Alright, so I know I should know better, but I’m a sucker for reality television. I don’t know if it’s the fact that it’s so far removed from most people’s realities, but still, stick some random people together, give them some loose premise to make them fight for (or against) and wham – instant eyeglue.
My latest guilty pleasures are Joe Schmo 2 and The Surreal Life. Have you ever been at a party and everybody is giggling and you get the feeling that people are having a joke at your expense? Yeah, Joe Schmo 2 nurtures and breeds those feelings of paranoia in a fake reality show called Last Chance for Love where everybody except the 2 schmos are actors. It’s really funny and an education in the art of smooth talking.
The Surreal Life is the kind of reality show that could have only been dreamed up by nostalgic coked-up execs – but it also has its moments. It’s a show where nothing much happens except you get to watch MC Hammer, Corey Feldman, Vince Neil, Emmanual Lewis and other D-list stars slum it in an LA mansion.
Highlights are the philosophical discussions between Hammer (“It’s so wimpy to complain”) and Feldman (“But I’ve never made $15m on any project), laced with witticisms from Webster (“We are really in the woods y’all”). Ok, I’ll admit it – I am the king of low brow sloth. Just send me some Wayans Brothers DVDs and I’ll stop offending your highly refined Kurosawa sensibilities.
Currently bobbing my head to: namewithnohorse from field recordings 1995-2002 by fennesz