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LatiNation is a nationally syndicated, half-hour program that shines the spotlight on Latin culture in the U.S. The program is broadcast to over 90 markets across the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
In December, the show's hosts Desi and Jose spent some time with three of the Texas Rollergirls -- Rollin' Sweet, Sedonya Face, and Dagger Deb -- to learn about Flat Track Derby and what makes the Texas Rollergirls such a special organization.
The program airs in Austin on Sunday, February 11 at 1:35 a.m. (that's tonight, folks, at 1:35am) on KEYE -- Channel 42 air or 5 on Time-Warner Cable. Not in Austin? Visit the LatiNation web site to find broadcast times in your area -- or get a sneak peek of the clip here.
- What: Texas Rollergirls on LatiNation
- Date: February 11
- Time: 1:35 a.m.
- Station: KEYE (CBS) - Channel 42 or 5 in Austin
Note: For Dish Network subscribers, LatiNation is a regular show on SITV, or channel 159 on Dish. I can't find a program guide describing any of SITV's events, but be on the lookout.
If you missed the airing at 5pm today, (hey, we warned ya on Monday!), you can view the episode on the BDTV website. Here is the link:
UPDATE!
The streaming video is now working as of 2/9/07. It works in an Internet Explorer browser because it uses Windows Media Player to stream. I was not able to view the video in Mozilla Firefox at all, my browser of choice.
Enjoy!
If you didn't watch CBS tonight, well, you missed out...sort of but not really. CSI:NY had a whole episode devoted to "Rollergirl Crime". Register your skates, ladies, cause they might be Lethal Weapons! Haaaaa-ha-haaaa-haaa-ha-haaaaaaaa....
[Composing self.]
Well, if you are thinking about Murder By Skate, then don't do it! Because they will totally catch your ass! Especially if it's fake Murder By Skate. (I was confussed also...and I watched the damn show.) But all they need is a few dedicated cops (some of which were strategically placed in the audience for their very 1st Rollergirl bout) , a couple of evidence/fiber gathering montages, and a desperate teleplay writer who apparently watches cable for show ideas.
It was a "great" Rollergirl crime episode...that was completely not about Rollergirls or Roller Derby.
CSI:NY Episode link: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi_ny/episodes/210/
So we start at a banked-track RD match between Manhattan Rollergirls & some other "team". It gets rough. Thank Goddess I was flipping channels at the right time. The girls stack up & start fighting. Suddenly, it's the NFL. Once they peel the Rollergirls off, a dead Rollergirl is produced at the bottom. OMFG!
1st of all, I had totally forgotten Gary Sinise was doing a TV show. Fuck me. I love how he summed up Roller Derby in 1 sentance though. (Roughly Paraphrased)
Girl Criminologist: I thought Roller Derby was a simple game.
Gary Sinise: It is. The jammer circles the track, lapping the pack once. Then the jammer scores points every time an opponent is lapped.
Girl Criminologist: This is my first bout. Isn't Roller Derby from the 70's?
And so on, and so on. Then it was at least 2 montages while gathering evidence. For a spell, they narrowed it down to a certain type of roller skate. But tests proved it wrong! I faded off sometime after. I really TRIED to watch it. However, I learned 2 things:
~ The spin-off CSI shows are all about the people working the case, not about the case. Remember when X-Files USED to be good? Before it every case became exclusively & specifically about Mulder & Scully? Yeah...it's that bad.
~ Gary Sinise, in true Law & Order style, disappears a 3rd of the way into the show, replaced by sub-par actors desperately trying to camouflage.
By the end, it was totally about something else, & I was like....What? I gave it a thumbs up & down. Up for noticing the NEW Rollergirl Era, but thumbs down for all their other CBS/CSI bullshit.
Well, the Texas Rollergirls are still off season, but they are all busy as hell. Catch them on ESPN radio and NBC's Today Show on TV over the next 48 hours.FYI...this is Austin's flat-track Rock-n-Roller Derby team. NOT the Lonestar Rollergirls you see on the A&E show.
~~~ From the Texas Rollergirls Newsletter ~~~
QUEENS OF ALL MEDIA
We've got two exciting media appearances this week -- ESPN radio and the Today show on NBC -- and new podcasts!
Tuesday afternoon (1/31) from 4:30 until they kick 'em off the air, four of your favorite Texas Rollergirls will chat it up with Gregg Henson and Dave Tepper on ESPN Radio 1530/1260 AM. Don't miss Misty Meaner, Sparkle Plenty, Dirty Deeds, and Melicious on "The Show With No Name." You never know what these girls might say when they get their turn to rock the mic!
Then Wednesday morning, February 1, your Texas Rollergirls will be featured on the Today show in an "American Stories" segment with legendary reporter Bob Dotson. (He's won Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Awards, y'all!) The NBC crew visited a Texas Rollergirls' practice, followed Hydra to work, and filmed our amazing bout against Tucson. In Austin, the Today show is on KXAN, Time-Warner channel 4, from 7:00-9:00 a.m. central time. Set your Tivo!
Check out the Texas Rollergirls' FREE podcasts! Just go to iTunes, select Music Store, then choose Podcast from "Choose Genre." Type "Roller Derby" in the search field on the left side of the screen and you'll get two Texas Rollergirls podcasts: our commercial featuring some of your favorite Hell Marys and Honky Tonk Heartbreakers, and a second podcast with highlights from our killer bout against Tucson. [http://www.apple.com/itunes/]
Special thanks to Punk Rock Phil for making the podcasts a reality!
*FYI: This is a fan review. It may be snarky at times, but it's all meant in good fun. Since this episode aired a 3+ week ago, I'm going from memory. So cut me some slack.The 1st episode of Rollergirls did not disappoint. The viewers get an introduction to the sport of banked-track Roller Derby through the eyes of an up-and-coming rookie. Like all competitive sports, there are hot newcomers & 1st draft picks. And Venis Envy is clearly one of these. Even before her first match, people are already talking "Rookie of the Year" for Venis. But can she live up to her own hype? Especially against her idol, & one of the toughest women on the track, Lux?
Meet Venis Envy. She's an art grad who's been traveling from place to place with her boyfriend Palmer in an ancient RV they bought off Ebay. When they finally settled in Austin, Venis discovered the world of Rollergirls.
The feeling you get right off the bat is Venis is good. The expectations from her team & captain are pretty high. And at some point, Chola (I believe) mentions Venis went to the Putas Del Fuego (that's Whores of Fire to you gueros out there) in a 1st round draft pick. And as Venis' 1st bout grows closer, you can tell the pressure starts to get to her.
But thank goodness for Palmer, or Mr. Venis Envy. He seems very supportive as well as a really calm & laid back kind of fellow. Actually, I found myself staring at Palmer most of the time, trying to figure out who he reminded me of. I could tell you, but the visual is so much more entertaining.
Gotta love Palmer!
On the other side of the Venis fence, there is Lux. A seasoned pro, she is a mild mannered nurse by day and dart blowing champion by night. I'll tell you one thing. Lux & Witch Baby have some fucking TRUST going on, because I don't know if I would hold a piece of paper up on a wall while someone blew a freaking dart at the paper I was holding. But such are the girls of Rhinestone Cowgirls. They're tight like that. And when they aren't blowing darts, making sassy skirts, or doing each other's hair, well they are TP-ing people's houses of course.
But I have to say that one of my favorite parts is when Lux & Witch Baby go dancing at The Broken Spoke. For those of you who don't know, The Broken Spoke is like a big deal here in Austin. It is like THE original honky tonks here in Texas & one of the few that's been able to stay open for decades. It's been around for something like 40 years & everybody who's anybody has played there. Their memorabilia wall rivals that of anything in Nashville or Memphis. You get the idea.
So I was literally holding my sides, rolling on the floor, as Witch Baby turned, swished, & flared that skirt around as she danced around in literally nothing but her underwear. Not even underwear....thong panties. And all these little old ladies whispered & pointed at her, turning their heads & shielding their eyes as Witch Baby's bottom came into full view. Truly SCANDALOUS! Those old ladies are probably STILL talking about it. Meanwhile, the old men, like true country gentlemen, tried not to look....at least while their wives were watching.
We also get to know some of the Putas. Chola, PDF captain, shows off her tattoo that all the Putas get. What makes this tattoo stand out is that it's INSIDE HER FUCKING BOTTOM LIP! And just to make sure everyone knows just how tough these bitches are, they not only get it done once but TWICE! Because Putas like taking it more than once. hee hee
But seriously, the Putas are pretty fucking tough. As the team gets ready for a night on the town & searches frantically for a sitter for Cha Cha's little girl, we hear the story of Cha Cha & her boy toy. Apparently, Cha Cha picks up some smallish guy & literally throws him over her shoulder caveman style, almost bullying him to register for a date with the Putas. The guy, probably already freaked out enough, wins but is MIA from the actual date. (Go figure.) But fuck him...the Putas roll out in limo style for a team night out.
In between throwing back tequila shooters, the conversation takes a turn for the worst. Should rollergirls who leave the league be welcomed back in? I can only imagine that they are referring to Clownsnack's return (Episode 3). However, Chola feels like, basically, if you walk away from the sport, then you shouldn't be allowed to casually walk back in.
Well, this just DOES NOT sit well with Cha Cha, who explains that sometimes girls have a lot of things going on like family issues, problems, or injuries that force them to leave. Cha Cha goes on to talk about her own injury that forced her out of the game for a while & how it made her feel. Basically, according to Cha Cha, the girls are quickly replaced & forgotten in this sport.
After a much needed pee in an alley, (where are the Rhinestone Cowgirls with their TP when you need them), the girls go to a bar where they prove that here in Austin, if you are someone even mildly famous, you don't need to show any ID. (Can you say Bush Twins!) Chola is upset & personally offended that Cha Cha would think that her team abandoned her when she was injured. But Cha Cha doesn't mince words...if Chola's upset it's probably because she feels guilty about it. SNAP!
Meanwhile, Venis is already involved in her 1st rollergirl bout as ref between Chola & Cha Cha. Bring the peace, Venis! However, it's too little too late. Chola jams on out of there. Pissed, in more ways than one, Cha Cha takes off.....but not before she yells out some better Spanish than I could ever muster. And in a much better accent too. (Putas locas forever, ese.)
But forget the drama (for now), the big bout is coming up between the Putas & Rhinestones. Venis manages to get in some practice before her Mom shows up. And Momma has some nice digs too. As the two sip drinks at the downtown landmark Driskill Hotel, Venis works hard to get her mother onboard the rollergirl train. Showing off her inventive skill with sugar packets & salt-n-pepper shakers, Venis demonstrates how the game is played. Mom nods, but clearly seems puzzled by the whole thing. Are the salt & pepper shakers on the same team? Poor Momma. Mom was looking at her daughter as if she had lobsters crawling out of ears.
So now it's match time. Unfortunately, the show has covered so much other drama, we only have about 10 minutes (with commercials) to show actual Roller Derby. (Way to go, A&E.) Mom & Mr. Venis are sitting dutifully in the stands. And the A&E cameras make sure of that because they pan the audience every 5 seconds. I can hear the cameramen's conversation now...
Cameraman 1: "I mean seriously...who would want to watch actual Roller Derby?"
Cameraman 2: "I know. Come on, lets go get audience reaction instead."
But there are a few minutes of actual rollergirls doing their thing. Right out of the gate, Venis goes down on her very 1st jam. And that's when it started. Yes, folks, from that moment on our friend's skirt got pulled up in the fall & we were treated to her rollergirl bum hanging out the rest of the match. (At least she wasn't at The Broken Spoke...those people are still recovering.)
Then, with her skirt & bottom poised for action, the big moment arrives. It's Lux vs. Venis. Oh the drama of it all.
Venis actually proves her worth as star rookie by beating out one of the best jammers in the league for lead jammer. Momma & Palmer couldn't have been more proud as they jump excitedly in the stands.
Once the match is over, it's beer & tequila for all as the girls move to the after party bar. Lux & Venis bond, hug, & kiss each other's behinds as the reminisce over the match. Conveniently, Lux has forgotten who won when they faced off. Venis is quick to remind her. But no problem. Hugs all around. And Lux is voting Venis for Rookie of the Year.
All is right with the world again...until next week.
