Thursday, November 01, 2007 || 'Hills' scandal is all too real
Some sloppy editing in recent episodes, reported in several newspapers and blogs, have raised the question. And last week an online exposé by its star Lauren Conrad's onetime date Gavin Beasley sent "Hills" fans into a tizzy trying to figure it out.
MTV has always 'fessed to doing "pickup shots," staged scenes that address issues of continuity, not storylines. But in an interview last week, Beasley divulged the level of manipulation that goes on in "The Hills." (Interestingly, the interview was conducted with the blog www.BestWeekEver.tv, a product of MTV sister network VH1. Et tu, VH1?)
The posting is perhaps the most incriminating evidence yet to surface supporting the -- let's face it -- fairly obvious allegation that the show's drama is largely manufactured by its producers. Beasley divulged behind-the-scenes details of his cameo, including how producers asked him to get Conrad's phone number and listed questions he should ask her. "They wanted me to ask her about the runway show, how long she had worked that day, when would she get off, stuff like that," Beasley said.
Thursday, an MTV rep responded that producers "overheard" that Beasley was planning to ask Conrad out on a date. And while maintaining that the show is not scripted, the spokeswoman acknowledged the producers sometimes help guide dialogue along for clarity. "Since there are no confessionals or interviews on 'The Hills' to put questions in context (as there are in shows like 'The Real World'), the producers sometimes ask cast members to rephrase to help tell the story clearly."
Beasley had also said that producers set up a barbecue party for the gang, specifically so Brody Jenner and he could meet, thus providing the fodder for an episode that would revolve entirely around Jenner becoming jealous of Beasley. MTV denied this, saying that it was the cast who organized the party.
Scripted or not, watching L.A.'s most popular layabouts bicker has been the definition of guilty pleasure since its launch a year and a half ago. You can't write someone like perpetual backstabber Heidi Montag, who made herself so fun to hate during the second season. Montag, however, has been sidelined this season by the considerably more bland Conrad, so can you blame the producers for trying to stir the pot? Especially when their subjects, with the exceptions of Montag and her fiancé, the archvillain Spencer Pratt, are pretty and passive, but dull? At least Team Heidi is trying to live up to the role as bad guys, as evidenced by the routine calls to Ryan Seacrest's radio show, People magazine and TMZ.
If producers are in fact helping things, er, roll along, though, then why is this season so boring? Sure, with former best friends Conrad and Montag on the outs, the series has split in to two so-so shows. The producers have also made the mistake of promoting Whitney Port and Audrina Patridge to being Conrad's chief sidekicks. Unfortunately for them, both are more venting boards for Conrad than anything else. (But, it must be said, thank heavens for Patridge's love interest, Justin "Bobby" Brescia, and his Taoist sayings. On relationships: "We can either kick rocks and be acquaintances . . . or let truth and time tell all.")
Humbly, we offer some suggestions for the producers for the future.
As long as you're manufacturing things, let's not give the girls their space. Remember this season's first episode when Conrad and Montag got into a screaming match at the nightclub LAX? We like that. Their run-in at Ketchup? Gimme more!
Maybe an 18-episode season wasn't the best idea. We know the show is MTV's bread and butter right now -- "Kaya" had a lukewarm reception Tuesday, and "Making Menudo" tanked -- but you're stretching things thin. Monday's episode, inaccurately titled "Stress and the City," sent Conrad and Port to New York, where (a) Port gave a horrible presentation to the Teen Vogue staff and was soon relieved to find that as a "Hills" regular no harm can befall you; and (b) Conrad did a some grunt work for her idol Marc Jacobs (only to play it a little too cool when they were introduced).
We'd settle for 13 episodes where, ya know, better stuff happens.
Also, acknowledge "The Hills' " popularity on the show. Follow them to nightclubs. Watch them address the press. Crash the photo shoots of Conrad and Montag (dueling magazine cover girls last month). Get in on Montag's and Pratt's publicity strategy sessions -- you know they have them -- and their calls to Seacrest. All this reality behind the reality is what's made the show a hit, right?
Then again, that might be a little too real for this reality show.
latimes.com
posted by Lysandra @ 9:30 PM
"New City, New Drama"
40 Comments:
hahaha, funny article. So Speidi calls People, and TMZ hilarious. They should just end the season, it's so over.
The fight was at Les Deux not LAX.
This season is so boring. I'm sick of the night club scenes, give me something different besides the "Will you be friends with Lauren again" and the "Brody won't talk to me" crap.
I love this season. Last episode rocked.
Last episode rocked for sure, but this season needs to be over already. Bring back the 10/12 episode hills. And Beasley might be enjoying being talked about so much, but his episode was the most boring one of all! The rest of them are okay.
Lets see,What have we hadso far
1: run in at lex duex
2. Justin Bobby gets introduced.
3. Proposal
4. Brody's bbq comeback?
5. Meet the parents, lauren's breakdown?
6. Jason's back
7. Ketchup showdown
8. Jason gets engaged
9. VEGAS VEGAS!
10. Jenn Bunney hops back
11. Snooze fest
12. New York, New York & Marc Jacobs
hey cath, there is a secret lauren site that you have to join, you will love it, I will pm you at the real oc.
The season is fine except for too much talk about the sex tape. Boring! Viewers like when the girls go to NY, etc. Don't want high drama every week. Like watching the girls friendships develop. Gid rid of Speidi. No one likes them and they're boring.
I love this season!
I didn't like last season but I love this season.
I agree with most of what was said in this article. Whitney and Audrina are both really boring (sorry, like them both, but it's the truth). Heidi and Spencer, as much as I dislike them, basically make up a huge part of the show.
Last season was way better because the drama was real and it was the kind of drama you couldn't fake. (Lauren could not have planned that both of her best friends would stab her in the back). Heidi and Spencer's drama was real and when they were together it looked natural. This season everything they do seems scripted. We're basically dealing with the fallout from last season. Lauren and Audrina's friendship seems manufactured and even as Audrina has stepped up in place of Heidi, she's STILL boring. She has no career goals (that we know of -- she's a receptionist and we don't even hear stories about that), her love life is lame and she's just kind of there. We still don't really know anything about her. I like Whitney and respect the fact that she only wants to be seen at work, but with the absence of a fun best friend the producers should have just kept her in the background and found someone else to step up.
They need to go back to K-Cav and do a show about her.
The hills has had it's time and unless they are going to stop all the staging that goes on they need not do another season. I stopped watching 2 episodes ago. I can't enjoy it when every scene I see I wonder did this really happen or is this the script for today.
I use to look forward to Monday nights for the Hill, but now not so much. I figure if I miss it I can catch sometime later in the week. This season definately seems more fake. I dont know if it's the producers or the people but the feeling of reality is gone.
Dont get me wrong it's still entertaining, for the most part, but S1 and S2 were better imo. Eventhough we knew it was put together in a way to make a story every scene didnt seem like an actual scripted soap scene like S3 is coming across. If it keeps going like this I dont see a point to try and make an S4.
I like Whitney and Audrina but they are a little wet behind the ears.Lo and Lauren's relationship in S1 of Laguna was better and "real."
loved the second and third seasons. didn't like season one.
This is the most boring season of any of these shows, including Newport Harbor and S3 of LB.
I'm not sure how a reality show about kristin would be more interesting?
serious relationships are great, sure, but they don't exactly make for interesting reality tv material.
^Oh please. We already have Speidi. No more relationships. They're boring.
Love the Hills. Just watched the first season again.
11:33 what board are you talking about? could you email me the link please?
Sorry Lysandra, I can't, it's for LC's fans, and I don't think you will like it because you like Heidi.
Ha! What is the world coming to, when one gets discriminated against for liking a particular person......LMAO!
it's phony. someone's playing a joke.
Lysandra-there is no 'secret lauren site'. Someone is pulling your leg.
There is, I'm a member.
^ha ha ha sure you are.
1:51-1:43 is the same poster who leaves messages on every post praising KCavs and hating on Lauren.
They are the ones trying to fool Lysandra into thinking there is a 'secret' Lauren site. Like someone who hates on Lauren all day would really be a member! They can't provide a link address cause there is none. Loser! LMAO.
^ I actually like Lauren.
^Oh, sure you do! That's why you go to every site hating on Lauren and praising Kristin! So much love! lol Now what's that link address for your 'secret' Lauren site? LMAO!
How old are you 12? I will email Lysandra and give her the link if I want to.
^No you won't because there is no link. LMAO. I guess that would make you a liar.
2:07-I just pm'ed you. get back to me. -1:58
While Lysandra may like Heidi, I'm not sure, I happen to know she likes Lauren, so grow up about the secret site, you guys are such losers!
Lysandra loves Lauren and just manages to also like Heidi and Kristin because she isn't immature.
Lysandra rocks!
Secret sites? not so much.
11:33 thnx!
11:33 thnx!
11:33 thnx!
11:33 thnx!
whoops posted several times by accident, now i sound over excited lol
oh my, what's up with all these secret societies? I feel like I'm back in middle school.
if the producers would just leave the speidi scenes out which totally don't fit. I would have preferred to see more of the girls in NY or of everyone in Vegas. But they always cut back to speidi in LA doing absolutely nothing. They try to tie it in with the storyline but it's so out of place.
^IA. so sick of the cutaway scenes to Horse-face Heidi folding towels and chicklet teeth Spencer pretending to work on the computer. Who cares about these losers? Show me more Lo!!
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