5 Shows I Didn't Expect to Like

As everyone is more than aware, there are a lot of crappy shows on TV, especially nowadays. There are shows that try too hard to be raunchy, hip, groundbreaking, etc. instead of trying to be, you know, good. So, to save time, I usually judge by the TV spots if I'm going to risk emotional investment in a new show. Then my roommate, who tries out almost every new show, appeared and now I'm watching things I swore never to do. So here are the top 5 shows I didn't mean to watch, or like, but did.

5. Make It Or Break It (ABC Family): I watched probably the last four episodes of MIOBI, a show about gymnastic chicks, and although I can't say I was hooked, I did manage to care a bit about some of the characters; namely newcomer Jordan, played by Chelsea Tavares. She had a heart-wrenching storyline (that I totally called) that didn't get enough attention before the series ended for good this year. Where's the justice?! Ultimately, I didn't care about the main plot or the sport, but that Jordan girl...wow!

4. Smash (NBC): The Broadway musical drama starring an ensemble cast, which includes Debra Messing and former American Idol contestant Katherine McPhee, was one of the last shows I wanted to see. I saw the last... two? Three? And part of me still doesn't care. But the drama of the musical falling apart and everyone scrambling to make it work was fun, especially watching Debra Messing and her writing partner try to write new music. The show included guest spots by Nick Jonas and Uma Thurman, and next season will feature appearances from Oscar winner and former AI winner Jennifer Hudson, Messing's former Will & Grace co-star Sean Hayes, and Liza freaking Minnelli. The drama of the stage draws in all players.

3. Sherlock (BBC): One of the modern-day versions of super-sleuth Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock and Dr. Watson respectively. To be honest, I wasn't too excited about the resurgence of Holmes' popularity, not because I didn't like him, but because I'm never excited about modern re-tellings. My step-mom made me watch a few episodes and I surprisingly liked the show, against my previous reluctance. Sherlock is odd and socially botched, but it works, and Watson holds his own as his own entity instead of just Sherlock's little sidekick, as he's sometimes portrayed. I haven't watched anymore episodes since then, but if the opportunity ever arose, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it.

2. Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family): Four girls running around, trying to solve a murder mystery of their bitch best friend and NOT telling appropriate authority figures? I immediately wanted to ground them all. But then these girls got themselves into the most ridiculous situations: lesbianism, dating a teacher, constant habit of kissing sister's men. I had to see what kind of ridiculousness these females could get themselves into. I don't follow the show religiously, and sometimes I try to quit all together, but I always come back and get frustrated with whatever they're doing. I've never seen four people who needed to move more than they do.


1. Glee (Fox): Oh, Glee. Even the music aspect didn't appeal to me at first, and the fact that Kevin McHale took the show after the break up of NLT made it more bitter to me. But then I saw the season 2 Sexy episode and Brittany Pierce got me involved. Now I've seen almost every episode and no mater how irritating Rachel gets, no matter how awful the numbers and the writing gets, I keep watching. I care about Santana. I care about Quinn. I care about Kurt, Burt, Blaine, Puck, and so many other characters that no matter how bad the story screws them, I want to know they're okay.

Damn, I hate what Glee's made me.

Top 5 Holidays

I'm currently watching Nightmare Before Christmas, as per my usual Halloween and Christmas tradition, and it got me to thinking about the holidays (aside from them being upon on us). I thought a holidays post would be a nice change from all of my movie-related ones and decided to put this up! Enjoy!

5. Easter: I'm not the most religious person out there, but I do love going to church on Easter! Guess why?..... If you guessed the little bits of bread they serve, you're right! In church, they usually kind of recreate the last supper by passing out the body (the bread) and blood (grape juice) of Christ, and as far as I'm concerned, they can keep the grape juice. I'll go to church once a year, and it's on Easter for that bread.
Now, I do love the colors and the lilies, and I enjoy setting up Easter egg hunts for my youngest brother, but that bread kind of does it for me. I don't know, once you live with entitled toddlers, they kind of suck the fun out of any holiday concerning gifts or candy, so I don't jump up and down in excitement over it much anymore.

4. Father's Day: As an out-and-proud daddy's girl, any excuse I get to celebrate my father, I absolutely love. It's an excuse for me to attempt to buy or make him something and peruse through the cards and cry over all of the sweet messages. I wish people made a bigger deal out of it aside from sales on tools or grills, but I sure celebrate it like Christmas on the inside.

3. Halloween: I'm sure this confuses some people, especially those who knew about my emo/goth stage in junior high (I'm not proud of it). Halloween isn't my number one, or at least two? As much as I love finding cool costumes and dressing up, I'm getting really sick of it as an adult. I can't go trick-or-treating, I can't drive in streets full of children, and Halloween got so much attention in the mid-2000's that I got sick of it early on. I like passing out candy and costume-shopping, but once I find a year-round costume store, well...
One of the perks of Halloween, however, is that it's NMBC season! People are putting out their Jack Skellington merchandise and I'm not the only weirdo squealing over skeletons, rag-dolls, and ghost dogs.

2. Thanksgiving: FOOD!! Yep, that's my main reason. I feel like it's an over-looked holiday, especially when it's smack between the interactive Halloween and the gifty Christmas, but guys, we get to eat!! A lot!! And the food is so GOOD, especially in the South! We'll put the most random food in and it's just fabulous!
Turkey Day for me isn't about Native Americans or pilgrims, or good will, just good food and good company. As much as they drive me crazy sometimes, it is nice to see my family come over for Thanksgiving and just catch up. And pass around my Christmas list. And eat the food they brought.
Yeah, food.

1. Christmas: The end-all, be-all best holiday, and not just for the gifts! I love the spirit of Christmas, the music, the stories (religious and non), and the feeling of just making everyone I love happy! I get excited in August for this day! I miss decorating the house and the tree for Christmas, and seeing my great-grandmothers. Because I live in Texas, we only get snow when we don't need it, but we used to regularly get snow flurries, which adds to the jolliness.
I'll be honest, I love the gifts. I love searching and picking out the perfect stuff for my friends and family, and I love seeing what they thought to give me, even if it's something off my list. My entire life, I wanted to be Santa when I grew up, and I still do.

Top 5 Scariest Figures That Made Me Lose Sleep

October's almost over and I've been meaning to post a couple of scary-themed Top 5's, but I'm lazy. Like, really lazy. Plus, I don't like thinking of things that scare me. But I thought 'For the good of the blog' and got to work.
This Top 5 is going to be about the Top 5 stars of some of my worst nightmares. My fears weren't Freddy, Jason, or Leatherface, but contagious things. Things that would torture me emotionally and leave me alive to deal with the aftermath. Figures that would lay eggs in my mind so every time I closed my eyes, I would see them. Maybe they would kill me later, but these jerks would play with their food first. Some of them made it a group effort to terrify me and some worked alone, but either way, all of them have stolen a piece of my soul that I can never get back. Little Mahbu will never be the same.

Honorable Mention: Samara Morgan from the Ring. I first saw The Ring when I was 11 and at my mother's house out in the country. At night. almost a mile from our nearest neighbors. Tartarus no. The scariest thing for me was probably the infamous cursed tape, because the images on it.....just Ra no. Bleh. Anyway, the second movie gave me enough closure to get over it, but even now I'll look at my tv and wonder...

5. Dren from Splice: Do I really have to explain myself? It shouldn't have been created, it looks creepy as Tartarus, and I don't want to get raped. What I learned from this movie was that humans shouldn't try to play god and I should never be a scientist, nor ever hook up with one.
For those who haven't seen the almost blasphemous 2009 sci-fi/horror film Splice, starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley, features the two leads as lovers and genetic engineers who want to take their experiments to the next level and splice human DNA with ones belonging to animals. Of course, it's forbidden, so they do it in secret and raise the little abomination, which they name Dren, to adulthood. Dren somehow manages to seduce Adrien Brody's character, then changes gender, rapes, and possibly impregnates Polley's. No. What's worse is that this creature has a stinger on its tail, can breathe underwater, and has wings. It's like the velociraptors from Jurassic Park decided to upgrade. If I ever see this creature in the woods and it sees me, I'm taking a cyanide pill. I'm not getting out any other way.

4. Simon from Session 9: I guess Simon can't be classified as a ghost, but I still consider this....dude as a haunting entity. Session 9 is about a group of abestos removers who have a closed down mental hospital as a new job and, well, things get weird. One of the guys finds recorded sessions of a girl with split personalities who killed her family on Christmas. He manages to talk to the other personalities and asks them all about a Simon, who none of them want to talk about or wake up. Already, Tartarus no. Back with the other guys, people are going missing, power's going out, and creepy stuff's happening. Eventually, the doctor finally meets Simon in the tapes, and that's when shit got real for me.
Simon is a boss. His voice is sinister, and he somehow manages to convince people to lash out in rage and pain and kill people. No. I'm not okay with any of that. The last thing I'd want is for this deep-voiced manipulator in my head, telling me what to do and who to do it to. He scares the hell out of me, mostly because I don't know who he's chilling in right now and how close they are to me.

3. Bongcheon-Dong Ghost: My cousin showed this creepy Korean comic to me a few months ago and my first thought was 'What is it with Asians scaring everybody senseless?' My second thought was 'JESUS!!!!' I don't like this chick. I don't like her story, how she walks, how her voice sounds, or how her face looks. She's the runner-up for how someone should look when they're haunted, and self-haunted at that. I'm still mad at my cousin.
The story of this woman goes as such: she cheated on her husband and in the divorce, lost custody of her young daughter. She couldn't handle that, so she committed suicide via jumping off her apartment and now walks around the complex, looking a hot, broken mess and harassing people for the whereabouts of her child. This comic documents one particular instance where she accosts a girl on her way home and attacks her when the girl points her in the wrong direction. If I see anyone walking funky in the middle of the night, I'm running into the next building, and I don't care what it is. By the way, that picture? That's the best you're getting from me.

These next two are a tie. Both have mangled my mind and soul beyond recognition that I can't properly rank them. The only thing I can do is give them both the number one spot and watch numerous Disney movies to purge my soul from their grip over my heart.

Saeki family from the Grudge: NO. The family from The Grudge series. Cursed. Murders. Suicide. Resulting hauntings and spread of terror from Japan to the U.S. I can't even......This movie messed me the hell up, and everyone friggin' knows it. And yeah, I know that's Sarah Michelle Geller, but that's the only picture anyone's getting from me.
I feel like I don't have to explain the plot of the movie. Kayako Saeki fell in love with her son's teacher and her husband discovers her love diary, making him snap and kill her and their young son; he either killed himself or was killed by Kayako's curse. This cursed family started out just killing who set foot into their house, but then Sarah Michelle Geller accidentally released them into the open. Now they're in America, snapping necks and scaring people half to death. When they're not haunting my nightmares, that is.

And......

Toby and Katie from Paranormal Activity: The two biggest stars from one of the most profitable horror movie franchises. In the four-part (so far) series, Katie and her younger sister Kristi have been haunted by a demon since their childhood years until adulthood, as revealed by found footage documenting odd happenings throughout the years, as filmed by their stepfather, Katie's boyfriend Micah, and Kristi's husband and stepdaughter. Pretty much what ends up happening is Toby (the demon messing with them) possesses Katie and sends her on a murderous rampage before kidnapping her nephew, Hunter, a.k.a. the firstborn son he was promised by their ancestors. I haven't seen the fourth one yet (nor will I), so I don't know how that one turned out, but the last three pretty much said it all for me.
I don't like the idea of not seeing what's messing with me. I also don't like the idea of DEMONS pulling me out of bed, dragging me down the hallway, and giving off the impression that it's infatuated with me. No. Hell no. All of these movies have moments where I burst into tears and reach for the person next to me. If you can handle it, awesome and I wish I had your gift, but the tag-team of Toby and Katie suplexed my peace of mind and ruined bedtime for me.

That was my Top 5 and hopefully YOU aren't haunted by your own Top 5 this Halloween. Happy Halloween, and much candy to you all!

Top 5 Glee Mashups

I used to be a Gleek, I'll admit it. I stopped watching the show season 4 because it's just falling apart for me, but I'll still listen to the music. Sometimes Ryan Murphy's cash cow makes some really good covers and mashups. Some mashups were absolute genius while others left much to be desired. So I compiled a Top 5 of my favorite mashups from this increasingly less-musical show.

Honorable Mention: Stop! In the Name of Love/Free Your Mind (Season 2): I love, love, LOVE this mashup from season 2, and it led me to En Vogue's "Free Your Mind". Honestly, when those boys get to rocking, they get it right.

5. Unpretty/Pretty (Season 2): I'm not a Rachel Berry fan at all, but I will give her credit for this duet with my Glee-crush Quinn Fabray. Quinn's voice is more delicate, like the tinkling of bells, and Rachel's definitely has more power, so it was a pretty combination on this sad, vulnerable mashup of TLC's "Unpretty" and the popular West Side Story song "I Feel Pretty", which seemed to really expose the insecure turmoil of high school girls, especially for these two. This is probably the one time where I'd say Glee hit the nail right on the head when relating to high school experiences in this "Born This Way" episode.

4. It's My Life/Confessions (Season 1): This mashup of Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" and Usher's ever-popular "Confessions Part II" was fun and perfect for the boy population of the New Directions. My only problem was that it isn't longer! Finn sounded good, and Artie (played by former boybander Kevin McHale) was the right choice for the Usher parts. This song would be perfect with some explosive choreography in the rain. Yes, I went there.

3. Start Me Up/Livin' on a Prayer (Season 2): Glee seems to love pairing Bon Jovi up with everyone they can, seen here with their "Livin' on a Prayer" and the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up". In this episode, the New Directions we having their annual in-club mashup competition, girls vs. boys, and each team had to do songs normally performed by the opposite gender. The boys did the aforementioned "Stop! In the Name of Love/Free Your Mind" number at the end, but the girls threw down the gauntlet with this number. The performance was hot and the vocals were powerful with Mercedes and Rachel on lead vocals. It was hands-down one of the best, and under appreciated, numbers of the season. Those girls were just sexy. Get it, ladies, get it.

2. Thriller/Heads Will Roll (Season 2): THIS was the end all, be all performance in Glee history, and should be the only thing to take into real life from the show. Homecoming half-time shows should take note of this number! The New Directions teamed up with the football team to perform a killer mashup of Michael Jackson's larger than life hit "Thriller" and "Heads Will Roll" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs during their halftime show of their championship game. It's entertaining AND it's catchy. This is an adrenaline pumping song that made me want to put on a helmet and play some damn football after it was over.

1. Rumor Has It/Someone Like You (Season 3): This song did a lot of things for me personally. First, it made me like Santana. Second, it made me like Adele's "Someone Like You". Third, it made me want to ride Ryan Murphy's ass about why Rachel was the star and not the surprisingly vulnerable and talented Santana. Santana was the absolute shining gem of this Adele mashup, both vocally and acting-wise. It was hauntingly beautiful and it showed Santana in an entirely different light. I wanted more from her, both as a vocalist and a character, and the number itself was just fantastically arranged. Well done, Glee, well DONE.

5 Movies That Traumatized Me Forever

It's no secret that when it comes to scary movies, I'm a big baby. It doesn't take much to freak me out or make me lose sleep over something, so I've learned to just avoid scary movies in general (even though most nowadays suck). Don't get me wrong, it's not Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers, or any of the old school badies that haunt me; they're human, no matter how inhuman they become, and (despite the numerous sequels) they can be defeated, if only temporarily. It's the things that stop for nothing, the ones that don't get beaten in the end, and the creatures that simply don't make sense. Here are the 5 movies that ruined my life forever and left me scarred.

5. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964): Don't ask why, I don't even know. I only saw it when I was super-young, so I barely even remember this movie. I mostly remember waking up that night, screaming over Mothra. I'm sure the movie's stupid or hokey, but I won't rewatch it, no way. I trust my childhood instincts.






4. Deep Blue Sea (1999): I saw this movie when I was 8 or 9, which were the key years of my fascination of marine life and the ocean. I was enamored with dolphins, the superheroes of the waters, so I guess it was only a matter of time before I had to be exposed to the horrifying madness of the ultimate marine villains, the sharks. Sharks are terrifying as it is, but these sharks were smarter, faster, and hungrier. No sir, not okay. I'll go swimming again, but something touches me in the water and I'm freaking out, freshwater or salt. This movie forever branded sharks as the enemy for me, and it's not changing anytime soon.


3. Leprechaun (1993): Most people give me crap for freaking out over this one, but seriously guys, small things are scary. Combine smallness with murder and magic and it's over for me. I didn't watch the entire movie, but I saw that little, evil leprechaun and my 8-year old self left the room. Ten years later, and I still refuse to watch it. No sir, not being done. It doesn't help that leprechaun's always look angry and grumpy all the time anyway, like they're just wanting to pull the same crap as this one.





2: The Grudge (2004): I'm not even posting the picture for this one, purely because just seeing the picture scares me. This movie has scarred me in ways I could never express. Look, I love Japan and dream of going there, but this would stop me from buying a plane ticket. I see these guys everywhere; if it's dark and I see anything white hanging around, I'm under my covers and dry-sobbing for mercy. The mom scares me, the kid scares me, her sister scares me, everything. I don't care if it's dark or not, if someone makes that death-rattle noise around me, they're getting punched the hell out.

1. Paranormal Activity (2009): Hm, 2 years in a closet with Kayako or 2 minutes in a field with Katie? Bring on the closet, no questions asked. This movie ruined my life permanently, AND THEY KEEP MAKING MORE!!! I get teased relentlessly for this, but I think it's completely reasonable. I had no idea what this movie was about going in (I thought it was a documentary) and I have a fear of not seeing what's after me, so a scary demon messing around with people destroyed me in one blow, and it's not hot anime demons, it's a real one, from hell. I don't care if demons are real or not, or how fake the movie is, I couldn't see the thing, it can possess people, and you can't stop something like that. My life is over. I couldn't sleep for months, and by the time I could, they announced a sequel. I went to see that one, thinking that I might find closure, only to realize no Kayla, it only got worse. They have another coming out this year, and I'm not doing it, I refuse to. I'll stop being friends with people before I go see that thing. Three a.m. keeps me on my toes, I keep my feet inside my blanket at all times while sleeping, and somebody says anything regarding "demon" or "ghost", I'm bailing, sorry party members.

My Top 5 Hollywood "Vampires"

Hollywood vampires aren't your typical vampires. These vamps don't suck blood, they feed on energy of rising stars or young people and use it to keep their bodies, or careers, kicking. Some hide in the shadows, like they're supposed to. Some do their feeding in the open, draining their prey while staring in the eyes as if to say 'Do something, I dare you'. Here are the top 5 I managed to unearth, or just call out. It's really a matter of opinion what kind of research I've done.

5. Wilmer Valderrama: Oh Fez, you jerk. You pushed Lindsay on a downward spiral she may never recover from, ruined Mandy Moore, and are on your way to fully corrupt Demi Lovato. Leave the ladies alone, will ya?

4. George Clooney: Now, a more successful, but good, vampire. Ever noticed how George's arm candy are usually low on the star-power meter? Because he's smart; he goes after prey that no one would notice missing.

3. Tom Cruise: The man will never age, and the harnessing of Katie Holmes, Nicole Kidman, and Penelope Cruz to thank. He let the last two recover and escape, but poor Katie's still in shackles and still having her young energy being drained from her.

2. Justin Timberlake: His trail of destruction is obvious. Look at his victims: Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, and now Jessica Biel. All three used to have hot careers and image; now they're shriveling husks are struggling to stand in a corner as Justin absorbs their careers and tops charts and box offices for NO reason.








1. Madonna: The queen of vampires, which is a title she flaunts, and why not? She has the body of a 25-year old, and probably the strength of the Hulk. Guess where her fountain of youth lies: the energy of young men. That's why she keeps getting new ones.

Top 5 Things in Pop Culture I Actually Like

My post on the annoying things in pop culture is by far my most popular Top 5 post, to my slight confusion. I decided to respond to that by making a Top 5 of things I am liking that are popular right now, just to balance everything out.

5. Blogging: No, I'm not talking about the majority of the writers on E! Online. Thanks to sites like Blogger (gotta represent), Tumblr, and more, people have more and more ways to publish their works, expertise, or random thoughts and reach a lot of people. I can't tell you how many times I had a problem and found 4 or 5 blogs dedicated to similar issues like mine, and written by regular people who knew what I was going through! Some blogs are more serious than others, but that's the fun in blogging! Every blog and blogger you find are unique in their own way. It's only when people start up a blog and considers themselves professional writers or consultants that I get a little annoyed.

4. YouTube covers: YouTube shows I may be iffy about, but you won't find me hating on the concept of YouTube song covers. Are they all fantastic? No, but some of them are, and some of them are geniuses when they take a song and practically make it their own. With the accessibility of YouTube, we have opposite-gender versions of songs like never before! We have remixes we didn't know we wanted! Partially thanks to Justin Bieber (I can't believe I'm saying this) but we know there are talented people on YouTube! And so many of them deserve to be heard! It's like a free audition and a way to grow your fanbase on a global scale, and I love that!

3. Honey Badger: It has long been known in the animal kingdom that the honey badger does not care. It'll fight a snake because it was bored. It'll chase a leopard. It was given the 'Badass' title at birth and hasn't let it go, especially not without a fight. Recently, the human kingdom has taken notice, and many have attempted to tread the path of the honey badger. It's the less-slutty version of YOLO, and anything that's less slutty, I'll give it a nod.

 2. Twitter: TWITTER, OMG!!! I'll admit, I was very against Twitter and the idea of tweeting anything. A social networking site base on the status update? I'll pass; Facebook has games. But I made an account, then started tweeting, and once I discovered the hashtag, it was all over for me. Now, some of the trending topics (TT's) are the most ratchet topics you'll ever see online outside of Urban Dictionary, but the people that come alive on Twitter late at night are hilarious! It really is a self-esteem booster. Twitter does have a light side; back in April, a bunch of Toonami fans (including myself) banded together on Twitter and over the course of a couple of months, were able to convince Cartoon Network to revive Toonami, which is now airing on Saturday nights on Cartoon Network. See? Social media can bring change!


1. Rage Comics: I. Love. Me. Some. Rage Comics! Ugh, they're so great! From what I've gathered, people (usually Redditors) will make their own comics that are posted online. There's an app on Apple where you can read the featured ones and save your favorites. Internet memes galore! Me gusta! Forever alone! Poker face! The hilarity never ends! Right now it may be just a nerd thing, but it's growing, and it's a growth I'll gladly help nourish.

Top 5 TV Shows

I don't watch a lot of t.v., to be perfectly honest, because it's hard for me to get into a plot and care about characters for eight years, especially when unnecessary romances and drama springs up. But there are shows that manage to tickle my imagination, rope in my heart, and overall awe me. So here are my current Top 5 TV Shows, until Hannibal finally airs.

5. Criminal Minds: I LOVE Criminal Minds! This crime drama follows a close-knit team of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit as they hunt down serial killers and the sort. Ugh, it's so intelligent and the team is so likeable that it makes me squeal. It doesn't hurt that the unexpectedly delectable Matthew Gray Gubler plays the adorably awkward Dr. Spencer Reid to cheek-pinching perfection. I don't like watching it before season 3, because I love David Rossi (and totally believe he and Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner need to be together). One of the highlights of the show are variety of guest stars they get and the roles they play. Fantastico!

4. The Newsroom: The Newsroom is a new show on HBO that makes me want to pick up a  newspaper and figure out what's going on with the world around me. Anything that makes me want to broaden my horizons gets a pat on the back from me. Plus, the dialogue and the characters are witty and HILARIOUS!! I love watching shows with quirky banter that never misses a beat, and this show delivers on it. I wish I had HBO to watch it more often, but alas, it is the internet for me. The Newsroom is about the drama and the runnings of an evening news show.

3. Law & Order SVU: Who doesn't love SVU? The characters, the crimes, the CHARACTERS!! Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay were superb as detective partners who specialized in sexual crimes along with Ice-T, Richard Belzar, the lovely B.D. Wong, Dann Florek, and a variety of D.A.'s and M.E.'s. The chemistry between the cast is infectious, and the crimes themselves are disturbing, yet fascinating. Not every case ended successfully, and you watched it affect the detectives in their own ways, but their personal lives never took away from the premise of the show. It's hard not to care about these people, and that may be why it's the only Law & Order series still airing.

2. Modern Family: I'm sure a lot of us flocked to the show to see more of Sofia Vergara a.k.a. God's gift to anyone attracted to women, but I stayed for the love I developed for this crazy, but loving family. The show follows the Prichett, Dunphy, and Prichett-Tucker families and how they go through life as dysfunctional as they are. None of them are perfect, but they all mean well, and are hilarious as they try to show it. Sofia's Gloria Prichett is loud and gorgeous, but Phil and Luke Dunphy, plus odd-couple Cameron and Mitch are what keep my sides bursting and heart warming. The show also manages to be FUNNY, which is rare for a comedy these days.

1. Game of Thrones: What can I say about this heart-wrenching show? Well, it manages to mix sex and politics extraordinarily well. It was a stunningly-talented cast, and a tendency to kill off the people you'd least expect. And if George R.R. Martin expects me to stick with this show, he better keep Tyrion Lannister alive. This is probably one of the most human shows in the fantasy genre, where every character has their terrible flaws, yet have some surprising good points, and although we all pick our teams (and there are so many to choose from), we find ourselves sympathizing with the enemy. Not every character is evil or good, and that extends to every person that fights under their banner. It's a hypnotizing and fabulous show, and I can't wait for April to get here so I can get my fix again! Team Stark, woot!!

Top 5 Favorite Ladies of Game of Thrones

Between all of the sex, politics, and warfare going on, Game of Thrones has a lot of fantastic characters, especially the women. And I'm not just talking about the good wives who hold down the fort while their husbands are dying and remain strong in chaos, I'm talking about chicks who pick up a sword or kill someone to get some things done. And I'm always looking for background heroes to cheer for, so I pick up on the ride-or-die chicks on the side who might not always get the spotlight, but they're holding the sword for the ones that are. So let's celebrate these fantastic females with a top 5 of their very own!

5. Talisa Maegyr (Oona Chaplin): Talisa's fairly new to the series, but this girl got my attention the moment she spoke. She doesn't just have beauty, she's got guts, fearlessly giving Robb Stark, the king of the north, a piece of her mind! She first appears as a healer, bandaging up the good guys and the bad guys, which earns her respect from Robb. He can't seem to stay away from her, luckily for me, so I get to see more of her subtle badass-ness. I can't wait to see what else this mysterious nurse has to offer in episodes to come!

4. Shae (Sibel Kekilli): Shae originally appears as Tyrion's not-so-typical prostitute, but her frank and mysterious nature helps her slip into the Lannister's heart. He falls deeply in love with her and does everything he can to protect her after smuggling her to King's Landing, and she repays that love with a fierce devotion, more than once declaring that she'd kill anyone who tries to hurt her Tyrion. Like Talisa, I believe she has more badassery up her sleeves, and I'm dying to see more!

3. Arya Stark (Maisie Williams): Arya is the tomboy daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark, and hopefully my future daughter. This girl has been picking up weapons from a young age and been kicking ass with them. She finds things like crushed and sewing boring, preferring to fence with her friends and pull pranks on her siblings. Her bravery and independence helps her survive many obstacles in her Game of Thrones journey, and her quick wit, intelligence, and manners keep her alive with even the most dangerous of foes. I see her only growing stronger, and more awesome.









2. Brienne (Gwendoline Christie): She debuts in the second season, so we don't see her overly much, but she's already made quite an impression! This noblewoman decides to become a knight, briefly serving in Renly Baratheon's Kingsguard until his death. After that, she's at the call of Catelyn Stark, and proves herself to be a loyal and resourceful warrior. She focuses on her skill as a knight instead of more trivial things, and her sense of honor could be legendary. Carry on, Brienne!

1. Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke): Daenerys a.k.a. Mother of Dragons a.k.a. Dothraki Khaleesi a.k.a. Motherfucker, I'm a badass bitch, pay me tribute NOW!! She marries Khal Drogo a.k.a. CONAN, survives sex with him, and quickly grows from the quiet pawn of her brother to a queen in her own right. Life among the Dothraki strengthen her, and the death of her husband gives her the resolve to return to Westeros, with the first dragons hatched in centuries on her shoulders, and get herself a friggin' throne. And knowing her, she'll probably get it too.

Top 5 Annoying Trends in Popular Culture Today

Every generation goes through an obscene amount of stupid trends and phases, and since I'm a 90's kid, I can only truly speak on the crazy things my generation decided to deem cool. Sometimes it's stupid stuff in the media, sometimes it's stuff spread by the internet that "cool" kids decided to bring into the real world. Some of them aren't that bad, but a lot of them are going to be embarrassing things we're going not going to want to tell our kids. Here are the top 5 trends I can't wait to see disappear, and hopefully they'll do it soon.

5. Reality Shows: This one I'm not incredibly upset with, because I like certain reality shows, but I am getting pretty sick of seeing all of the replications with "special twists" and seeing families we weren't aware existed suddenly demanding our attention. Recently, there have been an explosion of music competition shows, like "The Voice", "Duets", and the American version of "X Factor", and with "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" launching the blended Kardashian-Jenner family into the spotlight, we're seeing more and more famous families deciding to put their lives on display. Jersey Shore helped put Jersey-anything on the reality tv map and even something-wives are getting shows ("Basketball Wives", "Real Housewives of (Insert Place Here)", and the short-lived "Rock Wives"). And don't forget the explosion of dating shows a few years ago that VH1 took and sprinted with!
Which brings me to my next issue: everyone's getting a damn show nowadays. Remember when you used to actually be able to do something well to get the spotlight? Me too. Now all you have to do is get pregnant young, or be from Jersey and get into public fights, or even just marrying the right person.
We're turning the most ridiculous (and occasionally, boring) people into celebrities, and making notoriety a right instead of an honored achievement.

4. YouTube Shows: This one doesn't really affect me  too much, because I rarely get on YouTube unless it's to listen to music or get my abridged fix, but some of these YouTube shows are getting a little too ridiculous. I don't completely understand why there are so many makeup channels, or this Shane Dawson fascination. They have an audience for their stuff, so good for them, but then we get the people who think they can do it too, and then the internet's full of people trying too hard and feeling entitled to hits and views.
It's even worse when some of them get on television for it. Obviously, the most famous YouTube star is Justin Bieber, but people like Fred and the Annoying Orange got series on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. I see a lot of people on YouTube that should be on tv, or be stand up comedians, but because they're not "cute" or are popular, they don't get recognized for their talent. I'd rather watch a Spoken Reasons stand up special or listen to Kingsley rant on the radio than watch the Annoying Orange show.
Now, I'm not hating or saying that the creators of these shows shouldn't be successful, because it's awesome that social media can be a launching pad for a career, because you being popular there means the people like whatever it is that you're putting out. But sometimes, the people like some of the most senseless stuff, and the rest of us kind of just have to go along with it. Not all of them are bad either; there are a lot of shows on YouTube I really enjoy and subscribe too. I guess I just wish that people would stop acting like the internet is going to make them a star and harass people for attention.

3. Disney Starlets: I know, this has been going on for years, but it really didn't become clear to me until I noticed that Disney Channel was trying hard to launch the careers of the "Good Luck Charlie" girl and the chick on "Suit Life on Deck". Disney just this conveyor belt of stars that they refuse to stop, or even just tweak the qualifications a little bit.
I don't care about every pretty girl that can sing, dance, AND act getting their own sitcom on the Disney Channel, so I don't watch that station. But Disney has Hollywood's balls in such a vice grip that these teenage, hormonal, probably becoming entitled and possibly on their way to an early meltdown, over-promoted girls are everywhere, and nobody can escape the mouse's wrath.
This may seem a little crazy, but I used to learn lessons while watching Disney shows, whether or not the stars of them were popular or not. Now it's the stupid punchlines, the albums and tv shows, and the public persona these stars have to put on to not piss off parents and lose a fanbase, when all they probably want to do is hang out with their friends without bodyguards and to sneak out of the house to be stupid without some people with a friggin' camera catching them as they climb over the fence.
That, and I just really don't care for these girls.

2. Zombies and the Apocalypse: If I ever hear about the Apocalypse these days (which already makes me want to roll my eyes), somebody, without fail, brings in the zombies. Boys (and some girls), I don't care how you're going to protect yourselves from the zombie virus, or what places in the city has the best vantage points, or anything regarding zombies. We're not going to sit here and chat about how awful the world would be if everyone we know and love became flesh-eating crazies.
I'd be less upset if most of these people would stop assuming everyone cared about this topic. Almost every person I know or meet wants to bust open their "Zombie Survival Guide" handbook and trade tips with me. This even refers to the apocalypse, which I'm not too concerned about happening. If it comes, it comes, I can't do anything about it. I'm all for people wanting to be prepared for the worst, but this is ridiculous. Once again, enjoy your fascination of choice, and hurrah if you find more people to share it with, but zombies are not a religion so stop trying to convert me. And no, you cannot have my shovel.

1. Dance Music: Pop music is in it's cycle of popularity again, but this time, people wanted to incorporate dubstep and techno into everything. Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Cobra Starship, almost everyone is bringing in dance music into every track they record. It's music, so freedom of speech and creativity for all, but it's making parts of my brain pop.
It doesn't have to be in almost every single song. It doesn't have to be experimented with by every single artist. This phase of music is actually making me excited for when rap comes back, and I can't handle a lot of that. I like some of dance music, but please guys, stop dropping the bass and leave the autotune alone.

Top 5 Annoying Trends in Movies

I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that Hollywood is failing to deliver some pretty good movies. Some are passable, a lot of them aren't worth the time to see, and many of them are pandering to a specific audience that they forget to just make a decent film. There have especially been a lot of trends in movies lately that are driving me crazy and am tired of seeing, and here they are!

5. CGI: (Examples: Disney and Pixar, Dreamworks) I grew up during the Disney Renaissance (as you might've noticed before) so this comes from a bit of a biased place on my part. But I'm really, REALLY sick of seeing all these CGI movies, especially in place of 2D animation. Some movies I approve of, like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Shrek, but most of them, especially by Pixar..... just no. Those movies all seem the same and they are just hard for me to watch. Yuck.

4. Book/Movie Franchises: (Examples: Twilight, The Hunger Games) Let me completely honest here, I've never seen nor read The Hunger Games, and I will make a conscious effort to make sure it never happens. Nothing against the series, I'm just sick of everybody trying to find the next Harry Potter. It seems like Hollywood's tired of creating new material, so they just take books, turn them into TV series on ABC Family and the CW or try to turn them into blockbusters. Part of the magic of reading is building up my own damn imagination. I don't need you guys casting the characters I grew to love and popping my unique literary bubbles.

3. Rated 'R' Comedies: (Examples: The Change-Up, Bad Teacher) Everyone's trying to be ballsy. Everyone's trying to push the boundaries. STOP. Those movies usually end up showing the effort the writer's took in trying to be raunchy and jaw-dropping. Guys, it just looks sad now.

2. Long-Awaited Sequels: (Examples: Men in Black, Dumb and Dumber To) A sequel after a couple of years is one thing. Hell, after five years is even okay. This decade-long b.s., however, is getting out of hand. We really don't need to continue series that did well back in the 90's or early 00's. We should be trying to start new things. Thanks for the nostalgia, but the effect is simply gone.

1. Love Triangles: (Examples: Twilight, The Hunger Games) Twilight made being torn between two guys hot again, and it's infuriating. I suppose having those "Team This Guy" battles help sell tickets and merchandise, but it's getting out of hand. I'm sick of the love triangles getting promoted the most or being expanded on to bring in the teenage girls. Look, boybands are coming back; we have enough variety to choose from. Just give us a friggin' good story instead of the guys you think we think are hot. Comprende?

Top 5 Authors

I'm a big reader, and have been since I was young. I especially love fantasy series, because I love getting into a magical world with powers and fantastic elements and being able to travel with it for a long time. So anyone who can get me sucked into a new place and go on an adventure, I'm really grateful to. So here's my list of my top 5 wizards of literature, the captains of the voyages to new worlds, my top 5 authors!

5. Jeaniene Frost: Since Stephanie Meyers' Twilight series became popular, pop culture has seen a resurgence in vampire fiction, especially in young adult series such as The Vampire Diaries and House of Night. Jeaniene's Night Huntress series, however, is definitely not for "young" adults, and her vampires aren't as mopey and peace-loving. Her vampires fight, kill without a second thought, and are so hot-blooded between the sheets, you'd think they were alive. The Night Huntress universe is so easy to follow and the characters are so witty and out-there that the series is an enjoyable read, and the more passionate scenes don't feel forced or sappy in any way. Jeaniene, you reminded me that not all vampires trail behind uninteresting mortals and reject their own natural instincts, some of them kick ass, takes names, and take lovers while they're at it! Jeaniene's series walked up to Stephanie's, slapped it in the face, and told it to make her a sandwich, which it did; yeah, that's how pimp her books are compared to Twilight.


4. Laurell K. Hamilton: A lot of people know Laurell for her popular Anita Blake series, but she trapped me with her second series, Meredith Gentry. Look, I'll be honest; the writing could be a lot better. I don't need to be reminded of the same facts I learned from previous books in every single new one I pick up. But I did wind up genuinely caring about the characters, and it's fun to see how different a human's mind and lifestyle is to the creatures she brings in her books. In her world, anything is possible, and I mean anything, and that's half the fun right there!

3. Darynda Jones: Darynda is one of the best new authors today, in my honest opinion. Her Grave series, featuring private investigator and grim reaper Charley Davidson and her dysfunctional family and friends (both living and dead), is funny in all the right places, serious whenever it needs to be, and fantastically written everywhere. Charley reminds me of myself, and I swear that Darynda's following me and writing down my imaginary adventures. The characters are irrevocably loveable, the concept is very fresh, and her writing style is enviable. In the days where vampires and werewolves are holding the top spot, this shining little gem of literature is making its own spotlight, and it's more than well-deserved!

2. J.K. Rowling: The Queen of Magic herself, J.K. Rowling opened the doors to Hogwarts and generations of avid and dedicated readers have no plans to leave! Of course, J.K. is the one who introduced us to the little boy under the stairs, The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, and over the course of seven spell-binding books, let us travel his magical journey of realizing who he is as a wizard and as a man. The Harry Potter series inspired people to read and rewarded its readers with lessons of friendship, responsibility, and finding magic within yourself that doesn't need a wand. J.K.'s shining series was so successful, it spawned a multi-billion dollar movie franchise, videogames, merchandise, and a website called Pottermore. If Jo isn't the queen, then I don't know who is.

1. Sara Douglass: Sara is the most bewitching and enchanting author to ever set a book in front of me. Through her multiple series, she inspired me to write, to let the story write itself instead of trying to dictate its message, and that every situation, no matter how hopeless, had a solution, even if the solution doesn't seem even remotely possible. Her somber and intense Troy Game quartet was the first rabbit hole I fell in, and then I ended up in Tencendor in Wayfarer Redemption. Sara died in 2011 from cancer, but what she gave to me will live on in myself, and my own writings. Axis and Azhure will keep singing and riding across the land. WolfStar will keep causing trouble. Brutus will keep breaking hearts and becoming the better person he always had the potential to be. Thanks to her, I will always hear the StarDance, and know beauty exists, because nature put it there. Sara is, and will always remain so, my favorite author of all time, because she made, within her characters and her magical word, a home for me that I fit in with.
Thank you, Sara. May your ears always hear the StarDance and your feet always always find the path to the Sacred Grove.