How can you celebrate the festival of lights without the brightest (or sexiest) light of them all, Drake? Do you remember when this Canadian cutie was cruising around in a wheelchair on Degrassi: The Next Generation? He’s come such a long way! (Literally, Canada is real far.) Between his secretive and saucy side relationship with Rihanna and his amazing rapping talent, this beauty keeps surprising us.

Let’s just hope he surprises us next year with a hot, hot Hanukkah album.

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If there’s one thing I love more than gorging myself on turkey (and stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie… mmm… wait, what was I talking about again?), it’s loafing on the living room couch before and after Thanksgiving dinner and taking in some fine Thanksgiving television.

Holiday-themed episodes of TV shows usually follow a predictable pattern—the gang is planning some kind of celebration until everything goes horribly awry. But by the end of the show, problems have been solved, fights have ended, and everyone sits down together to enjoy a nice meal and/or some serious present opening, accompanied by a well-known holiday tune.

While most Thanksgiving episodes still adhere to the formula, there’s something about them that makes them even more satisfying than Christmas/Hanukkah/Valentine’s Day specials. Maybe it’s because they tend to be less cheesy than other holiday shows. Maybe it’s because I just like watching people enjoy a hearty meal. Whatever the reason, Thanksgiving episodes deserve some appreciation.

So, without further ado, here’s my list of the best Thanksgiving episodes. They’re all funny, entertaining, and heartwarming without being cloying—yes, even that episode of South Park.

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The big tragedy of moving back into my apartment today was realizing that since I decided to save money by nixing the cable TV, I could not watch the Emmy Red Carpet show. It was traumatic. Watching the stars arrive and chat with Ryan Seacrest, Giuliana Rancic and the other annoying people they usually bring in is the highlight of my night and way more exciting than watching people ramble off a list of thank yous before they are kindly escorted off the stage.

Though, to be fair, Jimmy Fallon did have some really good moments.

Anyways, thank god for the Internet, right? I spent the evening scouring the World Wide Web to find out what all my favorite TV stars were wearing to the big event. And, much like Modern Family’s “Best Comedy Series” win, I wasn’t surprised to see a lot of good, a lot of bad and some major WTF.

The Gorge:

Tina Fey has become a red carpet all star, proving time and again that funny and beautiful can coexist. I LOVED the beading on this form fitting gown; it was full of personality, just like the lovely lady workin’ it. Somewhat new to the award show circuit, Nina Dobrev has come along way from the teen-mom she played on Degrassi.  My fellow Canuck looked like a Greek goddess in this Zuhair Murad dress. And what can anyone say about Glee bombshell, Dianna Agron? The girl looks stunning in a Cheerios uniform, so it’s no surprise she shined on the red carpet in this lace Carolina Herrera gown.

The Anti-Gorge:

Every year, with all the new designers and celebrity stylists out there, I wonder if there will be any bad fashion walking the award show red carpets. And every year, without fail, there are many. But how? How did anyone let Lauren Graham (who I absolutely adore) leave the house in a dress like that? The white bit makes the dress too bulky on the side, and she definitely could have used the “less is more” policy with her accessories. But that’s nothing compared to Carrie Preston. While her hair and makeup are both stunning, they aren’t enough to combat what she’s got going on below the neckline. Just look at the back! No on in their right mind should willingly add all that bulk to their badonk. And Eva La Rue? Are you going for the “sluttiest girl at the show” award? Between the slit, the cut-out and the one shoulder, this looks like something even Audrina Patridge wouldn’t wear. Also, can I point out that she is almost the color as the red carpet?

Uh….WTF?

While Ricky Gervais complained that there was no booze at the Emmys, it seems that at least a few TV starlets got their drink on before they even got dressed in the morning. Mindy Kaling‘s dress made her look like on of Willy Wonka’s Munchkins.  And there are no words to explain what is going on with top of her dress.  Or the bottom of the dress. Or that hair. I wonder who had their updo appointment first – Mindy or Naya Rivera.  Do you think their stylist offered a 10% discount on the Bump-its? Of course, Naya’s hair wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t pair it with that poofy ’80s-prom-meets-pageant-queen thing. Thank god she wasn’t wearing a corsage. And really, what can you say about Sarah Hyland’s dress? Homegirl had wings.  That is all.

]]> http://collegecandy.com/2010/08/30/emmy-fashion-the-good-the-bad-and-the-wtf/feed/ 8 Leah - Ryerson University 62nd-Annual-Primetime-Emmy-Awards-Red-Carpet-Pictures-17 copy tina nina dianna lauren carrie eva mindy naya sara http://collegecandy.com/2010/07/16/candy-dish-look-like-a-million-bucks-for-about-ten-bucks/ http://collegecandy.com/2010/07/16/candy-dish-look-like-a-million-bucks-for-about-ten-bucks/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:00:07 +0000 CC Staff http://collegecandy.com/?p=67041 thrift clothes look couture. • Robert Pattinson gets bit by a lion? • Sneak peak of 'Degrassi' season 10! • Justin Bieber is officially a superhero. • 9 sneaky ways to tell him you like him. • Did you smudge your mani? Fix it in seconds!]]>

Make those thrift clothes look couture.

Robert Pattinson gets bit by a lion?

Sneak peak of ‘Degrassi’ season 10!

Justin Bieber is officially a superhero.

9 sneaky ways to tell him you like him.

Did you smudge your mani? Fix it in seconds!

Britney Spears- Circus:

“There’s only two types of people in the world. The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe.”

So opens the title track on Britney Spears’ latest CD, Circus. Britney is clearly in the first category. And this is the album we’ve all been waiting for. The one that marks the start of her comeback. Wait, wasn’t her last album supposed to be her comeback? Well, forget about that because this time it’s for real. If you happened to take an hour out of your life to watch to her MTV documentary on Sunday night, you’d probably say she appears to be back on track. Then again, we’ve seen that before. But if Circus is any indication of Britney’s well-being, it’s safe to say the girl is back on her game.

Songs like “Circus” and “Kill the Lights” chronicle the tough times Britney’s had being in the public eye, but they’re not downers in the least bit. She even squeezes in a song about motherhood (wait, remember she’s a mom?) right at the end called “My Baby.” Let’s just hope she actually remembers that she has two babies. Circus is also loaded with songs I can see myself getting down to in the basement of my favorite bar. Clearly I’ve already done so with “Womanizer,” but “Leather and Lace” and “Mmm Papi” also have highly danceable beats.

Mr. Photographer? I think Britney’s finally ready for her close-up.

Akon- Freedom:

How can you not like Akon’s distinct, synthesized voice? His newest album, Freedom, features the hit single “Right Now (Na Na Na),” which I was just dancing to on Friday night. And while I’m always up for jamming to some Akon, it’s the special guests on the album that really make Freedom what it is. With collaborators like Wyclef Jean, T-pain, Lil’ Wayne, and Young Jeezy, there’s no way this album could be bad. You know everyone is going to memorize “Holla Holla” singing, “That’s why I’m tryna’ holla holla…let me holla at you girl”

Besides all the holla’ing, the album’s actually quite nice when you sit down and listen to the lyrics. Who knew Akon was such a sensitive soul? I have to say I kind of miss Wyclef Jean when he’s not around, so I was pretty thrilled to hear him on Akon’s “Sunny Day,” a song about leaving the ghetto life behind for a happier life. And then there’s a whole song about a girl being “so damn beautiful,” appropriately titled, “Beautiful.”

I’m not saying Akon’s got staying power, but I am saying I’d dance to his music any day.

Music From Degrassi: The Next Generation:

Maybe you don’t watch Degrassi. I won’t judge you if you don’t, but I will say you’re missing out (we’ll save that chat for another time). But even if you’ve never seen the show in your life, you’ll probably still fall in love with the show’s soundtrack. The only problem? The best of the music is so cool, you might already own most of it. From Paramore’s “Misery Business” to “Neighbors” from The Academy Is, most of these tracks are pure treadmill music, which is always a plus in my opinion.

But I’m sure there are some tracks you don’t own and may never have heard of. Much like the show, the music on the Degrassi soundtrack is predominantly directed toward teenagers. But who doesn’t enjoy teen music? All Too Much sings about liking someone as “More Than a Friend” and All Time Low croons emo-ish songs about first breakdowns and bad DJs. No matter who you are, the Degrassi soundtrack will help you remember a simpler time when high school really was the end of the world.

I’d take a break from watching Degrassi to listen to the Degrassi soundtrack. But only until I start feeling like I’m going to slit my wrists. Then it’s back to watching the show.

On Saved by the Bell, Elizabeth Berkley gained pre-Showgirls notoriety, for the famous Jessie Spano Caffeine Pill Breakdown (I’m so excited! I’m so scared!). Of course, Full House and SBTB were heart-warming sitcoms, where everyone learns their lesson in the end, and move away from their self-destructive behavior, never to mention anorexia, bullimia, or drug abuse ever again.

The breakout Canadian teen sensation, Degrassi, which airs in the US on The N network, covers a variety of teen issues, without the cavity-inducing sugary sweetness of the stuff we grew up on. Among the kids who dabble in drugs, alcohol, eating disorders, and bi-polar disorder, Degrassi introduced the world to Ellie Nash, who is a cutter.

I’m too old for Degrassi, but I don’t care. I’m pretty much obsessed with it. The best part about the show is that it doesn’t sweep the issues under the rug at the end of each 22-minute episode. And because the writers have the balls to “Go There.” I mean, come on: we all know the caffeine-pill incident was a stand-in for a harder drug, like speed or something, but hard drugs don’t exist at Bayside High.

I remember when the cutting craze swept my middle school. I have no idea who started it, or why it caught on, but at my school, cutting was the iPhone of the late 90′s. Everybody did it. How sick is that? Needless to say, I went through a period of self-mutilation. Before I explain, let me insist that hurting yourself is completely different from, say, suicidal tendencies. I didn’t want to die; I just wanted an outlet to relieve stress. So, when I got upset about some stupid middle-school-drama, I would sit in my room and make little cuts on my wrists or abdomen.

I know, this habit is totally lame, and morbid, and… did I mention lame? And that’s why I stopped; it was embarrassing to have to wear chunky bracelets or long sleeved shirts in the summer. When people asked what happened, I had to make up stupid excuses, and try not to look like a pseudo-goth psychopath. The “trend” at my school faded away along with flared jeans and Chumbawumba, and I grew out of my own habit.

But, there’s still a part of me that gets the urge to cut from time to time. Even though I am way to old to be relating to a fictional character like Ellie Nash, there was an episode where Ellie explains to some other troubled teen that her urge to cut is something she has to live with, not something that will go away. If I’m pissed off after a bad day at work, or stressed about an exam, sometimes I have the urge to hurt myself. It’s almost like craving a cigarette. Of course, I have healthier outlets to relieve stress, e.g. the Elliptical machine at the Y.

So, for whatever reason, cutting has been around for some time, and it is most likely to occur in teenage girls. Many of them will grow out of it, like I did, but there are cases when the habit can snowball and lead to serious outcomes. I think that shows like Degrassi do a better justice to the trials and tribulations of growing up, because we can’t all have a Zack Morris run into our bedroom and throw our problems on the floor.

I have a special place in my heart for terrible teen television. The O.C., Degrassi, Instant Star, South of Nowhere, Dawson’s Creek: I just can’t get enough of it. The cheesy acting, the terrible love dramas, the catty bitch fights. I LOVE IT.

Which is why I am pumped for my newest terrible teen television drama Gossip Girl. Being an angsty teen is hard enough but when you’re rich, pretty and living on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, life is so bad it’s good. I’m pretty sure I watched the trailer five times because I was THAT excited.

There have been reviews. The New York Times profiled the show while five real UES Manhattan girls watched the first episode. And a few have even written that Gossip Girl is nothing to gossip about. But this is no Arrested Development, people. This is bad television.

The acting is sub par and the plotline monotonous (teens drinking and doing it… not anything new), but this time instead of sunny California it’s New York City.

And a location change is enough for me to be interested. It’s new! It’s fresh! It’s probably awful and I love it.

If aren’t privy to the line up of events, here’s a quick rundown:

Serena van der Woodsen has just returned from a year at boarding school. No one knows why she left, and no one knows why she’s back. But the website Gossip Girl, which chronicles the latest happenings among these UES yuppie teens, has spotted her in Grand Central.

What follows is a tumultuous turn of events. Serena’s ex-BFF Blair is trying to do it with her boyfriend Nate because Serena is back in town. Apparently, Nate cheated on Blair with Serena. Oh, snap.

Blair’s big party, Kiss on the Lips, is happening and Serena isn’t invited. Instead she opts to hang with geeky boy Dan (the luscious Penn Badgly) instead.

Dan’s little sister Jenny snagged an invite to the party because she MADE the invites. Poor darling. She’s trying so hard to be a part of the in crowd. At the party bad-boy drunk Chuck almost rapes her. Good thing there are cells, and 911 texts because Dan and Serena come to save the day.

And then they hold hands. They HOLD HANDS.

Juicy!

So I’ve pretty much seen the entire first episode from the five minute trailer, but if you aren’t convinced enough to want to a part of the in crowd tonight at 9, I’ll give you one more good reason:

The clothes.

Rich girls have great clothes, and Gossip Girl is no exception.