Just in time for Chrismukkah!

The America's Next Top Model video game will be released next month by Nintendo.

Players will guide their model through challenges and photo shoots. Models will also be evaluated on their catwalking skills. One model will be eliminated every week, and the last model standing is the winner.

The game comes out on Nov. 7. Will you buy it?

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: America's Next Top Model
        

Dancing with the Stars might be growing on me a bit. I'm looking forward to Cloris Leachman's antics tonight. So let's cut to the chase.

First up tonight are Toni and Alec with a rumba -- a slow, romantic dance of passion. It seems like the two have a great connection, but some of the transitions are a bit rough. Judge Len Goodman says he was surprised at how good the performance was. He says he would have liked more "basic dancing." Bruno Tonioli says Toni "captured the sensuality and vulnerability of a ... mistress." (I used ellipses because I honestly don't know what the adjective was.) Carrie Ann Inaba says she "moves like she sings." She does criticize some lifts. Score: 23

Next up are power couple Brooke and Derek dancing the paso doble. I like how they stay in character (serious, but not overdramatized), plus there's some great skirt swishing (and cape swishing!) at the end. Carrie Ann says they were a "hair" off but still "amazing." Len says they portrayed the aggression -- it was controlled (for the most part) and not over the top. Bruno says Brooke was "born to dance." Score: 24

Rocco and Karina try the rumba. Key word: try. Toni and Alec's was far more believable. Rocco looks more goofy Italian chef than Latin lover. Bruno says "the stallion has run out of juice." Carrie Ann says he has passion but lacks musicality. Len says it "wasn't really tasty" even though Karina gave him the "ingredients." Score: 16

Next up are my favorites, Lacey and Lance. Their paso doble is to Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl." I'm worried about Len's reaction. The dance is a little wild. (They end in a lip lock.) And LEN IS NOT HAPPY! "It doesn't work!" he says. Carrie Ann liked the witty song choice, and she loves that they take big risks. Bruno says they go for it 100 percent, but that in the paso doble Lance needed to act like a matador and he went hip-hop. Score: 20

Kim and Mark are going to rumba. I hope she puts more passion into it than she did her mambo last week. And ... she's really not. Her moves aren't sharp or sultry. She totally is NOT enjoying this rumba. Bruno says it's "colder and more distant than Siberia." Ouch. Len says he's disappointed because she has potential and she "has all the gear in the rear." Ha. Carrie Ann says it feels like we've seen the same three dances and suggests that she should watch videos of her routines. Score: 17

Misty and Maks do the paso doble. It's another untraditional one -- to a version of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out." The costumes are hot. I'm not wild about the dancing, but it's good. The judges like it a bit more than I do. Carrie Ann praises the energy and the ambitious routine. She tells her to bring down her shoulders a bit. Bruno says the power makes her stumble a bit. Len tells her to work on the connection; she's too focused. Score: 21

Maurice "the worm" and Cheryl are rumba-ing. I really like their black-and-green costumes. Maurice looks a bit stiff for a rumba. He's not taking too many steps. I find myself watching only Cheryl. That's not a good thing. Len says Maurice talks the talk but doesn't dance the dance. But "not bad," he says. Carrie Ann says she felt like he held back. Bruno says it was a bit robotic and "rough and clunky." Score: 19

Cloris and Corky's paso doble looks like it will be a traditional one. They dance to Ravel's Bolero, a fabulous, emotional song. Immediately I notice that Cloris is taking the "role" seriously. Is it as intricate as some of the other paso dobles? No. Bruno chatters about something (I swear, sometimes I just cannot understand him). Len says the dance was lovely and traditional, and he compliments her solo spins. Carrie Ann says she hopes that when she's 82 she's half the woman that Cloris is, but that she's "not going to comment about the dance." She missed her wit. Score: 15

I realize how unexcited I am for Susan and Tony's rumba when I end up not paying attention to it. After rewinding the DVR, I am pleased to see an improved Susan. I'm kind of bored, but she looks pretty. I'm not a rumba expert, but her legs look fabulous. She points her toes, and every movement looks oh so in the right place. Carrie Ann says she takes viewers somewhere else with her dances. She says the rumba was smooth. Bruno says everything was there, but she still dances like "the virgin queen." He tells her to be more of a cougar. Len gives the pair a "well done." Score: 21

Warren and Kym do the paso doble. They use striking black costumes and dramatic lighting. At a few times, Warren looks like he's concentrating a bit too much, and something weird happens at the end with the costumes. But the footwork is VERY impressive, and I like how he stays so serious while performing. Len loves it. Carrie Ann loves it. Bruno says it was bold and heroic. Score: 24 (They tie the dynamic duo, Brooke and Derek).

The youngest go last. Cody and Julianne do a rumba to Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love." It's a great way to end the night. I'm totally impressed by Cody. He looks more mature, and his moves are spot on. The chemistry is the best of the night, in my opinion. But ... apparently I'm totally wrong. Bruno says Cody needs to learn control, and that the performance needed to be a bit more focused. Len says the dance lacked a bit of polish and finesse. Carrie Ann liked the innocence; she says it was an "age-appropriate rumba." He tells him to loosen up his hips a bit. Score: 21
 
Who do you think is going home? I think it'll be Maurice and Cheryl or Rocco and Karina. I think Kim's and Cloris' fan bases will keep those two around. 

Posted by Carla Correa at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dancing With the Stars
        

Isis, the transgendered contestant who was given the boot last week on America's Next Top Model, is being honored at the 2008 Equality Maryland Jazz Brunch. The event takes place 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront, 700 Aliceanna St.

There's one catch: Tickets are $85 per person!

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: America's Next Top Model
        

The six-time Emmy Award-winning reality show The Amazing Race premiered last night, and I'm already hooked! (Editor's note: For the first time, TAR released a map of the race to come! See it here.)

And here are the teams:

Terence and Sarah are newly dating;

Marisa and Brooke are best friends;

Andrew and Dan are fraternity brothers;

Aja and Ty are dating long distance;

Mark and Bill are lifelong friends and self-proclaimed geeks.

Toni and Dallas are mother and son;

Nick and Starr are siblings;

Anita and Arthur are married beekeepers who look like big-time hippies;

Kelly and Christy are best friends;

Ken and Tina separated after he cheated on her;

and Anthony and Stephanie are dating.

Let the race begin! 

Within minutes, the teams were off in cars heading to Los Angeles' airport so they could fly to their first destination: Salvador, Brazil.

Half of the teams were able to get themselves booked on an earlier flight to Brazil. Toni and Dallas, Andrew and Dan, Anita and Arthur, Marisa and Brooke, and Anthony and Stephanie were not as lucky and had to get on a flight scheduled to reach Brazil three hours later. But the first plane wound up being delayed, which allowed teams on the second plane to catch up slightly. 

In Brazil, Terence and Sarah got off to a very good start when they completed the first mission first. The groups had to transport large carts of candy from one part of the city to another. Upon completion of that task, the groups were directed to their first rest stop. The order in which the teams arrived at the stop dictated the order in which they could begin the race the next day.

The first detour required teams to either climb a gigantic set of stairs on their hands and knees or climb down a 200-foot-long cargo net. After they completed the detour, teams had to make their way to the "pit stop," or the end of this leg of the race.

Nick and Starr were the first team to finish the first leg of the race. Their prize was a five-day trip to Belize. They were very excited. Ken and Tina were second. Andrew and Dan were the only team that chose the stairs, which was disastrous (they didn't know how many stairs there were). Somehow, they were able to complete the difficult challenge and finish the leg in seventh place.

Anita and Arthur, the beekeepers, were last to the leg's finish line and were the first racers to  be eliminated. 

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: The Amazing Race
        

Guest blogger Karen Shih fills us in on Top Design:

I'm kind of sick this week and being an old lady, going to bed early and drinking hot chocolate even though it's barely the start of fall … so it's going to be a shorter recap.

So, it's bachelor pad week, and they're in teams AGAIN. Why? Why can't we ever see them do anything by themselves? Once! Just once! And making a picture frame doesn't count!

Ughghgh.

In teams of three, they need to redesign for Obie, James and Eddie (perfectly diverse, mind you. We’ve got a black guy, a white guy and an Asian guy) with $10,000. They get extra help in the form of wallpaper hangers, carpenters, painters and more.

James wants "panty-dropping chic," Obi likes Asian, modern and feng shui, and Eddie just wants to keep his place simple and conservative.

Nathan, Shazia and Preston are on the same team, designing for Eddie, and Shazia is complaining, complaining, complaining about how nobody listens to her. Wisit, Angela and Theresa are designing for Obi, and Eddie, Natalie and Ondine are designing for James.

There's a little dramarama while they're out shopping because someone on Eddie's team breaks a vase and Eddie won't apologize to the store owner, who then wants to charge Eddie more because of his attitude. Fight!

Then, surprise, at the end of their second day of shopping — Pop Design!

They have to make a flower arrangement, and it's pretty easy to see the personalities of each designer in them. Some are very flashy and bold (Natalie), some are very understated and simple (Nathan), and some are just a confused mess (um … a lot of them).

Nathan wins and gets immunity, which doesn't bode entirely well for Shazia. Their team isn't doing too well, and she's had a history of being in the bottom.

Jeff Lewis is the guest judge this week, sitting in for nutty-looking Kelly. He's a nut himself, going absolutely crazy every week on his own show (Why does a cat need acupuncture? Why?!), but he is professional today.

Eddie, Ondine and Natalie's place has dark reds, yellows and grays and looks a little disjointed from room to room. The crazy animal-drawing screens don't make any sense, and it looks wayyyy too old to be a place for a 23-year-old guy.

Wisit, Angela and Theresa's "masculine Zen" apartment is full of dark wood and definitely channels male all the way. The colors are dark and conservative, but it's classy and looks like it'll definitely draw in the ladies.

Nathan, Shazia and Preston's place is clearly unfinished, and Margaret calls them out on it.

The boys are happy, at least. It's an upgrade for sure for all of them.

Angela, Wisit and Theresa win. Theresa says it was really Angela and Wisit's win, and she was just lucky. That's kind of awkward. I haven't seen anything interesting from her, so I don't know what she's really useful for -- maybe if there's individual challenge, Bravo, I'll know?

Nathan, Shazia and Preston continue their dramarama. Shazia thinks she's being picked on. Eh. She's annoying. She never does well and then just whines every week.

Ondine, Eddie and Natalie's place was over the top, the judges say, and not suitable for a 23-year-old.

"It wasn’t a shag pad," India says. "If I walked into that guy's apartment and saw those screens, I would not think he was a straight bachelor," Margaret says. Burn.

But ultimately, their team survives, and annoying Shazia goes home. I wanted to cheer for her because I related to her whole not being a doctor, lawyer or engineer thing, but she never showed that she was really good at doing what she wanted, so oh well.

Next week: Kelly wears an origami top. I have no idea.

Posted by Carla Correa at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Top Design
        

Last night's episode of Project Runway starts with the obligatory bathroom shot. The designers are getting ready for another day. And what awaits them when they get to the runway? They get to repick their models.

There are eight models and five designers since we've had some challenges in which the models weren't used. Jerell gets to choose first because he won the last challenge, and he stays with Nicole. Kenley takes Joe's old model. Leanne takes Suede's model; he's upset. Suede chooses, then Korto has the last pick. That means three models are out, including Caroline, Leanne's old model. 

In the workroom, Tim tells the designers that they will be designing for each other. (So, essentially, they repicked models for NO reason at all.) Suede will design for Jerell. Kenley will be designing for Leanne. Korto for Suede. Jerell for Kenley. Leanne for Korto. No one looks happy. Tim says they must each create a look for their client inspired by a musical genre. Tim then picks what each client's outfit will be: Kenley's genre is pop (meaning she will be dressed like a Pussycat Doll). She's not excited. Suede's genre is punk. Korto's is country. Leanne gets hip-hop. Leanne looks sick. She knows she's going to have one ugly retro hip-hop dress. Jerell gets rock and roll.

"Yo, Kenley's gonna make an outfit for me; she better not make it look like it's from 1950!" Leanne says in a confessional. (Do rappers use semicolons?)

Kenley starts talking about high-waisted jeans. Right. I totally see rappers in high-waisted jeans all the time! Jerell says he's making Kenley into "Kenley Spears" and that she WON'T look like she's from the 1950s.

Time for shopping at Mood. Kenley picks a print. What a surprise.

Korto says the other designers are just going to let her think her outfit is hip-hop. Jerell is making a fishnet mini-dress with cuffs. Kenley says Jerell thinks she has a better body than she actually does. Korto is making somewhat tight pants for Suede's punk outfit. Suede talks about how he's dressed Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Destiny's Child. Then Kenley tries on her outfit. It's pretty funny.

Tim soon comes to check in with the designers. He says Jerell's pop outfit is a "beautiful silhouette" and that it could use more, but it needs the "right" more. Probably not a whole lot of the blue faux fur Tim squawks at. Tim asks Leanne if her country outfit for Korto is too subtle. She says she needs to do more thinking. Korto is trying to avoid cliches, but Tim says the outfit isn't punk enough yet. Suede tells Tim that he's scaring him because he's not saying anything about his outfit. Tim tells him he could get away with just about anything, and that maybe it's not rock and roll enough.

On to our favorite. Kenley tells Tim that she sees a lot of hip-hop artists wearing tight jeans and leather. Really? Tim counters her, asking, "Isn't part of the whole hip-hop thing oversized?" No, she says, that's '80s hip-hop. Again, really? "I'm gonna make her look stupid!" Kenley whines about the thought of not making something that she personally would wear. "You need to listen; it will benefit you tremendously as a designer," Tim lectures. He tells her to "remove the sarcasm." She says she isn't going to listen to Tim. So, Leanne tries on the pants. What are with those ugly gold buttons? Sigh. (I'm totally turning this into the Kenley recap. I'm sorry.)

Korto grabs a bottle of bleach and starts dousing her pants and sneakers. I didn't know bleach was punk.

The next morning, the designers finish up their so-far awful looking garments. Leanne is trying to squeeze into, as Jerell calls it, a "children's-sized hip-hop suit." Jerell's just like, "Yup, that's hip-hop." The designers get their hair and makeup done. It all looks pretty awesome. As for the outfits ... well, I guess I'll go with Jerell's Kenley Spears.

Time for the judging. Guest judge LL Cool J is totally going to call out that hip-hop mess. As Leanne walks down the runway, Kenley says she looks like "a big, fat poser" in her outfit. Of course, she's blaming Leanne for not selling the outfit. Korto is happy with Suede's runway walk, though. He looks great in the outfit. But, god, I think those bleached pants are awful. I have no idea what Jerell is supposed to look like. Rock, technically. Kind of boring, definitely.

LL Cool J says Korto's outfit for Suede has a lot of energy; judge Nina Garcia says he looks like Marilyn Manson. Really Nina? She likes the treatment Korto gave the pants. Judge Michael Kors says it's a nice silhouette. I'll agree with that. It fits well.

Michael likes the vest of Suede's outfit for Jerell. The judges add that it needs a bit more drama. Heidi sums it up pretty well: Jerell looks like Jerell. Yawn.

Kenley actually says nice stuff about Jerell's pop outfit. Nina likes it a lot. LL wanted to see more skin, but then when K took the blue vest off, he saw more skin. Michael says it's "sexy, but it's not vulgar."

Judge Heidi Klum starts off telling Kenley that Leanimal's pants "these are probably the most unflattering pants I've ever seen in my life." LL says straight up that it's not hip-hop. K whines that she didn't want to put oversized pants and a backwards hat on her. "Everyone's was hard," Nina says. "You're not alone in this."

Leanne explains her outfit. Nina likes the colors, but she would have liked to see more glamour. The skirt fits her well, but the designers say that it doesn't look country enough. (During the actual judging, Michael says it was a "little too much like, I don't know, a woman going out to eat ribs.")

Korto wins the challenge. Finally! She always comes so close and is such a good designer. Well done, even though I don't think people who enjoy punk music wear bleached black-and-orange pants. Jerell is in, as is Leanne. It's down to Kenley and Suede. The one-trick-pony should be going home, but I have a feeling it's going to be Suede. Overall, Suede's been in the bottom more often, and I bet the producers love Kenley's mouthing off. And I'm right. Suede will no longer be talking in the third person on TV.

Next week: crying designers.

Posted by Carla Correa at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Project Runway
        

Marylander Isis, the first transgendered contestant, was eliminated from America's Next Top Model after failing the produce a stunning photo during a shoot that required her to pose in the water.

Isis told the judges that she was worried about her man parts falling out of her bathing suit. It distracted her from her mission, which was a photo shoot where the models posed with the top of their heads peaking out of the water.

Isis cried during her confessional and promised to work on all the pointers the judges had given to her throughout the competition.

(Photo: Mike Rosenthal/Pottle Productions)

Isis wasn't the only contestants to make an exit. The episode started with the girls strutting their stuff during a fashion show for designer Jeremy Scott. The twist was that the girls were blindfolded for the challenge. Another surprise was that Jay Manuel and J Alexander voted to eliminate the weakest performer, which happened to be Hannah. She had a horrible walk. It was the first time I could recall a contestant getting sent home before panel judging. 

With Miss Alaska going back to Palin land, the models were ready to take on the water photo shoot with the guest photographer, judge Nigel Barker.

Isis appeared to struggle; everyone else, except for Elina, seemed to excel. But Elina had a strong runway showing and was near-perfect during last week's photo shoot, which meant that Samantha was up against Isis in the bottom two. Samantha didn't do herself any favors when she essentially flashed the audience during the fashion show. The act enraged the designer Jeremy Scott, who was also the week's guest judge. I guess the judges were a little more forgiving of Samantha because of her past performances. She had been pretty strong while Isis had been struggling.

If you've missed a couple of episodes, some of the girls might look a little different. Last week they received makeovers.

Here's how each model changed: platinum blond Marjorie went brunette; Jocelyn got a long, textured weave; Hannah got a shoulder-length bob; Elina received a curly red weave; Samantha became more high-fashion with a shorter hairdo that reminds me of Katie Holmes; Clark's blond hair went dark brown; Lauren Brie's hair became platinum blond; Sheena received highlights; Analeigh became a blond; Isis got a long, flowing weave; and Brittany, who was eliminated last week, got a long, flowing dark weave.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: America's Next Top Model
        

I'm not too into results shows. I think they're generally boring and a waste of time. And I didn't really want to see the Jones Brothers perform. So I'll keep this simple and sweet.

Think of Married with Children's theme song: Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage. But Ted McGinley and dancing go together like oil and vinegar. The actor who played neighbor Jefferson D'Arcy on the sitcom was kicked off Dancing with the Stars last night. Not a big surprise considering A) his dancing has been less than stellar B) I'm pretty certain he doesn't have a huge fan base. I'm just glad Cloris Leachman is sticking around.

Posted by Carla Correa at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Dancing With the Stars
        

Late yesterday, news broke that new dad Clay Aiken is gay. Read about it here. I know. Most of you already "knew" this.

What do you think? Is this cover worthy? Do we care? Is it anyone's business?

Posted by Carla Correa at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: American Idol
        

So, we don't get to find out who is going home tonight until the end of the episode. I don't know why I expected to know immediately. Instead, the dancers will be called couple by couple to dance. The last couple standing is toast. 

First up are N*SYNCer Lance and Lacey with the quickstep. They're dancing to a version of The Cure's "Close to Me," which is a favorite of mine. Lance and Lacey are still rocking the punk look. (Lance has a wallet chain. That's very 1996 of him.) Their hold is a bit weak, but I dig it. Len Goodman says they moved well, but he didn't like their posture, etc. Bruno Tonioli says they bring a fresh take to the show. He likes it. Carrie Ann Inaba was entertained but wasn't really impressed. She thought it was a bit too free form. Score: 21

Second to dance are volleyball player Misty and Maksim. They're doing the mambo. The dance is great. She really attacks it. Carrie Ann loves Misty's legs and tells her to work a bit more on her arms. Len says her solo work was brave. Bruno says she has the power and attack of a ... did I hear this right? Task force? Score: 21

Next up are sprinter Maurice and Cheryl also dancing the mambo. The mambo definitely suits Maurice a bit more than the foxtrot did last night. He can't wipe the smile off his face. Bruno calls it exuberant. Carrie Ann compliments his smooth transitions. Len asks about his "Free Willy" step -- the worm! You kind of have to see it. Score: another 21

Model Brooke and Derek do the quickstep. There's a cute segment before they dance, with Brooke carrying her baby to help her keep a bit of distance from Derek. The dance itself is fantastic. It's fun to watch, and Brooke looks light on her feet. And Brooke's black-and-white dress is beautiful. Len calls it the "best dance so far." Bruno screams something. Score: 26

Actress Cloris and Corky dance a mambo. (Side note: I can't believe I forgot to mention that Cloris cursed  at the judges last night!) It's a bit slow, but Cloris is too funny. "I've bribed the judges," she says. "I gave them $10 each for a 10." I hope she sticks around if only for the good TV factor. Len credit Corky for doing a great job, and Carrie Ann says she gives points for entertainment. But the judges have to be fair. Score: 16

(I just noticed host Samantha Harris' hair. It's an updo with buns and braids. It's intense and is either fake or involved five cans of hairspray.)

Singer Toni (who, apparently, my boss told me, is from Arnold, Md., or has Arnold connections?) is having trouble breathing as she practices the quickstep with Alec. During the competition, it looks like she's really concentrating. Bruno calls it beautiful but says the hold went south a bit at the end. Carrie Ann says she has a really natural movement and that the pair's chemistry is great. Score: 23

Football player Warren and Kym dance the quickstep, too. Warren is so fun to watch; he's such a performer. Len, however, says rightly that it was a tough dance for him. The technique wasn't there. (Really, it did look like he was just running at some points.) Bruno calls it a ton of fun. Carrie Ann echoes both those comments. Score: 22 (better than last night, even though the comments weren't as positive).

Actor Ted and Inna are up with the mambo. Inna is fabulous. At some points, Ted looks great; at others, awkward, in my opinion. Carrie Ann uses the word "awkward," too. Len says Ted demonstrates that anything is possible with hard work. Bruno tells him to listen to the music and "go with the rhythm." Score: 19 (I think that's a tad too low.)

Cody and Julianne dance their quickstep next. It's pretty energetic. Bruno calls them the "king and queen of the prom." Ha. He tells Cody to watch the footwork because he becomes a bit "Jiminy Cricket." Ha ha! Len says they did an overall great job. Score: 23

Rocco and Karina are safe, and they're doing the mambo. Rocco definitely improved over last night; the dance is enjoyable and has some interesting moves. Bruno yells "What a turnaround! The Italian stallion!" Carrie Ann calls it "super sexy." Score: 21

(The couples left are looking tense. There is some finger-crossing going on.) 

Susan (Gosh, she is so thin!) and Tony try the quickstep. It's a bit slower and less entertaining than some of the other quicksteps we've seen tonight. I'm not feeling it at all. Carrie Ann, however, says Susan was so much better than she did last night.  Len says he's feeling smug because he said last night that ballroom would suit her better, and it did. Bruno says it was beautiful and that she was in her element. What do I know? I guess I'll just have to agree to disagree. Score: 22

Now we find out who's going home: It's comic aka eye-patch guy Jeffrey and Edyta. (Woah -- is his whole family wearing eye patches? Yes, it is. I don't get it.) Jeffrey says some really nice things about Edyta, who apparently came in second last season. He says he's "more ha ha ha than cha cha cha."

Kim and Mark do a mambo. Mark and Kim, who is kind of known for her, well, back side, dance to "Baby Got Back." She still needs to loosen up, but I think it was better than last night's foxtrot. But she really doesn't shake it enough. Bruno says he's frustrated; Len says she needs to go out and sell it. Carrie Ann mentions that she has no performance experience, and that she sees that she's trying. Score: 18

I thought Jeff and Edyta were going to do a final dance, but I guess not. Oh well, there will be plenty of dancing next week for me to Tivo. More results come tomorrow. The Jonas Brothers are performing, too. I'll have to contain my excitement.

Posted by Carla Correa at 12:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Dancing With the Stars
        

Unlike millions and millions of Americans, I'm not a huge Dancing with the Stars fan. In fact, I'm not a fan at all (unlike my dad). I've only watched a few minutes here and there. I can't believe another season is on air so soon after Kristi Yamaguchi won her title. And it's on three times this week! I work while some of the dancing will be on, so I can't recount every episode. But I will try to keep the blog updated with what's happening. Maybe the show will grow on me.

Here's a quick recap of last night's dancing, along with what judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli thought about it.

Hannah Montana actor Cody Linley and Julianne Hough dance the cha cha cha. They're the youngest team ever on the show. I think it's pretty good (lots of energy), but there are a few awkward moments and Cody has a weird smile on his face for most of the dance. Their score: 18.

Chef Rocco DiSpiritio and Karina Smirnoff dance the foxtrot. Karina is dancing with a sprain. It's so-so. His feet seemed to be a bit of a mess. Bruno says it was a foxtrot on the brink of chaos. Score: 14.

Singer Toni Braxton and Alec Mazo (Season 1 champ) dance the cha cha cha. (Toni has microvascular angina, by the way. It's a type of heart disease.) She looks great. She is much improved from the practice clips, and the judges agree. They think it's awesome for a Week 1 performance. Score: 22.

Olympic sprinter Maurice Greene and Cheryl Burke dance the foxtrot. It's a somewhat stiff foxtrot. I'm not too jazzed up about it, and neither are the judges. They say Maurice obviously likes to dance but needs to pay more attention to the style asked of him. Score: 18.

Model and TV host Brooke Burke (ohhhh ... so THAT'S what she is! I never knew!) and Derek Hough dance the mambo. Brooke looks like she's holding back a bit; it seems a bit slow. But it's decent. The judges disagree with me. Score: 23.

Actor Ted McGinley (from Married with Children) and Inna Brayer (who's new to the show) dance the foxtrot. I thought it was pretty well done, but he did look nervous. The timing was off a tad. Bruno says that at moments Ted was elegant like Cary Grant, then he turned into Steve Carell from Get Smart. Score: 18.

Lance Bass of N*SYNC and punky Lacey Schwimmer, who's new to the show, dance the cha cha cha. Lance says he was the worst dancer in his his boy band, but I don't see it. He is awesome. (Clearly, he is going to have an advantage on this show, don't you think?) Bruno says it was edgy and that it was a "cha cha cha for now." But Len is a traditionalist and can't jump on the Bass bandwagon. Score: 22.

Actress Cloris Leachman and Corky Ballas dance the foxtrot. She's the oldest contestant on the show; she's 82! Nothing draws me into the dance. I'm bored. But she's 82! Bruno makes a reference to "Battleship Geriatrica." Cloris is a hoot during the judging. The judges say they admire what she's done, but they give her a low score: 16.

Stand-up comedian Jeffrey Ross and Edyta Sliwinska dance the cha cha cha. (Jeffrey is injured.) Jeffrey tries to butter up Carrie Ann before he dances, and I can see why. He's not really ... moving on the dance floor. His feet are something awful. "Well, the flirting was good," Carrie says. Score: 12. (Jeffrey cheers all the three 4s.)

Kim Kardashian (first made famous for being a BFF of Paris Hilton and having an inappropriate tape) and Mark Ballas (the reigning DWTS champ) dance the foxtrot. The Pink Panther routine idea is cute, but it doesn't look like Kim is very into it. Len agrees: It was a bit cold. Bruno says Kim's a "treasure trove" and she needs to make it "more available." Umm, OK. Score: 19.

Daytime soap star Susan Lucci and Tony Dovolani dance the cha cha cha. (Side note: She is TINY!) It was a careful cha cha cha, and her feet look a bit hesitant. Bruno says basically that. Carrie Ann tells her to put some weight on! Dancing is a sport after all, you need some muscle to move. Score: 15.

Misty May-Treanor, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball, dances with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Their foxtrot is intense and cute, but there's a bit of stumbling. Carrie Ann tells her to not "muscle" everything; Len disagrees. He liked her strong movements. Score: 21

Superbowl champ Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson dance the cha cha cha. It's my favorite performance of the night. Perhaps Warren's not the most technical dancer yet, but he's actually light on his feet. He really performs for the crowd. It's full of energy. The judges are happy. Score: 21

See one couple eliminated tonight, then watch the rest dance again. Another couple will be eliminated Wednesday.

Posted by Carla Correa at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Dancing With the Stars
        

Karen Shih recaps another episode of Top Design featuring some special guests:

It's Project Runway week! With designers from back when PR was good! I mean, not that I don’t love Leanne, but the overall quality has just gone down this season … ugh. (Editor's note: Seriously, she's got that right!)

Anyway, the designers are hoping for an individual challenge this time, as am I, because it would be great to see what they bring to a room without all the drama of having to work with others.

But alas, in teams of two, they're creating window displays for an exclusive boutique featuring fashions by our favorite designers: Santino, Sweet P, Daniel, Andrae and Jeffrey (who now looks like a 1970s porn star).

Santino is paired with Eddie and Theresa, who get to design their display around his Dementor outfit. (Dementors as in the Harry Potter books and movies.) It's a stylin' Dementor, but still. Eddie is practically salivating over his ideas and over Santino, and Theresa is being sad and emo in her own little corner.

Sweet P, adorable as always, has Natalie and Ondine to design around her super-bright pink and orange dress. They seem to mesh well, and it seems like Natalie's penchant for bright and young will suit Sweet P well.

Daniel gets Andrea and Preston, and he busts out a poem with something about gold sand and branches to go along with his long gold dress. Always modest, Daniel says that he makes "it easy for them to do the best work" because of the inspiration he provides.

Andrae (oh, Andrae) has Shazia and Nathan (the two bald guys together!). He's got a simple gray dress, and he starts rambling about politics and his sweeping vision for the display. Meanwhile, Nathan's eyebrow twitches.

Jeffrey, with very questionable buglike red sunglasses and a porn-star mustache, is back to make even more people's lives miserable: this time, Wisit and Kerry. The three have absolutely nothing in common, with Kerry confusing Jeffrey’s Blade Runner reference with Blades of Glory and Wisit failing to connect on any level with the I'm-too-cool Jeffrey. His design is a sleek blue suit, but it's largely forgotten during the design process, as Kerry and Wisit go for bright yellow and silver, which don't complement the dress at all.

They get $500 to spend at the hardware and craft stores, and then $600 at the Top Design showroom.

The fashion designers visit on the second day, giving input where the interior designers might not want it. Andrae hates wicker (something about his childhood), and basically all of Nathan's furniture has to be scrapped. Sweet P is freaking out because her team doesn't look too far along (much like she freaked out on every episode of PR), but it's Sweet P, so everything will probably work out in the end. Jeffrey isn't thrilled and doesn't seem like he will be thrilled, no matter what the two hapless designers try to do.

And at nightfall … the judging.

(Kelly's hair is gigantic and dry and puffed out and topped with a sequined purple beret. I really don't know.)

It's mirror week, apparently. Andrae's team produced an incoherent mess of broken glass and some Eastern-inspired pieces; Sweet P's team creates a girly butterfly display that makes the dress really pop; Jeffrey's team, again with the mirrors, though they're not broken, loses the suit in a strange yellow and silver display; Santino's window has broken mirrors with a fuchsia background and black drapes surrounding Dementor girl; Daniel's display is simple, with his gold dress off to one side and gold bits trailing along the floor, contrasting well with the grayish-purple background. See all the displays here.

Sweet P's team of Ondine and Natalie wins! Preston and Andrea, who designed for Daniel, come in second, which is much better than where Preston has been the past two weeks.

It comes down to Wisit, Kerry, Shazia and Nathan — and Big Daddy goes home. It's too bad; Kerry was a fun, easy-going guy, and he might have been fun to have around for a little while longer. Best of luck to you, Big Daddy!

Next week, they're working with bachelors! Shazia thinks bachelors are the grossest people on the planet. Whom does she date then?

Posted by Carla Correa at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Top Design
        

After writing a quick recap of last week's show earlier today, my little iBook somehow didn't save the file. I hope it doesn't happen right now. The What's Your Sign? episode last week eliminated Terri and Blayne-licious. See pictures from the episode here, and see the fashions here. (You could also Google the Bryant Park photos -- six designers showed -- but I don't want to know anything.)  All I can say is that I am so OVER over-confident Kenley. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Tonight, Kenley starts off by saying that she doesn't understand why she was in the bottom three during the last challenge and that she will stay true to her instincts. Dear God. If I was working with MICHAEL KORS, I would listen to him.

Mothers come out on stage. Are they the contestants' moms? Nope. Leanimal doesn't want to design an "old-lady outfit," so she's pleased. These random mothers' daughters, who are recent college grads, are actually here for a makeover to help them transition into the new world. (Fun!) Leanne then says her model looks like she's 12. Umm ... so do you, Leanne.

Kenley LOVES her client. She's going to make her a 40s-50s outfit! Nothing like trying new things. Jerell likes his client because she's lanky and awkward like him. Suede is not happy that his client wants pants. At Mood, he finds a Pucci-esque print in purple. Yikes. Pucci is awesome. Suede making something Pucci-like? Yikes. Joe is going for a suit. Again, yikes.

We hear a bit about the designers' first jobs. Joe worked for Gucci; Jerell was employed by McDonalds.

During the first fitting, Jerell's client says she likes his creation so far, but Suede's client isn't too happy. It looks too professional. Joe's client, Laura, doesn't like the pin-striped fabric Joe picked out. Holly's mother says that Leanne's dress makes her daughter look flat-chested. The mom is called the Hedda Lettuce of this challenge (she had many, many opinions). Leanne's going to start over. "One sexy teacher dress coming up!" she says.

The contestants make fun of Joe's "Nancy Reagan"-like business suit. As they head out for the night.

Second fitting sans moms! Leanne's redone the top of her dress, and Holly is happy. Suede's made that Pucci dress, and his pants-loving contestant apparently likes it. Jeanie, lead stylist for TREsemme, comes in to talk about the hair part of the makeover. There's a bonus: The winning look (and girl!) will go in a TREsemme ad in Elle magazine.

Tim heads in to check in on the outfits. The only issues he has with Suede's outfit are the sleeves' length and the pockets. (I have more issues than those!) But Tim says Joe's outfit says "lawyer, banker, not graphic designer." Joe's not concerned. I would be. The outfit is boring. Tim thinks Jerell's outfit is stunning. Kenley says Tim doesn't understand her as a designer! Wah! She's not going to listen to his suggestion to make the tulle shorter!

Joe in pinstripes dresses his client in pinstripes. The girls get their hair chopped and colored. Makeup goes on. The female contestants think Suede is going home. Kenley thinks he's a "poser." Jerell thinks his dress is so "1992." I don't HATE it, but I can definitely can see it on the rack at RAVE.

The moms line the runway. The guest judge is designer Cynthia Rowley. There aren't any outfits I'm crazy about. I like Jerell's best. It's pretty, and the model looks like a new girl. No doubt he's going to win. At this stage in the game, I wish there were clothes that I adored. All of the outfits are critiqued at the same time. Best? Kenley, Korto (no surprise there) and Jerell. Heidi Klum notes Kenley found a little mini-me. Nina thinks it's cute, and Cynthia likes the belt. Michael Kors says it's the right dress for the right job (her client is a buyer). As the judges talk about Joe's cliched outfit, Kenley and her client LAUGH. She did find a (rude) mini-me! Michael likes Korto's outfit for Megan. It's fun and young yet professional. The jacket is well-tailored and goes over a green-print dress. The judges don't love Leanne's jacket; they note later that it looks old-fashioned. When Holly takes off the jacket, the judges are relieved. It's a cute-ish dress but ultimately too stuffy. Jerell's silky-looking dress is fabulous. All thumbs are up. Suede's outfit gets trashed. Nina says she doesn't like the jacket with the dress, and "that's the tip of the iceberg. I will say no more." Ooh! Why use more words when you can see them here.

Winner? I called it. Jerell. (By the way, does anyone know what was on his head?) It's his second win in a row. Heidi says Joe aged a girl 20 years. Suede's outfit was "overworked" and "completely impractical." But Joe and his pinstripes are out. He doesn't think he deserves to leave. C'est la vie.

Up next week: Kenley is still a know-it-all. Jerell thinks about sabotaging Suede. I'm intrigued. And LL Cool J is the guest judge!

Posted by Carla Correa at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Project Runway
        

Another season of Big Brother wrapped last night as Memphis and Dan squared off with members of the jury to try and win their respective votes, which would decide who gets the $500,000 grand prize.

The show began with a lengthy recap of how things got to this point. Meanwhile, at the jury house, the six members waited outside for the seventh and final member of the jury to arrive. At this point, pretty much everyone realized they had been played by Dan and Memphis, so they badly wanted to see one of them walk through the gate. When Jerry showed up, the disappointment was obvious, as was the anger.

Immediately, the finger-pointing began, with jurors taking turns blaming each other for Dan and Memphis ending up the final two. Keesha blamed Jerry for not putting them both on the block when he had HOH, and Jerry blamed Keesha for taking Memphis off the block a few weeks earlier. Renny put her two cents in against Jerry as well. April continued to lobby for Memphis while Keesha sided with Dan. Ollie finally interjected some much-needed perspective by pointing out that excellent game play by the two finalists resulted in the outcome.

During the questioning, both finalists did their best to deflect the loaded questions being asked of them. Memphis defended his not winning a single HOH as evidence of his strong game play since he made it to the final two. He also explained why he got rid of Keesha. Dan sucked up to Michelle by saying she was such a great competitor that he felt he had to back-door her.

The entire cast reunited for the live vote. After the votes were in, Brian, Steven, Angie and Jessie gave the jurors some insight on what they had seen from watching the season. After that, the votes were revealed.

The first four keys pulled all had Dan's name on it, making him the winner of Big Brother 10. For the record, the final vote was 7-0. It seemed the jurors valued Dan's moves over Memphis' subtlety. Still, Memphis leaves with $50,000 and a new car.

In a close vote, Keesha nudged out Jerry for favorite juror and the $25,000 prize that went with it.

Thoughts: I said from Week 1 that Memphis needed to be dealt with. It was no surprise to see him cash in. Dan played one of the best games I can remember. He made moves when he had to, wasn't afraid to lay low when he needed to, and basically was always one or two moves ahead of everyone else.

Dan wasn't five steps out of the house after being crowned the winner before his girlfriend, the one who made him wear the shirt that said "Taken" on it, ran up and grabbed him by the hand after a brief hug. Good luck with that, Dan.

Maybe next season the third wheel in a two-person alliance will realize they are the odd person out before it's too late. Keesha has only herself to blame for getting too comfy with the Renegades.

That's all from here. See you next season!

Posted by Carla Correa at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Big Brother
        

Dan, the 24-year-old Catholic school teacher from Michigan and America's Player, won Big Brother 10. Keesha was picked as America's favorite jury member. Read a recap of the final episode by Patrick Gutierrez tomorrow on Reality Check.

(Photo: CBS) 

Posted by Carla Correa at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Big Brother
        

American Idol alumna and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson got engaged over the weekend to boyfriend David Otunga, a contestant on I Love New York 2.

The two have been dating for less than a year. Otunga was nicknamed "Punk" during the VH1 show staring Tiffany Pollard, better known as "New York," from the Flavor of Love series.  

Hudson also celebrated her birthday Friday along with Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard, Melissa McGhee (Season 5) and Carly Smithson (Season 7).

This is going to be quiet a year for Hudson. Her self-titled debut album is due out Sept. 30. She also stars in the movie The Secret Lives of Bees, which will be released Oct. 17.

Photo (Evan Agostini/AP) 

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: American Idol
        

Native Marylander Christian Siriano unveiled his 2009 spring collection at New York Fashion Week yesterday. Read all about it here. I would dish on more PR Season 5 details, but I don't want to know anything about the clothes OR the designers who make it to Bryant Park. I already stumbled on one of them while surfing the Web. If you want spoilers, Google 'em yourself.

I did look at video of Christian's show on baltimoresun.com. (You can access it via the link above.) Christian chose a gray palate, with some orange and chartreuse thrown in for good measure. Gone are the harsh, stiff blacks; ruffles and flow are in. Sheer material evokes the lightness of spring. I'm not so big on sheer, but I'm big on gray and orange: They look good together. And, of course, it wouldn't be Christian's show without some fancy hats. Tim Gunn says Christian "really is the next great American fashion designer." I'm going to actually agree. Jay McCarroll who?

Posted by Carla Correa at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Project Runway
        

Guest blogger Patrick Gutierrez is ready for the BB10 finale. Are you? Catch up with his recap and observations:

When we last left the house, Dan, Memphis and Jerry were standing on the wings of airplanes in Part 1 of the final HOH competition.

Not surprisingly, Jerry was the first to fall. It looked like Dan and Memphis' plan to keep the old-timer over Keesha was working to perfection.

Dan ended up winning Part 1 and automatically advanced to final round. That left Memphis and Jerry to battle it out in Part 2.

Their game was physical and mental. Each contestant was outfitted with a pair of boxing gloves and stood in a makeshift corner. When the bell rang, cardboard cutouts of all Season 10 house guests sprang up in a row 10 yards in front of them. The goal was to punch out all the house guests except for the HOH and two nominees for the week. Round 1 was week one, Round 2 was week two, and so on, for 10 rounds.

Memphis and Jerry went separately, and then their times were compared. Memphis finished in less than nine minutes; Jerry took nearly an hour. He voiced his embarrassment at his performance that all but sealed his fate, although he still seemed to believe Memphis might take him to the final two if he beat Dan.

In the Part 3 Q&A, Dan and Memphis squared off as they tried to guess which answer jury members gave to a particular question. Dan took the early lead and held off Memphis to win his third HOH of the season.

At the nomination ceremony, Dan sent Jerry packing to complete the Renegades' plan that was hatched in Week 4.

Dan and Memphis are the last two standing. We will find out Tuesday who is crowned Big Brother champion.

Thoughts: Once again, a two-person alliance made it to the end: Dick and Danielle, Adam and Ryan, and now Dan and Memphis. When will people learn? It's hard enough making it through the game without having to battle two-person teams. Break 'em up!

I predict a landslide win for Dan. He played a near-perfect game. It seems that every competition he tried to win, he did. He even did America's bidding for a week and got away unscathed. It doesn't get much better than that.

One of the jury members is going to win $25,000 based on America's vote. Go here and vote for Renny! Also, if you want to audition for Big Brother 11, you can get details there as well.

Posted by Carla Correa at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Big Brother
        

Marylander Isis, a transgendered contestant, was nearly eliminated last night in America's Next Top Model.

Isis was the bottom two because she took a bad photo during a challenge, which involved the contestants hanging from a ladder that appeared to be dangling from a hot air balloon. In addition to having bad arm placement in that picture, Isis looked very average during the judging. It was the second week in a row that Tyra Banks chided Isis for her appearance. Luckily for Isis, Nikeysha talked over the judges one too many times, and they sent the mouthy model packing.

Benny Ninja appeared in the beginning of the episode to work with the women on their posing. Elina made the most of the lesson when she won the first mini-challenge, which involved each contestant  posing with designer handbags. Sheena and Nikeysha crashed and burned.

Sheena wrapped one of her legs around the back of her head and planted her purse in front of her genitals. Needless to say, her poses were called "offensive." Nikeysha had a similar pose, but she dangled the purse from her foot. (She also announced to the room that she had to urinate! (Totally unprofessional!) Meanwhile, Elina took a photo that Jay Manuel called "Dior."

It wouldn't be a good episode of Top Model without a little controversy among the contestants. Hannah was labeled a racist by the contestants of color after a series of incidents.

First, she pushed Isis while the contestants were sitting in a hot tub. (Hannah said in a confessional that she had a problem with transgendered people.) Next, Hannah had a conversation with Sheena, during which she called herself "the stereotypical white person" because she doesn't like rap music and isn't loud when she walks in a room. Brittany and Sheena were very calm and understanding when they told her that she should be careful repeating those words. Hannah immediately burst into tears. (Give me a break!) Later, some of the models of color talked about what Hannah had said. Hannah was summoned into the room. Joslyn asked her if she was prejudiced. Hannah rephrased the question using the word racist. She said she wasn't, then she left the room and complained that she was being attacked.

Time for the hot-air balloon challenge. Mike Ruiz was the guest photographer. Lauren Brie was stunning in her photo. (The judges later said her photo was among the best in the history of the show.) During her shoot, Elina was compared to Angelina Jolie. Joslyn also received good remarks.

During judging, I knew Nikeysha was in trouble when the judges started to comment on her being too thin. Isis was criticized for appearing like a "normal girl" during judging. Tyra said she needed to look more like a model.

An extra mention needs to go to Sheena, who was constantly told that she looked like a hoochie. Miss Jay Alexander said she looked like "Victoria's Secreations." Paulina Porizkova also asked her whether or not her breasts are real. She said yes. A few minutes later, she came back to the judges and confessed that they're not. Tyra commended her for her honesty.

I think Nikeysha got sent home because she kept on talking. You could tell that she irritated Tyra, because Nikeysha basically got shushed several times during the elimination. At one point, Tyra told her to stop talking because it was "Isis' moment." (See the video below.)

I can't wait for next week when the model's get makeovers!

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: America's Next Top Model
        

Here is our guest blogger Karen Shih and her recap of Top Design. (Better late than never! I keep having trouble logging into the blogging software at home.):

It's bomb shelter week!

Andrea keeps talking about not wanting to be associated with Rick Schroder (if you didn't mention it honey, nobody would ever know), Wisit continues his fabulousity and Robert is as bitchy and contentious as ever.

In addition, this week our designers get to showcase their knowledge of history. How would Americans end up in bomb shelters? Natalie speculates. Well, the Chinese would build Transformers, which would be great vengeance for … Hiroshima.

Yeah.

Posted by Carla Correa at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Top Design
        

Patrick Gutierrez writes about Big Brother 10: It's down to the final four, and the Power of Veto winner will determine who goes home. Dan's plan to nominate Memphis worked to perfection, as he garnered Keesha's support while Jerry aligned with Memphis for what he thought was a deal to watch each other's back. These arrangements all but guaranteed Memphis' safety, as whoever won the POV would not be targeting him.

Meanwhile, Dan got to leave the house for winning the luxury competition, and he spent his time with Michelle on the beach trying to win her over.

When he returned, the POV competition was held. All four house guests competed for the power to evict someone. Well, technically all four competed. Dan, safe for the week as HOH, could've easily won the competition but shrewdly threw the game so he wouldn't have blood on his hands.

Memphis edged out Keesha and won the POV. The next day, Keesha confronted the Renegades in Dan's HOH room after her intuition told her she might be going home. Memphis all but confirmed it to her by not answering her, while Dan made it a point to point out that it was Memphis, not him, sending her home.

She stormed out of the room and for the next two days wanted nothing to do with Memphis. She told him flat out he was not getting her vote. Jerry just stood back and watched the whole thing unfold, knowing he was on his way to the final three.

At the POV ceremony, Memphis did take himself off the block and, in turn, voted to evict Keesha. As she was saying goodbye, Dan whispered into Keesha's ear that he took Michelle with him on his trip. After she left, he feigned anger at Memphis for supposedly breaking from their alliance with Keesha in an attempt to throw Jerry off.

"I really can't believe you did that," he told Memphis in front of Jerry. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm taking you" to the final two.

The three-part final HOH competition got under way. Part 1 was an endurance test called "A Wing and a Prayer" and had each player standing on top of the wings of a miniature airplane holding a pair of reins. The goal was to be the last man standing, and the winner would automatically advance to Round 3.

The planes were raised in the air, and the game began. All three players were still on their plane when the show ended, so we’ll have to wait until Thursday to see who wins.

Thoughts: It was definitely the right move for the Renegades to get rid of Keesha. I mean, seriously, if one of them can't beat Jerry in the final HOH competition, they have only themselves to blame. They couldn't have set it up any better. Sure, there will be some hurt feelings in the jury house, but from a game-play standpoint, it was very effective the way they executed their plan.

Dan is getting a little greedy, and it might come back to bite him. Instead of being content going to the final two with his Renegade partner and letting the jury speak, Dan has tried to paint Memphis as the bad guy. If Memphis catches on and gets tired of it, he can always take Jerry to the final two if he wins HOH.

Posted by Carla Correa at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Big Brother
        

This is an interesting story about reality television contestants cashing in on their 15 minutes of fame. Some examples are -- gulp -- Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Omarosa.

This other blog post takes a look at Jamie Chung from The Real World: San Diego. Chung recently landed the lead role in the new ABC Family show Samurai Girl.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Here's another Big Brother 10 update from guest blogger Patrick Gutierrez.

With the house down to the final four and Dan as HOH, no one can feel safe this week, not even his alliance partner, Memphis. It doesn't matter whom Dan nominates, someone is going to win the POV, and that person will have all the power because he is the lone vote during the eviction ceremony.

To pass the time, the house engaged in a mysterious luxury competition for a trip outside the house. The prize promised to potentially "change the game." The instructions for the game were found in an envelope underneath a sumo wrestler who had suddenly appeared inside the house while the players were outside battling for HOH.

Dan was the first one to notice the envelope; he snatched it after the wrestler stood up. He read the instructions to the rest of the house guests.

The game was held outside, where there were several displays set up. The players were awakened at the game's outset by a person in a gorilla outfit, which turned out to be Jessie. The gorilla led the players outside for the competition.

The goal was to decipher a common phrase based on one or more of the displays. There was a three-hour time limit, and each house guest was allowed three guesses. The first person to figure it out would win a trip to a remote beach locale for a day. As time elapsed, decoy displays were covered up, making it easier to solve the riddle. Jerry was the first one to venture a guess, but it wasn’t even close. Keesha went next with her first guess, but she was also incorrect. Jerry tried again but to no avail. After an hour and a half, Keesha tried another guess, "Blew it," based seeing on a blueberry and the word 'it" on top of a hatching egg. She was wrong. Dan guessed "Bury the hatchet." Memphis went after him and guessed "fruitless exit" but knew that wasn't it.

At the end of the three hours, the house guests were summoned inside by the gorilla, who made a familiar noise that tipped them off to his identity, but he disappeared before they could confront him. Dan was announced as the winner and was privately told he could take a house guest or a jury member with him on his trip. He chose to take Michelle but told the house he wasn't taking anybody.

Before the nomination ceremony, Dan and Memphis pondered their options. In the end, they decided it would be better to keep Keesha temporarily safe by not nominating her. She fell for it, thinking that meant Dan would be more likely to take her to the end then Memphis.

It now comes down to the final POV competition.

Thoughts: Not nominating Keesha was a smart move by Dan. If she doesn't win the POV competition and ends up going home, I don't think she'd be as resentful toward him. Even if Dan wins the POV and takes Memphis off the block, it will be Memphis sending her home.

If Jerry wins the POV, Memphis is toast for not getting Dan out the house when Jerry was HOH. If Keesha wins it, Jerry is likely going home.

Posted by Carla Correa at 9:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Big Brother
        

Forgive me, blog readers. My iBook G4's occasional inability to run The Baltimore Sun's blogging software, combined with a jam-packed weekend, prevented me from posting Patrick Gutierrez'Big Brother 10 recaps sooner. Here's his recap of last week's eviction.

Memphis used the power of veto to save Dan, so the Renegades alliance remained in tact and had full control over who went home this week. Renny, Dan's replacement on the block, and Keesha, her closest ally, refused to campaign against each other.

Jerry was upset Memphis had betrayed his wishes but didn't make his feelings public because he knew that at this point in the game, the right friend could mean the difference between a shot at $500,000 and being sent to the jury house.

Speaking of the jury house, April expressed her strong desire to see Keesha walk through those doors. Alas, she was disappointed to see her "boyfriend" Ollie instead.

Back at the Big Brother house, Dan and Memphis talked about who would be more beneficial to keep around. Jerry, a lame duck head of household, tried to plant seeds of doubt in Dan and Keesha's heads about Memphis, telling them (correctly) that he suspected Memphis had deals with all three of them (himself included.) They didn't believe him, however, and told Memphis about his accusations. At that point, it looked like Memphis and Dan were keeping Keesha.

As expected, the Renegades voted out Renny 2-0, bringing the house guest total to four. At the HOH competition, Keesha, Dan and Memphis competed in a "Freeze Frame" competition and were asked a series of true/false questions based on pictures they were shown earlier. Dan went a perfect seven for seven and won HOH for the week.

Thoughts: Jerry looks like the target at this point, but remember but what happened last season. A strong player (Natalie) and a weak player (Sheila) were left, along with the power alliance of Adam and Ryan, and the two guys (smartly) chose to keep the weaker player, knowing they could beat them in the final HOH competition. If Dan and Memphis were smart, they'd keep Jerry around and get rid of Keesha.

On the other hand, either Memphis or Dan stands a great chance of winning against Keesha because she is not well-liked in the jury house. In order for that to happen, however, one of the guys would have to betray the other. We'll see what happens. It all comes down to the POV.

Posted by Carla Correa at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Big Brother
        

Project Runway is becoming a bit predictable. Designers guessing what the challenge will be and debating who will be that episode's guest star? Check. Suede talking in the third person? Check. Field trip to an undisclosed location? Check. Corporate sponsor? Check. Wednesday's episode was no different, but at least the looks didn't have to be designed using car parts.

First up: The designing women are wondering what the new challenge will be. Will they get to use REAL fabrics? Suede is sad that Keith, his roommate, is gone. I'm not. Then, they all head to the runway.

Car-part-challenge winner Leanne decides to keep Caroline as her model, which means that Keith's model, Alyssa, is out. (There sure hasn't been a lot of model-swapping going on this season.) Heidi Klum then describes the next challenge, saying a special person is there. Tim Gunn walks out, saying, "It's just little old me." He tells the contestants that they'll be designing for a fashion legend, whom they'll meet now. Field trip! (Here's hoping that he or she is an actual legend, unlike Brooke Shields.)

As they walk down a cobblestone street in New York's Meatpacking District, Blayne is crossing his fingers that the aforementioned legend is Mary-Kate Olsen. Yes, Michelle of Full House, who is 22 and often clad in oversized garments that resemble garbage bags, grandmotherly garb, etc. (Though she has been looking a bit better as of late.) "My first thought about the fashion legend is Mary-Kate Olsen. I want every challenge to be involved with Mary-Kate," he says. "I wanna marry Mary-Kate. Who doesn't? Besides Tim Gunn?" Everyone, raise your hand.

The designers get to pick out fabric from the DVF sample room. They are happy! Kenley is CRYING in her confessional, because she really wants to win. Back to real-time: Stella is having trouble reaching her fabric. She's weak! Kenley helps.

Back in the workroom, Leanne is happy she has immunity, but she still wants to win. The designers have a look book, which I'm assuming is the Fall '08 collection, which includes pieces with several layers. People seem to be doing three pieces, except Kenley is talking about making one "great" dress in her confessional. She still looks like she is going to cry.

As for the others: Suede is focused on "what Suede is here to do." Blayne has some fluorescent fabric, naturally. Terri is making more "androgynous" wear. She makes pants and shows them off (on her) while others make fun of her firework print behind her back. Korto is making something she hopes is chic and wearable for someone of any size. I'm sure it will be fabulous; I'm betting on her to get to Bryant Park. Stella, who won't tell her competitors what she is making, plans a cape, vest and pair of pants. (I bet they can guess that, Stella.) Joe crafts a backless pink shirt. Leanne, who is making a long purple gown and cropped trench, tells us that she has never been out of the country, thus has had no foreign affairs. However, she would love to be "Secret Agent Leanimal," and she "would hunt everyone down, like an animal." This would have been the funniest thing I saw on TV all night, but the shot of Sarah Palin's daughter, Piper, slicking down baby brother Trig’s hair by licking her hand and rubbing his head was slightly more cute and amusing.

As expected, Tim comes in to assess the designers' progress. He tells Suede that he isn't getting his awful print dress. Awful is my word, not Tim's. It looks a bit too full in the waist, and very dowdy. He tells Leanimal that her dress has a "sublime shape," but that as of now, the jacket is too long. Tim says Joe is being ambitious. Korto is making a black-and-white printed dress, with a bit of yellow peeking out from the neckline and, possibly, the bottom. Tim worries that the yellow looks like a bra strap. We all know what Stella is making (a biker outfit again). She thinks the last week's judges, especially Rachel Zoe, were clueless about her outfit. (FYI, they hated it). She's not going to listen to what anyone has to say. Tim likes Kenley's dress and says it has a "beautiful silhouette." But, K is still crying in her confessionals. Did she chop some onions? She says she hasn't worked for any big designers before -- only herself, Wal-mart or Kmart.

The next morning, we're exposed to a shot of Jerell in his underwear in a kitchen. Why? I'm not sure. Soon enough, the cameras are back in the workroom, where the designers are worried that unfinished garments will be going down the runway. Joe is fitting his model; Leanimal thinks his outfit looks like a cheap costume, and she's surprised he is still here. I'm surprised Stella is still here. I'm unsure why the judges haven't pulled a Remi on her (AKA telling her that she needs to change up her style).

Time for the runway. Fern Mallis, senior VP of IMG Fashion, is filling in for Nina Garcia. Mallis apparently puts together Bryant Park. Von Furstenberg is there, too. See all the runway outfits here. Pictures speak louder than words.

Terri, Blayne and Jerell are safe. No big surprises there. Korto's critique is first. DVF likes the yellow peeking out, and so do I. This dress is lovely. As a judge says, very international and also very New York. I didn't write down who said that, but it sounds like a MK (Michael Kors, not Mary-Kate!) comment, no?

DVF doesn't like Joe's open back. I think it was a good idea in theory, but it's messy-looking. The right side of the skirt is also a different length than the left. Michael says. "This could be a 'What was she thinking?' from behind." Everyone one is laughing -- everyone but Joe! (There was also a weird hooded cape like thing on the model. Yuck.)

As Kenley defends her decision to make only one piece, Leanimal rolls her eyes. "It's very easy getting away with one dress," Heidi says. But no matter -- DVF likes it. Fern says it's simple but chic. Things don't go as well for Stella. She says her "client" is traveling from Berlin to New York a la A Foreign Affair. (Note: She said "Paris' when describing it to Tim in the workroom. Her outfit is so not Paris-y.) "The tailoring is just not happening here," MK says, adding that there's no edge to the outfit.

I'm not a fan of Leanimal's jacket, but I do like the dress. As the judges note, the ruffles down the back add an element of softness. Words they use to describe it are "slinky' and "seductive." They also like the combo of a  man's jacket and woman's sexy dress. I'm going to say that Leanne is also going to make it to Bryant Park. She's really stepped up her game since being chewed out in the "green" challenge.

Suede: Ugh. She has no hips. Or maybe she does, they're just hidden by this God-awful fabric. There's an open back, which Heidi says is sexy, so therefore it doesn't need the awkward slit up the leg. And, worst of all, the outfit includes a herringbone jacket, which clashes with the print.

The judges deliberate. Fern says Kenley's outfit would have been a "home-run" with one other piece. Leanimal had "quite a lot of good design there," says DVF. Korto is praised again, much like other challenges. Suede's vest is bashed, and the dress was uninteresting, the judges conclude. Joe's outfit was "a little bit too Shanghai for my taste," says Heidi. MK says he didn't think "three-dimensionally." Stella's outfit is deemed a good idea by DVR (really?). But MK says
"It was more Transylvania than it was Shanghai."

(During the break, we see the DVF American Express commercial, of course. I swear a dress in the spot uses the SAME fabric Korto used in her awesome dress. Did anyone else notice this?)

Results: Kenley is in. Then ... congrats Leanimal! Your instincts paid off TWO challenges in a row. She wins even though she has immunity. "It feels so amazing!" she says. Buy her dress for $650 here. Korto comes in second. Again. Suede is in. It's down to two -- and I really hope Stella goes. She does. She's told that the entire look was a major misstep. Stella rolls her eyes a bit, then says, "My ego was way too big to stay here anyway. I've learned and I've grown, so thanks." Kenley is still crying, but this time because she'll miss Stella. I might miss Stella's funny comments, but I won't miss her outfits. I'm guessing she's not talking to me when she says, "If you like my stuff, come buy it." Oh, but she adds: "If you don't, keeping walking. I don't care." 

Posted by Carla Correa at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Project Runway
        

Last night's America's Next Top Model did not disappoint.

The show had a futuristic theme. Semi-finalists went to the "Top Model Institute Of Technology" to see if they made the cut (all wore futuristic, form-fitting body suits). Miss J Alexander, Mr. Jay Manuel and Tyra Banks got in the act. 

As the girls started to get to know each other, one contestant, Kacey, was very vocal in her opposition of Isis. Isis, as you probably already know, is the show's first transgendered finalist. In the end, it didn't matter what Kacey thought. She didn't advance to the finals.

Here are this year's finalists:

• Analeigh, 19, from Sacramento, Calif. The judges said she looks like a star.

• Brittany R., 19, from Henderson, Nev. Her mother is black; her father is Native American. 

• Clark, 19, from Pawleys Island, S.C. She's very confident. 

• Elina, 18, from Seattle. She's a vegan and is already developing a crush on Clark. Tyra says she's intimidating.

• Hannah, 19, from Fairbanks, Alaska. She is very innocent and grew up poor. 

• Isis, 22, from Prince George's County. Mr. Jay said she can be a high fashion model. 

• Joslyn, 23, from Lucky, La. She is one of the oldest contestants and said she's tried out for the show 30 times.

• Lauren Brie, 20, from Charlottesville, Va. Tyra says her face looks like an angel.

• Marjorie, 19, from San Francisco. She has a French accent. Jay Manuel likes her look.

• Brittany "McKey", 19, from Lake Forest, Ill. She does martial arts. Changed he name to McKey because of the multiple Brittanys in the competition. 

• Nikeysha, 19, from Bronx, N.Y. She flashed the judges during her audition.

• Samantha Potter, 18, from Woodland Hills, Calif. She has a horrible walk. She didn't know the names of five working models. Tyra kind of chewed her out.

• Brittany, 18, from Chicago. She changed her name to "Sharaun."

• Sheena Sakai, 21, from Harlem, N.Y. She said she's "not the typical Asian chick."

The second hour of the show brought the women to their new home in Los Angeles.

Clark said people like Isis "get shot" in small towns. She also said "Isis has no place in this competition." (Wow)

The next night, the models go to their first challenge. It's an interview the judges. That means Paulina Porizkova and Nigel Barker make their first appearances. Paulina liked Samantha. Nigel really liked Isis. Sharuan overdoes it with her confidence.

The next day was photo shoot revolving around the election. Each contestant was given an election issue and needed to take a picture tied to the theme. For example, Marjorie posed to immigration. Clark posed to bureaucracy. Photographer Mike Rosenthal shot the challenge.

At the elimination, Tyra reminds the contestants that the winner of the entire show receives a contract with Elite Model Management; a six-page spread in Seventeen magazine; and a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics. When its time to announce the results of the elimination, Marjorie's name was called first, which means as the photo shoot winner, her photo will be posted in the house for the rest of the week. (That's a new feature this year.) Isis is called second. (Very impressive.)

Finally, it's down to two girls: Sharaun and Nikeysha. Tyra said the judges didn't feel inspired by Sharaun. The judges were not happy with Nikeysha cutting them off during the critiques.

Nikeysha is saved. Sharaun essentially gets into the fetal position and cries uncontrollably. She says her journey to become someone will not end with her elimination.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: America's Next Top Model
        

Guest blogger Karen Shih, a Baltimore Sun summer intern, is covering the second season of Bravo's Top Design. (I heard it's supposed to be a bit more flashy this time around.):

I confess that I know absolutely nothing about design, and the most decorating I've done is in my own rooms wherever I'm living, which has been a lot of places in the past couple of years (and it may have involved a questionable decision to paint my room bright green while I was in high school). But I'm not here to be an expert – that's what the judges are for – just to provide some recaps. And we're off!

We start with India Hicks, regal and somewhat severe with her deep voice and British accent, introducing us to the cast of 13, who is here to compete for $100,000. I'm terrible at names, so I'll give you the first names as I caught them during the intros. It takes a couple episodes for us to really get to know them, anyway ...

We have Nathan from New York, arriving at LAX, who says he'll give you "chic"; Ondine, who has designed sets for Sex and the City; and Shazia, who says her distinguishing factor is that she's "brown." Perceptive. She's Pakistani, she says, and she's not a doctor! I get her. I know how she feels. (I'll volunteer that I'm yellow.)
Then we have Kerry, "Big Daddy," with a Southern accent; Andrea, wife of actor Rick Schroder, trying desperately to become known as not-just-the-wife-of-Rick-Schroder; Eddie, who works for Martha Stewart Living magazine and professes aspirations to pretty much become her; and Natalie ... is 24. Couldn't catch much else about her. Preston has decorated for Janice Dickinson (sounds terrifying) and Kelsey Grammer.
Then they introduce Wisit, who is positively fabulous. He's a former fashion designer who talks very de-li-ber-ate-ly ... then proceeds to regale us with some opera. Oh, my. If I'd been looking away during that song, I would have thought it was a large Italian woman.

They gather as designer Todd Oldham and India Hicks walk in to introduce the first challenge. Very solemnly, India tells them, "The road ahead of you is going to be arduous." Well, she certainly isn't peppy Heidi or Padma.

In teams of three or four, the designers will need to decorate and design an apartment in two days, working for a specific client. As they get going, they introduce the last couple of contestants: Theresa from Vegas, Serge, an nonschooled interior designer, Robert from Houston and Jennifer, an architect. The designers walk into their lofts, and who are their clients? The judges! Head judge Jonathan Adler, and judges Margaret Russell, Kelly Wearstler and India.

Jonathan gets the orange team, with Eddie, Jennifer and Natalie. He wants chic, he says, and he wants the place to be dog-friendly. "I want to walk in my front door and be happy," he tells them. Kelly, with previews showing completely inexplicable hair being a trend throughout the season, gets the red team, with Ondine, Wisit, Nathan and Theresa. She wants her dining room to be an office as well, and she specifies no TVs.
Margaret gets the blue team of Robert, Preston and Kerry. She hates beige, she says, and neutral colors.
What does she want? Hot pink and cobalt blue! India get the green team of Andrea, Shazia and Serge, and says she wants a Caribbean plantation feel, with seagrass and wooden floors (in a loft with concrete flooring).

Each judge leaves his or her team with an envelope, and it turns out, each team's budget is ... $2,000! After a montage of freak-outs, the designers start shopping at thrift stores and a junkyard. The green team shows early signs of tension, as Shazia wants Serge to stop being so artsy as they're picking out furniture, and that tension never quite lets up. They scramble during their first day to get as much done as possible.

The next day, we're treated to some gratuitous shots of contestants getting ready. I'm not saying you have to be a model to be on this show, but really Bravo? Do we need to see everybody dressing first thing in the morning? Blech.

But just as they think they're about to get back to work, there's a surprise! They're brought up to the roof, and they find lots and lots of frames for them to create wall displays that represent themselves.  This short challenge has a covetable reward: two winners get immunity. Everyone scrambles to dump everything out of their personal belongings. A survey of the boxes is as follows: green apples stuffed haphazardly into a case, a peace sign that's actually a Mercedes symbol, forks and knives, monkeys!, Jesus and a bitten apple. What?
After the judging, things aren't looking great for the green team, as Shazia and Serge are both in the bottom. The red team's prospects look better, with Wisit and Ondine winning.

The mishaps continue as the green team ends up with unusable wallpaper. Then, when the sink overflows when Andrea tries to wash their incredibly sad couch, all of their usable wallpaper and fabric gets soaked.
But tensions aren't just limited to the green team. The blue team's Preston and Robert start fighting about art and nonexistent lamps, and Kerry delivers the best line of the night: They're "like two chickens in a barnyard, about to go at it."

Todd pops in to help everyone out. He'll never be Tim Gunn (oh, Tim Gunn), but he's a peppy guy with constructive suggestions for each team.

As time runs out, the green team leaves a giant mirror, lying balanced at an angle against a corner. Ominous. Judging commences, close to the top of the hour in this particularly long episode, and we get a chance to see just snippets of each finished product. The orange team pulled together a comfortable design of light blues and flowy curtains for the downstairs, and a dramatic orange and red palate for the upstairs bedroom. The blue team has a haphazard design with some rich blues and some items that seem to be clearly just junk. It's incoherent and doesn't have any of the bright pink Margaret asked for.

The green team is scared, fighting through smiles about the disgusting couch cushions that scared India, and Andrea is taking credit for everything going well on the team. The upstairs seems to be the only saving grace. The red team has what seems to be a more complete design, with collections of things everywhere: books on the table, plates on the walls. We see the least of their design, but Kelly seems pleased.

We move on to the judging, where a queenly India sits in her own seat, away from the three judges on the other couch. The judges award the red team the "Top Design," and then it's on to the fun part! When questioning the blue team about their design, India tries to get them to scapegoat someone, and nobody will say anything ... until Robert, who goes for Preston, who he says took too long to paint. Burn. Margaret mentions that there was no lighting and no place to put drinks. Then Preston, who wouldn't say anything before, pins the lack of lamps on Robert. Great team spirit, certainly. The green team, however, clearly had the worst design. Just that couch -- which looked like it came straight out of a Dumpster -- should have sealed the deal. Scapegoating begins again as the designers try to defend themselves: Andrea, rightfully, with the gorgeous bedroom; Shazia, with a convoluted stuffing story; and Serge ... well, doesn't say much, and apparently didn't do much either, except putting in the wood floors, and both the women and the judges pick him to go home.

Well, he didn't design anything, really, but he had the bad luck to work with a team that was really not cohesive and seemed incompetent. Tough times.

Nobody seems compelling yet, but I guess we'll wait until next week! I may love Wisit, though, for all of his opera-singing, dress-drawing fabulosity. Certainly not because his name is Wisit. Well, maybe a little bit.

Posted by Carla Correa at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Top Design