Napping at Red Lights

Who Could Actually Win Idol?

7 Comments | American Idol, Music, Pop Culture, Television | Tagged: American Idol, Brooke White, David Archuleta, David Cook, entertainment, Fox, Jason Castro, Music, Neil Diamond, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, reality shows, Ryan Seacrest, season 7, Simon Cowell, Syesha Mercado, Television, Top 5, tv | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

Even Webber Couldn’t Save Carly Smithson on Idol

April 24, 2008

Popularity won out over talent as the results of the American Idol Top 6 sent the Irish rose Carly Smithson home after Tuesday’s solid performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

I would have really liked to hear Andrew Lloyd Webber’s thoughts on tonight’s elimination. He, after all, was the one the mentor that has really provided the contenders with the best and most honest advice. And we saw firsthand how his advice improved the performances of those that took it and how those that didn’t resulted in a train wreck (I’m looking at you Jason Castro).

Except for the shocking news of the Bottom 2, Webber stole the results show. First he performed with the contenders in the opening number “All I Ask of You.” Then he bantered with Ryan and the judges with wit and graciousness.

While the theme of musicals was a poor choice for the contestants, Idol was all the better for having Webber as a mentor. And to top it off, he saved us from another dreaded round of call in questions.

So how is it that the two competitors that brought down the house with performances that embraced Webber’s advice ended up in jeopardy tonight?

No one expected either of the Davids to be anything but safe this evening – Cook because he’s talented and Archuleta because he’s a favorite.

But then that’s when the results when awry. First false-start Brooke White was declared safe, sending Syesha Mercado to the stools. Then Jason’s charm won him a spot in safety despite his disastrous performance of “Memory” that left fans wanting to forget and Carly in peril.

Even before the elimination was announced, I was shaking my head and mumbling “this is all wrong.” Last week or the week before, I would have gladly said goodbye to either Syesha or Carly, but after Tuesday’s performances – their best by far – I’m stunned.

But alas, there is no fairy tale ending for Carly.

So what do you think – did America get it right? Who should have gone home?

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Top 6 Perform

Who Could Actually Win Idol?

2 Comments | American Idol, Music, Pop Culture, Television | Tagged: American Idol, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Broadway, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Archuleta, David Cook, entertainment, Fox, Jason Castro, Music, musicals, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, reality shows, Ryan Seacrest, season 7, Simon Cowell, Syesha Mercado, Television, Top 6, tv | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

Could Sam be the Devil’s Spawn in ‘Reaper’?

April 23, 2008

Last night the CW freshman series Reaper returned with its first of five post-strike episodes to close out the season. But the fate of the show still hangs in the balance. But it’s the status of Sam’s soul that I’m curious about – or actually more specifically, his lineage of his soul.

The premise of the show is that run-the-mill slacker Sam Oliver (Brett Harrison) has his life turned upside down when he turns 21. On his birthday he finds out that his parents (Andrew Airlie and Allison Hossack) sold his soul to the Devil (Ray Wise). The Devil decides instead of taking Sam’s soul to Hell, he’d rather employ him as a bounty hunter for escaped souls, telling Sam:

“That’s a problem we’ve been having lately, what with overcrowding and so forth. Honestly, we were underprepared for the influx. I blame myself. But that’s not your problem. All you have to do is track down fugitives and haul their asses over to a portal to Hell. Easy.”

The story sounds pretty simple and straight forward; and as you can imagine hilarity ensue when Sam tries to take down souls mean enough and bad enough to escape from Hell with nothing more than the help of his two best slacker pals – Ben (Rick Gonzalez) and Sock (Tyler Labine) – and a vessel given to him by the Devil:

“This will help. A vessel. Handcrafted in the bowels of Perdition, by the iniquitous and the vile.” (Sam looks blank) ”Oh, I forgot, you got 600 on the SATs, didn’t you?”

And while on the surface the story sounds simple, the episodes are littered with clues that suggest there’s more to the tale.

First there’s the parents reluctance to tell Sam about the deal. He’s dad stumbled through:

“There’s something I… I have to tell you. I, uh, I probably should have told you this a long time ago. I, uh… Before you were born, your Mom and I… sold your soul to the Devil.”

The parents tell Sam that his father was dying so they bartered the soul of their first child (because they didn’t they could have any) for the return of his health.

Then there’s the contract. When Sam ask his parents to see it, they stall, coming up with vague places it might be before admitting they don’t have it. An outraged Sam replied:

“You put the contract for my soul with my third grade report card, and Mr Huggles?”

And when he asks the Devil for a copy of it, the Devil claims inefficiencies in his administration:

“You know who works for me in my central office? White collar criminals. They hate me. They hate their jobs. I’m lucky if I get coffee in the morning.”

Eventually Sam gets it, but it’s so thick (think War & Peace) and written in legalese that Sam doesn’t understand it.

And finally, there is the unusual relationship between the Devil and Sam. The Devil has taken Sam under his wing – acting like a mentor – helping him to succeed with his reaper duties and “interfering” with the rest of his life. An example of the Devil’s guidance:

“Get the girl. Get the soul. I don’t care which, man, just pull that trigger. I’m tired of coddling you.”

It might not sound like much, but it’s clear that the Devil doesn’t dote on all his employees like this. In fact, Sam’s demon neighbors – Steve (Michael Ian Black) and Tony (Ken Marino) – mention how rare it is for the Devil to talk to one of his charges, let alone confide in them in this latest episode, “Rebellion” in which the Devil invited Sam out for ice cream.

These clues make me believe that Sam could actually be the Devil’s son.

Think about it. The Devil fears his enemies might harm his infant son (or worse, corrupt him into challenging his father), so he sends him to be raised in secret by humans. Maybe the Devil traded his son’s safety for Mr. Oliver’s health or for the Olivers to have a child of their own (Sam has a little brother that we haven’t seen since the pilot).

This explanation could clarify why the Olivers were so uncomfortable with revealing the deal and why nobody wanted Sam to see the contract.

And now that Sam has come of age, the Devil is teaching him the family business and getting to know Sam, thereby explaining the Devil’s particular interest in Sam.

Furthermore, in “Unseen” when Sam candidly asks the Devil if Cady (Jessica Stroup) is his daughter. The Devil openly admits that she is not. But it’s the way the Devil says it that makes you think that Cady might not be his offspring, but someone Sam knows (like maybe himself) is.

Either way, the addition of the demon neighbors has added a new dimension to an already great show. I know some people might not have given Reaper a chance because it’s on the CW or because they fear it’s some dark sci fi show dealing with the supernatural like Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the CW hit Supernatural.

In reality, Reaper is a comedy that relies on witty dialogue, pop cultural references and comical storylines for the slacker in all of us. I particularly like the dialogue as you can tell from the many quotes I used above. Unfortunately, reading them in print is not the same as when Ray Wise delivers them. The Devil has the best lines in the show.

Reaper airs on the CW at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays. You can watch full episodes on cwtv.com.

2 Comments | Pop Culture, Reaper, Television | Tagged: Allison Hossack, Andrew Airlie, Brett Harrison, comedy, CW, Devil, entertainment, freshman, Jessica Stroup, Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black, pilot, Ray Wise, Reaper, Rebellion, Rick Gonzalez, Sam Oliver, Sci Fi, season 1, sell soul, series, Television, tv, Tyler Labine, Unseen | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

Syesha Mercado does Webber Proud on American Idol

April 23, 2008

Tonight Andrew Lloyd Webber helped the Top 6 bring Broadway to American Idol. But were the performances music to our ears or a heartbreaking tragedy?

While I personally love musicals, I’m not sure that their songs are appropriate fodder for Idol competitors. These songs are made for a certain type of voice that clearly does not include all the contenders. But I guess you can say the same thing of most of the themes.

Either way, I’m glad that they waited until this late in the competition to bring in Lord Andrew as a mentor. As expected, the result of his work with the contestants was a mixed bag.

Lord Andrew predicted that Syesha Mercado would bring down the house and I have to agree that she topped the night. She finally showed us some personality. She was delightful, entertaining and captivating. Her performance of “One Rock & Roll Too Many” was by far her best. And if this was Broadway Idol, Syesha would be the clear winner.

Give Lord Andrew another point for convincing Carly Smithson to pick “Jesus Christ Superstar.” It was definitely a better song choice for her. During a couple points in the song, Carly sounded like she was shouting. Otherwise, she sounded good and actually looked like she was enjoying the performance.

On the other hand, it was nice to see a softer side of David Cook tonight. I liked his version of “The Music of the Night.” Sure, it doesn’t stand out as his most memorable or most original performance. But considering that I in no way expected musicals to be Cook’s forte, I was impressed with his effort.

Conversely, David Archuleta did not impress me. I’ve never been a big Archuleta fan. Unfortunately his rendition of the traditionally female-sung “Think of Me” did nothing to change that opinion. I agree with Simon that the performance was pleasant but easily forgotten. However, despite my criticisms I won’t be surprised to see him sail through to the next week.

Then there was Brooke White. I liked that we got to see her emotionally connect to “You Must Love Me,” but I thought the performance itself was average. I’m concerned about her restarting the song. This week is the second time that Brooke has stopped and restarted a song. It clearly shows her lack of experience. And this late in the game, forgetting the lyrics is going to hurt her.

Finally, I never expected Jason Castro to blow me away on Broadway night and he most definitely lived up to that expectation. I was not surprised to learn that he wasn’t familiar with musicals, but the fact that he didn’t realize that “Memory” was sung by a cat (a hard guess considering the name of the musical is Cats) only added to the pure torture of my ears. Jason should be voted off on this performance alone.

My picks for the bottom three are Archuleta (I know it’s a vain hope), Brooke and Jason with Jason going home.

What are your bottom three?

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Does the Right Eye hold the Secret to BSG?

7 Comments | American Idol, Music, Pop Culture, Television | Tagged: American Idol, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Broadway, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Archuleta, David Cook, entertainment, Fox, Jason Castro, Music, musicals, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, reality shows, Ryan Seacrest, season 7, Simon Cowell, Syesha Mercado, Television, Top 6, tv | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

Could Cally be the Final Cylon on BSG?

April 21, 2008

Since Galactica entered the nebula in the Season 3 finale, the Internet has been buzzing with speculation as to the identity of the final Cylon on Battlestar Galactica. But to be honest, I’ve been so stunned by the four revealed in that episode that I haven’t given it much thought – until now.

Obviously, Starbuck is too obvious. And I think she actually has another role, although I’ve not quite worked out the role myself – a messenger maybe.

And I think I read somewhere that the producers said it definitely wasn’t Roslin, Baltar, or Bill or Lee Adama. So where does that leave us?

Knowing what we do about the four among the crew – Tigh, Anders, Tory and Tyrol – I think it’s clear that the Final 5 are very different from the other Cylons. What exactly that difference is, I’m not sure. I’ve even speculated that they were from Earth.

But knowing how similar the Final 5 are to the rest of the survivors and how long they’ve been integrated with the colonists (Tigh has been friends with Adama for more than 40 years), I’ve had trouble picking up any clues as to the identity of the last Cylon. That is, until this last episode.

In “Ties that Bind,” Cally, Tyrol’s wife, suddenly became a suspect for me for two main reasons. Let me explain why.

The four revealed in “Crossroads” all became aware of their Cylon status when they entered the nebula. Clearly that nebula has had an effect on Cally too. She said her insomnia started when they entered the nebula. But unlike the others she turned to pills to help with the symptoms. Could the pills have prevented her from hearing the music? Or as the last model, could she simply be so different that the music didn’t affect her? If the final Cylon is on Galactica, why else would they not have responded to the music when in the nebula like the others?

Then there’s baby Nicky. A great deal was made about Hera – a child born to one Cylon parent and one human parent. Hera is considered the chosen one. But what about Nicky? If Tyrol is really a Cylon and Cally a human, wouldn’t Nicky be some miracle baby too?

In everything I’ve read the producers have been especially evasive in acknowledging Nicky as a half human, half Cylon. Could that be because he really is a full Cylon?

At first I thought the difference between Hera and Nicky was that one had a Cylon mother and the other a Cylon father? Or the fact that Tyrol was a different type of Cylon that Athena could be the difference. But if Nicky has two Cylon parents that explains a lot.

The one think that troubled me about this theory is why would Tory kill a fellow Cylon. But clearly the other four Cylons aboard Galactica don’t know who the final Cylon is, so it’s possible that Tory didn’t recognize Cally as a fellow Cylon. The other four didn’t recognize each other’s status until the nebula. And we also know that Cylons are above attacking each other.

But the big question is what has become of Cally. Is she really dead? Do the Final 5 regenerate like the other Cylons? If so, how? They clearly don’t have a resurrection ship nearby which is pretty risky in and of itself.

And that leaves me with one final question (or at least one that I’ll ask here). How many copies of the Final 5 are there? Is there only one? Could that be what’s different about them? Or are there more copies? If so, where are those copies? Earth?

So tell me, do you think Cally could be the final Cylon? Or are the clues I’m reading misdirection? If not Cally, who do you think is the final Cylon?

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Are the Final 5 Cylons from Earth?

13 Comments | Battlestar Galactica, Pop Culture, SciFi, Television | Tagged: Anders, Battlestar Galactica, BSG, cally, Crossroads, cylons, drama, earth, entertainment, Hera, Nicky, Sci Fi Channel, SciFi, Season 4, Starbuck, Television, theory, Ties that Bind, Tigh, Tory, tv, Tyrol | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

Who Could Actually Win American Idol?

April 17, 2008

Well the Top 12 have been halved on American Idol and the end is near. But are we any closer to knowing who will be crowned the Season 7 Idol?

I know who tops my list, but the voters seem to have their favorites. And for me the two do not agree.

My pick to win is David Cook. I think he’s leaps and bounds above the others not only in talent, but stage presence, song choice and arrangements. He’s the whole package.
But it’s the other David that I see walking away with the victory. Archuleta is a not only a favorite of the judges, but of apparently every teen girl out there. Even forgetting words to a song couldn’t land the younger David in jeopardy, proving that when you are a favorite all your sins are more easily forgiven.

But I ask you: Who do you think should be the next American Idol? And then who do you think will actually get to take home the title? Don’t forget to explain your choices.

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22 Comments | American Idol, Music, Pop Culture, Television | Tagged: American Idol, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Archuleta, David Cook, entertainment, Fox, Jason Castro, Music, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, reality shows, Ryan Seacrest, season 7, Simon Cowell, Syesha Mercado, Television, Top 7, tv | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

Kristy Lee Tells Simon What She Thinks on Idol

April 17, 2008

It was a bad night for Kristy Lee Cook. Not only was her number finally up on American Idol as she was eliminated from the Top 7, but now she can’t even buy her back the beloved barrel horse that she sold to get to her audition.

Tonight was a lesson in how Ryan could drag out a three minute announcement into an hour of fluff.

No longer are contestants sent to the couch or the stools depending on their status. Instead Ryan played games with their fate (because last week’s announcement wasn’t cruel enough) by dividing the contenders into groups, changing the group members and then asking the shy 16-year-old David Archuleta to pick the safe group.

In between the games, the theme was about freedom. The Ford video was set to “I Want to Break Free.” Then we were treated to Elliott Yamin singing “Free.” And even guest mentor Mariah Carey sang “Bye, Bye.”

But even as Kristy Lee’s group, which also included Brooke White and Syesha Mercado, was announced as the one in jeopardy, she showed no surprise at her peril.

After Syesha was deemed safe, Simon predicted that Kristy Lee would finally say goodbye. Brooke protested, but Kristy Lee knew he was right, proclaiming that at least she’d survived to the Top 10.

And you have to give this girl credit for tenacity. Long after many of us of wrote her off, she hung on for weeks with smart song choices.

Moreover, she ended her journey with class singing her farewell song with a line dedicated to Simon saying that she had waited all of her life for a good comment from him.

If only she’d sung more often with that kind of originality, she might have stuck around for another couple of weeks.

In the end, we all knew it was time for Kristy Lee to go home. So why did it take Ryan an hour to tell us the obvious?!?

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Top 7 Perform

6 Comments | American Idol, Music, Pop Culture, Television | Tagged: American Idol, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Archuleta, David Cook, Elliott Yamin, entertainment, Fox, Jason Castro, Kristy Lee Cook, Mariah Carey, Music, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, reality shows, Ryan Seacrest, season 7, Simon Cowell, Syesha Mercado, Television, Top 7, tv | Permalink
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David Cook Rocks Mariah Carey on Idol

April 16, 2008

A diva known for her power ballads mentored the Top 7 on American Idol tonight. What can we expect from Mariah Carey’s efforts – second-rate versions of her hits or just karaoke hell?

At the thought of watching tonight’s episode of the competition, a quote from my two-year-old son comes to mind – “I’m scared.” Of course, his purpose is to avoid bedtime. Mine is to avoid a boring night of mediocre ballads.

And for the most part, my fears were confirmed with a night of performances that will be – thankfully – quickly forgotten.

Only one performance stood out. Let’s just say that I can’t wait for David Cook to have an album out so I can buy it. The man just rocked Mariah Carey with a version of “Always Be My Baby” that stood out tonight as the only truly original performance. Cook definitely has the makings of a star.

It became clear early on that the women were at a disadvantage tonight. The men were forced to personalize songs normally sung and/or penned by a female; whereas, the ladies were doomed to a direct comparison to the legend that is Mariah. So I’ll continue with my review by gender.

Also adding a bit of originality to his performance was Jason Castro who put a little reggae twist to “I Want to Cry.” The version had a cool, funky little feel to it, but it wasn’t anything that left me wanting more. The question is whether it was enough to keep Jason alive for another week.

David Archuleta’s rendition of “When You Believe” was very pretty, but as with most of his performances I’m just not taken with it. But since Archuleta is a favorite, I doubt even the dreaded first up spot tonight will diminish his standings with the powers that be. As for me, I’m no bigger a fan of Archuleta after this performance.

Topping my list for the ladies is Kristy Lee Cook, not because she blew me away, but because she was really the only female to personalize her performance. I didn’t expect Kristy Lee to do well on Mariah Carey night, but she’s proving to be a pretty smart girl. She put a nice country twist to “Forever” and it worked pretty well for her.

I’ve come to the conclusion that instruments are a crutch for Brooke White. Whether it’s to combat stage fright or something else, I’m not sure. But what I can’t decide is if it’s helping her or not. Brookie is another one who I didn’t expect to stand out with these power ballads. However, I think she did the best she could with “Hero.”

Parts of Carly Smithson’s “Without You” stood out because I think we got to see a little bit of her personality – or maybe her potential – in them. But these glimpses were few and far in between. Overall, the performance was average. It would have been fine if we were listening to Carly at the local pub, but it lacked star quality.

I like Syesha Mercado when she does songs that let us see something besides the power of her voice. For that reason, I liked the beginning of “Vanishing” the best. Then she went into her runs and the big notes which are technically well done, but aren’t impressive anymore because she does them every week.

Except for David C., I wasn’t overly impressed with anyone tonight (not that I actually expected to be with this theme). I would be okay with anyone but David C. in the bottom three based on tonight’s performances.

If I had to choose, my picks would be Archuleta (I know, I dreaming), Syesha and Carly. I really want Archuleta to go home, but realistically I think it’ll be Syesha.

What about you? Who should go home on Wednesday?

17 Comments | American Idol, Music, Pop Culture, Television | Tagged: American Idol, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Archuleta, David Cook, entertainment, Fox, Jason Castro, Kristy Lee Cook, Mariah Carey, Music, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, reality shows, Ryan Seacrest, season 7, Simon Cowell, Syesha Mercado, Television, Top 7, tv | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

‘Sarah Jane’ Offers Sci Fi Adventure for Whole Family

April 14, 2008

I vaguely remember the Doctor Who series from the 70s and 80s, but when the show was revived in 2005, I became a big fan. However, it’s a series my husband and I usually watch after the kids have gone to bed. But now we have a show we can watch as a family – The Sarah Jane Adventures.

$Sarah Jane and K-9 in \$ My first exposure to Sarah Jane was during the “School Reunion” episode of the new Doctor Who’s second season. Since I wasn’t familiar with the original series, I didn’t recognize Sarah Jane as the companion of the third and fourth incarnations of The Doctor, let alone the actress (Elizabeth Sladen) who was reprising the role some 30 years later.

Two years later and Salden is back in her Sarah Jane shoes for American audiences.

An inquisitive journalist, Sarah Jane first met The Doctor, a time lord who travels through space and time saving Earth, while in search of a story. She stayed with him (or at least two incarnations of him) for four seasons until he was called back to his home planet.

When you have traveled to the ends of space across thousands of centuries, what do you do when you are then confined one time and space without the man who holds the key to your heart and soul to live a rather ordinary live?

“I saw amazing things out there in space. But there is strangeness to be found wherever you turn. Life on Earth can be an adventure too … you just need to know where to look!” – Sarah Jane Smith

You become a reclusive who still tackles the extraterrestrial threat to your country and planet with subtlety and grace.

Or at least that’s what Sarah Jane thinks she’s doing until she’s discovered by her new neighbor, Maria Jackson (Yasmin Paige). Maria moves to Bannerman Road with her recently divorced father Alan (Joseph Millson) after her self-obsessed mother Chrissie (Juliet Cowan) insists that the family home be sold.

A curious teen, Maria is fascinated by the mysterious Sarah Jane who is abrupt, standoffish and always taking off at a moment’s notice.

The duo’s paths cross in “Invasion of the Bane” which premiered on Friday at the family-friendly time of 7:30 p.m. EST of the Sci Fi Channel, at the Bubbleshock (a type of “organic” soda) factory where an alien race known as the Bane are trying to take over the world.

Together with Luke (Tommy Knight), a genetically engineered boy created by the Bane and later adopted by Sarah Jane, the pair defeat the threat and a team is born.

Fans of Doctor Who will like the spin-off series by the same producers because it extends the mythology of the series in a campy, family-friendly way. Instead of a sonic screwdriver like The Doctor, Sarah Jane carries a sonic lipstick, a gift from The Doctor along with a watch that scans for alien life forms.

Before meeting Maria and adopting Luke, Sarah Jane’s only friends are a super computer she named Mr. Smith and K-9, a little metal computer dog given to her during “School Reunion,” a replacement for the dog companion that accompanied her on her adventures with The Doctor.

In this episode, we also find Sarah Jane talking to an alien species we’ve seen in the other Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood.

But unlike Torchwood, this series is not filled with adult content. Rather it is geared for the younger generation. A show Doctor Who fans can share with the next generation.

My kids still thought the Bane were a bit on the scary side, but they enjoyed the rest of the show. I could see some tweens really getting into this show. It’s a nice addition to the Doctor Who franchise.

I strongly suggested to Doctor Who fans looking for a little lighter adventure to check out the series. And to those who have not discovered Doctor Who or who are looking for some fun, light sci fi adventure, to check out The Sarah Jane Adventures.

You can catch the first episode online at scifi.com. New episodes air on the Sci Fi Channel Fridays at 7:30 p.m. EST.

1 Comment | Family Fun, Parenting, Television | Tagged: adventure, Alan Jackson, Chrissie Jackson, Doctor Who, drama, Elizabeth Sladen, entertainment, Joseph Millson, Juliet Cowan, K-9, Luke Smith, Maria Jackson, Sarah Jane Smith, Sci Fi, Television, The Doctor, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Tommy Knight, Torchwood, tv, Yasmin Paige | Permalink
Posted by vacelts

Is American Idol’s Credibility Shot?

April 11, 2008

After last night’s shocking elimination, American Idol fans everywhere are buzzing with questions.

Whether it was the unexpected departure of Michael Johns or the seemingly cruel way Ryan Seacrest told Michael that it was the end of the road, it seems fans are starting to question their faith in the show?

We’ve all seen our favorites depart earlier than we like in the past, but I’ve never seen a stunned hush set in on the studio audience like it did Thursday night when Ryan announced Michael’s departure.

For some, it has shaken their very confidence in the validity of the show. Others just chalk it up to Idol being more of a popularity contest than a talent competition.

To jump on the conspiracy bandwagon, I have to admit that I’ve questioned the voting numbers after my husband pointed out that we never hear anything about the voting being audited by some firm as we did for shows in my youth.

Even if I don’t suspect executive intervention in the results, one can hardly put faith in a voting system that allows doe-eyed teenagers to repeatedly vote via text and phone for their favorite heartthrob for two hours straight.

So is this event just another day in reality show madness or do you feel like the “man behind the curtain” has been exposed?

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