DRW50

I can see why Marland and Calhoun (was it still Calhoun then?) didn't keep Robert Tyler, but Loving was very smart to pick him up. He became a decent actor, and was very likeable, along with being prime eye candy.

"Thought leaders" like the loathsome and deeply phony Matt Taibbi. What a joke. I never thought much of Larry King as an interviewer (he was mostly an anti-interviewer), but he could be entertaining. Norm Macdonald's impression of him on SNL never gets old. More right wing media shilling. It makes me more mad every time this stuff is pushed. They will do anything to help Republicans.

That felt like something from Soapdish. I'm surprised it got through even in 1987.

This paper's desperate adoration of the GOP gets worse and worse. I hope Biden freezes them out at every level.

@Mitch I think this is tied to that clap story you mentioned. GL Promo - May 6, 1986 (Running From the Truth) - YouTube

I agree, although I think Marland did manage to write some very rich, complex ingenues at GH (Laura) and GL (Morgan #1). Not sure what happened after that. Perhaps that was more down to other writers at the shows, as you suggest.

It's just part of business as usual for CNN. Jeff Zucker bragged about what Trump did for their ratings. Van Jones cried on air about Trump "becoming President" when he launched an airstrike against Syria. They need Republicans in power. They did anything they could to help Trump and the GOP. They won't stop. There is a push from the media at large, who would have sold their children for 4 more years of Trump, to pat themselves on the back and make sure everyone focuses on how terrible Biden and the Democrats are, so that we will see they are "above the fray" and all the rest. This is just beginning.

Courtney had relatable problems compared to Marland's main pretty princesses (Lily, Rosanna), and I think there is something to be said with her struggling with her body image, with Andy's inability to break out of toxic patterns, etc. The main reason I don't care for her is because onscreen, I just don't think this was very interesting to watch. She spent years being unhappy, with little to no personality trait beyond being unhappy. Whether she was with her brother, or Ellen, or Andy, or Evan, that was all you got. She had no real personality or inner life. That's why when she married Andy, her story was essentially over, and we got odd writing choices like her becoming a cop, which I never remember her caring about before that point. Andy was one of my favorite characters, but I generally was more drawn into his stories when they had some type of ugly dramatic element, whether it be the consequences of his drinking, or his relationships with "bad girls." I'm not saying Courtney had to be "bad" to be interesting (Iva, Connor, etc. weren't), I'm just saying the Courtney we got, in writing and acting, felt like a drag to me. As time passes I blame that more on Marland's problem writing for ingenues, and less on Hayley Barr, who went on to do some good temp work on GL (to the point where a number of fans who were tired of Beth Ehlers wanted her to take over the part).

I think a lot of the criticisms of WHO are fair...I just hope that with rejoining, we will address some of these instead of only handing money out.

@victoria foxton I saw the video of them going around, patrolling the streets, smashing up the headquarters, scrawling "[!@#$%^&*] Biden" on the wall, etc. These people just end up giving extremist Republicans ammunition. I also hear some on the left say that this is fine because it pushes the movement forward, and challenges the establishment, etc. when all this really does is just create even more resistance to change.

True, but then he has plenty of experience obstructing. Democrats tend to be behind the eight ball on most matters in the Senate in particular.

Sorry to hear about your cousin.

Speaking of Politico, their Playbook today mentioned that Democrats never even really thought they could get the Senate back after November, so that is one of the reasons they are sluggish. If that is true, I can understand, as I didn't think they could either. I just hope that they can find a strong plan moving forward.

This is why, even though @Vee makes some good points about people not understanding what's going on, I feel like Democrats will likely end up feeling reluctant to be as aggressive as they probably need to be in order to get things done. Every day that nothing happens is another day lost, but in that world, this is just part of the norm.

That animal abuser can kiss my ass. She took her kids (the same ones that she used as a weapon to try to shame those who didn't want to vote for her) with her to participate in a superspreader event at the White House that sickened many people and nearly killed some. She will always be Amy Covid Barrett or Typhoid Amy to me.

It's all about "norms," and "return to normalcy," and "tradition." And the framing is always against Democrats. Harry Reid only reluctantly killed the judicial filibuster after McConnell spent years tying up confirmations. Yet when the GOP rushed Amy Covid Barrett's confirmation through, many, including so-called "moderates" or "liberals," chided Democrats and blamed Reid. That is the type of thing stopping them. And it is why I won't be surprised if they end up caving in.

Speaking of Beltway favorites, NPR remains NPR:

Clearly trying to compete with OANN and Newsmax. I'd say it will backfire, but I can't be that naive. I do hope all those people who defend Faux News by saying "They have a good news team!" will now shut the hell up. That Porter Berry looks like the "worst person in the world makes a great point" meme. I wonder if these people were the ones Megyn Kelly, back when she pretended to have integrity, went to talk to on Election Night 2012 when Karl Rove threw a hissy fit over Ohio being declared for Obama.

That photo of Beau breaks your heart. Sorry if this was already posted.

That woman who was head of the Red Hot Mamas got me a bit emotional. I know I should remember who the host is but for some reason I'm blanking. Who is it? Oh - I remember now. Tony Goldwyn. Still looks hot, at least.

I'm not a fan of justifying dangerous behavior by saying it's down to mental illness, but people like this are sick in the head and in many cases have alienated everyone around them who doesn't share their views. Or even worse, like the daughter and son who turned their father in over his role in the Capitol mob after he threatened to kill them. These people have been preyed on by grifters and users, from Trump to Q (and the man who is widely seen as Q, Ron Watkins, basically told them all 'fuckity bye' today). The danger of these cults is that the people in them fool themselves into assuming that a deeply selfish, stunted man can be whatever they want him to be. And when he reveals himself to be what he clearly was all along, they fall apart. Not just people like this sad woman, but also much-hyped fauxgressives who spent years cheerleading Trump, and were convinced that he would reveal every secret and pardon their heroes Assange and Snowden. When he didn't, they either deluded themselves into thinking McConnell forced him not to, or, like Greenwald and his flunkies, whined that Trump was "cucked." All of these people are going to become more and more unmoored, unhinged, and damaging to the country and the world.

Garth Brooks singing Amazing Grace at the inaugural made me think of this old Bill Moyers special on the history and influence of the song.