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20 Dec 2011 21:05

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Culture: More thoughts on Wesley Durden, TLC and ethics in reality television

  • I understand that a lot goes into putting these shows together, but there has to be a better way to deal with actual reality when it creeps into our reality programs.
  • Tucson Weekly’s Dan Gibson • Offering up a good point on last night’s news that a reality show contestant, Wesley Durden, committed suicide, but the TLC show, “Next Great Baker,” hid it from the audience until he had been eliminated from the program. “They did throw a card up at the end,” Gibson points out, “but this still seems like a series of bad decisions to me and wildly insensitive to the guy’s family and friends, but maybe we’re still all supposed to be upset that the same network runs a show about Muslims or something.” And that, friends, is a great point. Here’s a network that’s getting criticized for the wrong thing: Instead of getting wrongly criticized for airing reality shows about Muslims, they should be getting rightly criticized for their intense focus on ratings in the face of the ethical treatment of the people it puts on its shows. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Sep 2011 00:42

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Culture: Dancing With the [CENSORED]: Nancy Grace has a moment

  • Nancy’s grace slipped tonight. Poor taste, sorry.  On tonight’s episode of “Dancing With the Stars,” Nancy Grace had a slight wardrobe malfunction. Faster than you can say “Casey Anthony trial,” producers had to cut to a “static shot of the audience” to prevent potential FCC freakouts. After the performance, Judge Bruno Tonioli quipped: “It was a bit top-heavy at times, my darling. And I got an eyeful! I couldn’t miss that. But it really is great to see you taking over the dance floor and performing.” Sleep tight, America! source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 May 2011 16:32

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Politics: Newt Gingrich, Beverly Hills Housewife

  • Everything about Newt Gingrich–the operatic temperament, the multiple divorces, the six-figure credit line at Tiffany’s, the ego, the solipsism, the sheer haplessness and capacity for self-delusion–it all summons up the ‘Real House Wives of Beverly Hills.’
  • TNR’s Johnathan Cohn • It may sound like a pithy, superficial comparison, but Cohn backs up his argument effectively: “They’re all aging, camera-hungry divas who used to be something that they can’t seem to let go of…they remain the stars of their own universe, blind to the indifference of the world around them…They’re always causing scenes, having fights, and then apologizing to their “frenemies” but not really meaning it.” Sounds spot-on to us. We’d add one more: Like Gingrich, the Housewives are highly entertaining to watch, but ultimately irrelevant in the 2012 presidential election.   source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Feb 2011 15:13

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Culture: You’ll be hearing a lot more of Ted Williams’ dulcet tones

  • It has come to this: Ted Williams, he of the radio voice, will apparently be starring in a reality TV show, a development that seems retrospectively inevitable. Williams now has more employment and opportunity than he possibly could have expected as a homeless man, and that’s a very good thing. We just hope this doesn’t hurt his efforts in overcoming his addictions, which he recently entered and left rehab for, in the face of even more exposure, pressure, and money. Because, cliche though it is, that is what’s most important. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jan 2011 15:48

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Culture: We have some Antoine Dodson news for you guys. Sit down first.

  • Before we reveal to you this news, start playing this video above. Get about a minute in. Then continue reading. *pause* OK, hopefully we haven’t lost you. Now that you’ve seen the clip above, imagine Dodson with his own reality TV show. Apparently he has a deal now. How the heck did he get from saving his sister from getting raped to this? Weird how this works. We hope he and his family are happy with his success. But he might be flying too close to the sun. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Nov 2010 08:52

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Offbeat: San Jose animal shelter learns to love all of God’s creatures

  • We’re suckers. And there’s always one or two that grab your heart.
  • United Animal Nations emergency services manager Janell Matthies • Expressing her appreciation for the 1,000 bundles of joy recently found in a Los Angeles home. Yes, that’s right, she’s talking about rats – rats found, by the way, during a shoot for the A&E show “Hoarders.” They were recently taken to a San Jose animal shelter largely because they had the room to take them all in. We like Matthies’ ability to see the bright side here, but let’s emphasize that some hoarder dude created an environment disgusting enough to foster that many rats. And yes, since they’re at an animal shelter … they’re up for adoption. No, you first. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Sep 2010 21:31

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Culture: New American Idol judges the same two everyone expected

Question: Who looks older, the actually-old Steven Tyler or Jennifer Lopez wearing that Celine Dionish onesie? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

15 Aug 2010 11:31

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Culture: Trashy reality star update: Tila Tequila attacked by Juggalo mob

  • yes Tequila was performing at a Juggalo festival in Illinois when she was attacked by the crowd. She suffered cuts in the insane incident. We want a Faygo all of a sudden.
  • no Snooki can’t trademark her name. Why? See, the creators of the kids’ book “Adventures of Snooky” grabbed the name for a cartoon cat way back in 2004.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Jul 2010 02:23

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Culture: Is “American Idol” looking to hitch a wagon on J-Lo? Maybe

  • And apparently Steven Tyler is in talks, too. With the somewhat surprising news tonight that Ellen DeGeneres was a one-and-done judge for “American Idol” come reports that Jennifer Lopez is in a position to take her spot. While it’s still early, something tells us that she’s probably a good fit for such a role – she’s essentially Paula Abdul minus a decade right now. As for the possibility that Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is the other dude, uh … did you guys consider Ben Folds? If not, you should take a look. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Jul 2010 21:03

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Culture: She did back down: Ellen DeGeneres quits “Idol,” Twitter reacts



Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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