This is a new "tag" I'm trying out...  It's called "Midnight Gems" and it's clips/news stories/thoughts/etc. that come to me late at night, just before I tuck myself into bed.

This clip is hilarious.  It's from Mad TV and it's a spoof of So You Think You Can Dance?  The clip alone is pretty good, but once Crista Flanagan (as judge Mary Murphy) starts laughing, I couldn't contain myself.  Pretty funny.

Before my Project Runway recap, I thought I'd share with you some of the day's top reality TV stories.

First of all, it sounds like American Idol is going to be un-fierce this season.  Even Paula says there haven't been any good auditions!  And, since there are four judges now, Simon will have the deciding vote in the event of a tie, giving him even more power.

I watched an episode of The Cho Show the other night, and Margaret recorded a "hit single" because she was looking for a way to get herself some tabloid press.  It looks like her dream has become a reality, because her new single is available for download on iTunes!  No, I'm not going to be downloading it.

So it sounds like ALL of Hef's girlfriends might be getting their own reality shows!  Does that mean that Girls Next Door could be shutting down?  I hope not; I love that show.

Kathy Griffin, star of My Life On The D-List (and one of my favorite comediennes), won her second Emmy!  Congrats, girl.

Birthday reality stars:

Wade Robson, 26.  Super hot choreographer for The Wade Robson Project and So You Think You Can Dance?

Constantine Maroulis, sixth-place on American Idol's fourth season.

SYTYCD & Top Chef, etc.

So You Think You Can Dance? has gotten into the good part of the season--the top 20 are now competing in couples and two people will be eliminated each week.  I caught a few of the performances tonight and I have to say that the talent this season is good but it doesn't yet look like there are more than a couple of standout stars.  Hmm...  I'm not ready to pick favorites yet or anything like that, but I have a feeling that in the next couple of weeks the best dancers will really step it up.  Great show.

I'm currently watching the Top Chef finale and it's pretty straightforward, as it should be.  The three remaining chefs must prepare a traditional four-course meal for a black-tie event: fish, poultry, red meat, and dessert.  Usually dessert isn't a required course for these finales, but I think it's an important part of being a top chef, you know?  Anyhow, Stephanie's cooking looks the best to me, for the most part.  Her philosophy is just making good food that people will enjoy.  Lisa's decided on an Asian-inspired menu which is strange, and her food looks good for the most part but I think it would have been a better idea to go with a more traditional menu. Richard is the gadget guy, bringing liquid nitrogen into the kitchen.  His food is incredibly innovative and showy, but it does look great.  Who wins?  Home viewers decided that Stephanie should be given the title (60% voted for her versus like 36% for Richard and 4% for Lisa).  STEPHANIE WINS!!!

This sounds like a joke, but considering it's Nicole Richie, it probably isn't.  The Simple Life star is trying to get a network to pick up her new show--in which they (she?) search for the next HER. Don't get it?  Me neither, really.  Oh, and get this: the winner of the show will then go on to have her own reality show.  It's like third-generation reality TV or something.  Crazy.

Celebrity Rehab's next season looks like it'll be a good one, with housemates such as Aaron Carter and Nikki McKibbon (from American Idol's first season).  Hahaha, what a show!

Funny (?) things.

My favorite American Idol trainwreck, Jessica Sierra, has been banned from being within 100 feet of a camera.  Random, right?  Who knew that you could have restraining orders against a camera???  She apparently wanted to do another stint on Celebrity Rehab, but a court has struck that dream down.  Sorry 'bout it, girl.

Heidi Montag plans on winning an Oscar.  Seriously.

Steve-O from Jackass has been sober for 85 days.  Apparently he was arrested for cocaine possession or something like that a while back...  Whatever, he's hot.

So You Think You Can Dance?'s final audition show aired tonight, and they started the episode with clips from dancers from previous auditions who have made it to Vegas...  Check it out!

Remember The Real Housewives of Orange County?  Well, Lauri's son has gotten himself in trouble--again!  This time he was selling heroin and ecstasy outside of a Comfort Inn hotel. Classy.  If you're gonna sell drugs like that, try to be outside of at least a Hilton Garden Inn or something.  Amateur.

Updates!

The 20th season is just beginning to air, but The Real World's 21st season is set to begin filming this summer in Brooklyn.  Interesting...  Brooklyn is becoming such a cultural hotspot; I have a few friends (and ex-friends) living there, so maybe I'll have to go for a visit sometime.  Maybe.

I've never been a big fan of The Bachelor; it just doesn't do it for me.  This is interesting, though: the winner of this past season, Shayne, just posed for Girls Gone Wild magazine.  Yeah, I didn't know there was a magazine, either.  Classy, right?

So You Think You Can Dance? returns to FOX on May 22.  Yes!!!  I'll be able to watch like a month and a half of it before summer comes and I won't have cable.

FOX has another show coming soon called Secret Millionaire.  Looks interesting, even if it has already been a success in England.  I think a lot of networks are looking for reality shows that help people out: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 10 Years Younger, Oprah's Big Give, etc.

Reality Bytes

Perez is reporting that Ryan Seacrest has a girlfriend.  That just breaks my heart.  She's on the E! show Sunset Tan and kind of looks like a slut.  Ryan, I'd make you so happy and I'm NOT a slut.  Honest!

This sounds interesting...  Nick Lachey is apparently producing a new show for MTV about students at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati.  If it's about Ohio and musical theatre, you'd better believe I'm going to be watching!

Farmer Wants A Wife.  I don't think I really need to elaborate.  It's starting on The CW on April 30.

Have you noticed previews for a plethora of dance shows?  In addition to the upcoming seasons of Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance?, Lifetime has joined in with Your Mama Don't Dance, in which dance-hopefuls must partner with--gasp--their PARENTS!  Also, Bravo has a new show called Step It Up & Dance.  I haven't seen either of these newbies, but I bet they're fierce!

Some Sunday Tidbits...

Not only is Jessica Sierra from American Idol in jail right now, but she is also getting ready to star on VH1's Celebrity Rehab or something. OH YEAH, she's pregnant, too.

Holly Madison turned 28 yesterday. Hef's Number One is my favorite, too. She's fierce.

This is pretty funny, actually. Bret Michael's show Rock Of Love's second season is coming soon, and three of the potential girlfriends are transexuals.

Katharine McPhee is in a movie! This is news to me... I probably won't see it, mostly because Rumer Willis is in it and I think she's the biggest joke on the planet.

I haven't heard any of the tracks yet, but Blake Lewis (runner-up on American Idol last season) has put out a CD. Read his interview with AmericanIdol.com! His album is at #32 on the Billboard Chart this week; last week it was at #10. He's so cute, too.

Yessss!! So You Think You Can Dance? auditions are beginning January 17! If you're a fierce dancer, please audition. This is one of my favorite shows of all time.

A Shot At Love: The Final Round was on recently, and it is a joke. It turns out that "Little Italy" himself, Dominico, is going to have his own show on MTV. It's called That's Amore. Typical. Spin-offs of dating shows have really become popular lately... Tila looks absolutely ridiculous on the show--a tiny gold dress and a new haircut. Dani is still a fierce firefighter. Bobby and Tila couldn't see one another for two months. AND Tila makes a big announcement: