Music is my life. Everything can be expressed, handled or just felt more deeply with the right chord or phrase. I have been blessed with some amazing friends and am still at that point where my life is an open book. If you’d like, stick around for a bit and help me write a few chapters…
Fast-forwarding through Fox’s broadcast of the final performances of season 7 of American Idol had to be one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to do. Ok, so maybe I didn’t have to, but a boxing themed finale. Are you kidding me? Who in their right mind would even consider putting pip-squeak David Archuleta in a ring versus anyone… his pretty lil face might get hurt. On the other hand, fight’s on!! Anyway, tonight was the big finale, and surprisingly enough, my mind’s underdog pulled out a victory by over 12 million votes. While he wasn’t my first choice, America, good job getting this final vote right. It’s kinda sad that I’m not sad the season is over or excited that DC won. Instead, I’m just relieved. American Idol, I hate to say this… but I think you’re time walk away with what dignity you have left. You bore me. I’d rather watch “Super Nanny” on Wednesday nights and not your results show. Alas, I should stop taking the joy out of DC’s big victory. So to help celebrate his big night… here are MY favorite performances from David Cook, your American Idol.
Know what that is?!?! Oh yeah, it’s a picture message from Zac of the movie poster for X-Files: I Want To Believe, the much-anticipated, ‘I’m gonna pee-squirt’ X-Files sequel. Never has there been a show that I so religiously followed and unabashedly loved as this one, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the script must be phenomenal if it could draw Gillian Anderson out of her acting hiatus. Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, and Chris Carter are all on-board, and I’m just not sure I can wait until its July release. Guess it’s time to start watching all the old episodes again. Eeek!!!
With only six contestants remaining, this season of American Idol is finally getting good. Tonight’s theme was the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and surprisingly enough, the contestants did better than expected with Broadway music. The first performance of the night was my favorite contestant, Syesha, singing “One Rock & Roll Too Many” from Starlight Express, and she was phenomenal. Yay! Jason, dreadlocks boy, was up next butchering “Memories” from Cats. I won’t lie… watching him hurt; I really don’t think he had any idea what the song meant. So painful. When I heard the next Idol-wannabe Brooke White was singing “You Must Love Me” from Evita, I was excited to see if her voice could capture the frailty and emotion of this song… it did not. From the get-go, she struggled, and I’m guessing will end up packing her bags and heading home which is sad because I she was original and I liked her. Oh well.
Crowd favorite David A followed the neutered cat routine of Jason and Brooke’s lyrical mishap, and honestly, anyone would have sounded brilliant after them. But, I won’t take away from Archuleta’s rendition of Phantom of the Opera’s “Think Of Me”. It’s just hard for me to get excited about this kid because every performance sounds the same, however he’s strong and consistent which means he won’t be headed home anytime soon. Irish chick Carly was up next, and thank goodness she ditched her first song choice and went with “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of this ALW tune, but it was perfect for her. Sucks to be me though, I’ll have that song in my head for the rest of the week.
Last up was David Cook. Before we talk about his performance, can anyone tell me what is wrong with his facial hair?!?! It totally reminds me of those women who dress like men and pencil on their beards… like Oprah’s pregnant man-chick. Anyway, David C went with “Music Of The Night” from Phantom of the Opera and really pulled it off despite the few moments where he wandered aimlessly as if he was in rehearsal. Did anyone else pick up on that? Also, as soon as he started singing all I could think about was Will Ferrell singing the same song on Letterman. If you haven’t seen that clip, it’s brilliant and just another one of the many reasons I <3 Will Ferrell... well, that and his sexy bod. I mean who wouldn't wanna piece of that?!?! Exactly!
Oh yeah, you heard me right. After its strike-induced hiatus, The Office is back and on a roll. Honestly, I was concerned with how they’d do in their return to Must-See TV, but within the first two episodes, my concerns have been laid to rest. Last week’s Dinner Party episode was easily the most awkwardly painful twenty-two minutes of television I’ve ever witnessed, and despite the pain, I’ve watched it three times this past week. I find myself giggling every time I think Jan sniffing her candles or Jim sacrificing Pam for his own freedom. More than just the awesome banter and office hijinks, it’s these little moments that fuel my love for this show. What never ceases to amaze me is how these actors get through a scene without cracking up. Take the following clip. How does someone not reach over and slap Jan or crackup at Jim sabotaging Michael?!?!
I love birthdays. I love singing happy birthday, making birthday cakes, wearing the silly hats, and the whole shebang. This past Friday was one of my student worker’s 23rd birthday, but due to the boys’ all-consuming desire to desktop game (and a previously scheduled all-you-can-eat spaghetti CaresTeam dinner I was hosting), we decided to wait until Saturday to kick-off Corypalooza. The night of geeky debauchery began with a handful of us checking out the movie 21 (which I don’t strongly recommend paying more than $3 to see.) After the movie we headed out to Cory’s dinner of choice, Thai food.
After a month of DVR, I can’t remember what life was like without it. While I’m never home during primetime tv, there haven’t been any new episodes of my favorite shows due to the strike. So instead, I have been expanding my viewing pleasures with a few new favorites…
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations – Culinary and culturally educational with a twist of sarcasm and bitterness.
Jon & Kate Plus Eight: 7 year-old twins and 3.5 year-old sextuplets who are beyond adorable, but it’s the parents that amaze me.
Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares: Oh, BBC… how did I live without you? Soooo much better and more intense than the tame US version.
Each and every year one of my guiltiest pleasures has always been the Grammy Awards. While the cast differs from show to show, there are always a few things you can be certain of… the performances usually are over the top, the fashion statements made tend to make you wonder, ‘what were they thinking?’, and the most of the big names never leave home without their mama and their ego. Tonight’s extravaganza was no different. So in case you missed it, I present to you my…
Top Ten Most Amazing/Painful Moments of the 2008 Grammys:
10. George Lopez introducing Brad Paisley: Thank God the Writer’s Guild Strike is over because Lopez’s political jokes were lame.
9. Herbie’s Big Night: Album of the Year and Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue highlighted a huge night for HH.
8. Kanye West: Yes, he talks too much and says things he shouldn’t, but his Stronger performance with Daft Punk and tribute to his mother tonight… got me.
It’s back… In the midst of the 2007-2008 Writer’s Strike, there is one beacon of joy in the otherwise dreary TV world… the season 4 premiere of LOST. There are countless theories floating around the internet (and our apartment) regarding what the writers have in store for the first 8 episodes of this season. Is our hero, Jack, really that out of control? Who’s in the coffin? Who is Jacob? There are just so many unanswered questions. If you haven’t been watching, now is the perfect time to catch up. If you’re a LOST fanatic, too, the waiting is almost over. (ABC Thurs 8/7c)
Last week, NBC aired a 4 night, holiday season special called Clash of the Choirs. The premise was five celebrity musicians (Blake Shelton, Kelly Rowland, Michael Bolton, Patti Labelle, and Nick Lachey) would lead a choir of singers from their hometown, and the winning team’s charity would receive $250,000. Of course, I taped it each night, and many of the performances and performers were incredible. The one that has stuck in my mind for the past week to the point that everyone I meet I ask if they saw it was Nick Lachey’s choir’s a capella Flight of the Bumblebee. It’s unexpected and brilliant. See what you think…
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past five weeks, I’m sure you’ve heard of (and, more importantly, your favorite television shows have been affected by) the great Writer’s Guild Association Strike of 2007. Just to make sure you’re up to speed on the strike, I’ll recap. Every three years the WGA negotiates a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. However, this time around, a negotiation was not reached and a strike vote was passed. The key issues hindering an agreement include DVD and Internet residuals. So what does that mean? It means the writers aren’t writing… so the actors aren’t acting… and no writing and no acting means no new tv shows being filmed. Most shows were able to finish anywhere from eight to twelve shows before the strike, so your favorite shows should be approaching a permanent rerun status in the next month of so if they haven’t already. Sad, I know. But what’s even sadder is the chance that some of this season’s best new shows may never get a fair chance at surviving and being picked up for a second season. In case you’ve missed some of this season’s gems, here are my 5 favorite new shows and why you should be watching them.
ABC’s finest new comedrama, Pushing Daisies, is an adult fairytale centered around Ned, a mysterious pie maker, with the ability to bring the dead back to life by his touch. However, there’s a catch to his gift… if he retouches the revived at any time they return to the world of the deceased, and if he doesn’t touch them within the first minute, another living (within the same physical proximity) creature dies in the reborn’s place. Pretty crazy, huh? Olive (the quirky pie waitress with a thing for Ned), Emerson Cod (Ned’s ‘business partner’), Chuck (Ned’s recently returned childhood sweetheart), and Chuck’s eclectic aunts round out this charming cast. If you enjoyed Amelie or have a soft spot for romanticism with a side of dark humor, this is one show you don’t want to miss. (ABC- Wed 7/8c) Click To Continue Reading…
I love The Office. I mean I really love The Office. I’m sure to some I spend way too much time quoting the office and debate with all my other Office-lovin friends about our favorite quotes and moments for each character. It has become a personal goal for me to convert all those around me into Office devotees. So just in case you haven’t been watchin’ the past four episodes of one of the funniest shows on tv. Here are some of my favorite clips from each character.
Music is my life. Everything can be expressed, handled or just felt more deeply with the right chord or phrase. I have been blessed with some amazing friends and am still at that point where my life is an open book. If you’d like, stick around for a bit and help me write a few chapters…
one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to do. Ok, so maybe I didn’t have to, but a boxing themed finale. Are you kidding me? Who in their right mind would even consider putting pip-squeak David Archuleta in a ring versus anyone… his pretty lil face might get hurt. On the other hand, fight’s on!! Anyway, tonight was the big finale, and surprisingly enough, my mind’s underdog pulled out a victory by over 12 million votes. While he wasn’t my first choice, America, good job getting this final vote right. It’s kinda sad that I’m not sad the season is over or excited that DC won. Instead, I’m just relieved. American Idol, I hate to say this… but I think you’re time walk away with what dignity you have left. You bore me. I’d rather watch “Super Nanny” on Wednesday nights and not your results show. Alas, I should stop taking the joy out of DC’s big victory. So to help celebrate his big night… here are MY favorite performances from David Cook, your American Idol.
