Eh, it was that way last year, too. They didn't have any great shakes performers. And yeah, Madge did a taped thing, but this year they had taped segments from Bono, Brad Pitt (who they got to come live, too).

I actually think that for Idol's target audience, they had bigger performing "names" this year. I'd never heard Miley Cyrus sing a note before tonight. And frankly, I don't ever need to hear it again. Let's just say it reaffirms - not that I needed it - my joy at not having tween children. And what was with her dancers? She's too good for the SYTYCD kids? Please. They crap better pas de deux than the Cyrus dancers tonight. But I digress. Point being that Miley Cyrus is the perfect star for all the D'Archie fans. And they got Mimi to come and close the show which, say what you will about her and her dog whistle seven million octave range, she has the number one song in the country right now. And Carrie's a huge star. I think they did just as well with pulling celebs this year as last. And the show sucked just as much, too. Full on exemption for the dancers and for Sheila E. who broke her drum kit she was so enthused.

Top Chef: Are you kidding me? I had an opportunity to buy tix to that Meals on Wheels dinner. Muy expensive, so I didn't even consider, but if I'd known I might have found a way.

TC: Oh, that would've been lovely. I so want Spike to go home. But I don't think I'll get that lucky.

TC: So close! But Zoi needed to go soon too.

Yeah, happy with who got sent home - not as happy as I would have been if stupid fucking stupid hat Spike had gone - but still happy.

Also, any goodwill Dale engendered the last couple of weeks just went bye bye. You fucking sliced vegatables, dude - maybe the winner of the trip to Italy "only" cooked bacon, but she cooked bacon in a way that fucking Ming Tsai had never thought of! Stop being such a whiny little bitch. If anybody has a right to be pissed, it's the one who cooked the shrimp that seemed to be the central ingredient, but she's not throwing a monster hissy fit, douchebag. (and I'm using pronouns because I can't keep the women straight on this show, for some reason, apart from, ahem, Zoi).

Why are so many of these chefs so unpleasant? I can't remember past seasons of Top Chef with so many tools and douchebags. Zoi was a pain in the ass and I'm not sad at all that she went tonight. But that still leaves us with Spike, Dale, and I'm sorry, Zoi's partner is no pearl. I'd rather be talking about their cooking. Save all the drama for The Real World.

I can't remember past seasons of Top Chef with so many tools and douchebags.

I see you have repressed any memory of Season 2. I envy you that.

I don't mind Zoi's partner - I think tonight she was in a tough spot but I suspect she'll be on a more even keel without Zoi around.

As a for instance - remember last week's bizarre ranting about the winning dish and how it couldn't possibly be good? Pretty sure it was Z's P (why can't I remember her name?) who started the whole thing off. Except that when she was saying she would never in a million years have come up with that, she was being sincere, was genuinely baffled at how they did that and made it work. It was Zoi (and Spike?) who turned it into an ignorant bitchfest.

It was Zoi who was being a douchbag about Richard's dish.

Really, Spike and Zoi should have stomped on Antonia. She had immunity and Spike KNEW it would be an issue and still didn't stand up for the squash soup. They needed something warming and earthy and they did carpaccio? WTF??? With poorly seasoned everything.

I was very pleased that Fire won but agree that Stephanie should have been more pissed off than Dale.

I don't know why they didn't do something truffle-oriented for earth.

Also, I liked Dale's line about Lisa being "observationally negative" or whatever that was.