Reality TV Updates

2004-05-27T04:22:00.000-07:00

American Idol

A new American Idol has been crowned! Fantasia walks away with the title of American Idol 2004 in a close race (well, at least close in my mind) with Diana).

First I must apologize for not doing regular updates lately. I had to have some unexpected surgery that has put me behind in my postings. I have been watching the show though and, although I wanted Diana to win, I am happy for Fantasia. I liked them both a lot and really think that they will both have great careers, I just was rooting for the underdog I suppose.

Last nights show was the biggest finale to date. Red carpet, stars like Ray Ramano giving their opinions as they walk in, an outside concert stage with pre-show croonings from LaToya, George and (bleah) Jasmine. Was it just me or did Jasmine sound even worse last night??? Never mind, don't have to suffer through her poor attempts at song any more.

We heard from Kelly, Ruben and Tamira during the regular show...question...why is Tamira on every show here lately? I mean I know her album just came out, and I know she wrote the finale song (which isn't very good if you ask me), but why was she singing the National Anthem last night??

Anyway, I wanted to see Clay sing, but was disappointed on that front. He was hosting the Fantasia party in North Carolina. That annoying Kimberly Caldwell was hosting Diana's party in Georgia.

Well, it was a good finale to a rather dull season. Maybe next year will be better.

No more posts for awhile. Big Brother 5 starts in July so come back then!

2004-05-13T04:47:00.000-07:00

American Idol

YES! Thank you Lord! She is gone, gone, gone! Paula can cry all she wants, but I didn't like LaToya and I'm willing to suffer through another week of Jasmine just to see her gone. Now those tears of Paula's...fake? I'm guessing yes.

I don't understand how Fantasia made it into the bottom two, that just doesn't make sense. The only thing I can figure is that American felt sorry for Jasmine because Simon was mean and she cried. Okay, I can understand being sympathetic, but at this point in the competition we just can't afford to do that people! She'll end up winning because of craziness like that!

I was very excited that my girl Diana was the first to be told that she was SAFE! You go girl!!

Clay did a guest appearance last night...have I mentioned how much I miss Clay? He is the man! Can sing AND has a good personality!

So who will go next? People you've got to vote for Diana and Fantasia and get rid of Jasmine!

2004-05-12T04:38:00.000-07:00

American Idol

Wow. It was disco fever last night!! Guest judge was Donna Summer and the girls, well three of them anyway, really sang their butts off! I've now thrown all my support to Ms. Diana, that girl, 16 or not, can sing!! She is my vote for American Idol. Fantasia is great, don't get me wrong, but she'll have a recording contract so she doesn't need AI to further her career. I voted for Diana 7 times last night...I was going to vote more but got tired of hearing the busy signal, and let's be honest, I have to do something more than spend my time obsessing over t.v. ((Just as an aside, I saw the ad for my FAVORITE reality show...Big Brother 5 is coming in June...YAY!!!) Okay, now to the show.

First up was Jasmine, and let me tell you if you missed the show, she is going home tonight. She was terrible with a capital T. She is no where close to the other 3, and I think she's even ready to leave now. Her first song was Everlasting Love. She had some weird, crimped hair going on and a strange tight dress. She shouted the song, was out of tune and overall was just not good.
Simon-definitely going to leave tomorrow, it was an average karoke performance.
Donna-pretty good, some pitch problems
Paula-pitch problems, best dress I've seen you in, not my favorite song choice
Randy-not that good, rough, you only hit the high notes

Her second song was Raining Men and at first I thought...okay, she's doing it, and then....she bombed. Either she gets really nervous or she runs out of breath or something...don't know. She can't keep it together for a full performance.
Simon-better hope every house in Hawaii has 5 phones because you are going to need all the support you can get
Donna-didn't like your song choice but it was okay
Paula-I think you were thrown off when you forgot the lyrics but America loves you and will forgive you for this
Randy-not your best performance, pitchy all over the place.

So...Jasmine will be going. Overall a terrible showing. I did feel badly for her when after the critique of her second song she was in tears while standing with Ryan giving her numbers. It has to hurt, but pleeeassee...don't hurt my ears anymore people! Let her go in peace.

Next up was LaToya who sang great as always, but I still don't like her. She is a cold diva who is too full of herself in my opinion. In fact, after her first performance while sitting with Ryan she even said that they are all winners and will all have recording contracts so it doesn't matter if she goes all the way. Hmmm...I'd even be willing for Jasmine to stay one more week if LaToya is the one to leave. I'm tired of her.

Her first song was Love You Inside & Out. Like I said, good singing, but I didn't feel anything other than...So What?
Simon-well done, great singer, boring safe song choice, problem with you is we know nothing about your personality when you sing.
Donna-beautiful, emoted the song, great job
Paula-you shine week after week, I'm looking at an American Idol
Randy-nothing special, good but felt old, I'm looking for wow

Her second song was a bit better, she at least put on more of a performance. She sang Don't Leave Me This Way.
Simon-that was more like it, as good as the original
Donna-fabulous
Paula-stunning
Randy-you brought it back on that one.

My prediction...at most she has one more week on the show.

Fantasia was the third singer and did a great job as always. My only issue with her tonight is her choice of outfits. Belly and butt showing...please!! My eyes!! Don't know who dresses these people but they should be fired! Her first song was Knock on Wood and she put on a great show as always.
Simon-great performance, you are different
Donna-you are different, self-possessed, best smile, fabulous
Paula-you know how to pick the right song, you didn't just Tae-Bo through the wood you karate chopped it
Randy-star spirit in your voice, you got it going on

Her second song was Holding Out For a Hero...it was...well, she needs to hold out a little longer. The song didn't suit her style, but she did as well as she could. Of course I was distracted by her butt hanging out of those pants. Geezzzz...
Simon-I didn't like it, you are better than that song
Donna-you could sing the newspaper to me and I'd love it
Paula-not my favorite choice of song
Randy-not my favorite either but it proves you can sing anything.

Finally we get to Diana. She B-L-E-W I-T A-W-A-Y. She is the disco diva! She is the new American Idol!! This girl can sing her heart out and is only 16! Imagine how good she'll be in a few more years? Blows me away!

Her first song was This Is It and the only criticism I have is the dress. Again, not her fault it's those crazy stylists...but it made her look dowdy.
Simon-I've said all along that you were too young for this competition but I take it back, you have shown the most progress.
Donna-lot of heart, impressive
Paula-immense confidence, you look fantastic (okay it must be Paula picking out these weird clothes)
Randy-you worked it out, you did your thing, most improved performer.

Her second song was even better! She sang No More Tears and it was the absolute best performance of the night.
Simon-best song of the night (copy cat), you controlled it
Donna-well sung, great
Paula-I'm so proud of you, this is your week
Randy-by far the best song of the night.

I predict that Jasmine and LaToya will be in the bottom two and that Jasmine will leave. Let's find out tonight.

2004-05-10T04:56:00.000-07:00

Survivor Finale

Wow...what an ending! This was by far my favorite Survivor season of all time. As I'm sure you are aware by now,unless you've left the country or something, that Amber won Survivor All-Stars by just one vote. Very close. The biggest news was that Rob proposed on live tv and she said yes! Sweet!

Okay, here's what happened in case you missed it:

The show started off with a look back at the season so far and each of the contestants being voted off. Seems like forever ago that Tina was on the show doesn't it?! After the walk down memory lane we meet up with our final four: Rupert, Jenna, Amber and Rob. Jeff shows up and brings a treat...breakfast makings (pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, o.j., champagne) and a scrapbook and camera for them to record the final days on the island.

The scheming starts with Rob and Amber talking to Jenna about voting off Rupert, they will not vote for each other so she can either vote with them or face the tie breaking rock drawing. She tells Rupert about it, of course he tries to convince her to go to the tie, funny how no one even thinks that Rob and Amber will turn on each other.

The immunity challenge was a big maze with 8 points. In each of the points was a piece to a ladder and the object was to get all eight of your pieces, bring them back to the center of the maze, place the rungs of your ladder on the tower in the middle and climb to the top. First one there wins immunity. In a close race Amber wins. At tribal counsel that night Jenna still didn't know what she was going to do and finally decided to go along with Rob and Amber making Rupert the one voted off.

At pre-dawn the next morning Jeff shows up to explain the rite of passage. He provides a map and a canoe and tells our final three that they are to follow the map to a locate that will have body paints and accessories for them to decorate themselves. After the decorating they are to walk by each of the torches remembering their team mates and he will meet them at the end for the final immunity challenge.

Are finalists don't make a lot of comments about their teammates as they pass, or maybe they do and we just aren't shown those comments. For the most part we see clips of each person, however there were three comments that did air. When the come to Rudy's torch Jenna says, "If I were in the military I would salute you.". At Rob C.'s torch all three laugh and reminisce about how funny he was. Finally at Rupert's torch Amber says that it was an honor to play with him. Here is the order of banishment if you've forgotten: Tina, Rudy, Jenna M., Rob C., Richard, Sue, Colby, Ethan, Jerri, Lex, Kathy, Alicia, Shii Ann, Tom and Rupert.

The last immunity challenge was an endurance event. The three had to stand on two poles in the water, barefoot, and hold on to an idol that was in the center with one hand. The rules were that both feet had to remain on the posts, you could not lift them. You could not let go of the idol or touch it with your other hand. Last one standing wins. Jenna is out first, she lifts her foot. Rob is ready to just let Amber have the immunity but Jeff pops up asking if he's really just going to let her have it and then the game is on. Amber loses by touching the idol with her other hand and once again, Rob wins immunity. Not surprising that at tribal council that night Rob votes Jenna off.

Rob and Amber enjoy a final night and day together on the island and speculate about tribal council that night, they know that the jury is going to be tough on them...and they are. It was perhaps the most emotional final tribal council of all. A lot of people's feelings were hurt and a lot of accusations were thrown at Rob and Amber about how they played the game. Especially bitter were Lex, Kathy, Alicia and Tom. Tom in fact went to shake Rob's hand and then pulled it back saying "Don't be stupid, stupid." Very childish. Alicia probably had the best line saying that they had both mastered the fine art of butting kissing and ego stroking. At the live finale in New York's Madison Square Garden we learn that Amber won but one vote over Rob.

The reunion was interesting; as I mentioned, Rob asked Amber to marry him, we learn that Jenna was married the weekend before, Sue had an extreme makeover done (though she doesn't look that different really to me), Jerri becomes a cry baby and leaves the show after she is booed by the crowd, Richard found romance and we learn that Jeanna M. and Ethan are dating. Usually the person who comes in 2nd wins a car, however since Rob (and Amber for that matter) already had won cars they ask Amber to give the car to any one of the contestants she chooses. Amber picks Shii Ann reasoning that she was the tie breaker.

The big twist that was promised? Well, the show is giving away a second million dollars and we get to vote on who it should go to. Go to cbs.com and vote now! The will have a special show on Thursday night, 7CT and reveal who gets the money as well as telling us where the next Survivor is going to take place.

2004-05-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

American Idol

Well, George is gone. I'm sad....I liked George, though I do believe he should have been in the bottom two. He and Jasmine just didn't shine on Tuesday night, but it should have been Jasmine going home. Sigh....I'm running out of people to root for. Next season they need to get people that can not only sing but also have a personality. I've realized what it is that is off this season, or I should say one of the things. They have the contestants pigeon holed. Let me explain...you have your young group, your soul singers group, your Hawaiian group, your diva group etc... They have shaped these contestants into these groups (and you can be a member of a different group depending on the week) and that is why we feel no strong connection to any one singer. Maybe? Am I close? Well, that's what I'm thinking anyway.

I'm sorry to the Survivor fans. I didn't get to watch last night because my Dad came into town to visit and will be here through Sunday. I heard through the grapevine that Tom was voted off. As long as Rob's still there I'm happy! :-)

2004-05-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

American Idol

Tonight was Big Band night. Once again it was a good show...it was "just okay" to quote Randy. At this point there is no doubt that those left can sing, they are all good, but no one just stands out above the rest and makes me go "Wow". There isn't even anyone left to really make fun of! Yes, I don't like LaToya, but she can sing and she is beautiful so I can't make fun of her. I can just point out the obvious, that she is too full of herself and that is annoying. I really miss Clay and Kelly. I want someone to really root for. I like George, I like Diana, really like them in fact. Love their personalities and they can sing. But, I'm not getting chills when they sing like I did with Clay and Kelly. Their performances were just "okay". Things need to be shaken up a bit if this season is going to get exciting at all. Heck, let them go out there and sing whatever they want to! Let them sing a whole song for once. Something!

I didn't take too many notes last night because there just wasn't a lot to say, but here's what I have:

Each contestant sang two songs with the live band backing them up. Diana was up first (in a dress that was not really flattering if you ask me) and sang "Someone to Watch Over Me" which she dedicated to her grandfather and brother and everyone serving in the Army. It was, not to beat a dead horse with the phrase, "okay". Her second song was, I think, "Get Happy". The problem tonight was that Ryan introduced their first songs,but the finalists didn't always remember to tell us the title of the second song so some of these are guesses. Her second song was again, "okay", but she sort of seemed to run out of breath.
Randy-the bomb, seasoned talent
Paula-classy young lady, good songs for you
Simon-"I didn't choose the dress", this is your type of music, problem is you are 16 and sound 50, you are an old soul.

George was up next and looked very nice in a dark suit. He was good, voice was nice and deep and not as gravely as he used to be. His first song was "Cheek to Cheek" and his second was "What a Wonderful World" which I think he dedicated to everyone to remind them of what a wonderful world we live in. That song he started out a little too fast but overall did well.
Randy-great songs, safe songs, good but not great
Paula-enchanting, charming as hell
Simon-medium cruiseline performance

LaToya was next and even though she is way too full of herself, she did look beautiful and sounded nice. She has a powerful controlled voice, it's her personality I don't like. Her first song was "Too Close for Comfort" and I felt like she was yelling at me. When she had the opportunity to tell us why she chose that song, she didn't dedicate it to anyone, she said she choose it because she likes it. Hmmpf. Her second song was "Here I Am". Again, good but I still felt like she was yelling, maybe she knows I don't like her at is yelling at me.
Randy-the kind of music you were meant to sing
Paula-blah, blah, good
Simon-10 out of 10 for a Broadway performance

Jasmine was next and it was probably the low point of the night. She just didn't do well at all and I predict, if we are voting on talent, that she will be gone tonight. Her first song was "Someday" and it was painful to listen to. Out of tune and pitchy. She dedicated it to her friends and family back home. Her second song was "Almost Like Being in Love". Again, not very good. It seemed like she was trying too hard and ended up just yelling.
Randy-alright, not wowed
Paula-enjoyed the second song, you've grown, good job
Simon-you are steady, no growth, didn't pull it out of the hat, very pleasant but not good enough.

Lastly we had Fantasia. Her second song was probably the best performance of the evening. Her first song was "This Thing Called Love" and it was "okay". Didn't wow me but was fine. She put on a good performance though and dedicated it to her brother. Her second song was by Barbara Streisand and I'd never heard it and she didn't introduce it so I can't tell you what it was. It was a slow song that she dedicated to her daughter and it was beautiful.
Randy-brilliant, unbelievable
Paula-brought me to tears, beautiful
Simon-it's obvious you and LaToya are in a different league.

At the end Simon said that LaToya and Fantasia are the best, Randy agreed but added Diana to the group. When asked, of course Paula wouldn't commit to anyone. She said that she enjoyed all the performances. I predict that Jasmine may be going home tonight. I hope Diana doesn't. I voted for her 5 times and tried to vote for Fantasia but could never get through.

2004-05-04T04:32:00.000-07:00

American Idol
Halfway Home Special

I enjoyed this show more than I anticipated. No judges, no corny group songs, just one on one interviews with the remaining 5 contestants and a chance for them to sing their favorite song of the season. Of course all of them did a great job on their songs and proved why they were in the finals...they can Sang! The interviews were enlightening too, it gave me the opportunity to learn a little bit more about each of them and decide who I like...and who I don't. My new favorite, for whom I will vote whether they suck or not, are George and Diana. George is sweet as he can be, so uplifting. Diana, she is just a sweet girl with a big voice. Either of those two deserve to win if you ask me. Jasmine...she's okay; Fantasia...she's okay; LaToya....do NOT like her. WAY too full of herself. If she wins we would have another Whitney, diva, do things my way or I won't sing, performer. The world is just not big enough for yet another spoiled diva.

Okay, on to the show.
First Ryan introduced and interviewed Fantasia. She came out without her shoes on and said that she just hates wearing shoes (a woman after my own heart). She talked about how her mom is behind her 100% and how even if you are a young, single mother that doesn't mean you have to give up your dreams. Her daughter Zion is what pushes her to do better. She want's the best for her child, now who can argue with that. Her comment on being in the bottom three two weeks ago was that at this point in the game they are all winners. Then she showed us her bo-bo dance, to which Ryan tried to imitate (thus proving white men can't dance) and she sang Summertime. Once again she put on a great performance.

George was up next. Have I mentioned that I just love George? He is always smiling, he just lights up the room with his positive attitude and genuine spirit. A part of me almost hates for him to win because I'm afraid it would change him too much. Remember sweet Ruben from last year? Have you seen him lately? Hanging out with a possee and acting all thugish? Don't want that to happen to George! George spoke about how he was an alternate for the top 32 and in showing Ryan his reaction to the news he stood up saying "Oh Lord". In fact during this interview George said "Oh Lord" several times which prompted Ryan to comment that he seems to channel Little Richard. George said the most challenging part of the competition is picking the right song each week and then he talked about how close he and Jennifer were throughout the competition. How they prayed together a lot. He sang Take Me To the Pilot.

Jasmine was up next. Sort of a boring interview. On why she no longer wears the flower she says she had to change things up a little. Said her dad is very strict but she is so glad he is there with her. She talked about how the younger ones in the competition have to go to school and that they lose 15 hours a week to that, something the older contestants don't have to do. Then she sang Insepreable.

Diana was up next and was her bubbly self. She said that it does hurt when a performance is criticized, that your performance is like your child. She said the hairdresser told her his mantra, which she has taken over "I love my audience and my audience loves me." Her mom has been a huge supporter and has practically given up her whole life to support Diana's dreams. She told Ryan that she doesn't feel like she's missing out on being a teenager, that she went to prom last year and does have a date this year in case she's home at prom...but her date has a back up. She sang Think and rocked the house.

Last, and least in my opinion, was LaToya. No doubt she can sing, but as I mentioned above...I just don't like her. Maybe I'm reading her wrong, but she can just go this week if I have my choice. She told us she has been married 2 years and has two step-children, 13 and 8. On being in the bottom three her response was that all her performances have been great so it's just TV (see what I mean???). She sang Somewhere.

Tune in tonight to the regularly scheduled show. The theme tonight is Swing Band with a live band to back them up. Should be good. I predict that Diana will do especially well tonight.

2004-05-03T04:51:00.000-07:00

American Idol

Special programming note:

A special American Idol will be on tonight 8:00/7:00c in which the final contestants will be interviewed and sing their favorite song of the season so far.

2004-04-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

Survivor

Ding, dong, Shii Ann's gone. Did she deserve it or what? That who speech she gave at tribal counsel sort of cooked her goose if you ask me. That and the fact that she was left with no alliance. It was an interesting episode and I'm curious to see who is going to win this thing. I'm thinking Amber is going to pull it off. I hope she's not just playing Boston Rob though, I like him.

As the contestants stated at tribal counsel last night there is a lot of paranoia going on at camp these days. It was funny, Rupert caught a bunch of fish and was irritated that no one got up to help him clean them so what does he do? Cleans one and puts it on the fire for himself. Ha! He said if they want to eat fish then they can help clean them. Of course Jenna tried to tell him that they each do a different job and that he wasn't being fair, but it fell on deaf ears.

The reward challenge brought a loved one for each of the contestants and they had to eat delicacies from the past Survivor locales. Each round eliminated one more loved one until only one remained. The reward was that the Survivor contestant and his or her loved one got to spend a night together at one of the old campsites (refurbished of course) and then the next day that loved one got to come to camp and stay the day with the contestants. I won't go into too much detail about what they had to eat, it was NASTY!, but there were cockroaches and live worms on the menu. In the end it was Tom's son Bunky who won. As a twist Jeff let Tom pick one other loved one to stay and while everyone was saying Rupert he picked Boston Rob and his brother; don't know how smart of a move that was for old Tom.

The immunity challenge was one we've seen numerous times before. Build a fire in a can on one side of your "see-saw" and fill the can on the other side with water (of course that can has a hole). First one to lift the fire and ignite the fuse to light your bowl of fire on the top wins. It was pretty uneventful as Rob, Amber, Rupert and Jenna didn't get far because they ran out of matches and had no way to make fire. Apparently it was really windy that day. It was between Shii Ann and Tom and Tom won it. It didn't even appear to me that Shii Ann was really trying. She spend the whole time working on her fire and never once even tried to get water.

Back at camp Shii Ann was trying to get everyone to vote off Jenna. Most agreed that they would do it if Tom approached them about it, and Tom wanted her gone but didn't want to approach any of the others because it wouldn't do him any good in the long run. At counsel Shii Ann went on a rampage about how Jeanna is annoying and how she monitors everyone's food and how Rupert can eat all the fish he wants since he's the only one catching them, etc. Finally Jeff asked her if she was done. Ha! She said that she was trying to stir things up and was going to vote for the person that she felt was the best player and was going to win the game if the others weren't careful. Sort of a warning to the others if you will. Her vote....Amber. Of course, Shii Ann was ousted. It will be interesting to see if any of the remaining members try to take out Amber and just how strong her bond with Rob is.

2004-04-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

American Idol

The craziness is over! Thank you!! Tonight we had John, Jasmine and George in the bottom three and finally the voting public got off the crack and voted out John. We had to sit through another torturous rendition of Music of My Heart, but it was worth it to not have to suffer any more. Good-bye John, good luck.

2004-04-28T04:30:00.000-07:00

American Idol

It was bad y'all. That's all I can say. Gloria Estefan in the 80's....Great, loved her. Gloria Estefan songs sung by the American Idol finalists...Bad, hated it. Most of the performances last night were, well to quote Randy, "Just okay for me dawg." Our two remaining divas were pretty much unremarkable, except for LaToya's crazy dance routine, but the singing didn't blow me away. In fact, that has been the case with most of this season. Yes, Fantasia's singing Summertime brought a tear to my eye and was a great AI moment, but this season is just.....boring me. There, I said it. I admitted it, though I hate to. There is no one this season that I just love, that I root for every week. That I wear out my dialing finger for. In fact, I've only called in a few times this whole season to vote for anyone, and that was for Camille. Where is Clay? Where is Kelly? No one is standing out to me this season. After last weeks disappointment (don't get me wrong, I'm not especially disappointed that Jennifer left, just disappointed that John didn't leave before her as he should have) I decided that I will vote and I'll vote for the person I thought did the best that night, regardless of who it is. Last night I voted 4 times for Diana.

Okay, so here's the breakdown if anyone is interested.

Fantasia sang Get On Your Feet. It was just okay. Obviously not her type of song.
Randy-great performance but vocally no Wow.
Gloria-you haven't sung a bad note this whole competition.
Paula-you look great tonight, good performance
Simon-you sounded like a cartoon character. Donald Duck on helium.

George sang Live For Loving You. On word....horrible.
Randy-you worked it out (notice no dawg on this one)
Gloria-great job
Paula-great, so much fun, made Simon shimmy
Simon-if this were the first time I had seen you perform I would be surprised to learn you were in the finals; amateurish

LaToya sang Rhythm is Gonna Get You and it was just okay. She looked beautiful, very latin red dress, but her attempts at dancing to the latin beat were comical.
Randy-you look beautiful, good, not Wowed
Gloria-When the show first started I didn't know that I was going to be here, but I knew that you were going to be there.
Paula-we need to hear more than a minute and 30 seconds of you; good
Simon-there was a danger of you becoming boring, this was not your best vocals but you proved you can do more than just stand there and sing well.

John sang Music of My Heart and it was probably the worst performance of the finals this far. It was worse than horrible. Somewhere there are cats still howling in response to his howls. The scary/sad part of the whole thing is that Gloria was trying to tell him to find someone he loved to sing the song to and he chose his grandmother! Not that I think there is anything wrong with loving your grandmother, or in singing to her, but I've about had it with his attraction to his grandparents and am beginning to worry about the kid. He's almost 17...can't he think of someone closer to his own age to sing a love song to? Anyway...
Randy-your shoes are great, your a nice guy, it was horrendous
Gloria-you made your grandma proud regardless
Paula-valiant effort, you did your best
Simon-you've stood here and taken every bullet like a man; you and latin music go together like chocolate and onions.

Jasmine sang Here We Are and it was good, sort of out of tune in places but it was the best so far in the show.
Randy-good song choice for you, I'd give it a 7 out of 10, a little pitchy
Gloria-beautiful
Paula-you have a powerhouse voice with a pretty tone
Simon-at best it was a pleasant imitation, like a recording for elevator music, but tonight pleasant is good

Last we had Diana who sang Turn the Beat Around and in my opinion did the best job of the evening. It wasn't always in tune and it wasn't her best performance of the season, but compared to those who performed before her she shined.
Randy-mad talent
Gloria-fantastic
Paula-great week for you
Simon-on the performance I give you a 7 the dress 0. To which she replied he can take her dress shopping for next week and he said Okay. Ryan promised they would tape it to show us.

So, if there is any fairness in this world then John, Fantasia and George will be in the bottom three and John will go home. However, based on last weeks revelations about the voting America Fantasia or LaToya or George may be leaving tonight. We'll see.

2004-04-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

American Idol and Survivor

Well, I told you that the diva stuff would back fire. Jennifer Hudson is out...a victim of some insane people out there who insist on keeping the red headed crooner in the competition. Even I was shocked though to see our three divas in the bottom three. And what about George? I like George but if we are basing our votes on talent, he did not show it on Tuesday night and deserved to at least be in the bottom three....he and the Crooner.

As for Survivor....let me start out by saying that I was snuggled up on my couch, pad and pen ready to take notes and watch the drama when....it rained. In this part of the world when it rains the weathermen go freaky and started scaring everyone to death with radar images and live reports. They promised that they were recording Survivor and as soon as the weather broke they would show it in its entirety...well, I watched and I watched and when they were still trying to scare us to death at 8:30 I gave up and went to bed. I did read the posts this morning and can tell you Alicia was booted, but more than that I know not. If any of you got to see it and would like to email me a report I'll post it here and give you credit for it.

Until Tuesday I'm out.

2004-04-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

American Idol

It was a great night on American Idol! One of my all time favorite singer/songwriter's Mr. Barry Manilow was the guest judge on the show and the theme was Manilow Songs. What was really cool was that Barry personally worked with the 7 finalists all week long and he re-arranged his songs to fit each persons personal style. Now how neat is that! The women for the most part did wonderful with he rearrangements, unfortunately the same can't be said for our two remaining men. Here's the break down:

Diana sang One Voice and can I just say...you go girl! She did a great job, very strong , very good....still a bit nasally, sounds like she is still a little under the weather, but all in all a great performance.
Randy-pitchy (okay, can someone get him another word please?), strong at the end, most ambitious 16 year old
Barry-I dreamed this song, that's how I wrote it and I imagined someone like you singing it
Paula-a big moment, you deserve it
Simon-your best performance in the show so far

George sang Trying to Get the Feeling Again and can I just say....I didn't get the feeling. I love George to death, but his performance tonight, well, it just sucked. The arrangement was too fast, he had way too many runs and I kept wanting to tell him to cough. He always sounds gravely, but tonight he just sounded like he had something stuck in his throat and needed to cough it up.
Randy-didn't love it, out of tune, too many runs (amen Randy!)
Barry-too many riffs but I loved it anyway
Paula-blah, blah, blah, it was okay
Simon-too fast, you made a mess of it

Jennifer sang Weekend In New England. Now I'll admit right here, right now, that I cannot be unbiased in my opinion of this song. It is my second favorite Manilow tune (the first being This One's For You which thankfully no one tried to sing) and I hated, yes I said it, HATED her version of it. I'm not the biggest Jennifer fan, though I will admit that the girl can sing. I just always feel like she is shouting at me and have to turn down the volume on my tv. I felt like she was too airy in the beginning of the song and then jumped into her shouting voice.
Randy-unbelievable, you get better every week
Barry-took it all the way, I loved it
Paula-way to go
Simon-you have turned this into the Battle of the Divas

Jasmine sang I'll Never Love This Way Again. From what I've read on other sites I'm probably in the minority, but I loved her singing tonight. This little girl has a very powerful, very grown up voice and is one of my favorites. The one word I wrote down while I was watching was WONDERFUL. Can't say I was crazy about the funny skirt they put her in and call me nuts but I sort of missed the flower behind the ear, but it was a very good performance.
Randy-very good job
Barry-beautiful, giving Dione Warwick a competition
Paula-great, beautiful
Simon-glad to see you lost the silly flower, Barry what did you do with the girls? They are all singing well, you did great

LaToya sang All the Time. LaToya is good, great in fact, probably the best overall singer in the competition. She has a very controlled, very pure voice. But, can I say it....she bores me. Yep. I said it. She great but she bores me. To borrow from a comment that Quentin said to one of the contestants last week, I feel like there is a glass wall between us. She is so calm and collected that I don't feel any connection...no passion in her performances. That being said....
Randy-great performance
Barry-you made me proud to be a song writer
Paula-that one note gave me chills, very consistent, incredible, great
Simon-great, I think you are probably the best singer in the competition (notice how he didn't say she would win or that she was the best overall PERFORMER)

Then we had to suffer through poor John who tried to sing Mandy. Why they chose this powerful and deep feeling love song for John who probably never has been in love and cannot connect with those feelings is beyond me. Here is what I heard when he sang....la,la,la,la, LA (go up really high), la, la, la, la, LA. My one word...TERRIBLE. I like John, he'll go far singing Rat Pack tunes, but he needs to go tonight.
Randy-it was alright, you are a cool kid
Barry-you did just fine, thanks
Paula-beginning was better than end, good job
Simon-Mandy fell asleep (I just love that quote from him!), it was mechanical not a love song, you can sing but you are not one of the best singers in this competition, you remind me of Stan Laurel

Finally Fantasia who sang It's A Miracle. I didn't care for it, but she did have a lot of energy and passion so I commend her for that. She is a great performer, no doubt about it. I think I have two problems with Fantasia. One is that she always sings likes she's in church....which is fine if you like gospel music, which I don't. The second is that she sounds too much like Macy Grey to me, again which is fine if you like Macy Grey's sound, which I don't. I do think that she is the best overall performer of the show and may just win this thing. Plus, she seems to be a really nice person which is always a plus.
Randy-I feel the spirit, like a church revival, could have had a little more melody though
Barry-it's a miracle, fantastic
Paula-great
Simon-you are very important to this competition because you don't play it safe, you bring danger and excitement, thank God you are still in the competition, great.

My predictions are that George, John and either Diana or Jasmine will be in the bottom three and that John will leave...or maybe that is wishful thinking. I don't know who keeps voting for him, but people please...you know he does not belong here any more.

I hear that Barry is going to perform a number with the contestants tonight so be sure to stay tuned!

2004-04-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

Survivor and American Idol

First things first...a friend told me that the link to email me wasn't working, and sure enough...it wasn't. Sorry about that. I've fixed it now so if you'd like to email, feel free.

I was afraid it would happen and it did. They put AI and Survivor on the same night at the same time and I forgot to switch over and see who got booted off on AI. My big plans for jumping back and forth were forgotten as I got involved in the reality of someone else's life. Sigh...why do they do that to me? Don't they know I don't have a life and I'm addicted to these shows! Anyway, by now you already know that John Peter aka Serial Killer in the Making, was booted off. Thank you America! I just couldn't stand another week...seeing him gives me nightmares!

Now on to Survivor. It was good! Hope you got to watch it. The game is getting very interesting and the twists are really good this season. The big twist on this episode? The day after the last immunity challenge (where my poor guy Lex was booted), they had yet another immunity and reward challenge rolled into one. I'll get to that in a minute.

First we see the group coming back from stabbing poor Lex in the back and everyone is depressed and it's wet, and it rains and they whine. Can't say as I blame them...give me a nice cabin! Finally, Kim checks the tree mail and they learn it's to be reward and immunity.

As they walk up to the challenge Jeff announces that they will divide up into two teams of four and that the first part of the challenge will be an obstacle course with the winning team receiving the reward. Then, those four will compete for immunity. And what is the reward they are playing for you may ask? Well, four rain ponchos and a letter from home for each of them. Lot's of yeas here. For immunity the winner not only is safe at tribal council but also gets to watch a video from home and get a big thermos of hot chocolate to enjoy while watching. That person can share the tape and hot chocolate or not as they see fit.

To tease them all Jeff takes them into a shelter and shows each of them a little bit of their video. Lots of crying and smiles during this part of the show. Rupert was especially upset when he got to see his wife and his daughter because after his first Survivor he told them he'd never leave them again, and then he did. Cathy's son did a tape, Tom's son and wife, Jenna's two daughter and her friend, Rob's brother, Amber...I can't really remember I think it was several family members, Kim's mom and Shi Ann's mom dad and cat.

Now on to the reward challenge. Rupert, Cathy, Tom and Jeanna made up one team and Rob, Amber, Kim and Shi Ann made up the second team. They had to walk across a wooden balance beam, climb over a tall wooden wall, crawl on their bellies under some planks, go across a rope bridge, with two planks only cross over to the other side of a platform, 3 members climb down and dig for a flag inside of a "jail", once the flag was found the 4th member slide down a long rope, grabbed the key, unlocked the other 3 members and they race to the finish. Whew...it was exciting and close but ultimately the team of Rob, Amber, Kim and Shi Ann won.

They immediately went into the immunity challenge which was a puzzle. Move the blocks around to get the piece with the knife in it to the bottom. Slide out the knife, cut the rope with your flag on it. First one wins. In short order Rob won immunity...again.

Back in the little viewing hut Rob asks if he can trade in his video for everyone to have their letter. Jeff agrees and everyone gets a letter to read, plus they all shared the hot chocolate and the 4 reward winners also get their ponchos.

Back at camp they all read their letter and cry and talk about how homesick they are. It is really touching. Of course several of them whisper about how Rob only did it as a strategy, which he admits to us on camera, though I believe him when it said it was more than that, nothing means more to him than family, not even the million dollars and he wanted everyone to hear from home.

Cathy does some scheming with Tom and Shii Ann and Kim and for awhile it looks like she may have convinced them to join her in an alliance and kick out Amber and then get Rob, but at tribal council it is Cathy who gets the boot and joins Lex as the second member of the jury. She doesn't look too surprised to be leaving though.

Remember, AI is back on Tuesday this week. I'll post more after that show. Have a good weekend!

2004-04-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

American Idol

Okay, let me just say that last night's show was GREAT!! The songs, the judges, the performances...very good! Hope you didn't miss it! By far the best performance of the night, and to quote Randy, "Of any American Idol performance" was Fantasia. She showed that she is a star!!

Here's the break down...and do me a favor. If anyone is reading this, clink on the link to the left and email and let me know...I'm wondering if I'm writing to myself or not. :-)

Quentin Terrintino was introduced as the guest judge. I have to say it...I always thought he was a weirdo, but he rocked as a judge. Honest but kind...a mix of Simon/Paula.

Each of the contestants did a little video bit and answered what their favorite movie was since this was movie theme night. I was surprised by some of their choices, but I'll let you decide for yourself what you think.

First up...George. I like George, I want George to go far, but George really did not shine tonight. He was good, he's always good, but he sang Against All Odds which is perhaps one of my favorite songs and you just can't beat the original. George's favorite movie is "The Wiz" (I've never seen it). He was soulful but just okay.
Randy-Mr. Huff, wrong choice, didn't love it, rough start
Paula-huge fan, why did you pick this song out of all the choices you had (George answered that it reminded him of his journey here to AI...huh?? George, have you listened to the words of the song?)
Quentin-you made me forget I hate this song, bravo, more than any other contestant you get better each week.
Simon-bad choice of song, almost flat, weak, bad movie choice, you were great last week...(speaking about Quentin's comments)...."Directors don't listen they only watch"

Next up was Jennifer who's favorite movie is Sister Act 2. Okay, I like that move. She sang I Have Nothing, and she blew us away! She looked beautiful, she sounded beautiful...still felt like she was shouting at me a bit, but it was great over all.
Randy-you worked it out, overshot a little but corrected so great
Paula-coming into your own, beautiful, only thing wrong was that we didn't get to hear you sing more of the song
Quentin-Hudson takes on Huston and wins, you raised your own bar
Simon-exceptional last week, 2 girls may have dolls of you sticking pins in them right now.

Then there was John Peter. Now you all know I don't like John Peter...I'm sorry, I can't help it. He looks like a serial killer to me. But, although he was terrible tonight, at least he was back to his usual terrible and funky spasms that he calls dancing rather than the pathetic, ear squealing terrible of the last two weeks. He still doesn't come close to some of the others in the contest and he can't make it through a song without losing his breath. I digress...His favorite movie is Dead Poet's Society and he sang Jailhouse Rock
Randy-JPL is back dog
Paula-this is who you are, yeah, yeah
Quentin-geekiest rocker since Freddie and the Dreamers (who??), bravo
Simon-terrible, I'm confused-if this was an audition I would have ended it after 2 seconds but this crowd gives him a standing O, this is not Comedy Idol...or maybe it is. (At least one of the judges wasn't smoking crack during this performance).

Diana was up and her favorite movie is Bowfinger (never seen it, don't want to after I saw the clip) and she sang My Heart Will Go On. A difficult, difficult song to sing. Why do the contestants season after season try to sing Whitney and Celine? Few can pull it off and if you can't it just sounds...horrible. Which is exactly how poor Diana sounded. She was pitchy and was shouting through the song. Maybe she's still sick?
Randy-tough song, it was okay
Paula-tough song, nice job, not your most moving performance
Quinton-pulled it off but so what. I felt like there was a glass wall between me and you (I found him to be sort of mean to her, must not be a fan)
Simon-When we think of Titanic we think of sinking. You're problem is that you are an overgrown child, it was automatic, predictable.

FANTASIA...it was wonderful!! Hope you didn't miss it! Her favorite movie is Finding Nemo (that surprised me) and she sang Summertime while sitting on the floor. It was amazing! She even cried at the end saying she felt her song. Girl, we felt it too!!
Randy-standing ovation, best AI performance of any season
Paula-Oscar winning performance
Quinton-the bomb, you know it, you rocked the house
Simon-something magical about what you just did-outstanding

Jasmine had to follow Fantasia so I tried to cut her a break. This little girl can sing, no question, but it was impossible to follow Fantasia. Her favorite movie was Lilo and Stich and she sang When I Fall In Love. It was good, as always, but it didn't move me like that one time a few weeks back and tonight she really needed to move us because the competition is getting very stiff.
Randy-alright, good
Paula-nice tone, pleasant, good job
Quinton-delicate powerhouse, not your best performance but I don't care I'm a fan
Simon-you and Diana are like children trying to be adults. I could go to any Sheridan and hear that and have a nice dance and so what?

John Stevens told us his favorite move is Alladin and he sang As Time Goes By. Now people, this is my favorite song of all time so I must admit that I cannot fairly judge this performance. I hated it! Hated it! I've always liked his voice, thought it was unique, thought he could go far in the music world...though not in Pop music. So maybe it was just my connection to the song. It irritated me to no end.
Randy-perfect song for you, perfect rendition, the best we've seen from you
Paula-perfect voice for this genre
Quinton-I'm not one of your fans but perfect for this genre
Simon-your happy any time you can snap your fingers, no charisma but it's your age

Last, but certainly not least was LaToya. Her favorite movie was also Finding Nemo and she sang Somewhere. She was my second favorite of the night. Awesome, amazing, great performance. There is something about her though, I don't know...she seems a little aloof. I actually like her voice better than Fantasia's but she doesn't grab you in like Fantasia does.
Randy-playing for keeps tonight, great
Paula-love the light around you, great
Quinton-two words...power...house
Simon-one of your best performances so far.

So we'll see. I predict that John Peter, Diana and Jasmine will be the bottom three. I hope, hope, hope that John Peter leaves but I think it might be Diana.

They've done it again though, Survivor and AI are on at the same time tonight so I'll be flipping to AI on the commercials. Won't be able to post much about the show tomorrow other than who goes.

Tune in tomorrow and drop me an email!

2004-04-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

Survivor

A recap of last weeks show starts things off.

We see Lex upset about voting out Jerri but saying Rob is true to his word. We see Mogo, Mogo sad because they think Amber is gone. Rob is very upset about it.

Rob talks to Alicia and makes an alliance with her. He feels he has a mark on his back. He tells her he will never write her name down and she agrees to the same.

At reward challenge everyone, though mostly Rob are excited to see
Amber. It's an individual challenge and a water challenge. The prize is a helicopter ride to a resort spa and can bring two people from either tribe.

First, 7 pots in water and 9 members, 2 who don't get a pot are out. Shii Ann and Jeanna out. 5 pots for 7 members. Amber and Kathy out.
3 pots for 5. Rob, Rupert and Lex are in the finals. Each has to get a heavy crate and bring it to the finish line. And the winner is....Rupert. Rob is second...bless his heart he wanted it so much. At least he got a hug from Amber. He picks Amber and Jeanna and they copter off.

Next we see the winner landing at the spa. The have little huts to sleep in. The get excited about the deodorant and there is even makeup. Amber looks a little too excited about brushing her teeth. They get massages and then dinner.

Meanwhile back at Mogo, Mogo...tree mail read by Rob. Is it another reward challenge? As they all watch the winners return from their reward. They all have to drop their buffs. It's the merge and it's a blue buff. They will not return to either tribe and they have to start over and build a new shelter on the old Saboga beach. They get cots though. Amber and Kim come up with the new name for the tribe.

Lex approaches Rob to ask if he's safe. Rob says ya but tells that he's playing the game. Amber and Rob reunite and talk about voting off Lex. Amber doesn't want to because she's scared. Rob says it's a game and they need to.

The immunity challenge with a twist; it's double immunity, one for a man and one for a woman. First round is a hold your breath under water. The last two men and last two women win and go on to next round. The winners of the first round are: Amber, Kathy, Rob and Lex.

The second round is a race on a track under water while releasing items tethered on track. Winner is: Kathy. Amber says this challenge sucks!
The winner for the men is: Rob for the men in a really close race.

Lex realizes that he made a huge mistake. Rob talks to Lex and tells him that the other group is sticking together. Lex is pissed. Kathy is crying about it saying "cruel, cruel". Lex says "you are breaking my heart." Rob just keeps says "I'm really truly sorry". Kathy wants to give her immunity to Lex and Lex keeps telling her no. She says she doesn't want to come back there without him.

At Tribal counsel: First member voted out will be the first person on the jury. Rupert says today was a very hard day...alliances were tested, physically they were tested. Rob,"You have two choices...laugh or cry." Lex says a different game now, truly about survival. Rob says he wants to tell everyone (while looking right at Lex) that if you have to vote a friend, vote a friend but friendships last. Huh?? Kathy and Rob both decide to keep their immunity. The first member of the jury is: Lex. Amber gets two votes (that we know of) and we saw Lex and Cathy vote for her.

2004-04-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

American Idol

Last night was Elton John songs and I had such high hopes because I am a HUGE Elton John fan! Unfortunately I, and you, were to be sadly disappointed. Now I heard today that the show is saying that everyone was sick and that was why they didn't sing very well...blah, blah, blah. It was just bad, the songs are tough and they sang them bad...That's the only reason.

This will be a quick recap because I'm watching AI right now (didn't pay attention that it was a 1 hour show so I'm glad I caught it).

First we see the group in the rehearsal room and Simon tells them that he isn't the appropriate person to judge them and .... SURPRISE, Sir Elton John appears. He's just so cool and actually plays a lot of the songs as the contestants are performing.

On to the performances. The top contestants were the best, no surprises there, Fantasia, George, LaToya and Jennifer were the best of the night. My ears ached when Jon Peter Lewis, Jasmine and Carmine sang. Overall, again, not a good performance night over all. Even the best of the performances were below par for this group. Here's the breakdown:

1. Fantasia sang Something About the Way You Look Tonight-she looked good and sang pretty well but I could help but feel she was shouting at me at times.
Randy-great
Paula-great
Simon-"Your weakest performance in the competition so far"

2. Jon Peter Lewis sang Rocket Man-he did look good in a velvet jacket and jeans but as soon as he opened his mouth to sing I wished that I was deaf! My notes just say STOP, STOP, STOP!! He was off key and did some weird swaying stuff that was just spooky.
Randy-jacket hot, you seemed nervous, you were alright
Paula-your style trying to find your style
Simon-nice jacket, average, you need voice lessons, not growing week to week

3. Jasmine sang Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me-she was screechy lost a lot of low notes and ended weak. She was one that I actually believed was sick, by the end of the performance she sounded like she lost her voice.
Randy-pitchy but okay
Paula-pitchy
Simon-wasn't good enough, average, not doing enough to win

4. John Stevens sang Crocodile Rock. Now I've heard a lot of flack about his performance last night, but let me say a few things. First, I agree that it sounded like Frank Sinatra singing Crocodile Rock, no question about it. He doesn't belong in a pop competition but give him credit for having a very unique and pleasant voice. He is a crooner through and through. This performance showed more of his personality than I think we have ever seen and he appeared to have a really good time. I enjoyed seeing that and he didn't exactly make my ears bleed, the judges however seemed to disagree with me.
Randy-worst high school play performance, really bad
Paula-a lot of fluffy stuff that she always says and then: you had passion, you need to work harder on your vocals
Simon-musical equivalent of the worst movie ever made, awful, excruciating

5. Camile sang Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and it wasn't very good at all. All out of key and she still looked pained. I love Camile but she just needs to go on ahead and leave now.
Randy-pitchy, shaky, alright
Paula-shaky, not the right song for you to have picked
Simon-somewhere in Vegas a TV is being thrown through a window (Elton was watching from Vegas), end of the road for you.

6. George sang Take Me To the Pilot and was great as usual, probably my favorite of the night. His voice has really grown on me. I liked his performance just am not crazy about that particular song.
Randy-"Mr. Huff" you worked it out, "the bomb"
Paula-singing machine
Simon-unique, thank you for saving the night from being a terrible karoke show

7. Diana sang Still Standing. Now I missed this performance but from seeing the recap and hearing the buzz today it wasn't very good and apparently Paula said she could tell she was sick. I don't like her new hairdo though.

8. LaToya sang Fly Away and I missed this performance too but the recap and buzz is that it was very good.

9. Last Jennifer sang Circle of Life. We see Elton saying in rehearsal that she blew him away and that her rendition of the song was the best he had ever heard, including his own. Now I hate to disagree with Sir Elton but I just thought it was okay. I felt like she was shouting at me, an ongoing problem, and I just don't really care for her too much. I do like the straight hair but there was something freaky going on last night.
Randy-best performance tonight and your best performance ever
Paula-you get it, this is who you are
Simon-for the first time you've proven why you are in the finals, great.

My prediction was that either Camile or John would go.

Tonight's show had Jasmine, Camile and Diana in the bottom three, Diana is safe and Jasmine and Camile get to sing their songs. You can tell that Jasmine is still sick but she blew Camile out of the water. She needs to stay!!!

And.....going home is.....Camile. I'll miss her, I like her, she will do well in the future, she has a unique, soulful voice and will find her way.

2004-04-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

Survivor

An interesting night on Survivor. After the recaps we see Tom and Rupert working away while the rest of Chapera snoozes in the shelter. T & R go fishing and Tom tells the camera about how Rupert is a harpoon hog and that he, Tom, is going to catch a fish; which he does. Hmmm...will Rupert's place in the tribe be threatened?

The tribes are then each given a can of paint with their respective team colors. Mogo Mogo doesn't know what to do with it so they opt to do nothing. Chapera jumps right in and does some body art. At the reward challenge they each have to pick a number and according to the numbers they picked they each go in order to pick another member of the opposite tribe to have a private chat with. They paired off, except for Amber and Jenna from Chapera who got to stay with each other since Chapera had more members and they got a treat...a picnic lunch together. Tom and Jerri (couldn't resist that); Shii Ann and Rupert; Boston Rob and Lex; Kathy and Alicia.

After the lunch and just when you think a merge is about to take place, a twist...each person has to pull a new buff out of a jar, they are still two teams...Mogo Mogo and Chapera but who knows who will be on each team. Oddly enough the teams are made up of the same people, they just switched names (and camps). All except Amber...she is on the new Chapera team and separated from Rob. You could tell that this hit them very, very hard.

The immunity challenge was a question and answer game where as a team they had to come up with answers to questions about past Survivor trivia. The new Mogo Mogo (old Chapera...this is confusing) wins in the tie breaker. Rob looks devestated because Amber is the new member of the tribe. He tells Lex (and not too quietly either) "Take care of her and I'll take care of you. If you can." Lex responds "I'll try." Rob is torn up and we hear him tell the camera that he put an A on his arm for Amber and that he hopes she makes it. I think the boy is really in love. Amber is taking it a little better, but she too appears to miss her buddy. Lex tells Kathy and Shii Ann about Rob's request and they discuss back and forth the pros and cons about keeping Amber. They ultimately decide that it would be a bonus to them to have Rob owe them a favor. Lex decides to tell Jerri and while she does plead her case a little to him, most of all she seems tired and ready to go. At tribal counsel Jerri goes home.

2004-04-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

American Idol

You voted America...but have you been smoking crack?! Why Amy? Now she's not the best of the competition and she isn't my pick for AI, but she goes before John "Sinatra"? And the bottom three this week? What was that all about? I am disappointed. But, like Simon said, America votes so...

There is a dilemma now about Forever Eden. They have moved it to Thursday's opposite CSI, the only non-reality tv show I watch and I just cannot sacrifice it. So, any of you reading this for Forever Eden updates I'm sorry. I won't be updating very often. I'll still try to catch it when CSI is a rerun, but I'll probably lose interest if I'm not sure who the characters are. We'll see about that.

2004-03-31T05:17:00.000-08:00

American Idol

I finally got to see AI! I tell you with being out of town last week I was really miss my regular doses of reality tv! Okay, let's get right to it. Last night's theme was Motown and they had two guest judges...don't remember their names but they were songwriters/singers and didn't seem to have a lot to say or to contribute to the show so their names just slipped by me.

First up was Camile, now you know that I just love Camile and I really want her to go far in the competition, but my girl just cannot get over that stage fright! She always looks like she's in sheer terror on stage. She sang For Once In My Life, and did better then she has the last two weeks, but it still was not a strong performance. Simon says he thinks this is her last week in the competition and I'm afraid he might be right.

John, creepy guy, sang I Love You. Wasn't very good but you know I don't like him anyway.

LaToya sang Oh, Baby, Baby and was fantastic as usual. Of course Simon said she looked like she had a cat on her head. She has had some funky hairdos going on lately but she can sing. No doubt about that.

Amy sang Dancing in the Streets and was really, really good. She is one that seems to get better every week. I had always liked her, but didn't care for her voice that much..now she's growing on me.

John Stevens sang I've Got Sunshine and he didn't. I love him, he's sweet, he can crone like Bing, but he is not a pop singer and needs to just go on back home. It was painful to listen to.

Jennifer sang Heat Wave. Love her new hair. I had heard about it but hadn't seen it until last night. Didn't like her performance though. She really has a great voice but last night I felt like she was shouting at me and those facial expressions were scary!

Jasmine sang All I Need to Get By and it was really good. I've decided that this girl can sing just about anything. Don't know that she'll be the AI, but she'll go far.

Diana sang Do You Love Me. Yes Diana we love you and she has a great voice, but the dancing scared me!!

Fantasia sang Heard it Through the Grapevine and was the best performer of the night. She really sounds like Macy Grey though and just isn't original enough for me. Her ego is getting a little too big too.

Lastly George sang Ain't to Proud to Beg. George is great, George can sing and he just is so darn likable. :-)

Well, I predict that Carmen will go tonight. Sigh...we'll see.

2004-03-27T07:52:00.000-08:00

Well I'm back from out of town....finally made it home. Orlando was great, it was hard to come back to the real world, but alas, here I am. I did manage to catch about 30 minutes of American Idol on Tuesday night. I only got to see the last 3 singers but from what I hear the country theme didn't go over very well. As I'm sure you know by now, Matt was ousted and can we all say "Thank goodness!". I'll be back to updating this week.

2004-03-18T04:36:00.000-08:00

SURVIVOR/AMERICAN IDOL

Last night was not a good night for TV viewing at my house. First I forgot that Survivor was on on Wednesday this week instead of Thursday and it wasn't until my friend called at 7:20 to remind me that I turned on the TV. Well, a dilemma....American Idol came on at 7:30 and I just had to see who got the boot last night. I decided I'd watch about 10 minutes of Survivor, flip over to AI and then flip back and forth on commercials. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. We had big thunderstorms here last night and the weather people cut into Survivor with "Live Updates". Okay people, it's rain! Geez! So, I didn't get to even watch 10 minutes of Survivor. Fine, I'll switch over and watch AI.

The beginning of AI was a showing of their cheesy Ford ads and a tour of the house they are staying in with more cheesy staged bits. Alright, after the break Clay Aiken will sing for us. Yippee! I love Clay and couldn't wait to see him. We come back from break and just as Clay takes the stage a weather alert beeps across the screen. I can see Clay just can't hear him. About 20 seconds before his song ends the sound comes back. What little I heard sounded great. Okay...I missed Survivor, I missed Clay's singing but at least I'll get to see who is booted tonight. Sigh.....it wasn't in the cards. Another alert just as Ryan started to go down the contestants and then I get a black screen which didn't ever come back.

I had to look at other sites this morning just to find out what happened on two of my favorite shows. I can tell you that Ethan got the boot on Survivor and Leah was booted on AI, other than that I've got no tidbits. I'm glad to see both go. Ethan is a whiner and Leah...well the girl just can't sing very well.

That's it from me today. I'm out of town until next Thursday so no Forever Eden or AI posts next week but I should be able to report on Survivor, assuming that they don't switch nights on me again and the weather cooperates.

If you read these posts and like what you see drop me an email. My email address is on the links. Let me know if you have any suggestions or ideas to make the site better.

2004-03-17T04:29:00.000-08:00

AMERICAN IDOL

WOW!! WHAT A SHOW! I hope you didn't miss the two hour event last night where we got to see the final 12 together for the first time. I have to agree with Randy and Paula that this is the best final 12 ever. All of them are very talented when compared to other seasons, though some obviously shine much brighter. It was a great, great show. Even Simon was impressed by more than one of the contestants which is pretty amazing in and of itself. I really like Simon and I have to say that usually I agree with his assessment of the various contestants, one thing has been bothering me though. Has anyone else noticed that he isn't smiling as much this season? Not that he ever was real jovial, but he just seems very pissy this season. Hmmm...don't know what that is all about.

Okay, for those of you who have been living under a rock and don't know who your final 12 are here is a list for you, along with nicknames I have coined for them:

Amy Adams (nickname Pinkie), 24, California
Camile Velasco (Pancake Girl), 18, Hawaii
Diana DeGarmo (Minnie Mouse), 16, Georgia
Fantasia Barrino (Fantasic), 19, North Carolina
George Huff (Smiley), 22, Louisiana
Jasmine Trias (Flower Girl), 17, Hawaii
Jennifer Hudson (Mop Head), 22, Illinois
John Stevens (Sinatra), 16, New York
Jon Peter Lewis (Creepy), 24, Idaho
LaToya London (Sleeper), 25, California
Leah LaBelle (Teeny Bopper), 17, Washington
Matthew Rogers (Opera Man), 25 California

Okay, with the introductions out of the way, I will say it again...last night was a GREAT show! It is going to be tough to eliminate people in this group because they are all good, though last night was the strongest performance for all of them. My prediction for the winner is Jasmine Trias, though that is subject to change from week to week. My favorite is Camile, I love her voice and there is something so sweet about her that I just adore, though last night she was scared out of her mind and didn't give her best performance. My least favorite among the group is Jon Peter Lewis; he's creepy y'all! I know he's probably a great guy and his voice is okay I guess, but there is something about him that creeps me out! Simon's is right, he looks like a pen salesman and that dancing...don't get me started on that!

Here is the breakdown from last night. The theme was Soul Music.

First up we had LaToya "Sleeper". She sang "Ain't Nobody" like nobody's business! She seems to be the quiet one of the group, the one you forget who she is until she opens her mouth and belts out a tune. Great way to start off the show. Strong, strong vocals, though I couldn't quite figure out what was going on with her hair. Spikey odd mess that was. I predict she'll make it through tonight.

Next was Amy "Pinkie". I like Amy, I really do. She seems like she is a funny, neat person, but I have not been impressed yet with her singing. Don't get me wrong, she's okay, like I said earlier, they are all good, but she doesn't compare to some of the heavy hitters this season and won't make it too far, though there are others who will go out before her. Her voice is strong in the middle and lower ranges, but for whatever reason she keeps trying to hit high notes and her voice gets very weak and airy up there. Not a very good performance of "You Make Me Feel Brand New". Sorry Amy. She'll make it through tonight though.

Matt "Opera Man" sang "Hard to Handle". Like Amy it was just okay. Not good, not bad, just okay. He likes the camera and is a good performer but the voice just isn't quite right. He'll make it through tonight but he's not going to be in the top three.

Camile "Pancake Girl" from Hawaii. My favorite person of the show sang "Son of a Preacher Man" and it wasn't very good at all. I'm sad about it. She has the most interesting voice and the neatest personality but was scared out of her wits singing last night and looked like she was in pain with those facial expressions. Simon was right on when he said that she didn't have confidence in herself and until she believed she deserved to be up there she was not going to do well. Come on Camile...we believe in you, belt it out! I voted for her several times just to try to keep her in there. I think she'll be safe tonight but really needs to overcome those doubts to make it to the top three.

Jon Peter "Creepy" sang "Drift Away". Did I mention that he is creepy? I almost turned off the tv when he started. The song, the vocals, the crazy dancing....please vote him off! Unfortunately he'll probably be safe tonight but I just don't see him in the top three. Get rid of him people so I don't have to suffer any more!

Fantasia "Fantastic" sang "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and blew everyone away. She lived up to her nickname and the audience loved her. She looks so comfortable on stage and owns her songs! She will make it to the top three for sure and may walk away with it all.

George "Smiley" sang "Dock of the Bay" and he too got the audience involved. Now I've always liked George's personality, but haven't been too crazy about his voice. I mean it's okay, but never really blew me away. Last night though I thought he was great and I'm slowly becoming a fan. He'll make it far and may even make it into the top three if one of the others messes up along the way. He seems very consistent in his performances and I don't see him making any big blunders.

Jennifer "Mop Head" was looking very nice last night. The judges have given her a hard time from day one about her clothes and last night she was styling. Jeans and a jacket, looked good on her and for once you could focus on her voice. She sang "Baby I Love You". I've never heard the song and I wasn't really impressed with her singing last night, I felt like she was shouting at me. Based on her other performances though it is clear she can sing and will make it through tonight and probably will be in the top three.

John "Sinatra" Stevens. I love John. He's unique, he's old fashioned, he loves his grandparents. He cannot sing anything other than old Sinatraesque songs. His version of "Lately" was terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible. Painful to listen to. Bored me and Randy Jackson to tears. He will go far in his singing career, but not far on this show. He may leave tonight.

Leah "Teeny Bopper". Sigh....what can I say about Leah. She is my top pick to leave tonight. I'm not sure how I feel about Leah. At times she comes across as a spoiled brat and then at other times she seems sweet. She's only 17 and her voice is okay, it's just not great. I still think the only reason Paula picked her in the Wild Card Show was because she reminds Paula of herself. Her version of "Set Me Free" was off key and terrible. Her or John will be going home I'm afraid and if it's Leah she'll take it hard I'm sure.

Jasmine "Flower Girl" had the top performance of the night. "Inseparable" was her song and she touched everyone there. I didn't know she had it in her. She will make it to the top three, and is my pick this week to win the whole thing if she is consistent with her singing and song choices. Funny thing is that I don't remember her ever singing that well so I'm not sure about how consistent she'll be, but last night was her night for sure.

Finally we have Diana "Minnie Mouse" who sang "Think". In my opinion she was the second best performance of the night and will make it to the top three or four. She is always consistent, always good and her smile is infectious. I voted for her as well because she was so good.

Well, that's it for last night's show. Tune in tonight to see how it all turns out.

2004-03-16T04:28:00.000-08:00

FOREVER EDEN

Cast of characters:
Neveen David
Shawna Matt
Brooke Wallace
Cassie Jason
Liz Michael
Jordan

Why I like this show I'm just not sure, but so far I am just unable to turn it off! Although it's about a group of 20 somethings who act like they are living in a frat house and I have absolutely nothing in common with them I keep watching....hmm...must be something wrong with me. Okay, enough about my craziness, on to last nights show.

We start off with a look back at the last banishment ceremony when all the girls pick Neveen to leave. She is obviously p.o.ed at the girls for picking her and in the solo camera shots she tells us how she can't trust any of them and is mad but will not show it...yet. She says that she knows it will come out sooner or later because "you can't bottle all that up forever". Hm. Don't really like this girl very much. Can't say why but she annoys me for some reason.

Then we see scenes in the lounge where Matt, the appropriately named "Dog" of the group, is groping all the girls and generally acting like an idiot. I feel sorry for him that his parents couldn't' afford braces for that overbite because he looks about as stupid as he apparently is. They should have booted him last night. Why oh why is he still there?! Please people, get him off the show so I don't have to suffer through watching him any more!

David and Liz are attracted to each other and spend some quality time at the bar talking about how different they are then the rest of the group, who are currently getting naked to semi-naked and hooting it up in the pool. David and Liz and sure high on themselves and talk about how they just wouldn't do things like that. Actually of the group they are on the top of my list for people I like so I won't dog them too much.

Shawna and Brooke are in the pool naked swimming with Jordan, who we saw in boxers...yuck! Where is the editing? Then Shawna and Brooke go to shower and Jordan follows them in and keeps dropping the soap to get peeks. Weirdo! Finally we are introduced to our new cast member in Eden. Jason is his name and he is buff with tattoos and the general consensus among the group is......he's a meat head. His video disclosure tells us that he likes to be in charge and wants to stir up trouble. Well, he manages to do just that.

His first night in Eden Jason gets the apple and a necklace. Ruth tells him that the apple for him is good and he is to be crowed the first Adam of Eden and that by the next day he must pick a girl to be his Eve. Everyone sort of freaks at the news, lots of jealousy...he just got here and he's got power sort of thing.

They all get to make costumes out of various flowers and leaves for the big beach party in honor of Adam. Ruth shows up and tells the group the deal with the apple and that Jason gets to pick his Eve and whomever he picks cannot turn down the request and that together they will choose the next man to be banished. Gasps all around. As Jason takes each girl aside to talk to her the guys now are talking about how he's not so bad after all.

Jason gives the necklace to Shawna who really doesn't want it, though all the girls say they don't want it. Matt feels threatened and is just sure that he is leaving. Michael feels he's leaving and Jordan suspects he might be the "double twist" whatever the heck he means by that. Jordan sucks up to Shawna telling her that they really should knock Matt off; I don't like Jordan but I have to agree with him on that point. He is slightly less annoying that Matt.

At the ceremony Ruth says each man's name and asks Adam and Eve if that man is spared or banished. Finally the two left are Matt and Jordan. They choose to banish Jordan. He is mad, mad. Shawna won't look at him as Ruth is telling him that he must gather his things and leave immediately. Jordan lashes out at Shawna saying "Keep looking forward Sweetheart." Shawna replies, "No worries Jordan." He must give half his coins to a man and he chooses to give them to Wallace. He sulks off and tells the camera what a backstabbing scoundrel Shawna is.

Later we see Shawna crying to Brooke about how bad she feels about voting off Jordan and that all the pressure was on her to decide since Jason didn't know anyone yet. Meanwhile Jason is in the bar with Michael telling him that he is powerful and why he choose to vote off Jordan and that Matt is an idiot...blah, blah, blah. Michael in the private video says that he doesn't like Jason and he is talking too much about his game plan.

At the end we see Matt in his private video being cocky about staying....Please, PLEASE people get rid of him!! We also get a preview of next week when Claudia, a sorority girl from Nashville will arrive in Eden and one of the women will be banished.

That's it for last night's show. Tune in for the 2 hour special of American Idol tonight!

2004-03-11T20:22:00.000-08:00

SURVIVOR

Colby's gone!! Is anyone else as happy as I am? I used to like Colby, but on this season of Survivor I couldn't stand him!! Talk about a big ego! He was irritating the snot out of me and I, for one, was happy to see him go! I've been surprised this season that some of my past favorites I now find just plain irritating. Rupert and Tom for example. I LOVED Rupert last season and wanted him to win, but now...well, I wouldn't say I dislike him but I find him just plain annoying. I mean a house foundation built IN the sand??? Come on now?! And Tom...quit the booze friend. You act like an idiot when you drink. Anyway...I digress.

The show started off with what we thought would be the reward challenge. Turns out to be an interesting twist. The challenge was reward and immunity all rolled into one. Interesting. On top of that, the team that wins gets to pick one member of the losing team to take with them for the reward, and that person is not eligible to be voted out at tribal counsel. The reward? To leave the island and have a bar-b-que meal complete with a full bar. As Jeff always says, "Worth playing for?" The teams thought so.

So the challenge starts. The two teams are placed on platforms out in the water and must swim out and release puzzle pieces which when put together form a boat. Take the boat, paddle to shore. Mogo, Mogo really pulls ahead in this part of the challenge. I mean they had a BIG lead. Of course Ethan (a whiner in my opinion who just needs to go home) manages to break one of the teams two paddles trying to put one of the boards in place that secures the puzzle/boat. Brilliant Ethan!! Good move! Chapera has trouble putting their puzzle/boat together but finally gets it done and is chasing Mogo Mogo to shore.

Once on shore it's a run into the jungle to cut a rope which raises a flag and releases more oars. Of course the oars are tied and you must untie them then run back to shore, get on your boat and paddle back out to the start. First one there with all 6 tribe members, boat and paddles wins. Sounds easy enough. I thought Mogo Mogo had it, but they send Ethan into the jungle. He can't get the rope around the oars untied. Chapera sends in Boston Rob (who is the ultimate Survivor) who is in and out and back on the boat before Ethan knows what hit him. Long story short, Chapera wins and selects Kathy to join them.

A yacht comes to pick the winners, and Kathy, up for their reward. We get to see the group pig out on burgers, hot dogs etc... They looked like a pack of starving dogs! Shoveled that food in as fast as they could. Lots of drinking, laughing and eating. They also got to hit golf balls off the back of the yacht. Funniest thing I ever saw! First time Rob tried to hit the ball he falls flat on his backside and then on a later swing he loses his grip on the iron and sends it sailing into the sea! Tom also does some serious fishing (not). 4 poles and he still can't catch a fish! The yacht docks at what the group calls "an oasis" and they once again pig out on a dessert buffet and then do some swimming by a beautiful waterfall. As Kathy, who gets along very well in this group, watches some of the group jumping in the water she muses that what Chapera has that Mogo Mogo doesn't is FUN. Ah...ya think? I mean Mogo Mogo is BORING! Then we see the sunset trip back. Kathy divulges that she and Lex and Shii Ann vote along the same lines and we see drunk Tom (we've seen a lot of drunk Tom this season haven't we).

Meanwhile, back at Mogo Mogo the group returns from the challenge upset and dejected and whiny Ethan apologizes for losing the reward. He feels like the loss is his fault (no...really?). Shii Ann and Jerri are catty and we hear Shii Ann talk about how Jerri really annoys her and then Colby telling us how he can't stand either of them. And I can't anyone but Lex on that whole team! The scheming starts with Ethan and Colby deciding they are going to get rid of Jerri and they tell Lex. Lex runs to Jerri and they plot, along with Shii Ann to vote off Colby. Lex explains that with a merge coming up they need to take the chance to get rid of Colby now because he'll be too strong in the individual challenges. Shii Ann is the swing vote and at tribal council we really see how disfunctional this group is. Lots of arguing and eye rolling before we finally find out that by a vote of 3-2 Colby is kicked out of the tribe. Yay!!!

Favorite quotes of this episode:

Tom talking about the yacht, "...it's like a house trailer floating."

Ethan about feeling he failed the tribe at the challenge, "...the tribe sees me as a powerhouse at challenges." (who said that? I never heard anyone say that.)

Rob on golfing, "...I was on a championship golf team in high school." (that must have been a looonnnngg time ago Rob).