Right now, I am head over spiked heels in love with Rock of Love. It is obviously in my best interest to be in love with this show as I must cover it exhaustively for work, so take me with the usual grain of salt. Cognitive dissonance and the resulting reconciliation between what you have to do and how you feel about it, is among my favorite psychological phenomena because it's so tangible. I see it in motion so often with others and myself. That said, I can't be sure, but I'm not sure that's the case here. The only reason that I'm making the uncomfortable crossover between my work blog and my blog blog (you'll notice that it's rare that I do this) is because I love the show sooooo much. If I weren't getting paid to cover it, you can be damn sure I'd be writing about it here. I just want to shout from rooftops how with Bret Michaels, I am born again, how blonde is the new beautiful, how silicone is the best polymer EVER. Seriously: this show is permanently nestled in the trashcan that is my heart.
The thing I love the most about working for VH1 is the considerable amount of freedom it gives me to comment on its own shows. Clearly, this is a company with a sense of humor about itself. I don't say this to shake my pompoms and rah-rah-rah, but to point out that this pre-show post I put up last week is an accurate representation of my feelings and not some PR crap I might be expected to churn out. So check it if you need a more detailed explanation of my love for Love.
Anyway, this is just a note to salute something that truly speaks to me. Here's my recap of the first episode. Week after week, I'll be pouring my heart into these recaps. Well, my heart and whatever other garbage happens to fall out.
!!!
i love love love cognitive dissonance as well, i was actually trying to remember the term because i was explaining it to someone the other day. hooray for psych nerds! :)
Posted by: miss christy | July 16, 2007 at 12:10 PM
Rich! I've already been on your site once this am to see if you were going to recap the Rock of Love, and I see that I have not been let down! After watching the show last night, I feel I may have lost a few IQ points, but - like some other things that kill brain cells - it was so much fun! xxx
Posted by: Amber | July 16, 2007 at 12:33 PM
Oh buddy, I am sooo glad you have something to recap. I think I'll give the actual show a miss though...my poor brain couldn't handle it. Your recap I will look forward to with anticipation.
Hugs and scritches to Winston and Rudy!
Posted by: Deborah | July 16, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Black Trans Am and a Pink Guy!!!!!
If memory serves, Pam Anderson used to date this guy, she brought a picture of his rather large penis to the Howard Stern show...whoa. I'm already hooked, thanks Rich. You Rock (said with curled lip and the nipple covering hand gesture).
Posted by: kenna | July 16, 2007 at 01:29 PM
There's so much blonde girl on your front page right now!
Posted by: Jessica | July 16, 2007 at 01:41 PM
What's up with VH-1's wonky comments section? There seem to be two different set of comments... one that shows up if you click on the celebreality blog button above then go to the rock of love yo post - only two comments (including mine). If you follow the link in the post above though, a different set of comments appears - weird. Please, ya'll, don't bother posting the wiki link to obsessive compulsive, I'm already there!!! Just trippin'.
Posted by: mariaaaaa | July 16, 2007 at 01:51 PM
"If you follow the link in the post above though," - meaning the "this pre-show post" link in Rich's post "an exercise in cognitive dissonance". ENOUGH! I'm done... back to organizing my m&m's by color...
ANYHOO! I LOOOOOVE THIS SHOW! Not only did I see most of it on V-spot before, but I tivo'd it and saw it another two times.
Flavor of Love was always a hard show for me to watch - the skankitude, the slutaceousness and the sheer ICK factor made it an exercise in gag-reflex control. The girls were entertaining, hence my love of Charm School, but I just couldn't deal with Flave. Rock of Love IS more like a traditional dating show (which I don't cotton to either - I've watched maybe two episodes of the Bachelor ever.) but the rocker element makes it mwah! perfection.
Posted by: mariaaaaa | July 16, 2007 at 02:32 PM
I love how Brandi's head is moving in the opposite direction from her boobs. I wish my breasts had that much rhythm.
I love Poison for the fact that I'm a closet 80's hair band freak, and in college my girlfriends and I would blast my Monster Ballads CD's (Cinderella, Whitesnake, Ratt, etc) and get stoned. Evvvvreeee Rooooose Has It's Thorn...I ain't proud!
Posted by: Leanne | July 16, 2007 at 02:42 PM
I wrote it there, I will write it here - Jess looks like CC Deville, not that that's a bad thing...
Posted by: Gail | July 16, 2007 at 02:58 PM
you were the first person i thought of when i caught the show last night. is that weird? the first thought in my head was "OMG this is amazing, i hope rich wrote about it." i now equate you with awesomely bad reality tv. i am so glad we have a new favorite show for the summer. :)
Posted by: kim | July 16, 2007 at 04:18 PM
I read your blog at vh1 not knowing it was you and I thought to myself this sounds ALOT like the TopModel guy I like..! weird
I can not believe that stripper is 35!
Posted by: darlingjulie | July 16, 2007 at 04:52 PM
DOH! I didn't know you were writing about it on the VH1 blog. Oh joy! Seriously, it is ridiculous how happy I am about this. I need to settle down here.
trashy show about Bret Michaels looking for love + Rich's witty recaps = two great tastes that taste even greater together
Woohoo!!! "Don't threaten me with a good time!"
Posted by: M | July 16, 2007 at 05:00 PM
However dated the concept, you gotta miss radical feminism.
Posted by: Miss Lisa | July 16, 2007 at 10:40 PM
YES!!! Thanks for making me giddy! I am so grateful for you. Kisses and hugs to you,Winston, and Rudy.
Posted by: Seventy-One Jen | July 17, 2007 at 09:21 AM
We don't get VH1 in Canada, so I have to enjoy "Rock of Love" through your recaps. Luckily, that's better than watching them in the first place! :)
Posted by: Lara | July 17, 2007 at 09:22 AM
Posted by: Lara | July 17, 2007 at 09:23 AM
Holy fuck- cognitive dissonance is the term I've been searching for. You inadvertently just helped me save an essay that needs to be done in two says. THANK YOU.
Oh, also I continue you appreciate at you for your amazing skillz & humor. Bless!
Posted by: Kb | July 17, 2007 at 04:16 PM
Holy fuck- cognitive dissonance is the term I've been searching for. You inadvertently just helped me save an essay that needs to be done in two says. THANK YOU.
Oh, also I continue you appreciate at you for your amazing skillz & humor. Bless!
Posted by: Kb | July 17, 2007 at 04:16 PM
Erm, that posted twice for some reason. Sars!
Posted by: Kb | July 17, 2007 at 04:18 PM
Yes! I watched it this weekend and thought to myself, "man I hope there's a recap on FourFour." Excellent show!
Posted by: Dream | July 18, 2007 at 11:22 AM
Ok, I watched this last night and I did go to high school with Brandi M (she said she was from Buffalo). I'll send ya some yearbook pictures later.
Posted by: nicolelaroche | July 18, 2007 at 11:41 AM
Seriously, Magdalena is a guy. I've compiled the following evidence:
She has a bigger Adam's apple than me.
She's tall as fuck.
Her best feature is her legs (trannies universally have amazing gams).
All she talks about is how she's "not a dude" or how someone else, I guess Rodeo, is "a dude." If this isn't a clear-cut case of repression and its return - i.e. the harder you try to hide/avoid something, the more everything becomes about that thing - I don't know what is.
Or maybe she's so obviously a transexual she's been constantly harassed all of her life (heh, Mandelena). Shit, now I feel kind of bad for the shman.
Posted by: The Professor | July 18, 2007 at 02:49 PM
Man-dalena's a hatin-ass tranny-ass bitch, and I don't like her wack-ass ass.
"Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time!" That needs to be on T-shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers. All hail Tiffany. Ain't nobody like South Side booty (and thanks Tiff for embarrassing us all South Siders with your crotch hanging out there)
Posted by: LaSexorcisto | July 18, 2007 at 03:40 PM
I saw this last night - it was a perfection. The only reason why I watched was because of your glowing review. You inspired me, Rich. Mwah!
Posted by: Christina | July 18, 2007 at 08:52 PM
Loved the recap....only you could cross reference the "finale" of "Requiem For A Dream" and "16 Candles" and make it work, totally on point, and hilarious.
Posted by: Jackie | July 21, 2007 at 12:06 PM