A 'SIMPLE' SHOW A significant anniversary in Arkansas pop culture history quietly came and went earlier this month. Any thoughts on what it could have been?
I'll give you some time to think (or Google it).
Give up?
Well, Dec. 2 was the 20th anniversary of the debut of "The Simple Life," the Fox TV reality series starring young socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. The show's first season was set in Altus where the two friends, who leaned heavily into their spoiled, Beverly Hills airhead public personas, left their cellphones, stylists and credit cards behind to live with the down-to-earth Leding family. Culture-clash hilarity ensued, and the debut episode attracted 13 million viewers.
"The pair's lack of work ethic and disregard for societal conventions was distressing to the Ledings and led to much of the tension in the show, yet the Ledings acted as a sort of moral center for the pair, attempting to ground them in reality," writes C.L. Bledsoe in the entry about the show at the online Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
The show left Altus and continued for four more seasons -- moving to Bravo after the third -- following the pair on their wacky misadventures before ending in 2007. An oral history of "The Simple Life" by Matthew Jacobs was recently published at thecut.com and recounts the show's origins, the fraught relationship between Richie and Hilton, and the influence the series had on later reality programs
AMFA 'STORY' TIME A pair of earrings, a conch shell, a cookbook, a teapot -- these are just a few of the items people have shared as part of "The Story Project" at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts website, arkmfa.org. Along with images of these keepsakes, contributors share the stories behind them and what makes them special. The project is occurring in conjunction with "Whitfield Lovell: Passages," which is currently on view at the museum and uses found items to help tell the stories of Black history in America.
"A Night For The Story Project" is taking place Thursday from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the museum, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. The free event will feature pop-up storytelling booths and will give visitors a chance to learn from photographer Chad Loucks how best to capture images of their objects and tell their stories.
Visit arkmfa.org for more details.
email: sclancy@adgnewsroom.com