Something New Under the Summer Sun

Remember the days of old when there was nothing new under the sun? I'm talking about summer television. It used to be that the minute school let out and you actually had time to veg in front of the boob tube...nothing but reruns. Remember when the only thing to look forward to was Sunday night when they showed a Walt Disney World special, or as my husband remembers, The Wild World of Sports? Not anymore my friend. The networks finally wised up and started introducing new shows during the summer. Now, it's definitely questionable at times. Some summer shows seem like experiments before delving into the fall, but some are just great hits in my opinion. Now, if you're not a TV watcher, just go ahead and roll your eyes and skip this post. It's all about summer previews...what I'm already watching, what I can't wait to watch, and what is so ridiculous or foul I can't even believe they are trying it. First off...

STUFF I'VE BEEN WATCHING

The Mole - LOVE The Mole! Have you ever seen it? It's where twelve people come together to complete several missions to add money to a cash pot. Only there's a catch...one of them is THE MOLE. The mole tries to sabotage their efforts. Each episode, the cast takes a quiz on who they think the mole is and the person who answers the most questions wrong is eliminated. It's really interesting because many of the contestants are sabotaging in an effort to make the other players think they are the mole when they're really not the mole. I have my opinions on who the mole is but no one, including the television audience knows until the final episode. The editors do a great job of really keeping it hard to tell but there are clues along the way. Love a mystery? This is the show for you. And if you missed the first episode, you're not too far behind. It comes on ABC Mondays at 9 p.m. central.

Million Dollar Password - Remember this show? I love password. I have to say it is definitely one of those games that seems super easy from the couch but I'm sure it's extremely difficult in real life. If auditions ever come to Nashville, I am definitely IN! Sundays on CBS at 7 p.m. central.

So You Think You Can Dance - Worst name of a television show ever, but...very entertaining. Right now they are in the audition stages, American Idol style. There are lots of the terrible, embarassing, questionable auditions but there are lots of incredible auditions. Seriously, sometimes it brings tears to my eyes. I watched last year too and there were some performances that I saved on my Tivo for weeks because I watched them over and over again. You can see it on Fox Wednesdays at 7 p.m. central.

The Next Food Network Star - I've been dying for this show to come on. This is where contestants take part in culinary challenges and try to win their own show on the Food Network. They've had enough regular people on this show that I've considered auditioning in the past. I know that sounds nutty and I'm no culinary genius but I love the Food Network. How cool to travel to New York and film some shows! There's only been one episode so far and the challenges aren't super complicated. The Food Network aims to teach us regular folks some cooking skills so it can't get too difficult for their stars. It actually counts against the contestants if they're too fru-fru for the average Food Network viewer. Watch it on the Food Network Sunday nights at 9 p.m. central.

Top Chef - Like I said, I love a good cooking competition show. This one is a competition of great chefs from varied backgrounds competing for $100,000 prize and the title of Top Chef. This is not Hell's Kitchen...it's got way more class. These chefs are over the top good so I have no intention of picking up some good recipes but they are amazing to watch. The personalities and types of food are very diverse. And who wouldn't want to watch Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi? It's almost over but you can catch the two part finale on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. central. If you've never seen it but think it sounds good, there are usually marathons that air periodically, especially before the finale.

The Bachelorette - I know, I know...it's like porn for women. I can't help it. I love seeing the romantic dates, trying to figure out who she's really into and who she's going to send home next. I watched The Bachelor when DeAnna got rejected and I want her to find LOVE. I'm addicted. The record for finding lasting romance is not very good on this show, but I'm a romantic at heart and I have hope. I'm not sure you can really be dating one guy one night and getting engaged to another the next but I try not to analyze to much. Calling it reality TV is a stretch, sure, but I don't always want reality when I'm vegging out, sometimes I want Cinderella. If you're not already watching, you're probably not going to start but it's on ABC Mondays at 7 p.m. central.

STUFF I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO

Design Star - Same thing as the Food Network Star, only with designing. I know tons of people that should audition for this show. Again, when I watch it, I'm tempted. The winner gets their own design show on HGTV. LOVE IT! It airs on HGTV starting June 8th at 8 p.m. central.

Nashville Star - Nashvegas has hit the bigtime baby! I have to admit that for unknown reasons, I couldn't get into American Idol this year. The contestants all seemed a little...plastic. They were very talented, just not all that engaging. Maybe I'm just over it. But as a true blue southern girl, I have high hopes for Nashville Star. It's been picked up by NBC and will start Monday, June 9th at 8 p.m.

Wipeout and I Survived a Japanese Game Show - Have you seen the previews for these? I'm sorry, I know it's cruel, but there's something about people flailing around, falling down, and looking like fools that makes me laugh hysterically. It's my natural reaction to laugh first and find out if you're okay second. I don't know what it is. I don't even know how to describe this show and if you've never seen those Japanese Game Shows, you are missing out. They both air on ABC starting June 24th at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. central.

Celebrity Circus - That's right people! Remember Circus of the Stars? Is anyone out there old enough to remember that? (Please say yes) This is where celebrities live the dream of every small boy and girl and train for the circus. It's some kind of competition but I haven't quite figured out how that works. The downside? I only recognized two of the celebrities, Christopher Knight, and Rachel Hunter. I'll still be tuning in. In the spirit of Wipeout (see above) maybe we can see some celebs make fools of themselves. Here's hoping. It's on NBC June 11th at 8:30 p.m. central.

Shear Genius - I know, you're like...what? It's on Bravo and it's along the lines of all the other reality TV competitions only this time...hairdressers! That's right people, cutting, coloring, and styling in a competition. If you're interested in the latest and greatest in hair, you've got to tune in. And yes, there will be hair disasters and crying clients as well. Now, I don't want to be judgemental but let's just say the personalities of the contestants are what you imagine them to be. And even better, it's hosted by Jaclyn Smith (she's from the original Charlie's Angels for you young ones) and her hair has always been fabulous...not Farrah mind you...but fabulous. It airs on Bravo June 25th at 9 p.m. central.

WHAT I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'RE PUTTING ON TELEVISION

Swingtown - Seriously? A show about swingers in the 70's on regular prime time television. Now I'm no prude as you can see but the commercials make me uncomfortable for crying out loud.

Fear Itself - Can you say scary? I'm a big wimp when it comes to horror flicks and this looks like Friday the 13th. When you pull it up on NBC, a little box pops up letting you know it's rated TV-14. Enough said.

Well, enough for now. I did delete my other blog that was completely devoted to TV because although I'm a fanatic, I don't have time to blog about it all so this is my compromise. Let me know what you'll be watching and why. And while I plan to spend plenty of time travelling, being outside with my family, camping, and hanging out at the pool...here's to hoping there really is something new under the sun!

My Other Blog

I started a separate blog for my TV commentary. Yes, my guilty pleasure. Today I wrote about Oprah's Big Give. If your interested, you can find it at tracystubetalk.blogspot.com. Any other TV addicts out there?

The Moment of Truth

I had never seen it before. It just looks...hard to watch. I can't fathom why someone would go on that show and answer the most personal, embarrasing questions for money. My dad was telling me about a particular episode so I had to go to http://www.fox.com/ and see it for myself. You know it's not going to be good when the host is shown alone in the studio making a disclaimer at the beginning. He said that if it had been up to him, he would not have aired the show and that it was the most uncomfortable he's ever been on television. He warned the viewers that it was "difficult to watch". So of course, anyone who heard that...watched.

You may have seen the preview. It made the claim that a woman would put her marriage on the line and the questions seemed very personal. Apparantly, the game keeps going as long as you agree to hear the next question. Once you agree, you have to answer and if you lie, you lose ALL the money. It's not like Millionaire where you go back to $25,000 or whatever. You can say, "no more questions" and take the money you have, or you can accept the question and you have to answer it.

So, here's the rundown. I can only guess that this woman was planning to leave her husband and figured she could make some money in the process. She answered the following questions:


Question: Do you believe you may have been in love with an exboyfriend on your wedding day?
Answer: Yes - true


Question: (Asked by exboyfriend) Do you think you should be married to me?
Answer: Yes - true


Question: Have you had sexual relations with someone other than your husband since you have been married?
Answer: Yes - true


Each time was really drawn out and it was obviously very uncomfortable for her husband and family. Her parents and a sister were there too. The husband gets angrier and the answers really seem to take him by suprise. The more it goes on, the more clear it becomes that her marriage is over. The host encourages her time and again to stop and take the $100,000 she already has. He keeps asking if it's really worth it. At one point the husband ends up telling her that she might as well go for it because he doesn't think it can get much worse. The host assures him that it will. Each time she says she wants to go on. Anyway, here's the fascinating part. The next question.


Question: Do you think you are a good person?


Interesting isn't it? I mean, we've got questions of infidelity, exboyfriends, etc. and then for the big money they ask, "Do you think you are a good person?" All she has to do is tell the truth and her money amount jumps way up. What happens next is unbelievable.


Answer: Honestly, yes, I think I am a good person.


And what do the lie detectors say? FALSE She's shocked. The host says something like, "What this shows is that somewhere deep down you don't think you're a good person at all." Isn't that sort of profound?

A machine was able to pick up on what we all know deep down...we deserve hell. We may not be cheating or dreaming of an ex. We may not steal or kill. But we may have suppressed the truth of our own hearts. If we really look, if we really understand how HOLY God's holiness is and how SINFUL our sinfulness is, we always answer that question with a no. Paul says in Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sinful nature. And in 7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? What do we do? The good news is found in v. 25 Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! It just makes it all the more amazing that we have such an awesome God that he would condescend to save a bunch of liars like us. And that's the truth.

The Ultimate Accountability

A while back, maybe a year or so ago I saw an episode of PRIMETIME on ABC. They were doing some experiments regarding something called "game theory". I don't really understand game theory but what they did was fascinating. First they dropped off several pairs of strangers all over New York City. They gave them only one instruction. Find another pair. Sounds crazy right? None of the people knew each other, none of them knew their partners but they had the challenge of finding another pair somewhere in the city. Guess how many of the pairs found another pair...are you ready for this?...ALL OF THEM. Can you believe that? They all found other pairs. Basically, they all had similar strategies:

What is a major meeting place in NYC ?(1/2 picked the Empire State Building, 1/2 picked Times Square)

What is a good meeting time? (several decided on noon)

How do we stand out and help someone find us? (Many went and bought supplies and made signs)

Anyway, I thought this was crazy. They all ended up going to either the Empire State Building or Times Square with signs and whistles and things and waited for another pair to show. By noon, all pairs had completed the task and they had started from all over the place. The whole thing was done so that people could study game theory and strategies by observing what the participants did. What does this have to do with accountability?

The second part of the show was about weight loss. They took about 20 people who wanted to lose at least 25 pounds. They took pictures of them (blurred of course) in spandex. They gave them no diet or exercise plan. They simply told them, lose 25 pounds in 60 days or we will show your spandex photo on national television. These people knew what they were getting into and they all signed up. Guess how many lost the weight? ALL BUT ONE! Crazy! The one who didn't had gotten really sick at some point. But really, this is the most effective diet plan ever. It had a 96% success rate. Do you know any other diet plan with that kind of success rate? The idea with game theory here was that people will react to a "credible threat". The key to success is that they have to believe that the consequences WILL happen. We see this with our children. We will get obedience if our threats are credible. If my child believes that I will really take away her favorite toy if she throws it again, she will stop. Of course, children always test your credibility from time to time. Once they find out the threat is credible, it becomes effective. Consequently reward works almost the same way. Boy, could I go down a rabbit trail about discipline here but anyway...back to weight loss.

Last year I thought about this alot and asked Jeff, "How can we create a credible threat so that I will actually exercise and lose weight?" He came up with an idea. If I didn't lose 15 pounds (because I wanted to ladies, not at his request) by spring break, he would tell all my friends that I...ha, ha, like I'm going to tell you, just imagine something really stupid I did. It was something he thought was funny and I thought was embarrasing and I knew he would follow through. So we agreed. I weighed and the challenge of avoiding embarrassment began. I DID IT. I lost the weight! Next on the agenda was keeping it off. We renegotiated. Okay, I had to keep it off until our trip to Destin in June or same thing, he would tell my friends that I...still not going to tell you. I DID IT AGAIN. I kept the weight off! But...

...then summer went on, we were out of town a lot and the threat was gone. We took several vacations and all involved great dining. There's a joke in our family that if someone is eating a lot you ask, "What, are you on vacation?" Needless to say, the weight (+5) is all back. (See post on Gluttony) What to do?

I'm thinking of photographing myself in spandex (I'm trying not to gag) and entrusting it to a friend who will post it if I don't take it off and keep it off. It was the ULTIMATE ACCOUNTABILITY before. It worked. What do you think? Anyone want to trade spandex shots?

American Idol

Okay, I told you all in my first post I'm a TV fanatic. I love American Idol. Even though I can't sing like that, I can hear. And I, like everyone else who watches, have my opinions. I thought the guys as a group were a lot better than the girls. I think I could pick the top 6 right now. In the interest of time, I'll keep it to the top 4.

David Archuleta

-I LOVE this kid! He is so humble and goofy and sweet and sincere. And he sings like an angel. He is confident without being cocky and seems to be having a great time. He is a favorite for sure.

Michael Johns
-This guy looks like he could front a band tomorrow. His "Bohemian Rhapsody" during Hollywood week was my favorite performance. Again, confident without seeming cocky.

Jason Castro

-A true original. He was the only one who played an instrument. We didn't see him at all during Hollywood week but he definitely won't be forgotten now. He's a little...weird maybe? But there's something about him.

There are others of course but I thought these were the top 3. Who should go home tonight? They pick two but I'll name just one.

Garrett Haley

-Not good. He was on vacation in San Diego when they had tryouts and decided to go for fun. I don't know how he made it and Josiah didn't. Random.

As for the ladies, I didn't always agree with the judges and I was a little disappointed overall but here's my top 3.

Amanda Overmyer

-There's no other girl like her in the competition. I think she's the first real "rocker" girl AI has ever had. She's so calm, cool, and collected. I can't wait to see what she does with the different themes.

Syesha Mercado

-Powerful voice. Great performer. I think she's the most beautiful girl in the bunch. She's super talented but there's something about her personality that seems a little...fake. I loved "Tobacco Road".

Alexandrea Lushington

-I didn't agree with Simon on her. I usually agree with Simon (although I think he's too mean about it). But I loved her. I thought she was one of the best for sure. She's original and confident and when she sings it seems effortless. She makes it look so easy. I like her.

There were a lot of girls who fell in the middle for me. I wonder if I'll ever keep all the blondes straight. There was one who I thought fell at the bottom of the bunch.

Amy Davis

-Who? Unfortunately for her, we didn't see her during Hollywood week and no one will remember her after last night either. I thought she sounded off quite a bit and her performance was boring.

Feel free to agree or disagree, these are just my opinions. I have been known to change my mind. We'll see.