Jamie's Internet Fave Five (for Aprilish)

I was thinking that I needed to write up a post with some of the best things that I have found on the internet lately, because I love the internet, when I started watching Felicia Day’s Flog (more on that later), which she begins by noting her “fave five” of the week. Well, I feel like that is a solid number and I think I have a pretty good list for this. I am calling this my fave five for Aprilish (some were discovered earlier), even though I'm not getting this posted until May 1st.  That just means that I now have the rest of May to find my next fave five.  Right? Details like that are irrelevant. Here is the list:

1) Caine’s Arcade – Huge thank you to my friend Jeff for telling me about this and sending the link. Mostly, what I want to say is just go watch this video. You won’t regret it. I guess the point of this blog is to offer at least a brief summary so you know why I love these things. Okay, it’s about a kid who builds his own elaborate arcarde out of cardboard boxes from his dad’s store. And then he finally gets a customer. You will not want these 10 minutes back after you watch this video. You’ll want to watch it again.

2) Lizzie Bennett Diaries – There are, in the world, a plethora of Pride & Prejudice adaptations. That is a topic for another post, and I probably won’t write it because our friend Jenna already did and it’s far better than anything I could come up with, so you should just read hers here. However, I do want to talk about this modern vlog version, crafted by vlogbrother Hank Green, his wife Katherine Green, and a few other obviously brilliant people. They have tweaked the storyline to make it fit into a world where Lizzie would be vlogging. It’s mostly just Lizzie with guest appearances from her sisters (only two in this version, Jane & Lydia) and her best friend & video editor Charlotte Lucas. The other players only appear (so far) by virtue of Lizzie’s colorful interpretations of them. That include props. Because you have to have props. If you are a P&P fan, this is a must.

3) Geek & Sundry – This is the part where I gush about how awesome Felicia Day is. If you don’t know who Felicia Day is, that is a tragedy for you and I suggest you remedy that. As soon as possible. In addition to being an actress (notable for being Penny in Dr. Horrible, one of the potentials on Buffy, & Dr. Holly Martin on Eureka, etc), she is also the writer/producer/creator/star of the hit web series The Guild. I am not a gamer, I have never played an online video game such as World of Warcraft, and yet I cannot get enough of this show about a group of people who are friends because of this very thing. Nor can I stop listening to "I'm the One That's Cool" which involves the cast of this hilarious show.  So when You Tube was going about finding folks to create original content for new channels, it is not surprising at all that one of them went to Felicia. Geek & Sundry includes a variety of new content (some of which will not premiere until later this year), but my favorite two things are the Flog & Tabletop. The Flog, mentioned in the intro to this post, is Felicia’s personal vlog where she lists her fave five, takes on some sort of random task/activity, and (my favorite part!) answers a letter from a viewer, on her typewriter, and mails it back to them. Only a few episodes in, and this is always my favorite part. It might be the monkey. Tabletop is produced with Wil Wheaton, who also appears in the episodes, and makes me want to play whatever nerdy board game they happen to be playing that week. For each episode, a group of celebrities (it seems they are generally friends of Wil and/or Felicia) gather with Wil to play some sort of tapletop board game. The rules are explained and then the drama unfolds. It’s casual, but very entertaining as the participants scheme and laugh and just have a great time.

4) Texts from Hillary – So this internet meme is pretty much already done, but it might be my favorite tumblr to date. And that is saying a lot when you consider that there is a tumblr that combines images of Saved by the Bell with Kanye lyrics, one that merges Downton Abbey with Party Down (and one with ArrestedDevelopment), and there is one incredibly brilliant tumblr all about charts. I’ve convinced it is actually Marshall’s blog. And, there are the million different things that women (such as librarians) and some men want Ryan Gosling to say while looking all sexy, like, well, himself. But the amazing things that came from one badass image of Secretary of State Clinton looking at her phone top them all. In case you were hiding under a rock, or your kid didn’t forward them to you (I sent it to my mom, she loves Hillary, and it is important to keep her in the loop), check them out in all their glory.

5) Nerd Girl Problems – Speaking of tumblrs I love, which you will seen pinned all over Pinterest, a list of my recent favorite internet things would not be complete without a mention of Nerd Girl Problems. Do I understand every single thing they post? Of course not. But do some of them touch the very core of my being? Oh, you know they do. Because I only like shopping if it’s for books (okay, or movies/music), I slip the occasional “frak” into the conversation, I still feel I am more Ravenclaw than Hufflepuff (I’m talking to you Pottermore), I’m waiting for the Doctor to show up in his blue box, I might punch the next person who says the Hunger Games is the new Twilight, I am still laughing at people who wouldn’t watch A Very Potter Musical but can’t stop talking about Klaine, and yes, I often feel that the only people who get my references are my siblings.

Books read: I’m still working on Clash of Kings. Its really long okay, but in other news I’ve only got 1 more episode of Doctor Who series 6, and 4 more episodes of Eureka season 4.5. So it’s not like I haven’t been productive.


Coming Soon: Sarah, after watching all the Crash Course episodes to date (which nearly made the list of Jamie’s favorite internet things, because it is brilliant) and the ultimate Rodgers & Hammerstein collection, pitches her new You Tube channel, which will feature 10 minute musicals about large sea mammals.

Jamie Watches TV on the Internet - A Mini-Rant

I came across this article: "Fox Starts its Web Pullback and ABC Gets Ready to Follow" via Felicia Day's twitter (@feliciaday).  Not surprising to see the creator of an awesome web series (The Guild) taking an interest in this story, and I'm so glad that she posted it to her world of twitter followers because it gives me a chance to give you all my two cents on the topic.  So here is my open letter to cable networks.  I recognize that I could probably solve some of my own problems, but what the hell is the point of a blog if not to complain to strangers.  And I'm pretty nice about it.


Dear ABC, CBS Fox, & NBC:


Despite putting some awful crap on television, you each have some shows that I find thoroughly entertaining.  There are a good half a dozen (sometimes more) that I take the effort to watch each and every week.  However, I also have a life.  Contrary to what some may think, I don't sit on my couch every night so that I do not miss my favorite shows.  Alternatively, I can't always stay up long enough to watch the shows you put on at 10.  So I greatly appreciate that within the next day or so, I can pull up your website, see all your lovely ads and pop-ups, and stream the show when I have the time to watch it.  Thanks to my friend Krystal, I can even hook the computer up to the TV and watch it as you intended.  Then I'm not behind and should I find myself on the couch the next week at the time when the show is on, I can watch it.


This 8 day wait concept is ridiculous.  If I miss one week, then have to wait 8 days, I am never going to catch up.  I'm also not going to watch the show "live" again until there is some kind of hiatus, because I'll be behind.  I'll probably start watching something on another channel.  I'll see the commercials they are showing.  All because you couldn't get it together to put my show up online right away.


I don't have a DVR/Tivo, which would be a viable solution to this problem.  But you, of all people, should love me for that.  I have to watch the commercials you put online.  And I totally don't care that they are there.  I have watched TV for most of my life with commercials, I know how to tune out the inane and I even appreciate those that are well-crafted.  So please, keep putting those ads up for me to watch, because then I know that you are getting some money for my favorite shows. 


Speaking of credit and money for my favorite shows: linked in the article above is another article talking about how the creator of Modern Family doesn't even want his show online, because his show is not getting anything out of it.  I kind of knew this was the case, but how long do you have to be so behind the times?  When are you going to get it through your heads that ratings have got to include online views and DVR?  Who are these Nielsen people?  Did they kidnap your children?  (If so, I know some great TV detectives that could help you out) I kind of doubt they did, so let's just bring it back to me for a minute, I watch a lot of TV.  A lot.  But I watch so much of it online that sports and the ABC Family Harry Potter weekends when they air the extended scenes are pretty much the only reason I have cable.  I also know that I'm not alone.  And that the population of people who watch stuff online is only going to grow.  So figure it out already.  It's not rocket science.  It's not like you aren't easily able to track views online. 


You can embrace the changes that have already occurred, much like you have been before this ridiculous pullback crap, or you can lose.  Because if I miss a show too much, especially a newer show that I'm not as attached to yet, and I can't catch up online.  I'm not going to buy DVR, I'm going to lose interest, and just cancel you altogether.  And I'm going to stop watching.  Or worse.  I'm going to watch it illegally.  I don't want to do that, but the internet is clearly smarter than you.  And if you don't put it out there, with your revenue-generating ads, then I'm going to find it without.  I don't want to do that.  And you, the network, can't complain about it that much (not the way your shows should), I mean you're not even properly counting my view in the first place.


Good luck figuring this out,


Jamie
Who remains a fan of TV, despite what you have done to it with your Bachelor and Jersey Shore bs.