"A feminist is a woman who does not allow anyone to think in her place." -Michele Le Deouff

As yesterday was International Women's Day, I thought it'd be the perfect time to kick off Girl Crush Week 2009. Check it, I even made myself a banner and everything.

 

(That, my friends, is the magic of MS Paint.)

The definition of a girl crush is "1.) A sense of admiration and respect for another female. 2.) Wanting to be a girl's BFF based on her rocking actions, style, and all-around awesomeness."

I'm hoping to cover such topics as why I'm a feminist, current girl crushes (both fictional and non-fictional), and some other cool stuff. It should be fun and different and may very well be the most important thing I do on this blog.

I'm starting things off with this speech from Joss Whedon for Equality Now. It's totally powerful and I can't recommend that you watch it strongly enough. Also, it has Meryl Streep!

Whoops a Daisy!*

If there were a country that stood for forgetfulness, procrastination and eeking out deadlines, I would be their Queen.

You see Gretch sent me a super-in-advance email about Guest Posting, and I mentally noted, "awesome she asked me, yep, I'll do that this weekend." But then you see, there was this little thing about Batman and stifling heat in a house with no air conditioning. You tend to pass out and forget things, and then when you close your eyes you only see terrifying images of the Joker trying to put you in an oven.

Then, while catching up on blog posts, I read about Gretch's graduation and ensuing vacation to middle Earth. And I was all, "ya! That's semi-near my town! Maybe I'll run into Gretch and it will be super awkward cause it will be like I was stalking her but I wasn't because it would've been by complete coincidence!" And after that, I thought no more about ensuing implications of her vacation, like say, a guest post by moi.

And then finally today, (or whatever day you're reading this), I noticed a string of guest blogs on her website. And I was all, "Hey! Why didn't she ask me to guest blog! I would've loved to take over her.... Blerg!"

And that brings us to now. Hi, I'm allthewine. And I put the PRO in procrastinator.

Of course, I've got nothing prepared. I had thought of a few ideas, like:

-how I never win random contests (I think random.org has it out for me)
how Tina Fey needs to start a reality show about how to become like her (kind of like From G to Gents but awesome because it would star Ms. Fey)
-about what future lies ahead for Gretch post-college (Now I don't want to go on a rant here...)
-how I tried to order a Tracy Jordan meat machine (but they only ship outside of the United States) (possibly untrue)
-how much fun etsy window shopping is. (I know, right!)
-how unfair and totally not cool it is that the media is jumping all over this Christian Bale beat his mother story, when a) so not true, b) he "allegedly" verbally abused her, c) how can you even yell at someone in a welsh accent? d) he's perfect. I rest my case.
-how perhaps I should become a lawyer with such succinct reasoning as the above.

But you know, these topics are pretty much um... covered now.

I do have one thing though. One small thing that I'm not sure if you're ready for, but you better get ready because it's coming and it's going to be legend...wait for it.....

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Balls. (click for recipe)

....dairy.

Get it? Mac and Cheese? Dairy? Sheesh. But seriously, have you heard of these? Because I spent an entire afternoon googling recipes and pictures and oh ...my. I think they are heaven. And when you take a bite, It's a brand new day, and the sun is high. All the angels sing because you're gonna die. (Watch this if you have no clue where my brain is.)

So what do you think? Do Fried Mac and Cheese Balls get admittance to the Evil League of Evil or will they fight the good yummy crispy gooey good fight along side Captain Hammer, corporate tool?**

*And I know, No one has said 'whoops a daisies' for fifty years and even then it was only little girls with blonde ringlets.

I’ve Got A Ph.D. In Horribleness

Here There Be Spoilers
So, that was kind of a downer, but I’m still crazy about Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. After many, many re-watchings, here’s how I feel about the songs, the characters, and the future of Dr. Horrible. (Also, this is crazy long and I promise this is the last I’ll post about it.)

Act 1

The first we see of Dr. Horrible is on his vlog, spouting off about the Evil League of Evil. He’s popular enough to be getting viewer emails and his ineptness at being a villain is apparent. A question about Penny (more on that later) leads us into the first song, “Laundry Day.” (Note: There are no official song titles yet, so I’ve taken the liberty of naming them for the purpose of this review.) “Laundry Day” is adorable—the rosy-tinted shot of Dr. Horrible and Penny dancing and the shoulder-jiggle by Dr. Horrible fits in perfectly as an introduction to the pair. The shot through the washer doors is fantastic—you can’t achieve that on stage. They’re so close to a real, audible connection! Dr. Horrible is interrupted by Moist, who brings in the mail, made limp by his powers of humidity. It’s the tiny details (like the mail) and the throw-away lines (like “I kinda thought I was supposed to end up with Bait.”) that make repeat viewings so enjoyable.

There’s a letter from Bad Horse, who really is a horse. Fun fact: one of the singing cowboys is Jed Whedon, but I can’t figure out which one. The Western-style of song would no doubt have been used if Firefly (RIP) ever had a musical episode. After, we get our first glimpse of Penny singing her “Helping Hands” song. She’s not pushy enough to get signatures, but her optimism doesn’t fade. The urgent spy music that accompanies Dr. Horrible on his overtake of the courier van is cut by the appearance of Penny. Their meeting is awkward, full of miscommunication, and mutual interest. Ah, young love! Dr. Horrible also goes by Billy—it’s unassuming and works for him without his lab coat. Her bit about how “if we can’t stick together, I don’t who can” is totally something I would say.

“A Man’s Gotta Do” is the last tune and the first time we see Captain Hammer. Sure, he’s got an ego bigger than his six-pack, but he sort of saves Penny. She’s instantly taken by his muscles and confidence. Can’t say I blame her! Captain Hammer tells Dr. Horrible that it’s “lacy, gently wafting curtains” for him—I’d bet anything that was a line they wanted to use for Mal Reynolds. Dr. Horrible walks off in shame, although he does have the Wonderflonium in hand. Balls!

Act 2

The duet (“Plain To See”) by Penny and Dr. Horrible is a musical masterpiece. It’s the exact same melody and timing, but the lyrics and emotion make Dr. Horrible’s part sorrowful and Penny’s part full of hope. That takes talent, my friends. Felicia Day really gets to showcase her lilting voice. Keep an eye out for the soup guy switch in the background! Also, the viewer can almost forgive Captain Hammer in the first act, but here he comes off as a complete jerkface.

Penny and Billy are now laundry friends and he “accidentally” brings her fro-yo. Question: Why do you eat fro-yo with a spork? Anyhow, the next five minutes bring some of the best bits of dialogue from Dr. Horrible. This is why I love Act Two the most.
1. What a crazy, random happenstance!
2. Like with pie!
3. I meant Gandhi…
4. Peace! But not literally.
5. Captain Hammer threw a *car* at my head.
6. Oh, look at my wrist! I gotta run!
7. I…don’t love these.
8. We’re meeting now for the first time.
The Bad Horse cronies show up after his epic freeze ray FAIL and tell him he has to kill someone. Bummer, because murder isn’t elegant or creative. He’s super depressed come the next laundry trip, but Penny reassures him that you have to have hope (“Penny’s Lament”). It’s interesting that this is a song about L.A. with lines like “Grief replaced with pity/For a city barely coping.” Some sort of meta-analysis on the writer’s strike when this was written, perhaps? They lean in for an almost-kiss that makes your stomach flip in anticipation. They so want each other. This scene is a lot harder to watch when you realize it’s the last time they’re alone before, well, you know.

Captain Hammer arrives and completely wrecks the mood. He’s got different plans than just French kissing in mind. This is the final straw for Dr. Horrible, who launches full force into “A Brand New Day.” This is the best song in the show, as far as I’m concerned. The rock ballad theme suits his desperation/resolve so well and the way the song is shot is powerfully memorable. Really, I just like it for the eye flick that NPH gives the camera during the first time he sings “So how can it be that you/Have shown me the liiight?” This was when I fell madly and deeply in love with NPH. Why must he not like girls?! Despite the fact that he’s singing about slaughtering Captain Hammer, you still root for him because he’s the underdog.

Act 3

“It’s a good day to be homeless!” says the newsanchor and what a good day indeed, with Captain Hammer on your side. “So They Say” is awfully upbeat for fairly downtrodden song from both Penny and Dr. Horrible. Another Whedon writer (Maurissa) makes a cameo as one of the hilarious groupies. Dr. Horrible is prepping for his overtake with a fancy new Death Ray, which means he misses out on fro-yo with Penny, who thinks Hammer is “pretty okay.” It alludes to “Brand New Day” and is a strong opener for the act. Cut to the new homeless shelter, where Captain Hammer gives a rousing speech without the aid of tiny cue cards. At least, it would be rousing if the Captain weren’t so wrapped up in himself. My favorite part is “Don’t worry that it’s hard/If you’re not a friggin’ tard/You will prevail.”

Holy tonal shift, Batman! Dr. Horrible is hiding under the blanket with a warmed-up freeze ray ready to fire. He shoots Captain Hammer and proceeds to wreak absolute havoc in the room. “Slipping” is bizarrely freakish and disturbing. Dr. Horrible keeps his cool, reigning in terror, and pauses to correct the spelling of his name. He wants all the cash, fame, and social change, but when it comes to doing the deed, he pauses for too long. The freeze ray stalls, leaving Captain Hammer ready for action. Just when Captain Hammer goes to shoot Horrible (“Give my regards to St. Peter, or whoever has his job, but in hell.”), the death ray explodes. Captain Hammer is left in crippling pain and cries out for “someone maternal.” Just when Dr. Horrible is feeling great about his victory, he notices Penny in the corner. She’s been hit with shrapnel from the death ray and even though he’s in his lab coat, she’s still able to identify him as Billy. The last words on her mouth are “Captain Hammer will save the…”

Dr. Horrible has all that he wished for, but not the girl. “Here Lies Everything” is tinged with melancholy from a chorus of ethereal angels. The Evil League of Evil (The Fake Thomas Jefferson and Dead Bowie are my favorite bad guys) gladly accept him and Moist helps in bank heists. The wicked party in his basement features a techno version of “A Brand New Day” and a bunch of his new friends. His new outfit is the color of bloodshed, but he doesn’t feel a thing. The show closes on a shot of Billy, vulnerable and haunted in his empty basement.
The End.


Joss Whedon’s religious and personal views have always affected his work. His fans are accustomed to the way he casually kills off characters and leaves things not-so-happily ever after. The way the musical ended is not terribly shocking, but it’s still confusing. Did Penny really have to die? I don’t think so. I can understand his choice to do so, but that still doesn’t keep us from wishing that things had ended where the villain gets the girl. Ultimately, there's this part of me that secretly loves sad endings, because those are the ones that stick with you.

In a traditional, full-length musical, things would have played out a little differently. It would have started with an ensemble number, introducing why the city has heroes. “A Brand New Day” would make for the perfect Act 1 closer in a traditional, two-act musical. After the climax at the homeless shelter, Penny would still be alive. She and Dr. Horrible would have a duet together that would end in a much-deserved kiss. They’d go on to do good things for the homeless and Dr. Horrible would maybe come over to the hero side.

The show is best compared to my third-favorite musical, Ashman and Menken’s Little Shop of Horrors. The music is lyrically similar and the plot lines aren’t terribly different. The movie version from the 80’s originally stuck with the ending of the play, but the producers requested that they change it because test audiences hated it. (Spoiler alert! Seymour and Audrey get married—in the play, everyone dies and I do mean everyone.) Plenty of musicals feature sad endings, such as Les Miserables, Light in the Piazza, Camelot, Sweeney Todd, and Rent. The difference between those and Dr. Horrible is that they leave you with at least some degree of hope in the world.

The dvd will provide two commentaries, a regular one and a musical version. It will be worth buying the dvd for the musical commentary alone. I’m hoping that it will provide some sort of insight into what Joss hoped to accomplish with the characters. There might be a sequel (I beg The Powers That Be to let there be a sequel) and there’s rampant speculation on the internet that Penny is still alive. (Jean Grey, much?)

2 Reasons Why She Could Still Be Alive
1. During her “Lament” scene, she’s dressed exactly in the colors of Snow White. It’s a little different than a poisoned apple, but the allusion stands.
2. “With hope, you can do your part to turn a life around,” she sings. Hope is a strong theme through the show, so keep that hope alive.

2 Reasons Why She’s Not
1. Dr. Horrible knows that there is no happy ending in his life. This isn’t how Joss rolls.
2. The viewer email inquiring about “her” is signed “Dead, Not Sleeping.” I think that’s about as clear as it gets.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is not what I expected, but I love it completely. Dr. Horrible may not feel anymore, but Joss Whedon is determined to make sure that we feel the impact of his work. It will be taken off the internet shortly, but for the love of Bad Horse, buy it on iTunes and support the cast and crew. And Joss, I’m kind of mad at you for what to did to my new favorite couple, but you can still be my homeboy. Deal?

Joss Whedon Is My Homeboy.

Oh, you guys. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog has left me utterly speechless. (But apparently not speechless enough to blog about it.) My inner fangirl is squee-ing out of control right now.


Quick Intro: Dr. Horrible was written by Joss Whedon and his family during the WGA Strike. It stars Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Harris, MD; How I Met Your Mother) as the awkward villain, Nathan Fillion (Firefly) as the not-so-perfect hero, and Felicia Day (The Guild) as the shiny girl at the laundromat. Each episode is around 10 minutes long and will air over the next week. (July 15--Act One; July 17--Act Two; July 19--Act Three) It will stay online until the 20th.

Act One Thoughts: WOW. I can almost forgive the strike for bringing us the most memorable internet event in a long time. The script benefits from having most of the Whedon clan as writers. I idolize Joss on many levels. He writes stories that you care about, well-defined characters, brash and sarcastic dialogue, and the MOST bad-A women that have ever been written. I'm not kidding when I say that I want nothing more in life that to be as strong as the ladies in the Whedon universe.

The musical sections are so broad and pithy they belong on Broadway. It clocks in at around thirteen minutes, but goes by way too fast. The beginning video blog portion from Dr. Horrible himself was almost on the verge of being overbearing, but then the first musical number kicks up and it revs right along. Dr. Horrible's friend and fellow villain Moist's line-delivery is simply hilarious, but the single funniest part is the initial greeting between Penny and Horrible.

I always knew Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible) was funny, but I never knew he was this funny. He handles the patented Whedon-wit with surprising aplomb and humor. His voice deftly carries the music--check out this video of him and Jason Segel singing the confrontation song from Les Mis. Felicia Day (Penny) is darling and SO awesome. I either want to go shopping with her or stalk her, I can't decide which. If you haven't watched her web series The Guild, you need to do that right after you watch Dr. Horrible five times in a row. (The Guild is a ten episode parody about web gamers that is dead on, but I should issue a language warning on that one.) Nathan Fillion (Captain Hammer) has always made me weak at the knees. Uber-swoonage! (swnage?) He's got a seriously good voice and you can just tell he is relishing every moment of this role. Zack Whedon wrote a short comic book based on Captain Hammer that you can read here.

It's quotable, singable, and is going to be referenced at conventions for a good fifty years from now. You can get the season pass for all three episodes on iTunes for $3.99. I know I'll buy the special edition DVD, the inevitable soundtrack, and a t-shirt.

Watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog here.