Open Thread: Television Overload
Discuss among yourselves:
* Kayne West snatching Taylor Swift’s microphone at the VMAs and announcing that Beyonce should have won for “Single Ladies.” (To her credit, Bey did her best to rectify the situation when it was her turn at the mic.)
The rapper stormed the stage just after the first award, for Best Female Video, was presented to Taylor Swift. He cut the teen singer off, grabbing the mic and protesting in support of Beyoncé.
“I’m sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time,” he proclaimed as B looked on from the crowd, stunned.
* Serena Williams cursed out a sporting official at the US Open. Most reports confirm that the call was bad – however, Serena was fined and penalized for taking it to a whole other level:
That being said, it’s no excuse for Serena to berate an official. Wrong as the official may have been, there’s a line that to be crossed and Serena did it pretty early on in her diatribe by saying, “I’m going to shove this ball down your f—— throat”.
It got worse from there. There were multiple profanities, more threats and a lot of pointing. Serena was soon defending herself against accusations that she had threatened to kill the lines judge. Even John McEnroe said it was a bit much.
* Mad Men creeping toward discussing race. (Still no decent lines for us darkies.) The black man sitting with Betty’s mother. The forced conversation Pete had with Hollis is the elevator. (Don Draper, he is not.) The introduction of the Negro market. The remarkable similarities between how they treated the Negro market in the 60s and how it is handled today. (Big hint: racism trumps profit. Still.) Carla visting family (or not).
*True Blood, in general. Why did they have Eggs pop out the woods like a fugitive slave?
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Amanda wrote:
there are comments on the YouTube page of Serena’s video that are absolutely horrifying.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 10:31 am ¶
Cindy wrote:
I was saddened by Serena’s outburst. She has been the model of professionalism and grace on and off the tennis court. A terrible call at a moment of complete frustration and she revealed she is human after all. The fact that she was right will be overshadowed by the fact that she lost her cool…and we will have to watch this singular moment for the rest of her career no matter how stellar it will be.
ask for Kanye…hard to know if this was real or staged. Regardless it was in bad taste. We would have been talking about the bad award choice today had he not jumped on stage. I guess he got his wish in that we are all talking about him. No such thing as bad publicity.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 11:18 am ¶
A. wrote:
The Kanye stunt doesn’t surprise me. That reeks so heavily of publicity stunt these days that it stinks to high heaven. It’s a way for him to sell CDs, a way to boost Taylor’s popularity and a way to boost Beyonce’s sales as well.
Wholly unsurprising.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 11:34 am ¶
Joy wrote:
I was reading an article that said Serena was behaving in a “threatening manner” and that she advanced with a racket. So I had to see the video – threatening, I thought she was going to be swinging that racket and yelling with a lot of threatening arm movements.
UM, not quite. Not at all. I guess the whole problem was her comments and the cussing. Next time, don’t cuss or say you’ll shove a ball down anyone’s throat and we’ll all be groovy!
See “threatening manner”: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/tennis/09/13/williams.fine.ap/index.html.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 11:41 am ¶
Iggles wrote:
True Blood, in general. Why did they have Eggs pop out the woods like a fugitive slave?
ROTFLMAO!!! Wow, that image is gold. I dislike Eggs with a passion so I really happy how his storyline ended.
I was kind of hoping for a Rene like twist, where Eggs actually was a bit of a baddie, but I’ll take what I can get.
As for Kanye, no words. Wow, stick a fork in him.. Taylor and Beyonce were mucho classy.
As for the Kanye fallout, all the racists twitter, youtube, and message board comments are pissing me off big time! I went on a rant here. And I had a comment flagged on Just Jared.
This is starting to feel like the Prop 8 backlash all over again. Except, in many ways it’s worse because Kanye is one person. Why do the misdeeds of one person have to bring out all the racial slurs and demeaning of an entire group of people??
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 11:47 am ¶
Fiqah wrote:
QUICK SUMMATION: Kanye needs to be taken to task (take it up with the judges, not the winner), Serena’s “outburst” was actually pretty tame (McEnroe built his personal brand on his courtside shenanigans, so he needs to hush), and Mad Men race toe-dipping is fascinating.(Can we confirm if Black man with Betty Draper’s mom was supposed to be Medgar Evars?)
Last but not least, True Blood:
@The Editrix: Can’t decide if I’m madder at you for saying this or at myself for laughing myself into a stupor over it.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 11:55 am ¶
AJ Plaid wrote:
Perhaps the actor is a graduate from Black Acting School?
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 12:18 pm ¶
mahsino wrote:
I think Hollis had some awesome lines in Mad Men last night. I thought it was a way better discussion of race than the blackface debacle of two weeks ago.
Kanye West is the Joe Wilson of the VMAs. That being said I’m still a fan of his music if not the man.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 12:50 pm ¶
honeybrown1976 wrote:
AJ Plaid, haha I love obscure references. Yeah, that one applies perfectly to this case.
They could’ve ended the Eggs storyline much better than they did. As for Kanye, he is an ass and always will be. Granted, I do believe Taylor didn’t deserve the award (it was my first time hearing any song of hers).
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 1:15 pm ¶
jvansteppes wrote:
re: eggs in the woods: And why can’t Tara get a break when it comes to romance? Etc.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 2:09 pm ¶
SarahNicole wrote:
Why did they have Eggs pop out the woods like a fugitive slave?
Way behind in True Blood, and *still* LMAO at this. After a weekend full of stomach flu, felt good to have my abdominal muscles getting a workout from laughter.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 2:12 pm ¶
Lisa J wrote:
It was Medgar Evars. They even mentioned him earlier in the episode when the teacher learned that Sally’s grandfather died and she said it made sense b/c she kept asking lots of questions about Medgar Evars murder. Betty’s mother even said “see this is what you get for speaking out” or something to that affect. I can’t think of any other reason for a black man with a gun shot in the back of his head turning up in Betty’s dream.
I also thought that Hollis’ line to Pete about every job having it’s up’s and down’s was very telling. He didn’t say much, and Medgar didn’t say anything but they both spoke volumes.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 2:16 pm ¶
Jaya wrote:
I’m quite sad Eggs is no more… he was some serious eye candy. He took his shirt off nearly as much as Jason Stackhouse did. True Blood has seriously lost its appeal for me. I mean, I’ll still watch it, and I’m still invested in all the characters (although the Bill/Sookie chemistry is getting stale, imo), but I no longer think Alan Ball is doing something special or inspired here. I did in the first few episodes of the first season. This season was mediocre, but hey, it was fun to watch. I’m beyond curious to know what’s going to happen with Sam’s real parents and what the heck Tara is going to do now. (I hope whatever her plans are they include Jason…)
And about Kanye… man, South Park really had it right about him. He’s got to be the least self-aware person in the entertainment business, except for maybe Jon Gosselin. Taylor Swift looked like a sad lost puppy after he took the mike from her.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 2:40 pm ¶
n wrote:
@AJ Plaid
Oh no. Shit. Im going to get fired for spewing coffee on the monitor and ROFLMAO in here today. The images, oh the images.
Man, Im TIRED. We have an idiot like Kanye and then Serena gets pissed, but you know if one darkie does something its the same as when they all do. So no differentiation between Kanye’s ignorance and Serena’s justifiable, but inappropriate, behavior. It all gets lumped under Black Folk Don’t Know How to Act
Imma go think about black acting school, depressing but still it makes me laugh.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 3:34 pm ¶
Kendra wrote:
@ jvansteppes:
“And why can’t Tara get a break when it comes to romance? Etc.”
Yeah, this has been bugging for a while. She’s like the little black sheep of the main cast . . . literally. And I must say, having Eggs do the dirtiest jobs is quite unfair. Couldn’t Maryanne have forced her manservant to cut out peoples’ hearts? Tara and Eggs did the worst things in my opinion. I mean, who else went cannibal? Who else had sex for the first time in a rather dark and animalistic manner? I mean, I heard some people remarking on Egg’s naked ass, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that the occasion wasn’t a good one to begin with . . .
I hope the next guy is the right one. Arlene went from one weirdo to a hero, so maybe Tara will have a similar experience. But really, the end of Eggs’ story line is going to be so traumatic for her . . . but I guess this will keep her in the main cast.
@ Jaya:
“. . . what the heck Tara is going to do now. (I hope whatever her plans are they include Jason…)”
There will likely be some conflict between Tara and Jason. I mean, the latter did kill Eggs. That probably won’t remain a secret for long. Also, they already tried a romance between them. Not to say that it could never work, but I feel that it’s somewhat unlikely. Also, I wouldn’t mind seeing another guy. Maybe a vampire or something. It’d be cool if Tara got to date an otherworldly being who at least understood the depths of despair that she has had to continuously confront throughout her life.
Lastly, fuck Kanye. He’s the one I always need to separate from whatever amount of his music I enjoy.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 4:07 pm ¶
Roxie wrote:
True Blood:
Sorry y’all Tara’s horrible, bad, very no-good realtionships are not over yet. Kendra, you’re on to something!
Eggs had to die, cause well, he died there in the books. It a totally different way, but he dirtnapped.
Extra info, in the books, Tara is white!
Kanye’s apology got set to music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HVi7PUszZU
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 5:42 pm ¶
bertie wrote:
@trueblood: I kind of feel like AlanBall said effe it and just wrote the last 2 episodes in an hour. The 2nd to last episode had every character doing incredibly stupid and unrealistic things inorder for every one to end up at Sookie’s house under Maryann’s control. Very weak.
I found Kanye’s action really sexist simultaneously on some f’ed up pseudo chivilry bs and on some bully ish. Like he needed to stand up for poor lil Bey by bullying another young woman. Bey ia a big girl and I’m sure wasn’t worried about the loss to Taylor. She def didn’t need captain kanye to come to the rescue. I highly doubt if Pink or anyone else besides an obviously overwhelmed Taylor was on the stage, Kanye would have kept is arse in his seat.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 5:53 pm ¶
bertie wrote:
oops..should be I doubt if Pink was on stage, Kanye would have pulled that stunt.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 5:56 pm ¶
Nathan wrote:
@ Fiqah
“Serena’s “outburst” was actually pretty tame (McEnroe built his personal brand on his courtside shenanigans, so he needs to hush)”
Its worth pointing out that as tame as any of us might think her outburst was, you could tell the line judge was freaked out.
As for Kanye well, nothing beats the irony of so publically complaining that Beyonce missed out on Best Female Video, only for her to go on and get Best Video.
Pity it ended up raining on Beyonce’s parade as well.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 8:23 pm ¶
merq wrote:
Nathan said:
Well, I could tell one of my neighbors was freaked out when she first saw me walking down the hall weeks after I’d moved into my co-op, but that didn’t stop me from wondering what it was she saw in me that caused that reaction.
Fuck her reaction, let’s discuss the action here. Yes, it was out of line (obvious, if unintentional pun), but the seething outrage is totally unwarranted and unprescedented, considering the sport’s history.
She lost the match and was fined $10K, and yet, there’s a chorus of voices swearing that isn’t enough… “she should be banned for a year!” Sound familiar?
When this was initially reported on Gawker, it was under the headline “Serena be ‘Unsportsmanlike’”. It was only after the very first comment on the post called the author out on his racist douchery, that it was renamed “Serena Officially Deemed Unsportsmanlike”.
I believe that says all that needs to be said on the subject.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 10:53 pm ¶
merq wrote:
My bad. Here’s the intended “Serena be” URL.
Posted 14 Sep 2009 at 10:55 pm ¶
ms. four wrote:
I think the problem with True Blood may be when Alan Ball deviates from the books. As someone noted above, Tara and Eggs do exist in the book, but they are minor white characters with hardly any lines until much further into the series. In the book, Eggs is a dumb-as-a-post but gorgeous white boy who briefly dated Sookie in high school. Something like that.
I’m glad Ball expanded on the book to create more black characters, but some of the stuff he wrote–like the voodoo stuff in season one–has no foundation in the book and seems to only reinforce racist stereotypes.
My point is that Ball does a good job with some of the adaptation, but his strength does not seem to be in creating black characters. At least not in this one. Keith in Six Feet Under was pretty awesome.
Posted 15 Sep 2009 at 1:41 am ¶
Scribe wrote:
It seems whenever a black person says or do anything, the media maginifies it 10x more. I didn’t think much about Kanye upstaging Swift, because he’s been at it before with other people, but the reactions displayed after were ridiculous, if not, seething with racial under/over tones.
I like how Serena and her sister keep their heads up throughout all the media bull. It’s funny how a lot of these people in the media and in the public feel it is required that Kanye and Serena must owe an apology, but will not stand firm on Sen. Wilson issuing Obama an apology for his outburst.
Posted 15 Sep 2009 at 2:31 am ¶
Iggles wrote:
Kendra, you said:
“Who else had sex for the first time in a rather dark and animalistic manner?”
You mentioned Arlene in the next line in regards to her dating partners. But Arlene and Terry definitely had first time sex under Maryann’s influence.
I can’t say I’m sorry to see Eggs go. I never liked him. He seemed like a DBR to me. Why didn’t he have a job? (Even Carl had a job!) His crying faces were ridiculous, but I know that has more to do with the actor than the character. All in all, I did not like him for Tara. He leaned on her WAY too much. Why did she have to overlooks all his faults? Cos he’s a brotha?
I’m happy with where Tara is as a character now. It sucks for her to lose someone she “loved” (sorry, their whole relationship unfolded under the influence of Maryann. They never had a real foundation to me, just the illusions). However, I think that angry chip on her shoulder is gone. It kept her accepting love from other peoples. I know in Bon Temps there is always lots of drama, but I’m hopeful for her in season 3!
Posted 15 Sep 2009 at 11:42 am ¶
Iggles wrote:
Scribe, you said:
I like how Serena and her sister keep their heads up throughout all the media bull. It’s funny how a lot of these people in the media and in the public feel it is required that Kanye and Serena must owe an apology, but will not stand firm on Sen. Wilson issuing Obama an apology for his outburst.
Yea! You hit the nail on the head right there! I agree completely.
Posted 15 Sep 2009 at 11:46 am ¶
Lisa J wrote:
@scribe co-sign. It is always different when one of us does it.
Posted 15 Sep 2009 at 1:01 pm ¶
Kendra wrote:
@ Iggles:
“You mentioned Arlene in the next line in regards to her dating partners. But Arlene and Terry definitely had first time sex under Maryann’s influence.”
True, but we didn’t get to see them have sex. There was an entire scene dedicated to Tara and Eggs’ first time. So when they had sex it kind of creeped me out because of all the stuff that was going down at Sookie’s house.
“[Eggs] leaned on her WAY too much. Why did she have to overlooks all his faults? Cos he’s a brotha?”
Yeah . . . I believe they dumbed down a lot of characters this season to make the Maryanne storyline work. Normally Tara is alert and aware of things, but her acceptance of Eggs’ flaws and Maryanne’s weird behavior was a bit much. And seriously, they got Lafayette?!
But I agree with your impression of Eggs. He was just . . . momentary eye candy for me. And there really was nothing to their relationship. It was described perfectly by the song in the end credits. “Down here lies nothing . . . ”
Oh, and while I haven’t read the books I have been told that Tara goes through a couple of bad relationships before finding a nice guy. I really hope she gets to date a non-human. I think that would be exciting.
Posted 15 Sep 2009 at 5:50 pm ¶
anon wrote:
I would be happy to see Tara’s character have a big change after this whole Eggs thing. This whole time, she’s been the “angry and unlovable black woman”, which is damn annoying. She stopped being amusing after episode 2. So maybe this will be a fresh start. Her and Sookie can hang out and she can take a chill pill or something.
Kanye is a dick. End of story. Way to mess with the ~2 minutes of attention on some random but very successful kid you don’t know, who is there to represent a largely underrepresented genre (on MTV) for the first time on national tv. He is a grown man and has no other reason to act that way besides maybe some sort of inferiority complex. I lost respect for him, although he has always been a jerk.
Serena also needs to calm down. She had a reason to be mad and it wasn’t right but I think she would have had a better chance of working things out had she just saved it for a more private rant. She’s certainly not the loon the media is making her out to be, however. She’s just a regular woman who got pissed off. It happens.
Posted 16 Sep 2009 at 4:28 am ¶
Thom wrote:
“Yeah . . . I believe they dumbed down a lot of characters this season to make the Maryanne storyline work. Normally Tara is alert and aware of things, but her acceptance of Eggs’ flaws and Maryanne’s weird behavior was a bit much. And seriously, they got Lafayette?! ”
Actually, that is because no human is strong enough to withstand Maryanne’s influence. The only people immune to her power are supernaturals. So Sookie, Bill and Sam were not able to be overtaken…but humans did not stand a chance.
Posted 16 Sep 2009 at 4:17 pm ¶
Joy wrote:
@Scribe – co-sign, co-sign.
Posted 16 Sep 2009 at 9:34 pm ¶