Jackass and Jersey Shore Had a Baby

In my defense, I did not mean to watch MTV's new series, "Buckwild",  the other night. I was innocently flipping during a commercial break from a Kathy Griffin stand-up special.

Kathy Griffin should so be my best friend.

She would probably understand why I got sucked into "Buckwild".

Hot Guy won't. In fact, Hot Guy please stop reading now. Go here instead.

From what I gathered during the bits* I watched, the show seems to be Jersey Shore, but set in West Virginia. Rural - oh wait, the term used on the show is "country" - West Virginia. The people seem to be a much less tan and muscular, more close-knit version of the people on Jersey Shore. I think they may all actually be from West Virginia.

And in addition to getting drunk and hooking up and fighting, the Buckwild kids also do go mudding and swim in converted dump trucks and roll in huge tires and whatnot. Hence the "Jackass" aspect.

I know that people in West Virginia are all offended by the "fake" show and one of their senators wants MTV to cancel it, but if New Jerseyans can put up with Jersey Shore and our Real Housewives and that stupid NJ hair salon one I saw once I think West Virginia needs to suck it up.

Besides, the show actually improved my opinion of West Virginia.

I've actually been to West Virginia, you see. My aunt and uncle live just over the border in Maryland, so I've been to funky little tourist destinations in the greater Morgantown area. Those places aren't any different from any other rural places I've been. My other experience, however, includes a solo drive through the southern part of the state.

The part where this show is filmed.

I used to take a lot of road trips by myself, looking to spice up the trip between my parents' house in NJ and my then home in Kansas City. I was only ever nervous on three occasions. Two of those occasions were in West Virginia. (The other was in Mississippi. Go figure.)

It's not that I was ever overtly threatened, it was the that I knew if I did the wrong thing, I would be. People ranged from sullen to hostile every single place I stopped. It was weird.

The kids on Buckwild, however drunk and stupid they may be, seem fifty times friendlier than anyone I met in that area of the state. I have no plans to actually watch the show on a regular basis - it's undoubtedly too scripted to be any real fun - but it's definitely worth a commercial break flip.

If you're into that sort of thing. Or if you really miss Jackass and Jersey Shore.





*bit meaning anywhere from one to twenty minutes. Ahem. There was another on after Kathy's special was done, okay? 

I Love The Video Music Awards

I watched some of the VMAs last night. I don't know why, since I can't remember the last time I actually watched a music video and find the whole auto-tune/lip-syncing culture of current popular "artists" kind of abhorrent. I do have kind of a girl crush on Chelsea Handler, though.

Anyway, since I can actually remember the day MTV started, I'm pretty much out of its demographic anymore, but it was interesting seeing what the kids are listening to these days. I probably shouldn't make fun of artists young enough to be my sons, but Justin Bieber is SO the next Gibb brother. Or Gibb grandchild. He's such a BeeGee. And I think he'll last about as long. I can't believe he makes me actually long for the wit of the Jonas Brothers. And Drake? What is the point of Drake? He can't rap and I would have turned off his song if Mary J. Blige hadn't been singing it . . .why was his name in lights when she was doing all the work?

I missed Eminem. I have a crush on him too. But I kind of wish he'd beaten the crap out of Drake.

I discovered Florence and the Machine. I had never heard of them - because, um, I don't actually watch MTV and New York radio stations suck - but I am so glad I watched them. They're actually talented.

I wonder about Lady Gaga. If she has the longevity of Madonna, for example, what the hell will she be wearing to the awards in a few years? Midgets?

I look forward to the day Taylor Swift donates a small percentage of her gazillion dollars to the Kanye West Memorial Fund for Overblown Hip Hop Stars Who Have Become Homeless.

Why did Chris Colfer from Glee look like he was still wearing his rehearsal clothes? I mean, I know it's not the Oscars, but a little effort is never wrong. (Note to Lady Gaga: I said a LITTLE effort, not enough effort for yourself and 2 or 3 assistants.)

I still like Linkin Park.

I was intrigued by all "The Social Network" trailers.

I would never, ever actually want to go the VMAs.