Australia’s Next Top Model 5: Episode 7

Previously: Clare, Tahnee, and Adele won the challenge of a lifetime, earning them places in Alex Perry’s special show aboard the Queen Mary II. The theme of the week was fashion/style, which most girls failed, although the mums came to visit-and most girls failed at the Chanel on a Pilon photoshoot (taken in the public swimming area, when the swimmers were there). Laura was also given her walking papers, thankfully.

Back at the Elimination Warehouse, Tahnee says she would have preferred that Franky went, as she was more of a threat. Adele says it was sad to see Laura go, but they are used to the fact that someone has to go each week. Seriously, what’s with Adele and those comments? She gets them every episode. She then goes on to say that she’s glad it’s someone going, because it is a competition. Clare says that now that they are down to the final 6, so they can all taste the prize. The next morning, Lola, Tahnee, and Franky all go for a walk/run, and get to a log where they all sit and talk. Clare’s “Marcia Brady” routine annoys the girls-as Tahnee says, “brush your hair 10 times on this side, 10 times on this side…” Back at the house, Clare is, well, brushing her hair. They still haven’t gotten all the letters from that Sarah Mail off. Adele is picking at her ingrown hairs, and at the rock, Tahnee (who is braiding Lola’s hair) says that at first Adele was a bit scared, but “now that she’s gotten some good feedback it’s gone to her big old boring head!”. Then it’s a whinge session about Cassi’s walk, which looks like a “drunken mess” as Lola demonstrates. Back in the garage at the house, Cassi is…hip hop dancing? Oy. Later, Franky goes out to the pool and there’s a bottle with a Sarah Mail inside. She naturally calls the other screaming girls outside, who are oh-so-excited about the message in a bottle. “Big brands mean big bucks. Don’t let your message get lost today” All the girls are stumped, but Adele thinks it may be a commercial. They go to the Sheraton on the Park, and are met upstairs by Charlotte. She tells the girls that modeling is about the brands that they represent, and they will be acting as representatives of Virgin Air’s new V Australia service-know your stuff about the brand, all right. Charlotte then says that she will be in the boardroom, and there will be some tricky questions asked of them! Ah yes, this must mean that it’s media week-in where the models learn how to deal with various forms of the media. Who can forget the fake paparazzi in season 3?

Australia’s Next Top Model 5: Episode 6

I’m back for another week, and this looks to be good and bring the LOL’s! Last week, the girls were punked at a fake photo shoot, to bring home the week’s lesson being professionalism in any circumstance-dealing with bitchy stylists and photographers at the lesson, posing with ice sculptures at the challenge, and at the photoshoot, working in the desert. With lots of flies. Cassi continued to meltdown, and Maddy was sent home. Sadly, the Snoop Dogg hoodie was not burnt.

Back at the Elimination Shed, Laura says she can’t describe the crazy feelings…being called was a relief. Well yes, it would be. Tahnee is sad that Maddy left, because she was closest to her and they had a lot of inside jokes. Adele proves her mathematical prowess by saying that “now that Maddy’s left, the group seems that much smaller”. Well, she did have a big personality, but still. She then says that they aren’t worrying about who is going to go next-it’s who’s going to win. Back at the mansion, they are sitting on the lanai, reading gossip mags and throwing Wiffle balls at each other, when Tahnee runs to the washroom to brush her teeth, and there’s Sarah Mail: “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the trendiest of them all?” She runs out and tells the girls, who immediately become the Khaki Barn clones from 6teen and run up and see it. As Tahnee reads it, Cassi answers “I am!” They figure out that this week is about style. This week is always an interesting one because it’s not only about their personal style, but in many cases what they know about fashion. Anyways, Adele says that fashion isn’t Cassi’s thing, and she thinks it’s ironic that she walked in wearing that damned Snoop Dogg sweatshirt. Tahnee thinks that they’re going to be checking their clothes, in which case Cassi should be VERY afraid. Clare says that it’s not just about who has the best personal style, but who has the best knowledge OF style! She’s definitely going far, that one. She’s done her homework. The girls then leave and “are in front of a really big building, and then we go inside” (thanks Adele) to the Harper’s Bazaar offices. On the top floor, they are met by Pease and then a lady from HB. Pease says “I look around, and I realize this lesson couldn’t come soon enough for a lot of you”.

Reality Roundup: 26 May

So I haven’t been updating as frequently for awhile-and I apologize. I’ve just been kinda stressed, and for now I am mainly focusing on Australia’s Next Top Model as it’s a show everyone should watch. Here’s a roundup of what happened in reality recently though.

Survivor: Tocantins
The exit of Ben, aka Coach, was too late, as we had to hear his stories every episode. The final 4 of JT, Stephen, Taj, and Erinn competed in a crazy spider-shaped obstacle course challenge, with Erinn closing a gap but JT beating her by one second-and the guys blindsiding Taj at the Tribal. Then it’s the Fallen comrades walk and the final IC, which is more of a concentration game, with balls having to be dropped into a chute with one hand tied behind the back. JT won and took Stephen to the finals, where he then proceeded to get every single jury vote AND win the prize for fan favourite-joined by Taj and to Jeff’s surprise, Sierra (but not mine). Next season a cast of 18 will compete in Samoa.

Amazing Race 14
In China, Kisha and Jen were eliminated by a pee break, so the teams all raced to Hawaii, where they had to transport a pig 200 yards and prepare it for a luau, ride a jetski out to a buoy field, and then match up surfboards at the famous Surfboard Fence. Margie and Luke arrived first but Luke’s inability to match the last one let Tammy and Victor win the million. The redheads got 2nd, with Margie and Luke finishing a very respectable third. I have to say, the finale was anticlimatic because you just knew Tammy and Victor were going to win, and the three of them had made an F3 pact on night 1 in Switzerland. And even though I was Margie/Luke from the beginning, I wasn’t too disappointed with the Tammy/Victor win.

Australia’s Next Top Model 5: Episode 5

Previously: Clare’s idea of hell was the catwalk challenge, at 2 AM, in a Sydney fruit market. Mikarla failed, and there was even more drama. Eloise and Mikarla both got the chop. Back at the Elimination Warehouse, we see Cassi pleading Mikarla’s case and Adele says that Cassi was affected because she knows she hasn’t been trying as much and Mikarla tried hard-so it made her feel like she didn’t deserve to be there. Off to the side, the girls are in groups as she is crying alone, and Clare wonders if the wanting to go home is sympathy. Eh, I think it’s more guilt. Cassi doesn’t have to try and she runs circles around the other girls. Cassi goes upstairs and says it’s not fair because she produces good photos. Um…again. She is effortless at producing good photos, and it doesn’t matter how hard you try, it matters that you take a good picture. Clare continues to say that if she wants to leave, she should just go. In a waiting area, Franky and Adele question her about staying, and Lola doesn’t care-and probably would prefer it-if Cassi left. Back at the house, she is convinced to stay by her (apparently much older) boyfriend. The next morning, Madison describes them as waking up, going downstairs…and hearing farm noises! The Sarah mail is surrounded by plastic farm toys, with pictures of the girls on the heads of the animals. Lola is the donkey (snort), Franky is the sheep (heh), and Maddy is the cow “which was kind of funny”. Laura gets the Sarah Mail, which says: “Change, adjust, adapt. Try it at this week’s photo shoot-today” The girls are shocked that the photo shoot is today, and Clare says they’re going to be cows. Franky says that maybe they have to pose with a farm animal, while Lola says that they may have to BE the animals. She then does her animal imitation, and it ain’t pretty. Clare says that she doesn’t think any of them could have guessed what was truly in store…as they pull up to a farm.

Australia’s Next Top Model 5: Episode 4 (Runway Hell)

Previously: Makeovers made Franky melt down, Cassi lost her temper after Lola stole her line at the challenge (and won with it), and Mikarla failed at the photo shoot. Georgie was eliminated-no surprise there, after being B2 for two weeks in a row. I predict Mikarla’s time is up this week.

We go back to Elimination Warehouse, where Adele thinks that Georgie had it in her to win it-and in her eyes, it’s one less person to compete against. The thing about Georgie is that she was very pedestrian and she couldn’t take a good picture. Sometimes the pedestrian can take a good picture, and sometimes the unique cannot. Eloise says that there are people who she would have liked to see leave first-such as Mikarla, who is “still smoking and eating crap” and wasn’t making as much effort as Georgie. Clare says that some people deserved to go before Georgie, because she knows how hard she worked. See hon, here’s the thing: this is not about effort. You aren’t getting further in the show thanks to an A for effort-you actually have to have RESULTS. Laura says that all the “pretty” girls are leaving, but the ones left are picking their game up as the competition is at its peak. The next morning, a robot goes up to the house, and a doorbell brings the girls down for Sarah Mail. They open it up to find the robot, which they all fawn over, with Eloise reading the SM:
“Be elegant, not automated. Pick up the pace and process the knowledge. It’s time to step out of your comfort zones.”
Eloise sums up that everyone figured out it was catwalk week, and she was “scared shitless”. Lola echoes similar feelings of dread. In the garage of the house, Mikarla and Cassi are using the lines to practice their catwalking skills with Mikarla saying that as soon as she saw what Cassi was doing, she knew it was wrong, and she learned her lesson: don’t listen to Cassi catwalking. Simple as that.

Australia’s Next Top Model 5: Episode 3

Previously: The photo shoot was a circus of pain and the house was a circus of drama. Leah was mercifully booted, and 11 remain.

We open up at the end of last week’s episode, with Georgie and Leah standing as the B2, and Georgie says that her heart was about to beat out of her chest. Being in the bottom has made her realize that she needs to step her game up big-time. Laura says she wishes that Cassi had gone, because she loved Leah and isn’t so fond of Cassi. Cassi, meanwhile, says that she’s done two good photos and she thinks all the girls are seeing her as a threat. The next morning, they are all eating breakfast, and Georgie goes to the lounge area and sees a giant blue box-form Sarah Mail. It says
“Let me cut to the chase; try these on for size”. They peel back the tissue, and they’re wigs. Laura figures out the “CUT” part of “cut to the chase” and they are all excited for makeovers. Lola notes that Franky put on the long black wig and is like “Oooh I’m gonna get a weave, I’m gonna get extensions, blah blah”. She then says that Franky DEFINITELY thought she was getting extensions. They all head over to Myer, where there is the Joh Bailey salon, and Lola notes it’s awesome that Joh himself is there with Sarah and Pease-”it’s gonna be a good day”. Pease introduces the girls to Joh, “the man with his name on the wall and a few pictures”, and says that he is personally going to work on all of their hair. Joh says that they all have beautiful faces, but they’re going to get the hair and the edge to get them over the line.

Australia’s Next Top Model 5: Episode 2

Previously: Cassi blew it in the runway challenge. Franky was a dud at the photo shoot, being called a “dead fish” by Pease. Lots of bitchiness ensued, especially directed at Franky and Clare. Laura T. was eliminated. Who will be AusNTM?

We begin with footage from last panel, where Adele was given the last of the pictures. She says that she is more determined now after having survived the Bottom 2, and she does not want to go home. If she didn’t she swore she was going to try her absolute best. Laura goes for a kiss and cry with the 12 survivors, and Lola says that she was the life of the party-dancing and yelling-and she will be missed. Not to Cassi, who is glad that she is gone because she couldn’t stand to be in the same room as her. Way to tell us how you really feel! Clare says that now everybody is going to step up their game, and it will be QUITE interesting. After elimination, they are taken out to dinner as a celebration, and we see a bunch of the girls dancing. Mikarla gets a little trashed, and ends up getting on the tables with Cassi joining her-as Lola says, nothing too bad or risque. Mikarla doesn’t think so, saying that she thinks Cassi is latching onto her, and they’re back at the house the next morning where she says that she’ll be sitting and Cassi will sit by her. If she goes upstairs, Cassi follows, if she’s in the shower Cassi is by the door. Cassi’s plan, however, is to concentrate on the competition. She doesn’t care if she makes friends or if everyone hates her, she is there to win and she is there for herself and only herself.

Daisy of Love: Episode 1

Okay, when everyone first heard about this, the most common thought was that this was scraping the bottom of the barrel. But after seeing the previews for this, I totally disagree. Sure it’s yet another spinoff, but this looks to be insane. Not to mention we haven’t had guys fighting for a girl since ILNY2 ended last year. Plus these guys are definitely a different sort.

Anywhoo, we open up at the traditional Surreal Life/Flavor of Love house, all tricked out for Daisy. 20 outcasts-rockers, rebels, bad boys, Jersey guys…yep. This isn’t Sober House or Tool Academy-they’re all fighting for Daisy. She fell for Bret on RoL2, and then got her heart broken. She’s trying to make her mark as a singer, model, and all-around badass-but there’s one thing missing: “I want a boyfriend!”. She hopes that one of the 20 single guys has what it takes to date her-and we see footage of upcoming challenges: MMA fighting, running with a dummy while getting shot at with paintballs, a music challenge at the Knitting Factory, plus lots of fighting and testosterone.

All the guys are outside the mansion, and a stretch Hummer pulls up. One of the guys VO’s that he fell for Daisy on RoL2, and that if Bret didn’t pick her he would slap the shit out of him. Another guy says “she is so beautiful-5 feet tall, big fake boobs, blonde hair, big lips-she is my perfect girl”. Weasel says that everyone is nervous when the limo pulls up-and when the door opens, it’s Riki Rachtman. Understandably, the guys are not thrilled. He asks if they were expecting something prettier (to which Weasel says “Frickin Riki Rachtman comes out, and it was like a total boner-kill”), and then he introduces himself by saying that on RoL2, he saw a genuine girl who got her heart broken, and he’s there to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Reality Roundup: 28 April 2009

I’m back at it! My Daisy of Love recap has gotten shuffled off to the side, but I’ll have it up by this time tomorrow.

Anywhoo…let the carnage begin.

18 Kids/Counting
This week was a sad episode, as the family deals with the passing of Grandpa Duggar. It’s an episode that proves key in the series, because it shows how the family deals with death. The thing I admire the most is that Jim Bob is not afraid to show emotion, and he does many times. I hate when men are forced to bottle up emotions, but I think a lot of men could learn from Jim Bob. The Bates family happened to still be there (this was early February-the memorial took place on Friday the 13th), and you can see a hilarious scene of some of the kids doing schoolwork while Justin and James and Jason are just being their goofy old selves, and then you have Johannah. It shows not only the tough stuff, like going to the funeral home and seeing the body, but it also shows the memorial service, which had the entire family-Anna included-singing, as well as a lot of humour. It ends with one of the older boys being a pallbearer for the burial. The way that they went about handling that sensitive subject, in my eyes, was very well done. And we get Cousin Amy, who loves the food. Next week is a Josh/Anna episode, as it shows them moving into their own house, going on their first vacation as newlyweds (to Florida, I presume, where they go to the beach, go parasailing, and more), and then Anna cooking for the entire Duggar clan.

Amazing Race 14 Episode 10: Beijing (26 April)

Previously: 5 teams set out from Bangkok, Thailand, and flew to Guilin, China. Mark and Michael faced a Speed Bump in addition to being several hours behind the other teams. Jen and Luke butted heads on more than one occasion, leading to a Pit Stop meltdown but not before a footrace for 1/2/3. Ultimately, the brothers were not able to make up the time. Tonight: Jen faces her fear-swimming! She also thinks about quitting.

Guilin, China. First settled in 100 BC, it is known for its scenic beauty. The PS is known for the sun/moon pagodas.

Kisha/Jen, 1:48 PM. Fly to Beijing, China-home of 2008 summer Olympics. They have to make their way to a foot massage spa. They are going to move on from the whole drama regarding Margie and Luke-they’re over it.

Tammy/Victor, 1:49. They are glad that they have the geographical knowledge, the cultural and linguistic knowledge, so it can help them out. They go directly to a travel agent and get a 5:10 flight to Beijing on some southern airlines.

Margie/Luke, 1:50. Luke is not even going to talk to the sisters, saying that his focus is the game-so he can win and kick their ass. Heh.