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CALDWELL: Chris Jericho's "Redemption Song" a/k/a WWE Diva Search 2008 delivers on reality show cliches Oct 30, 2008 - 12:34:24 PM
There's something about watching one hour of extreme absurdity at 11:00 p.m. that makes you slightly concerned about the American TV landscape in 2008. Nowhere else can you find TV programming with self-admitted drug abusers, escort service owners, and former prisoners trying to sing their way to a record deal.
Perhaps when the producers of this show were looking for someone to give a steady hand to this unstable ship, they knew only someone from the world of wrestling could handle the task. Perhaps "Dog: the Bounty Hunter" was unavailable. Enter the steady hand, Chris Jericho, who described his role as the "Angel of Death" on FOX News earlier this week.
Yet, there's a certain charm to this show where eleven former singers are looking for their last chance to make it in the music industry. The charm comes from the "cute one," Joie, and the "older chick," Esther. Otherwise, it's a rag-tag group of party girls with disillusionment issues that the producers gleefully played up throughout the first episode.
Mixed in there is Jericho's subtle ruthlessness, as he calmly snapped Toni's album in half at the end of the episode upon her elimination. But, there's one person who stood out the most.
Kendra.
Barring an early elimination of Kendra, she will be a draw for this show. I have no idea what the comparable programming in the timeslot was prior to Jericho's show debuting - maybe a 1995 pop song countdown list show - but she'll keep viewers interested.
Kendra's running commentary, profanity-laced streams of consciousness, and overall lack of bond to the world around her make for the greatest form of reality TV entertainment: a complete train wreck.
My favorite quotes:
"I dance to my own drum." (Not the beat of the drum; simply the drum.)
"I'm like. Ooooh no."
"I was feeling super bummed." (As opposed to just bummed.)
"I totally didn't bring it."
"I deserve to stay because I can taste it. Taste it. I freakin' live and breathe that stuff!" (It's not clear what she was referring to about tasting "it." Perhaps victory. Perhaps another drink. Perhaps music mixed with drink.)
The show has potential to achieve reality TV success. Not in terms of strong ratings or the winner of the contest "earning" a record contract. No, the ultimate goal of being on a reality show is standing out to either a) earn an invite to another, more prominent reality show or b) making it on Joel McHale's "The Soup" show on VH-1.
Alternatively, with Jericho hosting this show, this could be an indirect audition for becoming a WWE diva. There are plenty of candidates who have no shame and appear to be more than willing to dress in form-fitting attire, given the amount of flesh present on episode one of "Redemption Song."
WWE could use always use another backstage interviewer, and giving someone like Kendra a live mic would produce the highest quality of trainwreck TV that Jerry Lawler was so giddy about on Raw this past Monday.
As for future episodes of this show, I can tell Jericho's presence will be a source of relief to balance against the increased probability for cat fights, binge drinking, and other reality TV cliches. And Kendra. Someone has to save her from herself.
By the way, Kendra's Redemption Song audition can be found here. It's rough.
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