Monday, April 23, 2007

What I Loved About "I Love New York"

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Few television shows are so deftly able to incorporate gender, racial, socioeconomic, national, and religious stereotypes as a little show I like to call, "I Love New York." This is a show in which I actually heard a (young, black) man say, "I cut yo ass up!" This is lowbrow at its lowest. When angry TV-hating neo-hippies say that the shit rots your brain, this is the type of programming they have in mind. It's innappropriate. It's lewd. It's not PC. And I fucking love it.

Now, let me justify. I am not an ignorant person. I recognize that these people (both miss New York, aka Tiffany, and her litany of manskanks) have been pressed into the cookie-cutter molds that the producers of the show knew would provoke the most tongue wagging and outrage. This is a Flavor of Love spin-off for chrissake. This show does not take itself seriously, and it doesn't expect its viewers to take it seriously. These aren't real people, at least not in the sense that the show is a faithful representation of who they are as individuals. Creative editing can achieve wonders. Just ask any ex-real worlder and they'll tell you. The producers can fashion you into anything they want. You are their plaything. And all I have to say is, thank God there are people self-absorbed and fame-hungry enough to sign their personal integrity away for a chance at the semi, over-in-10-minutes fame that being on a reality TV show gets you. Where would be be without these selfless individuals? Probably watching something horrible, like Everybody Loves Raymond or Grey's Anatomy.

Years from now, social anthropologists will use this show to write lengthily dissertations on the post-modern PC backlash. It's just the pendulum swinging, baby, so enjoy the ride and ask yourself one question: Do you have love for New York? Of course you do.

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