Let the WGA strike the Oscar’s this year. We already got all the cutaway shots we need at last night’s debate between Democratic Presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. CNN must have shown Rob Reiner five times — so sorry about Bucket List getting snubbed by the Academy, Meathead! There was a loving shot of Remington Steele…er James Bond, and my personal fave was very fetching America Ferrara wearing the very latest in Hillary buttons.

The debate you ask? The candidates mostly stayed away from the rough stuff and at times looked so lovey dovey that I wanted to suggest they get a room. When it came down to the nitty-gritty, Hill was still stronger on substance with a very assured and detailed explanation of her health plan versus Obama’s. He may have been less surefooted when it came to the policy wonkery but he brought the charm and most importantly the vision.

They both got their hits in on the immigrants being allowed to get driver’s licenses issue (a red herring as its a state matter anyhow). Obama referenced Hillary’s shaky answer on this initially and she was good enough to remind him gently but forcefully of his own problems with this topic earlier in the year. He sheepishly nodded his head. It was like watching an old married couple.

This was the kind of healing exchange of ideas the party needed at this juncture. Obama eloquently reached out to Edwards supporters, as did Hillary, and everyone seemed to leave the event with a warm glow — except perhaps for Wolf Blitzer who was roundly booed for trying to bait Obama into an attack. Here’s a clip — check out 4:54 forward for the line of the night, delivered by Clinton, oh and Annie Hall:

Unlike Scarlett’s record, Zooey’s songs are mostly originals though she does slip a Beatles and a Smokey Robinson cover in. Ward, who has released several critically acclaimed albums of atmospheric indie roots-folk heard Deschanel’s demos and offered to collaborate.

Here’s She and Him live doing “Lonesome Town”…Deschanel has a very impressive voice:

Here’s Scarlett warbling with the Jesus and Mary Chain last year, the voice is…not as impressive:

The FCC, spurred on by bozo Brian Bozell’s Parent’s Television Council, is going ahead with their proposed fine of $1.4 million fine against 52 ABC stations over an episode of NYPD Blue from 2003. This is despite the parental warning at the beginning of every episode, 10 years of publicity about the show’s boundary blurring, and V- Chip enabling. More to the point, would a child’s head explode from seeing this scene — at 10PM no less? Where’s the harm. Apparently ninnies like Bozell and dirty minded FCC heads Michael (son of Iraq War salesman Colin) Powell and Kevin Martin believe that children are unaware that posteriors exist. By all means, lets keep it that way.

Or perhaps their is a more sinister thing going on here. The FCC successfully argued that ABC showed “sexual organs” on their broadcast. Sounds like the FCC like to enter an establishment through the back door, if you catch my drift. If you don’t, check out the piece on the Washington Post Scrabble puzzle below.

Granted at first I thought the scene featured Facts of Life headmistress Charlotte Rae, in which cause the FCC may have been on solid ground with an emotional distress argument but Charlotte Ross? Perfectly harmless. Perhaps Martin would be willing to negotiate down to the administration of a light spanking to the actress involved by a certain FCC chief.

Here’s the horribly offensive scene– shield thine eyes! Judge for yourself…if you dare!

Character actor Dick Wilson, known to millions of Americans as TV’s Mr. Whipple from Charmin’s paper towel commercials, has died at 91. There is no doubt that the 70′s were a golden age for catchphrases and “Please, don’t squeeze the Charmin” ranks right up there. Wilson played George Whipple from 1964-1985, enough time to sketch in the very Larry Craig like character detail that he secretly went in for a little of the old Charmin squeezin‘ himself.

Norman Mailer, one of the postwar literary icons of American literature has died. He leaves behind a vast, varied, and messy legacy of writing with many peaks and valleys. Though his avowed form was the novel, he was perhaps most successful creatively when exploring non-fiction. Along with Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Wolfe he was arguably a  pioneer of what some would call “new journalism” in which the author is as much part of the piece as the subject. He took on many personas, all of them tough and ready for a tussle. He was a famously vocal anti-feminist in the 70′s, and did much to gain the release of convicted murderer Jack Henry Abbott at the end of that decade. Abbott killed a waiter in 1981 and the outcry following that led to much condemnation of Mailer and at least one hilarious Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Eddie Murphy as a prison poet (“Kill my landlord — c-i-l-l my landlord” went one memorable line). Here is the New York Times obit.

1) Cool Hand Luke (1967) – Paul Newman covered in sweat in the definitive men in prison flick.

2) 12 Angry Men (1957)- Sidney Lumet’s courtroom drama, sans a/c. The arguments get heated and so does the sequestered jury. There’s more sheen here than in Bobby…

3) Body Heat (1981) – Kathleen Turner and William Hurt steam up the screen in this neo-noir classic.

4)Do The Right Thing (1989) Spike Lee’s masterpiece of racial tension takes place on the hottest day of summer. Here’s a nice relaxing scene:

5) Palmetto (1998) – Another hot neo-noir, this time with Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue and Gina Gershon

6) Alien (1979) – Ridley Scott’s monster on a spaceship tour de force.

7)D.O.A. (1950) – Accept no substitutes (ie the Dennis Quaid/ Meg Ryan remake) this is the ultimate in “You only have x amount of time to live!” flicks — even the band sweats it up!

Barton Fink (1991) – The Coen Brothers brilliantly offbeat pastiche of Hollywood in the interwar period — so hot the walls sweat.

9) Personal Best(1982) – Robert Towne’s sports drama gets the sapphic sweat flowing.

10) Apollo 13 (1995) Opie Cunningham’s real-life space drama includes overheating capsule — hot, sweaty stuff!

Awesomely cool all-femme brit band Electrelane has decided to call it quits for now. In a statement on their website they write: “We have decided that the upcoming gigs will be our last for the foreseeable future. After ten years of much fun and hard work, we have realised that we all need a break and time to do other things. This was a tough decision for us to make, but ultimately a positive one.”

One of the most interesting purveyors of Krautrock influenced indie rock, Electrelane married hypnotic rhythms with endearing vocals and imaginative arrangements over the course of four albums, two of which were recorded by legendary engineer Steve Albini. No Shouts No Calls, which was released earlier this year, may be their best and most accessible.

Here they are live kicking the stuffing out of Bruce Springsteen’s classic “I’m on Fire” :

And here’s “To The East” from their latest album:

Michael McDonald’s first music video (and Billboard chart success), “It’s Only Divine Right”, became the most influential track of the 1970s. His smooth vocal stylings, coupled with guest performances by Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross, seemed to pave the way for 80s adult contemporary music. Also, the idea of a “music video” was revolutionary in its own right, and McDonald experiments with one of the earliest known instances of product placement. This song was later covered by Canadian powerpop group, The New Pornographers.Another interesting fact: McDonald hasn’t replaced the phone featured in this video since it was filmed.

How cool is the result? Pretty damn cool. I’ll also point out that the “Michael McDonald” in my tag cloud is getting bigger and bigger: