reality tv – Page 95

The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 5

In an abridged The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 4, Gail’s failure to peform finally led to her departure. I suspect we’re in for more interruptions yet again tonight with the Florida polls closing at 8, but with the results being known so early, Brian Williams tells us he’s going to stop talking soon.

Having been off the ranch and at home for 30 days, the aqua team is back. Pulling them away before they could get in the house was a bit cruel, but the challenge they have faced is both fair and easily doable. Sure, for people who don’t really want to do it, it’s simple to come up with any of a number of excuses, but those who put their minds to it merely need to learn to say no occasionally and do some basic math about what they’re putting in their bodies.

Daphne: 245 pounds (-26, 9.59%)
Adrian: 336 pounds (-34, 9.19%)

Having lost a total of 60 pounds, the aqua team has earned a second chance to come back into the game. By the way, you will now be separated. They both want to be with Bob. After a game of rock, paper, scissors, Daphne joins Bob’s black team. As long as they do not gain weight, they will be immune.

Meanwhile, everybody around them is making an extra effort to whine, especially Kim and Conda (who doesn’t like anybody). It’s not fair. It’s just not fair. Get used to it. The twists are just getting started.

Adrian tells the story about how hard he’s been working while he’s been home. He has been working out 14 hours a day.

Hoping to avoid a repeat of last week, Chris starts kissing up to the boys who voted to get rid of her last week after she talked about quitting. Daphne lucked out. She walked into a team divided. That makes her less likely to be target number one.

Conda has decided she can’t stand Adrian. Welcome to the club. I assume the feeling is mutual.

At the challenge, the teams will bounce balls over a wall that the contestants on the other side will catch and run through the sand to put in a net. The team that wins will be able to choose one player from each team whose weight will not count. Roy and Chism sit out for medical reasons. Nancy sits out for the red team. It’s a back and forth battle throughout the first half of the challenge. Eventually, things fall apart for the black team, though, and the red team builds a huge lead. Red team wins the challenge.

Red team calls an intervention. Mark fears that the cattiness will impact them as a team. Nancy inquires whether anybody there is in the eighth grade. I’ve got an idea. Get rid of Conda like you should have weeks ago. That should solve your issues, and those of the viewers. In any event, the intervention fails.

When confronted by Dolvett, Adrian pretends that everything is fine within the team. Not one to take the BS, Dolvett calls his own intervention. They make an effort to pretend to respect his input.

Having won the challenge, the red team can choose one person to sit out of the weigh in from each team. Megan will sit out for the black team; Nancy will sit out for the red team.

Nancy: 196 pounds (-4, 2.00%)
Megan: 229 pounds (-9, 3.78%)

Both of their picks look like they were pretty good.

Daphne: 244 pounds (-1, 0.41%, immune)
Chism: 318 pounds (-2, 0.63%)
Emily: 230 pounds (-5, 2.13%)
Chris: 211 pounds (-4, 1.86%)
Cassandra: 200 pounds (-6, 2.91%)
Jeremy: 338 pounds (-9, 2.59%)
Black Total: 1541 pounds (-27, 1.72%)

Darian: 334 pounds (-2, 0.60%, immune)
Kim: 215 pounds (-5, 2.27%)
Kimmy: 193 pounds (-4, 2.03%)
Roy: 268 pounds (-4, 1.47%)
Mark: 251 pounds (-4, 1.57%)
Buddy: 345 pounds (-8, 2.27%)
Conda: 263 pounds (-2, 0.75%)
Red Total: 1869 pounds (-29, 1.53%)

In hindsight, their Megan pick was spot on, not surprising after she lost 2 pounds last week. However, the Nancy pick was not the best, as 4 people lost a lower percentage of weight. If they had sat out Adrian instead of Nancy, red team would have won, but there’s no way anybody could have predicted that result.

Despite the low numbers, the black team manages to pull out the win. Brother and sister land with a thud, both saying there’s too much food in the house, but it’s moot since they are immune. As the person with the highest percentage of weight loss on the losing team, Kim is safe.

Mark takes the opportunity to point out that Adrian’s weight loss is suspicious and that he thinks he’s playing the game. Is this really the best time to discuss this? You can’t vote for him. I’m not so sure I buy into the game playing theory anyway. We’ve seen people gain 17 pounds in a week before. In this scenario, you gain weight, you lose immunity, and you go home. Too much of a risk for me, though certainly plausible.

Can we finally get rid of Conda?

Votes
Kimmy: Nancy
Nancy: Mark
Mark: Nancy
Adrian: Mark
Buddy: Nancy
Kim: Nancy
Conda: Nancy

Putzes.

With 5 votes, Nancy is not The Biggest Loser. From her starting weight of 217, Nancy is down to 178 pounds today. Her very large family greets her, including some of her 13 children and 55 grandchildren.

Stay tuned to dinguRUE for another live recap of The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 6, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, Steve Jones Leave X Factor

It’s house cleaning day for Simon Cowell and Fox. After just one season, the host and two judges are out. While it was expected that the wooden host whose name nobody can remember would be out, and that there was no path forward for Nicole as a judge, the amount of carnage comes as a surprise.

Paula Abdul’s selection as a judge confused me. The only possible logic behind it was the hope that Idol fans wanted to see her and Simon back together again, but at the end of the day, the reality is that people are over her (I thought we already learned that from Live to Dance). Strangely, Paula seemed more competent by comparison, as she was joined by an also pointless judge, Nicole Scherzinger. The two of them combined to refuse to do the job they were hired to do: judge. It’s interesting that they got rid of Cheryl Cole for no apparent good reason and thought this was the better way to go.

They’re joined by Steve Jones, the judge who’s not at all Ryan Seacrest. In 5 years, he’ll be even more forgotten than Brian Dunkleman.

Remaining on the panel with Simon is the other potentially competent judge, LA Reid. The problem with this show is that judging doesn’t seem terribly relevant regardless. It’s all a competition for the judges, not just the singers. That leaves them praising acts they should criticize and criticizing acts for no reason. It’s either a show about bragging rights for the judges or a show about finding the best singer. The two don’t seem to go hand in hand.

Now the search is on for some new judges. At the top of the list seems to be one of the biggest names in the business, Mariah Carey. Not being pregnant with twins, perhaps now is a better time for her to give it a go.

As long as Fox is doing a bit of winter cleaning, I have a suggestion. Get rid of all the judges on American Idol who refuse to judge. That will leave you with a nice round number, zero.

American Idol Season 11 Episode 5

Aspen brought us Shelby Tweten in American Idol Season 11 Episode 4. Tonight we head to Galveston, the 64th most populous city in Texas.

Fong Vu loves to sing diva songs. This will not end well.

Skyler Laine likes mud riding and shooting animals and all the great pastimes girls her age love. This country girl will be heading to Hollywood.

Baylie Brown made it to Hollywood way back in season 6. She was paired with two best friends from Jersey, and it went to hell. She’s got the talent to go far. Now it’s a question of whether she’s matured enough to get past group week.

At 28, this marks Kristine Osorio’s first and last year to audition. She took out a loan to pay for her divorce lawyer, but she opted instead to use that money to buy a plane ticket. She’s going to Hollywood.

Jennifer likes Rachael Turner, Reagan Wilson, and Cheyenne James, but the boys disagree. They follow this by putting through bad singers like Linda Williams instead.

Alejandro Cazares has started a revolution. He wants a world where inexplicable things happen that shouldn’t, like Lady GaGa becoming a platinum seller or Barack Obama being President. Whatever his brave new world entails, it will not involve him getting any further.

Cortez Shaw sings an Adele song, and Jennifer doesn’t want Randy to stop him.

Ramiro Garcia was born earless. After surgeries, he proved doctors wrong and is able to both hear and speak. And he can sing, too.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of American Idol Season 11 Episode 6, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on Fox.

American Idol Season 11 Episode 4

So apparently American Idol was on Sunday at 10 (does Fox even have programming at 10?). Hopefully that’s the last of the creative scheduling. Tonight we head to Aspen.

Jenni Schick is on something. Parents of Virginia, this is the person teaching your children. Annoyingly perky personality aside, she does a decent rendition of a Pat Benatar song.

Curtis Gray is in a 5 person band and has been singing in church from an early age. His performance of Yesterday impresses the judges.

Richie Law, Devan Jones, and Mathenee Treco join him in Hollywood.

Tealana Hedgespeth’s twin is no longer part of their sister act, going to school for performing instead. She tells us her sister is the better singer of the two. I doubt she’s worse. That and she has no distracting piercings.

Haley Smith seems like she’s lost and looking for the nearest 1970s. Steven says he’s honored to be listening to her voice.

Alanna Snare waitresses at a bar famous for selling rocky mountain oysters, which aren’t what they sound like at all. After an anatomy lesson about the reproductive organs about various animals, her singing falls flat.

Shelby Tweten is from Minnesota, don’t ya know? She was recently diagnosed as bipolar and has been suffering with depression for years. Carrie Underwood’s Temporary Home is the perfect sad song for her voice.

Jairon Jackson (no relation) opts to sing an original song. Not crazy about the song, but his voice at least sounds good, mostly.

Angie Zeiderman wants to be Lady GaGa. One’s enough, thanks. Once she’s done singing in a Swedish accent, I half expect her to start stripping. Her second song manages to win over the last hold out, Randy.

Magic Cyclops is the last performer of the night. This should be a complete waste of time. After one terrible song, the judges of course ask him to sing another. At least he proves to have some decent jokes to tell, unlike most of the idiots.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of American Idol Season 11 Episode 5, which airs Thursday at 8/7c on Fox.

The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 4

Black team dominated face off week in The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 3, sending Lauren packing.

This week’s excuse is not having a gym. For the team that loses this challenge, they will not have access to the gym this week.

They will have to answer a series of questions. For each one they get right, they can go through the door. For each one they get wrong, they’ll have to climb through an obstacle. Buddy is at home expecting the birth of his child. Gail will also sit out for the black team. This marks Nancy’s first challenge.

Which common vegetable is a very good source of vitamin C? Cauliflower or carrots.
Cauliflower. The incorrect answer leads the black team through the mud pit.

If you are using a tablespoon of oil to cook with, which is the worst for you? Peanut oil or vegetable oil.
Vegetable oil. Black team again heads into the mud.

What food builds the most muscle? Chicken or fish.
Fish. Both teams end up in the mud.

Which contains the most antioxidants? Pinto beans or blackberries.
Pinto beans. Again both teams are wrong.

Which of these foods contain the most protein? 4 hard boiled eggs or 1 cup of 1% lowfat cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese. Both teams are wrong for the third time.

Having turned in a less than stellar performance, the red team still wins the challenge over the black team, which got every question wrong.

Chris has decided she doesn’t want to be here any more, and she locks herself in the bathroom. Not another one. For the time being, Bob is able to talk some sense into her.

Without access to a gym, Bob’s going to have to get creative so his team can get their workouts. They head outdoors and tell us how cold it is. In California.

Nancy has a question for Dolvett. Have you ever given birth? His frustration with her is just the start. Conda hates him. Like she hates everybody else. She serves as nothing but a distraction, which is why I don’t understand their logic for keeping her last week. He shows her the door. As for Bob, he continues to struggle with Gail.

Apparently it’s going to take an hour and a half to tell us that the state of the union is as bad as it was last year, so we’re greeted by a very prompt end to tonight’s show, with the weigh in starting at the 35 minute mark. Buddy returns in time to hit the scales.

Emily: 235 pounds (-9, 3.69%)
Chism: 320 pounds (-12, 3.61%)
Cassandra: 206 pounds (-6, 2.83%)
Jeremy: 347 pounds (-11, 3.07%)
Gail: 297 pounds (-5, 1.66%)
Chris: 215 pounds (-7, 3.15%)
Megan: 238 pounds (-2, 0.83%)
Black Total: 1858 pounds (-52, 2.72%)

Buddy: 353 pounds (-10, 2.75%)
Roy: 272 pounds (-6, 2.16%)
Kimmy: 197 pounds (-6, 2.96%)
Mark: 255 pounds (-11, 4.14%)
Kim: 220 pounds (-10, 4.35%)
Nancy: 200 pounds (-5, 2.44%)
Conda: 265 pounds (-10, 3.64%)
Red Total: 1762 pounds (-58, 3.19%)

Lack of access to the gym leads to Bob’s team losing. As The Biggest Loser for her team this week, Emily is safe. It’s a battle between the person who seems the least dedicated versus the person who threatened to quit.

Votes
Megan: Gail
Chism: Chris
Cassandra: Gail
Jeremy: Chris
Chris: Gail
Gail: Chris
Emily: Gail

With 4 votes, Gail is not The Biggest Loser, joining her daughter Lauren after last week’s elimination. Upon her return home, she ends up with tendinitis in her hip, but that just means she’ll have to spend more time in the pool. Her goal is just to hear Bob say “You did it.”

Stay tuned to dinguRUE for another live recap of The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 5, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

Survivor: One World Cast

Survivor returns to Samoa for season 24, which premieres on February 15. 18 new contestants in this battle of men against women include the franchise’s first little person and somebody who lists her occupation as ex-NFL player’s wife, so apparently she herself is essentially useless.

Nina Acosta
51
Clovis, CA
Retired LAPD

Jay Byars
25
Gaffney, SC
Model

Christina Cha
29
West Hollywood, CA
Career Consultant

Monica Culpepper
41
Tampa, FL
Ex-NFL Player’s Wife

Colton Cumbie
21
Monroeville, AL
College Student

Kat Edorsson
22
Orlando, FL
Timeshare Rep

Michael Jefferson
30
Seattle, WA
Banker

Leif Manson
27
San Diego, CA
Phlebotomist

Chelsea Meissner
26
Charleston, SC
Medical Sales

Kourtney Moon
29
Austin, TX

Jonas Otsuji
37
Lehi, UT
Sushi Chef

Bill Posley
28
Venice, CA
Stand-Up Comedian

Matt Quinlan
33
San Francisco, CA
Attorney

Alicia Rosa
25
Chicago, IL
Special Ed Teacher

Troy “Troyzan” Robertson
50
Miami, FL
Swimsuit Photographer

Greg Smith
64
Houston, TX
Plastic Surgeon

Kim Spradlin
29
San Antonio, TX
Bridal Shop Owner

Sabrina Thompson
33
Brooklyn, NY
High School Teacher

American Idol Season 11 Episode 2

Savannah brought us Gabi Carrubba, Shannon Magrane, Schyler and Colton Dixon, and Phillip Phillips in American Idol Season 11 Episode 1. Tonight we head to Pittsburgh for another and thankfully abridged audition night.

Heejun Han doesn’t know why he’s here. It turns out he’s the Korean Michael Bolton. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, but it’s good enough for Hollywood.

Reed Grimm’s been part of a family act since he was 2. His rendition of the theme song of Family Matters sounds interesting enough, though the weird stuff he does with his body is distracting.

Aaron Marcellus and Chase Likens will be joining Reed in Hollywood.

Samantha Novacek has pointlessly brought her sister, Patricia Bell, along with her so that she can plank in front of her while she sings. Disregarding this, we find a decent voice in Samantha.

Creighton Fraker sings a song he wrote on the way there. I don’t get it. Then he sings a real song. Over the top, but good.

Eben Franckewitz hops in his parents’ van for a road trip. He sings Ain’t No Sunshine, and he’s one to watch, another in the string of talented younger auditioners.

Travis Orlando was rejected last year. Since we last saw him, he dropped out of high school after his mom left his family. Decent enough voice, and he narrowly makes it through.

Erika van Pelt is a mobile DJ and a wedding singer. Simon would have a field day with her, but she turns out to have a decent voice.

Shane Bruce followed the family trade out of high school… he’s a coal miner. Not good enough, but I think he’ll be back. So begins a not yet montage.

Hallie Day dropped out of high school at age 15 and moved to New York to join a girl group. That went about as well as could be expected. She sings I Will Survive, and Jennifer thinks she could win.

The next episode will be on Sunday. Oh, not this creative scheduling nonsense again.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of American Idol Season 11 Episode 3, which airs Sunday at 10/9c on Fox.

American Idol Season 11 Episode 1

It’s the return of the really awful judges and mediocre singers. At least we know that, unlike The X Factor, the judges won’t bicker much. Because they agree that everybody is beautiful and refuse to offer any criticism except to call one of the better singers boring. Here’s hoping Jennifer and Steven can prove less completely useless than they were last year. We start things off in Savannah, Georgia.

David Leathers, Jr. calls himself Mister Steal Your Girl. Really? The judges let him through in spite of this, calling him a young Michael Jackson.

Gabi Carrubba is a champion tap dancer who also happens to sing. I suspect we’ll see her on SYTYCD next. Speaking of which, she doesn’t care about Randy, Jennifer, or Steven, but she does want to hug Nigel. She’s going to Hollywood.

Brianna Faulk, Neco Starr, Molly Hunt, and Elise Testone will be joining her.

Jessica Whitely has sung the national anthem a lot. Her shouting does not go over well, but she threatens to be back in Texas.

Shaun Kraisman is apparently auditioning to be Ryan Seacrest. He’s willing to work for free, which would save them about $15 million, and Rupert Murdoch seems desperate enough to find ways to make money that won’t actually work, what with his staunch support of SOPA and PIPA. His singing falls flat, though.

Shannon Magrane is 15 and already 6 feet tall. Her father, Joe Magrane, pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1987 World Series. She brings him and her entire family out on stage, which Steven views as the best opportunity to make inappropriate comments about underaged girls. I’ve seen this story before with Jordin Sparks, and she can sing, too.

Amy Brumfield lives in a tent in the woods. She’ll have to pitch her tent behind the mansion.

Joshua Chavis dreams of singing the national anthem at a NASCAR race. Not a bad singer. Not good either. His bubbly personality quickly turns into a sobbing hissy fit.

A nervous Stephanie Renae seems like she’s going to be eaten alive by the process, but she pulls it together for her audition. Her idol is Carrie Underwood, so she’ll be doing one of her songs. The right look with a good voice that just needs a bit of work. Randy says not yet, but the other two let her through.

Schyler Dixon auditioned with her brother Colton last year. He has decided not to bother this year in spite of his top 48 finish, but she’s back. For someone who lists himself as a musician/face painter, you’d think the judges wouldn’t have to badger him into singing again. In any event, they’re both going to Hollywood.

Lauren Mink works with adults with disabilities, and she tries to bring music into that work when she can. Jennifer gets goosebumps.

Mawuena Kodjo is from west Africa. This is American Idol, no? I’m pretty sure. I heard Ryan Seacrest say it. And the guy who wants to be Ryan Seacrest. He claims to be singing a Rascal Flatts song. Disregarding the tone deafness, Randy makes him an offer to pound the pavement and find someone to say he’s good. Finding some combination of the youngest and oldest audience he can, he’s able to get people to support his advance to Hollywood. Still a no.

Ashlee Altise invented a lame dance called joy hopping that the judges encourage, offering further encouragement by letting her go to to the next round.

WT Thompson’s wife is 6 months pregnant, and he just quit his job so he could audition. Steven says no, but the other two say yes. This risk isn’t going to pay off.

Erica Nowak wants to make Steven Tyler her future ex-husband. After she cops a feel, she’s done for the day.

Brittany Kerr is an NBA dancer who gets a yes before she sings a note. Jennifer isn’t interested in hearing any more of what she calls a pretty voice, but the boys want to see more.

Phillip Phillips carries his guitar with him into the audition room but starts off singing Superstition a cappella. Randy has him grab his guitar, and he follows that up with Thriller. This is the audition people will be talking about in the morning. Not sure it was all that great, but still, memorable.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of American Idol Season 11 Episode 2, which airs Thursday at 8/7c on Fox.