I stumbled upon this excellent show the other day, which must be fate since it premiered on TLC in 2014. It never gets old, however (excuse the pun).
Just what makes a cougar "extreme," you ask? According to television, it's more than a 30-year age spread between woman and man. The series follows two couples: Stephanie, age 65, and Octavio, age 28; and Kevin age 21, and Jude, age--well, old enough to be named after a Beatles' song. Also featured is Hattie, a 75-year-old woman who will go on a date with pretty much anyone, as long as he's under age 30.
Anyway, though the intrigue of the show is clearly meant to draw on spectacle, and the audience is practically begged to think the whole thing is a wee bit perverse, I found myself wondering how big of a deal this so-called deviant behavior really is. For example, are these cougars and young men simply pursuing mates they find innately attractive, or are they in some way warped by outside factors/nurture?
Ammunition for the warped side is the relationship between Octavio and Stephanie who, although seemingly normal enough, are able to point to the exact moments in their lives that led them to later seek about an age-disparate relationship. Octavio was "seduced" by a friend's mother at age 13 in some Mrs. Robinson scenario. Stephanie tells the camera the story of losing her first husband who died in her arms, came back, and subsequently died for good. "I never want to go through that again," she says. So here's a couple whose predilections could be accounted for in any psychologist's chair in 2.5 seconds.
On the other hand, we have Kevin and Jude who actually go so far as to participate in a hand-fasting ceremony shown on the episode. Aside from their ages, they actually seem perfectly suited for one another--they both love music, pseudo-ritual, and the slightly dorky. They also both genuinely seem to be caught up in the idea of a Romeo and Juliet romance; Jude is genuinely distraught when they do not receive the blessing of Kevin's mother who is two years her junior. She finds climbing through her young lover's window each morning exciting. (He still lives with his parents.)
An equal, perhaps more important player in the spectacle is the lack of societal mores guiding these cougar relationships. Under different circumstances, standing up for ones lover when she is ridiculed by friends, introducing a new girlfriend to ones mother, and even the hierarchy governing mother-son's girlfriend relations are easy situations to navigate. When there's a 30-plus year age difference between the parties, no one is sure how to act. Should an older woman defer to her younger mother-in-law? Who knows?
Regardless of whether these relationships are good or bad, twisted or innocent, the couples involved are paddling against the social current. It would be interesting to watch these relationships evolve in a completely open society, or at least in one where there's some well-meaning guidance to follow. Then again, I doubt that idea would draw such an audience.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
#RichKids of Beverly Hills: Friend or Foe?
I just finished watching the season 1 finale of #RichKids of Beverly Hills.
By now you're probably at least familiar with the show, which has debuted amid a flurry of controversy. As its name suggests, the show is about rich twenty-somethings doing rich people things: yachting, shopping, drinking champagne. I really didn't want to like it, and I will admit that I had yet to form a solid opinion as the final episode aired. (We don't know yet whether it will be renewed for a second season.) I knew that it kept my interest, but I wasn't sure whether it was train-wreck type interest or genuine approval.
When the media came after the series, berating the cast for flaunting their wealth and being generally unaware of real people problems, the cast members took to the daytime talk-show circuit. "It's not supposed to be taken seriously," said show star Morgan Stewart. "It's supposed to be entertaining."
My biggest gripe from the beginning was that I didn't think the cast was particularly entertaining, but somewhere around episode 4, they hit their strides. Stewart became less self-conscious in front of the camera and a story line emerged. Ok, so they had, at least in my opinion, done what they set out to do--entertain. So what then, of the question of whether the show is basically good or basically evil? Is its entertainment value outweighed by its place in the cloud of television promoting excess, disregard for humankind, and egoism?
In the finale, the cast makes its way to Las Vegas to spend New Year's Eve partying. I might be partial since this is my town, but the show portrayed exactly what I like about Vegas. The cast was really real for a moment. Despite all the pleasures to which they have free access on a daily basis because of their wealth, Vegas disarmed them. They drank to excess and danced on tables, they wore sequins, and they ate at Nobu. And these are all things I find, albeit patronizingly, charming about all the normal people who come to my city.
Concurrently, each of the main cast members seemed to be finally, slowly evolving from static party girl to quasi-adult. Stewart made the difficult decision not to cohabitate with her longtime boyfriend because her mother advised against it. Roxy Sowlaty admitted that being cut-off by her parents had actually been a good thing since it propelled her to begin a business. And even perpetually smug Dorothy Wang proclaimed that the best thing about the season was knowing she had loyal friends by her side. These are the types of realizations that we all have, regardless of our tax bracket. This is what differentiates trash from treasure. And this is why I'm rooting for a season two.
PS- Look out for my blog later this week about a fabulous show called Cougar Wives. I know! It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?
By now you're probably at least familiar with the show, which has debuted amid a flurry of controversy. As its name suggests, the show is about rich twenty-somethings doing rich people things: yachting, shopping, drinking champagne. I really didn't want to like it, and I will admit that I had yet to form a solid opinion as the final episode aired. (We don't know yet whether it will be renewed for a second season.) I knew that it kept my interest, but I wasn't sure whether it was train-wreck type interest or genuine approval.
When the media came after the series, berating the cast for flaunting their wealth and being generally unaware of real people problems, the cast members took to the daytime talk-show circuit. "It's not supposed to be taken seriously," said show star Morgan Stewart. "It's supposed to be entertaining."
My biggest gripe from the beginning was that I didn't think the cast was particularly entertaining, but somewhere around episode 4, they hit their strides. Stewart became less self-conscious in front of the camera and a story line emerged. Ok, so they had, at least in my opinion, done what they set out to do--entertain. So what then, of the question of whether the show is basically good or basically evil? Is its entertainment value outweighed by its place in the cloud of television promoting excess, disregard for humankind, and egoism?
In the finale, the cast makes its way to Las Vegas to spend New Year's Eve partying. I might be partial since this is my town, but the show portrayed exactly what I like about Vegas. The cast was really real for a moment. Despite all the pleasures to which they have free access on a daily basis because of their wealth, Vegas disarmed them. They drank to excess and danced on tables, they wore sequins, and they ate at Nobu. And these are all things I find, albeit patronizingly, charming about all the normal people who come to my city.
Concurrently, each of the main cast members seemed to be finally, slowly evolving from static party girl to quasi-adult. Stewart made the difficult decision not to cohabitate with her longtime boyfriend because her mother advised against it. Roxy Sowlaty admitted that being cut-off by her parents had actually been a good thing since it propelled her to begin a business. And even perpetually smug Dorothy Wang proclaimed that the best thing about the season was knowing she had loyal friends by her side. These are the types of realizations that we all have, regardless of our tax bracket. This is what differentiates trash from treasure. And this is why I'm rooting for a season two.
PS- Look out for my blog later this week about a fabulous show called Cougar Wives. I know! It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?
Sunday, March 23, 2014
WTF? (What the final rose?)
So, I just finished watching the finale of this season of The Bachelor--or should I say El Bachelor? I know I'm a little late to the game, so I won't bore you with the obvious retelling of Juan Pablo's failed journey into reality TV villainy. This guy's received a lot of flack, and rightly so. As if he can fool 12 million viewers into believing he's a nice guy with the raise of a tan shoulder and a Latin accent.
The thing that struck me most about the awkward finale and the after show that followed was how both J.P. and Niki framed their closed-lip interview and lack of public proclamations of affection. After all, these are the juicy tidbits that make true Bachelor franchise fans watch. J.P. repeatedly declared that it was time to start their "real," "private" relationship. And Niki also sat across from host Chris Harrison bashfully mum. Could Niki and J.P. possibly think that they were entitled to their silence after the show was responsible for their meeting, multi-continent trip, and fame (however brief)? As last season's Bachelor winner Catherine proclaimed from the peanut gallery: "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."
On the other hand, it just might be possible. In a society that so seamlessly blends reality and fantasy, in a world where something that occurs in Australia is news in a millisecond across the globe, in a time when someone can snap a photo of anyone with his or her iPhone and post it to social media with the stroke of a finger, have we finished defining the dos and don'ts of the new PUBLIC public sphere? Maybe J.P. really thought going onto the show that his life would resume as usual when the season ended. And maybe returning to privacy sounds good to Niki too, especially when presented in that Venezuelan accent. Nothing that occurred on the season would lead us to believe that J.P. came to the table with the savvy to skillfully navigate life on a reality show. To prove that point, I don't have to look any further than his late-night tryst in the ocean with Claire.
In any case, the franchise will soon continue with new Bachelorette, Andi Dorfman, while Entertainment Weekly confirmed rumors of yet another Bachelor spin-off, Bachelor in Paradise. The franchise says it will be a mix of Temptation Island and Bachelor Pad. Yikes, that sounds dangerous.
Check in later this week for my take on the controversial first season of #RichKids of Beverly Hills.
The thing that struck me most about the awkward finale and the after show that followed was how both J.P. and Niki framed their closed-lip interview and lack of public proclamations of affection. After all, these are the juicy tidbits that make true Bachelor franchise fans watch. J.P. repeatedly declared that it was time to start their "real," "private" relationship. And Niki also sat across from host Chris Harrison bashfully mum. Could Niki and J.P. possibly think that they were entitled to their silence after the show was responsible for their meeting, multi-continent trip, and fame (however brief)? As last season's Bachelor winner Catherine proclaimed from the peanut gallery: "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."
On the other hand, it just might be possible. In a society that so seamlessly blends reality and fantasy, in a world where something that occurs in Australia is news in a millisecond across the globe, in a time when someone can snap a photo of anyone with his or her iPhone and post it to social media with the stroke of a finger, have we finished defining the dos and don'ts of the new PUBLIC public sphere? Maybe J.P. really thought going onto the show that his life would resume as usual when the season ended. And maybe returning to privacy sounds good to Niki too, especially when presented in that Venezuelan accent. Nothing that occurred on the season would lead us to believe that J.P. came to the table with the savvy to skillfully navigate life on a reality show. To prove that point, I don't have to look any further than his late-night tryst in the ocean with Claire.
In any case, the franchise will soon continue with new Bachelorette, Andi Dorfman, while Entertainment Weekly confirmed rumors of yet another Bachelor spin-off, Bachelor in Paradise. The franchise says it will be a mix of Temptation Island and Bachelor Pad. Yikes, that sounds dangerous.
Check in later this week for my take on the controversial first season of #RichKids of Beverly Hills.
What is this blog about exactly?
This is a blog dedicated to my biggest guilty pleasure: reality TV. If you can't related to the joy that bad television brings me, I feel sorry for you. Not only is it mindless, but also makes me feel good about myself. There's nothing like being voyeur to a horrific train-wreck of a celebrity family or a cringe-worthy moment on a game show to really pad my ego.
However, since it's in-line how I think and will also do more to benefit society (which is supposed to be an artistic goal or something), I'm also going to provide some high-brow analysis and actually use this blog to make social commentary.
Social commentary, but also garbage. Who can argue with that combination?
However, since it's in-line how I think and will also do more to benefit society (which is supposed to be an artistic goal or something), I'm also going to provide some high-brow analysis and actually use this blog to make social commentary.
Social commentary, but also garbage. Who can argue with that combination?
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