MSN TV Blog: Reality

Ebert & Roper Out of 'At the Movies'

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:07:22 GMT

Disney, the company behind "At the Movies," refused to extend Richard Roeper's contract, which led Roger Ebert to quit.

In their place are a pair of Bens: Lyons of E! and Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies.

It seems like the company treated the two veteran critics a little shabbily to get themselves some up-and-comers.

But part of me wonders if it's worth it.

Back when Ebert and the late Gene Siskel started the whole televised criticism idea, there were relatively few ways to find out about the movies.

In this Internet age, every movie has its own web site as a must.

Plus there are a ton of resources available, from sites like Rotten Tomatoes to bloggers like our sibling blog for movies.

What do you think? Has the idea of a "At the Movies" program passed its prime?

- posted by Raoul

'Date My Ex'...Please!

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:45:43 GMT

Kate comes from a very different place than I do when it comes to the new Bravo series "Date My Ex," so I thought I would toss my two cents in the ring.

To me, about the only thing that made the original season of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" was the trainwrecky goodness of the Jo-Slade dysfunctional relationship. He was a super-rich perfectionist who wanted his trophy for his success and a live-in nanny for his kids and had a semi-creepy, possessive vibe. She was a young, gold-digging hottie who was torn between getting the mostly free ride Slade was offering her and actually having to do the work of looking after his kids and cleaning and being there to do Slade's bidding 24-7.

It was something that seemed doomed on the face of it.

And yet, the two did seem to have more chemistry than the rest of the housewives and their husbands rolled together. You could see why they'd always feud and make up, make up then feud.

So with that background, I was looking forward to seeing how they would interact on the new show. The premise is that Slade is going to host a bunch of guys who want to date Jo and possibly give them advice on how to do so, and possibly totally box them out.

Why anyone involved would agree to this is unclear. I mean, does Jo really think she's going to get the best advice or be best served through this screening arrangement? Does Slade think he can really keep Jo from dating people he doesn't want her to date? Don't the potential new guys feel used? One explanation for Jo and Slade's involvement is to extend her 15 minutes of fame and to help her music career. (During last night's show, they played a little of one of her songs, and I have to say it wasn't completely horrible.)

Anyway, the first four suitors included a guy who for some reason thought that it would be a good idea to take Jo fishing and show her how to gut a fish. C'mon, dude! Even if I had never seen "Real Housewives" and known that Jo is completely averse to any form of work, even if I had beamed here from the planet Betazoid and just read a book or two on Earth dating rituals, I would have known that would have been a horrible idea.

One of them monopolized the conversation completely, but he cooked for her and took her dancing.

Another she seemed to get along with during a rock climbing trip but didn't show her much in the way of bling.

And then one of them was some sort of Hollywood hotshot who took her on a helicopter tour of L.A.

Guess which one gets to go on a second date with her? And guess which one seems closest to a mini-Slade? And guess which one Slade apparently disapproves of?

Oh, another great thing is that Slade can apparently watch Jo's dates in secret in what I'm hereby dubbing "StalkerVision."

I was an easy sell for the show, so I'm not surprised that it met my expectations.

- posted by Raoul

'Wanna Bet' Not the Worst Wager

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:43:26 GMT

Last night saw the premiere of "Wanna Bet?"

The ABC game show has B-, C- and D-List celebs gambling on whether various contestants can perform tricks they say they can.

If you tuned in last night, you got to see George Takei (he must be using the Enterprise's teleporters because he's everywhere), Tom Green (who looked really, really bad), Harland Williams (a character actor you may have seen in "Men in Black") and Sherri Shepherd from "The View" laying odds.

They had to guess whether the guy in the picture could use a 50-pound tractor tire as a hula hoop for 45 seconds (he couldn't), a man could identify one of 30 CDs by licking it, a group of women race fans could do a pit stop in twice the time it took half a professional pit crew, and a group of movers could fit a bunch of sofas into a truck (all of them could).

Then the celebs decided how much to bet, with the winner getting to donate to a charity of his choice.

The acts were mildly entertaining, although it seemed pretty obvious to me who would be able to succeed and who would likely fail. I kept wondering, "How did someone decide to develop a talent like CD-discerning through licking, anyway?" Did a guy say, "Gee, I wish I had a hula hoop, but all I've got are these spare tractor tires. Guess I'll have to make do."?

Maybe I'm giving the show more credit than it deserves because of the affable hosts, Ant and Dec.

One thing was a little icky: Sherri and George flirting with the contestants. Sherri was saying something about how the CD licker should have better things to do with his tongue, and George said something like the movers could fill his van up any time. (Sorry, I may have repressed the memory and gotten some of the details mixed up.)

It seemed pretty incredible that the show took up an entire hour, given how little happened.

Also, the celebs seemed to have trouble with the newfangled technology they were using. A couple of times, they thought they entered different wagers than they did.

It's not something that I would go out of my way to watch, but there are worse ways to pass some time.

- posted by Raoul

'American Idol' Auditions: San Francisco

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:22:05 GMT

Our coalition buddy Buzz Sugar took some time out of her schedule last week to attend the San Fran "American Idol" auditions:

"As I approached the line to talk to some of the auditioners, I thought I might have to pry them to sing for me — not so! Turns out, wielding a microphone and a camera around thousands of people hoping to be famous is like holding a magical singing wand. They saw my mic as I wandered by and just started belting away! It was. . . amazing, and their enthusiasm was contagious."

Ha! Magical singing wand. She's got video of the auditions, too, if you don't happen to be at work just now. For even more pithy observations, check out the MyIdol forums. Keep in mind, there's still plenty of time to try out. "American Idol" is headed to Louisville, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Kansas City (Missouri), Jacksonville, East Rutherford (New Jersey) and San Juan this summer.

If any of you guys do follow your bliss and try out for the show we'd love to hear about it.

- Posted by Kate

Who Is the Mole?

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:18:04 GMT

We are down to our last four players on "The Mole," and while I can't claim any specialized insight as to the Mole's secret identity, I do have some quick thoughts:

Nicole -- It seemed from their on-screen comments that both Clay and Mark had fixated on the possibility that she was the Mole. That there was a tie in the quiz and that Clay got executed suggests she indeed is not the Mole. I'm not sure if it's part of her game to rouse suspicion as to her motives and get people to wrongly focus on her as the Mole or if she really is "Dr. Diva," as she claims to be, and yet a little scatter-brained. But I would say 100-1 odds against her being the Mole.

Mark -- If he's the Mole, he's done a really poor job of sabotaging the team. On the mission last week where he was on the treadmill, he could have not supplied most of the correct answers at a minimum, let alone keeping up the pace long enough to earn some cash. His detailed journal-keeping combined with his honest-seeming anger when the journals got burned makes him in my view the second least-suspicious of the contestants. I'd put the odds at like 10-1.

Paul -- He does a lot to get under people's skin, which is a good attribute for the Mole to have. And it was kind of strange how little he seemed to know about his loved one. But I just don't see that much evidence of manipulation by him. Or to be blunt, he just doesn't seem smart enough to be a good Mole. I'd say his Mole odds are 3-1.

Which leaves....

Craig -- I would say from day one he was one of the people who had me going, "Could he be the Mole? Nah, too obvious. But maybe that's what they WANT you to think." He strikes me as crafty. While I can't really come up with blatant sabotage by him, by process of elimination, he seems the most likely candidate. I'd put the odds of his being the Mole at 2-1.

Who's gotten your attention as Mole candidates?

- posted by Raoul

'The Next Food Network Star:' Ummmm, Yeah, We're Not Trying to Be 'Top Chef'

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:33:53 GMT

Sorry that I didn't post this yesterday. I just couldn't stay up to watch the whole episode on Sunday night. Apparently I'm now an old woman who can't stay up until eleven p.m. Anyway, you know how each week of "The Next Food Network Star" echoes a Food Network show? We've had "Throwdown," "Dinner: Impossible," "30 Minute Meals," etc. Well, this week it was "Top Chef." Seriously, we had teams, we had forgetting-stuff-at-Whole-Foods drama and we had Guy Fieri doing the Tom Colicchio back in the kitchen during prep time. Why? I have no idea. Maybe the Food Network is going to start showing old episodes of "Top Chef" next fall.

First the contestants had to do these weird videos that were too boring for me to even talk about. Seriously.

Each of the remaining three chefs partnered up with one of the ousted chefs to prepare a buffet. Lisa ran out of fish and burned her pork roast. Adam smoked everything. Aaron wasn't ambitious enough. All three of them had to make pithy little speeches to an assembled crowd of show girls, drag queens and Spamalot extras - Wouldn't it be great if I was kidding about that part? I'm not. Vegas, baby! - and that was a trainwreck. Lisa sang a song about her "beautiful basics buffet. Aaron did a "comedy" routine in which he pretended he was at an Anorexics Anonymous (I think) meeting and Adam was all smug and schticky.

Boozie Flay liked Aaron's video. They called him out for his fake eating disorder routine and said his food wasn't big and bold enough. Duuude, your culinary point of view is whatever Boozie decides it is, remember? Boozie liked Lisa's singing. They scare me. Boozie just looooved Adam's video but called his presentation boring. That's their favorite word, in case you didn't notice. Adam's pork chops were the crowd favorite. He cried when Boozie told him.

Guess what happened? Boozie decided to go with a "Top Chef" finale. All three finalists will move on.(Can I point out that I totally called this?) In years past we've been able to vote for the winner, but right now FoodNetwork.com has a "Fan Favorite" ballot up (Cough: "Top Chef") and that's it! Are Boozie Flay going to pick the winner themselves? Stay tuned.

- Posted by Kate

Tonight: 'Date My Ex: Jo and Slade'

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:07:44 GMT

Love-her-or-hate-her Jo de la Rosa of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" now has her very own dating show on Bravo. The twist? Her ex/manager/enabler Slade is hosting the campaign for a new boyfriend. Is this creepy? Ummmm, yes! Jo herself calls it an "auction" in this preview video.

I place myself firmly in the "hate her" camp as far as Jo is concerned, so I think there should be a cash prize to go along with crazy high-maintenance Jo. I guess becoming a "television personality" will have to be prize enough for Jo's chosen stud.

It's probably not an accident that "Date My Ex" airs Mondays nights. "The Bachelorette" just ended, so Bravo's giving us the bizarro version. The real question: will you guys watch?

"Date My Ex" premieres tonight at 10:00 on Bravo.

- Posted by Kate

Fashion Is Out, Art Is In Over at Bravo

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:10:40 GMT

It looks like Bravo will return to its reality roots with a new "Project Runway"-style show called "American Artist." Not too surprisingly, it's set against the backdrop of the New York art world. The Hollywood Reporter has the details:

"Aspiring artists compete to produce various styles of artwork (painting, sculpting, etc.), which is then judged by a panel of experts. The network declined to comment."

Sarah Jessica Parker is the star power behind this new venture. Her production company, Pretty Matches, has been shopping the idea around since January. Bravo seems like a good fit for the show. I think they can make us love whiny painters and sculptors as much as we love whiny chefs and fashion designers.

- Posted by Kate

'The Next Food Network Star:' Throwdown!

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:45:38 GMT

We're down to four finalists and the competition is heating up. Is it, though? Realistically, haven't we known since week two that it was either gonna be Lisa or Aaron? Anyway, the finalists headed to Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas for this round of the competition. Paula Deen was the guest judge and she injected some much-needed humor into the proceedings.

The cooks were paired off into two teams for a throwdown, Bobby Flay style. The way that worked was that each cook had to make his or her signature dish and then his or her opponent's signature dish. There was also a reporter from one of those tabloid shows that come on after the news up in their faces while they were cooking.

Lisa did her chicken sausage cassoulet and Adam's mac 'n cheese. Adam nailed his own recipe but he had never made cassoulet before in his life and that really hurt him. (Of course, Paula Deen had never even tried it before. I love that she just admitted that without qualification or apology! Yay, Paula!) Lisa did a good job with her own dish but crashed and burned on the mac 'n cheese. Paula Deen actually told Lisa she hated it. Yeowch. And yet it was somehow okay. If Bobby Flay said that I would have jumped down his throat, but I'll let Paula slide. Why? Because she's nice? Grandmotherly? Loves butter? I don't know.

Aaron made his signature stuffed pork loin and did a fantastic job with Kelsey's chicken parmigiana. Bobby Flay got all snitty with him for not knowing that chipotles are smoked jalapenos. Whatever. Kelsey...overcooked her pork. A lot! She also got snarked on by Boozie Flay for Vegas-ing up her food too much. That's not her viewpoint! She's supposed to be ~~dumb~~ perky! On the other hand, Kelsey herself kept calling her dishes "metropolitan" and that grated on my nerves. So, yeah, I guess I agree with Boozie Flay here.

Who went home? Kelsey. She seemed to expect it, because a little rah-rah speech simply rolled off her tongue. The preview for next week's show promised that something that has never! happened! before! will go down. My guess? We'll get to vote for any of the final three contestants instead of just choosing between two of them. We'll see if I'm right.

- Posted by Kate

'Dog' Has Its Day

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:25:04 GMT

Yeah, this is a story about would-be famous dogs. For the dogs that stay at home won't be heard from.

These are twirling dogs. Pampered dogs. Obedient dogs. Playful dogs. Worshiped dogs. Skateboarding dogs.

With apologies to "Atomic Dog," that's what "Greatest American Dog," which premiered last night on CBS, was all about.

The premise is similar to a gazillion other reality shows: owners and their dogs compete in a series of challenges, for rewards or elimination, until just one is left to claim the title and $250,000.

If for nothing else, I think the makers for creating a series that lends itself to potential headlines like, "Who Let the Dogs Out?" and "Dog-Gone Awesome."

We got a pretty good sense of the dogs and their owners, or how they'll be edited. Owner JD and Galaxy are apparently the competitive types. Beacon is owned by Brandy, who the producers seem to be working overtime to give the "dumb blonde" edit to. Bill sounds like a good ol' boy who's just grateful that he and Star are in the competition.

In the first go-around, the dogs had to play doggy musical chairs (to the tune of "Atomic Dog," no less), and the competition was ruff. (Ha!) My wife and I laughed when one dog pretty much knocked another off a remaining chair.

The winners ended up getting a luxurious suite with all sorts of stuff to pamper a pooch, and also getting to designate losers to sleep in the close quarters of the no-frills Doghouse. I think it speaks well of the show that the other competitors tried to pitch in to make the Doghouse experience as pleasant as possible for the unfortunates chosen for it.

Then the dogs and their owners had to break into teams and put together a talent show. Some of them were horrifying and incoherent. One group chose a high school theme that was completely random. I kind of liked the disco theme that another group did. But alas, one master seemed like he wanted to overshadow his canine companion. So farewell, Michael and Ezzie.

- posted by Raoul

Christina Reflects on Her 'Hell's Kitchen' Victory

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:28:32 GMT

MSN: So Christina, congratulations on winning "Hell's Kitchen!"

Christina: Well, thank you.

MSN: So what do you think was your biggest strength in actually prevailing?

Christina: Maybe my biggest strength was an ability to stay cool under pressure when getting yelled at and pressure from other contestants. Also, the ability to think on my feet constantly because that's what the show is really about. It's cooking in Hell, you know. [laughs].

MSN: It seemed like in many ways you were a longshot because you were the contestant with the least amount of experience. How did you overcome that?

Christina: I guess I was a longshot, but then again, I had nothing to lose. It's not like I had a sparkling career I was going to tarnish. So it was pretty easy, I guess, for me. I never really saw myself as a longshot while I was there, so I guess that's good.

MSN: Now what made you decide to try out for the show?

Christina: It was a whim. It just sort of worked out for me that the auditions were a day when I didn't have class. So I came down to Manhattan and went to an open audition there. There were like 400 people there. And then I did a casting call. It was weird because afterwards I thought, "Man, I could have done so much better." But really in the end, I'll take it.

MSN: What did the audition involve?

Christina: The open audition, I had to go and fill out a 17-page application and wait for hours. Then I got my minute and a half with the talent directors. There was a question on my application that they read. It was, "What would people you hate probably say about you?" My answer was probably 10 lines long. Know-it-all, narcissistic, self-centered. They were like, "Really? What would people who like you say about you?" I'm like, "Probably the same thing." Then I went to the screen test, and I got sent over to the producers.

MSN: Now what was the hardest thing for you being on the show?

Christina: There were a lot of challenges to it. The hardest part was getting over the nerves because I hadn't done a lot of entertainment before that. I didn't know where anything was. I didn't know the other contestants. So really getting over the nerves and the jitteriness of it all was pretty challenging.

MSN: Now it seems like judging from what was shown, you pretty much struggled with actual service throughout, even towards the end. Is that fair, and what impact if it is do you think it will have taking the job under Chef Ramsay?

Christina: It is true. I did struggle a lot of times during service. Basically every single time you're doing it, it's your first time. There's several different stations and there's working with several different people and any mistakes sort of snowball into the other people depending on you and you yourself. The thing that I think will be different when I take my new position is you only have one first day. And then after that, it should get easier.

MSN: How easily do you think you'll be able to fit into the new position in general? Will it be tough, given that you're coming straight from culinary school and the show into this new environment.

Christina: It's definitely going to be tough. I think any position someone takes is going to be difficult. I think one of my greatest assets is having a pretty sharp wit. I learn quickly and I learn from my mistakes and hopefully I'll make them work.

MSN: Now have you talked to any of the previous "Hell's Kitchen" winners and gotten advice on what to do once the show's over and done?

Christina: I have. I have been talking to [Season 3 winner] Rock pretty frequently. We're part of a special club there. We have a lot in common and we talk a lot. That was nice to have that sort of mentorship during the time the show was airing.

MSN: And what sorts of tips did he give you?

Christina: Oh, goodness. There was just a ton. Like before the show airs, getting ready, buying domain names, how to market myself. He put me in touch with members of his team, his publicist, etc. It's nice to know what to expect so you can prepare yourself for that.

MSN: What plans do you have for working at Chef Ramsay's restaurant?

Christina: Gosh. I'm not sure. Besides getting ready, I haven't discussed a whole lot with him, so I'm not quite sure what to expect.

MSN: When it came down to you and Petrozza, how confident were you that you would prevail over him, and what was the source of your feelings on that front?

Christina: I can't say in the beginning I was very confident. I put a lot of thought into the design of the restaurant, into the menu, and how that worked with the people who were going to be cooking my menu. After I saw our menus, I felt pretty confident at that point.

MSN: What gave you the ideas for what you were going to put on your menu? Petrozza said yesterday he thought you almost had your menu planned from day one.

Christina: Well, I did start planning from day one. That's no lie. I've been eating and working in restaurants for a long time. So it's really taking things that I like and putting them into a menu. You want something that's going to appeal to your customers, but you also want something you're going to have fun cooking and that your team is going to be able to produce. So it was really just a matter of taking all those things into account and trying to figure out how they would work in this particular situation.

MSN: How tough was it working with Matt and some of the other former contestants?

Christina: It really wasn't tough at all, working with my former contestants. Luckily, it's the end of the show, so you already know what their personalities are like, what their capabilities are, where their strengths are and more importantly, where their weaknesses are. So you know sort of how you can get around that not only with your leadership style, but also with your menu.

MSN: What besides obviously winning were some of the highlights of the show for you?

Christina: Oh, goodness. In the beginning you don't hear a lot of compliments from Gordon. But the more time goes on, the more successes you have, the more he'll tell you when you've done something right or give you praise. That for me is the biggest highlight because he has an immeasurable amount of success in this industry and he's won many awards. So to hear somebody who knows what their talking about compliment you is a great highlight.

MSN: What do you think you would tell people who are trying out for future editions of "Hell's Kitchen?"

Christina: I would say it's not as easy as you think it is. I know from my own experience that I would watch Season Three and say, "I can do that. I can do that. It's so easy. I can't believe they screwed that up. I can't believe she pulled the noodles out of the garbage can. I would never do that." You never know until you're in that situation so don't take it for granted. It's not as easy as it looks.

MSN: What's the biggest mistake that you made, and why did you make it?

Christina: Oh, goodness. That's a tough one because things worked out for me. Maybe one of the biggest mistakes I made was getting so emotionally invested in it and forgetting it was a competition. But I don't know if I didn't have that personal attachment to it if I would have succeeded as well. Maybe wearing my heart on my sleeve is my greatest weakness but also my greatest strength.

MSN: Christina, did you ever confront Jen about trying to write your name in twice on that one week were you were all supposed to nominate somebody?

Christina: No, I never really confronted Jen. I don't think it would have done any good. There's nothing I could say to change her. We actually had a talk after maybe episode two or three where I told her she was her own greatest weakness. She was a great cook but her attitude sucked. Nothing I can say can change her so I'd be wasting my time and breath.

MSN: What do you think your long-term goal is past your immediate apprenticeship with Chef Ramsay?

Christina: My long-term goal is the same as it was before "Hell's Kitchen." I want to be the best cook I can be and someday have my own restaurant. I think it's great because it's going to give me a platform to do that and the experience I need.

- posted by Raoul

Pssst! The New Season of 'Project Runway' Starts Next Tuesday

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:19:42 GMT

"Project Runway" is back in less than a week and you haven't heard a peep about it, right? How come? Well, Jossip has a theory:

"Bravo is just a tad bit pissed it’s losing the show, with Harvey Weinstein selling it out from under them to Lifetime. So, the thinking goes, why should the NBC Uni network waste its time and money promoting a brand with a future Bravo isn’t a part of? They’re got their own shows, like 'Shear Genius', 'Top Chef', and the 'Real Housewives' to concern themselves. And also, Runway might lose its signature Bravo 'feel' when it heads to Lifetime, and we’re talking about more than the endless product placements."

Well, you guys know I've been saying the sky is falling for months as far as the bizarro Lifetime version of "Runway" is concerned. But is season five doomed from the start, too?

- Posted by Kate

Florence Henderson Could Eat Carol Brady for Lunch

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:18:37 GMT

Former "Brady Bunch" mom Florence Henderson gave a no-holds-barred interview at the TCAs about her role in "counseling" TV son Christopher Knight on his VH1 show. Let me tell you, nobody puts Florence in a corner! Reality TV World has reprinted the whole interview, but let me give you the choicest bits:

"'His mother had passed away and he was very involved with this -- this person that he met on 'The Surreal Life'. They were trying to actually, I think, force him to get engaged. And he called me and he said, 'Would you come and, uh, just counsel us?'"

Florence Henderson is no producer's patsy! Too bad her TV son didn't inherit her will of steel.

"In addition to being an actress, Henderson is also a certified hypnotherapist, so she said she reluctantly agreed to appear at Knight's behest. 'So I went and counseled them,' she told reporters, according to the Courant. 'But they didn't take my advice at all.'"

Florence Henderson is a hypnotherapist?!?

"'They asked if I could come and counsel them before the marriage," said Henderson, the Courant reported. "And I said, 'No, but maybe I'll come and counsel the divorce.'"

Oh freakin' snap!

- Posted by Kate

Petrozza's Dishing Up Dirt

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:24:43 GMT

He got blasted by Chef Ramsay for leaving his stations filthy, but he came really really close to winning the big guy over on the basis of his strong cooking skills. Here's my interview with "Hell's Kitchen" runner-up, Lou Petrozza:

MSN: So Petrozza, it seemed to me watching last night's episode that you were going to win and you didn't. What do you think happened?

Petrozza: What do I think happened? You saw what I saw. We both saw as much as I could possibly have seen last night. When I was cooking and doing my thing, expediting on the line, I wasn't really privy to what was going on in Christina's kitchen. But last night I was able to see. What happened? That was the question. I couldn't pinpoint any single deciding factor. I think it might have been a few different things. But I'm not sure. Your guess is as good as mine. That's all I can say. I respect Chef Ramsay's decision. I'm sure it was based on important factors. But I don't know what else.

MSN: So what made you decide to try out for "Hell's Kitchen" in the first place?

Petrozza: You know what? Friends and family kind of put me up to it. "You should try out for this. You'd be good at this." And it was like, "You think so? Maybe I will." And then there were more people, co-workers, "Lou, you should try out for 'Hell's Kitchen.'" So I just went for it. I attacked it.

MSN: Now you came very, very close to winning, obviously. Is it better to come that close and to show your skills, or would it be better to not have to go through the weeks of ordeals and not get the brass ring at the end?

Petrozza: No, no, no. I'm very happy about the distance that I made it, the length of time I was able to stay in "Hell's Kitchen." I'm relatively happy with my performance. Would I have done anything different? Yeah, sure. You should always do things better a second time. You get that much better at it. ... Could I have done it better the first time? No, I gave it everything I had. I gave it everything I had.

MSN: What sorts of things might you have changed if you could do it all over again?

Petrozza: You know what? Just for the heck of it, just for goofs and giggles, I'd pick Matt instead of Jen. Maybe that would have worked out a little better. Maybe it wouldn't have. Maybe it would have worked out a little bit worse. He was no superstar in Christina's kitchen, that's for sure. We saw that last night. I don't know. As far as I knew, he could have been a superstar. I didn't know till last night when I saw him in all his glory that he was really the meatball he had been through the whole show.

MSN: I was going to ask you about that. What was going through your mind when you decided to go with Jen rather than Matt?

Petrozza: I'll tell you exactly: Jen has the potential and she has the strength and she has the brains to be able to put it together and to be able to work one of those stations very successfully. However, Jen struggles with a bad attitude problem. ... [Once it rears its head], she's done. Matt has a bad attitude with a lack of skills and abilities. Jen has a superbad attitude. It's a crap shoot. It's a crapshoot. They're both logn shots and I put my money on the one who seemed like she might turn out the winner for me.

MSN: Now it seemed to me like overall, you had the stronger team of cooks.

Petrozza: Yes.

MSN: But you had struggled with preparing your menu. Why did you have so much trouble getting out of the blocks that way?

Petrozza: I think Christina was prepared. Christina had a menu in her head or on a little piece of paper or wherever it was, Christina had a menu planning this thing before she came on the show. Myself, I got up each day and attacked the day. And you know what? My first interview, I didn't think I was going to get on the show. My second interview, I was very happy to get a second interview. I gave it my best shot. I didn't know there was going to be a third interview. My third interview, I was giving it my best shot again in L.A. There were a lot of amazing people in L.A., so I didn't know if I had a shot. So I took it day by day, and I attacked it with everything I had. I think Christina was prepared with a menu. Christina works around a lot of young, talented, cutting edge chefs, because she was attending school at that time. A lot of fresh ideas.

MSN: Now to what extent do you think your age got held against you, because 47 is a little late to be considered a protege?

Petrozza: Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's no question about that. ... Do I think it's a factor? I do think it's a factor. Let's face it: you're making an investment and it's the Ramsay show. This is Ramsay's deal.

MSN: Petrozza, what's going to become of you from here on in??

Petrozza: If I have a dream, if I have a desire, it's to do some cooking with the media. Maybe I can supplement my income or make that livelihood. If I've got what it takes, I'm going to go for it. I'm going to attack it with all the vigor that I had to get on and to do some of the things on "Hell's Kitchen."

- posted by Raoul

Congrats to 'HK's' Winner

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:57:20 GMT

Well, the fourth season of "Hell's Kitchen" ended last night in a relatively mellow fashion. From the editing, it seemed like the contest between Christine and Petrozza would result in the sloppy vet getting the nod over the cute newcomer.

After all, we got clip after clip of Matt screwing up and talking back to Chef Ramsay under his breath. By contrast, Petrozza's service seemed to go off with relatively few hitches, other than some inevitable attitude from Jen.

But when the dust settled and the chefs had to turn the door to see who won, Christina was the victor. Which in a sense was fitting, because she had done better at the challenges than anyone else.

Chef Ramsay's comments seemed to say that he'd rather have a newbie with potential than an old salt he'd have to teach new tricks to. Can't blame him for that.

I talked with Petrozza earlier today and will post the interview later on.

I'm scheduled to talk to Christina tomorrow. If you've got questions you'd like me to ask her, throw them in the comments.

- posted by Raoul

Is 'The Baby Borrowers' Dangerous?

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:21:57 GMT

File this under: "Oh, come on!" A child psychiatry organization is calling for the cancellation of "The Baby Borrowers" because it's apparently just too terrible to separate babies and toddlers from their parents for a few days.

From Reality TV World:

"The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry issued a statement last Wednesday calling for NBC to "pull" The Baby Borrowers due to health and safety concerns it has with the reality show, which separates babies and toddlers from their parents and places them with teenagers for three days.

"'Separating babies and toddlers from their parents for extended periods of time can lead children to feel distress and anxiety,' the organization wrote in the statement. 'After prolonged separation, a child can feel distrust for his or her primary caregiver. Separation can damage a healthy attachment and a child's sense of safety.'"

I don't know about you guys, but I think this is pretty ridiculous. What's next, canceling daycare? I've watched both episodes of "The Baby Borrowers" to date, and the babies' parents were able to monitor the teens via closed feed video at all times and could go over to see their babies if they wanted.

Ooh, also: "In addition, the AACAP stated it's concerned The Baby Borrowers promotes 'baby borrowing' as an 'acceptable parenting practice' that 'will prompt imitation.'" What does this even mean?!? If I watch my friend's kid and think "Hmm, I don't have any kids maybe I'll see how I like this parenting thing" I'm suddenly a scary taboo baby borrower? Ugh.

- Posted by Kate

'30 Days' Goes to the Rez

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:21:55 GMT

This summer sure is flying by! It seems like I just posted about the return of "30 Days" for its sophomore season, and here we are at the last episode.

Morgan Spurlock jumps back in front of the camera once again for tonight's installment. He'll spend 30 days living with a Navajo couple and their two children in New Mexico. I have to admit, I prefer the episodes where the sorta grating Mr. Spurlock stays behind the camera...but this one sounds pretty great.

You can catch "30 Days" at 10:00 on FX.

- Posted by Kate

DeAnna Picks Jesse

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:22:01 GMT

I was surprised, but also sort of impressed that DeAnna picked Jesse in last night's "Bachelorette" finale. It was pretty clear that her dad preferred Jason, and he seemed like a dude who usually gets his way. DeAnna and Jesse announced that they'd set a date - May 9 of next year - on the "After the Final Rose" special. They did indeed look gooily in love, as did Shane and Matt from last season of "The Bachelor." Hmm. Will one of these couples actually tie the knot and bring the "Bachelor"/"Bachelorette" success rate up to 2:15?

Were you guys surprised that DeAnna picked Jesse?

- Posted by Kate

'I'm Not Here to Make Friends': A Montage

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:12:40 GMT

You may remember a while back I listed one of my TV pet peeves: reality TV contestants who proudly proclaim that they're not there to make friends.

Well, thanks to Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred, I found out someone has compiled a whole bunch of contestants saying exactly that.

It's scary that this is by no means an exhaustive list of people making this claim. And I'm pretty sure that few of these people were successful in their goal of actually winning. Maybe they would have been better off if they had come primarily to make friends.

- posted by Raoul

'The Next Food Network Star:' Kid Stuff

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:09:53 GMT

There was only one challenge this week, and it wasn't actually impossible. Small favors, right? Each of the contestants had to do a 4 minute cooking demonstration on "The Rachael Ray Show." They got an hour and fifteen minutes to plan. Plenty of time, right? But of course there was a twist: they had to cater their dishes to their new sous chefs. Who were the sous chefs? Brownies. Aaron was pretty good with his and so was Adam. Kelsey didn't actually change her approach at all, just talked about how she finally got to cook with someone shorter than her. So funny! (No, no it wasn't.) Lisa ran through a whole list of things her kiddie hadn't tried before deciding on cous-cous. (Dude, no!) Shane also had trouble.

The dishes were all dull - but presumably Yum-O - and the only interesting thing that happened before the first commercial break was when Kelsey asked Lisa a basic cooking question and Lisa shut her down. Heh.

Aaron came alive onstage. Does he need a little kid around all the time? This demonstration was definitely the most comfortable I've ever seen him. It's scary when I agree with Bob, though. I don't want to think about that too much.

Kelsey choked! Oh, it was beautiful. She was like the bossiest of Sleeping Beauty's three fairy godmothers telling Rachael and her Brownie Demetra what to do. Rachael Ray looked seriously displeased. She even said "Yum" instead of "Yum-O." Boozy Flay - this is my new collective name for the judges, by the way, 'cause I'm all about the shortcuts - were not happy either.

Shane declared himself "really stressed out" by the challenge. He wasn't great with the kid and he was pretty rushed. He wasn't as bad as Kelsey, though. Lisa freaked out and went all quiet about halfway through her demonstration. Rachael Ray had to basically take over for her.

Adam started out with a joke. Boozy Flay were pleased. His BBQ chicken sandwich actually looked pretty great, and he did a great job presentation-wise.

This week we got an extra, extra long focus grouping/elimination segment. Seventeen minutes, people! Aaron got criticized for washing his hands at the beginning of the demo but not much else. There was more scorn heaped on Kelsey for seeming inexperienced. Bob implied that Shane was a big faker for "loving the way the French live their lives" when he hadn't been to France. Boozy Flay also piled on Lisa for no particular reason. Shane got cut - we didn't really get to hear why. I wish it had been Kelsey. You guys?

- Posted by Kate

'The Bachelorette:' Who Will DeAnna Pick?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:15:31 GMT

Hey, "Bachelorette" fans! Tonight's the night DeAnna has to make her final decision. We know she made a pros and cons list to help her choose between Jason and Jesse, but I think there's an X factor worth considering. What is it? Brad.

DeAnna flat-out admitted that she dismissed two of the guys she really liked - Graham and Jeremy - because they reminded her too much of Brad. Ouch! Now, this is totally human. We've all done it in the wake of a bad break-up. It's still not a fair way for DeAnna to make her decision.

It's a little disturbing how often Brad has been mentioned this season. Yes, he broke DeAnna's heart...but if she's not over him, is now really the best time for her to be picking her new husband out of a line-up?

Going with my theory, let's think about the final two. Jesse is sweet and goofy. He's very genuine. But is his laid-back snowboarder lifestyle too much like Brad's laid-back love 'em and leave 'em bartender routine? (I don't think so, but then I don't think Jeremy really acted like Brad, either!) Jason, on the other hand, is very grown-up and responsible. I think it's fair to call him the anti-Brad. Will this be enough to edge out Jesse?

If I have to pick a winner, I'd pick Jason. (But I think I've picked wrong pretty much every season!) I know you guys have very strong opinions, so let's hear 'em!

- Posted by Kate

DeAnna Dishes on the Finale of 'The Bachelorette'

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:19:56 GMT

Next Monday we'll get to find out whether DeAnna picks snowboarder Jesse or doting dad Jason to be the next Mr. Pappas. The summer's really flying by, isn't it? Well, DeAnna got down to brass tacks in an interview this week: she is engaged and she's very happy. Reality TV World has the details:

"'It was never, ever an easy thing for me to say goodbye to anyone. Even so, I think the final Rose Ceremony was harder than anything else in the whole world,' she told reporters during the conference call. 'How are you supposed to look at someone and tell them that you care about them so much but you can't choose them because you care about the other guy more? That definitely does not make you feel good about yourself. I can promise you that.'"

How are Jesse and Jason handling the pressure?

"'They have been friends through the entire show and they will be friends for life. They totally handled it like mature adults,' she said. 'Obviously it's awkward. We're in a three-way love triangle. Both of these guys are falling for me and I'm falling for them. It's strange. I'm sitting in my house in between both of them. Just wait until you see.'"

My favorite part of the interview was when DeAnna revealed that she still has the pros and cons list she used to decide between Jesse and Jason! Who do you guys think she'll pick?

- Posted by Kate

'She's Got the Look' Gets a Sophomore Season

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:29:37 GMT

"She's Got the Look," TV Land's show about women over 35 who want to become models, has just been renewed for a second season.

"We're so excited that 'She's Got the Look' resonates with our viewers," TV Land president Larry W. Jones said. "The show's message of reinvention and the pursuit of lifelong dreams is something identifiable to our audience of 40- and 50-year-olds. We can't wait to introduce our viewers to another group of ageless beauties."

The show has been resonating to the tune of 600,000 plus viewers per episode. No wonder it got renewed so quickly!

- Posted by Kate

'The Hills:' Still Fake, Still Awesome

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:28:38 GMT

We all know that "The Hills" is only kinda-sorta a reality show, but here's some more food for thought. Lauren Conrad isn't stupid. At least, a Glamour magazine editor doesn't think she's stupid. She described LC as:

"Shockingly well-spoken considering the inane dialogue we generally see her involved in on The Hills. Recited tons of stats from memory when describing the new m.powerment initiative (proceeds from certain Mark accessories are going to organizations that prevent violence against young women)."

What do you guys think, is Lauren really Miss Smartypants or did she pull one over on the girls at Glamour?

- Posted by Kate

Kristy Lee Cook Inks Record Deal

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:04:38 GMT

File this under "Better late than never:" Kristy Lee Cook has signed a deal with 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville. Reality TV World has the story:

"Similar to RCA Records and Jive Records, Arista Nashville is a label that operates under the Sony BMG umbrella.

"'Simon Cowell told Kristy Lee Cook on American Idol that she is a country singer. We definitely agreed and followed her very closely during the season' said Sony BMG Nashville Chairman Joe Galante. 'We have been anxious to get her into the studio. Kristy Lee will be very relatable to the country audience and is destined to have hits.'"

Simon also told Kristy Lee Cook some other things about her career, if memory serves. I guess the record company is choosing to look on the bright side. Will you guys buy Kristy's album when it comes out?

- Posted by Kate

Will 'Project Runway' Become the Story of Fifteen Strangers Who...Well, You Know?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:38:02 GMT

There was an interesting item in Variety over the weekend. The production team behind "The Real World" - the original shut-people-up-together-for-drama-drama-drama reality show, let's give credit where credit is due - is looking to take over "Project Runway" once it makes its move to Lifetime. Bunim-Murray Productions is apparently "close to signing" the deal.

Let's consider the merits of this idea with a little help from the Variety blurb:

"Bunim-Murray is no stranger to Lifetime, having recently produced 'America's Psychic Challenge' for the cabler. Company's other recent credits include E!’s 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' and 'Living Lohan.' It also produces “Bad Girls Club' for Oxygen."

Not good! They did "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and "Living Lohan"?!? Heavens! I am officially calling the demise of "Project Runway" the second this deal gets signed.

- Posted by Kate

'The Next Food Network Star:' Hey, Have I Told You It's Not About the Food?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:16:46 GMT

Another week, another round of challenges so difficult they're painful to watch. First the contestants have to whip up a dish using some preselected ingredients. Not so bad. Then Iron Chef Cat Cora tells them the real point of the challenge is describing their dishes to the cameras. Aaron's face falls. Kelsey looks a little less perky. Shane...well he's kind of distracted. It seems like he wants Iron Chef Cora to be his pet cougar. Mrrrrrow!

As is becoming the norm on "NFNS," there's one final twist of the knife. They have to describe each other's dishes. Kelsey gets Shane's wrong. He nails hers. Adam does a decent job describing Aaron's shortcake, but Aaron spaces out in front of the camera for a full minute before he gets down to the business of Aaron's salad. Lisa does a pretty good job describing Jen's dish, but Cat Cora accuses her of being "false." Jen chokes describing Lisa's dish and Cat tells her she "doesn't really know her foods." Heh. Who wins? Shane.

The second challenge is a battle for the cover of Bon Appetit. There are three classic - and time-intensive - dishes that the contestants need to reinvent: Beef Wellington (Hi, Chef Ramsay!), Coq au Vin and Turducken. They have to work in teams of two...not an advantage for anyone. Oh, and each dish has to be made in 45 minutes or less. And they have to make a side dish. Hey, remember when this show didn't have impossible challenges?

Shane gets the first pick as the winner, and he goes for Beef Wellington, a.k.a. Fancy Hot Pockets (I kid!). He assigns the Turducken to Lisa and Jen, leaving Adam and Aaron with the Coq au Vin. We get a lightning fast shopping montage and then cut to Aaron and Adam sweating - literally, I'm sorry to say - over their Coq au Vin. That lasts maybe a minute. Cooking...a waste of camera time? Aaron isn't exactly sparkling during the presentation. Adam does his usual "I think I'm really funny" shtick. The judges seem to like the dish okay, but no one raves about it.

Lisa and Jen make the best of a bad situation with their Turducken: they do stuffing with grilled chicken, turkey medallions and duck sausage. Unfortunately Jen breaks a bottle of apricot juice all over the squash she's grilling and they have to throw it all away because there's glass everywhere. She swears. It's the most real she's ever seemed to me. Jen thinks Lisa's veloute is "too herby." She said it tasted like a tree...then decided not to use it. Bad mistake. The judges call the dish dry and bland.

Shane and Kelsey are "nervous" and "stressed." Kelsey actually says "Dang it!" at one point after she burns her hand. Their presentation goes okay. The judges like the taste of the dish but Bon Appetit's editor is worried about how ugly it is. Heh.

Now it's time for the "important" part of the show: focus grouping/elimination. I love how an entire 15 minutes - 25% of the show - is reserved for this special, special time. There's a lot of cattiness and carping. The highlights? Bob tells Kelsey that she needs to stop mentioning culinary school because it's too much like a pilot saying "I just graduated from flight school and I think I can fly this plane!" After that he tells Adam that his polenta was too yellow - oookay - and that he's only in the competition because of his personality. Shane and Kelsey win the magazine cover. Jen gets cut. Jen! After Bob flat out admits that Adam can't cook at all! I love this show.

- Posted by Kate

Santino Rice Wants Off the D-List

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:33:54 GMT

I've got some great news, guys! Santino Rice of "Project Runway" fame is returning to TV. He'll be one of many "D-list celebrities" battling for their own reality shows on Fox Reality's "Gimme My Reality Show!"

I say this move is long overdue. Santino rocks! Remember his killer impression of Tim Gunn? Remember his silly story about Tim and Andre at Red Lobster?Remember how he locked horns with Nina Garcia? ("Actually, Nina...") I would happily watch Santino sew ruffles on skirts, drive around to fabric stores, and insult people. Of course, he'll have to beat out the other D-listers first. Team Santino!

- Posted by Kate

'Farmer' Takes a Wife

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:55:51 GMT

Last night was the finale of the CW's "Farmer Wants a Wife," and it came down to Brooke, an introverted Dallas-based good girl, or Christa, a spunky and sexy New Yorker with piercings.

Hmm. I wonder who Matt will pick.

And when Brooke insisted over and over again that it was over and Christa had won, I might have believed her. If I hadn't seen a reality TV show EVER.

Sometimes I think they should scrap reality series or condense them altogether because the winner becomes pretty obvious. I didn't see every episode, mind you, but it seemed to me that Brooke had Matt from "I'm a virgin."

Everything else was just buying time for things to unfold.

Which kind of makes me feel sorry for Christa. We saw her in the finale trying to secure condoms. It's unclear, to me at least, if she let the farmer get the milk for free, so to speak. But it seemed like he truly led her on, with the carriage ride at sunset, the nice dinner at his house and even uttering "Matt loves Christa" -- even though he technically didn't say it like that. All that makes me think he's either clueless or deliberately cruel, because I think a guy who has anything close to real feelings for someone isn't going to hire a crop duster to fly around with a banner saying that he (hearts) someone else.

Here's hoping Matt and Brooke are happy together. If not, there's always a potential sequel: "Farmer Wants a Divorce."

Incidentally, Matt's farm was hit by the recent flooding in the Midwest and he's filmed some public service announcements. Best of luck to him and other farmers in recovering.

- posted by Raoul

Tim Gunn Is 'Panicky' About 'Runway's' Move to L.A.

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:16:50 GMT

New York Magazine's fashion blog has a pretty great interview with Tim Gunn up right now. The Silver Fox dishes on L.A., cars and what John McCain should be wearing:

"Gunn isn’t worried about his endless work schedule. What really freaks him out is the idea of moving to Los Angeles when Project Runway switches to Lifetime for season six. 'Can I be honest with you?' he said. 'I'm panicky about it, and the whole idea of moving to a place that has a big car culture has me apoplectic.' Gunn won’t be moving to Los Angeles permanently but will have to stay there for a whole five weeks while the season films. He says he’s not even sure he wants to get an apartment: “I may have a little lean-to inside the set, wherever it is, so I don't have to worry about travel.” At least, unlike most New Yorkers, he knows how to drive. He just isn’t sure he knows how to drive in L.A. 'I'm not a good highway person,” he said. 'I'm much better at back roads. I'll make it work.'"

Oh, and apparently John McCain should be wearing better-fitting suits and a little more color.

- Posted by Kate

Corey Is No More-y on 'Hell's Kitchen'

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:54:54 GMT

So we're down to the final two on "Hell's Kitchen." Each of the final three got a chance to expedite, and Christina excelled, Petrozza was alright, and Corey managed to fall hardest for the old sous-chef sabotage routine. So even though Christina was putting up raw fish and burnt fish, Corey got the hook.

Here's what Corey had to say for herself earlier today:

MSN: Corey, sorry you got kicked off of "Hell's Kitchen" last night. I'm wondering: is it worse being so close to the finals than being kicked off early, in your opinion?

Corey: I think so, yes. I had a couple people I wanted to make sure I surpassed, like Jen and Bobby. I just was glad I made it that far.

MSN: Why did you have a grudge against Bobby and Jen?

Corey: I guess because they were such cocky people. I didn't feel like they had the skill to stand up to it, and I felt like they should have tried to keep their mouths shut a little more than they did. I just wanted to beat them. [Laughs]

MSN: Well, it's not as though you refrained from talking trash, right?

Corey: [Laughs] No. That's the thing. They put you on the show with like 16 other people that they purposely know you're not going to get along with. You go on there and you try to do your best. I wasn't trying to be friends with anybody and that obviously showed.

MSN: Why do you think Chef Ramsay picked you to go home rather than Christina?

Corey: I think Chef knew I was there for the right reasons, but I think he questioned whether I was going to be the right match for the chef in his new restaurant in L.A. I think like toward the end I got to the point where I wasn't sure if I wanted to win. Like working for Chef for a year wasn't really going to make me a really happy person. I think Christina just had more heart and he felt that she was more moldable and he could put her in a little bubble.

MSN: Why did you start questioning whether you wanted to win?

Corey: Just because. I talked to Chef a few times. He pulled me aside. He knows some of the chefs I've worked for in New York. He knows I'm not exactly happy working in a kitchen. That's not really my forte. I'd rather be out doing something else that involves cooking and not stuck in a kitchen seven days a week. This past year, I started to realize that there are other opportunities out there besides being a chef in a kitchen. I think Chef Ramsay, he that and was questioning if I really wanted it as much as the other people.

MSN: What was the highlight for you in "Hell's Kitchen" and what was the lowlight?

Corey: The highlight I would say was getting to the top three and being fairly secure with who I was in the top three with. I feel like we all deserved to be there. When I left, I left on a good note. Chef gave me good compliments and when he told me I was really talented and vivacious, that was the highlight. The lowlight I think would be going to Vegas with Jen. It was a very awkward situation.

MSN: Now why do you think Jen picked you?

Corey: I think she picked me because she looked around. Everyone pretty much hated her at that point. She knew, just like I did with Christina, that I would put it aside and go and have fun, make nice for a little bit. Out of everybody else, I think it would have been even more awkward.

MSN: What did you learn from being on the show?

Corey: From Chef Ramsay I learned to be humble, in the kitchen and in life, to not take yourself so seriously, that there's a time and a place for friendship, and in the kitchen it's not it. Whether you get along with someone or not, just get the job done. I learned to just to slow things down in the kitchen. If you're having a problem with something, don't be afraid to speak up.

MSN: How would you assess the strengths and weaknesses of the two remaining chefs?

Corey: For Christina, her strength would be organization. She's in school. She's still in that mindset of making everything perfect. That's her strength. Her weakness is just her experience. I can't really see her standing up to four line cooks that have been cooking for 20 years. For Petrozza, he's taken it easy his whole life in his cooking career. He's worked hard but he hasn't ever tried to excel, I don't think. That kind of shows in his work. He kind of just takes it easy. But he has a big heart, Petrozza. It helps in the kitchen because he's always looking out for other people and he's always making sure everyone's on the same page and things like that.

MSN: So how do you feel about how you were portrayed on the show, because you got the "villain" edit.

Corey: I think I was portrayed... I was myself on the show. I didn't try to put on any airs or be somebody I wasn't. But it is reality television. I think they portrayed me a little bit as the vixen, the one trying to create problems all the time. I feel it was OK, the portrayal. There was some bad and some good.

MSN: What sorts of things didn't make it to air that you wish were shown?

Corey: I think more of my services because I think I did a really good job at dinner services. Not so much the challenges; I always crumbled under the pressure. I'm good at cooking, and they always had me looking like I was lost or fumbling and stuff. I wish they would have shown more of my actual cooking capabilities.

MSN: What was the worst insult Chef Ramsay hurled your way?

Corey: He told me that I was cooking in a coma the first day. He told me, "You look like you're cooking in a coma." And I'm like, "What, compared to everybody else? I'm the one who's getting yelled at? I don't understand." Yeah, so "cooking in a coma" and "deer in the headlights." I didn't get as much, like I didn't get "fat cow" or some of the other things that other girls got, which I was pretty happy about.

MSN: Early on, you tried to seduce Louross...

Corey: No, I didn't try to seduce Louross. I was friends with him. Me and him were the only ones on the show who had other things to talk about besides being in Hell's Kitchen. So of course they're going to take that and spin it into me seducing him in the hot tub, which I wasn't. I was sitting in the hot tub and they have him going over to adjust the heat and it makes it look like I'm looking at him. It's editing. After the show, we'd just laugh about it because he was my friend and that was about it, you know?

MSN: So what's going to become of you from here on in?

Corey: I'm going to keep traveling, which is part of my passion, with cooking. I'm going to try to keep working around the world. Before I was on the show, I was in Viet Nam cooking there. So I'm going to keep cooking and hopefully, I'll put together some kind of a travel cooking show as kind of my goal. So that's what I'm going to keep working towards.

MSN: Well good luck with that. What advice would you have for anybody who might want to try out for the show?

Corey: Just to be yourself, because if you try to audition as someone else, they're going to put you on the show and they're going to edit you even worse. So you have to just be yourself and if you do get on the show, just go on there and cook your heart out and be true to who you are and [about the other contestants], they put people on there they know they are going to fight with each other. So you just have to be who you are and hope for the best.

- posted by Raoul

Tonight: 'The Baby Borrowers'

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:25:27 GMT

NBC's new show "The Baby Borrowers" starts tonight at 8:00. The show is based on the wildly popular British show of the same name. The basic idea is that young couples are given a reality check: they have to get real jobs, houses, and babies pretty much overnight. (So it's like "Engaged and Underaged" except not, you know, real.)

We'll see our brave contestants with babies this week, but they'll also be saddled with older kids somewhere down the line. I hope they get teenagers. I want to see how a 19 year old does with a 16 year old.

- Posted by Kate

'Shear Genius' Is Back

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:29:38 GMT

I love "Top Chef" and "Project Runway" but I didn't really get into the first season of Bravo's "Shear Genius." Luckily I'll get a second chance tonight when the show comes back for a second season. I'm headed off to the salon on Saturday, so who knows, maybe I'll get inspired to get something a little more interesting than my standard shoulder length cut.

"Shear Genius" airs tonight at 10:00 on Bravo.

- Posted by Kate