When I first heard the premise for an Aston Kutcher produced show called "Beauty & the Geek" I was less than impressed. I have an aversion to the exploitation of women, and I was afraid that the "geeks" would be ridiculed and embarrassed by the typical reality show editing. As a result, I was a late convert to the show, being finally won over when the (third?) cycle was shown in it's entirety in a New Years Day marathon while I was home in Canada for the holidays. I realized that, as Joey B says, the show has a lot of heart.
This cycle has introduced a new element - Beauty vs the Geek. The teams will be competing against one another with a lightening round elimination at the end of every show. It's too early to have bonded with all the contestants, but here's a run-down of our current favorites:
Tommy - "Sweater Vest Enthusiast" Now in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that Tommy resembles many of the boys I have loved in the past. Tall, dark and geeky. For those who don't know, I have often joked about having "a PhD in Popularity" which could explain why I am so drawn to the socially awkward - opposites and what not.
Greg - "Self Proclaimed 'Gaysian" Greg had a crying jag on the sofa with two of the girls, feeling completely out of place, being the only gay contestant and not fitting in with the "super smart" geeks. The beauties immediately took him under their wings. Joey B and I fell in love immediately. I am going to try to convince Ben Lerman to adopt him.
Leticia - "Extreme Sports Model" Can't really say why we like her so much. Joey B thought she was very forthright and articulate. I thought she had a lot of chutzpah. Of all the beauties she seemed most down to earth and the least likely to participate in the girl vs girl drama that is so hard for me to watch. Hey ladies, sisterhood is powerful.
The first task given to the contestants was to go to a club and see who could get the most phone numbers. The geeks objected because they felt that the beauties had a pretty clear advantage. Then everyone was informed that the girls would be undergoing "Make-unders" to render them less attractive. The final results were sort of mixed. Though the girls were not "as beautiful", they were still tall and thin (except for the one who got stuck with the fat suit) and had the confidence that comes with knowing you're attractive to others. I enjoyed Greg even more because he tried so hard and even approached men in the club to try and get digits (in what was CLEARLY a straight meat market club). It was so brave.
Ultimately, it was John E. ("Recovering Microsoft Addict") who got the boot in week 1. A celebrated child genius, he implied that the lightening round would play to his strengths which, as well all know, is the kiss of death. So off he goes back to Tempe, Arizona. The show's official website does not list an occupation for John, so if you have any genius work that you've been meaning to get to, give him a call.
Stay tuned for weekly updates on this cycle of Beauty vs. Geek and check in tomorrow for the latest on High School Reunion. I hear the class geek is coming back for a little revenge...
No comments:
Post a Comment