Ahh, the new year! Time for new hopes, new resolutions and a whole new season of reality TV.
I’ve already sampled VH-1′s “Confessions of a Teen Idol“–wherein former hearthrobs such as “Baywatch’s” David Chokachi and “The Blue Lagoon’s” Christopher Atkins recapture the fame of their youths and am very anxious for the January 15 premiere of Sober House, a sequel of sorts to “Celebrity Rehab.”
But, there’s something new in reality-world this season “True Beauty,” ABC’s attempt to prove it’s what’s on the inside that counts, even if the package is gorgeous.
Producer Tyra Banks aims to turn “Top Model” on its ear by having ten smoking hot men and women, who assume they are being judged solely on their looks, undergo a series of challenges to determine who is truly the most beautiful…on the inside. You see, the scenarios and situations they will be part of don’t require “smiling with the eyes” but ethical discernment.
At the end of eight episode series, the winner will receive a cash prize and a spot in People magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People issue. [Insert collective "Awwww!" here.]
What’s so new about the format is that while other reality shows have had the morality angle (“All American Girl”), and the it’s-what’s-on-the-inside-that-counts angle (“Mr. Personality“), and the you’ve-been-punk’d angle (“Punk’d), this competition offers up all three, but with the added bonus of attractive people potentially being really bitchy to each other (“America’s Next Top Model”).
This show could be a real beauty, a real beast or a bit of both.
“True Beauty” premieres tonight on ABC at 10:00 p.m.
posted January 7, 2009 at 3:26 pm
“Beauty is a form of genius – is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts in the world like sunlight, or springtime, or the reflection in dark water of that silver shell we call the moon.”
Guess who said this.
posted January 13, 2009 at 2:25 am
I looked it up, interesting.
posted January 16, 2009 at 8:30 pm
I cannot beleive that Boston legal is not going to be on this year. Why is it that a good program has to always be taken off. We are stuck with the crAp no one wants to watch like all your reality shows that only the stupid watch. Come on the rest of us pay for service why must we be fed this stupid programing that is of no interest at all. Guess we will just have to go to the other networks as you do not seem to understand the needs of the people with brains out here.
posted January 19, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Jan 19, ’09…I just watched my 2nd show…they just lost a viewer…Monique(spelling?) was just kicked off, show is unbelievable now
posted January 20, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I got interrupted last night (Jan. 19th) near the end of the True Beauty show and missed C.J.’s response to the litter (water bottle?) thrown on the sidewalk. Not that that’s important, as C.J. was retained anyway, but I was just curious as to what he did. I agreed that Monique should go. She seems to be a really a mean-spirited gal, where C.J. has a sympathetic heart.
posted January 20, 2009 at 11:03 pm
C.J. is very street smart…he knows how to play the game and he knows that they are being judged on something more than beauty. Monique photo wasn’t the worst so it seems rigged.
posted January 27, 2009 at 2:18 am
The show proved to be pretty lame after they got rid of the person who had far more inner beauty than the blond, shallow guy. I will not watch it anymore…
posted January 28, 2009 at 8:37 pm
So was decided to let CJ go. I suspect the producers want the rest of the contestants to feel free to be more shallow and make even bigger fools of themselves. CJ showed that even though he is not perfect, but is self-reflective. It’s obvious that the clips of “CJ not offering his seat to the elderly woman”, who was his partner during the model photos, was edited to make appear he was rude; if you notice, that particular clip only last a couple of seconds and I’m willing to bet that he DID offer his seat to her.
posted February 3, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I know this might be offensive, but this refers to that Chelsea ‘GIRL’. If she really is a girl. I’m going to go with my gut feeling and say i think ‘Chelsea’ is really ‘CHRIS CROCKER’ . The accent is the same, the personality and Chris crocker is striving for fame. Chelsea is not a she, shes a HE !