Y'all, y'all, y'all. My mama and I had a girls' date on Wednesday and we got ourselves to the nearest movie theater, bought us some popcorn and sat down to the best two hour book turned film I've seen in a long time The Help. Do you remember me talking to y'all about the novel. First of all, get off your hiney and get your sad self to the library and borrow a copy if you've not read it. Second, read it and then get your less sad self to a cinema and watch this movie. I mean it.

Aibileen. Oh mercy. I'm not even really sure what to say, other than: spot on. Gorgeously done.

And Skeeter. At first I wasn't sure (before I saw the movie) I mean I adore Emma Stone (I have since House Bunny and The Rocker. What ya looking at? You don't know my life) but I had my doubts. But child, I'm a believer now. Look at her. And the thing is, it's not just her, everyone was perfectly cast. The acting was honest and sensitively done. And the chemistry between the cast as a whole was enough to make you believe in movies again. Hallelujah! I believe.

Just do yourself a favor, go see it. Love the costuming. Love the accents. Love the storytelling and the acting. And I'm not going to tell you to be moved and learn something but I'm telling you you're made of something less like jello and more like stone if you don't.

And so it comes to an end, mes amis. SYTYCD Season 8. And I'm not sure I could be any happier with the results. Because guess who won?

Melanie. Fat sack of a dancing force in a pixie body with a dash of acting finesse and adorableness. I mean come on. Do you see her hair cut? The girl has naturally curly hair and she still rocks a boy/pixie cut. How on earth. It makes a person (and I bet you can't guess who) feel almost tempted to go out and tempt the curly haired fate and chop all the cheveux straight off. But I digress. Melanie won and she deserved it. I think in all the seasons I've been watch SYTYCD I've not been as satisfied with the winner as I am this year. Usually the naming of the winner on the season finale sees me a nervous wreck, who has to fast forward through Cat's whole speech and then feeling a bit let down by who was crowned. And although the first part of that equation was entirely true (the dilapidated state of our den's love seat is a testament to that), the second most definitely was not. After a wonderful finale showing us highlights of this truly inspiring (when they have good dancers and good choreography I find the show to be so creatively inspiring I just have to talk to the computer or tv screen) dancing watching Melanie cry her eyes out and saying "thank you" after being named winner, was equivocal and perfect. I guess the ending of Season 8 means summer is ending, fall is coming and school is starting. But it was such a good season I suppose I can't be any kind of sad (especially since I have a whole new set of dances to use as homework breaks in the dead of winter).