After a brief intro in zero gravity and seeing Randy Jackson wearing his favorite style of frames, most of the show before the first commercial break was given to Phong Vu who had all the makings of a train wreck. Odd looking. Foreign accent. Poor voice. Wanting it too badly. It was refreshing to see the show build him up so much with visual and sound effects to make his inevitable fall that much more delicious. But when it started to get genuine and emotional I was disappointed. But then he auditioned! And the show smartly let his performance be the punch line. The best part, however, was Randy looking over to the producers off-screen for help.

Afterward, it was a series of bad auditions, including a crazy Mohawk person and a couple of very, very stiff cowboys drawling away at the carcass of a song. It makes one wonder if they even watch the show. Thankfully, the first golden ticket was presented right after to Skylar Laine who is a proud deer hunter and whose mother looks kinda sorta like Helen Mirren.

Baylie Brown made a triumphant return to the audition room after her elimination on Idol five years ago during Hollywood week when she was 16. Her poor performance during group singing where she forgot the words to the song ended her journey in tears. Now older – and shapelier – the judges gave her a second chance. Let’s hope she can keep it together this time.

Kristine Osorio was another featured golden ticket winner whose segment goes to show that children steal your dreams. Previously a singer, she had to put that life on hold when she got pregnant. Now going through a divorce and having a hard time paying the bills – and the lawyer – she dumped what little money she had on a ticket to the audition. As the Latina Pink, she definitely has the pipes and style – and very, very white teeth – to be a star. She’s one to keep an eye out for.

Going back to the idea that these early episodes highlight the making of the show, a sizeable portion was devoted to showcasing the disagreements that the judges have. Contestant after contestant was passed over by Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler with Jennifer Lopez looking on in disbelief. Frankly, I have to agree with Jennifer. Those that were booted were at least as good as some that were given golden tickets. At one point, Jennifer asked loudly, “Anybody else in here think they’re (Randy and Steven) frickin’ crazy right now?!” She looked pointedly at the producers off-screen.

Highlighting Jennifer’s frustration was golden ticket recipient Linda Williams who screeched her way past Jennifer’s “no”. Linda vowed to prove Jennifer wrong, but we’ll see.

Getting back to the fun, the show focused on Alejandro Cazares who wanted desperately to be Che Guevara. He called for a worldwide revolution where Lady GaGa could be a platinum seller and where Barack Obama could be President. The best goals are ones you can achieve, but this is ridiculous. Also, what was that stuff on his tongue? It looked like Scope blue foam. Alejandro’s segment ran a little long, but thankfully his audition was horribly comedic, prompting awesome responses from the judges. When asked for votes, Steven said, “Not yet.” Randy said, “Never.” When asked what he could do to change their minds, Jennifer replied, “Nothing!”

Speaking of Jennifer, her styling on the second day, showing off her flat tummy, definitely restores her hotness bona fides in the minds of doubters – myself included – who may have been stuck viewing her as just a judge with a cushy gig that didn’t require looking phenomenal.

Rounding out the last day were Cortez Shaw and Ramiro Garcia. Cortez has an all-American look with a great attitude and a strong voice. He also has a great life story full of hard knocks and a strong single mother. I wouldn’t mind having him stick around. Ramiro also has a wonderful story that will warm the coldest of hearts. Ramiro was born with no ears and doctors thought he wouldn’t speak, let alone sing. Yet, there he was, belting out Amazing Grace and earning a ticket to Hollywood.

It’s stories like these that make this show great. Well played Idol.

The first showcased contestant, Jenni Schick, was just as loopy as the judges, if not more so. Her segment included her running around the hallways, screaming, pestering others and otherwise acting obnoxious. As a music teacher who instructs very young children, her personality is probably a good fit, but hopefully we won’t be seeing too much more of her throughout the season. Unfortunately, she received a golden ticket, so more airtime may be wasted yet. Before leaving, she got a kiss on the lips from Steven Tyler, which reinforces why so many boys want to be rock ’n’ roll stars – girls will want them regardless of age.

Quick segments for Curtis Gray who gave a solid rendition of Yesterday Boys II Men style, Richie Law who brings some Scotty McCreery country bass to the show, and Devon Jones whose high-pitched serenade was impressive enough. They all received golden tickets.

A longer segment was given to Tealana Hedgespeth who has a twin sister that is apparently a wonderful singer. Sporting a septum piercing, which is a departure from her sister’s conservative style, Tealana confessed that she wanted to get out of her sister’s shadow and prove that she could sing as well. She can’t. The judges let her down nicely, but let’s hope she didn’t watch this episode tonight, because the judges were merciless in their private comments. Finally, in a turn of true reality, it was delicious to see the daggers Tealana stared at her sister after emerging from the failed audition. Back in the shadow you go!

Haley Smith, an 18-year-old, working three jobs (I sympathize!), was one of the more laidback contestants. Tyler called her a true flower child and said that he was “honored” to hear her sing. That might be overstating things, but she did have nice audition. The question is whether or not she has staying power.

After some juvenile comedy with bartender Alanna Snare and animal testicles, it was time for tugging at heartstrings with Shelby Tweter from Minnesota – and she brought her accent along to boot! Apparently, this girl has been diagnosed with bipolar syndrome and has been living with depression since she was four. Poor dear! After singing a heartfelt tune with her soft, raspy voice, how could the judges not send her through?

Then Jairon (don’t forget the) Jackson tried his hand with a Bruno Mars-sounding song he wrote. Admittedly, it was pretty good and good enough to warrant a golden ticket. I would, however, like to see him pull up his pants for future episodes.

The most interesting highlighted audition of the evening goes to Angie Zeiderman who is heavily influenced by Lady GaGa. Angie’s style is dubious, but at least it’s color coordinated with her hair, which was dyed different shades of purple. On the other hand, she is attractive, with her toned body fitting her tight dress nicely. Nevertheless, her outlandish getup could only mean an outlandish performance, which could only lead to failure. She went with a show tune coupled with a somewhat burlesque performance, which Randy hated. That could have been the end of Angie, but Jennifer Lopez asked for another song and Angie gave a surprisingly tender performance with Blue Bayou and earned her golden ticket to Hollywood. Who knows how far she’ll go, but if she cracks the top 10, then expect to see Lady GaGa at the finale.

Finishing off the episode on a low note was Magic Cyclops – one of the most inauthentic personalities to audition. Affecting an English accent and trying to look like young Axl Rose, Magic Cyclops did his best to rip off the absurdity of This is Spinal Tap with his odd comments and behavior. He almost broke character in the beginning of his routine, which probably would have been more enjoyable from a viewer’s point of view. American Idol is a hit because we enjoy watching authenticity. It’s uplifting to see deserving people succeed and delightful to watch the untalented stare at their dreams crumbling before their eyes. What we don’t want to see is staged idiocy – we want real idiocy! So when Randy proclaimed “this is silly” and then later walked out, he probably spoke for the vast majority of people watching.

I’ll cry if Magic Cyclops makes it into the finale as a gag.

The production value of this year’s AI appears to have a little more polish this year, ranging from the snazzier intro to the craftier editing. The audition stage also had a nice update to it, with high beam blue panels everywhere depicting victors of years past. The show also seems to have a purposefully positive tone, with longer segments devoted to successes and less time set aside for train wrecks – but even those aren’t so bad. Unfortunately. Lack of schadenfreude notwithstanding, hope seemed to be the theme of the day.

“You always have high hopes that today’s the day we find the one,” Jennifer Lopez said on her way to the taping, “You never know.” The first day was chock-full of singers who were sent through to Hollywood – and it was still early in the day. Such lucky contestants were David Leathers, Jr. who was the 17-year-old who looked like he was 12. In this early group, it was mostly young teens who were going through. Breaking the streak, however, was Jessica Whitely who butchered her audition so badly that Randy Jackson’s face contorted into naked disgust. As revenge, Whitely vowed to audition again in Texas.

On that note, it bears repeating that the editing is excellent this year, including the teasers before commercial breaks. The dearth of spectacles made the constant preview of a yelling contestant something to look forward to, but at one point I literally yelled at my TV, “Give me the screaming guy already!” When Joshua Chavis was finally showcased, his segment was a bit anticlimactic. It was hard not to feel for the guy regardless of how bad his audition was, because it was obvious that his friends didn’t believe in him either when he returned to them without a golden ticket.

Another notable rejection was Shawn Kraisman who showed up dressed in a black suit and tie and a hip coif. Ryan Seacrest and he joked back and forth about how Kraisman could host the show, and, truthfully, his presenter voice was pretty good. His singing voice was subpar and he rightfully didn’t make it through, but expect to see him in the finale as one of the gags.

There were a few questionable choices for letting through, like Stephanie Renee whose closed-mouth singing hindered her performance. The Dixon siblings Schuyler and Colton were also let through in dramatic fashion even if their performances sounded subpar, but I have a sneaky suspicion that it’s purely for drama and narrative-building later on. Oh, won’t it be delicious to see them get split up later on?

On the other hand, the featured contestants do have pretty good stories, like Amy Brumfield who is unemployed and lives in a tent in the woods with her boyfriend. Then there’s W. T. Thompson who quit his day job to chase this dream in spite of having a six-month pregnant wife. There’s something inspiring about a person who will throw caution to the wind to make their dreams come true. There’s also something maddening about a person who will do the same, but risk the well-being of others in the process. Good luck finding a job that can support your family in this economy after you get booted buddy!

Rounding out the usual suspects that make through was Brittany Kerr, professional NBA dancer. This woman is an amazing physical specimen whose looks alone should get her into public voting rounds. Not sure if her vocal talents will carry her much farther, but it’ll be nice to have bona fide sex appeal on American Idol for as long as it lasts.

Saving the best audition for last, Phillip Phillips ended the episode with undeniably awesome performances. First was a soulful Superstitious by Stevie Wonder followed by a guitar rendition of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. While he was excellent, his mannerisms were uncomfortably close to former Idol winner Taylor Hicks. Is he ready to overcome the comparison and hopefully outshine Hicks’ lackluster career? “I was born naked and ready,” Phillips says, “I just put clothes on.”

And by the looks of the alien invasion films from the 50’s and 60’s, who could blame them? America, at the height of the Cold War, found plenty to be afraid of. It’s a sad moment in the film. The other-worlders tremble, watching endless xenophobia re-runs from our B-movies – aliens squashed, burned alive, obliterated, or simply shot. Strange cultures from other worlds had come to kill us or they were aberrations to be feared.

The irony of this observation was that this was an 80’s movie, and by the late 70’s and 80’s, there was a shift: Friendly aliens were the new norm, beginning with blockbusters like Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977 to the unforgettable E.T. in 1982, moving on to a bittersweet Starman and Cocoon in 1984. Even smaller films like Mac and Me (1987), and unabashed E.T. rip-off, the goofy My Stepmother is An Alien (1988), and the bizarre Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) all depicted strange, but ultimately friendly alien personalities.

Sure, there were still the hostile depictions, such as Aliens (1986), Predator (1987), but the whole zeitgeist had changed. Xenophobia was no longer the norm. Aliens could just as easily be friendly and curious. Going to see a movie with extraterrestrials no longer automatically meant an attack on our lives, our country, or our God.

America was ready for the Cold War to end, and the aliens in our movies reflected this.

Fast-forward to 2011. As I sat, watching another trailer for a film about hostile alien invasion, I sadly concluded that we have returned to another paranoid era of our culture. The events of 9/11 were politically polarizing, and the relics of fear and xenophobia have returned.

The following five movies paint a dark picture of who we are based on how we fantasize about aliens.

SIGNS – 2002

Signs is a smaller story about alien invasion. Where other writers and directors would focus on the spectacle of the invasion itself, this story is a far more intimate tale from the point of view of a family, led by its lone patriarch (Mel Gibson), living on a farm in the Midwest as the alien invasion occurs.

The creatures here are mostly unseen until the end, yet their presence is everywhere. What begins as strange “crop circles” pressed into the corn escalates to eerie noises on the airwaves, ethereal lights in the sky, and things that literally “go bump in the night.” The creepy violins from the outset tell us immediately…they are here, they are unsettling, and they are to be feared.

The theme penetrates: When the aliens come to destroy us for our resources, we must rely on family and faith in the greater plan. And then kill them all.

WAR OF THE WORLDS – 2005

Tom Cruise plays a single father taking care of his kids for the weekend when the giant alien robots arrive to destroy us all. It’s similar to Signs in that it keeps its point of view through the family’s eyes, though it is a much bigger spectacle.

By the time the gargantuan alien machines rise from the earth, people don’t have a chance. Humans are not just killed; they are obliterated into ashes or imprisoned and liquefied. The earth itself is transformed as the aliens change the chemistry of the landscape using the blood of humans they have collected. Military resistance is sporadic and useless, and whole cities are laid to waste.

Early in the film, a giant bridge in Boston is destroyed as the father’s car speeds away from the chaos, his two kids in tow. “Is it the terrorists?” Dakota Fanning’s character asks. It is an obvious tip to our collective paranoia as this film conveys our worse fears about terrorism manifested: complete breakdown of the infrastructure of society and anarchic mob rule for the survivors.

The message is clear. When they come, it is to exterminate us.

CLOVERFIELD – 2008

A man films a going away party for his friend in New York as a giant alien attacks the city. If the plot sounds thin, it’s because it is. This is mostly about the chaos from the point of view of the cameraman, and we see what’s happening through his eyes.

It’s the first alien invasion movie done in the first person, which isn’t for everyone. But it does accomplish something key – most of the terror is from the confusion of not quite knowing what’s happening or why, rather than from seeing the monster itself.

It’s the alien-monster movie for the YouTube generation. When the invasion comes, film it. But the point is the same as its relative movies from the 50’s: alien creatures are here to destroy us, and whatever we do to defend ourselves will be largely useless.

DISTRICT 9 – 2009

(Spoilers) Full disclosure – I love this film.

Shot in the style of a kitchen sink documentary, it asks “What would happen if aliens showed up here, really?”

When a lone extraterrestrial ship runs out of gas and parks in the sky over Johannesburg, South Africa, the governments of the world quickly quarantine the area and attempt to take care of the extraterrestrial survivors. What begins as a diplomatic mission quickly deteriorates into a refugee camp, where our alien “guests” live in the most desperate and squalid conditions while the military attempts to reverse engineer their bio-weapons technology. When our “hero”, a government official, becomes infected, slowly starting to become one of the aliens, we see his viewpoint shift from “occupier” to “occupied.” It is a brutal transition.

At its most disturbing, it shows us a depiction of human nature we know to be true because we have seen it so often before. If this really happened, the military would try to obtain the weapons technology. The quarantined refugees would become pariahs. The desperate aliens would turn on themselves. Those aren’t just extraterrestrials. They represent every refugee population that has ever been oppressed. They represent what we do to our own people.

An early moment in the film shows a black man holding up a sign that reads “Aliens go home.” The fact that a victim of apartheid in South Africa can’t even recognize the plight of the visitors is a sore indictment of who we are.

The lesson? We are the monsters and differences we don’t understand must be contained.

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES – 2011

I’ve saved the worst for last. Marginally better than Skyline (a dreadful outing that I won’t waste time on here) Battle: Los Angeles describes the military’s last stand in Los Angeles against a brutal invading force from beyond the planet.

In a plot that seems mostly ripped from a video game, our hero, a sergeant in the U.S. Army (Aaron Eckhart), leads his platoon in a desperate effort to evacuate survivors and strike back at the heart of the alien menace.

It’s a boring exercise of CGI battle after battle, as the heroes string up a set of unlikely victories against a technologically superior force.

This film’s message appears simply to be that the military will save us. Oh, and aliens, once again, are here to kill us and take our resources.

Projection perhaps?

IN SUMMARY:

These are a select few, but there are others. Battlefield Earth, Skyline, and The Day the Earth Stood Still were not only terrible, but also box office failures that the public largely rejected. I think it’s safe to say they don’t really represent the zeitgeist of the times.

There is another movie worth mentioning: Monsters (2010), a terrific film that nobody bothered to see. Again, though the film is a thoughtful meditation on the alienation of lost souls, it is more about our own emotional isolation than the xenophobia of alien races.

As we move forward into multiple crises here in the real world, I expect our alien invasion movies to evolve accordingly. Unfortunately, it looks like the last decade was dominated by fear, suspicion, and malice.

I hope the latest from J.J. Abrams, Super 8, will be the start of a new trend. Though the alien isn’t exactly friendly, it is not here to destroy us either. The story told through the innocence of kids living in the 80’s is a refreshing change and might be an indicator that all this fear has exhausted us and that we are ready to see something new. We may be ready to evolve into a new narrative about extraterrestrials.

Hope springs eternal – and also makes the best movies.

South Beach Tow is developed by Nuyorican Productions and Bodega Pictures and executive produced by Jennifer Lopez. The show is set in South Beach, Florida and revolves around tow truck company owner Robert Ashenoff and his family-run business Tremont Towing, Inc. He works with his, son Bobby, Jr., and his daughter, Christie, as well as a handful of beefy drivers, Jerome, Eddie and Frankie. Together, they repossess vehicles, snatching them at all hours of the day. Sometimes, they’re hired to simply move a vehicle parked in a loading zone. Whatever the case may be, there’s sure to be an incensed car owner who’s willing to give a piece of his or her mind while chasing after a tow truck.

Right off the bat, audiences will recognize that South Beach Tow has a winning formula. The tow truck cast is composed of gigantic men who have more brawn than brains and they take cars from people who have more bark than brawn. It won’t take long for audiences to start hoping for violent confrontations. There’s nothing more satisfying than watching a skinny loudmouth get pummeled by a 6’3” behemoth weighing in at 300 pounds.

Of course not every situation is physical, but all of them strain credulity. In one instance, a dog is left by its owner in a vehicle that gets towed. Because it’s a hot day and the Tremont Towing employees are animal lovers, animal protection services are called and a large woman is dispatched to take charge of the situation. While there, the dog and car owner conveniently arrives to have a dramatic showdown with both the tow truck company and animal protection services. While the insanity blooms around him, Jerome, one of the drivers, manages to score a date with the woman from animal protection services.

Another segment features a dramatic car chase while yet another highlights a man who was made to be punched in the face as he berates a friendly cabbie who mistakenly parked in the wrong area. It’s during these moments that feel too perfect that South Beach Tow loses a bit of its luster as the scripting pokes through the “reality”. No one would behave in the way some of these people do knowing cameras are on them. Furthermore, who would sign the release to be on the show after going through these confrontations and doing and saying the things they did? Hi America! I’m having trouble making my car payments! And I just assaulted someone on national television!

In the end, what South Beach Tow does best is present exactly what audiences expect out of these situations involving these types of people. The dog that was turned over to animal protection services was adorned in jewelry and found in a Mercedes Benz, so of course the owner is exactly the kind of person audiences are expecting – an uglier, older and more annoying Paris Hilton. Situations like these definitely feel manufactured, but the fact of the matter is that reality is boring. South Beach Tow, on the other hand, offers something exciting. And at 30 minutes (including commercials) it lasts just long enough to entertain without seriously questioning the show’s veracity.

South Beach Tow premieres on truTV at 10 p.m on Wednesday, July 20 with back to back episodes.

Falling Skies takes place six months after an initial conflict with hostile aliens. When the show starts, what’s left of humanity is forced to scavenge for food and supplies while fending off patrolling invaders. The show focuses on a few hundred survivors in Massachusetts composed mostly of civilians who are defended by a small complement of fighters. Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), a history professor before the invasion, is one of the fighters. His oldest son Hal (Drew Roy) fights alongside him as a scout while Tom’s youngest son Matt (Maxim Knight) tries to live as normal of an 8-year-old life as he can at basecamp. Ben, Tom’s middle son, was unfortunately captured by the aliens for some unknown purpose.

Rounding out the cast of survivors is the hardnosed commander Weaver (Will Patton) who leads the fighters, Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood), a pediatrician, who is the de facto doctor for the group and a handful of other principal characters who make up respective family members, love interests and enemies. Season one of Falling Skies will run for eight weeks and premieres on Sunday, June 19 at 9 p.m. on TNT before moving to its regular timeslot on Sundays at 10 p.m.

For science fiction, the visual effects can make or break the property. Fans of the genre will be happy to know that the CGI work ranges from serviceable to excellent for television. So when characters walk outside and a looming alien structure hangs over the city in the backdrop, audiences will simple accept the reality without having to convince themselves. Also, the show wisely alternates between computer generated models and real costumes and/or puppets so characters never have a 1000-yard stare at something right in front of them. Finally, while the conceptual design of the aliens won’t necessarily enthrall the imagination, they are unique enough to keep viewers engaged.

The production value overall is completely reasonable and never feels under-budgeted. This is due in large part to using creative locations. For instance, since the initial conflict centered around major metropolitan areas, the suburbs were generally unscathed, allowing the survivors to walk down virtually pristine streets in immaculate neighborhoods. While some locations may have audiences wondering if the scene was simply shot in a producer’s home, these locations make sense given the script.

The cast is fun to watch and Noah Wyle makes for a strong lead. He balances out his roles as father, fighter and teacher remarkably well, while still offering a slice of believable humanity in between whatever actions and dialogue are dictated by the script. Ultimately, however, it’s the excellent script that makes Falling Skies so enjoyable. The show doesn’t feel cynical, electing instead to focus on the positive traits of humanity, like self-sacrifice, determination and ingenuity. There are segments that require characters to behave horribly, but even those people are offered a chance at redemption. Of course not everything goes well for the survivors and everyone has suffered a personal tragedy, but viewers won’t feel depressed after watching each episode.

Impatient audiences should be thrilled by the short eight-week season. The initial episodes move at a brisk pace, covering major plot points and twists at a surprising, but not unwelcome, rate. The pacing feels spot on, devoting enough time to what’s important without feeling rushed and offering just enough time for ancillary concerns without feeling like padding. Still, there’s enough fertile ground to explore subplots with supporting characters if and when Falling Skies expands to longer seasons.

Falling Skies is an excellent drama that the whole family can appreciate. To be sure, there are mature themes involved, but they are handled tastefully – the violence is mostly off-screen – and are never murky. For instance, while some racist innuendo is tossed around, it’s done so by bad guys who die in the same episode. Falling Skies is a very safe show to watch, both for content and entertainment. It’s also one of the few shows worth staying up late for.

Watch Falling Skies on TNT. It premieres on Sunday, June 19 at 9 p.m. before moving to its regular timeslot on Sundays at 10 p.m.

“The voice is extremely powerful,” says Marabina Jaimes, regarding her voice work, “and if you don’t believe me…just think of anything negative that’s been said to you…is that message still a powerful force in your subconscious?  And then think of Glinda (from The Wizard of Oz) saying, ‘There’s no place like home’…are you immediately transported to the first time you heard that line?” Speaking Spanish, Jaimes currently re-voices Brenda Strong who plays Mary Alice Young on ABC’s Desperate Housewives. Audiences can also hear Jaimes on Lifetime since that channel also carries the simultaneous broadcast. Her voice has also been heard on other popular shows and films such as The Good Wife, Law & Order, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Mark Ruffalo’s Sympathy for Delicious.

“When people ask me how I got into voice work, I jokingly say, ‘all I’m doing is reading’, but of course, there is more,” Jaimes says. She explains that when she speaks, people aren’t simply hearing her voice; they’re hearing an accumulation of all the classes she’s taken, vocal techniques she’s learned and the nuggets of wisdom compiled from jobs and auditions. “It makes sense that voiceover can be very lucrative when you consider that one voice is responsible for setting a tone, encouraging you to buy or convincing you to care about characters you’ve never heard of.” Jaimes says the most attractive quality of her voice is its “warmth…except when I’m screaming my head off which I’m very good at too.”

Like many others in entertainment, Jaimes started young, doing commercials. She had always wanted to be on television. “As a matter of fact, my true goal was to visit Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” she confesses, “and lo and behold, I made it to PBS on Storytime!” Jaimes was awarded an Emmy for her work as Mara, one of the co-hosts on the show. It was her commercial work, however, doing voiceovers in Spanish that set her on her path to voice talent. “I…segued into dubbing foreign cartoons into English and Spanish, which then led to re-voicing foreign films into English, which then led back to originating English cartoons, which then led to voice-matching and looping, which then led to re-voicing series and movies in either English or Spanish.”

Jaimes says, “Entertainment encompasses everything,” explaining why she didn’t go into a different field. And with such a large industry, Jaimes seems to be involved in every aspect of it. She was recently one of the co-hosts on Let’s Talk, a Latin Heat Internet show and the Latina answer to daytime talk shows like The View that lacked a Latina point-of-view.  “I knew Bel Hernandez, the publisher of Latin Heat, and Dyana Ortelli, a hilarious actress/comedienne….” Jaimes explains. Bel approached her during the premiere party for another project and Jaimes agreed to do the show. Let’s Talk would later garner a 2010 Norman Lear “Imagen Award” nomination for Best Internet Program. “It’s been a blast to work with Bel, Dyana, and actress/host Kikey Castillo:  co-hosts I respect, admire, and applaud!” Jaimes also wrote the theme song for the show.

YLSE is another Web series that Jaimes is working on, which was created and co-written by Ruth Livier. The show is about “a smart, go-getter Latina butterfly journalist caught in her own cultural cocoon.” Jaimes originally hosted and co-produced YLSE:  Behind the Scenes, but was later written into the show after the first season. With so much content on the Internet competing for viewers’ attention, Jaimes believes that people should watch it because it’s funny and offers “relevant bicultural dialogue addressing the biggest demographic” which is young bilinguals age 18 – 39. It’s also worth noting that YLSE won the 2010 Norman Lear “Imagen Award” for Best Internet Program.

Jaimes is also featured in an upcoming documentary titled Now En Español directed by Andrea Meller. “This documentary is about the voices behind the Spanish dubbed version of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, which is done simultaneously with the English version…. The five of us, Ivette Gonzales (Gabrielle), Marcela Bordes (Edie), Gabriela Del Carmen (Lynette), Natasha Perez (Susan) have been followed around by Ms. Meller since she read about us in The New York Times.” Jaimes didn’t want to give away too many details, but she did pique interest with this cryptic morsel. “All I can tell you is that Desperate Housewives has been transformed from a simple title…to a badge…of courage.”

The film’s Facebook page offers this small blurb:

NOW EN ESPAÑOL is an independent feature-length documentary that follows the lives of six Latina actresses who dub television and radio into Spanish for millions of American viewers. The film chronicles the ups and downs of being a Latina actress in Hollywood and creates portraits of these women as they struggle to succeed in a Hollywood that is finally beginning to pay attention to the massive Latino market. NOW EN ESPAÑOL addresses questions of Latino identity and representation in the media while telling the all-American story of trying to make it in Hollywood.

Regarding the struggles of being a Latina in the Hollywood entertainment industry, Jaimes says that the biggest trial is “being “tested because of our ethnicity first and as actors second. It’s a hurdle that has made this wonderful profession that much more challenging.  The awesome thing is that there are so many wonderful writers, who just happen to be Latinos [such as] Luisa Leschin (George Lopez Show/Everybody Hates Chris), Peter Murrieta (Wizards of Waverly Place), Javier Grillo Marxauch (Middle Man/Lost) [who are] making it easier to just act without having to carry in the obligatory feathers, sacrificial chickens, and cactus!” Jaimes is hopeful that the film will be ready for audiences by the end of the year.

Despite enduring the hardships that seems to haunt most minorities in the entertainment industry, Marabina Jaimes has found a wonderful match in her chosen profession. Even after so many years, she still loves what she does. “I enjoy acting and performing immensely.  I feel very blessed to go from a voiceover session, to an on-camera shoot, to a print job, to hosting, to singing. There are so many areas in this business, who could ever get bored?”

Learn more about Marabina Jaimes at www.nowcasting.com/marabinajaimes.

Watch YLSE at www.ylse.net.

Follow Now En Español via the film’s official Facebook page.

“This whole concept is just phenomenal,” James Cunningham says of Eat St. He leans back relaxed on a sofa facing a wonderful view of the marina in Marina del Rey. “We kind of sat down and tracked it. Where did this all happen? It started when the economy started to collapse…. What’s the first thing people do? They stop going out to eat.” Cunningham explained that there was suddenly a large group of young, creative chefs who were finding themselves out of work and facing the risky prospects of opening up their own restaurant. “Or, do you get twenty grand together, borrow from friends and family, rack up some credit cards, open up a food truck with your own concept of the food you’re really passionate about? Throw out the rule book. Become your own boss. And that’s what’s happening. All over North America this is happening.”

James Cunningham is a Canada-based stand-up comedian with 15 years of experience. He’s probably best known for his financial education show called Funny Money, which is aimed at students and may come to North America. Ironically, he was cast as the host of Eat St. when the production company behind the show saw Cunningham’s audition tapes for a different program. “I got a call from Paperny Films in Vancouver a while after. They said, ‘Listen, we saw your audition tapes for [the other show]. We’d love you to come out for our show.’ Cool.” Scheduling the audition was an issue, because of Cunningham’s and the production company’s location, but luckily the Eat St. film crew was shooting in New York and Cunningham was frequently traveling there to visit his girlfriend. It was the perfect opportunity to test him on camera. He met with director Peter Waal and Cunningham just seemed like the perfect fit. “Right away it was just kismet. And I became submersed into this whole food renaissance culture. It’s just been really, really fantastic.”

“I’ve always been a foodie,” Cunningham confesses, “You know, when you play clubs what’s open at 1:30 in the morning…except street food?” While Cunningham hasn’t sampled every food truck featured on the show, he always seems to find a new favorite whenever he does. “Every time we go into one city and I think this is it. This is the ultimate. This is the best. We go someplace else and I think OK, THIS is it. THIS is the ultimate. THIS is the best.” The best examples, however, are on the Cooking Channel Web site. Cunningham highlights the Redonkadong Burger from the The Brunch Basket in Portland, Oregon. This burger actually uses two grilled cheese sandwiches as buns. “We did everything from a guy pushing a cart down the street to a full-blown converted double-decker restaurant bus.”

Eat St. has covered over fifty trucks all over the country. Cunningham rattles off city after city – Philadelphia, New York, Phoenix and more. “This thing has exploded; it’s gone crazy. And what’s really adding fuel to the fire is the social media…. Most of the entrepreneurs – these chefs – are younger, media-savvy…guys and girls…they’ve been building up these fan bases off Facebook and Twitter….” As Cunningham explains, the food trucks leverage their online presence to let their fans know exactly where they’ll be at any given time, eliminating the problem of parking someplace and waiting for customers to show up. Now a food truck can pull up to a location and have customers already standing in line.

To further help direct hungry viewers to their local food truck is the Eat St. App available for the iPhone and coming soon to Android and Blackberry platforms. Cunningham pulls out his phone to demonstrate how the app works. “It’s GPS enabled and any city you’re in, you just tap on [the app] and you find carts. So not only is it going to show you where we are right now, but where the nearest food carts are, what they’re serving, their prices and what’s on special that day. It’s really, really cool.” So viewers that live in a city that’s featured on the show can actually experience the showcased food truck for themselves.

Regarding the style of the show, Cunningham is proud that it’s different from other food shows out there. “It’s great because it’s got a magazine-style format,” he says and then refers to himself as just being bald eye-candy. “You want to see a bald guy, right?” The format is elegant in its simplicity. Cunningham introduces the food truck and then lets the chef and the food speak for themselves.  “Literally, I host the show – I’m not the star of the show. The star of the show is the chefs and their food…primarily the food.” The show, written by director Peter Waal, has a great sense of humor as well, highlighting distinguishing facets of the individual entrepreneurs. One chef specializing in pork converted his food truck into an armored pig with sunglasses. Another chef specializing in dessert seems to only have one token male customer in a sea of nubile women.

“The most fun I’ve had, though, is in LA,” Cunningham says, “LA has a lot of great stuff…. The weather here is gorgeous and you’ve got almost 365 days of potential outdoor eating weather. And plus I think people out here are more liberal and more open…there’s way more funky stuff out here on the west coast by far.”

Watch Eat St. on the Cooking Channel on Tuesdays @ 8 p.m. ET.

Visit the Cooking Channel Eat St. Web site.

Find out more about James Cunningham at http://www.james-cunningham.com/ and http://www.funnymoneyinc.com/.

Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Pia Toscano, Karen Rodriguez, Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams, Thia Megia, Paul McDonald, Haley Reinhart and James Durbin would go on for sure.

But that wasn’t all. With all the glory and suspense and promise of second chances that only American Idol can bring, three guys and three girls were given the opportunity to perform during the wild card round! (This isn’t excitement! This is stress! We’re surprised at how well-composed the contestants have kept themselves throughout this process, especially after tonight… Jeebus!) After the agonizing (due to being in the hot seat, not merely the quality of performance) minutes and change that followed between all of them, the decision was made and therefore out of our hands once again: Naima Adedapo, Stefano Langone and Ashthon Jones would continue along to the next round. And then there were 13.

And that’s it! Rest, recoup, and we’ll see you next week!

Ashthon Jones’ performance of “Love All Over Me” was rich, perhaps a little lacking in complete and total punch, but she has a lot of potential, and like last night’s first performance — brought to you by Brett Loewenstern’s hair — there’s just something to be said about that fabulous curly crop of hair. We don’t want to speak prematurely, but here’s hoping that during her next performance [hopefully] she’ll kick it up a notch out of the familiar.

Haley Reinhardt’s rendition of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’” was good, not great, but like most other performances we’ve seen, it got better the longer she was on stage. It’s a song that is difficult to command, but for the most part she did. The word of the day, however, is effortless. She? Will need to brush up on that quality if she wants to stick around.

“Breakaway“…also a difficult song to master. Kelly Clarkson was the first American Idol for a reason. Julie Zorrilla’s take was also good but she also seemed nervous. All in all, a very forgettable performance. We’re sure she’s a sweet girl, but this isn’t high school. Step it up.

Karen Rodriguez’s version of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” was honestly — at this point in the show — the best of the night. And that’s a lot to say for someone we barely remember during the audition process. Beautiful, not too much playing around with her vocals — just enough to keep our attention without overplaying her talent. If she doesn’t stick around, we’ll be making a fuss.

At this point it seems the girls have got wind that they need to break out the big guns because Kendra Chantelle’s cover of Christina Aguilera’s “Impossible” was sizzling. Sizzl. Ing. (And worth the icky word breakage.) She made Aguilera’s sultry side look forced.

Lauren Alaina sang Reba McEntire’s “Turn On The Radio” was spirited and on key, on point, more pop rock than country, but definitely infused with the stuff. Also a strong performance.

Lauren Turner knocked out Etta James’ “Seven Day Fool” — again, the word of the day is EFFORTLESS. And if it doesn’t feel like it, make us believe it. Turner made us believe it. Her voice pounced on that song and tore it apart. But don’t tell Ella that. You remember what she did to Beyonce. She’s the queen, all hail her, but yeah right, she was joking.

Next up was Naima Adedapo, whose little dance at the beginning confused us, but her voice? Her voice can stay. There’s an old soul in there that wants to have at the standards one by one and we want to hear it try.

This is where we start to really appreciate the judges’ position because Pia Toscano’s cover of The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You” tugged at whatever was left of our heartstrings. Why didn’t she get more coverage earlier on also? It doesn’t really matter at this point, because…who were those girls at the beginning again? And what did they sing? Must have not been too important. They don’t want to be those girls right now.

Rachel Zevita’s take on Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” was creative, tweaked just enough to keep our interest in her past, her retro hair and pale skin (both awesome things; she’s got the look). Somewhat like Ms. Apple before her (who was only 18 when she wrote the song), she’s a voice beyond her 21 years that isn’t all sugary sweet cotton candy flavored bubblegum like. But will it be enough to keep her in the competition? Only time will tell…

Ta-Tynisa Wilson was hoping to bring out the powerhouse in her performance of Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World” but even Rihanna can’t make that song sound good. (Sorry, Rihanna, but you’ve got to be thankful for your backing track and backup singers.) A better song choice would have worked wonders, and.. maybe this is premature but we’ll be sad to see her go. At least, that’s our prediction. We’ve been wrong before!

And finally, Thia Megia’s performance of Irene Cara’s “Out Here On My Own” from the musical Fame…damn! She’s fifteen? She really is amazing!

Overall, we’re impressed with the girls’ range in song choice. In many ways it almost seems that the ones that chose the seemingly more powerful songs (“Fallin’“, “Breakaway“, “Only Girl in the World“, etc) came up more than a little short, whereas those that chose the just-as-well-known but not always picked first songs performed above and beyond. It could have also been first-up jitters, but if so, that needs to be gotten over really quickly. This is the big time and if you’ve got jitters, go to acting school.

Let’s find out who’s going home!