Blogcritics Author: Jackie

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

TV Review: Survivor 14: Fiji - Episode 8

Jackie — Sat, 7 Apr 2007 11:17:05 EDT

Let's see... last week we got rid of Rocky, someone who annoyed me to no end. The only other ones on the show who really irk me are Lisi and Dreamz. Will my own dreamz come true tonight?Eleven are left. Who will be voted out tonight?The show opened at the Ravu Camp on Day 20. As Dreamz and Lisi slept in the daytime sun, Edgardo, Alex, and Mookie were following the Exile Island hidden Immunity Idol clues that Lisi had given Edgardo and Alex. They were digging quietly, but Mookie could barely stifle his whoop when he found the matching turtle to the one Yau-Man found at the Moto Camp.With lots of shushing, the three tribe-mates checked out the Idol nearby the camp. They decided they wouldn't tell Lisi they found it as Edgardo thought she was "unstable." Similar to the Earl/Yau-Man agreement, they decide that it will be used if any one of the three needs it.But, in confessional, Mookie tells us he found it and it's in his pocket. He may not be as willing to share as his buddies think he is. He knows that coming from the original Ravu, he's outnumbered. Actually, I think he's wise to think he has first rights to its use.Mookie returned to the area where he found the Idol and was trying to hide the evidence of digging. Lisi awakened and asked him if he was digging for the Idol and he admitted he was. "You have to wake up pretty early to fool an old cat like me," Lisi told us. Mookie offered to help her dig around for the Idol. Oh, I'd call that fooled, wouldn't you?When tree mail (wicker basket mail) was checked at the Moto Camp, it told them they were to be coached on a traditional Fijian dance. One member would have to sit out. Yau-Man said he has no rhythm and I believe him, so he sat out.At the Reward Challenge, both tribes were dressed in native garb, make-up and all. I guess maybe it's more war paint than make-up. The tribes had to dance the dance taught to them being judged by three Fijians on three separate criteria -- appearance, authenticity, and spirit.Lisi seemed to take the whole thing as a joke when her tribe practiced, but it looked like Moto was really pulling together and getting in the spirit of things. And that effort showed in the performance.I'm no Fijian war dance judge and I could see a clear difference between the performances. Earl was magnificent and all of Moto danced in unison as if they had been doing the dance for years. Meanwhile, Ravu was out of step and just didn't have the It Factor. (Oh, wait... wrong show.) The judges thought both tribes did well in appearance and spirit, but Moto was a clear winner for authenticity.Moto won a Fijian feast with chicken, pork, and fish as well as the company of locals. They sang, danced, and had a good time all around. Poor Lisi (heh) was chosen by Moto to go to Exile Island once again. She moped, fussed, whined, and cried. Oh, no... she wants to quit again!Day 21 brought about an early morning meeting with Earl and Michelle. They're close and Earl tends to think of her as his spy. Michelle has her own agenda, though. She wants to push for Stacy to leave as she thinks that she and Stacy are pretty much carbon copies of each other. She feels she would be stronger on her own. Earl was thinking Boo would be more of a problem than Stacy, but Michelle convinced him otherwise.I liked the Immunity Challenge -- perhaps because Yau-Man strutted his stuff. The challenge was in three rounds -- a blow dart, then spear, then bow and arrow. Each tribe member went in turn trying to make the closest mark to the bulls-eye on their target.The first round was worth one point for the winner, the second two points, and the third three points. If there was a tie, there would be a sudden death round.Now, here's where Yau-Man proved his worth. While Edgardo had told us in confessional that he was proficient at archery, Yau-Man just studied the the scene. He found the straightest arrow. He thought of the trajectory of the arrow and placed himself accordingly. He was the only one who thought to get a running start for more power for the spear-throw. He's the Man!Once again, Moto wins Immunity! Before the tribes split up, I hated when Moto won all the time. But now that my two favorite players are on the tribe (Yau-Man and Earl), winning is a good thing. Gee, too bad there's no Rocky to have a fit about the loss.Wait! There's Lisi to have a fit. She told us in a confessional that her tribe-mates are all losers. She told them she wanted to quit. She told them they were losers. She's surrounded by losers, y'know. Well, guess what? I think she's the losiest loser on the tribe. Yeah, I know that losiest isn't a word, but I'm coining it just for Lisi.Dreamz thinks all is perfect as Lisi asked to be voted off. But then Lisi changed her mind once again while talking to Alex. I can't believe how this woman flip-flops. She thought she could get Alex and Edgardo to vote out Dreamz, but she was too fickle too much. As Edgardo said, she's unstable.At Tribal Council, they all voted for her to go. They had enough. Dreamz had one vote for him to leave, coming from Lisi. You just can't cry wolf, let them know you're weak, Lisi. And, Lisi -- you're a loser. Your tribe-mates have the Idol you should have found because you blabbed the clues. It's your own darn fault you got the boot. And you have the nerve to be bitter about them?There. Now I feel better. Sweet dreamz, Lisi.

Jackie is a TV addict and freelance writer living in the NYC Greater Metropolitan Area. She faces her addiction daily on her blog The (TV) Show Must Go On... where you'll find daily television discussion and in-depth reviews/recaps of selected shows.

TV Review: Survivor 14: Fiji - Episode 7

Jackie — Sun, 1 Apr 2007 11:09:10 EDT

Twelve are left. Who will be voted out tonight?The show opened on Day 17 at the Ravu camp as Tribe Testosterone awaited the arrival of Lisi from Exile Island. Alex and Edgardo think she'll be loyal to them and all are worried about her state of mind because she seemed ready to quit went sent away.Over at Moto, it's also a numbers game. Earl wants to change the power as it stands three Old Moto and three New Moto. What could tip the scale? The hidden Immunity Idol, of course. Both Yau-Man and Earl have clues to the location of the Idol in the camp and Yau-Man is all but positive he knows the exact location. They agree to work together. Earl led the others off to find the boat (yeah, right) as Yau-Man started digging.And... he found it! It's a carved turtle on a string. He kissed it. He fondled it. He danced with it. He talked to it. Then he quickly covered the evidence of digging. In confessional, he said that Earl is an honorable and trusted man. He thought of not telling him, but feels Earl would be loyal. They would share the Idol. If one needs it, one has it. He told Earl on the sly and Earl seems to think Yau-Man's trustworthy, too.The Reward Challenge consisted of three huge flammable targets for each tribe, thusly labeled even. Each tribe member would take a turn trying to sling a flameball-doohickey (technical term) from a scoop-thingie at the targets. (Aren't you glad to have a pro here to explain such things with the correct terminology?)The reward itself would be a seaplane trip to a Fijian game arcade, complete with hot dogs and beer. The winning tribe would also send a member from the losing tribe to Exile Island. Tribe Testosterone Plus One, er... Ravu, won Reward and chose to send Earl to Exile Island. This would mark the first challenge of any type that Ravu has won. But, was it worth the win? We'll see!So, there it was. Day 18 on Exile Island. Make that Earl's Island, tourists welcome and a beautiful ocean view. Yes, Earl was quite at home there as he imagined it to be his own place, even drawing "Earl's Island" quite artistically in the sand. He didn't bother to look for a clue, just relaxed and caught shellfish to eat.Perhaps Ravu would have been better off if sent to Exile Island. Most were cramming two or more hot dogs in a roll and making pigs of themselves. Rocky annoyed them all by mocking their stomachaches later when they were sick. He wasn't sick because he didn't overdo the food. I guess he can think sometimes, eh?Back at Moto, Boo thinks they need to step up the game and win the Immunity Challenge. After all, it's the first time he's lost any challenge. He automatically decides that if someone has to be voted off, it would have to be Yau-Man because he's the weakest on a physical level.But Yau-Man certainly isn't weak on a thinking-ahead level. While the girls were sleeping and Boo otherwise occupied, Yau-Man made a fake Immunity Idol out of a coconut half. He painted a little face on it and tagged it I.I., for Immunity Idol. He wrapped it up and buried it where he had found the real one, but not as deep. I loved it! It could have ramifications if someone finds it and tries to use it at a Tribal Council. Now, that would be great!The Immunity Challenge had tribe members blindfolded as one member was a caller directing them one at a time. The blindfolded tribe member had a Fijian war club which had to be used to break a hanging skull, sort of like a piñata. Not quite a piñata as it was a small and a skull, but the same concept.Once the skull was broken, a bundle of tiles would fall out. The tribe member had to drop the bundle at a table, then return to his fellow members, all the while still blindfolded. This sort of challenge always makes for some good bruises as folks crash into things. It also makes for some lost souls. Boo doesn't know his left from his right? Eep! I hope it was only the stress of the moment.They could switch callers and Lisi was switched out very quickly for Moto. Even though Michelle jumped right off the platform while bouncing about, she remained in there a long time. Then Boo decided to take over. He could have cost them the challenge as he first couldn't see, then froze. But, in the end, it was Moto hitting the puzzle-solving first and Moto laying out the two words for the puzzle -- Cannibal Isles. Moto has now won every Immunity Challenge so far this season, albeit with different tribe members in the mix.Day 19 in Ravu reveals a fairly solid front against Rocky. Edgardo and Alex tend to call the shots for the tribe. They think that Lisi will be more loyal to them as she has no one else. And, no one really seems to trust Rocky at all. He's a loose cannon in the game.Lisi decided to tell Alex and Edgardo the clues she knew for the hidden Immunity Idol and dug around. They didn't show her finding it, and I don't think she did. Remember how Dreamz was an enemy of Rocky? Well, now it seems that Dreamz may be the only one in camp that has a bit of understanding and empathy for the guy. Even Mookie, Rocky's buddy from the original Ravu, knows he's a problem child.Alex, Edgardo, Lisi, and Dreamz decided that Rocky should go. Dreamz would actually prefer Lisi going, but seems to go along with the plan. But he told Mookie the plans when the rest didn't want him to know. They wanted Rocky and Mookie to think Lisi was the target.Mookie understood the reasoning behind the Rocky vote, but told Dreamz that he promised Rocky he'd never vote for him. So he would vote a wild-card, meaningless vote. Mookie thought the physical bit (all strong guys) certainly wasn't winning, so it was time for another angle.At the Tribal Council, it looked like Rocky was a bit worried, but still felt he was safe. He was certainly a lot more calm than he was at last week's Tribal Council. In the end, he was blindsided -- not as bad as some who never had an inkling they'd be voted off, but surprised.The vote was unanimous with the exception of Rocky and Mookie's votes for Lisi. The closing scene during the credits showed him in some sort of Neanderthal scream, then he said how angry he was and they better not need his vote.Yes, Rocky is the first member of the jury.I'm glad he's gone and I even liked Lisi a bit better when she's surrounded by men. But the winner of the night for me was Yau-Man. What a hoot! I think he and Earl are a good alliance indeed.

TV Review: The Amazing Race 11: All Stars - Episode 6

Jackie — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 08:33:36 EDT

This episode was very odd. I didn't care too much for the outcome, as you'll see.But that's not why I found it odd.For the most part, it really didn't move forward so much. Instead of, like the last episode, having some sort of show-planned back-up tickets for a flight, the flight the teams had to board had some waiting for more than a day, maybe two. While I don't like bunching points, I think that put some teams so far behind the pack leaders that an extended bunching point will be needed to get the teams on a bit more even basis. I found the Detour and Roadblocks rather run of the mill, too.Seven teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?Charla and Mirna, the first team to arrive at the last Pit Stop in Maputo, were the first to leave. I actually missed the time gap between them and the last team, Uchenna and Joyce, this week. I believe it could have been more than a few hours.The teams received $124 for this leg and had to get their drivers to drive them to the airport where they needed a flight to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The mention of Tanzania prompted a reference to the "Tanzanian devil" by Eric. It's no wonder he's a beach bum model, eh? To give Danielle credit (which Eric never seems to do), she knew it was a Tasmanian devil.Okay, a half-hour into the show, we still had dreaded airport scenes. First, the airport wouldn't sell tickets until morning, so all the teams made it there. But, in no way could it be considered a bunching point. And, what's worse is that we had to endure fake accents from Mirna and Schmirna, nasty glares between Eric and the Guidos, and lots of confusion.And, want to know what's the absolute worst? Mirna and Charla were the only ones on the first flight! Argh. It gave them a huge lead on the other teams. Uchanna/Joyce, the ChaChas, Dustin/Kandice, and Eric/Danielle got on standby for the next flight.But, after boarding, Eric and Danielle had to leave the plane as they didn't wait for the tickets with the others and were in someone else's seats or something to that effect. Danielle was crushed. She said it was a nightmare and she rather looked like a nightmare, too.That left Eric/Danielle, Terri and Ian, and the Guidos stuck at the airport. Ian had been insistent about waiting on line and ended up missing the boat. Er, the plane. Then, Eric/Danielle boarded a flight and it was just Terri/Ian and Team Guido (Joe and Bill) left behind. By the time they got on a flight, the winning team probably already jumped on the mat at the Pit Stop.Once in Dar es Salaam, teams had to take a ticket to board a dhow which would sail them to where they'd find the next clue. As the first dhow was canceled due to a storm, Charla and Mirna were left to wait until morning. By then, Oswald and Danny showed. They were so lucky! They got to travel with seasick Charla! Oswald tried to administer a bit of first aid to make her feel better. Mirna said "you always have such great beauty tips." Say what?The next clue led to a Detour, a choice between two tasks that both members of the team must complete. They could Solve It or Schlep It. In Solve It, teams had to complete a rather difficult 62-piece puzzle which consisted of painted wooden fish which each fit in a particular place. In Schlep It, teams had to go to a lumber yard, put two fifty-pound logs in a cart, then wheel it a bit over a mile to deliver it. All of the teams except for Dustin and Kandice chose the puzzle. The wood actually seemed easier. Some of the teams had real problems with the puzzle, others finished it on quick order.Next was a Roadblock, similar to ones we've seen in the past. In "Who's on Target?," Maasai warriors were gathered to teach and watch as one member of each team threw a wooden club used in that area at a target. When they hit the target, it broke and revealed the next clue. I remember the Maasai from either this show or Survivor. They're the tribe which drains blood from cows to drink. Not enough to kill the cow; they revere the cows. Who says reality television isn't educational?The clue they received there directed them to the Pit Stop where the next team may be eliminated. Oswald and Danny were there at the same time as Charla and Mirna, but easily finished first. When Charla and Mirna finished, they put on such a loud and odd celebration that the Maasai actually cringed away from them a bit.I had dreaded flashbacks to the time they went shopping in their season as they stopped to purchase fruit. ChaChas, don't blow it! Sure enough, Mirna and Charla passed them and hit the Pit Stop at the Old Fort in Stonetown first. Other teams were still struggling to make it and we saw day turn to night and to dawn again before the last team checked in.Here's the order at the Pit Stop:Charla and Mirna - Each won a catamaran. Neither knew what one is.Oswald and DannyUchenna and Joyce - Since they were marked for elimination in the last leg, they had to wait a half-hour before they could claim the spot. No other teams arrived during the time, so they kept third place.Dustin and KandiceEric and DanielleJoe and BillTerri and Ian - PhiliminatedObviously, I don't care for the winning team. But this entire leg was sort of so-so. With the huge flight snafu it set the whole leg awry. I didn't really enjoy it too much. I believe the footrace bit with Ian/Terri and Team Guido was heavily edited. I think there probably was quite a bit of time between them. I guess we'll see what they say in interviews.Next week's show is two hours. They better make up for my dissatisfaction with this week's episode.

TV Review: Survivor 14: Fiji - Episode 6

Jackie — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:35:16 EDT

There were finally some changes this week. I'm talking about the show itself, not the fact that it aired on Wednesday. Next week it will return to its regular Thursday night 8 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas.Thirteen are left. Who will be voted out tonight?The show opened with flies bugging the Ravu tribe in their non-luxury camp. Yau-Man said in a confessional spot that he was surprised to be still in the game. He thinks the others think of him as dispensable and really wants to find the (a) hidden Immunity Idol.The show jumped right into tree mail or, in this case, wicker basket mail. The note promised a feast, a trip to Exile Island for one, and mentioned brain teasers. Now, I'm not quite sure where the brain teasers were, but I noticed that Jeff changed his shirt. Whoa! I believe that's indicative of big changes ahead, don't you?Once the tribes met with Jeff, they were told to drop their buffs. Was it a merge? Nope. Edgardo and Earl had to start the new tribe picks. They each had to pick someone from the other tribe and, then in turn it was repeated until one remained due to the odd number.The teams, in order chosen, are now:Edgardo, Mookie, Alex, Rocky, Dreamz, AnthonyEarl, Boo, Michelle, Cassandra, Yau-Man, StaceyThat left Lisi standing alone (as she should be). She was very flippant and thought it was her ticket out of the game. Instead, all she did was blow any chance that others know she's willing to leave. She was sent to Exile Island and won't return until after the next Tribal Council. She will join the tribe which loses a member.Jeff had Edgardo and Earl do rock/paper/scissors for the right to reach in a bag and pull out a buff to determine which tribe goes to which camp. Edgardo won, but he lost... he pulled out the orange buff for the Ravu Camp. Yau-Man, Earl, and Michelle will finally eat! Oh, gee. Poor Rocky. Too bad, so sad, Rocky.Both tribes had beer at their camps and we saw the start of Tribe Testosterone. Just when I thought Rocky could get no worse, he did. Oh, there was male bonding, back-slaps, and Rocky declared them an unbeatable super power. Poor Anthony was very worried. After all, he's the nerd and geek. He was scared to take off his shirt and just kept the fire going and played cook. The Macho Boys went off fishing and did very well -- five fish in two hours.Over at the new Moto Tribe, Earl may be getting a bit big for his britches. I really like Earl, but he may be going too far with his thought of being the tribe leader. Yes, Cassandra fell in with Earl and Yau-Man, but he shouldn't assume he has more power than anyone else. He said he plans to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. I guess we'll see.At tribe Testosterone, Rocky was telling all the other macho men how feminine Anthony is, planting the seed while he male-bonded with the bros. Yes, that should be read with sarcasm dripping like an ice cream cone on a summer day. Mookie joined in on the Anthony bashing and a good time was had by all. All except Anthony, who was back at camp playing Cinderella.The Immunity Challenge was a bit different. The course (pictured on the left) had a marked trail by buff color. The tribe members were attached to a doohickey which looked like spokes of wheel. They were loosely connected in the middle so that the tribe members could make adjustments, get closer to the center while another was "pushed" in the other direction. The tribes' paths intersected through the course and they had to pass through gates.Dang, it's hard to describe it. It's a good thing I took photos, eh?It was a close "race" through the gauntlet. At some intersections, neither tribe wanted to give up ground. In the end, the new Moto tribe barely squeaked by beating out the Super Power Boys. Of course, this keeps the Moto winning streak intact, but it's not the same tribe at all.The win gave Yau-Man enough strength to carry to tribe flag home. What a touching moment, almost enough to tear up... or not. But it was good to see Earl and Yau-Man on the winning side for a change.What was really priceless was the look on Rocky's (James, Boston, whatever) face when they lost! Upon returning to camp, he put the Anthony "girlie" bashing back into full gear, as did Mookie. Anthony tried to talk sense into Edgardo and Alex, but no one would commit to him. Edgardo even said in confessional what a dangerous and annoying player Rocky could be. But did they turn to Anthony? Nope. The ex-Moto Men enlisted Mookie into their alliance.Sigh.At Tribal Council, Rocky started degrading Anthony once again. Jeff even provoked it a bit more. I felt very bad for him. Yes, I think he doesn't defend himself enough, but he's been stuck with Jerk Boy Rocky all this time! In the end, they all voted out Anthony except for his own vote cast for Rocky.So, we're still stuck with Rocky. But now I want Moto to keep on winning! I think Rocky is one of the most obnoxious, misogynistic, nasty, bullying, testosterone-driven, annoying contestants ever on the show. I took one photo during the show with the only girlfriend he'll ever get after his actions on the show.So there. They even look a bit alike.

TV Review: The Amazing Race 11: All Stars - Episode 5

Jackie — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 11:42:53 EDT

Each week I'm reminded why I like Oswald and Danny so much. Even when they bicker a bit (like they did tonight), they can be a hoot and deliver some of the best lines in the show.On the other hand, every week I'm reminded more and more why Charla and Mirna irk me so. In my book, Mirna is more irksome than Charla. I honestly think I'd take to Charla much better if she had a different partner.Seven teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?The teams started out from their last Pit Stop at the "End of the World." This is the closest we've seen the race actually get to Antartica, which is kind of cool in and of itself. Heck, not cool... outright cold! Teri and Ian were shocked that Romber was eliminated while Mirna seemed to take credit for the elimination. Oswald and Danny, the first team to arrive, left first at 12:02 AM. In last place, Charla and Mirna left at 2:41 AM, almost a three-hour gap betwixt first and last. Will it matter? Of course not. It's the Amazing Race!While Team Guido (Joe and Bill) promised they were going to show a "kinder and gentler Guido," we see them provoked later on in the leg. The teams had to travel to a glacier where they received one avalanche beacon and were directed to follow the signal to find a buried beacon with their next clue. It all started out with an 8 AM opening, thus a bunching point.The more I see Eric, the more he irks me, too. Perhaps he should team up with Mirna. He deliberately tried to annoy the Guidos and seems to have some problems with both gay and older folks on the whole. The Guidos walked away refusing to let him instigate problems which may make them look bad.Once the gates to the glacier were opened, some teams zoomed right through the task. Others had issues. For example, once again Dustin and Kandice blew by a clue. But they caught themselves this time and went back before losing too much time. Charla/Mirna took a long time, but Danny and Oswald took forever. The ChaChas also took turns being cranky about it.After completing the glacier task, teams had to fly 7,000 miles to the town of Maputo in Mozambique. Any plane tickets have to be purchased through travel agents as the airport can't sell them. The show has back-up tickets which would get them in at 3 PM if teams cannot obtain earlier flights. But all the teams, including the lagging ChaChas, managed to get on the same flight and their arrival time was 9:40 AM.Once in Maputo, the teams had to get in marked cars with drivers and head to APOPO Training Field. Again, there was a bunching point and Eric called the Guidos "freaks." It was there that they faced a Roadblock (a task only one member of a team can do) and one of the coolest ones I've ever seen. Rats! Oh, I'm not talking the rats running around KFC/Taco Bell in the Village. I'm talking working rats. These rats have been trained to detect explosive landmines and work with trainers. It's fascinating to read about and gives us a whole new insight into a much-detested animal. Well, I never detested them. I just don't want them in my abode... or where I eat. Pet rats have always been okay with me.Not only did I think the challenge was fun and really interesting, but Charla's rat was more interested in grooming for the cameras than finding the landmine/clue. The name of the Roadblock was "Who Smells a Rat?" I couldn't help but compare Mirna to them each time they showed her. During the task, one of the ChaChas promised their rat, Nelson, that if he finds the clue, "We'll take you to a nice lab where they'll apply make-up on you." Ian gave his Cagney impersonation, "You dirty rat."Once the rats did their thing for the teams, they had to travel 50 miles back into Maputo, but it wasn't as easy to get to the location as they thought. The road sign must have loved the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. "Some people go this way, and others go this way." The road sign indicated Maputo was either to the left or straight ahead. The teams going straight ended up lost. Or, was it the teams who went left who got lost? All I can say was one way was better than the other and shifted the dynamics of who was leading the pack.Once they finally got to the next clue, it was a Detour. Both choices were ways folks make a living in the area. In Pamper It, the teams had to go to a market stall where they had to sell nail-painting to locals. Men in the area both do the painting and have their nails painted. Once they earned a certain amount, they would receive their next clue. In Porter It, teams had to load ten bags with coal, sew them shut, then lug a single bag by foot to a location in town.The Guidos were running in first place at the time and chose Porter. Hey, Eric can say what he may, but there are two male gay teams in the race. Both chose the physical task of Porter It. Alas, they should have chosen Pamper It. Mirna and Charla, way behind the other teams, finished that one in short order. So did the Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice), who even took the time to paint a young girl's nails even though she had no money. Geez, Ian and Teri were headed to Porter, but accidentally ended up in Pamper and they nailed the task, too! (Get it? Nailed the nail task. I kill myself sometimes.)Ahem.But all the teams faced with the Porter task found it dirty, time-consuming, and probably the wrong choice. Uchenna and Joyce fell way behind as they got lost while lugging the bag of coal around.Here's the order at the Pit Stop in Fortaleza, Maputo:Charla and Mirna - Their first time (and hopefully last time) in first place ever on the show. They won a trip to Aruba.Dustin and KandiceTeri and Ian (who were shocked they did so well)Oswald and Danny - Oswald promptly chased Phil around wanting to hug him with his coal-covered hands. That was a hoot! When Phil commented about them taking the coal task, one of them said, "Hey, we didn't come here to sissyfoot!" (Ah, but I bet they will shop again sometime!)Joe and Bill - They beat Eric and Danielle in a close footrace which prompted Eric to blame Danielle and later fuss that they were "beat by a bunch of queens." You go, Queens!Eric and DanielleUchenna and JoyceAs it was one of the three planned non-elimination legs, Uchenna and Joyce are still in the race. However, they are marked for elimination. They must come in first place on the next leg or suffer a thirty-minute penalty which theoretically could make them lose the race.I still hold with wanting Charla and Mirna gone, but Eric is about on par with them. Danielle, I have nothing against. Well, other than the fact that she's running the race with Eric. I'm liking the Guidos and ChaChas more each week and have to say the same for Teri and Ian. Dustin and Kandice are a strong team in many ways, but this is the second time they've gone by a clue. They have to pay more attention. I liked Uchenna and Joyce in their season, but they are dragging a bit this season. I did smile at Joyce's reaction to the rat... "Oh, he's cute!"

TV Review: The Amazing Race 11 - All Stars, Episode 4

Jackie — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:45:58 EDT

Well, we can't trust Phil Keoghan, we just can't. Last week I mentioned how he opened the show with "Who will be eliminated tonight?" This week, it was phrased differently, leading me to believe it would probably be a non-elimination leg. After all, we're due one. Ah, but not this week and it was a shocker indeed."Eight teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?" (See the difference?)Rob and Amber, the first place finishers for the first three legs we've seen so far this season, left the Pit Stop at 6:11 am. The last team to arrive at that Pit Stop, Charla and Mirna, left at 8:11 am, thus a perfect two hour gap between first and last place at the starting gate for the new leg.The teams had to fly to Punta Arenas, Chile, then travel by taxi to find the Lord Lonsdale shipwreck. As they arrived early and had tickets for the earliest flight, Rob and Amber thought to do an online search for the site of the wreck thinking that would give them a head start.Although the airport scene seemed a bit less than other weeks, we still had to waddle through some drama and trauma. The ChaChas (Oswald and Danny) are determined not to leave their sense of style behind. Mirna thinks she constantly has to "make up for the shortcomings" of her team and that she's the hardest working person running the race. (Can I get an eyeroll here, please?) Mirna doesn't trust the Team Guido (Joe and Bill). Well, duh. They were one of the sneakiest teams ever in their season. Why would anyone trust them? It's just common sense! Silly (and annoying) Mirna.Although the Guidos tried to get the airport to hold the plane, they didn't make it on the first plane. But, in the end, it didn't really matter as it often doesn't matter in the grand scheme of a leg. However, Uchenna and Joyce were on the same plane as Rob and Amber. Now, Uchenna asked the stewardess to write him directions to the shipwreck. Rob claims the woman gave it to him while Uchenna insists Rob "stole" the note from her. Who's right? I just don't know. But it was Rob who ended up with the note in question and was giggling about it.The Detour was Magellan-related as he's important to the history of the area. The teams could either Detour It or Sign It. In Detour It, teams had to navigate the city by map and compass to find the Nautilus Building where they would receive the next clue. In Sign It teams had to erect a signpost with all of Magellan's stops. The cities didn't have to point the right direction, but all must be spelled right.That was the beginning of the end for a fan favorite team or one that folks loved to hate. Either way, a team who made this race more interesting started what would do them in at the end by choosing the wrong task. The teams who chose Navigate It seemed to sail through while the teams choosing Sign It fell further and further behind.While Uchenna and Joyce, Rob and Amber, and later Charla and Mirna, struggled with the sign task, the ChaChas, Eric and Danielle, and Teri and Ian made it to the next point in the race. They snagged the first charter plane of three leaving three hours apart on their way to Playa Larga in Ushuiai, Argentina. Amber tried to convince Rob to go to the other task, but he was determined. Finally, Romber teamed up with the Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice) to do Navigate It. Even Charla and Mirna switched to that after horribly trailing the other teams.I have to mention how nasty Mirna's treatment of Charla was tonight. That woman is condescending, mean, evil and outright mean to her very own cousin. She creeps me out. I so want her gone.But, back to the race at hand -- Rob, continuing his streak of bad decisions, led the BQ to the wrong building, thus increasing the lead the other teams had on them. As one of the Beauty Queens later said, "Rob and Amber weren't very helpful." Amber teased Rob to admit he was upset because he wanted to come in first again. Rob sheepishly turned to the camera in the cab, "I want to be in first." Aw. They later lied to Charla and Mirna and had all the other teams laughing about it. Alas, the cousins caught up.After the charter flight, teams had to take boats which left every 20 minutes to the Isle of Redonda or, as it's known, the end of the world. It's a longitudinal thing. After they got to that point, they faced a Roadblock at the local post office. One member of each team had to search through a huge bag of letters for one addressed to their team. The letters were from a team which had raced the race with them in their own seasons.Blake and Paige wrote a nice note to the ChaChas. Jeremy and Dani, the previous partners of Eric and Danielle, wrote to them. Ian and Teri got a note from Flo and Zach. Frank, who hated the Guidos in their season, wrote to them. Lyn from Bama actually wrote a nice note to the BQ. Susan and Patrick wrote a nice note to Uchenna and Joyce while writing a nasty letter to Rob and Amber. Lance and Marshall wrote to Mirna and Charla.After the teams found and read out loud their letter to their team mate, they had to find the Pit Stop on foot. It's not a big island, of course. Here's where things got worse for Rob and Amber. Why the heck was he so lackadaisical while going through the mail? He was so sure they could beat Mirna and Charla in a footrace that he didn't even seem concerned. Ack. Sure enough, Mirna and Shmirna found their letter and made it to the Pit Stop before Romber. I repeat... ack.Here's the order of arrival to the Pit Stop:Oswald and Danny - they won a trip for two to MauiEric and DanielleTeri and IanTeam Guido, Joe and BillDustin and KandiceUchennal and JoyceCharla and MirnaRob and Amber -- Philiminated (sigh)Although they showed Uchenna helping Charla and Mirna to the mat, I got the feeling that Rob and Amber weren't exactly right on top of them at the finish. I think they were a good bit behind, more than a helping hand to the mat would accomplish.I'm going to miss Rob and Amber on the race. I've mentioned that neither thrilled me on Survivor, but I liked them as a team on The Amazing Race. I really would like to see Mirna and Charla out of the show. While Rob is entertaining, they're annoying.Oh, well... it's back to cheering on Oswald and Danny -- or even the Guidos. Heck, Teri and Ian. Anyone but Charla and Mirna, mainly due to Mirna.

TV Review: Survivor 14 - Fiji, Episode 5

Jackie — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 12:23:49 EST

Always so close, then the win slips away. I'm so ready for the merge or something to change this season.Having the one tribe at such a disadvantage makes them spiral downward more each episode. Of course, it works to put the fan base solidly in the camp of the wretched, but we can only sit and watch.Fourteen are left. Who will be voted out tonight?The show started on Night 11 in the Ravu camp. Since Yau-Man and Earl each know some clues to where the hidden Immunity Idol is from their stays on Exile Island, they decide to work together. Well, Earl volunteered to steer the other tribe members away while Yau-Man tried to dig for the Idol. The main problem is that they have no shovel. In the morning, Earl led the others away on the pretense of looking for fruit. Alas, digging with a machete, Yau-Man tried to find the Idol but was unsuccessful.The editors of the show make the Moto camp seem even more luxurious with a bouncy musical background. Feh. We join them as the tribe is looking through a book they received in tree mail. It's pictures of rewards they can choose. Each tribe must make two choices. Moto, lacking nothing in the survival goods, decided on coffee and toiletries. Flip back to Ravu and we see Earl speaking practicality. Sure enough, they thought smart by choosing fishing gear and potatoes.The Reward Challenge was a physical one. Each tribe member had to face off one at a time with a member from the opposing tribe. They were on a platform in water and had to joust with large padded bags. If his body was as strong as his mouth, Rocky (James, Boston, Whatever) would have taken all of Moto on. But his beef was with Dreamz (Andre, Dre, Whatever). The more I see of Rocky, the more I'm glad I don't know him. Dreamz isn't much better. I wanted them both to fall in, but it turned out Rocky went. Yau-Man actually won his bout. Yikes!But it wasn't enough for Ravu to win. The rich get richer and Moto won the challenge. Not only did they get their two choices, but it was winner takes all. They also got (more) fishing gear and potatoes. They chose to send Earl to Exile Island. He would return before the Immunity Challenge.Then it was Drama Time, the gap between Reward and Immunity. Over at Ravu, Rocky was freaking out about how the women were driving him crazy. He must be crazy as he was even confiding in Anthony (who drove him crazy in the last episode). I swear that guy is way too antsy about everyone and everything. He's like a loaded gun walking around. On Moto, Dreamz throws the coffee in a cup thinking it's instant. Rita was very condescending as she explained how to make coffee. I personally thought that he would wonder why they gave him a coffee press for instant coffee, but that may just be me. Alex tried to pull everyone together as he thought of the numbers. He knows that most of the tribe doesn't care for either Cassandra or Dreamz -- Cassandra because she's not a strong player, Dreamz due to the annoyance factor. After Alex smooths things over, a confessional with Dreamz told us that he and Cassandra plan to defect to the Ravu side after the merge. Huh. So they don't like them, either.The Immunity Challenge wasn't physical at all, but the Ravu tribe is so out of it that a mental one isn't going to be any easier at this point. The tribe members were faced with 30 flipboards. Each one had a number or a word on it. There were four dummy boards which matched nothing, but the others were all pairs. The castaways had to make matches and the first team with seven matches won.Who won? Why, Moto, of course.Back at the camp, Rocky freaked out. (What's new?) Yau-Man told Mookie he wanted either Rita or Anthony out. Earl thought Rocky was volatile and they should think of getting him out. The only problem with that is that he's one of the stronger members in the weakest tribe. In the end, it was Rita voted out. She and Michelle voted for Anthony while the rest of the tribe all voted for Rita.Apparently March Madness will affect the scheduling for the next few weeks. The next episode will air on Wednesday, March 21. The promos make it sound like Ravu may finally get something, but I wouldn't count on it. It's a shame. I think this is a good cast, but with the sides being in such different circumstances, I feel it's hurting the season on the whole.

TV Review: The Amazing Race 11: All Stars - Episode 3

Jackie — Tue, 6 Mar 2007 03:05:47 EST

Ah, now it's beginning to feel like The Amazing Race! Even though they didn't cover a ton of territory, the challenges were more adventurous and my edge-of-my-seat adrenalin rush came back towards the end of the episode.Yeah, I know it's purely editing which made the ending so intense, but it could have been either team racing for that Pit Stop eliminated. For all I know, they could have been an hour apart. But that's the magic of TV, right?"Nine teams remain. Who will be eliminated tonight?" I noted that Phil said "tonight," not "next." To me, that indicated it wasn't quite time for a non-elimination leg. Next week we'll have to see how he phrases it.The teams left the Valley of the Dead (the last Pit Stop) in the order in which they had arrived. Rob and Amber, the first in last week's leg, left at 11:39 PM. David and Mary, the last in the leg, left at 12:55 AM. So, the lead time has been cut some, but it's still rather substantial. They had to drive four miles to San Pedro, then board flights for Puerto Montt, a port town in Chile.Once again, we had the inevitable all-too-familiar airport scramble for tickets segment. Didn't I just say last week that these are getting way too tired? I think I did. A few things to note about this segment, though -- Rob and Amber thought to go online to secure tickets for the earliest flight before the counter opened. While David and Mary declared "no more friends" after being burnt by Mirna and Shmirna... er, Charla, Teri and Ian and the Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice) decided they'd work together. Other teams also worked together, manning the empty counters and planning to buy tickets for others.At the airport, Charla eavesdropped on other teams finding out they were on an earlier flight. She pulled the "I can't see over the counter, excuuuuse me" bit and tried to horn in on Teri and Ian's counter transaction. Teri bristled and I loved it! "Do not talk to my person!" Mirna called Ian "the King of Rude" and said she learned her rudeness from him when he called her on her behavior. Aha, a brouhaha!The teams were soon on their way, with Rob and Amber in the lead. Rob took an unexpected turn which brought out a good Team Guido line (one of a couple tonight) -- "Rob is not Jesus." Well, he may as well be for the purpose of this race. Is Romber unbeatable? It turned out they took a wrong turn, but soon corrected and were back on track unlike so many who roam so lost for so long.The Roadblock had one member of each team collecting flounder from a pool and loading them into a holding tank. Danielle freaked out, as did Mirna when she later arrived. Amber, on the other hand, didn't hesitate much although she wasn't a happy fisher. Rob brought up a good point about the "encouragement" Eric was giving Danielle. I found it insulting, too. Yay for Rob for noticing and commenting on it!Uchenna worked like a machine loading the fish, putting his team out of there first. When David and Mary arrived, David was first very timid, then put Uchenna's work to shame. But the best to watch (although not best team at the task) was Team Guido. Joe was in the pool and he became The Fish Whisperer. "Meditate them into submission."From there, the scenery in Chile was gorgeous as the teams drove on to their next clue, a Detour. They had a choice between two adventures found in the local area. The first choice was Vertical Limit -- both team members had to rock climb a 40-foot mountain-face, retrieve the clue, then descend. In River Wild, teams had to whitewater raft a 2½-mile route down the river. Not one team chose Vertical Limit. There was a pretty large split between the groups of teams with some really trailing behind.Teaming up with Team Guido not realizing Guido didn't read the whole clue at the fish Detour, were Mirna and Charla. Once they realized that Guido had missed the town name, Petrohue, they almost kicked themselves for helping them. They were amongst the trailing teams as were David and Mary.Worse than Rob's wrong turn, Dustin and Kandice totally missed the clue which told them of the Detour. They saw the cars from other teams parked, joined them and automatically headed to do the whitewater rafting. Supposedly the rafting was in Class 3 and 4 level waters, but it didn't look it to me. That's something I loved to do back in the day and it looked a 3 tops.There was more Mirna/Charla drama. Can't they just go away? Please, I beg of you! But, in the end, the finish order was:Rob and Amber - Each won a home gym (remember, they're married)Uchenna and JoyceEric and DanielleDustin and Kandice (sent back because they missed the Detour clue, yet they placed the same upon their return)Oswald and DannyTeri and IanJoe and BillCharla and Mirna (argh)David and Mary - PhiliminatedI didn't think that David and Mary would last long in this race, but I wish that Charla and Mirna were out instead of them this week. I am so sick of Mirna's drama! At least David and Mary threw themselves into the challenges and don't get nasty with others.And, hey... what about Romber coming in first three times in a row? Not bad, Boston Rob, not bad at all.

TV Review: Survivor 14: Fiji - Episode 4

Jackie — Sat, 3 Mar 2007 14:59:29 EST

Is Ravu going to ever win anything? Ever?Sixteen are left. Who will be voted out tonight?After the inevitable recap, the show opened with Ravu returning from the last Tribal Council after voting out Sylvia. James/Boston/Rocky was being a drama queen about it all (especially in light of what happened later in the show). He wanted to straighten everyone out, darn it all!Most of his venom was taken out on Anthony who seems to have some issues of his own and doesn't need the Wrath of Rocky upon him. Apparently Rocky thinks that Anthony whines too much and irritates him. Anthony, in a confessional, started crying while saying he was always picked on in school and has low self-esteem issues. Oh, geez. At least he's determined not to give up.The Moto tribe, even though they're living the life of luxury and have won every challenge so far, has its own issues. Gary, also known as Papa Smurf, is getting increasingly more ill as time goes on. Although she had a point, Lisi was unduly harsh in confessionals, saying she didn't want to babysit him -- if he's sick, he should leave. Cassandra was more worried about his health than how his sickness would affect the tribe.The Reward Challenge had the tribes each line up on balance beams over water. One by one from the far end, the tribe members had to cross the beam to the other side going around their tribemates. The traveling member could only touch one tribemate at a time, no using two to balance. They could change their order by jumping in. They were playing for rice, lots of fish, spices, pillows, blankets, and a king-sized bed. The winning tribe would also choose to send a losing tribe member to Exile Island.Once again, Moto won. They sent Yau-Man off to Exile Island where he found the latest clue to one of the two hidden Immunity Idols we're to see this season. With the first three clues and the latest, he determined that the idol is hidden right at the entrance to the cave at the camp. He feels he really needs it, but is worried about how to be there alone to dig for it.Moto loves their new bed, filled their already full tummies, and declared the world "Motolicious!"Oh, but over at Ravu, it was a totally different scene. Rocky was throwing a temper tantrum which would put a 2-year-old child to shame, throwing things, fussing and cussing. Again, he blamed Anthony. Earl spoke with Anthony telling him not to worry -- while Rocky was quick to lay the blame, he doesn't do much of anything around the camp but fuss. Anthony decided he'd ignore Rocky and it would end up Rocky being the one who looked bad.Then the Gary situation grew to crisis at the Moto camp. He ended up being flown away and dropping out of the show. I'm not really surprised. He's older than most and wasn't in good shape at all. His tribemates really seem to like him, but at least now Lisi won't have to worry about babysitting him. The more I see her, the more catty she comes across to me.As the tree mail telling of the upcoming Immunity Challenge arrives, James decided to try a different approach... a naked one. Oh, geez. (I think I'll say that every time I get annoyed by James/Rocky/Boston/Whatever.) He's way too skinny to even think he looked anything but pitiful! He then dons a pink bikini top which belonged to one of the girls and put coconuts in it for a full figure. (Can you hear me rolling my eyes?) He claims he wants to get people fired-up to win. Yeah, right.The Immunity Challenge was indeed challenging... and no puzzles! Oh, there were boats. lily pads, tribe members in locked cages, and more. They had to retrieve keys, release each tribe member from the cages jumping or slithering across lily pads, get back to shore, make a human pyramid, and release the last member of the tribe. Woohoo! Before it all started, Jeff held up a sealed bottle and said the winning tribe would read the letter within after the competition.Although they fell behind early, Ravu made an astonishing comeback, almost catching up to Moto. Is this it? Is this their time to actually win something for the first time this season? Nope. Moto pulled it off and won.Ah, but did they really win? Within the bottle was a new twist to the game. They had the choice to keep Immunity, but move to the Ravu camp. (Ravu got perky over that one!) If they want to remain in the luxury camp, they have to give Ravu Immunity and vote one of their own off at Tribal Council. They just couldn't bear to give up their camp, so thought they'd lose a second member (remember, Gary went) rather than their beloved home. So, Ravu finally got Immunity, but didn't break their losing streak.The claws came out at Moto upon their return to camp. Dreamz brazenly announced that everyone should agree either Cassandra or Lisi should go home as they're the weakest members of the tribe. Cassandra was shocked; Lisi was ticked. Dreamz said, "I'm not pointing fingers, but it obvious that Cassandra or Lisi should go." Say what? He said that in front of them, too.The other members talked sans Dreamz and most thought it should be either Cassandra or Liliana. Now, Liliana is the strongest woman there. I don't think that makes much sense. I personally thought if they wanted to vote off a physically strong member, go for Dreamz. He rubs a lot of folks the wrong way.At Tribal Council, Lisi spoke up against Dreamz's power play at camp. Cassandra told Liliana how strong she is and how much she loved her. Liliana said she thought highly of Cassandra, too... then became the sole vote to oust Cassandra. Cassandra voted for Lisi to leave (yes!), but all of the rest voted out Liliana."Liliana, the tribe has spoken."In a bit of a sidenote -- my photo turned out fuzzy and unusable, but wasn't the snake creepy? I'm assuming it couldn't giving birth to a new snake in that manner. Maybe it was regurgitating a snake. It definitely wasn't just shedding its skin, not with eyes and jaws on the old skin. I guess I'm going to have to research snakes now.

What Would You Do To Be On Survivor?

Jackie — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 08:51:59 EST

Gloria Query is a woman on a mission, a gal with a goal. That goal is to make it on the reality television show Survivor. Although I'm a huge fan of the show and have written about it since its first season, that's not a goal I share with her. Reading her history of casting calls that she sent to me via email makes me prefer to sit back, watch, and write even more. Fourteen tryouts and seven years of her life invested, she's still actively trying to make the cut even if she may have alienated the show's executive producer, Mark Burnett, and the casting director. She thinks that they might think she's a "nut" and that she may scare them a bit. All she really wants is the chance to be on the show, that's all. And, apparently she'll do just about anything to make her dream come true.Her infatuation began with the first season and an attraction to Rudy Boesch, the gruff third-place finisher who became Richard Hatch's one real ally during the season. Why Rudy? Well, he reminded Gloria of her personal father-figure, a man named Sarge. Not owning her own video camera to submit tapes for casting, it was off to the flea market to pick one up. Her first submission may or may not have resulted in a callback, she doesn't know. Her son claimed someone from the show called, but they never called back.And, that was the sign of things to come for the next seven years. Although she's currently a furniture sales consultant, Query has plenty of experience in the "different" realm including ex-cop, ex-bounty hunter, ex-car repo woman, and even ex-go-go dancer. She drew on her past experiences to be different enough to get her foot in the door at casting calls. She's been a veiled Gypsy looking into the crystal ball and even created a turtle race (thankful that she didn't have to vote off the turtle with three legs) in audition tapes sent to the show.No callback and "don't call us, we'll call you" seem to be the responses of the casting folks at Survivor. What to do? What to do? Gloria knew what to do. She'd try even harder, make herself stand out even more from the crowd! After her third tryout, she decided that if she never got on the show, she'd work at having the record for the most tryouts. Now, that's a goal she may attain. Fourteen tryouts, yet not one personal interview from the staff. One would think they'd at least talk to her to tell her to stop if they're not interested!She's submitted tapes of herself hibernating on the kitchen table, coming out of trash bags that her family threw her in as she's a reality show failure, wearing a black girdle and bikini-top dancing with a cut-out of Jeff Probst (also in a bikini), sitting on a Chamber Pot of Dreams, and more. In live casting call auditions, she recently went as far as peeing in her pants and announcing it to the crew.What would you do to be on Survivor? I'm sure that it's not anything that Gloria Query hasn't already thought of and tried. From her zany and perhaps a bit scary audition tapes and casting call auditions to her plans for the winnings – help someone down on their luck and create a business where special needs folks like her own son could work – she's a woman obsessed. I think the only way Mark Burnett is going to get this monkey off his back is to give her shot and let her sink or swim.