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Fischer talks all things Office (spoiler-free so long as you've watched last Thursday's episode).—BK

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Okay, second-worst. Let's not forget Tarantino.—JS

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A long – long – retrospective of the legendary actor and director's work.—JM

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If you're not watching ABC's Modern Family, you really should be; it's easily among the best comedies on TV right now.—BK

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Ebert gives a thumbs up to the in-depth profile of himself that recently ran in Esquire Magazine.—BK

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The animation studio refers to him as their "lucky charm" – fitting his unique voice into each of their ten films. He discusses their process, and life as a character actor.—JS

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Theatre owners are worried an early DVD release will keep audiences away from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. I'd worry more about its trailer doing that.—JS

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Several authors offer their best advice. Here's the first part...—JM

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... and here's the second.—JM

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The girl with the cheesy last name talks about her work on Mad Men and Community, though really, it's no contest: it's much more fun to watch her on Community.—BK

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The unsung heroes behind your favorite Disney movies were sweatshop laborers – and, since we're talking about the 1940s, that means grandma!—JS

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Is there any other kind?—BK

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One thing about Ricky Gervais interviews: you're guaranteed a generous helping of the interjection "(wild laughter)."—JS

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It's never too late to lick the wounds of Leno regaining The Tonight Show. (Maybe the Olympics could just go on forever, the way it seems like they are?)—JS

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We'll have more Snubbies for you tomorrow, but here's some Oscar stuff to tide you over in the mean time. I haven't been paying attention; I assumed Avatar was just going to win everything. Maybe not, as it turns out.—JM

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The Summer Olympics have table tennis and pistol shooting, yet curling is the butt of all the jokes. Hardly seems fair...—JM

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Just a fantastic read. A detailed and moving profile of Ebert and his long, hard-luck battle with cancer, the subsequent loss of his jaw and voice, and his renewed love affair with the written word.—BK

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A brilliant idea. I don't watch, but I assume the sap was flowing freely when that luger whanged himself into a support column.—JS

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Oh, y'know... peer pressure, bad parenting, but mostly boredom at the workplace.—JS

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Covering the long, complicated history of failed attempts to revive – with and without Chevy Chase – the once-popular comedy franchise.—BK

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Sounds like a blast (you don't invoke Borges without getting me aroused), but the thought of rereading The Odyssey to get the references is a bummer.—JS

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I'd wager that Penn didn't select the title of this piece himself; he strikes me as particularly genial, and this mostly light-hearted offering is no exception.—JM

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I know one person on this site who would answer that titular question with a vehement no. Personally, I find Tarantino insufferable as a person, but I really like his work.—BK

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Talks a lot about stand-up (and doing stand-up in character as Randy in Funny People), and not quite enough about Parks and Recreation.—BK

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I saw Temple Grandin this weekend and it's fantastic; not the kind of award bait they make fun of in Tropic Thunder, but rather a film that captures the spirit of its subject, with a stellar central performance by Danes.—BK

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Behind the scenes of this week's nomination announcements.—JS

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Newsweek's annual Oscar roundtable is one of the magazine's long-standing treasures, and this year's edition brings Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Carey Mulligan, and Gabourney Sidibe together to talk shop.—BK

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A great write-up of one of the modern era's greatest comedies. "What amazes me about the movie is that Murray and Ramis get away with it. They never lose their nerve." That's the hardest thing to do in today's mass-audience comedies, and the key to its lasting appeal.—JS

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The rare opportunity to read Breathed talking about Bloom County is one worth seizing. In a perfect world, I'd apply for three weeks' paid leave to just sit and enjoy the new five-volume anthology.—JS

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See above.—BK

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Get ready for Michael Bay movies to feel even more like a crack high.—JS

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A piece in defense of Jay Leno. Nothing in here is technically refutable... but she doesn't bring up the bit about how Jay promised the show to Conan but then, in effect, didn't leave when he said he would. Even so, an interesting take.—JM

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A spoiler-free look at what's at stake for the upcoming final season of Lost.—BK

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The lessons seem to be: a) learn more than one acting note, b) don't let the action hero paradigm shift on you, and c) never get old.—BK

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It was wrong on many levels. Now let us never speak of The Office clip show again.—BK

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If you had to put a nail in the Team Coco coffin, with a little class and perspective, this might be the way to do it. (Still, fuck Leno.)—JS

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Almost half of the words in the title of the piece are inaccurate, and I know I shouldn't care about the "American Idol" audition episodes. But still.—JM

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This piece from 1993, written by the man himself, is just as funny as it's ever been (when I first read it, I went around for months saying that various stuff was "for girls." You will too).—JM

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Why Gene Hackman's retirement (I had no idea) is acting's – and Oscar's – loss. (With much-deserved praise for his criminally overlooked work in The Royal Tenenbaums.)—BK

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One of my favorite SNL sketches of all time (and since today is my birthday, posting this is like a little gift to myself).—BK

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Interesting allegory, though far from perfect. Some of us are just angry because Leno is an untalented hack who's even less worthy of The Tonight Show job now than he was 18 years ago.—BK

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Rabin, on loan from the A.V. Club, gives an excellent summation of Leno's career and his role in NBC's late night turmoil.—BK

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A write-up of the brilliant sketch comedy show by someone who, like me, came to appreciate it only after it had come and gone.—JS

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It really was, wasn't it?—JM

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Which is why NBC is hoping you'll watch the Golden Globes this Sunday.—BK

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The infamous – and terrific – profile where he talks about quitting acting (and hurls around some exquisite insults) is finally available online.—BK

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It's almost as though he's following the advice of a book on the subject. (Didn't Bill Carter write a book on the subject?)—JS

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Basically: holy effing ess, run for your life if NBC offers you a late night TV show on their network.—JS

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It is what it sounds like: The Dude by way of The Bard. (Obviously this runs way over the usual length, but we've linked to every other Lebowski thing out there, so there's no sense stopping now.)—JS

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A look at the new HBO show coming this spring from David Simon, the creator of The Wire (my choice for the greatest show in the history of television).—BK

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Every entertainment option is now at our fingertips; shouldn't that level the playing field between blockbusters and more obscure fare? Not so much, for a few interesting reasons.—JS

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Shooting down the current "Beatty has slept with nearly 13,000 women" speculation in hilarious fashion.—BK

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We can take it as a given that "Celebrity Rehab" is awesome, because Dr. Drew is involved. But overall, does it help or hurt? Or both? Or neither?—JM

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How books shrank during the '00s. (When the average person's attention span is measured in tweets, a thousand page novel doesn't seem so viable.)—JS

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Not even apples and oranges, I'd imagine. More like apples vs., um, blue space apples that cost a billion dollars.—JM

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A great profile of Michael Cera, and how he likes to mock and play around with his nice guy persona.—BK

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Unless the thought of Jackie Chan as a spy/babysitter sounds appealing to you, the author suggests skipping the month traditionally seen as a dumping ground for the worst Hollywood has to offer.—BK

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Steve seems to have been left out of most of the trailers and posters for It's Complicated, but thankfully he's still part of the print publicity campaign.—BK

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Like sex, criminal trials, and just about everything else, spaceship battles in movies are completely unlike they would be in real life.—JS

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Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!—JM

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Musings on the staying power of Homestar Runner, currently celebrating ten years on the "air."—JS

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Spoilers upon spoilers upon spoilers. If you ever intend on watching "Dexter," but you haven't yet, then don't even think about reading this. That said: enjoy!—JM

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The review of Funny People you didn't realize you were waiting for (good thing, too, because it would've been a long wait), tied into a review of the Coen brothers' A Serious Man.—JS

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An interesting and thought-provoking read, even for someone like me who's spent most of his life making sure he already knows this stuff. (Happy birthday, Steve!)—JS

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With this week's passing of Roy Disney, it's great to know that someone in the organization still carries Walt's willingness to sweat the details.—JS

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Turns out that Toby Young, that bald English one-trick-pony douchebag from "Top Chef," is actually an excellent writer and an even better cultural critic. Who knew?—JM

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The radio industry only recently has switched to a ratings-gathering methodology more sophisticated than "asking people to write down what they listen to." I'm completely serious.—JM

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Leopold, who earlier this year made us giddy by linking to our Movie Draft, offers up a look at whether The Simpsons has stayed on the air too long. But he missed his chance to link to us again.—BK

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More Scott Adsit interviews and features that I can link to, please.—BK

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30 Rock has been my choice for the Best Show on TV for two seasons running, yet even I am starting to echo the sentiment expressed by this article.—BK

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Normally when I think of James Franco, I think, "What the fuck?" As in, "Why do I have to watch this douche be on-screen?" After reading this treatise on performance art, dada, and how it pushed him to appear on General Hospital, I'm saying "What the fuck?" with horror… and just a little respect.—JS

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This was a fun one last year, so here's this year's version. My personal favorites are Pabst Smear, Carnal Befoulment, and German Beef Initiative.—BK

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The most compelling stories, it's been said, take you deep into worlds that you barely knew existed.—JM

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The Second City connection for three of the biggest talents working in TV comedy today.—BK

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There's no question James Cameron is an uncompromising visionary who's transformed the sci-fi genre. But it remains to be seen whether his pet project Avatar will be a creative watershed or an embarrassing waste of time.—JS

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A look back at how the '00s became the best decade in television history.—BK

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The author believes this death is a good thing, because the Method is no longer a proper fit for this era. I can't say I disagree.—BK

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New fiction from the late DFW, which is a rare thing. And it comes in under a thousand pages!—JS

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50 films, including many interesting choices, lots of good rental ideas, and the wisdom not to neglect Pixar.—BK

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Most of this simply confirms my own independent research from a few years ago.—JM

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I could not agree more with the premise of this article, nor with its praise of Ron Swanson as played by Nick Offerman.—BK

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Boyhood: turns out it's not all just sports and farting. (even if it's mostly sports and farting)—JM

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A few of the ways that studio marketing departments finesse and distort movie review quotes to make you want to see their movie.—BK

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Several personal favorites, several books I've been meaning to get to, and in general, a big ol' reminder that I wish I had more time to read.—BK

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This guy is desperate to show you how smart he is, and his "look how many words I know" writing style makes this a bit of a chore to get through. Still, any time somebody wants to analyze reality TV from a sociological standpoint, I am so there.—JM

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An oldie but a goodie.—JM

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The best part is comparing the grosses of the sequel to the grosses of the original, which in most cases, shows that not only were these movies unexpected, they were unwanted by the public.—BK

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A thoughtful piece about Glenn Beck (not that Jon Stewart's sillier work on the subject hasn't been excellent). Includes a nice parallel to the great Andy Griffith movie A Face in the Crowd (which inspired the Gabbo Simpsons episode).—JS

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Not that there aren't still plenty of mistakes. Rob Thomas comes to mind.—JS

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You may not know who David Lloyd is, but if you enjoyed The Mary Tyler Moore Show (credited writer on 31 episodes), Taxi (12 episodes), Cheers (25 episodes), or Frasier (15 episodes), you've likely enjoyed his work. When James L. Brooks says you're the best, then yeah, you're probably the best.—BK

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I sense the potential for some copycat lists here at PoopReading.com.—BK

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This piece is a little long and a little dry, but it's about Wikipedia. And I love Wikipedia. I mean, you want to know about the Maldives (just to pick something)? You go to Wikipedia, and BOOM! Now you know all you'll really ever need to know about the Maldives.—JM

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Downey goes long on life, love, and why he agrees with the author's choice for the greatest actor in the world.—BK

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The A.V. Club is doing a "Best of the Decade" theme this month, and this one about cancelled TV shows is a goodie. With Invasion and Wonderland, plus an honorable mention for Boomtown, I'm satisfied.—BK

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Short but interesting, with a little talk about whether Up can net a Best Picture nomination. (Contains a few mild Up spoilers.)—BK

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I detested Napoleon Dynamite, but Gentlemen Broncos looks like it might edge into better territory, thanks in large part to the delightful Jemaine Clement.—JS

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And there's ten of them? Oh you bet we're gonna link to that.—BK

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In honor of the great news that Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin are co-hosting the Oscars, here's one of their fun moments together from Saturday Night Live.—BK

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I couldn't be happier about how good Parks and Recreation has become, and Chris Pratt is certainly a big part of that. (And even if you're not a fan, you should at least skip down to the middle of the interview for a great Nick Offerman quote about the "new" American dream.)—BK

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Behind the scenes at The Onion as it celebrates its 21st year.—JS

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I'm not crazy about linking to all kinds of garbage about the Letterman mess, but as with most things Dave, this piece proves too fascinating to refuse, and keeps things pretty above board.—BK

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Considering his awards show appearances to date, it should be awesome. I wouldn't consider it an audition to host the Oscars, though; it's my understanding he's been offered that job before, and (rightly) turned it down.—JS

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Parker, who may well be one of the sharpest knives in the drawer, herein offers up more clichés than you can shake a stick at.—JM

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You know what? When I see a movie that apparently only Roger Ebert and I liked, I'm going to link to his review of it.—JM

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This is well-trod territory, but it still interests me. And even though doing a piece on women in comedy without talking to Sarah Silverman would be a bit like doing a piece on black presidents without talking to Barack Obama, this is worth reading nonetheless.—JM

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This isn't exactly news (Fischer died in January of 2008), but the bizarre story of the chess champion's life remains morbidly fascinating.—JM

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Seeing Coach Taylor in the East Dillon red and black in the photo accompanying this article was every bit as disorienting to this Vikings fan as seeing Brett Favre in purple and gold for the first time. That's how deeply "Friday Night Lights" gets under your skin. Seasons 4 starts tonight and it's only on DirecTV for now, but Seasons 1 through 3 are available to watch on your computer via Netflix. There's simply no excuse anymore, folks.—JM

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One of David Letterman's only female writers (ever) shares her thoughts in a very even-handed, non-whiny manner.—JM

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The actress talks about her new one-woman Broadway show, Wishful Drinking, and the life that helped inspire it.—BK

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There's a Pythons documentary and a new Fawlty Towers DVD set on the way. Besides, I'll take any excuse to listen to Cleese talk about writing Fawlty Towers.—JS

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What can poker teach us? Pretty much everything, if this piece is to be believed.—JM

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Yeah, yeah; two football links. Quit whining, they're both good. In an excerpt from his new book of essays, Klosterman explains why he – and we – love football so damned much.—JM

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With stops to work on Heat Vision and Jack and The Sarah Silverman Show in between.—BK

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I'm delighted to be validated on this one. A quirky, tonal send-up with a certain acquired-taste appeal, Down With Love was nonetheless much better than it ever got credit for.—JS

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Some hard truths here. Some hard, hard truths.—JM

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An eloquent exploration of the role that depression and mental instability can sometimes play in the creation of great art.—BK

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I had the great pleasure of seeing The Big Lebowski for the umpteenth time on the big screen with a theater full of fellow fans this weekend. That has nothing to do with this link, other than to give you a glimpse into my mindset: Coens!—BK

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If you're still reading our site, there's a pretty solid chance it'll be catnip to you, too. Set your TiVos, starting this Sunday.—JS

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Get it? Hare? As in, a Playboy bunny? Oh, it's no use with you people. Anyway, Marge has already been in Maxim. Yes she's a MILF, but I don't see how this undoes any of the show's creative nosedive.—JS

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New "30 Rock!" New "30 Rock!" New "30 Rock!" New "30 Rock!"—JM

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Wow; talk about my wheelhouse: a piece about how boring it is to read bad children's books to your kid. I will make one point in defense of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," however: it's short. Lots of tediously bad children's books are not.—JM

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The answer to this question: yes, but just barely.—JM

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ABC's new reality show "Shark Tank" is even better than this review would lead you to believe.—JM

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The cult of personality grows (although who could object to this? Learning is learning).—JM

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The A.V. Club's apparently added regional features (who knew?), like this quiz that gives a shout out to the Coen Bros. retrospective going on here in the Twin Cities.—BK

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Granderson doesn't name names, if you're looking for that sort of thing, but he tackles an issue that I've long seen as a very important one. Fortunately, I don't think we're too far away from pro athletes being openly gay, and having it not be a big deal.—JM

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Ms. Sachs interviews Jesse Sheidlower, who may be the world's leading expert on "f*ck" (asterisk intended. My part of the homepage is a family show...)—JM

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This explains the careers of Michael Cera and Seth Rogan (well, this, plus their considerable comedic talents. But still).—JM

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In an effort to avoid the tabloid craziness of Letterman's current scandal, let's all enjoy this terrific bit of classic poop reading about how his 2000 heart attack transformed both the host and his show.—BK

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I had hoped this would be in verse form – still, it's a savvy look at the prospects and shortcomings of The Jay Leno Show. (And I was surprised to learn Marina Franklin is on it – maybe I'll tune in!)—JS

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You don't necessarily have to be a football fan to enjoy this column (trust me, my knowledge of the NFL is cursory at best), especially because of a brilliant "Most screwed-up celebrity kids in 2025" fantasy draft tangent that pops up in the middle. (My apologies to Joe for possibly stealing a Simmons link.)—BK

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Holy Batman Jesus! Of all that we know about Dave (admittedly, very little), this was the last thing I'd have expected. I fear the nutjobs that Palin whipped into a frenzy will devour him now.—JS

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I'm sure that the arts community would be defending him just as vociferously if he were a Catholic priest rather than an acclaimed director. Aren't you?—JM

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This isn't exactly timely, but it's a good example of why Roger Ebert is so damn good. 2008's Lakeview Terrace got a 47 average score on Metacritic.com (that's not good), but among notable critics only Ebert rightly saw it as a top-notch thriller and more (i.e., only Ebert agreed with me).—JM

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He's always an interesting interview, though the soapboxing can get tiresome. The good news here is that the author of the piece has edited those impromptu tangents into tidy – and funny – bite-sized summaries.—BK

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I have to admit, I've been pleasantly surprised by most of Chase's work in the show so far. The writers seem to have a good feel for how to use him.—BK

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A nice, in-depth look at a tone-setting scene from one of the Coen Brothers' best films.—BK

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With Bionicle, video games, and tie-in toys, it's definitely not the LEGO you remember. As kids, we had a big bin of random blocks, not a bunch of separate model sets.—JS

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"For easy reference, I made up lists of alternative names for breasts, penises and vaginas, and supplementary lists later on for buttholes, as that trend gained popularity." Not for the squeamish reader, but very entertaining.—JS

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Ricky Gervais on his directorial debut The Invention of Lying, and on his penchant for abusing himself on screen. (Contains a couple tiny spoilers, for those concerned about such things.)—BK

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Turns out every new advance in communication, from the typewriter to the telephone to writing things down, was met with resistance and prophesies of doom, so maybe Twitter won't destroy the world after all.—JM

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Ignoring the brain trauma problem in retired players and hoping the problem goes away would be bad enough, but what the NFL is doing is even worse.—JM

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"FNL" Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Netflix, so you don't even have to wait for the DVDs to come in the mail. There's no excuse anymore. Get off your ass like I did last week, and start watching this show. (more "FNL" info to come very soon in a "Best Show On TV" piece if "Glee" is bad again next week)—JM

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Fascinating, if only for the fact that Chase careens back and forth between botched attempts at humor and self-effacing talk that feels a little disingenuous. (And I say all of this as a fan of his.)—BK

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The number of quality shows on this list is simply astounding. Perhaps there's something to be said for self-referential television.—BK

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A million dollars goes to a group of computer geeks who figured a way to improve the recommendations on Netflix, and we all benefit. Read on for the juicy details.—JS

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Checking in with the funniest man alive on the eve of his feature film (co-) directing debut.—JS

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Too soon? No, not for this profane, irreverent yet somehow not even remotely disrespectful piece. It its own weird way, this might be the best Patrick Swayze tribute you'll read.—JM

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Today is apparently the "official" start of the new fall TV season, as this week is when the Nielsen tracking kicks off. In honor of that, here's a solid preview from TV critic Alan Sepinwall.—BK

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It would be difficult, if not impossible, to exaggerate the level of respect, bordering on worship, that most comedians feel for the late Bill Hicks.—JM

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More than worth linking to for the caption on the picture of the squirrel alone, but the entire piece is pretty good.—JM

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An Emmy roundtable discussion with Toni Collette, Jon Cryer, Jim Parsons, Amy Poehler, and Sarah Silverman.—BK

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An analysis of the opening night of The Jay Leno Show that includes the words "excruciatingly dull," "creaky comedy," and "filler." Who is this Caryn James, and how quickly can we build a statue in her honor?—BK

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It's not Tuesday morning anymore, but everything should still apply.—JM

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And bless him for it. (Need proof that the "kiddie fare" label still restricts the art form's untapped potential? How about the fact that a headline like this can even exist a year after WALL-E?)—JS

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In light of Kanye West's most recent bizarre, off-putting outburst, this piece written back in May is worth revisiting. The author is kind of kidding, but not really, and makes a pretty convincing argument.—JM

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How we overuse the term, sometimes to the point of diluting its significance.—BK

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If anyone can capture the offbeat mix of whimsy and the macabre, it's Jonze. (No offense, Tim Burton.)—JS

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A nice rundown of the stakes and stakeholders involved in Leno's show starting next week. (A little Leno-friendly for our tastes, but hey, what can you do?)—JS

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This is an oldie but a goodie.—JM

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As Saturday Night Live makes more inscrutable cast changes this week (Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson out, two new ladies in), here's a classic feature from 1995 that showcases the dysfunction that has long existed behind the scenes.—BK

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Unfortunately, you have to buy the new issue to get the Colbert cover story, but at least they're tossing us this tasty Q&A bone online.—BK

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A nice feature on the fake Seinfeld reunion that will be a part of the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm (a feature that EW took their sweet time posting online). It's going to be awesome! (It's got to be awesome, right?) [I'm getting paranoid that it might somehow turn out less than awesome.]—BK

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Simmons. Vegas. Read it.—JM

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One of my favorite film blogs reiterates the arguments against a 3D revolution. (Keep beating that drum – we'll kill it yet!)—JS

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A list of quick, quippy jokes centered around a given topic of recent cultural interest? Somehow, I think it works for a Friday around here.—JS

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Bill Simmons writing about Vegas; that's like Julia Roberts going on Letterman. You just don't miss it.—JM

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Yeah it does!—JM

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Believe it or not, the internet turned 40 this week. DJ Gallo has some thoughts about how today's sports world would be different if the internet had never come about...—JM

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How you can order "off" the menu at fast food restaurants. You'll feel like a really big star. Or, you'll just feel fat because let's face it chubs, you're ordering off the menu at a fast food joint.—MW

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Extract looks like it could be good. Considering that it's Bateman's first leading role since 1987, Arrested Development fans probably better hope it's good.—BK

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Is Rock Band: The Beatles the ultimate sell-out, or a great new way to connect with their music? (Maybe it's just giving the fans what they want?)—JS

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A few fun little nuggets from one of the greatest shows in television history.—BK

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I didn't even realize this was a quiz until the end of round one, and by then I'd already peed myself.—JS

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I didn't watch the show much, but I always sensed that more was lurking in Mr. Belvedere's backstory. McCarthy confronts that stuff fearlessly, as is his wont.—JS

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Some insight into why Craigslist.org still looks like the rest of the internet used to look ten years ago, yet manages to be one of the most successful websites anywhere.—JM

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Among many topics, he touches on fatherhood, why this is a golden age for television, and his new film The Big Fan.—BK

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Having seen her magnificent work in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I have to say I concur with that title.—BK

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I have to believe Blast Dirtpeck is a pseudonym (for Slab Squatthrust?) but I like his take on the state of comedy. Anyone notice how all the classic SNL transcripts we post are at least a decade old?—JS

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We're producing celebrities (well, mostly "celebrities") a lot faster than we used to. In the future, one will die every 15 minutes.—JS

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I've heard good things about Inglourious Basterds. Really good things.—JM

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The Yale University Press has decided to publish a book about the Danish Mohammed cartoon controversy... without reprinting the actual cartoons. And the prognosis for the 21st century gets ever-so-slightly more bleak.—JM

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Which is not to say that's a bad thing, as evidenced by the presence of excellent works like In Utero, Kid A, Different Seasons, and Pinkerton.—BK

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Mad Men returned this week. Let's... uh... use that as a reason to highlight this brief chat with Ms. Hendricks.—JS

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Probably not as funny as it could've been, but the concept is just plain awesome. Who wouldn't love to have access to this kind of information after they die?—BK

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You may be thinking "Who's that?", but if you've seen Role Models, Party Down, or The Hangover, you definitely know who he is. He's been doing such good work over the last couple years that it's great to see him finally getting recognition.—BK

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She sure did single-handedly redeem the "Julie" scenes in Julie & Julia. (Wow, a Brad Bird link and an Amy Adams link this week – I'm just paving the way for a seamless handoff to the Jameson Link-Posting Robot.)—JS

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This piece contains a glaring factual inaccuracy, referring to the LSU football team's "national championship run in 2003." There is no actual "national championship" at the top level of college football, of course, and the January 2004 bowl season proved conclusively that if such a thing did exist, USC would have won it fairly easily. But other than that, this is a fun read.—JM

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Great stuff about Role Models, a wonderfully thorough telling of the origins of The State, and an explanation why there will never be another Wet Hot American Summer.—BK

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My apologies for the A.V. Club-heavy linking today, but when they decide to post interviews with David Wain and Jon Hamm on consecutive days, what's a The State/Mad Men fan to do?—BK

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Open by referring to Brad Bird's master work as "criminally underrated," and you have a personal guarantee that I will link to whatever you're writing.—JS

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Not to pile on with the Hughes rememberances (although, seriously, better him than Jacko), but this one is particularly impressive.—JS

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Me too! So much that I'll watch his show on FX (with its risk of It's Always Sunny... promos) and his arc on Parks & Recreation (with its risk of Amy Poehler).—JS

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A look at how he reinvented the teen movie for a whole generation. I'm still trying to come to terms with the revelation (not mentioned in this article) that he wrote the script for Planes, Trains, and Automobiles in just three days.—BK

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Not the actresses, but the writers, more than half of whom are women. (Contains some spoilers from the first two seasons in case you aren't caught up on the show.)—BK

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Some smart decisions about the format (why haven't late night shows done these things already?) and some straight talk from Jay. Not at all what I was expecting.—JS

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I think Patton Oswalt and Norm Macdonald deserve some consideration as well, but this piece argues Louis C.K.'s case pretty well.—JM

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It takes quite a bit of mental gymnastics, but apparently, if you're determined to do so, you can see the last few weeks as a "win" for the former Alaska governor. Plus, Star Trek!—JM

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When you combine Gladwell and To Kill a Mockingbird, you've got my attention. An interesting look at the history of racial prejudice and Southern liberalism by way of the classic novel.—BK

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Short but sweet (okay, incredibly short) as Tina Fey, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Krakowski talk about their favorite 30 Rock moments.—BK

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Let's hope not (unless the end of such a "moment" lets him operate outside the scrutiny of such moronic scorecarding), but it is fascinating how comedy tastes change, and how success can be unpredictable.—JS

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It's a shame to see the America/"Real" America divide revived – especially by movie marketers – but then Joe always was "the real American hero."—JS

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This isn't the sort of fare we normally link to, but it's important to remember that this story is still going on...—JM

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A few quibble-worthy selections, but mostly a good list, with a number one pick that will make fellow PoopReading.com contributor Jameson Simmons very happy.—BK

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An under-appreciated Norm Macdonald gem in which he plays a character named Stan Hooper, as is his wont.—JM

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Do drunks become writers, or do writers become drunks? [that's not quite an apt blurb for this piece, but it's cute and pithy so I'm keeping it here]—JM

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I have a feeling Funny People will be the Apatow film that makes me start seeing him the way hipper-than-thou types have the past few years. I hope not, though.—JS

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Ahem? Apparently someone hasn't been watching her 30 Rock!—JS

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An alternate take on an idea our own Joe Mulder took a crack at a few weeks ago, though this one goes even further back in history.—BK

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Compromises between the record industry and webcasters has led to a surge in funding for the internet music site. This is excellent news, and according to this article, a sign that webcasting will play a big role in the future of the industry.—BK

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The Sports Guy breaks down the offseason of the NBA, a league I don't really follow, using quotes from Almost Famous, which he borderline-hilariously proclaims "the movie of the decade." Still... new Simmons is new Simmons. Plus, this is only part one!—JM

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Daniels talks about doing theater with James Gandolfini, why the excellent The Squid and the Whale wouldn't have worked with a star in the lead role, and yes, the toilet scene from Dumb and Dumber.—BK

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Celebrating the simple joys of Wipeout – the only network show I've watched all summer. It's good for ABC, and that's good for me: season three is on its way!—JS

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A brief profile of the director of In the Loop, based on his BBC comedy series The Thick of It. (Suddenly, I find myself in the market for a multi-region DVD player.)—JS

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And it's a shame (not that I care about hers in particular). Using clout to refuse nudity means more unknowns will be cast for their willingness to bare all, which only helps the porn moguls who lure naïve wannabes with promises of making it big.—JS

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Close personal friend of PoopReading.com (whether he likes it or not) Ben Fritz examines a shift in the attitudes of videogame companies toward big screen adaptations of their work.—JM

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It's easy to criticize "Big Brother." And almost all of those criticisms are wrong, because "Big Brother" is awesome. Linda Holmes, however, offers up a criticism that has considerable merit...—JM

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Several books advance various theories on how and why obesity has become so much more common in the United States (and the rest of the developed world).—JM

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If you've grown tired of us trying to convince you, let the Brits give it a try.—BK

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Goodridge is hopeful that a Best Picture field of ten will allow good films some breathing room to compete with the standard Oscar bait fare. Naïve, perhaps, but one can dream.—JS

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Always nice to hear from the guys over at Cracked.com.—JM

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Bateman talks about drugs and alcohol, getting clean, the rebirth of his career, and yes, even a little mention of the Arrested Development movie.—BK

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I have every reason to believe that I would be capable of becoming a big cricket fan. I mean, I'm sure I won't, but, still.—JM

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For instance: men sexually harass women because they are not sexist. And more.—JM

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It's Michael & Michael week here at PoopReading! (I guess the new show better be good, huh?)—BK

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He spends a little time doing that, but mostly he talks about doing stunts, writing his autobiography, playing the banjo, and, of course, comedy.—BK

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Not sure if I'm more excited about today's DVD release of The State or tomorrow's debut of Michael & Michael Have Issues. Here's a little bit of both (mainly The State).—JS

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Come on, EW! Don't you know how much we love this kind of thing? Why must you always screw it up? There's far more than 25 people, midway through they just chuck the "America" part, and there's an undeserved pick at #20. That said, they get a lot right, and I do loves me some listmaking.—BK

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ESPN's "30 For 30" has to be one of the best ideas in the history of television, and apparently a lot of the credit goes to PoopReading.com favorite Bill Simmons.—JM

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Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist is back in reruns on Comedy Central! Here's a meandering interview with its star, discussing the show and many, many other things.—JS

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Some of these fall into the "relax, it's just a movie" category. But others, like "why did Marty appear to have no intention of avoiding the photo booth when fleeing the Libyans in the DeLorean?", really resonate.—JM

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The Sci Fi Channel just rebranded itself as "Syfy." When I first heard that, I thought "what possible reason could there be for something like this?" Turns out there were a few good ones, actually.—JM

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Great profile of Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy as he finds peace in marriage, parenthood, and the success of his band.—BK

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A great idea with some good choices, including the requisite love for Toy Story 2. And man, were there some lean years in the mid-to-late 90s.—BK

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The inexplicable obsession with how much a movie makes – as opposed to how well it's made – drives reporters to ignore inflation-adjusted grosses, making box office records easier to break.—JS

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Masters, whose vendetta with Mann seems to rival Sean Young's with James Woods, singles him out as a director who fails to make "good" movies right – with the inevitable outcome being more Transformers movies.—JS

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I finally saw Into the Wild, and thought it was excellent. This is the magazine article that begat the book that begat the movie.—JM

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Just pretend that Year One never happened, and you can enjoy this lengthy, meaty interview with the comedy legend.—JM

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A rare inside look at the busiest – and highest paid (I think) – man in television comedy.—BK

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AMPAS shifts to ten Best Picture nominees, inviting discord over whether they've ever gotten five right. (A rant familiar to devoted readers.) Foote's conclusions are debatable (Shrek? Madison County?), but then that's the point, isn't it?—JS

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"Politicians will, almost by definition, be deeply weird." It seems to me that I remember Jerry Seinfeld doing a routine along these lines once, too. And, if you think about it, if any of your buddies pulled you aside one day and said "I've decided that I'm honestly and seriously going to try to become the President of America," you'd think he'd gone completely nuts. And yet, every four (or eight) years, one guy does it.—JM

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A bit of classic PoopReading from 2000: a profile of Simpsons writer George Meyer, one of the best profiles The New Yorker has ever done (and that's saying something).—BK

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This piece may go a bit easy on Michael, but it's a very thoughtful rumination on his life from someone who really, really tried to help him (and essentially predicted his fate).—JM

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A new album, a Tonight Show appearance, and a "world tour" – a quarter century later, the Tap lives on.—JS

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An update on the quest to develop homegrown software code that can beat the Netflix movie recommendation system.—JS

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As with most successful people who didn't benefit from nepotism, John Grisham's rise to publishing super-stardom took talent, hard work and a decent amount of blind luck.—JM

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A little something to pass the time as we wait for his new Comedy Central show Michael and Michael Have Issues (with PoopReading favorite Michael Ian Black) and the release of The State DVDs, two events that are apparently happening in the same glorious week in July.—BK

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Today's teens can't relate the alienated young protagonist of J.D. Salinger's classic novel, calling him "whiny," "immature," and "in need of Prozac." Couldn't the same things be said about the cast of The Hills?—BK

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He talks about a lot of things over the course of a long, rambling conversation, including putting an end date on 30 Rock.—BK

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Seems to be an interview minus the questions, with all of Cera's answers provided with no context. So it's a bit of an odd duck, but still interesting.—BK

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"Movies used to be better!" Does saying that still make you sound like a codger if it's demonstrably true?—JS

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A "comfort wipe" is basically a stick to help old and/or obese people wipe their butts.—JM

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We here at PoopReading don't always agree on everything, but the title of this profile is definitely a sentiment we can all get behind.—BK

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I've always had a soft spot for this little bit concocted by Dana Carvey and Robert Smigel, which apparently originated as a sketch in the unaired eighth episode of The Dana Carvey Show.—BK

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Few can. But deliberately misinterpreting a joke in an attempt to get some publicity and generate a wedge issue isn't even trying.—JS

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An in-depth history of cooking shows, fascinating whether you watch them or not. (I don't.)—JS

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I've been re-watching Newhart courtesy of WGN, and it's been fun to be reminded what a hit Larry and the Darryls were, and how great Sanderson was in that role. And his modesty and graciousness in this interview just makes you want to root for him.—BK

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Other than the odd talk show spot (like last Thursday's gangbusters appearance on Conan), Norm Macdonald fans really have to do some digging if they want to hear from him. But it's always worth it.—JM

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An interview in The New Yorker with Bill Simmons on the NBA Finals and his upcoming book.—JM

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I'm no Galifaniac, but his Comedians of Comedy performances were unique and daring (and funny) and I've never seen him in anything I didn't like him in. (Full disclosure: I have not seen Out Cold.)—JS

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On the eve of Brüno, a look at the comic style of his famously reserved creator, Sacha Baron Cohen.—JS

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We all knew that Harry Truman was a feisty ex-haberdasher (right? Um... right?), but here are 12 others you probably weren't aware of...—JM

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If you're going to write a column based on a certain premise, I understand that you're going to cherry pick your evidence to support your theory (heck; that's my bread and butter). But don't just make stuff up! To wit: Liam Neeson was never "a solid B-list actor heading toward character roles and retirement;" he was going to play Abraham Lincoln for Steven Spielberg before Taken even opened. Pretty much everybody knew who Kevin James was before this January. And, the two most successful R-rated comedies in history can't possibly be Sex and the City and American Pie 2. I don't feel like looking it up, but, that can't be right.—JM

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A Jack Donaghy comp proves elusive, and that hurts the comic momentum a bit, but it's still a fun and interesting premise.—BK

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Not the greatest interview, but us Steve-iacs will take our Steve wherever we can Steve it.—BK

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Colbert steps in as Guest Editor this week, and while his stint is mostly serious, here he indulges himself in some fun.—BK

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The "reality shows are destroying television" rant has been done to death. But when it makes me laugh as hard as this did, done-to-death is just fine.—JS

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A site that makes lists for you! I can think of some guys who'd love that. This list balances the predictable with the insane, with details about ABC's Life on Mars that I'm amazed are not punishable by law.—JS

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(Blurb not written, as author has run out of his house to go purchase vast quantities of Sylvester Stallone's high-protein pudding.)—BK

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Which is, of course, the best kind of Larry David encounter to have.—BK

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A pivotal clip from Downfall, with the subtitles adjusted, can say pretty much anything you want it to, with hilarious results.—JS

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I listened to Teresa Strasser almost daily for about three years on Adam Carolla's morning radio show, and grew quite fond of her. Alas, she married another. Now she's blogging about her pregnancy, which may be of interest to those of you who are pregnant, or have been pregnant. Or who once had a pregnant spouse, or relative, or friend. Or Mom.—JM

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To be sure, we here at PoopReading.com have a great deal of love for "Without a Trace," and were particularly sad to see it go. This article is less about "Without a Trace," though, than it is about every hour-long drama.—JM

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Dipping back into the A.V. Club archives for a second opinion on one of my underappreciated favorites.—BK

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Big surprise – some of the so-called "experts" that peddle advice on Oprah may not know what they're talking about.—BK

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Factoids and insider info on the popular anti-masturbation campaign.—JS

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Linda Holmes, one of my favorites, wants Pixar to make a movie about a girl. Who isn't a princess. As the father of daughters, I wouldn't mind if they did that myself.—JM

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On top of this, Conan O'Brien gives the movie kudos in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. Everything's coming up marionette!—BK

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Celebrating bee week with a look back at a classic spelling bee post. (In a just world, Joe would be posting this link, since he first introduced me to it. And yet.)—JS

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"I think at some point my show is going to have to morph into a detective show. I think four weeks in, Andy Richter and I will be solving crimes. It's going to be 'Murder, She Wrote' for a younger demo."—JM

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There might come a time when I feel like I'm putting up too many links from Cracked.com. That time is not today.—JM

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As Sesame Street turns 40, it faces reduced episode counts, staff layoffs, and sagging ratings. My kids watch it, but I have to admit, it's not their favorite show. Still, I'm grateful to have a cultural touchstone we can share.—BK

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Terrific profile of Conan in the midst of his transition to The Tonight Show that also manages to work in a look at the changing landscape of late night comedy.—BK

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Action scribe Shane Black gives a short guide to what every action movie should have – which is, oddly, tied to the dopey Renny Harlin movie 12 Rounds.—JS

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Not since the Quizno's spongemonkeys have we heard an ad campaign described as "quirky genius." The Dos Equis guy (who sounds a lot like Bill Brasky) fits the bill.—JS

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Will I get tired of nerdy science types deconstructing the tropes of science fiction? Not until someone travels back in time to stop me.—JS

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I'd heard about this before, and I think it's awesome.—BK

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I know it's not football season, and I know it's not 2008. Still, this is one of the greatest things I've ever seen. Also, the Major League Baseball draft is coming up, and I'm going to steal the living hell out of this idea.—JM

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This one won't really work if you want to print it out and take it with you, but I decided it was too good not to link to anyway.—JM

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Extolling the virtues of Pixar, which will no doubt thrill PoopReading contributor Jameson Simmons. (There are two mentions of the upcoming release Up that I would consider spoiler-free, but your standards may be stricter than mine.)—BK

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Networks clamor for "Buffy"-like material, but when they get it, they have no idea what to do with it. Some updates on the Buffyverse.—JS

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It's not who you think! (wait a minute... never mind. It's probably who you think)—JM

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The piece doesn't quite live up to the title, although to be fair, no piece could ever hope to live up to that title. But, apart from a few tiresome "fork" puns, it's a fun read.—JM

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Even if you aren't a fan of Grodin (to which I say, really?), it's worth reading for his refreshing candor, including a section about his work in the 2006 film The Ex that features some of the most frank answers I've ever seen an actor give.—BK

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You mean there are guys out there like me, funnier than 90% of monologue jokes? And they're getting paid for it?—JS

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Alec Baldwin was on Letterman last week, which reminded me of this excellent profile from the days before Poop Reading. It's worth reading again, but at the very least it belongs in our archives.—JS

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Of course not. And it needs to die a quick, expensive death while there are still unconverted theatres to offer a 2D bailout option.—JS

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"Chuck" is coming back, as is "Dollhouse." If only they could see their way clear to bring "Life" back, as well... but I guess you can't have everything.—JM

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It's pretty simple: if there's Big Lebowski material out there worth reading, we're going to link to it. I hope everybody's cool with that.—BK

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"Fringe," I saw a couple of times but don't really watch. "Dollhouse," I've flip-flopped on several times over the course of its short run; right now, I'm a fan.—JM

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It should go without saying that you should probably listen to doctors and scientists more. It should.—JM

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You mean there's a guy out there like me, writing a vicious riposte whenever anyone belittles Pixar? And he's getting paid for it?—JS

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A few years ago, Bill Simmons and Malcolm Gladwell had an epic email exchange that covered mostly basketball, but also covered anything and everything else. Yesterday, they did it again. This is Part One...—JM

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Here's Part Two...—JM

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...and here's Part Three.—JM

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A terrific feature on Woody Allen and Larry David and their collaboration on Allen's Whatever Works. (It's also a review of the film, so while there's nothing specifically spoiler-y, it does include the typical discussion of the plot and characters.)—BK

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Dozens of baseball professionals, including ex-A's manager Art Howe, have signed on to play themselves. Even if you don't care about Moneyball, you have to admit this is one of the most fascinating projects out there.—BK

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God, yes – movie audiences are ruining moviegoing. But is fleeing for the home theatre the answer? Even as I flee, I wish for a better solution.—JS

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Interesting – if generous – perspective. I could've handled a lot of the other stuff if Topher had been more like Xander and less like an obnoxious ass.—JS

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If nothing else, Star Trek gives us a nice angle to discuss the science of outer space. (Yep, the old "spaceship explosions should be silent" gripe again.)—JS

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The Onion AV Club talks to one of the greats.—JM

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How 30 Rock's storylines have a tendency to embrace a conservative worldview. It's a really interesting observation, even if the writer – understandably – isn't quite sure what to make of it.—BK

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This trippy, indie space story with Sam Rockwell is shaping up to be one of the year's most interesting films. (Then again, we've seen how often that can go horribly awry...)—JS

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Basically a rehash of the brilliant South Park episode, but still entertaining in a furious-blogger sort of way.—JS

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Nothing groundbreaking here. Still, it's always nice to hear from Judd Apatow.—JM

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Judging by the rest of this piece, which looks at NBC's plans for the fall schedule (including, ugh, Jay Leno five nights a week), the answer is no. But I'll admit I have a soft spot for Chase, and I'd love to see him make a comeback with his new show Community.—BK

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As in which entertainers can't fall out of your good graces, even when they deliver a clunker or two. The Coen Brothers, Steve Martin, Albert Brooks, and U2 come to mind for me, and all have tested that status at one point or another.—BK

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A talk with Jeff Dowd, the real-life inspiration for The Dude character in The Big Lebowski. If you're not interested in his experiences being a part of the Seattle Seven in the 70s, you can find the Lebowski stuff about halfway down the page.—BK

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You've got your classic "Saturday Night Live" sketches, and then you've got the ones that should have become classics... like this one. Good ol' Norm.—JM

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Wain talks about Role Models, The State DVD, and most intriguing of all, the possibility of a sequel to Wet Hot American Summer.—BK

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We don't get much Tuesday Morning Quarterback between January and August, so I suggest we all get while the getting is good.—JM

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Oh, it is on, folks. It is fucking on! (sorry for the swear word, Mom and Matt, but I think even you would agree that sometimes, only the "f"-word will suffice. And this is most certainly one of those times)—JM

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Reminds you that Guest/McKean/Shearer aren't just hysterically funny, they're also pretty good songwriters and musicians. We should probably hate them.—BK

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Observations on fatherhood, the state of the term "nerd," and the author's ongoing gay crush on Jason Statham.—JS

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Please, please, please please please please please watch "Chuck," you guys. It's gotten so good.—JM

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The title of the piece says it all; no need for me to try to elucidate.—JM

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Short answer: almost certainly not by the celebrity you sent it to.—BK

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Demetri Martin has been cast as Paul DePodesta? Wow. Even if I had dared dream they'd make a Moneyball movie, there's no way I'd have envisioned Steven Soderbergh, Brad Pitt, Steven Zaillian, and Demetri Martin as the team responsible for bringing it to the screen.—BK

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TMQ returns from hibernation with his annual NFL draft column! Rejoice!—JM

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A brief, entertaining interview with David Wain about the official announcement of when we can finally hold The State in our hands.—JS

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If you like Pac-Man, this'll keep you entertained for quite a while. If you don't, then greetings! How are things in Communist Russia?—JS

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Now we just wait for the Jared Allen quote saying "Yes, yes, this lion is much more frightening. I am now afraid to sack Daunte Culpepper."—MW

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It's good to see someone devote some column space to the underappreciated Adsit, though I can't help wishing it was longer and more in-depth.—BK

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It sounds like YouTube may prove financially unsustainable. You mean I'll have to burn videos of my daughters to DVD and mail them to my parents, like some sort of caveman?—JM

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How do you get two byline links in the same week here at PoopReading.com? By making at least one of your pieces about Michael Schur, of course.—BK

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How the success of This is Spinal Tap and the mockumentary in general have made it harder for some real documentaries to be taken seriously – particularly a new one about a very Tap-esque band named Anvil.—BK

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This piece was written last summer, but it's just as true now. I don't know what made me think of it; maybe I just wanted to be needlessly provocative.—JM

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Yes, it failed to live up to the ridiculously high expectations, and sure, it almost destroyed the Kids in the Hall, but it deserves a little love and the A.V. Club is here to give it.—BK

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Reflecting on the 10th anniversary of The Matrix. (Which caused me to take a fond, and cringing, look back at my own Matrix Week, coinciding with its 2003 sequel.)—JS

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Not updating currently, but among the most poopable things I've ever seen online. Print out a few of these entries whenever you need a quick fix.—JS

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Truly chilling outcomes from the smash success of Fast and Furious. This is the year that my mystification at popular movie tastes went from annoyance to outright panic.—JS

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There's almost nothing less funny than a bland recap of a stand-up comedy show, but the comics at this show are so out-of-their-minds hilarious that even this bland recap of a stand-up comedy show is funny. I really could have seen this show, too. Dammit. I should have tried harder (or, indeed, at all) to pull that off.—JM

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According to this piece, at least, Howard the Duck isn't as bad as you remember. It's worse.—JM

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Anna Faris was a much-debated omission from this PoopReading column, and since I was the guy who shot her down, my posting of this link will no doubt now cause Jameson's head to explode.—BK

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About 15 years ago, Second City in Chicago ran a show that ended with an angry man ranting about consumerism and asking audience members to throw their Blockbuster cards on stage to be cut up. And it almost never failed to yield multiple cards, often tossed with an enthusiasm that seemed cathartic.—BK

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This is the reason I refuse to watch, read, or link to anything Michael Ian Black does.—JS

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Okay, this review loses its snarky zing after a while, but I'm pretty sure the ninja is fighting a shark in a water hazard. If you tell your grandchildren about one thing, let it be this.—JS

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An interview with "30 Rock's" Frank, the guy who wears the custom made trucker hats (in character, and in real life). My personal favorite so far? The one that just said "DRAPES."—JM

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I feel like this is the stuff we here at PoopReading.com would write, if we here at PoopReading.com wrote stuff like this.—JM

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As a satirical critique of the modern mishmash media culture, it's brilliant. As a serious suggestion, it's ludicrous. If only we could be certain which...—JS

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It's not just a stupid promotional gimmick that ruins otherwise good cinema, it's also physically detrimental!—JS

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As if we needed evidence to confirm it, evidence seems to confirm that Republicans are on the receiving end of more – and more bitter – jokes from late night comics.—JM

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I'm of the opinion that this is the best sketch that Mike Myers ever did on SNL. I suspect he also wrote it, though I've never been able to confirm that.—BK

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Terrible title, decent profile, but at least there's a quote from Michael Schur. I'm gonna pretend I didn't just hear you say "Who is Michael Schur?"—BK

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Interesting profile of a wacked-out creative genius. Assumes the reader's familiarity with the PBF comic (which is unfortunate, but easy to rectify).—JS

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A profile of comedian Aziz Ansari. I enjoyed his brief stint on Scrubs, and I'm getting the feeling he might emerge as the best thing on the upcoming Parks and Recreation.—BK

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I first came across this December 1981 Sports Illustrated profile of Andre the Giant ten years ago or so, and I've read it at least once a year since then. It's one of the more interesting things you'll ever read, and it'll keep you in poop reading for about a week. Enjoy!—JM

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Simon Callow (the actor, I can only assume) on a new Charlie Chaplin biography by Simon Louvish.—JM

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It's great to see that my gay crush on RDJ can be equaled – but not exceeded – by that of Kidd, an actual gay man.—JS

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Jim Caple takes a look at what the failures of newspapers, and the corresponding loss of baseball beat writers, means for the fan.—JM

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Why you should be thankful you never got the chance to buy a ticket for Spaceman From Pluto, Take It Like a Man, or Anhedonia.—BK

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A pitch-perfect network notes satire that, given the subject matter, features just the right amount of comic restraint.—BK

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I think the author is being a little too hard on Con Air (especially compared to Cage's recent offerings), but the rest is spot-on. It feels like that guy I loved so much in Raising Arizona doesn't even exist anymore.—BK

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An interesting point wrapped in a shrill and well-worn package. (With a thorough misunderstanding of Back to the Future as a bonus!)—JS

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A.V. Club embraces its own onrushing irrelevance. "Aren't as bad as you think," maybe – but "among the series' best?" Not this jumble of non-actor cameos and lame film/TV spoofs, no way.—JS

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I didn't get to see I Love You, Man this weekend; I had to settle for reading this review. Also, more people apparently decided that they'd rather see Knowing. Which I'm sure is fine, but... come on.—JM

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The Sports Guy takes a shot at using sports-style statistical analysis to answer the question: Who is the greatest living actor? (Hat tip, Chris C.)—BK

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No, we're not being paid from the I Love You, Man promotional budget. Just thought I ought to make that clear.—JS

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Maybe not among their all-time best, but I've always had a fondness for this sketch (and we've got a lot of years to fill, here; no use wasting all the primo links up front).—JS

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A "kiddie foodie movement?" This can't possibly be a thing, can it?—JM

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I've got a VHS copy of Dirty Work, and I personally got it signed by both Norm Macdonald and Artie Lange. I figured I'd mention that now, since opportunities to mention it don't come up all that often.—JM

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As always with these kind of things, you might quibble with the choices, but you can't dispute the greatness of the idea. And man, is that Sports Region tough.—BK

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The Catch-22 of all celebrity is that we want to feel like we know these people, but the reality of the circumstances makes that inherently impossible. And the Catch-22 of this profile is that it makes you feel like you know Ben Affleck.—BK

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A quick interview about Friday's I Love You, Man – oh, who am I kidding? This is linked because it mentions Paul Rudd's penis.—JS

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Conan's hornymanatee.com and the many sites from How I Met Your Mother (the "William Faulkner of sitcoms!").—JS

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A guide to laying out your thoughts like the late genius of the run-on sentence.—JS

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As usual, you have to ignore Stein's annoying penchant for inserting himself into the story, but you'll be rewarded with some nice Rudd details (he went to college with Joe Buck and Jon Hamm?!).—BK

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I haven't seen Watchmen, so I can't comment. As the parent of a two-year-old, however, I have seen The Incredibles roughly 9,000 times in the last six months, and I look forward to viewing #9,001.—JM

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I didn't want to like Brand, the whole time he was winning me over in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Since then, despite his style and appearance, he's only grown on me.—JS

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The wonderful Lauren Graham talks about the wonderful Gilmore Girls and other stuff that's just alright.—BK

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How writer/director Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton, Duplicity) works to find new ways to surprise jaded movie audiences.—BK

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The awesomeness of the idea is diminished a little by the author's atrocious spelling.—BK

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Unsurprisingly, Silver found it more difficult to predict the votes of fickle, ill-informed Academy members compared to the fickle, ill-informed electorate as a whole.—JS

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Joel Stein writes about the phenomenon of the Adam Carolla podcast. I keep telling you people. I keep telling you...—JM

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One of our underappreciated favorites talks about Joss Whedon, comedy, his early soap opera work, and his new ABC show Castle.—BK

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It doesn't even matter who Phil is. Everybody should write this list and put it on the internet. But since I'm not going to, here's Phil's.—JM

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Adam Carolla's podcast is apparently #1 on iTunes after less than two weeks. I told you people about him, did I not?—JM

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A second look at the project that killed the Mike Myers comedy dynasty. Conclusion: it still stinks.—BK

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What does Guitar Hero's popularity mean for the future of rock and roll?—BK

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How iconic pieces of film history end up as expensive collector's items.—BK

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Those French people think they're so hot, but you know what? They're not.—JM

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I may be the only person who remembers this Saturday Night Live sketch from 1996, and that includes the people who wrote and performed it. Nevertheless, it deserves to be acknowledged as a classic.—JM

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Brilliant profile. At times it's a maddening and skittish read, which seems to mirror the experience of spending time with Gervais.—JS

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A Jason Bateman profile that's not very in-depth, but hey, we'll take whatever we can get.—BK

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It's exactly the reason you'd expect: music licensing fees. Is there any entertainment medium left that hasn't had run-ins with the music industry over this stuff?—BK

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Sixteen films that do exactly what the title implies.—JS

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If you're like me, you've always been mildly fascinated by the 18th century English writer Samuel Johnson, but not enough to read an entire book either by or about him. Well, now we're in luck: a Slate.com article about two new Samuel Johnson biographies!—JM

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Plenty of people liveblog the Oscars; you can bet TWoP does it best.—JM

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Another sign of 30 Rock's underappreciation: in order to get a nice, long article about the best show on American television, we have to turn to the British.—BK

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This year's acting winners seem unlikely to be future candidates for this list (especially since one of them is, you know, dead). If only Mickey Rourke had won...—BK

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Making the case that Conan O'Brien will be great as the new host of The Tonight Show. He will, but the fact that this means we're that much closer to Leno in prime-time is taking some of the fun out of this.—BK

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To tide you over until tomorrow, when PoopReading.com offers fresh, homegrown Oscar picks, here are some from the indispensable AwardsDaily.com—JM

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Having recently viewed it for a second time, I have to agree: it never really got a fair shake.—BK

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He's abandoning TV for the internet. TV's loss, to be sure.—BK

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The man who predicted last year's election to within a mere percentage point turns his focus to Sunday's Oscars.—JS

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You know, if you just read a transcript of the show without watching it, you'd think every contestant was a 4-year-old.—JS

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An oldie but a goodie (though you do need to have at least a passing familiarity with the song).—BK

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Lengthy, entertaining profile of comedian Demetri Martin, he of the new Comedy Central smash hit Important Things.—JS

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The first of many Oscar-themed links and posts you'll see this week.—BK

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A review of Ferrell and McKay's Broadway Bush impersonation sendoff, highlighting the informative power of comedy.—JS

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Wasn't Grover Cleveland fictional? I mean, that name... come on. Put a colon in the middle and you've got the title of a regional Sesame Street spin-off.—BK

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SNL Transcripts always makes for good reading, and this is one of my favorites. It's got the Will Ferrell/Adam McKay stamp all over it, so if you like Anchorman and Step Brothers, you should like this.—BK

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Out of all the links we've posted, this one kept a smile on my face the longest.—JS

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Excerpts from his book, which everyone should read regardless of interest in show business or comedy, just to learn how his mind works.—JS

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I won't say that I agree with every word of this, but at the heart of it, there's an awfully good point.—BK

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A computer-generated sci-fi epic with grand ambitions to communicate the perils of war and racism fails to remember the principal rule of filmmaking: Do Not Suck.—JS

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Without giving away any of the titles, I can tell you that it manages to give some love to Albert Brooks, Steve Martin and Pixar, which is enough to win us over.—BK

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Letterman's offhand, carefree incisiveness keeps him relevant even when his show isn't always at its best. Why to watch, even if you do so with your finger on the fast-forward button.—JS

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My kingdom for an AIDS Wolf/Minus the Bear double bill.—BK

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You can quibble about the rankings or the omissions (Bowfinger anyone?), you can complain that you can't get it all on one page, but the fact remains: it's still a chance to spend several minutes of your day reveling in Steve, and that's a wonderful thing.—BK

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Surely the only place to find Jerry Seinfeld, Wilco and Bill Belichick thrown together... that is, until my one-act play gets produced.—BK

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Exploring the legal issues surrounding Christian Bale's on-set tirade and bringing new meaning to the phrase "them's fightin' words!"—BK

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The all-too-brief interview touches upon their recent reunion, new projects, and yeah, the whereabouts of those damn DVDs.—BK

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David Denby has seen the enemy, and it is this year's Best Picture nominees. (FYI: Contains a few small plot details that might be considered mildly spoilerish.)—BK

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The NFL season isn't really over until Gregg Easterbrook writes his Super Bowl column and hands out the Longest Award in Sports. Enjoy.—JM

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Searching for the interview about Phil Connors staying in Punxsutawney for 10 years in Groundhog Day, I found this. Which is also interesting, and reveals the early incubation of The Year One.—JS

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WALL-E director Andrew Stanton discusses the animation ghetto, and the trouble with sequels. (Hat tip, AC for the link.)—JS

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Number one on their list (and mine): those annoying head-box DVD sets The Simpsons used starting with Season 6.—BK

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If I were able to travel back in time to witness one single event in the history of Earth, it would have been Night 1 of "The State's" reunion show. Please, please, for the love of God, please, put this show out on DVD. I'll do anything. Anything. Well, no... not that. Okay, that.—JM

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Why couldn't math have been this awesome when I was growing up?—BK

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I like to think the benefit of the Pink Panther remakes is that at least we get a bunch of Steve features and an appearance on SNL around the release date.—BK

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Newsweek's annual Oscar roundtable is always terrific, and with Robert Downey, Jr. and Mickey Rourke on hand, this one stays plenty interesting.—BK

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There's not much football left this season (i.e., one game), which means there's not much Gregg Easterbook left this season. Read him while you still can!—JM

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It seems to take on different forms depending on what people want to project onto it.—JS

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Enough to make the costs of campaigning for one worthwhile.—BK

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I am by no means a pet person, and I don't usually go in for the sentimental "my beloved dog" stuff. But, to paraphrase the great Bill McNeal, you'd have to be a robot not to cry at this.—JM

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Good stuff, though sadly the list does not include the time Scooby Doo and the Gang met the Harlem Globetrotters.—BK

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A fun and flighty set of varied reactions to yesterday's Oscar announcements. (But he needs to get that cough looked at.)—JS

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It's less about Obama than it is about the changing ways Hollywood has portrayed black men over the last 50 years; but an interesting read nonetheless.—BK

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A nice little piece of satire. But I'm also just fearful enough to believe some of it could eventually come true.—BK

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Of course, answering these questions will create 343 new ones. So be careful what you wish for.—BK

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Co-created by Paul Rudd and Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas! Featuring Ken Marino! And Jane Lynch! And Martin Starr! With a guest appearance by Enrico Colantoni! It's a veritable stew of underappreciated favorites! But it'll be on Starz. (Wait, I get Starz!)—BK

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Will Ferrell and Adam McKay prepare to take Ferrell's Bush impression to Broadway (and HBO! Woo-hoo!) for a one-man show farewell.—BK

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This occupies 60 minutes of ABC's airtime when we could be watching Pushing Daisies. It's enough to make a man don an explosive vest.—JS

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The hilarious New Zealand duo talk about the upcoming season of their HBO series.—BK

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The evidence is piled on, so skim liberally, but some powerhouse entries (like Peter Travers's baby-on-baby action) mustn't be missed. (I won't soon forget this instant-classic gem: "Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson are this generation's most engaging on-screen couple.")—JS

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An interesting look at the emerging field of photography-as-art-history. Sort of heady, but that's okay once in a while.—JM

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The world's best, longest, and least-about-football football column is almost done for the year; don't miss it while it's still around!—JM

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Steve Martin turns up in a family home movie shot at Disneyland and starts a correspondence with its auteur. (Steve Martin completists, start around 20:19.)—JS

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A look at movie marketing via a profile of one highly-skilled practitioner of that art. An utterly fascinating and depressing look at the state of modern studio moviemaking.—BK

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Oswalt makes the case for improving this year's award season movies with a little dash of Jason Statham.—JS

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A look at twin failed adaptations of the same Elmore Leonard novel. An entertaining read, even if you haven't seen either film (as I have not).—BK

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A compare-and-contrast look at the various methodologies used by spell-check programs in word processing versus online search engines. What's that? It sounds boring? Well... you're boring!—JM

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Some nice details from a career that spanned five decades and, according to IMDB.com, nearly 200 different characters, including the guest spot I'll always remember him for: Colonel Daniel Webster Tucker in a classic April Fool's episode of MASH.—BK

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Pretty much what you'd expect – "in my day" this, "kids today are pussies" that – which is to say: awesome.—JM

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An interview with Bill Lawrence on the eve of the show's revival on ABC.—BK

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Meets the minimum acceptable standard by listing Jack Donaghy, then exceeds it by including several Poop Reading favorites from Pushing Daisies, The Office, and How I Met Your Mother.—BK

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A professional athlete and a burgeoning screenwriter. I suppose he also sleeps on a pile of money with many beautiful ladies.—BK

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NewsRadio gets some long-overdue praise from someone other than Entertainment Weekly. (A little video-clip-heavy for our purposes, but you can read around those.)—JS

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Or, How One Bad Decision Cost Sean Connery Hundreds of Millions of Dollars.—BK

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Newly discovered, even though it was written a year ago. You can quibble with the rankings or the omissions (Gil, Dr. Nick Riviera), but anybody who references the Krusty Brand Chew Goo Gum-Like Substance gets an A+ in my book.—BK

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A look at an artistic tradition that too often veers into laziness and comic absurdity.—BK

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For those of you with new iTunes gift cards burning a hole in your pocket.—BK

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In defense of Jason Statham, Counting Crows, and, believe it or not, Boat Trip.—BK

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If you're sick of everyone talking about this movie, this list is sick of you!—JS

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Longish, but there are worse people to spend a few extra minutes reading about.—JS

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As the last major distributor abandons the format, so goes the final nail into the coffin.—BK

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A look at why the Tom Cruise brand, like the stock market, may be on the verge of collapse.—BK

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One day after a gut-wrenching Minnesota Vikings home loss to the Falcons, it's only fitting that we link to a recap of a "HIMYM" episode wherein a plot point involves the mother of all gut-wrenching Minnesota Vikings home losses to the Falcons.—JM

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A review of the worst, strangest and funniest band names of the year. With apologies to those of you who are fans of Anal Hearse.—BK

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Nothing misleading about that title... TWoP looks at their favorite films of 2008. It takes a bit more mouse-clicking than is ideal for our purposes, but it's not that bad.—JM

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How the man did his homework and scammed thousands from Press Your Luck. (The guy who beat The Price Is Right this week apparently took the honest route.)—JS

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Part of a series of "What I've Learned" interviews, this one talks with the classic TV funnyman.—BK

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The Sports Guy writes about The Wrestler, the one Oscar-season movie I'm going to be sure to see.—JM

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I once heard someone say that they didn't feel like they'd seen a movie until they read Pauline Kael's review of it. I feel the same way about Linda Holmes, TWoP's former Miss Alli, and "Survivor" episodes.—JM

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Analysis of Jay Leno's frustrating popularity – it's a year old, but bears revisiting in light of recent events.—JS

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Five favorite line readings by Baldwin. It hits on a couple of great ones, but really, this list needs to be much, much longer, and contain at least 50 quotes from 30 Rock.—BK

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I have to see this movie. (And unfortunately, you have to click on four different pages to read this article.)—BK

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Continuing our series of movie cliché evaluations: a quick deconstruction of Baz Luhrmann’s Australia.—JS

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Highlighting the potential winners among next year's slated releases.—BK

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On Jim Carrey's legacy of characters locked in struggle with the self.—JS

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If there's one thing that we here at Poop Reading can all get behind, it's dumping on Leno. Well played, Chuck Barney.—BK

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An odd, fascinating profile of what is either a mid-life crisis or a period of enlightenment for Murray. I can't tell whether to feel pity or be impressed. Don't the Germans have a word that means both?—BK

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Music is a window into our shared humanity. And our shared humanity wants to get it on.—JS

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Lamenting the dearth of originality since the days of Hoosiers and Field of Dreams.—BK

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Checking in with Joe's former co-workers from Cheap Seats.—JS

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Overly dour at times, and the writing gets surprisingly slapdash, but if you're as a big a Fey fan as we are, it's a worthwhile read.—BK

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Bill Simmons is back, and so are his "Ramblings." Rejoice, America.—JM

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Trey Parker and Matt Stone discuss the ways in which South Park pushes people's buttons.—JS

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I know what you're thinking – "Hey, it's been three whole weeks since you guys last posted a link about The Big Lebowski. What gives?!" Crisis averted, my friends.—BK

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Interesting tales from their collaboration, on the eve of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Pitt's much-anticipated third film with the director.—JS

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Because nothing says Christmas like a surprise dinner visit from your boss or stealing the identity of a man you just killed.—BK

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Ebert laments the decline of looking at movies as an art form. The crankier he gets, the more I love him.—JS

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ESPN changed things up this year, adding drama to the final table and giving the "November Nine" some extra celebrity. But did it make for better poker television?—JS

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