Beauty and the Geek Reality Check September 20, 2007
Tonight was the 2 hour season premiere of Beauty and the Geek (you can still catch the episode online). I admit that this is one of my guilty pleasures that I have proudly watched since the first season. (I think I have become a reality show junkie) If you're not familiar with the concept, 9 beautiful, young women and 9 brilliant, geeky guys get to live in a house together, get paired up, share a bedroom and then compete in challenges. The premise is that they will learn from each other and become a more complete person. The producers (one is Ashton Kutcher) call it a social experiment and the prize is $250,000 for the winning team.
One of my favorite challenges of the past was the guys buying a swimming suit for the females without having a clue of their sizes. Then the women had to model them and one bikini bottom was so big on her she said she felt like she had "poopie pants." The geek's response was that he couldn't buy a size zero because that would be like saying she was a negative. For the women it's always something brainy. Once they had to study rocket science and then build a rocket with a plastic bottle and chemicals to make it lift off (I'd tell you what they are, but I'm no rocket scientist <g>). The winning couple pick 2 other couples who compete head to head to stay in the house, while the loser is booted out.
The first hour of the show had the love connection of last season, Nate and Jennylee (who weren't paired up in the show, but they fell in love anyway..awww) interviewing Beauty and Geek wannabes. This part was hilarious. They went from city to city, but it didn't matter...the women were all brainless beauties and the brainy geeks were as socially inept as one expects. Here's a sampling of the questions and answers from stereotypical empty headed lovelies:
Q: Who wrote Hamlet?
A: What is that? Poetry? I don't know anything about that.
Q: Do you know who won the civil war?
A: Who was that between?
Q: Do you know what the word memo is short for?
A: What the word memo is short for? As a journalism major I should know this, right?
Q: Do you know who won the civil war? (different contestant)
A: We did.
Q: Who's we?
A: The United States. We won everything, we won all the wars.
Q: What is your IQ?
A: 2.5. (next person): slightly over "not too dumb"
Q: Who is the current vice president?
A: Are you kidding me? Pass.
Q: What is the last book that you read?
A: The last book? Well, since I've been at school, I haven't been reading because I've been having to, like, study a lot.
Q: Who wrote Beethoven's Fifth Symphony?
A: I don't read books. Sorry, I just read magazines.
Q: Would you marry for money?
A: Hmm...well, it would depend on how long he would live.
Nifty Nuggets from Nerds:
Q: What is a corsage?
A: One of those tight body things they wore in the middle ages.
Q: What is the sexiest part of the female body?
A: Well, I'll be honest, I like a really cute face, but that's all I'm really seeing lately so...
Q: What is your love life like?
A: I don't really have one. I'm over half way to being the 40 year old virgin.
Q: What part of the female body is the most sensitive?
A: (long pause) Feet? I don't know.
Of course, my passion for books has me cringing over the book references (and scarier still, the symphony one). Maybe a dictionary would come in handy, but then again, what is a dictionary but a really big book.
The guys seem more real. Yeah, maybe they need a little lesson in dealing with social situations, but on the whole seem more sincere (and more than a little horny, poor guys). The twist this season is the pairing of a male beauty and female geek, which I think is dumb because all the women will naturally gravitate to him leaving the geeks feeling even more insecure. Ashton...what were you thinking??
So my question is this, are these young women really as dumb as they sound or is it an act to get on the show? If it's real, we, as a country are in serious trouble. Especially those beauties in college, giving these answers. If it's an act, they deserve to win the Emmy, each and everyone of them. And the writers too because this stuff is so funny I laugh out loud and I'm all alone in the house. Accepting this show for what it is, a comedy, makes it all ok in my book.
Stop the presses! I just checked out the B&G website and the chat rooms are all buzzing. It turns out the new male beauty is really actor Sam Horrigan (on the show they list his occupation as party promoter) Sounds like that answers my question about the characters being real or not. What do you think? And do any of you authors out there think if you wrote characters this dumb they'd be believable? (Just curious :)
Bottom line: Thanks to the geek for letting me know that I've been wearing my corsage in the wrong place all these years.
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check JOANN ROSS commented:
I LOVE Beauty and the Geek and have told friends that it's really the sweetest reality show on the air. (Until last year, when the blondes got rid of all the brunettes, which was so petty. And the swimsuit model, forget her name, was pretty toxic.) I, too, wonder if it's actually possible to be so stupid. Which, if true, makes it more a horror show than a comedy! lol
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check JOANN ROSS commented:
Oh, and about the actor -- maybe he's also a party planner to help pay the bills. Or maybe both he and the geeky girl are actors and the other beauties and geeks are gonna get punked. (Which I can so see Aston doing.) Whichever, it adds a nice twist to the show, which is important, because one problem with reality shows is after the first couple years everyone, including contestants, knows what to expect.
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check Barbara Vey commented:
You're right JoAnn. This is one twist I didn't see coming. Can't wait for next week.
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check Amanda commented:
I love this show. I'm not big on throwing a ringer in, but we'll have to wait and see. As for authors writing characters this dumb, I guess I'd think it was pretty far fetched. Now I'm not so sure. :g:
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check Shari Anton commented:
I am soooo not into reality shows. But now I'm worried about where to wear a corsage!
www.sharianton.com
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check JOANN ROSS commented:
Shari said: "But now I'm worried about where to wear a corsage!"
Especially when you think about those -- ouch! -- huge corsage pins!
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check Lisa commented:
I'm a total reality show junkie and completely enjoyed the last season of Beauty & the Geek. However in watching the season four premiere my sister and I began to argue over this very same issue. Were the girls faking being THAT dumb/naive etc., or was it in fact real (or as real as things can be when edited for television)? I literally cringed at so many of the answers given and came to the following sad conclusion. I truly hope these girls are not actresses and are answering these questions as honestly as they can. I think it's easier to correct a society with an inadequate eduction system than alter the possible fact that these girls may willing present themselves to millions of people as imbecilic just for the opportunity to be on television. In my opinion, the greater travesty is undoubtedly the problem free attitude with acting dumb, not the actual possibility of being unintelligent (or poorly educated.
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check JOANN ROSS commented:
I can't remember what they get -- $250,000? -- so there's a possibility that playing dumb during the auditions to get on the show might actually be the smart, in a twisted way, thing to do. Which just goes to show how unreal "reality" shows can be. The geeks, however, always seem to be pretty much "what you see is what you get." I like that about them. :)
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check Jennifer Fyffe commented:
I don't watch reality tv, but my daughter got me hooked on B&G last season, from the laughter coming from her bedroom when it was on. Wine glass in hand I settled down for the new season and had the most enjoy 2 hours of tv in ages. my favourite geek is JOshua...oh my goodness. He is adorable.
September 21, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check Faye Hughes commented:
Okay, I've never watched B&G before but now I've GOT to check it out. It sounds like a hoot.
Faye
September 27, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check Paula commented:
I think these two twist characters are plants. I suspected it as soon as I saw the girl - not really all that geeky. THEN I found out Sam Horrigan is an actor. THEN they won that debate challenge (how?). They have no rapport, they don't seem to be part of the cast, they're so awkward. They stand out like a sore thumb if you ask me, and it makes me mad because I did like this show.
September 27, 2007 In response to:Beauty and the Geek Reality Check Barbara Vey commented:
I agree Paula. It really seemed obvious this week. Sam said "All of a sudden, I remembered something I read." You know they will be out in a heartbeat if they ever lose a challenge. I really liked this show too.
