Padma

I'm a lot harsher on him I guess. I think the only way someone 36 years old thinks he loves three women and its okay to lead each one on is because he's not that clued in to what love is. He seems to not have a care in the world about hurting them, even after they've told him all about their trust issues, how they feel, etc. etc. He is leading them on--and yes, others have done it, too--but for some reason, watching his act (or his unbelievable self-centeredness/narcissim) kind of seem a bit pathological. If I were F1 and saw him with everyone, I'd say "bye". Who wants someone who lacks a minimum of empathy? Who wants someone who is so very very good and faking sincerity? I can't see any reason a guy like this would want to get married--other than feeling "I'm 36. I should get married. It's not so status-y anymore to be single." I'm surprised how much I learned to dislike him from his season. He should have avoided some of the pitfalls (actually, Sean's advice is pretty good--limit the kissing, esp in front of other women--and the sex. He's still one of the most popular bachelors, but in spite of that, his buddies never seem to learn. They have all the time in the world after the show. You don't have to be so desperate for sex with everyone that you look like a liar and a jerk.

Much better show tonight than last and I enjoyed seeing Kelly and Blake explaining why people weren't going on. Prior's song choice was kind of meh for the genre. But I love that soulful blues sound and the show gets way too little of it --adding in guitar is always nice, too (I prefer acoustic, but hey no one cares, and at least it's something different). And, I'll be honest. Prior + Blake = swoon.

For me, it's probably that Kelly laughs a lot, including at herself. JHud (Productions) took herself very very seriously and, unlike Kelly, wasn't particularly funny. (Her comeback about Blake asking her to mentor his team would have sounded like one-upsmanship from JHud, but Kelly made it sound like playful good-natured bickering between friends. (Yes, they are real friends, but I think Kelly, in general, just has a different more down-to-earth and funny personality than JHud. That "Sorry I'm so gross!" comment above, shows it's there even with "regular" people.) If I loved JHud's singing and coaching style, I would say there's no point comparing two different personalities. But since I don't care for her singing style or coaching (although I -did- like her comments about the performances), and her personality came across to me as way too loud and abrasive, I don't miss her at all. (Hopefully, nice as Kelly is, she won't be so loud and exuberant ALL the time, though. That could get old soon, too.) I think she'll be a good coach--looking forward to what she does with her team. I didn't understand the singer who chose Blake over Kelly because of "Wynonna". Is there some Blake-Wynonna connection that we should be aware of? Reba, I know. But what's the deal with Wynonna?

I found it the weakest start musically that I could remember. But Kelly adds some fun (as long as she and Blake don't turn into clones of my ever-squabbling 6 year old neighbors). ITA that she's there to help it seem more of a competition and less of a runaway for Blake, especially where country musicians are concerned. Same for the block. As for the block, it emphasizes the game aspect over the music, but probably doesn't change much results-wise. I guess you can block someone even when you aren't both competing for a singer, which seems kind of unfair to the singer, as others have said. I wondered if that one guy picked Alicia over Blake because he was so disappointed that Blake had blocked the coach he really wanted--and had the chance to have! A lot of people stay with their original coach to the end--and maybe beyond, as a mentor--so that is kind of a mean twist for singers, imo. I'm glad they can only use it once. Oh, and the mention of Boy George upthread made me think it would be fun to see a different artist in Adam's seat, or even Blake's. Hopefully, they wanted to set up Night 1 with the new coach dynamic and tonight will bring out better performances.

I started thinking it was all an act with him when he brought that woman (name?) back to his home and acted like she was the first one he'd ever shown home movies, too. "Embarrassing!" So vulnerable, right? Embarrassed and all with her. It seemed like schtick he'd done a thousand times before, getting women to open up at his "vulnerability". No way was that the first time he'd shared those. I thought his "nice guy" soft-spoken act with the brother of (was it Tia? Bekah? Whoever) last week was completely transparently practiced and fake. "Playboy? Me? That's so untrue. I'm just a nice genuine guy who has had his share of dates through the years, but am SO sincere and honest. I'd never hurt anyone! You can trust me!!!" Telling all three "I love you" just to get to sleep with them is so low. How does he at least not know how this will lok on the show? He really is every bit as dumb as he seems. His fakeness has now been exposed for all to see. Whoever the loser is (i.e. the one who winds up with Arie), she should dump him ASAP. No wonder Emily gave him back his journal unread. He is creepy, and has all the makings of a stalker if he was genuinely interested in you. Someone who found it incomprehensible to be told "no".) Arie is vile. I hope he gets that message loud and clear at ATFR.

I'm glad she's really highlighting these security threats. 8 secret administration contacts with Putin & Co -- and we only know about them because he's kind of trolling us about them? For several there were not even any U.S. officials present--no American translators--only Trump. And at least twice classified information was given. I'm glad she's keeping a spotlight on this. It's disturbing, especially along with everything else Russia-related.

I wish I could figure out why Arie ever seemed attractive. Maybe because he was competing for Emily--who was the one carrying the show, not him--and was making effort to impress her whenever they actually had time together. Maybe it all seemed more sincere and romantic because he wasn't saying the same thing to five other women and kissing them all as if he is doing his job for the show. It seems like it should be easy to like a relaxed, laid back, confident but soft spoken man. But he just has no dynamism, isn't fun, and doesn't seem to bring much energy to the dates. I'm glad to see others here calling him "grandpa" because...yeah. I don't know what happened. He isn't bringing out anything in the women either, no one I'm thinking of as the B-ette. (Lots of candidates for Paradise, though. ) No one to root for either because those who seem to have a lot to offer are MUCH too good for Arie. Great season travel locations, though, but even the beauty of Tuscany can't save this.

I like Ratigan (who recently married, btw), too. He had some pretty edgy commentaries on his MSNBC show. It'd be fun to see him as a guest on Velshi and Ruhle more than on MJ. But seeing him did remind me of a really minor story he told a reporter for a print article about Joe. Dylan had been away from MSNBC for a few years and was a guest on MJ. Joe, entering the studio, saw him on the stage, crew all around, and ran toward him, jumping into his arms. It sounds maybe nice, but in Ratigan's telling it was really a passive-aggressive bullying kind of move. Because Dylan isn't apparently a big guy and Joe is tall and heavy (maybe solid). Ratigan had the feeling this big mass with a lot of momentum had launched itself at him in order to embarrass him and show Joe's superior s trength. It was a dominance thing, and with crew all around, potentially embarrassing for Dylan to fall over from Joe's stunt. Anyway, as he told the reporter, he stuck his feet and braced himself and did everything possible to not fall over. And he made it and Joe didn't get him to fall down after all. But it was an anecdote that supported the image of Joe-behind-the-scenes as an obnoxious jerk to anyone he thinks he can successfully put down. .

ITA about "The Band Wagon", one of my favorites. It's such a treat to see Jack Buchanan. He's the only Astaire partner who takes my eyes off Astaire. However, I may be missing something, but I always laugh at their "big Broadway play" once its revised into a hit. How those dance numbers fit together into a plot is beyond me. Maybe I'm too caught up in enjoying them and miss the point? It's certainly better than a musical Faust, but never makes any sense as a musical within a musical. Oh well, it's still great entertainment, beautifully directed and fun to see the supporting cast along with Astaire, mocking himself as a short, aging has-been--who's still a nice guy and an incredible talent.

"So with Emily, I was so in love and we were going to get married and I think because of that I've been with women who didn't want to get married, kind of )choosing them) as a defense mechanism." Um, no, Arie. You were not "going to get married" except in -your- one-sided hope. She chose F1 not F2 to get engaged to (and someone else altogether to marry)! Every week he confirms what I've thought from the beginning. He's still in love with Emily, hasn't formed anything serious in the five years since then, and isn't going to find anyone permanent here either. He's probably built her up to such an incredible degree in his mind in the past five years that no other woman could hope to measure up. Run, ladies, run!

That one came close in the beginning but then he was so mean to his assistant who loved him. Maybe Johnny Cash was sympathetic because his wife was pretty overbearing (but didn't he kill the assistant, too)? Maybe I just think of him because he was so likable and got along well with Columbo but was, again, not really a nice person in the end. I'm really surprised I can't think of any man who had the good motives for the crime like Dunaway and Gordon (others?) did and were basically decent people.

What is it with the women they choose and the animals they love but can't correctly identify? One season it's a "dolphin" who's really a shark. This time the girl who collect taxidermy (ew!) presents her "seal" which Arie correctly identifies as really being an otter. Too weird and stupid for words--I'd immediately send them home for things like that. Arie is surprisingly low-key and soft-spoken. With his reputation as a suave ladies' man and hotshot race car driver, I expected him to come across cockier and more macho. His mild, seemingly modest, presentation is effective, but I haven't decided how authentic it is. For example, with all the embarrassment and laughter over his photo album and home movies, I couldn't help but think he has done that many times before on dates. It made me question how much of his charm is simply based on things he's learned before work well with women. Was that date with Krystal? I don't know their names yet. Her resemblance to his mother was really uncanny. I also wasn't impressed after she told him about her brother's sad story returning to the streets in Venice (Ca.). He never even asked, "Have you talked with him since?" or "How's he doing now?" Instead he just was thinking about it related to himself and trying to say the right thing for their "relationship",: "that doesn't make me think any less of you." I really couldn't believe he never thought about what happened to her brother since. Seemed very self- absorbed to me. Also, with Becca, who seemed pleasant, it seemed he wanted her to actually ask him questions about his experience before and also for advice or pitfalls going forward. Again, I was surprised that she didn't. She made it about the present, when it seems pretty clear that Arie is still kind of held up in the past and Emily. (Including him saying, "I was worried there wouldn't be anyone here for me". And there probably isn't. That could have been an interesting conversation, but instead didn't go anywhere.) I'm 100% convinced he feels Emily was the love of his life and still can't believe she didn't choose him. I guess I'm just wondering how genuine he really is about everything else. (Also, at some point, no matter how beautiful and enthusiastic the women all are, maybe you start to feel too old for all this.).

I prefer the older ones, too, and you're probably right about Shera overall. However, I have to admit I thought she was very good opposite Dabney Coleman (one of my favorite arrogant villains). The "twist" really made zero sense when you thought about it, but the two of them played through it convincingly and I liked how she seemed to be a very capable law partner who could scheme opportunistically just as well as he could. I think I prefer the ones where the murderer isn't too sympathetic. I'd rather root for Columbo and not sit hoping the killer will get off (like Ruth Gordon, Faye Dunaway and... trying to think of a man but off the top, only thinking of those who were more than deserving of being caught.) Most of the killers' motives weren't very sympathetic, but Dunaway and Gordon's were. And both had great chemistry with Columbo, too.

I will never understand how women are so emotionally invested so early on when there are so many others there, so little time with the bachelor, and the odds are obviously against them becoming "the One". I wish there were more older b-ettes; you can tell some of the women are very aware how much older Ari is (also, I'm surprised he doesn't get rid of the gray. With this group "distinguished" isn't what they're looking for.) He seems nice enough, but is no prize. He seems kind of sad and imo still in love with Emily (whom he's not going to find here. I can't figure out why some are so crude. Emily was well-mannered, girly but strong--the iron fist in velvet glove, and somewhat reserved. She knew her worth and didn't throw herself at Ari--she had him think of her as "the prize". These women would do well to follow her example.).

Wolff wrote that Trump watched MJ every day, that it was his favorite morning show. We know that's not true anymore. (Although since Wolff pointed out that Trump has three big tvs in his bedroom, it's very possible that one is on MSNBC, one on CNN and the other on FOX. Even if he now hates Joe and Mika, he does love to watch cable television.)

Not the brother (Fred, Jr. who was deceased). He refused to give the brother's share to his son and daughter-in-law. They sued, at which point Trump cut off the money that his father had been paying for the couple's infant son's life-threatening medical care. Eventually, there was a settlement, but Trump had no regret for cutting off thousands of dollars in medical care that the couple couldn't afford. Donald Trump expanded the company that his father, a real self-made millionaire, built and turned "Trump" into a brand. But people still wonder if he's actually a billionaire, because he won't show the tax returns and so no one knows how much of the business exists from borrowed money only. Donald Trump has never described himself as a self-made man, but still that image got out there and stuck. Neither he nor the media did enough to correct it. His break with Scarborough is pretty surprising, considering how "all in" Joe and Mika were during the campaign, at least until mid-summer. I wonder if Joe sees himself as part of a post-Trump Republican party making a political comeback, along with others like Flake and Sasse and Corker.

It's well documented that Fred Trump left over $250 million (the amount wasn't disclosed more specifically) to be shared among his four surviving children, inc. Donald Trump.. But Fred T. was already a mlultimillionaire when Donald was born and the company that Donald renamed "The Trump Organization" was his father's multimillion dollar real estate company ("E Trump & Son", named because Fred was too young to sign contracts and so his widowed mother did that for him.) Fred Trump was a self-made millionaire. (It's not at all clear whether Donald is actually a billionaire at all. Maybe. Maybe not, depending on level of debt.) Who was the guest saying that Trump didn't have dementia, no way, no how? I was looking forward to Joe talking with Wolff about it--as I know Joe's gone there before and was curious if he'd confirm the Jan 1 at Maralago anecdote.

Another Stephanie Ruhle fan here who would enjoy seeing her replace Mika (bringing about 50 more IQ points to the show in the process. Plus, she's not just knowledgable, esp. on economics, she isn't inappropriately flirty and weak in interviewing like Mika). However, Joe would never work with her since he needs a partner to be deferential to him. Kasie Hunt is so polite, she might work. I don't think he'd like Katie Tur's sarcasm. It's really odd that Velshi & Ruhle each have an individual show and then also one paired, but I have to admit I like all their incarnations. They couldn't replace MJ though as it needs to be less intense. And, anyway, why dream? Joe isn't going anywhere and, unless their relationship sours, neither is Mika.

I "liked" your first paragraph but had some doubts reading on. Because Anderson was getting to seem kind of tight, and Andy talking about how blue his eyes suddenly were--then saying they were getting drunk with their next shot of tequila+--and Anderson following up with "Which one of us is Brooke and which one is Don ?" then cutting to the guy with the drag queens in N.O. and warning him to get security when he left because he'd be getting a lot of propositions... well it was all a bit "much" for me, plus going to check on the woman on the "pot bus" who probably had a contact high by then. I may be super old school but if I want to be around drunks and pot heads and people speculating about hooking up tonight, there are lots of parties just like that. I really miss the days when there'd be some good entertainment, and the hosting was (a) funny (2) somewhat tasteful and (3) family friendly. Part of it may be my own fault, though, as I didn't look around enough for other NYE shows that were probably more to my liking. Still seems odd though, knowing CNN is international and this is what they go with.

Does CNN show the performances? I don't think so but memory may fail. So far, it's a lot of unfunny efforts to keep the energy up. Really, really hard to believe these two appear on stage together in a show. They need some writers, or acts to comment on.... something to give them things to talk and joke about. (No, no no to "Wolf Blitzer's Greatest Hits". If you want to be The Late Show, you need some -genuine- comedy writers!)

I used to love Hayes, and think of him as the "smartest person in the room". Not sure what happened, but I find him difficult to watch and listen to now. Love the idea of Velshi at 7:00, even Velshi & Ruhle.

She was wonderful as Sally Rogers, a top comedy writer, on "The Dick Van Dyke Show". They say she was modeled on comedienne Selma Diamond who was one of that famous group who wrote for Sid Caesar. There aren't many who made it on television or movies after being big child stars on radio.

Thank you, navelgazzer! They did a good job with that compComplicated chronology. Although a lot's left out, that's part of why I like it--there's so much, it's hard to be selective to keep the themes clear. Re: article re: Mika and Joe's relationship. That's an interesting point. Mutually consensual relationships with different power balances often happen in the workplace. Joe and Mia's worked out for them, but it very well might not have. I don't think the goal is to curtail office romances, which are no one's business, even with mutual adultery. But it's complicated by a power imbalance, and there aren't any easy answers for that (other than letting the lower level person always being the initiator, though that's weird, too). The mural outside Joe and Mika's dressing room makes the power dynamic very clear--with Joe striding powerfully forward up a hill and her following timidly behind. The effect of their affair on co-workers was probably big in ways that can't be measured or regulated either. Workplace romance v. harassment is complicated and the power imbalance makes it doubly confusing.

I came in mid-way and was surprised how good it was. Who put it together, I wonder (you know it wasn't Mia) Is it linked anywhere? I wonder if it's going to be part of an MSNBC year-end special.

Favorite Dietrich movie, far and away, is "Witness for the Prosecution". It's also just one of my favorite movies as it has everything (excellent script, cast, direction) and is imo the best Agatha Christie mystery on film. Unrelated note, I never understood why "Marlene singing" was a thing that she even had a Las Vegas showcase for it, but I guess it's about the sex appeal/performance glamour more than the voice.