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I live by the Brooklyn target, and this is pretty much what it looks like at all hours. Huge crowds, everyone dancing to Beyonce, and video cameras taping all the Target-related excitement. They expanded their frozen foods section, so things are even better than I ever thought possible.

I think Ebert's delivery was off, but obviously he was trying to make a point. And while Bam probably should've taken the higher road and said nothing right now, grief is a pretty powerful thing. I think the opposite of Gabe, though; I think Bam is pointing out his grief not as some comment about his friend's celebrity, but that he was Bam's real life friend. We feel it's OK to say those things about Dunn publicly, like Ebert, BECAUSE he was famous and we don't really know him. In my real life, I know people who make very reckless decisions, and I am not there to stop them all the time. If one of them died and then someone came up to me and brought up the recklessness of the deceased person's actions, I'd probably want to punch them in the face. That doesn't make the person wrong, just inappropriate in context. But again, we don't know Dunn so we can separate the sadness of it from the wrongness of it. Also, this has nothing to do with anything, but I think Dunn's death seems to point to a larger behavioral issue. While some of the Jackasses were addicted to drugs, it seems they are all addicted to this sort of reckless decision-making. I mean, whether or not he was drunk, it really doesn't make sense for anyone to be driving so fast unless they're searching for some sort of danger-high. I guess I'm just pointing out that addiction comes in all forms.

Man, I wish you were my friend. Every time I go off about how much I loathe this book, there are people around to tell me it's genius and I just don't get it. Please help me beat up these people.

(I'm assuming one doesn't need an actual penis to play.)

Missing

I was sort of worried that Birdie might not take this seriously--she's young, she just got her degree, her tweets are lighthearted. But she really got to the heart of these issues. Joke's on us.

I guess no matter how much he apologizes, I see it all as a PR move. That's not to say he's not genuinely rethinking his behavior. But I personally don't think that the kind of feelings that would have provoked him to write a set like that just go away because you're "caught." I think he should have to take some sort of class--on tolerance, on LBGT issues, on the power of words. Sometimes, I think we have to make people literally learn a lesson, and I don't just mean celebrities.

Four happy hot dog men? How many goddamn happy hot dog men does one person need? Then again...that would be a hilarious thing to give as a gift. Three times.

Yeah, I have noticed the same, even from Gabe, which is why I was also really glad to see this. BUT I have also noticed that when I engage in these conversations with people of different opinions, there are actual intelligent discussions. I got into a back-and-forth in the comments on one web video where an overweight lady was singing karaoke, and the critical commenter seemed to genuinely want to understand a different point of view. When it comes to body acceptance stuff, it's like any other movement; people have to be educated about things they haven't had to experience firsthand in order for there to be empathy and understanding. I have been avoiding any comment sections where unnecessary fat jokes may come up, but maybe we're slowly figuring this stuff out and learning from it. So maybe Hugh Manatee did us a favor, in his weird, aggressive way. In other news, I kind of want to go to an LA meetup now. The Brooklyn ones never have nearly enough chubby girls. I'm fine with holding down the fort, but perhaps chubby girls of Videogum should be a sub-faction. I've already made a Harry Potter Fans of Videogum coalition, and I'm not afraid to start another one.

I hate that he lied about it but we've created this culture where politicians either have to lie or resign. Let's just come to terms with the fact that politicians are 14-year-olds mentally--they think they're invincible and lose all sight of consequences when it comes to sex--and let their private lives be private. Actually, I take that back--I really liked seeing pictures of Weiner, so I think we should continue to be really creepy and obsessive about other peoples' sex lives BUT just not condemn them afterward. And I mean that for all the hypocrites. Weiner stands (yikes) for great things but that doesn't mean he isn't kind of crappy sometimes and make stupid personal decisions. I really hope this doesn't take him down because that would be a damn shame.

Yeah, good point. BUT these are the children who are putting together the yearbook. (Read: nerds.) Those kids will end up at a liberal college someday and this will be part of their "two facts and a lie" freshman orientation icebreaker.

Honestly, it makes me feel really good. A little too good....Ok, back to hating my life!

Forever reader (2008 counts as the beginning of the world), rare commenter because I can't handle downvotes--I'm already unemployed and single. I like when the internet celebrity (or maybe it's just Brooklyn celebrity--I have a hard time differentiating) worlds collide; anything with Max or Rich or comedians and crap. I'm much more prone to read guest posts like that than from fellow commenters (mostly because I'm immature and bitter, I guess). I also like when Gabe just runs with his shit--writing about a Louis CK taping or something related to his personal reactions to real life. I'd much rather read something he is into, something he feels like trying out, than a forced reaction to a video he got a bunch of tips about and feels the need to post. It's not like the site reeeally revolves around particular videos--the site is Gabe and that's just the way it is. So I'd rather read things he wants to be writing--and it makes me sad when it seems like he's just exhausted with the whole thing. (Also, as mentioned above, I like Kelly and really want her to find her voice. Lindsay had a completely different voice from Gabe and that made things more interesting--the dichotomy.) Speaking of, the first post I ever read on Videogum was a Friday fight, and I fell in love. I like reading people's interactions and discussions with friends (joke-y or serious [like the movie thing with Rich]). So basically, I like when the writing feels personal and natural. I think it would help the commenters let down their guards a bit more (sincerity over sarcasm) so we can have real discussions in addition to all the lolz. This was very emotional. "She doesn't even go here!"

Hi, Kelly. I promise to put that form letter Gabe sent to reject the rest of us aside and embrace you wholeheartedly. I just followed you on Tumblr so now you know I'm serious about not being bitter.

Sorry, I got confused. Also, I read somewhere Wiig didn't want the scene but he convinced her to keep it in. I could only find this: "Apatow and Feig added some of the movie's trailer-friendly set pieces — a food poisoning breakout in a bridal shop and Annie's pill-and-booze-addled meltdown on a plane."

If this was a different director, I'd probably take it with a grain of salt. But he managed to make Katherine Heigl's vagina an "AHHHH! GROSS" moment. I'm personally not so into toilet humor, especially when the main source of laughter behind it is supposed to be about seeing women in a situation men don't usually see them in. OK, a good alternate non-Apatow example: that scene in Harold & Kumar with those two girls in the bathroom. Like, by the end, the boys are basically vomiting on themselves because of how gross it is that they almost slept with girls who go to the bathroom. Yuck. BUT I did laugh. The "don't look at me" part was funny and Maya in the car afterward. But the scene was sooooo long. It just seemed to be more about being controversial than funny/necessary to the storyline.

I was a little wary of the fat/toilet jokes going into this, but so much of it was well written that I am letting the crappy parts slide (sorry). (If Meghan hadn't been played by such an adept comedian, I might have been less forgiving.) Baby steps and all that. I saw it with my best friend and we teared up multiple times--the dancing to a corny song, the look as Maya Rudulph leaves in the limo. It was just so refreshing to see female characters that were three-dimensional (ya know, for a movie). Their friendship felt so real, the dialogue was funny but also genuine. This is why we need more women writers, women directors, women stories--it felt so nice to watch things that actually directly related to my life play out on screen. (I mean, all of the Jon Hamm scenes were a liiiiittle too close to home.) And it incorporated the complexities of female friendship without being like, "LOOK AT THESE CATTY BITCHES!" Naturally, some of the Judd Apatow aspects pissed me off, like the female body as grotesque. (Ew, girls pooping! Ew, a fat, butch lady who wants to have SEX?!?!) So much of the movie was clever that these parts just seemed out of place. But overall, I think it was a success. I will pretty much watch Kristin and Maya do anything, though.

I have no idea why, but this one made me laugh. 50th time's a charm or whatever.

This is pretty appropriate on this post actually...?

He was very good in the TV show "Huge." It's nice seeing different types of people in movies once in a while.

Real men buy girls. And also, Demiandashton.org is a really good name for a serious site about sex trafficking. #notintendedtobefactualstatements

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall the day Jay-Z discovered and was surprised by Gwyneth's extensive knowledge of rap lyrics. It would be a challenge, but it would probably have made me even more second-hand embarrassed than the interview in and of itself.

I voted. I did sort of wish they could have gotten participants and pulled a number out of a hat or something though. It seems so weird to be like, "Hey everyone, read these really sad stories. The most popular person with cancer wins!" Unless Tang's mom wins--then I'll be OK with this voting system. (I will also accept them bringing every woman out onto the field and announcing that they are all honorary bat girls.)

I think the slogan actually gave me the most weird-feeling. "Real men don't buy girls." I don't know. Just really didn't come across very well after seeing a shirtless guy emasculate another one for not being able to find his car...? I think they could have taken the goofy-things-guys-do-when-it-comes-to-hygiene thing and made it funny without being so....aggressive. Especially since the ads are a conceptual stretch anyway.

I'm sure it's not all nonsense. The name of the site: all nonsense. And I agree--it's obvious that their funny tactic brought a lot of attention to the issue, which is good. But I still kind of hate Demi and Ashton (dot org).

As they were going along, I was like, "Ok. I get it. You're being funny to get people's attention and then you'll flash to a very important website where people can get some follow-up information about donating or whatever." I was right: Demiandashton.org. Pretty much screams "legitimate."

Huh. Now I know where that girl walking around the bar with two boxes of cold pizza got them from. There is a thief in our midst!

Guys! There is a picture documenting me telling Gabe and everyone how unemployed I am! (I look really, really happy about it.) Gabe, we make a great team. Hire me?

I take that back. The best part of the night was the cake. Holy christ, who made that cake? I was expecting confetti cake with store-bought frosting but this shit was fancy. Please come forward so that we can invest (not money, but definitely good spirits) into your future bakery. If you already have a bakery then that's probably one reason why the cake was so good.

I safely avoided any awkward Gabe interactions except for the one where he put the microphone to my face and asked me what I do for a living. Therefore, my favorite part of the night was when, "I'm unemployed" reverberated through the giant room, probably the entire bar...the city...the world. Gabe, if you're reading this, I meant to tell you that I'm unemployed but I DID apply for that Videogum position. So.

I'm not going to even pretend to be too cool for this movie or make fun of myself for wanting to see it. I am going to see this, I am going to love it, and I'm probably going to buy it on DVD. Twice. (One will be an accident but I'll keep both anyway.)

Um, is he saying "Pause, pause" or "balls, balls" at the end? Not that it changes my opinion of him whatsoever, but I need to know whether it's worth it to keep repeating those three seconds and laughing.

If you could have just...moved Stitch over a little to the left, he could have been riding a pony. I didn't know how much I wanted to see that until now.

A quick google search showed that Jason looks more or less the same (and also runs some sort of TV casting business of sorts...?) and therefore: I would hit that.

I feel bad that human beings are not better at being self-aware and addressing their traumas and getting the fuck in therapy (and that we do not all have the opportunity to do this because of A. stigma B. healthcare bullshit C. healthcare bullshit D. money and healthcare bullshit). Just like there are reasons why some women end up in abusive relationships, there are reasons why some men end up being abusive. And I truly believe that women can get out of these situations and deal with their issues and get better, so, by that logic, I also believe the same for their abusers. But. I do not feel bad for Chris Brown, no. He is very smug and happy in his denial, and when he finally admits he has some demons to work on, I will feel bad for him as a fellow human being. He should take a lesson from Mike Tyson (I'm being serious). I won't touch the "really good song" part. To each his own or whatever...?

Oops. Sorry! Happy Friday, everyone! Wooohooo.gif!

Ditto! And also, not to beat a dead horse, but holy crap are people misinformed about this! Planned Parenthood isn't called Abortion Abortionhood because they do A LOT of other shit, and many women end up paying out of pocket on some level for abortions. For millions of women of all races and income levels, this is their primary form of gynecological healthcare. PP is on the cutting edge of health education, they have community programs that employ teenagers as educators, and LET ME JUST SAY (sorry, started to get shouty) that the last time I was there to get satan's birth control, I saw a loooot of men sitting by themselves in the waiting room. I texted my friend who works at an upstate Planned Parenthood as an educator and asked "what's up with that" and she replied: "STIs." So. I forgot my point. Oh right, my point is that this funding would further cripple an already fucked up healthcare system. Planned Parenthood is one of the only organizations that offers no string attached services, and they are in touch with women's needs because they deal with just about every type of lady. So Elizabeth Hasslebeck can suck it.

I'm just going to vote for the things I want to win, even if I know that they most definitely will not. Which means as many Harry Potter votes as possible. Who needs $50 when nerd loyalty is on the line? Best Picture--The Fighter Best Actor--Colin Firth Best Actress--Michelle Williams Best Supporting Actor--Christian Bale Best Supporting Actress--Melissa Leo Best Director--David Fincher–The Social Network Best Original Screenplay--The Fighter Best Adapted Screenplay--The Social Network Best Foreign Film--Biutiful Best Animated Film--How to Train Your Dragon (Underdog!) Art Direction--Stuart Craig (Production Design); Stephenie McMillan (Set Decoration)-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Cinematography--Wally Pfister-Inception Costume Design--Colleen Atwood-Alice in Wonderland Documentary Feature--Exit through the Gift Shop Film Editing--Jon Harris-127 Hours Sound Editing--Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague-Tron: Legacy (Tron needs to get the recognition it deserves...?) Sound Mixing--Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick-Inception Visual Effects--Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

I actually said "ugh" and rolled my eyes at myself as I clicked the link, having realized a half-second too late what happens when you click before you think. (I'm only admitting this because I secretly believe there is a compiled list on the internet, backtracing to every rick-rolled idiot.)

I dunno. I'm fat, and that certainly doesn't make me an authority on anything, but I'm pretty used to seeing/hearing the fat stuff get thrown around (especially as a woman). So. Like I mentioned, The Office fucking pisses me off--the three overweight people on the show have been the target of lazy fat jokes that pretty much amount to pointing and laughing. Could the episode have been slightly more enlightened? Yes. Just about everything related to overweight people could. (If you'd like to see more of my annoying thoughts on this, see here: http://videogum.com/265631/typical-youtube-video-is-met-with-typical-youtube-comment/webjunk/.) The thing is, Pierce acts like a child/teenager. His need for attention, his bullying. And when you look at him through that lens, even as a "college" student, the antagonism is preeeetty realistic. The episode showed how damaging that harassment can be and made Jeff and Pierce's insensitivity look cruel even if common.