gingerormaryann
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Posts posted by gingerormaryann
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Glowlights, the helicopter parents wouldn't make it through the first ten minutes, where the F word is said at least twice. I have to say that Sandy's transformation in the play is much more disturbing than in the movie. It appears she changes as a nod to peer pressure as Sandy abandons whatever dreams and principles she has (and she aspires to the Middle Class, which Rizzo understands she will never achieve if she sleeps with Danny) so she can be part of the Pink Ladies.
As for Peter Pan, there's not much to say. It's family friendly, as was SOM but it wasn't good TV. Those flying sequences are indeed magic in the theatre but it simply doesn't translate to TV. I've heard kids screaming with delight during the scene, even in "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" but it just looked lame on TV. The special had the looks of a Sid and Marty Krofft Saturday morning show (which was fantastic) but there was nothing to put on the set. It's only a few days after the broadcast and I can hardly remember Allison Williams name, much less anything she did.
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Anyone recommending "Grease". Have you ever seen the original show, not the sanitized one that Broadway has been presenting. It's a rough, crude and somewhat unpleasant. The movie was fun and did a good job of presenting the show ala "Happy Days" or "Laverne and Shirley" but it bore little similarity to what was at one time, the longest running show in Broadway history.
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I thought Dmitry's looked like 2000 Tokyo. I would have pegged it for the win if the challenge was to design a coat inspired by "The Ring."
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Why was Vincent on the list of villains? If anything, he resembled a clueless, wacky, slightly pervy uncle but definitely benign. That season, the villain was defintely Jeffrey. As for Wendy Pepper, I think time will be kind to her performance on PR. Kara Saun, not so much.
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All these Korina apologists, and that certainly includes Tom and Lorenzo, are doing their version of the Tim Gunn save.
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I also think that there is a concept of Char designing for a very specific audience, the way Michael (from the Laura season) did. It's a distinct niche but not necessarily high fashion and she doesn't have the talent to bridge the gap the way Kara Saun did.
As for Korina, Emily spoke the truth when she said that all that negativity she was spewing would eventually come through in her garment. From the start of the season, I was pretty shocked at how many confessionals she did where she essentially trashed everyone and everything. While the editing had something to do with it, at the end of the day, she gave them the material to work with.
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I have to say I really enjoyed the series but hope the producers are a bit better for the next go round. The stars gimmick was especially bad since they kept saying that they count when we saw that they didn't at all. Gibson didn't win a single camera challenge yet won the competition. They also telegraphed Sean losing early on when he was caught on camera saying "I've got this in the bag." He was also the only contestant to get criticized for his food and then for his proposed show. The obvious next choice would be Amber, so it was a surprise to see Gibson crowned. Although his show proves he doesn't have what it takes to be on camera, I have no problem with his win because he always seemed to be the one kid who really loved cooking and saw it as transportive. It would have been nice to see Kermit and Medusa show up to give him his prize.
Already looking forward to Season 3 and hope we get a 12 week commit instead of just 6.
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That was Luis, not Sean who did the confessional about Finn's bit. And Sean did his fake Southern salutation as well, but like the pirate bit, he moved on quickly. I liked it because it showed a gameness, a willingness to slip on the banana peel but he also knew not to take it too far.
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"Helen could be out of this competition if she sliced her finger off." Okay, I officially heart Gibson.
Amber has a disconnect between her camera challenges and kitchen challenges. She can project poise, composure, sophistication even on camera, almost like a newsreader, but it doesn't jibe with her everyday presence. It might be hard to do a show for her because of it. She should consider lowering her eyebrows when she speaks because it gives her a haughty, know-it-all appearance. Sean has a heightened reality to his presentations but it's still recognizable as Sean. He also has more energy and enthusiasm than any other contestant on camera and he's had the presence of mind to say the right things. I think FoodNetwork would have the easiest time with a show for him but I'm skeptical since there were two references to him winning every week. Then again, we were hit over the head how Team Rachael has never won MVP and that didn't come about. Sean and Amber should have been on opposite teams since they are clearly the strongest competitors.
Lauren's quirkiness has grown on me immensely because of the range of her character. I can't see her on FoodNetwork but definitely as the wisecracking daughter on a sitcom. Helen's whining has been unbearable but it's been a treat to guess when she's going to have another meltdown. She had, what, three this episode.
I think Sean may have leapt over Amber for the top spot and everyone else is pretty much out of it but the producers do seem to love Finn. Definitely the most photogenic of the group and Sean, Amber and he all have definite philosophies which can be untilized for a show. But as I said, they can't give it to two contestants in a row who have speech impediments.
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There was actually a little bit of criticism from the judges at the beginning, (I remember comments like "needs more salt", "too spicy for me" and Alex made several comments about their dishes) but that has seemed to disappear in the later shows. Not that it matters because it's not a cooking show, it's a personality show, just like all Food Network competitions.
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I went back and listened to Finn and his impediment didn't sound any different to me. The straw in his mouth might have helped him because that is a device speech therapists use for their patients. You saw him lapse from hillbilly Southern to African American female, which was sort of hilarious but if G wasn't offended, I wasn't either.
Sean looks to be the star of the next episode so we'll see where he stands in this show. He's gotten the favorable edit in that we've never heard him say anything remotely negative about anyone else. Instead, it's "so and so was great so I'm going to have to work harder next week." Since the confessionals were taped after the show concluded (you can see the cut on Helen's finger, the lowering of Luis' voice and the trace of acne on Amber's forehead), it does sound like he's delivering the "Good winner" sound bites.
Since Sean's focus would hip-hop Asian, his poise on camera might tempt a regular Saturday morning show on Food Network.
Lauren needs her own show. Every show had at least one quoteable and last episode was the best: "I usually cook healthy but sometimes I cook unhealthy, like when I feed my dad." I love this girl.
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Amber and Helen were unbearable in this episode. Helen's whining "I should have won" and "I wanted that dish" were the worst moments of the season. But watch, next week, she has another meltdown when she cuts her finger and goes to Urgent Care. And she'll win MVP for it. Guaranteed, especially since it really won't mean anything.
Amber's conceit speaking of her dishes and camera challenges suggest she isn't the winner. America likes their winners humble and if you're a kid, that goes double. Her camera challenge this week was again superb but her confessionals left a bitter taste.
Sort of surprised to see Sean take it again since he was hardly even in the episode. Even in the cooking segments, he was the last featured and it seemed almost an afterthought.
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I'm glad some others noted the Lucy Ricardo connection/Amanda's abomination. It looks like something she'd have on when the Mertzes came over to play bridge.
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Lauren says on her bio that she thinks Bieber and One Direction are "disgusting" and lists Oleander as her favorite band. I'm buying her rock attitude because how many 12yo even know who Oleander are, much less list them as their favorite.
I'm not the biggest fan of Amber but I'll have to defend her here. She certainly didn't blow Helen off. When Helen sat down, she calmly talked her down from the ledge. Now, I wouldn't have blamed her if she did blow her off because Helen has a meltdown in every episode and it's ones that she creates. Of all the contestants, she also seems to be the one that the other contestants have the least amount of kinship with. Her self doubt was tiring on episode one. Episode three and it's like, maybe you're right, you shouldn't be there.
And Amber's YouTube series is no portent of professional delivery. It's your basic homemade YouTube channel, helped no doubt by mom, but that's another story. Her excellence in front of the Food Network camera was certainly aided by her numerous mainstream television appearances but I'd point out NFNS "winner" Aaron McCargo. He didn't improve one bit for the one or two seasons he had the show, nicknamed "Bih Tatty's Houth". One of the first shows on the network that needed subtitles when the host was speaking English. Some have it, some don't. Amber has it. Helen and Big Daddy don't.
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I think Helen got ripped off in the desert challenge last week so I'm okay with her getting a star she didn't deserve this week. But yes, the contest does seem intent on giving all the kids at least one star, so now that everyone has one star, the actual contest begins. If you'll remember, in the first episode, we didn't see Guy and Rachel pick teams. We just sort of heard it. I guess they didn't want it to be like the old sports, pick teams issue. "I was the last one picked.....sob."
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Amber's comment "I don't have any stars and that's just not me" encapsulated everything I don't like about her. However, when she did her camera challenge, it was like "Whoa, where did that come from?" Absolute perfection in delivery and tone. The first episode had a preview of her later in the contest describing her dish with big time professionalism so the contest is still hers to lose.
For the first time, we got the suggestion that Helen could be good on the camera challenges. Her start during her rehearsal was actually well done and she relaxed enough to give us some charm. I'd like to know what's going on because she says she needs notes but the kids are definitely using teleprompters. Luis has a bigger problem in that when he tries for more energy, he starts sounding aggressive. He begins leaning on his sentences, almost like he's attacking. That probably comes from his sports mentality but it's offputting for a contest like this.
Sean was clearly not the star last night but he also got a bad edit. He was the only kid who had a couple of seconds of face time during the actual camera challenge with the entire rest of the time being long shots and reaction shots of the judges. I think he's the only one who can challenge Amber and this week suggests he's due for his redemption in the next episode.
If anyone's seen Brandon's web show, you understand that the kids are auditioning for a web show about cooking, not a cooking show on the web. Skill at cooking is very secondary to how you come across on camera. That lack of awareness is what makes Brandon's show so hard to watch, even at three of four minutes. And his Cindy Brady lisp gets super tiresome so Finn, take note.
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I think we're seeing 100% Gibson. The second I saw him, I knew he was going to be controversial because of his "flamboyant" behavior. It is who he is and that can also be seen on social media as well as the few videos he's posted of himself. I think all of us know that this type invites bullying and it has nothing to do with his personality. I don't doubt all the kids have been told to pump up the volume, but where we see him trying to do that is during the camera challenges, where his words fall over each other and he becomes so manic that you start wondering if he'll get through it without having a heart attack. His words and behavior in the confessionals and kitchen seem to reflect who he is. It's HIGHLY unusual to see a 12yo like this on TV, so maybe it's a learning experience for us all.
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Last night should have been called the Finn show since he was the clear star. His excitement/disappointment over the snails, his hilariously bizarre answers in the blind challenge to his inexplicable victory in the camera challenge. I wouldn't doubt he gets teased over his speech, but he seems definitely more resilient in that aspect than Gibson, who is extra sensitive. Speech impediments didn't stop Baba Wawa, but I wish they had. Then again, Wawa admitted she still is upset over the Radner impersonation which was 40+ years ago, so who knows.
Because of Gibson's superior skill in cooking (both episodes noted that his food was high end cuisine), he might be being set up for an appearance on a grown up FN show. He won't win this show but perhaps his appearance will help him out at school.
Very glad Alex told Amber to stop saying "yummy". If they can stop her from being so precious on camera, she might be good. It also appears like she's being given the underdog edit so I'd say she's still the favorite.
Sean won't be beaten on the camera challenges. He might not get all the stars, but he's the pro amidst the other kids who are doing book reports in front of their class. He understands camera technique but within those parameters, he has great freedom and that's impressive. Right now, the only other ones who have shown some camera savvy are Amber and Lauren but they're far away. I don't think Sean will win either but this will be a nice piece for his reel.
Have to say I'm loving the show but I could have dealt without seeing the parents at all. I read a story about Madison and her dad sounds like a real piece of work. Thankfully he's not on.
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I enjoyed the premier of RvGkids far more than the entire season of NFNS. Rachel and Guy were positively restrained considering their manic personas and I found nothing wrong with their comments or behavior. I also like the "no one eliminated" format because we can actually see them grow and improve instead of getting a head chopping for one stupid mistake.
Here's how I'd handicap them:
8) Helen. Poor Helen. She got the favorable nod from Guy saying that her Tacos were the most intricate and complicated dish of all the kids but she couldn't compensate for her lack of ease in front of the camera. She also slouches a lot which detracts even more from her camera presence. Despite her tears and sincerity, she can't connect with the audiences. At one point, Gibson called her "Ellen", which sums up her presence. Forgettable.
7) Finn. He has that Freddie Highmore thing going on in that he is unnaturally cute. But his poor speech will leave him no chance. He is totally charming and engaging in the confessionals but stiff and unsure in the presentations. Food Network says he's from Vancouver, publicity says he's from Boston but the first time I heard him, I thought he was hearing impaired. You can always tell when he's doing a scripted VO because it sounds like he's reading the script with his finger on every word. I also wonder how far a child food expert can go being just a grill specialist.
6) Madison. She's done two very basic dishes for kids, burgers and chicken wings, which were both very well received by the judges. Can she branch out or does she need to? Her problem is her shyness. She seems like a lovely young lady but got some bad advice to amp it up so when she tries, like on her ill-fated miming of chicken wings, it comes off as unnatural. The worst advice she got was to come out and talk about how the other competitors better be wary of her because she has no weakness. It seems in contrast to her sweet, diffident persona. So while I agree that she is too timid to win the show, it's also a mistake to mold her into something she's not. She has the sob story that she didn't milk but her mom did.
5) Gibson. He reminds me of Peter Billingsley from "A Christmas Story." He has a definite divisive personality and that might work for adults (like Guy and the cowboy who won NFNS) but it is a hindrance for kids. I think his rating might be all over the place. He was way too overeager in the camera challenges although he did well in the actual cooking. He can come off as a bit condescending ("good for the kids, sophisticated for the adults") but he seems like a really good kid who's trying to find himself. His growth on camera will be the most interesting to watch. I wasn't surprised to hear him say he was bullied but it also informed why he treated Helen so gently when she was having problems.
4) Luis. He has it all. Looks, charm, presence, cooking ability. He was also probably the best at explaining his cooking. Why so far down? His voice. He sounds like he's already going through puberty and by the time his show would start, he could be a baritone. He was also a bit monotone in his delivery and tended to go flat towards the end. However,his anecdotes were really funny (he had the best line of the night where he said of Puck "He makes good canned soups") and he had a friendly, familiar tone to his presentation. He was a year late for this competition. Speaking of which, Brandon's commercials have aired during this show and he would have struggled to get to the top half in the camera challenges in this group.
3) Lauren. I think she's the adult's choice. Great charm, personality and smarts. Wonderful, offbeat looks. Excellent presentation. Great, great quotes. But would she be the kid's choice? She'll still be the most fun to watch.
2) Sean. Maybe too much of a professional kid for some but his polish and enthusiasm during his presentations were second to none. Great friendliness and eye contact. Watch him lock eyes with the camera but his specialization of Asian cuisine could go either way. It says something when a 12 yo kid does better on the camera challenges than any of the adults on NFNS. A total natural who we'll be seeing one way or another.
1) Amber. I don't like this choice but I think she's the clear frontrunner. She's good at everything and is also cute. She struck me as decent, though not exceptional on camera, which was said to be her strength. I felt she was nowhere near Sean or Luis in presentation. While her personality may be too chipper for some (she reminds me of the brown nosing kid in grammar school), her emphasis on healthy foods and visit to the White House will be very tough to beat.
Kate Plus 8 - General Discussion
in Kate Plus 8
I thought TLC was doing some damage control. Kate trying to say how she's misunderstood and their attempting to show a softer side. It was a very long episode for a home made breakfast. I actually thought the twins were more tolerable than before but you can see the trouble really amping up with the sextuplets. It might make for some hilarious, train wreck TV but we dont need to see that. The only one she might not have a problem with is Aaden, although she reiterated in this episode that her favorite is Joel.
The positioning of the talking heads with Kate really looked like they just cropped Jon out of the shot, which served to reinforce that this is a sad American story that is not being portrayed as such.