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Hey, do you want to know what college is like?
What’s that? You say you’re a high school student who forgot what school you applied to after Spencer’s latest blowout with Heidi wiped your mind of all memories in the last week?
Hmm. Well, do you want to ride on the fumes of a Midwest-based “Hills” with fairly boring people and “Cloverfield” with keg stands camerawork?
Yeah, I don’t really either. But, like most things on MTV, “College Life” was expected to be the 30-car pileup placed right on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Dean of Students Lori Berquam derided it, future Witte YouTube stars proclaimed their fame as they appeared in 10 seconds of it (are you the friend who lived down the hall, or were you the girl at the party between that other girl and the blurred out guy?), and everyone else who was just the least bit curious at least looked at the promo.
So, fine. I took the bait. I went to Liz Waters, sat down with a few sophomores and freshmen as I awkwardly tried to avoid being noticed as an intruder. I sat there and watched UW students watch UW students filming themselves.
And they’re laughing from the start.
“This show is not endorsed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.”
And that’s important later. You don’t know it, but that’s the real flaw of “College Life.”
We’re introduced to four students — half-Jamaican Jordan, your token minority, and it shows. Jordan seems relatively normal from the outset, which means every time the cameras catch up with him, the audience has to remember he existed, since he gets about 15 percent of the show’s running time. Apparently he’ll get a tattoo later and things will shake up, but for now, MTV seems to make him an afterthought. The audience notices, but before they can comment, another minority pops up.
Conservative Christian Andrea. Now we’re getting somewhere. She obviously lives in the Southeast dorms, possibly Witte, judging from her opening, but it doesn’t matter, because the drama unfolds quickly. Ex-boyfriend Josh still loves her, according to the annoying, superimposed MTV commentary? Show me more, “College Life!”
There’s Alex, a Texas innocent who likes boys. And Kevin. He likes partying. That’s about it for now.
So here’s the show in 75 words: “Jordan is black, he mentions it, doesn’t really pay attention to it. Also hates sports. Alex likes a boy with a blurred-out name, thinks he’s so perfect. Except he’s a douche bag. Alex is done with boys. Andrea has dinner with her ex. Andrea watches “One Tree Hill” off camera. Andrea likes a boy who’s not her ex. Her ex says 15 words. Kevin drinks. Gets busted by house fellows. Drinks more. Fails Calc.”
Oh, that was only 74. Ok, here’s one more: “Garbage.”
But that’s OK, because Liz Waters loves it, for the most part.
“This is great already!”
“They would never get someone from Lakeshore, of course.”
Another chimes in, “Well, of course, they wouldn’t have anyone to talk to, it’d be a dull show.”
It’s all pointing and eye rolling, until the ad-laden handheld show ends with a few clips of future moments. Drama! Angst! Nausea!
Trash sells, but not everything MTV does is this shameless.
Take for instance the “True Life: I’m a [insert sub-section of American life here]” series. They’re mini-documentaries mainly used to fill spaces and justify playing indie music on MTV, but they’re fairly well-done slices of life that do provoke some thought. Does the pressure of the wrestling industry lead to steroids use? Is the rap industry misogynistic?
That done over a season with college students would have been great.
Instead, we get questions like, “How many drunks can you fit in 322 B?” “Wait, is this Jordan kid actually in the show?” and “Do these guys actually go to school?”
And that’s the problem with “College Life.”
“This show is not endorsed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.”
Because they had to take out references to buildings, couldn’t shoot film in class, and have 75 percent of the frame taken up by the participants’ faces, we’re basically watching muffled adolescent crises we could have found more entertaining by hitting the bars ourselves.
This isn’t College Life. It’s 20-Something Drinking Makeout Party. And frankly, you could have a keg on Mifflin, charge for cups and film that, post it on YouTube and end up with something more entertaining and less vomit-inducing.
Especially without all those Clearasil ads.
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This should be the front page… not sigma chi. Great article.
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Very nicely said
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Jordan lives in lakeshore.
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I’ve never seen so much punctuation in a newspaper article. There must be a dozen question marks. Is this article written poorly? Yes it is!
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I agree. The show was garbage. I only watched it because it involved the UW. The kids on that show definitely need to grow up.
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11:49 -
Hilarious
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11:49 —
I’m glad you feel the same way. this article is very hard to follow…
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Well put Smathers!
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11:49
I like your need to knock the author’s style in lieu of any writing ability of your own. If you know so much about what good writing “should be” write in to the herald and get it printed. Until then, Shut the fuck up.
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Thank you, Smathers.
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I thought this article was BS.
LOL.
It seemed very jealous.
And you PROBABLY couldnt say MOST the things in this article to the students faces.
LOL. You fail!
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This article seemed like it was FULL of jealously.
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Yeah, this article was written terribly. Seemed very…like jealous.
Written without common sense.
And not everyone on the show (or in general) drinks in case you failed to recognize that.
You did not make yourself seem any better than the students you criticize on the show.
Shameful.
But hey, they’re on TV and you’re not!
:D
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the funny thing i noticed is that when they showed a shot of andrea’s dorm room, it was just some random building that wasnt even close to looking like anything on campus. im guessing it was intended to look like witte or sellery
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The show was insulting. I feel like my academic efforts are being undermined by some ridiculous show about partying and high school drama.
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The sad thing is, I can’t think of anything to add to the 75 words. That pretty much summed it up 100%.
Would NEVER watch again if it wasn’t for the fact of being filmed at the UW…
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In the university response to the show accessible from the UW homepage, Dean Berquam says that the show devalues a UW-Madison degree. Thankfully we have Biddy Martin coming to the rescue, raising tuition to uphold the value of our degrees. I’m really glad we have to raise tuition to make up for bs on MTV. Maybe MTV should pay the tuition hike instead of students and families in an economic crisis.
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I personally thought this show didn’t show what life at UW Madison was like at all and I think a huge part of that was them not being able to shoot the actual buildings or classrooms. I understand the UW didn’t want our name to go down because of this show, but if the school really wanted it to portray what the life was like here then they should have been able to shoot classrooms and buildings. The name of our campus appears at the beginning of the show anyways so I don’t see what the problem is. I think this show is making our campus look completely lame and based off the first show, that isn’t what it is like to live here. So far they haven’t shown anything campus related and what they did show wasn’t much. UW Madison is known for how crazy it gets for the football games and it barely showed it, and it is also known for being a challenging college, yet they only showed one character not doing well. If it wasn’t for the show being shot on our campus I wouldn’t watch it. -Jamie
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You are being generous giving them the “20-Something Drinking Makeout Party”. I’d go more for “16-somethings acting like attention seeking idiots”. I have only one question after watching the show: How on earth were these kids accepted here in the first place?
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I question the reading skills of the people criticizing the author for criticizing the students. There aren’t even any comments about the students themselves. If you actually read the article, the point isn’t that the students are tools or drunks or lame; the point is that the show isn’t entertaining. And to that end, he’s right. It’s predictable, poorly cut, and should be called “Freshman Year” instead of “College Life.”
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I like the guy that posted 3 times anonymously about “jealousy.” What jealousy? Channeling much?
My coworkers and I thought this was one of the funniest articles we’ve ever read in the Herald. Awesome work, keep it up!
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LOL at the dumbass who posted three times consecutively. Yes, we know you are the same person, and yes, you are probably one of the girls from the show. And yes, you are stupid. Jealously of others intelligence much?
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what a joke? the tool that thinks he is the big time party guy is the worst. congratulations. you have exposed to the world that you have the brain of a chocolate lab and the personality of a softball.
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I personally loved the article. I think it was very well written and incredibly witty which is exactly what a journalist should strive for. And while some of you may not agree with the writer or several of the points made in the article, you have to admit it grabbed your attention and kept it long enough to finish.
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what exactly does the author of this article have to be jealous about?
Im pretty sure we all go to UW and have access to all the same things these people are going through. Should he be jealous of being exploited by MTV?
I know that I sure am not.
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Maybe all the people who were critizing the people on College Life should first get a chance to be on a show like that and put yourselves in their shoes before you talk about it. Besides, almost everyone who commented on here was commenting on the fact that the show was not protrayed right. That wasn’t what the article was about. It’s about the PEOPLE on the show. Please read it right, before you go talking aimlessly.
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man those kids are tools.
i hope these kids never want real jobs, but judging by their apparent intellect, that is not something they are too concerned about.
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I completely agree with the author’s viewpoint of the show. As a freshman and a resident of the Southeast dorms, I have seen many a cast member walking around filming, not to mention I know many of the people who are joining the cast as the season continues… if that even occurs, which I almost hope it doesn’t. I was excited to watch the premiere, mostly just to look for people I knew, but as it became clear that I was experiencing the biggest waste of 30 minutes of my life, I quickly lost interest.
I almost hope the show is taken off of MTV, mostly just because I feel that it hurts our reputation as a university. Not only are the cast members uninteresting, but also I don’t think that they are an accurate representation of much of the student body here. I can think of countless people who would make for more interesting television than what I saw last night. I’m well aware that producers manipulate the footage they receive, but if that’s the most scandalous and interesting footage, then I’m REALLY disappointed.
CollegeLife had the potential to be a successful and relatable program for students all over the country from various institutions, but MTV definitely blew it. I definitely agree with this article in that the University’s lack of endorsement of the program was a downfall, but as I read yesterday in the Badger Herald, the University initially showed support in the program but then backed away as the producers tried to focus more on drinking and partying. If MTV had made an effort to work with UW Madison instead of trying to evade the administration’s wishes, then the program would have had the potential to run much more smoothly.
However, I would watch Kevin Tracy all day… I think he’s hilarious.
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Although I enjoyed the humorous and clever remarks in the article, I also think it unfairly judges the students on the show. MTV decides what parts to include in the show, so, for their ratings they’re not going to show the students studying or doing homework. Instead they’re going to show the moments that will get the biggest reaction out of an audience - parties, and drama.
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“Maybe all the people who were critizing the people on College Life should first get a chance to be on a show like that and put yourselves in their shoes before you talk about it.” -7:21
We all had a chance, all of us. We are just smart enough not to do it. We have self respect and hopes for a good job in the future. We don’t need attention. We want a real college experience, not one where we are paid by a company that doesn’t care about us so they can exploit us. I don’t care if they tape their lives and I’m not affected, but this will have negative repercussions on this school.
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ughhh this was NOT written out of jealousy, I hope those of you who think so are joking. You’re idiots if you’re not. Most freshman do go through some of these experiences, but not to such an extreme. We might get one tattoo, not a whole sleeve. We might meet someone (more than one someone) we think is great, who turns out to be a douche bag. We might have that confusing relationship with an ex. And we might slack off a little too much because we realize how easy it is to get drunk when you don’t live with your parents. So yes, the framework is pretty universal. Like this column says, they aren’t allowed to shoot pretty much anything that has to do with the University, which is why we get boiled down drama sessions. And who wants to sit there watching someone study at College till 2 am? No producer thinks that would make for good TV fodder. So get over yourselves if you think this article sounds jealous. It is honest, the show is kind of a bust. That has to do with editing, and bias of footage allowed only outside of school. So cut both the writer and the kids some slack! you were a freshman too, and you probably fucked up. Maybe not enough to make for a good TV show, but enough to have learned from your mistakes. Give the show a chance to show us how these kids learn before you berate them completely, or praise them for their TV glamor.
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From the article: “Instead, we get questions like, �How many drunks can you fit in 322 B?�”
It’s 332B, actually. I live in 322B, and we know the derivative of one here.
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There are two people on the show from Lakeshore by the way… I’m on this show, I know what I’m saying.
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Haha, jealous of what? Perpetuating high school?
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“There are two people on the show from Lakeshore by the way… I’m on this show, I know what I’m saying.”
explains why it sucks such major ass.
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I am REALLY interested as to what non-UW students and the general public think about this show…. ???
I just think it was generally poor judgment for these kids to choose to be on the show. I was asked to give an interview for nbc about college when I was a sophmore here at UW. I declined. My roomate accepeted. She regreted it, I didn’t. But then again, maybe the kids on college life are so concerned with keeping their “cool” image and being “popular” they genuinley don’t care how they damage their future. No one worth impressing will care or value the fact that they were once on an MTV reality show…
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The truth - The school pulled out before the trailer. MTV wanted more school footage and fought hard for it BUT UofW said no after half the series was shot. So the question is, how do you show studying and school work when legally you are not allowed in classrooms and libraries on campus? If anyone is to blame for the lack of UofW academics, it’s UW not MTV.
Good luck to the freshman on the show, you are brave,can’t wait to see you in 4 years.
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Well, let’s be realistic. It’s MTV. They’re not going to show extended clips from a class. They’re going to show the parties and the arguments and, well, the things that MTV viewers are interested in seeing. If they were going to include class footage, I’m pretty certain it would be an afterthought; a ten second filler between scenes following different students, or a title flash before a commercial break. The UW was certainly aware of what aspects of college life MTV wanted to emphasize, and did not see it fit for people to think that they are endorsing this show.
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to Colin Schmidt,
“If anyone is to blame for the lack of UofW academics, it’s UW not MTV.”
No, it’s still MTV. You act like they would show kids studying or learning. You believe they give a shit? NO, they don’t, they want ratings. Drama and drinking bring numbers, not homework and studying.
Also it is UW, not UofW. You should know that.
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I completely agree with the author’s point of view. I think that MTV had a real opportunity to show how great the University of Wisconsin-Madison is and how much it has to offer students, and it is completely disregarding the positive effect it can have. Also, I think that the people chosen for the show are extremely similar and it doesn’t fully show the diversity of our campus. The article is humorous, and although it does attack the kids shown on the program, in all fairness, I feel that the show is giving UW-Madison a bad reputation and therefore this article (although harsh) needed to be written. Also, the show is completely inaccurate, it says Ohio State was the second week of school, which it was not, and that they had chosen kids before they left for school, when in fact casting happened a few weeks after freshman arrived on campus. And most importantly, as the article says, the way the program shows Wisconsin, it could be any college.
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This is a great article. Clearly these kids on the show are busy getting their 15 minutes of fame for the time being. And while it seems like everyone on campus is talking about these kids and their insignificant lives right now, no one is even going to remember them or this show in probably less than a year’s time. So for all the people bitching about their academic reputation being at stake, relax. Seriously.
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I have to agree with this article. It’s not that the people on the show are idiots, it’s just that it doesn’t rightfully depict what life for a students at Madison is really like. Since they can’t film in the buildings, reference any of the buildings, or even film games, a lot of the experiences that we’re all familiar with are lost. However, due to the absolute absurdity of the show plot lines, I have to support the University’s decision NOT to endorse the show. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
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Just take it for what it is, another shallow trashy MTV reality show. That’s all the show is ever going to be and that’s why its like 20 minutes long. I personally think its hilarious and is so far removed from the university itself, that it isn’t hurting UW’s reputation at all. I love laughing at some of the dumb decisions that the cast makes because I can relate to that.
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I’m going with the people on the show are idiots (except the poor guy who gets almost no air time, he’s probably just “boring” by MTV standards because he’s less immature and ridiculous), and they probably will not make it through college. And seriously…a conservative Christian girl…eww. How is she representative of UW-Madison at all? I was hoping for some interesting liberal activists on this show, not someone like her.
This show makes me want to transfer, because I’ll probably never get a job with the reputation this show gives our school.
And to the wonderful participants: Good job alienating yourselves for the next 4 years, guys! You’ve already inspired a facebook group of almost 3,000 people who probably resent you for managing to make everyone who goes here look bad!
By the way, anyone know their names so if I ever meet them I can make sure to avoid any further social interaction? Since I’m not a huge fan of middle school boy drama and putting no effort into anything that matters in life, I think I’ll make sure to steer clear of them!
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It made me mad that my younger brothers did not get into UW-Madison, because they didn’t learn to take high school seriously until it was too late (typical for some teenage boys). For every Kevin there are probably 20 smart kids who would love the chance to go to Madison to work and study hard. Sure, they’d have fun too, but it’s sickening to watch someone throw away their freshman year when others would love to have that opportunity. I hope he gets expelled.
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also I think the show would have been better if it was more like that one reality show they had of high schoolers at their school newspaper…it would be a lot better if it mixed the relationships and partying with SUBSTANCE because frankly that’s the challenge of college, to have fun and get good grades.
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As a teacher of Kevin Tracy, I am so embarrassed for him. His mom must be mortified. All of the kids at school told me about his outrageous behavior, enticing me to watch it. He bragged about how he faked it through high school, and is now “suffering” because he can’t make it in college. Trust me, he didn’t fake-out anybody in high school. We ALL knew his M.O. And, if the first scene is any foreshadowing, girls double the condom use. We DO NOT want the spawn of this gem to be heading to any high school near us!
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To the comment above mine, I have never laughed so hard. Well done. And this article in general, well done to that as well. Best article the Badger Herald has ever decided to let go to print
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If you knew Smathers, you would know that he would tell any of these kids to their faces what he thinks of them.
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I think it’s kind of impossible for MTV to depict “real” college life at the UW because of the fact that the kids weren’t even allowed to take cameras to class or show buildings or anything. They were restricted to like… three streets on campus. No one can show how hard students actually work here because they can’t take the cameras to the library or show the all-nighters pulled to study for exams or write papers. So it’s not really the fault of the kids participating in the show as much as it is the fault of the UW for not endorsing it. However, I can see why they wouldn’t want to, because even with the endorsement of the show, the kids would still show lots of crazy partying and drunkenness, which would “reflect badly” on the university, even though I’m pretty sure people aren’t naive enough to think that the University of Wisconsin is the only school with students who party. It’s a shame the show can’t display how hard the students work here during the week, because it would make the hard core partying done on the weekends seem justified!