Ratings Extraordinary For "Jersey Shore's" Worry-Free TV

There is a remarkable Situation brewing with MTV's "Jersey Shore." Forget about cable, the addictive series is now posting ratings that place it among the highest-rated series in all of TV. It's beating the likes of "Survivor" and "Modern Family" in the ratings networks generally care most about.
Last Thursday's season premiere drew an average of 5.674 million viewers in the 18-to-49 demo. That comes close to topping even "Grey's Anatomy" and would place it squarely in TV's top 10.
To be sure, these rankings compare the one episode of "Jersey Shore" with full-season averages for the others with repeats. But, there is little reason to believe the buzz around "Jersey Shore" won't lead to higher ratings as the summer moves along.
Triumphs in the 18-to-49 demo, however, may be less important for MTV than the cable trade group that asserts cable is on par with broadcast. MTV network focuses on a 12-to-34 demo, where "Jersey Shore" just might top every regularly scheduled series.
What makes the show, now in season four, so appealing? While the question bubbles up with smash comedies and dramas, it seems to carry more weight when breakout reality hits arrive, starting with "An American Family" in the 1970s.
With "Jersey Shore," the answer may be an easy one: there's plenty to talk about, but not much to worry about. It's like a good summer vacation.
For those older than 24, the show isn't about much more than eight young Italian Americans living in a house together and passing the time at the gym or tanning until it's time to go out at night and booze it up.
One of the characters, the delightfully diminutive "Snooki," was horrifyingly punched in a bar in the first season, but short of that all of the drama has been self-created.
Last season, a principal storyline involved two characters, Sammi and Ronnie, in a relationship that had them on and off again more than Congressional negotiators while trying to hammer out the debt-ceiling deal. This season, it appears as if a maypole will be Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's infatuation with "Snooki."
"Snooki" does ram her car into a police vehicle this time, but the officers riding in it suffer minimal harm, according to the Florence police. The season is set in Italy.
On the groundbreaking reality series "An American Family" in 1973, there were serious family fissures exposed. On "The Real World," a character raised awareness about the AIDS virus. On "Survivor," cast members can get horrible news about a relative back home.
But there's been little to rock audiences with anything resembling the real wor

ld on "Jersey Shore." The show thrives on escapism and a chance to poke some good-natured fun at over-the-top characters.
In the spring, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's estranged father blasted his son in the media for not giving him some of his newfound money for help, but that was a story for TMZ and didn't make it onto the show. Probably won't.
Outside Sorrentino, the show offers characters who appear to come from stable, loving homes -- ones where, in addition to parents, there are aunts and uncles to dote on them.
There's no sign of any trouble back home as the characters live and love in Jersey, Miami and Florence. That's except when a character has to grapple with how to balance temptation on the show with relationships back at home.
For the most part, the characters seem to have a pretty problem-free life, save crises with hair treatment. There are some interpersonal issues and plenty of self-imposed idiocy - "Snooki's" bad driving, cluelessness about the basics of Italy - but not much to cause the audience much consternation.
MediaPost social media standout Amy Chou, a rising senior at NYU, said she tried to avoid watching the show early on. She thought to a degree she was above spending time with "ridiculous" characters. But "then I caved with season two."
A friend brought her around saying "it's just relaxing and you just shut off your mind and watch people do stupid things."
So that means there's not much to discuss, right? Actually, Chou found herself at a dinner last week, where conversation about the premiere episode lasted about half an hour.
There were romantic antics to ponder, ludicrous quotes to rehash and "Snooki's" unending luggage pile to mock, but it was all in fun.

'The Dark Knight Rises': First official photo of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman

Meow! "The Dark Knight Rises" has released the first photo of the its Catwoman.

And fan reaction has been mixed towards Anne Hathaway's look as the famous Bat-villain cat burglar.

A number of commentators are saying that the costume choice is in line with director Christopher Nolan's tone for the films, which take a grittier, more realistic approach to the "Batman" universe.

That doesn't mean that others aren't unhappy with the choices being made.

While it seems that this Catwoman is more of a pull-no-punches, physical variety, fans are disappointed at the lack of anything ... well, cat-like, about the costume.

"Her goggles have slightly pointed ends, which may be -- maybe -- supposed to be vaguely Catwoman-ish or something," posts Rob Bricken of Nerd Blog Topless Robot. "But...well...I'm not feeling it."

Both the promotional shot and the production photo show Hathaway on the Batpod, in the latter driving down the court-house steps where a fight between Batman and Bane is meant to happen, according to production photos released last week.

Hathaway drew criticism before she was even seen in-costume.

The internet has buzzed back and forth over whether or not Hathaway is the right choice for portraying Catwoman.

Prior to the announcement of her casting, rumors were rampant that the frontrunners were Angelina Jolie and Megan Fox.

Julie Newmar, who was the first to play Catwoman on screen in the '60's TV show, promoted Jolie, saying she "would own the part."

While Hathaway is being shot down pretty early, it was the same a few years ago when it was announced that Heath Ledger would be the Joker in "The Dark Knight."

His original, frenetic take on the character proved many critics wrong, earning him a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman

Look, we want to see Anne Hathaway in a cat suit as much as the next guys — she's a wonderful, beautiful actress, and the Catwoman getup is second only to the Princess Leia bikini in the fantasy costume hall of fame. But we're afraid this is going to turn out to be one of those things that's better in theory, like chocolate beer, or sex on a beach, or Halle Berry in a cat suit.
First off, Hathaway's got big — call 'em iconic — shoes to fill, namely Michelle Pfeiffer's kitten heels. And unlike Michelle Pfeiffer, who could star in a YouTube series if she cared to exist in this century, there's nothing particularly feline about Hathaway — not in the face or the gait or the intonation. Her intonation, as you will learn at the Oscars next month, is less villainous than vapid, more charming than disarming. And though she's proven her chops in a variety of genres (Anne Hathaway is a pharmaceutical rom-com pro if there ever one), there's this kind of lovable goofiness to her that's more doglike than catlike. And we mean that in the kindest possible way.
But the real problem with this — because this is kind of a big deal — is the fantasy thing. Christopher Nolan, who'll be directing Hathaway in the third installment of his Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises, can't do sexy female characters, which Catwoman sorta has to be. His stories are cerebral parables about men and their choices. Women in his films tend to be butch or asexual (respectively, Hillary Swank in Insomnia and Ellen Paige in Inception). Nominally sexy characters, like Marion Cotillard in Inception or Scarlett Johansson in The Prestige, are treated almost as afterthoughts, plot necessities, or concessions to male viewers. They're gorgeous, but they're buttoned-up. Practically Victorian. You don't button up Scarlett Johansson, man.

 Anne Hathaway Catwoman & Biography

Anne Hathaway  Biography

Biography and Career :

Anne Jacqueline Hathaway was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 12, 1982 to parents Gerald Thomas Hathaway, a lawyer, and Kathleen Ann, an actress who inspired her to follow in her footsteps. 

At the age of 6 the family moved to Millburn, New Jersey .Anne Hathaway has two brothers, an older one, Michael, and a younger one, Thomas. Anne Hathaway is of mostly Irish and French ancestry, with distant Native American and German roots. Anne Hathaway had dramatic roles in "Havoc" "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005. She starred in "The Devil Wears Prada" in 2006 and starred in "Becoming Jane" in 2007 as Jane Austen. In 2008, she was acclaimed for her lead role in "Rachel Getting Married", for which she won awards and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. 

In 2010, she starred in the box office hits "Valentine's Day", "Love and Other Drugs" and Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland". 

People magazine named Anne Hathaway one of its breakthrough stars in 2001, and she first appeared on its list of the world's "50 Most Beautiful" People in 2006. 

Why is Anne Hathaway famous?

Anne Hathaway is an American actress that after several stage roles appeared in the 1999 television series "Get Real". She played Mia Thermopolis in "The Princess Diaries" in 2001. Over the next three years, Hathaway reprised that role for "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement", and starred in family films, appearing as the title character in "Ella Enchanted" in 2004.

Why do we like Anne Hathaway? 

Anne Hathaway is really involved in donations and charities like The Creative Coalition, The Step Up Women's Network, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The Human Rights Campaign, and The Lollipop Theatre Network, an organization that screens films to very ill children. In 2008, she was honored at Elle magazine's "Women in Hollywood" tribute and she has also been honored for her hard work with The Step Up Women's Network and The Human Rights Campaign.

Anne Hathaway Catwoman

Anne Hathaway Catwoman

Anne Hathaway Catwoman

Anne Hathaway Catwoman

Anne Hathaway Catwoman

Anne Hathaway Catwoman

Anne Hathaway Catwoman

Anne Hathaway Catwoman

Anne Hathaway Catwoman

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Crystal Harris Sorry to Hef for "Two-Second" Sex Diss to Howard Stern

Crystal Harris kissed and told—and now she's really, really sorry.
She's also blaming Howard Stern for her outburst.
After the Playboy playmate visited the shock jock's Sirius Satellite radio show this week and spilled all the details on how her former fiance Hugh Hefner performed in the sack, Hef became tweetin' mad and lashed out at Harris, calling her lost.
Now, Hef's runaway bride is tweeting a big fat apology.

 

 

Helen Mirren Images

Bristol misnamed her book. It should read "Not Afraid of Lies." Update!

Levi and Bristol

Lately there have been numerous topics which I have been wanting to address, but it seems that what everybody wants to hear about is whether or not Bristol's account is what really happened that night in the tent with my brother.

I guess I'll start off with her reference to the wine coolers being her "first brush with alcohol". If my memory serves me correctly, and remember I was the sober one, it was Bristol herself who was asking around trying to buy alcohol before they even started packing to go on this particular camping trip.

So I think it is clear that she was always planning to drink while they were camping. I know for a fact that my brother was not replacing her empty bottles with full ones, because Levi never liked her to drink since it just made her more promiscuous (Which those guys in Juneau will confirm, right Bristol? ;)

Bristol only has herself to blame for the amount of alcohol she consumed that night. Maybe she tends to forget that we still have mutual friends,  and that one of my good friends was actually there that night.

My brother also provided a recap of the night right after he got home. (Remember Bristol, Levi and I use to be best friends before you got your claws into him and forbid him to talk to me.)

When I first read this story it made me laugh out loud. Does anybody really believe a good Christian girl, such as Bristol claims to be, would really lose her virginity in a tent? I don't think so. Usually girls want their first time to be meaningful and special.

Besides there happens to be a small detail which Bristol chose to leave out. You see there was another couple right next to Bristol and Levi in that very SAME tent.

So the question we have to ask is, was the other girl also being "taken advantage of?"

Did she also have her "virginity stolen?"

Are we to believe that there were TWO victims that night?  Because that is certainly NOT the story that I heard!

As for the part about Bristol waking up alone? She seems to have conveniently forgotten the part where she demanded that Levi get up early and start a fire for her so that she wouldn't be cold in the morning. Yes, her rapist got up first thing in the morning, to cut wood and build her a warm fire, so that she would be as comfortable as possible that summer morning. It is remarkable how those Palins always twist the truth in order to constantly appear to be the victim isn't it?. Un-freaking believable.

As for that "rape" allegation, I have to wonder if any of the millions of girls out there who truly have been sexually assaulted take offensive at Bristol claiming that her consensual sexual encounter in that tent gives her the right to place herself in their company?  After all it is people like Bristol, girls who claim they were sexually assaulted when in fact they weren't, who give excuses for people to doubt the claims of REAL victims of assault or rape.

Personally I have never even heard of a single case where a girl continues to date her rapist for years, while enjoying an active and consensual sex life, and then actively TRYING to have a baby with this person who supposedly "took advantage of her". Are we to believe that Bristol was drunk on wine coolers throughout that whole relationship?

After I read Bristol's account I started thinking back to that summer. My mind was searching for every little thing I could remember, and remember I did..

One of the things that I remembered was that my much older cousin (he is in his 30's) came up from the lower 48 to stay in our house while working with my father. We made him a bed in our downstairs living room which happened to be very close to my brother's room. Apparently Bristol, the virgin, woke my cousin up several times with all of her .....well let's just say "enthusiasm."  And by the way this was BEFORE that now notorious camping trip!

The next morning my cousin called my brother aside and had a talk with him. I think Levi was far more embarrassed than Bristol was because the next night she wasn't any quieter.

Now I don't usually feel comfortable talking about another person's sex life. I never even liked talking about Bristol trying to get pregnant because I feel that's a very personal topic

However, after she made those hurtful and indefensible statements in her book about my brother, I decided no matter how uncomfortable I feel talking about this that it is something which I must do, because no one deserves to be accused of such a disgusting and horrendous thing. Especially not my brother who, believe it or not, truly loved Bristol with all of his heart.

A picture I took in happier times before the RNC.

Sadly it is now very obvious that his love was never truly reciprocated. Trust me, he would never do to her what she has so casually done to him. Never.

Update:

I am sorry that it has taken me such a long time to reply to your questions.

Because I have to type all my posts on my increasingly unreliable phone, it slows my response time down to a crawl. Frustratingly enough my computer is still not fixed (Apparently they are waiting on a part that's being shipped from overseas) Hopefully I will have it back in the very near future.

As for why I don't blog from the public library, or maybe a cafe, well because I've learned the hard way not to do ANYTHING on a public computer where there are other people around.

I'm not making any excuses, but let's just say that people around here can be kind of nosy.

Now on to answering some of your questions.

I apologize if that part about my cousin hearing Bristol making noise was confusing. I just tried to word things carefully because, like I said, I just flat out didn't feel comfortable saying she was moaning loud enough during sex to awaken people in the house.

And yes people, Bristol Pain DID stay the night at our house when she was younger.

Sometimes my dad would be up on the North Slope, and my mom in the hospital, or, if they were home, she would simply sneak through Levi's window.

Most times she would just stay really late, but because it was a school night, leave around 1-3 in the morning to sneak back into HER house before her parents woke up. (She was such a "good girl" wasn't she?)

Why was Levi wearing a ring on his ring finger? Simply because Bristol wanted him to wear it so the other girls knew he was taken. She also had it engraved, it said "I love you Bristol" in case he forgot I guess. I believe it was a birthday or Christmas gift, but NO they were never married.

Someone else asked about the custody agreement, especially the part about how how each parent isn't allowed to talk trash about the other parent, and wanted to know if that had been changed.

No, nothing has been changed as far as I'm aware. That's still the deal. But in case you all haven't noticed yet, the Palins are above the law. Essentially they can do, and say, whatever they want, and they don't even get a slap on the wrist. Yet if anybody even dares to frown in their direction they go after them with guns a blazing.

Believe me, I know ALL about that!

And finally let me address my "summer" camping trip statement, since some people thought I was talking about a different camping trip than the one which Bristol claims she was on when her virginity was "stolen."

I've lived in Alaska my entire life and I just consider Alaska to have only two seasons. It's either summer, or its winter here. For those of you who live in Alaska I'm sure I don't have to clarify that. For those of you who don't, I apologize and I will try to be more clear from now on.

Thanks for taking the time to leave your comments, I really do appreciate all of your support.

Anne Hathaway, Rio, animated box office

Anne Hathaway, In 2011, she had a voice role in the animated box office Rio.

Anne Hathaway plays in Rio as Jewel (Voice)

Rio, often promoted as Rio: The Movie, is a 2011 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. The title refers to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, in which the film is set. The film features the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Jemaine Clement and Jake T. Austin.

Rio The film tells the story of Blu (Eisenberg), a blue macaw who is taken to Rio de Janeiro to mate with a female. He eventually falls in love with Jewel (Anne Hathaway), a free spirited macaw, and together they have to escape from being smuggled by Nigel (Clement), a cockatoo.

When dealing with certain people, playing by the rules simply does not work.

First I have to say I am very sorry for my long absence.

I was really trying to do everything in my power to see my nephew. If that meant not being able to blog in order to see him, then that was what I was going to do it.

As you all know family is number one to me, and always will be, and I would do just about anything for Tripp.

I have now reached the conclusion that no matter what I do I will not be allowed to see my nephew. I held up my part of the bargain and stopped blogging, but they couldn't hold up their part of the deal, and and have refused to let me see him.

I would gladly never blog again if that meant I could see my nephew, because that is all I've ever wanted.

Like I've said before, no matter what I do Bristol will always come up with some reason not to like me, and some excuse to keep Tripp away from me.

It is unfortunate she has to act this way and I'm starting to lose any hope that she will ever change.

I feel sorry for my nephew since he is the real victim here, and I have to wonder what she's going to tell him once he's old enough to ask about me, his aunt Mercede, and his other grandparents. She is not just keeping him from me, she is keeping him away from everybody on our side of the family.

Now that I know that I did all this for nothing it's open season.  From now on I  plan to write about anything and everything.

In the weeks to come I will be addressing some of the most recent news items and rumors about the Palins, as well as try to answer some of your questions about my family, my brother, and myself.

I appreciate how patient and supportive all of you have been.

Thank you very much,

Mercede