Reality Competition Round Up

1. The Amazing Race
I can't even talk about the finale of The Amazing Race without getting emotional. All I will say is that the producers CLEARLY aren't determining the winners (like they do in American Idol that show I don't talk about), because I don't think a single person in America wasn't rooting for those cowboys to go home with the grand prize.

2. Survivor
I've been a Russell fan mostly because I like to like the villain, but also because I thought he was actually there to play the game. But by the end of the season, I felt pretty strongly that Parvati should have won (and not just because she's older than me, which makes me feel good about myself). Parvs, as I like to call her, was clever as a fox and played everyone in that game. And I just really, really don't like Sandra (although she looked a thousand times better all dolled up in the finale. And Parvster....actually may have looked better on the island.).

3. Project Runway, ANTM
Time for honesty. I didn't watch the finales of either of these. I was so over both of them that I deleted them off of my dvr and just went online to see who won.

4. Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat II
As long as we're being honest...this is probably one of my top ten favorite shows on tv. I can't get enough of the silly challenges, the drunken fights, the sloppy romances, and all of the alliances and backstabbing. And I've had a crush on Kenny, aka Mr Beautiful, since day one (to clarify: a crush in the same way that I love Pauly D and The Situation, not a real crush), and I love seeing him be the king of the Challenge. Also, I'd just like to say that seeing Wes break down during exile this last week was one of the most shocking moments ever seen. (We all understand sarcastic hyperbole around here, right? Because clearly tv's most shocking moments are all Britney Spears-related.)

5. Celebrity Apprentice 2
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: two hours is a ridiculous amount of time to spend on a single show every week. BUt I'm proud as punch of my bff Bret, who has survived every board room as well as a brain hemorrhage (and just in time to come visit me in Wendover on July 30. Don't even think about trying to get backstage before me).

6. Top Chef Masters
This show doesn't really feel the same without Padma (who I like to think was named after Natalie Portman in Star Wars). I've been watching this half-heartedly, but my full attention will return in a few weeks for the premiere of Top Chef: DC. And since he never checks this blog anymore, I feel like I can disclose the fact that Steven dreams about Tom Colicchio.

Thursday Night Reality Roundup

Survivor and the Real Housewives franchise are everything I love about reality TV genres. First, you have the Real Housewives which represents a show in which the stars do nothing but live fun lives that the viewers are suppose to envy. See also: Any Real Housewives show, The Hills, The City, Keeping up with the Kardashians, etc. However, something has changed with my OC friends. I no longer envy them. I have watched this show since season 1 when I downloaded each episode on iTunes. These gals would spend money on houses and clothes like it was nothing. And I loved every second of it. But this season has featured 1 broke housewife stressing over the bill for a $50 oil change, another housewife downsizing her house because they cannot afford their generic, tract home and still another housewife being served an eviction notice for not paying the $10,000 deposit on their rented house. First off, if you are RENTING a house, you don't belong on this type of reality tv. No exceptions. Second, if I was into watching people struggle financially, I would turn on the news. Thankfully, the season has at max 2 episodes left before the reunion (which is usually the only reason I watch a season) so I won't give up on these gals yet.


Survivor represents the other type of reality shows I love: competition without judges. See also: Amazing Race, Toddlers & Tiaras, Paris Hilton's My New BFF, etc. The contestants on these shows rely on their skills (survival, traveling, applying makeup to a 9 month old child, being skinny and tan...) which makes this type of reality the perfect ying to the Real Housewives-style reality yang.

As this season of Survivor: Heroes vs Villains is only 2 episodes in, here are my hopes for the season:

1. Russell wins the entire competition because he was ROBBED last season. The jury was a bunch of babies.

2. This little sho-mance between Jerri and Coach continues for the entire season.

3. Tyson goes home ASAP. I have never disliked a survivior more. And he's from Utah.

4. Let 3rd time be the charm for Amanda. She has played Survivor for more days than any other contestant...ever!