Finding Bigfoot

Tonight is Bigfoot night in the house. Even our four year old likes to watch the new episode. Mom is not a supporter but tolerates the boys watching.

Finding Bigfoot is a big hit on Animal Planet. The format of each episode follows a formula like many reality shows. They learn of an area with Bigfoot Activity, then go there, hold a town hall meeting, learn of three viewings to investigate and then walk around the forest in the middle of the night with video and Flirs. They even have an investigator nearly as big as a Bigfoot ( his name is Bobo) that they use as a proxy to check on reality of sightings. Areas prone to Bigfoot presence is called Squatchy (short for Sasquatch).

Unfortunately, they never develop hard evidence other than some questionable footprints. Viewers and investigators hope to videotape a Squatch around the next tree or bend in the trail.

They try every means to flush out Squatch's. One of my favorites was the disco ball in the forest. Most skeptics would find the lack of evidence proof of the lack for Bigfoot. However, you have to be impressed with the many many personal sightings from people from all walks of life.

I was most impressed with the season transition show with interviews of the researchers. Three of four are believers and one is a science based skeptic (Ranae). They were much more serious about valid proof. Two of them claimed to have seen one in person (no evidence). The investigators make the show suspenseful as you always what will be caught on tape in the next segment.

I am open minded about many of the these unexplained phenomena. But, I also have a hard time explaining the lack of credible evidence. Many of the testimonials leave you wanting to believe the witnesses. They dont come off as crackpots.

I decided to check in Colorado and learned that several credible sightings have occurred here. One not far from Vail and along a route I have driven several times. My hair stood up with the report of an early morning sighting that the witness was quite shook by. The details were complete and she was confident in her sighting but knew others would want to discredit her. I found the report credible and exciting.

I'll just keep my eyes open...

Ghost Hunters One of My Favs

I feel I may be neglecting some of my fav and long standing "must watch" reality shows. One if Ghost Hunters. The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) goes on adventures to document physical evidence of ghostly experiences. The formula is simple. Two episodes per week. Five or so "investigators" search a scary place and attempt to prove or disprove ghostly presence.

What I like about the show is the pursuit of paranormal phenom. The crew seems genuine and does not show any bias other than to document their experiences. Personally I suppose they would prefer hard evidence of ghosts or they would not practice their trade. But, they are quite happy to explain experiences with non ghostly explanations.

Good show. Worth watching unless you are truly afraid of ghosts.

X Factor November 28, 2012

Tonight we have another performance from the X Factor gang. There are still enough singers that I won’t share my thoughts on all of them. I will offer comments on who should be going home and who should not be.

Paige Thomas is a pretty single mom with a good voice. Not a great voice. Every week there is controversy with her stage performance, singing and song choice. This week she received accolades from the judges but still fell short in my view. A factor I watch for is the strength of each singer’s voice. Strong pop stars almost always have great voices. Think of Katie Perry, Gwen Stefani, Christina, Alicia, Madonna and even Lady Gaga. From the American Idol series recall how strong Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood voice performances were compared to many others. I don’t think Paige has that voice and unless she finds it soon, she should be eliminated.

In these singing competitions other factors come into play like stage presence, charisma and plain old likeability. These factors affect votes but do not carry the same impact as vocal ability.

Tate Stevens is likely to win this year. He is the stereotypical great country singer. He also represents what you hope these competitions are. A chance, and perhaps a last chance to make it to the big time. Tate Stevens is unlikely to have made it to the big time without the X Factor. Tate is very likeable. He is a great country singer and has a compelling personal story. My only reservation with him winning it all, is how strong some of the other competitors are. This week he sang an upbeat performance with pacing quite different than earlier performances. I really loved it. I think I like it better than all previous performances. Great song and performance. Congrats Tate.

Fifth Harmony is a group of ladies assembled by Simon Cowell from individual singers that did not make the top 24. They are attractive and good singers. While they have given some enjoyable performances, I doubt they will make it to the finals. However, tonight was a meaningful performance. One of the girls named Ally learned her grandfather died this week. To come out and give a good performance was very brave. I truly enjoyed their rendition of “Stronger”.

Carly Rose Sonenclar is a 13 year old lady performer with the best voice in the competition. I don’t say that lightly. She is very very good. I am not sure if she has the maturity to win the competition, but, if she doesn’t become a huge pop star it will be a loss to the country. This week she performed Rolling in the Deep by Adele. The first part of the song was arranged with a softer side that did not show off her voice as much as previous performance. The second half was stronger but I felt this performance was great but not as great as some of her others. She should end up in the finals.

As a side remark, competitors in these competitions have to be careful when they cover a song of a brilliant singer. It is very dangerous to attempt a song by Whitney, Celine, Adele and other amazing singers when their voice made the song what it is. Most singers in these competitions should simply stay clear. Carly is a singer with a voice that should not fear treading into these waters.

Cece Frye is a twenty something entertainer from Decatur Illinois (yes my home town but I promise no home town bias). Ceci’s charisma is one of the more marketable in the competition. I have said before that Demi Lavato’s mentoring of her has been unfortunate. Ceci has a good voice but if she has a great voice we haven’t seen it yet. One thing that has went astray has been her appearance. She would be much more likable and genuine as the Midwest brunette that she naturally is. The glam blonde does not work. I also have said I want to see her sing more upbeat fun pop hits ala Katy Perry or Gwen Stefani. Cece should be one of the top singers in this competition. Tonight she sang Christina’s Lady Marmelade from Moulin Rouge. This is the upbeat performance she needs. I am not sure this is the best song to match her singing ability. Yet, this was her best performance.

Gold Rush - No Guts No Glory

Discovery's Gold Rush is in its third season and one of the often repeated lines, from a family patriarch of the show says "no guts no glory". Signifying the risk of seeking gold in Alaska, the statement suggests that if you aren't willing to take risk, you are not going to reap the rewards of gold mining.

Each season has followed the quest for gold of three groups. The primary group is ran by Todd Hoffman. In my humble opinion, a better stament would be "No brains... No gold." the Hoffman crew seems to make every mistake imaginable. These mistakes are obvious to viewers of the show. Even his crew seems to grow frustrated with Hoffman's intellectual short-comings. Some of the more obvious errors are moving thousands of tons of top soil with out any test bores to see if gold is even present. Another includes improperly setting up the sluice box (device that catches gold out of rushing water/soil) such that the gold runs right through it after huge effort to get it to the sluice box. This season, Todd mobilized his whole crew and equipment to Alaska without a working trammel and sluice box. The one they had was used the prior year, but Todd took it out and left them with no way to process the gold filled gravel. The expected new unit was no where near completion at the start of the gold season. 

Todd has two crews and he didn't consider how to pool their resources when the new equipment didn't arrive. No brains no gold. 

There a two other efforts showcased in the pursuit of gold. The young Parker Schnavel is very hard working, smart and determined. I think all viewers are rooting to him to strike it rich. Parker's 90 year old grandfather taught Parker most of what he knows and now Parker (barely 18) wants to redeem his grandfather's gold mine - appropriately named the Golden Nugget. In the show's second season Parker struggled to find any gold but came back in the third season more prepared, mature and determined. 

The third crew in the show are the Dakota Boys. If the Hoffman's are unlikable due to stupidity, the Dakota boys a just simply not likable. Primarily a father/son fight with each other and don't really care who they step over. So far they have not proven much more adept than the Hoffmans.

The show is on Friday night at 7:00 pm. It is a good watch as long as you can wade through the mistakes and lack of gold production. The show's promotion says someone will strike it rich this year. I am betting on Parker but that is truly a heart based hope for the outcome.

DWTS Semifinals

Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) is one of the more popular reality shows (ABC). It is winding down to the final shows next week. This season has been a competition of winners or near winners from prior seasons. Most dancing couples have been very good and usually have a personal story or connection that is interesting.

At the start of the season, it was surprising to see champions of prior seasons cut after lack of support from judges and the public.  The format is that professional dancers/judges rate performances that I'd factored int peach shows score. The score also weighs the votes cast by the public. (In contrast, American Idol cuts contestants solely based on the votes cast electronically by the viewing audience.)

Five couples made it to the  semi finals and each danced two dance performances. After watching the show Monday night, it was clear to me who the best two pairs were. Tonight will prove out whether my preferences are shared by the judges and audience.

First, Melissa and Tony stood out. The were very likeable, technically sound dancers (superior) and entertaining . I recalled over the season that Tony and Melissa always gave good performances that were sound and entertaining. Not all couples could say this. Tony and Melissa also had the likeable factor in their favor. Melissa was one of the few competitors that had not previously won the show's seas ason competition. Tony was her partner in season 8 and wanted to show how good she/ they were. I am glad they made it to the finals.

The second couple that stood out was Derek Hough and Shawn Johnson. Many of their dance performances were amazing. Derek's skill as a choreographer and Shawns athletic ability empowered them to complete routines that no one else could do. Technically there were nearly perfect but occasionally were criticized for not following the required elements of the dance they were assigned. While likeable, they lacked a little likability compared to other couples. Shawn was an American sweetheart from the 2008 Olympics and always has a great smile. For me, there appears to be a little personal insecurity that stands between her and joy while dancing. Offsetting this minor flaw, was competitive determination and strong capability.

Both of these couples did make it into the finals and I think they stand far above the other couples. All five couples were great performers though and any of the other three couples deserve a place in the finals. Kelly Monoco and Val were always impressive but gave up a bit of like ability due to their constant affection. Val came across as overly "smitten" with Kelly and she came across. Tolerating his affection. She would have been more successful had they stuck to dancing. 

Emit Smith was one of the most charismatic dancers in the competition. He is also an intense competitor and athletically capable. As of this writing, I don't know if he will make it to the finals but he would be my choice. His partner Cheryl is very capable dancer but could come across as more personable and likeable.

Apollo and Karina were also very good. Karina may be one of the best professionals and Apollo knows how to win competitions. Unfortunately I always felt that he was too inwardly focused and didn't connect with the audience of his dance partner. He will not be in the finals. 

Look for another post on what I think it will take to win.

X Factor: Reality TV needs Simon Cowell

Like most reality tv competition shows, the X Factor has many personal stories that make the competitors appealing and sympathetic.  We watch and have our favorites. But that is not the point of this comment.

Many resented Simon for his sharp criticism on American Idol. They felt he was unfair and mean. But criticism is rarely fair and nice if you are the recipient. The role of Simon is not only to teach and improve the contestants, but also to teach the audience. Educating the audience what to look for and what makes a superstar is needed in most all competitive realty shows. When the public has to vote to select the next "American idol" or "top chef" we the viewing public need help in understanding which performer has the potential.

An example of worthless judging is American Idol last year when Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez pretended to judge the contestants. Perhaps they sifted through the myriad of contestants to get to the top 24. We will never know because we cannot critique their decisions. However after that they were nearly worthless. Mostly cheerleaders and never critiques of any merit. Randy Jackson is barely better.

The proof to this point is the winners of the last two seasons. And, more significantly what happened to the second place finisher? Do you recall their names?

Luckily Jennifer and Steven are gone this year. I fear their replacements are no better. We'll see.

What is Soybean Fields?

I like to write and have been reported to watch a reality TV show or two. With the major season underway, I thought I would use Soybean Fields to comment on Reality TV. The purpose of my comments will not be to provide a summary of the shows. More of a critique. Straight from the Soybean Fields.

Why Soybean Fields. Well... first I grew up in the Soybean Fields of Central Illinois which is some of the richest farmland in the world. It is very close to one-quarter the way around the world and the home of middle America. I have no particular claim to middle America. Instead, I am pretty much a straight shooter and will call em as I see em.

You are welcome to comment and I encourage disagreements just so they are civil. I reserve the right to edit and delete posts that are merely offensive.

Just so you know, I don't watch all reality tv shows. But I have been know to watch Laguna Beach, The Hills, Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, Finding Bigfoot, DWTS, Whale Wars, Shark Tank, and of course American Idol. I will comment on the series, individual shows and select participants and celebrities.

I will confess that I have watched the Stupidest House Wives series and have sworn off that series due to how stupid it is. If they ever have a Real House Wives of Vail, Decatur or Timbuktoo, I may watch again.

More to come. Promise.