Aasif Mandvi Slant-Rhymes with Zombie (11/9/09)

Hey, Anglophiles! What's shakin'? Are you ready to take another Monday by storm? (By "take another Monday by storm," I mean play games on iGoogle, wander about your offices aimlessly, and generally be hideously unproductive as you pine for the weekend that was. Obviously.)

As for me, my weekend-that-was totally rocked for the following blog-related reasons:

1. I found out that The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi used to live in the UK! This is fantastic, because I try to keep my non-Britty obsessions off the blog, but now when I talk about The Daily Show, as I lurve to do, I don't have to focus quite so much on John Oliver. Not that I don't heart John Oliver, but I was starting to seem a little creepy, no?


2. Speaking of how Aasif Mandvi now qualifies as Anglotastic material, I got to hear him read from what I hope is a forthcoming book at the fabulous and hilarious Moonwork on Saturday. (It's bi-weekly and open-bar. Check it out.) So if you ever get a chance to see Aasif, do it. Then beg him to read his book to you. Don't try to follow him home or anything, though. That would be weird.

Aasif Mandvi and John Oliver put on their quizzical faces.

While we're on the subject of Brits and former Brits in connection with comedy, there has been a crazy kerfuffle Tea-Side in re: how offensive comedy should be. (Apparently a radio personality said that an athlete has a large schnoz. As an American, I can't help thinking, "Really? This is upsetting to you? Why don't you people try Don Imus on for size?")

Anywho, I'm pretty fond of the Telegraph's take on when comedy can be offensive. Other offerings include the Independent's somewhat rambling piece, which charmingly quotes Don Ward as saying that objections to sexist material "are almost considered twee" (fuck you very much); and this depressing poem from Chortle about how rape comedy = not a good idea. (Isn't it fantastic that it's necessary for someone to explain that? In the form of a poem? In the year 2009? Yaaaaay, progress!)

Okay, I know, I'm depressing you. I'm depressing me, too. So let's talk about Miss Jane Austen!

OMG! It's Jane Austen: 21st Century Edition! She LURVES zombies!

I feel better already.

Two things, both courtesy of Austenblog:

1. HOW did I not know about From Prada to Nada (aka Sense and Sensibilidad)? The modern-day Latino spin on Sense and Sensibility is slated for 2011, and Alexa Vega (yeah, that's right—the girl from Spy Kids) is going to be in it, as is Lindsay Lohan's ex Wilmer Valdarrama, whom I always dug as sketchy Fez on That '70s Show. I am intrigued.


2. Our friends over at Quirk Books are publishing a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies prequel. In Dawn of the Dreadfuls, we'll be learning how Lizzie Bennet became "a savage slayer of the undead." So if zombies are your jam, save the date: The book drops March 24, 2010.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls will be a brainy read.

Oh, Jane. You cheer me up every time!