Now MTV Ruins Rolling Stone Mag’s Rep

As if the series starring Seventeen magazine aspirants verbally abusing one another wasn’t embarrassing enough, here’s the video promo for the new MTV reality show that kicks off January 7th and promises some actual violence: “I’m From Rolling Stone”. Oh, and just look at this photo from the icky gee-whiz Rolling Stone website about the show, complete with video interviews. Could these kids be any more stereotyped? One is “self-sabotaging”; another wants to “shed his image as a partier;” still another is “star-struck.” Oh yeah, you definitely want these attributes in a reporter/writer. Immortal words from Executive Editor Joe Levy: “If you don’t take this more seriously, you’re not going to last a summer at Rolling Stone.” My prediction? The tough chick who promises to “slap” people for “disrespecting” her gets the gig because all the wimpy mag editors are scared shitless of her. (As I’ve written in my LA Weekly columns, now that Reality TV has turned into Savage TV to get ratings, only the psychos survive. Yet another reason to hate your mutated MTV.) Here’s the PR poop: Six aspiring writers who “dreamed” of being a writer for the music magazine — Krishtine, Russell, Peter, Tika, Colin and Krystal — compete to become the new Contributing Editor at Rolling Stone. The contestants were chosen last summer from a (cess)pool of 2,000 applicants for a summer associate position, then thrown into a bunch of writing assignments, including artist and entertainment profiles and coverage of national affairs, politics and pop culture. Some of the musical acts featured in the series include Band of Horses, Ghostface Killah, We Are Scientists, The Roots, Lupe Fiasco, and more. The writers also covered music events of the year like Roskilde Music Festival and Lollapalooza. “MTV cameras documented the young journalists’ entire experience working, for the first time, in a high-pressured journalistic environment. They compete with one another for story assignments, stress about hitting deadlines and face no-holds-barred critiques from Rolling Stone editors, all while dealing with their own personal challenges.” All I wanna know is: Do they win extra suck-up points for Stephen Glass-like fabricating?

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Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.