Live Right Now

Latest post up at brainCOCOA. Special Ed schoolteacher fires at television crew.

A decade into the genre’s dominance, the applicant pool is polluted with wannabe actors and fame seekers desperate to be the next Snooki or Kate Gosselin, and the personas they display in their video auditions are often transparent knockoffs of the reality archetypes viewers have come to know: America’s sweetheart, the hick, the witch, the dumb jock, the party girl.

“Some girls will be blatant and say, ‘Well, I’m going to be this character for you,’ ” said Michelle Mock-Falcon, casting director for “America’s Next Top Model.” She said it’s not unusual for applicants to answer questions with a prepared monologue or claim to be just like Bristol Palin. “Everyone’s her friend. They played volleyball with her.”

Posting this article mostly because it contains a quote from someone I’ve worked with before on a series (not Mock-Falcon), and respect her work. Also because auditions and the actor-types that arrive for them, especially for the reality shows, are curiously interesting to me.

Years ago when I was still living in San Diego, a couple friends and I went to an open audition for The Real World. Teenagers, laugh away. But growing up in the 90s, hitting the age when you were able to audition for that show or Road Rules was practically a rite of passage. At least when the show had heart (San Francisco, Seattle), and before it became a character-laced soft-core porn (Thanks a lot, Las Vegas, and almost every season following).

After filling out an application, they filed us in to a small room with three executive boardroom-type tables in them, seating twelve. Each table had one question they asked everyone, something “controversial”. Our question was, “How do you feel about gay marriage?” The guy to my left, a young, twenty-something African-American, flipped his easy-going nature he had while waiting in line and loudly stated, “Gays shouldn’t be allowed to get married. I’m gay, and I’m all for equality, but gays getting married is against the Bible. And I follow the Bible. My God says gay marriage is wrong, and it is.”

It was my turn next, and I mumbled something about how it should be legal and people were equal. Our casting assistant quickly carried on. I, obviously, wasn’t chosen for the show.

And when the season they were casting for premiered, to my smug content, neither was the “You want controversy? How about a Bible-thumping gay guy against gay marriage!” Guy.

Two years ago, the time T.I., Jay-Z, Kanye, Lil’ Wayne, and MIA spent to rehearse “Swagga Like Us” was suddenly the moment quite a few people in our production offices took smoke/bathroom breaks. Last year, it was the tribute to Michael Jackson (though that “break” was encouraged, as they wanted us to test out the 3-D glasses before the live show).

This performance may be in the running for the one we all watch this year. At least when it comes time for my imaginary bathroom break. Seriously… The Muppets?? Can I be the talent handler for that party?

(Source: popculturebrain)