Cheap Eats in West Palm Beach

Downtown West Palm Beach has an active nightlife, free concerts, hookah, kava and fine dining.  Dining options range from raw vegan to French, Turkish, Cuban and seafood.  If you like a little entertainment with your meal you can find belly dancers, fire dancers, body painting, Salsa lessons and art shows.

But what if what you want is a cheap lunch?  Rest assured; although West Palm Beach is a pricey city, there are plenty of amazing lunch deals.

On the corner of Olive and Fern is Makeb’s bagels.  Whether you want the very best bagel and cream cheese you have ever devoured, or a luncheon salad or sandwich, Makeb’s is especially delicious and priced to please. 

On Olive Street between Evernia and Datura are two great breakfast and lunch places, Paris Café and Palm Beach Café.  Both serve homemade soup daily, and both offer sandwich and salad specials for under $10.

Paris café is arguably healthier fare, while Palm Beach Cafe offers comfort food.  Both have sidewalk café seating as well as indoor seating.  Both have amazingly sinful desserts.

Clematis Street offers legendary food, drink and entertainment.  If you are looking to experience Clematis and not spend a lot of money, come for happy hour, and watch the specials.

If you are on Clematis and want great, easy, cheap food anytime, look for Yankee Dogs on the corner of Clematis and South Rosemary.  Don’t let the name fool you – they have a lot more than hot dogs.  Vegetarians, burger lovers and everyone else will find a great home-cooked meal here, virtually 24 hours a day.

Don Ramon operates a 24-hour food window on Clematis, offering desserts, meat pastries and other Cuban fare.  Their sit-down restaurant is moderately priced, and very popular.

If you are in City Place and need a cheap bite, it’s Publix to the rescue!  Yes, Publix is a grocery store, but this particular Publix offers a wide variety of deli foods cheap, and has a lovely sidewalk café where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of City Place.

Downtown West Palm has a lot of great pizza, and a lot of great pizza deals.  My favorite pizza so far is Pizza Girls, at 114 S. Clematis Street.  My favorite eggplant is at Nico’s, on the corner of Clematis and Olive.  They have good pizza, too.

If a fun dessert is what you are looking for, Sloan’s Ice Cream has two downtown locations, one in City Place and one on South Clematis.  Oh My Chocolates has gelato and sandwiches as well as candy.  They have two locations, too – one on Clematis and one on South Olive.

If you ever find yourself in downtown West Palm Beach, give me a call.  We’ll do lunch.

Glee's New York Season Finale

Another Day Late Dollar Short Hulu Review by Christiana Gaudet

Hey, did you ever notice when you say the name of William McKinley High School’s show choir, New Directions, it sounds like “nude erections?”  I hadn’t, until their snooze of a season finale left my brain wandering off by itself and getting into trouble.

The best thing about this episode is that it set us up for some great plot possibilities in season three, and maybe even a post-graduation spin off where Kurt, Blaine and Rachel go off to find their fortune in the Big Apple.

Glee often requires us to suspend our disbelief.  However, no show choir director in their right mind would pack up their kids for nationals without a set list and plenty of rehearsal time under their belt. 

The new formula of original songs is a good one.  The process of watching the kids learn to be song-writers has given us such greats as Puck’s “Big Ass Heart,” and, in this episode, Brittany’s “My Cup.”

I would have accepted that the kids wrote and rehearsed their songs for nationals during the hours we weren’t watching them, better than I can accept they showed up unprepared.

Being on stage without being prepared is literally my worst recurring nightmare.  I can’t believe Will would do that to his kids.

One of the critical plots twists is Will’s dilemma.  He hasn’t told his kids that he is going to stay in New York to be in April Rhodes’ musical.  They find out, but by then he has decided that he loves the kids, and the Glee club, more than he loves the stage.  Hugs all around.

We do get to see Will do one number on a Broadway stage.  April, played by Kristin Chenoweth, is out to lunch.  I mean, literally, out to lunch.  She makes no appearance at all in the season finale.

I thought of her, though, when Kurt and Rachel break into the Gershwin Theater and sing “For Good” on the “Wicked” stage.  The first time I heard that song was with Kristin’s mighty vocals.  Rachel and Kurt nail it, making it the best song of the show for me.

I love the friendship that is developing between Kurt and Rachel.  Now that they are not weirdly competing for Finn’s attention, they can bond over their love of all things theatrical.

The ex-Cheerios, Brittany, Santana and Quinn bond over the universal truth of popular girls.  It is as true in Lima, Ohio as it is anywhere.  Pretty, popular girls have a harder time getting and keeping boyfriends than average girls.

But, a new hairstyle for Quinn makes everything better.

We never find out what Quinn’s big plan for New York was.  Perhaps she thought better of it, or perhaps the writers just forgot.

Finn wants to do some serious bonding with Rachel.  Rachel worries that, if she dates Finn, she will have to give up her dreams of stardom.

Sunny Corazon and Rachel bond in the ladies room right before Sunny and Vocal Adrenaline knock it out of the ballpark.

I remember traveling with my youth choir, and my high school class.  No matter where we went or why we were there, bonding with friends was what it was all about.  That part felt very real in this episode.

Of course, the two original numbers are fabulous, and the kids perform them flawlessly.  There’s only one problem.  At the end of their duet, Finn and Rachel kiss passionately, caught up in the moment.

Jesse is sure the kiss is the reason they place twelve out of fifty, two short of what they needed to move on in the competition.

Back in Lima, Blaine and Kurt say the L word.  Sam and Mercedes are dating, but they want to keep it a secret.  Finchel is back.  Brittany and Santana proclaim their friendship for each other, if not their passion.  Emma gives Will and the kids a great welcome back.  Coming in twelve out of fifty ain’t so bad.

The Glee kids are ready for senior year.  They have grown as musicians, as people, and as a team.  They have learned to accept themselves, and each other.

Snore.  Did somebody say “predictable?”

Meetup.com: One Website That Could Change Your Life

A poor economy and a rich internet have sealed the deal on the cocooning trend that started a few decades ago.  More and more, those of us who are lucky enough to still have homes spend a lot of time in them.  We don’t know our neighbors, and we connect with friends and family on Facebook more than in real life.

We like it that way.  We can control how much interaction we have with others, and can interact with them when it is most convenient for us.

At the same time, the biggest complaint you’ll hear from people, after the economy, of course, is that they are lonely.  Singles can’t meet anyone to hang out, let alone date.  Marrieds can’t find other couples to chill.

Meanwhile, folks with hobbies and interests that really are better when shared are desperate to find likeminded people.

Enter Meetup.com, a free website dedicated to getting you away from your computer.

Meetup.com is a very special social networking site.  Simply sign up for free, and enter your interests, your zip code, and how far you are willing to drive to attend a meetup. 

Meetups are events that you can attend, often free or low cost, to meet likeminded people and enjoy fun activities.

What comes back may amaze you.  For instance, if you entered “hiking” in Des Moines, Iowa, you could sign up to join a nature club for lunch and a birding expedition.  If you entered “knitting” in Hampton, Virginia, you could choose between five different fiber arts clubs.

Meetups can be classes, camping trips, happy hours, movies or dining experiences.  They can involve athletics, family activities, singles events or religious gatherings.  You might find a sewing circle, a book club, a coven of witches or a flash mob.

If you didn’t find what you were looking for, you could express interest to be notified when a new meetup group starts.

Of course, the more populated an area is, the more meetups there are.

It’s not perfect.  Some meetups aren’t well organized.  Sometimes it’s hard to find the meeting location.  Perhaps you might not enjoy the people you meet.

On the other hand, you might meet your next BFF, or even your next BF.  You might learn a new skill, see a movie premiere, or enjoy a dinner with friends. 

Meetup integrates with Facebook and Twitter, and is easy to use.  Even the technologically disinclined are able to use it.

Meetup is international.  Meetups happen all over the world.

You can start a meetup group yourself.  That part isn’t free.  To be a meetup organizer you pay a few dollars a month, and can organize as many as three different groups.

At the time of this writing, a check of Meetup.com revealed that forty-four Meetups were happening just now, worldwide.  They include electronic dance music in Toronto, Yoga in Huntsville, Alabama, and mountain biking in North Carolina.  Before the night ends, another fourteen hundred meetups will happen across the globe.  It’s Monday night.

Meetup.com’s current slogan is “Do Something, Learn Something, Share Something, Change Something.”

Definitely.

Eighteen Steps to Better Radio: How to Be Amazing on Internet Broadcasts

By Christiana Gaudet

The proliferation and accessibility of broadcast opportunities on the internet has created a new world in which anyone can create their own podcasts, radio show or television show.

The internet is a meritocracy.  It’s huge, so no matter how narrow, obscure or arcane your subject matter may be, you can find your audience.

The good news is that creativity is no longer limited to the lucky and the rich.  You can shoot a feature film with your cellphone.

The bad news is that most internet broadcasters don’t bother to learn even a little bit about what makes a good broadcast.

I’m not a media expert, but I am quick study.  I have worked as a morning co-host on three FM radio stations, and I’ve been a guest on countless more.

I’ve been featured on television news shows several times.  And, when asked to appear on a BTR show, or an internet TV show, I always say yes!

I’m not sure why so many would-be internet broadcasters don’t take the time to learn some broadcast fundamentals.  In actuality, some of them don’t even take the time to learn the subject matter on which they are promoting themselves as expert.

So how do you make sure your production is everything it could be?  Here are eighteen tips.  They are some of the basics that I learned from the highly competitive world of Arbitron-rated radio.  They will help you make all your internet broadcast projects, whether audio or video, the best they can be.

1. Less is more.  Use sound effects, sounders and imaging in appropriate places only.  Keep everything short.  Never say in ten words what you can say in five.

2. Avoid stall-sounds like “um” and “er”.  No, not everyone says these non-words.  Yes, you can train yourself not to say them.  If you are going to ask the public to listen to you speak, you owe your listeners at least this.

3. Speak in normal, conversational tones.  Do not slow your speech for drama or clarity; it just doesn’t work that way.  Neither should you accentuate inflection. 

4. Smile!  Even in radio, your smile comes through loud and clear.

5. If you are trying to generate listener phone calls, give the phone number repeatedly, especially before and after each call you take.  (Ex. “John’s calling in on 1-800-555-1212, let’s go to him now.” Or, “The number’s 1-800-555-1212, do as John just did and give us a call.”)

6. Never suggest that people aren’t calling in, or don’t want to call in.  I actually heard one host say, “Not everyone feels comfortable calling in.”  Don’t give people an excuse not to participate, or suggest that calling in isn’t the most fabulous thing they will do all day!

7. Don’t spend a lot of time explaining the technology your are using, even if it malfunctions.  No one cares.

8. Don’t call attention to a mistake or a malfunction.  Simply move on.

9. Broadcasting, especially radio, is theatre of the mind.  Make sure everything your listeners hear supports your creation.

10. Prepare your material, and plan your show.  This sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s not.  Many people like to wing it.

11. Don’t over-prepare.  Sometimes it’s best to get a natural reaction.  Plan your topics, but play off your guests spontaneously.  Whether or not your conversation is planned, make it sound spontaneous.

12. Conflict and controversy make for great shows.  Be able to present more than one point of view in a polite way that makes listeners think.

13. Practice saying your name, the name of your show, the call-in number, and other pertinent information.  Say it as often as you can.

14. Don’t over-talk a topic.  It’s better to leave listeners wanting more than wanting less.

15. Don’t refer to your listeners/viewers as “audience.”  As in “Good morning, audience, we have a great show for you.”  You can call them folks, friends, or even listeners or viewers. 

16. Keep up the pace.  Don’t let the show drag.  Your job is to move things along.  No one should be bored during your show!

17. Set up your guests for success.  Give them all the information they need, off air, to be the best guests ever!

18. Let your passions show! The more excited you are about a subject, the more your listeners will connect with you, and the more they will be excited about your show.

JT+SNL=LOL

Another Day Late Dollar Short Hulu Review by Christiana Gaudet.

Justin Timberlake hosted the season finale of Saturday Night Live.  He has appeared on SNL so often that he is neither a surprise nor a novelty, but he is still a treat.

The tastiest bit of that treat was another digital short with Andy Samberg.  A follow-up to the 2009 “Mother Lover" and the 2006 “Dick in a Box,” Timberlake and Samberg reprise their roles as smarmy Hall-&-Oates-like R&B singers. 

This one is called “3-Way (The Golden Rule)”.  In it, our duo enjoys a three-way with musical guest Lady Gaga, because, “It’s not gay if it’s a three way.”

I just love Justin Timberlake.

I didn’t love NSYNC.  In fact, I thought the boy bands of the 1990’s were an abomination.  I worked at a radio station, Q105 in Southeastern Connecticut, during that decade.  I had to listen to, and talk about and sometimes even interview NSYNC, Back Street Boys, LFO and the like.  It is not uncommon for radio personalities to have to promote music they don’t like.

When I left Q105 for a hip-hop station, Jammin’ 107.7, I was shocked that solo Justin Timberlake was on their playlist.  I had to admit; he was growing up and outgrowing the bubblegum.

I didn’t really appreciate JT until I watched the movie “Black Snake Moan.”  He convincingly played a soldier with an anxiety disorder in this serious drama.

Justin Timberlake’s success on SNL proves him a triple threat- he’s a musician, a serious actor, and a comic.

My very favorite JT SNL skit of all time, other than the digital shorts, is “Immigrant Tale” from 5/09/09.  In it, he plays his own ancestor, just arriving on the shores of Ellis Island.  He makes predictions for his great, great grandchild, who will be a singer of popular music.

Timberlake’s ability to laugh at himself was evident in this Saturday’s skits as well.  As a contestant in the game show, “What’s My Name?” he is unable to identify by name a girl he recently slept with, and a less-famous member of NSYNC.  By contrast, Lady Gaga, the other contestant, knows her fans by name.

A second game show, “Secret Word,” had him as a very un-slick mentalist.  That was probably my least favorite of the skits, as it always seems to be just a Kristin Wiig vehicle. 

I loved “The Barry Gibb Talk Show” with Jimmy Fallon.  I remember the Bee Gees well.  JT absolutely nails Robin Gibbs creepy mannerisms.

I wonder if my yet-to-be-born grandchildren will know Justin Timberlake as an acclaimed adult entertainer, remembering his beginnings in the Mickey Mouse Club and NSYNC only as a goofy afterthought.

I hope so.  He has the talent, the presence and the charisma to be a true legend.

A Little Tenderness: Glee’s Funeral Episode

Another Day Late Dollar Short Hulu Review by Christiana Gaudet

Well, we’ve had a birth, a wedding, a divorce and a prom- there was really nothing left to do but have a funeral, right before (gasp) Nationals in New York.

Glee is a live-action cartoon that makes points with archetypes.  It teaches big lessons with broad strokes.  The lesson of the “Funeral” episode was compassion.

I love Jane Lynch as much as I hate Sue Sylvester.  The episode opens with Sue and Terri the Terrible plotting to re-route the Glee Club through Libya, on their way to Nationals.  Then Sue does something really mean, even for her.  She fires Becky.

When Will confronts her on it, we find out it is because Sue’s sister, Jean, has died.  Sue’s devotion to her Down’s syndrome sister has always been what humanizes her.  It makes us believe her redemption is possible.

When Finn and Kurt find out, they offer their sympathy.  Sue is shocked at their genuine concern, given how mean she had been to them, and to Glee club.  Having each lost a parent, their empathy is sincere.

I love the complex relationship between Finn and Kurt.  In this episode, we see that they are, over time, becoming brothers. 

Sue confides in them that she doesn’t have the heart to pack up Jean’s things, or plan the funeral.  Kurt and Finn offer to help, and, after packing up Jean’s stuffed animals, agree to plan a Glee funeral.

This doesn’t sit well with Glee’s new show choir consultant . . . you guessed it . . . Jesse St. James.

He has turned into a cross between a Vocal Adrenaline coach and Simon Cowell.  He makes the kids audition for a starring role in the set list for Nationals.

This was a vehicle for some great solos, and for proving what an infernal ass Jesse is.  The conflict is this.  His style is all show-choir-Rambo, which is never the right vibe for New Directions.  We saw that last season when they hired a consultant from Vocal Adrenaline.  (Can someone say déjà vu?)  But, Vocal Adrenaline has won four years in a row, with Jesse St. James as the vocal lead.  Will really wants to beat Vocal Adrenaline, and seems willing to put his values on the line to do it.

Sue tells Will she is grateful that the Glee kids are planning the funeral, because it guarantees attendees.  She is shocked to see the house packed with Jean’s friends; friends Sue didn’t realized she had.

The funeral is lovely, and a real tearjerker.  New Directions beautifully sings Jean’s favorite song, “Pure Imagination,” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

The tears I shed along with Sue were not only for Jean.  The most touching aspect was how lovingly the Glee club was treating their arch-enemy- Sue Sylvester.  We got it; we hope Sue got it too.  She told Will she did, and that Glee club was off her hit list.  Now she’s running for public office.

 In other plot news, Will plans to stay in New York and try his luck on Broadway.  He’s not telling the kids yet.  Terri is moving to Miami.

The Rachel/Finn/Quinn love triangle has a new level of complexity- Jesse.  Jesse is after Rachel, but Finn has broken up with Quinn because he still wants Rachel.  If only Rachel knew.

At the end of the episode, Will takes control from Jesse.  Instead of pitting the kids against each other in competition to be the star, they will sing together as a team.  Good.  I hate it that Will is constantly looking for his testicles.

Next week will be the last episode of the season.  I am tempted to do a tarot reading to see what will happen.  Will they win?  Is Sue really a changed woman?  Does Jesse really love Rachel?

I personally distrust Jesse, and root for a replay of Finchel. 

I was disappointed that Jean’s death was not an opportunity for the great Carol Burnett to reprise her fabulous role as the sisters’ Nazi-hunting mother.

Musically, it was an ok episode.  My favorite was Mercedes’ audition number “Try a Little Tenderness.”  I didn’t like Santana’s “Back to Black,” although I love the Amy Winehouse song, and I love Santana.  He voice lacked body and depth in this number- I was actually wondering if she was trying to sing it badly.

This was a plot-intensive episode in the run up to the season finale.  It was also the most tearful-icious episode ever.

In a world of war, terror, plague and pestilence, Glee’s “Funeral” episode teaches human kindness.  It reminds me of the first hard thing I learned as a little girl in the Methodist church.  God wants us to love our enemies.  Take that, Bible-thumping Glee haters!

Paul Simon, Chris Colfer and Lindsey Buckingham Kill on SNL

Another Day Late Dollar Short Hulu Review by Christiana Gaudet

When I was a teenager, staying up to watch the Belushi-Aykroyd-Radner-Newman Saturday Night Live cast of the Seventies was one of my greatest privileges and pleasures.  Many of us remember Mr, Bill, The Nuclear Family, The Lubners, Killer Bees, Land Shark and the Ex-Police as the best SNL bits of all time.

As my friends and I gathered at school on Monday to discuss the wickedly funny skits, I don’t think any of us thought Saturday Night Live would become the longstanding institution that it has.  In fact, many of us didn’t imagine we would still be alive some thirty years later, let alone our favorite television show!

Over the years, there have been better casts and worse casts.  Some years my life didn’t allow me to watch television from 11:30 PM to 1 AM, or to watch TV at all.  I loved Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey in the Wayne’s World bit, and took my kids to see the movies.  Ditto Austin Powers, and every Adam Sandler movie ever made.  SNL has become the proving ground for some of our nation’s best comics, from Steve Martin to Chris Rock to Tina Fey.

I am loyal to original casts.  I hate it when my entertainers change faces.  I resist the new Dr. Who every time.  Nonetheless, I have to say that watching classic SNL clips can be a bit boring.  What we think is funny changes decade to decade.  Humor that is culturally current goes stale with the passage of time.

The basic format of SNL has remained comfortingly consistent over the years.  I love the train station set, where I can see the very train I would often ride.  I love the guest hosts, Weekend Update, and the two musical numbers.

There is one compelling difference between modern SNL and the SNL of my high school years.  The SNL of today has real political power, in the nation and in the entertainment world.  I don’t remember politicians appearing on SNL back in the Seventies, but they do now.  Some political pundits suggest that Tina Fey singlehandedly cost John McCain the 2008 presidential race with her spot-on impersonations of his running mate, Sarah Palin.

Back in the day, we just didn’t see as many A-list celebs on SNL, other than the guest hosts and the musical guests.  Now, part of the fun of watching SNL is to see who might show up unannounced.  It’s like rock shows of a certain era, you would never know what luminary giants might sit in for a few numbers.

Andy Samberg’s digital shorts, often with “The Lonely Island,” featuring superstars like Justin Timberlake, Susan Sarandon, T-Pain and, most recently, Michael Bolton, are hilarious, and a testament to both SNL’s talent and clout.

New York’s Governor Patterson packed a punch as a guest on Weekend Update not too long ago.

That’s why you may not be surprised when I say that, as awesome as he was, Paul Simon was not the hottest musical guest on the 5/14/11 Ed Helms SNL- Lindsey Buckingham was!

That’s right, the show-stopping, spotlight-stealing bit was “What Up With That.”

You may know the premise of this recurring bit.  It’s a BET talk show that features Kenan Thompson as Deandre Cole, a host who just can’t stop singing.  He always runs out of time, and never gets a chance to interview his guests.  The last of the three guests is always Bill Hader as Lindsey Buckingham.  Hader’s Buckingham never, ever gets a chance to speak, but always comes back for the next show.

The skit featured musical guest Paul Simon in the hot seat, Glee’s Chris Colfer (OMG) in the second seat, and, as usual, Bill Hader as Buckingham in the last seat.

Paul Simon’s sense of humor shone.  Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt on Glee, had no real lines, but was a luminous presence on the set.

When Deandre turned to Lindsey Buckingham, I thought Hader’s Buckingham would finally get a chance to speak.  I was excited that one of my favorite Glee stars was there.  I thought either he, or Paul Simon, might accompany Deandre in his endless singing.  I was completely unprepared for really happened.

The real Lindsey Buckingham, dressed exactly as Hader’s Buckingham, joined the set with his guitar.  He proceeded to show his chops, jamming mightily.  As much as I love Fleetwood Mac, I never really considered Buckingham one of the great guitar gods.  I do now.

Watching Kenan Thompson always makes me a little wistful, he was my family’s essential Saturday night companion on “All That.”  Even now, seeing him makes me want to hang out with a nine year old and eat popcorn.  That nine year old is now twenty-six.  SNL has stood the test of time, perhaps better than I have.

Paul Simon has stood the test of time as well.  He is without question an old man now.  Nonetheless, his songs made me want the new album, which was the whole point of the exercise.  He is still viable after all these years.

For me, the star-studded “What Up With That” skit was the highlight of SNL this week, and highlights how far SNL has come over the years. 

Prom Trauma: The Glee Prom Episode

The "Prom Queen" episode of Glee was everything that a musical dramedy should be, and more. 

The episode opens with, no surprise, the news that the Glee club will have to provide the musical entertainment for prom.  Almost immediately, we segue to a fabulous duet- “Rolling in the Deep,” sung by Rachel, and, well, you won’t believe this but . . . Jesse is back.

Sadly, this first musical number was also the best of the show.

Jesse apologizes to Rachel, and joins her, Mercedes and Sam on a low-budget prom date.  He is egotistical and pushy, and all about Rachel, who eats it up.  The other kids aren’t so sure, especially Finn, who ends up getting both himself and Jesse kicked out of prom for fighting.

Quinn has put all her energy into campaigning for prom queen.  Having her king, Finn, kicked out before the crowning is bad.  That he was fighting Jesse for coming on too strong with Rachel is worse.

As in real life, prom trauma promotes both insecurity and growth.  Karofsky tearfully apologizes to Kurt, and we believe his sincerity.  Artie makes a play to get Brittany back, and she shoots him down, kindly but firmly.  Mercedes admits that, as much as she is an independent woman, she is sad no one has asked her to prom. Lauren, usually proud to be a woman of size, bemoans the difficulty of finding a great plus-size dress.  Quinn confesses her fear that once age takes her beauty, she will have, and be, nothing. 

The juxtaposition of the Glee characters is thought provoking.  Kurt and Blaine have the courage to do what Karofsky and Santana cannot do.  Hefty Lauren has the self-esteem that beautiful Quinn does not.

There is a lot of great dialogue.  Some of the best is between Kurt and Blaine.  It is nice, if predictable, that the healthiest relationship in the Glee club is the gay one.

There is also a lot of fun fashion in this episode.  Prom dresses range from Quinn’s traditional blue gown to Brittany’s outrageous orange and green 1950’s style cocktail dress, worn with a tiny steampunk hat.  Kurt’s prom outfit includes a kilt.  Mercedes and Rachel’s thrift store finds are beautiful, but off enough that we can still believe they came from Good Will.

Gay acceptance is the most important theme of this episode.  When Kurt asks Blaine to prom, Blaine relates that he has been the victim of a violent hate crime.  While Karofsky is able to speak frankly with Kurt, he is not able to envision a time when he would be ready to come out.  Santana, lovely in a sexy one-shoulder prom dress, is still caught in her own tragic dilemma.

The success of prom is jeopardized when, in a Carrie-esque practical joke, Kurt and Karofsky are crowned Queen and King, respectively.  Kurt reacts, and then bravely decides to own the moment.  He accepts the crown, quipping, “Kate Middleton, eat your heart out” and dances with Blaine.  He turns what was meant to be a humiliation into a stellar victory.  The crowd shows their support with applause, joining him and Blaine on the dance floor.  It is a well-acted feel-good moment for everyone but Karofsky, who isn’t ready to take the opportunity to come out in front of his peers.

Glee receives a lot of criticism from conservative groups for compassionately depicting gay teens and their struggles.  These groups foolishly suggest that Glee is promoting gay activity that wouldn’t otherwise be an issue.

In an odd personal synchronicity, right before watching Glee on Hulu, I checked Facebook.  There, a friend’s post revealed that he has just been the victim of gay bashing.  Luckily, it was only verbal abuse.  A stranger yelled at him “I hope you die of AIDS.”  He had the quick wit to shoot back with “I hope you die too.  It would be terrible to outlive all your friends.”

With that reminder of the xenophobia that threatens anyone who does not conform to a specific norm, I was particularly ready to appreciate Glee for its deft ability to handle these issues on mainstream television.  Arguably, a Glee episode may save someone’s life one day.

I wasn’t thrilled with some of the song choices, although they were all beautifully performed.  “Dancing Queen” was an unlikely choice for a coronation song in 2011.  Rachel’s “Jar of Hearts” was better than the original artist’s version, but odd for a prom song.  “Friday’s,” considered by on-line critics to be the worst song ever, was the best prom number.

For a middle-aged woman, I attend many proms.  I entertain at proms, semi-formals, and sweet sixteen parties.  The Glee prom felt very real to me, even if the plot twists didn’t always.  It was as joyous, angst-ridden and fashionable as these events usually are.

The return of Jesse has me chomping at the bit for next week.  Is he spying for Vocal Adrenaline?  Is he sincere in his feelings for Rachel?  Will he rejoin New Directions, improving their chances in New York?  What will happen now that Finn has disappointed Quinn, and demonstrated that he still has feelings for Rachel?  A good serial always ends with a cliffhanger.

There were a couple of folks missing from prom.  I would have liked to see Mike Chan and Tina have a great dance together.  It also would have made sense to have Will and Emma chaperone, and share a poignantly romantic dance.  And while solo Brittany was busy dancing the entire night, I would have loved to see her share a dance with Santana, and with Artie.

Overall, the Prom episode was funny, exciting, entertaining and meaningful.  And that’s why we watch Glee, isn’t it?

Mariah’s Babies Get Names, and a Psychic Reading From Christiana!

Mariah and Nick have announced the names of their babies.  The girl is Monroe, and the boy is Moroccan Scott.

Mariah has always held a special place in my heart.  Her seven-octave range, her tenacity, her stellar bad luck at releasing a weak album on September 11, 2001, and her ability to transition her mature voice into modern R&B have all made her a celebrity worth watching.

Her substantial crazy only serves to make her more fun.  The more of a whack job she is, the more I root for her ultimate success.  There are many unbalanced celebrities I enjoy seeing falter.  I want to see Mariah triumph victoriously.

Her musical comeback, her brilliant performance in the movie “Precious,” and her marriage to Nick Cannon are all indicative of a phenomenal professional and personal comeback.

Now Mariah is a mother.  I’m sure the new album of tear-jerking songs inspired by motherhood is already in the works.  Madonna did it and Celina Dion did it.  No doubt, Mariah will over-do it.

What kind of parents will Nick and Mariah be?  Will they indulge their kids with extravagant toys, like the Beckhams?  Will they put their kids in the spotlight, as Sonny and Cher did with Chaz?  Will we question their sanity, as we do with TomKat and Brangelina?

We ask these questions against the backdrop of the name choices that took five days to announce.  Moroccan is named after the room where Nick and Mariah became engaged.  Monroe is named after Marilyn.  Given the longstanding tradition of outlandish baby names for celebrities, the temptation to give twins extra-cutesy sound-alike names, and the extreme amount of crazy we know Mariah has, I am nothing but relieved.

Yes, Moroccan is an unusual name.  But it has a good sound, and rolls off the tongue.  A songstress like Mariah would appreciate that.  It has numerous possibilities for nicknames, including Mo, Rocco and Rocky.  If he follows in his mother’s footsteps and becomes a musical performer, he can be Mo’ Rockin’ than anyone else.

 Monroe is simply a great name.  It fits in well with the trend of ambi-gender last-name-as-first-name monikers like Taylor and Schuyler.

As twin names, Moroccan and Monroe are terrific.  The names sound great together and have similar phonemes.  But they’re not so much alike that the kids won’t know which one is in trouble when they hear a name being called.

If the choice of baby names is at all predictive of the kind of parents Mariah and Nick will be, I have to say they’ll do just fine. 

When I look at this new family from a psychic perspective, I am encouraged.  I think Mariah will be a practical mom, and will work to instill good values in her kids.  I think Nick will be a loving father, and will dote on his children.

Like most celebrity couples, the prognosis for the Carey-Cannon marriage is poor.  I will be surprised if they are still together five years from now.  That’s not a problem, though.  We got a lot of good music out of Mariah’s other failed relationships.  That should kick in just when Mariah singing about her kids is starting to get old.

Monroe is likely to be a Daddy’s Girl.  She will have a great deal of her mother’s talent and drive.  Moroccan will make a name for himself in his own right.  He will also have talent, and a great head for business.

I believe that both children will grow up knowing that they are loved, and knowing the importance of compassion.  They will be taught to appreciate their good fortune, and to work hard.  And that’s as much as any kid needs.

Glee’s Sleaze: My Take on the "Rumours" Episode

Even though I don’t own a television, I am an unabashed Gleek.  I’m currently watching Season One on Netflix, and keeping up with Season Two on Hulu.  Having graduated from high school in 1980, I am the target demographic for this larger-than-life cartoony series about the struggles of a high school show choir in Lima, Ohio.

This week’s episode featured the classic Fleetwood Mac album, “Rumours.”  The album came out in 1977, making it another favorite of my demographic, and, I daresay, one of the defining albums of my generation.

I woke up Tuesday morning to see myself tagged in a friend’s Facebook status.  Knowing what a huge Fleetwood Mac and Glee fan I am, he couldn’t wait to hear my review of the “Rumours”  episode.  When I sat down to watch it last night, armed with wine, ice cream and a very patient husband, I was  looking forward to  what I thought might be the best Glee episode ever.  When the hour was over, I was underwhelmed.

Mature Stevie Nicks disappoints me.  If only the Unintentional Godmother of Goth loved herself as much as we love her!  I cringed at her silly duet with the  off-key Taylor Swift at the Grammys.  It feels manipulative that Stevie’s first album in a decade, “In Your Dreams,” dropped on the same day the Glee “Rumours” episode aired.  Stevie was even quoted calling her new album her “own little ‘Rumours’.”  

“In Your Dreams” is getting great reviews.  Stevie should know that greatness doesn’t need cheap tricks to be heard and appreciated.

I believed that Glee was going to give tribute to something that deserves tribute.  Instead, it was simply a platform to sell a new album based not on that album’s merit, but on the merit of an album thirty years old. 

In the “Rumours” episode, Sue uses the school’s newspaper to spread gossip in an effort to tear the Glee Club apart.  Will enlists April Rhodes to help him teach the kids that great music can come from their internal struggles, just as Fleetwood Mac’s best album came from the breakup of the two couples who comprised the band.  The assignment: pick a song off the “Rumours” album and give it your own spin. 

Kristin Chenoweth, in her role as the alcohol-soaked April Rhodes, shows the kids how it’s done with “Dreams.”  She really nailed Stevie with her amazing vocals.  If I had kept my eyes closed, I would have loved this number.  Problem is, Kristin Chenoweth is a great actor.  Her portrayal of the alcoholic April is so on target that it turned this darkly mystical song into a cheesy, flirty pop tune sung by a barfly.  In the Seventies, Stevie made drug addiction look sexy.  Today, Kristin makes addiction appear to be exactly what it is: pathetic.

Even though we all know the things that happen at McKinley High can never happen in real life, Glee still manages to discuss important issues.  While this episode was about conflicts between the glee club members, there is always a subtext of personal internal conflict.  Nowhere do we see that more than in the character of Santana as she struggles with her feelings for Brittany and her fear of the social repercussions.  Santana’s rendition of “Songbird,” sung privately to Brittany, was stunning.  Santana’s refusal to be the now-single Brittany’s prom date was as poignant as Brittany’s inability to understand her friend’s fears.  Brittany, in her simplicity, is often the wisest kid in the club.

Artie’s decision to break up with Brittany for hooking up with Santana surprised me.  I thought he knew and accepted their relationship.  Wasn’t that why he gave Sam a funny look in the “Sexy” episode when Sam wished that he and Artie could be as close as their girlfriends were?

Artie’s vocals on the song “Never Going Back Again” were great, but he should have done it without a parade of ten million guitarists backing him up. 

Quinn is one of the most complex characters in Glee club.  She shows both her crazy and her compassionate side in this episode.  Her duet with Finn, “I Don’t Want to Know,” could have been called “I Don’t Want to Hear,” as in, I personally didn’t want to hear or see Quinn and Finn angrily singing this song to each other.  They both looked bipolar.

Equally irritating was Rachel’s rendition of “Go Your Own Way,” sung to Finn.  Sure, she has a terrific voice.  But the smile on her face suggested she lacked the real pain and raw emotion that make this song what it is.

 She referred to the song as her “favorite Fleetwood Mac song.”  Um, I know Glee always pushes the boundaries on believable, but this is too much.  In 2011, what sixteen-year-old has a favorite Fleetwood Mac song?

The finally number, “Don’t Stop” was a tear-jerking show-stopper.  Sam’s family has gone homeless, and the Glee kids put aside their differences and pull together to support him.  It was a sobering plot twist that shows, once again, Glee is not afraid to take on some serious issues.

What they were afraid to take on, however, was arguably the best song on the Rumours album, “The Chain.”  How do you tribute “Rumours” and leave off “The Chain?”

Ultimately, I think the Glee club failed miserably at this week’s assignment.  None of the songs felt like a new spin, or an inspired rendition.  Neither did they manage to capture the feel of Seventies music. 

“Rumours” typified the sound of the decade by being both powerful and understated.  By trying too hard and emoting too much, the Glee kids failed to portray the real power of the music.  But perhaps they succeeded at helping Stevie sell some new albums, and that was what it was all about anyway.

As far as paying tribute to one of the greatest albums of all time is concerned, I think the Simpsons did it better.