'The Paper' delivers newspaper and drama
By Taryn Lentes, Staff Writer
April 18, 2008 | 11 a.m.
MTV’s newest reality show, "The Paper,” should fit right in with the rest of the network's lineup. In other words, it revolves around self-centered people with a flair for the dramatic.
The previews for MTV’s “The Paper” presented the show as a fierce competition between the best journalists at an elite high school newspaper, battling it out for the top spot of editor in chief. However, that is not what the network delivers. In fact, only the first episode focused on the choosing of a new editor in chief, and the rest of the season will follow the drama that results from that appointment.
Given MTV’s previous foray into portraying journalism on a reality show with last year's "I'm From Rolling Stone," in which people were chosen for personality rather than talent and publicly wasted a chance to work at Rolling Stone, it shouldn’t be surprising that MTV is sticking to their formula of drama over quality.
The students featured on “The Paper” are the staff of the Cypress Bay High School newspaper, The Circuit, which has received many prestigious journalism awards. However, as soon as the staff is introduced, it becomes hard to understand exactly how they manage to accomplish anything at all.
A show about high school kids is expected to have its share of pettiness, and anything on MTV is, of course, going to be amplified times 10. Plus, the way the first episode of this show was structured is less entertaining and just plain sad.
The first person introduced to the audience is Amanda, the paper’s copy editor and the staffer most hated by her fellow students. In their defense, she does sort of bring to mind Ashley Tisdale of “High School Musical” fame, complete with the blonde hair, show tune soundtrack, and an over-the-top personality. It’s hard not to feel bad for Amanda, though, as MTV forces the audience to watch her slave over her application essay for editor in chief and then flashes to shots of a party that most of the other staffers are attending but to which she wasn’t invited.
The other candidates for editor in chief include Alex, the sports editor who seems to wisely keep his mouth shut for the most part; Giana, the clubs editor who seems to believe that making out with her boyfriend is one of her most important duties; and Adam, the business manager who is every bit as dramatic and overbearing as Amanda.
The staff members do not seem very concerned with completing their essays or with who gets the position, as long as it is not Amanda. In addition to the party, they also go out for a good luck dinner organized by Adam, where they call Amanda and make downright cruel comments under their breath that Amanda can clearly hear.
This immature and belittling behavior continues throughout the episode and becomes the complete focus of the show. Amanda is forced to sit only a few feet away from her classmates and listen while they tell the cameras exactly how much they don’t like her. At one point, Amanda is within the frame while a fellow staffer belittles her on television, and the look on her face really sucks the entertainment value out of the show.
The new editor in chief is announced at the end of the first episode, and the drama continues. MTV promises that the season will be full of intelligent teens competing and working together to create a respected publication, but if the first episode is any indication of the season to follow, expect petty arguments and cruel, cliquey behavior without much mention of the journalism aspect at all.
Most viewers will not get anything out of this show that they could not get out of any other reality series. “The Paper” showcases the parts of high school that most would love to forget, and that is not a good thing.
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