Zooey Deschanel in Bones

So finally after several mentions that Emily Deschanel's sister Zooey would star in an episode of Bones, it has been confirmed that she will appear in the Christmas episode which will air December 10th. Zooey will be playing Brennan's previously mentioned cousin from Minnesota and I am really looking forward to how they will work this in to the show. I am a huge Zooey Deschanel fan (I think Emily is pretty great too) and have liked her  since way back when Almost Famous came out and have followed her career since. I hope that this will be a great Christmas episode as the first episode of Bones I saw was the season 1 Christmas episode and it got me hooked.

Mad Men- 'The colour blue'. What do you see?

Spoilers for episode 3.10 'The Colour Blue':

Wow, this episode has opened up many possibilities for what could happen at the end of the season and the central theme appeared to be have things actually are versus how people perceive things to be. This topic is first broached with Don in bed with Miss Farrell (a story line that bothers me but seems important in the overall nature with Don and how he behaves with women), she recounts how one of her students asked whether the blue that he saw was the same blue that everybody saw. Don waxes lyrical stating "The truth is people see things differently, but they don't really want to." This sentiment applies to much of the programme with the whole nature of advertising being about creating something that is something that everyone is wanting, desire is key to selling to the masses. This sentiment also applies to many of the characters, you could really pick any one of them to reveal how they see things differently but don't want to state this, it could also be a sentiment for how characters feel that they should be perceived even if that perception is false.

This leads to the central point of action in this episode, where an act of carelessness leads Betty to discover what Don really keeps in his desk drawer and how this will blow her perception of who he is out of the water. The moments preceding her finding the key and as the audience and Betty both waited for Don to come home were some of the most tense that I have seen this show produce, what would she do when he got home? Well he never did come home, so Betty defeated returned the key to the dressing gown pocket and put the box back in the drawer and retired to bed. Now the scenes between these two will be fuelled by more than just the audience knowledge of who Don is but also with the bits of information Betty has learned from his Dick/ Don box. The final scene at the Sterling Cooper party was one where most of the room perceive Don as a man with everything; a great job, a beautiful and loving wife, and a boss who really likes and respects him, the truth of this is obviously completely different, he is a man who despite 'having it all' is still not satisfied and still does not know who he really is.

I must say also after my previous piece on January Jones that once again her performance as Betty Draper was fantastic, from before her finding the key to pretending that she was only feeling unwell to the anxiety that she demonstrated whilst preparing her self in the bathroom before the party, to her look of resolve yet disdain at the Sterling Cooper party toward Don and the wonderful words that were used to describe him.

Other actions that got set in motion, Sterling Cooper is up for sale and only Lane Pryce is aware of this, will he reveal this information to Roger or Bert so he can stay in New York (despite his wife longing to return to London) as he has done such a good job there or will he remain silent. Will this sale mean that Joan and Sal will both come back? I do really hope so as both have been missed (even though Sal has only be gone for this episode).

The Paul and Peggy scenes were also a treat and it was great to see that Paul finally 'got' Peggy and that she is talented, hopefully we will get to see them working together in a more positive way in future episodes.Also on the point of Peggy it will be great to see if she has had any further contact with Duck and what this might mean for her future, though I really want to see some more scenes with her and Pete and whether there will be any more fall out from her baby revelation at the end of last season.

Overall that was a brilliant episode and I'm really excited as to where this season is heading.

January Jones in GQ

Photos have just been released from January Jones' November GQ cover shoot which seem to be mixing in the 60s background with a modern twist (as well as a severe lack of clothing):

However one of the highlights of the interview is that she was highly motivated in becoming an actress due to negative comments made by her boyfriend at the time (said boyfriend being a certain Ashton Kutcher):

“The guy I was dating when I first got to L.A. was not supportive of my acting,” she says. “He was like,I don’t think you’re going to be good at this. So—fuck you! He only has nice things to say now—if anything, I should thank him. Because the minute you tell me I can’t do something, that’s when I’m most motivated.”

I like that she has certainly proven him wrong, she is a good actress and despite Betty not being one of my favourite characters on the show, I can certainly appreciate how Jones portrays the bored and melancholic housewife. Last weeks episode (The Souvenir) demonstrated the dichotomy of the character, how in Rome she is so happy at being able to live a life of glamour, but on returning home the facade drops and she returns to being the apathetic person that she was before, the mother and housewife who is not equipped emotionally to deal with household issues such as Sally and her temper. This is further reiterated in this weeks episode (Wee Small Hours) when the affair that she thinks will bring her some kind of happiness brings nothing but bad feeling, it is not the romantic entanglement that she expected, it is just 'tawdry'. I'm definitely looking forward to what the rest of the season will bring for Betty and I am glad that January Jones has had this success and proven bad ex boyfriends wrong.

Chuck returning early?

So on the back of getting my Chuck season 2 DVD yesterday, there is the good news that Chuck may be returning sooner than expected, from Ausiello Files blog:

“How much sooner” you ask?

As early as late October, my moles tell me. And while it remains unclear whether the little show that could (and has andshall again) would return to its Monday timeslot or find itself a new perch, NBC insiders who’ve seen the first four episodes are calling this season the best yet."

This is very good news and as NBC has had some under performing shows (and some shows that they cancelled before the new season got a chance to start- see Southland) hopefully Chuck will get a order beyond the 13 episodes that it already has. Chuck is a definite favourite of mine and I would welcome as many episodes as they can get and hopefully this season there won't be the fear of cancellation, just got to hope that NBC market the show right and give it a decent timeslot on a decent night.

Don Draper vs Jim Halpert

So in light of Don Draper topping the poll of AskMen.com 49 most influential men of 2009 I stumbled upon a Newsweek blog from August entitled 'Why the Ladies Love Jon Hamm of Mad Men' which upon reading raised an interesting topic that woman would rather fantasise about Don Draper from Mad Men than Jim Halpert from The Office. The article states that:

"Why are we so wild for Draper? By any measure, the character's a cad. He constantly cheats on his wife. He skips town for weeks and won't write or call. [...]  And yet he excites an attraction among women—particularly ones my age, women in their late '20s and '30s who were born after the era that Mad Men portrays—that seems unmatched by any leading man on television today, with the possible exception of Lost's con artist, Saywer (another strapping scoundrel with a deeply troubled soul)."


And:


"After all, we don't believe in that evolutionary "me Tarzan, you Jane" nonsense anymore. We're supposed to want men who are sensitive and respectful; men who emote and help around the house, and talk openly about their feelings. And we do want these things. Don't we? So then why are we fantasizing about Draper rather than Jim from The Office?"





So where do I stand on these thoughts and why should they matter any way. Well firstly, yes Don Draper is a desirable character despite all of his many flaws, which is why it does matter that women are attracted to him in spite of these flaws and why it matters that he has been voted by men as the most influential man of 2009.  Does this in turn make the actions and behaviour of Don Draper considered acceptable by both men and women? I think the majority would still say what he does is deplorable and he is just a figure of fantasy, he is the kind of man that you would have an affair with rather than a relationship (the Newsweek article concludes with this summation as well "So we lay it out very clearly: we don't want to wed Don Draper. We know madness that way lies."). They also lay this out so men don't think that that is what women actually want, who wants a generation of men who think that it is ok to cheat your way through everything. 
So then comes the point as to why Jim from The Office would not be considered a figure of fantasy because he is what is considered to be an ideal modern man, someone who cares about his fiance (wife by tonight- hopefully) and is not ashamed to show these feelings, but this is one area of the article that I disagree with and it might be because in most TV shows it is always the slightly dorky characters that are my favourites, not the leading brooding man. Characters like Charlie in Lost, Dr Reid in Criminal Minds, I prefer Sylar when he is Gabriel glasses included, Will Tippin in Alias, Hodgins in Bones, Greg in CSI, I even have a weird thing for Andy 'the 'Nard Dog' in The Office and don't even get me started on Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Now I know that these guys could be considered good looking in one manner or another but they are on programmes generally where there is an alpha male, who broods and gets the girl. So it would seem that I would definitely choose Jim over Don. Oh and in the debate of which Chuck I would choose between Chuck Bartowski (Chuck) and Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl) it would be Bartowski every time.
Even with Mad Men, I think Don Draper is great (but terrible at the same time) but I am actually a huge Pete Campbell fan (though not in the same way I think of Don), I just find his character so compelling because most of the time he can be a major douchebag but also because there is the conflicted side of him where he just doesn't know who he and how he should act. Although after last weeks episode I hope that we see some positive action from him, as he stepped way beyond the line of what is morally acceptable, but such is the power of the writing in Mad Men that there are no black and white characters.
At first when reading the article I was thinking 'Of course I would choose Jim over Don' but after writing this and thinking about it my answer becomes less certain, I know which one I would want a relationship with, that's easy but who would I choose (and the feminist in me is not happy that I am even asking that question)? 

Don Draper voted the most influential man of 2009

Now this title would not seem so odd if it was a list of fictional characters, however Don Draper has landed the top spot on the AskMen.com annual list of the top 49 influential men in the world, the rest of the list comprising solely of real people and with Barack Obama claiming top spot in 2008. James Bassil (Editor-in-Chief of AskMen.com) attributes Don Draper securing top spot for these reasons:
"In a turbulent 2009, men are seeking the tradition in masculine qualities that they imagine their fathers and grandfathers to have had. The character Don Draper brings all these traits together, and in doing so speaks directly to the modern man. He's a man whose time has come."

This position in the pole show how Mad Men has permeated popular culture far more than just for the fashion that features in show, but it strikes me as odd that a character who has cheated and deceived for most of the three seasons so far would be held in such a high regard as a traditional figure of positivity. These factors have helped him in to a position of success, he is in the business of selling and manipulating that these are seen as positive traits. However, the character is clearly not happy with everything in his life, this was highlighted when Peggy wistfully said she wanted everything he had, and that he had so much of it, but his response was less than thrilled.
I may be reading too much into a poll like this but it is interesting that men have voted for a fictional character, a character who I too really love despite his many, many flaws which can then lead on to another debate regarding the female reaction to Don Draper (more on that tomorrow).
I also think that this has a lot to with the brilliant work on Mad Men from all departments including writing, design and acting, as some of this has to be attributed to Jon Hamm whose performance in every episode makes a character who does some deplorable things so likeable and turns him in to a genuine anti-hero.
Matthew Weiner in a comment to Parade Magazine stated in reaction to this poll "It's interesting how drinking, smoking and carousing wins the race today. No offence to President Obama and Mr Bolt."

Date Night

So technically this is a film related post rather than a TV one, however this first look at the new Tina Fey and Steve Carell comedy has me very excited because they are two of the funniest actors on TV at the moment:

The supporting cast includes SNL star Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, James Franco, Mark Wahlburg, Mila Kunis and Leighton Meester, all of whom I have liked in one role or another. I look forward to the trailer being released, and I hope that it is as good as the 40 Year Old Virgin and Baby Mama.

I also have a weird crush on Steve Carell when he is anyone but Michael Scott and my boyfriend has a not so weird crush on Tina Fey so hopefully we will have an awesome date night watching Date Night (sorry that was a tad on the cheesy side). Any one else excited for this film? Or any other movie which features fantastic TV stars?