Have
any of you out there had a teacher that was incredibly bad?
I
can tell you quite a few horror stories about bad teachers. Like the computer teacher in ninth grade who
I suspect was on the...how you say...wacky tobaccy during class. Or, the history teacher who seemed to take
delight in salivating over the historical figures who caused pain and misery to
the general public. Or the first grade
teacher who humiliated you in class because you preferred to walk on your toes.
Certainly
in this world are teachers who are absolutely horrible to their students and
certainly should never be placed in a classroom setting. Ever.
But
what about teachers who are perceived to be bad by everyone else, but by the
time you have them they end up being among one of the best teachers you've ever
had? I seem to recall having one of
these teachers when I was in elementary school. Everyone told me that the woman who taught French was scary and
evil and yelled at kids in her classroom, and when we learned we'd have her for
French instruction in the fifth grade, I was a little nervous. But she was one of the few teachers who
actually seemed to give a damn about me, and made me feel comfortable learning
a second language.
And
yes...she did yell at students - but they were misbehaving in class. They had it coming.
Well,
for today's flashback to 2011, I'm going to be taking a look at the movie
"Bad Teacher". It was a movie
that while it scored mixed reviews by critics - I'll be the first to admit that
I loved it.
Then
again, for some reason, there's not too many films featuring Cameron Diaz that
I DON'T like. I know, she's one of
those actresses that cause bi-polar reactions.
Some absolutely loathe her, but I like her. Maybe it was her stint as Princess Fiona in Shrek that cemented
it.
So,
as mentioned, Cameron Diaz plays the role of Elizabeth Halsey, a junior high
school teacher who basically does everything that a teacher probably shouldn't
do. You know, things like dropping
F-bombs during class, or showing movies in an attempt to get out of
teaching. Things like that. Mind you, students like myself would have
loved having a teacher like that, but we wouldn't have learned much.
But
that's okay because teaching has never really been Elizabeth's passion
anyway. She's more interested in
getting hitched to her rich boyfriend and living the lifestyle that
gold-digging women like her feel they deserve.
Hate
her already, don't you?
Well, when she gets dumped after he puts two and two together - ironically
something she should have taught her class - Elizabeth is now forced to do the
one thing she hates the most. Teach.
Of
course, Elizabeth soon discovers a new incentive to stay at the school when she
meets substitute teacher Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake), and she pretty
much degrades herself even more by throwing herself at him at every
opportunity. The fact that he is the
heir to a watch manufacturing company makes him that much more desirable.
There's
just a couple of things standing in Elizabeth's way. And believe me when I say that there are two major obstacles in
her path.
See,
she learns that Scott's last girlfriend had gigantic breasts, and Elizabeth
does not. Therefore, she makes the
really stupid conclusion that if she gets her breasts enlarged, it will make
Scott fall in love with her. A plan
that seems to be ridiculed by school gym teacher Russell Gettis (Jason Segel),
but that's only because Russell himself has a crush on Elizabeth, and wants to
get her attention even though Elizabeth snubs him for being a gym teacher.
And
then there's Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch), a teacher who basically exhibits all
the characteristics of a person who loves their job and who has dedicated their
life to teaching - and who also happens to develop a crush on Scott...and who
has resentment against Elizabeth because she somehow manages to stick around at
the school despite breaking nearly every rule in the book.
So
we have our plot. Elizabeth hates
teaching and wants to impress a guy by getting money for new boobs. Scott likes Elizabeth, but likes Amy
more. Russell likes Elizabeth, but
can't seem to get her attention because Elizabeth is smitten over Scott. And in between all of that are a group of
kids who don't seem to be learning anything other than to be a shallow,
insecure adult.
Now
you know why this movie is called "Bad Teacher"!
But
as the movie progresses, things change.
Elizabeth starts to develop a new appreciation for teaching, and her
feelings shift from one person to another.
Sure, she still breaks the rules and engages in some pretty
unprofessional behaviour to raise the money for the breast enhancement surgery,
but she eventually does come to see the error of her ways. Someone else in the film gets a major
comeuppance as well, and while it's someone you might not expect, it's still
strangely satisfying to see.
If you haven't seen this film yet, definitely
make it a point to do so. It may not
have been one of the best films of 2011, but it is far from being the worst.
When
I think back to 2011 during the year of music, I think of several artists who
made an impact during that year.
Britney Spears made a comeback with "Hold It Against Me". Lady Gaga told everyone that they should be
happy to be "Born This Way".
And, yes...even Justin Bieber managed to convince people to sneak
underneath the "Mistletoe" with him.
But
2011 was a really big year for singer Katy Perry.
Remember
how she released the album "Teenage Dream" back in 2010? Well, nobody knew it at that time, but that
album would be considered one of Katy's best efforts, and helped her break at
least one record and tie another one.
And
honestly, it's a really great record.
As
someone who has found pop music to be quite lackluster over the last two
decades, I would have to say that "Teenage Dream" was a rare bright
spot in the playlists of cover versions, sampled songs, and songs that
basically repeated the same words over and over again.
I'm
looking at you Wiz "Black and Yellow" Khalifa.
Back
to "Teenage Dream", the album is considered (at least in my opinion)
to be a pop masterpiece. The title
track is sultry and sexy, "Firework" is a great self-esteem booster,
and "California Gurls" is a song that could still be played at summer
gatherings today! Even weaker songs
such as "E.T." could still be considered great compared to some of
the stuff that came out around this time.
And
of course, there's this song - the topic of today's Sunday Jukebox post. Looking back on it, I should have posted it
on Friday instead, but whatever...it's still going to work.
ARTIST: Katy Perry SONG: Last Friday
Night (T.G.I.F.) ALBUM: Teenage
Dream
DATE RELEASED: June 6, 2011
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #1 for 2 weeks
This
song was the song that engraved Katy Perry's name into the history books for
pop music forever.
You
see, all of the songs that I had mentioned previously in this blog post all
reached the top of the charts between the summer of 2010 and the summer of
2011. This was the fifth single release
from "Teenage Dream" to reach the top spot on the Billboard
Charts. This tied a record that was
first achieved by Michael Jackson all the way back in the 1980s!
But
in her own right, Katy Perry broke a record and set the stage for women
everywhere to challenge her, as she became the first female to have five
singles from the same album reach #1.
Nobody else had done it before, and as of 2016, nobody has come close to
breaking the record. Not Adele. Not Meghan Trainor. Not even Madonna!
The
song itself is definitely a great one, even though critics were not as
impressed with the lyrical content. And
since I brought that up, I suppose many are wondering where the source of the
lyrics came from. After all, the song
talks about skinny-dipping in the park, drinking too many shots, and having a ménage à trois! Definitely a much more exciting Friday night
than stocking pineapples and watermelons at work, or sitting in front of a
television watching "The Amazing Race" while eating rippled potato
chips and Philadelphia Cream Cheese Dip.
Don't judge me. You
probably did the same thing last Friday night!
Well, according to Miss Katy Perry herself - the song was based on
a real life chain of events one night in Santa Barbara, California!
In an interview that she did on MTV back in the summer of 2011,
Perry admits that they went to a club called Wildcat where they drank a little
bit too much, danced erratically on the dance floor, did a little disrobing at
a nearby park, and took the party to the hotel where Katy was staying at! I can only imagine the poor guests who were
on the same floor as Katy's entourage not getting the greatest night's rest!
But everything happened the way that Perry sang that it did...well, minus the ménage à trois,
that is. After all, she was married to
comedian Russell Brand at the time.
And can we just talk about the explosion of colour that the music
video brought to our eyes? It may not
be the greatest video that Perry has ever done (in my opinion, "California
Gurls" and "Firework" were much more creative), but it's got a
lot of references to the decade that Katy was born. I know being a child of the 1980s myself, I can definitely pick
out some of the cameos by top notch entertainers back in the day. Debbie Gibson and Corey Feldman played the parents
of Katy's alter ego, Kathy Beth Terry.
And although he doesn't play the saxophone solo in the song, Kenny G
does a convincing job...sax synching?
Is that the proper term for it?
Whatever. I'm going with it.
But it's not just the 1980s that are represented. Look closely, and you might see Hanson
Mmmbopping their way through a scene in the video. "Glee" star Darren Criss appears at the very beginning
of the video as a party guest who informs Kathy Beth Terry about the debauchery
that went on that Friday night. And in
an attempt to grasp onto her fifteen minutes of fame, "Friday" singer
Rebecca Black appears alongside Katy Perry and they play a rousing game of
"Just Dance"!
TRIVIA: The home where the
video is shot belongs to John Schneider - otherwise known as Bo Duke.
And, of course, the video's plot is one that has been recycled
from a standard teen film from the 1980s.
A nerdy girl is interested in the hunky football star, but the football
jock won't have anything to do with her because she's dressed like one of the
nerd extras hanging out at The Max in "Saved By The Bell". So, Rebecca Black gives her a makeover and
she turns into this perfectly preppy princess that almost everyone in acid-wash
jeans would want to get with. It's a
little cheesy, but the whole song is meant to be fun anyway, so I can overlook
it.
And besides...the video was good enough for it to win the
Favourite Music Video Award at the People's Choice Awards in 2012, And in a nice bit of cross promotion, when
the video achieved more than 500,000 likes on YouTube, Perry released a video
of an interview that she did with pop culture website "Digital Spy"
where she gave the interview in character as Kathy Beth Terry!
It's been nearly five years since she's released this song that
earned her a spot in pop music history forever. What's she done since then?
Well, she divorced her husband in 2012, she released the album
"Prism" one year later, and performed at the Super Bowl halftime show
in 2015.
And as of late, there's been
a little bit of controversy going on with her surrounding Taylor Swift and
Selena Gomez. It's alleged that Taylor
Swift wrote the song "Bad Blood" about her former friendship with
Perry, and more recently, there's been talk of Katy's boyfriend, Orlando Bloom,
cheating on her with Selena Gomez. But
so far, Katy's kept quiet regarding that one.
Still...it's been a couple of years since Katy's released new music. I think it's time for her to start recording
again!
And,
what I mean by scars, I mean actual scars.
Not the evil antagonist from Disney's "The Lion King".
How
many of you have a scar? Or how many of
you have had several scars? Do you hide
them, or do you show them off with pride?
I myself boast a total of four scars...but only three of them are visible on my
body.
The
first one is so tiny that you can hardly see it. But when I was a year old, I ended up with a scar next to my left
eye. How I got the scar remains
debatable. I assumed it was when our
family dog tried to bite off my face, but my parents seem to think I banged it
on the side of a coffee table. Either
way, the scar's there.
The
second scar I got was when I was around three years old. It's also the scar you can't see because my
hair covers it. But I fell on a
playground slide and bashed my head on the bottom of it. I don't know whether this incident triggered
my fear of heights or not.
And when I was eleven - once again, on a slide - I slid down the wrong way and
ended up with several pebbles embedded into my left knee. The pebbles were removed, but I was left
with four circular scars as a result of it due to the fact that I was wearing
shorts at the time.
And,
of course...my most recent scar also happens to be the largest scar of
all. If you're squeamish about scars,
you have my permission to stop reading this post. But here's a picture of it.
I
measured it. It measures exactly twelve
inches across. And keeping with the
theme, I received this scar five years ago in February 2011.
Now,
I've talked about how I got the scar before here. That was when my liver tried to marry my infected gall bladder,
and how the doctors decided to permanently annul the union because that marriage
would have resulted in my funeral.
But I do have a moment immediately after that incident took place that has me
grateful that I have the scar...and sad that I had some emotional scars that
came a couple of years after said event.
So,
anyway, my surgery was on February 12, 2011, and for that entire day, I was
totally out of it. Seriously, my
surgery took six hours.
And
the rest of the night (I came out of my surgery induced coma around 6:30 in the
evening - my surgery started at 12:45), I was in a morphine induced haze with a
blood transfusion hooked up to one arm, and a catheter attached...well...yeah,
you don't need to know. It was
definitely the ugliest that I believe I have ever looked.
And
I survived the chicken pox.
Over
the next two days, I engaged in such thrilling activities as attempting to sit
in a chair (and failing miserably due to the blood loss from surgery), getting
three separate blood transfusions (where I learned my blood type is O!), and
basically just lying around doing a whole lot of nothing.
Oh,
sure...my family was able to come and visit me for a little bit. But since I was in the Step Down unit (which
was the area where once critical patients stabilized), family members were the
only ones permitted to see me. So, it
made for a rather boring experience. If
I could, I would have had my Nintendo DS hooked up, but they tend to frown upon
video games in the Step Down wing.
So,
imagine my surprise when a non-family member came in out of the blue to see how
I was doing!
I recognized him right away. It was my
co-worker, Graham. He and I worked in
the dairy department and I had known him at that time for five years. We were really close friends, and whenever
we got the chance to hang out at work, he would play cards with me in the break
room, or he'd tell lots of funny jokes, or he'd just listen to me vent about
things. He never always had the right
answers, but he always had time to listen.
I'll
leave out the part where he tried to get me drunk at Boston Pizza. The joke was on him though. My alcohol tolerance level was quite high!
Anyway,
I was happy to see Graham, but I had no idea how he managed to sneak into the
Step Down Unit to come visit me! I'm
guessing he told the nurses that I was a relative of his or something like
that...I honestly don't know. I never
did find out how he did it, but it doesn't matter now. The fact that he took the time to come and
see me when I was at my worst really meant a lot to me, and I think that was
the day that really cemented our friendship.
Two
weeks later, I was released from the hospital, and it took another month before
I was given the all clear to return to work.
And, over the next two and a half years, my bond with Graham
strengthened, and he quickly went from becoming my good friend to my best
friend at work. I knew he would always
be there for me, and I knew I was always going to be there for him.
At
least, that's what I wanted to believe.
You
see...Graham passed away in November 2013.
He was just one month shy of his 44th birthday. And, I'm not going to lie...his passing
broke my heart.
My
best friend was now gone. It was bad
enough that our friend and mutual co-worker Alex had died a year earlier. To lose Graham too was just too much. It's been two and a half years since his
passing, and I still think about him every day. And every single time, I remember how he came to the hospital to
see how I was doing because he truly cared about me.
I
never really had a whole lot of people in my life who really gave a stuff about
me. Graham was one of those rare people
who really loved life and who really loved people. He had so much to give to the world, and part of me thinks it is
so unfair that he had such a short time on this planet.
I
never had a friend like Graham before.
And now that he's gone, I fear that I may not meet a friend like him
ever again. But, I know that Graham
would not want me to feel sad for him, nor would he want me to stop living the
rest of my life.
I
survived five years ago because I was meant to. What that meaning is...I'm still trying to decide. But one thing is for sure, I never forgot
that day. Because while I did end up
with a huge scar across my chest...I did find out the true value of
friendship...and it's absolutely priceless.
This
is the conclusion of the "Starbright" saga for Jem Reviewed. As you might remember from
last week, Jem and the Holograms had to come back to the movie set they quit to
raise money for Ba Nee's eye operation.
And The Misfits did everything to sabotage them. But when one goes too far, it's Kimber that
is at risk of losing her life.
Let's
not wait any longer. Time for Episode 8 - Starbright: Rising Star!
So
after Nick...ahem...Dick Mann abandons Kimber to die in a movie set that is
blowing up, Jerrica is worried that she will lose her truly outrageous little
sister.
Fortunately,
Jeff Wright - who is more of a man than our fearful star of the movie - leaps
onto his motorcycle, drives through the explosions, rescues Kimber, and manages
to leap out of the path of danger before he and Kimber get seriously hurt.
Though,
Jeff's motorcycle doesn't make it. Must
be an American model.
Although
Kimber isn't physically harmed, she is visibly shaken, and Jeff takes her to
the first aid trailer for a check-up.
Meanwhile, Dick Mann has the audacity to congratulate Jeff on some
killer stunt work, making no mention of Kimber or showing concern for either of
them. Aja grabs a motorcycle helmet,
shoves it hard into Dick's gut, and tells him to stick his fat head into that
with a sarcastic "hero" tacked onto the end of it.
Yep. It's official. I LOVE Aja!
Aja
and Shana later stand in front of Jerrica as she transforms into Jem - because
when it comes down to delivering the smackdown, Jem certainly has more cojones
than Jerrica could even dream of having.
And certainly when it comes to confronting Eric Raymond about what
happened to Kimber, Jem will take no prisoners.
Of
course, the Misfits refuse to take the blame - even though Clash pretty much
gives it away with her stupid cymbal bracelets - and Jem, Aja, and Shana quit
the film again, with Jem stating that although her own life is worth falling
through papier mache logs, she won't let Kimber be barbecued in the middle of a
desert...or something like that. I
assume that Kimber quits by proxy, since she's still recovering from nearly
being turned into a french fry.
Rio
also quits the project, nearly killing Eric in the process. Ah, there's quintessential Rio, flexing his
muscles and proving how much of a man he is.
Can you tell I'm NOT a Rio fan?
But
here's where things get very interesting.
One by one, the film crew - who has taken the brunt of Eric's abuse as
well as catering to the spoiled Misfits - walk off the set as well, stating
that they can do better than this film.
There are a few holdouts like Georgia the grudge holder and Dick Mann,
but most of the crew leaves, causing Eric to struggle to finish the film.
Meanwhile,
it looks like Kimber is going to be just fine, and Jeff stays with her to make
sure. Kimber decides that she is going
to have to choke down some humble pie and apologize for how badly she treated
him, and that she really wants to give him a chance. Judging by this picture, I think Jeff accepts.
Back
at Starlight Mansion, Jerrica is reading Ba Nee a bedtime story, and as you can
see from this screenshot, Ba Nee's eyes are getting much worse. Just another reminder of how depressing this
storyline is. After reading Ba Nee the
story, Aja notices that Jerrica is very sad, and Jerrica is sad, given that she
doesn't have the money to pay for Ba Nee's operation. But fear not. She has a
plan.
It's
Showtime Synergy once more, and Jem and Aja head downstairs - where most of the
film crew waits. It turns out that Jem
has an idea. They'll make their own
film with a limited budget to compete against the Misfits film at the box
office. Great idea! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST DO THAT TWO EPISODES
AGO?!?
It
does have merit. Anthony Julien
mentions that they shot Jem's first video on a shoestring budget. Yeah, but that first video was
"Twilight In Paris", which was shot in Paris. You shut up, Julien. Other than that, the ideas are great. They can film scenes at Starlight Mansion
and Starlight Music. Jem and the
Holograms will record all the music.
Danielle DuVoisin will make the costumes. And amazingly, all of the crew members offer their services for
free! I see the warm fuzzies behind the
idea, but don't these people have mortgages?
Whatever. Starbright lives! Jem says so. And let's celebrate
with a song!
Only
- "Putting It All Together" is a really BAD song! Even the video lacks creativity. I mean, they could have used "Gettin'
Down To Business" from episode three for this scene and it would have
worked. Oh well, they can't all be
winners.
Video
arrives late for the meeting and is outside setting up her equipment when Clash
pulls up in her car taunting her. It's
also through this exchange that we learn that Clash's real name is Constance
Montgomery! I guess it fits, since
she's a constance...ahem...constant pain.
Luckily,
the actress that plays Clash is anything but.
In today's piece of Jem Trivia, I reveal that Clash is
voiced by Cathy Cavadini - who also voices Blossom on "The Powerpuff
Girls"!
And,
of course, Chatterbox Video lets Clash know that Jem is doing her own
movie. Naturally, the Misfits get wind
of Jem's latest move, and they are none too pleased by it. But Pizzazz has a plan. She convinces Georgia to give Clash a
makeover so that she can sneak onto the set of Jem's movie to sabotage it. Georgia starts to show some hesitation, but
Pizzazz threatens her. And this is the
person that Georgia wants to DEFEND?
Whatever
the case, Georgia transforms Clash into Debbie Gibson, and I have to say that I
can see why Georgia is a make-up artist.
She really made Clash unrecognizable.
Lindsey
Pearce comes to Starlight Music to get some news on the Jem Project, and Howard
Sands confirms that the film has a small budget, but a lot of heart. Rio blabbers on about how he's the leading
man of the film because his ego needs massaging. Kimber and Aja reiterate the fact that nobody on the crew is
taking a salary. And Jerrica reveals
that the soundtrack album for the movie will be released soon with all proceeds
going towards the Starlight Girls - because if she mentioned that she was
getting the money for Ba Nee, she'd have eleven other girls seething.
It
seems like Project: Starbright is going very well. I wonder how the Misfits movie is doing?
Well,
at that moment, director Eric Raymond is absolutely angered at the fact that
Pizzazz has brought on several orangutans and other creatures for the film
shoot. Okay, so far the Misfits movie
contains a scene in outer space, a Mad Max inspired terrain, a Las Vegas
casino, and now a jungle. This movie
sounds more bizarre than "Spice World".
But,
I suppose the Misfits needed all those animals for their next video, which is
coming on in T-minus 5, 4, 3...
I think it's funny that the Misfits released a song called "Welcome to the
Jungle" a full year before Guns 'N Roses released their version. But I must say, I do enjoy this one. That's to the credit of Ellen Bernfield, who
does Pizzazz's vocals. She really
delivers in this song.
Unfortunately,
Dick Mann doesn't really deliver in his performance. After getting spooked by a lion, Dick freaks out and
throws Pizzazz into a lagoon, making her scream loudly and whatever remaining
crew is at the movie burst into laughter.
Dick Mann takes out his frustration on Eric Raymond and whines that he
was supposed to be the star of the show with JEM, and quits the film. Oh, I wish Nelson Muntz was around with a
Ha-Ha right about now.
Clash
successfully infiltrates the soundstage of the Starbright Movie and does some
minor sabotage, such as stealing costumes, lighting equipment, etc. But when she overhears a conversation
between Jeff and Video about the video tape of Jem's accident, Clash knows that
she must get that tape back at all costs.
Back
at the Misfits set, it seems as though the Misfits have become even more
obnoxious, and their terrible attitudes are causing more staff members to
flee. Even Georgia has seen the band's
true colours, and she walks off the set as well!
And,
where does Georgia go? Crawling back to
the Starbright set and begging Jem and the others to forgive her for how badly
she treated them. Now, given Georgia's
bad attitude, I wouldn't blame Jem for telling her to go fly a kite. But Jem decides that Georgia is worth
keeping around, and tells her that she's more than welcome to help.
The
first thing Georgia does to help is out Clash!
When Georgia notices that Clash is stealing the videotape of Jem's
accident from Video's camera bag. she recognizes her handiwork a mile away! Furthermore, the rest of the crew have
noticed the things that are missing, and Jem and the Holograms put two and two
together.
Clash
runs outside, hops into her car and thus launches the second high speed car
chase of the series just eight episodes in.
Clash drives like a maniac, and she almost succeeds in killing Jem and
the others by having them nearly get into an accident.
But
Jem realizes that she has a supercomputer on her side, and with help of the
JemStar earrings, she projects a hologram of a fallen oak tree across the street
that Clash is on, which causes her to spin out of control. Nice idea for stopping the car, but I'm just
saying that had she flipped the car and died, Jem would technically be charged
with manslaughter at the very least.
But
let's not think about that. Clash is
apprehended, the stuff is recovered, and Jeff rushes the tape to the movie
unions. Gee, I wonder how Pizzazz will
react to this news?
I'm guessing not well.
It's
time for the final scene to be shot for the Starbright Movie, and it's essentially
a love scene between Jem and Rio. It's
a great display of walls of flowers, Jem's acting, and Rio's jealousy. They have a minor argument in character, and
nearly meet for their on-screen kiss when...
...oh,
sweet Jesus...what is DICK MANN doing there?
Okay, I can maybe tolerate the Holograms giving Georgia another shot,
but if Jem gives him another shot, this movie just may as well be shelved. Even Rio threatens to quit the film if Dick
comes back, which tells me that sometimes Rio can be just as much of a dick as
he is.
Ah,
but fear not. Jem has a plan. Taking lessons from Aja about how to hit
someone where it hurts, Jem simultaneously strokes his ego while stabbing it at
the same time. First she offers him a
bit part, which makes him seethe. And
then when she announces that he will be working for free like everybody else,
that makes Dick Mann prove how much of a dick he really is, and he storms off
like a petulant child. And somewhere on
the radio, Steam is singing "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".
Actually,
that sounds like a good idea. The scene
concludes with Jem and Rio kissing, wrapping up the shoot as well as the video
for the wonderful song, "People Who Care".
"People
Who Care" is really the first ballad that Jem and the Holograms have
done...and while it does come across as a little cheesy...it's quite a nice
song. I like it.
That's
a wrap, everyone!
And,
contrary to what this screenshot implies, Ashley doesn't become a lesbian. I think it's supposed to be a hug...it's
just badly drawn.
Meanwhile,
Pizzazz is lying on a sofa musing about how wonderful it is to be rich, famous,
and gorgeous, and at first I'm thinking that this is just a normal day for
Pizzazz...but it's actually a scene for their film. Nice to see their modesty translating onto the big screen!
But
their scene is interrupted by a group of people from the director's guild,
acting guild, stuntman union, and some other Hollywood groups. I don't know what they are, as I'm quite
distracted by that one guy's mustache.
I mean, seriously...I've never seen one quite like it! And because of all of the violations that
were captured by Video's camera, the unions have put a stop to all filming! Eric is notably upset, but the rest of the
Misfits don't seem to really care.
Pizzazz was getting tired of the work anyway, and boasts that they have
enough footage anyway. Oh, I just love
it when you can sense disaster right away!
Not
even Harvey Gabor seems to take pride in his daughter's moves. Furious by the fact that the film's budget
has ballooned and appalled by the way that the staff members were treated by
them, Harvey Gabor sells the studio out from Pizzazz's control and makes Howard
Sands the new studio head. Cue the
temper tantrums from the Misfits!
Ba Nee's operation is up next, and we learn just how serious the situation
is. There's the possibility that Ba
Nee's surgery won't work - which is bad enough - but Jerrica was forced to put
up Starlight Mansion as collateral for the surgery! If they don't get the money raised by a specific time, Jerrica
could lose Starlight Mansion, which means that the Starlight Girls will be
homeless. Again.
And now, here we are. The premieres of both "Starbright" and "The Misfits
Make It Big"! Although Shana is concerned at the large line outside of
the Misfits movie, Kimber is more optimistic.
The
Misfits arrive in a limo for their premiere, and their fans want them to give
them autographs. Stormer at least
attempts to try and get back, but Pizzazz and Roxy act like diva snobs.
It
appears as though the running time for the Misfits movie is slightly shorter
than Starbright, and the fans that are still in line for the second showing of
the film are eager to know what it was like.
To
nobody's surprise, the moviegoers hated the Misfits film. They said it was awful, it stunk, there was
no Jem. Part of me really wanted Hasbro
to release versions of both films so that we could have a say in which film was
better. And, also I want to see just
how much of a trainwreck the Misfits movie was!
Meanwhile,
the people who saw Starbright loved the movie.
They really loved it! They love
it so much, they want to see it again!
And so do the people across the street at the Misfits movie!
To
the shock of Pizzazz, Roxy, and Stormer, everyone runs over to the Starbright
movie, and Jem and the others celebrate happily! At this rate, I'd say that the girls should easily have the
quarter of a million dollars to pay for Ba Nee's surgery.
See? What did I tell you?
And,
this episode ends with Jerrica treating Ba Nee to a special screening of
Starbright at Starlight Mansion - a movie that Ba Nee remarks is the best thing
she's ever seen. I'm guessing this
takes place weeks after Ba Nee's surgery.
At least, I assume, anyway.
So,
what have we learned? You can have a
big box office movie without spending a bundle. People will stand by you if you treat them with respect. And, never use papier mache to make a
log. Seriously, this three-parter is
absolutely well done, and I can see why so many fans list these episodes as
their favourites.
Next
week, the girls take part in a World Hunger Shindig. And the Misfits want to satisfy their hunger by honing in on the
action. Maybe they just need a Snickers
bar...
2011
was one of those years in which a lot changed in the world of traditional
television. Particularly in the world
of daytime dramas.
It
seems hard to believe that in 1991, there were eleven daytime dramas that were
on the air, and in 2016, we are now left with only four.
Now,
many of these soap operas were cancelled after just a few years. That was the case with "Ryan's
Hope", "Loving", "The City", "Generations", "Capitol",
"Passions", "Santa Barbara", and "Sunset
Beach".
But
we also lost some long running shows as well.
"Another World" went off the air in 1999 after thirty-five
years. The world stopped turning for
"As The World Turns" in 2010 after fifty-four years. And in 2009, "Guiding Light"
dimmed permanently after a whopping seventy-two years on the air - both on
television and on radio.
And
by 2011, another show was set to join the soap opera graveyard.
On
September 23, 2011, the 41-year-old soap opera "All My Children"
aired its final episode on ABC.
Although the show did briefly come back in online form with assistance
from Prospect Park Studios in 2013, 2011 is really the date that most fans of
the show associate with the end.
Since
the show's debut in 1970, millions of fans watched "All My Children"
to see what scandals, romance, and mystery the citizens of Pine Valley,
Pennsylvania could get embroiled in.
And the show certainly was a popular one. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, it was always within the Top 5
most watched daytime serials. In fact,
it was the top rated soap opera in 1978 and 1979! I can't even list the number of Daytime Emmy Awards that the show
received over its forty-one years on the air.
It's been that many. Heck, Susan
Lucci herself was responsible for at least 20+ of those nominations, finally
winning an award in 1999 after years of being nominated!
And,
of course, Susan Lucci will forever be known as the face of "All My
Children" long after the show stopped.
After all, she did play the role of Erica Kane for the entire series
run, and probably had more storylines, scandals, and love interests than any of
the other cast members combined.
But,
what other famous faces got their start on "All My Children" all
those years ago? And what are they
doing now? In some cases like with
Peter Bergman, Maurice Benard, Elizabeth Hendrickson, and Billy Miller, they've
gone on to other soap operas. And
sadly, some actors such as David Canary and James Mitchell are no longer with
us.
But
did any AMC alumni find super stardom after the show? Yes, of course! In fact,
I've found a total of ten superstars who received their first big break on
"All My Children" and who will forever hold the soap near and dear to
their hearts for kickstarting their careers.
Let's
have a look.
KELLY RIPA
Played Hayley Vaughn Santos (1990-2002; 2010)
Obviously
this one is a no-brainer. We all know
that Kelly became a huge star interviewer after leaving the show in 2002 to
co-host "Live With Regis and Kelly".
And although she's involved in a bit of a feud with her departing
co-host Michael Strahan, Kelly's still done well for herself. And, I think of all the people on this list,
Kelly probably has the most fond memories of "All My Children"
here. Not only did she appear on the
show for twelve years - returning in 2010 for the 40th anniversary - but she
met her husband, Mark Consuelos, on the show!
SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR
Played Kendall Hart (1993-1995)
Another
person who can attribute their success to "All My Children" is Buffy
the Vampire Slayer herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar. The original Kendall Hart - also known as Erica's secret daughter
- certainly wreaked a lot of havoc in Pine Valley, earning her a Daytime Emmy
in 1995 for her hard work. But rumours
of a feud between her and Susan Lucci ran rampant, and she left the show the
same year she won the Emmy. But Sarah
grew to become a huge film and television star, and she did return to the show
for a cameo in 2011 - but since Alicia Minshew was already playing Kendall at
the time, she played a random hospital patient.
KIM DELANEY
Played Jenny Gardner Nelson (1981-1984, 1994)
You
may remember Kim Delaney from her brief stint on "CSI: Miami", as
well as in Lifetime's "Army Wives".
But before all that, Kim Delaney was part of a quartet of young actors
who formed some of "All My Children's" first supercouples. She was paired up with Greg Nelson (Laurence
Lau), who became best friends with Angie and Jesse Hubbard (Debbi Morgan and
Darnell Williams). And certainly in her
initial three years, she experienced a lot of love, and a lot of
heartbreak. Her character's death in a
jet-ski accident in 1984 still probably breaks the hearts of fans
everywhere. Her character briefly
returned as a ghost in 1994 during the Pine Valley tornado storyline trying to
help her brother Tad (Michael E. Knight).
And,
let's go on with another CSI: Miami alum.
EVA LARUE Played Maria
Santos (1993-1997, 2002-2005, 2010-2011)
Eva
LaRue has certainly had an interesting career.
She's played Annette Funicello, she was on "CSI: Miami" for
the latter part of the show's run, and she briefly appeared as Danny's new wife
on the show "Fuller House".
But it was "All My Children" where Eva LaRue really
shined. Sure, she had brief television
and film appearances before joining the soap in 1993, but she developed a lot
of fans while she was on the show for three separate stints - one of which
where she was killed off but brought back to life. Typical soap opera.
CHRISTIAN SLATER Played Caleb
Thompson (1986)
Okay, it's time to add some males to this list. And here's an interesting fact.
I had no idea that Christian Slater was on "All My
Children". It was one of his first
roles, and apparently it didn't last that long as 1986 is the only year that he
is credited for. However, we all know
that two years after appearing on the show he scored a little role in a film
called "Heathers", and this kickstarted his lengthy film career!
MELISSA LEO
Played Linda Warner (1984-1985)
Another
blink and you'll miss her actress came in the form of Melissa Leo, whose
character of Linda Warner tried to get in between the supercouple of Nina and
Cliff back in the mid-1980s. But don't
feel too bad for her. Although she
wasn't on "All My Children" for long, she has since gone on to appear
in some critically acclaimed movies including "21 Grams",
"Frozen River" and "The Fighter" - the latter of which won
her an Academy Award for Best Actress!
MICHAEL B. JORDAN
Played
Reggie Montgomery (2003-2006)
These days, you may remember him from his two year stint on "Friday Night
Lights", or you may have seen him on "Parenthood"...or if you're
really unlucky, you might have seen him in that box office bomb "Fantastic
Four" from last year - though to his credit, I didn't think his
performance was bad. Prior to all that
though, he got his big break on "All My Children", playing the
adoptive son of long-running character Jackson Montgomery (Walt Willey).
Oh,
let's add another Montgomery to that list, shall we?
LEVEN RAMBIN
Played Lily Montgomery (2004-2008, 2010)
Played Ava Benton (2007-2008)
Yep, that's right. Much like David
Canary and Elizabeth Hendrickson before her, Leven Rambin played dual roles on
"All My Children" that could NOT have been more different. As Lily Montgomery, Rambin played a
character who was autistic - which must have been a real challenge for
her. But as Ava Benton, she played
Lily's secret sister who was street-smart and charming. Since leaving "All My Children",
Rambin has carved out a great film career.
She was in "The Hunger Games", "Chasing Mavericks",
and "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters". Not bad at all!
MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG
Played Lily Montgomery (1993-1996)
Or,
mayber there's just something about the role of Lily Montgomery that just
attracts famous faces. Case in point,
Michelle Trachtenberg. She has been in
everything lately. Starting with her
lead role in the kids film "Harriet the Spy", she went on to play
Buffy's little sister on "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" (reuniting her
with Sarah Michelle Gellar). She also
did a six year stint doing voices for "Robot Chicken", was on
"Gossip Girl" for four years, and is currently working on the film
"Sister Cities". Clearly, she
shows no sign of stopping her career anytime soon. And to think it all began on "All My Children"!
JOSH DUHAMEL
Played Leo du Pres (1999-2002, 2011)
It
was so hard to come up with just ten people since there were so many to choose
from, but I'm sure most will probably throw stuff at me if I didn't include
Josh Duhamel on this list. After all,
he's had quite the film career since leaving "All My Children". And sadly, his time on "All My
Children" was cut short as he fell off a cliff and died. Though he did return in 2011 in a dream
sequence featuring himself and Rebecca Budig who played his love interest
Greenlee Smythe.
As
I said before, Duhamel has immersed himself into the movie industry. Some movies have been great "Win A Date
With Tad Hamilton". Some not so
good "Life As We Know It".
And some ("Movie 43") are best left not talked about at
all. But he did marry Fergie from the
Black-Eyed Peas!
Honourable
mentions go out to Amanda Bearse, Jesse McCartney, Cameron Mathison, Colin Egglesfield, Lacey Chabert, Kelli Giddish, Shari Headley, Mischa Barton, Laura San Giacomo, Paige Turco, and Lindsay Price for also making a career
after "All My Children". I
just only had room for ten names!
Can
you think of anyone else who got famous for appearing on a daytime soap like
"All My Children"? I'm
interested in hearing your responses!