Ah, Fandom. We Are a Fickle Bunch

Fresh off of my Man of Steel viewing, I enjoyed a mix of emotions as Hans Zimmer’s score played over the credits (which were totally worth watching despite no post-credits-Marvel-style tease scene. Boo!):

-Relief that the movie wasn’t a Green Lantern level of horrible. In fact, while flawed, it was a highly enjoyable movie.

-Pride that Henry Cavill — a dicey choice when his casting was first announced — nailed the role of Superman. Reeve was my first Supes, and Dean Cain and Tom Welling hold a special place in my heart, but Cavill acquitted himself stupendously to shut a lot of his naysayers up. Including me.

-Surprise that I can not completely hate Lois Lane 100% of the time in every incarnation. A big credit to Amy Adams that I only hated Lois about 60% of the time in this film. I just really don’t see what Clark sees in her.

-Amusement that Russell Crowe — who played Jor-El, Clark’s Kryptonian Dad — shall be known in fandom now as ‘Rus-El’. Thank you collective internet.

-Glee that some nice Easter eggs were worked into the movie for those keeping watch (e.g., Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne definitely exist in this universe).

-Anticipation for the sequel, which has already been greenlit. Woo hoo!

-Belief that Man of Steel was a solid beginning for the spawning of a DC Comic Book movie franchise to complete with Marvel. DC still has a ways to go to flesh out the world, but a decent base has been set.

Unlike when I left the theater after Spider-Man , where I had to re-evaluate why I believe in anything, Man of Steel had me thinking of all the possible ways the sequels and spin-off franchises could go. Wonder Woman! The Flash! Justice League! For the first time in a long time I was excited about what was coming up next from the DC Comics movieverse. Then I went online to read reviews and reactions and you would’ve thought Man of Steel director Zach Snyder had spit in the world’s Cheerios with his ruination of Superman. Now, yes, the movie had its flaws (Pa Kent I’m looking at you), but they were nothing compared to those in the head scratching Watchmen or Sucker Punch. Man of Steel actually has a story that holds up despite its nonlinear storytelling and extended action scenes. This was not Zach Snyder at his worst by any means.

However, the ire that many have for the film is not for it as a whole, but centers around the final confrontation between our hero and the evil General Zod (nicely played by Michael Shannon). I will refrain from completely spoiling the movie for those who have yet to see it, but what has a lot of people in a tizzy is that Superman does something that goes very much against his comic book interpretation. Very against it. And, as someone familiar with the comic book Superman, I admit I was taken aback by the moment in the film, but in the end I was (for lack of a better word) okay with it.

Yes, the ending is something you don’t expect from the big blue Boy Scout, but you know what? The moment was SO earned and the immediate aftermath of it all was showed in a gut wrenching way. I totally get the arguments of Superman loyalists and the protectiveness we all feel for the character, but c’mon, we knew going in that this was going to be a darker, grimmer Superman interpretation. It has Christopher ‘Dark Knight’ Nolan as a Producer. The same Nolan who allowed Batman to ‘not kill, but not save’ Liam Neeson’s Ra’s Al Ghul in Batman Begins, which for many Batman diehards was a big no-no and is now accepted as part of a successful, classic interpretation of Batman. With Nolan’s name on this project, Superman was going to be tested and challenged in more complex ways that he’s been before to prove his mettle as an iconic hero.

I appreciated that Snyder didn’t hew close to the source material. He took a chance. Had he been too slavishly loyal to the comic book Superman we know and love we’d have been hearing how boring this movie was, how it didn’t take risks and that it wasn’t his own interpretation. These are the criticisms that Chris Columbus took for his early Harry Potter films, being ‘too much like it was described in the book’, or JJ Abrams is receiving with the current Star Trek franchise, not taking enough risks (except for the Spock and Uhura storyline).

So who is right? The fans who want the envelope pushed or the fans who want everything to stay the same? How is a filmmaker to know what’s too far and what is an edgy interpretation of a character done ‘the right way’?

Given that Man of Steel made over $110 million domestic for the weekend and the sequel is already greenlit, the movie was successful for some (meaning a LOT of) people. And for those where it was a pile of poo, ultimately, it’s Snyder’s interpretation. What happened in this film is not set in stone for future Superman movies nor does it retroactively corrupt all of Big Blue’s comic book continuity. Like Superman Returns, one can curse it and then forget about it to wait for the next Superman movie reboot coming down the pike.

Believe me, I get that huge chunk of the Superman fandom’s pain and am in no way trying to tell people to get over it.  If JJ Abrams decided to have Luke, or his kin, talk smack about the late Obi-Wan Kenobi as some demented, clueless chump in Star Wars Episode VII, I’d totally want to throw Tauntaun poo at his head for forever and a day. But still, I ask for a little less fire breathing across the interwebs and more concession that sometimes you don’t get what you ask for (in this case a modern, faithful Superman film). Filmmakers aren’t perfect. If they were, we’d never have horrible-classic-so-bad-they-are-good films like Showgirls to make fun of on boring nights.

Man of Steel, directed by Zach Snyder, is tops at the box office.  Which of his movies is your favorite?

300

Watchmen

Sucker Punch

Man of Steel

Have you ever done anything in complete innocence that turned out to be kind of creepy?  I have.

I’m not talking about accidentally making a comment that’s filled with innuendo and warrants a “That’s what she said” response.  (Although, in fairness, I suppose that can qualify.)  For now I’m talking about actions, not words.

For example, a few years ago I wanted to send my fourteen year old niece a little thank you treat for giving up her room to me at our annual family reunion at my brother’s (her father’s) house.  I noticed that she had a lot of Pink-branded stuff (comforter, pillows, sweatshirts, etc.), so I decided to go online and order her a Pink gift card.  I didn’t realize until it arrived that said gift card would be branded with the name of the company that makes Pink: Victoria’s Secret.  That’s right, I sent my 14 year old niece a Victoria’s Secret gift card.  Innocent?  Absolutely.  Creepy?  Beyond.

This week I was reminded of another inadvertent creepy moment involving teenage girls as I set my DVR for Miss USA 2013 which airs on NBC on Sunday night at 9/8c.

Two years ago I was a judge for Miss Teen USA at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.  The judges table was perpendicular to the runway jutting out from the stage, and I had the middle position among the seven judges that year.  Since I was dead center, each contestant basically walked right up to me before turning on her heels and heading back to the main stage.

I had been out all day in the hot summer sun, so my skin was dry and my lips were a bit parched.  I remembered to slather on lotion but forgot to apply my trusty Kiehl’s lip balm before heading to the event.  Out of habit, I kept licking my lips to keep them moist, not thinking about the fact that I was basically looking up at teenage girls and licking my lips as they paraded toward me.  During the swimsuit competition.  Creepy!

When I realized the error of my ways, I whispered to the three judges on my left, “Does anyone have any Chapstick?”  They all shook their heads sympathetically.  So I turned to the three judges on my right and posed the same question.  Two said no but the judge sitting right next to me, a dermatologist to the stars, informed me that she had a coral-colored lip gloss that would do the trick.  She promised me that it was dark enough in the auditorium so that no one would notice the man with the glossy coral lips.  At this point I was desperate, so I took her up on her offer.

Seconds after I discreetly applied the gloss, the host of the live event declared, “Let’s meet our judges!” and suddenly my giant mug was on the jumbo screens that flanked the stage.  As you can imagine, I was mortified.

That said, in the hierarchy of creepiness, licking one’s lips at teenage girls trumps a man in lip gloss, so I stand by my decision.

TODAY’S POLL:  Miss USA 2013 airs live on NBC on Sunday night at 9/8c.  Which recent title holder is your favorite?

Alyssa Campanella

Olivia Culpo

Rima Fakih

Nana Meriwether

Two months into living in my new apartment and I’ve just put the finishing decorative touches on it this past week. My new leather recliner arrived yesterday, and let me assure you, it was worth the wait. With the living room furniture in place, it was finally time to hang the art on the walls. There are many perks to being the daughter of a New York City artist, including having full access to his collection with which to decorate my walls. For my new living room, I chose a study of Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation, and for my dining room, a very colorful depiction of Moses being discovered by the Queen of Egypt, a story from the Old Testament. Maybe it’s not exactly what you would pick to adorn your walls, but that is the beauty of art: it speaks to different people in different ways, and in some cases, it’s important enough to make a motion picture about. Like in the following movies:

What’s most interesting here is that a) I never watch the Tonight Show and b) I am not really in my car that often, so the fact that the universe was putting her in front me twice within a matter of days was definitely a sign. (Either that, or she is all over the place and I was bound to notice). Be that as it may, let me get to the point. Many of you may know her from NBC’s The Voice, but since I haven’t been watching the show consistently, she is very new to me. Her name is Judith Hill, and what has been widely called an upset, she was unexpectedly voted off The Voice despite having clearly been a front-runner. If you have not had the pleasure of hearing her yet, get thee to iTunes stat and download what is officially my favorite song of the month (if not year), “Desperation.” It’s on the soundtrack of the motion picture Twenty Feet From Stardom, that features Hill among other accomplished back up singers, and premiered to much acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival this year.

After doing some digging I learned that, in addition to her TV competition show fame, she also appeared opposite – wait for it – Michael Jackson in This Is It, the documentary/concert film of the tour that never actually happened due to the pop legend’s untimely demise. I mean, come on! She was rehearsing for months with MJ himself, preparing to be his duet partner on what had to have been the most highly anticipated tour in history. And then it never happened. But at least the rehearsals were captured and released, and she also garnered global attention when she sang the lead on “Heal the World” at his memorial service, alongside other cast members.

Spike Lee was among the many to notice her – he featured several of her original ballads in his film Red Hook Summer which premiered at Sundance last year. He’s praised her voice publicly and is definitely rooting for her – not that he needs to, because this Japanese/African-American LA born sensation needs no help at all. She is destined for fame and will be more deserving of it than many of the artists getting air play today. She may not have won The Voice, but that certainly doesn’t mean much at all. Remember what happened to Jennifer Hudson? Who knows, maybe Hill, who is certainly “desperate” no more, will win an Oscar one day too. It would definitely not surprise me.

Voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of these singers who made it big despite their competition show losses is your favorite?

Chris Daughtry
Jennifer Hudson
Katharine McPhee
Kellie Pickler

I have no idea what The Rock is cooking, but for the month of May he was cooking with some heat!

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, also tapped with the awesome moniker of Samoan Thor, had not one, not two, but three movies in the top twenty at the end of the month of May:  G.I. Joe Retaliation (clocking in at $121 million domestic gross thus far), Pain and Gain (just shy of $50 million domestic) and Fast and Furious 6 ($183 million domestic gross and still going).

True, Pain and Gain didn’t set the world on fire (even if it got good reviews), G.I. Joe Retaliation was simply a by-the-numbers action flick, and it’s Vin Diesel — the other bald muscled badass — that is the main draw for the Furious franchise accolades, but Dwayne’s winning brand of humor, humility and physicality had at least a little something to do with these three movies’ successes. 

Not too shabby for a semi-retired WWE wrestler turned actor.

I was definitely one of the cynical eye rollers when Dwayne first began to parlay his WWE success into an acting career back in 2000.  While I’ll watch just about anything on TV, I don’t watch WWE and so my familiarity with Dwayne was minimal until my younger cousin — who adored The Rock – introduced me. (Said cousin went through the phase of always strutting into a room, striking a pose and performing a wide sweeping stare before attempting to contort his face to mimic Dwayne’s trademark eyebrow raise.)

My true introduction to The Rock’s ‘acting’ came in a bit of network corporate synergy. The late UPN decided to cross promote WWE (which then aired on UPN) with my beloved Star Trek Voyager. In the episode “Tsunkatse”, the character Seven of Nine was kidnapped and thrown into an alien Fight Club arena where she had to face — you guessed it — The Rock. He really didn’t do much more than what he normally did on WWE, but I remember thinking that it was cool that the man didn’t take himself too seriously and was having fun with his acting opportunities. Oh, and that he had HUGE arms.

Fast forward to The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King and you knew that Dwayne wasn’t giving up this acting thing. But, at the very least, he was playing to his strengths: parts that required big, physical guys doing a lot of action.

Next, Dwayne threw a curveball at everyone by going for roles of big good guys with brains, muscle, and a sense of humor such as The Rundown and Walking Tall. Darn it all, Dwayne would not be contained! He wasn’t going to just play the brute, but rather, he was openly challenging himself to play more well rounded roles and spread his wings a little. And while he was a little green, he did have the charisma and earnestness to make those chances work.

Then came Dwayne’s acting career turning point. In the 2005 John Travolta film Be Cool, Dwayne played a gay Samoan bodyguard with acting aspirations. While a bit meta, Johnson did the role justice, and you couldn’t help but cock your head to one side while watching him and think “Huh, he might actually have some acting chops under those muscles.”

After that Johnson never looked back. He kept up his varied movie choices by appearing in an array of kid friendly comedy Disney adventures and offbeat dramedy action flicks until he finally shared the screen with the-one-guy-you-never-realized-you-wanted-him-to-until-it-actually-happened: Vin Diesel. The only thing better than seeing Dwayne go toe-to-toe with Vin Diesel was adding another bald, insanely muscled brawler into the mix which was exactly what the Furious franchise producers did by — SPOILER ALERT! — introducing the awesome Jason ‘The Transporter’ Statham into the mix. He is set to exchange menacing glares and punches with Vin and Dwayne come Summer 2014 in the franchise’s seventh installment.

Hard to believe that over ten years ago I couldn’t have cared less about what the Rock was cooking and now I can’t wait to see what he’s up to next. Props to you Mr. Johnson. The power of The Rock just cannot be denied.

What is your favorite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson movie?

 The second episode of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s new reality TV show, “The Hero,” premieres this Thursday on TNT. Which of his roles is your favorite?

Movie Actor

Television Host

WWE Wrestler

We watched movies, we cracked jokes, we chugged gallons of water, and by the end of the third day we were back to full strength watching Game of Thrones with beers in hand. While this weekend reminded me of the importance of good antibiotics, it also really underscored the benefits of having a friend by your side. Because as we know, like any good film about preventing Armageddon (yes, I equate battling strep throat with the end of the world) having a buddy is always key. Just look at the evidence:

Ben Affleck would never have enjoyed animal crackers again had it not been for Bruce Willis. Will Smith would have never been able to break the carnal rule of spreading illnesses had it not been for his pal Jeff Goldblum. And cute little Wall-E would have never been able to rebuild the world had it not been for his companion Eve (Elissa Knight).

But, having a friend with you does not necessarily preclude success. The friend has to be a worthy companion – otherwise, you get:

Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning in War of The Worlds: Fail

Steve Carell amd Keira Knightley in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World: Epic Fail

Jake Gyllenhaal amd Kevin Costner in The Day After Tomorrow: Snooze-fest

So what can you do to make sure you will survive your next bout of illness with a friend?

Load up on Vitamin C, buy a never ending collection of movies, and make sure it’s a friend you actually have something in common with.

And speaking of movies, voice your choice in today’s featured poll about an upcoming highly anticipated comedy:

This is The End premieres this Wednesday with an incredible cast. Which member of the hilarious ensemble is your favorite?

Danny McBride
James Franco
Jonah Hill
Seth Rogen

… on Broadway.  And this Sunday night will be especially shiny as major stars of stage and screen gather at Radio City Music Hall for the 67th Annual Tony Awards.  Technically Radio City is on 6th Avenue — not Broadway — but let’s not split hairs.

Neil Patrick Harris is hosting the live telecast for the third consecutive year.  (He’s also hosting the Emmy Awards in September, so NPH is clearly trying to give Ryan Seacrest a run for his money as the guy who hosts… well… everything.)  The line-up of Tony presenters includes Jon Cryer, Jesse Eisenberg, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johannson, Anna Kendrick, Martha Plimpton and Zachary Quinto.  Nice!

I will once again be one of the faces in the crowd at Sunday night’s ceremony and I’m sure I’m not alone in my glee over the fact that the show is moving back to Radio City after being held for the past two years at the Beacon Theater.  I love the Beacon for concerts — and it’s a mere three block walk from my New York apartment — but it’s a little too small for Broadway’s biggest night.  And last year the Tony’s were held on a particularly hot and humid evening and the air conditioning wasn’t working properly in the theater.  Black tuxedos + cramped seats – air conditioning = unhappy, smelly audience.

I managed to see a lot of great Broadway productions this past year but I haven’t seen all the nominees in all the categories.  That’s never stopped me from having an opinion, however, so here are my personal picks for who I want to win in six major categories.

BEST PLAY
The Assembled Parties
Lucky Guy
The Testament of Mary
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Full disclosure:  I’ve only seen the first two.  The Testament of Mary closed before I could go (which bums me out because it was written by Colm Toibin and starred Fiona Shaw and I’m a fan of both.)  I’ve heard great things about Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and it’s got a dream cast that includes David Hyde Pierce and Sigourney Weaver.  It also already won Best Play at the Outer Critics Circle, New York Drama Critics’ Circle, Drama League AND Drama Desk Awards, so the Tony is definitely within its reach.  The Assembled Parties is not without its charms, but I’m rooting for Lucky Guy and its playwright, the late great Nora Ephron, to take the prize.

BEST MUSICAL
Bring It On
A Christmas Story
Kinky Boots
Matilda

Again, I’ve only seen two out of four here.  The theater press is having a heyday with the Matilda vs. Kinky Boots battle (the other two don’t stand a chance.)  Kinky Boots is absolutely delightful and features wonderful music from Cyndi Lauper and a great book by Harvey Fierstein, so it gets my vote.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY:
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tom Sturridge, Orphans

When Tom Hanks makes his Broadway debut, attention must be paid.  He does a great job playing New York tabloid columnist Mike McAlary and absolutely deserves the Tony.  Plus he never disappoints with his acceptance speeches at awards shows, so it will make for a great moment in the telecast.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL:
Bertie Carvel, Matilda
Santino Fontana, Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Stark Sands, Kinky Boots

Billy Porter is the comeback kid.  After his breakthrough performance as Teen Angel in the 1994 Broadway revival of Grease, he virtually disappeared.  But he’s back with a vengeance and The Tony is his to lose.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL:
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Valisia LeKae, Motown, The Musical
Patina Miller, Pippin
Laura Osnes, Cinderella

There’s a lot of buzz for Laura Osnes as Cinderella, but Patina Miller is so amazing in Pippin that I can’t imagine anyone else taking home this prize. She has a spectacular voice, amazing dance moves, and somehow channels Ben Vereen while also making the Leading Player role in Pippin all her own.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL:
Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Victoria Clark, Cinderella
Andrea Martin, Pippin
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
Lauren Ward, Matilda

It wouldn’t be an awards show if there weren’t at least one category about which I’m completely torn.  I saw the Saturday matinee performance of Kinky Boots and the Sunday matinee of Pippin on the same weekend.  On Saturday night I thought Annaleigh Ashford was a shoe-in for this year’s Featured Actress in a Musical Tony.  But after seeing Andrea Martin’s breathtaking performance in Pippin the next day, I’ve changed my tune.  Sorry, Annaleigh, but Andrea’s a sure thing this year.

And there you have it, my completely biased opinion.  Be sure to tune in to CBS at 9/8c on Sunday night to check out all the Tony action.

TODAY’S POLL:  The Tony Awards air live on CBS this Sunday night.  Which Tony-nominated musical revival is your favorite?

Annie
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Pippin
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Pretty self-explanatory blog title, huh? Man of Steel just looks so great it is hard not to get excited. The trailer — which I now get to watch every morning on my way to work as it is playing over and over in a very impressive subway ad at New York’s Columbus Circle station — looks epic. I actually didn’t know what the angle of this particular Superman installment was until a few weeks ago when I struck up a conversation with someone who was staring at a MOS poster beside me on the subway platform. He informed me that one of the movie’s subplots revolves around the idea that Krypton, the famous red planet that blew up as baby Superman flew away in a Marlon-Brando-made-capsule, didn’t actually blow up. Whoa. I really hope that is true and this guy wasn’t pulling one over on me cause it sounds like a really fun twist.

The Brando character is now played by Russell Crowe, Superman’s Earthling father is now played by Kevin Costner, General Zod, the bad guy who appeared last in 1980′s Superman II, is now played by Michael Shannon (of “Boardwalk Empire” fame), and Lois Lane is now played by Amy Adams (love her). All that and I haven’t even mentioned that the red-boot-wearing-defender-of-the innocent himself is played by the delicious Henry Cavill, known to some for his role on Showtime’s “The Tudors,” but who remains a complete unknown to most. This is the role that can either make or break one’s career and for Henry’s sake — and the audience’s — I hope this catapults him to stardom. The role sure did for the late, great Christopher Reeve, but not so much for his successor, Brandon Routh, whose Superman Returns returned less than positive reviews.

I love thinking back on all the great moments from Superman movie history. I really did love all of them and am hard pressed to pick a favorite. The original was so sweet and simple. Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent struggled through the awkwardness of being a teenager by outrunning trains and picking up tractors which, through a 1978 technology lens, looks kinda silly. But we quickly fell in love with Clark’s innocence and Superman’s forehead curl. I also loved and still pine for Lois Lane’s penthouse apartment that Superman flew in and out of. Half of it was outdoors!

Then came the second installment, Superman II which featured three criminals from the planet Krypton who, after being imprisoned in a glass “phantom zone,” landed on Earth and wreaked havoc, equipped with the same powers of Superman. Being stuck in that glass “phantom zone” is literally my worst nightmare.

Next came Superman III, starring Richard Pryor. So random, right? In the film, Pryor is hired to produce Kryptonite (which has the power to kill Superman) but is unsure of the final ingredient. I always thought it was so funny that of all the elements and substances in the world, he chose tar to complete the concoction, after staring at a cigarette box. The altered Kryptonite didn’t have the desired affect, but it did manage to make Superman into a bit of a dirtbag. I remember a scene where he just about propositions a prostitute. A little out of character for both Superman and Reeve.

Then came Superman IV: Quest for Peace. OK, I’ll admit it. It’s my favorite for many reasons, one of which is that it stars Mariel Hemingway. In this installment, Superman has to do battle with Nuclear Man (yes, Nuclear Man is his credited name) who has such a strong resemblance to my cousin Tim that I call him that to this day. Nuclear Man was played by a man named Mark Pillow who, according to a quick look up on IMDB, used to be a Chipendale’s dancer in LA. God, I love the internet.

I saw Superman Returns in the theater but never again so I am having trouble remembering anything about it other than Kevin Spacey’s bald head. Which reminds me, I have yet to mention how much I love watching Gene Hackman as Lex Luther in the 1^st, 2^nd and 4^th installments. Remember his lair in the original? It was an abandoned subway station that featured a pool and secret entrance. Very bad guy. Very cool.

Here’s hoping the new movie lives up to its name. Tell us which of the original four installments of the Superman franchise is your favorite.

Superman

Superman II

Superman III

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

I went to visit good friends last night who recently had a baby boy. He’s only been on the planet for about 10 weeks and he is already a healthy 15+ pounds and thriving. (Seriously, the outfit I bought him for next summer will likely fit him by the end of this summer.) He is beyond adorable and so mild-mannered. It was such a joy to hold a newborn in my arms again and reminisce about the days when my now 3 year old daughter was only a wee little bundle herself.

This may sound odd, but I was also somewhat relieved to find that he is in perfectly good health. Since his birth, there hasn’t been one single photo of him posted anywhere. Not on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Now his parents aren’t exactly active in social media, but his father has an account and periodically posts to it, so I imagined that the birth of his first son would have certainly been a good time to log on. But he didn’t. And what was even greater cause for alarm was that his paternal aunt is social media-obsessed, the type who posts multiple times a day on every platform imaginable, and even SHE hadn’t posted anything. So naturally I started to worry.

Turns out the reason is simple, and I learned it last night after snapping pictures of him with my iPhone.  I took a couple of close ups and my girlfriend casually turned to me and said: “We’re not posting any photos to Facebook or anything.” And while I had speculated that might have been the reason all along, I wasn’t sure until that moment. So of course it prompted a conversation where I learned that the boy’s father is eager to post photos and share the news with his loved ones near and far, but his mother is concerned about exposing him to all the malicious people in the world. It was an interesting debate, and one that I suspect the two of them will be discussing for a long time as social media continues to grow even more pervasive in our lives, and if nothing else, until the day their young son tells them that he’s opened his own account. Which probably isn’t all that far off…

I adhere to my own version of social media guidelines for posting images of my daughter (YouTube is off limits, but Facebook and Instagram which are a tad more “controlled” is OK) but there are obviously millions of people out there who are not limiting their children’s exposure whatsoever. Is it risky? Sadly, I think it probably is. Of course, malicious people are everywhere and may have simply seen your child walking down the street with you one day, but what about the predators who sit online and look for victims? It’s not so far fetched. And social media has made it so that there is virtually no privacy left in the world among friends as well as strangers. Only time will tell what the outcome will be but I say using your best judgement and limiting your children’s exposure is probably the best approach.

Now, what about the children out there who are exposed to millions of people on a regular basis? Child actors have been in the spotlight and have had their safety compromised long before social media ever came along. Are their parents exceptionally irresponsible or do they have their children’s best interest in mind? (Setting them up for life financially v. potentially putting them at risk.) That’s a whole separate debate that I won’t get into here, and regardless of where I stand on the issue, I am certainly grateful for the adorable faces that have been gracing primetime of late. Especially as a parent, I’ve found the new wave of TV shows centered around these impossibly cute babies quite delightful. Up All Night featured one of the most adorable babies I’ve ever seen – when the show was cancelled I think I was most upset about not being able to see her anymore. I literally could not watch her in a scene without saying “She is so cute!” every single time. I also was a huge fan of (the orignal) Lily Pritchett on Modern Family. It may sound horribly offensive to be favoring one tiny young actor over another, but the reality is that the original Lily was simply cuter! C’mon, you might not say it out loud, but you know you agree! That’s not to say that the current Lily isn’t as equally likable, and I’ll hand it to her, she can certainly deliver a line. Lastly, while I don’t watch the show, I do enjoy the commercials for Raising Hope featuring another incredibly cute little tot. Whatever it was that made TV execs tug at all our heartstrings by bringing these tiny people into our homes each week, it was a stroke of genius, and I hope for everyone’s sake that the exposure will ultimately do more good for them than harm.

Voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of these tiny TV stars is your favorite?

Amy (Up All Night)
Hope (Raising Hope)
Lily (Modern Family)