This blog is going to attempt to be sorta literary. That is it will tell stories suitable for publishing or framing or using as toilet paper or….
However I made a really big deal over the premier of Myrtle Manor a reality show about a trailer park in Myrtle Park. I live north of Myrtle Beach in a tiny, tiny city that prides itself on not being Myrtle Beach.
A friend named Cone (not his real name–change a letter) asked me to live blog Myrtle Manor. Fortunately I said no. Otherwise it would have been an hour of “uh” “ugh” “puke” “stupid” “uh.” “This is the dumbest thing I have ever seen in my life and I watch Hoarders, The Real Housewives of New Jersey (only) and Joan and Melissa–an amazing look at a mother who castrates her daughter, is incredibly lonely, must have an audience and some of the worst jokes.” It is Shakespear compared to Myrtle Manor.
I wish they had said Miss Peggy had just learned she had beat breast cancer for the second time. It would have made her skinny dipping poignant and purposeful. But no…
Sounds like this Cone is a bit of an idiot. I mean, I don’t know him, but uh, I know the type.
Poignant Skinny Dipping — I think YOU just coined the next “great” reality show idea. Maybe Celebrity Skinny Dipping. Or, Poignant Celebrity Skinny Dipping.
Actually he’s kinda brilliant but I would never tell him that. Reminds me of Seinfeld and Larry David–but again that would go to his head and so….
Poignant Celebrity Skinny Dipping–yes. First episode with….?
I seem to recall you looking forward to this show a while ago. Sorry it wasn’t better. I only know trailer parks from stereotypical descriptions in films/TV, but perhaps they really are like that? Never imagined anyone would turn it into a TV show. Guess I’m old-fashioned, but I miss the pre-reality reality. There are too many really embarrassing shows. I frequently find myself thinking: What were they thinking? But I guess some people provide enough rating for them to continue.
@John
No John there are very very nice trailer parks.
Myrtle Beach itself is known as the “Redneck Riveria” It has a very trashy rep though it’s really not-just a few blocks and a lot of tourists are
I thought this would be funny–but the people were all stereotypes and made me very uncomfortable.
Maybe I can take the real houswives of New Jersey because I’m from NY and have known people like the people on that show all my life. Here I’m more an outsider and just felt very weird!
Pia, have you ever watched Portlandia. It is so really stupid but absolutely the truth! I think the people in Portland watch it because they need a good laugh and a lot of reality (get over yourself kind of stuff).
Here I am. 🙂
b+
I had no idea there was this kind of show on TV… I need to talk to you about MB sometime, Pia…
Somehow I’m reminded of seeing Spaulding Grey perform in Prospect Park a couple of years before he died. It was a fascinating show – instead of doing a monologue, he chose to show that everyone has an interesting story if you’ll just take the time to listen. He did that by working with randomly-chosen audience members, picked from the line before the show. The only person from whom he failed to elicit a story that wasn’t poignant, humorous, interesting or all three was the uptight lawyer from Park Slope, who turned into a clam onstage. He really should’ve just told Spaulding he didn’t want to do it.
Reality shows, on the other hand, mostly seem to be about making their subjects look like freaks these days. I don’t really get them.
Welcome back to blogging, btw!
You’re right about this not being a real show. I watched, and when I saw Becky, the daughter of the land lady, something looked familiar. She is a professional actress. She starred in a movie called “Camp” which came out a while ago. She could really be an actress whose family runs a trailer park, and she wound up back home after her career went nowhere, but that seems like a stretch.