2008-06-24 - 5:22 p.m.

It's been a long time since there's been a show I love to hate as much as I love to hate Alter Eco. I'm positively joyous when it comes on! Guaranteed douchebaggery! And it's all filmed in my neighborhood! For example, in last night's episode, Adrien Grenier's friend's band (The Good Listeners) is going to play a show at El Cid, but they can't play at a venue that's not eco-friendly, oh no. But don't worry, Good Listeners, a team of inept eco-warriors is on the way. Alter Eco's very own Boise Thomas sounds the cry: "Let's go eco it up." As in, "let's eco up the place." As in, "if I use the word 'green' when I'm doing stuff, I'm eco-ing it up." So, do they install solar panels at El Cid? Do they instruct the head chef on organic produce standards? No, they paint a big rectangle on the wall, hang three salvaged wrought iron things on the other wall, build a small brick fire pit (that remains unused, I'm here to tell you, as one who frequents El Cid after kickball games), and litter the patio with sad, tiny plants. Then, to congratulate themselves for saving the planet: tequila shots all around! Then they're off to a vintage clothing store to learn that they can eco it up by buying used clothing. What a novel idea! As they leave the store wearing their newly purchased clothes (that kind of look like costumes from Newsies), the insufferable Angela Lindvall (for once not wearing an annoying hat, but instead wearing a backless blouse with a bizarre front-ruffle) says something like, "See how awesome we are? We've gone this whole day without consuming." Later, while eco-ing it up at dinner, Boise Thomas asks the Good Listeners, "So, do you guys get a lot of chicks? Seems like you'd get a lot of chicks with a name like The Good Listeners." I'm with Troy Patterson. Not that it wouldn't be a good thing if "eco-tainment" took off, because, of course, we all need to learn how to not be wasteful pigs, but ohmygod Alter Eco.

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