reality TV

You know, when Jersey Shore aired, my first thought was "I wish they would make a spinoff of this show about Iranians, because really, we don't get enough bad press as it is." Lucky for me, MTV read my mind and is creating The Persian Version, which is, um a Persian version of Jersey Shore. From the casting call:

Two thousand years ago the Persian Empire ruled the ancient world…but they didn’t have your soundtrack, your style, or your swagger! Today there’s a new Persian empire growing right here in L.A. and it’s ready to conquer the world all over again. It’s a bad-ass new dynasty where exotic beauty and wild style dominates the sexiest nightlife, exclusive venues and hottest beaches the modern world has to offer. You’ve got the means, the money, and the motivation to cut through the velvet rope and rule the VIP! For you life is all about Gucci, Gabbana, Cavalli and Cristal. From BMWs and Bugatis, to Mercedes and Movado and money is no object.

Beloved child actress and former Sassy cover girl (and now Ph.D-holding) Mayim Bialik gets ritually humiliated on What Not To Wear. I'm not super happy about it.

Read on for 5 things I don't want to read about anymore:

If I were in a same-sex relationship in California and looking to formalize my commitment to my partner, this new show on the CW, Hitched or Ditched, would not be improving my mood right about now. They pick a straight, non-engaged couple and surprise them with an ambush wedding in one week? Srsly? And they won't let couples who've been together for over 20 years and have children together be at each other's bedsides in the hospital?

OK, Gretchen Bonaduce and Danielle from Real Housewives of NJ are both maybe a little psycho, but can we get a little bit of love for these two plucky divorcees trying to pick themselves up and move on with their lives? No?

I'm late on this one (I blame Memorial Day weekend!), but hey, Judge Nigel Lythgoe issued a sincere-sounding apology for his comments and the editing of a same-sex dance tryout on the season premiere of his hit show So You Think You Can Dance last Tuesday that came off fairly homophobically on the air (video clip at the link).

Give me some good reasons why I should watch the Bachelorette (that's her above).

Move over, Jon and Kate, and scoot down the bench, all you Duggars -- there's a new big family reality show on the block! It's called Fostering Love, and it's got a uniquely Californian twist on the genre: a same-sex couple expanding their family through pretty much every type of reproductive technology available. Also, they move to an alpaca farm. It's awesome.

Click read for the rest of the post.

Yay, my favorite dancer wins Dancing with the Stars! Click read for the convoluted reasoning.

Because of sweeps, it's a little bit of a lull in reality TV land the past few weeks, since a bunch of shows are either about to end (American Idol, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, ANTM, Amazing Race, Celebrity Apprentice, Hell's Kitchen) or just about to begin (Bachelorette, So You Think You Can Dance, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Jon and Kate Plus 8). So click the read button for a partial list of some other summer reality TV shows that look promising, from a feministy angle.