Soapbox1 by Michele Dargan » I Wanna Be a Soap Star

Soap Star winner worthy, but not best

kkitts — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:29:01 +0000

First, I extend congratulations to Ashlee, winner of this season’s I Wanna Be a Soap Star. She’s beautiful and talented. She has a touching back story involving single motherhood and an adorable son. And she worked hard for the prize. She will make a wonderful addition to Days of Our Lives.
But I still think Jimena should have won.
The Colombian beauty offered the most honest, riveting performances of the show. Did she hit the mark every time? No. Then again, neither did anyone else, even Ashlee. But when Jimena was at her best, no one compared. That should have been more than enough to win her the title.
I’m not exceedingly disappointed, though. It’s not like last season when a lesser contestant took the top honor. Ashlee is a very worthy winner. If Jimena wasn’t destined to be this year’s Soap Star, then I’m more than happy to see Ashlee wearing the crown.
It’s about time Soap Star had a female winner, and I liked that viewers had a say this go ’round. In fact, the show was a pleasant surprise for me, especially when I had been ready to give up on it after last season. This batch of actors was the best yet, and I look forward to seeing what next season will bring.
Now all I need is for some soap to snatch up Jimena and put her on-screen ASAP. I, for one, would tune in to watch.

Soap Star judges get it right

kkitts — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 05:30:00 +0000

Woo to the hoo!
Yeah, I’m pretty excited about last night’s I Wanna Be a Soap Star results. Yves was finally shown the door (several weeks too late, in my opinion), leaving the two most worthy contestants: Ashlee and Jimena.
Don’t you just love it when the judges on a show actually get something right?
Hogan “Big Ole Teddy Bear” Sheffer finally voiced what I’ve felt about Yves all along: There just doesn’t seem to be a lot of depth to him as a performer.
I will reluctantly admit that I was slightly torn because I felt like this was one of Yves’ best scenes. Plus, he really seems like a decent person with a great sense of humor. Add the fact that he’s married to a supportive woman, has a beautiful daughter and boasts leading-man looks … well, if I were a man, I’d probably hate him. As it is, I just think he had less to offer than either Ashlee or Jimena. I’m glad the judges agreed.
Now it’s down to the final two. And you know what? I’m not only thrilled by the fact that the best contestants are in the finale; I’m just as satisfied that they are both female. It’s high time for a woman to win Soap Star. It should have been a woman last season … *cough*BethAnn Bonner*cough* … not that I’m holding a grudge.
In case you didn’t know, viewers get a say in the finale, which will air Oct. 16. You can vote by e-mail at SOAPnet, or by calling 1-888-4-SOAP-01 for Ashlee or 1-888-4-SOAP-02 for Jimena. Each phone number/e-mail address gets five votes, so get hoppin’!

Will Soap Star’s Yves get yet another chance?

kkitts — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 05:00:00 +0000

I guess I was slightly off in my predictions for I Wanna Be a Soap Star last week. But I refuse to be thwarted and shall try my hand at it again.
Justin, whom I had picked to come in second, got the boot. I was surprised because, once again, I just didn’t get the strong appeal of Yves. I’m not saying Justin blew my soap socks off, but I definitely think he did better than Yves.
Mary Beth Evans made a great point when she said she was surprised to learn Yves has a child. That right there should have given off warning bells to the judges, but ah, well. Perhaps they gave him sympathy points because he was the only one who had to deal with a visibly cranky kid.
My biggest knock against Yves? His refusal to use his personal life, i.e. his role as a father, as inspiration to play the scene. Huh? What’s he relying on then? A nice smile and good hair, I guess. I’m starting to think that’s what the judges are going by, in any case.
Now, Yves seems like a nice guy. And he doesn’t suck. I just think he was the weakest actor last week.
On the bright side, Jimena’s still in the game … and I believe she’s still the most deserving of the prize.
Check out SOAPnet tonight and see if you agree.

Soap Star down to final four

kkitts — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 04:00:18 +0000

I came thisclose to drop-kicking I Wanna Be a Soap Star after last season. And you know it’s got to be bad when I’m threatening to turn my back on Cameron “Mr. Chisel” Mathison. But there I was, completely floored when the best actor of last season’s bunch, BethAnn Bonner, came in third. Even worse, the eventual winner was one of the least talented of the entire group.
But Soap Star obviously saw the error of its ways and shook things up a bit. This season viewers will have a say in the finale, so I decided to give the show another chance.
Boy, am I glad I did.
From the start, the reality series has had a different feel. The panel of judges is mostly changed, with talent manager Michael Bruno the only returnee. The requisite head honcho is there, this time in the form of Days of Our Lives head writer Hogan Sheffer. I’ll just call him “Big Ole Teddy Bear” (those who watch know what I mean). Then there’s Mary Beth Evans, the marvelous actress who plays sweet yet steely Kayla on Days. Who knew she was such a hoot in real life? And Bruno adds his typical, surly, matter-of-fact, no-holds-barred perspective; I may not always agree with him, but I’m always interested to hear what he has to say.
So far, the judges have been pretty right-on in their assessments. The only casualty I wasn’t keen on was Travis. I thought he was good enough to go all the way. But maybe he was too busy thinking that, too, beacuse he just didn’t bring the emotion to his last scene.
Anyhow, that’s water under the bridge. Soap Star is down to the final four, and I think any one of them could be a worthy winner (although I do have my clear favorite).
Here’s a rundown on how I think they should place, based on their work so far:
Yves. He should be the one to go tonight. Yeah, he’s cute in a Tom Cruise meets Jeff Goldblum kinda way. But I don’t see a lot of depth to him. Please, please, please judges and viewers, don’t fall into the Mikey trap of last season. Just ’cause a guy’s got a cute smile, it doesn’t mean he can act on a soap opera. Give the genre a little more credit than that.
Ashlee. She’s good, but sometimes I think she’s too polished. I don’t generally feel for her when she’s performing; it’s like I’m always aware that she’s acting, and that shouldn’t be the case. I should be able to forget that I’m watching someone playing a role. I think she should come in third.
Justin. My second-favorite male after Travis. There is something pretty raw about him that makes him interesting to watch. The tattoos don’t hurt, either. He can be inconsistent, though, and the fact that he balked at the striptease scene gives me pause. I’m not saying that kind of role would be my druthers, if I were an actor, but I don’t understand how someone can be on show, trying to become a soap star, and not expect some outlandish scenarios. He’s my vote for second.
Jimena. Ah, my girl, Jimena. I hope I don’t jinx her with this, but she has been my favorite from the start. She is such a natural actress, and she seems to be able to do it all: drama, comedy, romance. And she takes it so seriously; I’m not sure she’s even aware of how good she is because she spends so much time worrying. Just take a deep breath, Jimena, and keep feeling your way through the scenes. You’re my pick for this season, and I hope others out there agree. It’s about time we had a little girl power in Soap Star‘s winner’s circle, don’t ya think?
The show airs Tuesday nights at 8 (eastern) on SOAPnet.