They Should Apologize for Last Season

Big Daddy and I are creatures of habit.  We like watching the same old shows, season after season, especially the better reality shows that only changeout the contestants for the most part.  We know they’re contrived to some extent, but I like to watch the different personalities interract.  It’s amazing and inspiring  to see the dramatic transformations of the contestants on Biggest Loser, hilarious watching giant egos clash on Celebrity Apprentice, and fun to pick out couples to hate on The Amazing Race.  I get really irritated when host Jeff Probst often and obviously tries to manipulate the votes of the contestants with his lame comments on Survivor.  But as much as we like hunkering down to watch these shows, I just about wrote off ever watching American Idol after last season.  Even Simon’s acid tongue could not add enough spice to the dull group of contestants last season.  It was a talentless snoozefest.

Since there didn’t seem to be anything else on TV that conflicted with Idol this season, I decided to tune in just to see the auditions when sometimes hopelessly delusional wannabes perform comical renditions of songs hoping for a miracle.  And although I was never a fan of Jennifer Lopez, the other new judge, Steven Tyler, intrigues me.  He’s a funny, talented bad boy that brings me back to my college days when I first discovered Aerosmith and the raw sexuality of “Toys in the Attic” (on 8-track, no less!).  It was rock ‘n roll at it’s finest!!

Photo courtesy of whyfame.com

I may be hooked on Idol again, thanks to Mr. Tyler.  I don’t even mind JLo.  She hasn’t exhibited the diva behavior she is known for on camera, and her skin glows.  It makes me feel not so old knowing she’s over 40 and looking so good.  Veteran judge Randy Jackson has taken his role a little more seriously, and is actually making a few relevant comments, trying to become Simon lite.

They started the show last night with an “apology” scrolling across the screen in large letters for Mr. Tyler’s antics of the previous week.  He was classic Tyler last week, being outrageous rocker dude and uttering a few comments that were bleeped out.  He even offered up a poem about a duck–that rhymed.  It was hilarious.

I’m pretty sure the “apology” was a joke.  Steven Tyler has rescued Idol for another season.  I may even continue watching when the joke contestants are gone.  Could anyone really be offended by the antics of Steven Tyler?  If so, they should tune in to reruns of The Golden Girls and let the rest of us enjoy ourselves.  American Idol is alive and well without Simon, Paula, or Kara.  They have absolutely nothing to apologize for so far this season.

Lost On Lost

Spoiler Alert:  If you didn’t watch the finale of Lost yet, don’t read this!!

I know that anybody who has watched Lost over the past six years has at times been quite lost as to what the hell was going on many times.  I almost quit watching several times because I was having too much trouble following its multiple story lines and parallel universes.  What year was it?  Are they still on the island or did they escape?  Who were the bad/good guys?  It made my brain hurt.

After watching the finale last night, I still don’t totally get it.  I’m hoping some of you readers are Lost fans and can give me your insight into what you believe the ending signified.  I don’t even know if the writers themselves know for sure.

My take on it is they all died in the initial crash and the whole 6 years was their journey to work on their flaws to get to the “light.”  Why wasn’t Ben included?  Was he still not ready to go to Heaven?  Was he even on the plane to begin with?  Were the “Others” other passengers on the plane?  Oh, give me some opinions people.  I’m sure there are no right or wrong answers.  In fact, Middle Son J and I both think the writers never had a set theme for the show–we think they just kind of rolled with it as the years went on. 

I so wanted it all to make crystal clear sense when it was over.  But I doubted that was possible.

I’m An Equal Opportunity Stupid-Basher

Although most of my rants are against the idiot politicians that are hell-bent on destroying intelligent civilized life as we know it, in my heart I am an equal opportunity hater of all things stupid.  I just don’t get as angry at the bulk of the idiots out there because they don’t have the capacity to put our lives in jeopardy.  They just basically make me shake my head and wonder.  Like:

What the hell were the big shots at NBC thinking when they decided to switch out their numero uno Late Night guy (Jay Leno) with their number one Late Late Night guy (Conana O’Brien)?  Both were sitting pretty where they were.  Conan is still very young and could have waited a while to move into the Tonight Show slot, like those before him. 

I’ve never worked in the TV industry, but as soon as they mentioned moving Jay Leno (or for that matter any talk show) into the prime time 10pm. slot, I knew it wouldn’t work.  I’m betting just about everybody knew it was a stupid idea–except for the ones being paid millions of dollars.  Leno’s good–but he’s good in his late-night genre.  Americans have grown up on the concept of winding down their day after the nightly news by tuning into a comedy monologue and maybe even hanging around to see a celebrity or two pitching their latest work.  The ten o’clock hour is for drama and the ratings have always shown that.  Think:  Law and Order (in it’s many incarnations) or the late long-running ER.  Watching the Tonight Show makes you think of ending the day, getting ready for work the next day, going to bed.  Depressing!  Who wants to push that up an hour and a half?

Here’s a good idea for all the idiots out there:  Next time you think you might want to try something new, take a poll of the people your decision will affect.  Had the NBC execs done that, I’m sure they would have saved themselves from this big mistake–IF they had actually listened.  But maybe they did listen to the people and in their arrogance decided they knew more.  That’s how our lawmakers operate.  Maybe they should do what George Costanza did in that epic episode of Seinfeld:  Just do the opposite of whatever your natural instinct tells you to do.  It worked for George!

White Bread

It’s almost two hours later, and I’m still shaking a little.  My head just keeps shaking back and forth in disbelief.  Americans are losing their jobs, their wealth, and their faith in our government.  And now they’ve lost their minds.

My fellow Americans are obviously so shell-shocked from recent events and shady politicians that they’ve even lost their taste for good entertainment.  Adam Lambert, the most talented artist to grace the American Idol stage, has been passed over in favor of “one of the others.”  It’s not that the others were not talented.  They just weren’t in the same category as Adam.  They could sing.  Some could even play instruments.  But Adam was mesmerizing.

I looked forward every week to Adam’s performance.  He could take a song from any genre and make it new and interesting.  His voice was controlled, like a professional, and his vocal range was amazing.  He exuded confidence and had a magnetic stage presence.  This is what entertainment was meant to be.

Instead, our poor old tired country picked a cute little tween-idol type.  He can sing.  He’s cute as a button.  But he’s no superstar.

Were people put off by Adam’s eyeliner and nail polish?  Were they worried about his sexual orientation?  Or are the people that call in all 12-year old girls?  Because if American Idol is really about talent, Adam Lambert would be the American Idol.