Amy, Karen, Kristen, Bonnie ... and Miley

My writing has been so infrequent that I wouldn't be surprised if some of you forgot I was even here -- unless, of course, you're interested in "Lost," Metallica or "Guitar Hero." Lately I've been finding just enough time in my hours away from work to stick to what I know and love. (So ... "Lost," Metallica and "Guitar Hero.") But I have taken departures from my personal pop culture routine lately for a weekend trip to Minnesota and lots and lots of Chicago sports. Oh, and there was also "Hannah Montana: The Movie." (Yes, really.)

Here's what I've been watching and hearing. Don't hesitate to chime in and trade notes:

• If Michael Scott was blond, and cute in a quirky, psychotic kind of way, he would be the star of "Parks and Recreation," NBC's new non-spin-off spin-off of "The Office." The first two episodes have had as many uncomfortable silences and uneasy giggles as a typical day at Dunder-Mifflin; what it needs now are its own Jim and Pam. This show won't get by on awkward humor alone, and Amy Poehler certainly shouldn't be relegated to simply being a female Steve Carell. We need a reason to like and even love its characters. I find it pretty hard to believe that Poehler would leave "SNL" for something like this, given her manic energy. Maybe her old friends from "Upright Citizens Brigade" could inject a little life into her new show. "P&R" does deserve credit for casting Aziz Ansari in a role that doesn't require him to be a South Asian stereotype. This is especially welcome after the departure of Kal Penn from "House, M.D." (and from acting altogether, apparently). That shouldn't be such a groundbreaking thing, but remember that the most prominent Indian character in American TV continues to be a cartoon who runs the Kwik-E-Mart and speaks with a comical voice provided by a white dude.

• The new Yeah Yeah Yeahs record, "It's Blitz!," is instantly forgettable, something you certainly couldn't say about their earlier material. I'm all for artists trying something new, but perhaps this electrified chapter in Karen O's career would have been better as a solo project, not one in which guitarist Nick Zinner is all but forgotten. They didn't even have enough confidence in the album to play two songs from it on "SNL" a few weeks back -- after opening with "Zero," the YYYs went all the way back to 2003's "Maps" for their second appearance of the night. Of course, as with just about any album, I could hear this again in a month or two and be totally blown away by it ...

• "Adventureland" was marketed as a madcap comedy starring those two cut-ups from "SNL," Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. (Notice how "SNL" has sneaked its way into each entry so far?) But it's actually a thoughtful indie dramedy complete with an '80s soundtrack that I think is intended to be awesome in an ironic way, but which I think is just plain awesome; think "Lost in Translation" with a Tilt-a-Whirl. I get why so many film critics like this movie -- they were probably 20-somethings in 1987, and would have loved to get drunk, smoke pot and go nightswimming with the pretty, mysterious girl from work. I liked it quite a bit, but the movie ultimately bummed me out because I realized I'm not much like the uber-smart, awkward protagonist that Jesse Eisenberg plays. I'm more like the fat loser who works with him at the titular amusement park, and who plays air drums to "Limelight." But I do share both characters' affections for Em, played by Kristen Stewart. Between this and her great turn in the not-so-great "Twilight," K-Stew is rapidly becoming my top pop culture crush. (Sorry, Progressive Flo.)

• "ER" finally closed the curtain on 15 seasons of gory, soapy fun at the hospital, and I quite liked how the finale was basically a remake of the premiere. The old characters got their curtain call, but life (and death) still went on at County General, with Carter playing the role of pater familias and Gates leading the troops. "ER" guru John Wells can be proud of his show, and I think creator Michael Crichton would have been proud, too. As long as TNT needs morning programming, Benton, Ross, Greene, Lewis and Hathaway will still be saving lives on our TV. NBC's two would-be heirs to the throne, "Kings" and "Southland," have been intriguing in the early going, but I'm not quite ready to call either show "appointment TV." (In fact, I think I'm gonna give up on "Kings" already since it seems to be headed toward the same fate as "The Black Donnellys" and "Journeyman.")

• The best talk show on TV is not hosted by Jay Leno, David Letterman, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Fallon or Jimmy Kimmel. It's hosted by Bonnie Hunt, whose daytime yakker is as amiable a television show as you are likely to see these days. The Chicago-born Hunt has hopped from failed TV show to failed TV show for so many years, but during that time she was always touted as the best talk show guest ever. Finally, somebody saw the light and saw fit to give this hilarious woman a show of her own. Sift through the clips at her Web site and you'll find a spontaneous, upbeat show that seems like the perfect antidote for those tired of the late-night snark. The closest thing I can compare it to is pre-Tom Selleck era of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." (You know, when Rosie was fun and funny, and wasn't standing on a soapbox.)

• Two years after its final episode aired, I am still sifting through "The O.C." on DVD. I could have finished the final season weeks ago, but I don't want it to be over. Aside from Peter Gallagher's warm, winning presence as Sandy Cohen, my favorite thing about the show has to be its self-awareness. Creator Josh Schwartz took his critics on within the dialogue of his television show, and wasn't afraid to admit when things weren't going so well. When I finally polish off Season 4, I have DVDs of Schwartz's "Gossip Girl" and "Chuck" waiting for me -- although I'm pretty sure, having seen its first two episodes, that I'm not gonna like "GG" too much. It seems to be a version of "The O.C." with nothing but Julies and Marissas running around, and nary a funny line to be heard. (But at least Serena isn't blatantly shilling for Subway, I guess ...)

• And finally we come to "Hannah Montana: The Movie." While most of the St. Paul-Minneapolis area was at church, a friend and I spent Easter morning at the Willow Creek 12 in suburban Plymouth, watching the tween sensation from the first row of the stadium seats. They must have been there with little cousins or nieces, right?!?? No. Or maybe girlfriends? Wrong again. Are they ... you know ... No. We were just two heterosexual, 30-year-old men with glasses and beards going to see a movie with way too many lingering, slow-motion shots of its 15-year-old star on horseback. That is in no way creepy, right?!? (You know that "South Park" episode about Disney sexualizing its young stars? This movie does nothing to dispel that notion.) But seriously, I was interested in the movie as a rabid consumer of all things Disney, and my friend was interested as a rabid consumer of catchy pop music, which Miley Cyrus delivers in abundance. And so we risked our reputations and watched a truly incompetent comedy play out for 90 minutes. The only thing worse than poorly staged, telegraphed slapstick is poorly staged, telegraphed slapstick in slow-motion. (A painful cameo appearance from Tyra Banks doesn't help, either.) The movie's biggest mistake is not having enough music in it, because the songs are the only reason to see this. Cyrus's duet with her father, "Butterfly Fly Away," is beautiful, and her power-ballad "The Climb" is in my iTunes rotation. Taylor Swift, naturally, steals the show with her performance halfway through the film -- why they let someone more talented than Miley do a musical number in her movie is beyond me. I think Miley could be a decent comic actress, however, once she's paired with a competent director. (As for Jason Earles, who plays her brother? Well, that's a different story.)

So now that I've confessed to paying to see "Hannah Montana," y'all got anything you'd like to tell us?