FINAL BLOG- A mostly opinionated rant on CSI

Hello everyone that probably won't be reading this considering we don't have to comment on it. I was thinking about CSI: Miami. I don't really watch it but if my parents are watching it or I have a gun to my head forcing my eyes open I will tune in. I am just kidding it's not that bad. But, there are two things that bug me about the show.

The first is the concept. It is a show about solving crimes from crime scenes in Miami where the CSI people get Hummers apparently. They solve some of the most difficult crimes. Now, I KNOW there is some psycho serial murderer watching this show taking notes on what the hardest crimes were to solve by the CSI crew. He will then use this information to terrorize some poor city. If that happens I say we put the producers in jail.

The second thing that bugs me about CSI: Miami is Horatio Cane. Need I say more? Summarization: dramatic close up, first part of dramatic witty statement, sunglasses put on, second part of dramatic witty statement, and then finally the "YEAAAAAH!!!" audio clip. His acting just bugs me. It reminds me of William Shatner sort of.

One other thing I thought of is how much sex they use in that show. It's always a dead hooker or something of the sort when they are solving the crime. All in all, it may not be a terrible show but I don't really like it and Horatio bugs me the most.

As this is my last blog of the semester, I would like to thank all the people that read my blogs. It has had its ups and downs. There were some weeks where I had to stop myself so I didn't write too much and there were some weeks where I couldn't think of anything. I tried my best to make your mandatory blog reading entertaining. Well, since I just watched the Star Trek clip, all I can think to say is thank you, of course, and Live long and prosper!

The Future of Newspapers

It is EVERYONE's favorite form of media- Newspapers! Wait....what? To tell you the truth, it isn't. With the advances in technology over the years, waking up and reading the newspaper with your morning coffee is becoming a thing of the past. With more than 1 billion personal computers being used worldwide, most of them in the United States, Western Europe, and Japan, many people have internet access.

All of you reading this have some form of internet access. Many people have more than one laptop in their homes. There are many websites on the internet that have up-to-the-minute news. Some of these websites are Google News, Yahoo! News, and CNN.com. National sports news can be found at espn.com. Even local newspapers such as The Valley City Times Record and The Minot Daily News have websites that include much of the same information that is in the paper.

So, with all these online resources for news, it brings up the question "What is the point of buying a subscription to a newspaper if you can get all of the information online?" A few cases come to mind. When I was growing up, we got a newspaper subscription for the sole purpose to read about the local sports with the hopes to see an article about the Gleburn High School sports teams that my brothers and I were a part of. We would then cut these articles out and send them to my grandma where she would scrapbook them. Along with scrapbookers, some people that would prefer to subscribe to a newspaper would be the small percentage of people that don't have internet access at home, people who just prefer the paper, or maybe someone who likes to use the newspaper, not only for news, but for special crafts.

It is this population of people that is barely keeping newspapers alive. Many newspapers such as The Rocky Mountain News that we learned about in class have shut down. So, what do you think? What is the future of newspapers? I, personally, think they are going to be nearly obsolete in a couple of decades.

Red Red Blue Greeeen Red Red Blue Greeeen

It was the most revolutionary game I had ever seen when it first came out. You could actually play music with a guitar-shaped controller which interacted with the video crowd. What was this miraculous game? GUITAR HERO

Yes, the original Guitar Hero took the world by storm in 2005. It was first published by Red Octane and distributed by Activision. The original game included one guitar controller with a chord and the game. The controller has five colored fret buttons and a strum bar. The objective of the game is to complete popular rock songs from different decades by strumming the strum bar and matching up the notes on the fret buttons to the rythm of the song. Different difficulties are available so any experienced or lack of experience player can play. Also, you could rock out alone or with a friend in co-op mode where one person picks the lead guitar part while the other person picks rythm guitar or bass (depending on the song).

Well that was all fine and dandy, but NOW Guitar Hero has become HUGE. After the original Guitar Hero was made, Guitar Hero 2 was created and retrieved even more success and has sold about 3 million copies to date (the original only sold 1.5 million copies). After that, a small expansion game called Guitar Hero Encore: Rock The 80's came out and did okay. That was when Red Octane was bought by Activision for $100 million. They left their previous developer Harmonix to be purchased by MTV Networks to make Rockband.

After being bought by Activision, Guitar Hero took off with a bang. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock came in bundles featuring a wireless guitar for more spastic rocking and even featured real rockers like Slash and Tom Morello to battle against along with better graphics. Needless to say, the game was awesome. It was the first single game to exceed $1 billion in total sales.

From there Guitar Hero made expansion Aerosmith game to feature many of their songs. After that, they released Guitar Hero World Tour in 2008. This was the first game in the series to come with a four player band capability. This includes a microphone and a drumset along with the guitar and bass. This game also lets you control the real rockers in the game including rockers such as Jimi Hendrix. The latest game to come from the Guitar Hero family is an expansion game featuring Metallica songs aptly titled Guitar Hero: Metallica.

The Guitar Hero series has sold more than 25 million units worldwide. It is truly one of the best video game series of our generation. I am excited to see what else they come up with.

Aside from being a great game to play I think this game has served more than one purpose. Because of this game, many of our younger children are introduced to music from different generations. Also, if the kid is anything like me they grow an actual interest in music and not just the game. After a year or two of playing Guitar Hero I wanted to do more. That is when I picked up a real guitar and started learning different fingerings for different chords. That was almost two years ago and I still enjoy playing Guitar Hero as well when I get the chance.

There you have it. Guitar Hero. It is one of the greatest games of our generation. It's fun and interactive and, who knows, maybe it will inspire you to become a real guitar hero.

Weblogs on the Space Machine

Yes. This week I am doing a blog on blogs. The term blog comes from "weblog." Blogs, as you should know, are websites with many entries written about anything, usually a certain subject, displayed in reverse chronological order. Embedded in these entries are usually pictures and links to other websites and blogs.

Now, it's time for a little history about blogs. One of the people credited for being a pioneer of blogging is Justin Hall. He started writing on his "online diary" in 1994! This was three years before the term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger. Justin's early blogging was happening five years before the term "blog" was coined by Peter Merholz in 1999. He began blogging at Swarthmore College.

Around 1999, blogging increased drastically in popularity. In 1998, Open Diary was created. This created thousands of online diaries which initiated the user comment section. This is used quite frequently these days in blogs (look down there V). This wonderful website I am using to write this blog, was launched in 1999 by Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan. It was then bought out by google in 2003 (probably making Evan and Meg jillionaires).

As of December 2007, Technorati was tracking more than 112 million blogs. I started this blog in 2009 so that number has had to have grown by at least one (probably many, many more). Also according to Technorati, the number one blog is written by Arianna Huffington and can be found here.

Now, for you people that believe everything you see on the internet, blogs aren't always credible sources. People can write whatever they want. They usually incorporate their opinions in what they say. So don't believe everything you hear.

Well, that is all I have to say about blogs. If you are looking for a very fun, interesting, hip, descriptive blog try looking at this one.

Video Killed the Radio Star

Now that I have your attention with that annoying song, I can make my point. What is the most under-rated medium? Well, in my opinion, I think it is radio. Just think about it. What medium can you buy one receiver for and get ENDLESS amount of information from for FREE until that receiver dies? RADIO.

Now, many people, me included, think that radio is a dying technology. With things like television, mp3 players, and more advanced things like the iphone, why on earth would we need to listen to the radio? In my opinion, radio stations feed the masses with overplayed mainstream music filled with commercials. But, as I said earlier, IT'S FREE. With the push of a button, you get access to thousands of songs, news reports, and talk shows. On itunes, the average song you would listen to on the radio would cost $.99. Cable television where you can get news and talk shows, would cost you somewhere around $40 bucks a month.

Therefore, I stand by my choice of radio as the most under-rated medium there is. For the price of a receiver, you can get news, sports, talk shows, and all kinds of music. Also, in emergency situations, you can get special up-to-the-minute news bulletins. For example, this past Friday I was in Valley City moving people out of the dorms because of the flood and we heard that we were not supposed to use the water because of the sewer system. We flipped on the radio and, sure enough, they were talking about it right that minute. Plus, they don't have very important scheduled programs so that they can have news updates right when they happen.

So, are you short on your buck? Are you all out of money on your itunes card? Flip on the old-fashioned radio and jam for free!

Welcome to YouTube....

YouTube star Bo Burnham sang it best- "Welcome to YouTube"

Well that pretty much sums it up, have a good week. Oh, wait, I have 279 words more to type. Yes, we have given the "OK" to stray away from our topics in Understanding Media and Social Changes so I will NOT be writing on sitcoms this week. I know, you are all crushed.

We all know about YouTube. It is a website that let's you put videos on it. You can put whatever you want on it (as long as there is no nudity and other rules). Personally, I think it is AWESOME. I can get lost watching random videos for hours! It has everything from music videos to political videos to whatever this is.

Now I will present some researched information that I found. The most viewed video ever on YouTube is The Evolution of Dance which, according to my last refresh, has 117,581,481 views. That is a LOT! Now on the other end of the spectrum there are very poorly viewed videos such as my Public Relations video which now has 15 views. Woohoo!

The most subscribed user on YouTube is Fred. He is a fifteen year old kid who plays the character Fred Figglehorn- a 6 year old kid who uses his mom's video camera to make videos and post them on YouTube. He has 1, 031, 781 subscribers (I am NOT a subscriber of Fred. I cannot stand him, just to make that clear.).

YouTube is a great resource for when you need a video to learn about something or just to have fun. It is taking the world by storm ranking as one of the top visited websites on the internet. It is a great way to get your voice heard and to see what other people are interested in. As I stated earlier I think it is AWESOME and it is one of my favorite websites. If you wanted to know, my favorite YouTube user is Bo Burnham (warning: questionable lyrics).

Well, that's all I got......... and boom goes the dynamite.

The Big Bang Theory.......no not the one from science class

The Big Bang Theory is one of the funniest new shows on television. I have spent nights this week staying up until 4 a.m. watching the seasons of it. It is not your typical sitcom. This show is about a very pretty girl named Penny (Kaley Cuoco) who moves in across from the hall from two geeky scientists, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons). Also visiting often are Leonard and Sheldon's geeky scientist friends Howard (Simon Helberg) and Raj (Kunal Nayyar).

This show might be the smartest show on television, as you can tell from some of Sheldon's jokes. In some internet blogging I have seen it deemed as "Frasier goes to college." This is referring to how it uses intellectual humor kind of like the show Frasier, but, is also young and, dare i say, "hip" (yikes I am turning into my dad). Now, if you are worried about watching an "intellectual" show, don't be. It is not all art, literature, and wine like Frasier. When the guys aren't making physics jokes they are talking about comic books, science fiction, or video games.

The whole show revolves around these geniuses outside of the lab. Penny from across the hall is the normal factor in the show. She is just an average intelligence, gorgeous girl who befriends the guys and their jokes go WAY over her head.

I really enjoy this show. Some of my inner nerd comes out while watching it. I think it is a very creative new show (it started in 2007). Many sitcoms these days and in years past have just been about "normal" people. This sitcom takes a look into what could be a group of "nerds" that are friends. Some don't like the show because of the nerd stereotype, but I think it is all done in good fun while being hilarious.

Well, I hope you go watch The Big Bang Theory if you haven't seen it before. I am sorry for not having any links for you to go watch it. I was looking around CBS's website and I could not find any full episodes. I am sure it is somewhere on the internet.

I hope you enjoyed this blog and, to all you ladies, as Raj would say .......

(please tell me someone got that joke)

Opening Doors for Movie Stars in Bel Air

Iiiiiiin West Philadelphia born and raised... yes, most of us know that catchy little tune by heart. It has been nearly 19 years since the first episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired featuring one of the most successful actors of our generation. Will Smith can thank The Fresh Prince for much of his success. Without him we may not have even heard of him. Right before he signed a contract with NBC to do the show, he was nearly bankrupt, as he underpaid his income taxes early in his career as a rapper. He owed the IRS 2.8 million dollars.

If you haven't seen the show, I suggest you do so immediately. Basically, it is about a hoodlum from West Philly who moves in with his Aunt's family in their mansion in Bel-Air. It is mainly a comedy although there are scenes that are more of the drama genre. Watching it, you only get a taste of what you would see in Will Smith's acting later in his career.

The show ended in 1996. From there on he went to feature films. He has been in many hit films such as Independence Day, Men in Black, Hitch,I Am Legend, and Seven Pounds. He received an Oscar nomination for best actor in his role in the movies Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.

Will Smith is the only actor to have eight films in a row where he was the lead actor to gross over $100 million domestic at the box office. He is also the only actor to have eight consecutive films to open at #1 on the domestic box office.

Will Smith is one of the most successful actors of our time. He is also one of my favorite (not purely comedic) actors. He is turning 41 this year (I was surprised to hear that) and I am sure he has more great movies to come. I am sure Will Smith is very thankful to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for giving him a chance to be put out there and get a fan base.

Well, that is all I have to say. He is one of the biggest successes of an actor going from a sitcom to the big screen, now, get out of my house.

Going down to South Park gonna have ourselves a time..........

South Park.

I got a text from my brother on Wednesday reminding me to watch the new episode of South Park. It was the season premiere. South Park has been around for 13 seasons! It is so hard to believe that this show premeired in 1997 when I was NINE! That is a little younger than the main characters in the show.

If you haven't seen the show, it revolves around a group of four friends (Pictured from left to right: Kyle, Cartman, Stan, and Kenny). The show follows their everyday life, which is way more exciting than any fourth grader's life. In earlier episodes, South Park tended to revolve around more outrageous circumstances such as aliens in the first episode "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe." In the past years, the episodes have been more satirical. Many of the episodes point out fads or other popular culture such as the World of Warcraft craze and the "Metrosexual" fad (both of these episodes along with every other episode ever created can be watched in their entirety on southparkstudios.com, pretty cool, huh?).

Because of the computer animation creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker use, an episode of South Park can be made in a week. Actually, last season, season 12 episode 12 "About Last Night" depicted Barack Obama winning the presidential election just 23 hours after he actually won the election. This shows how fast these episodes can be made which, I believe, is the reason they are such a hit. South Park was named 12th best TV show in the past 25 years by Entertainment Weekly.

One of the reasons for South Park's success over the years has been their ability to push the envelope. No one is spared (Jews, blacks, asians, and gays alike) in these potty mouth boys' dialog (especially Cartman) and in the rest of the show. Some extreme episodes in the past have been "The Passion of the Jew" where Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" convinces Cartman that he is to exterminate the Jews. Another is "It Hits the Fan" where the "S-H word" is used, unedited, 162 times.

South Park is either a love it or hate it show. As it has a huge fan following, there are probably just as many that oppose it. Either way, it is the most popular show on Comedy Central and single-handedly put Comedy Central in the TV spotlight. So, those that have seen it, do you love it or do you hate it? For those that haven't seen it, go here to make an educated guess!

Sitcoms and the Internet

Okay, let us jump in the time machine children. We are going back ALL the way to 1998 (hard to believe it has been 11 years, huh?). It was around this time when I, personally, saw my first video from the new-fangled internet on an imac computer (wow i laughed at all the "features" of the imac- Plays audio CDs!). The video was a downloaded clip of a music video for the song Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) by The Offspring. I remember it took FOREVER to download and when we saw the fuzzy picture of the music video playing on the computer we went nuts- how innovative. Jump back in the time machine.

We have arrived back to 2009. I have missed my favorite sitcom of all time- "The Office" for some reason or another. Back in 1998 this would have been a problem. If I hadn't set the VCR (remember those things) timer to record, I would have been screwed, wait for a rerun I guess. But no, a couple weeks ago I missed the new episode of "The Office." It is dissappointing not seeing it right when it airs, but, has become a regular occurrence because of my busy schedule. Nowadays, all I have to do is wake up the next morning (it takes a night to get it on the website, i guess), go on to my computer, go to http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/, click on the new episode, sit back and enjoy.

WHAT A BRILLIANT INVENTION! It takes maybe 15 seconds (with a decent internet connection) to load and there are only like 5 commercials in the WHOLE 22-MINUTE EPISODE! This has revolutionized the way I watch sitcoms. There have been weeks where I have went without turning on my TV at all. I simply switch from nbc.com and southparkstudios.com and that gives me enough television entertainment without the hassle of long commercial breaks.

However, with all of these television shows almost immediately streaming on the internet, how will the shows get the viewers they once had? Also, what's the point of buying cable if your favorite shows are easily accessed to the internet? It will only be a matter of time until we find out. I'm sure it will be a SHAMWOW of a problem for the cable companies and advertisers.

(If you think I'm crazy for saying shamwow look at my previous post on catchphrases, thanks.)

Whatchutalkinbout Zack?

What's the high-point of some sitcoms but never actually happens in real life? -catchphrases

What is a catchphrase? thefreedictionary.com describes it as "a well-known phrase or slogan associated with a particular entertainer or other celebrity." In a sitcom this would be Gary Coleman in Different Strokes saying "Whatchutalkinbout" or everyone in the Cheers yelling "Norm!"

There were many great sitcom catchphrases in the last few decades but this fad seems to be dying out (with some exceptions). I remember the glory days of television sitcom catchphrases. Back in my day, one of my early favorite television sitcoms was Family Matters. Who can forget Steve Urkel's famous question "Did I do that?" after doing horrendous damage to the Winslow house or making some other wacky mistake? This was a pretty famous catchphrase for a guy who was only supposed to be a one-shot character.

Or, for you old folks out there, who can forget "sit on it" from Happy Days. From my research, this catchphrase seemed to be used by the whole gang on the show. However, I believe that it was first used by the Fonz. It was a nice way to say "screw you."

What is your favorite catchphrase? Being a The Office fanatic, I would have to say that my favorite MODERN catchphrase is "That's what she said." When I was younger watching reruns on TV Land, my favorite was "Whatchutalkinbout Willis?"

I love sitcom catchphrases and I miss the days where you could flip on the TV and hear one of these gems in a matter of minutes. I think that more sitcom catchphrases should make a comeback. In fact, I think every single person should come up with their own signature catchphrase. It could slowly make the world a better, more exciting place to live. I think my new catchphrase will be "Shamwow!"

Happy Twentieth Season

What was going on 20 years ago? Bush was just entering the White House.....no, George H.W. Bush. The Berlin wall fell, Pete Rose was banned from baseball, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became an overnight sensation, I was in diapers, and some of you were still forming into humans.

Well believe it or not 20 years ago, the same year Ted Bundy was executed in an Electric Chair, was the first season of "The Simpsons." Yes, the longest American primetime entertainment series of all time debuted on December 17, 1989. Now in their 20th season, as of September 28th, "The Simpsons" has racked up numerous awards including 24 Emmy awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

I assume you have all seen and heard of "The Simpsons' but, if you haven't, go to this website.

So all of this brings up the question, "why has The Simpsons lasted so long?" Well, that's because it is animated. Let's think about some of the reasons sitcoms starring people don't last half as long as "The Simpsons." 1) The kids get too old and un-cute. This does not apply with “The Simpsons” whose kids have actually gotten better looking since the earliest episodes. 2) The stars aren’t quitting their sitcom to move on to the silver screen. However, America’s favorite yellow, four-fingered family did test out the move scene with The Simpsons Movie in 2007.

So there you have it folks, in theory, “The Simpsons should be able to live until the voices of the characters go mute and the writers completely run out of ideas. Until then, we should be able to look forward to a half-hour of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and all the rest of the Springfield Community every Sunday night. Who knows how much longer this sitcom dynasty will last?

"Here Comes the Big One"

The sitcom I am writing about this week is in honor of Black History Month. "Sanford and Son" was the first successful African-American sitcom in television history.

Redd Foxx(photo left) and Demond Wilson (photo right) starred as the historic father-son duo, Fred and Lamont Sanford for six seasons from 1972-1977. They played partners in a salvage business. Fred was the boss of the salvage business who did least of the work. He was a very stubborn, colorful character who often expressed bigoted views against puerto ricans, whites, and other minorities. Lamont did most of the work and often had to call on his father to get tasks done. All he ever wanted was peace and his privacy. He often considered leaving his dad to take on more meaningful work, but, whenever he threatened to, Fred would fake a heart attack and spew out a catchphrase, such as, "Oh, this time it's real! I'ma comin' Elizabeth."(This refers to seeing his dead wife, Elizabeth, in Heaven)

Many of you have probably seen this show. It is not quite as old as "I Love Lucy" so I won't go into more detail about the plot of "Sanford and Son." What I didn't know about "Sanford and Son," is that it is based off of a BBC sitcom that ran for a good chunk of the 1960's called "Steptoe and Sons." It is considered by some as Britain's best sitcom.

"Sanford and Son" was a great sitcom. In 2007 it was recognized by Time as one of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time." More importantly than that, however, it opened the doors to many other African-American Sitcoms. It was a new idea at that time having a "black man" running his mouth about other races. Some content of the show is even considered too controversial (Warning: Derogatory Racial Language) to be shown on network TV now. Without "Sanford and Son," who knows if we would have the great sitcoms we have had ever since, such as, "The Jeffersons," "The Cosby Show," "Family Matters," and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Therefore, we salute you Fred and Lamont Sanford for being pioneers of African-Americans on television.

Happy Black History Month, ya big dummies!

The Beginning of Sitcoms

Luuuuuuucy, I'm hooooome!

It is one of the most recognizable quotes of any sitcom ever. This comes from the 1950s sitcom "I Love Lucy." In 1951 Cuban-born producer Desi Arnaz produced and starred as Enrique "Ricky" Ricardo in one of the first successful television sitcoms of television history. Playing the role of his wife, Lucy, was his real-life wife Lucille Ball.

The plot was simple Ricky was the struggling band leader while Lucy was the ditzy housewife that got herself into some crazy situations. It seems like a simple show, but, it blazed the way for many other sitcoms. It set the standard for how other sitcoms would be made. It was also the first sitcom to be taped on film in front of a live audience, using a three-camera technique.

Along with setting the standard of sitcoms for years to come, "I Love Lucy" was helpful in bringing women into the spotlight. In a time where women were stay at home mothers and wives in the shadow of men, it was a new concept watching a television show with a woman as the lead.

Another thing that was put in the spotlight was an interracial couple. Every episode featured the Latino Ricky and the Caucasian Lucy. It was a time where interracial couples were much less common. It was revolutionary to see that couple showing that they love eachother every week.

One more ground breaking thing shown on "I Love Lucy" was Lucy's pregnancy. Whoops! I mean "expectant" (CBS decided to call Lucy "expectant" rather than "pregnant" because "expectant" was a nicer word). Lucille Ball was pregnant in real-life and producers wrote it into the show. This was never before seen on TV.

"I Love Lucy" lasted six seasons. Television enthusiasts love "Lucy." It has lasted through time as one of the favorite sitcoms as all time. Little did Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball know, they were pioneering the way sitcoms were to be made from then on.

A Very Brady Blog

Here's a story, of a lovely lady, who was bringing up three very lovely girls. All of them had hair of gold, like their mother, the youngest one in curls. Oh yes, it is that infectious tune that I, hopefully, have stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

The Brady Bunch was a favorite of mine growing up. However, over the years, one thing became clearer to me: They are too perfect. Hopefully some of you younger kids have seen The Brady Bunch on TV Land so you know what I am talking about.

First of all, after the theme song, there is the classic shot of the Brady house. Next, the camera would zoom into a setting such as the lawn where the kids are playing in the lush green grass. As Mike Brady is just getting back from his work as an architect, he drives up the long driveway in his 1971 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible (or one of the other four muscle cars he must have hid in that one-car garage along with the family station wagon over the five seasons) the kids, Carol, and Alice all go out to see him. Within the first minute, we can see that this is not your present-day sitcom.

These people were squeaky clean. After both Mike and Carol's first spouses passed away (suicide maybe?) they found each other. They got married and from then on the eight of them (nine with Alice, ten with cousin Oliver) were a big happy family until the show was cancelled. Not once was there ever the "You aren't my real mom" argument. However, there was a little sibling rivalry here and there. In 117 episodes "sex" was muttered only twice, only one of the boys got kissed on screen (Bobby), and they did not even have a toilet in the bathroom due to censors.

I love The Brady Bunch but I don't believe it would survive in this day and age. It just goes to show you that TV has resorted to more sex, violence, and obscenities over the years. A sitcom about a happy family with a lady with three lovely girls and a man busy with three boys of his own just wouldn't cut it anymore.

A Little Lesson In Love From Sitcoms

You are flipping through the channels in the afternoon and what do you see? Sitcoms! My last post must have been deceptive. Many people thought that this semester I would be writing only on the US versus UK version of "The Office." However, this was never intended (as this would get redundant and boring). This semester I will be writing my blogs on Sitcoms.

Now, watching sitcoms any odd afternoon, one can gather some tips in their love life. For example, if you watch "The King of Queens" or "Still Standing," you will learn that opposites attract. In both of these shows, very beautiful women are married to overweight, yet, comical slobs.

These men, also tend to screw up on a day-to-day basis. Once the woman communicates to the man he has messed up, the man always does the right thing to make his wife happy again. By the end of the episode, everything is right with the world.

As a man that doesn't get all the ladies, this would give you hope that there is a woman out for you too: A beautiful woman who doesn't seem to care that you haven't worked out since college, a gorgeous woman who will let you sit on the couch and watch football all day with your friends, and a stunning woman who will allow you to mess up every week and never threaten to divorce you. Oh, and did I mention she is very attractive?

As a very attractive woman, this should show you that maybe your idea of an ideal man with rugged good looks and boyish charm may not be the way to go. Maybe there is a guy out there who may not have all the looks but will do whatever it takes to make you happy. So ladies, consider picking up a fat dumb slob. Who knows, maybe they will make a sitcom based on you?

The Office vs. The Office UK

By now, most of you have heard about the hit sitcom "The Office."(full episodes from season five can be watched here) It is a "mockumentary" on a group of workers who live out their everyday lives on camera. Only, their lives are very entertaining. Office romances flare up, pranks are pulled, and hilarity ensues. "The Office" is a personal favorite of my family, we quote it everyday. I have seen every episode numerous times, but, that is a different story.

What some people don't know, is that "The Office" is actually based off of a hit BBC series of the same name. The series ran for three seasons from 2001-2003. Ricky Gervais starred in the UK version of "The Office" and is now a writer and creator of the American version that has outlasted the original (it is now on its fifth season).

While looking through video comments on numerous videos from "The Office" on YouTube I came across many people arguing which is better: the American or UK version of "The Office?" From what I have found, both have their own pros and cons.

The UK version
Pros

• It is the original.
• The people are more realistic looking.

Cons

• Working class British accents are hard for Americans to understand.
• The people aren't as good looking. (Superficial? I know.)

The US version

Pros

• Very talented cast including Steve Carell
• Cast is warm and charismatic (And tan!)

Cons

• Not quite as realistic

Although they both have their pros and cons, I believe that it should not be a battle between which show is better, but rather we should appreciate how the American version has brought this beautiful masterpiece into our lives. I had not even heard of "The Office" before 2005 and now, sadly, I don't think I can live without it. Also, we should appreciate the UK version for the great plot and storyline. Either way, if you haven't seen either of the versions of "The Office" I urge you to go watch them (I recommend renting the seasons so you can watch them all the way through). Oh, and if you do not like "The Office," you just wasted a few minutes of your life reading this. Sorry.