Several years ago, there was a brief period of time when Peppermeister (Husband Numero Uno) and I would get sloshed and watch America’s Funniest Home Video reruns. In our defense, we were kids during its pre-YouTube heyday, and Bob Saget’s goofy mug and painfully corny jokes still make us feel warm and fuzzy.
For years -YEARS- following this, we’ve been quoting one particular video that we thought might, in fact, be: America’s FUNNIEST Home Video.
We were never able to find the clip.
Until now.
I love you, Peppermeister.
ENJOY, Chipmunks! (I’ve built this up way too much, haven’t I?)
Do you have any favorite viral (or should-be-viral) videos?
I consider it my inner goddess-given duty to embrace these endeavors with both Zest and Zeal, so that you may one day be willing to accept your own guilty pleasure spirit.
Me, embracing “Fifty Shades” with life coaches, Zest and Zeal. …What did you think I meant?
Second of all – Jimmy! Yes! It happened! Peppermeister and I saw a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Friday. While I’d hoped to provide you with a picture of Jimmy “Hotter than Christian Grey” Fallon in ‘stache glasses, the NBC knuckleheads had other ideas. Please forgive the mundane photos:
Things that may interest you about the experience:
1.) I’m not special. Click here if you want tickets to a taping. It’s free!
2.) Questlove and his ‘fro Jimmy might be the only celebrity I’ve ever seen who looks bigger in person than on TV. (In a good way. Oh yes.) Seth MacFarlane, of Ted Family Guy fame, looked much thinner. …Am I the only one who thinks Seth MacFarlane is full of secrets?
I’m just saying I think “Stewie” comes from a dark place.
3.) They taped out of order because Blake Lively got “stuck in traffic.” I suspect it was really because she was artfully cutting holes in both her shirt and pants before taking the stage.
It must have taken forever.
4.) Jimmy only talked to the audience once between breaks (to explain #3), but ran through the crowd to shake hands, an end-of-show custom. He was friendly, but takes his job seriously, mouthing cue cards and talking to suits between breaks. Except for that one break where I caught him staring at me. This may be a slight exaggeration.
This is what comes up when I Google Image search “Jimmy Fallon serious.”
And lastly but certainly not leastly, speaking of things that are hot, The Byronic Man [and his weekly contest]! Yeah! That’s right! I said HAWT. Let’s all pause and stare at him!
What a tease.
Oh, and, please vote for me in his current Question of the Week contest, where I’m a finalist for suggesting Forrest Gump would be much improved with the addition of dragons. I know Titanic should win, but as the Fifty Shades series sold 15 million copies, I think we can all agree life is unfair.
(If you’re really not sure I deserve it, that’s okay. I forgive you. I’ve got next week’s contest in the bag.)
Have I told you how hot YOU’RE looking lately? My. This weather really agrees with you. If I had a Red Room of Pain, you’d so be invited.
Have I missed any guilty pleasures you’ve got going on? Any summer reading recommendations? ‘Fess up, Chipmunks.
P.S. – NOT hot: My blog disappearing from your WordPress Readers and inboxes. I have written a strongly-worded letter to the WordPress overlords, but am still trying to hunt down their address. In the meantime, click here repeatedly to ensure you don’t miss anything. (Or, you know, just assume I try to post 2-3 weekdays/week at 6am EST.)
To protect the innocent devilishly awesome, let’s just say a friend of a friend of a monkey’s uncle knows someone who’s been posting really interesting things on Facebook lately.
Now I know I just talked about the social media ‘over share’ disease in my last post. Normally I have an allergic reaction to my Facebook wall, and simply just try to remember to wish people a happy birthday, but hearing this tale unfold like an episode of 90210, well… I’m riveted.
This FOAFOAFOAMU (Friend Of A Friend Of A Friend Of A Monkey’s Uncle, geesh, try to keep up) has been posting about their newly lavish lifestyle. There are expensive houses (okay, just one. THAT I KNOW OF), vacations, big parties, pricey day trips, you name it. Something new on the daily.
You see, it just doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t add up. I mean, literally. The money. It doesn’t add up. Where is it coming from? My first thought was: Well, they probably just inherited dough from a relative.
Zeal thinks they stole it. Of course he does.
But where’s the fun in that? Here are other options I’ve come up with:
They…
founded a covert but obviously successful Mail Order Second Husband business. …Dang. Why didn’t I think of that? Oh wait, I did. Score
developed a frozen margarita that doesn’t cause brain freeze or bad decisions
figured out a way to make cars punch people when they don’t use their blinkers
discovered bacon that doesn’t splatter molten hot grease when you fry it
invaded Gayle’s mind via her dreams (a la Inception) and got the number to Oprah’s Swiss bank account. The one they were using to pay for their secret wedding and deserted island
are murder-for-hire assassins, but that’s not how they made their fortune. While they were hunting down terrorists in really awesome disguises and black leather pants, they stumbled across a fountain of youth in a remote part of the Australian outback, and now sell each drop for anywhere from 100k-1 million, depending on how old rich you are. By the by, did anyone else love the book Tuck Everlasting when they were kids? Why didn’t they make all these awesome books into movies when I was the appropriate age to enjoy them?
I hope you Chipmunks have a wonderful weekend, full of Facebook fantasies and fascinating friendships. (And alliteration. But I’ve got you covered there. No, no. It’s my pleasure.)
Are you captivated by any particular person’s social media over shares? Tell me everything.
Girls is HBO’s latest 30-minute dramedy, airing Sundays at 10:30pm EST. Starring 4 young women trying to navigate the post-college waters in New York City, at first glance it sounds like the prequel to Sex and the City. Not even close. This show is awkward, edgy, and even a little perverted. And it doesn’t give a scratch about shoes.
The most gripping tidbit about this new show is its creator, Lena Dunham. She’s only 26 and oh yeah, did I mention she’s also the star and [typically] the director? Judd Apatow, the show’s executive producer, discovered Dunham after watching her independent film, Tiny Furniture (2010), and was so impressed he emailed her. (Dunham claims she thought it was a prank, because the email was titled, “From Judd Apatow,” and, seriously, who does that?)
Apatow and Dunham. …What’s that? Oh, I know. I should totally be there.
Apatow interviewed Dunham for a short feature on HBO, and mentioned one of the resounding lessons I’ve learned from starting this blog – humiliation makes the best comedy. (Apatow also offers another brilliant nugget: if you’re writing a script you’re going to star in, write yourself eating the food you want to eat. They have to bring it to you.)
It took me a few episodes to decide how I felt about Girls because, as I hinted, it’s a little twisted. Dunham is unabashed and -literally- bares it all. It’s not a show about geek-chic girls or career ladder-climbers, but it’s raw and funny. As Dunham has said, it’s a show about smart girls making stupid choices. It’s one of those rare gems that’s hyper-real; sadly, the kind that usually gets canceled after a single season (think My So-Called Life or Freaks and Geeks). I believe today’s viewers are much better equipped to handle a show like this, though, and am confident it will thrive.
Have you seen Girls? Do you think there’s such a thing as a fictional show that’s too real? Where do you stand on fiction vs. memoir/soaps vs. reality TV?
***SUPER IMPORTANT ALERT THAT YOUR HAPPINESS PROBABLY DEPENDS ON: I’m wrapping up the Go Guilty Pleasures slap bracelet extravaganza, so if you have any unseen slap bracelet pictures, I hope you’ll send them to me at Julie.Davidoski@yahoo.com. Oh and I think you’re swell. Even if you don’t have a slap bracelet.***
Some people might be reading this and scratching their heads. I say ‘some people’ like a lot of people will read this. But my blog, much like your career, is grossly underappreciated.
Anyway, Tom. I just wanted to tell you that I think you’re pretty special. You’re the unsung hero of The Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible. That strange-looking, beefy guy seems to get the lion’s share of the attention. But all he has to do is yell
I think you’re taller than him, Tom.
at people. He even yells at you, Tom! You’re the man who makes it all happen! You turn that failing restaurant into a shining masterpiece, with only two minutes and six dollars.
You are sexy grace under pressure, Tom, but I worry you will soon crack if someone doesn’t give you the credit you so deserve.
I was so proud of you, Tom, when you decided to branch out from your carpentry responsibilities, and take on the design, too. Who needs that petite brunette, right? I’m sure you were sick of someone telling you lime green is a good idea. And look at those lamp shades you made from scrap wood! You can do anything, Tom.
Look, Tom. YOU did this.
Please tell that man with the muscles that you want a raise or you’re walking your wares right over to HGTV.
Love and chipmunks remote controlling the universe,
gojulesgo
~*~*~*~*~*
What’s your favorite food/restaurant-themed show right now?
Oh, Long Island. You are the birthplace of so many things I love. Like my dad, but more importantly, Long Island Iced Tea.
When you want to forget your own name.
You also gave us the Hamptons and the Lohans Baldwin brothers. And just when I thought you couldn’t top yourself, you gave me this:
She's loud. Oh and she talks to dead people.
Long Island Medium, one of TLC’s latest guilty pleasure gems, stars medium
Look! Her family can even channel The Jersey Shore's style sensibilities!
Theresa Caputo. Caputo is ‘just your average’ Long Island lady (with the accent to match, so grab your caw-fee and let’s tawk), married with two high-school aged kids, except oh wait – she constantly bumps into spirits while running day-to-day errands. The family is nonplussed by her ability, though occasionally embarrassed when they can’t stop at the local Quik-Mart for milk without undead company. (The Long Island Medium is compelled to deliver any messages she receives. That’s why, you know, she has a show.)
Caputo also performs private and group readings, where she usually enters with a joke to ease the tension, then explains that she focuses on positive messages. If she does convey anything negative, it’s only because it will benefit the message recipient. Definitely a point worth noting when you’re talking to a mother whose son was shot in a crime currently under investigation, or the child of someone who lost a parent in 9/11.
Caputo usually picks up on numbers and objects when she performs a reading.
"I'm serious. He's looking up my skirt RIGHT. NOW. ...Oh. I'm not wearing a skirt? Well, this is awkward."
“Who here lost a son?” she might begin at a group reading, moving on to ask things like, “What is the significance of the ruby necklace? I keep seeing a ruby.” She’s immediately met with tears and ohmygods, because how can she possibly know about late Aunt Dotty’s ruby fetish? She also hones in on character traits of the deceased: “Was your brother a ladies man? He’s like, tryin’ to look up my skirt right now! Oh my GAWD.”
The skeptic in me watches and thinks, “Duh. She probably Googled this chick before the reading.” But the guilty pleasure fiend in me wants to believe. And I know wanting to believe is what makes these supposed scam artists successful – they capitalize on our vulnerability, and our intense desire to believe there’s life after death.
But I still kinda believe. Especially if believing means crying during every episode.
What do you think? Is the Long Island Medium (and others like her) legit?
Last week, Peppermeister (my husband) pointed out that Comcast cable’s OnDemand feature (where you can watch movies and TV shows, well, on demand) added something called XFINITY Streampix. Under that category, they added the first two seasons of Dawson’s Creek.
Remember Dawson’s Creek? “I don’t wanna wait…”, the Joey-Dawson-Pacey love triangle, the intense vocabulary, and the dad in jail? Right. That’s the one.
When I was 16, I was obsessed with Dawson’s Creek. They filmed it in Wilmington, North Carolina, about a 12-hour drive from where I grew up in northern(ish) New Jersey. Thanks to my habit of trolling America Online chat rooms, I found out how to contact the casting agency and become an extra.
In case you don’t know – anyone can be an extra. I mean, anyone. Even nerdy 16-year-olds with zero acting experience or ability. Especially when it’s a show’s first season and they film in a quiet town in North Carolina (though it’s worth noting that Wilmington is home to Screen Gems Studios, the largest domestic television and movie production facility outside of California).
Babs (my mom), the woman who taught me everything I know about guilty pleasures, agreed to take a 5-day trip down to Wilmington in September of 1998, and I experienced life as an extra for the first time. Though it’s mostly downtime with a bizarre subculture of working ‘background actors,’ we had so much fun that we made the same trip several more times over the next two years. During what should have been my first semester of college, I worked as a full-time extra. (I was going to be a screenwriter. To heck with higher education!)
I don’t own Dawson’s Creek on DVD, so Peppermeister had never seen my network TV debut. For the first time in 10 years, thanks to Comcast, we sat down this weekend and watched my key scenes.
In the one you’re about to see, I had to diligently prepare; I had finally scored a coveted classroom seat, and would be pretending to take a driver’s permit exam. Pacey (Joshua Jackson) was on edge, having just gotten into another argument with his insensitive cop father. He’d already failed this test once. Not to mention his girlfriend, Andie, who was in the nuthouse and still hadn’t called. My character, on the other hand, felt adequately prepared for the exam, but was also preoccupied – I’d recently caught my father cheating on my mother, who certainly didn’t deserve it after 15 years of working the late shift at the Snakeskin diner. I hadn’t told anyone, not even my best friend, Ashley Katsopolis. Can you sense the angst?
Did I just blow your mind? And guess what? After carefully tallying up all of my shining onscreen moments, I still have 14 minutes and 23 seconds of fame left!
Sweet!
Have you had your 15 minutes of fame? Close encounters of the celebrity kind? I can’t wait to hear. I live for this shiz.
***WORDPRESSURE ALERT***
If you have unseen GoGuiltyPleasures slap bracelet pictures kicking around, NOW IS THE TIME to send them in! I’m getting prepped for the next installment, and I’d love to give/your blog/your pictures the loving attention they deserve.
If that surprises you, it’s probably because you’re one of the millions three who think I’m the spitting image of Katherine Heigl*, and
You can't even tell who's who.
consider me an A-List kind of gal. But you should know I’m more the type to surround myself with greatness, in the hopes that some of it will just rub off.
Celebrity correspondent Ross Mathews is the gay man I never knew I always wanted to be. A kindred. He’s funny, adorable, positive, and living my dream. He knows his pop culture, struggles with his weight, and is living my dream.
I LOVE this guy. Let’s talk about him.
I first heard about 32-year-old Mathews via his long-standing gig over on The Tonight Showwith Jay Leno as Ross the Intern. In 2006, when they paired him with the Crocodile Hunter, the late Steve Irwin, Mathews went viral. It was worth writing this post just for the excuse to watch this video again. I don’t care who you vote for [on American Idol], how you eat your Reese’s peanut butter cups, or what kind of vodka you drink, you will love this:
I was immediately and understandably obsessed after that, and spent many hours watching Mathews’ video blog (“Talky Blog”) on YouTube. His charm and enthusiasm left me in stitches.
On the last day of his internship on The Tonight Show, the head writer told Mathews they wanted to hire him, and sent him off to interview George Clooney on the red carpet. Not too shabby. Since then, Washington state-born Mathews has made appearances as a correspondent for E!, The Insider, and various award shows. He’s had guest spots on Days of Our Lives and was even on VH1′s Celebrity Fit Club.
Wouldn’t he look great in a GoGuiltyPleasures slap bracelet (or eight)?
Recently, Mathews got an offer from E! to write a talk show pilot, produced by Chelsea Handler’s Amazing Productions. I can’t wait! (For a short, hilarious, but risqué interview between Handler and Ross, click here.) And just a couple of weeks ago, Mathews interviewed my Second Husband, Darren Criss, before Criss sang with Kermit the Frog! Sigh. …Double sigh.
I could watch Ross Mathews all day.
Who’s your celebrity soul sister/brother?
*How many strangers have to tell you you look like someone before you can let it go to your head? I already know the answer to how many it takes before you can brag about it on your blog.
I feel guilty about the lack of pleasures on this blog as of late. Because of personal and professional duties doodies, I haven’t been able to post as regularly as I would like. (Either that will change soon, or I will go Britney Spears circa 2007 on ya’ll.)
No one wants to see this.
I hear your cries. I know. It’s unacceptable. So, to get you through to the next post, I give you your very own…
Guilty Pleasure Survival Kit!
Indulge in these items, and it’ll be like I’m right there with you (hopefully in a slightly uncomfortable way…I love that shirt on you).
1.) More ME
Some things just scream, 'Winner!'
If you haven’t seen my last cinematic masterpiece in celebration of my 1-year blogiversary, you’re dead to me. Watch it! You’ll love it! Critics are calling it, “Um, who are you?” “The best thing since your video before that.” When you’re done watching, check out my archive over there —–>. 132 thought-provoking posts.
I’ll be honest. There are a couple of free hours at night where I could be writing, but vodka and American Idol always wins. (Although, let’s remember this is technically research for me.) Be a boob tube schmoob with me and check out some of my new favorite shows:
If you love Glee and American Idol like your favorite guilty pleasure blogger, you’ve got to give NBC’s new Katherine McPhee-a-palooza a shot. Let’s just forget about Nick Jonas’s guest appearance last week. Suspend your disbelief a little longer.
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have done it again with this HBO winner starring little person, Warwick Davis. It was touch-and-go for the first episode, but bringing Johnny Depp into episode #2? Genius. Davis’s assistant is also not to be missed.
3.) Second Husband Croaks!
This much cute almost shouldn't be allowed. (Photo Credit: eonline.com)
My beautiful Second Husband, Darren Criss, got to perform with Kermit the Frog for E’s Oscar pre-show last weekend! They sang Rainbow Connection and the result was magical. You can watch the video here.
4.) Tried-and-True Food/Beverage Combos
"Why do birds, suddenly appear..."
I have graciously road-tested the following food combinations for you over the past two weeks. You can enjoy knowing they have the GOGP stamp of approval.
cherry peppers on pizza
chocolate chips mixed into cupcake batter
refried beans and bacon
vodka and Simply grapefruit juice
As a reminder, please indulge recklessly, and whatever you do, DON’T:
use the following words or phrases in casual conversation (and maybe don’t use them ever):
"Why do you like Jessica Alba?! Jessica Alba doesn't even like Jessica Alba!!!"
FuseTV’s “Funny or Die presents ‘Billy on the Street’” is one of my new favorite shows guilty pleasures. It’s delicious.
I call it a guilty pleasure because there are plenty of times I feel like I shouldn’t laugh, but of course I do. (“Let’s play ‘Rebecca Black or Black Person?’!” “Are you ready for, ‘Are You Smarter Than A Gay Fifth Grader?’?!?!”)
Here is how host, Billy Eichner, can be summed up best:
?!?!?!?!!?!?
This Upright Citizens Brigade veteran runs around the streets of New York City with all the enthusiasm of a chipmunk inhaling helium, accosting unsuspecting passersby with hilarious pop culture questions. Half the time, there’s no right or wrong answer. Except when it comes to Meryl Streep. Meryl Streep is ALWAYS the right answer.
The fact that Eichner, a New York native (Forest Hills, Queens, to be exact), can get this kind of reaction from jaded Manhattanites delights me, having spent a lot of time among the city’s soulless stares myself. He might seem out of control, but he’s clearly running the show; he thinks on his feet and rarely cracks a smile. “Billy on the Street” is much more about his interactions with people than it is the questions themselves.
Warning: Clip has the F-bomb (twice!). A GoGuiltyPleasures first! Whoa.
As they say, anything goes in New York, and Eichner makes it work for him. This past week, a drunken businessman hovered over a British couple while Eichner tried to quiz them. The couple was clearly uncomfortable with the intoxicated intrusion, but Eichner invited the man into the mix and the result was comedy gold.
The idea for the show was in the works for years, as part of Eichner’s comedy bits. His street interviews were always a big hit, and eventually he tossed up some videos on YouTube in 2010, gaining the interest of many, including Funny or Die, who started airing the show in December.
While doing research for this post (hahaha. No seriously.) I stumbled across this New York Times article. They said everything I wanted to. And more. Only better.
So I’m just going to post some more clips and then go pout. FYI – the show airs Thursdays at 11 p.m. on FuseTV (so put down that stinky old book and find out what channel that is for you here).
Have you seen it? What’s got you laughing lately (besides moi)?
