Pop Culture Memo

On “Jane By Design” Being a Teenager is Hard

March 5, 2012

“Jane By Design” is the latest offering in the “being a teenager is hard” genre. On this ABC Family show, Jane Quimby (Erica Dasher) finds it tough because at her high school, she is a social and romantic outcast.

Read the full article →

‘Spartacus:Vengeance’: It’s Back and Bloodier Than Ever

February 25, 2012

In a past review, I’ve argued that one of the strengths of the “Spartacus” franchise is its ability to push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable viewing. But now that it has done that over one season and a prequel, has it lost its impact?

Read the full article →

“Downton Abbey” returns for another season of upstairs, downstairs drama.

February 10, 2012

In season two of “Downton Abbey,” we rejoin the Crawley household in the midst of World War I. If you haven’t been watching this Emmy award winning British drama series, the crisis that sets it in motion is one of inheritance.

Read the full article →

“Work It” Doesn’t Work

January 9, 2012

Lee Standish (Ben Koldyke), a former top salesman has been unemployed for a year. After he overhears that a pharmaceutical company is hiring female sales staff, he impersonates a woman and is hired when he shows impressive knowledge of the company’s products.

Read the full article →

The Worst TV Characters of 2011

January 3, 2012

For this year’s “worst list,” I want to focus on characters that drove me crazy because frankly, I need to vent. This is not a list of “love to hate them” characters like the delightfully vicious Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe) on “Revenge.” This is a catalog of the characters that I really, actually hate. The ones who annoy me to the point that upon seeing them in a scene, I swear that I will abandon the show forever

Read the full article →

I Could Do That. Making Art Accessible on “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist”

December 20, 2011

For many people, contemporary and abstract art is inaccessible. Its often conceptual nature is sometimes difficult to embrace. “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist” works hard to change this.

Read the full article →

The Personal is Political on “All American Muslim”

December 12, 2011

On series television, there are very few representations of Muslim characters that don’t have sinister intentions or aren’t caught up in terrorist plots. On shows including “24,” “NCIS” and “Sleeper Cell,” Muslim characters are more likely to commit an act of violence while Islam is often depicted as a challenge to Western values and a threat to the West’s economic and political interests. “All American Muslim,” a new reality show on TLC, offers its own challenge by trying to give television viewers a new perspective.

Read the full article →

Real Medical Drama, Stat!

December 5, 2011

In my sleep deprived state I randomly chose an episode that I soon realized was about a face transplant. (Word of advice: Do not watch real medical procedures that involve removing faces as a sleep aide). While the episode didn’t help my insomnia, it did remind me that reality television has the potential to inspire.

Read the full article →

To: “Say Yes to the Dress”

November 29, 2011

No matter what you think of the televised Kardashian wedding spectacular and its equally spectacular crash and burn, the media coverage it generated benefited from the powerful idea that a wedding is one day where a woman’s fantasies and dreams come true. This dream has a big platform in reality television shows that feature wedding planners, lavish weddings, budget weddings, weddings planned by grooms and most importantly, wedding dresses.

Read the full article →