The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 13, 2004, Page 7, Image 7
’4 Surreal Life’
gives former
stars a chance
to regain fame
By DANIEL FIENBERG
KRT CAMPUS
Even when they were at their
most famous, the cast of VHl’s
“The Surreal Life” weren’t A-list
celebrities so much as they were
internationally recognized
curiosities.
Brigitte Nielsen starred in a
movie with the future Governor
of California and had an ill-fated
and brief marriage to Sylvester
Stallone. Flava Flav instructed
people not to believe the hype
and clowned around the stage
with Public Enemy. Charo
appeared on a record number of
“Love Boat” episodes. Dave
Coulier was “that funny guy” on
“Full House.” Jordan Knight
made the Tiger Beat as a member
of New Kids on the Block. Ryan
Starr changed her name from
Tiffany Montgomery, but still
somehow was beaten by R.J.
Helton on the first season of
FOX’s “American Idol.”
as six recogmzame
personalities living some distance
from their moment of greatest
fame, they aren’t surprising
choices for VHl’s first season of
“The Surreal Life,” a show whose
M.O. is to poke the most gentle
of fun at people who were once
admired. What’s more surprising
is that the sextet agreed to go on
the show and follow in the
footsteps of Corey Feldman, Ron
Jeremy and those two girls from
“Baywatch” whose names we’ve
already forgotten.
“It sounded like a lot of fun, so
I just did it,” explained Starr. Like
Jerri Manthey in the show’s first
season and Trishelle Cannatella in
its second, Starr is a reality
contestant surrounded by people
who, in their prime, had vastly
more clout. Still working on her
first album, Starr just wants to
extend her first 15 minutes of
fame long enough to get a more
legitimate shot at the limelight.
Jordan Knight has been there
and done that. He heard arenas of
teenage girls squeal his name,
became the punchline of jokes,
release a not-entirely-unsuccessful
solo album and is looking to
promote his second solo joint.
“My manager called me and
said that VH1 called him and
asked if I wanted to do a 12-day
reality show,” he says. “My initial
answer was ‘Definitely not.’ I
■ LATE NIGHT TV
Continued from page 7
First-year criminal justice student
Gabe Temple “followed the entire
Republican Convention on ‘The
Daily Show.’”
But college students aren’t the
only ones who take “The Daily
Show” so seriously.
Democratic presidential candidate
John Kerry made “The Daily Show”
his first televised interview since his
appearance on the “Tonight Show”
in November 2003.
Kerry sat down with Jon Stewart
on Aug. 25 to defend his campaign
from attacks launched by Bush
“(Jon) Stewart’s show
was a great way to
reach young voters.”
USA DE MORAES
JOHN KERRY REPRESENTATIVE, ON
KERRY'S APPEARANCE ON 'THE DAILY
SHOW' WITH JOHN STEWART
advocates.
One of John Kerry’s
representatives justified the
unconventional choice in a
Washington Post article by Lisa de
Moraes:
“Stewart’s show was a great way
to reach young voters.” Moraes also
quoted another Kerry representative
who noted that “anothei
presidential candidate — that would
be Bill Clinton — went on Arsenic
Hall’s late-night show in 1992.”
Such late night comedic
interpretation of political events
seems to engage college students and
those with progressive political
views especially.
Thus an unconventional source
of world news has become a
Comments on this story? E-mail
gemecockfeatvres@gwm.sc.edu
never in my life would think that I
would do a reality show. I’m a
private person.”
Knight admits that in the end,
he had to be coerced by his
manager into doing the show.
“Promotion, promotion,
promotion,” he sighed.
Charo doesn’t need to promote
anything. The cuchi-cuchi legend
sells out regular Vegas concerts.
She had a two-week break during
the summer and decided to use
the time to show America that
there’s more to her than scary
kitsch.
“No matter how many concerts
I do, everybody on the way out,
when the show is over, they say
the same thing, ‘I never expected
that. I didn’t know she had that
talent,’” Charo said. “It’s not a
bad idea to really introduce to the
audience that l like tun, 1 like
comedy, I’m such a different
person than they think I am.”
Nielsen is a reality television
veteran. She did the Italian
version of “The Mole” and the
Danish celebrity take on “Big
Brother.” Happy for the excuse to
return to Los Angeles, Nielsen
echoes Charo’s sentiment that
there’s more to her than what
people have seen over the years.
“I’m always the villain, I’m
always the tough girl. It’s been so
many years that I’ve not been here
and basically the image is the ex
wife of Stallone who took the
$100 million,” she said.
For Coulier, “The Surreal Life”
is just a resting point in the midst
of a lengthy comedy touring
schedule. Someday he admits that
he’d like to do another sitcom,
but for now everybody’s Uncle
Joey understands the way the TV
business is heading.
“Right now, sitcom is not the
king of television,” Coulier said.
“It’s not at the top of the heap.
Reality programming is.
Television is so cyclical that that
♦ Please see SURREAL, page 8
■ FALL MUSIC
Continued from page 6
sophomore effort. ‘Tweens
everywhere will likely be begging
their parents for money and a ride to
the music store (Sept. 28).
Marilyn Manson — He may be
past his headline making prime, but
the king of ‘90s shock rock returns
with a greatest hits collection, “Lest
We Forget: The Best of” (Sept. 28).
OCTOBER
George Strait — One of country
music’s main hit makers releases a
hefty collection of hits. Strait’s “50
#l’s” includes all the chart-topping
favorites from his 20-plus years in
the business (Oct. 5).
R.E.M. — The torchbearers of
alternative rock return with “Around
the Sun.” Rising from the college
music scene in Athens to iconic status
as rock innovators, Michael Stipe
and company will also appear with
Bruce Springsteen on MoveOn.org’s
swing state tour (Oct. 5).
Duran Duran — As their first
studio record in 21 years,
“Astronaut” features the group’s five
original members. They join their
blast-from-the-past counterparts,
Tears for Fears, as an ‘80s pop act
back from the bargain bins (Oct. 12).
Elliott Smith — One of rock’s
tragic heroes, Smith returns post
mortem with a final release, “from a
basement on a hill.” The record has
been assembled from material he
completed before his death (Oct. 19).
NOVEMBER
ia Rule — The rapper and 50
Cent rival returns with “R.U.L.E.,”
a week before his label mate Ashanti
drops a new record (Nov. 9)
Ashanti — The R&B songstress
who broke onto the scene in 2002
releases her third album, the follow
up to her successful “Chapter II,”
which generated hits such as “Rock
Wit U” (Nov. 16).
Black Eyed Peas — The funk
infused hip-hop act returns with
“Monkey -Business,” the follow up
to last year’s “Elephunk” (Nov. 16)
U2 — The legendary Irish rock
band releases its heavily anticipated
follow-up to “All That You Can’t
Leave Behind.” The as-yet-untitled
record is set to include 11 new
tracks (Nov. 23).
Gwen Stefani — No Doubt’s
leading lady hopes to make her
mark as a solo artist this fall,
releasing her as-yet-untitled debut.
The first single, “What You
Waiting For?” is set to hit airwaves
in early October (Nov. 23)
Rob Thomas — Another usually
band-backed crooner will make his
solo debut this fall. The matchbox
twenty frontman is set to release an
also as-yet-untitled album this
November. He debuted the track
“Ever the Same” at a benefit concert
in August (Nov. 23).
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu
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