May 2008 Archives

MTV has a new show that airs in the lucky slot after The Hills on Monday nights. It's called The Paper and it follows the leaders of the high school newspaper at the largest high school in America, Cypress Bay High School. It's kinda the anti-Laguna Beach in theory. A group of high school kids centered around an academic focus who clearly aren't the traditional popular kids who spend 85% of their time at the beach (like the Laguna kids).

The Cypress Bay Circuit's first issue of this school year in PDF

The show does a pretty good job dealing with the mechanics of the paper and that is somewhat interesting. Where the show really succeeds is portraying the painful cruelties that exist in all levels of high school/teen culture. I think we tend to think that is reserved for just the "shallow" popular kids.

The star of the show is Amanda Lorber, who is chosen Editor in Chief in a stiff competition in the first episode. She is a intense overachiever possible goody two-shoes. She is a real life Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon's character from Election), but the thing about Amanda that makes her such a star is she is not just a overachieving goody three shoes she is absolutely bursting with personality. Amanda is unabashedly a ham, dorky in very joyful ways, and neurotic is hilarious ways (writing self motivating post it notes, picking her outfits for the next week).

Amanda is also the target of the vast majority of the cruelty of The Paper. She's a total outcast from the main social crew. They are always always always talking crap about her. It has to be because of her overachieving and they seem to simply think they are cooler than her. It's a real shame because Amanda is the real deal. She's not trying to hide who she is and she is being punished for it. She actually seems to deal with it pretty well consider.

Amanda and her BFF singing The Facebook Song. I actually found them singing a different Facebook somewhere else on the internet! TWO FACEBOOK SONGS!

Some more Amanda Lorber love:
Four Four
Videogum

Here's one from her personal youtube channel where Amanda parodies youtube talking heads:

Boy do I love the reality television. Love love love it. Watch a lot of it. Enjoy it. Pretend that I am able to glean important things about society and my place in it from watching it. The Hills, Survivor, Beauty and the Geek, Top Chef, LA Ink, Ax Men. All kinds. Don't get me wrong, I do have standards. I have stopped watching both Flavor of Love and A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila.

So, I'm always on the lookout for new delicious nuggets of my favorite kind of television fruit. Somewhere I saw the description for this somewhat new show, Curl Girls on the LOGO network. A Laguna Beach/Hills style show following 6 lesbian surfers. BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE. I mean, seriously folks, that is a truly good idea for a reality show. It has something for everyone. All lesbian cast! An interesting focus (so cal lesbian surf culture) so it's not just all about interpersonal drama. The beach! I immediately told my TiVo to tape an upcoming mini marathon of the show.

When I sat down to watch this eagerly awaited beautiful artificiality reality quickly set in. This show was all idea and no execution. It seemed to be formed in a brainstorming session without any idea how to really pull it off. My main beef is really that some of the girls had like ZERO surf experience. Like they found one lesbian who could surf and asked her "do you know other surfing lesbians" and she was like "ummmm....well i know one lady who lives by the beach." It's also clear that both of the girls who had zero surf experience were clearly chosen for their drama potential. They are the 2 cast members who are focused on the most because of their cheap and easy romantic and arguing dramas. It felt cheap. Instead of focusing on the characters who actually had ability and love for surfing those characters weren't developed at all and were just used for legitimacy.

The show barely kept my attention through its 6 episode run. I think the lesson to be learned is that just because The Hills is successful with its vapid drama that doesn't need to be the focus of shows with similar formats. Utilize the possible intrigue in your own good ideas (lesbian surf culture). Don't get me wrong, I won't look away if you keep pumping out middling reality shows cause I'm easy!