My Inner Struggle: E! Online's Kristin vs. EW's Michael Ausiello

This post will seem insignificant to people who don't understand why it matters which television journalist I read. Well, let me tell you- it's a big deal! I have my sites that I go to daily to see what is up in the tv world. First and foremost, I check out EW.com. Entertainment Weekly is pretty much the embodiment of everything that I love. Sure, I have a subscription to the magazine. Couldn't I just wait until my mail comes on Friday and read all the articles and news there? WRONG. The website includes 1) awesome little video interviews/previews/etc., 2) recaps of my shows (yes, I already watched them myself, but that's not the point! I like to see what other people think! That's the whole point of this blog entry!), and 3) useless entertainment tidbits that don't make it into the magazine but that I enjoy nonetheless.

Next, I head on over to Whedonesque.com where I can find out any information regarding anyone in the whole Whedon-verse. Seriously, it's insane how on top of things people are over there. Whenever Joss, or somebody involved with Buffy/Angel/Firefly/Astonishing X-Men, has the slightest activity in their life, it gets linked. Or if somebody mentions any of the above in an article, linked. As I have learned these past few months, becoming a fan of Whedon's works is a lifelong experience.

Finally, I peruse Watch with Kristin at E! Online. She has been my primary source of tv scoop for the past 3 years or so. Her relationships with actors and show runners are incredible, so she gets to go on all these super sweet set visits. She puts out a "Spoiler Chat" where she answers fan questions about casting and upcoming storylines, which I have been reading weekly for a long time.

Well, here comes my dilemma: Michael Ausiello, who used to write the tv scoop over at TV Guide.com, has moved to EW. I never used to read him because he is Kristin's "frenemy," as she calls him. They are each other's competition, and I like to be loyal to my peeps. A couple years ago, I did read his column one time just to see what he was like, but I found his attitude to be obnoxious. Now, however, he has become a big part of what I read everyday at EW. He and Kristin report the same things, and I now find his attitude hilarious and his writing superior. This, by itself, wouldn't be enough to make me switch, but in the past 6 months or so, I have found myself increasingly frustrated with Kristin's attention to ridiculous shows. I know that she genuinely loves LOST, The Office, and many of the other shows that I love. But, she also pays a ridiculous amount of attention to shows like One Tree Hill. I get that her readers want coverage. Give them scoop, but don't showcase a lame teenage soap opera with no redeeming qualities! Ausiello, on the other hand, will criticize/ignore awful television, no matter what his readers think. In this case, I feel like I ought to be open-minded and willing to accept that my needs might have changed, rather than trying to be stubbornly loyal to a column that I don't enjoy very much anymore. That is not to say that I won't ever see what's new on "Watch with Kristin" or whether she has any awesome new interviews. But I think my official source for tv news is going to be http://ausiellofiles.ew.com

I have included below (as the first videos ever to be embedded in my blog!) the first installment of "Ausiello TV," as well as one of my favorite "Watch with Kristin" shows.





Just for the record: I'm writing a seemingly pointless blog post like this one because I head to Europe in 18 days. I've only got a couple more entries left to do before I go, and I know how much I (and you!) will miss this blog while I'm gone. So I want to get in as much as I can before J.R.'s Television Thoughts for Your Everyday Life takes a 3-month hiatus. Anyways, that's the reason...