I’ve been a fan of the show since day one, but many avoid watching because they don’t understand whether it is “real.” The answer is that My Life as Liz is somewhat real: Liz is a real high school student, her friends and enemies are real, the situations on the show are real but… MTV has dramatized it.

For the flak MTV has garnered for The Hills, My Life as Liz is upfront about the dramatization of reality shows. But, unlike The Hills, which forces L.A. twenty-somethings to be friends, the relationships-good and bad-in My Life as Liz are actually real.

What makes My Life as Liz worth watching are Liz’s hilarious comments. She is as witty as Glee’s Sue Sylvester, only nicer, and has left me quoting her for ages.

Here are five quotes from My Life as Liz that may convince you to tune in:

1. “Friends don’t let friends wear Slankets.”

2. “Don’t judge me. Yes, I am taking refuge in a blanket with sleeves.”

3. “Glitter is like the herpes of arts and crafts.”

4. “I’m sweatin’ like a hooker in Church.”

5. “Oh God, she discovered propaganda.”

New content is on my new website, The Pop Can!

will Ali find love?

I love “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.” It is trashy reality TV enveloped in fairy tale romance, which brings me back season after season. Although the ABC show boasts high ratings, I’m always surprised at the lack of people I actually know who watch it. Even my four roomates drew blank stares when I gushed about the program. So, when Jake Pavelka took to the small screen for his run as “The Bachelor,” I was prepared to sit by my lonesome making snarky remarks at the women like a bitter middle-aged divorcee. However, slowly but surely, three of my four roomies trickled in. One came to watch as a homework break, one glanced over while cooking dinner and another came to watch while doing homework (not sure how that assignment turned out.) By the end of the episode, they were all hooked.

“The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” has that hook; that quick grab that takes your attention and leaves you craving more come credit roll. It has romance, drama, reality trashiness, beautiful dresses and glamorous lifestyles all squeezed into one delicious show. But I think what my roomates and I enjoyed most was judging the contestants.

At first, I think I caught them quite off-guard with my brutally honest comments about the women vying for Jake’s attention. I knew who would not go very far in the race for Jake’s heart and, I’ll admit, it was mostly based on superficial reasons. But I’ve been watching this show for years and-as devotees of the show know-there’s people who possess the same qualities and, season after season, they do not make it to the final rose ceremony.

Ali’s season of “The Bachelorette” just started, so I thought I’d compile a list of people who won’t receive a final rose in “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.” The list is based on previous seasons and perhaps even shows that the last woman/man standing is quite a conventional TV leading lady/man. Of course, there are exceptions to the rules.

1. You wear a really ugly dress to the first cocktail party. Sorry, first impressions count and if you wearing a gargantuan monstrosity to meet your future husband, then you won’t receive a rose.

2. You wear a cheap looking suit to the first cocktail party. Even worse, it is in a light shade of grey or pastel. Shudder*

3. You’re crazy. Remember that doctor who was desperate for children in Aaron’s season of “The Bachelor”? “Horse before the cart,” girl; That’s what he said before saying good-bye.

4. Even worse than desperately wanting children is to already have a family. Jason Mesnick did all right with DeAnna, but he didn’t receive that final rose, and then became infamous with his own season of “The Bachelor.”

5. You are oddly short (this applies to both ladies and gents.)

6. You are really fake baked. If you rock an orange glow, I suggest applying for Snookie’s prospective dating show, “Snookin’ for Love.”

7. You make sex jokes. Example: “Shooter” from Ali’s season and landing strip girl from Jake’s season.

8. You are the season tattle-tale. Every season of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” has the token tattle-tale who’s “just looking out for you” and “doesn’t want to see you get hurt.” Oh, and throw in a “even if it’s not me at the end, I just want you to be happy” for good measure. The tattle-tale never wins, but he/she may snag their own season, a la Jake Pavelka.

9. Now if being the tattle-tale is paired with a weird foot fetish, you stand no chance of getting the final rose or getting a spin-off. Tanner from Jillian’s season of “The Bachelorette” was so hilarious with his creepy foot obsession. I’m surprised how long he lasted, but I wasn’t surprised when Jillian finally gave him the boot. I think he loved her feet more than he loved her.

10. You are a women over 30 years old. You might as well become a lonely old maid as far as the Bachelor is concerned.

11. You are a man under 25 years old. You might as well be in high school.

12. You live with your parents. It’s just not going to happen.

13. You’re Canadian.

14. If you make it to the family date, your family may just be the cause of your demise. Remember Naomi from Jason’s season? Her family was super bizarre (I believe they even held a funeral for a dead bird.) Give your ma and pa a good talking to before introducing them to your prospective husband/wife, because they may just blow your chances.

15. You have unconventional hair. If you are a woman with short or curly hair, or a man with lengthy hair, you’re probably not going to make it very far. Exception: Jesse from DeAnna’s year (although that didn’t work out anyway.)

16. You are a woman with a husky, smoker’s voice.

17. You are a guy with a high-pitched voice.

18. You are obviously there for the wrong reasons (Honestly Jillian, why did it take you that long to send Wes packing?)

19. You’re having an affair with the show’s producer (*cough, cough Rozlyn.)

20. You are a man that clearly gets his eyebrows waxed.

21. You have red hair.

22. You are not white. Seriously, why does the final rose always go to a Caucasian?

23. The other guys hate you (*cough, cough Juan.) This does not apply to women, as demonstrated by Vienna.

24. You have an unusual name.

25. You don’t have abs. Oh wait, you won’t even make it on the show if you don’t have abs.

Shallow? Perhaps, but I like to think I’m just being honest in a Simon Cowell sort of way. I’ve been watching this show for years and you can’t disagree that people with these characteristics won’t make it to the end. Perhaps this season will prove me wrong, but so far the men with messy hair, the men who wear suits in light shades, and the men with weird voices have been sent home- so, according to my list, Ali’s right on par with former Bachelorettes.
New content is on my new website, The Pop Can!

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Mary, “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.”

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In terms of parenting, you really can’t get any worse than Mary. She physically and verbally abused her daughter Precious. There is nothing more horrifying than watching Mary’s interactions with her daughter. Viewers are on edge with her every movement.

Be grateful Mary’s not your mom.

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Joan Crawford, “Mommie Dearest.”

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Alright, so someone really did endure the psycho stage-mom known as Joan Crawford, but Faye Dunaway’s portrayal made people shiver. Crawford used her acting skills to play the part of perfect mother, but “Mommie Dearest” let audiences know she was anything but.

Be grateful Joan Crawford’s not your mom.

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Midge Pinciotti, “That ’70s Show.”

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Besides being incredibly dumb, Midge Pinciotti was completely selfish. After divorcing her husband, Midge left her teenage daughter behind to pursue a career in California. The career?  Broadway. I did mention she was dumb, right?

Be grateful Midge Pinciotti’s not your mom.

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Colleen Murphy Donaghy, “30 Rock.”

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Colleen Donaghy never approved of her son, not even when he was a child! When Jack was a kid, he played hockey and the flute. Trying to embarrass her son, Colleen made Jack perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” on his flute in front of the hockey team. And, in an attempt to make a man out of him, Colleen tried sending Jack to Vietnam when he was only 12 years old!

Be grateful Colleen Donaghy’s not your mom.

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The truth is, I don’t need to compare my mom to Mary, Joan, Midge or Colleen in order to see how special she is. I have an incredible mother who in no way is like these bad fictional moms. My mom always puts my brother and I first and cares about nothing more than our health and happiness. She will drop everything she is doing for me and- although I don’t always show it- I am very grateful. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! (Does this count as your Mother’s Day present?)

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New content is on my new website, The Pop Can!

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Films:

Film: “Up in the Air” Nominated for:

• Performance by an actor in a leading role (George Clooney)
• Performance by an actress in a supporting role (Vera Farmiga)
• Performance by an actress in a supporting role (Anna Kendrick)
• Achievement in directing (Jason Reitman)
• Best motion picture of the year
• Adapted screenplay

Film: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire Nominated for:

• Performance by an actress in a leading role (Gabourey Sidibe)
• Performance by an actress in a supporting role (Mo’Nique)
• Achievement in directing (Lee Daniels)
• Best motion picture of the year
• Adapted screenplay

Film: Julie & Julia Nominated for:

• Performance by an actress in a leading role (Meryl Streep)

Film: Sherlock Holmes Nominated for:

• Achievement in art direction
• Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

Although most of the clips from Community are situational, this little gem is a funny Batman spoof. Ch-che-check it out below:

Do you watch Community? Tweet me your thoughts @LAMcEachran .

I have hope that Washington D.C. will offer more to viewers than Cancun. The castmates sound like opinionated people with a lot of ambition; something that Cancun lacked. But, in my opinion, Brooklyn and Hollywood weren’t that much better; both lacked “character development” and grew to be a little boring. I miss the Real World seasons when I genuinely cared about the people; the seasons that made me laugh, cry and hopeful for their future. Will Washington have that drama? Only time will tell, but for now let’s look back at some memorable Real World seasons.

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The Real World: Key West

Cast: Zach Mann, Jose Tapia, Paula Meronek, John Devenanzio,  Janelle Casanave, Tyler Duckworth, Svetlana Shusterman.

What made this season awesome: The housemates were so close. Unlike Brooklyn, there was no childish “girls versus boys”; they all became friends. Well… Svetlana might not have been that close with the boys as they had a tendency to tease her. From Paula’s eating disorder to Tyler’s scheming, Key West had a lot of drama, but also a lot of friendship. Viewers could see the genuine connection that these housemates had, and the struggle they endured trying to help Paula overcome her eating disorder only strengthened relationships. Key West was a season to remember.

The Real World: Austin

Cast: Danny Jamieson, Johanna Botta, Lacey Buehler, Melinda Stolp, Nehemiah Clark, Rachel Moyal, Wes Bergmann.

What made this season awesome: The love connection. In the first episode-when MTV pairs up cast members to travel to the house together-Melinda and Danny were paired and it was love at first sight. Danny was clearly smitten with the blonde and their love only strengthened when a family tragedy arose. The Massachusetts-native found true love with Melinda and the pair have since married.

The Real World: Los Angeles

Cast: Aaron Behle, Beth Stolarczyk, David Edwards, Dominic Griffin, Irene Berrera-Kearns, John Brennan, Tami Roman, Glen Naessens, Beth Anthony.

What made this season awesome: The humour. This cast was just so zany they were funny. From the purposely funny Dominic and Aaron to the unintentional funny of Tami wiring her jaw shut to lose weight, talking to people through clenched teeth; Los Angeles brought the laughs. It was sad to see this season end, but I’m sure the boys were happy to leave Beth behind.

Will Washington D.C. have a close-knit group, feature a love connection, bring lots of laughs or offer something uniquely its own? Find out on December 30th when The Real World: Washington D.C. begins.

What season of The Real World was your favourite? Tweet me @LAMcEachran!

Never stick your tongue to a pole/A Christmas Story

Last night was my grandparents annual Carol Sing. As a child, I looked forward to this occasion; I would get dressed up, hand around Hors d’oeuvres to guests and sing Christmas carols. But the occasion has changed quite a bit since my childhood; my grandparents decided to keep it strictly family and make it into a competition. No more relaxing carols, now immediate families band together and compete for a trophy. And the second portion of the competition has the grandkids dueling it out for first place in a talent competition. I’m sure there aren’t many families who hold such events, so let me tell you, it’s a stressful experience.

For the family talent, my parents and I recited Steve Martin’s SNL “A Holiday Wish” sketch, cutting the inappropriate content and dividing it for three people to read. But with one family that spray painted a giant

tree onto fabric, cutting out holes to stick their heads into and bribing everyone with cookies; a pregnant cousin that painted Santa Clause onto her stomach; a baby dressed as Santa with her parents as reindeers; and a cute singing four-year-old, we didn’t stand a chance. Needless to say, the four-year-old won. When he got that silver spray painted measuring-cup-on-a-stick, he literally cried tears of joy.

As for the grandkids competition, there was a different problem… none of us have any talent. Or, at least stage-worthy talent. Since I couldn’t copy edit in front of an audience, I went to my usual resort, the piano, and played the Beatles’ “Yesterday.” As for my cousins: one told a joke, one told a fortune, one read a poem and, since the four-year-old’s mom was home, he represented momma. The winner? The four-year-old again. How could you resist a knock-knock joke by a little kid? Too cute!

As nerve-wracking as the occasion is for someone who prefers crawling under a table over a piano recital, it is enjoyable. Spending time with family, eating delicious desserts and watching the performances is a fun evening; but competitive events like this is rare among typical family get-togethers. I’ve written about my dysfunctional family before and although our Christmas is “cookie cutter,” our family Christmas carol is not. Luckily, I have pop culture to make me feel normal again, with film and television showing the unusual Christmas traditions of the middle-class family. Here are my personal favourites, A Christmas Story and Seinfeld’s “Festivus.”

A Christmas Story

Based on author Jean Shepherd’s childhood, A Christmas Story tells the story of 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his wish for a Red Ryder BB gun. Every family can relate to the Parker’s and that is what makes A Christmas Story a family classic. From Ralphie spurting the “F, dash, dash, dash word” to Mr. Parker winning the leg lamp, A Christmas Story is a film I watch every year and still giggle to.

Seinfeld

One of my favourite Seinfeld episodes features Frank Costanza’s holiday, Festivus. Tired of the tinsel and expense of Christmas, Frank created “A Festivus for the rest of us.” Complete with the Festivus pole-as opposed to a Christmas tree-Feats of Strength, and the Airing of Grievances; Festivus is the secular holiday made hilarious on Seinfeld.

Television Christmas specials and themed movies remind me that my family isn’t so different after all. Mrs. Parker’s ruined Christmas feast and George’s grudge over his family’s tradition makes me laugh and realize that maybe my Christmas tradition isn’t so strange.

Tweet me your wacky family traditions.

Kurt

Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), McKinley High’s fashionista, brings his flamboyant sense of humour to Glee. From lines like “He’s cheating off a girl who thinks the square root of four is rainbows” and “They’re gonna throw fruit at us and I just had a facial,” Kurt always brings the giggles. But the best part about Kurt Hummel is his mannerisms; that wide smile during performances, hand on hip during hallway chats and theatrical eye-rolls at glee club meetings are terrific.

Future episodes: Perhaps Kurt will have a love interest? Well, besides Finn, seeing as that won’t work out.

Sue Sylvester

She’s cunning, manipulative and oh-so-mean, but her zingers add bite to this TV show. Cheerios coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) wants to sabotage Will Schuester’s glee club and will stop at nothing to accomplish her goal. Sylvester shows no mercy, but viewers did see a softer side when she got all gussied up in her zoot suit but had no place to go. To bad she tarnished that endearing side by giving Will no compassion when he told Sue about his marriage woes. Some of Sue’s remarks include “All I want is just one day a year when I’m not visually assaulted by uglies and fatties” and “I empower my Cheerios to live in fear by creating an environment of irrational, random terror.”

Future episodes: No doubt there will be more scheming for Sue Sylvester. Perhaps Glee will also feature more of Sue’s coaching.

Emma

Germaphobe Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) is McKinley’s guidance counsellor. Her big eyes and sweet voice keep viewers rooting for Emma, who has a crush on Will. Although gym teacher Ken Tanaka has his eye on Emma, those terrible short-shorts make Will a much better candidate. Plus, Emma’s cute duet with Will makes them a perfect match!

Future episodes: Hopefully Emma will snag her dream man, and audiences will get to see more cardigans and one-colour ensembles.

Puck

Noah “Puck” Puckerman (Mark Salling) is McKinley’s resident bad-boy/heartthrob. Vying for Quinn to accept him as the father of her child, Puck showed a soft side when he tried helping Quinn financially. Unfortunately, Quinn only has eyes for Finn and refused his help. But Puck knows how to bring the laughs, saying “Know what the worst part is? It’s not the burning in your eyes or how the slushie drips into your underpants, it’s the humiliation,” on being slushied for joining the glee club. Plus, the fact that he went for cougars earlier in the season was hilarious.

Future episodes: I’m gunning for Puck getting together with Quinn. This would also conveniently make Finn available for Rachel.

I’m going to miss Glee during its hiatus. Luckily for gleeks, we can download musical numbers and get the first part of season one, which will be in stores soon.

Lately, Sesame Street has been the talk of the town. With guest stars like First Lady Michelle Obama, and TV show spoofs like “30 Rocks” and “Mad Men,” Sesame Street is becoming a hot item in entertainment news; not to mention their take on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which quickly became an Internet sensation.

Scrolling through YouTube videos of the popular children’s show, I realized that Sesame Street has featured some prominent guests over the years. Recently the show has featured Paul Rudd and Neil Patrick Harris, among others, but back in the day Sesame Street still managed to bring in the stars.

I went through Sesame Street’s YouTube channel and selected my personal favourite celebrity guest stars. These guests are: singer Johnny Cash, Christopher Reeve, a young Julia Roberts, and Billy Joel along with Marlee Matlin. As many Sesame Street guest appearances go unnoticed, I found it interesting to learn who visited the friendly neighbourhood.

Guest: Johnny Cash appears as a wonderful Sesame Street guest. (Below)

Guest: Christopher Reeve guest stars with his young son Will as he explains being in a wheelchair. It is a very sad and touching video to watch. (Below)

Guest: a young Julia Roberts is as sweet-as-can-be in her Sesame Street appearance. (Below)

Guest: Billy Joel and Marlee Matlin sing “Just The Way You Are.” (Below)