From the category archives:

Reality TV Junkie

American Idol Season 9 Finale Results Show

by Jo-Lynne on May 26, 2010

in American Idol Recaps,Reality TV Junkie

idol-talk So this is it folks — the moment we’ve all been waiting for. What? You have a life, you say? Well, how nice for you. I, on the other hand, do not, and I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks. So let’s get this party started.

The top 12 contestants are performing School’s Out with Alice Cooper. Let’s hope the musical guest performers improve over the course of the evening. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Kris Allen as the outgoing Idol gets a turn on stage. I’m wondering why we haven’t heard more from him over the past year. I’m liking this song a lot, but I still think Adam Lambert should have won it.

Of course tonight’s show is pretty much dedicated to Simon, and we get treated to the first of what promises to be many tributes to king of the butt-cut himself. I really cannot believe he’s leaving the show. It’s not going to be worth watching without him. He just has an uncanny ability to critique contestants and predict their success as artists. No one will be able to replace him, but I suppose I’ll have to watch next season to see how it goes.

Siobhan and Aaron are paired up to sing perhaps one of the worst songs ever written. Wake me up when it’s over. It’s not much improved when the Bee Gees join them.

Now it’s Big Mike’s turn on stage. Okay, enough with the sappy 70s music tonight. Please tell me they’re going to continue to work their way through the decades. Michael McDonald joins Big Mike on stage, and yeah, he’s got an awesome voice but I’m holding out for another decade.

Okay, finally, we’re suddenly up to the 21st century with the top 6 girls singing Christina Aguilera’s Beautiful. Oh I guess this is a whole girls’ medley. Fun. During Fighter, Christina joins the girls on stage, but only for a few seconds. That hardly seems worth her trip, but whatever.

Oh I spoke too soon. I seem to be making a habit of that. Christina gets her very own performance singing a song I don’t know. And WHAT is going on with her hair? She looks like a blond Betty Rubble who forgot to put her dress on. Girl can sing, I’ll give her that, but I really would like to be her stylist. Somehow I doubt she’s interested.

Now it’s time for a boys’ medley. Suddenly we’re back to the 70s. I feel like I’m in a schizophrenic time machine. Let me guess. Hall and Oates is going to make an appearance shortly. Here’s a little bit of trivia for you: Daryl Hall is a local boy. He was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and he went to Temple University in Philly where he met John Oates. Now your life is complete. You’re welcome.

Crystal gets her chance to sing with Alanis Morissette. I wonder if the contestants have any say over who they sing their duets with. I feel like the show finally got started. This is cool. If you’ve got this show on your DVR and you haven’t watched yet, just start the tape about 50 minutes into it.

Next, the sweetheart of American Idol, Carrie Underwood gets her own spotlight. Wow, that is some outfit she’s got going on there. She barely resembles that shy farm girl that we met back on season four.

Next Casey gets his moment in the spotlight, and I’m anxious to see who he gets paired up with. Oooooh, this is perfect — Every Rose Has Its Thorn. Soon he’s joined by Bret Michaels. Well that was fun.

Lee DeWyze gets paired up with Chicago, and I’m really not quite sure how they picked this combination.

So far tonight, I’ve gotta say, this finale show has nothing on last year’s finale. Last year was a blast. This? Eh.

Although it may be looking up. I’ve been waiting for this. Pants on the Ground gets its very own segment, complete with dance team. Good stuff.

Um. Does anyone have a hook to pull Paula off the stage? I’m not sure what’s worse — her weak attempts at stand up comedy or her stilted sincerity. Okay, but I’ll admit, I do love seeing all the former Idol contestants singing together on stage. And seeing Simon in tears makes all this sappiness worth while.

This whole Janet Jackson segment I could do without. Wow, I’m really sounding crabby tonight, aren’t I?

Well, it’s looking like I’ll soon be put out of my misery. We’re finally getting down to the final minutes of the show, and Lee and Crystal are singing A Little Help From My Friends, and Joe Cocker makes his appearance. Crystal’s in her element. This is the most fun I’ve had all night.

And now it’s time for the results. Without further ado, the winner of American Idol Season 9 is…

LEE DEWYZE.

{ 12 comments }

American Idol Season 9 FINALE

by Jo-Lynne on May 25, 2010

in American Idol Recaps,Reality TV Junkie

idol-talk I can’t believe the finale is here already. It’s funny, when they’re in the initial audition shows, it seems like forever until they get to Hollywood. Then suddenly we’re at the finale.

Going into the finale, I have to say, I think Lee has a leg up on Crystal. She’s amazing, but she started out strong and leveled off, whereas Lee had potential from the beginning, but he’s really grown. They both have a similar style, so I’m calling a tight race. It really comes down to tonight’s performances.

And tonight we have a special treat. I’m going to include my son’s impressions of the show. He’s 10, and he’s a huge Idol fan.

Round One: Contestant’s Choice

Lee chose to sing The Boxer, the Simon and Garfunkel number that he sang during Inspiration Week. This is a great start to the night. His performance is even better than I remember. He seems totally caught up in the moment. Randy wants more energy but I’m sorry, that was awesome. Ellen agrees with me, that it was even better than the first time. Simon wants more passion. Phbbbt. I felt the passion, Lee!

D’s take: “It was pretty good.”

Crystal chooses Me and Bobby McGee from Billboard #1 Week. Janis Joplin — good choice for her. Oh she’s putting up a good fight. I might have to give Round One to Crystal. Randy says it was dope. Ellen loves how she fills the stage. Kara says she has fire in her belly tonight; she loves it. Simon says this brings us back to when we fell in love with Crystal. I totally agree. I’ve been waiting for Crystal to make her comeback, and she picked just the right night.

D’s take: “It was a tiny bit better than Lee’s.”

I give Round One to Crystal.

Round Two: Producer’s Choice

Simon Fuller’s pick for Lee is Everybody Hurts. This should be good. I like how they’re giving them longer to work out the arrangements tonight. So often they don’t have time to really get the song out, but Lee’s milking this song for all it’s worth. I love this, but by this point, I’m feeling like he really needs a big finish. It’s pretty much the same volume and the same intensity throughout. He needs a song that has an impressive climax, or Crystal just might show him up.

D’s take: “It was okay.”

Wow. Tough crowd.

For round two, Crystal is singing Black Velvet. It’s another solid performance from Crystal, and I love how she shows her range. It was a bit screechy in parts, but it worked. She’s on fire tonight. The judges love it.

D’s take: “I liked it.”

I’ll call Round Two a tie.

Round Three: Their Single

Beautiful Day is the single they will release if they win.

Hey wait. This is U2. This isn’t some cheesy song someone wrote just for this purpose. Now that’s a change for the better, if I ever heard one.

This should be a perfect song for both of them. It will be interesting to see how they change up the arrangements.

Oh Lee, I can see your nerves. Let go, dude. Just let go. You could win this thing, but your nerves are getting the better of you. And again, it’s all about the same intensity, the same tone, the same range. He needs to build to something.

Oooooh, guys, I don’t KNOW. I thought Lee had a leg up coming in to this competition, but if Crystal pulls this one off, she’s got it in the bag.

Kara thinks Lee got swallowed up in the song, and I tend to agree. But I also agree that he belongs here tonight. Simon has some really kind words to say, but he basically just told him (or didn’t tell him, but we all understood) that he’s not the front runner at this point.

D’s take: “I think that was the best performance of the night.”

Crystal’s singing Up To The Mountain. Okay, now I’m really confused. In years past, the finalists sang the same song for their single, but evidently they’re really changing things up this year.

Crystal is center stage on a stool with her guitar, and I’m feeling like we’re watching the next American Idol.

Okay, I could not blog through that. I just sat here and watched, entranced. That was kind of climax I was talking about.

Randy summed it up nicely with “this is one of the greatest performances and at the perfect time on this show.” Yep. Pretty much.

D’s take: “I hated it.” LOL! LOL!

Are we really related? I guess there’s no accounting for taste.

I give Round Three to Crystal, hands down.

I say Crystal’s got this trophy in the bag. Lee just didn’t shine tonight the same way she did. Somehow, the Crystal we loved during the first half of the season made her comeback just in the nick of time, and I predict she’s the next American Idol. Lee will do well. They both have successful music careers ahead of them, but I think Crystal will be taking the trophy home tomorrow night.

What say you?

{ 8 comments }

More Rambliness

by Jo-Lynne on May 20, 2010

in Health and Wellness,Rambly,Reality TV Junkie

I know, two random lists in one week. It’s been that kind of week.

1. American Idol. So no surprises there. Lee and Crystal are the top two. I’m SO looking forward to next week. I’m positively giddy. I wish all of you Idol fans could come over and we could have a big party, but we’ll have to settle for Twitter. I’m going to try to watch it live so I can make the most of the Twitter conversation. If you’re an Idol fan, why don’t you hop on Twitter while you watch! It will be our own little party. No this is not an official sponsored Twitter party or anything; I just think it would be fun. #hatesTwitterparties

2. I got an email from Jenny of Nourished Kitchen, and she is now able to process credit card orders for those who do not have access to or do not wish to use paypal. If you’re interested in her eCourse on How to Cook Real Food, you have till May 31 to sign up.

3. And don’t forget about my giveaway for Food on a Real Budget — How To Eat Healthy For Less. That post got buried pretty quickly.

4. Tomorrow is Fashion Friday. Anyone got a topic they’d like me to discuss? I’m kind of at a loss at the moment. The only thing I can think of is bathing suits, and right now my best friend’s name is Denial. I actually picked up a new Lands End bathing suit at Sears last week before we went down to the Eastern Shore, and I’m glad I did because I did end up wearing it. My old suit I’ve had since before my 4-year-old was born, and let’s just say that a) it’s seen better days and b) I’ve seen better days. Ha. My new suit and I are a size larger and I’m okay with that.

5. I sat around this morning and read blogs instead of writing the 3 new recipe posts that I have in the works, and you know what? It was nice to read blogs. I need to do that more often. Sometimes I get so busy I forget to open my Google Reader. Which is why you should totally promote your posts on Twitter. Sometimes weeks go by that the only posts I read are those I click on from links on Twitter, or if you comment on my posts and I click over to see what you’re up to. I suspect there are many others like me. In fact, I’m quite sure of it because I get a lot of blog traffic from Twitter.

6. I’m starting a new blog and I’m so excited about it. Because I needed something else to do, dontchaknow. I am itching to get going on it but it’s taking forever to get my url. I can’t tell you more than that right now, but when it’s ready to unveil, you will be the first to know!

7. Tonight I’m going to Morimoto for a blogging event. I am SO excited. I’ve never been to Morimoto and I’ve only heard amazing things. And the event said feel free to dress up, so I’m gonna do just that. Wheeeee!

Okay. Time to wake the kids and get on with my day. Maybe I need to start getting up at 4:45 instead of 5:45. My morning me-time is never long enough.

{ 12 comments }

American Idol Recap: Top Three

by Jo-Lynne on May 18, 2010

in American Idol Recaps,Reality TV Junkie

idol-talk I can’t believe it’s almost time to crown another American Idol, and I love this final three. So yay for tonight!!

Casey chooses It’s Alright With Me. It was good. He sounded good. He was confident. It was true to himself. But it was just… a’ight with me. Ugh. I know. My originality is lacking tonight. I was up till 1am last night watching the season finale of Survivor, what can I say? I’m lucky I’m still awake.

Crystal totally Bowersoxed Melissa Ethridge’s classic, Come To My Window although I wish they’d give the contestants more time to sing these songs. Sometimes they have to jump into the chorus too soon just to fit it all in, and this performance is one of those, but still, it’s fab. The judges aren’t loving it, but I am. What I am NOT loving is how defensive she seems to get when the judges criticize her. Crystal, STOP THAT.

Lee is singing Simple Man. I think he has it in him to pull ahead of Crystal in this race to the finish, as long as he can stay on pitch. Let’s see how he does. Yep. Loving it. He finally seems to be feeling at home up there, now that the season is about over. That was da bomb.

Randy and Kara chose Daughters for Casey. It’s a good song choice for his voice, but it’s a little sleepy for me. And I’m kinda wondering how he connected to this song. Seems like it would be easier for a father to relate to, but he managed to make it believable. Still, I’m not sure I’ll remember it next week.

Crystal is singing Maybe I’m Amazed, chosen by Ellen. Why is she singing “Baby I’m a man”? I can’t quite get past that. But yeah, that was definitely a memorable performance. It was a bit of a stretch for her, and yet she kept it true herself. She’s the real deal.

Okay, finally. A performance worth using the rewind button. Lee is singing Hallelujah — a song that runs the risk of being overdone on American Idol, but this was a brilliant choice for Lee (kudos to Simon), and he pulled out all the stops. Honestly, this is something I would download to my iPod. I’m not sure I can say that for any of the other performances tonight, except perhaps Simple Man. I’m beginning to rethink my stance on who should win this little competition.

For one thing, I really prefer Lee’s attitude to Crystal’s. In the beginning she seemed humble, but lately she’s always talking back to the judges and defending her song choices. The gracious way Lee accepts feedback from the judges is much easier to watch. And I get this feeling that Crystal doesn’t really care if she wins or not. Perhaps that’s not true, but she hasn’t improved much over the course of the season. Lee, on the other hand, has made huge strides, and he’s giving it his all here at the end.

I’m assuming that Casey is going home tomorrow night, but I suppose an upset is always possible. After Lee’s performances tonight, I feel pretty confident that he is safe.

How about you? What are your thoughts on tonight’s performances?

{ 10 comments }

American Idol Results

by Jo-Lynne on May 5, 2010

in American Idol Recaps,Reality TV Junkie

idol-talk I’m on the edge of my seat tonight. I don’t want Casey to go home yet.

Lee is the first one sent to safety, and I fast forwarded through just about everything else till Ryan finally got down to business.

He forms two groups — Crystal and Casey, and Mike and Aaron.

I’m REALLY afraid Casey and Crystal are the bottom two tonight.

Oh good grief, Ryan asks Lee to choose the safe group. He refuses, of course. The audience seems quite opinionated, but of course we can’t make out what they’re saying.

ANNNNNNND…

Mike and Aaron are bottom two.

Whew! *sigh of relief*

At this point, I don’t much care who goes home, but I would prefer Aaron. Of course, we have to endure another commercial break before Ryan reveals that Aaron is, in fact, going home tonight.

So that’s that. I can’t believe we’re down to the top four already. It seems like this season just started. I really hope Crystal pulls out all of the stops next week. She’s due for a good week.

They’re all deserving of the final three, so I say it’s a crap shoot at this point. I’m rooting for Crystal and Lee for the finals. You?

{ 7 comments }

Revolution? Or Passing Trend?

by Jo-Lynne on April 24, 2010

in Health and Wellness,Reality TV Junkie,Thoughts and Observations

**UPDATED**

Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution wrapped up last night. I have to admit that I had high hopes, but in the end I was underwhelmed.

I was hoping that the show would make the conversation about what we eat and how we feed our children mainstream, but there is a difference between mainstream and trendy.

I fear the push for better quality food is just a passing fancy. It was good for ratings, I’m sure. But in the end, reality TV and Ryan Seacrest Productions may have won out over real change.

My husband summed it up well last night when he said, “I feel like we just watched the same show 6 times.”

There was always a conflict, a drama, some tears and sentimentality, and then in the end a sweeping victory. Did we ever doubt that Jamie would save the day?

And, I know it’s show business, but did he have to make the people of WV out to be so ignorant? I found it interesting that he went to the directors of the hospital for funding and they expressed concern about him making a mockery of Huntington, that’s exactly what happened in the end. As much as Jamie tried to express his concern and respect for the people of WV, the advertising department had a heyday with the “fattest city in America” mantra. I guess that’s what happens when the producer of American Idol and Keeping Up with the Kardashians is involved.

School lunches are horrid, there is no doubt about it. I signed the petition. I’m all for making our school lunches healthier. Heck, I’d just be happy if they got rid of the flavored milks and the cookies and chips and the “ice cream,” which is anything BUT cream.

I don’t buy school lunches; I pack lunch for my kids. But not everyone has that privilege. Some people depend on school lunches for financial reasons. That meal may be the only square meal some kids get in a day. And for the rest of us, trying to do our best to pack healthy lunchboxes, only to have our efforts sabotaged by bags of Doritos and Rice Krispie Treats and cartons of chocolate milk is quite demoralizing. So if Jamie Oliver’s publicity stunt can help achieve a change for the better, then I’ll take it. But I wish the show had focused a little bit more on facts and a little less on drama. Then again, I suppose drama is what sells.

Speaking of packing lunches, there was another huge red flag raised in the final episode. When they showed the kids bringing in bagged lunches full of Lunchables and other assorted packaged junk food, did you hear what Jamie said about the bagged lunches meeting state regulations?

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!

The government has no business telling me what I feed my kids [put in their lunchboxes].

The government says that low-fat diary is healthy. The government says that all saturated fats are bad. The government says that “no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST-treated and non-r-BST treated cows.”

No, thank you, the government can keep their misguided information and let me raise my family as I see fit.

And this is my biggest fear with this movement. While I want people to be aware of what they are eating and how it affects their quality of life, and as much as I want government run organizations, such as our schools, to be on board, I do not want the government dictating how we feed our families. And that’s the direction I’m afraid this is heading.

So in a nutshell, I’m glad this is a topic of conversation. I hope it’s not (but fear it is) a passing fad. I hope this awareness will lead to better food in schools (and less junk). And most of all, I hope that it’s not a foothold for the government to get more control over our lives and our food choices.

What say you?

For another take on the show, my friend Cecily wrote about the topic tonight too.

UPDATE: I want to clarify about my government rant. I meant that the government should not tell me what to pack in my kids’ lunchboxes. I understand that the government must regulate what is served in government schools, and it is my hope that we can improve upon the regulations that are already in place.

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American Idol Recap: It’s a Two-Fer

April 14, 2010

In more ways than one. Tonight I’m going to recap two shows (last night’s performances and tonight’s results) and two contestants are going home. I can hardly wait. Can’t you? Okay, well, pretend for my sake, m’kay? Tonight (or last night, rather) is/was Elvis night, and the mentor is, um, Adam Lambert? I do love [...]

7 comments Keep reading

American Idol Recap: Top 9 Perform

April 6, 2010

I’m tuning in late, once again. LOS-AH. I am SO impressed with Katie’s rendition of Let It Be. She was on key, original, and current. Katie just bought herself another week with that performance. WHY is Simon wearing an undershirt? WHY? I don’t get it. Andrew is singing Can’t Buy Me Love, and this is [...]

12 comments Keep reading

TONIGHT: Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

March 26, 2010

I cannot believe I forgot to blog about this earlier. I’ve been waiting for this for over a month. You MUST watch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution on ABC tonight. Watch this promo: And then watch. Promise?

22 comments Keep reading

American Idol Recap: Top 12

March 16, 2010

Finally we’re down to the Top Twelve and it’s Rolling Stones night. The Rolling Stones are probably my favorite rock and roll band, and next to Springsteen, I’m sure they comprise the most songs on my iPod so it goes without saying that I am looking forward to tonight. I’m blogging the old-fashioned way, with [...]