The Hey Paula Verdict
Saturday, July 21st, 2007
I’m gravely sorry if I offend any Paula Abdul fans out there…but I do NOT like Hey Paula. And it’s not the show. It’s Paula.
Maybe it is just how I was raised. There aren’t many jobs that my dad would consider “real” work unless you came home at the end of the day dirty and physically tired. Real work breaks your back. Of course, my main job is as a freelance writer, and although I have days when I’m exhausted after sitting at my desk all day, it’s not exactly what my dad had in mind. I’ve changed my thinking. However, every time Paula complains about working so hard and not being appreciated, I want to reach through the television and punch her.
I mean, let’s look at what the show has told us. She plays all day and relies on her assistants to make phone calls, set up interviews, pack her bags, etc. The closest thing she does that comes to working, in my opinion, is judging American Idol. And Paula, you ARE appreciated for that–look at how much you’re paid, the mass of fan letters you receive every day, and the rejuvenation it has given your career.
Going on talk shows and attending awards ceremonies is not work. These are things that the average person (like me) would love to do! If the pressure ever gets too much, dear Paula, you just tell me where to be and I’ll go in your place.
And then there’s the issue of her designing clothing, making jewelry, etc. The jury is still out as to how much work Paula actually did. We never get to see any of that on her show. However, what makes me mad in these cases is that when she hits bumps in the road or fails, she automatically gives up, starts to cry, and screams at her employees. Paula, sometimes you just fail. IT HAPPENS. When you put a lot of work into something creative, there is ALWAYS that chance that people will not like it. And in any project, there will be miscommunication here or there and wrinkles to iron out. Instead of flipping out and treating those around you like they are idiots, why not act maturely and professionally to fix the problem.
People don’t under-appreciate you because they just want to step on you, Paula. People under-appreciate you because you are difficult to work with. How many assistants have you gone through in the past few years? How many times have you cried when you hadn’t got your way? How many people did you say were “beating you down”? Guess what, hunny? You’re a B-list celebrity at best. People don’t go out of their way to hurt you because they don’t care enough to do that.
The bottom line is that from what I’ve seen on the show, Paula doesn’t treat anyone with respect. She made one comment last show that ALL her assistants had to do was find her hairdresser/friend a flight into New York in the middle of a snow storm. Gee, is that all? Well why the hell aren’t they whipping out the magic carpet for him to fly in? She was complaining about their lack of work as in the background they were on their phones and on the Internet trying to work with the airports. Give me a break.
Now, I know that Bravo creatively cuts their shows to give you a certain final product. There’s probably an entire other side of Paula that we’re not seeing. However, what we are given is a horrible show documenting the life of a has-been who can’t even order a pizza for herself. It makes me not want to watch American idol or support anything else that she does. You can’t treat people like that and be ok in my book. You just can’t. You have to have a sense of reality–something to ground you.
I hope this show is canceled. I enjoyed the first episode, but since then, I can’t even stand to watch it all of the way through because she makes me so upset.
Thoughts? Do you like the show? Do you like Paula? Do you hope the show comes back for a second season?
