Shania Twain is making her comeback — not with a “That Don’t Impress Me Much” style single, but with a new reality show on new Oprah’s network set to launch on January 1, 2011. Shania’s had a rough time recently, with her much-publicized ex-husband’s cheating scandal (with her homely best friend nonetheless) and hasn’t had much positive press. The reality show will thrust her back into the spotlight and remind people she is more than just a wronged ex.
Reality TV used to launch “careers” for “celebrities.” Take Elisabeth Hasselbeck for example. Without Survivor she would be a nobody, or at the very least not have her cushy seat on The View. Reality TV also brings semi-nobodies into the public eye. Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Kim Kardashian were certainly not household names before The Simple Life and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. The latest trend with reality TV is using it to resurrect careers of people who couldn’t keep us interested with their actual carrers.
Denise Richards, in the summer of 2008, tried to remind people of her existence with Denise Richards: It’s Complicated. She is far from alone in this quest. Among this genre of C to Z-list celebrities who are eager for increased airtime are Hulk Hogan, Christopher Knight, Flavor Flav, Ali and Dina Lohan, Bret Michaels, Vivica A. Fox, Jessica Simpson, and Ashlee Simpson.
Truth be told, I really have no interest in watching a show about Hulk Hogan or Christopher Knight. I will however, confess to watching Denise Richards and the Lohan family in their respective shows for some of their duration. Embarrassing for me, but it was the summer, there was nothing else on.
Anyway, all these “celebrities” needed something to get them in the limelight. But there are some celebrities who I would love to watch on reality TV, but they don’t necessarily need to use reality TV as a vehicle for prolonged stardom. Enter in my since-Full-House-was-on-TV fascination with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
Now, Ashley has unfortunately made it clear her goal is not to be a film star (even though New York Minute was fabulous). Mary-Kate, on the other hand, continues to act and has tried her hand at ‘edgier’ films like The Wackness and the upcoming Beastly which co-stars the super-alternative Vanessa Hudgens. Even though MK continues to act she isn’t exactly doing big-budget blockbusters requiring excessive press appearances.
The twins do a fairly good job of shying out of the public eye, making few public appearances at events and doing little more than wearing obscene amounts of clothing and carrying huge purses, with huge sunglasses, and huge cups of coffee. They haven’t been on a tabloid magazine cover in waaaaay too long and even their interviews with higher-brow monthly magazines are few and far between.
So this is why I suggest Mary-Kate and Ashley call up Ryan Seacrest (producer of all things reality … well actually, simply all things) and get themselves a reality show. Bore us with meetings at The Row and Elizabeth and James. Take us on repeated trips to Starbucks and show us just how many layers of clothing you are actually wearing. People will be fascinated.
I can’t exactly pinpoint what it is about MK&A that make them so interesting. The former childhood CEOs who have kept themselves in the spotlight-ish (get a twitter!!) since they were born are just mysterious. Most child stars get too involved with drugs or just become unattractive in adulthood. While the Olsens are no saints and the aren’t the most gorgeous people in the world (mostly just interesting looking with a unique sense of fashion) they are undeniably America’s favorite twins. They let us watch them grow up, it’s time for them to let us see them as grown ups.
Original Author: Cara Sprunk