Category: TV (Page 462 of 595)

American Idol: The Guys Revert Back to Mediocre

March 7, 2007 /

You would have thought the dude contestants remaining on “American Idol” have learned something.
Last week, for the most part, they stepped up their game. But last night almost all of them reverted back to two weeks ago when they played it safe and bored the crap out of America. Some of the judges even admitted that only three or four of these guys deserve to be in the top 12. Of course, six of them will be, because that’s how the show is set up. But more bland performances will mean early exits for all of these guys.

Before we get started on last night’s recap, Ryan Seacrest said there is a big announcement coming Thursday. What, that he is a douchebag? We already knew that. Just keep sucking up to the sponsors, Ryan…and we’ll all be on the edge of our seats. Also, Season 4 champ and country mega-star Carrie Underwood will perform on Thursday night, and America will get a glimpse of just how much better Stephanie, Lakisha, Melinda and Sabrina are than her. I just hope they don’t have Underwood dolled up in the same southern-suburban-mom-with-fake-boobs look they gave Kellie Pickler.

On to last night….

THE GOOD

Chris Sligh closed out the night, and even though it was like a 7 out of 10, he was still better than every other dude. Randy admitted that it was not his favorite performance of Chris’ but that it was the best vocal of the night, Paula said the same thing, and Simon said it sounded like Chris was shouting toward the end. All true, but this guy is safe and is one of the few guys who deserves to be in the top 12.

Blake Lewis kicked off the show with 311’s “All Mixed Up” which effectively showcased his beat-boxing, vocals and showmanship all at once. Still, this wasn’t Blake’s best showing either. Randy said it was hot, Paula said it was interesting, and Simon said he didn’t understand a word of it but that Blake continues to stand out. It was pretty funny that both Randy and Paula admitted to not knowing the song.

I hesitate to put Brandon Rogers in this class, because I know he can do better than his version of Rare Earth’s “Celebrate,” but he was still better than at least five other guys. Randy said it was solid, Paula said it was phenonmenal (that’s a stretch), and Simon said he was nervous for Brandon because he’s just not as memorable as the girls. Well, that’s true to a point, but he’s still better than most of the guys.

THE IN-BETWEEN

Chris Richardson took a step back last night when he put his own spin on a Keith Urban tune. Randy thought it was good and Paula thought it was cool and a unique song choice. Simon said it was good but not the best vocal of the night. This kid really blew it out last week and this performance was just bland by comparison.

Jared Cotter sang Stevie Wonder’s “If You Really Love Me” and it really was not bad. But I can’t get this out of my head, the fact that Jared is no more than a really good karaoke singer. Paula even said that Jared needs to work on his “shouting,” and Simon said it wasn’t very original. I think this dude is in danger of going home, especially if those idiots who vote for the worst keep Sanjaya in one more week.

Sundance Head really annoys me. I mean, I’m just waiting for him to spontaneously combust on national TV. They talked about him crying for votes last week when contestants were eliminated…in fact, Simon called him out on it and I can’t say I disagree. Sundance sang Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” and it was like a wedding band performance. Randy said it fit with Sundance’s “Southern rock” vibe…..what??
Randy, did you miss the whole modern rock movement of the nineties? You don’t know who 311 is or what genre Pearl Jam is in? Simon said it wasn’t as good as last week, that Sundance reminded him of a bar singer. Exactly. But somehow America loves this guy. I don’t get it.

THE BAD

My wife doesn’t agree with me on this, but I think Phil Stacy really sucked last night and could be on his way out. Phil attempted at LeAnn Rimes tune…..dude, have you not noticed that you have balls in your shorts? Anyway, he was all over the place and was wearing this hat that looked ridiculous. Randy said Phil has problems with his lower register and Paula said it wasn’t a good song choice. Simon said he didn’t get it, and the whole hat/big eyes thing was distracting too. I just know that Simon doesn’t like bald guys, period. But still, Phil was awful after a week in which I had him pegged as one of the best guys. It remains to be seen if his earlier performances can keep him in this thing.

Sanjaya was the worst as usual, singing John Mayer’s “Waiting On the World to Change.” Not only was it a boring song choice, but this kid gets worse every week. His performance was so uninspiring I literally stopped paying attention. Randy said dude hasn’t returned to the form of his early auditions, Paula said all the other guys are better and Simon said it wasn’t as “ghastly” as last week but that more than that, it wasn’t a good vocal and this is a singing competition. Unfortunately I’ve seen America screw up with this kid two weeks in a row and so I can’t say they will get it right this week, either.

So there you have it. I think Sanjaya and Phil should go home but I just don’t trust the voters. So I think it’s going to be Jared and Phil, or possibly Brandon. For you people who keep voting for Sanjaya, keep looking at yourself in the mirror and repeat these words: “William Hung.” When the image haunts you enough, come to your senses and vote for the real singers in this thing.

The ladies go tonight and I just know at least four of them are going to bring the house down. And I know they won’t bore me like the guys did. See you all tomorrow….

American Idol, TV

Will the reign of “King of Cars” continue…?

March 6, 2007 /

“King of Cars,” A&E’s latest reality-show phenomenon, is now back for its second season, and, wow, this is just further proof that a reality show can make just about any job look interesting. If you’re not familiar with it already, the series centers around the Towbin Dodge car dealership in Las Vegas, Nevada, run by Josh “Chop” Towbin; the dealership earned some fame via its infomercials, where its salesmen dress up as various characters (like Versace Mariachi and the Blue Genie), but that’s nothing compared to how things have been since the premiere of this show last year on A&E.

We scored screeners of two episode from the new season – the first about the dealership’s “Ugly Truckling” contest (where customers are told to bring in their ugly trucks, and the ugliest in the bunch will win $1,000), the second about a competition for a promotion within the dealership (it begins as a simple matter of who sells the most before descending into a one-on-one basketball match where the winner gets the gig) – and, yes, even the world of car sales makes for fascinating viewing when it’s made into a half-hour show with lots of quick cuts and one-liners. The “Ugly Truckling” episode is especially enjoyable, with the laughably rotten vehicles that roll onto the lot in an attempt to win a grand.

Ultimately, however, my biggest problem with the show – and I think it’s one that a lot of others probably share – is that, while they might make for an interesting reality series, I generally avoid car dealers like the frickin’ plague, so as I’m watching the show, I’m often taken out of it when I realize that, geez, what that guy’s doing or what that other guy is saying are two big reasons why I tend to drive my cars until they literally fall apart. I hate dealing with car salesmen…and even though there’s definitely an entertaining reality show premise to be found within “King of Cars,” I’m hard pressed to actually like any of the characters in the series, especially the ones who open their mouth on a regular basis, since they invariably say something boastful and annoying. In particular, Chop reminds me a lot…a whole lot…of a guy I used to work for, and while he’s got the kind of personality that helps when you’re trying to make a buck – meaning that he’s an obnoxious loudmouth who loves his bling, lives for the almighty dollar, and will change his personality in the blink of an eye if he thinks it’ll help score a sale – he’s not the kind of guy you can readily root for…and the same goes for the majority of his staff. In that second episode, two of the salesmen are battling for a top slot at the dealership, and they immediately descend into back-stabbing in order to try and win the new, higher-paying position…and Chop is cackling all the way. He’s also the kind of guy who talks about people being “team players,” which never fails to rub me the wrong way, personally.

But, hey, if you also happen to be an obnoxious loudmouth who loves his bling and lives for the almighty dollar, you’ll probably want to tune in every single week. (Somehow, I’m guessing that’s the demographic where this show scores its biggest ratings.) Otherwise, however, it might be wise to enter the proceedings with trepedation; one trip to the lot might be quite enough for you.

External Entertainment, External TV, Reviews, TV

Simon Cowell vs. Jennifer Hudson

March 6, 2007 /

I haven’t watched much of “American Idol” in the last few years, but I always thought Simon Cowell was a fairly intelligent individual. Recently, he took issue when former contestant/Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson called his show “a stepping stone.”

Simon Cowell has blasted Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson after she called American Idol “a stepping stone” – insisting she wouldn’t have been cast in Dreamgirls without the talent show. Hudson was a contestant on Idol in 2004, but was voted off before the final. Over a year later, she auditioned for the role of Effie White in the big screen version of the musical Dreamgirls and was cast. When Hudson accepted her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Dreamgirls last month, Cowell was disappointed she declined to mention the show. He says, “Jennifer Hudson said American Idol was a ‘stepping stone’ for her. Stepping stone? It was her big opportunity to become noticed and she got noticed and she got Dreamgirls. “Singers like her deliberately turn against the show that made them successful. The reason (people) come on the show is because all the doors had been slammed in their face.”

“It was her big opportunity to become noticed and she got noticed and she got Dreamgirls.”

Yeah, Simon, that’s what a stepping stone is. It’s something that gives you the opportunity to do something bigger and better.

Does it have a different meaning in the UK?

What a dumb thing to say.

American Idol, External TV, TV

24, Hour 12: I hope the Russians love their children, too

March 6, 2007 /

The single greatest thing about tonight’s episode of “24” was the sneak preview of next week’s episode. They showed President Buck Buck Brawwwwwk dealing with the former First Lady of Crazy. And at her side: Old Yeller. Oh, thank goodness. I missed the old dog.

In a strange bit of subconscious Stockholm Syndrome at work, Jack has once again infiltrated a foreign embassy in an attempt to squeeze a reluctant diplomat that Knows Too Much. You would think that this is the last place on earth that he would care to go, and yet even after they leave, and President Buck Buck Brawwwwk tells him the consulate is lying, Jack comes up with the brilliant plan to have Chloe cause a power outage so he can ambush the dude by himself and hold him hostage for more info. It’s as if this is the only situation where Jack feels comfortable, when he’s being caught and, eventually, punished. Then again, maybe this whole detour takes place for the sole purpose of explaining just what happened to Jack while he was being held by the Chinese, and what caused the scarring on Jack’s right hand.

But that will have to wait. Right now, there is information to extract, and with information extraction comes…torture, despite the fact that even our own military is complaining about the negative effect this show has had on their cadets. Somewhere, though, Sam Raimi was surely having a laugh at Jack’s torture device of choice.

Back at the White House, Assad dies while trying to save President Palmer’s life (lame), and for that he gets…the blame for planting the bomb, just like Mr. Swank and his bomb-making goon planned. Senator Roark assumes control of the Oval Office while Palmer recovers, but he needs the Biscuit’s silent complicity to enact the Biscuit’s plan to roll civil rights back 50 years, which is the second such deal he’s been asked to make in about half an hour. The first time he was asked, he instantly turned on Swank and had them arrested. Saying no to Senator Roark, however, will not be so easy.

I was thisclose to calling him Mr. Roark. But that’s a different show entirely, isn’t it?

If they don’t deal with Jack’s experiences with the Chinese next week, they damn well better deal with the repercussions of Milo giving clearance to Nadia. And was it just me, or did you also think that Karen Hayes was gone all these weeks because she was on a plane to Los Angeles? Now we see that she’s been waiting at the airport all this time? What White House cabinet members, even the ones whose resignations have wet ink on them, wait at the airport for anything?

Heck, I guess I should be happy that Heidi Petrelli and Jack Jack weren’t ambushed on their way to CTU. But I don’t recall seeing them arrive, either. I guess there’s still time for that, though it would mean one leisurely drive through Los Angeles, the city that just had a nuclear bomb go off. Uh, sure.

And now it’s time for the conspiracy theory of the week.
We’re supposed to be in an uproar over CTU pulling Nadia’s access because of her heritage. I’m willing to bet that we ultimately discover that she’s not working for the terrorists, but rather that she’s working as a sleeper agent for Farmer Hoggett. She’s in a perfect position to monitor CTU’s activity, and she’s been keeping Chloe, Jack’s CTU life line, on an ever-tightening leash. That they brought Jack back is Christmas in July for Hoggett, because now he can monitor Jack, too. Either way, Milo’s a dead duck for handing over his clearance to her, and Nadia doesn’t live to see the final ticking of the digital clock in May.

24, TV, TV Action

Prison Break: “Sweet Caroline”

March 6, 2007 /

Man, this might just be the best episode of the season!

We finally got to hear what was on that tape.

WARNING: If you haven’t watched it yet, don’t read any further.

Go on, click another link.

Seriously, you don’t want ruin the surprise.

I mean it. Read anywhere else but down.

Gone? Good.

President Reynolds had sex with her brother!

Incest! The ultimate twist!

Holy smokes, I didn’t see that one coming. It wasn’t a surprise – it was a shocker. It was even more effective because it was part of a great scene with Michael, Mr. Kim and the President. It’s not often these three intermingle, and their back and forth made the reveal that much more intense. When Kim swooped in at the last second and told Caroline that he too knew her secrets, it sent the series off in a completely different direction.

On a side note, I was wondering why Lincoln’s buddy brought him a six pack. But when Reynolds resigned, and Linc screamed and threw the bottle against the wall, I had my answer.

As I suspected, C-Note survived his suicide attempt, which really isn’t that surprising considering he tried to hang himself in the middle of the day with the guards milling about. His storyline has shifted now that the other agent is trying to nail Mahone.

Speaking of Mahone – he is truly brilliant. I love the whole I’m-so-strung-out-on-tranquilizers act, which led to Sarah’s fake escape. I thought it was pretty silly that she didn’t mention the Mahone encounter to Michael when the two spoke on the phone, but she did just learn about the pardons, so maybe her mind was elsewhere.

Did T-Bag leave his brain in Alabama? Instead of just hiding out and waiting for Bellick to grab his bag and leave, T-Bag infiltrates the baggage area and gets into a fistfight with an airport employee. Seriously, all he had to do was go to the bathroom and drop a deuce and he’d be able to pick up his five million with no problem. However, from a plot perspective, it’s understandable. The money had to be put back into play, but I just hate it when smart characters do dumb things. The writers came up with that awesome incest twist, but couldn’t figure out a better way for T-Bag to lose his bag?

Anyway, Sucre and Bellick are going to go after the money, but they don’t know what name T-Bag was flying under or what the bag looks like, so they’ll run into a problem at the airport. Of course, Sucre can’t be seen there, so Bellick will be flying solo, so to speak.

Finally, does anyone have any idea why Scary Corporate Guy would have a file folder labeled “SONA”? What the hell does that mean?

External TV, Prison Break, TV, TV Action, TV Dramas

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