“I can’t quite get a handle on the concept of time yet.” These words by Daniel Holden (Aden Young) in the first episode of Rectify describe both his experience…
Television
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Tube: Vulgar, female-driven comedy challenges stereotypes of ‘ladylike’ behavior
Boner and boob jokes are now mainstays across numerous guy-centered, raunchy television comedies: Workaholics, Two and a Half Men, Blue Mountain…
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Tube: On HBO’s Girls, Lena Dunham’s naked body gives audiences a body image reality check
Since its debut on HBO in the spring of 2012, Girls has polarized viewers. Some consider it to be a refreshing and humorous portrayal of less-than-likable female…
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Tube: Catch up on some of the best shows of 2013
It’s cold and snowy outside, but despite our desire to stay indoors buried under piles of blankets with Netflix’s virtual fireplace crackling on our laptops, many of our favorite television shows are still on their mid-season breaks. While some started right on Jan. 1 (don’t be ashamed Dance Moms fans!), others will pick back up […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Filmmakers transform IC restaurant into television set, wrap up ambitious pilot
Short’s Burgers and Shine briefly transformed into a television set Monday as area filmmakers wrapped up the final shot for an independently produced…
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Quiz show quest: What does it take to be a contestant?
This past August, I was on Jeopardy!, wearing all blue from the waist up and looking for a way to be faster with the signalling device (if you call it a buzzer, the producers will hit you with a ruler). Getting to the point where I was standing on a soundstage at Sony Studios in […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Tube: Reality television’s representation problem
MTV recently debuted its newest controversial reality show: Scrubbing In. The show follows the lives of a group of traveling nurses in Orange County as they learn the ropes of a new hospital, party hard on booze cruises and “get up in each other’s grills.” Not only do these breast-enhanced and hard-muscled nurses look more […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Tube: In Rebel Wilson’s new show, light comedy is weighed down
ABC’s Super Fun Night features Rebel Wilson as awkward, yet successful, New York City lawyer Kimmie Boubier (yes, it is a boob joke, pronounced like “boobie-yay!”)…
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Tube: Television rut relief
Lately, I’ve been in a television rut. Few shows have been able to grab my attention enough to stop me from scrolling through imgur or reading Gawker posts while watching. I’ve even felt this way while viewing the most recent episodes of Breaking Bad (gasp!), and I’m not really sure where this boredom is coming […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Iowa City restaurant XIE to be featured in undisclosed reality TV show
The restaurant that took the place of Chef’s Table on Washington Street, yet hasn’t really managed to take off (in spite of the good food), is undergoing a top-secret…
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Tube: Neverending stories
For the last few years, Community has been one of my favorite shows on television. Cancellation threats and time slot changes made me anxious and inspired tweets with the hashtag #SixSeasonsAndAMovie (along with tons of other fans) to show support for the awesomely quirky show. However, something changed this season: Community’s creative force and showrunner, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Tube: Saying goodbye to 30 Rock
2006 saw the debut of two series that built their plots around the behind-the-scenes action of shows with disturbing similarities to Saturday Night Live. The first was Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Following the success of Sorkin’s The West Wing, and with a cast that included Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet and D.L. Hughley, this show looked like a sure bet. The second show was 30 Rock.
