Hooray hooray hooray!

Honestly, I've been too busy with travel, other blogs, and life in general to keep up with this blog for some time now. My tolerance for reality tv has also hit an all-time low. It makes me sad to realize that my original project has sort of turned into the red-headed stepchild. I'm going to try harder to keep up, but I won't lie, posts here will probably become even more sporadic.

I'm also starting to feel like it's a bit dumb to even post about Top Chef or Project Runway when there are a billion other bloggers writing about them and they probably don't wait 4 days to post either. Whatevs, I'm guessing most of them don't have hyperactive 2-year-olds driving them crazy night and day either. So I'll just say, hooray for Rick Bayless for winning Top Chef Masters (had to root for the hometown guy), hooray for the return of regular Top Chef (T can now resume his crush on Padma) and super hooray for the return of Project Runway!

And then, just because this sketch came up in conversation recently, here's a funny.

Disgusted

I've never made any bones about being a reality-tv whore, but even I have reached the point of total disgust, particularly with VH1. I mean, Daisy of Love...ok, we knew it was coming - Daisy is like the walking, talking cartoon caricature embodiment of every guy's adolescent wet-dream. But I watched the first episode and realized I simply couldn't stomach this round, particularly if I was going to have to tolerate her "singing." I have to mention though, I did catch T watching an episode yesterday and without her makeup? Yeesh, not pretty. Or rather, even more ghoulish than with the clown-whore makeup.

After 2 rounds each of Flavor of Love, I Love New York, and Rock of Love (I couldn't make it through the third outings), I'm just done with the celebrity+freak Bachelor format. Which is why I was all the more disgusted last night when I happened to stumble across the "preview" commercial for their new show featuring that iditotic gold-digging camera-whore, Megan, from Rock of Love 2. They actually built gold-digging into the premise by enlisting supposed millionaires as the contestants vying for her "love." And by "love," I actually mean the occasional lay and faked orgasm in exchange for some sort of shiny bauble because I'm fairly certain that she has a cash register in her chest where her heart should be.

I really wonder where they found millionaires who are so hard up they can't get gold-digging whores on their own? If I could actually bring myself to watch the show, it would only be with the secret hope that there would a crazy twist, in which after choosing her millionaire mate and professing her "love," it would be revealed that the guys were all hobos & bums rounded up from the local trainyard.

In other shows that I will never ever watch, I've pretty much taken a pass on all the other garbage that's on VH1 these days: Charm School, The T.O. Show, New York does a snuff film, whatever. I'm over it. I also really wish I'd never even seen the commercials for Fox's latest entry in reality dating freakshows, More to Love. I suppose it's a step up from The Littlest Groom. But blech, I can't even comment beyond that.

I don't normally read or comment on tabloid gossip and such, but since I'm already on a reality show rant, I have to say that it's been hard to avoid the whole Jon & Kate Plus 8 furor. I have to say, the whole thing makes me so sad. I used to really love that show with all the cute hapa kids. And even though they seemed to have their flaws as a couple, you used to get the sense that Jon & Kate did really love each other. But now...egad, what a train wreck, and not the good kind either.

Obviously those poor kids are going to suffer the most (especially the older girls), but I'm actually starting to feel pretty sorry for Kate. I don't care what kind of over-controlling shrew she was, it's a pretty douchebag move for Jon to be out gallavanting around with a series of 20-something girls just a few weeks after filing for divorce. I mean, have a little bit of respect for the mother of your children, man! Or if nothing else, think about how this is going to look to your kids, who get to see your asshole face on E! and Extra and hear about how you're smoking cigs on a yacht with Christian Audigier. Asshole. If this guy seriously ends up with his own reality show like I've been hearing, I'm going to have to firebomb the station that airs that garbage.

On the flip side, I have to confess my new guilty pleasure is Miami Social on Bravo. Yes, I know the people on it are all pathetically self-absorbed and obsessed with being hot and in (despite the fact that, let's face it, they're all kinda old to be considered either), but I can't help myself. It's the train wreck factor, but without any of the pretense of a contest or being "housewives" or whatever. My favorite has to be Michael, who seems so so lacking in self-awareness that it'd be sad if it weren't so funny. His whole "feud" with Ariel could not smack more of jealousy and sexual tension. I especially love how he thinks he so fabulous when he really looks just like every other short, balding gay guy I've ever met.

Three-fer

Last night marked the real return of So You Think You Can Dance! Hooray! But then the stupid local news decided that the weather was newsworthy enough to preempt the first hour of the show. Boooo! I managed to catch most of the second half live, but then I had to dig around a bit today to find last night's episode online, so forgive the delay.

Anyways, it was your pretty standard first show with the top 20. Most of the dances were good, but not great, and the judges were pretty positive across the board (although they were pretty hard on Tony and Paris, neither of whom I thought deserved to make it to the top 20 anyways, so meh). I almost think it's like even though they clearly have their favorites, they don't want to tip the scales too much...yet. I sometimes wonder if Mary Murphy sits up at night and comes up with new and annoying ways to come up with "fake-out" praise. Like, "hmmm, how can I pretend to hate something and then turn around and reveal that I totally love it?" Ugh. And I also cannot STAND Adam Shankman. Besides the fact that he's a smarmy little sycophant, the amount of self-promotion he does for projects that he maybe shouldn't be so proud of...it's just disgusting.

And while I'm at it, can I also bitch a little bit about how disappointed I am that they seem to have watered down the genres so much the last couple seasons? I really like Tabitha and Napoleon, but most of what they choreograph really just does not scream "hip-hop" to me, especially that lite-rock shit. And even the ballroom/latin stuff has so many silly storylines and so much mugging that it's often unrecognizable. One of the things I always loved in the first few seasons was that they held people to these strict standards of fox trot, cha-cha, etc.

Anyways. Tony & Paris got sent home. Whatevs. I was certain from the start that Tony wouldn't make it past the first episode. And Paris always rubbed me the wrong way. Something about the beauty queen thing, I guess. I think so far, I'm rooting for Asuka, Jason and of course, Phillip.

Part 2 - Top Chef Masters! I've been crazy excited about this ever since I started seeing commercials a couple months ago. I absolutely LOVE the idea of getting top notch chefs in a competition together, although I'm a little bummed that it's more of a bracket-style setup rather than 20 crazy egos in one room. Last night's episode did not dissapoint, although I think it was almost a given that Hubert Keller would win. He was so clearly head and shoulders above the other guys.

I should also mention that I've looked at the bio page for the contestants on Bravo's website and it's a pretty interesting mix of people. There are a bunch of chefs who are pretty famous and/or have been guest judges on TC in the past, and then there are a bunch who seem a little bit like filler. I have to wonder how they cast the show and how they determined who was going to compete against whom in the first round. I mean, was there ever a chance we would have seen Keller, Bayless, and Dufresne on the same show? I doubt it. I also think it's interesting how there's a certain amount of cannibalization between Top Chef and Iron Chef America. It make sense from a certain standpoint since there are only so many top quality chefs who are also camera-ready. I wonder how execs at Bravo & Food Network feel about it though.

I'm impressed that they managed to get Gael Greene as a judge, although I'm not particularly a fan of the other two guys. The Saveur editor has a nice pedigree on paper, but on screen he's just annoying. And the other guy seems to want to be the next Toby, but isn't quite there either.

I do miss Tom Collichio though and I'm hoping he makes an appearance at some point. And the jury is still out on Kelly Choi. She's definitely more animated than Padma, who always seems like she's on a nice mellow Valium trip, but she occasionally makes this weird face that sorta bugs me - almost like she's smelled something foul. And couldn't they find someone who's NOT a stick-thin formal model?! I know, nitpicking. But I'm definitely looking forward to next week's episode, with Wylie Dufresne. Should be interesting.

Last, but not least, to complete this reality TV 3-fer, we have The Fashion Show. Yes, I'm still watching this train wreck. Like I've said before, it's all I've got until Project Runway comes back in August. I will say though, they do a great job with their challenges. I think they've all been very interesting and well, challenging, but without going into crazytown, like with the PR where they had to make clothes out of garbage.

In any case, I was sad that Angel got the boot tonight. She was one of the few people I actually sorta liked on the show, even though her clothes were kind of a disaster. But everyone else on that show is just such a catty, egotistical bitch that it's almost unbearable. I used to sort of like Reco, but his ego is way way out of control. As is Daniela's, who I despise with the burning fire of a thousand suns. There's something about know-it-all 23-year-olds that just totally chaps my ass.

I'm also beyond annoyed that Johnny is still there since not only is he phoning it in (and doing it poorly), but his whole "I can't sew" deal is getting way way WAY old. I was happy that Merlin won tonight though. He seemed like he was losing a little bit of his strut (as evidenced by the lack of jaunty hats of late) and I think it was a good confidence boost. I'm sure it'll totally go to his head and be totally annoying next week.

Oh and one last gripe: can I just say how freaking FURIOUS I was last week when everyone was bitching and moaning over having to work with "real" women? It's shit like that that makes me want to burn down department stores and join a nudist colony so I can hang out with old fat hippies. Ok, just had to get that out of my system.

Conan's back!

I was very excited to watch Conan's new show for the first time last night. I think overall, he did great. Loved the opening segment with him running across the country! The Universal Studios tour bit was also pretty funny, but I'm biased because I've always loved it when Conan has done stuff like that. I also enjoyed his little tribute to his 1992 Taurus, which also happened to feature my college roommate, Kate Lee (she's the girl with the hose)!

He did seem a little jittery during the monologue, but I suppose most people would be. I was also happy to see Andy back, but a little disappointed that he was exiled to a little podium off of the main stage for the entire show. Will Ferrell was entertaining as always and I thought Pearl Jam was kinda just meh.

For those that missed it, here's the opening:


And I really wanted to post the bit with my friend, Kate, but unfortunately it's not up on Hulu (yet). I'll get it up when I can find it.

One week till Conesy

I'm really really REALLY hoping that Conan stays true to his old wacky form when the new Tonight Show starts next week. But regardless, I'm happy that Andy will be back.

It ain't PR...

Yes, this is a week late. I'm sure there have been a thousand other blog posts about it already, but I couldn't help but weigh in with my quick 2 cents on Bravo's blatant Project Runway knock-off, The Fashion Show. For those that have been living under a rock, after the obligatory litigation and settlement, Project Runway has flown the coop for Lifetime and the last season (filmed last winter) won't be airing until late summer. Booo....hisss...

In it's place, Bravo has come up with The Fashion Show, which pits 15 designers against one another for a cash prize, furnished as usual by one of their generous and shamelessly plugged sponsors.

So after one episode, the good: I love Isaac Mizrahi, always have. I think he's an excellent choice for host/judge. I also like the format, which involves a "quickfire" type challenge, as well as a live fashion show filled with industry types.

The meh: I'm not really sure who these "industry types" they have in the audience are. I'm guessing that people who have the time and inclination to participate in a show every week are going to be of dubious quality.

The bad: Kelly Rowland as co-host. I'm not really buying it. I don't care how many shows she's been front-row for, she just doesn't strike me as a fashion icon. I'm already wondering who they'll replace her with next season.

The ugly: No Tim Gunn. Yes, I know that's sorta obvious, but Tim Gunn as the mentor figure really has made the difference for Project Runway and without someone to play a similar role, I think TFS is going to struggle to provide valuable input for the contestants.

Of course, there is the requisite crazy cast of characters, and the clear winner of wackiest contestant goes to Merlin. Even his name is nutsoid. I mean, just look at him! And, as T pointed out while we watched, he takes jaunty hats to a whole new level. I think I'm going to start keeping a hat count. I think this first episode featured at LEAST 4 different hats, if not more.

So is it as good as Project Runway? Of course not. There's very little that is. But will I watch it and make do until the new season starts? Well what else is there to do?

Random vid

I love this movie. If I even think about it, this song usually stays stuck in my head for weeks.