Out in Reality TV: August 2007 Archives

So ABC announced the celebrity line-up for the next season of "Dancing With the Stars" this fall. Wayne Newton: Will his face move AT ALL? Jane Seymour: Dr. Quinn doing the tango? Marie Osmond and Jenni Garth: nothing snarky - i like 'em both. Mark Cuban: He should liven things up!
But let's get real: the real draw for this viewer is the hot guys and this season there are two sizzlers: "All My Children" star Camerson Mathison (right) who has caused hearts to race for several years as Ryan Avery. Those eyes, that body, that smile. Good call ABC.
Then there is someone I've never really heard of but look forward to learning more about...and watch dance! His name is Helio Castroneves (pictured, below) and what a dish, huh? The rest of the "celebs," I don't much care about but maybe that will change once we see them each week.

I sure hope Amber doesn't show episodes of "Big Brother 8" as home movies because each week, she seems to make an even bigger jackass of herself. After she was nominated tonight for eviction, she was next seen in the diary room - in tears, of course - saying: "God, I don't want you to think I'm mad at you."
Earlier, she is seen talking to Jameka who for some reason was telling Amber that she envisions her on the cover of a magazine. Amber takes it and runs with it, getting lost in a fantasy about being a model, bragging about her body (big mistake) and personality etc. She really has NO idea how badly she comes off.
I think she will be voted off on Thursday and it will not be a moment too soon! It was also very smart of Jessica to nominate Zach who has really been able to slide by week after week after week. He acknowledged for the first time that he will have to work to stay in the house.
And in a shallow note, the luxury competition involved the houseguests taking off all their clothes and being covered with suds as they tried to figure out various word puzzles. WHY did they not play this game when Nick and Mike were still in the house? Instead, all we had was tattoed Dick, increasingly annoying Eric (the eyebrow thing he does while in the diary room makes him seem insane), leaving Zach as the hunk of the group - by default.

I sure hope Amber doesn't show episodes of "Big Brother 8" as home movies because each week, she seems to make an even bigger jackass of herself. After she was nominated tonight for eviction, she was next seen in the diary room - in tears, of course - saying: "God, I don't want you to think I'm mad at you."
Earlier, she is seen talking to Jameka who for some reason was telling Amber that she envisions her on the cover of a magazine. Amber takes it and runs with it, getting lost in a fantasy about being a model, bragging about her body (big mistake) and personality etc. She really has NO idea how badly she comes off.
I think she will be voted off on Thursday and it will not be a moment too soon! It was also very smart of Jessica to nominate Zach who has really been able to slide by week after week after week. He acknowledged for the first time that he will have to work to stay in the house.
And in a shallow note, the luxury competition involved the houseguests taking off all their clothes and being covered with suds as they tried to figure out various word puzzles. WHY did they not play this game when Nick and Mike were still in the house? Instead, all we had was tattoed Dick, increasingly annoying Eric (the eyebrow thing he does while in the diary room makes him seem insane), leaving Zach as the hunk of the group - by default.

I haven't watched much of "Survivor" since the Colby Donaldson season but I'm glad to know that CBS has unveiled the cast for the next season of the show and it includes 22-year-old gay flight attendant Todd Herzog. Apparently he's a Mormon but I've seen "Latter Days" so if he's out, he's probably an ex-Mormon.
Todd is the only gay contestant that we know of but wasn't it just last year that J.P. Calderon came out AFTER he was on the show.
Herzog lists his hobbies as "traveling, shopping, and drinking coffee."
OK, Mormons don't drink caffeine either, just ask Donny and Marie.
Well, not to be superficial (imagine that!), but he's a lot easier on the eyes than first season champ Richard Hatch who liked to walk around naked...and should not have. He's in prison now, but not for walking around naked - for failing to pay his taxes.

The "Dick and Daniele Show," er, I mean 'Big Brother 8' is wearing thin only midway through the game. I initially thought it had the makings of a summer-long guilty pleasure with lotsa eye candy and fun. But I watched tonight and just felt bored. I mean, give me a break: there was actually an entire sequence on how stupid Amber is, asking for the definition of the most basic words and phrases. Said Evil Dick: "I'd be surprised if her vocabulary exceeded that of her 8 year old daughter."
Good one Dick...still can't stand the sight of you.
So Daniele is back in control as HOH and she is plotting away, planning to backdoor Jen. She nominated Jemeka (now my favorite player since Eric has become a little worm) and Amber. Funnily enough, Amber - who has cried buckets over so many ridiculous things - did not even shed a tear in the diary room later. By the way, Daniele's HOH room included a birthday card from Nick that was pink and full of glitter etc which Eric described as looking "like something a 13 year old girl would have concocted."
So, Nick remains an enigma.

Anywho, Eric seems to be as cocky as Dustin was last week and look what happened to him. So that little worm better watch it. Speaking of Dustin, he gave an interview to AfterElton.com that you should read. Here are a few nibbles:
On Nick: “Nick is a great guy. He's straight. His flirtation strategy worked with Joe though.”
On Dick calling him a princess last week: “Honestly, he was calling Carol a princess and Jessica a princess in Weeks One and Two for the way that they didn't do anything around the house. And he just decided to attack my sexuality in a low blow, and you know, I didn't really take it offensively. Him calling me a princess, I could have really cared less. Him attacking Jameka's religious beliefs and Amber's motherhood — those are the attacks that I took personally.”
On representing gay men on national television: "...I try to be just me. If I come across as a gay man, I hope I did the community justice. I represent me in life and in this game. It's not in my nature to hold back my opinions and feelings and I'm sure I offended the community as well. It wasn't until I was in the house did I think, 'Oh God, the gays are watching me.'”

Gabbed up a storm with Marcellas Reynolds last night at a DVD release party in West Hollywood for the hot flick "Boy Culture" (more on that later). I was dying to know what this two-time "Big Brother" contestant and busy TV personality had to say about the goings on this season.
As usual, Marcellas did not hold back!
"They voted off the two custest guysx back-to-back! Mike goes and I thought, 'Well, we still have Nick.' Then he goes the next week and I'm like, 'What the hell are you thinking?' I can't even believe it. I was so upset the night that Nick went and also because it was really poor strategy on the houseguest's part ot get rid of Nick and not Kail. But now there's nobody cute. Zach isn't that cute, Eric isn't cute at all - I'm not into piercing - and I'm over Dustin."

"The thing that's amazing this season is how racist everyone is. Amber is crazy. The other night I was watching the live feed and Dustin, the gay guy, was talking about a black dog that he named [n-word]. I was shocked because you know me, I always want to screw the gay guy every season - except for Joe who had gonorrhea."
So who does he think will win? "It's really going to be a battle of mediocrity. If Dustin dolesn't go this week - and it's smarter for them if Dustin than to choose Dick - because if you are playing the game strategically, you would want to keep Dick in the house because he's a complete a**hole. And you take that bitch to the end, and you're $500,000 richer. So I would keep Dick like it was my job. Dick and Jen, I'd be like, 'We're in an alliance, we're going to the end.' That's who you keep. I hope that they will be smart enough to get rid of Dustin. I think this will be a double eviction week. I don't know that for sure but that's what usually the way it goes the first week someone goes to sequester so they're not in sequester alone."

Did it just seem too good to be true?
Andy Baldwin, the best "Bachelor" ever, and his chosen one, Tessa Horst, have called off their engagement but have not broken up. I guess they realize that reality really isn't a reality show. (That's a weird sentence but I'm gonna leave it).
According to In Touch Magazine, Andy reportedly said: “When the fantasy wore off and the reality set in, we both realized that we weren’t ready to be engaged. We’re taking things much slower.”
Tessa has postponed her plans to move from San Francisco to Hawaii where Baldwin, a Navy doctor, is stationed.
They said in a statement: “We are very much in love and committed to our relationship. With the possibility of reassignment to a new location, we decided it was not the ideal time for Tessa to uproot herself and move out [to Hawaii] right now. Our relationship continues to deepen, and we’re very hopeful about our future together.”

I wish them both well since they came off as very appealing people on the show...but I'm thinking this isn't gonna go the distance...

Related post: ">Face-to-face with Andy Baldwin: 'I'm definitely straight'

I was just reading Daily Variety's TV ratings story and almost lost my lunch when I read that Dick Donato (aka Satan) and his name-calling and intimidation strategy has boosted the ratings of "Big Brother 8" to their hghest all summer. Damn! Why can;t we credit the spike to cutie pie Eric and his very entertaining role as "America's Player"?
The insults and tantrums had all three of the week's televised segments on CBS in the top 10 among veiwers 18-49.
Writes Variety: "It will be interesting to see if the ratings stay strong if Donato, up for eviction this week, is kicked to the curb on Thursday's live results show."
He has just been too vile, especially on last night's show where he mocked religion, sexuality and motherhood, among other things. He should be kicked to the curb and left there.

Are CBS executives glad they chose this sick, twisted "person" named Nick to be on "Big Brother *" for entertainment value? He has been nominated for eviction along with his manipulative daughter, Daniele, and on tonight's broadcast, did his devil best to get under the skin of all other houseguests at one point saying, "I have to get them to despise me."
That task had already been accomplished but for good measure, he went on a rampage calling Amber "a disaster on two legs" (well, that IS true) but he did not have to add: "You are one ugly b*tch. I promise on the life of your daughter I am going to make your life miserable."
CBS did not see fit to air Amber's anti-Semetic remarks made previously and caught on the live-feed, but the network had no hesitation in airing Dick's homophobic taunts toward gay contestant Dustin, whom he repeatedly called "Princess."
Even if it's strategy, it's so vile and only a vile person could say the words with such conviction. And coming from a 44-year-old man wearing nail polish and earings, it was pretty ridiculous.
Of the Christian Jameka he said: "You can't even save yourself!" and after Dick won the POV competition, he mockingly said: "Thank you Jesus!" I think Jameka spoke for anyone stupid enough (me included) to still be watching this annoying show when she said: "He is Satan in this house."

It's not even my birthday and yet this happened on tonight's episode of "Big Brother 8"...
Jessica nominated Dick and Daniele for eviction. Dick is going down swinging, picking fights with Jameka and Amber. Meanwhile, Daniele is left to scrounge around for allies.
Good luck with that.
I don't know what Dick hoped to accomplish being such an a**hole. He not only lose the game but along with Amber, is the most loathsome person on this or any season of this show.
My interest in the show is waning...but I do want to see that nutjob voted off followed by Amber the next week. I find them boith so offensive. Jen doesn't even bother me in the least now...

My mind was so much on politics yesterday that I'm just now catching up on what happened last night on "Big Brother 8." And it is great news! Eric survived in a 4-3 vote that sent Kail home and, I think, ends the reign of terror that was Daniele and Dick.
Jessica won HOH and my bet is she puts this twisted father-daughter duo on the block then thjey can go another few years without speaking. Can you imagine having to spend your holidays with that manipulative bully?
Nowe here's my hope: A showmance between Eric and Dustin! That would be cool. Is this just a pipe dream or does anyone know of any real flirtations between these two?

I don't spend many of my summer nights watching game shows but last night, flipped on CBS in preparation of "Big Brother" and the new game show "Power of 10" was still on. There was the most adorable contestant named Jamie Sandler on in a wrinkled blue shirt. He's just 19 but he was so poised, had a great way about him, and the best smile. And best thing: he won $1 million!!!
He's gonna use the money (well, part of it anyway) to go to pay for med school. He also plans to buy a car.
p.s. The show had some strange questions, don't you think?

The site BuddyTV has a terrific interview with Nick Starcevic about his stay in the Big Brother house. I wonder if Nick has heard of YouTube and the 24-hour live feed. That makes it kinda hard to rewrite history Mr. Muscles.
But, he seems to be trying to. Here are some excerpts:
On Daniele: "I legitimately have feelings for Danielle. I went in the house with one way of playing the game and I met Danielle and found out that I didn't have it in me to hurt someone's feelings like that. You know, I'm a very emotional person, and I fell for Danielle, and everything I said to her is real, and that's why I kind of cozied up beside her and sidled up, and we tried to start our own little alliance there."

On the speculation abvout his sexuality: "Yeah, I've gotten asked that question a couple times today about homosexuality. I am definitely one hundred percent straight, I don't know if something was taken out of context or anything like that. It was something with like Joe and I in the hot tub, somebody said. Definitely one hundred percent straight, had nothing to do with men ever. But I am a very comfortable guy with my sexuality, and I do find men attractive, and I can say that because I'm comfortable with my sexuality."

On the story he told Joe in the hot tub about performing oral sex: "Uh... yeah that's what was told to me before, I never said anything about performing a sexual act before. I said that I kissed one of my buddies on the lips in a bar because of a bet, I don't know if that's what you're talking about."

So, before he keeps lying, maybe Nick should watch this clip:

OK, that's it. Dick has GOT to go. He has surpassed Amber, Jen and everyone else as not only the most annoying houseguest on "Big Brother 8" this season, but for ANY season. I mean, Jen is a moron but should Dick be allowed to dump iced tea on her head without repercussions? His verbal abuse to her and other houseguests is so unpleasant and has rendered most of them into his little soldiers. They need to turn the tables and get rid of this dude! I like what Eric did on last night's show: he got into a verbal showdown with Dick and kept his wits about him and turned things back at him. It was clever. You don't often see someone outmatching this loudmouth.
But, with daddy's little girl Danielle HOH, Dick appears to be safe while Jen and Kail are on the block for the third week in a row.

It appears Daniele wants to backdoor Eric but there might not be the support in the house for that plan.I watched last night's show and just feel like it's sinking to new depths. Having the houseguests hanging upside down while birds crap (I think it was fake crap but still) on them is disgusting.
I will say this though: even though she is Dick's daughter, Daniele is a much better player than he is: gritty and able to win competitions. I say she goes much further in the game than daddy dearest.

Here is Nick, voted out of the Big Brother house by a score of 6-2. I missed the episode in favor of a party on the rooftop of The Standard Hotel in Dowtown LA. Gabbed with lotsa celebs and will share some w/you tomorrow...So, what do we think of Nick's departure? Why do these gorgeous dudes who don't seem very bright keep getting shown the door when someone like Dick is a bigger threat? Amber is a weeping fool, Jen is a space cadet and Kail is so calculating. Maybe it was the Mohawk?

Or maybe Nick (pictured above with his showmance Daniele) chose the wrong side of the bisexual fence or whatever he was sitting on in the early weeks. He clearly should have been snuggling up to Dustin more than Daniele if he wanted a strong ally. Her attempts to save him were sincere, but feeble. Nick feels betrayed so I guess we won't be seeing that showmance becoming a romance.

Here is Nick pictured (above) with some of the friends he thought he had...