Lights, Camera, Reality
Wannabe TV Stars Hope to Be Casted in Reality Shows and Win Big
By GIGI STONE and MELIA PATRIA

July 28, 2008—

In a large studio space in midtown Manhattan, men and women of all ages
actually line up to be individually insulted. In front of a raucous
crowd, they are booed and told they are terrible, awful people.

It's one of the key exercises at the New York Reality TV School, and the
point is to build emotional endurance to criticism and rejection. The
students engage in a variety of wacky drills like this because they all
desperately long for a few precious seconds on reality TV.

When -- and if -- they get that chance on "American Idol," "The
Bachelorette" or "Flavor of Love," they want to be prepared.

"Reality television is that dirty addiction that we all get stuck to,"
explained 24-year-old Reality TV student Christina Powis. "It's booming.
I would love to get into it."

"I love reality TV and I think my personality would be great for a
reality show," said fellow classmate Ebony Coles.

Of course, for many students, the ultimate dream is that reality TV will
catapult them to a higher level of fame. For a lucky few, that has been
the case.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck, a 2001 alumnus of "Survivor: The Australian
Outback," has become a star on the talk show "The View."

Overnight sensation Jennifer Hudson crooned her way from a losing
contestant on "American Idol" to an Oscar-award-winning actress in
"Dream Girls."

Coach to the 'Stars'

If you've ever thought you could be the next reality show superstar if
only you had some coaching, then the New York Reality TV School was
designed specifically for you.

The classes are a forum for extroverts, hams and dreamers to release
their media fears and inhibitions.

"I'm a dermatologist, and I came here to learn how to present myself on
camera and get more involved in media," said Jessica Krant.

Student Scott Glover, "a firefighter and an improviser," said he "came
to check it out."

"It's all about promotion for me, getting it out there," said Hashim
Smith a.k.a. "Trendz," a veteran of VH1's reality show "I Love New
York." "This is really good for me."

While the students stretch and dance to music, they are filmed by camera
crews hired by the school. The idea is to help them become confident and
comfortable should they one day land that make-it-or-break-it role.

The school is the brainchild of 43-year-old acting coach Robert
Galinsky. His one-night seminars cost $139 a pop and the curriculum is
all about "being real." He says he's not teaching his students to be
actors. Rather, he's teaching them how not to act.

"I'm coaching them to be themselves, to be clear about what makes them
unique, what makes them potentially interesting in the context that they
are going to be in on a show," explained Galinsky.

Channeling Your Inner 'Crazy'

He also teaches endurance and strategy. One of the exercises his
students do is called "the perp walk." The students file past one
another while lobbing hateful insults, followed by praise and applause.

"We make them walk through that line to build up some emotional immunity
to what's going on because it's very much like on a reality show,"
explained Galinsky.

The frenzied yelling and multitude of cameras were too much for some of
the students to handle. Coles broke down in tears at one point during
the exercise.

Another man exploded in anger.

"No, it's horses***. I mean, you've got a metrosexual, perfect guy here
insulting me as I walk past him. You've got a cheerleader over here,"
vented Kevin Kolack. "It's all, it's horses***!"

Since emotional people with a flair for the dramatic tend to be cast on
reality shows, the class teaches students how to "be themselves."

"To be comfortable with yourself in your most crazy form, is definitely
a part of it, definitely a part of it," said Galinsky.

The class also preps the students on how to deal with emotional and
inflammatory castmates. After the exercise, Galinsky revealed that Coles
and Kolack were actually actors who were hired to make a scene.

Reality TV Idols

Galinksy has even corralled an impressive group of D-list reality
celebrities to give the students tips. They're alums from shows such as
"Survivor," "Martha Stewart's Apprentice," "Top Chef," "Beauty and the
Geek" and "The Bachelor." Among the crowd is Galinsky's star student and
inspiration, Jorge Bendersky.

Just months ago, Bendersky, 36, was an average New York City dog
groomer. But he felt he had TV potential.

"I'm good at what I do. I'm funny. I think I have what it takes,"
explained Bendersky.

So when he heard that cable channel Animal Planet was doing a
competitive reality show for dog groomers, he knew it was his destiny.

"I was like, 'Oh my God, that is just screaming my name.'"

Then came the tough part.

"I was so excited until I really tried to do the auditioning tape. That
was a disaster. I cried I was so frustrated. It was horrible," said
Bendersky.

So, he hired Robert Galinsky as a coach and the rest is TV history.

Bouncing Back

Jorge made it to the final three competitors on Animal Planet's "Groomer
Has It." He didn't win the cash prize, but he did win a little bit of
fame and a healthy dose of confidence.

"Now, going down the street, people with dogs know who I am," said
Bendersky.

Since leaving the show, he's dedicated himself to making guest
appearances at pet stores and running his own fan Web site where he
sells Jorge-themed T-shirts and mugs.

"Who knows?" he said. "Maybe I do have a future in the entertainment
industry. You know, 'Grooming Dogs with Jorge.' Jorge-licious. Let's
make the dogs Jorge-licious!"

But for now, he's doling out tips to other wannabes at the Reality TV
School.

Students like Donato DeMarinis are eager to learn the tricks of the
trade. Once upon a time, he was on the game show "Deal or No Deal." The
notoriety he experienced was fantastic, but fleeting.

"Once it all came to a crashing end, inside I did not want it to end,"
lamented DeMarinis as he recalled his short-lived 15 minutes of fame.

"No," he said, "I needed more."

In hopes of landing another TV gig, he enthusiastically enrolled at the
Reality School. The irony of having to take a class to learn how to be
real is not lost on DeMarinis.

"It is the most bizarre and sick thing I have ever found, and it is the
best thing that I have ever found," he said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Story?id=5437818&page=3

[
As I've said before,
the next step is for reality players to form their own union: The
Reality Players Guild or something like that.
]