Get Ready to GLOW by Katie Conway Thursday, March 16, 2017 - 0

Netflix has brought us some of our most beloved original comedies to date - including Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Master of None, Love, Grace and Frankie, and now - GLOW. 

It was announced earlier this month that GLOW  will be released for streaming on Friday, June 23, 2017. The show will be based on the popular televised program from the 1980’s called G.L.O.W - or the “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling”. The women’s wrestling program ran for 4 seasons from 1986-1990, and starred actresses, models, and dancers playing colorful characters in hopes of rising to stardom in Hollywood. 

This Netflix Original will take a closer look at the lives of the bad-ass Los Angeles women who performed on this zany, glitzy, and tough wrestling show. It will also star Allison Brie - best known for portrayal as sweet and quirky Annie Edison on the NBC cult favorite Community (2009-2015). Brie will be playing Ruth - an actress at the end of her rope, who takes a chance on G.L.O.W to help propel her to fame. Ruth must compete with former soap actress Debbie Eagan, played by Betty Gilpin (Nurse Jackie), who is returning to the scene after she left to have a baby. And all of the 14 women competing and starring on G.L.O.W will be lead by a beat down, washed up, former movie director named Sam Sylvia - played by stand-up comic Marc Maron (Maron, Almost Famous). 

Sounds like a cool concept, right? What’s even more exciting then a show about strong and talented women is the fact Jenji Kohan - of Weeds and Orange is the New Black fame - will be an executive producer! Orange is the New Black is one of the most diverse, dramatic, and funny shows we have available today, that not only represents women, but also realistically shows them as who we are, rather than what Hollywood wants us to be. I have full confidence in Kohan, along with other EP’s Liz Flahive (Homeland), Carly Mensch, and Tara Herrmann to pass this kind of representation and narrative excellence to GLOW. 

Can’t wait until June to see this sure-to-be Netflix classic? Check out the sparkly leotard filled, female-driven, 80’s pop-sounding, pink neon flushed trailer for the series below! (Or just re-watch episodes of Community and Orange is the New Black in the meantime…)

Read More

That Fuzzy Feeling of Rejection by Katie Conway Monday, March 06, 2017 - 0

That Fuzzy Feeling of Rejection
by Kathleen DeMarle

Here I am at a karaoke party at the local dive when I see my crush walk in. I take a swig of

my stale beer and ask the bartender for a scrap of paper. Scribbling fast, I jot down my phone

number. Taking a deep breath I adjust the collar of my jacket, flick my hair and zone out the bad

rendition of "Killer Queen" being sung in the background. I was ready to get rejected. I have a bit in my set in which I talk about how frequently I get rejected in dating. It happens to me a lot! A lot more than other people I know. Back in my college days, I had a no holds bar mentality when it came to dating. If I saw a guy I was interested in, and he hadn't approached me yet, I would go up to him and attempt to use a cheesy pick-up line, or leave him my number on a slip of paper. These tactics hardly ever worked. Okay, they never worked. It got to the point that I just embraced it as part of who I was. Rejection just became my expected outcome. I think once I accepted that, I stopped worrying about it. I decided to just start having fun with it. I would take bets on using bad pick-up lines and I would be my friends designated wing-woman. Rejection is bound to happen to you at one point or another. There's no good way to avoid it. So, why not put yourself out there?

Now, post college, I think getting rejected in my dating life has prepared me to deal with

comedy show bookers. Having only done comedy for a year makes me an "up and comer" or a "newbie" in the stand-up scene here in Boston. That being said, many people find the idea of talking to bookers scary and nerve racking. I think this is the first hurdle to overcome going from open mic shows to booked gigs. But, if you want gigs, you have to talk to bookers. But, if you talk to bookers, you run the risk of getting rejected. That's all part of the game.

For me, asking a booker for a spot is almost the same process as asking someone out on a

date. Okay, that sounds creepy, now that I've typed that thought out, but it's true. Either you awkwardly send a message, stalk a show you want to be on, or have an awkward conversation at an open mic. There is no pretty way to go about doing it. I always try to think positive. Sure, you're asking for a spot, you might get rejected, but you might also get a spot. If you don't ask, you'll never know. Rejection isn't the end. It might just mean that timing isn't right, or your material isn't the right vibe for that particular show. It doesn't mean that you should stop doing comedy, that you're not funny, or that a particular booker hates you. Don't use rejection as a reason to create excuses, and don't burn bridges with those who reject you. Rejection doesn't mean it's over. It just means you need to take a breath and push on.

Read More

Which Celebrity Are You Reacting To Moonlight's Best Picture Win? by Katie Conway Friday, March 03, 2017 - 0

This past Sunday was 89th Annual Academy Award ceremony, a.k.a “The Oscars”. After a pretty tame evening of performances, speeches, and awkward Jimmy Kimmel jokes, the night took a dramatic turn when La La Land was incorrectly awarded for Best Picture. After a tremendous envelope mix up, La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz immediately cleared up the mess and announced Moonlight as the actual Best Picture winner, proudly holding up the correct card for the whole world to see. The Dolby Theater went crazy! Never-mind the Internet - which wasted no time in satirizing and creating memes based on the biggest flub in Oscar history.

While La La Land was fun, colorful, and nostalgic, it felt all too done before. It was mainly reminiscent of Old White Hollywood and didn’t push any boundaries, or bring anything new or revolutionary to the table. Moonlight was the underdog to beat - a new American classic about metamorphism, sexuality, race, and identity. Though it was unfortunate La La Land was given a victory only to have it taken away from them moments after, it felt so right to see the cast and crew of Moonlight respectfully given the Oscar they deserved.  

With that being said, here’s the real question: Out of the variety of celebrity reactions to come from the most shocking of live television twists, which one are you? Take the quiz below to find out! 

Read More