Back to Reality . . .

The season of reality shows (at least the ones I watch) has come to an end.  I am thrilled that Donald Driver took the Dancing With The Stars Mirror Ball trophy.  The three finalists were three of the best to ever be on the show.  Donald's freestyle, country dance is probably what pushed him to the front of the line.  It was amazing!

Season 15 will be an All-Stars rematch, which sounds like great fun.  Although a few of the slots are already filled (click here for details), I've concocted my own Dream Season Top 10.  I want to see:

1. Donny Osmond 
2. Joey Fatone
3. Hines Ward
4. Emmitt Smith
5. Apolo Anton Ohno
6. Helio Castroneves
7. Kelly Osborne
8. Erin Andrews
9. Kelly Monaco 
10. Drew Lachey

Who would you like to see return?

American Idol:  I didn't watch this week - not out of spite because my favorite was eliminated last week (although I was disappointed) but in frustration over AI's messed up voting/judging process.  I hope every year that the producers will wise up and limit votes-per-person as they do on DWTS.  Hopefully this would eliminate the mass voting by computer and the websites like this one that encourage people to vote for the worst.  By the way - the "Vote For The Worst" pack is rooting for Phillip.  Just saying...

Reality Wrap-Up

Dancing With The Stars:  Motown Week was a hoot - loved the performances by Smokey Robinson and The Temptations.

As if you couldn't guess, Jaleel White's cha-cha was my favorite this week.  The boy's got rhythm!  Katherine Jenkins was also phenomenol.  Mark's original choreography, which has been both a blessing and a curse to past contestants, has been only a plus for her this season.

On the lower end of the spectrum, Gladys Knight and Roshon Fegan (better known as "Disney Boy" at our house) ended up in the dance off.  I expected Roshon to be an easy winner, but some off-beat kicks and frantic arm-waving made it a close decision.  Although they say they only consider that one dance, the judges can't help but take the entire season into consideration, and I think they made the right choice.

American Idol:  Breaking news - - - I don't agree with the judges!  At one point last night, JLo took Hollie down (politely, of course) for getting emotional, then told her she needs to let her emotions show.  I don't know where they get these judges, but they should find some who know something about music!  (*sarcasm*)

As is becoming a tradition, I ranked Joshua Ledet at the top!  I'm running out of words - Wow, Awesome and Amazing just aren't cutting it any more.  So how about "Perfection"?

There were a couple of surprises, however.  Here's my  "leader board":

Joshua - 10 out of 10

Hollie - 9 out of 10.  Her first song had some beautiful tender moments and emotion, but no "wow" moment.  Song #2, "The Climb", earned her a Joshua-style "perfection" mark.

Jessica - 8 out of 10.  That little, bitty girl has such an unbelievable voice - but she edited "Bohemian Rhapsody" down to the easy parts.  It may have been sung beautifully, but points off for no challenge.  Song #2 - FINALLY!  Finally, she used all that talent and emotion.  She even gave Dave "goosies".

Elise - 6 out of 10.  I was excited for her to get to show her rock side again, and she did the song well technically, but again, no "wow" moment.  Song #2 was, evidently, a Jimmy Hendrix song, but unfamiliar to me.  Technically complex, but I couldn't understand one single word she sang.  Just didn't trip my trigger.

Phillip - 4 out of 10.  His version of Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" was sooooo far out of his element that I actually felt bad for him.  He tried, but it was too slow and he didn't stand out from the band.  One of the judges called his second song "too artsy".  I just called it "ugly"!

And a special note about Skylar.  I gave Skylar 2 out of 10 possible points - 1 per song.  I'm not denying she can sing and knock it out of the park, but it's time to move on or go home.  For her Queen song she chose an obscure song and sang it exactly like she sings every song - start loud, get louder until she's screaming.  I take notes as I watch, and this is what I wrote for Skylar's second song:  "Guess what? Skylar can sing a country song, sing it loudly and scream at the end!  Blah, blah, blah!"  Do I know that, technically she deserved more than 2 points? Yes. But she's going to have to do something else to earn them from me.  Cause it's my blog and I can judge if I want to, judge if I want to....

American Idol/Dancing With the Stars

Interesting week on American Idol.  Glad each contestant sang two songs because the first round certainly showed my age.  Talent is talent, no matter what song they're singing, but it's hard to judge originality and style when I've never heard the songs before.  Round two was much more my cup of tea - or Diet Coke, as the case may be.

I judged it as a three-way tie.  Joshua, Colton and Skylar each received 9 out of 10 points on my personal rating scale.  After Joshua's first song, Dave said, "He just set the standard for every other contestant to try to reach."  His second song, Change is Gonna Come, didn't quite hit his own high mark.

Colton started with a Lady Ga-Ga song that I've heard but wasn't terribly familiar with.  The low notes in the verses were a little off pitch, but the rest was great.  For his second number he chose Earth Wind and Fire's September.  Wow!  Just, WOW!!  The judges, didn't like it, but what do they know?  It was original, it was beautiful, it was Colton.  The consensus at our house - the judges are certifiable, Tom Cruise NUTS!!

I have consistently berated Skylar because she sings basically the same song every week.  While I would still like to hear her try something slower and quieter (even Alice Cooper sings a ballad on occasion), her two choices last night were "different".  Different from what she usually sings, and different from the original.  A reviewer for the New York Times said Skylar sang Lady Ga-ga's Born This Way "in a way that made it sound like her own personal anthem".

Jessica was close behind the leaders, with 8 points.  Hollie held her own, though she may have proven that R&B is not her thing.  My prediction for the bottom two would be Phillip (every song sounds the same and he never makes eye contact) and Elise...poor Elise.  I really WANT to like her, she has great technical skill, but every song leaves me flat.  Oh, except her rendition of Let's Get it On.  Marvin Gaye's version is smooth as butter - hers was vinegar!

Dancing With the Stars held Latin Week.  At the risk of sounding 15, Katherine Jenkins was awesome!  She has a second career as a dancer if that opera thing doesn't pan out.  Also loved Donald, William and Jaleel.  No one, Gavin included, was surprised that he went home.  He's a talented singer and enjoyable, but rhythm escapes him.

But the biggest news?  Little Laura Ingalls got bleeped! :)

Yeah, They Were Dancin' and Singin' and Movin' to the Groovin' . . .

My American Idol review is starting to sound like a broken record - but a really good one:  

Joshua - Winner, winner, chicken dinner!  He chose a good song, his voice is amazing, enough said! 

Colton - Equally awesome! 

Skylar, Hollie and Jessica - All "nearly" perfect in my opinion, but each with a slight flaw that kept them just below Joshua and Colton. (Did anyone else want to get Skylar a decongestant?  The nasal twang on the "wind" in Wind Beneath My Wings was too much for me.) 

That leaves Deandre, Elise and Phillip - also known as boring, blah and off key.   

There was no middle ground for me - It was a love 'em or not so much kinda night.

DWTS:  I was sad that Jack Wagner got sent home, but I'm hoping it means he has free time to return to General Hospital. 

But oh, the tears, to nearly every dance and emotional story behind it.  Katherine Jenkins blew me away.  The heartbreak of her story was so evident and her dance was amazing!

William Levy's dance (one of the Latin ones) was also excellent, but I'm still miffed that he's not an actual "star".  But, just because he's the token guy-who-looks-good-without-a-shirt doesn't mean he can't dance.  And his story about his early life in Cuba was shocking and (what else) made me cry.  

I've been a Jaleel White fan the first few weeks but the rumors of his "hissy fit" put me off a bit.  I'm going to assume that the truth lies somewhere between the tabloid stories and total innocence.  

So do you totally agree with me?  No?  Who did you pick?

My Kind of Reality TV

This week we added Dancing With the Stars to American Idol so that pretty much lays out our Spring TV viewing.  Here's what I thought this week.  Feel free to disagree - my husband does.

American Idol

Erica is the clear winner this week.  Loved her makeover, loved her song.  She put the appropriate grit into New York State of Mind.

A close second was Joshua who did his usual phenomenal job, I just wished he had chosen a more well-known song.

My choices for bottom three were Skylar, Heejun and Colton.  Here's my reasoning:  Skylar should have listened to the pros - both in wardrobe and singing.  She has a nice voice but tends to try too hard to always be a powerhouse and it verges on screaming.  Heejun sang My Life, which is one of Billy Joel's best, but he killed it - and not in a good way.  The key was too low, which gave him pitch issues and there was no passion.  If you're gonna sing a song about telling the world where to get off, you need to have some fire behind it.

And, yes, Colton.  The judges raved and Dave gave him the top spot but, while I can't deny that Colton's an incredible musician, he could have taken a lesson from JLo.  She talked about how Billy Joel writes his life into his songs and they need to be sung with the appropriate emotion.  Piano Man is the story of a piano player in a bar, playing for "the regular crowd".  The mood of the song matches the mood of the bar - laid back, simple, perhaps a little melancholy.  Colton's version took that mood out of the song and that ruined it for me.

One final note:  Why, oh why, did only a couple of the contestants listen to the fashion advice they were given?  This is Tommy Freakin' Hilfiger!  He might know a thing or two about fashion.  And you'll avoid wearing a dress that makes your hips look like an artichoke.

Dancing With The Stars

This is going to be an amazing season.  There were really no bad performances on the first night.  I was amazed by Jaleel "Urkel" White's musicality and showmanship.  I'm going to enjoy watching Melissa Gilbert square off with Max.  She handled Nellie Olson - Max will be a cakewalk.  And good golly, Miss Molly, but Gladys Knight can still move!

But the guy who gets my vote is Jack Wagner.  Doesn't matter if he spits on the judges and falls on his face, he's still Frisco Jones (General Hospital 1983-1995).  Gotta vote for the 80's heartthrob!