Dejana

I also had the impression that Claire just had a big butt and was otherwise thin...in Voyager,

Dungy has clarified his original comments: So, a gay player isn't a distraction, just the media attention surrounding the gay player, and that's the reason he wouldn't draft him. The media. But it stands to reason that the more players who are out, the less noteworthy it will be, causing fewer distractions.

I remember Dungry expressing views along those lines in the past (disapproval of gay players), so I'm only surprised he didn't give a bland, PC answer since he's a TV guy now.

As they were showing the ultrasound I was thinking, "Didn't I already read they were having a boy and not that recently?" It was reported three months ago? That's pretty shameless to play it off like a huge surprise. Also, I remember reading an interview with them in one of those celebrity mags, and IIRC, they said they were moving to Miami because of JP's job.

Did anyone else watch Expecting Amish? They really didn't try to create much suspense, but I suppose that's beside the point with a Lifetime movie. I don't know if I laughed more at the Pennsylvania Dutch teens sounding totally Californian, the obviously fake beards or the iPhone with an everlasting battery that got perfect reception even in Amish country.

It finished twelfth this week: 12 (12) America (2014), $1,725,000 | 1,030 Theaters | $1,675 Avg. | $11,469,000

July 18–20, 2014 Estimates: 1 (1) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, $36,000,000 | 3,969 Theaters | $9,070 Avg. | $138,953,000 2 (N) The Purge: Anarchy, $28,369,000 | 2,805 Theaters | $10,114 Avg. | $28,369,000 3 (N) Planes: Fire & Rescue, $18,000,000 | 3,826 Theaters | $4,705 Avg. | $18,000,000 4 (N) Sex Tape, $15,000,000 | 3,062 Theaters | $4,899 Avg. | $15,000,000 5 (2) Transformers: Age of Extinction, $10,000,000 | 3,224 Theaters | $3,102 Avg. | $227,157,000 6 (3) Tammy, $7,605,000 | 3,402 Theaters | $2,235 Avg. | $71,253,000 7 (4) 22 Jump Street, $4,700,000 | 2,229 Theaters | $2,109 Avg. | $180,509,000 8 (5) How to Train Your Dragon 2, $3,800,000 | 2,169 Theaters | $1,752 Avg. | $160,672,000 9 (8) Maleficent, $3,302,000 | 1,541 Theaters | $2,143 Avg. | $228,367,000 10 (6) Earth to Echo, $3,260,000 | 2,450 Theaters | $1,331 Avg. | $31,979,000 Outside the Top 10: Boyhood, $1,198,000 | 33 Theaters | $36,303 Avg. | $1,848,000 Chef, $1,129,000 | 552 Theaters | $2,045 Avg. | $25,941,000 Persecuted, $959,000 | 736 Theaters | $1,303 Avg. | $959,000 Wish I Was Here, $495,000 | 68 Theaters | $7,279 Avg. | $495,000 Global Totals: TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION: $659.1M Overseas Total | $886.2M Global Total X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST: $507.9M Overseas Total | $738.3M Global Total MALEFICENT: $468.8M Overseas Total | $697.2M Global Total RIO 2: $362.1M Overseas Total | $492.3M Global Total HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2: $225.5M Overseas Total | $386.1M Global Total EDGE OF TOMORROW: $261.3M Overseas Total | $357.9M Global Total 22 JUMP STREET: $88.3M Overseas Total | $268.8M Global Total NEIGHBORS: $105.4M Overseas Total | $254.5M Global Total THE FAULT IN OUR STARS: $127.9M Overseas Total | $249.4M Global Total DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: $102.9M Overseas Total | $241.8M Global Total JERSEY BOYS: $12.2M Overseas Total | $56.6M Global Total

Outlander: Book to Series — Ron and Diana briefly discuss adapting the series, interspersed with some new clips of the show.

Much of the original Luke & Laura rape storyline from 1979 is on Youtube. Contrary to the claims of the 1990s revisit, the show did treat it like a rape in the immediate aftermath and the incident was discussed as such for multiple episodes, though that shifted in time and eventually became the seduction rewrite. But the rewrite shows that even back then, TPTB knew that the initial version was just too ugly of a history for a supercouple. It's not admirable but it was a long time ago; I have no patience for the soap writers who trotted out the same sorts of stories ten, twenty, thirty years later, by the time that network TV execs really should have known better. Scotty being the villain in a story where his wife left him for the man who raped her is an extreme example of how TV writers feel that they have to trash the third person in love triangle in order for viewers to shift their allegiance to the pet/golden couple.

It was a courtship; Kelly blogged about Zach's breakup, as the courtship had been made public: According to Kelly, at least, the Bates children are all saving the big kiss for marriage. She answered questions about Erin, Alyssa, et al not being so "hands off" in the post announcing Zach's courtship:

There's not a denomination-wide rule against Baptist teens attending normal school proms. I was bored and went through the Bates blog and found the entry where Kelly announces Zach and Whitney's courtship, posted 7/17/13. This set really moves fast! In the comments section, she answers questions and explains why she and Gil changed their minds about {gasp} holding hands before being engaged: But they're still against kissing before marriage and pro-chaperone:

It would probably be easier to list the executive producers from the US soap world who aren't show killers. That genre desperately needed an infusion of new blood a good 10-15 years ago, instead of just blaming all the problems on the OJ trial and internet spoilers.

Pam Oliver is 53? I hope Erin Andrews is already considering long-range career plans in another field, unless she's content to stay in sports media and take what work the overlords will throw her way, once it's her turn to be demoted for someone younger and hotter. I mean, it's not her fault that people find her attractive, and if you're comfortable with your looks being part of the package that gets you ahead, great, but there's a shelf life to being a sideline babe. Other facets of sports reporting, like commentary or more investigative work, where it's more about talent and skill, seem to be areas where women on camera are allowed to age, but those are less glamorous worlds that probably don't pay as much. I hardly pay attention to sideline reporting, but as a straight woman, I suppose this personnel shift is not aimed in my direction. A moment like the Sherman interview is probably only going to come along once or twice a year. I guess there's research indicating that the right sideline reporter provides a sizable ratings bump.

July 11–13, 2014 Estimates: 1 (N) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, $73,000,000 | 3,967 Theaters | $18,402 Avg. | $73,000,000 2 (1) Transformers: Age of Extinction, $16,500,000 | 3,913 Theaters | $4,217 Avg. | $209,031,000 3 (2) Tammy, $12,910,000 | 3,465 Theaters | $3,726 Avg. | $57,354,000 4 (3) 22 Jump Street, $6,700,000 | 2,811 Theaters | $2,383 Avg. | $171,961,000 5 (5) How to Train Your Dragon 2, $5,865,000 | 2,885 Theaters | $2,033 Avg. | $152,068,000 6 (6) Earth to Echo, $5,500,000 | 3,230 Theaters | $1,703 Avg. | $24,597,000 7 (4) Deliver Us From Evil, $4,700,000 | 3,049 Theaters | $1,541 Avg. | $25,002,000 8 (7) Maleficent, $4,169,000 | 2,077 Theaters | $2,007 Avg. | $221,994,000 9 (15) Begin Again, $2,935,000 | 939 Theaters | $3,126 Avg. | $5,286,000 10 (8) Jersey Boys, $2,510,000 | 1,968 Theaters | $1,275 Avg. | $41,705,000 Outside the Top 10: America (2014), $2,450,000 | 1,105 Theaters | $2,217 Avg. | $8,268,000 Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, $401,000 | 101 Theaters | $3,970 Avg. | $401,000 Boyhood, $359,000 | 5 Theaters | $71,800 Avg. | $359,000 Obvious Child, $239,000 | 134 Theaters | $1,784 Avg. | $2,365,000 Ida, $145,000 | 85 Theaters | $1,706 Avg. | $3,117,000 Belle, $135,000 | 107 Theaters | $1,262 Avg. | $10,247,000 Global Totals: TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION: $543.5M Overseas Total | $752.5M Global Total X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST: $504.3M Overseas Total | $733.4M Global Total MALEFICENT: $447M Overseas Total | $668.9M Global Total RIO 2: $360M Overseas Total | $489.6M Global Total HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2: $198.8M Overseas Total | $350.9M Global Total EDGE OF TOMORROW: $256M Overseas Total | $350.5M Global Total 22 JUMP STREET: $81.7M Overseas Total | $253.6M Global Total NEIGHBORS: $103.2M Overseas Total | $251.8M Global Total THE FAULT IN OUR STARS: $118.4M Overseas Total | $237.9M Global Total DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: $31.3M Overseas Total | $104.1M Global Total Transformers: Age of Extinction has made more in China ($262.6 million) than any 2014 movie has in the US this year (the current domestic #1 is Captain America: The Winter Soldier at $258M).

The good news: Starz is offering a sneak peek at the first episode starting August 2. The bad news:

Bravo decided to stick the Real Housewives of Atlanta tag on this spin-off because it means everyone who has their DVRs set for the regular show would automatically record the Kandi's Wedding episodes as well. When Lifetime did this earlier in the year with Under The Gunn, deciding to call it Project Runway: Under The Gunn mid-season, its ratings increased 36 percent. I'm sure the antics of Mama Joyce helped, too.

A search for "modest wedding dresses" pulls up sites that deliver, plus multiple stores in Utah, with its large population of LDS women also seeking less revealing styles. Nothing here seems any more scandalous than what Anna or Erin Bates actually ended up wearing, and Latter Day Brides has dozens of dresses under 1K. Perhaps a trip to Salt Lake might not be on the Duggar agenda. It's out of the way, but so's Nepal... More charitably, perhaps they're limited by the rushed marriages preferred by their set. Even if they order something from a wedding outlet on line, it can be a 10-12 week delivery time, plus alterations...that's longer than a lot of them wind up being engaged.

I'm pretty sure she could have found a suitable mother of the bride outfit in a department store that came with a higher neckline in the first place. Of course, buying something lower cut and obviously modifying it calls that much more attention to just how "modest" you are.

Normally, yes and this is one of the least-attended July 4th weekends since the mid-eighties. At one point Maleficent was scheduled to open on July 2 but it was moved up because of major delays with The Good Dinosaur, a Pixar film Disney had planned to release on May 30 (a date the Angelina Jolie movie ended up taking). Fast & Furious 7 was also supposed to be a July opener, but was pushed back after Paul Walker's death. The second and third Transformers movies opened the last week of June, just like this one, but they just made a lot more money than Age of Extinction will.

I was kind of pulling for Djokovic once I heard he was getting married next week. Not for him as much as for the sake of his future wife. With the victory, he won't be in the doldrums and it'll be an extra celebratory time for them. His post-win remarks were lovely. Federer's daughters are just adorable. I hope he gets to retire on a high note like Sampras.

July 4–6, 2014 Estimates: 1 (1) Transformers: Age of Extinction, $36,400,000 | 4,233 Theaters | $8,599 Avg. | $174,746,000 2 (N) Tammy, $21,170,000 | 3,465 Theaters | $6,110 Avg. | $32,906,000 3 (N) Deliver Us From Evil, $9,500,000 | 3,049 Theaters | $3,116 Avg. | $15,000,000 4 (2) 22 Jump Street, $9,400,000 | 3,324 Theaters | $2,828 Avg. | $158,854,000 5 (3) How to Train Your Dragon 2, $8,750,000 | 3,297 Theaters | $2,654 Avg. | $140,000,000 6 (N) Earth to Echo, $8,250,000 | 3,230 Theaters | $2,554 Avg. | $13,500,000 7 (5) Maleficent, $6,133,000 | 2,389 Theaters | $2,567 Avg. | $213,882,000 8 (6) Jersey Boys, $5,160,000 | 2,630 Theaters | $1,962 Avg. | $36,705,000 9 (4) Think Like a Man Too, $4,900,000 | 1,729 Theaters | $2,834 Avg. | $57,192,000 10 (7) Edge of Tomorrow, $3,640,000 | 1,538 Theaters | $2,367 Avg. | $90,870,000 11 (42) America (2014), $2,725,000 | 1,105 Theaters | $2,466 | $4,000,000 12 (8) The Fault in Our Stars, $2,450,000 | 1,865 Theaters | $1,314 Avg. | $115,851,000 13 (9) X-Men: Days of Future Past, $1,840,000 | 1,044 Theaters | $1,762 Avg. | $227,070,000 14 (10) Chef, $1,678,000 | 686 Theaters | $2,446 Avg. | $22,040,000 15 (31) Begin Again, $1,316,000 | 175 Theaters | $7,520 Avg. | $1,853,000 Snowpiercer, $999,000 | 250 Theaters | $3,996 Avg. | $1,502,000 Obvious Child, $383,000 | 202 Theaters | $1,896 Avg. | $1,942,000 Belle, $190,000 | 123 Theaters | $1,545 Avg. | $10,000,200 The Rover, $10,700 | 21 Theaters | $510 Avg. | $1,019,400 Global Totals: FROZEN: $867.1M Overseas Total | $1.267B Global Total X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST: $497.6M Overseas Total | $724.6M Global Total MALEFICENT: $416.3M Overseas Total | $630.2M Global Total TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION: $400.9M Overseas Total | $577.7M Global Total ($212.8M from China) RIO 2: $354.7M Overseas Total | $483.5M Global Total EDGE OF TOMORROW: $248.6M Overseas Total | $339.4M Global Total HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2: $153.2M Overseas Total | $294.4M Global Total NEIGHBORS: $99.7M Overseas Total | $247.7M Global Total 22 JUMP STREET: $69.7M Overseas Total | $228.9M Global Total THE FAULT IN OUR STARS: $104.2M Overseas Total | $220M Global Total

Is there any speculation about why there hasn't been a Duggar/Bates courtship? The marathon yesterday reminded me that the Duggar boys aren't exactly prizes, but it seems like a merger between the two families would have been "encouraged" by now.

There are some shout-outs to the TV series in the latest book, Written in My Own Heart's Blood. Not sure if that should go here or in a media thread? A big part of the first book is Claire internally freaking out about her predicament, which will be hard to capture without voiceovers or discussions with other characters, prior to revealing it to Jamie. I suppose there's the old soap opera standby of talking to yourself at length, but it doesn't seem like it will be that sort of show.

The Oscars don't allow the same actor to be nominated for more than one performance in the same category, unlike some other awards bodies (Golden Globes, BAFTAs). Both Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio had other awards bait movies in 2006 besides The Departed that were pure star vehicles for them (Blood Diamond for Leo and The Good Shepherd for Matt), so they used their lead actor pushes for those roles instead. In Chicago, I would say the Velma character was more of a lead in the stage version than the movie, but Catherine Zeta-Jones did compete in the lead category at the Golden Globes, though in the musical/comedy category where the HFPA often gets very creative and stretches to nominate big names. There are some roles where a reasonable case could be made for either the lead or the supporting designation, but they probably happen a lot less than category fraud. One lead having 5-10 minutes less screen time than the top-billed star does not make a role "supporting", nor does a lead role automatically become supporting just because it involves a child actor.

Gabaldon does like to meander but the story seems to be more about the journey than the destination. And how many sex scenes can be cranked out. Claire must have found the eighteenth century Viagra herbs or something. In My Own Heart's Blood, I just realized that