It was announced earlier today that MTV would be canceling their day time ‘talk show’, It’s On With Alexa Chung, after only two seasons. The last show for Alexa Chung will be on December 17th. I think MTV should just cancel its self with all of the great HORRIBLE shows it has now. Lame MTV, very LAME.
[via Perez Hilton]
Ok so MTV just started to air “Jersey Shore” on Thursday nights and it’s been getting a lot of negative criticism… why, I do not know. Before I get into that however, let me give you the skinny on the show incase you are one of the four (Tear) individuals who haven’t watched yet tuned in. The show follows four girls (Jenni “JWow”, Sammi ”Sweetheart”, Nicole “Snooki”, Angela “Angie”) and four guys (Vinny, Pauly D, Mike “The Situation”, and Ronnie) who are living at a shore house in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. They basically work at a T-Shirt shop during the day and party at night. This goes on for the entire summer and is basically the same formula MTV uses for the Real World, except replace “8 strangers of different ethnic backgrounds, beliefs, religions, and sexual orientations living in a house” to ” 8 strangers of Italian-American decent representing a Guido/Guidette style living in a house”. Now I would personally like to say that this has to be one of the greatest shows ever presented to a viewing audience. The show is like a guilty pleasure, being able to watch eight people just act as ridiculous and care free as possible. Now one of the main criticism’s I’ve been hearing, being from New Jersey I’ve been hearing a lot by the way, is that the show represents the state in a negative lite. Well I’ve lived here my entire life and sorry but we’ve had our reputation way before this show was ever conceived. We are a bunch foul mouthed, family oriented, hard-working, bridge & tunnel using, beach laying, world’s greatest driving individuals who are used to people referring to our beloved state as “The Arm Pit of America”. But that’s where our pride comes from. Always being hated on has allowed us to develop our thick skin because we know we are better than the majority of the other states out there. Let’s face it, we wouldn’t have the highest population density if people didn’t want to be here. Anyway, for all those haters who make this claim I would like ask you a question? Have you actually ever been to the Jersey Shore in the summer. Wait, wait, let me rephrase that. Have you ever been to Seaside Heights, New Jersey (where the show takes place) in the summer? This show is AN EXACT REPRESENTATION OF EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON THERE. It may actually be the first reality show that is scripted or set up. The shore is where you go to act as the Guido’s of our fine state do. I’m not a Guido, not by a long shot, but I personally admire their attention to detail when it comes to their appearance. But I clearly once again digress. This show portray’s a portion of New Jersey that is real, but people are too ashamed to acknowledge. Deal with it. It’s always been around. Guido’s haven’t just discovered the Jersey Shore, they’ve claimed it a long time ago. People now just have something to bitch about so they choose too. On another note, all of those Italian-American groups out there who are claiming that the show portray’s us (yes that’s right, I said us, I’m 100% pure-blooded Italian) in a negative manner are once again just bitching for the sake of bitching. A.) The vast majority of today’s youth acts in the manner these eight individuals do and B.) if some uneducated, ignorant, easily influenced person can actually believe that every Italian-American acts like this based off a sample group of 8… well, then I personally feel for them. Oo and a personal note to Domino’s who has recently pulled their ads from the show claiming that “I doesn’t represent what they are about”… you do realize that around 90% of those people at the Jersey Shore will, under the influence of alcohol and exhaustion from clubbing, order several of your imitation pizza’s. You really shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you. I like this show and I will defend The Situation and his merchandise till the end of the series. I would like to leave you with a quote from Angela who stated “I a bartender. I. Like. Do. You Know. Great Things”. Damn Right Angela, Damn Right.
JWow
* Also, JWow, if you actually read this, know that your awesome and for some reason I find you to be the most entertaining person on the show. Mostly it because, in a drunken state, you stole Pauly D’s shirt, wandered home, all just to feed your hunger from Ham and Water. <3. If you ever read this, hit me up on facebook ;] *
In another episode of Actors Also Do Music Videos (last time: Shia LaBeouf Shows Off His Underground Hip-Hop Cred With Cage), Josh Hartnett produces the music video for Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness.” The song features Rattat and MGMT, but in the video there’s a surprise and random cameo from Kid Cudi’s new platonic boyfriend Drake. The video is actually directed by Brody Baker, but in an interview with MTV, Kid Cudi says that the pairing definitely came about because he was hanging out with Hartnett one day.
KiD CuDi – Pursuit of Happiness (feat. MGMT & Ratatat) from Burnocchio. Story.
The ending is reminiscent of Kanye’s bizarre short film with Spike Jonze, sort of a commentary on how he sees himself and maybe his own celebrity. It’s fitting, tough, since Kud Cudi helped create whole portions of his 808s & Heartbreak album, and Cudi also plans to “pull the Kanye” and possibly create multiple videos for this single, so that he can get Rattat and MGMT involved.
Some people really know how to ruin a good time. Like Andre Dimino.
Who?, you ask.
He’s the guy trying to ruin my Thursday nights.
As the President of UNICO, the national Italian-American service organization, he’s asked MTV to pull their new show “Jersey Shore” off the air because it’s offensive and contributes to stereotypes and [add more bad things here]. But, per the press materials, all the network is really trying to do is lift the veil off “one of the Tri-state area’s most misunderstood species … the guido.” And I think that’s necessary. And not at all out of the ordinary. I mean, if “True Life: ‘I’m A Girlfriend’” (no, really) can get past execs and onto our tv screens, then, damnit, so can this. I mean, there are sooo many stigmas of being a girlfriend, it’s only fair that the young ladies, so complex, so silenced, so misunderstood, get the opportunity to tell their story and debunk the myths! And so the guidos (and guidettes?) deserve a fair chance to speak their minds, as well. Because when I hear that term, that godawful term, I think of Oompa-Loompa tans, blow-outs, rave parties, sunglasses while indoors, french manicures, fist-pumping, and well, these gems. And I’m ready to be proven wrong.
(Couldn’t upload the episode because MTV runs shit and there are copyright laws, so watch it here.)
And, LOL @ Dereon being the “hottest” heel (:28). Who knew? Seeeee, learning things already.
Wow.
So I STUPIDLY watched MTV’s 2 hour (which was obviously highly necessary in order to close in on ever gelled strand of Guido hair) premiere of Jersey Shore last night.
I just REALLY wanted to mentally compare the Gaudy Guidos to the Jacks of Surrey and was almost expecting to see a few cameos in the douchetastic “reality” show.
This ONE episode was like every greasy ass dude on Tool Academy AND every ex stripper famewhore on Rock of Love rolled and baked to an intensity of golden brown that NOT even Lindsay Lohan’s mom can outdo.
There were bit*hes with their fake titt*ys hangin out loud and proud, pierced genitals, fights rivaling fiends fighting over crack rocks, and enough Oompa Loompa oiled skin to make even the colour orange melt in jealousy.
Kinda sounds like my LAST Vegas trip.
After RAPIDLY blinking a total of 49.5 minutes in awe I felt quite awkward.
Me, with my light brown skin and pale torso are ashamed.
I have already made APPOINTMENTS at Island Tan, Adrenaline, and I’ve been drinking Captain Morgans out of a paper bag for the past 30 minutes.
Must.Not.Succumb.To.Tacky.TShirts.
I imagine that the loose narrative MTV has cobble together and entitled “The City” is brought to us thanks to a team of monkeys they have locked in an editing room somewhere. Despite its almost total simian production, the result is not as mad cap as you might expect, but oy, the non-sequiturs. Apparently it takes more than opposable thumbs to splice together a compelling show with an actual story arc. Forget building to a climax, each episode is lucky if it can lurch its way through a full 30 minutes. Instead of floating along on the effervescent joie de vivre the premise of single 20somethings in the greatest city in the world evokes, this reality show clearly labors under a vise grip of writers and producers. You can just imagine the number of takes that get ruined when producers inadvertently lean into frame to micromanage the “action.” The result is hardly the lighthearted romp it is billed to be. I’ve seen marionettes that were more carefree and spontaneous.
Case in point, this week’s episode starts with a random discussion between series star Whitney and roommate Roxy about a squirrel that’s loose in their apartment. Huh? It’s like a two minute scene that relates not at all to the rest of the episode, though the long lingering reaction shots for which this franchise hangs its hat give one plenty of time to contemplate the little rodent—his hopes, his dreams, his next of kin. Though there was talk of an exterminator, I wouldn’t worry too much about the little guy. He’s obviously more intelligent than either of them. I mean, he was smart enough not to allow MTV to use his likeness on camera after all.
But Mr. Squirrel was not the only lower life form to stumble into this week’s melodrama. It seems Whit is still looking for love and some sheep-in-wolves-clothing has decided to set her up with Patrick. He’s a complete tool who makes his living as a perfume squirt boy or something but since he practices his craft in Bergdorf Goodman, he naturally has an air of superiority usually reserved for heirs of the royal family or Fox News pundits. Within moments of his presence on screen, you can see Whitney long for the comparative wit and wisdom of that darned squirrel. And just when you think the date will never end, it does when Pat suggests, they “join forces” on the bill. Dude, “join forces”? Seriously? Dutch on a first date? Hot on the heels of a discussion about Louis Vuitton and his super important job as a Bergdorf’s tie jockey no less? Guy, if you don’t like girls, just say so. No need to run off every female unfortunate enough to break bread with you by being a total douche. To her credit, Whit seems amused by this turn of events. Could it be that the producers held back this plot twist to elicit an actual real response?
Meanwhile at Elle, mutual desperation have drawn creative director Joe Zee and “accessories editor” Olivia Palermo together in what can only be described as an unholy union. Long story short, this pair of reality show flotsam and jetsam are planning a shoot for which they sycophantically agree Olivia would be the perfect stylist. Yawn. Their mutual admiration society is all very boring and cloying except that, of course, their storyline intertwines with Erin’s. Despite the storm cloud that perpetually looms over her head, I actually like Elle’s public relations gal Friday and her lopsided grimace probably because she’s my emotional doppelganger. Her huffy indignation at having to work with Olivia reflects my own ready-to-boil-over-at-any-moment state-of-mind at work. Every time Olivia effs up and Joe takes her side instead of Erin’s, I just want to yell “Girl, you don’t need him” all Ricky Lake style. Then I’d add a “you go girl” just for good measure. But even given the affection I feel for her, she is becoming a bit one-note. Apparently there’s lingering resentment about the support her malnourished co-workers failed to lavish on her when she was just a newbie. Tonight’s episode featured at least the third time in which she has stated verbatim: “No one held my hand, Joe,” when explaining why she won’t coddle Olivia—as though the fact that Ms. P is evil and must be destroyed isn’t reason enough. But she does get a modicum of satisfaction in a lovely scene at the end when the Elle entourage dines with people from the shoot. Here, Olivia prattles on about her deep abiding love for all things hip hop only to later confess she’s never heard of a little group called A Tribe Called Quest. Erin’s combination “Oh, my god” and eye roll cement her place in my heart.
In the C plot, Roxy too goes on a date. But it’s not her date; it’s Audrina’s date from “The Hills” circa 2007. Apparently, MTV’s approach to “The City” is: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Enter the latter-day Justin Bobby, who this show calls Zac. Zac was a perfectly decent guy on Roxy’s first encounter with him but he morphed into JB by their second date right down to his pretentious knit cap though he doesn’t quite have the swagger and (mistake!) it looks like he bathes. This time he shows up for their date with six girls in tow, all the while throwing ‘tude like, what’s the big deal. And that’s when we were treated to a shot-by-shot reenactment of Kiss-gate. Remember when Audrina and the girls were out at a dimly lit lounge-y club and JB showed up and sat with a gaggle of chicks. And then Lauren professed to having seen him kiss one of them and the rest of A’s posse was all “Did he just kiss her?” for like 20 minutes? Ah, good times. Well, this doesn’t rise to that level of drama but it’s the same idea. I tell ya, those monkeys are not too proud to recycle ideas.
And finally, the episode gets it’s title when, back in the office, my girl crush, Kelly Cutrone—sick of hearing about Roxy and Whitney’s boy trouble—tells Whit to shut her trap and focus on work and her clothing line. Please Whit, focus! The marketplace is in desperate need of another half-baked, under-designed, reality star vanity project.
His motto seemed to be that he likes his grandfather, but he doesn’t want to smell like him. Hence the fragrances (but we hope grandpa wasn’t watching).
For the occasion HSN even broke out a new set, a modern looking living room with the Manhattan skyline in the background, for Puff Daddy. Combs was laid back and modest, rather charming for a mogul with a multi-million dollar empire in music, fashion and fragrances.
“It’s a great way to reach people all over the world…I made it on HSN mom,” Combs said during his home shopping debut, where he fielded many calls from overwrought fans. “I’m blessed to be here.”
Talking about his award-winning men’s fragrance, I Am King, which sold out, Combs said, “This is not a celebrity fragrance.”
The rapper said he helped design the cologne, in partnership with Estee Lauder. It has won the FiFi Award, which Combs called “the Oscars” of the perfume industry.
“I have a very sensitive nose,” said Combs, who described I Am King as being “a clean scent.”
He said, “I don’t like things that are overbearing.”
The name I Am King was does not refer to Combs, but was as positive affirmation for everyone, he said.
“I was talking about the king in all of us,” Combs said. “If we as men act as kings, we will respect our women as queens.”
Host Callie Northagen did the show. She seems to be HSN’s ace for interviewing high-profile talent, including Madonna and singer Natalie Cole.
HSN was also selling the men’s and women’s fragrance lines Sean Jean Unforgivable. The kits and gift sets ranged in price from $57 to $78. There was also a fleece robe for $60.
Combs has a vast empire, and even produced and was a judge for the MTV show “Making the Band.”
He also claimed to watch the No. 2 home shopping channel.
“Sometimes when you watch HSN, you get stuck there for hours,” Combs said.
We know what you mean, Diddy.
