Changing American, one reality show at a time

Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

by Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

VH1 seems to be cashing in on minority groups this year.  First it was VH1 making show that supported the LGBT community. Now VH1’s spring line up seems to cashing in on the black community.

I notice this past week that VH1 has come out with three reality shows where the whole cast is black. “Basketball Wives” is a show that follows the wives and ex-wives of basketball players. It shows their “troubles” of being married to basketball players. The show is a little boring, it just a bunch of rich women talking about how hard they have it. I like to think about it as if was VH1 is trying to copy the successful Bravo networks Real House wives series.

The next show follows the C of the hip-hop group, TLC.  Chilli’s  looking for love of her own called “What Chilli Wants.” She hired a love guru to help her find love. The guru holds nothing back with Chilli and tells her the reasons she has no man. I don’t know about this show yet. It was entertaining to the two of them scope out men for Chilli to meet. I would have to check out the next episode to get the full effect of the show.

The last show is about the R&B brother and sister duo Brandy and Ray-J called “A Family Business.” This is one show that I thank may be picked up for a second season. The show is about Brandy and Ray J’s family business and the problems that follows people in the music industry. They are becoming music moguls while their mom watches over them like a hawk.

VH1is giving BET a run for their money by employing big names for their series of reality shoes. It’s interesting to see the change in television in America when we elect our first black president. Things are changing in America, one reality show at a time.

VH1 steps forward

Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

by Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

I was watching VH1 sometime ago, and I notice something that I think is a step forward in American television. RuPaul is back on TV!

I know she had her own talk show some time ago in the mid 90’s but has not been that role model for the LGBT community in years on television. She had a new show called Ru Paul’s Drag Race 2.  Originally shown on Logo, the show has been syndicated on VH1.

<embed src=”http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:logotv.com:497586&#8243; width=”385″ height=”320″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” flashVars=”configParams=autoPlay%3Dfalse” allowFullScreen=”true” allowScriptAccess=”always” base=”.”></embed><div style=”margin:0;text-align:center;width:385px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;padding-top:3px;”>Watch <a href=”http://www.logotv.com/video&#8221; style=”color:#439CD8;” target=”_blank”>Gay Video & Lesbian Movies</a> </div>

The show follows drag queens competing to be the ultimate drag queen with a cash prize and a photo spread in a magazine. The queens have to create there own original costumes that relate to the task that was given to them. The queens that are in the bottom two have “lip sync for your life,” as Ru puts it. The winners will shante you stay, and the loser must sashay away.

Networks like MTV and VH1 are cashing in on the LGBT community in a new way with more acceptances.

Vh1 also as another show appropriately tilted TRANSform Me. The premise of this show follows three transgender women in a “glambulance” and help women with low self-esteem feel beautiful by giving them a complete head-to-toe makeover, TRANSforming them into beautiful women. The show also give a little insight to what the transgender women went through during their own transition. These shows are one step closer for equality for all.

I give kudos to VH1 for actually putting shows out there that will slowly break down the homophobia that many Americans have.

Oscar curse strikes again

Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

by Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

The glamorous life of red carpet events, fame, fortune and wanting to win that little gold man named Oscar comes with a price. It seems when ever something good happens, something bad it not far behind.

The first of the curse was Janet Gaynor in 1929. She won the very first Academy Award for Best Actress award in 1929 and four years latter she and her husband divorced. In more recent times, many of the Best Actress winners’ marriages have ended in divorce. Halle Berry won back in 2002 for her performance in “Monster’s Ball” several months latter she was divorced. In 2006, Reese Witherspoon won the Oscar for “Walk the Line;” by 2007, she was divorced from Ryan Phillippe. Hillary Swank, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman are just some of the A-list ladies to have the Oscar curse.

The most recent lady bitten by the curse is our very own Miss Congeniality, Sandra Bullock. She won the best actress award March 7 for her performance in “The Blind Side,” and 10 days latter it was reported that she had moved out the house that she lived with husband, Jesse James. James is rumored to have cheated on Bullock, or so says the reported mistress, Michelle “Bombshell” McGee.

Sandra was indeed blind sided by her husband’s cheating ways, but then again what do you expect when the mistress was at one time, among other less savory professions, a stripper? Nevertheless, it seems that husbands of Best Actresses don’t like sitting on the bench while their leading lady is the one scoring the touchdowns.

What do you want to do before you die?

Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

by Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

It’s a simple question but, its not that easy to answer.  Despite from the entire semi-scripted reality  MTV spews out at us, the network still has some shows that stick to the good ol’ boy days.

“The Buried Life” is one MTV show that isn’t about sleeping around and getting drunk. The premise is simple: a group of guys travel the country with a list of 100 things they want to do before they die. They also help one stranger with one the thing they would like to do before they die. Some tasks on the list are: delivering a baby, learning how to krump, playing basketball with Obama, and the ultimate one, I think, is going to outer space.

The show got me thinking what do I want to do before I die? I would love to see all the wonders of the world, hang out with Obama and of course, go to space, and a lot more. The show really demonstrates how anything is possible just by simply asking some one to help. You never think total stranger will help someone out nowadays, but as humans, we need to help people no matter what, its like our instinct.

If you haven’t seen the show, you must. It will start to make you think about others and your life’s list.

So, what do you want to do before you die?

Check out the full “Buried Life” list here.

‘Bad Girls’ make great TV

Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

by Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

The brilliant creators of the Real World have made another show that people cant stop talking about. Its nothing new, but the “Bad Girls Club” is a hit.

In a way, it’s television genius to put a group of self-proclaimed “bad girls” in a house with no TV and a bunch of alcohol.  Its TV gold. This season has to be the craziest one yet. The season is about to wrap up, but that’s not stopping the girls bad behavior. Fights between roommates in the house or at the club is what keeps people hooked in.

Natalie is the self proclaimed queen of LA, but she is not from LA. She constantly makes it know that she “runs LA” and the house. She is one of the most annoying characters on TV with her constant loud and rude behavior, but I can’t help myself  to want to see more of her.  It’s sad to see this person with no self-respect plaster it all over TV, but it’s fun watching this train wreck.

The show is basically a 24 hour viewing of the movie “Mean Girls” with alcohol. The “Bad Girls Club” is one of my guilty pleasures, and I can’t wait for the end of the season.