December 2, 2008 Pt. 2

Before...and...After

Patrick Swayze: Don’t believe the tabloids, he says. (We could’ve told you that!) Yes, he does have cancer but the battle against it is going well and he is not on his deathbed. Hurrah!

SAG: Is it possible an actors’ strike won’t make much of a difference? That could be the case, predicts the LA Times, which points out that many shows are made under AFTRA rules and thus won’t be on strike.

Prison Break: Even Robert Knepper knows his character T-Bag is an “animal.” But here’s what we want to know: if the show does end with this season, as rumored, will T-Bag finally get the death he deserves?

Gossip Girl: Given how much the stars’ looks have changed since they started in the biz, we have renewed hope that we, too, will one day be magazine cover-worthy.

TV Sales: Who knew you could use them to measure the state of the economy?

Soap Operas: From fired stars to greatly-reduced salaries, the economy sure is killing one of our favorite genres. Melodramatic indeed.

Soap Operas Pt. 2: We have to give All My Children credit for casting a real-life Iraqi veteran to play one on the show. But more credit goes to J.R. Martinez himself for all he’s accomplished since being severely burned in 2003.

Salvation Army: Using Facebook and Twitter to drum up donations. Clever or tired?

Facebook: Feeling spammed by application requests? (See above for an example.) You’re not alone.

TiVo: Do you record and record but never actually sit down and watch and yet you still don’t delete? Then you’re suffering from TiVo guilt! Don’t you feel better now that there’s an actual diagnosis? We’re pretty sure we’d have this, too, if we actually had a TiVo.