T.W.O: Oscar Predictions

Tonight ABC will air the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, beginning at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT. Last night, I finalized my Oscar predictions for all 24 categories. Below are my predictions, and check out T.W.O.'s Oscars page for a full list of all the nominees.

Source: gaelick.com

T.W.O.'s Oscar Predictions:

Best Picture:
The Social Network

Best Actor:
Colin Firth, The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Best Actress:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Supporting Actress:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Best Animated Film:
Toy Story 3

Best Art Direction:
Alice in Wonderland

Best Cinematography:
True Grit

Best Costume Design:
Alice in Wonderland

Best Director:
David Fincher, The Social Network

Best Documentary:
Inside Job

Best Documentary Short:
Strangers No More

Best Editing:
The Social Network

Best Foreign Language Film:
In a Better World (Denmark)

Best Makeup:
The Wolfman

Best Score:
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Best Song:
"We Belong Together," Toy Story 3

Best Animated Short:
Day & Night

Best Live-Action Short:
Na Wewe

Best Sound Editing:
Inception

Best Sound Mixing:
Inception

Best Visual Effects:
Inception

Best Original Screenplay:
The King's Speech, David Seidler

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin

I decided to do a little research into the Best Picture category and see which of this year's nominated films has the best chance to win. For this research, I looked at the Golden Globe Best Picture (Drama and Musical/Comedy) winners and Oscar Best Picture winners of the last ten years (2001-2010). Exactly half of the Oscar winners also won in the same category for the Golden Globes. The reason why I did this was because I wanted to see if The Social Network had a chance of winning, since it won the Globe last month. Even though momentum at the moment is with The King's Speech, based on recent history, Network has a 50% chance of winning.

Next, I focused exclusively on the Oscar winners; more specifically, I looked at the content and topics of these films; again, this was to see which could come out on top between The Social Network and The King's Speech. The Academy tends to prefer movies along the lines of Speech, which everyone is predicting will win (besides the fact that it also won some important awards recently).

For the most part, I do base my prediction decisions on who has the best chance at winning, though once in a while my personal picks override it. Last year, I chose Avatar over The Hurt Locker for Best Picture, even though it was pretty obvious that the Academy would prefer the Iraq war film over the mega blockbuster.

If I was being smart here, I would obviously choose Speech. However, my personal pick is once again overriding it. It's probably because, of the two, I've only seen Network. If this was a perfect world, the race would be between Network and Toy Story 3 (the two best movies of 2010), but that's not feasible when you look at what the voting members go for. So, while my Best Picture prediction isn't exactly logical, I'm going to be laughing (well, maybe not; I'll probably be in shock) if Network does indeed win. And if Speech wins, as it most likely will, I'll still be fine with the choice.

At last month's Golden Globe Awards, I got 84% of my predictions correct (only missing four), which I'm sure is the best I have ever done at the three major award shows (Emmys, Globes, Oscars); I usually never get above 50%. I hope my luck there will drag over to tonight's awards and be at least above 50%.

Once the winners have been announced, I will be writing up a follow-up entry comparing my predictions to the eventual winners.

American Idol Scorecards - Top 24

For those of you who like to keep track of what songs the contestants sing and how well they perform, I am putting online American Idol Scorecards. I first started using scorecards back in season 4 when the American Idol Magazine began. After the magazine ended, I created my own, in a similar fashion to the ones found in the mag, altering them slightly to fit my preference. Over the years, I have continued to make changes to them to suit what I want to use them for.

I'm not sure how many other people do this as well, but I thought I would put online the scorecards I created for anyone to download, print, and use as they wish:

Idol 10: Top 24 (Boys)

Idol 10: Top 24 (Girls)

The above links take you to Google Docs. I suggest downloading them in their original file so as to make sure the format remains the same (usually by clicking on 'File' and 'Download original'); you will know the formatting is correct if you see the headings (Vocal Ability, Song Choice, etc) on their sides In a vertical fashion.

There is room for you to write in the contestant's names, song titles, comments, and give each performance a rating based on four categories (the point system in the document is what I began using last year; change them as you see fit). At the bottom, you will see space to write in the theme, who you vote for and how much, your predictions, and who ends up either advancing or getting eliminated.

So far, I only have the scorecards up for the Top 24 (next week). Let me know if you want me to continue putting these online and I will.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 - Top 24 Chosen

American Idol 10: Top 24 Chosen
Air Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011 [8-10pm]

Source: mjsbigblog.com

This past Wednesday, the judges began winnowing the field down to the Top 24 semifinalists that will compete for our votes next week. Thursday's episode concluded this process with a two(!) hour show. Did anyone else feel like that was way too long? To Idol's credit, they did make sure to feature every single semifinalist equally instead of brushing over some of the singers who weren't featured as much in previous rounds, but couldn't they still have done that in a shorter period of time? I was getting restless after a while. Oh well...

Wednesday's show ended on a "dramatic" cliffhanger: Jennifer Lopez broke down crying after eliminating Chris Medina. And to bring on the drama even more, Thursday's show began with Ryan Seacrest (on voice over) saying, "Will Jennifer find the strength to go on?" We saw shots of what looked like producers (including EP Nigel Lythgoe) surrounding her. After taking a short break, she was ready to continue on.

Five of the Top 24 (announced Wednesday):

• Naima Adedapo
• Clint Jun Gamboa
• Hayley Reinhart
• Paul McDonald
• Ashthon Jones

The Rest of the Top 24 (announced Thursday):

• Karen Rodriguez
• Robbie Rosen - "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
• Tatynisa Wilson: If that final performance is anything to go by, she won't be around much longer.
• Tim Halperin
• Julie Zorrilla: As she leaves, Lady Gaga's new song, "Born This Way," plays over the shot. I have had that song stuck in my head ever since I first heard it on the Friday before the Grammy's; every time it's out of my head, the next thing I know I'm hearing it play on TV again and again. At least it's a song that I like, right?
• Scotty McCreery: He definitely improved with that final song, but I really haven't heard anything new that we haven't heard from him before. What I mean is, the range of his voice isn't that different from song to song. I don't think he is Top 24 material.
• Jovany Barreto
• Lauren Turner
• Rachael Zevita - Lady Gaga's "Speechless": I could barely recognize that it was that song at first. She says to the judges something along the lines of, "I don't know what you want me to do." That isn't the smartest thing to say. She's basically saying, "Tell me what I should sing and sound like, because I don't know what my music style is." If she doesn't know that already (or if she doesn't figure it out pretty soon), she may be doomed.
• Kendra Chantelle: She sings her audition song, which she shouldn't have done. I have already criticized others during Hollywood Week for relying on their first song, because it doesn't let us or the judges know the range that they have. She's basically trying to take the easy way into the Top 24.
• Jordan Dorsey
• Lauren Alaina - "Unchained Melody": I saw an improvement with this final song. I hope, though, she is able to really head back to the top in upcoming rounds, or else she might go the way of last year's Katie Stevens, who started out as one of the favorites from the auditions then fizzled out.
• Stefano Langone
• Jacob Lusk - "A Song For You": There were some off moments during the song.
• Pia Toscano
• James Durbin - "A Change is Gonna Come": The high notes were certainly an improvement upon Hollywood Week. However, since he already has comparisons to Adam Lambert, why sing a song that Adam did back in season 8 on the show?
• Casey Abrams: I got a very jazz and bluesy vibe from this performance. I'm trying to look forward in the competition and see what could take him to the end, and I don't think the kind of style he featured here will do that for him. But no matter, he did a great job nonetheless.
• Thia Megia - Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up": I found this to be a very refreshing rendition of such an overdone song, because I'm so used to people singing it who have similar voices to Groban.
• Thia and Jessica Cunningham were the final two girls and went into the hangar together to face the judges verdict. Only one would make it in, and Thia rightly got that spot.
• Brett Loewenstern: Jacee Badeaux, Brett and Colton Dixon were not only the final three guys, but the very final contestants to find out their fate. Only one out of the three would make it in. Brett must have miscounted, because he thought there were two spots; fortunately, it went in his favor.
• While I wouldn't have been surprised if the judges went soft and let Jacee in as well, they did the right thing, because he wasn't ready yet; Jacee could very well have been swallowed up in the competition in the live rounds.
• For his final performance, Colton chose a song by Daughtry. Isn't this the second time that he has taken on a Daughtry song?

Why Did You Sing a Kelly Clarkson Song?:

• Jackie Wilson - Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You": I've said this many times before, but if you're going to take on a song by a former Idol alum, you better really bring it. Jackie's version nowhere near matched up to KC's. By the way, she was cut.

Best of the Night (from clips of "Sing for your Life" Round):

• Robbie Rosen
• Casey Abrams

And now, after a little more than a month, we are down to our Top 24! The semifinals are next, and the power shifts from the judges to us: Next Tuesday, the Top 12 guys will perform for our vote (8-9:30pm). Wednesday will be the Top 12 girls (8-9:30pm). And Thursday will be the first live results show of the season (8-10pm - two hours? Really!?). See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 - Vegas & Top 24 Chosen

American Idol 10: Vegas Round & Top 24 Chosen (Pt1)
Air Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 [8-10pm]

Source:
http://ds-this-n-that.blogspot.com/

Earlier this week, Nigel Lythgoe tweeted that they decided to cut the Vegas round down to one hour of the two hour episode, and begin the Top 24 reveal in the second hour. Initially, they had made such a big deal out of this new round where the contestants would go to Vegas and perform songs by a legendary band, but they eventually decided not to focus on it as much? I don't get it.

The remaining 61 contestants (wasn't there 60 before? How did one get added?) learned that they would be traveling to Las Vegas and perform songs (in groups of two or three) by The Beatles. They only had 24 hours to learn the song. I'm trying to figure out why they wanted them to be in duos and trios. They already did a group round back in Hollywood Week; ultimately this is an individual competition, so they should be focusing on that more. Were they trying to make sure there was drama? If so, it didn't really work out (though the same can't be said of one of the vocal coaches).

The Beatles LOVE is the current Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas, and the contestants will be performing their Beatles songs on the stage where the show is performed.

The groups had the chance to prepare with a vocal coach. And there was one in particular that really channeled Simon, but more on the Gordon Ramsay side. She was coaching Thia Megia and Melinda Ademi and yelled at them nonstop.

The saddest part of the night was finding out that many of the singers did not know any Beatles songs. Really? You've got to at least know one. I just find it hard to believe. If you want to last on this show, I hope you know a range of songs. I think back to season 9's Aaron Kelly who only performed really, really well-known songs that have been done to death before because he didn't seem to know any other songs. It reminded me of that, in a way.

The new in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine (along with some of the best music producers in the business) visits the rehearsals and provides comments and advice, even advising Lauren Alaina's group to pick a different song.

Before performing themselves, the contestants were invited to see the Cirque du Soleil show, The Beatles LOVE.

Stefano Langone & James Durbin - "Get Back": James' high notes were a lot better than last week, more in-tune.

Hayley Reinhart, Naima Adedapo, Jacob Lusk - "The Long and Winding Road": Naima was the best of the group. Jacob, on the other hand, sounded like he was gargling underwater for much of the song. But, overall, the three of them had good harmony together.

Tim Halperin, Julie Zorilla - "Something": Definitely a solid group; both were good, but Tim stood out to me as one of the best.

Kendra Chantelle, Paul McDonald - "Blackbird": This was a little strange for me. Paul's voice was a little odd. Definitely unique, but it was way too soft for me to think he has any chance in this competition.

Ashley Sullivan goes shopping for wedding attire. She and her boyfriend head over to the Little White Chapel and get married. My first thought was, she might as well have some happiness before she gets cut. When talking to Ryan Seacrest, she said she chose that chapel because Britney Spears got married there. Um, Ashley? I don't think you want to be comparing yourself to Britney when it comes to marriage.

Melinda Ademi, Thia Megia - "Here Comes the Sun": It was an okay performance; Thia's definitely the better one of the two, but I hope even she improves more, because she has a unique voice that could take her far.

Ashley Sullivan, Sophia Shorai - "We Can Work It Out": Definitely the worst performance of the night. There's no way the judges can keep Ashley in after this.

Scotty McCreary, Lauren Alaina, Denise Jackson - "Hello Goodbye": They were good together, but not individually. Even Lauren seemed a little off during that song.

Casey Abrams, Chris Medina - "Hard Days Night": What was that? It's tricky with Casey, because he can be good during some songs, but not so much during others, so he may be unpredictable in later rounds.

Robbie Rosen, Aaron Sanders, Jordan Dorsey - "Got To Get You Into My Life": One of the few standout groups who were solid together. And as always, Robbie is the standout.

Best of the Night:

• Tim Halperin
• Robbie Rosen
• Naima Adedapo

Once the Top 61 are done, the judges deliberate and begin sending some through to the next round, while cutting others. I really don't know what they see in Scotty McCreary to keep him in yet again, but I predict he won't improve that much and will only show a limited range. And finally, Ashley Sullivan is eliminated! A long time coming.

The first hour concludes, and we begin the second with the opening title sequence again. The announcement of the Top 24 takes place in a hangar, set up in a dramatic fashion. When each contestant faces the judges, we are shown a montage of their journey on the show along with their final "Sing For Your Life" round that took place between Vegas and the Top 24 reveal.

The Top 24 (So Far...):

• Naima Adedapo
• Clint Jun Gamoa  - "Hello"
• Hayley Reinhart
• Paul McDonald: If I'm not mistaken, we've only seen him during this episode, so voters won't really have a whole lot to go off of when choosing who to vote for, so I don't think he'll make it past the semifinals.
• Ashton Jones

Comments on Some of the Eliminated Singers:

• Holly Cavanagh: Jennifer Lopez says she was in the minority among the judges and wanted her to stay in, but Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson were in the majority to cut her. It seemed like she wanted to make sure to get that out there so Holly wouldn't think of her in a negative light.
• Deandre Brackensick: The judges gave him some really encouraging advice to keep in mind for the future.

And Finally, The Meltdown Heard 'Round the World...

Chris Medina is the final singer featured before the episode ends, and the judges end up cutting him (I think they made the right decision). Jennifer started to get emotional when trying to tell him the outcome. And when Chris leaves, she just breaks down in tears and has a meltdown. "I didn't want to tell him no." "I'm worried I didn't tell him in the right way." And finally, "I don't want to do this anymore." Steven and Randy are consoling her, and the episode ends with her not wanting to continue. We're left wondering if she won't be there tonight, and instead Steven and Randy will be the only ones there to reveal the rest of the semifinalists. I'm sure the producers just loved this moment, because they took it and just ran with it, teasing it all throughout the episode. Even if Jennifer leaves to gather herself, I don't think it will be for long; she'll just compose herself and we'll be on with the rest of the outcome.

During the auditions episodes, I was worried at first because Jennifer had a hard time saying no, but pretty soon toughened up. Now after this meltdown, I think she really needs to get it in her head that there will be tough eliminations on this show, and she needs to realize that. Even when we get to the live rounds, a deserving singer may get eliminated (which happens often on this show); she better be prepared.

Tonight, in another two hour episode (8-10pm), the judges finish revealing the Top 24 who will compete for our votes next week. Did we really need three-hours total for this reveal? Anyway, see ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Hollywood Week - Round 3

American Idol 10: Hollywood Week - Round 3
Air Date: Thursday, February 17, 2011 [8-9pm]

Round 3: Individual Performances (with band or a capella)

Source: EW.com

 And now, the final round of Hollywood Week for season 10. After making it through the individual sudden death round, then the drama-filled group performances, the remaining 100 contestants are back to singing by themselves. But this time, they can choose to have the band accompany them (including background singers) or go it alone, a capella. And playing their own instruments is allowed as well, which I think is too early in the season to allow this. When Executive Producer and show-runner Nigel Lythgoe returned to the show this year, he said that last year the singers were hiding behind their instruments, and that he would change some things now that he's back. If he really believes that, then I don't think the singers should have this option until the live shows.

Best of the Night:

• Thia Megia - "What A Wonderful World" (my absolute favorite song of all time!)
• Robbie Rosen - "Gravity"
• Sophia Shorai - "Georgia" (there were many contestants who performed this song, but Sophia outdid them all)

Good and/or Solid Performances:

• Hailey Reinhart - "God Bless the Child"
• Ashton Jones - "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (she's definitely good, but with this song, it's virtually impossible to match up to the Jennifers that made this memorable - Holliday and Hudson)
• Jacob Lusk - "God Bless the Child" (He's good, no doubt about that, but he wasn't as good as the judges made him out to be; there were some obvious off notes)
• Casey Abrams - "Georgia" (played upright bass; this performance definitely stood out, but I wonder if that still would have been the case had he not used an instrument? Just a thought...)
• Lauren Alaina - Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (Really good, but I just wish she wouldn't have repeated her audition song.)

No:

• Clint Jun Gamboa - "Georgia" (It seemed like he was trying to imitate Adam Lambert; very over the top on the runs and falsettos

Lyric-Forgetters:

• Scotty McCreery & Tatynisa Wilson - They both completely forget the words and start making up their own words. This reminds me of a local radio station commercial where the people in the car are listening to a song, singing along and not saying the right lyrics.

Quit:

• Jacqueline Dunford - She falls ill and bows out of the competition. And again, one by one the exes and the couple are departing. I think I need to put on Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." Chelsee Oaks (part of the exes), now the remaining member of the foursome, is distraught over this news. Speaking of whom...

Bad:

• Chelsee Oaks - Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" (I say this all the time, but if you're going to perform a song by an Idol alum, especially one as great as KC, you better bring it. And Chelsee doesn't do the song justice.
• Ashley Sullivan - Michael Buble's "Everything" (She dedicates the song to her boyfriend, then proceeds to fumble and asks to start over. This causes her to continue messing up and ends up ruining the whole performance. How is she still in the running again?)

After everyone performs, the judges deliberate. Everyone is split up into four groups, each going to a different room. Room 1 is still in. Room 2 is out. Room 3 is out as well, which means that room 4 is still in the competition. Chelsee Oaks (the sole member of the exes and the couple) is eliminated, finally! But how did they keep Ashley Sullivan in? She basically had a nervous breakdown on stage, which should have been the end of it, but the judges must have felt sorry for her. There's no way she can make it any farther; she has never had a good performance ever. And even though Scotty M. and Tatynisa did not know the words to their songs, they're somehow still in it as well. I don't get it.

Next Wednesday will showcase a new round of the competition, where the remaining 60 contestants head to Las Vegas to perform songs (with only 24 hours to learn them) by The Beatles. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Hollywood Week - Round 2

American Idol 10: Hollywood Week - Round 2
Air Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 [8-10pm]

Round 2: Group Performances

Source: PremiumHollywood.com

Out of every round that occurs during Hollywood Week, the one that provides the most stress, entertainment, and drama is the Group Round. The rules: Each group must have at least three singers. And each group must have a mix of Day 1 and Day 2 contestants (Day 1 and Day 2 referring to when they performed during Round 1). After Round 1, many Day 1 contestants who had the second day off were already forming groups and practicing, thinking it would give them a head start. Little did they know the rules were a little different this year.

Right from the start, the drama that is Tiffany Rios erupted immediately when she tried to find a group to join, only to find no one wanted her. I mean, could anyone blame them (especially after what eventually happened with her performance)? At one point, Tiffany stole Jessica Yantz from a group she was already in. And she wasn't the only one: multiple groups were stealing other singers from each other, some abandoning their own groups, some having to audition to join a group. But back to Tiffany for a moment. She and Jessica could not for the life of them convince anybody else to join their group, so one of the producers allowed them to be a duo group. I don't think that producer should have allowed that; if they couldn't find a group, then they should be disqualified, because they weren't able to conform to the rules.

Another annoyance in this episode was the prevalence of the stage moms. For the singers who are underage, they have to have a parent accompany them on this journey. And with the age requirement lowered to fifteen, there seemed to be more of an abundance of parents, and as a result, stage moms. They were helping out their children. Not so much giving advice as telling them how to perform and what to do. (As an aside, do you remember season 7's behind-the-scenes stage dad, Jeff Archuleta, father of David Archuleta?)

The contestants were up pretty much all night rehearsing.

At one point, Ashley Sullivan has a sort of nervous breakdown and wants to quit. A producer talks to her and tells her to really think about this decision she wants to make. She talks to her boyfriend and eventually decides to stay. Darn! I was hoping we would have a quitter. (Maybe the high-drama was getting to me there).

Fifteen-year-old Jacee Badeaux is forced out of his group and attempts to find another group to join. Brett Loewenstern goes in search of another member because they need a Day 2 singer, and comes across Jacee, who joins their group.

I can understand now why they needed two hours for this episode. The change in the rules (needing a mix of Day 1 and Day 2 singers) caused so much drama that the show wouldn't have done it justice trying to fit both that and the singing into an hour. In fact, the actual performances didn't begin until 8:39pm.

At first, I tried to write down everybody's names and grade each group, but I found I wasn't able to enjoy the performances, so I'm just posting a select amount that I want to showcase (as I did with the auditions).

Best of the Night:
Jordan Dorsey, Robbie Rosen - Jackson 5's "I Want You Back": Robbie was the best of the group and one of my favorites of the night.

Terrible/Eliminated:
Tiffany Rios, Jessica Yantz - Beyonce's "Irreplaceable": It's a good think no one else joined their group, because they would have been toast. Jessica doomed herself by teaming with Tiffany. And Tiffany just wailed through the entire song, which hurt my ears.

One singer overslept; a producer and/or cameraman goes to his room and tells him his group is up. His group is searching all over trying to find him. In the meantime, Steven Tyler goes up on stage and plays the drums to entertain everyone until the group can get their act together.

Jovanny Barreto, Kevin Campos, Jorge Gabriele, Karen Rodriguez - "Just the Way You Are": Jovanny and Karen are still in; Karen is the best of the group.

Good:
Lauren Alaina's Group - "Some Kind of Wonderful": They bring Steven up on stage and sing to him as he sits on a chair in front of them; seeing his expressions as he's checking out the girls was hilarious.

It's a good thing Ashley Sullivan decided not to quit, because she made it to the next round. But she wasn't all that good, so I don't think she'll be around much longer.

James Durbin's Group - Queen's "Somebody to Love": James (the Adam Lambert-wannabe) is the main feature of the group. At the end, he does the signature Adam Lambert/Siobhan Magnus note, which lasts quite a long time and keeps getting higher and higher. I would be all for him doing that, except that it was terrible. He was good during his audition, but with each round, his voice is not getting any better; in fact, it's getting worse.

Best of the Night:
Stage Mom Group: Deandre Brackensick brought out a beautiful falsetto. When I say "Best of the Night," I don't mean the entire group; some were not as good as the judges made them out to be. Overall they were pretty much good, but Deandre stood out to me.

Hollie Cavanaugh's Group: Hollie was the only somewhat decent one of the group.

Best of the Night:
Da'Quela Payne, Matthew Nuss, Naima Adedapo, Jacob Lusk: I loved this group! Naima, to me, was the best, but this was such a solid group; each singer provided something great to the song.

We see a montage of Steven's one-liners.

Best of the Night:
Denise Jackson, Stevie Cain, Natalie Hanson, Brett Loewenstern, Jacee Badeaux - "Mercy": Brett was the best of the group, and continues to be one of my favorites this year. Jacee, unfortunately, was not that good this time; he got the sympathy card from the judges, who caved in and let him stay after all that he's been through with getting kicked out of a group and all that.

Best of the Night:
Monique De Los Santos, Clint Jun Gamboa: Even though Clint is the villain for kicking Jacee out of the group, he still was, along with Monique, one of the best singers.

Should Have Been Eliminated:
Chelsee Oaks, Jacqueline Dunford, Rob Bolin - "Forget You": Rob didn't know any of the words, so he sang about how he didn't know the words. Jacqueline used the explicit version of the lyrics. The judges eliminated Rob, but they should have dropped every one in the group. These girls will not last long. One by one, the exes and the couple are going.

Tonight, we're back to one hour (8-9pm) when the 100 remaining contestants will return to individual performances in the final Hollywood Week episode. See ya then...

Opinion: Dina Lohan - Don't Take It Personally

Image Credit: zimbio.com

Last November during an episode of Glee, guest star Gwyneth Paltrow, as the substitute Spanish teacher, asked the class in Spanish, "Lindsay Lohan is totally crazy, right?" She then proceeded to teach the class about counting in Spanish: "How many times has Lindsay Lohan been to rehab?" It was obviously meant as a joke (hey, I laughed).

After the episode aired, Lindsay's mother, Dina Lohan, attacked Glee for going after her daughter, threatening to take legal action. She told Gossip Cop, "'Our lawyers are sending a letter' to 'Glee' on the grounds that the show allegedly defamed the actress who, by all accounts, is working hard on her recovery." If you've paid attention to Lindsay's actions since November, you know that she obviously hasn't been working all that hard on any sort of a recovery. I never heard any more news on that legal action, which means she had no ground to stand on.

Last month, some of the cast members ran into Lindsay and apologized. Okay - everything then seemed to be in the past and all was good in the world again...whoops, I spoke too soon...

In the recent post-Super Bowl episode of Glee, guest star Katie Couric, when interviewing Sue Sylvester, ran off a list of the Losers of the Year. Among the names on said list were Dina Lohan, and sparky Lohan, their dog. Pop Eater's Rob Shuter has a source who says, "They are all a bunch of bullies. Dina is hurt and shocked and hasn't done anything to deserve this constant teasing from this show."

Okay Dina, have you looked at yourself or your family? The only reason people know your name is because you are Lindsay's mom and manager. You rode her coattails in order to claim a piece of that fame, even going so far as exploiting the rest of your family on a short-lived reality show for your own gain. You claim you want privacy for your family, but yet you do something that this to put the spotlight on all of them.

I realize that Lindsay is 22, legally an adult (I was born on the same day and year as her, incidentally), but not only as her manager, but as her mother as well, you need to get your priorities in order here.  Even rehab experts have said you should stop being her manager and "start acting like her mom."

Who cares if Glee is taking jabs at you or your daughter? Every celebrity in the world has had some sort of criticism thrown at them. You're not the celebrity in this ordeal. So you need to not take it personally, and focus on helping your daughter instead of answering to every critic.

I would suggest staying out of the limelight for a while. That way, you can be the mother that Lindsay needs right now. She has obviously gone through some things, and especially right now continues to spiral downward. If she isn't accepting help, that's one thing (I don't know if she is or isn't). But you can't expect us to take you seriously if you always go to the media to respond to the latest attack or find a way to keep yourself in the spotlight once more.

I can understand why you would be hurt by these jokes and jabs. It's your daughter, for crying out loud (and even you). The first reaction would be to respond to it all. But it's not healthy for you or Lindsay right now to continue doing things to grab attention. Lindsay needs help, and I hope you will do what you can to help her.

I have only seen Lindsay in a couple of movies (Parent Trap being my favorite). She is a talented actress. Unfortunately, though, she has let her personal life get in the way of her becoming the giant star that she could have been. We've seen young stars go down the wrong path before (Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Britney Spears); even Miley Cyrus is going through one right now. If Lindsay is able to surround herself by people who can take a firm stand and not let her get away with whatever she wants, then maybe she can dust herself off and make a rise back to the top again. But until that happens, we will just continue to see the trouble in her life (the most recent one being the accusation that she stole a necklace from a store).

So Dina, do you understand why you and your daughter are always the butt of jokes? We haven't seen a positive change from either of you, that's why. I'm not here to tell you how to be a mother or how to run your life, but what I'm advising is to listen to what we're all saying so you can first try to understand why you are perceived the way you do. Then tune us all out and look at what you can do to change that perception. What you heard on Glee was just one of a million criticisms out there; don't take it personally.

America loves a comeback story, and I know we would love to see Lindsay have that. Help her have that comeback. Not as a manager, but as her mom. As a human being who cares about and wants to help someone in need.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Hollywood Week Round 1

American Idol 10: Hollywood Week, Round 1
Air Date: Thursday, February 10, 2011 [8-9pm]

Round 1: Individual Performances

There are double the amount of contestants that have made it to Hollywood. Is it because new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez had a hard time saying no, or because the age limit was lowered to fifteen? Who knows...

This first round, taking up two days, was strictly individual performances (same as always). There would be no feedback from the judges. And it's Sudden Death, meaning after everyone in each group performs, the judges would immediately make their choices on who to cut.

Best of the Night:

• Brett Loewenstern - "Let It Be"
• Holly Cavanah - If I recall right, it seems like she improved upon her initial audition.
• Robbie Rosen

Good/Average:

• Lauren Alaina - The song had both soft and louder notes, and she knows how to control her voice well.
• Jacee Badeaux - Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road"
• James Durbin - His Siobhan Magnus/Adam Lambert high note was a little off tonight. He wasn't as good as his audition.
• Chris Medina - After the judges asked how his fiancée was doing, I knew they weren't about to cut him, no matter how his voice was.

The Couple and the Exes:

• Exes Rob Bolin & Chelsee Oakes - Rob was extremely boring. Chelsee definitely sang better. The judges should have only let Chelsee through and not Rob, though I bet the producers wanted to keep them in to see if any major drama surfaces.
• Couple Nick Fink & Jacqueline Dunford - I'm glad they split them up, because they don't need to be hanging on to each other all the time. Remember, this is an individual competition.

Where was the Automatic Elimination?:

• Scotty McCreary (low voice)
• Jackie Wilson
• Jerome Bell - "Let's Get It On"
• I would have automatically eliminated all three of them for singing the same song from their auditions. They're playing it safe by relying on what got them there, but it doesn't show us what they can do with their voices.

Should Have Been Eliminated:

• Tiffany Rios - Before her song, she said, "I'm tired of seeing others try to do what I already know how to do." That should have been an automatic elimination as well. As far as the performance went, she was so over the top and trying way too hard. Even that should have been cause for elimination, but, alas, the judges (and probably producers) kept her in.

Misc. Note: At one point, Steven got up and gave a pep talk to everyone, because there were contestants who were letting their nerves get the best of them.

168 advanced to Round 2.

Next Wednesday will be Round 2 of Hollywood Week, where the remaining 168 contestants will partake in the dreaded group songs! Out of everything from H'Wood Week, this is the round that provides the most drama; I can't wait! See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Auditions - San Francisco

American Idol 10: San Francisco Auditions
Air Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011 [8-9pm]

Audition City: San Francisco, CA

Well, we're now at the final audition stop of season 10. Is it just me, or did these auditions fly by really fast. I mean, it's almost been a month now since the premiere. Usually, or at least to me, these initial episodes seem to drag on forever and ever.

Best of the Night:

• Julie Zorrilla - "Summertime"
• She's from Colombia. When it comes to "Summertime" and American Idol, this is Fantasia's signature song, so she was very gutsy to be singing this one. And even though no other rendition may be able to compare to Fantasia's, Julie still did provide one of the best auditions of the night.
• Clint Jun Gamboa - "Billionaire" (I'll admit, this is the first time I've heard this song outside of Glee)
• Stefano Langone - "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
• He was in a bad accident (car accident? they didn't specify), and was told he wouldn't be able to walk or be the same again. And he's from Kent, WA (my home state)

Good:

• James Durbin - (Unknown song) & Aerosmith's "Dream On"
• His mom raised him and his siblings. His dad died of a drug overdose.
• He was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome and Asperger's.
• Right from the first note to the finish, I said, "It's Adam Lambert." Now, while no one can match the brilliance that is Glambert, James was still really good. Even before he sung, there was something about either his facial expressions or mannerisms that also reminded me of Adam.
• Being compared to Adam may be his downfall, though. Last year, everyone compared Siobhan Magnus to Adam, but unfortunately she spiraled downward every week.

Producers Should Have Focused on Them More:

• Brittany Mazur
• Matthew Nuss
• These two had some pretty decent vocals, but I guess the producers thought they weren't worth our time to focus on.

Won't Last Long:

• Emily Anne Reed (house burned down one week ago)
• I really don't know what to make of her voice. The only Idol alum I could compare her to is Megan Joy, but Megan is definitely better. And since she is very much so in that singer/songwriter mode, I almost want to reject her since we need to go away from that more-so this year.

Bad, But Creative:

• Drew Beaumier
• He wore a Transformers outfit that, when in car mode, he could actually wheel around. I automatically dismiss auditioners who wear costumes, so it's a good thing he was terrible. But I have to say that this may be the most creative costume Idol's ever seen.

Many times, Steven Tyler toughened up with his criticisms; I hope we get a little more of than in the future. And we got a typically hilarious Steven Tyler comment when a woman dressed up in a police uniform; he said, "Do you have handcuffs?"

The auditions are now over with. I wish they would have said how many people in total made it through. But anyway, tonight is the start of Hollywood Week (8-9pm), the round that always provides some entertaining drama amongst the contestants. It was during Hollywood Week, incidentally, that I first took notice of Adam Lambert (speaking of him). See ya then...

T.W.O. Show #28: Let the Games Almost Begin!

The T.W.O. Show podcast is back for episode #28 with the latest news, rumors, announcements and much more! Here's a rundown of what I discuss in the episode:

*Idol-Talk is back in the T.W.O. BLOG for season 10!
*T.W.O. Debuts The Hunger Games page
*T.W.O. BLOG: In Defense of Skins
*Regis Retiring: I choose my replacement for him.
*Even more award show nominations and winners
   -Golden Globe Winners
   -Oscar nominations
*Amazing Race: Returning teams announced
*Desperate Housewives: Ending in 2013?
*Glee: Superbowl, guest stars, and graduation
*American Idol: Top 13?, CD milestones & releases
*Grey's Anatomy
*Harry Potter: The latest Box Office numbers, DVD release info, Part 2 changes, more.
*Narnia: The latest Box Office numbers, DVD release info
*Twilight
*Hunger Games: Release Date
*Hobbit: Another setback
*My Recommendations...Or Not
   -Social Network, Catfish & more.

To download this latest episode, click HERE to visit TV Watch Online's MediaFire download page, where you can also find every episode to date.

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Auditions - Los Angeles

American Idol 10: Los Angeles Auditions
Air Date: Thursday, February 3, 2011 [8-9pm]

Audition City: Los Angeles, CA

If you read Idol-Talk yesterday, I mentioned that the Austin episode was sub-par at best with maybe only one contestant who stood out (Casey Abrams). I didn't think that it could get any worse than that. But, alas, here comes Los Angeles; wouldn't you think the epicenter of the entertainment industry would attract some top-notch talent? Well, think again, because we were treated to possibly the worst audition episode I have ever seen on American Idol. The title and subtitle should have been, "Los Angeles: A Series of Bad Auditions from Start to Finish." Even when they did show the talent receiving golden tickets, those contestants were average at best (many of whom should not have moved forward).

Last year, it was announced that American Idol would be teaming up with MySpace (aka the social network website no one uses) for online auditions. They combined those auditions into this episode.

We got some shots of Jennifer Lopez swearing (I believe mainly directed at Randy Jackson, who swore himself). I guess Steven Tyler has finally rubbed off on them...

Best of the Night (though that's not saying much):

• Karen Rodriguez

Good/Average:

• Mark & Aaron Gutierrez - "Lean On Me" (brothers)
• These brothers sounded pretty good together, but I cannot honestly form an opinion because a duet (with no main solos) doesn't tell me anything about their individual voices. Regardless of group numbers in Hollywood Week and group performances during results show, American Idol is ultimately an individual competition; there can only be one winner.

Bad Auditions:

• Tynisha Roches - Brought her own microphone
• After the first song and receiving not-so-good feedback, she proceeded to sing a second, and then a third, song. Eventually, Randy couldn't take it any more and walked out. Tynisha followed him (I wouldn't want to be Randy there). Security was called in to escort her out. Now see - I don't remember this wacky of a bad audition in a long while; what I mean by that is one in which security is called in, or there is awkward interaction between the singer and judges (a singer throwing water at Simon is one example from the past).
• Matt "Big Stats" Frankel - Freelance music producer
• If he really is a music producer (even if it is freelance), wouldn't that somehow disqualify him from competing? I understand that, besides the age requirement, the only main rule to audition is you cannot have a current record deal, but shouldn't being a music producer fit under that rule as well?
• Cooper Robinson - James Brown's "I Feel Good"
• This wacky guy is in his 50's (though he doesn't know his exact age). This obviously makes him ineligible, but that hasn't stopped Idol from showcasing someone like him before (at least General Larry "Pants on the Ground" Platt was entertaining).
• Observation: Is it just me, or does his costume remind anyone of a Halloween costume that Ellen DeGeneres wore one year on her talk show?

I didn't hear them say how many advanced to Hollywood. Maybe the producers are ashamed themselves of this audition stop that they don't want to reveal the amount?

Next Wednesday, Idol heads to San Francisco (8-9pm, FOX). Does it seem odd that there are two California audition stops this year (the L.A. stop was added in last minute)? Anyway... Both Adam Lambert and Katharine McPhee auditioned in San Fran; does that mean we'll see some top-notch talent? Who knows...we'll just have to tune in and find out. See ya then...

Idol-Talk: Season 10 Auditions - Austin

American Idol 10: Austin Auditions
Air Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2011 [8-9pm]

Audition City: Austin, TX

Leading up to this episode, we received teases from Ryan Seacrest that the opening would contain an apology from the producers. Being familiar with how producers have been opening the show this season, I expected whatever the apology to be would be some sort of a joke. Then we got confirmation that the forthcoming apology would be in regards to the comments that Steven Tyler said last week. Right then, I knew it wasn't serious, because I doubt they would apologize for the hilarious things he's been saying.

So, we get to the opening of the show and this is the captain on the screen: "American Idol would like to apologize for last week's outrageous behavior by Steven Tyler. ... Mr. Tyler has been warned and assures us it will never happen again."

The text was then proceeded by the normal type of opening we've come to expect from season 10, which is usually a bad audition. The singer's last name is Muck. Steven says, "You know what Muck rhymes with, don't you?" And Mr. Muck replies with, "Duck?" to which Steven says "Read my lips." We're quickly transitioned to the opening title sequence. (Watch the entire opening HERE).

Yes, the apology was meant to be a joke all along. But it wasn't all that funny. What Steven said was funny (nothing out of the ordinary from what we've come to expect from him), but the faux apology by the producers was the complete opposite. Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe has gone on Twitter to say that we can't take a joke. Well, we can certainly take a joke, but it should be funny to begin with. And if it isn't, then you can't blame us for not having a sense of humor.

Wednesday's episode took the show to Austin, TX, where 7500 hopefuls initially auditioned.

Standout of the Night:

• Casey Abrams - Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor"
• In his pre-audition interview, he mentioned that people say he looks like Seth Rogan. I can definitely see the similarity.
• He brought a melodica to help him stay in tune. I hope he can sing just fine without it, because he won't be able to use it all the time.
• With the personality and energy that he brought to his performance, he reminded me of Taylor Hicks. Some may say that's a bad thing, but not necessarily. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of him, but after thinking about it for a while, there's no doubt he was the standout in Austin (I'm not sure what that says of Austin, considering nobody really stood out all that much).

Good:

• Cory Levoy - "I Can't Make You Love Me"
• Cory didn't meet his sister until they were 14 and 16, respectively (due to parental issues), and lived 15 minutes apart when they didn't know each other.
• Jacqueline Dunford (Duffy's "Mercy") & Nick Fink ("Sunday Morning")
• They are a couple and both auditioned. Jacqueline was pretty good, but while Nick was good as well, he sounded too much like the original.
• Note to Producers: The way you edited their relationship together was very over the top and gross.

Average:

• John Wayne Schulz - Brooks & Dunn's "Believe" (cowboy; mother was diagnosed with breast cancer)
• Courtney Penry - Sugarland's "Stay"
• She is in love with Ryan and cries when first meeting him. Before singing, she clucks like a chicken (not very well, I might add).
• This gal is very over dramatic and may make a better actress than a singer.

Shouldn't Have Received a Ticket to Hollywood:

• Hollie Cavanagh - "At Last" & Miley Cyrus' "The Climb"
• When the judges first criticized her singing, she began crying; the judges fell for it and Jennifer Lopez wanted her to sing another song. On the second attempt, she sounded worse (mainly from the crying), but was sent through anyways.
• Besides the unfunny apology, here was another area where the producers did something unnecessary. They threw to break after the first song and make it out to be something extremely dramatic. If they wanted to do something like that, then have it be on a contestant that deserves to go through.

At one point in the show, there was a montage of people auditioning in costumes and bad singers. In this package, the producers wanted to make the point that Randy Jackson is now the new Simon. But here's the thing. All those critiques by Randy were packaged and edited together. I won't believe these assertions until the live shows and we really get to see if he's more assertive or the tag-along bland judge that he's become as of late.

I mentioned this earlier, but I'll say it again here. The Austin episode was not that great. Even the better singers weren't stupendous, and overall, I was a little bored. I'm thinking that's why the producers added in the "apology" so people would tune in.

50 contestants received a golden ticket and made it through to Hollywood.

Tonight, we're heading to Los Angeles (8-9pm). See ya then...