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May 24, 2013

esquire

(Almost) Every Show on TV, Venn Diagrammed

by Brad Trechak, posted Apr 22nd 2010 11:28AM

Esquire Venn DiagramJoshua David Stein of Esquire Magazine posted a cute Venn Diagram of the tendencies of television programming nowadays and where all the current shows fit into it. The diagram is titled "The Unified Theory of Prime Time Programming in the Year 2010."

Sadly, Mr. Stein has left out certain programs from within the diagram. Where is 'Mad Men?' That show should fall somewhere within the "Bureaucracy" and "Greed" categories. Other shows that don't appear are 'South Park,' which should go somewhere between the "Fat People" and "People Being Crummy" sections, and 'Chuck' which should fall between the "Wise Fools" and "Bureaucracy" sections. It was a bit of a laugh finding the categories between which 'American Idol' appears. One of them couldn't even be said on television.

So what do you think? Which shows are missing from the Venn Diagram and where do they belong? Which shows are miscategorized on the diagram? Are any categories missing from the diagram? Let us know in the comments.

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Ebert Will Debut New Computerized Voice on 'Oprah' - His!

by Bob Sassone, posted Mar 1st 2010 6:30PM

Roger EbertJoel told you the other day about Roger Ebert's appearance on 'Oprah' tomorrow. The two have known each other for years - they even dated! - so Ebert picked Oprah for his first televised interview (after his great profile in Esquire last month) since his series of operations and to debut his new speaking voice (Ebert can no longer talk or eat). It's no longer going to be a generic computer voice, Ebert is actually going to be using his own voice.

Yes, it's the wonder of technology. A company called CereProc has taken voice samples from Ebert's DVD commentaries and created a computerized voice that Ebert can use to "speak." This could even lead to Ebert using the voice for other media, including podcasts, video, and commentaries.

[via Pop Candy]

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Roger Ebert to Appear on 'Oprah' March 2

by Joel Keller, posted Feb 26th 2010 5:31PM

Roger Ebert and Oprah Winfrey in the 1980sIt's interesting how quickly the wonderful Esquire profile of Roger Ebert, written by Chris Jones, rocketed around the interwebs last week. It speaks to the power of two things: a) Ebert's endearing popularity, almost four years after he stopped being an on-camera movie critic, and b) that a well-written magazine profile can give a reader more insight into a person than sometimes talking to the person himself can even do.

But the article, and the stark pictures of Ebert that accompanied it, has led Ebert in some interesting directions. For instance, he'll be going on Oprah Winfrey's show on March 2 to do his first interview since various cancer surgeries robbed him of his voice, most of his jaw, and his ability to eat and drink. Ebert will speak through the use of a computer.

The two Chicago titans have a long history together; five years ago, Ebert revealed that the two of them even went out on a couple of dates in the 1980s, where Ebert gave Oprah the idea to syndicate her talk show rather than take it to the network level.

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Roger Ebert Angry Over Siskel Tribute Video's Removal

by Joel Keller, posted Feb 16th 2010 5:02PM

Roger Ebert at the Toronto Film Festival 2009Anyone who thinks that we in the blogging, Twittering, Facebooking universe have hastened the death of the long-form magazine story as we know it needs to take a look at this Esquire profile of Roger Ebert, written by Chris Jones.

As fans of 'At The Movies' know, Ebert's been off the air for almost four years, since complications from cancer surgery on his jaw left him unable to eat, drink, or speak. The pictures of Ebert that accompany the story are stark; no matter how many times I see it, the image of the withered lower half of his face is tough to see.

The article, though, is inspiring; it shows an Ebert who has been able to come to terms with how he's currently living his life and how he navigates through it, mostly through the excellent writing on his Chicago Sun-Times blog. But the most emotionally-charged moment in the whole story was his visible anger at seeing that the video of his 1999 Gene Siskel tribute show has been pulled off his 2009 blog entry about his partner and friend's death.

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What You Missed Last Night: the Colbert Bump

by Bob Sassone, posted Aug 5th 2009 3:31PM

We don't have many posts on TV Squad about cocktails. I've been trying to convince people that we need more booze on the site, but they won't listen to me. Probably because I'm usually drunk when I say it.

Last night Stephen Colbert had Esquire's cocktail guy David Wondrich on, and he created a summer drink for the show, The Colbert Bump. It includes cherry brandy, gin, lemon juice, and soda water. (Video also here.)

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Out of the Blogosphere

by Bob Sassone, posted Jun 30th 2007 3:32PM

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Bob Barker makes the press rounds, likes Viagra

by Joel Keller, posted May 9th 2007 11:40AM

Bob BarkerrIt's starting. Bob Barker's got less than a month's worth of The Price is Right tapings left, and his tribute special is supposed to air on May 17. So now we're starting to see Barker pop up in magazines and newspapers, doing what are essentially exit interviews. In this month's Esquire, for instance, Bob is the subject of the magazine's "What I Learned" page (no link yet), giving his recipe for a vegan enchilada bake and saying, "I'm still sexually active. Just not as active as I once was. I think Viagra does help. You should try it. It might surprise you. And your friend."

Ooookaaay then. A little tamer is The Washington Post's examination of 'The Cult of Bob Barker,' written by the paper's pop culture expert, Hank Stuever.

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Gordon Ramsay the most admired man in the UK

by Bob Sassone, posted Apr 6th 2007 3:29PM

Gordon RamsayThis poll in the UK edition of Esquire isn't too much of a surprise I guess. I can understand why chef and TV host Gordon Ramsay is the most admired guy, especially in a popular, "of the moment" sort of way. But what I find funny is that he beat scientist and author Stephen Hawking, a man that has literally changed the way we look at space, time, and the universe.

Other people on the list after Ramsay (17%) and Hawking (14%) are Ray Mears (a TV survival expert - probably unknown to many of us here in the U.S.), who got 11% of the vote, new James Bond Daniel Craig, who also got 11%, and comedian/writer Ricky Gervais, who somehow only got 9% of the vote.

The new season of Hell's Kitchen, the U.S. show that Ramsay hosts, starts on FOX, June 4 at 9pm.

[via TV Tattle]

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Sarah Silverman gives you sex advice

by Julia Ward, posted Jan 23rd 2007 1:07PM

Sarah Silverman and kidThe Onion's A.V. Club is inviting readers to ask Sarah Silverman for sex advice. Post your question to the site, and the best questions will be forwarded to Ms. Silverman. Her answers will be included in an upcoming feature on the The Sarah Silverman Program, set for its Comedy Central debut on February 1st. Several clips from the show were recently posted online. It looks something like the non-stand-up portions of Jesus is Magic with lots of Mr. Show alums and Sarah's sister Laura in supporting roles.

I personally recommend that you seek Sarah's sex advice. She and boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel were recently featured in Esquire's "What I've Learned" issue, and they had plenty of useful relationship tips to share. For instance, pretend your parents are someone else's. This makes you more tolerant of their eccentricities. That's great advice, and when you're done gleaning all the knowledge you can from Sarah, you can send a letter to Amy Sedaris care of The Believer for further enlightenment.

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Jack Bauer's life advice

by Julia Ward, posted Dec 20th 2006 3:04PM

Jack BauerThe January "What I've Learned" issue of Esquire has hit newsstands. The annual issue runs multiple "What I've Learned" columns, a feature that runs in the magazine every month. The column typically features high-profile people recounting their lives, offering advice and describing the world as they know it in bulleted form. Among the TV celebs tapped for this issue include Jimmy Kimmel interviewed with equally-famous girlfriend Sarah Silverman, Penn & Teller of Showtime's Bullshit and Jack Bauer - the character.

Jack was, uhhh..., interviewed for the piece by 24 writers Nicole Ranadive and Matt Michnovetz. What kind of insight does Jack Bauer, counterterrorism expert, have to offer Esquire readers? "A cell phone can sometimes be used to activate a secondary detonator on a terrorist's explosive vest regardless of how many minutes are left on your plan." "If you see me running down the street, it's probably a good idea to take cover." "Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reasons."

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Bravo develops new reality series

by Julia Ward, posted Nov 8th 2006 7:32PM

Parker Palm SpringsProject Runway aside, Bravo is obsessed with the SoCal good life. The network that brings you Work Out, The Real Housewives of Orange County and Million Dollar Listing doesn't think you're getting quite enough of a glimpse into what Botox-ed blondes and metrosexual old-timers are doing with their free time so they've teamed up with Snackaholic Productions to bring you Welcome to the Parker, a one-hour reality show focused on the staff and guests of the posh Parker Palm Springs hotel.

Shooting on the series begins this month. The show will premiere next year. I'm glad to see that Bravo has cornered the market on wish-fulfillment reality programming, but does America really give a crap about a hotel that has a "manifesto" which reads, "We believe in the American country club experience: mixed doubles, a long steam, and a stiff cocktail?" Did they hire the editors of Esquire to come up with that? Don't get me wrong. I love Esquire, and heck, the hotel looks like a marvel of mid-50s, modernist design. I'm just not sure that I want to see any country club on TV that doesn't have Bill Murray hunting for gophers on its greens.

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Cast of The Office reads Jenna Fischer's article -- VIDEO

by Anna Johns, posted Oct 7th 2006 12:57PM

steve carellJenna Fischer, who plays Pam on The Office, recently had an article published in Esquire magazine listing "10 Things You Don't Know About Women". The cast and crew of The Office decided to get together and have a reading of it... and it's on YouTube. The guy who shot and edited it did so on his telephone and he's calling it a phone-isode.

Video is embedded after the jump (WARNING: Profanity!):

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Merv Griffin is just plain nosy

by Bob Sassone, posted Aug 19th 2006 12:31PM

Merv GriffinNow, before you get mad at me, those are his words, not mine.

I'm a fan of Esquire's monthly "What I've Learned" feature, where they have celebrities, politicians, and other people of note explain what they've learned in life. Griffin, the creator of both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, starts off by saying he's "just plain nosy," and goes on to explain, among other things, that he smokes, he drinks, doesn't exercise, why he'll never retire, what he thinks of American Idol, and what diet doctors he has outlived.

He also names the only guest he had on his talk show that intimidated him.

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Can YOU tell me why Dave Chappelle left his show?

by Joel Keller, posted May 11th 2006 7:17PM

Dave Chappelle on ConanDave Chappelle has been given plenty of opportunities to tell the American public why he walked out on the third season of Chappelle's Show and his $50 million contract. We've seen him on Oprah. He's talked to James Lipton for two full hours. He even had a chance to tell all in a lengthy article in Esquire. But in every case, he gave a different reason why he bolted, from Comedy Central imparting too much control on his show to feeling like he's out of place as a black comedian in a largely white entertainment world. He even cited a particular incident where he got freaked out by someone laughing a little too much at a skit he was filming right before he bolted.

He wasn't any clearer about the matter last night on Late Night, either. Once Conan O'Brien broached the subject, Dave started what I'm sure is a prepared comedy routine about the topic, making jokes about how upset his wife still is over him walking away from the money, as well as jokes about how silly his problems seemed in comparison to those of people he encountered in Africa.

[Photo: Dana Edelson/NBC, via AP]

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