America's Got talent?

Because Stalin and Muscles are too high class to watch the kinds of TV that America watches, I'm providing a quick reveiw of two TV shows, America Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance, and yes, I will watch just about anything.

America Got Talent is brought to you by Simon Cowell, the meanie on American Idol. The judges are David Hasselhoff, Brandy, and some random English guy, with Regis Philbin taking the role of host. It's the Gong Show with a million dollar prize and that's all you really need to know. Here's what's great about it, and it has nothing to do with the "talent" on stage, and everything to do with the "talented" judges. Hasselhoff's is introduced as a major TV, movie and recording artist. TV I sort of get and I'll always feel a special bond because Stalin and I happened to be in Germany in 1991 and saw a black Trans Am decorated with his picture and "Looking For Freedom Tour 1991 empazened on the hood where the firebird would normally be, you just don't forget something like that. But movies? I'll let you be the judge. Oh and he's nuts, plane and simple. Beyond being reduced to tears in the Americal Idol finale (which seriously jeopardized our aforementioned bond), he's always jumping up out of his seat, babbling on about something else, then stops and looks seriously at the contestant and gives them his best acting ability and says "your going through to the next round." It doesn't capture well in print, but its awsome to watch. Mrs. Blogger notes that he has some kind of drinking problem and wonders if he's drunk. Either Mandy either does the worlds greatest Paula Abdul impression or I fear that every singer/dancer in Hollywood has major issues. Again, Mrs. Blogger was wondering if this was a SNL skit and actually gave Brandy props for her dead on impression of Paula. The random English guy appears to be the only one who gets that you're supposed to "gong" the bad contestants. It's also fun to watch REG and DH wrestle for role of Alpha Dog. The show is terrible but apparantly had great initial ratings. You get two acts, then commercials, two more, commercial, and then for some reason they have a Price is Right thing where they call down four more contestants. The show knows how to waste time, I think in the two hour premier I saw 10 acts. Then at the end they show you all the acts we didn't get to see. Just a disaster.

So You Think You Can Dance is a good show with real talent, brought to you by one of the Nigel something, who also produces American Idol. These dancers can move. Not quite Stalin at prom, but not bad for ameteurs. Unfortunately they changed the rules this year (yes I'm a returning vet of the show). This year the audience votes for the bottom three couples and the judges make the final decision as to which male and female get the ax. Last year it was the opposite. The problem is that America's vote doesn't matter, sort of like a Democrat in Texas. The voters have no say in who actually wins. A favored contestant could wind up in the bottom three every week and the judges could give the ax to someone else until the favored dancer ultimately wins. Part of the draw of American Idol is wondering who the viewers vote for, it adds randomness to the show. SYTYCD is now more like the Apprentice with viewers wasting their time on a voting gimmick. Now part of the reason I watch the show is to find out when the public get this and stops voting.

That's your TV post for the week. Next week look for a review of Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, and The Wiggles.