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Category: Réalité (1-10 of 13)

Dec 7 2009 09:03 AM ET

Réalité: Hot-coal torture on 'Top Chef.' Carnies on 'Jersey Shore.' And...porn on 'SYTYCD'?

Categories: Jersey Shore, Reality TV, Réalité, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef

Your attention please! We would like to kick off the season finale of EW.com’s groundbreaking-ish video series Réalité with three haikus that reflect this week’s featured shows: Bravo’s Top Chef, MTV’s Jersey Shore, and Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance. Press play below as my cohost Kristen Baldwin and I bid bittersweet adieu to this fall’s crop of unscripted ridiculata, and please do mark your calendars for the Jan. 15 season 4 premiere of Idolatry. Oh, and in the meantime, for all my reality-show rants, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak!

Sixty-three degrees
Hot enough to cook an egg?
Not for Padma L

Holy effing skanks
Muscle milk and booze collide
Who cleans that hot tub?

Dude named Legacy
Crab-crawls right into my heart
Better than ‘Porn Dance’

Dec 2 2009 12:00 AM ET

Allison Iraheta exclusive: Watch her awesome acoustic performance of 'Don't Waste the Pretty'

by Michael Slezak

Categories: American Idol, An EW Exclusive!, Idolatry, Music, Réalité, Things That Are Awesome!

SPOILER ALERT: The above headline is not an exaggeration. Indeed, Allison Iraheta, third runner-up on season 8 of American Idol, dropped by Manhattan’s Hudson Terrace this afternoon to celebrate the release of her debut CD, Just Like You, by performing a rendition of her undeniably gorgeous track “Don’t Waste the Pretty” (with acoustic accompaniment by David Immerman). We’ll post footage of our in-depth Réalité interview with Allison on Wednesday afternoon, but until then, enjoy the rare pleasure of listening to a major-label teenage artist who doesn’t need a drop of Auto-Tune to make your jaw dip low. Oh, and when you’re done watching “Don’t Waste the Pretty” on repeat loop, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak.

Nov 26 2009 12:02 AM ET

Adam Lambert on securing his place alongside Lady Gaga, imitating a cockroach, and feeling sexually liberated (bonus video!)

by Michael Slezak

Categories: American Idol, Gay/Lesbian/Kathy Griffin, Réalité, Sexytimes

Adam Lambert may be among the most polarizing performers ever to grace the American Idol stage, but even his biggest detractors would have to admit the man gives a great sound bite. In parts 4 and 5 of a freewheeling Réalite interview filmed Wednesday afternoon at Manhattan’s Hudson Terrace, Adam talked about how Idol gave him the Elvis treatment when he performed “Whole Lotta Love” during Rock Week, what the Idol summer tour taught him about getting in touch with his inner sexy beast, and why it’s “confusing” and “hard to navigate” his position as a political firebrand when, really, he just wants to be a singer. Press play below to hear what the season 8 runner-up has to say, and please do come back next Monday when we’ll post additional interviews with Adam that delve deeply into the writing and recording process for his debut album, For Your Entertainment, which hit stores this week. And if you want to get up-to-the-minute alerts about my latest Idol scoop, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak. (UPDATE: CBS responds to Lambert-blurring controversy.)

Nov 25 2009 06:47 PM ET

Adam Lambert on his AMA vocals ('kind of a mess'), Elisabeth Hasselbeck ('we're very different'), and CBS' subtle message ('homosexuality is dangerous')

by Michael Slezak

Categories: American Idol, Celebrity Feuds, Fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion, Réalité, Sexytimes, Shenanigans!, Water Cooler

It’s been one helluva week for Adam Lambert. The American Idol season 8 runner-up released his debut album, For Your Entertainment; caused a ruckus with a sexually charged performance at Sunday’s American Music Awards; got disinvited from a scheduled appearance on Good Morning America; and then wound up as a last-minute guest this morning on CBS’ Early Show (where producers chose to blur out images of him kissing a male band member during his AMA set). As if that wasn’t enough excitement for one person, Adam then dropped by Manhattan’s Hudson Terrace this afternoon for a wide-ranging Réalité interview where we took a deep dive into the writing and recording process behind FYE. We’ll post the whole music-centric portion of our Adam interview next week — right after the Thanksgiving holiday, so save some room for dessert, please — but before then, we wanted to give you a little appetizer. Press play below for a three-part video where Adam gives his opinions on the nation’s comfort level with televised violence and sexuality, sounds off on another artist’s AMA performance he thought was “impeccable,” and coins the alarming phrase “trolley stop.” UPDATE: We’ve posted parts 4 and 5 of the Adam interview here – Happy Thanksgiving! — because, well, we care. And to get alerted to all my latest Idol musings, reviews, and interviews, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak.

Nov 23 2009 06:45 AM ET

Réalité: Champs crowned on 'Runway' and 'ANTM,' righteous ousters on 'Top Chef' and 'SYTYCD,' and bonus Kris Allen!

by Michael Slezak

Categories: America's Next Top Model, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Kris Allen, Project Runway, Reality TV, Réalité, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef

The 2009 reality TV season is zooming toward its inevitable end — the sounds of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” at the local pharmacy tell me it is so — but that just means it’s the most wonderful time of the year for Réalité*. Righteous winners were crowned on America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway. Hugh Hefner committed an act of unintentional sabotage on Dancing With the Stars. The spirits of Channing Tatum and Carol Channing were invoked (probably for the last time) on So You Think You Can Dance. And someone totally awesome (named Jennifer) rallied despite weird Da Vinci Code shenanigans on Top Chef. All that plus BONUS INTERVIEW FOOTAGE WITH KRIS ALLEN! How can you not press play below? Wait. Don’t answer that. Instead, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak. Or head on down to the comments, make like Madoonie, and “Express Yourself”!

*We will be taking next week off for Thanksgiving, but we promise extra stuffing upon our return.

Nov 16 2009 07:01 AM ET

Réalité: Sex problems on 'SYTYCD,' robots on 'DWTS,' dolphins on 'Top Chef,' and canine poses on 'Top Model'

by Michael Slezak

Categories: America's Next Top Model, Animals, Dancing With the Stars, Fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion, Food and Drink, Project Runway, Réalité, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef

Another week of reality television, another week of out-of-control vomiting. Aaron Carter tasted bile on Dancing With the Stars, fabulous guest judge Nigella Lawson fought the urge to hurl on Top Chef, and poor Carol Hannah dropped to her knees and worshiped the porcelain goddess on Project Runway. And while there was no overt tossing of the cookies on So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Next Top Model, both shows left my stomach in questionable condition after Mollee and Nathan tried to bring teen sex to vivid, horrible life on the former, and Nicole wasn’t automatically declared the winner before the season finale on the latter. Press play below for our entire four-part rundown (Runway doesn’t get an entire segment this week, because we question its taste level), then share your opinions in the comments section below. We promise there’ll be talk of bull castration, homemade dog food, ’70s pornstaches, and congressional-intern scandals. (No, Réalité is not NC-17. Good thing the MPAA doesn’t recognize we exist.) Oh, and if you’d be so kind (and you’re into the whole reality TV thingie), do follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak. Thanks!

Nov 2 2009 01:00 AM ET

'Réalité': Angels and cavemen on 'SYTYCD'; NC-17 horror on 'DWTS'; blackface on 'Top Model'; boredom on 'Runway'; and justice on 'Top Chef'

by Michael Slezak

Categories: America's Next Top Model, Dancing With the Stars, Hollywood Hate Crime, Project Runway, Reality TV, Réalité, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef

Halloween came early to reality TV this past week. Dancing With the Stars and America’s Next Top Model broadcast graphic, disturbing scenes as scary as anything that Jigsaw fella could’ve cooked up in the Saw series. So You Think You Can Dance brought out angels, cave-people, and the human embodiment of a text message. Project Runway found its top six contestants handing out boxes of stale raisins instead of delicious candy. And Top Chef served up one deluded douchebag trying to dress himself up as a front-runner — and failing poetically!

Press play on our latest five-part installment of Réalité (segments 2-5 stream automatically after part 1 finishes) to: find out my co-host Dawnie Walton’s controversial views on krumping; discover why a damaged weave and a violent game of bobbing for crotches turned me into a fan of DWTS’s least recognizable “celebrity”; ascertain how Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama and people from dozens of ethnic backgrounds were insulted by Tyra Banks; and unearth what exactly was in Jennifer’s sauce pot on Top Chef. When you’re done, share your thoughts in the comments section below, and send me a Tweet to let me know which other shows Réalité should be covering @EWMichaelSlezak. And if that’s not reason enough for you to tune in, I promise you’ll get to hear me mispronounce the tricky French term “verjus nage” not once, but twice! Holla!

Oct 26 2009 04:46 PM ET

'Réalité': Who's your fave from the 'SYTYCD' top 20? (Sorry, folks, Billy Bell is out!)

by Michael Slezak

Categories: Reality TV, Réalité, So You Think You Can Dance

After weeks and weeks (upon weeks) of auditions and callbacks, season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance has finally reached the performance (AKA voting) portion of the competition, and my inner krumper is doing a fierce robot as a way of celebrating. EW’s resident SYTYCD expert Kate Ward (read her rankings of the top 20 here) sat down with me to discuss our favorites (Russell, Billy, that chick who sobbed like she was seeing Brokeback Mountain for the first time), our not-so-favorites (hello, Phillip!), the contestant who looks like New Moon’s Taylor Lautner, and those who make us feel like we’re starring in a very unfortunate episode of Dateline’s To Catch a Predator series. Press play below, then share your thoughts on the season 6 top 20 in the comment section below! (Oh, and for all my reality TV ramblings, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak!) UPDATE: Seconds before publishing this blog item, I received an extremely upsetting email from Fox’s publicity department which read as follows: “Top 20 dancer Billy Bell has left So You Think You Can Dance due to illness and will be replaced by Brandon Dumlao, 21, a Hip Hop dancer from Concord, CA. Dumlao will join the Top 20 this week as they compete on the first two-hour performance show Tuesday, Oct. 27 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.” A moment of silence for the end of Mr. Bell’s hotly anticipated season six run, and best wishes for him to make a swift recovery — and the season 7 top 20.

Oct 26 2009 07:37 AM ET

Réalité: Sibling rage on 'Top Chef,' snot snuffling on 'Top Model,' weak fashions on 'Runway,' and granny panties on 'DWTS'

by Michael Slezak

Categories: America's Next Top Model, Dancing With the Stars, Project Runway, Reality TV, Réalité, Top Chef

On this week’s four-part Réalité, my cohost Kristen Baldwin and I discuss some of the most important debates facing our nation right this second. Who’d be the ultimate Top Chef final two: adorable Kevin and loveable Jennifer or Michael and Brian, brothers so competitive they might try to smother each other with Glad wrap? What’s a bigger hindrance toward still being in the running to become America’s Next Top Model: Having dyslexia or being a Kardashian? What’s a bigger offense on Project Runway: Creating hideous fashion or creating no fashion at all? And what was the most disturbing development last week on Dancing With the Stars: Natalie Coughlin’s granny panties, Michael Irvin’s butt-cheek shenanigans, or Louis van Amstel’s facial expressions? Press play below to get our take — parts 2, 3, and 4 stream immediately after part 1 concludes — then weigh in with your own thoughts in the comments section below. And fret not, So You Think You Can Dance fans! Later today, we’ll have a special edition of Réalité devoted entirely to Fox’s fabulous firkin* of fancy footwork. (And to get updates on all my reality TV coverage, follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak.)

* I can’t lie, I used Google thesaurus to maintain the alliteration on the aforementioned phrase.

Oct 19 2009 12:03 AM ET

'Réalité' (in five parts): Tears on 'SYTYCD'; bad 'Bachelor' picks on 'DWTS'; blasphemy on 'Top Model'; Nina Garcia on 'Runway'; brilliance on 'Top Chef'

by Michael Slezak

Categories: America's Next Top Model, Dancing With the Stars, Project Runway, Reality TV, Réalité, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef

The last week of reality television can be boiled down to five simple mathematical equations:

So You Think You Can Dance – Mia Michaels + Paula? x married contenders + Billy Bell solo = Tears
Dancing With the Stars + Bachelor Jake x Van Amstel eyelashes = Pure Unadulterated Horror
America’s Next Top Model + “official exit theme” x “honking for God” = Express Ticket to Hell
Project Runway – Cher-style headdresses + diamond-encrusted crotches + white lace = Still not enough Nina Garcia
Top Chef + Jennifer, Kevin, and the brothers x “cat food” = Epic Win

Of course, for a less succinct, but (hopefully? possibly?) more kicky take on all of the above shows, check out an all-new episode of Réalité, embedded below — Parts 2-5 stream automatically when you’re done with Part 1. (If you have problems viewing the EW video player on the PopWatch page, you can try viewing Réalité at our Fall TV video hub). And if you want to suggest more reality shows for us to cover, holla at me (thoughtfully, please) on Twitter. I can be followed @EWMichaelSlezak.