BOOOORING!!!

Well I toughed it through another week of American Idol. Sure David Cook is a great entertainer, sure David Archuleta could sing the dictionary and it would sound good, and sure Syesha is tremendously attractive, but who cares. Now before the women in the audience get upset with the above sentence, let me assure you that I think Syesha is a wonderful singer. Is she as good as the David's, well no. But she is good. But to me her singing talent are overshadowed by her infectious personality, and her stunning good looks. Kinda begs the question "Why the David Cook picture dude". Well I'm lazy, and it was the first one I found relating to Idol.



Now back to the subject of this post. I've watched every season of American Idol since Season Two. I enjoy the opening rounds a little more than I should, and I really pull hard for the attractive women in the contest. But does the outcome really make a difference. Well it certainly doesn't make a difference to me. Out of the top 12 Finalists from this season, half of them are assured record deals, and two or three more could end up adding to the din of the airwaves in the near future. So next week when the Davids take the stage for what promises to be a spectacle about as exciting as a World Cup Soccer match, I will be watching, but I won't really care who wins.



The whole Idol synergy is really quite impressive. In two weeks, as many people vote for Idol as voted in the last presidential election. That doesn't speak very highly of the aspirations of our country as a whole, but it is what it is. Idol is a popularity contest. Chicks dig it, kids dig it, dudes dig it, and your mom digs it. It is everywhere. So it's not too difficult to see what the attraction is. It's the same attraction that drew us to Grey's Anatomy, and Lost. It's the same reason we watch the Super Bowl when we haven't seen a professional game all year. And it's the same reason we tune in to watch the Oscars each and every year. Americans like to feel like they are part of something. We like to belong. When we go to school next Thursday, we need to be able to talk about the show. When we show up at work, we need to know who won. During our morning bike session at the gym, we really need to know how sexy Cook was the previous night. If we can do these things, we can be part of the collective. At the end of the day, isn't that what everyone needs.

The Eyes Have It!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is funny. That statement in and of itself isn't really a revelation. But the fact that I have said it means something. When I go into a movie these days I have to admit, my expectations are quite low. One too many times, Hollywood has let me down in this regard. Take for instance all the hype and anticipation that preceded the Star Wars prequels. I should have learned my lesson after The Phantom Menace fell flat on it's face, but instead I was there opening night to watch Attack of the Clones underperform as well. Since then I have been much more pessimistic of a movie's ability to live up to expectations. It is just easier for me to expect nothing and then be surprised. Such was the case over the holiday season with I am Legend. I went to the theater to see Sweeney Todd, but the theater had decided to hold it's release locally until after the first of the year. So I am Legend took the slot, and it ended up being one of the best movies of 2007 for me.

So that brings us to Sarah Marshall. On paper this movie has the pedigree. The cast is amazing, the creative team behind it is proven, and it touches on the universal theme of moving on after a relationshp ends. So it would be very easy to see why some have left the theater feeling a little underwhelmed. With that kind of possibility, a let down is only natural. But for me, with no expectations, I loved it. First off, I'm a huge fan of "How I Met Your Mother" and Jason Segel. He has the same sort of everyman appeal that Will Ferrell has riden to the top of his profession. He's not afraid to be laughed at, and you have to hand it to a man willing go the full monty with hotties like Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis in the room. Speaking of the ladies, is there a more visually appealing pair of women working in Hollywood right now? I certianly can't think of one. Toss in supporting roles from Paul Rudd, Jack McBrayer and Russell Brand, and you've got a comic soup of amazing flavor.

Now I don't want to get all movie reviewish here, that's not really my intention. If you were to ask me, "Hey Walrus, what did you think of Sarah Marshall?", then I would say definitely go see it. But the main reason for this post today is the lovely lady above. Mila Kunis surprised me. Now I watched "That 70's Show", and I liked "That 70's Show". But for me, it was all about the redhead. Laura Prepon stole my heart the day she dressed as Princess Leia for Eric. Jackie was always just the annoying little princess. Truth be told, I never found her, or the actress that played her attractive at any point during that show. But on Saturday as I sat there watching her share screen time with Kristen Bell, I was amazed at how great she looked. Kristen was an after thought. The more I thought about it, it came down to the eyes. Due to a childhood bout with glaucoma, Mila has a different colored Iris in each eye. I had never noticed that before, and something about it struck me as beautiful. Perhaps more than the color, it was the emotion that seemed to radiate from behind them. But whatever it was, I was hooked. It's interesting how that happens from time to time. Something that you think you know, or something that you dismissed at one time suddenly surprises you and you see it in a whole new light. It makes me wonder about first impressions, and the damage they do. Perhaps that girl sitting next to us in history class isn't really that weird after all.

There are two or three close-ups in the movie in which Mila looks just amazing Maybe it's the magic of Hollywood and the big screen, but I think it's something eles. Behind those eyes is something special. So for now, I've found myself a new movie crush. Mila Kunis has replaced Rachel McAdams at the top of my must see list.