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Has 'The Hills' Gone Downhill?
October 06, 2008 10:41 AM
Something seems wrong about "The Hills."
This wasn't always the case. There was a time, about two seasons ago, when it was believable that Lauren Conrad and her coterie of cuties really were bumbling around Los Angeles in search of good girlfriends, better boyfriends, the perfect parties and the hottest handbags.
Their jobs and internships at Teen Vogue, Epic Records and Bolthouse PR seemed slightly trivial, considering their fledgling reality TV careers, but the Kool-Aid was palatable enough that it was possible to drink in each 22-minute dose of drama and think that maybe, just maybe, if MTV's cameras and crew disappeared, these girls and boys would still lead the exact same lives. They weren't household names; "The Hills" hadn't reached critical mass.
No longer. Conrad and her fellow "Hills" compatriots -- Audrina Patridge, Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt and Whitney Port, among them -- are now, for better or for worse, bona fide celebrities. Their faces are on the covers of magazines. Their images litter blogs across the Internet. They attend so many events and walk so many red carpets, they've probably worn down multiple pairs of Christian Louboutins doing so. (Well, with the exception of Pratt. The recent stint he and Montag had moonlighting at a Taco Bell drive-thru window most likely didn't require designer stilettos.
But some say "The Hills" fails to chronicle this, very real, part of their life, turning the lens instead on comparatively menial happenings -- i.e. Conrad eliciting relationship advice from her personal trainer -- or situations that when compared to reality, don't quite make sense -- i.e. Montag's mom acting shocked upon finding out that her daughter and Pratt are living together. (No less than a dozen blogs follow every last move Montag makes -- could it really be that her mom doesn't read any of them?) Both were highlights of last Monday's episode.
It's not reality TV -- critics have noted instances of producers forcing scenes and situations instead of letting them play out on their own. In fact, it seems wholly removed from reality. At a time of political and economic turmoil, "The Hills" makes no mention of voting or curbing shopping sprees, despite the fact that its stars have voiced their political affiliations in interviews outside the show.
Why doesn't MTV doesn't focus on the reality of these burgeoning stars' lives? Watching Conrad tear up over something Perez Hilton drew on her face or wring her hands before her high-profile gig presenting at last month's Emmys would be far more interesting than watching her wonder if she, Patridge and her high school BFF will ever get along as roomies, considering she probably banks enough from her clothing line and appearance fees that if the show didn't exist, she could ditch them both and buy her own mansion in the Hollywood hills.
Maybe the Kool-Aid had a shelf-life. Maybe a little less artificial flavoring could fix it. Either way, right now, to many viewers it's patently unpalatable.
Sheila Marikar
October 6, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (10)
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DOW down 500 points so go my 401K. I am highly disaapointed at McPalin..
Posted by: james | Oct 6, 2008 10:52:32 AM
Does anyone else find the title of this article really confusing?
Posted by: Madi! | Oct 6, 2008 11:09:28 AM
Someone needs to find a new proof-reader.
Posted by: Jessica | Oct 6, 2008 11:16:48 AM
People actually watch this show of narcissistic 20 somethings....
Posted by: Terri | Oct 6, 2008 11:52:45 AM
The reason we aren't seeing anything featured on 'The Hills' regarding the election, or Lauren at the Emmys, is because this season was filmed quite awhile ago. It's not live television. Maybe next season will show these issues, but when this season was filmed none of this was happening yet.
Posted by: Megan | Oct 6, 2008 12:20:25 PM
This is a top headline on a major news outlet? Come on people, reality TV doesnt exist!!! Most of these people are PAID ACTORS!!! Thats the MTV secret!!! Its not real, it never has been it never will be. MTV secures the jobs, the clothes, the cars, pays the rent, pays for the expensive dinners, pays the bar bills, rents the cool cars, and it some cases pays the people. The situations are made up. Stop being so gullible.
Posted by: Scott | Oct 6, 2008 12:47:33 PM
And why is this listed on the front page of abcnews.com? I guess all is well in this country and it must be a slow news day. Very disappointed in abcnews.
Posted by: trump | Oct 6, 2008 1:39:29 PM
Yet, here you are all reading it. If you are so annoyed that this is the news, then DON"T READ IT!
Posted by: Me | Oct 6, 2008 2:13:40 PM
I only watched the show a few times after it became The Hills (I watched almost all of Laguna Beach) only because it was so stupid. Why does anyone care about these people? THe episodes are so fake!!! These people need to get a life, a real life.
Posted by: Lori | Oct 6, 2008 3:49:24 PM
I can't believe all the people that waste their time watching reality TV. It is NOT "reality". Reality is getting up and going to a dead-end job you can't stand in order to pay the bills, wiping a child's snotty nose and cleaning up their puke. If these so-called "actors" had to do any of these things they would not be able to handle it.
Posted by: Denise | Oct 7, 2008 12:44:49 PM
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