• I can’t believe Vienna is still around. Of course, Ali REALLY can’t believe it. She spent the last few minutes of last episode talking about how much she can’t believe it.
• Tenley gets the first date. They go to Chinatown, try some suckling pig, and write a fortune cookie for each other … Why does Jake keep saying Tenley is patient? She got the first kiss and the first rose, and more attention. If she’s patient, Corrie is a saint.
• Ali and Vienna have the two-person date… Ha! Fakeout by Corrie! I like her more and more. Gia and Vienna are getting the two-on-one instead. Opportunity missed, ABC
• Jake says Tenley is the woman he can most see as his wife, so she’s the front-runner. Tenley says her biggest mistake in her marriage was… not getting up to greet her husband when he got home. Uh, ok?
• Jake’s turtleneck is so high, it’s a turtlenose. Meanwhile, Tenley is the first girl to ask Jake if he’ll be able to stay faithful with his job as a pilot. He says “cheating is a choice,” although he doesn’t elaborate if he would make the choice to get with the flight attendant … They both wrote “Kiss me” on their fortune cookie. That’s either cute, or nauseating. Or both.
• Jake says it’s “almost awkward” to be on a two-on-one date, and he doesn’t know how to balance time between the two of them. I know how Bret Michaels would solve this on “Rock of Love Bus,” but I guess that’s not an option on network television.
• Vienna does her eye makeup like she’s going for the raccoon look. And then she continues her delusional blabbering, wondering why Gia gets alone time with Jake if it’s Vienna’s date. No, Vienna, it’s a two-on-one date. That’s how this works. And eye shadow works best in moderate amounts.
• Now Jake says he’s falling for Gia. He’s practically Pepe Le Pew with all this love stuff. But he also said he gets nervous around her because she’s so pretty; he said the same thing to Kathryn, then he eliminated her. Just saying … Oh, good. Vienna is still crazy. She’s snooping around the castle trying to find them. “I want my boyfriend,” she says. Your boyfriend was making out with a bikini model, Vienna. I’m kinda surprised he didn’t just ask both girls to stay in his bed. He even said he had “dirty thoughts” when Vienna snuck into his room, but he wanted to keep it “Rated G” for reasons I’ll never understand.
• Corrie finally gets a one-on-one date. I’m surprised Jake remembered she was on the show. They paddle around a pond, hoping for a romantic kiss. Except Corrie wouldn’t make a move. It was “The Notebook” without the rain. Or the making out. Or the romance. Or Rachel McAdams for that matter, who would do awesome on this show … Jake says he wishes things would go faster, as Corrie seems unaware this episode is only two hours long … She also is saving herself for marriage, which makes her the virgin of the group. That’s either going to help her or hurt her.
• Ali gets a one-on-one date, taking advantage of her hometown, San Francisco. She always appears like she is trying a little hard to impress him. It makes everything feel a little unnatural, no matter what Jake says … If anything, her low-cut dress/straddling technique will help. He has got a bad case of the Alis.
• Ali says Jake sometimes doesn’t see the things about Vienna other people see, which is ironic, considering sometimes Jake doesn’t see everything about her. Pot. Kettle. Black. Then she continues her fluff about how she’s behind Jake “100 percent,” except she isn’t, because if he keeps Vienna, she is again going to flip.
• Corrie is going home first. Let it be known I wrote this sentence before it happens, even before her conversation with Jake before the elimination. Jake says it’s OK she’s a virgin, because “it’s not about sex appeal. It’s about heart appeal.” Which is news to all the girls he sent home because he said he didn’t feel a sexual chemistry.
• Chris Harrison comes in to recap what’s happened so far and to help stretch out the two hours. It wouldn’t be time for elimination without endless clips of previously seen footage.
• Vienna is looking busted at the rose ceremony. It needed to be said. Compared to Gia, Tenley, Corrie and Ali, it’s the Hertz rental car next to the Mercedes.
• Tenley, Ali and Gia get roses … and so does Vienna, so Corrie is done-zo(called it!). Corrie just missed out on the “Meet the Parents” episode, which would have greatly improved her chances. I’m scared of what Vienna’s family will be like. Hold me.
• Jake says he was worried Corrie “would never open up.” I’ll leave you to make your own comments on that, but I think it reflects poorly on Jake that he says on one hand Corrie has the kind of value he respects and admires, and then ditches her to keep a girl in Ali that has been trashtalking the whole time, and in Vienna that obviously is far from Corrie’s values. Something isn’t matching up.

• So this just turned into Rock of Love Bus.This week, the girls and Jake are piling into RVs for a trip up the coast. Nothing creates drama more than love-starved, medication-pumped women crammed into an RV.
• Oh, Ella. “I’m ready to get my romance with Jake rolling down the highway of love.” Oh, oh, Ella. Less talking, more smiling.
• Jake pitched a tent in the middle of a vineyard. That’s not weird at all. Who hasn’t done that before?
• Ali is convinced if she and Vienna are chosen for the 2-on-1 date, she’ll come out the winner. Unfortunately, Ali, in that scenario, there are no winners. Especially not Jake. Ali’s only memorable quality so far is her wardrobe malfunction last episode.
• Are Corrie and Jessie still on this show? Crew members are getting more face time this season than they are. Anyway, Gia gets the solo date. Vienna, who is from Florida, said Jake likes Southern girls who like the outdoors, not Northern, city girls like Gia. Vienna, Florida is not “Southern” in any sense beyond geography. It’s transplanted Northerners. At least when you’re making jealous, snide remarks, be accurate.
• Jake and Gia play hide and seek (?!?!) in the vineyard. “It seems like the beginning of a fairytale,” Jake said. … Gia said she used to be a nerd (Gia, I was a nerd. I know nerds. Nerds don’t end up looking like you unless it’s a fairyt.. oh geez). Jake said he was called “Mr. Dateless” in school. Actually, this is a cute, honest conversation. They’re even playing spin the bottle. They probably played seven minutes in heaven, too, but it was cut for content… Jake is totally digging Gia. If this was a cartoon, his eyes would be popping out and “Bazooookkaa” would be heard.
• Even though the New York City girl is out of her element, she’s being a good sport. Jake said camping outdoors “is actually me.” Camping outdoors probably is a lot more fun with production assistants setting up the tent and pre-building the firepit. Not so fun: The other girls can literally see Jake and Gia’s campsite from where they are. That’s a little too voyeuristic. And that’s not to mention the cameraman standing beside the fire, filming them. Even with all that, Gia gets the first rose.
• Oh, Vienna: “Jake’s my boyfriend.” No, honey, no he’s not. He’s a reality show contestant who gets to make out with a different girl every night. “Have your fun with him, because I’m going to marry him.” Great, she’s getting worse. Doctor! We’ve got a delusional patient!
• Group date: Dune buggy riding on the beach, followed by sand surfing. Tenley thinks her least attractive moment is when she has sand on her face. Perhaps she didn’t see her just-out-of-bed look last episode. But Jake’s loving her. Ashleigh and Jessie, by the way, are practically invisible. They need a solo date, pronto. Corrie, however, mans up by snagging some alone time. Congratulations on learning how to play the game.
• Jake has to decide who gets the next rose. If I was on this show, I’d bring a decoy rose and trick the girl into thinking she already gave me one. “Oh, you don’t remember our solo date? It was magical.” Ashleigh’s alone time is awkward to watch, as she doesn’t want to appear desperate but is draped on him like a Jersey Shore cast member. Ali said she’ll support Jake “no matter what,” meaning “no matter what unless you pick Vienna over me.” Tenley says she hasn’t dated since her husband cheated on her– so Jake is her rebound guy? And Vienna gets advice from Jake on how not to be a two-faced diva. Did they even show Jessie or Corrie? C’mon. Tenley gets the second rose. Jake said he had ignored her at first, if by ignoring he meant kissed her before any other girl.
• Ella and Kathryn (who is so unknown, I didn’t even spell her name right last episode) will go on the two-on-one date, with the loser going home. If this ends in anything but hair being pulled and names called, I’ll be disappointed. This is such a contrived set-up. No one in their right mind would go on a two-on-one date. Kathryn’s so far out of the running, she’s more like a 5th wheel than a 3rd. They try to make us think Jake has a big decision. Uh-huh, and Avatar won’t win any Oscars, either. Kathryn does the proper thing and tells Jake he’s being a jerk for putting her in this horrible position, like a discarded toy. Woohoo, Kathryn! Jake comes up with some nonsensical answer about being lost in her beauty blah blah.
• Umm… Jake threw a major curveball. He’s ditching Ella, who was one of the more charming, mature women. Well, she’s also one of the few he hasn’t really kissed, so I can see it. Kathryn gets the third rose… or not! She’s getting kicked off, too. Stunning.
• That means Jessie, who has barely said a word; Corrie, who has barely been on screen; and Vienna, who is all sorts of crazy, made it further than Ella, somehow. Jake’s getting some one-on-one-time with everyone before he makes his final cut.
• Jessie decides her best bet is to throw Vienna under the bus to avoid getting the hook herself. Jessie, at this point, you might as well have flashed Jake, because you’re hanging by a thread.
• Rose time: Ali and Corrie get roses… then Jake gets emotional. In a staged moment (why else would Chris have his mic be on backstage?), Jake asks Chris if he can just give one rose instead of two! Dramz! And of course ABC lets him do it, because it’s all kinds of awesome.
• And he keeps Vienna, who really must have done some special under-the-water hot tub maneuver two episodes ago to be sticking around after all the trash talk. Jessie and Ashleigh, who never had a connection with Jake that we saw, are going home.
• Ali spends the rest of the show swearing under her breath and questioning Jake’s decision making. Jake, it’s your potential future wife, Ali!

• Some girls look completely different without makeup. Elle and Jessie still looked great. Tenley, not so much. You don’t marry the face at 9 p.m. You marry the face you see at 6 a.m.
• Vienna, who seems fun if not a little cross-eyed, gets a solo date; Ali, who had one last week, is jealous. Not jealous: Rozlyn. She’s got a man.
• A consistent ‘Bachelor’ problem: They attribute all the romance to the guy, when its the show that plans the dates. Jake didn’t randomly decide, hey, let’s go on a helicopter ride.
• Michelle has a tramp stamp.
• Bungee jumping is a decent idea for a date. If she can take a risk like that with you, maybe there’s compatibility to get through real-life risky situations. That doesn’t mean I’d make a girl jump off a bridge with me, but I understand … It looks like Jake is being the girly one, and Vienna is trying to be strong. At least he manned up and kissed her Spiderman style after they jumped. By the way, the pilot has a fear of heights?
• “I think he’ll see what the girls in the house are seeing,” Tenley says of Vienna. She meant her sometimes off-putting personality. But what Jake’s looking at right now is Vienna in a bikini. I don’t think he could care less about the personality. Vienna gets the first rose.
• Group date: Michelle is already complaining she doesn’t get one-on-one time. The group is at a comedy club, featuring Jon Lovitz (random!), and they have to do a comedy routine. If they are just themselves, the unintentional comedy will be sky high.
• Gia and Ella, the early faves, and Valishia aren’t invited on the group date. That sound you hear is the world’s smallest violin. But Ella gets a solo date, anyway.
• Ashleigh cracks under pressure and starts crying before she goes on. Ali tells a poop joke. Jessie calls her family fat. Tenley puts her legs behind her head. Elizabeth tells (funny) dirty jokes. Kathryn tricks Jake into kissing her. Michelle tells (horrible) dirty jokes, including a reference to a hole in one. Corrie rips on her housemates, including a rip on Vienna for trash-talking the other girls - a well-played move. Ashleigh tells blond jokes.
• Tenley tells her BIG SECRET to Jake … that she was married and the guy cheated on her, the guy that she had saved herself for. Jake looks slightly terrified. But not so terrified that he doesn’t kiss her. Ashleigh rips on Vienna - “I have nothing in common with her” - and Jake is confused why everyone hates Vienna. Speaking of hate, Vienna calls Gia fake, back at the house. So she does the next logical thing. She writes Jake a letter.
• Kiss count: Three, after Jakes kisses Ali. Crazy count: Two, after Michelle flipped out on Ali. Best line of the night, from Elizabeth: “I really don’t think she needs a husband. She needs a therapist.” Michelle corners Jake into kissing her; he looks as reluctant as a seventh-grade boy at a dance. Then she tells him that kiss wasn’t good enough, and she wants to leave the show. In an amazing, “you’re a psycho” move, she then says she’ll stay if Jake wants her to. Of course, he says no because she’s being weird. Then she gets mad at him. Wow. Don’t lose sleep over that one, Jakey.
• Ella’s solo date: I love her accent, but then again, my girlfriend has a Southern accent, so I’m biased. Hey Jake, you might want to try something other than flannel some time. Just a thought. Oh, look, another helicopter date. Woo. But he makes up for it by bringing Ella’s kid for her birthday present. Ella is becoming even more likable. The three spend time at Sea World, and Ella is loving watching Jake with her son, even though it’s so early on. Her son is probably wondering why mommy is hugging the strange man with the cameras around her. Kiss count: Five
• Elizabeth still doesn’t want Jake to kiss her, but she wants a backrub later … and tells dirty jokes … and is wearing a low-cut dress … and is stroking his tie. As Jake says, she’s the “Queen of Mixed Signals.” He obviously thinks she’s hot - Elizabeth is one sexy lady - but isn’t happy with the, shall we say, cold shower treatment. Elizabeth is bewildered why Jake would think she’s playing games. I mean, all she’s doing is teasing him and confusing him with double standards.
• Getting roses: Gia, Corrie (who both spent almost no time with him.. which goes to show the women make too big of a deal out of it), Tenley, Ali, Jessie, Kathryn and Ashleigh. Valishia, who he never seemed to care about, and Elizabeth, who overplayed her hand, are out.

P.S. It turns out the promos that mentioned Tenley saying she was pregnant were just a joke she was playing on Jake; ABC decided to remove the scene, according to this site.

P.S.S. A lot of people are wondering if Ali had a little nipple slip in her bikini. I didn’t see it at first, but I’m pretty sure I saw it on second look, a few minutes in when she’s on the bed. I’m surprised ABC showed that- you’d think they’d be worried about censoring. No, I don’t have a photo of it, because this isn’t that type of blog, but I’m sure someone else does.

Sure, lots of stuff happened on “The Bachelor” last night in its second episode, but all anyone wants to read about is the scandal.

So let’s get right to it (spoiler alert … as if I needed to write that):

It was perhaps the most poorly-guarded secret since Adam Lambert’s “I’m gay” announcement: One of the female contestants had some kind of romance going with a member of the production crew.

But last night, details began to unfold. The alleged affair involved Rozlyn Papa (pictured above, in that very revealing red dress from the premiere) and a staff member who has since been fired.

The entire sequence was as awkward to watch as it must have been for those involved.

“It’s very awkward,” host Chris Harrison told Rozlyn after pulling her aside. Thanks for stating the obvious, Chris.

Chris told her she had “entered into an inappropriate relationship with one of our staffers.”

Rozlyn never denies it (although she does here), and basically just stood there wide-eyed and expressionless. If nothing had happened between her and that guy, she would have been furious, you’d think.

“I don’t think my personal life is anybody’s business,” she told Chris. Um, you’re on a reality show. So, yes, it is our business.

Still, Rozlyn got the shaft here. There was no mention of a sexual relationship with the staffer, for one, and I’d have to think if that was the case, The Bachelor would have mentioned it. They love this stuff — and don’t think for a second they weren’t secretly glad this happened, ratings wise.

Second, although I wouldn’t personally go on a dating reality show and try to have a side romance with a staffer, I also don’t think it’s fair that Jake gets to date a dozen girls at once, but the moment one of the girls tries to be with someone else, too, she’s given the scarlet letter.

Third, why didn’t Jake get the final say here? I mean, it looked like someone kicked his puppy. “Can I get my rose back?” he asked, all choked up. If he was willing to forgive and forget, why shouldn’t he be able to? Why does the show get to make the decision? “It’s now impossible to now form a meaningful relationship with Jake,” Chris told Rozlyn. Really? Because of that? Well, I guess half of Hollywood is screwed, then.

Fourth, wouldn’t it have been awesome to keep Rozlyn on, to see what happens between her and the now very catty other contestants? Drama!

The other girls seemed flabbergasted by this, evidently blissfully ignorant that this type of thing is to be expected when no one is in a committed relationship, and when people are put in unusual circumstances.

It’s not even the first time a reality show contestant had a fling with someone other than their primary counterpart. David on “Real World: Seattle” was sleeping with a producer (remember the huge fight they had in the car?). Brett Michaels found out one of his Rock of Love girls still had a boyfriend (and told her to get the %#&% out). And Ray J discovered one of his “ladies” had already slept with one of his friends, or, as he said, “smashed a homie.”

At the least, the Rozyln situation (I refuse to call it Rose-gate or anything -gate) added some drama to an otherwise dry episode. Let’s see what the producers can drum up next. If you loved Rozlyn, or at least looking at her, check out her photo shoot, as seen on RadarOnline. She’s a model/make-up artist.

And if you care, Ashley and Christina got kicked off. Ashley, you may recall, wore that flight attendant costume in the first episode; she’s also from Pittsburgh, originally. Christina handed out candy to girls who she thought would be eliminated. Guess she forgot to give one to herself.

Here are the Top 12 who received a rose:

Tenley  … Ali … Jessie … Ella … Kathryn … Vienna … Corrie …. Valishia … Gia  … Elizabeth …  Ashleigh …Michelle

Rozlyn received an early rose, but of course had to give that back.

That being said, here are some thoughts on the premiere:

* The selection of Jake as The Bachelor, after he failed to win Jillian’s heart last season, was not widely embraced, as people thought he didn’t have much of a personality. After watching the premiere, I think Jake has a personality in there somewhere, but the conventions of the show don’t let him show it. I mean, they make him do scenes of staring longingly at the beach. Who would have a good personality in that situation?

* Jake is slightly terrified of women. EW agrees. For a great-looking guy (yeah, I said it), he acts like he’s never talked to a beautiful woman before, or had one approach him. I doubt this. He’s a freaking pilot.

* Did some of the girls not get the memo this was a grown-up show about long-term romance, and not an episode of “Real Housewives” or “Jersey Shore”? Some of those dresses defied gravity, or lacked fabric, or both. When they played football, did those girls think, “Well, here comes that inevitable nipple slip…”?

* Jake says he doesn’t prioritize looks. Then he gave a rose to Rozlyn, who wore the lowest cut dress money can buy and seemed disinterested in the entire process. Other than that, she’ll be great to take home to mom.
* It’s somewhat understandable Michelle was overwhelmed by watching her dream guy with all these girls … somewhat. Crying because he didn’t have a 1-on-1 with you first (considering it’s practically pre-designed who goes when) is a bit much, Michelle. You get the sense she’s going to be a problem all season. The promo only confirmed that.

* Ashley’s flight costume. Wow. I can’t believe he liked that gimmick.

* Do none of the girls realize that because Jake’s a pilot, he’ll be on the road all the time? How is that ideal?
* Tenley was in tears for kissing Jake, as she’s only ever kissed one other guy. She said she feels better about it since Jake gave her the first rose, but you know she’s going to be an emotional wreck again at some point. Remember, she and her husband were virgins until they married, then he cheated on her. That’s enough emotional baggage to fill an airplane. (Insert Jake/pilot joke here).

* I can’t wait to find out who slept with a “Bachelor” producer. I have my guesses, but I won’t say who in case I’m wrong.

* How could anyone get a good sense of what a person is like in that kind of setting? It’s like they automatically feel they have a connection, just because they are dressed up and are both attractive. Take away the dress clothes (or, in some cases “dress clothes”), the fancy house and the fact they’ve seen this guy on TV, and you know they wouldn’t automatically feel he is their future husband. On the other hand, it’s fun to watch them be catty with each other over it … OK, I’m in.

* How did Ali’s previous boyfriend choose video games over her? Was he not looking at her? Is he blind?

* Alexa looks like Kim from “Real Housewives of Atlanta.”

* Almost lost in the shuffle: Christina handed out candy to girls she thought would be eliminated. Because that’s a perfectly natural, socially-acceptable way to meet someone.

* Ella, the mom from Tennessee, is my early favorite. Pretty, down-to-earth, smart, sweet.

Here are the Top 15 who received a rose:

Tenley … Rozlyn … Ali … Jessie … Ella … Kathryn … Vienna … Corrie …. Valishia … Gia  … Elizabeth … Ashley … Christina … Ashleigh …Michelle

I’d put Tenley, Ella, Ali, Gia and Elizabeth in my Top 5 most likely to make it to the end. Sound right?

Photos courtesy abc.com. Check me out on Twitter: @realbloggerofyc

You’d be hard pressed to find a reason not to find Elle Figueroa completely delightful and charming.

That’s probably a good reason the Stewartstown native, 25, is going to be featured on a reality show with her equally affable husband, Tito, who is from Lancaster.

For the past several years, Elle (formerly Michelle Panzer, a Kennard-Dale student) and Tito have lived in Hollywood. Earlier this year, they got married on MySpace.

You read that correctly. In an effort to get a free wedding and a little publicity for their music — they perform as Elle and Tito — the pair decided to enter a contest to have all aspects of their wedding decided by MySpace user vote.

As it turned out, they won the contest, and became the first couple ever to have a MySpace wedding, chronicled online with a series of videos, “Married on MySpace.”

As you can see, it looked like a pretty swanky wedding. Elle said she loved the way it turned out, which is saying something, because you can only imagine what could have happened if users were all jilted lovers hell-bent on ruining another couple’s dream wedding.

Neon green wedding dress, perhaps? Or the ceremony spoken in the native tongue of some indigenous tribe? Throwing medicine balls instead of rice at the end?

I did enjoy hearing that producers played a prank on Tito and made him believe he was going to have to wear a kilt. I had to wear a kilt before in a musical. That was more than enough kilt for me. Tito sounded very happy it was just a joke.

Elle and Tito recently stopped by York’s Roosevelt Tavern to sing with some former bandmates as part of filming for their show, “Elle and Tito: The Married Life.” You can check out more info on the show on the Web site for SiTV. The show premieres in late March.

And you can check out Elle and Tito’s music - kind of a pop/folk/Latin thing - on myspace.com/elleandtito. Here’s a video of their single, “Don’t Wanna Say No”:

Oh, and as a bonus for the MySpace wedding ordeal, they got to go on the red carpet for the premiere of “The Proposal,” starring Sandra Bullock (pictured) and Ryan Reynolds (very funny movie, by the way).

Can you imagine? Stewartstown to Hollywood red carpet? Maybe I need a Myspace wedding, too.

On second thought, maybe not.

I haven’t been big on MTV’s “Real World” series since the days of David, Irene and Stephen on the Seattle installment, or maybe the drunken Ruthie/Hawaii season the year after. Recently, and especially with Cancun, it’s become hard to watch, as there are too many other reality shows full of drunken, horny youth with questionable beliefs and lackluster goals.

In fact, MTV does a better Real World already with its “Real World/Road Rules Challenge.” At least then everyone has a common goal. They still sleep together, but now it’s for competitive advantage!

But this time, MTV is trying to put the “Real” back in “Real World,” placing the cast in Washington, D.C. (Not everyone is thrilled with it) The season is supposed to focus on politics and young people figuring out their beliefs. The series premiere of the 23rd season (23rd!!!!) is Wednesday at 10 p.m.

I got an advance copy of the premiere. The house, as always, looks very cool, and even has an Oval Office replica. There are several boy/girl rooming situations going on, something that is sure to be an interesting thing to watch as the season goes on. There was a rooming switch already midway through the premiere.

It is sad, though, that I’m now several years older than all the cast members.
Here are my thoughts on the cast, plus some of their background info from the premiere:

Andrew Woods, 21 (Westminster, Colorado)

Real World stereotype: Misunderstood, annoying goofball

• Comic illustrator
• Thinks he can seduce women, although quite clearly he’s got no game
• Thinks this line will work on a girl: “For a girl, you have a nice face.”
• The cast keeps joking that he’s a virgin, something he never entirely denies
• Has a big crush on Emily, and keeps lying to her to get her to like him. That should go well. Lies so far: He’s a cage fighter and former sky diving instructor
• Got fired from his college paper for being sexist
• Rooming with Emily, and has already been creepy by trying to lure her to sleep beside him
• Sleeps with a stuffed animal

Ashley Lindley, 22 (Houston, Texas)

Real World stereotype: Outspoken hottie hoping to taken seriously

• Loves Obama and is a big liberal
• Loves to travel and her prized possession is her passport … which she has never used
• Very flirtatious, and single. Thinks Mike is cute.
• Likes to get in arguments and talk behind people’s backs

Callie Walker, 21 (Huntsville, Texas)

Real World stereotype: Narrow-minded small-town girl in big city

• Small-town Texas girl who loves lipstick
• Is an unusual combination of a vegan and a Republican
• Not featured much in premiere, but you know she’ll get in a big fight with Ashley eventually

Emily Schromm, 21 (Columbia, Missouri)

Real World stereotype: Sheltered girl trying to rebel

• Claims she was in a Christian cult and “oppressed” by her parents; the cult basically sounds like people who go to church every day and rigidly follow the Bible. No Kool-Aid to be seen.
• Has since rebelled with various piercings and tattoos, and by trying new things, including girls
• Self-professed “adrenaline junkie,” which she thinks she shares in common with Andrew, except he’s lying. The two are rooming together
• Has a crush on Ty

Erika Wasilewski, 21 (Chicago, Illinois)

Real World stereotype: Rocker/aspiring musician

• Has a boyfriend, who she said she would never cheat on
• Already has a little thing for Josh
• Hopes to become a singer someday and immediately found the piano in the house to show off her songwriting skills
• Rumors are floating around she quits before the season ends
• Singing in a band called “A Quiet Capture” according to Wikipedia

Josh Colon, 23 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Real World stereotype: Heartbreaker/aspiring musician

• Turned his life around after running around in a gang
• Has a girlfriend
• Said Erika is his type
• Already told a friend on the phone about how all the girls in the house are hot, and how he likes Erika
• Seems to be a loner
• Andrew thinks Josh has a big ego

Mike Manning, 22 (Denver, Colorado)

Real World stereotype: Gay, all-American boy

• Admits he’s slept with guys before, and is trying to figure out if he is bisexual or gay
• Has a big connection with Ashley
• Is a Christian and regular church-goer
• Works for a rental car company, and lives in suburbia

Ty Ruff, 22 (Baltimore, Maryland)

Real World stereotype: Outspoken critic of any view that’s not his/token minority cast member

• Arrives in house just as cast wonders where the “token black guy” is
• Very anti-religion, and already gets in a fight about it
• Extremely physically fit and sure to be one of the guys who hooks up with a cast member
• Says he turned his life around after a rough childhood
• Single; his girlfriend broke up with him just before he left because she figured he was going to cheat. Good idea. She must have seen past seasons.

Russell Ferguson is America’s Favorite Dancer! (Until next season, when he becomes America’s Favorite Dancer From Last Season and Now We Have Somebody Else We Like). The krumper defied the odds, becoming the first from his genre to win on “So You Think You Can Dance,” and beating out Jakob Karr, who was a frontrunner all season. In his exit interview with reporters, Russell talks about the injury in the finale, krumping and past hip hop dancers on the show.

… On his injury during his opening hip hop number in the finale

Russell Ferguson: Yeah, at the end I was pretty much running off adrenaline. But the way I injured it is after I jumped off the stage into krump, when Kevin and Legacy pulled me back up I had come down on my leg wrong. And something shifted over my ankle and it caused it to swell up and it was real tight. So I wasn’t cleared to be able to dance for the rest of the night. But I could walk.

… On his formal training background

RF: I’ve been doing hip-hop all my life, and so I figured if I was going to take on any big dance projects later in life, that I would have to learn other things to be well-rounded in the dance field. I did four years at Boston Arts, and I did a year at University of the Arts, so I got a good amount of training in.

… On his early expectations going into auditions

RF: I just was hoping that America would change their views on krump and what it is about, so they could be more familiar with it. And I just knew I was going to be able to get that message across. But winning was a big bonus.

… On his future plans

RF: I’m just going to invest my money and I’m going to try to get into a lot of movie projects, try to get into dance movies, and … what could happen?

… On his and other competitors’ chances of winning heading into the finale

RF: We all definitely had shots of winning. It was all in the air at that point, in our eyes. I felt like everybody that was there deserved to be there. Everybody worked hard, and it was nobody’s fault that they were there. America made them there, so everybody deserved it.

… On how his leg injury affected the rest of the finale

RF: It was very stressful after that because I wasn’t able to do the final performance, which to me was one of the most important things of the season. But, (after) I injured myself, my dad came back stage and was just talking to me and calming me down and said everything was going to be okay, and I just went out there with my head high.

… On why he pulled Kevin on stage with him after he won

RF: Well, Kevin just has been with me through this whole journey. Me and him have … that’s like a brother to me. I felt like I should share that moment with him because we’ve shared a lot of other moments together that were very special.

… On “Street” and “G-Fan”

RF: Street is a movement basically, and we are basically trying to spread this new way of krump. And G-fan is basically the crew that is spreading the movement, which is what I’m a part of.

… On whether he thought the judges portrayed him unfairly as an unpolished dancer

RF: I don’t necessarily think that. I know they know I have some formal training, but the thing is that a lot of people that do train, like that’s what they do. That’s their dance style. That’s their life style. And me, I really did just like come from the streets. I like to do other stuff, but I know a little bit of it. You know what I mean? I couldn’t freestyle in it. But I’ve taken classes and I’ve done what I could to be able to get enough confidence to be able to pull these pieces off.

… On his favorite dance style on the show, and his favorite dance of the season

RF: The Foxtrot, definitely. It was my toughest challenge and I feel like I got closer to it because of that, and I learned more because it was tough … I would have to say (my favorite dance was) the Afro-jazz “Frog Dance.” It was just real exciting, and it kind of brought me back to my roots a little bit, and it felt natural doing it.

Real Blogger: I wanted to ask you about the performance finale. This year it was only an hour, where past seasons it’s usually much more extended. That means you guys didn’t get to do solos and the group activities, like the group dances with just the remaining guys. Do you wish it had been a longer performance finale?

RF: Well, I did until I got injured. Because once I got injured, I just wanted it …, but even before that, definitely. I would have loved to do a 2-hour show. I would have loved to do another solo. But I think the show was perfect the way it was. It couldn’t have been any better, if you ask me.

Real Blogger: And then in past seasons you’ve got guys like Twitch and Joshua, who have shown that hip-hop kind of guys can do the ballroom and the contemporary, and really excel in those. Do you look at them as kind of the role models who paved the way for guys like you?

RF: Oh, yeah, most definitely. Anybody that’s come before me has opened a new road for this season, or for the next season coming up, so I definitely see them as role models because they’ve been through it. They went through it even before me, so they know exactly what I’m going through.

… More on what happened backstage after he was injured

RF: They had sent for my dad, and he came backstage to check on me and see if I was okay, because I was crying. I was upset because I wasn’t able to perform. He just came back and let me know that everything was going to be okay and that they were proud of me, and that everything was okay, and walk outside with my head up. That just calmed my down, and it’s exactly what I did.

… On what makes a good krump dancer

RF: One thing that they should remember is that it’s expression. It’s not just about looking good and being the … and being the best. It’s all about expression in doing what you feel at that moment; but of course, in the form of krump.

… On how he got into krumping

RF: It was just love at first sight. Just being on the internet and looking at different trailers from the old documentary, “Rize” when it was coming out. Just watching that, that just got me into it, and I taught other people how to do it once I learned it myself, and it just spread.

For a krumper to win So You Think You Can Dance, he’d have to:

* Be an above-average ballroom dancer: Russell never faltered in his ballroom work. It would never be confused with Ryan’s, or even Jakob’s, but it was strong enough not to be a problem.

* Be likable: It’s one thing to be all hardcore, street dancer on stage, but you want people to like you. Russell, with that big, goofy smile, was always, always likable

* Measure up to the contemporary dancers: Contemporary dancers always seem to have a leg up in this competition. Russell, with pieces such as the one with Mollee, always seemed so fluid in his contemporary and jazz pieces that you’d forget he was a krumper. That’s a feat few dancers - Twitch and Joshua - have been able to pull off.

* Be an excellent hip hop dancer: Look no further than that amazing routine Russell did with Kathryn that closed the finale, and the season, Tuesday night. It might have just been the push he needed to win the whole thing.

So do you agree with the outcome? Should Jakob, the more technically-proficient dancer, have won? What about Kathryn, who kept getting better each week? Or Ellenore, who was in some of the most memorable routines of the season? Or one of the Di Lellos, who, while not having a bunch of “wow factor,” still managed to be consistent all season?

Take a look at Russell’s audition… Even then, he was memorable:

Of course, it would have had even more if, perhaps, Fox hadn’t decided to limit the show to an hour. Really, Fox? No solos by the top six dancers, no time to digest the dances, no intro packages to get a sense of what it was like to prepare for the biggest night of their lives? C’mon. We watch all season for this type of stuff.

Still, there were all kinds of memorable moments. I admit, I got a little sentimental when husband and wife Ryan and Ashleigh danced and she said it was “perfect.” The Kathryn/Jakob contemporary piece was among the best this season — I hate to say best, because I also loved the Ellenore/Jakob Travis Wall piece and the Ellenore/Legacy Sonya piece. Kathryn and Jakob were doing moves that defied gravity. And then Kathryn and Russell were just nailing that hip hop routine. I mean, it was as “street” as Nigel could want it.

Who will win Wednesday night? Take a look at my rankings, done before last night’s performance, and decide for yourself.

My finale prediction: Russell wins, Jakob in second, Kathryn most votes for females. I’d be satisfied if any of those three won; Kathryn is this season’s Jeanine, the best chameleon dancer out there. Jakob’s skills are so far beyond a reality show, it’s ridiculous. And Russell has got so much star power, it’d be a shame for him not to capture the crown.
Photos are courtesy of Fox. Right click to enlarge.

Channing Cooke: Age: 18 Hometown: Havermill, MA Dance Specialty: Contemporary. Original Partner: Phillip. Current partner: Victor  Dance: Jazz by Tyce Diorio, music “Blackbird” by Bobby McFerrin. Bottom finish: 1 Eliminated: Week 4

Phillip Attmore: Age: 25 Hometown: Paseadena, CA (Currently in L.A.) Dance Specialty: Tap. Original Partner: Channing. Dance: Samba by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, music Maracatu Funk, The Samba Squad. Bottom finish: 1 Eliminated: Week 2

Ariana Debose: Age: 18 Hometown: Newbern, NC (Currently in Wake Forest, NC) Dance Specialty: Contemporary. Original Partner: Peter. 1st Dance: Hip Hop routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo. Bottom finish: 1  Eliminated:Week 1

Peter Sabasino: Age: 22 Hometown: Philadelphia, PA Dance Specialty: Tap. Original Partner: Ariana. 2nd partner: Pauline Dance: Quick Step by JT and Thomas, music “Hey Baby (Shake Those Hips”) by Big Kuhuna and the Copa Cat Pack. Bottom finish: 1 Eliminated: Week 3

Ashleigh Di Lello: Age: 26 Hometown: Orem, UT Dance Specialty: Latin Ballroom. Original Partner: Jakob. Finale Dances: 1st Lyrical Jazz by Sonya, music “Angel Standing” by Jewel, partner Russell/ 2nd Foxtrot by Jean Marc Generaux, music “Let the Good Times Roll,” partner Jakob/ 3rd Contemporary by Travis Wall, music “I’m There Too” by Michelle Featherstone, partner Ryan.  Thoughts: She did her part in validating her place in the finale. Her foxtrot was the weakest of the bunch, but how could you ignore the passion in her contemporary piece with her husband? I mean, how can you not want her to succeed? But she didn’t have a “Wow” moment like Ellenore and Kathryn to vault her ahead, let alone unthrone top contenders Jakob and Russell. But she had a nice bounceback week after her shoulder injury.

Jakob Karr: Age: 19 Hometown: Windermere, FL (Currently NYC) Dance Specialty: Contemporary. Original Partner: Ashleigh. Finale Dances: 1st Broadway by Tyce Diorio, music “I Gotcha” by Fosse soundtrack, partner Ellenore/ 2nd Foxtrot by Jean Marc Generaux, music “Let the Good Times Roll,” partner Ashleigh/ 3rd Contemporary by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden, music “At This Moment” by Michael Buble, partner Kathryn Thoughts: Even though I thought he looked rushed in the foxtrot, he more than made up for it with a stellar Broadway routine and then, well… Dang. That contemporary piece will go down in SYTYCD history as being in the stratosphere of the Park Bench routines of the show. Just stunning to watch, in that they felt so connected, and yet both were able to individually show off incredible moves. Each segment of the dance told a story. I just wish there were more chapters.

Mollee Gray: Age: 18 Hometown: Orem, UT (Currently Upland, CA) Dance Specialty: Jazz. Original Partner: Nathan. Top 10 1st partner: Russell 2nd Partner: Jakob Dance: 1st Viennese Waltz by Jason Gilkison, music “Ordinary Day” by Vanessa Carlton/ 2nd Broadway by Joey Dowling, music “Easy Street” from Annie Bottom finish: 3 Eliminated: Week 7

Nathan Trasoras: Age: 18 Hometown: Downey, CA Dance Specialty: Contemporary. Original Partner: Mollee. Top 10 1st partner: Kathryn Dance: 1st Broadway by Spencer Liff, music ”Choreography” by Danny Kaye/ 2nd Rumba by Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin, music “Walk On By” by Aretha Franklin / Solo “Golden Train” by Justin Nokuza. Bottom finish: 3 Eliminated: Week 6

Noelle Marsh: Age: 18 Hometown: Sanford, NC Dance Specialty: Contemporary and Jazz. Original Partner: Russell.  Dance: 1st Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napoleon, music “Give It To Me Right” by Melanie/ 2nd Smooth Waltz by JD and Thomas, music “Jeaux D’eau” from Cirque du Soleil/ Solo “Every Time It Rains” by Charlotte Martin   Bottom finish: 2 Eliminated: Week 6

Russell Ferguson: Age: 20 Hometown: Boston, MA Dance Specialty: Hip Hop/Krump. Original Partner: Noelle. Finale dances: 1st Lyrical Jazz by Sonya, music “Angel Standing” by Jewel, partner Ashleigh/ 2nd Paso Doble by Jason Gilkinson, music “Village Attack” by Blood Diamond soundtrack, partner Ellenore/ 3rd Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napoleon, music “I Can Transform Ya” by Chris Brown, partner Kathryn. Thoughts: Out of all the dancers, Russell is probably the fan favorite. I mean, people loooove him. And for good reason. He stole the moment in the lyrical jazz piece; Nigel was right, you forgot Ashleigh was in the routine. His Paso Doble wasn’t on par with Neil/Sabra, but it was very strong. And that hip hop routine cemented his place as one of the best hip hop/krump dancers this show has had. He dominated it. Bottom finish: 1

Pauline Mata: Age: 19 Hometown: West Covina, CA Dance Specialty: Jazz. Original Partner: Brandon (Billy quit before first performance). 2nd partner: Peter. Dance: Quick Step by JT and Thomas, music “Hey Baby (Shake Those Hips”) by Big Kuhuna and the Copa Cat Pack.Bottom finish: 2 Eliminated: Week 3

Brandon Dumlao: Age: 21 Hometown: Concord, CA Dance Specialty: Hip Hop. Original Partner: Pauline. 1st Dance: Smooth Waltz choreographed by Jason Gilkison. Bottom finish: 1 Eliminated: Week 1

Kathryn McCormick: Age: 19 Hometown: Augusta, GA (Currently in Burbank, CA) Dance Specialty: Contemporary. Original Partner: Legacy. Finale Dances: 1st Samba by Jason Gilkinson, music “Magalenha” by Sergio Mendes,” partner Ryan / 2nd Contemporary by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden, music “At This Moment” by Michael Buble, partner Jakob/ 3rd Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napoleon, music “I Can Transform Ya” by Chris Brown, partner Russell. Thoughts: I guess we shouldn’t be surprised Kathryn was the star of the night. She has been doing sneaky good for weeks now, and Tuesday night, she held nothing back. Her samba was sexy- the girl can shake her hips with the best of them. Her hip hop routine was a tall order- keep up with Russell in hop hop? Are you crazy? - but there she was, all hardcore and convincing (though I wish the show wouldn’t have chosen a Chris Brown song) and maintaining Russell’s intensity. Her contemporary piece, as I said with Jakob, is just breathtaking and the type of memorable routine that gets you elevated to elite status.

Legacy Perez: Age: 28 Hometown: Miami, FL (Currently in L.A) Dance Specialty: Hip Hop/B-Boy. Original Partner: Kathryn. Top 10 1st partner: Ashleigh 2nd partner: Ellenore Dance: 1st Contemporary by Travis Wall, music “Machine Gun” by Portishead/ 2nd Hip Hop by Tabitha and Napoleon, music “People Are Strange” by The Doors  Bottom finish: 1 Eliminated: Week 7

Bianca Revels: Age: 20 Hometown: Detroit (Currently in L.A.) Dance Specialty: Tap. Original Partner: Victor. Dance: Broadway by Tyce Diorio, music Maybe God Is Tryin’ to Tell You Something, Music from The Color Purple. Bottom finish: 1 Eliminated: Week 2

Victor Smalley: Age: 21 Hometown: Miami Dance Specialty: Contemporary. Original Partner: Bianca. 2nd partner: Channing 3rd partner: Karen Dance: 1st Tango by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, music “Montserrat” by Orquesta del Plata/ 2nd Hip Hop by Laurieann Gibson, music “Moving Moutains” by Usher. Bottom finish: 3 Eliminated: Week 5

Ellenore Scott: Age: 19 Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA (Currently in Brooklyn) Dance Specialty: Contemporary / Jazz. Original Partner: Ryan. Finale Dances: 1st Broadway by Tyce Diorio, music “I Gotcha” by Fosse soundtrack, partner Jakob/ 2nd Jazz by Gary Stewart, music “Kontact Me” by Boyz Noize, partner Ryan/ 3rd Paso Doble by Jason Gilkinson, music “Village Attack” by Blood Diamond soundtrack, partner Russell Thoughts: Ellenore is still a little uneven for me. She was great in the Paso Doble, really getting into character. And her Broadway style was right in step with Jakob, no easy accomplishment. But that jazz piece was just strange. Sure, part of that is Gary Stewart’s fault- what was he thinking? That was like when Jeanine and Phillip had to do the Russian dance near finale time- it was just so out of place and not up to par. But Ellenore still could have made it work, and I think she wasn’t feeling it. Bottom finish: 3

Ryan Di Lello: Age: 28 Hometown: Springville, UT (Currently in Orem, UT) Dance Specialty: Ballroom. Original Partner: Ellenor. Finale Dances: 1st Samba by Jason Gilkinson, music “Magalenha” by Sergio Mendes”, partner Kathryn/ 2nd Jazz by Gary Stewart, music “Kontact Me” by Boyz Noize, partner Ellenore/ 3rd Contemporary by Travis Wall, music “I’m There Too” by Michelle Featherstone, partner Ryan. Thoughts: Ryan may be a great husband. And he may be the best ballroom partner a girl could have this season. But he did not have many moments this season, or in the finale, that made you say, “I’ve got to vote to keep this guy around.” The jazz piece was strange and made him look awkward. His samba was in his wheelhouse, and that worked well. And you had to love watching him dance with his wife- but if it wasn’t his wife, would you have loved him as a dancer as much? Probably not. He’s a great ballroom dancer, but he doesn’t seem to fit the bill as “America’s Favorite Dancer.” Bottom finish: 4

Karen Hauer: Age: 27 Hometown: Valencia, Venezuela (Currently in Queens, NY) Dance Specialty: Latin Ballroom. Original Partner: Kevin. 2nd partner: Victor. Dance: 1st Tango by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, music “Montserrat” by Orquesta del Plata/ 2nd Hip Hop by Laurieann Gibson, music “Moving Moutains” by Usher. Bottom finish: 3 Eliminated: Week 5

Kevin Hunte: Age: 23 Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Dance Specialty: Hip Hop. Original Partner: Karen Dance: Broadway with Spencer Liff, music “If My Friends Could Se Me Now” by “Sweet Charity” New Broadway cast.    Bottom finish: 2 Eliminated: Week 4