Good God I Love Rachel Zoe

You may have caught me raving about The Rachel Zoe Project last year. One of my favourite reality shows in AGES both seasons delivered plenty of fun and frolics not least when Rachel "ohmygodithinki'mgonnadielookingathisversacedress" Zoe hit up Paris Fashion Week and schmoozed with designers aplenty.

The new series returns to US TV next week, minus mouthy but amazing assistant Tay but still sure to be a big bag of laughs. And with that news comes this amazing video spoof featuring comedian Amy Philips and her spot on Rachel Zoe impression coming face to face with the real life Rachel Zoe. This video is gas. I love how in on the joke Rachel is:

I hope the forthcoming season is an entertaing as this although as reality spoof go Ms. Kathy Griffin certainly outdid them all with her take on The Hills with Lauren Conrad:

Now somebody needs to put Lauren Conrad and Rachel Zoe together on screen for my life to be complete. It's the little things you know?

The Hills Final Season: The Trailer to End All Trailers ( With The City for Extra Fun)

We've already touched on the end of The Hills here. Sob sob sob etc. And the trailer for the final season has been knocking around the web for the last few weeks. But that isn't going to stop me posting it here. Excitement overload:

The montage of the best bits is great. Although it makes you wish that they just let the whole thing die when Lauren left. But we've already done that dance so let's move on. This trailer is great stuff and also hints at a radical departure for the show in terms of referencing the lives of the people on the show. Heidi's surgery was far too public to not bring up on the show, Kristin's "drug problem" which was in the press recently (Which I'm willing to wager was a planted story) and the crazed qualities at one Spencer Pratt have all been all over the tabloids in the last few months. Sounds like the producers want to amp up the last vestiges of drama before the whole thing comes to a close.


Also, can we all just agree that Stephanie Pratt making ANY comments or acting surprised about plastic surgery when she herself has had more than a few changes of face in the last year. Just saying!


As a sidebar, the trailer for the next season of the City is just as good:

The bit where Erin and Kelly Cutrone sit down and chat is so mindblowing that I think my face melted a bit the first time I saw it. Wouldn't it be great if all TV shows were just trailers? The world would be a better place.

STOP EVERYTHING: The Hills Has Been Axed

Oh. My. Word. The Hills has been officially cancelled.

I'm sure it's no secret of my love for MTV's reality hit The Hills. I've been a fan of it's compelling mix of "drama", beautiful people, gorgeous photography and crow barring of numerous popular songs into one episode for awhile now and I was a bit sad to hear this week that the show had been axed.


If I'm being honest, as discussed here before, the show had peaked in terms of what it tried to do and the attempt at rebooting the show with Kristin Cavallari last season clearly didn't work the way the producers had hoped.




Ideally when Lauren left last year that would have been it. It felt like a nice way to wrap what the show had done as opposed to the jump the shark antics of Speidi and their new cute kid next door neighbour (you know your show is in the shit when a cute kid comes in. Fact.) and assorted Audrina "drama" that never got off the ground.


Still with the end of The Hills comes a conclusion to a show that did something a bit different with the reality TV genre. As a spin off of Laguna Beach, the format itself wasn't new but what worked with The Hills was how it honed the "reality filmed as a TV drama" aesthetic into something beautiful to look at. The show also perfected the ability to use the broad strokes of established drama cliches (the best friend, the villain, the harsh boss etc) to paint a vivid picture of the lives of some stupidly privileged blondes. There's been spin offs from the show directly and in various international markets and not to mention spoofs aplenty.

Love it or loathe it The Hills became a genuine pop culture phenomenon. Playing off our ever more intense love for pointless celebrities (the great legacy of reality) and glossy attention deficit TV, it was another reminder of MTV's knack for pulling the right show out at the right time and their ability to keep their paws in their coveted youth audience.


The interesting thing was seeing how the show negotiated becoming a pop culture hit and the cast became famous outside of the show. The peak of this was Season 3 when a real life sex tape rumour became the basis for the now infamous Heidi/Lauren feud. The attempt to keep the burgeoning celebrity lifestyles of Audrina et al out of the show was interesting not least for how it made the show seem more and more ludicrous as time went on.


From what I've read on the next season, it sounds like they might attempt to bring these elements into the show, which could make for an interesting watch. Like many a hit US show, this was allowed run that little bit too long but I'll still have some fantastic TV memories and I'm sure Heidi Montag is only delighted someone was willing to pay her to pretend to eat lunch in order to get a new face.


RIP The Hills. May you live a legacy of blondes, "drama" and quasi celebrity careers in your wake.

Uncomfortable Viewing Alert: Heidi Montag Laughs At Herself

Well this isn't the first time Miss Heidi Montag has appeared on this blog. But with her recent plastic surgery transformation and car crash lifestyle it's hard not too be sucked into the trainwreck whirlpool that is Planet Montag.

As is now customary for many famous folk to prove their normality to the masses Heidi has done a video for Funny Or Die, the infamous comedy site home to numerous spoofs and viral video hits. From Lindsay Lohan to Denise Richards, plenty of famous ladies have made fun of their image in an effort to seem self aware and in on the joke.

Heidi's video is no exception. It's actually quite funny and it's nice to see all those years of awful acting on The Hills haven't dulled Heidi's comic timing. But my god how frightening is her face? She's not far off Jocelyn Wildenstein at this stage. And Spencer looks radically slimmed down too (apparently he's been taken off The Hills temporarily after intimidating a member of the crew. Jaysus.)

Interestingly the video has a bit of a "point" aimed at setting up a consumer agency in the US to help those facing large bills/debt in the current economic climate.

Which is all very well but when Heidi constantly looks like she's about to fall over because of her new boobs and joking that her face doesn't move (is she even joking?) it's hard to pay attention. Still this is an enjoyable video and certainly less upsetting then Lindsay Lohan's one last year.

Although if this is what Heidi Version 3.0 looks like on camera, I can't wait to see how they address that on the new season of The Hills.

Heidi Montag Says No to Plastic from Heidi Montag

Heidi Montag: Yoga Disciple and Gift to Paparazzi Everywhere

At this stage I'm sure I've exhausted everybody's patience for talking about Hills related matters. And I honestly feel like I shouldn't be paying Heidi Montag any more attention then she is due. But holy balls.. this video of her doing yoga for staged paparazzi photos is unbelievable. The video and photos can be seen at The Superficial, a really great gossip blog here. And below is the video in question. Brace yourselves for this one:





I'm aware that there is room for some searing analysis here where you point out how years of playing pretend with her own life for a "reality TV show" have warped Heidi's own perception of herself and made her a mass media product. Spending her life tied to a constructed reality has meant in an attempt to construct her own she has become the embodiment of a media cliche that everyone feels they have to live up to but nobody really wants to be.


But all I can think as somebody who has just started doing yoga  that isn't a bit wierd that her instructor doesn't talk to her at all? And also point out that I'm quite glad I never had breast implants as it clearly doesn't help your downward dog (that's a yoga pose, you dirtbirds). In fact it probably throws off your balance. By the way I do my classes here, I would recommend it! Although I don't have photographers at my classes. Yet.

Also what would happen if Kelly Cutrone worked with Heidi Montag? Would Kelly have to go outside to cry? Or would she be able to given how immobile her face is? Did they just immobilise her tear ducts aswell?


So. Many. Questions.

Amazing Book Alert: Kelly Cutrone Becomes An Author

I'm quite delighted that I can write about Kelly Cutrone twice within the space of a week. While I was out the other night a rather excited Eimear (of The Miseducation, one of my favourite blogs) informed that she'd pre-ordered a copy of Kelly's book. This was news to me so today I had to dig around a bit more. It was actually announced in March of last year (see here and here) and sounds quite exciting. "A real girl's guide to the real fucking world" apparently. Brilliant.


To be honest I was sold on that much and then I saw the title and the front cover. Then... I was truly sold:

I love it all. That title! THAT TITLE! "If you have to cry, go outside" is my new catchphrase. And yes my mother never told me that. Thanks for nothing mom. I love the uber airbrushed cover picture that is equal parts sligthly scary headmistress, big sister and ball busting PR maven. Amazing times one billion.

I cannot wait to read this. Either by stealing Eimear's copy (I'm sorry, I meant borrow) or you know forking out for a copy myself.

You can order a copy here. And may this first post of a literary nature lead to many more insightful book posts on Pop Culture Platinum. You know, should Lindsay Lohan release a book or something. 

That's all readers.

IF YOU HAVE TO CRY, GO OUTSIDE.

Oh, I think that is definitely going to catch on.

Heidi Montag & Kelly Cutrone : Life on either side of "The Hills"

So at this stage we all know Miss Heidi Montag has had way too much plastic surgery. It was pretty hard to escape that rather scary People magazine cover and even creepier TV interviews last week. The Hills star seemed insistent that her work was done to make her happy and help her pop career and not because she was addicted. What was scary was as creepy as the overly airbrushed People cover was, the interviews on TV were even worse. Her face is still obviously slightly in shock from the procedures and she has managed to both age herself and remove the expression completely from her face. Frightening:





Getting less attention this week was Heidi's sometimes co-star on The Hills Kelly Cutrone. She may not have shared any screen time with Heidi but Kelly was as big a part of the show (when it wasn't AWFUL) when she happily tore lazy L.A. girls apart for their lack of work ethic. Having happily moved her antics to the far superior Hills spin off The City, Kelly has finally landed a show of her Kell On Earth. It'll air on US station Bravo next month. Already home of Kathy Griffin, various Real Housewives and the Rachel Zoe I think Miss Cutrone is in excellent company. Kelly was doing press for the show, and one of my favourite blogs Jezebel linked readers to the highlights of her press conference. It's interesting, funny and a great teaser for the show and a reminder of why Cutrone is such a breath of fresh air. A quick dig around Jezebel also pulls up this great profile which sketches in her background as publicist which is fascinating reading.


It's funny how someone like Heidi is convinced that being this plastic will benefit her career. But then you see someone like Kelly. Someone with a genuinely interesting backstory and a career on her own terms who didn't have to alter her face to an ridiculous extent to get there.


Admittedly these aren't totally accurate comparisons. Heidi was a famous girl's friend who aspired to be a popstar. And Kelly clearly stumbled into a career she was made for in a place where how blonde or big her boobs where didn't matter. But still, it's interesting how The Hills has thrown up such different women going on two different paths in the pop culture mainstream.


In a sense the level of outrage, shock and general sense that this does not look good on Heidi might spur people to move away from ever seeing this a look that suits somebody. Having said that, as Heidi points out, life in the permanently perfectly world of Hollywood is very different to anywhere else in the world.


And while we're here, Kell on Earth looks like an awful lot of fun:

Six Pack: Six Great TV Shows This Decade

I really get freaked out by top ten lists as much as I love reading them. I always get an inferiority complex about all the amazing stuff I haven't consumed. But I had to throw my hat into the ring somehow. And given my strange obsession with the Six Pack idea here on Pop Culture Platinum it seemed fitting to do some kind of list. But I got freaked out about writing about music because I just didn't know where to start, so.... instead we have six of my TV faves of this decade. By no means definitive and certainly missing a few things but a bit of fun nonetheless

Without further ado:

30 Rock: Plenty of great sitcoms this decade as the traditional styles of Friends and Will and Grace that were so popular made way for less of a reliance on canned laughter and traditional camera set ups. This gave us The Office (UK & US), Curb Your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development and many more. But 30 Rock is my personal favourite. A genuinely brilliant ensemble cast and a fantastic lead performance from Tina Fey backed up with whipsmart pop culture references and a fine mix of one liners and surreal moments it is an endlessly rewarding watch. And it is always hard to argue with The Muffin Top Song.

Mad Men: I had to have one "proper", "serious" drama on this list! And it might as well be this. In a decade were serious character driven drama won awards and audiences (you can thank DVD boxsets for that) from the big daddy The Sopranos to the most name dropped series of the decade, The Wire there is no shortage of innovative dramas that demand your time. Mad Men is my pick of the bunch. The period detail is sublime and the world of Sterling Cooper is brilliantly drawn. Throw in the complex, multi layered character of Don Draper and the lovely, lovely Joan and you have a show that has truly earned all of the praise heaped upon it.

Gilmore Girls : One of the most underrated shows of this decade. A genuinely sweet but still sharp comedy drama that brought a small town to life with an ease other comedies would kill for, the real ace in the hole for this series was the dream team of Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. A too good to be true pairing they may have been (who talks like that with their mother? Nobody) but they brought the sparkling and oh-so-fast scripting to life with style. Put aside any preconceptions you may have about a family drama set in a small town and dig in, Gilmore Girls is one of the most tightly scripted TV shows you'll ever see.

The Hills: There had to be one reality show here. In a decade when a new genre of TV was born The Hills brought gloss, glamour and lots and lots of blank stares to our screens. Compulsive and beautifully shot The Hills may appear to be about very little but that is part of its charm. One of the few shows looking at 20 something life and connecting with our new found celebrity culture it really is no surprise this show struck such a nerve. Whether Team Heidi or Team Lauren of just Team I Really Should Not Be Watching This, The Hills was the reality show to beat this decade.

The O.C.  It may now be a bit of a TV relic but it would be a shame to dismiss the quality of the show when it got things right. The O.C. gave teen drama a warmth, humour and knowing quality that was very of the decade. Happy to engage with a passionate online fanbase and as comfortable with comedy as it was drama The O.C. is every bit a teen classic as My So Called Life or Buffy (in its own in joke heavy, overly soundtracked way) and the TV show that made using "hot new bands" acceptable as way of scoring a show (we're looking at you Grey's Anatomy).

Veronica Mars: One of my favourite shows EVER and one that I will consistently rave about if given half the chance. A sharp, witty, moving, noirish, addictive thrill ride and one that will hook in the most cynical of viewers. The first season is a masterclass in how to build a mystery over a season of TV while still have plenty of time for one liners, relationship drama and father-daughter bonding. This should have so much bigger than it was. You owe it to yourself to check it out. Not least for the lead Kristen Bell who is several shades of amazing. She should become a huge film star, like many a great TV actress, but whether she does or not she will always have her winning performance in this to fall back on.


Some honourable mentions (that didn't qualify for date reasons or they didn't jump out at me at first, which is part of the qualification for this spur of the moment list) : Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Alias, Sex and the City, Undeclared, The Rachel Zoe Project, The City, America's Next Top Model, Life As We Know It, The Simple Life, Chelsea Lately, My Life On The D-List, The Dead Zone, Firefly, Dead Like Me,  Gossip Girl, Samantha Who?, The Osbournes, (this is an awfully trashy list is it not?)

LA to NY or Why The City is trouncing The Hills

As a true marker of how intellectual I am my very first entry on this blog was about The Hills and the departure of Miss Lauren Conrad. You can't buy blogging class like that you can just hope to read it. Ahem.

Anyway it seems timely now to check in with The Hills now that its Lauren-less and paired with its spin off sibling The City on MTV here and Stateside. Putting the two shows together is obviously a triumph of scheduling for both MTV and for us reality drama nutjobs. But its also a neat reminder of how The Hills is becoming harder and harder to watch and The City is finally finding its feet as pacy, juicy and fun reality TV.

So why doesn't this new look Hills work? There a couple of reasons. Reason number one is the lack of focus. Kristin Cavallari, bad girl and firecracker, is back but its not really clear why. She doesn't want to be friends with the other girls (who are lost without Lauren to orbit pointlessly around) and she doesn't really want to be with Justin Bobby either. She is supposed to be the star but instead she cuts this rather lonely figure while the original cast gripe about her and have uninteresting drama all of their own.

Heidi and Spencer have now become even more cartoonish and ridiculous. Living in their ridiculous new house and talking about babies is all they do. If that wasn't bad enough they now a have a "cute kid" next door neighbour who regularly pops over. Anyone who knows their US telly will note that the cute kid is always always ALWAYS the death knell of a show. And you never quite shake the feel that Heidi is not only acting but acting badly in every scene. Honestly.

I also have severe problems with Stephanie Pratts new plastic surgery face (ridiculous), the inclusion of Stacey The Bartender (who is referred to as such in every scene) as a cast member and the amount of screen time given to Brody's girlfriend who obviously stumbled in from a Rock of Love audition and refuses to go away.

There are rumours that the show is up for the axe and with dwindling ratings and huge costs (Miss Cavallari is reportedly picking up a tidy sum for her "work" on the show) it wouldn't surprise me. Its a shame to see a once enjoyable piece of fluff become so dull but at least we have The City to look forward too.

So why does The City now work so well? The second season benefits from the lessons learned in the first. Less time spent on ridiculous supporting characters the audience have no relationship with and more time on Whitney and the pouty, bitchy but brilliantly entertaining Olivia. The addition of Roxy Olin, Whitney's childhood friend helps matters.

The show is now much more streamlined and fast paced. The episodes are split with Whitney and Roxy at work in People's Revolution where the fabulous Kelly Cutrone dishes advice and bitchy comments in equal measure. And then we follow Olivia as she workes (I use the term loosely) at Elle magazine and seems unphased by her complete lack of apitude at her job.

The focus on work and career is what made The Hills so interesting in the first place and its a forumla thats beens replicated with great success in this run of The City. More importantly it stills feels relatively off the cuff with things happening that look like they weren't planned (even if they were). And it looks gorgeous, the vibrant backdrop of New York providing a perfect setting for all that unfolds. This feels like a production that is being developed and honed and you can't help but feel that MTV are waiting for this to really kick into high gear and have it take over from The Hills sooner rather than later.

If this is a battle of the overly edited, heavily soundtracked faux reality shows then The City is coming out on top. And lets face Olivia is TV gold and shows Kristin how its done.

Audrina like totally loves Burgers

Well I'm glad that Audrina Patridge has taken time out of her busy schedule of being on The Hills and. . . not a lot else to make this burger advertisment.

I'm sorry I'm not sure what I find more difficult to comprehend. That Audrina would ever let herself eat a burger or that people would willingly pay for a *shudder* Terriyaki burger. "With pineapple!". Really? How undelicious.

This deserves a watch, props to her I suppose for having the balls to wear a gold bikini.

Saying Goodbye to Lauren Conrad

I'm not generally one for the watching of back to back US TV show episodes online. While I see the appeal of skipping the wait for a US show to get screened here (which sometimes takes forever, heres looking at you MTV and Channel 4) I am old fashioned and feel that the ritual of sittting down each week to give your half hour / hour up to a certain show is truly something to cherish.

But sometimes you can't help yourself.

I just watched episodes 8 and 9 of season 5 online, (i swore i'd watch week by week, i swore) and the final episode, a big double bill with Lauren Conrad making her exit from the show that made her a proper TV star. I'm really excited to see it. The Hills excels at big moments and you don't get much bigger than your main star leaving. Its a tricky one too. This is supposedly real life, Lauren is still going to be Lauren when she leaves the cameras behind, presumably she might still have contact with those on the show. Its a moment that could only happen on this show, part manufactured tension, part logisitical nightmare and part big moment, it set ups an interesting episode for Lauren to wave goodbye to the show that made her famous. (Or at least become a fashion designer /writer. The usual.)

So where did my obsession come from?

I've been a long time fan of The Hills, despite my initial, and quite accidental, developing of a habit for the show. ( I'm not even going to bother summing up The Hills because why bother but for those who really want a refresher or just a stroll down memory lane : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hills )

For whatever reason, despite having a fully fledged (I want to say crack habit at this point, because thats what it was like!) addiction to other reality trash on MTV like The Osbournes, Newlyweds (which I maintain was genuinely hilarious) and The Ashlee Simpson Show (*sigh*) I always comforted myself with the mantra of "At least you're not watching those really vapid fake teen reality drama shows, they are REALLY awful!" (I imagine this is what a crack addict says to themselves before they start becoming a full on meth head).

But for whatever reason, the idea of a reality show giving us a peek inside the world of Teen Vogue caught my attention. I'm assuming this has to do with my strange obsession with magazines in general and how they work as opposed to any brand loyalty I have with Teen Vogue but still. This show had a different premise (it seemed) and I was willing to give it a go. (I was also in second year of an Arts degree. So really, I wasn't EVER choosy about TV as long as it wasn't boring or worse again, sport).

But I found as soon as I started watching, the magazine stuff was interesting (oh Lisa Love and your stern editorial meetings, what a hoot) but it was the "drama" (admit it, you said "dram-ah" in a SoCal accent when you saw that word) that got me hooked. And the way it was shot. Seriously, this show, which was supposed to be "real", off the cuff, shooting stuff as it happened, looked and felt like some kind of extra glossy teen show. And when you've seen every episode of The O.C. you know what a glossy teen show looks like when you see it.

So The Hills became my addiction because it offered up so much in one bite sized TV chunk. The plot points of who did what to whom were always engrossing. The music offered up some great angsty pop gems and throwaway club jams with each episode (admit it, you've sashayed down the street to your ipod and pretended it was the opening sequence of a Hills scene. you have!) and it looked amazingly. So many times watching The Hills I have been struck by the sheer beauty of some of the shots. Seriously. The editing, the pace, this gave reality TV a cinematic, widescreen look that it was sorely missing. Obviously The Hills is a spin off and technically it was aping other shows but I feel like in terms of style, it really is the peak.

Also a show about the post college life of work/career/friends/relationships/independence hasn't really been down yet and to me that is a huge part of why this show has clicked with myself and so many others. Its fluff and pure fantasy but the basic idea, that next step that most teen dramas never explore gives The Hills an edge in a sense that other shows don't have.

That moment in the Season 5 trailer where Lauren says she doesn't know whats next feels pivotal. Thats the feeling, the first year out of college working in entry level jobs, digging for a career. You don't know whats next. The milestones of the next year of education, of graduation etc are gone. The Hills might not be real life but it tunes in to things in real life we don't usually talk about in most youth programming and for that it remains strangely unique.

And come lets face it, it is a perfect show to sit in front of and completely veg out. And that too is utterly appealing.

I suppose because Lauren is leaving the show, it feels like the end of it, despite MTV seeking to milk it when she's gone (I'd imagine The Hills is a cash cow not ready to be put up to slaughter). And given that I am soon to watch her last episode, it feels right to remember why this wierd reality/drama/soap/farce is one of my favourite shows because with Lauren gone the tone of the show will change dramatically.

I will keep watching, at least for awhile as I don't like to just stop following a show for no good reason but it only seems right that this rather normal, well to do Hollywood girl who has made a mint off of living her life on camera make me stop a second to think about why the show she lets her follow her around so much has me in its claws.

I just hope her final episode is good. There is nothing worse than a crappy TV send off. But I think I might wait to see this one on TV. We'll see.

In the mean time, amuse yourself with this badly edited and strangely creepy video of Lauren in her various opening credit moments of The Hills.