The Bachelor: Juan Pablo (Girl discussion)

Okay, let's talk about the women on the Bachelor. I don't plan on giving a play by play of the latest episode, if you are even reading this you probably already watched it. Instead I want to focus on the people of the show.

My favorite girls are Andi and Renee. I explained in a previous post why.

The girls that I think are making the biggest flash with viewers are Sharleen and Clare, oh and of course Nikki.

Clare got the first one and one date of the season and since then she has felt entitled to Juan Pablo's attention and affection. The show has decided that Clare will be the villain of this season. They make her off to be possessive of Juan Pablo and the girl that other girls dislike. So far I greatly dislike her, too.

Nikki is another contender for this season's villain but I'm not convinced she is going to be a villain. She comes off as an okay person, pretty honest, too. However, she complains a lot so I'm not her biggest fan.

Sharleen seems to be the girl that many viewers dislike but I find her very refreshing. She comes off as awkward on camera, but she has also pointed out how awkward it is to have all these cameras following your every move. I like that about her, I like that she points out the elephant in the room. She also comes across as very honest. It is so refreshing to see a girl who is realistic in her approach to this show. Sharleen doesn't automatically swoon over Juan Pablo, and she made it clear from the first night that it is a two way street, she wants to make sure there is a connection between the two of them for her to continue. After this week's episode she has stated that she could see herself falling for Juan Pablo, unlike the other girls who said those words even prior to even meeting him.

Juan Pablo said that Sharleen is his favorite so far so I don't see her going anywhere unless Sharleen is the one who leaves on her own.

Can I just say how happy I am that Elsie was eliminated this week? I disliked her since basically the beginning with her crappy attitude and then last week how catty and rude she was to Chelsie.

This Monday they will go on romantic adventures in Vietnam!

Who are your favorites? Least favorites? What are you thoughts on Sharleen?

Comment below and don't forget to subscribe!

The Bachelor: Juan Pablo (Episode 2)

I am going to be honest and admit that I was hesitant to watch this season of the Bachelor. I had nothing against Juan Pablo, it's just that he had so little screen time on Des's season and I didn't feel like I got to know him (not even the made up for TV version).
I asked some friends of mine who I knew were Bachelor/Bachelorette fans if they were going to watch. They all said yes and how much they adored Juan Pablo. So I decided to give it a shot. The first episode was pretty normal. The second episode, the one that I am commenting on tonight helped me realize why this show is so fun to watch.

The first two dates were honestly forgettable in my opinion (the girls, not necessarily the dates). They were both blonde and the first one basically said some romantic nonsense to the camera about how Juan is probably the one for her. I do remember the second date, her name was Kat, and they flew on a private plane to Utah. They did an electric run. Both girls got the rose.

The group date would have been a date where I would have easily signed up for. It was a photo-shoot with DOGS! Rescue, shelter dogs! I would have been the giddiest girl surrounded by dogs of all shapes and sizes. It was a charity photo-shoot where the girls each got to pick a dog and then had a special scene for the shoot.
The shoots included plenty of bikini clad women, fun and quirky costumes, some glamour, and two girls were chosen to do the nude shots. The two girls who were initially chosen to do the nude shots were Andi and Elise. Both girls were incredibly uncomfortable with the idea, especially since all the other girls were more covered.

Andi is an Assistant District Attorney and Elise is a first grade teacher. Elise was particularly worried about bearing all since she wants to remain a good, clean example for her students. She went to the exhibitionist Lucy to switch scenes. Lucy was wearing a fire hydrant costume and gladly switched to do the nude photos. Lucy is known as a free spirit, there was a scene of her walking one of the dogs outside in public...completely naked. She lives her life with no regrets and no shame. It may be strange, but I do give props to her for being so comfortable and completely one with herself.

Elise then went on to complain how she would rather do a bikini shot than wear a silly fire hydrant. I went from respecting her to wishing her gone. Seriously, she was a bad sport and I hope her days are numbered on the show.

Andi was still nervous about the shoot when Juan talked to her and decided he'd do the nude shoot, too. It turned out the nude shoot wasn't so bad after all. It was actually tastefully done and the pictures were really nice. You don't see any private parts of Andi or Juan (maaaybe Lucy but probably due to her own posing). And it was all for a good cause, to help get those dogs adopted!

PSA: Do you know how many shelters kill healthy dogs every day? So many it is heartbreaking. There are so many unwanted dogs that need a loving, forever home. If you or if someone you know can bring a lifetime of happiness and care to just one sheltered dog, please, do it. Adopt a dog!

Back to the commentary!

The group date continued to the poolside. One girl named Victoria got wasted and went crazy. She quickly showed she is too immature to not just handle her booze but also that she is not ready to become a step mom. This was where Juan Pablo impressed me. He came off as mature, responsible, and caring. He has a daughter and kept saying that this whole thing was not just for him, it was for his daughter, too.

A lot of roses were given out because it was only episode two so I won't even bother going through them all.

But I will say who my favorites are: Andi and Renee.

Andi is the Assistant District Attorney I told you about. She seems really nice, kind, and over all good character.
Renee is a single mom and a real estate agent. She seems to be the maternal one of the group of girls. She helped try to take care of the drunken mess Victoria, and another crying girl in the house later on. Renee comes off as very mature and kind.

I hope to see more of these girls and see their relationships progress positively with Juan Pablo.

It is still early in the season so things can change. Here's to Monday night's on ABC!

Elizabeth Smart: My Story (Book Review)

A gift I received this past Christmas (2013) was the book about Elizabeth Smart's traumatic kidnapping. I have always felt a connection to Smart, not only because we share a religion, but we also share a birthday. I remember being hooked to the news for any sort of new information concerning her. When she was found I rejoiced along with the rest of the world. So I knew I had to read her book. 

I knew going into the book that it probably wasn't going to be that detailed. After all, it was being sold at Deseret Book (a conservative LDS store). As morbid as it might sound, I was hoping for a thoroughly detailed book, similar to the details given by the Child called It series. However, Smart's book was detailed enough to give the reader a glimpse or even an idea of what happened and left plenty to the imagination. If books were given a rating, I would think it would be rated PG. 

Even though it did not contain the details I was desirous to devour, the book was captivating and engaging throughout.  I didn't want to put it down. It was detailed enough to give me nightmares of her kidnapper, though (I read it at night, not so bright move on my part). 

The horrors she went through were like Smart said, indescribable, or impossible to put into words. She was forced into a form of polygamous marriage at 14. She was chained to a tree like an animal. She went without water and food for days at a time. When she did have those basic necessities they were rationed into minuscule portions. She was forced to get drunk, and she even once woke up in her own vomit. She was forced to smoke cigarettes as well as other drugs. She was also forced to spend some days completely naked. She spent her days sitting outside in the harsh desert heat of either Utah or California. She spent her nights sleeping in a tent next to the man who raped her daily (sometimes multiple times a day). The clothes she wore were tattered rags, or clothing that even the homeless discarded as being too dirty or too worn. Her showers were maybe once a week and they included just a few cups full of ice-cold spring water being poured down her body. 

What was very frustrating were her recounts of encounters where she almost was saved. They happened a few times and if only someone looked closer. There was a helicopter so close to their camp, clearly looking for her, it was so close that their tent was blowing fiercely...but it did not see their camp. There were hikers and other passerby's that ran by or looked away. There was a police officer so worried about offending the captor's religious freedoms that he was helpless and let them go. It made me yell out NOOO!! many times. So close were some of these encounters, it was heartbreaking. 

 

I found her very brave and strong throughout it all. I was shocked to learn that she was sometimes sassy to her captors. She would talk-back and even tried to talk reason into them. Throughout her miserable journey she showed courage and strong faith. She never wavered in her belief in a God. She believed her grandfather was one of her guardian angels. She said she experienced miracles, one of which was during the first few weeks of her captivity. She was desperately thirsty, as were her captors, but the evil man (who doesn't deserve to even be mentioned by name) was lazy and didn't want to make the arduous journey to the springs or even into town. On a cool night she was woken up by a slight breeze, her captors sound asleep, she looked next to her tattered pillow to see a cup of water. She had no idea where it came from, her captors surely would never have shared if there was any more water in their camp. Yet, there was a cup full of water, sitting there next to her pillow. She drank it and it was ice cold. She believed it was a miracle letting her know God was there for her and was taking care of her. 

One might think her silly to believe in a God who was supposedly watching out for her but let her get kidnapped. Her explanation for this is amazing.

“I don’t think what happened to me was something that God intended. He surely would not have wished the anguish and torment that I was about to go through on anyone, especially upon a child.

But since that time, I have learned an important lesson. Yes, God can make some good come from evil. But even He, in all His majesty, won’t make the evil go away. Men are free. He won’t control them. There is wickedness in this world.

Which left me with this: When faced with pain and evil, we have to make a choice.

We can choose to be taken by the evil.

Or we can try to embrace the good.”

She had such faith throughout her time in what she described as "nine months of hell." She was only 14 years old and had more faith than people twice her age. When many people would have given up and given in, she held onto her faith, it was what kept her going. Her faith gave her the desire and strength to survive. She would tell herself that she would do whatever it took to survive. 

Some people may wonder why she didn't speak out during the times she was walking around in public with her captors. By then she was thoroughly brainwashed into believing that if she did that, her family would be in grave danger. She did everything in order to protect her family. She suffered believing that the man who held her captive would find her and not just physically hurt her family, but kill her family. She believed without a doubt that the man was capable of committing those murders. 

Elizabeth Smart continually denied throughout the book that she developed any sort of affection for her captors. She hated them through and through. She did what she had to to survive, that was it. She never liked them, she never loved them. She believed they were pure evil. 

Near the end of her tortuous time, she was living in California when she got a brilliant idea. She was able to convince her captors into going back to Utah. She pretended to temporarily buy into the evil man's ideas that he was a prophet and told the man that God told her that they needed to preach in Utah. The man ate it up and back to Utah they went. Once they made it back to Utah, (they hitch hiked the whole way) a few police officers stopped them and questioned her and her captors. It was then she had a moment of pure bravery and said the now famous words..."I am Elizabeth Smart." 

When she was reunited with her family I burst into tears. It was a wonderful moment. I could feel the love, the gratitude, the anxiousness, it was overwhelming. Smart goes on to say how she never received professional counseling afterwards. Her therapy included horseback riding, and playing her harp. She has such a good attitude about it all. She describes her life as truly blessed. She said she has lived a little over 300 months, and just 9 of them were bad...so her life in the grand scheme of things was not too bad. My jaw dropped when I read her explanation. How she could have such a positive attitude about her ordeal is beyond me. She is truly a remarkable individual and a shining example for the world. 

I recommend this book and I think everyone should read it. It strengthened my own faith and made me appreciate life for all its beauties and glories. Life is something to be cherished. Life is meant to be lived. I am grateful for the opportunity, for that was truly what it was, to have read Elizabeth Smart's memoirs. 

Glee: Puppet Master (S.5, ep. 7)

Glee aired on Thanksgiving so if you were expecting a holiday themed episode I'm afraid that was not the case. Instead Glee took on making an episode featuring puppets. Other shows have tried incorporating puppets, one that immediately comes to mind is Community. The difference (among many) between Glee and Community is that Community has talented writers and Glee does not. Community makes fun of cliches and is known for doing the weird and succeeds. Glee is most likely copying other shows in attempts to come off as creative and original.

Nothing about this episode was original. 

Blaine is apparently a control freak and the rest of the Glee kids have had enough. So they basically shunned him and he went to sit in the back of the choir room. There was a gas leak which made Blaine hallucinate that his Gleemates were puppets and they apologized and continually complimented Blaine on his awesomeness and genius.  

You see this episode has already been done before. Remember the first Britney Spears episode? The one where the Glee kids kept going to the dentist to basically get high? This week's episode is basically the same except instead of awesome Britney songs there are puppets. 

After his hallucination Blaine proceeded to make a puppet of his fiance, Kurt. Sue inevitably confiscated the puppet calling it creepy. She was right, it was creepy. The interesting thing about Blaine is that he is a rock star at making puppets. He not only made incredibly well made puppets but he also made the Glee kids and the New York kids their own puppet versions of themselves in less than a week. These were not finger puppets either, they were full sized puppets. 

See? Like for reals, where did he get the time to do this???

I understand Glee is not realistic and full of stupid but c'mon! 

At least Sue was there to comment on the absurdity of the show. She definitely has been crossing the fourth wall. She pointed out the craziness of how often the Glee kids visit New York and Lima. When Mr. Shue asked Sue for more money for the Glee budget Sue says no because just a few weeks ago when Glee did the Gaga/Perry episode they were able to have insane props, one of which was able to swing Artie...while he was still in his wheelchair around the stage. That must have cost $1000 for that specific prop alone! Aha! I like how Glee is at least aware of this particular absurdity. 

Jake Puckerman had a significant part this episode. He continued to play the sexual field by hooking up with almost the entire cheer leading team. Jake also had a hallucination in the choir room. This time it was him in the remake of the music video Nasty  by Janet Jackson. Puckerman Jr. also went through a pregnancy scare with Bree (the girl he cheated on Marley with). WE'VE SEEN THIS ALREADY GLEE! Remember the original Puckerman and Quinn? 

Stop repeating story-lines! For serious!

Sue Sylvester had a sad part in this episode. She was mistaken for a man and tried to become more feminine. However, she was not doing the make over for herself...but for a man. The only real empowered character of the show got butchered in this episode. It was disappointing. Anyone who confuses Sue for a man is crazy and incredibly nonobservant. 

There was a New York story line but it was short. Kurt was trying to book his "band" gigs. It's a cover band that stars Kurt, Santana, Rachel, Adam Lambert, and Demi Lovato. (Adam Lambert plays a guy nick named Star Child, and Demi Lovato plays Santana's girlfriend)

Miraculously Kurt was successful in booking this band. 

I wish I lived in the Glee universe where failure is nonexistent. Wouldn't it be nice to never suck at anything? Where all dreams come true? 

This episode was pointless and it was 100% filler material. Nothing real happened, it was mainly hallucinations, and the things that did happen (Kurt's success in booking his "band", etc) were really not that important. 

It also skipped over what happened last episode like it never happened. Nobody mentioned the weird stares between Sam and Rachel. Are we going to later see it play out? Or was it just sloppy writing?  

The songs of this episode were pointless as well. Ugh! See below. 

-Into the Groove by Madonna....Sung by Kurt, Rachel, Santana, Star Child, and Dani (Imaginary performance)

-You're my best friend by Queen...Sung by Blaine Anderson (Hallucination)

-Nasty/Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson....Sung by Jake, Bree, and Marley (Hallucination)

-Cheek to Cheek by Fred Astaire...Sung by Sue and Shue (Hallucination)

-The Fox by Ylvis...Sung by All the Glee kids and New York kids (WTF?)

WHY? Why did they have to perform The Fox? It wasn't even a hallucinated performance! They actually did it. It had no value to the story. Again...purely for profit of Glee song downloads. 

Remember when they covered Gangnam Style? UGH....this show is painful to watch. 

If I had to name the best song I would do Cheek to Cheek because it featured no puppets and no horrible 80s clothes. 

What did you think of this week's episode?

Did you love or hate the puppets?

What was your favorite or least favorite song?

Comment below!

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How I met your Mother "Bedtime Stories?" (s. 9 ep. 11)

How I met Your mother has writers that are gifted. This episode was silly but my mood sure was lifted. Rhymes in this episode were had everywhere, it may have been absurd but it kept me in my chair.

The story took place with Marshall in the lead. Getting Marvin to fall asleep was the goal indeed. Only rhyming would keep young Marvin from crying. Marshall told three stories to keep people from dying.

The first story was about Ted. Ted met a girl and wanted to get her into bed. The girl asked Ted out to dinner, and all the while Ted was hoping he'd end the night a winner. She said she used to date a Yankee's player. Ted had to know right then if he even had a prayer. She showed a picture of the man but to Ted's dismay, the man, Ted's friend, with Barney did she lay.

The second story was a tale about Robin. Robin was sad and was close to sobbin'. She went into a pastry shop looking drab and dreary. She was eating the tasty treats to stop from being teary. As she was eating a man spoke out her name, she turned around to her surprise to see a former flame. She was so happy to see his face and hoped he would mingle, but to her dismay she found that he was no longer single. In fact this man was going to get married, distraught was Robin so with his cake she carried.  Eat the whole cake Lily urged to Robin, so with a fork Robin went cake-bobbin'.

A story about Barney was the third of the night. A beautiful blonde entered the bar and captured Barney's sight. Lily scoffed and said there was no way, the beautiful blonde would never give him the time of day. So Barney told a tale about why that was not so. Nice story said Ted but I just got her number, bro.

How I met your Mother is a story quite unique, however most episodes as they are fillers can be quite bleak. But at the end Marshall was only 5 miles from the wedding location, so off by foot will Marshall walk to his destination.

I found this episode especially a delight. I personally can't stop rhyming and I see no end in sight. Two thumbs up I give for this endeavor. This episode though silly was certainly clever.


What do you think of the rhymes in the episode?
Is this another filler episode?

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Glee: "Movin' Out" Commentary (s.5, ep.6)

I have a love/hate relationship with the TV show Glee. Most of the time I hate it because it is just really bad but I still keep watching because season one was really good. I have hope the magic from the first season will come back. 


In "Movin' Out" the kids at McKinley high have another tribute episode, this time taking on Billy Joel. The kids deal with the upcoming graduation. It starts out with Mr. Schuester upset with Principal Sue Sylvester for not believing in the arts as an actual career. I do think Mr. Shue is ridiculous in thinking his whole glee club will become famous in the arts when it is incredibly unlikely but glee is also in a world of its own. (They say earth but I don't believe it)

Blaine and Sam take a mini vacation to New York to visit their friends (Rachel, Kurt, and Santana) who all live together. ***Reminder: Rachel and Kurt go to NYADA (a fictional dramatic arts college), and Santana is a waitress (actually they all work in the same restaurant that is Broadway themed so a lot of singing happens). Kurt is engaged to Blaine. Rachel is the lead in Funny Girl.***
Blaine auditions for NYADA, we don't get to see the audition but we are told it goes well. Sam goes to New York to have an interview at a college. This was probably my favorite part of the episode. Sam goes to Hunter College to have an interview and it is the most awkward interview of all time. He was clearly nervous and completely unprepared. A line that stood out to me as being awkwardly funny but totally inappropriate was him commenting on the interviewer's race. 

“So, you’re black. That must be interesting.” –Sam, (his Hunter College admission interview)

Then he subsequently asks if the interviewer knows Mercedes Jones (as if all black people know each other).

Since his college interview was a bust he decides to become a male model. Rachel enlists the help of a photographer from the play Funny Girl who takes professional pictures for Sam's portfolio. There is an attempt at being subtle in this scene that hints there might be something brewing between Sam and Rachel. 
Sam gets an interview with a top modeling agency. Tyra Banks guest stars as Bichette who interviews Sam. She says she likes him but demands he loses ten pounds first. 

Another big part of the episode was between Marley, Jake, and Ryder. In a previous episode Jake hardcore cheated on Marley so Marley broke up with him. Jake proceeded to be a total jerk by insisting that he can't be monogamous all because Marley wouldn't put out. Ryder, who has had a crush on Marley since he met her, immediately asks Marley out and she says not now. He then sings her a Billy Joel song and she agrees to a date. After the date Marley then tells him that she still needs time to get over Jake, which is understandable as it had been maybe a week since the break up. 

The final story arc was between Artie and Becky. Artie sings a song to Becky letting her know she has college options. It was a nice story full of plenty of feels. Becky decides to go to college and she has a heart to heart conversation with Sue, her closest confidante. Another funny line of the show was delivered by Sue during this conversation. Becky was afraid of hurting Sue's feelings by wanting to go to college, which Sue then said...“I don’t have any feelings, Becky.”  


Now onto my commentary. 

This episode wasn't that great, it wasn't bad, but still not great. I really do wish that the show would drop the high school kids and move permanently to filming only the New York kids. The McKinley story-lines have already been done and it feels old. Plus the characters are not very likable. Unlike the kids in New York where the story-lines feel fresher and the show can go in new directions (whoa!). 

I knew some of the Billy Joel songs but I am really tired of all the tribute episodes. I'm also really tired of singing songs just for the sake of covering famous songs. Glee is only doing it because it means mad profits off the song downloads. I would prefer it if they only sang songs that fit in with the stories. 

If you are curious about the songs of the episode, I have listed them below. 

Sam & Blaine, “Movin’ Out” 

Blaine, “Piano Man” 

Jake, “My Life” 

Artie, “Honesty” 

Ryder, “An Innocent Man” 

Kurt, Blaine, Santana, Rachel and Sam, “Just the Way You Are” (this song presented another not so subtle hint as a possible Sam and Rachel romance)

The stand out song would go to "Honesty" sung by Artie. He sang that song to Becky to convince her to check out colleges. It was a sweet moment. 

What was your favorite song of the episode?

What did you think of "Movin' Out"? How do you feel about the possible relationship between Sam and Rachel?

Comment and let me know!

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High Five Fantastic Commentary

This blog is a space for me to give my two cents on what happened on TV, in the movies, and the overall media.

I want you to let me know which shows you want commentary on. Preferably one from the list provided below.

Commentary will include a recap of the episode and a discussion. 

• How I met your Mother
• New Girl
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• The Mindy Project
• The Originals 
• Modern Family
• Glee
• Parks and Recreation
• The Big Bang Theory
• The Vampire Diaries
• Pretty Little Liars
• Downton Abbey
• Community

If you have any other suggestions feel free to comment and let me know!

Have a high five fantastic day!