Thursday, March 31, 2016

DC WRAP: Real World Go Big or Go Home - If The Dress Fits, Wear It

BY DC CUEVA                           
@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

As you prepare for Episode 3 of it tonight, welcome again to DCBLOG as we Wrap up last week's episode 2 of Real World: Go Big or Go Home. After an eventful premiere, last week saw it go all over the place, but we saw more of the personalities emerge of our seven strangers.
   We saw the first romantic move being made in Dione and Kailah, as well as plenty of hook-ups both in the house and outside of it too. We also saw two missions that span the silly and the serious: dressing in drag among the guys, and meeting the mom Sabrina has never known. And after what we saw with Jenna in the premiere, the tension may finally blow up tonight after what we saw at the end of last week's episode.
   Coming up, our Five Things to Know recap of last week's notable moments, plus DC FORUM has a fun reflection on, what else? - Real World hook-ups. And after fan reaction, a reality TV insider gets an early preview of a new Trifecta season while he's on vacation. That's all ahead.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

DC SocialPulse: Real World Go Big or Go Home - If The Dress Fits, Wear It

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 
and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its long 
length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                           
@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

As we enter the last week of March, welcome back to DCBLOG as our coverage of Real World: Go Big or Go Home continues with this EP2 SocialPulse diary. As we're two episodes in, we're starting to get into the swing of things as the group settles into their Downtown Las Vegas quarters, but of course with the Road Rules-style twist nothing is certain.
   Last week, Dean, Kailah, Sabrina, CeeJai, Jenna, Chris and Dione moved into Sin City in a big way by bungee jumping out of a hot air balloon relatively easy to earn their key to the Gold Spike Hotel. Sexual tension developed with Dione, Kailah and Jenna, while Jenna found herself at odds over her Southern upbringing. And a patio chat brought up CeeJai's tough background of living in a domestic violence-dominated house and losing both her mom & dad on the same day back in high school.
   For episode 2, a lot takes place in the house as the latest group mission sees the guys dress in drag and sees one of them have doubts if he can follow through. The flirtation with two of the roommates that began in the premiere heats up as fast as the Vegas sun takes a wild turn into unexpected territory. And through another mission, we learn more about another of the roommates' past that brings up a common story among the three RW Vegas seasons.
   We'll have all the interaction from episode 2 for you here and the accompanying lead-up and aftermath. And if you stick around for DC ExtraTime, what happens when a retiring major league player meets up with a Trifecta castmate? We'll have visual proof, along with another MTV parody.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept 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 do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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.

Join In for week 2 of Season 31 of Real World, 'Pulse style after the jump.


Thursday, March 24, 2016

DC WRAP: Real World Go Big or Go Home - The Premiere

BY DC CUEVA                           
@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

Welcome back once again to DCBLOG and our coverage of Real World: Go Big or Go Home as we bring you a Wrap-Up of the eventful season premiere from last week as we prepare for tonight.
   We began season 31 of this reality original with, once again, another twist to the original seven strangers formula with the show implementing the "Go Big or Go Home" twist of Road Rules-style missions where if one doesn't complete that task they are sent home. Of course, this theme best fits the season's host city of Las Vegas, but we didn't deter from the Real World we all know and love of drama on the first two nights of Jenna causing friction with the group, and the show's title ringing true in CeeJai opening up on her tough upbringing.
   Coming up, our Five Things to Know recap of the notable moments from the premiere, plus a DC FORUM with perspective on CeeJai's revaluation. And after fan reaction to the season's first act, ExtraTime will join some familiar friends for the annual rite of March known as Spring Break, along with the announcement of a new show I'll be live tweeting this spring. All that and more is ahead.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

DC SocialPulse: Real World Go Big or Go Home - The Premiere

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 
and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its long 
length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                           
@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

Hi, hello, what's up and welcome one & all to DC SocialPulse as we kick off our weekly coverage of Season 31 of Real World: Go Big or Go Home from Las Vegas with this SocialPulse diary. After taking some time off after The Challenge Bloodlines, we are back into the swing of things with TV's original reality series kicking off another season in familiar quarters.
   For the third straight season, The Real World has tweaked its simple, old-school formula of seven strangers living in a house and integrated an element of the past in bringing Road Rules-style missions into this season, very fitting for the backdrop of a great city where going all in and go big is the norm. The roommates will confront their hopes, fears and anxieties as they do it all big time in Sin City.
   This week, the saga begins as Dean, Kailah, Sabrina, CeeJai, Jenna, Chris and Dione arrive in Las Vegas not knowing what they can expect. But, instead of moving straight into the house, the roommates must conquer the fear of bungee jumping out of a hot air balloon in order to earn their key into their humble abode in DTLV. Plus, there's sexual tension with one of the guys with two girls, and another girl who's proud to be from the South tests the roommates' patience. And a late-night chat in the patio reveals one's life-changing secret.
   We'll bring you all the interaction from this first Real World Thursday and the premiere episode itself, plus some of the lead-up to St. Patrick's Day and the Friday hangover. And following that on DC ExtraTime, we'll catch up with a Real World veteran from back in the day and the dream job he is enjoying with a true MTV Icon. That's all ahead as we kick off our in-season coverage right here.

As we begin our tenth Trifecta season we've covered here at the 'Blog, a little primer for those who are visiting us for the first time in case you're visiting. The 'Pulse is our signature feature bringing you unique, exclusive running twitter diaries of the MTV Trifecta as seen by the people watching the episodes in 140 characters or less - cast and fans alike. Social media has changed the game in television in bringing that communal viewing experience into the digital age, and often it's the twitter interaction during the episodes that becomes the big show as the cast relives the drama in its edited form with more than just family and friends. We strive to bring that interaction to you here.
   If you wanna relive how you, the castmates and fellow fans reacted to a hookup, fight, mission or anything else that takes place, the action, reaction and interaction is below, so dig in. But most particularly, in the case of some of you such as yours truly, those who might have stayed off social media while the episodes aired and didn't get the benefit of having the true TV/Twitter experience of your favorites tweeting along to avoid those spoilers, The 'Pulse is the first place you go to to catch up on the tweets you missed. These diaries are specially designed, curated and pieced together by me in real-time - tweet-by-tweet & uncensored - to bring that experience and interaction as a service to you, the fans, so you don't miss a moment. It's easier than catching up on tweets one by one afterwards.
   The 'Pulse is only part of DCBLOG's wide-ranging MTV coverage, offering a unique view on the shows you and I love that's found only on this site. Given the Real World's great history with its great people, stories and drama - also shared by The Challenge and now AYTO, it's tailor made for this site and a channel with its intimate relationship and impact, with insight, storytelling and perspective that they all offer. And it's brought to you by a long-time MTV fan who now devotes energies and free time to covering this wild, crazy and always unique world of the Trifecta.

Now, the main event: the following are the actual tweets of the cast, alumni, fans and me as we got to see the premiere, along with the buildup to, and the aftermath of, premiere day, and of course the first episode.
- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept 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 do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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, strap in, get settled and and Join In after the jump as we arrive in Las Vegas for Season 31 of The Real World: Go Big or Go Home: SocialPulse style.


DC SocialPulse Extra: Road to the RW: Go Big or Go Home Premiere

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language and objectionable 
content for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its long 
length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                           
@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

Welcome one and all to the first of DCBLOG's weekly posts for Real World: Go Big or Go Home. Coming up, all the action, reaction, and social interaction of the season premiere as our new group of seven strangers are welcomed to TV's original reality series in a totally new way, along with the usual pomp and circumstance of the pledges' first days in their new city and much more.
   First though, we have a special appetizer for all of you as present a prelude to that main course of Real World Thursday and the episode itself on the main DCBLOG post. Generally, our posts begin with the lead-up to the episode which, in turn, precede the episode tweets themselves. But with the week leading up to the premiere, we have, of course, all the anticipation as the new cast counts down to the big day.
   And in addition, this includes how the Trifecta community saw the conclusion of the latest season of the show that predated Are You The One? but is certainly a favorite of many both young and old (including my mom) of The Bachelor. And of course, there's the anticipation the new Real World cast felt in the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day; obviously, there's nothing like the build-up to the premiere of a RW (or Trifecta) season with all the anticipation culminating with the big night.

- Please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. If you're mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)

So, join in after the jump for this special 'Pulse Extra.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

DC Sports: It's March Madness Time!

A DCBLOG Sports Special
BY DC CUEVA                          
@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

For sports fans, March sees the one sign that spring has arrived: one of America's biggest sporting events, and the blue-ribbon event in all of collegiate athletics. It is the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, better known to most of us as March Madness. It is during this one month where one sport captivates America's attention in so many ways. And with the announcement yesterday of this year's field, the 2016 renewal of this great tradition begins tonight.
   Newly expanded five years ago, The Big Dance will tip off on this Tuesday evening with the First Four in Dayton, OH, then goes into full gear with the main tournament and the First Round, or the round of 64, two days after the tip this Thursday and Friday, and the Second Round, the round of 32, coming this weekend. Next week sees the Sweet 16 and the Regional Semifinals, followed by the Regional Finals, known as the Elite 8. And it culminates in early April with the Final Four, which this year will take place in Houston, TX, with The National Semifinals will be played at NRG Stadium, followed by the National Championship game two nights later on Monday, April 5th.

In a country as broad as the U.S. and where basketball is the only major team sport that's solely derived and developed in this country, the NCAA Tournament is pure Americana. It's practically the only event of its kind in the world's biggest sports nation that pits teams big and small from every region of the country in a three-week miniseries, played out over 67 acts, early on with as many as four games taking place simultaneously, and culminating in the National title game in front of the largest crowd and biggest TV audience to watch a basketball game all year.
   It's the only annual event in U.S. team sports where some of its games are played in the weekday daytime hours, and that only means that for one Thursday & Friday, the nation's work productivity will go down while other workers simply call-in sick to spend an entire day watching college hoops. It's where they and so many others fill out their brackets and play in their own tournament pools to see who can outsmart the others in predicting who wins and puts together the best bracket. And there's the strong fan enthusiasm and passion only college sports can offer.
   So many things define this celebrated rite of springtime. There's the great Cinderella stories that sees unheralded teams upset top team after top team and making a deep run in the tournament. There's great performances by players making their mark for their first time on this great stage, as they look to make this a stepping stone towards success in the NBA. And of course, there's nothing like those buzzer beaters that provide indelible moments of joy for the winners and despair for the losers where one shot can change everything when the clock strikes zero.
   It's all of these components and so much more that make March Madness one of a kind and something that captivates and galvanizes an entire sports nation every March. It provides for some of the best basketball that's played all year, and has a degree of unpredictability and great thrills that brings in both the passionate basketball fan and casual viewers alike. There's truly nothing like the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship.


Tuesday, March 8, 2016

MTV Trifecta: Countdown to Real World - Go Big or Go Home

BY DC CUEVA                           
@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

Welcome back one and all to DCBLOG's ongoing trek through the wild and always entertaining world of the MTV Trifecta. We started this latest ride back late last summer with the countdown to a most eventful Are You The One? Season 3, then this winter we saw an unpredictable 27th renewal of The Challenge: Battle of the Bloodlines. Both of them produced the expected - longtime veteran Cara Maria winning her first Challenge, and the unexpected - as in fellow New Englander Devin using his mad genius to singlehandedly win his AYTO cast the money in Hawaii. 
   And now, after a month-long break to catch our breath after that finale in Berlin, and with five of its alums now becoming proud parents as well, we turn the attention to TV's most-iconic reality series and 3rd jewel of the Trifecta - The Real World. It will be entering its record 31st season - unprecedented in the cable universe, and will be visiting for the third time in its nearly 25 years on MTV the town that's synonymous with love, money, madness and fun: Las Vegas, Nevada. 
   And it's very fitting that Sin City is the appropriate setting for the latest twist to wreck havoc on the roommates as it'll once again tweak its old-school formula of seven strangers living together and watching what happens. Yes, we'll still have the unique attributes it's had forever of the deep storytelling and relatable people we've been accustomed to since that first season in 1992, and of course the big time drama we all know and love. But this time, it's brought an element of a show that formed the original part of the Trifecta a long time ago and will bring that same kind of unpredictability that we've experienced the past six months to this reality TV original.
    St. Patrick's Day, Thursday, March 17, is now more than a week from now, as it will be the premiere night of Real World: Go Big or Go HomeAnd as the first love of this triple crown, this lifelong fan will again be watching and following this new season, and covering it right here - again wire to wire from the preseason buzz until the last act at spring's end. Just as it was in San Francisco with Ex-Plosion and in Chicago last year with Skeletons, it's a totally new Real World that promises to add more allure to the magic that happens when this great show touches down in America's greatest playground.
   Of course, we can expect the unexpected with big time drama, a new group of seven strangers and twists as twisted as an up & down day in the casinos. And ahead, we'll be previewing what you can expect on this season and how it compares to its erstwhile sister show, a look at the seven strangers and other things too. This includes two up-and-coming singers, a Mormon-turned-hippie and a former Vegas resident with a couple good celeb ties too.

So, Join In after the jump as DCBLOG commences our coverage of Season 31 of Real World: Go Big or Go Home, from Las Vegas.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

DC WRAP: The Challenge Bloodlines - The Finale

BY DC CUEVA                           
@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

Well it's been some time since we spoke, but it's better late then never. The 27th season of The Challenge is all but done and dusted and all that's left to so here is our final DC WRAP of this Bloodlines season. We have a new champion, a newcomer onto this Challenge world and a girl who really proved herself this season. 
   Coming up on this expanded edition of The WRAP, we'll have the Things to Know recap of the Berlin section of this Bloodlines season, with the key moments and storylines that emerged once the final four teams arrived in Berlin and what happened in Germany. We'll have a final trip into the Strategy Room to look over the final and our takeaways from that and of the teams. Then after the fan reaction, DC ExtraTime will introduce you to Baby Tadison and two other Real World babies as well. All that is ahead.