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20 Dec 2011 21:05

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Culture: More thoughts on Wesley Durden, TLC and ethics in reality television

  • I understand that a lot goes into putting these shows together, but there has to be a better way to deal with actual reality when it creeps into our reality programs.
  • Tucson Weekly’s Dan Gibson • Offering up a good point on last night’s news that a reality show contestant, Wesley Durden, committed suicide, but the TLC show, “Next Great Baker,” hid it from the audience until he had been eliminated from the program. “They did throw a card up at the end,” Gibson points out, “but this still seems like a series of bad decisions to me and wildly insensitive to the guy’s family and friends, but maybe we’re still all supposed to be upset that the same network runs a show about Muslims or something.” And that, friends, is a great point. Here’s a network that’s getting criticized for the wrong thing: Instead of getting wrongly criticized for airing reality shows about Muslims, they should be getting rightly criticized for their intense focus on ratings in the face of the ethical treatment of the people it puts on its shows. source

12 Dec 2011 20:52

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Culture: Russell Simmons buys Lowe’s vacated “All-American Muslim” ads

  • Just purchased remaining spots for #allamericanmuslim for next week. The show is now sold out! keep your money @lowes and we will keep ours.
  • Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons • Revealing (via Twitter) that he had purchased the spaces that Lowe’s had vacated when they backed down to pressure over their advertising on the TLC reality program “All-American Muslim.” According to his rep, he bought two spots, but hasn’t decided what to put in them yet. Russell, you’re a badass. Meanwhile, Lowe’s is defending its decision, claiming it was one of “dozens” of companies that had pulled advertising support from the show — a claim difficult to back up, especially considering that TLC is claiming that the show is doing well advertiser-wise. The home improvement chain bent to pressure from an obscure group called the Florida Family Association in removing their ads from the program. source

15 Aug 2011 21:35

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Culture: TLC cancels “Kate Plus 8”; do you think Mady cried?

  • 150 episodes later, the Gosselins’ reality TV reign will end source
  • » This season will be their last. TLC decided not to renew “Kate Plus 8” after the current season. The network may continue to check in with the family — famously torn apart after Kate Gosselin divorced her husband Jon, with the reality TV fallout that followed — through televised specials. Thank goodness, because we were getting worried.

12 Jan 2010 11:16

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Culture: Bloggers upset that fat reality TV show stars too happy

The family on “One Big Happy Family” tips the scales at 1,377 pounds. They want to lose the weight. Bloggers are upset because of the way it highlights black obesity. source

02 Oct 2009 13:30

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Culture: “Hi, I’m Jon Gosselin. I’m a douchebag and I need work. Pay me.”

  • He wanted more than $30,000 dollars to show up for just a couple hours. The funny part was we didn’t even reach out to him. He called us asking to come. We didn’t pay him.
  • A publicist dealing with Jon Gosselin • Describing the (well, former) “Jon & Kate Plus 8” star’s demeanor when he tried to help at an event. Gosselin, who’s in the midst of a crappy, annoying war of drama with the TLC network over the show that made him (in)famous, needs money to keep up his d-baggy lifestyle. So he’s asking for huge appearance fees right now. • source

23 Jun 2009 20:51

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Culture: The American public has no taste … plus 8!

  • 10.6 million watched Jon & Kate’s hyped divorce episode source

31 May 2009 11:34

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Culture: We’re not talking about Jon & Kate’s marital problems, but …

  • … we will discuss their show’s child labor problems. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry is currently investigating the popular reality show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” as well as host network TLC, to determine whether the show is taking advantage of a bunch of young kids. Again, we don’t care about their marital problems. We’ll leave that for the tabloids. But a reality show overworking kids is a big deal. source