Reality TV (No TV Required)

Reality TV is usually the worst of the worst, but also one of my favorite genres. I'm not a fan of the talent competitions (Top Chef and Project Runway excluded) or gimmicky dating shows, I'm more into those off-the-beaten-path reality options: the weird medical stories on Discovery Health Channel, the parenting shows on TLC, or the teenage documentary series on MTV. Of course, the catch is, I don't actually own a television-- and haven't for years. Lack of TV has turned me into a savvy Internet TV watcher, and I've managed to find enough online options to satisfy my TV watching needs. May I present-- the best reality TV shows you're probably not watching (but can watch online for free!)

1. Can't Get a Date. I remember watching a few episodes of this show back when it aired on VH1. Now, through some sort of Netflix/Logo arrangement, you are able to watch select episodes online. I find this show totally heartwarming. Each episode focuses on an individual who, for whatever reasons, isn't having success in their dating life. The host on the show gently asks questions, offers advice, and sets them up with makeovers, workouts, or other confidence-building exercises to help get them back on track. The fun thing is, the host is anonymous-- you only hear his voice. Unlike other dating shows there are no roses or elimination rounds, just people who end up feeling better about themselves and the reassuring tag line: "Can't get a date? Yes you can."

2. Teen Mom. Awhile back I posted about the MTV series, 16 and Pregnant. Teen Mom is a recently-debuted sequel that follows up on four of the original girls and their new lives as young moms. It can be found on MTV's website. So far only one episode has aired, but if it's anything like the hilarious and heart-wrenching original 16 and Pregnant series, we're in for a treat.

3. Secret Lives of Women. As you may have guessed by the title and picture, this show on the WE network is about women who lead lives that are unusual, unexpected, or outside of the norm. They're not all as obvious as the "businesswoman by day, dominatrix by night" scenario. Thanks to a YouTube user who has uploaded a good deal of episodes, I have watched stories of Quiverfill women, child brides, and suburban moms with dark secrets. It's sort of a more grown up version of MTV's True Life series, and definitely worth watching.

4. Property Virgins. Oh, whatever would we do without HGTV? Lots of people are familiar with the Home & Garden Televisions other series, like Househunters, but Property Virgins is even more enjoyable. In each episode a real estate agent, Sandra, works with first time homeowners. They usually look at three homes, and Sandra breaks down all the pro's and con's. She explains in her Canadian accent aboot all the factors at play in the decision to buy. I like this show because I can make snarky comments about the clients' taste in homes, and then redecorate their potential houses in my imagination. But seriously, if there was one reality show I would actually want to be on, this is it, because now I can't imagine buying a house without Sandra's help. Watch here.

Why I Hate Dr. Drew

MTV recently ran a show called Sixteen and Pregnant, which as you can guess from the title, is a Juno-inspired documentary series about how different teen mothers deal with unplanned pregnancies (and SATs! and prom!). Now I don't want to praise MTV too much, because basically everything else on that network is trash, but I found this show (which you can watch on their website for free) totally captivating. Of course there were some unbelievable moments of ignorance and irresponsibility (ahem, Farrah in Episode 2) but more often than not, I was pleasantly surprised at the maturity of the young women and men featured. The season finale, which documented the show's only instance in which the birth parents chose adoption, was especially moving. Coming from someone who has watched a lot of Bringing Home Baby, Adoption Stories and similar baby-themed documentary shows, I found this adoption episode to be one of the most honest and inspiring perspectives out there.

But remember how I said I don't want to praise MTV too much? Well here's why. The season wrapped up with a reunion episode, hosted by who else but Dr. Drew. Also known as the biggest, misogynistic jerk ever. I'm sure MTV was worried of being accused that Sixteen and Pregnant was promoting teenage sex (gasp!). This resulted in Dr. Drew berating each of the couples for not practicing safe sex in an incredibly condescending way. After one young father admitted he wouldn't be with his girlfriend if she hadn't gotten pregnant (not so classy, but totally true) Dr. Drew pressured him to get serious and get married. But then when he was talking to one young couple who were clearly in love, engaged to be married and doing their very best to make their new life as a young family work, Dr. Drew made fun of the guy for buying the engagement ring at Wal-Mart. So Dr. Drew is also a meanie.

But here's what really put me over the edge about Dr. Drew's reunion episode. One issue that a lot of the young women discussed on the show was breastfeeding. If I remember correctly, all but one breastfed her baby for a very short (one to two week) amount of time, if at all. I was glad the show itself had featured doctors and midwives advising the mothers to breastfeed as long as possible, so imagine my dismay when Dr. Drew totally trash talked breastfeeding! He was all, what you viewers may not know is that breastfeeding can be painful! It's not easy! Actually, what teenage viewers may not know is how important breastfeeding is for the baby, whether that baby is planned or not. I was so insulted that he used breastfeeding as some sort of aversion technique, like, if you don't use a condom you might have to breastfeed!

So, I had meant for this post to provide some fun pop culture commentary, but then I got all worked up and it accidentally turned political. I'm by no means an expert on teenage parenting or breastfeeding or anything, but then again neither is Dr. Drew. If you want the best information on the subject or to make a donation to people who know what they're talking about La Leche League is the place to go. And let's remember, the messed up message of MTV and Dr. Drew is just part of a larger problem in how our culture views adolsecent sexuality and how the US handles sex education in general. If you're feeling annoyed too, NARAL is a great organization to support.

Jon & Kate: Update

Not to dwell on this, but... I was hanging out with my friend Jenni last night, discussing current events. Not swine flu, but Jon Gosselin's alleged cheating (which honestly, I'm sure is being blown totally out of proportion). Jenni (like me) was a pretty big fan of the reality show, and (like me) is intrigued by the growing popularity of freakishly large families. I offered to lend her my copy of Kate's best-selling book, Multiple Blessings, and Jenni made a notable discovery. Among the many, many bible verses that Kate has sprinkled throughout the book, the one embossed on the cover of the book is the following:

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;
so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them
Psalm 127:3-5

And guess who else loves that verse? The crazy, irresponsible Quiverfulls! Leave it to the two PK's to spend their evening investigating misuse of biblical interpretations...

Shameless

My measly little blog got more hits than ever the day I wrote about my opinion of Jon & Kate Plus 8, so while I'd usually leave the gossip blogging to Perez and Michael K, I thought it was worth sharing one of the latest celebrity scandals: Jon was caught leaving a bar with another woman (gasp!). I'm looking forward to reading the whole story, because yes, I have a subscription to US Weekly.

Oh, Miss Jody

Sometimes watching The Dog Whisperer reminds me that Sprout is a good dog.

Multiplied

I'll fess up, I'm a fan of the TLC show Jon & Kate Plus 8, and I even read Kate's book, Multiple Blessings. For those living in the dark ages, the show is about Jon and Kate Gosselin, a young couple raising twins and sextuplets (and I know all their names). I've got an insatiable appetite for certain types of reality tv, and over the past four seasons, have watched every episode of J&K+8 that I could get my hands on. I think it's kind of fascinating to watch 6 sibling of the same age interact, and I even began to enjoy the quirks of Kate's overbearing personality and extreme type-A parenting style.
But something has happened over the course of the latest forty episode (!) season, and J&K+8 now just seem, well, obnoxious (and apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks so). For starters, I've always been turned off by the extreme amount this family accumulates, consumes and wastes. You'll notice they always use paper plates and plastic cups. I had sort of ignored their huge carbon footprint and figured that watching Kate do dishes wouldn't have made for very exciting television. But their excessive materialism was highlighted in one of the latest episodes that was entirely about packing up their old house to move to a bigger one, and the sheer amount of stuff they had was pretty disgusting. And listening to an overly fake tanned Kate talk about her new found love for shopping was the final straw. I'm not really interested in seeing how the family prepares for their second appearance on Oprah (though I do heart Oprah), I was more intrigued when we got to peek into how they survived the day-to-day challenges of raising their family.

The book actually takes a look back at those good old days before all the sponsored trips and free merchandise took over the lives of the Gosselins, but also highlights one important aspect that is largely glossed over on the show: religion. Turns out J&K are mega-church members, and the frequency with which Kate references and credits God is a bit too much for me to stomach. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise that conservative religious beliefs were behind their decision against selective termination, but in a post Octo-Mom world, such a stance now appears to border on irresponsible.

I don't mean to get all judgy-wudgy, and I don't find the Gosselins nearly as disturbing as TLC's other famous large family, The Duggars (of the show 18 Kids and Counting). Actually, I think the uber-conservative beliefs of The Duggars-- who don't permit their teenagers to date, forbid music and dancing in their house, and are members of the bizarre Quiverfull movement-- are backwards and dangerous, and should not be propagated through a mainstream television series.

It just seems that J&K+8 has lost it's charm, and now remains a point of interest only as a record of some sort of social experiment demonstrating the effects of instant celebrity status on otherwise normal folks. All the conservative religious and materialistic muck that's become so central to the show distracts from the cute things the little kids say, and isn't that why we all tuned in in the first place?

I Hope Bad Things Can Also Happen in Two's

Sprout was being weird this morning, and kept gazing upwards at the ceiling. I asked her if she was seeing ceiling ghosts, or if maybe she was rehearsing for the role of Joan of Arc, but she didn't respond. Eventually I noticed what she was looking at, a dripping leak in my bedroom ceiling. As leaks go, this is one of the non-disastrous types; it's not directly over my bed or anything else that would be a pain to move, and it appears to have subsided once the upstairs neighbors turned off their (evidently leaky) radiator. However, over the past year this apartment has suffered: two break-ins, a broken window, and-- just last month-- a leak that destroyed Janet's mattress and forced her to vacate her room and couch surf for a week. Oh yeah, and they raised the rent 10%.

While I was on my way to work, I pulled out my cell phone to check the time and instead of seeing a cute pic of Sprout, I saw nothing. I restarted, but all it would do was buzz. I think it was saying goodbye. I walked in the frigid 20-degree weather to the nearest cell phone store, and when I showed the man there my phone, he gasped, "you still have this phone! I haven't seen this model in years!" He was very helpful, and arranged a free upgrade to a new fancy schmancy phone that has a full keypad and lime green accents. I feel like the cool kids in Gossip Girl.

An Important Message from Home

The Friday Before. At Lunch. (Obviously)

Oh thank you Hulu! I know you're owned by a big ol' network and a sure sign of the beginning of the end of "wild, wild West" phase of the internet, but 30 Rock a week early? Right now you're my favorite.



Click here to link to it!

Work It

Even though Fashion Week has come and gone in real time, I've experienced it televisually twice this week. First, and only because I'm really behind in my fall programming, on Gossip Girl. Serena walked the runway (gasp!) in a dress designed by Jenny (gasp!). Then there was Leanne's big win (yay Leanne!) on Project Runway. Not only do I love Leanne's clothes, I also love that she made Tim Gunn ride a bicycle built for two when he visited her in Portland, making for another great Tim Gunn moment, though not as great the turtle poop incident. Oh, and also I'm digging Leanne's glasses. Reappropriate those.

I actually had my own first hand encounter with Fashion Week last month. While waiting to meet Stephan for a breakfast break in Bryant Park, Meredith and I found ourselves smack dab in the middle of Fashion Week action. We watched parades of models march from tent to tent. We stood behind a cluster of paparazzi hoping to see someone interesting (no luck). We were handed lots of free promotional items, including a stuffed rhino head key chain. After we had all met up and purchased a ridiculous amount of pastries from 'Wichcraft & Le Pain Quotidien, we snagged a table and chairs admidst the fashion hub bub. To keep things interesting, Meredith would periodically yell out "Marc Jacobs!"