reality tv

Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth about Guilty Pleasure TV

beth — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Reality TV has infiltrated the media to such an extreme extent that it is increasingly difficult to escape its reach. Even those of us who consider ourselves media literate and savvy in our consumption of television have to admit to watching the occasional episode of Project Runway, America’s Next Top Model, or The Real Housewives of New Jersey. They’re our guilty pleasures; the kind of TV we watch while wearing a Snuggie and eating a bowlful (or two) of Ben and Jerry’s. We don’t always readily admit to watching these shows, and when we do come clean, we insist it’s for the absurdity of it all and that we’re quite aware of effects of this kind of TV.

Jennifer Pozner warns us of this type of complacent thinking in Reality Bites Back and backs it up with compelling examples pulled straight from our TVs. Toddlers are glam-ified and paraded around in Toddlers and Tiaras to meet the beauty standards put forth by Tyra Banks in America’s Next Top Model. Sometimes women need help to meet these standards, and thanks to The Swan, they can achieve them and go on to be evaluated once again by a panel of judges. Shows like Flavor of Love and The Bachelor depict women as catty, bitchy, and willing to do whatever it takes to win the affections of a man (as long as he’s wealthy). Non-Caucasian women see that they are expected to act and are portrayed as stereotypes, whether that be a saucy, va-va-voom Latina or a meek, obedient China doll.

Are we aware of all of this? Yes, to a certain extent. But we are not immune to it and Pozner points out the consequences in such clear detail that it’s impossible not to feel a bit guilty. However, Pozner does not seek to shame us into not watching reality TV, but rather to help effect change through widespread media literacy and campaigns to make TV more responsible for their programming and the messages they send. The last chapter ends on this note and includes the input of various educators and activists on how to accomplish this goal. In the end, Pozner manages to heavily critique reality TV without denigrating those of us who watch it. Her tone makes the message palatable, and she successfully gets the point across with her vast amount of knowledge and research.

Written by: Shana Mattson, January 3rd 2011

Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons On Love and Life Learned the Hard Way

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:04:00 +0000

By Nene Leakes, Denene Millner

Simon & Schuster

Although I had never watched The Real Housewives of Atlanta, I was immediately drawn to Nene Leakes’ story even without knowing who she was. Once I opened this book, I did not put it down. Leakes' story is full of so much courage—growing up without her mother, being a single mother, surviving an abusive relationship and becoming a successful business woman on her own terms.

Never Make the Same Mistake Twice is written very conversationally—conveying Leakes' voice throughout the book. Leakes is unapologetic, taking pride in her decisions and the way she carries herself. While reading her memoir, I couldn't help but think: this woman rocks.

What I admired most about Leakes' autobiography is her frankness about how she survived the domestic abuse, which included a kidnapping incident. She bravely left in the middle of the night to protect herself and her young son. As a fellow survivor of abuse, I read Leakes' recount with tears in my eyes.

In part of the book, Leakes reveals her past work as an exotic dancer. While stripping is highly debated in the feminist community, Leakes divulges she did what she needed to do to support herself and her son. For Leakes, this job gave back her confidence after it had been damaged by the abuse. Even if you don't agree with her views, you have to admire her openness.

Since I knew I couldn't give a full review without watching at least an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, I turned on Bravo. I'm now a full addict, watching the episodes over and over with the On Demand channel. The Nene in the show is exactly the Nene in the book. In addition, the latest episodes even show Leakes working on the book, and traveling home to Atlanta with her co-writer Denene Millner. And yes, Leakes does spill some juicy details about the show in her book. But even people who have never seen The Real Housewives of Atlanta can appreciate this memoir, especially those who have gone through the same issues.

Written by: Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch, December 23rd 2009

The Naughty Kitchen With Chef Blythe Beck

admin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:53:00 +0000

By Chef Blythe Beck

Oxygen

Oxygen devised a new show from a most novel idea: produce a “food show” as a documentary, or in their terms, as a “docu-series.” The show, The Naughty Kitchen, has the drama of the popular Top Chef without the competition. Instead, it delves into the mania and frenzy of the restaurant business from Chef Blythe Beck’s perspective. Chef Beck was recently named executive chef of the highly regarded Dallas restaurant, Central 214. The docu-series, therefore, documents Chef Beck’s ascension to the role of executive chef, as well as the trials and tribulations that await her in her quest to achieve, in her words, “total world culinary domination.” In a nutshell, think female chef bildungsroman—or, in this case, bildungsTV.

Yesterday Oxygen premiered the first episode of the series for bloggers in New York City. The first episode is driven by the plot line of Chef Beck’s, and Central 214’s, first major culinary review in the Dallas Morning News. Being the first episode, of course, the episode spends the necessary time introducing the show’s cast of characters: here, in addition to Chef Beck, kudos goes to the so-called “Door Whores” Emily and (new hire) Curtis, who pass their time out in front of the restaurant by entertaining themselves in the most hilarious of ways. In the first episode, Tweedle-E and Tweedle-C venture a spelling bee challenge. Emily stymies Curtis with the term “horrogenous,” which, in her estimation, is a word (a noun, it seems) that refers to plants, like horticulture, except it’s not. Needless to say, all the fun doesn’t just take place in the kitchen on this show.

At the premiere I had a chance to talk with Chef Beck, who is just as warm and lovely as she appears on television (and, to note, just as pink as well!). She spoke to me about the challenges facing women in the culinary world—the name calling, the exclusion, and the pervasive sexual harassment—and her dream of “total world culinary domination.” To achieve this goal, she says, she needs to know the “dirty food secrets” of everyone around the world. Knowing these secrets—her dirty secret is mall pizza, by the way—will enable her to create the most naughty, most delicious, of dishes to over indulge the palate.

“Naughty” foods, clearly, are foods made of creams, butter, and bacon that are not touted as “healthy.” Decadent foods are naughty; fatty foods are naughty; sugary foods are, alas, naughty. This we all know, but Chef Beck implores us to indulge, just a little, and it is this encouragement to indulge through the creation of some sinful dishes (see her fried chicken dishes, particularly) that makes Chef Beck just as naughty as her food.

In the first episode, we hear the Dallas Morning News patronize Chef Beck’s naughtiness as “schtick,” but in their critique, they fail to understand Chef Beck’s culinary creations in their totality. In other words, they look solely at the end product—the plate of fried chicken—and say, “How naughty?” What they overlook is what we, the viewers, are able to see played out on the show: naughty is a lifestyle. It’s a continuous process that encompasses every step in the act of creation of food and of life. It’s not just the end product.

Chef Beck was gracious to partake in a quick game of word association. I asked her to shout out the first word that came to her mind. Here is the game, as it played out:

Me: Tuesday

Chef Beck: Hangover

Me: Pink

Chef Beck: Me

Me: Naughty

Chef Beck: Kitchen

Me: Fried

Chef Beck: Avocado

Me: Women

Chef Beck: Powerful

The Naughty Kitchen airs Tuesday nights at 10pm EST on Oxygen starting tonight!

Written by: Marcie Bianco, September 22nd 2009