The calls are coming from…reality TV?
Never in a million years did I ever think I’d be on reality TV - never mind allow an entire camera crew into my (very unorganized) home. But the possibility of having Jeff Lewis of Bravo's hit Flipping Out pay us a visit for his new series Interior Therapy proved too tempting.
I was curious to peak behind the curtain at the film and television industry’s dirty little backwoods moneymaker - er, I mean, reality TV. Being an information junkie and an artist, how could I not want to be a part of this weird current phenomenon? Plus, like so many other thinking Americans, I can't help but be fascinated by reality TV. It’s kind of like a horror film - they both have formulas, you know there will be blood and someone will wind up with a big, nasty scar (on their neck or their heart), and you also know that they’re not going to end well for the actors…or willing participants.
Don't go into the woods. Don't go into the boarded-up basement. Don’t go into the abandoned house, no matter how many times your friends call you a pussy. Don’t look under the bed, especially if you’re looking for your clown toy or a purple dinosaur with a doll head. Most important of all…don't let a reality show crew into your home.
(Cue dramatic music – something creepy, like…a carnival theme, perhaps!) But we did. We let Jeff Lewis, his assistant Jenny, and his trusted housekeeper Zoila into our home and lives, which at the time were incredibly tumultuous. It was like an experiment – how long could I watch without covering my eyes and plugging my ears?
You know that point in the horror movie when you actually relax a little bit, loosen your grip on the edge of your seat, and think, “WELL. That wasn’t so bad.” WRONG! You’re always wrong, because the worst hasn’t even started yet. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why was there a moment when I was lulled into a false sense of security with Jeff, thinking we were having a good time, and had become friends? Why did I not expect the man who made his career on flipping and freaking out not to freak out on me? Did I really think I was immune to the killer’s axe?
Like Freddy Kreuger, Jeff even invaded my dreams (despite the Xanax). I found myself waking up at 2am, convinced I was going to open my eyes and see Jeff pushing his way through my ceiling with a crazy smile and a Swiffer sweeper instead of razorblades for fingers.
It’s a betrayal, in a way. “But…but…he was such a nice boy!” “But…but…he was different with me!”
Nope. In every good horror film, and every good (cough cough) episode of reality TV, they always get you in the end. It’s just human nature to allow ourselves to be deceived over and over again – right?
Of course, I say all of this without having seen how they edit the show, so as not to spoil any of the shenanigans that ensued.
I really liked Jeff, Jenny, and Zoila. I think they liked us. But I can't be sure. Who would watch a horror movie if the killer gave his victims hugs instead of ripping their hearts out of their chests with his bare hands? Jeff did his job well…almost TOO well, as you'll see in our episode "Goth No More".
And unlike any horror movie victim, I will be around to watch myself. I “survived” to learn a lesson and go back in time. I think the scariest part for me will be to see myself at another point in my existence, before certain recent events changed our lives indefinitely. Sort of like another horror movie trope…the not-so-funhouse.
And the REALITY is, unlike what I've seen of how other couples on Interior Therapy are edited, my husband I have sincere, true love for each other. It’s a unique kind of love that perhaps not everyone will understand, but it is love, and it is ours. It’ll be interesting to see how we’re portrayed, and what we were like before 2013 started beating the shit out of us.
In the end, we truly did get a.... (I don't want to ruin it for you) and a lot of people will be able to be exposed to some truly inspiring art that they might not have discovered on their own…and that’s better than getting an axe to the throat or a chainsaw to the skull!
Enjoy the show. See you on the other side!
JA
Interior Therapy -
Every Tuesday @ 9/8c on BRAVO
It’s a betrayal, in a way. “But…but…he was such a nice boy!” “But…but…he was different with me!”
Nope. In every good horror film, and every good (cough cough) episode of reality TV, they always get you in the end. It’s just human nature to allow ourselves to be deceived over and over again – right?
Of course, I say all of this without having seen how they edit the show, so as not to spoil any of the shenanigans that ensued.
I really liked Jeff, Jenny, and Zoila. I think they liked us. But I can't be sure. Who would watch a horror movie if the killer gave his victims hugs instead of ripping their hearts out of their chests with his bare hands? Jeff did his job well…almost TOO well, as you'll see in our episode "Goth No More".
And unlike any horror movie victim, I will be around to watch myself. I “survived” to learn a lesson and go back in time. I think the scariest part for me will be to see myself at another point in my existence, before certain recent events changed our lives indefinitely. Sort of like another horror movie trope…the not-so-funhouse.
And the REALITY is, unlike what I've seen of how other couples on Interior Therapy are edited, my husband I have sincere, true love for each other. It’s a unique kind of love that perhaps not everyone will understand, but it is love, and it is ours. It’ll be interesting to see how we’re portrayed, and what we were like before 2013 started beating the shit out of us.
In the end, we truly did get a.... (I don't want to ruin it for you) and a lot of people will be able to be exposed to some truly inspiring art that they might not have discovered on their own…and that’s better than getting an axe to the throat or a chainsaw to the skull!
Enjoy the show. See you on the other side!
JA
Interior Therapy -
Every Tuesday @ 9/8c on BRAVO
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