TV – Page 3 – Pop Culture Nerd

AMERICAN IDOL S10: Top 7 in the 21st Century

by Poncho

I’ll be the first to admit this episode was much more interesting than the last. The premise by itself, “Songs of the 21st Century”, made me smile a little, because this was the first real chance for most of these kids to be current (Miley Cyrus songs aside). They made me feel awkward, though: Of the seven songs, I only knew three beforehand so perhaps that gave them some advantage since I can’t compare theirs with the original performances.

Before I started watching this show, I did a little backtracking and noticed that, if this was one of the past seasons, we would’ve already witnessed outstanding performances [by this point in the competition]: Kelly Clarkson had already made us stand up with “A Natural Woman,” the Velvet Teddy Bear had taken many to “A Whole New World,” Fantasia & JHud had brought “Summertime” to a full “Circle of Life,” Carrie Under-bot had sung the hell out of “Alone,” and even Kris Allen had made us hear “Ain’t No Sunshine” like it was the first time while others melted with Glambert’s “Mad World.”

But not this season. There haven’t been many standout performances—none at all, for that matter. I even went back to last week with Casey’s “Nature Boy” and [decided] it wasn’t that much of an Idol Moment™. I’m still waiting…

Scotty McCheesy opened the show “Swingin’” on full Velveeta mode. C’mon! I thought he was pulling back! It was not good. His lower register only shone a couple of times and the whole thing was boring. I still think he’s got one of the most mature voices on the show, but he must do something else on stage pronto. He’s getting way too comfortable in his niche and there’s just no wow factor to it. I mean, I’m even starting to want to fast-forward through his airtime (a privilege only granted to the judges). Also, his song ain’t really from this century. Though LeAnn Rimes covered it, “Swingin’” was originally released in 1983! I call that cheating!

I didn’t think anyone would sing anything from Muse on AI but James “Sloth” Durbin did try to perform “Uprising.” He even brought some marching band drummers to the Idol stage. I’ll give it to him: He’s a showman, and a very good one, I must say. A good singer? Not really. He botched a lot of notes, especially the lower ones, but he sort of came together on the wailing. It wasn’t unpleasant, but good it was definitely not. And he’s absolutely got to stop eye-sexin’ the camera because it gives me serious chills.

Next was one of the most excellent song choices and the most current one in the show tonight: Haley Grrreinhart went blue-eyed soul and sung Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” The Grrreinhart bandwagon keeps rolling, babe! Oh, my! Gotta admit that taking over Adele’s great soulful voice ain’t easy, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t say Haley did it nicely. It’s not tough to see Haley as the one who’s growing the most, and who’s less afraid of taking risks (“BENNY AND THE FRAKKING JETS”!!). The bridge started rough but she quickly managed it, and her falsetto and run at the end were things of beauty. This one paid off, in my book.

The Lusky Skank got overly emotional with “Dancing with My Father” by Luther Vandross. I will not argue about his connection to the song—it was definitely there. Hell, the emotion even overpowered his diva faces and took a serious toll on the pitch. I’ve been saying for quite some time that Jacob needs more control and getting that emotional on stage is not the way to find that.

Ca-sneer Abrams growled and sneered through Maroon 5’s “Harder to Breathe” and though it wasn’t bad, his performance lacked something. He lacks the appeal and stage presence Adam Levine has, and that really hurt Casey’s take. Also, Casey’s vocals couldn’t match the high tempo of the song. It felt like he was singing after the beat and it sounded weird. The original is way better than his 90-second version.

When Stefano Long-gone took the stage for his take on Ne-Yo’s “Closer,” I thought I was watching some guy being left alone by the rest of his boy band. It wasn’t just the look, but the way he got lost in the song. He did seem more comfortable and relaxed on stage. He did go out of his boring balladeer confort zone but that didn’t pay off. On other songs it seemed he tried too hard to hit the glory notes; this time it looked like he didn’t even try.

And finally, another candidate for our annual election of “Best Musician Who Upstages the Contestant”: the violinist playing next to Wauwen Alaina while she sang Sara Evans’s “Born to Fly.” Lauren was actually very good, nearly excellent. She sang the hell out of the song and took the stage very well. Her only mistake was that she didn’t interact enough with the other performers and looked awkward when she sang next to them. Either she needs to put them violin players somewhere where they can’t bother her, or ask the producer to get duller ones. Or better yet, get to know them before they perform together.

So that’s my take of this week’s Idol. I expect Stefano and Jacob to be in the bottom 3, and I’d put Scotty there, too. I’d put Long-gone out of his “Misery” (ha!).

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AMERICAN IDOL S10: Top 9 Rock Out

This post is by guest blogger Poncho, an expert on AI and many things pop culture.—PCN

Even with the theme being “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” the episode had little rock and less roll. Some of the choices were weird, most of the songs were performed (mostly better) in previous seasons, and the whole thing was more boring than last week. So let’s get rolling:

I just figured out who Jacob Lusk reminds me of. His weird dance moves in the second half of “Man in the Mirror” immediately made me think of Juan Gabriel! Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing; JG is a very successful recording artist…in Mexico. Anyway, the vocals were kind of good, but what’s with him thrusting the backup singer? And what’s with the backup-bots waving boringly? Besides, I’m fed up with his overly theatrical skanky diva faces. The judges loved the performance; I say meh.

I told PCN last week I was on board Haley Scarnatto Grrrreinhart’s bandwagon, and after hearing her cover Erma Franklin/Janis Joplin, I say the girrrrrrl took another “Piece of My Heart.” She wasn’t as good as last week, but she’s growing as an artist, picking songs that fit her grrrowl, improving the phrasing, looking gorgeous on stage, commanding more presence and, in general, looking less awkward. On the downside, she’s still got lots to grrrrrow.

Casey Abrams brought an upright bass! I couldn’t care less for his performance, even though “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” is one of my favorite songs ever. The upright bass upstaged Casey but it might still be me hating him for what he did to Nirvana.

I’ll say it about Lauren Alaina: NOBODY has made that girl feel like a “Natural Woman.” I’m not advocating underage sexin’, just saying you can master the technical aspects of a song as hard as “Natural Woman,” make changes to the phrasing and intonation of the verses (I hated the runs in the first ones, liked the softness in the middle), but if you have no connection, there’s no point. And that’s it—she sang pretty but sold nothing.

One thing we learned (or re-discovered) about James Durbin is that he has serious trouble with his lower register. And I mean serious. It’s a good thing Steven gave him props for “weeping” like his guitar because it was the only good thing about the performance. The pitch problems throughout the song made all guitars around the world need tissues.

This was the first time Scotty McCheesy actually really entertained me. It’s no secret I like his voice and believe he’s got a real chance in country music, but this was the first time he looked like a contender. He raised the tempo and he’s starting to pull the cheese factor back. Weird thing—the cheese he brought kinda worked.

I had a headache watching Pia Toscano. She sang uptempo (more like mid-tempo in my book, but whateva) and even with a few pitch problems here and there, managed to sound amazing. But then, the visuals were all wrong. First, the dress was a fashion no-no (hear it from a straight guy); second, she walked around the stage and her walk was very, very boring. If you close your eyes, you hear a great “uptempo” song. If you mute the TV/VCR/PC, you see someone singing a ballad. Guess she’s still Pia Tosca-bore.

If anyone was really a bore, it was Stefano Langone. Three words: Kick him out.

Finally, Paul McDonald was real fun to watch. It wasn’t the greatest performance, but his voice actually fitted the song and the arrangement. He brought his spastic-chicken dance to the stage, even while playing his guitar (I think the other guys beside him had ants in their pants, too, because they danced very weirdly as well). But somehow it all worked. It was fun, a little underwhelming, but fun nonetheless.

What did you think?

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Strong Female Protags in THE KILLING & BODY OF PROOF

I’ve had my nose buried in the grindstone on a couple of fun projects but wanted to pop in here for a few minutes to discuss two new TV shows I found worth watching. The first is AMC’s The Killing, an adaptation of a Danish series about a young murdered girl who may be linked somehow to the campaign of a city councilman running for mayor. Each hour represents a day in the investigation and so far, the first two days have been pretty intriguing. (There are 13 episodes total.)

Mireille Enos, as lead detective Sarah Linden, pops against the gray Vancouver palette that stands in for the show’s Seattle, not just because of her strawberry blonde hair and pale skin, but because she can hold your attention by simply standing still and showing you everything she’s thinking through her translucent blue eyes. I’ve always enjoyed Billy Campbell’s work so it’s good to see him as the councilman who may or may not be involved in the girl’s death. There have been lots of comparisons to Twin Peaks, which could be good or bad depending on how you felt about that show (I loved the first season). So far, I don’t think Killing is as weird—no mentions of dwarfs or log ladies yet—but I’ll be spending Sunday nights wondering, Who killed Rosie Larsen?

The other new show I’ve been following is Body of Proof, starring Dana Delany as a nut-busting coroner who always seems smarter than everyone else in the room. Her Dr. Megan Hunt often behaves inappropriately—she tags along when the police questions suspects and then commandeers the situation—but Delany’s charisma and confidence make us not only accept it but root for her. She also looks amazing, sexier than her overly nip-tucked peers and women half her age.

There are a couple issues, though, that have kept this show from being great for me so far. First, Megan cries way too much. She’s estranged from her teenage daughter and every time she talks to her, she gets all teary. I let that slide since it’s a tough situation. But then in the second episode, Megan cries when she’s telling the parents of a murdered girl how she was killed. C’mon! I know it’s tragic but if she’s going to cry every time she breaks bad news to people, she won’t last long in the job. And she’s supposed to be the best.

Another thing is how her partner Peter (Nicholas Bishop) is always giving her unsolicited parenting advice, including what kind of birthday present she should buy her kid. He doesn’t just make his point and move on, he sometimes lectures her. I find it hard to believe a tough independent-minded woman like Megan wouldn’t tell him to butt out.

Have you watched either of these shows? What do you think? If you missed them, you can watch The Killing without commercials here and Body of Proof here.

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AMERICAN IDOL S10: Top 11 Perform Elton John Songs

I haven’t been posting American Idol recaps this year because I haven’t been home most nights the show is on. Finally found myself with a little free time yesterday evening so I tuned in, though I wasn’t thrilled about the theme being Elton John songs. He and Bernie Taupin have written some great tunes but their catalog is ballad-heavy and I just wasn’t in the mood. I wish we could have Springsteen or U2 night. Hell, I’d take Bryan Adams, Eagles, Bob Seger. We need some rock ‘n’ roll and I don’t mean what James Durbin is doing.

This isn’t a full recap, just the highlights. Let’s jump straight to the surprising best performance of the evening: Haley covering “Bennie and the Jets.” I’ve liked her husky voice in the past but she always picks the wrong songs and tries too hard to be vampy on stage. I thought it was going to be more of the same when she started out reclining seductively on the piano but man, she burned it up. Though she still does that throat-clearing type of singing too often for my taste, the song allowed her to growl, belt, and slink through different octaves, opening up my eyes and making me say “Yowza.” Check out the clip below if you missed it.

Elsewhere, Casey did a nice job with “Your Song” but he’s had better performances. Pia was pitch-perfect as usual but still lacked a warmth of feeling. The best singers are also the best interpreters, taking lyrics beyond words and into emotional territory. For some reason, Pia hasn’t learned to do that yet. Plus, her song, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” is a drag.

Lauren had a personal best with “Candle in the Wind” though I’d be thrilled if I never hear that overexposed saccharine ballad again. The judges were too harsh on Naima because I liked her groovy reggae version of “I’m Still Standing.” Jacob was good but wasn’t in the top 3 for me. I still dig Paul‘s funkiness; Steven Tyler said it perfectly when he told Paul if he started hitting all the notes, he’d become boring. I fast-forwarded through Scotty‘s performance as I normally do because he’s just too corny for me. “I love you, Grandma!” in the middle of the song? Puh-leeze.

Who stood out and who are you rooting for?

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First Look at the New Wonder Woman

Entertainment Weekly ran this picture today of Adrianne Palicki in costume for the Wonder Woman pilot written by David E. Kelley. Having read this Daily Beast article by someone who’d seen the script, the photo makes me even less hopeful about the show being something I’d like to watch despite my being a gigantic fan of the Amazonian princess. The costume and her garish makeup make her look cheap, like someone working Hollywood Boulevard and I don’t mean as a character for tourists to take photos with. I do like those bracelets, though.

What do you think? (UPDATE: Click here to read Lynda Carter’s comments on Palicki playing WW.)

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Oscars 2011 Reaction: Nerdies for Best & Worst Moments

Watching the Oscars is akin to how people describe childbirth to me—it’s painful but after some time passes you forget about the pain and want to do it again. I don’t think I’ve really enjoyed an Academy Awards show since Billy Crystal hosted but every year I get excited about it. Tonight’s show, though, was one of the most awful in recent memory, something I wouldn’t have expected with James Franco and Anne Hathaway as hosts.

I like these two actors on film and both are multi-talented so I’m still scratching my head as to why the show was so dull. Hathaway makes me laugh when she hosts Saturday Night Live (have you seen her Katie Holmes impression?) and was winning when she dueted with Hugh Jackman in the musical number that opened the Oscars two years ago. And Franco—I find him funny even when he isn’t trying to be. But their opening dialogue tonight was devoid of laughs (you know the show’s in trouble when Franco’s grandma was funnier than the hosts with her line, “I just saw Marky Mark!”) and it was painful to watch Hathaway pushing through it while Franco looked like he couldn’t be bothered. I suspect he’s a collector of experiments, agreeing to do this so he could pull off stunts like tweeting live video of himself during the show from backstage and even as he went onstage (you can see him recording these clips on his phone in the photo above).

The actors’ inability to entertain was emphasized when Billy Crystal came out to do a short monologue about past Oscar hosts, seguing into clips of Bob Hope, the person who has hosted the most times (18). Both Crystal and Hope, in comedic bits from over 50 years ago, were funnier than Hathaway and Franco. (Heck, former host Hugh Jackman sitting in the audience was funnier.) I’m sure I wasn’t the only viewer hoping Crystal would take over for the rest of the ceremony. That would’ve been the biggest and most welcome surprise of the evening.

But enough about the hosts. Let’s move on to the show. You’ve probably heard the winners in the major categories were The King’s Speech for best picture, Colin Firth for actor, Natalie Portman for actress, Christian Bale for supporting actor, Melissa Leo for supporting actress, Tom Hooper for director, Aaron Sorkin for adapted screenplay, and David Seidler for original screenplay (for the full list of winners, click here). I will now award my own Nerdies for the highlights of the show.

Most princely speech: David Seidler. The man who wrote eloquent speeches for the cinematic King George VI in The King’s Speech gave a beautiful one himself, easily the best of the night. The 73-year-old Seidler started with “My father always said to me I’d be a late bloomer.” He noted that he’s the oldest winner in his category then said, “I hope that record will be broken quickly and often.” He concluded with “I accept this on behalf of all the stutterers of the world. We have a voice, we have been heard, thanks to you, the Academy.” Future winners should study his model: classy, witty and no wasted words.

Best mind-reader: Cate Blanchett. While watching the nominees for best makeup, I thought The Wolfman‘s clips looked particularly gross. When they ended, Blanchett said, “That’s gross.” She cannot be more awesome.

Most non-shocking “upset”: Tom Hooper’s. I was on Twitter when the director category was announced and a lot of folks seemed upset or shocked by his win. Why? First of all, Hooper won the DGA award, a pretty strong indicator he’d win the Oscar. Secondly, he made me care about a king who lived over 60 years ago in a foreign country while David Fincher couldn’t make me give a damn about people living today and events that are still unfolding (the Winklevoss twins are appealing their settlement). And I use Facebook!

Dance number I’d most like to have seen: Colin Firth’s. The year’s best actor said “I’m afraid I have to warn you that I’m experiencing stirrings somewhere in the upper abdominals which are threatening to form themselves into dance moves.” Warn us? How about make it a promise for next year’s show?

Romantic comedy I’d most like to see: one starring Firth and Sandra Bullock. While presenter Jeff Bridges’ scripted tributes to the five best actress nominees were cringe-inducing, Bullock managed to make her praise of the five best actor nominees funny and off the cuff. She was especially charming with Firth, making me think, “Why hasn’t anyone paired these two in a movie?”

Most mis-understood moment: Christian Bale regarding his wife’s name. While the Internet is speculating and chastising the actor for seemingly forgetting her name when he thanked her, I don’t think this is the case, based on the fact he never mentions her name or his daughter’s in public (though the media has identified his wife). If you scroll back through all the acceptance speeches and interviews he’s done this season, you’ll find this to be true. His sister, whom I used to know through work, told me he’s fiercely private when it comes to his family.

Best live-action Muppet: Luke Matheny. With his mop of hair and bouncy energy, the live-action-short winner was so infectious I was hoping he’d launch into a musical number with Kermit and friends.

Dish most people would probably want to eat: the Randy Newman chicken. Having been nominated 273 times (OK, it’s actually 20), the singer/songwriter, who won his second Oscar this year for best original song from Toy Story 3, joked there’s now a dish named after him at the annual nominees’ luncheon. Since he seems to get nominated every other year, we should all have what he’s having.

What did you think of the show and the hosts? Most/least favorite moments? Click here to read behind-the-scenes anecdotes from a friend of mine who attended the ceremony.

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TV Review: THE CHICAGO CODE

Though Shawn Ryan’s The Chicago Code (FOX, Mondays, 9 p.m.) isn’t the most innovative cop show ever, its style and content make it immensely watchable. Jennifer Beals stars as Teresa Colvin, the Chicago Police Department’s first female superintendent. She assembles a secret task force to take down corrupt alderman Ronin Gibbons (Delroy Lindo), who put her in charge because he thought she’d play nice. Having no official backing or funding, she has only two team members, her ex-partner Detective Jarek Wysocki (Jason Clarke) and his new partner, Caleb Evers (Friday Night Lights‘ Matt Lauria).

The show carries a few Ryan trademarks: snappy dialogue, whiplash-fast pacing, and excellent acting. If you saw The Shield‘s pilot, you probably weren’t surprised (I was expecting it) when ***mild spoiler alert!!*** a seemingly integral part of the task force was fatally shot.

***end spoiler***

Not sure if I like the voiceovers from multiple characters’ POV and don’t know if it’s necessary. (Don’t love it on Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, either, but at least they stick to only one narrator.) The show has enough going for it, though, that I’m willing to put up with the narration if it doesn’t get too distracting.

Beals, who has become more beautiful and a better actress over time, exudes a breezy confidence as Colvin, wearing her power lightly but never letting us or her underlings forget who’s boss. That isn’t as easy to do as it sounds. I remember when Mariska Hargitay started out on Law & Order: SVU as Detective Benson. She was trying so hard to act tough, it was painful to watch. She eventually relaxed into the role, doing something Beals seems to have figured out from the get-go: If you’re in control, you just are and don’t have to prove it.

Clarke is hard-nosed without being a jerk and you wouldn’t know he’s Australian from his Chicago accent (though I don’t know how authentic it is). Lauria is appealing as the baby-faced cop whom Wysocki underestimates at first. Lindo covers his sleaziness with smooth indignation, making him a formidable opponent and someone I’ll enjoy watching Colvin’s team take down.

Nerd verdict: Code crackles

Did you watch this? What did you think?

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Thoughts on Super Bowl Ads & Post-Game GLEE

Since I’m not a football fan, I reversed my viewing habit of DVR’d shows and only watched the commercials (after Christina Aguilera’s horribly overwrought and mangled version of the anthem, that is). I thought the funniest ones were this Doritos one where the guy was able to bring a dead fish, dead plant and finally Grandpa back to life by sprinkling Doritos crumbs on them…

…and the Bridgestone one where the poor office worker thought he’d hit “reply all” to an e-mail and raced around retrieving everyone’s computer or smart device before they could read it. Love how he went about the whole thing with a ninja cry.

The best homage to a classic Coke ad was the House spot with the kid trying to give the mean doctor a churro, a la the boy giving Mean Joe Green a Coke in the 1980 Super Bowl commercial. But instead of softening up Dr. House, the kid gets a cane thrown at him. The spot perfectly captures how Dr. Crankypants won’t soften for anyone.

The ads for Groupon, on the other hand, were flat-out wrong. The Timothy Hutton pitch was bad enough, switching to him enjoying fish curry when we thought he was spotlighting the troubles in Tibet, but the one that aired later was even worse. It began with Elizabeth Hurley talking earnestly about saving the rainforests, then suddenly shown in a bathrobe saying, “But deforestation isn’t all bad,” and segueing into how you can save money on Brazilian waxes with Groupon. Eww. I don’t want to know about Hurley’s, ah, jungle down there. I love irreverent humor but these spots just didn’t work for me.

After the SB, I tuned in to the Glee “event,” though with all the teasers hyping it during the game, I felt I’d seen almost the entire episode. By the time it was over, I found it underwhelming, partly due to the following reasons:

Mr. Shue told Rachel and Puck to wow the football team with a performance to entice them to join glee club and what did they sing? Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now.” Really? That song is nice and all but they thought a country ballad was the best way to impress a bunch of macho dudes? Puck making menacing faces at the guys while singing “Can’t stop looking at the door/Wishing you’d come sweeping in/The way you did before” was so ridiculous, it made me laugh.
The Warblers singing Destiny Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills” was also odd. They’re a bunch of high school students—how many bills do they have? The best numbers are the ones where the kids connect emotionally or the songs arise out of something they’re going through. When they crowed “We’re ready for regionals!” after finishing this song, I thought, “Yeah, ready to get your butt kicked if you don’t come up with something better.”
The centerpiece “Thriller” routine was shot with so many closeups and quick cuts that we couldn’t see the big picture, which is the point of doing that number—the choreography. The camera should’ve pulled back. From what I could see, it looked rather messy, with dancers all over the place instead of in sync with each other.

I did like Katie Couric interviewing Sue for being a giant loser, beating out such contenders as the economy, Mel Gibson, Dina Lohan and her dog, Sparky, “who is apparently also a loser.” Couric’s delivery was perfectly deadpan, and clued-in to the humor of her having the loser gig. Sue: “I thought this was the most fascinating people.” “That’s Barbara Walters,” Couric replies, with only a bit of edge in her voice.

Which ad(s) did you like the best? Worst? What did you think of Glee?

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SAG Awards Roundup

The show was so boring that when I looked down at my notebook after it was over, I saw I hadn’t written anything. The winners were predictable—Colin, Natalie, Melissa, Christian—and the speeches routine so I won’t be doing a best & worst rundown. I’ll just share a few quick impressions and skip to the fashion.

I’m happy The King’s Speech won for best ensemble over the The Social Network. Coupled with Speech director Tom Hooper’s upset win over David Fincher at this weekend’s DGA Awards, chances are good the movie will take the best picture Oscar. After Network‘s sweeps of major awards earlier this season, Speech‘s sudden surge makes the competition a bit more interesting.

When Geoffrey Rush gave the acceptance speech on behalf of the cast, he indicated Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter and said since we already know who they are, he would thank the other actors in the cast who are less well-known, including Jennifer Ehle, who played his wife; Dominic Applewhite, Ben Wimsett, and Calum Gittins, who played his sons; Freya Wilson and Ramona Marquez, who played princesses Elizabeth (the current queen) and Margaret; and Jake Hathaway, who played a young stammering protegé of Lionel Logue’s. It was classy of Rush to spread the wealth and recognize them, especially the child actors.

Firth delivered the only speech that amused me when he won for best actor, saying how he used to flash his SAG card in England because he thought it would get him “female attention, entry into night clubs and top-level government departments. It didn’t.” He then thanked security for letting him into the building.

On the TV side, as much as I love Betty White, I’m suspicious of her win for Hot in Cleveland. She is always charming but the show itself is not that funny. Sofia Vergara and Jane Lynch are hilarious on Modern Family and Glee, respectively, and more deserving of the award for best female actor in a TV comedy series. White’s win seemed more like a life achievement award, something SAG already gave her last year.

Vergara did end up with an Actor as part of the Family cast when it won best ensemble in a TV comedy. After being beaten by Lynch at the Globes and Emmys, I’m glad Vergara finally won something.

For the full list of winners, click here. Read on for the fashion breakdown.

Best dress: Mila Kunis. I love everything about this Alexander McQueen. The fiery color, the print, belt, flowy and comfy-looking fit. She looks dreamy.

Most unique color: Sarah Hyland. She stood out for being the only one wearing this pretty hue.

Best use of color: Tina Fey. I adore this woman but she’s always in boring black, navy or neutral tones. Once, she even wore brown. This time, she wore fire-engine red (first time at an awards show?) and looked hotter than ever.

Too many colors? Hailee Steinfeld. Her hair and makeup were pretty, but in this dress, she resembled a walking stick of Lifesavers candy.

Most in need of color: The Glee cast. Dull, meh, yawn, bleh.

Best beige look: Hilary Swank. I’ll make an exception for her nude look because oh my gosh, look at those arms. They’re a nice contrast to the soft drape of the dress, making her look strong and feminine at the same time.

Most Madonna/Whore: Jennifer Lawrence. The dress and hair looked classy, but the heavy makeup and stripper shoes cheapened her look.

Most confused dress: Jayma Mays. Her gown couldn’t decide if it was long or short, and whether it should have epaulets on its shoulders or not.

Most improved: The actresses who played Micky Ward’s trashy sisters in The Fighter (with Melissa Leo in the center). They look much prettier without their hair weaves.

Best earrings: Rosario Dawson. How striking does the jade look against her skin?

Best rebel: Julie Bowen. She was the only female winner last night who wore pants but there’s nothing manly about her jumpsuit.

Most age appropriate: Modern Family‘s Ariel Winter. She looks adorable, braces and everything.

Least age appropriate: Jane Lynch (with Lara Embry). The color is pretty but that poufy prom dress is all wrong for her.

Most resembling a hotel bed coverlet: January Jones. I think I saw something like that in a Holiday Inn once. I didn’t even want to sit on it, much less wear it.

Most resembling a cheese grater: Kate Mara. Actually, she’s a grater on top and cookie cutters at the bottom.

Best-dressed male: Jon Hamm. What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing.

Most inadvertent Goth: Christina Hendricks. I couldn’t tell if the overdone raccoon eyes and smoking-jacket dress made her look punk, cheap or scary. Maybe all the above.

Did you watch the show? What did you enjoy or didn’t? Who did you think was best dressed?

Photos: Getty Images

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Return of Seventies TV Heroines

Over the weekend, Deadline.com reported that David E. Kelley’s Wonder Woman script got a pilot pickup from NBC after the network passed on it a few weeks ago. The show is set in L.A., with Diana Prince as “a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life.” WW remains my favorite Justice Leaguer and it’s about time she gets a reboot. I would’ve preferred a movie franchise but I’ll take her on the small screen as long as it’s good.

Sarah Shahi

Perhaps because I just watched USA’s new show, Fairly Legal, last week, I think Sarah Shahi (formerly Damian Lewis’s partner in Life) would be great in the role. Shahi is not only gorgeous, she’s charismatic (not always a given with beautiful people) and has solid acting chops. Who would you like to see wield the golden lasso of truth?

My friend Lauren also alerted me to the news that the recently announced ABC remake of Charlie’s Angels cast its first angel, Annie Ilonzeh from General Hospital (see Daily Mail article here). I like that she’s a relative unknown and that Robert Wagner will be voicing Charlie.

I know neither of these shows will be high-brow TV but I can’t help feeling a little giddy and rooting for them to be good. These announcements take me right back to 1976, when I was a kid rushing to finish my homework and chores so Mom would let me watch the Angels or Wonder Woman kick ass, something my little-girl self aspired to do. I don’t have homework anymore but if the pilots make it to series, I’d probably still hurry through the dishes so I can watch the ladies do their thing.

Would you watch these shows? Who should play the other Angels?

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Thursday Night TV: AMERICAN IDOL S10 in New Orleans & PERFECT COUPLES

American Idol Season 10 New Orleans Auditions

New Orleans is a vibrant city with a big personality but the auditions there yielded a pretty standard batch of hopefuls, a mix of talented singers, delusional ones and crazies in outrageous outfits thinking that would actually help their chances.

Standouts for me:

Jacee Badeaux—Jennifer Lopez said she got goosebumps from the 15-year-old’s singing but my reaction went deeper. Something shifted inside my chest when I heard him sing “ (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”; it’s what happens when I encounter something unexpectedly beautiful. Can’t wait to see what else he can do in Hollywood.
Jacquelyn Dupree—she brought in her uncle Jerry, who was Randy’s high school football coach and they had a little reunion. I was skeptical, thinking she was currying favor with Randy, but she didn’t need any gimmicks. She had amazing control in her rendition of “I’ll Stand by You,” switching from big powerful notes to whispered ones on a dime.
Paris Tassin—the single mom of a special needs child brought tears to Lopez’s eyes with Carrie Underwood’s “Temporary Home.” Tassin seemed to really connect to the lyrics, her voice infused with a desperate ache. It didn’t hurt that she’s also gorgeous.
Jovany Barreto—he did a nice job with Luis Miguel’s “Contigo en la Distancia” and got three yeses. But then he took off his shirt to show off his abs, which was tacky and absolutely unnecessary.
Brett Loewenstern—this red-haired boy moved me. He said kids at school call him dork and geek but he finally figured out that as long as you like yourself, it doesn’t matter what others say. I had sudden flashbacks to my school days because I knew exactly what he was talking about. He said he wanted to spread his message to other kids who are bullied so I crossed my fingers hard, hoping he would do well in the room. And he did! By singing “Bohemian Rhapsody,” no less. Have you ever tried singing that song in karaoke? It’s hard! With crazy-ass notes all up and down the scale! So I’m rooting for this kid because I want him to keep doing his thing.

Perfect Couples

After AI was over, I watched the Perfect Couples pilot, a new addition to NBC’s Comedy Night Done Right on Thursdays. The sitcom revolves around three different types of couples: perfect Dave (Kyle Bornheimer) and Julia (Christine Woods), tempestuous Vance (David Walton) and Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), and self-help psycho-babbling Rex (Hayes MacArthur) and Leigh (Olivia Munn).

Bornheimer & Woods, with Walton & Ellis

This show is awful in so many ways but let’s start with the central problem: no one behaves in ways that are recognizable in real humans. Vance and Amy start making out like mad, attacking each other on Dave and Julia’s couch in the middle of game night. With Dave and Amy sitting right next to them! In case you’re not laughing yet, Rex and Leigh don’t want to be one-upped so they start making out, too! Who does this? How do these boorish people have any friends at all?

MacArthur & Munn

Vance and Amy are the most obnoxious, with no discernible redeeming qualities. Rex and Leigh are simply not funny. I was surprised to find out Leigh is supposed to be Vietnamese since Munn doesn’t even look Asian to me, much less Vietnamese (she’s half Chinese). And Rex, in pronouncing the names of several Vietnamese dishes, was so far off, it was the equivalent of someone pronouncing “bread” as “monkey.” Or if I saw “casa” and said “pollo.” This annoyed me because if MacArthur didn’t know how to pronounce those words, he should’ve asked the script supervisor on set, who could have Googled from her smart phone and found the answers for him. So much for self-help. Nerd verdict: Far from Perfect.

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AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 10 Premiere Review: New Jersey Auditions

Season 10 of American Idol started off on a kinder note but I’m not sure if it’s better. Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson seem to have a more cohesive energy than last year’s panel of judges but I definitely missed Simon Cowell’s presence and biting remarks. Every time he opened his mouth, it was a delicious soundbite waiting to happen. Tyler and Lopez didn’t necessarily give poor feedback, but I can’t remember anything specific they said.

Quick impressions of the new judges: Tyler got the hang of judging and letting people down gently faster than Lopez but was borderline inappropriate in ogling the pretty girls. It’s okay when they’re of age but at one point, he was admiring the skirt on 16-year-old Victoria Huggins and said, “You have just the right amount [of legs] showing.” Um, wrongness much? He has a thousand years on her!

Lopez seemed sweet but after a while, I got annoyed at her inability to say no to bad “singers.” I know it’s hard to crush someone’s dreams but she’s getting paid a busload of money so she should just do her job. All the “Oh, I’m so uncomfortable with this” protestations got a little old and I wondered if she wasn’t putting it on thick to let us know what a nice person she really is.

I was most irritated when she put through Ashley Sullivan, who sang “Gimme Gimme” from Thoroughly Modern Millie only moderately well and then declared, “I want to be the first show-tune pop star!” (Oh, dear, no—that’s a hybrid I never want to see). Lopez didn’t seem impressed but Sullivan sobbed hard and begged even harder. Lopez finally threw her hands in the air, said yes and added, “I don’t care!” Really? If you don’t, why should we? I tune in to see the amazing talent you’re supposed to help discover, not put up with mediocre wannabes you foist on us to avoid feeling guilty.

OK, on to the singers. Some memorable ones from the New Jersey auditions:

Caleb Hawley—his voice came out much higher than I expected it to be but he was passionate about what he was singing and got into a nice groove with Tyler singing along (aren’t judges only supposed to listen?). He was a little scruffy but I could see a cute guy under there so if he gets cleaned up for Hollywood, tweens will eat him up.
Kenzie Palmer—the first 15-year-old to try out (the show lowered its minimum age requirement this season) is cute as a button with a voice much more sophisticated than her age.
Robbie Rosen—the kid with the wide smile and beautiful vocals who wowed with “Yesterday.” His voice was sweet and longing when it went soft, and powerful when he needed to hit certain high notes. I liked him even more for not using the story about his overcoming paralyzing synovitis at age 5 to make the judges feel sorry for him. When you’ve got the goods, you don’t need any tricks.
Tiffany Rios—her first strike for me was giving tutorials on how to tease your hair for that Jersey ‘do. (Funny, her hair didn’t look any better afterward.) Second strike was wearing big silver stars on her boobs, which were encased in a bikini top. Third? Announcing she’d sing an original song she made up for the show. Does that ever go well? Surprise! She has a decent voice! Color me shocked! I still thought she was doomed because the song was awful and cheesy but the judges let her sing another tune and she confirmed her skills with “I’m Your Lady.” She has got to leave the tackiness at home, though, if she wants to be taken seriously in Hollywood.
Michael Perotto—the dude who belches whenever he gets nervous. At first I thought, “Oh man, I wouldn’t want to be sitting next to him in the waiting area.” And then I thought, “Well, at least the nervous gas isn’t coming out his other end.” He was terrible and yes, gave us one final belch before leaving.
Yoji “Pop” Asana—all this guy did was confuse me. He said he’d been imitating Michael Jackson from before he was born (??) but didn’t want to do that. Then he said he didn’t like Miley Cyrus’s song “Party in the USA” but he would do that. And then he busted out MJ’s moves, including the moonwalk, while singing Cyrus’s song and looked angry the whole time!
Melinda Ademi—she and her parents are refugees from Kosovo, looking for a better life here. Melinda’s golden ticket to Hollywood might help. She’s beautiful and sang “If I Ain’t Got You” in a big if not-yet-memorable voice.
Brielle Von Hugel—everything about the girl with a flower in her hair and a father who overcame throat cancer is sweet, including her voice. But at 16, I don’t know how much she knows about “Endless Love.”
Travis Orlando—the last kid seen in NJ who lived in a shelter with his family but refused to let go of his dream of singing. The long extended video about the family’s struggles after his father got sick was so depressing, I kept saying, “Oh, please be good, please be good” as he walked into the audition room. His “Eleanor Rigby” was a little wonky but then he sang “I’m Yours” and was much better. His voice was a little constricted as if his throat was tight due to nerves but he had a unique tone. I exhaled when the judges put him through and his family cried.

Did you watch? What did you think of the new judges? Which singers stood out for you?

Photo: FOX

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