Popularity Contest, Episode 5: Flag Waving

Popularity Contest - A show where ten city slickers invade a small town in Texas, in hopes of winning the residents over. The entire town of Vega, population 936, is involved in the show, and it’s the town folks themselves who will decide who will be voted the most popular new resident of Vega. The contestants are competing for $100,000, which they will split with a town person of their choice. Every three days a town vote will be held at the County Barn and the losing contestant will be escorted out of town by the Sheriff.

The remaining contestants, in order of current most popular, are:

• Jason - Business/Restaurant Owner - and Beefy Model
• Rory – Chef
• Jose - Model (tied with Alex for 3rd)
• Alex - Professional Baseball Scout
• Mandell - Computer Analyst
• Ali – Cheerleader

Leyla, Angela, Tana and Marthia have been escorted from the town.

There is one matter of business left before the Town Meeting can adjourn. Contestants must be matched with a new host family. Vega small guy, Trevor, is brought to the stage to pull host family names from a cowboy hat. The first family pulled is the Artho’s! They are huge baseball fans and select Alex to join them. The Walker family picks Jason, and Mandell goes off with the Jackson’s. The McDonald family chooses Ali, leaving old favorites Rory and Jose temporarily homeless. The Middleton’s grab up Rory and last but not least, the Arrendondo's rescue Jose. The next town vote will be in three days. Meeting adjourned.

Mandell makes himself right at home with the Jackson family. He can read a chicken's egg, slaughter pigs and wants to wrestle a goat before he leaves. Dad Jackson doesn't think goat wrestling is a good idea. The Jackson’s breed schnauzers and I get to fall in love with four adorable puppies. It looks like Mandell is buying his pick of the litter as he becomes the daddy of a very cute puppy named Vega Hollywood. He's going to take the pup wherever he goes so they can form a bond!

The contestants are fueling up for the annual Turkey Trap Shoot. They are eager to prove they fit into Vega life. Clay pigeons are flung into the air, and the object is to shoot and hit them. Whoever hits the most, wins the round. Whoever wins the round gets a turkey. Sounds easy enough to me! Rory nails one out of five. Ali says where she grew up, "guns equal violence." She is more than happy to just watch. Quincy advises her to get her butt out there and impress the men folk. Begrudgingly she picks up a gun. She's ready... she aims and she fires! OUCH... ain't that a smack in the arm! Oh well, she's proud of herself. Yay!

The Magnolia Gas Station was built in 1924 along the historic Route 66. Over the years it has gone to ruins and the Vega folks have been giving it a facelift. It's time for the Community Service Project! The contestants will be planting flowers and trees along with making a gravel pathway to help beautify this landmark. As popularity has its privileges, Host Jonathan instructs winner Jason to pick one man and one woman for his team. He chooses Alex and Ali, leaving Rory, Mandell, and Jose working together. Ali explains that she and her teammates joke about having an alliance. She thinks that if the town sees them working together they will realize that her team consists of the "realest" people here. Alex says that "genuine" folks tend to gravitate toward each other and it's creating quite a division among the contestants. Rory disagrees with the alliance methods. She feels that they will end up taking each other’s votes. She is going to continue doing what she has been doing. After all, hasn't she been consistently in the top three?

Holes are dug, trees planted and gravel hauled. The teams have worked well together and the garden and pathway look lovely. Host Jonathan congratulates the contestants on a job well done. Now it is time to focus on individual strengths. The next challenge will be a talent competition. The contestants have the evening to get their acts together. Again, there will be $1000 prize at stake.

The contestants leave the gas station to hone their skills for their upcoming competition. Meanwhile, Alex heads to his baseball clinic. A parent had approached him about group lessons and the clinic was formed. At least ten eager kids show up. Alex does have a warm way with the kids. He learns their names, praises their accomplishments and helps them with their batting and pitching. The parents look on proudly. The kids are too young to vote but the parents aren't! Sheesh, I would vote for him!

Rory, once again, has corralled Tate and Klay to help her with her talent. They are teaching her some of their cowboy tricks. She is gonna be the lasso queen! The guys teach her the art of roping a barstool. (Aren't you then s'pose to throw that stool down... then tie up them stool legs?) She thinks the Vega folks will appreciate that she learned a down home talent.

Jose is getting ready for his singing debut. The barbershop is closed so he is trimming and tidying any unruly stray hairs himself. No warming up them vocal cords for him. He is ready to meet his fans!

Ali is confident with her dance routine but is worried about the Juggling Jason. Alex is working on a comedy sketch featuring "Ivan and (pump it up) Arnold" while Mandell practices being a stand up comic. "I'm going to suck bad. Is it too late to change my talent?"

At the Vega Public School, Host Jonathan greets the audience in possibly the worst shiny, silver tux, bedazzled (smirk, Apprentice fans) vest and top hat I have ever seen. It is time for the much anticipated talent show to get underway. Each of the six contestants will be performing. Five student judges will determine the winner. The judges will rate the contestants' performances on a scale from 1-10. The contestant with the highest score (with 50 being the highest possible score) will win the $1000.