BLOGS
I watch a lot of reality television and I tend to get my hackles raised by a number of reprehensible people on those shows every week. For too long, many of them have just fallen through the cracks here because they don't really warrant their own posts for one reason or another, so I've decided to start picking the five worst offenders every week in a little round-up of stone-throwing. Below, I state the cases for this week's five nominees and then crown a winner.
Dr. Drew (Teen Mom 2 Reunion)
Dr. Drew asserted his trademark misogyny yet again on the Teen Mom reunion this week, using the entire special as a platform for preaching to those poor, misguided girls that they should remain with the fathers of their children regardless of how abusive or unfaithful they may be. The fact that this is far from the first time we've heard this garbage from him will also be factored into his case.
Elia, (Top Chef Reunion)
Calling Tom Colicchio a sell-out in his own house? Is she insane? I would have back-pedaled so fast the reunion would have time traveled. And she gets extra credit for taking on Colicchio without having her defense well prepared beforehand. At least know the details of who told you something before you go spouting off to the press about it, lady. Also, maybe don't go spouting off to the press about it in the first place.
Adam, (The Real World: Las Vegas)
He's an inveterate, drunken, violent man-whore who informed his girlfriend that she isn't allowed to text anyone of the male gender without his permission. Plus, he physically menaced the other girl (his roommate) he's cheating on said girlfriend with by punching a wall adjacent to her head. Adam's particularly heinous, even by MTV's standards, which: yikes.
Alex, (The Real Housewives of New York)
It's very thoughtful of Alex to try to be the show's new instigator now that Bethenny is gone -- I appreciate it, really, I do -- but who makes not one, but two scenes at someone's wedding over something as stupid as Jill not attending an event she lent her name to? And who wears white to someone else's wedding?
Scotty McCreery (American Idol)
I know that at 17 he's technically still a child, and that children are precious/the future and all of that, but he is killing me with that smirk. And what's going to happen if there's ever a theme he can't just sing a country song for? Are we going to have to endure a Dixie-fied Rat Pack standard? I feel like he's holding me hostage with his twang.
Winner: The Real World's Adam, by a landslide. We applaud debauchery, for the most part, but we like our man-whores to be men of peace, not wall-punchers. Use your words, Adam. Even The Situation knows how to do that, and The Situation doesn't know how to do anything.
Your thoughts? Alternate nominees? Leave them in the comments!
Sponsored Links
38 Comments
Add a comment
MOST RECENT POSTS
Today's TWoP News: Friday, January 6, 2011
The Most Heinous Person on Reality TV This Week
Indie Snapshot: The Iron Lady, Pariah and A Separation
TWoP 10: Reality Franchises That Should Be Benched
Friday, January 6, 2012: Supernatural
Portlandia is 2 Broke Girls for the Discerning Viewer's Soul
Today's TWoP News: Thursday, January 5, 2012
Modern Family: The Best Lines From the Winter Premiere
BLOG ARCHIVES
The Telefile
January 2012
12 Entries
December 2011
49 Entries
November 2011
56 Entries
October 2011
74 Entries
September 2011
78 Entries
August 2011
61 Entries
July 2011
56 Entries
June 2011
57 Entries
May 2011
57 Entries
April 2011
78 Entries
March 2011
73 Entries
February 2011
57 Entries
January 2011
65 Entries
December 2010
39 Entries
November 2010
45 Entries
October 2010
46 Entries
September 2010
62 Entries
August 2010
55 Entries
July 2010
53 Entries
June 2010
65 Entries
May 2010
59 Entries
April 2010
57 Entries
March 2010
67 Entries
February 2010
53 Entries
January 2010
59 Entries
December 2009
32 Entries
November 2009
47 Entries
October 2009
65 Entries
September 2009
66 Entries
August 2009
58 Entries
July 2009
72 Entries
June 2009
71 Entries
May 2009
50 Entries
April 2009
57 Entries
March 2009
66 Entries
February 2009
52 Entries
January 2009
56 Entries
December 2008
51 Entries
November 2008
71 Entries
October 2008
88 Entries
September 2008
86 Entries
August 2008
120 Entries
July 2008
115 Entries
June 2008
90 Entries
May 2008
44 Entries
April 2008
30 Entries
March 2008
26 Entries
February 2008
30 Entries
January 2008
44 Entries
December 2007
31 Entries
November 2007
66 Entries
Television Without Pity • © 2012 Bravo Media LLC • A Division of NBCUniversal •
Considering that Scotty did a Frank Sinatra song as part of his initial AI audition (the one before production assistants, not the judges), I suspect that Rat Pack week wouldn't be a problem for him.
oh twop this is exactly the reason why i don't read your American idol recaps.
I thought the reason no one liked the AI recaps was the inability of Jacob to both form a cohesive thought. It gets tough to read a recap when you have to Bleep-Bloop through half of it get to get past the life stories and pop psychology.
WORD! I despise the AI recaps for that very reason. I was in heaven when someone else recapped the show because the recaps made sense to someone other than the recapper.
Not to hijack this lovely telefile with a discussion of Jacob's AI recaps, but since stones have been thrown, I have to state that he's the most articulate, insightful, interesting recapper by far. If you just want "here's what happened", go to any other site. Jacob and TWOP in general give you pop culture with truly mindblowing analysis and observations that may change how you see the world, or just laugh your unmentionables off. Yeah, some of his references are obscure, and some of his trains of thought go through the looking glass, but if that's the ride, I'm in, 100 percent.
are you kidding? The AI recaps are, literally, the only good things that have come out of that show. Well, those and Kelly Clarkson.
I thought I was the only one who hated Jacob's recaps. It's as if he puts all these random nonsensical pop culture tidbits in his recaps to cover for the fact that he knows little to nothing about music.
Really, Scotty's smirk is what bothers you? I have to walk out of the room because I can't get past how he holds the microphone. It is a cross between a squirrel eating nuts or a kid playing the recorder. Why, oh why, do you only use your finger tips?
PS. I love Jacobs recaps.
I read every one of Jacob's AI recaps, and forward them to my friends. I think they're brilliant.
You may watch a lot of reality TV, but you missed George the Marine Douche on "Top Shot."
I love Jacob's recaps. There are several shows I started watching, just so I could read what he had to say. I think his opinions are dead on.
I thought I was alone too. I can't stand Jacob's recaps. He's the only recapper I can't read. Deann Welker is great as are most of the other recappers.
I will second Adam but I won't give Nany a pass on this debacle. She was totally encouraging it (&I suspect, loving it) the whole time he carried on.
Jacob's writing is pure genius. I am in awe every time. He is the best thing to come out of American Idol (including Kelly Clarkson). If u don't understand him, maybe he is just too quick for you. Read ew instead.
If you think Jacob's AI recaps are bad, try reading his Desperate Housewives or Doctor Who recaps. Insufferable! He's clearly hung up on himself.
Jacob's recaps are the only reason to watch AI. He's brilliant. Of course while reading them I sometimes feel as if one or both of us has dropped acid, but that's what makes it so exhilarating.
Back on topic: "And who wears white to someone else's wedding?"
My former Mother in law.
Y'all are tripping. Jacob's recap of Weeds are my life. And who goes to TWOP to avoid the snark especially for a cheesefest of a show like AI?!
To me, Dr. Drew is the worse, just because he should know better. He's everywhere on tv now. He had an hour special where he speculated on what was wrong with Charlie Sheen even though he's never interacted with him. All the experts were from his show(Celebrity Rehab). Very unprofessional. If he had talked to him that would be worse. He seems more interested in being on tv than actually being helpful. Also, supporting a show that rewards teen pregnancy is irresponsible. He's an egotistical ass.
Add me to the list of Jacob's fans and the only reason I watch Idol. He is sublime. Who cares if his train of thought frequently jumps the track? To paraphrase one of Charlie Sheen's goddesses: I'm on Jacob's bus, and I don't care where the bus is going.
Jacob can be very funny and insightful, but this season's AI recaps are a pretentious slog.
I agree with Joanna. Jacob probably writes at an IQ level too high for the complainers to understand, so they complain.
if we're gunna talk 'teen mom 2', who's gunna let adam slide after articulating that chelsea should buy him a truck, as he does her and aubree the honour of coming around? toolbag.
Seriously? Hating on Jacob? He's absolutely brilliant and I adore his recaps. I've been reading TWoP since the MBTV days (yes, I am very old) and Jacob is one of the best recappers in TWoP's history.
I have found Jacob's dialogue-based AI recaps more than annoying this season, and I am glad he is not relying on that quite as much lately. Jacob truly captured my attention going off on Trump at the end of Season 4 Apprentice finale, writing this 15 + point diatrabe when Trump wanted Randal to share the victory. Truly breathtaking writing that cemented TWOP as the most intelligent site for reading about my crappy reality tv shows.
Or, conversely, it could be that his writing really appeals to condescending hipster snots who don't mind wading through five pages of meandering bullshit for every page of actual content. Isn't it great that we live in a world where we can agree to disagree?
Just wanted to post some love for Jacob...misplaced to write on this forum but I feel strongly that his writing and abilit to weave many interesting concepts into the triviality of television adds value to the shows he recaps to the point that he is now the reason I watch AI.
Jacob is alright, but I think a changing of the guards is in order. He seems to really be sick of the show. The only time he seems to be happy is when he's writing about crushing on the boys.
THIS. If you feel you're so above a show that you only touch on it tangentially in your "recaps", it's time to move on.
Jacob thinks he's a genius but sadly most of the stuff he spews in his recaps - the allusions, literary or historical references, psychological insight, etc. - is utterly and totally wrong. He simply does not have the grasp of the knowledge he thinks he does.
When he is on point, actually dissecting what happened on a show he can be laugh out loud funny. When he is trying to impress with his "knowledge" or delving into his psychobabble, he's a pretentious bore.
I think it's hilarious that 90% of the comments are about Jacob's recaps rather than the subject of the article. To me, great writing inspires debate and emotional connection, whether positive or negative. We seem to have a winner.
By that standard, probably 90% of what's posted online qualifies as "great writing".
And what does it say about you and Johanna that your automatic response is to insult the intelligence of the people who dislike Jacob's "recaps?" There's a difference between being of low intelligence and simply not liking pretentious, tired crap.
I don't come to TWOP for "here's what happened." I also don't come for irrelevant, self-indulgent drivel, though. And who are you to judge how smart I am based on the fact that I don't like Jacob's recaps? The more intelligent some people try to seem, the more they look immature and ignorant. That certainly applies to Jacob, and to the whole "if you don't like it, it's too smart for you" attitude."
jacob can be brilliant and funny but he seems to think he's above the show. it's not fun to read someone like that. i can pretend to enjoy his wit and call it brilliant, but i'd much prefer clarity of thought over pseudo-intellectual babble.
and yes, "self-indulgent" does perfectly describe his writing. i'm sure there are people who appreciate that, but i don't.
i emailed him once, but my feedback apparently wasn't enough to move him to go easy on the non sequiturs. now i just lurk the TWOP forums.
Since it's finally a topic, I have to say I loathe Jacob's recaps too. I immediately skip anything with his name on it, which truly hurts sometimes since I love Doctor Who but have to avoid his pointless blather about it like the plague.
Bulls-eye!
Could this finally be a platform where we won't be snipped, warned, and banned for daring to criticize a recapper's self-involved, pseudointellectual, and meandering recaps? I certainly hope so. Jacob, if you're reading this, please, for the love of God, respect your audience enough to tone it down a smidge. The writers have already written their plots. Please just recap them.
I am so glad to find out that I'm not the only one who can't stand Jacob's recaps. He completely ruined BSG's recaps for me with his pages of random babbling in an attempt at insight.