ON A 'HOT' STREAK.Byline: David Kronke Television Writer For those who still keep track of such things, ``Are You Hot? The Search for America's Sexiest People'' represents this week's attempt to bring Western civilization to crumbling ruin. But don't worry - if America manages to survive another week with some brain cells intact, there's always ``I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here.'' ``Are You Hot?'' comes from the laboratories of Mike Fleiss, the mastermind behind ABC's voyeuristic, looking-for-love opuses ``The Bachelor'' and ``The Bachelorette.'' He offers no apologies that his new show isn't ``Masterpiece Theatre,'' or even ``Yes, Dear.'' ``It's supposed to be this absurd, ridiculous thing,'' Fleiss says of the reality contest in which contestants stand before judges who dissect dissect /dis·sect/ (di-sekt´) (di-sekt´) 1. to cut apart, or separate. 2. to expose structures of a cadaver for anatomical study. dis·sect v. and/or eviscerate e·vis·cer·ate v. e·vis·cer·at·ed, e·vis·cer·at·ing, e·vis·cer·ates v.tr. 1. To remove the entrails of; disembowel. 2. their appearance. ``It's entertaining. I could watch this all day long, and I even don't feel that way about 'The Bachelor.' Even if this wasn't my show, it'd be my favorite show.'' The show's premise is simplicity itself, Fleiss says: Participants ``stand there in clothes and then they stand there without clothes.'' (Actually, in tonight's episode at least, they do keep their swimwear on.) ``We've been battling with the censors since this show was bought,'' he adds. ``It's the wildest show I've seen in terms of the way the audience reacts.'' ``Hot'' is a paean Paean (pē`ən), Paean was an epithet for Apollo, the healer. The paean, a hymn of praise to Apollo and often to other gods, was sung as a prayer for safety or deliverance at battles and other important occasions. to - as well as an attack on - American vanity. ``Their physical beauty is important to them,'' Fleiss says of the show's contestants. ``When they receive validation, they're thrilled, and when they're ripped to shreds, they're devastated dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. . When women are eliminated from the show, they go crying, shedding tears. But we even have dudes crying, too, which I'd never seen before. We have one guy wiping tears from his eyes, saying, 'I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. why I spent so much time in the gym if this was the outcome.' '' Fleiss himself can certainly answer the question ``Are You Hot?'' in the affirmative. ``The Bachelorette,'' which airs its finale Wednesday, and a new ``Bachelor,'' beginning in March, have almost single-handedly rescued what otherwise would have been a hapless season for ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. . In addition, Fleiss has the self-explanatory ``High School Reunion'' doing well for The WB and ``The Will,'' in which family members compete, game-show-style, for their chunk of a patriarch's estate, coming to ABC this summer. Fleiss will head to Cancun next month to shoot a spring-break reality film for Universal, and he produced a remake of ``Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' - which, mercifully, is not reality entertainment - that will be released later this year. To get an idea of his latest effort, consider the questions on ``Are You Hot's'' online application: ``Have you ever posed nude for any publication ... or been the subject of any pornographic material?'' (It notes, ``A 'yes' answer should not disqualify To deprive of eligibility or render unfit; to disable or incapacitate. To be disqualified is to be stripped of legal capacity. A wife would be disqualified as a juror in her husband's trial for murder due to the nature of their relationship. you.'') ``Would you have any objections to posing or appearing nude on television or in a magazine?'' (Likewise, applicants are informed, ``Answering 'no' to this question does not disqualify you.'') Critical cleavage Naturally, given the sort of material Fleiss traffics in, he has detractors. Robert Wilonsky, pop-culture critic for the Dallas Observer, says, ``Here we are, told we're about to be attacked by terrorists this week - this week! - and I'm more scared of Mike Fleiss at this point. He's practicing a different brand of terrorism. TV has rendered us so ineloquent in·el·o·quent adj. Lacking or displaying a lack of eloquence. in·el  o·quence n. - it's frustrating to think you're
putting more thought into saying something about these shows than these
guys do in making them.''
On the other hand, David Wild, Rolling Stone contributing editor and author of ``The Showrunners,'' an examination of a TV season, says, ``I'm actually loath to criticize him - I hate to miss these shows. He's in touch with something, which may or may not be good for us. He has a genius for getting in touch with our shared obsessions. He's for water coolers, not the Emmys or for lifetime achievement awards.'' Robert Thompson, founding director of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television, suggests that Fleiss has become a force to be reckoned with. ``He's not necessarily someone we want to celebrate, but he's certainly an auteur auteur (ōtör`), in film criticism, a director who so dominates the film-making process that it is appropriate to call the director the auteur, or author, of the motion picture. ,'' Thompson says. ``His work is identifiable as Aaron Spelling, as David E. Kelley, as Rod Serling - it just so happens his work is characterized by stuff we don't value and validate. He has a style - you don't have to watch one of his shows for three minutes before you can see the Mike Fleiss signature on it, just as you could on a Monet.'' Thompson defends some of Fleiss' shows. ``Some of the stuff he does are masterpieces of absolute sleaze sleaze n. A sleazy condition, quality, or appearance: "His record of public service is untouched by any stain of shadiness or sleaze" James J. Kilpatrick. , but peel away the sleaze and there are interesting things going on,'' he says. `` 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' are stupid, yes, but dating is stupid. Anyone on the prowl knows it's filled with lies and posing. That's what these shows are about. The traditional romantic comedy with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks offers utopian notions of romance so cleaned up as to have little relationship to what we know. These shows show the gamier, uglier parts of the courtship ritual, and that's the reason we're glued to our sets.'' ``The Bachelor'' even inspired its own parody, Fox's ``Joe Millionaire.'' (Fleiss and Mike Darnell, the Fox executive behind its reality programming, worked together on ``Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire mul·ti·mil·lion·aire n. One whose financial assets are worth several million dollars. multimillionaire Noun a person who has money or property worth several million pounds, dollars, etc. ?'' which provoked scandal when it was discovered the background checks on the participants were somewhat less than thorough.) Fleiss calls ``Joe Millionaire'' a ``clever spoof,'' but adds, ``Our show is about real romance, and we've cornered the market on that. When you see 'The Bachelorette' finale and ask whether true love can be created on a funny little reality show, you'll see the answer is yes. You'll see it in Trista's eyes and in the eyes of the man she's chosen.'' When Fleiss discusses his shows, he does so less in terms of their actual content and more in terms of his audience - the thing that has surprised him most about his programs, he notes, took place not before the cameras but in audience reactions. Unlike many who work in the genre, Fleiss is honest enough to admit, ``These shows always have a little bit of a mean spirit.'' Asked if there was a reality program he himself would go on, he doesn't even have to think about it - ``No, never,'' he answers quickly. But, he adds, ``I don't think that's their real draw at the end of the day. People like their unpredictability - they're tired of sitcom jokes and the tidy endings of one-hour scripted dramas. Reality's so refreshing, given how those things are so mundane. Scripted shows, such as 'The Sopranos' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' are way better than any reality show would ever be, but there is a whole bunch of scripted shows that are not very good, and therefore they're easy prey. They know who they are. They're not doing anything different - that's the problem.'' Reality overload But Fleiss also foresees his own obsolescence ob·so·les·cent adj. 1. Being in the process of passing out of use or usefulness; becoming obsolete. 2. Biology Gradually disappearing; imperfectly or only slightly developed. as network proliferation of reality programming escalates at a rate almost as fearsome as the arms race of the '70s and '80s - between them, ABC and NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. will introduce a dozen new unscripted un·script·ed adj. Not adhering to or in accordance with a script written beforehand: "his unscripted encounters with the press" Eleanor Clift. shows between now and September. ``You know, right now, any reality draws some audience,'' he says, ``because these shows are not tired already - but that won't last very long.'' Syracuse University's Thompson isn't even sure that ``Are You Hot?'' - despite its appeal to viewers at their basest levels - is a sure thing. ``It's not the great American dream story, like 'American Idol,' '' Thompson says. ``It's about something that's nonlegitimized in our culture. Anyone who thinks they're hot enough for this show has a built-in despicable factor right off the bat. ``We like our sleaze delivered in a sincere, traditional fashion - 'Bachelor' is about slouching slouch v. slouched, slouch·ing, slouch·es v.intr. 1. To sit, stand, or walk with an awkward, drooping, excessively relaxed posture. 2. To droop or hang carelessly, as a hat. v. to matrimony MATRIMONY. See Marriage. , 'High School Reunion' offers a sexy take on reassessing how we evolve and mature. 'Are You Hot?' has no story that'll hold it together.'' Still, Thompson gives Fleiss his props, if in a backhanded manner. ``Fleiss has risen to the top in the genre of 'Masterpiece Trash,' these brilliantly terrible programs,'' he says. ``When we're by ourselves, just us and our TV, there are times when we like to wallow wallow mud bath frequented by pigs, elephants, red deer, hippopotami as a cooling aid. in the mire mire (mer) [Fr.] one of the figures on the arm of an ophthalmometer whose images are reflected on the cornea; measurement of their variations determines the amount of corneal astigmatism. mire n. - and wallow with gusto. Fleiss provides that - he makes primo mire.'' ARE YOU HOT? What: Reality show tries to prove that beauty is only skin deep. Where: ABC (Channel 7). When: 8 tonight. CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Is this HOT? `Bachelor' producer Mike Fleiss adds to his body of work with new reality series (2) Flush with the success of ``The Bachelor,'' ``The Bachelorette'' and ``High School Reunion High School Reunion
(3) In ``Are You Hot?'' contestants subject their bodies - both clothed clothe tr.v. clothed or clad , cloth·ing, clothes 1. To put clothes on; dress. 2. To provide clothes for. 3. To cover as if with clothing. and unclothed - to the scrutiny of a panel of judges Panel of Judges is an indie pop band from Melbourne, Australia. Members
(4) no caption (two men with their shirts off) |
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