Five New Films About Breast Cancer Premiere Oct 10 on Lifetime

Posted on October 4, 2011 at 3:55 pm

Every life has been touched by breast cancer.

About 1 in 8 women in the United States (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
Although death rates have been decreasing since 1990 due to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment, about 39,840 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2010 from breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women after skin cancer. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer.
More than 1 in 4 cancers in women (about 28%) are breast cancer.
In 2010, there were more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

The Lifetime Channel pays tribute to those who face the challenges of breast cancer treatment with “Five,” an anthology of five short films made by women, exploring the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives. “Five” highlights the shared experience each short film’s title character endures from the moment of diagnosis, through an interconnected story arc that uses humor and drama to focus on the effect breast cancer and its different stages of diagnosis have on relationships and the way women perceive themselves while searching for strength, comfort, medical breakthroughs and, ultimately, a cure. The five directors are Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Independent Spirit Award winner Patty Jenkins (“Monster”) and Penelope Spheeris (“Wayne’s World”).

The all-star ensemble cast includes Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson (“Pieces of April”), Rosario Dawson (“Sin City”), Lyndsy Fonseca (“How I Met Your Mother”), Ginnifer Goodwin (“Big Love”), Josh Holloway (“Lost”), Taylor Kinney (“The Vampire Diaries”), Jenifer Lewis (“The Princess and the Frog”), Jennifer Morrison (“House M.D.”), Kathy Najimy (“WALL-E”), Golden Globe Award winner Bob Newhart (“Horrible Bosses”), Annie Potts (“Law & Order: SVU”), Tracee Ellis Ross (“Girlfriends”), Emmy and Golden Globe winner Tony Shalhoub (“Monk”), and Emmy nominees Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”) and Jeanne Tripplehorn (“Big Love”).

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Reality TV: Pro and Con

Posted on October 4, 2011 at 8:00 am

“Does Reality Television Do More Harm Than Good?”

Fans and foes of reality television and fans of the art of argument and persuasion of all kinds will want to tune in as the debate teams from Harvard and Columbia rev up that long-time Boston/New York competition when they take on reality television in what is being billed as “a war of words and wit” (and a form of reality television as well). Many of these programs, like shallow voyeurism, mesmerize and inspire shameless curiosity. It is a genre replete with confrontations and the dramatic, ranging from the breakup of friendships to the implosion of marriages.

Some exceptions seem to have risen from the clutter, finding favor with fans and critics alike with uplifting content. Yet the entire genre continues to spark controversy, and generate questions. What is the real impact of reality television? Is it just a passing fad? And what does the fascination reveal about our society, and the people who watch?

Halogen TV, a network dedicated to socially-conscious entertainment, invites you to join the conversation and decide where you stand on the issue during “Does Reality Television Do More Harm Than Good?”– a debate between team members from The Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society and The Parliamentary Debate Society of Columbia University. The event provides an opportunity for some of the finest minds in America to consider all sides of the issue, and, in the process, reflect on television in general, and its potential to shape our worldview.

Those in the New York area can join them tonight. “Cocktails + Conversation” begins at 7:30pm on Tuesday, October 4th at The Crosby Street Hotel in New York City. The debate will be available for viewing on the Halogen website by Friday.

Smile of the Week: ‘Sesame Street’ Does ‘Glee!’

Posted on October 1, 2011 at 3:12 pm

Network Television’s Distressing New Word

Posted on September 23, 2011 at 3:51 pm

Years ago, “Saturday Night Live” had a funny “Wayne’s World” sketch with Bruce Willis as the high school cool kid, who appeared on the show to reveal to Wayne and Garth what the new cool insult word of the year would be. I’m not going to reveal that word here, but I am beginning to suspect that somewhere there is a Bruce Willis equivalent who decides what boundary-crossing word will all of a sudden be prevalent on broadcast television. Last year it was an ugly and misogynistic term for an outdated product used for intimate female cleansing. As in the “Wayne’s World” sketch, this year’s word is an anatomical reference, used to insult or provoke. According to the New York Times, all of a sudden the most popular new word is the clinical term for what are sometimes more politely referred to as lady parts. Sadly, in many cases the scripts are written by women who seem to think that it makes them cool enough to be in the TV boys club instead of understanding it makes them look undignified, insecure, and trashy.

Two female writers who are behind three of the shows that use the word commented:

I think our tolerance for what is edgy is changing,” said Cummings, who, besides writing her own comedy for NBC, also wrote “Two Broke Girls” with Michael Patrick King, a longtime producer and writer of “Sex and the City.” “We’re getting a little desensitized, so sometimes you have to be more and more shocking because now you have YouTube and the Internet and all the rest that’s available for us to watch.”

…

“I think it’s great this is all coming from women,” said Liz Meriwether, the creator of another new show, “New Girl.” “This is all part of the human experience”…As for the reasons to use it, she added: “Sometimes you use crudeness just for shock. But sometimes you’re using crudeness because it absolutely is the funniest joke. I think the best comedy is the stuff that does make you a little uncomfortable.”

I think the best comedy does not confuse cheap shocks with what is genuinely provocative.

Five New Films About Breast Cancer Premiere Oct 10 on Lifetime

Reality TV: Pro and Con

Smile of the Week: ‘Sesame Street’ Does ‘Glee!’

Elmo and Cookie Monster Do ‘The Office,’ ‘CSI:Miami,’ ‘Bored to Death,’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’

Network Television’s Distressing New Word