“America’s Next Top Model” Episode 2 Quick Hits

I have to come clean and admit that I have recently developed an all-consuming, inexplicable addiction to “America’s Next Top Model.” It is not rational. I have no interest in the modeling industry. I can’t identify with any of the models (I’m five foot, for God’s sake!). And I think Tyra Banks may very well be the most obnoxious person on the planet. Yet whenever there’s an ANTM marathon on MTV or VH1, I get nothing else done all day. Those marathons cripple my regularly scheduled activities.

I have never actually seen a season of ANTM in its original airing, so this season I am conducting a little experiment to see if I am as hooked when it’s on in real time or if it’s just something about those marathons. After two episodes, I’m already starting to be reeled in.

Here are some quick hits on the best moments of the episode:

- Trya Mail has become Trya Ticker Tape. Now, when all the girls chirp out the message in squeaky unison, they do it very slowly so it sounds like they’re just learning how to read.

- Because there were two girls named Aimee, one had to change her name. I guess Tyra didn’t feel like learning their last names. One of the Aimees changed her name to Amis. All I can think of when I hear it is Avis.

- Fatima has already emerged as the meanie of the bunch. It’s only episode two, and she’s already slapping people (accidentally, of course).

- Kim sends herself home because she hates fashion, but didn’t realize before that models work in the fashion industry. Her dramatic departure is suspiciously convenient since the show already had one extra model than usual.

The unhealthy obsession continues next week.

Photo: The CW

"Project Runway:" Inviting Tim Home

Now that I am finally over the shock and horror of Christian winning “fan favorite," I am ready to blog about "Project Runway" again

This week, Heidi Klum bid “Auf Wiedersehen” to the four "Project Runway" finalists – Christian, Jillian, Chris, and Rami – and sent them home to work on their collections for five months. But not so fast, only three of them will be making it to the fashion Mecca of Bryant Park; Jillian and Christian are “in,” while Chris and Rami must battle it out for the third spot.

But before we got to the showdown, we went on a little road trip with Tim Gunn to visit each of the designers at home. It is hilarious seeing Tim Gunn out of his natural habitat: Parsons. He looks completely lost and awkward meeting everyone’s family and friends, but in an adorable, lovable way. On a completely unrelated note, I saw Tim Gunn walking down the street in NYC this summer looking as dapper and solemn as usual (I just wanted to brag about that).

Anyway, here are my quick hit reactions to an initial look at the designer’s collections…

Christian: Beautifully constructed (as usual). Way too much drama (as usual). And what is with Christian and those poofy neck things?
Side note: Christian sews and sleeps in a closet. Now I feel a little better about him winning “fan favorite;” he looks like he could use the money.

Jillian: I like that she’s sticking with the old-time warrior theme from the art challenge. It worked for her there. Blah colors, though.

Rami: There’s more than draping. Hallelujah! Joan of Arc theme is a little strange, but it works.

Chris: Human hair! There is human hair all over his collection! The collection is very intricate and innovative, but I can’t stop thinking about the hair.

In the end, Joan of Arc trumps Cousin It. Rami is chosen to go to Fashion Week, and Chris is out, which is sad because I love Chris and he worked extremely hard on his collection. At least he left us with his signature cackle at the end of the episode.

Next week, tune in for Fashion Week.

The Killer Speaks

Thuliso Dingwall, who plays Kenard, gave an interview about the-event-that-shall-not-be-named.



He's so cute that I may be able to forgive him someday.

In more Wire news, Michael K. Williams had an interview with Aileen Gallagher of NYmag.com. The bit that really hits me hard was the reaction of Wendell Pierce, who called Williams on Sunday night.

In the Q&A, Williams said, "Out of all the calls and the e-mails and the texts that I’ve gotten, his got through to me in a way that none of them did. It was a very heartfelt call. He said, 'Mike, I want you to know that I will never, ever forget this night. Tonight is the night that Omar died.'”

We're at T-plus 9 days, and I think I'm still somewhere between the "denial" and "anger" stage.

I will hate you forever, Kenard.

The Wire, Season 5, Episode 8

"Clarifications"

When I watch The Wire, I take notes for the blog post I'll eventually do. For this episode, here's exactly what I wrote from the beginning of the episode:

"Comstat meeting-McNulty briefs the brass...Poot works at Foot Locker!...I really like Michael's t-shirts this season, first the black one with the crown, now a blue one with swirls...it's really hard to see Omar hobbled...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! KENARD EFF [not really what I wrote] YOU"

And that's where it ends. For me, The Wire ends here. Honestly, short of Dukie killing Michael (and I guess we shouldn't rule that out), I have emotionally detached from the story. I was crying so loudly that my brother heard me from the other side of the house and climbed out of the shower to make sure I wasn't being attacked or anything. Nope, just my favorite character being murdered.

Other people have written that we should have seen this coming, that it was foreshadowed, etc. One even goes so far to say, "Anybody who really understood 'The Wire' knew it would end like this." Well, a) that's unbelievably smug and b) I must be blind, deaf, and dumb, because I didn't see it. I foolishly believed that the legend of Omar would continue on, and the drug dealers of Baltimore would keep on looking over their shoulders for that shotgun. And if he had to go, I wanted the blaze of glory, dammit! I wanted him to take Marlo with him!

But no, all he got was a shot to the back of the head from a kid who couldn't even look him in the eye when he killed him, his body stripped for souvenirs, no mention in the Sun, and a near mix-up in the morgue.

It's probably stupid to feel so much about the death of a fictional character, but...I watched the episode OnDemand a week ago, and I still can't talk rationally about this. I know he was probably doomed the second he came back from Puerto Rico, once he hurt his leg, once Kenard wasn't afraid of him, once Omar seemed too hell-bent on revenge, once his one-man crusade for justice finally ran up against an entity too big for one individual...I don't want to hear it. I just want to be angry at David Simon for awhile, and I want that to be Omar's twin brother that was killed.

Oh, yeah, other things happened in this episode. I don't care. Instead, here's a great interview with Michael K. Williams, talking about the groundbreaking nature of the character of Omar.

“The Wire” Season 5, Episode 8 Recap

“Clarifications”

They killed Omar! Sorry, I just had to get that out of the way. I literally gasped when he took a shot to the back of the head at the Korean grocery while buying a pack of Newports. I was expecting Omar’s death by the end of the season, but I was not prepared for it to be so soon and so… uneventful. “The Wire” doesn’t glorify death or linger too long on the demise of even a main character. However, other major deaths (Stringer, Wallace, etc.) have at least happened closer to the end of a season and at the end of an episode. Omar – one of the most beloved and legendary “Wire” characters – was killed in the middle of an episode, three episodes away from the finale.

It was almost as if Simon and crew went out of their way to make his death meaningless. He was shot by the little snot Kenard; Marlo’s entire menacing crew was hunting Omar, and it was 4-ft.-nothing Kenard who took the shot for no apparent reason. Hoppers robbed his corpse and stole his shotgun – stripping him of his pride and dignity in his death. The Sun cut a brief about his death from the paper in favor of a fire. They put the wrong ID on his body at the morgue, for god’s sake! I guess it would have been un-Wire-like for him to go out in a blaze of glory, but this was just undignified. So, we are paying tribute to our favorite stick-up boy here. We’ll miss you, Omar!

Of course, a bunch of other things happened in this episode beside Omar’s death (I had to re-watch to catch them because I was too busy mourning Omar the first time). So, on to the rest of the recap…

The episode opened on McNulty briefing the brass and the mayor on the homeless case. The mayor throws the department unlimited resources (even an account at Enterprise for cars) to solve the case. Rawls sums up this meeting nicely by saying, “Bad news is we’re actually going to have to catch this mother-fucker. Good news is the mayor finally needs a police department more than he needs a school system.”

We cut to Dukie, who is unsuccessfully trying to find a job. He asks for an application at a sneaker store from employee Poot, who apparently went straight since the last time we saw him on the corners. Poot recognizes Dukie from the corners, but says the manager won’t hire him until he is 17. “So, I guess you need to bang awhile longer, then come back and see if we got something,” Poot advises. Instead of banging, Dukie finds work helping the junk man lug scraps.

On the homeless murder front, McNulty is blabbing right and left about his fake case. He brings Carver in, but gives him limited information, and he spills the beans to Kima and Beadie, who are both extremely unhappy. At this point, Jimmy, you’re just asking to get caught.

McNulty continues to work his fake case, and goes to the FBI for a profile on his “serial killer.” Coincidentally, the killer’s psychological profile matches McNulty perfectly: White male – check. Employed in a bureaucratic entity – check. Problem with authority – check. Trouble with lasting relationships – check. High-functioning alcoholic – check. It’s a wonder no one has fingered McNulty for this crime before.

Some good is starting to come from the fake investigation, though. Bunk uses McNulty’s signature to push through DNA analysis on the murder of Michael’s stepfather, and gets a positive match on Chris. Also, Sydnor cracks Marlo’s code by discovering that the time on the clocks corresponds to map coordinates.

Templeton, on the other hand, is not catching any lucky breaks. The war vet he wrote about comes to the Sun’s office to complain that Scott embellished his story in the paper. And we though Scott actually reported that piece honestly. Silly us!

And if you didn’t catch on before, they killed Omar!

Wrap-up and final thoughts

Final prediction tally: 12/19. The last four saved me.

The awards were spread around, for the third year in a row: No Country won four, Bourne won three, no one else had more than two. I think my favorite speech was Glen Hansard's, for sheer emotion. Also, Daniel Day-Lewis gave another perfectly classy and heartfelt thank-you. Overall, they held it under three-and-a-half hours, Stewart was fantastic, and it wasn't all that boring. Not bad. Favorite look of the night: Jennifer Garner. Most beautiful couple: Josh Brolin and Diane Lane. Worst dressed: Marion Cotillard. What was she wearing, fish scales? Also: Cameron Diaz. I understand losing Justin must have been hard for you, but we're going on two years since the break-up. Get it together. Best pregnancy dress: Jessica Alba. Worst excuse for "entertainment": anything on the TV Guide Channel or on E! before the show. I'm embarrassed for you, Joey Fatone, Lisa Rinna, and Ryan Seacrest.

So that's all until next year. I don't know about you, but I'm already rooting for Revolutionary Road, the re-teaming of Jack and Rose (a.k.a. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.) And we now return to your regularly scheduled TV-programming.

Quick Hits, Part III

Things to love: The "Falling Slowly" performance. Jack Nicholson. Bourne winning its third Oscar! The break that comes with the honorary Oscar presentation. "Falling Slowly" wins for best song! I really need to see that movie. The emotional speech from Glen Hasgard. Jon Stewart letting Marketa finish her speech.

Things not to love: How many clip packages do we need? Oscar really likes patting itself on the back. Cameron Diaz's hair. Her dress. Cameron Diaz herself. My predictions are in the toilet, but I think I can save the night with the last four- Original Screenplay, Actor, Director, and Picture. We'll see.

Quick Hits, Pt. II

I think I'll make one of these for every hour this ceremony stretches into. So, five.

Things I love: Javier winning supporting actor. Even though Hal Holbrook looked so cute. Javier's mother was so clearly proud of him. Tilda Swinton wins supporting actress, even though I was kind of rooting for "The Wire's" own Amy Ryan. And what a speech! Anybody that can get a mention of Clooney's Batman nipple suit into her speech is a winner with me.

Other things to love: (not much to hate so far) Two of my favorite pairs of presenters of the night: Josh Brolin and James McAvoy, which...are there two more charming and handsome men in that room? (Besides Clooney) And Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen, who look like brothers, doing what they do best. The best movie of the year in my book, The Bourne Ultimatum, wins the two sound awards.

Awww, Marion Cotillard just won for Best Actress, and my heart melted a little, she was so happy.

Oscar Quick Hits

9:11: 45 minutes in, and five awards have been given out. Things I love: Jon Stewart. It's a toss-up between him and Clooney for who I love most. Katherine Hiegel's dress. Jennifer Garner, who looks stunning. Helen Mirren...God, I hope I look that good when I'm 60. Steve Carell. Animated feature to "Ratatouille" - currently my only correct prediction. Amy Adams singing.

Things I don't love: Viz FX to "Golden Compass" over "Transformers"? Costume to "Elizabeth" over "Atonement"? Playing off the winners after 30 seconds? And how loudly they're doing it? Renee Zellweger's hair and dress. And Renee herself. Ryan Seacrest. The E! network.

Oscar Night!

I love Oscar night. Even though I never see any of these movies until they come out on DVD, I love watching the entire (four-hour-plus-long) show. I'm not even sure why. I think that, unlike the Emmy awards, I'm not terribly invested in the outcome (with some exceptions: Lord of the Rings, The Departed, Martin Scorsese, Leo, Kate Winslet....ok, maybe I am invested) but I don't feel a strong pull toward any of the nominees this year, so hopefully I'll just be able to enjoy the show and the sights (Clooney, Pitt, McAvoy, etc.).

Of course, this also means I can make another round of sure-to-be-wrong predictions. There are many, many people on the Internet better at this than me, but here's my stab at it:

Best Pic: No Country for Old Men. I've actually only seen this and Juno of the nominees, because Netflix let me down re: Michael Clayton. I just think There Will Be Blood is a little too strange, so the academy will go for No Country, which has won pretty much all of the precursors. I think Juno could surpirse, but if Little Miss Sunshine couldn't win last year, I don't think Juno can pull it off this year. (Alt: Juno, If I had a vote: No Country)

Director: The Coen Bros. They've won everything so far. (Alt: Schnabel, My pick: Coens)

Actor: Day-Lewis. The guy makes a movie once every four years and everyone falls all over themselves to honor him for it. (Alt: Clooney, My pick: Viggo)

Actress: Julie Christie. To continue the trend of honoring women who still look amazing in their 60s, started by Helen Mirren last year. And all of this buzz for Cotillard came a wee bit too late, I think. (Alt: Cotillard, My pick: Linney)

Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem. The guy creates the greatest movie villian since Hannibal Lector; of course he's going to win. (Alt: Holbrook, if they want to honor the old people, My pick: Bardem)

Suppoting Actress: This category is a total toss-up, but here's where I think they'll honor the old people. Ruby Dee wins, on the sentimental vote. But Blanchett, Ryan, or Swinton could easily win this one. (Alt: Swinton, My pick: Ryan)

Original Screenplay: Juno

Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men

Costume Design: Atonement

Animated Feature: Ratatouille. Duh.

Cinematography: There Will Be Blood

Documentary: No End in Sight (Unless they really want Michael Moore back up on that stage, and then: Sicko)

Art Direction: Atonement

Editing: Bourne Ultimatum

Visual Effects: Transformers (Giant robots rule all)

Make-up: Pirates 3

Original Score: Atonement

Original Song: "Falling Slowly" Once

Sound Mixing: Transformers

Sound Editing (what's the difference?): Bourne Ultimatum

No one actually cares about the animated short or foreign film awards, so those don't get predictions. I'm looking forward to seeing Amy Adams and Kristen Chenowith perform the songd from Enchanted, and of course, what good are the Oscars without some insane fashion choices? AND: Jon Stewart.

In much, much more depresing news, we'll have the recap/reaction to Episode 8 of 'The Wire" up sometime in the next 24 hours as well. If I'm feeling particularly inspired, I might post from tiem to time during the show tonight, if something pleases me a whole lot, or disappoints me, or shocks me.