Thankfully, I never sat down and purposefully watched an entire episode of Jessica Simpson’s The Price of Beauty. I could tell from the advance clips that it was going to be dumb, and then CB confirmed it for me when she reviewed the show’s premiere episodes, quoting a critic by saying that Jessica and her friends exemplified the vapid “ugly American” stereotype. In Jessica’s defense, I do think her heart was in the right place most of the time – as evidenced by her remark that her show was like “missionary work.” Ugh. Yes, she’s dumb, and it’s no longer, “Oh, she’s so cute and dumb, she thinks buffalos have wings.” Now it’s “Jessica needs to shut her mouth because she damages whatever little affection anyone has of her by saying such God-awful stupid things.” Basically, “dumb and cute” has a shelf life.
So anyway, The Price of Beauty was not the reality show hit that VH1 hoped it would be. But instead of cancelling it outright, VH1 is going to “retool” it. Meaning Jessica and her friends will no longer travel around, insulting other cultures with their stupidity. Now they’ll be doing makeovers. Eh… it could work. But the best part of the VH1’s spokesperson’s statement was the absolutely brilliant, post-modern, epically fantastic use of the “etc”. Wait for it:
Jessica Simpson’s The Price of Beauty “is being retooled” for its second season, a source tells UsMagazine.com.
The show — which earned just 1 million viewers for its March premiere — may now focus more on Simpson giving people makeovers, as she did in the finale episode, instead of traveling the world with her pals and saying wacky things.
“VH1 is in talks with Jessica for a series on beauty and image,” a source close to the project tells Us.
A VH1 spokesperson tells Us, “We are here to stay with Jessica and are committed to this journey and this message with her about women, self image, etc… all through Jessica’s totally unique and unfiltered lens. We are really excited about the next step, which we will announce soon and will air on VH1 in 2011.”
Simpson, 29, has said she found her life’s calling while traveling the world for four months taping the show.
“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 last month. “But… to be able to sit with my dad and [create] Price of Beauty… It’s similar to missionary work. It was what I was called to do and called to be.”
[From Us Weekly]
“…This message with her about women, self image, etc…” This was an official statement! Haha, it’s like the dude (and you know it’s a dude) was saying “We’re committed to making a show with Jessica Simpson, sure it could be about ‘empowerment’ or whatever, but we’re angling for more boob and ass shots and maybe putting her together with Bret Michaels, like a Rock of Love-meets-Charlie’s-Angel thing. ET CETERA.” I bet Papa Joe would go for it.
Header: Jessica Simpson on May 6, 2010. Credit: WENN.
I like Jesse, I think she’s just absolutely gorgeous in whatever weight she’s sporting. Granted, she’s not a rocket scientist but who cares. Her shoes, now they need to go. I hate that whole romanesque fashion line. Bleech. And here sisters shoes? Since when did it become fashion for the regular girl to wear fuckme shoes off the stripper pole? Tacky.
You know, she seems like a nice enough person, for the dimmest bulb in the fixture. With decent styling and decent management, I bet should could be relatively entertaining on the small screen. Notice all the qualifiers. She needs to lose the creepy dad, the fashion disasters, the passive-agressive stylist etc. Her weight doesn’t matter or wouldn’t if she’s actually got good advice.
I dont think JS can actually create anything to ’empower women ‘. She woulndt be able to convey messages with potential to change women intellectualy or emotionaly. What message a transformation show, presented by her, could send to empower women? I can only think of “it doesnt matter if you are dumb, not talented, a complete mess, you just need to look good, and it’s okay.’ Still, JS cant even manage to present herself decently dressed for her own figure….
Continued exploitation of Jessica Simpson as a commodity for entertainment yields such dreck and waste of resources as to be ridiculous. I do not watch VH1 programming, nor would I touch it even wearing a HAZMAT suit. Their statement about her merits, and their commitment to her as if she were Christiane Amanpour goes to show how little they want to try for quality and how obvious their reach is for the lowest common denominator. This exemplifies all that is wrong with programming and TV development today; sex things up, go for the vapid laugh, catch the embarrassing moment, stage the op and hope something interesting happens and slap it on the air. Then rake in the dough as quick as you can, until the viewing public grows tire of the charade and slothily shifts their myopic focus to something else.
This is all so “Idiocracy” in the making.
Someone who farts in business meetings and doesn’t brush her teeth is going to give makeovers?
Seriously I’ve owned hammers smarter than this girl.
The “etc.” is classic.
Way to pick up on subtleties missed by other celeb bloggers Kaiser. Bravo!
I was surprised when so many people applauded her breaking wind at a business meeting and chastised her mother for taking offense. Maybe ma’s timing was off, but if JS has any hopes of shaking off her ‘professional idiot’ status, she might want to smarten up (as if anyone could be able to take that walking miasma seriously). I don’t hate her, but cat’s ass, isn’t she entering her thirties? People don’t even talk about Malibu Stacey anymore. This anodyne crap is why so many people aren’t exactly flocking to her side with yet another order of ‘there, there, dum-dum’.
here’s the thing i noticed over the past week. vanessa minnillo was in shape or self mag looking absolutely fabulous doing a little workout segment. the very next day j simp is tweeting about her new diet. hmmm.
vm also has that ‘beauty’ show as well which she’s hosting for a second season…go figure…since imo it’s really lame. but it is on a major network.
y do i care…i don’t. y am i even bringing this up…idk. lol. just an observation.
No matter what she says, Jessica’s weight will always be an issue to her. For her to try and convey the idea that she is happy with her current weight is ridiculous in light of the fact that she is also ‘dieting’. And this has been how it’s been and probably will stay the same until she turns into either Kirstie Alley or Nicole Richie, (pre-babies)…
she needs to stand up straight, stop shrugging the shoulders, and own her body!
Let’s read between the lines…
““VH1 is in talks with Jessica for a series on beauty and image,” a source close to the project tells Us.”
The source is Joe and the “talks” are Joe begging VH1, who has refused another season of Price Of Beauty, to consider another, less expensive (no travel expenses) reality show with Jessica giving makeovers.
“A VH1 spokesperson tells Us, “We are here to stay with Jessica and are committed to this journey and this message with her about women, self image, etc…. We are really excited about the next step, which we will announce soon and will air on VH1 in 2011.””
This is a Joe quote again. In his mind, being a producer of the unpopular VH1 program, The Price Of Beauty, qualifies him to speak on their behalf as a “spokesperson”. There is nobody more committed to Jessica than Joe Simpson, producer of VH1’s failed Price Of Beauty. If the bigwigs at VH1 are so committed to Jessica, don’t you think the least they could do, as a sign of that commitment, would be to give their names for a quote?
The real story is VH1 said “no” to season two for Price Of Beauty and Joe pitched them another cheaper reality show and is waiting to hear back.
Oh Please! this is just ANOTHER one of her desperate attempts to stay in the spotlight.
Nick was the BEST thing to ever happen to her and now Karma has been rearing it’s ugly head for the past 5 years.
Jessica might as well marry her father since she is SO damn committed to him and he’s the only guy that has the hots for her.
Whatever Daddy says, she does.
She’s never going to grow up and act like an adult unless she kicks Daddy out of her professional and private life. (Which I don’t see anytime soon).
She’s pathetic for a 30 year old woman.
If she wants to be taken seriously, she needs to knock off using her body as her marketing tool. She’s ending up like Marilyn Monroe, wondering why she isn’t taken seriously, but doesn’t act like an adult.
In France MTV is beginning to show this show. It has been renamed “Jessica découvre le monde”, Jessica discovers the world…