Thursday, May 12, 2011

Tough Talk

I admit it, I love the new Tough Enough. I kind of rolled my eyes when I heard they were bringing it back. The fear was while at the time of the original MTV version reality TV was new and raw and that in 2011 everything they would do on Tough Enough would have been done a million times over already. And to a point this is all true. The show has flaws. Bringing in wannabe "superstars" at such varying degrees of experience and be able to judge them all fairly seems crazy. I think if they were going the indy wrestler route go that way all the way. If they were going no experience, go that way as it's more an even playing field. Character development is also lacking except what we see in training. We need more footage from the house with interaction much like we saw on the best, most star making seasons of The Ultimate Fighter. However, all those flaws aside it is worth watching the whole show just to see Stone Cold Steve Austin's evaluations. These are priceless. I have no idea how much of this is "enhanced" but you get the feeling this is a guy who cares more about the industry that he made his living in then in being a nice guy. Some of his reactions to some of the things said are just beyond awesome. "Permission to speak" and "Melina versus Alica Fox" are the 2 moments so far that I view as unforgettable. You also get the feeling that Stone Cold is indeed the one making the cuts, not the WWE which, if true, is even cooler

In the end the success of the show sits squarely in SCSA's broad shoulders. The man still has so much charisma it's scary and there is no one current that comes close (The Rock is the exception but unless he's back full time he doesn't count). A second season without SCSA might not hold my interest so I await to hear if there will be a season 2 and if he is coming back. For now I will enjoy the rest of the season and see how the winner is marketed and if he or she (OK< he most likely) will be the next Maven, next Linda, or the next John Morrison

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