lampwick

The smartest thing you can do when designing a bar is consulting with top end bartenders; functionality should be the number one priority. Many restaurants/bars are horribly designed where bartenders can’t even see patrons waiting to be served without walking to the other side. It’s one of the first things I notice when meeting friends for drinks. Ugh, the place is beautiful, but it’s a chore to get noticed or the drinks take too long because of the design. Yeah, often theses restaurants are successful, but it’s not because of the design, but despite it. You can have both fabulous decor and functionality if you heed equipment requirements/accessibility of the bar staff and everyone will be happier. As both a patron and a bartender for awhile this is a thing for me. Unless you’ve been a bartender under the gun, it’s hard to appreciate what a huge deal it is - and waitstaff for that matter. Kitchen upstairs? Absolutely bonkers. Food will be delayed and cold more often than not.

Okay. I just watched the after show with Jax and Shep, and I would pay $$$ to see a series with them together. It’s like low brow and high brow dude bros going at it. The hilarious depravity! It’s so funny that Andy assumed that Jax (blue collar dirtbag) was the one that was denied to board the plane, but no, it was the well educated, sophisticated Shep with the drunk chicken bone crisis who revealed that it wasn’t the first time that he was denied boarding access! I’m dying!!! A show with the two of them would work so well as a case study in classism....Shep can get away with so much more because he is “well heeled” whereas Jax is some “dirtbag bartender” that everyone expects to be the more depraved. The two of them together is comedy gold. Goodness gracious. That Chewbacca bit?!? I roared! During WWHL, it was interesting to see Jax’s reactions to some of the stuff that comes out of Shep’s mouth - Jax was amazed when Shep was asked about infidelity issues: Shep said “I don’t really have a problem with that because I don’t make promises. That’s my brilliance.” Jax couldn’t contain his laughter - like yo, that shit works on your show?!? Another funny moment was when during the aftershow Jax said “you have a butler on your show?” He was like what the what? I watched that aftershow 3 times it was so good!

That’s the big joke about direct tv - when there is bad weather, that’s when you really want to watch tv, but the dish doesn’t operate properly because of that weather - my friend tried to chisel snow off of his dish and busted it. Apparently, with AT&T no dish is needed now? Just wanted to say, I feel for ya!

Apollonia! I used to jam to Nasty Girl. Loved that era! Now that I think of it, how amazing would it be if a contestant sang Sheena Easton’s Sugar Walls? I would die. Good times.

Woah. Jax and Shep were a hoot tonight. Shep was acting like a more sophisticated and polite Jax. I feared that Andy was going to lose control of those two together. Funny stuff.

Right? It’s strange because many people watched AI for the Simon critiques more than the performances. I believe the networks understood that (or at least that the audience was tuning in for the judges)to some extent and then The Voice was created which focused more on the judges. The problem is that they missed the key part of the formula - the critiques! I don’t want more time spent on judges if it’s sappy praise. The Four seemed to get the critique part right as Sean Combs was super critical, but I don’t like the formula for contestants advancing on that show. It’s too bad. Sigh.

No need for spoiler alerts right? by the way, dubbing is the worst. I watch everything except live news with closed captioning, so I love the subtitles, but dubbing takes you totally out of the moment- especially if you know the actor’s voice aleady. I feel for you

Seriously. I already cranked this out. Where is the discussion for Season 2?

It’s the intent that bothered me. It’s a character issue. Sure, Sonya failed, but it doesn’t make it okay.

I’d like to add that I used to really like Sonya. Hell, she was the voice of reason with Kelly. She has progressively gone off kilter. The toaster thing, her football team, Tipsy Girl... this aggrandized sense of self importance didn’t happen overnight. She believes her own bs and is shocked when others don’t. In all likelihood, she may be going through some mental things - admitted by her. But, she refuses to apologize, and she’s shown moments of lucidity and quick wit that lead me to believe she thinks that she is not too bad off. E.g., when she quickly turned to Ramona and said that everyone knows your apologies mean nothing. Now that was the first true statement Sonya has said in a long time.

Oh... I didn’t see them, and my husband didn’t correct me. He thinks these shows are stupid, but we both love the jazzy music in between takes. I would buy the soundtrack to this show...maybe it exists.

My husband said the same thing about the nails and I didn’t notice. I told him it was not that long ago when my nails were chewed down to the quick, so I can’t be too judgey. If I were on tv though....

This comparing pain thing is a red herring - it just happened to be what they were talking about at that minute. The bottom line is: sonya is a lying liar who lies - and then bats her eyes. When not outright lying, Sonya is an extreme exaggerator. I still can’t believe Beth moved on from the Tipsy Girl thing. In my book, she would be dead to me. You don’t piggyback off my hard efforts/brand and then act all confused about the existence of any similarity or confusion as to why Beth would even be mad. Yeah no. Also, to anyone who has compassion for Sonya - wait until she starts telling lies about you to the press, denies it and laughs at you. Feeling sorry for Sonya is the very essence of ruinous empathy (thank you Silicon Valley).

How about the wife of the attorney blurting out “ad infinitum, what the f is that?” I died. She and Tom really don’t talk much, eh? With regard to the book, I thought that she didn’t give them the book because she didn’t want their unsolicited advice/opinions about it. The problem is, what is the alternative, make them buy a copy after them helped with content or were the subject of the book - that’s awkward. Out of courtesy, she should have sent them the book - and when you’re on a reality show, you got to have thick skin to be able to deflect some criticism. (Or maybe her mom does scare her.) The fact that they haven’t read the book sounds odd at first, but it’s the same thing as having never watched her on RHOBH right? It wouldn’t surprise me if Tom or her family have never watched the show or seen her perform as Erika Jayne for that matter.

Yeah, the strangest example of the behavior conditioning I referred to in my last post is Cate/Tyler. I mean I can’t imagine either of them would be dwelling on Carly to the extreme that they have if not for it being their storyline. If they weren’t on the show, they likely wouldn’t be thinking about Carly seemingly every other day of their lives since they gave her up. They would move on with life, thinking about her occasionally, maybe having regrets, or not, but moving on nonetheless. The show actually doesn’t allow them to do that - otherwise they wouldn’t have a storyline. (Nova’s arrival brought a reprieve from that storyline, but still.)

I want to echo all of the posters who said that these people were already damaged before the show - that’s why we see more disorders. Reality tv requires participants to bring the crazy. Well adjusted people don’t go on reality tv- best case scenario, a person may think they will go on reality tv to promote something they are selling, but even that is fraught with risk because you have no control over your image or your brand - so definitely ill advised. I think only desperate people would resort to reality tv - or those narcissists who have nothing to lose and are bored. As far as reality tv exacerbating a condition, I think it’s like Pavlov’s dog conditioning. The participants learn or understand that certain behaviors are rewarded, whether it be bonuses, job security, etc. such that they start acting a certain way and then it becomes ingrained. Social media adds to this lunacy. YMMV.

Re Bethany. I keep hearing in my head “Go to sleep! Go to sleep! Go to sleep!” She has gotten rage angry before. Re Dorinda, I think people are changing what’s acceptable based on alcohol usage. For example, I think Dorinda would rant and rage on people without any alcohol involved at all because she calls out bs. Would that change people’s opinion of her behavior if she never had a drink, but she still acted that way? I don’t know. I approve of her rants; they have always been warranted and timely - it doesn’t matter to me if there was alcohol involved or not. In her talking heads, she is always explaining her rants, not apologizing for them, so it’s not like the alcohol made her do it/regret the next day type of a thing. I explained earlier that Sonya is just as bad if not worse about her delusions since abstaining from alcohol....so are people of the opinion that her behavior, while totally out of touch with reality, is okay because there is no alcohol involved? So, intentionally losing your marbles is fine as long as it’s not substance induced? I don’t understand. I personaly think it’s worse if you’re acting a certain way and can’t blame the booze or drugs - it’s also why people run to rehab when they engage in donkey behavior (see Luann) - because the alternative is acknowledging that they are simply jackasses behaving badly. I’m rewatching the episode right now, and I actually think the exasperation with Sonya started way earlier.... when Sonya started bragging about how she can eat anything or drink anything and stay thin, and then says that’s it’s the antidepressants that cause her to gain weight, but she’s not even depressed...blah blahh. It’s that type of jabberwocky dialogue that makes you want to punch her in the face. So yeah, while rewatching her bs, even I want to give her a vehement verbal beatdown. Sonya is a smiling knife.

Hmmm, maybe it’s a regional thing, but I have zero problems with Dorinda’s rants. Yeah, maybe they seem “mean”, but calling people out is considered “mean” these days. I’m a midwesterner, but could be mistaken for an eastcoaster - I’ve been questioned many a time why I’m so angry about something only to be confused because I wasn’t angry...I was having a spirited conversation/debate with someone, and it comes across as aggressive. When others see unhinged, I see extreme emphasis. I can’t remember a single Dorinda rant that was bs; she snaps the truth when she has had her fill of bs. That is damn good reality tv because that’s how people respond in real life - the problem is that reality tv isn’t reality tv anymore because the participants are too aware of the cameras and the consequences so they temper their behavior. Dorinda is a reminder of how good reality tv used to be. To many, she may be extra, but I’m living for it. Also, and it can’t be said enough, Sonya needs help 100x more than Dorinda. Dorinda has admitted she has temper issues; Sonya has never admitted as much as an exaggeration if I remember correctly. That, plus, even without alcohol, Sonya’s delusions still persist - that is scary stuff (unless this is all an act for tv).

I’m no therapist, but I don’t think it’s rocket science to say that he needs to quit the show if he’s serious about getting sober. It’s not like he’s on top chef or some home improvement show; he’s on a show that is based on a real life cautionary tale. His addiction is good for ratings. This is a show that rewards bad behavior period. How on earth is he supposed to get out from having sold his soul to heroin when he has also sold his soul to MTV? So yeah, it’s not “quit your job” it’s “remove yourself from an environment that enables and encourages trainwrecks.” Then we can get started on getting you healthy.

My fav right now is Harper Grace. She is so ready. She has a great voice, and she is a very talented songwriter. I just want to buy that Yard Sale song asap. I watched her audition over and over, and then started singing that song doing housework!

I was surprised at how disappointed Zach was after getting cut; he said he’s only been singing for a year at his audition, so he hasn’t put in the serious time that most of the other contestants have. At that age though, rejection for something you realiy want feels tenfold.

Forget avoiding liability and lawyering up to fight charges and what not. Luann simply needs to do the right thing: admit that she acted a fool, pay special visits to the police and fire departments, make individual apologies to the individuals involved, talk to the hotel manager and acknowledge that her behavior was abhorrent and emphasize that she is deeply ashamed of her conduct. She can turn this whole thing around with a sincere acknowledgement that she acted deplorably and knows that there are consequences to her actions and she wants to make things right. It's really that simple. I blame the legal community in large part for this whole idea that a client should not apologize because it's admitting guilt…. one, that's not true, you can apologize for your actions and still deny liability in many circumstances, and two, in Luann's case, if what the newspapers say is true, she actually is liable, so she really isn't in a position to negotiate anyway. Particularly in Luann's case, she needs to look at the PR aspect and act accordingly. She needs to first assume that her words are hollow; she needs to show that she is remorseful. She needs to take a minute to put herself in the other person’s shoes and think what will it take to prove that I respect that person and I am sorry for my conduct. After that step, she needs to up the ante and go further to separate herself from other who have done the same and set a glowing example of how to resolve your shit in a classy manner. What happened to civility? 9 times out of 10, when you do something bad, if you step up and try to make things right, people will forgive you and work with you. If they don't? At least you know that you held yourself accountable for your actions and you can move forward with whatever penalty they give you because you deserved it. And frankly, that's the way it should be.

The housekeeper probably had the door propped and went down the hall to get more towels or something, and Luann and her friend snuck in - however she might have actually thought it was indeed her room. I suspect she may have gotten belligerent because she truly thought they were in her room, which spiralled into an indignant “I paid for this room, you can’t kick me out,” etc. The guy probably should have insisted Luann state what her room number was and then dragged her to the door to show her that they are in the wrong room before things totally got out of hand. Obviously, she is the creator of her demise, but I think the dude should have done more to diffuse the situation -especially after getting some. Of course, maybe the situation would have gone south regardless of the room confusion if she was already in whirling dervish mode.

Woah... how long has she spent justifying her existence on this show and taking it to the written word? She spends the first half of the blog anticipating the audience’s concerns and provides explanations that confirm our suspicions that she is a stone cold fame whore possessing some seriously measured stupidity.. e.g., what you see isn’t the whole truth..... but I’m on the show because I want to give you an ACCURATE description. Huh? What gobbledegook. She protests too much. Instead of trying to justify why she chose to get paid to marry a junkie for a tv stint, she should really be explaining why her first thought when her life was in danger, and more importantly her quest to marry Ryan was almost derailed, she chose not to pull the car over, but to quickly suggest Ryan might have taken a sedative and shut down the cameras instead of saving her life. Yeah, un huh, I see you Mack. We aren’t buying your reindeer games. You demonstrated in no uncertain terms where your priorities lie. Actions speak louder than words.

Jen and Larry enable and coddle Ryan to the point where they have zero credibility regarding Ryan’s deterioated state and/or their own angst about visitation with Bentley. So Ryan stole from Larry to feed his heroin habit, and Larry said that he wouldn’t piss on him if he was on fire and kicked him out..... but then they set him up in a lakehouse free of charge?!? Well I guess Larry showed him. That's just one example that led to Ryan's extreme arrested development. Jen and Larry’s parenting style prevented Ryan from achieving any independence whatsoever. They really did him a disservice because they solved all of his problems throughout his life and prevented him from learning how to problem solve on his own. Ex. "Oh, you're going to be a father? Don't worry, we'll raise your kid so that you don't have to face the responsibility of being a parent - ever. It will be like we're Bentley's parents and you can keep on doing nothing." Let's not forget Ryan's exasperated rant to Jen: "Can you believe Maci and Taylor make Bentley do chores?! I couldn't imagine you would make me do that." Right...because god forbid, you might have ended up a productive member of society instead of an irresponsible junkie bum. Jen and Larry don't get to complain that there is nothing that they can do when they are actually intentionally assisting Ryan in avoiding life's responsibilities. Throughout all of this, Ryan didn't develop the two most important skills in life: being self-sufficient and resourceful. If you have those skills, the sky is the limit even without an academic education. For Ryan's part, it is inexplicable to me that he has lingering dad issues from Larry's temper but chooses to stay living with his parents! Here's a novel idea, get a job and move out asap. In fact, he does get paid from the show, so he should have moved out long ago. I don't think he strategically stayed living with his folks to have them on the tv show, so it doesn't make sense....... until I'm reminded that he doesn't have the life skills to live on his own because of Jen and Larry's parenting...and we come full circle. I suppose he stayed with them so that they could clean and cook for him and more easily handle his visitation responsibilities with Bentley while he was at the bank. It's a codependent mess that amounts to a big bowl of wrong.