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Why does America keep sending the wrong ones home on American Idol and Dancing with the Stars?

31 Mar

I’m starting to get sick of my favorite reality shows.  Dancing with the Stars and American Idol have gotten off to rough starts in my opinion and this week’s results are only further proof of that.

Having America vote is a great idea, in theory, until they start keeping people around who have zero reason for being there.  Two days in a row, America sent the wrong person home and it destroys the credibility of what the shows are trying to achieve.

On Tuesday night, DWTS sent 90210 vixen Shannen Doherty packing.  The worst contestants, Buzz Aldrin and Kate Gosselin, weren’t even in the bottom two.  I can understand keeping Buzz around, as he’s seen as a national hero, but Kate was beyond awful.  In the nine previous seasons, I don’t recall anyone being as bad as she was on Monday night (and this includes Tucker Carlson and Kenny Mayne).  It is painful to watch her attempt to dance and she looks miserable every step of the way. 

Tonight on American Idol, the voters chose to send Didi Benami home.  This meant that once again, Tim Urban is left to compete.  What is it about this kid that has America keeping him in the competition?  He’s got Zac Efron looks and hair, an eternally optimistic outlook on his time on the Idol stage and doesn’t take any of the judges comments too seriously.  While those traits may be endearing, they don’t make someone worthy of a spot in the top 10.

I think it comes down to the drama.  It’s always more entertaining to watch someone crash and burn than it is to see them succeed.  Sure, it’s amusing to see Gosselin struggle and fight with her partner (just like she did with ex-hubby Jon on her old reality show), but she doesn’t even look like she’s happy to be there or having any fun at all.  Why send her home when you can watch her sulk and complain instead?

Idol is a whole different ballgame though.  None of these aspiring singers were famous before the show.  It’s supposed to be about finding someone who can make it in the music business.  Urban is not that person, not even close.  He’s not even doing something original or remarkable.  He’s basically a young guy who sings like he’s playing for people in an elevator.

Sure, maybe I’m being cynical, but I just want to see some good, healthy competition.  Whether someone is trying to win a recording contract or a mirrorball trophy, I want people who are in the hunt and not just spectators.  I’m not naive enough to think it will change anytime soon, but a girl can hope, right?

Dancing with the Stars is showing its age

24 Mar

Dancing with the Stars premiered on Monday night to almost 24 million viewers.  Even with that staggering number, I was left feeling bored and annoyed with the “stars” this season.

Dancing’s newest season started off with a new co-host, a new backstage room (which really isn’t backstage anymore) and some new graphics.  The changes weren’t enough to make me like this show.  I actually thought the changes were pretty bad.  The graphics were very odd and made the show seem amateurish.

Now, for the reason people watch this show…the dancing.  Overall, I was really disappointed and couldn’t be happier when the show was over.  Here is a quick play-by-play of the 11 dancers:

Chad – I was surprised he didn’t come off overly cocky, because that is part of his persona.  I thought he did a decent job for the first show.

Shannen – I thought her dancing was pretty bad (those arms flailing around), but I felt an emotional pull towards her.  I’d like to see her receive good praise and not be thought off as the bad girl.

Erin – All I kept thinking was that she had the longest arms in the world.  She did a good job and I think her pairing with Maks was smart.

Jake – I cannot make myself like this guy.  He did much better than I thought he would, but I’d be happy to see him leave early on. (Oh and enough with the shots of the “fiance” Vienna.)

Niecy – She’s a fun contestant and she’s confident.  Pairing with Louis gives her credibility.

Evan – Probably the best dance of the night, but I felt like I was watching him skate with his tight turns and weird leg extensions.

Buzz - He has some spunk, which was fun to see, but he looked like he was in a parade, stomping all around.

Nicole – Of course she is the favorite to win this trophy now.  She had a nice, classic routine.

Aiden – Oh poor Aiden.  He’s pretty charismatic and he’s nice to look at, but dancing is not his thing.

Kate – All I think when I look at her is fake.  I think everything she does is choreographed (not the dancing) and she looks mad all the time.  Even her laugh isn’t believable to me.

Pam – Oh dear lord.  I thought she had some moves, but really I thought the dance was awful.  What the heck was going on with that hair?  It’s a spectacle and is it just me or did she seem drunk throughout the whole show?

I didn’t really care for any of the dancing, I was paying more attention to the silly behavior of everyone.  Brooke Burke did a respectable job, but I still would liked to have seen someone else take over for Samantha Harris.

I watch the show because it’s usually fun, but I feel like the only reason I’m going to watch this season is for the drama.  I suppose that’s true for any reality show, but this group just doesn’t do it for me.

So when is American Idol going to return to excellence?

16 Mar

Tonight, FOX‘s American Idol debuted the Top 12 contestants.  Two hours later and I was still waiting for a show…

So when is American Idol going to return to excellence?

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American Idol’s Lee Dewyze makes it to the big show

12 Mar

Mount Prospect, IL native, Lee Dewyze, has made it into American Idol’s Top 12 contestants.  During the dramatic final elimination before moving on to the big stage, Lee was the third guy to get the “Congratulations” from Ryan Seacrest…

American Idol’s Lee Dewyze makes it to the big show

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Heap of Hollywood

3 Mar

Each week I’m going to try to make a post that has a variety of Hollywood news.  It will consist of casting, news and anything else I just want to touch upon.  Enjoy!

Casting: (Courtesy of firstshowing.net)

*Neil Patrick Harris has joined Smurfs: The Movie.  I know I’m not the only one who thinks this is awesome news!

*Marion Cotillard has joined Woody Allen‘s untitled movie co-starring Owen Wilson.

*Joseph Gordon-Levitt has replaced James McAvoy in Jonathan Levine‘s movie, I’m With Cancer (which I’m hearing is looking for a new title).  McAvoy had to drop out of the film, which is currently in production.

*Justin Timberlake has signed on to Bad Teacher, which will have him co-starring along side ex-Cameron Diaz.

News: (Courtesy of deadline.com)

*The Hurt Locker producer, Nicolas Chartier, has been banned from attending Sunday’s Academy Awards.  The decision was made after having written a note asking voters to vote for the smaller Best Movie nominee over a big-budget movie such as Avatar.

Other:

American Idol‘s Top 10 girls were pretty rough tonight.  I didn’t have much to say other than that.  Writing about the problems with this season’s contestants is starting to get a little redundant.

Spoiling TV?

3 Mar

After Monday’s Bachelor ended, I started to think about whether spoilers are good for a show or not.  Do viewers appreciate knowing part or all of what is going to happen on their favorite shows?

For weeks now, there had been rumors of who Jake picked in the finale of The Bachelor.  There is a website, realitysteve.com, that announced who the final three ladies were and then the winner.  I actually learned about this site through a friend and I didn’t believe that he was going to be right.  However, each week I watched the show, his predictions and insight were never wrong.  By the last episode though, I was over it.  I knew by that point that the predictions were going to be dead on and I really had no reason to watch it.  Don’t get me wrong, I did, but only because I wanted to see the drama of the pick more than the pick itself.

I’m all for spoilers on my favorite shows, but I think there is a line of maybe divulging too much information.  My favorite website for TV spoilers is Watch with Kristin.  She finds out the information that fans are asking for.  I really think her site is all about the fans; she is constantly having polls to determine which shows are the most popular or in demand.  I think the point of a spoiler is to give you just enough inside scoop that leaves you longing for more.  Plus, it gives you reason to watch a particular episode that might showcase a big event or a great guest star.

ABC‘s Lost is a great example.  I love Lost and just like many other people who watch this show, it is forever confusing.  I like being surprised and shocked by what happens when I watch though.  If I went to Kristin’s website and found information that ruined things for me, watching the show wouldn’t be the same. 

I think spoilers also give you a feeling of being behind the scenes.  It’s as if you are right there with the cast and production crew and can understand what is taking place based on the spoiler dirt.  To each their own, I suppose.  Some people don’t like knowing anything about their shows, but I like having a taste, just not the whole meal.

Crash And Burn: Idol Style

2 Mar

Wow.  Did the most of the guys just royally blow it tonight or what?  The top ten guys were on tonight because of an illness suffered by one of the top ten girls.  Michael Lynche started the show off on a good note, but from there it was mostly a downward spiral. 

 That was until we got to the last performer of the night: Lee Dewyze.  He’s got something and I think he will go far.

Bad comment followed by bad comment was how the jist of the evening went.  I wanted to scream at my TV, “Stop changing the songs!”  No one sounded especially great and it was just really annoying.  Almost everyone was pitchy and it really felt like amateur hour.

Jermaine Sellers is a Chicago guy, which is something I root for, but his attitude has got to go.  He’s so ridiculously confident, but doesn’t have the goods so far to back it up.  Casey James was okay, but there was nothing memorable about it.  I could go on and on about the negative points of tonight’s show.  Alex Lambert does have a really good voice, but again with that mullet.  Please. Cut. It. Off.

I was happy to see that Ellen was more comfortable over in judge’s row.  She gave some good advice and really seemed to know what she was talking about.  As for the illness that struck one of the girls, Crystal Bowersox, I’m kind of confused.  Of course I hope it’s nothing serious, but since when does someone get to continue on if they get sick?  I’m wondering then if it’s something more serious for FOX and Idol to move scheduling around for her.

I’m hoping for some real singing tomorrow night.  Please.

Coupling Up On Dancing With The Stars

2 Mar

Last night, I announced who the eleven celebs competing for dancing glory would be.  Earlier today, it was revealed which professionals the stars would be paired up with.

Pamela Anderson/Damian Whitewood
Niecy Nash/Louis Van Amstel
Shannen Doherty/Mark Ballas**
Erin Andrews/Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Nicole Scherzinger/Derek Hough
Kate Gosselin/Tony Dovolani
Chad Ochocinco/Cheryl Burke
Buzz Aldrin/Ashley Costa
Evan Lysacek/Anna Trebunskaya*
Aiden Turner/Edyta Sliwinska**
Jake Pavelka/Chelsie Hightower*

 

*My least favorite pairings

**My favorite pairings

Revealed: Dancing With The Stars Cast

1 Mar

Earlier tonight, ABC announced the top eleven dancers to be featured on the next installment of Dancing With The Stars.  The cast consists of athletes, actors, reality stars and journalists.  Those competing for the mirrorball trophy will be:

Pamela Anderson                                  Chad Ochocinco
Niecy Nash                                               Buzz Aldrin
Shannen Doherty                                  Evan Lysacek
Erin Andrews                                        Aiden Turner
Nicole Scherzinger                             Jake Pavelka
Kate Gosselin

 

The cast of eleven has dwindled down from the last installment of Dancing, which topped out at sixteen contestants.  I am confused about some of the choices for this new season, but we’ll get into that.  Let’s start with the ladies.

Pam Anderson- This had been rumored for weeks, so it wasn’t a big surprise to hear her name.  She hasn’t done much lately that has garnered positive praise, so I bet she’s hoping this is a step in a better direction.  I can’t wait to see how they fit her, um, breasts into these dancer dresses.

Niecy Nash- I don’t know too much about her, as I haven’t seen Reno 911.  I have seen her do some hosting work on E!, so I expect her to be a little eccentric and willing to say how she feels.

Shannen Doherty- This is one celeb I cannot wait to see.  Not only does she have a rumored “wild child” past, but she could be a firecracker and a loose cannon.

Erin Andrews- I think she is only here because of her recent controversy with a peeping tom. 

Nicole Scherzinger- I feel like this show might be a step down for her.  Although, she did participate in NBC’s Sing Off, does she really need to be doing this?

Kate Gosselin- I will start by saying that this made me a little ill.  She has eight kids last time I checked and an ex-husband who is not around much.  Who is going to take care of these kids, who live in Pennsylvania, while mom is in California dancing?  I’m sure the show will find a way to pimp out the kids and get them on TV as much as possible.  She will have a fan base, but the public could be sick of her constant tabloid presence.

Now, on to the men.

Chad Ochocinco- This is going to be entertaining for sure.  He is not one to hold his tongue back and I could see some interesting situations taking place between him and the judges.  I’m thinking he’s going to need one of the tougher professional women to reign in his personality.

Buzz Aldrin- He is the token older man.  He’ll have a built-in rooting audience, I think.

Evan Lysacek- Fresh off his gold medal from the Vancouver Olympics last week, he might have a new fan base to help push him along.  He’s still relatively unknown though.

Aiden Turner- Following in the steps of his former All My Children castmates (Susan Lucci, Cameron Mathison), Turner will be the fourth soap opera contestant for the show.  He could be a wild card.

Jake Pavelka- He was the last cast member to be announced.  I was not thrilled with this decision.  I personally have no desire to see The Bachelor on Monday nights anymore after tonight.  There were so many other ways the show could have gone with this final pick.

Overall, I think the group of celebrities are pretty lackluster.  I hope to be proved wrong, but who knows.  Here’s to season 10 of DWTS…

Guys vs. Girls: Idol Edition

24 Feb

Tonight it was time to see if the Top 12 guys had what it took to impress the American Idol viewers. 

Overall, I was not thoroughly impressed.  However, I will say that I was more entertained and had a better feeling about this group of singers compared to the ladies’ show last night.  I will say, like I said about the girls, that I understand it’s the first live week, but c’mon on now. 

Idol is now in its ninth season, which means that everyone out there knows what it takes to shine in this world of criticism and glory.  The guys tried too hard in my opinion; there were lots of runs and trying to outshine the one before him.  I did see a lot of potential though.  I definitely didn’t feel that way last night with the Top 12 girls.

As a Chicagoan, I was happy to see that three of the contestants hailed from my area.  I’m a fan of Lee Dewyze; he didn’t do exceptionally well tonight, but I love the raspy tone in his voice.  I actually like John Park too; he’s got a real richness to his voice.  But what the hell was he thinking with his song choice?  “God Bless the Child” is a song that should be sung by women with that powerhouse vocal.  I have a couple other guys that I will keep in the back of my mind (Casey James, Andrew Garcia) as could-be favorites.

Of course we have to discuss who I didn’t care for too.  I can’t jump on the Aaron Kelly train.  Sure, he’s got the David Archuletta thing going on, but he’s not a star.  Alex Lambert can lose the wanna-be mullet any time now.  I am not a fan of Michael Lynche either.  While watching his performance, I felt like I was sitting in a hotel listening to the wedding singer.

Usually when the Top 24 gets narrowed down to the Top 12, that’s when things really start heating up.  I’m really counting on that.  In interviews, Simon Cowell has said he feels like this is the year for a female winner.  I’m going to go out on a limb and disagree.  I’ve got the next three months to change my mind.

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