Let me start by saying, I am a hater. I’m a hater of being pissed on and then having someone tell me it’s rain. I’m a hater of reality shows using an untrue moniker to define what they are. If it’s scripted, it’s not reality. Who even made up the oxymoronic term, “scripted reality” anyway?
“The Gossip Game”has nothing to do with reality. I’m a consumer of reality tv. I’ve always watched” “Real World,” “Road Rules,”Big Brother” and even all the off-the-wall dating shows, which were spawns of the Great Godfather of Ratchet Reality, Flava Flav’s “Strange Love” with Danish actress, Brigitte Nielsen.
Once “The Real World” started casting based on sex appeal and attraction, I felt all the soul of what’s real disappear into the cha-ching of ratings. Sex sells, so it’s easy to strip girls down to their unmentionables, place a man with more abs than Tyson Beckfordright in front of her and have us all watch the inevitable–hookups, fights and absolutely no speck of positivity.
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After Vh1 exhausted every form of love and/or dating show they could, they opened up the world of scripted reality. These shows are often very specific in their theme, i.e., “Love & Hip Hop,” “Basketball Wives” and “Real Housewives Of ____,” and share one common ground–highly orchestrated drama. The latest show to join the ranks is Mona Scott Young’s “The Gossip Game.” I respect Mona’s hustle and even appreciate her desire to give a candid look into the world of Hip-Hop via reality shows, but I don’t appreciate her trying to push them as real.
“The Gossip Game” premiered on Monday April 1st to an eerily quiet Black twitter audience. Typically, Black twitter buzzes with the excitement of this type of show and we watch and tweet together, often creating a whole ‘nother show in real time, in 140 characters or less. This time, the editor-in-chief of The Source, Kim Osorio,Global Grind reporter Sharon Carpenter, radio personalities Angela Yee and K. Foxx, freelancer journalist JasFlyand bloggers Ms. Drama and Vivian Billings couldn’t type or interview hard enough to keep our attention.
As a journalist in “The Game,” I thought this show would have me feeling like my pseudo-elite, fast-paced life was about to be captured for all the world to see. Finally! My friends were going to realize why I haven’t called them back in three weeks or since I’m “only an editor”–why do I claim to be so exhausted all the time?
But, we all got an eye-full of make-believe. From JasFly setting up a East Coast/West Coast-inspired rival interview between Power 105.1′s Angela Yee and Hot 97′s K. Foxx to blogger beef between Ms. Drama and Vivian (aka El Ratcheto); I was left empty and wondering if I could ever find myself in the same boat–you know, yelling and screaming at a quiet and brightly lit party about how much I can’t stand my fellow writers. I doubt it. My job may be tough folks, but there’s rarely real brawls. These chicks give a whole new meaning to “fighting words.” Speaking of fighting words–remember K. Foxx’s pecking order? TV, radio, print magazines, then blogs? Leave it to Funky Dineva to tell them to not “try it!”
Don’t believe me? Listen to Funky Dineva’s Review!
I was recently invited to attend a taping and I was excited to see this all unfold from the ground level. As I stood on line to enter a private club section of a swanky Meatpacking District restaurant, The Park, I wondered what I was getting myself into. After two hours or waiting, signing a contract, taking a photo and more waiting, they ushered all the unofficial cast members inside the private area. The bar was open, the lights ON and the music was low (the better to hear you, my dear).
I bee-lined to the bar, where “The Gossip Game” cast member, K. Foxx approached me asking about HelloBeautiful and we chatted like girlfriends while the camera zoomed closer to my confused face. With the bright lights blaring, I tried to stay aware of my face, in case one of the Vh1 cameras caught me giving enough side eye to shame Prince himself.
I continued to sip my free cocktails and watch the ladies in the cast chit chat on camera, then the show’s obvious villain, Ms. Drama showed up. She entered the room with an expected bang (because she’s trying HARD to be the standout), commanding everyone’s attention, only to lose it minutes later. I peeked over and saw her sitting alone on one of the couches for longer than is socially acceptable. She looked like the unpopular kid, waiting on the sideline for someone to choose her for their team.
Then as Angela Yee and Sharon Carpenter arrived, things got louder, but remained relatively calm. The women pretended that they didn’t arrive together and proceeded to hug and kiss one another with so much phony, I thought God would strike us all down out of sheer frustration. I was positioned right behind the women in the cast as they all air-kissed and patted one anothers’ backs and I looked square into the camera, with my mouth screwed up, kind of how Funky Dineva would when she’s unimpressed. “Yes Gawd!”
I love me some Mona Scott-Young and I actually like and respect a lot of the women in the cast, but this is one reality show that’s not going to catch on. There’s not enough drama and just because you falsify it doesn’t make it any more appealing. Sure, there’s going to be some cat-fights, drink-throwing and meeting up at random restaurants, but I don’t think I’ll be tuned in. The only “Game” here is Vh1 playing us.
Yes, I realize reality TV has a formula. It’s just getting a little old to me. Give me the “real, the raw,” like JasFly demands. Will you stick around for more?
