Geordie Shore comes to Greece--and brings with it a photoshoot that is pissing me off

Very, very rarely do I mind or care when Hollywood messes with our Gods. 'Supernatural' has its heroes chop off Zeus' head? Sure, whatever, nothing is sacred on that show. 'Atlantis' and 'Olympus' get it pretty much all wrong? Sure! Entertainment! I dont care about people portraying the gods in movies or the silver screen. I could care less about bad movies with our Gods. I had truly thought I had become impervious to things like that--mostly because these portrayals are so far from the Gods I love and worship that I don;t even link the two. And then there is Geordie Shore.

For those who do not know Geordie Shore, Geordie Shore is a British reality television series broadcast on MTV. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, it was first broadcast on 24 May 2011, and is the British spin-off of the American show Jersey Shore. 'Geordie' is the regional nickname and dialect given to the people of the Tyneside area of North East England, and is closely associated with the city of Newcastle and its environs where the show is set. However the show includes cast members from various parts of North East England.This all sounds pretty decent, but in short, Geordie Shore is a show about teenages drinking to sickness, partying until dawn, and having sex with everyone in sight--mostly while they are on vacation.

Now, I do not watch Geordie Shore or any of its many replicas on TV. I really don't need that in my life. If you love it, go for it! Millions of people enjoy this show with you. But what I can't stomach is the Geordie Shore 'cast members' dressing up as the ancinet Hellenic Gods for the promo shoot for the eleventh season, which is currently being filmed in Zakynthos, Mykonos, Malia on Crete and Athens.

I don't want to rant--and I wont, beyond what I have done already--but I am very, very, very against these young people dressing up as the Theoi. Their behavious is the exact opposite of the morals and values of the ancient Hellenes--let alone the Gods, and I find it very, very hard to swallow a photoshoot like this. To be clear: I don't judge them for their behaviour. They would probably not understand my life's choices either. I just don't want them associated with the Theoi!

Okay, well, needless to say I will not be tuning in for this train wreck. Now excuse me while I go for a run to shake off this frustration and make Ares and Athena proud.

• Sunday, September 13, 2015
  current affairs MTV personal

Errr... this was not *exactly* what I asked for...

Remember when I called out for a Pagan web-series and even described some of the characters I would like to see? I think MTV and I are somewhat on the same wavelength because they just put out a national casting call for an episode of True Life, about youth who are 'occult enthusiasts'. According to their ad, they are looking for:

"...'anyone who practices Wicca, Satanism, alchemy, astrology, ESP or other mystical sciences' or those who feel they can 'tap into unseen spiritual forces.' Those who are interested in the study of 'the Kabbalah or Esoteric Christianity' are also invited to participate; the show is presently seeking males and females ages 17-29 who take their occult practices seriously, regardless of societal views. The casting call will remain open for a one year period and closes on Sept. 10, 2013."

All but the first and last quotation marks are theirs. True Life, by the way--for those as unfamiliar with it as I am--is:

"...a reality-based television series first established in the late 1990s; the show is presented in documentary fashion and depicts different people and lifestyles; According to MTV’s website, "True Life" is a show “narrated solely by its characters” and the producers strive to offer shows that are “unusual” or “remarkable.” “True Life” is an Emmy award winning television series that allows those depicted to share their lives and their personal stories with the world."

I wanted to say I am unsure about this idea but truth be told, I am actively against the idea of MTV bringing any Pagans to my T.V. screen. Even if they try to bring this to the people without going 'Oooohhh! Look! A witch!', I doubt they will succeed.

Of course, I should not judge. I have never seen an episode of True Life. It will also depend greatly on the people who sign up for this how awful it will be. If some of our Elders sign up, this might actually be pretty darn epic. If you are interested in signing up, you first need to fork up $9.95, though, because you need an account at Reality Wanted.

I would love some feedback on this show from viewers. Is this something we should be excited about? Dread? Ignore? Would you ever sign up for something like this? If so, why?

• Friday, September 14, 2012
  MTV Paganism web-series