She's Country

Before I could speak, my dad would sing George Strait's "Baby Blue" to me and I would "Ooo" in tune with him (this is according to him--It was the early '80's so I don't think there's video to prove it). This story is a favorite of my parents to tell accompanied with the line, "she could sing before she could talk." I can't disprove any of this, especially since I don't remember a time in my life without a love affair for music--especially country music.

My love for music includes a wide variety, but chick country is always my comfort zone (insert my husband's eye roll here). Chick country (any song by a female artist in that genre) has been my favorite since my dad popped in a Pasty Cline cassette before I was old enough to work a tape player. As I got older, I fell in adoration of Reba, Martina, Faith (I have her first album Take Me as I Am on cassette, CD, and iTunes) and the like.

Chick country lends itself very accommodatingly to my voice and always has. I remember being bitter during voice recitals when I had to sing "Ave Maria" or some classical song that no one knows. I would always make my grandfather painfully sit through Star Search (that's a performance competition show that was BEFORE Idol; can you imagine?).

But by the time American Idol started I had readjusted my dream of once singing on the Grand Ole Opry stage to more realistic ventures--you know, television production. So, I didn't watch the first several seasons beyond the auditions because it was too bitter-sweet. Then during the 4th season auditions, I saw a girl belt out "Independence Day" by Martina McBride. I swore I would only watch as long as she was in the competition; turns out I watched the whole thing and Carrie Underwood accepted the title.


Carrie at the Opry. Pulled from newsok.com

Carrie Underwood is by far one of my favorite chick country artist now. I will watch any thing that has her appearing. I love her music and she happens to be a "sister" (this would be the first blog shout out for ΣΣΣ).

My Carrie support reared it's ugly head this week. After only watching the American Idol's auditions this season, I felt the need to tune into the two part finale. I'll admit, I only tuned in the first night because Carrie Underwood was picking one of Lauren song's, and I--incorrectly--thought there would be a tape piece that featured Carrie. So, I tuned into the big night with no one confirming who was performing beyond Lady Gaga. But I listened to my gut because I just knew Carrie would be there, and I was right! But as much as I love the girl, Scotty's duet with Tim McGraw was tons better than her and Lauren.

3 Types of Season Finales

May is coming to a close, which also means that the major five networks television season is closing as well. The upfronts are done; everyone knows whether or not they are truly unemployed or just on hiatus. It also means that everyone is going out with a bang, a whimper or a weeping goodbye.

At the end of the each season, a viewer realizes there are three very clear types of season finales: 1. the "We are definitely coming back, squirm for 4 months with anticipation," 2. the "We're on a bubble--it could go either way; so here's a little tease with wrap up," and 3. the "We're out the door, but thanks for watching (if you were)."

A few examples:

1. "We're definitely coming back."
Supernatural: The writers of Supernatural always go out with a bang--always. This year was no different really (although it wasn't an action bang this time). The last few years the writers have been toying around the idea of religion and God (despite mutliple impending apocalypses the supreme being was no where to be found). The finale this past Friday spun the idea into a raging tailspin that I can't wait to see the closure on.

Castle: Despite the writing feeling a little lackadaisical during May Sweeps, the team pulled together to do what they do best for the finale: a nail biting, gut wrenching, extravaganza cliff hanger. Granted, the person injured is a major player and will no doubt be returning; it still leaves the audience wondering how they will be saved. Also, you have Rick finally saying the "L" word, which is an entirely different type of cliffhanger; and will Kate even remember hearing that word?

2. "We're on a bubble."
The Good Wife: I love the editing style of this show--the use of the Soprano-esque cut to black at infuriating spots. Although the finale didn't really do that this time; for me, it could have cut to black a good 45 seconds sooner to have the impact I wanted. But the viewers finally got to see Alicia and Will making a dash (with all signs pointing "no") to the bedroom. The tease here is what will this fall out be. Peter will now be in office, which means--inevitably--some paparazzi saw Alicia commit this act of indiscretion.

Nikita: This show has not gotten nearly enough press in my opinion. Maggie Q is great, and the finale matched her. The writers had a couple of fake deaths, some major ass kicking, a love story on track, and a twist. This was the perfect on the bubble finale. The major story arc of taking down a main villain was accomplished (Yay!). But the writers also included a short scene with fellow-protagonist Alex that setup a new bad guy, and--maybe, just maybe--mentor vs pupil season next year.

3. "We're out the door."
There are actually two types of these. One where you've religiously let a program into your home for multiple seasons and it's time to conclude the story. The other is the one season wonder who is out for the count, and probably was starting in December.

Smallville: In an earlier post I talked about this being the final season of Smallville, which meant their finale was a weeping goodbye 2 hour drama. The writing for the episode was not great, but it included clips and cast members that made it worth it for die hard fans. Also, the episode accomplished 2 things (sort of) that ALL of it's viewers had been waiting for: 1. Clark finally flew and 2. Clark put on the suit. Well, these things kinda happened; there was no true shot of Clark in the suit, and all the flying was poor CGI where you couldn't distinguish if it was truly Tom Welling. I was still over joyed to see Michael Rosenbaum as Lex again; and I teared up every time John Schneider came on the screen.

No Ordinary Family: This was the little show who just couldn't. Despite having a stellar cast--Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, Stephen Collins, Josh Stewart--it just could not get off the ground. ABC did them no favors with the schedule, putting it on against Glee, NCIS, Idol, etc (it bounced between 8 PM and 9 PM). The finale had all the drama and fighting that you want from a show with super heroes. The villain is defeated (Collins definitely wasn't a minister in this series). But just to show they had heart and faith (albeit misplaced) they gave audiences a tease that there could be more: the government knows about the abilities of the Powell family. And that is where ABC cut to black.

Now that the networks are entering the land of repeats and cheap reality, we turn to cable (namely USA, HBO, Showtime, and TNT) to entertain us. I, personally, am looking forward to Rizzoli and Isles the most; talk about a finale they left me squirming! July 11th will be almost NINE months I've been left wondering what happens to the Rizzoli family. 

Overall this finale season was lackluster at best. There were a few others (Fringe, NCIS: LA) that went out with a true bang. But overall, I'm not really squirming for the fall. In fact, I feel relaxed waiting for what cable has to offer this summer.

The Touch, The Feel...The Smell

Today I read what I consider to be very depressing news: eBooks are out selling paperbacks! I know many of you are thinking, "welcome to the new millennium." But I just can't get behind this; I can't do it.

Maybe I don't like change. I admit that it took a lot for me to join the iPod generation (looking back it took a lot for me to trade in my cassette tapes, too). Once I started purchasing CD's, I saw no end in sight. I loved the way they sound (albeit not as good as vinyl; but what is?). Despite all the downloading software and even the creation of iTunes, I still preferred to burn a CD at the end of the day. I saw no problem with this until I had (WAY) too many CD's to appropriately switch around while driving. That's it: I got an iPod because I'm pragmatic. End of story.

I see no pragmatism for getting eBooks rather than a hardcover or paperback book. I know books take up a lot of room, and they aren't exactly environmentally friendly. But I remember being a little girl watching Beauty and the Beast in the theater, and I was immediately giddy and jealous of the library the Beast showed Belle (that scene is probably why it's my favorite Disney movie). Still to this day I dream of having a room in my house filled from floor to ceiling with books.

The library the Beast gave to Belle. Isn't it beautiful?

eBooks are also killing bookstores, which plunges me into an even deeper despair. I can and have gotten lost in a book store for hours. Even if there is no book that I want, I will dilly dally around the store. I love the feel of running my hands over the book spines. I swear you can hear the words humming through them. It's almost romantic. I love the fact that my multiple copies of Our Town have white lines all through the spines; I feel like those lines tell their own story.

I anticipate the touch of turning a page. The slight crisp crack that each page makes as it falls to the next. The creak that a brand new book makes when you first open it and enter the world the author has laid out for you. Old books exude a smell that cannot be captured by anything else. Years ago, after reading A Tale of Two Cities, my parents bought me an entire collection of Charles Dickens books published in 1881. They are a prized possession. I lately haven't read any of them, but I do occasionally pick them up just to breathe in the musty, intoxicating smell of history and genius.

Maybe this post is my love letter to a dying breed. Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic who looks forward to entering a bookstore to see a long anticipated friend on a given Tuesday (I'm coming on June 7th Hit List). Or maybe I'm just stubborn; and you'll have to pull a 1st Edition Hamilton, Rice or Dickens out of my cold dead hands and replace it with this thing you call a Kindle, Nook, or whatever if you want me to convert.

My Fall Line-Up

So, the Television Upfronts are all done and the fall schedules for 2011-2012 have been released. Being the television nerd that I am, I was glued to my news updates each day to see what exciting presents each network brought me. I have to say, it feels like a Christmas with all educational toys; in other words, disappointing. There are very few new shows I'm looking forward to (I think I could count them on one hand).

But still, I'm a junkie. So below see what shows (some with alternates, because DVR's are the best thing since sliced bread) that I will/would be watching if I watched every minute of network prime time programming.

My homework. (New shows in pink; new times/days in yellow.)

Monday:
8 PM-CBS. They have How I Met Your Mother returning with a pregnant Lily, an in love Robin, and still the mystery of just who is the mother. Then it's followed up with a comedy starring the sarcastic Kat Dennings called 2 Broke Girls. This looks raunchy, touching and just out and out hysterical.
9PM-FOX. I'm still tuning into House. I love Hugh Laurie and am actually very curious about him without Lisa Edelstein. Plus Laurie says it will be the final season, and I refuse to miss if House finally cleans up, moves on, or stays eternally miserable.
10PM-ABC. This will continue to go to Castle. I can NOT get enough of Nathan Fillion. If I could figure out a way to put him into almost every show, I would.

The alternates for the night are:
9PM-CBS. Two and Half Men. What can I say? I want to know how Chuck Lorre will have Ashton enter stage left.
10PM-CBS. Hawaii 5.0. This re-boot is very well executed. It has wonderful guest stars to accompany the HOT Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan.


Ringer this fall on the CW.

Tuesday:
8PM-CBS wins again. I can't desert NCIS. The cast (almost untouched sans Sasha Alexander) has been a part of my viewing experience for 8 years.
9PM-CW this time. They have Sarah Michelle Gellar (Prinze) on television again in the Ringer. Being a true Buffy fan many times over, I would follow Gellar any where (I even watched Southland Tales).
10PM-CBS again. This has to go to Unforgettable; despite the fact that Poppy Montgomery annoys me, I love a murder mystery.

The alternates for the night are:
8PM-ABC. I will tune in for at least one episode of Last Man Standing just to see Tim Allen's return to the sit-com.
9PM-CBS. NCIS: LA will have me until I know what's happened to Linda Hunt, and possibly longer depending on how the Ringer lays out.
10PM-ABC. I'll give Body of Proof a bigger chance now that it's not against The Good Wife, but I need more out of the writing to stick with it.

Wednesday:
8PM-NBC. I have to tune in for the new comedy hour this night. I look forward to seeing Christina Applegate in Up All Night and Kathryn Hahn in Free Agents.
9PM-CBS. Criminal Minds is another show I will be faithful too, especially since A.J. Cook is coming back to the cast. (This year was almost painful without her.)
10PM-NBC. Law & Order: SVU will forever be a favorite in my book. There's only one of their shows during their 12 seasons that did not shine a positive spotlight on awareness for sexual violence.

There are NO alternates this night.

Thursday:
8PM-CBS. Big Bang Theory is one of the few shows that my husband and I both like. The nerds will continue to have our support.
9PM-FOX. Bones has me for at least one more season. But I have to admit, I'm getting tired of the will they/won't they. The writing is not as much about the crime any more, which makes me grow tired.
10PM-Eh. This will have to be an alternate hour...

The alternates are:
8PM-CW. The Vampire Diaries still has my DVR recording because it's a "fang thang," despite the fact that David Anders is no longer on the show.
9PM-CBS. Person of Interest actually looks fun. It's one of the maybe three shows I'm excited about; it's just not in a lucky time slot for me. I love that Jim Caviezel is going to be on network television in a Minority Report meets Law & Order sort of way.

Friday:
8PM- CW. I'm am BEYOND thrilled that Nikita is in this time slot. The writing on this show is quite clever and reminds me of a Buffy-esque heroine (minus the monsters). If you haven't checked this show out and you like ass-kicking chicks, you should tune in come this fall!
9PM-CW. This time slot is really a tie for me, but I'll list what I watch first. I've been with the Winchester boys since day one of Supernatural and I have no desire to leave. (And really why would I? It's Jensen Ackles.)
10PM-No offense networks, but I'm not watching programming at this point. Sorry, but it's Friday night and I'm not THAT old yet!

The alternates are:
9PM-FOX. I've also been with Fringe since day one. I adore Joshua Jackson (mainly because he is one of the most respectful and friendly actors towards extras, but he's also a good actor). If I am watching TV at 10 PM, it's to catch up on this.

Sunday:
8PM-ABC. Once Upon a Time caught my interest with it's fairytale characters stuck in the real, cold world. But I wasn't sure I would tune in until Jane Espenson announced she was joining the writing team.
9PM-CBS. They moved one of my favorite shows--The Good Wife. This is either going to be a very, very good move or a very, very bad move. I, personally, am hoping people are over Desperate Housewives and tune into to Alicia Florrick.
10PM-There's nothing I would watch here either. Sorry.

The only alternate for Sunday is Animation Domination on FOX, which is only adding one new show Allen Gregory featuring the voice of Jonah Hill.

So, the final tally (including alternates) is: CBS-10 hours; FOX-5 hours; CW-4 hours; ABC-4 hours; NBC-2 hours. And only 2 new shows I'm willing to watch over a returning program. Eesh! I'm not sure I want the fall to hurry up...

A Competent Addition to Summer Reading

My dear husband recently bought me a present for being a super supportive wife (I didn't realize it was anything spectacular, but he apparently thought it was). The present was something that he swears I told him about, and probably did; although I don't remember having the conversation. Anywho, he bought me the trilogy of The Hunger Games. I had no clue what the books were about and didn't remember hearing/talking about them.

The hubby thought that he had bought me a vampire series, and he couldn't be more wrong! And I couldn't be happier about it! (I know, anyone who knows me is shocked and a little disoriented by that statement, but hear me out.) In a world where summer reading lists now include Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series, Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games are a breath of fresh air and needed intelligence.

That last bit of information (the summer reading list) came from a very smart and spunky lady I know. We were both appalled to find out that Meyer's series was considered educational. Upon that conversation, I decided I would do a comparison for my blog.

The Hunger Games vs Twilight (A Non-Teeny Bopper Weighs in):
The Heroine:
HG: Katniss Everdeen. Truthfully, there aren't enough nice things to say about Katniss. She is strong, pragmatic, fierce, sarcastic, and not driven by some sappy romance. She, despite being from a post-apocalyptic world, is what teenage girls use to be before there were bombarded with sex and the "need" for relationships everywhere; she doesn't even want to get married or have kids. Katniss isn't defined by a man/idea/family, but--whether she likes it or not--her actions. This makes her a wonderful role model for people her age where they seem to often be taught that there are no consequences in this world. 

Twilight: Bella Swan. For me, Bella is the exact opposite; she's weak, sniveling, and destructive. She isn't a role model by any means. She isn't a fighter until the final book, and at that point it's only because she herself is supernatural. Bella is constantly defined by what relationship she is or isn't in. She never really stands on her own two feet, which as a female audience member is infuriating. I want to shake her or throw something at her.

The Setting:
HG: Post-apocalyptic. Sounds depressing; right? But oddly enough, it's not. Collins was brilliant to use what was once the United States without exactly saying so. Plus, I was so enmeshed with her world, I was hurt there wasn't a map in any of the books... I'm still not entirely sure where all of the Districts fall.

Twilight: A rainy, dreary town in Washington State. Sounds depressing; right? Exactly. The setting completely matches the love-sick Bella. If I were here I'd want the curse of immortality and watching all my family and friends dying too. Oh wait, that's supposed to be romantic isn't?

The Love Story:
HG: A triangle with two boys--one from a poor family, one from a not so poor family. There's absolutely nothing forced about either love interest here. One is a best friend, who Katniss hasn't realized could be more. The other a boy who noticed her at a time (which seems to be most of her life) that Katniss is worried about survival. I enjoy the fact that the love story in this book is secondary. There are bigger priorities than an obsessive love.

Twilight: A triangle with a vampire and werewolf. Please don't misunderstand from this post, I am a vampire FAN (yes, in all caps). But this idea of a triangle isn't new or different, I hate to tell all you Meyer fans out there. It's been done more times than I can count, and done infinitely better to boot (check out the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton). Also the love story in Twilight isn't healthy! It's obsessive, possessive and destructive to the point that the main character DIES... wait, I mean becomes immortal.

The Writing:
HG: Suzanne Collins. She writes in first person narrative, which I love.  She is also a former television writer, which means her understanding of how a story lays out and is viewed is impeccable. She gives the reader just enough detail for their imagination to still play. Her writing still is active, and I'm not just talking about all the action in the story (which there is TONS of). The other, most important part of her writing, is you can tell it was written by an adult.

Twilight: Stephanie Meyer. For me, Meyer's writing style is mediocre at best. She also writes first person narrative which, despite not being a fan of Bella, I still love. But Meyer often reminds me of a high school student who writes, and writes, and writes and doesn't understand commas. Nor does she understand that you can say the same thing in three separate sentences and have the same, if not more, power in it.

The Educational Value:
HG: High. The Hunger Games, in my opinion, will eventually be taught along with Orwell's 1984, Connell's The Most Dangerous Game, and Jackson's The Lottery. It delves into what freedom, sacrifice, self-esteem and so much more means. It also talks about government and philosophy. In college the biggest debate in my philosophy class was always, "is it better to kill a few to save a thousand, or should you try to save everyone even knowing that you can't?" Collins centers around that constantly through out all three books.

Twilight: None. Twilight doesn't really teach anything. I suppose at the end of the day maybe it teaches to accept all people whatever their differences (despite glitter or turning furry). But beyond that I think the most valuable lesson it shows is a "what not to be" to girls.

Now here's a few disclaimers: I have read both series, despite being almost 30. I am also well aware that the plots and stories of both books are very different; my comparison is based on the fact they share the same target audience.

I also feel the need to tell you that my disdain for the Twilight  series and Meyer has nothing to do with the fact that I'm bitter she made vampires popular, which I readily admit that I am. I do want to say that I am grateful that both sets of books inspire kids to read in our ADD, a 1,000 TV channels world.

Another One(s) Bites the Dust

I was going to wait until the television upfronts were done next week before I talked about shows that are/have been cancelled; but Fox's hatchet job yesterday forced my hand. I'm not sure what the stranger part of the announcement was: 1. They cancelled at least two shows with above mediocre ratings (not stellar but decent) or 2. The announcement came less than a week before they present their schedule for the fall season.

I love television upfronts. The anticipation of a new season, figuring out my DVR's schedule, and finding out which bubbles last or get popped is one of my favorite things. 9 times out of 10 there is inevitably one show that gets cancelled that makes me angry or puts me in despair. It doesn't surprise me that Fox is responsible for that show this season, because it's not the first time. Fox is notorious for not giving their audience enough credit to stick with a show or putting crap reality on instead of quality shows because it's cheaper.

I'd love to say that Fox is the only network responsible for breaking my heart in recent years... but that would be a lie. Every network as done it at least once. Here's my list of the most heartbreaking cancellations for me in recent years; each show's run varies, but all were taken before their time:

1. Breaking In.
The Culprit: Fox
Run Time: Half of a normal season (7 episodes)
This is one of the two shows Fox announced they were cancelling yesterday. The cast is amazing (Christian Slater, hello?)! It's clever, geeky, action packed. It's a waste to have been cancelled. It makes me think that Fox just needed a seat filler for the spring and had no intention on keeping it to begin with.

2. Veronica Mars.
The Culprit: The CW
Run Time: Three Seasons
Veronica Mars was a cult classic. It never had through the roof ratings (but really what CW show does?). But what VM lacked in numbers, it made up in quality and talent. Kristen Bell was an unbelievable heroine with flaws and her own set of problems. She was a female character that every teenage girl on some level could relate to and admire. Not to mention the father/daughter relationship has never been so enviable on TV. I firmly believe the ultimate cancellation of this show was because the execs at the CW forced Rob Thomas to dumb down part of season 3, and to take away the one thing that made VM different from other teen shows--an overall arc/mystery for the entire season.

3. Mercy.
The Culprit: NBC
Run Time: One Season
Mercy was by far my FAVORITE show of the 2009-2010 television season. I have to admit, I only tuned in at first to watch Buffy-alum Michelle Trachtenberg. But within one episode, I was swooning over the writing and Taylor Schilling--she is one of the most relatable characters for me in a very long time (possibly because I watch a lot of supernatural/science fiction/fantasy stuff). This show had talent, a big heart, and amazing drama that I couldn't turn off. Unfortunately, NBC didn't feel the same way.

Taylor Schilling as Nurse Veronica.

4. Eli Stone.

The Culprit: ABC

Run Time: Two seasons (sort of; 26 episodes)

For me, Eli Stone wasn't a great show, but it was unbelievably endearing and just made me happy. It included musical numbers before Glee arrived. It's cast--Jonny Lee Miller, Victor Garber, Loretta Devine, Julie Gonzalo--always seemed to be having a fantastic time, which in turn made me have a fantastic time.

5. Tru Calling/Dollhouse.
The Culprit: Fox
Run Time: Two seasons (sort of ; 26 episodes)/ Two seasons (sort of; 27 episodes)
I know this is two shows, but I thought I should do them together because: what is Fox's problem with my girl Eliza Dushku? Can't they give her a steady time slot so that fans know when to tune in? Fox consistently (in both cases) changed time slots--in Tru Calling's case days and start dates. Fans want to watch her, no matter what she's in; but it's very difficult if you don't tell us when she's on!

I should add some (very) honorable mentions: Firefly (Joss Whedon & Nathan Fillion, enough said); Lie to Me (teaches you how to spot a liar); Lipstick Jungle (a somewhat more believable Sex in the City); Chicago Code (Shawn Ryan is a genius); Studio 60 (another show Execs thought needed to be dumbed down to it's detriment); My So-Called Life (teen angst has never been shown this well since); and Saving Grace (Holly Hunter is a bad ass). 

One last thought: Does any body else remember when a television season meant 22 episodes, 2 seasons meant 44 episodes and so on?

A Person's Heroes

A while back I wrote a post about my mom, who is my hero in so many ways. But a couple of weeks ago my husband got to meet his guitar hero--Mark Tremonti. Tremonti is the reason my husband started playing guitar. The hubby was beyond excited, and even now--weeks later--I think, at least a foot is still on Cloud 9. I was beyond excited for my husband, and relieved that Tremonti seemed every bit the guy that my hubby had pictured him to be. (I doubt Tremonti will ever read this, but just in case: Thank you, Mark!)

The hubs with Tremonti 4/27/11!

However, this wonderful encounter got me thinking... Do I have a hero that would be like that for me? I ran through people I admired and people who inspired me. Quite a few (my mom, Lisa, Gina, Linda (x2), Carla, Kathy, Juliette, Heather, Gail, Edna, Kristen, et al) are a part of my every day life or were at one point. Reflecting on that it made me both happy and sad. I was elated to look back and realize how fortunate I was to have such A-M-A-Z-I-N-G women in my life who supported, pushed, believed and corrected me.

But it made me feel like I'm not the dreamer I always thought I was. I always thought I had lofty aspirations and no goal was too high for me, which IS true. Just because I didn't have a hero I could name at a moment's notice, didn't mean that I didn't dream.

Now, after thinking about it for a few weeks, I do have a list of women that I would like to meet for a variety of reasons. Below are my Top 10 and why I would want to meet them:

10. Idina Menzel. No one's voice in musical theatre has moved me quite the way that hers did in Wicked.

9. Mary Lou Retton. In my youth, she was my hero. I always eagerly looked forward to the Summer Olympics because of her.

8. Eve Ensler. She created The Vagina Monologues--isn't that enough said? If not, then let me add this: she gave female issues a voice that was unique and loud enough to not be ignored.

7. Loretta Lynn. When she started in country music, it was still mainly a man's genre. She was one of the first women in the world to not just croon over a man. Instead she spoke her mind and didn't care what people thought. She is an inspiration in character and strength.

6. Anne Rice. I enjoyed vampires before I read Anne Rice, but her portrayal and humanizing of Lestat made me fall in LOVE. To this day vampires are still some of my favorite creatures.

5. Jane Espenson. She is my television writing goddess. She has had a hand in every supernatural or science fiction show I have watched the last decade and then some. She's hysterical on twitter and I can't wait to see her playing with Captain Jack on Torchwood.

4. Kristen Bell. This is one I admire. She is truly selfless in her causes (invisible children, clean water, etc). I would also love to have her incredible timing for sarcastic, ironic, dark humor. "Did that surprise you?"

3. Reese Witherspoon. I have been told more times than I can count that I look and sound like her, and I have to admit that is a large part of why I would want to meet her. But beyond that, I respect her work and her fantastic ability to keep her private life just that.

2.  Reba. If I had to say that one woman inspired me in all walks, it would be the red-headed country queen. She can do it all--sing, act, produce.

1. Laurell K. Hamilton. In my adult life she's probably the most inspirational celeb-ish woman for me. I literally stumbled upon her Anita Blake novels. The more books I read, I chose to learn more about her. She encouraged me to play with my own imaginary friends on paper without even knowing it--for that I will always be grateful.

You Sang What?

Last week, my Ingy told me I should really watch NBC's new show The Voice. I wouldn't say I was argumentative to the suggestion, although I probably was. I told her that I couldn't even watch American Idol anymore. The truth is reality TV for me, until about the last year, meant the quiz show Jeopardy. I am one of those nerds who went to film TV school; I have a great respect for writers of TV and film. I absolutely hate the idea that reality TV is trying to make them defunct (but I honestly have to believe that this will never come to pass).

Anywho, I begrudgingly taped The Voice last week to support my Ingy's friends. To be completely honest, I didn't get the chance to watch it until Friday. That night only being two or three performers in I had to text Ingy--I was in love. The combination of "coaches" (Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, CeeLo, and Adam Levine) didn't make sense in my imagination, but in reality they were fantastic!

Last night I watched the conclusion of the "blind auditions" (the coaches can't see who they've chosen to be on their teams; just have to rely on their ears). Last weeks was definitely better because the coaches went head to head far more often, but it was still fun to watch. Plus being a country girl at heart, Blake Shelton is soooo much fun to watch.  Also last week, though, the talent was better over all (which explains the coaches going head to head more).

But I also think that the song selections overall were just better. Last night we had one guy who sang CeeLo and had his dream come true by being put on his team. But then we had two girls (who I won't give my full opinion judgement of yet) who sang Miranda Lambert (you know, Shelton's fiance?) songs. Let me say right here and now that Lambert fills my iPod, and "Kerosene" is my karaoke jam. But I would never, never, NEVER sing a song of hers for an audition in front of Blake Shelton.

One girl (who's had enough career success that I'm not sure why she's on the show) did "Gunpowder and Lead." Great song, but more of a crowd song--it serves no purpose for a group with their backs to you. The second girl who claimed to be a HUGE Blake Shelton sang "The House That Built Me." Two problems there: 1. It is Miranda's number one hit; don't presume that you can do it justice. 2. If you truly are a Blake Shelton fan, you at least know part of the story. Which in a nutshell, the demo was sent to him first and he really liked it--so he and Miranda both have a special connection with the song.

This is what is should sound like:

I'm fully looking forward to the coming weeks. I'm actually excited to vote, and I haven't felt that excitement since Carrie Underwood was on Idol. Now I just have to remember to vote for the person singing and note their coach (i.e. Blake Shelton). I know what you're thinking, but I'm a country girl, remember?