The Honey-Boo-Boo-Effect

Howdy Y'All!

As you may know, I first got my start in this ever-interesting world of Reality Television in November 2005 when I was involved with a little-watched show on Bravo called, "Party/Party".  I helped with casting the episode and ended up being on-screen talent when the mom who was to be featured with her daughter and family ended up being such an enormous flake that she never wanted to film - putting the production crew in a real pickle because the story line was quickly falling apart without enough footage.

Before I participated, first hand, in Unscripted Television (UT), I genuinely believed that a camera crew followed around the subject all hours of the day, hoping that something interesting happened.  Uh, Yeah - little secret here - that's not exactly how television magic is made.  I quickly learned that Reality Television (or Unscripted Television as I believe is more appropriate) is as dependent on over-the-top personalities as it is on a good show concept and strong film crew.  It didn't take long for me to grow a true appreciation for the craft and art that has saturated the networks and for which I help create and cast oodles of characters.

This morning I was listening to National Public Radio, the radio station of choice when dropping the brats to school each day.  Television reviewer, Eric Deggans, was lamenting about the cancellation of Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Network.  Dirty Jobs, he argued, was a celebration of the American Worker and had a positive slant toward the featured characters, however dirty their jobs may have been.  The commentator continued with his analogy of WHY Mike Rowe now finds himself searching for a new job - because Discovery Network, who also owns TLC, has chosen instead to run programming where the viewer is laughing AT the characters on a show.  He called it, The Honey-Boo-Boo-fication of Reality Television.  Where we, the viewer, are laughing at some huge inside joke of which the characters on the show are completely unaware.  His tone and verbiage insinuated this "new" trend in UT was similar to the "Dumbing Down of American" analogy from years gone by.  I disagree.

As I tell all my clients who are interested in pursuing careers or experiences in the UT genre,
"Boring People Need Not Apply".  As is the case with everything in the universe, the more accustomed we become to standard programming, the harder the creators need to work to keep our attention - to differentiate themselves from the other programming and make us tune in to their show, rather than the plethora of other options available.  So, the longer we are enraptured by UT, the programs and characters become progressively more and more outrageous, just to keep us entertained and guessing.  I contend that this is not an effect of Honey Boo Boo, but a natural progression of television programming. 

On a Macro Scale, you can assimilate my theory to programming from the 50's to present.  Though The Honeymooners was controversial and groundbreaking for it's time, it is not even in the same league as today's hit sitcoms which include Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory.  See, even scripted television has become progressively more lurid in an effort to maintain our attention.  Conversely, on a micro level, look at the progression of the hit Unscripted TLC show, Toddlers and Tiaras to prove my theory.  The first season of the show was a relatively tame documentation of the Child Beauty Pageant industry.  Compare that to the very same show just three years later - and you will see the necessary progression of outrageous characters and high drama situations.  This is an absolute necessity to keep viewers tuning in, week after week, even though the show concept never changes.  There are always three contestants being featured, they are always going to a glitz pageant and they always follow the contestant from "preparation" to "crowning". What makes T&T intriguing, week after torrid week, is the progressively crazier moms whose antics have become more and more outrageous, all in the quest to score more camera time than the other moms and children being featured that week.  And you know what - I'M COOL WITH THAT!  So Wendy Dickey dressed three year old Paisley as "The Hooker with a Heart of Gold" for a pageant being filmed for Toddlers and Tiaras.  ROCK ON WENDY, I say! Wendy has since built a mini-empire around that one appearance - an appearance, I may add, that was NOT even a FEATURED spot on the show that week.  She just happened to steal all the spotlight with her stunt - and she has reaped a ton of media attention and has HUGE Unscripted Television opportunities in her near future to reward her forward thinking. 

The same goes for Fran Gonzalez.  Fran and I spent hours discussing her Unscripted Television Persona before her first featured appearance on Toddlers and Tiaras.  I mentored the Brash Hispanic woman to "Rosie Perez It Out" - just as Fran's naturally abrasive personality dictated.  It wasn't long after Fran and Dianely's episode aired that other UT opportunities began to present themselves.  We traveled to Australia together, appeared on Eden's World as on-screen talent and she now has even more UT opportunities coming up.  This is all because Fran EMBRACED HER CRAZY - she took my advice and learned what is needed to make entertaining television!

So, in opposition to the naysayers of the world who are Poo-Pooing "The Honey Boo Boo Effect" - I say ROCK ON JUNE, ALANA AND THE REST OF YOUR HILLBILLY CLAN!  Not only are these characters a NATURAL PROGRESSION of what is required to keep us short-attention-span Americans entertained, they are laughing all the way to the bank!  Sure, front-end monetary gain of Reality Television stars is not huge, but that Red Neck Family has worked their way into the lexicon of  NPR Commentators and Bloggers/Mentors like me - and that is no small feat!

So, if you aspire to be a future client of mine, here is a valuable (FREE) tip, should you plan to pursue jobs in Unscripted Television - EMBRACE THE CRAZY!  If you are a little off your rocker; a little "touched" or nutty, you will feel right at home in our insane little world.  And if you are willing to embrace the fact that you are a wack-a-doo, you will be more successful and have far more opportunities in Unscripted Television.  Don't be one of those fruit loops who gets pissed because of a lousy review of your appearance and tries to retaliate by suing the media outlets who wrote the stories (this has actually happened).   

Remember, opportunities to work with me abound.  Staying abreast of the latest casting calls (scripted and unscripted) and opportunities to work with me is as easy as signing up for my free e-newsletter at www.RyanTalent.com/Newsletter.html.  If you are ready to start working with me more closely,  become a member of my Success Club at www.RyanTalent.com/SuccessClub.html.  OR, work with me on a MUCH more personal level through my trademark D.A.N.C.E. program at www.RyanTalent.com/DANCE.html.  Regardless of the path you choose, I look forward to helping you reach your goals in this fun and exciting industry!

Until next time - EMBRACE YOUR CRAZY - and rock on!

Heather Ryan
The Ultimate Talent Mentor
www.RyanTalent.com