reality blurred + archives + August 14 to August 20, 2011

week of August 14, 2011

Melanie Moore didn't expect to win SYTYCD because she was the front-runner
Melanie Moore won So You Think You Can Dance's eighth after getting almost half of viewer votes, but she expected that she'd follow in previous...
Top Chef Texas scandal: producers asked cities to pay cash, Texas paid
Last week, Bravo announced that Top Chef's ninth season was filmed in Texas, but that press release and subsequent press accounts didn't mention what several...
Bob and Susie are still awesome judges, but Food Network Star has become too familiar
Food Network Star dropped the word "Next" from its title this year, but it needs to rethink more than its title to stay fresh. The...
TLC cancels Kate Plus Eight, but threatens to bring Kate and the kids back sometimes
TLC has cancelled Kate Plus Eight, the follow-up to Jon & Kate Plus Eight, the series that killed a marriage and became a sensation that...
Adam Levine: American Idol's closeting of gay contestants "always pissed me off"
The Voice coach and Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine has criticized American Idol for refusing to do what his series did easily and without...

Real Housewives cast member Russell killed himself
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Russell Armstrong, Taylor's estranged husband, died Monday night, apparently from hanging himself. "I can confirm that Mr....

Chipotle blamed for Soul Daddy's closing
The saga of America's Next Great Restaurant's not-so-great end continues as Chipotle is getting the blame for killing Soul Daddy, which closed its third and...
Russell Armstrong's death blamed on Real Housewives
The apparent suicide of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Russell Armstrong is being at least partially blamed on the Bravo reality show,...
Nigel Lythgoe's bullshit response to Adam Levine's criticism of Idol's gay track record
Asked about The Voice judge Adam Levine's comments about the lack of out gay contestants on American Idol, the Fox show's producer gave an idiotic...
Fox confirms American Idol judges will all return, announces debut date
American Idol's cast will remain unchanged for season 11, with Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and Randy Jackson on the panel and Ryan Seacrest hosting. Executive...
Abercrombie's publicity stunt, offering to pay Jersey Shore cast to stop wearing its clothes, doesn't help its stock
Abercrombie and Fitch got its name in the news today not by producing a catalog full of homoerotic images of nearly-naked people who ironically aren't...
Prisoners and Patriots film tells the untold story of a Japanese internment camp
A journalist friend of mine is raising money so he can distribute his documentary film about a previously untold story: the internment of more than...

Big Brother gets resurrected in the UK
Less than a year after ending its run in the UK, cancelled because of low ratings, Big Brother is being resurrected--but with major changes. The...
Thoughts about returning to Big Brother after skipping it for a week
Last week, I was in the North Sea aboard the Steve Irwin, covering Whale Wars spin-off for Playboy, somewhat worried about being imprisoned and/or dying....
LA Ink cancelled, TLC says, but Kat Von D says she quit
TLC says it has cancelled its reality show LA Ink, but its star, Kat Von D, says she quit the Miami Ink spin-off and insists...

Win a copy of Reality TV: An Insider's Guide to TV's Hottest Market, and learn how to get a job or sell a show
If you want a job in reality television, or want to understand how it works behind the scenes, or think you have the perfect...
Brendon's gone, again, but it's time to bring back Shelly's kid Josie
Big Brother 13 picked up a little last night, thanks to the second exit of Brendon, a fight between Rachel and Jeff, and the reappearance...
Bravo is editing Real Housewives after suicide, but removing Russell would be a mistake
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will be re-edited because of Russell Armstrong's suicide, which friends attributed in part to his discontentment with the series,...
West Memphis Three released after 18 years in prison, and documentary is credited with helping free them
An HBO documentary helped free three men who've spent 18 years in prison, and a new film already in the works will tell their full...

Big Brother houseguest appears on Millionaire Matchmaker, says he's worth $10 million
A former Big Brother houseguest now says he's worth $10 million, and appeared in last week's season premiere of Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker. Michael Donnellan was...
Survivor South Pacific cast photos, names leak
The cast of Survivor South Pacific has not yet been officially announced by CBS, but their official cast photos and names have leaked, so we...