"The Hills": Season 3.5
I've been chomping at the bit waiting for any of my appointment television shows to begin airing new material, so the return of The Hills was a welcome sight.
Nothing particularly unexpected has happened yet, four episodes (and two weeks) into this extension of the third season, but as in years past, a lot of content shown in the trailer for this season has already been aired. Whitney's moved on from Teen Vogue, Lauren and Spencer's sister Stephanie have become fast friends, and Lauren and Brody had their very mature confrontation about his personal life.
I'm looking forward to the return of Stephen Colletti(!), a cleaned-up Justin Bobby (funny how we get attached to the girls' old flames), and more screen time for Lo, who always provides the necessary voice of reason.
The After Show still continues to puzzle me somewhat; I wonder if the hosts and their "friends" are barred from referencing material outside of the 22-minute episodes? Otherwise, how can they take scenes like Spencer moving out seriously, with the plethora of fresh paparazzi photographs of Speidi out on the town available on a weekly basis?
For that reason, I have to disagree with a recent New York Times article declaring Heidi a "feminist hero":
"Defying our expectations, Heidi has emerged as a kind of feminist hero this season, climbing her way to a bigger position at the event-planning company where she orchestrates Nascar parties, and refusing to acquiesce to the demands of her fiancé, Spencer, that she get herself home on time. Her career-mindedness sets their relationship off course. Heidi identifies the problem with no name: a boyfriend who sits around an apartment decorated to look like an ’80s video arcade while trying to deny Heidi a real wedding with the glory of registering. Her groundswell of self-assertion begins when he insists on eloping, prompting Heidi to declare, 'This isn’t, like, Spencer’s relationship and you decide what we do.'"
Such false "self assertion" - mugging independence for the cameras, then running back to her so-labelled deadbeat fiance once the "captured reality" is over is almost worse.
In any case, I will still be tuning in every Monday night. The Hills is a guilty pleasure in every sense of the phrase.
Labels: television
posted by Sharon @ 6:32 PM
2 Comments:
I agree with your assessment of Heidi because how independent is she is when her relationship takes a turn for the worst, she runs home to mommy and daddy in Colorado? Also, I thought when they moved into "their" apartment, Spencer used his money (ahem, his parents) to buy it, yet *he's* forced to move out?
Furthermore, I can't stand the Aftershow. I never watch it because the hosts' voice irritate me.
Indeed.
I must say that although I rolled my eyes at the hosts when the After Show debuted (especially with regards to their use of the word, "we", as in, "What do *we* think about that?"), I will admit to missing them a little during the hiatus.
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