Emily and the guys spent this week in the picturesque country of Croatia.
The first one on one date of the week went to Travis who revealed to Emily that he was engaged before. She sees Travis as really sweet and a good guy. They spent the day walking around and dancing in the street, yet despite that, Emily doesn't see romance and decides she cannot give Travis a rose.
Ari, Chris, Doug, Jef, John, and Sean go to a screening of Brave with Emily and then learn that they're going to have their own "Highland Games". Emily says that brave is doing your best and being your own man. She chooses Chris as the bravest, even though he lost every challenge because he tried.
After the games:
Sean tells Emily he has strong feelings for her; she tells him to keep his confidence.
Emily tells Ari, she loves being around him. He kisses her in the streets.
Jef gives Emily his jacket. He tells Emily that he feels that things could be really good between them. He says that before he kissed her, he was afraid to kiss her. They kiss and he says, I have a secret, I'm crazy about you. He even reveals to the camera that he is falling in love with Emily.
Emily ends up giving Chris the group date rose and tells him he is one of the kindest, sweetest, most handsome men that she has ever met.
Ryan, much to my chagrin, receives the last one on one date. He keeps referring to Emily as a trophy wife, this is annoying. He is being far too confident and when he gives his list of what he wants in a woman, he sounds totally wrong. Emily says the list makes her feel like she has to be perfect and she doesn't want to feel that way. She says that a family would be the most important thing on her list, and she is surprised with what is important to him. She sees so much in him, but she cannot give him a rose. As he drives off in the limo, he says he hopes that they don't portray him as arrogant (too late for that), but he is.
Ari shows up after Emily's date with Ryan. He reassures her that she made the right decision by sending Ryan home. He said he could marry Emily tomorrow.
Surprise of the night: John carries his grandparents funeral cards. Emily thinks there's more than meets the eye and saves him.
Before the rose ceremony ends, Emily, in a twist, leaves the rose ceremony to ask Chris Harrison if she can send no one home and give out an extra rose. Alas, she gets her wish, and the remaining men (Chris, Sean, Jef, Arie, John, and Doug) head to Prague with Emily.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Bachelorette Emily Goes Off West Virginia Style in London
Emily goes on her long awaited one on one date with Sean, and this week's dates are in London so they spend the day walking around the city. There is a lot of chemistry between Emily and Sean, and it's quite obvious that they like each others company. Sean tells Emily that good girls are hard to come by, and Emily says that Sean is the whole package, marriage material. Emily likes how passionate he is and how confidently he talks about love. Sean is already confident in what he and Emily have. Emily happily gives him a rose.
The group date takes place at Stratford Upon Avon where the guys perform scenes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for an audience. Emily found Kalon unromantic (this is obviously some good foreshadowing)! She found herself more attracted to Arie. She says Ryan is the perfect Romeo which really surprises me. Is she crazy?
Following the performance, they go to a pub to grab some beers. Arie says that his time with Emily is always amazing. Arie and Chris discussed some comments that Kalon made about Emily and her daughter. Kalon basically referred to Ricki as baggage, and when some of the guys found out for the first time, you could literally see their stomachs drop. Kalon was then confronted by the guys and he refused to apologize for what he said or retract it.
Doug decides to tell Emily after conferring with the other guys, and when she finds out what Kalon said she says she just wants to go crazy. She decides she wants to confront Kalon. Upon confronting him, she told him to get the f*** out and that she most disappointing part in all this is that he was raised by a single mother himself.
Jef receives the second one on one date and he and Emily go to a tea room together. The two of them decide to ditch the etiquette coach at the tea room. They grab a couple of pints and some fresh fish and chips. Jef reveals to Emily that he did stick up for her and Ricki when Kalon said the things that he said. He and Emily toast Ricki and he says, if Ricki is baggage, she is like a Chloe handbag that I want to keep forever. Emily says Jef is probably the most difficult guy to read that she has ever met in her life. She says she is physically attracted to him but she needs him to show her that he is interested.
Jef and Emily go in the London Eye, and with a beautiful backdrop, they have a serious conversation. I think I'm in love with Jef; he says things in such a sincere way. He says he likes the girl she is, the mom she is, and the person she is. He says that he wants his love to also be his best friend. He kisses her and tells her it's the most anticipated kiss of his life. He tells Emily that he feels comfort when he looks in her eyes. She gives him a rose.
At the cocktail party, Emily says Ryan thinks he can get any girl and here she is falling for him. Then she spends some time with Sean and says he makes her feel taken care of and she loves being around him.
Alejandro is eliminated and Sean, Jef, Doug, Ryan, Chris, John, Travis, and Arie move on.
The group date takes place at Stratford Upon Avon where the guys perform scenes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for an audience. Emily found Kalon unromantic (this is obviously some good foreshadowing)! She found herself more attracted to Arie. She says Ryan is the perfect Romeo which really surprises me. Is she crazy?
Following the performance, they go to a pub to grab some beers. Arie says that his time with Emily is always amazing. Arie and Chris discussed some comments that Kalon made about Emily and her daughter. Kalon basically referred to Ricki as baggage, and when some of the guys found out for the first time, you could literally see their stomachs drop. Kalon was then confronted by the guys and he refused to apologize for what he said or retract it.
Doug decides to tell Emily after conferring with the other guys, and when she finds out what Kalon said she says she just wants to go crazy. She decides she wants to confront Kalon. Upon confronting him, she told him to get the f*** out and that she most disappointing part in all this is that he was raised by a single mother himself.
Jef receives the second one on one date and he and Emily go to a tea room together. The two of them decide to ditch the etiquette coach at the tea room. They grab a couple of pints and some fresh fish and chips. Jef reveals to Emily that he did stick up for her and Ricki when Kalon said the things that he said. He and Emily toast Ricki and he says, if Ricki is baggage, she is like a Chloe handbag that I want to keep forever. Emily says Jef is probably the most difficult guy to read that she has ever met in her life. She says she is physically attracted to him but she needs him to show her that he is interested.
Jef and Emily go in the London Eye, and with a beautiful backdrop, they have a serious conversation. I think I'm in love with Jef; he says things in such a sincere way. He says he likes the girl she is, the mom she is, and the person she is. He says that he wants his love to also be his best friend. He kisses her and tells her it's the most anticipated kiss of his life. He tells Emily that he feels comfort when he looks in her eyes. She gives him a rose.
At the cocktail party, Emily says Ryan thinks he can get any girl and here she is falling for him. Then she spends some time with Sean and says he makes her feel taken care of and she loves being around him.
Alejandro is eliminated and Sean, Jef, Doug, Ryan, Chris, John, Travis, and Arie move on.
Monday, June 11, 2012
The Bacelorette Emily's Season: Bermuda Triangles
This week Emily's journey takes her to Bermuda.
The show opens with single dad Doug getting the first one on one date of the week with Emily. He acts really nervous about the date and the guys kind of push his buttons which is really easy for them to do. The date finally arrives and they go shopping in Bermuda; the amazing thing here is that these two both have a child, but the similarities stop there. They have nothing in common other than that, and their chemistry is nonexistent. Emily begins thinking on this date that maybe Doug may be "too perfect" (good inclination Emily, your instincts are right on). Despite the fact that they seem to struggle through the date, Emily does give Doug a rose.
The guys race in sailboats for more time with Emily. The losing team is Chris, Charlie, Travis, and Sean, and the winning team is Ryan, Jef, Arie, and Kalon. Emily and Arie spend their one on one time discussing the flack he caught in the house after he consoled Emily at the last cocktail party. He says he wants to spend more time hanging out with her and they share a kiss.
Emily's one on one time with Jef goes really well because she sees for the first time that he is really interested in her. She had hoped he would kiss her on the beach, but he said he was trying to be respectful of Emily.
Emily begins to question Ryan's motives as well as some of the odd comments that have come out of his mouth. Ultimately, Ryan loses out as Jef receives the group date rose.
Meanwhile, the guys back at the house get into a discussion about how age isn't what makes you mature, it's your experiences and who you are as an individual.
Ahhh yes, the two on one date; how terrible! Nate is sweet, innocent, and perhaps a little bit too much. He sees in his parents what he wants for himself. John is older, has a quiet confidence, and doesn't need to be the center of attention like some of the other guys in the house.
Emily ends up choosing John to move forward and Nate is sent home.
At the cocktail party, Arie makes it clear that he is not a fan of Ryan, and does not feel he is there for Emily. Ryan says he is a "good catch" and is not worried about Arie. He is already petitioning to be the next Bachelor.
Moving forward: Doug, Jef, John, Sean, Arie, Travis, Chris, Ryan, Kalon, and Alejandro.
Going home: Nate, Michael, and Charlie
The show opens with single dad Doug getting the first one on one date of the week with Emily. He acts really nervous about the date and the guys kind of push his buttons which is really easy for them to do. The date finally arrives and they go shopping in Bermuda; the amazing thing here is that these two both have a child, but the similarities stop there. They have nothing in common other than that, and their chemistry is nonexistent. Emily begins thinking on this date that maybe Doug may be "too perfect" (good inclination Emily, your instincts are right on). Despite the fact that they seem to struggle through the date, Emily does give Doug a rose.
The guys race in sailboats for more time with Emily. The losing team is Chris, Charlie, Travis, and Sean, and the winning team is Ryan, Jef, Arie, and Kalon. Emily and Arie spend their one on one time discussing the flack he caught in the house after he consoled Emily at the last cocktail party. He says he wants to spend more time hanging out with her and they share a kiss.
Emily's one on one time with Jef goes really well because she sees for the first time that he is really interested in her. She had hoped he would kiss her on the beach, but he said he was trying to be respectful of Emily.
Emily begins to question Ryan's motives as well as some of the odd comments that have come out of his mouth. Ultimately, Ryan loses out as Jef receives the group date rose.
Meanwhile, the guys back at the house get into a discussion about how age isn't what makes you mature, it's your experiences and who you are as an individual.
Ahhh yes, the two on one date; how terrible! Nate is sweet, innocent, and perhaps a little bit too much. He sees in his parents what he wants for himself. John is older, has a quiet confidence, and doesn't need to be the center of attention like some of the other guys in the house.
Emily ends up choosing John to move forward and Nate is sent home.
At the cocktail party, Arie makes it clear that he is not a fan of Ryan, and does not feel he is there for Emily. Ryan says he is a "good catch" and is not worried about Arie. He is already petitioning to be the next Bachelor.
Moving forward: Doug, Jef, John, Sean, Arie, Travis, Chris, Ryan, Kalon, and Alejandro.
Going home: Nate, Michael, and Charlie
Monday, June 4, 2012
The Bachelorette Season 8: Emily Reaches to New Heights
Chris receives the first one on one date of Week 3; their mission, should they choose to accept it is to scale a tall building so that they can have dinner at the top. A thunder and lightning storm starts which frightens Emily, but she says she is comforted by Chris's presence. They finally reach the top where they.... high five? I found that weird, he could have hugged her at the very least, but a lot of them find themselves not knowing how to act simply because Emily is a mom.
The two of them discuss the intimidation factor when it comes to approaching someone they're attracted to. Emily tells Chris she wouldn't walk up to him in a bar because she would be too intimidated, whereas he says he would approach Emily because she would catch his eye. Emily is surprised when she realizes that Chris is 25, and I can definitely see how, stereotypically, age would be a factor for her. I think most people have a tendency to automatically assume that because someone is young it makes them immature but I think it is more about how an individual is raised and the experiences that they've been through. Chris seems to be very genuine though and Emily sees that. She gives him a rose and surprises him with a Luke Bryan concert. Chris says he respects Emily so much so he asks permission to kiss her; she says, why don't you try and you'll find out. Ultimately, they do kiss, and it ends with Emily saying it's one of her best dates ever.
The guys who receive the group date card are Alejandro, Alessandro, Charlie, Doug, Jeff, John, Michael, Ryan, Sean, Stevie, Tony, and Travis. This group date was actually a bit much in my opinion; it consisted of Emily's friends grilling each guy individually. Sean and Doug seem to be favorites of her friends. Sean says he wants a woman who is confident and knows who she is. Doug was raised by his father who died at a young age. He and his sister were split up and were in various foster homes. The time away takes a toll on Tony who begins missing his son to the point that Emily sends him home. Sean makes a great impression on Emily and she decides to give him the group date rose.
Arie receives the other one on one date of the week, and they go to Dollywood in Tennessee. Dolly Parton shows up at her date to sing a song that she penned for Emily herself. Emily says she is in love with Arie's personality, and that he reminds her of her fiance Ricky. Arie says that Emily has exceeded his expectations. The end up kissing and she gives him a rose.
At the cocktail party, Kalon is flat out rude to Emily. Alessandro sees having Ricki and Emily as a compromise in his life. What is wrong with these guys? She gives Kalon the benefit of the doubt (big mistake if you ask me Em!), but sends Alessandro packing faster than he can say ciao.
Arie continues to make a good impression immediately comforting Emily after what happened and they kiss again; Ryan sees green (envy) or is it red (anger)? Sean also continues to make a good impression reassuring Emily that he would be a great dad.
Stevie, Tony, and Alessandro are eliminated.
The two of them discuss the intimidation factor when it comes to approaching someone they're attracted to. Emily tells Chris she wouldn't walk up to him in a bar because she would be too intimidated, whereas he says he would approach Emily because she would catch his eye. Emily is surprised when she realizes that Chris is 25, and I can definitely see how, stereotypically, age would be a factor for her. I think most people have a tendency to automatically assume that because someone is young it makes them immature but I think it is more about how an individual is raised and the experiences that they've been through. Chris seems to be very genuine though and Emily sees that. She gives him a rose and surprises him with a Luke Bryan concert. Chris says he respects Emily so much so he asks permission to kiss her; she says, why don't you try and you'll find out. Ultimately, they do kiss, and it ends with Emily saying it's one of her best dates ever.
The guys who receive the group date card are Alejandro, Alessandro, Charlie, Doug, Jeff, John, Michael, Ryan, Sean, Stevie, Tony, and Travis. This group date was actually a bit much in my opinion; it consisted of Emily's friends grilling each guy individually. Sean and Doug seem to be favorites of her friends. Sean says he wants a woman who is confident and knows who she is. Doug was raised by his father who died at a young age. He and his sister were split up and were in various foster homes. The time away takes a toll on Tony who begins missing his son to the point that Emily sends him home. Sean makes a great impression on Emily and she decides to give him the group date rose.
Arie receives the other one on one date of the week, and they go to Dollywood in Tennessee. Dolly Parton shows up at her date to sing a song that she penned for Emily herself. Emily says she is in love with Arie's personality, and that he reminds her of her fiance Ricky. Arie says that Emily has exceeded his expectations. The end up kissing and she gives him a rose.
At the cocktail party, Kalon is flat out rude to Emily. Alessandro sees having Ricki and Emily as a compromise in his life. What is wrong with these guys? She gives Kalon the benefit of the doubt (big mistake if you ask me Em!), but sends Alessandro packing faster than he can say ciao.
Arie continues to make a good impression immediately comforting Emily after what happened and they kiss again; Ryan sees green (envy) or is it red (anger)? Sean also continues to make a good impression reassuring Emily that he would be a great dad.
Stevie, Tony, and Alessandro are eliminated.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Emily Maynard is Season 8's: The Bachelorette
Season eight of The Bachelorette is shaping up to have all the things we expect from the summer guilty pleasure. There are some villains, some nice guys, beautiful backdrops, and an amazing bachelorette. Emily Maynard, 26, thought she had found love with Brad Womack on Season 15 of The Bachelor, but the relationship ended after disagreements and a long distance between the two. Emily is a resilient woman who has already been through so much, she's raising her five year old daughter Ricki after her fiance, race car driver Ricky Hendrick died in a plane crash. The two were high school sweethearts.
I think Emily is back as The Bachelorette because she genuinely wants to find love, Ricky was her love, but I believe people can have more than one soul mate and this is Emily's chance to find hers. I think it would be great for Ricki to have that permanent male figure in her life; Emily had also talked several times about wanting to have more children. I think she's ready to find a partner, someone to share her life with.
From the beginning, something I noticed is that the majority of the bachelors are a lot more mature than in past seasons. There have always been mature men on the show, but this group overall reads as mature. Several men made a good first impression on me:
I liked Chris, his conversation with her, including personalized bobble head dolls, was very sincere.
Jef is so sweet, he has a very laid back vibe, and I think Emily needs someone like that.
Doug and Emily are on mutual ground, both of them having children gave them an immediate connection. Doug actually ended up receiving the first impression rose.
Arie is genuine, he told Emily on that first night that he is a race car driver; he cared enough about her to tell her and see if she was okay with it.
Kalon is someone who did not impress me, he came across as arrogant, it was almost like by showing up in his own private helicopter that he wanted to show up the other guys. To me, he is the one who ended up looking bad.
Following the first cocktail party, six men went home, and 19 remained.
Brent, David, Jackson, Jean-Paul, Lerone, and Randy were all sent packing; guys, we hardly knew you.
The show is based in North Carolina this year to accommodate the fact that Emily wanted to be at home with Ricki.
Ryan, a pro sports trainer from Georgia received the first one on one date with Emily. Their date was very casual, they started it out by baking cookies at Emily's house, and then Emily dropped by Ricki's soccer practice. By night, Ryan and Emily dined at her favorite restaurant in Charlotte. Ryan explained to Emily that he is not here to compete for her; she isn't a prize. He said he is competing in the sense that he wants to put his best foot forward with her. Then one of Emily's favorite bands, Gloriana performed. Something very telling was when Emily mentioned that she is attracted to Ryan, but that he reminds her of Brad. That may not be a good thing, considering that things ended with her and Brad. Nevertheless, Ryan did receive a rose.
The group date of the week was actually a fundraising event for a charity dear to Emily's heart. The guys and Emily had the opportunity to perform with the muppets. The lucky contenders were: Aaron, Alejandro, Alessandro, Charlie, Chris, Jef, John, Kalon, Kyle, Michael, Nate, Stevie, and Tony.
We learn that Charlie had a near death experience after falling 15 stories from a balcony. As a result, Charlie needed to learn how to walk and talk all over again; he has a fear of public speaking. Charlie speaks to Emily about it, and she is able to put him at ease. He goes out there and overcomes his fear; Emily smiles and says she is proud of him.
Following the fundraising event, they have a small party. Emily tells Chris that she likes him because he is super attractive but he doesn't act like it. I have to say I am liking Chris too.
Emily talks to Jef and tells him she has been waiting for him to come up to her so they could talk. There is definitely something about Jef that's intriguing and Emily definitely sees it too. Jef ends up receiving the group date rose.
Emily takes Joe on a one on one date to a beautiful hotel/ resort called The Greenbrier in her home state of West Virginia. This place is absolutely beautiful, and it would seem the perfect backdrop for a one on one where these two could connect. At one point, Emily was even comparing Joe to Matthew McConaughey. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disaster. By the end of dinner and putting their wishes in the love clock, Emily realized that she had trouble figuring out how she and Ricki could be a part of his life. She sent him home. This is early in the show, and Emily isn't that attached to these guys. The fact that was crying after sending Joe home could be a problem for her, let's hope that her emotions don't end up clouding her judgement.
Doug and Kalon have a heated confrontation after Kalon claims that Doug put being a father on hold to come and be on the show. Yes, it is absolutely true what Doug said, Emily would be pretty angry if she heard this. Kalon seems to say a lot of awful things without thinking about the consequences; I believe it is going to end up costing him.
At the cocktail party, the knucklehead move of the night goes to Ryan who insisted on spending more time with Emily despite the fact that he already received a rose. Poor Tony went to cut in to reveal to Emily the fact that he had a son, but before he could do that, he had to listen to Emily read a seven page letter that Ryan had written to her. Emily commented that Ryan probably didn't do this at the right time, but why did she have to read it then?
Joe, Aaron, and Kyle were eliminated.
Is your favorite still in the running?
I think Emily is back as The Bachelorette because she genuinely wants to find love, Ricky was her love, but I believe people can have more than one soul mate and this is Emily's chance to find hers. I think it would be great for Ricki to have that permanent male figure in her life; Emily had also talked several times about wanting to have more children. I think she's ready to find a partner, someone to share her life with.
From the beginning, something I noticed is that the majority of the bachelors are a lot more mature than in past seasons. There have always been mature men on the show, but this group overall reads as mature. Several men made a good first impression on me:
I liked Chris, his conversation with her, including personalized bobble head dolls, was very sincere.
Jef is so sweet, he has a very laid back vibe, and I think Emily needs someone like that.
Doug and Emily are on mutual ground, both of them having children gave them an immediate connection. Doug actually ended up receiving the first impression rose.
Arie is genuine, he told Emily on that first night that he is a race car driver; he cared enough about her to tell her and see if she was okay with it.
Kalon is someone who did not impress me, he came across as arrogant, it was almost like by showing up in his own private helicopter that he wanted to show up the other guys. To me, he is the one who ended up looking bad.
Following the first cocktail party, six men went home, and 19 remained.
Brent, David, Jackson, Jean-Paul, Lerone, and Randy were all sent packing; guys, we hardly knew you.
The show is based in North Carolina this year to accommodate the fact that Emily wanted to be at home with Ricki.
Ryan, a pro sports trainer from Georgia received the first one on one date with Emily. Their date was very casual, they started it out by baking cookies at Emily's house, and then Emily dropped by Ricki's soccer practice. By night, Ryan and Emily dined at her favorite restaurant in Charlotte. Ryan explained to Emily that he is not here to compete for her; she isn't a prize. He said he is competing in the sense that he wants to put his best foot forward with her. Then one of Emily's favorite bands, Gloriana performed. Something very telling was when Emily mentioned that she is attracted to Ryan, but that he reminds her of Brad. That may not be a good thing, considering that things ended with her and Brad. Nevertheless, Ryan did receive a rose.
The group date of the week was actually a fundraising event for a charity dear to Emily's heart. The guys and Emily had the opportunity to perform with the muppets. The lucky contenders were: Aaron, Alejandro, Alessandro, Charlie, Chris, Jef, John, Kalon, Kyle, Michael, Nate, Stevie, and Tony.
We learn that Charlie had a near death experience after falling 15 stories from a balcony. As a result, Charlie needed to learn how to walk and talk all over again; he has a fear of public speaking. Charlie speaks to Emily about it, and she is able to put him at ease. He goes out there and overcomes his fear; Emily smiles and says she is proud of him.
Following the fundraising event, they have a small party. Emily tells Chris that she likes him because he is super attractive but he doesn't act like it. I have to say I am liking Chris too.
Emily talks to Jef and tells him she has been waiting for him to come up to her so they could talk. There is definitely something about Jef that's intriguing and Emily definitely sees it too. Jef ends up receiving the group date rose.
Emily takes Joe on a one on one date to a beautiful hotel/ resort called The Greenbrier in her home state of West Virginia. This place is absolutely beautiful, and it would seem the perfect backdrop for a one on one where these two could connect. At one point, Emily was even comparing Joe to Matthew McConaughey. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disaster. By the end of dinner and putting their wishes in the love clock, Emily realized that she had trouble figuring out how she and Ricki could be a part of his life. She sent him home. This is early in the show, and Emily isn't that attached to these guys. The fact that was crying after sending Joe home could be a problem for her, let's hope that her emotions don't end up clouding her judgement.
Doug and Kalon have a heated confrontation after Kalon claims that Doug put being a father on hold to come and be on the show. Yes, it is absolutely true what Doug said, Emily would be pretty angry if she heard this. Kalon seems to say a lot of awful things without thinking about the consequences; I believe it is going to end up costing him.
At the cocktail party, the knucklehead move of the night goes to Ryan who insisted on spending more time with Emily despite the fact that he already received a rose. Poor Tony went to cut in to reveal to Emily the fact that he had a son, but before he could do that, he had to listen to Emily read a seven page letter that Ryan had written to her. Emily commented that Ryan probably didn't do this at the right time, but why did she have to read it then?
Joe, Aaron, and Kyle were eliminated.
Is your favorite still in the running?
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Reality Show Round-up: How did American Idol and Dancing with the Stars End?
I never knew going into the week that I was in for such surprises as I tuned in to the finales of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars.
At the end of Tuesday's performance show, there was no clear cut winner for American Idol. Jessica Sanchez threw down with spot on powerhouse vocals, but an odd final song. Phillip Phillips, well, he was Phillip Phillips. He turned in two so-so performances, but his final song was stellar. I thought that about evened things out, maybe even gave Jessica Sanchez the edge. At the start of Season 11, the judges had proclaimed that it was the year of the girl, and after listening to the talent, I genuinely believed it to be true. I admit, in these past few years, I've been all about the boys, but I really thought in the back of my mind that Jessica Sanchez was going to take this, even if only by a narrow margin. It's funny, when Ryan Seacrest announced the winner, he didn't even say it was close. Did Phillip Phillips win by a landslide? I don't think young teenage girls were the only ones who called up and voted for Phillip, I bet a lot of grandmas did too. But, did no majority of any female demographic out there pick up the phone and vote for Jessica Sanchez?
This win begs the question, will a young lady ever win American Idol again? The last time a lady won was in 2007 Season 6 of Idol when a young Jordin Sparks beat Blake Lewis in the final (thank goodness!). Out of eleven seasons of the show, only four females have won, Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks. I think we can rightfully say that Jessica Sanchez belongs or belonged in that company of females singers. Her performances of The Prayer, I Will Always Love You, Sweet Dreams, and I Have Nothing were four of the single best performances, not just of this season, but arguably throughout all the seasons of Idol. Let's not forget that the judges said she could complete with the current popular female singers of today, like Beyonce. There's no question; at the age of 16, Sanchez has poise, power vocals, confidence, swagger, and humility, all qualities tough to find in most artists.
I think this is deeper than who called up to vote for who. I think this is a gender war in a way, but not in the way you think. I think women, generally, find it difficult to route for one another. Our first inclinations many times is to compete, to feel jealous, or to envy; I am woman enough to admit it. For the most part, I have no problem admitting that Jessica Sanchez was hands down deserving of this win. I also have no issue saying that Phillip Phillips worked hard, struggled with a bum kidney, and pushed his way to the end.
Jessica said in an interview, following the finale, that she knew Phillip would win, and that he deserved it, that he had worked so hard. I agree, but I would like to make the argument that the majority of the top finalists worked hard. What about Joshua Ledet? He worked the stage every week, like he had been there his entire life; he worked hard. Skylar Laine was a pro, like a young Reba who got up there every week with a fierceness that was impossible to deny; she worked hard. And what about young Jessica Sanchez, at the age of 16, she probably had more to prove than most. She got up there every week, humble, turning in not one bad performance. The judges used their "save" on her and she was shocked! I think the only person who was shocked that Jessica was saved, was Jessica. Jessica worked hard. Maybe at the end there are no winners and losers. If they worked hard, they won, and now they're going on tour. After the tour is over, some contestants will go back to their lives, and some will start new lives. Some will receive recording contracts and some will not. The experience is special, it shapes you, and maybe it's what you do with that experience that makes you a winner. If not, what was all the hard work for?
I was pleasantly surprised with Dancing with the Stars but I have felt that way the entire season. This was, by far, the best cast that they have ever had, and I went into thinking who are these people? They're superstars. The top three was exactly as it should be, William Levy and Cheryl Burke were the second runners up, Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas were the first runners up, and Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd were crowned as Ballroom Champions. Rightfully so, Donald worked his tush off and was underscored for most of the season. He took bigger risks than anyone else, and those risks paid off because they were executed so well. Peta went from being voted off first to winning the entire competition. Kudos to her for listening to her partner, finding out the styles and dances that fit him well, and choreographing to those strengths. Early talk of the upcoming season of the show is that it will be an All Star cast of past contestants. Donald has already said he won't come back, but let's not count out Gilles Marini! Congratulations to all the amazing celebrities and pros from Season 14. A friend of mine who has never watched the show before even became a fan, and that's a huge feat, trust me.
At the end of Tuesday's performance show, there was no clear cut winner for American Idol. Jessica Sanchez threw down with spot on powerhouse vocals, but an odd final song. Phillip Phillips, well, he was Phillip Phillips. He turned in two so-so performances, but his final song was stellar. I thought that about evened things out, maybe even gave Jessica Sanchez the edge. At the start of Season 11, the judges had proclaimed that it was the year of the girl, and after listening to the talent, I genuinely believed it to be true. I admit, in these past few years, I've been all about the boys, but I really thought in the back of my mind that Jessica Sanchez was going to take this, even if only by a narrow margin. It's funny, when Ryan Seacrest announced the winner, he didn't even say it was close. Did Phillip Phillips win by a landslide? I don't think young teenage girls were the only ones who called up and voted for Phillip, I bet a lot of grandmas did too. But, did no majority of any female demographic out there pick up the phone and vote for Jessica Sanchez?
This win begs the question, will a young lady ever win American Idol again? The last time a lady won was in 2007 Season 6 of Idol when a young Jordin Sparks beat Blake Lewis in the final (thank goodness!). Out of eleven seasons of the show, only four females have won, Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks. I think we can rightfully say that Jessica Sanchez belongs or belonged in that company of females singers. Her performances of The Prayer, I Will Always Love You, Sweet Dreams, and I Have Nothing were four of the single best performances, not just of this season, but arguably throughout all the seasons of Idol. Let's not forget that the judges said she could complete with the current popular female singers of today, like Beyonce. There's no question; at the age of 16, Sanchez has poise, power vocals, confidence, swagger, and humility, all qualities tough to find in most artists.
I think this is deeper than who called up to vote for who. I think this is a gender war in a way, but not in the way you think. I think women, generally, find it difficult to route for one another. Our first inclinations many times is to compete, to feel jealous, or to envy; I am woman enough to admit it. For the most part, I have no problem admitting that Jessica Sanchez was hands down deserving of this win. I also have no issue saying that Phillip Phillips worked hard, struggled with a bum kidney, and pushed his way to the end.
Jessica said in an interview, following the finale, that she knew Phillip would win, and that he deserved it, that he had worked so hard. I agree, but I would like to make the argument that the majority of the top finalists worked hard. What about Joshua Ledet? He worked the stage every week, like he had been there his entire life; he worked hard. Skylar Laine was a pro, like a young Reba who got up there every week with a fierceness that was impossible to deny; she worked hard. And what about young Jessica Sanchez, at the age of 16, she probably had more to prove than most. She got up there every week, humble, turning in not one bad performance. The judges used their "save" on her and she was shocked! I think the only person who was shocked that Jessica was saved, was Jessica. Jessica worked hard. Maybe at the end there are no winners and losers. If they worked hard, they won, and now they're going on tour. After the tour is over, some contestants will go back to their lives, and some will start new lives. Some will receive recording contracts and some will not. The experience is special, it shapes you, and maybe it's what you do with that experience that makes you a winner. If not, what was all the hard work for?
I was pleasantly surprised with Dancing with the Stars but I have felt that way the entire season. This was, by far, the best cast that they have ever had, and I went into thinking who are these people? They're superstars. The top three was exactly as it should be, William Levy and Cheryl Burke were the second runners up, Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas were the first runners up, and Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd were crowned as Ballroom Champions. Rightfully so, Donald worked his tush off and was underscored for most of the season. He took bigger risks than anyone else, and those risks paid off because they were executed so well. Peta went from being voted off first to winning the entire competition. Kudos to her for listening to her partner, finding out the styles and dances that fit him well, and choreographing to those strengths. Early talk of the upcoming season of the show is that it will be an All Star cast of past contestants. Donald has already said he won't come back, but let's not count out Gilles Marini! Congratulations to all the amazing celebrities and pros from Season 14. A friend of mine who has never watched the show before even became a fan, and that's a huge feat, trust me.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
American Idol Season 11: 3 Is Now 2
I knew one thing for certain, Phillip Phillips would make it to the finals on American Idol. The question was who would be joining him: soulful, gospel throwback Joshua Ledet or young, confident, pop star in the making Jessica Sanchez. All three finalists turned in strong performances on Wednesday night, but by the tail end of Thursday's show we discovered that the finals would be a girl/ boy showdown: Sanchez vs. Phillips for all the marbles. I think Phillip will handily put away the competition. He has a more loyal following who is going to keep picking up the phone, dialing, and voting.
Wednesday's performance show included three rounds: Judge's Pick, Contestant's Choice, and Jimmy Iovine's Choice.
Judge's Choice:
Winners--
Joshua singing I'd Rather Be Blind was brilliant. The song, as Randy said, fit Joshua like a glove.
Phillip sang Beggin' by Madcon; the judges chose it because of the rooted melody, but Phillip changed it anyway proving that originality must always win out in the end.
Losers--
The judges chose My All by Mariah Carey for Jessica. This was not the right song for her, she doesn't have Mariah's range and the song was musically too difficult for her. She definitely struggled.
Contestant's Choice:
Winners--
Joshua chose Imagine by John Lennon, a song he was not familiar with before. He dug deep, he connected with the song emotionally, and the judges all agreed, it's what makes him so special.
Phillip's Disease by Matchbox 20 was smoldering. The judges thought it was just okay, but I thought it was a slow burn with lots of emotion, especially for Phillip.
Hit or Miss--
Jessica chose I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith. This was a real double edged sword for me, I understand why she chose it, but was it necessarily the right song for her, probably not.
Jimmy's Choice:
Winners--
The absolute winner here was Phillip singing We've Got Tonight by Bob Seger. The judges even stodd up for someone other than Joshua Ledet! Randy thought it was Phillip's best performance on the show ever.
Joshua sang No More Drama by Mary J. Blige and it was a drama filled performance.
Losers--
Jessica's anemic rendition of I'll Be There by The Jackson Five was just okay, according to Randy, who also said the performance lacked, "a moment".
Wednesday's performance show included three rounds: Judge's Pick, Contestant's Choice, and Jimmy Iovine's Choice.
Judge's Choice:
Winners--
Joshua singing I'd Rather Be Blind was brilliant. The song, as Randy said, fit Joshua like a glove.
Phillip sang Beggin' by Madcon; the judges chose it because of the rooted melody, but Phillip changed it anyway proving that originality must always win out in the end.
Losers--
The judges chose My All by Mariah Carey for Jessica. This was not the right song for her, she doesn't have Mariah's range and the song was musically too difficult for her. She definitely struggled.
Contestant's Choice:
Winners--
Joshua chose Imagine by John Lennon, a song he was not familiar with before. He dug deep, he connected with the song emotionally, and the judges all agreed, it's what makes him so special.
Phillip's Disease by Matchbox 20 was smoldering. The judges thought it was just okay, but I thought it was a slow burn with lots of emotion, especially for Phillip.
Hit or Miss--
Jessica chose I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith. This was a real double edged sword for me, I understand why she chose it, but was it necessarily the right song for her, probably not.
Jimmy's Choice:
Winners--
The absolute winner here was Phillip singing We've Got Tonight by Bob Seger. The judges even stodd up for someone other than Joshua Ledet! Randy thought it was Phillip's best performance on the show ever.
Joshua sang No More Drama by Mary J. Blige and it was a drama filled performance.
Losers--
Jessica's anemic rendition of I'll Be There by The Jackson Five was just okay, according to Randy, who also said the performance lacked, "a moment".
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