DWTS Season 18: Artem Chigvintsev & Jenna Johnson

What a rowdy show! I hope you had as much fun as we did. It was a little crazy trying to get in all of our thoughts about Julianne Hough's judging, the Switch-Up, the low scores for Candace Cameron Bure and Macy's Stars of Dance.

Artem Chigvintsev and Jenna Johnson were so much fun. I hope to see Jenna back on the show when we kick SYTYCD back into high gear in late May.

If you missed the show, watch it below.

What are your thoughts on Candace's scores? Let me know in the comments below.

Who Are You Wearing?: 2014 WGA Awards Edition

My dress for the Writers Guild Awards was so incredibly comfortable. Yes, I do wear this silhouette a lot, but it works for my body type. If you were paying attention, you might know that it was the runner-up dress in the Oscar Nominations Dress Challenge. This was the one picked from Donette! What I love about the dress is that it has embroidery near the chest. It's hard to see in the top photo, but in the photo below, it's a little more visible.

Here are the details on the dress:

Dress: ModCloth: Grape Kelly Dress in Black: $79.99

Shoes: Sole Society (No longer available, but from the Julianne Hough Collection)

Bracelet: Marshalls

Earrings: New York City Jewelry District (Meaning super cheap! Look around 6th Avenue and 38th Street.)

 With my AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD co-host AJ Gibson

Dance Chat: DWTS Judging

Let's chat about Dancing With the Stars voting. I'm frustrated and I know I'm not the only one. For some reason, Len has decided to take his TV antics to another level. We talked about it on last week's AfterBuzz show, but some of you think we are only bringing it up because it involves Derek Hough. That's actually not the case. It's not fair when it's done to any pro whether it was Maks or Val or Anna, who talked about her own experience in our Week 6 episode. In fact, I personally think Karina was the pro most battered in scoring by the inconsistent judging last week.

I don't even want to single out Len on this because Carrie Ann is also guilty of inconsistent scoring when it comes to lifts. It's all or nothing...you have to judge all pros the same. With the direction these two are going, the dance is becoming solely about the pro and not about the celeb.

I have no problem with the pros being judged on their choreography since I believe their creativity and talent can bring out the best in their celeb. If the pro has an off-week in the studio, the celeb usually does. Look at the difference with someone like Leah in Week 5 versus Week 6. A better choreographed routine makes a world of difference no matter how strong the celeb is as a dancer. With that said, the celeb also needs constructive feedback each week to know how they can improve. The judges need to find a balance somehow. Right now, Bruno is looking like the only rational one on the panel. How is that even possible?

Since I'm not the only one who has been frustrated by the judging panel this season, I was brainstorming about how to fix this mess outside of the obvious thought of getting new judges for the show.

1. If you want to stick to ballroom rules, then require the pro to follow certain guidelines with each dance. The list of elements would also be disclosed to the judges and the viewers. This would cut down on the inconsistent scoring since the judges and the pros would know what to follow.  I also think this is a boring choice.

2. Have DWTS finally admit that the dances are a freestyle version of ballroom and other forms of dance. Allow the pros to imagine a dance to its full potential instead of worrying about Carrie Ann calling out a lift or Len arguing over repetitive movement. This idea makes me more excited about what all of the pros could come up with. You want to get nominated for an Emmy? This is a direction that has limitless potential.

While neither of these options will ever be executed, a girl can dream.

As for this week's surprise announcement, I'm going for a guest judge. Maks would probably be a good guess. (And he is in LA right now...hmmm, wonder why?)  It would also balance out the Julianne/Mark/Derek factor with the Dance With Me Studio crew.

Let me know your thoughts on the judging issues on DWTS...how would you fix the show?

See you all on Tuesday on AfterBuzz TV!

Media Mondays...on a Tuesday

Green river in Chicago!

I hope you all had a fun St. Patrick's Day weekend. My holiday was spent in Chicago where they take the holiday very seriously. The crowds were lined up at the bars as early as 8 a.m. in order to drink their green beer. The weather was freezing though, so I hope it was worth it. I can't imagine needing a drink that badly, but then again, I can't drink green beer anyway.

Here are some of my media appearances from last week...pick and choose your adventures!

I spent a lot of time writing last week, so it was nice to go for a run outside and see this.

If you missed my Ryan Seacrest/Julianne Hough article about their split and the PR machine about the breaking story, click here. To see the new promo for AfterBuzz TV's Dancing with the Stars, click here.

Tom Barnard Podcast:  The one where I accidentally ask if former Minnesota Vikings player Mike Morris had a Super Bowl ring. Oops, I didn't know Vikings didn't win the Super Bowl. Listen here.

The Radio Dish:  Does Matthew McConaughey have hair plugs? I give you the truth on his hair regrowth. Listen in at the 17:45 mark.

On the Fox lot to catch a sneak peek at Epic.

SheKnows:  My favorite articles from last week:
Epic: Animated films reflect a new generation for girls--My sneak peek look at the animated film, Epic.
Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough call it quits--They are never, ever, ever getting back together.
Director Ang Lee makes his next move: FX's Tyrant--As an Oscar winner, your next move is important. Lee makes a smart choice and does something fresh for his career.

Don't forget that I will be back on AfterBuzz TV with our first episode of Dancing with the Stars for Season 16. Our first guests will be Sharna Burgess and Andy Dick!  Watch us here live at 9pm PT. 

The Art of Breaking News: Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough

Yesterday, a big story broke at the end of the day and I talked about the thrill of breaking news on my Facebook page. When I say "big", I am not talking about important news that affects the world, I am talking about Hollywood fluff.  That's a part of my job, so that's what I am referring to here.

On Friday, at the end of a work day and the news cycle, it was announced via "sources" to People magazine that Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough had broken up.  I hopped on and wrote the breaking news article for SheKnows here as well as linking it to my Facebook page after my copy editor polished it up and published it. (I lucked out on the timing. I had to write one more article for the day just as the news was breaking.) The reactions to the breakup were interesting; everything from "the contract is up" to "I was rooting for them as a couple."

It's fascinating to me how the public interprets what publicists put out there and what the truth actually is. I usually read between the lines on the stories because it is Hollywood and it is all smoke and mirrors.  So, let me break down a few things about the Seacrest/Hough story.

And before anyone calls me heartless, I will go on record to say that breakups are tough and they are even tougher when they are public.

Also, I've interviewed Julianne twice now (here and here) and I think she is a total kick-ass awesome kind of gal. 

The Details
     1.  Ryan is 38 years old, Julianne is 24 years old.  There is a big age difference between the couple.
 
     2.  They both have huge careers. No one is busier than Ryan Seacrest, no one. Julianne
spent several months promoting Safe Haven. She has two other movies coming out this year. Her career is no.1 at this stage of the game. Julianne is young and she has to strike while the iron is hot.

    3.  Even though there has been no official statement from the couple's rep. Trust me, this is PR 101. You release a story at the end of the day and at the end of the work week. It lessens the impact of the news since less people are tuned into their TVs or the internet.  (Massive PR 101 strategy is releasing the news on a holiday weekend. See the Bethenny Frankel divorce announcement for an example of how it is done.)

     4.  The reason the news was released?  You can bet it relates back to the story about Julianne and the theft of her jewelry making headlines earlier in the week. Why was she staying at a friend's apartment when she lives with her boyfriend?  The media started sniffing around and the couple knew they had to make a move.

     5. "Sources" gave the exclusive to People.  People always does celeb-friendly articles.  They keep it light, tell the public they are still friends, etc. The source was most likely their publicist.

A few people have asked me if they will get back together?  My guess is that this is the end of the line for the couple. He's married to his work and she has a hot career to handle right now.  They were both supportive of each other's work though. In fact, Ryan was hanging out with the entire Hough family at the after party for the Safe Haven premiere.

As for the rumors about a dating contract because one of them is allegedly gay...I've never had any confirmation about those rumors in comparison to someone who might have starred in Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and Pulp Fiction.  So, until I hear otherwise...I think it's a case of age, heavy work schedules, and life in the public eye.

Now, that I've broken it all down for you. I want to hear your thoughts! Hit me up in the comments below:

Media Mondays

This is the sneak peek of my dress. With my stylist, Roni B.

It's officially Oscars Week and I am off and running.  I will try and do a few short videos so you can see how crazy the week actually is.  My favorite is always giving you a behind the scenes look at the red carpet.  I don't have access to the red carpet until Tuesday afternoon when they officially let the media into that area.

Last week, I announced my partnership with IBM and the #MySmarterCommerce campaign.  On Media Mondays, you kind of get an inside glimpse of how technology really affects my job.  Without the internet...I have no job!

Oscar Road Trip:  I was in Chicago last week to follow Oscar around the country. Okay, well, I only went on one stop, but check out my article for Starpulse on my adventure.  It was nice to see the golden guy again.

Safe Haven:  Did you see the movie over the weekend?  Here are my interviews with Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel. Josh is cute.  Like...really cute.

Your PC Hero:  I met Allen Berrebbi when I was in Vegas for the IAWTV Awards and he asked me to be on his show.  Here is our fun interview where we talked a lot about working on the web. Thanks, Allen!

IAWTV Awards:  You never know what will turn up in a Google Alert, but this sure did!  It's an interview on the red carpet at the IAWTVAwards where I give a little advice on working in the web.

Tom Barnard Podcast:  It's all Oscars talk! I come in at the beginning, so listen in here.

On the Disney lot last week to see Oz The Great and Powerful.

Oz The Great and Powerful:  While I won't be sharing my interviews just yet, you can see what was in my gift bag.  It was definitely a good day for the Disney fan in me.

Kia of Cerritos:  My latest spot is here!  I finally saw one of the commercials air for the first time yesterday.  I think I was the last one to see myself on TV because these spot run frequently.



The Radio Dish:  Oh no.....we talk about Kris Jenner getting her own talk show. The Kardashians will never go away.  I come in at the 22:00 minute mark.

SheKnows:  My favorite articles from last week.
SheKnows interviews Wendell & Vinnie star Jerry Trainor--He's just really funny.
Don Diamont knows his soap fans want "scripted material"--Nobody has better fans than soap stars.
Lindsay Lohan's film, The Canyons, finds a distributor--I'm dying to see this film. Seriously.


You have 2 opportunities to join me today:
1:30pm PT Metro News Hotline with Dave Weekley
6:35pm PT Driving with Gass on KWSS.org

Safe Haven: Interviews with Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel

If you are headed to see Safe Haven this week, make sure you watch my videos before you go.  This is the second time I've interviewed Julianne Hough and I have to say, she's darn cool.  Julianne is fun and refreshing to interview and I do think it is her best onscreen role to date.

As for Josh Duhamel, well...darn, he's even better looking in person!  He gave some really thoughtful answers to my questions. I also wore my new Fergie boots to see if Josh would notice I was wearing a pair from his wife's shoe line.  Alas, he was too busy being thoughtful about my questions.

I also attended the Safe Haven premiere a week later and I ran into former Dancing with the Stars pro, Derek Hough, who was there to support his sister.  We will miss him for Season 16, but he's off to bigger things in Hollywood. Let me know what you think of the interviews, I would love to hear from you!

Rock of Ages: The Interviews

If you are a musical theatre geek like me, get thee to the theatre this weekend to see Rock of Ages.  I promise, you will love it!  Check out my article for Fanboy Comics which includes an interview that I did for iVillage with stars Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta.  As a bonus, check out my interview with Catherine Zeta-Jones about who she modeled her politician wife after......you might be surprised.

Fanboy Comics article here.

For excerpts of my interview with Malin Akerman, click here.  It was featured in the Father's Day piece for iVillage.



If you see Rock of Ages this weekend, leave me your thoughts on the film on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below.

Stars Dish On Their Fathers' Best Advice

Father's Day is upon us, and throughout the last few months at iVillage, we have been asking celebs about the best advice their father gave them.  Hear what the stars have to say and see if any of the advice resonates with you.  You will see a sneak preview of my interviews with Julianne Hough, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Diego Boneta, and Malin Akerman from Rock of Ages.  The full interviews will be up in the next couple of days, but enjoy this little sampling.  I also interviewed Chris Hemsworth and Lily Collins for this piece, all of the other interviews were done my by iVillage colleagues.  So, enjoy the piece......or at least enjoy Chris Hemsworth.....Thor!




For those of you who are So You Think You Can Dance fans, join me tonight on AfterBuzz TV at 10PM PT as we discuss the show, the dancers, and what to expect this season.  Watch here.  

The Friday Five

Well, it's been quite a week here at Red Carpet Closet!  I've answering your comments and Tweets all day, you are keeping me busy and I like it.  Keep it up!  We chatted about baby bumps, Thor, life after porn, and beauty.  Here are a few other things you may have missed:

1.  Dark Shadows: I saw the movie on Sunday night and as a fan of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, I was a little disappointed.  Find out why in the article I wrote for Fanboy Comics this week.

2.  Giveaway:  We have TWO winners!  Congratulations to Karen W. who won the gift bag and to Maureen G. who won the Sanuk footwear.  Make sure to take a photo and I will post it.



3. Viral Video:  I caught the battle of the "Call Me Maybe" covers.  I know the Harvard boys started it first, but I think the SMU ladies win for their upside-down creativity.  It's going to be hard to get this song out of your head, I'm warning you.

4.  Munich:  I'm going to Germany for a job in August, so I plan on spending some time in the country after the job ends.  Where should I go? What should I do?  Most importantly, what should I eat and wear should I shop?  I am open to suggestions, so let me know in the comments below or on Faceook or Twitter.



5.  Rock of Ages:  I am not a fan of Tom Cruise--never have been even going back to his Top Gun days. THIS movie has me excited and it's starring Tom Cruise along with a whole host of familiar faces including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Julianne Hough.  It looks spectacularly cheesy and I can't wait to see it.  Watch the trailer and tell me if this looks like a campy disaster.  The film opens June 15th.

Have a great weekend!  See you all on Monday.

Dance Channel TV: Can't Miss List, Episode 9

Here it is, our latest episode of the Can't Miss List featuring scoop on Footloose, Kenny Ortega, Julianne Hough, Kathy Griffin, Let's Dance, Winona Ryder, Darren Aronofsky, and Black Swan. Phew. The new Black Swan movie continues to garner a lot of interest and feedback from dance fans. Have you heard about it yet? Well, Darren Aronofsky never shies away from the controversial side of life, so it should be a fascinating tale set in the ballet world.

This shoot came after a long day of work on my other show, The Web Files, so my hair and makeup looks were all set and ready to go thanks to Melissa Anchondo, my incredible makeup artist. Fortunately, I was warmed up from a day of talking, so we did it in one take. Trust me, that's rare. I nailed it right off of the bat. Yay! I think Arsen Serobian, founder/CEO of Dance Channel TV, was so happy that he fed me cake after the shoot and I happily accepted. Really, who doesn't like cake? And a big shout out to Suzanne Jolie who writes all of the content for the show. I couldn't be snarky without her.

Hope you are enjoying the Can't Miss List. What do you want to see in our next episode?