A Reality Check With ... Goil Amornvivat (Bravo's "Top Design")

Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Goil moved to the United States when he was 12 years old. After graduating from Yale, he was handpicked by Robert A.M. Stern, a world-renowned architect, to work for him. It was here that he collaborated on a project to design and build the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Goil's work has been exhibited at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. He likes open spaces and can do everything from interiors, architecture, landscapes and product design. Goil believes he has a more worldly approach to his style, and says he's used to a competitive environment and loves to win.

Self-described as “small, spicy and fabulous,” Goil is known to stand his ground and confront his challenger face-to-face when conflicts arise.

RC: You studied architecture in college – what was the first big project you got to work on? And how old were you?
GA: My first big project was the Comcast Tower in Philly working for Robert Stern.

RC: How did you gain your background in interior design?
GA: The two disciplines are very close to each other. They’re connected. For me, I don’t see the line.

RC: What was the audition process like for “Top Design”?
GA: It was so long ago! I think what we did was ... I sent in an application form, set up a meeting with a casting person. Apparently I was a day late, I was totally oblivious. I brought my portfolio, prepared a little bit of a speech - what I am about or what my work is about.

RC: Being more of an architect, were you intimidated going into the competition?
GA: Going into the competition, I was a littler nervous. For a while, I didn’t tell anybody about my background. I didn’t want them to count me out so soon.

RC: On last week’s episode, you had to design a hotel room using the element “fire”. You & Andrea ended up in the bottom two. Why do you think you ended up getting sent home?
GA: I’m not exactly sure. To be really honest, I don’t hate my room. I had one element that I didn’t finish … I couldn’t finish it to my liking. This time, I ran into time sensitive issues.

RC: How do you deal with stress?
GA: I’m really easygoing but when it comes to work, I’m quite focused. I work my way out of it. The first episode was the easiest, I had Elizabeth next to me helping me out. And my carpenter, Sarah, has been by my side, calming me down. As an artist, you need to go through the range of emotions.

RC: You seemed to have a high level of respect for Andrea’s work throughout the competition. Are you hoping she wins?
GA: Of course! I love her! She’s a few models ahead of me in terms of work. I hope that she wins. I love what she represents.

RC: Looking back, which project did you think was your best during the show?
GA: I actually liked the children’s room & the college student’s room. Those two rooms are very personal for me. The children’s room was all active, the concept part was very clear. It was executed in a clean & rich way. You can look at that way room & there’s a lot of different layers in it. The fourth room was the same way. My college student was a painter. I asked her, if your house was burning down, what would you grab? She said her painting. Her painting had much to do with abuse & violence. My room manifested itself in that way. All the pieces were broken.

RC: What’s next for you? GA: I have been back developing my practice. I left Robert Stern & started my own practice. Then this show came along & I’m picking up where I left off.

RC: Can we expect to see you on the finale?
GA: You’ll have to watch & see!

Thanks to Goil for talking to RealityCheck!

"Top Design" airs on Bravo Wednesday nights at 10pm EST.

Dancing With The Star Wars??? (4/3/07)

In a not-so-surprising turn of events, former Miss USA Shandi Finnessey & her partner Brian Fortuna were eliminated on last night's "Dancing With The Stars". Leeza Gibbons also found herself in the bottom two but was spared for this week. Joey Fatone received the highest number of votes for his tango to the theme from Star Wars, despite his awful puns like, "I am a Joe-i". Boooooo. Next week, pairs take on the Waltz & (my favorite) the Pasa Doble. I'm still rootin' for Apolo!

The Bachelor: Premiere Episode (4/2/07)

I have to admit ... The Bachelor roped me in right away. They showed new bachelor Andy Balwdin runnin around without his shirt, throwing rocks into the ocean while talking about how much love he has to give, and holding his Humanitarian Of The Year Award. What girl wouldn't swoon? Dammit! I hate being girly.

On his 30th birthday, Andy had the opportunity to meet the 25 women would be fighting ... er, VYING ... for his love & affection. During the first meetings, it seemed like he was enjoying brunettes better than blondes because he kept saying "Oh my Gosh" at the pretty brown haired girls. Stephanie T. ended up getting the first impression rose but I was not too thrilled because she actually said to him, "What's the deal with that rose?" Don't you people know you don't bring up the rose? You act like you don't see it and you MOVE ON!

A nervous Andy showed up his birthday party to find the girls competing in every way they could for his attention. One girl sang the national anthem to him & I was surprised that he said he was almost moved to tears by her performance! The girls, in their confessionals, talked about how hot he was & how he's a doctor & he's going to be theirs. Stephanie said: "I'm going to get rose after rose after rose until I get a ring on my finger". Ummm, didn't you guys meet 5 minutes ago?

In mid-episode, I'm feeling that Linda, Lindsay, and the drunk girl (Blakeney) won't make the first cut. Since I'm blogging as I'm watching, let's see just how good I am.

Can I just say, while I'm at the midway point, that I could never be on this show. I can watch it, but I can't be on it. There's too much girliness, cattiness for my liking. This is why I eat cookies on the couch & watch it as opposed to participating in it!

The desperate attempts for attention continued - baking a cake (using tequila instead of eggs - I wish I was kidding), backflips, pushup contests, squats contests, and yes ... someone did the worm across the living room floor. At the rose ceremony, Peyton received the first rose mostly because it was also her birthday (her 24th). 13 more were given out (including to the singer & the cake baker).

Am I amazing or WHAT? I called 3 that would be going home & I was right about all three. I'm like a reality goddess ... but I don't know if I'm proud of that. This season looks like it's full of intrigue & drama. I think Andy makes out with every girl & every girl claims she's falling in love with him. I'd be WAY too jealous to put with that ... but I'll be watching all season!

A Reality Check With ... Tim Urban (NBC's "The Apprentice")

Tim Urban stops by Reality Check to talk about his hatred for being grayed out, his relationship status with Nicole, and fights back against the team that forced his firing.

RC: How did you end up getting on “The Apprentice”? Did you go to an open call or submit a tape?
TU: I did go to an open casting. I was a big fan, I was addicted to “The Apprentice”. I was watching the first episode of season 5, and an ad came on the tv asking people to come to an open call at Universal City. There were a couple thousand people there and I waited 8 hours. For me, it was a big, fun game and the next thing I knew, I was on national tv.

RC: Was being on the show how you imagined it would be or did it take you by surprise?
TU: Because I watched, I knew what to expect. It was definitely harder than I thought. It was surreal watching it for so long and then suddenly it was like I was inside the tv!

RC: What was your favorite task to work on?
TU: Well, we lost, but I loved the GNC challenge where we were boxing. Before they revealed the results, I was sure we had won! We had lots of fun, running around on the soccer field at halftime. We had fun at the Universal challenge, too.

RC: Yeah, except you guys took a lot of heat for that challenge. Angela was pretty upset with you guys.
TU: She was bitter about that. But it wasn’t as bad as it looked. We were not lying. We offered their customers free water and they came to us. Look, you wouldn’t tell a baseball team stealing bases is immoral!

RC: Right. It seemed on last night’s episode that Arrow was disjointed & it’s the first time I’ve seen that in a while. Looking back on it, did you feel that you were being a distraction as your teammates said or did you feel there were other reasons for the loss?
TU: I completely acknowledge what the team is saying but because it was an easy attack. Any good player is going to jump on that. It’s actually quite silly to call people a distraction. I never mentioned Nicole, her name never came up during challenges. Ok … saying that I forced my ideas upon people. I get very into my own ideas however, every time we would brainstorm, I would throw out mine & they would say: “We love it, let’s do it.”

RC: What’s it like when you’re watching the episode when you see people talking about you in their confessionals? Does it bother you or do you take what is said with a grain of sand?
TU: I know how the show works, and it happened big time in episode 11 and a little in episode 10. James was saying “I don’t know what he’s doing” and Frank was saying, “I’m here for a job interview” … they said nothing to my face. They kept saying things like, “You two are great together”. Frank apologized when Nicole switched teams. THEY kept bringing it up.

RC: Looking back on it, do you think the decision to get involved with Nicole during the interview process was a good one?
TU: Um, well, the fact is … I don’t think you can wait. Waiting would’ve meant … I mean … turning things off & not getting involved in the first place. It wasn’t a matter of “let’s do it later”. Realistically, I could’ve waited but it wasn’t going to happen if I didn’t do it then. We’re still dating 10 months later.

RC: You took my next question. I figured you guys would wait ‘til the live finale to reveal your status.
TU: I’m allowed to say that.

RC: You joked during your car ride out about being “grayed out” on NBC’s website. How do you maintain a sense of humor in the middle of such a stressful situation?
TU: I’ve never liked being grayed out, I don’t enjoy it. I hope to be grayed out as little as possible in my life. We got into that fight … 3 against me … about Nikki a couple days earlier. I know the show – a concensus attack cannot be overcome. I’m looking at it saying, “This is a concensus attack in the making. If the 3 of them can attack me they’re safe. So we either win & I’m still in it OR we lose & I’m going home”. When we lost, I was thinking, “That’s not so good”. I was going to go in there, fight my little heart out, and probably go home. I wanted to survive or go down swinging & I went down swinging. I lost & as expected, ended up in the limo. I had accepted it. I had a good run, there was no task the next day. I felt fine about it.

RC: You recently completed an album, Turning Home, with Glen Ballard producing. Tell us a little bit about the album & what it was like to work with someone who’s got Michael Jackson & Aretha Franklin on his resume.
TU: It’s a little silly that I was on “The Apprentice” because I was doing it more as a fun game. Real estate is not my thing, music is. I want to be a composer. I’m a piano player, I write a lot of different kinds of music. I met someone who was Glen’s assistant and they said maybe I can play one day for him. I got a meeting, and I was incredibly lucky since he is a hero of mine. I played 5 minutes, he kept asking for more Then he said, “Let’s do an album together”. I couldn’t believe it, it was the most exciting thing. I came in a week later. He said, “OK, I want you to sit at the piano & play”. I sat for 3 hours and improvised. We picked out the really good moments and expanded our 8 favorite ones into tracks. You can buy the album on www.timburban.com or ITunes.

RC: So what are you up to now that the show is over?
TU: I still have my tutoring company in LA. My long-term goal out there is to make another CD & get music to people & make that my thing.

Thanks to Tim for taking the time to talk to us here at RealityCheck.

You can also see this blog on RealityWanted!

PREVIEW: The Bachelor (4/2/07)

I have issues with ABC's The Bachelor but I always get roped into watching. So yes, I'll be watching this season entitled "An Officer & A Gentlemen" but for me, The Bachelor, it's do or die. Watching The Bachelor is like watching The Apprentice except nobody gets hired. Thanks, Trump. I wasted 16 weeks of my life & I can't get that back. None of The Bachelor romances last so it's hard to get emotionally involved in the storyline. I watched The Bachelor: Rome. Lorenzo chose Jen ... then it didn't work out. So he ended up dating 2nd runner up, Sadie. And ... THAT didn't work out. I mean, I'm starting to get annoyed about it. I'm hoping that this season redeems itself. I need a real Trista/Ryan story to help put me back on track. So, let's all give The Bachelor a chance. Andy Baldwin is quite the looker so he'll keep me watchin. How long before we realize one of the single ladies is completely out of her mind? I'm gonna go with episode 3. Pay attention to the special time:

Monday, April 2 at 9:45/8:45c
"Episode 1001"
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Andy Baldwin, M.D. , a real-life "officer and a gentleman" who's also an accomplished doctor and triathlete, faces the most exciting mission of his life - finding true love!

The Amazing Race: Charla Gets Her Ass Kicked By Horses & Sausage (4/1/07)

Tonight's 2 hour episode took the teams on a tumultuous journey to Poland. Team Guido & Eric/Danielle (known as Team Shut Up in my living room) were left behind after missing a flight. This put them more than 12 hours behind the other teams. The Beauty Queens finished 1st & actually started their next leg before those two teams had finished the previous one. Team Guido ended up in last place but it was a non-elimination round. They are now marked for elimination and will incur a 30 minute penalty if they do not come in 1st on their next leg.

Teams the made an emotional journey to Auschwitz where they had to observe a moment of silence. Afterwards, they found themselves "intersected". Each team had to pair up with another to complete a task until they were given further notice. Ozzie & Danny teamed up with Uchenna & Joyce to finish a Fast Forward. Successful, they were able to go right to the pit stop where they found out that while they tied for 1st place, only one team could have the prize associated with it. Ozzie & Danny, generously & without hesitation, let Uchenna & Joyce have the trip to St. Lucia. The Beauty Queens begrudgingly joined forces with Charla & Mirna while Team Guido had no choice but to team up with Team Shut Up. They hit a Detour & both sets of teams decided to do a task where they had to eat 2 feet of sausage. Dustin & Charla both threw up ... and I prefer never again to watch Charla shove utensils down her throat in order to force herself to puke. That image is now burned in my brain ... thanks, CBS. It hurts.

The remaining four teams were released from being intersected and hit a Detour where one team member had to lead a horse through the woods. On the way there, Charla & Mirna screamed at a taxi driver who wouldn't let them follow him for any less than $100. An episode wouldn't be complete without Mirna melting down, crying, and screaming in broken english. They finally made it to the challenge. Charla, having previous bad luck with horses, did not find much change in Poland. Dustin & Kandice had no trouble finishing 3rd with Charla & Mirna close behind. Team Guido finished 5th but since Eric & Danielle finished during the 30 minute penalty, they were eliminated.

On next week's episode, Eric & Danielle butt heads with Charla & Mirna while Ozzie & Danny have a meltdown.

A Reality Check From ... Angela Ruggiero (NBC's "The Apprentice")

Three-time Olympic Ice Hockey Player Angela Ruggiero, 26, grew up in Los Angeles, California and Harper Woods, Michigan. She graduated cum laude with a degree in government from Harvard University. A star player on the U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey Team, Angela won a Gold medal in 1998, a Silver medal in 2002 and a Bronze medal at the 2006 Olympics. She was the first woman non-goalie to play professional men’s hockey in North America, earning a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Angela is the founder and president of a girl’s hockey school; the author of “Breaking the Ice,” her inspirational autobiography; and the director of the New York Islanders’ Project Hope — an organization that provides young Chinese athletes with access to educational opportunities. In addition, she is currently training for the 2007 World Championships with Team USA as well as the 2010 Olympics.

RC: You’ve achieved so much: Harvard educated, published author, Olympic gold medalist, Hockey Hall Of Fame … do you ever find time to sit back & take it all in?
AR: I try to do that. You definitely have to stop & take a big deep breath & appreciate all yo'uve been given & worked for.

RC: What was it like being a woman in a men’s professional hockey league? Did you find it challenging or intimidating?
AR: They respect you for being a good hockey player. The Oilers definitely did that. It was a good mental preparation for life. You go in & tell yourself you’re prepared, hocky is hockey & not to get so overwhelmed with what you can’t control ... with what people are thinking are saying.

RC: For those who weren't familiar with this year's process, tell us how you would up on The Apprentice?
AR: There was an online poll during the Olympics on nbc.com. People could vote once a day for their favorite athlete on a ballot. I got call one day saying I had received the most votes.

RC: And you were ready to go?
AR: Yes, I was relaxed & ready. The Olympics had ended in February, I traveled, and we didn't start filimg until the summertime. I bought all of Trump’s books to get myself ready!

RC: Is the board room everything you thought it would be? More intense?
AR: The boardroom was very intense. There's a film crew, Mr. Trump is sitting across from you. You're on constant defense.

RC: Let's go back to the last episode. Do you still feel that Nicole should have been the one to be fired or were you trying to deflect blame off yourself as the PM?
AR: Well I felt that Nicole steered us in the wrong direction. She got us all riled up, saying what Arrow was going to do. She has insider information and we had to take that into account. In my opinion, it was the wrong idea - running around chasing people as opposed to having them come to you. I was surprised I wasn't supported in the boardroom.

RC: Well, that seems like a fairly recent tactic. Like the contestants have figured out that if they all gang up on one person, Trump would probably fire them? Was that approach some of the time?
AR: Oh it was every time, gang up on one person. Kinetic was ruthless. Arrow would change who they would say they'd fire but Kinetic always ganged up on one person.

RC: You felt Arrow played dirty during the challenge. What irked you the most about their behavior?
AR: First off, we were told that we couldn’t have a booth. That was our first inclination, a booth with a ticket sign. Universal had said no but Arrow did it anyway. They were pulling people away claiming tickets were cheaper. The way they were operating on the space, selling tickets several times to families of 4 where kids could’ve gotten in for free. I’m not going to lower myself. I kept saying to Trump, "it’s quality over quantity." You really want someone who’s going to represent your company well & I was the leader. Unfortunately in business it’s a lesson. They worked hard but I wish they kept it a little more fair.

RC: Is there anyone that you are particularly rooting for?
AR: Well of course I’d like to see Kinetic win but it seems their numbers are dwindling. I like Stefani, she seems like someone not so much under the radar but playing a quiet role.

RC: What's next for you?
AR: Next – training for Women’s World Championships Apr 3-10 in Winnipeg. This will be my 7th World Championship. I still have my job with the NY Islanders. I'm staying involved in lots of different things. None of it conflicts with the live finale, I’ll be there.

Thanks so much to Angela Ruggiero for talking to Reality Check!
The Apprentice airs on NBC Sunday nights at 10pm EST

Survivor: The End Of Rocky (3/29/07)

I'd like to say that I had the time to write my own recap today but I've been crazed so I'm giving you TV Guide's recap instead.


Survivor: Fiji
by Rhoda Charles

Surely this isn't Survivor: Fiji that I'm watching? Talk about your quick turnaround. Tonight's Survivor was interesting, funny, entertaining, did I already say funny? At the end of the hour I was a happy armchair camper. Let me tell you why. I laughed pretty much through the whole show, including at things that weren't supposed to be funny — like the fact that the rub-you-the-wrong-way Lisi is a customer service rep. I found that funny.

Tonight's show made me happy from Yau-man's successful hunt for the immunity idol to the flamethrowers and fireballs at the reward challenge. Heck, I was just happy we had a reward challenge. I laughed at Mookie's expression after Yau-man sunk a fireball for his tribe — that same Ravu player who moments before had been laughing at Yau-man's technique.

I was happy that Ravu finally won a challenge. But I gotta tell you, I think the odds were stacked in Ravu's favor for this one. I mean, come on, this challenge was designed for a tribe of guys (and Lisi). Any guy who had ever played Lacrosse could have won it, especially with the added incentive of a day at the arcade, hot dogs and beer. Toss in a flaming pellet, and there was no way Ravu was losing that one. And did you check out the pits on Lisi? There's no way she's not one of the guys.

I'm happy that because of their win Ravu got some more food. Who among us, though, didn't see the stomach upset on the horizon? Earl makes me happy: from his positive attitude to his alliance with Yau-man to his snake-ridden island complete with tourism bureau of one. The amount of screen time Edgardo had tonight makes me happy.

Yau-man makes me happy with his gleeful grin and his all-around skill. This man is the man, and it's crazy to me that most of the other players don't realize the threat in their midst. The only player who does recognize Yau-man's value is in an alliance with him. But as far as The Yau goes, I'd be happy if he won purely because of his out-of-the-box strategizing. Fake immunity idol indeed. Love. It.

I’m happy that in real life I don't laugh at blind people, but on Survivor, watching blindfolded folks swing bats at hanging skulls was too much for me to suppress my giggles. Who am I kidding? I snorted watching Boo. Not only was his swiping at the skull hilarious, but so was his backwards retreat to his team. Topping off his ridiculous performance was his replacing Michelle as the caller but not being able to see. Such precious moments! Then Michelle had to go and fall off the platform. Mookie walking into an obstacle at crotch height — no wonder he didn't put up much of a fight for Rocky after this immunity challenge. He just didn't have the... um, he was not himself.

I’m happy that Moto won immunity. Like ecstatic. Earl, Yau-man, Michelle and Cassandra are safe while Lisi and Rocky are on the block. Now, it was a toss-up for me as to who should be voted out of Ravu. Wait. I'm lying, because I was disappointed that Dreamz didn't take the opportunity to force a tie by getting Mookie and Rocky to vote for Lisi. Dreamz has to know that if he lets Alex, Edgardo and Lisi vote out the original Ravu members then he's only two tribal councils away from a snuffed torch. My fingers are crossed for him to make it to the merge.

I’m happy that tribal council ended with the dismissal of one of Survivor's most colorful players. Rocky went out as he played the game: angry and screaming. I expect that his post-tribal council wail will be up on YouTube soon. However, this isn't the last we'll see of him because James (I think we can drop the Rocky moniker now) is the first member of the jury. I can't believe it's that time of the season already, but alas, we're here and it is time for the players to start courting votes.

Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with tonight's show. I guess you could say that I’m happy that I held out faith that this season would improve.

That's What They All Say

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Chris Sligh, the curly headed contestant from South Carolina who was voted off "American Idol" this week, said he considered quitting the show two weeks before viewers sent him packing.

"I never came into this wanting to win it," Sligh told The Greenville News on Thursday. "I made the Top Ten. That was my goal."

Sligh said he decided not to quit because the top 10 contestants participate in an "American Idol" summer tour that comes with a nice paycheck.

"I wanted to make the tour," he said. "I wanted to be able to make music for my living, so I don't have to work at the marketing company that I was working at."

Sligh also talked to the News about being kicked out of the Christian fundamentalist college, Bob Jones University, for attending a contemporary Christian concert featuring the group 4Him.
He enrolled at another Christian school, North Greenville University, and is three credits shy of a music degree.

Leaving Bob Jones "was actually good, because I had been trying to figure out how to leave," he said.

Sligh is scheduled to appear on the show's May 24 finale. But for now he plans to return home to his wife and his church, where hundreds of people gather each week to hear him play his electric guitar and sing as part of services.

"I definitely am looking forward to getting back home and kind of having a normal life for a few weeks," he said.

So Long, Farwell... (Week of 3/26/07)

Wondering who's 15 minutes are up? Well 14 min & 59 seconds into it, I'm here to tell you who got the boot this week in reality world:

Dancing With The Stars: Paulina
I'm sure in her mind, she knew she was going. In the bottom 2 with Shandi Finnessey, Paulina joins the likes of Trista Rehn & Tucker Carlson - the first voted out of Dancing With The Stars. I actually didn't know who she was so ... I guess I'm not surprised.



America's Next Top Model: Diana
So Mr. Jay asks her why she wants to be in the competition and she answers: "Just ... 'cause ..." When will you people learn that Tyra boots the girls who lack the passion & drive? This week, the girls had to dress like men while their partners (male models) dressed like women. While girls like Natasha & Dionne flourished, Diana found herself in the bottom 2 with fellow plus-size model, Whitney. P.S. Whitney said she was a size 8. So am I. Apparenly, I'm a plus size model.




American Idol: Chris S.
Dammit! I wanted to call that he'd go home. I did say in my last blog that I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in the bottom 3. Poor Phil was there again along with Haley (I also called that one). But lo & behold, Captain Mohawk stays in the game. He just doesn't get it, does he? What will you do if he wins? Seriously, WHAT will you do? Ryan, no giving more attention to Sanjaya by wearing the hairstyle. (sigh) I'm shaking my head at producers.



There you have it, a trifecta of losers (I love that word ... trifecta, not losers.) We'll see you guys on MySpace awaiting comments from fans telling you how much you'll be missed.

American Idol: Random Pop Songs (3/27/07)

So Gwen Stefani was the guest ... helper??? ... tonight. Which was cool because I love Gwen Stefani but more for her No Doubt days than her solo days. But I wasn't getting it. I got that they were singing pop songs. But they didn't have anything to do with Gwen or her time period thus far in the music industry. Still cool that she was there. Okay onto the performances. I'll break it down one time for ya:

Lakisha - "Last Dance" - Won favorable comments from the judges, Simon said she looked 30 years younger. For me, she's a girl with a really good voice. I'm not sure I see her as a star.

Chris S. - "Every Little Thing She Does" - Like Gwen said to him, his timing was really off & the judges agreed. He also tries WAY too hard to be funny & sometimes I just want people to be themselves. I still like his voice though. And it's not his turn to go ... yet.

Gina - "I'll Stand By You" - LOVE THIS SONG! I thought she sounded her best. I'm a Gina fan (maybe it's the name) but I thought she was starting to fade into the background. Simon says she knows who she is & he's right ... as always.

Sanjaya - "Bath Water" - Ohhhh Lord. First of all, what was up with the hair? WOWWWWW ... I have no words. Oh wait, I always have words. Speaking of words, he forgot his in front of Gwen & it's HER freakin song! While I guess I'll agree that he's had more personality in recent weeks - it's time to go. PLEASE. Stop listening to Vote For The Worst & Howard Stern. Side note - did you know some chick is starving herself until Sanjaya gets voted off? Sanjaya, you're killing people ... LITERALLY.

Haley - "True Colors" - She's a fighter, I'll give her that. She got her butt handed to her for weeks on end by the judges & I was surprised even when she made top 12 after the harsh criticisms. She still comes out week after week trying her best.I do think it's between her & Sanjaya next week. Paula, stop telling people who suck that they're pretty.

Phil - "Every Breath You Take" - I want people to sing in their real voices & Phil was giving me a nice Sting impression. However, the judges liked it. Paula told Phil that he lives in the chorus ... that's really where he lives. Ok so despite the Sting impression, it was good. We'll see him next week.

Melinda - "Heaven Knows" - Does she not watch Best Week Ever & The Soup? We're all making fun of you, Melinda, for your fake humility. We know you can blow (though I wish the song was a little more upbeat) & YOU know you can blow. We'll see you in the Final 2. Don't act surprised.

Blake - "Love Song" - Ok so nobody is a bigger Blake fan than me. I think he's the best choice for a winner only because he's the most marketable. But I didn't love tonight ... AT ALL. I thought it lacked personality. So even though he can sing, it didn't do it for me tonight. The judges were mixed with their reviews. He'll definitely stick around.

Jordin - "Hey Baby" - Another Gwen choice. Changed up her look tonight. Mabe tried to shed her good girl look. I'm a big Jordin fan & I feel she SHOULD go far. Judges gave her great comments & I was happy for her.

Chris R. - "Don't Speak" - Chris closed the show ... and I felt sad. I was actually rooting for Chris but the last 2 weeks, he's not for me. If you have matches, I'll fly to L.A. to light a fire under his butt. Because vocally he's there but performance wise he needs work.

My prize for the night goes to Gina - I thought she did a great job

& showed tremendous growth.

My picks for bottom 2: Haley & Sanjaya (though Chris S. wouldn't surprise me)

Dancing With The ... Dammit, I'm Hooked! (3/26/07)

I'll admit it. I was more of a "So You Think You Can Dance?" person then a "Dancing With The Stars" person. The whole first season thing with Kelly Monaco & John O'Hurley (well really my problem was just O'Hurley) really turned me off to the show. But ... for the good of my blog, I decided to check it out again this season. And what do you know? I actually like it.

In the beginning, I called Ian Ziering as the winner - after all he IS paired up with 2-time winner Cheryl Burke. Then, I was thinking that maybe The Fat One (aka Joey Fatone - I didn't come up with that name) would pull off a win. Is anyone surprised that a guy who spent years of his life learning how to be in sync (literally) with 4 other guys is constantly in step with his partner? SHOCKER! Ok but guess what? I loves me some Apollo Anton Ohno. A) You're hot (but lose the soul patch). B) You can DANCE. I think we'll see him go far in this competition. His quickstep last night with partner Julianne Hough was great to watch. And surprise - boxer Layla Ali is pullin' out some great dances herself. She ended the night with the highest score after a great night with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy (I had to look up the spelling of that 9 times).

By the way, are you as confused as I am as to who might win? But maybe you have a guess! You can play Fantasy Dancing on ABC's website - you predict who's going & who's staying. And you'll get bragging rights. I registered today! ... that was very informercial of me. Sorry.

Grease: You're The One That They Wanted! (3/25/07)

Congratulations to Laura Osnes & Max Crumm on winning the roles of Danny & Sandy in the Broadway production of "Grease"!

In somewhat of a surprising turn of events, Max beat out Austin for the lead role of Danny. Certainly surprised was producer David Ian, whose jaw was noticeably on the floor when Billy Bush announced the winner. It's hard to feel bad for the guy who was in soap operas and played Link Larkin in "Hairspray" but ... losing on national television must be rough. I felt more for Ashley who seemed to want this so badly and was very gracious in her losing to Laura. Both losers had to come back on minutes later singing backup for the people they just lost to! I was having heart failure ... I don't know how they did it. Ok - did anyone else notice that when the Broadway cast joined them on stage ... that ... they looked ... a LOT older than Max & Laura??? In any case, tickets for "Grease" are currently available through Ticketmaster and the show opens on Broadway this summer. And finally, did I not tell you that Max won it with that bells palsy story last week? If I could've flown to L.A., I would've just to give him a hug. But - I'm very happy with the choices for the roles. And maybe I'll catch it in Broadway this summer. Congrats again to Max & Laura!

A Reality Check From Doug Benson

Doug Benson is a comedian who has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, Mr. Show, and Best Week Ever. He appeared on last season's Last Comic Standing. Benson was part of the writing team that created & performed in The Marijuana Logues. He is currently working on the film project Super High Me.

RC: The new season of "Last Comic Standing" is auditioning now in NYC. What happened last season? I thought for SURE you were going to have no problem going far.

DB: I thought the same thing. Maybe I was too cocky.

RC: "Best Week Ever" seems like such a great show to work on! How were you approached to join the cast?

DB: I wrote some jokes for a VH1 talking heads countdown thingy that was hosted by Sarah Silverman. I said to the producer of that show that I'd like to be a tv talking head. So she used me in THE 100 HOTTEST HOTTIES and a few other shows. Then my agent got me an audition for BEST WEEK EVER and I've been doing it ever since.

RC: I see you have a new comedy cd out. What else is in the works for you? Touring?

DB: To find out about all things me, go to my myspace page and send me a friend request. Then I'll let you know when I'm coming to your town.

Thanks to Doug Benson for chatting with "Reality Check"!

Be sure to check out his MySpace page to find out what he's up to!