TV Eye
Working it
By Belinda Acosta, Fri., June 18, 2004
When former President Ronald Reagan died, I wasn't surprised at the weeklong mourning ceremony, the accolades, or recollections of Reagan as "the great communicator." The amnesia around his work and public record did not surprise me. Reagan's 10-year crawl to death softened any sharp critiques of his administration, particularly on network news. What did surprise me were attempts to jam a square peg into a round hole by linking the current president to Reagan. Not just because of Bush's inability to master the English language, but because Bush's exploitation of media, particularly TV, pales when compared to Reagan's. Sure, they might share a fancy for the rough-hewn pair of jeans over tie and tails, a liking for getting away from the White House as much as possible, and the same uncurious view of the world, but a great communicator? Reagan had "the speech" that his followers reverently cite as his defining moment. Bush has his "Bushisms" now collected in several books that appear in the humor section of any bookstore.
One has to wonder (as Papi Chulo proposed) if Reagan would have been as great a communicator had he operated in the current media climate. Today, we have 24-hour news networks, the Internet, and satellite radio. When Reagan was in office, the big three networks were the sources for news and information. Unlike 24-hour news, their time was distinctly carved into a tidy, manageable 30-minute slot.
No, it seems to me that if Bush wants a role model for how to negotiate today's media landscape, he might be better served looking to reality TV. I'm not saying that reality TV is a good thing, but it is currently the most valuable currency for making and shaping images in a format that professes to be "real," while being among the most fabricated. And people watch it.
Paris and Nicole might teach Dubya a thing or two about how to deal with plain folk in a way that makes us believe his aw-shucks personality. His starring role in Alexandra Pelosi's Journeys With George shows he's a natural ham. Too bad he got so pissy once he thought he didn't need to worry about the camera. Paris and Nicole don't do pissy on camera. According to last week's TV Guide, Paris and Nicole's newest adventure traveling the U.S. wore thin for them, and they hopped a plane in Texas. Will this be played out in the series? I doubt it.
But perhaps a Paris-Dubya tutorial is not dignified, given that steamy film of Paris and her boyfriend still floating on the Internet. In which case, maybe he should take some lessons from the newest babe of reality TV Jonathan Antin, star of Bravo's "unscripted drama" Blow Out. Yes, Jonathan might be the perfect tutor for Dubya. Sure, he's a renowned hairstylist in La La land, but like his inspiration, Warren Beatty's George Roundy in Shampoo, he loves the ladies. But more importantly, Antin knows how to play for the camera.
In Blow Out, we follow Antin as he opens his newest shop in Beverly Hills, from handpicking his staff, to dealing with contractors and publicists, to attending to his regular customers in the delirium of trying to open a new shop in record time. In between, Antin has heart-to-hearts with his father, fires a family friend, and makes a date with a woman he didn't hire.
Antin is not shy about declaring his territory ("this is my shop, this is my wall") and, while dealing with one employee poised to be a diva, Antin sharply reminds him whose name is on the outside of the building. In short, Antin fascinates by how he is able to be a perfectly likable asshole.
If there is one thing Paris, Antin, and all those folks from The Apprentice (including Austin's own Amy Henry, for goodness' sake!) know, it's how to work it, the "it" being TV. Sure, the rest of us can make our snarky remarks, but when it comes right down to it, there are more people watching reality shows than reading this column.
Blow Out airs Tuesdays at 8pm on Bravo.
The Simple Life 2 airs Wednesdays at 7pm on Fox.
What Else Is On?
Live Like a Star: Austin is one of several test markets for a new daytime series that allows nobodies to experience once-in-a-lifetime makeovers. The series airs Monday through Friday starting June 21 at 3pm on Fox.
The Graham Norton Effect: The outrageous BBC talk show host brings his naughty antics stateside. Premieres June 24 at 9pm on Comedy Central.
Nip/Tuck: It's the second season for this marvelous, though uneven, drama about Miami plastic surgeons. Vanessa Redgrave guests as Julia's mother (Joely Richardson, Redgrave's real-life daughter). Premieres June 22 at 9pm on FX.