Reality Show Overproduction

There are so many reality shows that start on television, and in the first season they are wonderful.  You really get a raw sense of the reality that is going on, whether it is a competition or a social experiment.  But then - once they get an ounce of success - the next season is this big entirely over-produced monstrosity, barely resembling the original.  And with a product placement every where you look.

There can be no better example of this than The Real World.  The first season (or two) of the show were legitimately real.  They got different types of people with JOBS and outside lives to live together in a house - and they filmed what happens.  A few years later, they are getting groups of kids who were kinda real to live in outrageously unreal houses that they could never afford, and do give them made-up jobs that they could never get.  There is nothing real about it!

Who doesn't remember the first season with Eric and Kevin fighting over race around the pool table?  And no one will ever forget Puck in season two.  No one could shoot a snot rocket like that guy!  And, my god, he ate someone else's peanut butter!  Now THAT'S reality!

Now I look at American Idol this year.  They are entirely over-producing this year.  No way, no how does Tatiana make it for a chance at a wild card slot in reality.  Only in the mind of a producer looking to generate some drama for ratings does her face ever show up on that show again.  And Danny Gokey, while I really like this guy, could the show possibly announce who they would like to win any more than this?  

I think next year Idol shouldn't show us the preliminary rounds.  Start with 36 and let America vote based on what they see and hear in the performances, not what the producers force feed us for 4 weeks ahead of time.  And then as it progresses they can show us some of the back stories.  That way the drama wouldn't affect us choosing the best performer, instead of the best storyline.   I say us, as if I have ever voted!

Anyways, I'm moderately happy with the top 12 on the show this year.  (Make that 13...Anoop?  Really?  OK, whatever.)  It should be interesting from this point on.  I'll tell you my choice from the second he appeared on screen in early auditions was Adam Lambert.  And I think he's got a shot.  Mrs. Stickman is rooting for Matt Giraud.  He's pretty good too, and I think once instruments come into play he will get better.

I just look forward to not having to flip off the television every time Tatiana comes on the screen anymore.  Talk about people trying to hard.  Last night she adopts an accent to try to play up on the Jorge thing, she resurrects "the laugh" and feels the need to point it out, she does the overly emotional thing....she was doing EVERYTHING that she thought is what got her this far.  Including singing the same song for the THIRD time.  Hate isn't a strong enough word here.

The one great thing about Idol though, is that it overcomes generational boundries.  I don't think there is another show on television that entire families can watch together and enjoy it.  I guess that is why they get so many viewers every week.

OK...that's enough.  Stickman out!

Embarrassing Kids - And the Future of Parenting

I'll start by saying that the word "embarrassing" in the title is not an adjective, it is a verb.  I'm not going to talk about the fact that kids can be embarrassing.  Instead, I will talk about the pleasure that can be found in embarrassing your kids!  

If you haven't tried this yet, I highly recommend it.  It is so fun.  And so easy!  All you have to do is get around your kids and their friends, and then do something weird.  Here are some of my favorite weird activities:

• Odd Dancing.  This works great everywhere.  Some of my best work is in the car, however.  You can really get the hand and head motions going.  And they HAVE to sit behind you and watch.
• Outrageous Singing.  This one is fun, and my wife and I are able to get in on this one together with some wonderful duets.  You can just sing off key and loud, but to really amp it up try making up your own words and adding funny background vocal parts.
• Overuse Slang.  I love this one!  You can ad an "izzle" to any word for a guaranteed eye roll.  Also, using outdated slang like "groovy" is appropriate.  But if you are really feeling brave, just make up your own slang words!  My father-in-law did this, and the whole family still uses the word "pony" for things that are cool.
• Be Rude to Their Friends.  It's pretty rare that one of the kid's friends come over when I don't say something like, "Oh.  You're here again.  Hunh."   Let their friends know what an inconvenience it is to have them there and that you're whole day is now ruined.  Then pout and stomp off.  Which brings me to the next point...
• Be Pathetic.  Nothing is as embarrassing as having a big baby for a parent.  Act like everything they say hurts your feelings more than you can bare.  Hang your head, slump your shoulders, hide your face, or anything you can think of to look extra, extra sad.
• Be More Excited Than Them.  This one is fun.  Whatever they are into, be MORE into it.  You should here me yell and scream about the Jonas Brothers around my daughter and her friends.  No one was awaiting their new movie more than me, or so everyone thought!
• Use Nicknames.  Make up nicknames for them and all their friends.  But really amp it up by constantly changing the nicknames while still keeping it related.  Like Allycat to Allygator to Bowling Ally to I'd Hate To Meet You In A Dark Ally.  It keeps them on the edge of their seat!
• Be a Cheerleader.  You can come up with a cheer for anything.  Mostly it's just the "Ready.  Ready, OK!" stuff.  But ad in some cool cheerleader arm motions, a little clapping, and a bit of stomping and it's enough to get by without knowing any real cheers.
• Play Matchmaker.  It is always fun to try to hook kids up into couples.  Sometimes the fun is by matching them with someone embarrassing, but sometimes it's fun to really play up someone they may have a crush on.  Talk about the wedding, and the grandkids, and how you'll live with them when you're too old to take care of yourself.  And always refer to them as your future son-in-law or future daughter-in-law.
• Say Things Wrong.  I'm not so good at this one myself, but my wife really excels at it.  Instead of calling a tunnel a tunnel, call it something like "an underwater bridge."  It also helps to "pretend" to mishear stuff.  If someone says to you that they want fruit snacks, say "no I don't want group sex!"

Those are just a few of the things that we do as parents to stick it to the kids.  And don't let the kids fool you, they LOVE it!  And so do their friends.  They must right?  Or else they wouldn't  keep coming back.   And they wouldn't ask their teacher if it would be OK to have a parent as a backup dancer for their N'SYNC karaoke performance at school.  (yeah...that one was a little embarrassing!)

After you have practiced these enough to feel comfortable, then you can step up to more advanced things like flipping off other parents in the school parking lot.  That one reaches far beyond your kids and their friends and gets the whole school buzzing!

Seriously though, in today's society with facebook and myspace and all the instant social networking, it's important to stay a part of your kids lives in every way that you can.  And if they and their friends find you fun enough to be a part of their circle, then that can only be a good thing.

So, go out there and embarrass the hell out of them!  They'll love every minute of it!

"Trust Me" - My New Favorite Television Show

I work in advertising and marketing, so I love all things advertising.  So much so, that sometimes I feel guilty flying through commercials at 4X speed on the Tivo!  However, if there is a movie, or a TV show, or a book that I come across on the subject, you better believe that I'll be diving into it.

I love reading biographies and books written by great advertising giants of the past.  People like David Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, and many others.  I like reading about the current guys - like Donnie Deutsch - too.  These are some of the books that my family deems "boooorrriiinnggggg!"  There seem to be a lot of books that I read that get this reaction from them.

I have really enjoyed watching Mad Men for the last two seasons.  It is a great show, and set in a time period when the ad business was really taking off and coming into its own.  It is a very well made - and well acted - show with some great advertising principals and history mixed in.  But it's not necessarily a fun show to watch.  It can be kind of slow at times.

But new to TV last month on TNT is the show Trust Me.  So far, I absolutely love this show!  It takes place in a modern advertising agency, so it is more current and relevant.  They are dealing with new forms of advertising, via the internet, etc.  You feel like you really are getting a sense of the agency experience.  

The cast is great, also.  The stars are Eric McCormick (of Will & Grace fame) and one of my favorite actors, Tom Cavanagh.  Cavanagh is best know for his role as the title character in the TV show, Ed, which is one of my favorite shows of all time.  These two have a great chemistry on screen as best friends and two halves of an agency creative team (a copywriter and an art director).

I hope that this show makes it on the air for a long time.  I'm not holding my breath, though.  I seem to have a knack for really getting into shows that don't even make it a whole season.  And some of them are great shows.  A good example being Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.  That was a very smart, funny show from the creators of West Wing, which also is one of my all time favorites.  (Notice that I like shows that make me feel like I'm getting a behind-the-scenes look at real life work places?  Hunh?)

So I will keep watching Trust Me faithfully in hopes that it will make it.  And I encourage all of you to watch it too.  Tuesday nights on TNT at 10pm.  I guarantee you'll like it, or your money back!

In other news.....still sick (worse today), I can feel my metabolism rising as I type, and this beard is already driving me insane.  Thanks for reading!