TV Trick

Cole Escola Gets A Job

2010-07-12T00:32:00.007-04:00

In episode one, season two, of Jeffery & Cole Casserole, Jeffery Self and Cole Escola presented the first course in their sophomore season, and it didn't taste good. There's always a danger when a creative team does a sequel to a popular piece that they will not understand well enough what worked before and they will drop or change essential elements of what made it good. Even worse, by overplaying what they think made it a success, they can become just caricatures of what had been before. Unfortunately, these things seem to have occurred, and the casserole has gotten really bad during the year it was left in the refrigerator. (Read about the issues with season two of Jeffery & Cole Casserole compared to the review of season one of Jeffery and Cole Casserole.) Here is a...

Short Track Speedskating 1500m

2010-02-17T23:42:00.004-05:00

Considering that Apolo Anton Ohno remains a big star of Winter Olympic games, it was no wonder that NBC hyped their airing of short track speedskating action during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. The first short track event was the 1500m, and Apolo did not disappoint, winning the silver medal. In a surprise ending, teammate J.R. Celski (at right), Apolo's heir apparent, captured the bronze. Before his heat, NBC showed Apolo waiting for his turn to race. He had a chin hair wedge, which frankly in its current incarnation is not attractive. It was pointed out that Apolo is 20lb leaner that he was in 2002. You can really see it. He's all efficient muscle. You could also see in HD close-up that that camera needs to keep from getting that close. Some people are more attractive without a...

Olympics Opening Ceremony 2010

2010-02-15T23:10:00.007-05:00

In keeping with the low-key spirit of the country, the Vancouver Organizing Committee put on a rather average Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony, with mild entertainment and a minimum of flash. The only unpleasant aspect during the show was the peculiar contradiction of Canadians, which is that since they are so nice and modest they feel compelled to slap you obnoxiously in the face with it. That, and the public displays of self-help affirmations about a national identity, which sadly, almost always come back to, "We're not Americans." Last there was the uncomfortable climax of the torch lighting, which proved you should always have a backup plan and you should never play with fire, especially indoors. The ceremony started with a displayed countdown flashed around the stadium. Love...

Cole Escola Pushes Paper

2009-07-12T23:28:00.010-04:00

In episode three, season one, of Jeffery & Cole Casserole, Cole Escola got his dream job of being a wrapping paper dealer and Jeffery Self received a hex. 1. Introduction There was a hodgepodge of phone call situations (e.g. calls to radio shows, calls from home, calls from people in one's past. and calls from people you wish to avoid being stalked by). It was a good example by the two leads of improv based on a theme. 2. The Tyne Daly Tap Routine The feet of actress Tyne Daly are seen as she began to tap dance. A large slab of chicken fell to the floor. Tyne laboriously bent over and picked the chicken off the floor. With low-wave guttural noises, she consumed the hunk of bird flesh, with her mouth and feeding off-camera (thankfully). 3. Once Upon A Time On A H0rny...

Cole Escola Almost Has A Baby

2009-06-27T22:29:00.008-04:00

On episode two, season one of Logo's Jeffery and Cole Casserole, Cole Escola believed that he would have a baby after a night of unprotected alien sex. Jeffery Self was unsupportive of Cole's plan to carry the thing to term, thinking only of his own needs to direct a show that would be adversely affected by star Cole's leaving to gestate. 1.Introduction Cole and Jeffery tried to speak a welcome in unison for the show, but Cole wasn't really into at the moment. With his creative mind always at work, he suggested instead that they pretend that Jeffery was a cat and Cole a dog and that the dog doesn't like the cat. Adding an animal character to his vast repertoire, Cole barked menacingly, while Jeffery just licked himself. Cole went on to practice his British accent, following it with...

Cole Escola At The Prom

2009-06-20T02:41:00.004-04:00

In season one, episode one of Logo's Jeffery and Cole Casserole, Cole Escola looked for a date to the prom, and with Jeffery Self's help almost had his magical moment. In addition there were a few random skits showcasing Cole's acting and comedy forte. 1. Introduction The show begins with Jeffery looking into his webcam and vapidly welcoming viewers, in a way like a simpleton child standing at the entrance of the trailer park welcoming home his neighbors. Jeffery introduced the name of the show incorrectly, but Cole, unperturbed and realizing that no matter what he may ever say on the series from then on he would necessarily be the smart one, confidently corrected him. Hoping to draw some interest from first-time viewers, Cole excitedly announced that No Doubt would be on the...

The Climax Of Ryan Conklin

2009-03-21T21:26:00.005-04:00

After exhibiting many seasons of drunken and loutish behavior from buffoons and tramps on the reality show The Real World, Bunim-Murray Productions was handed an opportunity with the story of cast member Ryan Conklin to transcend their previously embarrassing endeavors and create a memorable dramatic work. This they successfully and artfully accomplished with the production of Ryan's season, The Real World Brookln. In particular they used the crucial and climatic episode eleven to showcase an exquisitely intense synopsis of the situations that would make its final minutes such a dramatic tragedy, as well as reflect the season-long, well placed inclusions of all the events and sights and sounds that had foreshadowed that moment. It's true that the actual events of the story were not...

Ryan Conklin The Leader

2009-03-14T14:34:00.005-04:00

In episode ten of The Real World Brooklyn, Ryan Conklin showed his leadership skills by organizing an event to raise social awareness. All of the RW cast were on his team to put the event together, so Ryan also got to show his ability to deal with a problem person on the team, specifically his friend Chet Cannon. He ended up with only so-so results for the event, but it was a good opportunity for viewers to see what a take charge guy Ryan is. The adventure began when the cast was invited to a screening of the made for MTV movie Pedro. They watched the movie and then after the screening, Pete Griffin of Think MTV asked for their reactions and their familiarity with HIV/AIDS and sexual health. Ryan said, "Like where I'm from, people really think it's a big city issue, like AIDS, STDs....

Ryan Conklin Gives Advice

2009-03-07T19:57:00.002-05:00

In episode nine of The Real World Brooklyn, Ryan Conklin didn't have any adventures of his own, so he was relegated to commenting on others. His roommate Chet Cannon always depended on Ryan for support and advice and he got some in this episode as did Ryan's gal pal, Baya Voce. One of Chet's problems is that he doesn't always know what the normal parameters are in ordinary society. This can cause him to carry things too far or to say or do things that are just not acceptable. When Ryan thinks it is appropriate or when it is possible to make a difference, he intervenes to keep Chet in check. Chet almost got in big trouble after talking to Katelynn Cusanelli about her vaginal stents. These are medical devices necessary for her to use for post-surgery dilation. Chet inappropriately asked...

Ryan Conklin On Camera

2009-02-28T22:00:00.002-05:00

In episode eight of The Real World Brooklyn, Ryan Conklin began to express his inner Spielberg. He has an affinity for filmmaking and since he was in New York and had time on his hand, he decided to get some training on it. He had dabbled in filmmaking during high school and was ready now to get into more advanced instruction. Ryan started off with getting his feet wet and back into it by participating in the taping of a promotional webisode for the Fairway Market grocery store in New York. He and Chet had been invited by Daniel Glickberg of the family that owns Fairway Market to watch the taping of a webisode on how to carve a turkey. Ryan watched the process with interest and actually got the opportunity to do some impromptu interviewing in front of the camera. He did a good job with...

Ryan Conklin And Girls

2009-02-21T18:53:00.007-05:00

In episode seven of The Real World Brooklyn, most of the air time is devoted to Devyn Simone's two-timing with multiple boyfriends and to the adventure that might be called The Great Rat Caper. However, the most interesting part of the episode was snuggled in near the end and only amounted to a few minutes. It was the visit by Ryan Conklin's girlfriend Michelle ("Belle"). It provided another little insight into Ryan's personality and his persona. Though the view was brief, it showed some important characteristics. Ryan was shown talking to Belle on the phone about her impending visit to Brooklyn. It was clear that he was happy that she was coming. He talked with her about some ideas of what they might do together while she was there. She said she wouldn't mind just sitting and staring...

Ryan Conklin Returns To Smallville

2009-02-14T23:05:00.013-05:00

Returning from Metropolis to his home town of Smallville, superhero Ryan Conkin showed the viewers of Real World Brooklyn a glimpse of the origin of his not so secret identity: the mild mannered small town boy. He also showed the source of his great power and the nature of his one weakness, the thing that he must avoid long exposure to in order to retain his abilities. Chapter six of the RWBK series began with the characters Katelynn Cusanelli, JD Ordonez, and Sara Rice volunteering to work at the New York City LGBT community center. There the trio learned of a plan for a special fundraising event, known as Braking the Cycle. It would be a bicycle ride that coincidentally begins in young Ryan's hometown of Gettysburg, PA. The three agreed to join forces with the center and use the ride...

250,000 Visitors

2009-02-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

This blog has hit the mark of having over 250,000 visitors in total since its inception. For sites that get that much in day, this would seem like incredibly small potatoes. For this site, since it is only a hobby and something that I update infrequently on only a small number of television subjects, it's pretty good. I have trouble imagining that many people seeing this thing. To share the credit, I have to thank Brian Kehoe and Danny Nunez and the rest of the models of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency who inspire a lot of interest and web searches, day after day around the world. Second, I have to thank Brett Novek and the America's Most Smartest Model cast, who still grab people's attention. People have never lost interest in Brett (me neither) and they find their way to my...

Ryan Conklin Light And Dark

2009-02-06T19:30:00.004-05:00

When I saw the preview video for episode five of Real World Brooklyn, with clips of Ryan Conklin shouting and him being noticeably saddened in relation to his experience in Iraq and his being in New York for the anniversary of 9/11, I felt dread about what the episode would show. I had started to feel fondness for Ryan the character during the first episode and by the end of the fourth I definitely had affection for the person. So being empathetic towards him, I was eager to find out what happened and concerned about what that may be. The episode begins like the relaxing ascension on the first hill of a major roller coaster. You can lean back and enjoy the view on a nice summer day. In early September, the roommates prepared to go the Love Brigade fashion show during the Mercedes-Benz...

Ryan Conklin Is Not The Love Guru

2009-01-30T20:20:00.010-05:00

In episode four of Real World Brooklyn Ryan Conklin showed that his views on socializing with females are practical and utilitarian. Ryan is not interested in any extra things, like romance and sentimentality. He just wants to focus on everyone having a good time in the simplest way possible. The episode begins with the news that Scott Herman has gotten the cast invited to a private party. Unfortunately for Ryan, it was expected that everyone should dress nice and Ryan was worried that he didn't have anything suitable to wear. Baya Voce told him he needed to wear a shirt with a collar, which confused Ryan, whose only frame of reference for that manner of dress was going to a golf club. Ryan has the same approach to his wardrobe that he does for girls. His clothes are for casual times...

Ryan Conklin Making Music

2009-01-24T23:22:00.014-05:00

In episode three of Real World Brooklyn, Ryan Conklin pursued his plan to make a song recording during his time in New York. Because the phone calls and written arrangements between BMP, MTV, music managers and music producers isn't very exciting to watch on television, the show had Ryan and other cast members go to Angels & Kings lounge where he 'happened to' meet manager Doug Newman from Crush Management. From that encounter, he got an appointment to meet with music producer Machine. On the day of the meeting, Ryan and sidekick Chet Cannon left to go meet Machine. Chet, as amateur life coach and career consultant, gave Ryan the best advice he was capable of: "Play well today. Don't f' it up." At the meeting, Machine showed interest in Ryan's experience in Iraq, knowing it could be...

Ryan Conklin Comes Out

2009-01-17T07:44:00.008-05:00

In episode two of The Real World Brooklyn, Ryan Conklin showed his interest in socializing with some of the other 2% of the population. He was eager to take a walk on the wild side, by making his first visit to a gay bar. Some of the housemates had agreed to go out one night, and JD Ordonez suggested that they leave Brooklyn and go into the city to a bar in Chelsea. Ryan learned from a friend that the district is known for containing concentrated gayness. He let his roommate Chet Cannon know, but in the process showed his lack of knowledge of the gay social scene and the Chelsea area in particular. Ryan said that the men at the bar would eat Chet up the way Chet was dressed, and that people in the area were all into S/M and wearing assless chaps. Maybe the patrons at a gay...

The Stars of Real World: Brooklyn

2009-01-09T21:03:00.011-05:00

In the 21st incarnation of The Real World, the first episode showed that eight, not seven, roommates would be moving into the "house" in the host borough of Brooklyn. However, even from the very first minutes, it was was clear that the season would actually be about the two leads, Ryan Conklin and Katelynn Cusanelli, and one supporting character, Chet Cannon. Then there are five extras that appear in order to support the understanding of the main characters and to provide various meaningless subplots. Between the two leads, the top billing would have to go to Ryan. He says, when we are first introduced to him, that "I like to think I can figure anyone out in the first five minutes of knowing them. Guaranteed." Well, what makes him the lead, and the most interesting character (of this...

Janice Dickinson And Mating Pairs

2008-10-02T01:09:00.000-04:00

In season four, episode six of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, it was all about prospective model couples. It was an examination of which pairs might have a future and which ones are as unlikely a match as would be Gov. Palin and Mensa. Paul Vandervort and Traci Moslenko: Paul likes Traci a lot, more so after their close contact at the Ed Hardy shoot, and he finally told her so. Traci, on the other hand, sees Paul like a little boy (literally) with a school crush on teacher. She likes him, but she seemed to be a little creeped out about his affection, especially when he kept pecking at her cheek. Paul thinks Traci is hot, saying that when Traci gave him a lap dance it was like he was still at Hooters (because her in his lap was like being served another heaping mound of boneless...

Janice Dickinson And Watching Grass Grow

2008-09-25T00:55:00.007-04:00

In season four, episode five of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, it became unquestionably clear how dull the show has become and how different this season is from previous ones in its lack of any enticement for tuning in each week. Gone are the risque images of homoerotic bare man booty. Nearly gone is Janice's shredding of the models' dignity and view of their self-worth. The result is that all goodness and no butt shots makes Janice a very dull girl. In past seasons, there was the constant bickering between Janice and her ex-business partner Peter Hamm that would inject drama and friction into every episode. Now the show has to bring back Brian Kehoe repeatedly in a series of brief and mildly sad debasements of its former supporting star supplicating to Janice for forgiveness...

Janice Dickinson And The B Word

2008-09-18T19:53:00.001-04:00

In season four, episode four of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, it was all about the B words, plural, and surprisingly none of them apply to Janice. At the beginning of the episode J.P. Calderon lectured Brian Kehoe about his bad behavior after Kehoe had been kicked out of the model house by Janice. Referring to the way he spoke to Kehoe, J.P. said "I just lost it," although if the subject hadn't been booze and blow you might compare J.P.'s demeanor to Mr. Rodgers teaching a child about sharing or respecting other people's feelings. J.P. as teacher, father confessor, and saint-in-residence can be a nice character, as it is good to have positive gay figures, but having both him and puppy dog sweet Martin Ritchie as the models that are gay on the show doesn't leave room for having...

Janice Dickinson And Role Playing

2008-09-11T22:45:00.012-04:00

In season four, episode three of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, it was all about Janice and the models presenting themselves as they wanted to be seen on camera. Sometimes it was for the better, sometimes it was just bizarre. The episode began with Janice apparently trying to portray a typical hausfrau, which is as believable as Marie Antoinette pretending to be a shepherdess. She was seen mopping the floor for a few seconds, just long enough to establish her bona fides in front of the camera that she knows how to clean house. She quickly grew tired of it and the mop went back into the hands of her all-purpose Igor, Sorin Mihalache. She then stormed through the house finding things to clean and garbage to throw out, loading Sorin with garbage bags the way the Grinch loaded down...

Janice Dickinson And Faux Drama

2008-09-04T17:52:00.013-04:00

In season four, episode two of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, it was all about the instigation of faux drama with forced friction between new models and returning models. It's a predictable ploy used on the series and it's probably played out by now. Long-time viewers know that by the end of the season, or at least by the start of the next one, everybody will be model buddies and one big happy PTSD family, so it's not worth investing interest in these little tiffs. The gimmick of this season is the use of group living for the cast in a "model house", ala Big Brother, Real World, etc. Janice herself plays housemother, which makes the house sort of a cross between the Playboy mansion and a minimum security psych ward. Ostensibly, the purpose of the house was to give Janice Dickinson...

Janice Dickinson In The Big Mother House

2008-08-28T21:20:00.005-04:00

In season four, episode one of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, it was all about the usual addition of new models and this season, for the first time, the usage of a common abode for Janice and her models. At the start of a new season Janice needs to replenish her stock and that has been a customary part of the show. The use of a single living environment is a significant change to the dynamics of the show (although it is a common element in reality TV) and it will be interesting to see how it affects the drama. To start things off, Janice Dickinson gave an introduction for the season, bringing her viewers up to date on her partnership dissolution with Peter Hamm. She explained that the separation required a division of the assets and that she was able to keep most of her favorite...

Janice Dickinson And Chandler Maness

2008-08-27T02:28:00.008-04:00

In season four of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, one of the new models that Janice brings in off of the street in her elusive search for the ultimate superstar model is actor-model Chandler Maness. What's notable about him from my perspective is that he appears to be someone that I can report really wants to be a working actor and I don't have to roll my eyes as I type that. My first view of Chandler Maness was him in a video clip giving a tour of Janice Dickinson's "model house". The house is where some of the season 4 models lived with Janice during the show's taping and it is the big gimmick for the season. I was indifferent about the house, but what I found more interesting was the way that Chandler appeared on camera. He has the face and demeanor that you can tell can play...