Good News, Everybody! Llama With A Blue/Gold Dress On

 Some days, the internet gifts you with two amazing things in a single day. Such was the case yesterday, when everyone collectively lost their sh*t over a couple of llamas running free and a dress that was either Blue & Black or White & Gold. Yeah, we're over 50 years past the first man walking on the moon, and now we're just amazed by optical illusions and escaped zoo animals.

Which is not a slam. I love llamas more than any one person should, and I also love infuriating vision tests! Plus, the world, in general, kind of sucks right now. So, as my friend ConStar24 so eloquently put it on Twitter:

This has been one of the wackiest days on the internet, but I prefer this to days when it's nothing but awful news. #llamas #TheDress
— Connie (@ConStar24) February 27, 2015

Here's to the wacky days! Here's to February 26! And the dress is apparently black and blue, even though I still can't really see it.

The Many Things That Make Daenerys Targaryen And Me Angry

We are perturbed, to say the least.

Game of Thrones character Daenarys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke) and I are very different people. For instance, I don't have my eyes on the Iron Throne, and she doesn't binge watch USA's Psych while binge-eating Pirate's Booty. Still, despite our differences, it turns out that Daenerys Targaryen (AKA Daenerys Stormborn AKA Khaleesi AKA the Mother of Dragons AKA HMFIC) and I have a lot in common. Specifically, there are quite a few things that make us angry. You know, things that just make us go:

...and then we dance like Michael Jackson around a golf course.

And guess what, society? Much like Zac Efron in High School Musical 2 (I assume), Khaleesi and I are not going to take these offenses lying down.

What Makes us Angry?
(in semi-chronological order) 

Warning: Some Game of Thrones spoilers are included in this post. 
Spoilers for the TV show, not the books. I don't know how to read.

Jennifer Lawrence Is Our Evita Peron (go with me on this one)

So, I was listening to the soundtrack to Evita and watching The Hunger Games at the same time last night. (That's right, I'm pretty awesome) After the movie ended, Jennifer Lawrence and Evita (the person) were temporarily yet strongly smushed together in my brain. In my defense, Lawrence and Evita Peron have a lot of things in common. I'm going to make a list right now, and, because one of the women is dead, the verb tenses are going to get a little tricky.

So, both women are actresses, they both rose to fame at a relatively early age, they moved from small towns to big cities to chase their dreams (Louisville, KY isn't exactly small, but it's no New York), their hair often changes color wildly from brunette to blonde, they both received incredible acclaim early in their professional lives (Oscar winner, First Lady of Argentina), and at one point, despite massive economic and political turmoil, they were the most fascinating thing happening in their respective countries. More than that, though, they both exude an everywoman, working class sensibility while also somewhat representing the ideal woman (up for debate, personal preference, covering my own ass with this parenthetical note, etc). So, obviously, I had to combine one of my favorite songs in Evita with GIFs of Jennifer Lawrence:

Enlightened's Cancellation in Princess Bride GIFs

In case you haven't heard, Enlightened on HBO has been officially cancelled. When I first heard, the news hit me like an unexpected ROUS.

I went through some of the familiar stages of grief.  

Honestly, I couldn't believe it.

Denial

The show has such a loyal fan base! Cancelled??

But what if I started a campaign to get it back on the air? Maybe it has a life on Netflix! What about Kickstarter?

Bargaining

Then, I just wanted to fight someone. Let some honcho know that they'd ripped out my still-

Why ‘Enlightened’ is the Best Show You’re Not Watching

You Need to Watch Enlightened

There are a lot of shows that I have loved that have been canceled too soon: Pushing Daisies, Arrested Development, Sports Night, and Firefly, to name a few. Recently The Hour was canceled after a terrific second season on BBC, and it seems more and more likely that the world is conspiring against me.

However, no show on television right now is quite as good as Enlightened, the HBO series from creators Mike White and Laura Dern, and I refuse to consider that it may soon join the pile of 'Gone-But-Not-Forgotten' shows of yesteryear. The show ends its almost perfect season on Sunday, and it's crazy to think that this may be the last time that viewers will get the chance to see Amy Jellicoe and her many attempts to right wrongs and quell her inner demons.

The show follows Amy (played brilliantly by Laura Dern), a woman who, after a nervous breakdown (above), attempts to get her life back together and enact change in the lives of people around her. The only problems are that she's maybe not that different than she used to be AND nobody really takes her well-meaning nagging coaching to heart. With a drug addict ex-husband, a mother who can't seem to bridge the emotional gap between herself and her daughter, a coworker who's love for her develops into a complicated friendship, and a bevy of comedians doing solidly emotional work, Amy's world is filled with unique and challenging characters. Thus, she attempts to pull everyone in new and different directions with her (often cloying) meditational wisdom.

After the end of the first season, I wrote that Enlightened was "awkward, depressing, lonely… obviously one of the best new shows on TV." The first season was contemplative, allowing viewers really soak in the sadness of the characters. This season it's been all about narrative propulsion, which took the characters (who had developed over 10 1st season episodes) and put them in situations that made them grow and change.

With the finale just a few days away, it's more important than ever that viewers tune in to the show. To help make that decision easier, I've outlined some of the many ways in which Enlightened is just so much better than anything else on television right now:

We Just Learned How To Post GIFs!

(GIF Source)



We are now officially ready to welcome in the new year.