There's Something About Miriam

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Miriam being wooed by a contestant in a still from the 2004 reality television program There's Something About Miriam.
Miriam being wooed by a contestant in a still from the 2004 reality television program There's Something About Miriam.

There's Something About Miriam is a reality television show filmed in 2003 and originally aired in the United Kingdom on Sky One in February 2004. Hosted by Tim Vincent, it featured six men wooing 21-year-old Mexican model Miriam, without revealing that she was a transwoman until the final episode.

Contents

[edit] Production and filming

The show was produced by the Brighter Pictures subsidiary of Endemol and was originally titled Find Me A Man. [1] Recruitment ads for contestants promised "the adventure of a lifetime" with a £10,000 prize to men aged 20 to 35 who "want it all" and are "fit and up for everything." [2] The contestants on the show were:

  • Mark Dimino, 24, Optician
  • Toby Green, 23, Student
  • Aron Lane, 22, Chef
  • Tom Rooke, 23, lifeguard and ex-ski instructor
  • Scott Gibson, 22, Martial arts expert
  • Dominic Conway, 28, Ex-Royal Marine [3]

Brighter Pictures Managing Director Gavin Hay said "they had made a point of never referring to Miriam as a woman when getting the men to take part." [4]

Miriam said, "Several of them wondered about me in the first few days. But as the series unfolded, I really thought that we got to like and know each other as friends and had a lot of fun." [5] In response to allegations that she revealed her big secret by lifting up her skirt[6], she was quoted as saying "I want to say that I would never lift my skirt up on national TV. My mother brought me up very well." On the version that aired, Miriam chose Rooke as the winner and then said in front of the assembled contestants:

I tried to be honest with all of you, not just some of you. Yes, I am from Mexico, I am a model, and I'm 21. But Tom, I really love spending time with you and kissing you. You see, I love men, and I love being a woman. But... shh, quiet everybody, please, quiet. But you see, Tom... I am not a woman. I was born as a man.[7]

Rooke initially accepted the prize money and the trip with Miriam on camera, then rejected the prize prior to airing and joined the other contestants in a lawsuit.

[edit] Litigation and release

Following the completion of the show, it was scheduled to air in November 2003, but the lawsuit by the contestants delayed the airing. [8][9] They alleged conspiracy to commit sexual assault, defamation, breach of contract and personal injury in the form of psychological and emotional damage.[10]

According to The Mirror, "Appalled production workers broke down and cried because the men were so shaken when the trick was revealed. Some of the crew do not wished to be named in credits."[11]

After the men settled for an undisclosed amount, the show premiered February 22[12], and the sixth and final episode aired March 24, 2003. [13]

The show was aired in Australia by Network Ten in May 2004 and in Poland by TVN in January 2005. The show was picked up by Fox Reality for airing in the United States in April 2006, but was not immediately scheduled for airing.[14]

[edit] Response

Critics were generally unfavorable, calling it "the cruellest reality show idea yet" [15] and part of a trend in shows that exploit unwitting contestants. [16]A British reviewer noted, "The whole premise of There’s Something About Miriam was not a celebration of transgendered life. It was designed to elicit horror from the winning contestant discovering that his dream date had a penis." [17] The show was also criticized by transsexual groups, who feared a backlash of public opinion. [18] When the show aired in Australia, reviews were critical of both the premise and Miriam:

These guys were duped in more ways than one - while Miriam has a few unexpected bits in her package, she's notably deficient in others. It has become clear Miriam requires a personality implant. It must've been a challenge to find a transsexual pretty enough, mean enough and sufficiently attention-seeking to play this tawdry game, but what these producers found in Miriam is a sultry-looking dill prone to the cheesiest of cliches.[19]

Other British commentators contrasted Miriam with the positive response to Nadia Almada, a Portugese transsexual woman who won Big Brother UK a few months later. [20] That show was also produced by Endemol.

However, the show garnered high ratings[21], and Miriam went on to become a guest on Big Brother Australia 2004. [22][23]

There's Something About Miriam was featured on the 2005 clip show "40 Greatest Pranks" on VH1 and was ranked #11 on the Hoaxes, Cheats and Liars episode of 20 to 1.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Davies, Catriona (October 30, 2003). TV suitors shocked as dream girl turns out to be a man. The Daily Telegraph
  2. ^ Reuters (October 30, 2003). Transsexual Surprise holds up TV Show.
  3. ^ Smith, Emily (February 13, 2004).Miriam's secret. The Sun
  4. ^ Deans, Jason (31 October 2003). Reality show men sue Sky over transsexual 'trick.' The Guardian
  5. ^ Staff report (5 November, 2003). Men 'suspected' TV transsexual. BBC News
  6. ^ Smith, Emily (October 31, 2003).Would You? The Sun
  7. ^ Miriam (March 24, 2004). There's Something about Miriam. via Brighter Pictures/Sky One
  8. ^ Higham, Nick (4 November, 2003). Has reality TV gone too far? BBC
  9. ^ Paulsen, Wade (November 4, 2003). UK reality show with 'Crying Game' twist elicits lawsuit threat from duped men. Reality TV World
  10. ^ Newton Dunn, Tom (Nove,ber 1, 2003). She Ain't Arf Odd, Mum! Hero Tricked into TV Snog with Bloke. The Daily Mirror
  11. ^ Newton Dunn, Tom (October 31, 2003). Six Sue Sky over Sex-Change Snogger. The Daily Mirror
  12. ^ Rogers, Steve (February 22, 2004). Lawsuit settled, 'Crying Game'-like 'There's Something About Miriam' premieres in UK. Reality TV World
  13. ^ Jennifer Sym (March 28, 2004). Transsexual Miriam Rejected by Reality Show Winner. The Scotsman
  14. ^ Wilkes, Neil (April 3 2006). Fox Reality picks up 'Miriam', 'Dragon's Den.' Digital Spy
  15. ^ Mohan, Dominic (November 01, 2003). Miriam is a reality TV too far. The Sun]]
  16. ^ Lane, Megan (9 December 2005). The joke's on you. BBC News
  17. ^ Boynton, Petra (August 7, 2004). Real Life: My Mum Is My Dad. BMJ
  18. ^ Staff report (23 February, 2004). Reality TV transsexual speaks out against complaints. gay.com
  19. ^ Enker, Debi (May 20, 2004). Reality reaches new low. ;;The Age
  20. ^ Smith, Dave, and Anushka Asthana (August 8, 2004). Sexual healing. The Observer
  21. ^ Bye Bye Miriam. via Sky One website
  22. ^ Buttner, Claire (June 3, 2004). Miriam the BB Intruder.
  23. ^ Buttner, Claire (June 14, 2004). Merlin's silent protest. The Sydney Morning Herald

[edit] External links

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