Again, sorry for being MIA with virtually everything on this site. Everything’s happening at the same time, everyone! Aside from graduations, Ashley and I are facing the huge task of moving to Miami in July. That requires time and money (the money part is what has kept me extremely busy as of late). So you’ll have to bear with me and the lack of updates on this site.

Also, speaking of Ashley, she was the speaker at her college graduation today! It was a very good speech, and I’m very proud of her success.

I say all of this to say that you’ll have to be patient with The DowntonCast. We are still going to do the show, but we’re more than likely going to switch to attempting to do the podcast every two weeks instead of every week. We have tons of stuff to do as of late, and we barely have time to sleep, let alone talk about Downton Abbey. I hope you understand!

Show Notes (although we only mentioned a few of these articles in the show):

Some famous quotes from the Dowager Countess

Vanity Fair’s nterview with Lady Mary Crawley, Michelle Dockery

Dame Maggie Smith’s BAFTA nom for the Dowager Countess

Downton Sixbey portraits

Benedict Cumberbatch criticizes Season 2 of Downton Abbey

(SPOILER) Lady Edith gets married!

What we hope happens in Season 3

*Theme: “Suite for Strings Op. 40 Prelude Allegro Vivace”, Edvard Grieg (uploaded by ccradiocc-classic-morning)PreludeAllegro Vivace” (ccradiocc-classic-morning) / CC BY-SA 3.0]

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I’ve got some exciting news! Alaska-shot thriller On The Ice by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean will be making it’s digital debut on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu and other digital services April 24th, 2012! The film stars Josiah Patkotak and Frank Qutuq Irelan as two teenagers make a grave mistake that leads them down a path of darkness and lies:

Shot entirely on location in Barrow, Alaska, On The Ice is the engrossing and suspenseful feature film debut by filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean about two teenage boys who have grown up like brothers go about their lives in the comfortable claustrophobia of an isolated Alaskan town.  Early one morning, on a seal hunt with another teenager, an argument between the three boys quickly escalates into a tragic accident. Bonded by their dark secret, the two best friends are forced to create one fabrication after another in order to survive.  The shocked boys stumble through guilt-fueled days, avoiding the suspicions of their community as they weave a web of deceit.  With their future in the balance, the two boys are forced to explore the limits of friendship and honor.

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The awkward triangle. (L-R) R.J., Dev and Karen. Screencap: me (NBC)

You might have noticed that I haven’t been recapping Smash lately. The show is a great show, but I just don’t think I have enough time to devote to recapping every week. If you want to read some really good recaps of the show, then I suggest you go to Tom and Lorenzo. They have astute opinions about this show.

However, I do feel like I should talk about this show at least a little, since it is doing a lot of what I would like to see in a show–address real life in a realistic manner. Well, as realistic as you can in a musical show. Sure, there are some things I could get them on, like the fact that Julia (Debra Messing)’s son is a little bit creepy and dead in his personality (I’m not saying boys can’t press their parents on getting an adopted sister, but something about the way his character is set up just seems a little bit unrealistic and/or unresolved). But there’s a lot there that is done right, even when it gets in the way of the “real” story of the trials of making the Marilyn musical. I’ll go through these points over the course of several posts. The first “right thing” is:

Right thing #1–The trials of being in an interracial relationship.

Don’t get me wrong about anything dealing with being in an interracial relationship–they are fantastic and are endorsed on Moniqueblog (along with same race relationships, too). Interracial relationships can work when both parties are open and honest with each other, as with any other relationship (perhaps more so since there are the added hurdles of cultural differences). But there’s one thing that’s sometimes overlooked on television when there is an interracial relationship, and that is the pressure of actually being in one.

When you’re in an interracial relationship, there can sometimes be a different level of insecurity than there is in a same-race one. That insecurity comes from the fact that you have people from your partner’s race as well as your own (and sometimes even members of your own family) talking down to you because you’re not dating the person they expect you to date. Firstly, all that’s bullcrap, but it still gets to a person. It can be so irritating that you yourself start thinking you might have to fight off every other girl of your partner’s race because your partner might prefer them over you. You might even start fighting off girls who have just similar cultures to your partner, as does Karen in the latest episode, “Let’s Be Bad.” Karen (Katharine McPhee) comes to that point when she sees Dev (Raza Jaffrey) talking with R.J. Quigley (Tala Ashe). While R.J. isn’t Indian–she’s Iranian–she and Dev still bond over things like their long names. When Karen says to Dev that she expected R.J. to be a white middle-aged guy, what she’s actually saying is, “I didn’t expect a beautiful Iranian woman, you lying bastard! You’re bonding over names that I’ll never have!” Granted, there are tons of dissimilarities between the two cultures, but to someone who is in a situation like Karen’s, even girls who can relate to Dev on a deeper cultural level than Karen can are considered threats.

R.J.! Screencap: me (NBC.com)

To be fair, Dev has his own moment with interracial dating insecurity during one of the earlier episodes when he has a Brit-off with Derek (Jack Davenport). He’s doing that not just because he’s a man claiming his woman, but because he’s a white man and his girlfriend is a white woman. He’s thinking all of the normal things a man thinks when their girl is talking to another man, but there’s the added level of “Is she talking to him because they have their race in common? Do I fit really fit in her world as much as she claims I do? I GOTTA STOP THIS!” Again, there’s a ton of differences between British and American culture, but the threat is still there.

More “right things” coming up later!

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To quote the professor on Futurama,  good news, everyone! The DowntonCast has reached #22 in the TV/Film category at PodOmatic! WHOO!

Thanks to everyone who has played, downloaded, and embedded!

Also, we are now a Pro podcast on PodOmatic. We’ll say this again in this week’s show, but because we are a pro account now, we want you, the listener, to help us in order to bring you content worthy of the “Pro” label.

–Donate to the DowntonCast through podOmatic (downtoncast.podomatic.com)

–Support Moniqueblog.net by visiting Moniqueblog.net and buying something from the Moniqueblog Amazon store and/or my Zazzle store (‘80s/’90s-inspired products)

–Along with downloading our shows from podOmatic, you can also subscribe to us at iTunes. Just click the “Subscribe to iTunes” button on our show page and you will be led to where you can download the show.

You have helped us shoot to #22, and because of that, we want you to become a part of the DowntonCast family and help us grow so we can reach #1.

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Bray in The Grey. Picture accompanies interview on ShockYa.

Recently, I was able to interview stunt coordinator and actor Ben Bray, who plays Hernandez in The Grey. In the interview, he talks about how he got started in acting through his boxing career, working with Liam Neeson, and the weather in Smithers, Canada, the place where The Grey was shot. Here’s a snippet of the interview.

In “The Grey,” Bray plays Hernandez, a character that has an interesting dichotomy. “I think what’s interesting about the Hernandez character is that he’s a bad guy with a good heart,” he said, saying that Hernandez is essentially a good guy who was tainted by being around the wrong people, leading him to make bad decisions. “He’s got a soft heart. A soft side, I should say,” he said.

Working with Liam Neeson was a great experience for Bray, even though his nerves got in the way at first. “It was nervewracking in the beginning,” he said. “It was like being in the ring with one of the great fighters, like Muhammad Ali. Liam is the total opposite from the ‘alpha male’. He’s very generous as an actor, very generous as a human being.”

Check out the full interview at ShockYa.com!

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I don’t know about this…Credit: ABC

There’s a lot more news than I actually have the time to report on. However, I do like keeping the site up-to-date as much as I can, so here’s a run-down of what’s been going on:

• Erica Keppler on how ABC can save Work It: There’s been a bit of an outcry about the new ABC show (that actually hasn’t aired yet) about two guys who, in the vein of Tootsie, dress as women for whatever job they want/are trying to get. This plot seemed to work for Dustin Hoffman, but it’s not working for this show. BTW, I’m going to review this show (I don’t know about blogging it), so you’ll be able to see my opinions once the show airs January 8.
• Teen girls engaging in more same-sex contact, number of teen pregnancies down: A new survey is showing that more girls are engaging in more same-sex contact, which seems to be related to the number of teen pregnancies dropping. I don’t know what context “contact” is being used, but it would seem that “contact” ranges from friendships to more-than-friendships.
• OUT Magazine runs down movies with women who play men: In anticipation of the new Glenn Close film Albert Nobbs, in which she plays a woman in Victorian England who goes through life as a manservant, OUT Magazine has created a list of some of the biggest films in which women played men in order to get ahead in life.

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Hi, everyone! I just thought I’d post that due to Thanksgiving, I won’t be posting anything this Thursday. Hopefully you all have a very safe Thanksgiving week, make sure to stay especially safe on Black Friday, since people tend to go a bit loopy.

P.S.–Starting Black Friday, I’ll be bringing back my seasonal segment, “Black Friday,” where I give you gift ideas for the entertainment lover in your life. The segment will continue until the week before Christmas.

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I’ve been trying to keep my site as updated as possible, but I’ve been engaged full-time in my job outside of Moniqueblog as well as other things going on, least of which involves me making stuff for my “Pan Am” costume but also involves sending off queries and the like in order to grow my freelance writing business. So, while I have a lot of stuff I want to write about–and I will write about them soon!–I may be taking a small hiatus from the site in order to get organized. Stay tuned!

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Screencap of an Indian commercial for a skin lightening product. Credit: FunnyBiz (Creative Commons Flickr)

You might be wondering why I’m talking about skin lightening procedures with the show Outsourced didn’t address this epidemic that plagues not just India, but other countries as well, including America. But, in one review/analysis I wrote about “Gupta’s Hit and Manmeet’s Missus”, I brought up how prevalent skin lightening creams and such are in India, and how it’s a product of colonialism, colorism, and prejudicial thought.

Well, thanks to a facebook group, I found this lovely video of a guy going by the name of “Mr. Lekamge” about how he feels about the whole skin lightening thing. Take a listen:

My sentiments exactly, Mr. Lekamge. What he said also ties into something I wrote promoting the film Dark Girls, which is that people should take pride in their skin, no matter what color it is. No one has the right to define you by your skin tone. Once again, I must invoke Alek Wek.

She’s a supermodel!

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Somalia. Credit: Microsoft Word 

There are many countries that need help maintaining a constant food supply, one such country is Somalia, which has been in the news lately because of their record-breaking drought. Here are a few ways you can help.

Save The Children

According to the site’s about page, Save The Children helps needy children in suffering countries with their overall wellbeing:

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves. We work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners while maintaining our own independence without political agenda or religious orientation.

When disaster strikes around the world, Save the Children is there to save lives with food, medical care and education and remains to help communities rebuild through long-term recovery programs. As quickly and as effectively as Save the Children responds to tsunamis and civil conflict, it works to resolve the ongoing struggles children face every day — poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease — and replaces them with hope for the future.

You can sponsor a child, donate, and much more. Click here to find out more.

World Vision

World Vision is a site where you can donate to help the people of Somalia. According to the site:

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve in nearly 100 countries around the world. World Vision has been working in the Horn of Africa for decades, including during the massive famine there in the mid-1980s. In addition to responding to immediate needs, World Vision remains in communities for long-term development of essentials like clean water, sustainable agriculture, basic healthcare, educational opportunities, and microloans to build healthy communities.

You can also learn more about the famine from the site.

World Food Programme

World Food Programme does exactly what the title says–it’s an organization that provides food to needy countries. According to the about page:

 WFP is the food aid arm of the United Nations system. Food aid is one of the many instruments that can help to promote food security, which is defined as access of all people at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. ¹ The policies governing the use of World Food Programme food aid must be oriented towards the objective of eradicating hunger and poverty. The ultimate objective of food aid should be the elimination of the need for food aid.

Targeted interventions are needed to help to improve the lives of the poorest people – people who, either permanently or during crisis periods, are unable to produce enough food or do not have the resources to otherwise obtain the food that they and their households require for active and healthy lives.

There are many ways you can help the organization, but one of the easiest ways of helping other people is playing Freerice (Freerice.com), which is linked to the organization’s site. Freerice is a vocabulary game where you match a word to its definition. There are 60 levels, and for each correct answer, you donate rice. I played, and I donated about 2950 grains of rice. Also, to keep track of your rice levels, you can either create an account or login using your Facebook or Twitter accounts. I’m going to have a banner that links to Freerice on my site, so if you have trouble finding it, just click the ad on my site.

Hopefully you find one or both of these options helpful in your quest to make the Somalia famine disappear!

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