I Get That A Lot: Disguised Celebrities "Play Retail"
CBS had an "April Fool's Day Special" last night called I Get That A Lot that was a surprise ratings hit. It's the exact same thing as Punk'd, but reversed: celebrities work menial jobs and are assholes/idiots and regular people are secretly taped reacting to them. It was like what Sacha Baron Cohen does, but without his talent or the victims' egos and/or racism. Yeah, I can't believe I watched it, either, but I thought it might be a really terrible lesson in the huge gap between the rich and the poor in this country -- an uncomfortable reminder of the barriers that prevent people of different classes from interacting. Either that or I was a little tipsy. But it totally did turn out to be kind of like that!
The celebrities were Heidi Klum as a pizza counter girl, Jeff Probst as a supermarket checkout clerk, Jared Fogle as a Subway sandwich maker, Ice T as a shoe salesman, LeAnn Rimes as a waitress, Mario Lopez as a hot dog seller, and Jessica Simpson as a Geek-Squad-type computer repair person. I know this was a stupid show that doesn't deserve to be viewed with a critical eye, but watching Heidi Klum prance around eating off the pizzas and dropping them on the floor in a real restaurant as real pizza cook guys made real minimum wage as they tried to work around her was distracting at best, insulting at worst. And did every celebrity, when recognized, have to say: "Do you think I'd be HERE if I were _____ _______?????" I mean, I know that's the point. It was just weird. Anyway, Jessica Simpson was actually not terrible or un-entertaining as the computer repair geek, even though there's no way she didn't have someone writing all her jokes for her and whispering them into a tiny microphone in her ear. There's no way Jessica Simpson is even this funny:
My favorite part was at the end when she says "Playing retail today was very...interesting? I saw a lot of different kinds of...personalities?" Yes. Just like a regular person who isn't surrounded at all times with people on his or her payroll. If this show accomplished one thing other than making people who weren't insulted by it forget about their problems for an hour, it was making six pampered celebrities and Jared Fogle forever nicer to regular people just trying to do their jobs. Six down, hundreds to go.
Posted by Lindsay at 4:45 PM in Pranks And Stunts, Reality TV
Tags: Heidi Klum | I Get That A Lot | Ice-T | Jeff Probst | Jessica Simpson | LeAnn Rimes | Mario Lopez
is dat da girl wif pimpals on her fece?
Score = -8
I actually kind of hope you don't get banned.
And now I need a shower.
Score = 9
This was on almost every television at my gym. Trying to decide if I should look at I Get That A Lot and Nancy Grace was like a Sophie's Choice in terribleness.
Score = 8
i think it a stretch to say that Jessica Simpson has been in "countless movies and TV shows". She's had 8 hit singles that nobody remembers and is most famous for being un-self aware enough to be stupid on a reality show. Let's not get carried away CBS.
Score = 6
but she was in ducks of hazard an she was smokin fo reel! LOL rember in da comershall when some dood was like dubble ds? LOL dats one of my faverat moveis
Score = -4
Anglea McGillicutty? That's really the best they could do?
Score = 3
Wouldn't it be sad if in ten years, these celebrities actually had these jobs? April Fools! It would be GREAT.
Score = 12
Didn't really think I'd say this ever, but...Jessica Simpson did pretty good.
She had some clever lines, did her thing. But no, I don't want an hour of this, thanks.
Score = 2
I thought it was Britney Spears at first.
Score = 2
you no nuthin of da cake eatur
Score = -4
lindsay, thank you so much for not posting video of jared's segment. because i would have watched it, and i would have thrown up out of sheer distaste. i also might have killed myself.
Score = 1
Fashion icon?
Nice mom jeans
Score = 2
How sad is that one lady who kept screaming about how much she looks like Jessica Simpson. 1) You know Jessica Simpson's face that well? Get a life! 2) Even if someone actually was a genetic double to Jessica Simpson it's still obnoxious to flip your lid like that. 3) Say you're right and you did just meet a celebrity, WTF, that's still an embarrassing reaction.
Score = 4
i love the peace symbol lady!
Score = 0
She was...oddly likable? I'm confused now.
Score = 5
I agree. I'm not a fan of her singing or acting, but she was somewhat likeable in that reality show with whatever that guy's name is, and she was likeable that clip. +2 for you, Jessica Simpson.
Score = 5
This is infuriating to watch.
Score = -2
i just watched the heidi klum one and nearly shot diet coke out of my nose. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jJhpfMzTsE
Score = 2
I wanted to reach through my television and stab peace sign lady. After watching that I thanked the gods that I don't work in customer service anymore. So happy you posted that clip, Lindsay!
Score = 1
This gave me a boner.
Score = 0
Maybe they should have let her improv on the set of Employee of the Month.
Score = 2
I would have attacked jessica simpson if i had seen here.
No one fucks with my tech support.
No one.
Score = -2
I feel like I have known a million peace sign ladies and they were all librarians at my high school.
Score = 1
She could have at least touched up her roots.
Score = -1