Annalee, Annalee, Don't You Know I'm On to You

     Tomorrow is episode 2 of the new season of How to Get Away with Murder, and we might have finally reached the point where getting away is not a forgone conclusion. See the above blog title, also part of a Gavin DeGraw song, for a clear explanation. It's the third year of Professor Keating's (Viola Davis) law class, and the show has finally begun adressing our burning questions as Annalise discovers a dead body and her house on fire (who handles her insurance claims, seriously?)

Answers to Real Life Questions:
1.  How do the Keating 5 stay in law school with all of the murders?
     - These kids are barely holding it together mentally, and their GPAS are revealed at the bottom of the whole law class. The new dean points out to Annalise that she is favoring these sucky lawyers and like a protective mama bear, Professor Keating defends them.

2. How does Annalise keep bringing in money with one big case a semester? How does she find time to teach her sections of Intro to Law?
     - Annalise has an expensive retainer, and she is a good lawyer. Yes, she probably makes some bank, but teaching classes has to cover some of the bills, even if it's just covering her house repairs from all the murders. She is a great teacher, but she has other obligations (lying to the police, court, convincing people she didn't murder Nate's wife)  and missed a chuck of teaching classes last year because she got shot in the stomach (at a crime scene). As per her conversation with the dean, the school is aware Annalise has become a terrible educator. She is removed from the into classes and as a last ditch attempt, convinces the dean she should run an innocence-project based law clinic.

Image from TVLine.

3. Why didn't Frank shave sooner? 
     - Actor Charlie Weber was an Abercrombie model. He is a hottie with a body. Why has he been creeping around with a beard? Oh right, he is a murderer.

4. Is Oliver now part of the group (The Keating 6)?
     - Oliver has seen some things. He was diagnosed as HIV positive,  kidnapped by a would-be murderer, and then he got his boyfriend's acceptance from Stanford pulled. Yes, he is all in, digging up dirt on Annalise to secure his place with the group. Can he come back from the dark side? Can wicked Caleb really be the good one in this pair?

5. Is Annalise a murderer?
     - The fliers in her classroom seem to suggest that she is.

More Questions:
1. Why won't Wes move out of his terrible apartment? 
     - There have been kidnappings, murders, and some seriously bad juju there. It must be very cheap.

2. What happened to Caleb Hapstall?
     - We last saw the police going to arrest Caleb after Annalise proved in court his sister and brother/cousin could not have murdered all of their parents. Did he go to jail? Did the Keating 5 come to watch his trial and figuratively dance on his grave?

3. Did the police give up on trying to wrap up the murder of D.A. Sinclair? 
     - The original setup showed that Katherine Hapstall must have killed her in a murderous rage, but with Katherine's case blowing to pieces and her innocence, did anyone believe Annalise and crew were scot-free?

4. Why is Wes so cruel to Laurel?
     - It's unclear what happened after last season's car kiss, but Wes has turned a cold shoulder on Laurel and found a (relatively normal) girlfriend. Laurel still hasn't heard from Frank since he disappeared. If anyone should be massively upset, it should be Laurel.

Image courtesy of Tumblr. 

5. What's up with Bonnie?
     - Bonnie has been too quiet. Any minute, she may turn into her Paris Gellar character from Gilmore Girls and go off about chastity belts and Harvard. She has some issues that clearly have not been dealt with (her father raping her as a child, helping Asher cover up  a murder, nursing Annalise back to mental and physical health) and her weird unspoken tension with Frank, who has now disappeared.


6. Are we going to get closure on Wes's father being shot right in front of him?
     -This was my question from moment one of the season premiere.  Also see question 1 as it relates to this matter.. Wes needs something good in his life after losing Rebecca and being driven to the point of agreeing to shoot Annalise.

7. Will there ever be a Scandal crossover?
     -I can't be the only one shipping this crossover.  Just picture it, another day at Middleton University when the next presidential debate turns deadly. Annalise represents Cyrus, because, Cyrus must have done it. Or, Olivia and Huck come in and cleans up political scandals and bodies.

8. Will Annalise and Nate finally be happy?
     - Nate came all the way to Memphis to visit Annalise and her family in the season finale. They adored Nate, and he put up with it. Now that they're both widowed, they could be together. There is a good chance this turns toxic. See #10.

9. Is Annalise over the 'Frank caused the car accident that killed my baby' news?
     - There is no answer yet, but let's go with a hard pass. Perhaps Frank is the dead body found at casa d'Annalise? This leads to...

10. Who is the body at Annalise's house?

Emmy Fashion- 5 Best

As usual, Emmy dresses are one of my favorite parts of Fall. Here are my 5 best!

Image from StyleBistro.com

5. Claire Danes (Homeland) in gold Schiaparelli

     I'm a sucker for a gold dress. so much, in fact, that I wore one to my high school prom. It was not as glitzy as Ms. Danes, but it had some sparkle. The gathered fabric in the center of the skirt can be a funny thing for some women, but it looks regal on Danes. Her legs look sensational under this fabric. I wish the necklace hung a tad higher, because it blends into the dress a bit. I really do like this dress, but Danes looks pretty awful. Her skin tone seems to clash with the dress for some reason. It's like a fake tan gone wrong. Her hair looks like it effortlessly fell into place around her shoulders. B-

Image from LaineyGossip.com

4. Shiri Appleby (UNREAL) in blue Diane Von Fustenberg

     They don't call DVF a classic for nothing. It's sleek and sexy without being too revealing.This dress is s beautiful shade of blue for the Fall, not too "ocean" and not so dark that the detailing gets lost. Ms. Appleby has only dressed up once in the series so far (for an award show), but it's nice to see her wearing a gown that could hold its' own against the contestants on the fake reality show "Everlasting." Ms. Appleby has had long hair since her Roswell days (I'm jealous) and it literally shines on the red carpet.  B+

Image from StyleBistro.com

3.  Julie Bowen (Modern Family) in white Lela Rose

     As Claire Dunphy, Ms. Bowen doesn't dress up much in her day job. This white dress looked flawless against her skin and was elegant and simple, perfect for a black tie affair or a beach wedding. Some may call it safe, but I would pinpoint it as more "retro" in a classic 1930's meets Cleopatra style. Her T.V. daughters, Sarah Hyland and Ariel Winter went a much more bold route in their clothing choices.  The hair is nicely blown out in a fresh anti-bob, which I hope to achieve most mornings but end up failing to accomplish. A-

Image from Tom and Lorenzo Blog

2. Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) in red Alexander Wang

     First time Best Actress winner Maslany plays a series of clones on a daily basis. She is used to changing her appearance, but she looked beyond fierce at the Emmys.  She is rocking the color red, and she understands the "less is more" value. It's a simple halter-style top with a tasteful cutout into the cleavage area ( a rarity) and a barely-there midriff cutout. The bottom flows straight down, grazing the hip area. Best of all,  a simple up-do lets her diamond earrings show through and take the spotlight. A

Photo from Tom and Lorenzo Blog

1. Priyanka Chopra (Qunatico) in red Jason Wu

     The thing that drew me into the dress is that it's done in this year's popular color, Red-carpet Red. Aside from that, I love the flow and lines of the skirt, how it wisps down to the ground at a variety of angles and lengths. The top is fresh take on the one-shoulder dress with multiple straps, and a cutout wrapping around to the back. The crowning glory on this dress is how wonderful it flows when Ms. Chopra spun around. This photo from US Magazine shows her in a full twirl. If I have my vote, every bridesmaid dress should be this beautiful. Her hair also had to be up to show of the magic of this dress! A+

Consumer Frustration

 Thanks to Memegenerator for the image. 

     I'm not the type of girl to badmouth a brand, so I will refer to the brand as "the company." Somehow I ended up on the company's e-mail list earlier this year. I suspect it might be from signing up for an online contest they sponsored. Here is a word to the wise: read before your opt in for anything. As part of these check-mark boxes,  as you are probably agreeing to receive e-mails you don't want or need. I realized during the summer I was more likely to pick up their products in a local store and would not need to order from their website. Therefore, I unsubscribed from their e-mails.

     But, apparently I was not unsubscribed. The direct word UNSUBSCRIBE on the e-mail did not bring me to a new page or a confirmation like all of the other websites and newsletters I've unsubscribed from in the last few months. The e-mail blinked blue for a second, then returned to normal. I would describe it as like clicking on a giant button that turned out to be just a picture of the word UNSUBSCRIBE. Naturally, I e-mailed the company and asked them to take me off their list via their customer service e-mail. I got a response back that this was an issue they could not address, and I would have to call them to get myself taken off their e-mails. Just between us readers, I found it ridiculous that I had to call someone to ask them to stop e-mailing me. E-mail was invented to make calls less necessary! I decided I would just delete the e-mails when they came in, but I was still getting one every day or two.

     Finally, I had enough. I called the company today.  The very sweet and thorough rep and I were on the phone for almost 25 minutes explaining the simple situation. (I was getting e-mail I did not want. I could not make it stop. The e-mail customer service said it was beyond their control.) By the end of the phone call, I had told the rep more information that I would tell a first date. Let's keep put fingers crossed I'm one e-mail less by next week.I am aware these are first world problems, but  they are still annoying.
   
     How much "junk" e-mail can I be expected to sift through each day? It's bad enough I get physical junk mail and unsolicited phone calls, but let's all agree we should be able to control who e-mails us!

Tale of the Aging Actress

Gif Courtesy of BuzzFeed

     Early 2000's Rom-Com queen actress Kate Hudson is in a new movie, Deepwater Horizon. The 37-year-old actress is playing "the wife" of an oil rig worker in the Gulf of Mexico. Based on a true story, the rig exploded and spilled oil all over the gulf in 2010. Hudson plays Mark Walhberg's wife, and it means she is sitting around being worried, a la Helen Hunt in Cast Away or Kathleen Quinlan in Apollo 13. Does this mean now that she is under 40, Hudson can't hope for any more great and juicy roles? This is quite absurd. Comedienne (again a sexist term) Amy Schumer's "Last F**ckable Day" sketch explored and poked fun of the moment when a women has to begin wearing long sweaters and taking roles like "The mom." Schumer brilliantly remarks on this double standard as Tina Fey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus shipping Patricia Arquette (48) off on this journey.

     I also remote flipped to the Jennifer Garner-led movie Miracles from Heaven. It was sad, but at least it was a role for a woman in her 40's. Sadly, it was a bit contrived, as Garner played another trope, a mother of a terminally sick child fighting for medical care. This was also a true story.

     At the end of the day, how do we fix Hollywood? Who says that late 30's or late 40's is too late to have a rich, fleshed-out female character? How do we get more women on screen as more than a wife, a mom, a daughter, or bimbo? This is not an easy fix...

Before Dan Humphrey, Penn Bagley Wrote 'The Bedford Diaries'

Image from Clevvr

     It's the start of a brand new school year, so it's time to reflect on a teen drama from yesteryear. About 10 years ago, the WB premiered The Bedford Diaries, a soapy drama about students in a sexuality seminar at a Columbia-like University. I haven't been able to find the 8-episode series anywhere online, but I'm pushing to get it on the CW Seed. The show was scandalous and provocative by 2006 standards, but fairly tame to what kind of dialogue passes on TV today.

     In typical WB fashion, this show launched the careers of Penn Badgley, who was cast the following year in/as the CW's Gossip Girl and Scott Porter, who went on to play Jason Streets in Friday Night Lights, and later, George Tucker on the CW's Hart of Dixie.  The show continued the career of Gilmore Girls bad boy, Milo Ventimiglia. The students were led by their wily professor, played by Matthew Modine, and the delightful Audra McDonald played another professor at Bedford College. If anyone knows where to watch this, please let me know!

SPOTTED: Nicktoons Take Over Story NYC

My 90's Nicktoons T-shirt (c) PipPepPop

     I'm bringing the 90's back! A few weeks ago, we officially celebrated the 25th birthday of the Nicktoons. These cartoons^ were a 90's staple on a growing network dedicated solely to kids. In that spirit, NYC's coolest store/gallery/startup Story launched their "Remember When" collection in August. It runs through September 18th! Definitely take a chance and come see it! I had a great time there.

More About Nicktoons:
     These animated shows were an important part of my friends'  after school and weekend viewing. Plus, they were shown on a cable network dedicated solely to kids! The Nickelodeon network began in 1977  under the name Pinwheel to show programs to kids ages 8-17. The Nicktoon cartoons were sometime about regular kids trying to make sense of growing up. Some shows were about as my calls them "sweaty animals." But they all made us think in new ways and gave us lifelong memories such as Ren & Stimpy's "log" song and Tommy Pickles' quest to meet a King Kong-like Reptar. If you can't stop rehashing the days of Nicktoons, check out EW.com's 25th anniversary oral history of Nicktoons.

The Store- (c)PipPepPop

 More about Story

     If you want to "Remember When," story is the place for you. The store looped some of coolest tunes (the Cardigans, the Wallflowers and the Spice Girls).  Check out my snaps from the store to see more. The airy space is set up a bit like a school with post-it style noted printed on the walls with more information.  Fun zones include a school themed set of desks and lockers, a locker room area, and tables of some of the coolest 90's gear around. The collection is primarily curated with Nicktoon characters (everything from flip flops to jumpsuits to coasters). But, there some great 90's books and materials out there. Have you wanted a slap bracelet or a Seinfeld coin purse? They're all here. I left with a way-cool Sweet Valley High covered  notebook.  There's some great Saved by the Bell nostalgia there as well, and a Lance Bass sampler with a bass fish stitched in. Grab your Caboodes and Dr. Pepper LipSmackers and get ready to play in the Double Dare human hamster wheel (pictured below). To cap off the experience, there was a "slime yourself" photo booth that created an online GIF and printout of you getting digitally smiled. The best part is there's no mess. 

Snaps from the Store @ Story (c) PipPepPop

     If you're up for a "wow this is hard" guessing game, take this MTV.com Quiz to guess which musicians guest starred on Nick or Disney Channel shows. Please note this is a hard quiz. If you are close to 30, you will probably get more wrong answers than right answers.

^ The main Nicktoons include (but are not limited to):
Rugrats (1991-2004)
Doug (1991-2004) *Technically sold to Disney in later seasons)
The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991-1996)
Rocko's Modern Life (1993-1996)
AHH! Real Monsters (1994-1997)
Hey Arnold (1996-2004)
The Angry Beavers (1997-2001)
Cat Dog (1998 - 2005)
The Wild Thornberrys (1998 - 2004)
Rocket Power (199-2004)
Spongebob Squarepants (1999- present)

CMA Fest- Like the Awards But With More Music

     A month ago, ABC showed its broadcast of June's CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock. The event kicks off summer in Nashville with a week of events and concerts. Basically, it brings today's biggest country stars on one stage in a stadium for the coolest weekend-long country music festival.This event  began in 1972 but has taken off in the last few years as country music has become entirely more mainstream. There are various CMA events in Nashville and many opportunities for up and coming artists to show off their talents (but that's not getting airtime yet). I've been to a few CMA-sponsored songwriter events and they are fantastic and highly recommended. This link is for my video of Brett Eldredge playing a CMA event on the cusp of his first single "Don't Ya" taking over the radio. 

     CMA Fest has become a big deal in the last few years. Tickets for the 2017 fest are already on sale for next June. The T.V. airing of the concert is part of ABC's lead-off to the CMA Award nominations, which broke last week. Please note, Jason Aldean has been snubbed. Yes, this huge concert is just a halfway point in the year between CMA award shows. For November 2nd's 50th anniversary awards show, we can look forward no further than usual duo Carrie Underwood and  Brad Paisley. 

Not CMAs, but some country awards won by Dierks Bentley (c) PipPepPop

Not CMAs, but some country awards won by Dierks Bentley (c) PipPepPop

CMA Fest Best Performances:

1. Luke Bryan

Luke began shaking his booty for his new song "Move", which is always reason to celebrate. But during another song, he showed off his guitar skills only to be shown up by banjo god Keith Urban. Keith then guitar battled and jammed with Luke's band. 

2. Lady Antebellum  and Cam

Lady A has been taking a bit of a hiatus this summer while they spend time with their babies and pursue other projects, but their moving collaboration with Cam was delightful. The trio joined Cam on her ballad "Burning House" and brought tears to our eyes.

3. Carrie Underwood

Carrie greeted fans while performing this spring's "wife-turned-murderer" ditty, "Church Bells." For her newer single, she soloed on the harmonica and explained a crime for the ages in the "Chocktaw County Affair." 

4. Hank Williams Jr., Chris Janson, Justin Moore
I've seen 'Ol Bocephus before and I was not particularly excited about it. But these guys had a very upbeat (an not overly redneck) 'ole ruckus on stage with a full brass section backing them. Rolling Stone called Hank the top act to see at the fest.