You’re Cut Off is a VH1 reality show that features nine spoiled 20-something women whose benefactors all decided that in these tough times, enough is enough. It’s high time their princesses learn how to become productive members of society–not a endless drain on their finances. So when the ladies move into a house for what they think is a reality show called “The Good Life,” they’re actually about to be subjected to their worst nightmare: getting cut off. Completely cut off. As in stripped of all their cash and conveniences, and forced to learn how to live life the way normal people do. They are required to participate and pass an eight week rehabilitation program in order to be taken back. The program director is Laura Baron, a life strategist who helps counsel the women on the road to self-improvement and responsibility.
From Episode 1, the first meeting, most of the women go into the default I’m insecure role of establishing dominance by back-talking and feigning superiority. The typical high school mean girls syndrome that is so popular now in reality shows, particularly on the Real Housewives series. Mostly just posturing for the camera, name calling and complaining. Chrissy, Gia and Jessica are the mean girl front runners, although I hafta give Jessica credit for cooking dinner the first night they realized they had to do it all themselves.
In Episode 2, the girls are given chores in the house and completion of their chores = food money for the house. Chrissy, Gia and Erika refuse to clean. Later on, long story short, the exercise is for the girls to all clean a mansion and Gia confronts the home’s owner – Omarosa. The conversation is stereo stupidity, it’s no more real than the myth that Omarosa owns that house. That night Gia, Chrissy and Erica continue to argue and Erica explains there is a difference between new money and old money. Since Chrissy and Gia are new money, they don’t know how to conduct themselves.
In Episode 3, the girls are given a lesson in spending on a budget. It’s also determined in this episode that very few of the woman can tell the difference between a high priced champagne/pate/diamond/dress/handbag and a budget item. Without seeing the label, they haven’t a clue about quality or value. At the end of the lesson, they had to put on a fashion show using items bought at a thrift store. Many of the girls were surprised they actually found items of clothing they wanted to wear.
In Episode 4, the girls are assigned to do factory work in a warehouse. While some embrace the job, others aren’t as thrilled. Chrissy, queen of the Narcissistic Bad Attitude, misses the ride to work and Gia, first runner up for the NBA, quits before the day is over. Gia is particularly furious that Erica – in her first year of law school – got assigned as manager for the day, and thus be Gia’s boss. Erica, while loving that she got the manager position, is wisely not gloating about it. She’s being kind and gracious to everyone, and just doing her job She’s realized the camera is going to show everything she does, so she tones down the name calling and gets on good behavior. If she doesn’t impress Daddy, he may stop being her meal ticket.
Gia is hard to listen to, it’s like watching a 2 year old have a tantrum. It’s just annoying and you want to be away from it. But small lessons begin sinking into Gia. Short lived, but she’s getting some sparks. Like maybe she should change her baby’s diapers just to bond with her.
In last night’s Episode 5, they get all dolled up to do a photo shoot, then they go to a Buddhist temple where they do a meditation exercise and hear the monks speak about living without material things. Some of the girls get it. Most don’t. Afterwards, they go for another photo shoot, this time without make up and jewelry and in a plain tshirt and jeans.
Not surpringly, this sends Chrissy into another mouthy tirade, since she spends hours a day doing hair and makeup, drag queen style. She doesn’t want to remove her makeup, she doesn’t want a photo shoot of her without it. Yet when we finally get to see her without it, she’s surprisingly beautiful. Until she opens her mouth again. Like Gia, it’s hard to listen to Chrissy, it’s not entertaining, it’s like watching a 2 year old have a tantrum. It’s just annoying and you want to be away from it.
Laura has a talk with Chrissy, who is smart-mouthing her the whole time. Even the other girls told Chrissy to please speak respectfully to Laura when she meets with her. But Chrissy is having none of that. She’s told to pack and be gone within an hour, that she’s been uncooperative the whole time, she doesn’t do the program exercises and her attitude disrupted everyone else’s personal journey. Of course Chrissy walks away crying that it’s not fair, yada yada. And all she had to do was be nice. How hard is that?
I grew up with an attitude. You couldn’t tell me anything, I knew it all. I was nice enough, but I could be a sarcastic smart aleck, too. I was in my 30’s before I realized how much that hindered me instead of helping me. How much it distanced me from those who had something to teach me. If I thought I knew it all, I wasn’t asking questions. And if I wasn’t asking questions, I couldn’t hear any answers and I couldn’t learn anything new.
My attitude now is, “How can I help? How can I be of service?” If someone is rude to me, I figure they’ve had a bad day. I don’t mind when drivers cut me off, I say a prayer for them to have happier lives. I don’t take things personally. No one is out to get me. I look for the good stuff in whatever is going on around me.
Life is much simpler now, and – without all that drama – much more fun. But of course that would not make for a good reality show, which is why You’re Cut Off and all the other shows are so popular. People like to watch the drama and the catfights. They can relate. Maybe they grew up treating each other in the family that way. Maybe – good or bad – it feels familiar to them. They vibrate there.
My mother would have kicked my ass and I would have deserved it.
Gimme nice any day. The return on investment is so worth it.