Petra Nemcova & Dmitry Chaplin - graceful, lovely Petra
Okay. I admit it. I'm a 'Dancing With the Stars' addict. Until this year I couldn't get the program because I had satellite TV (DirecTV) and didn't have access to local (network TV) channels. This year that all changed and now I can get 'Judge Judy' and 'Dancing With the Stars.' I can also get 'Glee', which is a local (Rehoboth Beach - aka 'Gayberry') gay favorite. However, I cannot get into a show where guys and gals in their middle 20's are playing teenagers. I don't care how much Broadway type singing and dancing is going on (I never got THAT gay gene by the way), adults playing teenagers isn't interesting to me. Talented teenagers would be a much more interesting show but adult professionals playing teenagers, no.
Chris Jericho & Cheryl Burke - athletes having a grand time!
Before I moved to Delaware I also was a American Idol fan. Without apology I am a Simon Cowell/Paula Abdul fan. I sorely missed not seeing American Idol when I moved down here in Lower Slower Delaware. Now that I can get AI, I don't want to see it. I can't get past Super Diva Jo Lo. I don't care how sweet she portrays herself on AI, to me she is a boring ME, ME, ME diva. Randy? I was over his "Hey Dawg" and "You're a little pitchy" comments and name dropping a LONG time ago. Steven Tyler? Old Mummy Face himself? Sorry, I can't look at that wrinkled mug without twisting my wrinkled face in revulsion. I don't need any reminders of how old I am.
Kym Johnson and Hines Ward - lots of teeth here
So what was I left with? I've heard a lot about 'Dancing With the Stars' but I never watched it. I was reluctant to watch it but I DVD'd it just in case I ran into a stretch of lousy Netflix rentals. This weekend, when I had an opening in my schedule (sure), I settled myself in my in my bedroom lounger and flicked the remote control on and voila!
Kirstie Alley & Maksim Chmerkovsky - brave, heavy and sexy Kirstie
BOOM! The lights, the colors, the cheers, the gowns, the excitement! Now I know why the show is so popular. Then the 'stars' (some not so much') were introduced by Tom Bergeron. When I saw that big drag queen Wendy Williams navigating her bulk down the ramp like one of those hippo ballerinas in Disney's 'Fantasia', I was hooked! OMIGOD! That ratty wig. That cheap, floozy dress. The tons of make up with rainbow glitter on her enormous eye lids. Good thing I was sitting when that image was flung in my face. Wendy? Who are you? A drag show reject?
Tony Dovolain & Wendy Williams - is it me or does Wendy look like a drag queen?
So folks, here's the deal, I will be doing my inimitable reviews of all the 'stars' and professional dancers on Season 12 of Dancing With the Stars. Fasten your seatbelts, this is going to be fun!
Lacy Schwimmer and 'Psycho' Mike Catherwood - adorable Mike - can't dance with a lick but cute
I'll try to keep my posts shorter than usual. I know sometimes I get carried away and just go on and on (that's why I don't Tweet) but I do feel this compulsion to SHARE my views of this unique pop culture phenomena that millions of Americans will view every week. Some may think a show like Dancing With the Stars is a waste of time and empty of meaning. I disagree 100%! To my way of thinking, any culture needs a diversion to balance the bad in our lives. With so much unemployment in our country, health care costs rising, nuclear plant fears and multiple wars God knows we need a diversion. We all have to thank ABC and the 'stars' (some not so much but that's all right) for putting on this show for us, the modern day version of the three ring circus.
The cast of season 12 of 'Dancing With the Stars' - let the games begin!
One of my little pleasures of daily life that I sorely missed when I moved to Delaware in November of 2006 was that I could no longer get the "Judge Judy" show on my television.
In Pennsylvania I had satellite television with local channels, which means I could get the syndicated "Judge Judy" show daily. In Delaware I could not get local channels thus I couldn't get the "Judge Judy" TV show. I went four years without "Judge Judy!" Last month DirecTV finally came through and now I can get the "Judge Judy" TV show right here in my comfy, cozy home here on the east side of Route 1 in Lower Slower Delaware.
Who is Judge Judy? Judge Judy is a former family court judge from New York who was discovered during a "60 Minutes" profile. For almost the last twenty years she has had her own TV show. She is the top rated syndicated TV show in the land and for good reason, she is good!
While Judge Judy is all of the above things I said about her, you have to understand the context in which she responds the way she does. Once you see the characters and their court cases not a who appear before her in court and their cases, you will understand all too clearly.
Judge Judy is real.
Judge Judy is smart.
Judge Judy is right.
The success of her show has spawned other "judge" shows but none come close to the authenticity of Judge Judy. Most of those other judge shows have come and gone and for good reason. They are fake and put on.
Then there are the reality shows like the rude restaurant owner (I can't even remember that idiot's name) and the some other shows on Bravo TV like the fashion show with Iman and the beauty salon show. The stars of those shows try to be like Judge Judy but they only come off as mean and cruel. There is only one Judge Judy.
Snag (what I will now call Bill, my partner heretofore referred to as S.O.) hates Judge Judy as does my good friend Bob C. They think she rude. Well............yes but as I've said she has good reason to be rude. Sometimes you have to hit a mule with a two by four between the eyes to get their attention. She cuts through the BS and gets to the core of the matter. I love the look on the faces of some of plaintiffs and defendants when they realize their usual tricks aren't going to work with Judge Judy.
And then there is the other reason I like Judge Judy. It came to me the other night when I arrived home from work at the hotel late a night and turned on my DVR which had previously recorded the Judge Judy show that had aired earlier in the day. As the opening theme song played a warm, comforting feeling swept over my body. For an instance I didn't understand and then a very familiar feeling came to me.
When I lived in Pennsylvania I lived the next road over from my Mother. About three or four times a week I would take a ride over to visit my Mom. She would be lying on the platform bed that I had given her many years her cat Molly cuddled up next to her. I would walk in her living room and take a seat in the small rocker next to her bed. We would talk awhile and then she would grab her remote control and turn on the "Judge Judy Show." The opening song and credits would appear on her 30 inch Sony TV that my brother had set up high in the corner of her small living room. Then we would sit back and watch "Judge Judy" together.
Now when I watch "Judge Judy" I feel like I'm with my Mom again.
