My reality TV viewing experience spans the first season of Survivor, one of the Amazing Races, and - of course - COPS and Cheaters. I try to limit myself to the first couple episodes of any given season of American Idol, because that's when the most laughs are to be had, frankly, and mocking others from a position of false superiority is really what reality programming is all about.
In short, I'm not into the genre, so when a couple of our friends insisted we should be watching the second season of Rock Star, I immediately called for drug tests. The premise is all Idol: contestants mostly sing cover versions for a panel of judges, while their ultimate fate is hastened along by slack-jawed tweens absuing Daddy's wireless plan. Key differences: 1) the judges are actually the band for whom the singers are auditioning. In this case, the unfortunately named "Supernova," consisting of competent bassist Jason Newsted, adequate guitarist Gilby Clarke, and execrable drummer Tommy Lee (last season it was the non-autoerotically asphyxiated members of INXS). And 2) Viewers only vote for the bottom three, with the band making the ultimate call on who gets the boot.
I admit, we're weak when it comes to summer TV. Having exhausted all available (DVD-released) seasons of Deadwood, Weeds, Entourage, and still getting The Wife caught up on Battlestar Galactica, we're suffering from a lack of quality programming, so we caved and watched the last two weeks of Rock Star: Supernova. And only because Patrice Pike is one of the remaining contestants.
The Wife and I are Patrice fans from back in her Sister 7 days. The inherent problem with audience polling has been evident each week, as prepubescent females appear to resent the 30-something as someone their parents must have foisted upon the show. They've been voting her into the bottom three each week while less worthy participants, most notably Lukas, whose emo eyeliner and receding-hairline-poorly-masked-with-frosted-fauxhawk I can't look at without laughing, continue to torture us with grunted renditions of Nickelback songs. The band members, to their credit, seem to want Patrice to stick around, consistently ousting her fellow bottom dwellers. It's only a matter of time before they run out of scrubs, though, but we'll keep watching and pulling for her until that happens.
I hope she lasts a few more weeks anyway, after all, it's only a month until the fourth season of The Wire starts.
oh wow...sister 7? only saw them once at the satellite and i think that was their last show as a band. i didn't know that was her!
I love the "abusing Daddy's wireless plan" line.
I'm sorry, but I just don't get reality TV. I am almost certain we're cruising toward a replay of the game-show scandals of the '50s, where we're going to learn the results of all these things were rigged. And you know what? .... Shame on anyone who'll be surprised!
I'm a Rock Star: Supernova junkie. I started watching it, thinking it would be a train wreck, but now I'm hooked.
I think Lukas has a short man complex and his makeup and fauxhawk are ways for him to compensate. If you check YouTube, you'll see performances from his previous band, where he wasn't all prettied up - and he actually looked and sounded better.
I originally liked Dilana, but I've become a Storm fan. She also has performances on YouTube and they're great. She's a raunchy one, that's for sure, so I think she'd be a good fit for Supernova. Then again, the song they debuted this week really sucked, so they may not have much of a future.
I think that Lukas looks like Pepe le Pew. Hey, do you think that Dilana is self destructing on purpose? She seemed like such a solid level headed type earlier. May be she's in it for the exposure and is hoping not to front the band--can't blame her, they rather suck.
You and The Wife are burning up the phone lines to ensure Patrice's win, yes?
(I would offer to join in, but the last time I got involved in a something like that, a certain Boy Wonder got whacked. It's been 20 years, and I'm still traumatized.)