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February, 21st 2006
UP FRONT | TELEVISIONMTV follows South Beach modelsA new MTV reality show, 8th & Ocean, shot on South Beach promises to pull back the curtain on the lives of 10 fashion models. The show debuts March 7.BY DANIEL CHANGdchang@MiamiHerald.comDon't hate them because they're young and beautiful and pay no rent on their oceanfront townhomes.
Life can be rough for the wannabe supermodels of MTV's newest reality show, 8th & Ocean. Shot on location in South Beach, the show debuts on March 7 and promises to reveal the real lives of 10 fashion models -- warts and all.
Gathered in a town house at the Shelborne Hotel, where they lived during the two-month shoot, the models bristled that the world has long made unfair assumptions about their profession, their lifestyles and their intellect. And they're hoping 8th & Ocean will set the record straight.
'People automatically think when they see [models] in pictures, `Wow, that's hot.' But it's not,'' said Britt, the fresh-faced Kansas girl who, adhering to MTV policy, would divulge only her first name. ``Modeling is hard work. We get up early. It's not the '80s. We're not out there partying. It's not just standing there. There's production and lighting. . . . It's a lot like acting.''
Who knew?
Apparently, not many people, said former model and South Beach talent agency empress Irene Marie, who counsels the aspiring supermodels through the peaks and pitfalls of their careers.
WHAT IT'S LIKE
''I don't think there's any show that realistically shows to the general public what is the life of a model,'' Marie said. ``This is truthfully what happens everyday in a model's life. What is the relationship between a model and a booker? What is a booker? What is it like for a model, being paid, to be on a set and do her job? What is it like for a model to go on auditions, try out for a job and not get it? What are the challenges?''
On South Beach, Marie said, there are many: too much nightlife, drugs and bad characters. Then there's the bane of many a youth -- a lazy work ethic.
''There are some young adults who deal very well with that and some others who don't,'' she said.
But it wasn't this bubbling cauldron of temptations alone that lured producers to South Beach.
''It's got visual beauty. The architecture is so different,'' producer Tony DiSanto said. ``The people, the feel, the Latino flavor, all of that comes across, and it's such an important part of this world and this story that we're trying to tell.''
It was also important for DiSanto that 8th & Ocean not look like just another reality show. A producer for MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, which documented the lives of a clique of privileged Southern California high schoolers, DiSanto said MTV wanted to give 8th & Ocean the same unscripted, cinematic treatment.
''We moved away from documentary storytelling devices like confessionals and voice-overs,'' he said. ``We wanted to make it seem like you're eavesdropping on conversations and peering into this world in a sort of voyeuristic way.''
Don't let the allusion to voyeurism fool you, though. For those with unsavory expectations, 19-year-old Britt throws cold water on them: ''We're not in lingerie having pillow fights,'' she said.
And unlike Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model, a reality show where models compete for contracts, 8th & Ocean is not a contest. No one is subjected to the rantings of an egomaniacal host. No one is voted off. And no one is forced to eat animal innards or otherwise endure humiliation for fame or fortune.
So what exactly is there to see on 8th & Ocean? Without so much as a pilot, The Miami Herald can't say. But the models assure MTV fans it will be an engaging half hour of TV.
WHY WATCH?
'I think a lot of people when they start to watch are going to be, `OK, why are we watching these chicks?' '' said Kelly, whose sibling rivalry with twin sister Sabrina is certain to be a persistent thread in the story, MTV publicists said.
'Like, when I fi
source: The Miami Herald
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