Carrie Underwood

Liz vs. Lisa: American Idol or The Voice?

It's no secret that we're reality TV junkies.  From Top Chef to Bad Girls Club, we have to get our fix.  And usually, we're in agreement on what to watch.  Case in point: We have both always loved American Idol. From Kelly Clarkson to Clay Aiken, we've religiously watched and even bought some of the contestant's lackluster debut albums. (We're talking to you David Archuleta!)  But recently, one of us has strayed.  Skipping AI and even (gasp!) DELETING it without watching.  This person even had the balls to ask the other who got kicked off last week (as if!).  And it wouldn't be so bad if she was just too busy to watch-but it's not that.  She's cheating on AI with The Voice! So after a heated girlfight discussion about which one is best that got us nowhere, we decided to battle it out here.  And after you hear our arguments, we want you to weigh in! Buh-bye AI, Hellloooo The Voice by Liz

Don't get me wrong-I'm not totally hatin' on AI.  But something happened to me last season.  And no, it wasn't Ryan Seacrest's hair or the judge's inability to actually critique anyone.  Looking back, it was probably a combination of Scotty McCreery overload(Totally never got the appeal of him) and the absence of Simon Cowell. Either way, I had lost that loving feeling.

The Voice was at the right place at the right time.  I love the fact they choose their talent based on well, talent, rather than relying on what they look like-and it was always interesting to see the judges kick themselves when they didn't turn their chairs around only to discover some hot piece of ass on the other side at the end of the song.  And because of that, I think the crop of contestants on The Voice are more talented.  Not to mention more interesting and diverse.(Do you really think AI would have put that bald chick through last year?  Come on.)

And The Voice seems determined in building people up rather than bringing them down.  Conversely, AI's Hollywood week had more medical emergencies than a underage rave this season, always with the cameras right there to catch the drama and bring it to you in slow motion.  I'm sorry, but watching a sixteen-year old fall off the stage in a diabetic coma is not my idea of entertainment.

Okay. *climbs off high horse* Now I'm going to list the REAL reasons why The Voice freakin rules:

1. Adam Levine is freakin' HOT.  Even though I know he's probably the biggest douchebag ever, I'd let coach me anytime, anywhere, about anything.  Just sayin'. And did any of y'all see that spread of him in Entertainment Weekly? Wow. Let's just say he gave all new meaning to the words, "six pack" and made me rethink how I feel about men with tattoos.

 

2.  Cee Lo Green is nuts.  His Dr. Evil impression with the cat is odd to say the least.  And his team kinda sucks-What's up with that weird chick that wears the headband and the Wayne's World impersonators? But hey, every show needs their Paula Abdul.

 

3. Christina Aguilera's boobs.  I tune in just to see what they will be doing each week.  Seriously. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for a nipple to pop out last week!

 

 

4. Carson Daly is a much cooler version of Ryan Seacrest.  Let's face it, overall, the eye candy factor is much better over here. (Sorry Lisa, Steven Tyler and his man scarves do NOT do it for me!)

 

 

5. Pip.  I love the shit out of this guy and his bow ties. And his name is PIP!  It doesn't get any better than that.  Take that Phillip Phillips and your gravelly, super sexy voice.  Do you think he could rock a bow tie and suspenders? Or sing show tunes? I think NOT!

Bottom line: The Voice rules, AI drools!

 

I Still Love American Idol by Lisa

Don't worry, American Idol, I've got your back. Well me and twenty-eight MILLION other people that is. Now when Simon left, I was sure the show was going straight to the toilet. I mean, without  his contestant smack downs and strange Brit appeal, what would happen? Turns out, the show got even better! (Sorry, Simon! Hopefully that whole Howard Stern thing will work out).

Shows like the Voice are trying hard to overtake it and arguably The Voice does bring certain things to the table that AI doesn't....

Idol certainly doesn't have a resident LAP CAT like Cee Lo Green's (Meow!). And it also doesn't boast a washed up second string host like Carson Daley (*cough* Total Request Live was like 1,000 years ago!).

But what it does have is an ELEVEN year history of success and it's plucked small town farm girls from obscurity and catapulted them into incredible fame (Carrie Underwood, anyone?) Not to mention its other success stories including Chris Daughtry and Kelly Clarkson. I respect Idol because it stays true to what it is. A show that's looking for talent while putting on a good show. And although there have been times when the cameras didn't need to be rolling (people puking during Hollywood week) it is, afterall, a reality show people!  And here's why, when push comes to shove, I choose my beloved Idol over The Voice.

1. Phillip Phillips. Ahhh. There's nothing like a Josh Lucas knock-off to get this cougar's heart pumping. After I googled him and discovered he was 21, I let the inner roar out completely. Not to mention he's freakin' talented (um, tell me you guys downloaded his rendition of Billy Joel's Movin' Out after last night's performance?!?!) and his family loves the sh*t out of him. (His dad cries!)

2. Steven Tyler. Okay, this one you guys may not understand. And maybe he looked like he raided Captain Jack Sparrow's closet last night. BUT... there's something about the feathers in his hair, his eyeliner and even his creepy comments that give me a sense of joy--not to mention cause me to have an unexplainable crush on him. Sure, maybe he always says the same thing-- "That was beautiful"--but he has a microphone covered with flowers. Not to mention, he's Steven effing Tyler, bitches!

 

3. Jennifer Lopez. Does she ever look less than perfect? (Last night's leather skirt was to die for!) And twins? Really? WTF? She's so freakin' gorgeous that I don't even care what she's saying to the contestants. Plus, she actually has very sound advice for the contestants. Go Jenny from the Block! She's earning every penny of her 15 million dollar a year salary if you ask me.

 

4. The mentors. By mentors, I mean Diddy. As in Puffy. Sean Puffy Combs. P. Diddy. Diddy. Did y'all see him last night? These mentors make the show for me. Okay, maybe Diddy makes the show for me. But still...

 

 

5. Did I mention Phillip Phillips?

 

 

 

What do YOU think?  AI or The Voice?  Tell us!

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Sharing the e-book Love

It's been an amazing few days of celebrating and the party is only just getting started! And now that you've all (hopefully!) bought our latest novel, The D Word and our first book, I'll Have Who She's Having (combined you're spending less than a gallon of gas or the cost a fancy coffee drink) and emailed us the receipt to Lizandlisa@chicklitisnotdead.com so you can be entered in the huge ass contest to win rad prizes (iPad 2 anyone?) we want to share the e-book love and tell y'all about some other great books you must download-stat! Click: An Online Love Story by Lisa Becker. When we found out Lisa Becker was from Manhattan Beach (one of Lisa Steinke's favorite places) and she'd also written a book about online dating (something that hit very close to home for Lisa Steinke- she still shudders at the thought of some of those cyberdates) we knew we had to read it. And it turned out to be hilarious, clever and full of fun! Click is the story of Renee Greene who is fast approaching her 30th birthday and finds herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, so she reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-retentive Mark, the overly-judgmental Gretchen and the over-sexed Shelly) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. Fraught with BCC's, FWD's and inadvertent Reply to All's, readers will root for Renee to "click" with the right man.

Sound like a book you'll "click" on and download? For only $4.99 we say it's a no-brainer! And if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win one of 5 copies of Click! We'll randomly select the winners after 6pm PST on Friday, June 17th.

Momfriends by Ariella Papa. The title alone had us wanting to read this one! Juicy, sassy and smart, it's about three Momfriends- Ruth, Claudia and Kirsten. After years of infertility treatments, Ruth finally has the baby she always wanted, but it’s more difficult than she’d ever imagined. She is almost at the end of her rope when a knock on her door changes everything. Claudia’s life is all about rules and achievement. She is determined to get her toddler twins into the right preschool and eventually Harvard. Everything is going to go according to plan until a flirtation with colleague makes her throw out her rule book. And Kirsten is an artist and a dreamer. She loves the life she made with her boyfriend, David, and their three kids, but lately David is distracted. Something is missing and what Kirsten discovers late one night confirms that her life is not everything she dreamed.

Sound like a book you'd like to read? We say at $4.99, you should definitely add it to your e-book line up for summer (and Ariella's written a few others that you should also check out)! And if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win one of three copies of Momfriends. We'll randomly select the winner after 6pm PST on Friday, June 17th.

The Kitchen Shrink By Dee DeTarsio.  It's the story of Lisby Shaw who wonders when her life turn into a country music song? Probably when her best friend signed her up for the debut of the new reality TV show, The Kitchen Shrink, for the ultimate life and home makeover! Unable to squirm out of this “it will be fun” opportunity, Lisby tries to juggle her upstairs-behind-the-scenes-life with her downstairs-in-front-of-the-camera persona, where everything she says and does can and will be used against her. Hopefully, the show doesn't find out about her fling with that hunky carpenter. Or that she and her friend smoked hootch she found in her daughter's room. Lisby cannot believe what a freak show her life has become. At least no one knows about her crush on Sam, Sam, the Cameraman… Lisby tries to find her way as the TV cameras capture her every move, zooming in on drama with her kids, her ex, her mom and her best friend. Stay tuned for Lisby’s extreme close-up as she becomes a jilted laughingstock on national TV. All is lost…or is it?

We think you'll love this e-book and it's great price- just $2.99! And if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win a FAB gift basket that includes an Amazon Kindle eGift of The Kitchen Shrink, Domestic Diva clean-up gloves, Five-in-one hammer/screwdriver tool AND a 1.5” Perdy Paintbrush. We'll randomly select the winners after 6pm PST on Friday, June 17th.

Twang: a novel by John Schlimm.  We love us some country music. Carrie Underwood. Kenny Chesney. The list goes on. So we were seriously diggin' this e-book from former Country Music publicist John Schlimm. But it doesn't matter if you're a country music fan because Twang: a novel, is a scandalous and LOL read for any pop culture junkie looking for a surefire beach read this summer. As a former celebrity publicist who worked with several Country Music megastars during his whirlwind tenure in Nashville, Schlimm’s eyes were opened wide, leaving him with an unmatched perspective of what really lies beneath the popular world of entertainment.  What resulted is a comical and unforgettable tale that follows several fictionalized superstars through the most dramatic and life-changing year in their careers.

So much fun and also a steal at $2.99!  And if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win one of one of THREE ebook giftcards-one to Amazon, one to B&N and one to iBooks! We'll randomly select the winner after 6:00 pm PST on Friday, June 17th!

Thanks for sharing in the e-book love!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa