EXTON, Pa., June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- It's not an accident that your baby is so darn irresistible ... good looks tend to run in the family and, oh baby, did your little one catch the cute gene! Although he or she may be too little to grace the cover of Vogue, it's not too early to show off that winning smile and hereditary good looks next to Mom or Dad on the cover of the Fall 2007 Graco(R) Catalog! Graco Children's Products, a leading manufacturer of infant and juvenile products, is putting a twist on the traditional baby model search by bringing Mom or Dad into the picture! All that's required for the My Graco Baby Model Search is a priceless picture of mom or dad with a baby under the age of 12 months to be entered to win a spot on the cover of the catalog and a lifetime worth of bragging rights!
Moms and dads interested in entering in the contest can log onto Graco's website at http://www.gracobaby.com/ and click on the contest's link or go directly to http://www.modelsearch.gracobaby.com/ and upload their favorite photo with baby. The photo will be featured in the Graco(R) baby photo gallery with all other entries for friends and family to view. After Graco(R) has selected the three finalists in August, viewers will be invited to vote on their favorite mom or dad with baby. Finalists will receive round-trip airfare and accommodations to appear on-air and online during the interactive talk show, "iVillage Live" in Chicago where the winner will be announced.
The winner will be featured on the cover of the Fall 2007 Graco(R) Catalog and all three finalists will receive $500 worth of Graco(R) products, a professional photo shoot and a weekend getaway to Orlando Florida including a free pass to Universal Studios just for being so adorable!
For more information and a complete list of rules and regulations, log onto the Graco model search website at modelsearch.gracobaby.com. Contestants are invited to submit a photo now through July 15, 2007. Finalists will be announced online in August.
About Graco(R)
Graco Children's Products Inc., a Newell Rubbermaid company headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of juvenile products. Graco(R) is a proven innovator in the development of baby swings and soothers, strollers, travel systems, car seats, highchairs, portable playards, monitors, activity centers and jumpers. For more information on Graco products, please visit http://www.gracobaby.com/.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Star! The Channel Announces Fall 2007-2008 Programming Highlights
““South Side Story”
What celebrity superstar would buy a sports team full of buff dudes who like to get bloody and knock the ‘living snot’ out of each other? Who else but the phone-chucking, Oscar®-winning actor - Russell Crowe! In this six-part series, watch as this tireless supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, one of Australia's premiere rugby teams, tries to revive this once grand but now failing franchise.
“"This Is David Gest”
American celebrity and soon to be ex-husband of Liza Minnelli, David Gest, stars in his own ‘fly-on-the-wall’ series, granting exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the music producer’s life. Does he really have a maid called Vaginica Ceaman? Do his parents only have one leg? All this and more will be revealed as the cameras follow David around the clock, as he embraces his exciting new life (post-Liza), battles with the camera crew and makes a number of life-changing decisions.
““Awesome 80s”
Were the 80s awesome? Star! thinks so and has the show to prove it! The 80s had it all - music that rocked, movies that kicked and fashion that...well it felt right at the time. “Awesome 80s” features all-new interviews with icons from the era and industry experts who can shed some light on the events that shaped the famous decade. Re-live the good times, scrunchies and all, because if it happened in the 80s, it was awesome man!
A Star! Original Production.
““This Is”
They leave you breathless with amazement and admiration. Now get a rare glimpse of what the greatest and most influential stars are really like. “This Is” digs deep to tell the true stories of the Hollywood A-List: from the first glimmer of stardom to their biggest breakthroughs, break-ups and breakdowns. Tune in to “This Is” for the inside story on the secrets, struggles and successes of the Hollywood elite.
““Make Me A Star”
A new weekly, half-hour, reality series that follows the life of Star!'s very own Sean Gehon, as he desperately seeks out stardom. From stand-up comedy, to runway model, pop star to rehab, there's nothing Sean won't try in order to become a star! A Star! Original Production.
““Battle of the Stars”
Pitting celebrities against each other, a panel of in-studio judges determine which celebrity will reign after they're heavily critiqued on their careers relationships & fashion choices. Let the battle begin! A Star! Original Production.
What celebrity superstar would buy a sports team full of buff dudes who like to get bloody and knock the ‘living snot’ out of each other? Who else but the phone-chucking, Oscar®-winning actor - Russell Crowe! In this six-part series, watch as this tireless supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, one of Australia's premiere rugby teams, tries to revive this once grand but now failing franchise.
“"This Is David Gest”
American celebrity and soon to be ex-husband of Liza Minnelli, David Gest, stars in his own ‘fly-on-the-wall’ series, granting exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the music producer’s life. Does he really have a maid called Vaginica Ceaman? Do his parents only have one leg? All this and more will be revealed as the cameras follow David around the clock, as he embraces his exciting new life (post-Liza), battles with the camera crew and makes a number of life-changing decisions.
““Awesome 80s”
Were the 80s awesome? Star! thinks so and has the show to prove it! The 80s had it all - music that rocked, movies that kicked and fashion that...well it felt right at the time. “Awesome 80s” features all-new interviews with icons from the era and industry experts who can shed some light on the events that shaped the famous decade. Re-live the good times, scrunchies and all, because if it happened in the 80s, it was awesome man!
A Star! Original Production.
““This Is”
They leave you breathless with amazement and admiration. Now get a rare glimpse of what the greatest and most influential stars are really like. “This Is” digs deep to tell the true stories of the Hollywood A-List: from the first glimmer of stardom to their biggest breakthroughs, break-ups and breakdowns. Tune in to “This Is” for the inside story on the secrets, struggles and successes of the Hollywood elite.
““Make Me A Star”
A new weekly, half-hour, reality series that follows the life of Star!'s very own Sean Gehon, as he desperately seeks out stardom. From stand-up comedy, to runway model, pop star to rehab, there's nothing Sean won't try in order to become a star! A Star! Original Production.
““Battle of the Stars”
Pitting celebrities against each other, a panel of in-studio judges determine which celebrity will reign after they're heavily critiqued on their careers relationships & fashion choices. Let the battle begin! A Star! Original Production.
Graco Children's Products Announces Search for America's Next Top Mom (or Dad) and Baby Model!
EXTON, Pa., June 5 PRNewswire — It's not an accident that your baby is so darn irresistible ... good looks tend to run in the family and, oh baby, did your little one catch the cute gene! Although he or she may be too little to grace the cover of Vogue, it's not too early to show off that winning smile and hereditary good looks next to Mom or Dad on the cover of the Fall 2007 Graco(R) Catalog! Graco Children's Products, a leading manufacturer of infant and juvenile products, is putting a twist on the traditional baby model search by bringing Mom or Dad into the picture! All that's required for the My Graco Baby Model Search is a priceless picture of mom or dad with a baby under the age of 12 months to be entered to win a spot on the cover of the catalog and a lifetime worth of bragging rights!
Moms and dads interested in entering in the contest can log onto Graco's website at www.gracobaby.com and click on the contest's link or go directly to www.modelsearch.gracobaby.com and upload their favorite photo with baby. The photo will be featured in the Graco(R) baby photo gallery with all other entries for friends and family to view. After Graco(R) has selected the three finalists in August, viewers will be invited to vote on their favorite mom or dad with baby. Finalists will receive round-trip airfare and accommodations to appear on-air and online during the interactive talk show, "iVillage Live" in Chicago where the winner will be announced.
The winner will be featured on the cover of the Fall 2007 Graco(R) Catalog and all three finalists will receive $500 worth of Graco(R) products, a professional photo shoot and a weekend getaway to Orlando Florida including a free pass to Universal Studios just for being so adorable!
For more information and a complete list of rules and regulations, log onto the Graco model search website at modelsearch.gracobaby.com. Contestants are invited to submit a photo now through July 15, 2007. Finalists will be announced online in August.
About Graco(R)
Graco Children's Products Inc., a Newell Rubbermaid company headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of juvenile products. Graco(R) is a proven innovator in the development of baby swings and soothers, strollers, travel systems, car seats, highchairs, portable playards, monitors, activity centers and jumpers. For more information on Graco products, please visit www.gracobaby.com.
Moms and dads interested in entering in the contest can log onto Graco's website at www.gracobaby.com and click on the contest's link or go directly to www.modelsearch.gracobaby.com and upload their favorite photo with baby. The photo will be featured in the Graco(R) baby photo gallery with all other entries for friends and family to view. After Graco(R) has selected the three finalists in August, viewers will be invited to vote on their favorite mom or dad with baby. Finalists will receive round-trip airfare and accommodations to appear on-air and online during the interactive talk show, "iVillage Live" in Chicago where the winner will be announced.
The winner will be featured on the cover of the Fall 2007 Graco(R) Catalog and all three finalists will receive $500 worth of Graco(R) products, a professional photo shoot and a weekend getaway to Orlando Florida including a free pass to Universal Studios just for being so adorable!
For more information and a complete list of rules and regulations, log onto the Graco model search website at modelsearch.gracobaby.com. Contestants are invited to submit a photo now through July 15, 2007. Finalists will be announced online in August.
About Graco(R)
Graco Children's Products Inc., a Newell Rubbermaid company headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of juvenile products. Graco(R) is a proven innovator in the development of baby swings and soothers, strollers, travel systems, car seats, highchairs, portable playards, monitors, activity centers and jumpers. For more information on Graco products, please visit www.gracobaby.com.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Time for Tyra to pull plug on Top Model
From time to time the most casual of acquaintances will phone me up and ask if I have tapes of a show they have forgotten to record. And the most-asked-for programme is, no, not Coronation Street, but America's Next Top Model.
You wouldn't fathom it but all sorts of people are devotees of what is possibly television's most formulaic programme and one that is now into its umpteenth series.
If you watched that awful show on emaciated movie stars who were too rich and stupid to eat, then you'll be a big fan of America's Next Top Model because the girls on this show are so skinny they have to run around in the shower to get wet.
The good news is that Tyra Banks, the so-called last of the great supermodels, (her skeleton will be a candidate for the Creationist Museum), has gradually stacked on the weight so that she now looks quite human in contrast to her underlings, who are strangers to the knife and fork.
Greedy old Tyra really ought to have pulled the plug on the show this season because everybody seems to be in agreement that this year's batch are pretty ordinary, so much so that you could rename this show America's Next Huckery Moll.
Take, for instance, the twins, who survived well past their use-by date, and Melrose, the second-placegetter, who had such a bony face I'd be worried about her around a dog.
As for this season's winner, CariDee, I was absolutely amazed to observe, when she was standing before the judges dressed in a denim mini-skirt and high heels, that her legs were so bandy you could have driven a milk cart clean between them.
I mean, don't the judges notice these things? If you'd seen CariDee stripped down to her rompers at the school I went to, you would have naturally assumed she was captain of the hockey team.
And what about the twins' lack of chests, which were so beyond flat they were actually sunken.
Twiggy, who is now a judge on America's Next Top Model, could relate to the lack of bosom but, coupled with incredibly plain looks, the twins made our Inghams look like Angelina Jolie.
Fortunately, this show isn't all about best-in-looks and personality does come into it, which is why the very likeable CariDee won.
The judges evaluated CariDee's personality as wild and unpredictable, probably because she had the nerve to insult Nigel Barker. He's one of the "takes himself seriously" judges who had a long pole in his hand when CariDee had the unmitigated gall to pipe up and say something like: "Did you remove that from your arse?"
Well, you should have heard the carry-on and the lectures about showing respect to your betters and elders. She deserved to win on that comment alone, for British photographer Nigel really is insufferably up himself and about as vivacious and alive as the still photographs he takes.
I don't know why they keep that terrible old queen J. Alexander on as a judge. He's so tragique – the kind of exhibitionist queen you find lip-synching in down-at-heel gay bars when last drinks have been called and he's wheeled out to encourage the punters to stampede for the exit door.
But he's under divine protection because every supermodel simply must have a breast of adoring gay men to bolster the ego, especially as a woman grows older. Ouch.
Sure, Tyra was wise enough to retire from the Victoria's Secrets catwalk last year, but she made such a song and dance about it, the whole thing was a clever ploy so that her fans would rally and say, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, you have the supermodel body of them all, Tyra."
But I guess she was piling on the beef and what's the point of having all that money if you can't have a decent feed? I bet she's been dying to utter the phrase that has been struck from the model's lexicon – "Yes, please, I'll have fries with that" – for decades.
If there's a next series of this show the judges should be banned from berating the girls with the question, "I want to know how much you want this" and from saying, "I'm still not sure how badly you want this" as the shyer girls refuse to walk across cut glass in response to the imperative.
*****
Speaking of next series, I have been so disappointed by the new batch of Goldstein ads but I adore the latest one, where Goldstein's boss goes to visit a Kiwi farm with a view to buy and is dressed in a red-fringed Brokeback Mountain cowboy shirt and ten-gallon hat.
When the farmer extends his arm and snaps on a rubber glove and tells Goldstein's boss to lend a hand with the probing of an animal's internals, the boss is completely traumatised.
In the final shot, we see Goldstein driving post haste away from the farm with the boss sitting in the passenger seat, looking wild-eyed and speaking in a deep whisper: "Goldstein, we shall never speak of this again."
It was like the good old Goldstein days.
You wouldn't fathom it but all sorts of people are devotees of what is possibly television's most formulaic programme and one that is now into its umpteenth series.
If you watched that awful show on emaciated movie stars who were too rich and stupid to eat, then you'll be a big fan of America's Next Top Model because the girls on this show are so skinny they have to run around in the shower to get wet.
The good news is that Tyra Banks, the so-called last of the great supermodels, (her skeleton will be a candidate for the Creationist Museum), has gradually stacked on the weight so that she now looks quite human in contrast to her underlings, who are strangers to the knife and fork.
Greedy old Tyra really ought to have pulled the plug on the show this season because everybody seems to be in agreement that this year's batch are pretty ordinary, so much so that you could rename this show America's Next Huckery Moll.
Take, for instance, the twins, who survived well past their use-by date, and Melrose, the second-placegetter, who had such a bony face I'd be worried about her around a dog.
As for this season's winner, CariDee, I was absolutely amazed to observe, when she was standing before the judges dressed in a denim mini-skirt and high heels, that her legs were so bandy you could have driven a milk cart clean between them.
I mean, don't the judges notice these things? If you'd seen CariDee stripped down to her rompers at the school I went to, you would have naturally assumed she was captain of the hockey team.
And what about the twins' lack of chests, which were so beyond flat they were actually sunken.
Twiggy, who is now a judge on America's Next Top Model, could relate to the lack of bosom but, coupled with incredibly plain looks, the twins made our Inghams look like Angelina Jolie.
Fortunately, this show isn't all about best-in-looks and personality does come into it, which is why the very likeable CariDee won.
The judges evaluated CariDee's personality as wild and unpredictable, probably because she had the nerve to insult Nigel Barker. He's one of the "takes himself seriously" judges who had a long pole in his hand when CariDee had the unmitigated gall to pipe up and say something like: "Did you remove that from your arse?"
Well, you should have heard the carry-on and the lectures about showing respect to your betters and elders. She deserved to win on that comment alone, for British photographer Nigel really is insufferably up himself and about as vivacious and alive as the still photographs he takes.
I don't know why they keep that terrible old queen J. Alexander on as a judge. He's so tragique – the kind of exhibitionist queen you find lip-synching in down-at-heel gay bars when last drinks have been called and he's wheeled out to encourage the punters to stampede for the exit door.
But he's under divine protection because every supermodel simply must have a breast of adoring gay men to bolster the ego, especially as a woman grows older. Ouch.
Sure, Tyra was wise enough to retire from the Victoria's Secrets catwalk last year, but she made such a song and dance about it, the whole thing was a clever ploy so that her fans would rally and say, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, you have the supermodel body of them all, Tyra."
But I guess she was piling on the beef and what's the point of having all that money if you can't have a decent feed? I bet she's been dying to utter the phrase that has been struck from the model's lexicon – "Yes, please, I'll have fries with that" – for decades.
If there's a next series of this show the judges should be banned from berating the girls with the question, "I want to know how much you want this" and from saying, "I'm still not sure how badly you want this" as the shyer girls refuse to walk across cut glass in response to the imperative.
*****
Speaking of next series, I have been so disappointed by the new batch of Goldstein ads but I adore the latest one, where Goldstein's boss goes to visit a Kiwi farm with a view to buy and is dressed in a red-fringed Brokeback Mountain cowboy shirt and ten-gallon hat.
When the farmer extends his arm and snaps on a rubber glove and tells Goldstein's boss to lend a hand with the probing of an animal's internals, the boss is completely traumatised.
In the final shot, we see Goldstein driving post haste away from the farm with the boss sitting in the passenger seat, looking wild-eyed and speaking in a deep whisper: "Goldstein, we shall never speak of this again."
It was like the good old Goldstein days.
Todd is America’s next top-fuel model
TOPEKA | In his best days, his early days, John Force wasn’t being asked to model designer jeans or chichi men’s fragrances.
Ditto for the other top drag racers of his era. They could install valves in a Chevy big block between quarter-mile runs, and they could tell off-color stories until bleary-eyed bartenders insisted that they be on their way. But sell Swiss watches? Forget it.
J.R. Todd’s black cotton shirt is Sunday-pressed as he pulls up to his top-fuel team’s hauler on a motorbike at Heartland Park Topeka. You could cut flank steak with the shirt’s creases.
His hair is neatly cropped, his soul patch looks as if it has been drawn onto his chin and he’s got a smile and a demeanor that immediately sets you at ease. Got any Swiss watches?
Meet the gen-next of the NHRA.
It’s good looking, it’s articulate and it can still drive the bejeezus out of top-fuel and funny cars.
“I definitely think these kids, like J.R., Ashley (Force), Brandon (Bernstein), Morgan Lucas, they are the future of this sport,” says top-fuel veteran Cory McClenathan. “And I think the future of the sport is in good hands.”
Nothing has been handed to the NHRA’s young kids. Even Ashley Force, who was in prime position to have the best of everything turned over to her by her father, came up the long way, what old-timers would call the right way. Her father insisted that she go to college and start at the bottom.
Todd came up the right way, too. His father drove flat-track dirt bikes, so J.R. grew up around racing. Asked why he didn’t do bikes like his father, J.R. said his father wouldn’t allow it.
“He was too scared” to allow it, Todd said.
So Todd got into drag racing.
“After first run, I was hooked,” he said. “Speed is the best adrenaline rush you can get.”
He went through the NHRA junior program. Then he spent time on Bob Gilbertson’s top-fuel crew. He did that for three years.
He landed a driving gig in top fuel in ’06 at age 24.
Once in the show, he proved almost immediately that he belonged. He won three times as a rookie, twice beating Tony Schumacher in final rounds.
McClenathan said it just doesn’t get that way very often. But he knows why Todd was able to do it as quickly as he did.
“He watches everything,” McClenathan said. “He’s a sponge. Soaks it all up. He adapts.”
This year, Todd has won twice. He won the season opener at Pomona, Calif. Then he won at Houston three races later. That was a remarkable victory because in the interim he had lost his crew chief, Jimmy Walsh, to Kenny Bernstein’s team.
But it may be the time that Todd spends without a helmet on his head that makes him a big part of the NHRA’s future.
“Yes, I guess we are considered the future of the sport,” Todd said. “Me and the crowd I hang around with, Brandon and Morgan, we’re the young generation. Hopefully it opens up some doors and gets new fans involved in the sport and broadens the fan base.”
Thursday night in Topeka, it opened the doors of a local restaurant best known for its scantily clad women. Todd and Bernstein and Lucas were invited to judge a bikini contest. And, he added, he was invited to judge another on Friday night. He didn’t think he’d make that one.
Marketers hope Todd can broaden the fan base beyond the youthful demographic. Todd is the first black driver to win a national top-fuel event. He is aware that his heritage may make him attractive to sponsors and the series. But he doesn’t seem to care.
“I’m just a driver who happens to be African-American,” Todd said. “It’s good to represent the minorities in the sport, and hopefully we can get more involved, but when I put my helmet on, nobody will know if I’m black or white.”
Ditto for the other top drag racers of his era. They could install valves in a Chevy big block between quarter-mile runs, and they could tell off-color stories until bleary-eyed bartenders insisted that they be on their way. But sell Swiss watches? Forget it.
J.R. Todd’s black cotton shirt is Sunday-pressed as he pulls up to his top-fuel team’s hauler on a motorbike at Heartland Park Topeka. You could cut flank steak with the shirt’s creases.
His hair is neatly cropped, his soul patch looks as if it has been drawn onto his chin and he’s got a smile and a demeanor that immediately sets you at ease. Got any Swiss watches?
Meet the gen-next of the NHRA.
It’s good looking, it’s articulate and it can still drive the bejeezus out of top-fuel and funny cars.
“I definitely think these kids, like J.R., Ashley (Force), Brandon (Bernstein), Morgan Lucas, they are the future of this sport,” says top-fuel veteran Cory McClenathan. “And I think the future of the sport is in good hands.”
Nothing has been handed to the NHRA’s young kids. Even Ashley Force, who was in prime position to have the best of everything turned over to her by her father, came up the long way, what old-timers would call the right way. Her father insisted that she go to college and start at the bottom.
Todd came up the right way, too. His father drove flat-track dirt bikes, so J.R. grew up around racing. Asked why he didn’t do bikes like his father, J.R. said his father wouldn’t allow it.
“He was too scared” to allow it, Todd said.
So Todd got into drag racing.
“After first run, I was hooked,” he said. “Speed is the best adrenaline rush you can get.”
He went through the NHRA junior program. Then he spent time on Bob Gilbertson’s top-fuel crew. He did that for three years.
He landed a driving gig in top fuel in ’06 at age 24.
Once in the show, he proved almost immediately that he belonged. He won three times as a rookie, twice beating Tony Schumacher in final rounds.
McClenathan said it just doesn’t get that way very often. But he knows why Todd was able to do it as quickly as he did.
“He watches everything,” McClenathan said. “He’s a sponge. Soaks it all up. He adapts.”
This year, Todd has won twice. He won the season opener at Pomona, Calif. Then he won at Houston three races later. That was a remarkable victory because in the interim he had lost his crew chief, Jimmy Walsh, to Kenny Bernstein’s team.
But it may be the time that Todd spends without a helmet on his head that makes him a big part of the NHRA’s future.
“Yes, I guess we are considered the future of the sport,” Todd said. “Me and the crowd I hang around with, Brandon and Morgan, we’re the young generation. Hopefully it opens up some doors and gets new fans involved in the sport and broadens the fan base.”
Thursday night in Topeka, it opened the doors of a local restaurant best known for its scantily clad women. Todd and Bernstein and Lucas were invited to judge a bikini contest. And, he added, he was invited to judge another on Friday night. He didn’t think he’d make that one.
Marketers hope Todd can broaden the fan base beyond the youthful demographic. Todd is the first black driver to win a national top-fuel event. He is aware that his heritage may make him attractive to sponsors and the series. But he doesn’t seem to care.
“I’m just a driver who happens to be African-American,” Todd said. “It’s good to represent the minorities in the sport, and hopefully we can get more involved, but when I put my helmet on, nobody will know if I’m black or white.”
Friday, June 1, 2007
Model from Val Caron wows judges of Canada's Next Top Model
Wednesday night was the television debut of a Val Caron resident, Cori MacKinnon. She is one of the contestants on the reality television show Canada's Next Top Model, which aired this seasons first episode.
Portrayed as an underdog at first, by the second half MacKinnon clearly asserted herself as a strong contender for Canada's Next Top Model. Making this season possibly the most exiting yet for Greater Sudbury residents.
Canada's Next Top Model is based on the American version America's Next Top Model and has begun running it's second season.
Unfortunately, according to CityTv publicist Amy Doary, MacKinnon and her family and friends are sworn to secrecy until she either wins the contest or is voted off the show.
The first segment of Wednesday's episode featured Mackinnon as one of twenty contestants. The beginning of the show explained how the judges decided who the top ten finalists would be. Each contestant was briefly interviewed and had a chance to strut their stuff in front of a three person panel. The panel was made up of the shows host Jay Manuel, creative director, Nolé Marin and runway coach Stacey Mackenzie. This panel chose the top ten finalists including MacKinnon. Unlike the majority of the of contestants who waltz up to the table of judges as if on a catwalk, MacKinnon looked timid and awkward upon entering the room. Wearing a gray tank top and a pair of jeans, she described the hardships she has recently faced, after being probed about them by Manuel. Her boyfriend was in a car accident, then her dog and grandmother both died.
One of the judges, Marin was so moved he said he almost burst out in tears.
Compared to some of the harsh comments made about the other girls MacKinnon faired very well against the competition. The three judges had nothing negative to say about her, cori"she has a beautiful face, a real diamond in the ruff," said Mackenzie, of the 5'8 light haired beauty. During the second half of the program the top ten finalists faced a new judging panel, which consisted of three industry gurus, including fashion photographer Paul Alexander, creative director Nolé Marin and fashion journalist Jeanne Beker also the shows host Manual and a model, Yasmine Warsame.
MacKinnon and the other nine finalists were escorted to a chic, glass laden mansion in an unknown area of Toronto. This will be home for the girls during the contest. Each week a girl is selected to leave the house and the show.
In order to build suspense, the camera zoomed in on Mackinnon's face as Manual announced that by the end of the show one of the girls was going home.
But MacKinnon, a former Confederation Secondary School student, wowed the judges and is safe for another week.
A risque photo shoot was the first thing asked of the girls. Most contestants including MacKinnon appeared nervous and out of their element, posing nearly nude with a male model.
After the shoot MacKinnon stood before the panel of judges, with her freshly taken photo on a screen behind her. The show host Manuel said "Look at this little girl, all sweet and nervous up here in font of us, but that girl.." he said while pointing to the photo of MacKinnon with a male model, "that girl is blowing me away."
At the end of the show judges had decided which one of the ten finalists was going home. It was then that viewers could see the strength and potential
MacKinnon has to become Canada's Next Top Model. "She has so much potential it's exhilarating" said one judge, Beker. As Beker spoke about MacKinnon she nodded her head in assurance and clutched her fists with excitement.
Portrayed as an underdog at first, by the second half MacKinnon clearly asserted herself as a strong contender for Canada's Next Top Model. Making this season possibly the most exiting yet for Greater Sudbury residents.
Canada's Next Top Model is based on the American version America's Next Top Model and has begun running it's second season.
Unfortunately, according to CityTv publicist Amy Doary, MacKinnon and her family and friends are sworn to secrecy until she either wins the contest or is voted off the show.
The first segment of Wednesday's episode featured Mackinnon as one of twenty contestants. The beginning of the show explained how the judges decided who the top ten finalists would be. Each contestant was briefly interviewed and had a chance to strut their stuff in front of a three person panel. The panel was made up of the shows host Jay Manuel, creative director, Nolé Marin and runway coach Stacey Mackenzie. This panel chose the top ten finalists including MacKinnon. Unlike the majority of the of contestants who waltz up to the table of judges as if on a catwalk, MacKinnon looked timid and awkward upon entering the room. Wearing a gray tank top and a pair of jeans, she described the hardships she has recently faced, after being probed about them by Manuel. Her boyfriend was in a car accident, then her dog and grandmother both died.
One of the judges, Marin was so moved he said he almost burst out in tears.
Compared to some of the harsh comments made about the other girls MacKinnon faired very well against the competition. The three judges had nothing negative to say about her, cori"she has a beautiful face, a real diamond in the ruff," said Mackenzie, of the 5'8 light haired beauty. During the second half of the program the top ten finalists faced a new judging panel, which consisted of three industry gurus, including fashion photographer Paul Alexander, creative director Nolé Marin and fashion journalist Jeanne Beker also the shows host Manual and a model, Yasmine Warsame.
MacKinnon and the other nine finalists were escorted to a chic, glass laden mansion in an unknown area of Toronto. This will be home for the girls during the contest. Each week a girl is selected to leave the house and the show.
In order to build suspense, the camera zoomed in on Mackinnon's face as Manual announced that by the end of the show one of the girls was going home.
But MacKinnon, a former Confederation Secondary School student, wowed the judges and is safe for another week.
A risque photo shoot was the first thing asked of the girls. Most contestants including MacKinnon appeared nervous and out of their element, posing nearly nude with a male model.
After the shoot MacKinnon stood before the panel of judges, with her freshly taken photo on a screen behind her. The show host Manuel said "Look at this little girl, all sweet and nervous up here in font of us, but that girl.." he said while pointing to the photo of MacKinnon with a male model, "that girl is blowing me away."
At the end of the show judges had decided which one of the ten finalists was going home. It was then that viewers could see the strength and potential
MacKinnon has to become Canada's Next Top Model. "She has so much potential it's exhilarating" said one judge, Beker. As Beker spoke about MacKinnon she nodded her head in assurance and clutched her fists with excitement.
Spacious VW Golf comes to U.S. as Jetta Estate
WOLFSBURG, Germany -- Volkswagen has taken its time with the introduction of the station wagon version of the Golf. Not that there is much time between the world premier in Geneva, in March, and its arrival on European markets, this weekend. But the current Golf has been on the market for quite a while and the new generation is 'under construction' already. Rumours indicate that the next Golf will not bow in 2011, but instead by the end of next year.
Such a speedy model change would be the result of the high production costs of the current Golf and thus not generating enough profit. That is why people doubted if VW would come up with the Variant, the name for the estate in Europe. But at the Geneva auto show in March, the Golf Variant, made its world debut and it will arrive on European markets today.
As the estate is based on the Golf sedan, Jetta in the U.S., it will be dubbed Jetta SportWagon and it will arrive early September.
Between 1993 and 1999, nearly 580,000 Rabbit estates were sold worldwide, while the second generation that was on the markets until last year nearly 625,000 found a customer, most of them Europeans. Since the trend is to move away from large SUVs to more fuel efficient models, the station wagon may find its way back to the hearts of American customers.
No doubt that the Jetta SportWagon will attract people who love a practical, roomy and compact car and Volkswagen hopes to sell at least 18,000 units a year.
The SportWagon shares the 101.6 inch long wheel base with the Jetta sedan and will just like the Jetta be built in Mexico. Both models have the same length and width (179.5 and 70 inches) but height of the estate (59 inches) is 1.6 inches higher.
The rear end of the station wagon shows taillights that are fully integrated in the fenders. They emphasize the cargo loading width of the rear opening of 39.9 inches. Furthermore, the Jetta station wagon has some design features that shows the family ties with the Passat Variant, such as the rear window that wraps around the D pillars and the roof edge spoiler.
The European station wagon has roof rails, but they are not functional. If you want to transport something on top of the car, you need to buy the optional 'functional' roof rails.
Most people will have enough space with the luggage compartment that has a maximum volume of 54.7 cubic feet. The former model had 51.9 cubic feet of cargo space.
Behind the rear bench and with the flat floor (underneath is a flat cargo space for a lap top or so) the SportWagon has16.5 cubic feet of luggage space. Typical for the European Volkswagens is the lack of extra's such as a luggage net. You can get it, but you'll have to pay. What the equipment will be on the American model is not yet known.
In the U.S., the Jetta SportWagon will be available with a 2.5-liter I-5 engine from the market introduction, followed by the 2.0 Turbo in November and the 2.0 TDI diesel engine in March.
The power plants will not be any surprise, the flexibility of the interior will. It offers more possibilities than before with a foldable rear bench seat, an optional passenger seat with foldable back. It is a pity that VW does not offer a rear seat that is really easy to fold. Now you have to slide the front seats forward to fold the seats of the rear bench forward in order to lay the backrest flat. That does not even go without taking out the head rests.
The feeling in the cockpit of the SportWagon is not different from that of the Jetta. The atmosphere is businesslike and there is a fair amount of leg and head room, both in the front as well as in the rear. Also driving the Variant is familiar. We were especially interested in a new engine version for Europe, the 1.4 TSI, but that motor was not yet available. So we took the well known 2.0 TDI, that as mentioned before, will also come to North America. It will undoubtedly be equipped with a particle filter then, but in Europe you can still get it without such a soot filter. On the old continent, motorists drive a diesel without even thinking about it. You only notice it when you turn the ignition key, but on the road nothing tells you that there is a diesel under the hood. You only feel it because of the torque, that in the case of the 2.0 TDI is maximum 236 pound-feet at 1,750-2,500 rpm. The diesel is reated at 140 horsepower.
For the station wagon, Volkswagen did not change the suspension of the Jetta sedan, but only adjusted springs and shock absorbers. It proved to be adequate during my first test drive in the area surrounding VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The SportWagon is stable and feels reliable, also when driving through fast corners. The direct steering is pleasant, but that is something that is in order with the Golf and Jetta as well.
Closer to its market introduction in September expect to get pricing for the new VW.
Such a speedy model change would be the result of the high production costs of the current Golf and thus not generating enough profit. That is why people doubted if VW would come up with the Variant, the name for the estate in Europe. But at the Geneva auto show in March, the Golf Variant, made its world debut and it will arrive on European markets today.
As the estate is based on the Golf sedan, Jetta in the U.S., it will be dubbed Jetta SportWagon and it will arrive early September.
Between 1993 and 1999, nearly 580,000 Rabbit estates were sold worldwide, while the second generation that was on the markets until last year nearly 625,000 found a customer, most of them Europeans. Since the trend is to move away from large SUVs to more fuel efficient models, the station wagon may find its way back to the hearts of American customers.
No doubt that the Jetta SportWagon will attract people who love a practical, roomy and compact car and Volkswagen hopes to sell at least 18,000 units a year.
The SportWagon shares the 101.6 inch long wheel base with the Jetta sedan and will just like the Jetta be built in Mexico. Both models have the same length and width (179.5 and 70 inches) but height of the estate (59 inches) is 1.6 inches higher.
The rear end of the station wagon shows taillights that are fully integrated in the fenders. They emphasize the cargo loading width of the rear opening of 39.9 inches. Furthermore, the Jetta station wagon has some design features that shows the family ties with the Passat Variant, such as the rear window that wraps around the D pillars and the roof edge spoiler.
The European station wagon has roof rails, but they are not functional. If you want to transport something on top of the car, you need to buy the optional 'functional' roof rails.
Most people will have enough space with the luggage compartment that has a maximum volume of 54.7 cubic feet. The former model had 51.9 cubic feet of cargo space.
Behind the rear bench and with the flat floor (underneath is a flat cargo space for a lap top or so) the SportWagon has16.5 cubic feet of luggage space. Typical for the European Volkswagens is the lack of extra's such as a luggage net. You can get it, but you'll have to pay. What the equipment will be on the American model is not yet known.
In the U.S., the Jetta SportWagon will be available with a 2.5-liter I-5 engine from the market introduction, followed by the 2.0 Turbo in November and the 2.0 TDI diesel engine in March.
The power plants will not be any surprise, the flexibility of the interior will. It offers more possibilities than before with a foldable rear bench seat, an optional passenger seat with foldable back. It is a pity that VW does not offer a rear seat that is really easy to fold. Now you have to slide the front seats forward to fold the seats of the rear bench forward in order to lay the backrest flat. That does not even go without taking out the head rests.
The feeling in the cockpit of the SportWagon is not different from that of the Jetta. The atmosphere is businesslike and there is a fair amount of leg and head room, both in the front as well as in the rear. Also driving the Variant is familiar. We were especially interested in a new engine version for Europe, the 1.4 TSI, but that motor was not yet available. So we took the well known 2.0 TDI, that as mentioned before, will also come to North America. It will undoubtedly be equipped with a particle filter then, but in Europe you can still get it without such a soot filter. On the old continent, motorists drive a diesel without even thinking about it. You only notice it when you turn the ignition key, but on the road nothing tells you that there is a diesel under the hood. You only feel it because of the torque, that in the case of the 2.0 TDI is maximum 236 pound-feet at 1,750-2,500 rpm. The diesel is reated at 140 horsepower.
For the station wagon, Volkswagen did not change the suspension of the Jetta sedan, but only adjusted springs and shock absorbers. It proved to be adequate during my first test drive in the area surrounding VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The SportWagon is stable and feels reliable, also when driving through fast corners. The direct steering is pleasant, but that is something that is in order with the Golf and Jetta as well.
Closer to its market introduction in September expect to get pricing for the new VW.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Canada's next top ego
"Okay, let me put it out there," said fashion guru Jay Manuel, the driving force behind Canada's Next Top Model.
"I'm very proud of being Canadian. But when people look at this production, I don't want them to say, 'Canada's Next Top Model is a nice Canadian show'.
"Canada in the fashion industry has produced huge talent in the international arena. So why is it that a lot of Canadian shows end up, well, very Canadiana?
"Why can't a show be produced in Canada, and be called Canada's Next Top Model, but it can compete on an international level? And I already can tell you, CBS Paramount, before we even have aired here, already has sold it internationally, officially."
The second season of Canada's Next Top Model debuts this Wednesday on City-TV. For this cycle, Manuel has taken on the role that Tyra Banks plays on America's Next Top Model — namely, the overall narrative voice but also the executioner.
"I was prepared for everything within the show, with the exception of when I'm standing in front of that desk and I have to hand out those photos," said Manuel, referring to the elimination process on Canada's Next Top Model.
"You're dashing a young girl's dream, but it was important for me to let that girl understand what she had learned and what she still needed to learn. It wasn't just a diss. And I really wanted people to see the nurturing side of me, because I really like to empower people, women especially. It's one of the reasons I got into this business."
Manuel, 34, was born in Springfield, Ill. — "it has been mis-reported many times that I was born in Toronto," he said — but moved with his family to Canada when he was two years old.
"So I am a Canadian citizen and I really do relate to the upbringing, because I lived here till I was 19," Manuel said.
"I don't get to come up here as often as I would like. My parents still live here, so they visit me more in the States, because I'm on planes all the time, flying all over the world. But it was really exciting to come back here and actually be able to work for a chunk of time.
"It's strange. I've worked in Canada for different projects, but it's different when you come and work in your hometown, like Toronto, and work in a building like Chum/City-TV. When I was growing up, Saturdays at 5 p.m., it was religion for me, Fashion Television. So it really feels like closure, full circle, because that show was such a huge inspiration for me as a young teenager."
Having now become the executive producer for Canada's Next Top Model, Manuel has overseen every detail. And that hopefully is a good thing, because the first season, quite frankly, was a little flat.
"They missed that important narrative in the first cycle, you know, the Jay Manuel role on the American show," Manuel said. "And it's such an important part of the show.
"But also, on the American show, the first five girls who go, you sort of can say, 'Oh yeah, I can see them going, they never were going to win.' I didn't want that. I didn't want the first five girls to be obvious. I wanted it to be a tighter competition, and I'm really proud of it."
In other words, Manuel has set up Canada's Next Top Model to appeal to Canadians ... but not only to Canadians.
"I think a lot of Canadians get insulted by that," Manuel said. "And as a Canadian, I do, too."
"I'm very proud of being Canadian. But when people look at this production, I don't want them to say, 'Canada's Next Top Model is a nice Canadian show'.
"Canada in the fashion industry has produced huge talent in the international arena. So why is it that a lot of Canadian shows end up, well, very Canadiana?
"Why can't a show be produced in Canada, and be called Canada's Next Top Model, but it can compete on an international level? And I already can tell you, CBS Paramount, before we even have aired here, already has sold it internationally, officially."
The second season of Canada's Next Top Model debuts this Wednesday on City-TV. For this cycle, Manuel has taken on the role that Tyra Banks plays on America's Next Top Model — namely, the overall narrative voice but also the executioner.
"I was prepared for everything within the show, with the exception of when I'm standing in front of that desk and I have to hand out those photos," said Manuel, referring to the elimination process on Canada's Next Top Model.
"You're dashing a young girl's dream, but it was important for me to let that girl understand what she had learned and what she still needed to learn. It wasn't just a diss. And I really wanted people to see the nurturing side of me, because I really like to empower people, women especially. It's one of the reasons I got into this business."
Manuel, 34, was born in Springfield, Ill. — "it has been mis-reported many times that I was born in Toronto," he said — but moved with his family to Canada when he was two years old.
"So I am a Canadian citizen and I really do relate to the upbringing, because I lived here till I was 19," Manuel said.
"I don't get to come up here as often as I would like. My parents still live here, so they visit me more in the States, because I'm on planes all the time, flying all over the world. But it was really exciting to come back here and actually be able to work for a chunk of time.
"It's strange. I've worked in Canada for different projects, but it's different when you come and work in your hometown, like Toronto, and work in a building like Chum/City-TV. When I was growing up, Saturdays at 5 p.m., it was religion for me, Fashion Television. So it really feels like closure, full circle, because that show was such a huge inspiration for me as a young teenager."
Having now become the executive producer for Canada's Next Top Model, Manuel has overseen every detail. And that hopefully is a good thing, because the first season, quite frankly, was a little flat.
"They missed that important narrative in the first cycle, you know, the Jay Manuel role on the American show," Manuel said. "And it's such an important part of the show.
"But also, on the American show, the first five girls who go, you sort of can say, 'Oh yeah, I can see them going, they never were going to win.' I didn't want that. I didn't want the first five girls to be obvious. I wanted it to be a tighter competition, and I'm really proud of it."
In other words, Manuel has set up Canada's Next Top Model to appeal to Canadians ... but not only to Canadians.
"I think a lot of Canadians get insulted by that," Manuel said. "And as a Canadian, I do, too."
Top model to host TV fashion show
Never mind the $100,000 prize.
Coming face to face with Iman will be thrill enough for some of the designers competing in Project Runway Canada.
The still-stunning-at-50-something supermodel and founder of Iman Cosmetics was in Toronto today to announce that she will host the show set to air on Slice in October.
Project Runway Canada is produced by Insight Production Co. Ltd. and modelled after the Emmy-nominated U.S. series, developed by Miramax and The Weinstein Company for Bravo.
Iman had the role sewn up after her stellar appearance as a judge on the American show.
"It was one of their highest-rated episodes," she beamed, after decending the staircase in her Le Germain Hotel suite. But she refused to sit down lest she wrinkle her electric blue trapeze dress by Toronto designer Jay Godfrey.
"I had no idea he was Canadian!" she exclaimed. "And I didn't get it free. I bought it at Intermix in New York. I love the colour. I'm a big, big supporter of Canadian design."
Earlier this month, she took to the red carpet in a gown by London, Ont. native Romona Keveza at a fundraising dinner in New York. "Both Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King commented on how beautiful the dress was. People always say `nice dress,' but the next day Gayle actually called me and said, `Where did you get that dress?' "
Show producers expect equally high standards from the 12 Canadians who will compete on the show. The last one standing receives $100,000 to launch a collection and a spread in a fashion magazine.
"We've had a range of people apply," remarked supervising producer Andrea Webb. Including some local names we already know. "Some live and work in small towns, others have been in the business for 10 or 15 years and just never made it to the big time."
Heidi Klum hosted the American Project Runway and Tim Gunn, formerly chair of fashion design at Parson's in New York, guided the designers through each of their challenges. Judges included designer Michael Kors and Elle magazine's Nina Garcia. There's no word yet on who might play the latter roles in Canada.
Iman was born in Somalia and studied political science at Nairobi University, where influential photographer Peter Beard first laid eyes on her in 1975. Beard brought her to New York and introduced her to the fashion community as a goatherder who couldn't speak English. In fact, Iman spoke five languages, and didn't need an exotic story to get attention. When she met Iman, legendary editor Diana Vreeland remarked, "What a neck!"
There were more legends to come along the way, including Yves Saint Laurent. "Mr. Saint Laurent created an entire couture collection from fabrics to accessories on me," she recalled. "I was the muse for that season and it was called the African Queen collection. That's where I really got to see the agony and the ecstacy of the process."
Shooting for Project Runway Canada will go from mid-June to mid-July, during which time Iman will settle into the plush Windsor Arms Hotel. Husband David Bowie will stay home in New York but her 6-year-old daughter and nanny will accompany her.
"I've already bought every book there is on Toronto," Iman says. "And I definitely want to go to Niagara Falls, which I've never seen."
And then there are all those shops near the hotel. "Yes, I'm a shopper," she smiles. "But I am not interested in the labels that I can find in New York. I want Canadian!"
Coming face to face with Iman will be thrill enough for some of the designers competing in Project Runway Canada.
The still-stunning-at-50-something supermodel and founder of Iman Cosmetics was in Toronto today to announce that she will host the show set to air on Slice in October.
Project Runway Canada is produced by Insight Production Co. Ltd. and modelled after the Emmy-nominated U.S. series, developed by Miramax and The Weinstein Company for Bravo.
Iman had the role sewn up after her stellar appearance as a judge on the American show.
"It was one of their highest-rated episodes," she beamed, after decending the staircase in her Le Germain Hotel suite. But she refused to sit down lest she wrinkle her electric blue trapeze dress by Toronto designer Jay Godfrey.
"I had no idea he was Canadian!" she exclaimed. "And I didn't get it free. I bought it at Intermix in New York. I love the colour. I'm a big, big supporter of Canadian design."
Earlier this month, she took to the red carpet in a gown by London, Ont. native Romona Keveza at a fundraising dinner in New York. "Both Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King commented on how beautiful the dress was. People always say `nice dress,' but the next day Gayle actually called me and said, `Where did you get that dress?' "
Show producers expect equally high standards from the 12 Canadians who will compete on the show. The last one standing receives $100,000 to launch a collection and a spread in a fashion magazine.
"We've had a range of people apply," remarked supervising producer Andrea Webb. Including some local names we already know. "Some live and work in small towns, others have been in the business for 10 or 15 years and just never made it to the big time."
Heidi Klum hosted the American Project Runway and Tim Gunn, formerly chair of fashion design at Parson's in New York, guided the designers through each of their challenges. Judges included designer Michael Kors and Elle magazine's Nina Garcia. There's no word yet on who might play the latter roles in Canada.
Iman was born in Somalia and studied political science at Nairobi University, where influential photographer Peter Beard first laid eyes on her in 1975. Beard brought her to New York and introduced her to the fashion community as a goatherder who couldn't speak English. In fact, Iman spoke five languages, and didn't need an exotic story to get attention. When she met Iman, legendary editor Diana Vreeland remarked, "What a neck!"
There were more legends to come along the way, including Yves Saint Laurent. "Mr. Saint Laurent created an entire couture collection from fabrics to accessories on me," she recalled. "I was the muse for that season and it was called the African Queen collection. That's where I really got to see the agony and the ecstacy of the process."
Shooting for Project Runway Canada will go from mid-June to mid-July, during which time Iman will settle into the plush Windsor Arms Hotel. Husband David Bowie will stay home in New York but her 6-year-old daughter and nanny will accompany her.
"I've already bought every book there is on Toronto," Iman says. "And I definitely want to go to Niagara Falls, which I've never seen."
And then there are all those shops near the hotel. "Yes, I'm a shopper," she smiles. "But I am not interested in the labels that I can find in New York. I want Canadian!"
Jaslene Gonzalez Opens Up About Her Past
In a recent interview given after she won America's Next Top Model, Jaslene Gonzalez alluded to a difficult personal situation in her past that contributed to her failed first attempt on the show.
Although it was not in the final audition episode aired in Cycle Seven, she mentioned that her elimination in that cycle was due to “something personal [she] spoke about to [the judges].” When she did make it past the auditions, in Cycle Eight, Jaslene made a passing reference to some troubles during the “story-telling” exercise with the Aboriginal tribe in one of the final episodes.
Until now, she has not revealed any specifics about what that situation might have been. This week, however, she has opened up about her past, and started to provide some additional insight into a very difficult time in her life.
One of Jaslene’s prizes for winning America’s Next Top Model was both a cover and six-page spread in Seventeen magazine. In the interview that accompanies the photos, she finally reveals that the difficult situation she has alluded to was an abusive relationship in her past.
Jaslene discusses the effect the relationship had on her. It chipped away at her self-esteem. She says she stopped taking good care of herself physically, and emotionally shut down, no longer “walk[ing] with [her] head high.”
It was after the rejection for Cycle Seven that she took the time to seek therapy to help her with these issues. It was this outside assistance and the progress she made in therapy that helped her feel on track enough to try for the top spot for America’s Next Top Model again – this time successfully.
Jaslene recommends that anyone going through a similar situation also seeks help, saying that for her, actually talking about it was key to her getting through it and moving on to succeed.
The interview and photos will be in the July issue of Seventeen magazine, and will include photos from the shoot featured during the season finale of America’s Next Top Model.
Although it was not in the final audition episode aired in Cycle Seven, she mentioned that her elimination in that cycle was due to “something personal [she] spoke about to [the judges].” When she did make it past the auditions, in Cycle Eight, Jaslene made a passing reference to some troubles during the “story-telling” exercise with the Aboriginal tribe in one of the final episodes.
Until now, she has not revealed any specifics about what that situation might have been. This week, however, she has opened up about her past, and started to provide some additional insight into a very difficult time in her life.
One of Jaslene’s prizes for winning America’s Next Top Model was both a cover and six-page spread in Seventeen magazine. In the interview that accompanies the photos, she finally reveals that the difficult situation she has alluded to was an abusive relationship in her past.
Jaslene discusses the effect the relationship had on her. It chipped away at her self-esteem. She says she stopped taking good care of herself physically, and emotionally shut down, no longer “walk[ing] with [her] head high.”
It was after the rejection for Cycle Seven that she took the time to seek therapy to help her with these issues. It was this outside assistance and the progress she made in therapy that helped her feel on track enough to try for the top spot for America’s Next Top Model again – this time successfully.
Jaslene recommends that anyone going through a similar situation also seeks help, saying that for her, actually talking about it was key to her getting through it and moving on to succeed.
The interview and photos will be in the July issue of Seventeen magazine, and will include photos from the shoot featured during the season finale of America’s Next Top Model.
BuddyTV Fan Popularity Rankings - May 14-20
he season is all over, everyone. Bask in the glory of summer or mourn the passing of Spring (and a plethora of TV options). You know, whichever floats your boat. Many of your favorite shows bid adieu for the summer months last week, which also happened to be the last week of May sweeps. As a result, ratings were high. This past week's BuddyTV Fan Popularity Rankings were, therefore, probably some of the most true rankings we've had all year. Almost all of the shows end at the same time, so fans are all out in full force. It's an equal playing field. Here is what the final verdict was, followed by some commentary.
Is there any doubt about Lost getting the top spot? The lead up to the finale was nail-biting in and of itself. When you add-in the utter glory that was Lost's two-hour finale, there is no reason to balk at its number one ranking. America's Next Top Model hangs onto to the two spot, despite finishing the week before. Perhaps our model interviews propelled the show this high.
American Idol, oh how you have fallen. Idol seemed to be a shoe-in for the top spot earlier this year. Well, I guess number three isn't all that bad. The Bachelor hits number four and there isn't much to say except that BuddyTV users loooooove their Bachelor content.
Dancing with the Stars, not surprisingly, rounds out the top 5. The show keeps trucking along, and it doesn't look like it will let up any time soon. Grey's Anatomy had a disappointing finale according to most fans. If the show can turn it around next year, look for it to jump up the list.
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll continues to make our top ten, despite being off the air for a long time. We do have pictures of every contestant on our profile pages, which couldn't have hurt. UFC has received a lot of coverage over the past couple of wees and the lead-up to UFC 71 proved to be enough for the UFC to make its first entrance into our top ten.
Survivor, somewhat surprisingly, makes the top ten despite being off the air for a week. Again, it's probably a result of all our exclusive interviews. Smallville continues its online popularity and rounds out the top ten.
Is there any doubt about Lost getting the top spot? The lead up to the finale was nail-biting in and of itself. When you add-in the utter glory that was Lost's two-hour finale, there is no reason to balk at its number one ranking. America's Next Top Model hangs onto to the two spot, despite finishing the week before. Perhaps our model interviews propelled the show this high.
American Idol, oh how you have fallen. Idol seemed to be a shoe-in for the top spot earlier this year. Well, I guess number three isn't all that bad. The Bachelor hits number four and there isn't much to say except that BuddyTV users loooooove their Bachelor content.
Dancing with the Stars, not surprisingly, rounds out the top 5. The show keeps trucking along, and it doesn't look like it will let up any time soon. Grey's Anatomy had a disappointing finale according to most fans. If the show can turn it around next year, look for it to jump up the list.
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll continues to make our top ten, despite being off the air for a long time. We do have pictures of every contestant on our profile pages, which couldn't have hurt. UFC has received a lot of coverage over the past couple of wees and the lead-up to UFC 71 proved to be enough for the UFC to make its first entrance into our top ten.
Survivor, somewhat surprisingly, makes the top ten despite being off the air for a week. Again, it's probably a result of all our exclusive interviews. Smallville continues its online popularity and rounds out the top ten.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Final Nielsen Ratings: A Litany of Horrors for the CW
The final 2006–2007 season television ratings were released last week, and they yield some interesting tidbits. Of course, American Idol has 50 percent more viewers than anything else, and the top 25 is full of shows like Criminal Minds and Shark, shows watched by no one East Coast jerks like us have ever met. But way down near the bottom of the list, tied for 112th place, we found three interesting series that each averaged a mediocre 5.4 million viewers an episode. What was the fate of these three TV underachievers?
Fox's Drive? Canceled after four episodes. NBC's Andy Barker, P.I.? A huge disappointment, moved to Saturdays at eight and then given the ax. And, of course, the CW's top-rated show, America's Next Top Model, the centerpiece of the network's press release heralding its upcoming 2007–2008 season.
In fact, of the bottom ten shows in the year-end Nielsens, guess how many aired on the CW? Five? Guess again. Eight? Nope. How about … all ten?
So that's the bad news. The good news is we can't imagine they'll be able to cancel Reaper, even if we're literally the only ones watching it.
Fox's Drive? Canceled after four episodes. NBC's Andy Barker, P.I.? A huge disappointment, moved to Saturdays at eight and then given the ax. And, of course, the CW's top-rated show, America's Next Top Model, the centerpiece of the network's press release heralding its upcoming 2007–2008 season.
In fact, of the bottom ten shows in the year-end Nielsens, guess how many aired on the CW? Five? Guess again. Eight? Nope. How about … all ten?
So that's the bad news. The good news is we can't imagine they'll be able to cancel Reaper, even if we're literally the only ones watching it.
Waif for it: Alice a big chance
SHE'S been the central figure in the ongoing skinny debate, but Australia's Next Top Model contender Alice Burdeu has been given the big fat thumbs up from judges and viewers of the series.
Producers of the Fox 8 reality show have been criticised for not enforcing stricter measures on Burdeu's slim situation, but the willowy redhead surged ahead in the contest last night when she was named as one of the two remaining finalists.
While Burdeu is the favourite to take out the catwalk crown over Stephanie Hart next Tuesday, the 19-year-old said she thought the backlash over her waif-like shape would work against her in the poll.
"Can you imagine reading that you look like you're from a concentration camp?" Burdeu said, referring to a concerned viewer's comment.
Hitting back at claims she suffered from an eating disorder, the 58kg, 185cm tall glamour girl said she had always been naturally thin.
"People can think what they want but I'm happy with the way I am," Burdeu said.
"My family and friends know that Idon't have a problem - if anything I eat too much chocolate."
While fashion experts say Burdeu's lean look would be a hot hit in the cut-throat fashion markets of Milan and Paris, the teen's gaunt appearance drew concern from series host Jodhi Meares and special guest star Ian Thorpe - both encouraging her to gain weight.
But when asked if she had gained any kilos, Burdeu said that she wasn't sure as she didn't own a set of scales.
Hart also weighed in on the debate yesterday, saying Burdeu "eats more than me, I can tell you".
Producers of the Fox 8 reality show have been criticised for not enforcing stricter measures on Burdeu's slim situation, but the willowy redhead surged ahead in the contest last night when she was named as one of the two remaining finalists.
While Burdeu is the favourite to take out the catwalk crown over Stephanie Hart next Tuesday, the 19-year-old said she thought the backlash over her waif-like shape would work against her in the poll.
"Can you imagine reading that you look like you're from a concentration camp?" Burdeu said, referring to a concerned viewer's comment.
Hitting back at claims she suffered from an eating disorder, the 58kg, 185cm tall glamour girl said she had always been naturally thin.
"People can think what they want but I'm happy with the way I am," Burdeu said.
"My family and friends know that Idon't have a problem - if anything I eat too much chocolate."
While fashion experts say Burdeu's lean look would be a hot hit in the cut-throat fashion markets of Milan and Paris, the teen's gaunt appearance drew concern from series host Jodhi Meares and special guest star Ian Thorpe - both encouraging her to gain weight.
But when asked if she had gained any kilos, Burdeu said that she wasn't sure as she didn't own a set of scales.
Hart also weighed in on the debate yesterday, saying Burdeu "eats more than me, I can tell you".
A would-be model answers the call
I want to be America's next top model.
I so wanted that chance that I hopped into my brother's black Honda at 4:30 in the morning and made a three-hour trip from Absecon to Harrisburg for an open casting call. Mind you, there is nothing modelesque about my body. I'm just your typical size 12 American woman, standing 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing in at 175 pounds.
Every time I watched America's Next Top Model it reminded me of the times I spent with my best friend dressing up, coloring my 13-year-old face, and trying to look "fierce," as supermodel Tyra Banks says, in front of the camera. Being on the show was all I ever thought about.
I worked for the U.S. Postal Service and when I delivered mail, the sidewalks became my catwalk and the mailbag was my fashion accessory. In my mind, the judges critiqued my walk and suggested changes for improvement, and I obliged.
My 6-hour-long "runway" - from the first address to which I made a delivery to the last - served as motivation to finish my routes.
Despite losing 20 pounds and going from a size 16 to a size 12 from so much walking, I still felt very self-conscious and unsure about my body.
Finally, in March, when I started watching the show's eighth season, I promised myself that no matter how I felt about my body or what people would think of me, I was going to answer a casting call.
I got up at 3:30 a.m. on a Saturday, dressed in a form-fitting black kimono-style top, blue jeans, and black high-heel boots, and left for Harrisburg.
When I arrived at the Harrisburg Mall, I couldn't believe that I was actually going to brave the line of size 0s and 2s with my plus-size body. Clutching the manila envelope holding my pictures and application, I made my way with my boyfriend to the back of the 250-person line.
No sooner did I get there than a young woman who worked for the CW television network announced that applications would not be taken if you did not have two forms of identification: driver's license, passport, birth certificate or Social Security card.
All I had was my driver's license.
I had to think fast.
I went over to Outdoor World (the only store open at 8 in the morning), explained my problem to the managers and asked to use their fax machine. I had my birth certificate faxed to me, and an hour later, ran back to the end of the line.
A security guard then came up to me and a few other girls and told us that they were not taking any more applicants.
I felt sick.
The young lady who worked for the network approached us, and after a little arguing, she allowed us to stay.
Four hours later, I hit another obstacle - my height.
I'm 5 feet, 6¾ inches tall, maybe a bit taller. Girls were being pulled out of line if they were below 5 feet, 7 inches.
My heart began to pound.
I took off my boots and inched myself up against the wall.
Once again, I made it through.
Finally, it was my turn to audition.
"Hi, my name is Luz Martinez. I'm 23 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weigh 175 pounds, and I'm representing America's favorite playground, Atlantic City," I said in an enthused voice.
I gave them my best catwalk, minus the mailbag, then turned back to the camera to answer a few more questions.
"Thank you. Production will start sometime in August," the producer said to me.
I thanked him and left.
I had waited five painful, foot-burning hours to be seen for five minutes.
When I got into my car, I pulled off my boots and massaged my feet. I turned to my boyfriend and said, "You know what? I'm glad that I did this, but after all that mess that I went through, I'd at least better get a call back."
America's Next Top Model, I'm still waiting.
I so wanted that chance that I hopped into my brother's black Honda at 4:30 in the morning and made a three-hour trip from Absecon to Harrisburg for an open casting call. Mind you, there is nothing modelesque about my body. I'm just your typical size 12 American woman, standing 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing in at 175 pounds.
Every time I watched America's Next Top Model it reminded me of the times I spent with my best friend dressing up, coloring my 13-year-old face, and trying to look "fierce," as supermodel Tyra Banks says, in front of the camera. Being on the show was all I ever thought about.
I worked for the U.S. Postal Service and when I delivered mail, the sidewalks became my catwalk and the mailbag was my fashion accessory. In my mind, the judges critiqued my walk and suggested changes for improvement, and I obliged.
My 6-hour-long "runway" - from the first address to which I made a delivery to the last - served as motivation to finish my routes.
Despite losing 20 pounds and going from a size 16 to a size 12 from so much walking, I still felt very self-conscious and unsure about my body.
Finally, in March, when I started watching the show's eighth season, I promised myself that no matter how I felt about my body or what people would think of me, I was going to answer a casting call.
I got up at 3:30 a.m. on a Saturday, dressed in a form-fitting black kimono-style top, blue jeans, and black high-heel boots, and left for Harrisburg.
When I arrived at the Harrisburg Mall, I couldn't believe that I was actually going to brave the line of size 0s and 2s with my plus-size body. Clutching the manila envelope holding my pictures and application, I made my way with my boyfriend to the back of the 250-person line.
No sooner did I get there than a young woman who worked for the CW television network announced that applications would not be taken if you did not have two forms of identification: driver's license, passport, birth certificate or Social Security card.
All I had was my driver's license.
I had to think fast.
I went over to Outdoor World (the only store open at 8 in the morning), explained my problem to the managers and asked to use their fax machine. I had my birth certificate faxed to me, and an hour later, ran back to the end of the line.
A security guard then came up to me and a few other girls and told us that they were not taking any more applicants.
I felt sick.
The young lady who worked for the network approached us, and after a little arguing, she allowed us to stay.
Four hours later, I hit another obstacle - my height.
I'm 5 feet, 6¾ inches tall, maybe a bit taller. Girls were being pulled out of line if they were below 5 feet, 7 inches.
My heart began to pound.
I took off my boots and inched myself up against the wall.
Once again, I made it through.
Finally, it was my turn to audition.
"Hi, my name is Luz Martinez. I'm 23 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weigh 175 pounds, and I'm representing America's favorite playground, Atlantic City," I said in an enthused voice.
I gave them my best catwalk, minus the mailbag, then turned back to the camera to answer a few more questions.
"Thank you. Production will start sometime in August," the producer said to me.
I thanked him and left.
I had waited five painful, foot-burning hours to be seen for five minutes.
When I got into my car, I pulled off my boots and massaged my feet. I turned to my boyfriend and said, "You know what? I'm glad that I did this, but after all that mess that I went through, I'd at least better get a call back."
America's Next Top Model, I'm still waiting.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Tech Tyra Banks show a new low on TV
Am I speaking about Don Imus? Well, as inappropriate and insulting as what he uttered was, there is a recent occurrence that some people may believe to be just as bad and perhaps even worse.
I'm talking about Tyra Banks and her reality TV show, "America's Next Top Model."
I have to confess to never having seen this show, but I work at a nonprofit organization, Spectrum Youth and Family Services, which has as one of its principal aims the prevention of domestic violence, and the men and women on our staff who are involved in this work are disgusted over a recent episode.
Through the wonder of zap2it.com, I was able to view still shots and the dialogue from the offending episode, entitled "Crime Scene Victims." Apparently "America's Next Top Model" consists of aspiring models competing each week against each other, and in this particular episode there were pictures of each model posed in a different death scene, each garbed in a gown or lingerie.
One model is slumped over a table, eyes open but posing as dead; according to the script she was poisoned. One of the judges, a J. Alexander, states, "What's great about this is that you can also look beautiful in death." Another shot is of a model slumped on the ground, having been pushed off a rooftop, with judge Nigel Barker proclaiming, "Death becomes you, young lady." Another model lies lifeless, draped off of an outside stairway, depicted as partially decapitated. A model named Whitney has been stabbed to death, a gaping wound in her neck; "I think you look absolutely wonderful," states J. Alexander. Finally, the model Dionne is propped up against a wall, in a gown, blood splattered behind her. She has been shot to death. Tyra Banks's reaction? "Absolutely beautiful."
In the mind of Tyra Banks and her producers, this passes for fashion and entertainment. In my mind and in the minds of our staff who work to prevent the battering and homicide of women every day, it trivializes what has become a national epidemic in America: violence against women.
I wonder if Banks knows that, on average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in America every day. Or that pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than to die of any other cause. That one third of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.
Apparently we at Spectrum are not the only ones offended by "America's Next Top Model." Sixteen representatives from the Vermont Legislature introduced a joint resolution during the waning days of the session which just ended, stating that, "The General Assembly deplores the grotesque and unseemly depiction of a crime scene on a recent episode of CW Television Network program "America's Next Top Model," and its airing in the early evening hours, and be it further resolved that the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to the corporate offices of CBS and Time Warner in New York City."
I doubt that the higher-ups in those conglomerates will take notice, but I take solace in the fact elected representatives from our state declared, "This is wrong."
Mark Redmond of Essex is the executive director of Spectrum Youth and Family Services in Burlington.
I'm talking about Tyra Banks and her reality TV show, "America's Next Top Model."
I have to confess to never having seen this show, but I work at a nonprofit organization, Spectrum Youth and Family Services, which has as one of its principal aims the prevention of domestic violence, and the men and women on our staff who are involved in this work are disgusted over a recent episode.
Through the wonder of zap2it.com, I was able to view still shots and the dialogue from the offending episode, entitled "Crime Scene Victims." Apparently "America's Next Top Model" consists of aspiring models competing each week against each other, and in this particular episode there were pictures of each model posed in a different death scene, each garbed in a gown or lingerie.
One model is slumped over a table, eyes open but posing as dead; according to the script she was poisoned. One of the judges, a J. Alexander, states, "What's great about this is that you can also look beautiful in death." Another shot is of a model slumped on the ground, having been pushed off a rooftop, with judge Nigel Barker proclaiming, "Death becomes you, young lady." Another model lies lifeless, draped off of an outside stairway, depicted as partially decapitated. A model named Whitney has been stabbed to death, a gaping wound in her neck; "I think you look absolutely wonderful," states J. Alexander. Finally, the model Dionne is propped up against a wall, in a gown, blood splattered behind her. She has been shot to death. Tyra Banks's reaction? "Absolutely beautiful."
In the mind of Tyra Banks and her producers, this passes for fashion and entertainment. In my mind and in the minds of our staff who work to prevent the battering and homicide of women every day, it trivializes what has become a national epidemic in America: violence against women.
I wonder if Banks knows that, on average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in America every day. Or that pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than to die of any other cause. That one third of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.
Apparently we at Spectrum are not the only ones offended by "America's Next Top Model." Sixteen representatives from the Vermont Legislature introduced a joint resolution during the waning days of the session which just ended, stating that, "The General Assembly deplores the grotesque and unseemly depiction of a crime scene on a recent episode of CW Television Network program "America's Next Top Model," and its airing in the early evening hours, and be it further resolved that the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to the corporate offices of CBS and Time Warner in New York City."
I doubt that the higher-ups in those conglomerates will take notice, but I take solace in the fact elected representatives from our state declared, "This is wrong."
Mark Redmond of Essex is the executive director of Spectrum Youth and Family Services in Burlington.
Only pretty girls need apply
Nekesa Mumbi Moody, The Associated Press
Published: Monday, May 28, 2007
NEW YORK - She was an "amazing talent," a young singer with a wonderful voice who wrote beautiful songs. But she was no beauty, and was flat-chested and overweight to boot.
Remembering the aspiring star, music executive Jody Gerson still feels terrible about thinking: "She's never going to get signed, even though she's fabulous."
Gerson might feel even worse after the early exit of the matronly Melinda Doolittle from American Idol. In today's music industry, Plain Janes need not apply. Sex appeal was once considered a bonus for a woman -- now it's practically a requirement.
Avril Lavigne recently boasted about being hot.View Larger Image View Larger Image
Avril Lavigne recently boasted about being hot.
Doolittle and the heavyset, gap-toothed LaKisha Jones were widely considered this season's most talented Idol contestants. Yet both were eliminated from the final four in favour of Blake Lewis, who makes the teen girls swoon, and the long-locked, 17-year-old looker Jordin Sparks, who eventually won the contest.
A quick check of the Billboard Top 40 turns up a list of candidates for America's Top Model (or Canada's) -- Avril Lavigne, blond stunner Carrie Underwood; tomboyish but sexy Ciara, hip-swivelling Shakira.
The only two in the Top 40 who might not be considered perfect 10s are Pink, who is still svelte and appealing; and multi-platinum Grammy-winner Kelly Clarkson, who got her break only through winning the democratically elected American Idol.
When asked whether a female with so-so looks and sex appeal could get a record deal, country singer Gretchen Wilson quickly replied: "They can't."
"I believe that very few will get through and they better be amazing," Wilson said in an interview. "The music is not about just music anymore, it's about the look, the 'it' factor if you will ... it's marketing."
True, looks have always been a part of the music business. Diana Ross played a model in the movie Mahogany, Marianne Faithfull was considered a beauty, Tina Turner's legs were part of her sex appeal, Olivia Newton-John was the lovely girl-next-door and Stevie Nicks rocked teenage boys with more than just her guitar.
But there also were stars like wild-haired, pudgy Janis Joplin and Barbra Streisand, who challenged beauty standards with her protruding nose. Even curvy Aretha Franklin was known mainly for her one-of-a-kind voice.
Today, it's hard to find a singer larger than a size six and without a sexy look -- all of which are played up with sensuous videos, modelling spreads and provocative magazine covers. Lavigne, who once scoffed at singers who stripped for the cameras, fronts the new issue of Blender topless, save for a strategically placed banner that reads "Hell Yeah, I'm Hot!"
The hit reality show Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll is a striking example. In finding a replacement for current lead doll, stunner Nicole Scherzinger, the judging panel -- which included the cosmetically enhanced rapper Lil' Kim -- did talk about vocal qualities. But while a few contestants had strong voices, all were taut, toned and sexy, and the focus was more on their dancing and overall desirability. Which is to be expected from the group responsible for the anthem Don't Cha (as in, "don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?").
Published: Monday, May 28, 2007
NEW YORK - She was an "amazing talent," a young singer with a wonderful voice who wrote beautiful songs. But she was no beauty, and was flat-chested and overweight to boot.
Remembering the aspiring star, music executive Jody Gerson still feels terrible about thinking: "She's never going to get signed, even though she's fabulous."
Gerson might feel even worse after the early exit of the matronly Melinda Doolittle from American Idol. In today's music industry, Plain Janes need not apply. Sex appeal was once considered a bonus for a woman -- now it's practically a requirement.
Avril Lavigne recently boasted about being hot.View Larger Image View Larger Image
Avril Lavigne recently boasted about being hot.
Doolittle and the heavyset, gap-toothed LaKisha Jones were widely considered this season's most talented Idol contestants. Yet both were eliminated from the final four in favour of Blake Lewis, who makes the teen girls swoon, and the long-locked, 17-year-old looker Jordin Sparks, who eventually won the contest.
A quick check of the Billboard Top 40 turns up a list of candidates for America's Top Model (or Canada's) -- Avril Lavigne, blond stunner Carrie Underwood; tomboyish but sexy Ciara, hip-swivelling Shakira.
The only two in the Top 40 who might not be considered perfect 10s are Pink, who is still svelte and appealing; and multi-platinum Grammy-winner Kelly Clarkson, who got her break only through winning the democratically elected American Idol.
When asked whether a female with so-so looks and sex appeal could get a record deal, country singer Gretchen Wilson quickly replied: "They can't."
"I believe that very few will get through and they better be amazing," Wilson said in an interview. "The music is not about just music anymore, it's about the look, the 'it' factor if you will ... it's marketing."
True, looks have always been a part of the music business. Diana Ross played a model in the movie Mahogany, Marianne Faithfull was considered a beauty, Tina Turner's legs were part of her sex appeal, Olivia Newton-John was the lovely girl-next-door and Stevie Nicks rocked teenage boys with more than just her guitar.
But there also were stars like wild-haired, pudgy Janis Joplin and Barbra Streisand, who challenged beauty standards with her protruding nose. Even curvy Aretha Franklin was known mainly for her one-of-a-kind voice.
Today, it's hard to find a singer larger than a size six and without a sexy look -- all of which are played up with sensuous videos, modelling spreads and provocative magazine covers. Lavigne, who once scoffed at singers who stripped for the cameras, fronts the new issue of Blender topless, save for a strategically placed banner that reads "Hell Yeah, I'm Hot!"
The hit reality show Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll is a striking example. In finding a replacement for current lead doll, stunner Nicole Scherzinger, the judging panel -- which included the cosmetically enhanced rapper Lil' Kim -- did talk about vocal qualities. But while a few contestants had strong voices, all were taut, toned and sexy, and the focus was more on their dancing and overall desirability. Which is to be expected from the group responsible for the anthem Don't Cha (as in, "don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?").
Sunday, May 27, 2007
America's Next Top Model Recap: Aboriginal Sin
First of all, how the hell do you think I can dance while telling a story. Tell what story? What story do you want to know? My boyfriend tries to get me to dance all the time and I just don’t want to do it. Period.
- Dionne, dissing Aborigine culture
It’s the latest ANTM and you know, I realize I haven’t really started out with any exciting tales from my life during the last couple of recaps, but seriously, nothing’s been going on. I mean there was that one thing that involved a reverse cowgirl position, and one of the lesser known Baldwin brothers. But it wasn’t anything spectacular. All I learned is 1) Cheese Whiz is really hard to get out of upholstery and 2) Next time I should aim higher on the family chain. Live and learn. Anyhoo, this week starts with Tyra Mail. Some of you believe that you were born to be a top model, but I sense that only one of you will have the heart. That could be me! I have a heart! But I keep mine in a jar on my desk. The girls to out to the Australian forest and meet with Aborigine tribe leader Uncle Max. And here's a recent photo:
Jerry Garcia Lives! I knew he’d come back. A million deadheads can't be wrong. Or course they also can't follow the rules of basic hygiene. Anyhoo, Jerry - er Max and his niece Calita tell the girls that they will have to describe their own personal story using body art, movement and speech. Renee astutely declares that the Aborigine culture is a lot like modeling in that “models are storytellers. Only we tell ours through pictures and runway.” Yes Renee. Cause, I’m sure someone like, say, Kate Moss has a lot of stories to tell. Only I think hers would involve waking up in a pool of her own sick next to Pete Doherty. Good times! The girls will be judged by the premier expert on Aborigine culture Carissa Rosenburg, editor of Seventeen magazine.
First up is Renee (Nene) who does a pretty awesome job I must say, describing abuse as a child. Jaslene is next, not as awesome, but she describes pain, agony and suffering. Fun! Then there’s Dionne (see the quote at the top of the page). And congratulations Wholahay. You have officially out-ignoramused your “f**king lesbo” comment. How is that she’s here and Brittany is gone? Anyhoo, Dionne does her speech and she’s just okay. Natasha is next and although her moves are beautiful, she speaks so softly no one can hear her. In the end, Renee wins! She chooses Jaslene as her friend and they both get beautiful Auture pearls. Awesome! However, it’s sort of a hollow victory because we all know she’s going to hock them for cash as soon as she gets to the mainland.
Back at the house, Dionne spontaneously says: “Hey. Guys. Why. Don’t. We. Try. To. Have. Some. Fun.” Which translates to: “The producers want to shake things up a bit and they’ve already set up cameras at the predetermined bar.” Natasha is very sick and can’t go so at the bar, Renee plays her game of “ Pick on the girl who isn’t here to defend herself” and tells Jaslene and Dionne that they all should want Natasha to go. And they agree. Bitches.
Tyra Mail! Sorry girls, you’re history! And….just like that the season is over. Yeah! Nah, they never make it that easy. Instead, the girls will be posing with members of the Ngemba tribe while demonstrating Aborigine dance. First up is Jaslene, who learns her dance well but pretty much says the moves are lame. More trashing of the local culture. Why yes, we are American, how did you know? Jaslene's intensity is good however and her photo shoot rocks. Dionne does a food gathering dance, has to be posed constantly and gives consistent “mean face.” Poor Natasha is sick as a dog and looks terrible. She interviews that she has a sore throat and that it’s “really hard for her to swallow”. Oh boy. Her husband is not going to happy about that. She learns the wiggly wag tail dance and her posing is pretty bad in that she looks about ready to pass out. Renee is last and gets the dance of the butterfly (lucky) and does a great job.
Tyra Mail! Someone’s going home and if it’s not Dionne I’m cutting off all my hair in protest. At the house, Natasha tries to make small talk, asking the girls what they think will happen at elimination and the girls respond by being universally snarky and bitchy to her. It’s so Mean Girls! Except none of the bitchy girls are as pretty as Rachel McAdams. And the only thing Natasha and Lindsey Lohan share is poor taste in men. Still, it’s close enough. Only thank god, there’s no Tina Fey. Tina Fey (shudder).
Elimination time! In the judging room, Tyra is dressed like a cross between Morticia Addams and Cruela De Vil. And….I have to say that the collar of her dress does look an awful lot like Dalmatian puppy fur. Poor doggies. It would be less tragic if they died for something fashionable. All the rest of the judges are there and guest judge is Carissa Rosenburg, Seventeen editor and expert on Aborigine culture. Individual evaluations:
Dionne’s photo is not that great (shocker) and her eyes didn’t connect with the camera. Tyra asks her to state who she thinks has the most and least potential in the competition because “that’s how you get ahead.” Which translates to “Fight, Bitches Fight!” Dionne thinks Jaslene has the most potential but says Natasha has the least and that “something is missing.” Jaslene’s photo is good as always but she always gives the same look and Nigel thinks she has to vary it. She thinks she has the most potential because “it’s her dream” but she thinks Natasha has the least potential because she “comes off as phony.” At this point, poor Natasha looks like she’s close to tears but turns it into a smile. I really like that girl. Renee’s photo gets universal praise from the judges but I have to say, to me it looks a little bland. She says she has the most potential because “I want to take my family places.” Cause models travel with their families and are all known for their strong family values. Renee thinks Natasha has the least potential because “she’s playing games.” OH NO SHE DIN’T! Natasha plays games? Oh hypocrisy thy name is Renee. Or Nene. Whatever the hell you’re name is. You’re aging badly. Yeah I said it.
Finally we have Natasha and her photo doesn’t look as lousy as we would have expected from the photo shoot but it’s nothing special either. She talks about being sick and naturally gets bitched her out for this but we all kinda knew that would happen. Natasha thinks that she has the most potential because she has the Eastern European features and I have to say, she isthe one who looks most like a model in person. Course all opinions are welcome on this board. Just as long as they agree with mine : ). Natasha also adds that she is “thankful for the girls’ critique” and that they are “still my friends.” Ever the salesperson this girl, ya gotta love her. No seriously, you have to because if you don't, she simply refuses to accept it. Twiggy calls Natasha one of the warmest girls, saying that she takes initiative, is extremely beautiful and that that there may be a slight jealously issue among the girls. Yeah Twiggy! It's so nice to have her on the panel. Can anyone imagine how this would have gone if Janice were still here? Natasha states that if Gisele Bunchen were here she should say she had the least potential because she’d be the biggest competition. She also addes that the girls talk about her constantly but it’s “better to be talked about than being not noticeable.” CHECK AND MATE. Feast on it bitches.
While the judges deliberate, Natasha tries to talk to the girls in the Judges Holding Room (and yes, they actually called it that) saying that she wishes everyone of them luck. It’s just who she is. Jaslene responds by saying “We don’t accept who you are.” Then proceeds to tear Natasha a new one. Nooooooooo! Jaslene I used to like you! Why ya gotta be a hater? Anyhoo the whole thing backfires on the Trio of Bitches because during deliberations, the judges say they feel that Natasha handled the negativity well and that the other girls were jealous.
After deliberations, eliminations. First called is Renee, then Jaslene and we get down to Natasha and Dionne and after the last elimination, I’ve lost all faith so I had no idea what would happen. In the end, the judges make the right decision and based on both girls body of work they finally get rid of Brown. Jaslene looks shocked and pissed, what happened to my cha cha diva? She's lost me. Before getting her photo, Natasha tries to hug Dionne who stares straight ahead with her “mean face” and doesn’t hug back. Bitch. Dionne finally hugs all three girls and leaves. Thank God! Cover girl of the week is Jaslene. If only we knew then what we did now…..
Next week: It’s the finale! It’s anyone’s guess!
- Dionne, dissing Aborigine culture
It’s the latest ANTM and you know, I realize I haven’t really started out with any exciting tales from my life during the last couple of recaps, but seriously, nothing’s been going on. I mean there was that one thing that involved a reverse cowgirl position, and one of the lesser known Baldwin brothers. But it wasn’t anything spectacular. All I learned is 1) Cheese Whiz is really hard to get out of upholstery and 2) Next time I should aim higher on the family chain. Live and learn. Anyhoo, this week starts with Tyra Mail. Some of you believe that you were born to be a top model, but I sense that only one of you will have the heart. That could be me! I have a heart! But I keep mine in a jar on my desk. The girls to out to the Australian forest and meet with Aborigine tribe leader Uncle Max. And here's a recent photo:
Jerry Garcia Lives! I knew he’d come back. A million deadheads can't be wrong. Or course they also can't follow the rules of basic hygiene. Anyhoo, Jerry - er Max and his niece Calita tell the girls that they will have to describe their own personal story using body art, movement and speech. Renee astutely declares that the Aborigine culture is a lot like modeling in that “models are storytellers. Only we tell ours through pictures and runway.” Yes Renee. Cause, I’m sure someone like, say, Kate Moss has a lot of stories to tell. Only I think hers would involve waking up in a pool of her own sick next to Pete Doherty. Good times! The girls will be judged by the premier expert on Aborigine culture Carissa Rosenburg, editor of Seventeen magazine.
First up is Renee (Nene) who does a pretty awesome job I must say, describing abuse as a child. Jaslene is next, not as awesome, but she describes pain, agony and suffering. Fun! Then there’s Dionne (see the quote at the top of the page). And congratulations Wholahay. You have officially out-ignoramused your “f**king lesbo” comment. How is that she’s here and Brittany is gone? Anyhoo, Dionne does her speech and she’s just okay. Natasha is next and although her moves are beautiful, she speaks so softly no one can hear her. In the end, Renee wins! She chooses Jaslene as her friend and they both get beautiful Auture pearls. Awesome! However, it’s sort of a hollow victory because we all know she’s going to hock them for cash as soon as she gets to the mainland.
Back at the house, Dionne spontaneously says: “Hey. Guys. Why. Don’t. We. Try. To. Have. Some. Fun.” Which translates to: “The producers want to shake things up a bit and they’ve already set up cameras at the predetermined bar.” Natasha is very sick and can’t go so at the bar, Renee plays her game of “ Pick on the girl who isn’t here to defend herself” and tells Jaslene and Dionne that they all should want Natasha to go. And they agree. Bitches.
Tyra Mail! Sorry girls, you’re history! And….just like that the season is over. Yeah! Nah, they never make it that easy. Instead, the girls will be posing with members of the Ngemba tribe while demonstrating Aborigine dance. First up is Jaslene, who learns her dance well but pretty much says the moves are lame. More trashing of the local culture. Why yes, we are American, how did you know? Jaslene's intensity is good however and her photo shoot rocks. Dionne does a food gathering dance, has to be posed constantly and gives consistent “mean face.” Poor Natasha is sick as a dog and looks terrible. She interviews that she has a sore throat and that it’s “really hard for her to swallow”. Oh boy. Her husband is not going to happy about that. She learns the wiggly wag tail dance and her posing is pretty bad in that she looks about ready to pass out. Renee is last and gets the dance of the butterfly (lucky) and does a great job.
Tyra Mail! Someone’s going home and if it’s not Dionne I’m cutting off all my hair in protest. At the house, Natasha tries to make small talk, asking the girls what they think will happen at elimination and the girls respond by being universally snarky and bitchy to her. It’s so Mean Girls! Except none of the bitchy girls are as pretty as Rachel McAdams. And the only thing Natasha and Lindsey Lohan share is poor taste in men. Still, it’s close enough. Only thank god, there’s no Tina Fey. Tina Fey (shudder).
Elimination time! In the judging room, Tyra is dressed like a cross between Morticia Addams and Cruela De Vil. And….I have to say that the collar of her dress does look an awful lot like Dalmatian puppy fur. Poor doggies. It would be less tragic if they died for something fashionable. All the rest of the judges are there and guest judge is Carissa Rosenburg, Seventeen editor and expert on Aborigine culture. Individual evaluations:
Dionne’s photo is not that great (shocker) and her eyes didn’t connect with the camera. Tyra asks her to state who she thinks has the most and least potential in the competition because “that’s how you get ahead.” Which translates to “Fight, Bitches Fight!” Dionne thinks Jaslene has the most potential but says Natasha has the least and that “something is missing.” Jaslene’s photo is good as always but she always gives the same look and Nigel thinks she has to vary it. She thinks she has the most potential because “it’s her dream” but she thinks Natasha has the least potential because she “comes off as phony.” At this point, poor Natasha looks like she’s close to tears but turns it into a smile. I really like that girl. Renee’s photo gets universal praise from the judges but I have to say, to me it looks a little bland. She says she has the most potential because “I want to take my family places.” Cause models travel with their families and are all known for their strong family values. Renee thinks Natasha has the least potential because “she’s playing games.” OH NO SHE DIN’T! Natasha plays games? Oh hypocrisy thy name is Renee. Or Nene. Whatever the hell you’re name is. You’re aging badly. Yeah I said it.
Finally we have Natasha and her photo doesn’t look as lousy as we would have expected from the photo shoot but it’s nothing special either. She talks about being sick and naturally gets bitched her out for this but we all kinda knew that would happen. Natasha thinks that she has the most potential because she has the Eastern European features and I have to say, she isthe one who looks most like a model in person. Course all opinions are welcome on this board. Just as long as they agree with mine : ). Natasha also adds that she is “thankful for the girls’ critique” and that they are “still my friends.” Ever the salesperson this girl, ya gotta love her. No seriously, you have to because if you don't, she simply refuses to accept it. Twiggy calls Natasha one of the warmest girls, saying that she takes initiative, is extremely beautiful and that that there may be a slight jealously issue among the girls. Yeah Twiggy! It's so nice to have her on the panel. Can anyone imagine how this would have gone if Janice were still here? Natasha states that if Gisele Bunchen were here she should say she had the least potential because she’d be the biggest competition. She also addes that the girls talk about her constantly but it’s “better to be talked about than being not noticeable.” CHECK AND MATE. Feast on it bitches.
While the judges deliberate, Natasha tries to talk to the girls in the Judges Holding Room (and yes, they actually called it that) saying that she wishes everyone of them luck. It’s just who she is. Jaslene responds by saying “We don’t accept who you are.” Then proceeds to tear Natasha a new one. Nooooooooo! Jaslene I used to like you! Why ya gotta be a hater? Anyhoo the whole thing backfires on the Trio of Bitches because during deliberations, the judges say they feel that Natasha handled the negativity well and that the other girls were jealous.
After deliberations, eliminations. First called is Renee, then Jaslene and we get down to Natasha and Dionne and after the last elimination, I’ve lost all faith so I had no idea what would happen. In the end, the judges make the right decision and based on both girls body of work they finally get rid of Brown. Jaslene looks shocked and pissed, what happened to my cha cha diva? She's lost me. Before getting her photo, Natasha tries to hug Dionne who stares straight ahead with her “mean face” and doesn’t hug back. Bitch. Dionne finally hugs all three girls and leaves. Thank God! Cover girl of the week is Jaslene. If only we knew then what we did now…..
Next week: It’s the finale! It’s anyone’s guess!
Losers real winners here
With every winner comes a loser. And this week, reality TV was all about both.
We saw Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno and his partner Julianne Hough waltz away with the cheesy disco ball trophy on Dancing With the Stars; Jordin Sparks steal the American Idol crown and Tessa Horst win bachelor Andy Baldwin's heart.
But the real fun came from watching the losers have their dreams crushed on TV.
Take, for example, Laila Ali, who was booted off Dancing With the Stars in third place. Instead of faking happiness for the final two pairs, she provided reality fans with an actual real moment.
"Of course, I'm pissed. I mean, come on," she said, before adding it didn't matter who won now that she'd been cut from the competition.
Another great moment came when Bevin Powers was flat out rejected on The Bachelor. Believing she was a shoo-in from the first episode, she was clearly shocked by the breakup, saying nothing as Baldwin, bursting into tears, tried to explain his decision.
Blake Lewis, who lost Idol, was not as entertaining. In fact, he actually looked happy for Sparks, which made for a rather boring ending to television's most popular show.
Let's just hope all the contestants on this summer's slough of reality shows are not as well-behaved:
- Pirate Master (premieres Thursday on CBS): From the mind of Mark Burnett, Pirate Master is Survivor on a 179-foot ship. Over 33 days, 16 contestants will travel around the Caribbean in search of hidden treasure. Each week, one pirate will become the captain of the ship and one will be "cut adrift."
- On the Lot (premiered last Tuesday on Fox): Burnett and Steven Spielberg are searching for the next great filmmaker. This week it was all about the pitch - selling yourself and your movie to a bunch of uptight execs. While it was fun to watch, it seemed a bit unfair to crush the hopes of filmmakers just because they get a little white-faced in front of crowds.
- Canadian Idol (premieres June 5 on CTV): Zack, Sass, Jake, Farley and Ben are back for a fifth season. Basically American Idol with Canadian contestants who, this year, are allowed to play instruments. Let's hope it brings out musicians instead of just the teeny-boppers.
- Canada's Next Top Model (premieres May 30 on City-TV): Jay Manuel of America's Next Top Model is taking over the Canadian version as the new Tyra Banks. Other than that, and a few changes on the judging panel, it's pretty much the same show as last year.
- So You Think You Can Dance 3 (premiered last Thursday on Fox): It's back. After two incredibly successful seasons, SYTYCD is on the hunt for the next Benji Schwimmer. And with all the talented dancers out there, this summer's cast is sure to strut right into the hearts of reality TV fans to become the next big thing.
- Last Comic Standing 5 (premieres June 13 on NBC): In hopes of appealing to a broader audience, Comic has opened the competition to comedians from around the world and thrown in a $250,000 US grand prize.
The winner will also receive an NBC talent contract and Bravo half-hour comedy special.
- The Next Best Thing (premieres Wednesday on ABC): Do we really need to find the country's best celebrity impersonators? Apparently we do. So, ABC has gone on a search for all those people who bare an uncanny resemblance to movie stars, singing sensations and Paris Hiltons past and present.
- Hell's Kitchen 3 (premieres June 4 on Fox): Foul-mouthed British chef Gordon Ramsay will torment a new crop of cooks as they fight it out in the kitchen to win the head chef job at the luxurious Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas.
- Fast Cars & Superstars - Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race (premieres June 7 on ABC): A dozen celebrity drivers, including Jewel, Tony Hawk and William Shatner, partner with the Gillette Young Guns to learn how to live life in the really fast lane.
- Age of Love (premieres June 18 on NBC): Tennis pro Mark Philippoussis will date seven women in their 20s - the "Kittens" - and seven women in their 40s - the "Cougars." Then he'll have to decide if age really matters when looking for love, which, of course, it does.
We saw Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno and his partner Julianne Hough waltz away with the cheesy disco ball trophy on Dancing With the Stars; Jordin Sparks steal the American Idol crown and Tessa Horst win bachelor Andy Baldwin's heart.
But the real fun came from watching the losers have their dreams crushed on TV.
Take, for example, Laila Ali, who was booted off Dancing With the Stars in third place. Instead of faking happiness for the final two pairs, she provided reality fans with an actual real moment.
"Of course, I'm pissed. I mean, come on," she said, before adding it didn't matter who won now that she'd been cut from the competition.
Another great moment came when Bevin Powers was flat out rejected on The Bachelor. Believing she was a shoo-in from the first episode, she was clearly shocked by the breakup, saying nothing as Baldwin, bursting into tears, tried to explain his decision.
Blake Lewis, who lost Idol, was not as entertaining. In fact, he actually looked happy for Sparks, which made for a rather boring ending to television's most popular show.
Let's just hope all the contestants on this summer's slough of reality shows are not as well-behaved:
- Pirate Master (premieres Thursday on CBS): From the mind of Mark Burnett, Pirate Master is Survivor on a 179-foot ship. Over 33 days, 16 contestants will travel around the Caribbean in search of hidden treasure. Each week, one pirate will become the captain of the ship and one will be "cut adrift."
- On the Lot (premiered last Tuesday on Fox): Burnett and Steven Spielberg are searching for the next great filmmaker. This week it was all about the pitch - selling yourself and your movie to a bunch of uptight execs. While it was fun to watch, it seemed a bit unfair to crush the hopes of filmmakers just because they get a little white-faced in front of crowds.
- Canadian Idol (premieres June 5 on CTV): Zack, Sass, Jake, Farley and Ben are back for a fifth season. Basically American Idol with Canadian contestants who, this year, are allowed to play instruments. Let's hope it brings out musicians instead of just the teeny-boppers.
- Canada's Next Top Model (premieres May 30 on City-TV): Jay Manuel of America's Next Top Model is taking over the Canadian version as the new Tyra Banks. Other than that, and a few changes on the judging panel, it's pretty much the same show as last year.
- So You Think You Can Dance 3 (premiered last Thursday on Fox): It's back. After two incredibly successful seasons, SYTYCD is on the hunt for the next Benji Schwimmer. And with all the talented dancers out there, this summer's cast is sure to strut right into the hearts of reality TV fans to become the next big thing.
- Last Comic Standing 5 (premieres June 13 on NBC): In hopes of appealing to a broader audience, Comic has opened the competition to comedians from around the world and thrown in a $250,000 US grand prize.
The winner will also receive an NBC talent contract and Bravo half-hour comedy special.
- The Next Best Thing (premieres Wednesday on ABC): Do we really need to find the country's best celebrity impersonators? Apparently we do. So, ABC has gone on a search for all those people who bare an uncanny resemblance to movie stars, singing sensations and Paris Hiltons past and present.
- Hell's Kitchen 3 (premieres June 4 on Fox): Foul-mouthed British chef Gordon Ramsay will torment a new crop of cooks as they fight it out in the kitchen to win the head chef job at the luxurious Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas.
- Fast Cars & Superstars - Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race (premieres June 7 on ABC): A dozen celebrity drivers, including Jewel, Tony Hawk and William Shatner, partner with the Gillette Young Guns to learn how to live life in the really fast lane.
- Age of Love (premieres June 18 on NBC): Tennis pro Mark Philippoussis will date seven women in their 20s - the "Kittens" - and seven women in their 40s - the "Cougars." Then he'll have to decide if age really matters when looking for love, which, of course, it does.
TELEVISION
As we put the 2006-07 television season in the books and head off to summer (and cable fare), it's that time again: final grades.
Now, first, you have to throw out everything you know about grades -- grading on a curve, average mean, whatever. It doesn't matter. Consider this artistic merit. And I'm the Russian judge. There will be no grading based on hits as judged by the Nielsen ratings. That's for bean counters and network execs who are waiting for their pay packages to kick in. Me? I just want to break something.
No, these grades aren't given out because you've got a No. 1 show or finished No. 1 in the 18-34 demo. Or because your audience was more educated or affluent. Or because you won the night in teen girls or African American households or boys who previously bought a Nintendo Wii online and have now pre-ordered a Scion with their parents' line of credit.
No, I'm judge and jury for one simple reason: It's my job. No, wait, there's another reason. I had to watch all the shows, no matter if I wanted to or not. In some cases, that was cruel. In a few cases, that was unusual. In more than I care to remember, that was punishment.
So here, based on whether the network gave the world anything of value, real entertainment or actual interest, are the final grades of the season.
ABC
Grade: B. For all networks, let's start with the freshman class. At ABC, "Ugly Betty," "Men in Trees" and "Brothers & Sisters" were the fall shows that survived. In midseason, "Notes From the Underbelly" immediately became ABC's best sitcom and was renewed. Against better judgment, "October Road" also hit a chord with viewers and was renewed. Because of the small sample from the latter two, we don't know exactly how they'll pan out, though "Notes" has loads of potential. Although the network bungled the end of "Men in Trees," the series still worked. "Ugly Betty" was one of the fall's most talked-about new shows -- a grand surprise -- and "Brothers & Sisters" benefited from ABC's patience, becoming somewhat of a surprise hit. It's an adult drama with a great cast and stories that are well told.
What went right: "Dancing With the Stars" was a major hit. "Grey's Anatomy" survived its homophobia scandal and managed to retain its audience. "Lost" fell victim to a scheduling scheme designed to help it, plus lethargic scripts early on, but rallied in fantastic fashion for a superb close to the season, re-establishing it as one of broadcast TV's finest shows. "Desperate Housewives" was slightly less insufferable than the prior year, though it lacked real buzz. And, if you are as generous as can be, ABC finally managed a decent comedy in "Notes From the Underbelly." Plus, in late night, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" has become a real jewel.
What went wrong: The network really botched "Lost" in the early going and pulled it for what was supposed to be 13 weeks of another serialized drama, "Day Break," but that show, with its illogical rules and "Lost" viewer resentment, never had a chance. ABC is woefully behind both NBC and CBS in developing quality sitcoms. It didn't know what to do with "The Knights of Prosperity" and the promising series withered. The network also mishandled the number of series it had -- with failure to launch being an epidemic for all networks. "Six Degrees" got lost in the shuffle; perhaps the best pilot of the season, "The Nine," never lived up to its first hour.
Canceled: "What About Brian," "The Knights of Prosperity," "Help Me Help You," "The Nine," "Six Degrees," "Big Day," "Day Break," "According to Jim" and "George Lopez."
CBS
Grade: B-. Fall series that made it include, uh, "Shark." Not a great fall, but CBS benefits from having an existing lineup littered with hits. The midseason sitcom "Rules of Engagement" also got renewed. The relatively high grade comes from the fact that CBS doesn't have much room on the schedule, because it has consistently been loaded with successful shows. This network has staples all across the week. It was nice to see returning comedies "How I Met Your Mother" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" grow.
What went right: Consistency. CBS may not have a lot of dangerous right angles or a schedule that takes risks, but it delivers.
What went wrong: "Survivor" is over the hill, though CBS is trying to goose it. The "CSI" franchise seems creatively tired. The network pulled the plug on "Smith" too quickly and mishandled "Jericho."
Canceled: "The Class," "Smith," "Jericho," "Close to Home," "3 Lbs." and "The King of Queens."
FOX
Grade: D. Where to start with this mess? Yes, the Death Star, "American Idol," continued to be a huge hit (though it showed the slightest bit of a dent), and "House" remains one of the most popular dramas on TV. But after that -- what? The fall launch was a total failure and though Fox returned " 'Til Death" for next season, the network has a history of renewing series without merit to avoid total embarrassment. Fox is stuck in a rut. It stumbles through fall and rallies in midseason, but much of its success is tied to a couple of megahits. It hasn't developed a quality sitcom since "Arrested Development," and, worse, it just hasn't made a series in a long time that's compelling.
What went right: Despite what many considered to be the worst "Idol" season yet (complete with Paula Abdul making a lot of headlines for loopy off-camera behavior), the franchise is still unstoppable. "Prison Break" kept itself viable. And the good news ends right there.
What went wrong: A lousy development season was heavily influenced by the viewing public turning its back (and hiding its eyes) from serialized dramas. "24" became a joke. There was little to laugh at -- intentionally -- on the network, and it lacked buzz aside from "Idol."
Canceled: "Vanished," "Standoff," "Justice," "Happy Hour," "The War at Home," "The Winner," "The Wedding Bells," "Drive" and apparently "Nanny 911" and "Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy." The network had also renewed "The Loop" but chose to essentially burn it off after the season.
NBC
Grade: B+. Not only did NBC develop a huge hit (and potential franchise given next fall's minor spin-off) in "Heroes," it stayed patient with "30 Rock" and allowed that sitcom to become one of the funniest shows on television and arguably the biggest surprise of the fall. (A toss-up, maybe, with "Heroes"? Or perhaps even a three-way surprise with the renewal of ratings-challenged "Friday Night Lights"?) Either way, some good came out of that freshman crop. Getting NFL football and creating "Football Night in America" were pluses, as was the continued excellence of Conan O'Brien in late night. But NBC is in a precarious spot. It needs more and better dramas. Its "Law & Order" franchise is creaky (to say nothing of derelict "ER") and there's still some worry on this end about taste issues (someone green-lit "Twenty Good Years" but let "Andy Barker, P.I." die with absolutely no support?).
What went right: "Heroes," obviously, and "30 Rock." For some reason that escapes all logic, "Deal or No Deal" continues to enrapture the nation. The network earned viewer gratitude by continuing a loyalty streak that started with "The Office" and extended to "Friday Night Lights."
What went wrong: Let's start at "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." That was a pilot, along with ABC's "The Nine," that was extremely impressive. And yet, neither show lived up to that hour again. Like all networks, NBC got stung by the serialized drama backlash, but it gave up far too early on "Kidnapped." For a network that needs dramas to work, "Raines" could have been better nurtured. The network also needs a reality franchise.
Canceled: "Kidnapped," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Twenty Good Years," "Crossing Jordan," "Andy Barker, P.I.," "The Black Donnellys," "Raines" and "The Apprentice."
THE CW
Grade: C-. The only reason this grade isn't lower is that as the CW tries to figure out what it is, a little slack should be let out. Plus the network has, once again, renewed "Everybody Hates Chris," perhaps the most underappreciated series on television. And the fledgling network has shown some smarts in keeping "Smallville" and "Supernatural" paired. If you're a "Veronica Mars" fan who might be annoyed that the run is over, remember that the CW showed an awful lot of patience with it, given the numbers. There's a worry that the CW is going to find its niche with reality shows, since "America's Next Top Model" is the big prize at the network and "Beauty and the Geek" has lived on. Going in that direction is just the kind of thing that allows the "Pussycat Dolls" projects to slink in the door. The CW needs to ramp up its quality on all fronts and prove, in the process, that it's a viable and valuable network.
What went right: Unfortunately, after selling the series as "aspirational" for women, "Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll" worked quite well. "Top Model" continues to be a franchise series. "The Game," despite being lousy, was also renewed.
What went wrong: The network still had trouble launching scripted fare, as "Runaway," the CW's entry in the serialized drama hootenanny, didn't attract viewers and not enough people are watching shows like "Chris" or "Supernatural" that might attract a wider audience. With so few hours to program, an argument can be made that the CW isn't trying hard enough. But again -- new networks take time to find a foothold and understand what they need to be to survive.
Canceled: "Runaway," "Veronica Mars," "Gilmore Girls," "7th Heaven," "All of Us" and "Reba." The network is essentially burning off "Hidden Palms."
Now, first, you have to throw out everything you know about grades -- grading on a curve, average mean, whatever. It doesn't matter. Consider this artistic merit. And I'm the Russian judge. There will be no grading based on hits as judged by the Nielsen ratings. That's for bean counters and network execs who are waiting for their pay packages to kick in. Me? I just want to break something.
No, these grades aren't given out because you've got a No. 1 show or finished No. 1 in the 18-34 demo. Or because your audience was more educated or affluent. Or because you won the night in teen girls or African American households or boys who previously bought a Nintendo Wii online and have now pre-ordered a Scion with their parents' line of credit.
No, I'm judge and jury for one simple reason: It's my job. No, wait, there's another reason. I had to watch all the shows, no matter if I wanted to or not. In some cases, that was cruel. In a few cases, that was unusual. In more than I care to remember, that was punishment.
So here, based on whether the network gave the world anything of value, real entertainment or actual interest, are the final grades of the season.
ABC
Grade: B. For all networks, let's start with the freshman class. At ABC, "Ugly Betty," "Men in Trees" and "Brothers & Sisters" were the fall shows that survived. In midseason, "Notes From the Underbelly" immediately became ABC's best sitcom and was renewed. Against better judgment, "October Road" also hit a chord with viewers and was renewed. Because of the small sample from the latter two, we don't know exactly how they'll pan out, though "Notes" has loads of potential. Although the network bungled the end of "Men in Trees," the series still worked. "Ugly Betty" was one of the fall's most talked-about new shows -- a grand surprise -- and "Brothers & Sisters" benefited from ABC's patience, becoming somewhat of a surprise hit. It's an adult drama with a great cast and stories that are well told.
What went right: "Dancing With the Stars" was a major hit. "Grey's Anatomy" survived its homophobia scandal and managed to retain its audience. "Lost" fell victim to a scheduling scheme designed to help it, plus lethargic scripts early on, but rallied in fantastic fashion for a superb close to the season, re-establishing it as one of broadcast TV's finest shows. "Desperate Housewives" was slightly less insufferable than the prior year, though it lacked real buzz. And, if you are as generous as can be, ABC finally managed a decent comedy in "Notes From the Underbelly." Plus, in late night, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" has become a real jewel.
What went wrong: The network really botched "Lost" in the early going and pulled it for what was supposed to be 13 weeks of another serialized drama, "Day Break," but that show, with its illogical rules and "Lost" viewer resentment, never had a chance. ABC is woefully behind both NBC and CBS in developing quality sitcoms. It didn't know what to do with "The Knights of Prosperity" and the promising series withered. The network also mishandled the number of series it had -- with failure to launch being an epidemic for all networks. "Six Degrees" got lost in the shuffle; perhaps the best pilot of the season, "The Nine," never lived up to its first hour.
Canceled: "What About Brian," "The Knights of Prosperity," "Help Me Help You," "The Nine," "Six Degrees," "Big Day," "Day Break," "According to Jim" and "George Lopez."
CBS
Grade: B-. Fall series that made it include, uh, "Shark." Not a great fall, but CBS benefits from having an existing lineup littered with hits. The midseason sitcom "Rules of Engagement" also got renewed. The relatively high grade comes from the fact that CBS doesn't have much room on the schedule, because it has consistently been loaded with successful shows. This network has staples all across the week. It was nice to see returning comedies "How I Met Your Mother" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" grow.
What went right: Consistency. CBS may not have a lot of dangerous right angles or a schedule that takes risks, but it delivers.
What went wrong: "Survivor" is over the hill, though CBS is trying to goose it. The "CSI" franchise seems creatively tired. The network pulled the plug on "Smith" too quickly and mishandled "Jericho."
Canceled: "The Class," "Smith," "Jericho," "Close to Home," "3 Lbs." and "The King of Queens."
FOX
Grade: D. Where to start with this mess? Yes, the Death Star, "American Idol," continued to be a huge hit (though it showed the slightest bit of a dent), and "House" remains one of the most popular dramas on TV. But after that -- what? The fall launch was a total failure and though Fox returned " 'Til Death" for next season, the network has a history of renewing series without merit to avoid total embarrassment. Fox is stuck in a rut. It stumbles through fall and rallies in midseason, but much of its success is tied to a couple of megahits. It hasn't developed a quality sitcom since "Arrested Development," and, worse, it just hasn't made a series in a long time that's compelling.
What went right: Despite what many considered to be the worst "Idol" season yet (complete with Paula Abdul making a lot of headlines for loopy off-camera behavior), the franchise is still unstoppable. "Prison Break" kept itself viable. And the good news ends right there.
What went wrong: A lousy development season was heavily influenced by the viewing public turning its back (and hiding its eyes) from serialized dramas. "24" became a joke. There was little to laugh at -- intentionally -- on the network, and it lacked buzz aside from "Idol."
Canceled: "Vanished," "Standoff," "Justice," "Happy Hour," "The War at Home," "The Winner," "The Wedding Bells," "Drive" and apparently "Nanny 911" and "Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy." The network had also renewed "The Loop" but chose to essentially burn it off after the season.
NBC
Grade: B+. Not only did NBC develop a huge hit (and potential franchise given next fall's minor spin-off) in "Heroes," it stayed patient with "30 Rock" and allowed that sitcom to become one of the funniest shows on television and arguably the biggest surprise of the fall. (A toss-up, maybe, with "Heroes"? Or perhaps even a three-way surprise with the renewal of ratings-challenged "Friday Night Lights"?) Either way, some good came out of that freshman crop. Getting NFL football and creating "Football Night in America" were pluses, as was the continued excellence of Conan O'Brien in late night. But NBC is in a precarious spot. It needs more and better dramas. Its "Law & Order" franchise is creaky (to say nothing of derelict "ER") and there's still some worry on this end about taste issues (someone green-lit "Twenty Good Years" but let "Andy Barker, P.I." die with absolutely no support?).
What went right: "Heroes," obviously, and "30 Rock." For some reason that escapes all logic, "Deal or No Deal" continues to enrapture the nation. The network earned viewer gratitude by continuing a loyalty streak that started with "The Office" and extended to "Friday Night Lights."
What went wrong: Let's start at "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." That was a pilot, along with ABC's "The Nine," that was extremely impressive. And yet, neither show lived up to that hour again. Like all networks, NBC got stung by the serialized drama backlash, but it gave up far too early on "Kidnapped." For a network that needs dramas to work, "Raines" could have been better nurtured. The network also needs a reality franchise.
Canceled: "Kidnapped," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Twenty Good Years," "Crossing Jordan," "Andy Barker, P.I.," "The Black Donnellys," "Raines" and "The Apprentice."
THE CW
Grade: C-. The only reason this grade isn't lower is that as the CW tries to figure out what it is, a little slack should be let out. Plus the network has, once again, renewed "Everybody Hates Chris," perhaps the most underappreciated series on television. And the fledgling network has shown some smarts in keeping "Smallville" and "Supernatural" paired. If you're a "Veronica Mars" fan who might be annoyed that the run is over, remember that the CW showed an awful lot of patience with it, given the numbers. There's a worry that the CW is going to find its niche with reality shows, since "America's Next Top Model" is the big prize at the network and "Beauty and the Geek" has lived on. Going in that direction is just the kind of thing that allows the "Pussycat Dolls" projects to slink in the door. The CW needs to ramp up its quality on all fronts and prove, in the process, that it's a viable and valuable network.
What went right: Unfortunately, after selling the series as "aspirational" for women, "Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll" worked quite well. "Top Model" continues to be a franchise series. "The Game," despite being lousy, was also renewed.
What went wrong: The network still had trouble launching scripted fare, as "Runaway," the CW's entry in the serialized drama hootenanny, didn't attract viewers and not enough people are watching shows like "Chris" or "Supernatural" that might attract a wider audience. With so few hours to program, an argument can be made that the CW isn't trying hard enough. But again -- new networks take time to find a foothold and understand what they need to be to survive.
Canceled: "Runaway," "Veronica Mars," "Gilmore Girls," "7th Heaven," "All of Us" and "Reba." The network is essentially burning off "Hidden Palms."
The model hopefuls
When Canada's Next Top Model returns Wednesday on City-TV, Jay Manuel takes over as host from actress/model Tricia Helfer, who leaves to focus on her role in the series Battlestar Galactica. Manuel will spearhead a team of judges – photographer Paul Alexander, supermodel Yasmin Warsame and FT-FashionTelevision's Jeanne Beker – as they whittle 10 model hopefuls from across Canada down to one over the course of eight weeks. Model Stacey Mackenzie returns to the reality series as model coach.
Manuel promises that Canada's Next Top Model will be "more rooted in fashion than the American show. We have access to all the runway footage that FashionTelevision owns, so we will be looping runway shows on plasma screens for the girls to study."
"And for the first time in history," he adds, "you will see the real Jeanne Beker – the loving mother. You are going to see a very sensitive, human side to her."
The 10 aspiring models include a 22-year-old factory worker from Mannheim, Ont. and a 25-year-old travel representative from Toronto.
The winner receives a contract with Sutherland Models, an editorial spread in Fashion magazine and a $100,000 contract from Procter & Gamble.
Manuel promises that Canada's Next Top Model will be "more rooted in fashion than the American show. We have access to all the runway footage that FashionTelevision owns, so we will be looping runway shows on plasma screens for the girls to study."
"And for the first time in history," he adds, "you will see the real Jeanne Beker – the loving mother. You are going to see a very sensitive, human side to her."
The 10 aspiring models include a 22-year-old factory worker from Mannheim, Ont. and a 25-year-old travel representative from Toronto.
The winner receives a contract with Sutherland Models, an editorial spread in Fashion magazine and a $100,000 contract from Procter & Gamble.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Chamber co-founder Davis left his mark on local theater
Although Montgomery Davis relinquished his leadership of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre two years ago, his death in his sleep last Sunday at the age of 67 leaves a sad void in the state's professional theater community. Davis was the godfather of local theater, in the best sense of that term.
An actor and director, he founded the Chamber Theatre with his close friend and professional colleague Ruth Schudson 32 years ago to give Equity (union) actors another place to work in Milwaukee. At that time, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and the now-defunct Melody Top summer stock theater were the only companies in town that hired Equity performers.
When he and Schudson rented Vogel Hall at the Marcus Center to mount "Don Juan in Hell" on Father's Day 1975, they began the expansion of professional theater in Milwaukee that greatly accelerated in the 1980s and '90s. More jobs for seasoned actors meant more seasoned actors living in Milwaukee, and that was an important factor in the proliferation of other professional companies. Davis began the process that in the following decades reached theatrical critical mass.
Renaissance Theaterworks, In Tandem Theatre Company, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Cornerstone Theatre, First Stage Children's Theatre, Boulevard Ensemble, Windfall Theatre, Bunny Gumbo Theatre Company, Clavis Theatre (closed), Bialystock & Bloom (closed), American Inside Theatre (closed), Northern Stage Company (closed) and Great American Children's Theatre, (closed) followed. Two more companies founded after the Chamber's birth, Theatre Tesseract and Next Generation Theater, merged to become Next Act Theatre. Davis directed Great American Children's Theatre's first production and continued staging shows for the company for eight seasons.
Actor James Tasse worked closely with Davis in the Chamber offices as well as on stage, and he described his former boss last week as a "joyous gardener who planted many seeds, prayed for sun, stepped back and watched."
"I consider Monty Davis a pioneer," added C. Michael Wright, Davis' successor at the Chamber. Wright noted that the U.S. regional theater movement was only beginning to blossom when Davis and Schudson took the leap of faith to start their company.
It's not unusual for arts organizations to reflect the preferences and personalities of their founders, and the Chamber personified Davis. A Princeton University graduate who studied voice in London, he strongly favored literary theater and was among Milwaukee's leading Anglophiles. British playwrights and plays had a home at the Chamber Theatre, and Milwaukee theater-goers became experts in the work of George Bernard Shaw, one of Davis' favorites.
For 20 years, Davis and the Chamber Theatre produced an annual Shaw Festival, staging the dramatist's famous and obscure works. The festival even presented an American premiere of a Shaw play.
"Monty was an extremely sophisticated man, very direct and very, very smart," said Rhoda Nathan, the New York based president of the Bernard Shaw Society. A retired professor of English at Hofstra University, she traveled to Milwaukee to see Shaw Festival productions.
"He staged Shaw with élan and panache, and Monty was daring. Very few people in New York would dare to do 'Back to Methuselah,' but Monty did."
Davis reviewed a new biography of Shaw for the Independent Shavian, a Shaw Society journal. It will be published in the next issue, Nathan said.
Michael Stebbins, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's moribund Professional Theatre Training Program, said Davis was an inspiration for young stage artists beginning their careers and a role model for working in regional theater.
"Monty did it all out of pure love of the craft," Stebbins said. "He was such a well-rounded theater artist because he did it all."
Stebbins went on to say that he originally thought he wanted to be an actor only, but Davis' example opened his eyes to the importance of developing directing and producing skills. Today he is the producing artistic director of Rep Stage in Columbia, Md. Before Davis' death, Stebbins had cast his role model in a production of Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Profession," which is scheduled for early next year.
Offstage and out of the spotlight, Davis was a bit of a character. In recalling him last week, Nagle Jackson, the artistic director of the Milwaukee Rep for much of the 1970s, noted how buoyant and gentlemanly he was. Davis moved here from New York in 1973 when Jackson offered him a spot in the Rep's acting company.
"I never heard Monty say a bad thing about anybody," Jackson said. "The worst thing he would do was lift his eyebrows if he didn't like someone."
Those of us who knew Monty can picture those arched brows.
A memorial for Davis will be held at 6 p.m. June 4 in the Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Online thoughts and memorials can be sent to
An actor and director, he founded the Chamber Theatre with his close friend and professional colleague Ruth Schudson 32 years ago to give Equity (union) actors another place to work in Milwaukee. At that time, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and the now-defunct Melody Top summer stock theater were the only companies in town that hired Equity performers.
When he and Schudson rented Vogel Hall at the Marcus Center to mount "Don Juan in Hell" on Father's Day 1975, they began the expansion of professional theater in Milwaukee that greatly accelerated in the 1980s and '90s. More jobs for seasoned actors meant more seasoned actors living in Milwaukee, and that was an important factor in the proliferation of other professional companies. Davis began the process that in the following decades reached theatrical critical mass.
Renaissance Theaterworks, In Tandem Theatre Company, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Cornerstone Theatre, First Stage Children's Theatre, Boulevard Ensemble, Windfall Theatre, Bunny Gumbo Theatre Company, Clavis Theatre (closed), Bialystock & Bloom (closed), American Inside Theatre (closed), Northern Stage Company (closed) and Great American Children's Theatre, (closed) followed. Two more companies founded after the Chamber's birth, Theatre Tesseract and Next Generation Theater, merged to become Next Act Theatre. Davis directed Great American Children's Theatre's first production and continued staging shows for the company for eight seasons.
Actor James Tasse worked closely with Davis in the Chamber offices as well as on stage, and he described his former boss last week as a "joyous gardener who planted many seeds, prayed for sun, stepped back and watched."
"I consider Monty Davis a pioneer," added C. Michael Wright, Davis' successor at the Chamber. Wright noted that the U.S. regional theater movement was only beginning to blossom when Davis and Schudson took the leap of faith to start their company.
It's not unusual for arts organizations to reflect the preferences and personalities of their founders, and the Chamber personified Davis. A Princeton University graduate who studied voice in London, he strongly favored literary theater and was among Milwaukee's leading Anglophiles. British playwrights and plays had a home at the Chamber Theatre, and Milwaukee theater-goers became experts in the work of George Bernard Shaw, one of Davis' favorites.
For 20 years, Davis and the Chamber Theatre produced an annual Shaw Festival, staging the dramatist's famous and obscure works. The festival even presented an American premiere of a Shaw play.
"Monty was an extremely sophisticated man, very direct and very, very smart," said Rhoda Nathan, the New York based president of the Bernard Shaw Society. A retired professor of English at Hofstra University, she traveled to Milwaukee to see Shaw Festival productions.
"He staged Shaw with élan and panache, and Monty was daring. Very few people in New York would dare to do 'Back to Methuselah,' but Monty did."
Davis reviewed a new biography of Shaw for the Independent Shavian, a Shaw Society journal. It will be published in the next issue, Nathan said.
Michael Stebbins, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's moribund Professional Theatre Training Program, said Davis was an inspiration for young stage artists beginning their careers and a role model for working in regional theater.
"Monty did it all out of pure love of the craft," Stebbins said. "He was such a well-rounded theater artist because he did it all."
Stebbins went on to say that he originally thought he wanted to be an actor only, but Davis' example opened his eyes to the importance of developing directing and producing skills. Today he is the producing artistic director of Rep Stage in Columbia, Md. Before Davis' death, Stebbins had cast his role model in a production of Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Profession," which is scheduled for early next year.
Offstage and out of the spotlight, Davis was a bit of a character. In recalling him last week, Nagle Jackson, the artistic director of the Milwaukee Rep for much of the 1970s, noted how buoyant and gentlemanly he was. Davis moved here from New York in 1973 when Jackson offered him a spot in the Rep's acting company.
"I never heard Monty say a bad thing about anybody," Jackson said. "The worst thing he would do was lift his eyebrows if he didn't like someone."
Those of us who knew Monty can picture those arched brows.
A memorial for Davis will be held at 6 p.m. June 4 in the Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Online thoughts and memorials can be sent to
Jay Manuel: The Eye of the Beholder
Canada's Next Top Model host Jay Manuel truly believes in Canada's beauty. It's reflected in his actions and his words. His faith in the potential of his home and native land is crystal clear.
"Let's not just produce a show for just Canada because I think it's insulting as a Canadian myself," he says. "We can compete. [Canada's Next Top Model] really demonstrates that there is amazing talent here. Basically, I highlighted this many times throughout the show."
Manuel says he is "in the business of managing the esthetic," meaning he travels the world, judging and sculpting other's beauty and doing make-up for the world's most sought-after superstars. He also designed the sets and runway that will become home to the judges and talent in the second season of Canada's Next Top Model, debuting Wednesday, May 30 on Citytv. And his sharp yet insightful commentary as a judge on series originator America's Next Top Model has increased his reputation as a man not afraid to say exactly what's on his mind, be it infuriating or flattering.
In an industry full of so much deception, his blunt honestly is a beautiful thing. Manuel has been a fashion industry globe-trotter for more than a decade. Yet, he decided to split his time between good friend Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model and the Canadian equivalent, primarily because of his ever-increasing faith in Canada's diverse modelling talents. When asked if he believes Toronto has what it takes to be the next Milan or Paris, he asserts we are already a world-class fashion city, populated with world-class women.
"Linda Evangelista, Shalom Harlow, Jessica Stam -- I can keep going. All of these names, these supermodels, come from Canada, but get claimed by the international world of fashion," says Manuel.
Beauty fades and sensations change, but primetime TV hasn't abandoned the Canadian fashion contingent as yet. Season 2 of Canada's Next Top Model has already been sold into the international market. (To be fair, the Next Top Model series has been repeatedly picked up in 17 other countries as well, including Israel, Nigeria and the Philippines.) But Canada's hidden influence on the fashion industry extends beyond the beauty on the catwalk.
Manuel praises Fashion Television host Jeanne Beker as "one of the most respected fashion journalists in the industry right now." He insists Canada should shed its notorious inferiority complex and stand tall and proud.
"This is the resource for a lot of the majors in this industry, so take us seriously."
Other beautiful subjects he takes seriously are the A-list celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Kim Cattrall, Iman and David Bowie, who he's done photo shoots with. Though he is not given carte blanche when coming up with ideas to apply to his subjects, Manuel enjoys the balancing act of compromise.
"I get a lot more creative control when it comes to editorials and things that are creative, but when it comes down to a person's brand, you can bring your personal spin, but you really need to keep the essence of that personal brand intact. And I think that's why I've been able to be so successful," says Manuel.
Essence magazine has praised Manuel for being "known for an airbrush technique that gives his clients a next-to-nothing look," perfect for making a supermodel stand out while still having her embellished beauty seem subtle.
And, yes, beauty sometimes is only skin deep. But for those tabloid readers who believe everything that is written about the angry outbursts of Naomi Campbell or the cocaine addictions of Kate Moss, Manuel advises them to take what they read with a grain of skeptical salt.
"The majority [of supermodels] go home at the end of the day and live their life. I don't know why people have painted this picture. There are certain stories that can support this negative stereotype, but for the most part, they are not like that," he explains, adding not even the notorious Campbell is a diva. "You know what the funny thing is? I've worked with Naomi and everyone thinks she's just this strong, bitchy person. You know, Naomi is actually insecure. She's very sweet. I can't speak for the fact that she does crazy things, but who she is as a person is not what people portray her as."
So, for every vapid, shallow, hedonistic diva throwing a temper tantrum and refusing to sashay down catwalk because her favorite frappucino isn't the right temperature, many more models are simply attractive individuals living like the proverbial "girl next door." Maybe more Canadian supermodels need to achieve worldwide fame our infamous humility might change a few perceptions about "the supermodel attitude."
Manuel's own beauty seems rooted in his self-confidence, an essential ingredient for sustained success in the fashion industry. With his virtually perfect complexion, he doesn't look a day over 21. His physique looks like he could be a Calvin Klein underwear model, if he chose to switch positions. And even though his image seems like it might require hours of preparation, it never takes him very long in the morning to achieve the look of the legendary "Jay Manual brand."
"I get up, I shower, you know, what have you," he explains. "Even my hair, people wonder, 'Is it a big deal?' It takes three minutes. It's gel, no brush, run my hands through, spike it up, throw some hairspray on it, and then I blow-dry it for a second and that's it."
Yet as easy as it is for him to create his look, he points out that it's increasingly difficult to alter it as his status in the industry increases.
"Now it's part of the brand, and certain jobs are in place where they say I can't even change it back!"
Manuel and his trademark frosted tips have also cropped up at worked at dozens of important functions and he's well known to fashionistas and fans alike. He was the official fashion correspondent for E! Network at the Emmy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, the Grammy Awards and the Academy Awards. He also recently hosted the annual Fashion Cares Gala, Canada's biggest AIDS awareness fundraiser. This year's event featured Dita Von Teese, Kelly Rowland, Mya and Bedouin Soundclash, among others. His work with Fashion Cares helps him stay grounded as a fashion icon, a job that can offer a variety of hedonistic, flamboyant diversions.
Canada's globally recognized Gay Pride Day is one of the many manifestations of our country's diverse examples of aesthetic appreciation. And in regards to the seriousness of the continuing AIDS epidemic, its connection to the gay community and communities beyond, Manuel stays very involved in charity events, possibly inspired by his father, who is a doctor. He's also hopeful of a cure.
"I have faith in the medical community, because people didn't even think we could get here in five or 10 years" he says. "It's not this serious kinda 'let's all mourn' thing. It's not about that. Let's be happy about where we are, and where we're going to go."
Remaining balanced in such an extreme industry is a daunting task, but Manuel has consistently succeeded at it. There may be a dichotomy, even outright hypocrisy, at play with many aspects of fashion industry, but Manuel concentrates on the task at hand, produces professional results, and, ultimately, doesn't take it all too seriously.
"Fashion is fun. You can change it. You can wear something crazy one day and be in a boardroom suit the next. That's the amazing thing about it," he says.
Diversity and beauty promoted by a multicultural man. How very Canadian. He practices what he preaches, and between his humanitarian efforts and his entertaining television-hosting efforts, Manuel seems like the perfect candidate to continue building Canada's connection to the international world of fashion.
"If you really do have the passion for this industry, [Canada's Next Top Model] can catapult you into a huge career," declares Manuel. "And with that added support of those that helped get you there, you will be a huge success, and that's what I believe."
"Let's not just produce a show for just Canada because I think it's insulting as a Canadian myself," he says. "We can compete. [Canada's Next Top Model] really demonstrates that there is amazing talent here. Basically, I highlighted this many times throughout the show."
Manuel says he is "in the business of managing the esthetic," meaning he travels the world, judging and sculpting other's beauty and doing make-up for the world's most sought-after superstars. He also designed the sets and runway that will become home to the judges and talent in the second season of Canada's Next Top Model, debuting Wednesday, May 30 on Citytv. And his sharp yet insightful commentary as a judge on series originator America's Next Top Model has increased his reputation as a man not afraid to say exactly what's on his mind, be it infuriating or flattering.
In an industry full of so much deception, his blunt honestly is a beautiful thing. Manuel has been a fashion industry globe-trotter for more than a decade. Yet, he decided to split his time between good friend Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model and the Canadian equivalent, primarily because of his ever-increasing faith in Canada's diverse modelling talents. When asked if he believes Toronto has what it takes to be the next Milan or Paris, he asserts we are already a world-class fashion city, populated with world-class women.
"Linda Evangelista, Shalom Harlow, Jessica Stam -- I can keep going. All of these names, these supermodels, come from Canada, but get claimed by the international world of fashion," says Manuel.
Beauty fades and sensations change, but primetime TV hasn't abandoned the Canadian fashion contingent as yet. Season 2 of Canada's Next Top Model has already been sold into the international market. (To be fair, the Next Top Model series has been repeatedly picked up in 17 other countries as well, including Israel, Nigeria and the Philippines.) But Canada's hidden influence on the fashion industry extends beyond the beauty on the catwalk.
Manuel praises Fashion Television host Jeanne Beker as "one of the most respected fashion journalists in the industry right now." He insists Canada should shed its notorious inferiority complex and stand tall and proud.
"This is the resource for a lot of the majors in this industry, so take us seriously."
Other beautiful subjects he takes seriously are the A-list celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Kim Cattrall, Iman and David Bowie, who he's done photo shoots with. Though he is not given carte blanche when coming up with ideas to apply to his subjects, Manuel enjoys the balancing act of compromise.
"I get a lot more creative control when it comes to editorials and things that are creative, but when it comes down to a person's brand, you can bring your personal spin, but you really need to keep the essence of that personal brand intact. And I think that's why I've been able to be so successful," says Manuel.
Essence magazine has praised Manuel for being "known for an airbrush technique that gives his clients a next-to-nothing look," perfect for making a supermodel stand out while still having her embellished beauty seem subtle.
And, yes, beauty sometimes is only skin deep. But for those tabloid readers who believe everything that is written about the angry outbursts of Naomi Campbell or the cocaine addictions of Kate Moss, Manuel advises them to take what they read with a grain of skeptical salt.
"The majority [of supermodels] go home at the end of the day and live their life. I don't know why people have painted this picture. There are certain stories that can support this negative stereotype, but for the most part, they are not like that," he explains, adding not even the notorious Campbell is a diva. "You know what the funny thing is? I've worked with Naomi and everyone thinks she's just this strong, bitchy person. You know, Naomi is actually insecure. She's very sweet. I can't speak for the fact that she does crazy things, but who she is as a person is not what people portray her as."
So, for every vapid, shallow, hedonistic diva throwing a temper tantrum and refusing to sashay down catwalk because her favorite frappucino isn't the right temperature, many more models are simply attractive individuals living like the proverbial "girl next door." Maybe more Canadian supermodels need to achieve worldwide fame our infamous humility might change a few perceptions about "the supermodel attitude."
Manuel's own beauty seems rooted in his self-confidence, an essential ingredient for sustained success in the fashion industry. With his virtually perfect complexion, he doesn't look a day over 21. His physique looks like he could be a Calvin Klein underwear model, if he chose to switch positions. And even though his image seems like it might require hours of preparation, it never takes him very long in the morning to achieve the look of the legendary "Jay Manual brand."
"I get up, I shower, you know, what have you," he explains. "Even my hair, people wonder, 'Is it a big deal?' It takes three minutes. It's gel, no brush, run my hands through, spike it up, throw some hairspray on it, and then I blow-dry it for a second and that's it."
Yet as easy as it is for him to create his look, he points out that it's increasingly difficult to alter it as his status in the industry increases.
"Now it's part of the brand, and certain jobs are in place where they say I can't even change it back!"
Manuel and his trademark frosted tips have also cropped up at worked at dozens of important functions and he's well known to fashionistas and fans alike. He was the official fashion correspondent for E! Network at the Emmy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, the Grammy Awards and the Academy Awards. He also recently hosted the annual Fashion Cares Gala, Canada's biggest AIDS awareness fundraiser. This year's event featured Dita Von Teese, Kelly Rowland, Mya and Bedouin Soundclash, among others. His work with Fashion Cares helps him stay grounded as a fashion icon, a job that can offer a variety of hedonistic, flamboyant diversions.
Canada's globally recognized Gay Pride Day is one of the many manifestations of our country's diverse examples of aesthetic appreciation. And in regards to the seriousness of the continuing AIDS epidemic, its connection to the gay community and communities beyond, Manuel stays very involved in charity events, possibly inspired by his father, who is a doctor. He's also hopeful of a cure.
"I have faith in the medical community, because people didn't even think we could get here in five or 10 years" he says. "It's not this serious kinda 'let's all mourn' thing. It's not about that. Let's be happy about where we are, and where we're going to go."
Remaining balanced in such an extreme industry is a daunting task, but Manuel has consistently succeeded at it. There may be a dichotomy, even outright hypocrisy, at play with many aspects of fashion industry, but Manuel concentrates on the task at hand, produces professional results, and, ultimately, doesn't take it all too seriously.
"Fashion is fun. You can change it. You can wear something crazy one day and be in a boardroom suit the next. That's the amazing thing about it," he says.
Diversity and beauty promoted by a multicultural man. How very Canadian. He practices what he preaches, and between his humanitarian efforts and his entertaining television-hosting efforts, Manuel seems like the perfect candidate to continue building Canada's connection to the international world of fashion.
"If you really do have the passion for this industry, [Canada's Next Top Model] can catapult you into a huge career," declares Manuel. "And with that added support of those that helped get you there, you will be a huge success, and that's what I believe."
Here's hoping reality TV's summer lineup features plenty of sweet bitterness
With every winner, comes a loser. And this week, reality TV was all about both.
We saw Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno and his partner Julianne Hough waltz away with the cheesy disco ball trophy on Dancing With the Stars; Jordin Sparks steal the American Idol crown and Tessa Horst win bachelor Andy Baldwin's heart.
But the real fun came from watching the losers have their dreams crushed on TV.
Take, for example, Laila Ali, who was booted off Dancing With the Stars in third place. Instead of faking happiness for the final two pairs, she provided reality fans with an actual real moment.
"Of course, I'm pissed. I mean, come on," she said, before adding it didn't matter who won now that she'd been cut from the competition.
Another great moment came when Bevin Powers was flat out rejected on The Bachelor. Believing she was a shoo-in from the first episode, she was clearly shocked by the breakup, saying nothing as Baldwin, bursting into tears, tried to explain his decision.
Blake Lewis, who lost Idol, was not as entertaining. In fact, he actually looked happy for Sparks, which made for a rather boring ending to television's most-popular show.
Let's just hope all the contestants on this summer's slough of reality shows are not as well-behaved:
Pirate Master (premieres Thursday on CBS): From the mind of Mark Burnett, Pirate Master is Survivor on a 179-foot ship. Over 33 days, 16 contestants will travel around the Caribbean in search of hidden treasure. Each week, one pirate will become the captain of the ship and one will be "cut adrift."
On the Lot (premiered last Tuesday on Fox): Burnett and Steven Spielberg are searching for the next great filmmaker. This week it was all about the pitch -- selling yourself and your movie to a bunch of uptight execs. While it was fun to watch, it seemed a bit unfair to crush the hopes of filmmakers just because they get a little white-faced in front of crowds.
Canadian Idol (premieres June 5 on CTV): Zack, Sass, Jake, Farley and Ben are back for a fifth season. Basically American Idol with Canadian contestants who, this year, are allowed to play instruments. Let's hope it brings out musicians instead of just the teeny-boppers.
Canada's Next Top Model (premieres May 30 on City-TV): Jay Manuel of America's Next Top Model is taking over the Canadian version as the new Tyra Banks. Other than that, and a few changes on the judging panel, it's pretty much the same show as last year.
So You Think You Can Dance 3 (premiered last Thursday on Fox): It's back. After two incredibly successful seasons, SYTYCD is on the hunt for the next Benji Schwimmer. And with all the talented dancers out there, this summer's cast is sure to strut right into the hearts of reality TV fans to become the next big thing.
Last Comic Standing 5 (premieres June 13 on NBC): In hopes of appealing to a broader audience, Comic has opened the competition to comedians from around the world and thrown in a $250,000 US grand prize. The winner will also receive an NBC talent contract and Bravo half-hour comedy special.
The Next Best Thing (premieres Wednesday on ABC): Do we really need to find the country's best celebrity impersonators? Apparently we do. So, ABC has gone on a search for all those people who bare an uncanny resemblance to movie stars, singing sensations and Paris Hiltons past and present.
Hell's Kitchen 3 (premieres June 4 on Fox): Foul-mouthed British chef Gordon Ramsay will torment a new crop of cooks as they fight it out in the kitchen to win the head chef job at the luxurious Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas.
Fast Cars & Superstars -- Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race (premieres June 7 on ABC): A dozen celebrity drivers, including Jewel, Tony Hawk and William Shatner, partner with the Gillette Young Guns to learn how to live life in the really fast lane.
American Inventor 2 (premieres June 6 on ABC): Does anyone even know what happened to last year's winner? Has anyone ever seen, or bought, that rotatable baby car seat? Regardless, ABC felt it necessary to, once again, search for America's next great inventor.
Age of Love (premieres June 18 on NBC): Tennis pro Mark Philippoussis will date seven women in their 20s -- the "Kittens" -- and seven women in their 40s -- the "Cougars." Then he'll have to decide if age really matters when looking for love, which, of course, it does.
Shaq's Big Challenge (premieres June 26 on ABC): Shaquille O'Neal will help transform six obese American middle-schoolers into healthy kids in this weigh-loss series. Predictably, there will be a lot of moaning, tears and broccoli. Yuck.
America's Got Talent 2 (premieres June 5 on NBC): NBC is bringing in Dancing With the Stars' standout Jerry Springer as the new Regis Philbin and crazy Sharon Osbourne as the older and more-opinionated Brandy. David Hasselhoff will also be back. Don't expect much from the acts on stage.
Big Brother 8 (premieres July 5 on CBS): A new group of house guests will move in together for the summer. The one who can outlast all the rest will walk away with $500,000 and exactly 15 minutes of fame.
We saw Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno and his partner Julianne Hough waltz away with the cheesy disco ball trophy on Dancing With the Stars; Jordin Sparks steal the American Idol crown and Tessa Horst win bachelor Andy Baldwin's heart.
But the real fun came from watching the losers have their dreams crushed on TV.
Take, for example, Laila Ali, who was booted off Dancing With the Stars in third place. Instead of faking happiness for the final two pairs, she provided reality fans with an actual real moment.
"Of course, I'm pissed. I mean, come on," she said, before adding it didn't matter who won now that she'd been cut from the competition.
Another great moment came when Bevin Powers was flat out rejected on The Bachelor. Believing she was a shoo-in from the first episode, she was clearly shocked by the breakup, saying nothing as Baldwin, bursting into tears, tried to explain his decision.
Blake Lewis, who lost Idol, was not as entertaining. In fact, he actually looked happy for Sparks, which made for a rather boring ending to television's most-popular show.
Let's just hope all the contestants on this summer's slough of reality shows are not as well-behaved:
Pirate Master (premieres Thursday on CBS): From the mind of Mark Burnett, Pirate Master is Survivor on a 179-foot ship. Over 33 days, 16 contestants will travel around the Caribbean in search of hidden treasure. Each week, one pirate will become the captain of the ship and one will be "cut adrift."
On the Lot (premiered last Tuesday on Fox): Burnett and Steven Spielberg are searching for the next great filmmaker. This week it was all about the pitch -- selling yourself and your movie to a bunch of uptight execs. While it was fun to watch, it seemed a bit unfair to crush the hopes of filmmakers just because they get a little white-faced in front of crowds.
Canadian Idol (premieres June 5 on CTV): Zack, Sass, Jake, Farley and Ben are back for a fifth season. Basically American Idol with Canadian contestants who, this year, are allowed to play instruments. Let's hope it brings out musicians instead of just the teeny-boppers.
Canada's Next Top Model (premieres May 30 on City-TV): Jay Manuel of America's Next Top Model is taking over the Canadian version as the new Tyra Banks. Other than that, and a few changes on the judging panel, it's pretty much the same show as last year.
So You Think You Can Dance 3 (premiered last Thursday on Fox): It's back. After two incredibly successful seasons, SYTYCD is on the hunt for the next Benji Schwimmer. And with all the talented dancers out there, this summer's cast is sure to strut right into the hearts of reality TV fans to become the next big thing.
Last Comic Standing 5 (premieres June 13 on NBC): In hopes of appealing to a broader audience, Comic has opened the competition to comedians from around the world and thrown in a $250,000 US grand prize. The winner will also receive an NBC talent contract and Bravo half-hour comedy special.
The Next Best Thing (premieres Wednesday on ABC): Do we really need to find the country's best celebrity impersonators? Apparently we do. So, ABC has gone on a search for all those people who bare an uncanny resemblance to movie stars, singing sensations and Paris Hiltons past and present.
Hell's Kitchen 3 (premieres June 4 on Fox): Foul-mouthed British chef Gordon Ramsay will torment a new crop of cooks as they fight it out in the kitchen to win the head chef job at the luxurious Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas.
Fast Cars & Superstars -- Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race (premieres June 7 on ABC): A dozen celebrity drivers, including Jewel, Tony Hawk and William Shatner, partner with the Gillette Young Guns to learn how to live life in the really fast lane.
American Inventor 2 (premieres June 6 on ABC): Does anyone even know what happened to last year's winner? Has anyone ever seen, or bought, that rotatable baby car seat? Regardless, ABC felt it necessary to, once again, search for America's next great inventor.
Age of Love (premieres June 18 on NBC): Tennis pro Mark Philippoussis will date seven women in their 20s -- the "Kittens" -- and seven women in their 40s -- the "Cougars." Then he'll have to decide if age really matters when looking for love, which, of course, it does.
Shaq's Big Challenge (premieres June 26 on ABC): Shaquille O'Neal will help transform six obese American middle-schoolers into healthy kids in this weigh-loss series. Predictably, there will be a lot of moaning, tears and broccoli. Yuck.
America's Got Talent 2 (premieres June 5 on NBC): NBC is bringing in Dancing With the Stars' standout Jerry Springer as the new Regis Philbin and crazy Sharon Osbourne as the older and more-opinionated Brandy. David Hasselhoff will also be back. Don't expect much from the acts on stage.
Big Brother 8 (premieres July 5 on CBS): A new group of house guests will move in together for the summer. The one who can outlast all the rest will walk away with $500,000 and exactly 15 minutes of fame.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Canada's next top ego
When I was flipping channels the other day , a familiar-looking head of platinum spikes caught my attention.
Canada's Next Top Model host Jay Manuel was shilling some sort of eyebrow-shaping product on the Home Shopping Network.
The Toronto native is everywhere these days. He's hanging with Miss Tyra over on America's Next Top Model, and now he's taken over for Battlestar Galactica robo-babe Tricia Helfer as the host of season two of Canada's Next Top Model. (Don't call it the Canadian version of America's Next Top Model; Jay gets a little pissy).
Sure, there are a dozen or so hot young Kate Moss wannabes striking a pose on the newest CNTM poster. But they're just window dressing behind Manuel, front and centre, jaw set, cheeks sucked in and dressed like a Spider-villain in a skin-tight black outfight that looks like the tread of my Adidas sneakers.
Jay Manuel has become a brand. He refers to the Jay brand several times when we meet for an interview across the street from the CHUM building.
"One of the things I teach the girls is that there's Jay the brand and then there's Jay you don't want it to over-inflate who you are." Riiiight.
At this point you're wondering one of two things: Who the hell cares about Jay Manuel? Or what does he look like you know, in person?
On the first count, turns out a lot of people care, if the ratings for these runway showdowns are any indication.
As for how he looks pretty much the same as on TV and billboards, except shorter. He's like the less cartoonish, less plastic love child of Bart Simpson and a Barbie doll.
Jay would make a great drag queen, I think, as our conversation follows its light and fluffy path.
About maintaining his anonymity: "I have a lot of baseball caps."
About his hair: "It's part of that brand of that person. It's written into my contracts that I can't change that."
About Tyra Banks's habit of wearing pirate-style headscarves and at one point a wig that looked like David Bowie's in Labyrinth: "We all know what Tyra can do and how she can look, and if she's not having her best day, well, unfortunately, she's doing it in front of millions of people."
About recent ANTM contender Jael: "I didn't get it. Did I enjoy Jael? She was fun, but a model? Naw."
But therein lies the problem with the Next Top Model shows. While real models need to have a certain tabula rasa quality they are merely clothes hangers for the designers, after all the women cast in these shows need to have strong personalities or the runoff would be duller than Fashion Television.
"There's a little bit of a mixed message there," Manuel admits, "but true top models and supermodels are muses. Especially today they're expected to be superwomen spokesmodels, runway models and role models."
Which is why when it comes to casting (and make no mistake, these shows are cast just like any sitcom or drama), hundreds, sometimes thousands of potential clothes hangers are screened to find just the right mix. "Not that we think we need two alpha girls so they clash," Manuel says.
Perhaps the biggest criticism levelled at the model shows (and ANTM in particular) is that unlike American Idol, which has produced actual pop stars, they've come up with nothing resembling an actual supermodel.
"Where's our Kelly Clarkson? Yeah, it's a comment I've heard a few times," says Manuel.
"With ANTM, beyond the show there isn't the support to help the winner grow beyond the brand. With Canada's Next Top Model, it's a very different energy.
"The winner will be getting a great prize but also will have my commitment to manage her beyond the show, and both [judge] Jeanne Beker and I will use our contacts to help grow this talent."
And if there's anyone who knows how to grow a brand, it's Jay Manuel.
Canada's Next Top Model host Jay Manuel was shilling some sort of eyebrow-shaping product on the Home Shopping Network.
The Toronto native is everywhere these days. He's hanging with Miss Tyra over on America's Next Top Model, and now he's taken over for Battlestar Galactica robo-babe Tricia Helfer as the host of season two of Canada's Next Top Model. (Don't call it the Canadian version of America's Next Top Model; Jay gets a little pissy).
Sure, there are a dozen or so hot young Kate Moss wannabes striking a pose on the newest CNTM poster. But they're just window dressing behind Manuel, front and centre, jaw set, cheeks sucked in and dressed like a Spider-villain in a skin-tight black outfight that looks like the tread of my Adidas sneakers.
Jay Manuel has become a brand. He refers to the Jay brand several times when we meet for an interview across the street from the CHUM building.
"One of the things I teach the girls is that there's Jay the brand and then there's Jay you don't want it to over-inflate who you are." Riiiight.
At this point you're wondering one of two things: Who the hell cares about Jay Manuel? Or what does he look like you know, in person?
On the first count, turns out a lot of people care, if the ratings for these runway showdowns are any indication.
As for how he looks pretty much the same as on TV and billboards, except shorter. He's like the less cartoonish, less plastic love child of Bart Simpson and a Barbie doll.
Jay would make a great drag queen, I think, as our conversation follows its light and fluffy path.
About maintaining his anonymity: "I have a lot of baseball caps."
About his hair: "It's part of that brand of that person. It's written into my contracts that I can't change that."
About Tyra Banks's habit of wearing pirate-style headscarves and at one point a wig that looked like David Bowie's in Labyrinth: "We all know what Tyra can do and how she can look, and if she's not having her best day, well, unfortunately, she's doing it in front of millions of people."
About recent ANTM contender Jael: "I didn't get it. Did I enjoy Jael? She was fun, but a model? Naw."
But therein lies the problem with the Next Top Model shows. While real models need to have a certain tabula rasa quality they are merely clothes hangers for the designers, after all the women cast in these shows need to have strong personalities or the runoff would be duller than Fashion Television.
"There's a little bit of a mixed message there," Manuel admits, "but true top models and supermodels are muses. Especially today they're expected to be superwomen spokesmodels, runway models and role models."
Which is why when it comes to casting (and make no mistake, these shows are cast just like any sitcom or drama), hundreds, sometimes thousands of potential clothes hangers are screened to find just the right mix. "Not that we think we need two alpha girls so they clash," Manuel says.
Perhaps the biggest criticism levelled at the model shows (and ANTM in particular) is that unlike American Idol, which has produced actual pop stars, they've come up with nothing resembling an actual supermodel.
"Where's our Kelly Clarkson? Yeah, it's a comment I've heard a few times," says Manuel.
"With ANTM, beyond the show there isn't the support to help the winner grow beyond the brand. With Canada's Next Top Model, it's a very different energy.
"The winner will be getting a great prize but also will have my commitment to manage her beyond the show, and both [judge] Jeanne Beker and I will use our contacts to help grow this talent."
And if there's anyone who knows how to grow a brand, it's Jay Manuel.
Exclusive Interview: America's Next Top Model Winner, Jaslene Gonzalez
Jaslene Gonzalez is undoubtedly very proud to be the first Latina to become America’s Next Top Model. BuddyTV had the chance to chat with Jaslene in an exclusive one-on-one interview yesterday to about her experience. As you might expect, she didn’t hold back and made some pretty bold statements about both herself and some of the other competitors.
Top 5 queer Asian-American women in entertainment and media
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which provides a perfect opportunity to give a shout out to the queer Asian-American women who have been out both in front of the camera and behind it, giving a much-needed face to the queer Asian-American community.
5. Alice Wu
The Stanford-educated computer scientist-turned-filmmaker burst onto the queer scene in 2004 with her debut feature film, Saving Face, about a Chinese-American medical student, Wil (Michelle Krusiec), who falls for a dancer, Vivian (Lynn Chen). The film, which began as a wholly independent feature from an unknown and previously untested director, went on to be picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics, making it the first theatrically released film about an Asian-American lesbian.
Wu is currently working on her second feature film, Paramount's Foreign Babes in Beijing, an adaptation of Rachel DeWoskin's memoir about a 21-year-old poetry major who goes to China to work for an American PR firm, then tries out for an acting job on a whim and becomes an overnight success on a Chinese soap.
4. Nisha Ganatra
The out Indian-American director and actor's first feature-length film, Chutney Popcorn (1999) earned both critical and popular acclaim, taking home audience awards at both Outfest and Frameline that year. The New York Times' Stephen Holden wrote: "The story of an Indian-American lesbian who impulsively decides to have a baby for her married, infertile older sister carries off the tricky feat of being wisecracking one minute and serious the next while staying true to its characters and sustaining a jovial easygoing tone. Here is one comedy that actually earns its mostly happy ending."
Ganatra went on to direct Cosmopolitan (2003), a PBS film about an Indian-American family and starring Purva Bedi, who was recently cast in the upcoming When Kiran Met Karen, as well as the romantic comedy Cake (2005), starring Heather Graham (Gray Matters). She hasn't been idle since then, either. Look for her in Margaret Cho's Bam Bam and Celeste this summer, and in the upcoming Don't Go, a TV series debuting at Outfest this July.
3. Jenny Shimizu
Shimizu first gained our attention back in the early '90s when she became the face of Calvin Klein's unisex One cologne, but she really made headlines when her brief relationship with Angelina Jolie in the mid-'90s (the two met on the set of the film Foxfire) became public knowledge. After the Jolie affair, Shimizu dropped out of sight for awhile, but the motorcycle-riding, tattooed model-turned-actor began to test the Hollywood waters again a couple of years ago.
She appeared on an episode of America's Next Top Model, dealt with even more rumors about her love life (this time involving Madonna), floated a reality series on the now-defunct Q Television Network, and recently played the part of Laurel in POWER UP's first feature-length film, Itty Bitty Titty Committee. Last month, here! announced that Shimizu had been cast in Season 3 of its supernatural soap, Dante's Cove, so we can be sure to see more of her in the future. (Or watch this video of her talking about motorcycles and girls on our Video Picks page now.)
2. Margaret Cho
The outspoken comedian has always been one to lay it on the line, being open about everything from her relationship with her mother to her feelings about racism and her sexual experiences with women. In 1994, Cho was also the first Asian-American actor to carry her own prime-time show, the short-lived sitcom All American Girl. Its cancellation sent her into an alcoholic depression, but she turned that experience into the nationally touring, hilarious 1999 performance, I'm the One That I Want.
After that rousing success, Cho went on to produce two more national one-woman shows, Notorious C.H.O. (2002) and the politically charged CHO Revolution (2004). In 2005, Cho wrote, produced and acted in the feature film Bam Bam and Celeste, which hits theaters (and will be available on DVD) later this summer.
1. Helen Zia
Journalist Helen Zia has been reporting on the Asian-American community and feminism for decades (she is a former executive editor of Ms. magazine). Though pressure from feminist and Asian-American groups in the 1970s kept her closeted during the early years of her career, Zia has long since been an openly lesbian activist and writer, covering stories on date rape, women in neo-Nazi organizations and homophobia. Her work in the civil-rights case that arose after the murder of Vincent Chin was documented in the Academy Award-nominated film Who Killed Vincent Chin?
In 2000, Zia's book Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People was a finalist for the prestigious Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize, and in 2001 she co-wrote with Wen Ho Lee My Country Versus Me: The First-Hand Account by the Los Alamos Scientist Who Was Falsely Accused of Being a Spy. These days, Zia is an active part of the marriage equality movement, and married her partner, Lia Shigemura, in 2004 in San Francisco.
5. Alice Wu
The Stanford-educated computer scientist-turned-filmmaker burst onto the queer scene in 2004 with her debut feature film, Saving Face, about a Chinese-American medical student, Wil (Michelle Krusiec), who falls for a dancer, Vivian (Lynn Chen). The film, which began as a wholly independent feature from an unknown and previously untested director, went on to be picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics, making it the first theatrically released film about an Asian-American lesbian.
Wu is currently working on her second feature film, Paramount's Foreign Babes in Beijing, an adaptation of Rachel DeWoskin's memoir about a 21-year-old poetry major who goes to China to work for an American PR firm, then tries out for an acting job on a whim and becomes an overnight success on a Chinese soap.
4. Nisha Ganatra
The out Indian-American director and actor's first feature-length film, Chutney Popcorn (1999) earned both critical and popular acclaim, taking home audience awards at both Outfest and Frameline that year. The New York Times' Stephen Holden wrote: "The story of an Indian-American lesbian who impulsively decides to have a baby for her married, infertile older sister carries off the tricky feat of being wisecracking one minute and serious the next while staying true to its characters and sustaining a jovial easygoing tone. Here is one comedy that actually earns its mostly happy ending."
Ganatra went on to direct Cosmopolitan (2003), a PBS film about an Indian-American family and starring Purva Bedi, who was recently cast in the upcoming When Kiran Met Karen, as well as the romantic comedy Cake (2005), starring Heather Graham (Gray Matters). She hasn't been idle since then, either. Look for her in Margaret Cho's Bam Bam and Celeste this summer, and in the upcoming Don't Go, a TV series debuting at Outfest this July.
3. Jenny Shimizu
Shimizu first gained our attention back in the early '90s when she became the face of Calvin Klein's unisex One cologne, but she really made headlines when her brief relationship with Angelina Jolie in the mid-'90s (the two met on the set of the film Foxfire) became public knowledge. After the Jolie affair, Shimizu dropped out of sight for awhile, but the motorcycle-riding, tattooed model-turned-actor began to test the Hollywood waters again a couple of years ago.
She appeared on an episode of America's Next Top Model, dealt with even more rumors about her love life (this time involving Madonna), floated a reality series on the now-defunct Q Television Network, and recently played the part of Laurel in POWER UP's first feature-length film, Itty Bitty Titty Committee. Last month, here! announced that Shimizu had been cast in Season 3 of its supernatural soap, Dante's Cove, so we can be sure to see more of her in the future. (Or watch this video of her talking about motorcycles and girls on our Video Picks page now.)
2. Margaret Cho
The outspoken comedian has always been one to lay it on the line, being open about everything from her relationship with her mother to her feelings about racism and her sexual experiences with women. In 1994, Cho was also the first Asian-American actor to carry her own prime-time show, the short-lived sitcom All American Girl. Its cancellation sent her into an alcoholic depression, but she turned that experience into the nationally touring, hilarious 1999 performance, I'm the One That I Want.
After that rousing success, Cho went on to produce two more national one-woman shows, Notorious C.H.O. (2002) and the politically charged CHO Revolution (2004). In 2005, Cho wrote, produced and acted in the feature film Bam Bam and Celeste, which hits theaters (and will be available on DVD) later this summer.
1. Helen Zia
Journalist Helen Zia has been reporting on the Asian-American community and feminism for decades (she is a former executive editor of Ms. magazine). Though pressure from feminist and Asian-American groups in the 1970s kept her closeted during the early years of her career, Zia has long since been an openly lesbian activist and writer, covering stories on date rape, women in neo-Nazi organizations and homophobia. Her work in the civil-rights case that arose after the murder of Vincent Chin was documented in the Academy Award-nominated film Who Killed Vincent Chin?
In 2000, Zia's book Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People was a finalist for the prestigious Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize, and in 2001 she co-wrote with Wen Ho Lee My Country Versus Me: The First-Hand Account by the Los Alamos Scientist Who Was Falsely Accused of Being a Spy. These days, Zia is an active part of the marriage equality movement, and married her partner, Lia Shigemura, in 2004 in San Francisco.
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