Reality on Bravo

Ok, if you’re a Top Chef fan like me, then you’ve probably been seeing glimpses here and there that the winner of tomorrow’s show has been leaked. Talk about your spoiler!

Well let me just go on the record as saying, as of right now, I have successfully averted my eyes from such stories. Oh, it’s tempting. Marcel or Ilan? Ilan or Marcel? AHHH!

But how pointless would tomorrow’s show be if I simply looked up what was going to happen.

So everyone who does know, and who could not resist temptation and looked…Zip your lips. Please, for the sake of the rest of us:keep it quiet!

Top Chef, spoiler

Tonight, the Angelina Jolie was on Inside the Actor’s Studio. It’s a rerun, of course, but still a great show. Here are some of the highlights:

Lipton: “Who were the kissie girls?”
Angelina: “Oh my God. As I reach for the water…I was very sexual in kindergarten” *she tells story about how she kissed the boys to give them cooties and it turned into make-out sessions with clothes coming off*
Lipton: “11 years and this is our first kindergarten…”
Angelina: “I know.”

Lipton: “How did you decorate your trailer?” (on the set of Girl, Interrupted)
Angelina: “*laughs before reluctantly answering* “With lots of porn…”
Lipton: “Oh yes”
Angelina: “mm hm”
Lipton: “Why?”
Angelina: “Because it made me feel provacative and open and sensual”

*talking about her Oscar win*
Lipton: “And what did you say in your acceptance speech?”
Angelina: “Well…I know I said I love my brother!”
(Angelina’s statment that she was in love with her brother was taken my many to mean a sexual love and the media quoted it for weeks. For the record, Angelina was not in a sexual or romantic type of love relationship with her brother!)

Angelina, about Maddox: “He’s my best friend. He’s my everything.”

Lipton: “You say it’s better than sex? (talking about flying)”
Angelina: “Oh my god yeah.”
Lipton: “Wanna go flying?”

Lipton: “What is your favorite curse word?”
Angelina: “Fuck.”
Lipton: “Join the club.”

Lipton: “If heaven exists, what would you like God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?”
Angelina: “…You are allowed in *laughs*”

Angelina Jolie, Inside the Actor’s Studio

Sometimes, network websites blow. BravoTV.com is not one of those times.

Now, I’m not trying to send you away from my own blog…but BravoTV.com has just about anything you could want when it comes to all of your favorite reality shows on Bravo. You can not only see the network schedule, but each show has a piece of the website devoted to it, with pictures, extra footage, back stories, blogs, and contests.

It’s worth checking out, especially for die hard fans.

BravoTV.com

Bravo

Ok, so after this week’s episode of Top Chef, Sam and head judge Tom Colicchio were guests on a live Internet segment to give their reactions to the show. Viewers could call, email, or text questions to be answered on the show.

I emailed a question, but it was late into the show, so I doubt it even was considered for air. This week, Ilan and Marcel will be on the show and I want to get my question out there for every and put in a little plug for 451 Press!

I’m cooking up the best question possible, but I’d like to take suggestions. What would you guys like to know about Ilan, Marcel, and this season of Top Chef?

Top Chef, Tom Colicchio

Its no secret that the other chefs on Bravo’s Top Chef are not fond of Marcel. But is he playing by the rules? Last night at the judge’s table, Elia accused Marcel of cheating throughout the season. Let’s look at the facts:

1. The chefs had a two month break between the filming of the last episode and the Hawaii final episodes. The contestants and the judges watched the show along with the rest of America. No one brought up any instance when Marcel was seen cheating on camera in any way.

2. At the beginning of the episode, Elia ssaid that she had been Marcel’s only friend throughout the competition. That’s true. However, she went on to say that it was because he was not a threat to her. Now as they near the final episode and Marcel is still standing, he has become a threat in Elia’s mind.

3. Twice during the season other chefs were accused of cheating–once Otto, because he forgot to pay for some ingredients, and once Betty, because she changed a recipe that she shouldn’t have. The contestants were obviously watching one another like hawks and they were not afraid to bring up cheating. The camera crew was also closely watching the chefs, and one player was sent home because he broke the rules. No one ever said anything about Marcel.

4. Elia is one of the people who spoke up against Otto in the beginning episodes. However, now the stakes are much higher, but she was reluctant to speak up (because the claims are false?). Only after Ilan was routing her on did she say anything.

5. The specific instance in question involves Marcel moving Elia’s pot of water. According to her, it was disrespectful and dishonest. According to him, she wasn’t using the burner so he moved her pot of water because he needed some heat. According to her, he never asked. According to him, he said loudly “I’m moving this water.” The contestants have admitted that they ignore Marcel whenever possible and try to tune him out.

6. Cheater or not, Elia says that Marcel is disrespectful in the kitchen. After the show, Bravo hosted a conversation on a live feed to the Internet featuring Sam and head judge Tom Colicchio in which he said that being disrespectful is really the issue only if you are the head chef and there are cooks working underneath you. Marcel has been called “a kid”, “immature”, and “unexperienced” a number of times on the show, but don’t forget–no matter how young he may be, he’s still a chef on the same level as the rest of them when the competition starts.

All in all, I think Elia’s full of it. She totally lost my respect in this episode and I think she was acting fake for the entire season, pretending to be Marcel’s friend. Marcel is not a cheater.

Digg this story!

Bravo, Top Chef, Marcel, Tom Colicchio

Ok, last Top Chef episode before the winner gets chosen next week, so this was a big one. Let’s go over (quickly) what happened:

-The four remaining contestants were flown to Hawaii and had a traditional Hawaiian meal with their guest judge for the week.

-For the elimination challenge, they were asked to take traditional Hawaiian food and put their own spin on it. They each had to make two dishes.

-All four chefs were great and the judges deliberated for a LONG time over who to send home.

-In the end, Marcel and Ilan were chosen to move on to the last show, while Elia and Sam had to pack their knives to go.

Now for the juicy part: Did they all get what they deserved?

Personally, after seeing their performances, I wanted Sam and Marcel to move on. ESPECIALLY because part way through the judging, Elia and Ilan accused Marcel of cheating.

Did he cheat?? NO. Frankly, Marcel was doing something that I would have done too–someone was taking up space they didn’t need, so he moved their stuff to use a burner. Elia and Ilan can say whatever they want, but I def don’t believe Marcel was ever disrespectful in the kitchen, except maybe for that episode when he and Betty got into it at the firehouse (but she asked for it!).

Marcel’s food was solid. I’m glad he’s one of the remaining two.

Now Ilan on the other hand…he was rewarded for taking a risk that didn’t TOTALLY backfire, while Same was sent home for not taking a risk, even though he cooked better food. I don’t particularly agree with that choice, but it does make an interesting match-up for the final show!

On a side note, I watched the live feed on Bravo.com afterwards and attemtped to email in with my question, but they didn’t answer it. I asked Tom what he thought was his favorite dish over the entire course of the competition.

Not sure what he would have said, but I know that out of all I have seen, I think I would have liked to try Ilan’s dish from last episode (I don’t like the guy, but he can cook!) and Mikey’s from the Seven Deadly Sins episode. OO…and for quickfire, def Marcel’s from the chocolate episode!

What about you guys?

Top Chef, Bravo, Ilan, Marcel

Last night’s Real Housewices of Orange County on Bravo was quite the eventful one. Here’s a little recap, starting with Vicki. To reconnect with her husband Don, they went on a European cruise. She had a slight epiphany in which she declared that she wants to work harder and have less “things” and a smaller house in order to spend more time with her family. This comes right after she was screaming at a transportation company for sending a van instead of a limo to pick up her and her family to take them to the airport. What do you guys think? Is she sincere or shallow?

Next there’s Jeana. I’ve decided that her oldest son is a complete jerk. He hurt his back playing baseball, so is basically sitting on his 20-year-old ass doing completely nothing. Not to mention that he’s got a total lack of respect for anyone. Jeana pretty much lets him get away with anything. Colton, the younger son, is starting to shine in baseball and Jeana called him her “golden child.” What do you guys think? Is Jeana choosing favorites or does she spoil all her children equally?

Lauri and George are enjoying their own vacation in Europe. Last season, Lauri said she is never getting married again, but while in Europe, George proposes and she accepts. There’s also a long clip of her shopping in some small clothing stores, and spending a few hundred bucks on dresses, and the couple has been drinking crystal and enjoying pricey dinners and parties. What do you guys think? Is Lauri in love with George or in love with George’s lifestyle?

Tammy and crew moved into their new house that Jeana found for them. Now, I’ve missed a lot of episodes, but I totally didn’t know that Tammy was Duff’d ex! I love Duff, who is now working for Vicki’s insurance agency, but I like Tammy too. They seem to be getting along well, especially since they have a son together, but they kind of point fingers and have very different versions of why the relationship ended. What do you guys think? Is Tammy the villian or is Duff in the wrong? (And will they get back together?!?!)

Last but not least, there’s Jo. Her friend JJ has be urging her to move to LA where there’s more of a part atmosphere and Jo admits that she’s getting “an itch” to move. She also admits that she’s not sure if she’s still in love with Slate or if she’s just to secure to leave. What do you guys thing? Will Jo stay in the OC or will she head to LA?

Predictions? Opinions? See mine below:

-Vicki is sincere about wanting to spend more time with her family, but she’s got some spoiled habits. I think that when she gets back to Cali, she’ll be just as spoiled as she was before she left, and there’s no way she’ll be able to give up her $500 purses.

-Jeana tries really hard to give her kids what they need, but often ends up giving them what they want. I hope she gets few up with her older son and makes him at least get a job to pay his own way, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she keeps letting him float by.

-I think that Vicki’s in love. I mean, she likes the money and is maybe taking advantage of it a little bit, but I think that she’s being true to her heart, not her pocketbook. The real question is: Will it last? They HAVE only been dating for six months…

-Tammy and Duff obviously had a misunderstanding of some sort. You can see there’s still chemistry there. I’m not sure who was in the wrong (probably a combo of both of them), but I hope they get back together. Plus, their son is sooooo adorable!

-Jo is as good as gone. Or at least, she should be. I already don’t really like her, and if she stays with Slate I think she’ll just be doing it for the money, and I’ll like her even less.

Real Housewices of Orange County, Bravo

I’ve been getting so many comments about Marcel, that I thought I’d poll you, the readers, to see what the overal thoughts were on him before the new episode of Top Chef on Wednesday!

Alright, Marcel Vigneron…What do you think about him:

Marcel, Top Chef, Marcel Vigneron

Apparently Cliff isn’t the only one that dislikes Marcel enough to physically hurt him. Last week, Cliff was tossed off the show for holding Marcel down so other players could shave his head.

Well, according to recent reports, Marcel was in a Night Club last weekend, and a girl came up to him and asked him if he was Marcel from Top Chef. When he said yes, she hit him over the head with her beer bottle.

Poor Marcel. Sure, he’s a bit of a twit sometimes, but no one deserves a late-night trip to the hospital for stitches!

Top Chef

James Lipton is probably one of tv’s most respected hosts, and honestly, he needs no introduction, with enough credentials to give half away and still rock. IAS is one of my favorite shows to watch on Bravo, simply because it shows great celebrities as real people, rather than as gods and goddesses.

During the rest of January, here’s the line-up, so you can check out their interviews:

Friday, Jan 26: Queen Latifah (7PM)
Sunday, Jan 28: Rosie O’Donnell (9AM)
Monday, Jan 29: Angelina Jolie (6PM) and Michael J. Fox (8PM)

I’m a fan of American Idol…I usually don’t care who wins, but I totally love watching the performances and hearing what the judges has to say. Check out Reed and Ashley at the 451 AI blog here.

Well, apparently, later this year, Bravo is introducing a new show that will basically follow Paula Abdul around with a camera and talk about her past. Kinda My Life on the D-List-ish. It’ll be called Hey Paula, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

No offense, Paula baby, but this sounds like a horribly borring show. I mean, aside from appearances on AI, making movies about dolls with no noses, and some gin and tonic nights of remembering your singing career, what do you do? I mean, I have the utmost respect for Paula’s business and fashion sense, but that sounds really boring to watch…

American Idol, Paula Abdul, Hey Paula

What could be better than a show about a bunch of rich women and their never-ending problems?

A lot, I thought, the first time I settled down to watch an episode. Actually, I lie…it was on after Top Chef and my remote control doesn’t have batteries and I was too lazy to get up to change the channel.

So, The Real Housewives of Orange County was allowed to stay on my television, and, to might great dismay, I got sucked into the show. It’s like Laguna Beach for adults.

There might be something just a little bit wrong with liking a show that finds entertainment value in the heart ache of real people. But hey, that’s life…and life is entertaining, Bravo has surely shown us that, if nothing else.

In case you have not yet been sucked into Real Housewives, here’s a bit about the major players to get your started:

Jo
Jo is in her twenties and the on-again-off-again love interest of Slate. Last season, the two broke off their engagement and she moved back in with her parents, but Jo is back and the two are giving it another shot. Slate just has to realize that if he wants to be with Jo, he has to be ok with a party girl instead of a housewife.

Jeana
An ex-playboy centerfold, Jeana is now huge in the real estate world, regularly selling multi-million dollar homes in her neighborhood. She’s married to Matt, who played major league paseball, but was horribly injuried by a line drive to the head and has since changed. She often feels like a single mother raising her three kids–Shane, Kara, and Colton–and a menagerie of pets.

Vicki
Vicki is one of the top-selling insurance agents in the world, but…well…she’s a bit of a ditz. Gotta love the lady, though, because she works hard to try to hold together a crumbling marriage while taking care of her two children, including a son who she recently set out of Cali to learn what it’s like in the “real world” back with his uncle in the midwest.

Tammy
One of Jeana’s closest friends, Tammy used to live behind the gates, but now rents a smaller home (worth 1.2 million). Hwe husband lost everything with his Internet business and they divorced. Her home was flooded when she was away watching Jeana’s kids for a week, and so Tammy is spending this season putting her life back together.

Lauri
Lauri called it quits with previous relationships and lost her “rich girl” status, but she’s back with a new man in her life–George, who has a boat, a big house, and the money to take her to Europe for three weeks on vacation. He has four children and she has three, including Josh, who has been in trouble and is now in a state-run boarding school. Last year, Lauri was seen with Slate when Jo wasn’t in picture, so there’s a lot of tension, but she seems to love her new Brady Bunch lifestyle.

Check out the rest of the housewives and their families every Tuesday on Bravo and check in here for updates!

The Real Housewives of Orange County, Bravo

All right. Since I’m the new blog in town when it comes to Bravo tv shows, I’m going to take the weekend to get you caught up on some of the major shows going on right now, starting with my absolute favorte, Top Chef. The season’s winding down, so there’s not time right now to go over all of the previous contestants, but here’s a look at who is left and my predictions on this show! Tune in Wednesday night at 10 to see the next-to-last episode. It’s my boyfriend’s turn to bring snacks, to you’re all invited!

Sam
One of the strongest players since the beginning, Sam reminds me a lot of last season’s Harold, who was the Top Chef winner and who came back to guest judge on the season premeir this time around. Sam’s a diabetic, so things that are sweet and sugary are def his downfall, but he makes what sound like delisious dishes, and they’re usually healthy for you too! I predict that he will be in the final two, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won it all

Elia
Elia is cute, but definitely gets flustered under pressure. She’s great at working with really earthy flavors, and often brings a little Latin flair to whatever she prepares. She’s who I want to win, but I’m not sure she will, because of how upset she gets so easily. One little thing goes wrong and she falls apart. Elia’s pretty bad-ass tho–last episode she shaved her head for fun.

Marcel
Early picked out as the “bad guy,” for some reason, I just can’t hate Marcel like the rest of the world seems to be doing. He’s annoying and a little full of himself sometimes, but I think it’s all just him being confident, not trying to look down on others. Last episode, another player got kicked off the show for pinning Marcel to the ground and threatening to shave his head. I agree…the hair has to go. Marcel’s cooking is inventive and unique and although it doesn’t always taste the best, he does try to be creative, I’ll give him that. I almost wish Marcel woudl make it as the Top Chef, but I think he’s just too inexperienced and I’m pretty sure this is his round to go.

Ilan
I dislike Ilan with a passion and alway have. As time went on, he began to instigate things with Marcel more and more, which is totally immature if you ask me. He was all for the “holding Marcel down while we shave his head” thing, and I think the only reason he didn’t do so himself is that Cliff was bigger and could do it better. Ilan’s cooking usualy doesn’t appeal to me, but only because of the ingredients he uses, not because of his style or technique. For his cooking ability, I think it’s right that he’s in the top four, but I strongly hope that he’s gone after this episode, because this guy is a tool.

That’s the breakdown of the players left. My vote: Sam and Elia top two and Sam wins it all (although I’m secretively routing for Elia).

Top Chef, cooking

Dear Readers,

Thanks so much for visiting my site!

I’ll be covering Top Chef, Project Runway, My Life on the D-List, Inside the Actor’s Studio, Real Housewives of Orange County, Top Design, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and any other reality show that Bravo throws our way.

It’s going to be a fun time, so I hope you’ll check back often! You can also read my other blog at www.findreligion.net.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love,
Alli

Top Chef, Project Runway, My Life on the D-List, Inside the Actor’s Studio, Real Housewives of Orange County, Top Design, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Bravo