The Cat Dish

Tag Archives: media

Dogs earned MPV honors for Super Bowl ads

by Catherine Toth on February 6, 2012 in Musings, The Daily Dish

Don’t get me wrong, I love football.

But I’m not always that interested in the matchup for Super Bowl.

And like some of the more than 100 million people who tuned in to watch the New York Giants best the New England Patriots, 21-17, last night, I was more interested in the commercials.

Except I was completely disappointed.

Nothing really funny. Not much stood out. And let’s be honest, the dogs outshined every human on screen, including Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima, who showed up in two commercials (Teleflora and Kia.)

Easily, my favorite commercial was Volkswagen, which had to one-up its memorable (and viral) Super Bowl ad last year featuring a young boy imitating Darth Vader. The German auto company ditched the Star Wars theme (sort of) and replaced the boy with an overweight dog. And it was magic:

This ad has already been seen by 5.2 million viewers online

Another canine star was featured in the low-budget Doritos commercial involving a missing cat and a very convincing bag of chips:

So what did you think about the Super Bowl commercials? Better than last year? Better than the game? Better than Madonna’s half-time performance? You tell me!

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Relationship status: ‘It’s complicated’

by Catherine Toth on October 10, 2011 in Musings, The Daily Dish

The first thing on my girlfriend’s list of things to do once she got married?

Change her Facebook status.

And I don’t mean after her honeymoon. She updated her status as soon as she left the altar. She was still in her wedding dress.

It’s interesting how often — and how much — we broadcast our personal lives across the very public networks of social media.

As soon as people get engaged or break up or get married — or now, get divorced — they change their relationship status on Facebook as a way to tell the world, “Hey! Look! See what just happened!”

I get that you want to publish accurate and up-to-date information online. I’m a journalist, I can respect that. And I even get the need to broadcast to people in your network that you’re engaged or married.

But break-ups? In Facebook? On Twitter? That just seems, well, tacky.

I witnessed the awkward break-up of a couple on Twitter once. It started by one person “unfollowing” the other. And all hell broke loose.

And I’ve heard from friend who say their new significant others urged — if not outright pestered and pressured — them to change their Facebook status immediately. If not, that meant they were hiding the relationship, they didn’t really love them, they weren’t committed — and that led to an entire night of useless arguing.

There are more than 800 million active Facebook users, most of whom indicate some kind of relationship status, which can now range from single to in a domestic partnership.

And there’s even an app — the Facebook Breakup Notifier, which was released in February — that helps people keep taps on potential partners. You can choose the friends whose relationship status you’d like to track. (Like old boyfriends, recent flings, that crush you had in high school.) And when his relationship status changes to “single,” you pounce.

“You like someone. They’re in a relationship. Be the first to know when they’re out of it,” promises the app’s website.

It’s a weird world we live in. Can anyone explain it to me?

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Honolulu Hidden Treasures Food Tour

by Catherine Toth on October 2, 2011 in Food

It’s hard enough taking around out-of-towners to my favorite local eateries.

Imagine taking food writers and editors.

That was my assignment this weekend — a gig with the Oahu Visitors Bureau to serve as tour guide to about two dozen writers, editors and bloggers who know a thing or two (or more) about food — and I was worried.

Not because I wouldn’t be an interesting tour guide. (I’m Portuguese; I have stories for days.) I was worried we’d be taking them to places they’d already been to — or wouldn’t be impressed by.

Critics are the toughest to please, for sure, but this group was eager, interested and definitely hungry. They sure made my job easy!

Here’s what the tour looked like:

First stop: Rainbow Drive-In

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Of course, our first stop on the Honolulu food tour was Rainbow Drive-In. Owner Jim Gusukuma talked about the history of plate lunches, the loco moco and, of course, the drive-in.

We couldn’t hit every single eatery I wanted to — we only had five hours! — but there were dozens more on my list that I wish we had gone to. You got any suggestions for the next time these folks come back? Post ‘em here!

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New TV shows worth watching

by Catherine Toth on September 12, 2011 in Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s not every fall I’m excited about the new lineup on TV.

But I have to say, I’m pretty stoked about a few, particularly NBC’s “Up All Night,” premiering Wednesday.

Not only does it star three of my favorite comedic actors — Christina Applegate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph — but the story just works. Applegate plays a successful career women/wife turned mom, Arnett her stay-at-home husband. Both are new parents, saying the kinds of things we only quietly think.

And then there’s ABC’s throwback “Pan Am,” starring Christina Ricci and airing Sept. 25. It looks like a nostaligic period drama — simliar to AMC’s “Mad Men” — that, if the writing is stellar, could be that must-watch Sunday night hit.

Both have all the makings of becoming classics.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been excited about new shows. Like set-the-DVR-if-I-had-a-DVR excited.

I felt that way about ABC’s “Lost” in its first season, “My So-Called Life” on MTV, and — I’ll admit it — the new “Hawaii Five-O.” But I can’t remember too many seasons where I’ve actually punched the premiere date in my iPhone.

Any shows you’re looking forward to this fall?

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Anyone paying for local news?

by Catherine Toth on September 8, 2011 in Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s been a month since the Honolulu Star-Advertiser starting charging people to view its premium online content.

And I’m curious to know how it’s doing.

Back when I first blogged about it, an overwhelming number of you said you won’t pay for online news, especially if you knew other ways to get it for free.

Now a month into the pay wall, I wonder how many of you caved and signed up for a subscription — and how many of you still don’t feel like you need it.

I thought I would sign up immediately to get access to the site. But it turns out I get the same news from TV stations and other websites. The only reasons I log on the Star-Advertiser’s website are to read breaking news and blogs — and both of those are free.

It’s still upsetting to think that newspapers are dying, as I’m a diehard supporter and believer of the print. (Yes, despite my overwhelming presence online and in social media circles.) I still think the best reporting is done by newspapers — and it’s sad to think those days are nearly over.

Curious: has anyone felt any difference in the way they get news now that the only newspaper in town is charging to view its content?

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