The main purpose of this blog was to fulfill a requirement in a class at FGCU. As the class has come to an end, so will my writing in this blog. I enjoyed posting and will go out on a limb to say that even though our class were the ginnie pigs of the blogging class experiment, I can't imagine the class going any better. Through the course I've learned much about myself and others. I'd like to thank those who read my blog and those who gave me advice to make my writing better. I listened carefully and took everything to heart in hopes that the advice would make me a better blogger, and even a better writer.
If you seam to be having Monica withdrawals, you can find me on myspace.
Thanks again everyone,
Monica DiDonato
14 Episodes Of Fame.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
SOT: Some Serious Baby Mama Drama
Oprah is probably not reality television, but I feel the need to take the megaphone here and blast it loudly because the story I've been hearing people talk about is too good to pass up.
The woman in the picture below is pregnant.
Shocking? Not really, but the twist is that the woman in the picture now above has been transformed into a man.
Many have been asking how this is possible. Tracey, now better known as Thomas, is a transsexual man who had his (her?) breasts removed, but kept the reproductive organs. Upon finding out that his wife could no longer have a child, the couple decided that they had no other choice but to impregnant the man with sperm from a doner.
So many questions have been raised about this. Is it right? Is the marriage between a man and woman or a woman and a woman? What about the child? Before you judge, check out all sides of the story.
The woman already has children. She can't have any more. She claims that she's found her soulmate now and wants to have a child with him. She believes that it's her right to have a child with the father carrying the baby.
The transsexual claims he kept the reproductive organs specifically because he wanted to have kids. He also believes that it's his right to give birth since technically he's a female. He claims that he wants to have a happy family with his wife.
The media has taken it upon themselves to decide that this family is doing this not for love, but for money. Also, the media has really mentioned that the child is probably going to be ridiculed because the parents are in the public eye and the child is going to be watched. As I listened to two different radio stations talk about this today, almost all of the public that called in claimed that the child would be harassed and teased.
Doctors have performed several ultrasounds and report that the child and pregnancy are going great, and there have been very few complications. As odd as this may seam, I don't know that it's entirely bad.
The problem I have with this whole baby mama drama is not with the parents, but with the kid. There are parents who drop E, get pregnant, have a kid, and the baby is born addicted to a drug and without stable parents, so what's worse? On one hand I feel like the parents know the child is going to have a hard life and that they will prepare for that when needed, and on the other hand I feel like if the parents cared enough about the child they wouldn't be parading around on television shows and in magazines boasting about their tranny pregnancy. Is this something to talk about? Yes, but I don't know that shocking everyone on Oprah is the right way to do it. To each their own, but I don't know that I support this.
Picture Source: dlisted.com
The woman in the picture below is pregnant.
Shocking? Not really, but the twist is that the woman in the picture now above has been transformed into a man.
Many have been asking how this is possible. Tracey, now better known as Thomas, is a transsexual man who had his (her?) breasts removed, but kept the reproductive organs. Upon finding out that his wife could no longer have a child, the couple decided that they had no other choice but to impregnant the man with sperm from a doner.
So many questions have been raised about this. Is it right? Is the marriage between a man and woman or a woman and a woman? What about the child? Before you judge, check out all sides of the story.
The woman already has children. She can't have any more. She claims that she's found her soulmate now and wants to have a child with him. She believes that it's her right to have a child with the father carrying the baby.
The transsexual claims he kept the reproductive organs specifically because he wanted to have kids. He also believes that it's his right to give birth since technically he's a female. He claims that he wants to have a happy family with his wife.
The media has taken it upon themselves to decide that this family is doing this not for love, but for money. Also, the media has really mentioned that the child is probably going to be ridiculed because the parents are in the public eye and the child is going to be watched. As I listened to two different radio stations talk about this today, almost all of the public that called in claimed that the child would be harassed and teased.
Doctors have performed several ultrasounds and report that the child and pregnancy are going great, and there have been very few complications. As odd as this may seam, I don't know that it's entirely bad.
The problem I have with this whole baby mama drama is not with the parents, but with the kid. There are parents who drop E, get pregnant, have a kid, and the baby is born addicted to a drug and without stable parents, so what's worse? On one hand I feel like the parents know the child is going to have a hard life and that they will prepare for that when needed, and on the other hand I feel like if the parents cared enough about the child they wouldn't be parading around on television shows and in magazines boasting about their tranny pregnancy. Is this something to talk about? Yes, but I don't know that shocking everyone on Oprah is the right way to do it. To each their own, but I don't know that I support this.
Picture Source: dlisted.com
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The Slap Heard Around The Real World
The Real World Awards taught us many great things. Brooke from Denver is insane, Johnny and Svetlana from Key West are the best looking, Austin was the favorite cast, and Stephen from Seattle really is gay. Many may not really care much about the last one, however if you remember anything about Stephen you remember that he was the first member to ever hit someone, and it was over him swearing up and down that he was not gay. If you don't remember, I've found an uncensored clip to help you refresh your memory.
Irene, the slapee, was leaving the house because she was having complications with her Lyme Disease. As she exits, she jokes about not ever being able to marry Stephen because he's gay. Stephen gets incredibly offended because he claims he's “not gay” and runs out the house, opens her car door and slaps her. That was the end, until now.
Fast forward to nine and a half years later. Stephen shows up at the Real World Awards with a man. He announces they are engaged and will be married soon. Confused? So was everyone else. Don't get me wrong here, I support homosexual marriage and I believe that people who find love within their same sex should have the right to marry, but this situation just struck me as odd. Do people change? Yes, but this man was so adamant about not being gay that he went out of his way to chase someone down and slap them for calling him so. Perhaps he was just upset that she knew the truth, or perhaps like almost all cast members of the Real World, he's just a little bit crazy.
Irene, the slapee, was leaving the house because she was having complications with her Lyme Disease. As she exits, she jokes about not ever being able to marry Stephen because he's gay. Stephen gets incredibly offended because he claims he's “not gay” and runs out the house, opens her car door and slaps her. That was the end, until now.
Fast forward to nine and a half years later. Stephen shows up at the Real World Awards with a man. He announces they are engaged and will be married soon. Confused? So was everyone else. Don't get me wrong here, I support homosexual marriage and I believe that people who find love within their same sex should have the right to marry, but this situation just struck me as odd. Do people change? Yes, but this man was so adamant about not being gay that he went out of his way to chase someone down and slap them for calling him so. Perhaps he was just upset that she knew the truth, or perhaps like almost all cast members of the Real World, he's just a little bit crazy.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Montag & McCain in '08
When you think about the handful of fans Heidi Montag has, you probably don't think of anyone overly intelligent. John McCain has put himself out on a limb to announce that he is a fan of Heidi. It is probably debatable to say that John McCain may either enforce or deny Heidi having a lack of intelligent fans, but it's not debatable to say that McCain talking about The Hills is probably just a plea to entice the younger generation.
First off, McCain goes on to say she's a “fantastic actress.” Again, debatable, but she's not supposed to appear as an actress. Also, it doesn't really seam like he has any idea what he's talking about. He makes the same comment over and over again, and he laughs nervously as he does so. It's pretty clear that before Heidi went out on a limb to support him he had no idea who she was, and I'm still not convinced that he knows. I'm not really familiar with McCain's approach for the younger generation of voters, but I know that aligning himself with Heidi Montag kind of made me dislike him a little more. I know he can't chose who supports him, but to give a political shout out to Heidi was a little odd.
The best part of the clip is when a woman begs for the men to “get serious” and the anchorman snaps back at her. It made me chuckle. They start talking about Heidi at about 50 seconds if you want to forward the video.
First off, McCain goes on to say she's a “fantastic actress.” Again, debatable, but she's not supposed to appear as an actress. Also, it doesn't really seam like he has any idea what he's talking about. He makes the same comment over and over again, and he laughs nervously as he does so. It's pretty clear that before Heidi went out on a limb to support him he had no idea who she was, and I'm still not convinced that he knows. I'm not really familiar with McCain's approach for the younger generation of voters, but I know that aligning himself with Heidi Montag kind of made me dislike him a little more. I know he can't chose who supports him, but to give a political shout out to Heidi was a little odd.
The best part of the clip is when a woman begs for the men to “get serious” and the anchorman snaps back at her. It made me chuckle. They start talking about Heidi at about 50 seconds if you want to forward the video.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Jabbawokeez FTW!
After a grueling 10 week battle, the Jabbawokeez windmilled, glided, and flipped their way to the top spot of America's Best Dance Crew. Their moves were sick, but it was their determination that brought them to the number one spot. The crew started with seven members, however an illness that lead to death left the group with only six men to step up to the competition. Below is my personal favorite performance by them.
The Jabbawokeez were great, no doubt, but we've seen this all before. Men dancing, six stepping their way around the stage, doing a flare and catching a handkerchief in the middle. Okay, maybe not the last one, but what I'm getting at is that they were original only to an extent.
I'd go out on a limb to say that the all girl group Fysh N Chicks really brought it. They were original in a sense that all girl hip-hop dance groups are almost unheard of. I used to dance, in fact is was a large part of my life for some time, and to see these girls getting grimey on stage really made me watch every week. I can't lie, after they were voted off I kind of lost interest. They were the total package, I'm convinced America was just not ready for the chicks to win it all.
Overall, the Jabbawokeez really brought it. Their gimmicky little masks won over America's heart, though deep down inside mine you'll find a place for Fysh N Chicks. Below is a video of their first performance on the show.
The Jabbawokeez were great, no doubt, but we've seen this all before. Men dancing, six stepping their way around the stage, doing a flare and catching a handkerchief in the middle. Okay, maybe not the last one, but what I'm getting at is that they were original only to an extent.
I'd go out on a limb to say that the all girl group Fysh N Chicks really brought it. They were original in a sense that all girl hip-hop dance groups are almost unheard of. I used to dance, in fact is was a large part of my life for some time, and to see these girls getting grimey on stage really made me watch every week. I can't lie, after they were voted off I kind of lost interest. They were the total package, I'm convinced America was just not ready for the chicks to win it all.
Overall, the Jabbawokeez really brought it. Their gimmicky little masks won over America's heart, though deep down inside mine you'll find a place for Fysh N Chicks. Below is a video of their first performance on the show.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Live Blog: Gauntlet III Finale
10:05 – Does anyone like Frank? His promises to Adam were a joke and Adam is stupid for trusting him. Everyone knew Adam was going into the gauntlet, and most probably expected Danny to go in against him.
10:09 – This whole season, I've thought about Ball Brawl and how one of the competitors should just let the other one use all their energy to get the first three balls because it makes no difference if you get them or not. Finally Danny figured this out. Is it just me, or were all these gauntlets pretty lame? Oh well. I guess Danny's strategy didn't matter much, he just lost.
10:13 – So the final teams are set in stone. The rookies seem to have the stronger team regardless of the player amount. The veterans have Eric, and as much as he claims he's going to give it his all I seriously doubt it.
10:17 – It's a little late for a Veteran's team meeting. Eric tries to defend himself and swears that he's not going to quit. He claims hes going to punch medics in the face if they tell him he can't go on. I seriously doubt that too. Judging from the previews though, he's going to go down somewhere. We'll just have to wait and see exactly where.
10:19 – CT claims he doesn't like the person he's become in the house. Uh.. hasn't he been this way every time we've seen him?
10:21 – The beginning of the end is here, and everyone's wearing spandex.
10:27 – Evan lands on shore, Eric is far behind. CT “encourages” him, but there really is little hope. I see defeat in the Vet's eyes. The Rookies take the lead, this is something we haven't seen in a very long time. This is incredibly uplifting for the Rookies. The light at the end of the tunnel has got to be shining now that they see how much of an advantage it was to keep Eric around.
10:29 – Eric looks like he's about to die. The Vets finally take off towards the next challenge, but Eric is looking a little uneasy about everything. He doesn't have enough energy to put his shoes on, and he's got about 2 more miles to endure.
10:31 – Chain, chain, chain. Chain of fools. That's all I can think of when I see the Vets locked up together taking off down the trail. Apparently it ain't easy bein' Easy, because now he really looks like he's going to die as his team literally pulls him along.
10:37 – The Rookies are caught up, literally, on their crank. What luck. Fortunately their previous lead left room for this kink to be solved. The Vets are close behind, but Eric starts stumbling more than before. Could this be the end for the Vets? If Eric falls, he's going to be an anchor – which just happened.
10:40 – Big Easy went down. Now, when I say he looks like he's about to die I mean it. His eyes look insane. His breathing is heavy. He's down for the count. Earlier, he claimed he was going to punch the medics in the face. I don't think he's got the energy for that now.
10:44 – Medics, who are not being punched in the face, carry Eric off. The Vets continue to argue about the situation, the Rookies continue to win the race. In the beginning, TJ made it clear that every man had to finish the race. Eric will definitely not be finishing. Will this cost the Vets their win?
10:51 – The Vets catch up. This shows how much better of a team the Vets really are. They were pretty far behind because of Eric then spent time having Medics come tend to him. They had more players to get across the pulley obstacle and still, they catch the Rookies. Hands down, they have the better team.
10:53 – The Vets dig up their flag and begin to raise it for the win.
10:54 – Where's Easy? The Rookies are confused. I'd be too if I spent the entire challenge trying to keep him in the game and now at the end the Vets don't have him attached to themselves.
10:55 – TJ lets everyone know someone got left behind. I wonder who? The joke's on them. See ya, Vets. The Rookies win by default. Paula puts it best, “We're angry, and bitter, and poor.” Yup. Eric should hang his hat up now, because he'll forever be known as the guy who couldn't make it through the final challenge.
10:56 – Victory part two. Rookies raise their flags. I hoped the Rookies won, however I had my doubts. Without Eric the Vets would have blown them out of the water just like they did on the last third of the final challenge. The Rookies didn't have the best team, thats for sure, but they worked at a strategy that benefited them in the end. After all, these challenges aren't about making friends for life, they're about winning money and playing a game.
10:09 – This whole season, I've thought about Ball Brawl and how one of the competitors should just let the other one use all their energy to get the first three balls because it makes no difference if you get them or not. Finally Danny figured this out. Is it just me, or were all these gauntlets pretty lame? Oh well. I guess Danny's strategy didn't matter much, he just lost.
10:13 – So the final teams are set in stone. The rookies seem to have the stronger team regardless of the player amount. The veterans have Eric, and as much as he claims he's going to give it his all I seriously doubt it.
10:17 – It's a little late for a Veteran's team meeting. Eric tries to defend himself and swears that he's not going to quit. He claims hes going to punch medics in the face if they tell him he can't go on. I seriously doubt that too. Judging from the previews though, he's going to go down somewhere. We'll just have to wait and see exactly where.
10:19 – CT claims he doesn't like the person he's become in the house. Uh.. hasn't he been this way every time we've seen him?
10:21 – The beginning of the end is here, and everyone's wearing spandex.
10:27 – Evan lands on shore, Eric is far behind. CT “encourages” him, but there really is little hope. I see defeat in the Vet's eyes. The Rookies take the lead, this is something we haven't seen in a very long time. This is incredibly uplifting for the Rookies. The light at the end of the tunnel has got to be shining now that they see how much of an advantage it was to keep Eric around.
10:29 – Eric looks like he's about to die. The Vets finally take off towards the next challenge, but Eric is looking a little uneasy about everything. He doesn't have enough energy to put his shoes on, and he's got about 2 more miles to endure.
10:31 – Chain, chain, chain. Chain of fools. That's all I can think of when I see the Vets locked up together taking off down the trail. Apparently it ain't easy bein' Easy, because now he really looks like he's going to die as his team literally pulls him along.
10:37 – The Rookies are caught up, literally, on their crank. What luck. Fortunately their previous lead left room for this kink to be solved. The Vets are close behind, but Eric starts stumbling more than before. Could this be the end for the Vets? If Eric falls, he's going to be an anchor – which just happened.
10:40 – Big Easy went down. Now, when I say he looks like he's about to die I mean it. His eyes look insane. His breathing is heavy. He's down for the count. Earlier, he claimed he was going to punch the medics in the face. I don't think he's got the energy for that now.
10:44 – Medics, who are not being punched in the face, carry Eric off. The Vets continue to argue about the situation, the Rookies continue to win the race. In the beginning, TJ made it clear that every man had to finish the race. Eric will definitely not be finishing. Will this cost the Vets their win?
10:51 – The Vets catch up. This shows how much better of a team the Vets really are. They were pretty far behind because of Eric then spent time having Medics come tend to him. They had more players to get across the pulley obstacle and still, they catch the Rookies. Hands down, they have the better team.
10:53 – The Vets dig up their flag and begin to raise it for the win.
10:54 – Where's Easy? The Rookies are confused. I'd be too if I spent the entire challenge trying to keep him in the game and now at the end the Vets don't have him attached to themselves.
10:55 – TJ lets everyone know someone got left behind. I wonder who? The joke's on them. See ya, Vets. The Rookies win by default. Paula puts it best, “We're angry, and bitter, and poor.” Yup. Eric should hang his hat up now, because he'll forever be known as the guy who couldn't make it through the final challenge.
10:56 – Victory part two. Rookies raise their flags. I hoped the Rookies won, however I had my doubts. Without Eric the Vets would have blown them out of the water just like they did on the last third of the final challenge. The Rookies didn't have the best team, thats for sure, but they worked at a strategy that benefited them in the end. After all, these challenges aren't about making friends for life, they're about winning money and playing a game.
Horror or Horrible?
Reality television has taken the approach of many different formats since it began airing. Networks are able to put their finger on what will and what won't be successful just by the pitch of a show. Once a show flops, everyone can scratch any variation of the flopped format off the board. Perhaps The CW Network didn't get that memo.
The CW Network has gone to the drawing board to draft up a horror reality television series. Several years ago Fox tried something similar. The show was a flop, and after the winner died in the September 11th attacks, the show was never heard of again.
The CW has chosen Sam Raimi to produce the show. Although the show is still in the building stages, a representative from The CW Newtork has already mentioned what contestants on the show will have to endure.
Because that sounds so different from every other reality television show, right? Right...
The CW Network has gone to the drawing board to draft up a horror reality television series. Several years ago Fox tried something similar. The show was a flop, and after the winner died in the September 11th attacks, the show was never heard of again.
The CW has chosen Sam Raimi to produce the show. Although the show is still in the building stages, a representative from The CW Newtork has already mentioned what contestants on the show will have to endure.
“The action takes contestants on a journey with challenges and games designed to frighten them along the way. Similar to horror films, the challenges will play into our deepest fears and anxieties and will reveal things the contestants never knew about themselves.”
Because that sounds so different from every other reality television show, right? Right...
Monday, March 17, 2008
Who Knows This S#!T!
A couple of nights ago, I was searching desperately for any sort of show on television worth watching. Surprisingly, I landed on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader and was almost immediately hooked.
I would consider myself average when it comes to intelligence. I'm certainly not a genius, but I'm in college and “learning.” I was surprised to find that in the entire hour, I only answered two questions right. One was about adverbs (yay!), and the other about Miami. Out of all the questions, most of them were certainly not ones I'd ever remembered learning in elementary school, then again I haven't been there in over ten years.
What took me for surprise (and also made me feel a little better about myself) is that no one in the room really knew any of these answers either. I didn't know that the ostrich was the fastest bird on foot, and I definitely didn't know what African country Adiss Ababa was the capital of, but neither did anyone else. Why didn't we know? Because we're all “old” in a sense that none of that information was important to us anymore.
So, why do teachers teach children stuff that no one really cares to know about, or needs to know about for that matter? I remember asking myself this question as a child, and still I have no answer. No child should go without learning the core subjects, but knowing that the hippo is indigenous to Africa won't really get you anywhere in life, and unless your a baker or a brewer, knowing the pints to cups conversion is basically useless.
I happened to stumble across a blog that brought up the same question I just raised. The blogger makes a great point – what's the purpose of memorizing these tidbits when google is at almost everyones fingertips? Technology is an inevitable solution to not knowing useless knowledge. Even though you can't google the capital of Zimbabwe while taking a test, if you need to know it in real life it's virtually right there. As a college student it serves me better to know what I need, and google what I don't.
When doctors and lawyers claim to America that they are not smarter than a fifth grader, they aren't lying, but to assume that they are less educated because they traded in their trivial knowledge for a degree is making an “ass” out of “u” and “me.”
I would consider myself average when it comes to intelligence. I'm certainly not a genius, but I'm in college and “learning.” I was surprised to find that in the entire hour, I only answered two questions right. One was about adverbs (yay!), and the other about Miami. Out of all the questions, most of them were certainly not ones I'd ever remembered learning in elementary school, then again I haven't been there in over ten years.
What took me for surprise (and also made me feel a little better about myself) is that no one in the room really knew any of these answers either. I didn't know that the ostrich was the fastest bird on foot, and I definitely didn't know what African country Adiss Ababa was the capital of, but neither did anyone else. Why didn't we know? Because we're all “old” in a sense that none of that information was important to us anymore.
So, why do teachers teach children stuff that no one really cares to know about, or needs to know about for that matter? I remember asking myself this question as a child, and still I have no answer. No child should go without learning the core subjects, but knowing that the hippo is indigenous to Africa won't really get you anywhere in life, and unless your a baker or a brewer, knowing the pints to cups conversion is basically useless.
I happened to stumble across a blog that brought up the same question I just raised. The blogger makes a great point – what's the purpose of memorizing these tidbits when google is at almost everyones fingertips? Technology is an inevitable solution to not knowing useless knowledge. Even though you can't google the capital of Zimbabwe while taking a test, if you need to know it in real life it's virtually right there. As a college student it serves me better to know what I need, and google what I don't.
When doctors and lawyers claim to America that they are not smarter than a fifth grader, they aren't lying, but to assume that they are less educated because they traded in their trivial knowledge for a degree is making an “ass” out of “u” and “me.”
Friday, March 14, 2008
IDK My BFF Paris?
Reality television has been providing not-so-famous strangers the chance to pair up and get to know somewhat famous people for several seasons now. Although this pairing is a little different, the concept remains the same.
Paris Hilton, known mostly for her on again off again feud with her 'BFF' Nicole Ritchie, will be using the reality television medium to find a new buddy to prance around the mean streets of Hollywood with, in hopes that they will become best friends for life.
How are they casting this show, you ask? Online. Contestants will be able to make a page and fans will be able to vote for Paris' new BFF. That's hott.
While reading up on this, I thought to myself 'why the hell not!' I made a page. For some reason not really known to me at this time, I want to give being Paris's BFF a shot. Who knows, I might learn a thing or two about the color pink.
Paris Hilton, known mostly for her on again off again feud with her 'BFF' Nicole Ritchie, will be using the reality television medium to find a new buddy to prance around the mean streets of Hollywood with, in hopes that they will become best friends for life.
How are they casting this show, you ask? Online. Contestants will be able to make a page and fans will be able to vote for Paris' new BFF. That's hott.
While reading up on this, I thought to myself 'why the hell not!' I made a page. For some reason not really known to me at this time, I want to give being Paris's BFF a shot. Who knows, I might learn a thing or two about the color pink.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Can He Work It Out?
David Archuleta claims to have been “familiar” with his song choice for Wednesday night's American Idol performance. If you caught the performance though, you'd be surprised that he made any such comment.
Since the show has narrowed contestants to the top 12, each performance show has a theme. This week all the contestants were required to sing a song by either Paul McCartney or John Lennon. David Archuleta decided to go with “We Can Work It Out,” but strayed from the original Beatles version and went for the edgy sound of the cover done by Stevie Wonder. In his interview before his performance he states that he “loves” the song, however after the performance Archuleta claims that he wasn't “too sure” of the song. Hello, contradiction.
No one can argue that this performance was good, but anyone can argue that this kid probably has way too much pressure on him. He's only 17. Reports have been made about his father bringing him to tears the day before the performance in the recording studio because his singing was not perfect. While his friends from back home are studying for midterms and gearing up for spring break, he's crying in a recording studio. Ah, the price of fame. Even though I'm not remotely close to being a fan of David, I hope he can work something out before he bombs again, especially if his dad is that aggressive towards his stardom.
Since the show has narrowed contestants to the top 12, each performance show has a theme. This week all the contestants were required to sing a song by either Paul McCartney or John Lennon. David Archuleta decided to go with “We Can Work It Out,” but strayed from the original Beatles version and went for the edgy sound of the cover done by Stevie Wonder. In his interview before his performance he states that he “loves” the song, however after the performance Archuleta claims that he wasn't “too sure” of the song. Hello, contradiction.
No one can argue that this performance was good, but anyone can argue that this kid probably has way too much pressure on him. He's only 17. Reports have been made about his father bringing him to tears the day before the performance in the recording studio because his singing was not perfect. While his friends from back home are studying for midterms and gearing up for spring break, he's crying in a recording studio. Ah, the price of fame. Even though I'm not remotely close to being a fan of David, I hope he can work something out before he bombs again, especially if his dad is that aggressive towards his stardom.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
OT: Hiatus!
I'll be enjoying all that Key West has to offer over spring break. See everyone soon!
I leave you with this hilarious clip from SNL's parody of Rock Of Love
I leave you with this hilarious clip from SNL's parody of Rock Of Love
Monday, February 25, 2008
Entertainment or Indecency?
If six years ago someone told me there would be a show where America voted to pair up total strangers in hopes that they would be compatible and get married I would have laughed. Five years ago, it happened. Now it's getting sued, but not for a reason you'd imagine.
Married by America was pretty popular back in 2003. The premise of the show was for America to play cupid and cast votes to pair up couples in hopes that two of the five contestants would be compatible enough to get married in three weeks and win a house and a $500,000 prize.
With all weddings came the infamous bachelor and bachelorette parties. This one in particular raised the eyebrows of many viewers, including the FCC. The heavily pixilated clip of the party lasted a mere 10.5 seconds and earned Fox network a fine of 1.2 million dollars.
Now just short of five years later the fine which was once almost erased completely was reduced. Fox stands behind their fine stating,
“While it is true that the nude female breasts and buttocks shown were pixilated, the commission has never held that the full exposure of sexual or excretory organs is required to satisfy the first prong of the broadcast indecency standard.”
Wait. Is this show entertainment or pure indecency? Where was Fox when this idea was brought into the drawing bored? The whole idea of the show is indecent, not to mention inconsiderate to families who have valued their marriage. The idea of introducing people and hoping that they will like each other just enough to decide they want to marry each other in three weeks is indecent. People wonder why the divorce rate is so high. It's probably more detrimental to our society to promote a three week marriage then it is to show some T&A on TV.
Married by America was pretty popular back in 2003. The premise of the show was for America to play cupid and cast votes to pair up couples in hopes that two of the five contestants would be compatible enough to get married in three weeks and win a house and a $500,000 prize.
With all weddings came the infamous bachelor and bachelorette parties. This one in particular raised the eyebrows of many viewers, including the FCC. The heavily pixilated clip of the party lasted a mere 10.5 seconds and earned Fox network a fine of 1.2 million dollars.
Now just short of five years later the fine which was once almost erased completely was reduced. Fox stands behind their fine stating,
“While it is true that the nude female breasts and buttocks shown were pixilated, the commission has never held that the full exposure of sexual or excretory organs is required to satisfy the first prong of the broadcast indecency standard.”
Wait. Is this show entertainment or pure indecency? Where was Fox when this idea was brought into the drawing bored? The whole idea of the show is indecent, not to mention inconsiderate to families who have valued their marriage. The idea of introducing people and hoping that they will like each other just enough to decide they want to marry each other in three weeks is indecent. People wonder why the divorce rate is so high. It's probably more detrimental to our society to promote a three week marriage then it is to show some T&A on TV.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Peyton's Gone, Who's Left?
One of my predictions for Rock Of Love got the boot last night. Can't be right all the time, right?
Catherine was also eliminated last night, however no one will really miss her.
So who's left now, you ask? According to VH1 provided personal profiles, there are only two girls that remain over the age of 30 – and barely over 30 at that. It really baffles me that these girls are almost young enough to be his daughter. I was unaware that the 'cougar' syndrome worked in reverse, but it seams to really be working for Brett Michaels both in his personal life and in his bank account.
Catherine was also eliminated last night, however no one will really miss her.
So who's left now, you ask? According to VH1 provided personal profiles, there are only two girls that remain over the age of 30 – and barely over 30 at that. It really baffles me that these girls are almost young enough to be his daughter. I was unaware that the 'cougar' syndrome worked in reverse, but it seams to really be working for Brett Michaels both in his personal life and in his bank account.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Grandma On The Gauntlet
It is no hidden fact that Beth is old, a good amount of the cast even jokes that her date of birth dates back to the dinosaurs. Last week she was eliminated by Coral who also made fun of her age. Coral did not want to “get beat my her grandma.” You'd think that a comment like that would come from someone considerably younger than Beth, right? Wrong.
As I recall from Coral's Back To New York season, she was one of the oldest. She's now 29. Beth is 39. In reality TV, they're both almost too old for VH1 even, but for Coral to call Beth a grandma is just kind of ridiculous. Nearing 40 is probably a little old for these challenges, but nearing 30 is not really too much farther behind. Beth was definitely no weakling when it came to stepping up. Coral on the other hand, was “bit by a spider” and bailed out on the final mission several challenges ago.
Although I love the I-don't-wrestle-I-beat-bitches-up Coral, I'd probably take the Grandma over her when it comes to winning $300,000.
As I recall from Coral's Back To New York season, she was one of the oldest. She's now 29. Beth is 39. In reality TV, they're both almost too old for VH1 even, but for Coral to call Beth a grandma is just kind of ridiculous. Nearing 40 is probably a little old for these challenges, but nearing 30 is not really too much farther behind. Beth was definitely no weakling when it came to stepping up. Coral on the other hand, was “bit by a spider” and bailed out on the final mission several challenges ago.
Although I love the I-don't-wrestle-I-beat-bitches-up Coral, I'd probably take the Grandma over her when it comes to winning $300,000.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Less Is More
On MTV's Gauntlet 3 the score is something like 5-1, Veterans. They are handing out verbal, physical, and mental ass whoopings to the Rookies, however I don't think they realize that this is somewhat of a blessing in disguise.
Less is definitely more in this case. While the rookies are probably going to need to step it up a little, they have already had the advantage of “less is more” by winning their only challenge due to the number of people on their team. Less people in the end means less dead weight you have to carry, less screaming at your slow team you have to do, and more money to split between the remaining members. The Vets are too “proud” of their wins. They have realized now that they need to start throwing missions to lose some players, but the challenge is almost half over. We can watch tonight and see how everything goes down, but I think everyone who watches the show has a pretty good idea already.
If they Vets start a mind game the war will be within the team and not within the final mission. No matter the score of the pre-games, the Rookies will undoubtedly crush the Vets if they can't pull together as a (larger) team and get the job done.
Less is definitely more in this case. While the rookies are probably going to need to step it up a little, they have already had the advantage of “less is more” by winning their only challenge due to the number of people on their team. Less people in the end means less dead weight you have to carry, less screaming at your slow team you have to do, and more money to split between the remaining members. The Vets are too “proud” of their wins. They have realized now that they need to start throwing missions to lose some players, but the challenge is almost half over. We can watch tonight and see how everything goes down, but I think everyone who watches the show has a pretty good idea already.
If they Vets start a mind game the war will be within the team and not within the final mission. No matter the score of the pre-games, the Rookies will undoubtedly crush the Vets if they can't pull together as a (larger) team and get the job done.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Reality TV's Dangling Carrot
When you think of reality television, normally you think of situational experiences where people are cast to take part in the situation. The script isn't written until the action happens.
Dateline NBC started a show segment several years ago and titled it “To Catch A Predator.” Hands down, this has to be the realest form of reality television.
The premise of this show is to lure an adult into meeting an underage teenager home alone. This is done by having a decoy pose as a young child in a chat room to lure an adult into meeting them alone somewhere. The situational experience is the meeting, the casting is the luring. The script writes itself as the decoy and adult chat. This really is reality tv.
Many argue that this is entrapment. While it has been argued by both the law and NBC that it is not, I still feel strongly that it is, at least, incredibly unethical.
Don't get me wrong here, I totally think these men are in the wrong. Many of the men admit it is illegal. Many of these men suggest what they are doing is wrong. It is the decoy who encourages that it is alright and that they are safe. Why is it that the adult is always the one suffering the defamation, yet the decoy is the one trolling and “whoring” themselves around in the chat?
Who is to say that these men are not coming to abuse the child, or to take advantage of the child, but to teach them a very valuable lesson – that they could be hurt by doing what they are doing and that they need to stop immediately. Who is to say that these men were even going to engage in sexual acts with these children? You can't take a prostitute down until she's made clear that shes being paid for sex, so why can you take a man down for meeting a child somewhere without any signs of intentions? Of course this is not true for all of the cases, but in many instances there is no sign of sexual intent.
Should the adult be to blame simply because they are “older and wiser?” Should the child take the fall because they knew what they were getting into and lured in the adult? Should NBC be blamed as well because they only present one side of the argument? I'd like to see someone flip the script and set up an adult decoy to lure in a child. Then I'm sure everyone would hear (and see) how unethical this whole process was.
Dateline NBC started a show segment several years ago and titled it “To Catch A Predator.” Hands down, this has to be the realest form of reality television.
The premise of this show is to lure an adult into meeting an underage teenager home alone. This is done by having a decoy pose as a young child in a chat room to lure an adult into meeting them alone somewhere. The situational experience is the meeting, the casting is the luring. The script writes itself as the decoy and adult chat. This really is reality tv.
Many argue that this is entrapment. While it has been argued by both the law and NBC that it is not, I still feel strongly that it is, at least, incredibly unethical.
Don't get me wrong here, I totally think these men are in the wrong. Many of the men admit it is illegal. Many of these men suggest what they are doing is wrong. It is the decoy who encourages that it is alright and that they are safe. Why is it that the adult is always the one suffering the defamation, yet the decoy is the one trolling and “whoring” themselves around in the chat?
Who is to say that these men are not coming to abuse the child, or to take advantage of the child, but to teach them a very valuable lesson – that they could be hurt by doing what they are doing and that they need to stop immediately. Who is to say that these men were even going to engage in sexual acts with these children? You can't take a prostitute down until she's made clear that shes being paid for sex, so why can you take a man down for meeting a child somewhere without any signs of intentions? Of course this is not true for all of the cases, but in many instances there is no sign of sexual intent.
Should the adult be to blame simply because they are “older and wiser?” Should the child take the fall because they knew what they were getting into and lured in the adult? Should NBC be blamed as well because they only present one side of the argument? I'd like to see someone flip the script and set up an adult decoy to lure in a child. Then I'm sure everyone would hear (and see) how unethical this whole process was.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Flav's eFailure
Thanks to the advancements in Internet dating, reality television shows have begun casting online. Flavor of Love 3 took this approach for the final series. Back in September of last year a website was created for anyone and everyone to come and post videos and pictures for casting purposes. Being that I am basically addicted to reality television, I thought I'd give this whole online casting thing a go. Aside from the fact that I was dating someone, the whole online casting was pretty fun. I made a couple of friends on the site and spent an equal amount of time playing around on the casting page as I did on my myspace.
What my experience from this taught me is that the people who get casted from online votes are probably not the “best fit” for their match. People would advertise themselves and have others advertise them as well. It was like an army of people all trying to spam as many comment boards as they could to try to rack in votes.
When you watched (if you didn't catch it already) Flavor Of Love 3's premier, you probably noticed that four out of the five Internet girls were sent home. I believe strongly that this is why. Fans were involved in the voting process, but when you have people sitting around racking in 2,000 votes a day there's not a whole lot you can do to compete with that. Then again, if Flav's television matchmaking wasn't one of the highest rated shows on VH1, who really would go through all this trouble just to date him?
What my experience from this taught me is that the people who get casted from online votes are probably not the “best fit” for their match. People would advertise themselves and have others advertise them as well. It was like an army of people all trying to spam as many comment boards as they could to try to rack in votes.
When you watched (if you didn't catch it already) Flavor Of Love 3's premier, you probably noticed that four out of the five Internet girls were sent home. I believe strongly that this is why. Fans were involved in the voting process, but when you have people sitting around racking in 2,000 votes a day there's not a whole lot you can do to compete with that. Then again, if Flav's television matchmaking wasn't one of the highest rated shows on VH1, who really would go through all this trouble just to date him?
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Celebreality Star Of The Week
Aubry's hair!
I could probably go as far as to say her outfit as a whole, but her hair really just tops everything off. She looks absolutely ridiculous. She eliminated herself for her new BFF Kristy Joe – only for everyone else to find out that she was the one being eliminated anyway. If Kristy Joe was that great of a friend she wouldn't have let Aubry walk out in public rockin' that dew, nevertheless on a nationally broadcasted television show. Oh well. See ya Aubry, don't let the door hit your hair on the way out.
Picture snagged from Vh1.
I could probably go as far as to say her outfit as a whole, but her hair really just tops everything off. She looks absolutely ridiculous. She eliminated herself for her new BFF Kristy Joe – only for everyone else to find out that she was the one being eliminated anyway. If Kristy Joe was that great of a friend she wouldn't have let Aubry walk out in public rockin' that dew, nevertheless on a nationally broadcasted television show. Oh well. See ya Aubry, don't let the door hit your hair on the way out.
Picture snagged from Vh1.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Casting Is Calling... Again.
What do Beauty And The Geek and Rock Of Love 2 have in common?
If you answered Megan Hauserman, you answered correct.
As I waswatching tv studying yesterday I couldn't help but continue to wonder why Megan from Rock Of Love looked so familiar. Then, all at once, a (television)bulb lit up over top of my head. Beauty And The Geek had been airing, and to my surprise a familiar face appeared on the screen. It was Megan! Alas, my worrying as to how I knew her was over!
Then I began to wonder why she was on Rock Of Love. She won on her season of Beauty And The Geek, that wasn't enough?
Megan believes that Rock Of Love is her destiny. She states,
Yes Megan, something is calling. It's called casting.
If you answered Megan Hauserman, you answered correct.
As I was
Then I began to wonder why she was on Rock Of Love. She won on her season of Beauty And The Geek, that wasn't enough?
Megan believes that Rock Of Love is her destiny. She states,
“I think that I was born to be a rock star girlfriend. It’s like a calling, like, nurses… I mean nuns… they feel a calling, they have to go to the convent. That’s me! I feel it! It’s calling me. It’s meant to be. I can’t even help it.”
Yes Megan, something is calling. It's called casting.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
A Video Only A Pratt Could Be Proud Of
After much backlash from her first single, reality tv star turned musician Heidi Montag gave the music business another shot. She released both the song and video for the new jam “Higher” on iTunes last week, with the negative feedback completely outweighing the positive.
This video is bad. I could buy a large pizza and pay more than what they might have paid for production.
Spencer Pratt, Heidi's infamous boyfriend, has nothing but “intelligent” things to say about the video.
He comments that people who speak negatively of it are “jealous.”
To each their own, I suppose, you can have a look at the video if you'd like, but beware.
This video is bad. I could buy a large pizza and pay more than what they might have paid for production.
Spencer Pratt, Heidi's infamous boyfriend, has nothing but “intelligent” things to say about the video.
He comments that people who speak negatively of it are “jealous.”
To each their own, I suppose, you can have a look at the video if you'd like, but beware.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Ba-Rock The Vote
Remember Steven from Real World Denver – the man of god and Poli-Sci graduate of Howard University? He supports Obama. Right, of course he does. On his myspace he writes,
Sadly enough, this has the potential to reach more younger people than anything on CNN. We can only hope that these celebreality stars will use their fifteen minutes for positive “campaigning” this voting season.
“These presidential elections are going to mean everything to the future of this country. My political affiliations have nothing to do with this, Barack Obama has my vote! This man is about change for this country. He has a vision for this country and he will restore faith in this country. I urge you all to strongly evaluate ALL of the candidates platforms, regardless of party; I guarantee you that Barack's is the smartest and the best platform for America. Peace and Blessings... Stephen Kyle”
Sadly enough, this has the potential to reach more younger people than anything on CNN. We can only hope that these celebreality stars will use their fifteen minutes for positive “campaigning” this voting season.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
OT: Superbowl Sunday!
Hopefully someone takes Tom Brady's knees out tomorrow. Get 'em, Giants. Represent for underdogs around the world.
Photo snagged from the flipcyde.
Friday, February 1, 2008
No Fatties Allowed!
No, not people, silly. I'm talking about joints. For obvious reasons, no joints – or any drugs for that matter – were allowed during the filming of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
To me, this show seams like it's going to be a stepping stone for former American Idol contestant Jessica Sierra. It took me until episode two to finally figure out who she was. Not only do I now know her as Jessica Sierra, the girl who was on celebrity rehab, but half of the people watching this show probably relate her more to rehab then her stint on American Idol. It saddens me that newfound fame can come from a show trying to help someone kick bad habits to “better themselves.” She definitely is an underdog, and as much as I want to root for her I have a hard time doing so knowing that the only reason she might be there in the first place is to gain supporters.
To me, this show seams like it's going to be a stepping stone for former American Idol contestant Jessica Sierra. It took me until episode two to finally figure out who she was. Not only do I now know her as Jessica Sierra, the girl who was on celebrity rehab, but half of the people watching this show probably relate her more to rehab then her stint on American Idol. It saddens me that newfound fame can come from a show trying to help someone kick bad habits to “better themselves.” She definitely is an underdog, and as much as I want to root for her I have a hard time doing so knowing that the only reason she might be there in the first place is to gain supporters.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
New Show Predicted To Increase The Divorce Rate
Well, not officially, but FOX's Moment Of Truth is bound to ruin a relationship or three before it's scrapped from the prime time lineup. It's premier contestant, a personal trainer, ended his quest to $100,000 by not being truthful about never “inappropriately touching” a client during their session together. Aside from the fact that this reveal was on national television, his wife was also front and center as a computer generated voice spewed out that his answer was false. I don't know what will be worse, the fact that this guy's wife has ammunition for any argument they get in for the rest of their life, or the fact that this guy just lost his chance at $100,000. At least he's still got his dog, it will probably be the only thing sleeping near him for quite some time.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Over the Border and Through the Sand, to Puerto Vallarta We Go
The Gauntlet has moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and is crazier than ever! This season, teams are split into Veterans and Rookies. Team Veteran consists of old school players such as Mike, Coral, CT, and Katie and are pitted against the Rookies, some new kids who no one really recognizes, to win an incredibly handsome (I'm talking suit-and-tie-handsome) $300,000 reward.
The Vets seam to be pretty stacked, in my opinion. Everytime I see the Rookies team, I'm constantly asking myself, “Who are these kids?” Except for Brooke. Everyone remembers Brooke.
The first mission, an old school game of tug of war, resulted in a winner takes all of the beds type of reward, and most likely set the tone for the rest of the competition.
While the challenges are definitely intense, I think the “interactions” between cast members are going to be unbelievably noteworthy. Alliances will form, hearts will be broken, and one team will walk away with the grand prize.
The Vets seam to be pretty stacked, in my opinion. Everytime I see the Rookies team, I'm constantly asking myself, “Who are these kids?” Except for Brooke. Everyone remembers Brooke.
The first mission, an old school game of tug of war, resulted in a winner takes all of the beds type of reward, and most likely set the tone for the rest of the competition.
While the challenges are definitely intense, I think the “interactions” between cast members are going to be unbelievably noteworthy. Alliances will form, hearts will be broken, and one team will walk away with the grand prize.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Let The Rock Begin
Rock Of Love just began it's second season last week, and I don't know if I'm entirely impressed. The girls are still crazy, the house is gigantic and amazing as always, but something is missing, and I cannot figure out what. Like many second seasons, I don't know that all these girls are actually there to be Brett Michaels' “Rock Of Love.” It seams as if they are all being as insane as possible just to get camera time. As “real” as reality television actually is, this clawing for camera time kind of makes me cringe, because it gives the show less of a real effect.
This aside, I do think there are girls there to find love and to be with Brett. Being the reality television aficionado that I am, I must give my predictions for the final three females standing.
My first prediction is Megan. I really think she's going to win. Unless some sort of situation presents itself to where she absolutely has to be eliminated, I think she's going to be the last one standing. This girl is the total package, for Brett, that is.
My second prediction is Peyton. I think it really is going to come down to her or Megan. Peyton is a rocker, Brett is a rocker, what else could he need.
I'm on the fence about picking Inna or Kristy Joe as my third, and since this is my blog (and because I hate being wrong) I'm going to pick them both as my third pick.
It is pretty early in the season, however I feel confident in my picks. Now we'll just have to wait and watch to see how close I actually come.
This aside, I do think there are girls there to find love and to be with Brett. Being the reality television aficionado that I am, I must give my predictions for the final three females standing.
My first prediction is Megan. I really think she's going to win. Unless some sort of situation presents itself to where she absolutely has to be eliminated, I think she's going to be the last one standing. This girl is the total package, for Brett, that is.
My second prediction is Peyton. I think it really is going to come down to her or Megan. Peyton is a rocker, Brett is a rocker, what else could he need.
I'm on the fence about picking Inna or Kristy Joe as my third, and since this is my blog (and because I hate being wrong) I'm going to pick them both as my third pick.
It is pretty early in the season, however I feel confident in my picks. Now we'll just have to wait and watch to see how close I actually come.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
'Tis The Season!
'Tis the season – the season of reality television! There are so many new seasons of shows coming up I can hardly keep track. From Rock of Love to America's Next Top Model, almost anything worthy of airtime ratings is beginning a new season within the next couple weeks, that is if it hasn't premiered already, and this makes me ooze with excitement. I cannot wait to learn of the hook-ups, the match-ups, the fights, and all the drama that goes along with reality television. Throught the semester I will discuss several shows, the "characters" that are created, and give predictions as to who I think will win, if applicable.
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