The Simple Life Goes to Camp

The Simple Life returned for its fifth and maybe possibly last season (you know how these things go) and I am a bit bummed.

One of my guiltiest pleasures, I love watching Paris & Nicole basically F with people. Sadly this season is a bit more scripted, than the show's origin. Perhaps its the behavior analyst in me that is intrigued by how the twosome can say awful things and shock and offend everyday salt-of-the-earth people, and then by the end of the show the offended forgive them and chirp back that they "love" Paris & Nicole. It's almost like the fact that these two highly recognizable girls can say anything to people and as long as they give an old man a hug and tell him he's sexy, or tell a woman they love her, the world is in their pocket. The people they encounter are probably so enthralled that Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie are talking to them, and telling them things good and bad. Being so close to a star, these people cannot remain mad or offended. Watching the show is like an interesting fish bowl of human behavior.

Now inseparably, these two can make you sick. In their "real" life drama, on E! and in People mag, what they do is far beyond funny. I don't hate them, but then again, I don't waste my time hating them. Nick Cage however is another story. Paris has already gone to jail, and Nicole is facing DUI & possible drug charges as well as almost endangering her new unborn baby, who miraculously hasn't aborted itself in that tiny frame of Nicole's. Lindsay (Lohan) and Britney are no better. Together they make the Twat Pack, except well, Nicole hasn't flashed her va-jay-jay yet. All in due time I'm sure.


But I'm getting off topic. Some are saying that this season is the worst yet. Simply because the show really really seemed fake due to putting Paris next to hunky camp co-counselor Hunter. A concocted lovestruck puppy Hunter makes, while Nicole earnestly tells him ways to win Paris, although in reality anyone can see her advice is totally off - on purpose. What I loved about the first and second season of the simple like is the realness. Seeing the girls without makeup, getting ready, doing their own hair, trying to heat up canned soup (in the can in the microwave), dancing while on the job, crashing cars, ditching work for manicures, cutting up uniforms, and basically saying obscenely funny things to people and laughing at their reactions. This final season, the girls had a professional makeup trailer and they never seemed to have any crucial off moments of realness seep through. Unlike the previous seasons which have lots of goodies on the DVDs, in which I own all the seasons, much to the dismay of my friends.



Rumors of their being a Kelly Osbourne )Ozzy's daughter) and Kim Kardashian or Kim Stewart (Rod Stewart's daughter) having a similar show have aired on the Simple Life's E website message boards. Still, whether that show is made or not, will not replace the amount of guilty pleasure I get from laughing at Nicole's antics. She seems to be the instigator, while Paris seems to hang back and sometimes join. Paris has her moments of causing trouble though.

I thought season 4 wasn't as good due to their feud, whether real or conspired, and the show filmed them with the same families at different times. It's disappointing to see the show have to change to keep up with ratings and the Hollywood machine, so far that it lost it's core point and grittiness. Nicole and Paris are at their best when knowingly causing mischief and not doing what they are supposed to be doing, and they seem to be most creative when they are bored with a task.

Goodbye Simple Life. Goodbye Nicole. Goodbye Paris. Goodbye Guilty Pleasure