Mark Your Calendars People!

Season Premiere this THURSDAY on NBC at 8:30 pm ct!

Re-Tooling "The Office"

I, for one, love the casting of Amy Ryan as Toby's successor of everything HR on The Office. Of course, she provides the necessary love interest for Michael Scott now that Jan's become part of the lunatic fringe (I loved that she sang the Dusty Springfield song for 20 minutes during the post-natal baby shower on yesterday's episode). But Holly also appears to have 1) what could be a really interesting backstory and 2) the part of the brain that Michael Scott is missing. I'm interested to see how this current story line goes down.

Having said that, I really miss Toby and can't believe I'm the only one. There was something about that vitriolic relationship with Michael (although the vitriol always appeared one-sided) that balanced things out at Dunder Mifflin. Toby added another dimension to the inter-office relationships that, in his absence, now seem somewhat flat. Given that I think Holly can never be a replacement for Toby, I'm hoping that there's a comeback slated for later this season. I have a feeling that's just wishful thinking but one can hope.

And while I'm on the subject of missing my favorites from Dunder Mifflin, WE NEED PAM BACK. I'm scratching my head as to why they've chosen to write her off to New York and leave us with Jim who's whole "aww-shucks" appeal really blossoms when Pam is around. This whole Jim/Pam story seems ill-fated and makes me tense. I don't want to be tense with those two...yet.

And furthermore, where's the Angela we all know and love in that non-love-y way. She used to be funny because of her abject prudish-ness and her choice to shop at the American Girl store for her work wear. The fact that she's now the center of this "love triangle" with Dwight and Andy just betrays that brilliantly conceived original character. We haven't even seen one reference to cats or those t-shirts with the kids one them.

I still love this show. I'm glad they got past their 2nd season hour-long foibles and the writers' strike. But, I hope they don't forfeit the greatness of these characters as they were originally conceived to serve what seem to be overly-drawn, over-emphasized story lines.

Bottom line: I want to see more Meredith, Creed, Kevin, and Phyllis...and Stanley and Ryan and Oscar. And where's Pam?

Thank you.

Bonnie Hunt: Afternoon Snooze-Fest

I, for one, was very excited when I heard that comic/actress/Chicago native Bonnie Hunt was getting her own daytime talk show. Bonnie is wry sweetness and light in a darkly cynical world. Think Rosie O'Donnell before she really got angry. Think the fun of Ellen Degeneres but coming from a totally different angle. From her variety of movie roles that always played as though she wasn't acting but just "being herself" (Jerry Maguire, Cheaper by the Dozen), she seemed like the perfect person to have a fun, frivolous, frothy daytime talk-variety show with a snazzy, retro design and feel.

Cue up the snooze-fest button and my disappointment. Man, this show is about as interesting and fun as walking through swamp mud. Nothing of her personality translates onto live tv: she fails to be funny, witty, or personable really. Instead, she appears to be clueless and, frankly, uninteresting. Her hair always looks good. I love her Chicago accent (that is so played up it almost sounds fake...but then, virtually any really good Chicago accent sounds somewhat unreal). But this show is a drag and I think it's because she really sucks at interviewing people. Yesterday I watched a supremely awkward 2 segments with Jimmy Kimmel. I don't know...if you can't make people laugh with Jimmy Kimmel sitting there trying to help, I'm not sure you're funny.

Oh Bonnie. Oh, oh, Bonnie. We knew ever since your ill-fated sitcom in which you starred as none other than a talk show host that this is an endeavor to which you've always aspired. But I'm thinking maybe you should stick to small character roles...it involves less personal contact. And it hurts me to say that, really it does.

Top Chef Season 5 Coming Up!

Woo-hoo! November 12 at 9pm CST and I cannot wait. Make sure to mark calendars. But I do have some concerns regarding this new season that heads to New York City.

1. There's a new judge. Ted Allen has apparently flown the coop. Tom and Padma are still around as is Gail (and, really, what would a TC be without Gail flirting shamelessly with one particular male chef through the whole season--see Sam from Season 3). They're good. They're okay. But, there's a new guy on the official roster. His name is Toby Young. He wrote some famous book about cooking. I just hope he's not a loser. I was secretly hoping they'd keep that 4th judge's chair open for some fantastic guest judges as they have in the past (Bourdain, Ruhlman, Ripert, even DiSpirito). I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

2. The Cheftestants look very accomplished...and severe. This always concerns me. For marketing purposes, the casting of these shows has gotten skewed by who's willing to be the most obnoxious thing on tv. I hope this is not the case. If we learned anything from last season can it be that Stephanie was the perfectly likeable "girl next door" who happens to wield her knife like a culinary sabre. I hope these people are interesting and talented and not just loud.

3. The challenges. As we've seen in other skill-based reality shows (Project Runway to name one), as the seasons progress the file-o-fax of challenges gets thinner and things can get very bizarre. Top Chef consistently surprises me with the fine balancing of creative challenges that are do-able and that showcase necessary foundational skills. I hope they keep it up. If "cooking with Pop Rocks" is a challenge, I'm going to be annoyed.

4. Keep the drama for your mama. One of the major annoyances I have with the continuation of these types of shows is that latter seasons often opt to focus on "character storylines" instead of the minute-to-minute developments. So, producers find the "interesting" people and interview only them or edit the show to focus on relationships that are taken out of the context of the competition. Top Chef has done a great job of not really doing that and I hope they stay true to form here. The season with Marcel was enough for anyone to handle and they seemed to correct for that last season. I hope they stay in that vein and don't head back to fabricated dramatics.

There it is. Those are my worries couched in between my utter and abject excitement of something great to watch on a weekly basis. I'm counting down the days. Seriously.

Project Runway Kerfuffle Continues

I'm kinda thrilled about the latest Project Runway news which, incidentally, has nothing to do with designers or clothing. According to Reuters, the lawsuit regarding the PR move to Lifetime continues which will delay the production of further seasons. If NBC wins, it sounds like PR will stay on BRAVO.

It just seems right.

And the Weinstein's will lose. And that's always a good day for the little guy.

What shocked me was that the Weinstein's deal with Lifetime was for 5 more seasons. Given the current state of things, what do you suppose that would actually look like?

Again: A Big Hot Mess.

Project Runway: Failing to "Make It Work"

Am I the only one who couldn't seem to care about the most recent season of Project Runway? I don't think I watched more than 10 minutes of it. And I like the show. Just... didn't happen for me this season.

This fine question comes courtesy of Meghan's Blog this morning and I breathed a sigh of relief courtesy of solidarity. I fully agree. PR used to be one of the best shows out there: compelling designers, creative challenges, a sense of wonder in the whole process. In this season, I've watched probably 5 episodes and saw nothing but formulaic boring-ness. Most of the designers this season at one point or another came off as snotty, entitled brats. The judges, who used to be a source of comic relief (I do think Michael Kors can be really hilariously harsh) and design guidance now are just more comic-book, harpy versions of their former selves. And we've been saddled with guest judges who are big names but not necessarily authorities when it comes to fashion (I'm sorry, but Apollo Anton Ohno as fashion icon...c'mon). Heidi who was fairly wooden from the beginning (as any good mannequin should be) now fully believes she's on the same level as Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. Boring. The only compelling person left is Tim Gunn who still cracks me up but who continues to capture his unique contributions to fashion on his own show Tim Gunn's Guide to Style.

I wonder if this is a natural progression when it comes to these "contest based" reality shows. When it was a home-grown, humble production that no one fully understood yet, it was fantastic. But the bigger the draw, the more elitist and, frankly, uninteresting it becomes. I knew the entire show was in trouble when the designers started talking back to Tim. Remember the first season? Tim's word was fashion law. If he said your design was crappy, you'd best listen. He's still always right (it's uncanny, really) but when the contestants on the show are already putting out their own lines prior to appearing on PR, I have to ask what the purpose of the show is. When the contestants don't want to win but just make it to the final 3 so they can show at Bryant Park, how good can the contest really be?

I hate to say it but this smacks of exactly what happens when the Weinsteins get involved. As soon as they were on board to produce, the scale of the show became phenomenal...and it lost it's connection to the audience. If we can't relate to the people competing, why watch? I know I won't. I know someone won...and I don't even care enough to go Google to find out who it was. I'm sure I'll see Kenley on the omnipresent BRAVO re-runs but I don't want to.

PR's moving to Lifetime (and with that production moves from NY to LA) for the next seasons and I don't think it'll survive. The only real viscera that remained for Tim Gunn to work with was the backdrop of New York City and Parsons School of Design. With those gone, the show will inevitably go the way of everything else that moves to Los Angeles: it'll be too superficial and plastic for us to recognize it anymore.

"Where's Andre?" indeed. I think PR needs to spend a little more time looking to get him and his crazy, half-cocked counterparts back. That would be interesting.

I Have a New Show and It's Name is "Chuck"

Oh this is very exciting. This summer was the pits for tv and since the return of the new fall season, I couldn't be happier but mostly because I keep stumbling upon these shows I didn't know existed! This is how I found Chuck. Which I now love.

The premise is simple: Chuck's an everyday "Joe Six-pack" (thank you Sarah Palin...or is that Tina Fey) who works as a devoted member of the Geek Team at his local big box tech store...except that he's got this special ability to decode spy "things" with his brain. So, he's been employed by the CIA to help deal with situations involving international intrigue. Protecting him is that blonde girl in the picture; yep, she's a hottie. And of course, all kinds of emotional things ensue...while they're fighting bad guys.

Of course, I picked this up in Season 2 so I have to go back and get caught up on exactly what's going on but in just one episode there are elements of this show that make me LOVE it: 1) Adorable, nerdy main character paired with vixen-ish, kick-ass girl-slash-possible love interest. 2) James Bond, Jason Bourne quality and feel to part (but not all of the show) 3) It walks the line between comedy and action/adventure nimbly. The show doesn't take itself too seriously in either genre. 4) GREAT supporting characters. Fantastic actually. 5) Plot points that aren't so far-fetched that it's all fantasy.

This is a thoroughly "likable" show. It's great. I say check it out. But prepare to fall in love with Chuck...because he's just too cute.

NBC, Mondays 8/7C.

Welcome Back!

Wow...It's been a long time since my last post. A lot has gone on in TV Land since then. So, after a hiatus, I've decided to come back. I've got a lot to say about 30 Rock, Lost, House, The Office, and Pushing Daisies just to name a few. And how about Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. Things just couldn't be better for tv watchers these days. So, stay tuned. Plenty more to come. Woo-hoo!

A Big Hot Mess.

Oh no.

I had heard about this on tv this morning and I didn't want to believe it was true. But it now seems confirmed that after next season, Project Runway will move from Bravo to (duh duh duh DUUUHHH) LIFETIME. That's right...television for women.

Of the deal, which she and Tim Gunn have already signed on to, Heidi Klum said:

"Fashion is about change, so we're looking forward to saying hello to Lifetime, our new fashionable home for our fashionable series," said Klum in a statement. "We're excited to bring Project Runway to the #1 network for women."

Thanks Heidi. Because obviously fashion is for women...like Michael Kors. Who, for the record, is still in negotiation as is Nina Garcia. This is nerve-wracking.

My dilemma is this: programs on Lifetime suck. I like PR on Bravo...and how did Bravo ever give them up? AND, Lifetime is partially owned by the Disney Corp...if we thought product placement was bad before just hang on to your themed-challenges...I think we've got things in store we never could have imagined.

I can't handle this drama. And there's not even sequins involved.

Catching Up Vol 1: Dexter

Wow. It's been awhile since I've put anything up here...but not for a lack of things to say. Motivation was the problem, but I've been watching a lot of TV, gearing up for the return of my favorites (The Office and 30 Rock start up again tomorrow night!) and catching up on a couple shows I've never seen and feel guilt and embarrassment every time I have to admit it.

So, here's a rundown of what I've been watching and why anyone in or out of their right mind should do the same.

Dexter: Good god in heaven, this is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. Featuring Michael C. Hall of 6 Feet Under fame, this Showtime offering jumped to CBS to re-run season 1. This is what initially caught my attention...we're not likely to see Weeds hit the "big 3" in primetime anytime soon, so when something bubbles up from cable, I'm curious.
Thank god I decided to watch. This is likely the most compelling, innovative, interesting, (insert superlative adjective here) television since I watched Damages last fall on F/X. The story is basically of a closeted serial killer (Dexter) who has integrated himself into "normal" life seamlessly. Yes, he still kills. But he kills "the right people." ("What?" you might say...exactly...like I said, compelling). In his non-serial killing hours, he works as a bloodspatter analyst for the police department where his sister (but remember Dexter's adopted...that's important), Deb, has just gotten a promotion from vice (where she was posing as a hooker) to homicide. Deb does not know he's a killer. He's also in a serious relationship with Rita who was violently, brutally sexually abused by her husband who is just on the verge of being released from prison. Rita has two kids that love Dexter as he does a lot of child care and basic "watching out" for Rita's whole clan. Why does Dexter like Rita? Because she doesn't want sex due to her personal trauma. Intrigued yet? Oh, you should be. There's so much more that I can't even capture in words.

This is what I mean about this show...so many layers of "what's going on here?" I've watched the whole 1st season (available on Netflix...also on CBS Sunday nights) and I cried during the last episode; the story was good, but I cried because it was ending. My favorite part of this show is the evolution. From the point of meeting Dexter in the 1st episode to the way the last episode ends, there's been so much change in this scenario that the show is really about Dexter adapting (sometimes not gracefully...he does kill people) to these changing relationships but driven at the core by his psychopathy. I know...I sound crazy for watching. But I love this show. More disturbing, I have sympathy and like (possibly love) for Dexter himself. He's just your average good-guy with a dicey secret. Okay, okay...he kills people.
You've got till the fall to catch up on this one.

The Essence of Sociological Inquiry and Pop Culture

Per Meghan's blog and the Sociological Images blog these images are hi-LAIR-ious and capture so well the agony and ecstasy that is sociology when it comes to popular culture. We're just trying to make sense of things...with charts.

For my non-vegetarian friends:

Alanis' Hand Locations.

Kelis can be difficult to breakdown...consider it a gift.

Nothing like a timeline to help with "I Will Survive."
And we've got a little Simon and Garfunkel for ya. It's tough to keep up in this song, really.
There's something about this I find so annoying, only because I didn't think of them. They're brilliant. Find the whole set here and enjoy.

Top Model is Back!!!...again...no, again

Hey...look what's goin' on tonight!

New judge (Paulina Porizkova), new girls, new city (NYC).

Next future staple of MTV Marathon Saturdays. I'm totally watching.

Mark Your Calendars!

Returns On Wednesday, March 12 on BRAVO!!!
From CHICAGO!!!

Check out the new Cheftestants here.
And also here.

And some delicious hints about what we can expect from this season.

Survivor Micronesia: Fans vs. Faves

Well frick.

Gladdened by the end of the WGA strike but still woefully aware of its reality by the number of new shows on recently (um...that would be ZERO), CBS wooed me by putting on a new Survivor season. I couldn't help myself...just pleading for something that wasn't a re-run I gave it a shot...and now, of course, I'm hooked.

This is the 16th (yes...16th...which means this show actually started when college was a recent memory for me) season and I was certain it had absolutely nothing to offer me. I watched the first couple seasons (I witnessed the wonder that was Richard Hatch and watched Sue Hawk give the now famous "The Snake and the Rat" speech) but I grew weary of what was just new and inventive ways of being evil and back-biting. Then of course, Mark Burnett and his production crew threw in a couple of really wretched seasons (remember the racially divided season? What about the all-stars?...BIGOTED and BORING, respectively) AND magically launched the career of arch-conservative and The View ruiner Elizabeth Hasselbeck, cumulatively making me think I'd never go back.

But television writers' strikes do weird things to one's soul: alas I found myself interested by this format which pits one tribe of "favorites" (those who have competed in past seasons and have been voted fan favorites) against the "fans" (new people). I'm not sure this is necessary, but by tonight's show I'd say it's working just fine.

But despite the formulaic 1-hour show, obviously so well rehearsed (by 15 other seasons) and the utter gutsiness of Jeff Probst who has absolutely no career except this show and is now a gazillionaire because of it, I still got hooked and here's how: the Newbies (Fans) go to Tribal Council tonight and it's pretty clear that there's this major alliance that's going to vote off Chet. (Who's Chet?...DETAILS ARE NOT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW...PAY ATTENTION.) When Jeff goes to tally the votes, sure enough, Chet gets one vote. Get's two votes. Ope...yep...Chet's gone. Then Tracy gets a vote. Then Mary. Wait...Mary....Mary's part of the huge alliance supposedly voting Chet off. Then another vote for Mary. Three votes Mary. Oh my god...what the...? Four and Five. Mary's gone and these two stupid, gulumphish men who think they're running this major alliance are sitting there like apes trying to figure out what in the name of all that is holy happened.

Chet lives to see another tribal council and I'm thinking that the Survivor I remember and somewhat respect is back. And I'll surely be sitting here next Thursday, waiting to see what the gulumphish men have to say about the transpiring of the rail thin but conventionally beautiful Mary who wore the skimpiest bikini being voted off. And slowly coming to realize that they may actually be next.

Oh Survivor...I've kinda missed you.

Project Runway--Onto Bryant Park

Holy mother of god...what a great final "trial runway" show before Bryant Park.

Leading up to this, I was really surprised (and actually kind of delighted) that Sweet P managed to hang in there this far. For the past three weeks, she's been crying, whining, bitching and moaning about running out of time, having construction disasters, and a lack of imagination. Eventually, that's gotta catch up with ya and it finally did for Sweet P tonight. While I enjoyed watching her this far, I was glad to see her go. If she was still in, someone who deserved it more would've been out and that's just not right.

As for the remainders, here's what I think:

Rami: Dear, sweet Rami. If you drape anything...ever again...I will lose all respect for you. Listen man, how many times do you have to hear--from Nina Garcia, nonetheless (the very judge who singlehandedly brought Santino Rice to his knees)--that you keep doing the same thing over and over again. No more excuses. Push your limits for the love of god...it's Bryant Park now.

Jillian: I think Jillian is brilliantly talented...I just cannot handle listening to her say anything. Which may be the mark of a good designer...good designers should be seen and not heard, perhaps. Having said that, every week she's come through with new and innovative designs that always seem attuned to the level of drama, understatedness, or wacky-crazy that the challenge requires. She seems well-rounded: able to do haute couture as well as commercial. Go Jillian go. I'd love to see her take it all.

Christian: Little dude makes me angry with that spiked out asymmetrical haircut and Tinkerbell voice. On the other hand, he seems like the only idiot-savant in the group. So we're not sure whether or not he's made it out of his teens...so what? His designs are probably the most cutting-edge and with that ever-elusive "point of view" that everyone always talks about. He's probably the front runner right now although something about that feels wrong.

Chris: You lucky, large man you. Austin Scarlett (the most famous costumer ever) never made it as far as Chris and if ever an underdog existed, you are it buddy. But I like Chris a lot; he's already been revived once, having been brought back after Jack had to bow out much earlier in the season...wouldn't it be awesome to see him show at Bryant Park? I say yes. The commentary on this last show was right on...he's got the drama to bring something really interesting. I want Chris to at least show.

And, before I make my predictions for the finale, let me just hand it to PR on two fronts. First, the judges this season have been nothing but In-Cred-i-ble. I'm sorry, to stand there and have Roberto Cavalli tell you that you could show in Paris--that's got to be incredible. Michael Kors is always bitchy-fabulous but they really put together a top-notch panel of guest judges this season. I also want to salute them on this creative, thrill-filled ending compromise. When Heidi say to Chris "you're in," I literally lost my breath...I couldn't believe that Rami was out and I momentarily felt conflicted because it didn't seem that he deserved THAT. So the fact that they're still basically competing I think is the best of both worlds...they now have months to show what they're made of. Bravo...well...Bravo; you've done good.

So, who is it in the Finals?

I say, the final 3 will be : Jillian, Christian, and Rami (sorry Chris, you're my emotional favorite but Rami's been scared shitless now and he's gonna bring it).

Winner: Jillian.
I'm gonna call a repeat of Season 3. Going in to Bryant Park, Santino was the star and "genius" while Chloe and Daniel were consistent all season. Chloe's consistency and solidity of vision and temperment paid off. The same will happen here. Christian will implode with the weight of possibilities and all the time. Jillian's gonna pull out all the stops and now she has the time she needs to do what she knows best. Rami will beat Chris to show because his taste and point of view (again...and I hate that phrase) are more cohesive and refined. However, he believes so steadfastly that he's right that, ultimately, he'll present a collection full of drapery and will end up in 3rd.

There it is. Can't wait to see who prevails.

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

Just to avoid being partisan, I thought I'd include this in addition to will.i.am's "Yes I can" video produced to support Barack Obama.

Yes We Can

Sesame Street Intros

First Sesame Street Theme Song


1970's Theme


1993 Theme


Season 35 Theme (2005)


Season 38 (2007)

Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Silver Fox

While I have eluded to the fact that I really love this show, I've never actually written about it seriously. I started watching this VH1 creation expecting the usual from VH1--exploitation of B-list stars for the reason of laughing at them and their stupidity (see: The Surreal Life (1-2098781), Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, Flavor of Love, Celebrity Fit Club, etc... and my own personal favorite...My Fair Brady). While it's not nice, these shows are dirtily fulfilling because we all know these people are stupid...VH1 is finally giving our opinion some empirical evidence and, thus, validation.

BUT...Celebrity Rehab is not the typical show on this channel and I have to believe it's because of Dr. Drew. We all know and love him from Loveline and we're fascinated by him for his frank discussion of often embarrassing topics with seemingly no personal judgment injected. He's, in fact, the exact opposite of Dr. Phil (who's not really doctor making him just Phil). For that, we love you Drew.

There is so much potential for this show to be a trainwreck exploitation and yet I'm eerily drawn to the television for the full hour, compelled to watch not the horror of withdrawl or the general sadness of seriously drug-addicted people*, but to watch the personal transformation that occurs as they wean themselves off chemicals and how much work rehab actually is. There's nothing "horrific" in this show in terms of tastelessness or ugliness towards the people; in fact, it's so life-affirming, I'm curious to see whether VH1 will actually keep it.

Most surprising to me is that I'm fascinated most by the staff: Dr. Drew's competence as a doctor, an addictionologist (I've never heard of that before so see, this is a learning experience), and a human is really something to behold. Of course, these episodes have been edited to within an inch of their lives, but after watching this show I can understand why he's been so very effective in treating people. I wanna give him a call and go to lunch. He's personable and professional and relatable--how does he do it? But the "resident techs" are the most interesting. All of the people working in his facility (on the show at least) are recovering addicts themselves and they crack me up, both in their ability to handle seriously addicted individuals who are out of control while also being counselors and mentors with great senses of humor and insight into their own lives. Shelley, the most familiar one on the show, looks like 92-pounds of kick-ass woman with a 400 pound heart of gold (and I love her hair...what?).

I'm disappointed to know that the entirety of the show is only 8 episodes--for the journey that some of these people are on, there's just no way we'll see any kind of resolution. For many, the rehab process seems profound and long. But now that I've started this journey with them, I feel like I want to see it through--I'm weirdly personally invested. I think it's a fascinating process to watch as celebrity is stripped away. We see so many stars "being born" in the media everyday that to see a celebrity returned to their original humanity is humbling but refreshingly real. In my estimation, there's nothing exploitative here...just the ability to watch people reclaim their lives and to undo the price of fame.

It leaves me wondering if I can somehow construe my television watching as an addiction requiring Dr. Drew's attention. If it's possible, I'd really like to get into his rehab. Please.

*The rehabbers are:
1) Jeff Conaway: You might know him as "Kinicky" in the movie Grease. He was also on the tv series Taxi. Addicted to alcohol, coke, and opiates. Going through the most comprehensive rehab of anyone on the show.
2) Daniel Baldwin: Yes. Of The Baldwins. Alec and Billy's younger brother, Stephen's older brother. Likely, the most talented of all of them. Never heard of him? Because he's been busy injecting, snorting, and smoking anything not nailed down. Comes into this rehab already sober but obviously still recovering.
3) Chyna (Joanie Laurer): She was a wrestler on WWF. She bills herself as actress...I'm not sure why. Doesn't know why she's in rehab. OK.
4) Brigitte Nielsen: Was married to Sly Stallone during which time she made several crappy movies with him. Always played this amazonian Communist character...even though she's from Denmark. OK. Now married to an Italian normal person (relatively) and lives in Italy. An alcoholic.
5) Jaimee Foxworth: She was on Family Matters...y'know...the show with Urkel. A seriously addicted pot smoker. Dr. Drew says her rehab will likely be the most difficult.
6) Mary Carey: Porn star and gubernatorial candidate in the California recall election...also ran: Gary Coleman. An alcoholic and pill popper.
7) Seth "Shifty" Binzer: Lead singer of Crazytown. Candidate for my favorite rehabber on the show. Rehabbing from crack, heroin, and pills...and alcohol. According to Dr. Drew, his withdrawl would likely be the most physically painful.
8) Ricco Rodriguez: A UFC heavyweight champ; the first to be suspended for cocaine use (and to be suspended from UFC...I imagine that takes a lot). Addicted to cocaine and alcohol.
9) Jessica Sierra: Not an American Idol. That's seriously why she's a celebrity...well except for all of the drug-related arrests. An alcoholic and cocaine addict.

A Runway Rewind

I'll be very honest--I'm amazed and appalled at my own lack of commentary on one of the few shows actually giving us new episodes every week. So let me begin with a rundown of what I've thought of this season so far:

Insight #1: I'm amazed that these are listed as "the best designers" so far. Personally, I don't see it. When I think back to some of the designers of the past seasons--Kara Saun, Jay, Santino, Chloe, Daniel...even Andre ("Where's Aaaahn-dre?")--they weren't fooling around. They were awesome. And while there are clearly some break out superstars in this season, on a whole, there seems to be a wide array of "hot mess" present as well. They may be more accomplished in terms of their own businesses (Rami and others actually have previously put out their own lines of clothes and some have actually dressed celebrities for minor awards shows), I can't say from my amateur standpoint that they're bringing a higher design acumen to the show.

Insight #2: Project Bore-way. After nearly every show, I find myself longing for the days of Santino Rice, Jay McCarroll...hell, even Wendy Pepper. They had personality, they had spunk. We might have hated them, we might have loved them--at least we felt something about them. As much as I love Jillian's designs, listening to her is like scraping my nails across an emery board. Victorya (now booted) was at best puzzling and annoying. And Christian, who appears to be the poster-child for personality this season, screams "I would really rather be Paris Hilton" to me. I don't want to be on Christian's side. I don't want to be on anyone's side. Problem.

Insight #3: Guest judges are getting better. Oh, I remember the days of PR when a Betsey Johnson or Cynthia Rowley (who interestingly is actually an automaton, apparently) was a "special" day. The guest judge for the Season 1 FINALE was Parker Posey, for chrissakes (if you don't watch Christopher Guest movies, you have no idea who this is. Even if you do watch, you have no idea why she's able to judge fashion--I'm still in the dark myself). So, to see the veritable list of designers trot through that fourth chair has been really impressive. You know exactly what Michael Kors and Nina Garcia are going to give ya. But that 4th chair is like the knowledgeable and respected wildcard...and offsets Heidi's growing weirdness.

And now, My Official PR4 Rant: What is with the blatant, shameless product placement this season? While we've always had to contend with "The Tresemme hair salon and the l'Oreal Make Up Room," and then last season we tacked on the "BlueFly Accessories wall" (which, incidentally, used to be something else which I cannot recall at the moment), I've not remembered this incessant bowing to the gods of capitalism. Past challenges were for the US Postal Service or Banana Republic (okay, that last one's iffy). But the Hershey challenge could not have been more tacky, really. While the designs themselves didn't scream Hershey, watching 45 minutes of designers unwrapping Reese' cups and Twizzlers made me long for some chocolaty goodness and I felt manipulated. Then last night's challenge was nothing but idol worship of jeans juggernaut Levi's. At least Levi's is clothing and, therefore, has a logical connection to fashion. But c'mon. All the judges do is lean on the designers to be less mainstream, more imaginative, and then in the same breath say--But how really does this say Levi's? I don't like it. Let's not box in the designers by trying to give us more commercials for brands during a telecast that is already laden with too much commercial time. Because, if you're Rami, how really do you drape denim and twizzlers wrappers?

All I have to say about last night: What the eff. Ricky winning? I'm sorry...did somebody slip Michael Kors a crazy pill while we were blinded by Levi's branding? On the other had, seeya Victorya. Good riddance.

Definitely more to come in the future. Next week: picks for top 3.