Critics' Choice Television Awards Winners

The wealth was nicely distributed at the inaugural Critics' Choice Television Awards with Mad Men the only show to win more than one award. On the one hand, there are some nice left field winners with deserved recognition for John Noble and Busy Phillips, but on the other hand they stayed on point when it comes to the people who might end up with an Emmy Award in a couple of months which is a bit boring.

The winners and some of my thoughts below:

Best Drama Series: Mad Men
Best Actor, Drama: Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Best Actress, Drama: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Best Supporting Actor, Drama: John Noble, Fringe
Best Supporting Actress, Drama: Christina Hendricks, Mad Men & Margo Martindale, Justified

I know Mad Men is a critical favorite, but I thought it was an oddly safe choice. You'd think for their first year, they'd want to start with a bang. I myself would've probably picked Fringe or The Walking Dead. Quite happy to see Christina Hendricks tie for a win, but I honestly thought she'd be the last person they pick from the nominees. And while I personally wouldn't have picked Jon Hamm this year, let it be known that he hasn't yet won an Emmy for playing Don Draper. That's just criminal. Fuck yeah John Noble!

Best Comedy Series: Modern Family
Best Actor, Comedy: Jim Parsons, Big Bang Theory
Best Actress, Comedy: Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy: Neil Patrick Harris, HIMYM
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy: Busy Phillips, Cougar Town

I think the most shocking thing about these results is the lack of Parks & Recreation win especially since it really seemed like P&R was the critical darling this season. And yet five other sitcoms won the five awards given. I would've probably given Parks a win for Best Comedy and Best Actress. In fact Tina Fey's win, out of the whole bunch, felt the most off to be honest. Amy Poehler or Martha Plimpton really should've gotten it. Also how did NPH manage to get singled out from the insane competition he had? Was everyone still high from his Tony-hosting gig? Fuck yeah Busy Phillips!

Best Reality Series: Hoarders and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Best Reality Series, Competition: American Idol
Best Reality Show Host: Mike Rowe, Dirty Jobs
Best Talk Show: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Did the Broadcast Television Journalists Association really think that American Idol was the "best" reality competition series this year? If so, I really think their credentials need to be checked again. Though, I give them some props by resisting the urge to kowtow to Her Holiness Oprah by giving Jon Stewart, aka someone who actually deserved it, the win.

All in all, a somewhat mixed bag filled with some pleasant surprises along with some dull choices. I did praise them for their nominees which I'm still confident will outstrip the eventual Emmy nominees, but now the question becomes which of these shows and actors will repeat at the Emmys? Which do you think?

A Moment Like This

Didn't know about this particular anniversary until Kelly Clarkson tweeted it just a few hours ago. On this day, back in 2002, Clarkson became the very first American Idol champion defeating runner-up Justin Guarini by getting nearly 58% of the vote. This was when the show was just a little fun summer diversion and definitely before the show became the behemoth and cultural icon it is right now. Since then Clarkson has garnered various awards including two Grammy awards, a few number one hits, and millions of albums sold.


Haven't gotten into American Idol as much as I did that first season until the season of Kris Allen-Adam Lambert last year. In both cases, my early pick for the win won despite not being the initial favorites. And with all the changes happening this upcoming year (Simon Cowell leaving, Ryan Seacrest becoming even more of a douche, no one knowing who is judging next year), I doubt there'll be another champion I'll actively root for or actually invest my time in. Oh well.

Music Video: The Truth

Watch the official music video of Kris Allen's latest single "The Truth" below:


This is my favorite song from his debut post-Idol album. I was so worried they weren't going to release it as a single, let alone make a music video for it, so I'm very happy those fears were unfounded. With that said, I'm actually not sure what I think about this video. I mean I'm generally fine with it, but like I've said previously, I love making up videos in my head especially to songs I really like. For this song, I was thinking a straightforward rocky romance with some cool CGI of houses, floors, ceilings, walls falling. Instead we get an abstract video set in the desert, which is still nice, but a bit lazy. The end with him rocking out in a vest amidst the hanging chandeliers was pretty sick though.

Plus there's the whole controversy of weaving Pat Monaghan inti the video along with his vocals with Kris in the chorus and totally taking over the bridge section. While still a good version of the song, this fan still loves listening to original and great album version.

Then there's that old-man jacket. Really? The man looks great in just a plain t-shirt or, better yet, a tank top and you put a jacket on him? Sometimes I just don't get people.

Finally, since I can't seem to get it out of my head, I'm suddenly thinking this song would be perfect for an Inception fanvid including scenes from the film with slight focus on the Cobb/Mal relationship. Give a listen and think about it. I think it really works.

The Idol Problem

Simon's out and now so is Ellen. Earlier today news broke out that Ellen DeGeneres has "quit" American Idol. She apparently realized during her one-year stint as judge that she really wasn't comfortable in doling our much needed criticisms to the contestants.

Of course, this is probably just the beginning of the big change the show will have to undertake to possibility recapture that certain X-factor the show had during its earlier seasons with Simon Cowell as judge. One could only hope that the departure of Simon and Ellen are not the first. In fact I think Randy Jackson should follow suit and quit while he's ahead since he's nothing but dead weight the past few season. Then there's the increasingly grating Ryan Seacrest who was inappropriately combatant and inexplicably self-centered which is the anti-thesis of being a host.

In fact out of all the people involved in the show last year, only Kara DioGuardi seemed to take her job seriously even if sometimes I don't agree with her. Thus with that I say clean house leaving Kara and surround her with TWO other judges who are not afraid to critique.

With that said, this is all moot if the contestants they pick next year are as lacking in personality and talent than last year. Granted it was difficult to top the Kradison year the year prior, but the long trod to the finale this past year certainly didn't help the show one bit. They don't have to reinvent the wheel since the show still gets blockbuster ratings, but picking new judges is just one of many issues they have to work out before the new season begins.

Thoughts on Idol's Top 2

It's all been leading up to this all season. This year's American Idol will either be Lee DeWyze or Crystal Bowersox. Both of these guitar-playing rockers have stepped it up all season long and they were CLEARLY the cream of the crop. No matter the outcome, they both deserve to be in the finale and all of the fame and fortunes that comes with it.


With that said, the winner hasn't been declared yet and both Lee and Crystal had to still perform to coax the few people who have not made up their minds yet on who to vote for. They had to perform three songs: their favorite song they sang during previous weeks, a song from the Idol producer, and their winning Idol single.

Round One: Favorite Song
Lee's "The Boxer" vs. Crystal's "Me and Bobby McGee"

I think both of them picked good songs, but one could've done better. If I was picking for Crystal that's exactly the song I wanted her to sing again. It's very HER and the up tempo second half of the song shows off her versatility and accessibility. For Lee, unfortunately, this song was tough especially with the nerves he was obviously feeling tonight. If he had performed it as well as he did last month, it would've worked, but he didn't so it fell short just a tad.

Round Two: Producer's Choice
Lee's "Everybody Hurts" vs. Crystal's "Black Velvet"

This was already unfair as soon as the song choices were made! With that said, arrangement goes a long way. Unfortunately for Lee he was saddled with a weepy song that felt just a bit self-indulgent while Crystal was able to show off her rocker voice with her song. And did she ever! Plus you have to think about how it complements your first performance. While Crystal went from energetic to high octane, Lee went from reflective to somber. Is that really what you want people to be thinking?

Round Three: Idol Single
Lee's "Beautiful Day" vs. Crystal's "Up to the Mountain"

As much as I hate the Idol single, I'm even less of a fan of having contestants sing different songs... and not even original songs! This reeks of the better-to-forget-it Season Two so I was not pleased. PLUS the two songs that were picked just don't sound like they'd be very good singles. I see why "Beautiful Day" was chosen for Lee especially to cap off the night, but it's a BIG song and he was overwhelmed by it, the big stage, the audience, the moment, whatever. I can just imagine how amazing it sounds in the studio, but tonight it was missing the IT FACTOR. Now I thought Crystal's song was a little too cerebral, too weighty. I remember Kelly Clarkson belting this song during one of the Idol Gives Back shows a few years ago and yeah, it's an amazing song. So while it's not really "single" worthy for me, Crystal still sang the HELL out of it and had herself a bit of a moment.

Crystal was by far the better performer tonight and the judges agreed giving Lee faint praise while giving Crystal standing ovations. In addition, Lee just looked nervous while Crystal was personable and talkative! She even took the mic from Ryan and did a mini-tribute to Simon! That takes some balls. With that said, there are precious few who actually make up their mind at this time. It's been weeks/months and both of their fanbases have already formed. Crystal has been the early favorite/front runner while Lee took up the mantle of dark horse/underdog and grew every single week. His upward trajectory vs. her great consistency.

I love them both actually and called each of their lines once just to throw my token support. I'm quite satisfied with whatever the outcome will be tomorrow. And honestly, I'm just looking forward to seeing Kris Allen perform tomorrow. You know me.

Wednesday Night

Lost Series Finale Countdown: 3 days

Three became two on American Idol last night as Ryan Seacrest sent golden-haired Casey James packing which means Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze will go head to head in the finale. It wasn't the most shocking result of the season, but it was definitely the most anticipated. Before the results however, we had to endure performances from someone who was discovered by Perez Hilton and someone who was discovered on Youtube. God help us all. We also got to see the three remaining contestants go back home and be treated like rock stars. Gotta admit, those montages always get me just a bit teary. After it was all said and done though, it's Lee vs. Crystral. To be honest, this final two reminds me a lot of last year's: the early fan-favorite vs. the dark horse with serious momentum. Great news for me? I love them both and thus finale night, it's ALL good.

What else is ALL good? ABC comedies.


Now I don't watch The Middle, but I think I may just check out the encore showings during the summer, because it frankly looked downright charming. Meanwhile Modern Family ended its phenomenal freshman season by giving us a tightly-written and hilarious episode. So you know, the usual. The whole episode was worthy of mention, but I have to highlight Phil's reactions to thinking he was in trouble with Claire. The mud fight pre-family photo was icing to the cake to an already very sweet season. Finally, Cougar Town delivered another wonderful ensemble showcase as the gang try to spare Bobby's feeling. The getting-to-the-beach and beach scenes were my favorites. It's going to be a long summer with me missing these shows.

Tuesday Night

Lost Series Finale Countdown: 4 Days

Tuesday was another jam-packed night of TV awesomeness mostly due to the epic episodes delivered by Lost and Glee. But before I get to talking about those two, just want to briefly touch on the other shows I watched.

First, there was American Idol where the road was paved for a Lee Dewyze/Crystal Bowersox finale. Click here to read my thoughts on last night's episode. In The Good Wife, Dylan Baker returns as the diabolical Colin Sweeney and the twists and turns of his case was enough to sing praises for the episode, but we also got to see the start of the Carey/Childs alliance as well as the end of Peter's legal troubles. All of this as Julianna Margulies command every scene she's in.


In V's wonderful finale, Elizabeth Mitchell and Morena Baccarin continue to shine as Erica and Anna continue their stand-off. While Anna's duaghter Lisa is quickly becoming one of my more favorite character on the show. Her sly smile in reaction to her mother's agonizing cries (human emotion!) was pitch perfect and made that magnificent moment even better. I was saddened to see Joshua die, only to feel relieved when they brought him back. The episode had it all from the birth of the hybrid to Chad finding out the Visitors' real intentions. The images from around the world with the red clouds in the end were a perfect way to end the season.

And thus we get to the epically epic episodes...


Joss Whedon directing and Neil Patrick guest starring *and* singing. With those alone, I was already looking forward to this episode more than any other Glee episodes. And wouldn't you know it but not only did it deliver, but it gave us MORE. I especially enjoyed the focus on Tina/Artie and was caught off-guard at the poignancy of Artie's dream to be a dancer. That dream sequence flash mob scene with Artie leading the entire mall to "Safety Dance" was one of the more amazing numbers put on by this show. Can't forget the big reveal that Shelby is Rachel's mom. I still have issues with this whole Jesse "befriending" Rachel, but neither here nor there. But finally, Neil Patrick Harris was fabulous. I almost want HIMYM to get cancelled and for him to replace Will Shuester.


The penultimate episode of Lost was the perfect setup for what is sure to be a series finale no one will ever forget. Excuse the hyperbole a bit, but this is pretty much the show of the decade for me and it's SO CLOSE to being done. I can't take it! So in this episode, we get Jacob chanting in Latin, Kate actually asking the right questions, Desmond kicking ass and taking names, Jack choosing his fate, Ben alternately being evil and heartbreaking, Miles cracking jokes, Widmore dying, Ana Lucia making an appearance, Rousseau not being crazy, and... I'm out of breath. Only thing missing was Sun/Jin. Moment of silence. As you can see coherent thoughts on this show is just asking too much this close to The End. And The End will be on this Sunday starting at 7pm for a 2-hr recap special followed by the two and a half hour series finale. SO EXCITED!

Thoughts on Idol's Top 3

Next week is the American Idol finale when the final two will face off to become the next American idol. But first one of the three remaining contestants will have to be voted off. Based on tonight's performances and how they rest of the season has been going, that person should be Casey James giving us a Crystal Bowersox/Lee Dewyze final two.


All three had to perform two songs, one of their own choice and another from a judge. Casey and Crystal's song choices were great especially Crystal's brilliant decision to sing a Melissa Etheridge track, but both didn't exactly wow the judges. Lee, in the meantime, dazzled with a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover making the judges declare him the outright winner of Round One. The praises would continue to Round Two.

Already the underdog, Kara and Randy did Casey no favors by saddling him with the absolutely saccharine and vile "Daughters" by John Mayer. That song is playing in my own personal hell. Ellen, the one judge who doesn't have a music industry background, actually gave the most thoughtful and challenging song choice out of the judges giving Crystal Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed." It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. Front-runner Lee fortunately gets Simon Cowell and in turn the everybody's favorite judge gave Lee a showstopper with "Hallelujah." While the lighting and the gospel choir was just a bit too much, it definitely create A Moment for Lee as all of the judges tell him he just crushed the other two.

With that said, barring some crazy shit happening, which again is KNOWN TO HAPPEN on this show, it should be Lee and Crystal to go head-to-head. Crystal (Adam Lambert, David Archuleta) was the early favorite and was consistently fantastic throughout the competition, but Lee (Kris Allen, David Cook) came from seemingly nowhere and grew week after week after week and has some serious momentum right now. Should make an exciting finale nonetheless! Please Casey, don't ruin it!

Tuesday Night

(Flickr)

Yesterday was a bit of an epic day of TV. It started with going to the Paley Center here in New York City to see Jim Parsons of Big Bang Theory fame be interviewed. It was my first time doing anything like this so I was a tad excited and also had no expectations. I was thrilled they aired next week's episode of the show, but it really was fantastic seeing Jim Parsons in person. I think the best word to describe him would be adorable.

Some of my favorite parts of the interview was when he...

• Got a little emotional when talking about bringing his 4yo nephew to Sesame Street
• Expressed his desire to see Betty White and Lisa Kudrow to guest star as Mee-Maw and a relative of Penny's respectively
• Admitted to never watching a Star Trek movie and the audience audibly gasping

Apparently afterward he signed a few autographs. Too bad I had already left to get some dinner, but it was still quite an awesome time. When I got home around 11pm, I decided to play catch up on American Idol and Glee. Not much to say about Idol except to say that Lee Dewyze kicked ass and while she faltered a bit musically, Crystal Bowersox is still an effin' star.

In Glee, it was all about cheesy songs, cheesy choreography, and cheesy music videos. Having just one thing cheesy could've ruined this episode, but the fact that they piled on the cheese and then some kind of made this episode really stand out, not to mention the appearance of Olivia Newton John looking as fierce as ever. Sadly, at this point, I had no choice but to sleep even though all I wanted to do was watch some Lost.


Instead I managed to avoid spoilers this morning even though I knew something "bad" happened based on a few tweets on twitter. At lunch, however, I watched the episode and promptly bawled my eyes out as three of my favorite characters EVER on the show seemingly died. Sayid dying wasn't so much a surprise and I was glad he died a hero and not the zombified creature he'd been for most of the season. But to see both Jin and Sun die as well was just too much. With that said, their death scene was as heartbreaking as I imagined it would be. I completely lost it twice, when Jin told Sun he'd never leave her in Korean and when Hurley started crying on the beach. I mean my goodness who didn't cry with the castaways when they were all in the beach? Lapidus also saw his untimely end. "The End" is definitely nigh.

Whew. Bring on Wednesday.

Reality Show Rundown

It's coming to the end of April which means lots of shows are winding down. This also means that for most reality shows, it's getting down to the wire and final contestants. This week there were a lot of great eliminations that I just wanted to highlight.

Even though I do not watch Dancing With the Stars, it's hard to avoid Kate Gosselin's reign of terror both in the tabloids/media and in the show itself. From what I hear, she was just a pain in the ass and couldn't dance to save herself, but kept getting through despite the judges scoring her low. So it was a bit joyous to hear she finally got the boot Tuesday night. Hope she stays home and, oh I don't know, be a mom.

Wednesday night brought another much needed elimination to another highly-rated reality show. This time it was the ouster of the much maligned Tim Urban on American Idol. Vote For the Worst's horse in the race finally came in last. It's a wonder he lasted this long with barely making it in the top 24 and getting awful reviews from the judges early on.

We move on to Thursday night when Seth Aaron was rightfully declared the winner of this season's Project Runway. I was exactly rooting for him, but I was definitely rooting against his competitors who were probably my two least favorite designers this season. In fact I didn't like them so much I didn't even feel the need to watch the finale so god knows what kind of crap they sent down the runway.

Speaking of not watching, I don't pay attention to Survivor. I have a few friends who watch it and I know this season it's all about Heroes vs. Villains. Apparently this week was the merge and some people really started playing. I heard some player made some big and risky moves during tribal council and yadda yadda. Wish I could appreciate it more.

Finally, tonight we get the Amazing Race. I guess I should've been paying more attention, but if I was I would've probably guessed that this week was a non-elimination leg. Too bad because I would've given anything to have those two cops Philiminated. My favorite team, the Cowboys, ended up in first place. Here's hoping to two more first place finishes for them! It's insane that Caite is the last female left in the race. Some things are just too mind boggling. And of course there's the other brother, Dan/Jordan, who are so sweet to one another. I do hope they make it to the final three along with Jet/Cord. Two more episodes left! I think...

Idol Gives Back And Then Some

This year's Idol Gives Back show contained about 10% results show, 30% performances, 30% call to action/charity, and 45% stupid crap. That doesn't add up to 100% you say? Well the show ran over like 22 minutes, so it works.

As easy as it is to rag on American Idol, it's also just as easy to give them credit for these Idol Gives Back shows. If you can donate to their cause, please do so.

The elimination was a bit of a gift in itself with Tim Urban finally getting the boot. With his now much-talked about smile, good looks, and modicum amount of singing talent, he's bound to milk his stint on American Idol quite well. More power to him. I mean, looked at what he accomplished! He went from being cut during Hollywood Week to finishing 7th securing himself a juicy spot at the Idol Summer Tour.

So now with six contestants left, we can easily divide them into two groups of three. Those that have had mid to high buzz since the beginning of the competition and have NEVER been to the bottom three (Crystal, Lee, and Siobhan) to the others (Casey, Michael, and Aaron). And of course, I'm still rooting for a Bowersox-Dewyze finale.

Thoughts on Idol's Top 7

With the much needed double-eliminations of a few dead weights, I feel we're finally getting somewhere this season. Granted there's still a few loose ends here and there, but for the most part I'm feeling just a tiny bit more optimistic for this much maligned season.

This week it's Inspirational Song Week and yes I just rolled my eyes. But really it makes sense since tomorrow's result show will also serve as Idol's sort of annual Idol Gives Back concert. Unfortunately, most of the contestants this week sang through the motions or completely faltered. There were two exceptions and both of them are no surprise to anyone who's been watching this season. In fact they're the two singers getting ME through this season.

Casey James - He delivered another good, but forgettable performance. He's still a threat to win because he's consistent, likable, and charming. But he needs to do something far more exciting than what he delivered tonight.

Lee Dewyze - He's one of the two singers I talked about above. Every week he's just gaining confidence and delivering one strong performance after another. He can still grow a lot and if he does, everyone should really fear him.

Tim Urban - I will give him credit for his performances the past two weeks i.e. he didn't suck. But the longer he stays, the longer the agony. He's a fine singer, but so so SO limited. He needs to go now.

Aaron Kelly - While he performed well enough, the song was too much for him. The song was overly cheesy and difficult already, but the messy arrangement made it that much more overwhelming for the boy. Oddly enough I've sort of started rooting for him.

Siobhan Magnus - Is this really the girl who's supposed to be one-one-one with Crystal, because I don't really recognize her anymore. Maybe it was all the butterflies, figuratively and literally.

Michael Lynche - To be honest, it was just an okay performance for me. It sort of reminded me of Casey's performance in that it was good, but a bit lazy and a little too auto-pilot for me.

Crystal Bowersox - She easily delivered the best performance of the night. It wasn't even a competition. THIS was her Moment and it was beautiful. Odder things have happened and there's still a chance she won't win, but who the hell is predicting that? Not me. Instead, I will just be voting.

So there you go. Lee was good, Crystal was the best, and everyone else were blah. Though hasn't this been the case for most of the season? The more things change...

Catch-All Post on TV

I meant to post all of these as separate entries in the past five days or so, but one thing led to another and I never wrote any of those entries. So in hopes of getting it all off my chest before I completely forget and/or it becomes pointless...

Justin's Sweet Coming Out and the Dreaded Betty/Daniel


I have nothing but superbly positive words on how the show has handled Justin coming out to himself and to his family these past few episodes. From confiding with Marc to asking Austin to dance with him at his mother's wedding, it was quite touching and definitely had me in tears. But hold up, with one episode remaining, why the hell would they try to bring us a possible Betty/Daniel ending. I know that's how every other version of Ugly Betty ended, but it just would not be right for these versions of those characters!

It wouldn't have been so heinous if they had just built it up during these last few episodes. Instead we have seen more of a brother/sister type relationship development between these two this past season. If anything, they should be building more on that development i.e. that they both consider each other as family now. It still provides that drama of Betty having to decide between London and leaving her family, extended or otherwise. No matter what though, I'll be a bit disappointed if Betty does not go to London. And if the reason is Daniel, I might scream.

Idol Eliminates Nobody and Dubiously Brings Back Runner-Up


The Top 9 gets a second week to prove themselves as one of them, Michael Lynche, ended up with the lowest number of votes last week only to be saved by the judges. With the Judges' Save used, two people will be leaving next week. This non-elimination was surprising enough, but even more so was the realization that Tim Urban is gaining fans. He wasn't even in the bottom three this week!

With that said, I'm still rooting for Crystal and Lee with Siobhan and Casey as possible dark horses. Clearly hoping to add some much needed buzz this season, Idol have asked back last year's showstopper Adam Lambert to mentor the contestants. I love Adam and all, but it's a little odd considering the show has not previously extended this offer to previous Idol winners, let alone other runner-ups. Not to mention that while Adam has released his album and kicking ass performing everywhere, he's still very VERY new to the industry and well, it all sort of reeks of desperation for both parties really. Still looking forward to it though.


Tina Fey Does Palin and Flirts with Bieber


Haven't seen much of Saturday Night Live the past few months, but I knew I had to see Tina Fey especially since I saw the hilarious Date Night this past weekend. Maybe I'm conflating her with her character Liz Lemon, but for some reason I was pleasantly surprised to see Tina so extraordinarily confident. Her standout sketch was, of course, her Sarah Palin sketch where the "Vice-Presidential silver medalist" started her own network to obvious hilarious results.

Musical guest and tween idol Justin Bieber showed up in a few sketches in between performing and fighting off all the ladies. His most surreal (and funny?) sketch had to be him singing about his feelings for his teacher (as played by Fey) all the byproduct of the teacher's fantasy. Other episode highlights include Fey eating her Brownie husband with the "caramel surprise" and The Devil putting a 5-min smackdown on the Catholic church.

Thoughts on Idol's Top 10

It's interesting that earlier this season it was all about how the girls are better than the guys this season and that Simon predicted that a girl would win this season and yet the first time the guys and the girls sing together, it was two girls who got the boot early, Lacey Brown and Paige Miles. Neither of them were going to win, but I'd probably keep Lacey and get rid of Tim Urban instead.

In any case, the top 10 is set and these are the ten guaranteed a spot in the annual Idol summer tour, which means a lot of moola and exposure for those ten. Here are my current thoughts on those ten:

Didi Benami - She's good, but she's a bit bland and a wee bit forgettable. She tried to sex it up this past week only to look desperate and fake. She needs to do a performance that will make people remember her or at least feel more inclined to vote for her.

Crystal Bowersox - She's my pick to win and it seems like the judges and the voters agree. It's a difficult position to be in so early in the competition though since SO MANY things can still happen between now and the finale. But if she keeps staying true to herself and belting out great songs one after another, she's golden.

Andrew Garcia - I agree with the judges that not only is he disappointing me, but he's making me regret rooting for him so early on. He's clearly talented, but his song choices and arrangements have been off.

Casey James - I admit I'm a bit of a fan. I mentioned his confidence early on as something very appealing about him and he's continued to display that. Add that to his raw talent and there's not much he can do wrong. He knows who he is as an artist and knows how to play to the audience. Dark horse?

Aaron Kelly - Last time I talked about him, I said he didn't deserve to be in the top 12. I take that back. I still think it would've been better if he came back a year or two older, but he really has held his own again his older counterparts. Plus I was impressed at how he handled sickness this past week.

Michael Lynche - I haven't been wowed by his performance during the past two weeks and I agree with the judges in feeling that he is coasting just a little bit. It helps that he is freaking lovable and that will carry him far, but he needs to step it up and challenge himself a bit more.

Siobhan Magnus - The faux-hawk said it all really. She's someone to watch, crazy talented, and a little bit divisive. She's exciting and is one of my favorites because she's quirky and doesn't mind taking risks.

Katie Stevens - I'm still not jiving with her pop-rock/R&B interests coupled with her old soul voice. It's a little bit like oil and water at least for now. No doubt those two things could combine to a potent performance. Just that she really needs to be careful picking songs and arrangements.

Tim Urban - He's cute. That's pretty much it really. He doesn't have a terrible voice. Far from it, but he's just overly stiff. He tried to dance and slide on stage this past week, but it came off more cheesy and less authentic. His voice caliber just doesn't hold up compared to the others and I do wish he goes sooner rather than later.

Later, I'd like to talk about Crystal Bowersox possibility of winning (or not winning) plus how her "rivalry" with Siobhan Magnus reminds me a little bit (not totally) of the Kris Allen-Adam Lambert rivalry of last season.

Stupidity Rules on Idol, Runway, and Race

Right now I'm only watching three reality shows and while I know better than to expect anything other than stupidity reigning, I had hopes. These three shows, however, has given me an opportunity to rant about the audience, the judges, and the contestants. Here I go...

I already posted my thoughts on this year's American Idol Top 12 and it's not an awful bunch. Plus with Paula Abdul gone, the caliber of the actual judging have gone up. The stupidity comes solely in the form of the voters who thought that Paige Miles, Katie Stevens, Tim Urban, and Aaron Kelly were actually worthy of being included in the top 12. It wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't great singers who could've taken their place, but alas there were. Now I've never had high hopes for this season especially after the trifecta of awesome that was Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, and Alison Iraheta last season, but with Crystal Bowersox, I at least have found for myself someone to root for. Don't be stupid now, America.


The judges on Project Runway must be seeing something I'm not, because I thought they got rid of the wrong designer two times in a row now. To those who know me, I am far from a fashion expert, but I also know a major wreck when I see it. Last week, Jesse was sent home for a poofy and uncomfortable dress, but his dress was a masterpiece especially in comparison to Emilio's washer-inspired swimsuit which was as classy as a three-dollar whore. Eventually, I was okay with it, but then the judges did it again this week. Ben's suit was not well-made and bordered on the cheesy, but Amy's black leotard-inspired outside complete with hairy tits burned the retinas. So of course, she made it through. Of course. If I see Amy and Emilio in the final three, I'll probably throw something. I don't have anyone I'm rooting for yet. Maybe Jay.

Finally, we get to Amazing Race, which, in my not-so-humble opinion, is the best reality show out there right now. Nothing is inherently wrong this season and I'm enjoying the locales and challenges so far, but there are just some crazy stupid people in the race this year that makes me want to strangle them. I am shocked that Brent/Caite and Jordan/Jeff are still in the race. For the most part, they've gotten by with some luck and one of them definitely would've been eliminated this week if it weren't for Joe/Heidi's U-turn. Their strength as "young fit" couples are dampened by their inability to work together and figure out simple instructions. We, then, get to Louie/Michael who aren't stupid as they came in #1 for two times in a row now, but going after Joe/Heidi? How was that strategically wise? Why not go after the teams that could threaten them down the line like the affable Jet/Cord or the nasty Carol/Brandy? Sure, they succeeded in getting rid of Joe/Heidi, but it was still a waste.

My dream results next week: Miles, Stevens, Urban, or Kelly goes home on American Idol. Emilio gets the cut on Project Runway. Louie/Michael gets their comeuppance or one of the stupid teams go on Amazing Race. Though I probably just jinxed Bowersox, Jay, and Jet/Cord. We'll see.

Thoughts on Idol's Top 12

Didi Benami, 23 (Tennessee) - There's something to the fact that I can't remember any of her performances. I do know she's a good singer and deserve her spot in the top 12, but again I wish I can say more about it.

Crystal Bowersox, 24 (Ohio) - I love her. And I'm just glad the judges and the audience (for now) agree. She's my unofficial horse in the race just the way Kelly and Kris were early on. Her voice is just phoenomenal.

Lacey Brown, 24 (Texas) - She has such an interesting voice, but I think she has a hard time connecting with the audience. I mean she's doing enough to get this far, but she really needs to separate herself other than by her unique voice.

Lee Dewyze, 23 (Illinois) - I noticed him all the way in Hollywood. He has a great swagger, good look, and more importantly a great voice. I can't help comparing him to David Cook. We'll see if that's good or bad.

Andrew Garcia, 24 (California) - I was rooting for him early on and he was my "pick" until I heard Crystal sing. He has faltered a bit in both performance and self-esteem, but he just needs a great performance to bring him out of this funk.

Casey James, 27 (Texas) - There's something very appealing about him. I think it's his confidence, which A LOT of the guys this season have been lacking. But his confidence never goes over to cocky, which is great.

Aaron Kelly, 16 (Pennsylvania) - I'm not saying he's not talented. He's super talented, but he doesn't belong in the top 12. I know why he made it in. I mean Justin Bieber is constantly trending on twitter. That tells you all you need to.

Michael Lynche, 26 (Florida) - Wasn't really a fan of his until this week's performance which he just knocked out of the park. He has an amazing personality and he is a real threat to go really far based on that alone really.

Siobhan Magnus, 19 (Massachusetts) - She's interesting. And yet I feel as if I'm still underselling her by saying that. She's crazy talented and so much fun to watch. I'm hoping America doesn't get too annoyed by her quirks, because I love them.

Paige Miles, 24 (Florida) - She has a good voice, but she's not harnessing it. All of the performances she's done I felt as if she's held back. She's a bit all over the place and well I don't actually think she was supposed to be in the top 12.

Katie Stevens, 17 (Connecticut) - Her place in the top 12 is debatable, but she does have a pretty good voice. I wished she sang more "her age" but that's the type of music she likes. Not a big fan, but she's all right.

Tim Urban, 20 (Texas) - Last night's performance was above average, but the ones before were pretty bad. While he's undoubtedly cute and not talentless, I'm not convinced he should be in the top 12 (or top 24 really). His good looks will take him so far though, I'm hoping.

Should've Been In the Top 12: Katelyn Epperly, John Park, and Lilly Scott. Though I wouldn't have minded seeing Alex Lambert also grow out of his shell.

Simply Kradison

American Idol crowned Kris Allen champion over Adam Lambert on May 20th 2009, but if they only looked at the results from three months before, we could've done without the rest of the season!

The Top 36 contestants were split in groups of 12 and spanning three weeks, they sang in front of the judges and had their first taste of the public voting for them. Every week three performers would move on, the guy and girl who got the most votes and then the next highest vote getter.

During Week 2 of the semifinals, which took place on February 26, 2009 America voted Kris Allen and Alison Iraheta as the top guy and girl. Who was the next highest vote getter? Adam Lambert. So Kris got more votes than Adam while Alison was the top girl. Fast forward three months later and voila.


Alison Iraheta's debut album Just Like You is scheduled to be released tomorrow, December 1, 2009. This follows the post-AI debut albums of Kris Allen and Adam Lambert the past two weeks. I'm a fan of all three, who have been lumped together as "Kradison" seemingly ever since they ended up in the same semifinal group. Adam is getting most of the media coverage, as expected, but I hope all of them succeed even in a niche sort of way.

Kris Allen Announces Album Date

Season eight American Idol champion Kris Allen announced two days ago on his twitter account the date his album will be released:


Suffice it to say, I am already counting down the days. It's probably my most anticipated Idol album since Kelly Clarkson won all those years ago.

Blunders From the 2008-2009 TV Season

With America crowning their new Idol and the networks giving their upfronts two weeks ago, I just wanted to reflect on the past TV season. More specifically I want to list the things about the past TV season that disappointed me the most. In no particular order...


FOX (and fans) for declaring Dollhouse dead-on-arrival even before it premiered. Friday timeslot? Are you kidding me? Then there are the fans giving up after 2-3 episodes and thereby missing out on the ming-blowingly good last half of the season. Ugh. It's a miracle that FOX actually renewed the show for next season. Can it recover from a bumpy start?

The cancellation of Pushing Daisies. It's not ABC's fault per se. Audiences initially responded to it and the critics raved about it. It even got lots of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. But then the Writer's Strike happened and the show was unable to recover its original audience and initial buzz after a 10-month break.

NBC not fully supporting Kings. Why they thought having a two-hour mid-season premiere would actually grab increasingly ADD audiences who's TV schedule were pretty much already set is beyond me. The show wasn't flawless, but it really should've been platformed as a fall show.

Grey's Anatomy drama with Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight. Yes, the final scenes of the season were breathtaking, but that doesn't excuse the off-camera drama affecting the show. Because of it George had a reduced role throughout the season while Heigl was mired with a ludicrous brain tumor plot that let her have sex with her dead fiance. You can't make this stuff up.

Heroes for not improving and/or continuing to suck. When seemingly everyone was calling for the death knell of the show as early as season 2, I remained its defender. But this past season, the shows flaws have become greater than even I could stomach.

Saying goodbye to Battlestar Galactica. Was it the right time to end it? Maybe, but I feel they could've churned out a season and a half more. Not that the ending wasn't satisfying, because for me, it was, but I feel there were still a lot of stuff they needed to do. But really I'm just going to really miss the show.

Kris Allen winning American Idol and everyone bitching about it. I get it. Adam Lambert was the "true star" and is "way more talented" than Kris. Blah blah blah. Can we move on now? Forget the fact that both are friends and probably want nothing else but success for one another. Just remember that Kris also had his fans and they're vote is just as valid. Oh yes, and they are all not homophobics. Yes, I voted for Kris. There.

Desperate Housewives afraid of really shaking things up. The season started out wonderfully with the five year jump giving the show much needed life. But by the end of the season, everyone seems to be back to square one. And Susan and her demon spawn someone made it out alive. Not fair.

Too many things on Monday. Big Bang Theory. How I Met Your Mother. Gossip Girl. Chuck. Greek. And that was just the 8:00 hour! Maybe it means I should just watch less TV. Then again that would mean I can't make lists like this, right?