1. Parks and Recreation, Community, and 30 Rock are all being renewed for only a final 13 episode season.
There are many kinds of people I dislike in this world, but those who ignore NBC's Thursday Night Comedy rank among the most detestable. Well, thanks guys. We're finally being punished for your insolence. After low ratings across the board (groan-inducing sitcoms Are You There Vodka, Whitney, and Two Broke Girls all have higher ratings) the shows are being pulled, despite outstanding critical reception.
I am actually quite speechless. All three programs are hands down the best comedies on television right now, and will surely be remembered throughout history as being some of the best this decade has to offer. 30 Rock is incredibly quippy, with an incomparable casting and the tightest and most consistent writing I have seen in years. Parks and Recreation is The Office's smarter, funnier, more sincere and innovative younger sister; but it's the one that's taken the back seat since Season 1. Community was always an underdog with a loyal fanbase; I expect it to see Arrested Development cult status in the coming years.
I am enraged I won't have Thursdays to look forward to for television any longer. Nothing has been, or will be, as reliably phenomenal as this comedy block has been for the past 3 years.
2. Whitney Cummings will have her own talk show.
As if the anti-christ of television didn't get enough screen time this year, she will be given her very own talk show on E! for the Fall. What drugs are the E! executives on that convinced them that Cummings has any fanbase to sustain yet another awful series? Or is someone looking to cash in on severance pay next year?
3. Prometheus has been rated R.
Fanboys everywhere breathe a collective sigh of relief. Prometheus will not be toned down, and we won't have to deal with teeny boppers who can't distinguish between James Cameron's Aliens and the painful Alien vs. Predator series.
4. Tom Gabel, lead singer of American punk band Against Me!, determines he is transgendered and will undergo surgery to become a woman.
While I commend Gabel (now Laura) for coming to terms with her identity, I can't help feel disappointed at the loss of a phenomenal punk/rock band, and confused that the angry and hyper-masculine Gabel has been struggling to find clarity throughout the band's growth. That said, gender identity is something that I (and most people) have been blessed to view as a non-issue. To be living in the wrong body must be devastating and constantly alienating. I wish her the best of luck, and will continue to follow Tom's progress as he becomes Laura.
5. Bon Iver announces new dates, including a two night stay at Radio City Music Hall.
I'm already worried that there will be a shortage of tissues in New York City for what will surely be an unforgettable night as Vernon and company go through the instantly classic catalogue of the band. If I don't get tickets, which is a distinct possibility, I will sell my soul for a ticket. Take note, ticket-holding readers.
6. President Obama voices support of marriage equality.
There's a lot of backlash around the convenient timing of Obama's heartfelt speech. Yes, election time is around the corner, and yes, this seems like a grab for votes. Great causes need not good intentions, however, and I am happy to see that history is well underway to being re-written.
7. Lead singer of pop two piece outfit He is We undergoing chemotherapy; label replaces her without consultation.
It's surprising that even the smallest bands can be the victims of big business sleaze. A new singer has been selected to commandeer the band's cutesy brand of Disney-Pop, despite the label insisting that Rachel is still actively involved with song-writing and performing.
8. The Avengers has the highest opening weekend ever, with over 200 million dollars grossed.
Obviously I was expecting the culmination of 4 massively successful franchises to be a box office bomb. Obviously.
9. Jessica Chastain rejects a role for Iron Man 3.
My favorite developing new actress turns down a role for the third Robert Downey Jr. vehicle film. I'm both glad and hesitant; on one hand, this allows Chastain to consider pursuing smaller passion projects like Take Shelter, The Tree of Life, and The Help. Also, it's hard to forget what a let-down Iron Man 2 is; not even The Avengers could wash that away. Still, there is a possibility that she is missing out on a spectacular blockbuster experience, and if she is, can her career take that loss?
10. No Doubt to release long awaited follow up to Rock Steady on September 25th.
If you had told me at the 2009 reunion tour that it would take three years for the new No Doubt record to be complete, I would have scoffed. The band has stalled more than the kings of "save it for another day", Blink-182. Still, it's hard to blame Gwen and co.; with babies popping out like springtime dandelions, a quick release would have felt forced. Here's hoping that the new release will pack the same punch that the illustrious Tragic Kingdom did back in 1995.
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