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...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
