It's probably not the first time that life in Brooksville has been teamed with the word "simple." No doubt, it won't be the last.
But an announcement that producers of the hit television show The Simple Life are holding a casting call here Saturday puts a new - and decidedly negative - twist on that notion.
The so-called reality show, starring jet-setting rich kids Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, attracted the short attention spans of so many viewers last year that they've decided to do it again. Part deux of The Simple Life is fanning out to towns across America looking for families that are willing to invite the spoiled-rotten glam girls into their homes and their lives.
Last year's show chronicled the adventures of Hilton and Richie as they left L.A. and moved to a farm in Arkansas for a few weeks, trading in their champagne and caviar for beer and beef. The family that fed and clothed them, did what they could to acquaint the young women with the concept of doing their own chores and earning an honest living.
But the co-stars, famous only because of their last names, spent most of their time ridiculing their hosts, who are portrayed as uncool country bumpkins who are incapable of grasping the big-city girls' giggles and sass. Clearly, this is not a show about instilling a work ethic; it's about reinforcing the stereotype that small-town, salt-of-the-earth folks are a bunch of yahoos.
Fortunately, that approach backfires sometimes. Just as many people watch the show because they want to see Richie and Hilton make fools of themselves as they shovel manure, figuratively and literally.
So, given that The Simple Life producers are casting their talent net at the Hernando County Fairgrounds on Saturday ("Hey, hon, guess what we're gonna do for Valentine's Day!"), they must believe Brooksville has a huge pool of hicks from which to choose. Brooksville has its share, of course, but I doubt it's much out of proportion from other towns of similar size.
Which is one reason the producers shouldn't limit their search. There are other places in Hernando County that should be considered.
The Simple Life producers could venture a few miles west on State Road 50 to Weeki Wachee. Given its push to bring national attention to the plight of the kitschy roadside attraction, Weeki Wachee probably would jump at the opportunity to lend its name to the show. Who knows? Maybe Hilton and Richie would even kick in some of their families' fortunes to help pay the city's not-so-simple legal bills.
A good percentage of Weeki Wachee's population is related, so they could qualify as a family. Depending on how long they are on location, they might qualify as full-time residents, making them eligible to run for the City Commission.
The modest bungalows, where the nine residents live rent-free, would provide a colorful backdrop, and the mermaid attraction would be a wonderful location, what with the nearly-pristine spring and all.
The water slides and the beach volleyball courts would offer ample opportunities for Nicole and Paris to frolic in their latest swimwear fashions. And, of course, they could don mermaid suits and air hoses and be put to work washing the windows in the mermaid theatre, or cleaning up elsewhere in the spring. Appropriate background music could include Paris in the Spring, and when the day is done, Paris By Night.
Sure, they would be fish out of water, but isn't that the whole premise of the television show?
