I had a good chuckle this morning when I read the headline “Jeremy Piven Producing Glassblowing Reality Show.” Hollywood is certainly a town that takes pride in making real projects out of ideas that would have typically been jokes.
Called Blow (see guys, they’re self aware!), the show follows what is apparently the world’s only notorious glassblower, Josh Cohen, who apparently surrounds himself with “misfits” who have “antics” that are fit to be recorded constantly and edited into retroactively-engineered plots. This all takes place in New Orleans, so expect some subtext or something to sneak in when an episode needs to jerk a few tears.
To be fair, Cohen isn’t just making vases for old ladies– he’s a genuine artist who has put together some very intriguing art pieces and exhibits based on his glassblowing work that tends to include cool sonic constructs. It seems any mischief he gets up to may be through his association with The Morning Forty Federation, a band he sporadically plays with.
This sounds like it would be right at home following up Hoarders or whatever on TLC, so I guess it’s not such a silly thing to toss some money behind. Best of luck to Piven, who is quickly finding production success having already claimed the title of “Douchiest Production Company Name Conceivable By Man” with his company Luscious Mayhem Productions.
Source | Deadline
2 comments
Well, I think Glass Blowing is incredibly cool. I mean, working with blobs of molten silica inches from your face? That takes true bravery and skill, and when blown by a true artisan, the results can be stunning. My dad is always trying to get me to visit CORNING GLASS WORKS with him, but I keep putting it off because I get carsick easily. I am thinking maybe I should push myself and make the effort, because IMHO this stuff really is rather fascinating. I hope the show is geared towards highlighting cool artists, rather than rubes likely to accidentally burn themselves. Piven is someone I am a fan of, despite his somewhat over eager work in THE KINGDOM, and I think he could make for an affable host for this kind of thing and would serve to enliven the proceedings. I hope it does well, glass artists deserve more recognition!
PS My local headshop has had some incredible pieces over the years. My favorite? A blue glass ‘Buck Rogers’ style laser pistol that also functioned as a, well, you know
PPS? Even “making vases for old ladies” would be fascinating to watch. The ammount of skill and precision involved, along with the danger and glowing glass goo means it would be anything but boring
Yes, glass blowing is cool. As is fashion, and the restaurant industry, and the recording industry, and Hollywood special effects, and a thousand other things they make reality shows out of. Unfortunately, they’re all awful because what isn’t interesting is manufactured drama.
If Project Runway were a week-to-week documentary about people in the high fashion industry I would love it to death and watch it constantly. Unfortunately it isn’t, it’s just awful. As is Top Chef, and Chopped, and every other one. As will this be. It’s a shame, because most of these subjects could make great nonfiction shows, but they wouldn’t attract teens and bored housewives.
The only one I’ve actually enjoyed was Brew Masters, and even then there was way too much drama and fakery, but at least it tried to be more about the industry, process, and product than the people. I’m sure there are a couple of others out there, but it isn’t worth watching another Project Runway to find out.
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