Video Beat Extra EXTRA - Academy Awards - American Idol Judges - February 2007

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

This years Academy Awards includes former American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson - Are Americal Idol Judges Too Hard... Do the know what they're talking about??? - American Idol winner Fantasia to appear in a Broadway show - The Philippines and Dream Academy winner Yeng Constantino Album earns Platinum Award - Top Model IS ON with lessons!!! - Amazing Race ALL STARS (USA) NEW SEASON IS ON!!! - Recommended TV SCHEDULE

Saturday February 24, 20

JENNIFER HUDSON THE ACADEMY AWARDS AMERICAN IDOL

The Academy Awards (The Oscars) will take place tomorrow night (Sunday February 25) and will be televised live in the USA. The show is scheduled to air Wednesday (February 28) in Southeast Asia. The show presents the Oscar to those who had a major contribution to films and that includes music.

Several years ago my songwriting teacher Al Kasha won his second award for the Poseidon Adventure. That followed his first win for his composition in the film the Towering Inferno. The elation on his face was infectious as his glowing smile indicated how proud he was for winning the most coveted award in show business.

This year former American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson is one of the Motion Picture Academy's nominees for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Effie White in the film in Dream Girls. Her role was based upon Florence Ballard one of the Supremes. Hudson has already won the Golden Globes Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance.

Hudson may have another success story to her often rejected but now selected career buy winning an Academy Award. Tune in to the Academy Awards and find out.

The show is scheduled to air in Southeast Asia WEDNESDAY February 28 @ 7 PM Thailand/Cambodia time on the STAR MOVEI CHANNEL

AMERICAN IDOL DOWN TO FINAL 16 - DID JUDGES LOSE THE PLOT?

The ax fell on four more American Idol hopefuls this past week. Four more 2 boys & 2 girls) will be cut this week when then the show gets serious and down to the final 12.

In Southeast Asia the program is televised on the Star World channel several times on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays .

The live feed is on at 5pm Thailand/Cambodia time. It repeats at 7 and 10:30pm. Last Wednesdays show was at 11pm. The same schedule applies for Thursday and Friday with the addition of a 10am show of the previous days program. The Friday show is the elimination round.

Much can be said (and has) of the judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell being overly enthusiastic with their criticism. This season they appear to be taking on a life of their own where they are the stars and what the show is all about while the contestants are verbally beaten to death and embarrassed. The abuse seems to be the primary feature of the program.

As Jackson says, "Do you want me to keep it real?"

You could say that the judges have lost the plot. They are going overboard this season with verbal abuse. In past Paula and Randy were the good guys and Cowell the villain. This season is seems they both want to compete with Cowell as giving the most insensitive critique bringing some contestants to tears.

They know most of the contestants are treading sacred ground for the first time walking on the big Hollywood stage in front of millions of International viewers.

Yea, yea, sure, sure being rude and having to take criticism is a part of the entertainment business BUT it is it necessary to knock somebody down before they can get up and walk and spread their wings and fly?

For many International and Asian viewers being polite is a foundation of their cultural. For many in Western cultures it is SOS (Same old $#!t).

As the saying goes when in Rome do as the Romans do. Well when you expose a show to an International audience some consideration should be applied to being respectful to their cultures. It doesn't send a good message to the youth in many countries. They might think that this is the way people are supposed to act. American Idol producers and judges should think about it.

AMERICAN IDOL SUCCESS STORYS

February is a big month for former American Idol contestants. Following the success of Carrie Underwood winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and Jennifer Hudson winning a Golden Globe and being nominated for an Academy Award for her Dream Girl performance there is more.

Fantasia Barerro announced on last Friday's American Idol elimination show where she performed that she will be appearing in the Broadway play The Color Purple. Quincy Jones was in the AI audience and when asked by AI host Ryan Seacrest "Is she was ready'?" Jones quickly replied assuredly that she was.

Angelina Jolie is the daughter of actor Jon Voight? One of his most famous films Midnight Cowboy is currently being televised on the MGM movie channel in Asia. The HBO film GIA is her best work.

KATIE HOLMES - DAWSONS CREEK

Actress Katie Holmes has risen to fame and fortunes during the past eight years BUT DID YOU KNOW Holmes first major exposure to television viewers was as a cast member in the Warner Brothers TV series DAWSONS CREEK? WRITTEN IN THAI LANGUAGE.

YENG GOES PLATINUM

Pinoy Dream Academy winner Yeng Constantino's first album sold 30,000 units in its first month of release earning it a Platinum Award status in the Philippines.

The 18-year-old is currently appearing on the ASAP vartety show along with her fellow Dream Academy top six finishers. ASAP schedule below.

MORE PINOY

Pinoy Big Brother has started its second season. The program is including Philippinos from other countries. One of the contestants is from Switzerland and another from Australia. The contestant from Switzerland doesn't speak English or Philippino (tagalo), he speaks only German. This makes for an interesting development of how people will try their best to communicate and help each other.

English is spoken in a broken language on the program. As a Philippino explained that they call it Tagal-lish. Hmmmm…. The bottom line it is an interesting show for those thay enjoy communicating and absorbing other cultures behaviors. Tony Gonzaga is the programs main host though there are several others.

The show airs nightly. The time is always a problem as in the past it has vacillated in time spots ranging as much as a two hour difference. We'd like to share the time with you on this one but due to the scheduling irregularities it's up to you.

NEW SEASON for TOP MODEL, AMAZING RACE ALL-STARS (USA) IS ON!!!

Monday February 19th TOP MODEL started their new season in Southeast Asia by airing cycle 7 on Channel V. This series was televised in the USA this past fall.

In the first episode Banks hacked away at the 33 entrants within the 50-minute program and cut it down to the 13 contestants that will share a house together as they compete to see who will be America's Next Top Model.

An interesting aspect of Banks top model show is there is usually an underlying lesson that is revealed in her comments. In one encounter with a girl who reluctantly admitted that she worked as a dancer in a girlie bar claiming to Banks that it was the same thing as modeling.

With a crafty smile Banks disagreed. After noting that dancing in a bar is not the same as modeling Banks said to her associate judges (after the girl left the room) in a sarcastic way that the girl would be better off dancing in a bar since it was the same as modeling.

The most positive message that evolved in the show was an Indian girl with dark skin was wearing blue contact lenses. Banks asked if she did that because she had a concern that it would be more acceptable in her or USA culture.

The girl broke into tears as she explained that having dark skin was looked down upon in India. She noted that she was trying to overcome that and feel that in spite of her dark skin that she was beautiful. Banks assured her that she was.

When the girl left the room Banks commented regarding negative attitudes towards people with dark skin, "This color thing, it goes across every single culture."

Banks should know. As a Top Super Model she has traveled to numerous countries throughout the world and has had the opportunity to observe the behaviors of various cultures.

Unfortunately though she has been successful in her career and continues to do so though she's worth over $150 million US she is not welcomed in some clubs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia or Thailand. If she knew the type of people that frequent and own these places it is doubtful that she would care to frequent such establishments. The point being the racist attitude problem goes on as reflected in Top Model.

AMAZING RACE ALL-STARS

They're back…. The Amazing Race USA version is currently airing their All-Star edition of the show. It consists of ten teams that competed since show one. There is only one team that won the race that being Uchanna and Joyce winners of season 7. They are the only black contestants to win any of the 10 races.

Other entrants include Rob and Amber the team that people love to hate from season 7, beauty queens Dustin and Kandice from season 10, the much loved David and Mary the coalmining couple from Kentucky, John Vito and Jill who were eliminated this past week, cousins Charla and Mary with one admitting that being a very small person does gain her a lot of attention.

It all sums up to one team down and eight to go to see who will be the Amazing Race All-Star winner. Stay tuned… schedule below.

TV SCHEDULE

Note: The shows listed are for the Cambodia - Thailand time zone. Check your local listings for time and date in your area.

MONDAY

8:00 AM - AMAZING RACE ALL-STARS - (repeat)

10:00 PM - TOP MODEL - Channel V (repeat)

6:00 PM - TOP MODEL - Channel V (New episode)

8:00 PM - AMAZING RACE ALL-STARS - AXN - (New Episode)

10:00 PM - TOP MODEL - Channel V (repeat OF NEW EPISODE)

12:00 PM/midnight - AMAZING RACE ALL-STARS - (repeat)

TUESDAY

10:00 AM - AMAZING RACE ALL-STARS - (repeat)

3:30 PM - CLICK (On Line) - BBC NEWS Channel

WEDNESDAY

5:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - (New Episode)

7:00 PM - ACADEMY AWARDS - Star MOVIE Channel

7:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - (New Episode - repeat of 4pm telecast)

10:30 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - (New Episode - repeat of 4pm telecast)

THURSDAY

10:00 AM -AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - (New Episode - repeat of Wednesday show)

5:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - (New Episode)

7:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - (New Episode - repeat of 4pm telecast)

7:00 PM - FEAR FACTOR AXN - AXN - NEW EPISODE

8:00 PM - TOP MODEL - Channel V (repeat)

10:30 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - (New Episode - repeat of 4pm telecast)

11:00 PM - FEAR FACTOR - (rerun of 7 PM show)

FRIDAY

10:00 AM -AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - (New Episode - repeat of Thursday show)

4:00 PM - FEAR FACTOR - (rerun)

SATURDAY

1:00 PM - TOP MODEL - Channel V (repeat)

3:30 PM - Click On Line - BBC NEWS Channel

7:00 PM - FEAR FACTOR (rerun)

SUNDAY

10:00 AM - FEAR FACTOR - (rerun)

11:00 AM - TOP MODEL - Channel V (repeat)

NOON/ 12pm -- ASAP - TFC (The Filipino Channel)

6:00 PM - TOP MODEL - Channel V (repeat)

11:00 PM - AMAZING RACE ALL-STARS - (repeat)

11:00pm - ASAP - TFC - (repeat of show televised at NOON)

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