The Bachelor
Episode 2 was a big step up from the first episode. The girls (and Ben) traveled to Sonoma which was Ben's hometown. I'm kind of wondering where they get all the money for plane tickets and gas since they always seem to be going somewhere. What with that and the fact that you might get sent home, I'm not sure why anybody would bother unpacking their suitcase. Episode 2 consisted of a one on one date with Kacie B., a group date and another one on one date with Courtney who is supposed to be beautiful but I don't think she's all that spectacular looking especially standing next to the rest of the girls. At the end of the week Jenna (the crying girl from Episode One) and another girl whose name I don't know went home.
Characters:3.5 The characters got a lot more interesting this time around. I got to see which ones were catty and which ones weren't. I still like Lindzi but I also like Jennifer and Kaci B. As for those girls who rub me the wrong way? That title is split evenly between Blakeley and Courtney. Blakeley wore a jumper on the group date that left nothing to the imagination and in the evening of the rose ceremony she was omnipresent. I really would like to see her and Courtney duke it out over Ben and "shoot themselves in the foot" (as Courtney likes to say) Towards the end of the episode, Blakeley starts crying because she feels like none of the other girls like her. Hmm, wonder where she got that idea? Jenna also started crying (and then fell asleep) but got sent home since you are not allowed to cry two episodes in a row. I always wonder about these "Bachelors" They say how they want commitment and want to find love so can't they do that with one woman instead of 25. And personally I thought it was very tacky of Ben to kiss Jennifer and two minutes later make out with Blakeley. I mean if a Bacherlorette had done that it would have never been okay. But I'll stop talking before I get too off topic.
Authenticity: 3.5 I understand that most of what happens is authentic but I also know that the camera crew is an expert at editing footage so that we don't see the whole story. I don't know if that is what's happening here but I am kind of wondering if there is a behind-the-scenes reason why Jenna keeps crying. Unless her period lasts a scary long time then I really don't know why she is so sensitive.
Emotional Intensity: 3 The only emotion I really felt was frustration that Ben was/is such a guy. Blakeley shows her boobs and like clockwork she scores the rose for the group date. Not to mention he is completely enticed with Courtney's fake personality.
Conflict: 3.5 At least the conflict was over something tangible- the group date rose. It's nothing I would cry over but I might push Blakely into the pool if she rubbed it in my face.
Class: 2.5 Lost points for major boobage, hot tub make out sessions and for just having a character as fake as Courtney on the show. The main redeeming factor of this episode was the 7th grade playwrights and even they weren't so classy especially the one boy that asked Blakeley to jog in slow motion. Innocent sounding request but with that jumper she had on it looked more like a botched strip tease.
Overall Rating: 16/25
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Characters: 3.5 Katie seemed a little smarter than Mackenzie (then again she wasn't a cheerleader) and she also seemed really driven (she had been accepted into a few colleges including the University of Denver). So I don't know why she was stupid enough to get herself pregnant when she didn't even want a family in the first place. I sympathized with her though, I really did. She gave up her college dreams to go to community college and she manages to find an apartment where she takes care of her baby all day long. That is a lot of responsibility and I am impressed she does it without any assistance from anyone. Her mom puts in a few appearances. Actually I think she might have just been photoshopped into several scenes since she had the same expression in all of them. (See the picture on the left). As for her boyfriend Joey he was a lot like the boyfriend in the first episode since he didn't really speak and seemed tired all the time. I get the feeling alot of these guys don't want to be on 16 and Pregnant. The girls are all chipper (at the beginning anyway) but the guys never even smile. I agree with them- I think being pregnant is tough enough without having a camera crew following you around all the time.I also think Katie was expecting way to much from him- most guys don't even put on a clean pair of socks let alone go out and get a full paying job and get an apartment with their girlfriend and child. At least he didn't break his neck in a car accident.
Authenticity: 3.5 I'm still not sure what is real and what isn't. I don't know if the drama between Katie and Joey was real (I definitely sensed tension) but I'm not sure what was scripted and what wasn't. In fact I'm debating just cutting this category out altogether since I seem to suck at judging it.
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Conflict: 4 There was the conflict between Katie and her mom, the conflict between Katie and Joey and just the way Katie had to live her life by being alone all day. The conflict felt more intense than it did in the first episode probably because Katie and Joey were mostly on their own (I'm not saying their parents didn't help them out at all) Plus childbirth with no epidural is always good for a little nail biting.
Class: 4 I give them "class" points for the reasons I outlined in my last post- Katie struggles to be a good mom to her daughter, even giving up her college dreams. Joey goes and gets a full time job at 17. Even though they might curse more than your average parental units and even though Katie's culinary arts seem to leave a lot to be desired they are clearly both trying their hardest and I need to give them props for that.
Overall Rating: 18.5/25 BTW: I wish my luck to every single couple on this show and to every pregnant teen out there. Whether you are on TV or not, the struggles are real and my prayers are with them.
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Characters: 4 I would never want them as my parents or role models but...I like them. I find them funny, spunky and pretty. And entertaining. I don't approve of subjecting their entire families to a reality show but they seem to have the best intentions for their kids. I got to see more of Melissa in this episode. Her romance with Joey (both of them are pictured on the left) seems pretty solid considering they are under surveillance from the entire country. Not alot of marriages could withstand that strain (then again not alot of couples would be willing to put it through that) Kathy also seems kind of down to earth. Like when she found out her son was receiving inappropriate pictures from a girl she acted like it was a big deal rather than a rite of passage which is refreshing from someone in Hollywood (well New Jersey but...you know what I mean) The only two characters I have any problems with is Teresa's husband Joey and Ashleigh (pictured on right. I said Joey might be competing for the world's most insensitive husband, and he is also in the running for one of the world's most preoccupied dads. One of his daughters cuts herself and he's like "Yeah, she's fine
" What kind of dad does that? And on national television? (Not sure if that makes it better or worse). Asheligh is Jacqueline's daughter and I don't blame her for kicking her out of the house. With her vague, distracted way of talking I would have kicked her out months ago.
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Conflict: 1.5 Most of the conflict was leftover from the first episode such as the cookbook drama. I'll say it again- who writes all this personal stuff in a cookbook. And she was saying how she wrote all these memories about her brother in her first cookbook- what does that have to do with food? Maybe cookbooks are a code word for something else? Or maybe I've just been reading the wrong cookbooks? The other main conflict was when Teresa's husband got in a fight with Kathy's husband (can't be bothered with names) over virtually nothing. Teresa said at the end she was glad her husband "handled it like a man" Yeah because a grown man would totally grab another's private parts.
Class: 3.5 There really wasn't as much gossiping but it lost points for aforementioned fight as well as the fact that Theresa's husband sucks as a dad.
Overall Rating: 13.5/25
Well looks like Real Housewives lost the edge it gained in the first episode. Check out more of my posts to find out who wins the second episode- and just to keep up with my latest commentary on TV and books!
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Characters:3.5 The characters got a lot more interesting this time around. I got to see which ones were catty and which ones weren't. I still like Lindzi but I also like Jennifer and Kaci B. As for those girls who rub me the wrong way? That title is split evenly between Blakeley and Courtney. Blakeley wore a jumper on the group date that left nothing to the imagination and in the evening of the rose ceremony she was omnipresent. I really would like to see her and Courtney duke it out over Ben and "shoot themselves in the foot" (as Courtney likes to say) Towards the end of the episode, Blakeley starts crying because she feels like none of the other girls like her. Hmm, wonder where she got that idea? Jenna also started crying (and then fell asleep) but got sent home since you are not allowed to cry two episodes in a row. I always wonder about these "Bachelors" They say how they want commitment and want to find love so can't they do that with one woman instead of 25. And personally I thought it was very tacky of Ben to kiss Jennifer and two minutes later make out with Blakeley. I mean if a Bacherlorette had done that it would have never been okay. But I'll stop talking before I get too off topic.Authenticity: 3.5 I understand that most of what happens is authentic but I also know that the camera crew is an expert at editing footage so that we don't see the whole story. I don't know if that is what's happening here but I am kind of wondering if there is a behind-the-scenes reason why Jenna keeps crying. Unless her period lasts a scary long time then I really don't know why she is so sensitive.
Emotional Intensity: 3 The only emotion I really felt was frustration that Ben was/is such a guy. Blakeley shows her boobs and like clockwork she scores the rose for the group date. Not to mention he is completely enticed with Courtney's fake personality.
Conflict: 3.5 At least the conflict was over something tangible- the group date rose. It's nothing I would cry over but I might push Blakely into the pool if she rubbed it in my face.
Class: 2.5 Lost points for major boobage, hot tub make out sessions and for just having a character as fake as Courtney on the show. The main redeeming factor of this episode was the 7th grade playwrights and even they weren't so classy especially the one boy that asked Blakeley to jog in slow motion. Innocent sounding request but with that jumper she had on it looked more like a botched strip tease.
Overall Rating: 16/25
16 and Pregnant
This episode featured Katie and her boyfriend Joey and their baby Molly from the suburbs of Wyoming. The more I watch this show, the more I realize how stupid some teens really are. It is easy to get pregnant, but it is easy not to. So if you have a future and you want to go to college and not tied down to someone you might not even love...don't get pregnant! That's all I am going to say on the subject.
Characters: 3.5 Katie seemed a little smarter than Mackenzie (then again she wasn't a cheerleader) and she also seemed really driven (she had been accepted into a few colleges including the University of Denver). So I don't know why she was stupid enough to get herself pregnant when she didn't even want a family in the first place. I sympathized with her though, I really did. She gave up her college dreams to go to community college and she manages to find an apartment where she takes care of her baby all day long. That is a lot of responsibility and I am impressed she does it without any assistance from anyone. Her mom puts in a few appearances. Actually I think she might have just been photoshopped into several scenes since she had the same expression in all of them. (See the picture on the left). As for her boyfriend Joey he was a lot like the boyfriend in the first episode since he didn't really speak and seemed tired all the time. I get the feeling alot of these guys don't want to be on 16 and Pregnant. The girls are all chipper (at the beginning anyway) but the guys never even smile. I agree with them- I think being pregnant is tough enough without having a camera crew following you around all the time.I also think Katie was expecting way to much from him- most guys don't even put on a clean pair of socks let alone go out and get a full paying job and get an apartment with their girlfriend and child. At least he didn't break his neck in a car accident.Authenticity: 3.5 I'm still not sure what is real and what isn't. I don't know if the drama between Katie and Joey was real (I definitely sensed tension) but I'm not sure what was scripted and what wasn't. In fact I'm debating just cutting this category out altogether since I seem to suck at judging it.
Emotional Intensity: 3.5 This episode was alot more intense than the first one (even without the car accident) I think the main reason was that Katie was mostly doing this on her own- in her own house, all alone, all day. She had to give up her college dreams and take online classes. And I don't know if the cameras misrepresented the relationship that she had with her mother but I got the feeling she did not have her mother's full support. Plus Katie's relationship with Joey was insanely tumultuous to the point that they stopped speaking for a while.
Conflict: 4 There was the conflict between Katie and her mom, the conflict between Katie and Joey and just the way Katie had to live her life by being alone all day. The conflict felt more intense than it did in the first episode probably because Katie and Joey were mostly on their own (I'm not saying their parents didn't help them out at all) Plus childbirth with no epidural is always good for a little nail biting.Class: 4 I give them "class" points for the reasons I outlined in my last post- Katie struggles to be a good mom to her daughter, even giving up her college dreams. Joey goes and gets a full time job at 17. Even though they might curse more than your average parental units and even though Katie's culinary arts seem to leave a lot to be desired they are clearly both trying their hardest and I need to give them props for that.
Overall Rating: 18.5/25 BTW: I wish my luck to every single couple on this show and to every pregnant teen out there. Whether you are on TV or not, the struggles are real and my prayers are with them.
Real Housewives of New Jersey
They had a strong start (well strong for a reality show anyway) but the second episode kind of lost it's gusto. It really seemed like "much ado about nothing" and more of a wrap up of the first episode instead of an entirely new one.
Characters: 4 I would never want them as my parents or role models but...I like them. I find them funny, spunky and pretty. And entertaining. I don't approve of subjecting their entire families to a reality show but they seem to have the best intentions for their kids. I got to see more of Melissa in this episode. Her romance with Joey (both of them are pictured on the left) seems pretty solid considering they are under surveillance from the entire country. Not alot of marriages could withstand that strain (then again not alot of couples would be willing to put it through that) Kathy also seems kind of down to earth. Like when she found out her son was receiving inappropriate pictures from a girl she acted like it was a big deal rather than a rite of passage which is refreshing from someone in Hollywood (well New Jersey but...you know what I mean) The only two characters I have any problems with is Teresa's husband Joey and Ashleigh (pictured on right. I said Joey might be competing for the world's most insensitive husband, and he is also in the running for one of the world's most preoccupied dads. One of his daughters cuts herself and he's like "Yeah, she's fine" What kind of dad does that? And on national television? (Not sure if that makes it better or worse). Asheligh is Jacqueline's daughter and I don't blame her for kicking her out of the house. With her vague, distracted way of talking I would have kicked her out months ago.
Authenticity: 2.5 I'm calling bullocks on some of the stuff in this episode. Like that whole pictures thing. When Kathy talked to the girl about it she said something along the lines of "LOL sorry Mrs. Wakile. I just find your son really attractive" Between this and Jersey Shore no wonder Jersey girls are getting a trashy reputation. And wouldn't they have to have the girl sign something to release that on television since she is underage? Or maybe not since they didn't say her name. I don't know I find the whole thing very creepy.
Emotional Intensity: 2 I felt bad when Teresa's husband completely ignored the fact that his daughter was bleeding because his buddies were coming over and of course they are more important. I also felt bad for Jacqueline because her daughter seems to be a 21 year old who can't string together two coherent sentences.
Conflict: 1.5 Most of the conflict was leftover from the first episode such as the cookbook drama. I'll say it again- who writes all this personal stuff in a cookbook. And she was saying how she wrote all these memories about her brother in her first cookbook- what does that have to do with food? Maybe cookbooks are a code word for something else? Or maybe I've just been reading the wrong cookbooks? The other main conflict was when Teresa's husband got in a fight with Kathy's husband (can't be bothered with names) over virtually nothing. Teresa said at the end she was glad her husband "handled it like a man" Yeah because a grown man would totally grab another's private parts.Class: 3.5 There really wasn't as much gossiping but it lost points for aforementioned fight as well as the fact that Theresa's husband sucks as a dad.
Overall Rating: 13.5/25
Well looks like Real Housewives lost the edge it gained in the first episode. Check out more of my posts to find out who wins the second episode- and just to keep up with my latest commentary on TV and books!
(Not for the reader so pay no attention)
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