Making the Band is the creme of the crop of lame television shows. As much as I hate that sleazy Pearlman (who is largely responsible for burdening the planet with pretty boy no talents), the guy knew how to turn music into a commodity (although, Malcom Maclaren knew how to do that, too, but Pearlman does it in ways antithetical to what the Sex Pistols did).
Needing a new face for the boy band mania, Lou Perlman held a contest and, whoever was selected to fill the five stereotypical roles of male singers, got to be in this boy band, O-Town. And, without any effort on their part, were handed a record contract and were ready to start working hard to fill the clich¨¦--singing songs that other people wrote and dancing to moves choreographed by others as well. The point is, they are just filling an image that is part of music as a commodity.
They all shared a house, Real World style, in the boy band capital of the world, Orlando, Florida (which makes since, because they're being sponsored by Disney). But, a "reality-tv" show would not be complete without the sensationalized nonsense dramas, including bickering among the group (and with Pearlman) and crisis in lover's lane (although, I think Ashley Parke's "gilfriend" was brought on the show more than anyone else's because they wanted so hard to convince you that he's not gay--or at least, they didn't want you too convinced that he is or was). The whole thing was ridiculous, but then again, it has to be if it is going to wet the panties of a couple of screaming pre-teen girls.
The show eventually got dropped from ABC (which explains the desperate attempts towards the end to fake the reality in order to fill a plot), and wound up for an extremely brief time on MTV. I personally found the show to be terribly trite, much less moronic (so why did I watch it, of course?)...but got a kick out the website, Mocking the Band, inspired by the insipid group now known as O-Town. Making the Band 2, which follows aspiring rap artists (complete with all stereotypical garb, lyrics, and slang) and airs on MTV.
How sad.
Needing a new face for the boy band mania, Lou Perlman held a contest and, whoever was selected to fill the five stereotypical roles of male singers, got to be in this boy band, O-Town. And, without any effort on their part, were handed a record contract and were ready to start working hard to fill the clich¨¦--singing songs that other people wrote and dancing to moves choreographed by others as well. The point is, they are just filling an image that is part of music as a commodity.
They all shared a house, Real World style, in the boy band capital of the world, Orlando, Florida (which makes since, because they're being sponsored by Disney). But, a "reality-tv" show would not be complete without the sensationalized nonsense dramas, including bickering among the group (and with Pearlman) and crisis in lover's lane (although, I think Ashley Parke's "gilfriend" was brought on the show more than anyone else's because they wanted so hard to convince you that he's not gay--or at least, they didn't want you too convinced that he is or was). The whole thing was ridiculous, but then again, it has to be if it is going to wet the panties of a couple of screaming pre-teen girls.
The show eventually got dropped from ABC (which explains the desperate attempts towards the end to fake the reality in order to fill a plot), and wound up for an extremely brief time on MTV. I personally found the show to be terribly trite, much less moronic (so why did I watch it, of course?)...but got a kick out the website, Mocking the Band, inspired by the insipid group now known as O-Town. Making the Band 2, which follows aspiring rap artists (complete with all stereotypical garb, lyrics, and slang) and airs on MTV.
How sad.