Boob Tube: Persian Version of 'Jersey Shore'?

On Wednesday, Bravo announced they’re working with Ryan Seacrest’s production company to create a Persian version of the “Jersey Shore.” The series is currently being called Shahs of Sunset and will follow a group of young Persian-American friends who "juggle living and working in Los Angeles while balancing the demands of their families and traditions.”

It’s just the latest show to highlight people of color. But the jury’s still out on whether or not that  I, for one, highly doubt that the representation is useful.  Also, I personally just don't trust Ryan Seacrest's too toothy grin, but perhaps that's just me.

Andy Cohen, a vice-president at Bravo, said in a statement:

“The Persian-American community in Los Angeles is a perfect fit for Bravo’s next great docu-series. The group of friends featured in our show are colorful, affluent, and fun [....]Ryan and his team understand what our viewers want to see and when they brought us this group we responded immediately. There’s not a show like it on TV.”

Los Angeles is home to an estimated 800,000 people of Persian ancestry; it is the largest such population outside of Iran. In cities like Beverly Hills, Iranians now account for 20 percent of the population and 40 percent of the students in the schools.

The per capita income of Iranian-Americans is 50 percent higher than the national average, and the show definitely picks up on that according to the current description:

“From over-the-top shopping sprees on Rodeo Drive to traditional family feasts at home, Shahs of Sunset celebrates the opulent lifestyle of a group of young, friends who have grown up together in Los Angeles and are now trying to balance their active social lives with their up-and-coming careers. Armed with chromed-out cars, logo-ridden purses and designer outfits, they’ve got it and they’re not afraid to flaunt it”

Who knows if the 'stars' of this new show will live under one roof, similar to the “Jersey Shore” or if they’ll have their separate homes/lives that intersect for the sake of cameras, like Bravo’s other trainwreck hit reality series, 'The Real Housewives'.

That's not all, folks!  TLC is apparently going to do a series tentatively titled "All-American Muslim"  that will follow the lives of Muslim-American families in a community in Michigan.  It's supposed to be out in November, so BGG will have it's eye on the screen to see exactly what an 'All-American Muslim' family means to the executives at TLC.

In April 2010, R&B singer and actor Tyrese Gibson’s announced his production company had sealed the deal with a network to produce a Korean-American version of “Jersey Shore,” but have YOU heard any updates?  I haven't....  See trailer below:

Although it's nice (jarring) to see different communities of folks of color, it's too damn easy for these same communities reduced to entertainment based on shallow and crass stereotypes.  I, personally, don't need to see another representation of the "me-love-you-long-time" exotic Asian sexual tigress or the 'pampered Persian princess' or the 'meek-veiled-submissive' Muslim woman.  Unfortunately, although I'd like to think these shows will offer more than tired old tropes, I'm not holding my breath. 

Ryan Seacrest also produces the ludicriouscrative Kardashian series.  Some Italian-Americans balked at “Jersey Shore” because they said it stereotyped them as ignorant drunk bafoons. “Shahs of Sunset” sounds like it's trying to be more 'upscale' and 'classy', but no less stereotypical. I also wonder whether it will address the all the political and social upheaval in Iran, where it’s reasonable to assume the folks participating in the show still have family, friends and/or connections. We'll see, won't we...