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.
Friday, March 28, 2008
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
