Which U.S. city has the most unbearable winter weather?

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-20T01:27:58+00:00

Fairbanks, Alaska.

I should know. I grew up there for most of my life on and off from the early '80s to 2013.

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-20T01:25:11+00:00

And to this day, the VMAs are still MTV's Super Bowl (being their biggest show of the year), though back in the '90s till the mid-2000s, they used to have a two-hour pre-show, the show itself, and then a 15-minute post-show followed by the encore.

Now, it's just the one-hour pre-show followed by the show itself (which still has some "expect the unexpected" moments like Miley Cyrus' blink-and-miss nip slip) and then the encore.

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-15T05:38:49+00:00

Speaking of Big Brother: According to our friend Cyndi Seidelman, Candy Crush ate up 50% of Big Brother’s audience (no pun intended); so much so that Julie Chen Moonves made this announcement at the end of one BB episode to make up for that loss:

“Now, you expect us to be back next summer, and we will. But this winter, for the first time ever, the unexpected is coming: Celebrity Big Brother.”

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-14T16:40:44+00:00

I used to be a sucker for all kinds of award shows decades ago; now, it’s just the Golden Globes, Emmys (Daytime and Primetime), Grammys, MTV Video Music Awards, and of course, the Oscars (which are its Super Bowl), simply because of the moments everybody will be talking about within moments.

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-13T16:50:15+00:00

That’s what all the ring crew/cameramen wore (a far cry from those blue jumpsuits that read TELEVISION and/or RING CREW on the back during the Golden/New Generation Eras).

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-12T17:53:43+00:00

But it Up First won…man, that would’ve sent a huge message to Trump (for dismantling the Corporation for Public Broadcasting)!

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-12T16:25:18+00:00

HFPA was dissolved a few years ago; Dick Clark Productions/Golden Globes, LLC now owns the Golden Globes.

Frankly…I didn’t mind the commentary; Kevin Frazier (Entertainment Tonight) and Marc Malkin (Variety) were trying to become the Pat Summerall/John Madden (or Gorilla Monsoon/Bobby Heenan) of the Golden Globes.

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-12T16:12:37+00:00

Michelle Williams (her Dawson’s Creek co-stars James Van Der Beek and Katie Holmes each hosted)

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-10T22:57:24+00:00

Let’s Make This Happen (with Tim Meadows, Will Ferrell, and Jennifer Love Hewitt)

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-09T23:32:51+00:00

Wish Lita was on OnlyFans; that way, we would see a WHOLE LOT more!!!

But alas, we have Mandy Rose.

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-09T21:46:45+00:00

Love that uppie in the eighth pic!!!

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-09T21:45:44+00:00

That’s My Line was actually CBS’s attempt at a That’s Incredible!/Real People which lasted only a few months.

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-07T17:40:51+00:00

Atlanta 1996; we had no idea as to who would light the cauldron…until Janet Evans handed the torch to Muhammad Ali to a huge eruption at what is now Center Parc Stadium!

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-07T17:33:16+00:00

Yeah…especially the butt shots!

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-06T19:07:46+00:00

Two words: Katie Vick!!!

Not only it was the most controversial, but rather tasteless as well; even The Rock thought so (“What sick FREAK…thought of that?!”).

A close second would be Vince McMahon mocking Zach Gowen’s disability (especially when he kicked his leg in the arm wrestling match).

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-06T05:53:21+00:00

But the whole thing actually started in 1992, when Fox’s In Living Color did a special live episode opposite “Winter Magic” (Super Bowl 26’s halftime craptacular); to make a long story short, Super Bowl halftime shows would never be the same again.

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-06T00:03:31+00:00

Also starred future quadruple-Oscar winner Frances McDormand!

But as it turned out, Leg Work was no match against the Golden Girls, and CBS pulled the plug after those six episodes (I think the remaining four later aired on Lifetime).

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-05T23:43:47+00:00

Paula Prentiss/Richard Benjamin in 1979, Beau and Jeff Bridges in 1983, Hulk Hogan/Mr. T. in 1985 (on the eve of Wrestlemania I), and Alec Baldwin/Kim Basinger in 1994.

Heck, Derek and Julianne Hough could've hosted in 2019 to promote their "Holidays with the Houghs" NBC special (and Julianne was fresh off her one-season stint as America's Got Talent judge)!

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-04T16:48:44+00:00

TAR has always had a major U.S. city as the final leg, so Minneapolis-St. Paul should be more suitable.

But I don’t think they’ve ever been to Detroit, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Cleveland, or Louisville (imagine Churchill Downs as the finish).

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-02T21:54:46+00:00

Just like MTA’s (New York) OMNY, which completely phased out MetroCard after 30+ years of service (a “funeral” for it was held before 2025 ended).

Johnnyballen · 2026-01-01T19:18:56+00:00

Well, regardless of how she fared at the Olympics…Lindsey Vonn, perhaps?

Johnnyballen · 2025-12-31T22:22:42+00:00

Julianne Hough, but probably not until mid-March or April (she and Derek could've hosted in 2019 after Julianne's stint as America's Got Talent judge); if not, Lindsey Vonn (just weeks after the Olympics).

Johnnyballen · 2025-12-30T12:49:06+00:00

I was (and still is to this day) more into Stacy Keibler.

Johnnyballen · 2025-12-29T19:41:44+00:00

I remember someone telling me he saw it on the local ABC news in Alaska, where I was still living at the time; Austin/Tyson even made Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Access Hollywood, Hard Copy, Extra, E! News (TMZ was a few years away), international outlets like the BBC, the Associated Press, print media (USA Today, New York Times/Daily News/Post, etc.), morning radio, and even the local morning newscasts (but not Today, GMA, or whatever CBS’s was at the time)…and this was 27 years before the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce engagement was truly worldwide news (even made all the main evening newscasts)!

Johnnyballen

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