Reality Roundup 3/13/09 & the rest of the Megan Parris Interview
Finally, back with a “Reality Roundup” column. Been a while since we had one of these. Honestly, I’ve actually fallen behind on a few shows that I normally watch just because of all the stuff that happened with the “Bachelor” over the last month. This column will cover the results show of “Idol”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “Celebrity Apprentice”, “Survivor”, “The City”, and a few other reality show notes. Unbelievably enough, I haven’t watched one episode of the “Real World: Brooklyn”. First time since the Hawaii season where I haven’t watched. I got so backed up, I checked my TiVo last night and every episode was still saved. I think ten of them. So the chances of me getting around to them anytime soon are probably slim and none. But I will be tuning into the “Duel 2″, starting April 8th on MTV. Its been a couple seasons since I’ve watched a “RW/RR Challenge” show, but that trailer for this season got me hooked. Never got around to watching “Rock of Love Bus” this season either. Something tells me I didn’t miss much. Plus, nothing I write could ever be funnier than what is shown. The show speaks for itself.
So I finally go around to transcribing the last 35 minutes of the Megan Parris interview. A lot of you liked the first 53 minutes which you can listen to again by clicking the link below if you want to refresh your memory:
Reality Steve interviews Megan Parris of the “Bachelor”
The rest of it I transcribed as best I could. I left out little bits and pieces to my questions and her answers (like “uhhhs”, and “likes”, and “you knows”) but this is pretty much all the good stuff. Once again, I can’t tell you how impressed I was with Megan before, during, and after this interview. She’s truly a classy woman, totally got reamed on her edit by ABC, and someone I have the privilege of calling my friend now. Here’s the rest of the interview picking up from roughly where it got cut off:
Reality Steve: How about the final two girls? I’m not going to ask you who you think he picks or who you’d like him to pick, but I do want you to talk about each of them individually. First Melissa. Then Molly.
Megan Parris: “Melissa is fantastic. We are very similar in some ways, so naturally, I love her! (Laughs) I feel like because of what I’ve been through, I have an edge about me that she doesn’t have, but when it comes down to it, I have a huge heart and she is the sweetest thing in the world. Molly I didn’t get to know all that well. Actually, I don’t think anybody did come to think of it. She kept a safe distance the whole time. It always made me think something was up. I guess its all making sense now huh?”
RS: Did you see any connection with Molly in all this? Was there anything particular about Molly that seemed weird or was her edit pretty accurate?
Megan: “I guess her edit was actually accurate, how about that! Someone was portrayed the way they actually are! (Laughs) It’s common knowledge that anyone in the final four will get a good edit because they have to prove worthy of marriage material for the shows legitimacy sake. Did she seem sneaky??? I dont know. I just don’t know.”
RS: Lets discuss the “Women Tell All” taping that of course you were a part of. You told me something I found interesting, was that they actually called three people up in the hot seat: Natalie, Jillian, and you. Yet they only showed Natalie and Jillian. Why’d they leave you out?
Megan: “They don’t want to see poise and grace from me. They don’t want me in a natural setting being asked real questions and giving answers true to my personality. They want a character out of me. In a talk show setting, you’re just not gonna get that. I was asked about the first night and why I got the most votes, and my answer was that ‘I deserved it, and I’m thankful they forgave me.’ That wasn’t the ‘material’ they were looking for. I guess it wasn’t television worthy, or whatever. The producers actually came in to my hotel room the night before and told me that I was ‘the main character, the main event,’ and when it came down to it, they didn’t even air my time on stage. I was the first one down there.
They even butchered Erica’s and I’s responses to the question about our tiff. Because that’s what it was, a tiff. In the middle of the night, no biggie. But it came across as something it totally wasn’t. When asked about the situation I’ll tell you exactly what I said; that I understood why Erica got so upset. After the challenges and misconceptions of the first night, Erica and I grew quite close. So she is feeling that someone she’s close with is questioning her morals or actions, and I get it. I get why that hurt. I think that she would tell you she was cranky and overreacted. But I am confident that Erica is aware of my love for her.”
RS: Jason comes in to the hot seat, and in a 2 hour show, gets grilled (if you even want to call it that) by Jillian. Hell, she got one question in. Was that it? Was there more that we didn’t see? Did anyone else get to ask Jason and question, either you girls or the audience, and ABC just chose not to show that?
Megan: “The audience was not able to ask us questions, nor were we able to ask Jason questions. He was shuffled on and shuffled off. I felt like we saw him for two minutes. Literally. It wasn’t what I expected. At one point Erica actually raised her hand and said ‘Chris, when we get a minute I have a question for Jason,’ and that was totally ignored. We didn’t get a chance.”
RS: How about before the taping started, or even afterwards – did any of you girls ever get to chat with him?
Megan: “Well I sure didnt, and I doubt the other girls did either. But who knows? I didnt really want a chance to talk to him, who cares, right? I talk to enough brick walls.”
RS: Was there any talk amongst the girls about, well, me, and the rumors I’ve started? What’s the consensus from the girls about how they think everything shakes down in the end?
Megan: “I can only speak for myself, but it wasn’t anything I wanted to talk about with the gals. I love them, I’ve missed them, and I wanted to move on from this because in reality, its behind me and beneath me. I was more concerned with them as people, their lives, and their careers. I wanted to know whats been happening with them opposed to gossiping about something I aim to separate myself from.”
RS: What’s life been like since the show?
Megan: “Crazy, but kinda the same. It is what I make of it, and I always strive to avoid negativity, so Ive been good. Deacons a wild little he-man and lacrosse is starting soon. A lot of people recognize me and want pictures taken, etc., It’s all fun.”
RS: Word association time. I’ll give you a name, and you give me the first thought that comes to your head about that person.
Mike Fleiss: “Teddy bear.”
Jason Mesnick: “Dud.”
Chris Harrison: “Make-up.”
Melissa: “Bubbles.”
Molly: “E.T.”
Lauren: “Hmmm”
Nikki: “OMG. Who knows? I love her! Big sister, I guess. She’s so maternal with all of us.”
Erica: “Italian!”
Natalie: “Jaundice.”
RS: If you had to do it over, knowing what you know now, would you ever participate in a show like this again?
Megan: “Nope. I’ve dealt with enough manipulation and lies with the paternal side of my sons family. I wanted this to be a fresh start for me, not a repeat. You can lose yourself in manipulation. I sure did. The last thing I ever wanted for myself was to get wrapped up in it again. It gives you an edge. It makes you hard, not trust anyone. I wanted to be free of that and instead I got sucked back in. All the insults and negative comments from people who’ve never even met you can certainly aid in building a wall around your heart. Its a defense mechanism, no one wants to be vulnerable to insults. So instead of having a pure heart, I always feel on the defensive, like I have to apologize to anyone who watched the show. Viewers got shafted. They didn’t even get to know me.”
The End. Hope you all enjoyed the rest of that interview, and I’m sorry I couldn’t the audio to upload. I did the next best thing for you, so, I hope that you’re happy. Thanks again to Megan for giving us an hour and a half of her time that night.
Before we start on this weeks “Reality Roundup”, I want to make a distinction that I think a lot of people miss when it comes to reality shows. Yes, shows like “Rock of Love Bus” and “Biggest Loser” and “The Bachelor” are in the reality show category. No question about it. But you can’t tell me that there aren’t “levels” to our reality shows that we watch. Let’s face it, some are just crap and for pure entertainment, but some are legitimately worth watching because they can actually benefit someone in some way. For anyone to say the “Biggest Loser” and “Rock of Love Bus” should be lumped in the same category is ludicrous. Other than both being reality shows, they couldn’t be more opposite. Even though I haven’t watched the “Biggest Loser” this season, I’ve watched it in seasons past. I don’t think watching that show makes you lose brain cells. That show is productive, its changing peoples lives, and you can learn something from it. Don’t don’t learn sh** from watching “Rock of Love Bus”, “The Bachelor”, “The Real World”, or “The City”. Those are pure entertainment. I think people tend to forget that. Especially when talking about Melissa going from the “Bachelor” to “Dancing with the Stars”.
To say that the “Bachelor” and “DWTS” are even in the same category reality tv-wise is asinine. “The Bachelor” is pure crap. And a failure. We all know that. That’s why we watch for entertainment and not a love story. “DWTS” is basically a talent competition. They don’t have cameras following you 24/7, with producers feeding you lines of what to say, and manipulating how you dance. Your performance is your performance. So I don’t really get how those saying Melissa joining “DWTS” is the same as being on the “Bachelor”. Yes, it looks like she’ll be on TV for the next eight weeks, but in a totally different capacity. You aren’t going to see edited clips of her personality. You aren’t going to see her dating some douchebag. You get a two minute video of her practicing with her partner, you get a live performance of her dancing, and then maybe thirty seconds of her backstage. For Christ sakes, it’s a live show! This couldn’t be any more different from the “Bachelor” if they tried. So let’s stop with the “I thought she never wanted to be on reality TV again” stuff. First off, she said that on Wednesday with “Ellen”. She was asked last Friday to do “DWTS”. Secondly, “DWTS” is much more a competition than it is a “reality show”. Is it reality tv? Yes. Is it the “Bachelor”? Not even close. So let’s start differentiating the two because there is a major difference.
I think you got your “American Idol”, “Dancing with the Stars”, and a couple others that you should just place in the “competition category.” I’d even give a secondary competition category to “Survivor” and “Celebrity Apprentice”, and “Big Brother”, not on par with the other two, because those are taped in advance, edited, and you’re shown what they want you to see. You’ve got shows like “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”, “Biggest Loser”, “Sober House”, and a few others that are probably at the top of the “reality tv” food chain in terms of productive, meaningful shows. Then you’ve got the crap/entertainment shows like most stuff on MTV, “The Bachelor”, “Real Housewives of Wherever”, “Hells Kitchen”, and so on. I don’t think I’m announcing anything ground breaking here. I just think that sometimes people lose sight of the importance of some shows and think just because it’s under the “reality tv” label, that they’re all the same.
I’ve always defended “Survivor” as one of the better reality shows around, because it’s a study in social interaction than it is a reality TV “game show”. It just bothers me when people who are “drive by’s” (barely watch the show but kinda know what its about) say things like, “Ugh. That show is stupid. All they do is eat bugs.” Anyone who characterizes “Survivor” and “eating bugs” in the same sentence is just ignorant. They’ve gone whole seasons without doing the eating bug challenge. That was something they did early, but have shied away from lately. It’s so not what the show is about. So yeah, don’t ever say that around me or else I’ll punch you. Let’s begin.
“Dancing with the Stars”
-I think its safe to say we can easily eliminate 9 of the 13 contestants from having a chance at winning: David Alan Grier, Holly Madison, Ty Murray, Steve Wozniak, Steve-O, Lawrence Taylor, Chuck Wicks, Denise Richards, and Belinda Carlisle. No chance. Let’s face it, only Melissa, Shawn Johnson, Lil Kim, and Naked Guy from “SITC” have a legitimate chance to win this thing. Which is usually the way it is every season. Only three or four really have a chance to take home the title.
-I can see Chuck Wicks improving, Denise Richards getting better, and maybe David Alan Grier getting a little better, but not enough to the point where they’d take home the title. It shouldn’t be surprising that anyone who has any sort of background that requires them to have some sort of rhythm always do well. Denise Richards can work her ass off, practice 8 hours a day, and nail all her steps. But if she doesn’t have any rhythm, it just doesn’t look right. You can see who does and who doesn’t. When you watch Shawn, or Melissa, or Lil Kim step, and hold, and move, you can see it looks a little more natural to them. Ty Murray? Please. Steve-O? Psssh. He’s just there to entertain and nothing more.
-I think the show is popular because America likes to see people do something out of their element and like it. Master P was just an ass because he didn’t try, didn’t care, and just worried about looking cool. But when you see pro athletes taking this so seriously, then people tend to care. Can’t fault somebody for doing something completely out of their element and taking a liking to it. That’s almost just as fun to watch as the people who are really good at it. I think the person that most comes to mind for me is Cameron Mathison. That guy literally seemed like he wanted to dump his acting career to become a professional ballroom dancer.
-As much as I enjoyed Melissa appearing on the show and doing well, they’ve gotta stop with the “she only had 48 hours to practice” bit. Yes, we know. She was a late addition. But the fact she was a late addition, yet had the 2nd best score of the night pretty much showed how important having a dance background is. If she had never danced before in her life, then in 48 hours was able to put that routine together and score a 23 out of 30, then you can gush about how she had two days to practice. Not taking anything away from her, but its not like they told her to dunk a basketball. She learned a waltz. Maybe she’s never waltzed before, but if you’ve danced professionally before, you can pick up other kinds of dances a hell of lot quicker than a dork like Steve Wozniak. Melissa was great, I hope she wins, but lets back away from the “she barely had any practice time” nonsense.
-I love the fact that Lil Kim admitted the first time she ever watched the show was in federal prison. That made me giggle. I had totally forgotten she went to prison for a year for lying to a federal grand jury. Yeah, probably don’t want to do that any time in your life. They kinda take things a little seriously. But hey, at least I appreciate you giving a shout out to your lesbian cell mates you had. I’m sure there were many a nights in the pokey when all of you, well, had a group orgy. What else is there to do in prison?
-So former NFL players who have been on the show have done quite well. Emmitt Smith won it, Jerry Rice finished 2nd, and Jason Taylor got to the finals. Lawrence Taylor? Well, let’s just hope he doesn’t get booted off the show for doing a bag of blow before taking the dance floor. Stay away from the drugs, LT.
-I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. There are women who look good regardless of if they have make up on or not. Cheryl Burke is not one of those women. Extremely attractive with make up, and hideous without it. Hey, at least she dropped a few lbs this season. And really Cheryl? Had to blame the weight gain last year on birth control pills? Really? Had nothing to do with your love of food? C’mon. We’re smarter than that.
-It’s amazing that after all the multi-platinum records Jewel has produced, and after she’s even gone through a makeover in her look, that not one person has knocked some sense into her and told her to fix the snaggletooth she has going on. Unbelievable. So many celebrities love the shiny white veneers, yet this hottie looks like she should still be wearing a headgear when she sleeps.
-Maxsim and Karina are now engaged. How cute. I’m sure that’ll last. Karina was broken up with Mario Lopez for six months and now she’s hitched to Maxsim? Look, I know they’ve known each other for fifteen years, and I’m sure they’ve been having sex for quite some time like almost all the dancers on this show do, but really? An engagement? Max, c’mon. Seems to me you can have your pick of any woman out there. AC Slaters sloppy seconds?
-Did you see that the premiere on Monday was the shows highest rated premiere ever? Gee, I wonder why? Must’ve been because they cast Steve Wozniak. Or maybe it was people are so infatuated with Denise Richards? Hey, that Naked Guy is pretty popular, huh? Please. If you don’t think that this shows premiere ratings are in direct correlation to Melissa Rycroft being cast, then you’re just not thinking straight.
“American Idol” Results Show
-So the new twist is that the judges can use a “veto” against any contestant voted off before its down to the Final 5. They can only use it once, and it has to be unanimous. I don’t think this “twist” is really all that big. Thanks to RealityBlurred.com, here’s the list of all the contestants from Seasons 1-7 who were eliminated before the Final 5. Take a look at this list, and other than Jennifer Hudson, and maybe Michael Johns or Carly Smithson last season, would you have desperately wanted to see any of these people saved? Hell, I don’t even remember half of these names:
Season 1:
EJay Day, Jim Verraros, A.J. Gil, Ryan Starr, Christina Christian, RJ Helton (5th)
Season 2:
Vanessa Olivarez, Charles Grigsby, Julia DeMato, Corey Clark, Rickey Smith, Kimberly Caldwell, Carmen Rasmusen, Trenyce (5th)
Season 3:
Leah LaBelle, Matt Rogers, Amy Adams, Camile Velasco, Jon Peter Lewis, Jennifer Hudson, John Stevens, George Huff (5th)
Season 4:
Lindsey Cardinale, Mikalah Gordon, Jessica Sierra, Nikko Smith, Nadia Turner, Anwar Robinson, Constantine Maroulis, Scott Savol (5th)
Season 5:
Melissa McGhee, Kevin Covais, Lisa Tucker, Mandisa, Bucky Covington, Ace Young, Kellie Pickler, Paris Bennett (5th)
Season 6:
Brandon Rogers, Stephanie Edwards, Chris Sligh, Gina Glocksen, Haley Scarnato, Sanjaya Malakar, Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson (5th and 6th)
Season 7:
David Hernandez, Amanda Overmyer, Chikezie, Ramiele Malubay, Michael Johns, Kristy Lee Cook, Carly Smithson, Brooke White (5th)
-So unless I’m misunderstanding this twist, and maybe if they never use it before the Final 5, then they can use it after that? I don’t know. They weren’t very clear. Other than that, it’s very obvious why this was put in place. If Danny, Adam, Lil Rounds and maybe Matt (the only ones with a legitimate shot to win this thing), end up getting eliminated before the Final 5, then the judges will use it. And Matt is barely in that group. I’d say its more so for the other three. They like Megan, but if she the bottom vote getter in the next couple weeks, they won’t save her. Nor will they save anyone else. This is strictly for people who have a chance to win, not people who might be going home a couple weeks earlier than they should have.
-Is Kelly Clarkson on the same dieting program as Cheryl Burke was last season? And its pretty safe to say at this point that Kelly Clarkson likes chicks, right? I mean really. C’mon. All her songs are hating on men and she just has that certain, well, “look”. With that “look” being, “I wouldn’t mind being naked with another woman tonight.” It’s a very keen sense I have of picking up signs like this. I know. It’s a talent.
-They’ve gotta do away with those cheesy group performances to start out the show. If that isn’t “High School Musical” stuff at its worst, I don’t know what is. The choreography is horrible since most of them can’t dance, and its just uncomfortable to watch. And, ummmm, in case you didn’t realize this, you’ve got a blind guy this season. Probably don’t need him front and center in any dance numbers. But regardless of Scott or not, these group performances are the worst thing this show does, hands down.
-And until the end of time, no one will ever convince me that Paula Abdul adds anything constructive to this show. She’s a complete zero. If Kara had been the 3rd judge since Season 1, and Paula was added this season, I think a lot of you would like Kara more than you do.
“Survivor”
-If you thought I enjoyed reading Chris Harrisons blog on EW.com during the “Bachelor” season (well, that is until he started aiming the whole column at me), then you know I love Jeff Probsts blog. He was the original on this one. His offers much more good insight on a weekly basis. It’s not up yet as of this typing or else I’d link to it, but it should be somewhere on the EW.com homepage by the time you read this. Check it out.
-Here’s a little fun “Survivor” fact. Last night, we find out that Spencer was gay. Who’s his boyfriend. Well, it’s none other than Todd Herzog, winner of “Survivor: China” a couple seasons ago. Todd says they met about a month before Spencer left to film this season. You can read all about their relationship by clicking here.
-Probst definitely has his “go to” lines like Chris Harrison does. In fact, almost all of Probst lines he says every episode of every season. “The tribe has spoken”, “Wanna know what you’re playing for?”, “Once the votes are read, the decision is final, and the person will be asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately. I’ll read the votes”, “C’mon on in, guys!”, “You’re getting your first look at the new “x” tribe. (Name) voted out at the last tribal council”. He’s the best. I want Probst to do more than this show. Hosting the Emmys was a start. He needs to do more. Here’s one of his more underrated lines after he tells the tribes what they’re playing for in the Reward Challenge, “Worth playing for?” Which is always followed by a bunch of, “Oh yeah Jeff! Can’t wait!” I mean, they’ve been out there “x” amount of days drinking nothing but water, eating rice and beans, and essentially starving themselves to death, I’m guessing if you offered anything that wasn’t a sh** sandwich, they’d be thrilled.
-This alliance that Brendan, Taj, Stephen, and Sierra have that’s crossing Tribal lines is bizarre. They showed a couple people on Timbura catching on to it already. I just don’t get what makes those four think they are a lock for the final four. Who is to say one won’t get eliminated in a blindside before the merge? And let’s say they do make the merge, they’re only four, while there’s still six others? So how are they saying they’re controlling the game? We know having the Immunity Idol is nice, but twice in the last few seasons we’ve seen people who’ve had it in their possession still get voted off by a blindside. I’m just not understanding why those four are so confident.
-Speaking of Brendan, he might not want to tell anyone that he’s the CEO of “Bear Naked” food products. The guy has already made millions in his business, so I suggest he keep it to himself. Hey, Brian from “Survivor: Thailand” never told anyone about his illustrious soft porn career and he won. Although if I remember correctly, when they showed a video from home, he had some sweet car that people got suspicious about. Whatever the case, he won. I would just advise Brendan against telling everyone what he does.
-I’m on the fence about Coach. I think he’s kind of a d-bag just looking to get attention from the show, but he’s at least an interesting character to watch. Probst loves the guy and says he’s TV gold. I don’t think that highly of him. I can think of at least more interesting and entertaining characters this show has had in the past. Now, if the guy ends up winning, which I don’t think he will, you can put him in “Richard Hatch” territory. Usually people that are that much of a Type-A, over-the-top personality don’t do well on this show. Nice to see he’s already been canned from his coaching job for doing the show.
“Celebrity Apprentice”
-The old idea of the “Apprentice” got tired since we never heard from these no-names after Trump hired them, and a couple ending up leaving the company within a year anyway. In fact, I have no idea what past winners still even work for him. Hell, I can’t even name all the past winners off the top my head other than Bill Rancic, Kendra Todd, and Randall. Totally forgot who the other ones were and I have no desire to look it up. Yet, I could reel off the final two contestants in every season of “Idol”, so there Trump. Shows you how memorable your show is.
-However, the “Celebrity Apprentice” is a completely different animal. Piers Morgan made the show watchable last season, and the trainwreck “D-list” celebs they got this year might be even better. Dennis Rodman? Really? I honestly can tell you I have no idea what he’s saying when he speaks. None. It’d be nice if he took the marbles out of his mouth when talking. Khloe Kardashian? How about letting me look at Kim’s ass every Sunday night? Khloe looks like Chyna for god’s sakes. Claudia Jordan? A model from “Deal or No Deal”. Wow. They are really scraping the bottom of the barrel.
-I could go on and on about the talentless nobodies on this show, but you watch, you’re well aware. BUT, the show is entertaining. It’s amazing how every single task, there’s always one or two people on each team who are complete f***ups. Seriously. Why can’t there be just one task where everyone on the team listens, they don’t talk over each other, everything gets done on time, and no one bickers with another team member? I’m sure editing has a lot to do with it, but still. I’ve always found it fascinating, especially when it was just regular people with these supposed business credentials, that on the most inane tasks, they couldn’t put their heads together and come up with a good idea. “EEE”? Really? That’s the name of your comic book character? I guarantee you any fifth grader in America could’ve come up with a better name than that. Idiots.
-I’ve never found Tom Green the least bit funny, and how he ever found his way into Drew Barrymores pants is still one of the mysteries of our lifetime, but I was actually on his side during his feud with Scott Hamilton. Now, it’s not to say I didn’t think he was acting like an ass some of the time, I’m just saying they made the right decision by sending Scott Hamilton home. He came up with the ridiculous name, so he has to leave. Fair enough. But I think Tom Green stays around long enough because he’s goofy and the show needs him.
-As far as who I think will win? No clue. I guess the person with the deepest pockets since this is mainly about who can call up their friends and have them donate the most cash. That’s how Piers won. We’re 18 seasons in to “Survivor” yet they can’t do a “Celebrity Survivor” but they’ll do a “Celebrity Apprentice”? That I don’t get. I think “Celebrity Survivor” would kill. Then again, most celebrities are so narcissistic and high maintenance, I’m guessing none of them would even consider going on a show where they’d have to take care of themselves.
“The City”
-I haven’t decided if I hate this show more or less than I hate “The Hills”. I think I may hate it less, but not by much. Whitney is Whitney. We knew what we were getting with her. Nothing too exciting. But these other people they “casted” (yes, all of them were purposely placed on this show and none of them were previously friends with Whitney) are a rather interesting clan. Let’s break it down:
Jay: Never have and never will understand women’s fascination with the underweight, long haired rocker guy. Then again, it’s not like Whitney had a choice since Jay’s an actor and he was placed on the show to be her boyfriend. Whatever. I find nothing appealing about the guy.
Erin: The fact that she even has an interest in her Unabomber-looking boyfriend is just creepy. She’s a cute girl. What is she doing with a guy who looks like he lives on the subway? Immediately I question her sanity.
Adam: Oh this guy is a real winner. Could he be any more retarded if he tried? I don’t even know where to start with this guy. Only problem is, the show is so scripted, I don’t even think any of his actions are real. I mean, when your girlfriend is out of town, and you hook up with a girl knowing that cameras are following you around, then when she confronts you on it you deny it, I mean, the degree of stupidity there is mind boggling.
Allie: I know she models in NY, but not for a second to I find her the least bit attractive. Kelly Cutrone was right for dogging on her weight. And frankly, I don’t have any sympathy for a chick who continually goes back to a doucebag of a cheating boyfriend. She gets what she deserves.
Olivia: My favorite character on the show even though she’s basically not done much all season. Totally not someone I would ever associate myself with because she’s such a name dropper and elitist, but man I’d like to do dirty things with her. And then never call her again.
-I’m glad that Monday is the finale since I don’t have much else to say about the show. Oh hey look, it’s been renewed for a season 2! Gee, I wonder if Jay will actually leave Whitney and they’ll break up for good? Uhhh, I’m guessing no. Only a couple weeks til LC’s last season on the “Hills” starts up. Can’t wait. It’s amazing to think that she started this whole mess.
Wow. That might’ve been the longest “Reality Roundup” column ever. Granted, transcribing Megan’s interview added to the length, but still. I hope this column gets you through your Friday. More and more exciting things coming your way on RealitySteve.com. You don’t want to miss it. Any questions, comments, emails, criticisms, praises, email me at steve@realitysteve.com. See you next week. Take care.
Another of Probsts famous lines: “I’ll go tally the votes.” Every episode!!!
Hey Steve, do you really want to know what there is to do in prison? Why not try scoring an interview with Martha Stewart and ask her how many orgies she participated in when she was in the pokey. By the way, it sounds very strange saying orgy, pokey and Martha Stewart in the same sentence. The thought of Martha getting “poked” by her cellmates is very disturbing.
Great reviews Steve. The only show you reviewed that I don’t watch is The City. I’m in agreement that a big part of DWTS opening night success, particularly because the was an even bigger viewer surge during the last 30 minutes. Melissa did great & even though she’s had dance experience, I do think it was impressive given the amount of time for practice. She doesn’t have Ballroom dance training. Tony choreographed a great routine for her. I’m a Matt fan on Idol. Love his bluesy style & he has such an unusual style. On the Apprentice, I think Anna (the poker player) has a good shot at it if she can manage to hone her people skills. It seems like Donald is intrigued with her & her A type personality. Hated the way Melissa Rivers took credit for an idea not hers & I don’t think that fack was lost on the Donald! Thanks for your columns Steve & I’m patiently awaiting a RS Visor. Summer is coming!
Yup… only reason I watched DWTS is because of Melissa. I’d never watched the show before last Monday, hah.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. There are women who look good regardless of if they have make up on or not. Cheryl Burke is not one of those women. Extremely attractive with make up, and hideous without it. Hey, at least she dropped a few lbs this season. And really Cheryl? Had to blame the weight gain last year on birth control pills? Really? Had nothing to do with your love of food? C’mon. We’re smarter than that.â€
OMG Steve…really??? That’s kind of cruel!!! I LOVE Cheryl and think that she looks fantastic with or without makeup. Can she stand a hair do change? Yes, but OMG…so cruel…
“Maxsim and Karina are now engaged. How cute. I’m sure that’ll last. Karina was broken up with Mario Lopez for six months and now she’s hitched to Maxsim? Look, I know they’ve known each other for fifteen years, and I’m sure they’ve been having sex for quite some time like almost all the dancers on this show do, but really? An engagement? Max, c’mon. Seems to me you can have your pick of any woman out there. AC Slaters sloppy seconds?â€
Did you drink your “Hater-Aid†this morning? JEEEEZZZZ
All in all great column…LMAO…but leave Cheryl alone
Yep… I can’t see anyone on that list that might have had a second chance at actually winning AI if they had been saved so I can’t really see the point of the veto thing. But you are probably right that it will be used to save Danny because people are already sick of him because they’ve way overpimped him and they know it’s going to be hard to get him to the finals without it. Or they might need it to push a woman into the top 3 since the women have a harder time getting votes. Quite frankly I think they’ve been doing whatever they please all along so that’s why I don’t see the point of the veto vote other than to cause more drama and to force another 2 person elimination later on to keep the show on schedule.
They kept saying “family show” but did you SEE Karina’s see thru costume…WOW!
The pro-females are amazing women, including Cheryl. Steve, she’s not fat, she’s the only one on there that could be remotely considered normal-looking and I’m willing to bet she’s skinnier than most women, as the t.v. adds what, 10-15 lbs? She’s probably a size 4 or 6, and the avg woman is a 12-or even 14.
As for KC, she’s always struggled with her weight, tends to yo-yo. She obviously enjoys the food or perhaps she takes lots of prednisone for her vocal cords. Whatever the case, she’s amazingly talented and she’s an “average” size for a U.S. female. I don’t think it’s right to slam her for it.
Whoever said all performers have to be 90210 thin?
I thought I was a reality junkie, but you have me WAY beat!
Thanks for the Megan interview wrap up, I always thought she was
gorgeous. Too bad for the horrible edit.
Agree with your comments on Cheryl B. and Kelly C.. You tell it
like it is Steve…..kudos!
The Megan interview was interesting…gave me a slightly different perspective of her. Although I still don’t particularly like her. Seemed to me like she always thought a little too highly of herself. And while that very well could have been the editing on The Bachelor I saw glimpses of that in your interview. However, I did like all the nice things she said about the other girls. And it doesn’t surprise me the stuff about Molly but Molly always seemed so fake and everything she did seemed carefully planned out.
Pretty much the only reason I watched DWTS is b/c Melissa is on there. I agree, they need to quit talking about how she only had 48 hours to practice b/c obviously with a dance background she has a huge advantage. BTW – did anyone read where Jason said Melissa will win DWTS? Personally, I really wish he would quit talking about her! Seriously. He is obviously so insecure b/c he’s still talking about it, trying to tell “his side of the story”. I think he really underestimated how much people would despise him for doing what he did.
And don’t be hating on Kelly Clarkson! Or Paula. Kara sucks and no one will ever convince me otherwise!
I’m repeating what someone else said on a previous column’s post, but……I’d bet money the Idol judges will use their ’save’ (they only get one) on Megan. They seem to LOVE her, calling her relevant, loving her quirkiness, etc. etc. There’s a site called dial idol.com (remove space) that measures the busy signals. Go there and click ‘predictions’. So far, over the years, they’ve been 97% accurate predicting who will be voted off. Adam and Danny are always at the top of the heap, but Megan has been near the bottom. The judges do not want her voted off. Check it dial idol this week — they had Jorge, Allison, and Jasmine at the bottom of the list (in danger of being voted off); they had Danny, Adam, Lil, and Alexis at the top. You can see their predictions on voting night. Warning – If you don’t like spoilers, don’t go there before the results show!
I agree about Coach, he’s an arrogant a** and did an interview where he believes now he’ll get lots of acting jobs and publicity and people will be ringing his phone off the hook.
He kind of reminds me of Steven Segal, minus the good looks and muscles, okay then it’s just the hair…
Thanks for the roundup Steve.
As I understand the Power of Veto on AI (yeah I’m using a BB term, but it fits!). Anyway. They have to use the veto by the top 5 or they cannot use it at all. I think top 5 is too early to cut it off. I would say top 3. Typically there is someone dropped too early – Daughtry I’m talking about you – but he went out in 4th place. He would have not been saved by the POV.
I think they will use the veto, I can’t see Simon wanting to just let it go to waste, but whoever they save won’t be that big of a deal to begin with.
I’m liking the Survivor “cross tribe” alliance. (we need a better name for it though). Once they merge it will be useful. However, the 4 seem to be forgetting they have to get to the merge first. It is becoming too obvious to the other survivors that something is going on.
Though sending Taj to Exhile Island all the time isn’t the smartest thing. But it makes me wonder – last nights show the person who said Taj’s name first to Exhile Island – Coach. And he’s not on the cross tribe alliance. Or is he? And we don’t know it either. Hmmmm…..
Sally, good point…..they used Chris Daughtry as the prime example of someone being voted off too quickly, but because he was in 4th place, their veto wouldn’t have helped him.
Stevie… how in the hell do you have time for anything else from watching ALL these shows!?!? Geez!
#3…You probably are over the age of 20 i’m guessing? Reasoning behind you NOT watching “The City”…
Seriously Stevie… Can can we BE any more Shallow? Cheryl is a FANTASTIC dancer…Period! Does it REALLY matter what she looks like!? Not EVERYONE can look like Julianne, Carrie, or Edyta.
And…uhhh… What KIND of “dirty things” would you do to Olivia…? Please expand on that for us… =)
I enjoy Jeff’s blogs on EW much better than Chris’s. Jeff’s blog is what got me watching Survivor again this season after years away. Chris needs to read Jeff’s blog and learn how to give some insight without revealing anything.
Re: Kara as 4th judge on American Idol. I do not dislike her—I actually think she has a lot to add. My only problem with the addition of a 4th judge is the amount of time that is now consumed after each singer—listening to each judge. Kara (while very constructive) tends to ramble on the most. IMO–if they would alternate omitting one judge per singer and having only three evaulate for each one—the time wouldn’t seem to drag as much.
Wow, Steve, catty much? It’s people with your attitude that make young girls think they’re worthless if they wear anything more than a size 0. Cheryl is a lovely girl, with or without makeup, with or without the extra lbs. And Max is a complete douchebag, it makes me want to puke just looking at him, he is SO arrogant and self-absorbed, I doubt any woman would be good enough for him longterm, he is in love with himself. Karina can do much better than him, not the other way around.
And as for KC, obviously she put on some weight, big deal! Are you always this nasty? I just found this site during the last TB, so maybe this is normal, but I think it’s just hateful.
Steve, love your site! Found it during the Bachelor mess. Great Reality Roundup. Have you ever reviewed The Amazing Race? By far, my favorite competition reality show on television. This TAR season is shaping up to be a strong one. Take a look and let us know.
Great job Steve. I love your column!!!
Steve – I wish I could email you this, but hopefully you read your comments.
Those other reality shows are *no better* than Love Bus or Bachelor. I think they might be worse because in order to get the tear-jerker effect necessary for EM: Home Edition or TBL, they REALLY have to make sure they have the right material and pizazz to make it good. You might be interested in a woman named Kai who was on TBL a few seasons ago (from Alaska) who has made it her personal mission to expose the cruelty and manipulation behind that show. Check her out. Her blog can be found at http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendId=127168868
Here are some of the interesting bits:
1. What you guys were actually consuming in calories per day there at the ranch?
It actually varied anywhere from 1100 a day (which was BAD, too tired to work out and NO weight loss at this level) to 1800 a day. Unlike the people that went home our diet was dictated strictly by our trainer not a nutritionist. While I think that Kim Lyons is a nice person who knows how to work out I have no idea what her nutrition background is and to be honest I ate mostly based on what I had been taught in another program that had worked for me in the past, but that I had failed to adhere to. It was called “The Sensible Weigh” and it is the program that is offered on military bases to those who are active duty and overweight and to dependents if they want it. It actually taught me a lot, but to be honest I eat better now that I have left the ranch.
2. I’m curious on just how much did you all dehydrate yourselves before the BIG WEIGH IN?
I dehydrated off 19 pounds in the last two weeks before the BIG weigh in. I stopped working out, I stopped eating solid food after eating only protein and asparagus (a diuretic) then I had two colonics and spent the night before the weigh in in and out of a sauna.
3. Like what was a typical week like?
I hope to answer this one more clearly when I get the book finished, but let me say this a typical week on the ranch involved more down time than people realize. By “down time” I meant time not spent officially working out, production of challenges and interviews can take HOURS and people don’t realize that.
4. What was diet like the day before and of the weigh in?
Again, I go into more detail in the book about this, but there really was no “diet” the day of the weigh in, we weigh in as dehydrated as possible on empty stomachs after 2 hour workouts in the morning.
5. It seems so crazy to have those big numbers, and I wonder after being severely dehydrated/ and possibly starved for 3 whole months there at the ranch, it’s a wonder that your bodies actually gave up that weight?
This might be why so many of us GAIN it back. I don’t know, I just know that it wasn’t healthy, but the flip side of that is neither was being 5 foot 5 and 262 pounds, everything is a trade off I guess.
6. Like when you went home and actually drank some water you must’ve gained like 10lbs back in a day?
I actually put on about 31 pounds in two weeks. After my body had a chance to stabilize I spent all last year hovering between 159 and 175, I fight everyday to find some stability. I have actually found a place that helps me with that.
7. Is the book you are writing, about the show?
I am writing about everything that happened to me from Jan 2006 when I made my audition video until Jan 2008 when I became “freed” from my contract. I hope people find it interesting, believe it or not I really AM getting tired of talking about myself J
8. How hard was it to get casted on TBL?
I don’t know exactly how hard it was because, I was casted. I guess people who were not casted would tell you that it was hard. I heard that something like 200,000 people auditioned and they took 50, so looking at it like that, it was hard. Psychologically it is a HUGE mindfuck too.
9. Is there something they are looking for specifically?
Yes, I can’t be certain because I am not in casting, but my gut tells me yes. They are looking for people who will be more attractive thin, people who create drama, people who can be made into characters that America will either love or hate- stereotypes. They CREATE you. I am Kai the real person with depth and a life like everyone else. Kai, the girl who really doesn’t like to drink that much, the girl who loves school, has had a boyfriend since she was 15, is in love with a man who broke her heart and lost her baby this year. At the same time to a huge chunk of America, I am “Kai” the overweight party girl fat friend who is a mean competitive bitch and got what was coming to her when she was beaten by the loveable Erik from New York. I am both of these things, but TBL controls which pieces of me you see. THEY CREATE YOU.
10. If you have the chance to go back knowing what you know now would you do TBL?
No, and I would stop anyone I love from doing it. But this is just MY experience, I cannot vouch for anyone else who has been on that show before or after me, maybe their “ranch” was completely different.
11. Waterloading and retaining water for gameplay: A lot of the contestants this season have blogged about how they are taught to “retain water” to control a weigh in (get bigger numbers the following week if they can afford to hold back). There was one scandalous episode where Neil (blue team) waterloaded 17 pounds and it came out there was a plot by blue and red teams to do this to force the black team (they were in trios that week, Neil (blue) had two black team members with him, so when his +17 pounds put them under the yellow line, the red/blue team voted off a black team member. Quel scandal!) Anyhow, the trainers acted very, very shocked that this went on – is that accurate?
NO. The trainers have a stake in what team wins or lose just as much as the contestants do, don’t forget that!
12. Dehydration, weigh-ins and the finale. I know you wrote about how you did the sauna, colonics, etc to make sure you were down as far as you could for the finale and that other contestants did it too. Julie or Isabeau from this season even blogged that they were dehydrated at the finale, although they didn’t mention methods. Do you think there is anything the show could or should do to prevent this?
Yes, they could do a few things, like weigh us all in and tells us that it is over and then weigh us in 4 days later to get a more accurate real weight, but that would mean lying to us and the hate to do that…oh wait…no they don’t……They could also test for hydration levels and actually disqualify people and they could forbid the dehydrating the teams do EVERY WEEK before EVERY weigh-in….but seriously, why would they? They WANT the dramatic results that dehydrating gives, they want America to be amazed that’s how they hook you in and make the money. Come on, I am a fat girl, I get it, we are all looking for that help, that magic and TBL looks like magic when people are losing 20 friggin pounds in a week, why would they change that? They won’t until someone gets really sick.
13. What was the nutritional part of your BL experience like, as in how much time was spent with you each week discussing food, nutrition, calories etc?
The show did have an excellent nutritionist associated with it- Cheryl, ask Matt from Maine about her. The people that got sent home had the benefit of her expertise and there was one day at the ranch off camera that she was allowed to speak to us and give us a tour of the grocery store. Unfortunately, I think production had something to do with this, when we asked what we could eat etc. it seemed that all she was allowed to tell us was to “ask our trainer.” Again as far as I know Kim nor Bob are nutritionists so we did the best we could. I really think Kim had us eat what she usually eats, but what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another, especially when the one person is a fitness competitor and the other one is 118 pound overweight.
14. What was it about BL that you felt did not give you a realistic body image?
I think America in general gives women an unrealistic body image. I think the show did it by putting pressure on me to get to 120 pounds to win. I found out later from the Dr. that I was 122 pounds of LEAN body mass, so without doing some additional major damage to my body, like eating away at muscle tissue, I couldn’t win. 120 pounds is NOT a realistic goal for my body.
15. Also, the show has stated there is a psychologist available to the contestants during their stay – does that not really happen?
The PsyD. (that is a psychologist without the academic focus) that spoke to me saw me three time, the first was to interview and test me to make sure that I wasn’t gonna crack through all of this and go insane (as far as I know everybody got this meeting), then once again to check on us only because Ken from Washington told production we needed him and then finally on the last day of shooting. Pam told me later that she was “debriefed” for about an hour by him to make sure she was okay after everything, Heather, Wylie, Erik and I got this “Hey guys you still have filming to do so I don’t have time to talk with you, but you know where to reach me, bye.” I still wonder where I can reach that guy?!?!?! They do NOT check on you at home at all psychologically or physically for that matter, except to film you.
16. Besides the BL “week” not being a real week, what is one of the biggest misconceptions you think people have that you would like to clear up?
That I am rich now that I appeared on TBL. I am certainly not scoffing at 50,000.00 and I know that I am blessed, but look at it this way I basically worked for that show from April of 2006 until December of 2006 and I signed a contract saying if they wanted me to do something I HAD to do it- photoshoot, press stuff etc. which meant holding down a real job was hard, as a matter of fact some people lost their jobs from participating. Therefore, for almost a year of work, I got paid 50,000.00, BEFORE taxes, that sounds great, but I live in AK. In AK you have to make 38,000.00 just to afford low income housing so salaries are higher here. Now think about the people that worked just as hard as I did, maybe lost their jobs and didn’t win any prize money?!?!? Yeah, they got screwed. I only say that because TBL doesn’t have to be that cheap, with all the money they are making from this show they could afford to pay people a decent salary, treat them like humans and STILL make a fortune. Just as an example, how many commercials do you see in that show? Feel like buying any Jenny-O turkey, eating at Subway, drinking a glass of milk, maybe some Penta water, or taking a One-A-Day? Yeah, they are paid for every product they make us eat or drink for the camera. Also none of us see a dime of money from the sales for the cookbook we are in, the workout DVD, The calorie counter, the Jello ad we filmed, our “participation” in TBL diet club etc. Just as a rough example, I heard that the TBL diet club has 40,000 members at around 15 dollars a month, that’s 600,000.00 a month they are making just from that, would it have killed them to pay the participants a salary? This is why their is a screen actors guild that protects actors from being ripped off and don’t be fooled people we ARE actors on that show. Again, I am one of the lucky ones, I won some money but what about people who didn’t?
17. Do you know if Jillian has a myspace page?
I think so but I don’t know where it is
18. Since the season ran so long and you weren’t able to work, did they at least compensate you guys so you could pay your bills?
See the above answer. Though we were paid a “stipend” while we are the ranch (about 400.00 a week), they called it “award money” I guess for tax purposes. We had to fight to get it though, they had not paid us for something like three weeks when Brian actually brought us all together and we fought for our money, people had bills and mortgages to pay and they kept telling us there were “problems with accounting.”
19. Did ya’ll (Yes, I’m from TX) do 6 hrs of cardio a day?
Some days at the Ranch, yes we did. Not everyday though and to be honest I did more when I went home.
20. What was the biggest adjustment when you got home?
Not being able to see what my competition was doing.
21. What is a typical food day for you?
I am going to assume that this means now and I will answer that in a separate blog when I tell everyone what it is I am doing now to stay healthy- it involves my gym here in AK that I LOVE, BODY RENEW!!!
22. Also, are you restricted to a certain amount of hours that you can work out while at the Ranch?
No, but there really is not as much time as people think, we have all this other stuff that we have to do too so we are constantly busy.
23. How is Heather doing?
Heather is doing AMAZING. I am supposed to be going on vacation with her and Pammy in February!!!!
11:35 PM
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Friday, December 21, 2007
Answers to the best of my ability!!
Hey guys!! These are answers to all of the questions that I have received so far, keep them coming and I will do my bset to answer them. Understand that soem stuff will be answered when I manage to get my book out though!!! Take care and Happy Holidays!!
xoxo
Me
1. Did you watch any of this season, and if so, what did you think of it?
I hate to disappoint people, but I don’t watch TV. I did hear some things about this season, and I know that not everybody had an experience like I did and I do believe that nothing is impossible, but I want to say a couple of things.
First of all, my mother called me this morning to tell me that she read the article in Prevention about Kae and the other girls this season on TBL. Iin the article it talks about Kae’s 20 pound weight loss in one week. Ok anything is possible, but as a girl who has been there and done that whole ranch thing let me say this- if it DID happen it sure as hell was not done in a healthy way. Secondly, I know that I lost 12 pounds in “one week” on that show, know that “one week” in particular looked like one week on TV was NOT one week in reality and I think that continually pushing this “one week” myth on the reading and viewing public is DANGEROUS and DISCOURAGING.
2. Did you think that there was any poetic justice in Kim being shown more as self-serving and just sort of detached from her team?
I hear that Kim Lyons was portrayed horribly this season, let me just say that I think that is pretty shitty on the part of 3 Ball. Here is my opinion of Kim- Kim does not translate well to TV, she appears uncaring when in all honestly I think she is just a little socially awkward especially with people who are not motivated in the same way that she is. The fact she did not understand who I was or what motivated when she first started to train me did not make her a bad trainer, just a person who is bad at reading people. From what I hear about the finale, they asked some girl who defected from her team how she felt about the decision and then allowed this contestant to snub Kim on national TV. That was uncalled for on the part of the producers, everybody knew that the girl was glad that she left the Red Team, why kick Kim while she was down by scripting that question? I will tell you why- it makes for good TV. Again, Kim and I had our moments and I am the type of person that anyone who knows me knows exactly where he or she stands with me and I am brutally honest, but this just seemed cruel and unnecessary to have Alison Sweeney ask that question.
3. What about what she did to Amy?
I do not know who Amy is, sorry.
4. How was your weight journey this year?
My weight journey this year was a prize fight my friends! Because TBL does not address the emotional issues that are tied to obesity and weight loss and as a matter of fact exploits them for good TV, I continued to react to how I felt either through eating or not eating. I am still struggling with learning how to feel my emotions and not feed them. My weight went anywhere from 175 (right after the finale in January of 2007) to 151 (when I lost my baby and almost my marriage in April of 2007). I am lucky enough that I found a gym here in anchorage that has put me on a program that has allowed me to stabilize and set realistic goals. I am currently 163 and working on losing more body fat and gaining muscle in the New Year. More importantly I am trying to figure out what a healthy body image is and maintain that!!! I believe that weight loss is physical and psychological and if I intend to maintain I better get my head on straight. Just FYI The Biggest Loser is NOT the way to do that.
5. Are you still doing your 45 min runs in the morning and strength training at night?
I was doing 45 mins of cardio in the morning and strength training at night. Recently with my new program and because I am out of school right now, not to mention my desire to look rockin on New Years Eve
I am doing two hours of cardio a day 6 days a week in addition to training with my trainer three days a week, I am tired this week hahahaha!
6. What did you think about Jillian’s return?
I think that Kim’s days are numbered on TBL and that they used her as leverage to get Jillian back. I also hear, I do not know I have never met her, from Pam that Jillian is a kick ass trainer who knows her shit and not only does she tell you what you are going to do- but WHY you are doing it, and it is nice to hear that she treats the fat people like they have a brain, unlike how I feel we were treated by production.
7. How, after so long, do you keep up the momentum?
Honestly, I am fueled by my anger. TBL pisses me off because they gave us a lot of pressure and unhealthy ways to lose weight and then offer NO support when they are done exploiting us. I would be less angry if I have been given the exercise and nutrition information that they keep telling people that they gave those of us on the ranch. This is why I tell people if they want info on diet/exercise ask Poppi or Matt from Maine, those guys had a nutritionist and doctor do their program, believe it or not guys, those of us on the ranch for my season did NOT. Also, there are people out there that talk mad shit and have no idea what I went through, these same people are the ones that sent messages on the NBC forum saying they couldn’t wait until I got fat again, so my big FUCK YOU to them is to live a healthy life. Success is the best revenge my friends
Also I have a little sister that kicks ass. She puts me to shame everyday J That girl went from 225 pounds to 140 pounds this past year, yeah that’s right my little sister went from a size 22 to a size 6!!! She did it by being healthy and she took her time so that the weight will stay off, she is amazing, I will post some pics of her!!! SHE motivates ME!!!
8. Have you ever encountered anything like losing momentum?
I lose momentum all the time. I am going to school for my Masters in Social Work right now, that means 16 credits a semester and a 240 hour practicum, this past semester Mon, Tue and Wed were 16 hour days for me, I was tired, cranky and did NOT want to work out. What I would do was tell myself that I only had to do one mile or just ten minutes and I would find that once I did that little bit I felt like doing more. I also gave myself permission to NOT work out if I was tired, I have had to teach myself that it is a marathon for the rest of my life now, not a sprint to win a competition.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get back on track?
Yes, do not beat yourself up for getting off track and start right away, none of this “First thing tomorrow I will..” bullshit, get up and go for a walk now even if you just put away an entire pizza and bag of cookies J
9. What exactly do you do to stay healthy and have such a beautiful body?
First of all, thanks for the compliment, I do not feel so fond of my body most days so this was nice!! This is a really long answer and I will write an entire blog on what I do and have it posted for you guys on January 2, 2008.
10. Can you fill me in on some of the things you do to maintain everything?
I can tell you that diet is 85% of it and most people do not realize or believe that, again I will elaborate in January!
11. What are you going to school for?
Getting my Masters in Social Work so that I can become liscensed to do therapy and after that I will eventually get my PhD. in psychology, and then there is still law school!! J
12. The best way to start?
Is SMALL. Little changes to your diet and the amount of exercise you get make a huge difference and will last longer!!
12. Can you recommend thigh and arm exercises that are your favorite ones?
First I want to point out that it is impossible to spot lose fat, so if you are looking for exercises that will make fat in certain areas of your body go away they do not exist. What you can do however, is tone up those parts of your body so that they will look more shapely and tight. My favorite arm exercises is anything to do with my triceps, mostly because I am strong there and my biceps suck J What I really like is pushups on a fitball For my legs I really love (and by love I mean hate how they feel but love what they do) squats and lunges. These are even harder if you carry hand weights while doing walking lunges or place a bar with weights on it across you shoulders while doing squats. I AM NOT A PERSONAL TRAINER (yet) MAKE SURE SOMEONE TELLS/SHOWS YOU THE PROPER WAY TO DO THESE WHILE WATCHING YOUR FORM!!!! ALSO ASK YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE DOING ANY OF THESE!
ANOTHER GREAT READ RS! Aren’t you the lucky blogger that I’m too time crunched to add a whole bunch today. EXCEPT: Re: American Idol, I never in my life thought a song “My Life Would Suck Without You” could be so well arranged and orchestrated and Kelly Clarkson’s powerhouse vocal and vocal ranges far outweighed her heavier looking frame. Talent overcame looks on that performance for me!!!! AND I’m not much into what gender who loves what with, but unless you know KC in reality does ‘love women’ for an absolute fact, it is unfair of you to insinuate it! Just my sometimes not so humble opinion, that would put you into the same tabloid scum category….like the National Enquirer only not as rich as them!
Great round up Steve!!! I’m glad you broke down the different types of reality shows.I agree steve about there never being a celebrity survivor.They are too spoiled. Does anyone out there remember the reality show “I’m a Celebrity get Me Out Of Here!!” It aired about seven years ago. The celebrities were trying to survive in the wild.It was a cheap version of survivor. Some of the stars were Bruce Jenner, Tyson beckford. Melissa rivers, Chris Judd. The celebrities could not handle the elements so they went to the producers to change their accomodations.The only cool thing about it was that it was a LIVE broadcast for two weeks straight during the summer.
#22 – kayefun…great post and agree 100%.
And Steve’s reality roundup was great. lmao
Love the column! And I seriously love your take on the Survivor haters. I’ve been watching since Season 1, have never missed an episode, and think it’s better drama than (almost) anything scripted on TV. I love that you can predict down to the day when people start getting paranoid, start going nutty, start having emotional breakdowns and yet still find a way to get through it by trusting someone that will inevitably stab them in the back in order to get their own grubby hands on the money. It’s awesome tv and I’d love to hear about a psych class somewhere that uses it as teaching material. Way better than the prison experiment.
As for the exile island alliance, I would add that I think their take on it is that they’ll be a little protected from a blindside since they have 2 folks from each former camp once they merge, assuming that no one figures out their allegiances to one another. So, if Taj were about to blindsided, at least Brendan or Sierra would get the heads up, as their former tribemates would expect to need their votes. I do think it has potential to be good.
The only other thing I have to comment on is The City. I hate Olivia with a passion, because she’s a snarky bitch, but the show would be nothing without her. Love the edit they’re giving her and if I ever see her on the street, I won’t hesitate to yell out, “I pulled that look!” as she passes me by. She’s out of control.
My cousin and his friends work in tv production . The Hills and the City are scripted….heavily produced.This is not reality tv!!! Buyer beware!!!
Survivor: I have a hard time watching the coach, and I think he is way too full of himself. I haven’t seen him contribute much either. I hope he leaves soon.
Celebrity Apprentice: Scott Hamilton deserved to go home, for sure. And I think he & Clint really had it out for Tom, not letting him be heard. It’s no wonder that he kept butting in, they ignored him from the beginning, and he had some really great ideas. There must have been something going on behind the scenes for them to treat him that way.
Dancing: The filed is so split. There are contenders and there are space fillers. It’s a weird season. But I am so happy to watch Melissa!
Idol: Go Danny! I love him. Adam is way too dramatic, his drama experience shows, and not in a good way. He would be better if he pulled back a bit.
Love the posts, RS.
As a role model for teens who watch and buy most of the Idol music, Danny is just a better role model than Adam. The “Glam Rock” is not what most parents prefer their kids (especially their boys) to imitate..jmo Danny is the ‘all around’ American guy who had his young wife die so soon after they married and people just look up to Danny.
Enjoyed your column RS. I love Cheryl Burke! My opionion she looks great and dances great. I really hope Melissa goes far. DWTS and Amazing Race are definately my favorites. Don’t watch much on MTV, liked them back in the beginning, you know the 80’s. When they actually played videos and it was new. You know Martha Quinn and the other curly headed dude. The only Real World I watched was the first one, I think, the New York one. I liked that one. I do enjoy your column, and agree that there is a difference in what defines “reality” t.v. In the competition reality t.v. I will be pulling for Melissa, Danny Gokey, I actually like Brendon (?) from Survivor, and haven’t decided on who for Amazing Race yet. Thanks for the time you put into your column and the rest of Megan’s interview.
Good information and opinions but you really REALLY need an editor. No way can anyone wade through all the verbiage. You should limit your psosts to a manageble legnth, and if needed, increase the volume in shorter bursts.
You should catch up on Real World Brooklyn. There are some interesting participants this season – including the first transgender woman in reality TV. I especially like the Iraqi war veteran who is a talented singer and songwriter. You would probably like Baya, the dancer. There is also a Mormon virgin who wants to be an MTV reporter. Ha.
I like your columns. I’m pulling for Danny or Lil on Idol. Adam has an amazing voice, but is too Goth for me. And, on DWTS, it’s shower guy all the way!! I’d like to see Melissa get to the finals, but hope they quit representing her as the jilted Bachelor girl.
Peg… Steve is not missing much of the real world Brooklyn. It is really boring this year.!!! I mean , common’ they are in New York. Wow, Hollywood was better.
Well well well Steve. I as well am a fairly new reader to your blog, jumped on board during this season’s bachelor trainwreck. I totally enjoyed your thoughts/insight/spoilers to the big bachelor finish and everything else in between. This reality roundup was pretty good, I totally agreed with your thoughts on the celeb apprectice especially. However…I wasn’t at all impressed with your harshness toward some of the females on these shows. You basically referred to Cheryl Burke as ugly and fat, and to Kelly Clarkson as a fat lesbian. Totally offensive to females everywhere. And you folks in the good ol’ USA wonder why teenage girls have such image issues and eating disorders!
Suez – I think most people have know that The Hills and The City are heavily scripted since the days of Laguna Beach.
OH Steve, love the commentary. Can we drop the whole batchelor crap for the rest of the month now?
Two comments…..lolololololol about Jewel’s snagletooth…..I have thought that for years!
And oh poor Maks picking that ugly Katarina…..ugh…..when he could have ANYBODY!!!!!!!
love ya steve, keep it up…..and I agree, how about some Amazing Race coverage.
Steve, I totally agree about Paula, I actually find it funny this year that for the first time she is actually saying something other than her typical blah blah positive spin. I mean sure it was nice for her to take into account the feelings of the real life contestants standing on the stage, but who’s opinion do we all wait to hear….brutally honest Simon. The new girl is good, I think if she had been there from the start they wouldn’t have gone searching for a 4th judge. You can totally tell Paula (even though will never admit it, maybe not even to herself) but I’m sure she was totally hurt to hear there was going to be a new girl in town, and that’s reflected in her new found “opinions ” this year.
i so get what you are saying about olivia, if we could just look at her, her to say snarky things about the ones we dislike, use her and then be done-well life would be good. about AI-cannot stand gokey-when he did the pelvic thrusts in the group number, I actually had some sympathy for his wife. my bad!
teegoogles…Steve and others who have commented on the City or the Hills still give these heavily scripted shows the time of day.Come on, I know and many out there know they are not true reality shows. Believe me there are alot of people out there that are still fooled.
#30- I would check your own posts before bashing Steve’s.
Hang on there, R.Steve. You can’t be rehabilitating Megan’s image and being so protective of her and Melissa on the one hand, and then bag on most the other women you talk about today for their weight, looks without makeup, etc. I know you’re a guy, but the Jekyll & Hyde thing doesn’t fit you. We girls get bombarded every day with unreal, airbrushed women abd then we have to take it from the guys we love too? Even you, who I might add are a bit on the doughy, rededing hairline side? Say it aint’ so. I like the sweet, “I care about the girls being mistreated” guy and I want him back. Doesn’t mean you can’t make your usual, very funny lesbian fantasy orgy jokes and comments about personality, but catty just ain’t right for you, Dude!
To #24 GeorgiaPeach43 – Thank you, I enjoy reading your posts and appreciate your kind words to me, and for the very most part being a ‘newbie’ myself, I really enjoy reading Reality Steve, however I don’t want RS to lower his standards with insinuative commentary after all the work he has done to establish his cred and sources. I wasn’t too happy or fond of that particular KC comment that was thrown in there! I will keep reading and leave it up to RS not to step off his pedastel!
I agree, Kayfun #41. I didn’t appreciate the remarks about Kelly’s weight. I have 3 granddaughters 11 down to 6 and that’s the problem with people wanting girls to be size 2 all the time..it leds to eating disorders. Just exercise and eat what you want. My granddaughters are in Gynastics, Cheerleading, Girl Scouts and Ballet and stay slim.
Kelly has never been thin…she had weight control issues on AI when she won. I think she’s done a great job with all the stress of success, and it is crass to comments on someone’s weght like that. Hey, Steve, you are not exactly “twiggy’ in your videos…lol
Gilles and Cheryl are the best, followed by Lil Kim and Derrick. It’s much tougher for a man to win, as he must lead.
I TRULY believe that the hight rating for DWTS is because of you Steve. Here in Gatineau, Quebec – Canada, little French community.. they were talking about DWTS.. and stating.. that they had the highest ratings… ah ah..they NEVER TALK about English shows…lol… still not knowing anything the attributed the ratings to Steve-O… come on……. We know why… .
ABC made the big $$$$ because of you.. so they must honestly LOVE you..lol
Where is your bonus….. that is not fair.. I think…
I wish you the best.. because you are very interesting to read.
Hope you get your own show .. it would be cool.. you would get lots of viewers!!
A+
I would LOVE to see someone who isn’t an ACTUAL dancer win this thing!!!! Gilles… Shawn… Chuck… I thought DWTS was about “C-listers” who CAN’T dance… that have had NO dance background??? Or am i wrong?!?
Anyways…very good show for the most part!!!
I love how they cover up Mel’s tramp stamp… VERY classy!!!
And i LOVED what Bruno said to Shawn… she needs to be more “notey”… Him and Jillian would make a perfect pair!! haha
They have it in the bayg…
to those criticizing Steve for speaking his mind – go back and read his archives. This is what he does. He watches these “reality” shows then tells us what is on his mind – the good, the bad and the ugly. He doesn’t hold back one bit…. and we appreciate that about him.
If you came here because he was a source for the Bachelor spoilers then you need to understand that that particular situation presented itself to him and he went with it – and did an excellent job with it, but now he is back to his regular business here – take it or leave it, but don’t ask him to change it.
Madtom…Put it this way. The first season of DWTS had Joey Macintire (sp) from New Kids on the Block and Trista from the bachelorette.Trista had dance background for being a Miami Heat cheerleader.Ofcourse, Joey had the boy band dance background. The list continues from season to season. So, the show is about having no background experience in BALLROOM dancing.
I agree with you Steve — Melissa, Giles, and Shawn are going to the finals. I just wish people would stop voting for Melissa because they feel sorry for her. Vote for her because she’s good. Also, I’m calling it right now. The AI judges will use their free pass to save Adam when he’s booted off at final 5.
Uhhhhhmmmm NO! Me no Likey!
Come on Steve… Get Real!
I think you might be wrong about Lawrence Taylor, he could be a contender.
And what are you thinking? Lil’ Kim? No way.
And you’re also deluded to think Jewel is one bit attractive. She looks about as good as she sings… terrible. I’m sick of seeing her mug every damn show, too.
Lay off Cheryl. She’s a great dancer.
As for AI:
I beg to differ on Kimberly Caldwell, Constantine Maroulis, Kellie Pickler, Phil Stacey and Brooke White.
And Kelly Clarkson, gay? Possible.
Survivor is the best show on TV because it’s essential base is infallible. Why don’t you cover it here?
I couldn’t agree more with your comments on this foursome alliance. What in the hell makes them think they can maneuver so many other players just 4 of them? Don’t see it.
And I would LOVE to see a Celebrity Survivor… that would be GREAT!!!
Did you ever watch Celebrity Mole?
Re: The dancing background of other past contestants. True Trista was a Miami Heat dancer, however to compare the extensive practicing that the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are put thru does not compare with the Miami Heat dancers. Anyway it does not matter the best and most impressive dancer is Gillis, not even close.