Another from the "Are You Kidding Me?" Department

This is why there is traffic on the freeways. Some idiot isn't paying attention and gets into an accident, or Officer Barney Fife decides to pull over someone for a tail-light out during rush hour, and now we're all rubber-necking at the sideshow.

Next up is the laugh that is VH1, with their own version of a train wreck, trying to make itself relevant again, this time, borrowing stealing liberally from America's Next Top Model. They now have "The Shot", hosted by Russell James. which includes - "Balbinka", playing the part of the euro-looking skinny girl, who somehow says with a straight face "when I think of passion I think of anger", and "I modeled for a while, but now I need a new outlet"; Bree playing the dumb-blonde look; Maria, the dark-haired enjenue who looks too much like one of the Sex and the City girls and who said "I got into photography after taking 5,000 pictures on my cell phone"; Ivan, playing the part of Erkel with a Camera; Dean - the balding biker-look guy; John - Balbinka's euro-boy counter part who said "I shoot a lot of weddings - I'm not exactly your typical wedding photographer, I come in a tux, and I look like I'm straight out of the pages of GQ magazine...I get to hang out with the bridesmaids, and if I'm lucky, take one home"; Airic - the "my mother can't spell Eric" semi-dreadlock guy who said "I'm a single man, and I love the ladies, and sometimes the ladies love me"; Jason - the cross between oh, I don't know, pick someone, he's too wannabe stylish; Piper - the girl who's mother's physcian must have too many aviation magazines in his waiting room; and Robin, the girl with a whole-lota self-expressive body art and jewelery.

(Continued after the Jump)

Note, I said repeatedly "...playing the part of..." because they are all chosen to fit certain stereotypes so the show has a nice "blend" in casting-agent speak. Further, nobody get uppity with me over my "snap judgements" of these aspiring photographer's appearances, when they've chosen fabio-esque Russell James to be the photographer they all want to be - after all, it's fashion! In fashion, that's just how they want their subjects to be judged - by how they look. Turnabout is fair play. Oh, and to appeal to their international audience -- they've got someone from Bosnia, Croatia, and Poland! natch on the Eastern-European audience, and Bree's from Australia.

Watching the preview, what I want to know is where the hell are the Pocket Wizards!?!?! Why are they hardwired!?!?!

From the site, a few excerpts:

10 amateur photographers the chance to live out their wildest fantasies in pursuit of their ultimate dream: to become the next great fashion photographer...while being guided by world-renowned fashion photographer Russell James....while traveling to exotic locations -- all to capture that one perfect shot.

Nice. I'm sure they'll travel by Lear Jet to get there too, because that is so reality.

...our cast will face daunting tasks and obstacles that will test their talent, desire and drive to be the next great fashion photographer.

Like, let's see, paying the bills? Carrying the production expenses when your fashion client welches on the bill and buys more fabric instead? Where are these tests? Absent.

"...a "teach challenge", where Russell presents the cast with a new technical or creative lesson...in a legitimate, fashion-oriented photo campaign."

I cannot believe I am seeing this in print? Is this April 1st? Let me check my calendar....

"...Each week Russell and his professional panel will review the cast's photos, eliminating the weakest shooter...After a month long journey the best photographer will emerge and be crowned the show's winner, thus launching his or her professional career."

Until such time as they haven't figured out how much to charge - how to pay the bills, procure a crew, and so on. Then they'll be back to waiting tables.

The only shot this has at succeeding is if we can blame the writer's strike for people being driven to this dreck because everything else is in reruns. Please let the strike end soon.

And, because you can't help but look over at the death and dismemberment that is on the side of the road and contribute to the traffic jams, here it is - the preview, which has our aspirants' resulting shooting pretty much porn-esque - heck, even Russell said that he didn't want to see anything more in the future that could be put up on a porn site!

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