them,” he quips. On a more serious “Proud Mary,” Abdul called her per-
note, though, he begged producers to formance, “Not a great thing,” and
M i c h e l l e S p e n d s
use trained professionals to weed out Cowell made fun of the braces on her
the truly disturbed in order to avoid teeth.
Big on Michelle
catastrophe. “They may present as The 30-year-old woman was
normal at the audition, but people found dead from an overdose of pre- COMMENTARY
who go postal don’t present as postal scription pills in her car, which was
even one hour before going postal,” parked just a few doors away from
Levine says. Abdul’s home in Los Angeles.
“Fame is profoundly intoxicat- A
MERICA HAS BEEN ENAMORED
with the life story of Barack and
Michelle Obama.
ing,” he adds. “Stars build a tolerance July 2008 James Scott Terrill, a The mainstream media have
for it, but for reality TV stars it comes single father from Kentucky, com- repeatedly reminded the
too quickly.” mitted suicide after appearing on public of the couple’s
Susan Boyle, Jo O’Meara, and ABC’s Supernanny, which features humble origins on
others might appear a bit unstable a British nanny helping parents Chicago’s South Side
to outsiders but, by comparison tame their out-of-control children. and how the two remain
to some others, they are the lucky Reportedly struggling with fi nancial in touch with ordinary
ones. The following timeline features as well as parental issues, authorities folks, understanding their
reality-TV participants who cracked say Terrill shot himself at the cem-
under the pressure of the limelight: etery where his father was buried.
JAMESAMES
suffering in these diffi cult
HIRSEN’S
economic times.
However, the change that
August 2009 Ryan Jenkins, report- April 2008 Simon Foster, after LEFT COAST was promised by Obama is
edly worth $2.5 million, was a contes- appearing on the British reality show defi nitely not refl ected in
tant on Megan Wants a Millionaire, Wife Swap, lost his wife, his house, the amount of money being spent on
a VH1 show that and his job, and then the numerous staffers whose jobs are
had 17 wealthy bach- he killed himself by to fawn over the fi rst lady.
elors vying for the consuming copious Mrs. Obama’s posse includes a chief
attention of Megan amounts of metha- of staff, two special assistants, a deputy
Hauserman, a model done and alcohol. chief of staff, a director and press
and serial reality-TV Foster and his wife secretary, a director of scheduling, a
show contestant. were featured on deputy director of policy and projects,
Jenkins allegedly the show because two deputy director and deputy social
killed his wife, a for- each had a girlfriend secretaries, a deputy director of
mer swimsuit model
REALITY KILLS Ryan Jenkins
outside their mar- scheduling and events coordinator,
he married a few
from Megan Wants a
riage. “To be shown a deputy director of advance and
Millionaire was accused of
days after they met
killing his wife Jasmine Fiore,
with your wife hap- trip director, a special assistant and
in Las Vegas where
right. Jenkins committed
pily seeing another personal aide, an associate director
the show was fi lmed,
suicide in a Canadian motel.
woman made him and deputy press secretary, a
removing her fi ngers a laughingstock,” a special assistant for scheduling and
and teeth in an attempt to hide her friend had said of Foster. traveling aide, an associate director of
identity. Her body was stuffed in a correspondence, an executive assistant
suitcase and tossed in a dumpster October 2007 Nathan Clutter to the chief of staff, a staff assistant
outside Los Angeles, triggering a was a contestant on the show to the social secretary, and a deputy
massive manhunt. Authorities found Paradise Hotel 2, which aired on associate director of correspondence.
Jenkins after he hanged himself in a MyNetworkTV and Fox Reality Actors, rappers, and rock stars are
Canadian motel. Channel. The plot had 11 hotel guests green with envy.
vying to be the last remaining con- Republicans were criticized in the
November 2008 Paula Goodspeed, testant after all others were voted past for their “excess,” and that was
E
S
G
A
a self-described lesbian with a crush out, thus claiming a $200,000 prize. when economic times were rosier.
I
M
P
on Paula Abdul, killed herself three Clutter, a salesman from Phoenix, But no similar criticism is heard
E
/
A
R
years after her American Idol audi- jumped to his death from a cell about the Obamas, despite their
F
I
O
S
,
I
N tion for judges Abdul, Simon Cowell, phone tower shortly after the show expensive date nights, extravagant
K
J
E
N
and Randy Jackson. After she sang wrapped production. Producers, kept vacations, and designer clothing tab.
NOVEMBER 2009 / NEWSMAX 53
52_Showbiz_Reality.indd 53 10/1/09 11:56 AM
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