Welcome New Visitors!

Hi guys....We're just basically setting up shop, so pardon the "plain Jane" look/generic template digs for now...But this is home for my newest venture/on-line radio show/podcast follow-up project to The DVD Marquee (which you'll find a link to on the right hand side of this page).

As one who grew up with the likes of Johnny Carson, Tom Snyder and Casey Kasem in my youth, I've always loved good conversation, story telling and pop culture...and despite 25 years in media, it's only now via an age of high tech wonderment/Do-It-Yourself mentality that I've been able to realize my dream of having my own chatfest.

And in addition to housing episodes of The Culture Of Pop, this slice of cyber real estate will also include musings on my eclectic, diverse array of interests in the areas of news, sports, music, TV and of course, pop culture as well as fun things like an ongoing list of dream guests, interesting links and perspectives from a long time media man who's celebrating 25 years in this crazy business this summer...and with no less the same enthusiasm and excitement as I did when asked to tackle homeroom announcements in high school.

So, to paraphrase Detective McGarrett on Hawaii Five-O, bookmark us, Danno!

Best,
Jeffrey Rosado

-Jeffrey Rosado is a free lance journalist, multi-award winning performer, writer, producer and pop culture historian whose contributions have appeared at digitallyOBSESSED.com, Beatlefan Magazine, The Huntsville Times and The DVD Marquee (www.thedvdmarquee.com)

THE IDOL DANCER

American Idol Results Show Recap:
4-15-09

ACTION: FADE UP FROM BLACK

Keifer Sutherland (yeah, right): The following blurbs were written between 8 pm and 9 pm...we hope... Affiliates will have our ass if we cut into their news time...

“Minute by minute, by minute, by minute, I'll be holding on....”
-Michael McDonald/Lester Abrams

8:00 pm-Go on, hate me Tarantino dissers... I thought QT movie night was sensational...Cool opening tonight, too...

8:01 pm-”Sedaka's back”!

8:04 pm-J. Geils Band tunes don't fit “Idol/Up With People” group vocals format. Horrific.

8:03 pm-Paula Abdul? YOU look beautiful tonight (yeah, I know..I'm the silver tongued blogger).

8:05pm-Work that camera Adam Lambert, you vocal “Maniac”, you (insert scrunchy nose expression of approval from yours truly, here).

8:12 pm-Great behind-the-scenes story from Adam on Tarantino's passion for music in film..doesn't surprise me at all.

8:14 pm-We interrupt this broadcast for a two minute infomercial for 17 Again, starring George Burns, er, sorry... Zac Effron and Leslie (Judd Apatow You Lucky MoFo) Bibb. Opens Friday everywhere (even Bayonne).

8:16 pm-We now join Ryan Seacrest's tie bar already in progress.

8:18 pm-Alison b safe. Getting smarter, America (and glad my bottom three pred turned out to be wrong).

8:19 pm-Adam safe (whew). Gotta love my fellow Rocky Horror Picture Show fan's sense of humor. Does not look like press agent sanctioned put-on...

8:20 pm-Anoopy's weekly sprint to bottom Threeville.

8:24 pm-FOX Promo: There's no crying in Hell's Kitchen, Gordon Ramsey!

8:25 pm-Much deserved welcome home lovefest for Jennifer Hudson commences. After what this sweet girl's been through in recent months, she looks and sounds wonderful...

8:29 pm-Church those high notes, Jennifer!

8:30 pm-Light bulb moment: Wouldn't an Adam Lambert/Jennifer Hudson duet be terrific? Take note 19 Productions...

8:33 pm-FOX Promo: If it lives up to the promise of its commercials, Glee could become one of the biggest summer TV hits in years... ...or at worst, another Cop Rock.

8:35 pm-Can't help but notice the space between Paula and Kara... and anybody notice a slight wince from Kara when Paula patted her on the back during her Kris kudos on Tuesday? Hope I'm wrong, but not sensing much togetherness between these two..

8:37 pm-Cowell gives belated “excellent” props to Kris for amazing rendition of Falling Slowly Tuesday night. Spot on, mate.

8:38 pm-Lil joins Anoopy. Hurting for her; still have her gospel-flavored take of The Rose ringin' in my ears. Beats the hell out of tinnitus, I'll tell you for sure.

8:40 pm-This just in: Ryan Seacrest induces near panic across the Gokey Nation...until he sends Matt back to familiar territory instead. Spontaneous living room raspberries from Camp Giraud gatherings ensue.

8:46 pm-Miley Cyrus makes rare television appearance. At the risk of going Peggy Fleming, good for her...for she isn't on the box often enough (insert deadpan Bob Hope expression, here).

8:48 pm-Miley Cyrus Band's wardrobe courtesy of Reservoir Dogs, Inc./A Band Apart LLC

8:50 pm-Okay, as much as I like to rag/kid her, Miley has a pretty good voice; “The Climb” is a terrific piece of pop music... and based on contacts I have in the biz, I hear Miley's a really sweet kid... ..and besides, she's a fellow John Lennon fan.

8:55 pm-Way to go, Lil!

8:56 pm-”You better sing for your life if you can little Matt, show Simon Cowell where it's at little Matt...”

Told you guys I was a John Lennon fan.

8:58 pm-Question For Idol Judges: How DO you guys confer on the “Judges Save” during the screams/music? Or are you all just puttin' on the dog for the cameras and making post-show dinner plans instead?

8:59 pm-Cowell, you old dog, you. But hold off on the streamers and balloons. As expected, Simon brings everybody back to reality quick with reminder of a double elimination week (which we all knew about) coming out of this... and next week's theme: Disco (gulp!)....

Quentin Tarantino week doesn't seem so bad in retrospect now, does it naysayers?

Have a great weekend, everybody...and pray for no rendition of Ring My Bell from the still Magnificent Seven collectively or individually come Tuesday...

Seriously, not even the new pop culture wonder that is Adam Lambert could make that God forsaken piece of crap tolerable....


-Jeffrey Rosado is a writer, performer, pop culture historian and host of The DVD Marquee on-line radio program/podcast...

www.thedvdmarquee.com

The Idol Dancer: DWTS Recap 4-13-09;American Idol: Movie Night 4-14-09

Due to my Marquee duties and double/triple checking tax paperwork, I didn't get a chance to do a blog on this week's DWTS as quickly as I would have liked...Better late than never, though..

Giles/Cheryl: At least let them touch the damn disco ball if you're not gonna give it to 'em (not yet anyway out of fairness to everyone else). Good change of pace with an uptempo piece...and CB is by far my fave of all the dancers as far as choreography...Love all the hoofers, but Cheryl is such a standout to me.

Okay, I'll fess: Crush (as in school boy)...

Chuck/Julianne: All together now, GET A ROOM!!!! (laughs) Although Juli did all the heavy lifting, good routine by the most underrated couple in the competition (and nice handwork by Chuck flipping his lady in the homestretch).

Lawrence/Edyta: I think Warren Sapp is just what the doctor ordered for LT...Still not there yet as far as grace/comfort, but it looked like he was having a blast grooving to one of my all time fave Marvin Gaye tunes (Ain't That Peculiar).

Shawn/Mark: Strange how the once favored front runner is kind of slip sliding away. Nice routine, but nothing memorable..and at this stage of the competition, couples can't afford to become forgettable.

Ty/Chelsea: Ty continues to improve week in and week out...if he would just let himself go/loosen up a tweeny bit more..but he's come such a long way from ironboard status in his debut. Wonderful choregraphy from Chelsea that played into Ty's cowboy past perfectly.

Derek/Kim: If Cheryl/Giles have any competition for the big prize, it's these two...Sensational routine to one of rock's greatest tunes from the once and forever King...As I tweeted on Twitter, somewhere in the heavens, there's a Tupelo boy looking down in approval, and going "My boy, my boy...my girl, my girl". Kudos to Derek's hairstylist...you may have just brought the pompadour back..

Finally, we say fare thee well to:

Steve/Lacey: Wonderful, sweet routine that marked a huge comeback in the level of commitment for the reality TV legend...but in the words of a vintage Johnny Mathis/Denice Williams duet, "too much, too little, too late". Outstanding work/season from the lovely Lacey; been a banner set of shows for this wonderful newcomer...

...and now, come with me to the Adam Lambert, I mean, American Idol Theater as the Magnificent (Remaining) Seven do movie tunes under the musical supervision of.... Quentin Tarantino?

But hold your slings, arrows and bullets (and do NOT break my blog-centration)! For who should be a better choice to play Idol adviser for a movie theme eve other than one of Hollywood's most innovative directors who has also given us some of the most inspired soundtrack albums of all time...Who else would think to have Johnny Cash, The Grass Roots and The Delfonics share CD space with? I'm also surprised QT hasn't produced any regular albums...his committment and concentration in working with the kids this week reminded me of lengendary Beatles producer George Martin...and the results to me were as follows...

Allison-Ally again, accomplishes the impossible. Weeks ago she took Heart's Alone and made it fresh again...and on this go-round she took the only Aerosmith song that I hate..and turned it into a Dusty Springfield meets James Bond powerhouse. Is there anything this 16 year old wunderkind can't do? Grade: A

Anoop(y)-Admit it, kids...my nick for Anoop has gotta be cuter/cooler than Randy's Anoop-Dawg....and definitely more hip than his play-it-safe, treachly take on Everything I Do (I Do It For You) from Robin Hood: Prince Of Theives...but hell, at least it was more consistent than Costner's accent in that movie. Grade B-

Adam-In the mentor bit before he took the stage, Adam gave me another "I don't know about this" moment a'la Play That Funky Music by announcing his song choice of Born To Be Wild, which gained new post 1968 top ten smash life as the main theme from Easy Rider (great film, btw for those who haven't seen it)..and again, he inherited the stage like he owned it, by God...and as God as my witness, when Lambert acended to the hills of his amazing register yet again, I went Dickie Vitale. YEAH BAYBEE!!!! And then added a little Carrie Ann Innaba on top WOOOOOOHOOOOO!

Yep, only I can combine two worlds apart pop culture figures like Carrie Ann and Dickie in my slice of the blogosphere..

Marketing tip for ya, 19 productions: While developing Adam's post Idol debut record, why not include a bonus disc compiled of Adam's incredible performances from the show...and give the cover art a retro feel with an equally retro title of Adam Lambert: Songs I Sang On American Idol...(and don't forget the STEREO blurb in the upper right hand corner on the sleeve art).

Do that, and see if you don't have sales of Thriller-Saturday Night Fever-Rumours in return....

You're welcome...and I expect a cut/take for this inspiration...think of it as my "bailout"...

Oh, final grade for Adam this week? A+++++

Danny: Okay, I'd best don the riot gear, here....Seriously? Scmaltzy with cheese (ask for it by name in Amsterdam at the local Burger King). A "what were you THINKING(!)" moment to me...an "endless" rendition which I didn't "love"...and it may prove to be a very pivotal moment in the homestretch (see next review) Grade: D+

Kris: Let's go back to my love of Tarantino to set this up...One QT trademark I love is his knack for picking the most unlikely songs to accompany a scene...yet they wind up being perfect choices...and inspiring to boot..and that same mentality must've moved Kris to pick out Falling Slowly from the wonderful modern day musical Once...and despite the song winning an Oscar two years ago, it's still not up there with Up Where We Belong and Say You, Say Me in the public's mind...and Kris NAILED it. Was it perfect? No. Some missed notes here and there...but give me heart, feeling and sincerity over perfection any day of the week. Everything that was wrong about Danny's performance? Kris got right...and that's why I do believe that Kris will emerge the victor in this quiet rivalry. Grade A

Matt: Although I love Matt to death, he's had this slightly annoying see-saw effect on me as of late...Playing the appealing funky man one week, the croon-a-tune boy the next, with the latter now working for me at times...and his take on "" while pleasant enough, was forgettable as that...uh...something I had for breakfast yesterday...and at this stage of the Idol homestretch? Forgettable=Kimberly Caldwell go-fer gig at the TV Guide Network

Yep, I best don the riot gear one mo' gain... Grade: B-

Lil-All right, time to see if Mrs. Memphis can get her groove back/not let advice go in one ear/out the other time...and despite QT's kind words on a fellow Southerner in the pre-peformance pack, her intention to do Bette Midler's The Rose has me very, very worried in an Elton John/John Stevens/ Crocodile Rock way...

But my Lord...did the lady take us to church or what? The soul is back! Finally after going thru the copycat motions in recent weeks, talk about infusing a song with your own heart and personality and making it your own..Everything that made me love this girl returned...almost like an Adrian emerges from coma Rocky II moment to me...and I'll admit it...waterworks. Simon, Simon, Simon...have you been hanging with Len from Dancing With The Stars this week? I know Randy has (what is in the reality show air for the dudes this week, people? Geez.) Grade: A-

Ides Of Apri 15th Picks: Anoopy, Matt and Allison (the latter only because it's my gut feeling on the nationwide tally; nothing at all to do with her performance which I loved).

Potential Bottom 3 Dark Horse: Danny (it could happen folks...and you heard it here, first)...

Final Thoughts:

-Last week it was a horrible studio audience tie-in to Fringe...this week, FOX cracked the whip on the judges panel so the show could end on time...You're batting 2-2, FOX...and not in a Joe Dimaggio way. Although they can't grate on us/have their moments, the judges' critiques are one of my main lures to Idol...and to mute them in such a way is reprehensible to me...and I hope tonight's case study winds up making it a one-shot experiment...

-Any of my fellow 40-something's reading have Ed Sullivan Show "in the audience tonight" reactions to the VIPs in attendance? Little Steven here, Katie Couric, there...Lauren Koslow (Days Of Our Lives, and the most beautiful woman in daytime television IMHO)...and if my peepers are right, Christina Applegate...Idol audience will no doubt increasingly Star Time in the weeks ahead...

-I wonder if Paula needed one of those jewelry security guards by her side last night...Nice threads, Abdul.

# 30 # (for old time's/typewriter days of yore sake)

.... Click me back for post-results show thoughts tomorrow, folks...

and thanks for gawkin'...