Arts & Entertainment
King of the Hills: ICTV's 'Ivy' Returns for a Second Season
April 12, 2009 - 11:00pmJust as far above Cayuga’s waters and with an arguably more glorious view, Ithaca College students have often felt a world away from their East Hill counterparts despite being separated by only two miles. But with the recent success of Ivy, an MTV-style faux reality series produced by IC’s student-run television station ICTV, that gap could very well be narrowing.
Voted the best new show on ICTV after last semester’s hit debut, Ivy returns this week for its much-anticipated second season, which began with a sneak preview last Thursday night in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall. Although the popularity of the first season will be a tough act to follow, producers Ed Pietzak, Matt Baldovsky and Liz Komroy are ready for the challenge. “We didn’t think [the show] was even going to get to Cornell,” Baldovsky commented. “It’s a world we don’t encounter that much, so we wanted to show IC kids what goes on at Cornell. The fact that it’s doing so well both here and at Ithaca is something we’re very proud of.”
Pietzak, a senior TV / radio major at IC and one of the original masterminds of the show, has been thrilled with the positive reaction that Ivy has enjoyed since last season. “After we premiered our show, we received a lot of praise from both students and faculty [at IC],” he said. “When we were preparing for our second season, we noticed an increase in applicants for students to work on both the crew and act in the show.” With countless online views and more and more people hearing about the show through word of mouth, Ivy has become, in some circles, the talk of the town.
For those of you not familiar with Ivy, imagine a show with the glamour of Laguna Beach, the petty character drama of The Hills and a smorgasbord of everyone you’ve ever seen eating at The Terrace or Trillium. In other words, it’s about the daily drama of the college-aged illegitimate children of Andy Bernard ’95 and Omarosa. Viewer discretion advised.
Thursday’s sneak peek provided a glimpse at some of this season’s new characters and storylines, including clips from the show’s revamped opening credits, as well as front-row footage from the Ludacris concert. According to Pietzak, this season will introduce five new characters to join the returning cast from last season, which will be developed in greater depth throughout this season’s story arc. Between Amanda (A.J. Wolbrum) attempting to balance her new best friend and potential boyfriend, Natalie (Liz Komroy) adjusting to life without Chris (Mike Levin) and Bradley (Matt Baldovsky) coping with the closing of his fraternity and subsequently “trying to find his purpose in life,” the new season of Ivy promises to live up to its tagline “Any Person. Any Study. Any Drama.”
Picking up right where last season left off, Ivy has grown tremendously since it debuted last fall. “We set out with the idea of trying to make the show bigger, appeal more to the Cornell audience, and develop it on a deeper level,” Pietzak said. Working closely with groups like Cornell Concert Commission and Delta Phi fraternity, crew members of the second season were able to shoot on location at concerts, frat parties and Collegetown bars. They even spent a weekend shooting on location at Harvard, following the storyline of Natalie after she transferred at the end of the first season. “We really worked to improve the overall quality of the show this semester,” added Pietzak. “We have more drama, more characters and great situations that our characters find themselves in this season.”
Unlike the first season, which was largely based on assumptions about stereotypes and various aspects of campus life, this season is aimed at portraying Cornell in a more accurate light. “There are stereotypes for entertainment purposes, but we’re trying to keep it somewhat grounded in reality,” Pietzak explained. In response to some viewers who were unhappy with the over-the-top caricatures of the first season, the producers solicited both fans and critics of the show by e-mail, asking each of them what they wanted to see changed this time around. Not surprisingly, one of the show’s new characters is a quirky engineer named Will — a stereotype that was somehow overlooked in the first season.
Just for good measure, the show also enlisted the help of two Cornell consultants — actual Cornell students — who collaborate closely with the writers to develop the scripts and make the show as realistic as possible to life at Cornell. “We sometimes like to see Ivy as a process that works together with Cornell, not against it. If anything, it kind of unites Ithaca College and Cornell together,” Pietzak said.
If you missed the sneak preview last Thursday, be sure to check out the season premiere of Ivy this Tuesday at 9 p.m. on ICTV (channel 16 on Time Warner Cable) or online at ictv.org the day after it airs.
Ivy? More like Envy
Entertaining no doubt, but really more because it shows how big an inferiority complex IC kids have. Hey I mean, I guess that not even making US News' list of "A+ Schools for B Students" would sting a little bit...
Envy? More Like Pompous
Wow - I think that by posting that comment, you've justified every piece of social commentary those IC kids have about CU. Congratulations, you are the reality of the caricature of the pompous, elitist, Ivy League stereotype.
And you probably wonder why they went out, and made a show about you. Who cares if they aren't on some inane list. IC is a good school whether we here at Cornell acknowledge it or not. Could you make a show as good as theirs? I doubt it. Let them be.
Could Cornell make a show as
Could Cornell make a show as good as that? Hmm...you think that's good eh? Take a bunch of stereotypes, throw in some bad acting, go way over the top writing the script...that's talent? Sure, we could take a bunch of dumb meathead guys and vapid, insipid girls who didn't crack 1100 on a 2400 point SAT and are obsessed with getting into Cornell fraternity parties and make one hell of a funny show.
Hey, I think the show's funny, but funny because it shows the incredible inferiority complex IC kids have vis-a-vis Cornell. It reveals a lot more about Ithaca than it does about Cornell.
Are Cornell kids elitist Ivy Leaguers? Sure, some are and so are kids from Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown...oh and let's expand that to other actual good schools...because kids from good schools are justified in being proud of their accomplishments. I bet Tiger's pretty proud he went to Stanford, Obama's proud he went to Columbia and Harvard Law.
All I have to say to IC is, rip on us all you'd like, we'll take it in stride because hey, it's funny; enjoy making yourselves feel better, but at the end of the day we'll be the ones laughing, when we get jobs.
I find it had to believe
I find it had to believe that you are not aware of your own pompous, condescending attitude. You say you're simply proud to be part of such a good school (while comparing yourself to the likes of President Obama). While there is nothing wrong with taking pride in your accomplishments--I know I'm proud to be attending such an institution--posting a comment with nothing but negative (and unjustifiable) things to say about IC most certainly sounds elitist.
All they're doing is poking fun at stereotypes. We all know they exist (you clearly should), and it's nice to be able to look back and laugh at them. This show was not meant to be an offensive attack on Cornell, but simply a comedic perspective on the lives of a small percentage of the Cornell population. And as much as they are exaggerated versions of these individuals, if you think about it, their representations are not far off.
As far as criticizing IC for not being a good school... really? Does the prestige of the Ivy League and possessing a coveted spot on some list make us better if we have this kind of attitude? If they can produce a product that is successful (it's watched and liked by many of us here) then they're obviously good at what they do. In the end, it's not the prominence of your college that really matters, but what you end up doing as an individual.
I mean, I hate to say it,
I mean, I hate to say it, but IC is not a "good school" by all but the most expansive definition. I'm not an elitist. I do attend Cornell, but went to a small public high school in Maine. I worked my ass off in high school to come to Cornell on academic scholarship.
That point of justified Cornell pride aside, whether or not IC is a good school is irrespective of whether or not it's a good show. IC can be the average-ish, concretebombshelter-ish school one hill over and they can still produce a good tv show. Ivy is funny, but...it's not hard to poke fun of us. We really open ourselves up to it. However, turnabout's fair play. Make fun of Cornell kids, IC, but Cornell kids will laugh right back and make fun of you for your stereotypes too. If you don't like your stereotype as dumb, maybe we don't like ours as elitist?
PS - ever consider someone from IC might have written that post, just to make drum up interest and make us seemingly more in line with their stereotype...? Gee...I wonder...
Just so you all aren't
Just so you all aren't wondering - I AM AN ITHACA COLLEGE STUDENT - see - no facade, as suggested by the previous poster.
Please bear with me - my intelligence isn't even CLOSE to being on par with your superior intellect. I apologize if my post isn't as intelligent as the banter you all are used to.
Just because IC is not an IVY league school - doesn't mean that it's not a GOOD school. The communications school here is a very well respected school in the media world. It may not be the "best" of them all, but it has a great reputation for a relatively new school. So please, bash IC all you want - but take the time to learn about the school. Which I don't blame you all for not. You were too busy with your inflated SATs and perfect GPAs to even bother looking at this place. That's cool, that's why there are so many colleges to choose from. However - save your elitist mouthing off for a situation where it doesn't make you look like a pompous ass. All of a sudden a group of people, whom you've ignored your entire life, have suddenly emerged onto the scene - and all you can do is insult their intelligence? Clearly there are some smart people here, while I'm sure you have some dumb people there. I'm willing to bet not every Cornell kid is there purely on their grades and merits. (I'm talking to you legacy kids, trust fund babies, and those on academic scholarship)
It's an endless debate to go back and forth over the merits of the show. "IC only did it because they are jealous of Cornell" "CU can't take a joke" "IC kids aren't smart enough" "CU kids are elitist Ivy League snobs, and that's why they made the show." It's a tiring debate that has no end to it. So save it.
Like the show, and respect the kids for making a semi-professional looking show. But don't shove your elitism down their throats just to justify yourselves. It's pretty immature.
And as for the last comment - I don't really think the IC kids here care that much to "drum up interest" or make you all "in line with their stereotype." It's a television show - not a social commentary.
"Pride" and "elitism" are
"Pride" and "elitism" are entirely separate from each other. I take pride in myself and my achievements; I went to high school on Long Island and had to work tremendously hard amidst fierce competition to get in here. The difference is that I don't go around with a blatantly-displayed attitude of superiority. You state that you don't like that we're stereotyped as "elitist," then why are you perpetuating it?
First of all, I can tell you that IC is not populated with dumb, lazy kids who smoked their way through high school, as it seems is your belief. I have a couple friends who go to IC and are part of their communications program (though none that are part of Ivy), and they are very intelligent, hard workers who are extremely devoted to their field of study. From what I see, IC is more of a specialized school with specific programs that are highly regarded (their comm school is highly ranked though I don't know the specifics). Personally, I wouldn't go there (they don't have a hotel school--my field of study), but if I were majoring in film/television, I probably would not be going to school here.
Anyway, while I know you view IC students as "inferior," I fail to see how you can extract that concept out of this show. I doubt they were thinking, "man, I'm so jealous that those Cornell kids are just so smart and successful--let's make a show that trashes them by utilizing common negative conceptions of the Ivy League." They're respectful, and the characters are, at least to me, quite likable. While they do rely on many stereotypes, it's done in a lighthearted way that is far from offensive. I know I'm able to laugh at their comical depictions of the various denizens of our Cornell community, but at the same time I am respectful of IC students as individuals.
I'm a Cornell student and I
I'm a Cornell student and I find this show absolutely hilarious. Anyone who is mad about the stereotypes or whatever needs to calm down and develop a sense of a humor. These Ithaca College students have created an awesome show and I hope there are many more episodes to come.
Some of you guys really need to lighten up about the Ithaca College "inferiority complex" or college rankings. There are much more important things to argue about. What you should be doing is commending these students for making a truly original and fun TV show.