Like Mother, Like Daughter

As far back as I can remember, which isn't that far, my mother has always been a faithful watcher of her favorite obsession, "Days of Our Lives." I know, I'm embarrassed for her. When I was younger I used to watch the show with her and think I was pretty much the coolest kid around because I got to watch an adult show with grown up content, and then I realized that this show was a soap opera.

Once I got older and started to understand the ridiculous plots that went something like Stefano's face got burned to a crisp so he wears a "Phantom of the Opera" type mask and then miraculously has a normal face next episode, I began to realize that I was watching a horrendous show. But, to spend some time with my mom, I stuck around as long as I could with "Days of Our Lives" until they started to incorporate aliens and witches and once that happened, I ran from that show like a fire was lit to my butt.

Still to this day my mom cannot stop watching that show even though after every episode all I hear is "I don't know why I still watch this stupid show," she's still obsessed! Well here's where my mother blessed me with the wonderful genes of TV addiction: I cannot stop watching "The Secret Life of the American Teenager."

The show is absolutely horrible. The writing sucks big time and the acting is just as bad, which I'm thoroughly surprised with because Molly Ringwald plays the mother but apparently she needs to go back to "The Breakfast Club" where she could actually act. I've watched this show from the beginning when it first aired on ABC Family about two and a half years ago and for some reason, my teenage years just won't let me stop watching it.

The show is written and produced by Brenda Hampton who was also the mastermind behind "7th Heaven" before that show went downhill. Hampton's dialogue is the same for each show and to be honest, the first time I've been impressed with "The Secret Life" was with the episode that aired on Monday, Feb. 22. The show's entire plot revolves around one thing and one thing only: sex. I'm not entirely sure if that's because ABC Family wants to spice up the network a little bit or if Hampton wants to stray as far away from "7th Heaven" as she can. The show also has a long list of actors with a cast of 17 main characters, all of them relatively unknown to the acting scene, with the exception of Molly Ringwald.

After watching the first episode of the first season, I immediately knew the show, as bad as it was, would completely and utterly suck me in given that I'm obsessed with all things television. And, just like my mother, after every single episode I either mutter to myself, my roommate, or to my dog that "I don't know why I still watch this stupid show."

In a different twist, I've actually had the pleasure of meeting the whole cast on two different occasions. First, I was able to interview Francia Raisa who plays the school slut Adrian Lee when I interned for M Magazine last summer. She was actually really down to earth and surprisingly spilled some secrets of her own to me, which I was shocked because I didn't know her personally.

Just last month on my second day interning for Seventeen Magazine, the whole cast came into the office for an interview and because I'm obsessed with the show and of course know everything about it and the actors, I was able to attend the meeting and let me tell you, I was in all my glory. The cast was beyond amazing and Francia Raisa actually remembered me from our previous interview and I think I almost peed in my pants. Shailene Woodley who plays Amy and Megan Park who plays Grace basically became my new best friends (in my mind) and we chatted up a storm (they even laughed at my jokes!). Greg Finley who plays the gorgeous yet ridiculously stupid jock named Jack is originally from Maine and actually went to school in Rhode Island, where I'm from, so we bonded over that for a little while too.

Although I have a love/hate obsession with "The Secret Life" you'd be out of your mind if you thought that I actually told them I thought their show sucked sometimes. But even though I met the cast, I will still tune in every Monday night at 8 pm to watch the show and then mutter my mother's favorite saying, "I don't know why I still watch this stupid show."

'I fist pump and party with the best of 'em'

Oh “Jersey Shore,” you’re so bad that I love you. Seeing as how I watch every single TV show ever, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m obsessed with this awful reality show on MTV. For a show that’s received so many backlashes and for a cast that’s gotten so much hate, it’s no surprise that “Jersey Shore” was one of MTV’s highest watched shows ever.
When the commercials first aired for “Jersey Shore,” all I could ask was why anyone would want to watch some kid fist pumping with sweaty armpits, but of course my roommates and I had to watch the first episode and let me tell you, it was love at first sight.
This show is so bad that it’s awesome. Of course it’s trashy, completely and utterly not classy and sends out a bad message, but that’s truly what makes a reality show worth watching. My roommates and I laughed every other second at the stupidity that fell out of the cast’s mouths. The cast includes eight of the funniest people I’ve ever seen in my life. There’s Mike “The Situation,” Nicole “Snooki,” Jenni “JWOWW,” Pauly D, Vinny, Sammi “Sweetheart,” Ronnie and Angelina (she doesn’t count in my book since she left this masterpiece after the third episode).
In case you missed this fabulous show, here’s a recap of a few of my favorite lines. When Vinny caught pink eye, Pauly D claims he doesn’t know anything about pink eye but that “you can get it through the air.” When Ronnie goes to jail for knocking a kid out cold from just one punch, Snooki asks Sammi if they should call 911 to find out what jail Ronnie was brought to, to which Sammi replies “I don’t know, isn’t 911 for emergencies only?” See what I mean, MTV executives couldn’t even write this stuff, the dialogue is just that brilliant.
Even if you’ve never heard of “Jersey Shore,” or refused to watch the show, you’ve definitely heard of the “punch that was heard around the world.” Poor Snooki, the girl can probably qualify as a legitimate midget considering her height and was the only girl who kept getting into fist fights. While the cast was at a bar, some drunken man kept taking their shots and when Snooki confronted him, he punched her in the face. Although MTV originally showed the punch in the previews, so much controversy surrounded the fight that MTV felt it necessary to pull the punch from the show but aired the after effects. The man was identified and has since lost his job as a high school gym teacher.
The best part about “Jersey Shore” is that not one of the eight original cast mates is from New Jersey. Even better than that? Pauly D is from my hometown in Rhode Island. I drift from feeling brutally embarrassed to sometimes proud that a little guido from RI who spends 25 minutes a day on his “bulletproof” hair, now has this much popularity. All of the cast mates now get paid an immense amount of money (anywhere from $7,000-$10,000) for appearances at clubs and talk shows. The success of “Jersey Shore” has made MTV sign on the original cast for a second season with each of the cast members now making $10,000 per episode.

Ben From "The Buried Life" Sweats Megan Fox

Okay, so I pretty much watch every single show on MTV and come on, everyone's guiltiest pleasure is totally reality shows! I started tuning into "The Buried Life" when the first episode premiered and I really like the show. It's completely different from anything else out there and it actually goes beyond the phony, superficial reality show that usually airs on MTV. Not only do the four boys set out to achieve goals on their bucket list, but they also help a total stranger knock something off of their own bucket list. The question, "What do you want to do before you die?" is the main premise of this show and is something everyone has asked themselves at least once in their life. In the episode that aired Monday, February 1, the boys attempt to ask out the girl of their dreams. The four boys are able to sneak themselves into the Transformers 2 premiere to meet Megan Fox and potentially ask her out on a date. As Ben, the lead guy, sweats from nervousness and almost pees his pants as Megan approaches him, the other guys are either waiting in a bathroom stall for 3 hours or just pretending to be a celebrity. The four guys on the show are just flat out hysterical and make the show worth watching. Unfortunately for Ben, as he attempts to ask out Megan Fox, she's whisked away by her publicist but the boys still have hope that their goal will be reached at another time. At the end of the show, the boys help out an 11-year-old who's afraid of heights and take her on her first rollercoaster that she thoroughly enjoys. Although this show hasn't sparked too much gossip like MTV's "Jersey Shore" has (we'll talk about that masterpiece at another time), the show is still really good to me and something I will continue to watch and write about.