MamaPop™

Top Five Reasons I Want to Punch Cartoon Network in the Junk

My son discovered Cartoon Network somewhat by accident and most likely well before the general recommended age. My 80-year-old grandmother-in-law was babysitting him one day when he was about 5 years old and stumbled upon the channel. Not being the most media-savvy lady, she made the logical conclusion that cartoons = quality kids' programming. My kid was hooked.

Twilight: Three Wolf Moon

Oh man, now this shit's FUNNY.

I'm a Call of Duty Widow

My husband, who could not tell you who just won the World Series (or who has EVER won the World Series for that matter) and who could not tell you who Harry Potter was even written by or who has ever owned a game console before stood in line for hours last night with a packed backpack full of Red Bull in anticipation of the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. He got home this morning at 8 a.m. after playing it ALL NIGHT LONG with a friend of his. That's ... weird, right?

Apparently it's not that weird.

Weezer Snuggies: The Perfect Marriage of Nerdery and Warmth

Before I get into this, I want to remind you that I will not tolerate any Snuggie haters. Snuggies are awesome and if you can't deal with my luxurious, ultra-soft fleece, get out of the kitchen. Or off of my couch. Whatever. I'll cut you and your trapped hands.

Five Reasons You Should Watch "V" Tonight

Tonight, ABC will air the first episode of the long-awaited reimagining of the 1984-1985 series, V. And if you for some ludicrous reason haven't already pencilled it into your Day Runner, set a reminder in your iCal or programmed your Tivo to record it, I'm here to demonstrate why you bitches crazy if you're not planning to watch this show.

The Best Reality Shows You've Probably Never Watched

Who knows, though, maybe you have watched them, and maybe you also enjoy them as fiercely as I do, but these are not the reality shows you'll find listed in the Twitter trending topics or on Facebook status updates, oh no, and I also don't think TMZ has ever gotten a crotch shot of one of these show's stars, but there's this: they're far more enjoyable than any episode of the The Hills. Even that one episode where Spencer was a douche.

In Which I'm Kanye'd by Pluto. The Planet, Not the Lovable Disney Dog.

In science-y, smart mo-fo news, and exoplanet conference was held a few days ago in Porto where a team of Smart MoFo's did a massive TA-DA(!) regarding their fancy new High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher, or HARPS as it's known to the Fonzies of the telescope crowd, has discovered some 32 new exoplanets increasing the number of low-mass planets by a panty dropping 30%.

Happy Belated Birthday to IMDb

If anyone deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, it's the creators of the Internet Movie Database. Can you imagine how many arguments have been settled because of that site? And would you believe that it's been around 19 years as of this past Saturday?

At 35, Hello Kitty's Got Guts, And We Like It

Hello Kitty, most recently famed for Lady Gaga's creepy couture iteration of the her visage, is being re-imagined once again.

Providing that you have not been living in a cave for the last three-and-a-half decades, you are probably familiar with Hello Kitty's incredibly simple but highly recognizable style. This famous feline, designed by Ikuko Shimizu, was first introduced in Japan in 1974 by the company Sanrio, and in the intervening 35 years, she's been featured as and on just about every product imaginable and is now worth more than $1 billion in sales a year.

Dr. Romanelli, Sanrio, and Medicom Toy have recently teamed up to create the ultra-most-awesome-special Hello Kitty anatomy toy, and, of course, even her guts are cute as a button:

Awesome Documentaries about Very Specific Things

Because I am a frazzled working mom, I'm often way behind on seeing movies with smaller releases. This obviously applies to documentaries since I'm not in a huge release market and these things tend to fly through theaters anyway.

Thankfully, Netflix (and other such services) exist, so I'm able to catch up on some of the awesome stuff that I miss. Most recently, I rented and adored two documentaries that are about subjects so very micro that they're almost ridiculous: Helvetica (the font) and Donkey Kong.

What Fox—And Other Networks—Can Learn From 'Glee'

Yesterday, Fox announced that its new musical/comedy show, Glee, has been given the go-ahead for a full 22-episode season. While this has definite implications for my future as a recapper, it says far more about the success of Fox's marketing campaign for the show, which began with a post-American Idol airing of the pilot and led to a five-month, buzz-generating viral marketing campaign that took full advantage of the popularity of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

So why did Fox give Glee such a fantastic running start rather than a show like, say, Dollhouse, which had a built-in following of Whedonites to help a similar campaign go viral? Furthermore, why doesn't Fox give similar promotional backing to other new and returning shows in its lineup? This is pure speculation, but I'm willing to bet it has a lot to do with the Big Fours' simultaneous fear and dismissal of web entertainment and the internet in general, and its out-of-touch perception that only tweens and teens are actually paying any attention to the internet. 

"Internet Addict" Is Latest Diagnosis For Loser

FREEZE! DROP THE MOUSE! STEP AWAY FROM THE RED X!

Because you're busted. You're on the internet. Caught red-handed. Stop lying. It makes you look stupid. This post is on the internet. Cyber entrapment? Maybe. But you're here nonetheless. Back in the webs, little fly.

Do you see the picture above? The internet emits addictive rays that addict you in addiction. And yet here you are, thinking it'll never happen to you.

After the jump, print this out and get off the internet, you weak-willed slave who lacks moral fiber.

Make the Veronica Mars Movie Happen -- On Twitter

There are few things that depress me quicker or make me stabbier than thinking of all the shows that are well on their way to syndication or that have already been playing on our TVs multiple times a day for multiple seasons -- TWO AND A HALF MEN, MY GOD -- when Veronica Mars, that little gem of a noir-ish teen detective drama, was cut short at the end of its third season.

So, when rumors started buzzing a while back about a possible Veronica Mars reunion on the big screen, I became pretty ridiculously giddy. Sure, two hours isn't exactly the two extra seasons I would have preferred but it's something! It's better than something, it would be available on DVD with a gag reel and bonus features!

Top Five TV Series Everyone Should Own On DVD, According to Snarky Amber

For the first time since I was 16, I have had the whole summer off. While I meant to accomplish a whole lot of totally important and enriching things, I've mostly been re-exploring my favorite television shows in the comfort of my living room and bathrobe, usually with a bowl of Lucky Charms in my lap. While the summer is quickly winding down with new shows soon to be fed directly to your cable box and/or Tivo, it's not too late to catch a show you missed when it aired or one you watched and simply want to revisit. Under the fold, I present my picks for must-have television series on DVD.

Dr. Horrible Is a Gift That Keeps On Giving: The Guild's Music Video

Like anybody who only "discovers" things AFTER they catapult into the mainstream via a related national phenomenon, I discovered Felicia Day's hilarious web series The Guild only AFTER her appearance in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

If you haven't watched it yet, you should. Particularly if you're a gamer or love a gamer or even if you regularly enjoy taping "kick me" signs on the backs of gamers, like dude, gamers. Man.

In Anticipation Of The Mad Men Season Premiere

A few behind-the-scenes videos to get you further whipped up into a frenzy over tonight's premiere -- LESS THAN FIVE HOURS AWAY! SQUEE!

Countdown to Season 3:


More video after the jump!

Available November 1: Twilight Barbies

Yes, it's true. Mattel has been totally reading your diary AND surfing your Twilight fan art website, and is set to release the Official Twilight Barbies (Bellabies? Edwardies?) this fall. Just in time for some new movie, or something. I think it's about a moon? Anyway, like, oh em gee and stuff, the dolls will retail for $24.95 each and will be available wherever Barbies are sold.

Please, remain calm, and try not to trample the 12-year-olds. You're taller than they are -- you can just reach over their heads.