Despite what you may have heard, this is not a show about sex. Don't get us wrong, though. There is sex. Lots of sex. Lots of very graphic sex, including but not limited to: male masturbation, balls, a woman jerking off her husband (with cock clearly exposed), numerous oral sex scenes, and even a (presumably staged) money shot.
Even with all of this sex, HBO delivers a thoughtful, well-shot drama about the role of intimacy in the lives of four couples. First, we have David (Tim DeKay) & Katie (Ally Walker), 40-ish and married, but worried over the lack of physical intimacy in their relationship since the birth of their two kids. Second comes Jamie (Michelle Borth) & Hugo (Luke Farrell Kirby), two 20-somethings who are headed down the road towards marriage. Following them are Palek (Adam Scott) & Carolyn (Sonya Walger), a couple in their thirties who are trying depserately to conceive a child. Finally, we have May (Jane Alexander) and Arthur (David Selby), an elderly couple who seem to have a healthy, loving relationship. These couples are achetypal; you have seen these couples and issues before in many of your favorite tv shows and movies. The difference is the way these relationships are presented and how the camera treats the characters as they interact together.
The show is shot (by Alan Caso, cinematographer) in a very intimate format. The shots are often very tight, especially when the characters are sharing intimate physical or emotional moments; this format gives the viewer the sense that they are in the room with the characters. In fact, there were moments when we were fighting against making a response to a particularly biting comment or intense argument. This also augments the fact that the show strives to be authentic; as any of us would, the characters often stumble and stammer through weighty discussions about life in a monogamous relationship.
To further heighten the sense of realism, the changes between scenes are simple, clean and quick. The use of voyeuristic shots (through open windows, or sliding glass doors) further heightens this impression. The sets are unobtrusive, and for all intents and purposes could be an interchangeable series of middle-class urban and suburban dwellings; this serves to retain focus on the characters and their intimacy issues.
The central cog of the show can be found in the couple's therapy sessions with May Foster, who sees at least some of the members of the two married couples in the first two espisodes. Undoubtedly, all of the characters will at some point find themselves on May's couch before the season is out. These scenes allow for the characters to benefit from some psychological exposition; it also serves as a point of contention between these married people. It sometimes leaves you wondering what good this kind of therapy can accomplish, but judging from the tone of the first two episodes it appears that the sessions will ultimately result in some kind of breakthrough for each of the couples.
With 3 of the 4 writers being women, as well as 6 of 8 producers, it comes as no surprise that the show is more favorable towards the female characters (at least in the first two episodes). The men seem to be generally passive; never does a strong male character come in and take charge of any of these relationships. The men often come across as wimpy and dimwitted; Hugo appears to be especially prone to resorting cheesy lines to quell Jaime's interrogations. Perhaps this is an accurate portrayal of modern relationships and the modern sexual dynamic, but to the all-male audience here it seemed a bit unbalanced.
And another thing: the show is slow. The emotional intensity goes a long way to bridge the gap between plot occurences, but there are times when the show seems to drag a bit. While a heavy drama can certainly have entertainment value, especially as a fantasy or escape (see The Sporanos), the realistic elements of this show feel much closer to home. As a result, it is hard to say that one would be entertained by a single episode of this show. It's value lays more in the long-term development of these characters, and it may be a lot to ask from viewers HBO expects to tune in for an hour every week.
All told, The Pasty Quail gives "Tell Me You Love Me" a solid, if not ringing endorsement. We'll be watching next week to see what happens. We suggest you check it out, and let us know what you think. But be forewarned: This is not light viewing, and contains seriously graphic and mature sex scenes.
The second episode of Tell Me You Love Me will air Sunday, September 16 at 9pm, and will reair regularly throughout the week. Also, the first two episodes can now be seen On Demand.
From Episode 1 (Dave and Katie):
From Episode 2 (Palek and Caroline):
From Episode 3 (Palek and Caroline):
From Episode 4 (Jamie and the Therapist, May):
Friday, August 31, 2007
EXCLUSIVE: Review and Clips From HBO's "Tell Me You Love Me"
The Pasty Quail Is Taking The Weekend Off
Yes, we here at the Quail have decided to take the weekend off. We plan on returning on Tuesday with some design tweaks and a few new features, so please come back, seriously. We leave you with the dramatic chipmunk video because, frankly, we couldn't think of anything better. God damn that guy is funny. Enjoy the holiday!
Tribal Politics in Iraq
Here's a look at the tribal level politics in Iraq, and how many tribes have turned against Al Qaeda.
Murders Piling Up In New Orleans
Cnn reports that: "In the first 29 days of this month alone, the city witnessed 27 killings, according to the New Orleans Police Department."
Things are really bad in New Orleans, folks.
You can find the full article here.
How The FBI's Surveillance Program Works
Wired has an article up explaining how the FBI's eavesdropping system works.
Beckhams' Season May Be Over
It appears that Becks will miss at least 6 weeks after sustaining a knee injury on Wednesday night.
I'm not really sure how to feel about this. On one hand, I would like to see soccer succeed in the US and would be happy to support a team if they ever put one in Atlanta. On the other hand, I do love to see horribly cynical marketing campaigns fall flat on their faces. I suppose I win either way.
More Tennis!
As we are in the throes of the U.S. Open, here's a nice article on a rising star from UGA, who, at almost 6'10", is the second tallest player ever on tour.
"If I did it"
Barnes & Noble caves on its stand against O.J.'s 'hypothetical' confession.
Still in shock that this exists. . . can't really make more comments. Anybody read this yet? Any other thoughts?
Religion without God?
To harp on a consistent theme, the conversation about teaching religion/religious history in public schools continues to make noise (it's even happening here and there).
A Jewish man in Florida seeks to open a series of secular Jewish day schools and plans to teach Judaism from a historical standpoint "without God."
We certainly can see that this might cause some uprising in the Jewish community between orthodox and secular Jews, but we're not here to ponder that: the question posed here is, is it possible to teach about religion without invoking God?
A little Xenu with your morning coffee
Since we haven't heard from the Alien Lord in a while: 
A school in Wisconsin is using L. Ron Hubbard's educational theories in its curriculum, with which there are no inherent problems, but anytime we see Hubbard and children mentioned in the same sentence, we can't help but make a joke.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
This is Just Sad
Male Pro Tennis players are throwing matches?
Maybe this will take some heat of the NBA, the MLB,the NFL and John McCain's Election Campaign.
BEEEEEEEEES!!!!
Remember the whole scare about dwindling bee populations? If not, it was a minor concern that surfaced late last year, and probably ranks somewhere between birflu and Y2K in things that you ought to be worried about. However, CNNmoney has an article about the potential damage that another such event could cause. After reading the article I am unconvinced that we are any closer to global catastrophe, but I was surprised to learn that they still use bees to polinate many of the vegetables and fruits that we eat daily. Who knew?
Licensing Drug Dealers
The local UGA student newspaper has this, which could turn into a big deal for some folks, especially those who need to take the licensing exam in order to continue with their careers. Some former students are up in arms about it.
Turns out that having your students call and report back to you about the questions on a standardized professional licensing exam is not a good idea. Who knew?
Maybe It Was Her Twin Sister
So, in a surprise to all of us who have been orbiting Earth on radio silence for the last 5 years, Lindsay Lohan is doing drugs in rehab.
While I applaud her efforts to try and occupy her time with something other than drugs by letting some guy rail her in a bathroom stall, I have to question her commitment to getting clean and sober.
Of course, at a bare-bones, no-nonsense facility like Utah's Cirque Lodge, I'm sure she'll get whipped into shape in no time at all.
What Would Tyler Durden Do has a great post about how serious this rehab program is.
US Troop Drawdown Imminent
Fred Kaplan at Slate.com has an article explaining how France might be the key to finding a lasting solution in Iraq.
Its pretty long, but its an interesting read especially the parts about the impending troop shortage (scheduled to hit in April 2008) that will force the US to either draw down the number of soldiers in Iraq or look for other alternatives. The article systematically explains away options such as the draft, increased troop deployment timetables, and reservist call ups. However, it does fail to mention another option: bringing in more troops from Blackwater.
I'm not sure about the legalities of this, let alone the wisdom of such a move. Moving military functions outside of the direct control of the nation-state might, in fact, lead to the disintegration of the nation-state. But thats only a long term concern, and democratically elected governments aren't very good at dealing with the long term. So here we are, there are already 20,000 men working for Blackwater that are stationed around the world, and the US government has plenty of money (just not enough man power).
Will we one day have more Blackwater soldiers in Iraq than US soldiers? That answer will begin to unfold in April 2008.
Update: Blackwater made a move yesterday to begin organizing a ground attack air force.
This aggression will not stand, man (at least on TV)
A Florida televangelist gets cancelled.
Despite his disposition, "I'm going to keep doing what I do," Keller said. "I'm going to bring a biblical message. It is what it is."
Not sure, but I don't think calling Islam a "1,400-year-old lie from the pits of hell" is based anywhere in the Bible.
A Shameless Plug
Mikey Mel and the JD's will be rocking the party at Tasty World on Spetember 5th, 2007. The show is 18+, and starts at 10:30.
Here's a recent blurb from The American Bar Association Journal:
Find videos and song downloads on their Myspace Page.
Law Rocks!
The Red and Black, a student newspaper associated with the University of Georgia, reports on a more unusual musical act, Mikey Mel and the JD's, who are, according to their MySpace page, "the nation's premier law rock band," comprised of four law school students. Founder Mike Melonakos started the band in 2005, which has since grown to include Adam Hebbard, Dan Feltz, and George Campbell, on bass, guitar, and drums, respectively. The band members, who admit they would rather be rock stars than lawyers, hope to appeal to a niche market of professionals. "Rock is suffering because most rock songs are about drugs. Most people can't relate because they are professionals," says Melonakos. Having to juggle law school and a rock band has given Melonakos a clearer understanding of the legal profession's work schedule. "The songs are about law, but really, they are about work and life balance," he says. More information on Mikey Mel and the JD's can be found at the band's Web site: www.myspace.com/ mikeymelandthejds.
Trustworthy, Brave, Loyal, Abusive...
I know this is hard to believe, but that old guy who likes to take young boys out "camping in the woods" has a penchant for buggery.
We Have One Of Those in Athens!
Apparently, McSwiggan's Pub in Hoboken had a Wii night.
While this editor does not wish to comment on the massive liability that could flow from giving drunk patrons hard plastic objects to swing wildly while engaging in a competitive endeavor, I would like to say this:
The Pub at Gameday, a new watering hole located on Clayton St. in downtown Athens, has had a Wii since opening day. The screen isn't quite 82", but it's big enough to see, and I can personally vouch for the entertainment value to be had in combining Irish Whiskey, ice and Wii Bowling.
100-year-old says "screw you" to lung cancer
Maybe we post too much about smoking cigarettes, but this picture was good enough to merit a link.
Screaming girls and whiny bands everywhere
Unable to top Idolator's prediction for the Myspace Tour, I'll just let their post speak for itself.
College Football, 2007
Here's Ron Zook, former Florida and current Illinois coach, enjoying his summer. Along with him, The Pasty Quail cordially welcome all of you to the 2007 College Football Season, beginning this evening at 8:00 with a game between LSU and Mississippi State.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Enough, already
Here's a great point. As a White Sox fan, I'm always happy to take a shot at the Cubbies (yeah, we suck now, but at least we've had that championship), but this is actually serious and I hadn't thought about it much. Harry's gone, folks. Let it go.
One last question though: If you were a hot dog, would you eat yourself? I know I would.
All the best
As a change of pace, here's a serious piece of news. Not serious as in "the robots are coming to get us" serious, which, to be fair, is pretty frightening, but more in the mode of two Chinese brothers living on urine and coal for six days while escaping a collapsed mine shaft. The Pasty Quail wishes these gentlemen the best.
Don't Be Evil
Apparently, there is some troubling language in the contract governing Google Apps, which effectively gives Google ownership of the content you have created using their product.
As a frequent user of Google products (including Blogger, our web host), I am generally pleased with their services and am looking forward to what they will do in the future. However, I feel the need to remind them that barriers to entry in this market are extremely low, and a few enterprising young people could easily swoop in and steal their business if they don't treat the customers with respect. So cut out the bullshit censorship in China and don't include sneaky legalese in your boilerplate terms of use contracts.
Oh yeah, and please don't kill us.
Saletan Challenges Our Puny Minds
There is lots of good stuff on Slate today, including William Saletan's Human Nature Blog where he discusses new surgery that promises to repair genital mutilation and tax payer funded sex changes in Brazil. His question: Is genital mutilation a crime if you don't want it but a right if you do? (Thanks Dylan)
You can go to Slate's comment board with an answer if you are brave, but you are also welcome to share your opinion within the friendly confines of the Quail.
The Burning Man Meets An Early End
To be perfectly honest, I wish that I had thought of this. I have no ill will towards the type of people that congregate in the desert, do massive amounts of drugs, and generally let their freak flag fly for a few days. However, there is some dark place in my soul that would really enjoy watching tears leak from their dialated pupils as they arrive to see their effigy pre-burnt.
Sorry To Disappoint Everyone, But That Russian-Sino Bloc Isn't Happening
This morning, Slate has an article outlining reasons why we should not be concerned about Russia and China teaming up on the rest of the world. In short, the two nations have too many differences and opposing goals for it to be politically feasible for them to join forces.
Wal-Mart, tax fraudin' it up
Although, it is technically not fraud. . .
Apparently companies do what Wal-Mart is doing in Wisconsin quite frequently, which is setting up two subsidiary companies, one to own land, and the other to run the store and pay rent to the first company, clearly with all the money ending up in Wal-Mart's (or whatever other corporation) pocket.
A nice excerpt: "Anything Wal-Mart can do to lawfully lower its costs allows the company to pass it along through lower prices," said company spokesman John Simley. "This is a lawful (tax) structure in Wisconsin."
Hmmm, Anything? The Pasty Quail invites comments on what other things Wal-Mart could do to lower prices, yet stay within the confines of the law. The floor is open. .
Bad Moon Rising
This is a great read throughout, a feel-good story about an intelligent young Mormon.
However, the overtone of the article is slightly concerning, reading more like he murdered a priest rather than mooned a bunch of nuns.
Wigs? Pillows? Put those hands together
Waking up on this fine morning, despite its fine-ness, one can't help but want to get back in bed. Well, for that on-the-go narcoleptic, here's the future.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Earl Woods Reincarnated As Chinese Businessman
Too Soon? Nah. (Thanks Halcik)
Update: Lets hope he received government permission first.
The Dutch Take on Political Extremism
Here is an article on the Dutch government's typically sober and rational approach to dealing with a difficult issue.
In case you haven't been following along, the Netherlands has been a target of Islamic extremism in recent years. This culminated in the violent murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh on the streets of Amsterdam. There have been real fears that this attack would either lead to a resurgence of right wing extremism or increased power for fundamentalist Islamic groups. It appears that the government is now taking significant steps to head this off. Let's hope it works.
Tyin' one on
For those of you interested in the drug trade and how it's affecting Afghani politics, then the Washington Post is the place for you.
Yet Another Reminder That Things Are Really F'd in the Middle East
Apparently, Chris Hitchens has no concern about how well you are sleeping at night. In his latest article on Slate, he points out that the US is currently involved in at least 3 separate conflicts in Iraq right now.
In related news, the Turkish people have elected a fundamentalist as President. This probably will not sit well with the traditionally coup-happy and secular Turkish military. This has significance in Iraq for two reasons: (1) a military coup would likely bring more instability to the region, although its hard to believe thats possible; and, (2) the military is likely to take a hardline on the Kurdish independence movement in Southern Turkey, which is receiving renewed funding from the newly affluent Kurds in Northern Iraq.
At least nobody in the region is talking about a nuke program, then things would really get crazy.
You say you want a revolution?
The Pasty Quail admires the enthusiasm of this sports blogger's new idea, the Go Away Player of the Year, a contradistinction from the Comeback Player of the Year in Major League Baseball.
Our fear is that there may be far too many for this list. Please offer other suggestions if you will; his list is not all that good, but we like the idea.
Whistle while you work (or do anything else, apparently)
Do you like whistling? Probably not as much as these people do.
Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce the world's online whistling community.
The Surge Might Actually Be Working . . . Just Ask the Dems
Neo-Neo Con at Pajamas Media provides her thoughts on a new phenomenon in US politics. It appears that as the recent surge of US troops into Iraq has succeeded in producing positive numbers across the board, Democratic candidates for 2008 are again scrambling to reposition themselves on the war. This editor would find all of this hilarious, if it wasn't so damn important.
Whats Going on in Athens
Believe it or not, Athens is going through something of a building boom these days. There are a number of mid-rise condo projects springing up around town, and the local alternative weekly has a rundown on all of the work being done.
Smoking is the cause of everything. . .
. . . like this fire at a former World Trade Center building.
Oh, and that part about the fire department "failing to properly inspect the building," and a bunch of people getting fired for it? That's just the sidebar. Smoking kills, damn it.
Update: The New York Post is reporting that Hillary is in support of a national ban on smoking in public. Of course, the cynic in me has to point out that she was speaking at an Iowa forum on cancer. Hillary pandering?? Never!
Conflicts of Interest in the Courtroom
Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit (also a Law Professor at the University of Tennessee) has a link to and a portion of a New York Times article on the obvious conflict of interest that judges face when hearing cases involving the legal profession. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Monday, August 27, 2007
Diversify, Diversify, Diversify
With traditional revenue sources petering out, some organizations are branching out.
Thanks to Daddy Land for the tip.
Happy Monday!
Here's a story about a 4-foot petrified walrus penis.
Thanks to ACS for the tip.
Update: We might as well get our 'stories about penises' quota filled for the week, so here's a story about a flaming penis! (Thanks Auensen)
A New Friend Asks For A Favor
Welcome back, friends.
We have had a lot of fun launching this website, and we sincerely hope that you have gotten some enjoyment out of it as well.
In order to achieve our modest goal of taking over the universe, we need your help. We are planning a major overhaul of the site to come soon. We will be weening ourselves off of this Blogger format; but at this point, that's the only aspect of our plan that we are tied to.
And so to you, dear readers, we must submit this humble plea: Please, drop us a line and tell us what you would like to see here; what features you like or don't like; what new features you would like to see.
We also need help choosing the format and colors for the new redesign. Send us your suggestions, or even links to websites with designs you like.
Any suggestion you have at all, be it aesthetic, technical, or unsophisticated, helps us to make this website better for everyone.
The Pasty Quail
Catch her while you can
This editor of The Pasty Quail is unabashedly a huge fan of Miss Amy Winehouse. .jpg)
However, with as much as the 23-year-old singer has been in the news lately, she may not be around for too much longer.
Enjoy her music while she's still with us.
A Moment of Reflection
A chillingly well-written piece on America's (and American Religion's) preoccupation with sexual matters, in this case specifically homosexuality.
A brief excerpt: "If we had been meeting a hundred and sixty years earlier or sixty years earlier, when the issues of the day were, respectively, slavery and segregation, would I be sitting in this room quoting scripture to justify my support for slavery and segregation?
Long silence. “Well, this is different,” someone finally said.
Okay, I responded, how is it different?
Another long silence. “It’s just different.”
After another pause, the moderator suggested that we move on to the next report."
Exactly.
Ahh, Football Season Is Upon Us
Time to sit back and enjoy the nice weather, cold beer, grilled hot dogs, and casual encounters between opposing fans.
Michael Vick would be proud
It's magazines like this that continually ease this editor's former disenchantment with the Religion of his youth. With a nod to our favorite Atlanta celebrity (pictured here), this article's title appropriately depicts some Christians (emphasis on SOME) as attack dogs for the faith.
A quick quote in summation: "The angriest websites [in criticism of Christians] are those belonging to small, but disturbingly visible, fundamentalist Protestant groups outraged that fellow Protestants appear to be holding out a welcoming hand to Catholics or Orthodox Christians."
This is confusing in two readily apparent but disturbing ways: 1.) The most harsh criticism of Christianity is coming from insiders, and 2.) These Christians are not criticizing for drinking, or swearing, or something like small and nitpicky like that, but for being ecumenical and trying to unite Christianity as a whole.
It's Finally Over
That's right, boys and girls. Alberto Gonzales is resigning as Attorney General, making him approximately the 587th member of President Bush's staff to resign amidst a scandal. Bush has 210 days to nominate a replacement, during which time Solicitor General Paul Clement will be acting as Interim Attorney General.
Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff is the heir apparent right now; you may remember him as a member of the GOP Whitewater committee that investigated the Clintons in the Late 20th Century.
Light the Night Walk
Remember that time you decided that you were going to start making a difference/helping people in need/being a better person? Didn't really work out did it? Well, thats ok because we have the perfect opportunity for you.
Light the Night is a fundraiser for the Luekemia and Lymphoma Society, and is meant to raise money for research in these areas and to boost morale of those affected by the disease.
If you are in Athens and would like to participate, just click here or contact Jessica Nix for more information. The goal is to raise $2000 this year, so if you can help out, please do.
Goth Day at Disneyland
Last week, Idolater covered 'Bat Day in the Fun Park'. I wonder if these people are cognizant of the extreme irony in this whole thing. I'm guessing anyone who would wear an entire outfit made of black leather in Southern California in the middle of August probably doesn't even know what irony means, but I could be wrong.
Breaking News: Hollywood Full of Liberals!
The National Review's Jonathan Foreman writes about the upcoming anti-war films out of Hollywood.
McDonald's Gets a Face Lift
The New York Times had a piece this weekend on McDonald's attempt to upgrade its design in several markets to meet more cosmopolitan tastes. This editor thinks they should also consider putting Ronald out to pasture, he is looking a little rough these days. (Thanks Nate)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Bad Newz
So, Michael Vick has copped a plea. The Falcons, still trying to get the feel for their place as the NFL's worst franchise, want some of that cash back from "Ookie." Now that he has some spare time on his hands, maybe he could take up a less offensive hobby.
Meta-News?
I think I would get along well with the author of this piece. I have a lot more to say about this, but there is a telegram waiting for me.
More Things We Don't Know
It would be so much easier if God would just show up and tell us how it all went down.
Who Knows?
So, will global warming end life as we know it? Here's another article that comes to the same conclusion - we have no idea what's going on right now.
