2008 Woodie Awards
Gimmicky TV shows capture audience despite plots
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: OpEd Page
Shot at Love 2. Rock of Love 2. They should really be called, "I want to be really famous, but will pretend I'm looking for love" … Two. We all enjoyed watching bi-sexual Tila Tequila and her whopping 32 candidates and all got mad when she chose Bobby. We all watched former Poison band member Brett Michaels choose the wrong girl (shocker!), but how much more can we take? How many more episodes of scantily clad adults vying for the attention of Michaels and Tequila can we take before it's not even funny anymore? It's getting so bad that MTV and VH1 are at a point that they gave losing contestants New York from Flavor of Love and Domenico Nesci from Shot at Love their own spin-offs. We are one step away from Randy the Cameraman's (Snap) Shot at Love.
One of the first things you notice about the shows is that the challenges are getting more and more ridiculous. These challenges make the planned dates on Next seem normal. They try to help the hosts find love, and some of the more "normal" challenges have included Tequila making contestants clean muddy cars in their underwear and Michaels having a rodeo competition. Hearing contestants say with a serious face that they want to show their love for Michaels with their horse riding and pig grabbing skills is just laughable.
However, what's even more laughable are the contestants' arguments on who "loves" Michaels and Tequila more. They're shown crying in confessionals, pouring their hearts out and arguing with other candidates about who's love is more real. If people could find love in five-minute dates, would anyone be single anymore? And if there is so much "love" going around, then why is there a Rock of Love 2 or a Shot at Love 2? Tequila claimed she was so in love with winner Bobby, but Bobby claimed on www.MySpace.com that she never called him after the last show and no one would give him her number-now that's true love at its finest.
Another problem with these shows is that they aren't about whom the host likes the most, they're now just a race to fall in love. It's at a point where if a contestant doesn't open up and form that true connection right away, they might get a reaction like the one Michaels just gave. He recently eliminated a contestant because they told the truth, saying that they weren't in love with him after a few weeks. It's hard to believe a man who formally dated Pamela Lee Anderson would have such high standards for his women.
One of the first things you notice about the shows is that the challenges are getting more and more ridiculous. These challenges make the planned dates on Next seem normal. They try to help the hosts find love, and some of the more "normal" challenges have included Tequila making contestants clean muddy cars in their underwear and Michaels having a rodeo competition. Hearing contestants say with a serious face that they want to show their love for Michaels with their horse riding and pig grabbing skills is just laughable.
However, what's even more laughable are the contestants' arguments on who "loves" Michaels and Tequila more. They're shown crying in confessionals, pouring their hearts out and arguing with other candidates about who's love is more real. If people could find love in five-minute dates, would anyone be single anymore? And if there is so much "love" going around, then why is there a Rock of Love 2 or a Shot at Love 2? Tequila claimed she was so in love with winner Bobby, but Bobby claimed on www.MySpace.com that she never called him after the last show and no one would give him her number-now that's true love at its finest.
Another problem with these shows is that they aren't about whom the host likes the most, they're now just a race to fall in love. It's at a point where if a contestant doesn't open up and form that true connection right away, they might get a reaction like the one Michaels just gave. He recently eliminated a contestant because they told the truth, saying that they weren't in love with him after a few weeks. It's hard to believe a man who formally dated Pamela Lee Anderson would have such high standards for his women.
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