Forever Your... Girls?

If you thought Paula Abdul's multiple personalities were crowding the judges' table on American Idol, just wait until January! According to producers, there will be another judge to contend with when the new season begins.

Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi (I hadn't heard of her either) will be the fourth critic added to the mix. With her long list of credits, it sounds like she might be the next Diane Warren.

I have to wonder what this will do to the judging. With three judges, there was always a sense of "majority rules" with the reviews. An extra judge will definitely cause some ties, so viewers might have to (Gasp!) think for themselves!

Cho Show & Chelsea Lately tonight!

Don't forget, Margaret's The Cho Show premieres tonight on VH1. 11pm/10pm central, which is 8pm for my West Coast friends with DirecTV. Right after that, switch over to E! for Chelsea Lately to catch Margaret and Selene Luna. I can just see it now: Chelsea will undoubtedly try to fix 3' 10" Selene up with her "little nugget" Chuy.

"Quit Cruising, Bitches!"

Last night, comic Margaret Cho and friends rocked it out at West Hollywood's Here Lounge. The party marked the premiere of VH1's new reality sitcom The Cho Show. Looking flawless, Margaret worked the arrival line, mingled with guests, and introduced the show. She commanded the crowd, "Quit cruising, bitches!" as the screening began. I cozied up with Margaret, the cast, and friends Bruce Daniels and Ian Harvie as we watched the shenanigans unfold.

With ABC's All-American Girl, La Cho had the first Asian-American family featured on TV. In 1995, I attended the taping of the last episode of that sitcom and met Margaret for the first time. Two years earlier, I had been captivated by her standup comedy on the Arsenio Hall Show. No one had made me laugh like her, and I knew I'd never be able to get enough!

Margaret returns to TV with the second Asian-American family on The Cho Show. "I'm number one and number two!" she announces triumphantly. The show features assistant Selene Luna and Cho's Glam Squad: John Stapleton, Charlie Altuna and John Blaine. But the greatest treat is the appearance of Margaret's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Cho have been staples of their daughter's routines, and her hilarious impressions of them can make even the strongest bladder incontinent!

This season captures such adventures as g-spot shots, tattoo sessions, and the proclamation of Margaret Cho Day in San Francisco. You'll see famous faces such as Joan Rivers, Wanda Sykes, MadTV's Bobby Lee, Gary Busey, Dave Navarro, Project Runway's Jeffrey Sebelia and more.

Comparisons to Bravo's fabulous D-Lister are inevitable. But onstage touting her own show, Margaret declared, "I want you to stop comparing me to Kathy Griffin and start comparing me to Nelson Mandela!" Tune in to VH1 this and every Thursday at 11pm (or 8pm if you have DirecTV in California like me) to see what all the buzz is about!

Some Of My Best Friends Are Old Songs

From an early age, I was fascinated with television. My parents tell me that, early on, I used to run around like a little demon, then stop dead in my tracks, transfixed by the commercials. Then came Barbara Mandrell & The Mandrell Sisters. I was 5 years old.



In 1980, Barbara Mandrell was on top of the world, having been named CMA's Entertainer of the Year. She and her sisters, raven-haired Louise and ditzy blonde Irlene, served up a healthy slice of Americana every Saturday night on NBC. I was glued to the TV!

At the top of each episode, Barbara, Louise and Irlene Mandrell came out singing. They were costumed in very similar outfits, yet each had a distinct variation. If Barbara's had 2 sleeves, Louise's would have one sleeve and Irlene's would be sleeveless. Multi-talented Barbara not only sang, but played nearly every instrument imaginable, leaving just the bass & fiddle for Louise and percussion for Irlene. Louise held her own vocally, with her distinctive sound, however Irlene was relegated to just a line or two when the trio would sing together.

Celebrity guests, Muppet-esque costars and madcap comedy followed the opening number. Each episode ended with the catch phrase, "May you always be as happy as you've made us tonight!"

Last night as I drove home, a familiar tune came up on my iPod. It was a classic '80s country song, and this was the third time it had popped up on shuffle in the past month or so. The track that had me waxing nostalgic was Louise Mandrell's "Some Of My Best Friends Are Old Songs." Take a look:

12,000 Calories?!?

I caught a quick news clip about this the other day, and it seems all the news outlets picked up on it today: Olympic hottie Michael Phelps wolfs down 12,000 calories a day! More surprising than that is the horrific problem he faces. No matter how much he eats, he just can't crack 200 lbs! (He's 6' 4", by the way.)

Ah, if my biggest issue were my inability to gain weight! Those of us not so genetically blessed (read: couch potatoes) begrudgingly drag our butts to the gym or the Weight Watchers meeting, swig diet soda, and attempt to exist on tasty but tiny morsels courtesy of Lean Cuisine. Then the weekend comes. A nice 3-course dinner from Applebee's, with its fabulously fried appetizer and irresistible dessert in an over sized shot glass, just caps off the week so well.

At least I don't have to fit into a Speedo LZR Racer suit anytime soon!