We can all go back to the days of MTV’s “The Newlyweds” and remember Jessica Simpson’s ridiculous comments and blonde moments. The show ended five years ago (can you believe that?) and now it’s time for Jessica to begin a new reality show – this time with VH1, called “The Price of Beauty.”

The show is slated to begin on March 15 and will document Jessica as she travels the world to see how other cultures view beauty. It’s definitely an interesting concept, especially in the wake of how some people find it necessary to change their entire body for others.

In the show, Jessica walks in a runway show in Paris and visits a woman preparing herself by fattening up in a cave in Uganda for her husband. These are different ideas of beauty. I guess the point here is that every person in every culture has their own definition of beauty.

Even beauty professionals have their own definitions. This can be seen in each individual person’s style. A hairstylist may be the best at cutting short hairstyles because they love this style and thinks it looks beautiful on a wide variety of people; a makeup artist might really love the smoky eye look as the perfect way to accentuate a client’s eyes; and a wardrobe stylist might have all the latest styles in their client’s closet to convey beauty.

No matter who you are, you have your own opinion of beauty. I wonder what Jessica’s will be. Maybe I’ll check out the show. Stay tuned…

-Amanda Fornecker

I’m a reality TV junkie. I’ll admit it. Sometimes those shows present subjects that resemble a train wreck from which you just cannot look away. The main goal of the shows is the entertainment factor to draw in viewers for excellent ratings. Some do an excellent job, while others can’t seem to draw a faithful audience. But what happens when it goes too far? Such is the case with a California beauty school, according to its students.

Alameda Beauty School is currently under fire for attempting to turn their everyday learning into a reality television show. But what’s most disturbing to these beauty school students is the wording of the proposal. According to an article on KTVU.com, the proposal put together by the beauty school owners included the following: “The students are mostly inner-city, unwed mothers taking advantage of government subsidies for a better life. The instructors can’t find any other job that offers ‘bennies’ [benefits]. The new owners are white, naive suburbanites bleeding cash and trying to keep it all under control.”

The proposal also suggested episodes with scenarios that named specific students and instructors and did not necessarily present them in the most positive of lights.

Of course, there are two sides to every story and owner Tracy Becker now says that the entire proposal has been taken out of context and was exaggerated for the purposes of getting picked up by a production company.

Students have been protesting and faculty are certainly less than thrilled about this incident.

Personally, I think that if a reality TV show were to be done about a beauty school, it should showcase the trials and tribulations of attending a school that helps make a difference in many lives (both the student and the client). In fact, I believe that a well-done reality TV show about beauty school could help those who are considering a career in the industry see what it’s really like. Something like that would certainly be of value. But what was written in the proposal by Alameda seems rather petty and as if the ’suburbanites bleeding cash’ are continuing to plant seeds for their tree of money. What do you think about the Alameda Beauty School reality television proposal?

-Amanda Fornecker

I love reality television. It’s my guilty pleasure. Depending on the type of show, I can be interested in both competitions and shows that document people’s lives. The ability to appeal to an audience is probably best-suited for a brand new idea for a show. We’ve all seen the same old beauty competition shows. Shear Genius had hair stylists vying for a chance to win the title, money, and a career takeoff; Blush got us all interested in makeup careers. But there must be something else.

Here’s where “Beauty School Drop-In” (working title) comes in to play. I think this is a fabulous idea. The proposed show will follow around a few beauty students at the Hoss Lee Beauty School in Citrus Heights, CA. The students won’t necessarily be competing for anything on the show, but we will get to see their real lives. It will document what they actually go through as beauty students and even show their home and work lives. We will get to see what a truly exciting and challenging experience beauty school can be. I think this will be a great way to interest many more people in getting their beauty school degrees, certifications, and licenses. You don’t really know what a particular career involves until you’ve seen someone in action.

The show won’t air anytime soon, as there are still casting calls taking place. However, I do hope it makes it to the air so we can all learn something from beauty school and better understand how our beauty school stylists and cosmetologists get to where they are.

For more info check out: Local Reality Show Hopes to Make the Cut.

-Amanda Fornecker