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Worst TV Show of the Week Brought to you by the Parents Television Council	Share |
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My Generation on ABC

The line between scripted and reality programming continues to blur. So-called reality shows like The Hills and Laguna Beach are rumored to be at least partially scripted. Meanwhile, scripted shows like The Office and Modern Family employ some reality-show techniques, frequently using “OTF" (on the fly) testimonials for comic effect. ABC’s new series, My Generation, not only blurs the line, it completely obliterates it…or at least it tries to. Filmed as a “mockumentary,” the series revisits a group of twenty-somethings ten years after they were the subjects of a supposed documentary that chronicled their senior year of high school. To sell the illusion of reality, the actors stammer their lines and glance awkwardly at the incessantly shaky camera. Unfortunately, the producers of the show also apparently think nothing conveys realism more than profanity and nudity. Thus, the September 30^th episode of My Generation (8:00 p.m. ET) has been named Worst TV Show of the Week for its deliberately vulgar content and its crass gambit to appear more authentic.

The characters on the show each fit a particular high school archetype. Dawn Barbuso is the “The Punk” who is now pregnant with the baby of Rolly Marks ("The Jock"), who is stationed in Afghanistan. Dawn lives with her ex-boyfriend from high school, Kenneth Finley ("The Nerd"), who is still in love with her. (And, yes, it is as awkward at it sounds). Footage from their high school years is interspersed with present-day scenes. And in both eras, Dawn is as free with her mouth as she is with the rest of her body. She is frequently shown nonchalantly disrobing in front of Kenneth. In an early scene, she takes off her top as they discuss her upcoming birthing class. She isn’t wearing a bra, so her bare breasts are pixilated. In a subsequent scene, Kenneth suggests Dawn add her estranged mother to the list of people to call when she goes into labor. She tells Kenneth under no uncertain terms, “Seriously, if you call that woman, I will never speak to you again. I’m [bleeped ‘f******’] serious, Kenneth!”

As the credits still continue to roll, a flashback depicts Dawn working at an ice cream shop with her friend Falcon and her thirteen-year-old brother, Vincent. Dawn has just been informed by the principal that she may not graduate.

Falcon: "Plenty of strippers only have GED's."

Dawn: "Hey! Shut up! …How much do strippers make?"

Falcon: "Are you kidding? Ridiculous money!"

Dawn: "Because I could be a stripper!"

She turns up the volume on the boom-box, stands atop overturned milk cartons, and begins to bump and grind suggestively. When she squats low, her skirt rides up and her crotch is blurred; apparently she’s not wearing any underwear.

Falcon: "Oh, my goodness. I think I love you!"

Rolly: "Damn, girl."

Dawn: "We’re closed."

Rolly: "You look open to me."

In a later scene, while Kenneth is doing laundry, Dawn walks up and asks if he has room for the sweatpants she is wearing. She takes off her pants, revealing her underwear as her rear is blurred. She is also shown tossing her t-shirt off and, once again, her bare breasts are obscured.

It’s probably safe to assume that the producers of the show have watched the crude antics on reality hits like Jersey Shore and The Real World, and made the calculated decision that they needed a loose cannon in the cast -- someone who will say and do the craziest things. Sadly, in our fame-obsessed culture, it is usually the most reprehensible, least inhibited characters that go on to become reality-show stars. Nowadays, talent and achievement take a backseat to narcissism and misdeeds. So it is especially disheartening to see a scripted show take a page from the reality genre and deliberately add unnecessarily crude content, thereby buying into the notion that boorishness somehow conveys authenticity.

Perhaps if My Generation worried more about real emotions and less about outlandish behavior, the series would have connected with viewers. Despite its desperate ploy to tap into the current zeitgeist, the show never rang true and it was quickly cancelled after only two broadcasts.

To be sure, not all reality programming is bad. Some shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Undercover Boss actually have redemptive themes. Hopefully in the future, the next scripted show that borrows from reality television will draw upon its better angels -- and not its glorified demons.

For nudity and foul language, My Generation has been named Worst TV Show of the Week.