So Lori, drama queen that she is, is thoroughly insulted at her housemates lack of support and understanding for her "talent." Before I go any further let me just say one thing to those of you who saw the casting special. Were you under the duped perception, as was I, that Lori could indeed sing? To put it bluntly, what the hell happened?! I mean I know the girl SAYS she is rusty and out of practice, but it hasn't been THAT long since she last performed.

Anyway, Lori sings her little heart out from anywhere and for anyone. We see Lori singing at the computer, Lori singing from the rooftop, Lori singing in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the results are always the same. The only place we don't see Lori sing is the shower, but perhaps we should because after all, they say that everyone sounds better in there.

No matter where Lori goes to practice the roommates can still hear her. Even investing in earplugs has not helped much. At this point, Kevin describes Lori's singing, "She's got a beautiful voice, but it's like a seal in labor." I'm sorry, I don't follow- isn't that a contradiction? Advice to Kevin, stop trying so hard to be diplomatic. It isn't working for you.

Back at Arista the working woes continue. Different members of the house all confirm that the working conditions have more or less turned into a boys vs. girls thing. Also, the no talking pact between Nicole and Malik is still in effect, which might make working in harmony FOR harmony just a teensy bit harder.

Not only do the boys and girls not want to be around each other; they don't want to be doing their jobs either. Nicole and Rachel walk around the city begrudgingly trying to recruit rock listeners. Meanwhile the boys walk around trying to do the same thing. Everyone confesses how hard their jobs really are and how they don't know what they are gonna do. I don't get it. You are: a.) In New York City; b. on MTV; c. have a camera crew following you 24/7 and you can't seem to find people who want to chill at Arista for ONE evening? I know I've never done it but dude, it doesn't sound THAT hard.

Lori calls a musician friend of hers from back home and gripes about how the housemates don't get that music is her true passion. Sweetheart, they get it, they just are saying ever so subtly," don't quit your day job." Her musician friend says her roommates are not going to get her because they are not musicians. Hell, I'm not a musician, but I don't need to be to know The Spice Girls can't sing. Lori says that the main problem is that they say she is too loud. Kevin interjects at this point with, "Lori, you're being really loud." Not seeing the irony in the situation, Lori gushes, twirls her hair and says, "Gosh Kevin, I didn't mean to disturb YOU." Ok, so that's not EXACTLY how it went down, but it might as well have Miss, "I'll Make Exceptions Only For The Boy I Stalk."

While recruiting Lori reels in a two for oner- a guy who takes her up on her focus group schtick and also offers her a chance to audition for his band. Lori is glad that she got more people for the focus group, but she's super glad that she got an audition more than anything else. So, the next dilemma becomes what will Lori sing. Lori exclaims that she has, "no idea" what to sing. I have an idea. Pick a song. ANY SONG and sing it. I mean the girl says singing professionally is her dream, but the more I hear her do it and the more I hear her talk about doing it the less I'm convinced she knows a damn thing about what she is getting in to.

Malik enlightens us on the focus group process; "The reason we're having two different teams is because we are recruiting for two different focus groups." Nah, really? This has got to be a joke. Bunim and Murray must tell them to throw in this obvious crap right? Is there anybody at this point who was confused about the purpose of their jobs? No? I didn't think so.

Their boss, probably conscious of the cameras and concerned with looking like Mr. Cool, tells the crew not to stay too late because it's Friday. The groups split up and again tackle recruiting. First we see the boys hanging out in a nearly abandoned park. I don't know which one of the Three Stooges decided to ditch that locale but they finally move on to a crowded bar. Ok, now we're talking. They schmooze a bit and exchange some info. Sure, the bar outing was probably just as much if not m ore an effort to pick up girls as it was to actually work, but hey, kill two birds with one stone right?

Nicole gets on the phone and begins calling the people she found for the group to confirm. Right of the bat she botches the name of the company and begins giggling under her breath. Didn't we cover this already? HOW HARD IS IT TO GET THE NAME OF THE COMPANY RIGHT?! Amazingly enough this is becoming a subplot of the season as a whole. Coral mocks Nicole (because what episode would be complete without some mocking from Coral?) for her messing up the company name and Nicole is all, "oh no you didn't " reminding Miss Coral that she too can't get the name right. This turns in to who gets the name more wrong in a debate of pronunciation vs. spelling. It doesn't matter. By this point you are both dumbasses if you don't know better.

The first focus groups show up at Arista to give their opinions on what I'm beginning to think is Arista's only rock attempt, From Zero. The groups immediately laugh at the band's image and also make fun of their sound too calling it too produced. This angers the men of Arista because to them the focus groups aren't comprised of people who are in to that kind of music. I'm a bit confused. While the panel might have been immature and inconsistent, what exactly is the focus group trying to find out? Sure gathering people together who like rock is part of the plan. But isn't it still possible that people who like that type of music still won't like From Zero? Instead I got the impression that the first focus group was deemed a failure not because they didn't give feedback, but because they didn't give positive feedback.

The second gaggle of guinea pigs are up and Mike's recruits seem like no shows. Coral says, "Our focus group is running a little late because Mike's friends are late." Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are on Mike's team and the last time I checked there is no 'I' in teamwork. Mike's group eventually does show up and everyone is ecstatic at the feedback, which of course is only positive, and basically telling them what they wanted to hear.

Finally it is the moment you have all been waiting for - Lori's audition. She shows up and ad-libs an impromptu Real World Blues and still sounds like she is trying too hard and giving out too little. The guys are like yeah, fine whatever, and she gets the gig. She goes home and gloats A LOT. Lori says, "I've never been in a band before and we're gonna get gigs and stuff." And stuff. God help me.

Janet Branagan is a freelance writer and pop culture addict from New Jersey.

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