Bethenny Getting Married? Season Finale: Sneak Peek

I can’t believe it’s the Season Finale!  Don’t forget to watch this awesome show.  Tonight at 10 on Bravo.

The Hills – The Rest Is Not Unwritten

I was getting bored watching the series finale of MTV’s The Hills last night.  I already knew I liked Lauren “LC” Conrad better than the f-bomb throwing Kristin Cavallari.  I skipped a couple of episodes this season so I was playing a bit of catch up with the crew.  (It wasn’t that hard.)  And “Speidi” (the crazy, yet super media savvy, couple Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag) were not even in The Hills finale.  WHAT?

But then, BAM! The big surprise ending.  Brody Jenner is waving a (sorta) tearful goodbye to Kristin who is heading off to Europe for the summer. Just then the iconic Hollywood sign behind Brody starts to move and it is revealed that he is on a sound stage.  The cameras and crew members come out.  Brody starts to smile and clap. The car with Kristin stops and she runs over to give Brody a finale hug.  (And…SCENE.)

Hilarious.  One of the best finales ever.   I loved it.  I’m glad they FINALLY let us in on the joke. I think we all suspected the show was mostly scripted, didn’t we?  But then I read about these “characters” constantly in US Weekly and various entertainment websites.  Were they really fighting or hooking up?  Was it all fake?  I mean Heidi’s ten plastic surgeries can’t be staged?  I will admit it was hard to believe Kristin and Justin Bobby ever liked each other when they were dating.  And then I read about Brody dating pop star Avril Lavigne (he tweets about it too) while he is supposedly single on The Hills and heading to Costa Rica with Kristin and the gang for an impromptu vacation.

So now I’m left thinking about The City and The Jersey Shore and all the other MTV reality shows.  (Or ALL reality shows for that matter.) Should I now assume most of them are scripted?  Or at least partially scripted?

The answer is probably yes, but either way, that Hills ending was genius MTV.  Just genius. 

Bethenny Getting Married?

I hope this is not a big spoiler for anyone, but the answer is…

YES, Bethenny Frankel did get married! 

To her cute fiance Jason Hoppy.  And she was 8 months preggers.  It was a zany and emotional episode that included some really romantic vows and Bethenny peeing in an ice bucket.  I was on the edge of my seat wondering if she was going to castrate her wedding planner if the red velvet wedding cake wasn’t to her liking.  (She liked it.  PHEW.)

Bethenny has that way about her that is equally shocking and endearing.  She is so much fun to watch and she seems to walk the line very well between just being herself and being a really great entertainer.  (And she’s got some awesome one-liners.)

She started her reality television training on The Real Housewives of NYC in which she “played” a wannabe desperate housewife.  We learned about her struggle to find the right guy and settle down.  We watched her fight with the other women. (Team “Kelly is Crazy!”)  We learned she didn’t have any close family ties.  We watched her move from a natural food chef to a business diva with projects that included two best selling books, a fitness DVD, the creation of the Skinnygirl Margarita, and a national Peta campaign in which she posed nudie for a Times Square billboard.  And, oh yeah, she was on the cover of last week’s PEOPLE magazine.

But the entire time we were witnessing the emergence of a true reality star, she remained relatable.  She was candid.  She cried. She was open.  She was REAL.

Then, she got her own show: Bethenny Getting Married?  Well, it’s a specialty show for now.  I thought the short series would be over when she actually GOT married, but now the cameras are following along for the honeymoon.  You have to give props to a woman who lets the cameras follow her to St. Bart’s for her honeymoon while she’s about to pop.  (That episode airs this Thursday at 10 PM EST on Bravo TV.)

My hubbie met Bethenny when she came to our city for a Southern Women’s Show appearance last year.  I am still kicking myself because I could not get out of kid wrangling to go and meet her.  Hubbie did get me an autograph, but I would have loved to have met Bethenny in person. To shake her hand. Or to give her a hug.  Or to just tell her she’s one cool chick.  Now I probably won’t get the chance because she is on the path to being an even bigger star.  (Bethenny Getting Married? was Bravo TV’s highest rated freshman series ever.)

I hope Bravo TV does give Bethenny a permanent show, because I’d love to watch her zip through her crazy world as a new Mama to baby girl Bryn.

Bethenny’s World. 

There. You can steal that one, B.  It’s on me.

The Bachelorette Spoilers

I don’t know why I continue to watch Ali on The Bachelorette when I know how it all plays out.

They should make The Bachelor or The Bachelorette LIVE!, don’t you think?  Because there are always a million spoilers and, most of the time, they are 100% true.  The only way to stop this is to go LIVE! 

For example, weeks before it happened I knew that The Bachelor and popular single dad Jason would dump Melissa for Molly on the “After the Final Rose” finale.  And it was all thanks to the superstar reality show spoiler Reality Steve.  He has all the insider scoop and it’s so much fun to read his website.  He has always been right about The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.  (ABC needs to work on their staff hires because there are definitely peeps on the inside spilling their guts to Reality Steve.)

So if you want, or NEED, to know what will happen on The Bachelorette this season, I have the scoop for you after this cute photo of Ali.

REMINDER: SPOILERS AHEAD….>>>BEWARE………

The Bachelorette spoilers according to Reality Steve and The Insider:

1. On tomorrow’s episode, Ali finds out that Justin, or “Rated R”, or the wrestler dude with the crutches, has a GIRLFRIEND back home.  How does she find out?  Because Justin’s girlfriend CALLS Ali on the phone and tells her!  Now how did this girlfriend get Ali’s phone number?  She’s staying in an exotic location in a unnamed hotel.  Hmmm….Could this have been set up by ABC???  Hmmmm….Well, either way, Ali kicks Justin out and away we go.

2.  The final three are Frank, Chris L, and Roberto.

3.  So here’s a big shocker – Frank, or funny guy with the glasses, eliminates himself!  During an overnight date in Tahiti he confesses to Ali that he is still in love with his ex girlfriend back in Chicago, so he’s out of there!

4. The Final Two are Chris L, or New England guy who is close to his family and Roberto, the HOTTIE. 

5.  She lets Chris L go.

6.  She lets Roberto go!

7.  She picks…. NO ONE!

So there you go, another unsuccessful The Bachelor/The Bachelorette connection.   There have only been TWO marriages out of the 20 seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. 

And we all know that the most recent Bachelor Jake just ended it with Vienna.

Another SHOCKER.

(Not really.)

Kate Plus 8

I have mixed feelings about the new TLC show Kate Plus 8.  I was a huge fan of Jon & Kate Plus 8.  I watched it from the very beginning and I was excited to check-in with the family each week.  I really liked Kate.  Well, MOST of the time.  She was a hard working stay-at-home Mama.  She was creative and funny.  She was doing her best.  She did not dress up for the cameras.  She showed us how her life worked from the inside out.  It was fascinating.  Then things began to turn.  It could have been the pressure of the show.  It could have been Kate’s  ”true colors” finally showing through.  Either way, I still took her side when the marriage dissolved because Jon just seemed like the big jerk in the whole mess.

I was hoping Kate would just go off and do her own parenting talk show.  Dancing with the Stars was actually a good idea for her.  I liked that her kids were no longer in the spotlight for her new day job. 

But now she’s back with Kate Plus 8.  I watched the two back-to-back episodes last night.  She definitely wants our sympathy.  She is still a hard working mom.  But I feel a bit uncomfortable watching the twins and sextuplets back on television again.  Especially when Kate keeps emphasizing how much they missed the cameras and production staff. Really? I actually feel a little guilty enjoying the show.  But there is no denying those kids are so darn cute.

I’m sure I will be checking in all season long.  I just can’t look away.  And I do love her new hair.

(I also just love the kids’ Gymboree wardrobes.  But I bet KATE doesn’t have to wait for HER “Gymbucks” to shop there.  Hee.)

Summer Reality

Happy June 1st!  It’s officially summertime! (Well, at least in my little Pop Mommy world.)  And summer equals a brand new crop of reality television shows!

Thank you Andy Dehnart at Reality Blurred for this awesome list.

Ladies and Gentleman, start your TIVOs!

June

• Hell’s Kitchen 7 [Fox, June 1, Tuesdays at 8]
• America’s Got Talent 5 [NBC, June 1, Tuesdays at 8, Wednesdays at 9]
• One Big Happy Family [TLC, June 1, Tuesdays at 9]
• Losing it with Jillian [NBC, June 1, Tuesdays at 10]
• The Little Couple [TLC, June 1, Tuesdays at 10]
• Jersey Couture [Oxygen, June 1, Tuesdays at 10]
• Ghost Hunters Academy[SyFy, June 2, Wednesdays at 9]
• Toddlers and Tiaras [TLC, June 2, Wednesdays at 10]
• Whale Wars [Fox, June 4, Fridays at 9]
• The Next Food Network Star 6 [Food Network, June 6, Sundays at 9]
• Kate Plus 8 [TLC, June 6, Sundays at 9]
• Ice Road Truckers [History, June 6, Sundays at 9]
• Bridezillas[WEtv, June 6, Sundays at 9]
• My Fair Wedding with David Tutera[WEtv, June 6, Sundays at 10]
• Last Comic Standing 7 [NBC, June 7 at 8, Mondays at 9]
• Last American Cowboy [Animal Planet, June 7, Mondays at 10]
• Pawn Stars [History, June 7, Mondays at 10]
• Dance Your Ass Off 2 [Oxygen, June 7 at 11, Mondays at 10]
• I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant [TLC, June 9, Wednesdays at 9]
• You’re Cut Off! [VH1, June 9, Wednesdays at 9]
• Bridal Bootcamp [VH1, June 9, Wednesdays at 10]
• Work of Art: The Next Great Artist [Bravo, June 9 at 11, Wednesdays at 10]
• Bethenny Getting Married? [Bravo, June 10, Thursdays at 10]
• Design Star 5 [HGTV, June 13, Sundays at 10]
• Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami [E!, June 13, Sundays at 10]
• Holly’s World [E!, June 13, Sundays at 10:30]
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List [Bravo, June 15, Tuesdays at 9]
• Cupcake Wars [Food Network, June 15, Tuesdays at 9]
• Double Exposure [Bravo, June 15, Tuesdays at 10]
• The Fabulous Beekman Boys [Planet Green, June 16, Wednesdays at 9]
• Top Chef: Washington, D.C. [Bravo, June 16, Wednesdays at 9]
• Bert the Conqueror [Travel Channel, June 16, Wednesdays at 10]
• Battle of the Wedding Designers [TLC, June 18, Fridays at 10]
• Last Chance Highway [Animal Planet, June 19, Saturdays at 8]
• The Real L Word [Showtime, June 20, Sundays at 10]
• Inedible to Incredible [TLC, June 21, Mondays at 10]
• Wipeout [ABC, June 22, Tuesdays at 8]
• Boston Med [ABC, June 24, Thursdays at 10]
• Raising Sextuplets[WEtv, June 24, Thursdays at 10]
• Intervention [A&E, June 28, Mondays at 9]
• Obsessed [A&E, June 28, Mondays at 10]
• Man Shops Globe[Sundance Channel, June] 

July

• Carrier [PBS, July 6, Tuesdays at 9]
• The Choir [BBC America, July 7, Wednesdays at 10]
• Big Brother 12 [CBS, July 8, Thursdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays at 8]
• Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch [VH1, July 11, Sundays at 9]
• The T.O. Show [VH1, July 11, Sundays at 10]
• Ghost Hunters International[SyFy, July 14, Wednesdays at 9]
• Mary Knows Best[SyFy, July 15, Thursdays at 9]
• Paranormal Investigators[SyFy, July 15, Thursdays at 10]
• Celebrity Ghost Stories [Bio, July 17, Saturdays at 9]
• Pit Boss [Animal Planet, July 17, Saturdays at 10]
• My Ghost Story [Bio, July 17, Saturdays at 10]
• I Survived [Bio, July 25, Sundays at 9]
• Masterchef [Fox, July 27, Tuesdays at 9]
• Jersey Shore [MTV, July 29, Thursdays at 10]
• Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp [VH1, July]
• Snow Men [TLC, July]

August

• Shaq Vs. [ABC, August 3, Tuesdays at 9]
• Bachelor Pad [ABC, August 9, Mondays at 8]
• Dating in the Dark [ABC, August 9, Mondays at 10]
• Scream Queens [VH1, August 9, Mondays at 10]
• Hard Knocks: New York Jets [HBO, August 11, Wednesdays at 10]
• She’s Got the Look 2 [TV Land, August 25, Wednesdays at 10]
• Bad Girls Club: Miami [Oxygen]
• Hair Battle Spectacular [Oxygen]
• 16 Kids & Counting [TLC, August]
• BBQ Pitmasters [TLC, August]
• L.A. Ink [TLC, August]
• American Chopper: Father vs. Son [TLC, August]

American Idol Update

I started with FOUR favorite American Idol contestants.

(I picked my fab four back in February when there were 24 contestants). 

And guess what?  I still have TWO contestants left! 

Go Casey!  Go Lee!  I can’t wait to see your hometown visits next week.

PS:  I was talking to my husband last night about Lee and isn’t he SO Saturday Night Fever?  I mean, he worked in a PAINT STORE and now he’s singing on a stage in front of millions.  LOVE it.

Lee Dewyze “Treat Her Like A Lady”

Well, I started with FOUR favorite American Idol contestants.  I now have THREE left in the competition. 

That’s pretty darn good.

Lee Dewyze is definitely my front runner. And he had his big MOMENT last night singing “Treat Her Like A Lady.”  He’s got such a great voice and a great swagger about him.  He just needs to recognize how truly talented he is so he can relax. Hopefully that will boost his confidence and carry him to the finals. He also just seems like such a nice, down to earth guy.  Plus, he’s cute.

Here’s Lee’s performance from last night:

Quintuplet Surprise

I found my new Jon & Kate Plus 8. 

Introducing the Jones Family from Austin, Texas. 

Discovery Health Channel did a special documentary about the Jones Family and how they went from a family of three (they have an older daughter, Eliot) to a family of eight.  They had fertility problems before using IUI to conceive their first daughter.  Then they used the procedure again and got pregnant with quintuplets.  They refused to undergo a doctor recommended “selective reduction” which would have aborted some of the fetuses. 

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the family about making that decision, specifically in their hometown.  TLC has now picked up their Discovery Health test show.  Could they be thinking about making the Jones Family their new Gosselin Family? 

Dad Ethan and Mom Casey Jones also have a personal blog about their life with quintuplets (ie: their “Fab Five”).  I think the family is adorable and oddly relatable.  I’d love to see more from this family, but I suggest they go to mandatory marriage counseling FIRST.   Here’s a segment from their test show:

Grateful

I’m been thinking a lot lately about how blessed I am.  I was really emotionally invested in the story of little Layla Grace who lost her battle with pediatric cancer last week.  I just can not imagine losing a child.  I can not imagine not watching my beautiful baby girl grow up.  I try to wrap my head around the idea and it just makes me want to sit in the corner of my closet and cry.  I’ve started exercising, so now these thoughts make me want to go outside for a really, really long walk.  That helps.  I guess I feel guilty too.  I feel guilty that I’m sad when I have nothing to be sad about.

I was watching Giuliana & Bill last night on the Style Network.  I really like their chemistry.  Giuliana is the host of E! News with Ryan Seacrest and she’s fun and cute.  Bill Rancic was the first winner of Donald Trump’s Apprentice and he’s now a traveling public speaker.  They are a great match. 

Last night’s episode featured Giuliana & Bill’s struggle with infertility.  They desperately want to start a family and are having troubles conceiving. They have turned to IUI treatments which have been unsuccessful.  They are now considering the pros and cons of IVF.  It’s been an emotional ride for them and I was surprised how honest and open they are about it all on their show.

It’s hard for me to watch because, again, I can’t IMAGINE what it would be like to want a baby so badly and you just can’t have one.  I can’t imagine the pain they must feel to constantly have negative pregnancy tests.  I feel a little guilty for having been so upset that it took four months to conceive Bean.  I think every couple that starts the pregnancy journey fantasizes about the plus symbol and how they will tell their partner the big news.  You never start the journey wondering how long it will take or if you might have some challenges or if you might not be able to get pregnant at all.

I just feel really grateful. 

I wonder sometimes how I got so lucky.  And I hope I can remember that every single day. Even if it sometimes takes a broken hearted mother’s Twitter account or a celebrity reality show to remind me.

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