Please Scribes, Pick Up Thy Pens

Before I whine about the writers' strike, let me just say one thing. Matt Damon is not the sexiest man alive. In no universe. Never. Sure, he's nice looking in a Ken doll sort of way. Seems nice and genuine. I liked him in the Bourne movies. If it were "Cutest Man Alive" or "Nicest Guy Alive," he might have a shot. I think they were just tired of putting Clooney or McConaghey on the cover of People. How about straying beyond mass appeal and putting some fresh faces on there for a change? It could be so much more interesting. How about Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs, or most of the cast of Lost? John Krasinski? Jon Stewart? Paul Rudd? Milo Ventimiglia? John Cusack? The list goes on. Surely they could have done better than Damon.

It's been a while since I've posted I guess. You can only imagine the sad world of a TV lover during a writers' strike. Last night was the first direct hit, with no new episode of The Office. Violins. Moping. Doom. At least there was a new and very funny 30 Rock. I think there was a line that must go into the archives as all-time funniest for the show. As Liz showed up on a date with a 17 years younger dude, Jack asked her where they met--at an Amber Alert? Brilliant. Scrubs was also laugh out loud funny, with JD and Turk voicing their respective babies' thoughts.

Thank goodness there's reality TV to fall back on. Dancing with the Stars had a satisfactory ending after that Marie Osmond doll dance debacle. I'm still a bit creeped out by that. Dolls can be scarier than clowns. I wonder what I'll do with all that time I blocked out on Monday and Tuesday nights? Maybe something productive. Project Runway is in full swing, with a cast of entertaining oddballs. And I've succumbed to Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, though I still think it's way too long and he needs a nicer sidekick. America's Next Top Model has a strange crop of models this cycle, not very beautiful and not very interesting. I was disappointed to see Heather go. She can be a great print model--they don't need to be sparkling conversationalists. That said, I don't really want my only choices to be shows about who is the best singer/dancer/choir/kazoo player, lame game shows, or shows where people compete to lose weight. The networks are really scraping bottom now. I'd rather watch repeats.

I hope the writers get back to work soon. It's hard to feel empathy for people who have cool jobs, make a lot of money, and are striking for more dough. For perspective, you really have to think about what the lords above them are making and the fact that they're not getting a cut of the big Internet pie. And to some people, ahem, their jobs are CRITICAL, especially now, in the Midwest, where it's cold and dark at night. And, if the writers are thinking like me, maybe they're secretly jotting ideas down at home so they can get a leg up when they do get back to work. That's what I'd do. Writers gotta write.