First of all, in order to even be considered for an Emmy, you (as the actor/writer/producer of show) have to submit your name. that’s right, you have to have the ego and the balls to say hey, I think my work was worthy enough of an award. So right there is an interesting mess. I know that Lee Pace and Anna Friel of Pushing Daisies had to be coaxed into submitting their names. And Adam Baldwin from Chuck didn’t put his name in, but from what I know of Adam’s personality, he’s not the kind of guy who seeks out awards, he prefers to just act.

So once this time period is over, then we get the preliminary nomination list. Now this list was released I want to say about a month ago. I looked at that list. Some of those categories had 20 or more names in them! And in fact some of the names that people are moaning over being left out of the nominations were on the preliminary list. All of the Chuck cast was there (I don’t remember seeing Sarah Lawrence or Ryan McPartlin but I could be wrong). Several BSG cast members were there. Both Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki were there. So people need to realize and the experts need to remember that the final nominee list isn’t the only list there is.

Once this list is generated people get to vote. I think in previous years it was done by panels which of course led to the oft touted “only so many people get nominated/why do certain people get nominated so often” cry. This changed this year to a wider popular vote. Now I don’t know who is voting but I would imagine it’s the various guilds. So they have this huge list to go through. There are often complaints that whoever votes doesn’t watch tv/the shows that the general public/the experts want on the list. I somehow don’t blame them. With categories numerating 20 or more names it can be a daunting prospect.

It’s from this list that the FINAL nominations are produced. Now this year they added a sixth slot to the acting categories and a seventh for the shows which did produce some great surprises; Jim Parsons, Kristen Chenoweth, Simon Baker, Big Love, Flight of the Concords and the most controversial one (from what I’ve seen) Family Guy. Everyone seems to be railing over the fact that the Simpsons was never nominated in the Best Comedy category. That’s because THE PRODUCERS DIDN’T SUBMIT IT THERE!!!! Seth McFarlane took a gamble by putting his show in the Best Comedy category and it paid off. Maybe now the Simpsons producers might be enticed to take this gamble next year and everyone will be happy.

So the next time your favorite show/actor/writer is snubbed, remember how the process works. (Ok I’ll still be angered about snubs, but that’s just the non-rational part of me.)

Post from: Fangirl Momma

Really, there are no really memorable dances. By this time last year we’d already had Twitch and Kherington’s Viennese Waltz, Mark and Chelise’s “Bleeding Love” (the one where he was a business man) and Josh and Katee’s “No Air” (he’s a soldier leaving for war) which aired THE FIRST WEEK!

I’d say overall the dancers a just a smidge technically better than last year, but they have NO PERSONALITY. We had Josh and Twitch and Gev and Mark and Katee and Courtney Galiano last year. I might even include Comfort on that list if pushed. This year we have Evan, Brandon, Phillip and maybe Randi and Caitlin.

I’ve been reading the comments over at the EW.com boards and someone made a great point. Last year by the fifth week (which is what we are coming up on next week for this season), all the dancers had TWO dances. They were working their asses off. Which yes, led one of them (Josh I think) to be treated for fatigue later on, but so what? They judges made an awful lot out of the fact that many of the dancers last year were “untrained” and yet they pulled off all those great dances with such ease. This year we’re supposed to have better, more “trained” dancers and yet the choreography they are being given is so damn simplistic (I think the dances that Brandon and Jeanette have done are about the exception).

The judges clearly have favorites. Because last night Kupono did about the WORST solo I’ve ever seen and yet he was safe. Phillip Chbeeb has been highly praised, but he’s really only shone in his style. He did well that first week in hip-hop but severely stumbled in the ballroom week two and the only highlight of week three’s broadway routine for him was the fact he jumped that damn couch. And I’m not buying that he “randomly” got hip-hop a second time in less than four weeks. But the judges will keep him through to the top ten because he has a rabidly huge fan base who will pay to see him on the tour.I kind of feel a little for his partner Jeanine who seems to be forgotten, but her solo was gorgeous and I think she truly belongs in the top ten.

Caitlin is a solid dancer, but EVERY SINGLE WEEK (except this week) the choreographers seem to include something that highlights the fact that she has a gymnastics background. That’s getting old. She and Jason have been sent to the bottom three twice, I think that says something. Kayla is a better dancer in partnered situations than in her solo. I just don’t quite get what the judges see in her other than a pretty blonde. Sorry.

Brandon and Jeanette are a great solid pairing. They remind me a little of Josh and Katee from last year. Randi and Evan are my favorite couple but if they don’t start stepping it up they could be in trouble. I think I prefer Evan but only because he’s a Broadway specialist which kind of sets him apart from all the contemporary dancers. Melissa and Ade could be the spoilers. Their ballroom last week was one of the only highlights.

I really, really hope that things pick up as we go along in this season. I love that there is a program to highlight people who make their living or want to make their living being dancers. It would be a shame if it kept being boring and made me not want to watch (but I probably will anyway).

Post from: Fangirl Momma

But I have a problem with both of these lists. As Buffy’s sidekick they both list Willow. But where in the heck in Xander? If in the EW list Harry Potter can have both Ron and Hermione why can’t Buffy have Xander?

It can’t be because he’s a guy. Again, Harry has both his best mate, Ron but he also has gal pal Hermione. Can it be because he’s just an ordinary guy? Sorry that just doesn’t wash. That’s why we all love Xander, BECAUSE he is ordinary. Xander is us. Xander saves the world by just being himself, with his love for his best bud, Willow.

Is it because the people writing these lists are guys who have crushes on Alyson Hannigan? I’d buy that in the case of the Long Island list, but the EW list had multiple authors many of whom were women. Could it be because he’s seen as a romantic interest for Buffy? I don’t buy that either. As much as I ship Buffy/Xander there is little canon evidence for it. She turns him down in the first season. And even though we get great B/X family vibes at the beginning of season seven, those are quickly forgotten the moment Spike returns to the screen.

So why is Xander forgotten. I really can’t fathom why. He would be on my list that’s for sure. All I know is that if future lists leave him out, I’ll be leaving comments complaining as I already have done for the Long Island and EW lists.

Post from: Fangirl Momma

It’s not the traditional crawling, but it counts. She puts her arms out and then pulls herself forward. I told my mom this and she called it the Army crawl, apparently I did this as well, so Sarah comes by it naturally. She’s also babbling with consanants. It’s all ‘bbbbbbb’, ‘ffffffff’ or ‘dddddd’, I’m waiting for ‘mmmmmmm’.

She’s into everything, smiles at all of us, especially her daddy and brother. She can get to sitting position from laying down flat and sits by herself for about 30 seconds. She loves to bounce. Has only met one food she didn’t like, asparagus.

Since she’s crawling, that means we need to keep a constant eye on her and go find some baby gates. *sigh* I wish she could have stayed small just a little longer.

Post from: Fangirl Momma

I’ve doing some writing, lots of things going on in my head. I just wish my brain would decide to write in present or past tense, not switch between the two (sometimes in the same damned sentence). I went to the dentist on the 3rd. Got my teeth cleaned. Learned I have two cavities, but the dentist said they were in hard to reach places so I don’t feel too bad. I get to have those filled on the 25th. Right after that, same day, I get my wisdom teeth pulled. FUN.

Liam is out of school for the moment. He’s going to summer school but that doesn’t start until the end of July. He’s still here, so that’s something. Sarah is a babbling machine, she’s saying all these consonants, it’s just a joy to listen to her. I could do without the random screaming though. She really is this close to crawling. She’ll roll onto her tummy, get up on her hands and knees, then rock back and forth. It’s like she knows she supposed to move but her brain hasn’t quite put everything together yet.

Watched the Tony’s last night solely because of NPH, but was what he did really “hosting”? He was on camera for like 20-25 minutes at most. At least I got to hear him sing at the end. The sound was screwy all night, which also detracted from the enjoyment. The best bits for me; Frank Langella, the gal from West Side Story who was crying, the Billy Elliot boys.

Finally, confession. I’ve been spending way too much time over at ontd_ai. I now have a very impressive collection of pictures and gifs.

Post from: Fangirl Momma

Let me preface this rant by saying that I am a fan of BOTH Adam Lambert and Kris Allen.

Over the past couple of days while I’ve been reading analysis and commentary on this season (I highly recommend whatnottosing.com), I’ve been seeing links to polls that ask “Did Kris Allen deserve to win” or “Was Adam Lambert robbed”? Then answersbut are yes and no.Let me explain why (Again What Not to Sing does it much better than me).

Starting out, Kris was obviously canon fodder. It was also obvious that the show was NOT looking for the best singers, note all the times that Simon said he was “Casting” the show. The producers gave him almost no screen time and did not pimp him at all. But he was savvy in his song choices (as he was all season) and got a berth to what would become the top 13. I liked him from the start but my personal favorite was Anoop. I knew logically that Anoop wouldn’t win, but I had high aspirations for him, I thought top five would have been the best I could have hoped for. (Honestly, I think if there hadn’t been a judge’s save, Anoop could have made it to top five. Matt would have gone in seventh place, Lil in sixth and Anoop probably would have bowed out in fifth. But those are just dreams. I’m somewhat content with his sixth place finish. Yes sixth, Ryan announced Lil was gone first so I’m taking that as her finishing seventh. So there.)

I was not an Adam fan at first. It took “Tracks of My Tears” to turn me into one. But he peaked early. His big moments were Motown week, “Ring of Fire” and “Mad World”. Everything after that was only so so. By this time you either loved him or hated him and there wasn’t much middle ground. Meanwhile, Kris was slowly and steadily winning over viewers.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” won him about the only straight praise he ever got from the judges. All other praise came as backhanded comments (It was good, but….). He chose a more recent (OSCAR WINNING) song for movie night instead of the usual treacle. He took an overworked Donna Summer tune and stripped it down turning it into something that would/could be played on the radio today. He had more of the middle ground people that Adam didn’t. Then came top three night. He pulled out Kanye’s “Heartless” the most contemporary song Idol had featured that year and in god knows how long. He was up there with just his guitar and had just about the best moment ever.

So for me, and from what I’ve read, many other Idol bloggers, Kris had the momentum. If we discount the “Winner’s Song”, he had a better night in the finale. His reprise of “Ain’t No Sunshine” was better than his original performance. “What’s Going On” was again, turned into something that could be heard on today’s radio. Simon and Randy’s assurances that it “wasn’t big enough for the room” was a slap in the face of performers like James Taylor, Carly Simon, and all those others who do exactly what Kris did, stand on stage with his guitar and a few other players and sing.

Most of all, Idol viewers stood up to the producers, just like they did last year, and said “No, we are not going to choose the person you think we should. Enough is enough.” Nothing against Adam, I love him to death and there is no denying he’s got a great voice. But he was pushed by the producers from Day 1. Idol viewers have, for two years in a row, shown the Idol producers (which includes Simon) that they’ve had enough of the manipulation.

Both Kris and Adam, in EVERY SINGLE post interview have said that it didn’t matter to them who won, it was all about the music. And that’s how it should be. Idol is broken. It needs to return to what it once was, being all about the music.

Post from: Fangirl Momma

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Post from: Fangirl Momma

Post from: Fangirl Momma

But this season, for whatever reason, the manipulation just seems too blatant, too cruel and just overall makes me want to not watch Idol anymore. I will admit to being a fan of Anoop Desai and I was all to happy to have Simon make it a top 13. My highest aspirations for Anoop was top five, he got close. I wished he could have won, but given the other talent in the top 10, I logically knew it would never happen.

So that leads me to the pimping. Anoop never got respect from the judges. Except for Grand Ole Opry week when Simon declared him a hero. They always made comments like “dude you can sing!” Well DUH! He wouldn’t have been there if he couldn’t. And he never seemed to get credit for rearrangements. But then again, neither did Allison, Lil or Matt. Unless the song was uber-different the judges didn’t seem to care.

Now at first I didn’t get the pimping of Adam. He was too theatrical, too grandiose. Then came Motown week. That’s when I became a fan and I saw what the judges were talking about. I could forgive them the overblown reviews. But what I don’t get is the pimping of Danny Gokey. He’s a mediocre singer who’s never really had a “moment”. He came close on Rat Pack week but not close enough for me. Plus it seems he’s floating on sympathy votes because of his back story with the dead wife. No disrespect to her, but David Cook was experiencing a tradgedy and NEVER ONCE brought it up. Danny could take lessens from him.

Where is the respect for Kris Allen? He’s everything the judges should want in an Idol. He’s young, sexy and has just the right voice that the Idol machine has been persuing for years. And with the exception of the Don Henley song, he’s never made a misstep. Never.  No wonder he was so surprised when it was announced he was in the top three.

What can be done? American Idol needs to be forced to reveal the voting numbers. I want hard, on paper proof that Allison was really the bottom vote getter. I want to see those numbers on my computer screen. There is a movement out there somewhere to get this to happen. Some fans, or detractors I’m not sure which, are trying to put together a class action suit against AI and 19 Entertainment for Consumer Fraud. How? It all comes down to the text messages. Ryan always says when giving out a contestants text message info that “Standard text messaging rates apply”. That’s right, money is involved in the texting of votes for contestants. And if the producers are manipulating the results (as they have often been accused of) then they are defrauding those who use the texting option to vote for their favorites.

I don’t think this issue is going to be solved anytime soon. And I know that more than likely I will be sucked into the Idol frenzy once more next year. All I can hope for is that next week, when the Idols go home, that they don’t show Danny at his wife’s grave. If they do, I’m calling foul.

Post from: Fangirl Momma

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