peggy06

I agree, they must have sent the wrong dress. Color and size both wrong? That seems like the only plausible explanation. Though, to me, a mixup in shipping makes them look less bad than if they had actually messed up her dress order to that extent.

The woman who hadn't seen her fiance in 12 years is the strangest story yet on these shows. And then I could swear she said her family didn't know this. How could they not know? 12 years is a long time. So she's already buying a dress, and he shows up with a ring? I just didn't get it. It was way weird. Pet peeve: Why must they take a perfectly fine dress, like the one chosen by the pageant bride, and add a glittery belt? It makes the dress look cheap! What's so wrong with an allover white or ivory dress for pity's sake? Bling in my opinion adds nothing to a lace dress; in fact, the two styles clash. And the "jacked up" comment just doesn't make any sense. How in the world did Lori and Monte ever come up with such a crass expression to mean "putting the final touches on to make it look bridal"? What's the chain of connection there?

The Big Day episode last night, with Patti Ann and Corey: I liked this couple. Sure, they were having a big splashout of a wedding, but they were paying for it. Also, Patti Ann seemed to roll the with punches more than most of the brides I see on these shows. The bling is falling off her invitations? They get out the glue! The wrong dress is shipped? She had a minor meltdown, but then simply got on the phone to Kleinfeld and explained the problem. She didn't yell or carry on. Even the change of location for the actual ceremony, she was happy to go along and make the change. Her mom was more upset about everything than she was (but in a way that I could relate to). I liked the surprises the couple planned for each other. They seemed like a solid couple, like fun people. This was probably the most enjoyable Big Day episode I've seen. Makes a change from the last one ("MY day, my way!").

I was hoping they would do Sull'aria from "The Marriage of Figaro." Wonderful duet that is familiar to many from "The Shawshank Redemption." It never hurts IMO to do a song people know. IF (and it's a big if) they get a second chance, I agree that they need to do an actual aria.

The ones for Cialis and suchlike are so silly. There's one that has a glaring non-sequitur that grates on me every single time. Something along the lines of "You're so proud of her - but sometimes your ED gets in the way." It's like they have to pussyfoot around the subject so much that they end up using awkward scripts and unintentionally funny imagery. If you want to see medical ads, watch the Game Show Network. Must skew to an older crowd, based on the preponderance of ads for medicines, medical devices, healthcare products, and throw some reverse mortgages into the mix as well.

I don't dislike Mara Justine on a personal level; in fact, I think she comes off like a sweet kid. And I don't think she's terrible. Her song this week actually did have a few softer, subtler parts that sounded fine. I just do not like when kid singers ape adults. I gather from those more knowledgeable than me that it isn't good for their vocal chords, and at bottom, it is still getting by on the "good for their age" basis. The true test would be listening with your eyes closed, or turned around like on The Voice. Would the judges still be blown away if they didn't know her age? I don't know, because it's almost impossible to evaluate kid contestants on the same basis as adults. You just can't get past the kid factor. I really, really wish they would have a cutoff age of 17 or even higher. The way it's going, the show will be dominated by child acts. That's if the show continues. They've gone out of their way to lose the audience this year, with the long hiatus/weeks of reruns and rehashes.

Just watched the recap show, and find myself mostly in agreement with Howard. Juan Carlos is not entertaining at all, he doesn't belong there. The opera duo were off-key in a few places, or maybe I should say their harmony was off. Also, I hate when opera singers sing pop. Their voices aren't suited for it, and they sound like they're either slumming, or they're overblown. The large dance group needs to change it up a bit.The indie trio was too small for the stage. I don't think it was nerves, just that their shtick is more suited to a small venue. I personally don't think they even belong in the quarterfinals anyway, but that's just me. Young guy singer, again, not outstanding, just nice. The only act I thought was truly outstanding was the handstander. The rest were varying degrees of OK to good. Magic act was good, but he seemed nervous. I appreciate how he tried to bring a big effect for a big venue, though. The aerialist with the background animations was also good, but I'm just not sure about her because the biggest part of that act IMO is the animations. Her transitions are somewhat slow and clumsy, which takes me out of the act. Lasso act is good, but there's only so much of that I can watch. It gets repetitive. Speaking of repetitive, I agree with whoever said that the salsa dancers were repetitive. Howie has to go. He is just so bad. Howard is right, he always champions these ridiculous acts. There's a reason he's out of step with the others. He seems to have no taste whatsoever. Also, STOP CALLING WOMEN "YOUNG LADY." I thought there was gonna be fighting. Howard was really aggravated with him. "You're ruining the show." Yes, yes he is.

So that makes two this season (maybe three for all I know). So what is the deal? Is this show the ultimate fake, that is, the hotels aren't really struggling? The problems are completely staged? It's just an excuse for another Gordon Ramsay show on the schedule? Is he that much of a brand? Look, I actually enjoy GR. But there has to be interesting content on his show as well as just him. I want to see hotels that haven't met their potential, getting real advice about real issues to do with the hotel business. In that respect, this episode was much better than the Apple River Lodge episode. Cali using the hotel guests as a captive audience for her singing, the poor use of the pool space, the offputting damage waiver that was presented before a guest had even checked in - those were guest-oriented things that needed to be changed. The lodge episode was just Gordon lamely and fakily attempting to fix a family's issues. I'm interested in the business side of this stuff - personal family drama, I can get elsewhere. I think this show is going to need someone's help if they don't change the focus. Maybe Hotel Impossible can feature Hotel Hell on an episode to fix what HH is doing wrong. Now that would be an interesting show.

I once stayed in a motel where the mattress was encased in stiff plastic that crackled every time you moved. It was so lumpy and uncomfortable that I seriously considered the floor and the tub as alternatives. I guess the first clue about this place was when they insisted on cash up front. The place is now legendary in our family, and even the next day, we laughed ourselves silly about it. But it was one of the most uncomfortable nights of my life.

I think it'll be a long time before a commercial tickles me like Volkswagen's "The Force" from a few Super Bowls ago. An all-time favorite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0

Maybe I should check out Hotel Impossible - it sounds like the show I thought this would be. I know, I know, even on Kitchen Nightmares Gordon got into the family issues, but on this show it seems to be a dominant theme. They never got to any nitty-gritty ideas for making the hotel better ttill the three-quarters mark of the show. Gordon Ramsey isn't a therapist let alone a psychologist, so why would I want to watch him trying to resolve family issues? It's boring and repetitive already, and is of course much too pat, as it would have to be for the format. I wish the show would get back to the practical stuff.

I watch these shows for the transformation bits, not the family drama. If this was for real, there is no way they are going to change on a dime like that because Gordon Ramsey lectures them. Someone who lets her ex undermine her business by holding awful-sounding jam sessions until the small hours, and man the front desk while stoned, is obviously not really interested in the hotel business herself. They never explained why the feud between the brothers, but the whole lot of them should have been kicked to the curb by anybody wanting to make a go of that place - especially the "music director" brother. Grow the heck up! Anyway, when they finally got to Gordon's big reveal, I thought his striped wall effect in the lobby was hideous, though the furniture was fine. I'm not sure if I'd want to pay to sleep in a tent. Disappointing episode all around. The place was beautiful and actually could be made into a nice resort, although it appeared to be quite isolated with not many amenities around. Is the point of this show for Gordon to show off in a swimsuit?

Ah, I remember that ad! I thought it was really well-done and a fun use of the music. It was shown pretty often where I live, and never failed to get stuck in my head all day. "Breakfast, McDonald's breakfast, made from the very best ingredients we do it all for you!" In general, I'd say both McDonald's and Coke have had more hits than misses in their advertising.

theatremouse, thanks for explaining the history of the "Duke" ad campaign for Busch's baked beans. Somehow I have missed this until the last 6 months or so. Now it makes sense. I do think it's taking a risk to run that long with an ad campaign that presupposes your audience saw the originals. Maybe this is how younger people feel when they see the Starkist commercial with Charlie the Tuna. Back in the day, Charlie was a household name, and the tagline "Sorry, Charlie," was instantly recognizable. Nowadays, it probably seems completely random.

(Smacks self upside head) Now I do feel like I;m 5. I totally missed what was on the sign. Thanks!

How did it take me so long to find the most entertaining forum on the site?? Having said that, I had a whole different take on the Yoplait fridge ad. Mind you, I've only seen the one where the wife is on the phone. I assumed the husband was taking so long staring inside the fridge because he was trying to find actual Boston Cream Pie, etc. And the wife was up in his face in case he might eat any of her precious Yoplait (because we're supposed to believe it's that delicious, that someone would get all territorial about it). So for me, the premise that Yoplait is like a delicious dessert is silly, but I didn't pick up on any terrible vibe between the couple. While I'm confessing, I don't get the Duke ads. I just don't understand what a talking dog has to do with baked beans, and it strikes me as weird every time I see one. Since this is the first year I ever saw that ad campaign, I was especially nonplussed by the ad where they had action figures. Like it was a thing. Now that I know the campaign's been on for 30 years, at least that part of it makes a little more sense. Also confessing: I don't understand the Geico cowboy ad. Can someone kindly explain like I'm 5 (tm Reddit)? I doubt anyone will ever top the "I've got Sam in my pants" ad for sheer cringeworthiness. And I don't know the product name they're hawking, so they failed. On the plus side, I haven't seen ugly American Cadillac owner or moneygrubbing babysitter Chevy Tahoe ads since the Olympics.

Speaking for myself, I put more stock in Mel B.'s opinion than in Howie Mandel's. Actually I don't think any of them have it over the others in terms of judging talent, except perhaps Mel when it's a singer, and Howard/Howie when it's a comedian. I certainly don't bow to either of those guys when they judge musical talent. Just the way they fawn over kids aping adult styles, and anybody singing anything vaguely operatic, tells me they don't have an especial ear. Mel is my favorite judge simply for the honesty of her reactions. She also doesn't try to make it about herself - Howard/Howie do that a lot. It's true that there is too much talk about Heidi's looks in particular. But that's what she's famous for, that's her career.

Perhaps it's the music that got the crowd going for Baila Conmigo? I remember when Howard cast the deciding vote, he said they "brought the party." I know nothing about salsa and you couldn't really focus on any dancer in that number anyway, to evaluate quality of dancing. But they used high-energy music and bright costumes, and maybe that plays better to a crowd? I have not liked them since their first appearance, where I liked Jasmine Flower a lot. So maybe I'm bringing my own bias. The magic act is still the most inexplicable to me.

I'm flummoxed. it's as if the judges - AT THE SAME TABLE - didn't pick up on it. And it wasn't a case of a physical miscue, where you might miss it if you were looking from the wrong angle. Anyone who was paying attention, has two brain cells to rub together and has ever seen a magic act would have realized that the trick failed when they started fishing for a particular word.

I think you are right. I thought - both times I saw the performance - that the light show distracted from the dancing, the line, the unison and the patterns they were creating. Whoever had the idea, it wasn't a good choice for them.

I cannot believe the magicians made it through, after that travesty the other night. It should have been Flight Crew in their spot. As for the salsa dancers, they don't do it for me, but the judges have been all over them, so no huge surprise there. They are definitely the flashier act if that's what AGT is looking for. I was sad for Jasmine Flower. Sometimes there's an act you root for and want to do well - that's what they were for me. But last night's performance didn't have the same visual pop as the first one. Still hoped they would pull it out, but between that and a couple of the judges' comments, I wasn't completely shocked. Well, I wasn't shocked at all given the acts in their group; obviously Emily West was going through. Still can't believe so many people voted for Leeman and David. Their first trick wasn't all that amazing either.

Note to self: Watch on Wednesdays.They repeated this show without the filler in the hour before the results show. A much better viewing experience! Of course, this only works if you don't plan to vote.

Gotta say, the magician duo was a big disappointment tonight. Howard was right in that the trick was over-long and complicated. And they lost the flow through no fault of their own when Mel B. accidentally buzzed them. But the worst thing was how they tipped their hands by prompting Howie for a specific word. Look, you can't ask someone to pick a random word from a slip of paper, and then reject the first two suggestions. Clearly, they slipped a piece of paper into the counting-out process. I didn't actually see it, but the rest of the trick makes it pretty obvious that's how they worked it. Also, I'm done with tricks involving tweets and selfies and the like. Shades of Collins Key. The Conmigo salsa dancers were OK, better than the auditions, and at least the little kids were decently costumed this time. But there are just too many of them, which makes it look hectic more than anything else. The Willis Clan - I just can't. Average singing, barely-there backup, and of course, playing the cuteness card with the littlest ones. It was like a blah Up with People performance. America, don't put them through. At least the judges finally got real with them. Jasmine Flowers - I wanted them to be great, but I didn't like it as well as the first performance. I think their effect is better with the fans than with the scarves. Big finish though. Emily West, I missed in the auditions. She is a good singer and performer; the volume could have been better. I think she's going through for sure. Miguel Dakota: Lose the hat. Sang well enough, had a couple of off-notes. I don't know what Howie is on about though.

I thought she would slap him. I wanted to do it myself. I, too was wondering about how the aging process works, and how expensive it would be. Has the show given a reason for John's project, because if so, I missed it. So far, I am getting the need.

Well, I was really enjoying the auditions, and then they went and messed with the schedule to the point where the show went off the boil, and now this. Juan Carlos goes through? Are you kidding me? The Willis Family? The children's choir? Seriously? These are million dollar acts? Look, you can only get by with the so-called cuteness factor so far. I am really, really, really over any act that tries to use that as their hook. And Juan Carlos was a joke performer to begin with. I'm not completely cold-hearted though. The foster kid's story gets to me every single time. Even though it has a happy ending, that just hurts to think about. I doubt he will get much farther, but I'm happy for him. Last night made me wonder if there are any acts I actually am pulling for. I can't, off the top of my head, think of anyone who stands out the way Kenichi stood out last season. Of course, we didn't really see all the acts that got put straight through, and since it's been seemingly months since the auditions, I may have forgotten a few. Sure hope so, because I don't want to end up hate-watching a competition show. Not to jinx them, but I'm rooting for the magicians and comedians.