We live in a country that reveres one hit wonders in pop music. There are lists made, radio stations devote entire weekends to them, Dexy's Midnight Runners have been living off of Come on Eileen for three decades while bands that stupidly achieved a second trip on the charts end up getting day jobs. There is really no equivalent for movie stars that are known for only one film, they are not even famous enough to get an invite to Dancing with the Stars which routinely recruits "stars" over half the country have never heard of.
It was over a decade ago when Sara Foster was poised for a star turn opposite Luke Wilson in The Big Bounce. The only problem was the movie bombed and was critically panned. In the eleven years since, her IMDB page touts three television episodes, a stint on the 90210 reboot, three movies you have never heard of and one you never knew exist (wait, there was a second Bachelor Party movie?).
Since the acting career never really took off, Sara looks to be joining the family business. Nope, she is not going into music production like her father David who was probably the second most famous one of the eighties after Quincy Jones. Nope she is taking on her father's latter day career as reality star. He starred in The Princes of Malibu with third wife Linda and most recently on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with fourth wife Yolanda.
Now Sara stars in the appropriately titled Barely Famous with her little sister Erin who is dubbed a writer on the show. According to IMDB her lone writing credit was for the horrible NBC sitcom The New Normal. Though she actually does have more acting credits than her sister popping up on twelve different shows as well as a few movies you never heard of.
This probably will come as a shock to nobody, but in recent court deposition, it came out that Love and Hip Hop, as well as pretty much every VH1 reality show, is a complete fake. Not that the Fosters mind that one bit because they are going out of their way to make sure everyone know Barely Famous is not a "real" reality show. Of course Erin receive a James Franco booty call every episode, even in the middle of a date with an Apple employee, is fake.
But the thing is, Barely Famous is actually kind of funny. The big problem is that it has been down before and done in the more reasonable web series form. A mockumentary on not really being a star is not a television series, it is better served in bitesize, five to ten minute intervals no matter how many celebrity cameos you get (Kate Hudson and Nicole Richie in the first, Jessica Alba in number two, Courntney Cox in the third; presumably Franco will pop up in the finale because James Franco has never said no in his career).
Remember how I said Love and Hip Hop, and basically every VH1 show was outed as fake? Well The Walk of Shame Shuttle is extremely fake too. Sure, like Love and Hip Hop, it wants you to think it is real, but there is no way that is true. One big red flag is they actually air the address of the walk of shamees, many of who are clearly actors. Sure there are a few that are plausibly real because we clearly live in a TMI society, but it is hard to believe they found enough to air their dirty laundry on basic channel to fill a series.
The Walk of Shame Shuttle is basically Taxicab Confession set during the morning. The enterprising Kellyann Wargo, who came up withe the idea in college, is one of the drivers along with comedians Jordan Pease and Michelle Collins. But it is Kellyann who is the star of the show, where the other two try to upstage their fairs, Wargo says more with her reaction shots. Yeah the passengers may or may not be fake, but Kellyann's facial expressions to the craziness are priceless. Neither The Walk of Shame Shuttle or Barely Famous are must see television, or even worth space on your DVR, but if you find yourself flipping through your channels and happen on either, you may actually be entertained for a minute or two before moving nto the next channel.
Walk of Shame Shuttle airs at 9:00 followed by Barely Famous airs Wednesdays at 9:30 both on VH1.
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