Four Alternatives to Douchey Entertainment

I spent my last post hating on Pop Culture, whom I love and adore, so I am making it up to Her by providing a list of films and television shows that I highly recommend to college students who want to expand their respective metaphorical horizons.

1) Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)

I think the biggest consequence of living in a college dorm is that it forces one into a bubble. When the Sunday-Thursday goal is completing homework and the Friday/Saturday goal is to...not write blogs, it's easy to lose sight of the rest of the world. This is a shame, considering how easy it is to get news these days. There are plenty of sufficient sources out there, but I personally recommend my man A-Coop because he's a badass (see video below) and really tries to provide viewers with the truth in order for them to make up their minds about the issues. Plus, he's hilarious.



2) What Not To Wear (TLC)

I know I bitch about the way people dress all the time, but it's not totally unmerited bitchery. One thing Clinton Kelly stresses on What Not To Wear is that the way you present yourself to the world is the way you want people to see you. I honestly think it's a total "fuck you" to the professor to show up in pajamas. How seriously can an outfit like that be taken? Also, it takes just as long to put on jeans as it does to put on sweatpants. I highly recommend getting a light but beneficial dose of Stacy and Clinton every so often to get inspired.

And remember: "Sometimes comfort doesn't matter. When a shoe is freakin' fabulous, it may be worth a subsequent day of misery. Soak in Epsom salts and take comfort in the fact that you're better than everyone else." - Clinton Kelly

3) Heathers (on DVD)

After finally watching this brilliant black comedy from 1989, I decided it should be required viewing for anyone who is a fan of Mean Girls. I recommend this very dark and hilarious film to anyone who wished Regina George had gotten hit by that bus...multiple times. Go watch it now, because as one YouTube commenter wrote, "Without this movie, there wouldn't be Clueless or Mean Girls. These are the most important movies of our generation..."

Best clip:


4) Veronica Mars (on DVD)

I lived for this show in high school, so I still have this nagging voice within me that wants to shout to the world about how awesome it was. Now this is the type of role model girls these days could certainly use. The title character is the Buffy of the '00s - witty, intelligent and generally badass. I wish every girl could learn to be as confrontational as Veronica (the amazing Kristen Bell who needs to spend less time doing crappy movies) is in the clip below. It's never too late to start watching.

How I ended up being so confrontational:


I also really like receiving recommendations (other than "Stop being such a know-it-all douche.)