Episode 24.2 - For the Class of 2010
June 14

Chico: *wearing a mortarboard and robe* To the graduates... of the class of 2010.. we at WLTI offer the following lessons...
Gordon: (Plays "Pomp and Circumstance" in the background)

1) Learn to cook something.
2) Dance as if you'd lose your legs tomorrow...
3) Read a book...
4) Don't forget your ABCs..

Jason: Learn how to say...."You want fries with that?"

5) Respect the talents of yourselves... and others...
6)... Did we mention cooking? ... Because that's important.

Jason: Cooking is very important. The microwave wont last forever.
Chico: And besides... women love a man who can cook. Ain't that right, G?
Gordon: (looks into cluttered sink) ummm...yeah. ok.
Chico: Oh, and invest in a dishwasher.
Gordon: Suuure. Now you tell me :P
Chico: Ha. Okay, folks, seriously, sit down and get ready for your learning, because from somewhere in America... WLTI... is... ON!
Jason: Yahoo!
Gordon: Gordon Pepper here. Also joining us today is our special guest Mr. Jason Block.
Jason: Always great to be here.
Chico: Always great to have you.
Jason: Thank you.
Chico: Okay, we've got a lot to cover, so let's start with the finish... of Top Chef Masters.



Chico: Haha... Cow.
Gordon: Moo cow.
Jason: Mooooo
Chico: Three superchefs enter... One will leave with the title, the presidents, and the bragging rights. We had Susur Lee, Rick Moonen, and Marcus Samuelsson... The final challenge: tell your story in a three-course meal. Yes, it's Next Iron chef Season 2 all over again. Can we have a Board?

Chico: The category: The Master Dinner. Marcus had Smoked Char with Horseradish & Shellfish Broth with Apples, Celery root & Mash, Salt-Cured Duck with Foie-Gras Flan, Sour Tomato Jam, and Aged Balsamic and Berbere-flavored Hamachi Meatball with Porcini Couscous and Sea Urchin Froth. I'm gaining five pounds just talking about it. Rick had hamachi as well, with an oyster and caviar, then followed up with pork belly and poached egg, gnocchi with truffle & turnip...
Jason: Wow. Just wow.
Chico: ...and Venison with espresso salt & pear butter, stuff cippollinis, shiitake, and brussels sprouts.
Gordon: (drools)
Chico: Susur had Steamed Scallop with black bean sauce and Shrimp & Crab croquette. Tuna with wasabe mousse, charred sea bream, and artichoke, asparagus, and daikon salad...
Jason: Elf needs food, badly.
Chico: ... and Lamb Thailandaise with Chang Mai Sausage. Basically, your first food memory, your first food memory as a chef, and you as a chef defined. I'll tell you right now; the winner prepared hamachi. The difference was half-a-star.
Gordon: I know that Marcus won, but I would have been dining in Rick's cafe.
Chico: I'd dine in them both. I'm swag like that :-) But seriously, this could've gone either way.
Gordon: It was 3 really good meals, both in thought and execution.
Jason: It seems that way. The funny thing this looked a lot closer than Rick Bayless's win last year. From seeing the menus here.
Chico: It is, isn't it.
Gordon: I thought the level of the chefs went up from last year.
Chico: So did I. We saw some very creative dishes come out of the Top Chef test kitchens. Next week is the premiere of Top Chef DC. Betcha can't wait for that one. But until then, this is for you Marcus...



Chico: ... you can have that.
Gordon: I also liked the camaraderie. This was about chefs showing their wares and respect, not people griping with each other
Chico: Yep.
Jason: Which you did see last year as well.
Chico: Masters seasons are always about camaraderie. a) because it's all for charity, and 2), because they're all on the same playing field.
Jason: BTW...do you think we see a season 3 of this?
Chico: Oh yeah.
Gordon: Definitely.
Chico: Speaking of, the money. Marcus took away $115,000; Susur takes $20,000.
Gordon: Very nice haul
Chico: Rick takes $22,500.
Jason: Very nice for their charities.
Chico: Susan Feniger won $32,500. It's a wonder she didn't make the final. Oh well.
Gordon: Oh well, but we have 11 dancers who did make the finals.
Chico: In So You Think You Can Dance.... All-Star Tournament of Champions Tournament.... Pro-Am.
Jason: (TM)
Chico: Thank you. Gordon, I heard you got 11 out of 10. How's that possible?
Gordon: We were supposed to have 10, but because the judges loved them so (and because FOX needed an extra week of programming), we have 11.
Chico: .. Oh, that's how. That didn't seem hard at all.
Jason: Sounds like the round of 13 on Idol last year
Chico: Yep. You don't kill your golden goose prematurely.
Gordon: I don't think that will hurt the goose. I think the new format will.
Chico: Well, if it's as random as I think it is, the damage may be minimal at best. Of course, it all depends on the new stars... Who are the new stars, anyway?
Gordon: I think the problem here may be the all-stars. Could you really tell them apart? The problem here is that you may be voting for the work of an all-star and not a contestant.
Jason: Gordon is 100% right on this. This has DWTS written all over it with the popularity vote.
Chico: Call it the DWTS effect?... Damn it, Jason! =p
Jason: ROFL. Great minds think alike
Chico: Great minds think for themselves. Hi, Joe. :-)
Gordon: and this is no longer a fair voting competition. As for the 11, can you really tell them apart this season?
Chico: No, not really. But just to say we did... the new stars, please.. I got the list right here...
Gordon: Big Board please?

Chico: Calling it "So They Think We Care". =p
Jason: Oh man. You guys are harsh
Gordon: Sorry. Just being realistic. We're not voting for them. We're voting for the all-stars.
Chico: The Top 11 are...

Alexie Agdeppa (Jazz), Billy Bell (Contemporary), Kent Boyd (Cont. Jazz), Lauren Froderman (Cont. Jazz), Ashley Galvan (contemporary), Robert Roldan (Contemprary), Jose Ruiz (B-boy), Cristina Santana (Salsa), Melinda Sullivan (tap), Adechike Torbert (Contemporary), and Alex Wong (ballet)

Jason: BTW...is Tyce Diorio here?
Chico: He's a featured choreo, yeah.
Jason: My sister went to public school with him. His real name is Keith :-) True story.
Gordon: I'll say Billy and Alex since they got TONS of screen time last year and that always helps the newcomers.
Chico: I'll go with you on that, and I'll add Jose, just because of the b-boy skills that differ from the pack.
Gordon: I agree. America loves B-Boys.
Jason: Yeah. He is the ONLY one who is in that style.
Chico: The question now, well... it's two questions really. 1) Can his partner adapt to his style, and 2) Can HE adapt to the charges he's given week after week?
Jason: That is a good question.
Gordon: Yes and yes. The one good thing about only 11 dancers is that these are the best.
Chico: And the best are paired with the best, so it should make the competition that much better, though I still question the whole point of the thing.
Gordon: To get ratings, of course. It's not to find the best dancer, or there'd be 22 of them.
Chico: Ah. Point. Moving on, then.
Gordon: Lets go to a game where the object is always to find the best trivia player
Chico: ... which they haven't called yet. Amazingly enough, they did call two from my audition, but that's neither here nor there.
Gordon: Waa waaaaa.
Chico: One of them played (and lost) this week.
Jason: Dammit.
Chico: This was one of those weeks that you prepare for, when the players playing went all sorts of crazy on the board.
Gordon: I liked this week. People played to win.
Chico: Two-day champ JR Lind was upended by Peter Hall in a lock, who was in turn made humble by Kyle Hutchinson in a lock. And then Marty Scott wins two. So that's your week in a nutshell, a couple of locks, a couple of two-day takers, and lots and lots of playing to win. And one what I like to call "Double Daily Double." Which is two running Daily Doubles in the DJ! round. Peter makes $12,000 in the course of a minute on these two clues. Let's play, shall we?
Jason: Sure.
Chico: First in Art Heists...

IN 1976 SHE SUED FOR THE RETURN OF 3 PAINTINGS, CLAIMING THEY'D BEEN STOLEN FROM ALFRED STIEGLITZ' GALLERY IN 1946.

Jason: Who is Grandma Moses?
Chico: Gordon... the CORRECT response, please.
Gordon: Who is Georgia O'Keefe?
Chico: THAT is correct.
Jason: The other one.
Chico: Grandma Moses, Jason?
Jason: Lets get the other one so I can redeem myself.
Chico: Okay, let's. It's Woody Allen Movie Synopses. Freaking genius, he is. Anyway...

ABUSED WIFE SEEKS REFUGE IN MOVIE THEATER, FALLS FOR THE FICTIONAL LEADING MAN.

Jason: What is "The Purple Rose of Cairo"
Chico: Gordon?
Gordon: What is Chico's Dream Bachelorette Sequence?
Chico: Ali in a three way. That's the dream right there. No, Jason is correct.
Jason: Hey I got one LOL
Chico: Yay! Now let's go from the podium to the stage... More auditions, I say.



Chico: Nice.
Gordon: Why thank you.
Chico: It's the long-awaited (at least around here) New York auditions.
Jason: There was some good stuff there this week and not so good.
Gordon: Did you see me?
Chico: I saw ya.
Gordon: yay!
Jason: I missed you
Gordon: boo
Chico: through from the NYC auditions, a day-glo dance group, a stand up comic, a fire artist, knife jugglers, a harmonica player, an opera singer, and a burlesque troupe.
Jason: Although I did like Fighting Gravity
Chico: There ya go. GREAT stuff.
Gordon: There was a stand up comic who was very funny. You haven't seen him yet.
Chico: I'm guessing they're going to have a "best of the rest" show.
Gordon: Well you have to remember that they hit all of the cities twice
Chico: Right.
Jason: Right
Gordon: So you'll hit him and some others during the second shift.
Chico: Can't wait to see that.
Gordon: Prince Poppycock was the one that brought the house down in NYC
Jason: He was...interesting. And talented.
Gordon: I think it may have been more because we had a string of 8-9 X's and then he showed up and didn't suck.
Chico: Heh. Yeah, that'll do it.
Jason: That would LOL
Gordon: I got stuck with the pizza speed eater, the flash dancer, the giant guitarist, and Karin Morgan the Southern comedienne
Jason: Ewwwwww
Chico: Gross.
Gordon: no. not good.
Chico: What about America's Game week? That good?
Gordon: I'll defer to Jam Master J
Jason: It was. This was the final week of the 2009-2010 season. You want to hear some stats?
Chico: Can we get some final stats, please.
Jason: Sure.

- Bonus Round wins: 81.

Chico: These are all out of 195, by the way.

- Total for the Season: $9,231,286
- Million Dollar spot hit...0.

Jason: No wins or losses. $100,000 spot hit 3 times, won once, lost twice. Over the 195 shows, the free play wedge was hit 221 times.
Chico: so about once a show then.
Jason: Pretty much. And this season ended with over $336,000 in cash and prizes given away this week. 58 Prizes on the wheel were won.
Gordon: That's pretty good.
Chico: Of course.
Jason: The MDW was taken to the bonus round 8 times this year... And we already know the two cities where season 28 will be this year.
Chico: New Orleans and..
Gordon: Vegas!
Jason: They are taping 6 weeks of shows next month at the Palazzo. I am guessing they will open the season again there like they did this season.
Chico: Probably.
Jason: And as a wheel watcher, I have to say, people were starting to get the use of the Free Play by the end of the season.
Chico: Vowels...
Jason: Vowels and more vowels.
Chico: Making a vowel movement.
Jason: The one thing that was a minor disappointment (and this is very minor). Was that Pat promised more variety in the prize puzzle prizes (besides trips) and it only happened once for it to be a non-trip prize. Let's see what they do next season to improve on that.
Chico: You remember what it is? Because ... I don't =p
Jason: I would have to check. I think it was a $5,000 Homegoods Gift Card
Chico: Wait, yeah, that was it.
Jason: I am good :-P Let me ask, to the panel...would you tweak anything from 27-28? Or leave it.
Chico: I'd leave it at least for another year. I can't think of anything to tweak other than the Prize Puzzle prizes.
Jason: Pretty much I agree.
Gordon: I agree. if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Chico: Right on... How about food for a prize?

(FOOD. It's What for Dinner)

Chico: Or a helicopter tour of LA. Which is what eggs four ways got the guys on Hell's Kitchen. But we have a bit of a problem after thatm because it's Hell's Kitchen. we ALWAYS have a bit of a problem after that.
Gordon: You know this early in the game, you would think the chefs know their fundamentals.
Chico: You'd THINK that. You'd also think that the chefs would be hip to the MENTAL aspect of the game. You know when Chef Ramsay is in your face like this, he's looking for fight in the dog.
Gordon: They've only seen 6 seasons of the show. They should know what they are in for.
Chico: Andrew... turned tail and ran.
Gordon: He felt 'insulted' by Ramsay and left.
Chico: Dude, I don't care how you felt. You don't let pride get in the way of that.
Gordon: Now Ramsay, on the other hand, didn't like either nominee of Jason or Autumn. He eliminated Mikey on his shaky work for the first 2 episodes. Andrew was from your neck of the woods, wasn't he, Chico?
Chico: Wake Forest, yeah.
Gordon: Do all North Carolinians leave when the going gets tough?
Chico: Hell no. Andrew just didn't have the grapes to make it in Hell's Kitchen. I could see myself in HIS shoes, be all like "Alright, Chef. I (^_^)ED UP! Let me do this again!"
Gordon: Good (Hands Chico a mop and pail). The hamsters made a mess in the kitchen.
Chico: Aw geez. Usually Block does this, you know.
Gordon: Yeah, well...the Chairman wants your advice on how to create the chocolate salmon pate.
Jason: ewwwww.
Chico: Not biologically, that's for sure.
Jason: I'll help
Chico: Okay, Gordon, let's throw it to the news.
Gordon: Roll That Beautiful Brain Footage

(Doug: Live, local, and latebreaking... From the four corners of the globe to your frontal lobe, this is WLTI Brainvision News, and now here's Gordon Pepper, Chico Alexander, and the award-winning Brainvision News Team)

Chico: Thank you very much, Doug. Gordon...What'cha got first?
Gordon: I've got a book. It's got dates in it. And fruits, and walnuts, and...
Chico: Cranberries?
Gordon: Oh yes. Cranberries.
Chico: Nice.

June 16: Top Chef DC and June 18, Cupcake Wars. I'm hungry. Unfortunately, June 17 has The Ultimate Merger: Something that will make us lose our collective appetites.

Jason: Yuck to that.
Chico: Ew. I just threw up a little.
Gordon: Maybe this will make you feel better (Hands Chico a bat)
Chico: Thank you.

The Annual Rose d'Or nominations are out.

Chico: And usually, we save something like this for the Global segment, but not this week. You'll find out why in a moment. But here's the game show nominations...

From Israel, we have Cash At Your Door and Extreme Wedding Album, from Denmark, Bingo Banko; from South Korea, The Golden Bell Challenge; from the Netherlands, I Know What You Did Last Friday and The Line up; from Australia, Millionaire Hot Seat; and from the UK, the Cube and One World.

Chico: You may choose your favorite now. Me? I'm going with the Cube.
Gordon: I'll go with the Golden Bell Challenge
Jason: Not sure...the French do weird stuff...I will go with Bingo Banko
Chico: The French do weird stuff, so let's go with a Danish entry. Heh.
Gordon: That's not a smart answer.
Chico: No it is not. Before we bring out the chalkboard, I have pilot lights.

Namely for "Who's Bluffing Who" on NBC and "101 Ways to Leave a Game Show" on ABC.

Chico: I vote for cannon fodder.
Jason: Me too.
Gordon: 3 votes for cannon fodder.
Chico: Cannonize me, Gordon! *brings out chalkboard*

Are You Smarter than...Amanda, the first person eliminated from Work of Art. She was asked to create a self-portrait and she created...well I don't know WHAT that was.

Chico: Is there a picture?



Gordon: It was scenic...nice...blue...and no human in it.
Chico: It was from her Blue period. =p
Gordon: If you do a self-portrait, shouldn't there be a person in it?
Jason: I think so.
Chico: You'd think so.
Gordon: I understand the whole idea of abstract, but you do need to follow the rules of the competition.
Chico: Not to mention fundamentals.
Jason: Pretty much
Gordon: So what do you see there, Chico?
Chico: Leaves. And that's pretty much what Amanda does. She leaves.
Gordon: It sort of looks like leaves and coffee stains
Jason: It was so...not there.
Gordon: Can you find the person in the picture?
Chico: No.
Jason: Not even close
Gordon: I think there's a better chance of finding Jesus in that picture than there is of finding Jamie Lynn Handerson, the person that Amanda was SUPPOSED to be drawing.
Jason: Yeah. ROFL
Chico: Ha. Someone didn't get the memo about portraits, apparently. We'll talk more Work of Art later, but next?
Gordon: Next, it's time for the Haterade.
Jason: Uh oh LOL
Gordon: We start with Chico's FAAAAAAAAVORITE subject: the Bachelorette.

There's now a report coming out that Ali doesn't select ANY of the guys on this series.

Chico: Wonderful.
Jason: And we are shocked at this....how?
Gordon: I don't think we are. I just think Chico needs to know :)
Chico: Oh, I know.
Jason: Of course he does :-)
Chico: Nothing surprises me anymore.
Gordon: Then neither should this.



Chico: Yo.
Jason: Hi Augustus
Gordon: Hi Augustus...

And bye to both Make Me a Supermodel and The Cougar, both have hit the year of expiration, according to TheFutonCritic.com

Chico: Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Seriously. It hurts like hell.
Jason: Pretty much, and again, not shocked.
Chico: Nope.
Gordon: So apparently most older women need to go out and get fully loaded.
Chico: Ha.
Jason: (HIC)

Some high tech and LOW tech goodies for you money love this week. Wheel and Jeopardy! are headed to the DS and Wii thanks to THQ.

Jason: Saw the videos on Youtube. Very very nice

Meanwhile, Mattel is making the home game of Minute to Win It.

Chico: Can we see those YouTube videos?
Jason: Surely. Hold on. This is Wheel



Jason: And Jeopardy!



Chico: Looks hot.
Gordon: Sweet and sweet.
Chico: A long way from the NES days, I'll tell you that much.
Jason: Oh yeah
Chico: But what if they want to appear on the show for real, G?
Gordon: we have hoes for that. And a red couch

Don't Forget the Lyrics is still casting! http://www.realitywanted.com/call/7558-fox-hit-show-casting-singers-and-many-more.  Unfortunately, it's locals only... CA, AZ, NV.

Gordon: Aw.
Chico: No love for the East Coast. NO LOVE!

Same deal with the Pyramid pilot... http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/tfr/1785164658.html

Gordon: That shoots June 22.
Jason: Oh boy
Chico: NO LOVE!
Jason: Not yet.
Gordon: But we have hoes from all over the nation. Hit it!
Chico: *plays "Pimpin' All Over the World"*

In this week's hodometer, Melissa Rycroft will host The Bachelor Pad, John O'Hurley does Chicago, Chuck Barris has a new book, Carson Kressley and Cat Cora get shows on the OWN Network, DL Hughley hosts a bluffing game show for NBC, Audrina Partridge (The Hills) gets stopped by MTV to do Dancing with the stars, Lindsay Lohan says no to Celebrity Apprentice, Jon Gosselin takes out an $88,000 loan to pay Kate Gosselin, Jeff Schroeder (Big Brother) stars in a web series for CBS and Ali Fedotowsky gains 15 pounds from doing The Bachelorette, since Chico absolutely must know all things Bachelorette.

Chico: Yes I must.
Gordon: But surprisingly, they are not the hoes of the week.
Chico: I also want to know who gets the pimp cup this week.
Gordon: Nor am I the ho of the week, although I won $1,000 for being the monthly winner on Cashtrove.com
Jason: Not going to happen two months in a row LOL
Gordon: We'll see, sparky. The Ho of the week is...Carrie Underwood (American Idol) and Miranda Lambert (Nashville Star) win much more - namely CMT awards.
Chico: Nice.
Jason: Very very cool.
Gordon: And those...are your hoes.
Jason: Shut it down?
Chico: Not yet.
Jason: Oh I forgot.
Chico: There's one more... We're going to Australia to say goodbye to a friend...

Adriana Xenides, the letter toucher on the Australian version of Wheel of Fortune, passed on this week. She was 54.

*silence*

Gordon: Thank you
Chico: Now shut it down.
Jason: Shutting it down.
Chico: Still to come, more fun with the porcelain throne. But first... got a headache from the premieres this summer? We've got the cure.
Gordon: We've got some Maximum Strength Capsule reviews for your game show migraines. You're reading WLTI. You give us 22 minutes, and we'll give you 22 works of art that don't look like coffee stains. Children's scribbles? Yes, but not coffee stains.
Chico: So that's where my box of crayons went...
Gordon: Sorry.

(Brainvision has been brought you by Entering Las Vegas. This documentary features a Dancer, a Singer, a Letter Addict and a costumed crazy as they all go to the new game show mecca for cash and prizes. A GSNN Production.)

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