At the behest of Erin Medley, who recommended on our radio show this past week that I watch Confessions of a Teen Idol, I set my TiVo up to air one of VH1's umpteen repeats of the premiere. Last night, I had the "good fortune" to have a hole in my viewing schedule which I managed to squeeze this little reality nugget into.
In case you haven't heard of this show, it features a bunch of 1980s and '90s "teen idols" trying to get back just a wee little bit of the fame they either threw away or which passed them by. These one-time heartthrobs (folks like Jeremy Jackson and Christopher Atkins) have decided that they want to make a big comeback, and put aside whatever it is that they currently do – grand stuff like building swimming pools, working in "business," or performing on a cruise ship – in order to recapture that which they (apparently deservedly) lost. Frankly, the whole thing is a little embarrassing and I felt more than a little dirty watching it.
I completely grasp the fact that these one-time stars would love to be stars again, and that they all want to use this show as a springboard to greater success. I actually believe that these guys have a greater chance of using a reality show to garner greater film/TV success than the typical reality show star (all of whom I tend to believe want to build on their reality TV fame with more roles down the line), after all, these guys have actually been a part of the business previously.
But, my understanding of what these guys are trying to do and my belief that they have a greater shot at success then most does not in anyway translate to my liking them or the show. These guys are all whiny and petulant, and I firmly believe that the vast majority haven't changed, at least in terms of their massive desire to hobnob with the rich and famous and have women run after them (from what we saw anyway).
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