flat parsely. never curly.

I just finished watching Barefoot Contessa. It was my first episode ever, though I've been meaning to watch it since the episode of Curb where you find out that Cheryl TiVo's it. I really liked the contrived spontaneity, like "ohh this sea bass could use something unexpected, maybe I'll go check the pantry and see what I can come up with," then she pulls a bottle of pernod and "oh this will be perfect," and it is! Is she actually endorsing people going out to get a bottle of pernod just to make her fucking sea bass though? no one has it just lying around, and if you do buy it, it will certainly still be there by the next time you wanna make that sea bass, cuz no one's using it for anything else. nu-uh.

Well, this "spontaneity" extended to her wondering aloud what her friend (Roger I think) would do for flower arrangements because "he makes such fabulous arrangements."

Meanwhile, at Roger's house...he IS making fabulous arrangements! and he's wearing his pastel sweater! Roger was hands down the best part of Barefoot Contessa, but I fear he's not an actual fixture on the show and that I just got lucky that my first episode of Barefoot Contessa was the "Roger Episode". He just piled all these grapes in a big ol' bowl and tucked some laurel or salal or something leaves in there, and it came out looking pretty fuckin lovely. That way, Roger said, "If any of the girls gets impatient for dinner they can just pick off a grape." Don't mind if I do, Roger!

Then, you know what he did?, he set the place settings with each of "the girls"'s favourite flowers. So like, if your favourite flower were the peony, for example, you would know to sit in the chair with the peony. "Good conversation starter," Robert fake-whispered, like it was our little secret.

Anyhow, "The Contessa"'s food all looked really beautiful, and appetizing, and just fussed-over enough. I'd totally make any of those dishes, and probably be pretty pleased with myself for having done it too. She kind of reminds me of my mother, in a very unnerving rather than comforting way though, so I'm not going to TiVo it or anything.




Food Nework Bonus Fun-Fact!: I fuckin hate it when Rachael Ray (well, does anything) talks about adding E.V.O.O to things. GAWD! Stop that.

oh, you pretty things.

Skins is back. This is not news to anyone in the UK, but I just downloaded the first episode off of isohunt last night. I watched it, with french subtitles, and it was everything I'd hoped for. Well almost everything.

In a way, this new season opener seems to be playing to the shows weaknesses--namely, efforts to portray realistic relationships involving teenagers, amongst themselves and with their parents. Maxxie and his dad just don't ring true at all, and even worse, the harassment he faces (for being a fag) from a group of local chavs (and that harassment's inevitable conclusion) just doesn't happen like that in real life. In Britain, North America, anywhere.

But the show delivered on its (considerable) strengths as well. Anyone who's seen an episode knows what those strengths are: pretty teenagers who, when not dressed in really nice clothes, are likely to be all but naked, high on ecstasy, and making out with each other. Also good music. Grizzly Bear's, The Knife opened and ended this episode. Oh yeah, and there are not one, but two Maxxie dance sequences! TWO!


Also the episode provided me with my new favourite terribly insensitive slang word. When Tony showed up at the "rave" (that's back in Britain? or did it never go away?) and runs into the snotty upper class girl, she says she heard that he was a "total mong" since getting hit by the bus in the last season's Magnolia-esque closer. A mong! Oh that's rich.

Here's the trailer for season two!

shall i compare thee to a puffy sleeve?

I'm coming into this pretty late for any type of running commentary on Project Runway, and Amelie Gilette at the AV Club is doing a much better job of it than I ever could, so I'll be brief. Does anyone else feel pretty ripped off that they couldn't decide between Chris and Rami so they're giving them a mini challenge before the big show? I mean, why even bother bringing a subtitled Roberto Cavalli in if you're not going to listen to him when he says, "I zee ze art"? FUCK RAMI! Sure he made one of the least hideous dresses in PR history, but he made it fourteen times in a row. So rarely do I unreservedly agree with Nina Garcia. And to add tedious insult to contemptuous injury, next week is a reunion show! Why do this to us Project Runway? You know I could have seen spoilers of all five final designers' shows at Jezebel two weeks ago right? I've been uncharacteristically patient, and for what? To watch contestants whose names I've long forgotten laugh and shout and weep together? No thanks!

Anyway, a prediction. Chris will beat Rami, for reasons well known to him. So I'm giving 3-7 odds on Christian, 7-3 on Jillian, and 4-1 for the far-from-scrappy underdog Chris. Taking all wagers.