erin's blog: Reality TV is Not TV

You know, reality TV producers won't let just anybody come in and produce a show if you haven't before. At least that's what 3 Ball Production's J.D. Roth said during a panel I attended

at the WestDoc conference in Santa Monica last month. They prefer if you let the production company take credit for the first show, and then you can helm the next. That is, if everything works out.

Unless you're like DJ AM, AKA Adam Goldstein, associated with the likes of Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore. Then you're much more likely to come in with an idea for a reality show and get it produced by MTV. That's why, for example, celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe is credited as a producer on "The Rachel Zoe Project". She is probably not standing by, oblivious, as camera crews fly past her looking for an optimal shot.

A recent article in The New York Times questioned whether MTV network execs have any responsibility for DJ AM's exposure to drug addicts, as he was once one himself. "Gone Too Far" (an ironic title), was a show about DJ AM helping drug addicts get past their addictions.

However, the celebrity DJ was medically advised prior against too much exposure to a lifestyle he once held.

If the show was DJ AM's idea, and he was the host of the show, isn't concern for his welfare enough to put a pause in barelling ahead with production? Or, at the very least, bring some intelligence in producing on board. There are some that will say, he's an adult, he can make his own decisions. However, it does not seem entirely logical to produce a show about a recovering ex-junkie hanging out with drug addicts. Buehler?

Lemme put it in the way of a modern-day parable I just made up: Your Trappings and the Bear

Your best friend borrows your car and wrecks it. Do you let her drive your car again, without knowing for sure she's improved her driving skills? Or do you give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she's done so already? Let's also assume you don't really outright ask her if she's improved her driving skills since the last time you let her borrow your car. You just assume it's cool.

That wouldn't happen, am I right? This is almost a question of morality, in my opinion. Another way of looking at it is: How stupid can you get?

Excerpt from the article:

The series certainly shows graphic drug use, with young addicts sniffing aerosol computer cleaner and smoking crack. Those connected with “Gone Too Far” say they never intended to put Mr. Goldstein in harm’s way, but some wonder if that was an unintended result.

“It crosses all of our minds, a terrible tragedy,” said Tony DiSanto, the president

of programming for MTV.

It crosses your mind? I would hope so.

And then there's ill-fated Balloon Boy and his father, Richard Heene. Heene is an eccentric unafraid to stand up for his obsession over reality TV stardom, which is not really saying much about your personal 15 minutes of fame. Andy Warhol would be horrified.

Heene and his family appeared before on the reality show "Wife Swap". After his brief encounter with fame, Heene wanted to produce his own show enough to hide his son in the attic and pretend he'd let him disappear into the clouds in a hot air balloon. This went on long enough to garner national news media attention, which will conclude in the end to a lot of therapy in the works for a little boy that a few dozen reality TV interviews can't cure. The poor kid's already puked twice on network television.