A different perspective...

As you already know, I have worked in Reality TV for a few years and my experiences are a big reason why I began to write this blog.  I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with a previous colleague of mine who still works in Reality TV as an Associate producer for VH1. I thought by bringing in a different point of view from someone who still works in the genre on a daily basis would be interesting. I was able to ask him a few questions and get his perspective on Reality TV...

Me: for my readers, can you introduce yourself and tell us your name and official title at VH1?

Brandon:  My name is Brandon Williams and I started out as a Production Assistant and for the past 2 years I have been an Associate 
Producer on various shows and projects at VH1.

Me: Whats are some shows that you have worked on? 


Brandon: I have worked on Chopped, Project Runway, Kim and Kourtney take New York, The Entertainer in a basement affair, just to name a few and most recently 40 Champions of Cute and 40 Fails part 2

Me: So how did you get your start in Television production?... 

Brandon: I moved to NYC from outside Boston because I had a connection in reality TV. I'd been trying to break into TV or Film and took the first opportunity I could. This was about July 2009.

Me: Having worked in Reality TV... how do you feel about it?...

Brandon: Reality TV has a place in our culture. Since its inception about 10-15 yeas ago, people have been waiting for it to disappear. I don't think it will at this point but it will shift with our culture. 

Me: That's and interesting perspective, which do you prefer... reality or another genre altogether?

Brandon: I like both sides of TV that I have worked in. I've worked reality and like working it for personal reasons. Usually a bigger crew and the comradery is much better. I've worked on scripted clip shows for VH1 and like that side because I get to be creative and have major input into the show. 

Me: In your opinion, what is Reality TV's effect on society?...

Brandon:  I don't think reality has a major effect on society. I think society has a major impact on TV. (look up OJ Simpson bronco chase). This was the start of a major shift in the way the US wanted to watch TV.

Me: What do you think the future has in store for Reality TV... will it even be around?..

Brandon: Reality will have a place on TV for a long time due to several reasons. People like to imagine themselves in situations and reality TV offers that. The poker boom (I classify it as sports and reality TV) of the early 2000s is an example of that. Poker can be played by anyone. People can imagine themselves winning all that money, how they would  play a hand, how they would react. Reality is very cheap to produce versus scripted TV so the networks and channels would prefer it over any other show, besides Jersey Shore reruns.

I have to send a special thanks to Brandon Williams for giving me some time out of his busy schedule making TV to sit down and talk to me for my blog. I'll let this marinate for a while and on my next blog entry I will post my response to what Brandon said in the interview.

Reality Scandals...

Reality TV is no stranger to its stars being involved in juicy scandals. With the majority of reality TV stars being some of the most morally compromised people on the planet, scandals are always on the horizon. From sex tapes to annulled marriages these scandals sometimes can be more entertaining than the reality program this pseudo star comes from  itself. A few sandals in the news right now that have peeked my interest are the recent Project Runway Season 9 winner Anya Ayoung Chee sex tape, as well as the elephant in the room that was the Kim Kardashian wedding.

Anya Ayoung Chee was the eventual winner of Project Runway but during the season there was a leaked sex tape of the designer back from 2008 when she was actually Miss Trinidad and Tobago competing in the Miss Universe Pageant.  Now these pageants are no strangers to scandals themselves but this one crossed into one of the most popular Reality TV programs out.  The tape shows Anya with another girlfriend and a man having sex in a threesome. As always when asked about it Anya said the tape was somehow "stolen" from her computer and she apologized to her fans. Obviously it didn't hurt her in the running for the champ of Project Runway because she ended up winning anyway... hmmm, could it be she won because she was now in the public spotlight and helped shine that light on the show?... food for thought. They always say all press is good press right?

As for Kim Kardashian and what was coined the "American version of the Royal Wedding", Kim and New Jersey Net forward Kris Humpheries were wed just a whopping 73 days ago and on Halloween (insert irony here) Kim filed for divorce, ending her marriage to the currently locked out NBA player. Many of us saw this coming seeing that the relationship was turbulent at best from the beginning. Anyone who watched the E! show Keeping up with the Kardashians could see that this marriage was destined for divorce from day one and yesterday that is exactly what happened. What amazes me is what Kim actually made from the wedding... $17 million dollars!!! Id marry just about anyone for $17 million... especially if I could divorce them 73 days later. Alas the Kardashians again show us how you very well can become rich and famous for having absolutely ZERO talent what so ever...