Test Pattern

They canceled my show!

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:20:00 GMT

OK, the news is coming out about which TV shows will be returning in the fall ( "Reaper," hooray!) and which will not ( "Jericho," and it sounds like peanuts won't save it this time).

I'll post more info about various shows here, and of course we'll cover them in the TV news section of MSNBC.com.

But let's use the comments section to discuss...which shows are you happy to hear are coming back? Did any of your favorites get canceled? And are there any shows out there that you'd secretly love to see canceled? (Am I the only one who's shocked that "The Bachelor" keeps on keeping on? At least this next season will be "The Bachelorette.")

Multi-link Monday: Swatches, sad Kermit, fat cats, more

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:00:00 GMT

Welcome back, work Mondays (for me). Welcome back, Multi-link Monday (for you). The concept is simple: I link to five fun sites, usually pure time-wasters, to get your week off to a good start. Sometimes these sites are useful or educational, but mostly they're pure entertainment. You, too, can suggest MLM (not multi-level marketing!) sites. Leave them in the comments and I'll check them out. And happy Monday to all. SAD KERMITAnyone who's ever heard "The Rainbow Connection" knows that Kermit the...(read more)

Misheard lyrics, take eight million

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:59:00 GMT

Remember back before my leave when we were discussing misheard song lyrics? And some people would comment and insist that people were just gleefully making up their "wrong" lyrics, that no one could be so dumb as to get that confused? Readers, I am here to assure you: I am that dumb. ...(read more)

Linkage: Ebert's blog, Kimba the White Lion

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:16:00 GMT

I'm in training today...have to relearn all the software that was second-nature to me not so long ago. But I'll throw a few fun links up as I find them.

EBERT SPEAKS
He calls it a journal, but Web surfers know better: Roger Ebert now has a blog! The cancer-stricken critic may not be able to speak, but his voice rings out as loud as ever. (Via Web Goddess.)

'WHO LIVES DOWN IN DEEPEST, DARKEST AFRICA?'
A co-worker is wondering: If "Speed Racer" is now a big-screen movie, can "Kimba the White Lion" be far behind? Some of us have fond memories of watching the two cartoons back-to-back. Here's a YouTube link to remind you of Kimba. (Thanks to Denise O. and Paige for the link.) And don't miss our "Speed Racer" quiz.

WHEN IN SCRANTON, STAY AT SCHRUTE FARMS
Did you catch John McCain on "The Daily Show" last night suggesting that he had picked Dwight Schrute from "The Office" as his running mate? It might have worked had McCain known who Schrute was...instead he had to stop, pull a cue card out of his pocket, and read the name as if he'd never seen it before. (Note: The NY Times says McCain IS an "Office" fan. Coulda fooled me.)

You can watch the video on Wonkette. But we "Office" fanatics know Dwight would never settle for the #2 spot on the ticket. His platform? Five portions of beets a day for everyone!

HIGH-GULL, not HIGH-JELL
Our own Courtney Hazlett reports that Katharine Heigl may not be long for "Grey's Anatomy." Personally, I like the Izzie character, though not paired with George -- that was just wrong. The NY Daily News somewhat gleefully trashes the actress, but come on. If someone mispronounced my name (and they do, all the time), I think correcting them is just fine. (Daily News link via TV Tattle.)

Rediscovering the Discovery Channel (and its sister, the History Channel)

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:13:00 GMT

Is it just me, or are some of the best programs on TV running on The Discovery and History Channels? I've always liked those channels, but while I was on my leave, I started to really get into the extreme job/freezing in Alaska/wow-I-could-never-do THAT genre of programming. ...(read more)

Paying those 'Home Makeover" taxes

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:07:00 GMT

What are the other blogs talking about? Here's a look at TV and entertainment news from around the Web:

Ever wondered how those "Extreme Home Makeover" families manage to pay the increased taxes that come with their new homes? Sometimes they can't. (Via TV Tattle.)
Are these the 50 greatest commercial parodies of all time? Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball. (Metafilter)
A look at the fashion sense of the "Sex and the City" movie. Needs more pictures! (Via Jezebel)
"Big Brother" with puppets! It could not be any worse than the show is now. (Via Andy's Reality Blurred.)

Is this thing on?

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:44:00 GMT

Hey, is this thing on? Sorry to let Test Pattern get so dusty! But I have an excuse, really! The dog ate my homew -- forget it, you'd never buy that. ...(read more)

So long, farewell (for now)

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:00:00 GMT

No one knew how to leave a party like the children Von Trapp:

So long, farewell, Au revoir, auf wiedersehen,
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne
LIESL: Yes?
BARON VON TRAPP: No!

I've got to follow the Von Trapp kids' lead. I'm heading out on maternity leave until 2008, but I'll be leaving Test Pattern in very good hands. My colleagues in the entertainment department will be sharing the blog while I'm gone, and I know they'll bring an entertaining diversity of opinion, commentary, gossip, and random goofy linkage to the site.

I've had a blast with Test Pattern so far, and hope you've enjoyed reading it. The commercial contest is always a hoot, especially when applied directly to your forehead (Ad I'm currently loving: The beer commercial where the axe-wielding hitchhiker doesn't want them to pick up the chainsaw-carrying hitchhiker.)

Some of the misheard lyrics we discussed have now replaced the real lyrics to certain songs in my head. (I am convinced "I am a lineman for the Cowboys" is a much better line than Glen Campbell's "I am a lineman for the county...")

Many of you told me that Multi-link Monday helped you ease into your work week, with its random quizzes, online games, and bizarre links. And we've also discussed goofs in movies, "For Better or For Worse," the Aqua Teens shutting down Boston, the intricacies of "Lost," Super Bowl ads, and much more.

Looking for more blogs? You can't go wrong with any of the sites in my links box at right. Plus, MSNBC's Ads of the Weird blog (updated every Tuesday) keeps up the crazy commercial commentary year round; Will Femia's Clicked is not unlike Multi-link Monday in its randomness; and my office neighbor Alan Boyle keeps tabs on the world of space and science in his Cosmic Log. If you want to keep up with me, I have a personal Weblog, Pop Culture Junk Mail.

And if I'm going to start this entry with a pop-culture quote, I'd better end with one, too. What's that Arnold said so famously? "I'll be bahhck."

Misheard lyrics: Songs in the key of slur

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT

It seems that it's easy to mishear a lyric in almost any song out there. But some songs, and some singers, show up much more than others. Here are some of the songs that just come out as one big mumble. Call them songs in the key of slur, or maybe the misheard lyrics hall of fame....(read more)

Multi-link Monday: Test your 'Seinfeld' knowledge

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT

Taking another break from the song-lyric insanity to offer up a Multi-link Monday. Have a cool link to suggest? Post it in the comments. • Remember when we were trying to find band names in that Virgin Atlantic poster? In a similar vein: Can you find all the "Seinfeld" references in this image? Answers are here. (Via the wonderful PopCandy.) • Those of us who care about punctuation will either love or hate this site: The "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks highlights all those...(read more)