Out in Reality TV: April 2007 Archives

Poor Heather Mills. First she breaks up with Paul McCartney then she gets voted off "Dancing With the Stars" after dancing, with an artificial leg, far better in more ambitious routines than some of the other remaining contestants.
The vote can't be about dancing when Cliff from "Cheers" gets more votes for barely moving during his routines and Billy Ray Cyrus who, while awfully cute, can't dance to save his life!
I gotta say, I LOVE this stage of both "Dancing" and "American Idol" because for the most part, the cream has risen to the top. And the men on "Dancing" are so damned sexy!

Joey Fatone, with all that charisma and those sexy moves, is basically my dream man. Ian Zeiring is a stud with a killer smile, and Apolo Ono is awesome! I think Ono will wiin but if not him, it might be Laila Ali who is a sensation week ater week. I love her moves, her personality, and her hunky dance partner!

Here's what Rosie O'Donnell said this morning on The View as reported by AfterEllen.com:
"It's Wednesday, April 25th, and you know what that means? It's the day after Barbra Streisand's birthday. [giggles and murmurs; Barbara Walters puts her head in her hands] And there's also breaking news. I've decided ... we couldn't come to terms, so I've decided I'm not coming back next season, but I will co-host [etc. etc.] and don't be sad because I'll still be here, just not every day."
Rosie explained that she wanted a one-year deal, while ABC wanted three years. She insisted that she wasn't fired by ABC or Barbara Walters -- "They're not kicking me out!" she said. She added that she'll be on the show frequently next season as a guest-host after she makes her exit in June, and will participate in special episodes as well.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck: Once a week?
Rosie: Maybe.
Barbara Walters: You told us to be upbeat, but I'm not, I'm sad.
Barbara makes it clear that she had nothing to do with the negotiations and that they haven't thought about a replacement because they thought Rosie was coming back.
Rosie: Will you miss me, Joy?
Joy Behar: I'll tell you who's really sad. Donald Trump. He's on a ledge right now.
Rosie asks Elisabeth how she's feeling about the news.
Elisabeth: I think I'm in denial.
To her credit, Elisabeth says that Rosie has been a great catalyst and has really sparked conversation.
After the break, Elisabeth accidentally says she thinks Cheney would be a good candidate for 2008 (she meant to say McCain) and Rosie dramatically falls off her chair. And that, Rosie, is why we'll miss you.
Joy: He's coming live. He was gonna do a phoner, but we said no.

TMZ.com has the video. Click HERE to see it.

Also, here is a statement from GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano on Rosie's departure: "From her first day on The View, Rosie put lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues front and center in America's living rooms. "By telling stories about her own family, her wife and children, she brought unprecedented visibility to our lives and significant cultural change during a time when we are fighting every day in this country for equality. While always opinionated and sometimes controversial, Rosie used her national platform to tell our stories, and for that, gay people and our straight allies will always be grateful."

And finally, HERE is a clip of Joy Behar bagging on the moron that is Donald Trump. The combover king is gloating, of course, and on Wednesday said: "Rosie's a loser and she continues to be a loser. ABC fired her and I'm proud to say that I probably had a part in it."

Sanjaya Malakar continued his post-"American Idol" media blitz yesterday by reading off "The Late Show with David Letterman’s" Top Ten list on Monday. This followed an appearance on Ellen's talk show and a weekend in Washington D.C. for the White House correspondent's dinner (huh?). Today he was on "The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet" whatever that is.

Anyway, here are the “Top Ten Things I’ve Learn from American Idol” list from 10 to one:

– The camera adds 10 pounds to your mohawk
– Work hard and make sacrifices, you can finish in seventh place
– It’s very important to “keep it real, dawg”
– I should have gone for the Immunity Idol — oh wait, that’s “Survivor”
– On camera, Simon is a bit nasty, but off camera he’s a total jerk
– Voting for yourself 100 times an hour causes some wicked carpal tunnel
– When you forget the words, just do this … “OHHHHHHHHHH”
– Honestly, I thought I was auditioning for “Are you Smarter Than a 5th Grader”
– Nothing
– America loves performers with bad hair — right, Dave?

Also Monday: Makalar’s infamous hair goes from shiny to soaked after having buckets of slime dropped on him on Nick’s ME:TV on Monday in New York City.

Photos from JustJared.com

There is a new issue of The Advocate out so I finally feel like I can share with you the rest of my recent cover story on "American Idol." I've provided the first two links for you so you can start from the beginning then you can read to the very end. It's interesting to me: since the article appeared, the gay baiting between Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest (detailed in this third installment) seems to have diminished. We still have not heard a peep from Mario Vazquez who the editors put on the cover and, of course Clay Aiken has been busy on goodwill missions to Afghanistan.
Anyway, here is the rest!
Click HERE to read Part One
Click HERE to read Part Two

Damon Romine, media director of the Gay and Lesbian Association Against Defamation believes that American Idol contestants are no different from other aspiring stars who don’t want to give themselves any kind of perceived disadvantage in achieving success.
"By and large, many gay and lesbian performers have felt some pressure — either internal or external — to keep their private lives private as they strive to achieve some level of stardom," he says. "But as we’ve seen, when celebrities do come out, their lives ultimately change for the better as they are able to live openly and honestly."
Many point to Elton John and the Scissor Sisters as a few examples of international success while others can’t help but bring up the case of season two runner-up Clay Aiken, whose sexuality has been widely speculated upon. But Aiken, in various interviews where the subject has been broached, has chosen to neither confirm or deny whether he is gay. He also has refused to respond to aggressive bloggers and others who have tried to force his hand.
"It really actually makes me sad that he feels that he can’t be himself," season one out finalist R.J. Helton says of Aiken. "Maybe he’s just not comfortable with his own skin yet. I think he’s got so much clout that he could do a lot for other gay artists."
Adds fellow season one out finalist Jim Verraros: "Clay’s got a lot more invested in him than I do, millions of dollars on RCA. We don’t know who in his camp might be saying, ‘We will drop you so fast your head will spin.’ He has more to lose. I think it’s sad because I don’t know how much more obvious you can get."
Neither Aiken or his representatives had any comment for this story.

This is the week where the rubber hits the road on "American Idol."
Melinda was dazzling, Jordin and Blake top-notch, Lakisha and Chris were better than the judges gave them credit for and even Phil Stacey, who I have never liked, was damned good.
That leaves us with Sanjaya.
With his curly hair partly hidden by a red bandana, he showed all the limitations he has as a singer as he struggled to sell "Something to Talk Åbout." Simon deemed it "uttterly horrendous" and I have to agree. I didn't have a problem with Sanjaya staying in until this week because the six other singers still in the competition are clearly in a different league than him. I expect to see this kid voted off tomorrow night and I'm sure he will go on to a nice career as a teen idol.
That is unless the stupid Internet campaigns and Howard Stern efforts to tilt the voting toward Sanjaya succeed. Really people, get a life. This is a fun show that really gives a lot of people in this country something in common. We can't agree on our politics or social issues but we can agree on who can sing and who can't.

Bravo has announced that fashion guru Tim Gunn will be back to mentor young wannabe fashion designers for the fourth season of Bravo's hit show 'Project Runway.' Since Gunn will also headline his own show, "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" for the network, there was rampant speculation that he would not return to "Runway."
"I am thrilled to make it official that I will be back in the workroom for season four of Project Runway," Gunn said. "We are in the midst of casting the designers now, and I can already see that it will be another amazing season."
Gunn will once again work with host Heidi Klum and fellow judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. The casting process for the fourth season of 'Runway' kicked off last week in Los Angeles. Auditions for the show will then move to New York, Miami and Chicago.

Interior designer Thom Filicia is going through major separation anxiety. That's what happens when you've finished shooting one groundbreaking reality series, Bravo's "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy," and started another, the Style Network's "Dress My Nest," airing Wednesday nights at 11 p.m.
"It's baby steps," Filicia tells the New York Post. "Leaving 'Queer Eye' is like meeting someone that you think you're going to be spending the rest of your life with and then deciding that you really love each other but you have to move on."
Filicia, who got the news last year that "Queer Eye" would take its final bow in 2007. The remaining 16 new episodes will air this spring and summer.
Taking its place in Filicia's life is "Dress My Nest," an intriguing show that lets him riff on an individual client's favorite outfit as the basis for making over an important room. If you like khakis and topsiders, that will be reflected in Filicia's design. If you're more into pearls and cashmere, the makeover will reflect that elegance. Primary vendors are Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn and West Elm.
"We get up every day and dress ourselves, and we're pretty proficient at pulling ourselves together," says Filicia. "So if you don't have a handle on interior design, it's a great place to start answering some questions: Do I like color? Do I like texture? It's a great springboard, a fundamental roadmap."
Click HERE to read the entire NY Post piece on Filicia.

Glad I held off on the provocative pic of American Idol finalists Blake and Chris lookin cozy on a love seat. They would make a terrific-looking couple but, it was photoshop that brought them together. TMZ has posted the real deal:

Somebody send me to a clinic. I get home from a nice dinner with an old friend at Water Grill in downtown L.A, and the first thing I do? Not flip through the mail or check the answering machine. I fire up the computer to see who got voted off "American Idol." I could just visualize the headline:
"Phil Stacey voted off Idol." So what a shock to see that it was Gina Glockson voted off! I never thought she'd win the thing but figured she was safe a few more rounds with Phil and Haley Scarnato more likely to go first. Well, what do I know. i liked her version of "Smile" and think Simon's crappy comments after she sang helped sink her as they did Stephanie Edwards a few weeks ago.
Haley and Phil had the next-lowest vote tallies in the phone balloting, which drew about 33 million calls and text messages. And yes, Sanjaya lives on another week...deal with it!

This is such a cheap ratings stunt on ABC's part. And God bless 'em for it!
Andy Baldwin, the latest and perhaps best yet to headline "The Bachelor" will be shirtless in much of next Monday's episode, reports JustJared.com. I think the whole premise of the show is ridiculous and someone demeaning but, hey, I like watching Andy who has completed the Iron Man Triathlon six times!
So here is the circumstances that lead to him being shirtless: Seven women strip down to bikinis and short-shorts to show Iron Man Andy their athletic side, as they passionately compete in a mini-triathlon, including swimming, biking and running events in Santa Monica. The winner scores a romantic stroll on the beach with Andy, as the losers can only look on with envy. Then one lucky bachelorette is singled out to spend a romantic evening aboard the Bachelor’s private yacht.
Lucky bitch.

ABC reports that 9.8 million people tuned in to watch Andy and gave the the show its biggest premiere since 2004. This season also scored 19% better than fall’s The Bachelor.

Blake, Lakisha and Melinda continue to lead the pack but this week, I think you have to put Jordin right up there with them with Chris Richardson close behind. I thoroughly enjoyed "American Idol" last night with the contestants being mentored by the great Tony Bennett.
Most of them seemed to reject Tony's advice when it came time for their performance except for Blake who did in fact slow down "Mack the Knife" as Bennett suggested. He was first up and he was sexy and smooth. He's got such great moves, terrific stage presence and confidence and has a terrific voice. Whatever happens, this kid is a star.
Melinda Doolittle did her usual sensational job with "I Got Rythm" and I agree with grumpy Simon that the second half of the song really did elevate the performance to magnificant. But how will be ever choose between Melinda and Lakisha when both are so high-caliber. I prefer Lakisha ever-so-slightly because she's sassy and her own woman. She sang a steamy "Stormy Weather" and ignored Bennett's advice on how to end the song and I agree with what she went with.
Jordin was first-class with "On A Clear Day" which Randy rescribed as "simply the bomb." Randy was the bestg judge last night - he gave credit where credit was due and was fair. Paula was bordering on inarticulate again after a run of solid weeks, and Simon is just a cartoon sometimes. He was especially a jerk to the rocker chick Gina who i thought did a solid version of "Smile."
Then there's Sonjaya. I think all this bull about him ruining the show is ridiculous. I mean, we got a woman going on a hunger strike, we've got Howard Stern leading this voting drive to ruin "American Idol" by having Sonjaya win. I say: grow up! Get a life!
Ironically, Sonjaya was solid tonight. His voice doesn't have the range of Phil Stacey, obviously, but even Tony Bennett said he was a fan of his and said "I think you're terrific. [You] dare to be different." No weirdo ponytails this week and a solid work-the-crowd performance of "ICheek to Cheek" including a brief dance with Abdul) that actually drew praise from Paula and Randy. Randy said: "You've turned into a terrific entertainer while Paula said "you've got this charm about you." Simon, just a toad last night, sarcastically said: "Incredible!"
So, bottom line: Phil Stacey has got to go. He has a great voice but he just leaves me absolutely cold and his performance of "Day and Night" was a dud after he ignored Bennett's advice to speed it up a tad. I think he is voted off tomorrow night to be followed next week by Haley. Yes, that means Sonjaya makes the top seven at the very least. I'm coo, with that. But if we see a Mellinda or a Lakisha or a Blake voted off before him, there's gonna be hell to pay!

With no Mario Lopez to watch this season, my interest in ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" was minimal. But I did watch it last night and realized this: while the only hot male celeb is Ian Ziering (I also find Joey Fatone completely adorable) who is paired with Cheryl Burke (pictured with Ian, above) , the male professional dancers are beautiful. I am particularly enamored with Jonathan Roberts paired with Heather Mills and the sizzling Maskim Chmerkovskiy, paired with Laila Ali.


As far as the women, all are beautiful and I think Heather Mills is an inspiration for doing all the dances, and doing them quite well, with an artificial leg. But Leeza Gibbons, uh boy. Is it me or is she just plain wacko? She's gotta calm down and just dance. During the interview, I found her so annoying that wanted to throw my water bottle at the television.

I'm watching "Brothers & Sisters" last night, the first new episode in weeks, and ABC keeps showing this hot guy with his shirt off during the commercial breaks. Turns out he's Andy Baldwin and he's been chosen to be "The Bachelor" which makes its season premiere tonight after "Dancing With the Stars."

I have to admit, I didn't even know "The Bachelor" was still on. You'd think I'd pay attention to these kinds of things but I think the whole thing is stupid. Two dozen girls vying for this one guy and so OK, he picks her, then what? None of these couples seem to go the distance (I know, Trista the "Bachorlette" seems to be but she's the exception). So, I've sorta felt like the show was past its time and not really something worth investing in. But then again, look at Andy Baldwin! I may have to sneak a peak at the show here and there as a dutiful blogger.

Andy is an officer in the Navy and a triathlete and, apparently, a gentleman. We shall see. To ABC and to Andy, want big ratings? Keep your shirt off as much as possible.