Monday, November 07, 2005
Russian reality TV: Survivor New York City
Instead of facing bread lines, 13 Russian-speaking 20-somethings have been dumped in Queens with no food or money and left to fend for themselves in a country where they can't speak the language.Don't tell the audience, it would sap the drama.
That's the premise of the smash-hit Russian reality show "Hunger"...
Every week, two contestants face off head-to-head and are sent out into the streets in desperate bids to get jobs, money or food despite not being able to communicate. And they use every tool at their disposal.At one point, 22-year-old contestant Kristina Kalinina [left] — an outgoing brunette who says her only flaw is that she doesn't "see any flaws in myself" — jumped in front of men screaming: "Give me money and I'll take off my clothes and dance for you!" The stunt netted her $112.
In another scenario, Kristina and another contestant, Natasha Rubtsova, a 21-year-old stunner, offered to wash a man's car. He in turn took them out to dinner and a $250 shopping spree — for a total of $500, a record take for the show.
Those left in the house eagerly wait for their counterparts to return. If the players fail, everyone goes hungry...
According to the New York Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting, the show's producers assured officials that all safety rules would be followed and no one would be allowed to starve... [NY Post]
