Say What: VH1 Cleaning Up Post Flavor ?
While many enjoy shows like “Flavor of Love,” “I Love New York’ and ‘For the Love of Ray J,” VH1 has long been dismissed for its seeming glorification of negative images and stereotypes.
According to insiders, the network is deliberately cleaning up its line up with shows about family and success (via Chilli, Basketball Wives and Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business)….
The cable network synonymous with “Flavor of Love” and its sleazy spin-offs is trading trampiness for fabulousness with a new slate of series starring seemingly well-adjusted rich and famous black Americans. VH1 executive vice president Jeff Olde admits that the shift from oh-no-they-didn’t fare to more mature material is totally intentional.
“We constantly have to evolve and tell our audience different stories,” he says. “I love that we’ve been able to get more diverse with our audience by — in large part — attracting African-American women to the network. We got them in the door with some shows, and now I’m excited about where we’re going and how we’re telling them different kinds of stories.”
With an April 11 debut, “What Chilli Wants” will be partnered on Sundays with “Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business,” focusing on sibling R&B singers Ray J and Brandy Norwood as they attempt to relaunch their music careers, and “Basketball Wives,” starring Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife, Shaunie O’Neal, and five other women with romantic links to basketball players.
For the notoriously trashy VH1, it’s not reality as usual. While cat fights will flare up with the “Basketball Wives” and Chilli promises a tiff with her sassy matchmaker on “What Chilli Wants,” these new shows certainly aren’t selling buzzworthy moments akin to “Flavor of Love” contestants spiting on each other or suddenly defecating on the floor.
“I watched ‘Flavor of Love’ myself,” attests Chilli. “It was definitely one of the shows I thought was interesting, but it made sense for Flav to do it just that way. For me, I wanted to do my show in a way that I would be comfortable with, and I was very happy that VH1 was on the same page with me. They did have a formula that has been working for them.” (Business Week)
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