Monday, June 12, 2006

The Baywatch Syndrome

When The Ghost Whisperer first hit the airwaves, everything I heard about it ultimately came down to Jennifer’s boobs — which were, after all, prominently displayed in most every scene. But then the makers of the show did a poll, and when people who watch the show were asked what they liked about the show, they solemnly declared that they watch it for the story, much like people used to say that they read Playboy for the articles. Which is all well and good, except that now Jennifer feels she can put Thelma and Louise back under wraps; I haven’t seen any cleavage on that show for some weeks now, and have stopped watching. But the full tragedy only came out a week ago:

LOVE HEWITT SPARED FROM BARING ALL

Actress JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT is thrilled her new US TV show GHOST WHISPERER is a hit because it means she doesn’t have to bare her famous breasts on the big screen. The modest star, whose breasts have their own fansite on the Internet, admits she was getting inundated with offers to strip in films before her new show took off — and she feared she’d have to swallow her pride and get naked. She’s more than a little relieved that she won’t have to disrobe onscreen: “The rest of my life is in the public arena — stuff that happens in my family, what I’ve looked like for the past 10 years, my hair colours, weight gains and losses, dating life — all that is shared. My naked body shouldn’t have to be out there in the public. I need something that’s mine alone.”

David Hasselhoff used to say that the success of Baywatch rested on the powerful stories and strong characters he thought the show had, not on Pamela Anderson’s thong montages. And we all know what happened when Pam left the show. We’ll see what happens to The Ghost Whisperer now that Thelma and Louise have been given leave.