Fumarama

I have a childhood friend named Jamie. Her closest friend is a girl named Flo. Flo's little brother, Martin, has a girlfriend named Svetlana who is on the current, Key West season of the show. This is the closest I have ever come to knowing someone on reality TV. It may seem like a pretty tenuous connection, but let me put it differently, i know Jamie and Flo, Jamie and Flo know Svetlana. Morever, she is your standard Northeast Philly/Buck County Russian Jewish girl. Being from NE Philly myself, I have dealt with this type my whole life and know them pretty well. It is a type that has played a minor but significant role in my life. So it is really bizzare to see such a person on tv.

Besides the first episode, I have not been watching the episodes. (busy, law school, plus there will be marathons, there are always marathons). But I have been reading the television without pity recaplets, on which they are are now referring to Svet's boyfriend, who i met once when he was like 13 years old, as her Mafia BF, which I assume is making a reference to the fact that they think he is a member of the Russian mafia. Well, I saw Martin on tv again now after all these years, and he seems exactly like every other Jewish kid who grew up in my neighborhood. He is definately not all that different from Yulia's (my best friend) ex.

Daphne talks of reading television without pity as getting a second opinion on a tv show. Well, this even wierder, it is like getting a second opinion on this aspect of my life. Does every Russian guy I ever met sort of seem like he is a member of the mafia? um...maybe.

I imagine people go on reality tv in order to be the center of attention or to become famous or something. But this might a strange side effect. If you are on television, you are constantly getting second (and third and fourth...) opinions on how you live your life. Must be very very strange.