So here we are in the throes of a possible global pandemic, a planetary climate control crisis, and a financial meltdown that has reached its tentacles from Wall Street to Iceland. But you can exercise a tiny bit of control by voting by text message as to which one of three jobs Tiffany Pollard AKA New York should be subjected to each week. I guess that's the premise behind New York Goes to Work, which premiered on VH1 May 4. And it's a weak one to be sure.
You'll remember that our hero (and I use the term loosely) was twice rejected by Flavor Flav on the Flavor of Love series and proved too skanky and hilarious of a character not to get her own show, I Love New York. From that series came New York Goes to Hollywood, and that show begat this show, New York Goes to Work. Ay Caramba!
The plot each week is that Tiffany has to perform one day at a job chosen for her by audience text message, and if she makes it through the day she receives a $10K bonus. If not, she forfeits the money. So week one she's supposedly being driven to her first gig with no idea of what it is. She's a really bad actress and when she sees that it's going to be a day of being an exterminator, she kind of half-heartedly screams and carries on.
Well, it should come as no surprise that, after being told only 50 percent of potential exterminators make it through their first day, that there is much sturm und drang over the tasks she must perform: get rid of a bees' nest in a garage, remove a snake from someone's backyard, and remove the bodies of dead rats from under a house. She runs away screaming from the last task and collapses onto the grass, retching.
The judges' panel is made up of the guys from the pest control company and our girl receives a 2 out of 3 since she made it through two of the tasks. She gets her $10K check for the day and runs off, still wearing her exterminator uniform. If this show lasts, here's my idea for her next three job choices:
(1) Television producer who comes up with the idea behind this show and must pitch it to the network
(2) Network executive who has the choice of greenlighting this show -- or not
(3) Acting coach who has the task of making her look like she doesn't know what's coming next -- even though she clearly does
New York Goes to Work is seen Monday nights at 10pm on VH1.
Read more of Holly Cara Price's ruminations on the slings and arrows of outrageous pop culture on her website, Snoop* Du Jour.