Believe me, I’m as shocked as anybody by this week’s object of our Fangirly affection. For most of this season I’ve been crushing on another Mindy Project dreamboat, Danny Castellano (Chris Messina), who is probably the toughest OB/GYN on TV. But this week, it was the show’s adorably doofy nurse Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) who caught my eye. What can I say, I have a thing for clueless guys in scrubs. Am I totally alone here, or is this guy bringing it, in all the weirdest ways?
-Whitney
I watched the pilot of NBC’s Munsters remake Mockingbird Lane on a whim, but less than 20 minutes in I was ready to add it to my DVR lineup. Obviously it was far from perfect, but I thought it showed a lot of promise. That being said, I was devastated when I heard that the chances of NBC picking the show up for a full season was pretty much non-existent. In an effort to quell the fangirlish rage in my heart, I compiled a list of reasons why this show should be given a chance.
1) The friggen cast!
Listen NBC, if you’re lucky enough to get Jerry O’Connell, Eddie Izzard, Charity Wakefield, and Portia de Rossi on screen together, at least be smart enough to realize you’re sitting on a comedy goldmine! That’s like locking A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, and Kevin Richardson in a recording studio and telling them not to make a hit record (look it up, kids). Next time you axe a show after one episode, make sure it doesn’t star some of the coolest people in show business. Nerds.
2) It’s better than the actual Munsters
Yeah, I said it. Bryan Fuller and Bryan Singer took a cheesy 60’s sitcom and gave it some actual substance! I for one was totally intrigued by the way the characters interacted with each other. For example, what was the deal with all the thinly veiled tension between Grandpa (Eddie Izzard) and Marilyn (Charity Wakefield)? And how is Eddie going to handle the knowledge that his family tree is populated by things that go bump in the night? All good questions that may never be answered.
3) It’s time to take a risk, NBC
Haven’t you heard? Quirky is the new black! Viewers are looking for something different, which explains why ABC’s Once Upon a Time was the surprise hit of last season. And no offence, but your lineup consists of reality shows, family dramas, procedural cop shows and goofy sitcoms. Maybe it’s time to mix things up a little.
What were your thoughts on Mockingbird Lane? Tell us if you think it’s worth saving in our comment section!
-Whitney
We’ve had TGIF, Must See Thursday, and One Saturday Morning, but is the current best night of television. After exhaustive hours spent doing research for this study, I feel safe in declaring Tuesday the best night of television.
First, let’s look at the close runner-up and former champ: Thursday. It is still fighting a good fight, but where I used to not have enough DVR capabilities to get in everything I wanted and I couldn’t wait to get home and watch it all, I’m feeling a bit more ambivalent. I enjoy watching 30 Rock and The Vampire Diaries and I still rush home for Parks and Recreation, but this is not the “Must See” night that it used to be.
Dethroning the once great Thursday is the quick and scrappy Tuesday. It’s appeal may come from the fact that all of the shows I am loving are still fresh and only in their first or second season (with the exception of Happy Endings in its third). Let’s look at my personal lineup: Raising Hope, Hart of Dixie, Ben and Kate, New Girl, Happy Endings, Emily Owens, M.D., and The Mindy Project. All of these have something to get excited about and are showing great promise.
So what night of TV is getting you most excited? Are you Team Tuesday?
-Ellen
We are officially well into the fall TV season, so we thought we would let you know which of the new shows we are are still digging.
Whitney’s Picks:
The Mindy Project (Fox): Called it! We told you that this show was going to rule, and so far, it has. Usually, shows about clueless women in the workplace (I’m looking at you, Ally McBeal) really annoy me, but Kaling’s Mindy is funny enough to pull it off. Plus, I feel I’ve found a kindred fictional spirit in Mindy, as she seems to be as rom-com obsessed as I am. Mindy, you totally complete me.
Last Resort (ABC): In all honesty, I can’t be sure if this show is actually as awesome as I think, or if I’m just so freakin’ grateful to have Scott Speedman back in my life that my judgment has been compromised. Time will tell. If you’re not already watching this show, think of it as Hunt for Red October sans Cold War backdrop. Are you asleep yet, ladies? If so, let me direct you attention to this picture of Mr. Speedman. Are you back with me? Good.
Mockingbird Lane (NBC): Honestly, my hopes were not high for this Munsters remake, but thanks to the combined talents of Eddie Izzard, Portia de Rossi, Jerry O’Connell, Charity Wakefield, and writer Bryan Fuller (of Pushing Daisies fame), I’m now totally on board. If I can’t have Ned and Chuck, I’ll gladly take the Munsters.
Ellen’s Picks:
Nashville (ABC): I have noticed that the only dramas that I am drawn to are crazy over-the-top and scandalous, and Nashville fits in quite nicely. There are all sorts of sexual politics, real politics, shady business dealings, family drama, bedroom eyes over microphones, and country music (which in and of itself is pretty dramatic). And I can’t get enough!
Ben & Kate (Fox): Definitely my favorite new comedy. It is sweet, charming, and hilarious. I can already tell that I am going to enjoy watching Ben and Tommy and their crazy antcis, B.J.’s dating lessons for Kate, the sibling love/rivalry between Ben and Kate, and the potential couplings that could ensue. Not to mention, that little girl is adorable.
Emily Owens, M.D. (CW): It has now been decided and proven that I have to add one schlocky show to my roster with every new season of television (see Hart of Dixie last year). Regardless of the schlock, I still love to watch them. Also well documented is my love of complicated love triangles, so it should be no surprise that I am on board with this one. If this doesn’t sound like it is as much up your alley as mine, watch it at least once for the uncanny resemblance of Mamie Gummer to her mom, Meryl Streep. It creeps me out sometimes.
-Ellen and Whitney
I don’t know what has changed, but in the first season of of New Girl, I could not have cared less about Jake Johnson or his alter ego, Nick Miller. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted Nick and Jess to fall in love, but I myself could have taken him or left him.
Then this season comes along and everything has changed. I don’t know if it is a change in my libido or something that the show has done to change his character, but I can’t get enough of him! Anything that comes out of his mouth lately has me rolling. His delivery is priceless. Take for example his line reading of the word “spectacular” while watching a documentary on turtles. Slayed me.
Am I alone? Has something changed?
I feel I am safe in shouting this from the rooftops now because it has been a week, but BEN AND LESLIE ARE GETTING MARRIED! I couldn’t be happier for these two crazy kids. Yeah, I know, they’re fictional but that doesn’t hinder my excitement for the most adorable couple on TV.
Their perfect proposal got me thinking about other TV proposals which got me thinking about making a list. I have compiled 5 of my favorite with the following disclaimers: Ben and Leslie may very well top this list but it’s too fresh to tell for sure, so I excluded it here. Also, these are only from the shows that I watch, so there are going to be blind spots that I missed.
5) Michael and Holly – The Office: In their mad dash to give Michael Scott an epic send-off, the Office crew brought Holly back to make sweetly dorky music with Michael again. This was great because it got everyone involved and showed everyone’s attachment to Michael despite all of his buffoonery in the past. And let’s not forget, it was sweetly romantic. The simulated rain, the candles, the first place they fell in love, and any proposal that happens in Yoda voice is A-OK in my book.
4) Turk and Carla – Scrubs: This proposal is greatly aided by it’s simplicity and Old 97’s “Question”. Turk kept asking and asking and Carla kept refusing to give an answer, until she calls Turk and tells him to ask again. Turk comes running, they meet in a park, and we just watch as they finally get their moment. Then, because this is still Scrubs, J.D. comes in running around with sparklers. Love it. And “Question” was playing in my car for a good couple months after this one.
3) Charlie and The Waitress – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: That sweet guy who has been mooning over you at the coffee shop for years writes a musical so that he will finally have his moment to tell you how he really feels and propose marriage. Sounds kind of sweet, right? Well, the musical has a pedophile troll, a princess who wants little, baby boys, and penetration from behind. Not all proposals are perfect and it may not be a huge surprise that The Waitress turned down Charlie, but this one is still up there for me.
2) Jim and Pam – The Office: I was Team Jim and Pam from the very beginning (mainly because I had been Team UK Tim and Dawn and I knew what was coming). I cheered when they finally kissed and I wept when Jim moved away and started dating Ann Perkins. With all their ups and downs, their sweet proposal in the rain at the gas station that was halfway between them was perfect. And I’m starting to realize that Michael Schur and Co. should plan all of life’s proposals.
1) Monica and Chandler – Friends: I know I’m not alone, but I loved Friends. Like, LOVED it. My love of this proposal is only increased by the fact that Chandler was my favorite guy and Monica was my favorite girl. This just seems to be TV doing a proposal right. Just when it seems that everything has gone to hell in a hand basket, you open the door to find a room full of candles. I love how neither of them can get through what they want to say without crying, because that will probably be me. I’m a weeper. Let’s move past it.
Honorable mentions: Matt and Julie on Friday Night Lights, Homer and Marge on The Simpsons, Will and Emma on Glee
What do you think? Did I miss your favorite? Because in researching this, I realized that there haven’t been as many as you would think.
-Ellen
From my earliest years, I have leaned more towards the pop culture based costumes. My mom used to dress my brother and I as couples (weird) like Mickey and Minnie or Robin Hood and Marian. Later, I would dress as Scarlett O’Hara, Cleopatra, and Dorothy.
To honor this holiday, I thought I would throw out some of my other entertainment-skewed costumes, starting with my most recent:
– French Kiss: Get it?
– Velma from Scooby Doo: I have don this a couple times now because I have had strangers on the street come up to me and tell me that I look like her.
– Temperance Brennan from Bones: This was my first year at Comic Con. Made the coat myself. NBD.
– Iron Man: In an effort to escape our gender’s proclivity to dressing slutty on Halloween, my friends and I decided to dress like superheroes. It turned out pretty awesome.
– Drew Barrymore in Charlie’s Angels: I had just dyed my hair red, I had two roommates, and we thought it was a good idea to go as Charlie’s Angels.
This one is just for fun, but I totally went to Richard Simmons’ aerobic class. Total blast!
What are you going as this year? What has been your favorite pop culture themed costume?
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
-Ellen
There was no shortage of crushable dudes this week in TV, but one bro stood out among the rest, and unless you have something against headlines, you already know that man was Mr. Damon Wayans Jr! Although we’ve always had our eye on the Happy Endings star, he really brought the heat this week in theseason 3 premiere. Examples, you ask? Well, we now know that Brad, Wayans character on the show, has a ventriloquist dummy named Sinbrad. (FYI, this is the only time you will ever catch us admitting that ventriloquism can be sexy. We generally feel that it has no place in society, outside of prime time sitcoms and Goosebumps books). To honor Damon Wayans Jr., here is a clip of some of Brad’s best moments.
–Whitney
Tell me if we were the only kids who did this: Whenever I visited my cousins (or visa versa) growing up we would always do this thing when we watched movies together. Either prior to starting the movie or at the very beginning, we would pick a character to “be”, so if someone is a character who later gets slapped, we’d say things like, “That looks like that would hurt”. Or if someone’s character is somewhat risque, we would call each other “naughty” or “a bad girl”. Keep in mind that we were young and innocent, so our vocabulary of more scathing remarks was limited.
Our favorite movie to watch together had to be Clue because we watched it close to every time that we visited each other. My cousins and I would fight over who got to be Ms. Scarlet or even Yvette the maid, because we were impressionable little girls growing up believing that it was more desirable to be the more attractive option. However, as we grew older and wiser, I believe that our choices became more informed. There’s only so many options in that movie, so one of us would still end up being Ms. Scarlet, but instead we were fighting over Mrs. White because we had begun to recognize the comedic genius of Madeline Khan (“it-it- the f – it -flam – flames. Flames, on the side of my face, breathing-breathl- heaving breaths. Heaving breaths… Heathing…” Best. Ever). 
As I have matured, it dawns on me that this is one of those perfect movies to grow up watching. The slapstick will be funny to all ages. But as you get older, you begin to understand more of the zippy one-liners and “adult” humor that went over your head as a child. It also occurs to me that when watching movies you loved as a child, it is difficult to re-visit them without being biased and tell your grown-up colleagues that they are truly as great as you remember them. Now, I fully believe that Clue is as great as 9-year old me thought that it was because I still get the same enjoyment out of it that I did back then. The performances here are genius and I pick up on new jokes that I had either never previously heard or “gotten”.
I just love this movie and it warms the cockles of my heart every time I watch it.
Did/do you love Clue, too? If you do, did you know that Psych is doing a reunion episode for it’s 100th episode? Yeah. You could say I’m excited about that. If you have some free time, check out the video I found of someone’s top 25 moments of the movie. (SPOILERS!)
-Ellen
These days, there’s nothing I find more annoying than sexually driven supernatural TV shows (I’m looking at you, True Blood). They are everywhere, and although I remain an avid fan of The Vampire Diaries, I was starting to find the vampire/witch/ghost/werewolf monster-mash melodrama a bit tedious. Then I discovered that there are some shows that are so witty, so well written, and so awesome that they can transcend their spooky, sordid roots. Enter Being Human.
Ok, yes, it’s a show about vampire Mitchell (Aidan Turner), ghost Annie (Lenora Crichlow), and werewolf George (Russell Tovey) cohabitating and trying to navigate their respective supernatural situations. And if that were all there was to it, I would have stopped watching a long time ago. But this British import is also hilarious, sweet, and surprisingly poignant. The best example of this is probably George, who lost his job, his girlfriend, and his family after getting mauled by a werewolf while on a Scottish vacation. Here’s a clip of George going bananas.
This show has experienced quite a shake up since last season, including the arrival of three new lead characters, but I think season 5 is going to rule nonetheless. The first three seasons are available to stream on Netflix, something to keep in mind the next time you get a hankering for quality British TV. Which, of course, is always.
-Whitney
As predicted, I am loving Nashville. So of course, I had to decide who my main squeeze of the show is. I had no other choice but to choose Gunner (Sam Palladio). What can I say? I love me the lovesick puppy and a good high falsetto.
It doesn’t hurt that his duet with Clare Bowen is currently on repeat during my commute. Also, my Nashville comrade and I have decided that he is a young Lee Pace, which is A-OK with me.
Check out the duet if you missed it!
-Ellen
Here it is, the second installment of our Billie Piper video series that NOBODY has been clamoring for! Happy Thursday everybody!
-Whitney
We here at Fangirly firmly believe you can buy happiness. How do we know? Because nothing brings us more joy than wearing our matching Supernatural T-shirts or tacking our Bones calendars up on our walls. That’s happiness, people. And in an effort to bring you the same joy, we’ve comprised a list of what we consider ‘Must-Have’s’ for any nerd worth their salt. All this happiness may put a dent in your checking account, but the envy in your friend’s eyes when they see your awesome swag will be worth every penny.
River Song’s TARDIS Journal: Spoilers! This replica of River Song’s diary in the shape of our favorite blue box is a great place to record all of your adventures in time and space. If you’ve just gotta have it, you can get your very own TARDIS journal here. Just don’t read ahead, because we’re pretty such it will create a rift in the space/time continuum. Be sure to time travel responsibly!
Fringe Division Sweatshirt: Do you ever come home from a long day of rebelling against the Observer overlords and just wish you had something comfy to put on? Well now you can be cozy, AND identify yourself as a part of the resistance with this awesome Fringe Division sweatshirt! You can buy this little piece of the Fringe universe here at CafePress.com.
Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness Poster: There is a LOT of fab swag for Parks and Rec, mainly because there are so many things that come straight from the show. Take for example the Lil’ Sebastian shirts, the Pawnee Porpoises shirts, or the Knope campaign buttons. Perhaps the best P&R swag, though, is this glorious purpose. Glorious in it’s stand alone hilarity and it’s educational value. Where else are you going to gain nuggets of wisdom such as “Honor: If you need it defined, you don’t have it” or “Intensity: Give 100%. 110% is impossible. Only idiots recommend that.” (Click that image for the other gems). This poster is available on NBC.com and probably other sources that I am too lazy to look up. That’s how they get you.
Tina “Butts” Shirt: If you still aren’t watching this show, shame on you. What are we going to have to do to convince you? If you are watching, you know that if there is one thing that Tina loves, it’s butts. Most of her energy goes into getting a glimpse at a good butt. And its hilarious. We love Tina. We love her fascination with butts. And we love this shirt. All Christmas gift-givers out there, take note, because none of us yet own it. This shirt is available at BustedTees.com (which has a lot of other really fun shirts, as well).
-Whitney and Ellen
Grab your argyle sweaters, your Ritz crackers and pop on down to your local Ritz Carlton! I really just want this video to speak for itself:
-Ellen
One of my best childhood memories is of my brother and me laying underneath the coffee table in our living room and watching the Rankin Bass cartoon version of The Hobbit. It was made in the 1977, so Bilbo had a wildly dope Davy Jones haircut. I distinctly remember being scared out of my gourd by the cartoon Gollum, who was portrayed as a sort of frog-like thing with a turkey neck and no pupils. Oh, you don’t think that sounds scary? Then I guess you would have no problem watching these clips I’ve provided of the cave scene…
Ok, its over. You can open your eyes now.
Despite my Gollum anxiety I read the book several times during my formative years, resulting in a life-long love of all things Tolkien. That being said, I was pretty excited when they announced that a Hobbit movie was in the works. As if that weren’t enough, it’s starting to look like Peter Jackson is making this movie specifically for me. Obviously Mr. Jackson was not available for comment, but when you look at the hard evidence, there is really no other explanation. For example, there’s the cast. I mean, Aidan Turner, Richard Armitage, and Lee Pace all in one movie? It’s like they made all their casting decisions based on my google search history! Seriously, though, look at these guys…
Aidan Turner, best known for playing Mitchell in BBC’s Being Human
Richard Armitage in North and South
Lee Pace in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that I cannot stop watching The Hobbit trailer. Just in case you’ve been living in a Tolkien-free parallel universe, here it is.
There you have it! My nerdy little secret. If you’re as pumped as I am, feel free to gush in our comment section!
-Whitney
In case you haven’t heard election season is upon us and in honor of tonight’s debate, we decided we needed to help our readers get in the spirit!
Look, there’s a reason my main source of news is The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and a humorous talk radio program. If you want me to pay attention to politics and learn anything about how our system works, there better be a humorous jab in there somewhere. You can keep your West Wing and Manchurian Candidate, I prefer my politicians played by the likes of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis (a close runner-up).
I know that I can’t be alone in this because these programs and films seem to do pretty well for themselves. If you watch the debate tonight and walk away feeling like you need to wash it all down with something making light of it all, I give you the following five candidates:
5. First Kid – Sinbad. Enough said. Granted I haven’t seen this one in a while, but little me loved this movie. First of all, the kid was a babe. Even little me was not immune to the effect that this major component can have on a movie. Also, it showed that first kids are just like us! They want get picked on bullies from Home Improvement and want to go to school dances. We feel for ya, Malia and Sasha.
4. Dave – This one comes with an extra help of heart and romance. The Parent Trap of political movies, if you will. Although, they are not actually twins in this movie, they both just share a striking resemblance to Kevin Kline. In all seriousness, if you haven’t seen this one, it gets a strong recommendation from this girl.
3. Veep – This is Julia Louis-Dreyfus as you have never seen/heard her, because she has never been on cable. Watching her Selina Kyle try and navigate the swampy DC waters with her intelligent and awful team is a treat. Among that team is the little girl from My Girl all grown up (Anna Chlumsky) and Buster Bluth (Tony Hale). Sold, right? This one might be a little blue for some of our readers, but it’s pretty hilarious, so check it out if you think you can handle it.
2. Dick –This movie taught me everything I need to know about the Watergate scandal, presidential resignations, oh, and Deep Throat. The anonymous informant not the porno! Gutters, people! Out! Don’t take this to mean that I believe two teenage girls double-handedly brought down the Nixon administration, but when I first watched this as an 11-year old, my mom had to explain all of the actual events to me so that I could find the movie funny. Which I did and still do to this day.
1. Parks and Recreation – Disclaimer: there are going to be very few lists in my in which Parks and Rec would NOT be at the top. My love for this show knows no bounds. There is nothing else out there that so perfectly combines laughs, heart tugs, and political satire! Barbara Boxer and John McCain were in the premiere for goodness sake! I feel like especially last season had a lot to say about our election process, applicable to both local and federal. Campaign ads, fundraising, political scandals, the media, debates, bus tours, it’s all there to enjoy.
There you have it! What did I leave off? Do I need to be more serious about my political viewing? (Like that’s going to happen).
-Ellen
Our never ending game of “Marry, Boff, Kill” rages on, and the questions aren’t getting any easier. This week our debate gets pretty heated as we discuss the relative merits of our favorite Sci-fi/fantasy boys: Dean Winchester (Supernatural), Peter Bishop (Fringe), and Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead).
Whitney’s Answers:
Marry (duh) DEAN WINCHESTER!– aka The Superior Winchester. In the words of REO Speedwagon, I can’t fight this feeling anymore. I knew from the first time I heard you say “pig in a poke” that you and I had something special. I don’t care that you can’t hold down a legitimate job or a successful long-term relationship. Are those things even indicative of marital success? Probably not. So what do you say Dean? I’ll bring the salt, you bring the holy water, and Sam can go sit in a corner and contemplate his poor life choices.
Boff Peter Bishop– Why not? He meets all my criteria for a Boffable TV leading man. First, he’s got a checkered past (I mean, when he met Olivia in the first season he was working for shady characters in Iraq). He’s also crazy smart, which means we would have some pretty intellectually stimulating pillow talk. I should also mention that I’ve wanted to make-out with Mr. Jackson ever since he skated his way into my heart as Charlie in The Mighty Ducks. All things considered, Peter Bishop is a totally suitable Boff.
Kill Daryl Dixon– Don’t get me wrong, I have a serious case of the Hots for this post-apocalyptic bad boy (I find his ear-necklace to be both a Dealbreaker and a Dealmaker). I just don’t think I’m cut out to be the wife of a seasoned zombie slayer. And while he would probably be an excellent Boff, brother hasn’t taken a shower in months, something that I would find repulsive even if he hadn’t spend all that time covered in zombie gore. So thanks, but no thanks Daryl. Best of luck living in your Walker-ridden dystopia.
Ellen Answers:
Marry Dean Winchester: Well, well, looks like that next family gathering is going to get pretty awkward, Whitney, because we’re both bringing home the same guy to meet the folks. Readers, if you need to know anything about us here at Fangirly it should be that we love talking about movies and TV. Following close behind, though, we love talking about our shared love of Dean Winchester. While I am aware that a life being married to a Winchester definitely comes with its fair share of cons, it comes with a huge, massive pro in that I would get to call this man my husband. Let the demons, vampires, shape-shifters, leviathan, and menacing angels, I’ve got my man. May the best girl win, Whitney.
Boff Daryl Dixon: Just know that it is going to be impossible for me to get through this paragraph without some strong use of innuendo. Daryl is the obvious choice here. He fulfills every “bad boy” fantasy that a girl can ever have. Motorcycle: check. Can be really sweet, but then turn around and be kind of awful, AKA “the tortured soul complex”: check. Knows his way around a weapon, in this case a crossbow: check. My opponent accuses Daryl of being dirty. My rebuttal would have to be, yeah, he is! Isn’t that we look for in a good boffing candidate. Lori, put a leash on your kid because this is happening. And if Dale’s trailer is a rockin’…
Kill Peter Bishop: Look, I love Peter Bishop. He’s done more for his woman and the rest of mankind than any guy out there. It just would never work because he looks too much like my cousin. Who happens to be Whitney’s brother. Yeah. Let that one sink in. Sorry, Peter. Maybe in a parallel universe.
Whitney’s Post Script: My brother wishes he was as foxy as Joshua Jackson.
-Ellen and Whitney
I have seen Pitch Perfect twice now. I wish I could say it’s because of the awesome musical numbers (of which there are several), or the incredible comedic styling’s of Rebel Wilson, but that would be a lie. I can’t stop watching this movie for one very talented, hilarious, sexy reason: Skylar Astin. Astin plays the romantic lead opposite Anna Kendrick, and I don’t know if it’s his smirk, his charm, his dancing, or some irresistible blend of the three that has us here at Fangirly so worked up. For the gentlemen out there, I have provided the following clip. Take notes, because it’s this kind of charisma that makes a lady sit up and take notice.
Now I know what you’re thinking. There is no way this guy could possibly get any sexier, right? WRONG. Allow me to prove my point with a clip.
Oh, you want more? You can see Skylar Astin in Pitch Perfect, in theaters now!
-Whitney
I don’t want you to think that by putting this show in our Fanmanly feature I believe that this is exclusively a “bro” show, but let’s not deny that it appeals and is aimed to the 18-24 male demographic. It’s just the especially cool girls that are willing to see through that frat boy facade and recognize this show for the wickedly hilarious farce that it is.
Any show that can make you laugh through the cringing at poop jokes, biting social commentary, and degradation of humanity. These characters are awful human beings. There is no getting around it. They are awful to each other (constantly comparing Dee to a bird and making Charlie do “Charlie Work”), they are awful to everyone around them (making a priest turn to drugs and trying to take a dumpster baby to a tanning salon), and they are awful to themselves (Charlie takes steroids to be a better underground street fight and Dee and Dennis get addicted to crack).
If any of that doesn’t sound like something you would enjoy watching, then this show isn’t for you because it gets worse. Admittedly, I myself can only watch so much of this show in one sitting without beginning to weep for mankind knowing that there are actually people out there that are this sociopathic, narcissistic, and moronic.
I can’t mention this show without giving a shout out to my main man, Charlie, who is the only character on this show (with the occasional exception of Mac) who has any redeemable qualities. Yes, he is not the brightest bulb in the box, but his heart is in the right place. Don’t believe me? Watch the clip below. All he wants to do is help struggling cat owners.
And watch the show tonight when it premieres its eighth season!
There’s no logical reason why I should love FX’s The League as much as I do. It’s heavy on the crude humor and the language is about as foul as it is possible to be on cable. Did I mention that the show is centered around a fantasy football league? All in all, not your typical Fangirly fare. That being said, I’ve watched each episode at least three times. Turns out, crude humor is hilarious! Even the football nonsense is starting to make sense. For example, I now know that…ok I still don’t know anything about football.
Part of the reason this show works so well is that it’s semi-ad libbed by some of the funniest people on TV. My personal favorite is Ruxin, the morally ambiguous lawyer played by stand-up genius Nick Kroll. Please enjoy this clip featuring just a few of Ruxin’s best moments.
Obviously this is not the kind of show you would quote while having brunch with the ladies, which is probably part of its appeal. I mean, you can only rewatch Downton Abbey so many times before you want to throw a fancy tea tray at Dan Stevens perfectly shaped head. Every once and a while a gal needs a break from shows that can be described as “girly” or “adorkable”. For those times, I choose The League. If your looking for some good, not-so-clean fun, tune into FX and watch The League!
-Whitney
