A Post Full of GRAVITAS

What is GRAVITAS?

Well it's basically the word du jour of the moment, and as an avid wordsmith I thought I'd share a little history for those of you who are pop-culture afficianados like myself and may be wondering, "hmm, why did everyone start using that word?" Much like "WMD," "ginormous," and other words that have come into our lexicon in the last few years, gravitas is everywhere now, but unlike other stupid, overused words, gravitas is great. I have gravitas! My blog has gravitas! My new screenplay has gravitas! This Lean Cousine Three-Cheese Ziti is bursting with tasty GRAVITAS, dammit all.

Now here is how I figure this word came to prominence, and surprisingly, this all ties into a little show called 24. Basically, Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Bauer himself, appeared late last year, I believe, on of all things Inside the Actors' Studio with James Lipton. Lipton, as he often does, asked Kiefer a really weird, random question. The question was: "What is your favorite word?" Kiefer thought for a second, and then said, in his badass Jack Bauer voice: "Gravitas."

For some reason, this answer made waves on the internet, and suddenly every entertainment website is using the word gravitas in reference to 24. But something funny happened - suddenly EVERYONE starts using this word, and now it's popping up in news articles, magazines, and random conversations. My opinion: great word, and I aspire to use it more often. And I also find it appropriate that Jack Bauer and the actor who plays him have joined the likes of Bill Walton, Ric Flair, Beavis and Butthead, and other great pop cultural luminaries who have, for better or worse, influenced the words that I say and write. Which is why I now tend to respond to even the most minor of mini-crises by excaliming (sometimes into a fake walkie talkie, no less) "We have a situation!" Jack Bauer would be proud. Or he might look at me, shake his head in disapproval while anxiously checking his watch, and say: "dammit!"

Gravitas. That's what this blog has.

And before I delve into even more 24 stuff, I want to quickly address one comment left on my previous post. No, I don't like Grey's Anatomy, and yes, I can say that without ever having watched it. Why? Because as a general rule I don't like or watch shows set in hospitals. I just don't. I have little interest in watching shows about doctors or their patients. Now, I have heard so many good things about Scrubs that at some point I will really have to check it out, as it seems like one of the few shows on the air right now that I might actually find funny. But, I can't help but think that if the show took place in a setting that was NOT a hospital, I'd enjoy it more. I mean, why do so many shows have to be in hospitals? They're depressing and horrible, for the most part. And who really likes doctors? No offense to any doctors out there or anything. So even if they are supposedly quality shows, I have little if any interest, in principle, in watching Grey's Anatomy, House, ER, and all the rest.


So, back to 24:

- This week's TWENTY-FOUR:

Hmm, there's some conventions of this show that everyone has grown to love despite their absurdity. The inevitable mole in CTU, the always-expected Jack vs. CTU lone-wolf vs. procedure conflicts, the over the top Jack torture scenes. Even once annoying characters like Chloe have grown on us, so much so that scenes like last season's Chloe as gun-toting badass phase made us stand up and cheer. But, there is one cliche that I doubt even the most hardcore 24 fans cheer when it pops up like clockwork. I mean, does anyone really want to see MORE storylines about completely random family members of CTU agents who are psycho / criminals / amnesiacs, etc? NO! So I'm sure that many were like me and cringed when Sean Astin got the call from his street thug sister asking for money, and then later when he was beaten up in the parking lot by a bunch of cronies she worked for, who then proceded to STEAL HIS WALLET. Ugh ... I mean, sure, scenes like this have their own degree of camp value, but still ... are they really necessary? How about more fleshed out villains, more focus on other players in the Logan administration, etc? And then, we had the other everpresent reality of 24 -- innocent, waifish looking women are DANGEROUS when they want to exact some sweet, sweet revenge on their tormentors.

Okay, so it sounds like I complained a lot about this episode. And I did. But come on, this is 24. Overall, this was still a pretty damn good episode. Some highlights:

- Whoever played the old Russian computer guy was awesomely evil.
- Good stuff with Logan and his wife.
- Gotta love Edgar's smile when Chloe told him to shut up.
- Interesting, Walt hung (hanged?) himself ... or DID he ...?
- Jack having to refrain from kicking the crap outta the Russian was great.
- John McCain cameo!
- Gravitas!

So yeah, a lot of absurdity, a few unwelcome cliches, but some good setup for the next few episodes, and overall a fun ride: My grade: B


Okay, I think that's about it for now. Still waiting for updates about potential job stuff. Still stressing out about what the next few weeks are going to have in store. And yes, still pondering the mysteries of David Hasslehoff's "Hooked On a Feeling" music video.

Wassupwitdat?