Relationships That Wouldn't Work in Reality

From 'Star Wars' to 'Arrested Development,' something's not quite right

(NEWSER) - It's taboo and generally creepy, but sometimes—under the right cinematic circumstances and with the knowledge that nobody's actually related—incest can be, well, hot. Willa Paskin of New York rounds up fictional couples who have real chemistry:

• Cathy and Chris Dollanganger, Flowers in the Attic: "Nothing can stop the teenage sex drive, not even arsenic poisoning."

Jeff Bridges, Mo'Nique, 'Mad Men,' 'Glee' also among winners

(NEWSER) - Avatar and The Hangover captured the top film awards, Meryl Streep and Drew Barrymore charmed with stream-of-consciousness acceptance speeches, and host Ricky Gervais generally behaved at tonight's Golden Globes ceremony. Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock established themselves as Academy Award favorites with victories in the leading dramatic role categories, as did Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz of Inglourious Basterds in the supporting categories. More»

When it comes time for the holiday episode, don't expect a surprise

(NEWSER) - Christmas “takes over the airwaves as comprehensively as it does malls, office lobbies, and public service announcements”—but unfortunately, the Christmas TV plotline always falls into one of three categories, writes Torie Bosch for Slate :

• Money woes: “A holiday season without gifts doesn't really feel like a holiday at all,” so when Christmas bonuses are denied, tragedy ensues. But, as Bart Simpson said in one such situation, “If TV has taught me anything, it's that miracles always happen to poor kids at Christmas.”

Billy Crystal brings the same old stuff

(NEWSER) - Last night's Oscars, like its Best Picture, was a throwback to a different time in film history. And though the show may have topped last year's Anne Hathaway-James Franco fiasco, it was boring and tired throughout:

• "The whole night looked like an AARP pep rally," writes Alessandra Stanley in the New York Times . "For a town that prides itself on tinsel and titillation, the night was pretty tame." "It all looked very familiar," but that "is perhaps necessary when so few of the nominated films are."

Conservatives, liberals see the show through different eyes

(NEWSER) - The fourth season of Mad Men starts Sunday, providing a political litmus test of sorts for viewers. The shift from the 1950s to the '60s fills conservatives with "apprehension" and liberals with "anticipation," writes Natasha Simons for the National Review . Each camp sees it through the prism of its choice: Liberals rejoice that the '50s—filled with "sexism, racism, and general prejudice"—will get their comeuppance, while conservatives fear the impending doom of the "Me Generation" and its hedonistic self-indulgence. More»