Baby, I’m a Starr?

Okay, I know you’re not going to believe this, but AG and I watched our first ever episode of “The Surreal Life” on VH1 the other night as we were drifting off to sleep.  Seriously, it’s the first time either of us had ever seen it.  Apparently the WB did the first two seasons and now VH1 has picked up the third.  We were watching an episode from the second season where Traci Bingham, Ron Jeremy, Tammy Faye Baker, Trishelle Cannatella, Erik Estrada and Vanilla Ice were all forced to stay at a nudist colony for a day or two.  Good times.

Anyway, they point of this is that they were showing commercials for the new third season of the show, which starts on VH1 in July.  The housemates for this season are going to be Charo, actor/comedian Dave Coulier, hip-hop pioneer Flava Flav, one-time New Kids On The Block member Jordan Knight, former female action star Brigitte Nielsen, and first season American Idol finalist Ryan Starr.  Read that last one again.

AG and I would like to officially declare shenanigans on the inclusion of Ryan Starr as a “celebrity” on this show, especially on VH1.  VH1 has established itself as a safe-haven for solidly B-list celebrities to be “wacky” and “kooky” on shows such as “I Love The 80s” and “I Love the 70s”, and uh…. “I Love the 90s”.  Anyway, the talent is certainly B-List, but it is pure-bred B-List.  I think Ryan Starr is not quite up to the admittedly lowly bar that VH1 has set for itself.  Does being the 8th runner-up on “American Idol” two years ago really qualify you as a bona fide B-List celeb?  We think not.

We realize that someone needs to be the requisite “reality show hot chick”, but was nobody from “Baywatch: Hawaii” available?  What are you doing to us, VH1?  How can any of us now have faith in the integrity of “The Surreal Life, Season 3”?

Oh well.  I guess this will have to do until “Wife Swap” premieres.