This Is Us Returns (someone grab me a tissue)

Posted on September 27, 2017 by myhollywoodhangover

Jack, Rebecca, Kate, Randall, Kevin, Beth, William, Toby

I started watching This Is Us on it’s season premiere last year because I adore Mandy Moore and was curious about her new show. Even though, I had ENOUGH primetime television to watch (thanks to Bravo, HBO, & Bachelor Nation), I thought maybe it was something my husband and I could watch together. Did I also mention I adore Mandy Moore?

No Mandy, you’re America’s angel. Throw in Jess from Gilmore Girls and that one actor whose name I didn’t know but played an amazing Christopher Darden in the O.J. show; yeah, I stayed to watch for the entire season.

If that wasn’t you at the end of the first episode from Season 1 when Jack & Rebecca adopted the fire station baby and you found out the twins and Randall were all siblings then YOU. HAVE. NO. SOUL! It was nice to cry happy tears at a show and this continued all season long (well except maybe when William died, but even that was made to be a beautiful moment). We know Season 2 will tell us (or so we hope) how Jack passes (which will probs leave me on the floor), but I’m also expecting many more beautiful moments from this truly beautiful show; I want it to have everything I love from Season 1 (and more!).

“A Father’s Promise” 2×1

Flashbacks

Obviously one of the staples of the show is that any episode can flash to another time period at any moment from elderly Mandy Moore to hippie Mandy Moore to housewife Mandy Moore. This occurs in the very opening scene of Season 2 because we see William as a young man writing his book of poems for Randall. William shows up yet again in a flashback of Beth’s; she remembers having conversations with him in a park, only for the scene to cut to Beth at the same park present day (sadly, without William).

The big fight scene between Jack and Rebecca from the Season 1 finale is shown in a flashback, only through Randall’s eyes this time because we learn he was there to witness some of it. Finally, we flash all the way back to the beginning of the main storyline when Rebecca and Jack adopt Randall and learn Rebecca first said no to the adoption.

I appreciate this about the show and am glad to see it continue in Season 2. Not simply because I live for the many fashion (and faces) of Mandy Moore, but because this is the format for the surprises of the show; nothing (or anything) can be expected in the plot when events and timelines don’t follow a pattern.

“The Big 3’s Birthday”

If I remember correctly, the series premiere episode last season followed the birthday of Randall, Kate, and Kevin. You think each of these character are just having a birthday, while at the same time this couple is having a baby; you think you’re simply following multiple storylines. Only at the end do you realize everyone is related and intertwined.

Season 2 keeps with this tradition, opening on the “Big 3’s” thirty-seventh birthday, and again, each sibling seems to have their own story. Actually now that I think about it, the two season premiers are even more similar because Kate and Kevin celebrate their birthday together as twins, where Randall is with his family, which brings me to my next point…

Family Dynamics

One thing I adore about this show (and is evident in it’s Season 2 premier) is the theme of family unity. What is so great about this though, is how different it can be portrayed. First, it starts with Jack and Rebecca sitting the kids down and explaining to them what happened in the Season one finale (their big fight). While, they may not be a strong unit as a couple at that moment, they are strong enough as a family to be honest with each other about their issues.

Speaking of honesty, I love Randall’s daughters when they ask him, “Are you the girl now?” because he quit his job last season and is now the stay-at-home parent. His whole family is amazing; if you watched this episode, you know what I’m talking about #last10minutes.

The last family dynamic that is so interesting to me is that of Kevin and Kate. In Season 1, there are scenes where Randall expresses how he feels on the outside of “the twins.” This season it seems like maybe Toby will have those same feelings. There is just something undefinable about that bond between Kate and Kevin; I’m excited to see it continue and unfold this season.

But you know what I’m most ready to see return this season?!

Those long, drawn out monologues that no one actually says in real life, yet always manages to leave me in tears!

The First Serialized Musical … Wait, What?

Posted on September 21, 2017 by myhollywoodhangover

I’m just going to throw out a few words to you: podcast, satire, true crime, musical.

Many times I feel I’m quite often on the search for a new podcast; either a season has ended, or I’m patiently waiting for the one episode per week to drop. I recently stumbled upon Secrets, Crimes, & Audiotape, which I thought may be similar to Homecoming (a fictional podcast told without a narrator & through only character dialogue).

I’m the type that likes to start a podcast from the beginning so I scrolled down, down, down on the episode feed to start with episode one: an imaginative retelling of the hours right after President Kennedy was assassinated (sidebar: my husband and I just recently watched Jackie with the stunning Natalie Portman, so the Kennedy assassination is a hot button issue in my household right now; enjoyed the movie, felt it was a bit too artsy for my liking … moving on…)

After listening and enjoying that story, I decided to see what else Secrets, Crimes, & Audiotapes had to offer. I found a five part episode titled “Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me” and the premise was this:
“Like Serial Season One, only with much more singing. In the opening episode, a young Sarah Koenig, a beat reporter for the Baltimore Sun, needs a big start to boost her career. Voices in her head give her an idea that could make her dream of working for Ira Glass come true. Years later we find Sarah working at This American Life, where Ira wants to do a show about murder. He asks a nervous Sarah to recount the murder that made her career and possibly solve it, something she immediately regrets.”

Wait, wait, wait, wait. You’re saying this episode is going to retell the story of Sarah Koenig, narrator of the Serial podcast, the non-fiction Peabody award winning show that retells the murder of Hae Min Lee by her boyfriend Adnan Syed (supposedly) in … song?! Plus features Ira Glass … in song?! Kristin Thomas are you freaking out yet?? #shoutout

I can’t even begin to imagine how it was pulled off!

Granted, I’m about a year behind, as this five part episode was released in November of 2016. So yeah, they pulled it off.

If you’re not familiar with Serial, click here for a background into the case. As I said, I’m only two episodes into SC&A, yet all the main players in this story have sung (yes SUNG!) including Sarah, Adnan, Hae, Asia McClain, and Jay.

Below are a few other details I both love & can’t get over, plus questions I still have from this podcast:

The character of Ira Glass

Ira is played by Jessie Cannizzaro.

I should probably stop here and mention that I do love me some show tunes, but I’m not a big Broadway buff. My favorite musical is Hamilton (but isn’t it everyone’s?) and I only have ever watched the Tony Awards the past two years (first because Hamilton was nominated so many times & then because James Corden hosted).

So with all the being said, I can’t tell you much about Jessie Cannizzaro. What I can tell you is she is hilarious as Ira Glass. Jessie gives Ira a screechy voice which is a distinct opposite from his soothing This American Life gig. Plus he’s pushy with Koenig, and allows his dog to feed on rhino. Ira might be my favorite character of the whole podcast.

Satire

The spoofs are not lost on me. First, Sarah’s podcast gets sponsored by “Online Correspondence Chimp” which, if you listen to many podcasts, you know that a big supporter of this media platform is MailChimp.

The songs are really funny as well. There is even one titled “Physical Evidence,” which lists out (you guessed it!) all the physical evidence from the case, but again in song form. And I KNOW the premise of a musical is that the story is told to song, but when you’ve invested quite a bit into the Serial story, only to have it sung, it’s a hard pill to swallow.

Last, did Sarah kill Hae?

Sooooo I’m picking up a theme with Secrets, Crimes, and Audiotapes which is each episode contains a secret from one of the characters. While the secret may not be as large as murder or conspiracy, someone has a secret.

The first episode of “Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me” talks about how there was a brandy bottle found at the crime scene and how one suspect was ruled out because while he was out drinking around the time, he was drinking beer not brandy. At the end of the episode (in a flashback scene to the very start of her career), Sarah listens to the voices in her head (who are teaching her how to become famous and a real reporter) and decides to buy a bottle of brandy (this is before Hae’s death).

In the second episode, Sarah does not want the evidence examined. There is also discussion (or song – I can’t remember) about red fibers found at the scene Last, Sarah calls an ex of hers and asks about her red coat from years ago, if he still had it.

Is the show taking things too far?

After I post this, I’m probably going to travel far down into a rabbit hole of research to find out how the real life Sarah, Ira, and Adnan feel about this production. (Kristin, can you help me with this?) Were they upset? I mean the show is pretty much accusing Sarah of killing Hae and portraying Ira as kind of a raging psycho with a feminine voice. Or, perhaps they loved it?! I feel like I know Sarah and Ira well enough since I listen to them so often, I would think they’d love it. Or … maybe they don’t even know about the show?!

Two: I guess it’s okay to make a satire musical spoof of a murder case because the case became so sensationalized through the podcast. Everyone felt like they knew Hae and Adnan. There are even podcasts about the podcast Serial. But maybe it’s not okay. Maybe it’s not okay to be singing a song called “Physical Evidence” regarding the murder of a young, high school girl. Then to insinuate that Sarah killed her, for laughs? I don’t know. I guess all of it is up for debate. Like I said, I’m sure I’ll be down an internet research hole all evening reading comments and reviews regarding all of this.

If you have feels about this spoof of the Hae Min Lee murder case, find me on Twitter @myhollywoodh or Instagram @myhollywoodhangover.

Let’s discuss!

50 Thoughts I Had During the #BB19 Finale

Posted on September 21, 2017 by myhollywoodhangover

Finally the season of Paul is over!!!

I was with the show (“OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE HOUSE!” Big Brother Recap: POV & Eviction) then I was against the show (Big Brother … or, a Shakespearean Tragedy) then I was with it when Josh made this face …

Then I was against it again when they didn’t get Paul out during the Double Eviction (even deleting the past two episodes off the DVR) but I guess I’m with it tonight to see who wins. Here we go!

Julie looks great in that black jumpsuit and choker! (Especially since she’s had some rough outfits this season!)
Paul is a snake … but probs deserves to win!
JOSH SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE SHOT!
I hope Kevin wins America’s Favorite Player!
Was such a season of boring boring game play where everyone just listened to Paul.
Awww I miss Mark!
I love Unicorns! It’s pooping Unicorn glitter on them!
Go Josh go!
I can’t believe I’m cheering for Josh.
Currently fastforwarding zzzzzz…..
Down goes Josh; dang it.
I have zero upper body strength soooo I’d suck at this.
Let’s be honest I’d probs suck at all the comps.
Down goes Christmas; I hate Paul.
THESE PEOPLE ARE SO STUPID YOU JUST LET SOMEONE WHO WAS IN THE TOP TWO LAST SEASON COME SO CLOSE TO BEING IN THE TOP TWO THE SECOND SEASON IN A ROW!
If Paul wins, he’s the Kansas City Royals cerca 2015.
I would think Christmas would be better at this comp because Josh isn’t the brightest.
This comp makes me miss Game of Thrones bad!!
Fast forwarding … bored zzzz
Josh wins by 7 minutes; I blame Christmas’s foot.
Nicole came back a second season and won; now Paul may come back and win — next year people listen up, GET! THE! VETS! OUT!
No one cares what you guys will do with the money; maybe if I liked you guys I’d care but I don’t.
YES! I love the part with the Jury & Will!
Pretty sure Cody is Derrick Levasseur just without being likeable; Cody is smart & thought ahead in the game!
Whoa!! Mark & Matt.
WHY ARE YOU ALL MAD AT PAUL?! YOU LET HIM GET AWAY WITH EVERYTHING HE DID! YOU DID HIS DIRTY WORK!
Okay so no one in Jury likes Josh.
I agree with them all saying Christmas used her foot in her favor.
Yes! Doctor Will call them out for not putting Paul up!
Dang now Will is coming for Alex!
I don’t respect this season either Mark! Hated it in fact; stopped watching a few weeks in fact!
The jury is so salty like Raven said BUT YOU ALL COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO PAUL! Stupid stupid stupid stupid!
You guys are worse players than Paul because you let him get away with everything and now want to cry about it; except maybe Cody. He saw Paul for what he was; Cody was just also a dick of a person.
Scales Comp!
Go Josh go! Win and take Christmas because I’d love to see Paul get kicked to the curb at the last minute!
Skipped their speeches! Please take Christmas!
He’s an IDIOT! Josh just lost.

Here come the questions!
Ohhh Alex’s question about Paul being a snake & not showing “friendship!” Good question!
Wow I actually think Josh is giving good answers.
Christmas is going to ask Paul if they can go out after this; she loves him.
Okay the stupid inside joke between Christmas and Josh was just that … stupid.
Stop talking Paul.
Wow they are talking really really fast.
Kevin looks so dapper! He’s so nice too! He said that the top two deserve it because they made top two and the Jury did not!
I WANT TO SEE THE JODY REUNION!
Damn Jessica is right about the Jury!
EVERYONE IS CALLING OUT THE HOUSE GUESTS FOR BEING PAUL’S BITCH! — EVEN JULIE!
Okay come on; let’s just tally the votes!
Holy cow. Oh wow. Paul just lost a second year in a row. Shooketh to my core … but so happy! CONGRATS MEATBALL!!!!

2017 Emmys

Posted on September 19, 2017 by myhollywoodhangover

Finally all my binging pays off…

Sunday night brought us the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, which celebrates television’s best! What I learned from watching the show is that I a) watch too much tv, and B) am curious to start watching more. With that being said, let’s discuss a few of the small screen winners, Colbert’s sketches, & that annoying announcer.
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Awards:

Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama:

I was happy to see John Lithgow win for his portrayal of Winston Churchill. If you didn’t know, I fell in love with The Crown over the summer. This role is not an easy role to play, however, I’m fairly certain Lithgow won this award for this character last year ?? That is confusing to me because there has only been one season of the show so how is that possibly? Find and correct me if I’m wrong; I’m too lazy to look it up.

Satisfied with this award?
Sure, but I would have much preferred seeing Jonathan Banks win for Better Call Saul.

Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy:

Yes, he looks and sounds exactly like Trump so Alec Baldwin was very much deserving to win in this category. But I’m SO OVER the political kick SNL has been on this year. I love love love Saturday Night Live but this past season I deleted many episodes instead of spending my Sunday afternoon laughing and watching from the night before. I’m not going to get into politics or my political beliefs (not this platform) but I def think SNL could lessen it a bit this upcoming season.

However, I think I’m alone in this thought because SNL cleaned house last night winning not only this award, but Best Supporting Actress (go Kate go!), Best Variety Sketch, & Best Variety Sketch Directing.

Satisfied with this award?
I guess, but I’d have preferred to see Tituss Burgess from Kimmy Schmidt win!

Outstanding Variety Talk Series:

Ummm, not a John Oliver fan (maybe I would be if I watched him? Naaah). I thought the Colbert/Kimmel roast of him after the two wins was great (fingers crossed they actually meant it). I was also pretty salty The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon wasn’t nominated! In the words of the Oshry sisters, “Justice for Jimmy!” Also, John Oliver you were not funny with mentioning Oprah each time you gave an acceptance speech.

Satisfied with this award?
No! James Corden deserved the win and James Fallon deserved to be nominated!

Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama:

Ummm, Ann Dowd was the cutest! I didn’t, haven’t, & don’t watch The Handmaid’s Tale so I can’t say much here.

Satisfied with this award?
Not really; I was really wanting Millie Bobby Brown to win. Not just because I love Stranger Things or because I love her, but because that. is. not. an. easy. role for a young teen to play. Seriously, watch the series and count how many actual lines Eleven had; that performance was based on pure emotion!

Outstanding Writing - Drama:

Okay Ann Dowd, let’s keep talking Handmaid vs. Stranger because it keeps winning! Honestly, I’ve wanted to read The Handmaid’s Tale for a while because I appreciate classic literature (& let’s be honest 1985 isn’t considered total classic, so thumbs up I’ll understand it some!). Not only that, the show won A TON of awards including this plus Outstanding Lead Actress Drama & Outstanding Drama. I def went and requested the book from the library and am currently on the hunt for someone’s Hulu password.

Satisfied with the award?
No, because I haven’t watched the show. Also, I think the Duffer brothers created something so unique and entertaining with Stranger Things and should have won instead.

Outstanding Lead Actor - Drama:

Loved him in the O.J. show; love him even more in This Is Us. I need to see more Sterling K. Brown work! (I also love saying his full name fyi)

Satisfied with this award?
Hell yes. Just don’t ever kick Sterling K. Brown off a stage AGAIN!

Every other award:

We can pretty much say the rest fell to either The Handmaid’s Tale, Big Little Lies, or Donald Glover, but I’d much rather talk BLL. First off, the ladies looked AMAZING presenting the first award. Nicole Kidman won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, Alexander Skarsgard won for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, plus it won Outstanding Lead Series. You can read my thoughts on BLL right here –> I Went on a Summer Binge …. 🙂 🙂 !!!

Satisfied with this award?
I would have preferred Reese win over Nicole but whatevs. Also, I need to watch The Handmaid’s Tale; have I mentioned that already?
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Stephen Colbert:

I’m not a huge Colbert fan; I prefer Fallon or Cordon, but I thought he was fine. I liked the opening number, his monologue was funny (Ted Cruz joke made me LOL), & he had some good bits. I really really loved the Westworld spoof where he was a host — a Westworld host, not award host, wait a sec, I get it….! (When does that show come back anyway!?). The RuPaul/Emmy bit was good too. Okuuuuuur!

I’m not one to really love or hate on the host; I’m more into it for the awards and the gowns and the live tweeting. Colbert didn’t make or break anything for me. He was just … there.
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Jermaine Fowler:

Okay first of all who are you?! Even Andy Cohen tweeted about him saying, “OY VEY with this announcer!” I don’t understand why there was a hype guy for an award show that wasn’t the VMA’s. Clearly CBS had to tell him to tone things down in the beginning (shoutout to Linda Holmes!) because his yelling was almost at crazy level; plus, those weird random comments he was throwing in there when someone won; like, are you trying to be funny? Give me the typical lady who has the soothing voice and is all, “This is so and so’s third nomination and first win for her role in blah blah blah …” You know who I’m talking about.

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Final Thoughts:

All in all, a fine show. Again, you don’t play off Sterling K. Brown; I don’t care where it was written queen Nicole got to talk that whole time. Anyway (& more importantly) I want to end with Alec Baldwin’s quote from his Emmy acceptance speech. It perfectly sums up my obsession with the small screen, the big screen, music, literature, and all things celebrity. Because, art makes you FEEL and brings people together and for that I’ll always follow, appreciate (& hopefully blog).
” … when you die you don’t remember a bill that Congress passed or a decision the Supreme Court made, or an address made by the president. You remember a song. You remember a line from a movie. You remember a play. You remember a book. A painting. A poem. What we do is important. And for all of you out there in Motion Pictures and Television, don’t stop doing what you are doing, the audience is counting on you.”

“There is No Conversation That Will Erase the Last 50 Years” 7×7 GOT Recap

Posted on September 10, 2017 by myhollywoodhangover

It’s been two weeks since The Wall fell and I still can’t get over it …

I can’t get over the fact that Viserion blew blue flame and took down The Wall (or part of The Wall?). I’ve stewed over the GOT finale for a while now and I think I’m finally ready to recap. (I’ve also been super busy: see here).

If it seems like I haven’t talked Thrones in a while, it’s because I didn’t cover 7×6 on MHH. I wanted a week off to just watch as a viewer and not take notes or analyze too hard. Needless to say I felt emotions, strong emotions during that episode because A FREAKING DRAGON DIED and we almost lost every hero during that stupid stupid plan to capture a wight (which I also learned about during 7×6! Do not confuse wights and White Walkers; there is a difference).

I missed dissecting my feelings during Thrones, so I’m back this week to recap the finale and bid farewell (for a while) to Westeros (a long while; they’re predicting a 2019 return friends!). Let’s get started…

Finale Emotions:

but maybe I should get specific…

I loved the beginning of the episode with the Unsullied posted up outside King’s Landing; the music was perfect and everything felt ominous. Then, the Dothraki rode up. It took me a while to understand what was going on. This was the moment all our favorites were to “meet” to show Cersei the wight so they could all band together and be one big army.

Some of are favorites reunited: The Hound & the Mountain, Jamie & Brienne, Cersei & Tyrion. But really, everyone (including all of us) were all, “Where’s Dany?! She better ride in on a dragon!” And being the bad bitch that she is, SHOWED UP ON A FREAKING DRAGON.

Ever heard the expression, “You could cut the tension with a knife?”

Never more true than this moment in television history. The Hound goes to get the wight and I’m all, “Release the kraken!” Ugh then there was that stupid pause before it jumped out and we were all thinking, “If this fucker doesn’t appear…” But low and behold he popped out and for the first time in seven seasons, I saw Cersei show true fear.

Jon then gives an explanation about the undead, the Greyjoy uncle bows out because he’s afraid (or so we think …more later), and Cersei proclaims, “The crown accepts your truce” blah blah we’ll march North and fight the undead.

“I will not serve two queens!”

Fucking Jon Snow. When I first watched the episode I didn’t understand why everyone was mad at Jon (why all sides were pissed at him). However, after thinking a while, I think I see. Cersei was pissed because Jon wouldn’t choose Cersei over Dany, Dany & Tyrion & all the others were pissed because now Cersei won’t help them fight the Undead. All right, I got it now. How will this be fixed?! Who can we count on to mend this?! Who will change Cersei’s mind?! Her mind can’t be changed so I’m sure Dany will probs just blow away King’s Landing with her dragon right?! Wrong.

“RELEASE THE KRAKEN!”

Yep. Send Tyrion to change Cersei’s mind. I haven’t heard of a Tyrion plan this dumb since he sent all our heroes to capture a wight and WE LOST A FREAKING DRAGON in the process. What could he possibly say to change her mind?!

He doesn’t die. Why does he not die? Because (I’m going to skip ahead right now) Cersei played him the whole time, is not going to march her army North, but rather wait it out for a victor to come after her. The Greyjoy Uncle was in on it the whole time.

Cersei marches back out, pledges her loyalty, all our favorites leave, and I’m left wondering where this leaves us.

What’s happening is a discussion with Sansa and Littlefinger in the North. Raise your hand if you thought either of them was going to take off their face and it be Arya!! Am I alone in this thinking?

What is also happening is Daenerys wanting to be on a boat with Jon Snow and Jorah not feeling it. Poor guy just can’t win with her. SHE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU JORAH — no matter how much you advise her, kill for her, cure impossible diseases for her, capture the undead for her — she’ll never love you.

What is also happening is a great conversation between Jon and Theon about heritage and whether you’re a true Stark or a true Greyjoy (or a true Targaryen?!). I’m not going to recap the discussion or anything… but I thought it was a great moment that slowed down the plot a bit and showed strong characterization #thronesthrowback

A few more major things happened… stay with me …

1) Sansa and Arya FINALLY give Littlefinger what has been coming to him for SEVEN SEASONS NOW! Think about it. Just stop and think: how much has happened, how many deaths have occurred, how much fighting has ensured all because of Mother Effin’ Peter Baelish. It was great to watch him beg and cry for his life. It was even greater when Arya slit his throat!

2) As previously mentioned, Cersei betrays the Northern Army, but guess who doesn’t?! Jamie “King Slayer” Lannister! Did you really think she was going to have the Mountain kill him right there? I say no, but I know many who thought this was the end of J.L. I was so so so so so so so SO proud of Jamie FINALLY standing up to his horrible sister and doing what was right. He gave his word to help the North so by golly he is riding North! (I also really liked the tiny snowflake scene as he rode off).

3) Sam and Bran together. Sam and Bran discussing Jon Snow. Sam and Bran discussing that Jon Snow is actually Aegon Targaryen. Sam and Bran figuring out that Jon Snow IS THE TRUE HEIR TO THE IRON THRONE!

4) Jon and Dany have sex. Jon and Dany are aunt and nephew. I hate to admit it, but I shipped incest (and may still do).

5. Viserion blows blue flame. Viserion torches a majority of The Wall and the dead simply walk right over. Next stop Winterfell for the dead (yes? Please correct me if my geography is wrong here!). Also, Tormund may be dead. I SAY MAY BE PEEPS. I’m not convinced he is.

Fade to black.

That’s a wrap on Season 7. My goal before 2019 is to read (at least) the first book in the series. It has been a really fun seven weeks, especially texting with friends and tweeting with strangers.

Find me on social to discuss or subscribe to the blog to comment! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

My DVR is Full.

Posted on September 8, 2017 by myhollywoodhangover

Now that school has started, my summer hobby is getting put to the side.

My DVR is busting at the seams, I’m four hours behind on Bach in Paradise, I haven’t yet posted about the Game of Thrones finale, and I erased two full weeks of Big Brother because it was too much to even start to wrap my head around (see more on that here!).

The amount of topics to cover on MHH is overwhelming, so I figured I’d do short snippets of all my current favs, all my current celeb thoughts, but mostly, all that I still make time for (regardless how busy my real world job makes me).

The Morning Breath:

I’ve written about this show/podcast before. Claudia and Jackie Oshry are sisters living in New York City. Each morning (when they aren’t hungover or on vacation) they go live on Instagram to bring you different celeb gossip. Seriously, they watch every. single. show I do, plus many I don’t. They make me laugh when I’m prepping for a long day on the drive to work, or laugh when I’m stressed on the drive home. I can’t say enough how much these two are my spirit animals, my favorite people, and a staple of my every day.

Stories I’d Tell in Bars by Jen Lancaster

I’m supes surprised I haven’t discussed Jen Lancaster before; she’s one of my favorite authors. For a list of her published work, click here! Currently, I’m reading her newest title, Stories I’d Tell in Bars. And that’s exactly what it is: funny stories you can’t HELP but laugh out loud to. I just finished the chapter about the Lilly Pulitzer/Target mess that occurred a few years back. (If you don’t know what I’m referring to, why are you even reading my blog?) Anyway, (now that I think about, keep reading my blog please — I’ll take any support I can; loves ya!) just go find a book by Jen Lancaster, any book. You don’t need ANY special background or prior reading to pick up one of her books and enjoy.

Luann sits down with Andy:

I just got caught up on the #RHONY reunion a few days ago (hence no post) and missed the Lu special last night. However, I couldn’t wait much longer and it was the first thing I did once I got home today. BAH! So many thoughts, from the dramatic entrance by Andy to the fact that Luann absolutely doesn’t think Tom cheated on her.

I couldn’t understand how, if he didn’t cheat, what was cause for divorce? He wanted to live a bachelor life and go out and make out with Missy, but he didn’t cheat on her during the marriage? I don’t believe it, and all around feel bad for Lu. However, I did enjoy watching the camaraderie between the women as they relived the Mexico trip. I think Luann has genuine friendships and support with the ladies and will be juuuuuuust fine in the end. Remember Luann, “If you fall, make it part of the dance!”

The new Bachelor is announced:

I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve only been a part of Bachelor Nation for a few years. In fact, Jojo was my first season. I’m slowly learning who is who in the Bachelor Family, but I am one (of many I’m sure) who doesn’t know Arie Luyendyk Jr. Of course I will still watch.

Claudia and Jackie (see above) don’t hate this pick, plus my bach bestie text me today and said she thinks I’ll like this Arie fella just fine. I’m pretty disappointed it wasn’t Peter because I thought I’d be able to trick my husband into watching with me (he was rooting for Peter after I forced him to watch one hour of Rachel’s season), but that doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying to get him to watch.

Dancing with the Stars — Cast Announced:

Oh this? Yeah I don’t care. Let’s move on.

RHOC and RHOD:

I didn’t get to watch either Orange County or Dallas on Monday, and have yet to blog about either this season (I take that back; I did write about The Quiet Woman), however, I’m not jumping at the bit to discuss either show. (Either either either! Marsha Marsha Marsha!)

I agree with all the Housewife Twitter accounts I follow that the Vicki/Shannon/Tamra feud is boring. Megan and Peggy are boring, Lydia is just there to stir the pot & look skinny, and Kelly is Kelly. As far as Dallas is concerned, I think it’s more entertaining, but not by much. I was pretty sad to see Brandi and Stephanie not even speaking (they were my favorite Dallas duo season 1) but I thought their make up was a bit premature. We can bet it’ll cause drama regarding Leeanne, which I’ll enjoy watching (ALOT more than I enjoy watching these ladies & their horrible plastic surgery faces).

Big Brother:

As I said earlier, I skipped two full weeks of Big Brother (read why right here), but I finally got back on the bandwagon and saw Christmas win HoH, Paul win Veto, and Jason start to worry. The next episode (tonight) will be double eviction (fingers crossed for a blindside!) which I’ll be sure to catch up on this weekend (unfortunately it’s football night at my house tonight) and I’ll either tweet or blog my feelings.

The Sinner:

Stars Jessica Biel and is a mind f***. Just go watch. And yes, that’s blood on her.

As always, I appreciate all and any support, follows, comments, email subscribers, love, and good thoughts. Wishing all my readers a safe weekend!

Big Brother … or, a Shakespearean Tragedy

Posted on September 4, 2017 by myhollywoodhangover

I haven’t watched Big Brother in two weeks & that’s a problem.

Most of you will say, “That’s just a stupid TV show,” or “I don’t even watch Big Brother, who cares?” but I care. I started watching BB in high school with my dad. It become something that was ours. My parents divorced when I was in middle school and even if I was spending the week with my mom, I still took an hour out of my Wednesday, Thursday, or Sunday to drive to my dad’s house and go watch this crazy “game” in the summer with him.

When I left for college, I still continued to watch Big Brother and even got my college boyfriend to watch it with me. That college boyfriend became my husband and eight years later we still watch the show together. And yes, I still discuss the show with my dad.

I got one of my best friends, who I worked with, to start watching. Even though her and I no longer work together, each week we text our thoughts on the show. Why do I tell you all this history of Big Brother and myself? Because the show has meant quite a bit to me and many people I care about. It’s been a summer staple in my life for years! Which brings me back to my very first point, I haven’t watched this season in two weeks. For my BB fans this means I’ve missed two HoH’s, two Vetoes, two houseguests going home, & tons of game talk (which is basically YEARS inside the house). And guess what, I didn’t watch tonight either.

Let me lay out the reasons why I’m SO OVER BB this season (and why it kind of breaks my heart).

First: Megan

Remember Megan? She was from the very start of the show. Here we see her happily talking to Jeff.

Her happiness didn’t last long though when she literally quit the show after the horrible way she was treated by both Josh & Cody (and quite frankly ALL the houseguests because no one stuck up for her). She had such bad anxiety from the show, she had to leave. I also wouldn’t put it past CBS for knowing her mental history and casting her anyway.

Second: The Return of Paul

Okay, okay, I know the bringing back of veteran houseguests has become a thing to be expected of BB. I was excited to see Paul brought back because I think he’s funny and I thought he would stir the house up.

But again, shame on you CBS for giving him THREE WEEKS safety right out of the gate. That allowed Paul three weeks to get inside people’s heads and have them do all his dirty work (WHICH ALL THE IDIOT HOUSEGUESTS DID!). I will give it to Paul; he is an absolute great player, but the fact that the newbie house guests can’t see this and are basically letting him run the entire ship is so ridiculous AND BORING!

Plus Paul, why did you get SO mad at Cody for trying to take a shot at you?? You know you would have done the exact same thing if you were in his position, which brings me to my next issue with this season…

Third: #Jody vs the House vs #Jody

I really can’t decide how I feel or felt about Cody and Jessica. At first, I was all “GET THEM OUT; these people are awful!” I completely understood why Cody would take out Paul, but it really seemed like Cody and Jessica were wanting this couple only, pretty people only alliance.

But then, Cody got voted out, Jessica was all alone, we wanted Cody to come back in (because you KNEW it would shake things up), Cody made it back in, only to have them both be targeted during that trash competition. Jessica won HoH and for a small second, I believed in their romance and was on #teamjody because I always root for the underdog.

They were winning competitions, Jess had her safety power, everyone was being awful to them, so I jumped on the Cody/Jess bandwagon. I BELIEVED in their love and the “them vs us.” I shipped #Jody. Then, the week Cody was up on the block, they said some pretty horrible things to Josh (who may or may not be totally clear in the head…). While I still ship their love (I started following Jess on Twitter, & really do like her), I was still disgusted by some of their comments (but, the rest of the house guests weren’t innocent either).

Last: Everyone, just everyone.

I mean, who do I like on BB moving forward? Def not Paul. Def not Josh. I really liked Alex and Jason, but have heard on Twitter that they’ve been pretty awful to people behind the scenes (plus they’re stupid because Paul is running their game — see above). Let’s see …. Christmas is boring and can’t compete and in my opinion shouldn’t even be there. Raven? HA! I guess I really like Kevin and he is the main person I’m rooting for.

According to Twitter, the houseguests were really awful to him as well?? Also, according to Twitter my two sweet guys, Mark & Matt, left. I was really sad to see Mark go, I saw no reason the house was against him or what he did wrong, and his week leaving marked the week I stopped watching.

Also according to Twitter, I heard Matt just gave up and went out like a puss? I mean clearly something had to be wrong with him too since he liked Raven … #sorrynotsorry.

It would be truly heartbreaking for me to give up on Big Brother after years of watching (I mean I did it with Grey’s Anatomy, but really don’t want to do it here), and since tomorrow the hubs and I are both off from work, maybe we’ll catch up. BTW…

I’ll let you know if I do watch. If you’re still watching (and enjoying) the show, hit me up on Twitter, IG, or leave a comment on the blog site (you have to subscribe to do so —-> top right hand corner friends & enter your email!) and we can discuss who you like and why. Unless it’s Paul, if it’s Paul I won’t talk to you.