Real Housewives of Lima, Ohio

I don't watch any of the Real Housewives shows on Bravo - I have no interest and figure they're about as real as Desperate Housewives - and generally dislike it when one of the women on the show crosses over into the mainstream for some reason.

But I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at NeNe Leakes' turn as McKinley High synchronized swimming coach Roz Washington. It's wasn't the most nuanced performance - she basically yelled all of her lines at Sam Evans in one go - but it seemed to fit the character. I think in very limited doses, she could become a fun part of the show.

That being said, how does McKinley afford a synchronized swim team? Shouldn't they take that money and put it towards hiring teachers who, I don't know, teach? Or maybe an assistant principal who can roam the halls and take down slushy assailants? I know making a list of the improbable goings-on on Glee could be a full-time job, but this one's been sticking in my head for a while.

(That and the fact that Rachel and Kurt only seemed to know about NYADA when Emma told them about it. In what universe do two hyper-motivated Broadway wannabes not know about this school? It's almost as unbelievable as Rachel not knowing Cats had wrapped.)

And It Stoned Me

While we only watched the first season of Top Chef Masters (the second season aired at a bad time for us to commit DVR space), I was somewhat interested in catching the new season until I saw that it was now being hosted by Australian chef Curtis Stone. While not a huge fan of former host Kelly Choi, I think I'd prefer her somewhat robotic demeanor to Stone, who I only know through his TV ads.

He's apparently hosted a show on TLC and has popped up on a variety of reality shows (most notably a season of The Celebrity Apprentice, which gives you an idea of just how much of a "celebrity" chef he is, at least by US terms), so I suppose he's qualified to host a cooking show on basic cable. Probably moreso than competing, given that who the two winners have been. I mean, I don't know how skilled he is in the kitchen, but it's a short list of people who could top Rick Bayless or Marcus Samuelsson.

Anyway, I find Stone to smug by half and will likely sit this season out. I'll also admit to not being thrilled by the contestant lineup, featuring a dozen chefs I don't recognize by name (I never claimed to be that deep into chefs).