So, After a long 20.5 hours of work, who doesn’t just love to plop in front of the TV for an evening’s worth of fabulous sitcoms, dramadies and cop shows? But gosh, there’s so much from which to choose!

Um…shockingly, no, there is not. Does anyone know how to write or ACT? (Sorry House fans, I don’t get time to see that one too much.)

I have to say, aside from a select few, such as Grey’s Anatomy or NBC’s 30 Rock, my favorite TV season is a disaster.

Except for one oddball commercial — the Geico Insurance caveman TV spots. I love everything about the caveman series; but this one in particular, in which the actual caveman character is disgruntled after seeing a giant caveman print ad in an airport, is simply genius.

The genius part of it all is that somehow they take a such a hot topic as cultural diversity, and put it together to sell something as boring as car insurance.

Hilarious…the music is impeccable, the copy is understated and the acting is wonderful. The whole thing is “under-the-top” — which I guess is the irony of it all.

Now if only the Hollywood know-it-alls could take their cue from Geico…maybe we’d be watching more interesting TV shows this fall. Thank goodness for you Tina Fey, I love you too.

Post from: Blisstree

Grey’s Anatomy, 30 Rock and the Geico Insurance TV Commercials.

Like the day my boss through me into a lake. Let me elaborate:

Several years ago, I worked at a large international, luxury auto maker in New Jersey. Needless to say, the men:women ratio was enourmously unbalanced, in favor of men. You can imagine the fashion environment in a car company — yep, tons ‘o logo-ed polo shirts. And the politics and bad sexually explicit jokes, were horrendous.

As I reflect on this bit of history, my boss was a remarkably similar to Michael on The Office. He was a people-pleaser, a manipulator (I suspect a misogynist), a self-described “god’s gift to women” and mostly stupid.

This guy’s attempt a bonding with his group was an annual trip to a local lake, complete with beer and boats…and of course a token baseball cap with the company’s logo. BTW, the guys in our department routinely bonded at least twice a week at a local pub — but on these trips “the girls” got to go.

He hated me so much, at least that’s how I felt at the time. My reviews were never great, he made comments about my clothing, he even made a few personal remarks that were hurtful.

I hate lakes; I think their gross. I am more of an ocean/beach girl. Anyway, the day was progressing as planned, the guys are drinking and trying to manuever the boat we were all on,….brilliant, I know. And, doing cannon balls into the lake. And did I mention the drinking?

I hadn’t really been engaging with these guys; I was completely satisfied to sit in a corner of the boat and read magazines. At some point, my boss said to me, why don’t you go in the water, like the rest of the team, you’re not much of a team player are you?

I’m not a great swimmer, I reply. (The big clue).

I looked back down at the magazine, and no sooner said than done, he and his cronie, another moron from our team, lift me by the feet and arms and toss me overboard. They ignored my pleas for them to stop, they ignored the fact that I don’t swim well, and they had absolutely no concern about whether there were rocks in the lake, on which I could have cracked my skull. I was completely humiliated as my co-workers looked on — and laughed!

It’s just too bad a photo wasn’t taken. Later on, an attorney told me that I would not have a good sexual harassment case in court, unless maybe I could get a class-action going. Is that what it takes? Having as many  women as possible scorned or abused before an attorney or judge will take notice.

I resigned later that year, mostly because going into the office everyday was so demoralizing.

But, what I will say to you is…if you ever experience behavior such as mine, do not do what I did and hold it in or quit. Tell someone in HR right away. No one ever, I repeat EVER has the right to treat you with less than respect and diginity.

I don’t care if it was a car company or for the Queen.

Post from: Blisstree

World’s Worst Boss

Hi all…allow me to introduce myself, my name is Kim and I have recently joined b5media so that I may preside over Blog Fabulous, as Christine moves toward new goals.

I find it interesting that my favorite movie (best movie theme ever!) is Working Girl with Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford, and here I am contributing to a blog which is dedicated to the needs and interests of working women. Some kind of cosmic force developing here, I would say.

I am a 20 year marketing and advertising veteran and have truly been in the trenches — working at varied companies from small ad agencies to large Fortune 500 corporations; I have seen it all and have much to share.

Presently, I work from my home in Bergen County, New Jersey–where I have created, own and operate a small business called The Pet Set. The Pet Set is an elegant line of stationery for dogs and owners who have very discerning taste. Think Smythson of Bond Street for dogs.

I live with my husband of 22 years and our beloved Chocolate Labrador, Trotter — who was in fact the inspiration for The Pet Set.

I know that many of you were loyal fans of Christine’s and to Blog Fabulous, so my only intent is to continue in that fashion, and perhaps as time goes on, you will begin to appreciate my style and points of view. Hopefully new friends will join as well.

For my initial entry, I was thinking about NBC’s The Office (btw the British version is much darkerer and funnier and you must download Ricky Gervais’s podcasts…too hilarious).

At the conclusion of last night’s episode, NBC aired a fake Public Service Annoucement presented by two of The Office cast members. In character, each gave hers and his point of view about office relationships. She was absolutely in favor of them, he was totally against.

The whole thing was an April Fool’s spoof and very silly, but it still made me wonder what do people think about office romances?

Do you think you can meet your soulmate or do you think it’s a dangerous idea, both personally and professionally? And here is the smoking gun, so to speak, have you ever known anyone who has moved up the ladder as a result of having had an office affair?

I would love to know your thoughts.

P.S. I have never had an office fling, so I am on the “it’s dangerous” side of this discussion.

It’s great to be here!

Post from: Blisstree

The Renewal of Spring and the Arrival of “The New Girl”.