Late Night with Conan O’Brien was one of the funniest shows to grace television, and that its illustrious writers room has brought us so much great stuff over the years, beyond just Conan’s show. From Louie to Delocated to Mr. Show, some of the finest comedy writers sat in a room together making each other laugh (while getting picked on by their boss, Conan O’Brien. More on that later.). READ MORE

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Every year since 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has united an entire continent with the power of music and the beauty of poorly translated English. This year’s competition, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, is no different. Each country submits a song, and viewers voting by phone or text select a winner. In grand Eurovision tradition, their choices include a few folk songs, a few rock songs, a few dance-pop songs, and innumerable sappy ballads. Oh, and a Romanian entry that’s inexplicably in Spanish. READ MORE

The Internet’s been abuzz this week with the news that Dan Harmon has been let go as showrunner of his much-loved NBC sitcom Community, but long-time fans of Harmon’s work know he’s no stranger to frustrating experiences in the entertainment industry. Along with frequent writing partner Rob Schrab, with whom Harmon created the long-running short film fest Channel 101, Harmon has had his fair share of movie and TV projects that never made it to screens. Let’s take a look now at Dan Harmon’s lost projects, including the script about giant ants that landed him his first agent, his cult hit pilot about a talking motorcycle, and early plans to turn Channel 101 into a TV series. READ MORE

Here is how you become a wedding officiant! Perhaps you are already a mayor or a judge or a ship captain (really!). If not, you should become ordained on line. Here’s what I did — I went to the Universal Life Church website because I remembered that Chris-in-the-Morning-Stevens from “Northern Exposure” became a minister through an ad in the back of Rolling Stone, and then I got ordained! It took about thirty seconds. You even get to choose your title!  READ MORE

When I had a full-time job, the decision to buy a weekly unlimited or monthly unlimited MetroCard came down to one thing: how much money (or credit) I could spare at that moment. I live in Brooklyn and commuted to Manhattan, so the subway was a vital part of my budget (not enough that I ever knew when my MetroCard would expire, but it was something I needed to get to work). Usually I went with the monthly card, since I knew I'd be using it at least twice a day—usually three to four times if I ran an errand at lunchtime or went out at night—sometimes less on weekends. But since becoming a full-time freelancer last October with no official office save for the nearest Gimme Coffee, I've had to carefully calculate which type of MetroCard will best suit my needs, and the decision is far from clearcut. READ MORE

Marlene Dietrich was glamorous in a way we can’t quite understand. Like Greta Garbo, the woman to whom she is so often compared, Dietrich was otherworldly, her face a mask across which emotion flitted and fought. Her every move seemed an exercise in control, a sort of beautifully molded artifice. But Dietrich was no confection: she was a masterpiece. Her formidable sexual appeal stemmed from a stunning androgyny, and an ability to simultaneously embody the passive and the dominating, the masculine and the feminine, the demure and the suggestive. While other Hollywood stars worked to make themselves seem “Just Like Us,” Dietrich was never like us. Her slinking accent, the alabaster face, the unerringly svelte wardrobe — all of it communicated as much. She was exquisite. There is no other way to put it. READ MORE

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If I wanted a fan to help keep my office or any other full-sized room cool this summer, I'd grab the $90 Vornado 660. READ MORE

Now that Season 37 of Saturday Night Live has come to a close, let’s talk about some of the highlights from the past 22 episodes. READ MORE