The Elder Borrowers

Last night was the final regular episode of "The Baby Borrowers", although there is supposed to be a 'town hall' meeting next week to catch up on the teens. It's been a year since the show was filmed.

I went in thinking the idea of sticking the teens with elderly people didn't fit the show when I first heard about it. Yesterday afternoon, the local news showed an interview with a couple of the elders. They are all local. It made me think that the idea wasn't totally off. There have been touching times throughout the seriese, but last night, just about the whole episode played to the heart.

Each of the seniors had their own take on life and tried to pass wisdom the wisdom of their experiences along to the teens. There was the 90-year-0ld man who took Cory and Alicea to the cemetery to put flowers on his wife's grave. Morgan, who lost her partner a couple of weeks ago, cared for an elderly woman who talked to her about what it takes to make a relationship work. Sean and Kelsey also had a woman to care for. This one had been married three times, and not always happily. She also talked about relationships. Ironically, it was Sean who had the heart to heart with her.

One of the couples, Austin and Kelly, got an old man who was very vigorous. He had them up early to go exercise. They seemed to enjoy him and it made Kelly reflect on her own father who has been diagnosed with ALS. Finally, Jordan and Sasha took care of an elderly gentleman who took them to his home to visit his wife. She'd had a stroke, and he talked about how once she had taken care of him and now he was doing the same for her. I remember him saying he wanted them to spend another 40 or so years together. While she agreed, her face told another story. Whether she knew her health was failing, or she was just weighed down by being so disabled, she didn't look excited about the prospect of going on that much longer. Since the show was filmed, she has passed away and the program was dedicated to her.

While taking care of babies, toddlers, pre-teens and teens taught the potential parents about the responsibilities of having a family, this last episode showed them something about relationships and what makes them enduring. All the family rearing stages are brief when put up against 60+ years of living with the same person.

I was a little disappointed when we learned in brief where the teens are now. None of the couples are still together, though they say they are still friends. Daton and Morgan had even made another attempt at a relationship. I still hold out hope that Jordan and Sasha will get back together one day. The other couples had good points as individuals, but I think their Mister or Miss Right is still out there waiting for them.

Okay, Maybe America Has Some Talent

I had decided to never watch "America's Got Talent" because the commercials made it seem too much like the "Gong Show". However, learning that MySpace auditioners would be featured last night made me give it a try. To be honest, it was pretty much as I expected. I've never understood people being willing to humiliate themselves. The poor ladies who whistled just made me feel sad.

However, the woman who found the daughter she gave up via MySpace had not only a touching story, but a great voice. Just hearing her made the show worthwhile. There were some other acts that were both good, but fun. The Ozzy Osbourne impersonator, for example. Then there was the group that played drums. Only they weren't real drums, but the sound was great and the precision of their performance left me in awe.

Okay, so, now I'm hooked. I'm looking forward to next week when they start going through the finalists and picking the better of the good. I'll feel much more comfortable and entertained when people aren't being booed off the stage.

Next Week - Nashville Star

Several shows seem to be winding down. "The Next Food Network Star" announced their winner on Sunday. "Design Star" and "Nashville Star" both end next week. DS on Sunday and NS on Monday. Last nights "Nashville Star" was really good. The four remaining singer each performed on song, then the person who came in last place in the viewer voting was eliminated. They make it seem like the viewers voted off the person going home, but that's really not the case. We chose who we voted for with the intent of answering the question, "Who should be the next Nashville Star?" We are not voting for "Who should go home?"

Coffey was the one who was eliminated last night. That leaves Melissa Lawson, Gabe Garcia and Shawn Mayer. If the poll on NBC's website is at all accurate, Melissa's ahead. I think all three are good, though Gabe and Melissa are my favorites. I think that more than one career will come out of the show. I'm not convinced, though, that none of the contestants were as good as some of the top acts in this season's "Can You Duet". Put Caitlin up against Melissa, Will up against Gabe and either Coppola against Shawn and I think the NS bunch would lose all three matches.

       

One Winner Down, One to Go

Last night were the final challenges on both "Design Star" and "The Next Food Network" star. The only difference is that we don't know yet which designer wins. Viewer votes will decide that. The two finalists are Jennifer and Matt. I like them both, though Jennifer may be a little too close to perky for me. Their final project was fixing up homes for a New Orleans firefighter and police officer. Both had lost just about everything from Katrina and still haven't been able to fix up their houses.

The designers had three days to give them new living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens. Then they did an on-camera presentation of their creations before showing them to the families. They both did so well it is difficult for me to decide whose work I liked best. Viewers can watch a recap and vote through 10am EST on Wednesday, July 30.

On "The Next Food Network Star", the judges had a tough time deciding on the winner. Each of them did a pilot for their show. The food was all excellent and the presentations all reached out to the viewer in dynamic ways. In the end, the judges asked themselves who was ready to start the next day. They chose my favorite:

Lisa and Adam both did such a good job that I hope we'll see them have their own shows, too.

The Three R's: Reruns, Replays and Reunions

Once, in my opinion, is never enough. I appreciate being able to view an episode more than once. More and more, I'm seeing networks replay their new episode more than once. Cable stations like VH1, MTV, Food Network and CMT have aired the new episode several times during the week. This gives everyone a chance to see the show. Even some of the broadcast networks do this now. "America's Next Top Model" airs its new episode on two different nights. Shows like "Lost" and "The Baby Borrowers" replay the previous week's episode right before the new one. The Scifi Channel, among many others, airs the new episode more than once on the night it premieres. Then there are those like Bravo who show the last several episodes before the new one, as it does with shows like "Project Runway".

I also like the new trend of having shows air on other networks. NBC does this a lot. "The Apprentice" and "Deal or No Deal" aired the latest episode on MSNBC. "Nashville Star" replays right now on CMT. It was great when "The Amazing Race" was on the Game Network. I didn't begin watching till Rob and Amber were on the show, so I was able to go back and see all seasons I missed. I wish I could do the same for "Survivor".

Reruns always seemed to be the ghetto of television. Major networks have chosen not to have reruns so they can tout 'all new' schedules. Fortunately, if you miss an episode of "Heroes" or "Lost" or other favorites, you can often watch them online. Still, I miss being able to rewatch episodes after I know what they were leading up to. Thank goodness for DVDs. Now I can watch the old episodes whenever I want.

However, what I really like when it comes to reruns are the marathons. I love seeing a whole season of "America's Next Top Model" on VH1 or MTV all at once. It's great when I can watch an older season of "Project Runway" or "Top Chef" in one sitting. Sure, I know how it's going to turn out. I have the tv on while I'm on using the computer. It's like spending time with an old friend. Every so often I catch something new that I'd missed in previous airings. CMT will soon be running marathons of the two seasons of Scott Baio's show. It's also a great way to catch up on seasons you missed because you hadn't begun watching the show yet.

Finally, for those of us who want to know what happened to our favorite reality stars, there are the reunion shows. CMT will be running a "Gone Country" season one reunion in preparation for season two which starts August 15. I'm particularly eager to catch up with Maureen McCormick. "The Bachelor" also had a recent show following up on couple from the bachelor and bachelorette versions. I was particularly interested in Matt and Shayne, the latest bachelor couple. And tying things up nicely, Shayne's father, Lorenzo Lamas, will be on "Gone Country 2".

To Laugh or Not to Laugh

Lots of funny Thursday night, and some weird. I finally had a chance to watch Comedy Central's "Reality Bites Back". I saw the first episode on the network's web site. Michael Ian Black hosts the show that parodies all sorts of reality shows. The first week, titled ""Extreme Manipulation - House Edition", was a spoof of house shows, like "Big Brother". The most disturbing and amusing parts of the episode involved visiting parents. First, the comics were sent into a dark room to seduce whoever was waiting inside. It turned out to be one of their parents. One contestant was so disturbed by the challenge that he left. The enjoyable part was having parents and comics match answers to some embarrassing questions. The winner chose two other residents of the house to be put up to be sent home.

This week treated viewers to "Shock of Love" which was a take off of "Shot of Love with Tila Tequila". Luenell, who appeared in the Borat movie, played the part of the bi star looking for a hook-up. With her dominatrix style, she gave the housemates several opportunities to win her favor. They ate sushi off her, reminiscent of an Adrianne Curry moment in "The Surreal Life", stuffed bananas into her wooden replicas and seduced her in the dark. Luenell awarded her Backdoor Passes to those who would stay. As the drama heightened, Amy Schumer, Chris Fairbanks and Donnell Rawlings were left.

Amy received her pass, probably because she is so darned cute. I have to admit, she's still my favorite.

Chris made a last ditch effort to curry Luenell's favor by shaving off his mustache.

It worked and Donnell was sent home. He seemed relieved. Some humiliations just aren't worth it, no matter how much money is involved. Next week, "Chubby Weigh-in", a twisted mix of "Celebrity Fit Club" and "Biggest Loser".

On her show, "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List", Kathy faced her own humiliation as she goes to Bora Bora as the celebrity hostess of a gay retreat that is actually about 40% straight. She was on at all times, talking to guests during the day, eating with them, and so on. The first night, when she did her act, she bombed big time. I think the audience probably expected her to do her dishing on celebrities. Instead, she joked about her audience members, revealing things she had learned during the day. She redeemed herself the second night.

We also saw some touching moments back home as she tried to help her mother adjust to single life by helping her make new friends her own age. Maggie also got a scooter of her own, after her husband's old one was taken away as it was a painful reminder to her.

Now for what I found the best fun of the evening, "Last Comic Standing". It began with a discussion of Iliza. Louis tried to convince the others not to vote against her for the final showdown because she had triumphed in both previous ones, sending home four of the other comics.

Their first activity, which seemed to have no specific purpose, was to serve jokes and food to groups of diners at a Japanese restaurant. The diners were female bodybuilders, "Deal or No Deal" models, frat boys and little people. The remaining eight comedians worked in pairs, some with more success than others.

To vie for immunity the comics told bedtime stories to the "The Girls Next Door" at the Playboy Mansion. Marcus won, so he will go on directly to the final five. The others all competed in the comic showdown. Viewers would then vote and their choices will determine the other four comedians to go on to Las Vegas for the finals. The rest of the eliminations will be decided by the viewers.

The stand up show was great, as we are now down to the best of the best. My vote would probably go to Iliza. I love her spunk and her bold choice to go with material she had just written. Sean turned out to have a great singing voice. His comedy is uneven, though. I think I'd like to see Marcus joined in Vegas by Jeff, Louis, Iliza and Adam. Whoever ends up in the final five, it's going to be tough to pick the one to be the one to be the last comic standing.

Bravo - Social and Concious

More and more, we're seeing reality shows address current issues. "America's Next Top Model" has done photo shoots against smoking, for an Aids charity and promoting recycling. "Celebrity Apprentice" not only gave the competitors the opportunity to give to their favorite charities, but also a chance for that charity to be highlighted.

Bravo's "Top Chef" has tackled low calorie recipes for kids at a weight loss camp and economical foods for families on a tight budget. Wednesday's Bravo shows, "Sheer Design" and "Project Runway" both continued these trends.

On "Shear Genius", the short cut involved giving haircuts to surfers at the beach. The main struggle was that the stylists had to work with unwashed hair. It was in the elimination challenge that the public awareness aspect appeared. Their clients were women with alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. The women were all bald and wore wigs. For the challenge, the stylists chose new wigs for their clients then cut and styled them.

Paolo was so moved by the challenge that he cried during the introduction. Many of the contestants were touched by their clients and strove to really please them. Nicole took a big risk by giving her client a very short cut, but it was what had been requested and the woman was ecstatic with her new look. Paolo ended up winning and Gail, whose work lacked imagination, was sent home.

On "Project Runway", their social experiment was designing cocktail dresses made out of environmentally responsible 'green' fabrics. The twist was that the models were the ones who chose the material. There were several drawbacks to using the green fabrics. There were few color choices and much of it was shiny. The designers who seemed to have the most trouble were the ones who ended up with shiny brown material.

Korto was in the bottom three with a dress where the darts were on the outside. It was intended to be clever but turned out to be very unflattering. She managed to avoid elimination due to Wesley's construction of his dress being so poor.

Suede won with a dress that stood out because he took the chance of weaving one of the drab off-white materials with strips of red fabric. There were several other nice designs and I am starting to get to know the designers now. I don't have a favorite yet.

Borrowing Broken Hearts

Last night's episode of "The Baby Borrowers" was probably the most dramatic so far. The teens trying out parenting were given teenagers to take care of for three days. The stress on the young couples has reached an explosive point now. One of the fathers went home and another couple essentially broke up though they are sticking with the program. There is only one week left, when they will care for seniors. I'm not sure about the rational for elder care being part of the experience. Maybe they will explain it next week.

The show was filmed near Boise and a lot of familiar places are shown. The Westside Drive-in, here in Boise, is where Kelsey and Sean took turns working. It's one of my favorite places to eat. The program has been on the news quite a bit, since it has local interest. One of the babies came from a local family. His parents were interviewed and, like the other real parents involved, they felt they were helping encourage teen couples to put off having children.

One of last night's teen children, Sam, is also local. He said he was told to be himself, but that he could make a little havoc if he wanted to. I think he took it over the top, but I felt like Cory and Alicea did a good job of managing him. When Sam's mother came to pick him up, Alicea turned the table on the mother. In previous episodes, the real parents often lectured the teen parents. Last night, it was Sam's mother who got the lecture. I'm sure the boy isn't as bad as he came across, but Alicea probably didn't realize that.

Another couple of things about the show being filmed in Idaho. I hope it changes the general populace's idea of what the state is like. Boise, the state capital, is very modern and has a strong cultural bent. We have theaters, ballet and so forth. We also have a river running through town and many fly fishing shops, even within blocks of the capital building.

Every time we have visitors from other states, we take them on the Tour Train. I'd never heard mention of the two-headed calf. We've toured the Idaho History Museum and I don't remember seeing it. Idaho is certainly an agricultural state, but we're not all a bunch of hicks, and I hope the show makes viewers aware that there is more to the state than potatoes. When was of the teens talked about owning a gun, that's probably true. Idaho is a very outdoorsy place and hunting is very popular. I had a doctor delay my surgery one year till after hunting season.

One last thing about it being local. A couple of weeks ago they had an open house event on the circle where the home from "The Baby Borrowers" was filmed. They were selling off furniture and props. The townhouses are also for sale. Ads for the development air during the show here.

So, back to last night. Daton and Morgan have had their ups and downs. I think they came onto the show having just broken up. Their relationship is referred to as being 'off and on'. Some of the things Morgan did while they had the preteens upset Daton. She had been more a friend than parent to the boy they cared for. Their teen 'son' ended up going through the drama of his 'parents' fighting and splitting up. It was hard on him. Similarly, Austin and Kelly's ward had to witness days of fighting.

I think the only families that had fun were the two who got teenage girls. In a way, I was disappointed that Jordan and Sasha didn't get one of the boys. I had been looking forward to seeing how Jordan would handle a mischevious lad. He did impress everyone on the night when the three boys decided to paper the neighborhood. No one got away with anything and he had the boys out cleaning up the mess in the middle of the night.

Since she was now a single parent, Morgan had to go to work and left her 'son' with the request that he clean the house up. The place was a mess! I could somewhat understand Daton's frustration with her. The boy actually did as Morgan asked and she came home to a clean house. His mother has to be proud of how he did.

Will Austin and Kelly make it through the final episode? Has the program taught all teen parents anything? Hopefully, we'll find out next week.

Six Degrees of Reality TV

There are so many reality shows now that it isn't too surprising to see the same people showing up in more than one show. It was a surprise to see Corey Kahaney on "The Next Food Network Star". We know Corey from "Last Comic Standing."

Also appearing on Last Comic Standing was Theo Vonkurnatowski who also was on "The Real World/Road Rules". Mike Mizanin was on "The Real World" which led to him appearing on the Realty TV star version of "Fear Factor". Nikki McKibbin made her way to the same special "Fear Factor" after appearing on "American Idol".

Ryan Starr also came from "American Idol" and went on to "Battle of the Network Reality Stars" where we also saw Bradford Cohen from "The Apprentice". Another famous apprentice candidate was Omarosa whose many appearances include Celebrity Poker Showdown. Also showing up to play poker was Wendy Pepper from "Project Runway". An uncredited model that show's final runway was Ann Markley from "America's Next Top Model". One of the better known ANTM contestants is Toccara Jones who appeared on "Celebrity Fit Club".

Also losing weight on that show was Ralphie May from "Last Comic Standing". One other former participant on the search for the best comic was Amy Schumer, who, along with Theo Vonkurnatowski is on a new show that started last week. "Reality Bites Back" airs on Comedy Central. I haven't watched it yet, but am set up to record it when it airs again on Thursday.

There are many, many connections that can be made linking reality stars and better known celebrities by the shows they are on. I'm sure I'll play other versions of the game in the future.

Write to Sing

Last night the final five singers on "Nashville Star" performed original songs. It was the best show so far. Maybe it was because they are down to the cream of the contestants, but I think it is primarily because they were singing songs that fit them. The rehearsals of the original songs can be viewed on NBC's website.

My two favorites were Gabe and Melissa. Not only were their performances excellent, their songs were ones that audiences can relate to. Though the eliminations came from votes based on last week's performances, I thought Ashlee's elimination was fitting. She's a cute girl, and her song was fun, but I didn't think she did a good job performing it. At least not as good as the others.

I've always wondered how Coffey made it onto the show in the first place, and how he's stayed this long. Last night, I thought he sounded better than ever before. There were some things about his song that I liked a lot, and others that I didn't think fit. Maybe it did a good job of explaining his personal mesh of two cultures, but I think some of his references might not have made sense to all country music fans.

I'm glad Shawn is the 4th finalist, even though her performances haven't, in my opinion, been consistent. Of all the songs last night, though, hers was the only one I don't remember. That may not be a good sign. We'll know in a couple of weeks who the winner is. I'm hoping it will be Gabe, and if not him, Melissa. We'll just have to wait and see who everyone votes for.

Stars on the Horizon

Last night "The Next Food Network Star" and "Design Star" were each set to select the two finalists from three remaining competitors. Things didn't go quite as planned on the Food Network's Show. After each of the three chefs performed in a promo for their show, and then prepared at least 6 dishes for a Las Vegas display, the judges couldn't agree. All three finalists will be going on to the final challenge. So far, none of them is a complete package. On screen presence seems to be the biggest difficulty. They all seem to give in to nervousness. Aaron is starting to relax. He's got the most personality, at least in terms of being a person ordinary people can relate to. Adam and Lisa both seem a little too manic at times. I guess we'll see who holds up best next week in front of a live audience.

"Design Star" followed their plan to eliminate one of the three finalists, but the judges there didn't have an easy time, either. Trish, Jennifer and Matt were sent to redesign a room for a family member. Unlike most challenges, they knew their clients' tastes and were able to tailor their designs to the owner's needs and desires. They all did something innovative. For his parents, Matt built a moveable wall to hide, but allow access to, a pottery kiln. He brought in a game table with the games hidden inside and a craft table. The big criticism the judges had was that he put in four leather-looking black chairs. Because of the way the room would be used, he wanted furniture that would not show dirt and could be easily washable.

The big challenge for Trish was meeting the needs of her parents. Her father has health issues that require he sleep in a recliner. The recliner had to be part of the room's design. One of the neatest things Trish did was recreate the fireplace so it extended up to the ceiling. It really glamorized the room. The big criticism of her room was that much of it looked like a typical display. The judges particulary disliked the fringed pillows.

Jennifer redid her sister's living and dining room. She painted a large leaf pattern on the wall that some of the judges felt was something she'd already done several times, but at least one of the judges really liked. Her sister needed lots of seating space in her livingroom and Jennifer's solution was to bring in a table with wedge-shaped seats beneath it. They could be pulled out when needed without the room being overly cluttered the rest of the time.

In the end, it was Trish who had her show cancelled. Next week the remaining to designers will do projects and then it will be the viewers who vote and help decide on the winner.

Celebrity Life Helps

Does showing a celebrity struggle to handle and addiction make it more apt to inspire viewers? Comparing "Celebrity Fit Club" to "The Biggest Loser", probably not. A lot of us may feel more like we identify with a normal person trying to lose wait. To me, food is as addictive as alcohol or drugs. How often do I get stressed and feel like I have to have chocolate? Since I'm not a celebrity, no one cares. But it probably shows why I identify with the struggles of anyone trying to break bad habits.

"Celebrity Rehab" is another show that has a non-celeb counterpart in "Intervention". I haven't watched the latter, probably because my brother was an addict and I am not at all comfortable with some of it. However, I did tune in Dr. Drew's show, mainly to see what would possess a well-known personality to publicly go through detox and all the rest. I didn't expect to get hooked on the show, but I found harder to miss than it was to watch. Perhaps, again, because of my brother. It helped me understand why his stint in rehab didn't help him.

Oddly enough, two actors appeared on both celebrity shows. Daniel Baldwin appeared on "Celebrity Fit Club" in 2005 and Jeff Conaway did so in 2006. If memory serves, neither of them made it through the entire show. Baldwin didn't show up for the final weigh-in and Conaway had to enter rehab after a few weeks. I suppose they both were obvious candidates for Celebrity Rehab. And both left rehab early. Conaway is supposed to appear again on the second season of Dr. Drew's rehab show, scheduled for October.

Also in rehab were other reality tv personalities. Brigitte Nielsen had appeared on "The Surreal Life" and "Strange Love" with Flavor Flav. That relationship didn't work out as well as the one between Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry, who in their season on "The Surreal Life" shared the house with Joanie Laurer. Joanie, aka Chyna Doll, was also in "Celebrity Rehab", bonding to some extent with other Amazon woman, Brigitte. Finally, also in rehab was Jessica Sierra, first put into the spotlight on "American Idol".

There are victories and disappointments on both shows. Maureen McCormick lost a lot of weight on Fit Club, but looked like she'd gained some of it back when she appeared on "Gone Country". Toccara Jones, former "America's Next Top Model", appeared on both the club and camp versions of the show. In the latter, she rose to the occasion, not only deciding she could lose weight and be a plus-size model, but leading the team with both compassion and determination. I never saw anyone work so hard for others as she did. Toccara is now a
host on a BET show and still models.

On "Celebrity Rehab", Mary Carey and Ricco Rodriguez appear to have turned their lives around. Jessica Sierra has had her problems, but she is still working on getting better. One of the things I've discovered about both shows is that when you see people at their worst moments, you start feeling for them. I was blown away by Tina Yother's determination to lose weight. Mary Carey's story touched my heart. I'm hooked on both shows and look forward to new seasons. Hopefully, there will be more Fit Club.

Measuring Top Model Success

What makes for a successful modeling career? Is it booking lots of fashion shows? Many magazine covers? Doing print ads and magazine spreads? Making television appearances?
Earning the most money?

All of those things are factors of modeling career achievements, but because there are such diverse sorts of careers, choosing who is the most successful is difficult, if not impossible. Just look at the girls from Cycle One of "America's Next Top Model". They have had longer to build careers that subsequent contestants.

Adrianne Curry was the very first winner of ANTM. I've seen her in one commercial, for diamonds. She is far better known as a tv celebrity. While she has acted or made appearances as herself on a number of tv series, she is probably best known for her VH1 reality shows, "The Surreal Life" and "My Fair Brady". Her marriage to "Brady Bunch" actor, Christopher Knight was even televised as part of their show.

The only one of her ANTM co-stars who appeared in her wedding party was Kesse Wallace. She came in fourth place in Cycle One has done a lot of runway and magazine work as well as a commercial for Church's Chicken.

Second place went to Shannon Stewart. She has done a few appearances on later seasons of Top Model and "The Tyra Banks Show". Most of her modeling work has been for magazines.

Katie Cleary was the second person sent home in Cycle One. She was too "men's magazine". That attribute has made her one of the most successful top models. She is a "Deal or No Deal" model, looking after case 11. Currently, she is featured in an AT&T commercial.

I've saved my favorite contestant ever for last. Elyse Sewell came in third, but she seems to be one of the busiest models, doing print and runway work, primarily in Asia. She has shared man of her experiences in her blog and had part of it published as a book, Beauty and The Biz: The International Adventures of America's Third-to-Next Top Model. The book was only available in Hong Kong. She seems to still be going strong.

A number of people have gone on to earn celebrity after starting on ANTM. Everyone has their favorites. I have from just about every season, but sometimes my favs don't go on to careers. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't have some sort of success.

Funny Stuff

I've dubbed Thursday comedy night. NBC airs "Last Comic Standing" and "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List" is on Bravo. I enjoyed both and found myself laughing a lot. Less at Kathy Griffin's show, but that was because it was touching and showed a side of Kathy we don't see enough. It's one of her best episodes, for my tastes, at least.

First, though, there was the massacre on "Last Comic Standing". The challenge to win immunity was prop comedy. Who else but Carrot Top could be the guest judge? The comics had an hour at Bed, Bath and Beyond to collect items and put together their acts. I'm not a fan of this sort of comedy, but I found myself enjoying the thematic routines. Louis Ramey, who is one of my favorites, did a 'green' routine that was both current and clever. I love movies and Jeff Dye's recreation of a number of films was hilarious. Carrot Top chose him as the winner.

Then came the 'I know I'm funnier than...' vote, which takes place in a graveyard. The votes were spread all over the place, but Paul Foot and Papa CJ both received 3 votes. They both went on to the comedy showdown and had to choose the third comic between themselves. After debating on several possibities, they made the foolish decision of selecting Iliza Shlesinger, last week's victor. She creamed the two guys, getting more than 60% of the audience vote.

As I predicted, Papa CJ's routine got stale and seemed almost offensive last night. Paul Foot reminds me of Rowan Atkinson, whose type of comedy I don't like. I think the big problem for Foot was that American's don't really get his humor, but he also sort of fell apart in the middle. I like hearing the other comics evaluate the performances and guess who will win. The pressure is increasing as more go home. Two more will be voted off next week, then the rest will go to Las Vegas to perform.

Kathy Griffin did some traveling on her show. Mixing a vacation with a publicity gimmick, she took her staff to Puerto Vayarta, Mexico, and spent most of three days fixing up a library at a school in a nearby community. In "No Time for Siestas!", the attempt to grab publicity gave way to some genuine interest in the children at the school. They actually did a great job of cleaning up, decorating and stocking the library building. Kathy even managed to get then boyfriend Steve Wozniak to donate 4 Apple computers to the school.

There were, of course, funny moments, not all intentional. Kathy managed to fall asleep in the sun and get a horrible burn on her face. That didn't keep her from working on her project, and she found ways to joke about her appearance. Near the end of the episode, her staff revealed a Kathy-shaped piñata with bright red hair. After the kids broke it to get the candy inside, the staff took out their aggressions on the remains of the piñata. For once, I felt good about the show, rather than conflicted.

I once cried during a Jerry Lewis movie. Comedy can be poignant. It can challenge us to be better people. Whether it was going green or doing charitable work, the messages were there, meaningful and funny all at once.

High and Low Points

Wednesday is my big reality tv night, with "The Baby Borrowers" and "Celebrity Circus" on NBC and "Shear Genius" and "Project Runway" on Bravo.

Pre-teens descended on the practice parents last night on "The Baby Borrowers". It's interesting to see how the teens on the show have handled different age children with varying amounts of skill. Jordan and Sasha were by far the best when handling babies, but fell apart with an unmanageable toddler. They bounced back last night, once again earning praise from the parents. Cory and Alicea seem to me to be the couple who is growing the most. Last night, they had a sleepover with all 9 children. They were fantastic.

The other four couples looked forward to a night alone together. It was not to be. One member of each pair had a friend come to visit.

In last night's "Celebrity Circus", I was disappointed and surprised that Stacey Dash came in second place. I must not be the only one. In a poll on the NBC website, viewers are asked who should have won and Stacey currently has half the votes. Still, Anthony Sabato Jr. was good and deserved the trophy. Really, all three finalists did. They spent three months learning and performing the acts.

The best part of last night's episode wa a showcase of the professional performers. Judge Aurelia Cats had been the toughest on the contestants when evaluating their performances. Last night, I saw why. The woman probably has high standards because her act is incredible. The finale can be viewed on NBC's website. It's worth another viewing.

Over on Bravo, "Project Runway" had its season premiere. I read recently that the show will probably move to Lifetime next year. It will also be moving to California. As I recall, "America's Next Top Model" made a similar move, but decided to move back to NYC. But for now, we have a whole new crop of designers to meet. The challenge was making an outfit from items found at the grocery store. The guest judge was Season 1's Austin Scarlett. The first elimination isn't all that emotional, except for the person who's 'out' because we haven't gotten to know them yet.

Finally, "Shear Genius", like "Top Chef" had two challenges, a 'short cut' and then the elimination challenge. The 'short cut' was a very difficult assignment. Each stylist chose a client and planned a style with her input. Then, they had to communicate their vision to the other stylists as they passed their clients around. Dee won, earning not only the first choice of clients but the right to assign clients to all the other stylists.

The responsibility of choosing for other stylists is more a curse than a prize. No matter what she did, someone was going to be angry with Dee. As there are fewer and fewer contestants left, things get cattier. The main focus of the challenge was creating styles that the clients could recreate themselves for the runway the next day.

Charlie has been used to winning, so ending up in the bottom three was upsetting to him. Most of his time was spent teaching his client how to blow dry the style. He was the only one who didn't color his client's hair. Luckily for him, he had immunity and it was Meredith who was sent home for giving her client a style that was difficult to maintain. Glenn won the challenge succeeding not only in giving her client a wonderful new look as well as showing her how to cut down styling time.

In the Pursuit of Fame

One reality show that I liked only lasted one season. Back in 2003, Debbie Allen produced and hosted "Fame". This show followed hopefuls who sought fame by polishing up their singing, dancing and acting skills. I believe the winner was determined by audience votes. I'm not sure why it failed, because I thought it gave a good picture of what it takes to do musical theater.

This was also illustrated by "Grease: You're the One That I Want!" in 2006. In this one, a male and female lead were chosen for a new Broadway production of "Grease". Winners, Max Crumm and Laura Osnes are still in the production, but Max is planning to leave next month. They appeared on the Tony awards.

I assume that "Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods" on MTV is similar, though I haven't gotten around to watching it.

One I've watched every season is "I Wanna Be a Soap Star" on SoapNet. I don't know if they will continue to do new seasons, but as a former soap watcher, I enjoyed it. The prize was a short-term role on a soap opera. Different years were different shows. Some of the winners went on to real careers, such as Alec Musser on "All My Children" and Ashlee Holland on "Days of Our Lives."

"I Know My Kid's a Star" produced and hosted by Danny Bonaduce looked at the work it takes, for both parents and their offspring, to create a child star. I found it fascinating, partly because I played stage mom for my son for a short time. After seeing what people go through, I think we made a good decision to drop out. Marki Costello was a judge, of sorts, but Bonaduce made the final choice each week of who to send home. The show was as much about the parents as the kids. All the kids were talented. As far as I can tell, the 9-year-0ld winner hasn't done any professional work yet, but she's young!

Marki Costello was a casting director for "The Bachelor" in 2002 and "Next Action Star" in 2004. The latter being another of those shows that fall into the pursuing an entertainment career category. I could swear I've seen her on another show, but I wasn't able to verify that. Maybe it was something called "Open Call" but the show's description didn't ring a bell with me.

One of these shows, I think the soap opera one, did something I liked very much. It announced who was going home and afterwards showed the judges' deliberations. That way, the viewer got to see more of how the decision was made.

Finally, marginally fitting into this category is Stan Lee's "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" . It's so silly, it's fun to watch. Stan Lee apparently makes all the decisions as to who goes or stays. The winner's character ends up having his or her own comic book and a Scifi Channel movie.

So, can tv reality shows lead to real stardom? Rarely, but anything is possible.

Sing for the Network?

Last night, on "Nashville Star" one of the judge/mentors expressed having been dismayed when the show moved to NBC because the network was going to have a say in choosing the finalists. He had been surprised by some of their choices, but expressed more satisfaction now with the quality of the remaining competitors. It made me wonder who should be in charge and if viewers are being somewhat mislead.

It's not a new idea, of course. Years ago, Drew Carey complained about the results on an episode of "Last Comic Standing" when he was a guest judge. Neither he or any of the other judges had voted for one of the comics who was moved on. Apparently, the rules stated that the network and/or show producers had final say in who was to move on, but it was misleading to the audience. The show is also on NBC. In both cases, the network let the comments from the judges be aired, so they weren't trying to hide anything.

Of course, contestants are chosen as much for their personalities as abilities on most shows, and that is something viewers probably appreciate. Would we watch "Survivor" or "The Amazing Race" if the players weren't interesting? Of course not.

"America's Next Top Model" is one of my favorite shows and they seem to have a formula for each cycle's cast. There's the nerd, the full-figured model, the bad girl, the diva, the eccentric, and often the girl with a disability. The formula seemed to work the first season, so it has continued. Is being entertaining more important than finding the best?

"Nashville Star" seems to be closing in on the best of the contestants. There are five left. I was sorry to see Laura and Sophie eliminated. I guess the viewers took the judges comments to heart last week and sent the girls home because they are too young. Gabe Garcia is still in the running and has, in my opinion, given consistently good performances. Also part of the final five are Shawn Mayer, Melissa Lawson, Ashlee Hewitt and CoffeyAnderson. Who will survive this week's vote? Will the final winner actually become a star?

Anything You Can Do...

Last night both "The Next Food Network Star" and "Design Star" were on. I find it amusing that they air at the same times and carry ads for each other. I like that I can catch both of them and last night, both shows got down to three finalists. For "Design Star", that meant that two of the remaining five designers had their "show" canceled.

There were some similarities between the two episodes last night. On air personality was a key factor in selecting the finalists. The designers had to introduce the kitchen they had remodeled. The chefs were interviewed as they were busy cooking. To me, the latter posed the greatest challenge. The designers had time to think about what they wanted to say. Interviewed by Dayna Devon from "Extra", the chefs had to come up with answers on the spot, while continuing to cook.

A big difference between the two shows last night was that the chef's were each on their own, competing in pairs in a Vegas Throwdown where each chef chose a signature dish to prepare. The twist was that they also had to prepare the other cook's dish. Adam and Lisa made Vegas style Mac 'N' Cheese and Cassoulet while Aaron and Kelsey made Stuffed Pork and Chicken Parmesan . In the end, it was Kelsey who was sent home. Even though she probably had one of the best personalities, she lacked experience.

On "Design Star", the five remaining designers had to work together to remodel a kitchen and dining area. Tracee drew the role of project leader. In the end, she failed on several levels to provide the kitchen the homeowners wanted. The big issue was tile. She bought tile, but didn't get it back to the house in time for it to be put in. Mikey V. was the other designer who was sent home. In his case, it was more his onscreen performance that made the judges finally decide he was the one to leave. Next week, the three designers will be whittled down to two and the viewers will choose the winner based on their final designs.

Careers in Reality TV

Fifteen minutes of fame doesn't seem to be enough for some people. Ordinary Joes who earn a little fame from being a survivor or bachelor sometimes can't stop with just one moment in the spotlight. I wonder who has milked the role of reality tv star most?

Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich. now married, may be among the classiest reality stars. They were both on two seasons of "Survivor", different ones the first time around, then meeting and falling in love in the all-stars season. They let their wedding be televised and then went on to do two seasons of "The Amazing Race" together. It's likely they are the only reality tv stars to have appeared in all-star editions of two shows.

On the other end of the spectrum, in my opinion, is Jon Dalton (Jonny Fairplay) who seems unable to turn down a tv offer. In between two stints on "Survivor" he has sandwiched in "Kill Reality", "Celebrity Poker Show Down", "Reality Stars Fear Factor", and "Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge". Not too long ago, he was on the "Tyra Show" with fiancé Michelle Deighton ("America’s Next Top Model", Cycle 4 and "Friday Night Smackdown" in 2005) and their newborn daughter, Piper. I actually think he's growing up.

There are tons of people who have been on more than one reality show. I'm still researching to see if I can find someone more prolific than Jon.

Living on the Reality TV List

Thursday night also brought the premiere of this week's episode of "My Life on the D-List" on Bravo. There are tons of shows following celebrities around as they live their lives, but this is one of my favorites. I've watched every episode from Season 1 on. Sometimes, I don't like Kathy Griffin. She seems so self-absorbed. But, she's funny. She has also provided us with a real look at her life, from divorce to the death of her father and her trip to Ireland in his memory. She took us on her USO visit to Iraq, giving us two of the most memorable episodes ever. This year, we see her poignant relationship with her aging, widowed mother.

There is also a lot of fun to be had. This week's visit to a "Bear" convention was a trip. Watching her perform at Madison Square Gardens was a joy. Last week, when she officiated at a wedding, it was audaciously disturbing. It must be a lot of hard work to balance the funny and dramatic moments, but she succeeds. No wonder she earned that Emmy that she almost gave away to the "Dog Whisperer".

Only two other shows of this type captured my full attention, both on VH1. One was "Scott Baio Is 45... And Single" followed by "Scott Baio Is 46... And Pregnant". I had no idea he was such a shallow person, as he was shown to be in the first season. I suppose I stuck around to watch him try to make a better man of himself with the help of a life coach. Would he grow up? Could he change. By the end of the first season it appeared that he could and had. The second season confirmed that.

Probably my favorite reality series of the celebrity life sort is "My Fair Brady". I was a fan of Adrianne Curry from "America's Next Top Model", so I looked forward to her being on "Surreal Life". I had never been a big fan of the "Brady Bunch", but, like Adrianne, I fell in love with Christopher Knight. (Well, not in love the way she did.) Sap that I am, I saw the attraction between the two of them on the show. I thought there was something real there. Maybe I was right, or maybe they are just masterful actors, who cares. I love their chemistry and hope we'll see more of them. We did, a little, when Adrienne was in the audience when Christopher was on "Celebrity Circus".

I love learning about the lives of celebrities and read lots of biographies, but I've never been a fan of tabloids. I don't want to intrude on someone's life. However, when they invite us in, then I'm there, especially for people who are both funny and genuine. Like Kathy Griffin.

Two Comics Down

I don't know whether to say two comics, or three. The team called God's Pottery was eliminated last night, along with Esther Ku. Poor Esther was singled out by the majority of the other comics as the one they thought they were funnier than. I think that may have come as a surprise to the always bouyant Ku. Having been voted into the first competition, she had two choose who she would go up against. Even though Ku had said she was funnier than Louis Ramey in her vote, she actually chose to share the stage with God's Pottery and Iliza Shlesinger.

My theory is that Esther didn't think very many people would choose Ramey, so there was no chance that he would be the one chosen for the showdown. Since the loser of the vote selects who to go up against from those who voted for him or her, targetting Ramey was a way of protecting herself. That made no difference, as it turned out.

Iliza Shlesinger won, obviously. And rightfully so. As much as I liked Esther, she stuck to material that focused on her Asian and Korean heritage, rather than taking in broader topics. God's Pottery had a routine that was funny, but it was also very close to reality. I've been to church camps with people like them. Sure, they were over the top with it, but it really didn't seem like stand up to me. Apparently, the audience that saw the show and voted for their favorite felt the same way. More than 60% of the audience found Shlesinger the best.

The rest of the two-hour episode that ended with the elimination was a lot of fun. They did show a little of the comics in their new home. Some didn't take well to bunk beds. Then there was a slight dispute over who got the girlie room. God's Pottery had intended to take it over if they won the challenge and the two girls were sent home.

There was also a calendar shoot where the comics chose their own costumes from just about anything you can imagine. Marcus as Wonder Woman and Jeff Dye were some of the saner costumes. If the episode airs again, watch it! It's a hoot, compete with a smack down in a boxing room where comics were paired against each other to throw out insults. Jim Tavare won that and could not be chosen for elimination. It was nice to see him without the bass violin.

Hair-raising Experiences

Wednesdays always seem to have an abundance of shows. Last night's were diverse and dramatic in different ways. First was "The Baby Borrowers". Toddlers were delivered to the five pairs of teens who had volunteered to try being a family for a few weeks. There's a reason for the phrase "terrible twos" and the teens found that out quickly enough. One couple received a set of twins. And a couple of pretend parents found themselves with boys who weren't quite potty trained. My favorite couple from the baby segments that aired the two previous weeks, Jordan and Sasha, pretty much fell apart. The other teams seemed to show improvement. Next time, they'll deal with pre-teens. Scary.

Next, also on ABC, came "Celebrity Circus". It was the last week of performances by the three remaining contestants; Wee Man, Stacey Dash and Antonio Sabato Jr. Each was assigned their act by the judges and they were all three dangling acts. Wee Man did the straps, Stacey Dash the bungees and Antonio the silks. They all did well and each earned 8's from all the judges. The decision of who wins, then, will be left to the judges, since winners are decided by adding viewer votes to the judges' scores. I'd like to see Stacey Dash win, but they all did great jobs.

Finally, there was "Shear Genius". Using the same format as other Bravo shows such as "Top Chef", the hair stylists have judges who evaluate their work, selecting winners and the person to be sent home. There is, in my opinion, much less variety in hair than in cooking or fashion design. Most of the fun in this one comes from the personalities. So far, there hasn't been as much friction between competitors as one might expect, but I see some coming. Charlie has won two weeks in a row and I suspect he's going to be someone's target soon. The frightening thing about this show is some of the hairstyles. You're left asking yourself, "What were they thinking?"

When you take it all under consideration, "The Baby Borrowers" have it the hardest. Unlike the circus celebrities, they don't have safety wires. And while both other shows have judges with no emotional investment in the outcome of the night's activities, the teens are critiqued by the parents of the children they "borrowed". That takes reality tv emotion to new heights.

The Dregs in My Cup of TV

There are shows that I want to like. Then there are those I watch because I'll try anything once. Last night brought a couple of disappointments. Having been hooked on "Can You Duet" and currently watching "Nashville Star", I decided to give "The Next GAC Star" a shot when I saw it on the schedule. This appears to be a compilation of the best and worst videos submitted to GAC's website. It wasn't quite what I was hoping for. I suppose a big draw, for me, of reality tv, is getting to know the people. I'm the sort of person who likes to watch people at the airport, for example. Little snippets of life. This show didn't feel that need, and I didn't think most of the performances were all that good.

Speaking of shots, last night's "One Shot Too Many" was a follow-up to this season's "Shot at Love 2". Here was a lot of personality and people watching, but little else. At some point, you have to care, and I am finding it harder to do that. Sure, I'd like Tila Tequila to find love. I'd like everyone to. However, is making people drink blenderized hot dogs or make sexy poses in a cage the way to find it? Since I was disappointed with how the season ended up, I suppose I should not have been surprised that I didn't enjoy seeing Tila and the two finalists reunite to discuss what happened. It was sad to see that Bo not only ended up with a broken jaw, but also lost his job because of the show.

Of course, I don't have to keep watching shows that don't really appeal to me. There must be something that keeps me checking in each week. Maybe it is the personalities that keeps me engrossed.

Watching for Stars

Last night, I watched two shows intended to find stars. They also illustrate the differences between judge and fan decided contests.

"Nashville Star" on NBC and "Design Star" on HGTV have some things in common. There is one producer, Sally Ann Salsano, who is associated with both shows. Both take place in Nashville this year and in this week's episode of "Design Star" the contestants worked in teams to create a suite at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. This is also where "Nashville Star" and CMT's "Can You Duet" are based.

One other thing both contests involve is the need for personality. Mentors on "Nashville Star" give their teams hints on how to win the crowd over. Last night, my favorite, Gabe Garcia, took Jewel's suggestions to heart and connected with the audience more than he had in the past. The contestants on last night's "Design Star" had to tape introductions to the evening's design projects. Again, they had to sell themselves to the audience.

There are as many differences as similarities, though. On "Nashville Star" the judges serve as mentors for their team of singers. The judges critique performances, but the selection of who goes on is left to the viewers. On "Design Star" the judges just judge. Contestants are not mentored, other than tips from the judges when their work is reviewed before the panel decides who to send home.

"Nashville Star" awards a recording contract to the winner. (And, this year, a chance to perform at the Olympics.) The "Design Star" winner will have their own show on HGTV. There are no guarantees their show will be renewed, just as winning "Nashville Star" doesn't guarantee a successful music career. The winners of the first two seasons of "Design Star" still have their shows going strong, though.

Though the fates of the "Nashville Star" winners have been more varied, there is a lot greater chance that non-winners will also have music careers. There is less chance that a "Design Star" loser will find a tv career. One thing is sure, though. Despite the differences in how winners are chosen, there is a guarantee that on each show, a star will be found.

A Taste for Reality

Last night on "The Next Food Network Star", the want-to-be cooking show hosts were cut from 5 to 4. Food is an important factor of the show and the challenges, but the on-screen presence is even more vital. The food should look and taste good. People at home who try the recipes should have their expectations met. But, who would stick around long enough to get interested in the dish if the host isn't engaging and confident. On-air personality is what separates a food show host from just a good cook.

Contrast that to Bravo's "Top Chef" where the food is what matters and personalities are often abrasive. You won't see arguments full or expletives or head-shaving attempts on the Food Network show. In "Top Chef", good food wins out over personality. In this past season, Lisa made it to the final three even though she had a very abrasive manner. Much like Tiffani in season 1, she alienated most, if not all, of the cast. I can't see Lisa ever being a show host. Tiffani, on the other hand, can be pleasant and speak authoritively. She just seemed lacking in social skills.

Social skills are very important on "The Next Food Network Star". Not only do hosts have to be entertaining and knowledgeable, they are asked to share themselves with their audience. There is so much to work into a few minutes. Last night, they each had 4 minutes on Rachael Rae's show in which to present a kid friendly, healthy meal with a Girl Scout for an assistant. Not only did they have to show how to prepare and plate the dish, but involve the helper in the process, engage the audience, interact with Ms Rae and have a chance for the dish to be sampled before time runs out.

Contestants varied in how well they did. Some didn't involve the child the way they should. One asked Rachael to do too much. Another practically froze and her host had to step in to explain the dish. Aaron, who has had trouble coming out of himself, blossomed this week, clearly doing the best. I'm rooting for him to take it all. We'll find out soon.

Fans vs. Judges

Most of the competition type shows choose winners by either having judges make that decision, or by having viewers vote. A few shows have done a combination of the two. Personally, I prefer leaving the decision to the judges. The only time I feel that having the viewers decide is when the goal is to find what pleases the public. My best example for that was "On the Lot". Here, contestants showed their ability to create movies. It made some sense for the audience to make that choice, because they are also the consumer.

Let me contrast a couple of similar shows. The CW's "America's Next Top Model" is decided by judges. Bravo's "Make Me a Supermodel" was decided by voters. In both competitions, the prize is a modeling contract. On ANTM a group of female hopefuls go through some training as well as competing in challenges. Each week, the judges eliminate one of the girls till it gets to the final two, then they choose a winner.

On "Make Me a Supermodel", males and females compete against each other. There are judges who decide which three will be put up for a vote by the public. The focus here is more on the performances of the models which are critiqued by the judges. I don't recall there being much in the way of training provided.

Modeling is a profession where the client is not the person buying the merchandise, but the person selling it. A model is hired by a company that wants to sell a product so the person they best feel can sell the item is the one hired. Who viewers like does not translate into a model actually having what clients will want. One week on "Make Me a Supermodel", the judges even expressed the sentiment that the wrong person was sent home.

Two other shows that are comparable are CMT's "Can You Duet" and NBC's "Nashville Star". In both, there are male and female contestants. In CYD, all the contestants are duos, though some teams were put together after the auditions. Each team is coached by each of the judges. This season it was a vocal coach, a songwriter and a member of a very successful duo. The judges used their expertise to help polish the duos. In the end, it was the judges who chose who would stay and go each week and who selected the winners.

"Nashville Star" most of the contestants are individuals, but they did have some groups. Each of the judges this season take a group of competitors to mentor. One took females, one took males and one handles groups. They comment on the performances, but it is left to the viewers to vote. The singer/group with the least votes goes home.

Since the music business is audience oriented, I suppose there is some validity in having the winners chosen by the public. However, I often feel that it may not result in the most talented and marketable performers to win. It often ends up just being a popularity contest and may be swayed by a lot of things, including personal stories, looks rather than skill, or having a fan base that knows how to work the phone and computer methods of voting.

The good news in all these shows is that those who don't win can still go on to be successful. Exposure is good and so is the experience of working in a professional environment. Even though I don't like the voting shows as much, I do find myself voting. My favorite in "Nashville Star" is Gabe Garcia.

One thing I like that is a sort of compromise is having viewers of the judge-decided shows have the chance to vote on their favorites for different things. For example, on "Can You Duet", viewers were asked to tell which duo they felt had the best connection. There are ways to involve the viewer without resorting to the contest being decided by people who may not really understand the needs of the career being sought.

Last Comics Standing

When I was thinking about how I got into reality shows, I forgot about "Last Comic Standing". I've watched it ever since the beginning and I believe I liked the first season best of all. I enjoyed seeing the comics living together. The humor that popped up in daily life was as funny as the stand up performances. From the previews, I'm hoping there will be a little of it this season.

They're down to 12 finalists and it looks like 2 will be eliminated next week. I love Esther Ku, but I'm thinking at this point that Marcus will end up being the last comic standing at the end of the show. In my opinion Jim Tavare and God's Pottery won't last too long because their acts are not seeming very diverse. I also like Papa CJ, but I feel he needs to move away from call center and outsourcing jokes. It is material that we enjoy, but we can only hear those things so many times then they get old.

Which makes me think back to Esther Ku. While her ethnicity is a big inspiration for her humor, I hope she won't limit herself to jokes about being Korean-American. Dat Phan, the first season winner tended to limit his humor too much to being Vietnamese. I have barely seen him since he won. Some of the losers have done better. I see more of Ralphie May, from that season, that I do of Dat Phan. The comic I see most often is ANT from season 2. He's made a niche for himself in the reality tv world as host of "Celebrity Fit Club" and contestant in "Celebracadabra".

http://www.nbc.com/Last_Comic_Standing/video/#cat=new

Talents of the Stars

Last night, Christopher Knight had to drop out of "Celebrity Circus" because of a broken arm. It was second break during the course of the show. Stacey Dash injured her ribs, but toughed it out. This is one of many shows where stars and other well-known people learn and perform special skills. Other examples are "Dancing with the Stars", "Celebracadabra" and "Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge".

Such shows often stretch a celebrity, forcing them to really get into shape. They can also be dangerous. Dancing and magic, probably not as much, but "Dancing with the Stars" has had several injuries. "Celebracadabra" didn't have any injuries that I know of, but they did do some dangerous "death defying" tricks on one of the weeks.

Bull riding was the most dangerous. Stephen Baldwin had a broken shoulder and rib. Francesco Quinn cracked ribs. Everyone got bruises. Dan Clark, "Nitro" from the original "American Gladiators" had a groin injury but insisted on riding in the final event. One thing that set this show apart was that it was not a competition among the stars. The goal was to get good enough to appear at a real rodeo.

Next week is the finale of "Celebrity Circus". Unlike it's predecessor, "Circus of the Stars", this is a competition. Each week, the celebrities do a different act. Judges vote on them, but it is the viewers who decide who will stay. After the votes of fans have been tallied, the star with the fewest votes goes home. Because of Knight having to drop out, no one was eliminated last night. In the coming finale, one more celebrity will be eliminated leaving three stars to compete for the prize.

I'm pulling for Stacey Dash!

Borrowing Life Experience

Last night was the second episode of "The Baby Borrowers". I don't know if it is really going to discourage teens from starting families, but it may make them think. All and all, I found it fun to see the different ways the teens respond to the challenges of parenting. A couple of the girls insisted on being the ones to go out and work rather than staying home with the baby.

The real parents are able to monitor what is happening and intercede if needed. This happened a couple of times, and the teens involved tended to be put off by it. Last night, the babies were picked up by the real parents who gave feedback to the teen couples. It was a good learning experience, even touching at times.

There are other shows that deal with life experiences. I suppose the home remodel type shows fall into this category, as well as those that show how to prepare a house for sale. I found the latter useful when we were selling our home. The there are the shows like "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" that deal more with personal style.

"Nanny 911" provides parenting tips. I've recently watched a few episodes of "Trading Spouses" on CMT. Sometimes, I just feel like it's humiliating to the families involved, but I have also seen people grow and change as they saw the lives of others.

"The Baby Borrowers" move on to toddlers next week. I'm looking forward to that. I used to live in a community where they didn't teach sex ed, but the high school provided daycare for the children of students. One day, I saw a young couple pushing a stroller to school with both a toddler and baby. Teens should, in my opinion, be concentrating on school and growing up themselves. With a few more years of life experience, they'll be far more able to raise families.

Shots at Love

Last night I watched the conclusion of "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila". I really don't like dating type reality shows, but I've watched both seasons of this one because of the unique aspect of both women and men courting Tila. Last season, Tila picked a guy. This season, he apparently didn't work out, so she was looking again. In the end, she was left being set up for yet another season of the show.

Do people ever find true love on these sorts of shows? I haven't watched many. "Average Joe" was one I watched. I think I only watched a few episodes. As far as I know, "The Bachelor's" Trista and Ryan are the only couple who stayed together. But, to be honest, I haven't paid all that much attention to these types of shows.

At a friend's urging, I watched "The Bachelor" this year. I had mixed feelings about it, but I found I liked Shayne Lamas so I kept watching. Roomers are that they'll be marrying soon. It would be nice to see and I hope that if they do, they make a success of it.

For now, though, I'm back to avoiding romance type competitions. Watching "The Bachelor" sometimes made me feel icky. One person romancing so many at once, complete with kissing and cuddling, just disturbed me. I'm open-minded about relationships, but that was a bit more that I felt comfortable with. On the other hand, I never took Tila Tequila's search for love all that seriously. I liked Dani from the first season so much that I was glad she wasn't chosen. She seemed too nice a person to end up in the zoo reality couples live in.

One Show Leads to Another

How does one start watching reality shows? For me, you can blame it all on Troy McClain. When I heard there was a contestant from Boise on The Apprentice, I had to watch. I really found the first season of the show to be semi-educational. Working at the lower levels of the corporate world, I learned a few things that could be usual to me in my career. Don't ask me what those things were, though, it's been too long. But, that was how my addiction began.

Next came America's Next Top Model. I watched ANTM from the first season on and even bought the DVD. I wish they would release DVDs of the other years, but at least I can watch them again on MTV and VH1 at times. I feel the show empowers young women. I wish there had been something like that when I was a teen.

I always thought the idea of Survivor was dumb, but when the All-Star season started, I was curious to see what it would be like to have experienced players face off. I fell in love with the show and have been watching ever since. I've bought the previous seasons that have been released on DVD so I could see what happened in seasons I missed. I'm hoping they will put them all out at some time.

So...When Rob and Amber signed up for The Amazing Race, I had to give that a try. You know it, I was hooked again. I just wish they hadn't done the family version. Gretchen and Meredith are my heroes. I want to be Gretchen when I grow up!

This past season when they had The Celebrity Apprentice, I couldn't resist. Trace Adkins really impressed me and after hearing him sing "You're Gonna Miss This" I started watching CMT to see the video version. I also saw commercials for Can You Duet and decided to try it. Hooked!

Others I watch whenever they are on include Last Comic Standing (though I preferred the original format), I Wanna Be a Soap Star, and I Know My Kid's a Star.

I wish they would do another season of On the Lot.

Then there are all those Bravo shows that I love: Project Runway, Top Chef and Shear Genius. Liking those led to similar shows like Design Star and the Next Food Network Star.

Now, for the dark side....

Being a great fan of 'whatever happened to' articles and shows, I found myself sucked into the Surreal Life. I've watched Celebrity Poker Showdown, Kill Reality (reality stars make a movie), Celebrity Bullriding Callenge and Battle of the Network Reality Stars. Recently I watched Celebracadabara and currently I'm following Celebrity Circus. I even watched the Reality Stars version of Fear Factor, a show swore I would never watch.

Finally, I've started watching the Baby Borrowers. Why? Filmed near Boise.

I hope anyone who reads this will share their reality tv stories, too.