reality blurred + archives + December 6 to December 12, 2009

week of December 6, 2009

Obvious, boring team wyns the Amayzing Rhace after a surprisingly exciting finale
After "8 countries, 21 days, more than 25,000 miles racing around the world," as Phil Keoghan said, a dating couple broke the two-season streak of...
Why CBS should pay to reunite Survivor's contestants for its 20th anniversary party
Last week, I broke the news that CBS is reuniting 20 seasons of cast members for a Survivor reunion party that will also be part...
Amazing Race finale ratings up significantly, but 685,000 viewers tuned out during it
Despite being comparatively dull, the finale of The Amazing Race 15 last night was up significantly over the last two seasons' finales, although some viewers...
Sea Shepherd's sixth campaign, production on Whale Wars' third season, start today
The Sea Shepherd crew is heading to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in the Antarctic to engage with Japanese whalers, and with them will be...
CBS' pap smear gift PSA has versions for Christmas, Hanukkah, which says "schmear"
Perhaps the most awesomely unexpectedly entertaining part of The Amazing Race 15's finale last night was a PSA that aired during one of the commercial...

Meghan, Cheyne cocky ("we're the best team ever"); were 10 minutes ahead of Sam, Dan, who explain blurring, are okay with edit
Ugh: Meghan and Cheyne are absurdly cocky about their Amazing Race 15 win, and if there's anything that can make me like someone less, it's...
Million Dollar Listing keeps up Josh, Chad's contrived conflict, awkward set-ups as Madison comes out
Bravo's Million Dollar Listing ended its third season last night, and for me it went from guilty pleasure (I loved to hate them) to guilty...
Artists, scientists who "forge lives as modern- day paper folders" profiled in PBS origami doc
PBS' Independent Lens broadcasts some of the most intriguing documentaries on the most random subjects. Tonight, that subject is origami, and filmmaker Vanessa Gould examines...
Columnist says Obama's presidency "is in danger of becoming" a reality show
In a recent New York Times column, David Carr argues that party crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi "weren't so much invading the Obamas' privacy as...
Jersey Shore generates death threats to MTV, dropped sponsors, but low ratings
MTV's two-hour debut of its docudrama Jersey Shore has generated a lot of press and even death threats to MTV employees, but it did not...

Kate Gosselin being filmed for new show; her kids are "sobbing" without cameras
With the Salahis and Tiger Woods to distract us, Jon and Kate Gosselin haven't done anything newsworthy in two whole weeks. Crazy! But that ends...
Danny wins Biggest Loser after shedding 55.58 percent of his weight; Subway bribes Shay
The Biggest Loser 8 ended last night, and transformed Danny Cahill was declared with winner for losing 55.58 percent of his body weight and 239...
American Idol 9's Hollywood week will film in January, later than usual
Usually by now, American Idol's Hollywood week has finished filming, and thus names of finalists start leaking out. But this year, that part of the...
Brian, Ericka had bad chip dealer, wine with Wayne Newton; editing lied about Ericka's mom
Third-place Amazing Race team Brian and Ericka have revealed that, despite Ericka's meltdown, the Cirque challenge was not what caused them to lose the race,...
Details illustrates "douchefag" article with picture of Christian Siriano and his boyfriend
A photo of Project Runway 4 winner Christian Siriano and his boyfriend Brad Walsh was used to illustrate a December Details magazine chart feature about...
Dating shows get more absurd: Conveyor Belt of Love, Frank the Entertainer...Basement Affair
Two new dating shows are pushing the limits of ridiculousness, because one takes place on a conveyor belt, and the other in the bachelor's parents'...

SYTYCD 6 has its final six
After a results show featuring Kris Allen and K-Mart, So You Think You Can Dance found its final six, and it does not include Mollee...
Voltaggio brothers win Top Chef Las Vegas, with Michael getting the cash prize
Although the three dominant Top Chef Las Vegas cast members made it to the end--Kevin, Michael, and Bryan won 12 of 13 elimination challenges this...
Michael, Kevin, Padma thought Bryan won; Tom says Michael won 2:1:1; Toby says 2:2:0
On Bravo's web site, various Top Chef Las Vegas finalists and judges discuss who they thought should have won and why Michael actually won. (No...
Why Jeff Probst's Survivor predictions and analysis in Entertainment Weekly are annoying bullshit, and how he could improve
For the past few seasons of Survivor, Jeff Probst has been writing what Entertainment Weekly calls a "blog," because apparently no one at the best...
MTV cuts "guido" from Jersey Shore promos; exec says it's "a fun show with heart"
MTV has removed the word "guido" from Jersey Shore's controversial promos, and MTV programming president Tony DiSanto says that had no idea the word or...
Ethan Zohn's cancer "vaporized" by radiation
Great news about Ethan Zohn's battle with cancer: it has been "vaporized," he tweeted, by five weeks of radiation treatment. While he had "a clear...

Jon Gosselin ordered to stop appearances TLC calls "inconsistent with the image of our show"
On Thursday, TLC won a temporary injunction against Jon Gosselin that prevents him from making public appearances, at least until an April 19 trial. People...
Brett appears but Monica and Dave leave; Dave made Russell puke, says Shambo "clouded by fear, mental and emotional illness"
Two people went home in what essentially amounted to two back-to-back half-hour episodes of Survivor that had a hint of excitement but mostly just moved...
Next week: the Jackson family comes to reality TV, and cook with Gordon Ramsay live
December is fading rapidly, and even here in Florida, it's been winter gray. Here's what you may have missed last week, and what reality TV...