The Kat House » television

Gone Country is Back!

Tish — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:43:19 +0000

I fell in love with the CMT show Gone Country last season. Hosted by John Rich, who just happens to be my biggest country music crush, the show takes celebrities of various backgrounds and talents and attempts to turn them into country stars. Last year’s winner was Julio Iglesias, Jr.

I just watched the Season 2 premiere, and I’m really excited about the upcoming episodes. The contestants this season are Jermaine Jackson, Chris Kirkpatrick, Sean Young, Mikalah Gordon, Lorenzo Lamas, Sebastian Bach, and Irene Cara.

I love these types of reality shows because you get to see what the contestants are really like. You can see beyond the image usually projected by the media. Before the first season of Gone Country, if you had asked me about Cisqo, I couldn’t have told you anything more than, “I think he’s a rapper.” And I have no interest in rap, so I really didn’t want to know more. But you know what? Cisqo turned out to be my favorite contestant. He was just so sweet and adorable – and I just wanted to hug him every time I saw him.

I’ve only seen one episode of Season 2, so my feelings about the contestants could end up changing drastically. So far, though, Chris Kirkpatrick is my favorite. He’s just so adorable – and yes, he’s huggable too.

I think I see a pattern here. I guess it’s a good thing it’s John Rich’s job, and not mine, to determine a winner. John will be producing a country single for the winner. And if today’s episode is any indication of things to come, it definitely will not be Sean Young! I seriously need to repress the memory of her first performance. And I certainly hope it’s not Mikalah Gordon. I didn’t like her when she was on American Idol, and I don’t like her now. I don’t think she has what it takes to be a successful singer. She’s pretty though, so I’m sure she could make a living in the entertainment biz. Perhaps she could land a job promoting skin care products or the world’s best diet pill. After all, it seems to have worked for Jessica Simpson.

And speaking of Jessica Simpson, does she really have the #3 music video in country music? Somebody please tell me it’s a bad dream!

Maybe Mikalah has a chance of winning after all.

Too Many Assholes to Count

Tish — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 06:15:42 +0000

My mission to count the number of times the word “asshole” appeared in Rescue Me was a failure. I realized about halfway through Season 1 that my total was grossly understated. It was like trying to count the number of times I blinked my eyes.

I finished up Season 1, and I’m now working on Season 2. I’ve been watching this show since it first debuted, so I’ve seen every episode before. But I wanted to start back at the beginning and watch them all again in preparation for the upcoming start of Season 5. Looks like I’ll make it with plenty of time to spare. Sadly, FX has announced that the Season 5 has been delayed due to the writer’s strike. Instead of starting this month as it usually does, the new season is slated for April 2009! According to the FX website, they plan to hold us over with 10 weekly “minisodes” beginning this Tuesday, June 24th. Each minisode will last a whopping 5 minutes! The silver lining, if you can indeed call it that, is that instead of the usual 13 episodes, Season 5 will be a full 22 episodes! Maybe that makes the wait a little more bearable.

A Whole Lot of Assholes!

Tish — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:56:30 +0000

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I just ordered Season 4 of Rescue Me. As I anxiously await its arrival, I have started watching the earlier seasons again. If you’ve ever watched the show, you know just how prevalent the word “asshole” is. Well, curiosity got the better of me. I decided to keep a running count of just how many times the word is used in the show. I just finished the pilot episode, and the word “asshole” was used 9 times! At 45 minutes of runtime, that’s an average of one asshole every five minutes! There are 13 episodes in the first season, so if it continues at the same pace, there should be approximately 117 assholes by the conclusion of the final episode . Multiply that by four seasons – 468 assholes! I’ll keep you posted as to the exact figures, but in the meantime, here’s a little something to hold you over.

Warning: If you are easily offended, don’t watch the video.

Going Digital

Tish — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:03:21 +0000

For the last couple of years, there has been a lot of media coverage about the nation’s upcoming move from analog to digital television broadcasts. But to tell you the truth, it never seemed “real” until I just recently started seeing messages scrolling across the bottom of my TV. It’s hard to believe that this change will take effect in less than a year. I thought that all analog TVs would require a special converter, but after reading a bit more about it today, I realize that’s not the case. Televisions utilizing satellite programing will continue to work with their digital converter boxes. Many cable providers are also putting measures into place that will allow their customers to continue using their analog TVs.

I have an HDTV in my living room, but my bedroom TV is a regular analog box. I have programming through DirecTV, so it appears I won’t be affected by this change. Of course, at some point I would like to get an HDTV for my bedroom, complete with an LCD mount for the wall. But in the meantime, it’s nice to know that I don’t have to make that investment by February 2009!

Andrew Rises to the Challenge

Tish — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:19:10 +0000

My buddy Andrew is the King of Shopping. If there’s a deal to be found, he will find it. As I mentioned last week, Season 4 of Rescue Me was released this week. I usually spend $40 – $50 locally for the sets. I challenged Andrew to find me the best possible deal on Season 4 – and boy, did he ever! I ordered the set today for only $23.91! Free shipping and no taxes too! I’m still in shock.

Deep Discount has the DVD set for $29.89, and with Andrew’s special 20% off coupon code, the final price is $23.91! The coupon applies to all DVDs, so look for your other favorites as well. Happy shopping!

Denis, C’mon and Rescue Me!

Tish — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:23:14 +0000

There are only two television shows that I never miss – American Idol and Rescue Me. As I’m sure you all know, David Cook became the new American Idol just last week. So no more Idol nights until next year! Fortunately, the new season of Rescue Me will soon be upon us! I’ve heard conflicting reports, but most sources say that the premiere will air on July 1st.

I have the first three seasons of the show on DVD, and Season 4 will be released next Tuesday. And I’ll be adding it to my collection right away. Maybe I’ll even get lucky and stumble across some Best Buy or Circuit City coupons.

If you’ve never watched Rescue Me, you’re missing out on a fantastic show. Lots of hot guys, an exciting storyline, Denis Leary’s brand of humor – what more could you ask for?

I Love My HDTV!

Tish — Sat, 17 May 2008 21:50:43 +0000

I was a little late to jump on the HD bandwagon, purchasing my TV just over a year ago. My old TV died a tragic death during American Idol season, and I just couldn’t bear to watch the show on the little 19″ box in my bedroom. So I made a trip to Best Buy to look for a replacement. I found a Westinghouse that had the most clear, crisp picture I had ever seen. And to top it all off, it was on sale! I got a killer deal. But when the Best Buy associate pointed out that I’d need special HDMI cables, my enthusiasm turned to dread. As I’ve mentioned before, I can’t even hook up a DVD player, so I wasn’t about to attempt this complex task. Why is it that you need so many darn cables anyway? So I did what any technically challenged gal would do. I called a guy – my brother to be exact.

That TV is one of the best things I’ve ever bought for myself. Other than the fact that it’s possessed, of course. But man, Idol nights are better than ever. And I can’t wait to see next week’s finale in Hi-Def! Hopefully the ghost won’t have other plans.

Tears of Joy

Tish — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:52:45 +0000

I cried my eyes out tonight when Ryan Seacrest announced that David Cook and David Archuleta will be battling it out in the American Idol finale next week. I can’t think of two more deserving people. Both are incredible singers and such down to earth guys. I think this is going to be the most exciting finale yet! Honestly, I don’t even care who wins. They both have my support, and there’s no doubt that they will both be very successful in life!

Who do you plan on voting for?

The Long Awaited Return of House, MD

Tish — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:39:48 +0000

Tonight marks the first of four all new episodes of House, MD! I just finished watching Season 3 on DVD recently, so I’m all ready for this new season. Only a few episodes have aired, and I’ll be able to catch up by watching those online.

Season 3 was great. House spent a short period of time in a drug rehabilitation program. Foreman resigned. Chase was fired. And Cameron finally admitted her feelings for Chase! I have no idea what has happened up to this point in Season 4, but I did see Kal Penn, one of my favorite actors, in the previews! Quite interesting – especially considering that John Cho, who starred with Kal Penn in Harold and Kumar, was in an episode of House a while back. Maybe they’ll finally score that medicinal marijuana they were after in the movie!

My TV is Possessed!

Tish — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:39:39 +0000

You may recall that I freaked out back in October when my TV came on by itself – two days in a row! Well, since that time, this has become somewhat of a regular event. The TV usually turns itself on between 3 and 4 AM, at least every couple of weeks. I wake up startled, heart pounding, and have to walk to the living room to turn the tube off. It’s the longest walk ever, and I’m always scared to death that I’m going to see a ghost sitting on the couch. What I’ve actually seen has been far more frightening.

The Tyra Banks Show.

I guess my mom was right when she used to say that nothing good ever happens after midnight.