For the first time in probably 20 years, I actually spent NYE at home watching the various networks ring in the new year. Wife is pregnant and had the flu, so doing something was just a non-starter.
Let me say this: staying home on NYE may be the right call for a host of different reasons, but relying upon mainstream tv to entertain you on that night is a horrible mistake. The Fox and CBS shows were literally unwatchable -- so unwatchable that we actually turned to Kathy Griffin on CNN, whom I loathe, and got pretty much exactly what I was expecting, which is to say an experience only mildly better than having a lumberjack kick me square in the testes. If only I'd seen her describe a heckler as a cocksucker on live TV when it happened, I might have enjoyed it more. ESPN's show was similarly god-awful, unless you're really into watching motorcycle daredevils, which I'm not because, you know, I'm no longer 6.
When it was on, I watched Dick Clark's thing, which was the best of the bunch, for whatever that's worth. Watching Dick count it down was both sad and heartwarming. You can tell that his mind is still there, it's just that his motor skills can't really keep up since his stroke, but he was out there like a trooper. He's the epitome of Americana cheese, but the dude has been doing it for decades and is an institution. Props to him for keeping it up, I suspect he'll be doing NYE until he physically can't do it anymore, and even then they'll wheel him in so he can be a part of it.
Apart from that, I noticed the following:
-Carson Daly is an unmitigated tool. Hadn't seen that guy for a while, and if I don't ever see him again, it'll be too soon. Guy brings nothing to the table.
-for someone that is supposed to be so good looking, Fergie looks an awful lot like a muppet.
-that Taylor Swift gal can withstand some cold. It was bitter cold in NYC, and she's out there in a sleeveless, backless dress. The song sucked, but credit where credit is due.
-whether or not I like a song by the Pussycat Dolls depends entirely upon whether I've seen them perform it or not.
-It is possible to craft a show that tries so hard to appeal to everyone that it appeals to no one. It was like one long Superbowl half time show.
Next year I'll probably be doing something again, but if not, I'm going to watch something else entirely and then flip Dick Clark on at 11:59, watch him count it down, and then go back to whatever I was doing. Unless the Pussycat Dolls are playing -- then I might leave it on in the background, with the volume down.
Let me say this: staying home on NYE may be the right call for a host of different reasons, but relying upon mainstream tv to entertain you on that night is a horrible mistake. The Fox and CBS shows were literally unwatchable -- so unwatchable that we actually turned to Kathy Griffin on CNN, whom I loathe, and got pretty much exactly what I was expecting, which is to say an experience only mildly better than having a lumberjack kick me square in the testes. If only I'd seen her describe a heckler as a cocksucker on live TV when it happened, I might have enjoyed it more. ESPN's show was similarly god-awful, unless you're really into watching motorcycle daredevils, which I'm not because, you know, I'm no longer 6.
When it was on, I watched Dick Clark's thing, which was the best of the bunch, for whatever that's worth. Watching Dick count it down was both sad and heartwarming. You can tell that his mind is still there, it's just that his motor skills can't really keep up since his stroke, but he was out there like a trooper. He's the epitome of Americana cheese, but the dude has been doing it for decades and is an institution. Props to him for keeping it up, I suspect he'll be doing NYE until he physically can't do it anymore, and even then they'll wheel him in so he can be a part of it.
Apart from that, I noticed the following:
-Carson Daly is an unmitigated tool. Hadn't seen that guy for a while, and if I don't ever see him again, it'll be too soon. Guy brings nothing to the table.
-for someone that is supposed to be so good looking, Fergie looks an awful lot like a muppet.
-that Taylor Swift gal can withstand some cold. It was bitter cold in NYC, and she's out there in a sleeveless, backless dress. The song sucked, but credit where credit is due.
-whether or not I like a song by the Pussycat Dolls depends entirely upon whether I've seen them perform it or not.
-It is possible to craft a show that tries so hard to appeal to everyone that it appeals to no one. It was like one long Superbowl half time show.
Next year I'll probably be doing something again, but if not, I'm going to watch something else entirely and then flip Dick Clark on at 11:59, watch him count it down, and then go back to whatever I was doing. Unless the Pussycat Dolls are playing -- then I might leave it on in the background, with the volume down.
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