The saddest thing about the Jon and Kate thing is that their story completely displaced Octomom which was, by far, the more bizarre tale involving 8 or more kids.

Indeed, as far as "freak show featuring far too many children with unfortunate parentage" goes, Octomom is way weirder. But I'm not sure anyone can out weird the Duggars.

Yeah they have a reality show as well. I think it's on a Discovery owned channel. From what I've read about them, the older kids have to take care of the younger kinds, their "buddies". It's messed up, that many kids can't be good for the developments of the kids. There is no way that each kid gets the parental attention it deserves.

I'm so happy that Project Runway is back. Even better? With the move to Lifetime they now have clips of Tim Gunn's critiques with every designer online. Simply not enough Tim Gunn in this world. He knows how to draw the best out of everyone and I love the way he doesn't tell them what to do, but helps them see for themselves what is needed. (Not that he doesn't have a critical eye and call out issues when he sees it, though.)

What Would Brain Boitano Make? Totally one of the best new shows on the Food Network in a long long time. I also love that he has totally embraced the South Park thing.

Yay! So You Think You Can Dance is back! (And it's so much better as a summer series, then when they tried to make it work in the fall.) And Teddy is still a wonderfully artistic and goofy dancer.

I love me some Teddy! I really hope he makes it on the show this year. SYTYCD is definitely my summer show. I think having it in the fall was too much. I'm interested to see how the new format works. Also, no Mary Murphy as permanent judge this season. No more shrieking and hot tamale train at least for awhile. I hope they don't drag the auditions out forever though. Less bad dancing, more amazing dancers.

I don't know if anyone else out there watches "The Deadliest Catch," (it's a documentary/reality show following the lives of crab fishermen in the Bering Sea off Alaska), but tonight begins the arc showing the death of Capt. Phil Harris. That's not a spoiler, because he died in February, and it's been widely reported, plus Discovery Channel is promoting it as such. On the one hand, this is a powerful story that was a big part of the story of the season. One of his sons and a friend/camerman discusses the whole thing here including the family's decision to show it. On the other hand -- I'm just not sure if I'm up to that kind of an emotional story, you know?

This past Saturday, in my other persona, I was working press at a VIP cocktail reception for Full Figured Fashion Week, and there were six or seven reality show stars there. I know the fellow that runs The New York Reality Television School (yes, there really is such a thing), and many of the people on reality tv are as as you think they are. Anyway, these women all made a point of introducing themselves to me as "Hi, I'm Whitney, I was the first plus model to win America's Top Model." (Oh. And you're probably a size 8.) "Hi, I'm From Biggest Loser 2007." "Hi, I'm from Biggest Loser 2009." (Then what are you doing HERE?) There was also some woman, Tanya, who won "More To Love" and she looked rather shy. She had a parroted response to everyone along the lines of "we dated for a few months and got engaged but it didn't work out but we're still friends." Show business. You gotta love it.

I have spent the last month watching all English speaking Foreign Next Top Models and reading the Twop forums to go along with them...Australia was something else but I find myself doing British contestant Jennilee's voice around the house for amusement. I just finished the Canadian series...and summer is stretching out before me..dare I watch Germany's and learn the language at the same time??

That is real dedication to Top Model form. I watch America's, because Tyra is a crazy person and who doesn't love crazy...but I've never seen any others. Are they all as completely wacky and make no sense or is that just an American thing?

Australia's next top model is legendary. The show really does seem to be looking for real models by casting girls who are the right heigth and weight, but that being said, those girls are tough cookies. Whole new terms like "Bogan", add a lower drinking age and cursing like sailors and it is a new level of entertainment.. They actually have spawned two models who have gone international. The photoshoots and the business end seems to be more about fashion than a drama arc. You must read the Twop forums along side...so much info. It is far my favorite of the four nationalities I have seen. Though, the best snap answer from a judge to a contestant happened in the last cycle of Canada's. This model was moaning and the real super model to her that no one likes a complaining model and to "suck it up". There are no Tyra meetings with her trying to get them to cry and be vulnerable. No..the host shows up with the beverages to get drunk only. One thing that is great is if you are not the winner of challenge you suffer a consequence. That means everyone who isn't chosen or picked to share has to do some kind of grunt work that is generally to do with behind the scenes of a fashion event. It's good.

Top Chef All Stars cast announced. Carla, Richard, Fabio .. great. Mike Isabella? And Stephen? Not so much.

Pretty sure Dancing with the Stars has shot itself in the foot this year (and it's hard to dance with a bullet hole in the foot.) I'd only seen one or two episodes before but I wanted to see Jennifer Grey so I've been catching it on Hulu. All things considered, I've been surprised at how much I don't hate Bristol Palin. Of course, she doesn't belong on the show -- they can call her a "teen activist" all they want, but that doesn't qualify her as a "star." And she's not a good dancer by professional standards. She never will be. But she's not bad as an amateur and it takes guts to go on national TV and risk making a fool of yourself. She seems like a nice kid and a hard worker. Obviously they cast her as a rating stunt but the people who are voting for her to show support for her mother aren't going to watch next year. (Half of them probably aren't watching this year -- they're just voting.) And the people who watch for the dancing have got to be pissed off. And, although she's not my favorite, Brandy wuz robbed.