2014 Golden Globe Awards Nominations Are Out!

It’s that time of the year again as awards season kicks off so that Hollywood can pat itself on the back and let everyone know that their work is magical. Today’s announcement is for the 2014 Golden Globe Awards, as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and there seems to be few surprises as most of the nominees were pretty much destined for their spots. Of course, the Golden Globe Awards always trend towards a few headscratchers and there are some to report as usual.

Starting off on the movies side, 12 Years A Slave and American Hustle are both tied for the lead with the most nominations in the film category with seven, including the best picture drama for 12 Years and best picture comedy (?) for Hustle. Chiwetel Ejiofor was nominated for Best Actor in a drama for his raw take in 12 Years. Other nominated actors include Idris Elba for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips, Robert Redford for All Is Lost and Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club. Looking at the Best Actress for a drama side, Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine and Sandra Bullock for Gravity headlines that list. Alexander Payne’s Nebraska is picking up heat as well with nominations for Best Picture for Musical or Comedy, Bruce Dern for Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for June Squibb.

If there were any sort of surprises, it’s that Lee Daniel’s The Butler scored exactly zero nominations. Of course, when compared to say, Rush, which scored the Best Drama nomination, it’s a bit of a surprise considering the amount of box office it did as well as the prestige behind the film. Apparently Oprah’s reach does not extend to the Hollywood Foreign Press. Another snub would be for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which seemed destined for a few nominations but Ben Stiller will have to see if Oscar shines on his picture later. Fruitvale Station and Michael B. Jordan also was left off the list after creating buzz earlier this year. Harrison Ford also did not get nominated for 42, as well as the late great James Gandolfini for his great role in Enough Said.

As for the television side, Game of Thrones gets robbed again. That could basically be the sum of it all because I don’t understand how a terrific show or just piece of media does not get nominated for its greatness. It’s baffling to me. However, for Best Television Drama, seeing House of Cards get nominated, along with Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright for Best Actor and Actress respectively makes me happy. In fact, Netflix should be happy that they scored a nomination for Orange Is The New Black’s Taylor Schilling.

Masters of Sex seems to be the big winner as they scored a nomination for Best TV Series Drama and Lead Actor for Michael Sheen. Arrested Development, a favorite here in the Grizzly Bomb office, did not get a Best Comedy nomination but did score a Best Actor for Jason Bateman. Michael J. Fox also scored a Lead Actor nomination for his show and Brooklyn Nine-Nine scored a nomination for Best Comedy and Best Actor for Andy Samberg. As for the mini-series categories, American Horror Story: Asylum and Behind the Candelabra dominated those categories so no real surprises there.

As for the rest of the nominations, they are below for your enjoyment. Did your show or movie get snubbed? You can of course let us know your opinion in the comments below or on our Facebook page. The Golden Globe Awards are airing on January 12th, 2014 with the awesome host duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at the helm returning to host.

Best motion picture, drama
12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena
Rush

Best Actor in a motion picture, drama
Chiwetel Ejiofor,12 Years a Slave
Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford, All is Lost

Best Actress in a motion picture, drama
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Kate Winslet, Labor Day

Best Director – motion picture
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Spike Jonze, Her
Bob Nelson, Nebraska
Jeff Pope Steve, Philomena
John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
David O. Russell and Eric Singer Warren, American Hustle

Best motion picture, musical or comedy
American Hustle
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Wolf of Wall Street

Best Actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Best Actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix, Her

Best Animated Feature film
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Frozen

Best Foreign Language Film
Blue Is The Warmest Color (France)
The Great Beauty (Italy)
The Hunt (Denmark)
The Past (Iran)
The Wind Rises (Japan)

Best supporting Actress in a motion picture
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

Best supporting Actor in a motion picture
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
All Is Lost – Alex Ebert
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – Alex Heffes
Gravity – Steven Price
The Book Thief – John Williams
12 Years a Slave – Hans Zimmer

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Atlas,” The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
“Let It Go,” Frozen
“Ordinary Love,” Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
“Please Mr. Kennedy,” Inside Llewyn Davis
“Sweeter Than Fiction” One Chance

Best TV series, drama
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
The Good Wife
House of Cards
Masters of Sex

Best Actress in a TV series, drama
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Best Actor in a TV series, drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
James Spader, The Blacklist

Best TV Series, Comedy
The Big Bang Theory
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Girls
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Lena Dunham, Girls
Julia Louis Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Actor, TV Series Comedy
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Michael J. Fox, The Michael J. Fox Show
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Best TV Miniseries or Movie
American Horror Story: Coven
Behind the Candelabra
Dancing on the Edge
Top of the Lake
White Queen

Best Actress in a mini-series or TV movie
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven
Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor
Rebecca Ferguson, The White Queen
Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake

Best Actor in a mini-series or TV movie
Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing on the Edge
Idris Elba, Luther
Al Pacino, Phil Spector

Best Supporting Actress in a series, mini-series, or TV movie
Jacqueline Bisset, Dancing on the Edge
Janet McTeer, The White Queen
Hayden Panettiere , Nashville
Monica Potter, Parenthood
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actor in a series, mini-series or TV movie
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Rob Lowe, Behind the Candelabra
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Corey Stoll, House of Cards
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

Tina Fey and Robert Carlock To Return To Our TV’s!

Apparently all those hours spent in front of my Tina Fey shrine offering gifts to various deities while burning incense have paid off. That’s right folks, Tina Fey is returning to NBC with partner Robert Carlock, and they are bringing a new sitcom with them!

After the end of 30 Rock, which I and many others mourned like it was a family member, there was a lot of question as to what Tina Fey would do next. She has a four-year deal with Universal Television, but what would that end up looking like? Well, now we know the first thing to come out of that deal will be a comedy from former 30 Rock writer-producer Colleen McGuinness.

While the two men on the left are fine gentlemen, ignore them for now.
On the right, Colleen McGuinness, Tina Fey, and Robert Carlock

Not much is known about the new comedy except that it will be a “workplace comedy where a young woman in search of reconnecting with her father finds a new home and family on Fire Island.” and Tina Fey and Robert Carlock will be executive producers. The sitcom will be the first project for Tina Fey’s new production company, Little Stranger.

Even though the show is in its earliest stages, just knowing that Tina Fey and company are in some capacity returning to NBC comedy gives us hope for the future. Please don’t let this be another 1600 Penn situation.

Taylor Swift vs. Fey and Poehler, the Internet Battle of the Ages

March 5th, 2013 might just go down in history as the day the internet experienced a schism. The line has been drawn in the sand and the people of the internet have taken sides. In one corner, the fans of whiny “my daddy paid a lot of money and now I’m a star and deserve to win all the prizes” Taylor Swift, and in the other corner, the incredibly talented and witty and good looking fans of two women who possess similar qualities, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

What has prompted this bad blood between the factions? Well, let’s head back a few months to the night that the aforementioned Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the Golden Globes.

In case you needed a reminder, Taylor Swift lost to Adele and wasn’t too thrilled about it. See, Ms. Swift is not used to not winning and it took her a minute to process this new sensation. Not only that but she was the butt of a joke. Did you catch that? She, Taylor Swift musical princess, was the butt of a joke. So, you can sympathize that she had a rough night. There have been many times I’ve been the butt of a joke that I’ve had to take to my bed for days so the fact that sweet Taylor was able to sit there, fighting through the pain like a brave soldier, is inspiring.

The joke? Tina Fey and Amy Poehler had the audacity to comment on Taylor’s very public dating life. Here’s the thing, the image put out (that word choice will be funnier in a minute) by Swift and her people is that Taylor’s a bit of a ho. Okay, maybe not a ho ho, maybe the Disney princess version of a ho, but she does seem to get around. Weirdly, she seems to have a thing for Nickelodeon boy band types, and she’s gone through her fair share of them.

Now, before everyone gets all up in arms about how “I DON’T KNOW HER LYFE!!1!!”, you are right. I don’t, and neither does Tina Fey or Amy Poehler, but a big part of the whole celebrity thing is, the public only has what you put out to go off of and that is what Fey and Poehler made a joke about.

So joke is made, two months pass, Adele wins an Oscar, all is forgotten. Except it isn’t. Apparently, Taylor Swift has some inside knowledge on the afterlives of our favorite funny girls. Brace yourself, for this is some deep stuff right here.

[quote]“You know, Katie Couric is one of my favorite people,” Taylor Swift tells Vanity Fair contributing editor Nancy Jo Sales on the subject of mean girls in general and in response to an incident at this year’s Golden Globes, where Amy Poehler and Tina Fey mocked her highly scrutinized love life. “Because she said to me she had heard a quote that she loved, that said, ‘There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.’” –VF Daily[/quote]

I missed the press release but apparently Taylor Swift is now the voice of today’s feminists. Our new anthem is now one of many of Taylor Swift’s empowering songs about either a.) wanting to date a boy b.) being broken hearted because said boy has left or c.) wishing all types of ill will upon boy’s new girlfriend.

Yes, this is exactly who should lead a new generation of women. This is the voice they should be following.

Or… and I’m just spitballing here, they could turn instead to someone like Amy Poehler whose YouTube channel, Smart Girls at the Party, is filled with empowering things for young women as opposed to pining over a boy.

That’s right, Amy Poehler has an entire YouTube channel geared towards advice for girls that goes beyond how to properly cry over a “lost love”.  Not only that, when she heard about where she will spend all eternity?

[quote]”Aw, I feel bad if she was upset. I am a feminist, and she is a young and talented girl. That being said, I do agree I am going to hell. But for other reasons. Mostly boring tax stuff. ” –THR[/quote]

That is how you respond to someone saying something badly about you. Tina Fey? The same Tina Fey who has been very active in women’s rights issues? Who wrote an entire movie about bullying? She pretty much said what everyone else is thinking.

[quote]”If anyone was going to get mad at us, I thought it would be James Cameron, I did not see that one coming. It was a joke. It was a lighthearted joke.” –ET[/quote]

A joke. Of course there are some who thinks it’s hypocritical for Fey to make Mean Girls and then joke about Taylor Swift. Does this new Taylor Swift version of feminism mean that we aren’t allowed to make comments about another women ever? In addition to the joke about Michael J. Fox’s son, they also said that maybe Swift take some time to focus on herself, advice pretty much every 23 year old needs to hear. Especially a 23 year old that still has an “I’m Rick James bitch!” attitude. 

I think we can go ahead and call this internet battle over. It has been won. Surely there’s a Harry Potter vs. Twilight argument out there that hasn’t been hashed out yet.

Credit to: PeachyApricot

Best part of the entire situation? Somewhere Katie Couric is sitting at a desk wondering, “how the hell did I get roped into all this?”

If you care to get a glimpse of what the “other side” is saying, check out this collection of tweets Uproxx put together after the Golden Globes. A preview of the eloquence:

Night Cheese and Ham: Celebrating ’30 Rock’ and Seven Years of Fantastic TV

As 30 Rock wraps up its 7 year run, it is very easy to mourn its loss. Instead, like any other good funeral, we should be celebrating the life of one of TV’s most recent great sitcoms. It is a show that has worked its way into many fan’s everyday lexicon and is full of one-liners that should stand the test of time.

It may not have been a ratings darling, but the fans of 30 Rock are a fiercely loyal group. For seven years we’ve followed the friendship of Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy. We’ve watched in wonder as Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney somehow found a way to top themselves. We’ve questioned what the hell was wrong with Kenneth. From the first season we’ve wondered if Liz Lemon was ever going to be able to save herself from herself and find the happiness she so desperately sought.

Like Liz Lemon, you will most often find us eating cheese at night and requesting that someone bring us some ham.

Night cheese and ham. That right there is the secret to 30 Rock’s greatness. Why? Because it is unassuming, it’s ridiculous, and most of all, it’s smart. A show that you have to really watch to catch all the fast dialogue, and pay attention to get all the jokes. It’s a refreshing change.

Sadly, we live in the age of predominantly stupid television. There are obviously bright spots, but those are most often found in the drama category. Sitcoms are seen as a 30 minute package for the same old jokes week in and week out. You don’t really need to have a vested interest in a sitcom anymore. You can watch one episode every few weeks and not feel like you’ve missed anything because every episode they will tell you exactly why each joke is funny. Every week of Big Bang Theory sets up the guys as nerds, and every single joke stems from that simple concept. 30 Rock’s jokes were often like a long con. You look back and realize that they’ve been setting it up for seven years only to have the final payoff in the last scene of the show. There were always allusions to the idea of Kenneth living forever, but at the time it just seemed like weird Kenneth being weird Kenneth. Turns out, he does live forever!

This is what set 30 Rock apart. It rewarded viewers for watching. It’s like we were let in on the inside jokes. Yes, there were obvious recurring themes like Liz’s love of bad food, and Jenna’s obsession with herself, but those were not the focus of the entire show. In the finale, there were plenty of throwbacks to old jokes and while watching it I felt like I was just playing a game of “hey, remember when?” with an old friend.

In every game of “hey remember when?”, there’s that moment where you get a little catch in your throat and realize that even though there are jokes and humor, at the same time there’s been a tenderness. Even though 30 Rock never played up the drama side there was still a humanness to it that caused you to nod your head and realize, “yeah, I know exactly what that feels like.” That is what sets a great sitcom apart from a run of the mill sitcom.

Perhaps my favorite episode of a sitcom ever is “Where You Been, Fassbinder?” in season one of The Dick Van Dyke Show. It’s Sally’s birthday and through one funny misstep after another, she finds herself alone. Even her cat has ditched her! Of course it all works out and ends up being quite humorous in the process. I first watched that episode probably more than twenty years ago. It still makes me laugh and cry to this day. Twenty years from now I’ll probably think of Liz Lemon standing in the airport waiting for her newly adopted twins and have that same feeling. There aren’t that many shows that have that kind of impact, I can assure you people won’t remember much of Two and a Half Men beyond the basic premise decades from now.

While I don’t think it was Tina Fey’s responsibility by any means, it’s undeniable that she has changed the face of women in comedic television. Everyone knows about Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Betty White, Mary Tyler Moore, and countless other funny women through history. Problem is, even though many of those women were also fantastic business and creative minds, they were mainly known for their performances on screen. Tina Fey turned the tide on that thinking. There are just as many people who see her as a funny writer, not just that funny chick who was Sarah Palin on SNL. Whether it was her intention or not, she has paved the way for an entire new generation of women created television.

So is 30 Rock a candidate for our Gone Too Soon category? No. It was time. The fact it had seven years really is amazing. The ratings were never very good, and they were dwindling as the years went on. However, for me and the ten other people who tuned in each Thursday, it will be missed.

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Images: NBC

The 70th Annual Golden Globes – GB Recap

I am, admittedly, an awards show fan so it comes as no surprise that I tuned in to last night’s Golden Globe Awards. There’s just something about watching Hollywood’s best and brightest get all dressed up and then sit for hours while pretending they were okay with just being nominated that makes for really good entertainment. Add in my well documented love for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and there was no way I’d be missing this one. As with every other awards show, there were definite highs and even more definite lows but I think we can all agree that perhaps last night’s Golden Globes ended up with more in the “highs” column.

First off, the aforementioned Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. After three years of Ricky Gervais and his “trying too hard” approach to comedy, it was really nice to laugh at a joke without feeling like an awful person for doing so. It wasn’t like Fey and Poehler went all Pollyanna on us, for they did have some nice zingers throughout the night, but it certainly did not feel as if they were mean-spirited. Of course I am biased, being a fan in the first place, but they were quite possibly the best hosts I’ve seen in quite some time.

Another high? Ben Affleck winning Best Director for Argo. He had the stage and could have mentioned his “snub” from the Oscar committee but decided against it, classy move. We’ve already discussed the Academy Awards nominations here but the befuddlement is only increased by Affleck’s win last night. What did the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) see that the Academy did not? It boggles the mind.

Of course I’m a huge SNL geek so it’s no surprise that I loved Will Ferrell and Kristin Wiig as they presented one of the best actress awards. When Ferrell said that Dame Judy Dench used to be a police sheriff and this was her breakout role? I nearly choked on my coffee. Of course I would love for Tina and Amy to host from now to eternity but if they can’t, Will Ferrell and Kristin Wiig would be an okay replacement. However, I think it’s safe to say that if Ferrell and Wiig were the hosts, perhaps Tommy Lee Jones would stay home as he did not appear to be a fan of their antics in any way, shape, or form.

Jodie Foster’s acceptance speech after being awarded the Cecil B. DeMille award was both a high and a low maybe? I honestly spent the entire six minutes ping ponging between “you go Jodie Foster!” and “I have no idea what you are saying right now Jodie Foster”. It was very discombobulated. I have to imagine that when she wrote the speech (I’m assuming she wrote it), it made a lot more sense than it did when she got up on stage and nerves and adrenaline took over. Like Kevin Costner earlier in the evening, it made people question if she was either going to retire from show business or take a long walk off a short pier. Of course when she talked about her mom, I was just like every other sap in the room, searching my cleavage for a kleenex.

A definite high? I’m sorry but it had to be Taylor Swift losing to Adele in the Original Song category. I usually don’t delight in the heartbreak of others (well not all the time) but this was hysterical. She is just so used to winning everything that she just sat there rather stunned when she got beat. Of course if she had won I’m sure there would have been a resurrection of the Kayne incident and nobody needs that so really it was a double win for all involved. Well, except for Taylor Swift.

Lows? There weren’t a whole lot but one of the biggest ones was Sacha Baron Cohen. Oh boy, that was uncomfortable. I don’t know if it was announced what he was going to be presenting beforehand (I didn’t hear it0 but after he slams Russell Crowe’s singing performance in Les Mis and then makes reference to Anne Hathaway’s unfortunate upskirt photo he goes on to present Best Animated Feature. Call me crazy, but don’t presenters usually say something at least somewhat related to the award they are presenting? Yikes.

Perhaps the biggest low of the entire show, and frankly award shows in general these days, was network television. I love network television and I know I am not alone in that. There are millions of people who tune into network television every single day and quite a few of those millions are watching something besides singing and dancing (and diving- seriously Fox?) competitions. 30 Rock, Happy Endings, Community, New Girl, and my beloved Parks and Recreation are all examples of great shows that can be found on network television. So why is it that year after year, the only awards being given out to TV shows and their actors, are going only to premium cable? Don’t get me wrong, I like Girls just as much as the next gal but I have an incredibly hard time believing that Lena Dunham gave a better performance in Girls than Amy Poehler did as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation. I understand that the voters like shows that push the envelope but when premium cable is up against networks there really is no contest as the envelope HBO and Showtime are dealing with is light years larger than the networks have to stay within.

While I’m on my little mini-rant can we all just finally agree to stop nominating Chuck Lorre shows in the first place? They are fun entertainment for a night when you just really don’t want to think or feel any type of emotion beyond slightly amused. Nothing more, nothing less. There is no way that they should ever be nominated for anything beyond a Teen Choice award.

Glenn Close drinks when bad shows get nominated

So there’s my highs and lows of the night, but no recap would be complete without a list of the winners so here you go:

Best Supporting Actress in Television, Movie, or Mini-Series
Maggie Smith- Downton Abbey (PBS)

Best Supporting Actor in Television, Movie, or Mini-Series
Ed Harris- Game Change (HBO)

Best Actress in Television, Movie or Mini-Series
Julianne Moore- Game Change (HBO)

Best Actor in Television, Movie or Mini-Series
Kevin Costner- Hatfields & McCoys (History Channel)

Best Television Movie or Mini-Series
Game Change (HBO)

Best Actress in Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Lena Dunham- Girls (HBO)

Best Actor in Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Don Cheadle- House of Lies (Showtime)

Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical
Girls (HBO)

Best Actress in Television Series, Drama
Claire Danes- Homeland (Showtime)

Best Actor in Television Series, Drama
Damien Lewis- Homeland (Showtime)

Best Television Series, Drama
Homeland (Showtime)

Best Foreign Language Film
Armour (Austria)

Best Original Song
“Skyfall”- Adele

Best Original Score
Life of Pi

Best Screenplay
Quentin Tarantino- Django Unchained

Best Animated FilmBrave

Best Supporting Actress in Motion Picture
Anne Hathaway- Les Miserables

Best Supporting Actor in Motion Picture
Christoph Waltz- Django Unchained

Best Actress in Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Jennifer Lawrence- Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor in Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Hugh Jackman- Les Miserables

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Les Miserables

Best Actress in Motion Picture, Drama
Jessica Chastain- Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor in Motion Picture, Drama
Daniel Day Lewis- Lincoln

Best Director
Ben Affleck- Argo

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Argo

So there’s the Golden Globes, next up- the Oscars! See you then.

Tina Fey and Paul Rudd Star in “Admission” – New Trailer

It is no secret that I am a huge Tina Fey fan. If I had a patronus, it would be either Julie Andrews or Tina Fey without a doubt. I like to keep up with most former SNL cast members (Rob Schneider being the exception, sorry Rob), but Tina is at the top of my list.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to Host Golden Globes

… and the internet exploded.

No really, I think it did. Well for me it did, quite literally. I had no internet at my home last night for many hours (I liketa died) and for some reason the email I use for work and entertainment news was not loading anywhere, even on my phone. When it finally came back, the first thing that popped up was this:

The SNL Cast Shuffle Report for Season 38

When the 38^th season debuts this weekend, Saturday Night Live will once again have a new look.

Let’s take a moment here…
Are we going to miss Kristen Wiig’s fabulous characters (surely I’m not the only person who has to fight the urge to gleefully announce “APPROVED!” when their credit card goes through successfully at the grocery store) and Andy Samberg’s digital shorts? Of course we are. That’s not even up for debate; but they are not the be all to end all of the entire show.

There is no need to lament on how awful SNL is now and how it isn’t half as it good as it was “back in the day”. Before we can even have that argument we have to realize that “back in the day” has a direct correlation to the pastgazer’s age. Is pastgazer even a word? Can I declare it a word? I am.

Pastgazer (noun) – Someone who is incapable of being excited about the potential future of a television show because they are way too hung up on how it “used to be”.

If the pastgazer is in their 30’s, I assure you their “back in the day” involves Adam Sandler and Chris Farley. Someone in their 20’s (albeit probably their later 20’s) loves them some Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon. The 40 somethings are still plodding along singing the Chopping Broccoli song and answering everything, even when not at all appropriate, with “well isn’t that special?” You don’t even want to be in the room when they feel the need to break out their patented “SCHWING!” move. It’s just embarrassing. Then you’ve got the real badasses in their 50’s who scoff at the idea that SNL has been any good since Chevy Chase left… after the first season. They long for the days of random interludes involving bee costumes and Land of Gorch sketches with the Muppets; yes those Muppets, sort of.

I think we can all agree that everyone misses Will Ferrell. Surely missing the Spartan Cheerleaders is universal. I chose to live in a world (even if imaginary) where the vast majority of people grieve daily for the loss of those crazy kids.

Thing is, even with seemingly everyone in the universe screaming about how SNL is not as good as it used to be, it is still on the air. Which is more than can be said for many other shows (let’s have a moment of silence for Kings, a great show cut down in its prime. Damn you NBC.) so obviously they are doing something right and someone is watching. A lot of someones. Someones who still like the show. Someones who in 20 years are going to say, “SNL was way better when Nasim Pedrad and Taran Killam were on.” Trust me, it’s gonna happen. This little bit of casting news is for those someones.

After the departure of Kristin Wiig, Andy Samburg, and Abby Elliott, three new cast members have been added to the lineup.
While hailing from various parts of the country, all three recently were active in the Chicago theatre scene.

Aidy Bryant is originally from Phoenix, where she lived before she attending Columbia College, and then went on to make her mark with the Improv Olympic, Annoyance, and most recently, the e.t.c. stage of The Second City theatres.
During her time at The Second City, she had the chance to team up with the Lyric Opera. Who would have ever thought that Gretel was so well adjusted?

Tim Robinson is a Detroit native, starting his career with Second City Detroit before moving on to the Second City touring company and then The Second City mainstage in Chicago. He’s been a busy man – he recently put together a pilot for Comedy Central called My Mans that was unfortunately not picked up. However, in addition to joining the SNL cast, he also has been cast in a midseason sitcom on CBS called Friend Me.

Judging by this sketch with The Second City, we might see Tim right at home with SNL’s “commercials”.

The most recently announced addition is Cecily Strong. She is a Chicago native (well Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago) and also a Second City alumni. She was with the Second City touring company and also performed with the Improv Olympic.

Another commercial sketch, this one is right up SNL’s alley, no pun intended.

Lest the actors get all the attention, it was also announced that there have been two new writers hired for the new season. Neil Casey and Josh Patten both come to SNL by way of the Upright Citizen’s Brigade in New York City.

That’s the news; now all that’s left is to take bets on how many Family Guy voices Seth MacFarlane uses during the opening monologue. Oh and we should begin the countdown to when Jason Sudeikis takes his final bow. While he’s listed on the cast page, he’s made it no secret that he is perhaps tired with SNL, which is sad. Actually I think SNL will totally suck when Jason Sudeikis leaves and I will never watch again!!!! While it was just announced that Mr. Sudeikis is returning for his 8th season, it is unclear how long he will stay though- at least through the elections which we can all agree is a good thing.

I leave you with this – a man who I think we can all agree, will most certainly feel the absence of Kristin Wiig like no one else.

The 38th season premiere will air on Saturday, September 15th with Seth MacFarlane hosting along with musical guest Frank Ocean, and his guest, John Mayer.

Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg Say Goodbye to SNL, Will Jason Sudeikis?

Grizzly Album Review: “Camp” by Childish Gambino

Many actors become rappers if they have the talent. Many rappers also become actors if they have the talent. Will Smith, Ice Cube, Xzibit, Drake, and Common are some of the names that come to mind, but now I’ve got a new name to add to that list, Childish Gambino. You may recognize him as Troy on the NBC show Community, or the even more successful Derrick Comedy sketches, the film Mystery Team, and as an Emmy-winning writer for 30 Rock. Truth is, Donald Glover AKA Childish Gambino, is one of the hardest working people in the industry right now, balancing both a music, acting, comedy, and writing career almost seamlessly.

Gambino first began releasing music in 2008 with his self-released debut album Sick Boi. The album was a success on the internet, which inspired five more releases (Poindexter, I Am Just A Rapper, I Am Just A Rapper 2, Culdesac, and EP) from 2009-2011 before he was able to release his debut studio release, Camp. Released on Glassnote records, Camp is not only a stylistic, but also a lyrical step forward for Gambino, whose raps consisted mostly of talking about his d***, his chicks, and his money. Personally I felt like his lyrics became much more relatable and interesting around the release of I Am Just A Rapper 2. He had fully taken on the responsibilities of his Childish Gambino personality, and he ran with it. Although d***s, chicks, and money is still extremely prevalent in his music, there’s a clever and usually wildly funny punchline to accompany it.

Earning a degree in Dramatic Writing at NYU, Glover is a skilled and able wordsmith, which is what makes Gambino’s raps not only smooth, but wickedly clever. One of my favorite lines on the whole album occurs on the album’s first single, “Bonfire”, and it goes, “You’re my favorite rapper now, yeah dude I better be, or you can f***ing kiss my ass, Human Centipede!” I mean, if you guys need any reason to go to college, let this be it. You can graduate, start working with Tina Fey on a daily basis, and then become a world famous rapper as a side-job.

Along with the great lyrics that are expected from Gambino come equally as engaging beats and rhythms. When performing live, Donald tends to use a live band as opposed to pre-recorded background. This may in some ways explain the layered and sometimes surprisingly alternative beats that come from him and his team. The result is not only one of the best releases of the year, but also Gambino’s best release ever. Even if you don’t like his voice, check out Camp just for the lyrics, they’re guaranteed to make you crack a smile or even burst out laughing.

Best Track: Bonfire and Backpackers

5/5 Bears