I Love This Record, Baby: The Grammy Post

I've noticed that this blog has an unhealthy focus on television and movies (as does its writer).

So I've decided to include one of the most important nights in music tonight by focusing on the 51st Annual Grammy Awards and its nominees.

Record of the Year
>>"Chasing Pavements" - Adele
>>"Viva La Vida" - Coldplay
>>"Bleeding Love" - Leona Lewis
>>"Paper Planes" - M.I.A.
>>"Please Read The Letter" - Robert Plant & Allison Kraus

I would count on either "Bleeding Love" or "Viva La Vida" for winning this category; Leona Lewis was all over the radio this year, and this has arguably been Coldplay's most successful album yet. My vote goes to Coldplay (who will also be performing at the ceremony).

Album of the Year
>>"Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" - Coldplay
>>"Tha Carter III" - Lil' Wayne
>>"Year of the Gentleman" - Ne-Yo
>>"Raising Sand" - Robert Plant & Allison Kraus
>>"In Rainbows" - Radiohead

Sorry, rap and R&B fans. The Grammy committee tends to favor rock and/or alternative music groups over hip-hop, so Lil' Wayne and Ne-Yo are probably out for this one. My prediction is that the fight will be between Coldplay and Radiohead to take this one home.

Song of the Year
>>"American Boy" - Estelle featuring Kanye West
>>"Chasing Pavements" - Adele
>>"I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
>>"Love Song" - Sara Bareilles
>>"Viva la Vida" - Coldplay

Again, "Viva la Vida" may take it. But my next prediction would probably be "I'm Yours," because it's constantly on the radio, it's poppy and fresh, and it would be a wonderful win.

Best New Artist
>>Adele
>>Duffy
>>Jonas Brothers
>>Lady Antebellum
>>Jazmine Sullivan

I would like to vote for the Jonas Brothers in hoping that the Best New Artist curse continues with them being gone forever. But for who will actually win, my vote is for Adele. She has a fantastic voice, she's young and British and fresh and very talented.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
>>"Chasing Pavements" - Adele
>>"Love Song" - Sara Bareilles
>>"Mercy" - Duffy
>>"I Kissed A Girl" - Katy Perry
>>"So What" - Pink

"So What" is like it. I don't think that Pink will take this one, and I have a feeling that the ballsy Bareilles may get the shaft as well. Adele and Duffy may cancel each other out and girl-kissing Katy may take it, if the Grammy voters are feeling bold.

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
>>"All Summer Long" - Kid Rock
>>"Say" - John Mayer
>>"That Was Me" - Paul McCartney
>>"I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
>>"Closer" - Ne-Yo
>>"Witchita Lineman" - James Taylor

Mayer has been more known for dating Jennifer Anniston this year, and I hope to GOD that the voters don't sink to Kid Rock. My prediction is either Mraz or Ne-Yo for this one - although Sir Paul does hold a certain nostalgia with the Grammys, so if there is a surprsie winner, it would be him.

Best Group Performance
>>"Viva la Vida" - Coldplay
>>"Waiting in the Weeds" - the Eagles
>>"Going On" - Gnarls Barkley
>>"Won't Go Home Without You" - Maroon 5
>>"Apologize" - OneRepublic

Again, Coldplay will most likely take this one. Not that the others aren't deserving, but this truly is Coldplay's year.

To see the rest of the nominees, go here. Or watch the show right now.

I'm Gonna Have Sex With Bradley Cooper

So the ladies and I decided on a night in last night to play some Uno, watch some SNL, and generally hang out. The draw was pretty simple: Bradley Cooper was hosting SNL, and he's certifiably sexy.

So we watched him on "I'm Gonna Have Sex With Your Wife," on the "Bad Guys, Good Conversation" (which made Norah almost wet herself) dressed as the villain from The Karate Kid, as Christian Bale ranting and raving with other angry celebrities, and drinking/singing/telling horrible stories with the boys at a funeral. The writing was pretty bad. But he was cute, and the skits were funny. Two highlights for me: The "I'm On a Boat" Digital Short making fun of all the rap videos known to man, and the Weekend Update segment featuring Kristin Wiig as Bjork, talking about the Icelandic economy's plummet.

It's a Verb. To Shank.

Further proof that House MD is one of the most awesome shows on television. Not that it doesn't have problems, because it does, but really, it is.

It's the first TV show that I know that has used the word "shank."

All the way back in Season 2's premiere "Acceptance" with LL Cool J playing a sick murderous inmate. He goes into the prison to consult and see what's up with him.

As he's walking into prison, the guard tells him that "Your person shanked one inmate his first month here, broke another one's neck, nearly decapitated one of my guards."

So yeah. House is hardcore.

Flashback to the Best Picture List For a Moment

JJ Abrams missed the boat on this year's Best Picture race, and was probably kicking himself about 48 hours ago (get it? You will).

This year, all of the Best Picture nominees are told through flashback sequences.

Benjamin Button flashes through time to tell the love story of a man aging backwards and his lady love.

Milk is a flashback story where Milk narrates his own life on a tape recorder before it goes back to the present at the end.

The Reader is all about how Michael Berg looks back on one summer of his adolescence where he had an affair with an older woman.

Frost/Nixon flashes back and forth between interviews and life.

And Slumdog Millionaire is a flashback within a flashback, almost. Hard to explain, but it really works for the movie and it's not that hard to watch.

I blame the JJ Effect. TV and Film-maker JJ Abrams is most known for three television shows (Felicity, Alias, and Lost) and a few films (Regarding Henry, Armageddon, MI:3, Cloverfield). He's also a reported fan of The Twilight Zone, and it shows in his TV. He's known for non-linear story telling, which makes the plot seem more engaging and twisted. This is especially true of Alias and Lost. I think that since Hollywood has noticed the popularity of Lost, more and more filmmakers are willing to make non-linear movies for smarter and more attentive audiences. Movies like Atonement prove this.

And for that, I thank them. Stories that are out of order are interesting and fresh.

Punxsutawney Phil Can Suck It

Me: Hey, it's 48 degrees out.
Me: It's like spring in February! Katharina: dude i know it's so freaking nice out
Katharina: i called my dad and was like "yo it's 45 degrees, it's practically summer!"
and he was like "you need to leave ithaca."

The Day The Music Died

I want to take this time to mourn the anniversary of "The Day The Music Died." On Febraury 3rd, JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens died in a plane crash in 1959.
I would just like to show you how downhill it's gone.

And, to a lesser extent, this.

No Pot of Gold for Team Rainbow

Instead, it ended in a "black somethingorother." (real specific, Laura)

Unfortunately for culinarily talented lesbians everywhere, chef Jamie Lauren was kicked off Top Chef in its latest installment. Which is kind of a bummer, considering her cooking skills and great personality.

Although I do have to agree with fellow cheftestant Fabio Viviani on her favored protein. She did do a lot with scallops. Not that scallops are bad, but really, pick something else to work with. You have skills. Now pick something on land to cook.

So gone are the crazy sleeves of tattoos and Stefan's unattainable object of affection. Here's to hoping that the last few left (Leah Cohen, Hosea Rosenberg, Carla Hall, Fabio Viviani, and Stefan Ricter) are deserving of their top 5 fates.

Let's Take Some E!

I know I've posted this before, but upon hearing of Nick Carter's past drug abuse and on the ever-reliable E! Network, I decided to post advice.

"So, I'm talking to Aunt Dori and she tells me about this girl in CA who drowned internally because while she was taking Ecstasy, she drank a lot of water. And, of course, Aunt Dori thought of YOU because you drink so much water. (oookaayyy) So, I promised her that I would warn you that when you take X, not to drink a lot of water."

Thanks, Mom!

Edited. Because Nick Lachey and Nick Carter are two very different people.

Chase, Please Pack Your Knives and Go

In case you don't know, I generally love reality shows that showcase people with actual talent. I also generally love shows that feature cattiness after photo shoots and douchebags that refuse to change.

In short, I'm a fan of both Bravo VH1.

So when my very reliable show biz insider (let's call her Laura) told me that Jeff McInnis was kicked off of Top Chef during the Superbowl Challenge, I was heartbroken. The Miami chef was relatively modest when it came to his abilities, which were actually pretty impressive. And being "relatively modest" on this show is downright humble usually, especially when you compare McInnis's ego to that of Stefan Richter.

The boy had skills. He could make a delicious sugar free desert. He could make a Middle Eastern dish worthy of the today show. He made Kathy Lee Gifford look like a 3-year-old on national television for spitting out that Middle Eastern dish. He could even keep his highlighted Miami blonde locks looking fabulous behind the burner.

But perhaps most important, he helped score Top Chef some ratings by fooling viewers into thinking that House's Jesse Spencer was a chef-testant.

So to you, Jeffrey McInnis, we salute you. Pack up your knives and go. To the FOX network.

Christian Bale is a DOP-e

By this point, I'm sure you've all heard about Christian Bale flipping his shit on the set of Terminator: Salvation. Apparently, Shane Hurlbut, the director of photography for the movie, walked into Bale's line of vision as he was shooting, causing Bale to let loose some obscenities. Director McG did little to protect Hurlbut from the tounge-lashing, and not much else has come off the set since.

I have a problem with this on two levels. One, I would hope that Bale had more self control, and had stopped himself from yelling at this guy. It's rude and uncalled for, and no matter how bad your day was, shame on you for taking it out on someone else. Two is because, well...

...you never piss off the crew.

You're going toe-to-toe with people that are making you look good and essentially giving you a career. Insult them, and they can make sure that you look like shit on the big screen. This goes especially for the DOP. This guy controls how the film is shot and how you look in it. If he so chooses, he can screw your movie over.