It was a Friday night. There I was, innocently keeping up with the Kardashian clan (the more I watch, the more I realise that KHump had as much to do with the marriage breakdown as Kim) and I saw an ad for a new reality television show, because there aren’t already enough out there. When I saw a certain critically acclaimed Hollywood actor in the ad, I had to rub my eyes because never in a million years did I think that he would be involved in something like this.
But there he was, Clint Eastwood was on my screen. Cue the shock and horror you’re all feeling right about now. But before we all have a heart attack, the actor is only going to be making brief guest appearances on his wife’s new reality show Mrs Eastwood and Company. Apparently, it’s not enough to be ridiculously wealthy (and let’s face it, your husband is Clint Eastwood, you wouldn’t be pinching pennies), but the true sign of celebrity is, apparently, when you have your own reality television show.
IMDB describes the show as this:
Chronicling the lives of Dina Eastwood, the wife of Oscar-winning film legend Clint Eastwood, and their daughters Francesca and Morgan, and the all-male six member vocal group from South Africa managed by Dina, Overtone. Show takes an unprecedented look at the surprisingly normal extended and blended family behind one of Hollywood’s most iconic superstars. This series invites viewers to witness their lives and proves that familial bonds are shaped by more than DNA. Written by E!
Leaving that last sentence aside (we all know that reality television show is scripted to a certain extent), I don’t think I would ever view the Eastwood family as ‘normal’. The fact that they have a reality show to show how ‘normal’ they really are, just proves they’re not normal at all. But it’s not just the Eastwoods, it seems like everyone has their own reality television show.
The following is a list of celebrities who have had (or still have) their own reality shows: The Kardashians (Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Khloe and Lamar), The Simpson Sisters (Newlyweds and The Ashlee Simpson Show), Giuliana and Bill Rancic (Giuliana & Bill), Kathy Griffin (My Life On The D-List), Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie (The Simple Life), Hugh Hefner and friends (Girls of the Playboy Mansion, Kendra, Holly’s World), just to name a few. And then there’s Australia’s own Lara Bingle (keep your eyes peeled for Whippersnapper’s take on this).
Why does it seem like every celebrity has their own reality show? Naturally they are getting the ratings otherwise there wouldn’t be so many. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out why celebrities would expose their lives even more in the form of a reality show and I came up with one simple answer: to tell their side of the story. A whole business has been made of talking about celebrities, reporting on rumours and having “anonymous sources close to the star” tell lies about the celebs. By having their own reality show, they can dispel the rumours without getting creatively misprinted. Yes, reality shows are obviously edited, but they get final say over what actually goes to air.
There are always lies printed in tabloids and this is how they get to best defend themselves against them. Oh, and it’s easy money and usually elevates your celebrity status even higher because you’re more exposed. There’s that too.
Do you think there are too many reality shows on television? Which ones do you watch? Is there a celebrity that you wish had their own reality show? Do you think you should have one?
For Mrs Eastwood and Company promo click .
