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Lady or a Tramp

Jill

Just in case you thought reality tv couldn’t get any worse:

The title of the Fox vehicle in development under the executive-producing auspices of real-estate tycoon Donald Trump is Lady or a Tramp, and the premise revolves around so-called party girls (that is, the titular tramps, of course) who are transformed into so-called debutantes (translation: uptight females who think they’re better and more important than they actually are) after being sent to charm school.

It’s the virgin/whore dichotomy on primetime. Way to be creative, dudes.

Thanks to Shankar for the link.

34 thoughts on Lady or a Tramp

  1. Maybe I’m dumb, but I find this utterly confusing. Aren’t “debutantes” among the most party-hardy girls out there? (See Hilton, Paris.)

  2. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?!

    Now, I’ve known some debutantes that… You know, this is obviously a class thing. And I’m one of those people who’s worn out of the word “classism,” mind you.

  4. I don’t think you can wear out the word “classism,” Natalia. If anything, it’s still underused.

  5. Well, but I’m not sure Paris Hilton is actually a blue-blood, blue-book debutante. How old is her money?

  6. Not to mention the equally infuriating “Age of Love” described here.

    But only one woman can win Mark’s heart. Is she an attractive, experienced woman who knows what she wants and has already carved out a niche of her own, or is she a sexy younger woman who lacks the experience of her older counterpart, but has an enthusiasm for life that only comes with the inexperience of youth? In the end, both Mark and the viewers will discover if love is truly ageless.

    The suspense builds in early episodes as Mark — unaware of the concept — is first introduced to the “Cougars.” As he meets them one by one, their ages increase much to his surprise. The series takes a dramatic turn when Mark learns there’s a second group of much younger women — the “Kittens” — who will also be attempting to vie for his affections. Unaware of each other, the two groups of women meet for the first time taking the competition for Mark’s affections to a whole new level. From there, each week the field of women will be narrowed down with the remaining vying for his attention — but only one can win Mark’s heart.

    Arrrrg…..

  8. “It’s the perfect relationship,” he claims, “she doesn’t ask where I’ve been and she’s always there for me.”
    —

    Perhaps they can combine the two programs and Donny can send Marky to charm school.

  9. You know what I would love to see on one of these shows? One or more of the women go on those pre-fab “dates,” decide she doesn’t like the guy, and leave, because he hasn’t won her heart. The assumption that a man needs the best possible woman but women are satisfied with anything with a pulse, a job, and a penis is irritating.

  11. Well, but I’m not sure Paris Hilton is actually a blue-blood, blue-book debutante. How old is her money?

    Three generations. It was earned by her great-grandfather, Conrad. I have no idea if three generations is “old” enough according to the rules of…of whoever sets the rules for this type of thing.

  12. Hmm. Three generations sounds pretty nouveau to me, but what do I know? It should be easy enough to check…anybody got a copy of the social register? Or, actually, debs do still come out (I have a friend who was a debutante and is a lesbian, so she came out twice). Any information on Hilton’s coming out party?

  13. OK, according to the gossip websites I’ve just googled, the Hiltons do not have an entry in the Social Register. And, given the givens, I suspect they never will. So, nope, Paris ain’t a deb.

  14. Didn’t Frank Sinatra nail his 96 Reasons Why The Lady is a Tramp to the front door of the Jersey City First Catholic Church back in 1949?

  15. This show is on right now, and it’s called “Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School.”

    Oh, no, wait, it can’t possibly be the same show because of the final four contestants, two are black, one is Asian, and the sole white girl is a brunette. No debutante ball for them.

    PS. Put your money on Leilene. They’ve totally set her up to win.

  16. Yikes. Second worst idea for a reality show EVAR.

    I still say this is the worst, but… yeah, this is pretty bad too.

  17. (I’m an adult adopted daughter, so that one hit kinda close to home. Your mileage may vary.)

  18. Kristen, I saw ads for that Age of Love tonight and was horrified. Again, it’s amazing to me that someone dreams this crap up but it’s even more amazing that someone else approves it. And then lots of someones make it happen. The mind? Well, it boggles.

  19. This show is on right now, and it’s called “Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School.”

    Oh, no, wait, it can’t possibly be the same show because of the final four contestants, two are black, one is Asian, and the sole white girl is a brunette. No debutante ball for them.

    PS. Put your money on Leilene. They’ve totally set her up to win.

    Damn, I’m a huge fan of Becky/Buckwild. Total guilty pleasure show and she’s the only one that doesn’t horrify me.

  20. Damn, I’m a huge fan of Becky/Buckwild. Total guilty pleasure show and she’s the only one that doesn’t horrify me.

    My money’s on Sapphyri.

    Charm School is the one show in the Flavor of Love franchise that doesn’t really bother me. I LOVE Mo, I feel like she maintains the classiness and reprimands the women in a constructive way, instead of the “bitches is cRaZy” mentality of Flavor of Love.

  21. (I have a friend who was a debutante and is a lesbian, so she came out twice).

    *laughs till she falls off her chair*

    (Not at your friend, I hasten to add – it’s just so beautifully phrased.)

  22. Hmm, so both Britian and America each have a ‘ladette-to-lady’ show. I wonder if they’ll make one for Australia?

    I actually thought of that for a few seconds.

    Then I burst into hysterics.

    I respectfully suggest that Trump start focusing his TV aspirations on something more productive, like, say, a reality series in which we get to watch him give away large chunks of his abundant money to people who really need it, such as underprivileged children who want to attend better schools, perhaps, or disabled war veterans unable to find decent employment now that they’re back in the United States.

    Actually, those are reality TV shows that I might watch. Too bad they’ll never happen.

  24. Damn, someone beat me to the Charm School reference.
    I have to admit that I’ve seen the show and it’s pretty damn appalling, watching them teach the women how to act like “proper ladies” by, you know, keeping their mouths shut and never saying anything controversial . . . and then glorifying it when they start chewing each other out and get into “cat fights.” Sigh.

  25. How will Donald Trump recognize when the women on this show demonstrate good manners? That pig doesn’t have a passing acquaintance with socially acceptable behavior, much less any authority from which to speak to others.

  27. How will Donald Trump recognize when the women on this show demonstrate good manners? That pig doesn’t have a passing acquaintance with socially acceptable behavior, much less any authority from which to speak to others.

    It’s not about manners, it’s about dictating female behavior. He has plenty of practice with that from the Miss Universe competition.

  28. Wow. Now I feel so much better about watching What Not To Wear.

    There are those who would say that no American is old-money.

    Actually, the whole concept of old money or old family has always made me laugh, probably because I am quite literal-minded. I mean, don’t we all trace our ancestry back to the African subcontinent? What about those of us whose families have been working or middle class for generations upon generations? Do we get a prize?

  29. There are those who would say that no American is old-money.

    Well, yeah, but those are not the people in charge of the Social Register!

  31. Oh, yes–otherwise how do you know who’s a real blue-blood debutante and who’s some nouveau arriviste?! It’s all very Edith Wharton.

  32. (I have a friend who was a debutante and is a lesbian, so she came out twice).

    I also can’t stop laughing at this.

    Did anyone see the TLC show, “Mind Your Manners,” tonight? One of the women getting reformed was dubbed a “scary feminist” (she wore “This is What a Feminist Looks Like” t-shirts). Her reluctance to practice walking in heels and sitting with her legs slanted in a “ladylike” way was, of course, taken by the etiquette lady as evidence that she was insecure and “afraid of femininity.”

    I don’t know why this stuff still surprises me, but it does.

  33. I’d like to see a Survivor-like reality show involving television executives.

    the twist being, unbeknownst to them, all the contestants from every reality show that’s ever been get to take turns throwing some sadistic monkey wrench into the equation. like, they all have to hunt for a store of canned food that’ll feed approximately half of them, and then do a Gladiator-style battle for who gets it; what they -don’t- know is that there isn’t any can opener.

  34. I’d like to see a Survivor-like reality show involving television executives.

    the twist being, unbeknownst to them, all the contestants from every reality show that’s ever been get to take turns throwing some sadistic monkey wrench into the equation. like, they all have to hunt for a store of canned food that’ll feed approximately half of them, and then do a Gladiator-style battle for who gets it; what they -don’t- know is that there isn’t any can opener.

    I would pay good money to watch that.

    The ads for Age of Love irritate me so much that they make me foam at the mouth, just a little.

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