By DOUG STRASSLER

Happy Friday, readers! Is anyone jonesin’ for a little blast from the past? If so, I got ‘em, in the form of another mix of my musical forget-me-nots, songs that made an impermanent dent in the culture but left a permanent mark on my music-loving heart. Let’s see how many you remember!

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I did a lot of thinking today.

This morning, Roommate Joe did the world a solid by showing us this clip from Funny or Die. Co-written by Diablo Cody, it parodies HBO’s series Hung (about a broke guy with an enormous johnson who makes ends meet by becoming an escort) by advertising an imaginary show called Tight (about a broke woman with an especially muscular janeson who makes ends meet by becoming an escort.)

After I stopped laughing at the clip, which pretty much defines the concept of “so wrong it’s right,” I started thinking about how sourly hateful Hung is. If you haven’t seen it, then trust me… it treats its characters with contempt, taking every opportunity to make them seem pathetic, shrewish, desperate, or clueless. The acting, too, is just hostile. The performance are committed and highly detailed, sure, but they are devoid of kindness.

And for some people, this may be just the ticket. Lord knows, Todd Solondz has made an entire career out of imagining bitterly comic worlds just like Hung‘s, and when they followed suit in A Serious Man, the Coen Brothers got a Best Picture nomination.

However, after watching the entire first season of Hung (not to mention more Todd Solodnz movies than I care to remember), I’ve accepted this approach is not my thing. (Perhaps you’ve noticed?)

And after I thought about all this, my mind turned to Nurse Jackie. It occurred to me that the series is actually a lot darker than Hung. Jackie is a drug-addicted nurse who’s cheating on her husband with a pharmacist. Her boyfriend, meanwhile, is so jealous of her marriage that he’s ominously hanging out with Jackie’s husband on the sly. Meanwhile, Jackie’s oldest daughter needs therapy, her co-worker has an unwanted pregnancy, and almost every patient rolling through her ER has a horrible problem.

AND YET Nurse Jackie is a funny, charming, and weirdly heartwarming show. Is it sentimental? No. Is it prone to uncomplicated happy endings? No. But it is human. The writing acknowledges that even when they’re doing dubious things, people can still be admirable, considerate, worthy of love. It doesn’t shallowly, cynically insist that everyone in the world is a damn hypocrite worthy of scorn, just as it doesn’t pretend that everyone sneezes butterflies and gives magical hugs. It’s balanced and complicated in the way life always is and  television shows almost never are.

So yeah… that’s what I’ve been thinking a bout.

Fuck whatcha heard, y’all. Lil’ Mama did not perform the definitive version of “Lip Gloss.” I did. Last Friday. At a Cupcake-and-Karaoke Party.

I present the original as Exhibit A:

And my version as Exhibit B:

Now you tell me… who’s the CHAMP!?!?!

So I’ve been thinking about “The Power of Madonna” episode of Glee. I watched it, despite having some serious problems with the show.

I’ve also been thinking about how the episode continued Glee’s recent ratings surge and how the album of the episode’s songs is on track to be this week’s best-seller.

It seems to me that Glee is demonstrating that America is more comfortable with queerness than ever before.

[pause. deep breath.]

Whew! That’s a pretty big statement. Why don’t I break it down a bit?

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By DOUG STRASSLER

Today I write in praise of Frankie Faison. He’s an actor whose face, I’m sure, will ring familiar even if the name does not; his IMDB page lists upwards of 80 film and television appearances from the last three decades. Faison is the consummate character actor: talented, hard-working, and selfless. But it’s time someone shone a spotlight on him for once.

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Hi everyone! As many of you know, I am up in Iceland’s business. I’ve been there three times, and I’m in the midst of making a documentary film that compares Iceland and America’s relationships to the theatre.

However, as much as I love the country, there are still things about it that I don’t understand: You can’t get the complete feel for a culture in just a few visits, you know?

But if you live in Iceland, then you can figure some things out. That’s why I’m thrilled to welcome Jessica Bowe to the Critical Condition. An American ex-pat who’s now living and studying in Iceland, she writes the fantastic blog Icelandish, where she charts her immersion in a new world.

I asked Jessica to give us a taste of what it’s like to be an American watching Icelandic movies, and after the jump, she’ll describe all the crazy stuff she’s experienced in the cinemas of Reykjavik. Even if you’ve never been to Iceland, I’m sure you’ll agree that her report is delicious.

And now… take it away Jessica!

(Note: I took that photo of the Precious poster when I was in Reykjavik last month. I wanted to learn how to say “Based on the novel Push by Sapphire” in Icelandic.)

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I wasn’t planning to make this New Music Monday, but I keep remembering great songs I’ve been meaning to talk about.

So… after the jump, won’t you join me for some kick-ass British alt-rock and a healthy dose of super-cool R&B?

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I know he’s only on his second hit single, but I’d like to believe that B.o.B.’s sudden, massive success signals a new movement in mainstream hip-hop.

At this moment, Atlanta rapper B.o.B. has the two best-selling singles on iTunes. At number one, there’s “Nothin’ On You,” which I praised last month for its New Jack-swinginess, and right behind it there’s “Airplanes,” a slow jam featuring Paramore’s Hayley Williams.

“Airplanes” got me from the get-go.

First, there’s Williams’ chorus. The way she hits that “wish right now” part, with the heavy accent on “wish” and the extended pronunciation of “now,” just grabs my ear and shakes it.  The minor-chord production from Alex Da Kid and DJ Frank E also suits the alt-rock melancholy in her voice and the angst in the lyrics.

And of course, B.o.B’s flow is arresting. He somehow mixes crisp articulation with a lazy southern drawl, so that every word is clear yet relaxed. It’s a contrast that demands attention.

Of course, lots of rap songs sound good. B.o.B., though, uses his music to deal with something more substantial than most successful rappers, who for fifteen years have mostly limited themselves to clubs, sex, hos, and their own awesomeness. “Nothin’ On You”  is about sweet, romantic love, and “Airplanes,” though it does cover the hoary subject of “the rap game,” also digs into more existential questions. B.o.B. confronts the possibility that achieving your dreams may not be so great. Because what if you get the life you wanted… and you don’t like it? The lyrics are mostly general enough to make that question feel universal.

That’s especially true of the chorus, which delivers the striking image of a singer who wishes that airplanes flying overhead were shooting stars, since she could use an excuse to wish herself out of her situation. [Read more →]

By DOUG STRASSLER

It’s no secret that the small screen has been much kinder to great actresses than the big screen recently – Glenn Close, Sally Field, Holly Hunter, and Toni Colette have all gravitated toward network series, and even Kathy Bates and Julianne Moore have taken on multi-episode arcs this season on The Office and 30 Rock, respectively. But television has always been more of an equal opportunity player: Susan Dey and Jill Eikenberry held their own against the male esquires on L.A. Law and detectives don’t come tougher or more human than Sharon Gless’s Christine Cagney and Tyne Daly’s Mary Beth Lacey.

From a sitcom standpoint, though, current roles for women pale to those from the 1980s. Cheers, Kate and Allie, Who’s the Boss, 227, Married with Children, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Murphy Brown, The Cosby Show, Roseanne and The Golden Girls all gave prominent roles to talented actresses with either strong theatrical or comedic backgrounds, and in some cases, both. These women didn’t just play the lead — they carried their shows.

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If you live outside the New York area, then you may not know that there’s currently a small furor erupting over a proposed “soda tax” that would charge one penny per ounce on sugary beverages. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that furor is coming mostly from the beverage industry, which is trying to argue that cheap Mountain Dew is fundamental to America’s values.

Take a look at this commercial, which is basically playing around the clock on local stations. Even if you don’t live in a community that could be affected by the soda tax, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the hysteria bubbling just beneath this ad…

I mean… right? It’s like a primer on how to create a biased political commercial. Let’s break down its tactics one by one… [Read more →]