated the diaries aspect of the series without pounding you over the head with it, like they did at the beginning of the series. I remember cringing during one of the first episodes when Elena very awkwardly said, “I just want to sit in my room and write in my diary.” Forced much? Who speaks like that? There will still be scattered scenes where Stefan is writing in his diary, but for the most part the show has drifted significantly from that theme. This was a rather refreshing call back to an early central motif, and it felt really natural and was an effective way of telling the story.
Furthermore, the diary stuff provided us with some awesome Stefan/Damon moments. These two have such a rich, complex relationship that anytime you put them together, you’re pretty much guaranteed gold. On top of their obvious brotherly bond, I like how they feel so much guilt towards each other (how twisted does that sound?) Stefan blames himself for Damon becoming a vampire. Damon blames himself for Stefan turning to the dark side. Now, hundreds of years later, they’re still trying to make up for their past sins, even when they’re evil or simply aren’t getting along. And hey, it was nice having them “hang out” without the topic of Elena dominating their various scenes. Really good stuff.
And actually, it was an overall really strong Damon episode. In addition to his great episodes with Stefan, his twisted friendship with Alaric is also a constant source of entertainment. You just had to love that Damon was the first person to come to Alaric’s defense when he was in prison. And he was the one who led the investigation to clear his name. Much how I love that Stefan feel s a constant devotion towards Stefan, I also really appreciate the fact that Damon has this irresistible loyalty towards Alaric. Considering all they’ve gone through, they have a really fun friendship (from a viewer’s perspective, anyway).
It was a surprisingly light Elena episode. I’ve felt this for the past several episodes but it was REALLY accentuated this week, but are they building towards a Matt/Elena relationship? I first noticed it the episode that Matt and Elena spoke on the bridge and it was furthered when she asked Matt to stay when they discovered Alaric had been stabbed, but this was the first time that the development was so transparent. I’m not opposed to it, as he’s a good guy and Elena hasn’t ever been with a “normal” person since the series began – but it’s obvious they won’t end up together. And how many times should this guy get beaten and hurt? Seems to happen a few times each season.
Monday, March 12, 2012
LIVE Raw thoughts - March 12, 2012
11:15 - Legit or not, I have to wonder if it was smart to have Rock reading the song lyrics off of the Titan Tron after he was criticized for writing lines on his wrist (again, even if they were planted). I thought Rock's promos were great, but were hampered by them going too long. I don't know how many songs he did -- maybe 5? But only 3 were really great. And the We Will Rock You part kinda dragged on too. I think it would've been an awesome promo if it was a little shorter. But overall, pretty strong Raw.
11:06 - Haha, the line about Cena having a wife while making out with Eve was pretty funny.
10:51 - Thank goodness Christian is back! I'm guessing he'll be announced as Johnny Ace's third man on Smackdown.
10:34 - That Jericho promo initially made me uncomfortable. Not because of the subject matter, per se, but because it was so unnecessary. It hearkens back to Jericho/Triple H. The story is simple....why can't it just be about the WWE Championship? Or proving that you're the best? Why bring in a whole new element? However, I do have to admit that I enjoyed the "I'm going to drive you to drinking" spin on it. So I'm not fully against it. Yet.
10:28 - Just think....Miz could potentially go from successfully defending the WWE Championship against the biggest star in the company in the last match at WrestleMania....to being on a team in which David Otunga is the team captain.
10:24 - And the CM Punk beard is officially back! Thank goodness. Let's not try that clean shaven thing again, mmmkay?
10:23 - Did I understand that K-Mart commercial correctly? If you spend $30 on gear, you can spend $75 on a chair?
10:21 - Yeah, I like the guy from Psych. He's funny on the show and he's having fun tonight. Good for him.
10:14 - An overall effective exchange between Shawn Michaels and Undertaker. They did a good job of establishing several things. Will Shawn call it down the middle? Which beef is greater, his one with Triple H or his one with Undertaker? Does he care more about Undertaker losing or not allowing Triple H to win? And as I noted on Twitter, I just love how the condescending pat on the arm is becoming a trend in this storyline. It began with Triple H patting the Undertaker after his initial challenge. It continued when Undertaker did it to Triple H, following his impassioned acceptance. And we just saw it tonight with Shawn. Great stuff.
10:09 - For some reason, the image of the Undertaker as a backstage gossip queen makes me chuckle.
9:48 - One of the former writers on Twitter suggested Brodus Clay as one of Teddy's babyfaces to counter Mark Henry. I think that's an awesome idea, and they have a built in story: Johnny Ace continuously held off Brodus' debut despite his weekly promises. Then once he gained momentum, Ace took him off of television. It works.
9:45 - Eve Torres is amazingly hot and I love her heel turn. What the crap is Beth wearing? And Miz needs to lower that tie clip.
9:36 - That was some interesting booking. I have to question why they felt the need to squash Kofi and R-Truth. Wouldn't they have gotten the same point across by just having Otunga and Henry double team Santino? Why make Kofi and Truth look like such schlubs?
9:30 - Aksana imitating Santino's march down the aisle was pretty funny. And there we have it, Santino and David Otunga are the team captains of Team Teddy and Team Johnny, respectively.
9:21 - I love these highly competitive matches between two guys essentially at the same level. When they have a match like this -- opposed to, say, Sheamus' decisive wins over Miz and Mark Henry -- BOTH guys look great. Sheamus doesn't look weak for a hard fought win because he still won cleanly. And Dolph looks like he can hang with Sheamus. Awesome match.
9:18 - AJ on my TV means awesome.
9:07 - At first I thought Cena's rap got off to a rough start. It wasn't his delivery (I know he can do a fast paced rap, he just slows it down for the audience's sake), it was just that the lines weren't that great. However, after the "boobies" line, things turned around significantly (for the better). Here's the thing, though.....do you think they'd be willing to stick with THIS Cena for the rest of the build? Or even the rest of the show?
9:03 - LOVE that John Cena came out to "Basic Thuganomics" and wearing a jersey and chain. HATED that Jerry Lawler lamely introduced him. A little surprised he's still getting booed, given his appearance.
Team Johnny:
Christian, Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry (the three guys who supported him at Elimination Chamber), Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger (the two guys who supported him during the GM swap), and David Otunga (his personal counsel)
Team Teddy is a bit harder to figure out, since most of the people that have been supportive of him are either preoccupied (Big Show) or aren't wrestlers (Booker T). The obvious choices are Santino (his personal assistant) and Kofi Kingston (the one who supported him during the GM swap). I'd say those two are definite. Then there's Zack Ryder, who has an established rivalry with Johnny Ace AND is also Long's former assistant. But his story with Eve seems to be in an entirely different area of the show, so it's tough to see how he fits in. Ezekiel Jackson has been with Long lately, but he's been so incredibly jobbed out that I can't imagine he has a place on the WrestleMania card. R-Truth has been teaming with Kofi and needs a place on the card, so I guess he fits. Who else? A returning Bourne? A returning Mysterio? What do you think?
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Sunday, March 11, 2012
The New WWE.com (2012 edition)
So today WWE.com was relaunched (and completely reinvented, according to them) with a pretty sleek looking new layout. For me, it's a lot easier to navigate (particularly the multimedia sections, like the photo and video pages), but perhaps my favorite new design is the Superstars pages. They now feature full body photos of each Superstar. It just looks a lot cooler. And the Classics page is pretty informative as well.
So, what does everybody else think of the new website?
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Thursday, March 8, 2012
Dive Bar Shirt Club: McCarthy's Irish Pub
I received my latest Dive Bar Shirt Club t-shirt and not only is it a color I haven't received yet -- it's also perfect for some St. Patrick's Day celebrating! Remember to follow Dive Bar Shirt Club on Twitter, and visit their Facebook page as well! They've added some high quality photos of the shirts they're released....and they've even featured my blog on their page (pretty awesome)! Anyway, this month's bar -- McCarthy's Irish Pub (fitting, given the month) -- has a...ahem....MySpace page, so I'm just going to copy and cut the info from their page:
When you come into McCarthy's remember this; Many have been here before you and shared in their libation. Treat the pub with the same respect you'd give your own grandparents, and in turn we'll show you a great night! Our employees are the best in the business and have been serving drinks well before you turned 21. Come in and have a drink, revel in the pictures from our old location, 1019 Court street and sit on the same stools as the legendary drinkers from the past. Cheers!
McCarthy's Irish Pub MySpace Page (yeah, you read that): http://www.myspace.com/mccarthysirishpub
Dive Bar Shirt Club: Website - Twitter - Facebook
Dive Bar Shirt Club T-Shirt Gallery
Monday, March 5, 2012
Terra Nova Canceled
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Fox-Cancels-Terra-Nova-Canceled-1044499.aspx
Not necessarily shocking news, but a bit disappointing nonetheless. Terra Nova always seemed like the type of show that needed a firm investment in order to succeed. That is to say, it needed a chance to grow, even if it didn't have a strong first year. Unfortunately, Fox isn't always the best place for that sort of thing.
News is that the show is searching for a new home, but does that ever really pan out? It seems to have a hefty price tag and honestly, I have nightmares of the immense decline Sliders took when it went from a powerhouse like Fox and moved to a smaller network like SyFy.
Let's see what happens, but you can always take a trip down memory lane and re-read my review of the finale:
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LIVE Raw thoughts - March 5, 2012
11:04 - Both Cena and Rock were on tonight and as a result the end promo was FAR superior to last week's finale. Rock was a lot more assertive in his response than Cena was last week (since Cena came across as, in my view, condescending instead of angry or threatening). But I thought Cena's response was stronger than Rock's last week as well. Overall, both just nailed it. And Cena's post match celebration was a bit of edge that we haven't seen from him in forever. Diving into the crowd. Sticking his tongue out. Grabbing a random beer and drinking it. Then throwing it at the camera man. That's the Cena we need to see through Mania.
However, if one thing hurt Cena, it was the crowd. They weren't outwardly against him.....but they weren't outwardly for him, either. If the crowd was more responsive, the entire segment would have come across stronger.
10:46 - Looks like they're doing Kane/Orton for WrestleMania, which is a fine enough use of two top Superstars. Plus, while these guys have fought a bunch of times, it's not a feud that's been exhausted. But has anybody noticed that for the past two years, Cena's January feud turned into Orton's WrestleMania feud? Last year it was Punk, this year it's Kane.
10:40 - I've said it a bunch of times before but I'll say it again....I LOVE the altered Kane theme, with Kane screaming in the background.
10:36 - One of the former WWE writers on Twitter just noted that because the're going to end the show with a Rock/Cena confrontation, that's further proof that Cena's interruption last week was an audible. I don't buy it. They ended practically every Raw for two months with a Cena/Kane confrontation. I have to say, after they've been online for a year or so, a lot of these writers provide some great insight and fun stories.....but many, MANY times I'm pretty shocked at how far off the map they can be. And based on how critical they are now, you'd think they were writing Shakespeare then.
10:27 - A year ago, would you have imagined that Miz would be squash match fodder to build up an opponent for Cody Rhodes? Wow, what a difference a year makes. If Miz is being punished, I do have to wonder why they left him as the last survivor of the Chamber instead of Ziggler. But here's the question....what does Miz do at WrestleMania?
10:18 - That Rock promo was a little weaker than the first one, but still a lot better than last week's. My one issue with the Rock's portion of the feud is that I wish I had a better sense of why he's angry with Cena. He's stated that Cena badmouthed him, but they're yet to really set a context for that. Prior to Rock's return, Cena had never badmouthed him on WWE television. And they're yet to really pinpoint the interview that Cena DID make comments about Rock. This whole feud is built upon something that's been vaguely alluded to. Has Cena (or WWE?) even made reference to the fact that Rock cost him the WWE Championship at Mania?
10:14 - Great match that makes me eager for both WrestleMania title matches. Also, Cole rooting for Bryan is fun.
10:00 - Love love love love love AJ. One of my favorite parts of this Daniel Bryan push.
9:57 - This best mean that CM Punk is growing his beard back. Thank goodness! Also, great "Colt of Personality" sign!
9:53 - I typically enjoy Cena's promos -- particularly his serious ones -- but something felt off about this one. He almost came off as sad or desperate. I do appreciate that they're emphasizing the importance of winning (which is something they've lacked, generally speaking), but I wish Cena's tone wasn't so much "I need to win" as much as it was "I know I can win." That is, unless they're going the Austin/WrestleMania X-Seven route, by showing that Cena is SO desperate to win that he's willing to turn his back on his beliefs.
Also, this is one of the many situations where things would have felt more authentic if Cena wasn't sitting there in his knee pads and wrist bands.
9:43 - How nice of Michael Cole to crap all over Zack Ryder's big return.
9:40 - That Rock promo was SIGNIFICANTLY better than last week's surprisingly weak performance. That was actually really enjoyable. And I think a series of short promos might work better than one long one. Oh, but Rock, I thought you should know that you have a garden gnome as well....
9:37 - I hate these crowd shots. I don't need to watch people watching TV.
9:30 - I love how they take Zack Ryder off of television only to give Santino a huge push. Santino is probably just as over and just as talented, but the fans weren't demanding a Santino push. They WERE salivating for a Ryder push. Santino is a nice surprise. Ryder was a happy ending. At least it should have been.
9:27 - Way to sell this Switched GM story by having Ace appear on the show before Long. And if Long has all the authority here, why can't he just ban all these people from ringside (including Ace)?
9:22 - What is going on with Jack Swagger's hair?
9:17 - Rather interesting beginning to Raw. It dragged a TAD bit, but it pretty much held my attention. It ended with what many had speculated -- that HBK would be named the Special Guest Referee for the Hell in a Cell match, but it was fun watching the tension build between Triple H and Shawn Michaels. I liked that Shawn called him out on his insecurities -- that being compared to him was the one thing that Triple H couldn't take. I also REALLY enjoyed how he also called Triple H out on his BS response. I do wonder, though, if they should have teased a conspiracy -- that HBK and Triple H would collectively end the streak through coercion, before leading to this conflict in the weeks before the show. Interesting stuff, though.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Modern Horror
Ya' know I had read about this thing months ago, but I just got around to watching it now. And it's pretty brilliantly done. Great job by the creator, and it's especially enjoyable if you watch Modern Family:
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