Friday I'm in Love. . .With The Katydids

Ironflower's real name was almost Katherine. Which probably doesn't explain the almost spiritual connection I feel to the Katydids, the female, Kate-named improv troupe that created, writes, produces and stars in the show Teachers, but I feel compelled to point it out anyway.

Because while I was totally cool when I ran into Siggy Flicker from the Real Housewives of New Jersey at Trader Joe's this week, I would absolutely fan girl like an idiot if I ran into any of the Katydids there.

Fortunately this will never happen because none of them live in NJ.

Quick note about the Siggy sighting, for those of you into #RHONJ: She is almost as short as I am when she's wearing Ugg slippers at Trader Joe's. She shops FAST. Only me and the guy at the checkout seemed to recognize her. She did not cry or complain about Margaret while she was there. 

Anyway, the Katydids are super cool despite not living in NJ.

Teachers ended its second season (on TV Land) last Tuesday, but I'm pretty sure you can watch it On Demand or online if you would like a break from all the stuff I normally post about.

I don't think you have to be (or have been) a teacher to appreciate the show, but since half the people who read me are anyway. . . .

Goren Is My Sacred Cow

I was sick last week, which means I searched for and watched Law & Order marathons. My all time rankings for Dick Wolf shows look like this:

1. Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2. Law & Order: SVU
3. Law & Order
4. Every abruptly cancelled iteration of Law & Order
5. Chicago P.D.
6. Chicago Fire
7. Law & Order: True Crime
8. All the ones I've never watched.

Since Criminal Intent is my favorite, I've pretty much watched every episode several times. Last week they showed the episodes where Goren goes to therapy. His cruel mother is dead, but he still can't speak ill of her to his therapist.

I know I've seen the episodes before, but for whatever reason, this time that idea really struck me. It was all I could do not to wake the kids and tell them that it was okay for them to complain about me to their future therapists.

I mean, I doubt any of them will go on to become emotionally unstable, professionally successful police detectives who must go to therapy to keep their jobs, but I don't know that for a fact. And of course, it's not only Dick Wolf characters who go to therapy. Chances are good that at least one of my kids will need some help some day.

And while I sure hope they don't have to go to therapy BECAUSE of me, I also hope that if they do go they feel free to bitch about all the times the tooth fairy was several days late. Or how I wore antlers to chaperone the school holiday party. Or all the times I yelled.

I want my kids to know that I'm not a sacred cow, especially with their therapists. Most especially after I'm dead.

I want my kids to understand the difference between criticism and disrespect, between loving acceptance and worship, between acknowledgement and responsibility.

I'm not entirely sure how to do this, although I'm tempted to have them just watch all the Goren episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent  with me so we can properly analyze all the issues Goren and his mother have. I suspect, though, that this would be fodder for their own future therapist visits and would probably have the terrible side effect of making them not appreciate the awesomeness of Goren as a character.

I'm definitely NOT okay with that side effect.

Someone Should Totally Pay Me For This

I watched Jersey Shore last night. Yes, I'm pretty sure I lost some IQ points, not to mention some self-respect. Also? I'm so, so glad that no one ever filmed me while I was drunk. Sure, I probably wouldn't have spent so much of my youth drunk if I'd known I was being filmed, but still.

The true problem here, of course, is that most of the shows I'm proud to watch are in hiatus right now or off the air completely. I long for the day when I can design my own TV channels so that I never wind up watching Jersey Shore again. Wouldn't it be awesome to be able to program your own channels, like some merger of Hulu and a cool video game?

I've been pondering this in the hours that I've been scrubbing the house (the rest of the family comes home tonight to a spotless house that I'm sure they will demolish within 3 hours) and I've come up with 3 channel ideas:

Great Drama: The West Wing, The Sopranos, Friday Night Lights, Homicide, Oz, Mercy, the first few seasons of ER, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cold Feet, Fringe

Great Comedy: Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives, Modern Family, Friends, Arrested Development, Glee, Absolutely Fabulous, selected seasons and sketches of Saturday Night Live,

Great Trash: The Real Housewives, Real Sex, House Hunters, Bridezillas, Project Runway, Degrassi, Top Chef

I feel like I've forgotten some great shows, so please leave suggestions in the comments. What would your ideal channel show all day? What kind of channel have I forgotten?

Also, if you could please, please, please like my page on Facebook or follow my blog (or both) I promise I'll reward you when I win Powerball.