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Archive through January 14, 2009

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: Other Reality Shows ARCHIVES: Archives for 2009 - 1: True Beauty: ARCHIVES: Archive through January 14, 2009 users admin

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Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Monday, January 12, 2009 - 1:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Oh Megs, I agree that perfect symmetry isn't necessarily beautiful. But there have been studies about it, and it is real. Personally, I was surprised to find out that I was fairly symmetric and my BF at the time was so not. Maybe that's why we're not together any more? :-)

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 2:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
I like Monique's look, too.

Tonight, well it was clear which team would provide the bottom two and I think the correct one of those went home.

Lexie_girl
Member

07-30-2004

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 6:09 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lexie_girl a private message Print Post    
LOL... I still don't think Ashley "got it" when she was shown the video of while she was kicked off. She seemed pretty clueless.

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 6:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
I agree the right person went home. That being said, I have a slightly different take on the "consideration for others" task they staged.

Interesting on how they said Ashley didn't help the messenger guy. Sure,she didn't reach out and grab/help the guy, but she also didn't just ignore him and stomp on into the building. She sort of hung out there and looked at him. I couldn't hear the dialogue, but the CC quoted the man saying "I'm ok." At that point, if he's ok she's not really under any obligation to offer aid. So did she ask him if he was ok, and it was edited out? Or did the guy just finally say something cause all she did was stand there and stare at him?

Could she have done much physically to help him in that dress she was wearing? Especially cause the guy did pretty much get up right away. They should have had him writhe around on the ground a bit first to see what she'd do.

Sad fact is, in this day and age you have to use caution when you approach a perfect stranger, even those who appear to be in distress. It could be her gut was telling her the accident was staged (which in fact it was of course). How is she to know the staged accident is to test her, or that some guy wants to catch her off guard and get the upper hand on her?

OK, reading that it sounds like I'm defending her! LOL. Truth is, I pretty much picked her to go when she thought it was ok to "use" her dog as a cancer victim to swindle people into giving her stuff. So I was glad to see her go.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 7:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
I wanted her to leave, but CJ sort of disgusted me with his fake charity ruse. I thought the judges were going to choke when he gave his true beauty comes from within speech!
I agree Who, in this day and age, that could have been a setup for something worse.

Dogdoc
Member

09-29-2001

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 7:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dogdoc a private message Print Post    
CJ did not come out in a good light last night. Either did Ashley. At least Chelsea stood up to them. CJ said he did feel guilty. I probably would not have donated to the lady sitting at the table on the street. I don't like to be called over by someone be asked to donate. Also, I think as a woman, I would hesitate to ask a man if he was ok. I would think that he must be embarrassed falling in front of a woman. It would been hard for me to help him up. I think if Ashley would have been faced by a woman falling off a bike she might have offered to help.

Legalboxer
Member

11-17-2003

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 8:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Legalboxer a private message Print Post    
As a woman, I would go help regardless of the gender - but that is just my personality and THAT is what this show is all about - what personality is really inside each of them (although its impossible to see the full perspective of one's personality in any "reality show", especially one such as this...)

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 9:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
I would probably have failed on the donation to charity test. We have so many bogus panhandlers here that I rarely give to anyone on the street. It's a really tough dilemma for me because I hate being a pessimist. Our church makes car care packages (ziplock bag filled with peanut butter crackers, vienna sausage, socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, bottle of water and a card with phone numbers/addresses of shelters.
i carry those in my car. I figure if they really are in need, the bag will help in someway and if they are scamming, they can't use it to buy something they shouldn't.

Dogdoc
Member

09-29-2001

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 9:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dogdoc a private message Print Post    
Texannie, those car care packages are a nice idea. Our church has an ongoing collection for necessities for the local women's shelter.

Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 10:26 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Poop, I missed it again. And I don't think they will be rerunning this ep, eh? With new shows I can never remember when they are on. (And with some other shows too...)

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 10:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
I actually did have the chance to offer help to a stranger in a very similar situation. We lived across the street from a convenience store. Our house was set back from the street (as was the store on the other side, and there were no streetlights, so it was very dark at night in the parking lot.

One night as I crossed the street I saw a man lying in the entrance way to the parking lot. Cars were actually driving right around him as they entered the lot, and nobody stopped to help. I have to admit I was pretty nervous approaching him, but as I got closer I saw he have fallen off his bike, and was struggling to get up. The store clerk finally came out to check on things as I got there as well.

The man refused to have us call an ambulance, so I stood over him to make sure nobody drove over him in the dark, and the clerk went inside to call the man's wife to come get him. His bike was wrecked and couldn't be ridden, but it also wouldn't fit in his wife's car. So I took custody of it and offered to walk it by their house the next day as it was on my way to school.

They weren't there the next day, but we had prearranged that I leave it in their carport since they didn't expect to be there. A few weeks later, he came by our house (on crutches) to offer a gift of thanks for my help. Turns out the poor man had fractured his hip in the fall!

Interesting side story was when I got to their house, I noticed a van parked there with a bumper sticker from the drum and bugle corps I'd marched with years earlier. When he stopped by my house a few weeks later, it completely slipped my mind to ask him about it. I never saw him again, and I've always wondered what his connection to that bumper sticker might have been.

Freetimefinally
Member

01-26-2006

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 11:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Freetimefinally a private message Print Post    
O wuold of failed the donating table also. If it was one of normal charities I know truely exist I would have donated. The guy on the bike hopped up to fast. If i didn't help him physicaly I would of definatly talked to him and asked if he was alright.

As for all of the free clothes and donations from strangers on the street. I seriously doubt it was the looks and personalities of these people getting the donation. The shop owners saw the cameras and knew they were not home video cameras. They probably thought great free publicity. Also if they said no it would have looked bad on camera. And who knows what the people on the street thought about donating with the cameras shoved in their face. "What talk show was doing a spoof on stingy people" could of been going through their mind. This is in LA after all. Many people probably figured they would turn around and give the item back asking them to be a guest on a show about how unstingy they are.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 11:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
This was such a fake challenge. I agree that Showtime saw the cams and knew they'd get some free publicity.

While I hated CJ's initial idea, he does get props for feeling bad about doing it and stopping. OTOH, Ashley took the idea and ran with it, and she was so NOT likeable in doing so. CJ kinda got a bit of a pass in my mind with regards to his "look" due to his size. I really doubt that he can buy much off the rack, and outfitting him would've been a challenge all on it's own.

WRT to the "final straw" challenge, Ashley did just stand there. She didn't move over to him to help or ask him if he was all right or help with his bike. (And sorry, but I'm not buying the dress excuse; there was plenty of room in which to move in that thing.)

I agree, too, that she didn't seem to get it when she was told what she did wrong. She didn't even seem ashamed at her actions during the challenge.

I'm finding that most of these "beautiful" people are less than beautiful on the inside. Joel just seems bitter as all get out, for example.

I'm not sure if I'm enjoying this show or not. I'm thinking it's turning into a train wreck I'd prefer not to see. Time will tell, I guess?

Brian2204
Member

09-14-2004

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 12:06 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Brian2204 a private message Print Post    
There was a voiceover that indicated the stores had been preselected...I don't remember the exact wording but I'd bet the store owners/employees were expecting the contestants and were paid at some point for whatever merchandise was "dontated".

As to the charity table...I would venture to say that on Melrose Place that type of donation request would be far and few between. I mean after all this is one of the ritiziest shopping streets in the country. No way would the merchants allow tables to be set up and down the street looking for handouts....this isn't Berkeley (and YES I'm a SF Bay Area native!). I also have some suspision that the contestants may have been coached in some way, or at least given some sort of heads up with regard to the charity. It just seemed to me and many of them pretty much threw a buck or two at the woman sitting there as if they were completing a step in a task....not really thinking about it other than a mental checkoff.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 1:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Some of them actually faked throwing money, but the cameras caught that. I agree it would be highly unlikely to have that table and person there for some "charity" and I also hesitate.. well actually I've given a few times and then realized I was scammed. However, they were mostly hit up after they'd managed to get their outfits and the original money wasn't theirs to begin with so that would make it easier to give.

I thought the bike guy got up pretty quickly for her, as opposed to him, but still he reacted better.

Anyway he's more appealing to stay on the show another week.

Biginjapan
Member

07-23-2005

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 5:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biginjapan a private message Print Post    
So i wonder what happened when real people tried to give to the charity table?

Jodie75
Member

08-26-2004

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 7:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jodie75 a private message Print Post    
Seamonkey, I know what you mean about being scammed. Even though I'm on disability, (and I left home when I was 15 and am always in some state of what I'd call poverty), I'd give what coins I had to panhandlers on the street. The only ones I wouldn't give money to are the ones standing directly in front of the LCBO (Ontario's monopolized liquor store - that to me on one hand was a big guilt trip, and on the other hand communicated intent).

But last summer something happened and I vowed never to hand out my change to panhandlers again. Right across the street from me is a big drugstore, Shopper's Drug Mart. The staff there know me well as I do a lot of shopping there, considering they have a food section I can buy from when I'm not feeling too good.

One day I passed a young guy with a markered sign asking for money for food, in the parking lot next to the store. I had no money on me, but I was going to the store to shop for a few things with my debit card. Thinking of him, I bought two bags of different types of trail mix, and a large can of iced tea. I figured the trail mix was a good thing to eat for energy, and it was a hot night. I asked the cashier to put those items in a separate small bag, without telling her why.

So on my way back I handed the bad to the guy, and he said thank you in a surprised tone. Yeah, I felt good for thinking of something like that.

But when I returned to the store, the same cashier was on duty, and she asked if I'd given the trail mix I'd bought to a homeless person. Turns out that he returned the food about 15 minutes after I'd bought it for him, for cash Although it should have come as no surprise, I was incredibly annoyed, and decided never to give out money or packaged food again. The only thing I'd give was perishable food that could not be returned.

Also something that has been influencing me are Intervention episodes. I've seen so many people begging for money just to turn around and buy drugs. One episode in particular really got to me - it focused on this young, good-looking guy who panhandled in a way that I've fallen for many times. He charmed and guilted people into giving him money, even asking people outside restaurants to give him their doggy bag. More often than not, they'd give him the food plus cash. I was like, wow, I'm such an idiot.

Also, more and more unfamiliar "charities" are looking for money on the street and in stores. Fast food places (not chains, but family-owned) will put out a can saying "Give money for poor children". I just don't trust anyone anymore. So I definitely would have failed the charity test.

Going back to topic, I'm glad Ashley went home - taking the guy's AIDS bracelet was the kicker for me. But I'm glad she didn't put up a fuss like the first one did. She seemed to recognize her bad behaviour.

One last thing, I'm glad the main challenge included a test for their "inner beauty". It seemed unfair that the final two in the pilot episode were picked because of something they couldn't help (the scientific beauty test). I was thinking that for the entire season, people were really going to make final two based on their outer beauty. So I was glad to see this wasn't the case.

Thorandtara
Member

09-15-2008

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - 11:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Thorandtara a private message Print Post    
There are two things here that really disturb me. OK, so I wouldn't qualify on the physical beauty side (though I am very symmetrical!)

The miscellaneous charity collection...I am a member of Rotary in my town. Rotary is a service organization that raises money for various charities. I work hard raising the money, and raise a great deal of money. In our biggest fundraiser of the year, I raise over 15% of all the money raised myself. I am a bell-ringer for Salvation Army every Chritmas.
But, I also have some pretty strict requirements regarding charities I donate to. In Rotary, the overhead is virtually non-existent, so I don't deal with any charity unless I know how high the overhead percentage is, which is why I don't love and won't donate or work with certain nationally known organizations. I also will not donate to any miscellaneous charity table that turns up outside the supermarket or Wal-Mart. (On the other hand, any miscellaneous charity doing a bake sale will force me to buy something whether I eat it or not--I appreciate the effort!)

As far as helping a stranger in distress--there is only so much I can do. I have 2 concrete recent examples. 1. I was going into Kohl's before Christmas, coincidentally with the local fire department who were doing a fire safety inspection. When I left, an older man fell on the ice outside the store. I didn't address him, but immediately went back into the store and asked the closest cashier to page the fire safety guys to the front door. I am not certified in first aid and don't want to touch/move someone who has hit his head. I knew there were emergency responders in the store, so I believe I offered the most help I could without every addressing the guy. The fire department ran to the page, and I escorted them to the fallen man, and they took over, and I left.

2. I came out of a local convenience store, and to see a woman laying on the sidewalk, bleeding from the head, with (even more coincidentally) and friend of mine kneeling next to her. He, who does not have a cell phone, had covered her with his coat. When he saw me, he said, "She fell on the ice, can you call 911?" I did, from my cell phone, and waited until the ambulance arrived. There was no other aid I could provide, so I left.

My point is that in some of these "internal beauty" tasks, there is a question of the quality of the help or goodness involved. And, intention and ability are not always the same thing. And sometimes, not compatible.

Finally, I'm going to make a plug for all of our local food banks. Food banks, in general serve the working poor. Demand from people who maybe don't know how they are going to feed their family tonight is growing while donations to food banks is decreasing. My Rotary club has an on-going food drive, and my office has an on-going food drive. One can of food per week. I'm a Realtor. My local association is asking everyone that goes to any event to bring a jar of peanut butter. I frequent a local bar/restaurant in my neighborhood, and next week, I'm going to ramp up a drive there. I'm going to put signs on all the doors that say, "Next time you come, bring a non-perishable food item for the Interfaith Food Pantry. Their clients can't afford to go out for a cheeseburger, but you can."

Back to the show...I'm just iffy about how they are measuring the "inner beauty" part.

Meggieprice
Member

07-09-2001

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 12:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Meggieprice a private message Print Post    
I am wondering too- it does not seem that inner beauty figures in at all to determining who is in the bottom two. I am not crazy about that.

I am sorry that everyone hates Chelsea, I like her looks- must be me being assymetrical in my thinking lol! ( Yep Sue, I know that symmetry concept of beauty is real- remember reading about that in psychology. But I tend to like quirky beauty)
Plus it bugs me when everyone dislikes one person...and I really dislike Joel and find him unattractive due to his personality.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 6:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
I dont dislike Chelsea...yet....LOL it was just that weird tear thing that was distracting to me.

Dogdoc
Member

09-29-2001

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 7:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dogdoc a private message Print Post    
I kinda like Chelsea. (gee Pamy is up early)

Smokey
Member

07-08-2003

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 7:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Smokey a private message Print Post    
Hi Meggie! I like quirky beauty, too. I've read about the symmetrical beauty thing and how people are drawn to that. I guess I'm abnormal because sometimes that perfect beauty look looks very ordinary, or uninteresting, to me.

Beauty is subjective, that's for sure.

There's something about Chelsea I like, too. I don't love her, but it just seems she's really insecure and acts the way she does to cover it up.

CJ dropped a little for me. But I was glad that he at least felt bad for scamming people. That was a terrible idea to raise money.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 10:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
FWIW, Megs, I really think Joel is ugly, both inside and out. And while some of Chelsea's actions haven't been pretty, I don't dislike her and I do kinda like her quirky looks.

The thing about symmetrical beauty is that, in the animal kingdom, those who are most symmetrical and therefore most beautiful are most likely to obtain and mate (and therefore procreate). And for animals, I guess that's what it's all about. The studies of symmetrical beauty in our relatives, the primates, proved over and over again that the more symmetrical ones were the ones most desired by the opposite sex. Us humans, however, think with our brains too much, and often don't prefer "conventional" beauty. I think it has more to do with overexposure of that type. We're all a bit rebellious in our own way, and if the blonde blue-eyed girl next door is the conventional beauty, some of us will think the quirky looking blonde blue-eyed girl is prettier.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 11:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
LOL, I like Chelsea, I just wish she could condition her hair so it doesn't look so frizzled and dry.

I am not really much of a fan of symetrical, Monique looks very symetrical to me but she seems to look androgynous.

Jodie75
Member

08-26-2004

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - 1:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jodie75 a private message Print Post    
There have been studies to prove that babies positively respond more to "symmetrical" beauty. However, I totally believe that as people mature, they respond to unconventional beauty, and appreciate the differences in other people.

When I was a young pre-teen, I remember flipping through the magazine "Teen" (don't think it's published anymore), and being simply amazed by the girls' faces in both the magazine's layouts and the ads. But as I got older, I found that the models were boring (by that time I was into "Seventeen", and others), and appreciated more unusual looks.

So I truly believe that maturity brings new perspectives on beauty. The girl-next-door and perfectly symmetrical looks do nothing for me. And I know, as I think all of you guys do, that beautiful people can become very ugly when their personality comes forth.

I absolutely love unconventional beauty. It's why I was drawn to Monique. So far she hasn't done anything "inner-ugly", so I'm hoping she goes all the way. I had high hopes for CJ, but the charity scam completely changed my mind. That was just wrong. I couldn't believe he would come up with such a thing. This is the guy who was a "fat kid", and had to fight his way to outer beauty. I would have thought he'd still be thinking about his inner beauty. It was ironic that he brought up inner beauty on "the last straw" challenge. He should have realized that the charity scam was an ugly, ugly thing to do, without being told by someone else.