Armed and D-list

“Get some B-list celebrities, give them guns, and put them into a Midwest U.S. town as police officers and what do you get?” Reuters asks. “The stupidest idea I’ve heard all day, and I just got done reading about the new aquarium toilet,” I reply. But that charming exchange hasn’t stopped Muncie, Ind.-born producer Mike Braverman from debuting Armed and Famous, a reality TV show that leaves his hometown’s safety to a crew of sorta-famous vigilantes. The current lineup features Trish Stratus (retired women’s wrestler), Erik Estrada (played a cop once), LaToya Jackson (lunatic), Jack Osborne (recovering addict) and some jackass from Jackass. The show is airing on CBS, which doesn’t surprise me. Needless to say, the citizens of Muncie aren’t thrilled. “Muncie can be the laughingstock of the country just like we thought it would” and “the current city leaders have prostituted the name of what was once known as ‘Middletown America’ for fleeting fame and little profit” are just two local reactions to the show. And they were being nicer than the critics, who had even less positive feedback, though the New York Post loved the segments where the stars were shot with tasers (clip above).

—Posted by David Kiefaber

January 15, 2007 in Kiefaber | Permalink