Don't think I like the new format. There were only 11 contestants (more about that in a minute), and they were partnered with a past contestant (the All-Stars) by random draw. It's hard to just keep your eyes on the dancer without watching the All-Star. Since this is partner dancing, both dancers have to contribute and play off each other. In the previous format, both dancers were judged, and the chemistry between them counted for a lot. Then if their partner was voted off, they got the other one left without a partner. It was interesting to see how the new partnership went. Sometimes, a dancer was changing partners all the time. That's actually a good thing. If they get work, they will have to be able to adjust this way. I guess in that respect, the new format does force them to adjust immediately. They won't have the same partner every week.
About the 11. A strange thing happened here. The original plan was to have just 10 contestants - 5 boys, 5 girls. The judges couldn't decide between the final 2 boys and changed the game by keeping them both. Seems to me that to be fair, they should have kept another girl as well.
So what do I think about the dancers this season? There are several very young people. By that I mean, they look and act young. A tiny little girl was voted off 1st week. Another this week. There are 4 boys that are just that...young boys. Everyone loves them, they are so cute, you can't not love them. But there are more mature dancers that I think should go farther.
I think it will be a male that wins this season. The girls are dropping like flies. My pick is Alex. He's an interesting case. Amazing, outstanding dancer! He had to drop out last season after he aced auditions because of his commitment to a dance company. They released him this season so he could take his shot at the big time. He's so technically perfect, he's having a hard time giving of himself. At least that's what the judges say they want more of from him. Their continued criticism of his lack of personality could cost him.
One of the things about the new format is all about the All-Stars. When the contestant pulls their name out of the hat, they get the dance style of the All-Star, as well as the chorographer(s) in that style. So if Twitch is drawn (how great to see him again!), the dance will be hip hop. There are some styles that don't really fit anywhere. Bollywood (one of my favs) I think they just use an All-Star at random, or maybe one that has danced the style before.
What else? Oh yeah, America's Got Talent. I haven't seen a lot of really Vega-worthy acts. Supposedly, this is about earning a headline gig in Vegas, and I think of what I'd want to see in a Vegas show. Flashy, unique, and maybe funny come to mind. There was the light show group. That was pretty damn cool. Actually, that's the only one that comes to my mind right now.
Some of the worst things were voted through to Vegas tryouts. That incredibly clownish old woman playing a portable piano badly, and singing worsely. How dare anyone murder Patsy Cline like that! Good god, doesn't she look at herself in the mirror after putting on her clown face. I get the feeling she thinks she looks good. That face would knock a sleeper out of bed as a nightmare.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Social Networking
Facebook, Twitter, and the like seem to taken over the internet and peoples' lives. Yeah, their lives. Some people actually live for Facebook. Cell phones are now equipped with Facebook apps so that Facebookers won't miss a single second. God forbid they do.
Yes, I have a FB account. It was a way to reconnect with old friends and family, and I can see its value in that respect. But is it an effective communication tool? Is it really social networking? Not from what I've seen. I've acquired a rather large collection of "friends", and the news feeds tell me what they are up to. What are they up to? Silly FB games, mostly. My FB page is cluttered with this shit that I don't care about. It's interesting that once a player became bored with the game, I don't hear any more from them. I tried a few games at first but became bored even faster than my friends.
Oh there's a few that post some personal status reports now and then. Some obscure thought they had, or song lyric they heard. Maybe what happened to them that day, or what they plan to do. Or they try to generate some comments and/or sympathy with a vague reference to nothing. "Vaguebooking" is a new word created for that last activity.
There's a commercial on tv for one of the cell phone companies that says it all. A serious guy is giving a "news report" with a fancy phone in his hand. He reads, "This just in from Facebook...the search is on for cute boots." It's hilarious that the company running the ad is poking fun at itself, the apps it offers, and the people who will buy this product.
What I see is that other more effective forms of communication are being used less. Especially forums and groups. I see less activity on forums, and that's sad. Forums are a great reference tool. Members post their questions, get answers, and it's arranged so that someone else can easily access the info they need. On FB, it's just a hodgepodge with no organization. How is that better communication? I've even seen forum posts that reference FB. "If you saw my FB, you'd know...". Only "friends" would know, you know. Why mention it at all if you aren't going to talk about it?
Another thing I see is that FB can cause strife. Someone makes a comment, usually vague or in regards to something no one knows jack about, and someone else assumes it was directed at them, and gets pissed. Then it's a dominoes stack as it reverberates down the line. If your FB and others are set up so that "friends of friends" can see what's going on, you don't have to be a friend to get the feed, you'll get it because one of your friends did.
What do I use FB for? Not much. It's just too public for my taste. I don't really like when someone posts on my wall because then I feel obligated to reply. I prefer to do that more privately. Like I said, it was a way to connect with family and old friends, but that's as far as it went. Even a lot of those people are using it less and less. Haven't heard a peep out of many of them for quite a while. Oh wait, maybe they blocked me because of all the crap that comes through from my other "friends" that they don't want cluttering up their FB page.
Yes, I have a FB account. It was a way to reconnect with old friends and family, and I can see its value in that respect. But is it an effective communication tool? Is it really social networking? Not from what I've seen. I've acquired a rather large collection of "friends", and the news feeds tell me what they are up to. What are they up to? Silly FB games, mostly. My FB page is cluttered with this shit that I don't care about. It's interesting that once a player became bored with the game, I don't hear any more from them. I tried a few games at first but became bored even faster than my friends.
Oh there's a few that post some personal status reports now and then. Some obscure thought they had, or song lyric they heard. Maybe what happened to them that day, or what they plan to do. Or they try to generate some comments and/or sympathy with a vague reference to nothing. "Vaguebooking" is a new word created for that last activity.
There's a commercial on tv for one of the cell phone companies that says it all. A serious guy is giving a "news report" with a fancy phone in his hand. He reads, "This just in from Facebook...the search is on for cute boots." It's hilarious that the company running the ad is poking fun at itself, the apps it offers, and the people who will buy this product.
What I see is that other more effective forms of communication are being used less. Especially forums and groups. I see less activity on forums, and that's sad. Forums are a great reference tool. Members post their questions, get answers, and it's arranged so that someone else can easily access the info they need. On FB, it's just a hodgepodge with no organization. How is that better communication? I've even seen forum posts that reference FB. "If you saw my FB, you'd know...". Only "friends" would know, you know. Why mention it at all if you aren't going to talk about it?
Another thing I see is that FB can cause strife. Someone makes a comment, usually vague or in regards to something no one knows jack about, and someone else assumes it was directed at them, and gets pissed. Then it's a dominoes stack as it reverberates down the line. If your FB and others are set up so that "friends of friends" can see what's going on, you don't have to be a friend to get the feed, you'll get it because one of your friends did.
What do I use FB for? Not much. It's just too public for my taste. I don't really like when someone posts on my wall because then I feel obligated to reply. I prefer to do that more privately. Like I said, it was a way to connect with family and old friends, but that's as far as it went. Even a lot of those people are using it less and less. Haven't heard a peep out of many of them for quite a while. Oh wait, maybe they blocked me because of all the crap that comes through from my other "friends" that they don't want cluttering up their FB page.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Dis & Dat on TV
So You Think You Can Dance has begun. Just finished up the auditions and Vegas Week will decide the 10 contestants. Not sure how I feel about this new format.
Past seasons' favorites will be paired up with the 10. That will be pretty cool, but it sounds like a shorter season. I liked the old format where dancers who lost their partner to eliminations were paired with another who lost their partner. This new way, no one gets a 2nd chance. They are saved or eliminated on their own merit (and their semi-pro partner's ability to show them off) instead of 1 girl and 1 guy. Like I said, probably a shorter season.
About the auditions. There is so much fluff and filler that we don't get to see more auditions. That's why we watch the auditions, you know! We wanna see the good, bad, and ugly. The goofs who think they can dance are hilarious! I love the snits and tantrums. The flaming gay boys are the worst divas! They think they are all that, but they are just all that silly. They add comic relief. Focusing on a sob story makes no sense if the audition didn't make the grade. I could see it if the audition made it to the final contestants, but most of them don't. Show more auditions in that space!
And another thing. There hasn't been enough variety. Mostly we've seen contemporary dancers and for the most part, they all look the same. Not many B-boys or other styles have been shown and I like to see unique. Have we just run out of talent in those areas?
Speaking of talent, America's Got Talent has also started. Sure am glad these 2 shows aren't in the same time slots. Not that I think AGT compares to SYTYCD. It's more like The Gong Show vs. American Idol. At least my DVR can handle 2 time slots at a time.
This is another show filled with unnecessary filler. I don't frackin care about the sad sob stories! Show me the goofy auditions. IF they make it to the contest, then you can fill in the back stories. But even then I don't give a rat's ass.
So far, I've only seen one audition that impressed me. Another humble guitar strumming singer like that chicken farmer last season, but much better looking. Now he has talent!
Howie Mandel replaced The Hoff as a judge. I like that. It seems there is less tension between the judges now. Maybe just the transition as Howie settles in, but he has such a quick wit I'll enjoy him. He's up there with George Carlin as one of my favorite comedians.
Just watched the season finale of Flash Forward. They're killing me! I literally stomped my feet and swore out loud at the end! Questions were not answered. Well ok, some were, but more were raised. I guess that was the plan for a cliffhanger ending. It's gonna be a long long wait to season 2. They better not cancel it on me!
Some of my other must-watch tv is coming back, as well as some interesting new ones. I'll say it again...thank the techno-gods for DVR. It's the only way to watch tv!
By now you are probably thinking, "What, is this blog just about tv?" Well, for now I don't have anything else to rant or rave about so yeah I'm talking tv. I'm sure something else will occur to me eventually.
Past seasons' favorites will be paired up with the 10. That will be pretty cool, but it sounds like a shorter season. I liked the old format where dancers who lost their partner to eliminations were paired with another who lost their partner. This new way, no one gets a 2nd chance. They are saved or eliminated on their own merit (and their semi-pro partner's ability to show them off) instead of 1 girl and 1 guy. Like I said, probably a shorter season.
About the auditions. There is so much fluff and filler that we don't get to see more auditions. That's why we watch the auditions, you know! We wanna see the good, bad, and ugly. The goofs who think they can dance are hilarious! I love the snits and tantrums. The flaming gay boys are the worst divas! They think they are all that, but they are just all that silly. They add comic relief. Focusing on a sob story makes no sense if the audition didn't make the grade. I could see it if the audition made it to the final contestants, but most of them don't. Show more auditions in that space!
And another thing. There hasn't been enough variety. Mostly we've seen contemporary dancers and for the most part, they all look the same. Not many B-boys or other styles have been shown and I like to see unique. Have we just run out of talent in those areas?
Speaking of talent, America's Got Talent has also started. Sure am glad these 2 shows aren't in the same time slots. Not that I think AGT compares to SYTYCD. It's more like The Gong Show vs. American Idol. At least my DVR can handle 2 time slots at a time.
This is another show filled with unnecessary filler. I don't frackin care about the sad sob stories! Show me the goofy auditions. IF they make it to the contest, then you can fill in the back stories. But even then I don't give a rat's ass.
So far, I've only seen one audition that impressed me. Another humble guitar strumming singer like that chicken farmer last season, but much better looking. Now he has talent!
Howie Mandel replaced The Hoff as a judge. I like that. It seems there is less tension between the judges now. Maybe just the transition as Howie settles in, but he has such a quick wit I'll enjoy him. He's up there with George Carlin as one of my favorite comedians.
Just watched the season finale of Flash Forward. They're killing me! I literally stomped my feet and swore out loud at the end! Questions were not answered. Well ok, some were, but more were raised. I guess that was the plan for a cliffhanger ending. It's gonna be a long long wait to season 2. They better not cancel it on me!
Some of my other must-watch tv is coming back, as well as some interesting new ones. I'll say it again...thank the techno-gods for DVR. It's the only way to watch tv!
By now you are probably thinking, "What, is this blog just about tv?" Well, for now I don't have anything else to rant or rave about so yeah I'm talking tv. I'm sure something else will occur to me eventually.
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