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January 8, 2005
Warhol Was Right
My on-going fascination with reality TV continues. This morning's New York Times features an article on the upcoming season of The Surreal Life, a show that I used to enjoy watching occasionally on the WB (unfortunately the show will now appear on VH1, which means I won't get to see it regulalry). The third season will focus on the "unlikely romance" between Public Enemy performer Flavor Flav and "Nordic giantess" Brigitte Nielsen. Worth noting: the article emphasizes fans' responses to this "unlikely" romance, specifically athe discussion site, FansofRealityTV.com, suggesting that it defies credibility, with one viewer complaining, "VH1 must think I'm a fool to believe that....At what point can we stop calling it reality TV?" Former Full House star David Coulier, however, is convinced that the romance is real. In other news, GHW notes that Nielsen will also be appearing on Britain's Celebrity Big Brother with Germaine Greer.
Posted by chuck at January 8, 2005 2:03 PM
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Comments
I caught a few episodes of that. There's one in which they all go to a Charo show in Vegas. I watched it with a friend who is also a performer, and we actually came away with a decent measure of respect for Charo. She put on a good show.
In that particular episode, Brigitte Nielsen bedded a guy she met in Vegas (one of Charo's dancers? I don't recall), and I think Flav got a little jealous.
Posted by: Clancy at January 8, 2005 3:15 PM
I've been watching this marathon of the Surreal Life (I can't figure out why I can't change the channel), but I think basing an entire series around Brigitte Nielson and Flava Flav is a bit dubious. The romance wasn't all that interesting in its first incarnation to begin with except for the freakshow aspect of it.
Posted by: Dylan at January 8, 2005 3:30 PM
What fascinates me about "The Surreal Life" is not so much the stories. Opposites attract? Nothing new there, of course. It's the fascination with celebrity and banality. I don't think it's an issue of "aura-shattering," really, either. After all, how much aura does Flavor Flav or Brigitte Nielsen or David Coulier or Emmanuel Lewis have? What might be interesting about the show is the way that it seems to be about the mechanisms of celebrity, i.e. how celebrities are made and unmade.
Interesting take on Charo. I *only* know her from Love Boat episodes when I was a kid.
Posted by: Chuck ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://chutry.wordherders.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 8, 2005 4:08 PM
Speaking of aura-shattering, the second season made me wonder why I ever had a Jordan Knight poster on my wall.
Posted by: Jen at January 9, 2005 9:25 AM
I take it Mr. Knight didn't age very well? I missed the second season of The Surreal Life, but hoping for/looking for the DVD.
Posted by: chuck at January 9, 2005 1:17 PM