I’ve only seen the first full episode of Jessica Simpson’s cringe-inducing VH1 series, The Price of Beauty. In the episode I watched, there was a lot of giggling, vomiting, and head-smacking levels of foolishness. Jessica and her friends Cacee Cobb and Ken Paves traveled around the world in contrived scenarios that did little more than show how out of touch and clueless they were. They gagged and made a scene in a Thai marketplace after voluntarily tasting fried bugs, giggled during a meditation session with a Buddhist monk, and were patronizing and rude. It was amazing how clueless and openly disrespectful they were of the cultures they visited. (We covered this a couple of months ago when the show premiered, and you can read more about it here.)
In a recent acceptance speech for a vague award, Jessica compared her travels for the show to missionary work and said it was some kind of calling for her. From what I know of her personality (dumb, goofy, lacking in subtlety or hygiene) she did this in all seriousness and wasn’t just joking around. Missionaries visit other countries to spread their religious beliefs while doing humanitarian work. What the hell were Jessica and her friends spreading – ignorance and orange spray tans for all?
To Jessica Simpson, The Price of Beauty was more than just a reality show — it’s her life’s calling!
“I’m not saying I’m changing the world,” a teary-eyed Simpson said while accepting an award at the Gracies (which honor women in radio and TV) in Beverly Hills Tuesday.
“But…to be able to sit with my Dad and [create] Price of Beauty,” she said of her VH1 show, in which she traveled the world to explore definitions of beauty in various cultures. “It’s similar to missionary work. It was what I was called to do and called to be.” On the series, Simpson visited a “fattening hut” in Uganda, munched fried cockroaches in Thailand, and walked a couture runway in Paris.
Despite the show’s lackluster ratings and tepid reviews, the 29-year-old star said “it’s changing my life, and that’s what it’s all about. We’re all women, we are strong and there is always a life to change, and you are powerful enough to do it!”
The Gracies honored Simpson for her strength and entrepreneurial endeavors in the face of adversity and public scrutiny.
Earlier in her speech, Simpson quipped, “I’m not used to people talking so nice about me,” and explained that she felt “called to the ministry” at church camp (dad Joe Simpson is a preacher) when she was 13.
“I remember calling my parents on a pay phone and said ‘Dad? Mom? Guess what? I’ve been called into the ministry!'” she recounted to the crowd. “And they were like… ‘Whoawhoawhoa, did you sign anything? Are you sure you wanna take this on?’ And I was like ‘Sure, really! I know right now at this very moment I can change the world. Somehow.'”
[From US Weekly]
Many of you will defend her and say I’m being too harsh. That’s a fair argument. I just think that of all the people who could have done a show on the cultural differences in the perception of beauty, Jessica Simpson and her buddies are the last people that should have been chosen. The more Jessica talks, the more she proves this point. Stumbling around other countries making fun of their customs is not missionary work. What’s worse is that Jessica’s dad, the creator of this show, is a Baptist minister. You would think Jessica would know that spreading Western values of (trashy-looking) aesthetics is not the same as spreading the word of God. This girl doesn’t know she should brush her damn teeth twice a day so it’s not like I’m going to get anywhere by questioning her reasoning.
*rolls eyes* @ her definition of missionary work. She should take a trip to a 3rd world country where they’re handing out scraps of food and water to starving people to see what missionary work really is.
This girl just gets dumber and dumber with every interview she gives.
Time for her to be gone for good.
Uh, Jess, missionaries work to change the lives of OTHERS, not themselves. That’s really “what it’s all about”, vapor-brain.
Every time she opens her mouth, something stupid falls out.
She needs a “mute button”.
Too harsh? -Hell no.
What Loser-Lohan did in India was more “missonary” than Simpleton’s fluff piece.
“It was what I was called to do and called to be.” … great, now my Cheerios are spewed all over the keyboard and I can’t decide whether to laugh or cry. She’s such an idiot.
I used to like her way back, when she and Nick were dating. She was the anti-Britney. Cute, wholesome, normal, and normal looking.
Now, I think she needs to go back to Texas and start having babies and stay away from the media. Ug. Idiot!
I like Jess but it’s becoming more difficult to hold that opinion.
Does anyone else think that her show would actually be quite good if someone else was doing it? I haven’t seen it but the concept seems really good and it could be quite educational and open a lot of minds – just not with her doing it.
LOL vague award? What did she get an award for?
I loved the Price of Beauty. She did a great job carrying a positive message, and by the last episode, she even got a few big hugs from that woman from Thailand.
tried to watch the show as well…couldn’t do it. she’s too vapid for words.
yah, the show would be better if anthony bourdain was doing it. if anyone is good at highlighting the subtleties of culture and making it meaningful, it would be him. then I would watch. but this uneducated twit who still talks about sitting with her daddy making this show (WTF why do you even care joe you perv) at the age of 29. youre done jess, just admit it, and move on. marry a non celeb and settle down and do something with those huge teats of yours-nurse a baby!
Shit–I’d rather see Mike Rowe do this show! Can we get a petition going? 😀
Solitary angel–yummy!! I’ll sign that petition!
I agree with bros. This girl’s time in the spotlight is over and done — but I suppose convincing her to bow out “gracefully” rather than continue to make a jackass of herself is far too much to ask.
Man, I use to like and root for Jessica. Now, I almost despise her. That’s sad for me. She makes it hard to like her now. She just isn’t very talented at all so really there is nothing there to keep in the limelight. Time for her quit the public sphere.
This woman needs an education. With no singing or acting jobs now would be a good time for her to go to school. Perhaps then she could get a clue about life and quit being so ignorant.
I agree. I’ve seen one or two episodes and she and her costars seem to treat the entire show like one big joke. Even if you are doing something unfamiliar like eating insects, you don’t have to giggle your way through it like an imbecile.
I’ve only seen bits and pieces of the show, but was not at all impressed. It all just seemed frivolous – which is fine, unless you try to pass it off as something else.
I totally agree that if done by the right people, a show looking at the different cultural ideas of beauty around the world could be fascinating. This show…not so much.
Totally agree with those who said it was a good concept gone wrong.
When I first heard about this show, I really thought it sounded interesting. But it was mainly about Jessica’s endless amazement at things most of us already know. “Wow, there are cultures where being pale/fat/long-necked is considered PRETTIER? Astounding!”