More Thoughts from the Shower has MOVED to DaveChung.com!

2008-05-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

Using this space to upload, but we're still at HTTP://DAVECHUNG.COM

2008-03-07T00:06:00.001-08:00

More Thoughts from the Shower has MOVED!

2008-02-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

It's finally happened!

We're taking this traveling pony show over to my real URL, DaveChung.com with a brand new layout for the new year that gives me a lot more control over my site. I've been talking about doing this for a very, very long time and it's finally been done!

I hope to see you guys over there!

"Digg Girl" and USC Alumna Kina Grannis wins Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest

2008-02-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

USC Alumna Kina Grannis, who often performed at USC during my five long years there, was featured on a Doritos commercial at the Super Bowl as a result of the Crash the Super Bowl contest.

While Kina was pretty big while she was at USC, this was the video that made her the "digg girl."

Gotta Digg. Gotta Digg!

Her song, Message From Your Heart was the winning song featured on the commercial.
Doritos: Crash the Super Bowl Contest

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Huge congrats to Kina!

Brock Lesner joins UFC this weekend

2008-02-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

Former WWE Heavyweight champion, Big 10 champion, NCAA champion, and Minnesota Vikings hopeful Brock Lesner is joining UFC this weekend against Frank Mir.

Unfortunately, I'm going to miss the Pay Per View, but the promo videos that UFC is running are asking the question, "Can Brock Lesner really fight?"

I'd say yes.

If Lesner busts out the Superplex, we're in for show.

I'd never want to work for ESPN's Chris Berman

2008-02-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm saying it. I would never, ever, ever, want to work for ESPN's Chris Berman. TMZ posted a clip of him freaking out in the studio a few years back in honor of the Super Bowl, so I thought I'd do the same. Yikes.

Get outta here.

AskMen.com's Top 99 Women 2008 Edition: One of my favorite all-time list features, EVER.

2008-01-31T00:57:00.000-08:00

AskMen.com just posted its Top 99 Women 2008 edition, which is without a doubt my favorite feature that they do every year. Not only does the feature have tons of pictures, but it has boatloads of awesome editorial content, relevant links, comparisons to the 2007 list, quotations, and fun ways that you can compare your rankings of the women with those of other AskMen users, even without registering!

Needless to say, it's awesome. AskMen.com, this list is one of my favorite all-time features, even if it refreshes the whole page instead of just flipping the picture like I wish it did. I gave AskMen about 200 page views in less than 10 minutes because of the feature and chances are I'll be back doing it again before the end of the week. Definitely check it out!

AskMen.com's Top 99 Most Desirable Women is an annual list compiled by AskMen.com readers and staff, ranking the famous females deemed to be the year's most alluring. In casting their votes, readers are asked to look beyond sex appeal and beauty to pick women who have the characteristics they value in a potential companion, like intelligence, humor, charisma, and ambition. The result is an annual list that acts as the definitive gauge for identifying what modern men desire most in their female companions.

This year, over 5 million votes were cast as AskMen.com readers identified the females from the worlds of music, fashion, sports, and entertainment who they felt best represented their ideal woman. So who has joined the likes of Jessica Alba, Beyonce and Adriana Lima in being named 2008's No. 1? Find out by making your way up through the list.

AskMen also used one of the quotations I gathered for them at a roundtable interview with Eva Longoria, which I thought was pretty cool, on her profile page!

Notables who I thought should be higher (my own personal biases aside, as they'd all be in my personal top 10):
#43: Katharine McPhee (Should be Top 15)
#23: Carrie Underwood (Should be Top 10)
#37: Rachel McAdams (Should be Top 25)
#98: Jenna Fischer (Should be Top 50)

#88: Jessica Chobot (Should be Top 30, though she'd be in my personal Top 5)

I heart Chobot

The Dark Knight's Heath Ledger Found Dead at Age 28

2008-01-22T13:59:00.000-08:00

MSNBC and TMZ are both reporting that Brokeback Mountain star and The Dark Knight's Joker, Heath Ledger, has been found dead in his New York apartment.

R.I.P. Heath Ledger

American Idol's Renaldo Lapuz - "We're Brothers Forever" Dance Remix

2008-01-21T22:49:00.000-08:00

One of the best auditions from Week 1 of American Idol has to be Renaldo Lapuz's "We're Brothers Forever."

Through the magic of YouTube, the song has been remixed into many an incredible techno/dance song for the clubs.

They only get better.

Listen. Enjoy. Lose sleep over it.

Here's the original:

Though I might be Republican, Chelsea Clinton does an amazing job campaigning for her mom

2008-01-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a pretty cool YouTube video that Perez Hilton posted of Chelsea Clinton and America Ferrera pounding the pavement a little bit for Hillary Clinton.

Though I feel like H. Clinton has absolutely no charisma, to the point that I honestly don't even listen to anything she says (and I wish I could), I thought this video went a long way to humanize her a little bit... BY NOT INCLUDING HER IN THE VIDEO.

Of course, I'm pretty obsessed with election media coverage right now and how interesting it is to see the different strategies, so this one gets a big thumbs up from me!

Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day: Newest Famous Stars and Straps Model

2008-01-21T19:41:00.000-08:00

Way back in the day, Aubrey O'Day was one of many girls trying out for Diddy's "international phenomenon" girl group (Danity Kane) in MTV's Making the Band, after the fizzle-age of Diddy's first reality group "Da Band." Through the auditions, Aubrey was never the best singer, but she was always a great dancer and man, she was hot. Really hot.

Aubrey: Early stardom.

The UC Irvine sorority girl still manages to be in the spotlight after"making the band" in Danity Kane, the platinum selling Bad Boy girl group. Whether it's rumors of her joining the Pussycat Dolls, the Danity Kane album cover, or the Showstopper music video, Aubrey always manages to find herself at the center of DK's media attention. Even though people say she looks tore up a lot of times, underneath all that makeup and extra hair is a girl who stole my reality TV heart years ago.

Aubrey: Front and center. Bad Boy, baby.

Showstoppin'...Show Show StoppIN!!!!

And now, Danity's hottie has become the latest model for skater clothing brand Famous Stars & Straps, of Blink 182's Travis Barker fame. Over made up, but there's no denying that while scary, Aubrey O'Day is still really hot.

To check out the whole set, check out The Beatniks Celebrity Gossip!

Eliza Skinner impersonates a girl at the club on College Humor

2008-01-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

This guy Eliza Skinner does an amazing impersonation (Amy at the club) of what it's like for a guy to meet an annoying girl at the club for College Humor.

Normally, these viral videos have to be pretty good for me to like them and this is one of them.

And people wonder why I generally don't like going out to the clubs.

Blake Lewis performs "Break Anotha" on New Year's Eve

2008-01-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading my blog, you know I'm the biggest Blake Lewis supporter out there from his time on American Idol. Since leaving the show, he's just been "aight wit me, dawg." I thought his CD was going to be better and Blake wouldn't have "made the band" with this performance from New Year's Day.

However, I'm sure it was freezing cold and miserable, which is going to make it next to impossible to beatbox.

Panoramic New Year's Celebration Pictures

2008-01-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

Though this made me motion sick in seconds, I really thought this was pretty cool! They're panoramic views in 2D/3D of different New Year's celebrations from all around the world. Check it out!

USC Trojans: 2008 Rose Bowl Champions

2008-01-01T17:56:00.000-08:00

You know what it is...

Two quarters later, this guy still sleeping.

2008-01-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

Amazing!

Illini fan excited at the Rose Bowl

2008-01-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

$135 down the drain.

Gametime in 47 minutes

2008-01-01T13:22:00.001-08:00

Illini fans are great clappers!

Lots of Illini Space at Rose Bowl

2008-01-01T12:48:00.001-08:00

There will be lots of orange Illini fans here today. It should be exciting!

Lotsa stuff going on...

2008-01-01T11:00:00.001-08:00

Just finished a delicious cheesesteak and off to meet up with people.

We're Here!

2008-01-01T10:42:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the Rose Bowl!

At the Rose Bowl. This guy is cute!

2008-01-01T10:10:00.001-08:00

Plenty of Illini around these parts today.

Weekly Wrap Up - Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, WeAreSC, and Rotten Tomatoes close out my 2007

2007-12-31T22:50:00.000-08:00

As we close out 2007, here are some published goodies of mine that made their way to the web this past week.

AmericanIdol.com
- Carrie Underwood is one of Elle's Best Dressed of 2007
- Clay Aiken Helps Out During the Holidays

It'd been too long since we had a Carrie pic.

RottenTomatoes.com
- Jen Yamato pulled together the RT Editors' Best Movie Picks of 2007. My shoutout is on Page 4.

WeAreSC.com
- Student Athlete: Brad Smith

That's a lot of words, folks. This is why my blogging has slowed down, but my word vomit is still all over the web!

Joining the Marathon World

2007-12-31T21:58:00.000-08:00

Though I haven't run "for fun" in almost a year, if not more, I went on a long run today to begin my preparation for two long runs that I hope to take on in 2008 - The Great Race of Agoura Hills Chesebro Half Marathon in April and the Disneyland Half Marathon in August.

Because it was my first time back running in a very long time, I decided not to be too ambitious and that I would start out slow. My intentions of starting out slow turned into a winding, hill-filled 4.8 mile round trip from my apartment to Fox Studios. My legs are in pain and I honestly don't know if I'm going to be able to walk at the Rose Bowl tomorrow, but I was really happy that I did it. I finished off my run with some vegan pad thai from The Vegan Joint here in Palms and I'm hoping to go to sleep as soon as the New Year hits so I can be well-rested for Rose Bowl traffic tomorrow.

As I ran with my iPod shuffle to the tunes of Carrie Underwood, 50 Cent, Rakim, Rascal Flatts, Kanye West, and Eminem, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there is a really large unspoken community of runners here in Los Angeles. People gave me a thumbs up when they passed me (and people did because I wasn't going very fast) or a smile at the very least. And yes, I almost got hit by a car and I basically was jogging at the pace of a fast walk on uphills portions, but it felt really good to be part of this friendly community. It didn't matter how fast I was going or they were going, people just seemed supportive and I'm sure that this is the feeling that many people get on race day with the clapping crowd cheering along the way. It sounds stupid, but it really made me feel good and made it a lot easier for me to keep going because I felt like these people accepted me into their mobile community.

I know that you're supposed to train a solid 3 times a week, but I think I can realistically get in a short run during the week and then a long run on the weekends. If I did 4.8 miles the first time while being completely out of shape, 13.1 miles doesn't seem like it would be too bad (famous last words). I hope that I'll be able to run a full marathon one day and it'll be a huge accomplishment.

Running a half-marathon isn't really a life goal for me, but it's rather something that I want to see if I can do. It's kind of like when I went periods of time without eating red meat, or my current 3 year caffeine drought. Sometimes, you just want to see if you can do something and this is my new thing. Hopefully, I'll have cool pictures of some medals to share and it'll be one more thing that I've done that I've wondered if I could do.

Penn State Coach Joe Paterno is Nicer than I would be to Texas A&M Idiot Yell Leader

2007-12-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know if everyone has heard this story yet, but I'll let the Dallas Morning News tell the gist of the story:

SAN ANTONIO – Penn State coach Joe Paterno was asked if he could still "do it" at a Valero Alamo Bowl news conference Friday. Coach, that is.

"Holy smokes," Paterno said. "I'm not Hugh Hefner, ya know."

Paterno thought the Texas A&M yell leader who made a disparaging remark about the 81-year-old legend during a joint pep rally was "trying to be funny." Paterno otherwise brushed off the yell leader's comment, which prompted quick apologies from A&M officials.

"Joe Paterno's on his death bed! And someone needs to find him a casket!" the yell leader screamed Thursday night in a Riverwalk auditorium filled with A&M and Penn State fans."

This came from AggieMoms.org, hope they're proud!

I'm not out to condemn someone for one thing that they said. Part of what makes this story so sad is that there's something really endearing about watching the 81 year old Paterno still coaching at Penn State after all these years AND a broken leg on the sidelines a couple years back.

Good lord, I'd retire after that.

Being mean to old people is like being mean to waiters at a restaurant who are trying really hard to be nice. There's just no reason to do it (especially if they weren't provoked) and I think that this A&M Yell Leader suffers from a problem that a lot of sports fans have - talking crap and not being funny, while also not knowing a lot about the game.

There have been way too many USC Football games that I've been to where annoying fans have caused a ruckus in the stands - mispronouncing names, calling our guys by the name of the player who wore the jersey the previous year, and cheering for penalties that actually net us fewer yards. If this Texas A & M yell leader knew more about the game of college football beyond his beloved Aggies, he would know that Joe Paterno is one of the most respected coaches in college football and a true living legend in the sport. Never EVER should a true college football fan say something like that to someone who has earned and deserves the respect that Paterno should have after his illustrious career.

If you go to a game or you're one of those loud, screaming types? Know what you're talking about or at the very least, be funny, not an asshole.

Rotten Tomatoes Editors' Best Movie Picks of 2007

2007-12-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

Check out RT Editors' Best Movie Picks of 2007!

The Rotten Tomatoes editors and I all made lists of our favorite movies of 2007.

I'm all the way on Page 4.

Movies I've seen recently - Bratz, National Treasure, Sweeney Todd, Fast Times at Ridgemont High

2007-12-26T21:12:00.001-08:00

From my Rotten Tomatoes blog

I'm feeling very gassy after a dinner at Mario's Peruvian Seafood here in LA. A friend of mine wants to go to Don Antonio's of The Hills fame later tonight for second dinner. We'll see if the stomach can handle it with the help of some Pepto (charming, I know. I use The Vine as my subscription-free version of Match.com, if that wasn't obvious).

After that glorious introduction, I thought I would take a second to review some of the movies I've seen recently. I think one of the good parts about having an extremely addictive personality is that when you like something, you REALLY like something. There is no inbetween, no gray area, you are balls to the walls, in it to win it, in there like swim wear.

The bad part about having this kind of personality is that when you're "over" something, you're REALLY over it. Whether that's a food, person (or parent, in my case), celebrity, television show, when you declare you don't like it, you don't like it forever (this is why I don't like you, Sarah from my 11th grade science class. Call me weird again and see if I care).

A pleasant surprise to me is that my newest love is movies. I know that I haven't seen as many movies as "the next guy" (whoever he is and I'm sure he is well endowed), but with all the craziness that goes on in my underdeveloped dinosaur brain, I'm sure to catch up soon as a result of my addictive personality. As a result, I thought I'd take a second to rate some of the flicks that I've flocked (that makes no sense) over the past couple weeks.

Sweeney Todd (87% on the Tomatometer, 7/10 for me)

I'm linking to the Beta. Learn it. Love it.

Why must I SIIiiiNggGG EVERyThinGGgGgg!! AlLlLLl THe TIMeeEEeEe, as IfFFff SpeaKINg Had GOnnNNNe Out OF FasshionNN~!~!!!! I NeEedddd to Get SomE Two PLyYYyy ToiLeTTTTt PAPpEEERRR!!!!

Sweeney wasn't really what I was expecting, but it was close. For some reason, I thought it was going to be a little bit spookier, less stomach curdling, with more haircuts (Barber!! Right?? Not beard shaver!!), and more bloody. I think that everyone who said that Mr. Todd's antics were bloody disgusting (I am too much sometimes! The wit! The cheap laughs!) has never seen Hostel.

After you've seen Eli Roth's blood bath diarrhea fest (figuratively), nothing is that bloody. I did really enjoy the story because I had never seen the musical and I thought dreamboat Johnny Depp did a fantastic job as a stylist to the stars (look out, David Evangelista). There was even more singing in Sweeney than there was in Hairspray, which means it was a wee bit too much for me. I didn't find any of the songs particularly memorable, but I did really enjoy being transported into Todd's dark and dirty world courtesy of Senor Tim Burton. 'Twas good, but I was a wee bit emo after watching it, so I ate the additional $7 in parking fees so I could do the good ole' theater hop straight intooooooo....

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (35% on the Tomatometer, 4/10 for me)

So the jump from Sweeney straight into Treasure was a weird one. I'll start this out by saying that I thought that National Treasure was a National Grumper. In the first Treasure, I felt as though the dialogue was stupid (and not funny) and the things they came up with remind me ideas that small children have while they're playing with their action figures and still have an hour to burn before dinner time.

Hey, let's make some money with a crappy movie!

However, what makes me hate National as a series is that so many people LOVE IT and think that it is one of the greatest movie serieseseseses ever. I don't think it's the worst movie ever, but for people to list this movie on Facebook as one of their favorite movies of all time is worse than me listing You Got Served on my favorite movie list (which I do). So for Treasure hunting fans, have no fear! The tradition of ridiculous dialogue, semi-cool action scenes, and farfetched ideas about the history of the good ole' U S of A continues in the sequel. It is dumb, but it is dumb fun. I wouldn't watch it again, but it was watchable...but stupid.

Bratz: The Movie (7% on the Tomatometer, 1/10 for me)

B-F-F's!

Effing. Kill. Me. This thought went through my head about five times over the course of the nearly two hours that I sat through Bratz, which I had high hopes for. First, I didn't know that you could say "MySpace" so blatantly so many times during a movie ("I LOVE MYSPACE!!!" being my favorite subtle product placement line). Second, I never realized that a teen movie could be so bad that I thought it was beyond bad. Normally, I like most every teen movie because something about it is good - dancing, hotties, jokes, funny asians, pointless nudity, something! NOTHING about Bratz is good.

The girls are too good at everything. They're too smart, talented, and flawless for us to like them. They are all spoiled except for one girl who really needs a scholarship, but still has a walk-in closet (probably just a scholarship for hair products). I can't even begin to talk about this movie without getting annoyed at how incredibly bad it was. It wasn't funny, nor was anything about it cool. I will say that the movie was really colorful, which was nice to watch on my 40" LCD HDTV, but two girls one cup, this movie was awful.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (80% on the Tomatometer, 6/10 for me)

As a teen movie lover, I had to see Fast to see where a lot of the roots of teen movies came from. What I loved about Fast was seeing and hearing a lot of the phrases that people still use today being used in the movie and finally realizing where they came from! From Sean Penn's classic portrayal of a surfer "dude" to Phoebe Cates' famous boobs, there was a lot to like at Ridgemont High. I really enjoyed the movie, though nothing was particularly hilarious about it. The film was entertaining from start to finish and I'm sure that it was very edgy and "hip" in its day.

Mullet! Mullet! Mullet!

I wouldn't say it was one of my favorites, but if I saw the movie when it came out in 1982 (which would have been about a year and a half before I was conceived), I'm sure it would have been at the time. Cool movie and I'm happy that I saw it!

And now, I'm off to watch Superbad. Addictive personality for teh win!

I love IGN's Jessica Chobot

2007-12-24T12:12:00.001-08:00

I do! I just can't help it.

Jessica Chobot writes and does video segments for IGN.com and is well-known as one of the hottest girls in tech. Charming, video game loving, with a soft spot for things that are very cute, how could anyone resist?

Truly a dream, even while at work, haha.

Success! Perez Hilton makes an appearance at Kitson

2007-12-22T15:07:00.000-08:00

Perez Hilton made a bunch of us celebrity crazed fools happy by showing up on time to Kitson on Robertson today in Los Angeles. The line was filled with mostly girls who I was surprisingly much older than, but it was pretty exciting to meet one of the most prominent entertainment bloggers today.

That's a lot of blogging in one picture.

In search of Perez Hilton

2007-12-22T13:31:00.001-08:00

I'm here at Kitson, Los Angeles, where Perez Hilton is scheduled to make an appearance from 2PM to 4PM today. I'm here early, so hopefully he doesn't show up too fashionably late because my meter runs out at 3:19!

Rotten Tomatoes Presents: 12 Days of Christmas Movies

2007-12-21T19:41:00.001-08:00

Hi guys,

I'd love for everyone to check out my first ever feature on Rotten Tomatoes! It's a countdown of 12 of the top reviewed Christmas movies of all time. I'm really happy with the way it turned out and hope that you enjoy it!

While you're there, check out my roommate Ryan's Rotten Tomatoes Holiday Buyers' Guide, which is written about 10x better than mine because Ryan is a much better writer than I.

Christmas in LA

2007-12-21T14:57:00.001-08:00

Some people hae asked me what Christmas in LA looks like, so here's The Grove at Christmas.

Bring It On: In It to Win It. Saw It. Loved It.

2007-12-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

Check out my thoughts on the movie that went direct to DVD and direct to my heart on my Rotten Tomatoes blog!

Testing out some new feeds

2007-12-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

I'm going to be testing out some new feeds over the next day or so to try and bring some fun stuff to the site, so please excuse the disgusting number of "things" that will be showing up on the right side of the screen.

Greatest Two Girls One Cup Reaction Video of All Time

2007-12-18T00:46:00.000-08:00

Whether it's 2girls1cup, two girls one cup, or 2 girls 1 cup, by any name, this disgustingly not safe for work video has sparked the funniest reactions in the history of the Internet.

This one is my favorite:

A Critical Examination of 2 Girls 1 Cup

2007-12-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

Also known as 2girls1cup.com or two girls one cup, it is a phenomenon that has taken the Internet by storm.

We've seen reaction videos, parodies, but now people are even writing school papers on it.

Whoever wrote this, you are hilarious.

Hello Guitar Hero III. Goodbye Social Life

2007-12-18T00:02:00.001-08:00

While I don't think I'll ever get good enough at Guitar Hero to do something like this:

Jordan - Expert

I did just get it on Wii and I really like it! I also got Trauma Center: New Blood, which is a lot of fun and pretty challenging! I had taken a huge break from video games, but with a few days off right around the corner, I'm excited to get back into them with these new games that are firmly taking my Wii off the unemployment line since I started my new job. I forgot how great of a release it can be to just burn some time playing games.

You were missed video games. You. Were. Missed.

Paramore's Music Video for "Misery Business"

2007-12-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

I picked up Paramore's Riot! album today, because of its catchy single "Misery Business," which I cannot help but always hope will come on the radio while I'm getting ready in the morning.

So I know the band's lead singer Hayley Williams is 17 years old or so and a lot of their songs sound the same (which is fine because that means they're REALLY catchy), but does that automatically make Paramore a girly pop-punk band? Because I'm pretty into them after listening to the CD for the past couple hours.

Britney Spears' Newest Video - Piece of Me

2007-12-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

After the fuzzy, dark, and weird video for "Gimme More," Britney Spears is back with her latest video for "Piece of Me," which has a paparazzi theme.

Say what you will about B. Spears, but she's still pretty hot! I just wish that she would dance a little more and that she would stop dressing like she was 17 and maybe go for that "I'm in my mid 20's and I'm still hot" look instead.

Either way, I'm not complaining.

Bratz: The Movie is Diaper Rash Rotten at 7%

2007-12-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

Taken from my Rotten Tomatoes blog: A 20-Something Guy with the Movie Taste of a 14 Year Old Girl.

Bratz: The Movie. 5 Fresh reviews. 63 Rotten. 7% on the Tomatometer. $9.9 million at the box office. "Too shallow even for its target audience."

Who watches movies like this? I DO.

Keepin' it Gangsta Out Da BOX!

"[An] excruciatingly inane high-school comedy inspired by a line of sexually suggestive dolls aimed at 9-year-old girls." - Lou Lumenick, New York Post

I got interested in this green booger trainwreck based on a line of semi-successful dolls after checking out RT resident Wildcat Jen Yam's Meet a Critic with Michael Phillips. Phillips said (though I have a feeling he was joking),

JY: Who is the next breakthrough performer, director or writer on the horizon?
MP: Everyone in Bratz. Didn't you love Jon Voight in Bratz? Not since he got horked up by the snake in Anaconda have I seen such magic.

While Phillips may or may not have been joking, I figured if a movie was that memorable to the point that it was the first thing that came to his mind, there has to be some value to it.

Key to life: Money. Power. Respect. Friendship. Fashion.

7% on the Tomatometer. 11% by Cream of the Crop critics. There is hope.

With that in mind, I asked my roommate and RT Community Manager Ryan to shoot Bratz onto his Netflix queue.

Here is a rundown of the conversation:
D: So no Bratz?
R: You were serious?
D: I would watch it if it came in the mail. I'm just wondering what it does for 102 minutes.
R: Okay, I'll do it, but on one condition.
D: Of course you get to watch w/me!!
R: You have to watch it all the way to the end, even if I get bored and leave the room
D: Ok that's doable. I will watch and enjoy.
R: I'm putting it on my list right now and shooting it to the top of the queue. Is Jon Voight in this movie?? Poor man.

OMG, it's totally not that bad!

"The derivative Bratz is a great big pink marshmallow of a movie, aimed at one demographic only: tween girls into fashion and lip gloss. Anyone else, enter at your own risk." - Kit Bowen, Hollywood.com

Enter I will, Kit Bowen of Hollywood.com. Enter. I. Will. Besides, I love marshmallows.

"This is why the terrorists hate us." - Nathan Rabin, Onion AV Club

That might be taking it too far, Mr. Rabin.

"Bratz is like being raped by MySpace." Joshua Tyler, Cinemablend.com

Then add me, baby.

Be back with a full report soon, my BFF's!

Lauren Conrad's big secret on Ths Hills Finale

2007-12-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

I'm still trying to get a little caught up from the craziness that was the end of last week and the beginning of this one, but I posted a new blog over at Rotten Potatoes on Lauren Conrad's secret announcement on the alleged Season 3 finale of The Hills.

Mmm... I love a girl who loves Target.

Head on over there to check it out!

My Thoughts on The Golden Compass

2007-12-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

Taken from my Rotten Tomatoes blog: A 20-Year Old Guy with the Movie Taste of a 14 Year Old Girl.

It finally arrived.

The Golden Compass (44%) hit theaters (or theatres) this weekend and I dragged myself out of my hermit-cave to see it today with next to no idea what the movie was about. I knew there were bears, a little girl, some snow, a Golden Compass, and Nicole Kidman with some very healthy blonde locks mixed together in what I'm sure New Line will hope to be a franchise to follow in the financially successful footsteps of a little series known as The Lord of the Rings.

So after a bevy of previews that all looked like they were for the same movie, which I will call "Harry Potter and the Lord of the Wrinkle in Time Chasing Stardust in Jumanjii Narnia....dot com," it was time for the epic to begin!

He roars to wake you up.

What I didn't know about the film was that I was going to be bored out of my mind for the first half of the movie with a very unclear story, annoyed at animals whose sole purpose was to repeat lines in the script while being not nearly as funny as the Dwarf or Samwise Gamgee from LOTR, and that I was going to be held hostage by the ridiculous repetition of characters' first and last names in hopes of the film making me want to care and remember these characters that I had no attachment to even by the end of the film.

Way better. Even if you can't understand any of it. More The Golden Compass? Nein danke.

Imagine Frodo saying "Oh Samwise Gamgee, isn't it wonderful that we have Gandolf the Grey and Legolas the brave elf here to protect us from the evil red eyeball?" You know why you can't imagine it? Because they didn't have to do it. Why? Because the story made sense!

Be more entertaining so the movie will make money, ok?

After discussing the film with my movie companion for the day, we still didn't really have any idea just what exactly was going on (why do I not care about "dust?"). However, I came to some conclusions and had some questions:

1) Lyra is an effing genius - For her being such a small girl with a little too much 'tude to not get slapped around a little by the baddies, she is quite the genius who comes up with escape plans that put Kevin from Home Alone to shame. Effing. Genius.

2) Daniel Craig doesn't really do a whole lot.

3) Nicole Kidman is a great actress.

4) The Bear sounds like Gandolf. The witches are all Legolases. The hot air balloon guy is the Dwarf from LOTR (but he's not funny). Daniel Craig has a beard like another human hero from LOTR. The little bugger who Lyra wants to rescue is her not cool Samwise Gamgee.

5) The movie is a little Star Wars, a little Wild Wild West, and a LOT of Lord of the Rings. If I saw Narnia, I'm sure it would be like that too, but I didn't see it. However, I'm positive they have tons of similarities.

6) Little kids won't see the holes in the story because they'll be distracted by Coca-Cola bears.

Go see The Golden Compass... Or we'll drink all your soda!

7) How the hell does the bear's armor magically go from place to place when he clearly runs without wearing it? Do the people carry it? Does that make the bear lazy?

8) The bear community is one led by a fascist dictator and the other bears have no thought, like lemmings, or teenagers when their class president is a hot girl.

9) Again, how the hell is this girl so smart??

10) Why did I, a 23 year old with a Master's Degree, have no idea what they were talking about when they were looking at some guy and some "dust" in the film's outset?

11) If you don't want to have blood in your movie, disappearing animals with glittery effects is a good way to go.

12) You want a sequel. We get it.

13) If the compass is so cool, why isn't a REAL bad guy after it?

14) How come the CGI fight scenes are so well done at the end of the film, but the real-life parts with explosions look like they were from an episode of the Original Star Trek series with Captain James T. Kirk? I thought tribbles were going to fall out of the ceiling.

15) I still don't remember anyone's name other than Lyra (who is the girl).

I AM A CGI MONSTER!! BUY THE STUFFED VERSIONS OF ME FOR YOUR CHILDREN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AT WAL-MART!!!

The movie drags for so much of the beginning that I couldn't even enjoy the subpar finish. While I'm sure bears will come in the second movie to help little Lyra, just like the trees helped Frodo in the second LOTR movie, these little "demon"/Chicken Little/Sonic and Tails/Stuart Little suckers have got to go. Just. Not. Feeling. Them.

After a while, he gets annoying.

If it's an epic, let it be an epic without shoving cats that look like Antonio Banderas' Puss in Boots from Shrek 2 in our face to make us at least like someone (because the main character Lyra is annoying).

Shrek? Or Golden Compass?

It's hard for me to give the splat/booger, but to me, The Golden Compass was two girls one cup rotten. Ugh, I think I'm going to watch Rocky Balboa (Certified Fresh @76%) tonight to get this taste of poorly done bear out of my mouth.

Michael Vick sentenced to 23 months in jail for involvement in dogfighting ring

2007-12-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

In what is quite possibly the most clearcut example of why people have to leave the hood behind once they have money, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback and one time NFL poster boy Michael Vick will be spending 23 months in jail for his involvement in a dogfighting ring that pretty much ruined his life as he knew it as the highest paid player in the NFL.

Since Vick has already started serving time for his crime (which I think was very smart), his sentence will actually end up being closer to 20 months. By the time Vick makes it out, he'll be about 30 years old. In comparison, the Green Bay Packers' signal caller Brett Favre is currently 38 years old and leading the Packers to their best season in decades.

What's interesting about all this is that Michael Vick will definitely still be capable of playing by the time he makes it out of jail, especially if they actually do The Longest Yard in prison. It'll be interesting to see how commissioner Roger Goodell deals with Vick because one would think that he paid the price for his actions after spending the better portion of two years in jail. Does dogfighting warrant a lifetime ban? Well Goodwell has about 20 months to think about it.

They have beaten Vick. Dogs around the world rejoice.

See ya in 2009, Senor Vick, when you'll be the closest thing to Mike Tyson the NFL has ever seen.

Human Tetris

2007-12-10T02:49:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, people have too much time on their hands.

The Original Human TETRIS Performance
Uploaded by NOTsoNOISY

Sometimes, you're grateful for it.

Rachel McAdams is My Favorite Actress

2007-12-10T02:24:00.001-08:00

Taken from my Rotten Tomatoes blog - A 20-Something Guy with the Movie Taste of a 14 Year Old Girl

To be honest, I had a bit of an emotionally and physically draining day yesterday. But as an eternal optimist, I always love to pretend that everything is ok, so it is. If I believe it and act it, my very soft and pliable brain (which is as smooth as a dolphin's ass) is convinced that "it" is indeed "it."

While superlatives increasingly become things of the past as we get older and are things that we rarely ever say with any kind of relative sincerity ("Best. Movie. Evarrrrr." vs. "This is my best best friend in the whole worlddddd!!!" years ago) after we've received our high school yearbooks (once upon a time, I was "Best Personality" of my 2002 high school graduating class), I thought I would take a trip back into a time when it was cool to say what were your favorite things in the world.

My favorite actress: Rachel McAdams

A perennial mainstay on my list of hottest celebrities, Rachel McAdams (and her flawless skin and shiny hair) pretty much manages to play a dreamboat in every movie that she's in, whether she's supposed to or not. I don't think the girl can help it. When people hear that R-Mac is my favorite, they tell me that it makes sense because I seem to love happy girls with "cute personalities," and brown hair, which is more rare than you'd expect.

In Wedding Crashers (Certified Fresh @ 75%), she plays Claire, the perfect woman.

Dreamboat as a brunette... Oh to be a glass on that table...

And yes, I am creepy...

In Mean Girls (Certified Fresh @ 85%), even as the "Queen Bee" Regina George, McAdams is so likable in her over-the-top bougie meanness that she is completely irresistible as an antagonist turned glorious teen queen by the movie's conclusion. LiLo, who?

I just want to lose 5 pounds...

(a little less dreamy as a blonde)

While most love story loving women would say it's her best role, R-Mac played Allie, a girl who just LOVES to make out all the time, in girl-favorite flick The Notebook (51%), a movie with no balls at all. Somehow, because of McAdams, I still own it (as I do every movie on this list other than Wedding Crashers, which I'll probably get this weekend now that I have realized this).

Dude, we effing got it. Stop.

Even in Red Eye (Certified Fresh @ 79%), a movie that I don't think that many people saw (yet, I still bought on DVD without seeing it because she was in it), McAdams plays a amazingly cool under pressure hotel concierge-ish manager / supervisor / something / hospitality goddess.

Haha, oh you're so funnyyyy... YOU PSYCHO KILLER!!

Even as she's running for her life, it turns out that R-Mac was once a (hot) field hockey player! Not only is she a girly girl who likes to make out, she's athletic too! What made McAdams so great in Red Eye is that it showed that she can play "the smart" just as well as she can play "the spoiled, bratty ditz." And clearly, by the bevy of Certified Fresh medallions that are dangling from her talented neck, at least she's in good movies!

So yes, my favorite actress is Rachel McAdams - a dreamboat by any name.

Other writings in the DaveChung.com world - Celebutantes, Kellie Pickler

2007-12-10T02:15:00.000-08:00

I recently posted a new blog entry over on sister on-topic blog Rotten Potatoes on celebutantes.

American Idol's own Kellie Pickler is going to be joining the USO tour to perform for troops overseas and you can read my news item right here.

Check them both out!

Peer Pressure is teh new hawtness in dance

2007-12-07T00:40:00.000-08:00

By now, most of us have probably seen the newest Internet hotness - Peer Pressure, which I think is much more fun than two girls one cup.

This a group of respectable African-American young men who gyrate their hips and imitate sexual motions (also known as "humping) to music by R&B acts like Pretty Ricky. Some people call them the "Ottoman humping gangstas" and I would say that's accurate.

While I don't really know if it's dancing or if it's a pseudo strip show, it's really entertaining. They do warn that their videos may cause panties to get wet.

On that note, enjoy Peer Pressure!

The original

Christmas Peer Pressure

And the parodies...

Political Peer Pressure

Words cannot describe...

Scene Stealers: Amanda Bynes

2007-12-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

Taken from my Rotten Tomatoes blog: A 20-Something Guy with the Entertainment Taste of a 14 Year Old Girl

There are good actresses, hotties, good tear-shedders, dudes with big muscles, people with nice hair, eyes, guys with low voices (what up, Prison Break), well-endowed blondes who die in horror movies, and beyond. However, there are certain actors/actresses that I feel like are completely visually irresistible - whether it be as a result of their personality, looks, performances, or overall persona.

While I don't think my list will be a typical list, here's my first scene stealer:

Amanda Bynes

Say what you will about the former All That cast member and the quality of movies that she participates in, but I think that Amanda Bynes is one of the more hilarious and irresistable actresses in the industry today.

With her dorky personality, funny faces, and ability to play the same character in different movies, but still have it not get anywhere close to old, Bynes is not only one of my favorite actresses, but a Hollywood starlet and teen queen that refreshingly hasn't been arrested or undergone a custody battle with her parents.

Good morning, Baltimore

It's true. She's the Man (43%) was not nearly as good as I thought it was. Sydney White (40%) was also not nearly as good as I thought it was. And Hairspray (93%)... ok that one was pretty good AND Bynes was great in it. Despite the quality of the aforementioned flicks, the reality is that Bynes made these teen movies watchable, funny, and (with the exception of Hairspray, which was good) borderline good (many will disagree and I'm ok with that). Films seem to be made with Bynes in mind because she manages to completely take over the roles and make every character that she plays effectively and uniquely hers.

I think she's pretty hot too.

Amanda Bynes is not the hottest girl in Hollywood, but on screen, she appears to be everyone's weird, quirky, yet fun and pretty female friend that they had growing up. She's warm and can pull off physical humor in a way that doesn't feel forced or annoying (see early to mid-career Jim Carrey faces). While an Oscar doesn't appear to be in Bynes' immediate future with the roles that she ends up playing, her charm makes her movies and even the television show What I Like About You worth watching. \

When Bynes is on screen, through her teenage silliness, upbeat craziness in her voice and hilarious portrayed naiveté, it's impossible to look away. She possesses a magnetic quality that many try and achieve in teen movies, but end up failing miserably and turning to the teen hottie to carry the movie. A user reviewer on Amazon.com called Bynes "one of the funniest teen actresses since Patty Duke" and I wholeheartedly agree.

So Amanda Bynes, you're my first Scene Stealer!

New Batman = Cool. New Joker = Old Grandma

2007-12-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

Taken from my Rotten Tomatoes blog: A 20-Something Guy with the Entertainment Taste of a 14 Year Old Girl

So I checked out one of the newest news items here on RT on The Dark Knight and I have mixed feelings about the photos.

The Good: Batman

Why good?: Because he is wearing the same suit as one of my favorite Batman action figures that I used to play with as a wee lad in my bathtub as he battled with Mr. Sinister, Juggernaut, Krang from TMNT, and other assorted baddies (clearly, this is subjective). Because this action figure had the coolest suit, he was always one of the stars of the inter-comic world Royal Rumble - less muscles, more armor. Of course, the picture cuts off before what I'm sure is an enormous codpiece on the costume, which makes me like the picture more. I do love the stylish belt and powder container for Batman's cosmetics on his left side as well.

The bad: Joker (AKA: Ethel, the scenile grandma)

Why bad?: Where is the happy Joker? Where is the green hair and stylish persona with the devilish grin? This new Joker looks like an old lady who forgot how to put on makeup and pushes a shopping cart around town while finding it impossible to cover up her grays (but still tries). While I'm sure the new Joker will be great, these pictures seem to represent a much different Joker than I'm used to. This version looks like one of the Insane Clown Posse's grandmas who got a gift certificate to a horrible thrift store and forgot how to use shampoo.

Split ends, yuck!

Enchanted is Certified Fresh and It Should Be

2007-12-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

Taken from my Rotten Tomatoes blog: A 20-Something Guy with the Entertainment Taste of a 14 Year Old Girl

Twelve days and $70 million later, it looks like much of the world agrees with the 93% and RT Certified Fresh stamp given to the latest effort from The Mouse factory.

Baaaallinnnnn'

I was in line buying tickets to Enchanted on its November 21, 2007 release date at 10:45AM (who knew theaters opened that early?) in a theater filled with parents and excited pre-teen girls who already knew the whole plot of the movie from Intarweb spoilers before they even stepped foot in the theater.

Cha-ching!

In comparison, I knew that the movie mixed live action and animation, looked funny, starred a hot Amy Adams, was Disney's next great hope for a franchise (that Zac Efron can't stay in High School forever... I won't get started on Vanessa Anne Hudgens), and featured my favorite celebrity hottie Carrie Underwood ("Ever Ever After") on the soundtrack.

Animated Carrie...

Meet tanned and underexposed real-life Carrie...

Sorry, just one more.

Let me just say that it's been years since I've loved an animated movie that came out of the Disney studios. I didn't like fellow Certified Fresh fraternity member Ratatouille (97%)because I didn't feel like anything happened (and I thought the rats should sing a number or two, to which everyone says "THERE'S NO SINGING IN PIXAR MOVIES, STUPID!!!" It makes me sad when they say that). And while it was good, I really wasn't crazy about another Certified Fresh ballerific film The Incredibles (97%), though I attribute this to the fact that I saw it on an airplane and wasn't able to give it my full attention due to the narcolepsy I experience the second I snap on my awkward airplane seatbelt. The last Disney movie that I can remember really liking was Finding Nemo (98%), even though it had no singing fish.

Why the long intro? Because I think many dismiss people who enjoy Disney movies as being Disney fanboys who cannot live without sleeping with cuddled up next to our Pumbaa doll, listening to "Be Our Guest" a couple times a week, while wearing our Ariel-replica shell bikini top made out of two pieces of purple construction paper that resembles an elementary school Thanksgiving hand-turkey. I am not one of these fanboys.

Watch me be awkward and watch you love it.

However, after seeing Enchanted, I will admit that I have turned into an Enchanted fanboy. While any Disney fanboy could rattle off reason after reason why they thought the movie was "fab," I present reasons why the common man might find The Mouse's latest franchise worthwhile.

1) Amy Adams - At this point, this is a no brainer. Critics and movie watchers alike have been raving about Amy Adams' performance as Giselle, the new hottest Disney princess (dethroning Beauty and the Beast's Belle). At a time when the word "awkward..." is a favorite amongst college girls and awkward humor, situations, and silences are some of the most popular and well-received gags in television and movies today, Amy Adams personifies the idea of being lovingly awkward as Princess-to-be Giselle.

You got nothing, Belle. Get back to your books. There's a new hottie in town.

From her hilarious interactions with real life animals to her disgustingly sweet nature taking on the streets of Manhattan in a flowing princess dress, everything about Giselle is awkward and for that reason, everything about her is great. She is exactly what you would envision when you wondered, "What would happen if Cinderella/Belle/Ariel/Nala/Jasmine/Snow White ever really existed in real life?" on many a sleepless night while lying in your bed trying to figure out this mystery. Her acting is spot-on and they play with the gag just enough that it doesn't get old.

2) Eye Candy - We're done talking about Amy Adams and how I think she is hot along the same lines as Jenna Fischer from The Office (ok, tough to promise).The kind of eye candy that I'm talking about is how the musical portions of Enchanted come to life and bring all the choreographed and synchronized dancing magic of a Disney movie together in a way that is as irresistible as it is a visual feast.

Much less cheesy than this picture would indicate.

Picture all the magic of a "Be Our Guest" or a "Just Can't Wait to be King" (minus the large animals) brought to life and that is many of the scenes of Enchanted. Pair the dancing and choreography with some catchy songs and the confused expressions of those humans not participating in the Giselle-led dancing fun and you get a fantastic display of Disney showing that it really is possible to bring animation to life, instead of pseudo-life through its Pixar tag-teamed animated films. If you've ever seen Wicked, or any other musical that has some pretty big dance numbers and props, and couldn't help but smile at the spectacle of it, that's what I would compare my feelings toward many of the numbers in Enchanted.

3) Disney Poking Fun at Itself - In a way, Enchanted does its own version of B. Rabbit's final freestyle in 8 Mile by taking all the jokes and ribbing that people throw at its films and using them before anyone else can use them toward its latest effort. From the disgustingly sweet princesses to the lavish wardrobes and talking animals, Disney weaves them all into the story in a way that doesn't feel forced, nor obnoxious at any time. While you know that Disney values its franchises and wants them to remain pure (Little Mermaid boners and "SEX GRASS" from The Lion King aside), it's a lot of fun to see The Mouse making fun of itself in an upbeat way that didn't have any attitude behind it. Even if you hate Disney movies, you'll like the way that Disney addresses the idea that its movies aren't really for everyone.

4) Susan Sarandon's Refusal to Age - While this list can go on and on, this last one couldn't go without mention. The well-decorated actress plays the role of the "The Evil Stepmother" in this one and seems to have somehow gotten younger. It's weird to say it, but not only did her face look great, but her boobs looked great.

On that note, I'm out. Go see Enchanted. It's Certified Fresh and it should be.

Carrie Underwood at Movies Rock

2007-12-04T13:06:00.001-08:00

I'm almost moved into my new place!

OMG, I can't wait to see it!

Computer is successfully set up and I should be back to normal and ready to go within a few days. For now, I'll keep you company with some of the newest Carrie Underwood goodness out there from her recent appearance at the television special Movies Rock!

Even with 1.5 eyes, still the prettiest girl at the ball.

Can't wait to be done with this move...

Blake Lewis Video Transformation - American Idol to Audio Day Dream

2007-11-26T13:55:00.001-08:00

If you can't get enough of Seattle beatboxer and American Idol Season 6 finalist Blake Lewis while you're waiting for Audio Day Dream (A.D.D., being released on December 4, 2007), check out the video transformation that I put together on Flektor!

Enjoy!

My desktop is a floortop

2007-11-25T22:27:00.001-08:00

Despite everyone telling me that "moving sucks," it actually hasn't been all that bad so far. I would say that I'm about 50% done after a couple days and am actually really looking forward to the less cluttered layout of my new room! I am driving boxes over and walking large furniture over, so it's definitely been a workout trying to get all this done. In the end, it'll be for the better because not only is it a cheaper place, but I'll also actually be using a desk so it'll be easier for me to type (right now, I type while sitting on the edge of my bed, which makes it really uncomfortable to do anything).

So while my computer has lost its shelf and is now sitting on the floor and my TV/monitor is now about 8 inches from my face while I type this, I'll do as much of a catch up as I can stand doing while nearly going blind looking at the screen.

1) Enchanted - A Quick Movie Review

Honestly, I thought I was done with Disney movies. I didn't like Ratatouille, nor did I really think The Incredibles was all that good (even though both got great reviews). But I saw Enchanted on its opening day and absolutely loved it. While Amy Adams (Giselle) steals the show and has been generating quite the buzz in her role as the latest (and greatest) Disney princess, I thought that Grey's Anatomy's Patrick Dempsey did a great job as well. Seeing as Dempsey is now known as "McDreamy" to a large portion of the American public, his performance was good enough that I didn't think of him that way throughout the movie and I actually watch Grey's Anatomy.

In terms of story, yes, it's a little bit predictable. If people complain that the story was really predictable, people need to remember that at the end of the day, Enchanted IS A DISNEY MOVIE. Was anyone guessing wrong about what would happen when Simba returned to Pride Rock? Did anyone think that Sleeping Beauty was just going to sleep forever? I get annoyed when people talk about that plot lines of Disney/teen movies and complain about them being predictable because these movies are much less about the outcome and more about the journey to get there. In Enchanted, the characters take a journey from the animated world to the real life world in a story about princesses, princes, evil stepmothers, poison apples, and facing reality - same story as always, but it's a lot of fun to see the two worlds collide.

No, I didn't think the movie had a lot of laugh out loud parts, but I did think that it had a lot to like. The whole movie is very upbeat and I enjoyed watching Disney poke a little bit of fun at itself and its animated movies with this one. The movie isn't filled with singing (thank the lord that it wasn't overkill), but there is one song where they have a huge cast of people dancing around in the streets of New York City the same way that you have seen people, cookware, animals, etc., dance in other animated Disney movies. Seeing one of these HUGE dance numbers come to life was really a sight to behold and I thought it was one of the highlights of the whole movie that almost made it worth the price of admission for that part alone. I would definitely recommend the movie to anyone who needs a break from the killing sprees (I also saw Hitman last week) and just wants to sit back and enjoy what will definitely be the biggest movie this holiday season.

And of course, Carrie Underwood's "Ever Ever After" (which I'll post again, because I want to see it again) is the theme to the movie.

2) Marie' Digby and Kelly Clarkson concerts

Last weekend, I saw both Marie' Digby (Troubadour) and Kelly Clarkson (Gibson Amphitheatre) in concert. If I'm being completely honest, I actually liked Marie's show a lot more than I did Kelly's.

This guy (Dave Kim) accompanies Marie' songs on the violin and I think it's pretty fly.

Marie' was performing in front of a sold out crowd at the famed Troubadour in Los Angeles after a tour around the country and it felt good to welcome her back to her home turf. She put on a great show and her set was a bit longer than normal as she was headlining a show with two opening acts. Highlights of the show were her performance of "Beauty Walking Away" and "Spell," which was recently featured on the TV show Smallville. Her vocals are so pure and songs are just so good every time. I got to catch up with Marie' a little bit after the show and can't wait to see her again soon!

Love Marie'.

Kelly Clarkson put on a good show, though she did forget the words to "Miss Independent" and "Breakaway," which was a bit of a bummer to me! I also wish that she would have performed "A Moment Like This," but something tells me that she's trying to stay far far away from American Idol while she's on tour. Here's the best moment of the show, where she performed Miss Independent with an intro from AC/DC's "Back in Black."

3) Spice Girls Taping for BBC

In one of the more random things I've done lately, I got to see the Spice Girls perform live at CBS studios for a fundraiser that was airing on the BBC. I am not exaggerating when I say that the audience was about 90% female, 8% gay male, and 2% straight male (so probably me and about 4 other guys). It was a ton of fun, even though we had to wait outside for two hours before making it in. I can't say too much about it because I'm no Spice Girls fanatic, but I will say that I did really enjoy it and that they are all the hottest moms EVER.

4) Hell's Kitchen

I went to a taping for Hell's Kitchen: Season 5 this past Saturday, which was quite the experience. The show's set was much larger than I ever expected and seeing Gordon Ramsey in real life was a big thrill! I can't say anything about it because of the NDA I signed, but it was preeeetty sweet.

I'm going to do some writing over on Rotten Potatoes, but that's what's been going on!

Blogging returns after Hell's Kitchen

2007-11-24T01:34:00.000-08:00

I spent much of the afternoon and evening today moving boxes to my new place, so I'm giving myself a break and I'm off to a taping for Hell's Kitchen Season 5 bright and early tomorrow morning.

Blogging will return after I return from what I hope to be a successful dinner service with Gordon Ramsey and the new cast.

For now, check out my latest post on who I believe to be the two hottest hotties on television today over at the on-topic sister blog Rotten Potatoes!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
I'll be down in San Diego for the day today.

Unfortunately, real life threw me a bit of a curveball and we're being forced out of our current apartment so I've been dealing with finding a new apartment (success) and starting to get everything packed up. Because I am bitter, if anyone stumbles on here by doing a search on Lido Equities Management, know that they raised our rent by 22% spontaneously after we've been paying rent on time in this apartment for years. I understand that they want to make more money, but man, that's cold-blooded. Anyways!

Lots of fun stuff to blog about when I get back from SD. I went to a Spice Girls taping for the BBC (yes, it was fab), Marie' Digby concert, and Kelly Clarkson concert last weekend, which was all kinds of exciting. Apparently, Blogger can take video uploads now, so I tried to use it here, but it just took too long and the upload failed. What's weird is Google owns Blogger and Google owns YouTube, but Blogger just took 20 minutes of my life trying and failing to do what I just successfully did on YouTube over the course of two minutes.

Dark room + zoom = poop video.

On Wednesday, I caught the 10:45 AM showing of Enchanted, which made me believe that Giselle is now the "new Belle" (aka: Hottest animated character ever... people always give me weird looks when I say that).

I picked up Jordin Sparks' debut album, which I wrote about on Americanidol.com. In a pleasant surprise, the album is pretty good! I don't think that there's necessarily any songs that I'm going to listen to over and over, but the whole CD is pretty decent overall. Somehow, "This Is My Now" has also grown on me as well in the studio version. One way or another, the CD will be accompanying me via iPod on my way down to SD.

Again, happy Thanksgiving!

Carrie Underwood "Ever Ever After" music video from new Disney Movie Enchanted

2007-11-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

As if I needed further proof that Carrie Underwood is the most beautiful woman to ever walk the face of the planet, the music video for "Ever Ever After," off the Enchanted soundtrack will make anyone a believer.

Initially, I wasn't crazy about the song, but when you pair it with animated and real life Carrie, you can't not love it.

Jordin Sparks' next single, "No Air" Featuring Chris Brown?

2007-11-13T12:11:00.001-08:00

After the leak of Jordin Sparks' song "No Air," off her debut album coming in a couple weeks, people are speculating that it'll be her next single. I do like the song, but because the quality of the leaks that are out there, it's tough to tell just how much I like it.

While I'm sure this video will get shut down, enjoy the sneak peek while you can!

I like Chris Brown. I like Jordin Sparks. So logic would say that I would like them together!

It worked for Rihanna and Ne-Yo's "Hate That I Love You," so hopefully Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks have a hit on their hands!

2 Girls 1 Cup, Two Girls One Cup, is the most NSFW thing I have ever, ever seen

2007-11-12T01:45:00.001-08:00

There was a time when the picture known as "goatsex," which was a man holding his anus open to an ungodly level, was the most disgusting and shocking thing on the Internet (I believe it has actually been "banned from the Internet."). Many a message board goer got tricked into looking at the "goatsex" image, but now there is a new video that is now the new "goatsex" - called "2 Girls 1 Cup," made famous by Perez Hilton.

If you haven't seen "Two Girls One Cup" or "2girls1cup," which I refuse to hyperlink because it's honestly one of the most disgusting videos I have ever seen in my whole life (really, you might barf), I highly suggest you do not watch it.

Not only is it the most NSFW (Not Safe For Work, like to the point that you would get fired for even loading it) video that you might ever load onto your computer, but the images stay in your head for a while.

IF you are so inclined to watch it, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, do not watch it at work or if you have anything close to a weak stomach. It is completely disgusting, out of control, and I take no responsibility for you watching the video.

However, I took one for the team here on the Interweb and watched the video. My reaction was very similar to this very popular reaction on YouTube. I can honestly say that this guy's reaction appears completely genuine and I would be hard pressed to find anyone who does not have a similar reaction as I honestly was repeatedly covering my eyes and slamming the back of my head on my bed while watching the video.

If you are still interested in the video, John Mayer did a parody and you should be able to understand the video after watching his.

If you somehow end up watching the video, at least you won't be eating for days. Seriously, I'm warning you this video is disgusting and everyone who has seen it will tell you not to watch it, though I did laugh because I cannot believe this video actually exists, but it is FREAKIN GROSS.

I did it to be up with "pop culture," after my roommate Ryan told me about this phenomenon, but man... it's gross.

It has potential to be the new goatsex, so watch out when people send you video clips!

Check out my Flektor video on Carrie Underwood

2007-11-11T23:03:00.001-08:00

One of the projects I wanted to do over the weekend was learning how to use Flektor. Surprisingly, I actually finished (I usually end up falling asleep all over the place and not getting anything done, which is what happened with me and packing this weekend).

What is Flektor? It's a site where you can use a web-based version of a more easy to use iMovie (consequently, with less features) to create and edit embeddable videos out of YouTube clips, MySpace video clips, etc. You can also create slideshows and a bunch of other things that I have yet to explore.

Regardless, I needed a subject that I could stand looking at for 4 or 5 hours or so, so I chose to make a video of Carrie Underwood that follows her time on American Idol Season 4 and beyond.

Over ten minutes of Carrie, made by me...

The video includes performances from American Idol, along with music videos and performances from Carnival Ride and Some Hearts. Enjoy!

It's long, but if you have a minute, I think it's pretty cool!

Why paintballs? Why??

2007-11-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I went to the wedding of two of my friends Ali and Alex. While unrelated to the subject of this post, it was one of the more fun weddings I've ever been to! There was great food, jokes in the ceremony, and people even had theme music while they walked down the aisle! (which is exactly what I've thought to do if I ever got married) They both looked so happy and I was so happy that I got to be there to share their day with them! For any lamers who thought that the USC/Cal football game was worth missing their friends' wedding, they all missed out on a really good time.

Anyways, so while I was driving home from Burbank, I was on the 110S going past downtown. All of a sudden, I hear this "THUNK THUNK THUNK!!!" sound all over my car! It literally sounded like someone was on the roof of my car and was banging on the roof and the windows with an enclosed fist. Since I'm going about 70MPH, my first thought was that ninjas or some homeless man had somehow landed on the top of my car and they were banging on the roof to tell me to stop. I was going to start swerving wildly to throw them off the car (and kill them, consequently, which didn't occur to me at the time), until I realized what was actually happening.

Some asshole(s) were shooting at cars on the freeway with a really loud/high powered paintball gun and my poor white car was one of the victims. Since I exited so fast trying to throw off the hypothetical ninjas, my car only took about 5 shots of green paint. Because I am completely OCD about having my car always look clean, I was REALLY pissed about it! I wasn't really upset about the act itself, but I was more annoyed that I had to go to wash my own car at one of those outdoor car washes in a suit because I didn't want the green paint to stain my paint job. So here I am, at midnight, in a full suit with my Salsa dancing shoes on, spraying huge blots of green paint off the windows and body of my car after an embarrassing drive down La Cienega with green paint peppered all down the side of my car.

I called the police, who transferred me to the LAPD, who transferred me to the CHP. What I've come to realize about the police is that they want to do the least amount of work possible. Do any of you have co-workers who always hand work off to other people so that they get to sit there idle and not have to do any paperwork?

I am convinced that the whole police system here in Los Angeles is filled with those kind of people. No one wants to help, nor care, and they just want to hand the problem off to other people and give you vague answers all the time because they want to have zero responsibilities beyond alphabetizing and filling out forms wrong (don't think I don't remember that, bozos from the Pacific division). This is a big reason why I don't watch police-based TV shows, because I know they are filled with more fantasy than the movie Big Fish and believe that someone from law enforcement, somewhere, sometime had to have paid off network executives to make it seem like the majority of people who work there actually care about their jobs. I'm sure that there are police officers and dispatch operators who really care about their jobs and take ownership over each and every person, case, or call, but I think they are few and far between.

Every police person that I have ever dealt with is "that guy" who is annoyed with having to answer any questions or passes work off to other people. I remember when I was younger, I used to think policemen and policewomen were the coolest, toughest people on the planet. Now, I can't even watch policemen doing heroic things on television and I roll my eyes during cop movies because I know that in reality, most people in law enforcement are just trying to get a paycheck, frustrated by bureaucracy, and staring at the clock because they want to go home.

The paint came off. I'm going downstairs to wax my car now. While it sucked to get "paintballed," it sucked even worse to have my complete and utter lack of respect for our police system be confirmed and justified yet again.

Check out my new blog

2007-11-09T23:53:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

I started up a new on-topic blog called Rotten Potatoes - Editorializing Television, where I'll be putting most of my television talk now because I think it was getting to be too much on here. I'll be writing longer editorials about television shows on that site to keep my brain fresh and ready to go for whenever that next big break comes. Of course, this site will remain the primary blog, but I'm really excited about the new blog and hope that it's a success!

Sugarland performs Stay at 2007 CMAs

2007-11-08T18:02:00.000-08:00

Along with Kellie Pickler's performance of "I Wonder," this video shows Sugarland's performance of "Stay" at the 2007 CMAs was truly one of the show stoppers on the night. Both Pickler and Sugarland really deserved the standing ovations they received and this performance gave me chills.

Finally made the most popular blog list on AmericanIdol.com

2007-11-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

Today, for the first time, my blog on AmericanIdol.com, called "Neverending Idol Crushes" made the top ten most popular blog list!

It's impossible to read on here, but it's in the bottom right, sitting in the #7 spot!

There's a first time for everything.

Tom Brady suspended for steroids?

2007-11-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

Was Tom Brady really suspended for steroid use?

No, he wasn't. It was a joke. It may have been a scary joke, but a joke nonetheless.

Kellie Pickler performs "I Wonder" at 2007 CMAs

2007-11-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

The lovely TG brought this performance from last night's 41st Annual CMAs to my attention - American Idol Season 5 finalist Kellie Pickler's "I Wonder." I didn't see this one last night because I didn't make it through the whole show (it's on DVR, watching the rest this weekend).

Performance of the night? Maybe...

So good, but it made me REALLY emo at work.

2007 Country Music Awards (CMA) Winners! / Carrie Underwood Picture and Video Bonanza

2007-11-08T01:26:00.000-08:00

Since I can't sleep, let's talk about what I watched on TV tonight - the 2007 Country Music Awards or 2007 CMAs, which rolls off the tongue a little better.

Something that I really like about the Country Music Awards is that every single award sounds like a really big one. In some other larger award shows, especially in music and movies, two subjects that I'm pretty knowledgeable about, there's always a ton of categories that we inevitably know nothing about. You pretend that you know all these movies and artists, but you just have no idea who they are or what they are a lot of times if you're being honest with yourself.

Carrie = Winnarrrrr!! x2

However, in the CMAs, because the show is already broken out by specifically awarding the achievements of performers in one genre, pretty much every category not only makes sense, but is a big deal!

Without further adoooo, here are the winners for the 2007 41st Annual CMA Awards.

Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney

Female Vocalist of the Year: Carrie Underwood

Harroooo two-time 2007 CMA winner Carrie Underwood!

Male Vocalist of the Year: Brad Paisley

Horizon Award: Taylor Swift

Vocal Group of the Year: Rascal Flatts

Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland

Single of the Year: "Before He Cheats" - Artist Carrie Underwood/Producer Mark Bright

Album of the Year: "It Just Comes Natural" - Artist George Strait

Song of the Year: "Give It Away"

Musical Event of the Year: "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" - Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley

Music Video of the Year: "Online" - Artist Brad Paisley/Director Jason Alexander

Musician of the Year: Jerry Douglas - Dobro

A lot of people on certain message boards were giving me crap for saying that I thought Taylor Swift was going to win the Horizon Award, which is kind of like Best New Artist for Country music. Apparently, many on the CMT website believed that American Idol Season 5 finalist Kellie Pickler deserved the award, which would have been great as well.

I think that Taylor Swift has a huge teen/early college fan base within the up and coming generation of "new country" lovers and that her fans love her enough to stick by her.

While the CMAs aren't fan voted, I think that you want to give your Best New Artist equivalent to an artist that you think is going to have some staying power and represent the industry well. Before Christina Aguilera went "Dirrrttyyyyyy," she beat out Britney Spears for Best New Artist, despite trailing her in album sales. I attributed the win to her then-less controversial image and more critical acclaim for her vocals compared to many other teeny-boppers that had one album wonder potential. Taylor Swift has not only the fan base, but she's entertaining and had a really great first album with tons of single-worthy tracks. More than that, she's "cool," 17 years old, and she's going to stay cool. Despite what others may say, I think it was a great choice.

And it doesn't hurt when you look like this

Sugarland had an absolutely lights out performance. Carrie Underwood performed "So Small" in a really long (and pretty) yellow dress, though her performance got outshined by Sugarland's a little bit. I think Rascal Flatts won Vocal Group of the Year for the sixth year in a row if I'm correct, which might be a CMA record? Those guys are incredible.

Here's Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood sharing the stage at the Grammys performing some country classics in one of the cooler videos you'll see today.

Here's Carrie and Rascal performing their ever famous "God Bless The Broken Road" duet on American Idol, which marked the definitive moment that I started to get into country music (Carrie's initial Rascal-less performance of the song got the ball rolling and this made it completely happen).

This is unrelated, but "God Bless The Broken Road," has to be one of the best songs ever. It's really simple, it might be a little cheesy, but that song is amazing. Here's JR Aquino, a YouTube celebrity in his own right, singing that very song. It has nothing to do with the CMA awards, but I thought he was pretty good and thought it was worth posting.

Carrie didn't end up winning Music Video of the Year for "Before He Cheats," but it's always worth watching!

Until next year, CMAs!

Byeeeee!!

American Idol Season 7 kicks off on... January 15th!

2007-11-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Wondering when American Idol Season 7 starts?

Dun, dun na naaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

Now we officially know! The search for the seventh superstar begins on January 15th!

Y'all know what it issssssss...

Kitchen Nightmares on Hulu? I am a Hulu Fanboy

2007-11-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

In honor of my pending trip to Hell's Kitchen in a couple weeks, I wanted to continue the Hulu-rific fun with a full streaming episode of Kitchen Nightmares! (ok and I'm just trying to figure out what the best size is for the videos).

Hulu = Cool!

Embedding full episodes of The Office via NBC/FOX joint venture Hulu??

2007-11-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

I just had to try this to see if this worked and it actually does!! Who knew?? Hulu!

Who Knew??

So there's been a lot of talk about the NBC/FOX joint venture Hulu, but one of the coolest things about Hulu is that I can embed full episodes from any number of NBC/FOX TV shows or selected movies onto my own website from the Hulu site!

How crazy is that?

From The Office...

Branch Wars - The Office

To Heroes...

They can now be watched pretty much anywhere at any time! To me, this is really sweet!

Viva Hulu!

Los Angeles cast of Wicked invades Ugly Betty

2007-11-04T21:55:00.000-08:00

One of the cooler things on TV last week was the Wicked-themed episode of Ugly Betty. Like Marie' Digby's cover of Britney Spears' "Gimme More," combining Wicked (my favorite musical) with Ugly Betty (my favorite TV show other than American Idol) was a pretty amazing combination!

What made it even better was that the Los Angeles cast (Megan Hilty, Eden Espinosa, Kristoffer Cusick) were actually the cast members that were on the show! They pretended it was on Broadway, it was actually at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood with the all-star Los Angeles cast!

If you missed it, here are some clips!

Popular (Megan Hilty and Eden Espinosa)

That's her! (Megan Hilty, the best Glinda of all the Glindas of Wicked)

I'm Not That Girl (would be sung by Eden Espinosa)

A little less green, but Elphaba! (Eden Espinosa)

Here's both of them (holy crap!)

Congrats to the Wicked cast! This episode will live on my DVR forever.

Since it's been a minute since we've done a celeb sighting, I present Suge Knight!

2007-11-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

At the USC Football game this weekend, I met Suge Knight of Death Row Records fame, which has got to be one of the more rare pictures I can add to my celeb collection.

Me and Suge Knight with "stunna shades" on (Thanks, "Girls Next Door" and Kendra)
...I knew these Pradas would go to good use one day...

It felt good to be back at USC and being on the field brought back a lot of memories. I got to say hi to my former bosses and see two of my best friends in the world, Mariana and Carolyn.

I didn't get to see as many people as I wanted due to traffic and the fact that my phone was only receiving half the text messages sent to me, only to receive others hours after the game ended, but it was nice regardless.

Jordin Sparks releases music video for Tattoo

2007-11-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

American Idol Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks just released her music video for her Top 40 single "Tattoo."

If you haven't yet seen it, here it is!

Jordin Sparks - Tattoo
Uploaded by Alisvideo

I like the song, but the video is just "aight wit me, dawg."

Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride Debuts Gold with First Week Sales Totaling 527,101

2007-11-01T02:37:00.000-07:00

Carrie Underwood broke a pretty disgusting (in a good way) number of records with the release of her second album Carnival Ride last week.

Stompin' fools, yo.

Powered by a huge fanbase of Carrie fans and her newest single "So Small," here's what Carrie managed to do in just one week.

Records and Chace Crawford! (allegedly)

- Debuted atop Billboard’s Top Country Albums and Billboard 200 charts with first-week sales totaling 527,101 (Gold)
- 60% increase over Carrie’s debut-week sales of her six-time platinum album Some Hearts (which tallied 314,549)
- Carnival Ride also became the largest country debut in digital album chart history with digital sales of 44,928
- Highest first week sales of any female artist this year (and it's November!!)

And you know, just top things off with a little World Series action.

It's time for Blake Lewis to Break Anotha... not Break Another

2007-11-01T02:28:00.000-07:00

My favorite Idol from Season 6, Blake Lewis, just released his first single called "Break Anotha" earlier this week off his upcoming CD Audio Day Dream. I posted trailers earlier this week and they featured the guitar line that is used in the actual single.

While it's not a music video, you can hear the whole song right here.

B-b-b-break Anotha

I don't know about you, but I love it, as does Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly, who said "I'm so totally jazzed by Blake Lewis' dizzyingly catchy (if somewhat unfortunately titled) new single, "Break Anotha." But then again, maybe not. After several listens, "Break Anotha," with its opening blast of sirens and its hiccup-y beats, sounds like it could easily hold its own on Billboard's Hot 100. In other words, it's not just a "good for an Idol graduate" kind of single, but instead the kind of track I'd spend money to download."

Do yo' thang, Blake.

Britney Spears' Blackout is Fiyaaaaa

2007-10-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

Believe the reviews, if you like dance music and/or Britney (I'm of the former camp more than the latter), Britney Spears' newest album Blackout is hot! It's heavily produced and a little Futuresexlovesounds, but really, that's the kind of music Britney should be doing at this point because no one has ever been crazy about her vocals and she definitely, definitely cannot sing "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman" songs anymore.

On top again, yo.

I thought it was going to be a few months until anything would break Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride monopoly on my inside car listening, but Britney will make an appearance this morning. Let's just say that it's good enough that you forget that she's wearing a wig all the time.

We keep on walkinggggg...

Britney Spears' Blackout Hits Store Shelves Today

2007-10-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well, actually tomorrow... But nonetheless, it hits stores Tuesday, October 30th.

Ready to rock out with my cack out for Blackout

Gimme Gimme my Britney CD!!

While the CD has leaked all over the Internet like a water balloon made of Silly Putty, forcing her label to push the release date up by two weeks, I have resisted listening to the CD beyond what Ryan Seacrest plays on the radio while I'm getting ready in the morning.

I don't really know what to expect from it, but the reviews have been fantastic and I figure that it had to be good enough to leak to the Internet and for people to care.

Gimme Gimme your munnies!!

While Tuesday is Halloween eve, it's also the return of a wackier, crazier, but hopefully musically better Britney Spears.

Blake Lewis releases trailer for Audio Day Dream

2007-10-29T10:26:00.001-07:00

American Idol Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis has his debut studio album Audio Day Dream in the works and AI fans are pretty excited about this one. From the looks and sounds of the trailer he just released to YouTube, it sounds like it could be pretty amazing!

Blooblippidydahbloobah!

I was a Blake fan (or a Blaker Girl) this season, so I'm really looking forward to this album (scheduled for a December 4, 2007 release). There's another official trailer going around and you can see it on the AmericanIdol.com site.

Here's some pre-AI videos of Blake in action that have me very excited for the album.

I like this one...

More than this one

Why Watch American Idol Season 7?

2007-10-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first one to admit that I have questionable taste in music, TV, and especially movies, but American Idol is something that I'll defend until the show reaches its series finale, whenever that may be.

I've been an avid Idol fan since Season 1, only missing performances during Season 5, most of which I've since caught up on via YouTube. With Season 7 just around the corner, I recently got into a conversation at work where someone asked me why I was still so into the show six years after its premiere in the United States.

And no, it's not just because of Carrie Underwood...
Though this picture makes me think that's enough reason....

No, not just the rumors of Baylie Brown trying out again.

The thing that I like, actually love, about American Idol is that it's one of the few television shows in the U.S. that anyone could talk about with anyone and people would understand what you're talking about. They might not be watching that particular season or they might be unfamiliar with your favorite Idol, but most everyone has seen the show. People know what it's about and chances are they've followed at least one of the seasons to a moderate level and maybe even voted for an Idol or two.

I think that I legitimately have about 100 channels on my cable TV plan right now, which I know pales in comparison to people who have DirecTV or some kind of "All the Best" (AKA "All Your Loot") cable package from Time Warner. With cable TV fragmenting the television audience more and more with all these niche channels, there are so few programs that "everyone watches," these days.

Now I know that the upper middle class, college educated audience likes to say that "everyone" watches The Colbert Report and The Daily Show and always likes to say that "more people get their news from Colbert and Stewart than they do from network news" for some reason when they're trying to make a point (which is completely not true if people would actually check the ratings...as these were always some of the more idiotic statements I ever heard from liberal fist-pumpers in one of my classes), but really, it's only a small population of people that attracts a smaller audience than professional wrestling that watch those programs.

Kicks Colbert's ass

And yes, "everyone" in the literal sense does not watch American Idol. But I don't think I would be taking too big of a gamble when saying that close to a majority of our population has seen at least one episode of the singing/popularity competition. We're in a new era where there won't be 30 million people tuning in to see the last episode of a TV show. Remember when Seinfeld aired its final episode and everyone was wondering if it was going to top Cheers? That's never going to happen again. Even The Simpsons, currently television's longest running sitcom, whenever it ends, will not even come close to the numbers that Cheers had for its final episode. This isn't because it's not as good of a show (though most would argue that it's lost some of its luster), but it's because we're just in a different era of TV.

Those happy days are gone...
And Michael Richards is racist...
Or he just has an anger management problem.

Gone are the days when "everyone" watched one show. There is no Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, but there's Leno, Kimmel, Chelsea, Letterman, Colbert, and Stewart. There's no Dallas, but there's Grey's, Desperate, LOST, Friday Night Lights, Sopranos (RIP), Sex and the City (RIP), Entourage, Six Feet Under, Weeds, Gossip Girl, Smallville, Brothers and Sisters, Boston Legal, House, ER, Prison Break, and 24. But with Idol, we get pretty close. People generally know what the show is about and because the show reaches such a disproportionate mass of people compared to many other television programs, people continue hearing about it and reading about it.

Call me nostalgic, but I think that's awesome.

Yes, so the show is filled with sponsorship and cheesy music videos. Through all the clutter, there are a lot of diamonds in the rough as Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Fantasia Barrino, Josh Gracin, and more have proven through their commercial success.

It begins... [Kelly Clarkson]

It continues... [Kelly Clarkson]

People say that they're annoyed with the "bad auditions," but I feel like they're comic relief for all the serious stories and serious talent that comes to the auditions. Without the silly auditions, the show would feel like a musical version of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

And a lot of them are really unique [Blake Lewis]

And memorable [Blake Lewis' Virtual Insanity].

If you don't like the music, singing, smiles, or general upbeat nature of the show, then that totally makes sense. Clearly, the show has been proven to find a commercially successful artist that will appeal to the masses through its voting system. If you love underground hip-hop or dark rock music, chances are the show won't really do anything for you. However, for what it is, I love how American Idol can be one of the few shows left that you can strike up random conversation about with pretty much anyone.

While it sounds like there will be a return to focusing on the contestants for the upcoming season, much like what was done this season with So You Think You Can Dance, with the performances, features, personalities, and music that await us come January, I cannot wait for American Idol Season 7.

New hobby?

2007-10-27T10:28:00.001-07:00

While I swing a little bit like Happy Gilmour and David Ortiz, I went to the driving range for the first time ever in life (I realize that I say that so much because of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, from the episode where he meets with Ashley's teacher) with my homey Linda last night.

You can get with this...
Or you can get with that...

I wouldn't say I was amazing, but I was a lot better than I thought. More importantly, golf, or well, the driving range, is a lot of fun! I enjoy the challenge and the discipline that you have to put towards the game. Because if you don't focus, you end up sucking! With a borrowed 9 Iron from the "Pro Shop" (is that what it's called? It makes me want to start calling people Chad and chit chat with people about playing polo at our house in the Hamptons... even though I don't know where the Hamptons are), I was hitting the balls to about the 120 yard mark. I was feeling pretty good about these swings, until this amazing Korean guy right behind me was just BOMBING the ball off the tee with his driver! Good lord.... made me proud...

I think I'm going to take a lesson or two so that I can learn proper technique and I might pick up a club this weekend. I never thought I'd like golf and I still don't know if I do, but I do love the driving range.

Not me.

Sports, Entertainment, Sports, Entertainment, Sports Entertainment?

2007-10-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Stemming from my job search almost 8 months ago, I get daily emails from MLB.com (Major League Baseball) that tell me about new jobs that are available at different teams around the league. While they're supposed to be geared to my preferences, I generally get information about jobs in ticket sales, administration, human resources, and even groundskeeping! Once in a while, there's a really good one.

And this morning, well, there was a really good one for the Houston Astros. It was one of those rare job descriptions that you read at 23 years of age and think "I could do and have done every single one of those things..." And honestly, every now and then these things are all kinds of tempting. I remember when I was doing phone interviews with the Atlanta Braves and they were thinking about flying me out to Atlanta to meet with their staff before my stupid Master's thesis killed that idea. I was so excited about the chance to work for a team - something that I pictured myself doing many a time during my college career.

In case any of my co-workers stumble upon here, no, I didn't apply. But yes, it was really tempting. Despite my love for Salsa dancing (I'm going to class today for almost three hours in a bit), Carrie Underwood, teeny boppers, and So You Think You Can Dance that says otherwise, sports is something that I feel like I know. I spent so much time with it and working various camps and whatnot aside from USC that I feel like it's an industry that I could do much more than just survive, but actually do really well in. I'm not enamored by it, nor do I have a false sense of the glamorous life that people think that comes with it. If you're not a player or a coach, I know that it's gritty, underpaying, and that people treat you like ass. But when sports comes calling, it's hard for me to resist and I can't really explain why.

And I know that there are good days and bad days in the office when you're an entry level drone. There are projects that are amazing, but there are moments when all of us question (who aren't just inheriting mommy and daddy's company) if we went to college to learn how to unjam a printer and set up email acocunts (though, I understand that's really important sometimes). For me, accumulating an extra $20k or so in debt to do grad school doesn't really feel like a good idea at the moment. I'm hoping that it'll pay off one of these days, but because I'm too stubborn and hell bent on being non-traditional, the payoff will likely come later rather than sooner.

Since I love sports and like entertainment, I should just work for the WWE - Sports Entertainment.

Rest in peace, homeys.

Tempted, but staying put...

Carrie Underwood to perform at Game 3 of the World Series

2007-10-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox are in the World Series and my favorite singer Carrie Underwood will be opening up the show at Game 3 tonight with the Red Sox up 2-0. As long as the Sox win, could a game get any better?

Carrie says, "Noooo...."

For a preview of what we can look forward to tonight, here's Carrie's performance of the national anthem at the 2005 NFC Championship game.

And of course, you can check out the official news item on AmericanIdol.com! I do realize that I should have capitalized "Fall Classic," but my editing software isn't working for some reason from home.

The Real World / Hell's Kitchen

2007-10-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

With some encouragement and more positive feedback than I expected, I sent in my essay to be considered for The Real World today.

I believe they're already filming the upcoming season, which I believe is in Hollywood, but with only one year left (have to be between 18 - 24 to apply), I thought I'd give it a shot.

I'm also going to a Hell's Kitchen taping in November, which I'm all kinds of excited about.

If they call, you know you guys will be the first to know.

Gimme gimme MORE!! Gimme gimme!! (Britney's Blackout)

2007-10-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

At one point, Britney Spears was pretty much once the definition of a pop idol. She was called a "pop princess," and in a crowded room filled with others like Christina Aguilera, Christina Milian, Jessica Simpson, and Mandy Moore, for years, not only was Britney a "pop princess," she was the Queen Bee (of pop, not in terms of Lil Kim).

And now, two children, a "chaotic" marriage and divorce, a few less than flattering photos, the most famous haircut ever, and a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards that everyone said would tank her career, Britney is back with her new CD Blackout, dropping on October 30.

Gimme gimme MORE positive reviews!!

Perhaps what's most surprising of all is that Britney's Blackout, an album that most everyone was likely looking and hoping for to fail miserably to continue the story that has been the past two years of her life, is getting incredible reviews! People are calling it an upbeat, well-produced dance CD that brings Britney back to her days of "Toxic," which is my favorite Britney (though I miss "Sometimes" Britney...sometimes). So far, Entertainment Weekly gave it a B+ and The Times Online gave it 4 out of 5 stars! Gimme, gimme MORE!

What I find most interesting about these extremely positive reviews for Brit Brit is that they really fuel the whole idea of having a cycle of celebrity. People love watching celebrities fall... hard, only to have them rise up from the ashes better than they ever were before. With these positive reviews, it looks like Britney could be well on her way to doing so. What's next? Lindsay Lohan bouncing back from "I Know Who Killed Me" ? ... let's not get ahead of ourselves (but she definitely will).

While positive reviews for my Idol Carrie Underwood appear few and far between, Britney is racking them up by the armload. With "Gimme More," being one of the catchier songs on radio and top digital downloads online, Blackout will be in my possession next Tuesday.

Once again, Britney will no doubt be "the center of attention."

Carrie answers fans' questions in new Q&A on AmericanIdol.com

2007-10-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Check out our newest interview with Carrie Underwood posted on AmericanIdol.com! The questions are drawn from fan submissions that were provided on AmericanIdol.com and Carrie's official site.

Oh it's that good.

Fashion show slip ups

2007-10-19T02:18:00.000-07:00

So I don't know a lot about the world of fashion, catwalks, runway models, etc., but apparently, there are a lot of mess ups. On America's Next Top Model, we see how models have to walk in horribly impossible shoes on wet stages and whatnot. It looks really hard!

The newest clip circling the web features a guy doing a flip on the catwalk, only to make a hole in the floor that one of the models somehow falls through later in the show. It's so ridiculous that you feel like you're watching a sitcom.

Put some cardboard over dat dere hole.

Another popular spill is Carmen Electra's famous flop at the Max Factor fashion show.

Wee!

But still, perhaps the most famous fall on a stylish walk was Miss USA Rachel Smith taking the most graceful "I'm going to spontaneously sit down on my butt on stage" fall ever in a Miss Universe pageant. While incredibly surprising, the clip kind of makes me sad because Rachel Smith is probably one of the hottest Miss USA's ever and she ended up getting 4th place instead of bringing the title back to the USA (because that matters).

So hot, yo.

Mike Williams looks a wee bit larger than he once was...

2007-10-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

And this is not a knock on former USC Wide Receiver Mike Williams' conditioning.

For some reason, I couldn't stop laughing when I saw Mike Williams' profile page on NFL.com.

Is that the face of a wideout?? bahahahaha this is a ROFLcopter.

It makes me laugh because clearly, the NFL/Oakland Raiders have a picture of Mike Williams.

The guy on the right.

Here's a guy who was one of the most dominant receivers in college football history and now has two touchdown catches in three years.

What does that get you? A bad profile page on NFL.com.

Street Fighter 4 trailer

2007-10-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

While it shows no actual gameplay, the Street Fighter 4 trailer is really sweet! Sadly, I don't think the Wii could come anywhere close to recreating any of this on a playable level.

Stephen Colbert announces his candidacy for 2008 election

2007-10-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

No doubt Colbert's announcement will get a lot of youngins (like myself) to get out and vote, it'll be interesting to see how many votes he actually pulls if he keeps working this thing. Would he beat Ron Paul in a state or two with the popular vote?

Marie' Digby + Britney Spears' Gimme More = Heaven

2007-10-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, two of your favorite things combine to make a glorious love child... like Orange Chicken Fish Tacos...

This glorious miracle occurred when Marie' Digby decided to do a cover of Britney Spears' "Gimme More."

Marie' gives us more.

The original with Brit Brit.

The only thing that would have made this better is if Marie' started her video out with "It's Marie', b!tch."

Eminem is 35, wtf? Happy birthday anyways!

2007-10-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

TMZ is reporting that Slim Shady/Eminem/Marshall Mathers himself is turning 35 in just over an hour here on the West Coast.

For some reason, Eminem is always going to seem like he's in his late 20's to me. Regardless, happy birthday to Eminem, who really was one of the leaders of bringing hip-hop back to something worth listening to. Though critics give Em crap for some of his newest tracks and honestly, I feel like his production doesn't age as well as a Dr. Dre track or Eminem himself, Slim Shady is one of the few celebrities still out there that I really want to meet and haven't yet.

I remember seeing Eminem in concert my senior year of college was one of the most exciting concerts I've ever been to. It was one of those concerts where you know all the words and you're just loving the whole thing.

So to Eminem, one of the greatest emcees of all time, and the star of one of the greatest hip-hop movies of all time in 8 Mile (and yes, I've seen Boyz in the Hood, Juice, Belly, The Mack, Warriors, that piece of crap movie Tupac Resurrection (gimme my money back!) and probably more hip-hop movies than most Asians should), happy birthday!

Lose Yourself in some chocolate cake, Em!

Goodbye to FOX's Nashville?

2007-10-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Even though people say Nashville will be "rescheduled at a later date," I think it's safe to say that we've seen our last episode of Nashville.

Me and the 3 other guys who watched it for the hot girls are pretty bummed about it. I cursed my DVR for two straight weeks for not recording the show before realizing it got canceled. Taking over Nashville's spot was K-Ville, and soon, TNGAB.

R.I.P. Nashville, we hardly knew you. Now you're donezo (to pay homage to the show's uncle Laguna Beach, we had to use that word).

Though you are sad, Nashville, Carrie will sing you back to happiness.

This performance was the single moment that made me start listening to country music. To people who hate riding in my car because of that, blame Carrie and this moment.

The So You Think You Can Dance tour rolls on without me in the audience...

2007-10-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

And that makes me sad.

At least we have this world of user-generated content to keep me from feeling like I'm really missing out, though seeing Lauren and Pasha perform at the beginning of this clip kind of breaks my heart.

And obviously, it would be exciting to be screaming alongside whatever girl or screaming boy took this video at Lacey and Kameron's contemporary Mia Michaels performance.

Quick Step Showdown: So You Think You Can Dance vs. Dancing with the Stars

2007-10-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

In this corner...

Jennie Garth and Derek Hough representing ABC and Dancing with the Stars!

In the far corner...

Lacey and Kameron representing FOX and So You Think You Can Dance!

Because I am incapable of complaining for more than a few minutes...

2007-10-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday and Sunday morning, I went to "Salsa boot camp" in South Los Angeles. While it was in the hood and I didn't really learn a whole lot (I just cleaned up a lot of my steps), it was a lot of fun - so much fun that my right calf muscle is absolutely killing me today. It ended up being 4 hours a day of Salsa review for me, but I really enjoyed it regardless.

One of the most fun things about Salsa dancing is being able to teach people who are also trying to learn if you manage to get a step or a move a little quicker than they do. Later, chances are, they'll return the favor.

Someday...

I'm going to start taking additional classes from Mary Scanlon, who is currently the dreamboat of a salsa teacher who teaches classes at USC. I'm really excited about it.

This post would have been longer, but stupid Blogger's image uploading went down.

Everyday that passes, I get a step closer to moving my site over to WordPress.

There are good days and well...

2007-10-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

There will be bad days...

Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot that we can do about either of them. They just seem to come and go as they please.

There are some days that are amazing, when you see your name published on websites that you never thought you'd see it published and people think you're sooooo cooool (omfgggg).

Then, there are other days when you realize that your smart friends went on to have careers more relevant to our degrees after grad school and make almost twice as much money as you do, despite the fact that you have the same degree and had similar grades.

And though that sucks a lot of times, there are days when you're happy you're not doing what "they're" doing because you think you're making your way to where you eventually want to end up (just like they are, but they seem a lot closer to it), no matter the cost - financially and in terms of swallowing your pride every now and again, or well, every day.

Not every, but most every 20 something seems to reach a point of mid-20's crisis in their lives.

Me? I don't think I'm at that point. I think that I've become too emotionally detached from pretty much anything and everything to feel like I'm ever at any kind of crisis. Everything generally operates at a level that I like to call "a little better than ok."

However, I have to admit that there are days when unjamming printers and supplying my wing of the office with semi-perishable snacks is not the easiest thing in the whole world.

In the office world, someone else jamming the printer or the printer running out of toner becomes a complete disaster.

A mean email or passive aggressive IM sends people into a tailspin of "wtf"-ness. People panic. F-words are exchanged. Well-dressed people in pressed shirts start running down hallways in their wingtipped kicks.

Somehow, this administrative world that is such a big part of many a 20-something's life manages to create drama that believes it is something much worse (it's not) than running out of footballs at a 3 day high school football camp that you just figured out the logistics for over the course of 15 minutes at 5:45AM for a camp that starts at 7:00AM.

5 minutes without laser printer toner, paper clips, or even your free snacks that you pay for running out somehow becomes more of a disaster than having a football coach keep telling you to "get your f*cking sh!t together" for almost 12 hours straight after that coach has no idea that you were working until 3AM in the morning the night before just to make sure he had a clean shirt to wear.

There are some days when I think about how we made full marketing plans in grad school, communication plans, and somewhere along the way, I wrote a long paper that we called a thesis. And there are some days that are tougher than others to just swallow one's pride, grin, and bear it.

Most days, I'm happy to do it. Other days, it doesn't come too easy. I've been having a few of those days lately.

When people ask me about what I'm doing, or about how it is to be an assistant after grad school, my first response is that it's "character building." Really, it is.

I've learned a lot and I feel lucky to be where I am, but man, it is character building.

Being an assistant is exactly what being a student manager for a college football team is. There are moments of greatness and excitement and moments of "I can't believe I am picking up dog sh!t with my hands" (football only).

Hopefully, it gets me to where I want to be, but it's hard not to think that you have to get there yourself sometimes.

Hanging in. Almost Wednesday.

Rapper T.I. doesn't just need guns, but machine guns... with silencers...

2007-10-14T09:49:00.001-07:00

TMZ is reporting that ATL rapper T.I. looks to be in trouble after recently giving his bodyguards money to purchase machine guns with silencers. Since T.I. is a convicted felon, apparently buying those, in addition to the 17 other firearms that T.I. allegedly had his bodyguard buy for him, is not ok.

Wild as the Taliban is right.

Nothing says protection like street sweeping machine guns with silencers attached to them.

And you know this.

Hopefully, T.I., who is one of the few rappers out that I still like and buy CDs of, wasn't about to go down in a blaze of glory because the machine guns sound a little excessive to me.

But regardless, OMG c0gr@+ts to T.I. on his BET AwRdz~! :) :)

Testing out some new features

2007-10-13T02:04:00.001-07:00

Please bear with me as the website undergoes some changes here and there as I'm experimenting with adding Technorati, Digg, and Del.icio.us tags to the blog, and I'm beginning to tag my posts so that past topics will be easier to find. The layout will change soon and it'll be for the better!

Inspiration via Ugly Betty / "Talk is Cheap"

2007-10-13T00:19:00.000-07:00

As many of my close friends know, I generally have backwards weeks.

What does this mean? It means that I like to go out and see people Monday - Thursday and that I'd rather be home and relax or casually catch up with friends Friday - Sunday. I don't really know why, but that's just the way my life is right now and I find that it keeps me pretty sane.

So tonight, along with doing some deep thinking (deciding that I don't think I'm ready just yet financially and in terms of making personal and professional sacrifices to take the plunge and get a dog), I stayed in on this rainy Friday evening to catch up with one of my favorite TV shows - Ugly Betty.

Betty la Fea - !en ingles!

As most of us know, Ugly Betty (produced by Salma Hayek) is one of the most popular shows on ABC and is the American take on the telenovela Betty la Fea. Betty Suarez [Emmy award winner America Ferrera] is an executive assistant to the editor in chief of a fictional fashion magazine called MODE. While Betty works through the trials and tribulations of her dramatized for television life at the office and at home, she takes the job at MODE initially because she thought that it would give her the opportunity to become a professional writer, which is what she hoped to do after writing for the school newspaper at "Queens College."

In the most recent episode, Betty is challenged to pursue her writing and her dreams by a sandwich guy named Gio. To sum up what Gio said to her, we'll steal a line from the one and only DMX.

"Talk is cheap, mothaf*cka."

Eloquently put, Mr. X.... eloquently put.

While Betty tells people that she wants to be a writer, she hadn't really done any writing since getting her assistant gig at MODE. She decides that she wants to take a writing course and that even though her writing opportunities have not really come to her (aside from one episode last season where she wrote for Salma Hayek's magazine in the Meade publication family), she was going to make her own opportunities.

It's not often that I watch TV and see similarities to my own life. Because most of my TV watching consists of shows on MTV filled with rich Caucasian women, along with reality-based competitions, it's hard to find much in common for me in my TV viewing. However, this episode of Betty really struck a chord with me.

Fab inspiration.

Ok, so the obvious similarities are as follows:
- Betty is an executive assistant. I am an executive assistant.
- Betty wrote for her school newspaper. I wrote for my school newspaper
- Betty got good grades. I got good grades.
- Betty has many bad hair days. I have many bad hair days.
- Betty has stuffed animals on her desk at work. I have stuffed animals on my desk at work (though mine always looks like someone came in and trashed it looking for confidential documents in a Watergate-like frenzy...I still know where stuff is)

And really, as soon as I gave up on that whole "I want to work in sports" thing after taking one too many "f-words" after three years with the USC Football team, I've been wanting to write for a career. For that reason, that's why getting the chance to blog for Billboard was such a big deal to me. Even more, that's why winning that competition was a bigger deal for me. My sentences are simple and writing is unbelievably colloquial, but it always has been and it meant a lot to me that I was still able to win a competition and find an audience when put up against 25 other writers around the country without having to adjust my own style.

While it's annoying, especially to people who subscribe to an RSS feed on my blog, that's why I shamelessly promote any of my news items on AmericanIdol.com here on DaveChung.com, so I can have a place where I can see all my clips and hopefully have people read them and enjoy them. Every time I see my name up on Idol, I know that my story could be read by a few thousand people that day and even though they're often not the most exciting stories in the world and don't allow me to have any kind of voice, something about that makes me really proud. So far, that feeling hasn't gotten old for me.

Last Tuesday, I was interviewed by Mitch Peters, who is a touring writer for Billboard Magazine. We sat down in The Hollywood Reporter's studio and did a face to face interview on camera that Billboard will be using for some conferences later this year (if they post it on Billboard.com, you know I'll post it here). We talked about the Mobile Beat competition, challenges, feelings, concerts, etc. and it was a ton of fun. It was one of the bigger thrills that I've had in a while (and there's been a lot) to get interviewed by one of the authorities in music today. I thought I did a pretty good job, though I kept saying "ehhh..." before answering a question for some reason and hopefully that half hour will turn into one great 3 minute clip. And while that clip won't get me a job, it reminded me why I want to write for a job.

If I'm not writing, I can't say that I want to be a writer. If I'm not blogging, I can't keep saying that I want to have a successful blog that people know about. If I'm not doing either, I'm no different than those people who don't go watch movies, go to new websites, watch TV, or listen to the radio, because they "hate everything that's mainstream" yet claim that they want to work in the entertainment industry (that's stupid).

Beyond that, I need to start reading more. I get 5 magazines and I barely find the time to read any of them. BusinessWeek, NewsWeek, Billboard, Maxim, and Entertainment Weekly come to my apartment or desk at work on a very regular basis and I rarely ever find the time to read them. If I want to be a writer, I need to appreciate what's already out there and stop pretending like I can make it without understanding what I need to try and become.

Talk is cheap and I'm realizing that I need to find that motivation again.

Melinda Doolittle to host Christmas Concert @ Belmont University

2007-10-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Awww snap, girlfren...

She's going going... back back... to Belmont Belmont.

Melinda Doolittle will be hosting a concert (taping next month) that will be broadcast on PBS (around Christmas time) at her alma mater, Belmont University. She graduated in 1999 from the Nashville-area school with a degree in commercial voice.

Yay for college degrees!

For the full story, you can check out the my post on the news blog on AmericanIdol.com!

Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride ads take over AmericanIdol.com

2007-10-12T10:37:00.001-07:00

And I'm very ok with that.

If you click on any of the ads, it takes you to a full album preview of Carrie's newest CD, Carnival Ride! (releasing October 23, 2007). You can hear 30 second clips of every song on the CD and I could not be more excited.