Thursday, October 30, 2008

Survivor Gabon – Episode 7

Last Week: Fang voted off Kelly, Randy has a fun time over at Kota.

It’s day 19 at Fang and Matty reminds us that there is no food. He’s become hopeless about everything. Crystal trips the rice box and Matty wants to kill her. After the rice is ready, Crystal decides not to eat as a form of punishment. Kenny tells us that Matty/Ace are against Crystal.

After the abridged opening, it is day 20 at Kota and the tribe sits around and laughs. Dan is worried about the Charlie/Corrine/Marcus alliance he confronts them and voices how he wants to be part of a group. Corrine and Marcus call Dan paranoid; Corrine goes far enough to think that he was a fat kid when he was younger.

At the reward challenge, the contestants play keep away with a breakable ball. Monkey in the middle with a small rope course in between. The winner gets a picnic and a helicopter ride. Kota sits out Charlie and Corrine.

First round has Randy & Ace attacking. Randy’s aggressiveness gives Kota a point. Round two has Sugar & Bob. Bob gets really pushy and Sugar giggles around for the whole time. Bob tackles people and Sugar looks really useless. Eventually a toss messes up and Kota gets a point. Dan & Matty are attacking for round three. Dan’s aggressiveness gets Kota the last point and the win. Kota sends Sugar to Exile again. Matty calls her useless. Kota gets helicoptered away.

Majestic music plays as Kota gets a wonderful view of Gabon. They get a picnic by a crater/cliff.

Fang is depressed. Matty is losing his spirit. He complains about Sugar and how usless she is to the game, citing her poor showing at the reward challenge. Matty tries to get Ace to vote off Sugar. Ace tries to calm her down by convincing him to vote off Crystal. Crystal and Ken on the other hand, want to blindside Ace.

Back to the wonderful picnic, everyone stops when a man brings them letters from home. The emotions start to come out, especially from Bob. He sits by himself, cries, and kisses his letter. He feels like a lucky man for even being here.

Over at Exile Island, Sugar is in her shack. She sits in a hammock and eats an apple. She hopes that her teamwork with Ace doesn’t get messed up.

The next day is another challenge. Sugar comes back and Jeff tells us what the challenge is. Firstly, both tribes are going to vote out someone, and everyone can try for individual immunity. The challenge is a log roll, one on one, and it doesn’t matter who they are taking on. There is also a twist, to be announced later.

Dan takes on Ace first. After being calm, Ace beats Dan. Charlie takes on Crystal and Crystal falls right over. Marcus/Matty take on each other and Marcus wins. Randy takes on Susie and Susie falls over. Ken takes on Sugar and after a second, Ken falls over. Bob takes on Corrine and he mentions the Lumberjack contest he’s won in College. Bob tries to scare her with a dance and it works.

Round 2: Charlie goes up against Ace and in a close heat, Ace wins. Marcus vs. Randy and Randy falls in. Sugar/Bob and after Bob slips, Sugar wins.

The final round is a three for all between Ace, Sugar, and Marcus. Ace is in the middle. It is quite intense between the three, but Sugar falls in first. After some battling, Ace finally loses his balance and goes in. Marcus is the winner, the twist is that Marcus has to give immunity to someone in the other tribe and he gives it to Sugar. Marcus hopes that she holds on to the Hidden Immunity idols. And out of nowhere, Sugar has all the power in Fang.

Back at Fang they think about who’s next at Kota. They speculate Randy or Susie. Ken tries his best to convince Sugar to vote with him and Crystal. He explains about Matty wanting to get rid of Sugar and how Ace controls her. Sugar doesn’t fully trust anyone. Ken just hopes his talk works. Ace wants to get the idol from Sugar, he tries to weasel his way back. Sugar starts to believe Ken, but still is confused.

At tribal council Jeff asks Sugar about camp life. Sugar talks about the lack of rice. Rice is valuable. Matty talks about Crystal and she snaps at him. Ken makes the most sour of faces hoping that Crystal would be quiet. Ace’s wandering accent tries to talk to Crystal as she snaps back to him. Sugar calls them petty. They go to vote. The votes we get to see is Crystal (who votes for Ace) and Matty (who votes for Crystal).

Jeff gets the votes and they are: Ace, Crystal, Ace, Crystal, and Ace (the last reading Ace-hole). In a great blindside, Ace is sent home. Matty is shocked.

We’re back to afternoon with Kota. Dan is worried and tries to get reassurance from Marcus. The onion alliance decides to replace Bob with Randy. Randy points out how Susie could jump ship. Charlie points out the only way to have Susie gone is if Susie explodes. In a conversation with Corrine, Susie accidentally self-destructs herself by telling Corrine how she doesn’t do work. Corrine finally emerges as the bitch from previews and she turns to Randy with her hissy-fit. Randy agrees. Corrine decides to turn to Charlie and Marcus. They point out the clear risk, but worry about the hidden immunity idol that Dan doesn’t have.

At council, Marcus talks about the power play after merges. Susie talks about strengths and she says that she’s stronger than Corrine (at least). Corrine snaps at her. Randy calls himself an 8 on the explode-o-meter. Dan talks about worrying too much. Charlie talks about trust into a merge. Can the vote be a mistake? Corrine doesn’t know. As they vote we see Susie voting for Dan, Dan voting for “Suze” and Marcus voting for Susie.

Jeff reads the votes: Suze, Dan, Dan, Susie, Dan, Susie, and Dan. In a close race Dan is eliminated 4-3.

Next Week:
Randy calls himself the King of the game as he drinks a martini. He may swim around naked.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

America’s Next Top Model Episode 9: Planes, Trains, and Slow Automobiles



Last Week: Elina and Sheena faught. The commercials were a plus for Analeigh but bad for Joslyn. Joslyn vomited in a blue garbage can, which was quite graphic, but didn’t get any sympathy from Tyra and she was sent home.

The girls return in high spirits and pack for Amsterdam. Elina still talks about how she covers from control. McKey wants to make it to the top, and would rather have wanted Joslyn around. The sexy six fly over.

The girls are introduced to Daphne Deckers, the host of Holland’s Next Top Model. She decides to send the girls out into the city, in pairs, . Team 1 is Analeigh & Marjorie, Team 2 is McKey and Sheena, Team 3 is Elina & Samantha. They have to first get a train over.

Team one thinks that US Currency is accepted. Team three struggles in the beginning due to Elina running in sandals. Sheena has a stereotype of Amsterdam involving sex and marijuana. They have to find a phone to get their next clue. They have to make it to Dam Centrum. They have to use another phone to call for an address. The taxi that the girls take takes a little longer than expected and Samantha & Elina are the first team. Marjorie & Analeigh are second. McKey and Sheena are team number three. Wow, a small tinge of Amazing Race pops up.

There is some Tyra mail and the girls don’t understand it. Marjorie, Elina, and Analeigh have what Samantha calls “A Lesbian Party” and the other three girls can’t stand it.

Elina is happy about the apartment because it reminds her of Ukraine. McKey is annoyed again.

The girls make it to their challenge. Sheena is worried as the girls walk down the red light district. Ms. Jay tells us that there is a Red Light Fashion Amsterdam challenge. The girls are put in pairs. These teams are Sheena/Marjorie, McKey/Samantha, and Analeigh/Elina.

Edwin is the designer for Samantha/McKey and his team is doll house. Samantha is happy to sell clothes and not her body. Jan is Analeigh/Elina’s designer and it just looks awkard. Sheena/Marjorie have a “freaky, crazy” designer and she decides to go crazy.

Analeigh struggles with the light and the little dangling things by the window. For the dolls, Samantha & McKey really worked like a team. Sheena & Marjorie on the other hand tried to be more edgy. Marjorie understood the poses and the poses. Sheena was too feminine.

We are introduced to another worker from Red Light Fashion Amsterdam: Mariette. She tells us that the prize is that they get to go to fashion week. Jay goes through all the results: Jay loved Marjorie, but Sheena was too hoochie. Samantha was better than McKey, but both did well as a team. Jay liked Elina, but didn’t like Analeigh getting stuck. The winners are McKey and Samantha.

There is some Tyra “post” involving a “voyage.” Samantha talks to the other girls about how she’s uncomfortable about prostitution. Elina argues some more with Samantha.

My Life as a Cover Girl: Whitney goes shopping. She then puts on make-up and looks like a dead ringer for Anna Nicole Smith.

After the commercials, the girls are whisked away to a body of water. Jay Manuel tells the girls about Amsterdam’s shipping industry. The girls get to wear period pieces with a model twist. Andy Tan is the photography and his portfolio is quite interesting.

McKey emerges and is a little woozy. She really wants to get a first place callout. McKey really works some editorial angles. Jay reminds Samantha to be really editorial. She tries some angles but they don’t work. After some coaching, she does better. Sheena reminds us that she’s not going to be hoochie. Sheena tries some kicks unsuccessfully. Sheena then straddles a beam like a hooker. Elina gloats after having extra frames. She tries to focus and has very controlled poses. She doesn’t listen to Jay until the endpoint. Analeigh is next and she needs to work the natural poses from the figure skating. She finally gets it and has some amazing poses. Marjorie starts off a little awkwardly, but after taking some advice from Jay she does well.

After the Tyra mail reminds us that someone is going home the girls talk about tension. Sheena reminds us that she is fighting. Elina worries about the control issues.

Tyra greets the girls to the new judging panel and judges. Our guest judge is Daphne, whom we’ve met before. Elina is first, she gets applauded for her wins. Her shot is a good pose, but Paulina points out the horrible fingers. Tyra thought she was too stiff in her photos. Sheena gets criticized a little bit for the clothes. Her shot has a great face and good clothes, but her pose was bad. Tyra almost picked the kick shots. Analeigh’s shot goes over well with the judges. McKey gets applauded for the clothes, Nigel likes the freakiness. Her shot has legs to it. Marjorie’s photo went well, except for a mysterious emerging arm. Daphne calls her meek. Samantha is last, but her clothes are questionable. Tyra decides to try helping and Ms. Jay gives her his pants. It doesn’t help. The photo on the other hand is really nice and she controls the shot.

Top Models In Action: Katarzyna is signed by Elite and is doing well. Maybe even a little better than the actual winner Whitney.

The judges deliberate. Elina’s vote is broken. Sheena’s face is great, but her body is not. McKey is great. Analeigh has been improving. Marjorie’s shot is okay, but Daphne calls her Bambi. The judges think that Samantha’s shot was amazing, but is a little too commercial the rest of the time. The judges finally decide.

Tyra calls out the names: McKey, Analeigh, Marjorie, Samantha. Our bottom two are Sheena & Elina. Tyra tells Elina that she’s not a model in front of the judges and re-mentions the control. On the other hand, Sheena is the opposite and struggled with photos. Elina’s name is called. Tyra wants her to loosen up. Sheena is thanked for being there. Tyra calls her a star. She hugs the girls and packs.


Next Week:
Tyra does a shot with the girls. They also go through go-sees.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Dancing with the stars Week 6 results:




Last night some celebrities struggled with injuries. Some struggled with dancing. Others struggled with the hip-hop. Along with that Michael Flatley was kind of flat and flattering.

We’re reminded in the video that Cody may (and will) survive for next week and have Edyta. People like Warren and Lance did well. Maurice & Cloris struggled.

We’re given a small breakdown of each contestant, a commercial, and a preview of Michael Flatley’s performance. Boy does his fedora hat look “Freddy Kreuger” and with fire? Quite intimidating.

The group re-does their hip-hop as the encore. Susan is still bad, Brooke doesn’t put as much effort into this. Cody performs by himself. Cloris and Corky are in the background and I really don’t remember them being there last night. They end up sneaking to the front again for the final group pose.

We’re given the score rundown again. I forget how often they recap what happens the night before. Our first two teams who are safe tonight are: Lance & Lacey followed by Cody with no partner at the moment. I hope Cody could match the chemistry that he has with Julianne. How old is Edyta again?

Ballroom Children Time! Craig & Samantha (13 and 11) are brother and sister. Their younger sister was on last season. Samantha is a diva and Craig is annoying. He drops her in practice. The dance the Cha-Cha (Cha) and right off the bat I can see that Craig has quite strong lines dancing. Samantha on the other hand, looks a little too constipated in the face. Getting back to the dancing, they do great. They cover a lot of area for their heights. Michael thought it was sensational. Bruno thought it was fantastic. Carrie Ann gives them a “Woo-hoo.” She’s slowly turning into Paula.

Simon & Lucy (Both 13) have danced for a year. Lucy does ballet. Simon was paid to dance by his mother when he started. They cook together as an outside activity. They also won first in some national competition. They dance the Samba to “Steal My Sunsine” which automatically gives them a good grade from me. I’m easily swayed. I’m surprised how leggy both kids are. They are also quite flexible. Their parents cheer from the side. Carrie Ann thought it was great, she points out the shapes Lucy made. Michael was also impressed. Bruno likes that they were having fun; he also applauds Lucy’s extensions.

The Judges results are: Craig & Samantha, Craig & Samantha, & Craig & Samantha. This is our first sweep for the season. Usually Len plays the curveball and makes it look like it was close.

The Pussycat Dolls are next, along with Missy Eliot. I loved the fact that the dolls are both musicians and performers. This dance brings them back to similar burlesque beginnings. I always applaud Nicole because she can sing and dance. Breathing is a hard thing. Missy Elliot shows up and she’s looking quite good. I remember her back in the days of trash bags. Hey! Another pussycat doll actually had a part? That’s good. They all pose at the end and I got to applaud the one doll in the back who posed with the insane split.

Edyta is back and Cody seems a little nervous and oddly turned on. Edyta’s accent is quite sexy as she compliments Cody’s dancing. Julianne, according to Cody, is doing well and is at home. Lance (on the other hand) is gleaming after beating Brooke. Apparently there is a “Team Dance” where Team A takes on Team B. Interesting.

One more couple is safe: Warren & Kym.

Michael Flatley does a Capone-influenced routine. He comes out with a very fierce model walk, I must admit. His tapping is also quite good. It just looks like a ‘20s iPod commercial. The sirens come in and he’s in the middle of the stage on a box. He taps a little and dust starts emerging. I wonder if the tapping sounds were recorded before, because it seems a little out of sync. It seems as though there is a little white taped area where he has to stay or else he gets burned. The fire starts to emerge and he taps even faster. He jumps past and explosion! The end.

Our next montage is a mix of physical vs. mental skills. We have a marine and a psychologist talking about things. Misty-May’s coach mentions a little bit of both. The first key term is focus. Brooke has family, Cody needs to focus. Maurice is the hardest worker. The pressure is high. Susan is a perfectionist. Warren’s NFL background is his strength. Confidence is another key. Lance needs confidence. Cloris has too much confidence.

We have the rest of the results: Brooke & Derek are safe, Maurice & Cheryl are also safe. Cloris & Corky and Susan & Toni are our bottom two. After the commercial we are told that Cloris & Corky have finally had their last dance. She thanks all the judges and then sits on the dance floor. She laughs and says that she’s not leaving. She will sit in the audience next week. Corky has an interesting way of lifting Cloris and they go to their final dance.

Next Week: I’m intrigued by this team dance. We’ll have to see how exactly it all plays out.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Dancing With The Stars: Week 6



Last Week:
Toni finally went home after being quite mediocre. I guess it's another sad love song (zinger!)

This week we have a guest judge. Everyone is so sparkly this week. Maybe because I’ve been on Dancing withdrawal and a lack of Project Runway doesn’t help. Tom reminds us that Michael Flately is our guest judge. Apparently he is the highest paid dancer. Samantha reminds us that there is a hip hop routine.

Maurice & Cheryl – Maurice’s Salsa was good. He’s finally back to Ballroom. His last ballroom dance was week one. Cheryl is a little frustrated about Maurice’s musicality. Maurice is as well. Poor Cheryl, she looks kind of fat in the waltz outfit. Maurice is stiff and it seems like Cheryl is doing all the work. She looks like she was leading the whole dance. Michael seems a little less judgmental, but calls out the planned-ness in his eyes. Carrie Ann calls out a lack of chemistry. Bruno doesn’t think that there was any grace and fluidity. The scores are 7, 7, and 7.

Lance & Lacey – Lance fell on his bum. Lacey was pimping herself out. The two are in Florida, where *Nsync practiced. Chris & Joey visit, Joey gives some of his tips on how to survive this show. Lance starts off sliding down the banister and acts like a fool, until he’s back with Lacey. He definitely captured the spirit of the Jive. His kicks could have been sharper but, everything was lively enough that I could forgive him. Bruno liked it a lot. Michael doesn’t want to hear the whole lack of confidence edit. Carrie Ann goes all Bruno in her remarks; she makes it sound like Len died. The scores are 9, 9, and 9. That’s a great recovery.

Susan & Tony – Susan was very mannequin-like in her hustle. She wants to be more fiery, but she is having trouble bringing it out. Tony decided to bring her (and other soap stars) to a Mambo club. She captured the spirit of the club into her practices. She still has a little façade in her dancing, but I can’t fault the decent technical dancing. Her weird lift-kick section was awkward. Her arms seem very off too. She ends with a cat scratch-meow-zer. Carrie Ann thought she broke the box (I really didn’t think she did). Bruno noted that the timing was really off. Maybe that’s what was the problem. Michael thinks Bruno & Carrie Ann should be married, he also thinks it was a little off, but forgivable. The scores are 8, 8, and 7.

Brooke & Derek – Brooke aced the jitterbug, but she hurt her right foot. Derek had to choreograph by himself as Brooke went through some physical recovery with a doctor. Derek is trying to push her hard, but he doesn’t want to hurt her. After the commercial, they dance the Rumba to “No Air.” She’s very smooth even with the leg injury. She still splits with the best of them. I feel as though there would have been more physicality if her foot wasn’t bothering her, but it was very smooth. Michael thought it was sensational; he loved how she was quite focused. Carrie Ann doesn’t think that this was her best dance, because the injury showed. Bruno thought she was under par. The scores are 8, 10, and 8. Guest judges.

Cloris & Corky – Her salsa was decent enough. Corky is having a vintage Cha-Cha-Cha performed. They are like an old married couple. I’m sure he wants to kill her, so he brings George (her husband?). George gets her to focus. The theatrics are in full swing. Cloris still seems to stand around. It’s quite geriatric this week. Corky attempts the death spiral with Cloris, though I think she was ahead a few steps and thought she was going to do the spiral first. She’s in hysterics. Bruno called the Cha-Cha-Cha nonsense. Michael compliments Corky. Carrie Ann is a little sad that Toni Braxton was eliminated for this dance. Hah. Good point. The scores are 5, 5, and 5.

Cody & Julianne – They are gleaming after the 10, but Julianne had a stomach problem and Cody was very forgiving. Cody wants to make sure his posture is good. Julianne wants him to get into character and he gets a fake tan and black sprayed hair. I like the version of “Whine Up” for this Samba. Cody is heavily into character and after Cloris it looks amazing. They are smooth and they dance around covering a lot of area. Carrie Ann called the Samba intense; she loves the improvement. Bruno called the dance wrong and said that his moves were like Paso. Michael liked the character and determination, but thinks that there is more to this Cody kid. Julianne is going to get her appendix removed but will be paired with Edyta if he survives. The scores are 8, 8, and 7

Warren & Kym – The hustle was a lot of fun. They have the rumba (like Brooke) so they decide to have a character involving a love/hate relationship. As they dance, I’m still not sure how I feel about Kym’s hair, but their Rumba is what I was expecting. The moves are smooth and sexy. This is definitely Warren’s breakout night. Michael thought there should be more dancing, but he liked the spirit of the dance. Carrie Ann called it sexy and compares him to Emmet; she points out one awkward moment. Bruno also likes the character, but he made mistakes. The scores are 8, 9, and 8.

Group Dance – Old Skool Hip-Hop. Brooke says that this reminds her high school years. “Showtyme” is their choreographer. The group does a little bit of dancing and Cloris shows up and messes up everyone’s game. She eats a burrito as everyone sweats. Brooke needs to be iced. Each couple has solo time and truthfully, I hope this whole thing is funny. As the group does a pose together, Cloris looks like a ballerina.

Cody starts with a little beatbox. The music kicks in and Cloris and Corky are first and they look silly. Most of the young people are good. Susan struggles the most from my view. Cody’s bum is nice too. I like how Lacey and Kym have a section in front. Brooke and Warren battle a little bit. Did Lance do some “Bye Bye Bye” steps? Yeah, he did. Cloris mysteriously shows up in the end to pose. That was the silliest thing I’ve ever seen.

Bruno says some people looked Hip and others looked “Hip Replacement.” (I'm sure he meant Susan) He liked Cody. Michael praises everyone. Carrie Ann thinks that Cloris should be Flavor Flav for Halloween. She congratulates everyone.

The Scores
:

High:

Lance – 27
Brooke – 26
Warren – 25

Low:

Cody – 23
Susan – 23
Maurice – 21
Cloris – 15

Who’s going home? I think that Cloris will have a tough time trying to make 6 points, let alone overtake Maurice. Then again, I still think that most of Maurice’s votes come from Cheryl’s fans. I wouldn’t be surprised if Maurice went home though.

Amazing Race Episode 5 Recaplet:




Up: Nick & Starr
Out: Aja & Ty

Notes:


+ Airports aren’t always the equalizer. This episode can prove that.

+ I loved how the rankings of the first four teams kept going around. It shows a good aspect of how a race should be run: with brains, physical prowess, and driving luck.

+ The Detour really didn’t look to have much of a pro/con. Both ended in the same place and took about the same amount of time.

+ Dan & Andrew are bumbling and horribly lucky that they keep surviving week after week.

+ This roadblock could have been better to be done by a “weaker” teammate. I fear in the future if Toni has to do a physical task because she’s letting “Dal” do most of the work. Same goes for Starr.

+ It’s a smart thing to ask a monk when you’re in a temple for directions.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Survivor Gabon Episode 6




Previously on Survivor:
Kota is apparently kicking ass, Fang is eating too much. GC got too tired so they decided not to get rid of Sugar or Ace.

Fang returns a little depressed, but with a fire and a group vote, but Ace still is trying to work any angle that he can. Kelly couldn’t sleep. Matty talks about his girlfriend (and his dog). He is trying to make a “ring” to remind him of her. Then for about two minutes he turns into a surfer. He talks to Ace, who’s balding spot is showing. Matty thinks that he will keep Ken, Ace holds Sugar. They promise on mothers and girlfriends. That’s a little sexist. My woman is worthless to me. I’m sure he meant priceless.

It’s day 16 at Kota. The group all has a little bit of eating time. Dan has decided to commandeer more food. Corrine finally emerges as the “bitch” and complains about Dan as we watch shots of Dan eating rice with lettuce.

Over at Kota, they are worrying about the lack of rice. Ace suggests two meals. Ken clearly knows about rice so they decide to use his interview about it. Ace talks to Sugar about her having the idol and everyone knowing. Sugar thinks that she could sacrifice herself and give the idol to Ace just in case. What? If I were Sugar, I’d play it to get it out of the way. Ace interviews about having a lot of power, but an elephant decides to make his television debut and shuts Ace up. Thank you Elephant. Vote Elephant-Gorilla 2008.

The reward challenge takes place at some racetrack type field. Randy fist-pumps in excitement as he notices the lack of GC. The challenge is a snake challenge where they run around and chase each other around. This is basically that water/weight challenge. The reward is breads and Coffee/Tea. And of course, exile island. Kota sits out Corrine.

As the teams jog in circles, it seems as though Fang is ahead of Kota. I find it interesting that they put Kelly in front as she drags the team out. Kota clearly starts catching up to Fang as they die. Sugar and Kenny drop out as they all start running. They drop Kelly and the three start running. Kota drops Susie. Matty tries his best and forces Crystal to drop out. Eventually Ace’s pants decide to fall and Fang loses. Kota eats in front of Fang. Crystal is disillusioned and Randy makes some ass-y quack/whine noise. Sugar is sent to her shack again. Randy is all happy. Crystal calls Randy a troll. Not just a troll, a troll that lives under bridges and eats goats.

Kota returns all excited and happy. Especially Marcus who holds the bread in front of his crotch. Charlie suggests rationing. Original Kota tries to make sure that Dan doesn’t eat everything. Even with his pretty blue eyes. Randy tries to distance himself from Dan.

At Exile, Sugar’s fruit is guilting her. She eats the pineapple in depression.

Matty suggests to get everything done day 16. Kelly is a little tired of Crystal. Ace tries to convince Kelly that Crystal is weak and going to quit. Crystal decides to walk over to Ace and Kelly and makes sure that she’s not week. She points out a little bit of depression has waved over. Crystal as on Olympian, has pride. It must suck to lose as a gold medalist.

Day 17 and Kota is attempting to catch a turtle. Marcus uses his shirt and bob scoops him out. Susie is excited about turtle. Although Corrine made a little bid of a face, she and the rest of the tribe chow down.

Our immunity challenge is an obstacle course. There are three pairs. Net/Jungle/Pole combos. Then they add some more difficulty as each team goes. Kota sits out Susie.

The first pairs out are Bob/Randy and Kelly/Sugar. Randy’s lack of speed slows down Kota but the two get back pretty close even with the girls struggling under the net. Corrine/Charlie start crawling. Ace/Crystal start as C/C finish and continue running. Crystal’s size is a little bit of a detriment as they go through the weird stick blockade, but she starts to untie. Corrine finishes before Ace could get it. Ace gets smacked in the chest with the poles. Heh. Ace/Crystal catch up to the two C’s under the net. Dan and Marcus crawl fast. Matty/Ken gain a lot of time by being smart and nimble. Ken’s unknotting skill comes to an advantage and they had the lead for a while. Matty/Ken lose a little bit of time when Ken struggles. Everyone assembles around the same. Kota does well. Ace leads the group as he forces the wrong piece in the first one. Kota solves the puzzle and wins. Jeff hands the immunity to Corrine. Before commercial, Crystal mouths off about Ace.

Ace is worried about Kelly’s weakness. Matty wants to flush out the idol. Ace reassures him that it’s okay not to worry. They decide for Kelly. Crystal wants to blindside Sugar. Matty makes an Ace accent and says “Kelly.” Crystal is worried and “leery” and Ken figures it out. Ken knows that Matty is slipping. Matty’s promise…geez, you have too much standards on this show. Ken knows.

He decides to talk to Sugar. Sugar tells Ken that she gave the idol to Ace. He had a freak-out moment, no gamer would just toss a weapon. Sugar decides to hold on to the idol for the rest of the day after talking to Ken.

At tribal council Matty calls the tribe cursed. Kelly suggested that they can’t work together. Ace admits not being a group as he tried putting the square in the circle. Crystal admits to being able to vote Ace. Crystal admits to the crying. Kelly calls her “unstable” and Crystal flips on Kelly. And she uses the word “fuss-trated.” Kelly tries to throw Ace under the bus and Ace tries to snake his way out. Ace calls her a stupid blonde in his accent. Matty knows he’s safe but is still worried about the dynamic.

Ace votes and he votes “Kelli”. His is the only vote that’s shown to the audience. As Jeff gets the pot. Sugar decides not to play the idol and Jeff reads the votes. Kelli, Crystal, Kelly, Kelly, and Kelly (the last in big block letters). Her torch is snuffed and she walks away. *PS in the credits, Crystal gives Kelly the finger.

Next Week: Both tribes are doing a vote and everyone runs around confused. Matty voices Crystal. Randy voices Susie. Ken & Sugar suggest blindsiding Ace. Dan wants to get rid of Marcus. Matty thinks that he, Ken, and crystal are voting Ken. Corrine wants Dan out. Sugar mentions that everyone is voting for crystal. Susie okays (the Dan sentiment) and admits to Corrine that she would have voted Corrine. Hah. I like Susie.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

America’s Next Top Model – Episode 9

Two weeks ago: Tyra taught poses. Then Tyra believed that another one of her crazy ideas were amazing. This time she made her hamsters act like they were part of an awards show. Lauren (Brie!) fell and went home.

This week Sheena is worried that she’s not model-y and Elina is frustrated that she’s not open. She finally plays that “European” card. Marjorie agrees. Samantha tries to convince them that they have been in America since they were 8. Samantha, that’s stupid. Their parents taught them European standards at home. Marjorie and Elina play up the victim card. Sheena & Joslyn talk about being minorities but focusing about being themselves.

Tyra Mail! Ugh…whatever. The girls are reintroduced by the aswirl twins! Samantha is happy. They are teaching an accessory class. Handbags, scarves and hats. McKey looks silly and one twin shows her. Sheena turned a scarf into a hooch. Joslyn correctly uses a bag. Marjorie struggled with the skirt. When is a skirt an accessory? That’s a necessity.

The challenge is a green-screen challenge. James St. James explains that the girls are going to be in an avant-garde invisible runway challenge. It’s all about the clothes, no eyes, no expressions. Quite an interesting idea. The girls are given various dresses; none of which really looks Avant-Garde. Ann Shocket reveals the prize is an accessory shoot on Seventeen.

Elina complained how she couldn’t breathe. The music kicks in. She’s first and she lets go. McKey does a funny skirt fan. Marjorie’s dress turns into a skirt and it embarrasses her. Analeigh gives some good pearl action. Samantha tried to be very versatile, but struggled with her jacket. Joslyn does a strip tease with her belt. Sheena swirled to give the dress emotion. She basically didn’t stop swirling.

Joslyn got called out with the belt, Sheena swirled too much, Marjorie gets a dress call out. Elina was elegant. The winner is Elina. She has to pick two friends and she picks Marjorie and Analeigh. Sam is angry that the Atheist gets the “Christmas” photoshoot.

The girls get dolled up and take some shots. Analeigh looks a little too happy to be there.

Tyra Mail! Something about being prompt. Joslyn feels under the weather. Sheena uses teriyaki sauce and Sam makes some racist phrase, Sheena finds it funny. Elina doesn’t like it. Sheena finally explodes about ethnicity and atheism. Ooh, I think I found a degree of Marjorie I don’t like as she defends Elina.

MLAACV: She talks about how everyone is working for the same goal and how to use every part of the body as a Covergirl. She’s lucky that most were head shots because whoever was in charge of the clothes made her look quite fat.

It’s the next day and Elina & Sheena aren’t talking. Sheena calls it a battle between Good vs. Evil. Joslyn is sick.
The girls show up in a nice house. They are greeted by Jay and Whitney. She’s way too perky about this. She practiced too much. The girls get a teleprompter, but they still have to sound really relatable. Frank is our director. Sheena has some talk with Whitney.

Samantha is first. We find out that they only have 5 takes. Her first take was a little gawky, but not too bad. Joslyn is still sick and she keeps studying but is too distracted. Elina is still too controlled. After her talking to Jay, she tried her best to loosen up. McKey messes up by walking past her line, then gets a blond moment. Analeigh is great. She’s very Covergirl. We cut to a shot of Joslyn. She runs to a garbage can and she vomits. And we actually see it.

Marjorie is a little too fast when she speaks. As Jay gives her criticism, she gets emotional again. She goes again does better. Her arms flail a little too much. Sheena doesn’t get too Hoochy; it was believable and connectable. Jay gives Joslyn the okay if she has to stop and puke. Joslyn is too overemotional and is overdoing it. Jay says her last take was flat.

The Tyra Mail mentions the girls doing home. Marjorie (of course) is scared. She realizes that Joslyn is actually trying even though she’s sick.

Judging Time! This week Tyra tries to cover up her fat by wearing a poncho and a belt. Hello judges. And Frank the director. Tyra reminds us Cycle 6’s shoe challenge. This week she has a clog challenge. Out of all of them, Sheena seems the most comfortable and Samantha struggled a lot (she may have fallen in the back). She tells the girls that they are going to Amsterdam and the aswirl twins come out as Windmills and there’s some odd frame with stereotypical dutch boy and girl pic.

Sam’s commercial is first. Tyra points out that she had trouble with the prompter. Frank mentions that she mummers a little bit. Marjorie’s take was really fast. Her head looked like a chicken according to Jay. Analeigh aced the commercial and Tyra is blown away. Joslyn is quite drag and by that I mean that in a weird way. Joslyn’s laugh was fake and the acting was bad. Elina’s commercial was okay, but she lost her connection when she looked down. She still didn’t let go. Sheena’s commercial is still my favorite, but Jay didn’t like the snake-y ness. McKey struggles with her commercial; reminds me of Caridee’s commercials.

Top Models in Action: Jaslene is a really good model, but I think that it’s because she’s really thin and a good walker. And she has a really nice skin tone.

The judges deliberate: Nigel likes Sam. Marjorie worked the chicken for 2 seconds. Analeigh = great. Joslyn winks too much. Elina was too “tight” according to Paulina. Sheena was expressive and slinks. McKey was a good face, but not an actress. Paulina points out that the girls are either good commercial or good editorial, not both.

The photos this week are screen grabs. The winner is: Analeigh. She is followed by: Sheena, Samantha, Marjorie, McKey. Joslyn and Elina are the bottom two. They are different: strong photos and fading vs strong photos and tightness. Elina is safe. Joslyn is going home. Joslyn is a survivor and she’ll do well. Her photos overall weren’t too strong. *Wink*

Next week: Amsterdam! They run and do hoochie window posing.

America’s Next Top Model: The Odds & Wallpaper

Let’s take a look at the contestants and try to figure out who is gonna win by Tyra’s track record, contestant’s track record, and personal opinion. All photos are for widescreen monitors 1920 x 1200.

Elina –

Will Probably Finish: 7th
Odds of Winning: 1 out of Angelina Jolie
Elina is positioned as the multicultural/biracial model who can do a little bit of every ethnicity which means she could gather a lot of different work. Unfortunately for her she hasn’t been good at showing her emotions. Even when she did cry it looked kind of fake. The Covergirl commercial will be her weakness since she comes off as cold.


Analeigh –

Will Probably Finish: 6th
Odds of Winning: 1 in 5.5 (Though the Dutch judge gave her a 6)
Analeigh has been getting a lot of the “I’m the friend” edit from episode to episode, especially with the recap episode. He hasn’t been the strongest contestant, and is a little inconsistent with her photos. Her figure skating should be an advantage when it comes to posing, but it only helped once for the eye photoshoot.

Joslyn –
Will Probably Finish: 5th
Odds of Winning: 1 out of… how many E’s are in “Heeeeey!”
Joslyn has been fading continuously from week to week. It is disappointing I’m sure for Tyra since she loves having a lot of different ethnicities represent on this show and Joslyn is the only black girl left. This would probably mean an automatic ticket overseas. Her chipmunk voice may be a problem with Covergirl commercials and for Go-sees. She suffers from a lot of “Home Girl” poses. I think her profile shots are stronger than the head-on shots which may also be a problem.

Marjorie –


Will Probably Finish: 4th
Odds of Winning: 1 in 3 Hunchbacks
If Marjorie keeps dwelling on things, she will end up eliminating herself. If she grows and evolves, she can clearly win this. Tyra likes her posing skills and she has a very edgy-European appeal to her. If Tyra wants credibility she may pick someone like Marjorie (or McKey). Most of her photos are good, we’ll just hope that she has some personality with commercials and Go-sees.


Sheena –


Will Probably Finish: 3rd
Odds of Winning: None
Tyra wants an Asian winner. I think we all know that. Saying that, I don’t think that Sheena is the one. She has faded from camera since episode one after claiming that America will get “Sheena-fied.” She has shown model growth, like actually dressing like a model during deliberations. I fear though that Tyra wouldn’t want to pick someone with such a Hoochie edit. Unless that Hooker had a Heart of Gold and out of nowhere she shines in Covergirl commercials. She seems very connectable to the audience so that may be her saving grace.


Samantha –



Will Probably Finish: 2nd
Odds of Winning: Depends on Paulina
Samantha has a very lively personality. She has a strong portfolio. She’s apparently a throwback to 80’s models so that might be good. She has a very healthy look. After that natural disaster shot amazed the panel, she should continue to think on her feet and become the character. The awards show was a weak point where she over-acted.

McKey –



Will Probably Finish: 1st
Odds of Winning: I hope she doesn’t.
Why do I say “I hope she doesn’t” you may ask? Only one person I liked from the get-go won the competition and that was Season 5’s Nicole. So that means it’s like one out of every 5 or 6 seasons I’m right. A lot of winners have trouble booking jobs because of the title actually, but it all depends on the dedication of the model. Any who where was I? McKey has a gorgeous portfolio, although she may have a few drag moments. If she can do decently on the first Covergirl commercial, she has the potential to recover for the final shot. Depending on the Covergirl item they get, McKey may struggle (Eyeliner is the best for her chances of winning, Lipstick/Gloss is probably the worst case for her because of her mannish jaw line.).

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Dancing With The Stars: Week 4 Results


After four dances were tested out we realized that two dances were great the West Coast Swing and the Hustle. The judges deliberated about how good and bad the night turned out. Carrie Ann points Warren’s focus turning into fun. Maurice was really showing how why he’s an Olympian. Cody kept strong. Brook is still doing well… dare I call her Brooke Yamaguchi? Len decided that he can’t give 10s to the jitterbug. Toni held back too much. Lacey was trying to spotlight herself. Cloris with the same 21 as Lance was okay. Susan reverted to Susan Lucci again; bring me back some Erika Kane.

We’re reminded that Len is having a break next week and Michael Flatley aka the Lord of the Dance is going to be our judge. The encore tonight is Cody & Julianne’s jitterbug. Thinking about it now Julianne with that hairstyle looks very Christina Aguilera. Does someone think that Brooke is being ignored a little for these encores? Cody correctly does the slide tonight.

Brian Setzer! I didn’t know that this band existed still. Hasn’t it been three decades? Karina and Louis(the guy who looks like Lisa Rinna’s husband) are dancing in front and insanely fast. Tricks are just whizzing by me along with trombones. I love how gravity defiant Brian Setzer’s hair still is. More dancing and it’s still really intense.

After showing the leader board, we have two couples safe: Warren & Kym and Cloris & Corky. Corky snogs Cloris intensely. In the back Samantha tries to act “street” and she is so white it’s not even funny.

Little dancers time! Alisa & Anthony from LA and they call themselves BFFs. These two have a little too much hot air in them. The two jive and they are quite sharp for their kicking. Anthony uses a little bit of break-dance, Alyssa does a cartwheel. I never knew those were Jive steps. Len thought it was “fantastic.” Bruno liked the sharpness, and noticed the ballet for Alisa. Ballet = better lines. Carrie Ann loves their attitude.

Our competitors are Mitchell and Maria. They’ve been dancing together since 6. They dance a lot, weekdays and weekends. They do the stereotypical Rocky stairs at the museum. It’s cute actually. They are doing the Paso Doble. Quite intense for 12/13 year olds. If they come back I hope they do the Tango as well. It has passion and that’s something I guess I didn’t expect. I’m not sure about Mitchell’s hair but since that has nothing to do with the dancing it’s okay. Carrie Ann was blown away. Len loved the lines and the flavor. Bruno liked the power and sophistication.

The judges vote: Mitchell/Maria, Anthony & Alisa, Mitchell & Maria.

Up next is the big performance. Rich & Tone describe the dance as dancing through the decades. It has the 30’s, 60’s, 80’s and “Future” but I don’t know, they said The Jetsons was the future, but I still don’t see Rosie. They have apparently been planning for 6 months and have created the 30’s swooping stairs without banisters since the 30’s didn’t believe in safety. The costumes were stolen from a Macy’s department store; because everyone knows no one shops there anymore; okay I kid, I was there last week.

So the dance begins and the camera is somehow black & white and the two guys start with some tap. I love how the music is in mono and how it’s in black and white but the lights are colorful. Next we get a James Brown-inspired routine. I’m not impressed yet. I always wanted light up floors like that, even though I associated that with disco. The 80’s emerge and everyone is in their break outfits. There is a little bit of a break battle. It also has a small Michael Jackson Beat it feel and I’m waiting for him to quell the fighting. There are some insane flips. The future apparently involves robots. Wait a second. These had to be recorded in different corners. This whole performance is very underwhelming. Someone decided to put the budget in the lighting when they should have just had better dancing. Sure, there’s rain, but the whole thing overall was disappointing. And we get to blame Macy’s. They are so out of touch if they think that was good.

There is some video about contestants being surprised about each other. Lance & Toni are intimidated by Brooke. People intimidate others. They trash talk and then there’s some fire at the end. The next couples safe are: Cody & Julianne and Maurice & Cheryl.

After the break, we have the rest of the results. Our two safe teams are: Brooke & Derek and Lance & Lacey. Which means that Susan & Tony and Toni & Alec are the bottom two. The couple going home is: Toni & Alec. I guess she never got her breakthrough. At least her heart is doing better.

Next week Michael Flatley takes over. Maybe Susan will hurt her ankle more and then have to withdraw.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Dancing With The Stars Week 4: Skanky Hos and Ricky Ricardo


Last Week: Rocco finally went home. Although I appreciate his good looks: Yay!

I’m really excited about the new dance styles. I find it good for Lacey that they got West Coast Swing which is her specialty. I also still find the opening with Cody looking quite deer caught in the headlights. Hello Tom and other woman. Welcome “stars.” It’s been a week hasn’t it? Toni’s wig is looking quite interesting. It’s so weird; Lance and Lacey look like they were wearing normal outfits. I also recall that one of the last things with West Coast Swing was an episode of So You Think You Can Dance and Katee wore pants, so I assume that that’s they style. Each contestant is going to perform the same dance back to back against each other. Len explains each of the new dances and is quite exited.

Lance & Lacey – After emerging last week, this week Lance points out how he was the worst dancer. Lacey has decided to be quite positive. Lacey decided to bring her father, Benny. Her dad sees Lance’s potential. I got to say that they get the most interesting music of all the performers. The dance unfortunately really showcases Lacey so every little thing that Lance misses looks worse. Lance also slips in a slide, which is kind of funny; he recovers well. I don’t know it all just looks a little sloppy to me. Len wanted Lacey to show off Lance (I agree). Bruno called the performance “Dance around the Star”. Carrie Ann applauds Lacey’s West Coast Swing, but she needed Lance to actually stand out. I knew Lacey’s ego would pick up when she had something she was good at. The scores are 7, 7, and 7. Lance doesn’t think the fall made a big difference in scores.

Toni & Alec
– Toni’s performance last week was disappointing and she feels like she’s coasting or sinking. She really decides to work hard this week and Alec is pointing out all of her posture problems. Well, with a 21 Toni should be able to beat that. They dance to a weird dance version of Michael Jackson. The dancing is quite smooth, and Toni’s lift was quite intense (by speed and duration). I don’t know there’s something about the speed of the performance that’s a little too slow for West Coast Swing. Clearly it was better than Lance’s attempt. Bruno calls her “Slinky & Sexy” and he liked the partner work. He disliked the moonwalk though. Carrie Ann thought that the performance was over danced. Len sees the potential but he thinks that the two should regroup. The scores are: 7, 7, and 8. They squeaked past Lance/Lacey by a point.

West Coast Swing Winner: Toni
(not by much though)

Susan & Tony
– Erika Kane’s performance was good. They have the Hustle vs. Warren. Tony reminds us that the hustle emerged from disco and Susan showed us pictures. Susan’s ankle has bothered her again and they bring her to the hospital. She gets an MRI and it reveals that she has a bone fracture, but she can still dance. I give her credit for being bouncy. I find it ironic that the last time we saw a good Hustle on this show Tony was doing his Freestyle with Stacey. This dance though is a little slower. The lift was graceful, but it didn’t really capture the spirit of the Hustle. They do a second lift and I’m convinced it was because of the ankle. Carrie Ann thought it was fun and she liked how she didn’t see any pain; she wants Susan to break out. Len thinks that Tony is trying to protect Susan too much. Bruno thought it wasn’t a real “Downtown Hustle” but the steps were there. The scores are: 7, 7, and 8.

Warren & Kym
- With a disappointing Samba last week Warren is tired and stressed. He still wants to be pushed and he works hard this week. Kym is going all out with the choreography. Well, that’s because you don’t have an ankle problem. Now this dance is what I was expecting for a Hustle. It’s energetic, lively, and fun. Warren looks like he’s having fun, and he’s acing all the lifts as well. The performance is really getting the audience pumped. They slip a moonwalk and it fits here. The audience gives a (mostly) standing ovation. Len was quite impressed and really enjoyed it. Bruno says Warren is good at “Funking.” Carrie Ann loved the nostalgia factor. The scores are: 8, 8, and 9.

Hustle Winner:
Warren & Kym

Cloris & Corky
– Cloris’ high scores last week was enough to keep her around. She goes to the fans and she personally thanks them. With the Salsa, Corky was hoping that Cloris could keep in character. Their performance is still quite entertaining but I can actually see a few actual Samba steps as well which is quite good. Bruno liked it, but called it a little bit of a drunk salsa. Carrie Ann loves it. Len along with admitting that 64, loved it and thanks Corky for good steps. The scores are: 7, 7, and 7. Cloris mentions that her character was a “skanky ho” and lots of silliness ensues.

Maurice & Cheryl
– Maurice’s Samba was not up to par. Cheryl is having trouble because she does ballroom and Salsa is not her strength. She tries to go through the steps while practicing. Cheryl thinks Maurice is lazy because he isn’t frustrated; she’s really looking for the passion. I know the original background music that they are doing is from Yma Sumac. Automatically I think that the performance is better. It’s lively and the steps are good as well. There are a lot of pretty tricks and overall good. Carrie Ann calls Maurice in and hugs him in congratulations. Len loved the energy and how he gave his all. Bruno liked the whole thing. The scores are: 9, 9, and 9. Very impressive.

Salsa Winner:
Maurice & Cheryl

Brooke & Derek
– The sexy samba wasn’t much for Len, but it still had good scores. The jitterbug is very new to Derek and he’s so confused. He did some research online and he followed instructions. He calls the jitterbug a cartoon. It’s true. You know they didn’t know what they were doing when they started with Derek doing a flip. It actually turns out to be quite colorful and bouncy. The lifts seemed effortless and I think that this maintains Brooke’s points. Len likes it and Derek’s hair. Bruno thinks it was “glorious.” Carrie Ann calls it amazing. The scores are: 10, 9, and 10.

Cody & Julianne – After a good week, Julianne is kind of confused on the steps. They decide to sneak in and watch Brooke. They try a whole ton of tricks and Cody is struggling. As they dance Cody’s mouth seems to eternally be open. The dancing is quite fun. It’s nice to see a little guy like Cody perform lifts and succeed. At Cody’s last slide he almost kicks Julianne in the leg, but succeeds. Bruno calls the performance a “firebug” and he liked the slapstick performance. Carrie Ann loved how it matched Cody’s personality. Len liked it as well. The scores are: 10, 9, and 9. The audience boo’s in disapproval.

Jitterbug Winner: Brooke & Derek

The Scoreboard:

High

Brooke – 29
Cody – 28
Maurice – 27


Medium

Warren – 25
Susan – 22
Toni – 22

Low
Cloris – 21
Lance – 21

Who’s going home? I really think that this might be the last week for Susan if she doesn’t have good supporters; if not Lance, Cloris, Susan and Toni are all in trouble. Who do I think has the least number of voters? I believe that’s Toni, but I’m hoping not.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Amazing Race Episode 4 Recaplet

Up: Ken & Tina
Down & Out: Marisa & Brooke

+ Are Kiwi’s sharp or are the rocks below? Probably a combination of both. In either case, how hard would it be to stick a hand down there and see if there is a clog? It looked quite easy for Terence & Sarah.

+ I’m a fan of Nick, but watching Starr wipe out and cry the rest of the episode was amazing.

+ Ken & Tina were quite smart to consider the fast forward being in first place.

+ I like seeing the warriors having a lot of fun with the contestants, espically Brooke.

+ Toni & Dallas has a really nice relationship. After having overly perky Christina and overly depressive Ron, having a very supportive family on TV is a good change.

+ Phil’s father is amazing.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Survivor: Gabon Episode 5

Last Week: Fang still kinda sucked after a shuffle. Crystal rows in circles. Jacquie went home. Although according to the votes so did "Jackie".

Fang is back from tribal and although Ace is nervous he knows that Sugar is in his pocket. Sure like that accent of his. Sugar returns disappointed that Kelly is there instead of Jacquie. Although she tries to cover up the fact that she has the idol, Crystal isn’t having any of it.

Ooh a stingy fish. Kota is having a good time. Randy is quite happy. Even though he knows he would be out if they lose, he’s convinced that he can con his way in.

Over at Fang though, Matty spots an elephant and drags the rest of the tribe over. Across the water is an elephant. Matty looks like he was five and he just got a Super Nintendo. The elephant tears up a tree for their amusement. I guess it’s the best form of television out there, the Discovery Channel. Some guys decide to bring the kayak out to stare. The rest stare in fears of being eaten. Ace & Matty kayak closer and the elephant really isn’t that moved. He could probably see through Ace’s accent as well.

We’re at our next reward challenge. Kota sees Jacquie and the onion alliance is in shock. The challenge is some sort of fruit/hole/sticks challenge. These challenges really aren’t that creative are they? The reward today is an herb garden. They are all live too. Also they get any fruit they got. Crystal & Ace for Fang Bob & Charlie for Kota are blocking. Ace and Bob do pretty well for blockers. Corrine can’t toss well either. Luckily for Fang, the tossing and blocking is working well. Dan decides to try throwing two at a time. As catchers Ken(ny) and Randy are doing good. Dan throws a watermelon and pineapple and it slams Ace in the face. Amazing. I would have done that instead of winning. Jeff weighs Fang’s and it is about 16 pounds. As Kota weighs, Marcus bites Charlie’s shoulder. With the help of a pineapple Kota ends up winning. Kota sends Sugar back to the Sugar Shack. She giggles and walks away.

I really don’t understand Dan’s technique. He decides to pump the group up. Marcus is questioning everything though and still questions that Susie is trying to fly under the radar. Randy swims around instead of eating fruit with the rest of the tribe.

During the challenge balls roll down the hill. With Dan/Randy and Ace/Sugar at the bottom, the rest in five turns throw wicker balls down a hill. I love the fact that Ken and Bob are always paired up against each other. Mostly due to Dan’s blocking, Ace being hit in the face again (yes!) and Randy screaming commands at Ace confusing him, Kota wins again.

When we return GC wants to quit. He tells Matty who tells Crystal. Crystal is pissed and Ace is smirking in the back. Crystal decides to get rid of GC because he has no pride. Ken tells Kelly to get rid of GC. Sugar & Ace have some time and talk that maybe the idol should be used one day. I have a feeling that Ace might have thrown the challenge a little bit. The rest of the tribe eyes Sugar’s bag and Crystal unfurls the idol. The rest of the tribe realizes that they have to blindside Sugar. The tribe realizes that an idol is a bigger threat than a quitter. Have him quit next week.

The tribe comes back to council and Jeff tries to pound people with questions. Ace mentions a lack of belt loops. GC talks about how much he misses his family. Sugar mentions that GC was voicing going home. Sugar cries for some extra support. Matty tries to convince GC to stay in a way. Sugar tries to dodge some more bullets, though she mentions that her bag is out in the open. She tries to convince that this would be an easy way for her to maintain power.

We get to watch Sugar vote for GC and GC voted for Kelly (because he had to). As Jeff mentions his speech about the idol, Sugar just stays there. The votes read: GC, GC, Kelly, GC, and GC. I guess no one wanted to deal with GC’s attitude.

Next Week: Ace needs a jumper. And he finds it in Matty. Sugar also is on his side, so he thinks he owns the world. I’m really hoping he gets blindsided down the road.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

America’s Top Model : Behind The Scenes Excessive Clip show!


Then again, it could be an episode of Stylista

Last Week: Tyra found a way to get rid of Lauren Brie.

I guess I’ll have to wait yet another week for some good model drama. This week I’ll have to suffer spelling names that any normal spell check gives me the red squiggly line of misspelling.

We started off with 33 girls and cheap CGI. Apparently they had one test about facial expressions. Then there is some sort of cube pose test. Sheena got all sexified and Kama sutra. ShaRaun was too confident. Hannah was chased by a moose. Marjorie still maintains the French music. Isis’s manhood was mentioned again. The girls made funny looks and ShaRaun was even more of a snooty bitch than ever. Tyra eventually picked 14 girls.

The girls needed to get a key to the house. Apparently the girl with the key gets to pick a bed. Nikeysha gets the key. The girls all run to the house to find a bed. Hannah compares her stuff to Alaska. Poor Samantha was the odd woman out and she decided to try sleeping on the floor of the purple room. Her bed looked like a dog bed.

They went to the magic castle and Joslyn was a volunteer. The magician took her shoes and magically tried to hide the shoe but messed up. The judges get to know the contestants. ShaRaun is a snoot. Isis knew her angles. Hannah was moose girl.

The political photoshoot is good for Marjorie and Elina. ShaRaun didn’t know what convoluted means. Nikeysha struggled as well. ShaRaun went home.

There was some tension coming back from panel. Elina wants to talk about her animal activism. Elina calls Sheena stupid for veggies having souls. Sheena believes in the circle of life. The girls next tried to have a rap battle. Nikeysha wasn’t too bad. Isis & Brittany got very brother/sister and had a fight. There was some random baby powder fight.

McKey was apparently misunderstood, Sheena and the girls couldn’t understand her. She talks about wearing sweats and not girly. McKey decides to cook her way to friendship.

The girls have the rope ladder photoshoot. Lauren (Brie!) was amazing. Nikeysha and Isis struggled and Nikeysha went home because she talks too much.

Tyra surprised the girls and had a talk about being a supermodel and changing her career. She also had a Q&A. Hannah didn’t know how to smile with her eyes. Brittany didn’t know the ugly/pretty face. The evil witch chose the makeovers in the extras. Good witch kicks bad witch’s ass in the mirror. I felt like I was on crack. The girls cried even more than before. I’m surprised about Sheena. The hair coloring reacted to her hair and the hair fell out. I think that’s why they put tracks in her hair. Elina’s fro became Sherry the cat. A lot of random paint-style cat pictures show up. The girls get Chinese and the girls danced a little bit. Sheena pops her booty with the best of the black girls.

The girls did their swimsuit shots. McKey and Elina aced it. Analeigh and Brittany struggled. Brittany went home because she wasn’t a model. She was just a pretty girl.

Hannah had “Alaska Pixie Dust” and the girls are all confused. McKey makes the most evil gremlin voice. Alaska Pixie Dust apparently keeps bitchy mean girls away. It apparently didn’t help model walking though. McKey sported the curtain bar. Samantha lifted her shirt and Hannah waddled her way home.

McKey, Elina, and Clark. Elina calls Isis a hyena and calls her short. Marjorie points out that Elina is a hypocrite. The girls had the eye/water photoshoot. Josyln almost drowned. Isis thought about her pee-pee. And it really didn’t matter because you didn’t see any crotch. Clark’s shots were flirty, Sam’s shot was good but her shirt lift was bad. Isis went home though due to her sleepy-eyes.

Top Models In Action: My personal favorite winner Nicole is still pretty popular as a model and she now models for Sketchers.

Apparently the girls saved water by taking a group bath. Sam, Clark, and Lauren (Brie!) bathe, but its mostly soap. A bee attacks the girls, scaring McKey but she doesn’t want to kill it. There’s some spray death and McKey decides to take care of the bee until it died.

As natural disaster led to some actual disasters to some girls. Joslyn & Clark struggled. Clark went from winner to loser in one week. Of course that means that Elina is now sad that Clark is gone. She talks all about these positive things about Clark.

Apparently Marjorie and Analeigh got really close to each other. Samantha is a little freaked out and wanted to slap them.

There was some downtime and McKey did some actual exercising. It’s weird, but probably really effective.

The last photo shoot was good for Marjorie and Analeigh, but Lauren (Brie!) flopped. Her eyes were also too far to the right. Her lack of personality sent her home.

Next Week: Covergirl commercials! Sheena & Elina argue…again!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Dancing With the Stars Results Show:

Last night wasn’t horrible; everyone was at least decent. Without knowing how America voted Cloris caught up to Rocco’s points total.

We’re Liiiiive! Los Vevancos? Okay. We also will finally get the bottom two teams this night. Our encore tonight is Lance & Lacey’s Tango. I will reestablish the fact that I think that the encores are better than the night before; even the singer isn’t as squeaky as last night.

We have our first clip cut. Apparently we’re getting funny edits of faux-political commercials. Cody=Baby. My favorite part is the fact that they popped a pacifier on his face. I really doubt that Brooke needed to sponsor any of these commercials; she’s too good. Other videos include Cloris who wastes the production’s money and Lance being insane. Honey, it’s called “gay”.

Los Vevantos? I love the counterbalance from the Rockettes to them. Everyone’s happy now! And they’re all brothers? That’s one family of talent. And semi-decent good looks. They flamenco gorgeously. It’s a shame that there aren’t too many close-up shots. Of course they strip their jacket-shirts. It still seems like their performance is missing something, but it’s quite entertaining. If I could get a body like that by doing the flamenco, sign me up.

As a total aside, they should sell a Derek vibrating doll. Any who, the safe couples are: Susan/Toni and Lance/Lacey. The first couple in the bottom two are Rocco/Karina though we knew that off the bat.

Ballroom kids! In really bad outfits. We have the thirteen and under category. We have Mitchell and Jessica live next door from each other. Mitchell plays golf. Jessica designs clothes for dancers; I hope she didn’t design their outfits. They are doing a cha-cha to Smash Mouth. It’s oddly cute. You can’t really fault these kids. They have some training. And Jessica does splits. Len points out that Mitchell was crisp. Bruno calls the kids cheeky. Carrie Ann asks about the costumes and it turns out that she did. Ouch. Carrie Ann calls it fierce; somewhere along the line the dancing was also fierce.

Kiril & Hannah are next. The kids are from Staten Island. Apparently Kiril is the only boy in his dance class. Hannah is a gymnast. Kiril is a hockey player. These kids tackle the samba to music from “The Jungle Book”; how oddly appropriate. Carrie Ann calls the dancing sophisticated even though they are cute. Len likes the flavor and the bums of the kids. Sounds kind of Hannibal. Bruno apparently bought their products.

The judges votes are: Kiril/Hannah, Mitchell/Jessica, and Bruno’s vote is Kiril/Hannah. I swear it was the clothing design.

Ne-Yo is next singing his uber-catchy song Closer. We have some sexy backup dancers. I appreciate that Ne-Yo decided to dance most of the chorus instead of really singing it. It’s the touch for a dance reality show. I also love how their “canes” really look like thicker twirler’s batons.

We have a little bit of an explanation of the four new dances that they’re adding. Len compares the new dances to that ugly cousin that you have in the family. It’s similar, but not as noticed. Len is more excited for the performance versus the technique.

More results; the safe couples are Brooke/Derek, Cody/Julianne, Toni/Alec, Warren/Kym and Maurice/Cheryl. This means Cloris/Corky are in the bottom two.

We’re finally at the results and Cloris/Corky and Rocco/Karina are in the middle. It’s finally curtains for Rocco & Karina. Rocco’s mother applauds him. Rocco gives his goodbye speech and shakes it with Bruno. He gives a little giggling hump. Bruno is embarrassed and Rocco kind of liked it. I guess it’ll be more fodder for speculators of Rocco’s sexuality. Oh well! Four new dances next week!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Dancing With the Stars Week 4

Last Week: We lost Misty-May. Rocco still was in the bottom. As we watch the last week video, Cloris looks like her skin’s going to fall apart.

Why hello there Tom…and other woman who I don’t like too much, but probably on a superficial level. I thought I saw her on E! and I switched the channel. The stars come down from the stage and I’m already questioning clothing choices. Rocco, I’m looking right at you. How many lawn flamingos did they have to kill for that shirt? I’m so distraught on the pink fiasco that I can’t even comment on the faux-goth Lance/Lacey outfit.

Tom reminds us that the scores from last week are being combined this week. We have the Tango and Samba tonight.

Maurice/Cheryl: I don’t get how Maurice has gotten away with all these Latin dances back to back to back. Cheryl believes that Maurice is too wound up so she brings his children out. What? I was a little scared when I saw the afros on Cheryl, but I think it really helped him get into character. When they danced separately, you can see some timing flaws, but when they were paired up together it looked pretty fluid. I have to congratulate Cheryl for showing Midriff after getting a lot of “chubby” flack. Len wants everything refined. The crowd boos him. Bruno calls them Jackie Brown and “ghetto fabulous”. He also wants precision. Carrie Ann thinks that it wasn’t a good progression and that they are stuck in a rut. The scores are: 6, 7, and 7 = 20. Combined makes it a 44.

Cody/Julianne: After a lot of leg guitar, Cody has a more serious Tango. Cody is quite distracted and he gets a talk from his principal. I can’t believe how versatile his hair is. It went through like 4 styles before the dance and it’s perfectly slicked back for the dance. The song can be a little detrimental if they ran too fast, but Cody is keeping quite close to what the dance tempo should be. He still struggles in a few of the holds keeping his shoulders, but overall I can see the improvement and focus. They end rolling around on the floor. Bruno uses the words “mojo” and “dramatic”; he likes the lack of gimmicks. Carrie Ann points out that he tripped on the dress. I think that was my shoulder problems. Len likes the attitude and the fact that he held the energy through the whole performance. The scores are 7, 8, and 8 = 23. Poor Julianne didn’t know MJ stood for Michael Jordan and looked embarrassed in the back.

Toni/Alec: Toni’s gimmicks were bad, but they have the Samba. Toni’s heart condition is getting better. Alec wants Samba Rolls, which is a first for teaching celebrities for Alec. They do quite a sexy yet traditional Samba. I think some of Toni’s holds are lacking and I think the Samba Roll lacked a little bit of professionalism. I’m actually surprised the lack of booty that Toni either didn’t have or use. Overall, quite entertaining. Carrie Ann loves the sensuality, but she still wants more shoulder. Len likes the balance, but the promenade run apparently was messed up. Bruno calls her a “tasty morsel” and he liked the booty. The scores are 7, 7, and 8 = 22. (44)

Cloris/Corky: They have the Tango and Cloris really wants to try hard this week. Corky wants a balance between technique and comedy. Corky decides to bring her family. The family is happy to see her dance. They have a traditional Tango song so it’s bringing her into a better character. I will admit, her steps are better than before and you can see an increase in technique. You still see the acting, but it actually fits with the drama of the song. The audience gives her a standing ovation. Len is shocked how well Cloris did and used the term “Raunchy”. Bruno uses some weird analogy about being some grandmother from hell, and he likes the extension of the legs. Carrie Ann wants to apologize and she was underestimated. The scores are 8, 7, and 7. The 22 is a big jump from 16. The combined score is a 38.

Rocco/Karina: He really wants to learn the steps and his mother shows up to really bring him up. I like the mother, very Italian. I still think the outfit is silly, but the dancing still is a little stiff, less stiff than before but still. It’s above former Rocco caliber. Karina rips off the horrible arm pieces and the dance seemed to get better. They go for an end pose and he kind of lifts her. Does that count as a penalty? Bruno pointed out that he’s not musical. Carrie Ann likes how he’s having fun but he still lacks something. Len said something, but I wasn’t paying attention. The scores are 6, 6, and 6. The 18 is a big ouch, when Cloris has a 22. The combined score is 38.

Susan/Toni: Susan was a little miffed about the “timid” commentary from Carrie Ann, so this week she’s Erica Kane. Toni gets a little bit of a role in All My Children. Mostly Laughable. The dance is quite passionate, although I’m not sure how I feel about the faux-techno tango music. I will applaud her leg work this week and she her holds are as strong as ever. Carrie Ann really likes the Erica Kane and calls the dance moving art. Len calls it her best dance so far. Bruno likes the “broad” aspect. The scores are: 8, 8, and 8 = 24. Combined = 45.

Brooke/Derek: They decide to go to a Brazilian party. Brooke decides to get into the act. This week Derek is a little more “bananas” than he ever was and Brooke is ready. They have “Hip Hip Chin Chin” which I find ironic. Lacey danced her Samba on So You Think You Can Dance to the same song. Brooke is doing a great job. She also rips Derek’s shirt, which I guess is all we’re getting now that Maks is gone. Do these guys have to shave their chests as part of the contract? The dancing is passionate and quite energizing. Len thinks that it’s too erotic; then again he also didn’t like the shirt rip (he never does). Bruno calls the Samba so sexy he needs a smoke. Carrie Ann likes the combination of athleticism, grace, and sexiness. In the red room Derek’s shaking wouldn’t turn off. The scores are: 9, 8, and 9. He rips his shirt again.

Lance/Lacey: Lacey wants to make sure that the Tango has a strong frame for this dance. Apparently, Lance’s move he wants is to break her neck. Nice. They get Rihanna’s Disturbia. I guess this is Thriller Tango 2.0. I like the steps, the speed and the kicks. I don’t like the main singer. Bruno likes it and he wants Lance to be more assured. Carrie Ann points out that Lance was under the radar the last few weeks, but has popped out. Len calls him “Sir Dancealot” and that’s supposed to be a positive? Okay. The scores are: 9, 8, and 9. The 26 gives Lacey a “holy crap”.

Warren/Kym: Kym wants the Samba to have personality. Warren is a little too dancey. Their field trip this week is Capoeira. I remember seeing this from Tekken. Their dancing isn’t too bad. I still like how much area they cover with his weight. There are areas of him staring like an oaf, but I liked it. Carrie Ann thinks that it lacked a little bit of content. Len likes watching him, but disliked the lack of technique. Bruno thinks that they took it too easy. The scores are: 8, 7, and 7 = 22.

This Week:
High:
Brooke – 26
Lance – 26

Middle:
Susan – 24
Cody – 23

Low:
Warren – 22
Toni – 22
Cloris – 22
Rocco – 22
Maurice – 20


Combined:
High:
Brooke – 54
Lance – 48
Warren – 47

Middle:
Susan – 45
Maurice – 44
Toni – 44

Low:
Cody – 43
Cloris – 38
Rocco – 38

Who’s going home? I want to say Rocco, but I’m gonna say that it’s between him and Maurice. With Cloris actually having a good score, I’m sure she’ll get some votes and be safe.

The Amazing Race Recaplet:

Episode 3

Up: Ken/Tina

Down: Mark/Bill

Notes:
+ Read your clues! Geez, that's another week of clue mistakes!

+ I think Ty also as a whistle.

+ I like seeing people in superhero costumes. Especially Dallas.

+ Didn't they have that weird concoction for heights in South America? I can't recall which season it was, but I could have sworn Season 7 had a drink that they were required to drink.

+ Although I think Marissa/Brooke's time is running out, they have definitely grown on me. When you have a band behind you, have fun!

+ I must be a sick individual but I laughed hysterically when the divorcee wiped out on her bike. I thought it was karma.

+ This Divorcees vs. Starr thing seems so childish. It's a Race.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Survivor Gabon: Episode 4 (AKA It’s hard out there for a pimp)

Last Week: “Sugar” found the Hidden Immunity Idol and Kota lost their first immunity. Paloma went home. In Jeff’s version he makes Fang sound like the stupidest team still even if they won two challenges. He also points out that Kelly was also the only other person who voted for Ace. Probably some tragic foreshadowing?

We’re back from Council and Kelly is worried about being next. She wants to get rid of Ace. Ace is also “in pain” after the vote. Ace wants to get rid of Kelly.

Credits: They edited out the people that are gone already. Only after “three” (it’s actually 4 but the first two were merged) episodes. But the hippos and gorillas remain! Take note Tyra Banks; adjust your credits after makeovers; it’s not hard.

We’re at Fang and Ken wants to make Sweet Rice. Randy is worried about rice rations. There should be one meal a day. Are they still at three? Randy points out that there is an A and B group: Crystal/GC/Ken and Susie/Randy/Dan/Matty. B-Group talks about cutting out GC. Matty feels confident about the group standing for a while.

Bump-Bom! The tribes come in and Jeff reminds us that Paloma is gone. Today is a tribal rank. It is by Importance to the tribe. Everyone gets a private area to take the test. It must suck to be considered 8. Kota has Marcus, Ace, Bob, Charlie, Jacque, Corrine, Sugar, and Kelly is least valuable. She’s a little stunned. Ace calls her a Cow in confessionals. Fang has: Matty, Dan, Randy, Crystal (who’s a little pissed that she’s 4), Ken, GC (who is a little scared that Ken was picked before him), and Susie who is the least valuable. Marcus was surprised that Randy was 3. Randy points out that this is all about friendliness. Jeff drops the bomb that the tribes are going to switch. Matty feels like an idiot.

Marcus and Matty are going to become captains of their same tribes. Marcus picks Dan. Matty picks Ace. Dan picks Charlie. Charlie still swoons over Marcus. In confessional he uses the words “LOVE” and “MARCUS” in the same sentence. Ace picks Crystal. Charlie picks Randy. Crystal picks Jacque. Randy picks Corrine. Jacque picks Ken. Corrine (after discussion) picks Susie. Jeff talks to GC and GC talks about how he must have rubbed people the wrong way. Ken talks to his group. Jeff asks Bob how he feels and he’s unsure; he talks to Matty and picks Kelly. Susie picks Bob. Kelly (clearly) picks GC. Sugar goes to Exile Island again. After tribal council, she joins the team that loses. Luckily she has an apple (or so she hopes) and a hut.

If that paragraph above is confusing:
Fang: Matty, GC, Crystal, Ken, Ace, Kelly, Jacque
Kota: Marcus, Charlie, Corrine, Randy, Bob, Susie, Dan
Exiled: Sugar

We’re returned to the New Kota and Randy is afraid if they lose he may be going home. They talk about how amazing Bob is around the camp. Susie talks strategy and decides to be a worker bee and hopes to get in good graces with the remaining of Onion Alliance.

Exile: Sugar picks comfort and there are more fruit than just an apple today. She chills in a hammock. She takes a dip in her little pond and lays down on her little boardwalk. Lucky girl.

Fang returns and the other tribe is a little on nerve. Ace again takes over in this tribe. Kelly talks about how it was Paloma/Kelly vs. the world. Jacque talks smack in front of Kelly. Crystal talks to Ken about considering getting rid of Ace since Kelly would throw a vote to Ace. Kelly uses the term “G Sizzle” as a name. Crystal calls Ace a Pimp after Kelly claimed that he slept with more than just Sugar. Ken talks about his game with girls for a little, I’m sure he used comparison how he’s Link and he’s saving his Zelda.




Tree Mail! It’s some Water-Polo/Lacrosse mix. Randy and Susie practice as Marcus talks about considering keeping Susie (because she’s a worker bee) over lazy Randy.

Challenge time. There’s a ball, paddles, passing, tubes, and a goal. It’s something a kid would create if he had a swimming pool, a ball, lacrosse sticks, and a few lifesavers. Jeff tosses one ball out and everyone struggles. Jacque gets to the ball first, but Marcus gets the ball. It seems as though no one was blocking Marcus. He passes to Randy and he makes the goal (to a non blocking Ace). Second ball and Matty is gunning for the ball as Fang messes up. Marcus aces the world. Ken and Crystal scream at Kelly to move. Fang kinda just stands there and Randy makes another goal (this time with no goalie). Third Ball: Again, Marcus is out there to the ball. Ace tries to block. Kelly chills. Ken & Crystal suck at this challenge. Marcus tosses to Randy, and Randy misses. Dan tries to go, but Matty blocks. Randy gets the ball, but Ace dives. Randy gets the ball again and makes a goal. Kota (clearly) wins. Jeff talks smack to Fang again.

Just as a defense: Charlie/Corrine/Susie didn’t really move around much either. Granted, they were probably defense.

Fang goes home depressed. Ace makes some comparison to them being Chickens and Kota being Weasels. Ken didn’t know how to steer. Jacque complains about how hard it is to play defense. “GC” has a talk with Crystal and Ken(ny) to consider getting rid of Kelly. Ken is a little nervous, but okays it. They talk about Sugars’ immunity idol and how she could give it to Ace. Matty comes over to ask and although he agrees to get rid of Ace or Jacque he wants Kelly out. Crystal reminds him that Sugar/Ace/Jacque may align. Matty has a talk with Jacque and it scares her. Ken talks to Jacque and Jacque complains about Kelly. I love how the girls will talk to the dork. Wasn’t Jacque part of the Onion alliance? Ken forwards her to Crystal. Jacque talks to Crystal next and I must give her credit for busting her ass talking to everyone. Can she cry her way to Crystal’s better graces? We’ll find out.

The tribes make it over to council. Jeff talks more smack to Fang. I really hate his bias. Matty talks about keeping the Tribe strong. Ken(ny) talks about building trust with time. Matty realizes that Ace is strong and he needs a challenge fighter. Jacque talks about teamwork and how she was trying hard. Kelly throws Ken and Crystal under the bus. Crystal counters and she goes a neck move. There’s some more banter and Matty votes first. Ace votes Kelly; that’s the counter to our Tragic Foreshadowing from the beginning of the episode. Kelly votes for “Jackie”. Jacque votes for “Kelli”. Geez, it’s like last week when Kelly spelled Ace with a cent sign.

Jeff gets the votes and reads them: Jackie, Kelli, Kelly, Jackie, Jacky, and Jackie. I love spelling names. Jacque’s torch is snuffed and she is peeled out of the Onion. Jeff reminds us that Sugar will return to Fang next week.

Next Week: Elephants wander in Fang’s tribe. GC disappears. Pimps. You can never track them.

WARNING: Big Brother Spoilers!

We watch the current season of Big Brother on CBS and the Feeds. We watch all Big Brother 24 coverage and DVR it and watch it again. There will be posts about things we have seen from watching Big Brother 24/7. If you are a casual viewer of the CBS show-only or do not want to read any spoilers, do not read our posts dealing with the Live Feeds.