Someone named Audrina Patridge to leave Hollywood for Detroit

I had managed, up until a few days ago, to completely avoid reality television stalwart Audrina Patridge. As we don’t have a television hooked up to the outside world, I’d missed out on both The Hills and Dancing with the Stars. But, about a week or so ago, while peddling away on a stationary bike at the gym, I was subjected to an interview with her. The only part I remember, other than thinking that she came across somewhat better than the orange-skinned steroid monsters of the Jersey Shore, is that she claimed to be working on a new reality program for Vh1 with Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor and countless other successful “non-scripted” television shows. Well, apparently that’s fallen through in a big way. Not only is Ms. Partridge not going to be working with Burnett, but she’s apparently going to be in leaving LA for Detroit, where she’ll be woking on a web-based project that I still can’t quite wrap my mind around. The following description comes from the Daily Mail:

…In the show she plays a up-and-coming talent manager from Hollywood who moves to Detroit, Michigan, to start her own firm.

This week she launched a competition to find her co-stars, asking aspiring stars to submit auditions online on yobi.tv. The hopeful who receives the most votes will land the role in upcoming ‘webisodes’.

‘This takes reality TV to a whole new level,’ she says in a webcast. ‘This can not get any more exciting’…

And, here she is attempting to explain this “exciting” new Yobi.tv venture, which I doubt will ever materialize.

Like I said, I’m not quite sure what to make of it. From what I can tell, the show, called Dream Maker, is scripted. At least the folks at Yobi are saying that they’ll be hiring two aspiring actors to play the parts of Ms. Patridge’s employees at this fictional Detroit-based talent agency. But yet they repeatedly refer to the web-only production as being a “reality” show. The concept seems pretty convoluted to me. More importantly, though, I can’t imagine that it’ll bring much in the way of positive attention to Detroit. Yobi, of course, could generate some bottom end buzz among the losers in the world who feel as though they’re destined for stardom in spite of the fact that they have no discernible talent, which I suspect is what they’re after.

Yobi, it would seem, is positioning itself to become a kind of online clearinghouse for people who feel as though they have talent as performers, whether their talent be real, or imagined… They also exist as a platform to sell a lot of advertising to Buffalo Wild Wings.

Anyway, if you’re interested, they’re presently running a contest to identify potential co-stars for Ms. Patridge. All you have to do is upload your video and ask for people to vote for you. (I’m trying to decide whether I should encourage Patrick Elkins of Bash Boulder to apply.)

Oh, and Patridge isn’t alone on the illustrious Yobi roster. They just announced that they’ve signed the guy who calls himself The Situation to a similar deal. I don’t believe, however, that his will be shot in Detroit.

And, no, for those of you who were wondering, yobi is not slang for vagina. That’s yoni.

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10 Comments

  1. Knox
    Posted January 26, 2011 at 7:58 am | Permalink

    I think the Yoni network belongs to Oprah.

  2. Edward
    Posted January 26, 2011 at 8:51 am | Permalink

    I suspect that the reality will come in the form of humiliation as hundreds of Detroiters line up to have their “talents” assessed. I also suspect that they’re likely coming to Detroit because of our tax incentives, which have yet to be cut by our Governor.

  3. Eel
    Posted January 26, 2011 at 11:34 am | Permalink

    I know it’s a terrible, terrible thing to say, but I have to admit that a tiny part of me kind of wishes that she ends up with people playing ice hockey around her legs.

  4. Knox
    Posted January 27, 2011 at 7:08 am | Permalink

    I like the idea of Detroit becoming the dumping ground for all of America’s toxic cultural assets. We should try to lure that company that makes high heels for toddlers, and put in a bid for Tila Tequila. We have a chance to build something great here, leveraging the success we’ve had with the Insane Clown Posse.

  5. Meta
    Posted January 27, 2011 at 10:17 am | Permalink

    From today’s Free Press:

    Dianne Victor, chief executive officer of YOBI.tv, said the Webisodes will be 6-10 minutes long. Production, depending on Patridge’s schedule, could begin in May or June and run for about a week. Patridge is now in Los Angeles filming her new VH1 reality series.

    “We’re still working with Audrina’s team and going over different ideas, but her character comes to Detroit to work because the film industry here is growing,” Victor said. “It will be funny and have a bit of an ‘Entourage’-like feel.”

    Two of Patridge’s costars, the critical roles of her (male) assistant and (female) receptionist, will be played by winners of the latest YOBI acting contest, Victor says.

    They also report that Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino’s project will be shot here as well. “Sorrentino will play a demanding hip-hop star who is sought by producers to be a judge on an “Idol”-like reality show.”

    http://www.freep.com/article/20110127/ENT07/101270403/0/NEWS15/Audrina-Patridge-Mike-Situation-Sorrentino-heading-Detroit?odyssey=nav%7Chead

  6. Kim
    Posted January 27, 2011 at 11:14 am | Permalink

    The Situation as a hip-hop star! That sounds incredible. I hope he takes the streets of Detroit, challenging people to rap battles.

  7. OBK
    Posted January 28, 2011 at 3:49 pm | Permalink

    I predict that she’ll run for Mayor.

  8. Corp
    Posted January 29, 2011 at 11:23 am | Permalink

    Someone needs to trademark Toxic Cultural Assets.

  9. frost
    Posted February 3, 2011 at 12:03 am | Permalink

    They should let her run the Detroit Water Department. I’d watch that.

  10. Elf
    Posted June 15, 2011 at 5:08 am | Permalink

    She was in town recently, shooting for this show, so I guess it’s going forward.

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