Today's Entertainment

2 • February 2 - 8, 2020 • Brainerd Dispatch By Breanna Henry TV Media T here is an absolute smorgas- bord of reality television to choose from these days, and per- formance competitions make up a large percentage of the most watched. It seems like we can't get enough of shows like "American Idol," "The Voice" and "America's Got Talent," but there's one such series that sets itself apart from the rest. Season 3 of "The Masked Sing- er" premieres Sunday, Feb. 2, on Fox, right after Super Bowl LIV, and the new installment of this si- multaneously strange and beauti- ful series promises to be bigger and better than ever. Series host Nick Cannon ("Berserk" 2019) re- turns along with the previous sea- sons' judges: actors Ken Jeong ("The Casagrandes") and Jenny McCarthy ("Return of the Mac") are back on the panel with musi- cians Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger. This time around, there are 18 new masked mystery celebrities — more than any sea- son so far. Unlike most performance com- petitions, "The Masked Singer" does not recruit previously un- known talents to vie for a prize. In this reality series, it's celebrities who face off against one another for fan votes, and each episode features spectacular musical per- formances. The catch is that the celebrities are wearing elaborate costumes that conceal their identi- ties. Referred to only by the name of their costume, a contestant is not unmasked until they are voted off of the show, and despite Nick Can- non's shouts of "I knew it!" and hints given throughout, the final reveal is al- ways a shock. The man or woman behind the mask could be anyone. The Season 1 contestant known as The Raven turned out to be talk show host Ricki Lake, and last season's Ice Cream and Thingamajig shocked audiences when they revealed themselves to be professional video gamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins and NBA star Vic- tor Oladipo, respectively. While some of the masked singers are re- cording artists by trade — such as the Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight, who took third place in Season 1, and last season's high- ranking competitors Patti LaBelle, Seal and runner-up Chris Daughtry — most are taking a leap, amaz- ing judges, fans and even them- selves with their vocal chops. Simply imagining the celebs that could ap- pear on the upcom- ing season of "The Masked Singer" is fun — and imagin- ing is all we can do. Series produc- ers have said that a mere 25 people actually know the identities of the contestants before the big reveals. The story behind the series is a good one. Sometime in 2018, Smart Dog Media (a reality television produc- tion company) CEO Craig Plestis became distracted, as we all so of- ten are, by the TV while dining out in Thailand. Looking around, Ples- tis noticed that most of the guests had abandoned both their conver- sations and their meals in favor of watching the weird program airing on the television. It featured a "crazy kangaroo in a pleather out- fit" dancing around on stage and singing. Entranced by what he had seen (and the other diners' reac- tions to it), Plestis and his dining companions didn't even finish their food before beginning to research the series. He discovered that the program originated in South Korea in 2015 as "King of Mask Singer" (or the much more fun literal translation, "Mystery Music Show: Masked Singer's King"). By the time Plestis saw it for the first time, the show had already become a franchise, expanding to China, Indonesia, Vietnam and, of course, Thailand. As culture and values vary across the globe, so does the ap- proach to television. Although American media dominates the airwaves in most of the English- speaking world, most people are able to spot shows that don't origi- nate in the U.S. for multiple rea- sons, perhaps without even know- ing why. Even muted, shows that come from across the pond can be identified by many people, thanks to technological differences that cause film to relay and display dif- ferently on screen (you can re- search the American color encod- ing system NTSC vs. the British sys- tem PAL for more insight). Those who are used to the ultra- HD, high-contrast look of American films might describe the look of Brit- ish shows like "Doctor Who" and "Coronation Street" as slightly hazy or dream-like. But sometimes it's the content of a series that betrays its or- igins, as is the case with "The Masked Singer." Take one look at the utterly glorious absurdity that is this show, and it evokes the same distinctly non-American feelings that other adaptations are known for — consider the dry humor of Britain's "The Office," the interests of the tit- ular character in Venezuelan series "Jane the Virgin" and the over-the- top costuming and acting in Japan's "Power Rangers." Musical mystery Season 3 of 'The Masked Singer' premieres after Super Bowl LIV Cover Story this week Nick Cannon hosts "The Masked Singer" A Little Late With Lilly Singh I'm not a fan of the New Year's kiss, mostly because I usually spend New Year's with my family, and I'm not trying to be Cersei Lannister. I don't need to explain to anyone why, historically, the tradition of beauty pageants is problematic. Women's looks were judged more than their accomplishments, and the only place with more creepy old men hanging around was Jeffrey Epstein's private plane. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon According to a new poll, Republican's top choices for president in 2024 include Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. Meanwhile, Eric just got his tongue unstuck from a pole he licked at Christmas. Tonight was the season premiere of "The Bachelor." The new bachelor is Peter, and he's actually a pilot for Delta. When he was sitting by the fire on a date, and the girl asked for a blanket, he was like, "That'll be $9." The Late Show With Stephen Colbert While the Middle East is getting all the headlines, there are also some smaller, quirky little headlines you may have missed. For instance, the president of the United States was impeached. Remember that? Harry and Meghan are stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family! Do you have any idea what that means? Because I have no idea! There are senior levels of royal? I thought it just went like: King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Jack of Spades, boy wizard, Dukes of Hazard and then cartoon mouse that sews Cinderella's dress. The Late Late Show with James Corden Uber is launching a new service that will let users find rides that allow animals. At least when you get into one of these ubers there's a reason it's covered in hair and smells disgusting. Late Laughs 218-829-5278 321 South 7th Street Suite 105 • Brainerd, MN 56401 Sunday, June 28, 2020 10 am to 4 pm Located in Gregory Park Brainerd MN 56401 JOIN US! Come See Some Amazing Art Talents At Work! (Artists, Food Vendors, Family Activities, Guitarists & Singer/Song Writers) Truth Lutheran Church 501 Kingwood Street, Brainerd, MN (Corner of 5th & Kingwood) truthlutheranchurch.com An LCMC Congregation …Lutheran Congregation in Mission for Christ Sunday worship 9 AM Fellowship and Sunday school following worship. Ash Wednesday Service February 26 7pm. Downloadthe"VistBrainerd"App intheAppleorGooglePlayStores. Events,lodgingandthingstodo inthepalmofyourhand. VISITBRAINERD PlanningYour VisittoBrainerd JustGotEasier. TheOfficialDMOforBaxterandBrainerd,MN EntertainmentGuide_July_2x4.indd 1 6/26/2019 12:42:53PM

• Cover