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Jessica Sanchez 'slays the biggest fish' while Joshua Ledet continues to impress
By Carla Patton
The top 7 are singing songs from this decade this week on "American Idol." And what a decade it's been! These last two and a half years have been legendary in the music business, no? But more importantly, this theme gives the top 7 an opportunity to show what type of artists they'd be if they were to get a record contract but no time machine. How can they handle the hits of today? Is there a place for soul artists like Joshua Ledet?
Bing: More about 'American Idol' | Photos: See the top 7 singers
To be fair, Skylar Laine had a very adorable hometown and "Grandpaw." Skylar has chosen Kellie Pickler's "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You." Akon, allegedly, was like, "Yo," when she sang. Skylar offered to play the guitar while she sings this week, and Jimmy said not to do it if it would hold her back because it's not about how many tricks anyone can do. But she's out there with the guitar! I haven't heard this song, but I like it now. If another former contestant can do it, why not Skylar?
Um, can we discuss how Colton Dixon is from a town called Murfreesboro? I like him more already. Jimmy told Colton that he's behind Phillip, which he hated. Colton has chosen to sing Skylar Grey's "Love the Way You Lie" and declares it will be a game changer for him. I don't think you get to declare that, Colton. He sounds a little better than he did in rehearsal, sitting at that white piano. The high notes just weren't floating right, though. I think it will keep him safe this week, but it wasn't a game changer. Colton feels great about it, and the judges seemed to like it, too. This performance -- and his reaction to it -- cancelled out any favor he gained from me being from Murfreesboro. You don't get to say how well it went, Colton! We get to decide!
Oh, no. Dream Team Phillip and Elise are singing "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye, and I'm nervous. This song is right on the cusp of being overplayed, and I still want to like it when all is said and done. Phillip isn't so into the song, but I like the dynamic this clip package is showing between them. It made me like Phillip a lot more. This performance does, too. It's hot! I don't like what they did with the chorus, though. It got too spooky. Is this a Tim Burton-inspired backdrop?
I think they took some of the power and emotion out of the chorus by falling off the end of all the notes and swinging into the next ones. And, naturally, I prefer any rendition with Matt Bomer in it. Randy and Jennifer crowned Elise the winner of this round, and so did Phillip.
Why are fans of Jessica Sanchez called Blue Jays? I must be missing something. Jessica chose the not so popular "Stuttering" by Jazmine Sullivan. Akon wants to steal Jessica Sanchez, but he'll have to wait with everyone else until she either wins or is eliminated. Things are opening up for Jessica! Diva, werk. Jessica manages to sit on the piano and not make it cheesy. I am not familiar with this song, either, but it sounds like it's a good choice for Jessica. And she's making me like it. Ooh, it gave me emotions. Randy thought she slayed the biggest fish of the night. It was so good he's mixing metaphors. Jennifer predicts that Jessica Sanchez will be taking us on a ride, and she wants something even more impactful. Jessica, the fish/whale-slayer. "Not that we want to take down a whale," Ryan noted, doing some quick "Idol" PR. 
Joshua Ledet just had a birthday, and he's in another white suit jacket. For his 20th birthday, Fantasia Barrino wished "Mantasia" a happy birthday. He loved it! He is just too cute. He's singing "Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars this week to give us a change of pace. Good! I approve of this. The arrangement is super fun, and I'm glad this isn't just a ballad night. Joshua is having fun with it, and I think he might have it in him to take it further than last season's Jacob Lusk. It's not too gospel-y, I don't think. I like his pink socks. The judges were ecstatic. 
For whatever reason, Colton Dixon is being shoved into another country duet with Skylar Laine. I understand wanting to make the girls look good this season, but this just seems blatant. Country is not right for Colton, even though he's from Tennessee. They're singing "Don't You Wanna Stay" by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson. So, people think they're dating? I never got that. I will say this for Colton: He can hold his own next to Skylar, and he can own the camera like no one else this season. The chemistry is getting weird between them as they duet and simultaneously work hard to convince us that they are not into each other. They wouldn't even look each other in the eye. Colton sounded good on this one, and Skylar sounded natural, since the song favored her anyway. Randy thought it was "just OK." No one was declared the winner by the judges, but I'll say it: Colton!
Uh, oh. Hollie Cavanagh is taking on "Perfect" by P!nk. She pronounces the word, "pehfect," because she has fans in Liverpool, too! Akon and Jimmy seem confident. Hollie is still insecure, though, as she tells us she wants Jimmy to call her a professional as he has done with pretty much every other contestant left. At least her skirt is made of Muppet. They slowed down the song and drained it of its rock 'n' roll. I don't care for this arrangement. This song is way more exciting, usually. Why do they keep doing this to her song choices? "You look beautiful tonight," Jennifer tells her, getting the comments off to a bad start. No standing ovation for you, Hollie. "It kinda laid there a little bit for me," Steven admitted. It got very quiet, probably because everyone's taking a quick nap before the next duet. Even Ryan gave his own little comment: "Well, it was definitely stronger than last week." Ouch!
Isn't Phillip Phillips's father, Phillip Phillips Sr., so cute? What's up, P2 Sr! Confusingly, Phillip is singing "Give a Little More" by Maroon 5. Phillip also doesn't care about being pitted against Colton because "Colton's a good guy." Do you know you're in a competition, Phillip? Or are you just kind of hanging out wondering why so many of your friends are going home each week? This is the Dave Matthews Band arrangement of a Maroon 5 song, but at least this marks the return of my favorite "American Idol" recurring character: Saxophone Lady!
It was great in the moment for Phillip, and I would love to hear it at an outdoor concert. But I feel like he's not changing enough. Steven noted that with each week we can hear more melody and words from Phillip. Yes, both good things! Melody! Words! Jennifer felt like she'd seen this performance before, and I'm proud of her for saying that. He's such a nice guy, though.
Hollie and Joshua are BFFs, and I guess Jessica is just a third wheel in this trio. They're singing "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson, and the girls sounded absolutely terrible walking fast and singing in the beginning. Is this just a song that people don't sound good on? It was weak, and the contestants seemed tired and downtrodden. Hollie looked distracted. This was just a throwaway performance. Oh, and then to assert her dominance as the female diva this season, Jessica outdid Hollie in the runs over the top of the chorus.
To close out the night in the pimp spot, Elise Testone is singing Lady Gaga's "You and I." She should get a better response this season, now that the song is more popular. Look at that outfit. It is epic. She got a personal message from Jason Segel, which was odd. He's a personal friend of Ryan Seacrest, you see. Elise has the best friends, I think -- like that one who made the instructional video on how to vote for her. Elise wanted to start out playing the drums, which was a crazy Reed Grimm idea. You are not Reed, Elise. Thank God.
I will have to go back and re-watch Haley's performance last season, but I feel like I prefer it. Elise flips around on the note a bit too much for my liking. She's getting desperate, nervous. She lost some of the pitch in there, too. I've been an Elise fan in the past, but I think she's slowly losing the hold she once had on things.
"Elise is back!" Randy shouts, tiredly. He needs to end the show on a high note, I suppose. Jennifer liked it, too, calling Elise a "closer," and Steven said it was genius. Maybe I'm just ... hungry?
What did you think of Wednesday night's performances?
"American Idol" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
You mean to tell us reality television isn't real?
By Michelle Strub
MSN TV
Dashing all of our hopes and dreams that reality TV might in fact (or at least even a little bit), be real, the cast of the "Real Housewives of NYC" was caught allegedly staging and re-filming scenes over the weekend. Shocked. We're shocked.
Bing: 'Real Housewives of NYC' | Heather Thomson | Carole Radziwell
According to onlookers in Southampton where the show was filming, Heather Thomson and Carole Radziwell were acting like actors when they took instructions from producers, took breaks in dialogue to wait for camera setups and shot multiple takes.
Plus: Top 25 stars under 25 | Most vicious 'True Blood' villains | Miss USA 2013 contestants
"Carole and Heather stood on Meeting House Lane and waited for the crew to call 'rolling,' before walking toward the camera and sitting on a park bench. They even shot the scene twice!" observed a concerned citizen.
It's not the first time a "Real Housewives" cast -- or any reality show for that matter -- has been accused of faking reality, but we still can't help feeling like we just found out all over again that Santa Claus doesn't exist.
Will you still watch knowing this about the show? Tell us at MSN TV on Facebook and Twitter.
'Bachelor' and Catherine turned down offer for even more screen time
WENN
Former "Bachelor" Sean Lowe has revealed he and fiancée Catherine Giudici were offered another shot at reality TV stardom, but they decided to turn it down. Just one week after Lowe proposed to Giudici on the season finale of the hit dating show in March, Lowe continued his run on ABC by joining the cast of "Dancing With the Stars." While he didn't nab the Mirrorball Trophy, his extended run on reality TV had critics believing he was just in it for the fame. Lowe slammed the reports at the time. And during a recent interview with talk show host Katie Couric, he backed up his statement by revealing network bosses offered the couple even more screen time with a new series - which they turned down.
Lowe divulged, "ABC approached us about doing a six-episode miniseries a while back, and at the time, it wasn't really something that we wanted to do only because we need time to be ourselves and to be normal and not to have cameras around. I don't know if that's something we would entertain in the future or not." Giudici added, "Camera chapter is done. This is a new one. It's nice to be quiet and get to know each other on a different level." Despite the fact the happy couple turned down the miniseries offer, Lowe and Giudici still have plans to have a televised wedding on the network but have yet to set a date for the big day.
Plus: Top 25 stars under 25 | Most vicious 'True Blood' villains | Miss USA 2013 contestants
'X Factor' judge wishes she was as straightforward and courageous as her boss
WENN
Demi Lovato has confessed she admires "X Factor" creator Simon Cowell's honesty and wishes she was as courageous as he is when it comes to telling wannabes the truth. The "Heart Attack" singer has returned for a second season as a judge on the singing competition, reclaiming her place next to fellow mentor and frequent rival Cowell. And, although the two playfully butt heads on the show, Lovato does commend him for having no filter when it comes to doling out usually harsh criticisms to poorly performing hopefuls.
She tells Heat magazine, "Whatever he has to say, it's the honest truth. Sometimes I don't agree with him, but most of the time he says what I'm wanting to say but, like, I just physically can't because it's so mean! He knows what he's talking about. He knows that he's doing, and he's gonna tell you straight up, whether you want to hear it or not." Lovato and Cowell are currently in the middle of auditions for Season 2, along with new judges Paulina Rubio and Kelly Rowland. They will hit three more cities across the U.S. this summer before the live shows premiere this fall.
Plus: Top 25 stars under 25 | Most vicious 'True Blood' villains | Miss USA 2013 contestants
Host confesses he hated having to eliminate teary child contestants
WENN
"Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan regrets filming a family version of the series, admitting he found it extremely difficult to eliminate the kids competing on the show. After 12 years, 22 seasons and 13 Emmy Awards, "The Amazing Race" is still one of the most popular reality series on television. And having been with the series since its inception, Keoghan has been through many ups and downs. But the one thing he wished had never made it to air was Season 8's family edition where families of four competed in the race around the world, including the youngest contestant at the age of 8.
During a roundtable discussion with the Hollywood Reporter, he admits, "I wish we hadn't done the family version of 'Amazing Race,' but I'm proud that we tried it. It didn't work, and it came back to the whole thing of having to eliminate kids. It's hard enough to eliminate anybody because they want to be there so badly. And I had to look into a kid's eyes with the tears pouring down with a raised eyebrow and dramatic pause, cameras coming in: 'I'm sorry to tell you, you've been eliminated.'
Plus: Top 25 stars under 25 | Most vicious 'True Blood' villains | Miss USA 2013 contestants
'The Wanted Life' honcho knew right away Brit band's lifestyle would translate well
WENN
The Wanted are perfect for reality TV because of their unapologetic, wild and crazy rock star lifestyle, according to reality TV kingpin Ryan Seacrest. The Brit boy band broke onto the U.S. music scene last year with their hit "Glad You Came" and landed an E! series, "The Wanted Life," which follows their journey in America. Seacrest, who is the brains behind the new show, tells "Access Hollywood" that he knew the fivesome was perfect for reality television.
The "American Idol" host, who is also responsible for bringing the Kardashian clan to E!, reveals, "We had been playing their music on the radio, and they came into the office one day. And a lot of people that you meet with are a little bit guarded when they're in a meeting or when they're gonna do a television show. The Kardashians are not guarded, and I noticed that the Wanted are not guarded at all. They really will let you shoot anything. And they're wild. And they are unapologetic about being crazy rock stars, 20-something-years old and not caring if they're diving into fountains in Las Vegas and getting into trouble for it. And so, when I saw that, I thought, 'This is a TV show!'"
Plus: Top 25 stars under 25 | Most vicious 'True Blood' villains | Miss USA 2013 contestants
Host fretted that hit series was going to be another 'karaoke show'
WENN
"Voice" host Carson Daly initially turned down the offer to host the singing competition, confessing he didn't want to be part of a "karaoke show." The 39-year-old has built his career around his love of music -- as a radio DJ, the former host of MTV's "Total Request Live" and now as a host on NBC's hit singing contest. But it was as a devoted music fan that he declined the role on "The Voice" when he was first offered the gig. During an interview with late-night TV host Jay Leno, Daly, who also serves as a producer on the show, confessed he was apprehensive about joining the series in 2011, especially with similar shows like "American Idol" and "The X Factor" already on network TV.
Daly admitted, "I was pitching some dumb idea to NBC bosses to keep me around, and they said, 'We think we finally found the right prime-time vehicle for you, and it's a singing competition show.' And I said, 'No, thanks. I love music. I need to keep it credible. I'm not interested in a karaoke show.' They showed us a tape from Holland where they had 'The Voice,' and it was just great... I got goose bumps. I said 'If you'll have me, I'm in.' And really, people thought we were crazy because the market's been flooded with these types of shows. But we just felt we could put a show with the names of like Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green, real people who really wanted to help people and not just tell them they sucked. Maybe it could be uplifting, and it could work. And it did."
Plus: Most vicious 'True Blood' villains | Miss USA 2013 contestants | TV shows based on books
'Teen Mom' and sex tape star feels she shines both personally and professionally
WENN
Farrah Abraham has slammed comparisons between her and Kim Kardashian, insisting she's a "smarter person" than the reality TV star. The 22-year-old, who is arguably the best known of the "Teen Mom" cast members, recently released a sex tape with adult film star James Deen. Now that the single mom is reaping the benefits of her newfound fame following her X-rated debut, many critics have likened her to Kardashian, who most gained notoriety when her sex tape with ex-boyfriend Ray J was leaked in 2007. However, Abraham tells New Jersey's Metropolis Nights magazine that she could not disagree more with the comparisons between her and Kardashian, insisting she has and will make smarter decisions in her life, both personally and professionally.
Bing: More about Farrah Abraham
Abraham asserts, "I definitely feel it's an unfair comparison. I have been very successful with other things in my life besides just being a reality TV star. I have books and other things going on in my life that outshine Kim Kardashian. I feel I just outshine her when it comes to both our personal and professional lives. That's why I don't like being compared to her. We're two really different people. I don't for see myself getting married more than once. I don't see myself making the same choices that she has made. Good or bad, I just feel I'm going to be a smarter person. I don't want to be negative. We're just different people. I wish her the best, but I'm going to focus on my life."
Plus: Most vicious 'True Blood' villains | Miss USA 2013 contestants | TV shows based on books
'Tamar and Vince' star takes to Twitter on Father's Day to share the news
WENN
Tamar Braxton has finally revealed the name of her first child with husband Vincent Herbert. More than a week after announcing the arrival of her newborn son, the singer and reality TV star has shared the name of the newest Braxton family member: Logan. On Sunday, she took to Twitter and posted a photo of their little one's hand grasping at Herbert's, writing, "Happy Father's Day to the love of my life, my best friend, my husband Vincent Herbert! Our son Logan Vincent Herbert & I are proud to share this day with you!! We love you soooooo much!!"
Bing: More about 'Tamar and Vince'
Last Thursday, the first-time mom to share the happy news with fans, writing, "HE'S finally here!" alongside a snap of a group of blue teddy bears with the words "baby boy" printed on their feet. This is the first child for Braxton and Herbert, who wed in 2008 and star in their own WEtv spin-off show, "Tamar and Vince," which recently was renewed for a second season.
Plus: Most vicious 'True Blood' villains | Miss USA 2013 contestants | TV shows based on books
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Deanna Barnert | Los Angeles, Calif.
Entertainment journalist Deanna "TVDeeva" Barnert visits sets, interviews industry players and critiques the final product. Buzz's daytime TV queen covers it all for MSN TV, but loves her sitcoms, soaps and any juicy drama that doesn't call itself Reality TV.
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