Where I would normally go through and talk about the dates that happened on this weeks episode I really want to talk about the episode as it would be in real life.

First the highlights. William, who is absolutely adorable, got the first date of the season and was whisked off to Las Vegas for a wedding elopement style date and lets be real. There is no guy that would elope with any woman on a first date and what girl puts that kind of pressure on a guy. Still I will say that I was laughing right off my bed as it happened.

Second was the group date where they stayed in Vegas and got a chance to dance with the Jabbawockez's from "America's Best Dance Crew". As a personal fan of theirs I was excited to see them get the advertisement and more than a little bummed that I didn't know they had their own show in Vegas. Must check it out. The guys were split into two groups and the winning group got to stay and party in Vegas after performing for a sold out audience with the Jabba's while the losing group were flown home.

Lastly there was the second one on one that ended up being a coin toss between JP and Mikey (sorry if I am spelling it wrong). Mikey won and again was flown to Vegas where Ashley let the coin toss decide everything from the wine to if he got the rose and a kiss. It seemed to work in his favor because he won them all and if I was him I would be keeping that coin if for nothing else good luck.

Alright that is about the highlights of the episode and now I can get down to the two topics that I want to talk about: Reality and Producers.

Look we all know that even though the term is "reality tv" that not everything is one hundred percent real. But that isn't what I meant when I said reality. What I'm talking about is everyday, run of the mill, life.

On Ashley's date with William once they got past the wedding that wasn't they went to dinner. Now while many people have gone to dinner in Vegas post, pre or no where near marriage most of them have not had dinner in the middle of the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel. Are you serious? I know that as a television show they have a standard to live up to and that again there is little real in "reality" but come on. How do you follow that up once the show as ended?

This is one of my problems with the Bachelor/Bachelorette. They send people on these amazing around the world dates and then when the camera's stop rolling they expect them to life out normal life when there has been nothing normal about their relationship up to that point. Yes they have to give an air of extravagance but for most people dinner in the Bellagio might be considered extravagant. Especially if they were in a penthouse suite or something to that effect. It just gets to be too much on occasion and I wonder if all the over the top dates don't contribute to the life expectancy of a television romance post cameras.

My next issue that I have an opinion on is the producers and Bentley.

I am sure that when he auditioned, or whatever it is that they do to be on the show, he didn't open up about his obsession with Emily or that he wouldn't be interested if it was Ashley. I would like to hope that if he did then they would never have allowed him on the show. That being said, are they hearing the same crap that I am?

I know that villainy makes for great television. Just look at how Michelle Money was portrayed last season (although I did love her) or others in seasons past but again this is suppose to be "real". Okay so he didn't say half or any of what he is saying now to you back then and yes Ashley has free will and despite the warning that she received she has kept him on; but come on. At some point you either need to shut him up or clue her in. This is suppose to be a show about finding love and whether your track record is 0 and 100 or 12 and 12 (neither are correct for the Bachelor series) you would think that you would want to at least look like you are trying to help that along.

When Jake was all about Rozlyn who "supposedly" had an inappropriate relationship with some one on staff they didn't care then. They pulled her aside and on camera no less and sent her packing. Now they have someone that is not only admitting to having no feelings whatsoever about the Bachelorette on camera and basically talking about playing her and they do nothing but air it. Even Wes from Jillian's season wasn't that bold or stupid as everyone was accusing him of having a girlfriend. He waited until he had been sent home to admit his short comings.

All in all, this episode really bothered me for those two reasons. Next week it looks like Bentley is finally going to come clean and I can't wait to see how that plays out and if it makes for the great television I'm sure the producers are hoping it does.

Stolen kisses, Phantom of the Opera, Drunken stupors, real tears and ladies and gentlemen this was all in the first night. It seems this season of the Bachelorette is gearing up to be as they all promise "the most controversial season yet".:P Ashley H. is back and if you are a Bachelor or Bachelorette watcher then you were glued to the television Monday night.

When we first met Ashley she was a sweet blonde girl looking for love but scared to open up. Now in her very own season she has dyed the hair, changed the attitude and she is ready to take on 25 hot, hot bachelors in the hopes of getting that all important marriage proposal at the end.

Last night started as most new seasons do. Ashley talking about the mistakes she has made while clips of her past relationship with Brad popped in and out. And in true fashion as the music picked up so did she. She went on to talk about how excited she was to be back and how she was more open to love this time and ready for this amazing adventure. Truly if you have seen one Bachelorette then you have seen them all.

Enter Chris Harrison, the limos and the awkward five second meet and greets. I sometimes wish they would just let the men or women arrive and then let the bachelor or bachelorette walk in on the cocktail party already in full swing. Those few minutes of people trying to introduce themselves while standing out are just painful to watch sometimes.

Moving right along, the cocktail party. Yes as always there was drama between a few of the guys. Mainly Jeff, who wore a mask for the WHOLE evening, and the others that found the mask stupid as did most of us. I appreciate the message and the idea behind it (he wants her to get to know the real him without worrying about looks) but really? Come on man. There had to have been a better way to present it.

Then there was Tim who apparently had to get drunk to get up the courage to go on a blind date

with 24 other guys on national television. When said that way I think I know a few guys that would have been three sheets to the wind too. I was pulling for him to turn it around until he fell asleep on the couch out by the pool and then like Ashley I was like dude you have to go. You also have to give the producers credit for that one. I don't think that has ever happen in all their seasons. Way to go! :)

Finally there was Bentley. A gentleman who openly said that he wanted the bachelorette to be Emily or at least he openly said it to the cameras. What he said to Ashley was how he was excited to be there and looking forward to getting to know her. Now a lot of people are upset because she gave him a rose at the end considering a "friend" had told her before hand that he was only coming on to further his career (did Wes not teach men anything? We hate those guys).

However, I can see where she was coming from. You want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and from what he was saying he sounded sincere. The previews for the season to show a different take on it but heartbreak is what makes for good TV after all.

Overall, I wasn't impressed or not impressed with the men lined up for Ashley. There were a few that I really liked. Ryan P. who does something with solar energy and also got the first impression rose was really cute. I also liked the one that called his mom for her to talk to; that was sweet. A friend of mine is all about JP who did seem almost southern gentlemanly. Truth is that really it has only been one episode and an hour of listening to them. Way to soon to tell.

Either way, my opinion, is that Ashley is going to have her hands full and like every other season before there will be a ridiculous amount of tears spilled and in the end she will claim that she is happier than she has ever been in her life. Can't wait to see it all unfold.

*Pictures courtesy of ABC

I started this season of Dancing with the Stars the same as most everyone else, including the contestants, less than sure if this would work. They had names I hadn't heard of in decades and some names that no one had ever heard of. There were the required sports stars, the young dynamos, a rapper/r&b star, a woman with huge breast, and someone past their "prime".

I watched that first show with one hand on the remote just in case I was bored by the first hour and surprisingly I wasn't. Ralph was a delight, Chelsea was adorable, Romeo surprised (especially being the son of Master P and that disaster), and Kristie could actually move. Most of the others fell somewhere in the middle.

That became the story of this season; somewhere in the middle. It seemed like unlike past seasons where you had front runners like Kristy Yamaguchi, Nicole Scherzinger, Mel B, and Jennifer Grey; this season they all where evenly and sometimes uneventfully matched. Kristie had multiple problems, Ralph fizzled after such a wonderful start, and no matter what Chelsea and Mark did they just weren't getting the judges scores.

Then about the late middle of the season two emerged as real front runners. Mark started just letting Chelsea dance instead of interpreting the music and Hines found his Superbowl commitment. They both danced their hearts out week after week and traded the top spot on more than one occasion.

That is why when I turned on Dancing with the Stars last night to see who won (I'm out of town so I wasn't able to catch the whole show) I was almost floored to see Kristie and Maks standing there with Hines and Kim. Where the heck was Chelsea and Mark?

I know that more often than not these shows, Dancing with the Stars and American Idol, boil down to who is more popular or who has the biggest fan base. Time and time again we have seen people with real talent or top scores end up being sent home without so much as a "we wish you well". Still shouldn't talent count for something?

Did I think Chelsea was going to win, no. Again though that had more to do with popularity than actual dancing. If we were going with dancing then I think it could have easily been a tie or Chelsea could have taken it. She had a fluidity and connection to the music that Hines sometimes lacked. Even with Marks sometimes out there choreography she still shined and more often than not had me confused between whether she deserved a 10 or a 9.

I am glad that Hines won. I really did like him and I thought that he had great personality on the dance floor. My issue is that although America likes to vote sometimes they have no idea what they should be voting for.

We all think we can drop it like it's hot or sing like Whitney and Mariah (in the shower if no where else) but that doesn't mean that we can or that we understand what it takes to really make it in either profession.

In my opinion, I think the better of the two remaining won. I'm not sure if I think the best dancer won but if it had been Kristie this post would have had a decidedly more hostile slant.

My only hope is that by the time next season comes around they have a better cast, they actually have a front runner, and that America listens to the judges. They have spent years in their chosen career. Even if you don't like what they say, respect it and let it guide your opinion. But as they say; to each his own. Congrats Hines and Kim.