TVSquad

Normally, any post I wrote up in reference to a video found on YouTube would include the video at the end of the post, but since we try to keep our content at least somewhat family safe, you'll have to check it out over at Dead Frog instead. In case I didn't make it clear, the video is definitely not safe for work.

• Ken Levine has some thoughts on American Idol.
• Betty Hutton passed away earlier this week.
• Jim Gaffigan talks about muffins and cakes.
• Best Week Ever isn't too happy that Zarf wasn't nominated for a Daytime Emmy.
• Some people in Hollywood use drugs.
• Will the phrase "Fair & Balanced" make it to the Hall of Fame?
• Maxim picks the 10 best infomercial products. Wait, isn't the Chia Pet ad just a commercial and not an infomercial?

This was the better of the two ads that ran very close to each other in this commercial break. The other had to do with the cast taking a karate class run by Michael Ian Black. But I wonder what the hell is going on with these commercials. Every single ad, the cast members seem to have different jobs, different relations to each other, probably even different names. Sometimes they work at an airport, sometimes they had hair combovers, sometimes they're married, sometimes they're just friends. Strange.

Anyway, the hair ad was better than the karate ad. (karate video after the jump)

I'm not sure if I'm a fan of these "What's In and What's Out" lists that seem to pop up every December or January. They seem to embrace trends instead of just quality. But I like Hank Steuver's writing and lists like this are a good conversation starter as the new year begins.

That doesn't mean I agree with him on everything. I mean, David Sedaris is "out" while John Hodgman is "in?" That's ridiculous (though I like Hodgman too). And Dancing with the Stars will never be "in" with me. But I love that he picks America's Next Model as being "out" and Ugly Betty being "in." Ditto his picks for Laguna Beach being "out" (Meerkat Manor is "in") and Dane Cook being "out" (thumbs up to Jim Gaffigan!).

What do you think is in and out, TV-wise? I'm sure they'll be a lot of opinions on Steuver picking Battlestar Galactica as being "out" and Heroes as being "in."

One of the things I dislike about television is when they try to compare a new show to an established classic. You know, when they begin a promotion with "If you liked Friends . . .", or something like that. When I hear that what immediately comes to mind is, "It will absolutely, totally not be like Friends."

So, when I heard promotions for the TBS original comedy My Boys (which premieres on November 28th at 10 pm) start with the line "If you like Sex in the City . . ." I was immediately wary. After watching a few episodes of the series I can honestly say that it is similar to Sex in the City only that the main character is a woman who is a writer. Oh, I'm not saying that the show isn't watchable, because it is, but it is definitely not in the Sex category. In fact, I'm not too sure what category it falls in, other than single-camera comedy.

You thought we were done with press kit reviews, didn't you? No sir, not in the new television world of hundreds of channels and year-round original programming. As winter approaches you may see more reviews as the fall season makes way for the mid-season premieres. Just fair warning to you all.

If you didn't catch Jim Gaffigan: Beyond The Pale on Comedy Central, you should try and catch it again this Saturday because Jimmy Gaffigan is a damn funny man. You might recognize him from his appearances on Conan and Letterman, but he's also appeared in several commercials and movies (he's the confused man who gets "meowed" at in Super Troopers and was seen most recently in a series of television spots for Sierra Mist along with Michael Ian Black and other comedians). Gaffigan uses a lot of the same observational humor as other comics, but with a quieter, more surreal approach. He kicks off Beyond the Pale with a hysterical bit of meta-comedy in which he pretends to be a woman in the audience commenting on the performer on stage. Eventually this turns into an impression of the woman complaining she can't understand what he's saying because his impression is too quiet. Gaffigan has a perspective on things that is almost extraterrestrial; he's both one of the oddest and smartest comedians I've seen.

Also, you can catch Jim on Conan tomorrow night. Plenty of Jim to go around, no need to shove.