DC SocialPulse: DCBDAY 2014 and a Note of Thanks

By DC Cueva

@DC408Dxtr/@DC408DxNow

Hi, hello, what's up and welcome to this very special edition of DC SocialPulse on DCBLOG, and Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. So, on this Thursday what does this site have in store today? For the past year-plus, this blog and this series has brought you the twitter play-by-play of MTV's most popular shows and the biggest events in pop culture. But today, we are doing something very special.

There are days we all look forward to every year. For sports fans, it can vary from Super Bowl Sunday in the United States to the final of the UEFA Champions League soccer tournament in Europe to NCAA March Madness. For those in the entertainment world, it can be the Academy Awards, the Grammys or the MTV VMA's. And then there's the holidays we all look forward to: 4th of July, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween, and of course with us celebrating Thanksgiving today, Christmas and New Year's are now just around the corner.

   But for me, there's one day in the whole year I look forward to every year, and it falls right in between the trick-or-treating on October 31st and the beginning of the holiday season, all during what is the best time of year for me. It's my birthday and every November 13th, it becomes a tradition nowadays for me to receive plenty of love from people I know - both personally and now socially. It's that one day of the year where people like myself can feel the love and support all day long.

   This year, I turned 31 years old - yep, for someone who was born in the '80s, that means I'm getting old, though I'll admit I'm still young at heart. But anyways, this special SocialPulse post will include every message of thanks from my social media platforms of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And though I celebrated my 30th birthday last year, this year's DCBDAY was definitely the best one yet. I received over 50-60 birthday messages, and countless other interacts, from people who I both know personally and those who I know only through social media.

Normally, we don't feature posts from people inside my inner circle, which comprises of just my family and my friends from school, and for which my Facebook account is by invitation only to those in that circle. But for this momentous occasion, we make an exception here, as for the first time I will also include their messages here, so you can get to know them for the first time on here.

   And by the way - and to clarify those Facebook posts below, if you're wondering by what the buzz is about from those Facebook posts calling me a different name than usual, yes my actual first name is Dexter. In fact the last four letters in my social media handle @DC408Dxtr, which dates back to my MySpace address, is that name, but without the E's included.
   But since I joined public social media platforms starting with Twitter two years ago, I've referred to myself in social world by just my initials. I just like to prefer it that way because I would prefer to differ-ate myself more from a name that's also a brand of bowling shoes and a show on Cartoon Network. In just using my initials, DC is more of the name that I am feeling most comfortable using when I'm in social media than my actual name, and it gives me that sense of being more myself here..

So, after clearing the air on that, and without further ado, after the jump, we'll present you every message of thanks for the social media platforms of DCBDAY 2014: My 31st B'Day.

DC SocialPulse: Are You The One? S2 "Dumped" & Reunited in LA

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, 

objectionable content to some readers and spoilers 
for international fans. Viewer Discretion is Advised. ***

By DC Cueva
@DC408Dxtr/@DC408DxNow

Welcome back to DCBLOG and to our coverage of Are You The One? Season 2 with the Episode 8 edition of DC SocialPulse. We are in the midst of the shortest work week for most Americans this year, and we're on the edge of the holiday season. For those people who are fortunate to have just Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to worry about, a four-day weekend is approaching with the Thanksgiving holiday, Black Friday and the first weekend of the holiday season. It also means

Last week in the wake of their 2nd matchup blackout, the group found plenty of reasons to celebrate a new start: they partied on a party bus and then on the beach. They notched their 3rd perfect match when John and Jenni made it out of the truth booth as a match, which turned into major progress in garnering a season-high 6 perfect matches. Plus, we saw Ashley get involved in a love triangle, while Garland found himself in deep trouble in sleeping with another girl.
   This week, a touch of Nickelodeon arrives in Puerto Rico as the latest getaway challenge forces the players to get a bit gooey. The latest love triangle battle gets heated as Dario and Layton go after Ashley. Ellie makes a play for Nathan, but Prime Time feels he is the one for Christina, as she feels the pressure of being the 11th girl. And will Team 21 build on last week's momentum?

Along with covering this week's episode, this expanded edition of DCSP will also be bringing you the buzz surrounding Team 21 gathering in Los Angeles for the taping of their Reunion show, which promises to have some fireworks, just as it was for the Season 1 cast's first reunion. And after twitter's view of Episode 8, we'll look ahead to a big event coming here tomorrow night that I will be fortunate enough to attend and live tweet from.


- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but I am keeping it uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then don't proceed. But don't worry, bookmark DCBLOG as I will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.

So, when the 'Pulse begins after the jump, find out which rappers got to hang out, both socially and in person, with two of the castmates; which won something that might make the others jealous, and of course all the anticipation and happenings of the group's SoCal weekend.

DC SocialPulse: Are You The One? S2 - "Hot Salsa"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, 

objectionable content to some readers and spoilers 
for international fans. Viewer Discretion is Advised. ***

By DC Cueva
@DC408Dxtr/@DC408DxNow

Welcome to DC SocialPulse on DCBLOG, and to twitter's blow-by-blow diary of episode 6 of Are You The One? Season 2. Things have been heating up in Puerto Rico in the past few episodes, and no wonder why for many, this is probably the best reality show you've not seen yet. And of course, it's a recommendation by me to binge-watch, or at least sample, both this season and the first one. 

   Last week, the group hyped episode 6 as the best one yet, and it definitely delivered. Their parents came to visit their kids and question the guys with the girls finding out new things about them. We saw tensions build, especially the guys where Anthony & Layton had the season's biggest fight, as well as both Jenni & Jessica in the house and Briana & Paris on twitter. And for the 2nd time in 3 weeks, the group dealt with getting no lights at the matchup ceremony, putting their chances at the $1 million in serious doubt.

   This week sees the group get yet another fresh start in the aftermath of blackout #2. A new couple emerges when the resident law student clicks with the house's resident nurse. One of the girls is the latest in the house to get involved in a love triangle, while another finds himself in deep trouble by sleeping with yet another woman. With echoes of the famous white party the Originals had in Kauai, Team 21 lets loose on a party bus and on the beach. And after all that they have been through, this week sees the group finally make a major step towards making a big turnaround.

   And after the twitter view of episode 7 and aftermath, I'll offer some my view on the strategy the group has been using this season. And we'll begin our countdown to Real World Season 30 as a Skeleton of one of the new roommates meets two members of one of MTV's most popular shows and something that binds those two.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but I am keeping it uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then don't proceed. But don't worry, bookmark DCBLOG as I will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.
- And there's also a twitter beef that emerged with some members of the community while this episode was airing. We've included all of their tweets in this post, and also carefully edited it to ensure that we showcase both sides of the matter.

So with that, join us after the jump for all the madness from episode 7 in Puerto Rico and other things.

A DC SocialPulse Special: Remembering Diem Brown

This article was originally posted on Nov. 16, 2014, before 

the season launch of The Challenge: Battle of the Exes 2.

*** Advisory: this DC SocialPulse post contains some

brief adult language. Please read with discretion. ***

By DC Cueva

@DC408Dxtr/@DC408DxNow

Hello and welcome to this Special Edition of DC SocialPulse with me, DC Cueva. It's with a heavy heart and a sense of sadness that we bring you this post as we celebrate the life of a brave and inspirational member of the MTV family who touched so many beyond the channel's airwaves.

   Diem Brown, seven-time competitor on The Challenge, passed away at the age of 32 Friday morning at 10:32 AM ET - the same exact time she was born back on June 12, 1982, surrounded by family and friends in New York City after battling ovarian cancer for a third time and losing after two previously successful bouts against it. Words simply cannot express how all of us, both the entire MTV community and viewers & fans such as myself who got to know and watch Diem Brown over the years, have been feeling over the course of this weekend.

   Diem made her MTV debut in 2006 on The Challenge: Fresh Meat as the energetic and courageous "army brat" from the northern Atlanta suburb of Roswell, GA, who joined what was then a Real World vs. Road Rules team competition as a brand-new competitor who didn't appear on either show. It was there that she first revealed, on-camera, that she had ovarian cancer, and over the years her cancer battle was well-documented, both on the show and outside of The Challenge house. The first two times, both after Fresh Meat and then after six years later on Battle of the Exes, she went into chemotherapy, fought back and won both times. For this third time, though, the cancer that was found in her stomach and colon when she was flown home from being overseas in August would ultimately spread to her live and lymph nodes. And though she would lose this fight after numerous surgeries and treatment, she certainly fought right to the very end.

   Off-camera during her eight-year battle, Diem became both an advocate and an inspiration for those who can relate to her as someone who has fought a brave battle, which inspired her to found the support registry site MedGift. Today, with its many support pages and resources being offered to those going through any medical or health experience and how to deal with it in any way possible, that site has become the legacy she leaves behind. She also served as an ambassador for Stand Up to Cancer, the entertainment industry's cancer awareness initiative and attended its 2012 edition.

Coming up here, we'll showcase tweets and posts from, of course, the entire MTV family plus fans as they offer reflection and memories of Diem. And after all that, I'll offer my perspective on her, the career she had on The Challenge, the impact of both her and her passing, and how it runs parallel to another event that touched the MTV community twenty years ago. And at the end of this article, we'll invite you the opportunity to share your thoughts and reflections.

Join DCBLOG after the jump as we remember Diem Brown.

DC SocialPulse: Are You The One? S2 - "Parental Guidance"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, 
objectionable content to some readers and spoilers 
for international fans. Viewer Discretion is Advised. ***

By DC Cueva
@DC408Dxtr/@DC408DxNow

Hi, hello, what's up and welcome to DC SocialPulse on DCBLOG, and taking a break from celebrating the DCBDAY 2014 birthday festivities with the twitter diary for episode 6 of Are You The One? Season 2 from Puerto Rico. And if you thought that watching what has happened throughout the season of this guilty pleasure, train wreck and wildness of a reality show, then you know the saying, "You ain't seen nothing yet."

Last week after having their most satisfying moment so far, Team 21 dealt with the most brutal moment the show has had in its two seasons when, after garnering their first perfect match, got no matches in the ensuing matchup ceremony. We saw another key moment for one of the love triangles, and saw another budding couple witness heartbreak when Briana saw her love Curtis become a match with Shelby; reliving the Shanley/Chris T./Paige drama from Kauai.
   This week has been hyped up by the cast as the best one yet, and I agree with them. The parents of the cast come over to interrogate the guys and the girls find out some new gossip about them. We'll also see tensions build among the girls and especially the guys including the biggest fight in the house so far. And if what happened rather recently was something, imagine what could happen if history repeats itself all over again.

   And after the twitter view of episode 6 and its buildup and aftermath, we'll update you on the status of Diem from The Challenge, who has been bravely battling cancer for the last few months.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but I am keeping it uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then don't proceed. But don't worry, bookmark DCBLOG as I will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.
- And there's also a twitter beef that emerged with some members of the community while this episode was airing. We've included all of their tweets in this post, and also carefully edited it to ensure that we showcase both sides of the matter.

So with that, join us after the jump for all the madness from episode 6 in Puerto Rico and other things.

theWRAP: Are You The One? S2 - "Strap Those Boots Tight"

By DC Cueva

@DC408dxtr

Welcome to DC BDAY Week - this week I will turn 31...yep I'm old. This is the 10th year that I'm celebrating it in the social world - I joined MySpace on my 22nd bday in 2005, and this Thursday will be the 3rd birthday that I will be sharing with the twitter world too.
   To kick off DC BDAY Week, we have episode 6 of Are You The One? II in Puerto Rico. It's been an eventful season to say the least, and it's only the halfway point...there's still a lot left. To prep you for tonight's activities, we will recap last week's episode 5, where after Team 21 had received the most brutal hand the show has given yet, we saw another perfect match in as many weeks. It also meant the end to a budding relationship that was also confirmed as a non-match previously, as well as revisiting a scenario that we saw last season in Hawaii. Besides that, there's also a key moment in one of the love triangles that has formed in the house, and we'll find out if the group's chances can improve after receiving no new matches the previous week.

   And after theWRAP, we'll tell you which castmate from this season was on MTV well before we saw them in Puerto Rico, as well as look ahead to the week and month ahead here. That's all ahead after the jump.

DC SocialPulse: Are You The One? S2 - "Strap Those Boots Tight"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, 

objectionable content to some readers and spoilers 

for international fans. Viewer Discretion is Advised. ***

By DC Cueva

@DC408Dxtr/@DC408DxNow

Welcome back again to DC SocialPulse and our episode journal for episode 5 of Are You The One? Season 2. Last week in Puerto Rico was an absolute roller coaster: a drunken kiss almost brings down the house's strongest couple. We also saw two of the guys finally make a move on the girls they've been wanting to make the one. And in many hours condensed into a half-hour, the group goes from the high of having their first perfect match to the absolute low of getting no other matches in the ensuing matchup, breaking up budding couples in the process in the most-stunning moment yet.
   This week will see the group deal with, in poker terms, that shock bad beat. We'll also see another key moment for the Jenni/Layton/Jessica triangle. And for one budding couple, will the Truth Booth see more heartbreak? Could we be reliving the Shanley/Chris T./Paige drama from the Islands?
   After twitter's view of this week's episode, this extended edition of The 'Pulse will cover last week's premiere of the show that some on this cast have become BFF's with some of the cast of, Slednecks. And we'll then welcome a new group of seven strangers: the cast of Real World Skeletons.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but I am keeping it uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- And if you haven't watched the episode yet, then don't proceed. But don't worry, DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.

So with that, along with the episode 5 tweets, find out after the jump who dressed as who for Halloween, conversations between the cast, Team MTV & our friend Brian Cohen and much more.

theWRAP: Are You The One? S2 Episodes 3 & 4

By DC Cueva

@DC408dxtr

It's the first Monday of November - which also happens to be my birthday month too and it's happening in less than two weeks from now. But, it also means tonight is episode 5 of Are You The One? II in Puerto Rico. Now if you're a regular DCBLOG visitor and check out my SocialPulse diaries, then you've noticed that I didn't include episode wrap-ups for either episodes 3 or 4 from the past two weeks. That's because of me being into the World Series, the start of the NBA season and Thursday's premiere of Slednecks, and because I didn't want to get back-tracked in posting the articles in having to compile the complete twitter journal and then struggle to write an episode wrap after while I'm caught up in Giants mania, that's where this comes in.

   When we last did theWRAP for AYTO, it was episode 2 and that was where we found two of the singles catch themselves in a love triangle. We found out some valuable and juicy scoop on some of the housemates, and that girl who entered the house as the last one in was finally put into the truth booth, but after all that, #Team21 was still in tact. What we didn't know at that time was something crazy was about to start happening.
   For episode 3, tears were abound when Shelby decided to being to an end that aforementioned love triangle of her, Nathan and Dario. The Brandon & Christina Show would begin to ultimately become Brandon & Christina featuring John as the law student looked at potentially becoming another triangle. And the house found out there's someone with a vCard living in Puerto Rico.

   And then last week in episode 4, we saw a drunken mishap threaten to bring down the house's strongest couple, while Anthony take a shot at one part of a house triangle and John made his move on Christina. And after receiving the best news they've gotten so far, they are then dealt the most brutal hand the show has ever given in its short life.

   And after theWRAP of what might be, other than the season 1 finale the best episode of the two seasons of AYTO, we'll elaborate on a key talking point in Puerto Rico, and talk about who from this show could make an impact on what many call the "5th major pro sport." Join me after the jump as we recap episodes 3 and 4 of Are You The One?.