P U

Folks, it was bound to happen, or it was simply meant to be. Princess Unicorn has her own website now. Look how majestic she is! You can learn about the legend of Princess Unicorn (she is the daughter of the King of the Unicorns and the Queen of the Princesses, and she was doused with radiation by the evil Sorcerissa, which didn't harm her, but did give her magical powers), you can read the fan testimonials of the greatness that IS Princess Unicorn, and you can buy a t-shirt of Princess Unicorn. Sadly, you can't buy an actual Princess Unicorn doll as the whole thing is made up make believe by those goofy geniuses on The Office.

I've hated dolls my whole life (why won't the italics thing turn off!!!!) and somewhere there is a shallow grave full of naked headless Barbies to prove it, but I want this damn doll. Just looking at her makes me dream of a land where Unicorn Princesses and My Little Ponies frolick and play all the live long day in fields laden with chocolate drops instead and of poop and where the trees are the good flavored lollipops instead of lemon or grape.

So, to those wily marketers over at GE/NBC, in a downturned economy, you've got a real winner on your hands with this Princess Unicorn doll. I mean, if you can make ME want one, then surely there are millions and dozens of others who are willing to risk losing an eye to own their very own Princess Unicorn doll.

The Office

When a great show, especially a great comedy, begins its death spiral into mediocrity, a part of the collective unconscious withers. I can't say definitively that this has irreversibly occurred with the American version of The Office, but this fourth season has struggled mightily. Dwight has faded into the background, Pam and Jim are an officially boring couple, and every week I wish they would kill Michael. Not just kill the character, but the actor who plays him as well, that's how insufferable Michael Scott has become. The Michael and Jan storyline could've, should've been delicious with her bossiness and his infantile behavior, but Jan turned out to be abusive, physically, mentally, and Michael became regressed into full on infancy. And what does a big baby excel at doing? Manipulation, usually passive aggressive manipulation, but only if a temper tantrum isn't enough. Oh, how I wish Stanley was suing MS and Dunder Mifflin. Wouldn't that at least provide some fodder for the writers to nosh on?
The funniest episode all year was when Michael hit Meredith with his car. The incredulous look on Jim's face when he gets Michael to admit that he was the one driving the car, not just 'in' the car was classic. And Dwight euthanizing Angela's cat, Sprinkles by placing her in the freezer, was also a brilliant, if twisted, gag. But they've been so few and far between this year. We're much more likely to see Michael yelling 'Pam-Pam-Pam!!!!' anytime she tries to correct him. Pam, please, slowly start to poison his coffee. I would say shoot him, but messy just isn't Pam's style. I could see her poisoning him though.
Now and again I'll catch an older episode of The Office in syndication on TBS, and it reminds me of how far the show has slipped. By placing so much focus on MS's character we're missing out on the periphery characters that so often drove action.
Oh well. I'm still watching, and I hope next season is better than this writer's strike shortened one, but I'm a little nervous. Yeah.