Grandma! That was NOT NICE of you to try and assassinate Ford!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

In Honor of the 76th Annual Lighting of The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree TONIGHT on NBC

This morning, Harry Connick Jr. was on the Today show (for what seems like the 18th time this month) to promote his new Christmas album as well as his appearance at tonight's tree lighting. I get overly excited when usually stoic and artificial morning TV personalities do something real or funny. Usually I can rely on Matt Lauer to show such glimmers in otherwise painful banter. Today, Harry Connick Jr. played along and did not give into the always looming fear that midwestern housewives will be insulted by obvious sarcasm. HILARIOUS!



And in celebration of that big old tree getting lit, remember these...(Watch 'em all, they get better as they go. I also understand better is a relative term, but watch anyway.)

Commercial Break!

You may remember* my personal vow a few weeks back to watch at least one commercial break per program when viewing a DVRd program, so as to keep television free. Boy, are you fast forwarders missing out on some wacky stuff! Here are some commercials to have recently caught my eye.

Watch this one for Playskool's Helmet Heroes, which aired during House on 10/14. Pay close attention to the commercial's first line and then meet me after for discussion.



Can I imagine getting arrested in my own home?! Sadly, thanks to Post 9/11 Patriot Act politics, YES! And even if I couldn't imagine it, why is that something that I would want to imagine? You betchya, sometimes I just kick back and dream of what it would be like for my household to turn into some sort of Lord of the Flies reenactment, complete with little boys living out their frustration resulting from the cult of masculinity's societal pressures on them. Wow, did you tap into the minds of the House watching demographic, Playskool!

Then there are these quirky adds from Ask.com that have jumped the pond and can be most often viewed during the first two hours of The Today Show.





If you're instinct is to laugh at these, I'll tell you why you are a racist elitist. You know what really nags me? Minorities. And you know what else really nags me? Obese people. Why do we have to have the physical embodiments of our most irritating concerns be represented by people outside of the norm, huh? Is Ask.com telling us that we must take steps to get red of Southeastern Asians and obese people because they're not like us? I think so.

What commercials have caught your eye recently? Let me know when I get back from reading some Irigaray and burning my bra.



*You definitely don't remember.

Happy Jew Year

On Christmas, Jews eat Chinese food and go to the movies. So what do non-Jews do tonight? Might I suggest a bit of schadenfreude for your vagina (vaginfreude?) by watching the premiere of the TLC reality series 17 Kids and Counting, in which Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their family prepare for the birth of their 18th child. In a huge slap in the face to the woman that birthed them, each child has a name that begins with J, like dad. Today, the family revealed on The Today Show that number 18 will be a girl, so I am pulling for Jeanette.

In fact, I would encourage you all to watch The Today Show interview by clicking here. It's funny to watch Michelle Duggar live, as she inserts as many pro-Jesus comments as possible, causing Ann Curry and everyone else in America who prefers making decisions for themself to cringe. The hole gang was gathered outside a church in Florida where the eldest child, Joshua (20), was married this weekend. Unfortunately, Joshua and his wife Anna (20), were off on their honeymoon, squashing all hope I had of Ann asking them what it was like losing their virginity. I KNOW! I'M SORRY! I'M SICK! But come on, these folks sure do have interesting beliefs...