#TheRoundUp By Enzer - No. 54

HOT ON TV 

Big Brother on Channel 5 is HOT ON TV! 

I am amazed at how entertaining British people are on T.V.! Forget the thick accents and dreadful jokes, the Brits have this one in the bag, hands down. The crop of contestants is outstanding and deserves the mention. I get so excited whenever I begin to talk, write and even think about this series. It’s the most amazing thing to ever happen! It will be a sad day indeed when the final curtain falls after 19 seasons of amazing television. #FingersCrossedForAPickUp

Big Brother is hosted by the 6th Enzer’s World (E.W.) Recognitions’ Outstanding Reality T.V. Hostess, Emma Willis. She is not only a seasoned professional but she is also a style icon. She definitely is the right MC to give a call. 

HOTTER:

Season 5 of The Haves And The Have Nots on OWN is lit as hell! The producers have raised the bar, once again, by improving pretty much all aspects of the production. One flaw though: the season is split into multiple parts of episodes which isn’t really working for a viewer like me. I hope that changes.

Insecure on HBO returned for a twisty third season a few weeks ago. I really am hooked to the show’s new angle and I hope it does well on the rating chart. 

Celebrity Big Brother was another T.V. show I did not miss. The series aired its last season on Channel 5 and cast a diverse group of celebrities (yeah, A-list to D-list celebs) that brought on the entertainment. I really hope this really isn’t the end of the show. 

The Teen Choice Awards on FOX were as refreshing as a nice cold shower after an effective work out session. How’s that for a description? LOL. I was beginning to dislike the Teen Choice Awards but after watching this year’s edition, that little teenage kid in me was brought back to life. #ForeverYoung

Did we watch the 2018 MTV VMAs? Yes we did! That ceremony was the classiest VMA show in the history of the VMAs. The venue (Radio City Music Hall) was the best choice for the theme to be brought to life, and it was! I enjoyed all of the performances (including Panic! At The Disco, Nicki Minaj, Maluma, JLo, Backstreet Boys) and all of the drama, shade and speeches all left audiences with one question on their minds: what’s next MTV?

The iHeart Radio MuchMusic Video Awards 2018 were held at the usual venue in downtown Toronto and a bevy of trending celebs was in attendance. The show was spectacular. I easily forgot about the dull moments and the good moments made me feel like I was at the venue. 

The 2018 Radio Disney Music Awards were not so impressive. Compared to previous ceremonies, they’ve taken a dip. Kelly Clarkson received the Icon Award during the telecast which was really cool. She performed a few of her hits before accepting the award and gave an acceptance speech that screamed inspiration. She’s good with speeches; does she have a book out? 

The BET Hip Hop Awards (aka, another Cardi B Awards show) will be back in October. Yes, they are officially another Cardi B Awards show because Cardi B’s name shows up whenever I google the word music. She is nominated for album of the year alongside other top hip-hop/rap artists, but I’m sure she’ll win. The show is usually not so great so hopefully 2018 is different.


Other TV shows to watch/catchup are: Shameless on Showtime (which won the 6th E.W. Recognitions’ Outstanding Fictional Television Series Recognition), American Horror Story on FX, The Voice on NBC, Americas’s Got Talent on NBC. 

WEB TV: 

I recently stumbled upon a very interesting web series called Sideswiped (on Youtube). The series revolves around the life of a middle-aged woman who has a minor mid-life crisis, if I’m not mistaken. It’s a compelling series that I recommend to a mature audience. 


Don’t miss out on E.W.’s T.V. Moments on Twitter! Use the hashtag #EWTVMoments to view all of the selected videos. 

A.I. UPDATE:

The reigning American Idol (A.I.), Maddie Poppe is our topic of discussion this time around. Did you know that she had previously auditioned for The Voice on NBC three times before trying out for A.I. and winning the competition? I had no idea that she is such a resilient person. That just shows how important it is to never give up on your dreams. And again, proving to the world that the A.I. stage is where dreams come true (well, some dreams). 

Anyway, moving on to the 17th season of A.I.: it has been announced that all three judges (Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan) and Ryan Seacrest will be returning to our ABC screens in 2019 to find the next big star. #SaveTheDate


ABC is the 6th E.W. Recognitions’ Best T.V. Channel/Network/Station/Platform.

E.W. GLOBAL:

E.W. Global’s Outstanding T.V. Soap Opera is The River on 1Magic. The series is about a successful female mine owner (Lindiwe played by Sindi Dlathu) that stops at nothing to get what she wants and stay in the game. The series also follows the lives of the people around her which include her family, employees and the authorities. The thrilling story-lines and seasoned cast members (with a few debutantes) are all perfectly enveloped by the producers into a riveting series which deserves diamond status. 

THROWBACK:

Do you guys remember 7th Heaven on The WB and The CW? The family-centric series, which premiered in the American summer of 1996, was on T.V. for ten momentous years. The show had an impressive rating record throughout its run and introduced us to many actors that went on to become huge in Hollywood. I am definitely binge watching that sometime soon, you should too!

SPEAK OUT

#Celebs

Lili Reinhart and Deron Horton are the 6th E.W. Recognitions’ Outstanding Actors!

Lili, who stars in The CW’s hit teen drama series, Riverdale as the audacious Betty Cooper, must be commended for her performance in the series’ second season. I was totally blown away by her excellent acting skills which the writers and directors managed to expose, guaranteeing our undivided attention whenever the show was on. Though it might have seemed like her role was being shoved in our faces, overlapping the role of Archie Andrews (played by K.J. Apa) which is the lead in the comic book the series is based on, I still hold on to the truth that the ‘Lili Move’ (if her role was favored), was a clever move. #Enthralled


Deron Horton plays the gay nerd we have all been

waiting for, right? Playing Lionel Gibbins on Netflix’s Dear White People must be the best thing to ever happen in his career because of how it perfectly completes his skill-set. Surely, all those that are yet to know of him are a cause for concern. 


Special mention goes out to young actor Ethan Kent who dazzled as Ralph in Room 104 (on HBO) and won the 6th E.W. Recognitions’ Outstanding Younger Actor/Actress Recognition. Keep it up dude!

Moving on, in case you missed it (well of course you didn’t miss it); Sam Smith and Selena Gomez were named the 6th E.W. Recognitions’ Top Celebrities. Yes, another British male won the Top Male Celeb Recognition yet again! Why does that keep happening?  (Alex Pettyfer, Tom Daley & Calvin Harris are all past winners that happen to be British).

Sam Smith is the second openly gay British male to win the recognition (Tom Daley was first) and his song, Too Good at Goodbyes is E.W. Xtra’s Most Covered Song Of The Year. 

I totally agree with the result because Sam had an exceptional year. He released music which reaffirmed his high-status in showbiz and continues to remain relevant globally regardless of his sexual orientation.


Selena Gomez was another celebrity that continuously

buzzed throughout the previous E.W. Year. Her hit T.V. show (13 Reasons Why on Netflix) and chart-topping singles like Back To You and Wolves garnered her enough points to scoop the Top Female Celeb Recognition. It also felt right for her to be honored because of how far she has come as a media personality, if we were to look back. She has undoubtedly succeeded at evolving into becoming a renowned artist.

#Quotes

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” – DENIS WAITLEY

“When you laugh everyone will laugh with you, when you cry you will cry alone.” – TSWANA PROVERB

“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – MUHAMMAD ALI

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” – VINCE LOMBARDI

“Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you, who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” – LES BROWN

“Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival – to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated.” – STEPHEN COVEY

“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – NELSON MANDELA

“When we blame, we give away our power.” – GREG ANDERSON 

“Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” – MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

“Friendship, like credit, it is the highest when it is not used.” – ELBERT HUBBARD

MUSIC SPOT

Latin-Pop music is feel-good music which one can play at any time of the day. I am in love with how all the different sounds come together and then unbelievably blend with vocals provided by great Latin artists, some of which I am going to showcase in this section of #TheRoundUp:

Maluma: He is one of the most gorgeous men I have ever laid my eyes on. Those looks plus his superb vocals and charm all make us all wish we knew him better. My body temperature is even rising as I’m typing this so I’m gonna stop here, LOL. 

Alvaro Soler: Spanish words that come out of this

gentleman have never sounded so good! He is a hitmaker who has surprisingly noticed the value in collaborating with other artists on tracks and remixes. Yes, if you haven’t listened to some of his work, do so right away. 

Anitta: She is a free spirit and her music is good at exposing that essential characteristic of hers. Most of her music videos present a sexy and daring personality which has actually worked well for her as she has become one of the very few mainstream artists that sing in Portuguese. 

Enrique Iglesias: the legend that keeps on giving. I

am a huge fan of his, mainly because he has released all kinds of music and has collaborated with a plethora of musicians. I never thought he would do well as a serious Latin-Pop artist because most of his hit songs back then were sung in English – boy, was I wrong.





THESE ALBUMS ROCK!:

Speak Your Mind (Anne-Marie)

Songs We Like: Ciao Adios; Alarm; Friends (with Marshmello); Heavy; 2002.

Album Name: Yes, perfect. 

The Thrill Of It All (Sam Smith)

Songs We Like: Too Good At Goodbyes; Pray.

Album Name: Haha.

Queen (Nicki Minaj) 

Songs We Like: Ganja Burns; Majesty (ft. Eminem & Labrinth); Rich Sex (ft. Lil Wayne); Bed (ft. Ariana Grande); Chun-Li; Barbie Tingz.

Album Name: Reign your majesty, reign!

Bloom (Troye Sivan) 

Songs We Like: My My My!; Bloom; Dance To This (ft. Ariana Grande).

Album Name: Bloom, darling!

Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 (Calvin Harris)

Songs We Like: Slide (ft. Frank Ocean & Migos); Cash Out ( ft. Schoolboy Q, PartyNextDoor & DRAM); Feels (ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean).

Album Name: The usual. 

Expectations (Bebe Rexha)

Songs We Like: Ferrari, I’m A Mess, Knees, I Got You, Pillow, Meant To Be (ft. Florida Georgia Line).

Album Name: It's not obvious though.

Youngblood (5 Seconds Of Summer)

Songs We Like: Youngblood, Want You Back.

Album Name: Correct.

Love Yourself: Answer (BTS)

Songs We Like: DNA, Fake Love, Idol, Mic Drop: Steve Aoki Remix, Idol (ft. Nicki Minaj), Epiphany. 

Album Name: I don’t get it.

BUZZING MUSIC VIDEOS OF NOW:
High Hopes (Panic! At The Disco)
GTFO (Mariah Carey)

View all of E.W.’s top music videos right now by simply typing in: 

‘MUSIC SPOT #SongOfTheDay’

…into your Twitter Search Bar (and then click ‘Search’) and all of the tweets will appear on your screen.

For new music videos, cover versions, classics, lyric videos or live performances type in:

‘MUSIC SPOT #FreshVideo’

Or

‘MUSIC SPOT #CoverSongOfTheDay’ 

Or

‘MUSIC SPOT #Classic’

Or

‘MUSIC SPOT #LyricVideo’ 

Or

‘MUSIC SPOT #Live’ 

FLICK PICK

Two movies caught my attention this past couple of months: Crazy Rich Asians and Love, Simon. 

Crazy Rich Asians presents a modern-day fairy-tale (probably inspired by Cinderella) about the problems that arise when 'the in-laws' dislike each other. Oh, and it features an all Asian cast so that should be interesting. 

Love, Simon is about a gay teen that is learning how to exist as an openly gay person. What makes the film so special is that it presents gay teenagers in a different light. The humor also scores an 'A'.

SPORT CHECK

I got to watch the 2018 Gay Games, including the opening ceremony, which was hosted in Paris a few months ago. The event was not different from other sporting events but it did promote the L.G.B.T.I+ cause extensively and celebrated diversity in stellar fashion. One amusing aspect of the event was the numerous presenters that were so energized; it felt like they weren’t real people, LOL. It was a magnificent period, nonetheless. 

TECH TALK

Facebook is planning on adding a dating feature to its product. Am I excited about that? Well, not really. It’s a good idea because a lot of people have or do meet on the network so making all of those connections easier would definitely be good for both the network and its users. What I am actually looking for at the moment is promotion, from Facebook. A lot of people are used to the traditional dating websites and apps so winning them over might be a great challenge if Facebook Dating isn’t properly marketed to users and the rest of the public. We’ll see how it goes, but I’m pretty sure it’ll work out. Facebook has succeeded with so many ideas and acquisitions such that they needn’t worry too much. 


OK, onto to other stuff: Twitter increased the tweet word limit a couple of months ago and it (yes, you guessed it!), it trended. No, I am not late to the party; I just decided to weigh in on that decision a few months later after trying out the feature for some time. Attention to detail is important to some, darlings, LOL. The reason why I am a little concerned about that increment is that Twitter could lose its uniqueness (if it hasn’t already). It succeeded because of the word limit and because it offered a new blogging experience, a micro-blogging platform. If they (the owners) continue to alter that experience in such ways (like increasing the word limit) they may soon be old news like their buddies over at MySpace.  I could be wrong, yeah, I could be wrong. 


I am not going to give Apple products much of my time because they simply do not measure up to my standards (Apple showcased its new products recently by the way). Well, as in, I don’t like their stuff. The operating systems are a mess and they always fail to impress in the department of user-friendliness, I’m sorry. *hides*

SOCIAL MEDIA

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NEW ON E.W.

E.W. Steam has a new theme! Check out all that’s happening there on Twitter & Facebook.


The E.W. Challenge returns in October! A new round of general knowledge questions is ready to put your brain to work, so don’t miss out.


A Hot on TV list has been added to the blog replacing the Enzer’s Factor Board. Check that out to find out what Enzer is viewing. 


E.W. Global-West adopted a new name at the beginning of the new (7th) E.W. Year. The blog is now known as E.W. Global Plus offering the same plus more. Check that out too. 

Don’t forget to follow E.W. on Twitter and Facebook!

‘til Next Time

>>> Totally Unbiased <<<