By Buzz Byrne
Reality TV can be fun, aggravating and compelling especially if the “Human drama” that it lies and tells us is real is framed nicely enough around something the audience can relate to. ANCHORWOMAN is silly, self-aware and mildly fun. If we are resting our hopes of restating and committing the media to true journalistic standards on a reality TV show, well, all hope is gone and not even a “Barker’s Beauty” is going to bring it back.
Former WWE Diva and bit player on LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY, Lauren Jones is changing professions. She is giving up life as a hot chick to now be a hot chick on a reality TV show where she pretends to want to be an anchorwoman for a local news station in Tyler, Texas.
Jones tells us she always wanted to be a journalist and quickly it becomes apparent her view of the scope of that job is being pretty for the camera and saying serious things. Much like dramatic acting only you don’t have to memorize the lines or cry on command. And while it is obvious we are to laugh at her dimness, her assessment isn’t that far off the mark. When News Director Dan and Anchor/Reporter/Producer Annalisa start tossing out their litany of self-important words (“Integrity” “Credibility” and “Standard”) you need only remember that they share show credit with “Stormy the Weather Dog.” And that is before Lauren arrives in Tyler.
Lauren is clearly a stunt for a station with lagging ratings. The fact that this is necessary because a business is being run instead of a fount of public interest is never mentioned by anyone. This is the central conflict of most media sources from the largest papers to the smallest TV stations: the news is essential but it has to bring in an audience. This puts the likes of Dan and Annalisa in more of a bind than the woman whose on screen credits include “Hobo Bikini Model.”
The show picks up a little steam with Annalisa squaring off firmly against Lauren and all she represents. The office politics are much more entertaining than the rigged up cat fighting. The show really hits on something when KYTX reporter Michele Reese does a live stand-up in front of the news room and Lauren is in a cubicle behind her goofing off and dancing around. Lauren didn’t know it was a live shot. It is hysterical, of course, but it also confronts the question of why have anyone in-frame to pretend they aren’t on camera. A very stupid local news conceit for sure.
And while Lauren gets scolded for this behavior and apologizes to everyone, she herself worked on the research for the piece so she wasn’t trying to sabotage anyone. During the field work she even asked Michele and Chief Photographer Wilton if they got to jump out of the news van and, “Act all newsy?” Both sternly replied, “No!” But I think that’s because neither was much set on “jumping” anywhere; the dead-endness of working for KYTX, in Tyler Texas is palpable through out.
Of course the triteness of the setup is hard to get beyond. Annalisa is clearly cast to be the shrew and yet it’s easy to relate to her getting her job taken away and given to someone fabulously unqualified. The animosity between the women is not a highlight for me but will probably be highlighted in all the promo work. If the show worked more on the “Fish out of water” angle than pretending to tackle larger issues of journalistic standards and sexuality versus exploitation it would be a lot more fun. It is light and goofy now, but it could be more by trying to be less.