Ne-Yo on CSI:New York

Ne-Yo will be guest starring on next Friday's episode of CSI New York on CBS and I really don't know why. I guess anyone can be an actor these days. Hopefully his acting has really improved from what it was in his Beautiful Monster video. Here is the full version of the video in case you've never seen it.

Get It Together AMC!

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner recently revealed that the start of the 5th season of the award winning series is up in the air due to, of course, money issues. Apparently Lionsgate and AMC are still arguing about the financial terms of new contracts and everything is on hold until a deal is reached. It's crazy how you can have one of the most successful shows on TV in recent years and try to screw it up over money disputes. Newsflash AMC and Lionsgate, if there's no show, then there will be no money, period. It's already bad enough that we have to wait a whole year to see each season. Get it together AMC!

On a side note, I know a lot of ladies love Jon Hamm but am I the only one that thinks Mr. John Slattery is hot? Ok granted he's a little on the old side (and his blackface episode was insulting) but I still think he's really attractive. Check him out in his new commercial.

Why Is Bristol Palin Even on DWTS?

The show is called Dancing with the Stars so why is Bristol on it? Is she actually a "star" now? At the beginning of the season she was introduced as a motivational speaker. I wasn't aware that she had a career at all.

I actually felt kind of sorry for Bristol. Her dancing was absolutely terrible! I was hoping for her sake that she could get at least one good dance during the season just to spare herself the humiliation. But she was never anywhere near good enough to be in the finals.

In response to the other dancers, mainly Maks (Brandy's partner), questioning how she was able to remain in the competition given the fact that she can't dance, her response was "The show is all about taking someone who has never performed, never danced and turning them into a dancer. I guarantee that I am the most improved. I really do work my butt off".

Ok first off the show doesn't take people who have never performed. Maybe they've never danced professionally but they have all performed somewhere before. Except for you Bristol, which is why I ask again, why were you on the show?

Second even if the show were about turning someone into a dancer, does she really think that's what happened to her? Anybody can learn choreography but you can't teach rhythm. Sorry dear, you are by no means a dancer.

Third, the person who wins shouldn't get it for being most improved. It should be because they were the best dancer. And she simply was not. Even Florence Henderson was much better than her and she was in her 70s.

And most importantly, this is a dancing show. It's not about transforming people, or giving them a platform to be a voice for unwed teen moms. Either you can dance or you can't. That's all the show should be about. Who you are, or in this case who you know, has nothing to do with your ability to dance. I'm sure Bristol is a nice person, but she is not a dancer and this is a dance competition.

Unfortunately Brandy was robbed. But at least she still has her career. Hopefully we'll be hearing some new music from her soon.

My Fall TV Must See List

I'm so excited to check out the Fall TV lineup. Here are some of the shows I plan to watch (at least once) in no particular order.

1. Desperate Housewives


Ok so this isn't technically a new show but after the theatrics that was the death of Eddie Britt I finally gave up on this show. But now that Vanessa Williams is joining the cast I am excited to check back in on Wisteria Lane. I absolutely love Ms. Williams and I was so mad when ABC cancelled Ugly Betty. I hope they make real use of her talent and that she doesn't just get a background role like Alfre Woodard did when she was on the show.

And I've also heard rumors that Brian Austin Greene is joining the cast. I don't know if it is true but he is hot hot hot!


2. My Generation

Now that I'm 7 years removed from high school I often find myself thinking about how different my life is now from what my 17 year old mind imagined it would be. My Generation (ABC) will follow the lives of former classmates 10 years after high school. The previews have looked pretty entertaining but I'm still not sure whether this will be as good as I think it will be. I can't wait to check it out.

3. Blue Bloods

I miss the days of really good cop dramas. Since distributors refuse to release NYPD Blue on DVD, I guess I'll have to hope that a new cop show can help me fill the void. This CBS show, starring Donny Wahlberg and Tom Selleck, follows the lives of a family of NY cops . I think this is the show I am anticipating the most.

4. Outlaw


This NBC show starring Jimmy Smits is about a Supreme Court judge who leaves the bench to return to private practice so he can fix the system he believes to be broken. It's been a long time since there was a good legal drama on TV (yes I liked Boston Legal but that was more of a comedy). Plus the show is produced by the same guy who made Alias which I really liked.


5. Law and Order-Los Angeles

Ok I know what you are thinking-how many Law and Orders is NBC going to make? I was thinking the same thing. But I think LA will provide a new twist to the show and with all the craziness going on in CA these days they will have plenty of stories to use for "inspiration". I'm not quite sure how I feel about Terrance Howard joining the cast though. I guess we'll have to wait and see...

6. Undercovers

This NBC show starring Boris Kodjoe and British new comer Gugu Mbatha-Raw looks to be a twist on Brad and Angie's Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Kodjoe and Mbatha-Raw play married spies that work together and from the previews that is all I can really figure out. The truth is, the reason why I am so excited about this show is because it features two black actors in the lead roles. When is the last time that happened on a major network? Plus it is from producer J.J. Abrams (Lost and Alias). Let's hope it lives up to its potential.

Summer TV Review: Plain Jane

Photo courtesy of Matt Kennedy and the CW All Rights Reserved

The CW has been advertising their new reality show Plain Jane for months now. I've been so excited to watch this show. When the previews started airing I hated that I would have to wait until the end of summer to watch a single episode. I am a firm believer that confidence in women is key! There are so many bad situations in my life that I could have avoided if I had more self esteem. True beauty does come from within but let's be honest, the outside package counts too.

My biggest problem with the show is that it is premised on the idea of catching a man. These girls are all on the show because they think they need to be "hotter" if they are going to have any chance of landing their dream guy. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be the best you possible and we women are all guilty of spending a few extra minutes in front of the mirror when there is a guy we like. However, I have a serious problem with the idea that these girls somehow need to change themselves to get a guy. If a guy that is your friend didn't notice you without 4 inch heels and a skin tight dress then you may need to find another guy. Creating a fake you to please a man is only going to bring you misery. Trust me I know.

At the end of the show, the newly transformed girl presents herself to the object of her affection and reveals her secret love for him. Waiting for the guy to recover from the shock and embarrassment is nothing short of awkward. And could you imagine if he said not interested. What would happen to that poor girl?

But the show was not all bad. At the end when this week's "plain jane" Cristen revealed her secret crush to her friend of 6 years, he told her that he had a crush on her since college and just never told her. See? He liked her exactly the way she was before all the hair and makeup. That to me was beautiful.

The show ended with pictures of the new couple and they seemed pretty happy together. Suprisingly Cristen looked like herself just with perfectly tweezed eyebrows and a chic new haircut. By the time the show went off I found myself thinking I was perhaps a bit too quick to make a negative judgment. Maybe they didn't try to change this girl but just tried to give her the tools to be a more improved happier version of herself. It definitely seemed to work.

I think I'll keep tuning in...

Plain Jane airs Wednesday nights at 9 EST on the CW.

My Summer TV Review: Downtown Girls

It's summertime and you know what that means....trashy summer TV. I watch way more TV than I probably should. Usually I will watch almost anything at least once only to find myself thinking less about what I'm watching and more about the chunk of my life that I can never get back. But, every once in a while, I find a show that keeps me coming back. Not because it is the best TV has to offer but just simply because I, in my own weird way, find it "entertaining". There are a number of shows that have me hooked this summer but today is all about Downtown Girls.

Downtown Girls is a reality show on MTV that follows 5 friends as they navigate their way through life in NYC. When I first saw the preview for this show I thought "great another crappy knockoff of the Hills--as if one wasn't bad enough". But like I said, no matter how much I think I am going to hate a show, I always find myself watching at least one episode.

The 5 girls are each extremely different. It's amazing to me that they are all friends. There's Shallon, a Carrie-esque contributor for Glamour magazine and the most sane one of the group. Then there's Gurj who doesn't get that much screen time--all I know is she is totally obsessed with her rocker boyfriend to the point that she has violated one of the ultimate girl rules: Never diss your girlfriends for a guy! Nikki is struggling to maintain the boutique she owns in the city, has a little bit of a shopping addiction and is on the hunt for Mr. Right (aren't we all). Klo is the dull one of the bunch. She is engaged to be married and doesn't work so I guess there really isn't much about her to tell. And then there is Victoria, an aspiring lawyer who failed the bar twice but still manages to have time to go out regularly. I don't know what law school she went to and managed to have free time. I'm no career advisor but I'm pretty sure that going on a reality TV show that portrays you as immature and simple-minded isn't the best way to start your career. Anyway I digress...

I know this is just another pointless reality TV show but isn't it ok to watch bad TV sometimes? No I don't learn any lessons watching this show and I won't shed a single tear when it goes off air. To be honest, I find all of the girls to be annoying with the exception of Shallon. I guess I watch because I find pleasure in knowing that I'm not the only girl in my 20s struggling to find her niche in a world she doesn't quite fit into and messing up every step of the way...

Downtown Girls airs Tuesday nights at 11 EST on MTV. You can check out full episodes of the show at mtv.com.