Plot: What’s it about?
What a world we live in…Anna Nicole Smith, who used to go by “Vickie” Smith first appeared on the pages of Playboy magazine (the May 1992 issue, to be exact). Ever since then, the word has been hers. I remember ogling at her, just like every other guy who read the magazine. She went on to become Playmate of the Year, then the Guess Jeans girl and then proceeded to marry a Texas oil billionaire (who then subsequently died). After many battles in the coutroom, she walked away with around 500 million dollars in cash. This all happened in the course of about seven years, but man…what a ride. Now before I start making fun of her, and I will, let’s just say that it’s a pretty pathetic reflection on our society when you can get to where she has gotten all by having a set of DD’s. The fact that she somewhat resembles Marilyn Monroe doesn’t hurt, either, I suppose. Ms. Smith, without an ounce of talent to her name, has risen to the elite hierarchy of the world for no other reason than she has a great body. Correction, had a good body. Anna Nicole, as she is known now, is now overweight, but still seems to have some sort of following. The fact that she now has her own television series is extremely disturbing and by watching it you can only feel a) sorry for her or b) dumber. In either case, the growth of the reality television series might have culminated with Anna Nicole Smith, who may or may not be the Anti-Christ.
That being said, “The Anna Nicole Show” is essentially about nothing. It’s not about nothing in the same way that “Seinfeld” is about nothing, that’s entertaining; this show is not. We see Anna tackle the “real” issues of the world, you know – what kind of pillows to get for her bed, how she gets her hair done and what assistant she can yell at for not bringing her food on time. This truly is one of the signs of the downfall of mankind, folks. It would be one thing if Anna (Vickie, whoever) still had the figure she did ten years ago. She doesn’t. Recently, to promote the series, she was on the Howard Stern radio show and he and his band of hooligans tried to get her to divulge her weight (they had her pegged at around 275 lbs.). Despite all of the offers, she wouldn’t. That’s a bit beside the point, but what I’m trying to say is that if she still looked good, there would be a reason to watch the show. I mean, hey, maybe she’s wear nothing but a bikini all day. Now that would be worth watching! But alas, she doesn’t. Throughout the course of the season, she’s content to pout, moan, whine and pout some more just to get her way (if she doesn’t, she whines some more). She’s treated like royalty by her pack of employed “Yes” men and women and for the life of me, I can’t find any redeeming value in this show whatsoever. Then again, the show is extremely popular on the E! network and has been signed on for a new season. If you’re into Anna Nicole, then this is what you want and more. However if you aren’t (and I’m not, obviously) then you’ll just look at your May 1992 Playboy and go about your day.
Video: How does it look?
The video for the first season is what we might expect. The episodes are presented in their original full-frame aspect ratios. For the most part, the images are very clean, as the episodes are only a couple years old. There isn’t a lot of artifacting or edge enhancement to make note of and this is right on par with most new shows that make their way to DVD. Not that true fans of the show would be deterred by video, as the laughs ensue. There’s not a whole lot to say here, it’s better than when it aired on E!, but can’t hold a candle to some of the DVD transfers out there.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is about the same. Released in a Dolby Surround mix, there isn’t a whole lot when it comes to dynamic audio. The surround effects are only used occasionally. For the most part, though, this is a decent-sounding track that should please most any listener. All the profanity (and occasionally there is some) is easily understandable and I’m out of things to say. Decent and above average. How about that?
Supplements: What are the extras?
The three disc set includes some supplements, but not a whole lot (not what we’d expect for a three disc set). The episodes are “uncut” in which the profanity is not “bleeped” out and therefore we see them as they’re meant to be seen, er…heard. Each episode also has some pretty funny deleted scenes as well. Couple that with some tv spots (trailers) and there you have it. While it’s evident that I didn’t really like the show, it’s not the fault of the DVD. True fans will love it and more power to them…Oh, lastly, let’s not forget Anna Nicole’s commentary track. With so much insight, we’re all fools not to watch the show everyday all day long!
