ABC's The Bachelorette this is not. New York is unabashedly loud and in charge. Not only that, but her mother, Sister Patterson, joins her to help her make her decisions. Mind the warning about this being unrated. There are no bleeps for anything but the most offensive bits of language, and New York throws F-bombs like it's going out of style. And yes, it is a case of "like mother, like daughter."
New York is in love with the camera and you really can't blame VH1 for giving her a show. She's such a character at times you have to wonder if any of it is real. She drinks, smokes and eats almost constantly throughout the show, and declares her love for ranch dressing just as passionately as she declares her affections for some of the men. She can be shallow and judgmental, and in the same breath tries to be sweet and accepting. Editing can do a lot to change how we see people on these shows. The thing is, she's always "on" and in character, to the point where you have to believe it.
So who would want such a classy little lady? The 20 guys picked from the show come from all walks of life. New York decides to give them nicknames, just like on Flavor of Love. The naming ceremony sets the tone for the show, and really is one of the funniest parts. When one guy gets asked what his nationality is, he answers, "Scottish-Romanian-Italian American." Sister Patterson just comes back with, "Aright, Whiteboy." And yes indeed, he goes through the entire show answering to "Whiteboy."
The guys are given challenges that seem appropriately tailored to New York's tastes. The "Mangeant" is a beauty pageant for the guys to show off their bodies. The "Big Ballers" episode has the guys competing to show who can earn the most money to support New York, were they to win her affections. If you had any feeling deep down that the show was going to shine and pull itself out of the shallow end, the next competition has the guys building a house fit for New York's pampered Chihuahua.
There are the typical ups and downs in this reality show. New York and the boys shed tears, laugh, and fight. But the fights on this show seem particularly ridiculous. You have to wonder how anyone can really have a fuse as short as Chance, and whether he's really serious when he goes on his tirades. You've got to wonder if Mr. Boston is playing with a full set of cards when he steps up to challenge the others. Of course, New York never hesitates to put on a big show when the guys fight, squealing and pleading with them when they threaten bodily harm to each other. Then behind the scenes, she professes how much it excites her to see them fight over her. It's especially hard to believe this is a real dating show because the moments when the boys are behind closed doors and roughhousing with each other paint an entirely different picture. They're really just a bunch of silly kids at heart, just there to have fun, it seems.
This DVD set has no extras to speak of: no commentary, no behind-the-scenes, nothing. But really, the episodes provide enough background content in the beginning and enough closure at the end to be enough on their own. You do need to stick around and watch the final episode, which is the reunion show, if you want to see what "really" happened with the guy New York chose. Overall, this show is mindless fluff, and enjoyable if you don't take it too seriously. It's perfectly crafted to have you wonder why New York makes the silly decisions she makes - to get you shaking your head in awe. Although having her mother on the show does add an interesting twist, you either love watching the train wreck that is New York, or you hate it.
