Movies & TV

Buzz for the band biopic The Runaways has been big for months, which is noteworthy. Not Twilight/New Moon big, but it's been building speed with lots of media and blog interest. Some of the energy certainly can be attributed to the Twilight momentum and its fans -- who are interested in the every move of Kristen Stewart, who plays Joan Jett in the film, but that has not the only factor by far. It seems that the first movie telling the story of the first all-girl rock band has gathered buzz because of devotion to the musicians and tremendous curiosity about Jett's legendary early days.

OK, people, it's the Top 12 on the big stage, baby!! Are we ready to rock? RAWRRRRRR! [Insert rock-on horned-finger salute here.] Too bad if you are, because the Top 12 were ready to adult alternative. I mean, seriously, I know the Rolling Stones have gotten old, but if they can get up there on stage and avoid the muzak approach to their hot hits, so can a bunch of 20-something hipsters, right? I'm not even a Rolling Stones fan, and I felt bad for them. Keith Richards is probably rolling over in his vampire coffin.

Recently Suppernanny aired its 100th episode. The show got its start in the U.K. in 2004, the year my daughter was born. It hit the U.S. the following year, and I quickly became an addict. To my detriment.

Fans leveraging the "Betty White to Host SNL (please?)" Facebook fan page are proclaiming a social media victory. NBC announced Thursday that they have finally booked the 88-year-old actress to host a special "Women in Comedy" Saturday Night Live show on May 8. White will be joined by a troupe of six former SNL cast members: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch.

Only a couple stand out in a surprisingly middle-of-the-road field. I think I had higher hopes at the beginning of this season than are currently bearing out. I'm trying to figure out why that is. Much of it is song choice. All these people picking songs that are too old for them or too big for them. Some of it might actually be that, as Simon said last night, too many of them are sitting on a stool with a guitar and not really showing a lot of charisma. And some of it continues to be that with four judges talking, the singers actually do less singing. Maybe i just don't like 90 second versions of 4 minute songs.