New month, slow day

Richard Belzer's novel has fun with his familiar TV persona, Det. John Munch. (Ben and Alice)

We see Belzer on the set of SVU, practicing his lines, feeling good about nailing a scene, enlisting his personal assistant to be his Gal Friday, and, weirdly enough, practicing (and deploying) martial arts. One of the running jokes is that New Yorkers recognize him from somewhere, but they keep mixing him up with other TV cops and actors. He gets mistaken for William Petersen, James Woods, and, he imagines, "George Clooney having a bad day on a bender."

Quality Show Fatigue. (NY Mag)

I confess: I don’t watch Mad Men.

I say this with reluctance, because every time I admit it—to friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers—I’m answered with the same sputtering combination of disbelief, dismay, and disdain. What?! You don’t watch Mad Men? Don’t you understand how good it is? Yes, I do. And as we enter year-end-list-making season, I look forward to being reminded about it again and again (and again).