Posts from — October 2010

The thing I find offensive about Beauty and the Geek is that is says what supposedly intelligent guys really want dumb and attractive girls. Banal utterances from these girls are seen as riveting conversation by these guys.

Last season I quite enjoyed the show, tonight I was mildly amused but irritated. It all seemed so set up, to the lines the “beauty’s” were spouting, to the cabana scene around the pool at Star City. It is all a bit fake.

Tamika had breakfast in bed by Thomas. Thomas is an Hawaiian shirt enthusiast,  I don’t know why that makes you a geek.

He has a crush on her.Of course.

But then Tamika, a cocktail waitress, is the “star” of the show. She combines Jessica Simpson looks, and her Anna-Nicole Smith’s personality. As@nesski46 tweeted to me if we don’t see her at next years brownlow, words won’t be able to express my disappointment. Neither will tamika…

I suggested Brynne Edelsten could be her mentor.

Tonight the geeks had to make cocktails, whilst the girls had to work on their arithmetic.  The producers know how to make the beauties to look stupid they just used a four syllable word. Of course someone took the bait and asked what arithmetic is.

The girls challenge was to add up bugs and creatures that each had a different points value, and the boys challenge was to be cabana guys by the pool.

Cue to girls squealing, and guys being geeky when interacting with people.

What I would love to know is how to the girls like being pawed by the guys. As there is a fair bit of hugging going on.

Daniel is a little cutie, and also smoother them most, and Michael is funny maybe they should have applied for Dating in the Dark instead.

Derek and Lynette were nominated, as were Daniel and Donna. Derek and Lynette were eliminated. Did I care? No.

The doctors were both facing their demons on this leg of the race. One was scared of heights, and had to go on a gondolier, and the other was a vegetarian who had to eat a sheep’s head. Lucky for her her friend ate the meat, as the acrophobic would have another height issue at the Roadblock if she had been the one rapel off the bridge.

But on the bright side they took the fast forward and were at the pit stop first, with a good time lead for the next leg of the race.

I am loving the episodes in Scandinavia, it is just such a stunning part of the world, however living there must be tough in winter.

Brooke the home shopping host is really irritating me as she does not shut up. Is anyone else having this issue with her?

And if she says “Girl you’ve got this again” when she flicks yet another difficult roadblock to her partner I am going to scream. I cannot wait until Brook has to take a s**t sandwich on a roadblock. (By the way I had written that prior to seeing the preview of next week’s episode).

Vicki and Nick are so dumb what do they think it “Fast Forward Taken” means? She did the rapel but then she is so stupid she probably does not have the neurones to feel fear. Also this team cannot do numbers for reason Nick thought they were going to come in second but they were sixth.

The Asian father/son team chose the boats in the detour and finished quickly, but the bike detour was quicker and Gary & Mallory were second to the pitstop.

Jill and Thomas a dating couple were starting to fracture,  as as soon as anything goes wrong they start screaming  at each other.

I don’t know why the beach volleyball girls did the boat over the bikes as they could have made up time. However they were the last team to arrive, and they were eliminated from the race, which was a pity as I thought they were contenders.

Maybe Phil needs to insure his eyebrow as it is a major part of his appeal it will be asking for its own dressing room soon.

This is hilarious for people who watch The Rachel Zoe Project. It is a satire about her being pregnant, and she has captured her perfectly.

Season three is starting on Arena in November, but by all accounts it is not as good as previous seasons.

I know it is unfashionable but I love Donald Trump he is just ballsy with a wicked sense of humour. In the latest edition of TV Week he proclaims he is good in bed, but then says maybe his wife wouldn’t think so, and he was certainly in a chipper mood in the board room this episode.

There are no standout candidates yet, it is just the usual selection of aggressive personalities and varying degrees of intelligence.

The challenge tonight was to be the team to sell the most icecream. Poppy was the girls project manager, and and Dave headed up the guy’s team.

I know Dave was a bit strange last week, but I thought he was OK in this task. He was amusing, and did some good strategic thinking. However I think he thinks he is more of an alpha male then he is.

I love the way Donald Jr tries to get the same facial expressions as his father, but I disagreed with him that the girls were losing sales opportunities by not harassing people going in and out of the subway station. People normally don’t want to be stopped when they are going somewhere.

I am sure both teams were told they had to be in a certain location in New York, and wear something to stand out. Maybe it helps create drama if the teams are in similar locations.

Stephanie was full on, I would have hated to work for her, as she is so aggressive, however Poppy threw Lisa under the bus as her weakest player.

Dave named Alex and James as his weakest players. Dave said James over thinks every item given to him. James was getting heat because he has no sale experience, but he did take them to Father Demo square on the first day where they made good sales.

The girls won making $1800 of profit, the guys only  made $1500.

Dave kept James and Alex into the boardroom with him. James was throwing Alex under the bus, whereas Dave was throwing both James and Alex to the wall.

In the end Alex was fired.

This week in the Sunday paper’s a Queensland academic said the lack of sleep the contestant’s on The Block were having is dangerous to themselves, and to others. This was when they  are working with dangerous tools, and driving  their cars.

Here are a few comments on tonight’s episode of The Block:

• Ok the payment issue has been clarified as the tradies have to be paid $60 an hour, we know what Chez did have to pay her carpenter friend. Of course he could have dropped a few hours.
• However this vignette of information was not aimed at Chez and Brenton, but Erin and Jake. The boys had found out the sporty couple only paid $100 for waterproofing of their ensuite. Which apparently is too cheap.
• When confronted Erin did say she got a quote, whilst the others were paying the tradies an hourly rate, I don’t have a problem with that if they are giving fair quotes;
• But it was game on and Mark and Duncan were pissed that Erin and Jake were also breaking the 10-4pm of not being allowed on the site and they called them on it;
• Erin started crying and threw her grandfather’s death in his face as justification for the breach;
• I have to be honest I was not feeling much sympathy for them.
• I did feel sorry for Chez and Brenton and their tiling issue. What hope to renovators have in Sydney when even people with cameras on them get screwed over by tradies. Anyway to rectify it meant it will cost them $5000;
• They were having a shocker as someone had broken their splashback as it was laid on a ground outside which was pretty dumb of them;
• I am finding Jake’s twin brother being sent to make up with the other team quite amusing, but it just show what douches Jake and Erin are for thinking this is appropriate they are;
• When the other teams find out about the twin they are going to be miffed, how I wished Australian production companies did reunion shows like they do on Bravo as this could be fireworks.

The judging:

• The judges liked Neisha and John’s  and called it a “good blank canvas”, though their laundry is not up to standard;
• Erin and Jake’s kept the art deco theme going and I like it at least they are making a statement and both judges were gushing;
• Chez’s curved shower wall was seen to have the wow factor, but did not like that they did not have a bath.
• Again Mark and Duncan got criticised for some of their design features.

I was bemused about the judges comments about the laundries, as I got the feeling neither of them really ever used one in real life.

Erin and Jake won, much to the disgust of the other teams, and I do agree with Mark and Duncan that the open shower would be a major pain.

Tonight’s gratuitous plug was for Sam The Paving Man.

Got to love a double elimination as it always makes it far more interesting.

Here are some thoughts on the latest episode:

• Marty maybe overplaying the game of Survivor, if it is possible;
• Jill who I think has been playing it pretty smart does not seem to realise that she is hanging out with one of the guys with a mark
• Brenda threw Marty under the bus trying to say that he was the one trying to get rid of Jane, however was it was a smart way of getting the immunity idol out of Marty – it did not work but it did go to a second vote but he still has the idol;
• Marty looked like the crazy switch had gone off in his brain so it is going to be interesting in that tribe next week;
• I cannot believe how paranoid they were about Kellie B for having one leg, thinking she will get the sympathy vote on the jury, considering the way they feel I don’t think anyone would vote for her;
• I am not sure why they did not take the opportunity to vote out Marty when it went for the second vote;
• The problem for Brenda now has she has signalled herself as a player on the tribe which will make her vulnerableurvi;
• With the other tribe Holly won immunity and it was Yve fighting for survival, she tried to play down and dirty at tribal council to get the tribe to swing back her way, but it did not work and she was gone;
• Dan is looking solid as no one thinks he is a threat, either physically or on the jury. However, if you can get to the end you can get the anyone but her/him vote.

Here is Jeff Probst blog who is just as confused about having Marty’s head on the chopping block and then giving him a reprieve. For the record I don’t read Jeff’s blog until I have finished mine.

Also here, and exit interviews with Kellie B and Yve.

Channel Seven will be expecting an influx of  Masterchef fans to start watching Iron Chef Australia when Chris Badenoch takes on Guillame Brahimi on the show next week.

TV Week reveals Chris and his sous chef and real life partner Julia Jenkins will be on the episode airing November 2.

Chris Badenoch said it was harder than Masterchef.

The article states:

“I think it’s harder than anything that’s ever been on Masterchef,” he says.

“An hour for four dishes is crazy in anybody’s language. The pressure is a whole different ball game.”

He also says about cooking with Julia:

“We cook together all the time, so being familiar with someone in the kitchen makes your life a whole lot easier,” He explains. “We don’t clash at all [when we're cooking]“.

And on those pesky engagement rumours:

“Who knows? We’re happy as we are at the moment,” Chris says cryptically. “There’s no marriage on the cards – yet.”

And on their new restaurant Josie Bones:

“It’s coming along really well – we’re madly painting at the moment and it’s all happening,” Chris reveals. It’s very exciting, but terrifying at the same time! It’s our baby at the moment. We’ll hopefully be open just before Christmas, so it will be a very busy festive season!”

The X Factor’s enigma Altiyan Childs has spoken to TV WEEK about feeling like an outcast amongst his fellow contestants.

The article states:

“In the beginning, I felt like an outcast,” he says. “Maybe it’s my age? Maybe peole see my comfort on stage as a threat? Some of it’s self inflicted, thought. I definitely isolated myself – I needed some alone time.”

Altiyan 35, has also found that not everyone in the house has as much respect for others as he does.

“I don’t expect anyone to be perfect, but I expect people to say ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’,” he says. “I tiptoe around when people are asleep and hold the door open or people, but I don’t always get afforded the same courtesies.”

While he admits the talent show has been “emotionally draining”, he insits he’s never been depressed.

“i’ve never had depression,” he says. “but I’m not sure how people expect a singer/songwriter to be . I need to be sad [and to] suffer. If I stop, there goes my creativity.”

And a lot of his suffering has come from sadness over his dad’s ill health.

“I’ll break into tears most of the time if it’s anything to do with my father’s pain,” he confesses. “he has a bad heart and yet has to work a very physical job. I live with a daily sadness, knowing any day could be his last.

Altiyan stills baffles me and I am sure there is more to his story then he has yet to reveal, however I thought the suffering artist schtick was a bit over the top. But then he is melodramatic.

If Iron Chef was the NSW Public Service they would be trimming the fat from the cast of this show.

Either Grant Denyer or Chairman Kanga’s nephew is surplus to requirements. I feel sorry for him apart from doing the big reveal of the ingredients he sits at the judges table and does not even get to taste the dish nor reveal the winner. What is the point of him?

Also he deserves to be sacked for not making more out of the competitor’s restaurant name Phore.

Or more to the point what does Grant Denyer add? Richard Cornish could just do the commentary by himself or with a different judge each week.

Ok so I didn’t know zucchini flowers could be different genders, but at least I know what foie gras is.

On the plus side I thought there was a bit more rapport between the judges this week, however would it kill Larissa Dubecki to crack a smile occasionally, however I am in awe that she can gush over deep fried pate and still be a size 8.

Simon Thomsen is getting some good quips in, however he needs some styling advice. The shirt with the heavy check pattern with the paisley tie did not work.

Well and Leo is just Leo, a person who has lived a refined life with enthusiasm.

Anyway onto the competition….

It was Iron Chef Italian Guy Grossi versus Judyta Slupnick owner and head chef of Phore Restaurant in Adelaide. I don’t want to be East Coast centric, but is this chef a name in South Australia? On the plus side at least the show stumped up a female chef. But gee I would have liked to have seen Christine Mansfield or Kylie Kwong go head to head with him.

Now THAT would have had me sitting on the edge of my seat.

She spent 10 minutes getting the abalone prepped and then had to pound it like it was schnitzel.

Guy Grossi served:

• Duck liver parfait with a rose jelly which Leo thought was perfect.
• Duck Egg Omlette with asparagus, and consomme – Larissa loved the three elements.
• Duck and mushroom tortellini – Larissa was concerned that it was lacking in originality as it was on the Grossi Florentino menu, but Simon thought that was fine.
• Spice Roasted Duck Breast with Zucchini Flower stuffed with foie gras – Simon thought it was the equivalent of the deep fried mars bar, completely over the top.

However I thought Guy was just paying homage to the original Iron Chef who are profligate with this high end ingredient.

Judyta Slupnick (Head Chef and owner of Phore Seasons):

• Duck and abalone roulade – the abalone did get soft and was liked by all of the judges.
• Braised Duck Pasta – Larissa and Leo thought it was underseasoned.
• Duck cooked three ways – Simon wanted more pate in his deep fried pate toast, however Larissa thought hers was fine.
• Duck Egg Pancakes with Cherry and Rhubarb – Larissa got sentimental over because of her heritage.

Guy Grossi  flogger her getting 48/60 to Judyta’s 41/60.

The challengers need to have more experience, as Leo Schofield confirmed  the 36 year old chef was inexperienced. Though rumour has it Guy Grossi does get knocked off in one of the episodes coming up.