As of tonight's show, it's strike three for Miss New York and, Tiffany told VH1 Host LaLa (who had issues of her own), she's taking herself out of the game of looking for love on TV.
Finally, after three humiliating TV seasons, New York may have learned a thing or two. ONE: Even a show's star does not call all the shots, especially in the final episodes. In the I Love New York reunion show, LaLa [who the directors remote-controlled like a puppet on a string (read: wireless earbud)] had more say-so than New York, who couldn't even get Pumkin (Brooke Thompson, who was promotingCharm School, which followed) kicked off the set or keep Tango (who had no further obligations to VH1, that I know of) on it. But I'm skipping ahead.)
An opening announcement by LaLa set the tone of tonight's reunion. Jersey (Bryant), Pootie (Lamonty Council) and Rico (Sandro Padrone) couldn't be there, she explained, because one was in jail, one was on crutches and one had issues. She left it to viewers to guess who was whom.
More trash and flash followed. From Miss New York's strip club-worthy entrance, to footage and discussion of 12 Pack (David Amerman)and Heat's (Jason Rosell) Party Boys Tour, the video clip of Heat's mother and yaya dissing New York, Romance (Ricky Perillo)'s bizarre exchange with New York and introduction of his new (canine) love, and the fighting words and postures exchanged among Tango (Patrick Hunter), White Boy (Joshua Gallander) and Chance (Kamal Givens) the I Love New York reunion showed the depths to which the show's producers and participants were willing to dredge to elevate exposure and ratings.
The most shocking segment was Tango's public disengagement from New York. When he first saw her (after months of separation since the show's finale, when he proposed), he greeted the woman he'd kneeled before on international TV by slobbing her down and then cuddling up with her onstage.
However, their love-seat soon became a hot-seat and Tango "lost his sexy" when VH1 ran footage showing Miss New York (and her mother) dissing him harder than his rivals had. "I fell in love with Tiffany," Tango sneered, after backing away from her, "but I got New York." [...] "It's over."
(View the videos of what aired... VH1.com Blog....and what didn't. The clips that didn't make the cut show sides of Tiffany and Michelle that make their on air behavior seem demure.)
Tango also raged, as he stormed off set, that he would permit no one to disrespect his mother (as Tiffany and Sister Patterson had).
Horrified and crushed, New York told Chance (who she was was built like a python), "I should have [f*ck!n] chose [sic] you!"
Tango's response: he told his former rival, "You're good to go, pimp" (meaning New York was back on the market), and shook the smiling Chance's hand.
Tiffany, obviously shocked and stung by Tango's behavior, belittled the "two inch" anatomy of the man who, she'd cooed earlier, was the perfect fit. It will be her shriveling retort, not Tango's god-awfully bad behavior, that will make it hard - if impossible - for the match made in VH1 ratings heaven to ever reunite.
And maybe that's a good thing. Tango's fuse seems longer than Chance's, but once lit, it makes him equally volatile.
Ironically, just before Tango's tantrum, Miss New York said she'd chosen him because he (unlike Chance) could help her become more mature. Apparently, Tiffany had missed or ignored the reality that Tango's willingness to tolerate, and even engage in, Miss New York's drama bode poorly for a mature, healthy or long-term relationship.
Unfortunately, Tango got that memo while onstage (or before). His less than discreet or gallant reaction to it, proved my point publicly and painfully.
The unexpected drama rivalled that of the two Flavor of Love finales combined. So did Miss New York's humiliation.
Apparently, it wasn't enough that she sat in the wrong seat after her racy entrance, that she was tricked into kissing Mr. Boston's (Lee Marks') twin brother (Ben) and commenting that he's still the best kisser, or that she had to share a stage with Pumkin, who not only spit on her but is now hot and heavy with Mr. Boston.
Nope. Tango trampled all over whatever shreds of dignity New York might have had tucked deep down in her newly expanded decolletage. And to add insult to ratings-generating injury, VH1 aired it and backstage happenings for the world to see, gloat and blog about.
Runner-up Chance offered New York sympathetic words of support. (He could personally identify with being strung along and then dumped on TV.) LaLa invited him onstage with her and the crying New York to save the day, but true to the boundaries he erected after being eliminated, Chance confined himself to his couch and his gestures to urging New York not to cry.
Putting time on a couch wouldn't be a bad idea for multiple participants in tonight's show. No doubt they could negotiate a group discount with Pootie's therapist or the shrinks who counsel Survivors who, torches snuffed, take the walk of shame.
POST-SHOW ROUNDUP: Today's Lisa Tolliver Show guest was composer Patricia Burgess (who "daylights" with The Field), and accompanied me to PodCampNYC. Also scheduled - but unable to join us - was Bruce from Long Island, who founded Podcaster Who's Who and the Long Island Podcast Network. Today's "hearty" emergency preparedness & safety tip addresses cardiac health.
A MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF OUR SPONSOR: The 23rd Honoree in the United States Postal Service “Literary Arts” series is poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. For baseball and history lovers, the USPS Commemorative Stamps Program also offers a Baseball Sluggers series, which features Roy ("Campy") Campanella, "Hammerin' " Hank Greenberg, switch-hitter Mickey Mantle, and high-kicker Mel Ott.
NEXT SHOW(S) HEADS-UP: Join me again on April 25 via New York Radio WVOX 1460 AM, www.wvox.com or the call-in line at (01) 914.636.0110. From 11:30-noon, I'll be hosting SCORE Radio: Counselors to America's Small Business (here's my SCORE profile) and from high noon-12:30, I'll be hosting the Lisa Tolliver Show.
IN THE INTERIM: if you're listening, I'm listening. Talk with me!
STOP the madness! Remember the friend I posted about earlier, who purchased two regstration stickers and received two temporary passes to park at Nassau Community College (NCC)? Now he - and, others, I surmise - are in a sticky wicket.
Sure, my friend could cancel the charge on his credit card. But if he did, the bank says, he'd have to cancel the card, too. That would require submitting a new card number to all the vendors he pays by recurring credit card charges in order to simplify life. Too complicated, says my friend.
What's really revving up the concern here is the fact that an expired temporary parking pass makes one's car vulnerable to getting another ticket: that's the (type of) ticket the missing parking pass is supposed to prevent. Certainly, a credit card receipt and associated temporary parking pass should be all one would need to successfully fight (such a summons in) City Hall. But to have to invest the time, effort and fuel (at practically $3 per gallon!) do so would be enough to drive a body nuts!
What's a podcast? Is Podcamp NYC some new-fangled sleepover? Why did a critically acclaimed mezzo-soprano, who specializes in trouser roles, and the founder of 15SecondPitch exchange elevator pitches on air? And what in the world do any of those concepts have to do with Women's History Month?
Those who heard today's show know the answers. Those who didn't: shame on you! Don't do it again.
You wouldn't want to miss guests like those who joined me today: the co-organizers of PodcampNYC 2007 - LAURA ALLEN of 15SecondPitch, and JOHN C. HAVENS, About.com Guide to Podcasting, professional actor and writer, - APRIL LYNN JAMES, Ph.D., mezzo soprano and Executive Director of Heroic Mezzo, and BOB MARRONE, host of Good Morning, Westchester! (on WVOX-AM and WVIP-FM) and Connecticut School of Broadcasting instructor.
Bob's facial expressions alone would make for an entertaining podcast. But adding April's singing would class up the joint. She treated listeners to a taste of her vocal magic by singing happy birthday to Bob on air.
You can meet today's guests and me at PodcampNYC on April 6 and 7. If that's not enough to bring you out, read here how you can learn all about podcasting and meet heavy-hitter pod people at the Podcamp NYC networking events and seminars.
In the meantime, set your alarm to join me on air when I host the following April broadcasts, which can be heard on New York Radio WVOX 1460 AM, www.wvox.com, and (01) 914.636.0110 (the listener call-in and voy-ear line):
April 11 - noon - 12:30 PM, ET - Lisa Tolliver Show
April 25 - 11:30 AM - noon, ET - SCORE Radio: Counselors to America's Small Business
April 25 - noon - 12:30 PM, ET - Lisa Tolliver Show
What's a podcast? Is Podcamp NYC some new-fangled sleepover? Why did a critically acclaimed mezzo-soprano, who specializes in trouser roles, and the founder of 15SecondPitch exchange elevator pitches on air? And what in the world do any of those concepts have to do with Women's History Month?
Those who heard today's show know the answers. Those who didn't: shame on you! Don't do it again.
You wouldn't want to miss guests like those who joined me today: the co-organizers of PodcampNYC 2007 - LAURA ALLEN of 15SecondPitch, and JOHN C. HAVENS, About.com Guide to Podcasting, professional actor and writer, - APRIL LYNN JAMES, Ph.D., mezzo soprano and Executive Director of Heroic Mezzo, and BOB MARRONE, host of Good Morning, Westchester! (on WVOX-AM and WVIP-FM) and Connecticut School of Broadcasting instructor.
Bob's facial expressions alone would make for an entertaining podcast. But adding April's singing would class up the joint. She treated listeners to a taste of her vocal magic by singing happy birthday to Bob on air.
You can meet today's guests and me at PodcampNYC on April 6 and 7. If that's not enough to bring you out, read here how you can learn all about podcasting and meet heavy-hitter pod people at the Podcamp NYC networking events and seminars.
In the meantime, set your alarm to join me on air when I host the following April broadcasts, which can be heard on New York Radio WVOX 1460 AM, www.wvox.com, and (01) 914.636.0110 (the listener call-in and voy-ear line):
April 11 - noon - 12:30 PM, ET - Lisa Tolliver Show
April 25 - 11:30 AM - noon, ET - SCORE Radio: Counselors to America's Small Business
April 25 - noon - 12:30 PM, ET - Lisa Tolliver Show
Psych! That'll be the day. [NOTE TO MY SURVIVORS: Bury or cremate my mic with my remains.]
In case you haven't been punk'd, prank'd or fooled yet by anyone else, then you might be unaware that today is April 1, when people in the U.S.A. and many European countries celebrate "April Fool's Day" or "All Fools' Day" ("Aprilsnar" in Danish).
April Fool's Day or All Fools' Day, though not a holiday in its own right, is a notable day celebrated in many countries on April 1. The day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible.
All Fools' Day traditions can vary across cultures and locales. Yahoo! Buzz Log lists the most popular pranks, jokes and April Fool's-related searches in "Jokes and Pranks, Oh My!" (by Erik Gunther). In Europe, as Wikipedia further explains:
The April 1 tradition in France includes poisson d'avril (literally "April's fish"), attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed. This is also widespread in other nations, such as Italy (where the term pesce d'aprile (literally "April's fish") is also used to refer to any jokes done during the day).
Moreover,
In some countries, including theUnited Kingdom, Canada (except Quebec), Australia and New Zealand, the April 1 tradition requires jokes to be played before midday: if somebody pulls an April Fools' Trick after midday, then the person pulling the trick is actually considered the fool. *
I don't think media organizations read that memo. Some broadcasters and publishers have have executed such fantastic April Fool's Day hoaxes (at various times of day) that wary citizens have become suspicious of even real news on the first day of the fourth month. Some outstanding examples are accessible at Wikipedia's compilation of well-known April Fool's Day hoaxes and at MuseumOfHoaxes.com. (I've pulled off some doozies too, but will save them for my book.)
"Foolishness" of similar sorts can occur on other days in other nations. For example:
In Spanish-speaking countries, similar pranks are practiced on December 28, the Day of the Holy Innocents. This custom also exists in certain areas of Belgium, including the province of Antwerp. The Flemish tradition is for children to lock out their parents or teachers, only letting them in if they promise to bring treats the same evening or the next day.*
In Iran, people play jokes on each other on April 3, the 13th day of the Persian calendar new year (Norouz). This day is called "Sizdah bedar" (Outdoor thirteen). It is believed that people should go out on this date in order to escape the bad luck of number13.*
In Denmark the 1st of May is known as "Maj-kat", meaning quite simply "May-cat", and is identical to April Fools' day, though Danes also celebrate April Fools' day ("aprilsnar").*
Some Jewish communities have a traditional event called a "Purim spiel" (a.k.a. "Purimshpil"), which is similar in many ways to April Fools' Day. *
Purim spiel seems similar, to me, to Mardi Gras or Halloween.
The last ten (10) days or so have blown by in a blur. What kicked it off was sad news: my cousin Thomas had succumbed to bone marrow cancer.
Tommy was my paternal cousin and a key player in my life. He was tall and lanky, and I looked up to him in more ways than one. For example, he patiently taught me to roller skate in Grandma's long driveway in Queens; often hung out with my dad, my brother and me when we went boating, picnicking, and to auto races and movies; visited me at Harvard and attended my graduation; helped me move (many times, and on each occasion advised me to rid of some stuff); and was one of my go-to guys whenever I had electronic or mechanical problems.
Tommy, like my brother and father, loved gadgets and cars; all three would have been miracle workers if they'd applied their passions and talents to medicine. It's largely because of them that I am so handy and that I admire smart men who are willing to roll up their sleevs and get their hands dirty once in a while.
Tommy was generous and civic minded, too. He was an auxiliary policeman, and frequently extended favors and hospitality to others. Talking with Tommy was comforting to both Daddy and me when Dad was dying, and I appreciated my cousin's big brother wisdom afterward.
Obviously, I knew Tommy had been ill, but I thought he was getting better. That's what he had led me to believe. As his brother explained at the repast, Thomas' positive, hopeful attitude had bought him five and a half years longer than his initial, six-month, prognosis.
Thomas' death hit me hard. I was the first in my branch of the family to learn about it. Thomas' sister had distributed the news the same way that most organizations and social groups do when they want word to get around quickly: by email and by phoning key nodes in the network, otherwise known as gatekeepers.
I've now the go-to node-gatekeeper for Dad's family line. In that capacity, I spoke to at least one member of each of the other clans (all now headed by my first cousins). Some of the conversations were comforting, but a few others were shocking, such as the one that informed me about the car crash that killed second cousin Mark-by-marriage this January, and others in which my midwestern cousin (another favorite) informed me he was returning (!) to the hospital to review his recovery from a serious fall from a tree and in which a close family friend said she was took ill from AIDS to go out that day.
There's a lesson to be learned there: don't wait for funerals, weddings or holidays to touch base with loved ones. Our time together is too short and uncertain to squander it.
As someone remarked at Thomas' funeral: our clan's shrinking fast. That observation is not completely accurate: marriages and births are constantly replenishing the family tree. But I know what Cousin meant; I feel it too. We're newcomers to the old guard - the family gatekeeprs - which is a role we grew up attributing to Great Grandma and Great Aunt Lizzie before they passed the torch to Grandma, who then passed it down the ladder of aunts and uncles to us.
Now my generation is at the top of that ladder, and it is kind of lonely at the top. From that vantage point, two things are clear. One: families don't grow as large as they used to. Two, and more importantly: as much as we welcome newcomers with loving, open arms, there's no substitute for the long-term relationships we're saying goodbye to at an alarmingly rapid rate. Consequently, it's all the more important to cherish our loved one while we can.
I hope Cousin Tommy knew how much I loved him. I'll make sure those who are still living know that now.
Niggar please! This is some funny stuff! Watching James Lipton and Dave Chappelle'sChappelle's Show (e.g., the Rick James spoofs and the Niggar Family sketch), will crack you up. Before you finish rolling, though, you'll hear some things will make you go, hmmm, and aha!
Read the reviews, then watch the show on Bravo TV or, better yet, on DVD. The must-see DVD includes such features as James Lipton: Flashbacks, and Great Moments That Didn't Make the Cut.
Man, I hated it when the show got the hook (i.e., when the Actor's Studio theme music began playing, signalling the end of the show and the rolling of the credits). That episode, like so many others, needed to be longer. In this case, somebody should have told Director James Wurz to make it a double. After all, it's Dave Chappelle, b*tch!
Today I stumbled across the slideshow: "Bye-Bye to the Aye-Aye." Slate Magazine summarizes Mike Levitin's piece thusly:
"WHO WANTS TO SAVE AN UGLY ANIMAL?"
The aye-aye may be one of the most repellent animals in the world. It also happens to be on the verge of extinction. Click here to read a slide-show essay about an effort to save the endangered species that got hit with the ugly stick.
"Cute" animals [...] are the cash cows of the conservation movement; we pull out our checkbooks for the faces we find most adorable. For many years, conservation efforts tended to focus on individual endangered species—the white rhino, the gray wolf—that could be easily marketed to the cute-loving public. However effective these programs may have been, they gave short shrift to ugly, endangered, and genetically distinct animals like the aye-aye.
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series that spawned it.
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