Weekend Rant – Pre-Olympics Blitz

Things have been very busy and I haven't had the time to do much updating, and with the Olympics just around the corner it may be a while before I have time to rant, I love this kind of competition and since it happens only every few years I will be taking in as much as possible.

Here's a quick run down of the past while:

The Good:
I was surprised, shocked, confused, dazed and so pleased with the beginning of the last season of Lost, and really like the new alternate timeline that it has created. The writers were very smart with maintaining all of the plot line with the gang on the the Island, yet showing the results of their time ripple. This whole time-space continuum thing is very confusing and makes your brain hurt, but only in a good way.

The return of Project Runway to New York has brought back the right balance and the gang in the natural habitat. I think this is the last season I want to see Heidi pregnant (the woman is incredible the way she just keeps popping them out) and I hope to see more of the Challenges that take the designers way out of their comfort zone. It's nice to see Michael and Nina there each week.

RuPaul's Drag Race hit the airwaves with all it's ferocious fabulousness and if the first episode is only the tip of the iceberg then I can hardly wait for the rest of the season. As you can see from the image, the first challenge was quite a breezy one with that wind machine and not all the girls were ready to be blown that hard, all in good taste.

Burn Notice is right back on track and the first episodes of this season have been spot on with Michael playing all dark, mysterious, sexy and damn funny. Seeing the Cagney & Lacey reunion was hysterical, but the chemistry between Fiona & Michael is too hot for TV. I love this show.

Caprica has held my attention so far and I really like the story that is developing. Here's hoping that the writing remains strong and the plot development consistent, it could turn into another sleeper hit.

I am hitting myself for not putting Tracey Ullman's State of the Union on my Top Ten list as the show is so damn funny and well done that it deserves more accolades than it is getting. Tracy pulls out the most astounding characters and I love her imitation of celebrities. There should be more with her.

The Bad:
I hope Heroes ties up a lot of loose ends cause this may be their last shot. The writing has been choppy and the plot lines are too stretched and I just want it to end. Such a shame.

The Maybe:
Smallville has been doing some good work, but the JSA themed special was only so-so. The storyline was a tad too overworked, and for big name heroes you would think that people would remember someone like Dr. Fate or Hawkman. My biggest beef was with the Hawkman costume and the crappy effects as the other characters seemed better done. It was still good and I had tons of fun and geeky moments but it was unsatisfying. They really have got to get him into that costume soon.

The Human Target started off okay but I am not sure that I am hooked enough to hang around. I will give it a couple more episodes before making a decision. The character is not enough like the comic book one, and it is not really grooving with me.

Shear Genius started off okay but is still on probation with all the changes that they have introduced this year with a new host, main Judge and mentor. The contestants seem talented and there is attitude for days so it bears further investigation.

Coming Up:
This week I am hyped for Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and can hardly wait to see some of my favourites take another shot at the prize. I am pretty sure the Villains will fight amongst themselves and watch for big players like Russell to be eliminated early on. I am pretty sure the biggest threats will self implode early on.

As mentioned earlier, the Olympics are starting! I will be glued to the tube in my spare time watching all the incredible athletes and cheering for the home teams.

Enjoy the games!

Shear Genius - The Final Cut

It was Finale night last night on Shear Genius ... and I am unhappy to say that our lazy eyed lesbian Dee won the big prize. I was really pulling for Charlie ( I honestly think that he is the biggest talent there) and was disappointed that the Judges were overlooking his styling talent compared to Dee, who seemed to have a small advantage with guest Judge Sally Hershberger (same lesbian sensibilities maybe?)

All the whining aside, it was a great challenge (taking a woman through 4 stages/ages of life and having to do the 4 models in 3 hours was a daunting task) and it made the stylists push themselves as hard and fast as they could go. I still think that Charlie looked the most polished and finished at the end but I am not one of the Judges. It was nice to see that our southern girl Daniel, won fan favorite (such a chatter bug that one and I missed seeing him in the Finale) and I will honestly say that I will miss Rene and his `Hi Hi` greeting each round.

Next week we are getting around to the premiere of the second season of Top Design that looks great (the first season was fun, here`s hoping this one goes well) and the cast looks interesting. More fun stuff is around the corner as slowly but surely the new show are coming on to the schedule.

Congrats to Dee ... you beat Charlie and that was no easy task...

Weekend Rant - End Zone & New Beginnings

Shear Genius pulled out of the penultimate episode with a Seeing Double Short-cut Challenge (involving twins and a guaranteed place in the finale) and then the Avant-garde photo Challenge with guest Judge Michael Grecco.

The Short-cut Challenge (with guest Judge Jose Eber) was set up as a sudden double booking and our stylists got the twin of their client. I thought that Dee was going to explode (or need a towel) when she saw she had hot twins ... maybe this is some long time fantasy like many a straight man? Nicole did a dark and light version of her twins (I think they were the only ones willing to make that drastic of a change) and ended up winning the Challenge and getting a spot in the Finale.

I am not sure if I really agree with all the Judging (and Nicole has never won a single challenge to date) and I don't agree that she should be in the Finale. Maybe they had to make sure that the Finale wasn't completely gay ... just to be politically correct or some other crap -- it's not like there are tons of gay stylists -- anyways --

We get around to the big Avant-garde photo shoot and our Final Four are each given a season as a theme. Nicole gets Winter ,Dee gets Fall , Charlie gets Summer and Daniel gets Spring. They are all shown the set and get to meet with Michael Grecco (who seems to be quite the demanding photographer) and get a rough idea of how the shoot is supposed to go. Each of the stylists has a different challenge, Nicole has to work with her model laying in snow,Dee's client is jumping on a trampoline, Charlie's model is on a swing, and Daniel's model will be "lightly misted" during the shoot.

After all the prep and initial work it is clear that Dee and Nicole are way out of their element as they are struggling with the hair and how the shoot is going. Dee gets called on doing the same cut (again) that doesn't move well with the motion of the photo and if Nicole didn't have that Immunity and guaranteed place in the Finale she would have been out on her ass. Her shoot is a disaster is the snow and her styling is terrible.

Charlie seems to have not hit things off well with Grecco to start with, but quickly adjusts things and gets a nice photo off. I really think he is the only one in the gang that had even a clue about what the Challenge was and did a good job. He wins ( of course) and is very happy.

Poor Daniel has to deal with more than a simple misting -- his client is hosed down like she is on fire (Daniel doesn't miss a beat and is hilarious about the whole thing) but he has really missed the boat on the whole Avant-garde theme. Daniel likes to do big old Dallas hair and for some fracking reason has decided to put a big red braid in the model's hair that irks the shit out of Grecco and seals Daniel's fate. Our Texas boy is eliminated and next week is the beauty bloodbath between Charlie (sure to win) against Dee (nice try) and Nicole (no hope in hell).

Tabatha's Salon Takeover hit the airwaves this week with the first episode and I already completely hooked. I loved Tabatha in the first season of Shear Genius and she is so cold and robotic most of the time that it is really, really scary. You would almost think that the machines are starting to become self aware in a Sky Net kind of a way. Anyways -- Tabatha knows her stuff and when she arrives, people inevitably looked scared shitless and in panic mode. If you are not doing your job or don't know your stuff she will let you know. The Queen B has no issues with rank or responsibility as she takes over the salon and is clearly in command of those around her. I did like how they tried to show her softer side (not that soft but if you get a compliment from her you really appreciate it) and when she tells you to stop crying and put to put that energy in to something productive, I get visions of Martha Stewart on steroids. Tears are for the weak but at least she is not bad abrasive in that Gordon Ramsay kind of way and she can get her point across with out being too mean... just blunt enough to make your head spin.

Her first challenge was with a couple that really need some guidance and she did some pretty amazing work. It was nice to see follow up at the end of the episode (quite often you see the make over but not the lasting result) and to see how the changes worked out for the client several weeks later and if things have turned around for the better. I think if Tabatha has anything to do with, things will be successful, she doesn't look like the type to waste her time or energy.

Reality Bites Back hit another win with Hunting with the Stars this week. Why you may ask? "Because America always loves it when you pair someone you know from something with someone you don’t know at all." says hilarious host Michael Ian Black. Each of the remaining comics are paired up with what appears to be an E List “celebrity” partner and we get a look at them as they have time to practice their hunting skills. Theo gets paired up with the infamous Kato Kaelin, Amy is with former teen idol Leif Garrett, Chris gets Chyna the wrestler , and Mo is with none other than Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady). After the first competition (based on their intro clip -- The Preceding Edited Package Challenge -- this show is just too brilliant) Mo and Susan are safe. After the Capture the Swag Challenge, Amy and Leif are safe as they have collected the most Swag Bags with out being shot by the other teams. In the final round our remaining contestants(Theo and Chris) get to Hunt the Stars, and who ever does it in the fastest time stays in the game. I am not sure who said it but the "Look, Chyna just got shot in the balls" comment had me in hysterics. The level of parody these comedians are doing is brilliant at times.

Theo wins and poor Chris is sent home. The montage of Chris failing miserably was brilliant and I can't believe that next week is the parody of the Amazing Race -- The Amazing Disgrace !

My glut of the Olympics is almost over ( I am looking forward to the end after 2 weeks of intense viewing) and I can hardly wait to see the closing ceremonies. This was an amazing experience seeing so much of the games in HD and I can honestly say that I am humbled by the power and determination of the athletes. It's all very awe inspiring stuff and a nice change in the viewing schedule. I am looking forward to a more regular viewing schedule, and the return of the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency this week. No other show screams Guilty Pleasures more than this one with all the hot gay and straight guys, the beautiful and kinda screwed up models and all those crazy and dramatic situations that Janice seems to put herself into. It looks like things are getting geared up for the upcoming fall season and I can hardly wait.

Shear Genius - Do Me & my Bitch

After last week's complete disaster, I am pretty sure that the not so merry band of Judges and Jaclyn of Shear Genius were pissed off at the contestants for missing the boat on the now infamous Charlie's Angels challenge. No fear, last night's challenge sent our contestants to the dogs (literally) and made for some fun and games, but it was still lacking some of the oomph that I want from this show, and am not sure if it's the combination of personalities or the kinds of challenges that have been thrown at the stylists.

Let's get to the Short Cut Challenge of last night. I loved the whole green vibe and using what is in your kitchen to make you beautiful .... but there were a couple of huge problems with the whole concept.

First problem - seriously -- is that Nexxus is the main sponsor of the show and if their product doesn't get used they will not be happy -- so the eco-friendly thing isn't going to work until companies like Nexxus make green products.

The other big problems was that if you have no experience in using products like Squid in hair -- then do you really know what the frack you are doing? As amusing as it was to see the panic in most of the stylist's eyes, it just wasn't logical as far as challenges go. I think it would have made more sense if we learned later on how the various things could be used.

I did appreciate Daniel's panic attacks and the whole squid fiasco, but had no idea why Paulo won and not that it made any difference in the long run.

Now the whole Dog and Owner Challenge -- talk about a disaster waiting to happen. I can see the rapport with getting an owner to reflect their pet, and could see a challenge that incorporated that, but doing the dog as well was too much. These are stylists and not accustomed to working with animals (although the majority of dogs were very cute and well behaved) and don't know the techniques.

I agreed with Charlie when he was asked if he liked the Challenge and he bluntly rasped at them "NO". At least he didn't get the boot and that finally Nekisa (hooray!) got cut. About fricking time is all I have to say -- I have been saying for weeks it was time for her to go and it finally happened.

I am upset though that the boys keep getting their asses handed to them by Dee and she is quickly turning my beloved stereotype of the gay hairdresser into an endangered species. Watch your asses boys -- there is a new stylist in town and she is kicking ass and taking names. Bet she is right pissed off that her infatuation with the faux lesbian is now finished with Nekisa out of the house. I have the feeling things are going to get even bitchier in that salon over the next few weeks and it should be a welcome change from watching the Olympics.

I am getting really psyched for Tabitha's Salon Takeover though as we keep seeing the ads and I can hardly wait to see the Queen B in action very soon.

Shear Genius - Clipping an Angel's wings

I honestly can't see how things could have gone as wrong as they did last night in the Shear Genius Charlie's Angels Challenge.... but unfortunately my friends they did.

Things start off great, we have the shortcut challenge and Charlie wins (much to Dee's dismay) and he gets to choose the teams for the next Challenge. As we all know, it's the Charlie's Angels Challenge complete with Rene doing his European version of Charlie and chatting with the stylists by intercom. The Challenge goes on with not too much drama, but you can tell that things are not as rosy as they should be.
We finally get the chance to see Kate Jackson (still looking great, and once she relaxed she was quite interesting) and Jaclyn Smith reunite, and all of our teams of stylists present their modern take on the 3 iconic hair styles of the original Angels.

Now... that sounds like a great, fun and interesting challenge .... but unfortunately the result was terrible and none of the stylists won. Not a single one .... and that is a very sad state of affairs when you have one of the icons in front of you everyday during the competition and you can't do a decent adaptation of her hair style? It's just a sad, sad state of affairs.....

All I can really say is that I was very disappointed with the results and it was too bad that Charlie wasn't a participant (he had this weird exemption from winning the Short Cut Challenge) and even our big gay boys Daniel and Paulo couldn't do much. It was just a big mess left and right. Jaclyn and the judges made sure that they made a point of saying how disappointed they were (and rightfully so) before cutting Glenn. Remarkably, Nekisa was in the bottom 2 again yet still lives to style another day -- that will certainly give Charlie more ammo for some upcoming bitch sessions. Now if I can just get this bad taste out of my mouth all will be better...

Weekend Rant - Hits and Misses

This week may have seemed to be a shocker for a lot of So you think you can Dance? fans as golden boy Will hit the road, but if you look over his little bio that played during the competitions this week (they were doing individual spotlight stories on each dancer and finding out why they dance) I think it may have given the impression that Will was already very blessed as far as dance life went. The guy had already been given a scholarship with dance Über goddess Debbie Allan, and I think this may have made people less likely to vote for him, as the people does love an underdog. Unfortunately Comfort was let go of this week also (and for her, this was the second and final time) and in her case I think she is being out danced by the other remaining girls.

I guess this means that Debbie Allen will be back as a guest judge soon.

As for this week -- if you didn't see that fantastic Mia Michael's contemporary number with Twitch and Katee you missed a great and original piece of dance using a free standing door as a prop. It was more fantastic stuff and another example of Mia's tortured brilliance. I was still surprised that Mark hung around (must be that underdog syndrome) but glad the Joshua and Twitch live to dance another week. I don't want to jinx things but Twitch and Katee have been great so I hope they make it to the end. This might be the second year in a row that one of the girls takes home the title, which is kind of ironic considering that Katee was so close to being canned in Vegas.

My newest (and getting to be one of my favorite new series) is the wacky spoof of reality shows on Comedy Central called Reality Bites Back. Each week, the team of comedians (including one of my favorites from last year's Last Comic Standing, Amy Schumer) spoof a reality show to hilarious results. So far they have done "Extreme Manipulation: Home Edition" and "Shock of Love" and in upcoming episodes, you'll be treated to "Almost-American Gladiators," "Hunting With the Stars," (too bad it's not Hunting the stars) "So You Think You Can Dive," (which is brilliant) "The Amazing Disgrace," (the best title out of all the spoofs) "The Biggest Chubby” (not what you might think it is..) and what spoof would not be complete if there wasn't a parody of Survivor and American Idol all rolled up together and mixed with a bit of Hell's Kitchen called "American Surv-idoler's Kitchen". Personally I think this has been long overdue and the comedians have been hilarious so far. Michael Ian Black is hilarious as the host -- and you can see how he relishes tearing a strip out of pop culture... and putting in all those awkward pauses.

Project Runway is not hitting it out of the park this season, and I don't know if it's just me, but I am finding the quantity of designers overwhelming at this point. Last week the challenge was interesting (even if the end result was not so) but this week's "Green" challenge left me cold as it was the models choosing the fabric.

Talk about the blond leading the blond -- these girls have no concept on fabric (what?) and I felt as panicked as the designers about having to work with some unknown fabric bought by some ditz.

I am not really following the Judges this year either, as I was not too impressed with Suede's winning design (yawn) and was much more impressed with Kenley and am really starting to warm up to her Vintage vibe. I nearly had kittens when my favorite from last week, Korto, was in danger of being eliminated. I wasn't following her design vibe this week and seriously thought her dress was inside out for part of the show. I think the comment about the model having fins on her ass (courtesy of Michael Kors) spoke volumes in it's self.
My dear Stella (Cheroin) did a nice cocktail dress that was totally her vibe -- and got some good feedback from the Judges. I think she is one of the most vocal of the gang (she knows how to bitch like a real pro) and I have visions of her and Tim butting heads. Let's see the Silver Fox talk his way out of this one.

I think things will get more interesting once more of the Designing herd has been culled (I am all for multiple eliminations at this point) but there is still something different about this season that I can't put my finger on yet.... is Bravo trying to sabotage things with the show leaving to the Lifetime network after this season? Stranger things have happened... it was a shame to see Wesley get aufed this week though, he was cute and a good designer (and Leanne was worse than he was) and I thought his fashion sensibility was cute and modern.

I am still a little miffed about Kathy Griffin and her recent appearance in Montréal (not to mention the snubbing of her gays) so the only comment that I have about this week's episode of My Life on the D List is that Bora Bora was boring and a yawn fest. I prefer my Kathy that rips a new one in the celebrities and is not all about some psycho idiot and a bunch of straight people on some fake gay holiday.
See what happens when you piss of your gays Kathy?
You know how vicious we can be -- snap - snap - snap.

Shear Genius has been putting me on an emotional roller coaster for the past couple of weeks. First there was the much lauded departure of that Dye Job Disaster, Meredith, but it was combined with my favorite, Charlie, wasting his immunity and doing a crappy job. This past week was all about doing a look with a wig (a very difficult challenge as if you make a mistake you can't do anything about it) and Charlie bombed once again. It was also the most emotionally manipulated episode with our models and their terrible Alopecia affliction. We had stylists crying left and right and it was all a bit too much and over the top. You would think that there were people dying but it must be a stylist's biggest fear: bald. That doesn't seem to really phase Charlie and at least he made it through (helmet head and all) but please Judges, Nekisa just has to go, you might have noticed that she is always in the bottom 2. I will be literally having kittens this Wednesday night when it will be the Charlie's Angels reunion episode. Jaclyn Smith is looking as fabulous as ever ..... now if we can only get Farrah Fawcett to join them it would be Sheer Perfection.

Weekend Rant - Reality Round Up

So you think you can Dance continued with eliminations this week and the Top 10 was reduced to the Final 8.

Unfortunately that meant the end of Gev, who in my humble opinion, went way beyond his B Boy roots to be a great competitor on the show. I had Mark pegged for leaving and was quite surprised that Gev had gotten less votes ... I thought the guy was cute and charismatic and had the chance to go far.... anyways buddy, you were a pleasure to watch and it will be fun to see you bust a move later in the season when they bring back the Top 10.

My money is still on Mark to be the next guy to go ... he moves okay but is lacking some of the technique the other dancers have. The way things are developing you might be seeing Debbie Allen's protege, Will , taking home the title this year. The guy is drop dead gorgeous, has incredible technique and is willing to run around mostly naked. I think he will be getting quite a few votes from the boys and girls out there in TV land.
On the girl's side of things, I was happy to see Comfort hang around for another week. Her look in the opening Bollywood number was astounding -- wow -- and I loved the number. At this rate we should start seeing a whole plethora of dance styles by the end of the season and I think it will add some interesting challenges to the competitors. I do find it interesting that if the Judges do not mention the choreographer during their summation of the performance, they didn't really like the work they created. Luckily, there hasn't been that many "bad numbers" so far (a few questionable ones maybe...) and it looks like the dancers are being kept on their toes. Unfortunately for Kherington it's the end of the line, but I was kind of getting bored with her. Courtney & Joshua, Comfort & Twitch and Katee & Will were all outstanding and I expect to see them around for the next while.

Project Runway returned this week with a whole new pack of designers. Not only was it a fun episode, but they brought back one of my favorite challenges from the very first season, the infamous grocery store challenge. Putting a bit of fabulous icing on that cake was the introduction of guest Judge Austin Scarlett and our merry band of designers are sent off with not much money or time to get their supplies.

Now maybe I am getting a tad jaded after several seasons of this show.. but I was getting a frustrated as Tim was with the number of participants who chose tablecloths as their main fabric. I was hoping for some creativity in base materials and only a few of the designers rose to the challenge.Thank god Tim Gunn was around to state the obvious and tell them to more than "make it work", but that they had to step it up also and show their creativity.

There is no way that I can do the show enough justice, and if you want to read the best dirt about all the competitors, you have to read Project Rungay for the absolutely best commentary about all the contestants. If I have a blog idol it is definitely my sisters over there -- they are beyond fierce.

I have thank them up front for their perfect name for one of my favorite competitors of this season, our kind-of-reminds-me-of Cher designer herself, the rock chick Stella. Project Rungay calls her Cheroin and it works for me -- ( I hope you don't mind if I borrow... my first impression of her was that she was Cher on acid ). I love Stella! Cheroin and can hardly wait to see what she will create next. She seemed quite off with her choice of garbage bags, and I just wish that she had gotten her rock ass in gear earlier instead of being all distracted by the whole situation. Cheroin was this close to leaving and I hope she gets it together for the next Challenge.

Do I really need to talk about our (and not half baked but more than over baked) baked one? Seriously -- I have no idea what the Judges were thinking (I do have to say that I do appreciate the level of fear the contestants view Nina with) but did Blayne really survive this week with that disaster he threw together to go down the Runway? Puhleese.... if baked boy is kept around just for the shock factor can he at least do something half interesting?

It goes with out saying that Keith is this year's hunky designer but I was a little disappointed with his choice of tablecloth ... I hope things improve or we might not get to see much of him, or his nipple rings and that would be a shame. That look in his hoodie was hot stuff ....

As for my faves of this week, our winner, Kelli, went out of the box completely and dyed and tinted vacuum bags and burnt coffee filters to make her dress. She did tons of accessorizing and did the most creative job (and most artistic) and clearly deserved the win. She did ... but for me the "eye popper" was the simple, yet impeccable, paper dress made by Korto. She put on this great kale/tomato/pepper trim that was beautiful. She was the only contestant to use living produce and that won lots of admiration. I really like her and her design aesthetic, and she is one of my choices for the finales -- and gets her very fine design up on the blog.

Daniel did a great job with his plastic cup cocktail dress, which was a very creative use of materials. Jennifer did a nice job with her dress made of lipstick and paper towels, and Terri blew me away with her use of macrame and mop heads to braid together her top. Leanne and Joe put some effort into using stuff like candy and pasta for materials but the majority of designers played it too safe for my taste. I think they will be pushed harder next week and am really looking forward to seeing how they will be tested.

Heidi looks as fabulous as ever!

Celebrity Circus finished up the season with all of the Celebrities returning for an encore performance and we got treated to an incredible performance by Judge Aurelia Cats.

Blu Cantrell started the show off by singing one of her hits, and proving once again that she is some bad ass Diva by doing some completely passive spinning on the Cerceau. Yawn, I was happy when that was over with but she does have a lovely voice. Too bad it's such a bad attitude that comes with that package ... you just know that the only way in hell she was going to go back on that stage was if she could do her thing and she played all bitchy walking by Aurelia a;; "in your face". No worries, our Catty Judge got very sweet revenge on all the celebrities by doing the most amazing trapeze act. O M G. That woman knows what she is talking about (and the flexibility -- ouch!) and I think she gained a ton of new found respect from the viewing public and the participants.

It was quite enjoyable to see all the professionals perform again -- there are some very talented people behind the scenes or in supporting roles and it's nice to see them get the credit that they deserve. Those circus folk are sure easy on the eyes ... I look at this as a bit of a warm up for the Olympics next month and we get to see all the gymnasts perform and sit in complete awe.

Janet Evans did another fearless number (that girl has got guts), we caught up with Christopher Knight (who is still recovering from that twice broken arm) and got some nice, behind the scenes of the cable guys. Rachel Hunter came back to do a nice number (cerceau again, but more flattering than the hammock act). After way too many recaps and road to the finale montages we finally get a final performance from the Final 3. Wee Man does his Partner Balance thing, Stacey is flying around in the air as well as Antonio. All of them do nice jobs and it's a highly electric carnival atmosphere. What I don't understand is the pace of the show and the continual Top 3 montages, and before you know it Wee Man is eliminated and it's down to Antonio and Stacey for the trophy. For some reason we don't see any more of the Judges (huh?) and it ends up with Antonio taking home the Wheel of Death Trophy (it's bedazzled to death so it's not that scary). I am not sure if am more impressed with the trophy or that bulge in Antonio's tights ... it's all pretty distracting. After all of the glitter,drama and tights, here's hoping they do another season !

Reality Round Up - The Top Ten Connection

It is already pretty obvious that I am a reality show junkie (my "guilty pleasures" as I like to call them) but I am still selective about which shows I will watch ... and quite often it's the process of getting from the beginning of the show (the auditions of some kind) to the meaty part of the competition (the "thinning the herd") can leave something to be desired. American Idol is probably the best example of this, and because of their need to showcase all the freaks & geeks to the world (in a pretty exploitative manner) that I am really not interested and I get turned off by some shows. Idol did it's self in with me a couple of years ago, and between the inane judging (Paula) and the popularity contest quotient of the competition I just couldn't stand to watch anymore and see real talent be voted off while dimwits went through ... anyways .. that is a rant for another time.

Dance competitions have a different element to them, and I have followed a fair number of them, but have really found that So you think you can Dance? is the benchmark show for the genre. The routines are astounding, the choreographers are mad geniuses, and the competitors are all young, talented and beautiful. What more can you really want?

We finally got past that mid step part of the show, the infamous "thinning the herd", and are now down to the Top Ten who will compete for this year's title. The rounds have been great, but this is the time that I really start cheering for my faves and getting all fired up. I was a little disappointed with the last elimination, as I was pretty sure that Comfort was to stay and Jessica was to hit the road (especially after Mia was so blunt about it the previous night) but Jessica stayed and my dear Comfort was dismissed.

Not for long -- as it was in the news that Comfort was back and Jessica was off due to an injury. I can't say that I feel too bad .. I did really want to see Comfort go further and see how much more she could blossom, she has been really incredible and has such potential. I still think the Judges are being too kind with Will and am eager to see how things develop over the next episodes, the competition will be hot - hot - hot this time around. I just hope we get to see more work by Wade Robson this season.

Last Comic Standing is finally out of the auditions and semi finals and into the competition part. For me, this is when it gets to the best part and you see the comedians put into different zany challenges to prove how funny they are.This year's international selection is a real mix with a couple of Brits, a Canadian (who I thought already had a successful career...), a hysterical guy from India (yes, even comedy is getting out-sourced now) and a whole herd of Americans. This week's challenge with the boxing ring rounds and the Yo' Mama and Hack jokes were too funny, and God's Pottery had me in convulsions with their ability to stay continually in character. I am getting to the point that I wonder if those 2 are for real or what? Too gosh darn funny. God's Pottery rocks!

It's nice and creepy (and gotta love that Thriller music!) that the elimination part of the series is done in the cemetery this time around, and some of the finalists are too wild. Yeah baby sometimes u kill and sometimes u die as a comedian, but you would think that none of them ever watched this show before? How could they not know that their Smack down Confessional was going to be seen by the others? Puhleese ...

We get down to elimination time, and it's the annoying Esther who is put up for elimination, and she chooses God's Pottery and Elisa to compete against in the head to head round. The crappy part of this week is that 2 comedians will be eliminated, and so after this week we lost Esther (most irritating laugh ever) and my favourites, God's Pottery. Here's hoping that God's Pottery(Gideon Lamb and Jeremiah Smallchild) find some other gigs soon, their parody was hilarious and very original. They should be proud that they were the first duo selected for the competition. Elisa rocked in her performance, and certainly deserves to be there. I blame this all on Esther, who chose her competitors. Now we are into the Top Ten and next week they have guest judge Carrot Top to deal with. Yikes!

Project Runway is back this week with the Fifth season. I can hardly wait, it is way up on my list of must see Reality Shows and I am looking forward to seeing what kind of brilliantly twisted characters and challenges they will have this time around. The fact that it is paired up with Shear Genius on the same night, and opposite So you think you can Dance? has me worried. My Wednesday nights are going to finishing late... too much good TV on the same night. Why do all the really good show have to play Wednesday and Thursday night?

I am terrified to watch the new Disney creation starting this Sunday (High School Musical - Get in the Picture) because I think I might get sucked in to the competition too easily. I have enjoyed the films, and if the competition has even the slightest taste of " Show Business Moms & Dads" to it, it will be a done deal and I will not be able to miss an episode. It's not like it will really affect my Sunday night shows as HGTV Design Star and Next Food Network Star have been pretty boring so far.... I am not sure if there are any half decent designers ( Matt seems to be the only one with a real chance to win) and the contestants on Food have been pretty lackluster to date. My choice is still Squinty ( Lisa) to win.... but Adam has shown the most personality so far and has a chance of sneaking in under the radar. Neither competition has me glued to the tube so that is probably not a good sign. At least the competitions are almost over....

Weekend Rant -- Last Chances & Desperate Measures

I am getting to complete desperation at this point ..... I have begged and pleaded and still no word from Team Griffin (and I have even posted on the Bulletin Boards on Kathy's site with the hopes of drawing some attention)... all I can say is that I would love to have a "Meet & Greet" with Kathy and am hoping for the chance....

This week's episode of My Life on the D List was another stellar one. Kathy "surprising" Team Griffin with a teaching gig at the local learning annex and the whole fiasco that we can call their appearance and presentation. Tim (Tom) was harassed to death in the description of their Workshop, not only did they get his name wrong, but it went on and on about his love of porn and masturbation. Too funny ... as much as Kathy seemed amused by some of the glitches, I still wonder if it was her who wrote the information out for the brochure. It all seemed too conveniently mean towards Tom... at least the Team was saved by Woz and his "Anal Retentive Assistant" Julie. I was in hysterics watching her react to how Team Griffin works -- and their apparent lack of work ethic.

Kathy's mom is still that ray of sanity in Kathy's manic life, and the side story of dear old mom stealing one of Kathy's favorite gays (Patrick) was ahem a -- convenient -- segue into the whole appearance at the Bear Convention. While not as hilarious as Kathy hosting the Gay Porn Awards, watching Kathy pimp out Woz as " her bear" was hilarious -- learning some specifics of the sub-culture was interesting and yes, Jessica is a perfect Goldilocks to hang around with the bears. It was all warm and fuzzy (like a teddy bear) and I was laughing at Woz giving away merch (it looks like Jessica was happy having his credit card on hand) in his way of helping out Kathy. He is so adorable I really hope they are happy together -- he looks like a good guy for her.

The whole Dog Whisperer thing was too much. I think I may have to agree that more of the apparent problems with the beasts is more in Kathy's head than in reality. The dogs actually look a lot better than last year ... and so what is happening with that Emmy? Cesar was a great sport and I think he needs to work more with dear Kathy than the pooches.

Next week's episode might be seen later than usual due to the show -- it will be wild to see Kathy live in only a few days!

Celebrity Circus had me with my finger on the button this week. If Antonio went home, I didn't care who won or lost the competition and they made me suffer through another Wee Man act (yawn -- it just doesn't do it for me and I was disappointed with the skateboard stunt) and another great performance by Stacey Dash before letting us find out that Rachel Hunter was eliminated and Antonio was in the final 3. I did enjoy the performance done by the trainers and professionals before getting treated to Antonio's fantastic Flying Silk routine. The guy is gorgeous .. and not only did he get the only perfect score of the evening, he got Louis jumping around all over the place. Too funny. I am hoping to see Antonio come out on top of this competition next week, and assume that the finale will be performances by some of the competitors and maybe even something with the the judges. It has been a fun enough ride for a short summer series and I am still impressed by the complexity and difficulty of the acts the celebrities were doing. Impressive stuff.

Burn Notice came back to the air waves this week, and it was nice to see one of my favorites from last summer come back this season. The chemistry is still there with all the characters, and Michael (Jeffry Donovan) has the best deadpan presentation out of the spy guys we see on TV. His matter of fact explanations and presence are as hot as ever -- seriously -- he has this smoking hot presence that is matched by few actors on TV. Michael Westen is turning into one of the best dressed and innovative spy guys around -- I love his creativity. It's kind of like a very sexy undercover MacGyver.

The regular gang are all there and this is another series where the ensemble complements each other so well that it is just pleasure to watch them.Michael's trigger happy ex-girlfriend is just too much and way hot; Fiona kills me every time she is on screen. Bruce Campbell as his old buddy Sam is still one of the greatest castings in history (I love Bruce Campbell and this part is great for him) and Sharon Gless as his Mother is just fantastic. Her little rant to Michael about almost getting killed and finally understanding (in a sense) why he kept his distance for so long was compounded by that typical mother response of " You could have at least written to me". Yup that is a typical mom response and you could see Michael's head imploding with all of that.

The storyline this year with the new mysterious handler (Tricia Helfer from Battlestar Galactica) and Michael playing errand boy is interesting. I loved his mission this week and the poor schmuck that got tossed around in the trunk of the car before being almost killed several times was hilarious. Michael playing South African and being all dangerous was hot stuff -- I am looking forward to this season and seeing how things will develop.

I don't think that Shear Genius can get any bitchier than it is, and I am pleading with the producers. Please get rid of that Dye Job Disaster (Meredith) next -- things were just too ferocious with everyone in a real tizzy and, mock surprise, Charlie wins again, do you really think anyone else has a chance against this juggernaut? Mathew re-affirmed his heterosexuality a million times before committing the cardinal sin, and not listening to his client. Mathew went from winning the short cut challenge to hitting the road in no time at all, so I guess there is hope for Meredith also... I will literally explode when they have the Charlie's Angels reunion on the show. I think Cheryl Ladd needs to get on Bravo... maybe a guest spot?

Weekend Rant - Armageddon with a touch of Orange

I don't think that I have been this excited about a reality show in ages ... well maybe not since the glory days of last summer's Most Smartest Model ... but Shear Genius has been nothing but Sheer Pleasure in it's first 2 weeks, After last week's carton icon challenge, we get around to a short cut shortcut challenge (say that fast 1o times) judged by no other than the Queen B(itch) of last season, Tabatha. Our merry team of stylists try to keep their bitchiness up to to Tabatha's level (talk about a losing battle -- you can't beat her) and I was slightly in awe of her ability to bring out the worst in the stylists in so short a time. It was the biggest bitchfest that I have seen in ages and of course, set the stage for the now to be infamous run in with those ' Real Housewives of Orange County '. Charlie rasps " Oh my God -- Armageddon" and I am in hysterics. Charlie has one of those great Harvey Fierstein/Brenda Vaccaro voices that leaves an impression. I have to say how impressed I am with the way Bravo seamlessly advertises 2 of it's other series in just one episode as our Queen B Tabatha will soon be hosting her very own Bravo show (and that is something not to be missed).

After much drama (and that Daniel is such a drama queen), it's Charlie who wins (again) and horror of horrors! It's that cutie Parker sent home. He who can't color can't play this game it appears. Now if they could only do something with Meredith -- that hair color is just too much, and I can't imagine anyone going to her and even thinking of getting their hair done. Yikes!
My money is still on Charlie to go all the way and win the tiara.

Kathy continued with another great episode of her Life on the D List this week --I was loving the whole rant about being banned again from the View (it appears the Barbara Walters doesn't have a great sense of humor) and it was great to see her mom pulling for her and saying that she would no longer watch the View. Kathy meets up with her friend Rosie O Donnell for some crafting and in an interesting turn of events Kathy gets ordained on line and performs a Wedding ceremony.

Team Griffin has still not responded to my pleas and we are praying that Kathy has time for her gays in less than 2 weeks! The sucky thing is that we might miss the D List (we will catch it later) as our show is the same night... I wonder if this will be mentioned at some time in the show?

Celebrity Circus had a rough week with Christopher Knight dropping out due to his broken arm (Peter Brady did great on the show) and it looked like it saved Wee Man's ass for that week. I was not happy with the scoring system last week (Wee Man got a perfect score and Antonio and Stacy didn't?) and will be looking forward to the finale after next week. My final 3 are Antonio,Stacy and Rachel ( I thought her dog act was cute) but I expect to see Wee Man there instead of Rachel (popular vote). If Antonio isn't in the finale I will skip it -- the show is fun to watch but no eye candy makes it slightly less appealing, and besides, the guy has been doing some of the toughest acts, it's just too bad he couldn't get his Trapeze act together.

Shear Genius - Sheer Heaven!

Things zipped along quickly in the season premiere of the second season of Shear Genius. Me thinks that Bravo had too much fun with casting this round because there are so many wild characters.

Besides the sheer thrill of seeing Jaclyn Smith again ( yes there are lots of gay men who still have their crushes on some of these TV women), I couldn't get over the first quick cut challenge ... do your cut blindfolded with your model wearing safety glasses and a prayer. Yikes!

Charlie (as seen here), may not have won the first quick cut challenge or the "make me a cartoon star" challenge, but he quickly drew a line in the sand with his "I don't care if any of the other contestants like me, I am not here to make friends" remark. Gotta love a guy that is there to win, and he pushed the envelope even further by recreating Marge Simpson's hair ( "white trash, just like me" says Charlie) in a challenge that was intended to be inspired but not a literal translation of the character. All of the judges were fascinated with his work and he slid into the top 3 for this week.

Thankfully the ever so deep (and coated with 2 tons of sarcasm) Oshun (seriously, who names these people?) who kept going on and on about his Emmy nomination (which ballooned into 2 nominations later in the show) was chopped this week -- thank the gods for small miracles, but that chick with the bad colour job has got to go soon .. this is about hair right?

Mind you ... after seeing the preview for next week all I can say is OMG, Tabatha is back as guest judge and as bitchy as ever! I am very happy as she was one of my favorite contestants from season one. THEN they have the balls to show some of the stuff coming up this season and I almost wet my pants... OMG a Charlie's Angel Challenge? with Kate Jackson as guest Judge?? Can life get any better??? Yup it's official -- I am completely hooked again for this season.

Weekend Rant - Summer Series Bonanza

Summer is one of my favorite times of the year for Guilty Pleasures, there is no other time of the year that you will find tons of "filler" fluff that wouldn't make it to the airwaves in regular competitive market time.

It may not be a ratings bonanza, but Celebrity Circus is quickly becoming the show that I can hardly wait to see each week.... yes it is probably heavily influenced by the fact that the drop dead gorgeous Antonia Sabato Jr. is part of the equation, but I find the challenges astounding and really like how the "celebrities" are pushing themselves. As for the Judges ... it makes my evening with the whole " Night of a thousand accents" thing going on ( being from Montréal you have a certain ear and appreciation for franglais) -- our French Judge Aurelia makes the best comments about our performers that always seem to not make much sense and I love how Mitch is their "neutral -neutered Judge" and how Louis just gushes about the gutsy performances. That is some pretty dangerous stuff some of them are trying -- and my choice for the next elimination is the athletic but completely "non-graceful" Janet Evans ... I still don't see all the hype with Stacey Dash (who?), and Christopher Knight is still charming them after all these years. Rachel Hunter may have been a supermodel at some point in her life - but those legs and ass are looking pretty huge now and her last performance caught her in a few very unflattering positions that I would rather have sucked out of my consciousness. Thunder thighs may be on her way out soon as well.

Flipping Out started season 2 and Jeff is as much a whack job as last season, but has been hit on hard times with the real estate market crash and actually has to work for someone that is as fracked up as he is. He is so obsessive compulsive that he makes the most simple task a matter of life or death .. but is trying to control himself better. The situations and his supporting cast (love that Jenni) make it a hoot to watch and I always feel that I am not quite as fracked up after seeing how fracked up things are in his neck of the woods.

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List continued the latest season with a hilarious episode that talks all about "merch", her Grammy Award Winning CD and trips to visit Tom's hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, and then Tiffany's hometown of Tracy, California where they will record the Grammy Award Winning CD with a very gay record label. Another great episode with the team hawking t shirts to get new Blackberries and a bizarre visit to a shooting range. Kathy is the new Rodney Dangerfield getting no respect during her employee exploitation tour.

Her team still have not responded to my request to meet when Kathy drops by Montréal to host a gala at the Just For Laughs Festival. Hello Team Griffin ??? A couple of Kathy's gays would love to meet her and heck, I get 10's of viewers daily at my site too! We promise to buy T Shirts and will purchase the Grammy Award Winning CD. Please???? Pretty please??

Maybe I'll luck out -- in the mean time I can hardly wait to see next week when Kathy goes to Mardi Gras in Australia. If it is as much fun as her hosting the Gay Porn Awards it will be another classic evening.

This week: I can hardly wait until the new season of Shear Genius starts up on Wednesday. From the ads I have seen it will be a bloodbath and I can hardly wait. Doctor Who just had a killer episode that featured Donna & Rose and next week it looks like a huge event with guest stars of Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures popping up. It doesn't get much better than that.