The View Up Here

PRI interviewed Diablo Cody , mastermind of "Jennifer's Body," and I would just like to poke some gaping, bleeding holes in her b.s. From the transcript: The theme of 'Jennifer's Body,' said Cody, is about the horror of being a teenager, "A person who is under the influence of hormones, and jealousy and society, is by nature combustible and scary and unpredictable, and I think anybody who's ever lived with a teenager knows this to be true. But aren't most teen-horror movies about these same themes? How is this any different from any other teen-horror flick? The dynamics of friendship between teenage girls, which was explored in the humorously dark 1980s movie "Heathers," is at the core of "Jennifer's Body." and "Heathers" had a big impact on Cody -- she called it life-changing, "It influences my entire life and my entire career path, and everything that I do -- it's like gospel. "Heathers" di...

This is what one review had to say about Diablo Cody's latest cinematic work: Still, the movie introduces a little rrriot grrrl-y feminism to a genre that for too long has been predicated on female victimization. Kusama ("Girlfight") handles the structural imperatives with solid timing and occasional panache. And between all the compulsive punning and look-at-me snarkitude, Cody manages to create moments of genuine humor. To which I say: horseshit. This movie sucked. I want those 2 hours back. I feel awful that my husband paid $7.50 for my ticket to see this "it's been done, and it's been done better" horror-wannabe flick that doesn't even make me remember how much I hated high school. Oh yeah, it's THAT BORING. As much as I adored "Juno," I hated "Jennifer's Body." That'll teach me to go see a matinee on a gorgeous sunny day in September when I should've been on my patio with a tropical drinkie-poo and a book ....

I know, I know, I'm late to the party once again. Madmen , amc 's smash hit drama, has been on for three seasons and I just finished watching the first season on DVD. I am riveted by the writing, the themes that are woven so thoroughly and tightly, the characters who make you love and hate them at the same time. As I told my husband somewhere in the middle of Disk 3, "This is everything 'Revolutionary Road' tried to be and failed miserably at." I have long held a fascination with the 50s/early 60s in America. In fact, I'm writing a screenplay that takes place in 1953, with some of the same themes as Madmen, but with a much younger set of characters in a very different set of circumstances. In contrast to the grim 1960 snapshot of the relationships between men and women at home and at work, my script leaves the reader with a reminder that things have improved since the age of women-as-mannequins to be dressed, used, and discarded as whims of men. Gettin...

A few years ago I read Frank McCourt's Teacher Man for the first time. I re-read it two summers ago, for inspiration. Now, I feel like I'm living it. Out of 17 college freshman who took a grammar quiz on the parts of speech (you know: noun, verb, etc.), only 4 of them passed. They really and truly had no idea what a preposition is. Or an adverb. Or an article. I am stumped, outraged, horrified, saddened, and a number of other adjectives (those are words that describe a noun, in case you're keeping track). How can this be? How did they graduate from high school? In class I'm dealing with personalities and behavior that are detrimental to learning anything. I am practicing classroom management, which I haven't had to do since I taught in a Korean hakwan. It's a balancing act: this is college, but some of these folks are still acting like it's 8th grade, so I have to get them to act like the grown-ups they are, but in the service of learning what they...

10. After the 3rd hit of peyote, it didn't seem to matter any more. 9. 2001, 2010 and 2031 were already taken. 8. Ran out of Red Bull. 7. The calendar actually went to 2500 but the wife used the last page as a coaster. 6. Cuz Jesus told me so. 5. The government funding ran out. 4. The Indians win the World Series. 3. Cuz that's what the Freemasons put on the back of the dollar bill. 2. If you divide 2012 by 2, subtract 500, then add 160, you get the SIGN OF THE DEVIL. 1. Mayan student: "I can turn this in now and get a C." Thanks to Bizarro, Brian, Tim, and Annie for their priceless contributions to this list that mocks the end of life as we know it.

I'm more than a little annoyed with people griping over the president addressing our kids tomorrow. This comment from a blog reveals the kind of ignorance that makes me wonder if this country has a chance to reach the 22nd century: "if church and state are to be separate so should politics and school." That's right - no more history classes, no more politics in America, no more social studies, no more citizenship classes. Teach our kids to distrust the president and liken him to Hitler programming his Youth (no kidding - I have heard this comparison). I am here to tell you that this approach will not foster a stronger nation. Keeping kids from discussing the very issues that will affect their future is rather like keeping them in a bubble, insulated and powerless. (Incidentally, the people whining about Obama talking to our kids are the same ones who complain that parents aren't taking enough responsibility these days, and that kids are coddled and not encouraged...

This season of Leverage is gaining momentum. I admit to being slightly disappointed at the season opener, but since then the eps have been strong - funny, twisty, totally entertaining. Will Wheaton's appearance was priceless. Between Leverage and other shows like Burn Notice, I am hopeful that the kind of writing I aspire to actually has legs in the current TV market. That is to say - quirky, personal, fast, funny but with heart. I still feel like I need to spend some time in L.A. but I am still clueless as to how to make that happen with the Ithaca home base. Ideas? I am trying to get a writing retreat set up for Thanksgiving break, as we will not be traveling, thank the gods. Too many projects on tap during the busiest semester in years. But I like it. Oh yes, I like being too busy for my own good.