Hmm, so Wednesday night, I finally watched the thing that tv people have been talking about: “Dancing With the Stars.” Eh, what’s the big deal? . These aren’t even real stars – more like B or C (dare I even say D) list stars. On the other hand, it’s been strange fun. John O’Hurley (a.k.a. J. Peterman of Seinfeld) is a real ham. Joey McIntyre, the ex-New Kid on the Block, is still cute (while Donnie Wahlberg and Mark (“Marky Mark”) Wahlberg are the Actors, Joey was always the cute one; I think he ought to be on tv more often – quirky dramedies would fit him – he was decent on “Boston Public” before that show went south; maybe he should show up on “House” as the latest patient with the mystery illness). (well, yeah, I was in the generation that thought the New Kids on the Block was The Boy Band).
ABC has the sense to pull the planned (and panned) reality series “Welcome to the Neighborhood.” As per the commercials, ABC was going to allow this cul-de-sac of white Christian middle class folks to pick their new neighbor – (a) the Asian family (unclear if it was an Asian-American family, or Asian family); (b) a family that identified itself as Wiccan; (c) an African-American family; (d) a family of punk people; or (e) a pair of male gay parents and their adopted children. ABC said whatever the families did would not run foul of the U.S. Fair Housing Act (the legislation prohibiting discriminiation in housing, on the basis of race, religion, national origin, etc. (with the exception of sexual orientation, but don’t worry, state and local laws get to cover that). But, the idea of the show offended the senses (yeah, watch the WASPS’s try to explain why they rejected the families (“They just don’t fit in…”) – no, really?).
Slate explores why, of the journalists being threatened with jail time for not revealing their sources, hasn’t the man, Robert Novak, who revealed the CIA agent’s identity going to jail…