Wednesday night (n.): A weeknight when Hannah does something out of her comfort zone to make a clean break from the tedium of her otherwise boring life.

How it’s used in the show: “[i]t’s a Wednesday night, baby, and I’m alive!” declares Girls’s leading lady Hannah Horvath, smacking her yellow-mesh-clad chest, post-coke bender.

It’s a sentiment not unfamiliar to many Brown students. While Hannah’s crazy Wednesday night out was intended for (semi-questionable) writing inspiration, Brown students have historically been using this day of the week as a way to blow off some steam. There are few better ways to give the finger to your studies and responsibilities than by getting a little drunk and/or dance-y at your bar of choice. It seems the majority of Brown students flock to South Water Street’s “Whiskey Republic,” affectionately referred to as “Whisko” in memoriam of the beloved previous tenant, “FishCo.” As far as we’re concerned, Thursday morning classes don’t exist.

We’re not advising you to get drunk every Wednesday (or to participate in drug-related debauchery, Hannah Horvath style) so much as we’re suggesting that you take a little break and do something for yourself. This can be as simple as cooking dinner with some friends, going to an extra-long yoga class, or catching up on your favorite TV series. [Read more →]

We love HBO’s Girls, and we know you do too. Instead of doing a traditional recap of each episode every week, we will be taking a term that is used in each episode, and applying it to Brown’s own unique culture.

Main hang (n.): A person who inhabits the role of a significant other without taking on the responsibilities and legitimate (read: daunting) title of “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”

How it’s used in the show: Hannah attempts to discuss her relationship with Adam, reminding him that they’re not together anymore, to which Adam replies: “I don’t really care about labels. You’re here all the time. You’re my main hang.”

To use the term “main hang” is to acknowledge that there is some sort of relationship present without the weightiness and definite-ness that comes with using the term boyfriend/girlfriend. However, main hang is still, in a sense, a label, despite the fact that Adam doesn’t “care about” them. So what makes it any less daunting than it’s traditional predecessor? Maybe we college kids are scared off by what the titles of boyfriend and girlfriend have come to mean. We’re shown that in most cases, without a breakup (which seems to almost always suck), boyfriends and girlfriends move on to become fiancees, and eventually spouses. In our collegiate bubble that places a premium on individuality and independence, it’s normal for us to feel trapped by the seemingly inevitable chain of events that comes with boyfriend/girlfriend labels, regardless of how much you currently like being with your significant other. Having a boyfriend or girlfriend also means having to deal with a potential breakup. There are the awkward condolences from friends (and even acquaintances!), and the uncertainty of how long is appropriate for mourning and rebounding moving on.   [Read more →]

Carrie Bradshaw is joining the slew of fictional characters who ‘attended’ Brown. Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City, recently released Summer and the City: A Carrie Diaries Novel as part of her young adult series that follows the Sex and the City characters as teenagers. Set in the early 1980s, Summer and the City follows Carrie after her high school graduation as she prepares to attend Brown in the fall. To Sex and the City fans like myself, it comes as no surprise that Carrie went to Brown. We should’ve known that such a character obviously spent her undergrad years on College Hill…

1)    In the pilot episode, Carrie and her friends vow to challenge gender roles and start  having sex “like men.”

2)    Her only employment comes from her job as a weekly sex columnist. Her ‘assignments’ require her to go to various bars, clubs, and other NYC hot spots to meet men—sounds sort of like something that could be a GISP.

3)    She has commitment issues. Clearly, she enjoyed Brown’s lax policy about being able to drop a class at any point in the semester.

4)    She’s a pro at living in a cramped, small apartment. She probably gained those skills after a housing lottery disaster.

5)    She is trendy, expressive, and bold—which makes sense since Brown is the most fashionable Ivy, according to Women’s Wear Daily. The respected trade journal wrote that styles at Brown include “downtown NY hipster,”  “stiletto-clad sophisticate,” and “patch-worked bohemian.” Carrie Bradshaw rocks all three of these looks.

If you still have that gripping urge to ask Ashley, battle Reptar, or drink orange soda (I do, I do, I do, I do-oo), then we have some good news and some bad news for you.

The Good News:

After previous speculation that Nickelodeon would bring back the classics, we now have confirmation that this rumor is true. Our favorite childhood shows will soon premiere on TeenNick after midnight in their original glory. Though the exact shows haven’t been confirmed yet, some of the top contenders include The Rugrats, All That, Kenan and Kel, The Amanda Show, and Pete & Pete, among others.

The Bad News:

Brown IPTV does not have Nickelodeon! Of the eight “Entertainment” channels, we have BET, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, TBS, TNT, USA, FX, and CW—but no Nick! Cartoon Network gets the green light, but lonely old Nick doesn’t? Blasphemy. Every child of the ’90s knows that Cartoon Network is inferior to Nickelodeon. If (classic) Nickelodeon were Kim Kardashian, Cartoon Network would be Khloé. If Nick were Vince, CT would be Drama. Nick = Batman, CT = Robin. Point landed.

All we can do in this cartoon quandary is stay hopeful. Perhaps one day we will have the opportunity to re-watch those timeless episodes on our own IPTV. Until that time, however, we must learn to manage.

Just a few hours ago, we posted our weekly Netflix Files column, which featured a brief introductory note describing the appeal of streaming serial dramas.

Yesterday, Netflix brokered a deal that aims to revolutionize television altogether. In an unprecedented move, Netflix outbid expected buyer HBO to purchase one of the most anticipated TV shows in development, House of Cards.

The serial political drama is an adaptation of a popular 1990 BBC miniseries of the same name. The American version is set to star Kevin Spacey, two-time Oscar-winning actor (The Usual Suspects, American Beauty). Spacey’s last regular TV role was on the underappreciated ’80s cop drama Wiseguy as criminal billionaire Mel Profitt. (To give you a time bearing here, his main henchman’s catchphrase was calling people “Buckwheat,” and everyone thought that was f**king badass.)

Oh yeah, and the pilot for House of Cards is being directed by David Fincher, director of The Social Network and Fight Club. He and Spacey previously collaborated on Se7en back in 1995, and Spacey produced The Social Network.

The deal secures Netflix’s exclusive rights to the series, and a 26-episode order (that’s two seasons, roughly $4-6 million an episode). The pilot hasn’t even been filmed yet. A two-season straight-to-series order has never been done before. It’s a risky, $100 million+ move, but, if it pays off, it could change the way television operates forever. The episodes are expected to be offered via Watch Instantly, in serial mode. With quality original programming under its belt, Netflix should be able to boost its subscriber base considerably.

Just another reason Netflix rocks.

David Walton '01 in "Perfect Couples" — Courtesy of NBC Universal

David Walton ’01 plays Vance, one half of one of the three couples — probably the most volatile and crazy couple — featured in NBC’s new show “Perfect Couples.” He has had  a bumpy career so far, with roles on sitcoms that never got more than six episodes. And based on the first two episodes, starring in “Perfect Couples” may not be such a cool thing to do after all.

Walton said he first became interested in acting during his time at Brown, telling the HuffPo that he had to give up his spot on the crew team to pursue it. Well, that explains why Google suggests searches for “David Walton” be followed by the word “shirtless.”

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Netflix has become something of a mainstay among Brown students. With over 20 million subscribers, it has all but revolutionized the way movie rentals operate. And now, the company is making a push toward unlimited access to streaming video via the Watch Instantly feature. Watch Instantly has proved so successful that, as of late, Netflix has begun to prioritize it above the mail-order service.

Not that we’re complaining. Netflix is constantly building its Watch Instantly media library, striking high-profile deals with distributors like Starz and Disney. The library currently boasts all six seasons of LOST; a breadth of 2010 movies, including mega-hit Alice in Wonderland; and Hilary Duff’s exercise in compelling drama, Beauty and the Briefcase (thanks ABC Family!).

As a result, we at BlogDailyHerald decided to develop a series that explores Watch Instantly’s best. We may have stolen this idea. Whatever. Blockbuster Online totally did the same thing to compete with Netflix, and look how well they turned out!

So, without further ado…   [Read more →]

No shortage of skin on MTV's new show // MTV

Following the Monday night premiere of MTV’s new teen drama, Skins, some Americans have already started to lash out at its provocative content. According to ABC News, the Parents Television Council (PTC) is calling upon the nation’s Judiciary Committees and Department of Justice to investigate the show’s supposed child pornography. Future episodes of the show feature actors as young as 15 in sexual situations, which the PTC claims is in violation of pornography laws. The original, British incarnation of Skins, which continues to air on the UK’s E4, garnered positive critical and commercial response for its raw depictions of Bristol teenagers (portrayed by amateur adolescent actors) coming of age with a healthy dose of sex and drugs. In addition to addressing typical high school series topics such as homosexuality and eating disorders, the show featured scenes of excessive drinking, pill popping, marijuana smoking and lovemaking–none of which provoked censure from British media. And despite MTV’s removal of much of the cursing, nudity and talent from the original format, the PTC insists that the show is inappropriate and even illegal. Since Monday’s premiere, Taco Bell has announced that it is pulling its sponsorship from the show. Is Skins going too far? It’s up to America’s overly concerned parents to decide. Skins airs on MTV at 10 p.m. (EST) on Mondays.

Check out the first few minutes of the UK and US versions of Skins after the jump.

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Laura Linney in "The Big C" — Courtesy of Showtime

Laura Linney ’86 just won a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical, for her role in Showtime’s dark comedy, “The Big C.”  She plays Cathy Jamison, a woman grappling with the changed circumstances of her life after learning that she has terminal cancer. Linney was absent from the ceremony, due to a family situation.

Congratulations to a very successful Brown alum! You make all of us look good.

Obsessed with LOST?

Well, you might have the chance to meet Michael Emerson, the actor who plays Ben Linus on the ABC television series LOST.

Emerson is speaking at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI on Sunday, October 24^th at 8:00 PM.  The talk is being promoted as “Behind the scenes of LOST and Mr. Emerson’s Life and Career.” Some sources say he also may apologize for killing Jacob. No promises.

Ticket can be bought online at ticketmaster or on the campus of URI if you find yourself in Kingston during this next week.

Here is a clip of Emerson from the final season, bloodied and bruised as usual.