(no subject)
Okay, I am copying the text of a response to boywondermark's post about the new show Amish in the City. HERE
I just caught the replay of the pilot episode and was giving my amended feedback on the cast since my first impressions were from the pictures of them on the website.
Okay, props on Jonas...he is not only a lot better looking than that hideous picture would indicate, but he has a good mix of innocence and adventure, decency and edge, civility and hutzpah....he get's an A in my book.
My only problem, and its not with him as much as his strength as an Amish person for the purposes of the show, is that it would seem that he has already made up his mind about what path he is going to go down...while I say good for him, it makes him less interesting of a subject for the whole theme of the show for me. I am no longer invested in his experiences in the big city as I am in the other four, all of whom still seem to be making up their minds about what their life will look like.
I still think Mose is cute and he is definitely the person I would hang out with most as a person. Once he gets shaved down, a decent hair cut and something approaching clothing style (and you know its going to happen), and hopefully starts morning workouts with Kevan and Reece, he will be my top pick for someone I would show romantic interest in.
Randy....wow. Normally Im like, "be yourself." But when "yourself" sounds like Mike Tyson and has teeth like a nurse shark, then I say take advantage of being in the makeover celluloid capitol of the world and retool those features to catch up with the rest of your self-presentation! lol
Of the city dwellers in the house, the only two who know what being a decent human being even looks like are Kevan and Whitney. In fact, I think Whitney's experience in the house is more closely akin to that of the Amish than the other city folk. I really like her and feel a familiarity with her (because of all the sisters from south central I grew up around and still chill with today).
Kevan is obviously here to get some more exposure beyond the headshots he most certainly keeps in his car at all times "just in case" since he moved to L.A. (only a fool would believe the show found him in Vegas). But even so, he seems real and okay with himself and not quite spoiled by the L.A. vibe. He is going to rely and focus on his looks a lot, but he still knows how to be "good people".
Nick is my biggest dissapointment. From the pics and from his accent when he first came on, I thought he would be my main focus....but that boy needs to A)seriously be put on ridillin or some other stabilizer, and B)learn that certain types of rude street speech are reserved for you and your closest friends from around the way, not for mixed company.
Ariel would be totally cool except for the fact that she has this unreasonable expectation that others should cater to an extreme viewpoint/lifestyle she holds. Its cool to be a Vegan, but come on don't act surprised and revolted when 10 strangers don't immediately "see the light" when you start preaching Vegan to them.
Meagan is a girl I would be nice to but couldn't handle being around due to a mixture of pity and revulsion at her whole persona. If Kevan actually falls for her, it will be a huge slight on his depth and maturity as a human being (I think he will end up taking an interest in Miriam).
And finally, Reece...wow. Why do they always make the token gay guy on these shows have SO MANY FUCKING ISSUES???!! He has got a sweet and a vulnerable side that is just dying to come out, but he has so much pain and has built up such a wall against feeling rejected that he is utterly substanceless. And when he picks a fight with Kevan, its like I can hear my third grade teacher telling me, "Ty, when a girl is mean to you it means she likes you, so don't worry about it".
The thing is, there are some good qualities in Kevan that would make him an attractive mate, but all Reece can see is the surface looks. Too bad, because if Reece actually opened up and just tried to be real with Kevan, while he wouldn't score any action, he might end up connecting with him on an extremely satisfying level that many of us gay guys yearn for (but often mistake for sexual desire).
As far as being queeny, that doesn't bother me about Reece. In that sense, I am all for him empowering himself by embracing a femine quality that he probably couldn't really escape fully if he wanted to. It can be a bit over the top, I admit, but again I think that is more a function of the huge protective walls he has thrown up.
In the end, the drama that the producers of the show no doubt counted on when they cast these particular people is not at all what is going to keep me interested. On the contrary, it will be the very real journey that Mose, Ruth and Miriam (and to a lesser extent Randy and Jonas) take within themselves during this very important rite of passage in their lives.
I just caught the replay of the pilot episode and was giving my amended feedback on the cast since my first impressions were from the pictures of them on the website.
Okay, props on Jonas...he is not only a lot better looking than that hideous picture would indicate, but he has a good mix of innocence and adventure, decency and edge, civility and hutzpah....he get's an A in my book.
My only problem, and its not with him as much as his strength as an Amish person for the purposes of the show, is that it would seem that he has already made up his mind about what path he is going to go down...while I say good for him, it makes him less interesting of a subject for the whole theme of the show for me. I am no longer invested in his experiences in the big city as I am in the other four, all of whom still seem to be making up their minds about what their life will look like.
I still think Mose is cute and he is definitely the person I would hang out with most as a person. Once he gets shaved down, a decent hair cut and something approaching clothing style (and you know its going to happen), and hopefully starts morning workouts with Kevan and Reece, he will be my top pick for someone I would show romantic interest in.
Randy....wow. Normally Im like, "be yourself." But when "yourself" sounds like Mike Tyson and has teeth like a nurse shark, then I say take advantage of being in the makeover celluloid capitol of the world and retool those features to catch up with the rest of your self-presentation! lol
Of the city dwellers in the house, the only two who know what being a decent human being even looks like are Kevan and Whitney. In fact, I think Whitney's experience in the house is more closely akin to that of the Amish than the other city folk. I really like her and feel a familiarity with her (because of all the sisters from south central I grew up around and still chill with today).
Kevan is obviously here to get some more exposure beyond the headshots he most certainly keeps in his car at all times "just in case" since he moved to L.A. (only a fool would believe the show found him in Vegas). But even so, he seems real and okay with himself and not quite spoiled by the L.A. vibe. He is going to rely and focus on his looks a lot, but he still knows how to be "good people".
Nick is my biggest dissapointment. From the pics and from his accent when he first came on, I thought he would be my main focus....but that boy needs to A)seriously be put on ridillin or some other stabilizer, and B)learn that certain types of rude street speech are reserved for you and your closest friends from around the way, not for mixed company.
Ariel would be totally cool except for the fact that she has this unreasonable expectation that others should cater to an extreme viewpoint/lifestyle she holds. Its cool to be a Vegan, but come on don't act surprised and revolted when 10 strangers don't immediately "see the light" when you start preaching Vegan to them.
Meagan is a girl I would be nice to but couldn't handle being around due to a mixture of pity and revulsion at her whole persona. If Kevan actually falls for her, it will be a huge slight on his depth and maturity as a human being (I think he will end up taking an interest in Miriam).
And finally, Reece...wow. Why do they always make the token gay guy on these shows have SO MANY FUCKING ISSUES???!! He has got a sweet and a vulnerable side that is just dying to come out, but he has so much pain and has built up such a wall against feeling rejected that he is utterly substanceless. And when he picks a fight with Kevan, its like I can hear my third grade teacher telling me, "Ty, when a girl is mean to you it means she likes you, so don't worry about it".
The thing is, there are some good qualities in Kevan that would make him an attractive mate, but all Reece can see is the surface looks. Too bad, because if Reece actually opened up and just tried to be real with Kevan, while he wouldn't score any action, he might end up connecting with him on an extremely satisfying level that many of us gay guys yearn for (but often mistake for sexual desire).
As far as being queeny, that doesn't bother me about Reece. In that sense, I am all for him empowering himself by embracing a femine quality that he probably couldn't really escape fully if he wanted to. It can be a bit over the top, I admit, but again I think that is more a function of the huge protective walls he has thrown up.
In the end, the drama that the producers of the show no doubt counted on when they cast these particular people is not at all what is going to keep me interested. On the contrary, it will be the very real journey that Mose, Ruth and Miriam (and to a lesser extent Randy and Jonas) take within themselves during this very important rite of passage in their lives.