Reality Show Challenge Episode 6 Part 1

The Bachelor

The numbers are dwindling, and the tension is rising as the nine remaining ladies and Ben fly off to Panama. Traveling always looks alot more glamorous in reality shows than it actually is- especially airplane travel. As long as you have a glass of champagne in your hand you can combat anything that should confront you at 33,000 ft above the ground. In Panama, three dates awaited the ladies. The one on one date went to Kacie B who connected with Ben on an even deeper level when she revealed that she had once had an eating disorder. Ben is always encouraging the ladies to open up about their lives and their feelings. He is seemingly oblivious to the fact that whatever they divulge to him is also revealed to the rest of the country. But Kacie B shares all and Ben seemed to like that since he gave her the rose. Six of the girls went on a group date where they sailed down a river and made friends with a tribe of Indians (that is probably politically incorrect on so many levels). The women of the tribe presented the ladies with some authentic tribal wear- beaded tops and skirts Most of the ladies kept their bathing suits on underneath their top but not Courtney. If I was looking for a wife I don't think I would choose one who lets it all hang out for anyone to see but Ben only said that he appreciated it in "more ways than one" Yeah Ben I bet you did. Despite Courtney's tactics, the rose ended up going to Lindsay and the world was righted. The last date of the week was a two on one-Rachel and Blakely and Ben. For those of you unfamiliar with the The Bachelor, there is only one rose on a two on one- and the girl that does not receive the rose goes home. No pressure. Rachel and Blakely could not be more opposite. Rachel is sweet, modest and refined while Blakely is wild, seductive and flashy.

At the beginning of the date, they both competed for Ben's attention while learning how to salsa dance. Blakely resorted to some pretty...er, physical tactics while Rachel tried to keep up by keeping it clean. Before dinner they both each had one last private conversation with Ben. In the end, he gave the rose to Rachel who definitely deserved it more but I definitely felt for Blakely who ran crying from the table. Even after the dates were finished, the drama was far from over. Chris (the host of the Bachelor) appeared and revealed that he has heard from multiple sources back home that Casey S. was still in love with her ex boyfriend. It's creepy how he knows that. After Casey discussed it with Ben, he suggested that she should go home. Later in the evening Jamie also returned home after failing to receive a flower during the rose ceremony. 

Characters: 3 Although I definitely feel that Rachel is the better match for Ben, I confess I was sad to see Blakely go. I felt that Ben was a good influence on her and that she was really opening up to him the best that she could. Watching her leave sobbing kind of broke my heart since I knew it would be incredible difficult before she started to trust again. I even felt some shred of sympathy for Courtney when she invited Ben to come to her room after hours and he never showed (although Courtney waited the entire night) Of course Courtney probably should not have made the offer in the first place but watching her sit up by herself, alone made me she probably doesn't have that much experience with genuine people- especially since she is in the fashion industry. I also felt bad for Jamie. She really made an effort to connect with Ben the night of the rose ceremony (sitting on his lap and kissing him even though she admitted she was very shy when it came to that stuff) I understand Ben's point though- she could have started off with a simple kiss instead of going full makeout all of a sudden. Out of the six remaining girls, I am definitely rooting for Lindsay- I think I've been rooting for her from the start. I have a feeling that if she is up against Courtney, she'll need my luck. 

Lindsay and Emily stare at Courtney's chest while they try to convince her to  put a top on

Emotional Intensity: 2 Seeing people leave is always difficult especially when you think they deserved to stay more than somebody else (cough Courtney cough) But they can't send Courtney home since she is pretty much the source of all the inter-house conflicts.
Conflict: 3 As usual Courtney was front and center of any drama. In this episode Emily attempted to apologize for her unkind statements about Courtney earlier in the season. Courtney accepted it gracefully. Actually no she didn't. Just one of those cases when an apology is more trouble than its worth.
Class: 1.5 If Courtney puts her shirt back on, and Jamie gets off Ben's lap and Ben stops encouraging the affections of 7 plus women...then I might reconsider this rating. The Classiest Cast Member goes to Emily for having the guts to apologize to Courtney even though she almost got her head ripped off. I doubt she'll make that mistake again.
Overall Rating: 8.5/20

                                                   16 and Pregnant

This week on 16 and Pregnant, Jordan proves that Lancaster has more than the cows and the Amish. I actually found this episode to be the most interesting so far. At least the plot moves along at a somewhat decent speed at least in comparison to some of the other episodes. And it definitely had a strong cast of characters that would frequently butt heads with each other. 

Characters: 3.5 Aforementioned characters included Jordan (of course), Jordan's mother (no dad yet again), Jordan's boyfriend Tyler and Tyler's parents. I liked Jordan who seemed to have a good head on her shoulders (although I really didn't learn anything about her other than the fact that she was pregnant. Did she have any hobbies? Do any sports? And did she have a job?) At first I thought Jordan's mom was flat-out terrifying and that the best thing would be to keep the baby away from her. I mean, she wouldn't let Tyler in the house just because he's white. And she doesn't seem to care about her daughter being pregnant so much as the fact that her daughter is dating a white guy. God forbid. Jordan's mom wasn't the only one who was less than supportive of Jordan's relationship with Tyler. Jordan's friends also didn't understand. Honestly I can't blame them. At first I didn't see anything all that wrong with Tyler (he didn't seem worse than any of the other boyfriends) but as the episode progressed I spotted something "off" with him. Especially at the end of the episode where he just starts cursing out Jordan's family. Smart move if you ever want to see your son again. Tyler's parents also did a 180. At the beginning of the episode they seemed like really great people, offering Jordan a home for her and her baby and offering emotional support. But when Jordan makes the decision to raise the baby while staying at her mother's house, they turn cold. In fact I think the grown ups were the ones who were behaving childishly- practically having a tug of war over Jordan's baby instead of thinking about what's best for her and the baby. Don't these people think about how they will look on national television? I'm really interested in all the legal negotiations that go into these shows. 

Emotional Intensity: 2.5 After the arrival of Chase (the baby) Tyler (who had probably been the most supportive prospective father) went AWOL. It was heart breaking the way Jordan's faith in Tyler wavered as his appearances became more and more infrequent. Finally Tyler shows up at night after the baby has gone to bed and when Jordan refuses to let him see it, he decides the mature and responsible thing to do is to curse out Jordan and her family. After her brothers chase him out of the house, Jordan says things really are over between them which is probably true. Letting go is always difficult but letting go with a baby in your arms must be heart breaking.
Conflict: 3 Poor Jordan being caught in a tug of war between her mom and Tyler's parents was both painful but engaging. I don't know how grown ups can be so selfish as to sacrifice the emotional well being of a new mother for their satisfaction. They act like a baby is a prize to be won instead of a human being. It's actually quite frightening. Whats even more frightening is Tyler's diminished interest in his son. He actually had all the makings of a promising father which is why it was so disappointing when he only stopped by Jordan's house every other week and never bothered to text or call. Starting next episode I have no expectations for any of the future fathers. It's exhausting being let down every time even if it's only through a computer screen.
Class: 2 I thought Jordan's actions were admirable. She tried to accomplish the impossible task of pleasing everybody while getting ready to raise a kid. Pleasing everybody is even more taxing than a job- and you don't get paid for it either. Plus it is a task that will never be finished since people always want more of you. I thought Jordan was the Classiest Cast Member since she seemed to be the only person who cared about someone other than herself. And we sure as hell know the title isn't going to Tyler.
Overall Rating: 11/20

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Last week focused on push up bras and child raising strategies. This week explored the theme of homosexuality. What is this, the Family Learning Channel? "Today on the Real Housewives of New Jersey we take a close look at homosexuality and the effects it can have on families" Apparently Rosie, Kathy's sister, is lesbian which wasn't really surprising but kind of random considering it didn't really have anything to do with anything else that happened on the show so far. In fact up until this episode I wasn't even sure who Rosie was and why she was on the show. To tie in with the theme of the homosexuality, the show followed Caroline to her brother's wedding. A "gay wedding" as everybody kept calling it. Heaven forbid it should simply be a wedding. Everyone is invited although I'm not really sure why. Teresa and her husband go but leave the kids at home, thank god. If I hear Gia whine about one more thing I will stuff her bra down her throat. Teresa insists that she and her husband "love the gays" but her husband's comments would suggest otherwise. Why Teresa lets him near alcohol especially since she cares so much about appearances, is beyond me. I'm counting the episodes until someone punches him in the face. Whatever episode that happens in will automatically score bonus points. 

Characters: 2.5 Rosie's cool, don't get me wrong. I love the hair. But I'm not sure why we need to learn about her sexuality all of a sudden. I'm still trying to figure out the love lives of the main characters but now we have to throw sisters and brothers and their lives into the mix. I guess this is probably why people generally don't start watching a TV series during the 4th season.  

Emotional Intensity: 1.5 I got the feeling that the episode was building up to something that has yet to happen. Nevertheless, there was absolutely no tension. Well there was a little bit of anticipation whenever Joe opened his mouth- what stupid thing would he say this time- but other than that the episode was flat. 

Conflict: 1.5 Usually a wedding presents the perfect opportunity for conflict (as does funerals and hospital visits) But all that happened was a lesbian flirtation (should I be male I'm sure I'd be a bit more receptive) and a few biting comments from a man who had too much to drink. I have more drama in an average day of high school than this episode. 

Classy: 1.5 Joe needs to learn what is appropriate and what isn't and until he does I have little hope of this show being the least bit classy. When he stops treating his wife like he owns her, and learns that it is not all right to discuss the private parts of your anatomy in public then I will reconsider giving the episode a higher rating. 

Overall Rating: 7/20