reality blurred + archives + April 12 to April 18, 2009

week of April 12, 2009

HBO's fascinating Thrilla in Manila knocks Ali down and picks Frazier up
On Saturday, HBO debuted a new documentary that explores Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, from friendsihp to feud, through the lens of their final confrontation....
American Idol's ads are TV's most expensive at $623,000; DWTS, Survivor get a third of that
American Idol makes more money than any other prime-time TV show, bringing in an average of $623,000 for a 30-second ad and $7 million every...
Susan Boyle shocks Simon Cowell, everyone on Britain's Got Talent 3's first episode
Britain's Got Talent's third season debuted Saturday, and already the show has a breakout star: Susan Boyle, an unemployed woman who's "nearly 48," talks about...

Teams karaoke with cross-dressers, leave their bags behind in Thailand
Although The Amazing Race 14's time in Thailand was relatively uncomplicated--a Roadblock, a boat ride, a Detour, and the pit stop--it was crazy, from fitting...
Fake Jeff Probst Twitter account starts rumor about a relationship between two cast members
A fake Jeff Probst Twitter account left people all atwitter on Sunday after someone impersonating Jeff Probst posed a question about a "shocking" relationship that...
Simon Cowell again suggests he'll quit Idol next year
Simon Cowell has again suggested he'll leave American Idol after the conclusion of its ninth season next year. Two years ago, he said he also...
Spike's Pirate Hunters: USN will follow Navy's anti-piracy efforts off the African coast
One day after American captain Richard Phillips was rescued by the Navy after being taken hostage by Somali pirates, Spike announced that it is starting...

Bravo extends its brand into your life with increasingly pointless products
Have you ever been watching a Bravo reality show and thought to yourself, "What seems to be missing from my life are additional ways to...
Discovery's best reality series, Deadliest Catch and Alaska Experiment, return tonight
It's Alaska Week on the Discovery Channel, and as part of that, the network's two best reality shows return tonight: the dysfunctional functioning crab-fishing pseudo-families...
Lil' Kim's nipple guard exposure causes panic on Dancing with the Stars
On Dancing with the Stars 8 last night, there was a shocking "nearly x-rated moment," as the AP called it: the accidental exposure of Lil'...
Andy Cohen, Laura Bennett shows among new, returning Bravo series
Our long national nightmare is not going to end soon, as Bravo VP and terrible host Andy Cohen is getting his own "weekly topical" Bravo...
Lifetime casting, producing seventh Project Runway, second Models of the Runway
Having acquired its dead horse, Lifetime now plans to beat it, starting production on a seventh season of Project Runway before the sixth season has...
Rod Blagojevich cast on NBC's I'm a Celebrity, and Nancy Kerrigan may join him
Rod Blagojevich has been cast in NBC's summer revival of I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, because he clearly hasn't already embarrassed...

Michael Vick and Nadya Suleman both shopping reality series
Michael Vick is talking to producers about a reality series that would follow him once he leaves prison this summer, and octomom Nadya Suleman is...
American Idol overruns again after idiotically cutting judging in half to deal with its incompetence
American Idol's producers and directors dealt with their inability to produce a live TV show by effectively getting rid of half of the reason many...
David Alan Grier apologizes for saying Carrie Ann Inaba "can eat a dick"
After being eliminated last week, David Alan Grier lashed out at the Dancing with the Stars judges, particularly Carrie Ann Inaba, with whom he used...
Idol 8 finalists will tour 50 cities this summer
American Idol 8's summer tour dates were announced today, and the 10 finalists will visit 50 cities over two and a half months. That's one...

Mark Ballas' erection ignored by Tom Bergeron
This week, Tom Bergeron shielded and fixed Lil' Kim's exposed nipple guard. Yes, he jumped in front of her because a small part of her...
Nadya Suleman in "active negotiations" for a series she calls "documentaries about the lives of my children"
After insisting she did not want a reality series, octomom Nadya Suleman announced that she had signed a deal for a reality show that she...
Judges save Matt Giraud from his not-very-shocking elimination
There was a shocking end to American Idol 8 last night: after overruning Tuesday night and last week, too, the show actually finished on time!...
Phil Keoghan tweets that Amazing Race has been renewed; 15th season now casting
Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan broke the news on Twitter that the series he hosts has been officially renewed for a 15th season. He wrote,...
Will Ferrell will promote a movie on Man vs. Wild by drinking his own urine
If Man vs. Wild had any credibility left after the revelations that the show misrepresented the veracity of Bear Grylls' actions and the situations he...
Kisha is fourth gay cast member on Amazing Race 14, which ignores contestants' gayness
The Amazing Race 14 actually has four openly gay cast members, although only one of them has been identified as gay on the show. Besides...

Dragon idiot's ego inflates as Exile alliance crumbles
I was hoping to start this post with "Awesome awesome awesome," but instead it's more like, "shit shit shit." That's because the showdown between Ben...
Reality TV judge Emmy won't be given this year
Last fall, the Academy of Television Arts and Science's president said they'd create an Emmy for reality TV judges for the next award ceremony. But...
Brendan giving away 50,000 burritos, but only until "amusing," "harmless" Coach gets voted out
Bear Naked Granola founder Brendan Synnott, the entrepreneur/dragon who was voted out of Survivor Tocantins last night, has a new business venture coming, and he's...
Heidi and Spencer cast on NBC's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here
The Hills' resident villains Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have a new reality show coming: NBC's revival of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here....