If it weren't about something so serious, the headline would almost be funny:
"VH1 scrambles to protect image after contestant's murder charge, suicide," read the headline in the Boston Herald earlier this week.
Excuse me? What, exactly, is the image that VH1 is trying to protect?
This one-time music channel has become the home of a slew of sleazy reality shows. And, while this is certainly not meant to make light of the murder/suicide involving a contestant on two of VH1's reality shows, even something that serious can't make the channel's reputation much worse than it already is.
If you missed it, Ryan Jenkins was wanted in the murder and mutilation of his wife, former Playboy model Jasmine Fiore. He was found in a hotel room where he apparently committed suicide.
Beyond the obvious implications were the problems it posed for VH1. Jenkins was a contestant on the sleazy reality show "Megan Wants a Millionaire" — and the network pulled the show from its schedule when Jenkins was named a suspect in his wife's death. Nobody at VH1 is talking, but the scuttlebutt is that Jenkins was a finalist in the spinoff of yet another sleazy reality show, "Rock of Love," which made it pretty much impossible for VH1 to continue to air the show.
Not only that, but TMZ reported that Jenkins was the winner on Season 3 of VH1's sleazy reality show "I Love Money," which completed production last month and was being edited for future telecast. And it, too, will never be seen.
More embarrassing still for VH1 — assuming anyone who puts all those sleazy reality shows on the air is capable of embarrassment — was the revelation that Jenkins was charged with "battery constituting domestic violence" for allegedly hitting Fiore in June. And that he had been convicted of assaulting another woman in his native Canada.
So, how does someone with a criminal record end up being cast in not one but two sleazy reality shows?
Not surprisingly, VH1 executives were quick to absolve themselves of blame.
"Ryan Jenkins was a contestant on 'Megan Wants A Millionaire,' an outside production, produced and owned by 51 Minds, that is licensed to VH1," the network said in an official statement. "The show completed production at the end of March. … This is a tragic situation and our thoughts go out to the victim's family."
And 51 Minds issued a statement vowing to "ensure that this sort of lapse never occurs again."
It's in business selling shows to VH1, so it's not a surprise that the production company essentially accepted blame.
There's plenty of room to question the vetting process for any kind of reality show on any network. And others have quite properly asked those questions.
Given that VH1 essentially spends so much of its time living in the gutter with its sleazy reality shows, it's hard to be surprised that it would attract contestants like Jenkins, however.
That same Boston Herald story mentioned earlier goes on to say, "Smut, amorality and debauchery are as common on VH1 now as George Michael and Kenny G. were in the late '80s."
If you're the parent of teenagers and you've never paid attention to the shows your kids are watching on VH1, chances are you'd be surprised. "Smut, amorality and debauchery" is an accurate description of a lineup that includes (or has included) "Breaking Bonaduce," "Strange Love," "Flavor of Love," "I Love New York," "Rock of Love," "I Love Money" and "Tool Academy," just to name a few.
VH1 has been a cesspool for years, and now it's trying to pretend it doesn't smell.
Won't work.
UNINTENTIONALLY FUNNY: The folks at VH1 have not entirely lost their sense of humor, apparently.
The cable channel issued a release proclaiming, "The Legendary Paula Abdul to host 'VH1 Divas.' " And it goes on to describe the ex- "American Idol" judge as "a superstar in her own right."
There are many, many words I can think of that would describe Abdul — some complimentary, some not so complimentary.
But "legendary" and "superstar" are two words that would never even have occurred to me.
e-mail: pierce@desnews.com