“We’re flawed because we want so much more. We’re ruined because we get these things and wish for what we had.” – Donald Draper of “Mad Men”
There are just too many things going in my mind right now so I thought of discussing all of these in one blog (primarily because I seldom blog these days due to lack of ‘momentum’). Here are eight random thoughts about UAAP, “Mad Men” and “Entourage” preceded by a question to serve as a direction and a start/stop point for each. This would also prevent you from getting spoiled.
Random Thought #1: Which team has the upper edge in the UAAP Final Four?
This question would have been more compelling when asked a few days ago. Since DLSU is already out, we only have three choices remaining. All three have the talent to win big games (DLSU didn’t). Normally, I would pick the team that is peaking at the right time. It almost never fails in the past few years but all the Final Four teams lost at least one game in the last few games of the Second Round. FEU lost to DLSU. Ateneo lost to UE and FEU. Adamson lost to Ateneo and NU. DLSU lost to UE and Adamson. If ever, I will give a slight advantage to FEU in this regard because they have redeemed themselves from their last defeat.
On the tactical side of things, Ateneo has the edge. Adamson comes second (DLSU should’ve been but they’re eliminated) while FEU is a distant third. The main reason why DLSU owned FEU in the second round of eliminations was the fact that the Tamaraws were outcoached. DLSU had their swarming defense and they controlled the tempo of the game. FEU, on the other hand, had to rely solely on their talent. It’s actually difficult to heavily rely on that in college basketball because teamwork and strategy have been the keys to success for most of the time. Only RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo are the huge threats. I have watched them take awful shot attempts a dozen of times and they either have to thank their lucky stars or their sheer talent that they have converted. They always have a hand in their face. It’s just that they are good. But as an Ateneo fan, I am not complaining. I am even glad that Glenn Capacio has not set a lot of plays to Aldrech Ramos. Hey, why am I mentioning this? Glenn, just do what you have been doing all the time!
On the intangibles side, I am split on deciding which. FEU is hungry and their fans know how it feels to win. If there is one common trend that is ongoing on basketball leagues, it is the winning tradition. In NBA, Boston and LA have won more than half of the championships. In US NCAA, Duke won early this year and we all know that they are one of those that have an impressive history. The same goes with UAAP. There might just be eight teams but since the Final Four was instituted, only four teams got to win the championship. And that is also the reason why Ateneo is contending well. The Blue Eagles have the “been there, done that” experience. But as for Adamson, I believe that they can have a Cinderella story. I view them as the hungriest of the bunch. Couple that with good tactics and you have a dangerous team.
Note: I did not give a straight answer on who has the edge because it appears that the ‘be careful what you wish for’ jinx is in effect rather than reverse jinxes. I predicted that Ateneo will end up with more losses in the regular season this year than the previous two combined and it became true. (OK, that prediction had no intentions of reverse jinx but still.) I predicted that Ateneo won’t place in the Cheerdance Competition and they didn’t.
(The light bulb in my mind finally turns on…)
OK, fine! I’ll answer the question. Ateneo has the edge.
Note: The Adamson part in here is already obsolete because Ateneo just beat them awhile ago. Way to go, Jeff! This is what happens for taking it long to post one journal entry. Either way, at least my pick (Ateneo) is still valid.
Random Thought #2: Who should have won the UAAP individual awards this year?
Honestly, I think they got it right this year. There is no doubt that RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo deserve the MVP and Rookie of the Year honors respectively. They even have the stats to prove it. By the way, when was the last time a player who has played the point guard position won the MVP?
As for the Mythical Team, I think it was still correct. There was no Ateneo Blue Eagle in there because no one was explosive on the stats level. I believe that Kirk Long is the best player in the team but the problem is, he does not have the stats to prove it. We all know that UAAP is such a sucker for stats even if years of basketball history have proven that stats do not always matter.
The only player that an Atenean could have supplanted in the Mythical Team is Ken Acibar. He is a forward. Name me a forward in the Blue Eagles who played better than Acibar.
Waiting…
Waiting…
Time’s up!
Random Thought #3: All of Ateneo's losses are from close games and most of the times, they had the lead before the closing stretch. Should this be a huge concern?
Yes, this is a huge concern. Along with the missing identity of the team (what are we really? A running team or a slow ball team? Who’s our main scorer?) and the ongoing complacent attitude. Actually, all of these attributes caused the endgame defeats this year.
I can compare Ateneo’s defeats to a part of an episode of “Mad Men” (specifically Season 3, Episode 1). For those who have not watched it yet, I made a fictional play-by-play of it featuring one of my favorite commentator duos of all time – WWE’s Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Note: Apologies to the conservative or homosexual people reading this. No offense meant. It is all for fun.
Jerry Lawler: Oh yeah, JR! I am sensing it! Don Draper’s gonna have a sexy time.
Jim Ross: Tsk. He is cheating on his wife again. It’s not like Betty is ugly. She is a beautiful lass.
Jerry Lawler: Shut up, JR. Don deserves this. It’s his birthday today as he just said. You know the song “Birthday Sex,” right? (Starts singing the song in the background)
Jim Ross: You fell for that? He was obviously lying…
Oh wait! The stewardess just removed her skirt.
There goes her shoes.
Off goes her polo!
Jerry Lawler: Those are a nice set of puppies!
Jim Ross:
Jerry Lawler: Shut up, JR. Don’t jinx it! Stewardess should stop covering her puppies.
Jim Ross: Those are some good curves! She removes her hands! SHE REMOVED HER HANDS! SHE REMOVED HER HANDS! THE CURVES!!!
Jerry Lawler: Hey! Why did we suddenly have a change of scene?! Damn you, Sal! We haven’t seen anything from the stewardess yet!
Jim Ross: Yeah, I thought for one moment that “Mad Men” will show something nude. That was one hot scene though. But on other news, here is Sal with the bell boy who is fixing his aircon. Sal is sweating and the aircon is fine.
Jerry Lawler: Why the hell are we wasting our time with this guy?!
Jim Ross: Sal starts to count his cash for the tip.
Bell Boy just approached him very closely.
They look at each other…
Jerry Lawler: Is Sal gay? He looks like one though…
Jim Ross: OH NO! The Bell Boy kissed Sal! THE BELL BOY KISSED SAL! You’ve got to be kidding me! For the love of God! Stop doing that! This is gross! This is not right. THIS IS NOT RIGHT! Matthew Weiner, why did you allow this to happen?!
Jerry Lawler: NOOOOOOOO!!!!
This is pretty much the experience whenever Ateneo loses a good lead in the final stretch in the game. We all get overly excited when Ateneo gets the lead. Do you remember when Salamat saluted to the crowd last Saturday? We were leading by six as we were about to head to the final two minutes. Suddenly, we watch the Blue Eagles fumble and lose the good lead uncharacteristically. The horror unfolds in our very eyes.
So yes, it is a bad thing.
Random Thought #4: Is "The Suitcase" the best “Mad Men” episode ever?
Most “Mad Men” fans in the Internet claim that it is the best episode ever. As for me, I think that it is high up there. It’s in my Top 3 “Mad Men” episodes at the very least. I have already watched “The Suitcase” for three times and I have never gotten tired of it. It is not the usual “Mad Men” episode where several character storylines are featured, but I have to say that Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss were awesome in that episode. They carried the whole show with their superb acting. As early as now, Jon Hamm might be a lock for the Drama Best Actor in the Emmy’s next year (especially that “Breaking Bad” won’t be participating next year). Hamm and Moss were like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart in the 60-minute Ironman match in “Wrestlemania 12.” Hamm and Moss were so good that the writers trusted them to carry the whole show by themselves.
If I were to pick my top three “Mad Men” episodes, I think it would be “S04E07: The Suitcase,” “S03E11: The Gypsy and The Hobo” and “S03E13: Shut the Door. Have A Seat.” “S01E01: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and “S02E12: The Mountain King” would probably round my Top 5.
Random Thought #5” Is “Entourage” awesome again?
After a dismal season last year, I think “Entourage” improves a lot this year. The only problem is, they had the downward spiral season running along Don Draper’s downward spiral as well. Of course, “Entourage” pales in comparison with “Mad Men”. But all in all, it was an interesting season especially with Ari’s and Vince’s storylines. Eminem and Minka Kelly’s cameos in the finale were awesome.
Random Thought #6: Which school currently has the hottest cheerleaders?
In years past, I always viewed the DLSU cheerleaders to be the hottest. They have the sexiest costumes and they are mostly pretty. That is why I tweeted last Sunday that I was hoping for the La Salle cheerleaders to wear skimpy outfits (even if I knew that I won’t be able to watch it). On the other hand, the UP Pep Squad (way back when I was in college) always featured the skimpiest outfits for the girls during the CDC (before when they have not yet decided to have the same uniform with the guys). But as of now, I think that the Blue Babble cheerleaders have supplanted the DLSU Pep Squad for the hottest cheerleaders in the country. I do not actually care about the Cheerdance Competition (partly because of my inability to evaluate what’s good cheerleading or not) but I had to watch the YouTube replay of Ateneo.
Why? Because Jessica Mendoza is wearing a cheerleader’s outfit. Go Ateneo!
Random Thought #7: Who are the most likeable characters in Summer TV this year?
By Summer TV, I mean “Mad Men” and “Entourage”. I cannot include other shows because I haven’t watched them.
5) Roger Sterling (Mad Men). He has been comic funny this year. He dressed up as Santa and had to endure Harry seating at his lap. (Is Harry the new gay in the show? He even admired Joey’s physical features.) Roger’s taped confession was funny. Heck, he even made fun of Ted Chaough’s name twice in the CLIO Awards.
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| Look who's not unlikeable anymore! |
3) Peggy Olson (Mad Men). Like all “Mad Men” characters, Peggy is a flawed character. She failed to appreciate her boyfriend’s efforts to set a surprise birthday dinner for her (although I am happy that she is not dating that douchebag anymore). She is not a good Catholic. She never took care of her baby. But all in all, Peggy has been likeable this season. She had more brilliant ideas than Don. Peggy was also able to endure Don’s douchebaggyness in “The Suitcase.”
She was the only character who understood Depressed Don. When you are experiencing a downward spiral, you lose friends. Don actually had no friend or family so it was a big thing that Peggy came to the rescue at the right time. As the old adage goes, you get to know who your true friends are when you are down.
I also liked how she handled the Joey situation. It was heartless and straightforward (by firing the douchebag) but it was just appropriate. Peggy, you maybe a humorless bitch but I am on your side.
2) Johnny Drama (Entourage). If you were surprised that Pete Campbell is in this list, then you would be shellshocked to find Johnny in here. Drama has been one of the most unlikeable characters of the group for most of the time because he is insensitive and he thinks highly of himself. He is still the same character this year but his actions redeemed him. He ate his ego and accepted the ugly cartoon character role. (OK, he was convinced by a hot chick but still…) Drama was the only person who had the guts to think of having an intervention for Vince. Lastly, his brotherly concern for Vince in the Eminem fight scene was genuine. For a person who had been struggling most of the year, Drama has to be applauded for being the most sensible and caring guy of the group.
1) Don Draper (Mad Men). This makes it 5/5 for flawed characters in this category. Don is actually unlikeable to a lot of “Mad Men” fans because of his adulterous actions in the past seasons. But since he is single again, he has all the right to hunt for chicks. However, Don still had very many weaknesses this year – he was on a downward spiral after all. He was a drunkard and he had lowered his taste by resorting to prostitutes instead of his usual targets (the upper class women). There were several times that Don was a douchebag like when he forced Peggy to work overtime on her birthday and when he was insensitive to Allison (recommendation letter scene). However, I am cutting him some slack. After all, he just lost his wife (and his kids) to another man. They are even living in the house that he built up on his life savings. How unfortunate would it be to have a baby son who does not know that you are his father because you just cannot visit him?
By Don’s vulnerabilities, he becomes a likeable character. I call this the underdog effect. Since he is not anymore the Super (Ad) Man that he was, it was awesome to root for Don to fix his life in some ways. I even tweeted about cheering for Don when he tries to hook up with a pretty woman. My cheer for Don? “Get That Girl! Get That Girl!” (to the tune of Ateneo’s “Get That Ball”). I really hope that he ends up with Dr. Faye Miller so that she becomes a regular character.
Since Anna Draper was back (for the last time) in the storyline, it was also heartwarming to see the caring and laidback attitude of Don. It was so heart wrenching to see him teary-eyed after finding out that the only person who knows him the most (Anna) would be dying. And the fact that Anna’s sister prevented Don from staying was just sad. And yet even if no one in the world loves him, Don Draper took it like a man. No vengeance, whining or even a sign of insecurity.
Random Thought #8: Who are the most unlikeable characters in Summer TV this year?
I put this last because I think this list has been more compelling than the likeable characters list. These characters (except for #5) are cringe-worthy and are not even redeeming at the slightest bit.
5) Ari Gold (Entourage). My favorite character in the show was unlikeable this year. Ari Gold might have been the same slandering, bad-mouthing douche that he was, but he was not able to redeem himself when he was exposed. I still love his usual dialogues (and his dramatic highlight against Amanda Daniels might just put Jeremy Piven back in the Best Supporting Actor in the Emmy’s). But, Ari just did not seem to react correctly when the news came out. What brought his downfall worse is that he continued to attack his enemies even if they were already giving him his chances at redemption. Ari also failed on winning his wife back because – as usual – he did not get the message. Money does not buy everything.
I also find it hard to forgive Ari for not giving the executive position to the very much deserving Lizzie Grant.
4) Joey (Mad Men). I never liked this character prior to “The Summer Man” episode. After watching it, I absolutely hated Joey. He showed total disrespect to Joan by talking smack at her and drawing an image of her giving the head to Lane. Joey is the epitome of office prank gone wrong (or overboard). Yeah, it is fun to prank, but because it has gone excessive and disrespectful, I could not find any sympathy when Joey got fired for it.
3) Turtle (Entourage). I think a lot of people liked Turtle in the past seasons because he is the Jughead in the show. However, I belong to the minority who never liked Turtle. This is because he is just a parasite to his friends. He does not have a job yet he had the gall to max out their credit cards. But after a year of going to college and starting a business, Turtle is set to redeem himself…NOT! He started a lame and extravagant business of putting chicks on wheels. He gets outwitted by one of them. Yet, Turtle foolishly continued to fell for her (because she is hot). Turtle’s leeching continues when he asked for Vince’s money and participation for the tequila company. Doesn’t this idiot have the sensibility to think that he has pretty much wasted a huge chunk of Vince’s money through the years?! (I bet Turtle’s failed business came from Vince’s pockets as well.) Turtle blemished Vince’s image by using his Twitter account to tweet about the tequila. But the worst was when he got pissed at E when the latter refused to invest on the tequila company.
To add the icing on the crap cake that Turtle was this year, he did not give a damn about the intervention on Vince. Turtle was so busy worrying about the tequila business that he did not have the concern to his friend – the guy who was feeding him all these years – was in deep trouble.
2) Vincent Chase (Entourage). The LeBron James of Entourage. Like LeBron, Vince was once one of the most likeable characters in TV. He was boneheaded at some moments in the past seasons but these can be forgiven. (i.e., Vince’s firing of E, Vince’s insistence on Medellin) We all know LeBron also had those miscues, like refusing to shake Dwight Howard’s hands when Cleveland got beaten in the 2009 playoffs. But, both these stars became extremely unlikeable this year. LeBron had the infamous “The Decision” and became the biggest douchebag by his actions post-“The Decision.” Vince, on the other hand, had his total downward spiral this season by cutting his hair and pissing off his director; dating a porn star and eventually becoming possessive; snorting cocaine; and just by being a douchebag to his friends. Vince was so unlikeable that I cheered for Minka Kelly when she asked him to go fuck himself and for Eminem when he beat the living hell out of Vince.
Vince and Don Draper had downward spirals this year but there was one major difference – Vince had it all yet he continued to screw his life. Vince had his career back and is in line for another superhero movie. That’s what pisses me off. He already got what he wanted but he was still not satisfied. He messed up for no apparent reason. This brings us to…
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| Behold! The Ice Queen. |
What made Betty a fixture in the Unlikeability Index is the fact that she is a terrible mother. She was harsh to her eldest daughter, Sally, and this has already taken a negative effect on the child when she hurt her classmate and when she played with herself in public. Betty scolded Sally too much to the point that she has lost all her self-esteem.
And now to the fourth season, Betty continues to annoy. She got terribly insecure and jealous when she sees Don dating a young blonde. What the eff?! She already has a husband, a large house, and the children and she still gets jealous of Don who does not even have a relative. She just couldn’t get any satisfaction (that’s why playing "I Can’t Get No Satisfaction" in the episode was brilliant). Although Betty redeemed herself in the final scene of “The Summer Man,” we have to note that Francine had to tell Betty that she won over Don.
This brings us to my initial quote (which was also taken from the same episode where Betty was insecure of Don). It is a sad fact that humans normally do not get satisfied with what they have. It is actually a shame to see such things like these. But, it is true.
On a personal level, here is my pledge on this satisfaction thing: if Ateneo loses its UAAP championship this year (and since DLSU has zero chances of winning it), I do not have a right to complain and feel bad. However, I also do not want to be complacent so I am hoping that we still win it. Thus, it is either win and celebrate or lose and accept it as soon as possible for me.
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