I’m back to bring you all the action that went down this past week on MTV. That includes our regular 5 shows in rotation at the moment of Making the Band 4, Reunited: The Real World Vegas, Rob & Big, Wild N’ Out, AND the finale of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno 3! In addition to all of that, I have two more shows in the “In Case You Missed It” section. I bring you the conclusion of Adventures in Hollyhood featuring Three Six Mafia and the third season of Run’s House. I started writing about those shows and now I will finish with them. So “in case you missed it” they are there for you to enjoy. Lets mix things up a bit…
Adventures in Hollyhood
Episode 5 – “Little Black Book”
Paul and J get a call from their manager Rosenberg who tells them that Ashton Kutcher wants to meet with them to discuss possible future projects. When Juicy asks about what kind of money is involved, Rosenberg warns him to not jump immediately to the money portion of the conversation.
Later that afternoon the guys meet up with Ashton at his production company, however the business portion of the meeting doesn’t last long. When Ashton’s assistant Chrissie accidentally walks into their meeting, she immediately catches Juicy’s eye. Ashton tells Juicy that if he can get Chrissie to agree to go on a date with him, then he will hand over his old two-way containing the phone numbers of every major Hollywood starlet. Not to be one to back down from a challenge, Juicy leaves Ashton’s office in search for Chrissie. When he finds her, Juicy asks her on a date, she accepts and gives him her phone number.
That night while everyone is fixing their dinner, Computer reminds Juicy and Paul that they are overdue for their annual physical. The next day after a series of tests, their doctor informs them that they need cut back on fatty foods, and spend more time exercising.
When Juicy and Paul return from their physical, they are blown away by the large quantities of fattening food that Computer, Triece, and Pat have arranged for dinner. In an effort to try and get everyone on the health kick, Paul and Juicy announce there will be a competition to see who can loose the most weight within the next seven days. At the end of the following week, whoever has lost the most weight will be awarded five-thousand dollars in cash.
That night while Computer, Triece and Pat are gearing up for their contest, Juicy is busy getting ready for his date with Chrissie. Things, however, don’t go as smoothly as he had originally planned once he arrives with Chrissie at a trendy L.A. sushi spot. When Juicy tries to convince Chrissie that he is a very respectful young man, she calls him out and references some very sexually explicit old-school Three-6 Mafia lyrics. Juicy has no rebuttal, and winds up going home by himself.
With the contest in full swing, Pat, Computer and Triece are doing whatever they can to try and loose weight. From visiting a colon cleansing center to hitting the gym, and working out in the back yard, each member of Three-6 Mafia’s entourage is eager to win the big cash prize. After a week has passed, Juicy and Paul hold the final weigh in to determine who the winner is. After all three guys have been weighed, it is determined that Computer is has lost the most weight and will be receiving the prize.
The next day, Juicy receives an express package from Ashton, who has made good on his word and sent over his old two-way. After going through some magazines, Juicy decides to call Kristin Cavallari, from Laguna Beach, and ask her on a date. Kristen is skeptical at first, but after double checking with Ashton, she agrees to meet with Juicy for one date. When Kristen meets with Juicy she is initially impressed with his jewelry, but has trouble taking him seriously throughout the course of the date. When Juicy asks her to come back to his place to party with him, Kristen giggles and tells him she is too tired.
By the end of the night Juicy finds himself arriving home by himself for the second time in recent history. Computer tells him to cheer up, and brings him to the back yard where there are two beautiful bikini clad models from the gym waiting in the hot tub. Eager to get his party on, Juicy tells the girls that he wants to show them the hot tub inside the house. Juicy and his new friends make their way into the house, leaving Computer with and empty hot-tub.
Episode 6 – “Actin’ Up”
Living in Hollyhood, it was just a matter of time before Paul and Juicy were approached about being in movies. The guys get a call from their agent Rosenberg who has news that there is a casting director who is looking to meet with both of them. While Paul is reluctant, and tells Rosenberg that he’s going stay away from acting, Juicy eagerly accepts the invitation, fully knowing how much money can be made from appearing in film. Rosenberg warns Juicy to not get ahead of himself and advises him to go see an acting coach before he actually meets the casting director face to face.
The next day Juicy, heads out to take acting lessons, but he brings the entire gang with him. Juicy’s coach starts him off with vocal exercises and tongue twisters. When Triece and Computer chime in on Juicy’s acting skills, the coach turns the spotlight on them and makes them attempt the exercises. After everyone has some laughs at Triece and Computer’s expense, the coach kicks the class clowns out he tells Juicy that even though he’s got a lot of work ahead of him, he can see the he’s go talent.
Later that evening the guys get another call from Rosenberg who has more good news. Turns out a company that makes action figures has decided to move forward with a Three-6 Mafia toy line. The next day all five guys head down to the toy company to be immortalized as little plastic figurines.
Later that afternoon Juicy receives his first script via email. On the way to the auditions he admits to Paul that he’s nervous; however is friends are supportive of him, and make it a point let him know that confidence is key. The audition doesn’t go a smoothly as Juicy hopes for, and spends most of his time stumbling over his words. The casting director admits that she sees something in Juicy’s acting, but thinks he ultimately needs some tweaks. On his way out Juicy convinces her to give him a second chance, but only under the condition that he spends more time preparing for his next reading.
When Juicy gets home he immediately gets down to business, and begins to study his script. After spending most of the day practicing, Juicy gets a call from Fern, the only friend the guys have made in their neighborhood, to let the guys know she is planning a visit. When Fern arrives at the house, Juicy makes her sit down with him so they can go over lines with each other. Fern gives Juicy some firm advice and tells him to read slower so that his words don’t get eaten up by his heavy southern accent.
After spending some time unwinding in the studio with Paul, Juicy begins to feel like he’s ready to go for his second shot with the casting director. When he arrives at his audition, both the director and casting director are waiting for him. Even though they are initially put off by Juicy’s appearance, the casting director admits that she can see that he put sometime into learning his part. Juicy walks out of the audition with a giant shining grin on his face and reports that the director is going to make his decision and call him back later.
When the guys return home, a package addressed to the Three-6 Mafia arrives shortly after, containing the action figures they were scanned for earlier. While Juicy and Paul received their own figures, Computer, Triece, and Pat only receive heads. Despite the lack of bodies, the guys get a kick out of their scaled down versions.
Episode 7 – “The Playa’s Mansion”
Life is one non-stop party for the boys in Hollyhood, unfortunately they’re about to find out that every party eventually comes to an end. When the guys head out to the Playboy mansion for to have some fun, Juicy visits the notoriously infamous grotto and is inspired. The next day he tells the rest of the guys that they all need to get smoking jackets and cigars so they can have parties like at the mansion. He also says he wants to build a grotto by the pool, and enlists Computer and Treice to make it happen.
Computer and Treice eagerly head out to a landscaping surplus center in search of rocks for their grotto. After some hard work, they are quick to congratulate each other on a job well done, but Juicy and Paul aren’t as enthusiastic about their work. Unimpressed, Juicy and Paul tell Computer and Trice to head back to the drawing boards and they do just that when they decide to take the rocks from their grotto by the hot tub and transform their room into their personal rock garden.
Later on while the guys are busy getting ready for their first party, Juicy gets a phone call from his dad, Father Houston. Father Houston warns Juicy to be careful to avoid the crazy Hollywood party scene, and adds that it can lead him down a road of degradation.. Juicy tells his father that they’re just having a small party, but that he has to cut their conversation short because there’s someone at the front door.
Crunk superstar Lil’ Jon is the first guest at the party and he comes loaded with all sorts of favors including hundreds of single dollar bills, cigars, and a very special iced out pimp cup. In order to make up for grotto disaster, Computer provides smoking jackets for all the guys. Before too long the doorbell rings again and several young ladies enter the ‘Playa’s Mansion’ for a long night of partying.
The next day the guys are all feeling beat up from the previous night’s party. When Juicy gets a call from Rosenberg who says that Father Houston has been calling him non-stop, and is worried about the excessive partying. In order to try and get the guys to tone down their crazy lifestyle, Rosenberg sets up a series of meetings with local charities.
Later, Juicy and Paul make their way down to a local tea room to meet with a fancy Hollywood philanthropist. Being from the streets of Memphis, the guys are not used to high-maintenance tea lunches with cucumber sandwiches. They are especially taken aback when the philanthropist asks them to donate some of their money. In the same day the guys meet with representatives from several other charities, but are not convinced that that are interested in donating their money.
After some serious indecision, the guys turn to Father Houston for advice. Juicy’s Dad suggests that they head down to the local boys and girls club to help out some young kids. Instantly convinced, they head down the next day to meet with dozens of young people at the local boys and girls club where they spend the remainder of the day painting murals and playing basketball.
The next day the guys decide that they need to raise some money for the kids at the boys and girls club, so they decide to have a bikini car washing fund-raiser, employing the help of some of the girls from the Playboy pmansion. By the end of the day, the guys have had a lot of fun, but barely made any money, so Paul decides reach into his pocket in offer a helping hand.
The following afternoon Juicy and Paul head back down to the boys and girls club with a check made out to the rec center, as well as a box full of Three-6 Mafia basketball jerseys for their team. Feeling good about being able to help out, the guys decide to celebrate by throwing a small party. After some quick phone to the girls from the bikini car wash, the guys find themselves in the middle of a kicking hot tub party.
Episode 8 – “Going Back To Memphis” (Series/Season Finale)
Since moving to Hollyhood, the guys have found many different ways to keep themselves busy, the problem is they have not had any time to finish their next record. Computer gets a phone call from Rosenberg, Three-6 Mafia’s manager says that Lisa Ellis, the president of their record label wants to schedule a meeting with Juicy and Paul. When Computer reports back to Juicy and Paul about the meeting, they are not enthusiastic about attending.
Later at the meeting, Lisa tells them that they have to release their next record during the first quarter of the following year. She then follows up with the guys telling them that they have become too distracted in Hollywood and that they need to kick-start their recording schedule into high gear. Juicy is resistant and tells Lisa that he doesn’t want to rush the record, but Lisa warns Juicy that if they wait too long, all the hype from their Oscar win will cool off, and they’ll have work hard just to rebuild the buzz that they are currently enjoying. Before the end of the meeting, Lisa tells the guys that she is going to check up on them later in the afternoon to see if they have anything that they can turn into the first single.
That evening when Lisa stops by the house, she is not impressed when she finds Juicy and Paul lounging around drinking cocktails in the living room. After drinks are served Lisa and the guys hit the studio so she can preview what songs they’ve recorded. When they only have one uncompleted song for her to listen to, Lisa calls the guys out, saying that they need to get out of Hollywood so they can go some place less distracting. She suggest that the guys head out to the one place that they know they can work in: Memphis.
One day, and plain ride later, the guys are back in the dirty south where they were born and raised. On the way out of the airport, the guys brainstorm on ideas for new songs, while most of the ideas that they come up with are duds, Big Triece has the idea of creating a welcome back to Memphis themed song. The first stop after leaving the airport is to see Juicy’s dad, Father Houston, for some advice. Father Houston advises them to travel back to their old neighborhood to re-find their roots.
The first stop back on the road to insapiration is to Jack Pirtle’s, a fried chicken restaurant the guys used to frequent when they still lived in Memphis. After filling up their stomachs with some southern fried comfort food, the guys head downtown to check out some live music. The combination of the southern cooking, and the live music quickly gives Paul and Juicy some great ideas.
The next day when the guys hit the studio, Paul puts on a beat, and he begins to brainstorm with Juicy to come up with a list of what people from Memphis like. Before they know it, Juicy and Paul find themselves in the vocal booth laying to rhymes to a smoking new single. With their single under the belt, the guys head back to L.A., confident that Lisa will be happy with the new track.
Back in Hollywood, the guys get ready to host a listening party, where their guests can preview their new song, while enjoying some southern style barbeque. At first, the guys begin to worry when no one shows up, but after a little bit of a wait, the doorbell rings and the guests begin to arrive. From the guys’ first neighbor Fern, to their protégé Lil Wyte, all of the guys’ friends make an appearance. When it comes time for the listening portion of the party, it becomes obvious very quickly that the guys have a hit. As soon as the track starts everyone who is sitting down gets up, and a dance party is started instantly.
Run’s House
Episode 4 – “Sneaker Pimps and Mini Moguls”
It’s another day at Run’s House, and Rev Run finds his son Russy sitting on the floor of his room counting money. Russy explains that his uncle, Russell Simmons, is his role model because they share a common interest: money. Russy tells Run that he’s motivated by seeing his savings add up and says he wants to mimic “Uncle Russell” by making more and more money.
Meanwhile, at a shoe store in the city, Vanessa and Angela are bummed that they can’t find any sneakers that suit their style, so they tell Justine that they want to pitch a sneaker line to their father’s company, Run Athletics. Next thing you know, Vanessa and Angela crash their dad’s Run Athletics meeting and pitch their business proposal for a new line of women’s shoes.
Back home, Russy and JoJo raid Diggy’s room for valuables to sell. Although Diggy objects, he’s easily outnumbered, and he watches Russy and JoJo haul the items off. Just then, a delivery man shows up with a package for Rev Run, and Russy runs to answer the door. When Rev Run takes too long to get to the door, Russy begins hustling the delivery man and tries to sell him a suitcase full of stuff. When Run realizes what Russy’s doing, he swiftly intervenes and sends Russy upstairs.
On the other end of town, Vanessa and Angela continue to pitch their shoe idea to Rasheed Young, president of Run Athletics. Rasheed is buying into it and decides to call the girls’ uncle Russell to see what he thinks of the idea. But Russell is just ticked that Rasheed put him on the spot by calling him on speakerphone. When Rasheed picks up the receiver for a private conversation, Russell shouts several expletives at him and questions whether Rasheed wants to keep his job. In the end, though, Russell gives his nieces “one shot, and that’s it!”
Vanessa and Angela stay up all night designing shoes with the help of Run Athletics’ senior designer, Brian Morton. The next day the girls give a professional presentation and pitch the idea to Rev Run, Russell and Rasheed.
The sneakers that Vanessa and Angela designed are cute performance shoes for women called Pastry. The Cake Collection consists of cake flavor-inspired patterns like Red Velvet, Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Shortcake with Sprinkles. The pitch is a success, and Vanessa and Angela are able to seal the deal. Excited, Vanessa and Angela report the news to Justine who responds, “Yaay, girl power!”
After talking to Rev Run about how to properly sell items, Russy sets up a table of goods to peddle to neighborhood kids. Business is good for the little man in a suit. But Rev Run tells a reluctant Russy that the money has to go in the bank so that it can earn interest. Run is quick to point out that while Uncle Russell is a “big mogul,” Russy is already becoming the family’s “mini-mogul.”
That night, Rev Run and Justine reflect on the kids’ desires to be entrepreneurs. When Run ponders whether it was Vanessa or Angela who came up with putting sprinkles on the shoes, Justine reminds him that it’s not about competitiveness or who did what, but about teamwork. He agrees, saying, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
“What good is talent if it’s not being tapped? Recognize your children’s strengths and abilities. Help turn their potential into something potent. Push your children to strive for greatness, and they’ll thank you later on in life. Remember, it’s a disgrace to let that talent go to waste!”
Episode 5 – “To Catch a Thief”
An obviously frustrated and revved-up Rev Run is searching Run’s House for his $700 belt. He can’t find it anywhere, and Run is certain that his son Russy is guilty of taking it. Run tells his wife, Justine, that he doesn’t mind Russy hiding things as a joke. But now it’s the “length of the joke” that’s becoming unacceptable, because family members have been losing their minds looking for stuff.
After giving up on finding his belt, Rev Run discovers that his son JoJo failed his driving test. Run thinks JoJo needs reassurance in order to build confidence in his ability to drive, so Run decides he’s going to allow JoJo to drive the Phantom, Run’s very expensive Rolls Royce. Justine looks at Run like he’s crazy, and warns him that JoJo better not run over her flowers.
Meanwhile, at their high-rise apartment in New York City, Vanessa and Angela bicker over the decor of their new digs. Vanessa thinks her style has character, but Angela insists that Vanessa’s “style” is boring.
In the driveway of Run’s House, Rev Run and JoJo gear up to hit the road for a driving lesson. JoJo struts confidently to the driver’s side but, once inside, he’s distracted like a kid in a candy store by the car’s buttons and gadgets, leaving Run second-guessing himself about whether or not this is a good idea.
Inside, Russy casually reads a magazine in his room, pretending to ignore his big brother Diggy who rushes in looking for his missing iPod. As Diggy frantically searches the room, Russy hides his face behind the magazine cracking a guilty grin.
Back in the Phantom, Rev Run insists that JoJo remove his hat and wipe his feet before driving the car. The nitpicking is too much for JoJo, who decides he’s done with this driving lesson. As JoJo opens the door to flee, Run yells “whoa,” which makes JoJo stop dead in his tracks. With a furrowed brow, Run quickly starts getting out of the car. They both rush toward the front door of the house to see who can “storm in first.”
That afternoon in NYC, Vanessa and Angela check out interior decorating books at Barnes and Noble. They get a lot of ideas, but who’s paying for their apartment’s new look? Why daddy, of course! So Vanessa and Angela call Justine, who says she’ll talk to Run about setting a budget.
Rev Run tells Justine that the driving lesson was a bust and JoJo can “walk the rest of his life.” Justine suggests that Vanessa and Angela teach JoJo to drive in exchange for some cash to decorate their apartment. Run likes the idea, but adds his own criteria — JoJo has to pass the driving test before the girls get any cash.
At this point, stuff is disappearing form the house left and right — Vanessa’s car keys, Rev Run’s remote control and Justine’s laptop computer among them. While Run and Justine are discussing the mysterious — and frustrating — disappearances, Russy runs to his room, jumps on his bed and uncovers the laptop that Justine’s been searching for. Giggling, Russy rolls off the bed with the laptop and hides it in his dresser drawer. “This is so much fun,” Russy says with a laugh.
Downstairs, JoJo’s happily snacking on chips until Rev Run tells him that Vanessa and Angela will be giving him driving lessons from now on. JoJo immediately objects: “I know how to drive!” Just then Diggy joins the conversation and complains about his missing iPod. When Run blames Russy, Justine comes to his defense, saying Russy just forgot where he hid it.
Right at that moment, Russy strolls into the kitchen to get a drink from the fridge, and the room fills with silence. After Russy leaves, Run says: “Everybody check to see if you’ve still got your wallet.” Run and Diggy have had enough of this nonsense and decide to team up on a mission to catch a thief. They plant a camcorder in a piñata in Russy’s room. Later, when Russy thinks the coast is clear, he reaches under his bed to pull out the missing belt that Run has been looking for, unwittingly exposing his misdeeds on camera.
Meanwhile, realizing that they really have to teach JoJo how to drive in order to get the money they need, Vanessa and Angela wrangle JoJo into the car. Angela sits in the passenger seat and Vanessa sits in the back as JoJo gets behind the wheel. As soon as JoJo starts the engine, the sisters give him conflicting instructions, making him so crazy that he turns around into the driveway, almost hitting the Phantom.
JoJo storms into the kitchen and starts complaining to Justine and Rev Run about his sisters. His parents explain that the arrangement has to work out. Otherwise Vanessa and Angela won’t get their apartment decorated and JoJo won’t get his driver’s license. The kids are far from enthusiastic, but decide to give it another shot.
This time around, JoJo’s driving lesson is a success. In fact, Vanessa and Angela are so confident that JoJo will pass his test that they expect their money right away. But Run makes it clear that they won’t get any cash until after JoJo passes.
Rev Run then gathers the entire family in their in-house movie theater for a special presentation. Russy sits front and center, anxious to see which movie they’ll be watching. Little does he know that this feature could be called “Russy’s Busted.” When it’s revealed where Russy’s been hiding everyone’s belongings, he covers his mouth in shock. Russy’s been caught red-handed!
In bed that night, Justine and Rev Run are reflecting on how JoJo’s driving has improved when Russy enters with a box full of everyone’s missing items. Run makes Russy vow to never play tricks like that again, and Russy says he’s learned his lesson.
“How do you know when you’ve taken a joke too far? When it’s no longer funny. What’s funny to one person might not be funny to another. Sometimes pushing peoples’ buttons can really turn you off. So treat people the way you want to be treated because there’s a time to play and a time to stop. Know what time it is!”
Episode 6 – “Home Alone”
As usual, there are a million things happening at Run’s House. For starters, Justine tells Rev Run that now that her children’s book is finished she’s nervous about promoting it. Run’s solution is for the two of them to relax at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in NYC the night before her first public book reading. But who’s going to watch the kids?
Rev Run thinks JoJo is the perfect candidate to take care of Russy and Diggy, so Run talks to JoJo about what it means to be a good babysitter. JoJo is confident that he can do the job. But when Justine finds out that Run is planning on leaving the boys home alone, she’s less than thrilled. Justine doesn’t think JoJo’s responsible enough to keep an eye on the younger boys.
As Rev Run and Justine discuss JoJo’s new babysitting gig, Angela calls to find out when she and Vanessa will be getting the cash Run promised them for helping JoJo pass his driver’s test. Run reminds Angela that JoJo hasn’t passed yet. But after slyly looking at Justine, Run tells Angela that because JoJo is “very responsible” he’ll surely pass the test, and the girls can get their money early. Justine shoots Run a look because she knows he’s just trying to get her to agree to let JoJo watch the house. It works, and Justine gives in.
Meanwhile, with the bundle of cash they just got from daddy, Vanessa and Angela head to Crate and Barrel. The girls don’t agree on much, but they both ooh and ah over a chair that’s “only” $1,300. Then Vanessa and Angela proceed to walk through the store picking up anything that catches their eye and making a list of furniture they want to buy. At the end of their shopping spree, they toss in two paintings without even batting an eyelash when they see the price tags. But when it’s time to pay, both of their debit cards are declined. Guess it’s time to call Daddy!
Justine is just starting to unwind at the hotel when the phone rings. It’s Vanessa and Angela, looking for their father — and their money. But Run went out for a walk, so they’ll just have to wait to buy their goodies.
At home, the boys are playing baseball in the yard, but JoJo’s roughhousing upsets Russy and he storms off and calls Justine to tell her he misses her. It’s enough to make Justine want to pack her things and head home. Just then, though, Rev Run comes back from his walk with some flowers, but it’s not quite enough to make her want to stay.
Russy eventually confesses to JoJo that he called Justine, and JoJo goes nuts because Russy is making him “look bad.” JoJo makes Russy call Rev Run and Justine to tell them everything’s really OK, and Justine reluctantly agrees to stay put.
With that fire quenched, Vanessa and Angela show up at the hotel to discuss their declined debit cards. Rev Run tells the girls that he put a lot of money on the cards, so they must have exceeded the limit. Vanessa and Angela swear they were only buying “necessities.”
While Justine successfully reads her book at the New York Public Library, JoJo, Diggy and Russy discuss how they want to do something special for her when she gets home. The boys decide to bake Justine some cookies … in a skillet on the stove! Obviously, they have no idea what they’re doing, and the cookies come out a gooey mess. When Rev Run and Justine return home, the boys proudly present their mom with their home fried cookies. Although the cookies look nasty, it doesn’t stop Justine from telling JoJo that she’s sorry she ever doubted that he could handle babysitting duty.
“When faced with a challenge, do you rise to the occasion? Sometimes when you push yourself, you surprise yourself. Responsibility creates opportunity, and then opportunity creates choice. Because when you have options, you can do anything you want. So make the world your oyster so your life can be your gem!”
Episode 7 – “Rev’s Birthday Suit”
Outside of Run’s House, Rev Run greets his friend Treach of Naughty by Nature, who has stopped by for lunch. Treach, who’s been rapping since the early 1990s, tells Run that he’s been working on some new rhymes. This is a revelation to Run, who starts bugging out after seeing Treach because he feels that he should be rhyming, too.
With Rev Run’s birthday coming up, the family wonders why he’s moping around instead of getting excited. Justine suggests having a party but, despite the fact that he’s a rap icon, Run doesn’t think anyone will show up. Although he’s feeling down in the dumps, Run decides to put the feelers out to see who might be interested in coming to his party.
Rev Run asks his son JoJo if his friends think Run-D.M.C. is cool. JoJo reminds Run that he’s a legend, and sums up Run’s fears as a “midlife crisis.” Run is shocked that JoJo would think he’s going through a midlife crisis, so he asks Russy and Diggy if they think he’s been acting weird. The boys don’t help matters when they agree with JoJo and say a midlife crisis is “when an old man buys 20 Lamborghinis.” After talking to his sons, Run feels worse than before, since he owns a Lamborghini and other fancy cars. Could he really be having a midlife crisis?
Meanwhile, Justine, Vanessa and Angela move forward with planning a birthday party for Rev Run. Justine tries to convince Run that a party will make him feel better, but now Run definitely doesn’t want one because he’s too worried that he’s having midlife crisis.
Justine pulls JoJo aside and tells him that his midlife crisis joke is causing Rev Run to shuffle around the house “like Ozzy Osbourne.” To try to boost Run’s mood, JoJo takes him to get a massage. During his massage, Run has an epiphany about his life and becomes adamant about not having a party. When Run gets home he confronts Diggy about his Lamborghini comment, saying: “A man in a midlife crisis buys a Corvette, but a man who buys a Lamborghini has no crisis.”
Despite the fact that Rev Run doesn’t want a party, Justine, Vanessa and Angela are still busy making plans. They quickly realize that it won’t be hard to fill a room with Run’s friends and fans because his name still carries a lot of weight in the hip-hop community.
On the morning of his birthday, Rev Run tells Justine that it’s his day and he wants to stay at home in his pajamas, which he calls his “birthday suit.” After some prodding, though, Justine successfully gets Run to get dressed and go out to dinner with the family. Little does he know that the surprise of a lifetime is in store for him!
As they roll up to “dinner” at Tenjune club in NYC, Rev Run spots a red carpet and the paparazzi and realizes that he’s not having a laid back dinner with family. When he enters the packed venue, Run is welcomed by the likes of Naughty by Nature, Good Charlotte and Redman. And, of course, Run quickly gets into the spirit of the night and takes the stage, rocking the house with a staple hip-hop rhyme: “Throw ya hands in the air, and wave ’em like you just don’t care!” The crowd goes nuts, and Run has the time of his life. “I should have a midlife crisis more often,” he says.
“How do you deal with getting older? Birthdays are a time of reflection. But don’t dwell on the life you left behind, appreciate the life that’s in front of you. Be present in the future and live for today. And remember, we should never look back!”
Episode 8 – “Family Albums”
At Run’s House, Rev Run chats with R&B/hip-hop producer Rockwilder about how his success escalated after producing “Dirrty” for Christina Aguilera. After being introduced to Rockwilder, Justine hurries to JoJo’s room to get the scoop on exactly who this guy is. JoJo rattles off a list of hit songs Rockwilder has produced. “He’s major out there,” JoJo tells her. Knowing that, Justine gets the performance bug and wants to start her music career again.
Justine approaches Rev Run about getting Rockwilder to produce some tracks for her. Run tells his wife that just one track could cost $50,000 but Justine doesn’t care. She thinks it’s time for her to make music again because, at 40 years old, she can’t waste anymore time getting back in the game.
In bed that night, Justine sings Anita Baker’s old-school R&B tune “Angel” for Rev Run to remind him how nice her singing voice is. He’s impressed, and vows to hook her up with Rockwilder.
After playing ball in the backyard, Russy’s pants are covered with grass stains. He tries to avoid Justine as he comes back in the house but she catches him and reprimands him for ruining his pants. Rev Run’s solution is to make Russy pay for new clothes by doing chores.
Russy thinks he’s in hot water when his dad walks into his room, until Rev Run hands him a wad of cash. “You’re the best dad in the world,” Russy says. But Run makes it clear that the money is for Russy to buy clothes and that he has to do chores to pay back the money.
Russy hits the H&M store in NYC with Vanessa and Angela but finds clothes shopping boring, so he drags his sisters to a nearby GameStop to check out video games. When Russy buys a Nintendo Wii, he tells his objecting big sisters that the money Rev Run gave him is his to spend as he pleases.
Back home, Rev Run and Justine anxiously await Russy’s return to see what he bought. Justine’s really disappointed when she sees what Russy bought with the money Run gave him for clothes. She sends Russy to his room, and blames Run for the whole mess.
In the Simmons family’s home recording studio, Justine once again sings the Anita Baker song, but this time to Rockwilder. When Rev Run stops by to hear Justine’s recording, he loves it and thinks they’ve got a hit on their hands.
Rev Run then pops into Russy’s room to find out why he bought the Wii. It doesn’t take long for Run to understand what the appeal is — once he picks up the game controller he can’t put it down. When Justine walks in on them both playing video games, Run’s busted! Run quickly tries to take control of the situation by sternly telling Russy he was wrong for buying games instead of clothes. But Justine doesn’t fall for it and tells Run that he and Russy both have to do chores to pay back the money.
As Russy and Rev Run haul trash out to the dumpster, Run complains: “Because of this Wii, now we gotta take out this garbage.” But the boys unwind after a long day of chores by playing with Russy’s new video games.
“Do you support the ones you love? When you listen, you support. But sometimes it takes more than ears to hear their inner song. Use your heart as a radio and tune into their frequency. Where there’s a push, there’s a play!”
Episode 9 – “Times Are Changin'” (Season Finale)
Early one morning at Run’s House, Rev Run and Justine prepare for a visit from an adoption representative. Yup, Run and Justine want to adopt a baby!
After talking about how to get the kids to “act natural” when the adoption representative comes to meet the family, Rev Run discusses the possibility of adoption with his big brother, Russell Simmons. Russell is all for Run adopting and advises: “Whenever you have resources, give them out. When you save one person, that’s saving yourself.”
Meanwhile, after filling out some college applications, JoJo discusses his college plans with friends over pizza. He says he can’t wait to do it big in the dorm with his friend Zach and have “five chicks every night.” Then quickly adds, “Don’t tell my girlfriend!”
At the New York Film Academy in NYC, Vanessa tells her acting instructor about her upcoming audition for the soap opera Guiding Light and asks what she can do to score the role. The instructor tells Vanessa that in order to succeed she has to have “talent and tenacity,” and she definitely has the talent.
In Diggy’s room, Justine tells her two youngest boys about the adoption plans. Justine tells them that she wants a little girl and asks how old they’d like their new sister to be. Diggy wants a newborn but Russy thinks the baby should be a little older. Later, Rev Run reminds the boys to act natural and dress up when the adoption representative comes to the house.
When Angela comes over, she helps JoJo write a college essay about who inspires him. JoJo decides he wants to write about his mother because she had kids when she was young and still went to college. Angela and JoJo bicker about how he should word the essay but eventually complete the paper successfully. Before leaving, Angela drops some advice: “College power. Stay in school. Get that knowledge.”
At the CBS Studios, Vanessa meets Guiding Light’s senior casting director, Rob Decina, and scores a screen test. Vanessa prepares for her audition at home by acting out a scene with Angela, and the result is hilarious!
After Rev Run has a talk with Russy and Diggy about the adoption, they surprise their mom by dressing up and pretending to be British. Justine’s not amused because they are supposed to act natural. They start arguing loudly, not realizing that the adoption representative is at the door. When Russy hears a knock he opens the front door. But when he sees who it is he shuts the door in the adoption representative’s face and runs back into the house to let Run and Justine know who’s there.
In the living room with the adoption representative, the family listens as Diggy recalls the day when Justine lost the baby. The memory is too painful for Justine, though, and she leaves the room, and Rev Run goes to comfort her. Before leaving, the adoption representative tells Run and Justine that they have “a fighting chance” at adopting a baby.
Back at CBS, Vanessa auditions with Guiding Light actor Lawrence St. Victor (aka “Remy Boudreau”). Angela thinks Vanessa nailed it, and the casting director tells Vanessa that he’ll be in touch.
When JoJo heads outside to put his college applications in the mailbox, Rev Run follows him and repeatedly tells him how proud he is of him. So proud, in fact, that he wants to give JoJo a hug and kiss, but JoJo’s not down with that and runs back into the house.
Sitting around their apartment, Vanessa’s amused by Angela’s playful reenactment of her audition. Just then, the phone rings. Vanessa answers and screams. It’s the casting director from Guiding Light. I guess she got the gig!
In bed that evening, Rev Run and Justine wonder how the adoption interview went. Even though Diggy and Russy were being silly, Run doesn’t think they have anything to worry about.
“How do you spell happiness? F-A-M-I-L-Y. Just like your kids, good times will come and go. So adjust to change and the constant flow. Life is what you make it, so you better make it count. Keep your eye on the prize, and your arms around those you love!”
MONDAY
Making the Band 4
Diddy has taken his shades off, so that means it’s down to business! Tyrice chat about “fighting” to stay in the house. Robert is having girl trouble back at home. He thinks his girl, June, is hanging out with his ex-boyfriend again. Donnie tells him to get his mind straight and stay focused on the ultimate prize here. Of course, June calls back and they have a “drama fight” on TV!
Everyone wants to sleep now. It’s 2:00 a.m., but no rest for them. Diddy is at the house and he wakes everyone up. Diddy tells the guys that they have to go on a marathon singing session. Seriously, this sounds absurd. It’s time to get Diddy some cheesecake. But while they do that, they have to walk to Times Square and sing for the crowd there for two hours. It’s to raise money for the homeless people. They pick up Diddy’s cheesecake and then they must walk to Queens and sing there for two hours. After that, it’s on to the Bronx and sing at Yankee Stadium for another hour. They then have to walk back across the George Washington bridge to go home. They have to keep singing the whole time. Time to separate the men from the boys.
It’s really cold and a lot of guys are already complaining. But they have to start singing in Times Square, They gather back up in their groups that were created last week. 37th Ave, which consists of Brian A., Jonathan, Donnie, and Robert, starts us off. Face, which consists of Maurice, Tyrice, Lewis, and Willie, keep the party going. Legit, which consists
of Julius, Brian H., Michael, and Dyshon, continues as the other guys collect money from people walking by. Switch, which consists of Qwanell, Dan, DeAngelo, and Chris, sing a little Justin Timberlake for us. Campus Block, which consists of Anzeo, Carlos, Armando, and Makio, finishes us off. However, Anzeo refuses to sing and risk getting sick for a big performance they have coming up later. Me thinks he won’t make it that far, if he doesn’t start singing like everyone else.
It’s on to Brooklyn and everyone already seems to be worn down. Dan says this will be the longest days of their lives and that seems to be true. They don’t forget Diddy’s cheesecake, though. Queens here they come! It’s 8 hours from when Diddy woke them up. The gang sings to a few women here. They also pick up a random homeless guy singing along with them. Jonathan was inspired by that guy singing. Anzeo keeps going on about being smart and saving their voices for later. 12 hours later they are in the Bronx, and Anzeo has stopped singing. Now it’s time to head home. They cross the George Washington bridge at 7:00 p.m., which is 17 hours after they started.
Then, for some reason the cops pull these guys over and tell them that they can’t continue across the bridge. But that was pretty pointless as they do it anyways and they make it back to Manhattan in front of Bad Boy Records. All of them make it, and after singing to a bunch of random girls, Diddy congratulates them on a job well done. He didn’t think he all of them would make it, but they did. Yeah, I was so sure that some people would be dropping like flies. But they are all still in the competition. Everyone passes out.
The next morning most of them are sick, though. Now they have to sing again in front of a big crowd at a club called “B.B. King” in Times Square. Everyone wonders if some guys will get cut later tonight. Brian A. and Anzeo get into a verbal fight now. Apparently Brian A. ate Anzeo’s eggs and he wants Brian to make him some more. Brian is not going to do it and they fight over eggs! HAHA! Some guys call them out on it, which is funny.
Now it’s time to sing. 37th Ave sang first and Diddy liked them. Campus Block was next. They didn’t do as well, because of their scratchy voices. Face is next and they start dancing. Not sure how well that went over, but they did okay. Except for Maurice strips his shirt off in the middle of the performance. That shocks everyone, including Diddy and his crew. Switch is up now and the crowd liked that one a lot. Legit is last and it’s Boyz II Men to finish us off.
Time to bring out the ax! The first person going back into the house is Brian A. Dyshon, Jonathan, Julius, Qwanell, Michael, Donnie, Lewis, Willie, Armando, Brian H., and Dan all make it back in as well. Chris and DeAngelo are in as well. Only two more names. Robert is in. One left. Carlos is the last one. So Anzeo, Tyrice, Makio, and Maurice all get cut!! Anzeo was too dramatic. Maurice made a mistake with taking shirt off. And Tyrice and Makio were forgettable, so no real big surprises here with the first cut.
TUESDAY
Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno 3
This is the finale. Six members of each team are left. The “Bad Asses” have a solid team, but the “Good Guys” are a team divided in half with Susie and Cara being on their own basically. The “Bad Asses” have won $90,000 so far, so each person gets $15,000 no matter what. The “Good Guys” have won $60,000, so each person gets $10,000. The final challenge is worth $150,000!!
Time for the final challenge! It’s called “The Big Five”. Each team gets 4 puzzle pieces to start with. Along the way, they collect more puzzle pieces and at certain checkpoints they must put together a puzzle of five animals in South Africa. The “big” animals are a lion, a leopard, a water buffalo, an elephant, and a rhino. The finish line is up in the mountains somewhere. Apparently, John wouldn’t pee on Susie or Cara if they were on fire. That might be fun, though.
The race begins! The first puzzle checkpoint is the “water buffalo”. If foreshadowing is any indication, the “good guys” should pull this out. Why you might ask? The entire time everyone is talking about how the “bad asses” are a solid team and will kick ass. Meanwhile, the “good guys” are fighting the entire time. Hmm… The “bad asses” pull ahead. Janelle can’t swim, though, which pisses Abram off. The puzzle pieces seem to be extremely heavy as well. The “bad asses” cruise past the two checkpoint, which is the “leopard”. On to the “rhino” checkpoint, and the “good guys” are still trying to catch up. Ace comments that putting the puzzles together is easy, but getting there is hard.
Now it looks like the “bad guys” are having problems. They run across a bunch of puzzle pieces on the road. Some people want to go back and pick them up, while others want to continue with what they have to see if they work. Could this be just some commercial drama for us or is it legit? They decide to carry what they have up to the top. Ah, but that’s okay as the “good guys” decide that they can’t carry all of them up at the same time either. Somehow, though, the “good guys” catch up with the “bad asses” as they get done with the “elephant” checkpoint. The “bad asses” go on to complete the final “lion” checkpoint first, though. They can no run to the finish line. Or more like roll down this hill and up a mountain. But the winners are “The Bad Asses”!!
Well that was original. They didn’t give up the winner. Derrick wins his first challenge, along with Abram, Kenny, Ev, Paula, and Janelle. BUt everyone who made it this far are winners, of course. They are all winners! HA! Cara says they lost because they weren’t a team to prove how smart she is. Each “Bad Ass” wins $40,000 each. Time for the video package of memories and we are out until the next challenge, which should premiere in a couple of months!
Rob & Big
Rob is a homewrecker. I feel your pain man! I have to agree with Rob here. Apparently, Rob was messing around with this girl and it turns out she has a boyfriend. Rob said he didn’t know, so you have to blame the girl. She’s a “dirrrty girl”. Big Black says he has to blame the guy, being Rob, for messing around with some other dude’s girl. Rob is right. He can’t help it, if attached women love him.
Bam Bam, a member of the rap group called “The Chunky Boys” and a friend of Rob & Big, spits out some rhymes while Rob dances. Rob decides to write his own song about “dirty girls”. It’s more of a R&B song more than a rap, though. His stage name is “Bobby Light” But then they get the bright idea to make a music video. Somehow this leads to them calling Uncle Jerry.
You remember Big Black’s Uncle Jerry, right? “Are you good?” Yeah, he was the crazy uncle. Well they fly him to Los Angeles and give him a taste of their lifestyle. Rob & Big REALLY like Bud Light! By the way, Rob is “doing it”, but Uncle Jerry is “doin’ it”. That only makes sense in Uncle Jerry’s drunk mind. Time for Rob to get pimped out for his video. He gets an assist from the most famous pimp of them all, Don “Magic” Juan. “This is as official as a referee with a whistle!”
They all go back to the house and shoot this crazy “80’s style” music video. It’s not half bad actually. Big Black’s rapping is the best part. “Bobby Light does the ladies right!” In the end, Uncle Jerry has to say goodbye but Rob tells him that he is his uncle now as well. Uncle Jerry is crazy, but he’s a good guy nonetheless.
WEDNESDAY
Reunited: The Real World Vegas
It seems that during the original season of this show Steven and Frank didn’t get along with Alton that well. For this “reunited” show, they are much better friends. Steven doesn’t know what happened, but Alton is more awesome now. I think it’s called growing up. Of course, they point out that Steven likes to joke about white people since he is white. That will come up again later.
Meanwhile, Brynn’s three-year-old son, Halen, is coming to visit her. But first Brynn has to bump and grind with Irulan and Arissa. Brynn says she is just making adult decisions now. Arissa says that she is proud of Brynn. It also seems that Brynn has not drank any alcohol yet on this season. I think that all ended that night, though. Oh well, it’s Las Vegas. Halen comes and visits the next day and he is obsessed with the hot tub. We get various shots of Brynn and Steven and Trishelle in the hot tub. So it must have been passed on to Halen. Trishelle admits she knows nothing about kids as she didn’t know that Halen could talk at his age.
Time to get down to serious business now. There is a gambling competition for all the roommates. They have to make at least one bet with the money they are given, which is $1,000. They have two hours to make as much money as possible. Whoever has the most at the end gets EVERYONE’s money! Alton suggests they split the money at the end, since he hasn’t really gambled before. Steven doesn’t think so. He wants it all, which causes Alton to call Steven “white and Jewish”. Steven doesn’t like that and calls Alton racist. Steven is not even Jewish, but he thinks Alton is just believing in the stereotype that Jews are greedy. Steven thinks that is the same as Steven calling Alton the “n-word”. I think it’s pretty stupid. Yeah, Alton probably shouldn’t call Steven a Jew like that because it is wrong, but Steven is not a Jew anyways so it’s not really the same thing. It doesn’t really matter anyways as it’s obvious it was something to fight about, which Irulan points out in the elevator.
Time to gamble now. Everyone but Frank are doing just that. Frank hopes that everyone blows all their money first, so that he can clean up and gamble with a hour left and win it all! Smart plan, if it works. Alton is a first-time gambler. Steven is still talking about Alton calling him a Jew. Irulan and Trishelle bust out first. Arissa is next. Steven looks to be ahead as he wins $1,000 in one hand of Blackjack. Frank blows his entire $1,000 on one hand of Blackjack. Alton also looks to be a big winner. He made some money over the $1,000. Brynn is still alive as well, but she risks all of her money on a craps bet. Good lord. She had to do it, though, as Steven has more than what she has or so she thinks. Right as the time limit expires, she rolls a 7 so that makes her the winner! Lets count up the money now. Alton finished with $1,490. Steven had $2,006, though. Brynn only got up to $1,936. Steven takes home all the money! Actually, he lets Brynn keep her money because she is a mother. Steven says he will take Alton’s money.
We finish up with more Jew talk. Steven tells Alton that he can’t generalize like that. But he tells him to drop the subject. Frank says it just came out of nowhere. I agree there. Irulan says that Alton is not racist. He probably shouldn’t have stated that stereotype, but he often speaks without thinking. Irulan thinks that was the case here. Steven and Alton then talk things out. But surprise, everything is not okay. It seems like everything was going to be okay, but then Steven keeps on and that just keeps Alton talking about it so they are not friends now and they won’t be after the show. Alton says he is sorry that it hurt his feelings, but he figured that Steven would joke around with and laugh it off like a friend. Steven took it the wrong way and let it bother him too much, eventhough Alton shouldn’t have said what he said and that’s that. Next week is the finale of the show!
THURSDAY
Wild N’ Out
This week’s guest is Fabolous. He’s a rapper, if you didn’t know. I don’t know if he’s actually funny, though. He also leads the black team, which consists of Taran Killam, Corey Holcomb, Mikey Day, Rob Hoffman, and Biz Markie. The red team is Nick Cannon along with Affion Crockett, Spanky Hayes, Brandon T. Jackson, Leonard Robinson, and Shawty.
The first round is called “Don’t Push Me Cuz I’m Close to the Edge”. Team members will stand on the edge of a ledge. They will tell sad stories of themselves and whoever has the most pathetic life gets a push off the ledge from the “grim reaper”. Lovely. I have to give this round to the red team and the winner is Affion Crockett.
The second round is called “Breaking Up is Hard To Do”. Team members will have to break up with a Wild N’ Out girl. If their breakup lines are funny, they get a ding. If not, they get a buzzer. Hmm, that wasn’t funny at all really. I’m afraid I will have to give this round to the black team and the winner by default is Fabolous.
The third round is called “Star Sightings”. This game is usually funny. Team members go into the crowd and try to find people that look like celebrities. This was a close one, but I will give it to the red team. The winner for this round is Nick Cannon.
The final round is “WildStyle”. Both teams freestyle rap against each other as you should know by now. Well that was an interesting round as the red team pretty much gave way for Fabolous to diss them all. So I really have to give this round to the black team and Fabolous as the winner. That means it’s a tie for the show. However, I’m going to have give this show to the Red Team! Why? That would have won hands down, if they hadn’t thrown the game and give Fabolous a chance to shine. So boo to them, but for the first time I’m giving the MVP award to Fabolous. He wasn’t on the winning team, but he was given the chance to shine so it had to be him. That’s a first for me, but this was a weird show.
And that ends the 43th volume of the “MTV Mix”! If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or feedback of any kind..send them my way!!
I’ll see you next time when we mix things up a bit!
