If you want to escape to the glamorous side of being young, wild and free, you watch Gossip Girl. For how to be thirty, flirty and fabulous, retreat to Sex and the City. But for a generation of women trying to navigate a discouraging job market and the confusion of their twenties, there’s nothing to watch on TV. Not until now, at least. Thanks, Lena Dunham, for Girls — the best show on television for a lost flock of soon-to-be women.

I’m raving about HBO’s newest half-hour comedy (produced by Bridesmaids’ Judd Apatow) that follows four twenty-somethings who are “living the life” in NYC: Hannah is penning a memoir and hopes to become the voice of her generation, Jessa is a British bohemian who travels the world without a care or a budget, Marnie is in a perfect relationship and works at an art gallery, and Shoshanna is a virginal nerd who remains naive and enthusiastic about everything. A few of these characteristics echo those of a very successful HBO show, one whose lead character eventually wrote multiple books on love and has become the voice and fashion icon of this generation.

But be warned, Sex and the City fans: this show is nothing like Carrie Bradshaw’s search for love in the Big Apple.

In fact, these characters aren’t even really looking for that kind of thing at all — Hannah’s sadly content with a grotesque friends-with-benefits situation, while Marnie is disgusted her too-touchy-feely boyfriend. Even more so, these characters are too busy simply trying to pay skyrocketing rents with low or nonexistent paychecks, and are complaining — heavily — along the way. Why won’t Hannah’s parents just give her $1,100 a month for two more years? Don’t they want her to write that great memoir? Doesn’t a year of interning at a company mean anything in NYC? Should she just get a job at McDonald’s or should she go through life as a starving artist and fulfill her purpose?

Yes, these questions sound like they were lifted from the #firstworldproblems feed on Twitter, and since the show debuted on HBO this past Sunday, its critical acclaim has been clouded by a ton of backlash — mostly saying that the show isn’t the least bit escapist but is just a bunch of entitled white girls whining about money. Even more so, these complaining characters are played by privileged people themselves: Hannah is played by the daughter of photographer Laurie Simmons, Marnie is played by NBC anchor Brian Williams’ daughter, Jessa is portrayed by the daughter of Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke, and Shoshanna is played by playwright David Mamet’s daughter. The haters say it’s hard to watch, connect with and feel sorry for characters who are as spoiled and provided for as the actresses who play them.

And as much as I agree with the critics on the point that this show seems absolutely ridiculous, I also hate to break the news that today’s generation of graduating females appear as ridiculous and entitled as the girls of Girls. We spend our undergraduate careers searching for our passions, for a way to be unique. We party hard on Thirsty Thursdays, spend hundreds of dollars on a weekend at Coachella and consider ourselves invincible to inevitable hangovers. We adopted “YOLO” before the phrase was an acronym, because we value the pleasure of an immediate moment over the security of our futures — which is why we move back home with our parents or couch surf until creativity strikes. We are Gen Y, and we look crazy, wasteful, entitled and spoiled to every generation who walked the earth before us. We really hope we don’t have to resort to careers in fast food — we feel like we’re entitled to something better, after working our asses off for our degrees and looking up to the ladies of Sex and the City for so long now (maybe that wasn’t such a good idea after all). Because we really only do live once, and we want to experience as many highs as possible before we’re buried six feet under — whether that be trying opium tea, eating cupcakes in the bathtub or becoming the voice of our generation. This is what life looks like when young people are still trying to figure it all out how life is supposed to be.

All of this doesn’t mean that we, like this show and its lost, poor and unemployed lead character, won’t be great. In this new type of economy, coupled with the digital age, the emerging remote workforce and the decline of traditional life goals, we twenty-somethings seem to just need a little more time to get there. And though it’s no reality show or documentary, being able to finally see an incredibly accurate representation — literally, since not everyone onscreen is a size zero, for once — of our confusion on television is simultaneously awkward, comforting, hilarious and therefore, entertaining. Because now we know — we’re not the only ones going through all this.

And that’s exactly what producer Judd Apatow was going for:

“It was built to be a show that you’d have to defend or argue about — for some people, it would make them angry,” said Judd Apatow on the backlash over the past week. ”There’s funny things to hate about it, because it is about people who are self-entitled and smart and screwing up their lives. It’s supposed to be about people who are a disaster and privileged, and every time you do something about people like that, people go, ‘Why are they like that?’ Well, because that’s the point of the show. The joke of it. People go, ‘Why are men immature in your movies?’ Well, because they are immature and it’s funny to see them try to figure it out.”

The first episode of Girls is available online for the next month — watch it below and see for yourself. Warning: the episode is definitely NSFW — it is HBO, after all — so don’t have this streaming while bored in your next lecture! Until you’re back in the privacy of your dorm, watch the super safe trailer below:

Whose side are you on — is ‘Girls’ just a justification for complaining about non-problems, or is the new HBO show going to be the voice of our generation?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

Amidst your old favorites, there are always some new faces. It’s true for the first day of classes and it’s true for the Fall television schedule. With so many new faces this season, though, it’s not easy to decide which shows deserve that coveted slot on your DVR and which ones aren’t even worth a line on your TV guide.

CollegeCandy is here to help you sort them out. We’ve picked five new shows you won’t want to miss this year. Get your popcorn (or cookie dough – we don’t judge) ready, because Fall TV starts NOW.

Hellcats
Premieres: Wednesday, September 8, 9:00 p.m. on The CW

What It’s About: When college student Marty Perkin’s financial aid gets dropped thanks to budget cuts, the overachiever has to find a way to pay up or drop. Desperate for a way to stay in school, Marty turns to cheerleading, and the full scholarship that comes with a place on the team. With an attitude more punk than prep and some hardcore gymnastic moves, Marty lands herself a place on the team. But can she keep it? And does she want to?

Why You Should Watch It: Okay, so it’s not the most compelling storyline ever, but this has Bring It On written all over it. And, come on, you know you love that movie/always wished someone would turn it into a TV show. Marty is this year’s Missy. And you don’t want to miss that. Watch the promo here.

Nikita
Premieres: Thursday, September 9, 9:00 p.m. on The CW

What It’s About: Rescued from death row as a teenager by a secret government association, Nikita was given a new chance at life. A life as a spy and an assassin.  She suffered through the training and played by their rules, but still managed to fall in love with a civilian.  When Division, the government agency that recruited her, found out, they killed her fiancé and covered up his death. Fueled by her desire for revenge, Nikita escapes, making it her mission to not only expose Division, but put an end to it.

Why You Should Watch It: Critics have been giving this thriller rave reviews all summer long. The second television adaption of  La Femme Nikita holds its own against its predecessors just as well as Nikita holds her own against her enemies in nothing more than a string bikini. Your DVR could use a dose of female empowerment, don’t you think? Watch the promo here.

Boardwalk Empire
Premieres: Sunday, September 17, 8:00 p.m. on HBO

What It’s About: It’s 1920. The war is over, Wall Street is booming, and everyone thinks they can rule the world. The show stars Nucky Thompson, part politician and part gangster,  making a name for himself in an anti-prohibition Atlantic City. He does business with everyone from Big Jim Colosimo to Lucky Luciano to Al Capone.

Why You Should Watch It: It’s an HBO show. It’s written by Terrence Winter, the same man who brought you The Sopranos. And it’s directed by Martin Scorsese. If that doesn’t convince you to give this a shot, nothing will. Watch the promo here.

My Generation
Premieres: Thursday, September 23, 8:00 p.m. on ABC

What It’s About: Meet the class of 2010, ten years later.This documentary-style drama takes you into the lives of these high school graduates ten years after the fact to find out how much has really changed, and how much still needs to.

Why You Should Watch It: The high school reunion show has been done before, both in the world of drama and in the world of reality. But this strange mix of fiction that feels like fact hasn’t. And it just might work. If for no other reason, tune in to take a look back at the year 2000 and all the horrible fashion that came with it. Watch the promo here.

No Ordinary Family
Premieres: Tuesday, September 28, 8:00 p.m. on ABC

What It’s About: The Powells were just an ordinary family. Until their plane crashed into contaminated water. Now Dad’s indestructible, Mom’s super-speeding through her daily routine, their daughter can read her friends’ minds and their son is acting even more brainy than usual. Watch as this ordinary family comes to terms with their extraordinary powers.

Why You Should Watch It: They’re a family with superpowers. A teenage girl with mental telepathy. A teenage boy who can breeze through his geometry homework. A father who turns his garage into a lair. And a mother super-speeding through her day to find time for work and family. Only hysterical things can come of this. Plus, Heroes got canceled, so you know you need something to fill that superhero shaped hole in your heart. Watch the promo here.

Got any other new shows you think are worth watching? Share them below! Lord knows I have plenty of time to fill when I’m not in class this semester.

How to work a braid

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A show about the porn industry!?

The power of sexual touch

How to wear hoops like a grown-up

Dress like a pretty little liar

How long is too long when you’re having sex

]]> http://collegecandy.com/2010/08/19/candy-dish-welcome-back-braids/feed/ 0 ccandystaff braid copy http://collegecandy.com/2010/06/24/coupled-and-fighting-over-the-remote/ http://collegecandy.com/2010/06/24/coupled-and-fighting-over-the-remote/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:00:39 +0000 Kari- Florida State http://collegecandy.com/?p=64803 ]]>

You know that scene in Get Him To The Greek when Aaron’s girlfriend says something to the effect of, “Omg I can’t wait to watch like 100 hours of Gossip Girl”? I laughed hysterically (It’s funny cuz it’s true!). David did not (for the same reason).

I don’t know about you guys, but when I get home after a long day of interning, working, and gymming, all I want to do is eat dinner and zone out to one of the thousands of Real Housewives or Say Yes to the Dress episodes I have DVR’ed. Unfortunately, my live-in boyfriend isn’t on the same page. Especially now that it’s baseball season.

Without our usual primetime lineup to veg out to (If you’re an avid CC reader you’ll know about my unerring obsession with Comedy Night Done Right), the pickings have been slim for couple-friendly shows.

Until Now. Enter this summer’s surefire couple-pleasing shows. Read on, DVR and get some popcorn ready.

Last Comic Standing: David and I love this show because it’s (obviously) hilarious. But we love this show even more because Craig Robinson is the host. He’s charmingly side-splitting, and I personally think he’s kinda sexy. Disturbingly enough, David agrees. Anyways, the comedians are either really funny or funny because they don’t know how bad they are. And in either instance, the celebrity judges Greg Giraldo, Natasha Leggero (Chelsea Lately!) and Andy Kindler will crack you up. I’m soo happy this show is back, because girl or guy, who doesn’t love to laugh?

Lie to Me: The eccentric Dr. Lightman is back! This show is 65% Criminal Minds + 20% House + 15% Castle…and the main character is British. Besides the fact that after watching you’ll enjoy talking to each other with distinctive accents for the remainder of the evening (and you’ll say things like “the remainder of the evening”), Dr. Lightman (Cal Roth) is seriously badass. Basically he and his team of uber-psychologists read body language to catch bad guys. Realistic? No. Awesome? Yes.

TrueBlood: The Vampire craze goes coed with Eric, Bill and Sookeh. This weekly drama is a satiating hour long (but the end still comes way too soon every Sunday). It’s got blood and guts galore for him, along with seriously sick fight scenes. For the ladies, it’s got twisted, passionate love stories, Southern gentlemen vampires from a century or two ago, and Alexander Skarsgard. The sex scenes will spark both of your imaginations, and strong, sexy and feisty Sookie is a heroine guys and girls can root for. Plus, HBO has to put all of their parental control warnings (SDVM) on every episode, so you know it’s gonna be good.

Top Chef: There are 3 reasons why Top Chef just might be the ultimate couples’ show. 1. Incredible Food 2. Crazy characters 3. Padma and Tom (I don’t know what it is about that shiny bald head but Colicchio is one smooth, badass mofo). Every season David and I get seriously pumped for Top Chef…like we countdown the announcement of where the new season will be held and set the DVR to record the next episode a week in advance. It’s so much fun to pick our favorites – and we’ve gotten pretty good at it! I picked Angelo, he picked Kenny, and after you watch this season, you’ll know why. It’s a great way to have fun competition with your guy while expanding your vocabulary (seriously, now I know what brunois means). Plus, you can borrow their challenge ideas for a sweet date night. David has accepted my challenge to a cook off, and trust me, once we’re done with Top Chef South Florida, I’ll tell you lovely readers all about it!

There are so many shows about to premiere this summer that I know David and I will be able to agree on (Hello Entourage, Wipeout and Mad Men). How about you guys? What will you and your boyfriends be watching this summer?

And with all the amazingness that summer TV has to offer, kicking back with a Diet Coke and some Smart Pop (and probably some aloe to rub on that “I’m having so much fun I forgot to put on sunscreen” burn) will be just as good as a day at the wave pool. Actually, considering the amount of chilren that pee in that place, this is a whole lot better.

Secret Life of the American Teenager
June 22

The Secret Life is back, baby!! When the season ended, Amy delivered baby John, Ashley moved in with her dad, Grace + Jack = 4-ever, and Adrian ended up alone.  Season Two brings more baby mama drama for Amy, and SOMEONE WILL DIE! (Duh duh duuuuuh.)

Army Wives
In Progress

Think being a soldier in the army is hard? It is. But the Army Wives have their own troubles: falling out of love with their husbands stationed in Iraq, starting a career, kissing a doctor (boss), getting a motorcycle, sending their sons off to war, having an affair… it’s a rough time!! And that was only one army wife.  This circle of women is tough! They fight off stalkers, tend to husbands with PTSD, deal with the death of family members, and battle the vicious tongues of the other prying wives. This show is incredibly moving and drama-rific; perfect for a summer night.

Nurse Jackie
In Progress

Oh yeahhh! Edie Falco is back on the tube. Unfortunately, she is no longer Carmela Soprano.  Instead she plays Jackie O’Hurley, an emergency room nurse in New York City.  Jackie is brilliant, sarcastic and witty, but super flawed and abuses meds to get through the days.  I smell drama.

(PS. For those looking for a Twilight fix, Peter Facinelli plays a doctor on the show! Hotness.)

Entourage
July 12

Maybe you’ve got a Soft spot for E, a secret crush on Turtle, hots for Drama, totally wanna eff Vince. Or maybe you love ‘em all. (Sigh.) Either way, they are comin’ back in a big way and bringing some hot friends along with em. In Entourage’s sixth season, expect cameos by teen heartthrob Zac Efron, Kate Mara (E’s new secretary) and more.  Let’s just hope things turn up for Vince… and he doesn’t lose (CollegeCandy’s fave) Ari to the other side of Hollywood.

NYC Prep
June 23

Gossip Girl’s season just ended but never fear – there is a replacement. Albeit, a watered down replacement sans the Blair-Chuck drama and soothing voice of an anonymous tell-all. NYC Prep is a reality show (yes, another one) that stalks the “elite teens” of New York City and gives us glimpses of their (totally absurd, puke-in-your-mouth) drama.  Yes, it’s embarrassing to be excited for this, but we won’t tell if you won’t.

Jon and Kate plus Eight
In Progress

Jon and Kate are taking care of their eight kids and struggling with their marriage. With the tabloids showcasing Jon’s alleged affair with a 23-year-old,  his family speaking out against the supposed child exploitation, and  the humane society is after Jon for animal abuse – this show just got higher on my radar.

True Blood
June 14

If you didn’t watch this show last season, you better start. Just be prepared for some serious vampire sexy time (this is most definitely not Twilight).  True Blood promises a lot more nudity and violence this season and yes, just as much romance.  Rumor has it that Evan Rachel Wood (known for Across the Universe, Marilyn Manson’s ex-gf, Thirteen) will be in Season 2 as a powerful, vampire Queen.

America’s Got Talent
June 23

Most of the people on this show amaze me.  Most.

Project Runway
August 20

Project Runway is finally back and even if it’s now on Lifetime, it’s still gonna be good.  It’s been far too long since we’ve had our Tim Gunn/Heidi Klum/Michael Kors fix, so we’re trying to make it work as we count down the days to the premiere.

10 Things I hate about you
July 7

Should there even be a television series based on a classic movie? Will it survive one season? Why oh why are all the Nickelodeon and Disney tween idols acting in it? I can’t answer any of these questions, but I will most definitely be watching.

This past Monday, season five of Weeds premiered on Showtime and reminded me of one of my biggest girl crushes – Mary-Louise Parker – who plays the sassy, snappy California soccer mom turned rebellious drug-dealer on the television mega-hit. Beautiful, talented and unafraid to show off her stuff (Parker posed nude in advertisements for the third season in 2007 and appeared naked in a bathtub in the season 4 finale… not bad for 46 years old!), Mary-Louise has come a long way from her hometown of Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

In addition to earning acclaim as Nancy Botwin, Weeds’s pot-pushing, Mexican-border-hopping protagonist, Parker has demonstrated that she is well suited for the stage. In 2001, she won a Tony award for her Broadway performance in Proof (which was then turned into a movie and snatched up by Gwyneth Paltrow), and she received both a Golden Globe and an Emmy for her work in the HBO miniseries Angels in America. MLP added to her Emmy tally, and added a Screen Actors Guild Award to her resume, for her guest performances on seasons three through seven of the political drama, The West Wing.

In 1996, Parker met and began dating heartthrob actor Billy Crudup, who ended the relationship while Parker was seven months pregnant with their son in 2004. He started dating Clare Danes immediately after the breakup, although he maintains that his decision to dump Parker on her pregnant booty had nothing to do with the beautiful blonde actress. Tom Brady, anyone? Since then, Parker has dated Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz, actor-director Timothy Hutton, and Weeds co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, to whom she was engaged for a few months in 2008.

Mary-Louise Parker will continue to give hope to horny little potheads (and, um, normal 21-year-olds like myself) through 2010, as Weeds is confirmed to run through then. Perhaps she’ll help lead the efforts to legalize the happy green plant in the US?

“I’m really in favor of legalizing marijuana,” she said after accepting her Golden Globe in 2006. “I don’t think it’s that controversial.”

I have to confess that I’m a sucker for talent. I mean, who isn’t? If all these dancing/singing/acting/yadda yadda reality shows are doing so well, then the American public is certainly thirsty for some grade-A pizzazz. But while the hometown hotties on such shows are nice, what’s really effable is someone who’s taken time to hone their skills and grow into the limelight. A self-made man. And who’s a better example of that than Mos Def?

This week, he’s totally tops on my effable charts.

The Brooklyn hip-hop lyricist, born Dante Terrell Smith, first started recording music alongside his brother and sister as part of a group called Urban Thermal Dynamics. He has since broken off as a solo artist, and his 1999 album Black on Both Sides was his breakout achievement. He has also collaborated with such big names as Talib Kweli, Kanye West, and Common. And his slick, sexy, introspective side acquired a lot of recognition for his work on Russell Simmon’s Def Poetry on HBO. Confidence + smooth delivery= ultra-effability.

But that’s not all. He’s a respected actor whose Hollywood resume includes roles on The Chappelle Show, The Italian Job, and the newest Michel Gondry flick, Be Kind Rewind. Mos Def has been nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and multiple Grammys. Yeah, you could say he knows his way around the entertainment industry. Meow!

Mos Def’s newest film, Cadillac Records, opens today. How am I excited? Let me count the ways: 1) It’s a ’50s period piece (retro movies are always fun), 2) there’s sure to be a great soundtrack (it’s about a recording studio!) and 3) Mos Def plays Chuck Berry, the dynamic early rock-n-roll star. So while my man will be singing “Johnny B. Goode,” I’ll be thinking: Mos Def, be good to me tonight!

It’s no secret that here at CC, we love Entourage. HBO and Showtime never cease to entertain with shows like Dexter, Weeds, and True Blood, but for some reason, Entourage has always held a special place in our hearts (and no, it’s not just because of this).

Besides the witty and quippy writing, Entourage is almost always hilarious, last night’s episode being no exception (everyone trips on shrooms in the desert and Ari desperately calls Lloyd to get him through his ordeal). The characters are strange yet likeable, and the Hollywood “scene” has never been drawn quite so wackily. So yeah, we love the show. Love it enough to stay up late on a Sunday night or TiVo it to watch immediately after work.

But here’s the thing: there’s pretty much no way to feel good about your body once the credits roll. A show created, produced, directed, and mostly written by men, Entourage is bursting at the seams with “hot” women. I’ve been watching for 5 seasons, and I honestly can’t remember a time when a female character was anything less than absolute runway material.

Everyone has big boobs. Everyone is thin and tall enough to dunk a b. ball like Michael Jordan. It’s like the casting director opened up a Victoria’s Secret catalogue, pointed to every single girl in there, and made sure she got a spot on the show. Like the producers walked around Vegas with Pied Piper flutes and somehow made the entire population of showgirls, strippers, and car models follow them to LA (perhaps they offered them cookies that would eradicate cellulite?).

This got me thinking; Entourage is great and all, but most likely, it’s written with dudes in mind. Most of the guys in Vinny’s group are less than perfect (E’s four feet tall, Turtle looks like one, Drama isn’t hot in the least, and Ari is on the old side), and yet, they get all the vajayjay they could ever hope for from beautiful chicks who disappear from the plot as soon as they’ve served their purpose.

I’m not trying to be a killjoy; it’s obvious that we love hot strippers and girls with big boobs, but WTF?! There’s more women in the US than there are men — shouldn’t we be granted the right to A) see girls who represent more than just the small model percentage, and B) at least a few guys who are super smokin’?!

We wouldn’t dream of getting pissed off at our favorite show (it’s like getting mad at that adorable frat boy for falling asleep on your shoulder after shotgunning 9 beers), but it seems pretty obvious to us that Entourage could certainly improve it’s female following if they took into consideration just how sensitive some of us are to how we’re represented on screen.

What do you think? Should Entourage change it’s ways, or stay just the same?

If you have an expensive cable package, you love him as Ari on Entourage, and if you’ve only got basic, you love him from the small to medium roles he’s played in tons of various movies that were not always good. Now, on with the GWWEeeing…)

Two Sundays ago, the Emmy’s were on. I don’t watch the Emmy’s because they’re boring and everyone is always thanking God — who probably doesn’t give a crap about your little gold statue when there are wars and famines going on all over the globe — but I happened to switch over to it during a commercial break from TLC’s Incredible Medical Mysteries (best show ever. TiVo it NOW).

The part of the snooze-fest I ended up catching was Jeremy Piven‘s heartfelt acceptance speech for his 3rd Emmy for Entourage. And something just…happened. I was inexplicably drawn to his chiseled boyish middle-agedness. My insides got all hot and tingly. There was a need to see what he was rocking underneath that tux.

Maybe it was his fantabulous hair plugs. Or wig. Maybe it was his new cut bod. Maybe he went to a voodoo lady and found a potion to make girls almost 20 years his junior want to eff him. Whatever he did. It worked. I want to eff all 43 years of him.

I only wish the rest of the Internet would jump on the bandwagon and stop skimping my provocative Piven on the web love. As you can clearly see from the picture on the left, there is only one fan page dedicated my new sexy time fantasy, and it is lame. I think it was put up in 1999 and hasn’t changed since. Plus, nowhere on the site does it state “I want to eff Jeremy Piven.” How can you have a fan site and not want to eff the guy?

Apparently, some people think he’s kind of a man-slut who might have a ‘tude, but I can deal with a ‘tude. Especially if the ‘tude comes from a hot guy who’s been practicing yoga for 15 years. So he might be a little in love with himself. What actor isn’t? And maybe he likes models with big fake boobs. I don’t have big fake boobs but I still want to eff him.

Hellllo. Have you seen that trademarked smirk? Most of the time smirks are hot. And Piven’s is no exception.

So yeah. I want to eff Jeremy Piven. And he’s in New York right now. So maybe I can throw on a fake platinum wig and make sh*t happen.

I have been reading some great books, but I’ve also been watching some horrible television.  Seriously, people.  There are shows dedicated to moving walls with holes in them and the jumpsuit-clad morons who try to jump through.  There are shows that obviously employ monkeys to write their dialogue.  There are shows that are politically based and hours long and amount to nothing!  Even HBO and Showtime can’t save me, because besides a few great series, the movies they show during the day should never have been made in the first place.

But wait!  There is some salvation – in the form of lesser known networks and their even lesser(er?) known shows.  Shows that are fantastic but rarely seen by the normal person.  Let me use my time on the couch to your benefit and educate you on the Top 5 Shows You Don’t Know Exist But Are Awesome.

Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations (Travel Channel): We’ve featured Bourdain a few times on our site, mostly because he’s an OGIF  (Old Guy I’d Like To…).  But here’s the thing, his show is actually awesome.  Unlike a lot of TV cooks, Bourdain seems to fully understand what it is to apreciate all types of food, and is pretty fearless when it comes to A) traveling around the world and B) eating random things from random places.

Bourdain isn’t interested in comfortable hotels and beaches, he wants the raw and real experience of each place he visits.  Because of this, No Reservations tends to be less about weird food and more about the people of this world; how different we are, and how weirdly the same.  Bourdain’s narration is funny, deep, and often pretty badass…plus?  He can’t stand Rachel Ray. Obviously, the guy knows what’s what in this world.

Taboo (National Geographic Channel): Do you like gross scenarios?  How about watching people do cringe-worthy things to their bodies?  I haven’t been able to get through an episode without closing my eyes at least twice, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t find the whole experience fascinating.  This world is huge, there are people out there who believe and do things you wouldn’t believe…truly, the best part about Taboo is that it’s completely real.  We are freaking weird, and this show celebrates that weirdness.  Isn’t it time you did, too?

Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel): A documentary series on Alaskan crab fishermen.  It doesn’t sound interesting, but believe me, there’s nothing more interesting than watching these manly dudes take on ice, giant waves, and each other.  If you’re like me and have a thing for guys who look like lumberjacks (or crab fishermen), than this show is the perfect place to look for a potential husband.  Sure, some of the guys are probably legitimately crazy, but that just makes them more fun to dream about (mmm, crazy bearded manimals…)!

John and Kate Plus 8 (TLC): It’s not news that we at CC have a soft spot for this show about a family of twins and sextuplets.  There is just something inherently watchable about the Gosselins.  John and Kate are hilarious in their own ways (she’s kind of neurotic, he seems like he’s asleep half the time), and their kids are not only superbly adorable, but also really, really funny.  You would think that watching episode after episode of tantrums, screeches, and exhausting situations would totally turn anyone against having kids, but I have to say, the more I watch, the more I want some little mini-me’s of my own!  …Just not as many.

Ghost Hunters (SciFi): I’ve been watching Ghost Hunters for about 2 years, and I’m going to continue watching it until the last episode of the last season.  Is the show scary? Not really.  Sometimes they catch  weird sh*t on their tape recorders, and one time they literally caught a ghost on camera (I don’t care what you say, it HAPPENED!, but most of the time it’s just guys sitting in a dark room saying things like “what the frig?!” and “something just moved!”.  But because everyone involved in the show is just so damn real and normal, there’s a ton of strange entertainment value.

What do normal people look like when they’re watching a faucet turn on by itself? (it HAPPENED)  What do normal people do when they think something is chaising them?  Whether you believe in ghosts or not, this show is a funny and interesting look into how many people actually do.

[Any other lesser known shows the public needs to know about?  Spill!!]

(Photo from latimesblogs.latimes.com)