American Idol Archives - Entertainment Ave!

Are You Sometimes Amazed at Technology?

Sometimes I’m amazed at technology and how things that seem so simple now were impossible just a few years ago. My case in point for this example is the Howard Stern Birthday Bash. As a fan of Howard, listening to his Birthday Bash is always a “I have to go to work but don’t want to stop listening and get out of the car” kind of moment, as well as one of those Howard events that most fans wish they could see because as much as Howard’s radio show is perfect for radio, the Bash always seemed like an event you just wanted to see. It took a while to get this thing on video as this show happened back in January, but a little while ago Howard announced, and has been tweeting and re-tweeting regularly, that his Birthday Bash show was available to watch online. Awake early on a Sunday morning I decided to attend the Church of Howard, and it couldn’t have been easier to watch it in full, big-screen glory.

First I pulled out my iPad and found the SiriusXM page where you can stream the video (It’s only available thru July 20th so find it fast! And yes, there are some swearing and dick jokes so if you watch and are offended, well, I just warned you so you are an idiot if you complain.) With the video ready to roll I connected my iPad to my Apple TV and fired up AirPlay, started the video, and there he was, the hook-nosed Jew bastard, larger than life, being congratulated on getting old by the likes of Barbara Walters, Jimmy Kimmel, Cathy Griffin, Ellen DeGeneres, and a slew of A-List celebrities and F-List whack-packers. Watching the show my wife sits by my side during Jon Bon Jovi singing “Dead or Alive” and proceeded to wonder how old he was, what work he had done, and then when Howard came back on the screen proclaimed “Why didn’t he shave? He looks horrible!” She was fascinated by the list of people there, surprised it was out there for free, and then, while Adam Levine was doing a phenomenal Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Pat Monahan shows up singing again, she says “What, is he just going to show up for every song? He’s like a little nymph.” She didn’t know Train was the house band, so I’ll let her slide. She also noted how Howard was able to get judge representatives from “America’s Got Talent,” “The Voice,” and “American Idol.”

Ten years ago you might be lucky to be able to watch a tiny video on your computer thinking it was the greatest thing in the world. This morning things are different, technology is amazing, and I wonder: Are you sometimes amazed at technology.

P.S. If you are a fan of music, even if you think Howard is a pig, watch this for some of the most fantastic musical performances out there. Adam Levine’s version of “Purple Rain” is worth it alone.

That’s it for this one! L8R!!

Do You Plan on Watching American Idol this Season?

It’s almost here! No, not the end of the world, that came and went with the Mayan Apocalypse back in December, or what some people thought was election day last year when President Barack Obama was reelected, but I’m talking about the return of “American Idol!” Some judges are gone, i.e. Stephen Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, and here comes Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, and Keith Urban, and their “Is it real or is it fake” feuding during the audition phase of the show. Yup, the audition, as always, are first, and we will surely get our share of great singers, singers we think of are great but won’t hear from again, and the assorted train-wrecks and maybe a new William Hung, or “Pants on the Ground” and “I Am Your Brother” dudes.

Yes, I’ll be there, though maybe a little late, as the DVR will be set and it hasn’t become appointment television in a while, but I’m hoping the feuding doesn’t come off as fake, although I’m questioning the acting ability of Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey (Hey, I saw “Glitter,” I know), but we’ll see. The question is will you see, and so I plight: “Do you plan on watching ‘American Idol’ this season?”

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Do You Like Howard Stern on America’s Got Talent?

First I will say that I am a little biased as I have always been a Howard Stern fan. Okay, maybe I haven’t always been a Howard Stern fan as when he first started hitting the airwaves I originally thought “Who is this blowhard on the radio? I don’t need to listen to his New York City crap when I’ve got our awesome radio dudes in Chicago!” And at the time we had some awesome radio dudes in Chicago. Slowly, though, their shows got cut, and I would occasionally check in with Howard’s show, then check in a little more, than listen every day, then order Sirius Satellite radio specifically because Howard went there, and then be sad when he scaled back his show. Alas, though, I have turned into a fan, and yes, like most fans, wish he would work seven days a week and never take a vacation, but so be it.

In any case, knowing how he was on his radio show I always felt he would make a great judge on a reality TV show, mostly because as I would listen to him comment about things like “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent” on his radio show, even if he didn’t care for a particular singer nor act, he always had a valid opinion and could relate it to the entertainment world. With that I was excited to hear he was coming to “America’s Got Talent,” although I know there would be some blow-back from people whom all they knew him for were stories of fart jokes and interviews with porn stars, yet there he was, on the judge’s table next to Sharon Osbourne, able to throw down against Howie Mandel and showing a general concern for contestants yet still being able to have fun with them. He is that guy who isn’t afraid to hold back, will tell a person like it is, and just as important, explain that their act is good, just not great enough, or that he knows in the theater the act is great, but it probably won’t translate to us, the viewer at home. He does all of this without a British accent, and he brought back “Horse” a few weeks ago on the “Judges” Choice” show, a man who has an immeasurable talent of being able to take a shot in the nuts over and over again, and who can’t appreciate that?

That brings me to today’s daily plight: Do you like Howard Stern on “America’s Got Talent?”

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Do You Think Nicki Minaj Would Make a Good Judge on American Idol?

I’m a fan of American Idol. There, I said it. And I’m also a fan of those Real Housewives’ shows, but that’s another topic for another plight, maybe. Okay, back to American Idol. Over the past few days there has been a lot of hubbub in Idol-land as stories are coming out that Nicki Minaj, she of “Super Bass” and “Starships” fame, and she whom those little girls, Sophia Grace and Rosie on “Ellen,” like to sing her songs (though they sing the cleaned up version, not with the lines like “Higher than a m&$#er f&#$er” from “Starships”), well, Nicki is rumored to be one of the people to replace Jennifer Lopez or Steven Tyler as a judge on Idol, and for that matter, supposedly Randy Jackson is history as well, so maybe she’s replacing him. In any case, the latest wrinkles seem to be that now Mariah Carey, who is actually confirmed to be a new judge, is upset because she wanted to be the only girl judge. And to confound things even more, the latest rumor is that Kanye West is in the running as a judge, but I’m not going to touch that with a ten-foot pole.

Back to Ms. Minaj. Sure, she’s opinionated, and I suppose she could tell contestants they suck, but for me all of the names they keep throwing about as judges just don’t thrill me. I know Mariah can act goofy at times, so she could bring back the nuttiness lost when Paula Abdul left, but Mariah also seems to come off as too whispery to make an impact, and for me I think the Nicki Minaj act will get old after about three episodes. There was something about that first batch of judges that worked, with Simon Cowell being the serious one, Paula being the batty one, and Randy calling everyone “Dog,” and it hasn’t been the same since the trio broke up, but I guess you have to start the retooling somewhere (I see the interim crew of Randy, Jennifer, and Steven as the “We really don’t know what to do yet” crew). I don’t think Nicki will make a good judge on American Idol. There, I’ve said it, but I’ve been wrong before, and I’ll be there for the season when it kicks off in 2013.

And that takes me to this daily plight: Do you think Nicki Minaj would make a good judge on American Idol?

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Fraternity Reminiscing, Facebook Timelining, Movie Opening, Bulls Falling, and Spring TVing.

By: The Dude on the Right

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Did you know that there is a clip of a version of the Theta Xi “Rounders Song” on the Internet? Stu Gotz didn’t either, but during this “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast I prove to him that it’s true.

Our Fraternity anniversary gave us a chance to reminisce a tad of the college days, mostly about Work Week and how it took over 20 years but I was finally a part of a strip-and-wax crew, but sadly this one didn’t include a lot of beer. Stu didn’t mention doing any manual labor over the weekend, but did get a chance to take the Gotz clan to see “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” and lets you know if you should take your clan to see it, also, whereas I’m finishing up my Spring TV viewing, somehow still liking “Celebrity Apprentice” but might be totally over “American Idol” now.

We talk a bit about Derek Rose and the Chicago Bulls, I seem more excited about “The Avengers” opening this weekend than Stu does, and Stu isn’t Timelined yet, and I might be the only person that likes the Timeline on Facebook.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

National Anthems, Five Movies to Maybe See, Tornado Warnings, and TV Talk.

By: The Dude on the Right

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As weeks have gone by since Stu Gotz and I have done a “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast, being back together again means a lot of movies were watched, at least by Stu. Me, I let you know if “The Sitter” with Johan Hill is any good to rent (One hint – don’t watch it with the kids), while Stu breaks down “Wrath of the Titans,” the new version of “Footloose” (I still have no idea why he rented it), “The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo (Who Likes to Show Her Boobies)”, and we find out that if you read “The Hunger Games,” as Mama Gotz did, you might not like the movie, while if you didn’t, as was the case with Stu, you may like the movie.

Stu is sad at the changes “Playboy” has taken with its magazine, I let Stu know that the Borat version of the Kazakhstan National Anthem is not the official version of the nation, Stu doesn’t sound that excited about the Chicago Cubs home opener, I’m not liking “American Idol” anymore, Mama Gotz and my BFF are more cautious about upcoming storms than me and Stu (although the new National Weather Service graphic tornado warnings might make us take notice), I’m liking the new TV show “Touch,” and Stu needs to watch more “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Chicken Tikka Masala for St. Pat’s Day, Bangers and Mash for St. Joseph’s Day, and Mitt Romney Better Finally put Rick Santorum Away

By: The Dude on the Right

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In honor of St. Patrick’s Day I ate chicken tikka masala, and in honor of St. Joseph’s Day I had bangers and mash. I really wish Stu Gotz were here to make fun of me for my food choices, but sadly it’s a solo “Weekend Wrap-up!” podcast as Stu is out running around.

With Summer already here in Chicago, even though Spring officially starts tomorrow, it was a weekend where I reminisced about St. Patrick’s Days gone by, and how downtown Chicago this year was filled with revelers and drunks by two in the afternoon. I also reflected on my experiences with Indian food, and how I enjoyed my St. Patrick’s Day dinner at Sara’s Grill and Eastern Cuisine.

I’m wondering why no one blind-sides Colton in “Survivor: One World,” I’m not liking “American Idol” that much and I blame it on the fact that they don’t have a British person with a condescending accent, “The Hunger Games” opens this weekend and I probably won’t see it, hopefully Mitt Romney will defeat Rick Santorum in the Illinois Primary tomorrow so the political ads will be done for a while and Stu Gotz might not be available for next week’s podcast so if you want to be a special podcast guest, feel free to email me at podcast@entertainmentavenue.com

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

TV Talk of Survivor, Celebrity Apprentice, The Amazing Race, American Idol, and who’s that band on SNL?

By: The Dude on the Right

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Stu Gotz must have gotten the President’s Day bug, or the Washington’s Birthday bug as other might call it, because he couldn’t meet up with me for this episode of the “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast. And so, it’s solo time for me and as the exciting part of my weekend involved cleaning my balls and repairing an 8″ x 8″ hole in some drywall, I decided to keep most of this podcast to TV wrap-up talk as I got caught up on “Survivor: One World” and “American Idol,” and am perplexed but have a theory as to the miriad of “who is this” musical guests on Saturday Night Live lately.

As Sunday came, my TV viewing just got more complicated with the return of “The Amazing Race” and “The Celebrity Apprentice,” and on the Apprentice, I think the women got screwed when the men had one donation of over $300,000 which just seemed unfair in the world of selling a sandwich competition. Lastly, Whitney Houston was buried over the weekend, and somehow Bobby Brown was able to make the tabloid news all about him. Just sad.

Hopefully Stu will be back next week, hopefully I’ll see a movie or Blu-ray, but as always…

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Arena Football is Fun, John Rich is a Winner, Dr. Strangelove is Good, and Balls are Clean.

By: The Dude on the Right

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Stu Gotz is watching old movies (Dr. Strangelove), and I’m watching girly TV (Real Housewives of New Jersey), and during this podcast episode of our “Weekend Wrap-Up!”, we dissect is all, sort of. We have talk about a Chicago Rush game, talk about The Celebrity Apprentice, but surprisingly no review talk about “Pirates of the Caribbean.” I tell Stu he should catch the season finale of “Saturday Night Live” with Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga because it is was very funny, and Stu learns his kids might be a little too young for “Doctor Who” sometimes.

We have tick talk, “American Idol” talk, and whether you want it or not, a lot of talk about washing my balls.

All of that and more, and thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Movie Mania, Another Easter Over, Buh Bye La Toya, and Hello Paula, maybe.

By: The Dude on the Right

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Another Easter has come and gone but not without an abundance of food, and Stu Gotz and I detail some of our food partaking during this episode of our “Weekend Wrap-Up!” podcast. (Would you believe that pierogis and sushi might be involved?). Along with gastrointestinal delights, my weekend included a lot of TV viewing, mostly catching up on my staple of “Survivor,” “Celebrity Apprentice,” and playoff games of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. Stu, meanwhile, was seeing a lot of movies and does his best to let you know if you should see “Hanna,” “The Lincoln Lawyer,” and “Water for Elephants,” the last of which leads to a discussion of movies “based” on books. And in news that makes me happy, I’m almost totaling looking forward to “The X Factor” now that the story over the weekend is that Paula Abdul is close to being announced as a judge! Okay, subsequent stories say “not so fast,” but hey, a man who loves babbling TV can dream, can’t he?

There is no rest for the wicked, and it seems no rest for Stu and I over a weekend, but that’s okay because in the words of Bon Jovi, sort of, we’ll sleep when we’re dead.

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this podcast! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!