It's Not Gossip, It's Commentary
Former Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky stayed true to her energetic personality with fresh floral jeans during an event for Desiree’s season of ABC’s long-running show. Pick up her David Kahn’s HERE if you’re interested in the feminine style.
When two of your star players exit within months of one another, one can’t help but compare their goodbye parties. Joy Behar basically got a Presidential sendoff, while Elisabeth Hasselbeck got a simple, “see ya later.” I realize Behar has been there longer, but the sharp difference begs the question — did Hasselbeck have bad blood with the ladies? Watch a clip from Behar’s last day below.
For twelve season’s, it’s been consistently clear that Tim Gunn is the star of Project Runway. Until now, the show has minimized its most-important player. Sure he appears in the workroom, but his coveted critiques are edited down to a short screen time, leaving the viewers always wanting more. This season, things changed. Gunn now gets to “save” an ousted designer when he disagrees with the judges. It’s brilliant — and its shocking it didn’t happen sooner. As for the season’s other changes, the jury’s out on the post-runway garment talk, but one thing’s for sure. Zac Posen must go. Yes he’s talented, but he’s extremely difficult to watch. He seems like a self-important prick with no personality. He lacks Michael Kors’ sense of humor, and he has zero chemistry with Klum, whose personality is so far on the other end of the likability spectrum I naturally assume tension between the two. And last but not least, I’m completely aghast at this season’s contenders. They all seem mentally unstable, making this more of a clown contest than a designer showcase. If they’re choosing the best in the country, can’t they find talent and normalcy?
For the first time in history, ABC favored reality over fantasy. If you missed the first part of The Bachelorette’s finale, here’s the story in a nutshell. Brooks had doubts, dumped Desiree, and she subsequently declared her love before he departed. Though I’ve heard there’s a happy ending in store for the leading lady, I’m excited that the guy questioned his feelings. What normal human being proposes marriage in such an abnormal format? I predict he’ll realize his love in a Mesnick-like fashion, and those two clowns will live happily ever after. Watch the clip below.
Stacy Keibler deserves a medal for her post-Clooney media wrangling. When asked about her romance while co-hosting The View, Keibler proved herself a class act, simply saying she doesn’t prioritize marriage, and she’s grateful to the time they shared. When Walters read her a quote about Clooney’s anti-marriage stance, she smiled sweetly and took the card “as a memento.” It’s clear that Keibler is a pistol in a pretty package. Only a titan could handle that.
I learned two things today. First, I learned that there’s a show called ‘The Real,’ which can only be described as a poor man’s ‘The View.’ Second, I learned that Adrienne Bailon is not very appreciate of the Kardashian who propelled her to fame (see Rob) Watch her discuss her “ratchet” ass tattoo below, and take some time to look up that word, since she used it excessively in the clip.
After persistent pushing from my peers, I finally watched the first two seasons of Scandal. The show centers around Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington), whose sole job is to fix Scandals, most of which revolve around the White House, or any politicians associated with it.
Before even completing the pilot, the casting was already worth noting. Powerful protagonists are always welcome, and as an African American female, Kerry Washington falls outside network television’s conventional mold. To top it off, the President’s Chief of Staff is a homosexual in a Republican administration, another breakthrough choice on Rimes’ part.
The show is part crime drama, part love story. With each episode, there’s a new mystery, and though the episodes are somewhat self-contained, they are brilliantly tied together in subtle ways that create an addictive experience. Unlike many mystery shows, Scandal centers around each character’s personal life in addition to propelling the broad-sweeping plot-lines. We become invested in the inside lives of Olivia’s “gladiators,” and we like them, even when they double cross their friends.
Despite my aforementioned praise, there’s a few issues. First, although I’ve been a Kerry Washington fan since Spike Lee’s ‘She Hate Me,’ this role needs to be reigned in. Her character lacks light & shade, using nearly every moment to monologue in a harsh tone, even when such monologues relate to her love life and not her occupation. Washington could stand to take notes from Bellamy Young, whose Emmy-worthy performance as the First Lady is extremely multi-dimensional. Young waivers effortlessly between villainous and vulnerable, making it nearly impossible to decide if I like her — which is a monumental feat.
As for the President (played by Tony Goldwyn), he needs more flaws. He’s constantly proclaiming his love for Pope, declaring his unwavering desire to leave his wife for her. Though it’s unequivocally impossible for the President to publicly leave his wife for his mistress prior to his second term, Pope’s mishandling of their romance has reached a cartoonish stereotype of nearly all women, who adamantly declare their desire for something only to reject it upon receipt. And since the President’s wife knows of his affair, the conflict that’s kept him away from his mistress is far too depleted to justify Pope’s rejection. In short, she’s being a girl about it, and as a “Gladiator” — that seems odd. If I were lending my unwanted advice, I’d give Olivia a substantial love life (that doesn’t include the President), and I’d resurrect the President’s relationship with the First Lady, since it’s clear there’s some semblance of existing love, and that would create a justified conflict in the show’s romantic relationships.
I recently tweeted this criticism to Shonda Rimes, who understandably told me that “I’m welcome to stop watching it.” The problem with her suggestion is — I can’t stop watching it. It’s one of the only scripted shows on television with a substantial, complicated plot, and it’s addictive. So if you haven’t discovered it yet — I’d advise you to do so quickly.
Though I’m a massive fan of The View, I’m also The Dishmaster, and even my favorites will get taken to task for bad behavior. On a recent episode, a supervising producer of the show saw Amanda Bynes, and publicly recounted her bizarre behavior while laughing and attempting to take photos as if the girl is some kind of zoo animal.
First, if someone is legitimately mentally ill, isn’t it evil to publicly document, expose, and laugh at their behavior? Sure she tweets, but mentally ill people should not be held responsible for inserting themselves into the public eye, given that they are not of sound mind when they do so. It’s horrific, and the ladies of The View should be ashamed of themselves for this one.