Robert Verdi, the interior-fashion designer and Fashion Police host who uses sunglasses to frame his bald dome, will star on his own eponymous television show on LOGO. It premieres in February. And we’re worried. Allow us to explain.
This has Rachel Zoe written all over it. Main character: Frighteningly thin stylist with an inflated sense of self-importance and no real understanding of how the world views her. Ensemble cast: Reluctant assistants who bitch about thankless tasks. Plotline: Whining about clients and their needs. The last three things we just said were not examples of good television making.
He’s stealing the worst from Kathy Griffin. One of Griffin’s main shticks, besides her plastic surgery, is that she can do concrete things to increase her celebrity. Like become best friends with Paris Hilton and Bette Midler. Or buy an estate in Gloria Estefan‘s exclusive Miami hood. On his show, Verdi says he wants to become “an internationally beloved children’s cartoon character. I want to control the wallets and minds of children everywhere.” This is gimmicky, without irony, and will end badly. -y. Also, just like Kathy, Verdi has his own catchphrases. Like “vagina.” To be fair, all reality show mainstays have one of these. But vagina? Really?
Robert Verdi is not particularly interesting. He’s flashy, yes. He believes himself to be an A-gay becomes he’s sometimes seen with famous people. But last time we saw Verdi, at LOGO’s own NewNowNext Awards, Verdi was the only awards presenter who absolutely bombed on stage. We’d describe Verdi’s sense of humor as “wry,” if we could even identify when he’s used it.
Nobody cares about Robert Verdi. He may be a nice guy (to your face), but Verdi is barely a name popular among gays, let alone a mass audience. Which explains why the show is on LOGO, and not VH1 or Bravo. But even still, the common metrics to measure someone’s following — his Internet loyalty — fall short. On Twitter, Verdi has just over 7,000 followers, not a huge base compared to others playing the game. But on YouTube, a better indicator of whether people want to watch Verdi, he has just thirteen — 13! — subscribers, a mere 869 channel views, and a dismal 1,248 views for all videos he’s ever uploaded. The one below is Verdi’s most popular, at 111 views.
This doesn’t mean The Robert Verdi Show is D.O.A. If LOGO (and MTV’s network of brands) throw some marketing behind it, and the season takes on a sturdy narrative, it could be a sleeper hit a la Drag Race. And despite our criticisms, we’d love for this show to succeed, at least in part because we need an excuse to continue thinking there’s a reason LOGO exists. But there’s a lot of work to do, and Santa is booked this week delivering miracles.
Judge its prospects for yourself on the following page, where we’ve embedded a couple of preview clips (which auto-play, annoying!).
hardmannyc
I’ve got a good idea: if you don’t like it, don’t watch it. I’ve never watched any of these so-called reality shows, and I won’t watch this one. But hey, if Logo wants to put him, I say go in peace.
Lady Ga-Gasp
Its just that it would be nice to be programmed to as though we are not total idiots, is all… why is gay media synonymous with crappy media?
FakeName
Yeah, I saw a commercial for this yesterday and it looks absolutely dreadful.
terrwill
“an internationally beloved children’s cartoon character. I want to control the wallets and minds of children everywhere.”
Soon to be seen as the most popular tagline on frightwing nutbag lunatic desparate appeals for funds to scare the bejezus out of the blue haired ladies in the square states everywhere!! :-/
Tonyboy
This is so staged and fake. Does Logo really expect us to believe this is real? ugh! Another flop for Logo.
Josh NYC
Try again, LOGO.
drewbrown
i couldn’t even get through the preview clips. horrible.
jason
I never did like the way MTV’s Logo employs the worst stereotypes to market products under the “gay” label. It’s as if they’re turning our sexuality into a trivial fashion house called “GAY”.
They are effectively turning our sexuality into an amusement.
Ben
LOGO: GURLINA Please!
This looks AWFUL…uninteresting, boring, predictable scenarios and scripted dribble. Staged and a total waste of time and energy.
Is this the best that your network executives and program marketers can come up with in 2009? Geez…..
Let this queen dress and style the stars…Nobody wants LOGO Network to insult the “gays” with this sterotypical, fem, UGLY, delusional…with an air of self entitlement…hack doing a TV show. My friends and I Laughed Out Loud at the insanity…than gagged and were disgusted that LOGO is doing this show.
YAWN=LOGO…It’s getting worse….maybe time to cancel LOGO on Comcast Cable as an additonal charge channel to my billing.
B Damion
I hate self entitled bitchy queens…it’s been done over n over again. Next>>>>>>>>>
TommyOC
Aside from “Rick and Steve” and the occasional awesome documentary, LOGO suffer from, well, sucking.
Give me some gay soap operas (not that I’d watch them, but others will), a decent news program (Jason Bellini was awesome), a music video hour (a la TRL), a travel show, a gay-themed reality show (“Shirts and Skins” was fantastic), a cooking show and a couple of personality shows (and no, they don’t have to be gay), and I’ll gladly cheer for the fact that it exists.
TommyOC
Bottom line: There are artists. And actors. And shows. And movies… things that are created every day that are really, really good… and they don’t see the light of day on any network, music station, or movie theater.
And they don’t have to be gay.
They just have to be good.
Gays like the good things in life.
So why not premier them no the gay channel? Like anyone else was gonna watch it anyway… 😉
D.B.
@TommyOC:
Completely agree with your suggestions. Right now, the only thing Logo does well is their short film show and music videos (they were the first on the Lady Gaga bandwagon). Personally, it seems like a gay soap opera would be a no-brainer.
Tonyboy
This show looks terrible. It feels so 5 years ago with the QUEER EYE guys and Kathi Griffin. I tuned into Logo when it first premiered and liked their wedding show, Can’t Get a Date and CBS News on Logo, but it seems they got rid of the good shows for crap like this and a drag show.
pawsum
There’s a channel called ‘Logo’? Curious. . .
WillBFair
I don’t mind dumb, but this one is too stupid. And why does everything on Logo have to be shallow trash? At least Bravo has West Wing. Can’t Logo find one decent thing to show? Can’t there be any space at all for people with taste and education? If this is the best the gay elite can do, I weep for the future.
UWSguy
does Logo have a death wish? Why waste valuable TV resources on such drivel? Hasn’t this attention whore used up his 15 minutes yet?
Katie212
didn’t i hear that logo was working on a show about hustlers and their sugar daddies? when we have our “own” coming up with shows that depict us in such a negative light who needs the religious right? sounds like logo needs some new management in 2010.
yourboo
wow. that’s about the worst attempt at fame i’ve ever seen. poor robert’s ship has been sinking for a few years now, but he really hit the iceberg with this one.
gomez
i rather spork my own eyeballs
which is sad because i thought he was endearing when he reviewed new york fashion week with judy licht on local tv some years ago
Glasser
A very uncute show to say the least. This thang ain’t no showgirl. Doesn’t Logo know that actors have to be desirably watchable to draw a crowd? This guy has about as much appeal as a dead night on the Castro. Yawn, click, see ya never.
Swarm
Robert was ok on that TLC home decorating reality show he was on years ago with a co-host, not particularly “likable” but watchable. Now I find him unlikable and the story line on these clips is just stupid.
hardmannyc
The problem w/Logo (and here!) is that they were both a few years to late. By the time they got on the cable dial, Bravo, VH1, E! and even the networks had already become so gay friendly that there was no effective reason for their existence. Not having the resources of already-established channels, they (especially Logo) have been floundering for programming that will get enough eyeballs to attract national advertisers. So far, no luck.
harvp
fashionistas must die
Meowzer
Don’t like Verdi, won’t watch him. He’s seems to me to be the “superior” gay. He comes off like he’s a better gay than the rest of us. Puh-leeze. If I want to be looked down on, I can go home for free!
However, unlike others, i LOVE Kathy Griffin. I think she put gay on the map for some folks. While I don’t think she’s still on the d-list anymore as her schtick wants us to believe, I still find her likable and funny.
MTV used to be relevant when they showed videos. Now, with all the “Real World” and “Road Rules” crap, they’ve lost it.
Logo I think still has a chance if they pull their shit together. More shows about gays. More music videos. I like the gay travel shows and the gay themed movies, but that can’t carry a network. A gay soap, ala Queer As Folk, would be a definate hit.
Robert Verdi? No. Not gonna happen. Like someone said before, so Queer Eye. Why not a gay styling show, like What Not To Wear for gays. There have to some fashioned challenged gays somewhere.
Logo can do so much better.
hardmannyc
^^^ They tried a gay soap, Noah’s Ark, which was a critical and audience success. It got canned because the suits wouldn’t pay for it, given the network’s lousy ad rates. I’m only surprised Rick and Steve is still on.
BGryphon
Trash – but not that fun kind. About a month or so back Marc of Logo Programming tweeted for new show suggestions- can’t remember all the ideas that were tweeted but many of them were better than this load of [email protected]
FakeName
Wow, I’m shocked that anyone at Logo would solicit show suggestions. When Logo was launching, a friend of mine, Who is a transgender historical biographer and all-around expert in film history, had several amazing ideas for programs. When she contacted Logo about them she was told that they weren’t looking for any ideas (and clearly over the intervening 4.5 years found very few of them). This is a great way to get themselves sued. If they air a program with even a passing semblance to one that was suggested whoever tweeted it will likely file suit for copyright infringement. Most production companies return unsolicited manuscripts unopened to avoid even the appearance of impropriety (the Star Trek franchise was always a notable exception to this rule).
Magnus67
Yeeesh. With all the freaking talent out here in the real world — just steps from LOGOland — glbt writers, photogs, artists, actors, comedians, dancers, musicians, designers, architects, etcetera — Verdi is their TOP pick???
Whoa, I guarantee that any five of us on here could block out a better scenario and storyboard, and get a bigger draw than the ‘chosen one’ a.k.a.Mr Unlikable Unwatchable Verdi.
Wanna bet that it doesn’t make it more than five episodes? My pet albino goldfish would swim backwards just to avoid having to watch such crapola.
Jason R.
I’m sorry but this is the one gay “celeb” on t.v that makes me cringe…he’s just so AWKWARD on screen, he has absolutely NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO charisma, ZERO charm, ZERO camera appeal, not particularly good looking, very dull in both his tone of voice and what comes out of his mouth, and his whole schtick is being bitchy. This is a classic case of gay celebrity stylist who met enough celebs to put him on a few segments on E! and BAM..he’s suddenly a gay spokesperson with a reality show.
So sad…and almost frustrating it’s people like this who fill the quota of gays on t.v.
Frustrating even for Logo.
Fitz
Ugg.. cuz I can’t find enough bitchy, self-important, over promoted Peter Pans without Logo?
Pass
I do watch Logo for the music videos… that’s the only way an old fuck can have any idea what’s new, musically.
Brian NJ
I like him, but he seemed to be mismatched with the staff. He throws out many conversation, or humor starter sparks, but no fire ever starts, making him look strange. If they got more creative types, they would have some fun for the camera, but a wide-eyed stare is never a good sign. You need more staff members like him, who know how to bat a curve ball out of the park.
FakeName
Wanna bet that it doesn’t make it more than five episodes?
I’ll take that bet. It’ll last between six and eight, which is pretty standard for first-season Logo shows. The last episode will probably be a reunion/lost footage mess, which is also pretty standard for Logo reality shows.
Salty Mission
Oh come on, this is the perfect show for the Queerty audience. You guys will watch every episode and you know it.
Magnus67
FakeName [#33]: You know LOGO better than I do, so I trust your assessment. I’d rather watch a whole series of ‘lost footage,’ bloopers and blunders from shows that didn’t make it much past the pilot than watch Verdi blather on.
All I can say, is that LOGO would be better off bringing back classic Julia Child cooking episodes — that woman was screamingly funny, and didn’t mind screwing up on camera!
FakeName
All I can say, is that LOGO would be better off bringing back classic Julia Child cooking episodes — that woman was screamingly funny, and didn’t mind screwing up on camera!
To be perhaps too serious for a moment, this comment is indicative of a greater problem within the LGBT community which is reflected within Logo’s programming in particular and the appeal to the LGBT market generally. There is little or no sense of history within the LGBT community. Sure, there are touchstones like Stonewall that are paid lip service to, but the vast rich tapestry of LGBT history is largely ignored by young people. Any number of situations facing LGBT people today have parallels – or direct analogues – to what has come before, but the modern LGBT community takes no counsel from those who have come before, fighting the same battles over and over again.
Not to get all heavy when the inspiration for this comment is a cooking show, but LGBT people striving to improve our future need to be aware of our past.
scott ny'er
RuPaul has a hit. So, this will be one too probably.
Robbie
@BGryphon [No. 27] – I also follow LOGO twitter and Marc didn’t ask for show ideas, he asked for existing shows that people watch that LOGO could possibly buy. As No. 28 points out, there’s a big difference.
DJ Fruit Loops
wow i guess santa gave you coal in your stocking
so harsh about a tv show that hasnt even aired
DJ Fruit Loops
jason r this isnt Roberts FIRST tv show he has been on a few before this so apparently some one did find him appealing enough to give him a third series
Peter Coombes
Hey Brian, NJ:
From what I hear, there was one staff member who was actually funny (maybe too funny ;-| ), and Verdi had them cut his screen time to virtually nil.
john hyde
This looks like a totally crappy show. They should call it Nosferatu 2010.
Laura
Ech. Ugh. *sigh* Ick.
If the commercial spots are the best that this fetid, vapid, obnoxious show has to offer, then perhaps Logo should ditch it and run some more Buffy reruns. Verdi needs to get over himself. This isn’t going to be some dark horse superstar wonderchild of cable channel programming this season. Puh-lease. Three people in Boise are going to TiVo it because the people watching will be more exotic than a trip to the local bi-curious club. After that – poof! No ratings. No show. No sunglasses (thank Gawd!). WHO the hell thought this was a good idea? The only way they could get me to watch is if Verdi put all his sunglasses in a pit and melted them…never to be seen again. Heck, I’d even watch two shows for that. I’ve been over those damn glasses since the first time he appeared on TV with them. (Hey Robert – they’re not cool. The look is sooo early 80’s dynasty maven. Take them off of your head. You look ridiculous. And that two seconds of sincere admiration when someone said, “Awwww – don’t you look cute with your lil’ fashion statment there?”, was just that – two seconds of some ill-placed positive reinforcement. Step away from the glasses.)
jgymnast733
Hate is an awful thing to carry around with you, some of you queens need to release the hate… It’s so abvious that you whores are envious of Robert’s success. If you dont like the trailer for the show then dont watch it, why spew all that hate?
GIRLS, U NEED TO GET A LIFE..!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT’S NOT THAT SERIOURS.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jason
Logo should be Nogo, as in “don’t go there”.
Hollowboy
@Fitz: You are so right! I cant stop laughing. I feel the same way about these self absorbed “Madonnas”. The music videos are even better here because they showcase up and coming new artists from here and over seas that you couldnt find on the otherwise main stream middle america friendly music channels. Hilarious. Old fuck!! haha!Cant stop laughing! I love it! Thank you Fitz.
Bobby
I’ve stopped watching Logo, I can’t stand seeing his butt ugly face and hearing his voice evertyime I turned on the channel. Sad to say, but I would rather watch trash like Paris Hilton than see his face.
mike
There is nothing more pathetic than a 40-something year old gay man with a Paris Hilton complex. Bland, vacuous, terminally self-absorbed…..the show is awful.
Bobby
Mike, I agree with you. I’d rather watch the Emergency broadcast test than watching Paris or Verdi. I hate “reality” television, i’m glad it’s not my reality.