Because I Often Have Conversations With My Ex By Standing Awkwardly On The Beach

For some reasons, I don’t really feel the need to update that much during the summer. The hit counter slows down as people spend more time outside and less time attempting to avoid work sitting at their desk, and I don’t have nearly as much time to update, with random summer stuff going on, so I just sort of nonchalantly stop updating…

…and then the first death threat comes, and I feel like I should throw something down. This one goes out to Jeff Prugh, whose nasty IM when I got back from Livey’s last night inspired/scared me into getting up a little bit early this morning and doing this.

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I didn’t really watch that much of Laguna Beach during it’s first season, mainly because I didn’t like the idea that they were attempting to both make fun of and make money off of The OC with one show, but you can’t hold out on something this morally shallow and ritzy for that long. Livey and I giddily took in the pre-show and season premiere last night, and apparently, it’s the most popular thing in the world among my circle of friends, both ND and West Shamokin.

I see a commercial for My Super Sweet Sixteen and call Katie up, and as soon as I start saying the date, she calls me out with “Are you watching Laguna Beach?!?! You arrrrrrrre” and begins cackling at me. This, of course, coming from the girl who was “too mature” to watch Real World.

Brendan left me a long rambling message last night about how he can’t wait to hit on Kristin and her posse together when we get back, then confessed his love for LC, who seems kinda lame to me. You’re a hot girl in a bikini, in a Jacuzzi with a guy who just got tossed to the curb by his ex, and you can’t seal the deal? Come on, honey, that would never fly in the Summer Roberts School of Newport.

Shan pointed out how now that we’re out of high school, it helps her reminisce about the good ol’ days, only we weren’t rich and had Wal*Mart and cornfields, as opposed to expensive shops (that had a $607 pair of shoes?!) and beaches.

Kady just broke down with “I hate it…but I love it….I suck at life.”

It’s nice to know that while you may have money, a perfect body and dreamy good looks, it doesn’t help you carry on a conversation or throw a good party where everyone isn’t annoying. Plus, who in the world takes a limousine to go bowling!? You have got to be kidding me.

(And if you don’t think half of the shows success is do to the fact they use “Come Clean” as the theme, then you’re in some sort of denial.)

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Sorry to stay on the MTV reality show angle, but Dill and I really enjoyed Wes way too much on Real World last week to not bring up how he’s gone from “cool frat guy” to “total loser” in two short episodes, maybe one of the quickest turns since Arissa went from “calm, cool and collected” to “completely confused with choosing between Alton and her boyfriend back home” in one back on Las Vegas.

Did you see the last episode, where Wes would repeatedly say how he was going to hook up with all these girls, make no progress and then proclaim “That’s alright, cause I’m going to make out with like thirty of them tomorrow”. Only thing is, he didn’t. Now he’s hanging out and gossiping with Lacey, the house reject. I think the only time I’ve ever agreed with Melinda was when she pointed out that Wes didn’t really have any game to speak of.

And still, she made out with him, and according to Wes, it was for a pretty good amount of time, or to the rest of us, three seconds.

Loves the Real World.

(Did you notice I wouldn’t mind some real shows coming back on? Desperate, OC, Arrested… I’m going crazy here, people.)

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I thought I was going to have to break down Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vs the original Willy Wonka, but thanks to Barcus always hint-hint, nudge-nudging that I need to update this thing, I have the opinion of someone whose actually read Roald Dahl’s book::

mathlete2004: The Original:
Gene Wilder- Hilarious and non-threatingly weird-looking.

mathlete2004: Oompa-Loompas- Non-threatingly weird-looking, docile
The Floating Bubbles Room- worthless
Willy's Office with everything cut in half- awesome

mathlete2004: The New version:
Johnny Depp: Hilarious, slightly sinister and weird looking
The Nut Shelling Room- finally used in the movie...great scene
The songs: used the actually lyrics from the book...genius
The Glass Elevator ride: well done graphically, hilarious at times

mathlete2004: comparatively: Gene Wilder over Johnny Depp, tie between Oompa-Loompas, new songs over old songs, new uncle joe over old uncle joe, new charlie over old charlie, nut room over golden egg room, new chocolate room over old chocolate room, old boat ride over new boat ride, old veruca salt over new veruca salt, old veruca's dad over new veruca's dad, new augustus gloomp over old augustus gloomp, new TV room over old TV room, old ending over new ending

mathlete2004: verdict: each one had it's own strengths so it's hard to say that one is better than the other. I just hope that today's children get the opportunity to watch the old version as well

My opinion was that Tim Burton did a good job with his, but of course, the original is better because it’s Willy Wonka. The biggest difference between Wilder’s Wonka and Depp’s Wonka is that while Wilder’s character is in absolute control the other time, Depp’s Wonka might as well be another kid along for the ride. I’m not saying this is better or worse, just the major difference between them. Major points for Christopher Lee as the creepy dentist dad.

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When Tina went up to New York to see Wicked a few weekends back, I meant to point out how proud I was of here. We Wilsons like to do it up big, so taking a one-day bus trip to Broadway and buying a 300-dollar orchestra seat is the kind of thing that can make a brother who made an eleven-hour pilgrimage to the Grand Ole Opry to see Norah proud.

Tina’s been on a Wicked kick for months now, and with good reason, as it’s a fun concept with some great songs on the soundtrack. She also managed to download an illegally videoed copy of the actual musical, and after watching it, I can say that while the second act is a little bit scattered and doesn’t have the musical merits of the first (“Popular”, “What is This Feeling?” and “Defy Gravity” are a pretty powerful middle of the order), it’s definitely a great performance I’d have no qualms with going out to Chicago to see, except for one minor issue:

The lead, Elphaba/The Wicked Witch of the West, is played by SNL vet Ana Gasteyer. I’m not sure if I could look around that.

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But, I’ve ran out of time, so we’ll have to push Bucco baseball and the first inklings of football references back until next time. Wedding Crashers, round two, for me tonight. Hope everyone has a lovely week as our summer slowly winds down to a close.