As I sat down to watch my three DVRed episodes of The X Factor yesterday, I noticed that there was no host for these past few episodes. I’d known Steve Jones was removed, and I like that decision because I though he was pretty robotic. I’ve heard rumors floating around about new hosts (Kardashian? ugh) as well as Mario Lopez (who I quite liked when he hosted America’s Best Dance Crew – although he’ll always be Slater to me).

But I actually liked the “no host approach” to these auditions. It felt a little more like a narrative without the annoying voiceover repeating things that have already been said, and there is less wasted time with the host onstage — meaningless banter, unnecessary announcements, repetitive interviews with contestants, and grating personalities.

However, what I found a little creepy was that the portions of the show happening in between the singing had that Real Housewives/The Hills/”scripted reality” show feel. The contestants talking smack about one another was dumb. Yet, I found the judges’ conversations in the dressing room/makeup room kind of endearing.

I guess when the host(s) return, I’ll be able to better see what I prefer. But I put this question out to my fellow Clackers: do you prefer The X Factor, or any talent competition really, with or without a host? Is a host actually needed when there are now tons of judges, all with unique (and sometimes clashing) personalities of their own? Here’s what they had to say.

Jeremy: I have found these episodes far more watchable than the first season — but the backstage stuff is really hit or miss. Sometimes it’s about the obvious villain setup which can be a bit tiresome, but the dynamic of the judges is a lot more interesting than with Nicole the Black Hole of Charisma.

Carla: I only watched the first episode last year and then a few minutes here and there. I’ve watch all of this season so far and I love the judges.

When the show moves to the live format it will have 2 hosts. Khloe Kardashian and Mario Lopez are the favorites, but Khloe’s running into contract problems with E! The other potential host is Corbin Bleu.

Me: Yeah, I actually really like Britney and Demi – more than I thought I would.

Tara: I covered this show last year. Here and there, I’ve caught moments, but I sat and watched it tonight.

Anyway, I guess I’m in the minority here, because Britney and Demi leave me cold. I guess anything is preferable to Nicole, as Jeremy pointed out. But Britney looks half dead even with twelve tons of makeup on, and I wonder why I should give a rat’s ass what Demi Whoever says.

The “Camina Burana” music in the background causing needless drama, and the canned and edited responses of the audience give it an even more false feel for something that was taped live. (The girls in the audience crying when they see Britney is just over the top.)

The absence of Steve Jones is welcome, I agree.

And even though I’ll love Simon forever, he seems like he’s trying to talk me into believing they’re finding the next “star” here. There’s no driving force here. Nothing to keep it moving and exciting. That’s why a host is desperately needed. Say what you will or won’t about Crusty, but he can keep you interested. Lord help us all if it’s a Kardashian. I’m not understanding host or judge picks for most of these singing shows lately.

I’m liking The Voice a lot better than this show. The blind auditions are fun.

Me: Tara, I feel exactly the same way about the music! That’s one of the main reasons I stopped watching The Biggest Loser.

Michael: Between The Voice and The X Factor, there sure is a lot of monkey business going on.

Hosts sometimes make the grandest of impressions … usually unintentionally.

• Ryan Seacrest of American Idol attempting to high-five a legally blind Scott MacIntyre.
• Steve Jones on last season’s The X Factor announcing the ousted one evening: “… in no particular random order …”
• Vernon Kay on Skating With The Stars (there are so many):

1. “Welcome to Skating With The ***** … !!!” Vernon exuded while spreading his hands out wide as could be and effectively losing his voice in the process for lack of a mike at the last word.
2. “If you like watching stars fall over — and who doesn’t? — you’ve come to the right place!” Vern gushed at the start of the show.
3. “Still standing — so far, so good!” Vern noted part way through!
4. “Tune in next week for Round Two!” Vern cried as he held up all five fingers of his left hand

Shows need hosts. Please.

When Kardashian comes on, I don’t expect anything from her. I’m reserving judgment. I have no point of reference when it comes to those folks.

P.S. The Voice is killing me right now, what little I’ve seen of it. Christina‘s chest is falling out all over the place, Cee Lo is pointless, Adam is annoying as all get out, Blake is verging on ridiculous. I’m with Tara — thus far, Britney and Demi are lethargic and verging on Ellen Degeneres on Idol.

What do you think, viewers? Is The X Factor better off without a host, or would something crucial be missing?

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To many, the start of the Fall season means going back to school, wearing a light jacket or sweater, and feeling justified in ignoring your month-old pedicure. To me, it means all things pumpkin; most notably, coffee and beer.

Yesterday I tweeted: “Let’s be honest. Starbucks‘ ‘Reunite with Fall Flavors’ sign should just read, ‘Reunite with your reason to live.’ #pumpkinaddict”

It was sort of a joke, until I realized today that I was walking into my house with a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte in one hand and a box of Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin K-Cups in the other. And I’d done the drive-thru at Dunkin’ early that morning, too.

Part of me realizes that it’s the fact that I’ve just had a baby, and am very, very tired, that makes me more likely to succumb to coffee’s charms. But it’s not just any coffee. It’s that intoxicating pumpkin flavor.* I just can’t get enough of it!

My husband doesn’t share my sentiment for the pumpkin nectar. He says, “Why does Dunkin’ Donuts think that ‘pumpkin’ is the same thing as ‘nutmeg and allspice?’ The pumpkin coffee does not taste like pumpkin.”

Once he said that, I started to realize that he was right. But it still tastes damn good.

My husband does enjoy pumpkin beers, though, as do I. But do they taste more “pumpkiny” than the coffee? I don’t know. I may need your opinions on that one.

One thing I’ve noticed is that pumpkin came around a lot earlier this year. I savored my first sip in late August, which, even for me, is a bit too early. That’s the flavor equivalent of Costco stocking Christmas decorations in September (which I saw on Sunday, by the way). Personally, I think it would be more appropriate to roll pumpkin out after Labor Day and stop by Thanksgiving, when all the holiday lattes start coming out.

But I think I understand the early arrival, and I’ll compare it to something we’re all familiar with. You know how Friday is awesome, because it’s the start to the weekend, but sometimes Thursday night is even better, because you’re anticipating Friday? (Yes, how depressing that I’m mourning the end of the weekend before it begins!) Well, maybe people need pumpkin early, because it allows them to get excited for the holidays by anticipating the gingerbread lattes of Thanksgiving, and the peppermint lattes of Christmastime. It’s a little teaser that allows the holiday season to creep earlier and earlier into mid-year. And it makes sense to satisfy the masses early.

Because summer is wonderful for people just by definition. School’s out, many are on vacation, the smell of food cooking on the grill tantalizes us on an almost daily basis, and the mood is carefree. People get depressed after Labor Day — at least teachers like myself do. They need a reason to get up in the morning, to get through the day. Hence, the pumpkin latte and my half-serious tweet.

Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, and others have a whole “theme” going as well. Every time I pull up to the drive-thru (which, admittedly, is way too often), I see a big sign with a phrase like, “Pick Your Favorite Pumpkin,” or, as I referenced in my tweet, “Reunite With Fall Flavors.” And there’s a latte, a regular flavored coffee, an iced coffee — which just seems wrong — and a pumpkin treat, like a muffin, scone, or donut. Here’s a recent article about the “Pumpkin Wars” between popular coffee chains which made me laugh when it talks about pumpkin superfans who crashed an app meant to promote the flavor.

Now that I’ve done entirely too much analysis on why people love the pumpkin, I’m going to give you a list of my favorite pumpkin-flavored things!

In the Coffee Category:

First Place: Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. A tad expensive, but it has the perfect mix of sweetness and spice, and even texture if you opt for the whipped cream and nutmeg. A real treat.

Second Place: Dunkin’ Donuts’ Pumpkin coffee (regular, with cream). You don’t need any sugar in this baby! It tastes a little less indulgent than the Starbucks latte, but really satisfies, especially since a medium (14 oz.) is a good two bucks less than a tall (12 oz.) at Starbucks. In fact, they don’t charge extra at all for the pumpkin syrup.

Third Place: Caribou Coffee’s Pumpkin Latte. Not as awesome, maybe even a little bitter, but still pretty good. Caribou also has a Pumpkin-flavored Chai as well as — get this — a Pumpkin White Chocolate Mocha (dare to guess how many calories are in that bad boy?! Yeah, neither do I).

Honorable mentions go to two coffee houses that are local to the Cleveland area: Erie Island Coffee Company in Rocky River and Loop in Tremont offer up a fantastic pumpkin latte as well.

In the Beer Category:

First Place: Southern Tier’s Pumking. This is generally touted as the cream of the crop when it comes to pumpkin beers (though I know a couple of people who say it’s too sweet). For me, the sweeter the better! My husband said that he tastes buttered popcorn (think of the Jelly Belly flavor). I guess I can see that. I still love it.

Second Place: Ace California‘s Pumpkin Cider. Not beer, technically, but still included. I love cider, and this is no exception. Again, it’s on the sweeter side — think Woodchuck rather than Magner’s.

Third Place: Hoppin’ Frog’s Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale. A more balanced beer, with subtle notes of pumpkin instead of an overly sweet, in-your-face flavor. A crowd-pleaser.

So now that I’ve either turned you onto, or steered you away from, the pumpkin offerings of the season, you’ll be well-informed!

*Which, I’m sure, is entirely artificial. But I’m okay with that.

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I recently underwent the daunting task of starting to watch One Tree Hill — in its entirety — for the very first time. In the first installment of my Virgin Diary, I noted my utter distaste for two out of four members of the Scott family: Dan and Nathan. While Dan’s “redemption” is debatable (and is perhaps fodder for an entirely different post), Nathan becomes an entirely different character in the time that spans between the series’ pilot episode and its finale.

After watching One Tree Hill’s pilot episode, I jotted down my initial reactions to each character. I had described Nathan as “vile, disgusting, self-centered, arrogant, [and] cruel.” I don’t think any OTH fan would say that those words are appropriate for the mature family man of the later seasons, particularly the last two. Nathan made some mistakes in his life, such as throwing a basketball game for the guy who loaned him money, or getting into a bar fight or two when his buttons were pushed. But none of those things seemed to matter at the end of the series, when Nathan is seen as the hero of the show. (And this isn’t only because he was kidnapped and nearly killed.)

Some may argue that Nathan’s transformation happened early on, when he started dating (and later married) Haley James. It definitely didn’t hurt his character to be with Haley, that’s for sure. But he was still easily angered, holding a grudge at Lucas for living with their father (and, later, for not dropping the investigation on their father). He was also immature, not understanding that the proper reaction to “I’m pregnant” is “WOW! THAT’S TERRIFIC! I’M GONNA BE A DAAAAD!” instead of how he reacted initially, which was by giving practically no reaction whatsoever. (He later redeemed himself with the press conference, when he announced that he and Haley would decide together where he would play.)

No, Nathan’s character still had a ways to go to become fully awesome. When season 5 opens, we are face-to-face with a scary, depressed, wheelchair-confined Nathan who blatantly ignored his son. Poor Jamie was trying to play basketball with his dad, and was met instead with a blank stare. Thankfully, he got over this soon enough and started being a more suitable father. However, the whole Nanny Carrie incident made us think twice about his integrity, as did the allegations in Season 8 that he fathered a random fan’s baby.

So what happens, then, to change him? Is it one thing or everything? Or is it just time? As I recount all the various ways in which Nathan screwed up, it’s hard to pinpoint what, exactly, turned him around. I actually think that there was no one incident that did this, but rather, a series of tough breaks that eventually weathered him just enough to be a likable and sympathetic character.

Nathan is driven. His dream was to be in the NBA, and he got there despite various setbacks along the way. But later, he realizes that playing isn’t as important as his family. His injury was too much of a risk. The old Nathan would have taken some pills like he did in an early episode, but this new Nathan understands that being a professional basketball player just isn’t the most important thing in the world. (However, I was very happy to see Jamie’s #12 jersey in the finale surpassing his father’s as top scorer, and the whole gang gathering together to watch the game. This shows that the love of the game, and the Tree Hill community, is still in tact.)

Maybe it’s the void that Lucas left that makes us want to place Nathan into the “sweet spot” in the heart of viewers. Lucas was cerebral, always quoting famous authors and going off for pensive walks. Nathan was the opposite of his brother: he expressed his emotions physically and rather impulsively. When Lucas left the show, Nathan’s character had to grow in order to fill the need for a sensitive, reflective guy who everyone roots for. Whatever the case, I know that I was rooting for Nathan in a way I never expected.

Each of the other characters developed in their own way: Brooke settled down and became more responsible and self-sufficient; Mouth allowed his love of broadcast journalism and philanthropy to converge in his career; even Dan did everything in his power to make up for killing his brother. But Nathan’s initial persona — the smug, self-absorbed jock who got everything handed to him — has completely disappeared. In his place is a mature husband, father, friend, and sports agent who appreciates what life has to offer, because his experience has made him realize that it might not be there tomorrow. As Nathan himself said in the finale:

“It’s the oldest story in the world. One day you’re 17 and planning for someday. And then quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life.”

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