A Huge Surprise on Idol

I’m actually in a bit of shock about tonight’s Idol results show. First, Chris Sligh (who I really thought was a favorite to win) gets the boot. And while I'm a little excited because a lot of people in my Idol pool picked him to win (not me...go Blake!), I was a little disappointed at his reaction. I guess part of him knew going home was a possibility (I mean, he had to have heard his performance last night), but I wish he had shown a little more emotion.

The bigger shock of the evening is how Sanjaya has completely and totally hijacked the show. All anyone has talked about his Sanjaya's hair (including Seacrest & the judges). And he wasn't in the bottom three again tonight. Sanjaya might actually single-handedly kill American Idol. And I hate him and his stupid hair for it.

Top 10 Perform on Idol

I don’t understand the theme this week. Gwen Stefani was there, and it was advertised as a week of pop songs. I was really looking forward to everyone being forced to sing current songs. But somehow, Donna Summer, the Police, and Cyndi Lauper don't really fall into that category. Apparently no one is actually making them sing the theme this season.

Lakisha started off the show tonight with a good performance of what seems to be the same song every week. She’s such a good singer, but I wonder how she would have done with a more current song. Chris Sligh really surprised me this week. His performance was terrible. It was almost as if he couldn’t hear the band.

Gina was really good tonight. I agree with Randy that her song selection was spot-on. I am starting to think that there is something actually wrong with Sanjaya. How else would you explain the hair tonight? I don’t even think that the singing was that bad (though it was a really strange song choice) – I just couldn’t sit and watch him sing looking like that.

I don’t think that Haley was as bad as the judges thought she was. I think that she will be helped by the fact that most of the people who vote probably don’t know the original. I really liked Phil’s performance. I was glad he took Gwen’s advice and just sang the song. You forget how good a singer he is – tonight he really showed it.

Melinda’s performance was very much like Lakisha’s. Really good, but the same basic type of song she has sung every single week. I understand that the judges/producers want her to win (and rightfully so), but I don’t understand why they don’t push her about taking chances like they do with so many others. I would have loved to hear her sing a No Doubt song tonight. Oh well. Blake was really good again this week. It’s interesting that Simon warned him that he might be falling into the same pattern as Chris Daughtry. I would be excited as heck to be compared to Chris – he’s one of the most successful Idol contestants to date. (I actually have his CD playing in a continuous loop in my car right now – it ROCKS)

I really liked Jordin again tonight. I was also excited to see her actually sing a No Doubt song – I wish they all did something similar. Chris Richardson ended the song on a high note. He’s back to making good song choices, and I thought he sounded much better than Simon gave him credit for.

Based on just tonight's performances, tomorrow night's bottom three should be Chris S., Haley, and Sanjaya. But we all know that it doesn't seem to work that way. So Sanjaya will somehow last another week, and we'll lose a good singer. Sigh...

Another Night of Dancing

It was a good second night of dancing last night on Dancing With the Stars. That’s right, we’re on week #2, and I still haven’t lost interest. A quick rundown of the “stars”…

Apolo started the show off strong. He’s a good dancer, and awfully cute to look at. Shandi was up next, clearly trying to get votes with her outfit instead of her dancing (seriously, could she wear any less?). Her dancing was really awkward…she better hope that there are straight guys out there who care enough to vote. Clyde was awkward as well – you can tell he’s trying, but dancing just isn’t his thing.

Leeza was better than last week, but still not at all good – it almost seemed like she was doing the mambo in slow motion. And I wasn’t a fan of her playing the “my mom has Alzheimer’s and it’s my birthday” card. Of course, Ian countered with the “my mom is dead” card. He was really good again this week – one of the top pairs. On an unrelated note…I’m not a fan of the facial hair!

Paulina was better than last week – not great, but ok. Same with Billy Ray - not nearly as bad as last week. I think that he will be helped by having his kids on the show.; Hannah Montana (played by his daughter) is way popular! Heather actually was really good, regardless of leg issue…better than a lot of the other girls. I think that she will be safe this week, even without the US fan base that others have. John really stepped it up. I think he will be around another week – he’s settled into the role of the old guy everyone loves.

Laila was really good again this week. She is easily the top girl in the competition (and was at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the night). Joey was really good too – his dance showed lots of personality.

So after two weeks of dancing, there are some clear leaders – Heather & Laila for the women, Ian, Apolo, & Joey for the men. And going home tonight? Probably Paulina or Clyde.

All's Fair in Love & Business

After a slow start to the season, I am totally on board with The Apprentice: LA. All of a sudden, I find myself actually caring. Who would have guessed?

With the teams uneven, it wasn't a surprise at all that someone had to go to Kinetic. What was surprising was who James picked. When no one at Arrow volunteered, it was almost a no-brainer for James to volunteer himself. It would mean, as they like to say (and I like to hate them saying), that he could step up. If he could lead Kinetic to victory, he would be considered a front-runner. Instead, he sent half of the lovebirds (and really, the harder worker of the two). It was a bad move, that will hopefully come back to bite James in the end. Nicole is a strong player - she'll stick around regardless of teams.

The task itself was interesting. I still have no idea what they were selling, or what the point of the Ad Walker units was. It doesn't seem all that exciting to be able to sell with that giant equipment strapped to them. I also wonder if Kinetic saw the size of the equipment before they decided to spend their day on roller skates. And not a shocker that Arrow won, or even by how much. I wouldn't have bought my pass from a girl on skates - I would have gone to the booth that looked more "real."

I also thought it was interesting how Trump treated Angela in the boardroom. He clearly was looking for any reason at all to not fire her. It was a shame that she couldn't give him one. I can't imagine the stress of being in that boardroom, but I know that if I were in her shoes, I would be more prepared. She seemed to be ready to tell Trump to fire Nicole, but didn't have any idea what to say after that. It's too bad - she was a strong contender, but she clearly was at fault for the loss.

Sometimes It All Comes Down to a Flight

Past contestants on The Amazing Race often talk about the "great airport equalizer." But tonight the airport didn't just equalize the race, it determined it.

I thought that I was going to be upset about the lack of flights causing such a gap between the teams. But it's all stars. I'm actually surprised that a team didn't take a chance early on and simply book the first flight to a major city. It took the back three teams nearly two days to get to their destination. There had to have been a better option, especially since they had all that time where they could have gone back to the hotel and perhaps do some research on the internet. So there's no excuse for spending two nights on the floor of the airport (though I do feel a little bit bad for Eric & Danielle - I can't believe they got pulled off of the plane).

The thing I really took away from this leg of the race was how much I hate Mirna & Charla. Mirna in particular. Does she not realize how rude and condescending she is to the people she meets? I've had more than enough of the fake accent. I know that part of our perception of the teams comes down to edit. But they can only edit what you give them. And when you give them shot after shot of being downright disrespectful, that's what they're going to show us.

A side note about editing. Did anyone else notice that there were two times in the airport that Terri's voice over was really strangely dubbed? Almost as if they cut it from four different interviews. Very very odd.

So after a strange few days at the airport (and a weather delay once they landed...I wonder if that delay was for real...), Mirna & Shmirna held their lead, and the 30 minute penalty on Uchenna & Joyce didn't matter at all. And nearly a day later, Terri & Ian were eliminated. Of course...just as I was starting to like them.

Tribal Mixup on Survivor

Well, it's about time. Actually, I was ready for a tribe mixup weeks ago. And I liked that (and purely by chance) the team that seems weaker on paper (Earl, Yau Man, etc.) got the nicer camp. And, of course, it made me laugh that Rocky still is stuck on Ravu.

Anyways, there were a couple of big things in tonight's episode (which, by the way, was one of the best of the season). First - Lisi. I hate her. To think of how many people want to be on Survivor, and there she is throwing a temper tantrum because her alliance got split up? Are you 4? You could just hear her saying "well, if you're going to take away my toys, I'm going home." Blech. And her attitude on Exile wasn't much better. It's Survivor karma - perhaps if you and Stacy had been nicer you would have been picker earlier on. Boo hoo to you. But thank you to Probst for pointing out just how crazy her tantrum was.

There was also the emergence of Earl as a real power player. I'm glad - he seems like a really nice guy - and his "godfather-like" interviews cracked me up. There's no question in my mind that Cassandra has re-aligned with him and Yau Man and will vote off Boo & Stacy as soon as they get the chance. (and what was the deal with Boo's attitude last night too? Cripes.) The power players over at Ravu seem to be Alex and Ed - I like them both, but I wish that they had targeted Rocky. I have no idea what they have to gain by keeping him around. Sure, Anthony might be the worst challenge competitor ever, but Rocky wasn't that much better. And it seemed like Anthony did a lot around the camp. After Rocky's crazy explosion at tribal, I don't know how they kept to voting for Anthony.

I LOVED the challenge. It was one of the most creative I've seen in awhile - a fantastic combination of team work, puzzle, and physical challenge. I am hoping that they will put the entire thing online to watch (generally the challenges last a lot longer than we see - they often edit an hour long challenge down to 3 minutes). Fantastic.

And finally, there's Anthony. He seems like a nice enough guy. But he just wasn't cut out for Survivor.

British Invasion Week Ends With a Shock

It's results night on Idol, and I've been looking forward to it all day (it was quite a day at work). I also want to share my theory about the crying girl in the crowd last night. She was all over the news today - I feel a bit bad that she's gotten her 15 minutes of fame at 10 years old. I also truly believe that she was a plant by the producers. Yes, she was probably crying for real with excitement. But I think that she was probably sobbing like that during the dress rehearsal and a producer moved her right to the front of the theater. Do you really think anything on this show is a coincidence? (**UPDATE - 3/22 - it has been confirmed that that's exactly what happened - she was crying during rehearsal, so they moved her to the front for the actual show**

The bigger question, though, I think has to be about the Ford music video. Why was it the best performance of the night? And why was Brad Garrett on the couch with the contestants? Does he really need viewers that bad?

Seacrest tried out a new way to torture the contestants and to "pull out the bottom three" tonight. I wonder if it's all him, or if there are some sort of producers meetings to determine how he'll do it. And I wonder if I can sit in one time (come on...please?...). The bottom two? An actual shocker this week - Chris Richardson and Stephanie. Sanjaya wasn't even in the bottom three. This is ridiculous. In the end Stephanie is going home. And once again, they ran too long and she didn't get to sing one last time (though it didn't seem like they even tried to have her sing tonight)...but we did get to continue to hear the amazing Daughtry (does anyone else believe that not winning was the best thing that could have happened to his career? God, I still love him...). Go figure.

British Invasion on Idol

I’m pretty bummed that this week is British Invasion week on Idol. I really feel like if they had done this one later in the show, we could have seen a front runner go home. But this early in the competition the “big singers” can slide by, even with a style that doesn’t suit their voices.

The clip of Haley working with Lulu featured her getting advice on the phrasing of the song – telling Haley to try to add some staccato. Then Haley performed 20 seconds later completely ignoring the advice. Fantastic. It actually sounded pretty good, much better than last week. I agree completely with Randy – that was a great song choice for her. Chris Richardson sounded really good too. He didn’t try to over do it – he just sang the song, and he sang it well. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – he’s the smartest singer in the competition.

Stephanie sang the song alright (said in my best Randy Jackson voice), but it lacked a lot of pizzazz. It was the second week in a row that she sang a sort of blah song, and she’s starting to get lost in the shuffle of really good performances. Great performances like the one who followed her by Blake. I am feeling SO good about picking him to win in my pool. I loved his arrangement of it (and, quite frankly, his plaid pants as well) That was amazing – he’ll be heading for next week for sure.

I liked Lakisha’s performance tonight, but that wasn’t her best. It’s the theme – it doesn’t suit her at all. I think it was good enough to keep her around for next week, but I worry about her with some of the other themes (I hear that next week is Gwen Stefani…). I’m not too sure about Phil’s performance either. He sounded good, but watching him pretend to be a rocker was just strange.

The one pick in my Idol pool that I’m really regretting is Jordin. She’s phenomenal; I just wish that I had picked her going further in the competition than I did. That was a great choice for her voice, and I agree with the judges that she sang it beautifully.

Am I the only one who thought that Peter Noone was joking with Sanjaya when he told him to sing “You’ve Really Got Me”? Or maybe it was just that he couldn’t stand to hear his own song murdered. Either way, the performance was horrible. The judges went with the “that was your best performance” comments; maybe people won’t feel like they need to “vote for the worst” this week, and he’ll finally go home.

I liked Gina’s performance a lot better than the judges did. Then again, I’ve liked her a lot more than the judges nearly every week. She’s been in a tough spot the past few weeks – the judges want to see her embrace the rocker girl in her, yet the themes don’t fit that at all (and they criticize her for it). Even though I was bummed that Chris Sligh didn’t sing “Henry the 8^th” (my dad used to sing that one with me too!), he made a great song choice. He’s a good singer – I’m glad that he was able to show that tonight.

The show closed with Melinda. Let me say, I really think she's one of the best singers on the show. But I'm not the only one who is sick of this "oh, you like little old me!" act. You're good. We know it, you know it, the judges know it. Enough already. I've heard talk that if she doesn't change the act a little she could make an early exit.

Overall, this was a great theme. Even the bad performances were pretty good. There should be more themes like this - themes that everyone can sound good singing. I have no idea who to vote for - there were so many that were really good...Blake, Jordin, both Chrises. And my prediction for the bottom three? Sanjaya, Stephanie, & Phil, even though I don't think they are the bottom three singers. And if we all keep our fingers crossed, maybe Sanjaya will finally go home.

Dancing With the Stars

Last night's premiere of Dancing With the Stars was actually a lot better than I thought it would be. Sure, probably about half of the people watching tuned in just to see if Heather Mills's leg would fly off (why do you think the producers had her dance toward the end?). And sure, I've started watching every season of the show, then lost interest after a few episodes. But for now, I'm definitely interested.

Some of the "stars" were actually pretty good. The guys, mostly. Ian started the show off strong. And Joey drew upon all those years dancing with N'Sync to do a really good job as well. It was refreshing to see both of them actually dance - a lot of times the guy "stars" do a lot of walking around while the girls dance around them. I also loved that Joey's partner has taken to calling him "Joey Fat One" as well (come on, his last name is FATONE; isn't everyone making that joke?). I also really liked Apollo, and not just because he's one of my favorite winter athletes (don't make fun of me for following winter sports...). He showed why athletes usually do really well on the show - I think he's the dancer to beat.

Then there were the "stars" (and yes, I think the word star really does need to be in quotes) who did pretty good, especially considering the fact that they're not dancers. Paulina, Laila, and Heather fall into this group. Heather was actually one of the best girls to dance, and considering the fact that she has a lot more work to do, it's pretty impressive. The camera work, though, as she danced was really choppy. You could tell that they didn't know where to focus - do you just show her artificial leg, or show her body as well? (and they had to make sure they had at least one of the cameras on her leg...you know...just in case...)

And then there was the bottom group. No surprise about some of them - no one really should have expected Billy Ray or John to be very good. Leeza was pretty miserable as well. And I think you have to put Shandi and Clyde in the bottom group as well. I also really wonder just how much botox Leeza has had for her face to look like that. And that's just on regular old tv - I fear for the people who watched her in HD.

So next week they'll dance again before an actual results show. And I think I'll stick around for that.

Did Trump just call him the "Governator"?

I really thought that The Apprentice had jumped the shark. But the past few weeks I'm finding myself more and more into this season. I don't know why - maybe we're down to enough candidates that we actually are getting to know them. But I'm finding myself actually caring again.

The task itself was interesting. I hated the "Passions" tie-in (insert your shameless NBC plug here), but it was a different kind of advertising task. I was shocked that Kinetic went with an "adultery" storyline - it seems like the type of thing that an exec wouldn't want their product associated with. And the fact that Kristine let Muna be in front of the camera was interesting as well. And I wasn't too surprised that Arrow won - they are a stronger team now that Surya is gone.

I wish that we could have seen more of the boardroom last night. Even without Muna's ridiculous move to ask Heidi who she would keep (don't ask a question that you don't want to hear the answer to!), I think she was headed home. And I would think that at some point, Kristine would have to point out the awkward position that Muna put her in by demanding to be on screen. She was in a no-win situation - either she put Muna in the webisode and risk no one being able to understand her, or she says no, and has Muna both pouting and claiming that she was singled out because of her accent/ethnicity. I'm glad she's gone.

We're at the point of the season where I'm starting to really have favorites. I think that Stefani is a strong contender to win, as is Heidi. I also am loving Frank - he could actually go from almost being the first one fired to winning the whole thing. There's something about him that is so likable.

TAR All Stars is Quite the Rat Race

Even with Rob & Amber gone (and I hated that there was both an airport equalizer and a non-elimination leg right after they came in last), TAR: All Stars is still one of the best shows on. And last night's episode didn't disappoint.

I always sit at home at decide which detour I would do and whether I or Chris (my husband) would do the roadblock. No question he would have done the roadblock...ugh. Great roadblock though, with a nice combination of luck and skill. And I certainly would have done the nail polish task - I can't believe so many of them chose to dig in the coal. But my favorite was just a regular task - digging in the glacier. It looked so cool; really just one of those things that I would love to see someday (and someday soon, before they all melt...). I also loved Danny & Oswald's comment that "If you get caught in an avalanche, never come look for Danny & Oswald to get you out."

I also liked the dynamic between Eric & Danielle and the Guidos. I didn't like the Guidos on their season, but I am liking them more and more this time around. They're playing a different game; it could be editing, but they are also coming off much nicer this time around. I also think that Terri & Ian are coming off much better this season. I wouldn't be so sad if they were in the top 3.

My favorite moment of the night though? Danny & Oswald arriving at the mat. Holy cow, did you see how fast Phil took off when the Cha Cha Chas tried to hug him? It actually made me laugh out loud. And I was glad to see that Uchenna & Joyce are around one more week.

Idol Injustice

Something has gone very wrong in the world of American Idol. That's right - Sanjaya is still here. Who on God's green earth thinks that this kid can sing?

I think that there needs to be a change in the voting for Idol. Now, I can't take credit for this idea - it comes from the Don & Mike Show - but I think it's brilliant. Instead of voting for your favorite contestant, we should be voting for who we would like to see get the boot. Somehow I think the results would be vastly different.

So enough of my rant. I was surprised that Phil was in the bottom two, but I expected Brandon & Sanjaya. And after way too many commercial breaks and the Ford "music video", we finally found out that Sanjaya is sticking around for another week. That's right, Brandon is the first one eliminated. And to add insult to injury, just as Seacrest asked him to sing one last time, the broadcast ended. At least I get points in my Idol pool for predicting that Brandon would be out in the first three. Such a small silver lining...

The Top 12 Perform on Idol

Even though I like a lot of Diana Ross songs, I hate that this was the theme for the first week. The judges keep talking about how much better the girls are than the guys, then they make the guys sing Diana Ross songs? I just don’t think it’s right.

I don’t even know where to start with tonight’s show. So many of them were so bad, I feel ridiculous for writing it over and over for each contestant. There were a few that I liked a lot more than the judges. But I agreed with them for the most part. The bottom line, though, is that it’s the songs. It’s one of those themes that is good for a few, and is horrible for most. I’m sure they do it on purpose, but it just seems mean. I think that the strategy for tonight should have just taken a straight forward song, gone out there, and just sung it straight – essentially just sing to get through the week, then make an impact and be creative when the theme is better suited to your voice.

Rather than belabor the point, let’s just recap. There were the singers that the judges hated, and I couldn’t agree more. Brandon made a good song choice, but did a bad job singing it. How do you not remember the words to such a popular song? Then there’s Sanjaya, who may be the worst singer to ever make it this far in the show. He looks more and more like a girl every week. If he stays on much longer he’s going to be in a dress and heels. That performance was horrible. Who on earth is voting for him?

Then there were the singers that the judges didn’t like very much, but I didn’t think were that bad. They hated Chris Sligh, but he was in a no-win situation with the theme, and decided to take a chance (isn’t that what they keep saying they want from people?) with the song. I liked it, and I actually loved the arrangement of “Endless Love” that he sang. I also liked Gina tonight as well. And I agreed with Simon that Haley’s song started much better than Randy and Paula gave her credit for – you could tell that she’s a good singer and that her nerves really got to her. (and yes, the second half of the song wasn’t very good, but let’s focus on the positives for a minute or two…yes, I just said that…) And I really liked Chris Richardson as well. I still think that he is the smartest performer – he has song selection down. I don’t know how a guy could have done Diana Ross better.

There were a few that were pretty good in spite of what they were singing. I liked Phil’s performance. And I liked Blake, even though I think it would have sounded better a little faster. Stephanie was pretty good, though with her voice she should have sounded a lot better than she did. She should never have gone ahead with that arrangement – way too safe.

Finally, there were a few singers that really shined. Melinda was good, but then again, she’s always good. Same with Lakisha. I think though that they’re this season’s shocker eliminations. Not now, but when we’re down to 5 or 6, they’ll get tripped up by country week. That’s right, I’m predicting it right now. Lakisha and Melinda, who are clearly the best singers in the competition, won’t win because one will go home during country week and one will go home when they do “British Invasion.” Jordin was also really good tonight. She’s not quite at the level of the other two, but she’s also a lot younger. She was definitely one of the top three tonight.

Now that we’re at the top 12, I’m actually thinking about voting. Who I would vote for is tough. Melinda. Lakisha and Jordin were clearly the best, so I guess I should vote for them. But I’m more inclined to vote for some of the performances that the judges hated but I liked. Both Chrises (seriously, will someone tell me the right way to write that?) and Gina seem to need some votes. And since I picked Blake to win it all I might vote for him too. Who should go home? That’s easy – Sanjaya.

When Will They Learn?

Seriously, there should be a requirement before you go on a reality show that you watch at least one or two previous seasons. I can't even begin to fathom how different shows would be if this rule was put into effect. Certainly the past few people fired on The Apprentice: LA would still be around if they had paid attention before. Especially last night.

The task itself was really inconsequential. You just knew that Kinetic was going to win from the editing at the beginning. That, and the fact that Kristine runs halftime shows for a living. Neither halftime show was very good (though Kinetic's would have been fun if it were fans in the costumes...maybe it was, and we just didn't see it); Kinetic's was just the one that sucked less.

Which brings us to the boardroom. Before they went in, we saw Surya for who he really is. Early in the episode he told his team how joining them was the best decision he ever made, yet as soon as they lost he's poking his head through the bushes, telling Kinetic how much he misses them and to make sure Kristine saves him. (and don't get me started on how much I hate that his former teammate is in the boardroom and can do that). I don't know about you, but I would hate for my family/friends/colleagues to see me act like that. Then there's the actual moment where Surya got himself fired. He actually used the fact that he would make a better teammate than a team leader to try to save himself. Well, hello! Of course Trump will fire you - he's not looking for an employee - he's looking for a leader. And if you're telling Trump that you're not a leader, of course you'll get fired. Please, people, think these things through!

I'm really glad to see Surya go. Arrow was clearly winning in spite of Surya, not because of him. I can't wait to see how they do next week without him.

A Shocker on Amazing Race

It's been nearly 24 hours, and I'm still shocked about last night's episode of Amazing Race: All Stars.

Even though my favorites were eliminated, it was a good episode. Even though I hate the fact that there is a "catch-up" point on nearly every leg (a lot of former contestants call it the "great airport equalizer"), I liked the detour - I always like when there is a fairly equal split between the number of teams who choose each. And it broke my heart to see Rob & Amber struggle so much with it. Rob said in an interview today that even though we heard Phil's voice over telling us that spelling counted that the contestants weren't told that. (they were told that the directions of the arrows mattered, even though we were told they didn't) He didn't realize it was a misspelled word that was holding him back until he watched it last night. And it was just tough that he was the only one who realized the correct order but essentially lost the race because he spelled a word wrong.

Which brings us to Mirna & Charla. Could they be any more annoying? Charla isn't so bad, but Mirna is horrific. (one of the other things that Rob & Amber said today is that they all liked Charla, but the confrontational & "shrillness" of Mirna that we see on tv is about a million times worse in person). They were also the subject of perhaps the best edit of the season. Mirna had an interview where she confided that she is the hardest working person to ever have to run the race, because she has to make up for her partners "shortcomings." A poor choice of words in itself, but they ran it over a shot of poor little Charla running down the hill. Oh to be a fly on the wall in their house last night. It was also horrible how she treated Charla during the detour and during their run to the mat (what was up with her screaming "LEVEL 5!!! LEVEL 5!!!" the whole way?). And I'm sick of their attitude that they can leave teams in the dust when it suits them (see: treatment of Mary & David), but are horribly offended when it comes back on them.

I also didn't totally understand the letters in the roadblock. Even though I don't like the "needle in a haystack" tasks (too much luck, not enough skill), I understand where you need a couple of "luck" tasks in the race. I just don't understand why they chose to have letters from the former racers that they did. In some cases it was great - like Eric & Danielle getting a letter from their former teammates. And even letters like the Guido's (from Frank) were funny. But some of the letters were downright mean. You can't tell me that they couldn't find a team to write a nice letter to everyone. Or was it really just another opportunity for them to run the clip of Marshall & Lance yelling "bitch" at Mirna & Charla. So strange.

In the end, bad luck and a bad detour meant that Rob & Amber fell from first to last and got eliminated. I am bummed. But I was also pleased at how they handled the elimination. They were also really gracious during their interviews today, and talked a lot about how great the race was, and how much fun they had at sequester (they're calling it "Elimination Station" this season), especially with John Vito (they watched the episode last night at his house) and Dave & Mary. I know they're the couple that everyone loves to hate, but I still just love them.

Grease...Not So Much...

With only two weeks to go, I've given up on Grease: You're the One That I Want. It's just too painful to watch. Chad went home, they still love Max, and none of them are nearly as good as the rejects on Idol. I just wish I could get all those hours of my life back.

American Idol Pool

I think I may have sunk to a new reality television low. How? I entered an American Idol pool. Really.

Here’s how it works (in case you are as crazy as I am and want to do this with your friends too). Put your Idols in groups of three based on how soon you think they will be voted off. Points increase each round…here are my picks…

First 3 voted off – Sanjaya, Haley, Brandon (5 pts each)

2^nd 3 voted off – Stephanie, Phil, Jordin (10 pts each)

3^rd 3 voted off – Gina, Chris R., Lakisha (15 pts each)

Final 3 – Melinda, Blake, Chris S. (20 pts each)

Next American Idol – Blake! (25 pts)

I'm not saying that this is the order they should be voted off - just the order that I think they will be. And there's always a week or two with a shocker...I just hope that I figured that in correctly. There's a lot riding on this...aside from the cash, I really just want to beat all my friends! :)

Love Many, Trust Few, Do Wrong to None

I can't believe I'm about to type this. But I didn't like last night's episode of Survivor: Fiji. Crazy. Really crazy.

There's something about this whole "haves" vs. "have-nots" that was intriguing at first. But now it's just ridiculous. The division is too great for them to overcome. It's just not fun watching Ravu lose over and over and over. And the attitudes over at Moto show you why. I couldn't believe how Lisi and Stacy acted. I hope that they were at home last night, being very embarrassed at their actions. I don't care if you need their votes or not - there's no reason to treat Dreamz (even with his ridiculous nickname) and Cassandra the way they did. Alex is right - even if Moto wins out, and goes to the merge with seven, they still need Dreamz and Cassandra. There's also that element of Survivor-karma that will hopefully come back to bite them sooner rather than later. Let's just remember, too, that they are likely unaware of the expanded jury, which could play a huge part in the game later on.

I wasn't a huge fan of the challenges either. Both are repeats of challenges from previous seasons, with a few tweaks. I don't mind the re-used challenges - I just wish there weren't two in one episode. I also felt like the wrestling challenge simply wasn't fair. There's no way that the depleted Ravu could compete against Moto. I liked the tweaks on the memory challenge (which they've played on a few seasons) - the extra boards with no matches and the fact that they couldn't get help from their teammates. But still, with very little food for their brains, it was almost impossible for Ravu to win. I'm surprised that it was as close as it was.

I'm not really surprised that Rita was voted out. Even though Anthony is a complete liability in the challenges, Rita wasn't faring that much better. And I loved Yau Man's philosophy at tribal council - "Love Many, Trust Few, Do Wrong to None." I wish we all lived like that. Thank goodness that it seems like we're going to get a tribal mixup next time (no Survivor next week because of the NCAA tournament, which I am SO excited about). Of course, it does seem like there will still be the division between the two camps. I just feel for the members of Ravu who get stuck on their same beach.

The Final 12 Announced on Idol

It's time for the final 12 on American Idol, and everyone is excited. Really.

I don’t even know why Ryan tried to play with us at first. The first members of the top 12 were no brainers…Lakisha, Blake, Chris Sligh. And it was so mean to Chris Sligh (“you will NOT… find out until after the break…”). Jordin and Phil weren’t surprises either. The first casualty of the night was Jared. I felt pretty good about that; not because he should have been out, but because as Ryan called him down I said “well, Jared’s the first one out.” In the end, it’s really all about me being right.

Melinda and Brandon headed over to the top 12 next. No shocker for Melinda, but Brandon going over means that this finally may be the end for Sanjaya. Gina and Chris Richardson then happily joined the top 12 as well. Stephanie joined them as well, but it’s finally over for Antonella. Thank goodness. She was on far too long as it was.

The second girl to get cut was actually a shocker. Somehow Haley is in the top 12, and Sabrina is heading home. Same with the guys – for some reason that I can’t comprehend, the progressively more girly Sanjaya is in the top 12 while Sundance goes home. Seriously, what is wrong the people who are voting? I think Simon might have it right – are people watching the show with the volume turned down? It boggles the mind.

The big announcement? An Idol charity. Now, it looks like they will be doing really good work for people who really need it. But it’s that same type of charity that Oprah is famous for – the kind that gets them more publicity. Oh well. At least something good will come out of all of this.

It's the Girls' Turn on Idol

It's funny how much better the girls are this season than the guys. So much so that the rumor floating around the internet today is that the "big announcement" that Seacrest was talking about last night is that they're going to kick off the bottom 4 contestants, regardless of gender. I don't think it will happen, especially because of how Secrest hyped the big announcement on tonight's show (I actually think they'll officially announce the Idol song competition or the summer camp...yes, there really is an Idol summer camp).

Jordin started the show off really strong. It was an odd song choice (I mean, I’m probably one of the only people out there who actually like Pat Benetar), but it was a great performance. She’ll be in the top 12 for sure.

Another one who should be in the top 12 is Sabrina. She’s such a strong singer. I do agree with Simon though, that she needs to add some more personality to her performances.

I don’t understand why Antonella is still on the show. Even though she sounded better than last week, it just doesn’t make sense. Sure she has naked pictures on the internet, but come on. Doesn’t Simon keep saying that this is a singing competition?

Haley is another one that I don’t think will be sticking around for long. I actually agreed with Simon again that she is really forgettable. I have no idea what the deal was with her song choice; I think it will get her voted off tomorrow night.

Stephanie is a really good singer, but she wasn’t that good tonight. She made the same mistake that so many before her have made. Why oh why do they keep choosing songs where they can’t possibly match the original?

Lakisha made the same mistake as Stephanie. She is so phenomenal – I just wish she hadn’t made that song choice. She’s my favorite to win it all – she is full of personality, and is one of the best singers the show has ever seen.

I also loved Gina’s performance tonight. It was really fun, and I think it sounded better than the judges gave her credit for. I hope she’ll be around next week.

Oh Melinda. I totally hear what you’re saying about chewing on both sides of your mouth or touching something cold with both hands. But it’s best not to share that sort of “quirkiness” with others. It’s a good thing that she gave by far the best performance of the night. She rocked it out.

There's no question who the top singers were tonight - Lakisha, Gina, & Melinda will sail through to the next round. And if it were just based on singing, Antonella and Haley would be heading home. But it's not, and I think that Stephanie could be vulnerable tomorrow night as well.

Last Week for the Guys on Idol

It's the last week for just the guys to sing before they're all together as the top 12 on Idol. I'm so excited. :)

I really like Blake. He sounded good, and I liked how he incorporated a bit of beat boxing into the song. He’s different, and in a really good way. (and how did the judges not recognize the song? Wow - it's not like 311 is a fringe band...that song got a lot of radio play!)

Sanjaya looks more and more like a girl each week. Seriously. Somewhere there is an Idol stylist who is having a really good laugh over this. At least this week, though, he actually sounded pretty good. Not great, but better than last week.

Sundance’s attempt at humor was just about at the same level as his attempt at Pearl Jam. It just wasn’t very good at all. He’s really hurt by how good Chris Daughtry was last year, but even without that comparison, it wasn’t a good performance.

Every season the judges talk incessantly about how important song selection is. And every season it seems like only a few really get it. Chris Richardson may be the first person who really understands it. He chooses songs each week that he can sing, and will certainly get him though. He’s a smart kid and a good singer – he’ll go far in the show.

Not so good with the song selection was Jared. Has he not been listening to the judges? Every time on the show that someone tries to sing Stevie Wonder, the judges always comment on how it just wasn’t as good as the original. Why on earth would you subject yourself to that? Come on people, pay attention.

I don’t know what the deal is with Brandon. His performance wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. He has the potential to be a really good singer; it’s a shame that he hasn’t performed that well in this round.

I’ve really loved Phil, but what was he thinking with his song choice tonight? It just wasn’t very good – for a few moments it was actually painful to listen to.

Chris Sligh has been one of my favorites since the audition rounds. I really liked his performance tonight. It’s interesting to me that Randy liked it a lot more than Paula and Simon. Not because it’s strange for them to disagree, but because every time the camera showed the judges as Chris was singing, Simon and Paula were talking. How can they really comment if they were talking through the entire performance?

It’s interesting that at the end of the show the judges pretty much agreed that only four of them deserve to be in the top 12. I’m with them – there is a huge division between the good and not-so-good singers. So which four do I think are the ones who should continue? Chris Sligh, Chris Richardson, Blake, and Phil. (and I’m guessing that Phil is the ½ that Simon talked about…he’s really good, even though he didn’t show it tonight). That means it’s a toss up between Sanjaya, Jared, Sundance, and Brandon as to who is going home. It should be Sanjaya and Sundance…so it will probably be Jared and Brandon who get the boot on Thursday.

Rob & Amber Contiune to Dominate

The Amazing Race: All Stars is starting to really heat up. And of the three reality shows on tv Sunday, it was far and away the best of the night.

Once again, Rob & Amber showed why they are the team to beat. First, they were one of only two teams to realize that getting booked on a flight in the middle of the night was far more likely if they went somewhere with internet access than waiting in line at the airport. How the other teams didn’t realize to do this as well is beyond me – did they not pay attention the first time they raced? Rob & Amber also have gotten into everyone’s heads. Everyone is so concerned about where they are that they are able to just zoom ahead.

The leg itself was fantastic – a nice mix of driving (it’s shocking how many races are decided by who can get from location to location without getting lost) and tasks. The roadblock was great, and one that there’s no way I could have done. And how great was Rob’s commentary on Eric shouting at Danielle? I have it on rather good authority that they (Eric & Danielle) are no longer together…it’s not hard to see why. The detour was great too. I would have been petrified to do the rapids, but it did look like it was a lot of fun.

This leg made me like Terri & Ian more than before. It’s always been Ian that annoyed me, but he’s starting to grow on me. I loved the way they handled Mirna & Charla at the airport, and Terri’s attitude when she fell out of the boat was great. At the same time, Mirna & Charla are annoying me more than ever. Why do they feel that they need to be confrontational with everyone? And I hate how they attempt to speak other languages – asking a question in English while throwing in an “amigo” and an extra “o” at the end of a couple of words doesn’t mean you’re speaking Spanish. And it’s rather insulting as well.

I was bummed that Dave & Mary were eliminated, especially over Mirna & Charla. They were one of the most genuine teams on the race (maybe even to ever run the race), and seemed to truly appreciate the opportunity to see the world. If only everyone had that kind of attitude.

Boardroom Drama

The previews for last night’s episode of The Apprentice: LA promised us some boardroom drama. And, quite frankly, I didn’t believe it would happen. But, oh, how great it really was.

The episode started slowly. It was clear as you looked at the two events that Arrow was going to win. The difference between the two was amazing. I can only imagine what the members of Kinetic were thinking as they watched the episode back last night (I just imagine their family members teasing them...“go karts? GO KARTS?”). Even with Surya’s white board extravaganza (and seriously, what was that all about?), they were miles ahead of their competition.

So then we get to the boardroom. I was already hoping that Derek would be fired. Week after week he doesn’t seem to really do anything (did he do anything at all on last night’s task, other than shift blame?) but is exceptional at targeting his teammates. But Derek got himself fired, and didn’t seem to even care. It was so swift and so wonderful – one second he’s calling himself “white trash”, the next Trump looks at him like he’s crazy and fires him on the spot. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I rewound it to look at the expressions on his teammates faces. Fantastic. This is why I love this show – moments like this. And then Trump decides that someone still must be held accountable for the loss – and Jenn is fired too. Even though I think it should have been Angela to go, the whole thing was terrific. I’m also hoping that next week Trump will “even out the teams” and Surya will be back on the other side.

The "Dannys" sing on Grease

A friend asked me over the weekend about Grease: You’re the One That I Want. They had seen bits and pieces, and wanted to know if it was as bad as it looked. My answer: no. It’s worse.

I can’t explain why I keep watching it. It’s not for the blog – there have been shows that have been so bad that even I can’t watch them (and, let’s review, I watched every episode of Paradise Hotel AND Temptation Island). For some strange reason, I find myself caring; I just keep thinking if I stick it out for the rest of the show it will somehow be worth it.

The guys sang last night, and they weren’t that good. And the judges continued to shower their love on Max, who doesn’t look like Danny at all, or even sound that good. I don’t know why they love him, or why they think that having him in the lead role will sell tickets. But hey, it’s their money, right? I also didn’t understand what the deal was with the screaming girl while Austin was singing. Seriously, did anyone hear this? It sounded like someone was being murdered in the audience. If you can watch his performance online, do it, just to hear this poor girl. And it was only during Austin’s song – either she just really really loves him, or they removed her from the audience for the rest of the show. Either way, I would love to meet her.

There was one interesting moment (ok, interesting for me) in the taped pieces. They showed the contestants getting their assigned songs. Why don’t they get to choose what they sing? And if they are assigned songs, doesn’t that change the competition a bit? Everyone who has sung a song that didn’t really match their voice, or was “too big” for them – it wasn’t really their fault. If I were assigned a song that didn’t showcase my voice, I would NOT be pleased.

We also learned the fate of the girls from last week. Allie & Kathleen were in the bottom two (and since there are only four girls left, it’s not that hard to do). And after they sang, the judges eliminated Kathleen. For whatever reason, they also made it very clear that it wasn’t a unanimous decision. Why we needed to know that isn’t clear at all. Then again, neither is my need to keep watching this show.

Worst Survivor Move Ever

Thursday night we witnessed what will probably go down as the worst move in Survivor history. All of a sudden, this season got interesting.

First, Anthony continued to be the weak link at Ravu. They did one of my favorite challenges from Vanuatu and he just couldn't seem to get it together. It's a tough call as to where to put him in line. If they put him first, they might not ever have a person across. But if they put him last, they could get someone all the way down the line only to not be able to get around Anthony at the end. It's a shame. He seems like he's a nice enough guy - he just folds under the pressure of challenges. The reward challenge was also one of the most ridiculous in Survivor history. A king sized bed? It's just ridiculous.

We finally got a glimpse at life at Moto, but sadly because Gary (Papa Smurf) finally couldn't handle his breathing problems any more. What a guy - he toughed it out for three days after the medics first visited until he left. It turns out that his breathing problems were caused by an allergic reaction to the bug bites. I really feel for the guy.

Did you love how in the immunity challenge they put Anthony in the cage at the end? I wonder if Rocky (in his pink bikini top) locked him in with a "you can't mess it up from here!!" And I just don't understand how Ravu could fall so far behind in the challenge. But all of this is secondary to the message in the bottle. After they won the challenge, Moto had to choose between immunity or their plush camp. For anyone who is a fan of the show, you know what the answer should be - you choose immunity. It gives you a two person advantage (sitting two people out at each challenge is a HUGE advantage), and means that you still don't have to start the backstabbing and nastiness for a few more days. You always choose immunity. But somehow, the luxuries have addled Moto's brain - they actually gave up immunity to keep their camp. That's right. They gave up immunity. It's been two days, and I STILL can't believe it.

So even though they are still undefeated in challenges, Moto ended up having to go to tribal council. And the nastiness started as soon as they got back to camp. Lisi was the worst. I haven't liked her from the beginning, but she really bothered me this week. Between her callous interview about Gary leaving meaning better odds for her (which it actually doesn't) to her talking about "Liliana's diabolic Mexican moves", I am so ready for her to go. Alas, it was Liliana who was the first voted out of the tribe. So stupid (though not as stupid as giving up immunity. Seriously people - worst move in Survivor history). So now both tribes are even at 7, and Moto got rid of one of their stronger players. Good luck with that.

America does not like "Feeling Good"

Last time I checked, we are only in the second week of vote-offs of Idol. But it seemed like the contestants didn’t get the memo.

Like any other results show, the name of the game is naked cruelty. Stand up, sit down, front row, back row – the poor contestants are put through the ringer. Don’t get me wrong – I love to watch (that sounded dirty somehow…). And usually this early on the singers who stay are usually just relieved to make it through for another week. But not last night. Instead, we had to see shot after shot of Sundance sobbing as each of his fellow contestants were eliminated (Hello! Less competition for you!!). It was absurd. And we had Alaina so shaken by her elimination (and seriously, how could she not see it coming) that she needed all the girls to come up and sing for her. I love this show, but I don’t think I can take another week of that.

The results themselves were actually quite shocking. Sanjaya was the worst guy by a mile, and somehow he is sticking around. And AJ, who was really good this week is going home. Nick went home as well, and while he was probably a bottom guy, he shouldn’t have gone home before Sanjaya and Brandon. For the girls, Antonella showed us that naked pictures on the net trumps bad singing. Great. So not only do we lose Alaina (who was the only non-surprise of the night), Leslie gets booted as well. I did find it interesting that Leslie and AJ sang the same song ("Feeling Good") – as Leslie pointed out at the very end, America clearly doesn’t like jazz. I don't know why people keep voting for Sanjaya. And I don't know why I care.