The real treasure of the Pirates of the Caribbean isn’t Johnny Depp (although it wouldn’t have been a box office hit in the first place without him) the real gem is how the story came to be.  A lot of movies that become big hits were first great novels.  The literary fans usually bawk at the watered down version of the story that played out so fully in their mind as they turned the pages of their favorite book.  But, since many movie-goers don’t read the book (why should you, they made a movie) the film becomes a success and sells millions.  The movie industry banks on this even if it breaks the heart of the novels fans as they realize that the ending has changed or their main characters don’t look as they were described.

I have always made it a rule that if a movie comes out after the popularity of the book, I will read the book first.  But how the Pirates of the Caribbean with Pirates came to be a movie unfolded differently.  The idea wasn’t born from a novel or a creative screenplay, it was born as a ride at Disneyland.  Yes, Walt Disney himself was fascinated by pirates and learning the secret charades of the evil sailors of the sea.

The ride first debuted at Disneyland in 1967 three months after Walt passed away.  Even more interesting is that the ride is one of a few that have survived the parks many revitalization’s -the Flying Dumbo ride and It’s a Small World boat ride are still big sellers too.  With the success of the ride, another version was created for Disney World in 1973.

This past spring my family made its way to the magical land that Disney created and we set forth to ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.  My five year old got on skeptically with lots of tears and my two year old loved it and has since learned how to sing “Yo Ho! Yo Ho! A pirates life for me!”  As we traveled the river boat ride it felt that the movie had taken over the ride.  Like many sequels the Magic Kingdom’s ride isn’t as thrilling as Disneyland’s.  I learned later in a “behind the scenes tour” this is because of the water levels under the park- they couldn’t dig deep for the drops so they had to build the ride up or they would hit water.

Pirates of the Caribbean is the only ride that I know of that warranted its own four part movie series to be built around it.  The ride would still be marketable without the movie but it has taken on the look of the films since they have come out and it has lost its luster.  I wonder if there are nostalgic Disney fans (like myself) that wonder where did the magic of this epic ride go? I guess I will never know since I will always give some of my money to see Johnny stumble onto the screen as Captain Jack Sparrow.

How about we start with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate Middleton, if you haven’t been following)?!  I don’t know about many of the Buzz Entertainment followers out there but I can say that I was not up at the crack of dawn to watch the pomp and circumstance.  Although, I did turn CNN on once I woke up to see their first kiss (scandalous as they had not one but two chaste kisses!).  They made a very cute couple but still having a hard time understanding what the big deal is.  I guess we all love a modern day fairytale.

Next on the docket is my newest reality TV addition, Extreme Couponing on TLC.  Who doesn’t love a glance into the psyche of the extreme couponers featured on the show who love to confess that their stockpiles are nothing like those of typical hoarders.  Interesting…  I am all for saving money and paying as little as possible for my monthly grocery bill but stocking up on items that I don’t need, I don’t think so.  However, my husband has challenged me to put this extreme couponing knowledge I am accumulating to the test.  Look for future posts about my training on becoming a wannabe extreme couponer.

And finally, to wrap up this week’s welcome back to Entertainment blog, how about the upcoming American Idol finale or the launch of X Factor.  On the American Idol front, although Haley R. is from Chicago, my votes will be going to Lauren who is an absolute cutie pie and has really matured throughout the season.  I am not a fan of Scotty especially with his mic flute holding position.  It really detracts from his singing.  Let’s see what happens this week.

I think X Factor is going to give American Idol a run for its money.  However, I am going to reserve judgement until after I go to the Chicago audition taping this Friday.  I’ll let you know what to expect and if it is going to be worth the watch over the summer.

If there’s anything you want to hear us chat about on the Entertainment blog, leave a comment after the article.

The premise of Secret Millionaire is to place, obviously a millionaire, in a community that is stricken either by poverty, violence or both.  They are given an opportunity to meet community members who are helping to turn the tide.  Both of the episodes that I have watched thus far have had me close to tears.  The generosity of the millionaires is second to none and those organizations that are trying to make a change, I salute them.  With so many different charitable organizations vying for donations, to find these rare gems in these communities was amazing.  To see how humble they were and giving because it was for a greater cause just makes you want to get out there and do the same.

Here at WOW! one of our core values is Servanthood.  This year we are encouraging our employees to give back to the communities we serve through our new program called WIN (WOW! in the Neighborhood).  I am sure you’ll hear more about this program in a blog post in our Voices of WOW! section.  I just wanted to share with all of you that we truly believe that giving back is part of our culture.  Through food drives, raising money for causes close to our hearts or giving time to an organization, we believe that giving back is just another extension of who we are here at WOW!

I would love to hear from you on which community organizations are making a difference in your neighborhood.

• The Biggest Loser (NBC)

• Celebrity Fit Club (VH1)

• Ruby (Style Network)

• Heavy (A&E)

• I Used to Be Fat (MTV)

• Dance Your A** Off (Oxygen)

Most of the shows listed above I have watched at one point or another.  But are they truly motivating to the point that you want to get up and start to make a lifestyle change?

About a year and a half ago, I saw the Broadway production of Burn The Floor.  From the title, you can assume that there is dancing  involved in the show, but what type is the question?  Fans of Dancing With The Stars or So You Think You Can Dance will definitely love the show.  But this blog isn’t about the show itself but the opportunity to witness some of the best dancing that I have ever seen.  It was such a hit that they took the show on the road and are currently touring the nation spreading the dancing bug to all those who want to experience something different.  I just happened to have another opportunity to experience the show for a second time when it stopped in Chicago for a two week stint.  All I could say is AMAZING!

So many different genres – drama, comedy, musical or dance, to choose from.  I believe that live theater is forgotten in today’s entertainment world but it shouldn’t be.  If you have never experienced it, what are you waiting for?

In one week millions of viewers will be glued to their televisions for an event that can almost be considered a national holiday.  The Super Bowl is like Thanksgiving but in February.  Friends and families get together for a day that is filled with food and watching the game.  If you aren’t watching the game, you are probably tuned in to watch a new batch of  commercials.  Advertisers are banking on this especially with the average cost of a 30 second commercial this year in the range of $2.5 million.  This is probably the one day out of the entire year were they know you aren’t recording the game to watch later.  I personally like watching the commercials than I do the half-time show especially these  last couple of years.

Here are some of my all-time favorite commercials:

• McDonald\’s Showdown: Bird vs. Jordan
  • I’m biased because I grew up in Chicago during the Jordan era.  I love this commercial not only because it had two of the biggest stars in the NBA at that time but it put an interesting twist on my favorite playground game of HORSE.
• Budweiser Frogs
  • How could you not love these adorable frogs?  It was different at the time and created a buzz.
• Pepsi Kid In Bottle
  • Even though I am not a fan of Pepsi, this is a very cute commercial.  The kid is drinking his Pepsi and trying to get the last drop that he ends up getting sucked into the Pepsi bottle.  Love at the end of the commercial when his sister says, “Mom, he did it again!”
• Blockbuster\’s Carl and Ray
  • I am a sucker for commercials with cute animals.  Blockbuster used these two pets, Carl and Ray, who were excited about movies since the Blockbuster was across the street (of course).  Loved the Flashdance sequence.

What are some of your favorite Super Bowl commercials?

It is interesting though that last week only had three hours worth of episodes – two hours on Wednesday and one hour on Thursday.  With the episodes not being as long, I also noticed that they are not focusing so much on the critiques, especially the bad ones.  Is that because there is not much content to their comments or is it not as much fun watching Simon break them down?

So far, I am pleasantly surprised with last week’s episodes and will be watching this week’s upcoming shows to see if I am still hooked.

For all you American Idol fans out there, what do you think?

I love that our portal page offers our customers the opportunity to utilize various free workouts through Exercise TV.  They offer a number of different exercises such as getting in shape for that bikini (can you believe they are already in stores), getting your feet moving with some great dance moves or just a good old butt kicking from the Biggest Loser’s hardest trainer, Jillian Michaels.

The best part is that with many of the videos being only a couple minutes a piece, you really can piece together your own workout.  Instead of having to do the same workout day in and day out, you can keep it interactive, fun and most of all worth the time that you put it.  What are you waiting for, start getting into shape today!

If you haven’t seen the commercials as you have been watching football or catching up on reruns, here is what is new to the winter lineup.

Mondays

The Bachelor (ABC) – Brad Womack is back and this time ready to find his wife.  Hopefully the speed of the show picks up because I was bored into the first 30 minutes.

The Cape (NBC) – For those of you who love superheroes, this show might be up your alley.  An ex-cop turned superhero trying to save the world, not sure how long this is going to last.

Harry’s Law (NBC) – Following The Cape is this new legal drama starring Kathy Bates.  The commercials have me hooked to watch the first episode.

Tuesdays

Million Dollar Money Drop (FOX) – Another game show, enough said.

Wednesdays

Live to Dance (CBS) – Paula Abdul is one of three judges on this dance show which has 18 acts competing for $500,000.  Maybe Paula has finally found her own spotlight.

Off The Map (ABC) – Grey’s Anatomy meets Survivor.

American Idol (FOX) – Challenging Paula’s new show with two brand new judges – Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.  I think Simon will be missed.

Thursdays

Perfect Couples (NBC) – Comedy about three different couples and navigating through complicated relationships. Jury still out.

Fridays

Kitchen Nightmares (FOX) – If you didn’t get enough of Chef Ramsey during Hell’s Kitchen, he’s back at it trying to save America’s restaurants.  Who doesn’t love watching him swear and get in the face of the owners?

Sundays

Marriage Ref (NBC) – Nothing like laughing at other couple’s ridiculous situations.

Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) – Loved that they brought back the original Apprentice this fall.  Not sure that I’ll be watching if they don’t have some big names on this season.