The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 6

The red team lost in The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 5 but were again too stupid to get rid of the anchor that’s weighing them down, Conda, instead opting to eliminate Nancy while berating returnee Darian.

Following the elimination, much bickering continues. This is getting annoying. I am getting a headache.

This week’s excuse: “I can’t lose weight on my own.” The team that loses the challenge this week will lose their trainer for the week. Their trainers will be suspended above a dunk tank. Whoever drops their trainer loses him. Everybody hangs on for 10 minutes. Red team begins to drop first. After 20 minutes, everybody is still in. Then 25 minutes. 30. 35. Kimmy is the first one to let go, and so begins the domino effect. Mark is next. In quick succession, Kim, Conda, and Buddy fall. Adrian and Roy let go last, and Dolvett finds himself all kinds of wet.

Megan trains horses, but she’s too heavy to ride them. One of her ultimate goals in this process is to be able to do rodeos.

In Dolvett’s absence, Kim decides to take control and be the red team’s leader. Although Dolvett may not be able to talk to them, he can still see and monitor what they are doing. He can also hear… Conda whining.

In her second week on campus, Daphne finds herself lagging behind the others, worrying that it will be seen as a weakness. Unlike her brother, though, she does not seem to be the obvious target. For that matter, I’m not sure there are any targets on the black team, whereas the red team is looking for their next victim. Of course, if they do go to elimination, she would be an easy person to go after.

They head to a restaurant for an ordering lesson with Rachael Ray. Rattling off the dishes they would have eaten before coming to the ranch, they easily run their meals up over 3000 calories for just one meal, with food choices such as pasta, fries, and multiple desserts. Then the lesson begins and they learn they can eat out but still eat healthy, with such simple changes as dressing on the side and asking for the food to be prepared without oil.

Dolvett returns for last chance workout. He thanks Kim for taking over the leadership role. Now for the bad news. He views them as a team divided. Conda spent so much time complaining about Adrian. For that matter, there are a lot of things she complained about. He brought a list. That said, Adrian’s biggest obstacle is that he doesn’t listen to anybody.

Conda: 255 pounds (8, 3.04%)
Kim: 209 pounds (-6, 2.79%)
Roy: 261 pounds (-7, 2.61%)
Kimmy: 188 pounds (-5, 2.59%)
Mark: 244 pounds (-7, 2.79%)
Buddy: 336 pounds (-9, 2.61%)
Adrian: 325 pounds (-9, 2.69%)
Red Total: 1818 pounds (-51, 2.73%)

Mark expected more from Adrian than he delivered. After all, Mark beat him by 0.10%. If you’re gonna pick on someone for no reason, at least just admit why you’re doing it. No need to dance around the team’s personal dislike for him.

Daphne: 236 pounds (-8, 3.28%)
Cassandra: 195 pounds (-5, 2.50%)
Chris: 206 pounds (-5, 2.37%)
Megan: 223 pounds (-6, 2.62%)
Emily: 223 pounds (-7, 3.04%)
Jeremy: 326 pounds (-12, 3.55%)
Chism: 305 pounds (-13, 4.09%)
Black Total: 1714 pounds (-56, 3.16%)

Black team wins again as it continues to operate as a unit. On the other hand, the red team loses again. As the person with the highest percentage of weight loss on her team, Conda is safe. Do we even need to sit through the formality of a vote? Everybody knows what’s going to happen here.

Votes
Roy: Mark
Kim: Adrian
Conda: Adrian
Adrian: Mark
Mark: Adrian
Buddy: Adrian

Hopefully this means an end to the bickering, but I doubt it. If nothing else, at least Adrian is done running his mouth. He never had a chance with these women, but still he could have handled it differently. With 4 votes, Adrian is not The Biggest Loser. He dismisses himself from the table and asks that everybody avoid his sister.

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

American Idol Season 11 Episode 7

A pair of Britneys, Brittany Zika and Britnee Kellogg made their appearance in American Idol Season 11 Episode 6. Tonight the auditions go to St. Louis, the city where Carrie Underwood, perhaps the most successful American Idol alum, got her start.

Johnny Keyser looks like a star, and his performance of A Change Is Gonna Come backs it up.

Now that she’s getting a divorce, Rachelle Lamb has decided to sing. Her appropropriate song choice is Find Somebody New. She’s going to Hollywood.

Reis Kloeckener thought about dropping out of school after being bullied, but he accidentally stumbled his way into choir, which turned it around for him. Steven says that was so beautiful it made him cry.

Ethan Jones dropped out of school to be in a band with his dad, who has since departed from the band to go to rehab. He’s headed to Hollywood.

Mark Ingram works there. Right there. He’s a hotel auditor, and probably just there on his lunch break. The hotel staff says he sings every day, and he probably does. Badly.

Lauren Gray is in the family business, a one stop wedding shop, complete with wedding band. Her powerful voice has the judges saying wow.

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

American Idol Season 11 Episode 6

A more mature Baylie Brown returned in American Idol Season 11 Episode 5. Next stop: Portland, Oregon. Where all the best singers are from.

Brittany Zika tells us of her dream of singing a duet with Sara Bareilles. Jennifer says she has one of the prettiest voices they have heard.

Ben Purdom tells us he’s not feeling that great today, and he’s been sick since Tuesday. At least he has his excuses ready for when they say no. Nothing at all to do with his bad singing of a Lady GaGa song.

6’8.5″ Jermaine Jones is a church singer and has been pretty much since he was a zygote. Good enough voice to go to Hollywood.

Britnee Kellogg (seriously, parents of America, how many different ways can you spell Britney?) arrives with a dozen people all in matching T-shirts. She pursued her ex-husband’s basketball dreams with him instead of singing, then he decided to go pursue other women instead. The judges love her voice and her story.

Sam Gershman sings I’m a Woman, about which Steven had no doubt. If she hadn’t identified the song, nobody would have known. Steven thinks it’s a little too Broadway, in spite of the perkiness of her… personality.

David Weed fails at singing. He then fails at his second dream, stand up comedy.

Romeo Diahn went from war torn Liberia to a refugee camp in Ghana before making his way to the US. Jennifer loves his vibe and flavor, but she’s worried where he’ll fit in. She gives him a little tiny yes because he’s different. He won’t be getting Seacrest’s vote, though, as his family doesn’t know who Ryan is. They stand there wondering why he’s talking to them.

Naomi Gillies sings Aerosmith’s Cryin’. Not a fan of her high notes, but she’s going to Hollywood.

Ben Harrison fancies himself adorable. He’s just happy that no bodily fluids exited him during this confusing audition.

Jessica Phillips’ boyfriend had a stroke last year, ending up struggling to even communicate any more. Her performance of Again by Faith Evans impresses the judges.

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

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.