Gavin Beasley speaks out about The Hills

If there is anything more fascinating to The Hills fans than the conflicts between Heidi, Spencer, and Lauren, it's how real or fake the show is. Gavin Beasley, the model/actor who went on a date with Lauren on Monday's episode, tells Best Week Ever (another reality show on VH1) that the entire show was set up and largely contrived. He told the show on VH1 that the experience represents "some of the best acting I've ever done." Beasley announced on VH1 that everything was set up, from the producers telling him to ask Lauren for her number to the date to the rented house that was used as a set. He even explained that the producers told him what to talk about on their date. Beasley admitted that the whole scene they filmed with Brody was also a complete set up. The producers told him "the audience would get a kick out of seeing ‘the ex’ talking to ‘the new guy’." Brody was even apologetic about the scene they had to shoot, where Brody was talking smack behind Gavin's back, Gavin said. Brody told Gavin it makes good television so he had to say what he did. "I actually feel like I had more of a relationship with my MTV contact than I ever did with Lauren," Beasley explained.

All I can say is that Best Week Ever scored big time with this interview. It's probably one of the most insightful things I've heard about behind the scenes at The Hills. I mean, don't get me wrong I've watched the show on many occasions and even enjoyed it, but this information is kind of disappointing to me. I always figured it was somewhat scripted, but not this much. It just goes to show you how the reality really is behind the reality shows.

If anyone hasn't really been keeping up with America's Next Top Model cycle 9, but were wondering what the makeovers looked like. Here they are:

I had the chance to interview one of Northeastern University's students and her take on reality television for one of my classes.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/4396052853bfb3/

The Real World

So, I haven't written much about The Real World: Sydney, mostly because I haven't really been keeping up with the episodes. Is it just me or are all the cast members this season (mostly the girls) extremely annoying? I've watched a couple of episodes here and there and I've been noticing a trend. They fight, argue and/or cry in every episode. It's usually the girls fighting, but it will sometimes include the guys. At one point, it was even the girls against the guys. I know that this is probably a good thing for MTV and its ratings, but I just find it irritating. Yes, sometimes it's entertaining to see the cast members fight, but all the time? Come on now. That and the fact that just their personalities annoy me.

Also, CBS has announced that The Amazing Race will return for a twelfth season and will premiere on Sunday, November 4.

I apologize for my recent lack of updating on America's Next Top Model. As for the last two weeks, the girls received their makeovers (my favorite episode of the season), Victoria Marshman got cut last week, and Janet was cut this week from the show. The judges liked Victoria's look, but wasn't too fond of her personality and as for Janet, the judges thought she needed too much coaching during her photo shoots.

Some makeovers went really well while others did not. My pick for best makeover would probably be Janet's. I thought it looked amazing on her. They didn't do much to her hair except cut it a little shorter and dye it much darker, but I still loved it. They shaved Bianca's head! (which seemed like a complete disaster at first, but it actually turned out looking pretty good). They also gave her a "Beyonce style" wig. They changed basically nothing on Heather, which I would agree with because her dark hair looks good and contrasts with her pale skin. I don't like how they did Jenah's hair at all. It's now very blonde and very long and it looks extermely fake. I'm not a fan of it. I'm also not a big fan of Saleisha's new makeover. I think her hair looked better before. Now it's a bob cut and it just doesn't look right on her, in my opinion. And is it just me or does Saleisha remind you A LOT of Rihanna? (except the hair looks better on Rihanna) The other makeovers included:

• Ambreal- extremely cropped, "almost no hair," as Tyra put it
• Sarah- very short, kind of bobbed, blonde with highlights
• Victoria- fuller and edgier hair
• Chantel- straight blonde hair with bangs (kind of fake looking, as well. Also, kind of reminds me of Britney Spears)
• Lisa- a Halle Berry type of haircut, reminiscent of Jaeda's in cycle 7
• Ebony- a Naomi Campbell cut, as they called it

What did everyone else think of the makeovers?

On another completely random note according to the New York Daily News, apparently Heidi's (star of The Hills on MTV) website got hacked into. Somebody posted "Me and Spencer did spread the false rumors about Lauren's sex tape" on the page. Although, it should say "Spencer and I." Maybe the person did that on purpose, knowing that Heidi would have probably wrote it that way. In that case, I feel like giving that person a high-five and apparently the author of the article in Newsday agrees with me.

Top Chef host "dishes out"

There was recently an article in People Magazine called "Eat, Play, Love." The article featured the reality show Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi talking about her new cookbook and her life after her divorce from author Salmon Rushdie. I thought it was an interesting article for anyone who's a fan of the show so I figured I would share with you guys. Padma shared with People Magazine that they have "teeth checks" on Top Chef after she tastes one of the chef's delicious dishes. "There's nothing worse than seeing me with a wad of spinach in between my teeth," she told People. Her second cookbook Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet features recipes inspired by her travels to Tanzania and Spain. This latest venture of hers was as much about society as it was fine dining. "With food, there's more that unites us than divides us. Take Asian and South American cooking- there's tamarind. cumin, cilantro, in both," Lakshmi told People. The book is dedicated to her then- husband author Salman Rushdie. The couple recently divorced. "He tasted every dish," said Lakshmi. For now, Padma Lakshmi is putting all her energy into Top Chef, the article says. "I can go into Chanel and walk out empty-handed, but if I go into a kitchen store, I'm in trouble," she told the magazine.

A New Reality "Phenomenon"

NBC picked up a new reality show called Phenomenon, starring Criss Angel and Uri Gellar. The series will be a competition to find the next great mentalist. The series premieres on October 24. According to NBC, 10 contestants will compete each week through a series of challenges in front of a panel of celebrity judges and a studio audience. Angel and Gellar will provide their insight and help the contestants, but the viewers at home are the ones who get to vote and decide the $250,000 prize winner.

This actually seems like a really interesting show. It does seem kind of repetitive and monotomous that all these reality shows on television feature contestants competing for a prize through basically any talent you can think of. However, people seem to be completely fascinated with the unexplainable and the unknown. I, myself, find it extremely fascinating. I feel like this show is going to reach a big audience. It's definately a new genre and something we haven't seen before, as far as reality series go. Don't forget that this is also being done on live television in front of a studio audience where anything can happen, which makes it all the more interesting.