‘Roseanne’ 25th Anniversary: Tidbits About TV’s Favorite Blue Collar Clan

It’s hard to believe it’s been more than 25 years since we first met the Conners. On October 18, 1988, the working class fam from the ABC sitcom "Roseanne": Dan (played by John Goodman), Roseanne (Roseanne Barr),  and kids Becky, Darlene, and DJ (Lecy Goranson, Sara Gilbert and Michael Fishman) – invited us into their home on the corner of Third Ave. and Delaware Street in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. And we were the guests who never left.

Two and a half decades later, television’s original domestic goddess owns a 50-acre macadamia nut farm in Hawaii, the show’s child stars are all grown up with kids of their own, and the series lives on in infamy…or TV Land.

As we celebrate 25 years of “Roseanne,” check out these tidbits about TV’s favorite blue collar clan.

The Conner house wasn’t really in Illinois (or even California)

That telltale yellow house featured on the show’s exterior shots is located in…Indiana? According to Realtor.com, the show was filmed on a studio lot, but establishing shots were of a home in in Evansville, Indiana.  (Ditto for Roseanne’s hangout, the Lobo Lounge.) These days the four-bedroom home, built in 1925,  is worth about $129,000.

There were two DJs

Even super fans of the show might think that child star Michael Fishman originated the role of the youngest Conner child, but in the pilot episode a different kid played the tot. According to Mentalfloss, the character of the youngest Conner son was originally played by Sal Barone, but the 1988 Writers Guild strike and the long hiatus that followed wreaked havoc on Barone’s height—as in he had a major growth spurt. That, coupled with some backstage sibling rivalry (Sara Gilbert, we’re looking at you!), resulted in Barone’s departure from the show, and lookalike Fishman was hired.

Check out by Sal Barone as the original DJ Conner in this clip from the pilot:

But…DJ could have been a blonde

According to Entertainment Weekly, producers originally considered “Home Alone' star Macaulay Culkin for the part of the Conner son. But Barr said, “I wanted Michael Fishman because he looked like my family and he was a little Russian boy. He was so not like all the other little Hollywood bastards.”

The Conners were mad for maize

Got corn? “Roseanne” sure did. True fans of the show know that the series is totally corny. That’s because the word “corn” and various corn sightings can be found in nearly every episode of the first season.

Check out an example of the “corn” reference in the episode “Life and Stuff” starting at the 7:25 mark here:

The show was the first big break for these big names:

George Clooney was a regular on the show’s first season, playing factory supervisor Booker Brooks, but the aspiring actor quit the show after just 11 episodes. Clooney’s dad told Time he tried to convince his son to extend his contract on the show:  “He was offered a stupendous amount of money to continue to do ‘Roseanne,’” Nick Clooney said. “I was thinking he could build a little nest egg and maybe acting would pay off after all. He said, 'No, I'll be in a cul-de-sac. I'll be that guy, and that's all I'll be.'"

See George Cooney on “Roseanne” here.

And Joss Whedon was a writer on the show in the early days of his career. The future "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator told Entertainment Weekly, “People would say, 'So you're writing on ‘Roseanne?' I was 24 at the time. 'Do you write Darlene's lines?' I said, 'Yes, I write Darlene's lines, I leave a space, then I write a rebuttal.' They assumed I wrote the young person.''

See a clip from one of Whedon’s most memorable “Roseanne” episodes, “Brain Dead Poet’s Society":

The show’s controversial final season (you know, the one where they won the lottery and Dan died and it was all just a dream) is a forgettable one for some of the show’s stars. Literally.

In a 2013 interview with HuffPost Live, Lecy Goranson (the original Becky, who left the show in 1996) revealed that she had no idea that family patriarch Dan (played by John Goodman) died from a heart attack. “I'm embarrassed," Goranson said when she heard the news. "I'm like, 'He passed away? Oh God, that's horrible!” The actress admitted she had “moved on” and skipped watching the final season of the show. And Sara Gilbert said she doesn’t remember the last season of “Roseanne.”

“For me it’s almost a blur,” the actress said in a HuffPost Live interview. “I go ‘Like what do we do that last season? Oh, it was all a dream and then she won the lottery and she was a writer and Dan died.’  I was so busy finishing college that year. I remember the earlier years much better than the later, the final."

Still, the Domestic Goddess herself listed a finale season episode as one of her Top 5 favorites of all time. Roseanne told Entertainment Weekly that Season 9’s “Hoi Polloi Meets Hoiti Toiti” (an episode that had Rosie hobnobbing with the rich in Martha’s Vineyard) is ''the edgiest political material ever on an American TV sitcom.''

Of course, the show may have been too edgy.  During its nine-season run, “Roseanne” was never nominated for best comedy series at the Emmy Awards. The envelope-pushing sitcom was simply too far ahead of its time.

That '80s Show: Is 'The Goldbergs' the New 'Wonder Years'?

Ah, nostalgia! In 1988, a TV series that told the story of an American boy in the late 1960s and early 1970s became one of the most beloved coming-of-age comedies of all time. ABC's “The Wonder Years” won its first Emmy Award just six episodes into its six-season run, and nabbed 13-year-old Fred Savage a history-making nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

The show, which depicted the life of suburban teen Kevin Arnold (played by Savage) from 1968 to 1973, starred Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, Olivia d'Abo, Jason Hervey, Josh Saviano, and Danica McKellar. It dealt with everything from the Vietnam War to the 1972 presidential election. (Kevin and his girl-next-door crush, Winnie Cooper, were Team McGovern!) The series was narrated by an adult Kevin Arnold, voiced by Daniel Stern, and it featured Joe Cocker's "With a Little Help From My Friends" as its theme song.

Watch scenes from "The Wonder Years" pilot:

Twenty-five years later, ABC's "The Goldbergs" has that same '70s show feel -- except it's set in the '80s. The sitcom -- a semi-autobiographical look at exec producer Adam F. Goldberg's childhood -- is narrated by “King of Queens” alum Patton Oswalt and stars Jeff Garlin, Wendi McLendon-Covey, George Segal, and Sean Giambrone as a loud (literally, their voices and their '80s outfits!) Philadelphia family whose lives are taped courtesy of the youngest son's video camera.

The opening lines of the pilot says it all about the '80s: "The age of E.T., Mr. T, and MTV," Oswalt says in a voiceover. "Back then, the world was still small: no cell phones or Internet or Twitter. Your friends lived on your street, and your family were the people at your dinner table."

Cue up the J. Geils Band, because "Centerfold" is in the house. And everything from Rubik's Cube to REO Speedwagon has a cameo, too.

But don't expect a timestamp on the show. Goldberg told TV Guide, "What we realized in the [writers'] room telling these stories is that we have no idea when these things actually happened in the '80s. Our title sequence is popping in a video tape. It's basically you pop in a videotape, and this is a memory. I just say every episode is set in 1980-something. To me, it's like, you don't remember that exact date; you just know it's the general time of the '80s when you were growing up. So we're not doing “Mad Men,’where it's like, 'We are in 1985 now.'"

Still, what's the deal with exploring a decade 20-something years after the fact? In 1974, “Happy Days” went back to the mid-1950s, and "The Wonder Years" followed suit in 1988 with its look back at 1968.

"The Goldbergs" executive producer Doug Robinson told The Hollywood Reporter: "Enough time has gone by that you look back fondly on it. What's old becomes new again; themes become relevant. Every 25 years, people are ready to look back."

Maybe so, but let's keep the passion for '80s fashion to a minimum, because some trends needs to stay decades away!

Speaking of fashion, McLendon-Covey told Entertainment Weekly that she's sometimes thrown through a loop by the big hair and ugly sweaters she has to wear for the show: "I try to keep it realistic -- like, this is what a woman of that age in that era would've worn, and sometimes, the jumpsuits are a little bedazzled. I forget when I'm on the Sony lot that I'm dressed like that, and I go walking around in my wig and my jumpsuit … and people look at me like, 'What is your problem?' And I think, 'Oh, I forgot, I should've probably thrown a robe on or something.'"

Time will tell if ABC can strike gold again for a third time with a retro coming-of-age comedy, but if it's anything like the network's past sitcoms in this category, Emmy nominations may be part of "The Goldbergs" future.

Motley Crue’s Job Here is Done: Our Favorite Caught-on-Camera Crue Moments

It took a couple of decades, but another glam band bites the dust! Legendary ‘80s rock band Motley Crue is calling quits after their upcoming tour. And it’s not just lip service with the chance that they’ll change their tune and play a reunion tour someday. According to Rolling Stone, the band went so far as to sign a "cessation of touring agreement," which forbids the group from touring after "The Final Tour." The legal filing that will go into effect at the end of next year.

Drummer Tommy Lee – who always did have a way with words – said the band had always planned to go out with a bang, “not playing county fairs and clubs with one or two original band members.” The 52-year-old  year rock star added, "Our job here is done."

While the band members are known for their wild onstage antics, the end of the Crue’s touring days doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t entertain us in the future. In fact, some of our favorite Motley Crue moments have nothing to do with their music and everything to do with reality TV.

Tommy Lee is known for his reality TV resume. The drummer was a judge on “Rock Star: Supernova,” and in 2005 he starred in the NBC reality show “Tommy Lee Goes to College,” which took him to the University of Nebraska where he even tried out for the marching band.

The rocker told ESPN that while he did the marching band all throughout junior high and high school, doing it at the college level was a whole different thing. He also explained why he did the show, saying, “At 17, I signed a recording contract right out of high school, so I started touring and traveling the world. I sort of missed out on the college experience. When this opportunity came along, it sounded like a really cool thing to do.”

Lead singer Vince Neil shacked up with fellow celebs on the first season of VH1’s “The Surreal Life” (MC Hammer and Corey Feldman were just two of his roomies), but he really stepped outside of his comfort zone in 2010 when he competed on ABC’s “Skating With the Stars.” The rocker, who only lasted two weeks in the competition (soap star Rebecca Budig won the thing), told Billboard that rehearsals were “grueling.” He even threw shade to those wimps over at “Dancing With the Stars.”

"Y' know, I look at the 'Dancing With the Stars' thing and I'm like, 'How easy is that?’’” he said, “You're not on ice. You're actually on your feet in a nice, warm environment. We're on ice, on a blade, trying to do things to dance on ice. It's a whole other ball game."

And  in 2008, bass guitarist Nikki Sixx  appeared on then-girlfriend Kat Von D’s reality show “L.A. Ink,” where the cameras followed him as he got a tattoo on his leg of band mate Mick Mars. According to Blabbermouth.net, Von D said, "At first, when Nikki brought the idea of getting this tattoo done, I thought how cool it would be to celebrate a friendship between two people over three decades!”

She provided the ink, and Sixx later surprised Mars with his permanent portrait at the Los Angeles Crue Fest show.

‘Wizard of Oz’ 75th Anniversary: The Best CelebrityTributes to the Iconic Film

The fantasy musical “The Wizard of Oz” was released in 1939, and went on to become one of the most beloved movies of all time. Last year’s Academy Awards ceremony even featured a well deserved tribute to the MGM classic. Of course, the film has been celebrated by many celebs in other ways over the years.

In 2013, the big screen flick “Oz the Great and Powerful” featured a star studded cast in a prequel to the 1939 film. James Franco starred as the great and powerful title character, while Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz played the evil sister witches. Michelle Williams was cast as Glinda the Good Witch of the North.

Although Franco played the mighty Oz in the film, he told MSN Entertainment he relates more to another character from the classic story: “I'd probably be the Scarecrow,” he said. “You know, I left school when I was 18 or 19 …  I always wanted the brains, so I went back.”

In 1978, Motown followed the yellow brick road --  to the big screen. The musical adventure movie “The Wiz” was based on the hit Broadway show, and it starred Diana Ross as Dorothy. But this Dorothy definitely wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Instead she hailed from Harlem, although she did befriend a familiar cast of characters: A scarecrow (played by Michael Jackson), a Tin Man (Nipsey Russell) and a Cowardly Lion (that’d be actor Ted Ross.) Richard Pryor portrayed the Wizard in the modern day version of the tale.

In an interview on “Soul Train,” Jackson said when he frist saw the Judy Garland version of the movie, he especially loved the Scarecrow:  “Most kids do, because you feel sorry for him and everything,” Jackson said. He described his hipper and funkier Scarecrow as, “More razzmatazz.”

Tony Award winning star Kristin Chenoweth played Glinda the Good Witch in a Broadway’s “Wicked” back in 2003. The hit show told “the untold story of the witches of Oz.” In an interview with Theatermania, Chenoweth talked about her complex character: “Glinda is not all that people think she is,” she said. “She's beautiful and popular on the surface but she's very insecure, which is something that she has in common with the green one, Elphaba  … What I love playing is that, like so many people we know, Glinda is very complicated. She has issues!”

In 2010, the long running game show “The Price Is Right” featured a Wizard of Oz themed Halloween episode. Host Drew Carey was dressed as the Cowardly Lion, while announcer Jeff Davis was the Scarecrow. During the fun themed show, Carey even got in a dig at Davis, saying, "Oh, if he only had a brain!”

You can see a clip from “The Price is Right” Oz-themed show here:

And in 2011, “The Talk” team took on Oz. The set of the daytime chat fest was transformed into Emerald City, while the entire cast took on Oz alter egos. Sara Gilbert dressed as Dorothy, and Julie Chen became the Tin Man. Aisha Tyler played Scarecrow, while Sharon Osbourne made a glam Glinda. Cowardly Lion Sheryl Underwood was forced to face one of her biggest fears when she did a segment with an animal expert who brought in black rat snakes, cockroaches, a vulture, a great-horned owl, opossums and one of the world’s largest species of scorpion.  That sounds even more terrifying than flying monkeys!

Oprah and Nelson Mandela: A Look Back at the Historic Interviews

When former South African president Nelson Mandela died in 2013 at age 95, his longtime friend Oprah Winfrey used social media to post a statement about his passing.

"One of the great honors of my life was to be invited to Nelson Mandela's home, spend private time and get to know him," the OWN founder shared on Instagram. "He was everything you've ever heard and more -- humble and unscathed by bitterness. And he always loved to tell a good joke. Being in his presence was like sitting with grace and majesty at the same time. He will always be my hero. His life was a gift to us all."

Oprah's tribute was accompanied by a smiling photo of the two, and over the weekend her network featured a repeat airing of the 2000 talk show interview she did with the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner. The media mogul took to Twitter to write, "This Mandela Interview makes me so proud… I couldn't see it at the time, was too anxious and nervous."

The historic interview (Oprah didn't seem nervous to us) featured the talk-show queen asking the anti-apartheid leader about his long fight against oppression, and how he forgave his jailers after a 27-year imprisonment. But first, she pointed out that her humble guest showed up at her studio and asked producers, "What is the subject of today's show?"

During the interview, Oprah asked Mandela: "How does a man spend 27 years in prison, put there by an oppressor, and come out of that experience, with not a heart of stone, not a cold heart, but a heart that is willing to forgive and embrace?"

Mandela's response: "If I had not been to prison, I would not have been able to achieve the most difficult of tasks in life. And that is changing yourself. The opportunity to sit down and pick, I was in the company of great men in there. Some of them, more qualified, more talented than I am. And to sit down with them, to have changed views, was one of the most revealing experiences I have had."

Oprah later said the entire Harpo staff lined the hallway to shake hands with Mandela, and they dubbed the space the Nelson Mandela Hallway. "This has not happened before or after," she said.

See a clip from Oprah's interview with Nelson Mandela here:

A year later Mandela did another interview with Oprah, this time for O Magazine. In that interview he talked about how prison made him a changed -- and wiser -- man.

"Before I went to jail … I never had time to sit and think," he said. "As I worked, physical and mental fatigue set in and I was unable to operate to the maximum of my intellectual ability. But in a single cell in prison, I had time to think. I had a clear view of my past and present, and I found that my past left much to be desired, both in regard to my relations with other humans and in developing personal worth."

Mandela also vowed that if he ever got out of prison he would make it up to the family and friends he'd disappointed in the past, and added that his mission was to build schools and educate people.

"No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated," he said. "Any nation that is progressive is led by people who have had the privilege of studying. I knew we could improve our lives even in jail. We could come out as different men, and we could even come out with two degrees. Educating ourselves was a way to give ourselves the most powerful weapon for freedom."

It was Mandela who inspired Oprah to found her Leadership Academy for Girls, just outside Johannesburg in his native country.

The 60-year-old OWN CEO told Forbes that when she was invited to Mandela's home in the Western Cape for a 10-day stay in 2000, talk turned to poverty and the sad state of schooling in his country. She promptly pledged $10 million to South African schools and broke ground on her own school two years later.

"When you go to Nelson Mandela's house, what do you take?" she said. "You can't bring a candle. I wanted to leave something that would be of value."

‘Bachelor’ Update: Our Favorite Couples Who Met (and Married!) After the Final Rose

“Bachelor” star Chris Soules may have just started his rosy romantic journey, but the newest star of the ABC reality romance series has his work cut out for him when it comes to making a lasting love connection. The long-running fantasy dating show is known for producing more nasty breakups than happy marriages, and to date only four couples have actually stayed together and walked down the aisle -- out of 28 seasons of "The Bachelor" and “the Bachelorette.”

But before you cry over all of those wasted rose petals, take heed. Some of the show's best (and longest-lasting) couples hooked up after the final rose! While they're not always included in Rosemaster Chris Harrison's touting of the show's success stories, they should be. Here's an update on some of our favorite post-"Bachelor" couples.

Jesse Csincsak and Ann Lueders

"Bachelorette" Season 4 winner Jesse Csincsak never made it down the aisle with that season's prize, Deanna Pappas, but he ended up with the biggest prize of all when he met his future wife at a "Bachelor" reunion event. Csincsak and Ann Lueders -- a contestant on Jason Mesnick's "Bachelor" season -- married in 2010 and have a son, Noah. Three years later, Csincsak told Yahoo TV: "Ann and I are great. We are pregnant with baby #2, a girl."

The former reality star and snowboarder lives in Colorado, where he owns a property management company, while his wife owns Cashmere and Coco, a chain of clothing boutiques. They are proud parents to son Noah and baby girl, Charlotte.

Chris Lambton and Peyton Wright

Ali Fedotowsky had too much respect for runner-up Chris Lambton to put him through a final rose ceremony, so the Season 6 "Bachelorette" star broke his heart in private. (Er, actually, she did it in front of cameras and millions of viewers, but she meant well.) Still, the Cape Cod landscaper turned that gut-wrencher into a life-changer. Lambton was introduced to Season 10 "Bachelor" alum Peyton Wright by a mutual friend at an event, and the two wed in May 2012.

The too-cute couple -- who will co-host HGTV's "Smart Home Giveaway" next spring -- recently told Us Weekly they're ready to celebrate the holidays with both of their families, with a Christmas dinner and Secret Santa gift exchange with Chris's peeps before they embark on a trip to Tennessee to see his wife's side of the fam. "The most important thing is just to spend the holidays together!" Lambton said.

As for meeting his future wife in the aftermath of a reality show, Lambton told Glamour, "People always ask me what it was really like on 'The Bachelorette.' Well, if you think of it now, I found a wife, I found tons of great friends, and now I have an HGTV show with my wife. It's like ridiculous."

John Presser and Tara Durr

Tara Durr didn't find her prince on "The Bachelor: Rome" (sorry, Lorenzo Borghese), but she did find a keeper in John Presser, an alum of "The Bachelorette" Season 5. After communicating on Facebook, the couple met at a Napa Valley "Bachelor" reunion event (ah, why can't our high school reunions produce results like this?), and got hitched in a 600-guest golf course wedding in 2010. Their "Bachelor" baby, son Warner Griffin, was born last year.

Durr told TV Guide it was a no-brainer for her to date a fellow "Bachelor" contestant: "It's kind of like [the producers] do all the screening for you," she said. "They've already picked who they think are the 25 most eligible in the country, and you'd be crazy to not try and see if you have a connection with somebody."

'Bachelorette’ Update: 10 Years Later, Trista and Ryan Sutter Still Living Happily Ever After

They do! Still love each other, that is …

Last December, Trista Sutter, the very first star of "The Bachelorette," renewed her wedding vows with her firefighter husband, Ryan, on a primetime special on ABC. The too-cute couple famously tied the knot the first time 10 years ago in a multi-million-dollar ABC extravaganza. One decade later, the "Bachelorette" star is still madly in love and spewing gratitude.

In an interview with "Good Morning America," Sutter gave an update on what she and her hunky hubby have been up to lately: "Ryan's still a firefighter at the Vail Fire Department and I've been busy with this little project for the past couple of years," she said. "But really, I'm a stay-at-home and work mom. Really, life just revolves around the kids right now."

Sutter's "little project" is her new book, titled "Happily Ever After: The Life-Changing Power of a Grateful Heart." While she confirms it's not an autobiography, the reality star says the book is full of anecdotes and stories from her family and friends. (Name-dropper alert: Sutter's pal Jenny McCarthy shares a story in the book.)

The mom of two (Sutter and her husband are parents to Max, 7, and Blakesley, 5) explained the inspiration for her book: "I think that gratitude is so important," she said. "I feel like when you're in the rough patches in your life, it has helped to lift me up, and when you're in the high times, it helps to keep you grounded."

She's incorporated tips she calls "happily ever actions" into each chapter of her book (Have some extra time? Why not make an appreciation jar for your kids' teacher?), and added, "You need to actively choose gratitude and choose optimism in order to live a happy life."

Sutter's Twitter followers know she tweets what she preaches.

"I tweet my #faith every day," she said. "It's just a way for me to reflect on the positive, the little things that have happened throughout the day, to end the day on a positive note and to know that the next day, I need to consciously be aware of the little things that happened."

Sutter calls her gratitude tweets #favepartofday (here's an example: "Reading to Max's class, watching the kids smiling ear 2 ear sledding, laughing til my abs hurt & hearing great news!"), and she recently told Parade that it was actually those daily tweets that inspired the book.

"I didn't really want to do an autobiography. I didn't want my face on the cover of a book," she said. "I post my favorite part of the day every day on social media as a way to just reflect on the positive and just be grateful for the little things. [My agent] loved that, and we talked more about how much gratitude means to me in keeping me grounded and lifting me up in the hard times, and we went with it."

Sutter also  defended the reality romance series' relationship track record.

"I think if you compare 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' to real world, it's probably not that different in that how many relationships do you go through before you find the one that you want to spend the rest of your life with," she said. "But we just luckily had all the components -- trust, honesty, respect, love, commitment, friendship, humor -- you know, all of those things wrapped into one."

The Future of TV Christmas Specials Makes Us Long for Christmases Past

Once upon a time, TV Christmas specials were all about Hope (that'd be Bob) and were headlined by classic Christmas crooners like Perry Como, Andy Williams and Bing Crosby. Back in the heyday of holiday-themed variety shows, comedian Bob Hope was known for bringing holiday cheer to U.S troops, while Perry Como traveled the world to tape his annual Christmas special. (Christmas in the Holy Land? Check!)

Throughout the 1960s and '70s, Mr. Christmas himself, Andy Williams, hosted his happy holiday specials, while Judy Garland's 1963 Christmas classic featured her famous duet of "The Christmas Song" with Mel Tormé. ("Reindeer" became "rainbows" in the "Wizard of Oz" star's version of the song.)

See a clip from Andy Williams' 1965 Christmas special:

Speaking of duets, who can forget Bing Crosby's final Christmas celebration in 1977, which featured his iconic duet of "The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" with rocker David Bowie?

Fast forward 40 years and everyone from Michael Bublé to Kelly Clarkson have Christmas-themed variety specials on tap. But can they capture the magic of Christmases past?

In 2012, Blake Shelton's "Not So Family Christmas" was downright dark -- and we're not talking in an Ebenezer Scrooge kind of way. A spoof of the Claymation-style of classic Christmas specials (think Rankin/Bass' "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town") had Shelton and guest star Larry the Cable Guy on a hunting trip in the North Pole that culminated with the killing of beloved Christmas characters Rudolph and his pal Hermey the Elf.

See a clip from Shelton's "Not So Family Christmas":

Another sketch had Shelton scaring the Christmas out of kids with a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." In his version of the tale, "Mama and Papa have been partying for three days straight," and the oldest Sugarplum kid is taking care of the fam because she's afraid Child Protective Services will take them away.

In an interview last year, Kelly Clarkson, who was a guest star on the edgy special, said she enjoyed the R-rated humor: "This is gonna be totally 'Family Guy,' like, 'South Park' fun, like 'SNL' and I can't wait for people to see it," she said. "I love that I'm a part of it because I loved this kind of humor … it's funny to me."

OK, we'll take crude Christmas humor, but do we really need a Kardashian Christmas? E! thinks so. The recent "Keeping Up With the Kardashian" Christmas special featured old home videos of the reality TV family as well as the unveiling of their bizarre annual Christmas card. (The pic features all of the female family members but no Lamar, Scott, or Kanye. And even more puzzling, family patriarch Bruce Jenner is encased in glass.)

To add to the family festivities, Bruce and Kris Jenner had a fireside chat about how their split won't affect their family Christmases (heartwarming, eh?), while Kourtney Kardashian got into a tiff with photographer David LaChapelle over having her kids in the family photo. (Talk about a Grinch -- LaChapelle said his set wasn't kiddie proof.)

If Christmas with the Kardashians isn't "konfusing" enough for you, there's always Robot Chicken's "Born Again Virgin Christmas Special" and the "NTSF:SD:SUV::" offering, titled "Wreck the Malls" (Adult Swim, Dec. 16). Of course, viewing these specials may land you on Santa's naughty list. The press release for "Wreck the Malls" describes "murderous Santas, the gift of corpses, and verbal slights to all other religions," while Robot Chicken vows to "take down Christmas once again."

Future Christmas classics or a round of coal for these shows' creators? Santa's checking his list now.

Our Favorite Harry Connick Jr. Quotes About ‘American Idol’

He has a way with words!

Even before his stint on  “American Idol” debuted last year, we were already  loving newbie judge Harry Connick Jr.’s colorful commentary. Sure, we got a sneak peek at the crooner’s style thanks to his past mentoring stints on the show, but we can definitely see why he was hired to help refresh the stagnant judges’ panel, because he had the quotes to prove it!

Connick’s already turning out to be “Idol’s” biggest cheerleader, comparing the show to a familiar brand. You know, like classic Coca Cola?  "Remember when they came out with new Coke and everybody was upset by it?” he asked the Hollywood Reporter. “It couldn't have teed up the return of Coke Classic any better. When Coke Classic came out, it exploded even bigger than it was before because it created this void and people missed it. And I think that's what this year can potentially do for this brand. People sort of missed their classic ‘American Idol.’  And it's back." (Indeed, pal J. Lo agreed that there’d nothing like the real thing, baby!)

Connick was the star of the “American Idol” panel at last year’s Television Critics Association winter press tour. When asked about rival TV talent shows like “The Voice,” the singer gave a quirky comparison about how he only has eyes for “Idol.”

"Look, when I went on my honeymoon with my wife, I remember looking at all the other couples around and I assumed they were on their honeymoon too, and I promise you I never once looked at my wife and said, ‘Man, I wonder how they got so happy. I wonder how we're going to stack up next to them,’” he said, according to E Online. “I'm married to this show and I'm so happy that I don't even see another couple. This is what I see and I promise you one thing, it's a blast, it's so fun, it's the only thing I'm thinking of.”

In  a conference call with reporters, the singer summed up his judging stint this way: “It's not rocket science, right?" He elaborated with: "It's a very simple concept. They hired us to judge, and all these young performers sign up to be judged. That's it. They sing, we judge, it's pretty easy." In other words: No drama required.

And finally, this one went down on the “Idol” stage, but it was before Connick was a judge. Still, it’s exchanges like this that probably got him hired! Two years ago, when Connick was a mentor on the show, he butted heads with longtime judge Randy Jackson over contestant Kree Harrison’s rendition of the classic song “Stormy Weather.”  After Harrison performed Lena Horne’s version of the song, Jackson told her she would have done better with the bluesier Etta James version. But Connick, who had mentored the girls that week, pointed out that the “Idol” wannabe needed to learn the melody first. After Jackson began to chant “Stick to who you are!  Kree, just be Kree, baby! We just want you to be Kree!,”  Connick got in the last – and funniest—word: "We want you to be Kree, but choose the Etta James version,” he deadpanned.

Way to diss a longtime judge – and later take his seat!

5 Celebrities Who Remarried Their Exes

Last year, Pamela Anderson tied the knot --  for the second time -- with longtime love Rick Salomon. The "Baywatch" beauty told E! News she secretly remarried the film producer, after previously dishing to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that she was "best friends with benefits" with her ex. The couple originally married in October 2007 and split later that year. "We're very happy," Anderson told E!. "Our families are very happy and that's all that matters."

With several marriage already under their belts (Anderson previously wed rockers Tommy Lee and Kid Rock, while Salomon has been married to actresses E.G. Daily and Shannen Doherty), within months of their secret wedding,  the tumultuous couple actually split once again last summer before reconciling again.

While we'll have to wait it out to find out if the second time's the charm, the rekindled couple's in good company when it comes to marrying the same person twice. Check out these other celebs who remarried their exes:

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

Two of Elizabeth Taylor's eight marriages were to her off-screen leading man, actor Richard Burton. After meeting on the set of "Cleopatra," they married in 1964, but divorced a decade later. But they reunited and remarried in 1975. While the second time around also resulted in divorce (just one year later!), Taylor maintained that Burton was the love of her life. The actor wrote love letters to his former wife right up until his death, with Taylor telling Vanity Fair his final letter -- penned just days before he died -- suggested he was happiest in life when he was with her, and pondered if they might have another shot at love together.

Eminem and Kim Mathers

Talk about eating crow. After writing some really nasty songs about his ex- wife ("Kim," anyone?) rapper Eminem reconciled with her and tried to give things another go. Eminem and Kim Mathers first tied the knot in 1999, but when things went awry they split, and he penned a little ditty about violently murdering her. Still, she must be a very forgiving person, because in 2006 she remarried the rapper. That one didn't work out either, and the "Rap God" singer filed for divorce 83 days later, explaining via a statement: "We both tried to give our marriage another chance and quickly realized that a wedding doesn't fix the underlying problems."

Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson

A failed union at the age of 18 didn't stop Melanie Griffith from rekindling things with her ex, Don Johnson. After a 6-month marriage in 1976, the couple found love again in the '80s, and for a while, things were blissful. "I'm a princess in a fairy tale," Griffith  once said, "Not only do I have my prince, I have the castle that goes with it."

While Griffith's mom, actress Tippi Hedren predicted a happily ever after ("The first time they married in a little chapel in Las Vegas," she told People in 1989. "This time she wants to have a big wedding. And when they marry, it will be till death do us part"), it wasn't in the cards. Although marriage #2 produced a child -- daughter Dakota was born in 1989 -- the couple split for good in 1996.

Elliott Gould and Jennifer Bogart

While his most famous marriage may have been to Barbra Streisand, actor Elliott Gould had double the pleasure with his second wife, Jennifer Bogart. He married and divorced Bogart in the early 1970s, then remarried her in 1978. Between their two marriages, Gould told People, "Marriage should be a beginning, but sometimes it's an end. I learned that I had no ends. I just haven't had the good fortune to meet my soulmate yet."

Larry King and Alene Akins

Who'd have thunk that news nerd Larry King would be a male equivalent to Elizabeth Taylor? The 80-year-old CNN legend has  been married eight times -- and yes, two of those times were to the same woman. Not only that, but wife #3 and #5, Alene Akins, was a Playboy bunny!