Court TV Shows Reality?

My husband tolerates my love of reality shows, but he really shakes his head when he catches me watching tv judge shows. I've been watching "The People's Court" since the days of Judge Wapner. He was followed by Ed Koch and Jerry Shiendlin, but the current judge, Marilyn Milian, is my favorite. Not just of the judges on that show, but of all the tv judges I've watched.

I also watch "Judge Judy" regularly even though I usually find her abbrasive and prone to decide her view of a case before actually facing the parties in the case. Sometimes she listens and changes her mind. Sometime she's funny, so I keep watching.

Few court shows can change hands, since who else can play Judge Mills Lane, but Judge Lane? "Divorce Court" is one of those shows. I loved Judge Mablean Ephriam and hated it when she left the show, but Judge Lynn Toler has turned out to be fun to watch. It's another regular part of my day.

Judge Cristina Pérez of "Christina's Court" is another favorite. She has a heart and has never yelled at anyone in her courtroom. She has also had a few low level celebrities on her shows, and doesn't seem embarrassed to fawn over them, even if her judgement is fair in the end.

Sometimes I watch "Judge Mathis" or "Judge Joe Brown", but they each annoy me one way or another. The male judge I like best is Judge Alex E. Ferrer. His "Judge Alex" is a pleasant show often sprinkled with humor that doesn't belittle the people who appear before him.

I've probably watched every court show at least once. They seem real. Someone my husband works with was on "Judge Maria Lopez" so I watched a whole season of the show, but I could never warm up to the judge. How they get so many people to go on tv and humiliate themselves I will nver know, but sometimes the emotions are so strong that I have to think they are true.

Even if they aren't, it's way to spend my day feeling that there are people in the world who are more screwed up than I am.

When the Driving Gets Tough

I must have been hallucinating last week, because I could swear the promo said they would be lumberjacking this week. The map showingtheir route did show Seattle, but then they went on down to Salinas, CA. I was happy to get away from the cold weather, but I was surprised to see their job for the week. Monster trucking?

I'd always thought of such things as more hobbies the careers, but I suppose all that equipment does get very expensive. I've also never been a fan of daredevils, which is what the men and women who usually drive monster trucks must be. Our contestants last night, though, showed a lot of courage.

Though Ben was chosen as the best of the week, all three remaining women did well. It was all men who made the bottom 4. I was sure Eric would be going home this time, but he did pretty well in the final contest that decided who would be eliminated. Bryce is another who is frequently in the bottom group, but he really stepped it up this time, showing real guts. Or craziness. Chris barely squeaked past, but his one point better score resulted in Rick being sent home.

The show is really growing on me, and it's going to start being difficult to see contestants leave now that I feel I'm getting to know then. I'm still sure Eric's not making it to the end, but when he does leave, I'll probably feel sad about it.

What is Reality TV?

I started out trying to categorize all the different sorts of reality programs, but then I found myself trying to determine the definition of reality tv. Do game shows count? Are sporting events reality tv?

It got me off on a tangent, which included wondering what the first reality show was. Game shows have always been real in a way. Ordinary people, often with celebrity assistance. Once in a while, a contestant is so successful, he or she becomes a celebrity. Recently, we saw Ken Jennings rise to fame with his success on "Jeopardy". Back in 1969, on the original version of "Jeopardy", Jay Wolpert earned similar renown and went on to work in the game show business, including working on "The Price is Right" as a producer and creating "Double Dare".

Game shows have fostered romance, as well. Most famously, the meeting and marriage of Betty White and "Password" host Allen Ludden. And celebrity couples have exposed their relationships as early as the early 70s with "Tattletales".

What about makeover shows? Let's look back at "Queen for a Day" that ran for 8 years beginning in 1956. Well, it wasn't really a makeover program, but the guests told their stories and the audience voted on which of the contestant would win her wish. Usually, it was an appliance of some sort.

Starting back in the 50s, we had two shows that are grandparents of things like "Fear Factor" and "Dog Eat Dog". One was "Truth or Consequences", hosted for many years by Bob Barker" and "Beat the Clock".

Yes, I'm old enough to remember all these shows. There was also a show I really liked where professional athletes competed in various sporting events, but I can't for the life of me remember it. So, it isn't that reality shows are new. It's there there are so very many now. I can't keep up with them all, and probably wouldn't want to. What I realize, though, is that I have always been a fan of reality tv.

Can't Win 'Em All

This is the first chance I've had to really analyze a couple of shows. "Tabatha's Salon Takeover" and "Gone Country 2" don't really have much in common. They are reality shows on cable networks. Tabitha's show goes to a new salon each week trying to fix it and get it back on track. The CMT show could be called Celebrity something because it focuses on celebrities trying their hand at writing and singing a country song.

"Gone Country 2" is a competition. There's a prize for the winner. "Tabatha's Salon Takeover" doesn't really have a prize but the salon being featured each week gets a makeover. It's partly like "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" with a dash of "Nanny 911." It's not just the look of the place that needs to be fixed, but the relationships.

Usually Tabatha succeeds in making changes in the way the salon runs, not just on how it looks. This past week, she tried her best, but the changes in management style were temporary at best. It was obvious from the outset that the salon owner really didn't want to change the way things ran. She just wanted her salon updated. It's unfortunate, because Tabatha had inspired the stylists. I hope they all had the wisdom to find new employers.

Winning is sometimes a part of "Gone Country 2". This past week they had two challenges. One was to pair up and raise money for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lorenzo Lamas and Jermaine Jackson won this one. They were probably the most recognizable of the contestants. Chris Kirkpatrick and Mikalah Gordon worked very hard to raise money, and developed a little chemistry. Sean Young and Sebastian Bach made a half-hearted effort at best. The prize for this contest was a massage. Jermaine wasn't interested in getting a massage, but Lorenzo enjoyed his.

The second competition was a demolition derby. Everyone was terrified to have Sean get behind the wheel. They had stratagized to all try to get her out first, but she was bolder than all of them put together. Jermaine ended up being the last man driving, but Sean finished her off. If there was a prize, I'm not sure what it is, but wining gave Sean a big boost of confidence. Will it be enough to get her through the few remaining weeks?

Whatever Modeling Takes

I think this week's episode of "Ameica's Next Top Model" confused the girls a little. Benny Ninja came in to teach the girls how to do unusual poses. He brought with him a model who was also a contortionist and the girls saw some very extreme poses. From that, many seemed to get the idea that for the challenge, they needed to bring that sort of crazy positioning.

The challenge was to pose to show of the client's jewelry and handbags. At least half the girls tried to incorporate having a leg in the air into their shot. Some with handbags dangling fro their bare feet. Others found some really strange positions. Sheena, proud of her flexibility displayed more originality the many of the girls, but she ended up having the handbag right in front of her crotch which did not go over well.

I'm a little disturbed this time by the mean-spiritedness of a couple of the models. Several have been unkind to Isis and another was accused last week of racism. On the other hand, some of the girls have been really supportive of Isis. One was even kind enough to talk to her while she gave herself and injection, to distract her.

The week's big photo shoot involved climbing a ladder to a hot air balloon. I don't know if they ever really intended to have the girls actually go up to the balloon. The girls were told that because of the wind they would climb a ladder and the balloon would be put in later. The girls overcame any fears they had and did a good job. I thought all of the pictures were pretty good. The two girls who ended up on the bottom probably did so more for their appearance before the judges that for their photo shoot.

Isis came in not looking like a model. She had on very casual, sloppy clothes and I don't think her hair looked that good, either. Nikeysha had too issues. One was that she was too thin, but the real flaw that sent her home was her poor attitude towards critques.

I think these girls are starting to learn that modeling isn't just about looking pretty in front of a camera. Next week, the ever popular makeover episode. This is when we really find out who is committed to doing whatever it takes to be a model.

Down to Ten

Last night, we learned the top ten "America's Got Talent" contestants.

The Wright Kids, Queen Emily, Neal E. Boyd, Paul Salos and Jessica Price came from Tuesday night's competition. From Wednesday's came Kaitlyn Maher, Donald Braswell, Nuttin But Stingz, Eli Matson and Joseph Hall. I suppose that the judges were right choosing Hall over baton master, Jonathan Burkin, because he might not be able to provide enough variety for an hour and a half show. However, does Las Vegas really need another Elvis impersonator?

Almost all the acts are singers. Does that give Nuttin But Stringz an edge? They are very engaging and unique, so I wouldn't mind that at all. I did like Kaitlyn's performance this week, but I still think she and the Wright Kids are too young for Vegas.

Cutting the group down to five next week is going to be brutal. Last night, they had Queen Emily and Neal out on stage together. They have been bringing contestants out in pairs all through the show, announcing who was staying and who was going. Even the judges were shocked at the idea that one of the two frontrunners were going to go home. Surprise! They were both staying. Just shows how difficult it will be next time.

Double Down

Usually, on Bravo's current dynamic duo, "Project Runway" and "Top Design", only one competitor is sent home. Last night, both programs eliminated two people. Just learning that two would be going sent the contestants into shock. It was just so unexpected.

That wasn't the only surprise for the fashion designers on "Project Runway". Their challenge this week was to make an avant garde outfit inspired by a zodiac sign. It was actually an interesting project, but the surprise twist was that the eight eliminated designers were brought back to team with the remaining competitors. They chose between the two zodiac signs of the team members then began brain-storming ways to represent that sign in their designs.

Jerell, who was teamed with Jennifer, won. They created a delightfully unique outfit to represent Sagittarius. A further twist was that contestants from previous seasons were the judges for this challenge. I liked almost all of the outfits, but Blayne's was horrid. His being sent home was no surprise. In fact, I was surprised he'd made it this long. It was a stunner when Terri was also sent home. I had liked her and her work. I like Kenley, too, but I felt like her creation was much more hideous than Terri's. Joe's dress was beautiful, but it was a tango dress. That didn't seem as avant garde to me as some of the others.

All in all, it was a fun double reunion. The former "Project Runway" designers are keeping busy with reality tv. Several of them will be on a future episode of "Top Design", next week's, I believe. They should make interesting clients for the interior designers.

The ones that are left, at least. Teamwork was a factor "Top Design", as well. The designers were paired up and charged with decorating fallout shelters. What an intriguing challenge! I was amazed by what many of them accomplished. Though Eddie and Andrea won, several of the teams did fantastic jobs.

The bottom two teams deserved to be there. In both cases, they divided the bunker up. Ondine and Preston took a male/female approach, each putting together and area that suited how they would want to spend their time if they lived in the bomb shelter. Ondine was planning to write a novel. Jennifer and Robert couldn't agree on anything, so they just divided the room up. There was no cohesiveness in the design and their inability to work together was a big factor in them being the ones sent home.

I look forward to seeing the two shows collide next week. Bravo has some great shows. I'm going to hate it when "Project Runway" move to another network next year.

America Does Have Some Talent

Time for "America's Got Talent" again. I guess I'm hooked, because I do keep watching.
Watching the first of the final 20 perform, I had a couple of thoughts. We are now to the point where the majority of the acts really are talented. But, I have to say that there are a lot of people in the country who are more talented. I suppose they just didn't audition for the show.

I'm fairly happy with who was sent on after the last of the 40 performed, but I still think the 4-year-old shouldn't be going on. Can she carry a whole show? In Las Vegas? She's gotten some great exposure and I am sure she'll get all sorts of offers that will fit her talent better. Commercials, for example.

The judges said something similar about The Wright Kids. However, I thought they did well last night and they are growing on me. I still don't think kids and Las Vegas go well together, but they have a chance of being able to put on a whole show.

Being able to do a whole show is becoming more important to the judges now that we are seeing the best of the best. From last night, I'm hoping the ZOOperstars will not come back. I don't think Jessica Price or Daniel Jens are quite good enough to go on. I'd like to see Queen Emily, Paul Salos and Neal E. Boyd move on to the next round. The others I can see going either way.

Tonight we'll find out who goes on and who goes home from that group. We'll also be seeing the remaining half of the top 20. I don't know if there is anyone appearing tonight that I am really looking forward to seeing. I'll just have to wait and see.

America's Toughest Judges?

While I was watching last night's episode of "America's Toughest Jobs, I realized something that hadn't struck me before. On shows that have judges, most of the judges are there for the whole season. On shows like "Top Design", "America's Next Top Model" and "Project Runway", there is usually one guest judge, but the others are there for each episode. It gives a good mix of looking at just the one project being judged to having an idea of how the participants have been performing all along.

"America's Toughest Jobs" goes against that method. There are different judges each week. They are the 'bosses' that oversee the various jobs the contestants tackle. This creates an interesting dynamic in which a previously successful competitor can find themself headed home for one bad performance. That's what happened last night.

This week's job was mining for gold in Alaska. These people must be sick of the cold now. This job required spending time standing in frigid water. It was hard and heavy work. One thing that has surrised me, and happily so, is how often the women come out on top. Sandy was singled out as the best last night.

After working a 24-hour shift, the four contestants found to be the poorest were sent to pan individually. Steven, Phil, Bryce and Ben were selected as the bottom four. The surprise here was that Phil was top last week as a truck driver. Another surprise for me was that Eric was not in the bottom four. I'm amazed he's still around. Anyway, the four in jeopardy of being sent home spent the night trying to find gold. The person who found the least, judged by weight, would go home.

Sadly, it was Phil who came in last. It's a shame to see him go, but I think this has shown everyone that they have to push hard every time. There's no riding of previous successes.
Next week, they'll be logging in Washington. Hopefully, it we be a bit warmer. I'm looking forward to seeig how the women do. They sure are proving that there really aren't many, if any, 'men's jobs'.

Tyra, Tyra, Tyra

I like this time of year. Not only do I get to watch "America's Next Top Model" latest cycle, I have the chance to see former contestants on Tyra Banks' talk show. This week, I've noticed both Fatima from last season and contestant Toccara from several cycles ago on different episodes of "The Tyra Banks Show". I admit, I tend to watch the show most often when there is a link to the modeling show. I always want to know what happened to the contestants from previous seasons.

Sadly, it seems that the same past contestants guest over and over, while others I'd really like to catch up with haven't appeared at all. I'd really love to see an interview with Elyse, for example. I know there are lots of factors involved in scheduling guests for a show. Most likely availability is the main obstacle in getting guests onto the show. Elyse, since I've already mentioned her, seems to keep very busy modeling in Asia. I can keep up pretty well with her by following her blog, but that's not the same as getting to see and hear her on television.

Sometimes I wonder if there might be other issues that prevent some models from appearing. Is it possible that they aren't invited at all? There are some who left the show under less than pleasant circumstances. Some have left ANTM with Tyra angry at them, or vice versa. Others have turned on Tyra. First cycle winner, Adrianne Curry, said some very harsh things early on. When she saw following cycles offering better prizes, she didn't take it well. Adrianne has never seemed like a tactful person. She's taken a lot of it back, but she might be considered a loose cannon. This, of course, is all just speculation on my part.

There is a lot about Tyra Banks that I admire. She's carved a niche for herself that I think will rival Oprah's. Her company, Bankable Productios, has several projects under development. What I like most about her is that she has a special concern for young women and I love the way she empowers them through both her shows and through her camps. It's important for girls to know they can do and be whatever they dream.

Back to past contestants on "America's Next Top Model". I noticed there's a feature during one of the breaks where they catch up with a former contestant. It's called "Top Models in Action" and is sponsored by CoverGirl. I don't know if they've stopped doing their "My Life as a Covergirl", but I like this new feature better. The first model featured was Toccara. I'm looking forward, then, to seeing former contestants on both shows now.

One Down, One Up

I'm still recovering from Friday night on CMT. As much as I hate to give up on things, I just can't watch "Outsiders Inn" any longer. If they had made it an actual sitcom with well-scripted humor I might have liked it. Instead, it hovered somewhere between real and entertaining, ending up being neither.

On the other hand I really liked "Gone Country 2". It's nice to see a program where contestants aren't eliminated. I suppose "Celebrity Fit Club" is that way, too. In both cases, there seem to be drop outs, though, like Irene Cara this season of the country music boot camp.

While I didn't see a whole lot of point in sending the singer/songwriter celebrities to a farm to learn roping and pig wrestling, the segment was tolerable. What I really liked was them having to judge an amateur night talent contest using the same criteria by which they will be judged. It's the sort of thing we urged trainers to do when I was writing curriculum at work.

I'm looking forward to seeing the celebrities perform more and to having them work on their own songs. One of the most interesting things last season was seeing the things that people sang about that were drawn from their own lives. I thought Maureen McCormick's song was particularly touching. Which is part of why I am so disappointed with "Outsiders Inn".

Hair Today, Product Tomorrow

"Tabatha's Salon Takeover" is growing on me. I'm starting to actually like the woman. This latest episode showed she can be patient. The salon owner was so arrogant and immature that I couldn't imagine she would be able to change him. At the outset, he seemed to think of her and the show as a way to fix up his salon. It was definitely in need of a refurbishing. They didn't even have enough work stations for all the stylists.

The place was filthy, too. I'm surprised they got any return customers. The owner seemed to keep them by being flirtatious more than by providing a good work and business environment. As usual, Tabatha turned things around. She even helped him stop spending more than he had. His self-indulgence had not been overlooked by his employees and he was more a friend than a boss. This all led to them having little respect for him.

By the time she left, she had the salon shipshape, the stylishists enthused about their jobs and the owner ready to actively manage. She had identified the employees who should take leadership roles in the salon. By the time she left, they were all happy campers.

Of course, these are all pretty much what we've seen in every episode. The one new thing that really stood out to me was the focus on selling product. I've always had stylists suggest different shampoos and such for me. Once in a while, I've gone home with the product that had been recommended. I never realized that selling hair care products is a lucrative part of a salon's income. Perhaps this was too big a revelation, especially when they showed the techniques used to sell a customer on a product.

I wonder what revelations the next episode will have?

Beginning and End

Finally got a chance to see all of Wednesday's "America's Next Top Model" season premiere. This is where you get to see the audition process and how they get down to 14 models. In the last couple of cycles, they've had a sort of academy theme with the Js as teachers. This year, they had a futuristic idea where everything was technological. I liked the way they revealed who was going on by having each girl get the data from a computer.

So, in the second hour the final 14 moved into their digs in LA and had their first photo shoot. It had an elections theme as Tyra continues to keep the show relevant. In the past, they've done 'green' and anti-smoking shoots.

It's a little early to have all the contestants sorted, but there are a few types we're seeing again. The girl with the different sexual orientation in the footsteps of Ebony and Kim, and the offbeat girl like Lauren and Jael. There's the bitchy one who talks about everyone behind their backs, similar to Camille and Cassandra, and the athlete, following in Anne and Michelle's footsteps.

They interviewed a smart girl, like Elyse and Victoria, and a plus-size candidate like last year's winner, Whitney and Tocarra, one of the most successful non-winners. I'm not sure if those girls made it into the house though. I'm still trying to figure out who everyone is.

I won't really get a chance to know Sharaun, since she was the first to go home. I think the worst eliminations for the models are being the first one out, or the first one sent home from the foreign location. I hope Sharaun keeps working on modeling. There's a lot of proof now that girls don't need to be winners to have successful modeling careers.

Ending their shorter run last night was "Reality Bites Back". The final show spoof was titled "American Surv-idol-ers Kitchen". I suppose the kitchen part came in when they had to build huts with pitas and hummus. Three reality show veterans served as judges of the hut building and also joined all the eliminated contestants in voting for the person who would win the show. Theo Von was triumphant. Thank goodness the show is done!

The new thing this year is a girl who was born a boy. If you consider transgenderism as an illness or birth defect, then I suppose Isis fits in the 'girl with an illness' category that has included Mercedes and Heather in the past. I am very happy to see there are at least a couple of girls in the house that are supportive of and friendly to Isis.

They're The Tops

"Top" appears in the names of many reality shows and being the best is the goal of just about any sort of competition series. Last night I got a good dose of that. "America'a Next Top Model" had its season opener, as did "Top Design". "America's Got Talent" presented the last ten of its 40 semi-finalists. "Project Runway" continued giving the fashion designers the chance to prove themselves the best.

"America's Next Top Model" is probably my top reality show. I didn't have a chance to watch the whole two hours, so I'll review it another time. I'm just so excited that it's back! I'm eager to see if they once again have the various types that seem to have become the recipe for the show.

"America's Got Talent" was also two hours, split by the convention. I didn't get excited about any of the performers. Perhaps that is because I was so upset that the judges sent Michael Strelo-Smith home. Hopefully, I'll have stopped pouting by next week. Right now, I'm not sure I even care who wins.

"Top Design" had a new twist this year, or at least I don't recall it from last season. It's called 'pop design' and involves a short challenge that earns immunity. Last night, in the middle of being teams designing apartments to the tastes of the show's judges, the designers each had to make shadow boxes. Surprisingly, four of them got immunity. That made it scary for the remaining nine contestants.

One of the teams had a few disasters, the worst being an overflowing sink that got most of their fabrics wet. One of the members of that team ended up being sent home. I think it was more that he hadn't contributed much to the team than it was that he did a poor job.

"Project Runway" is getting to the point where most of the designs are good. Leanne won again and I think she really deserved it. The bottom two were Joe and Stella. I think it was time for Stella to go. She seemed constantly to be down, mood-wise, and her fashion vision was pretty narrow. Her passion for leather did create some interesting outfits, but I never saw her as someone who could come out on top.

Not So Much Talent?

Tuned in last night for "America's Got Talent" and was a little disappointed. I don't know if there were 5 acts I want to see go on. The baton guy is probably one of them. The opera singer who can sing both male and female parts totally blew it by singing a pop song in a very high-pitched operatic voice.

I was fairly happy with the results from last Wednesday's vote, except I can't understand why the judges decided to move along the crazy guys in the costumes, ZOOperstars. Last week, none of the judges seemed to like them all that well. At least these folks are all getting some exposure and hopefully, it will lead to some sort of work in the future.

My votes went to the singing music teacher. I couldn't understand why the judges were so harsh with him. He was better than the singing family, but I am pretty sure they'll move on, as did the Wright Kids from last Wednesday's show. I can't think of any other acts that I liked and most of the time I agreed with the judges.

I've also had a chance to catch up with the first season of "I Wanna Be A Soap Star". It's airing in the middle of the night on Soapnet, so I'm grateful to have a DVR. I don't know if they are going to do a fifth season of the show, but I find it fairly enjoyable. One thing they do at the end is give a little update on the eliminated actor.

I think the show has only produced one really successful winner, but it has a few good things going for it. I like it enough that I scan the Soapnet schedule regularly to see if it is coming up. I stopped watching soap operas a long time ago, so I wouldn't be apt to see ads for the show.

Both shows are about people striving to break into entertainment. "America's Got Talent" is focused on finding Las Vegas acts. There is a lot more diversity in Las Vegas shows, so I suppose it makes sense that we're seeing all sorts of strange types of performances. It's nice to see how innovative people can be.

Tough Isn't Enough

Watching "America's Toughest Jobs" makes me want to wear a sweater! They've been working in cold places, which to me is as rough as the jobs they are tackling. Last week they were catching crabs in the Bering Sea and last night they were trucking on icy roads in Alaska. Next week, it'll be mining gold in Alaska. I hope they go to a warmer climate soon.

I've seen numerous commecials for "Ice Road Truckers" and finally decided to watch an episode last week. After about five minutes, I had to turn the channel. It was just too intense for me. Maybe I'm too empathetic, but it terrified me. I hadn't realized at the time that "America's Toughest Jobs" was going to feature a similar challenge this week.

I'm impressed that the contestants even learned to drive big rigs, let alone on ice. Again, most of the women did really well. It was a man who was chosen best driver, though. Men were among the worst, too. The four bottom people had to compete in a race, of sorts. It involved backing the truck and unhitching the trailer. Chris had a crappy attitude during the drive and he did very poorly in the race. He should have gone home.

The only reason he didn't was that Amy, who had backed perfectly, couldn't get the rig unhitched. She ended up being the one eliminated. I don't feel too badly about it because she was bound to leave soon. Last week, she came close to being sent home for her poor performance as a crab fisher. I'm guessing Chris or Eric will be next to go home. There are 11 contestants left, and I think only 3 are women. I'd love to see Michaela or Sandy win, but the odds aren't in their favor.

Whether a woman wins or not, we can see on the show that women can tackle and succeed at tough jobs. I probably wouldn't want my daughter to take on jobs as dangerous as those on the show, but I'm encouraged that they are at least being given chances to take on hard tasks. Maybe one day we'll even have a woman president!

Reality Bites Again

I almost forgot to watch "Reality Bites Back" this week. Too much reality, I guess. However, Comedy Central had a marathon today, so I got to catch the most recent episode. It turns out there is one more after this one. I'll try to remember to watch it on Thursday.

This latest installment was called "The Amazing Disgrace" and featured a race through LA. I actually enjoyed this episode. There wasn't anything too disgusting and some of it was actually amusing. Doing charades of porn movie titles, for example. There was also a bit about one team member being locked in a toilet and the other having to do math problems to get the combination required to let him out.

Mo was teamed with his brother, Amy with her sister and Theo partnered with a friend. Theor and friend came in first. The brothers did not do well and came in last place. There was a silly "Deal or No Deal" moment where the two last teams, Amy's and Mo's, had to pick a case to decide who would stay. In the end, it was Amy who earned the other spot for the final episode.

It looks like the final episode will be a "Survivor" send-up and that all the contestants are coming back. Probably to vote for who wins. At this point, I'm starting to think the whole thing is fixed and scripted. Isn't it interesting that the two most attractive contestants are left? I can't complain. Amy has been my favorite all along, more because she was the only one I'd seen before than her cuteness.

One more week to go. I don't feel the suspense I do at the end of "Survivor". I really don't care who wins this comedy show while I always have a favorite on "Survivor". Still, I'm interested enough to tune in for the "Reality Bites Back" finale.

Strong, Terrifying Women

I don't get Oxygen, but "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" aired on Bravo this past week, so I decided to give it a look. I can't decide whether I like Janice or not. She's been hard, brash, cutting and crazy, but I've also seen her vulnerable, hurt and caring. One thing sure is that she is a very complex woman. Like many people, probably, I first became aware of her when she was a judge on the first few seasons of "America's Next Top Model". You never knew what she was going to say or do, which may be a big part of her popularity.

Her appearance on "The Surreal Life" was heart-wrenching. I think she and Omarosa were expected to create some entertaining catfights, but Omarosa was just hurtful and many things happened that made Janice reveal some very hurtful things in her past. Her love for her children was also made quite clear. I don't think that living in a house full of other strong personalities was good for her.

Which makes me wonder why, on the season of the show that I saw last week, she had herself and several models moving in together. I thought watching a casting call was interesting, though I can't imagine that clients would usually put of with so much yelling from an agent. Yes, she was yelling at the models, but was it really necessary? Plus she came up with a couple of inappropriate, in my opinion, comments. These revolved around her wanting to point out or fake latino lineage for her models since the client was latina. Still, I wish her well. If the show is in its 4th season, then she must be doing something right.

I also watched the second episode of "Tabatha's Salon Takeover". I have to admit that the woman has far more patience than I ever imagined. In her place, I think I would have told the owner where he could put his shop and walk out. He knew he was losing money, the salon was demonstrably filthy and his staff was obviously unhappy. He somehow saw none of that and just made excuses.

Perhaps Tabatha stuck with it because after testing the stylists she found they were all skilled and deserved a decent place to work. She managed to get the salon cleaned up and redecorated, which lifted everyone's spirits. While I don't think she made a long-lasting change in the owner, she did empower the stylists. Hopefully, they will make him be accountable as manager of the salon or go off and find better places to work.

From the previews, next week's salon manager looks like quite a piece of work. Licking clients? Ugh! Hopefully, she'll set him straight. I'll be there to watch.

Gone Crazy

Many, many years ago I was visting some people who lived in the mountains. We were quietly watching tv, but when "Green Acres" came on, they quickly turned the channel. They felt it made fun of people like that. Living in Idaho, I've been the victim of people having preconceived and unflattering ideas about. So, I have to ask myself what sort of audience "Outsider Inn" has. It seems like it gets more degrading each week.

Last night we had a honeymoon couple with strange wishes, including a rather disgusting menu for breakfast in bed. Then there was a convention on breeding farm animals, but it was made to seem early on, because of its strange title, that it was some sort of beastiality gathering. Our 'outsiders', Carnie, Maureen and Bobby, really don't come off much better. We got to watch Maureen and Carnie in a bath tub of lime Jello last night. That may have been the easiest scene to take.

In contrast, "Gone Country 2" was pretty good last night. As expected, Irene Cara is just gone. Sean Young apologized for her drunken crazies from the last episode and the others agreed to help her. She really doesn't seem like a threat to win the whole thing. The remaining five contestants are all giving it a good shot.

We got to hear them all sing at a prison. They were all good, although Lorenzo Lamas started in the wrong key. Mikalah Gordon got a lot of applause from the audience, but she was a pretty girl, so even if she hadn't sung well, they'd have liked her. The final song was sung by Chris Kirkpatrick. He'd ended up having to sing Patsy Cline's "Crazy" and was terrified he'd be laughed off the stage, if not worse.

He's really a good singer and the prisoners loved his performance. More and more he's the one I'm hoping will win. I really like his voice. I guess you could say I'm crazy for him.

America's Got More Talent

I finally caught up with viewing "America's Got Talent" today. Now I see that they are eliminating half of each ten contestants. I was pretty content with the results of the first night's votes. The acts I really thought should be eliminated were. I've got to start learning names of the different contestants and groups.

Last night brought the usual mix of strange and wonderful acts. I have to say that as sweet as the Wright Kids are, it felt more like they were in an elementary school talent show. They sing well, but are far from perfect. I remember the Osmands when they were young. Seems to me their singing was a bit better. The guy who became a human pinata was a just plain strange. I sort of liked the Slippery Ladies, or whatever the vaudeville group was called, but I have to agree with Piers that the tattoos are off-putting. Queen Emily is good. She's got to go on!

One thing that troubles me about the show is the 'tugging at the heart strings' factor. Whether it's the cute little 4-year-old girl, who hasn't performed yet, or the devoted mother who is finally getting her chance, or a young soldier who tugs on our patriotism, I have to wonder how much those things are pulling votes from people with more talent.

I also liked the man who channels Frank Sinatra. I hope he'll go on to the final twenty. I can't quite remember the other acts which might not be a good thing. When you only have one chance, you want to make a good impression.

The next show will be Tuesday. We'll find out who from Wednesday night is going on and then see ten more acts. I think it's interesting that the judges make the final decision on who will proceed from the acts that are voted fifth and sixth. I think that is good, but it has to be hard to do that in front of a huge live audience. I suppose the "Can You Duet" judges faced the same predicament. Judges on shows like "Project Runway" and "America's Next Top Model" have it easy. They don't get booed. Or as least they can't hear the boos coming from peoples' livingrooms.

On the Job(s)

Last night, I was able to finally watch "America's Toughest Jobs". It was an interesting contrast to "Project Runway" and "Shear Genius". They are all competition shows that deal with types of work, but the two Bravo shows take creativity while the latter is mostly muscle and endurance. The shows were also at different stages. It was the "Shear Genius" finale, the "America's Toughest Jobs" debut and the middle of the competion on "Project Runway".

I've been watching the stylists go at it since the beginning of "Shear Genius" and two of my favorites were in the final three. Their challenge was to each create hairstyles for four women depicting stages in a character's life. They also created a little story for their woman. The women were aged 18, 30, 45 and 60. Dee, who I've been pulling for since early on won. Nicole seemed delighted to have gotten so far in the show since she had the least experience. Charlie was a good sport about it. Seemed to me that he already had a great career.

I'm starting to know the fashion designers on "Project Runway" and to develop favorites. There are several, Leanne, Korto and Terri. Stella is fun to watch, but she seems to be faltering. Her leather orientation may limit her scope as a designer. I probably should like Kenley, since she is so stylish herself in a Betty Page sort of way. She just has an annoying laugh and tends to meddle too much in the designs of others. Plus, she sort of reminds me of my son's ex-girlfriend. That's certainly not her fault. I'm surprised that I haven't become a fan of any of the men. It's not a sexist thing. Chris was my favorite last year and Nick another on an earlier season.

The challenge last night was kind of weird. I've never really understood tearing things up to turn them into clothing. The time they designers had to make clothes from anything they could find in their apartment was outrageous. Last night, making clothes from automobile materials was almost as bad, although I think they were provided with a lot of the things, rather than having to tear them out of the cars. Seatbelts became a popular item and were used to create everything from a stylist coat that almost won to a poorly-molded dress and a poorly-made skirt. Keith, who has been skating on thin ice for a while ended up going home. I was delighted to see Leanne's remarkable dress win.

It's too early to know who I like on "America's Toughest Jobs", but I did find the show more interesting than I'd anticipated. They worked on crab-fishing ships in the icy northern ocean. It was physically challenging work. The 11 contestants were split into two groups, each going on a separate boat. It was up to the captains to decide who did best and who the worst two were on each boat. The bottom 4 then had to go out to sea again, together, to try to prove themselves. The one who did the worst job was sent home.

The best chosen were two women. That was a surprise! The worst four were mixed, two men and two women. I think the oldest man and woman of the contestants were in the group. They had made many mistakes on the first round. The younger man had held back when they were working in larger teams. On the second go round, he did a great job. The younger woman spent the whole second outing saying she couldn't do whatever she was trying to do, or asking for help. She ended up being the one sent home. Hopefully, by next week I'll know some names.

American Talent

The Olympics are over and "America's Got Talent" is back. Of course, it's got to make room for the Democratic convention. I liked Hillary's speech last night. She's an American with talents and I hope she has opportunities to continue to use them.

But, let me get to the show. First, I have to admit that I'm not a fan of dancing. In older movie musicals there were always extended dance sequences and I always hated them. So, several of last night's performances were yawners to me because they were dancing. The girl who did stunts was cute, but it just doesn't seem like something to be performed on a stage. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to learn any of the names of the contestants. I think the guy who sang and danced should be the first one to be eliminated. I guess I'll find out tonight who will be leaving the competition.

I liked the two singers from the second hour. I hope they continue. Since I've never watched the show before, I'm not sure how many will be eliminated tonight. If they have 40 acts to pare down, I'm assuming it will be a matter of only a few being sent through from each night in this first round. I've got to start learning names!

Life Before Reality

I was all set to watch "Deal or No Deal" and "America's Toughest Jobs" last night, not to mention the convention coverage when real life interrupted. I actually got to the last few minutes of "Deal or No Deal". The contest was down to two cases. One held a million dollars. The other had five thousand. I was practically holding my breath. Would this be the first million dollar winner?

At just that moment, the local news cut in with coverage of a major fire in Boise. It was of particular interest to use because the house we sold last year was in that neighborhood. For the next three hours we watched the fire coverage. Any thought of million dollar winners or tough jobs was gone as we watched houses burn to the ground. In all, ten houses were destroyed and another nine were damaged. One life was lost.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who'd been watching "Deal or No Deal". Enough people called the station wondering what she had won for them to finally announce it during the newscast. Both shows rerun on CNBC, so I hope I will be able to watch them later this week. Last night's "America's Toughest Jobs" appears to be available to watch on NBC's website. I'll try to watch it there later, but I think I would prefer to watch it on TV.

Still, in the presence of so much loss and suffering, missing a couple of tv shows doesn't matter. Life always trumps television.

Anticipation

New seasons are starting and I am really looking forward to several shows.

"America's Next Top Model" is one of my favorites. It's starting next week. I don't know when "Survivor" and "Amazing Race" will be on again, but I look forward to those as well. Others I long to see come again are "Can You Duet" and "Top Chef". My other big favorite, "Project Runway" is still running. I'm not looking forward to it changing coasts and networks, though.

There are many other shows I will watch, but don't have such a strong yearning for. Those include "My Fair Brady", "The Surreal Life", "Last Comic Standing", "I Wanna Be A Soap Star" and "The Apprentice". I don't know if any of those are even scheduled for next year.

Currently, I'm ready for "America's Got Talent" to resume. I'm also following "Gone Country 2" and "Outsider Inn". I'll also happily watch other shows that pop up. In the past there were ones like "You're The One We Want" and "I Know My Kid's A Star". Oh, and "Who Wants to Be a Superhero". So, okay, I'll watch anything.

Terror in the Salon

I had not planned to watch "Tabatha's Salon Takeover". She might have been fan favorite on the first season of "Shear Genius", but I didn't particularly like her. Her haughtiness rubs me the wrong way. I suppose I expected it to be like "Hell's Kitchen", nasty and negative. Just because I had the tv on Bravo and was too involved in a project to change the channel, I ended up watching most of the first episode.

Admittedly, I think I like it. I say think because I missed the last 15 minutes, so I don't know how it turned out. In a way, it reminded me of "Nanny 911", with the accented professional coming in to save the day. The nannies are probably a bit nicer, but she came across slightly nicer than she did on "Shear Genius",

As I watched her step in to help a floundering salon, I felt like she actually cared about helping both the owners and the stylists. I don't know how it turned out, but I'll find out tonight when it reruns. The odds look good that it will end up on my regular viewing schedule. In the meantime, I'll be watching this season's "Shear Genius" finale. I'm rooting for Nicole.

Reality or Sitcom?

I was thinking that 30 minutes just wasn't long enough for a reality tv show of the competition variety, so I was disappointed to see that last night's episode was only going to last half an hour. However, after seeing Sean Young on a drunken rampage, I decided it was a mercy. Her all night rambling reminded me a lot of Chyna Doll's behavior on "The Surreal Life", except that Chyna was more likeable. She didn't try to force herself on anyone.

If someone was going to leave the show early, I'd vote for Sean. However, last night it was Irene Cara who got driven away. I'm not sure if she'll be back or not. She isn't in a lot of the show's promotional materials. It's a shame, too, because I'd like to see what she would come up with. However, she never really seemed to understand what the show was about. She must not have watched must reality television.

Anyway, she hasn't gotten into the swing of things at all. She arrived late in last week's episode and then last night she opted out of going to dinner with the others. Sure, it involved hiking into the woods through a marshy area, but some good bonding occurred. The cast might have bonded even better if Sean hadn't been so outrageously boisterous. Hopefully, she'll get her act together or hit the road.

"Outsiders Inn" followed and though it claims to be a reality show, I feel it is more a sitcom. A really pathetic one. I thought having to hear burps and about passing gas was bad, but things hit a new low for me when hemorrhoids took center stage. It could have been fun, with Ross Mathews, who gained fame as Jay Leno's intern, as the guest of the week. To one extent, it was a reunion of "Celebrity Fit Club" alumni. Ross and Maureen were in the same season. Carnie was on the year before them. Ross has kept the weight off and looks great.

The main portion of the show was a talent contest featuring local perfomers. Bobby Brown, Carnie Wilson and Maureen McCormick served as judges mimicking the "American Idol" judges. It could have been fun, but the whole thing ended up being the groundwork for the humorous twist at the end. That was a pun I didn't intend.

I have to believe this stuff is scripted, because I can't believe that real people would let themselves be filmed selling outlawed liquor or behaving inappropriately with a patient. I'll keep watching, but I sure hope it gets better.

Reality Does Bite

"Shear Genius" isn't the only show having its finale next week. Of the shows I watch, "Reality Bites Back" is also down to its final three. Once again, I got the feeling that the eliminee didn't mind having to leave that crazy show.

Last night's spoof was "Hunting with the Stars". The four remaining contestants were teamed up with celebrities. There were Chyna Doll who apparently never says no to an offer, Leif Garrett who may not be able to turn down any offer and Kato Kaelin who seems to be willing to do anything to get on camera. The one unexpected celebrity was Susan Olsen, previously a Brady girl. While she's done a few Brady-related things, like "Weakest Link" and "Family Feud" the only reality show I'd seen her on was as a guest at the "My Fair Brady" wedding. Maybe that experience made her willing to take the plunge. Or perhaps it was Maureen McCormick's success on "Celebrity Fit Club" and "Gone Country".

Barry Williams and Mike Lookinland were also at the wedding, though Mike hasn't gotten into reality tv, the closest game shows like "Weakest Link". Barry has popped up in all sorts of things such as "Celebrity Boxing" and "Fear Factor", including brief appearances on "Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab" and "The Surreal Life". Even Mama Brady, Florence Henderson has been on "My Fair Brady" and "The Surreal Life". Eve Plumb has stayed out of the limelight, although she was one of the 'strangers' on "Identity". That is sort of sad in itself.

Back to "Hunting With The Stars". Amy Schumer was teamed with Leif Garrett, Mo Mandel with Susan Olsen, Theo Von with Kato Kaelin and Chris Fairbanks with Chyna Doll. Let's just say that amazonian Chyna made for an easy target and Chris was a crummy shot. The combination resulted in Chris being the one to say goodbye at the end of the episode.

Next week, "The Amazing Disgrace". While it parodies as certain race show, the name probably describes the feelings most of the participants about being on the show.

In Fashion or Out

Finally, some reality shows I like to give me a break from the Olympics. I did enjoy a lot of the competitions, though I think the camera was on Phelps too much during the medal ceremony for the last relay. Sure, he had won his 8th medal, but the was plenty of time to celebrate that. The award ceremony was for all of them and the whole relay team should have been shown during the national anthem.

Now that's out of my system, I can focus on Bravo's "Project Runway" and "Shear Design" episodes from last night. Both dealt with style, since the main challenge for the hair stylists involved hairstyles for a photo shoot. First, though, they had to get through the short cut challenge. I liked this one a lot. Each stylist had a set of identical twins to give new looks. Each was to be unique, based on her personality.

Being a fan of "Can You Duet" contestants, Kate and Kacey Coppola, I can see the importance of twins each having her own look. The Coppola's mother never dressed them alike and they have clearly developed their own distinct personalities. The stylists last night had to dig out the differences in personalities for their clients. Most did a good job of it, though Daniel did a little too much talking.

Nicole gave her clients distinctively different looks, both in styles and in color. She ended up winning the short cut which meant she would be going to the finale. One of the others, Dee, Charlie or Daniel was going to be cut. I've been a Dee fan up till now, but I've enjoyed the personalities of Nicole and Daniel. I won't be surprised if Charlie wins in the end. He had won more challenges than anyone else. He's a little too smug and catty for my taste, though.

Each of the stylists had a different challenge in the episode's main competition. Each had a different season to depict with an avant-garde style. Two of the shots would involve movement, on moisture, and in Nicole's the model would be laying on the ground in fake snow. In the end, they all performed well, but each had their shortcomings, as well. Nicole had immunity, but I think she would have stayed anyway. Charlie, of course, won. Daniel ended up being sent home, but it was a hard choice between him and Dee. Next week, we'll find out who the winner is.

On "Project Runway", Chris from last season came back to present the episode's challenge. Design a costume for a drag queen. Now, I know and admire a lot of female impersonators, but I have never quite understood drag queens. The costumes were so over the top, and yet I enjoyed seeing what all the designers came up with. The top three designers were Joe, who did a glittery tight catsuit, Korto whose red cocktail dress had flames jetting up from the shoulder and Terri whose kimono-bustier mix was intriging. I'm glad I didn't have to pick the winner, because I liked them all. Joe ended up winning and will have immunity next week.

Keith and Daniel were the bottom two. Keith won last week, but because the winner outfit would be worn by Brooke Shields on her show, they decided that was prize enough. He really regretted it last night that immunity had not been included in his prize. His dress was made up of lots of fringe, but just wasn't cohesive. Daniel's design was basically a flamenco dress with a pale print fabric. It lacked the bells and whistles expected for this challenge. He was the one sent home, probably as much for his lack of originality last week during the Olympics challenge. I guess it was a bad night for Daniels.

Who Needs Reruns?

Sometimes I miss an episode, or maybe I just want to watch one again. Many of the networks have episodes available to view on their websites. Many have full episodes. Others show just two-minute recaps, or clips from an episode. At least I can keep up with the shows and that is particularly important when reruns aren't being aired.

NBC currently has full episodes from "The Baby Borrowers", "Last Comic Standing" and "American Gladiators".CW has clips from "America's Next Top Model. Fox has full episodes from "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" plus clips from others. ABC has "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Lost", though that's not reality tv, just one of my favorites.

Bravo has clips from many of its shows. CBS has full episodes of "Survivor: Fans vs Favorites" as well as a preview of the coming season and clips from "Big Brother". Comedy Central has clips from "Reality Bites Back".CMT has clips from "Gone Country 2" and "Outsiders Inn". They've also had full episodes of "Can You Duet".VH1 has full episodes from many if not most of their shows.

I'd still rather watch shows on the big screen tv than on my computer monitor, but the online videos have served me well many, many times.

Real Stars

I watched a documentary on Barbara Morgan, the NASA astronaut who started as a member of the Teachers in Space program back in 1985. She was, in face, chosen as the backup for Christa McAuliffe and trained alongside the Challenger crew. I know how devasted I was by the disaster, so I cannot even imagine how difficult it must have been for her. Still, she wanted to continue with the program.

For a time, she thought it would be just a few years before they made another attempt to send a teacher into space. Instead, it was twenty-one years. And she didn't go just as a teacher, but as a full-fledged astronaut. In 1998 she was chosen as a full-time astronaut. She had to go through the same two years of astronaut training as everyone else. In 2003, she was chosen for an upcoming launch, but it was delayed after the re-entry distruction of the Columbia.

When she left on the Endeavor in August 2007, she did so as a mission specialist with important duties related to delivering supplies to the International Space Station. She had also become an amateur radio operator and was able to do 20-minutes question and answer sessions with students. Though she was technically a standard mission specialist who had been a teacher, she was still able to touch and inspire school children.


She also inspires me. How many people stick to a dream for twenty-odd years? What does this have to do with reality tv? Not a lot, but when I consider all the fascinating people out there, I have to wonder why it is that we choose to focus on the America idols and celebrity dancers instead of the heroes of our time. The answer is simple, though. The heroes didn't do it to get into the spotlight. Fame was just a by-product.

Maybe 15 Minutes Was Enough

If only Andy Warhol had been right and everyone had just 15 minutes of fame. We wouldn't end up watching child actors becoming disfunctional adults, celebrity couples and parents putting all their warts and blemishes on camera and desperate people selling their souls for a little more chance in the limelight.

I don't know if it started with Anna Nicole, but hers was the first show of that sort that I heard about. It was a far cry from Ozzie and Harriet raising their sons on tv. That was a scripted sitcom. Now we've seen "The Osbournes", "Being Bobby Brown", and "Breaking Bonaduce". Currently we can see "The Two Coreys", "Denise Richards: It's Complicated" and "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-list". Okay, I liked Kathy's show.

I also got to watch Scott Baio end his singlehood and become a dad. Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry got married on tv and then squabbled last year about whether to start a family. It amazes me that flatulence seems to be deemed entertaining. I like catching up with the actors I grew up with, but I really don't need to see all the warts.

What amazes me even more are the shows that follow 'ordinary' people. Bravo has a lot of these. Why would Jonathan Antin want the world to know what a temper he has in his "Blow Out" series? Did it bring his salon and hair product line more business? Was "Millionaire Matchmaker" a good vehicle for Patti Sanger to get more clients? And what was with the rich men who were willing to be shown needing help in finding the women of their dreams?

Right now, "Flipping Out" has Jeff Lewis revealing all his obsessive mannerisms to the world. Did he sell more houses because of his appearances? I could see making the mistake of trying it for one season, but to go back a second time? It sure seems crazy to me.

I've always been fascinated by people. Biographies are my favorite reading. I love to sit in airports watching people. Still, there's a limit to what I want to see or know about people. Most of these shows go beyond that limit.

Coming Sooner or Later

Remember when there used to be a television season that lasted from September to summer? Those days are long gone, and it isn't all bad. There are shows starting their news seasons all the time. Most of the major networks still launch their big shows in the fall, but those are staggered now, rather than all starting around the same time.

Here are some of the reality shows coming in the next few months.

"Top Design" on Bravo follows thirteen interior designers in the ever-popular challenge and elimination each week format. This will begin its second season on September 3.

The CW will air a new cycle of "America's Next Top Model" beginning September 3. Fourteen girls will try to win the title, along with a modeling contract and other prizes.

NBC will start new episodes of "Deal or No Deal" starting August 25 when we have finished watching the Olympics. "America's Got Talent" will continue then, with the viewer voting to begin. I thought I saw a commercial for the British version of "The Apprentice" but I haven't verified the details yet.

Most of the shows I'm looking forward to right now are returning series like "Lost" and "Heroes", but I know I'll find plenty of reality shows to keep me busy.

Countryfied

CMT is quickly becoming one of my favorite networks. Last night, I was excited to watch the beginnings of two reality shows, "Gone Country 2" and "Outsiders Inn". These shows are linked because the three stars of "Outsiders Inn" were contestants on the first season of "Gone Country." I really wanted to like the second show. Maureen McCormick, Carnie Wilson and Bobby Brown had already been part of the reality tv world before they competed with each other to be country singers.

Now, though, they are working together, running an inn. Though this is being called a reality show, I have my doubts. A hot tub store that also sells moonshine and happens to have a piano? I don't think so. I like Maureen McCormick, though I'm surprised to see her embracing her Marcia Brady past. For so long, she avoided being linked to the show. She only did the video for a song in the movie Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star because the words for her to sing were very negative and bleepable. I wanted to like the show.

Maybe it will be better next week, but so far it looks like "Newhart" meets "Green Acres". Funny neighbors, fussy guests, crazy situations. It should be amusing, right? I'll have to see if it's better next week, eternal optimist that I am.

I have a lot more hope that "Gone Country 2" will be more entertaining. This year's contestants are an interesting mix. Lorenzo Lamas must have liked the exposure he got when his daughter was on "The Bachelor". I think the show is a good fit for him, though. I was happy to read that Irene Cara was going to be on the program, but so far she seems a little standoffish. I wonder how many of the people on the show are cussing out their agents?

The other competitors are Sebastian Bach, former Skid Row lead singer, Chris Kirkpatrick from 'N Sync, Mikalah Gordon from "American Idol", Jermaine Jackson of The Jackson 5 and actress Sean Young. The five singers on the show probably have the inside track. I think Lamas has had some singing experience, too. On last night's show, they all performed on a riverboat and Young seemed completely out of her element.

Chris Kirkpatrick was the one whose performance I liked most. I never paid attention to his boy band, so I had no idea what to expect. He's following other bandmates, Lance Bass, J.C. Chasez and Joey Fatone into the reality tv world. Fatone has been fairly successful at moving from "Dancing with the Stars" and "Fame" appearances into hosting jobs on shows like "The Singing Bee" and the recent "Celebrity Circus". Even Justin Timberlake has popped up on "The Osbournes" and "Punk'd".

I'm also looking forward to seeing what Jermaine Jackson does. It would be nice for one of the other brothers to have a career of his own. I thought he did a good job with his performance on the riverboat, but it wasn't a country song. It will be interesting to see how he does with the genre and what the song he writes in like. Writing songs is one of the most interesting parts of the series to me. I liked seeing the performers on "Can You Duet" sing their original songs. Hopefully, some of the "Gone Country" participants will do as well.

The Sublime and the Ridiculous

Okay, so "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List" may not have been sublime last night, but it was close. In the season finale, Kathy, accompanied by her assistants, went to perform at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. There, she met not just soldiers who had been wounded, most had lost limbs, but their families as well. More than once, she fought back tears, but always in private. She was determined to not let the soldiers or their families see her cry.

What we did see was Kathy bringing out a soldier or two, but more often being amazed and amused by the humor they showed. Talks with the soldiers and their families gave her some great material for her show that night. Her trip to Afghanistan and Iraq last year was gut-wrenching. This time it was the heart the got wrenched. I am so impressed when Kathy lets us she the caring person she is beneath all the bluster. Now I remember why I watch the show and put up with the silliness and vulgarity. I'm glad Bravo shows episodes multiple times because I want to watch it again.

On the other end of the spectrum, in a place both ridiculous and ludicrous, was "Reality Bites Back". Last night's episode was "So You Think You Can Dive". How they got Greg Louganis got talked into playing a judge for the show is beyond me. I think he wondered that himself.

The comics, only five left, had lessons in diving, then made two dives. The first was supposed to have some technical form to it. Chris Fairbanks actually made a decent time, complete with flip. Amy Schumer made her dives from a low board. I'm not sure how she managed to stay in the competition, but she's my favorite, so I'm happy. Well, as happy as I can be considering the lameness of the show.

Bert Kreischer was the one eliminated. The show was a little confusing. Louganis handed out an immunity rose after each dive. Chris got the first one, Amy the second. The remaining three contestants ended up in a board room where Louganis announced who would be leaving. One has to believe the comics are happy when they are sent home. Bert took his time leaving, removing his swim trunks and doing some sort of nude farewell dance. Of course, they blurred all the good parts, but that was probably a blessing.

So, with Louganis on the show, we had another Olympics tie-in. I wonder how many more there will be. I still think the competitons are the best reality show of all. Boise got its first gold medal winner, cyclist Kristin Armstrong (no relation). Michael Phelps is going for the gold and the USA's female gymnasts brought home the gold and the silver.

Surprise!

There were surprises for the stylists and designers on both "Project Runway" and "Shear Genius" last night. On both shows, the surprises often aren't pleasant. And when they are, they tend to have a negative twist included.

That's pretty much what happened last night. On "Project Runway" the good part of the surprise was that they would be designing for Brooke Shields. She looked great as she explained wanting a garment for "Lipstick Jungle" that could go from daytime to nighttime. The winning outfit would be actually worn on her show. When the prize is good, as it is in this challenge, immunity is not awarded. However, the chance to have Brooke Shields in their portfolio was motivating for the designers.

Now for the wicked twist. The twelve designers would be working in pairs. To determine whose designs would be used, each designer pitched their ideas to Ms Shields. Once she had chosen the designs she liked, those six designers chose partners. I've never really understood why they have people work in teams. How often do designers collaborate like that? Anyway, most of the final products were nice.

The bottom two designs were Kelli's, assisted by Daniel and Blayne's, with Leanne as his partner. I thought that even those two outfits had some nice elements. I loved the two tops Blayne put with Bermuda shorts. It was a risky idea, but I think the thing that killed it was the fabric and color he chose for the shorts. Black would have made for a classier look.

Kelli's actually had a nice silhouette but it was a weird mixture of fabrics. The worst part was the 'night' version. When the jacket was removed, the model was left in a midrift revealing bustier. The judges declared it slutty-looking and questioned Kelli's taste. As much as I hate Blayne's obsession with tanning, I think the judges were right to declare Kelli 'out'.

"Shear Genius" put the stylists on a rollercoaster of surprises. Their shortcut challenge dealt with giving first graders a new look for their first day of school. Most of them did well, though Dee, one of my favorites, butchered this little girl's bangs and Paolo's do was a don't. It was just a mess. Daniel won, having delighted his 5-year-old client by giving her an age appropriate version of host Jaclyn Smith's hairstyle.

Surprise number two was the next set of clients. Family members. Mothers, sisters and cousins arrived to the excitement of the contestants. The reunion was short-lived, as it was explained to the stylists that they would not be working on their own relatives. Daniel was the one to choose his own client then assign all the others. In the end, not only did the stylists get input from the judges, but from their competitors.

Charlie won for the style he gave Daniel's mother. I think Daniel put them together because he trusted Charlie to do something nice for his mother. In the long run, taking care of Mom is more important than sabotaging a competitor.

Paolo did another hack job, although the judges were nice to him than I am. I actually like Paolo a lot. He's very compassionate and sweet. It wasn't a surprise, though, that he was sent home.

Recent Top Model Successes

Cycle 11 of "America's Next Top Model" will begin next month. It made me think about the last couple of seasons, particularly 9, since they went to China. Last time I did follow-ups on all the models from all the cycles, 10 was in progress and the contestants from 9 hadn't been out there long enough to do much. There's been a little activity from both groups now, so I'll hit a few highlights.

Cycle 9

Saleisha Stowers won that cycle and has appeared in the following publications and ads: Seventeen, Florida International, 24 Hour Fitness, MetroStyle, Paper Doll, Essence. Saleisha had done some modeling before the show, and had attended Tyra's camp. This brought a good deal of criticism.

Bianca Golden was one of the final four and she won a challenge that put her picture on a billboard for the Olympics. I don't kow whether or not that was actually used to promote the Beijing Olympics, but it was an exciting moment on the show. Bianca has done ads for The Source, Style Bermuda, and Destination Runway, a charity fashion show. I always like Bianca because when she had to have her hair cut very short, her beautiful face could really show. I loved how quickly she embraced the new look.

Chantal Jones was the runner up. Her post show work includes shoots for Bl!sss and 7x7 San Francisco. Kimberly Leemans, who was one of the earlier girls to leave, has done regional publications, as well as work for Keiko Lynn and Imagen.

My favorite that cycle was Heather Kuzmich. I always seem to be drawn to the bright, off-beat girls. Heather has a form of autism and has been featured in more articles than most ANTM alumni. Those include People and Spectrum, an autism-related magazine. Most recently, she did some real model work wearing gowns in the Wedding Essentials magazine.

Cycle 10

These girls have only had less than a year to build careers, but winner, Whitney Thompson has appeared in People and InTouch. She has also appeared in Eclectic Jewelry print ads. Being the first full-figured model to win on the show may have brought her extra attention.

Allison Kuehn didn't stay on the show too long because her experience with modeling made her think she knew it all. She must have known something, because she has been featured in M as well as doing work in the far east.

Finally, Claire Unabia, one of the spunkiest gals in the cycle, has appeared in Stork Magazine, Glamour UK, Island Weddings & Honeymoons, and Mute. I think Anya Kop may be with the Elite agency, but if she is, she is using a differen last name. She is so beautiful!

May the coming cycle's contestants do as well as some of these girls have. It should be very interesting.

Nashville to Beijing

"Nashville Star" Melissa Lawson sang, as promised, last night at the Olympics. Her performance was aired this morning onthe "Today" show. Her song, "What If It All Goes Right" has a hopeful message that could even inspire Olympic hopefuls.

I missed the introduction, so I'm not sure of the situation surrounding her performance, but I think it was on the Olympic Green. Certainly, it was outside and hosted by Al Roker. Fans watched from behind ropes, much like the show's concert series.

Melissa looked and sounded great. I bet it felt good not to be singing in a shower of confetti. I look forward to seeing how her career goes.

Right now, though, I'm busy trying to watch Michael Phelps' quest for gold and the basketball team from Spain who beat the China team. Actually, I was pulling for China, but I have to admit the game was really exciting.

Hosted by China

While the Olympics are currently being played in China, this is not the first time reality has been filmed in China. Season 10 of "The Amazing Race" had racers visiting Beijing on their way to Mongolia. In season 12, teams went to Taipei.

Last year, both "America's Next Top Model" and "Survivor" visited China. ANTM's Cycle 9 showed several episodes set in China, including a photo shoot at the Great Wall and a challenge at movie studio in Shanghai where they had to strike fierce fighting poses while dangling on wires.

"Survivor: China" was completely set in China. The 15th season found the survivors on an island in China. A few of them even had a chance to visit the Great Wall as a reward challenge prize. While Peih-Gee was born in Hong Kong, Denise, who studies martial arts, was probably the most emotionally touched by the setting of the game.

China was once almost impossible for tourists to visit. In the past couple of decades, things have changed dramatically. And, isn't drama always an important ingredient of reality television?

Olympian Reality Stars

This had been a bad year for Olympic swimmer Janet Evans. Today her record speed in the 800 meter, which had stood for 20 years, was broken. She also was eliminated from "Celebrity Circus" before they reached the final three. One of the judges on that show was Mitch Gaylord, a medal-winning gymnast from the 1984 Olympics. He once earned a perfect 10 in the Olympics, and he gave at least one on the show.

Bruce Jenner was the Olympic decathlon winner in 1976. But today he's known as the step-father on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" on E! Bruce is hardly knew to reality shows. Back in 1977 he was on something called "Celebrity Battle of the Sexes" and was the host of "Battle of the Network Stars" in 1978. More recently, he appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" and "Identity".

Another Olympic athlete on "Dancing with the Stars" was Apolo Ohno. He was also on "Project Runway" last week when they did the Olympic uniform challenge.

"Celebity Apprentice" had two Olympians: Jennie Finch gold medalist Softball team member in 2004 and Lennox Lewis who earned his gold medal in boxing at the 1988 Olympics.

Back to the reality shows that depict people's lives. Peggy Fleming, 1968 figure skating gold medalist was on last week's "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List". Surely there are more, but these are all I can come up with right now.

The Baby Lenders

Many shows have reunions. "Gone Country" just had a gathering of the participants in their first season. We got a chance to see scenes that weren't included in the original episodes and had an opportunity to see what the cast members are doing now. This is a great way to promote both "Gone Country 2"and "Outsiders Inn" which both start Friday. The latter, an new 8-week reality show, stars season one participants, Maureen McCormick, Bobby Brown and Carnie Wilson. It's funny how one reality show spins off new ones.

However, what I really wanted to do was talk about the reunion show for "The Baby Borrowers". With a town hall format, the show, subtitled Lessons Learned, was hosted by Hoda Kotb of the "Today" show. I felt they tried to stuff too much into an hour. We received brief updates on the teens, but much of the hour concentrated on the parents who let their babies be used in the show.

TV's Dr. Drew was one of the guests who weighed in on the subject. There was a heated discussion of the mistake it was to allow babies to appear in the show. One expert insisted that the separation was damaging to the infants while Dr. Drew supported the show. The parents were defensive. The producer insisted that everything had been done to protect the babies. It could have been a show all on its own.

Where were the toddlers, pre-teens, teens and elders who had also been cared for by the teen 'parents' on the show? I think they could have had a whole series of follow-ups to the show. It would be nice to know not only where the teens are now, but how being on tv changed their lives as they became celebrities of sorts. Also, one of the issues I was troubled by during the show was the teens sharing a bed. This was dealt with, but rather quickly.

I enjoyed the show and felt it accomplished what it set out to do. With all the negative response, though, I wonder if they will attempt a second season?

Let's Hear It For The Girls

Thursday night was a great one for funny women. The finale of "Last Comic Standing" was a huge surprise. Iliza won! It's the first time a woman has won the search for the best comedian. I'm delighted. I thought she was wonderful, her material always fresh and her delivery engaging.

Kathy Griffin was in great form on her show. The honesty she shows, particularly about her relationship with Steve Wozniak, is both amazing and endearing. My favorite moment of the night was when she was helping at an auction for a Humane Society fundraiser. The item being auctioned was tickets to "American Idol" and she quipped about how awesome a purchase it would be because the bidder would be able to see Paula's antics. I really think that helped push the bids up.

Finally, that silly reality spoof, "Reality Bites Back", took aim at "American Gladiators" with something called "Almost American Gladiators". For this, the goal was getting citizenship and there were several silly challengers where beefy border patrolers tried to keep the contestants from scoring. In one, they tried to prevent the contestants from putting green card applications into a 'mailbox' that was more like a barrel. Then they tossed dolls (representng their children) over a chainlink fence. Once all the dolls were oven, they had to climb the fence. The people who came in last had to face being sent home.

The final test was a quiz with questions from the citizenship test. It came down to Red and Amy in peril of being sent home. Whoever got the first right answer would stay. Red came first, and had what I thought was an easy question. "Who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner?" But, he didn't know. Amy's question was "Who said, 'Give me liberty or give me death?" Amy knew it was Patrick Henry. She's saved for another week. Yay!

On the down side was "America's Got Talent". They announced the final 40 by showing each act and a glimpse of what the judges told them. There is still a chance that one of the eliminated contestants will be on the show. On the NBC website, viewers are voting to fill a space left when one act had to pull out of the show due to injury. Unfortunately, my favorite, the woman from MySpace who had a great voice, wasn't on the ballot.

Now we have to wait till September 3 to see who wins the vote and begin seeing the acts the viewers will vote on. I'm not sure I want to keep watching, but I'll have to see how I feel about it next month.

Olympic Style and Shear Silliness

Last night, "Shear Genius" went to the dogs. In one of the dumbest challenges they've ever had, the hair stylists were asked to give a dog a haircut and create a new look for the owner to be inspired by the pet. Now, it seems to me that grooming a dog takes a certain amount of experience and some of the stylists didn't even know much about dogs. To me, it wasn't an even playing field.

The person sent home not only didn't know anything about giving a dog a trim, she had a client who didn't go along with the style she had initially created. It was Nekisa who was sent home, so I wasn't too upset by the unfairness of the challenged. She'd been in the bottom just about every time. If anything, I was amazed she lasted as long as she did.

Charlie has tended to be among the top stylists each week and has won immunity a couple of times. Last night, however, he admitted that he really didn't care about the challenge and planned to never groom a dog again. His attitude didn't go over well with the judges, but I think his past performance helped a little.

"Project Runway" had a dog related challenge a couple of seasons ago. In that one, the designers created fashions for pets and their owners. That one was cute, although it did seem to be a bit much for some of the designers. You probably don't go into a competition like that expecting to be sewing for a pooch. One of my favorite off-beat challenges was designing clothes for Barbie. This season, the show seems to be re-doing some of their past challenges, so I'm hoping to see the best of the best.

Last night's challenge for the fashion designers was appropriate. They were asked to design outfits for the US team to wear for the opening ceremonies. Some of the designs were really good. Others made you wonder what the designer was thinking. Several had outfits that looked neither athletic or American. No red, white, or blue. Jennifer's creation was a cute white and gold striped skirt, white top and short black jacket. While nice, it had nothing to do with the challenge and she was the one who was sent home.

It's too bad that "Shear Genius" didn't go for an Olympic theme, too. In the past they have done hair show type challenges meant for display, not for everyday wear. I think that would allow both some fun and a chance for real creativity.

America's Got Too Much Talent?

Now that I've managed to get myself hooked on "America's Got Talent", I was pretty much glued to the screen last night. I'm not quite sure why. As they weeded through the talent, eliminating about a third of them, I felt like there were just too many people to concentrate on. I didn't see my favorite, the woman from MySpace who belted out her song in the first audition, until the end when they announced who was going on. Maybe they didn't need to show her because there was no doubt she was going forward.

Actually, there was a large stretch of time when I listened, but had my eyes closed. Sword swallowing and the like just disturb me. So did the little girl who is a contortionist. She's adorable, but I ached just watching a little of her routine. I think she was one of the ones who was eliminated, supposedly because they though she was too young. I didn't quite understand that, since the judges kept two really young children who were in the singing category.

I guess there's adorable and then there's preciously precocious. Usually, I don't like shows where the viewers vote on the acts, but this time, I'm not sure I trust the judges. I love Sharon Osbourn, but Piers and David are just too full of themselves. At least that's how I feel after just seeing two shows. Maybe my attitude will change.

The contestants should be pared down to 40 on tomorrow night's episode. Then I think we have to wait till after the Olympics to get down to voting. I have my favorites, so far, but we'll just have to see who actually becomes a contestant.

The Nashville Star

NBC's reality shows are wrapping up this week to make room for the biggest international reality show of all, the 2008 Olympics. I'm not sure what I'll blog about during the Olympics. Probably shows on Bravo. There's actually a link between last night's "Nashville Star" finale and the Olympics. The winner will be performing there.

All along, I've been rooting for Gabe Garcia, but if he didn't win, my second choice was Melissa Lawson. They both performed several songs last night and I have to admit that Melissa belts the songs out. I am quite content than she won.

It doesn't look like the Nashville Star tour, featuring the final four will be coming to Boise, but there are lots of other ways to keep track of my favorites. For one thing, Melissa's first single,"What If It All Goes Right", is already available on Itunes.

The winners of "Can You Duet" had a similar experience with their first single, "Even Now", debuting the day after they were announced winners. Itunes is also home for a new song by the Coppola's . "You're Not My Judge". The song was written as a reaction to some things that happened on "Can You Duet", but the theme of the song is universal. Joey and Rory also have a recording contract and should have "Cheater, Cheater" out soon.

You don't have to come out on top to benefit by being on a reality show. Miranda Lambert was a "Nashville Star" runner-up and now she is one of the hottest women in country. She's going to have a lot of new competion thanks to these two shows.

Winners and Gainers

Last night was the announcement of the "Design Star" winner. Of course, they didn't get to the winner right away. First, they had a reunion of all the contestants (except Mikey V.) and showed clips from the season. I have to admit, they weren't at much fun as reunions for shows like "Project Runway" and "Top Chef" have been. Perhaps it was because the interior designers weren't together for as long as most of the fashion designers and chefs were. There weren't the big clashes or the shocking events.

The announcement of the winner was drawn out excessively. Was it really all that suspenseful? I'm sick of shows that drag out such announcements. Finally, though, Jennifer won and will have her own show. I liked both of them, and yet I find myself a little sad that Matt didn't also get a show. Maybe the network will be smart and pick him up, too. I can't remember anything like that actually happening on a show. The closest was the year Donald Trump suggested to the winner of "The Apprentice" that perhaps the runner up should also get a job. Why he left that decision to the winner baffled me. Isn't Trump the guy in charge?

So, from one of the classiest competition shows to the silliest. This week's "Reality Bites Back" had the remaining contestants trying to put on weight. LaVell Crawford, known for his appearance in last season's "Las Comic Standing", was one of the trainers. It was a little scary watching people being forced to eat enormous amounts of unhealthy foods, but it wasn't as nauseating as scenes of eating disgusting things on shows ranging from "Survivor" to Tila Tequila's show. I guess some things are easier to swallow than others.

Their elimination process was a little different, and not particularly fair. The winner, the person who gained the most, was Mo Mandel who then selected someone to stay. That person then selected the next person to stay. Finally, when there were two contestants left, the last person given immunity was the one to decide who would stay and who would go home. That unenvyable job went to Red Grant. He was left to choose between Tiffany Haddish and Bert Kreischer. He chose Bert who had been his teammate for this week's competition. Tiffany was not a gracious loser. The only thing I was happy about was that Amy Schumer, who had gained the least, will still be on the show. Also still remaining are Theo Von and Chris Fairbanks.

I realize that "Reality Bites Back" is poking fun, not only at reality shows, but also at people like me who watch them. Should I be offended? Probably. But I'm having fun, so who cares?

Daughter Dearest

I laughed a lot at this last week's episode of "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List". However, it was her mother, Maggie, who was responsible for most of my guffaws. The episode was divided between Kathy's campaign to win a Grammy and Maggie's new life as celebrity senior and mother figure to those Kathy used to refer to as 'my gays'.

Seeing Maggie talking to reporters, for example, was very amusing. She has her own humor, and one can see where some of Kathy's comedy bent comes from. Her parents were both characters and it is fun seeing Maggie find new interests in life now that she has lost her husband. How nice it was to see her posing for a magazine photographer, looking both stylish and confident. The woman has class.

Oh, not all the show was about Maggie and Grammy. There was a visit with Susie Orman where Kathy tried to get some advice for her three employees. In her own way, she does seem to be looking out for them and their futures.


Also, as part of her publicity campaign, Kathy wrangled Adnan Ghalib (Britney's paparazzi pal) into taking her around town to be caught on the cameras of some of his colleages.

In another reality tv show link, Adnan was involved in a story regarding one contestant's girlfriend on "Make Me a Supermodel".
But it was Kathy who had his attention this time, at least for the day.

One Week You're Up...

Paulo, on "Shear Genius" this week, put into words what happened this week, both on his show, and on "Project Runway". "One week you're up," he said, "and the next week you're down." That was his response to being in the bottom for the short cut challenge after winning the elimination challenge last week. This week, though, the stylists found a third, unhappy option. No one wins. At least that's what happened in the elimination challenge.

The short cut challenged the stylists to create hair with vibrant colors. Charlie, once more, came out on top. He won immunity from elimination and the role of teaming the other six stylists up for the elimination challenge. Because he was the odd man out, he did not participate in the challenge, so he could not win. The goal was for each team of two to update three "Charlie's Angels" hairstyles for models representing Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett. Smith is host of "Shear Genius" and Jackson was this week's guest judge.

All of the styles were judged to be dated, so there was no winner this week. One stylist, though, was eliminated. Glenn's contributions to her team's product were deemed the poorist, so she was sent home. In the bottom with her was Nekisa, who seems to often be near the bottom. I don't know how much longer she'll be in the competition, but she is safe for now.

"Project Runway" saw a similar contrast with fortunes changing from challenge to challenge.

Emily was the designer the judges, who included guest judge Sandra Bernhard, decided to send home. I have to agree with their decision. In a challenge where designers chose inspiration from the city, her's was the worst by far. It was, in my opinion, both ugly and unimaginative. Jennifer's dress, called boring by the judges, left her next to the bottom, but at least it had some originality.

Leanne was the one who illustrated Paulo's quote, in reverse. She was almost sent home last week and this week her design (above) almost won the challenge. I thought all three top designs were beautiful. The competition this year is very strong and it is going to be harder and harder to send people home.

I'm thinking Stella will be going home fairly soon. Her work has been uneven. First week, she was in the bottom two. Last week, in the top three. This week, the middle. Her preference for leather may limit her a little too much. We'll have to see.

Last Comics' Final Performances

This week, the remaining eight finalists were pared down to five for the final voting. Next week, the person viewers picked will be name the "Last Comic Standing". Each of the eight was given a chance to perform, then told whether they would go on or not. I was a little surprised that Ron G was eliminated, but they were all so good, it was a hard decision.

I was a little surprised Jim Tavare went on. Guess I just don't 'get' his humor. The other four to go on were my favorites, Iliza Shlesinger, Jeff Dye, Louis Ramey, and Marcus. I cast all my votes for Iliza, but I'll be happy if any of those four win. I think the exposure they received is going to help the careers of all the show's contestants. Past runners-up have done well.

There was one thing about the show that I took exception to. It was Bill Bellamy's monologue about visiting Idaho. Really, we aren't all potato farmers, as is the common stereotype. Nor was he probably the first black person ever seen. Even in the more remote parts of the state. Ironically, tomorrow is Idaho's African American cultural event, the Boise Soul Food Extravaganza. It will be held in the same park where the Idaho Black History Museum is located. I'll admit, we probably don't have as much ethnic diversity as other parts of the country, but Idaho, particularly the southern portion, isn't all that different from states with larger populations.

There was truth in his routine, as well. Idaho does have some beautiful lakes and water skiing is a popular sport. They even have a fund raiser in the winter where people water ski in frigid weather to earn money for their favorite charities. Our favorite weatherman always promises to water ski without a wet suit on if he received enough pledges. We also have the opportunity to see bald eagles in the wild. My husband has photographed many within a mile or two of our home. We have herons that visit our neighborhood ponds. Then there are the geese. Too many. Geese are to Boise what pigeons are to New York City. But, I digress.

We may have seen the last performances by the contestants of "Last Comic Standing", but there will be one more show next week to tell us who won. I'll be looking forward to that. I've been pleased that there was a little coverage of the comics back at the house. All in all, I agree with those who say this is their best season ever.