Spit-Take (Non-Core Post)

Not having cable TV makes the act of going out and seeking reality TV slightly alarming. But, I obliged myself to watching an infamous episode of Flavor of Love, a childhood favorite.

Flavor of Love was a VH1 reality dating show wherein attractive women competed for the heart and over-sized clock of Flava Flav, a washed up rapper who is a member of Public Enemy. For some reason, these women really want Flava Flav to choose them. That is the most surreal aspect of this television show, the very concept of competing for Flava Flav. FLAVA FLAV.

This particular episode is towards the end of the first season. The last three girls (Hoopz, Pumkin, and New York) are left to compete for the final clock. The twist is that Flav invited the parent(s) of each girl over. He went on separate dates in order to see how he gets along with potential extended family. He gets pedicures with Pumkin and her mother. There is a sequence before they each take their shoes off and Flav asks the ladies to not freak out when looking at his feet. CUT TO: a close-up shot of Flava Flav's unappetizing feet. Flav starts talking to Pumkin's mom and asks her how she feels about her daughter being on a reality show. Pumkin's mom expresses relative discontent but says that it's nothing new. It turns out that Pumkin has been on several reality TV shows, mostly game shows, but *dun dun dun* she was also on Blind Date once.

Stop. Why the hell is that such a big deal???

"Previously on Flavor of Love..." it turns out that the previous week, a girl's "time" was up because the gang was watching re-runs of Blind Date and she was on it. They all laugh and brush her off as her using Flav to get famous. She is eliminated.

Flav can't believe that Pumkin didn't tell him about her appearance on Blind Date. Later that night, she gets eliminated for being "fake". As she walks out in anger, she stipulates that it's really New York (who, yes, is insane but quite legitimately loves Flava Flav which is unreal) who is the fake one in the house. Hoopz is the real one. "Choose her," implores Pumkin. New York antagonizes her for calling her out, telling her to leave. Pumkin makes a joke about her weight, says she'll "slap the shit out of her" now that she's eliminated. New York takes her threat full speed ahead. "Slap me!" she begs, eyes enraged with anger as producers and security shuffle out the get between the two. Pumkin, instead, spits in New York's face. New York grabs Pumkin's hair and pushes her. Pumkin hits a camera. Flav cannot believe how Pumkin disrespected New York. He contends that wasn't cool. You don't just spit in someone's face like that.

I would give this episode 4/5 clocks. A YouTube video of the elimination scene and ensuing fight can be found here.