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VH1 Reality World

VH1’s Reality Shows: Who Creates These Shows?

by Lynn on October 6th, 2007

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Recently, a large controversey started around the question of who decides which shows go on VH1, and how do they decide? There are some real questions about who they are really targeting with their shows and why they choose to protray the cast members the way they do. MSNBC.com just published this article about two of VH1’s show creators that offers a bit of insight:

Meet Cris Abrego and Mark Cronin, the business partners and masterminds who have produced some of the channel’s most popular and most talked-about — or howled-about — shows, and who this year alone will flood VH1 with eight series.

October is a true Abrego-Cronin extravaganza. “I Love New York 2” debuts Monday, giving Tiffany “New York” Pollard a second shot at romance, or something like it. And there are two newcomers, “America’s Most Smartest Model,” about lookers who must also prove their intellect, or something like it, and “Gotti’s Way,” the comeback effort of hip-hop producer Irv Gotti.

VH1 programming executive Michael Hirschorn knows just who Cronin and Abrego are: a couple of hardworking creative whizzes who are “absolutely crucial to our success” and who understand what the channel’s target audience wants.

“Their shows definitely have a younger feel, a hipper feel than what you see on the networks,” Hirschorn said. “They also have a unique ability to capture the imagination of young adults” by executing “TV that’s aware it’s TV.”

“We’re for viewers who are hip to the artifice of a lot of television,” he explained, adding later: “The only sin is to be boring.”

Real reality TV?
The result is either a new-wave approach to comedy and soap opera, as Cronin, Abrego and Hirschorn describe it, or, as various critics would have it, another nail in the coffin of Western civilization and a ghetto-stereotype slap in the face of black Americans.

That’s not where they’re coming from, the producers say.

“Cris and I don’t have a political agenda. We don’t have an exploitation agenda,” said Cronin. “We take on a subject matter and make the best show we can about that. So the show’s about Flavor Flav and the women attracted to him and the lunacy that ensues from that.

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POSTED IN: All the Best of VH1 Reality, America’s Most Smartest Model, Flavor of Love, I Love New York, Rumor Mill

9 opinions for VH1’s Reality Shows: Who Creates These Shows?

  • Deborah Henry
    Oct 15, 2007 at 8:12 pm

    Two of the creators of VH1’s Reality Shows such as AMERICA’S MOST SMARTEST MODEL, Chris Abrego and Mark Cronin, state they “take on a subject matter and make the best show we can about that”. WHAT?! Oh God, help us all, if a horrible, nasty, mean-spirited program like AMERICA’S MOST SMARTEST MODEL is an example of the ‘best’ work of which these two are capable !!!!! This show is based upon humiliating and embarassing contestants and turning them against one another, not to hosting a positive competition. It also provides a venue for the host(s) to look and feel superior and affords them, they feel, the right to make disparaging remarks and behave in impolite and even downright snotty ways. It is said that VH1 programming executive Michael Hirschorn feels the two creators mentioned above, Abrego and Cronin, are hardworking creative whizzes who are “absolutely crucial to our success” and who understand what the channel’s target audience wants. GOOD GOD!! THAT’S LIKE SAYING ‘WELL, THE PEOPLE WANT TO SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME GOD-AWFUL PERVERT TORTURING SOMEONE, OR SOMEBODY GNAWING SOMEONE ELSE’S, OR MAYBE THEIR OWN, FOOT OFF - WELL, HEY, WE KNOW WHAT OUR TARGET AUDIENCE WANTS SO LET’S PROVIDE IT FOR THEM! Mr. Hirschorn also said “The only sin is to be boring”. You know, to stifle boredom, the Romans had huge audiences ENJOY the ‘delights’ of watching people being fed to the lions!! Mr. Hirschorn, there are many, many sins which are much, much worse than boredom!! GET A GRIP!! VH1’s programming of this nature makes it appear that society has made absolutely NO headway, and please stop trying to fool yourselves and others VH1, Cronin, Abrego, and Hirschorn into believing your trash-talk about your sickening shows having a “younger, hipper feel” and “a unique ability to capture the imagination of young adults”. I think you mean ‘young perverts and/or young budding perverts’ in whom YOU are instilling and/or encouraging mean-spirited attitudes and probably at the very least, mean behaviors, and possibly even criminal activity at some point in their lives. I can’t even STAND how horribly many people treat one another, and YOU ARE MAKING IT WORSE BY DEMONSTRATIN THAT TREATING PEOPLE IN UNKIND WAYS IS JUST A SHOW, A GAME, SOMETHING TO BE THOUGHT OF AS FUN OR FUNNY, WHILE THE OTHER PERSON OR PERSONS SUFFER FROM HURT FEELINGS, IF NOTHING ELSE, AT ANOTHER’S HANDS. STOP IT, STOP IT NOW. SHOW SOME MORAL FIBER.

  • Kelton J. austin
    Oct 22, 2007 at 4:53 pm

    I am lover of reality shows. I understand how entertaining that they can be. I would like to see more reality shows that deal with Humanity issues. I would love to share some of my idea’s with you.. I have an idea of a show called, “Robbinig peter to pay Paul”. This show deals with some of the upcommng gansta rap stars, utilizing their hustling skills by doing good in various communities. There would be taks such as scaventure hunts, caring for the elderly, talking to children at elementry schools. The term “robbing Peter to paul paul will also demonstrate how these urban rap artist will use the, “barter system” to gain the essentials that they will need to become the ultimate well rounded hustler that they portray.

  • Katrina Mbionwu
    Dec 5, 2007 at 12:48 pm

    I HAVE SOME SHOW IDEA FOR VH1 HOW CAN I IMPLEMENT THEM?

  • Deborah Henry
    Dec 5, 2007 at 9:09 pm

    Naturally, celebrities or even semi well-known personalities going out into communities to minister to, help in some constructive way, or just plain be seen there, makes excellent sense. The people involved in those kinds of programs however, would need to truly be doing these things FOR THOSE PERSONS IN NEED OF THEIR SERVICES, AND…. ONLY…. after finding out from those in need of what exactly they are in need - rather than make it just a “Do-Gooder” show to allow the celebrity/personality to look good to their fans and would-be fans, etc.
    Helping people cannot be a narcissitic game, only a true calling from the heart and soul.

    The person who suggested this Kelton J Austin, sounds very sincere and good-hearted.

    If you take this idea, use it wisely, for a change, would you please, I beg of you, as I said before, show some moral fiber and courage.

    Thank you,
    Deborah Henry

  • Dawn Eberts
    Dec 11, 2007 at 4:10 am

    I have a tv show idea and i don’t know who to talk to so if I could talk to someone it would be appreciative.

    thanks,
    Dawn

  • Rhonda
    Feb 4, 2008 at 9:53 am

    I have a reality show tv idea, who do I submit my idea to…producer? or who?

    Thanks,
    Rhonda

  • DEVON
    Apr 7, 2008 at 7:05 pm

    I have a reality show tv idea, who do I submit my idea
    I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT.
    THANKS
    DEVON

  • Lacey
    Apr 21, 2008 at 10:07 am

    have an excelent idea for a reality tv show, please get back to me so I can see how to submit my idea.
    Thank you- Lacey

  • Tracine
    Oct 1, 2008 at 8:40 pm

    I have an idea for a new reality show, please advise me how I go about submitting it. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!

    Tracine

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