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But producers and editing are only part of the problem. Every time a reality star with William Hung-like ability pops up in another medium, Bob's credibility takes a hit. Talent, after all, is essential.
"Talent is very much a part of a big, long-lasting career," says Jessica Simpson, one of the few reality stars whose show has actually enhanced their entertainment career. "If you're talented, you'll have a lot of luck. If you're not, I don't know. Maybe if you're pretty or hot!"
Sam Solovey, who amused viewers while irritating his teammates on "The Apprentice," is admittedly not hot, but he thinks he has a decent chance in entertainment. He was recently approached for a role in the off-Broadway dinner-theater production "Tony n' Tina's Wedding."
"Doing a reality show simply creates the opportunity to pursue experiences that would never otherwise occur," says Solovey. "I'm pursuing all sorts of different opportunities. For example, I always wanted to try my hand at stand-up comedy, and that became available as a result of the show. I was considered for a regular role on a sitcom."
That sort of capitalizing on your 15 minutes of fame, however, doesn't interest some reality stars.
"Most of the music industry was telling me that I had to get signed in 1993 or it was over," says Glen Naessens, whose band Perch played prominently in "The Real World: Los Angeles." "More of the industry was interested in 'The Real World' than the actual band. … I was popular for all the wrong reasons ... but I didn't want to be a one-hit wonder. I would rather wait till I'm 60 years old and succeed than to be over when I'm 23."
Lex van den Berghe, who just completed "Survivor: All-Stars," found after his first run on the show that more concert promoters were suddenly interested in his longtime band, Luckydog.
"Some people wanted to book our band and some wanted to book Lex from 'Survivor''s band," he recalls. "But we've never been interested in capitalizing or exploiting what little level of celebrity I got from reality TV to go to the next level."
Luckydog never advertise Lex's "Survivor" connection, but the word tends to get around, which works out well for the alt-country band.
"The people who came out to see Lex from 'Survivor' out of curiosity usually end up buying CDs and enjoying the music," he says. "It's just a happy coincidence."
Lex — who also plays in a side project with members of Smash Mouth, writes a column for a Santa Cruz newspaper and is in the running to host a music series — says the best gigs are the ones you earn, something "Bachelor" Bob would agree with. After his show ended, Guiney hit the road for six months on what he dubbed the Prove That I Can Do It Tour.
"I was singing at radio stations at 6:30 for the morning show, coming back for the noon hour and again for the drive-time show and playing that night," he recalls. "I wanted to show everyone it was for real."
Glen from "The Real World" has similar thoughts. "Nobody likes people who appear to be given the silver platter," he explains. "I learned that on tour with Perch when bands would trash us everywhere we played. I can't blame the other bands out there. I was the same way with Reigndance [a band featuring Andre from "The Real World: New York"], but after I went through the 'Real World' experience, I found a new respect for him."
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Photo: FOX
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