TVSquad

MTV is capitalizing on the popularity of its ridiculous, yet incredibly addictive reality show, My Super Sweet 16. The network is sending some of its stars out in the real world to rough it a bit. MTV has produced eight episodes of Exiled!, which features some of the spoiled 16 divas living with indigenous tribes in places like Africa and Antarctica. The gals are there at the request of their parents, but MTV has not announced which gals are getting a dose of reality.

(S12E04) Goths tend to be sincere and genuine according to Kynt of The Amazing Race. And, if one were to base his perception of Goth kind of folks just on this particular episode of the show, it would be and accurate perception indeed.

There was a lot to enjoy with the episode and the Goth couple, Kynt and Vyxsin were just a part of it. Ah, but there was a team to boo, too. That team was genuine, as well. Genuine creeps, that is!

Breathtaking vistas? Wild animals? Vibrant culture? Life Is Wild, the new fish-out-of-water drama on the CW promises all these things, and yet, doesn't quite deliver. It's more of a "Life Is Mild" -- a generic family drama set in a lush South African locale -- that strips all the color out of the scenery by weighing down its story with bland characters played by nondescript actors stuck in unoriginal situations.

For real excitement and back-stabbing familial drama in the South African wild, check out the spectacular Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. My family may be late to the game (Meerkat Manor is now in its third season), but those meerkats have us absolutely riveted. And maybe that's why I had a hard time getting excited by Life Is Wild. There's no real sense of danger. Unfortunately, this fictionalized African drama just can't compete with the real life-and-death struggles of those photogenic meerkats.

Not everyone is naturally funny, but some forms of humor are easier than others. I think that's why I'm always so impressed with Ricky Gervais, because the man can create some truly vicious satire with the skill of a true artisan.

I invite you to check out a video Gervais made for Comic Relief that also features Stephen Merchant, Bob Geldof, and a special surprise guest in the end. Watch as Gervais and his gang do everything they can to get more time in the limelight without much regard to the cause they're supposedly trying to support. The whole video runs a little over eight minutes, but trust me, it's worth sitting through. This is far and away funnier than anything I've ever seen Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg perform. I don't mean "perform on Comic Relief" I mean "performed anywhere, ever."

See the video after the jump.

UPDATE: In the comments, reader RazorD provides some background on Jamie Oliver, the man who appears in the video eating fast food. Thanks for the insight, RD. You're right, it makes the video that much funnier.

[via Popwatch]

(S11E06) Tonight we began in Mozambique, Africa. Teams flew to Tanzania where I swear we witnessed the weirdest race ever! First of all, three teams were nearly an entire day behind the other top teams as they were stuck in the Johannesburg airport. There were three-hour time differences between the racers who left to Zanzibar by boat. The teams didn't get to a challenge until 32 minutes in the show because so much of this week was spent just trying to get the hell out of Johannesburg!

At least both challenges were on the island of Zanzibar so not much more travel was required. The first was a quick little puzzle and the second was a really tough-looking axe-throwing challenge.

Without giving anything away before the jump, I wonder how next week is going to work out with such a huge difference in the finishing times between the teams. I think the final team is going to leave about 12 hours or so later than the first team.

*SPOILERS* AFTER THE JUMP:

(S11E05) Who are you rooting for? The race is narrowed down enough that it's easier to pick a favorite. Right now, I'm partial to Oswald & Danny but I think this episode was edited in their favor.

This week, the teams all caught the same flight from Argentina to Mozambique, Africa, where they found rats. I actually thought this was one of the more interesting challenges since I had no idea that rats were used to sniff out land mines. And the names of the rats were quite funny: Tupac, Nelson, Twinkletoes, and Xena? Hilarious!

The second challenge was a lot more along the lines of Amazing Race-style challenges (finally!). Teams had to either give manicures or fill 45-pound bags with coal and carry them to a location. Most of the teams opted for the porter challenge and I think that's because they were afraid to interact with the locals.

Anybody know why the teams had drivers while they were in Africa?

The Idol producers have been promising us a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT for weeks, and tonight's the the night we get some answers.

Some have guessed that the announcement involves a surprise celebrity guest, such as Michael Jackson or Paul McCartney (although the producers have already denied this). Others think the producers have planned a surprise twist in the voting system. Possibly, wild cards could be brought back to the show, or more boys could be sent packing than girls. Perhaps the judges will override America's vote for the first time ever. These would all be big surprises.

I've written for newspapers and magazines, but I've always been apprehensive about calling myself a journalist because it was never my major in college. In fact, my college didn't even have that as a major. I've always been fascinated by the career itself, however, and learning about all the obstacles that go along with getting a story.

If you share my interest in anything having to do with the media, and independent media especially, you'll probably enjoy Democracy on Deadline, which appears as part of the PBS series Independent Lens on November 21 at 10 pm. The documentary looks at independent journalists in several parts of the world, from right here in the United States to places like Russia and the Middle East. In the US, the problem for journalists is breaking through the wall of secrecy put up by the Bush White House during the days leading up to the Iraq war, and during the war itself. The documentary does not, however, place all blame on the government, it also points out how shoddy journalistic standards and a disinterested public have played a significant role in slowing down the flow of information.

Pop superstar Madonna, who is currently shopping for a baby at a large store called "the world," will tape an interview with Oprah Winfrey that will air this Wednesday.

Madonna's adoption of a Malawi boy is currently in dispute by the boy's father. Or maybe it's not. It's really hard to follow all of the twists and turns of this story. But I'm sure the Material Girl will set the record straight when she sits down on Oprah's couch.

The baby's name is David, and he is currently in London as all the adoption legal stuff is figured out.

In the 1988 feature film Gorillas in the Mist, Sigourney Weaver played Dian Fossey, the real-life scientist and conservationist who came to Africa to study mountain gorillas and try to save them. Tonight at 8 p.m. EST (and again at 11 p.m.) Animal Planet is airing Gorillas Revisited, in which Weaver will return to the gorillas she once spent so much time with, to see if they remember her. Well, that's what the commercial claims, anyway. I assume she'll be hanging out with the real gorillas and not the fake ones Rick Baker created for the movie. That wouldn't be quite as impressive if you ask me.  

New ABC World News Tonight anchor Charles Gibson took the helm on Monday and already he's in a bit of hot water. In a question-and-answer style interview printed in New York magazine, Gibson appears to suggest that issues in Africa are not worth covering. When asked whether he'll be traveling as much as his rival, Brian Williams, who reported from Africa late last month on the issues of poverty and AIDS, Gibson answered, "Now he's in Africa. I don't know why you do that. Why the hell do you go to Africa? It's certainly an interesting choice. We'll do travel, when it warrants."

Gibson says he was quoting an e-mail he sent to a friend who works as a producer for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. In an interview with the Associated Press today, Gibson clarifies that he was questioning why Brian Williams had to go to Africa with a rock star (U2's Bono).

On April 12 (check local listings), PBS will air a two-hour documentary called Rx for Survival: The Heroes, a companion to the six-part series, Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge. I mentioned the series back in November, and recently saw an advanced screening of Rx for Survival: The Heroes.

The special, narrated by Brad Pitt, takes an in-depth look at something many of us take for granted, which is the men and women who work to both maintain and eradicate diseases most of us never think about. The special not only focuses on major epidemics like HIV and tuberculosis, but on diseases not so well-known, such as "night blindness" in Southeast Asia, an ailment cured by an eye doctor in Baltimore who simply administered drops of Vitamin A to the children, a nutrient their regular diet lacked. This treatment, which was initially slammed by the medical community, also helped prevent other series diseases, resulting in a cut in child mortality rates by as much as one third. The special also focuses on a tenacious effort to once and for all eradicate polio from the Earth, just as small pox was destroyed in the early 80s.

The most fascinating aspect of the special, besides the medical professionals, scientists, and community volunteers from these areas who work to both treat diseases and spread awareness of them, is how Western science is often challenged by religious belief. In one scene, a man refuses to give his son a polio vaccine, claiming it is the will of Allah to decide what happens to his son. The man eventually accepts the medication for his son, but it illustrates there is more to fighting these diseases than just administering drugs. There is also the challenge of trying to get two very different cultures to see eye to eye on a very important issue that has the potential to affect us all. 

I watched Dave Chappelle on Oprah yesterday and, despite denying rumors that he's crazy, I think he may have some sort of mental imbalance. Oprah opened up the show by asking him why he suddenly left for Africa after signing a $50 million, 2-year deal with Comedy Central. I don't think he ever gave a straight answer. He did say something about "they" were trying to manipulate him through the press, and that there was a lot of pressure, and he had ethical issues with some sketches on the show. But, it took me an hour to glean that from his rambling, disjointed answers to Oprah's questions. Oprah was clearly confused. She kept trying to get clarification from him on why he disappeared. At 19 minutes into the show, she was still asking.

Later, when she asked him whether he would return to his show on Comedy Central, he said he had been thinking about that question all during the interview and appeared to just make up an answer on the spot. He said something about creating a comfortable work environment and donating DVD proceeds to charity. Huh?

We all know the worst phrase an aspiring singer can hear is "alta fakedem," which we all know, since we speak fluent Amharic, means, "you didn't make it." While I still haven't figured out why people are so drawn to American Idol, its popularity is not to be questioned, and "copy cats" of the program have been popping up across the globe. Of course, American Idol itself was based on the British show Pop Idol. Anyway, a version is currently airing in Ethiopia, titled, naturally, Ethiopian Idol. The production values are a bit lower than its American inspiration. The show takes place in a hotel restaurant where singers must compete against noise, power failures, and nosey waiters. Also, the Simon Cowell equivalent sometimes tells the contestants they sing like donkeys, which is apparently an insult in Ethiopia.

 

This Tuesday VH1 will be airing a 90-minute, commercial-free documentary titled Tracking the Monster, which will focus on the AIDS epidemic which has been ravaging Africa for many years. The movie will focus on two celebrities, actress Ashley Judd and singer India.Arie, as they venture into separate parts of the continent to speak with people both infected and affected by the virus.