entertainment ave!

Okay, I have to admit I was very worried about my American Idol.  I mean, with the failed Ellen experiment over, no hope for Paula Abdul returning, and Simon Cowell heading out of town, or at least to another show, all that was left was top dog Randy Jackson from the old guard.  Would Simon’s snide remarks be missed?  How many times would Randy say “Dog?” No Paula Abdul nuttiness, or at least Ellen thinking she could be nutty?  Would I care?

Turns out I did care, as this was probably the first time in a few years I actually enjoyed the auditions, although it did get off to a rocky start.

Yup, there she was, some girl who auditioned a few years ago and somehow the “Does she ever stop smiling?” Jennifer Lopez remembered her.  The girl wasn’t that good, if Simon were there I’m thinking he would have blasted her, or at least given her the big “No,” but oddly enough the three judges let her through, with J-Lo and Randy basing their judginess on her previous audition and the fact she made it to Hollywood.  Steven Tyler thought she was a flower that would blossom, and then, as I began to see it, Steven Tyler is really the reason to watch American Idol right now.

Sure, Jennifer Lopez is working the “sweetness, oh I don’t want to say ‘No’ but I have to” act to the hilt, and many times Randy just seems to be sitting back, analyzing a contestant like they were a business proposal, but there is Steven, goofy face for goofy singer, getting into the groove with the good singers, slinging wacky anecdotes, and so far, at least for one show, just seeming to have a great time, and even when he tells someone to go back home because they aren’t very good, somehow it just sounds nice.

I do admit that part of me misses Simon Cowell because quite frankly, some of these people really need someone just to crush their hopes and dreams so they can get on with their lives rather than getting let go with some glimmer of hope that they could be that girl who makes it through again, but all in all, I’ve got to give a big hug to the new trio, because even when they say “No,” it’s like a big “We’re sorry but you suck,” group hug.

The producers weren’t too annoying with the “background” spots before a singer, they didn’t give some of the overly annoying people too much time, you can already see some standouts where, with a makeover, have a great shot at stardom (but sorry one dude, your nose is huge), and if the auditions continue like this first episode, American Idol will be back on my “Must see” TV viewing list.

And Steven Tyler, thank you – I hope your act doesn’t get old.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

By: The Dude on the Right

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With Stu Gotz out playing with his family it’s time for a solo “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast, and what better weekend to wrap up than Christmas weekend!  Yup, mine was nice, what with my new wife and all, but it was also nice because it was a time to be with my new family, the Chicago Bears won, and it brings us a little closer to the 2011 season of “American Idol.” (How’s that for a brief summary of topics included in this podcast?!?)

With the weekend also came movies, and although My BFF Wifey and I didn’t go to see “Little Fockers” due to my grumpiness, we did see “Sex and the City 2,” and as much as I couldn’t believe how bad that movie was, I was as much shocked that my BFF thought it totally sucked, only saying it might be deserving of ½ star in total suckiness.  She found it flabbergasting, okay, maybe not flabbergasting, but just wondered how those involved in the franchise that has been so successful could make the movie so bad.  Oh well.

In other movie news I saw “The A-Team” on Blu-ray, and although my full review will be coming later this week, during the podcast I let you know if you should rent it.  I guess I’ll just tease things with “There’s a lot of action.”

Stu should be back next week for a recap of his time off, maybe a reflective look back at a busy year, and maybe a look ahead at what 2011 may have in store.  That, or he’ll just talk about “Burn Notice” and “Psych” some more.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

By: The Dude on the Right

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Our “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast brings to light that both Stu Gotz and I saw movies this weekend, albeit different movies, and Stu is sitting on a movie (The Invention of Lying) that Mama Gotz isn’t sure who the lead dude is! Me, I saw “Dinner For Schmucks” and sort of liked it, liked the food at the Hollywood Palms Theater in Naperville, IL, but didn’t like the fact that it was colder than a witches tit in the theater and the theater is not set up for snuggling so my BFF froze her ass off. Stu, meanwhile, was with his kiddies catching “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kittie Galore,” but not in 3-D.

Stu is confused with his TV watching, what with “Doctor Who” being done for the season, but lucky for him he still has “Burn Notice” and “Psych,” because Stu is all about cable. Meanwhile, I’m really sucked into “Big Brother something or other,” even though I don’t really know any of the people’s names, I’m still liking Howie Mandell on “America’s Got Talent,” and both Stu and I wonder what will happen to “American Idol” now that Ellen is gone, Kara is supposedly gone, and J. Lo will be taking a seat in the judge’s chair.

Stu sent his kid to Apple Camp, I did a lot of work, Stu has a visitor in town, and my high school reunion isn’t on the same day as a Bon Jovi concert this time, although I still probably can’t go and it’s not my BFF’s fault, as Stu tries to imply.

The weekends go by so fast, and we talk about them… Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one!  I’m The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

By: The Dude on the Right

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I finally saw “Iron Man 2,” and Stu Gotz finally saw “Iron Man 2,” so a month after it came out, during this episode of our “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast, we tell you if you liked it when you already saw it. Me, I also saw “The Blind Side” and let Stu know if he should catch it, while Stu at least also saw something current, namely “Shrek Forever After” and comments on how it stacks up in the “Shrek” series.

There is also TV on our podcast menu as Stu is confused about why there didn’t seem to be a new “Dr. Who” episode (any help is appreciated as Stu is too lazy to actually find out), I was one of the few people watching “The Bachelorette” instead of the Chicago Blackhawks going for The Stanley Cup, and now that “American Idol” is pretty much done forever, especially with the failed Ellen experiment and Simon Cowell leaving, I’m looking forward to “America’s Got Talent” this summer.

Stu saw cars crash at a demolition derby, I got creeped out by people with germs, Stu says you can get a free movie rental from Redbox, and I give my tribute to John Denver and Jacques Cousteau all in one (Jacques would be 100 years old this month, and John, well, he’d be something like 66, but they’re both still dead)! Aye, Calypso!

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one!  I’m The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

Another Stu & The Dude’s "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast has come, and the boys talk about porn.  Well, they sort of talk about porn, namely a sexbot and 3-D-ness, and if anything else at the CES show last week will be a staple of tomorrow because of sex.  There is talk of a new computer, about computer server issues, about beer, about movies bad and good for kids, i.e., The Pink Panther 1 & 2, about movies for adults, i.e., Up In The Air, about TV catching up with "Chuck," and the return of "American Idol."  The dudes don’t talk about Jay Leno that much, what with him losing his show and all, but hey, it’s topical, and Stu’s not really a fan, so why not, there is some Jay Leno talk as well.  So much, so little time, yet Stu and The Dude figure a way to squeeze it into a 20-minute podcast.

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The Dude on the Right
I was really worried that computer server woes would stop me from posting our "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast, but thankfully things have been fixed just in time for Stu Gotz’s and my weekly chat,, especially with "American Idol" starting tomorrow.  Stu and I do a little dissecting of "American Idol," what with Paula Abdul gone, Simon Cowell leaving, Ellen DeGeneres onboard, and the auditions in Boston coming up, but, as we sometimes do, we quickly shift topics, and hide the children but it’s also time for the Adult Video News Awards in Las Vegas where we find out what technology that was at the CES show last week will be supported by the porn industry.

As the podcast continues with some adultness, I let Stu know if "Up In The Air," the George Clooney movie, is any good, Stu is catching up on "Chuck" so hopefully next week we will be on the same page, and in terms of kid-ness, Stu was shocked that "Pink Panther 1" is actually worse than "Pink Panther 2."

Stu’s sister got a new computer and doesn’t know what a web browser is, Jay Leno is doing something, and Stu is going to beer school.  All of that, and more, as 2010 continues!

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one!  I’m The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

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The Dude on the Right
Sure, I loved Jamie Foxx in "Ray," I wanted to see "The Soloist" but now will probably wait until it comes out on DVD, and thought he did a big cop-out when, after he made the Miley Cyrus joke, he called himself "The Black Howard Stern" as sort of an excuse, but sure, why not have him be the coach for "Rat Pack" night. Actually, why is he the coach for "Rat Pack" night? Jamie’s got stuff to promote, he’s popular, but Jamie Foxx aside, what the hell is Paula wearing (My BFF says it looks like she is wearing "two boob cones.")? Oh well, let’s get to the singing..

Kris Allen
 - Sings – "The Way You Are Tonight"
 - Starts slow, picks it up-tempo, and did an okay job. Guess it must have been great in the theater because the judges are treating him like he’s the next Frank Sinatra, well, all except Simon who didn’t think he was all that. 

Allison Iraheta
 - Sings "Someone To Watch Over Me"
 - She sings great, has some sultriness, is wearing an ugly dress, and I hate to make it about looks, but she needs to drop a few pounds to reach superstardom. Again everyone thinks she is the bomb, except Simon. Thank God for Simon keeping things in perspective and trying to keep Judge Kara in her place.

Matt Giraud
 - Sings – "My Funny Valentine"
 - I thought he looked grumpy and wasn’t that great, my BFF didn’t care for him either and thought he shouldn’t have changed the key he sang in, Randy didn’t like him, but Simon thought he was all that and a bag of chips. Hmm?

Danny Gokey
 - Sings – "Come Rain or Come Shine"
 - I think he did a great job, actually has been the only person to actually perform up to this point, and that might keep him around another week, but his looks just don’t seem to have it for an Idol winner. Sorry, but at this stage you have to have the entire package because we already know you can sing. Randy seemed to want his baby, Kara seemed to want to jump his bones, and Paula, well, she’s Paula. Simon, rightly so, gave props to the band for having a great arrangement for him.

Adam Lambert
 - Sings – "Feeling Good"
 - Yup, you might as well just crown him already and not have us have to sit through any more weeks of this. He’s into his groove, he knows how to work it, the crowd loves him, and Kara is almost hitting Paula level in her comments.

Well, we know they can all sing, now it is starting to come down to performing and their looks, so in that respect we get an Adam/Kris finale. Danny did great in the performance side this week, but his looks will drop him in the end, Matt will probably be gone next week, and the only thing Allison really has going for her right now is that she is the only girl left. In the end it’s Adam’s Idol to lose.

On the judges side, Kara is more annoying than Paula if only because she actually has this attitude of "I know more than you," as opposed to Paula who just, well, is Paula, and is it me, or maybe I’ve just not been paying attention, but has Ryan stopped saying "Seacrest, out!" at the end. I’m too lazy to go back to the tape.

That’s it for this one! 
I’m The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

By:

The Dude on the Right
I know I’ve been lax in my "American Idol" analysis this season, but what the hell, there’s no time like the present to start it up again!

Anyway, people were pissed last week because their TiVo missed the ending or cut into whatever show was after "American Idol" because it ran long. To trim time this week, now we can’t hear what all of the judges think about each contestant, instead they are broken into groups of two. You know what? I think they should have a shock buzzer on Kara DioGuardi so she shuts up some times because Randy is usually just inane but we like him saying "Dog,"
Paula is wacky and we never know what she’ll say, Simon has the only comments that matter, and Kara just keeps talking. Well, it’s Quentin Tarantino week. I agree he picks great songs for his movies, but as a vocal coach? I guess we’ll see.

Here we go…

Allison Iraheta
 - Sings – “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”  Aerosmith
 - I generally like her, but thought she overdid the song a bit. I think it came across better live, as Paula and Simon really loved her.

Anoop Desai
 - Sings “Everything I Do, I Do for You” Bryan Adams
 - I thought he was really good singing-wise, and he’s getting a decent stage presence. He’s almost getting a chance to stick around a few more weeks.

Adam Lambert
 - “Born to be Wild” Steppenwolf
 - He’s keeping his persona, he’s trying to channel Elvis body movements, and Simon is probably just licking his chops because he sees the commercial potential Adam has. Simon, though, has the best looks at Paula when she talks. Everyone loves him.

Matt Giraud
 - Sings – “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” Bryan Adams
 - Wow, this is a mess. I really, really, really, didn’t like him. He started nice enough, but in making it his own I couldn’t stand it.

Danny Gokey
 - Sings – “Endless Love” Lionel Richie
 - This dude has no soul. I didn’t care for it, Paula seemed to love it (maybe it sounded better in the studio), and Simon had the right take on his performance. Could be time for him to go.

Kris Allen
 - Sings – “Falling Slowly” The Swell Season
 - I absolutely love this song, but cutting it into pieces really ruins this song, and as okay as he sounds, he doesn’t have nearly the passion that Glen Hansard has and it really needs a true duet partner like Marketa Irglova to be pulled off. I think Kara is crazy for liking his version.

Lil Rounds
 - Sings “The Rose” Bette Midler
 - Well, she can sing, but I thought she was doing better keeping the song toned down. When she hit the middle where she gospel’ed it up, it seemed messed up. She needed to do it one way or the other, and not both. And what did Paula say? Simon had it right becuase f you’re into the R&B, the soul, and the gospel, then why did you pick “The Rose” which is none of them.

Let’s wrap this up…
Even with them limiting what the judges said, the show still ran long. Someone needs to adjust some scheduling on Fox. As far as the performances, they can probably just shut the show down now because the person with the potential to be a star is Adam Lambert. That said, I’m thinking Kris Allen or Lil Rounds will be going home tomorrow night. Kris’ song choice was too obscure and just plain bad, and Lil Rounds doesn’t seem to be able to pick a song in her wheelhouse. The rest were probably good enough to stick around another week, but I’ve been wrong before.

That’s it for this one! 
I’m The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!

With The Dude on the Right being out of the country over the weekend and not returning until Tuesday, there wasn’t an opportunity to do a "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast with Stu Gotz, but The Dude connects with Stu today to podcast with Stu about the vacation that he and his BFF took to Dreams Villamagna in Nuevo Vallarta. The Dude has a nice time down there, even learning about using towels to save your beach chairs and putting your dirty underwear in a bag, but the resort seems to be having some growing pains so sadly he can’t highly recommend it at this time (The Dude is hoping to write a full-blown review in a week or so.) Vacation aside, both of the boys watch "American Idol" and have some comments about Megan Joy getting the boot, and Stu isn’t a Lady Gaga fan, and Stu also had what he thinks were some kidney stones last week, but thanks to a homeopathic remedy of lemon juice and olive oil, things seem to have subsided. They’ll be back on Monday for a normal wrap-up, but The Dude was excited to tell Stu that he didn’t see any drug lords in Mexico, to at least there was that.

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The Dude on the Right
With my being in Mexico and not finding any drug lords, there wasn’t time for a "Weekend Wrap-Up!" podcast on Monday, so instead we get a Thursday podcast with Stu Gotz. As most of my time for the past week has been being spent on vacation, I give Stu my initial take on the resort my BFF and I stayed at, Dreams Villamagna, where we didn’t hear any gunfire but did find that it took too long to get food and that typos can be funny. And me, not being the seasoned traveler, get confirmation that you should take a bag to put your dirty underwear, as my BFF instructed me. I found that I hated the "reserving your lounge chair with a towel" status quo, and thankfully I didn’t get diarrhea, but damn, did I fart a lot!

Stu, meanwhile, had his own issues while I was off gallivanting the Mexican countryside, or at least laying on a beach, namely that he got some internal distress with self-diagnosed kidney stones, and discovered a homeopathic remedy of lemon juice and olive oil does sort of work, but with some consequences.

Lastly, without seeing any movies in the theater, I give Stu my take on "Rachael Getting Married" with Anne Hathaway, while we both do some discussing of "American Idol" and the booting of Megan Joy.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one!  I’m The Dude on the
Right!!  L8R!!!

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