This week, a part of my childhood was laid to rest---and I have to say, it didn't really bother me at all.

Total Request Live, the MTV video countdown show, ended Sunday after about 10 years on the air. I have fond memories of coming home after school each day to watch a pre-late night/pre-weight loss Carson Daly, surrounded by shrieking girls and that giant window overlooking Times Square, introduce the top 10 videos of the day. If 'N Sync had a new single out, you could be sure that not only would the video be on TRL at No. 1, but that Justin and company just might stop by to introduce it (and at 12 years old, that might have been all it took to make me a loyal viewer).

Much like the VMAs, however, (or maybe even the MTV network as a whole) in the last few years, TRL has become a pathetic shell of its former self. Maybe it's because I'm not 12 anymore. Maybe it's because I don't understand the appeal of Fall Out Boy or the Jonas Brothers (at least 'N Sync and pre-meltdown Britney never pretended to be anything more than pure sugar-filled pop). Or maybe it's because I can get all my music videos on Youtube now (the ENTIRE video, without Katie from Long Island interrupting to dedicate the song to all her best friends and WHOOOOOOOOOOOing into her microphone until the end of the 30-second clip). I might just be a jaded college student now, but MTV and its flagship program just don't have the edge or the fun anymore to keep me watching.

Incidentally, I think it was those constant video interruptions, as well as the mob of fans outside holding signs, that really did it in. They went from the show's signature to an overused gimmick, highlighting the brain-dead, commercial consuming youth of America and alienating the once young fans of the show that were growing up and looking for a little more substance. A friend of mine just summed it up for me via instant message a few minutes ago: "They would play full videos, or at least mostly full. It wasn't about which celebrity they could get on the show. It wasn't about the DJ (though Carson was popular before he got all weird with the nail polish). And they didn't have screaming tweens interrupting the videos every three seconds. There is very little music involved at all." There you have it.

And so, with the death of TRL (the only program running on the Music Television channel that actually has to do with music), dies a piece of my childhood. I'll always have a special place in my heart for Carson, that John guy who used to read the news and the videos, no matter how much of them they played, when videos actually mattered.

-- Kristen

I can't believe it's been 10 years since boy bands such as N*SYNC and Backstreet Boys were the hottest thing in sliced bread. Millions of screaming preteens praised them as the Gods of Pop music and they were too good to be paid anything less than $1,000,000 to do any appearances. Well, their time as passed, and new little pop "sensations" are driving the newest generation of pre-teens crazy.

So what is left of our favorite pop superstars? Well, they are left to do cameos in less than satisfactory movies and appearances on TV shows while getting paid way less than they would have if they were still in their prime. I've found yet another example while watching Saturday Night Live this past weekend, which featured former lead singer of N*SYNC, Justin Timberlake. Sure, he can be funny at times, but man, you can really tell when he's trying hard to get people to like him.

Check out his appearances on this past weekend's SNL:



-- Sara

Live from Nashville, TN, the 42nd annual Country Music Awards (CMA) featured a plethora of performers. With performances from recent high school graduate, Taylor Swift, to newly established country singer, Kid Rock, the awards show definitely featured the wide range of talent that country music is capable of producing.

Hosts Brad Paisley and American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood kept the show rolling with their quirky senses of humor and bright smiles throughout the ceremony. Other performances included Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, George Straight, Rodney Atkins, and Martina McBride. Rascal Flatts took home the award for Vocal of the Year, while Sugarland took home the Song of the Year and Duo of the Year awards. Taylor Group Swift presented the New Artist of the Year award, which went to Lady Antebellum. Artist of the Year was awarded to Mac McAnally.

Brooks and Dunn sang "Cowgirls Don't Cry" collaboratively with Reba McIntyre, who recently performed at the Bryce Jordan Center on Halloween night with another American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson.

Former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish, Darius Rucker performed his newest country hit, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It."

Overall, the night was entertainingly filled with many suspected winners, and many unsuspected performances.

-- Sara

For a while now, I had no idea what anyone was talking about when they referred to The Office. The show, now in its fifth season, has been wildly popular for years, but I had been completely clueless when it came to any discussions on "Jam" or the crazy antics of the Dunder-Mifflin employees.

So back in September, while looking online for something to amuse myself with (while I should have been doing homework), I decided to watch the pilot episode ...and then another....and then another, until after only three days, I had completed the entire first two seasons. Completely addicted to the absurd office pranks and the adorably awkward will they/won't they relationship of Jim and Pam, I became determined to catch up with the current season. I watched episode after episode until the wee hours of the morning. When my roommate would yell at me to do something productive whenever she heard the muffled theme song coming from my earphones, I'd find clever ways to cover my addiction up with a Word document when she'd walk past my computer.

I quickly finished the next two seasons and when I was finally able to start watching the show live on Thursday nights, I was pretty disappointed with what I found.

Season 5 of the show got off to a rocky start. Engaged, but living in different states, Jim and Pam no longer had the fire that made the early stages of their relationship so great. While Steve Carell is hysterical as the painfully needy boss, one Michael Scott is more than enough, and Holly, his female counterpart, was unbelievably irritating.

Last week's episode, however, was a pleasant surprise and hopefully a move back to the show's better days. Holly is gone (not a moment too soon) and Jim and Pam finally got a chance to interact again (if only by Bluetooth phone).

Best of all, the episode features what might have been the funniest Jim/Dwight scene in a very, very long time. Check it out:

Let's hope this was only a taste of the better episodes to come.

-- Kristen

What happened to the good ol' days of just watching T.V. and having water cooler talk the next day with some of your co-workers?

Well, those days are gone. Granted, they've definitely improved over the years, but now networks such as ABC, NBC, and CBS give fewers more than just something to talk about the next day. Forget watching it when it airs, you can watch it anytime you want with most channel's websites. And with most people's busy schedules, this option is a vital resource in order to keep up with one's favorite shows.

If watching the show isn't enough, websites are also developing different games, quizzes and more that viewers can enjoy and even blog about themselves. Don't get my wrong, I love T.V. as much as the next girl (or guy), I just feel like some networks have gone overboard with their sometimes lackluster attempts at getting better ratings. T.V. is meant to be watched on the television, not to be played along side silly games and "exclusives" online.

Check out what I mean:

NBC's "The Office" and their "Addictionary"

ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and their "House Tour"

CBS's "Survivor" and their "Fantacy League"

-- Sara

I'm an avid TV viewer, so it's no surprise how I spent much of my Election Day.

From about 4:30 (when I got home from voting) until about 2 a.m., I was parked on my couch, avidly watching each new election update with bated breath.

It feels like forever now that we've been watching 2008 election coverage on television. From the early primary debates, to the overdose of attack ads, to Tina Fey's hilarious portrayal of Sarah Palin, it has been almost impossible over the last year to turn on the television without being bombarded with anything and everything election related.

I may have been sick of it, but on Tuesday night, I could not tear myself away.

I started early with CNN before any of the polls had closed. Wolf Blitzer and his team had some pretty snazzy toys on set, most notably giant touch screen maps with video insets that analysts could interchange and slide around.

As more and more statistics came in, I switched over to and stayed with MSNBC. I'm a cable news channel nut and I've always been swayed by the personalities on this network. Chris Mathews and my new favorite anchor Rachel Maddow looked to be holding back an onslaught of tears as they read each incoming set of results and Keith Olbermann, known for his blunt and often scathing comments was particularly poignant when he said this:

Being able to watch the coverage from my apartment in State College was an emotional and unforgettable experience. I was transported from Rockefeller Center in New York, to Senator McCain's rally in Arizona, to President-Elect Obama's rally in Chicago, to a village in Kenya where residents cried out in joy for America's new decision.

I'm also a huge fan of The Daily Show, and while I wanted to watch all of the Indecision coverage live, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert weren't updating the projected state winners fast enough for me to stay with it. The entire Daily Show team's coverage was predictably hilarious, though, so make sure you check out the full episode plus clips here.

Having just turned 18 this past summer, I'm excited to vote in the presidential election for the first time on Tuesday. Political stances aside, I've been getting bombarded within the past week or two with phone calls from both candidate's little helpers, and I've gotta say, it's getting pretty old.

"Can we count on your vote on Tuesday?"

"Uhhhh, I'm not sure who I've voting for yet."

"Well let me rattle off a laundry list of reasons why my candidate is awesome and the other one sucks!"

"Oh great, here's 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Please, tell me more!"

After "listening" to the rallying supporter's stories, I decided that maybe I should really start to look into the specifics of different policies, or in the least, check out some of the commercials. After having done so, I began to grow even more disgusted with this whole election process. I want to know the facts. What's their stance on the different issues. All the commercials combined couldn't help me out. They're all fulled with hatred and nasty comments about the opposing candidate. What has the electoral process come to? It almost makes you not want to vote at all.

In an age where propaganda and the media tend to sway some people's decisions on everyday issues, I find it important to keep a level head in one of the most important presidential elections in America's history. I'm sure you've heard it all before with such phrases as, "get out there and vote" and "vote or die" from MTV and Diddy, but in reality, it really is important that you have your voice heard, no matter who you decide to vote for.

So as November 4th continues to approach ever so quickly, try to disregard those negative, often deceitful, commercials, and remember to do the country one proud, and vote. I know I'll be standing in those lines for who knows how many hours, will you?

-- Sara