Thursday, October 23, 2008

Ira Glass and the OC

You guys know that I love Ira Glass and want to be his intern. Or boss. Or friend. Or peer whom he respects and buys quirky-thoughtful birthday presents for. I found his confession of loving The O.C. totally endearing. He and his wife always watch it and when the theme song comes on they sing it out loud together. They know it's nerdy, but they love it. I love it! I have never seen The O.C. (is it good? Should I TIVO?) But Christian and I are like this with Law and Order. It's the comfort food of TV. It's always on. It follows a predictable pattern. I know to expect an unexpected ending. And when it starts. . . Christian and I sing along in parts: "Bow bow" "Duh duh duh duh duh." "Bow bow." "Duh duh duh duh duh" "Deedle leedle leedle leedle leeee!" And so on. I'm not a fan of SVU but I have grown to love Criminal Intent. At first I was an L&O purist. I just look back at myself and laugh!

One day before we got hip to Criminal Intent, Christian's mother told us about a whole episode. She talked about Detective Goren and how he's like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. The details were lost on us because when someone is telling you about a show you don't watch (and I have done this to people with whole SEASONS of Lost and Heroes) you kind of, oh what's the phrase? Don't care.

Then we started watching Criminal Intent during the writer's strike and found out that he is like Sherlock Holmes. He's brilliant! His partner, Eames, is the only person who really gets him. Christian loves Eames and understands their relationship the way I really understood the relationship between Mulder and Scully. Unlike Scully, who has gotten much thinner over the years, Detective Goren just gets fatter and fatter. He's also a little pigeon-toed. His mom is Rita Moreno. His dad is a serial killer. He once gave his no-good brother his coat. One time I looked Bobby Goren up on Wikipedia and I was proud to find that there was not a single fact about him there that I didn't already know. You really get to know a person watching them on TV ten times a week.

Which is to say nothing of my real favorite, Mike Logan or the show's new host, Jeff Goldblum. Anyway, Ira Glass was watching The O.C. and one of the characters mentioned his radio show, This American Life. "Is that the show where those hipster know-it-alls talk about how fascinating ordinary people are?" Can you imagine? I can imagine. I can imagine tuning in to Criminal Intent after the murder set up, when Goren and Eames come on the scene. Eames would be all, "How about that blog Every Day I Write the Book. . . Ever heard of it?" And Goren would reply, "Is that the one where the stay-at-home lamester talks about how thrilling ethnocentrism is?" And I would die a little.

15 comments:

  1. So what did Ira Glass say? Did he laugh? Did he feel stupid? Did you ever watch This American Life (the TV show)?

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  2. He thought it was funny and surreal. I just got the DVD of the TV show. It's really good.

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  3. The first season of the OC rocks. The others are worthless. Beyond worthless.

    I can't believe I just left a comment with the word "rocks" in it. I think that officially makes me ninety.

    I share your very great love for Ira Glass.

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  4. Did you get the episode where the Mormon guy paints pictures of Jesus? (who is super hot in real life. The model, not the Lord.)

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  5. I saw that--I was going to mention it in my last comment. It's such a great story.

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  6. I think I started watching Lost after you told me all about the first season and pestered Neil (while he had an alarmed look on his face) about his thoughts on it. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is why I started watching it.

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  7. I loved the OC. The first season might be one of the most brilliant to ever air on TV. It lost it's way the next couple, but the final season it was back, way back, and then it got canceled.

    I still go back and watch episodes, and I never watch old TV (Well, The Cosby Show and The OC.)

    You can watch it here, on hulu, and it's awesome. I miss it, I really do. I bet Ira misses it too.

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  8. Its way. Not it's. I was so excited about an O.C. discussion that I mistaked all over your comments.

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  9. I watched the first season, then lost interest after that since Anna (my favorite) moved away. Then I watched the last few episodes of the final season. Yowsa, I was not prepared for that ending.

    Anyway, I really liked the first season of The OC and I really like Ira Glass.

    I also like Ira Flatow, but I don't think it's as cool to like him.

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  10. I think I now know why I feel connected to your blog--it's the Law and Order harmony. Perfect. I feel exactly the same about the spin-offs and everything. Except my favorite person is Sam Waterston--I have very seriously considered naming a child McCoy because of him. Yup. Pretty great.

    Oh. And I think the OC makes me feel like my brain is dripping out of my ear. So good luck with that.

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  11. Thank god you are back to posting. After spending 2-3 full days a few weeks ago reading all your archives, I was having serious withdrawal issues after your recent blogging hiatus.

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  12. I'm so delighted by these new posts, I can hardly stand it! I'm so happy for Ira Glass. And I also watched the OC. Delightful first season.

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  13. Wouldn't it be better if Ira Glass mentioned you? Or maybe that has already happened and I missed it. My favorite Ira Glass episode is all about Mr. Rogers, not really an ordinary person.

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  14. I was so lost reading this post. Do you think I should watch more TV so that I can be in the loop? I honestly have never watched any of those shows, although I have heard of one- Law and Order.

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  15. Anonymous1:32 AM

    Right Sue, the first season of the oc is awesome.Gr8 storyline and characters are taken very good..i have seen full episodes of oc and never missed it any episode.

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