Tag Archives: Amy Poehler

10 New Yorker TV Posts: From The Hummingbird Theory to Reality TV

24 Jul

The New Yorker has dropped the paywall for all articles dating back to 2007 for the summer and now is the time to catch up on seven years of writing that you may have missed or only read select quotes from. The New Yorker is calling this “a summer-long free-for-all” as they launch their new site and introduce a similar system to The New York Times in the fall. Content wise they are also introducing a Daily Cultural Comment column “in which our critics and other writers confront everything from the latest debates over the impact of technology to the latest volume from Chicago, Oslo, or Lima and the ongoing sagas of Don Draper, Daenerys Targaryen, and Hannah Horvath.”

With this in mind I have selected 10 articles with a link to television including some of my favorite pieces from current TV critic Emily Nussbaum (who makes up just under half the entries and hates lists, sorry Emily), recollections from Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, a range of genres and one profile that is about a current pop culture queen back in 2011 (this one is the exception to the TV focus of this list).

EnlightenedIn the same package as The Hour boxset and another show on my catch up list is Enlightened and Emily Nussbaum’s Hummingbird Theory draws on Laura Dern’s Amy Jellicoe from Enlightened among others like Leslie Knope and Carrie Mathison. It is something we touched upon during our Comeback discussions and these kinds of characters are “idealistic feminine dreamers whose personalities are irritants.”

Emily Nussbaum’s essay on Sex and the City in reaction to Brett Martin’s Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘The Wire’ to ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Breaking Bad is one of my favorite Nussbaum New Yorker pieces. Nussbaum looks for reasons beyond the terrible movies as to why Sex and the City has lost its place in TV legacy discussions. All while pointing out its groundbreaking position and reinforcing why it was one of the most talked about shows beyond its ties to fashion.

Continuing with Emily Nussbaum and female centric shows that spark a lot of debate/column inches with Nussbaum’s thoughts on the sex scene in one of the most discussed and beloved (and hated) episodes of Girls “One Man’s Trash.”

The final piece from current New Yorker TV critic Emily Nussbaum is an examination of the variety – quality and genre – of work from one of the most controversial and prolific showrunners working in TV at the moment; Ryan Murphy.

Tina Fey wrote about her experiences on SNL and the lessons from working on late night in an essay from her book Bossypants (there are slight differences between the two).

Nailing those pre-college summer job feelings and slowly realizing what she wanted to do with her life is Amy Poehler in “Take Your Licks.”

Emily Greenhouse says goodbye to Gossip Girl and makes sure to mention Dan Humphrey’s fictitious New Yorker submission.

Last year Lauren Collins asked why so many (myself included) have become obsessed with Scandinavian television tracking the success of Forbrydelsen (The Killing), Broen (The Bridge) and Borgen.

While I don’t necessarily agree with everything in Nancy Franklin’s reality TV analysis in “Frenemy Territory” it is fun to look back to 2008 when reality shows like The Hills were at peak popularity.

This last recommendation is a slight cheat as it isn’t strictly TV (SNL, CSI and Teen Mom all get a mention), it is however a fascinating look at the Taylor Swift angst empire back in 2011. Lizzie Widdicombe talks about Swift’s “unjaded sincerity no matter how contrived the situation” in “You Belong with Me” and it’s just as relevant now three years later.

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Mindy Kaling’s Harvard Law School Class Day Speech

30 May

As we edge into the summer season and plan what to catch up on (I just started season 2 of Game of Thrones so that plan is in full swing), there is still plenty of TV related action from other sources such as the many Emmy roundtables to commencement speeches at colleges across the country. One such speech comes from Mindy Kaling at the Harvard Law School Class Day ceremony.

Mindy Kaling HarvardDuring this speech Kaling jokes about why she is there as well as referring to previous graduate Elle Woods (of Legally Blonde) and squeezing in many pop culture references like Candy Crush, the Real Housewives and Wolf of Wall Street. Kaling alternates between heartfelt platitudes about her parents’ relationship with the U.S. – “Their romance with this country is more romantic than any romantic comedy that I could ever write” – and the responsibility these graduates have when it comes to the language of law. Leading on to the fear we all have when clicking the iTunes terms and conditions ‘accept’ box as “iTunes may own my ovaries for all I know.” It’s both funny and sweet; it’s exactly the kind of speech you would expect from Kaling and she mentions how silly it is to get advice from an actor when they should be the ones offering it (even if at least of couple of them are probably evil).

Watch the speech below and hey it’s a bonus Amy Poehler Harvard Class Day speech from 2011 if you fancy another funny/touching speech for afters (I might have a print out of this speech sitting in one of my desk trays).

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Amy Poehler’s New Book Cover and Synopsis

28 May

October is a busy month for celebrity memoirs (this tends to happen in the lead up to the holidays) with Neil Patrick Harris, Alan Cumming and Lena Dunham all bringing out books. The one book I will be buying/pre-ordering/wishing it was out already is Yes Please by Amy Poehler. On the Barnes & Nobel site you can pre-order it now and get a glimpse of the cover (which you can see below), plus an official description:

“In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book is full of words to live by.”

yespleaseIt’s a simple and yet effective cover; the neon sign title stands out and I love the white vest, black pants and flats styling.

Today is the start of a BookExpo America and the four-day event will include Poehler, Dunham, Harris and Cumming as they promote their forthcoming memoirs. The expo attracts 20,000 people from the world of publishing with authors like John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) and Jonathan Tropper (This is Where I Leave You) discussing the forthcoming movie adaptations of their novels, as well as many authors promoting their new material.

Now I need to make sure I get through my always growing “To Read” pile before October (this photo is from 8 months ago and I’ve only added to it).

Yes Please will hit stores October 28.

Updated to include high res image courtesy of Today

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The Wish List: Parks and Recreation Unity Concert Style

29 Apr

Season 6 of Parks and Recreation concluded last week with the Unity Concert and big changes. Music festival fashion specials tend to make my eyes roll hard as all kinds of expensive and most likely inappropriate items are suggested – do you really want to be wearing a $300 jumpsuit when you have to use the not so high end festival toilets? This also brings up my greatest fear about the play/jumpsuit trend as you pretty much have to get naked when going to the bathroom and this is even less appealing in the middle of a field. When it comes to dressing for an outdoor music event my first thought is the rather practical “would I care if this got ruined?” as most of the festivals I have been to have a high chance of rain and I don’t really want to get mud all over a brand new dress. Yeah I still want to look good, but I’d rather spend the time enjoying myself rather than being concerned about my clothes. It’s not particularly edgy, but you’re also not going to look like an asshole.

Pawnee is not Coachella and in the Parks and Rec finale there is a distinct lack of underbutt and questionable crochet/macramé attire. Instead it’s all hoodies, plaid shirts, jeans, khaki jackets and Unity Concert tees. No, it’s not the most fashion forward, but it pretty accurately represents the festival fashion that makes sense to me.

Parks and RecreationBen is the only one not wearing a Unity Concert tee as he’s got his Letters to Cleo shirt on underneath his staple plaid. This is one of Ben’s repeated costume pieces and he’s definitely the kind of guy who is comfortable wearing the band shirt he is seeing to the actual gig. Everyone else is wearing Staff emblazoned Unity Concert t-shirts and while these are currently not available from the NBC store, I’m sure this will change in the near future as they have previously sold other Pawnee festival related items. Leslie’s khaki green Battalion jacket from Current/Elliott is something she wore in the season 5 finale and it prompted me to dig out my 10+ year old Topshop khaki green jacket which I adore and has been to many festivals with me.

Parks and Rec AndyAndy and April rocking the plaid and stripes (both in Unity Concert tees). Costume design on shows that feature high end designer pieces is all about aspiration, Parks and Rec (and probably New Girl) is the nearest to how I actually dress and I adore it for his reason.

Parks and Rec Jean Ralphio sneakersThere’s always one and Jean-Ralphio is not only wearing double ankle monitors, but he’s also sporting a spectacular pair of Nike Roshe Run Tiger Camo sneakers which are just as bold as he is. These are fine for a sunny venue, though there’s always scuff danger in a large crowd situation.

Parks and Rec Leslie and BenPost concert fashion is completely different and as the concert was all about saving this merger, Ben and Leslie are on work duty. Ben has switched out his Letters to Cleo tee for a tie and Leslie’s ditched the khaki for this beautiful cherry blossom Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress. This definitely falls into the aspirational column (and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Alana Bloom in this over on Hannibal, the shows are VERY different but these two characters share style pointers).

The three year time jump shouldn’t impact the costume design too heavily I shouldn’t think; I do hope they manage to tame Leslie’s bang situation by then and I’m looking forward to finding out why Ben was all dapper and tuxedoed up in that final scene.

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From Web to Cannes: The Women of Broad City Talk Authenticity in Comedy (Video)

9 Apr

The Broad City team traveled to Cannes this week to take part in a MIPTV keynote speech (“The Power of Comedy: Laughing its way from online to linear”) promoting the show to the overseas market alongside Comedy Central President of Content Development & Original Programming Kent Alterman and Caroline Beaton (Viacom International Program Sales). Executive producer Amy Poehler joined Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson to discuss what has made Broad City a success so far and how it went from web series to TV.

Broad City[Source]

In the keynote (which you can watch below) the origin of the show is discussed including how the pair became friends and where the first creative sparks were ignited (in a pizza shop). The Abbi and Ilana time comes at the beginning and end of the almost 30 minute panel and there’s some slightly dry executive chat in the middle. This is where phrases such as “funny is funny” and “creative vision” are repeated and while it is exec speak it does also apply to this show.

One part of the business aspect that did peak my interest is how comedy is a much harder sell initially to different territories and how “people get scared to back things.” There’s a misconception that comedy doesn’t translate, but other Comedy Central shows like The Daily Show which could be considered as very American are enormously popular globally (hence the Global Edition, I guess). Social media is a boost to the new belief that comedy does translate with Poehler adding “I think there’s a universality about young people’s ability to tell when something isn’t authentic. In countries all over the world people are finding and needing something that feels true and real to them, and also being very suspicious when it’s not.” Lady Gaga tweeting to her 40+ million followers about how much she loves Broad City is another fabulous (and free) way to get the word out globally.

Abbi and Ilana get asked the question they will forever be asked and that is “How closes to your characters are you?” Abbi tells a very funny story about her mom ringing after seeing the finale as some of their own experiences do make it onto the show, but generally everything is a heightened and more amplified version of reality. This leads to a look at other creative aspects of the show and how far it has come since the web series including the writers’ room aspect; now they can allocate these real life stories to other writers.

Diversity is something that is demanded “in cast, in voice” and Amy Poehler references past shows that wouldn’t necessarily fit into the television landscape today or they would at least face a negative response “It’s almost impossible to have a show about New York City with six white people living in a building.” This is what “makes Broad City broad.”

You can watch the whole keynote below and for a look at the style of Broad City head here.

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week Oscar Special

7 Mar

Award season has come to a close and we’ve got one final post to look at the best looks from the annual post-Oscars Vanity Fair party. We’ve already covered the Oscar red carpet, but the real fun and japes come afterwards as everyone can finally relax and know there are no more tight fitting gowns to wear for months. Plus there’s a whole host of faces who didn’t appear at the awards and who are also letting loose, just because.

2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter - ArrivalsEvan Rachel Wood’s emerald green Elie Saab Couture gown is simply stunning and this is my favorite look from the entire night. It’s elegant and striking and this dress paired with red lips and the short curly bob makes her look like a 1940s star.

US-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-OSCARSThere is a lot more color on show at the VF party (the less nude metallics the better) and Leslie Mann’s gorgeous yellow Jenny Packham frock is on point. It’s got an ethereal quality that comes with this designer and the detail is in the delicate beading along the neckline. It’s really very pretty and the kind of dress I’d want to run through a meadow in, if there was a meadow nearby and it wasn’t muddy.

2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter - ArrivalsHere is Zooey Deschanel in an Oscar de la Renta dress that comes from the same Spring 2014 collection that I suggested would be perfect for Jess in a New Girl fantasy costuming piece last year. This is the more formal version and unsurprisingly I think Deschanel is killing it and I’m a big fan of the curly hair approach; it adds a romantic quality to the look.

Amy Poehler VFHere’s another sunny floral appearance with Amy Poehler in Peter Som. The halter neck gives it a relaxed feeling without detracting from the fancy pants event and she looks fantastic.

Amy PoehlerBonus Poehler being held later at the party by an all star comedy line up including Bill Murray, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, Adam Scott, Nick Offerman and Andy Samberg. Megan Mullally is also rocking an amazing floral gown (and grabbing a handful of Poehler at the same time).

Olivia Munn and Jane Fonda

While I’m not overly enamored by Olivia Munn’s Alexander McQueen boob harness (the rest of the dress is beautiful), I do love this shot of Munn with her Newsroom co-star Jane Fonda. Munn’s expression says all it needs to as Fonda is showing just how it’s done in Nicholas Oakwell.

2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter - InsideKaren O and Amy Adams both feature on the best of the red carpet and this shot of them celebrating with Spike Jonze with his Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Her shows off their change of clothes for this party. Still coveting Karen O’s amazing red lipstick.

2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter - InsideIt’s Jennifer Lawrence and Larry David (JLaw and LD if you will) and if they do any more Curb Your Enthusiasm, then this is one guest star I want to see. Lawrence also changed for this party into this super shiny mirror ball like Tom Ford, proving once again that this Dior contract is good for no-one (well maybe her bank account).

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week

28 Feb

It’s a big week for TV costuming with the return of three TV Ate My Wardrobe favorites The Americans, Scandal and Hannibal. All three of these shows deserve posts of their own and so we’re going to focus on the red carpet with this edition of Out of the Box. There’s been more award shows in the lead up to Sunday’s Oscars including the Costume Designers Guild Awards, we’ve got other premieres, public appearances and the first night of Late Night with Seth Meyers.

16th Costume Designers Guild Awards With Presenting Sponsor Lacoste - ArrivalsTurquoise was on trend at the Costume Designers Guild Awards with Mindy Kaling and Amy Adams wearing variations of this color and Olivia Munn is just as stunning in J. Mendel. It’s a beautiful gown and I really hope we get to see the bolder end of the color spectrum on the red carpet come Sunday.

Kiernan ShipkaMad Men darling Kiernan Shipka also attended the Costume Designers Guild Awards and she’s gone for a very different approach from the turquoise set. This Delpozo ensemble takes florals and checks in two pieces that shouldn’t work but thanks to Shipka’s age and previous sartorial hits, she pulls it off. Stick this on a twenty something and it might come across as too try hard, putting it on a teen and it’s marvelous. Don’t ever change.

"The Americans" Season 2 Premiere - ArrivalsI have a weakness for a lady tux – see Angelina Jolie at the BAFTAs – and like Jolie, Keri Russell is wearing a Saint Laurent suit and she has paired it with a super chic sleeveless Balenciaga blouse for The Americans premiere. It’s a really simple and yet elegant look and Russell has the side sweep locked down.

Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Joe BidenAmy Poehler stopped by the first night of Late Night with Seth Meyers and not only did she tell pretty much the best story about Joaquin Phoenix (which you can watch below), she also got to hang out with Leslie Knope’s number one crush Joe Biden. Black dress, pumps and really great hair give her automatic Out of the Box appreciation. 

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Happy Galentine’s Day!

13 Feb

“What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we come and kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies”

Galentine's DayIt might be a fictional holiday courtesy of Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation, but Galentine’s Day is something TV Ate My Wardrobe fully supports. Celebrating lady friends AND with breakfast food; who wouldn’t want that?! Make sure to bring an intricate art and crafts project or at least some sort of gift certificate. Failing that, just make sure there are waffles and plenty of whipped cream.

April Galentine's DayAnn leaving Pawnee has left a big beautiful (insert your own choice here) hole in Leslie’s BFF heart and I’m disappointed we didn’t get one final Galentine’s Day before she departed. I’m going to miss this pairing as it’s one of my favorite TV female friendships and it’s one that didn’t suffer from the usual cliches. Instead of being sad here is a supercut of all the best Leslie and Ann moments – yes it’s over 25 minutes long and it’s all good.

http://youtu.be/QSFsF7V93Mo

I know this scene doesn’t come from a Galentine’s Day episode, however it captures everything I love about the lady friendships on Parks and Recreation and as April testifies “everyone know this song, it’s amazing.” Yes, yes it is.

Be sure to check out the Galentine’s Day Google Hangout being hosted by Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls at the Party today.

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Broad City Catch Up

29 Jan

Last week the first episode of Broad City aired on Comedy Central and while it’s going to get unfairly compared to Girls – young women with creative desires who live in New York City – it feels more like Curb Your Enthusiasm or Louie. Or you know its own separate entity. When something is new there is the urge to put it in the “it’s like x meets y“ box (recently I saw Frances Ha as “it’s like Sex and the City meets Girls) for marketing and categorizing reasons and I have been guilty of doing this when describing a TV show or movie. Moving beyond this I want to look at Broad City and the material that existed before the half hour I watched last week. Yes I’m very late to this party.

Broad CityThe first episode introduces Ilana and Abbi (Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson are the creators of Broad City) and it’s very much in the middle of their story, there’s no this is how and why they’re friends. Not that this is necessary and the world already feels developed because it is. Broad City as you’re probably already aware begun as a web series in 2010 and you can watch it here, so this is what I did and here are the ones that stood out. The episodes average between two and five minutes so you can do what I did and binge in two sittings or take your time.

“Subway on a Sunday” is only the third episode and it’s the one that feels the most Larry David to me as this is an extension of the awkward ‘stop and chat.’ While the heightened reality comedic aspects are well done, it’s this observational humor that really strikes a chord with me. It also reminded me of when you say goodbye to someone and then it turns out that you’re going in the same direction as them. Awkward.

For anyone that found Fred Armisen hiding behind a coat stand the funniest thing on Broad City last week, then “Dog Sitting” is one for you. Plus there’s a super cute dog and Ilana’s showing how few boundaries she has coming into play; Ilana’s lack of filer is already one of my favorite things about Broad City. Though I’m totally an Abbi (eye rolling at myself right now). Oh and Ilana is wearing a t-shirt with a drawing of a denim vest and it’s kinda everything.

http://youtu.be/yrYBChTuWvo

“Drummer Girls” shows Ilana and Abbi performing in the park and unlike the event in last week’s episode this one is a win for them and it’s totally charming.

http://youtu.be/DYL1awvelVc

Video chat plays an important part in the web series and this has been translated into the show as we saw Ilana throwing up and having sex while video chatting with Abbi (who was less than thrilled with either conversation). See no filter. This is a really fun one involving fake elevators and snack food. Also who doesn’t like music?

http://youtu.be/mXbyp-sdk7I

In the final installment of the web series the production values are noticeably higher in “I Heart New York.” Oh and there are famous comedic ladies (including the producer of the new show). It’s surreal, yet rooted in reality and involves a great gag with Abbi’s bag. Pretty much everything about the chugger (the charity mugger with the clipboard) is spot on, back when I smoked I was super guilt tripped into signing up.

Talking of the producer here is Amy Poehler talking to Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer about Broad City for Smart Girls at the Party. They discuss the origins of Broad City, their comedy backgrounds and the notion of ‘finding your voice.’ And there’s a dance party.

Watch the web series here and a new episode airs tonight (Wednesday 29) on Comedy Central.

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week

17 Jan

Monochrome has been back in favor for a while now and so many of the best red carpet looks at various events this week have embraced this trend. This also applies to some on point looks on TV this week and so Out of the Box is focusing on the best in black and white. It’s also been a huge week for TV Ate My Wardrobe favorite Diane von Furstenberg as she celebrates 40 years of her iconic wrap dress with the launch of the Journey of a Dress exhibition as well as getting a name check on American Horror Story: Coven.

Allison Williams DVFAllison Williams went for retro glamour while celebrating Diane von Furstenberg as she ditches the classic all American look she tends to favor on the red carpet. The new season of Girls premiered last weekend and this coupled with the Golden Globes means that the Girls cast have been doing the rounds. This is my style highlight of all the many different outfits Williams has worn and I’m digging the faux bob and red lipstick.

Diane Kruger ChanelDiane Kruger in Chanel is a recipe for success and she pulls off this super cute mini bow accented ensemble like a Chanel wearing pro (she is a face of their skin care range after all). Here’s another version of the ‘Lego’ Chanel clutch and I’m having all the bag envy right now. This is a luncheon event for W magazine and the fresh faced look works perfectly; no one wants to go all out for a daytime shindig.

Keri Russell Fox all starIt’s the TCA winter tour and a whole host of parties and panels have taken place including the Fox All-Star event. Keri Russell switched up this outfit for the Americans panel but kept the leather jacket and monochrome palette. I’ve been watching a lot Felicity recently so it’s been a whole lot of knitwear, Russell can totally pull of the leather badass style and this is a stunning look even if I tend to dislike white pumps. As always her hair looks beyond incredible and The Americans is high on my most anticipated list.

Gillian JacobsGilliam Jacobs attended a Chanel hosted event launching Drew Barrymore’s new book of photography and I’m mesmerized by this hypnotic frock. It reminds me of those 60s art prints and of the dress I wore on New Year’s Eve; I love the different textures and patterns and it makes it hard to look away.

Golden Globes PromoTina Fey and Amy Poehler’s Golden Globes style has already been covered and yet somehow this promo shot slipped under our radar; it’s too damn good to leave out and totally fits in with this week’s “Out of the Box” theme.

American Horror StoryIt’s hard to believe that we haven’t discussed how incredible Frances Conroy is on AHS: Coven and while I still can’t work out if I actually enjoy the show – it’s definitely a hot mess – I’m super into Conroy’s Myrtle as a Grace Coddington/Vivienne Westwood inspired hybrid. The black and white polka dots combined with the leather yellow gloves is perfection and Myrtle has quite the thing for fashion as she refers to the DVF wrap dress as the greatest invention of our time.

Zooey Deschanel Kate SpadeFrom this shot it looks like your average polka dot dress (which you know we would love), instead those dots are actually apples and this is the second week in a row for Kate Spade and New Girl on this list. Paired with a red cardigan and bowed belted this is an excellent daytime take on monochrome. You can buy this Kate Spade New York Domino dress here (and it’s almost half off).

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