We all know LOGO, the gay cousin of MTV, doesn’t have much cash on hand to wield much programming might. Remember the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race? I’m pretty sure producers World of Wonder lit the stage with flashlights. Then there are the rumors of LOGO spending a whopping $10,000 to pick up an entire season of gay comics Jeffery Self and Cole Escola’s Jeffery & Cole Casserole — which doesn’t cost much to produce, but still, them’s be slave wages for all the hours they put in. So you shouldn’t expect the stars of The A-List: New York, whose colon scares me into thinking they plan to duplicate this series around the nation, to be making bank on their reality show endeavors. And they aren’t.
They’re making a whopping $1,250. For the whole season, according to Michael Musto.
But only “model-slash-actor-slash-waiters” actually sign on to reality television shows to earn some cash. Real ambitious types know reality TV is just one big commercial for their other endeavors. Like Reichen Lehmkuhl’s jewelry line (whose sales he directly profits from each unit moved) or his stage performances (which he doesn’t). Or photographer and non-materialist Mike Ruiz, who could use the show to bump up his fees — though he’s already had plenty of reality TV exposure, including on LOGO.
For the other relatively unknowns castmates — like model (and Reichen’s bf) Rodiney Santiago, modeling agent Derek Lloyd Saathoff, and hair salon owner Ryan Nickulas — starring on The A-List should bring about the same spoils as Bravo’s Real Housewives enjoy.
No, not Kodak endorsement deals, but invites to B-list fashion events. At least they’ve got open bar?
Kyle412
Reality doesn’t pay well. The rewards come from having a product/business to markert and promote which a bunch of these guys do. Regardless, this is a stupid concept for a show especially seeing that if they are the “A List” why haven’t I ever heard of these guys?
Michael Joseph Cuneo
@Kyle412: Because, in general, gay men that style themselves a-listers only appear to be so amongst themselves. No one else really cares or notices them.
ron
I hope this reality TV phase is over soon. It’s all just awful. You can feel your brains dribbling out if you watch it. I don’t find it entertaining at all. It’s just stupid. I have friends who insisted I had to see the Real Housewives of NYC. I watched about 10 minutes of it with my jaw wide open. What crap is that?! These people are total nobodys and they spew such shit at each other. This snark has invaded our culture, with the internet where you can anonymously vomit your opinion and be nasty about it. I choose to read a good book or watch quality television. But seriously, the A-List of NY? Wake me when it’s over!
Kbutterum
I thought LOGO was the go to network when other networks like Comedy Central and VH1 are over budget b/c they don’t spend any money on LOGO therefore LOGO is cash sturated. Didn’t they pay for the final season of Sarah Silverman last year?
Troy M
I wonder how much LOGO dropped for the entire “Buffy” series? I mean, really. Talk about perpetuating stereotype.
Nick
colon, not hyphen (pun intended)
Mike
Reichen is such a has-been. I feel like Regina George yelling, “Stop trying to make Reichen happen. He’s not going to happen!”
HarleyD
“So you shouldn’t expect the stars of The A-List: New York, whose hyphen scares me into thinking they plan to duplicate this series around the nation…”
Queerty editors: Hyphens and colons don’t look anything alike. A hyphen is a mid-length horizontal line. A colon is a vertical pair of dots.
Andrew
Reichen is a shameless fame whore. Becoming Lance Bass’s bf simply to capitalize on the press of Lance coming out was so transparent and sleazy.
And @Mike, when it comes to Reichen I also feel like Regina George, yelling “Boo, you whore.”
drewbrown
@Mike: Reichen is a never-was! I am sure that 99% of Americans have never even heard of him. And I highly doubt this pointless, bottom-feeding show will change that.
Austin
Reichen may not be such a much, but he has more going on
than to spend his day spewing anonymous vitriol.
Manny A.
Right on @Austin. Tell them vicious queens. They are just jealous.
Scott from CA
Oh, and $1250 for the entire season probably isn’t accurate. I work in reality TV and have seen a lot of new shows and the $1250 figure is most likely a per episode deal, and it’s comparable to other first season shows. The stars of Style’s Jerseylicious received about 2 to $3000 per episode for the first season (and from what I’ve seen that’s on the higher end of the spectrum for first season shows on a network that doesn’t have a big market share).
Kyle
Why is his nipple photoshopped to a different place?
Sean
So a fairly cute face, few cycles of roids and zero actual talent can make you a “star” today in the gay community? I sincerely hope we have higher standards then that!
alan brickman
some sound jealous….
alan brickman
straight people do far less to be reality stars..why can’t gays enjoy those rights too?….
Jimmi
“A” is for Assh*le.
Jesse Helms
Is the title “A-List” meant to be ironic, iconic, isotonic or moronic?
Oscar
None of these people on reality tv shows do it for the money. They do it for their unending and desperate quest for fame, to feel validated by being recognized because without the notoriety that TV exposure can bring, well, they really are not much.
smith
Why wont this cum-bucket go away?
Glen Beck
He looks scrumptious
rrr
@alan brickman: The useless ridiculous straight reality stars you are talking about attract the same sort of contempt and mockery that Reichen does. Gays enjoy the same right as straights to be reality stars and the public has a right to offer gay reality famewhores scorn like they do straight ones.
Jeremy
$1250 for an episode? If you put the “escorts” or the “porn stars” behind the “A-list”, that would actually make a lot of sense.
AListLover
Just wait until Season 2. These “reality whores” will be laughing all the way to the bank with their tv deals…like the housewives, and like snookie.
Hilarious
Reality television was ok before it became scripted and didn’t engulf over 50% of the programming schedule.
Now they’re even making scripted shows with real actors about reality shows. ABC has some idiotic show coming out called “My Generation” that they’re advertising nonstop.
At some point I think reality television will just implode on itself because there’s really nowhere else to go from here. Once you have real actors playing reality show subject the void of suck has gone full circle. The only thing left would be a fictional show about fictional a show about a reality show, I can see a ramp and a plastic shark already.