So as most of you thought, the whole Bruno-Eminem face-plant was a put-on to boost both men’s new projects, and we all got a good chuckle out of the whole thing. It followed a now-familiar kind of media script: A “spontaneous moment” became a “controversy” which became a “put-on.”
Less amusing is the Heidi and Spencer Pratt put-on over at I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! It’s not so much Heidi and Spencer themselves — we expect them to be phonies, right? — it’s more the way NBC is trying so hard to pump up this reality-game-show’s ratings.
Late yesterday afternoon, MSNBC.com reported that the head of NBC reality programming, Paul Telegdy, said the Pratts were “everything that’s wrong with America… insincere, lazy, entitled, and they claim the devil has possessed them.” (Personally, it lowers my opinion of Satan to think that he’d bother to latch onto those two souls, but anyway… )
Telegdy said in his statement that if and when H&S return to Celebrity, “their value system [will be] utterly deconstructed.” (“Deconstructed”? Uh oh: has some NBC exec been spending company-time reading his Jacques Derrida?) “These people are really going to bare their souls,” concluded Telegdy.
Really? I think the only time this couple bares anything is when Heidi is snapped by the paparazzi wearing a thong bathing suit. (To be fair, Bruno/Borat wears a mean one, too.)
Sounds like P.T. Barnum-style publicity-seeking to me, rather than a sincere scolding. Maybe I’m wrong.
What do you think? Whose put-on do you like more, Eminem and Bruno’s, or Heidi, Spencer, and NBC’s?
For more on I’m a Celebrity:
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!: Janice Dickinson took my pillow
For more on Eminem and Bruno at the MTV Movie Awards:
Eminem-Bruno’s was original and unexpected. Much much better.
The hottest celeb scenes at: http://www.actressscene.com
Poor Tucker. I’m sorry that you’ve been signed to watch and recap that horrible Celebrity show. I hope that you’re well-paid.
Bear their souls? There’re bears in Costa Rica?
How is Speidi a put-on? It’s so telegraphed that we can practically hear the execs off camera telling the jungleites that they’ll have no ratings without them. As for Em-Sash, it’s such a put-on that you admit it the same week it happens. Lame. Biggest put-on of the week is really the new ridiculous way to post comments here at EW.
“Personally it lowers my opinion of Satan . . .” That was so funny I’m still chuckling. Oh and I never liked Eminem until I heard he was in on the joke. That totally messed with my head. Hats off to Eminem for making me realize that I’m just as damaged by preconceptions as everyone else.
Ken, I feel your pain! I too torture myself and watch these shows, for the sake of coverage. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/06/05/ratings-report-nba-finals-a-slam-drunk-for-abc/
I thought that Janice Dickinson was the most over-rated reality stuge out there. I stand corrected. This show pretty much blows. If Heidi and Spencer return, I’m outta there.
the Speidi thing is so staged by the execs. it’s quite interesting how the whole thing has beencarefully organized to drag out the “suspense” over into next week. are they going to “quit” the show before every elimination, as to avoid being eliminated? speidi = losers. it’s a bad show really anyway
I can’t bring myself to comment on Speidi, but I thought the Eminem thing was funny because I totally fell for it. I really didn’t believe Eminem had enough of a sense of humour about himself to be involved in that, and I was wrong. Kudos to him.
Hmmm…
Both examples only serve to illustrate just how far people are willing to go in order to be talked about. I’d have much more respect for both Eminem and the Pratts if their reactions had been genuine (e.g., “No way am I gonna let this 2nd-rate shock comic use me to hype his latest ‘persona’…I’m outta here!”…or, alternately, if the Pratts had decided that the NBC program was too lame even for them and quietly quit). As it is, both are simply selling themselves and the whole issue makes me weary. No more manufactured “controversies”, please.
I’m confused as to why Eminem agreed to appear as just as vilely homophobic as he’s always come across. I don’t actually believe he’s a good enough actor for at least some of that to have been from actual repulsion.
the whole Eminem bruno thing was fine. OF COURSE he was in on it!! but Speidi has got to go. I agree with the NBC exec. even if it wasn’t real. They truly are what is wrong with Americans today
The deconstruction reference brought me back to literary theory, the class that proved not all of us are meant to go to grad school. Me, especially.