Tuesday, April 30, 2019

DC ExtraTime: A 6-Hour Date with Mr. Chocolate

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

IG @jessi__noelle
One of the most fascinating MTV Reality personalities we've encountered in recent years has been Derrick Henry, a college basketball player from Atlanta, grew up in Charleston, SC and who played college ball for Winthrop and The Citadel. Since deciding to do reality TV rather than pursuing pro ball, he has had a most eventful journey through six MTV series: four different dating shows, two seasons of The Challenge, and a reputation as a ladies man who affectionally calls himself Mr. Chocolate. And Derrick H. has also redefined the art of taking a group selfie on his Instagram @ImDroc15 by actually fooling them in taking a video rather than a still photo.

It wasn't that long ago that he had a rough couple weeks in March of 2017: him giving part of his necklace to the girl he sat next to in the last matchup ceremony on Are You The One? Season 5, Shannon Duffy, only to get jobbed by the lights and lost the money that night... and then be the first one to get cut on the show's spinoff Second Chances in Australia the following week, though he got to forge a good friendship with his perfect match Casandra Martinez (who later appeared on last year's Bachelor spinoff The Proposal). And it was only a few months later that he went onto Challenge XXX: Dirty 30 where Derrick H. found someone who he thought would be his perfect match in Tori Deal, only for the tea to be spilled about him after their breakup at the reunion... and they didn't fare any better when they were paired on Final Reckoning last year.

However, it's in the dating pool where he has fared much better than being around a bunch of other challengers where he's found that he has a long way to go until he can reach that level. Last year, Derrick was in the first wave of exes to invade the first season of Ex On The Beach U.S. as the ex of Bad Girls Club alum Angela Babicz, and who was part of a battle for her heart with fellow basketball player Tor'i Brooks. And most recently during this early part of the springtime, he got another chance at love on Game of Clones, as he got to date seven singles made over to become exact lookalikes of model Gigi Hadid. And of the six seasons he's gotten to appear on, it's the most recent one that he says that he had the best time of the half-dozen.

More than a week ago saw another chapter in Mr. Chocolate's never-ending quest for love, but this time it came outside the MTV realm in a dating show put on by independent social dating platforms Daily Steam and Adult Friend Finder called 6-Hour Match. Unlike what he has been through on the AYTO and EOTB villas and The Challenge but along the lines of what we saw on Game of Clones, it's all about one person he's getting to date, and spending some quality time with that lady in this latest social dating experiment, taking place in a cozy apartment.

Sunday, April 28, 2019

DC ExtraTime: Crafting the Perfect Beard with Mr. Gentle Giant Ginger

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

For those in Canada, north of the Mason-Dixon Line and in an increasing number of American cities, this is the best time of year to be a hockey fan. Spring means one thing to those who follow the National Hockey League: the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the quest to win the oldest trophy competed for by pros on the continent, one that is considered the hardest to win of any of the four major sports, for the fact that one team will have won sixteen games to hoist Lord Stanley and to have to endure sacrifice, pain and at least a few overtime games to win the championship. And if what happened in the first round with all four division leaders, including the top-ranked Tampa Bay Lightning, all being knocked out, it has proved that the NHL playoffs are better than that of the NBA.

A tradition as sacred as the captain receiving the cup from the league commissioner at the end of the clinching final game, every player getting a day with the cup during the summer and the engraving of all the players' names is something that is synonymous with spring as most anything else. In the early 1980s when they became the first American team to win three or more Stanley Cups in succession, the New York Islanders began a superstitious practice of their players not shaving their beards while competing during the postseason, and only shaving it off if they either get eliminated or win it all. This eventually became known as the "Playoff Beard," which according to its Wikipedia entry, has become a symbol of team unity during the most intense time of the entire season and says playoffs to those who start their day brushing their teeth each morning.

The Playoff Beard has now become a tradition in April, May and June with every NHL team taking part in it, along with minor league affiliates as they battle for CHL's Memorial Cup and AHL's Calder Cup, as well as NCAA teams vying to advance to the Frozen Four, and even to the high school level. It's also expanded into other sports and leagues, with the Seahawks' Russell Wilson, the Steelers' Ben Rothlisberger and the Pats' Julian Edelman boasting beards during their teams' run to the Super Bowl. The Red Sox and the Giants boasted playoff beards during quests in October to their respective World Series titles, while Björn Borg boasted his own playoff beard during his great run at Wimbledon winning five straight titles at the All-England Club... likely the origin of this end-of-season tradition.

It's with this in mind that, back in March, a video emerged on the YouTube channel of a company that, according to its website, specializes in "uniting beardsmen and build a community." When it launched in 2012, BeardBrand grew to include a blog, a site on Tumblr and a YouTube account that has over 1 million subscribers and whose 1000+ videos have been seen almost 180 million times. Its content covers everything related to growing that beard, from grooming them and reviewing care products, to its unique lifestyle and of course dozens of videos that take place inside the barbershop... all with the goal of wanting to reverse any stereotypes about those who've not shaved in a while.

DC ExtraTime: Someone You Should Know - Steezy, Rohan & DAD

DISCLAIMER: Certain Content Embedded in This Post May Not Be Suitable for a Younger Audience. Parental Guidance is Suggested.

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

From left, Dylan "DAD" Polley, Rohan Kohli
and Steezy Kane (IG @rohankohli55)
When the calendar turns to the month of May this Wednesday, college students across the country will be thinking many things at the end of the academic year. For many, they are dreading those final exams which will see them trade party and friend time for many hours of studying before the big tests that await them. For others, they're looking forward to finally getting this school year done and dusted so that they can have some fun in the sun the next few months. And for those who are nostalgic and have completed the necessary amount of credits, they are counting down the days until any young adult's ultimate coming of age moment: putting on the cap & gown and graduating college.

What happens after students receive their diploma and getting feted by family & friends in this important passage in their lives will vary depending upon what route they want to take: getting a job, starting their own business, and whatever pleases them as they enter, as they say, the "real real world." But for three college students, they are already superstars beyond just their inner circle... something that wasn't even possible at the start of this century. And thanks in part to YouTube and the viral culture we are living in now, they've amassed over a million total social media followers thanks to getting to create content that can make everyone laugh and to brighten their day.

With the help of someone who also gained a fortune by winning a one-time MTV Reality show, we'd like you to meet the latest trio of Someone You Should Know: College YouTube Royalty of Steezy Kane, Rohan Kohli and Dylan Polley.

Saturday, April 27, 2019

DC SocialPulse Extra: The Challenge Invades London, and Before WOTW EP 11

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language and objectionable content. 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  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hey there, we're at the weekend and spring is definitely in the air. We're past the halfway point of The Challenge: War of the Worlds, and things are now an individual matter from here on out with the season to crown, as it was a year ago at this time, one gender-neutral champion and two runners-up who will share in the $1 million prize pool when this is all done.

Along with being at halfway through the season being taken care of, there is also something that takes place around this time: the filming of the reunion for this Challenge season, which for the first time will not take place in MTV's seat of government in New York City, but outside the United States in the historic yet vibrant city of London, England in the United Kingdom. That's the focus of this installment of the Pulse Extra as we'll be following the cast in Britain meeting up for the reunion which comes our way at season's end.

But there is something different we're currently doing for this section in getting this spring cycle started in going Inside MTV Reality... we at DCBLOG will explain that afterwards. For now, indulge yourself in the in-between interaction between the first episode of the individual phase of the season and the episode that aired just before last week's. See you after the jump...


Thursday, April 25, 2019

DC ExtraTime: T-Swift Meets an AYTO Original

From during Are You The One? Season 7originally 
posted on September 23, 2018 and reposted 
on the night of her new single release, "Me!"

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

If you're one who follows the music world just as well as I do (it's one of my other passions along with sports), you know by now that arguably the biggest female star right now is Taylor Swift. We all know about her rise from moving to Nashville signing her first record deal as a teenager, to everything that's transpired since in basing her songs around her personal life.

Crossover singles helped her sophomore effort, Fearless, not only become 2009's top-selling album but also paved the way for her to embrace being a pop star... every album she's dropped then has embraced the mainstream: Red, 1989 and Reputation, as well as Fearless, has Taylor as the only artist to have four albums sell 1 million copies in its debut week. No wonder why she's killing it -- both on the charts with 40 million album sales, 130 million single downloads, and being shortlisted on some of the most prestigious lists anywhere.

Last night, Taylor's Reputation World Tour made a stop in New Orleans as she took over the Superdome, and Jemmye was one of those who got to spend a Saturday night with the world's biggest pop star. And after anchoring the Saturday news for ABC affiliate WGNO, Kayla Lusby-Bertucci from Are You The One? Season 1 - and who's now an anchor/reporter in major markets after what we saw in the first AYTO season, got to make everyone in Team MTV feel a bit jealous of her in meeting and taking a picture with Taylor. She's certainly the luckiest alum of the AYTO family right now.



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A post shared by Kayla Bertucci (@thekaylabertucci) on



- I AM DC
#DCBLOG

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

DC ExtraTime: A Trifecta of Real World Flashbacks

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

As MTV continues its current resurgence in ratings, recognition and regard, a series that helped to kick start the channel as we know it now, as well as inventing an entire television genre in the process, is among the next series to receive its closeup. The Real World began the story of MTV Reality twenty-seven years ago next month when the first season in New York with Eric Nies, Heather B. and the rest of the original cast of seven strangers first moved into a loft in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood and created a new form of entertainment that's everywhere now. Everything from the family in the White House and the Kardashians to the YouTube culture of making ordinary people stars can be attributed to this groundbreaking show.

The Real World documented several generations of MTV'ers becoming stars of their own show, tackled real life head on and taught everyone in the business how to do reality TV, and will very soon will be moving to a new home on Facebook Watch. Last week - along with announcing RealityCon that will bring everyone in the genre together this fall and next year, MTV confirmed Atlanta as one of the host cities of The Real World's arrival at the world's most-interactive online community, with Mexico City and Bangkok, Thailand hosting the other two seasons to air this summer on the fledgling but rapidly growing free video platform.

So many seasons, roommates and moments stand out in the thirty-two seasons it aired on MTV prior to its upcoming worldwide journey to Zuckerberg-ville, taking it from America's big cities to global destinations outside our borders. And thanks to something that were only dreams at the turn of the century in social media and advanced mobile phones, the pre-Easter weekend saw memories of three memorable seasons come flashing back to those who remember the show's good old days. For one alum, she traveled to where she spent a summer in paradise that became iconic for her being part of the show's first intra-cast romance, while another posted his memories of when he began his ride fifteen years ago. And for a few others, they gathered in the same suite that helped to turn the series upside down in the town where being wild & free is par for the course.

Friday, April 19, 2019

DCBLOG Look Ahead: What's to Come This Spring...

A Word from the Editor
BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Well, welcome to the Easter weekend, and to a relatively calm time at this site. For the first time in quite a while, there's only one show for us here to cover... that would be The Challenge: War of the Worlds, as we're into the second half of the season in Africa. But that does not mean we're easing up on things, if this is only a temporary occurrence as production is underway on a busy summer and fall that's to come for DCBLOG in covering MTV Reality, as this site will turn six years old next month.

Without giving things away in the interest of those who haven't watched it yet or who prefer to binge-watch the episodes, this week's episode of The Challenge featured our season's first cliffhanger... something that we had a lot of last season and during the trilogy. As is general practice for our site here, if episodes of any show we cover end without any kind of resolution in regards to its outcome, traditionally posts related to that week's episode will be carried over our coverage of the following week's episode. So, the SocialPulse of this week's episode will instead be offered as part of next week's coverage... As much as everyone hates "To Be Continued...", we also don't like it too, and by carrying the Pulse into next week we can cover what goes on both the previous week and the following week without waiting seven days for it.

But, the good news is... this will clear up time to do what this site does best: tell the great stories of MTV Reality, as we do so well here. This is the element that offers another dimension to the unique coverage of the most-talked about shows in the reality genre that we're defined for, and that you won't get anywhere else. And coming up this week and the weeks to come during this spring cycle, we plan to offer a slew of stories that, because of us being busy covering two series or more the past year, we finally have some time to bring them to you on here, along with the Pulse for War of the Worlds as we play our way down towards determining who will play off for the $1 million.

This weekend - or early next week, we'll look back at three memorable Real World seasons which saw members of those casts post their flashbacks of last week, just as the cities of its upcoming Facebook relaunch were officially announced in Atlanta, Mexico City and Bangkok, Thailand. Last week saw the cast of the first Las Vegas season reunite in the same Palms hotel that hosted that legendary season, while a member of the first RW season I seriously watched flew back to Hawaii to conjure up memories of twenty years ago. And amid the latest chapter in his ongoing family drama, Brad took a brief respite to offer his memories of his original RW San Diego season from 2004. If you love old school Real World, you won't want to miss our post here on Easter Sunday, plus other MTV Reality flashbacks we plan on doing once the show returns in its new platform this summer.

There's a bevy of other great stories we also plan to cover on here through the prism of ExtraTime. We plan to feature the time where a Challenger made her first appearance on a show that speaks to the time a lot of you look forward to when the weather outside gets more enjoyable and sunnier in wedding season; a look at one of sports' most iconic franchises as the man who had an eventful past year with his Ex joins the Harlem Globetrotters; and notable projects involving the AYTO/EOTB family, Johnny Bananas and the new season of The Caucus Challenge.
   And of course, we'll be meeting some of the figures of the moment in pop culture as they meet the MTV Reality family... both those we already have in mind and whatever pops up along the journey. But the nature of the news cycle means that not every possibly story will be featured on here in a timely manner, but that won't mean they'll be squashed entirely as is the case with our long-planned but long-delayed Debrief posts... which we hope to do once WOTW comes to a conclusion and dependent upon my friend Andrew Kirk's baseball schedule.

And we have a now-backtracked Who Are These Newbies? post for the Exes of Season 2 of Ex On The Beach... yes , we still plan that as those overseas are now getting to watch what we just saw here over the winter & spring. And already, filming is now underway for Season 3 of EOTB USA, and the cast that has been uncovered so far will sure offer something for everyone. And once we have a clear idea of who is going into that dreaded house there, as is now our tradition we'll take a Look Ahead at who we will see once we get there... as well as the other seasons which are in production now which will make the second half of 2019 that much more enjoyable for all of you to watch and for us here to cover each week.

So, that's what we have in store for the next few months as far as our original content is concerned, along with the Pulse of The Challenge which will fill this time until we get to rev up for the packed summer that, thanks to the weather we're having here out west, will be here before you know it. And that will include the big summer plans I have coming up which, if things are panning out as well as it is right now, I'm looking forward to sharing with you sooner rather than later. But for now, enjoy this Easter holiday weekend with you and yours, and talk to you then.

- I AM DC
#DCBLOG

Thursday, April 18, 2019

The Look: Teen Mom - Young Moms Club

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Second chances: it's something that can either be offered to you almost instantly, or would have to hope for fate to somehow get another shot. Three recent sporting champions fit this description perfectly: the Virginia men's basketball team went from being the first #1 seed to lose to a 16th seed at last year's NCAA tournament to then come back and win it all the following season. The New England Patriots bounced back from a Super Bowl LII loss to regain their title this past season, and last week Tiger Woods returned to golf's throne after a long journey proceeding his fifth Masters victory.

Getting another opportunity is a thing that's rare when it comes to the world of TV: fans of Brooklyn Nine-Nine got teary-eyed when it was cancelled by FOX... only for those tears to become those of joy once it was revived by NBC only days later. In MTV Challenge circles, him invading Invasion of the Champions and an injury she had on Champs vs. Stars brought Exes 2 lovebirds Zach Nichols and Jenna Compono back together after a breakup the previous year, while Big Brother 19 champ Josh Martinez was given another chance to compete on the current season of War of the Worlds when a competitor was forced to withdraw after sustaining an injury in the opening purge challenge.

But these stories of gaining new life in both sports and the fifth major pro sport pale in comparison to the twisted journey of those who will have another chance to introduce themselves to the MTV community next week. But this time, it will be thanks to the banner of a franchise that got its start ten summers ago when the first generation of Teen Moms were 16 & Pregnant back in 2009. And they will bring to this always scrutinized MTV franchise several firsts, as they will welcome everyone into the Young Moms Club... but the story of how a group of young ladies from America's Finest City got here can be traced back a year in rather strange circumstances.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge War of the Worlds - It's Anybody's Game Now

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

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Well, hey there kiddos... hope you all are fully recovered from what was an epic weekend with Tiger Woods' Masters win, the Game of Thrones premiere, the Coachella festival and much more, and Easter is upon us. And as far as the fifth major pro sport is concerned, the second half is underway on The Challenge: War of the Worlds.

Previously in Namibia, the eight teams that were left at the midway point of this season, always indicated by the midseason trailer that airs halfway through the proceedings... and they encountered another moving challenge in the desert... this time, they sped their way on moving trucks while also moving rings around. A person who will we will soon settle a beef in front of the man well known for announcing results of paternity tests turned himself into a Dr. Phil for a moment when Hunter looked to Wes for teams therapy. And in the week's elimination, Da'Vonne & Bear took out the win and handed Kam her first loss in a regular win or go home battle, after losing to Brooke Hogan last year.

Last year's trilogy and Invasion of the Champions were individual-based, where one person would rule the world by season's end. At the end of last week, the group was informed in the most Challenge of ways -- a Teej-Bomb by TJ Lavin -- that they would be competing as individuals the rest of the way. It's with that in mind that this week, the fourteen contestants left will begin the back-end of this season having to readjust their strategies while also enduring a hurricane for their first individual game. Plus, tempers will flare with a couple players, and the return of everyone's favorite game of trivia which will have a role in sending home our first solo competitor, rather than pair of them.

All those and all the action, reaction and interaction is ahead on the Pulse of War of the Worlds, as we prepare for tonight... join in after the jump.

Saturday, April 13, 2019

DC ExtraTime: Ex On The Beach Welcomes... Bradley Cooper(?!)

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

For someone who's quite a bit older than most of you reading this site, this summer will mark the 25th anniversary of a first in the life of this 80's baby turned blogger and all around good guy. There in 1994 during that time of innocence and curiosity known as childhood, I flew out with family, relatives and cousins to the first of what would become nine trips to the city of Las Vegas. Little did I know that it would become my favorite city, outside of my neck of the woods.
   This first excursion to this worldwide capital of all things fun for adults was back when the city attempted to follow in Disneyland's lead to market itself as a family destination with themed resorts on the strip when the most appealing thing was the sound of coins in the casinos, which also doubled as my greatest envy until I turned 21. It might not have worked out the way the city intended, but Vegas was on the verge of a major growth spurt with its area population nearly doubling in the quarter century since that very first Vegas vacation.
   The thing I refer to by the simple social media hashtag of #DCVegas has become a near annual tradition for over a decade, having traveled there eight times in the past twelve years since 2007, and having had a slew of memorable experiences in something I consider my own Super Bowl. And combined with that 1994 excursion when I was too young to roam the casinos, the next time I make that one-hour plane ride from the Bay Area to Southern Nevada, it will represent my milestone tenth trip to Las Vegas… maybe perhaps it will come soon - stay tuned to see if that goes down this year.

Ten years ago this fall, I went to Sin City to celebrate my birthday on a Friday the 13th, and the next night I walked down to MGM Grand to soak in the charged atmosphere of a big fight in boxing when Manny Pacquiao knocked out Miguel Cotto. Months earlier, a movie premiered in the same summer of 2009 as Avatar, films from the Harry Potter, Twilight and Transformers trilogies, Disney's Up and 2012. But unlike its star-studded counterparts, those who appeared in a R-rated comedy set in Vegas were not quite as well known, but in the end gave its stars and the true star of the movie in the world's greatest adult playground a greater spot in the stratosphere.
   Inspired by true events that a friend of the movie's executive producer experienced, The Hangover told the story of a group of four friends who called themselves the Wolfpack, and who took the 4-hour drive from Los Angeles through the Inland Empire and the Mojave Desert, and up I-15 to Las Vegas for a weekend's bachelor party weekend. It was supposed to be a celebration of one of their own spending the last hours of their time as a bachelor before heading back home to tie the knot and say "I do" to who would become his lawfully wedded wife. Instead, what happened when Phil Wenneck, Stuart Price, Alan Garner and Doug Billings arrived at that suite at Caesars Palace and the hours afterwards would become one of the many great tales that can only happen in Las Vegas.
   A night and weekend of unbelievable twists and turns as often as a chaotic night at the casinos ensued after that toast on the rooftop, with Phil, Stu and Alan having no idea of what they did the previous night, and no idea in hell of where Doug went just before his big day at the alter. From their hotel suite in ruins and a joyride in a police car, to a Chinese man portrayed by Ken Jeong surprising them on the Strip and one of their own getting hitched to a stripper who then gets to meet her baby, and of course Mike Tyson playing piano... it made for a most memorable weekend in a place where what happens there usually stays there, but instead made its way to a record summer at the box office and into the pop culture realm of 2009, producing two more films afterwards.

While Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms would see their stock rise thanks to their roles in The Hangover franchise (as well as Real World & Challenge alum turned Hollywood big shot Jamie Chung also appearing in the trilogy as well), the man who benefited the most from being in the cast of a movie that garnered tremendous critical and commercial success and a trilogy that made $1.4 billion in receipts was a largely unknown actor from Philadelphia named Bradley Cooper. His acting career began twenty years ago with a guest spot on Sex and the City, followed by his first movie role alongside fellow newcomers Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd, cast members of '90s MTV sketch show The State and a slew of other notables in 2001 cult favorite film Wet Hot American Summer.
   Cooper then began to garner recognition playing Will Tippin on Alias, and having a supporting role in Wedding Crashers a few years before The Hangover made him a household name. Afterwards, Bradley played a fledgling writer in Limitless, a rookie cop on The Place Beyond the Pines, a bipolar husband in Silver Linings Playbook, an FBI agent in American Hustle, and an Army soldier in American Sniper. His work in these films garnered him critical praise and four Oscar nominations... and in the same year that Sniper became 2014's top-grossing movie, Bradley went onto Broadway portraying Joseph Merrick in The Elephant Man, earning him a Tony Award nomination.

Last year, America fell in love with Bradley once again when he produced, wrote and directed his first film, as well serving as the co-lead actor, in the modernized 2018 update of the classic musical romance tale, A Star is Born. The person who joined him as co-star of the film was the one and only Lady Gaga, who marked the tenth anniversary of her discovery to the world in a memorable guest cameo on The Hills by appearing in her first film in an acting role.
   The movie features Cooper, who plays hard-drinker & country singer Jack Mayne who suddenly finds himself in love with female singer and waitress Ally Mayne, portrayed by Gaga, and everything that transpires between the two of them. Dave Chappelle and Andrew Dice Clay also star in the film as is veteran actor Sam Elliott, and talk of that remake was first discussed in 2011. Clint Eastwood was slated to direct back then, with Beyonce, Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith and Tom Cruise being considered to star in the film before the project was stuck in limbo until they finally settled on Bradley and Gaga.
   A Star Is Born debuted last summer at an LA film festival and dropped in theaters in early October, garnering nearly $450 million globally, much acclaim for the performances of the lead actor and actress and elements of the movie... so much so that the National Board of Review and American Film Institute shortlisted this film as one of their Top 10 Films of 2018. Of course, it was a leading nominee at this year's Academy Awards and at the Golden Globes garnering Best Actor and Actress nominations for both stars, as well as a Best Supporting Actor nod for Sam Elliott.
   And of course, there's the song that added more to Gaga's ten-year legend and showed another side of the man who once had to tell his wife in the Hangover that he would not make Doug's wedding date. "Shallow" was the lead single off of the A Star Is Born soundtrack and was prominent part of the film several times, including when Jack invited Ally to perform it on stage. The power-ballad was written from her perspective which, as the song's Wiki entry notes, "...with the self-aware lyrics asking each other if they are content being who they are." Music critics loved it and so did everyone else: #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week after Gaga and Bradley performed it on the Oscars, for which it received Best Original Song honors just as it did at the Golden Globes, adding to it winning the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Grammy.

Friday, April 12, 2019

DC SocialPulse: Ex On The Beach Season 2 - The Reunion Part 2

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

BACKTRACKED EDITION 
BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Well, welcome to the weekend friends, and there is love in the air this close to Easter. No, we're not talking what happened last night with a familiar MTV face joining 19 other girls to go for Pauly D. and Vinny's heart on A Double Shot at Love... but the final act of Season 2 of Ex On The Beach 2, and the season-ending reunion with the cast, host Romeo Miller and Wild 'N Out's Justina Valentine.

The first-ever reunion special for the American version of this MTV global franchise has already seen plenty of juicy stuff go down, and last we here left it the tea was served aplenty as if we were in London where they take those sessions seriously. There, we saw Nicole and Chad get into it which saw Ms. Makeup get the boot, as well as Angela discuss more about what happened with Tor'i and him taking her money. But the star of the show in Part 1 was the person who conducted the lie detector test, which saw an end to a seemingly safe relationship with Jozea and his ex Rob.

The lie detector will once again rear its ugly head as part of the back-end of this ride that began before Christmas as Morgan and her ex Jay strap on the gear to see if they are telling the truth. Angela will also find herself in the spotlight over what happened with her and Nelson since they left the house, as will Malcolm and his relationship with Maya. We'll also get into the triangles of Janelle, Darian and Didi and of Cheyenne, Murray and Cory... and we'll see a hookup not before seen until the last hour of this journey.

After the jump, it's our last Pulse diary for Ex On The Beach Part Deux, plus the season finale of Game of Clones as Leroy tries his luck to get over Kam and find his match. Glad to have you with us as we start this weekend...

Thursday, April 11, 2019

The Look: A Double Shot at Love with DJ Pauly D & Vinny

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

It is now into springtime in the TV calendar, and 2019 has already offered plenty of goodies for those who have been keeping up with all things MTV Reality. The Challenge: War of the Worlds has entered a whole new world with the game now an all-out war among individuals from America and Europe for $1 million, while a group of five San Diego mamas will bring fans of Teen Mom lens into their world with the Young Moms Club. After the explosive finales of Siesta Key and Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club, those who love addictive drama are awaiting the return of The Hills, as Heidi, Spencer and the rest of the originals will be joined by The O.C.'s Mischa Barton and Tommy Lee's son Brandon for New Beginnings. And we cannot forget the return of The Real World on Facebook and Season 8 of Are You The One, also.

One year ago this month, MTV's comeback into the public limelight became complete when Jersey Shore returned to a warm welcome back from cable land for the first of their two Family Vacations. We rejoined Snooki, J-Woww and the rest of the gang at a different spot than they were when they left Seaside Heights one last time six years earlier: older, with kids & wedding rings and a greater outlook on life, and a little bit of drama with one of them as he went about new life as a dad. But they didn't forget about what made them rock stars: partying up in Miami and Las Vegas, revisiting the iconic summer share house on the boardwalk and enjoying each other's company once again, along with a famous prank helping change the course of history along the way too.

And as Mike the Situation continues to serve his prison sentence having just hung out with the man who started the Fyre Fest fiasco, the ladies and Ronnie balance new lives as parents, and Angelina and Sammi begin planning their wedding days after getting engaged last year, the focus shifts to the two remaining bachelors of the Jersey OG's, who also double as the greatest bromance on this planet. Everyone who's watched the eight overall seasons of Jersey Shore know about the strong bond of DJ Pauly D. Delvecchio and Vinny Guadagnino... just seeing them together partying and being in the houses they've lived in sums up a lifelong relationship that has seen them travel the world and do so much together in the course of the past decade.

Now comes the latest chapter for this iconic bromance: a dating show starring these two icons as they will turn their attention to searching for love. Pauly D. and Vinny are the objects of affection for 20 beautiful single women competing to score their hearts while also staying in a house. And the Jersey icons will choose which ladies they want to keep and will ditch, while the ladies themselves will pick which of the two guys they want to date. And when we get down to the finale by summertime, the duo and those lucky ladies who make it to the end must choose who they want their chance at making either of these two their "ride or die."

It's A Double Shot At Love, as MTV's most notable reality dating experiment of a decade ago returns in the age of TV reboots for both a new generation and which stars two of MTV Reality's biggest names. Once again, Pauly and Vinny will occupy Thursdays - aka Jerzday - for those latest romantic experiment. And for a lot of you, it's your first chance to see a show that came on well before the terms "Truth Booth" and "Shack of Secrets" joined our modern day vocabulary.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge War of the Worlds - "American Psycho"

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

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hello and welcome along... as I do what I can to get things back to normalcy after last week's events, something I've always looked to as an escape during tough times in doing what I do best becomes more important than ever, especially now. For this instance, DCBLOG will proceed as usual with the business at hand in covering last week's episodes and other matters, all as best I can and at the level of excellence you come to expect... and a bit later than planned but better late than never.

The Challenge: War of the Worlds has certainly been offering the goods, and previously in Africa we saw the continuation of the emergence onto the American scene of one Bear, when his call back home to his girlfriend back home saw him suddenly encounter a row (British slang for a rift) with Georgia. She would also find herself in more drama with her partner Hunter, with memories of what befell him last fall is still very much fresh and still hasn't gotten over that. But the MVP of Week 8 was Dee, when she overcame her fear of the water to rule that week's challenge with Wes, while in the latest installment of the classic elimination game Pole Wrestle, Team Mama Bear prevailed.

Last week for the eight teams remaining, they will encounter the challenge that, if you saw the first peeks at this season back in January, will see them move along at 55 MPH jumping between speeding trucks and having to use precision and rings to get them through their latest challenge at hand. For the latest turbulent team to emerge in Africa, someone who got hitched last year suddenly takes on the role of being Dr. Phil to his best friend here. And for the week's elimination, teams will have to go around in circles and complete a puzzle to survive and advance along into the lucky seven, where by night's end TJ Lavin will drop his latest Teej-Bomb on the house.

You'll find out what that bomb is after the jump as DCBLOG brings you the Pulse of Week 9 of The Challenge: War of the Worlds, before things get real interesting in a matter of hours from now. Also, reaction to the death of Nipsey Hustle - which we featured Dee meeting him years ago, and Being Cory - a look into our favorite Challenger turned Dad on Teen Mom. Enjoy...

Saturday, April 6, 2019

DC SocialPulse: Ex On The Beach Season 2 - The Reunion Part 1

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

BACKTRACKED EDITION 
BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Instagram @Farrah__Abraham
And so, welcome into this week's look Inside MTV Reality... if you haven't known by now - and provided you've seen my latest post late last night, it's been a tough past 24 hours for me after Friday's events, but I'm doing what I can to stay positive... and I do appreciate all of your support. But life goes on after this, and so does the business in front of us doing what DCBLOG does best, and why you come here in the first place: covering what goes in the episodes themselves on television.

A couple weeks ago, Ex On The Beach USA wrapped up its second season which started with a Teen Mom, a Bachelor and other reality alumni taking over Malibu, and continued with a Season 1 original and her ex arriving that spurred plenty of drama in between. The season itself came to an end in late March with two intriguing twists: three of the girls who were sent home for bad behavior and/or the mid-season's ex vote returning for the last crush ceremony. But the return of Farrah, Nicole and Janelle was minor compared to who else came to the house that final week: a lie detector that detected whether the singles and/or exes were being truthful in their relationships.

The most important question to any romantic reality show when the credits roll at the end of any season finale is, "Who is still together?"  That question and a lot more will be answered in the first-ever Ex On The Beach Reunion, as our host Romeo Miller and Wild 'N Out's Justina Valentine, plus commentator Wilborn Ferrene, will guide us through all the madness. The entire group of singles and most of the exes will join them in the MTV Times Square studio (as well as an audience that includes our Caucus Challenge subject Andres Rodriguez) to discuss a season with as many twists and turns as a summer roller coaster, as they'll get to rehash the season's big hookups, breakups and betrayals.

After the jump, it's Part 1 of the Ex On The Beach 2 Reunion, plus Cara Maria joins the quest for love on Game of Clones. And welcome to the weekend...

Friday, April 5, 2019

DC FORUM Special: 4/5/19 - An Update On What Happened Today…

The views & opinions expressed in this DC FORUM post are only those of its blogger. Your thoughts and any criticisms you may have are welcome and appreciated on the social media avenues of your choosing, including Twitter @DC408Dxtr or in the comments. However, due to the critical nature of this editorial, please be kind.

A Word from the Editor
BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Okay, so here we are. Hope you all are enjoying the start to your weekend… it always is when it's a Friday and you have nothing to worry about but to just relax and let loose after a long week. But for me, today has been no ordinary Friday, and it's for this particular reason that I'm coming onto here this late night for something totally different than what you're used to from here. It is also something that is exceptionally unprecedented for a site regarded as a must-read for anyone who has an interest in the biggest passion I have right now… although this is something that has happened before on this very site you're looking at now.

This is not one of the usual DCBLOG posts which this site invests much time and effort in to cover the social media reaction to the weekly drama of MTV Reality, or the many stories behind the story that I enjoy being able to do each week on the people you enjoy watching on your TV's. This week's episode of The Challenge and the two-part reunion of Ex On The Beach will be the focus as they always are — along with a preview of A Double Shot at Love, and they will be featured in due course in the coming days. So, no worries… that will be up then for your reading enjoyment.

However - in my six years of blogging, this special FORUM post is definitely one of the hardest, toughest and most difficult of posts that I have ever had to write on here for all of you loyal readers who visit this site regularly, and it comes under special circumstances that's still fresh in my mind having just occurred a few short hours ago. Now, I will get to go from being an objective, third-party who prides on being journalistically independent and takes pride in his excellent work, to becoming - for this post at least - a voice of a fan of the shows you love just like all of you reading this, and to offer my most honest thoughts on something unusual that happened to me this April day.

And by the time you're done reading this spur of the moment post, you'll see a side of me that rarely comes out to play in this world of the social media stans and the divisive nature of an aspect of our culture that, if you follow The Challenge and the other shows this site covers wall to wall, you know exactly what I mean. And perhaps, you'll probably never look the same way again at one of your favorite cast members by the time this post is all done and dusted.

So, if you can take these next few moments to indulge yourself in reading this editorial word from the editor, then it's most appreciated… even if this post will likely offend a section of the audience, although any opinion you may have is appreciated, welcome and respected… although do be kind if you send any hate my way, if any. So, here we go…

Thursday, April 4, 2019

DC ExtraTime: Nipsey and Ms. Dee

BY DC CUEVA                        
 @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Last weekend saw an unspeakable tragedy strike the hip-hop community, one that once again saw a gunman's bullet cut short the life of a rap icon. But unlike what happened last year to XXXTentacion when he was on the brink of something big, the person whose life suddenly ended by an untimely murder was a 10-year veteran who had just seen his hard work and his many years in the genre finally pay off.

Nipsey Hussle entered the rap game as a 20-year-old in 2005 when he dropped his first mixtape, followed by two more EP's three years later after he signed his first major label record deal with Epic Records. The son of parents of mixed Eritrean and American heritage known to them as Ermias Asghedom adopted a stage name based on actor and a judge on '90s MTV game show, Lip Service, Nipsey Russell, and in 2009 released not only another mixtape but also his debut track, "Hussle in the House." Collaborations with Drake and Snoop Dogg, and a spot in the 2010 remake of the iconic charitable anthem "We Are The World" would soon follow, landing Nipsey on XXL Magazine's Annual Freshmen Top Ten list of the hip-hop publication's class of rising stars.
   Everyone was anxious for his debut album, South Central State of Mind, to take flight in the fall of 2010 and for him to take that next stop to stardom, but that was then nixed by issues with Michael Jackson's former label where he left before it dropped in stores. Hussle would then turn back to working on his own in the interim, forming his own indie label All Money In, and releasing two mixtapes and a collaborative album with guest spots from YG, MGMT and Dom Kennedy. A 2012 single release, "Proud of That" with Rick Ross followed along with more singles and EP's.

Along the way, Nipsey decided that just being an indie rapper was the best strategy, rather than sign with a major label... and with being able to do it all by himself saw him release 1,000 hard copies of one of his mixtapes for $100 a pop, and it was all gone in only 24 hours... giving him a $100,000 payday. His debut album, Victory Lap, had planned on being released in 2014, but it would not be until he had released several more mixtapes and singles -- plus a track criticizing the President after Hussle's own positive experiences with Mexican immigrants before talk of a wall was even possible -- that the album would finally see the light of day.
   Victory Lap debuted in the Billboard Top 5 in mid-February 2018, and featured collaborations with Puff Daddy, Kendrick Lamar, Cee-Lo, The Dream and longtime collaborator YG. It received critical acclaim when it was released in being an album that Hot New Hip Hop wrote, "...toes the line between classic and contemporary hip-hop. It captures the emotion of now, this victorious moment for Hussle, while still pushing for the permanence of a hip-hop classic. The production is masterful, the features are well-placed, and Nipsey raps like he just won a marathon. The race for the victory paid off,"... one for which earned him a Grammy nomination this year for Best Rap Album.
   During the time of label uncertainty, Hussle would find love when he began to date Lauren London, and in summer 2016 they welcomed their first child together, joining a family including kids from past relationships including those from her romance with Lil Wayne. Also that year, he invested time into his new clothing line Marathon Clothing, while he also became an icon to both the Los Angeles community and the hip-hop world in spreading positivity.

Last weekend, Hussle had dinner with family and friends at the same restaurant as Bad Girls Club icon Danni Victor, who also appeared on a Teen Mom: Being special featuring MTV Reality icon Cory Wharton when she went off on him at a birthday party. Danni tweeted @IamDanniV, "He was humble, kind, and quiet," and who had planned to meet officials at the LA Police Department and Roc Nation on Monday on gang violence prevention in South Los Angeles. But there was no hint on that Saturday night that it would be the last supper he would ever have with those around him, and that meeting would never take place.
   The next day - Sunday, March 31st, Hussle was checking out his Marathon Clothing store in South L.A. and was in the parking lot getting ready to go somewhere else when shots started to ring out. At just before 3:30pm, he was shot six times, five in the torso and another on target to his head, while two others were also wounded. But upon the arrival of the three victims at a local hospital at 3:55pm local time, Hussle was pronounced dead at the young age of 33. It was on Monday that authorities identified 29-year-old Eric Holder as the prime suspect, and while he was known to the rapper investigators think that the shooting was likely motivated by a personal matter. On Tuesday, the LAPD captured Holder a day after after shots again were fired during a candlelight vigil for Hussle, and today the shooter plead not guilty as he was held on $5 million bail in court.

Reaction to Nipsey's death was both immediate and widespread as the world's top-trending topic last Sunday, and so many people both in and outside the hip-hop circle have shared their memories of getting to meet Nipsey in the days since that devastating tragedy, and or how they were touched by his music. Simply scroll through your feed on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and beyond from this past week, and you can't go anywhere without someone paying tribute to him or making a mention of Hustle... a sign of how so many were affected by the shootings.
   By now, everyone has seen Lauren London's painful tribute to her late boyfriend on Instagram, the same platform where she and Nipsey first connected five years ago. She would write in that first public statement after the shooting, "I am completely lost. I've lost my best friend, my sanctuary, my protector, my soul.... I'm lost without you. We are lost without you babe. I have no words." And those like Alicia Keys, Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Tyrese and Kimora Lee Simmons have sent messages of prayer to her in a photo montage of them and their baby that has gotten 5 million likes since Tuesday.
Instagram @DeeNguyen
   Another of those Nipsey got to cross paths with was Dee Nguyen from The Challenge: War of the Worlds, who first appeared to MTV fans outside the United States on Series 17 of Geordie Shore,  U.K. version of Jersey Shore, when it flew down to her home country and city of Sydney, Australia, and who then paired up with 2-time champ and many years' veteran of the show, Wes Bergmann. It was just in last week's episode that she overcame her fear of swimming to finish first among all the teams, as they progressed towards the season's midway point en route to $1 million by season's end.
   Three years before in 2016 while on a holiday trip to Los Angeles, Dee got to meet him outside a pizza eatery at Melrose Place in West Hollywood, and after the shooting that took place Monday morning in Australia, she shared it with her Instagram followers. She told an Instagram user, "I remember him being so happy that I was from Australia and asked me if I wanted a photo with him because it was awesome that he had a fan that was so far away 😔." And she captioned in that photo below, "Thank you for blessing us with your music. I still remember this day so clearly, how you took the time to chat to me and get to know me even though you had people waiting for you. So thankful I had the opportunity to meet you. RIP you legend. #nipseyhussle"





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