Pussycat Dolls Finale One of the Best Ever

Pussycat Dolls Finale One of the Best Ever by Roxanne McDonald

The final episode of “Search for the Next Pussycat Doll” was one of the most satisfying reality TV finales ever.

Of course, the appearance of the Pussycat Dolls and their performance of their signature song made for good PR or advertisement or continued advertisement, but their taking of Asia into the clan, and Asia’s instantaneous fitting in by singing, dancing and popping along with the others as if she was meant to be the next Pussycat Doll made this viewer simper and sob…so wonderful was the closure we got.

I know, I know, I may have been overly tired and therefore over-reacting. I may not be giving enough acknowledgement to how great it is that Stefani won “The Apprentice: Los

Angeles” position (though I am thrilled, really). And I may be forgetting the fun and surprise of “Survivor” finales, “Big Brother” finales, and “Amazing Race” finales….
But I found the culminating scenes of “Search for the Next Pussycat Doll” to be so satisfying, delivering such a joyous and right sense of closure–that I kept clapping my hands and beaming with pride as if I were a realtive, or something.
Now, I, like Ron Fair, had an issue with Asia’s vibrato and synchronous fluttering of fingers on the mic. I was rooting for Melissa S, who I thought was softer but a complete package. I also sided with those in Anastacia’s camp. She, too, seemed to be a fine fit. And by the finale, I was thinking that Chelsea was going to take the final prize…until the girls did their solos. (read more…)

Be Classy and Sassy and Touch Your Assy

Be Classy and Sassy and Touch Your Assy by Roxanne McDonald

The Pussy Cat Doll contenders bring back the original PCD burlesque.

Good for Anastacia: Chelsea keeps digging her about her eating habits and preferences and psychology and whatnot, and Anastacia tells her she needs to stop.

Bad for Anastacia: how she allows the body weight image thing interfere with what is actually lovely singing and dancing. Well, Anastacia was one of my favorites, anyway, and one I thought to have both talents/skills the Pussycat Dolls are seeking: good singing and good dancing (while most of the others are weak in one area).

Good for the Pussycat Dolls hopefuls: the opportunity to be backup dancers at a Pussycat Dolls performance.

Bad for two of the hopefuls: not all the contenders can

participate (why, I have no idea—just seems cruel), so after a mini challenge, learning and practicing the dance routine in one or two hours, the girls board the bus and are immediately yanked back off to perform right there in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert style (or whatever that movie is named).

Chelsea and Anastacia are the worst, so they have to sit on the bus while the others go on stage. Why, too, do they have to stay on the bus?! Could they not have sat in the audience at least!?

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Pussycat Dolls Still Not Clear on Why They are There?

Pussycat Dolls Still Not Clear on Why They are There? by Roxanne McDonald

Another one claims she is so not trained for this and still another gripes they didn’t sign up for this—difficult session learning a song and dance routine for the PCD Lounge in Vegas.

What is it with these chicks?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, good TV, and hot advertising for the Pussycat Dolls…. But the complaining is so ridiculous that sometimes they aren’t even complaining right. (Just wait, you’ll see my point.)

First up to be critiqued by this expert on all things beautiful and artistic is Anastacia. Now, I LOVE this PCD hopeful. Besides Melissa S., and maybe Chelsea (if she can get beyond dancing like Striparella), Anastacia has my well wishes for winning the new position.

But she is frustrated with food and her weight and is on that I’m-worried- over-my-weight-therefore-I’ll-eat cycle.

Chelsea is next. She is a former fatty, so she would know way better than to bitch about someone having food issues, and especially should know that “just not eating” (which in effect would kill Anastacia—duh) is never a smart solution.

Asia…Asia I won’t even bother botching about with regards

to her fluttering finger on the mic (yes, Mr. Fair, it is driving many of us bonkers, as well). Instead, I will comment on one of her comments that is surely a candidate for that old “Things that make you go Hmmm” category: she complains about not wanting healthy food. She also bitches about haute cuisine. So she gets her some hamburger and fries. So what? Then, however, after the others start dubbing her the diva of the house (or presidential suite), she tells us that “sometimes diva isn’t always [??? Sometimes isn’t always] about positive…” whatever. Do you mean it isn’t always a bad thing to be a diva?
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How the Mightiest do Fall

How the Mightiest do Fall by Roxanne McDonald

Besides the work ethic theme, including early mornings, long rehearsals, and twenty-four-hour commitment, the theme of the week is personal creativity. Sesily’s opportunity to shine becomes a light on how dull she apparently is, despite how “creative” she gets with the excuses.

While the groups have “Shame” and “Don’t Leave Me this Way,” maybe they should have switched songs: the “Shame” group is confirmed as doing well once Robin checks in on them during rehearsals; but the “Don’t Leave Me…” group is a mess. They are not working cohesively on the dance floor, and they are not working well on any interpersonal levels, either. For some reason, the girls are cruel toward Asia as leader, and when she breaks down about it, Sesily is ever the sadistic one, saying how “life isn’t always pretty” or something indifferent and cold like that.

However, as Asia is determined to show Robin that she can be strong and put drama behind her, and as Melissa says, Asia becomes more confident, stronger, in spite of or

because of the problem between the three.

The mini-competition involves Ashley of The Pussycat Dolls coming and calling for the sexy side of each of the girls, saying how there is a Pussycat Doll in every woman, and ushering in some hot boys to accompany the contestants in a sexy choreographing challenge.

Mariela, who is more than thrilled with her partner, whom she says is “so hot” and “very good eye candy,” wind the elimination exemption.

Sesily has had control issues with her partner, who resisted her idea of lowering her to the floor Tango-style; and in true Sesily the Queen of Sour Grapes and Sadism fashion, has bashed Asia, again, for dancing like a drag queen.

In some token moment of contrition (not about Asia, though), Sesily comments how disappointed she is for not having won the challenge, and asserts that “That just shows I have to work harder for this performance.” Does it also mean, then, that had she won immunity she would not have worked so hard? Evidently it does.

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Doncha Doncha Wish You Had Skills Like Mine?

Doncha Doncha Wish You Had Skills Like Mine? by Roxanne McDonald

There is way too much bragging going on and while these are not the tragic heroines of some classic tale of yore, they are due for hard fall on their shaking little tushies, I’m afraid.

As Robin Antin admonishes as the opening credits roll, the Pussycat Dolls are about early morning, long rehearsals, and twenty-four-hour commitment. Funny, I didn’t hear anything about hearty egotism, there.

In fact, the whole m.o. behind this week’s theme is to have the girls be charismatic and lovely: the video-transmitted message from the Pussycat Dolls reinforces the week’s challenge: “Your own persona is the most valuable thing you can bring to the group.”

Pussycat Doll Kimberly shows up and she and Robin assign the two groups Pat Benetar’s “Heartbreaker” and En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind.”

Almost instantly, Secily, the self-proclaimed superstar, is ragging at coach Erik and his assist, saying how “I could sing full out, full out, full out, like, all night, but, like, Dude, my voice is gonna go out.” The trainers are stunned. This is, like, a couple of hours into the day?

Brother Jonathan Antin gives the girls “total” makeovers; the contestants get to meet some important music industry moguls and mavens—Li’l Kim and Jeff Vaddad (PCD manager); and the girls return to the Dollhouse [am I the only one calling it that?], most of them grateful.

Secily, however, is off on rant number seventeen-million: “I have a lot of dance training….Melissa R. has had a lot of dance training…. Chelsea is the one with the least training.” So, she announces, she felt it important to get Chelsea up to snuff.

Of course, she does this in a holier-than-thou way, not only putting Chelsea on the defensive but driving her (in really ridiculous ways) to the point where she just shuts Chelsea up with, “No offense, Secily, but you’re not the judge.”

And guess who is the judge, and who judges Secily to the bottom two tonight?

Yup.

SirLinksAlot Pussycat Dolls links

Dollhouse Doubts Get Destroyed

Dollhouse Doubts (and a Couple of Dreams) Get Destroyed by Roxanne McDonald

Pussycat Dolls producer and guest judges narrow down the list to eight hopefuls—some of whom admit to not being much of a singer or dancer. What will the rationalizations bring this week?

Now that I have recovered from the repeat of episode one for what seemed like weeks, I am proud to announce a discussion of some of the episode two details and results.
I’m no stand-out beauty. In fact, I am more like a Chris Farley to the Pussycat Dolls contestants’ Patrick Swayze. Further, while I was a singer when I was in my teens (singing with a small town Country Western band), and while I am riveted to the seat when a dance program showing rehearsals comes on TV, I would not have the guts to apply, audition, and run the gamut these girls have to run. Or dance.

But some of the hopefuls are really horrible at singing; others are atrocious at dancing; and this is a singing cum dancing troupe they are trying to become a part of! So it pisses me off when of all the girls who first auditioned (I don’t know the numbers, but if they are anything like

Idol’s…), they take one of the coveted spots, then when they are eliminated, tell us how they aren’t this or they aren’t that. One eliminated Pussycat Doll hopeful (who couldn’t sing the notes coach Eric played for her and couldn’t do the alternative he suggested—to sing the melody—as she didn’t know what that meant) says, for instance, how she’s “never been that much of a singer” and can’t sing well now due to her losing both her parents.

The lot of them have little confidence, too, it seems. This week’s emphasis and challenges are all about having the Pussycat Doll “confidence to overcome anything” says one of the Dolls via satellite or videotape or whathaveyou.

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Pussy Cat Dolls Some Sick Chicks

Pussy Cat Dolls Some Sick Chicks by Roxanne McDonald

Most entertaining debut, despite the virus that spread faster than the word of the Pussycat Doll auditions.

I have to say I expected Search for the Next Pussycat Doll to be nothing more than a copycat reality audition show. But I was surprised by how entertaining the debut episode was.

First, the illness that spread was not all that funny or entertaining, and was kind of pitiful for production and participants alike, but the girls who started the mini epidemic and the notion of continuing despite the puking were interesting:

Angelia says she “like, [has] a virus….” Another competitor says, “Like a virus you can spread?” And the camera cuts to Angelia again, this time in her room, saying how she thinks “the girls are worried I could spread the virus to them.” Uh, yuh, to the first question and to the speculation, Ang.

After a super “Hot Stuff” harmonizing practice, the girls start disappearing, while the snooty-ass Sisely says she aint compensating for the missing girls or weaker performers’ shortcomings.

Robin Antin, producer, comes in and acknowledges the girls’ hard work and announces they are getting a break—to go see the real Pussycat Dolls.

We get a look at one piece of one number of a show the Dolls are performing at the Greek Theatre, though even this hetero viewer was thinking it was just a promotional tease…that there was not enough footage for us to enjoy.

This is also where I was surprised, for I had no idea the Dolls were any greater than the short-term sensation The Spice Girls—or any more popular. But the theatre was packed…with men and women of all ages. Looks like they are outlasting the Spice Girls, as well, with their 12-year success sustaining beyond the Spice Girls’ four- or five-year run.

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