Entertainment Nerd

Jersey Shore: Miami: Snooki and the stupid things she says

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:04:00 +0000

I didn't think anyone could make the things Jessica Simpson said on MTV's 'Newlyweds' look smart.

Enter 'Snookie' from the Jersey Shore.

Episode 1: I feel like a pilgrim back in the 20s, washing clothes in the sink.

I don't go tanning-tanning anymore because Obama put a 10% tax on tanning. And I feel like he did that intentionally for us.

McCain would have never put a tax on tanning. (she goes on to make reference to McCain being a pasty white guy and Obama not understanding because he doesn't need to tan.)

I really don’t want to cheat, like seriously, I don’t want to.. but if you’re gonna hand me a bottle of friggin’ SoCo, something just comes over me, like I just go crazy.

Episode 2: What is tuna? Is it like a fish?

The glasses are pretty much all crystalled out, all bling-bling, but when you put them on you can’t really see.. so I don’t think you can't drive with them.. because you’ll get a ticket.

OMG.

I'm intrigued by the Rachel Zoe Project (Season 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 03:45:00 +0000

So for the longest time (ie. watching the City and listening to Roxy), I've heard about this woman named Rachel Zoe, some high profile stylist from LA. Now, I'm more Kelly Cutrone than anyone, so the shabby chic, high-maintenance squeal of Zoe's voice wasn't all that appealing until I recently began trolling the Internet for some new reality shows to watch. (Still haven't been able to watch a Real Housewives yet, but I'm sure I will someday.)

I happened to watch an episode of season 3 of the Rachel Zoe Project and I just couldn't look away. OMG. This woman is soooooooooooo high maintenance. In some weird way, I love her. She's the complete opposite of Kelly Cutrone, so I shouldn't love her, but I do.

I don't know what I find appealing. I love the color black. I hate high nasally voices. I hate women like her. I hate her white apartment with colored accents. I hate her obsession with Chanel. But this woman is fascinating in the way Kelly Cutrone is fascinating. But instead of Mama Wolf taking care of her team, Zoe is full on drama - "Should we burn this?", she asks her assistant Brad, regarding a magazine photo of her former employee.

In episode one of this season, Zoe's husband, who is running the business, has let go her no. 1 helper, Taylor, who was allegedly cooking the books as she helped herself to the cookie jar. But even more fascinating than listening to Zoe say insane things like "I die" is the fact that this woman can't get over the fact that she trained this girl, taught her everything she knows and then the girl steals from her and goes out on her own - after her clients. And she keeps saying things like "I need closure."

Wow.

The Bachelorette: Post-interview with Ali and Roberto

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:53:00 +0000

And you thought it was over....Read my Post-engagement interview with Ali and Roberto.

Originally posted at www.thetranscript.com on August 5.

NORTH ADAMS -- It was "love at first sight" for Williamstown native Ali Fedotowsky when she originally met former North Adams SteepleCat Roberto Martinez getting out of a limo during a meet-and-greet with her 25 potential suitors while filming what would become the first episode of "The Bachelorette."

"In retrospect, looking back to the first night, that feeling that I had when I saw him was like nothing I’ve ever experienced," Fedotowsky said Tuesday during a teleconference with media from all over the country. But it wasn’t until their final date in Bora Bora, after Martinez, an insurance salesman from Charleston, South Carolina, met her family and received approval to ask for her hand in marriage from her father, Alex Fedotowsky, that she was sure he was the one.

"I knew for sure, with a 100 percent, that it was Roberto," she gushed. "During our last date together -- when we were in the rain together and just everything was so perfect and wonderful -- I felt so good, and I didn’t want to be with anyone else. At the end of the night, I’d be like, ‘OK, I need to stop focusing on this guy, and I need to focus on the next guy.’ But I couldn’t focus [on my date] with Chris. I just wanted to spend more time with Roberto. So that’s when I knew for sure."

For months rumors have circulated locally and in national tabloids that the pair had a "secret

past," having supposedly met during the summer of 2002, when then 19-year-old Martinez was pitching for the SteepleCats and Fedotowsky had just graduated from Mount Greylock Regional High School.

During the interview, the couple denied any such meeting.

"I wish I had," Martinez, who was also involved in the phone interview, said. "I wouldn’t have needed to go on the show. I would have filled her up right there."

Fedotowsky added, "We’ve been talking, and it’s funny, you know. My sister even wrote me and said, ‘Oh, my gosh. I think Roberto actually met this guy, who’s a friend of ours [when he was a SteepleCat].’ I think when I actually go home, to my hometown, it’ll be interesting to see how much overlap there is in our lives there -- that we never even knew about."

While it may have appeared that her family favored Chris Lambton, a landscaper from Dennis, Fedotowsky said her family is excited about spending more time getting to know their future son-in-law.

"I waited a little bit to tell my parents -- not because they wouldn’t be thrilled -- they loved Roberto when they met him," she said. "I didn’t want them to feel tempted to share the information. It’s such a huge secret to hold on to. So I waited a little bit, but when I told them, they were like, ‘Yes, we already knew. It was so obvious.’ So, they’re happy for me, and they just love this guy. They’re like, ‘When can we come out and be with you two and get to know Roberto better?’ "

Martinez’s family had the same reaction, he said.

"My family was extreme," he said. "They loved Ali when they met her, and they’re looking forward to spending more time with her."

But with so many break-ups after the show ends, including the recent split of Bachelor Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi just four months after their engagement, many are wondering if the connection between Fedotowsky and Martinez can withstand the microscope of the paparazzi and the normalcy of "real life."

While Martinez recently opened his State Farm insurance agency in San Diego, where the couple is now sharing an apartment, Fedotowsky isn’t planning on returning to her job as an account executive at FaceBook.

Instead, she’s hired an agent and is enjoying the media frenzy that has landed her numerous covers on tabloids such as US Weekly and on several television talk shows, including an appearance this morning on "Live with Kelly and Regis."

"I definitely have some people advising me right now and helping to represent me so I can figure out what’s the best move," she said. "I want to do this right. I want to do what is right for my relationship, for Roberto, for me and just make the best of this blessing we’ve been given."

She added, "I think that the limelight and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and all those things -- that’s not what tore Jake and Vienna apart. What tore Jake and Vienna apart is something within the relationship. The relationship was already broken."

While marriage and children are in the future for the couple, they’re reluctant to say when they’ll tie the knot.

"For now we’ve been together for three months, and we’ve talked about it. Since then, we’ve taped the finale and gotten engaged -- it’s hard to answer," Fedotowsky said. "We’ve said possibly spring, summer of next year, but we’re also like, ‘Well, if we say that and then get really busy and don’t get married, people are going to say that there’s something wrong in our household.’ "

But when they do get married, the guest list is expected to be huge -- numbers as high as 700 have been floated around already. Such a large wedding has opened the couple up to the idea of televising the nuptials.

"I think the money we can save from that we can invest in our lives and our life together, and it’d be kind of cool just to share that moment with everybody," Martinez said.

The Bachelorette Finale: Ali and Roberto find a Happy Ending

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:44:00 +0000

My final Bachelorette Blog for the North Adams Transcript published on Aug. 3.

NORTH ADAMS - It was a fitting ending to 10 weeks of whining, weeping, back-stabbing, lying and waffling, as former North Adams SteepleCat Roberto Martinez dropped to one knee to propose to Ali Fedotowsky, a Berkshire-raised girl he may or may not have known during his 2002 stint as a pitcher for the local summer collegiate baseball team.

Standing in a shimmering champagne-colored, silk-chiffon strapless Alberto Makali gown on the luscious island of Bora Bora, Ali handed Roberto the last rose during Monday night's finale episode of "The Bachelorette." Good thing he accepted, since unbeknownst to him, he was the only man left standing.

In bold move, Ali had already "broken the rules" and opted to send the other finalist, Chris Lambton of Dennis, home the day before the final rose ceremony. Ali, the girl who told us ad nauseum that she had given up everything to find love, took a serious risk by sending home a guy who seemed like he was a sure thing when it came to getting a proposal. Instead, Ali did the classy thing.

The day before the final rose ceremony, when she was scheduled to go on a final romantic date with Chris, she instead explained to him that she was in love with someone else.

"I don't want to be the cause of any more hurt," she said in an interview after the scene, in which Chris shed a few man tears. "I wasn't going to do that to him. I had to do it today. Saying goodbye to Chris, I'm wondering if I made the right choice. I know I sent an

amazing guy home."

Her shocking move came after her family had weighed in heavily on the side of Chris, a 33-year-old landscaper who's ready to settle down and start a family. I'm sure he'll have no shortage of dates and proposals it seems everyone knows someone who's swooning for this castoff. He's the equivalent of Jacob in the "Twilight Saga" - the sensitive stud rejected by the franchise's heroine. He's ready to find his soul mate and cherish her forever (without the whole werewolf thing).

At the beginning of the episode, Ali introduced both of her beaus to her family - dad Alex, mom Beth, sister Raya and brother Michael - on the same day, but on separate occasions. For both men, the day was crucial - each was seeking the approval of her family as a whole but also the blessing of Ali's father for her hand in marriage.

For me, it was obvious at this point who Ali was going to choose. It was all about her body language. (I was using knowledge I had picked up during a seminar with body language expert and Donnie Deutsch regular -- MCLA alumna Janine "The Lyin Tamer" Driver.)

With Roberto, Ali had just been so attentive - she held his arm, leaned against him and gazed lovingly at his face when he spoke. When speaking to her mother, Beth, about him, Ali's eyes just lit up. Her face was in permanent smile mode, and her demeanor was almost hyperactive.

Before Beth, who still lives in North Berkshire, met privately with Roberto, she noted that he was "the tall, dark man of Ali's dreams" and that she needed to be sure he was right for her daughter. But instead of asking him 20 questions (they may have been edited out), she opted to ask Roberto if he had any questions about her daughter. He asked how to ensure she'd always be happy?

"I think you're already doing it and she's made that clear," Beth answered. "It's what you've done since the day you stepped out of the limo to today. I can't contain the joy of this whole experience. I see she really cares for you. I can see that. I want to say to you I believe that your heart is pure."

Although Alex gave his approval to both men, he was the lone family member to immediately recommend the fiery Latin dancer to his daughter. Raya, on the other hand, immediately said she favored Chris, noting his solid commitment to Ali and the fact that the pair's relationship had progressed more naturally (and slowly) over the two-month period, as opposed to the instant chemistry between Ali and Roberto. But I don't think the word "grounded" was used by Ali in her description of what she was looking for in a man.

Beth also advised her daughter not to discount the older Chris, who seemed to mesh flawlessly with her family, because he was a little more hesitant and was reserved about his feelings about the loss of his mother 1 1 2 years ago.

But in the end, Ali made the point that it was no longer about the men "being great guys."

"They're both great guys. It's about who's right for me," she said.

At this point, Ali faced a choice of two opposites - spontaneity vs. sensibility - the man who had walked across a tightrope 20 stories above the streets of San Francisco or the man who had slowly crossed the countryside on a moped because he didn't want to be the one who gave The Bachelorette road rash when he dumped it.

Ali's final date with Roberto seemed to seal Chris' fate - jet skiing and a spontaneous stop to jump in the ocean with a school of stingrays. Later that night, after a romantic picnic on a private beach, Ali didn't want to leave Roberto's room.

So, after months of waiting, speculation and the infamous RealitySteve.com reporting that Ali walked away a single woman (despite his recant two hours before the final show), Ali and Roberto walked away a couple, with a gorgeous ring and later an all-expense paid trip to Catalina (given to them by host Chris Harrison during the hour-long and boring "After the Final Rose" recap special).

The couple is currently moving in together - Roberto has moved his State Farm agency office to the West Coast - and planning a wedding for this summer or spring, if Roberto has his way.

Perhaps we'll all get an invite to the wedding - if they let ABC televise it. And maybe we'll get to see Chris again. There's always the hope that he'll be the next Bachelor.

The Bachelorette Episode 10: Bachelors get catty during Men Tell All

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:08:00 +0000

NORTH ADAMS - After weeks of waiting to see who Ali Fedotowsky picks as her potential husband, I reluctantly turned on the television Monday night to watch "The Men Tell All" episode of "The Bachelorette."

I questioned why a 10-week show needed to recap the very short season after only eight episodes. I wanted answers as to why I have to wait until Aug. 2 to know Ali's final choice.I wasn't looking forward to the "tell all" episode - this season was my first experience with this ongoing series, so I didn't know what fun lay ahead.
Heavy-hearted, I settled in for what I thought would be a boring episode, filled with suitors whose names and faces I'd either forgotten or didn't care to remember.Two minutes in, my spirits perked up: Was Chris Harrison making fun of Kasey for getting a tattoo of a heart and shield? Yep. With newfound hope, I started paying more attention as Harrison launched into the two-hour special, a mix of unaired footage interspersed with interviews of Ali and her suitors.
Particularly entertaining was the bashing of Justin "Rated-R" Rego, the entertainment wrestler from Toronto who left the show with his tail between his legs after it was discovered he had left not one but two women behind.
"How could 25 men be wrong?" asked Ty, one of the final four contestants.
"We all knew he was fake. I knew Ali was just trying to give everyone the benefit of the doubt," he said, referring to the first night in the mansion, when the men voted Justin as the one who should be eliminated. Ali later overlooked the vote to keep him in the running.
Kirk, who made it to the final three, recounted a night when Justin went into the bathroom at 3 a.m., turned on the water in the sink and tub and could be heard "talking to himself."
"I'm listening to the voicemails he left his girlfriend, and I could hear water running in one of them," Kirk said. "He was calling his girlfriend on the other side of my wall."
Justin's deceptive ways didn't win him any friends among the men - many of their comments had to be bleeped out because of the foul words they used.
Craig R., a private detective who was eliminated during a series of dates in Turkey, referred to Justin as "evil" and a "bad person," while clearing up the misconception that Frank, a bachelor who left to go back to a girlfriend after making it to the final three, had planned that all along, like Justin."It's a 110 percent different situation," Craig said. "I can say this about Frank: He came on this show with great intentions and got confused."Hunter, who was eliminated after Justin hijacked his date with Ali, said he knew Ali and Frank had a natural chemistry - which every man had known existed since the couple's first date at the Hollywood sign.
"I think he was hoping those feelings [for his girlfriend] would go away," said Ty. "Do I think he was selfish? Yes, in retrospect, I do."
Host Harrison couldn't pass up the opportunity to chide Kasey, who got the tattoo on his forearm after Ali said she didn't think he was being genuine with her. (I personally think it was all of those times Kasey said he wanted to "protect and guard" Ali's heart that threw her off.)
Although Kasey was eventually left behind on a glacier near an active volcano in Iceland, he said he harbored no ill will toward the blond-haired vixen - opening up to her on national television was just a step in his path to finding true love.
Ty had a different take.
"Kasey is just loony tunes," he said. "He was in love with Ali before he met her. I have to give it to him, though; he was loony tunes the entire time. He was genuine."
Before the show was over, Harrison brought out an anxious Ali, dressed in a silver-sequined mini-dress that looked like it had been resurrected from the disco era.
"The hardest part of the show is the way we have to say goodbye," she said, looking all doey-eyed at the cast-off bachelors. "I knew going in to this that it would be difficult, but I didn't know how difficult it would be. I went into it thinking it would be all rainbows and butterflies."
Turns out it wasn't - no rainbows, no butterflies, no unicorn love for Kasey, no clear skies for the weatherman.
Twenty-three bachelors have gone down in flames, and as the end nears, Ali is left with former North Adams SteepleCat Roberto Martinez and Chris Lambton, a landscaper from Dennis, Mass.
Who will propose next week? Will anyone? Will Ali's father consent to give his blessing to either man? Will there be a happy ending after the most dramatic and most shocking season finale of "The Bachelorette" to date?
I don't know. I just hope the ending isn't lame.

Celebrity Make-up Artist Nathan Johnson returns home to share beauty tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:45:00 +0000

I'm now in love with Beauty Society, thanks to Nathan Johnson, who hails from my hometown and graduated a few years earlier than me. Here's the article I wrote on this fabulous man last week. Click the title of this post to get to the original post.

ADAMS -- Growing up in Adams, celebrity makeup artist Nathan Johnson always knew he was meant to live in the big city, but he could have never have guessed that his travels outside of the Berkshires would include two seasons as a make-up artist on the hit fashion reality show "Project Runway" and a list of clientele that includes Paul McCartney, Annette Bening, Kyra Sedgewick and Alan Cumming.

"My mother always called me her little cosmopolitan," he said Wednesday during an interview at the Polish National Alliance. "I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but I knew I belonged someplace like New York City. When I went off to college, I studied acting. I was on a soap opera, a co-host for a show on the Discovery Channel, on stage and in a few movies. During all of the time I was acting, I was doing make-up for myself and others. I designed the make-up for a few off-Broadway shows, then started doing it for television. One thing just led to another."

Johnson, a 1994 graduate of Hoosac Valley High School, returned home on Wednesday to host a makeup event for Beauty Society, the nationwide makeup and skin care company for which he serves as the executive makeup artist.

"Being the executive makeup artist for Beauty Society has been one of the most fulfilling years of my life," he said. "No matter how many celebrities I work with, real woman are still my heart and soul. I always think of my mom and aunts, who celebrity makeup and skin care products were so out of reach for financially. This is a way for me to teach women the tips and tricks of the celebrities with products that are good for them and are affordable."

He also provides advice to women through a variety of media, such as writing columns for Sephora.com on a monthly basis and for RunningwithHeels.com on a weekly basis, in addition to having articles and interviews appear in Harper’s Bazaar, Genre and Glamour magazines. He’s also done segments for CBS, Access Hollywood and Fox News.

"The first celebrity I did makeup for was Ice-T [who stars on Law & Order]," Johnson said. "I was then approached by Sephora to do a tips and tricks column. At that point, I hadn’t had any formal training, so I went to school."

Although he already held a master’s degree in acting from Columbia University and a bachelor’s in acting from Marymount Manhattan College, Johnson enrolled at the Make-up Designory in New York, from which he graduated in 2007 with a formal training in makeup artistry for fashion, film and television.

"Immediately after I got out of school, my celebrity clientele just increased," he said. "I’ve worked with over 80 famous faces. I’ve done work for people like Angela Lansbury, Chris Kattan and Nick Lachey. I’ve had my work appear in Rolling Stone and Elle. I’ve done makeup for the Tony Awards, Good Morning America, The Big Gay Sketch Show and The Early Show."

He added, "I’ve been very fortunate, I never feel like I work. I’d die behind a desk. I just couldn’t do a job like that. I love the challenge of makeup. I recently had the challenge of making a man look like Madonna. I had to figure out what features I could work with and what I had to add. It was great."

When he’s not in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas or London for work, Johnson is usually working with real women through Beauty Society.

"Doing an event like this gives me a chance to work with a room full of people," he said. "Part of the reason I’m so passionate about what I do is because I understand what women go through. In school, I was picked on mercilessly for my weight and my sexuality.

"Magazines are tailor-made to make women feel bad about the way they look. Women are told by magazines that they’re too old, too fat, don’t wear the right clothes and they don’t have the right facial structure. I want to remind women that they are all so beautiful. Women need to be reminded that they are beautiful today, they were beautiful yesterday and they’ll be beautiful tomorrow. When they’re focused on how bad they look, the beauty can’t pour through their souls."

He said the worst mistake women make is that they believe makeup artists can work miracles.

"I can’t, only you can," Johnson said. "Skin care is so important, but it can stop at any time. I can teach you what are the right things to use on your face, but only the person opening the medicine cabinet can make sure that the products are being used."

He’s also a strong believer that women of every walk of life should have access to quality products at an affordable price.

"I was originally approached by another cosmetic company about working with their cosmetic line, but I opted to work with Beauty Society because they provide prescription-grade products to the average woman at affordable prices," he said. "Most quality skin care products cost hundreds of dollars because of the advertising campaigns behind them. A full-page advertisement in a magazine can cost $50,000 to $70,000. A full ad campaign can cost $500,000 for a product. We rely on our customers to tell each other how wonderful our products are, so we don’t have that added cost. We do everything in-house, in our own labs and nothing is out-sourced."

For more information on Johnson, visit www.nathansbeauty.com.

The Bachlorette Episode 9: Two-Faced Frank leaves Ali behind, doesn't get shot at 'Fantasy Suite'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:44:00 +0000

Posted: 07/20/2010 11:23:46 AM EDT

NORTH ADAMS - It was an emotional roller coaster ride this week for Ali Fedotowsky, as "The Bachelorette" moved into the high stakes world of romance in Tahiti, where she found out that another of her suitors wasn't being completely honest with her.

For weeks we've had to endure the insipid, namby-pamby ranting of Frank, who would whine about not being able to spend more time with his golden-haired vixen or cry about having to watch the love of his life date other men. In the end, Frank walked away from Ali to return to his ex-girlfriend Nicole, whom he suddenly realized he loved.

Seems ol' lover boy Frank may have taken notes from Justin "Rated-R" Rego's playbook and actually carried out his scheme. You remember Justin, the entertainment wrestler from Toronto, who was bounced from the show after it was revealed he had left not one, but two girlfriends behind in Canada? His original plan had been to make it to the final three and then bow out gracefully, claiming that feelings for his ex had been rekindled.

It was all too familiar Monday night, as Frank took a detour to Chicago, where he reunited with his recent ex-girlfriend Nicole, in an attempt at closure. You see, Frank, whom I've always felt uneasy about (in the first week of the show I called him a potential stalker, and Entertainment Weekly recently called him creepy and obsessed), was supposedly so "into" Ali, but he was going to sleep at night thinking of Nicole.

"Ali and I have a connection
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that very few people have," he said. "It's fun. It's romantic. It's everything I want in a relationship, and I can see us getting married one day. I came here to fall in love with Ali, yet there's something in me that's holding me back. As I fall in love with Ali, I realize I may still be in love with Nicole. It's killing me that I have feelings for two girls."

So instead of heading to Tahiti, Frank flew off to Nicole in Chicago, where the two had an awkward heart-to-heart in which he confessed that his feelings for her had been brewing despite his affections for Ali.

If I were Nicole, I would have slapped his face and shoved him out the door. To think he had to spend a couple months dating another woman, whom he traveled around the world with, to realize that he loved her? But Nicole seems perfect for Frank. She has to be, since she told him she wasn't complete without him and it was time to come home.

Congratulations. You two seem perfect together.

While all of this was going on, Ali was happily enjoying her dates in Tahiti with former North Adams SteepleCat Roberto Martinez and Chris L., a landscaper from Dennis, Mass. During her date with Roberto, the couple flew to a nearby island where they swam in a heart-shaped lagoon and shared such long passionate kisses that I felt like a voyeur on their honeymoon. I was made uncomfortable by the intimacy we shared with the couple.

It was at dinner that Roberto expressed his feelings to the Williamstown native, sweat dripping from his brow ( I couldn't tell if he was nervous or too hot) as he admitted he had fallen for her. Ali presented him a key to a "fantasy suite," where the couple could spend the entire night together instead of in separate quarters. While this sentiment is romantic in some respects, I'd rather not let my imagination run wild with speculation of what happened after the lights and the cameras were turned off.

The next day Ali was in high spirits, as she set off on a yacht with Chris. The two swam in the luxurious crystal-clear water, collected pearls from oysters on the sand and shared an intimate dinner on a secluded island before making their way to the fantasy suite.

Now, it's my theory that each of the three remaining men represented some fantasy to Ali. Frank represented the man she can have fun with and who would follow her to distant locations as she follows her dreams. Roberto is the fun-loving partner and equal, whom she can build a life with if she chooses, while Chris is the older protector, who offers a dream life of security and family.

But which one is the right choice?

Ali had thought it was Frank, a man who promised he'd walk to the ends of the earth for her. He was the guy who would give up his job to follow her like a puppy dog. But when Frank arrived in Tahiti and said those horrible, horrible words, "We need to talk," Ali's world began to spiral downward. She had appeared all prepared to give her heart to the man who could flatter her with his obsession and love her with undying passion.

Frank didn't make his bad news any easier to take, as he systematically said how wonderful Ali was, how in love he was with her- and how he was returning to Nicole.

"I was crazy about you right from the beginning," he told Ali. "Every time I saw you, my feelings grew stronger and stronger. But, there was something holding me back, and basically it was unresolved feelings for an ex-girlfriend."

Frank isn't good at breaking up, because the man kept going on and on:

"You're perfect in every way. You make me feel better about myself. I love being with you," he gushed. "When I watched you drive away [from my family's home], I was thinking 'I could marry that girl.' I wanted to get closure and give everything I could give to you.

But then, he added, "The second I saw her [Nicole], all the old feelings kind of came rushing back."

Ali kicked Frank to the curb, but like all women, she later broke down and questioned if the problem was her, not the idiot-boy.

"This always happens to me," she said to host Chris Harrison. "I was so looking forward to falling in love with Frank today and everything coming together. I just don't understand. If there was another girl, why didn't he tell me? I just feel like he's the biggest jerk I've ever known. I've been saying for a while that Frank is everything I've been looking for in a guy. I was so sure he was going to meet my mom and dad. I just can't help thinking there is something wrong with me."

With Frank gone, there were only two men left to travel on to the island of Bora Bora with Ali to meet her family. But Ali insisted on having a rose ceremony, so Roberto and Chris wouldn't feel like their advancement was the direct result of Frank's departure.

"I need to make sure they accept the rose," she said.

So it's down to Roberto and Chris, but you'll have to wait two weeks until the series finale. Next week, it's "Men Tell All," a revealing episode where they talk openly about each other.

The Bachelorette Episode 8: Ali meets the parents, leaves Kirk before heading to Tahiti

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:40:00 +0000

NORTH ADAMS - It was "The Bachelorette," Ali Fedotowsky, who was in the hot seat this week as she traveled to the home towns of the last four men vying for her heart and her hand in marriage.

In Tampa, it was former North Adams SteepleCat Roberto Martinez's father whom she had to impress when the couple arrived at the family homestead for dinner. The former Army ranger wasn't about to be swept away by the Williamstown native's charm and good looks, as he sat Ali down for a heart-to-heart in a room full of Roberto's baseball trophies - a way to show her that he wouldn't let his son's dreams be squashed.

It was also apparent that, if dad didn't approve, Roberto wouldn't be getting down on one knee, contrary to what he told his mom in another scene.

When Dad asked her personal goals, Ali smiled brightly and responded that she wants to own her own business and be really successful. He didn't look too pleased with such a bland answer and expressed his concern with a question about what she would be willing to sacrifice for his son.

"It would be what is best for my family - the kids, my husband and me," she replied.

While Ali did receive the family's approval, it was with a hesitant father in the wings - a father who doesn't want his son to give up his dreams for a pretty face.

At the same time, I had to ask, just what are Roberto's dreams? I don't know, do you? The former SteepleCat, who finally disclosed his affiliation with the local team on Monday's
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show during a date on the field of the University of Tampa, was twice drafted by teams in the Major League but turned down the offers to attend college.

Roberto seems a natural choice for Ali - they seem to have the same type of personality, but I'm worried she's holding out for someone just a little bit less mysterious.

After spending the day with Roberto's family, Ali moved on to meet the family of Chris Lamberton, a landscaper from Dennis, who gave up his teaching job in the inner city to move home to be with his dying mom.

I love Chris, and I fell in love with his family during this visit. His dad, Ed, told stories about how he met his wife in a bar - she was 19 with a fake ID and told everyone in the bar she was going to marry him after their first meeting. Ed also spoke of soul mates and love being the "only reality." This guy just makes your heart melt.

But in between the shots of photographs of Chris' mother, walking on the beach with his dog and sitting on the porch of his family's quaint Cape house, there was an uneasiness that started brewing when his sisters-in-law arrived. First one noticed the bracelet that Chris presented Ali last week - it's a gift that Ed has made for all the women in the family.

Then, it was sister-in-law Meagen who expressed her trepidation with Ali, saying she was worried that Chris was too eager to be in a lasting relationship and was jumping too quickly. Meagen then, quickly, added how sweet and genuine Ali seemed. Her counterpart, Sarah, also raised her eyebrows on several occasions - the sisters-in-law seemed more than ready to protect their deserving and loving brother.

In a heart-to-heart with his dad, Chris said he was ready to propose to Ali. But I don't see this couple working out. Chris is too ready to settle down right away. While Ali does want a family and kids, she said during an interview with the Transcript in May that she doesn't want that for at least five years.

Next it was off to Green Bay, Wis., where Ali met Kirk's father and mother, who are divorced and don't speak. This hometown visit really explained all of Kirk's weird quirks.

Kirk's father, Pete, immediately took Ali into his basement to see a roomful of stuffed game trophies after she met him and Kirk's stepmother and adopted sister. I was immediately taken back to the very first episode of the show, when Kyle, one of the first bachelors to be dismissed, had displayed his collection of dead animals.

While Ali was at first appalled at Pete's basement taxidermy collection, she soon warmed to Kirk's eccentric father. And despite his soft-spoken demeanor and eccentricities, it was Pete who gave the most sage advice of the night to his son, cautioning him to find a woman with whom he shared interests - otherwise the pair would grow apart.

Ali seemed to win the approval of Kirk's mother and sister at his mother's house, but I had to question if she wasn't just giving in to a son who had almost died on her (from mold poisoning when he was at college). When she said she thought the two would be good together, it looked almost as if she was grinning and bearing the idea.

I wasn't surprised when Ali cut Kirk during the rose ceremony, because I didn't see the pair having a long-term relationship at all.

Then there was the final visit to Frank in Chicago, which couldn't have been more excruciating and irritating to watch. Ali thinks Frank could be the one. I don't think Frank could make a decision on what to order at a restaurant without changing his mind five times.

One week he says their relationship is strong; the next week it's on the rocks. He's stressed. He's in love. He needs to be with her. He can't watch her date other men. He needs another one-on-one date. He doesn't know if they're love is real. He doesn't want to get hurt. She's the one. She's the best thing that ever happened to him.

Oh my God, I can't take it.

In the 15 minutes devoted to this date, Frank went through every possible human emotion. His sister, Becky, noted how emotional he is and how he tends to overanalyze everything. I thought I was going to have a breakdown for Frank.

For Ali, however, Frank is the most convenient of all the men. He has no serious job to tie him down; they have chemistry (not unlike Chris and Roberto), and she believes he could leave at a moment's notice for her. I think Frank is the man of her dreams because he worships her and wouldn't require too much sacrifice on her part. But the tradeoff would be an emotional, clingy man who doesn't deal well under pressure.

So Ali is now off to meet the final three - Roberto, Chris and Frank - in Tahiti. According to the previews, things are going to get rocky next week. As the men show up for their dates, the ever-fickle Frank utters those words no one in a relationship ever wants to hear: "We need to talk."

The Bachelorette Episode 7: Portugal and the Jake and Vienna thing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:38:00 +0000

Posted: 07/06/2010 07:04:59 AM EDT

NORTH ADAMS - Tempers flared, tears were shed and accusations flew during Monday night's episode of "The Bachelorette," but the drama-filled last 20 minutes didn't revolve around Ali Fedotowsky and her remaining five suitors.

Instead, we were treated to the "reality" of what her relationship with last season's "Bachelor" Jake Pavelka could have ended up like - bitter, angry and full of lies.

In an exclusive interview, Jake and his ex-paramour, Vienna Girardi, met face-to-face for the first time since their very public break-up. It wasn't pretty. Jake questioned why Vienna sold him out to a tabloid, while she accused him of only being in love with her in front of the cameras. She also charged him with emotional abuse and secluding her from her friends and family in Los Angeles while he worked on his career.

Jake said she was jealous of his fame and accused her of constantly cheating on him.

Oh Ali, what you have to look forward to. Looks like Jake did you a favor when he decided not to let you rejoin his group of pretty ladies at the end of his season.

Although Ali's stint as the Bachelorette was filmed months prior to the announcement of Jake and Vienna's break-up, her time as one of the contestants on "The Bachelor" was obviously on her mind during this week's episode, when she was forced to whittle the five remaining men down to four. After last week's episode, which included the dramatic humiliation of Justin "Rated-R" Rego, who was kicked-off for
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hiding not one but two girlfriends at home, this week can only be described as lackluster and awkward.

As Ali met with the men -- three one-on-one dates and a two-on-one date -- her mission was to decide whose parents she wanted to meet during next week's hometown visits. But, with only five men left, it appeared she was fighting to separate her physical attractions from her emotional needs.

There's no doubt that Ali is attracted to former North Adams SteepleCat Roberto Martinez, but we know little about the man besides what he's let us know which isn't much about his personal life. Yes, Roberto can dance a mean tango, speak several different languages and has played baseball in the minor leagues, but what do we actually know about the insurance salesman? I think Ali began to question that as she went on her one-on-one date with him.

The test? Can he be silly and goofy? While that didn't top my list of questions for this gorgeous man, I guess it's a quality Ali's interested in. He passed - although he's better at making silly faces at the camera than he is at taking pictures of Ali jumping off a park bench. T

he problem with Roberto, at this point, is that Ali is still looking for his flaw. He seems too good to be true, and she's mentioned too many times that he's out of her league. I'm hoping that doesn't hurt him - maybe a hometown visit with his family will unearth that flaw she's looking for.

On her two-on-one date with Frank and Ty, Ali just didn't seem that into it. This was the most painfully awkward date to watch yet, and it didn't include leaving someone on an active volcano. The tension was so thick during the intimate dinner date among the threesome that even Ali spoke about the awkwardness.

"It's so stressful and tiring," she said of the date later on.

But it seemed Ali had a few of her questions answered, as she pulled each guy aside. She grilled Ty, from Nashville, about his recent divorce and his upbringing with traditional gender roles. She seemed genuinely concerned that Ty and his family wouldn't approve of her wanting a career.

She also learned that Frank is screenwriter who lives in his parents' basement. He said he withheld the information because he didn't want her to judge him before she got to know him.

Gosh, you gave up your job in the world of finance, went to Europe, sold your condo and moved in with your parents to follow your passion of scriptwriting. Ali's bond with you must be strong because, Frank, you obviously had a melt-down or mid-life crisis of some sort before the age of 31.

Ali also had a really weird, awkward date with Kirk, whom she obviously has a physical attraction to, but not so much of an emotional connection. She seemed preoccupied and distant during the date, which Kirk picked up on. She also wore a really formal outfit, with a jacket, to their "romantic" dinner on the roof of a really beautiful castle in Portugal.

Her date with Chris L., a landscaper from Cape Cod, was by far the most entertaining and enjoyable to watch. Up until now, Chris has been the guy who held back - he didn't spill the story of his mother's death until the second or third week, because he didn't want to play the sympathy card. He's also been more reserved than the others - kissing Ali only sparingly. They say that slow and steady wins the race. Perhaps that's his plan.

Chris also comes off as being "more real" in his portrayal than anyone else on the show - he's funny but down to earth. He's a former math teacher of inner-city schoolchildren who gave up his career to spend the last years of his mother's life by her side.

I had to chuckle as Chris drove Ali around on a moped - he drove so slowly it was comical. "I don't want to be known as the guy who killed the Bachelorette," he said, smiling coyly.

In the end, Ali took control of the date, driving the moped at "breakneck" speeds around twisting roads. During an intimate moment, Chris presented her with a silver bracelet his father had made for her.

"I didn't give it to you right away because I wasn't sure if I liked you," he said.

For some reason, it seems like Chris, who is only 33, is courting Ali rather than competing for her like a prize.

The only shocking part of this episode for me was the final rose ceremony, when it came down to the final rose of the evening and only Kirk and Ty left waiting. I was sure Kirk, who had such an awkward date and what seems to be no emotional connection with Ali, was going home. I was shocked when she sent Ty home - as was he.

So what's in store in the coming weeks? Next week, we travel with Ali to the four remaining bachelors' hometowns where, according to the previews, Roberto dons a baseball uniform and gives her a baseball card that looks very familiar from the back. Could it be his SteepleCat baseball card?

The Bachlorette Episode 6: Ding-Dong Justin's Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:30:00 +0000

NORTH ADAMS - Ding-dong, Justin's gone!

Which bachelor, you ask? Justin "Rated-R" Rego, the wrestler, who claimed to be on "The Bachelorette" for all the right reasons but was hiding not one, but two girlfriends at home.

After last week's boring episode, in which the most exciting thing to happen was the erupting Icelandic volcano, I was totally excited by this drama-filled, two-hour laugh fest, which included four guys wrestling in olive oil and leather pants in order to win some one-on-one time with local girl, Ali Fedotowsky.

We began this week with Ali and the remaining seven bachelors in beautiful Istanbul, Turkey, where the bachelorette chatted up the camera about how this was the place where she would have to start focusing on which one of the guys was going to be her husband and who was going to be her friend.

"I feel better right now than any point of my journey. I don't think anything can go wrong at this point," she said.

This is where I expected to hear the dramatic music dunt, dunt, dun! As if on cue, host Chris Harrison knocked on her hotel room door, saying he had found out some super-ultra secret that had been confirmed by the producers. But instead of telling her, he called Jessie, one of Ali's roommates from last season on "The Bachelor," who would reveal the truth.

Insert several dramatic pauses and a lot of phone ringing. At this point, I rolled my eyes. I understand that Jessie was in Toronto at this point, but if she was
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standing by with a big secret, why did it take six or seven rings for her to pick up?

To make it drag out even longer, Jessie couldn't tell us the secret; she had to pass the phone to (dramatic pause) Justin's girlfriend, Jessica. It got better from there. Jessica said Justin not only went onto the show to become famous, but that his goal was to make it to the final three before leaving, He promised to return home at that point and marry her.

Now, I congratulate Jessica on ratting out her boyfriend of two years, who left her in Canada in an attempt to become famous by making out with some girl on television, but her own intentions weren't that genuine. After all, she openly admitted she was in on the ruse - she picked out his suit and took his headshots.

Why the betrayal? She found out he had another Canadian beauty waiting in the wings.

Ali, armed with all this newfound knowledge, headed down to the guys' room, where she confronted Justin about his sneaky phone calls to his girls back home.

Boy was I loving it when Justin jumped up off the couch, mumbled he didn't have a girlfriend, grabbed his bag and high-tailed it for the lobby. He then wandered around a courtyard for a while before sitting down with Ali - the liar was trapped in a corner and needed some time to think.

I was laughing so hard I had to hold my side when this loser was kicked to the curb - the moment I'd been waiting for. I just didn't think it would be that funny.

After he flat-out denied he had called his girlfriend during filming, the producers decided to play not one, but three voicemail messages he had left for Jessica over the footage of him leaving the hotel. No, Justin, you did not call Jessica at any time during your stay with Ali - not even that time that you mentioned ICELAND. I totally believe you. (I'm hoping Vince McMahon was watching you - your acting skills are just on the level of the "wrestlers" he employs.

I was worried the episode would get boring from there, but the producers didn't let me down. The group date involved four guys - Chris, Craig, Kirk and former SteepleCat Roberto Martinez - who were slicked up in olive oil and dressed in leather pants to grapple with some very big and serious Turkish wrestlers.

Craig, who at this point should have known he was going to be eliminated, won the competition and a one-on-one date with Ali. It was the most awkward date this season. Last week, she left Kasey "Mr. Tattoo" Kahl on an active volcano. The only fireworks on this date were the ones they were watching -- and the ones in Craig's mind.

I actually felt bad for Craig, because at the beginning of the episode, he pointed out that he was the only guy who hadn't had a one-on-one date with Ali. When those dates went to Ty and Frank, who was now signed up for his second solo date, it became clear that even though Craig seems like a good guy, he was being kept on just long enough to make it possible for Ali not to have to eliminate two guys she really likes at this stage in the game. Craig was the sacrificial lamb this episode.

While Ali had an extremely steamy date in a Turkish bath with Ty, I have to say I was a little put off. I understand that the bathhouse was closed down for that date - women aren't allowed inside the "hallowed halls" - but I was put off by the fact that in a culture that looks down on public displays of affection, the pair could be so disrespectful of another culture.

It was very apparent outside the walls of the bath that Ali was respecting cultural dress codes, wearing high-necked blouses and not exposing her skin in public.

That aside, I have to say I really enjoyed watching Ali and Frank's date, which took them to the spice bazaar. How funny was it that Frank was determined he wasn't going to buy a Turkish rug from this one dealer, but ended up walking out with this gigantic rug? I think it's hysterical.

"I'm not going to buy this rug," he said rather dramatically. Um, I hope it looks good in your basement apartment, dude.

While I've wanted to slap this guy for weeks because I've heard enough about his connection to Ali, I was intrigued by their conversation during a romantic dinner in the middle of a water-filled cistern.

Ali said their relationship "scared" her, referring to the intensity of Frank's emotional roller coaster, while he alluded to the fact that he's not too eager to make a commitment.

"You have your journey and I have mine," he said. "The reason I'm still single at 30 is because I've been very cautious. I'm only going to do [propose] once. I'm ready to trust my heart." Oh Frank, you're so wishy-washy, you can't even commit to not being ready to commit.

At the end of the episode, poor Craig didn't even get a chance to make his last-ditch plea to Ali for a rose. She decided to make the cut without having the traditional "cocktail party" and make-out sessions with the guys, even though she was sporting a very beautiful, short black cocktail dress.

Good-bye Craig, good riddance Justin, and hello Lisbon, Portugal, where Ali will eliminate one man before heading off to meet the remaining four candidates' families.

According to the previews, Ali's really going to be turned off by one dad's job - taxidermy. She'll also be reunited with last season's "Bachelor," Jake, and his ex-fiancée, Vienna - the estranged pair will meet on the July 5th episode for the first time since their break-up was announced.

Bachelorette Episode 5: Ali leaves tattoos and unicorn love in Iceland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:18:00 +0000

Posted: 06/22/2010 09:17:23 AM EDT

NORTH ADAMS - It was a showdown between the wrestler and the tattooed man during a two-on-one date with "The Bacherlorette," Ali Fedotowsky, on Monday night's episode.

One man walked away with a rose and the ability to stay on for another week to vie for the final spot and Ali's heart, while the other was left behind on a glacier in Iceland.

Yes, Ali and two of her suitors got an up close and personal look at the volcano that spewed fire and ash, shutting down the airways to Europe just a few days later. It was on this volcano that Ali made the decision to leave one of her nine suitors, Kasey, behind, as she pared the number down to seven.

You many remember that last week, Kasey, an advertising executive from California, had his arm tattooed in an act to prove to Ali that he wasn't fake - that he meant it when he promised excessively to "guard and protect her heart" during a one-on-one date.

Not showing her the artwork is probably one of the few decisions he made during last week's episode that kept him from being sent home sooner. The tattoo - a heart protected by a shield with a rose behind it - didn't make its debut with Ali until this week, as Kasey tried to prove his sincerity during a double-date with Justin "Rated-R" Rego.

"If I'm not here for love, then I don't know what I'm doing here," Kasey confided in his roommate Frank, before going on the date. "I came here for Ali. I got this tattoo for Ali. I got it to be a man I don't want to have a
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do-or-die situation. If I show it to her on this date, I don't want it to look like this is a last ditch attempt to stay."

He added, "I want her to fall in love with me. I'm a dreamer. I love to love. I can take physical pain. This emotional pain, I'm tired of it. If I get sent home, that's going to destroy me."

That weakness, along with his delusional view of love, helped Kasey to his exit, despite his best attempts to prove his affection to Ali in front the erupting volcano.

As for the other volcano-goer, I wish Ali could see the true Justin, not the fake man who puts on a show in front of her. During his one-on-one time with Ali, he's all "bleeding heart" and "I'm here for you" romantic. But when Ali's away, the Justin we see in front of the camera is one who's in it for sport - he's performing. He also seems to have a split personality as he refers to himself as both Justin and "Rated-R."

"Very slowly inside, a little volcano was building," Justin told the cameras, detailing his emotions as the threesome witnessed the awe of the erupting volcano. "I think I have Kasey exactly where I want him. I want him to doubt everything. I want him to doubt his connection to Ali. This feels like wrestling match. I'm about to pin my opponent to the mat and hear the one-two-three count. I'm going to hold up my championship belt - which in this case is Ali -- up in the air."

It's all just one big game to Justin, who once again gloated as another man was cast-off and he was handed a rose.

"Two roses were given out today," he sang into the camera, a look of joy crossing his face. "One for Justin and one for Rated-R."

He referenced himself in this really weird third-person earlier in the show, when his cast for his mending broken ankle was replaced with a hard-plastic boot.

"This is one small step for Justin and one giant leap for Rated-R," he crowed, leading us to the growing conclusion that he really is a self-promoter.

But why did Ali choose Justin? Was he just the lesser of two evils?

Ali explained several times that she'd make the decision again in heartbeat and that she was 100 percent sure she did the right thing.

"I think Kasey fell in love with the idea of falling in love," she told host Christ Harrison.

She told Kasey she thought he was a great guy who was "ready to meet someone."

"You're going to give that person so much. I don't want to hold you back," she said.

But Justin wasn't the only one to walk into the final ceremony of the evening with a rose on his lapel - Kirk and Ty also won roses on their dates.

Kirk, who shared some "on-screen" romance with Ali during the shooting of a video for the band Bare Naked Ladies, bowled her over with a poem that referenced her freckled face and root-beer brown eyes and won a one-on-one date with her.

The pair frolicked in the streets of Iceland in matching woolen sweaters purchased at a local gift store before settling in for dinner.

It was unusual to see Ali unsure of herself at dinner - she wanted to know more about Kirk and his dating history. She began wondering if the elusive answers were enough to earn him a rose. But at the last moment, Kirk revealed he hadn't dated anyone for more than a year, mostly because of the tragic tale of his living in house filled with mold and asbestos while in college. Over the course of a year, he said, he lost weight, his hair, his short-term memory and some neurological functions. His honesty earned him the rose.

On a group date, which took Ali and six of the men riding on horseback to a cave in the mountains, Ty would earn his rose not only for helping Ali out, but also for showing compassion for the men who weren't doing so well with the animals.

While Chris L., the landscaper from Cape Cod, also made strong connections with Ali during the date - especially during a moment alone in a naturally warm lake - it was Frank who caught Ali's attention the most. Or should I say Frank's lack of enthusiasm. Frank, who continuously talked about the connection he made with Ali on the very first one-on-one date of the season, couldn't seem to catch a break. And his whining hit epic proportions during this episode.

"It's a competition for your time," he told Ali as they met privately during the group date. (Hmm Did Frank miss the memo about this being a competition?)

Ali told him she wanted him to fight harder for her attention - that she likes spending time with him.

But he's not the only one she has her sights set on - Chris from Cape Cod is a favorite of hers, as well as former North Adams SteepleCat Roberto Martinez.

"Would you come up to me?" she asked Roberto coyly, questioning if he'd be attracted to her in a situation outside of the show.

"I'm a shy guy," he replied, turning the tables on her. "Would you come up to me?"

"I would have never come up to you. I would have thought you were too hot for me," she said, before giving him a long, slow kiss.

At the rose ceremony, there was really only a question of which one of two guys was going to stay - Craig or Chris N. - who didn't stand out too much. Craig apparently sealed the deal with a fake tattoo he donned just minutes before the final ceremony. It got a hearty laugh out of Ali.

Chris N., however, was boring and forgettable - a space filler. When Ali asked him to tell her something about his fun and crazy side, he stared at her blankly before answering he liked Mexican food. Wow, that's crazy!

Will Ali find love this season? Who knows? Perhaps the answers await us in Istanbul next week, where one man will be eliminated by a phone call that reveals he has a girlfriend and where Ali tells Frank: "After all the ups and downs, I think a relationship with you scares me."

Bachelorette Episode 4: Ali makes connections, loses a whiner

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:02:00 +0000

Originally posted on the North Adams Transcript
Posted: 06/15/2010 08:20:24 AM EDT

NORTH ADAMS - How far would you go for love? Apparently, one contestant on "The Bachelorette" went as far as getting a tattoo on his arm to prove his sincerity to Ali Fedotowsky on Monday night's episode.

Fortunately for Kasey, an advertising executive from California who failed to receive a rose on his one-on-one date, he didn't show it to Ali before the episode's rose ceremony, where two of the 11 men were eliminated. Otherwise, he may not have made it on the flight to Iceland, where the nine remaining suitors will have their next series of dates.

You might remember that Kasey won a smile from Ali in a previous episode, when he promised to "protect and guard her heart forever." If you didn't remember, well, Kasey took every opportunity to remind us and Ali during their one-on-one date around New York City - in a helicopter, as they watched the sunset on a private nighttime tour of the American Museum of Natural History -- and while he was supposed to be enjoying some cuddle time at the end of the date.

Kasey kept telling her how sincere and genuine he was, but every time the man opened his mouth - to talk about protecting her heart or to serenade her with an impromptu song about wanting a rose so bad - Ali looked annoyed.

When she started peppering him with questions about how he would know he had found "the one" and how she was different from his other relationships, he gave the dumbest answers ever. He said the woman of his dreams would want to protect
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and guard his heart as well. From the look on Ali's face, I wasn't the only one who wanted to vomit from his phony, saccharine sweetness.

"I worry. I worry that the songs and everything are not real," Ali said. "I feel like I want you to be just Kasey. Parts of it doesn't seem genuine to me. Do you understand that? So I can't give you a rose tonight."

I couldn't have been happier when she said she wasn't giving him a rose. Then I heard her say he wasn't immediately going home. She was giving him a second chance.

Chris L., the landscaper from Cape Cod, best described Kasey during the episode.

"I think Kasey looks at Ali and sees doves fly out from behind her," he said. "I don't think of Ali as romanticized love, as 'unicorn' love."

Unicorn love! That would explain why Kasey obviously didn't understand what Ali said about being himself and not doing anything over the top to impress her. But then again, this guy's playbook seems to be a list of lines from fairy tale princes. Good luck with that tattoo - a heart and rose protected by a shield.

I spent most of the episode hoping against hope that Justin "Rated-R" Rego would get the boot. He kept yelling about not wanting liars living in the house. Kettle, let me introduce you to the pot.

This is the guy who snuck out of the house last week, walked two hours to Ali's house and ruined another guy's one-on-one date. He then lied about where he was to the other men.

While Justin didn't go home, the show's biggest whiner did pack his bags. That's right, Jonathan the weatherman went home, but not before he whined about not getting a one-on-one date, about not getting special time with Ali during the group date, about the competition becoming stiffer and just about everything else. I guess with Craig M. back in Toronto, the weatherman couldn't find anything worthwhile to whine about.

At least there were some fun parts to the episode. Ali was given a "New York City" makeover by InStyle magazine. Not only did she trade in her self-described "laid-back California-style" of blue jeans and T-shirts for short dress, sequined jacket, skirts and leggings, Ali also posed for a photo shoot for the magazine's July edition.

But the group date was the best. Seven guys were asked to meet Ali on Broadway, where they had to audition for the "Lion King" to win a special date with her.

Watching the guys try to dance and sing was hysterical, but in the end, Roberto Martinez pulled ahead of the rest of the pack. His date with Ali included aerobic dance moves as they dangled in mid-air during a sold-out performance of "Lion King."

I think Roberto takes advantage of every minute that he's with me," Ali gushed to the camera, still wearing her leotard. "We conquered our fear of walking on a tightrope 20 stories up together -- now we're conquering a new fear together. I don't think I could have done this with anyone else. It's so amazing that we're on Broadway together, as a couple."

Poor Frank, he described watching them as if he was being "hit with a beehive full of knives in the face." Wow, I can't imagine what that would feel like, but this is the guy who feels as if he is being forced to watch his girlfriend cheat on him.

I was also glad to see Ali make a connection with Chris L., who brought her chicken soup and flowers when she was feeling ill and not up to going out on their one-on-one date. Apparently, after some cuddle time and magical chicken soup, Ali pulled herself out of bed and the pair celebrated his birthday in style - lobster at a private club for two.

If only Roberto and Chris could be melded into one man - she'd have the suave world traveler and the ultimate sensitive guy.

In addition to Jonathan, Ali also said good-bye to Jesse this episode. She just didn't think they "matched up," despite having a super great time with him in Las Vegas. Yeah, because she obviously needed to take Chris N. to Iceland - this is a guy who is so forgettable and unseen that I had to look up his name. On to Iceland, erupting volcanoes and another round of eliminations. Jennifer Huberdeau, the Transcript's senior reporter, is still rooting for Roberto Martinez, even if he did compare Broadway to baseball. Look for her blog on "The Bachelorette every Tuesday online and in our Wednesday print edition.

Other Vampire-related items recently auctioned off by Christie's.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:01:00 +0000

Vampire items are quite popular at Christie's it seems.

A rare first edition of Bram Stoker's "Dracula"(1897)
was scooped up from the auction house for $9,600, while a a first edition of Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" (1976) was taken home for a cool $1,020 at the same auction in 2005

This first edition,

from the Donald G. Drapkin Library,
sold at auction for $9,600 in 2005.

In addition to the vampire killing kit that was recently sold at its London auction house (a Parisian kit, that was not pictured sold for $2,800 in October 2000), the company has sold some famous art work alongside movie posters and a blood bank from "Blade."

EDVARD MUNCH
Vampire II

Sold for $228,000 in May 2007.

VAMPIRE RESTING ON A CANON'

by Bolesla Biegas (1977 to 1954)

notice the hand sticking out from under the wing of the Harpy.

19th Century Vampire Killing Kit Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:54:00 +0000

Apparently, the vampire killing kit that was auctioned off by Christie's in London sold for more than the estimated price of # £1,200 - £1,800 ($1,900 - $2,700). The kit was sold off for a whopping # £6,000 ($8,712). Someone really needed to protect themselves, I guess. The official auction listing is below:

A VAMPIRE KILLING KIT
19th Centuty box with later additions
Containing crucifix and four stakes, Bible from 1873, European single- barrel percusion-box lock pocket pistol, iron-mounted shot flask, bullet mould, syringe, photograph of a priest, four vials and another crucifix, all of various dates from the nineteenth to late twentieth centuries
18 in. (45.5 cm.) wide

Vamps beware ... someone owns this 19th century kit

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:21:00 +0000

From Reuters:
An employee poses with the Vampire Killing Kit at Christie's Auction house in Brompton west London June 7, 2010. The 19th century kit - with later additions - includes a wooden box lined with velvet encasing the essentials once thought necessary to keep vampires at bay, including wooden stakes, a crucifix, vials for holy water, garlic powder, a bible, and a pistol, and is expected to fetch up to £1800 when it comes to auction on June 8.
REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

Bachlorette Episode 5 link.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:50:00 +0000

Good-bye to Kasey and his unicorn love. Unfortunately, we still have Justin to deal with after this episode.

Total Eclipse of the Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:25:00 +0000

In case you haven't heard, the cast of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" will be on Jimmy Kimmel this Wednesday from 10:01 p.m. to 11 p.m. with the only Late-Night appearance of stars Robert Pattison, Kristin Stewart and Taylor Lautner (together). Dakota Fanning (Jane), Bryce Dallas Howard (the new Victoria), Xavier Samuel (Riley), Nikki Reed (Rosalie), Ashley Greene (Alice) and more will be on hand to show some exclusive footage before the movie's debut next week.

Book Review: "Imperial Bedrooms"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:05:00 +0000

Bret Easton Ellis is lost.

It’s a good thing, too. Otherwise, his latest book, “Imperial Bedrooms,” wouldn’t be as poignant and disturbing, as he resurrects the characters that brought him literary acclaim 25 years ago.

When Ellis hit the scene in 1985, his debut work, “Less than Zero” was an astonishing, honest voyeuristic view into the life of four disaffected Los Angeles youth whose lives were fueled by drugs, sex, pop culture and their trust funds. The work was gritty and surreal – a work of fiction, but it reeked of a realism that wasn’t talked about.

Flash forward to 2010 and nothing seems to have changed in L.A. The clubs are still filled with the children of celebrities and the rich. The trust fund brats polish off bottles of Patron, drop names and dress in the latest fashions, talking about the jobs that have been handed to them and the vacations they’ll take in Malibu and Cabo on their parents’ dime. Only their lifestyle is no longer shocking – cameras follow them, filming this “reality” of the rich and undeserving. Few of the “stars” work jobs – they’re too busy being paid to shoot scenes outside the trendy restaurants and boutiques. The women fight over men, who sit back and laugh as they watch the clawing and hair pulling take place in front of them before they snuggle up with the latest Playmate.

In New York City the cameras are constantly rolling – a crew films a troupe of actors for a hot television series chronicling the lives of a group of spoiled Upper East brats from Manhattan, who spend their days plotting against one another when their not attending school, drinking or having illicit sex with each other. In the meat-packing district, a crew is following the “career” of a transplant from L.A. as she tries to climb the ladder in the fashion industry and design a clothing line. The list goes on and on, as cameras chronicle the lives of everyone from socialites to magazine bloggers.

In 2010, the world that Ellis so openly chronicles and mocks has spilled from the pages of his books, dripping into the stream of public consciousness as if fed from an IV bag.

The world is on overload. Everyone is famous. Everyone is disconnected. No wonder Ellis is lost.

But in a world where everyone is hyper-connected through social networking sites, e-mail and cell phones, Ellis once again finds his way. With “Imperial Bedrooms,” he revisits the characters of his youth, now adults in a world that they desperately long to cling to. They are no more connected to the world than they were as young college students. In some ways they are far more disconnected than before - their privilege and trust funds have not made them world saviors. They remain users and pushers, but they no longer get a sufficient high from cocktails of cocaine and alcohol. Instead they’re “highs” come from abusing others – sexual favors are traded for jobs; blackmail is used to control situations and even love can be bought for a price.

If anything, “Imperial Bedrooms” picks up with the characters in their current lives and Ellis leaves no room for growth. There is no redemption for his characters – no saving of the lost souls. They are more depraved then when we left them in “Less Than Zero.”

If “Less Than Zero” chronicles the excess of the upper crust, than “Imperial Bedrooms” is an exploration of the long-term effects of privilege and wealth without repercussions.

Ellis has always been a distorted moral compass, pointing out society’s seedy underbelly – the one that exists in plain sight. He chronicles the drug dealers, the prostitutes and the whores without having to traverse down darkened paths or into back ally clubs.

Instead he traipses into the haunts of the upper class, where debauchery is celebrated. Drugs, sex and pop culture are entwined in glossy magazine covers, videos and iTunes serenades. Greed is a well-oiled machine, where the latest fashion, hottest song, newest bag and being seen at the best party are all that matters.

But his work is most often misunderstood, as is he. A recent article in the New York Time Magazine focuses heavily on Ellis and his world – the trendy small cans of Diet Coke he offers; the view from his L.A. apartment; the drawstring hoody he wears and the young man playing video games on his couch. The writer searches for meaning in Ellis’ surroundings - looking for parallels to the pop and glitz of his literary worlds. They are found and their importance overplayed.

Perhaps his most misunderstood work is “American Psycho,” the tale of serial killer Patrick Bateman – a vice president on Wall Street, who is consumed by pop culture and having the best of the best. The book was labeled as misogynistic and looked down upon for its supposed promotion of violence against women.

During a literary festival in Prague, Ellis stated that he was confused by the reaction to that work. He faulted himself with being too forward, too graphic.

What is often missed by the general public is the message that weaves its way through “American Psycho”– a warning about the consequences of the disconnect and what monsters it can create.

It’s a message that is the underpinning of “Imperial Bedrooms.”

Bacherlorette Episode 4 ...Ali dumps the whiner

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:36:00 +0000

Ah, it's all thunderstorms and gray skies for the weatherman. Wish I could say I'd miss you, but that would make me a liar and Justin "Rated-R" Rego, wouldn't like that. Read more about my latest thoughts on the latest episode of "The Bacherlorette," including Justin's hatred for "LIARS" and Kasey's unicorn love.

Ali intrigued by sexy Roberto, hangs on to devious wrestler

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:18:00 +0000

Ali intrigued by sexy Roberto, hangs on to devious wrestler

Originally posted at www.thetrancript.com

Posted: 06/08/2010 07:07:09 AM EDT

NORTH ADAMS - Dangling 20 stories above the streets of Los Angeles, former SteepleCats pitcher Roberto Martinez not only managed to tightrope-walk from one skyscraper to another, but also received his first kiss from "The Bachelorette," local girl Ali Fedotowsky, in mid-air.

It's no surprise that Ali and Roberto are hitting it off so well. During the premiere, Ali was instantly attracted to Roberto, calling him sexy. Later, he showed her he could salsa, as he swept her away for a private dance.

Last week, he showed off another one of his many talents, playing catch with the former Facebook account executive and telling her of his time in the minor leagues. (He still hasn't mentioned the SteepleCats, but we hear he might drop the team's name in a later episode.)

This week he wowed her with his language skills - Spanish is his native tongue, followed by English, French and Italian. He's a world traveler as well - brains and good looks.

But Ali still needed to be sure that he was husband material before handing him a rose on their one-on-one date. The test? Cuddling.

"I haven't seen much of him since the first night," she said Monday during the season's third episode. "I sort of have this picture of him that I've created in my mind. The worst thing that could happen is that I've built him up in my mind as this great guy and it turns out that he's not."

Luckily for him, Roberto passed the cuddling test and went back to the mansion with a rose in hand.

If this were Twilight, I'd totally be Team Roberto - I'd even wear a shirt saying it. He's my favorite so far, with or without the North Adams connection. I'd love to see him get the girl in the end.

But not all the men would be as lucky as Roberto, as Ali once again eliminated three bachelors - leaving only 11 to continue on to next week's episode.

Unfortunately, wrestler Justin "Rated R" Rego is also on the list of men who will be traveling the world with Ali.

I want to like Justin. I grew up loving professional wrestling -- it's one of the original "reality TV" shows with its real wrestling and scripted fights. So I have no problem with Justin being a wrestler. What I have a problem with is his sincerity - I don't think he's in the game for love or Ali. There's something about him that just isn't quite right.

I can't blame Ali for loving the fact that Justin walked two hours - on crutches with a leg in a cast - to her house, so he could spend time with her. I'd be flattered, too, but his motives seem devious.

At first, Justin seemed as if he wanted his trip to be a secret, but as the night went on, he kept dropping hints that he'd been to her house, and he predicted that Hunter, who had a one-on-one date at Ali's house that evening, wouldn't be coming back with a rose in hand. He also took too much pleasure in the fact that Hunter was sent home after his date. It seemed Justin was taking pride in the fact that Hunter wasn't man enough to make a connection with Ali after she spent time with him, cuddling on her couch and looking at pictures of his family.

I wasn't surprised that the laid back Hunter, who serenaded Ali on the first episode with his ukulele, went home empty handed. In fact, I was surprised Hunter made it through the first night. He's a sensitive guy, who obviously wants to take things slow. I didn't think he was Ali's type at all - she seems to need a guy who can keep up with her high-energy personality.

A small group of the guys had a chance to show they could during the episode's group date, where Ali and the men filmed a music video with the Barenaked Ladies - a musical group that hasn't been on my radar since the late 1990s.

The video, "You Run Away," featured Ali running away from the men after sharing an intimate moment. Poor John C. was the only video cast member not to have any contact with Ali in his scene; all of the others had the opportunity to kiss her, share a bed with her or share an embrace. John should have seen it as a sign - he was eliminated during the rose ceremony with Steve, a forgettable guy from Ohio.

What made the video-shoot fun to watch was how much Frank hated seeing Ali with the other men - he became threatened by the connection Ali and Kirk made during a steamy scene in which the pair rolled around on the bed. We also saw how odd and delusional weatherman Jonathan can be - he obviously thinks he has a better connection with Ali than anyone else does.

Despite being weird, Jonathan received a rose from Ali at the end of the episode. I couldn't help but notice that her dress for the evening - a very off-white, almost grey floor-length princess ball gown by designer Pamela Dennis - looked so much like a wedding dress.

And yes, she snuggled up to a few guys in it before handing out the roses - perhaps that's how she's deciding on what dress to wear on the big day.

Newest Bachelorette Blog....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:26:00 +0000

To read my latest Bacherlorette Blog, go here: Ali intrigued by sexy Roberto, hangs on to devious wrestler

Bachelors battle as Ali trims the field to 14

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:20:00 +0000

Originally published: June 1

NORTH ADAMS - Who knew men could be so catty? The claws came out Monday night, as the 17 remaining men vying for Ali Fedotowsky's hand on "The Bachelorette," began to show their true colors, and the number of roses being handled out dwindled to 14.

Jonathan, the weatherman from Texas, began to wage all-out war on Craig M., whom he was determined to see roseless at the next ceremony. In Jonathan's defense, Craig is a jerk - he's constantly working on what he sees as weaknesses in the other men. His strategy seems to be to break them down, and he saw Jonathan as easy pickings.

Jonathan's got a bit of chip on his shoulder - he's a television weatherman, he's got a brown-belt in something-or-other, and he'll gladly tell you about himself for the next 20 minutes. Craig was constantly riding Jonathan, referring to him not by name, but only as "the weatherman" and imitating him any chance he had.

There's no doubt that Craig is a bully and a jerk - it's probably more personality than strategy -- but Jonathan spent an entire two-hour episode either whining about having to wear a Speedo on the first group date or talking about how "dangerous" Craig could potentially be for Ali.

Dangerous for Ali? Or dangerous for you, Jonathan? Craig's not that different from you in the long run - you both have huge egos. What I want to know is how Craig is dangerous? You were the one talking about punching him in the face.

In my book, it would be better to point out that this guy wasn't sincere - supposedly he was calling in sick to work each day he remained on the show - despite the need to commit for at the most eight weeks.

But don't let the blond locks and the sultry voice fool you, Ali's a smart girl. She had her own suspicions about Craig's sincerity before whiny-boy Jonathan started talking about wanting to punch people in the face for being rude. During a private conversation, she called him on his sincerity - asking if he was even interested in her. She said his body language wasn't positive, and she even had a hard time getting him to make eye contact with her. It's no surprise she cut Craig - I'm confident she would have done it with or without Jonathan's warnings.

Besides the drama within the house, we got to see a few first dates between Ali and the men.

A first date is awkward enough, but throw in a camera crew, a car breaking down on the freeway, paparazzi on Hollywood Boulevard and a first kiss under the Hollywood sign, and you've got the makings of reality TV in all its glory.

You can say the dates - whether one-on-one or as a group - are unrealistic, but reality television hasn't been "real" in over two decades. Everything, you see on today's reality TV shows is either set up, semi-scripted, manipulated by the editing process or contrived by the shows producers. The fun of watching a show like this is seeing how it all plays out - week after week - even if Internet spoilers exist. The reality of "The Bachelorette" is just that - quasi-reality. It's the reason so many of the relationships end after the season is over - love in the real world is different. The dates on the show are perfect on purpose - a romantic picnic with the Los Angeles skyline as the backdrop or a night in Vegas being serenaded by a favorite singer can create chemistry, if even for a moment. Think about it. Would we watch if the dates were like yours and mine - dinner at a local restaurant, popcorn and a movie and the awkward drop-off at the door?

No way.

So bring on the group date in Malibu - a "sexy men" photo shoot for a charity calendar.

While the guys were drooling over Ali in her khaki pants and black bikini top, whistling and whooping as they pulled up at the beach house, she was worried about impressing them and looking forward to seeing "12 hunky men" in their bathing suits. Poor guys - some of them were put in Speedos for the shoot, but I don't think any women in the audience were complaining - it was Jonathan, the weatherman from Texas, who was doing all the whining. But for all of that, the cheesiest thing that happened during the date was when Ty, a divorcee from Nashville, pulled out his guitar and sang to her during the photo shoot. I had to agree with the guys on this one - pulling out the guitar was clich?d and fake. But it worked and got him a rose.

We also got to see two private dates Ali went on with Frank, the screenwriter from Chicago, and Jesse, a small-town boy who bought his first suit for his appearance on the show.

Frank, who is crushing way too-hard on Ali, spent a romantic day with her in Hollywood - under the sign, where the two locked lips for the first time - and then shared a picnic dinner under the stars.

What didn't sit well with me during this episode is that the guy earned his rose during the date, yet felt the need to bust in on another guy's few minutes with Ali (one of four who didn't go on a date this week) to tell her how much he'd missed her. That should be sending up red flags, girl!

Jesse was treated to a day in Las Vegas, where the pair spent the day getting to know each other in a private pool and later during dinner at a private concert for two. At dinner, Ali looked gorgeous in a flowing floor-length off-white halter-top gown, but that didn't distract me from hearing her goof when talking about the population of Williamstown - she said the town would be lucky to have even 3,000 people in it. She even said there isn't a city nearby.

I can't let that one slip by, seeing as Ali can claim both Williamstown and North Adams as her hometown. Williamstown has a population of over 8,000, and while North Adams isn't Los Angeles or Boston, it's still a city. In fact, it has the distinction of being the state's smallest city, with a population of just over 15,000.

I'll forgive her though. I'm more interested in seeing her connection with former SteepleCat pitcher, Roberto Martinez, on next week's show.

Reality check: Bachelorette redux

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:17:00 +0000

Originally Published: May 25, 2010

NORTH ADAMS - I'm a self-proclaimed reality television junkie, so when my editor proposed blogging about "The Bachelorette" because of its local connection, I jumped at the chance, even though I had never watched a single full episode of "The Bachelor" or its sequel. Coming into the season with fresh eyes - I had viewed "The Bachelor" for the first time last season, when Ali Fedotowsky brought then-Bachelor Jake Pavelka to Williamstown on a hometown date - I couldn't wait to see what was in store.

As the show started, I felt like I was being set up to watch an episode of MTV's popular reality show, "The Hills," as the opening scenes showed Ali frolicking in the surf and driving around town in a black convertible - a trademark opening of "The Hills," which has been used for six seasons.

After a montage of scenes of Ali crying over her decision to leave Jake last season for her job and numerous referrals to her as "the girl next door" and America's "newest sweetheart" by host Chris Harrison, I wanted to scream, "I get it! She's sweet and wholesome. She got screwed!" Thankfully, the show shifted to a collection of video interviews with the guys - 25 bachelors vying for Ali's love.

I'm hoping the producers were trying to make some of these guys look sappy and sad for entertainment value. What a crop of losers they assembled - you could almost instantly pick out the guys who weren't moving on. At one point, I was waiting for Chuck Woolery, host of the '80s dating show "Love Connection" to pop up - the videos were that bad.

For instance, Kyle, a 26-year-old mountain man from Colorado, spent his entire video interview showing off everything he's killed - a bear, a mountain lion, an elk, a deer, a moose basically, if you can shoot it, trap it or catch it, it's on his wall. I felt bad for this guy. He had hoped to impress Ali by pretending to "reel her in" on their first meeting.

But it was Frank, 31, a former mergers and acquisitions banker turned aspiring screenwriter, who scared me the most. What does this weirdo, who proudly states he's living in his parent's basement, have to offer? He has stalker potential written all over him. He has way too much energy and was way too excited when he found out Ali was the Bachelorette. He strikes me as the kind of guy who would go home happy with a lock of her hair, a stolen piece of clothing and as many pictures of her as he could get his hands on - he'll Photoshop himself in later.

As for Ali, there wasn't much to see during the first episode - she mainly stood around looking pretty in a slinky black dress, talking about how her "husband" could be among these men and laughing at everything. I was kind of bored with her - she's pretty and energetic, but there's plenty of 25-year-old girls like her in this area.

I began wondering if the season would include a suit of armor, a horse and medieval castle - that way the final two suitors could battle it out before one of them saves the princess and rides off into the sunset with her.

I'm praying the previews live up to their potential - it looks like Ali is going to stop being nice and start being real as the season rolls on. Here's hoping she lives up to all the hype and lets a little bit of her inner mean girl out.

After all, "the girl next door" stereotype isn't just about being sweet and innocent.

Nervous Ali wrestles suitors down to 17

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:13:00 +0000

Originally Published May 24 North Adams Transcript

NORTH ADAMS - A back flip off a limousine, a handful of leaves and a proposal with a cubic zirconium ring weren't enough to capture the heart of Williamstown native Ali Fedotowsky during the two-hour season premiere of "The Bachelorette" on Monday night. Faced with the challenge of speed-dating 25 would-be suitors in the course of a single evening, Fedotowsky appeared nervous as show host Chris Harrison introduced her as American's newest sweetheart.

"My biggest fear is that not one of those men will be right for me," she confided to Harrison, as the pair waited for a series of limousines to deliver the bachelors. "I'm hoping at the end of all of this, I am standing in some amazing place with a man, asking me to be his wife. I better have some waterproof mascara on that night."

In an interview last week, the hopeful bride-to-be said the first meeting with the men didn't mean that much.

"I was going in thinking that the first impressions were not going to mean anything to me, honestly, because I've always been the type of girl that when I go for a guy, it's because he has told me a story that's really interesting or made me laugh by telling a joke," she said in a conference call with reporters from around the country and Canada. "I was so nervous that first night that I don't even know that I remembered a lot of the first impressions, never mind them weighing that much."

But despite what Fedotowsky believes, at least one suitor made an impression on her during the initial meet-and-greet at the limos.

Roberto, a 26-year-old insurance agent from Charleston, S.C., caught her eye when they first met - he spoke to her in Spanish and offered her Salsa lessons.

"He's cute. I like him. He's sexy," Fedotowsky said, as Roberto disappeared into the mansion, where she'd later meet up with all the men.

She would later add to her previous approval after taking a few minutes to dance privately with Roberto.

"I'm really digging Roberto. He's sexy. He's sweet," she said.

Whatever the initial attraction, Roberto walked away with Ali's "First Impression Rose," earning him the coveted first spot among the 17 men to advance to the second round.

Perhaps it was the second meetings - a few private minutes with each man - that helped the Bachelorette form her remaining 16 choices.

As each man took Ali aside for a few precious seconds, Kirk, a 27-year-old from Green Bay, Wis., gave her a scrapbook he made. Hunter, from Texas, serenaded her on the ukulele. Justin, a pro wrestler from Toronto, revealed his alter ego, Mr. Rated R. And Jonathan, a weatherman from Texas, dominated the conversation with weather humor.

While Fedotowsky was busy meeting with the men, they were busy sizing each other up. Some were obviously threatened by pro wrestler Justin (or Mr. Rated R), who showed up with charisma and a broken ankle. Others made fun of the eight hours Kirk had spent on his scrapbook, and some grew wary of Craig M., a club-hopping ladies man from Toronto, who seems to be striving very hard to capture the looks of Robert Downey Jr., with a twist of 1980s-era Judd Nelson.

To add a twist, Harrison asked the group of men to help Ali out by placing the name or names of the men they thought weren't being honest about their intentions. Craig M. immediately jumped to the top of my list - his video introduction was all about his ability to win over women. But the men seemed to band together and selected the one they felt most threatened by. You guessed it, the pro wrestler.

Then it was up to Fedotowsky to decide - would she go with the men's choice and immediately eliminate Justin, or would she hear him out and give him the second rose?

"That first night, Justin seemed like a really sweet guy, and I didn't really know what to take from that," she said in her interview last week. "I think, for me, I was shocked about the ballot box and I didn't - I don't even know what to make of it. But at the end of the day, I remember thinking from my season [on "The Bachelor" last year] that I thought I had a better idea of, you know, what girls are maybe there for the right and wrong reasons the first night than maybe Jake [the Bachelor] did."

In the end, she gave Justin the rose and went on to select 15 more lucky bachelors: Jesse, who gave her a heart necklace; Ty, Craig R., Tyler, who wrongly wore cowboy boots to impress her [he had confused her with another contestant from last season's "Bachelor" who showed up wearing similar footwear]; Frank, who to my mind just came off way too creepy; Steve, Chris L. from Cape Cod, Kirk, John C., Chris N., Chris H., Hunter, who serenaded her; Jonathan the weatherman and Craig M. the ladies man.

Predictions? We'll be seeing a lot more of Roberto, Justin, Kirk, Chris L. and maybe Jesse, with whom she connected over a heart necklace and a story about his older sister.

It should be interesting to see how things play out. According to the snippet of season previews, Ali is ready for love and to meet Mr. Right, but someone's hiding a secret girlfriend, one of the men could be suicidal, another will meet her wrath, and someone is going to make it to Tahiti (where the season ends) and possibly have a change of heart.

Ali has laid everything on the line - her job, her apartment and her heart - but is the quintessential "hometown girl" really going to walk away with the man of her dreams?

She gave a hint in her interview last week.

"You know, I am happy right now, and I'm really confident with the decisions that I made all along the way - whether it was the third or fifth rose ceremony or the last one," she said, declining to comment on her current relationship status. "I'm really - I don't have any regrets, and I'm super confident with each decision along the way, and I'm really happy right now."

Bachelorette Ali goes from contestant to center of attention

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:06:00 +0000

Originally published:Thursday May 20, 2010 North Adams Transcript

NORTH ADAMS -- Williamstown native Ali Fedotowsky thought she made the mistake of her life when she chose her job over Texas airline pilot Jake Pavelka last season on "The Bachelor," but she's getting a second shot at finding Mr. Right.

When the sixth season of ABC's "The Bachelorette" premieres Monday night, Fedotowsky, 25, will be the one handing out the roses this time -- narrowing a field of 25 would-be suitors down to 17 in the first two-hour episode.

"Never in a million years did I ever think that I'd be the Bachelorette," she said Wednesday, during a conference call with entertainment reporters and bloggers from around the country and Canada. "When I got the call about being the next Bachelorette, it was well after I was off the show. I was back at my job the Monday after I left the show. It actually took me a while to make the decision to accept [the offer] -- I wanted to see the final episode of 'The Bachelor' before making my decision. I wanted to make sure I had closure with Jake."

She also consulted her two best friends about the decision, which ultimately required her to quit her job as an advertising account manager at Facebook and give up her apartment.

"My best friends told me, 'If you find your husband, than nothing else matters.' The one regret I have from being on 'The Bachelor' is choosing my job over love," Fedotowsky said. "But at the same time, I think Jake would have ended up with Vienna [Girardi], whether or not I stayed. I know that Jake is not the right one for me. I think fate plays a role in all of our lives. This is what was supposed to happen."

Pavelka isn't the first to break her heart, she said. In fact, it was a long-distance relationship, which eventually didn't work out, that brought the Clark University graduate out to California.

"During my last two years in college, I was in a relationship with a guy who was getting his doctorate at Stanford. I made the move for love -- it was one of the best decisions I've made. I love the Bay Area, and I'm surrounded by other educated people who challenge me intellectually all of the time," she said.

While the newest Bachelorette is mum on whether or not her heart belongs to one of the 25 men who will arrive at the mansion during Monday night's episode, she did have some requirements going into the show.

"I told the producers the one thing I didn't want was a male model who couldn't string two sentences together. I said the guys needed to be smart, interesting and someone who could keep me excited," she said.

Beyond that, Fedotowsky said she got her first glimpse of the men the night the show began filming.

Among the 25 candidates are three men from New England: Tyler V., 25, in online advertising, from Chelsea, Vt.; Chris L., 33, a landscaper from Cape Cod, and Jay, 29, a lawyer from Barrington, R.I.

"I don't think that swayed me in my decision making process," she said, answering a question from the Boston Herald. "It definitely gave us something to talk about in the beginning, but it didn't matter in the end."

Nor did first impressions -- even though the men did their best to make themselves stand out at their initial meeting. Jason, a construction worker from Texas, greets her with back flip off of the limo; John C., a hotel business developer from Washington, proposes upon getting out of the limo, while Jesse offers her a wooden heart necklace as a token of his admiration.

"I'm very confident in all the decisions I made, whether it was the first rose ceremony, the third or the last," Fedotowsky said. "I've seen the first two episodes, and there are a couple of things I wish I could have known, but even if it would have changed my journey, it wouldn't have changed the outcome."

In answering a question from the Transcript, she added, "When I went into the rose ceremonies, I based everything on my feelings. I didn't want to compare the guys. I compared my feelings for them. I felt very confident in my decisions. I made it clear that I was offering a rose to them, but they were accepting it and should only do so if they wanted to be with me. I was clear that this was not a game for me."

She promises there will be plenty of drama and adventure this season, including a ballot box in which the guys place the names of those they think aren't there for the right reasons. There's also trips to Iceland, Turkey and Portugal -- filming was completed just days before the volcanic explosion that halted air travel across the Atlantic.

So did Ali find the man of her dreams among the 25 hopefuls? She's not telling -- just yet. But if she has found Mr. Right, then it won't matter that she plans to wear her Converse sneakers when she walks down the aisle someday.

"The Bachelorette" premieres Monday, May 24 on ABC at 9 p.m. Beginning on May 31, the show will return to its regular Monday slot, running from 8 to 10 p.m.