wvdreamer
09-29-2005, 12:21 PM
Ahhh...the air is abuzz with the wave of reality TV shows. VH1 says all reality is not created equal. Is this true? Let's see...
"Hogan Knows Best" - Picture Robert Young with muscles and a suntan. WWE legend Hulk Hogan shows us around his family's mansion in Florida, and the screwball antics therein. This is a far cry from the Osbournes. No members in rehab; the worst moments the Hogans face involve permits to own extra animals and Hulk attending his wife Linda's pilates class. Hulk is also a strict but fair dad to his kids, quite unlike Ozzy - who was too badly addle-brained to do much at home.
"Rock Star:INXS" - This is NOT an American Idol rip-off. INXS is a well-known band from Australia who has not had a permanent lead singer since Michael Huthence died in 1997. Though they continued their success, the band decided to hold live auditions to see who would be best for the band, with the audience's help. Several of the contestants have an extensive music and theatre background, giving the show a superior edge over the American Idol bunch. In my opinion, this is one of the best reality shows of the year.
"The 70s House" - a group of young people are challenged to live in a house where everything is 70s oriented, including bell bottoms, leisure suits, and 8-track tape decks! My wife looked at me after the show was over and asked me if I still had any of those old outfits. Yes, the 70s were an embarrassing decade for fashion...at any age. Overall, the show was pretty corny and gave me flashbacks of disco floors. Yikes!
"Wife Swap" - Families swap wives for two weeks to see what is good and what needs improvement, supposedly. Sometimes the swaps result in Jerry Springer-esque moments that are just downright ridiculous. The difference in the cultures of the families is interesting, but sometimes a bit excessive.
"Celebrity Fit Club 2" - Follow-up to last season's series where overweight celebrities fight the battle of the bulge...and other issues as well. Best episode: Phil Margera shares the reason why he wanted to lose the weight: his oldest son Jess has a little girl and Phil wanted to stick around and see his granddaughter grow up. Phil lost the most weight - slimming down from 353 to 312! Gary Busey dropped 35 pounds to his Buddy Holly weight of 174, and Jani Lane (former lead vocalist for Warrant) not only made his goal weight, but is beating a long-running alcohol problem aggravated by a divorce. Phil and Gary were the big scene stealers, and their efforts made the show worth watching.
"Big Brother 6", "Surreal Life 5" - Both shows are so much alike I couldn't tell them apart. Only differences were the Surreal Life featured has-been celebrities, and BB6 voted folks out each week. Neither was really any fun to watch, and furthered my decreasing interest in television.
"Breaking Bonadeuce" - One of the most disturbing reality shows of the year. Former child actor/ current shock jock Danny Bonadeuce is certainly a man of extremes, and his struggles with infidelity, alcohol, and apparently now steroids are almost too much to bear. Have we come to the place where we enjoy watching our favorite superstars self-destruct in front of us? If Danny lives through the season and comes out in one piece, it could well be a story of triumph. Only time will tell.
"Tommy Lee Goes To College" - Motley Crue drummer, who dropped out of high school to pursue a highly successful music career, enrolls in college at the age of 43. Interesting case study of an old dog learning new tricks; Lee is actually doing well at balancing classes and partying, but let's face it. Tommy Lee loves to have his fun, and the tattooed one does more than his share of practical jokes on campus. Funniest moment: Lee tries to pledge into a fraternity and is required to scrub the toilet in the frat house. Priceless!
"My Fair Brady" - hyped up couple from a previous season of "Surreal Life" have their own series. Big downer is that we find Chris Knight - best known as Peter Brady and twice divorced - has serious commitment issues. This does not go well with his girlfriend Adrian's parents. Should I go any further here?
Hard to believe the Simpsons are now on the air for a 17th season, and Married With Children is considered classic television. As Scooby-Doo says, "Ruh-Row!"
"Hogan Knows Best" - Picture Robert Young with muscles and a suntan. WWE legend Hulk Hogan shows us around his family's mansion in Florida, and the screwball antics therein. This is a far cry from the Osbournes. No members in rehab; the worst moments the Hogans face involve permits to own extra animals and Hulk attending his wife Linda's pilates class. Hulk is also a strict but fair dad to his kids, quite unlike Ozzy - who was too badly addle-brained to do much at home.
"Rock Star:INXS" - This is NOT an American Idol rip-off. INXS is a well-known band from Australia who has not had a permanent lead singer since Michael Huthence died in 1997. Though they continued their success, the band decided to hold live auditions to see who would be best for the band, with the audience's help. Several of the contestants have an extensive music and theatre background, giving the show a superior edge over the American Idol bunch. In my opinion, this is one of the best reality shows of the year.
"The 70s House" - a group of young people are challenged to live in a house where everything is 70s oriented, including bell bottoms, leisure suits, and 8-track tape decks! My wife looked at me after the show was over and asked me if I still had any of those old outfits. Yes, the 70s were an embarrassing decade for fashion...at any age. Overall, the show was pretty corny and gave me flashbacks of disco floors. Yikes!
"Wife Swap" - Families swap wives for two weeks to see what is good and what needs improvement, supposedly. Sometimes the swaps result in Jerry Springer-esque moments that are just downright ridiculous. The difference in the cultures of the families is interesting, but sometimes a bit excessive.
"Celebrity Fit Club 2" - Follow-up to last season's series where overweight celebrities fight the battle of the bulge...and other issues as well. Best episode: Phil Margera shares the reason why he wanted to lose the weight: his oldest son Jess has a little girl and Phil wanted to stick around and see his granddaughter grow up. Phil lost the most weight - slimming down from 353 to 312! Gary Busey dropped 35 pounds to his Buddy Holly weight of 174, and Jani Lane (former lead vocalist for Warrant) not only made his goal weight, but is beating a long-running alcohol problem aggravated by a divorce. Phil and Gary were the big scene stealers, and their efforts made the show worth watching.
"Big Brother 6", "Surreal Life 5" - Both shows are so much alike I couldn't tell them apart. Only differences were the Surreal Life featured has-been celebrities, and BB6 voted folks out each week. Neither was really any fun to watch, and furthered my decreasing interest in television.
"Breaking Bonadeuce" - One of the most disturbing reality shows of the year. Former child actor/ current shock jock Danny Bonadeuce is certainly a man of extremes, and his struggles with infidelity, alcohol, and apparently now steroids are almost too much to bear. Have we come to the place where we enjoy watching our favorite superstars self-destruct in front of us? If Danny lives through the season and comes out in one piece, it could well be a story of triumph. Only time will tell.
"Tommy Lee Goes To College" - Motley Crue drummer, who dropped out of high school to pursue a highly successful music career, enrolls in college at the age of 43. Interesting case study of an old dog learning new tricks; Lee is actually doing well at balancing classes and partying, but let's face it. Tommy Lee loves to have his fun, and the tattooed one does more than his share of practical jokes on campus. Funniest moment: Lee tries to pledge into a fraternity and is required to scrub the toilet in the frat house. Priceless!
"My Fair Brady" - hyped up couple from a previous season of "Surreal Life" have their own series. Big downer is that we find Chris Knight - best known as Peter Brady and twice divorced - has serious commitment issues. This does not go well with his girlfriend Adrian's parents. Should I go any further here?
Hard to believe the Simpsons are now on the air for a 17th season, and Married With Children is considered classic television. As Scooby-Doo says, "Ruh-Row!"