MasterChef 2012-Bull Testicles? Really?

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One thing we can always count on with Gordon Ramsay, no matter the Ramsay show but especially on MasterChef are long drawn out breaths, scratching of the neck nape, expulsion of all gathered air in the lungs, very pregnant pauses, premature finger-pointing and the best of all, Ramsay's rather silly way of trying to make it look like a contender is going home when he's staying, or visa-versa for that matter.

Ramsay will point to a contender and do all the Ramsay drama, holding breath, expelling breath, scratching head nape. "John, I hate to have to tell you …" long pause "but you will not be …" scratch of the neck nape … "going …." another long pause, breath winds up his face…."home. Get back to your station, you're staying."

This drama and how it's somewhat deceiving, causes the other contender on the line to be heart-broken as the way Ramsay was going with this thing was that the guy he was speaking to was going home.

This is also meant to keep us viewers out here across the fruited plains all nervous and riveted to our TV's. There is almost a commercial inserted in these drama announcements and at times it gets to look a bit silly.

All of these competitive reality shows do this. Ryan Seacrest has a reputation that precedes him with his drawn out announcements that ends with NO announcement save an upcoming commercial break.

But Gordon Ramsay, man he's got it knocked. He does the same sort of thing on Hell's Kitchen so he's well-practiced at it.



As for the MasterChef series itself, well it's going along. I rather like cooking competitive reality shows and Ramsay, along with his mainstay, Fox, always brings out MasterChef AND Hell's Kitchen right as the Next Food Network Star starts to heat up.It's the all-American way, nothing wrong with it.MasterChef contenders are cooks are way more amateur than Food Network Star contenders and I suppose there's the allure.

Except on a recent episode the contenders had to make a dish using mystery box ingredients that included bull testicles, tongue, tripe and the like.Somebody tell Ramsay that us amateur chefs out here in la-la land don't usually make meals using a bull's balls as the main meat, is he nuts?

Other challenges on MasterChef included cooking for a bevy of marines at Camp Pendleton, and a mystery box that had T-bone steak as an ingredient, praise the Lord. Early on, of course, there was a challenge to prepare a perfect risotto and if there's nothing Ramsay is fanatic about it's risotto.

Somebody tell Gordon that us average American type cooks aren't all that nuts about serving risotto either, at least not how Ramsay uses this dish in every one of his shows as if risotto were some sort of all-American hot dog or something.

I'm looking for cute Felix, a female contender, to remain a top placed contender in the 2012 competition. Keep an eye out for Monti, a female who always seems to be in trouble. I don't think Monti will win but I do think she will be a focal point of many episodes.

Soon there will be an even dozen MasterChef contenders left and we'll be watching. Check in this Blog and see what we've got to say.

Below all posts on this Blog on this subject.

Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef Begins on Fox for 2012 Just In Time to Compete With the Next Food Network Star

MasterChef airs on Fox on Monday nights at 9pm

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Bachelorette Emily 2012-Let the Home Town Dates Begin

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SPOILER ALERT for the episode aired 7/2/12

I can't remember a time when I've heard more gobbly-gook and double-speak than on the home town dates aired on The Bachelorette on 7/2/12.

Except, perhaps, on the episode of The Bachelorette before that.

This show requires that the participants speak in general terms, that words be cloaked to somehow work around what's actually happening here.

Because we've got a beautiful woman meeting the parents and family of four guys. Their whole "relationship" was part of a popular television series. Every mother, father, sister and brother of those four guys know that no matter how much their beloved speaks well of Emily, knows that there's three other guys out there saying the same thing.

Sean

It was Sean's mother who broached the subject of Emily's prior relationship with Brad and good on her. If it was my son this would be the very first subject I'd bring up.

The parents of the other contenders might have brought up the subject as well but it was only this scene that was televised, I hasten to add.

"Well, you know," Emily began, "Brad and I, we weren't in the same place," Emily went on. At which Sean's mother murmured, as she murmured constantly during Emily's "explanation" of her and Brad's short and rocky relationship. No matter what silly terminology Emily used, Sean's mother would murmur to the effect "of course, of course" and I wanted to slap her.

If that were my son I'd be speaking plain and stern to this young woman.

"I have no problem with this rather unique way to find a mate," I'd say. "Nowadays there's all kinds of novel ways to meet people, online dating, speed dating….that sort of thing. But you done went an entire season and declared your love and devotion to a guy who from the very start was suspect as being a flake."

I wouldn't even let Emily get an "I know" in cause I'd not be done.

Chris Gone After Home Town Rose Ceremony

"So I question how you could love my son, if it comes to that, when you'd so publicly declared a love, to the point of being engaged, for another fellow on television and that ended badly. How on earth am I supposed to trust that you won't hurt my son with such a shallow tendency? Brad Womack, man, any girl with half a brain would have avoided him like the dickens."

I realize my scripted rant above wouldn't make good TV but it's how I feel about the rather vapid Emily and her questionable choices. I believe Emily's out for the media exposure and my son, were he one of the final four home town contenders, would just be a pawn.

Which I think those four fellow are but that's just me.

I have no reason to wish an unhappy ending on Emily and I do not. But come on, Brad Womack?


At any rate, let's have a look at these final three guys.

We begin with my prediction on who is going to win Emily's hand . I believe it will be Sean.Sean played a silly but cute little joke with Emily on the home town date show and he fooled me. He acted as if he were making a painful confession then declared that he was still living "here", said "here" being the very beautiful home of his parents.Of course a grown man close to 30 should not still be living at his parents and when I was a young, single, pretty lass I'd throw such a guy overboard toot d sweet.Sean also took Emily up to see what was allegedly his bedroom, which was a mess, filled with trash and crumbs. At this point I kind of figured it was a joke and hey, it was cute.

Jef of the beautiful hair

Jef is the fellow with the gorgeous hair. Jef is a Mormon and wow, he's got a huge family. Jef's parents were not on the hometown show as they were supposedly out on some "missionary" work.A man who springs from religious stock, Emily could do worse. In Emily's case, I think she'll consider it a strike against Jef.

Arie

As for Arie, he's my second choice for Emily.Emily rode in a race car with Arie, a bit of drama scripted for the show, I'm sure. Recall that Emily's former fiance, father of her daughter Ricki, was a Nascar race car driver. Arie's choice as a contender was perfect for the drama and sobs it would bring back.Arie is Dutch, and his mother spoke Dutch in front of Emily, responded to by both Arie and his father. Speaking a foreign language over the head of an invited guest is considered bad manners. Though I'm not at all sure this scene wasn't scripted as it sure seemed to be.

Finally, there's Emily. Lookit, Emily is quite attractive, no denying. And honestly she seems nice enough and between Emily and Brad Womack I'd readily say that Womack was the problem. This guy was a bad egg as far back as his first appearance on The Bachelor when he rather haughtily declared no lovelorn contenders were worthy of his fine self.But those fellows need to ponder that

Emily is used to the finer things in life, she's all about Emily (and her daughter), she's not for your average coal miner. I think Sean will fill the bill but he needs to carefully guard his heart and ponder all the caveats of a life with the very beautiful, pampered Emily.

Below, all posts on this Blog on this subject

The Bachelorette 2012-Emily Dumps Brad, Seeks New PartnerBachelorette 2012 Emily Maynard Used to the Finer Things In Life

The Bachelorette 2012-Four Left. Winner Obvious, One's a Wild Man

The Bachelorette airs on ABC, Monday nights, at 9pm.

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Design Star 2012-Interior Decorating by Talent in This Most Under-Rated of Competitive Reality Shows

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I'm so glad Design Star is on tonight

I am very much enjoying this year's episodes of HGTV's Design Star.

. Actually I enjoy this series very much every year it airs and I do follow up on the winners. A recent winner was Meg and I watch her winning show "Great Rooms" often. The winners of Design Star are more often than not successful in their new series though some have not been seen for a while.

I think this is a very under-rated show in terms of its subject, the application of the challenges to the subject and the judging.

Like other competitive reality shows, there is a panel of judges but often a guest, generally a "star" of the network, is brought in.

Designing a room is not the sort of thing that can have a "little" challenge and a "big" challenge like, say, the Next Food Network Star.

Since we are dealing with the artistic class there is, as is often the case, drama, tears, angst.

As of this writing there are six Design Stars left. Advertising advises that an upcoming episode will have TWO contenders going home. Competitive reality shows do this, usually the sorts of shows that aren't as popular with the American public.

I've enjoyed the decorating challenges and I admire the skill of the decorators.

The Kardashian challenge had the decorating contenders decorating the new Kardashian offices, including the kitchen, reception area.




I'm a bit astounded by how much advertising is done surreptitiously on this show. On the Kardashian show we had Lumber Liquidators, Kohler and Cabinets-to-Go in various decorating schemes. Nothing wrong with a little all-American hyping of your product but I'm jus' sayin'.

 Another episode had the contenders decorating an inside area that flowed into an outside area. There were handsome wooden zig-zag fences, tree stump table tops and an oddly place children's play area next to the trashcans. This was done by Rachel, a contender I'd just praised and she did, indeed, land in the bottom two of this challenge.

Yet another decorating challenge had the contenders creating a hip and happening lounge to honor Hollywood. The contenders were given their decorating era by drawing of a random card at the beginning of the episode. The results were amazing though some, as is always the case, were not ...well not so much.

Brittany's Hollywood Regency room

I still think Rachel is now most likely to win this thing. Rachel's won two challenges though she's recently landed in the bottom. Winners of these things do go to the bottom at least once during the series just to, I dunno, keep the viewers guessing.

Hilari's post 80'a Hollywood room

Hilari's a possibility. She's won one challenge but also landed in the bottom two on one challenge. More important, I like Hilari, I think she's sweet and has a real sense of decorating style for one so young.

Below all posts on this Blog on this subject:

  12 Interior Designers Begin the Competition for HGTV's Design Star 2012

Design Star airs on Tuesday nights, HGTV at 9pm 

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America's Got Talent 2012 Finally Gets Down to Business

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I've hereby decided that "America's Got Talent" is my favorite competitive reality show of them all.

This includes American Idol, X Factor and The Voice.

Of course my delight at the show is its amazing diversity of talent and I'll say it, the amazing talents of Americans across the fruited plains. Sometimes I scratch my head and ponder who would think up such a thing?

Like the guy who plays music on the appliances.

You read that right, music on appliances, to include a vacuum cleaner the night I chanced to watch.

Who on earth came up with a notion to try and play music on a vacuum cleaner, and eventually excelling at it to a point of musical delight?

Now the guy who played music on his vacuum cleaner was just eliminated because come on, as intriguing as this "talent" is, it's not something most folks would pay to sit and hear. It surely is not a million dollar act.

That's the wand of a vacuum cleaner in his mouth

Howard Stern summed it up by suggesting that this is an act that would play well in a Home Depot, for example, but it's not a very good stage act.

Still and so you gotta smile. At some point in this fellow's life he actually decided to play a blender, a handsaw, a vacuum cleaner. I will always consider this a major part of America's charm. We have a plethora of folks with entirely too much time on their hands.




This past week four of what they call the "quarter-finalists" were voted on. The ones voted on by America and if part of the bottom three, by the judges, are quite good.

One act is a David Garibaldi and the CMYK or some such. This fellow does an amazing act. There's music, dancing and...PAINTING!


He completes an entire picture by the end of his act and it is always a surprise. Garibaldi will have the same problem so many of these specialty acts have, which is, can he keep his show fresh enough, with enough new surprises and material, to win this thing?

Edon is a young fellow who plays the piano quite well. The Scott Brothers are a unique and funny comedy team.

Maurice and Shanice are a father-daughter team who have caught the attention of America this past week. Below a short snippet of their singing act.

Shanice is a very good singer and so is her dad. But truth is that their novelty is their father-daughter status and this is not a small thing. But there are really only so many appropriate songs for a father and daughter to sing together.

The challenge for these two will be to choose the right song, this is sooooo soooo important, and move America to emote over the beauty of the father/daughter team.

America's Got Talent will be featuring 12 of these quarter-finalists over the next few weeks as they have 48 quarter-finalists. We'll be watching. Drop back in and find out how we size up the competition.

Below all posts on this Blog on this subject:

America's Got Talent 2012 Begins-Howard Stern An Interesting Addition. Gossip, Thoughts, Snark

America's Got Talent 2012, from Tampa to Austin, Weirdness Prevails; Acts to Watch

America's Got Talent Airs on NBC, Monday nights, at 8pm. Show times change so check listings.

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

Pat Fish's Blog

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America's Got Talent 2012 Finally Gets Down to Business ==============================
Bachelorette Emily 2012-Let the Home Town Dates Begin ==============================	Design Star 2012-Interior Decorating by Talent in This Most Under-Rated of Competitive Reality Shows ==============================
Duets 2012 Goes To America for the Vote ========================================	MasterChef 2012-Bull Testicles? Really? ==============================
Rev: Fox's Dating Shows: "Take Me Out", "The Choice". Finding Love Without All the Drama ==============================	Love in the Wild 2012-Bring in More Men, Bring in More Women. It Gets Complicated ==============================
Next Food Network Star 2012-Is This Oprah Winfrey or a Cooking Contest? ==============================	The Bachelorette 2012-Four Left. Winner Obvious, One's a Wild Man ==============================
Book Review: "In My Time" by Dick Cheney. Who Knew Cheney Was So Liberal? ==============================	National Politics 2012-What Will Happen If Romney Governs Like a Rino; Fast & Furious-More national political gossip ==============================
Jenny McCarthy, 7 Men and 7 Women Seek Love in the Wild for 2012 ==============================	Hell's Kitchen 2012-Review: Contenders Cook, Ramsay Yells; More Snark. ==============================
12 Interior Designers Begin the Competition for HGTV's Design Star 2012 ==============================	The Intriguing Campaign of Alex Pires and Other Delaware News ==============================
Food Network Star 2012 "Dish". Current Contender Fan Fave, Meanest Mentor, More Gossip. ==============================	Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef Begins on Fox for 2012 Just In Time to Compete With the Next Food Network Star ==============================
True Crime 2012-Zimmerman's Bail Revoked, Torture by Sesame Street, "Police! Drop That Big Gulp!" ==============================	Duets 2012-New Singing Reality Competition Show. How Does It Compare to the Many Others of the Genre? ==============================
Bachelorette 2012 Emily Maynard Used to the Finer Things In Life ==============================	America's Got Talent 2012, from Tampa to Austin, Weirdness Prevails; Acts to Watch For. ==============================
Book Rev-"Lady Blue Eyes- My Life With Frank" by Barbara Sinatra. He wasn't such a nice guy, SHE covered for him. ==============================	Food Network Star 2012-Giada Still Gorgeous, Flay Still Nasty, Alton Still Snobby. The contenders are great. ==============================
The Gardens of Serendipity Shore-Spring 2012-Uninvited Guests and Getting Them to Leave ==============================	Bluebirds, Cardinals and Indigo Buntings. God Sends Me a Few of His Beautiful Bird Fellows for My Review. ==============================
The Bachelorette 2012-Emily Dumps Brad, Seeks New Partner ==============================	Fashion Star 2012 Has a Winner Both Contender and in TV Fashion Show Format ==============================
America's Got Talent 2012 Begins-Howard Stern An Interesting Addition. Gossip, Thoughts, Snark ==============================	Food Network Star 2012 Begins; Let's Take a Look At How It Begins ==============================

Ok, I'll Say It -- The New Judges Save/Sing-For-Your-Life Is Icky!

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As if it wasn't bad enough that America voted off the talented and lovely Alexis Grace on last night's American Idol, leaving the far less talented Michael Sarver in the competition and on the tour, the poor girl wasn't even allowed to exit the show with dignity. Instead, she was forced to "sing for her life," while the judges decided whether or not she was worthy of using their "save" on.

Gross!!!!!

Now, I can't say I disagree with the judges' choice not to use the save, but forcing Alexis to desperately make her case, just moments after being told she received the fewest amount of votes in the Top 11, was just wrong. What happened to the lovely send-off video and kind words from the judges? Gone. Instead, she had to plead her case to the judges via the very song they said they don't think she should have chosen, and then listen to Simon tell her "You were good, but not good enough."

I repeat -- gross!!

There's got to be a better way for the end of the show to go down, right? Right????

X-Factor's Danyl Johnson - Bisexual?

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Below is a video of X-Factor contestant Danyl Johnson, who Simon Cowell said gave the best first audition he's ever seen. I mean...it's good, sure, and the guy certainly has stage presence, but methinks Cowell overstates just a bit.

I'm more interested in a quote he gave to London's The Mirror, in which he declares he dates both women and men, and says, "I don’t like to conform or be put into one box or another and if I’m honest all the judges are good-looking. If I like someone’s personality it doesn’t really matter what they look like or what sex they are."

Looks like Adam Lambert is not the only singing contestant who likes the fellas!

Gay, straight, bisexual -- do you love this guy? And is he the next Susan Boyle? Let me know your thoughts.