Reality TV-programming has taken over the world. Maybe that’s a tad dramatic, but not that far from the truth. Just turn on the guide on your cable box and you’ll see what I mean. There is a show, whether serious or hilarious, for every occupation and every vice from, “Millionaire Matchmaker,” “Project Runway,” to “The Jersey Shore” and “Intervention” and the recently cancelled “America Choppers.”
With all this reality TV-programming come reality-celebrities of which there are two categories. There are those that get their 15 minutes of fame because they make complete fools of themselves and those that have a true talent and a personality that is appealing to the masses. For the latter, when the TV-reality ends and the real-reality begins, one question remains: how do you capitalize on this opportunity and stretch your fifteen minutes into a lucrative career that ideally…hopefully…catapults you into TV-stardom.
Having experienced this process, living vicariously through one of my clients, Brian Malarkey, I can tell you that this is not an easy task. You may recognize Brian, who is opening Searsucker Restaurant this summer, from Bravo’s “Top Chef 3 Miami,” or perhaps you recognize him from the time he spent as Executive Chef at Oceanaire, or preparing dinner for “The Real Housewives of Orange County” or his webisodes on BravoTV.com. Most likely though you recognize him from literally the hundreds of demos, non-profit events, food & wine festivals, cooking competitions and classes, motivational speaking opportunities, and some of the less glamorous events he’s taken part in and worked his you know what off, to get out there and stay top of mind.
Well, after all that I am happy to announce it’s paying off. After nine months of working with a production company and network, countless meetings, thousands of miles to-and-from L.A., power points up the wazoo, we’ve got ourselves a TLC Special called “Mega Bites” hosted by Brian Malarkey that will air this summer!
After being part of this process and being so excited for Brian to get this opportunity, I was not going to miss the chance to see the filming. Especially since he was building MEGA sized food, with the help of a real engineer, a food scientist and hundreds of volunteers, as a fundraiser for a local community center. So a few Sundays ago, my husband and I hopped in the car and drove up to La Canada to witness the unveiling of the World’s Largest Rice Krispies Treat, weighing in at over 10,000 pounds and certified by Guinness World Records, topped with unbelievably delicious one-foot marshmallows.
I couldn’t be prouder and happier, as to the roar of a crowd, the plexi-glass mold that housed the 8x12x8 foot creation was ripped off and came crashing to the ground in perfect made-for-TV style! And thank goodness, since there was literally no way to do another take. Will this be the break that this reality TV personality has been working so hard for? There is only one way to find out. Stay tuned to see the full episode on TLC this summer…and if you hear anything, well hopefully that’s just the rumblings of a SERIES…
Think Pink!
