Real Housewives of New York City star and countess LuAnn de Lesseps has broken up with her husband of 16 years, Count de Lesseps, the man who made her countess title possible. “It is obviously a very difficult time for the countess and count, but they plan to remain friends and their primary focus will… continue reading
Archives for March 2009
Simon and Paula’s screwing around unfair to contestants, even if it’s entertaining
Last week’s performance episode of American Idol 8 was marked by more than just impressive and impressively mangled versions of Motown songs. While Allison was being judged by Kara, Simon Cowell drew on Paula Abdul’s face with a crayon, which he had because Paula gave him crayons–a Crayola 64 box–and two coloring books to illustrate… continue reading
MTV renews Real World, Challenge for four seasons each
MTV is sticking with what it knows, ordering four more seasons of The Real World and four more seasons of the competition spin-off Challenge series. At the end of that run, there will be 26 seasons of The Real World and 21 seasons of the Challenge, never mind 14 seasons of the now-cancelled Road Rules…. continue reading
The Osbournes return to TV tonight with variety show
The Osbournes debuted on MTV just over seven years ago and forever altered the reality TV landscape by showing a celebrity family’s daily life. And just about four years ago, it was finally cancelled after four seasons, and after the family’s antics became a little too forced. Tonight, Ozzy, Sharon, Jack, and Kelly return to… continue reading
Recycle follows ex-Mujahideen bodyguard who collects cardboard to support his family
Tonight, PBS Independent Lens debuts a documentary, Recycle, which has a simple name that defies the complexity of its subject: it tells the story of a Jordanian man who’s an ex-Mujahideen fighter and bodyguard who now supports his 10-person family by collecting cardboard in Zarqa, where al-Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was born…. continue reading
ABC gets Shark Tank; Fox plans More to Love fat dating show; RuPaul renewed; Chopping Block gone
Networks have made several announcements recently about new and returning reality shows: Fox is returning to the dating reality show genre, but as always with Fox dating show, there’s a twist. The network that previous brought us dating little people and even ski mask-wearing daters will air More to Love, on which “a single average… continue reading
Dennis Rodman intervention, firing ends with AA promo as Celebrity Apprentice gets even better
The Celebrity Apprentice, which is now airing its second season, is easily the best celebrity reality show on the air because its format and tasks allow us to really see celebrities for who they really are. That they tend to be even more type-A than the contestants in the non-celebrity version makes the show work,… continue reading
Phuket: elephants mount, tap contestants’ asses
The Amazing Race 14 is preempted next week for a two-hour extravaganza, Andy Rooney Reads His Mail. Oh wait, that was tonight. Actually, it’s for the Country Music Awards, but I think I’d rather watch Andy Rooney discuss the contents of his diaper. In other bad ideas news, The Amazing Race 14 is being turned… continue reading
Tiffany Pollard returning to VH1 in New York Goes to Work
Tiffany Pollard’s failed outing as an actress, as chronicled in the disingenuous spin-off New York Goes to Hollywood, has not meant the end of her reality TV career. Starting May 4, she will star in a new series called New York Goes to Work, which is not, alas, about her new life as a streetwalker–or,… continue reading
Megan Parris says Bachelor producers “berate,” “curse at” contestants
Early Bachelor 13 reject Megan Parris has offered strong criticism of the show, and and among her charges are that producers “berate[d]” her during “scripted” confessionals to get her to say certain things, constructed quotes via frankenbiting, and bleeped her even when she wasn’t swearing. She’s said a version of this before–talking to reporters after… continue reading
Shawn Johnson could earn $365,000 on Dancing with the Stars
Olympian Shawn Johnson’s contract with Dancing with the Stars 8 promises her a maximum of $365,000 if she stays in the competition until the end. She gets base pay of $125,000, plus weekly pay that starts at $10,000 (for weeks three and four), $20,000 (five, six, and seven), $30,000 (eight and nine), and $50,000 (10… continue reading
Michael Sarver eliminated but Matt Giraud in danger
American Idol‘s phones were called 36 million times last night, and apparently a big chunk of those calls were made by morons. While Michael Sarver was justifiably eliminated, Matt Giraud was also in the bottom two and was nearly eliminated even though bottom-three Scott MacIntyre was safe. Scott MacIntyre’s third-from-last position led to him being… continue reading
Richard Hatch cites his “villainous” “media-concocted caricature” in request to be released
With well under a year left on his 51-month sentence, Survivor winner Richard Hatch wants to be let out of prison, writing in a court document about himself in the third person that “Hatch’s portrayal on ‘Survivor’ and his media-concocted caricature as continue to unfairly bleed into legal proceedings and wield unjust influence.” Richard “is… continue reading
Prostitution, schizophrenia, showmance lesbianism accusations fly on High School Reunion 5
Before High School Reunion 5 debuted last month, executive produce Mike Fleiss said the show had “one of the biggest bombs ever dropped on a reality show,” and that bomb exploded last night when Jessica accused Maricela of being a prostitute–and that was just the beginning of the accusations between the two. Below is uncut… continue reading
Jason: “Molly and I are happy”
Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney are still together four weeks after dumping Melissa for Molly during The Bachelor 13‘s reunion. An alleged upcoming Star magazine story that supposedly detailed why Jason wants Melissa back hasn’t yet materialized; instead, the magazine has the scandalous pictures of Melissa dancing when she was younger. “Molly and I are… continue reading