Stephen Colbert Finally Mentions Jimmy Fallon, Sort Of

Last week, we speculated that Stephen Colbert might appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon while Jimmy was interviewing President Obama at the University of North Carolina.  The two had been best friends for six months, and then eternal enemies for six months, all which ended on the much hyped date of March 3.  Surprisingly, nothing happened on that date, nor any date since then.  Neither talk show host even mentioned the other during the past almost 2 months, that was until this past Thursday's Colbert Report, when Colbert discussed the backlash President Obama faced for appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  But aside from jokingly referring to Late Night as "The Jimmy Fallon Giggle Time News Hour", there were really no references to the two being enemies, friends, or anything at all.  He treated Obama's appearance on Jimmy's show the same as if he had appeared on Letterman or Leno.  Did the two decide that the ongoing bit about them being friends/enemies had run its course and it was time to just forget about it?  Or are they planning some big bit to air some time in the future? (Remember, it wasn't until a few weeks after their best friendship for six months ended that they "realized" that the six months had expired and that they were no longer best friends.)  Only time will tell.

In the meantime, here's the clip of Stephen Colbert talking about President Obama's appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

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TV Clip of the Day: Charades!

I know I've been posting a lot of clips of 30 Rock lately, so I promise this isn't another 30 Rock clip.  It's a clip from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, featuring, well, the lead cast of 30 Rock: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer.  The gang stopped by Late Night last week to promote their big live show.  Rather than doing a big group interview, they joined Jimmy for a big game of charades.  Check out the hilarious game below:

30 Rock Live - Fred Armisen

This week's 30 Rock live episode had lots of huge guest stars from Paul McCartney, Jon Hamm, and Donald Glover, to SNL alums Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, Will Forte, and Chris Parnell (and if you live on the West Coast, you got Kim Kardashian and Brian Williams).  But one of the best surprise guest stars in my opinion was SNL/Portlandia star Fred Armisen.  For the other stars, they were the main focus of the scene.  They came on, everyone applauded, and they delivered some funny lines.  But for Fred Armisen, he just stayed in the background, never getting a big applause, and never even uttering a single word. It was almost like a little inside joke to see how many times you could find Fred Armisen hidden in the show.  So how many times did you find Fred?  We found him 3 times (plus the farewells of course).  Let us know if we missed any!

The first appearance of Fred was at the beginning of the episode, just after the opening theme.  He's just standing in the background, wearing a mustache, as Tina Fey walks by.

Fred's second appearance, and the hardest one to spot, was as Frank's fill-in while Judah Friedlander was off-camera getting ready for his streaking scene.  I actually did a double take when I first saw Frank sitting there, and had to rewind my DVR to confirm it was really Fred Armisen.

In Fred's most obvious appearance, he appeared as a woman answering phones at the telethon.  As he crept into the shot, he nearly made Jimmy Fallon break on air.

And of course, here's Fred during the farewells, standing with his doppelganger.

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 7

Guest Blogger Daniel recaps American Idol - Top 7:

Colton Dixon delivered one of best performances of this season in “Love The Way You Lie”

American Idol is down to the top 7. Wow. Time flies. We have a really good group this year. They are very talented and they are clearly all pretty close. The theme tonight is songs from the last 3 years. Wow! Great theme. And the guest mentor is Akon. In addition to their solos, they all performed with one or two other contestants. I’ll grade the multi-contestant performances first cause they weren’t too good so we can get them out of the way. As a fun bonus to the pre-performance videos, we get to see the reaction of the people in each of the contestants hometowns to them being on American Idol. Also, I would like to make a quick comment before I start. The producers are clearly trying to push Jessica and Joshua because they want a conventional powerhouse voice to be the American Idol. That said, while they are both very good, I don’t think either of them are the best in this competition. It has greatly annoyed me the way the judges have lathered them with enthusiastic praise and comments like “best ever” while they get outshone by other contestants. I would like to officially say that my ideal top 3 this season are Colton Dixon, Skylar Laine, and Phillip Phillips. Again, I’m not saying I don’t like Joshua and Jessica, I am saying that they have been drastically overhyped. I still say they are both very talented. Also, just know, I will likely ramble at least a little about this for every post until I think it has been fixed.

Multi Contestant Performances

Colton Dixon and Skylar Laine provided the best duet of the night yet again

Elise/Phillp                            Somebody That I Used To Know

This is a great, great song. I suggest watching Gotye’s live performance that he did on SNL with Kimbra because even though I hadn’t heard of him until it was announced that he would be on SNL, I think he is insanely talented. Also, watch the music video. And the SNL Digital Short starring Andy Samberg, Taran Killam, and Gotye himself, parodying the music video. Anyway, it was ok. The beginning was really good but when the band joined in for the first chorus, things fell apart a bit. Also, they chose a song that was originally a duet but they didn’t sing it the same way. It’t not like they were taking a normal song and turning it into a duet, but the way they arranged it you wouldn’t have known that it was originally a duet. Anyway, not great. B-

Skylar/Colton                                 Don’t You Wanna Stay

The pre performance video was really funny. Just in case you didn’t see it, Colton did his best country boy impression, and they made it clear that they were not dating; Colton jokingly claiming it was because Skylar owned a gun. Anyway, they took on “Don’t You Wanna Stay”, a country duet by Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean. Colton, once again, showed how versatile his voice is. However, he didn’t really have a chance to shine during this performance. Skylar was good generally but she was a bit pitchy at time. Overall, really good, but not perfect. Also, they “made love to each other on stage???” Really Steven? Really with Seth and Amy?!? A-

Jessica/Hollie/Joshua                       What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)

I would like to say that Hollie is super cute. Also the idols are good at doing the little comedic bits this season. This was just a train wreck. Joshua sounded good when he first sang the beginning of the first verse on his own, but then Jessica came in to do her part of the verse and sounded awful. Hollie didn’t sound much better. Then trying to listen to Joshua and Jessica try to harmonize with each other was painful and so was Joshua trying to harmonize with Hollie. Joshua’s strong start is what keeps this from failing. And of the judges mindlessly praised them because the judges cant speak ill of Joshua or Jessica. D

Solo’s

Skylar Laine                           Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You

Skylar is coming off a monumental performance and she was able to follow it up very nicely. She sang beautifully. She also played the guitar, which I think really added to her performance. She’s definitely a contender and usually the people that win aren’t the favorites at the beginning of the season. While Colton is still my favorite, I would be very happy with Skylar winning the whole thing. She is by far my favorite girl in the competition. Also, she is too cute. A-

Colton Dixon                          Love The Way You Lie

It was really cute watching that little kid give him self a “Colton” hairstyle. Anyway, when I heard what song he was singing I was seriously concerned. It's one of my favorite songs ever but it is also a hard song to sing, and I wasn’t sure how he would get around the rap part. I should have known better. This is Colton Dixon. He cleverly combined “Love The Way You Lie” with “Love The Way You Lie Part II” to avoid the rap because in part II the verses are sung. And that’s just what he did with the arrangement. Colton delivered one of his best vocals to date. The reason I love this song so much is it’s so intense and it really tells an intense story. Colton used the awesome intensity he has brought to so many of his performances to tell the story differently then Eminem did, differently then Rihanna did, and differently then Skylar Grey did, yet without straying too far from the song. That is the mark of a true artist. The best part though was at the end when he hit the big note with “Our memories” and finished the song just him and the piano. It was a great decision to start off just him and the piano and end just him and the piano. And yet, no standing o from the judges? I’m not going to say anything, because you know what I’m thinking. Buy this one on iTunes. Anyway, I’m inventing a new grade for this one. A++

Jessica Sanchez                      Stuttering

Jessica is very talented, but this was a very sleepy, boring performance. In choosing a song that isn’t very well known, she took a big swing and quite frankly, I think she missed. In spite of all of the BS the judges spouted after her performance, I think this early favorite is starting to fall back. Not really much more to say here. B-

Joshua Ledet                          Runaway Baby

It’s really cool that Joshua got that birthday message from his idol, Fantasia. I always like when they do those kinds of things on Idol. Joshua chose an up-beat Bruno Mars song. Good choice for two reasons. One, because he hasn’t sung an upbeat song in his solo performance since Stevie Wonder/Whitney Houston week. It’s also cool because I said that Bruno Mars would be a good direction for Joshua to go when he wants to throw a change up. Anyway, he more then held his own here. He put his stamp on this song without getting lost in it or loosing his breath the way some ballad singers can when they sing faster songs (think Jessica singing “Turn The Beat Around” or Hollie singing “Flash Dance.”) Joshua didn’t fall into the trap that they fell into; although Jessica also proved she could nail a fast song last week. Surprise, surprise! The judges stood up for him. I don’t mind it that much this time in part because they didn’t go over the top saying anything like “I saw G-d come out of your eyes” (Steven) and because this performance was fantastic. A+

Hollie Cavanagh                    Perfect

She has been really off her game lately. She’s super cute and I love the way she said that “pehfect by p!nk would be the pehfect song for her to be pehfect” with that strange Texan-British mix accent. Was she great? No. Was she much better then she has been for the past 3 weeks (not counting the duet she did with DeAndre)? Yes. And the last not, as Jimmy predicted, was fantastic. I will say though that she might have dug herself a hole that she can’t dig herself out of. If she makes it, she still has a ways to go if she wants to get to where she was earlier in the season.  And with such a good group this season, she needs more than a B+, especially coming off a three-week slump. Bottom line, while she ended her slump, she wasn’t exactly the old Hollie that we loved in the first few weeks. B+

Phillip Phillips                           Give A Little More

This was ok, but Jennifer was absolutely right when she said that it seemed kind of familiar. He also had a few notes that just landed a little flat. At this point, in my opinion, Phillip has fallen behind Skylar. B-

Elise Testone                             You And I

Wow. What a lame setup to play the video Jason Segal sent in telling Elise that he was a fan. Basically, she said that on her day off she went and saw Segal’s new movie “Jeff Who Lives At Home” (which I saw by the way and is fantastic) and that she was such a big Jason Segal fan and sometimes she wondered if he ever watched her. And cue the tape! LAME! Anyway Elise talked about how she missed Charleston but the map showed her hometown as Kinnelon, NJ. The American Idol website says she’s from Charleston, SC though. Confusing. Anyway, Elise chose “You and I” by Lady Gaga which was actually debuted last season on American Idol by Haley Reinhart, who nailed it. Interesting song choice because I actually think of Elise as an arrogant, very poor mans Haley. I liked Haley and I think Elise tries too hard, but they have similar styles. At first, Elise had the dreadful idea of trying to do the entire performance from behind the drums. Thankfully, Jimmy was able to talk her out of it. That said, it was just mediocre. She sounded really bad until she got to the chorus and that was already halfway into the song. Elise is definitely at risk. At this stage you are expected to be more consistent then she is. This wasn’t just one off-week. She goes back and forth every week. However due to both Jessica and Phillip having off-nights, this was not the worst performance of the night. B

Champion the 3-Legged Dog on The Office

While watching The Office this week, we were very surprised to see a very familiar face.  No, I'm not talking about former Dunder Mifflin CFO David Wallce (though that was a very fun surprise!), I'm talking about Champion, April and Andy's 3-legged dog from Parks & Recreation.  Though he was only on screen for a few seconds, and his 3 legs weren't  visible, his distinct brown-spotted face was unmistakably Champion.  You can see him in the bottom left corner in the first few seconds of the clip below, as well as a few other times in the background.   So here's Champion on The Office!

And here's Champion on Parks & Recreation.

30 Rock Live TV Parodies

This past Thursday, 30 Rock had its second live episode, and what an episode it was!  From the flashbacks to the surprise guests, the episode was non-stop fun.  But one of my favorite parts of the episode was the parodies of classic TV shows that they worked into the episode.  For those of you who may not be as familiar with classic television, here's a side by side (well above and below) look at 30 Rock's parody and the original classic show:

The Lovebirds/The Honeymooners

The Lovebirds is a parody of the classic Jackie Gleason sitcom The Honeymooners, with Alec Baldwin playing Jackie Gleason's role of Ralph Kramden, and Tina Fey doing a great impression of his miserable housewife Alice.

The Joey Montero Show/The Dean Martin Show

The Joey Montero Show was  a parody of the classic variety show The Dean Martin Show.  Alec Baldwin spoofs crooner Dean Martin, who drunkenly stumbled around on stage, telling jokes and singing with his guests. 

Alphie and Abner/Amos 'n' Andy

Alphie and Abner is a parody of the old sitcom Amos 'n' Andy.  Amos 'n' Andy started out as a popular radio show, before it was later turned into a TV series.  Though the TV show starred black actors, the 1930 feature film (based on the radio series) featured white actors in black face, as spoofed by Jon Hamm's character in Alphie and Abner.

The Gruby Brother and Nipsey/Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
The Gruby Brother and Nipsey is a spoof of the classic sketch comedy series Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.  The show, which featured silly sketches and random dancing girls, was most famous for its "joke wall" where cast members would open a door on the wall and tell a joke.

2nd Clip of the Day: Colbert Interviews Julie Andrews

While Stephen Colbert may not have been interviewing the President like Jimmy Fallon, he was busy interviewing his own legendary guest: Mary Poppins herself, Julie Andrews.  A few months ago, we posted a clip of Stephen Colbert talking to children's author Maurice Sendak about his own idea for a children's book entitled "I am a Pole (And So Can You)".  We later reported that the book is actually going to be published and will be released on May 8 (in just a few weeks!).  So with his book release so soon, Stephen decided to talk to legendary actress Julie Andrews, who has written many children's books herself.  As you'd expect, the result is hilarious:

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Clip of the Day: Obama Slow Jams the News with Jimmy Fallon

Last night, we speculated that Stephen Colbert might crash Late Night with Jimmy Fallon with Barack Obama.  Well, that didn't happened.  But while there was no Colbert, there was plenty of Obama (as well as a good amount of Dave Matthews).  Obama talked to Jimmy about politics, college, television, and even answered some Twitter questions.  But the most memorable part of his appearance would have to be when the "POTUS with the Mostest" slow jammed the news with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots.  Check it out:

Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert Speculation at UNC Tonight

A few months ago, we posted a very long post, documenting the tumultuous relationship between Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert.  During this past February, they often promoted that something would happen on March 3, when their "Eternal Enemies for 6 Months" would have expired.  But March 3 came and went, and nothing happened.  We have been watching both Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Colbert Report religiously each night (or later in the week on DVR), and not even a single mention of their relationship.  

Tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, will be appearing on the show.  Not only that, but the show will be broadcast from UNC the (University of North Carolina) instead of his usual New York City studio.  So why on this huge episode of Late Night, with the highest profile guest imaginable, do I suspect something might go down with this silly little Colbert "feud"? 

Well, earlier today, Stephen Colbert randomly tweeted the following:

Why would Stephen randomly tweet about the UNC campus?  Was he perhaps there to film something for Jimmy's show?  We don't know.  Jimmy and his crew have been tweeting about tonight's show with Obama all day, and no mention at all of Colbert.  Also, as far as we know, Colbert is shooting his own show in New York today, so it's very likely that his tweet was just Stephen being random, and not indicative of anything.  But then again, who knows...  

So I guess we'll have to tune into Late Night tonight at 12:37 to see if Colbert does in fact appear.  And even if he doesn't (which is quite likely), it should still be a pretty amazing show with the President of the United States.  And from what the crew has been tweeting, Obama is gonna Slow Jam the News, which should be amazing!

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 8

American Idol - Top 8 Recap from Guest Blogger Daniel:

Skylar Laine soared to the top of the pack with an Epic rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings.”

We are really at the heart of the American Idol season: the Top 8. The theme for Top 8 week was songs from the 80’s, and the mentors were Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal (who?) from ‘No Doubt’. Also, in addition to the solo performances, all the contestants could be performing duets with another contestant. I will grade the solo performances first and then the duets. Without further ado lets get recapping.

DeAndre Brackensick                       I Like It

Wow, Jimmy was pretty harsh on DeAndre predicting he would be in the bottom three. Anyway, the performance was really good. He did a good job of not over using his falsetto and he just performed very creatively, starting out in the audience and then walking through the aisles to the stage giving high fives to everyone he passed. The whole performance just had a great energy to it. Also, Ryan does a pretty good DeAndre impression. A-

Elise Testone                         I Wanna Know What Love Is *Worst Performance Of The Night*

Thank God she didn’t sing Hallelujah. She just doesn’t have the voice for that song. Anyway how did THIS give Gwen Stefani “goosies”? During the chorus, her voice was kind of overpowered by the back up singers and the verses just sounded sloppy. She had a few good moments, but generally Elise missed the mark with this one. B-

Phillip Phillips                                    That’s All

Phil did a really nice job here. I agree with Randy that Tony Kanal made a great call telling Phillip to stop playing for that last chorus to give it a sense of intimacy. It was also really cool that he was playing with his brother-in-law and he seemed to be having a lot of fun. It may have had something to do with his brother-in-law playing with him, but he seemed more comfortable on stage then he usually is. A

Joshua Ledet                          If You Don’t Know Me By Know

It looks like Joshua sent a lot of his crawfish to his family! That’s nice, but don’t they live in Louisiana? Don’t they have plenty? Anyway, Joshua took on another song that was sung perfectly by Stefano Langone last season. The other song was “When A Man Loves A Woman”, which he nailed. This one was very good too, just not as good as Stefano’s last season, or the original, or most of Joshua’s previous performances. Reading that back I realize I made it seem like it was bad, which it wasn’t. It just wasn’t as good as it could have been. The judges are crowning him and Jessica though and it's kind of annoying me that they are raving about those two while giving Colton almost unenthusiastic praise. I don’t think Colton has gotten a standing O all season and he is by far the best in the competition. I will get back to this later. Bottom line though , Joshua was really good. A-

Jessica Sanchez                      How Will I Know

This was a fantastic performance. As usual, she sang great, but this week she walked the stage with a new swagger. Considering the song, it was a cool little move to start the performance surrounded by boys. I don’t really like her calling herself “BB Chez” though. People that young should not give themselves alter ego names. That aside though, Jessica cleared a major hurtle with this performance. She sang an up-tempo song really well. Her only other previous attempt at a up-tempo song was “Turn The Beat Around” which was something of a mess. Bottom line, this was a big week for Jessica, but in my personal rankings she still trails Colton, Skylar and Phillip. Anyway…A

Hollie Cavanagh                    Flash Dance

In five weeks of live performances, this is the first time Hollie is singing an up-tempo song, unless you count the duet she did with DeAndre. While that was great, this was a train wreck. She was pitchy for the entire song and she seemed to be trying too hard. Below, I will talk about how, after seeing her duet, I thought she was “back” after two bad performances. I also said, as did the judges, that she is better when she just relaxes and sings, because she has a beautiful voice and she just needs to show that to everyone. However , she did not relax. In fact, she seemed tense and verging on desperate. You could see her thinking too much but in the duet she was just singing and it was amazing. I’m not sure if she will make it, but if she does, then I hope she pulls it together because she has a gorgeous voice and it would be a pity for someone as talented as her not to live up to her full potential. D

Colton Dixon                          Time After Time

When I heard what Colton was singing I was a bit concerned. However, he Colton-ized it and he nailed it. I will repeat that to let it sink in. Colton nailed a Cindi Lauper song. His vocals were superb and you could really feel his passion. And the drum thing in the middle was perfect. Still, no standing O from the judges? To quote Gob Bluth “C’mon!”. Seriously though, if you don’t give a standing O for Colton’s “Piano Man” though, then you are impossible to impress and it would appear that they fall in that category even though they haven’t said a bad word about Colton the whole season They just wont give him the props he deserves. I’m starting to get really frustrated about this. Why will the judges almost never name Colton as one of the best at the end of the show when he clearly is? Why won’t the judges appreciate him? This is a kid with incredible talent, who really loves music and who is ready to be a star and if they don’t want him to win, that’s they’re loss. It’s times like this I really miss Simon, who would have seen through all this nonsense and judged honestly. I’m starting to think that Colton might be too good for American Idol and that it might be good if he doesn’t win so he can sign with a producer that appreciates him. I repeat, its not that he’s not good, it’s that the producers don’t want him to win. This has been the most producer-manipulated season of American Idol ever, and I’m at the end of my rope. Oh, the performance? Right. A+

Skylar Laine                           Wind Beneath My Wings *Best Performance Of The Night*

It has been a fantastic night of performances but this one takes the cake. Skylar not only nailed a classic but she showed another side of her. She dropped every note during the verses perfectly and hearing her belt the “Did I ever tell you you’re my hero” part was, quite frankly, heavenly. It was such a great performance I’m not sure how to describe it any further. All I’ll say is, I saw in her something that, before this point, I’ve only seen in Colton (that's right, not Joshua or Jessica). That is an American Idol Winner caliber performance. Skylar looked gorgeous and sung her heart out. A+

Duets

Colton Dixon and Skylar Laine performed the top duet of the night with “Island In The Stream”

Skylar/Colton                                    Islands In The Stream

This was fantastic. Of course, Skylar nailed it cause it was right up her ally, but what really surprised me is how well Colton sung this country classic. They had great chemistry on stage too. Too bad they’re not dating cause they’re good together. This was positively flawless. Possibly the best performance of the season. I do not think we will be seeing a better duet tonight. Also Colton doesn’t look bad with blonde hair. A+

Hollie/DeAndre                     I’m So Excited

This was great from beginning to end. DeAndre had an exciting entrance there. They both sounded great and I wasn’t sure how Hollie would sing an up-tempo song, especially considering that she has been slumping for the past couple weeks, but she was great. When she sang her first solo at the end of the 1^st verse, I thought that she had come out of her slump (I hadn’t seen her solo performance yet). I agree with the judges that Hollie let go here and that’s what she needs to do. Either way, with this performance Hollie reminded us all what a beautiful, powerful voice she has. DeAndre sang really well too doing some awesome little ad-libs and bringing the same energy he brought to his solo to this performance. They both looked like they were having the time of their lives. This was incredible, but not as incredible as Colton and Skylar were. A+

Elise/Phillip                                       Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around

This is a hard performance to judge. The vocals were ok I guess. That said, there were a lot of really strange things about this performance. For one, what was with the fan backdrop? It was distracting and strange to have two fans spinning in the background while they were singing. The other main problem was that they had no on-stage chemistry. They looked very awkward around each other. They actually looked a lot more comfortable when they spread out on stage than they did when they were next to each other. OK vocals+all that weird stuff=B

Jessica/Joshua                                               I Knew You Were Waiting For Me

For the duets, the two power voices got paired up. They’re not just the two power voices actually, they are the two contestants that the producers are really trying to get into the finals. I like them both, but the producers are clearly rooting for them and it’s annoying me. I know it’s not their faults, but still. They are getting the praise that should be going to Colton. Anyway, this was good but a bit over the top. It wasn’t incredible though, and watching the judges predict a possible final between those two and gush over what was really just a solid performance made me sick. A-

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 9

Here's another American Idol recap from Guest Blogger Daniel:

              Colton Dixons emotional performance put him at the top of the pack yet again

We have another American Idol recap for you and the other night was one of my favorite themes: songs by the contestants' personal idols. Also glad to see that they condensed the Tommy Hilfiger bit. Anyway, they performed solo songs as usual as well as trios. I will grade the solos first in the order they occurred as usual, then at the end I will grade the trios. Also the guest mentor is Stevie Nicks. Funny she also just made a cameo on Up All Night!

Colton Dixon                          Everything *Best Performance Of The Night*

Colton chose a song by Lifehouse, “Everything”, which he said was his favorite worship song. Surprise, surprise, he nailed it. He sang with passion throughout and at the end the emotion overwhelmed him a bit but for me that only made it better. A few weeks back, Jimmy said that Colton should use his vulnerability on stage as an asset and he sure did and seeing his grandfather choke up was a very touching moment I totally agree with Randy. Colton is a contender. Another top tier performance for Colton Dixon. A

Skylar Laine                           Gun Powder And Lead

Skylar chose a Miranda Lambert song, and Jimmy said that if she was going to do this she had to be really in her game. Quite frankly I haven’t seen Skylar off her game yet. I know I’ve already said it, but she brings spunk, energy, and passion to every single performance. I thought she did a really great job. Once or twice it seemed like she went too low during the verse, but she nailed the choruses every time. Overall, she was just fantastic. A-

Heejun Han                            A Song For You

This was by far his best performance of the competition. Heejun poured his soul out into this song and his emotional connection was reflected in his performance. He actually has a lot of talent and I liked what he said at the end about how he doesn’t want to let himself down. The question for Heejun will be is it too little too late? After that I don’t think its too little but it might be too late. Of course, afterword he delivers a joke. He may not be the best singer but he is an incredible personality with a bright future ahead of him whether it be in music or comedy. A-

Hollie Cavanagh                    Jesus Take The Wheel

I like Hollie but this was another off performance for her. She has to make sure that she doesn’t get hit with the Brooke White effect, where she has one off performance and then they all go down hill from there. There were a few problems with this performance. She seemed to be trying to do too much and I think that hurt her. She was also pitchy all over the place. Another problem: the arrangement. I know they have to shorten the songs for the performances but with a song like that, I think it’s better to only sing one verse if your choosing between that and singing two truncated verses. C+

DeAndre Brackensick                       Sometimes I Cry *Worst Performance Of The Night*

I have been really loving DeAndre for the past few weeks and this was defiantly a step back for him. Like I said before, I like him a lot better when he isn’t going overboard with the falsetto, and that’s what he has been doing for the past few weeks. This week he went super overboard. The falsetto works much better when he uses his normal voice too. Anyway, not a good performance for DeAndre but over the last few weeks he has garnered enough of my favor for me to say that I really hope he doesn’t go home this week. C

Jessica Sanchez                      Sweet Dreams

Jessica totally turned this song on its head. She sang well, but at times during the verses it was a bit slow and a little boring. Considering the fact people are criticizing her for singing all ballads, while it worked here, slowing down might not be something she should make a habit of, at least until she successfully sings an upbeat song. The really weird thing about this performance was not the way she slowed down a Beyonce song, but the multiple doors on stage. What was that? Anyway, she did a very good job but not a great job. B+

Phillip Phillips                                    Still Rainin’

So Stevie Nicks says that had he been around then, Fleetwood Mack would have wanted him in the band. That’s high praise, but now the pressure is really on Phil to deliver. And he did. Phil sings with an almost scary amount of intensity and in this performance that intensity was clear. Was this his best performance? No, but it was still one of the best of the night. Right now he is my 2^nd fave behind Colton. A

Joshua Ledet                          Without You

Joshua took on “Without You” a song that James Durbin absolutely nailed last season. I will never forget him tearing up in the middle of the song thinking about how he couldn’t live without his wife and son, but pushing through. So Joshua had big shoes to fill but he did a really good job. Like Durbin, Joshua had shed some tears during the song but he did it at the very end before that last note. He did a really great job and showed more emotion then he has ever shown on the show. It was great, but still not as great as James was. All the same. A

Elise Testone                         Whole Lotta Love

I know everyone loved this but I thought it was just good. She was on her game, she hit her notes and sang with passion. I just wasn’t impressed with her the way I was with Colton, Joshua, Skylar, and Phillip. However, this was not one of the three worst performances of the night and I think at this point she might have done enough to keep her out of the bottom three. A-

Trio’s

Colton/Phillip/Elise              Fleetwood Mac Medley

Very nice. I loved the very beginning where Colton sang “Landslide” and he was joined by the other two. I was surprised at how well they all harmonized together. Elise was great too with “Edge Of Seventeen.” Phil and Colton both really impressed me with the harmonies here too. Phil was solid in his solo too. A very strong medley by these three. A-

Joshua/DeAndre/Heejun     Michael Jackson Medley

This wasn’t great but it had its moments. They all seemed to be having a lot of fun on stage with the exception of the “Rock With You” part where the vocals were kinda lack luster. B-

Skylar/Jessica/Hollie                        Madonna Medley

This was pretty good. Skylar really stood out she was really on her game here. Jessica was good too but Hollie seemed a bit lost. I’m not sure if Hollie will make it to the next round but if she does she has to focus up and get her grove back because she has the talent, she’s just not showing it. B-

Clip of the Day: Barry Gibb Talk Show

About a week and a half ago, Robin Gibb of the popular disco group The  Bee Gees fell into a coma.  He was being treated for cancer when contracted pneumonia.  While in the coma, his brother and co-Bee Gee Barry Gibb and other members of his family sang to him in hopes that he would eventually wake up and regain consciousness.  Well, good news!  Yesterday, Robin Gibb did in fact wake up from his coma and is showing signs of recovery!  What better way to celebrate than with the classic Jimmy Fallon SNL sketch, The Barry Gibb Talk Show featuring Justin Timberlake as Robin Gibb!  

Also, a fun fact about this particular Barry Gibb Talk Show sketch.  Of the 5 people in the sketch, Horatio Sans is the only who was actually a cast member at the time.  Cameron Diaz was the host.  At the time, she was dating Justin Timberlake, so she got him to come on the show, and Jimmy Fallon, who had recently left SNL, came back to reprise the popular sketch with Justin Timberlake.  Drew Barrymore was co-starring with Cameron Diaz at the time in Charlie's Angels, so she made a surprise appearance on the show too.

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 10

Here's a recap of American Idol - Top 10 from Guest Blogger Daniel...

Colton Dixon’s “Piano Man” was not only a flawless vocal but an amazing visual as well

Idol is back and they are doing Billy Joel night. I actually knew almost all the songs that were sung. Wait! Did Steven Tyler just say “If you can't sing Billy Joel you can't sing at all”?!? Never mind. Also this week each contestant worked with Tommy Hilfiger to develop a “style.” I think this is kind of unnecessary and don’t like the idea much but it should be interesting. Oh and guest mentor Diddy. Let’s recap!

DeAndre Brackensick                       Only The Good Die Young

I already don’t really like the fashion advice thing. Anyway, DeAndre takes on one of my favorite Billy Joel songs in only the good die young. His meeting with Jimmy and Diddy was kind of awkward, with Diddy telling him the song was about being desperate for you know… their parents don’t want them to do. First off how cool was that silhouette thing he did at the beginning of the song! Anyway I really liked this. DeAndre performed with lots of energy and charisma and sang very nice vocals and the best thing about his performance was how much fun he was having. He was clearly having the time of his life up there. I loved it. I also agreed with Jennifer that he showed a gravel in his voice at times that I hadn’t heard before. DeAndre continues his hot streak. A-

Erika Van Pelt                                    New York State Of Mind *Worst Performance Of The Night*

Oh God! So many things I hated. First, as a proud New Yorker, I was appalled to see a New Englander singing what she called “an anthem for New Yorkers.” And in response to that little thing she said in the video about Red Sox nation not being happy about this, Yankee nation isn’t happy either. She also had a total makeover thanks to Tommy Hilfiger, which turned out to be almost as horrifying as the idea of a Red Sox ran singing a New York anthem. Almost. Her new short cut and black hair made her look like a female Adam Lambert. I didn’t even recognize her at first. Anyway, the vocals were poor. She constantly over sang and the parts where she didn’t over sing we terribly flat. I cant imagine at this stage in the competition we will see something worse then that tonight. D+

Joshua Ledet                          She’s Got A Way

This was really out of Joshua’s comfort zone but I thought it was ok. While the vocals weren’t perfect and the chorus coming in for a love song like this made no sense, Joshua did do some things well. While the vocals weren’t perfect they were still pretty good, especially the big note at the end. He also showed more stage presence than he has shown the entire contest, with the backwards chair and the slow walking through the smoke. Also, good for you Joshua for still wearing black despite what Tommy said. B

Skylar Laine                           Shameless

Skylar has such a tremendous voice she showed her strong voice in this performance. As usual she brought her signature spunk and passion to the song. Steven is right that she really excelled when singing the chorus. While it was good, there was nothing especially outstanding about it but I still really enjoyed it. B+

Elise Testone                         Vienna

Elise did a fine job with this song but she used WAY too many tricks in this performance. Sometimes she should just sing straight. Some of her little tricks, especially that one she used at the end, seemed forced and unnecessary. The judges drastically overstated the quality of her performance though, because I think they think she is on the edge and they like her and want her to stay. Anyway, this was good but not as great. B+

Phillip Phillips                                    Movin’ Out

First thoughts. Him talking to Ryan was super awkward. Oh about his performance. He was really good. I will say this though. Jimmy and Diddy told him not to play the guitar, he played the guitar. Tommy told him not to wear grey and he wore grey. He should be careful. I don’t think he’s arrogant, but he might be coming off that way. On other hand though, he stayed very true to himself, which is really great. The bottom line... Who cares? He gave a fantastic performance. When he hit those choruses especially I felt like he was a star. Overall, fantastic. A

Hollie Cavanaugh                  Honesty

Hollie has been one of those people that has been cruising through the contest thus far and this performance was her first hiccup. She was just off. Her pitch was off for almost the whole song and at points she seemed to be screaming. By far her worst showing thus far. C+

Heejun Han                            My Life

Poor Heejun. He has been grilled almost every week. He has yet to receive unanimous positive comments from the judges and he is in the top 9! I may think he stole a spot from Eben or Reed but I was really rooting for him this week. Oh right and before I get to the performance he had me laughing out loud during his meeting with Tommy when he answered the question "Who are your fashion icons?" with “Jessica Sanchez, Madonna, and Michael Bolton.” When Tommy said “I think Heejun was testing me” I thought, “If Heejun leaves, even though he’s not the best singer, the show will really be missing out because he is so funny." So, his performance. I liked that beginning where he “brought his own style” starting out in a tux, stopping the piano player telling him to speed the song up cause he wanted to dance and then tearing it open to reveal a t-shirt. Anyway I actually thought his vocals were pretty ok. Sure at times his accent was a bit strong and he was a bit pitchy, but he really did a good job. He performed with swag and flair. He also seemed to have a lot of fun. I love that song but I think that because of the situation it came off as sort of an FU to the judges. Like he was saying to them “I don’t care what you say anymore cause its my life…Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone.” He certainly didn’t deserve the smack down that Steven gave him. Anyway, this is probably the toughest grade I’ve ever given. I feel like I could give him anything from a D to an A but in the end I’ll say… B

Jessica Sanchez                      Everybody Has A Dream

Jessica can really sing so she should make sure she doesn’t over sing. That’s just what Diddy told her and in the actual performance, I don’t think she over sang at all. Good call Diddy. Where was that advice for Erika Van Pelt? The very first verse wasn’t perfect but by the time she got to the chorus, she nailed it. The second chorus was absolutely perfect. Jessica hit yet another homerun here. A

Colton Dixon                          Piano Man *Best Performance Of The Night*

On a normal night what Jessica’s performance would be the top performance of the night. But this is not a normal night. I agree with Diddy that when Colton heard it was Billy Joel week he must have been totally psyched. Watching him at the piano surrounded by spotlights seemed somewhat surreal. The visual was just amazing and, of course, he nailed it, in every way. I loved how for most of the song it was just him and the piano and then during that last chorus the band came in. I was watching with my grandparents who have watched most seasons but haven’t watched this one, and the moment the performance ended my grandfather said “He’s gonna be the idol.” Also glad he didn’t change his hair (looking at you Erika). Anyway, absolutely incredible performance. A+

Just a quick note, with Hollie, Skylar, and Joshua all not getting A’s, as of now Colton is the only person who has gotten A’s every single week.

Clip of the Day: Downton Sixbey

On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, they often do parodies of many popular TV shows and rework them to be about what goes on behind the scenes of Late Night.  So far, there's been "7th Floor West" (parody of The Hills), "Real Housewives of Late Night" (parody of the Real Housewives franchise), "6-Bee" (parody of Glee), "Late" (parody of Lost), and "Jersey Floor" (parody of Jersey Shore). There hasn't been a new TV show parody in a while, that was until Thursday night's show when Jimmy and the gang released "Downton Sixbey", a parody of the popular PBS period drama Downton Abbey.  While I've never actually watched Downton Abbey, I really enjoyed Jimmy's parody, and can't wait to see what happens next.  Check out Episode 1 below, and be on the look out for some great cameos (including one from an SNL cast member!)

And while we're on the subject of Downton Abbey spoofs, check out this SNL clip of Downton Abbey on Spike:

Guest Post: American Idol Recap - Top 11

Here's the latest American Idol recap from Guest Blogger Daniel!

On top 11 night, Joshua Ledet stood out slaying “When A Man Loves A Woman”

I will not mention the disqualification of Jermaine Jones past this paragraph. All I can say is it's too bad. He seemed like a nice guy and he did have a nice voice. That said, I think he would have been on his way out anyway. Still, sad. And on that cheery note, let's get to the performances. Oh and it's songs from year you (the contestant) were born which means baby pictures. Oh and wil.i.am is back!

Phillip Phillips                                    Hard To Handle

AWW! He was a cute baby. Phil was getting off surgery for kidney stones so it makes his ok but not especially impressive performance well... especially impressive. I’ll give him trooper points and while this wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great either. Still, he is one of the most talented on the show. B

Jessica Sanchez                      Turn The Beat Around

Jessica chooses an up-tempo song. She had some ok moments. Problem was she had a fair amount of off -notes and she ran out of breath at the climax of the song. That said, she really used the stage well, and because so far she has sung all ballads, she hadn’t gotten to do that yet. That said, she just seemed off. As J-Lo said, she didn’t have the rhythm. B-

Heejun Han                            Right Here Waiting

I really like his parents. They seem so nice. J As usual Heejun made me laugh by asking wil.i.am for Fergie’s phone number. Anyway, this was actually a good song choice for him. The performance was a mixed bag for Heejun though. The first minute or so was terrible. Like F worthy. Then he got to hit that big note and after that he seemed to be more emotionally attached to the song. It felt like he was putting more into it. His strong finish gives him a… C

Elise Testone                         Let’s Stay Together

Wow, she is old. Not old but older then everyone else. Anyway, I didn’t really like Elise this week. I don’t know what the judges were talking about when they raved about her. She was so boring and flat throughout the entire song. She is definitely in danger in my opinion. C

DeAndre Brackensick                       Endless Love

DeAndre just keeps growing on me. I didn’t think he deserved the save over Eben or Reed, but since then DeAndre has been killing it. I loved his performance. I thought he sung with passion and sincerity. I don’t know what the judges were talking about. At this point, this was by far the best performance of the night. A-

Shannon Magrane                 One Sweet Day

Shannon really bounced back well after a rough week last week. In the chorus especially she really got to show off how strong her voice is. Very well done.  High marks for Shannon! A-

Colton Dixon                          Broken Heart

First off, it's really cool that he got to meet Daughtry. Colton really seems to look up to him and it sounded like it was the thrill of a lifetime for him. Second, I liked when Colton told the audience that Daughtry had told him to choose songs people knew and how Colton said he would be starting that… next week. Third, WOW! The guy keeps topping himself. It doesn’t matter that he chose a song no one knew. In fact, I’m glad cause he sang it really well. At the beginning he dropped each note so powerfully and he absolutely nailed the chorus. His “I knooooooooooooooo-wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww” in the chorus was one of the best notes of the season. Buy this one on itunes folks. A+

Erika Van Pelt                                    Heaven *Worst Performance of the Night*

I’m not a big fan of Erika, but when I heard her song choice I thought she would nail it. However, she did exactly the opposite. At times during the chorus her voice seemed weak and during the verses she over sang big time. Breath easy Heejun and Elise. After that train wreck I think Erika will be gone soon. D

Skylar Laine                           Love Sneaking Up On You

Every single week she goes out their with her powerful voice and her spunk and nails it. This week was no exception. Skylar brings tremendous energy to the stage and it makes her performances fun to watch. She is a truly great live performer. A+

Joshua Ledet                          When A Man Loves A Woman *Best Performance Of The Night*

First off I’m glad he got his crawfish! Anyway, good song choice but it had a built-in problem. It was nailed just last season by Stefano Langone. No matter, Joshua also killed it and he did it in an original way. He was spilling out emotion throughout the performance. I really don’t know what else to say. Randy had it right when he said “incredible on every level.” A+

Hollie Cavanagh                    Power Of Love

She has a GREAT voice. It's hard to believe that someone her size can have such a powerful voice. She sang really well. We know this girl can belt, but Hollie has only really showed us one trick and the group is really strong this year. She has a tremendous voice but if she wants to get far she is going to have to branch out a little. A

SNL TV Show Parody: Watch What Happens Live!

A few months ago, we posted about the Featured Ladies of SNL on Andy Cohen's talk show Watch What Happens Live.  It was our first (and so far only) time really watching the show, and the show was certainly not your average talk show.  From Andy Cohen's flamboyant hosting, to his constant plugs for the Real Housewives shows that he produces, to the crazy sound effects that introduce each random little segment, WWHL is certainly very unique.  And that is why when Saturday Night Live did a Watch What Happens Live sketch last night, I thought it was hysterical.  Taran Killam did another amazing impression as host Andy Cohen, perfectly capturing all of his crazy quirks.  Nasim Pedrad and host Sofia Vergara were great as the Persian stars of the Bravo show Shahs of Sunset (although Vergara was quite underused as host, and Nasim's Persian accent was a little too similar to her Kim Kardashian impression) and Kenan also had lots of laughs as Desmond Tutu (although to be honest I have no idea who that is).  Check out the great sketch below!  Hope this one becomes recurring!

Let My Babies Go!

Happy Passover everyone!  To celebrate, enjoy the best Passover TV special of all time, A Rugrats Passover! (Yes, I'm aware that the previous post was of Spongebob.  I assure you that this is just a coincidence, and this blog is not turning into a Nickeloeon blog.)  Tommy and the babies go to their grandparent's house for a Seder, but when they get locked in the attack with Grandpa, he tells them the story of Passover.  Enjoy!

Rugrats: "A Rugrats Passover"
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Clip of the Day: April Fools!

It's April 1st, also known as April Fool's Day!  So what better way to celebrate then with one of the greatest pranksters of all, Spongbebob Squarepants!  So here, in its entirety, is the classic season 1 April Fools-themed episode of Spongebob Squarepants entitled "Fools in April", which originally aired 12 years ago to this very day on April 1, 2000.  Enjoy!

Get More: SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes,SpongeBob SquarePants,SpongeBob SquarePants Games