Dirt season finale on FX Tuesday

The FX season finale with Jennifer is on Tuesday on FX so set your Tivo!

Some of the critics and most of the press have panned the show. I'm not surprised. It paints a pretty bleak picture of Hollywood, the Hollywood press and stardom. Not exactly ripped from the headlines, but I imagine it hits close to home. To close...
Perez Hilton was on last week in a truly forgettable and thankfully short performance.

Beyond Team Aniston: Why it's not about picking a side.

In 2005, we watched the Brangelina saga unfold, as most of us who haven't been living under a rock now know. Divorce papers were filed, column inches accumulated, and the public chose sides, as represented by a t-shirt that for a brief moment in time was quite popular. However, as a longtime fan of Jennifer Aniston, I do feel like it's perhaps too trendy to say that I'm "team Aniston." It makes it sound like a large part of my appreciation for her is due to my having taken a side in this particular scenario, when, in fact, I have watched her for over a decade. In the '90's, I was that teen dragging her little sister along to see Picture Perfect. And now, while my appreciation has grown even stronger over time, it isn't the hype that has made it so. It is Jen herself who has become all the more interesting to watch, yet remained true to herself the whole while.

Ever since about 1994, when Jen became a household name through Friends, she has appealed to the public in a way that is intangible and irresistible. She emerged quickly as the "sexy Friend," but hers is a unique brand of sexy. While men find her desirable, women don't resent her for that; rather, they want to be her, as made manifest by the way in which women so eagerly emulate her hairstyles and outfits. As gorgeous as she is, you get the sense that she isn't all about her relationship to the opposite sex, although her relationships do capture much of the public's interest. She has made a name for herself as the ultimate girls' girl, fiercely loyal to her girlfriends, and you get the sense that she would extend a certain sisterly courtesy to any of her fellow women.

Indeed, one of the biggest parts of her charm is the fact that her guard is down. She lacks the veneer that so many stars possess in interviews, and she seems like the sort who would be no different in person, in the sense that she doesn't seem untouchable. A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to confirm this firsthand, and I am immensely glad that I took it. She is, indeed, a normal woman doing her job. A normal woman who just so happens to be beautiful, driven, and phenomenally talented.
( Read Erin's experience on the set of the The Break-Up. )

Speaking of talent, I feel strongly that the best is yet to come in that area. She has already done quite well in establishing herself as a comedic talent; her work on Friends makes it look easy, but there is definitely an inner quality unique to Jen that makes it so. She's held her own on the dramatic end, as well; independent films The Good Girl and Friends With Money were widely regarded as having lent her "indie cred," and she did do a remarkable job in both films. Derailed was very underrated, in my opinion; she certainly showed a darker side, but at the same time, didn't just take the easy way out by making Lucinda a stereotyped femme fatale. As with all of her performances, she gave the character many shades of emotion, and has the skills necessary to convey just enough at the right moments. The Break-Up, one of her biggest hits, combined broad comedy with gritty dramatic content, and in doing so allowed Jen to firmly establish a strong but sympathetic big-screen presence. With projects such as Wanted, Gambit, and Grace and Grit rumored to be in the works, we can look forward to seeing her dig into some incredibly challenging roles.

Indeed, a lot has transpired over the past decade that I never would have imagined, and I look forward to what the future brings. She shares, and we relate. Whether it's newlywed jitters, the joys of friendship, or professional ups and downs, we connect because ultimately, she's not sharing as some grand example, but as a fellow woman. With all of the It girls who have come and gone during that time, Jen's still here and better than ever because her journey is our journey as well.

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