Andy Dehnart (born August 26, 1977) is an American journalist and television critic. He may be best known as reality television's "longest-standing critic" [1] for his online journalism, as he is the creator of the genre's first tracking website, realityblurred.com. [2] He is a member of the Television Critics Association.
Currently a contributor of television criticism and cultural journalism to NPR, The Daily Beast and msnbc.com, Dehnart has also written for Salon.com, Wired.com, The Boston Globe , Metro , the Chicago Tribune and Playboy . [3] He regularly appears on television and the radio to discuss reality TV and popular culture.
USA Today named Dehnart one of the Top 100 People in Pop Culture in 2001. [4]
Dehnart earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Bennington College, [5] where his non-fiction studies included a lecture which explored the cultural impact of blogging, then a relatively unknown phenomenon in popular culture.
Dehnart now teaches writing, journalism, and communication studies at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, where he advises the student newspaper. [5] He has also taught for Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth.
Earlier, Dehnart moved to Chicago in 1999 to work as managing editor of a non-profit website, and later he worked as a producer for thepavement.com, a site for recent college graduates, and BrassRing, a recruiting solutions company. A native of Naples, Florida, Dehnart received his BS from Stetson, where he majored in journalism and earned minors in political science and religious studies. While an undergraduate, he edited the weekly campus newspaper, The Reporter, for two years; both years, it was named the best private college newspaper in the state of Florida. [6] [7]
Dehnart is openly gay. [8]
Type of site | Blog |
---|---|
Available in | English |
Owner | Reality Blurred LLC |
Created by | Andy Dehnart |
URL | www |
Advertising | Yes |
Commercial | Yes |
Launched | 2000 |
Reality Blurred is an American entertainment news website Dehnart created in July 2000, [9] [2] [10] and the daily-updated site quickly became a primary source for devotees of the reality TV explosion. It was the first website to cover reality television. [11]
It tracks reality TV shows [12] and includes reporting, analysis, commentary, interviews, and show reviews. [11] [13]
Reality Blurred launched July 2000 as an entertainment blog modeled after Jim Romenesko's MediaNews [11] but focused on early reality television shows such as Survivor and Making the Band. Media coverage of the website said it "analyzes the reality TV genre" [14] and "tracks daily press coverage of all the currently running unscripted TV series." [15]
In 2010, the website published the Survivor contract and rule book. [16] Much of the website's focus is based on its negative view of the show's evolution in recent years, and disagreement with almost everything Jeff Probst says or does in his roles as host and producer of the series.
Reality Blurred was first to report news such as CBS's plans for a season of Big Brother on CBS All Access, which became Big Brother: Over the Top., [17] [18] and Netflix casting journalist Alex Wagner to host The Mole. [19]
Dehnart still writes for the website. [20] Other contributors to Reality Blurred have included Stephen Fishbach, The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies contestant Corey Lay and Jane McGonigal. [21] [22]
Two months after its launch, Entertainment Weekly graded Reality Blurred an "A," calling the website "a Virgil to guide you through television’s latest ring of hell" and a "smartly dressed compendium of so-real-it’s-real links." [23] Slate named Reality Blurred the best culture blog about television [24] in 2003.
Reality Blurred won the 2021 Los Angeles Press Club’s award for Entertainment Blog by an Individual Not Tied to an Organization in the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards. [25]
Survivor: The Australian Outback is the second season of the American reality television series Survivor. Broadcast by CBS, it was originally shown between January 28 and May 23, 2001. Filming took place at Goshen cattle station, on the bank of the Herbert River in northern Queensland from October 23 through December 3, 2000. The show was hosted by Jeff Probst and featured 16 participants competing over 42 days. It was the first and only season to have more than 39 days of gameplay.
Playing It Straight is an American reality television series broadcast by the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox). The series premiered on March 12, 2004, although it was prematurely cancelled by the network following the broadcast of its third episode on March 26, 2004. Set at the Sizzling Saddle Ranch in Elko, Nevada, the series depicted fourteen men who attempted to pursue a romantic relationship with college student Jackie Thomas. However, this group of suitors was split between men who identified as straight and gay. Through a series of group activities and one-on-on dates, Thomas was required to eliminate men from the competition who she believed identified as gay. If the final suitor was a straight man, he and Thomas split a reward of $1 million. Conversely, if the final suitor was a gay man, he alone won the reward. The series was hosted by American television presenter Daphne Brogdon.
Big Brother is an American television reality competition show based on the original Dutch reality show of the same name created by producer John de Mol Jr. in 1997. The series takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. The American series launched on July 5, 2000, on CBS and, with the discontinuation of the Spanish version in 2022, is currently the longest-running adaptation in the Big Brother franchise airing to date.
He's a Lady is an American reality television series broadcast by the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS). The six-episode series premiered on October 19, 2004, and concluded on November 23, 2004. Filmed in Los Angeles, California, the series depicted eleven cisgender men in competition for a $250,000 reward over who could pass themselves off as a more convincing woman. The contestants were required to cross-dress and adopt feminine personas, which were then introduced to their family and friends. The contestants additionally competed in weekly challenges that required them to embrace femininity. The competition culminated in a beauty pageant, which was judged by a celebrity panel. The series was hosted by American television presenter Tony Frassrand.
Britney and Kevin: Chaotic is an American reality television series created and directed by Anthony E. Zuiker. Starring pop singer Britney Spears and her then-husband Kevin Federline, the five-episode series aired on UPN from May 17 to June 14, 2005. The series chronicles the couple's relationship from their courtship, engagement and wedding.
Survivor: Cook Islands is the thirteenth season of the American competitive reality television series, Survivor. The season was filmed from June 26 to August 3, 2006, and premiered on September 14 of that year. Filmed in the Cook Islands, it was broadcast by CBS.
Gay, Straight or Taken? is an American reality television series broadcast by Lifetime. The series premiered on January 8, 2007, and its eighteenth and final episode aired on March 12, 2007. Filmed in Los Angeles, California, each episode depicted a straight single woman going on a group date with three men. Among the men, one is straight and single, one is straight and partnered, and the other is gay and partnered. At the end of the date, the woman was required to discern which of the men she believed to be straight and single. If she correctly chose the straight single man, the two would win an all-expenses-paid vacation together; if she chose one of the other two men, that man would receive the vacation with his own partner.
David Vanacore is an American television music composer. Dubbed by television music industry insiders as 'The King of Reality', David Vanacore is the composer behind many reality television series, such as Survivor, The Apprentice, Big Brother, Ink Master, American Chopper, Dirty Jobs, Hell's Kitchen, Wipeout, and Whale Wars.
Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites, also known as Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites and Survivor: Micronesia, is the sixteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It is the show's third season to include contestants from past seasons, after the all-returning contestant pool from Survivor: All-Stars, along with Survivor: Guatemala, in which two contestants from Survivor: Palau returned for a second chance.
Hey Paula is an American reality television series starring and co-produced by American television personality Paula Abdul that aired from June 28 to July 27, 2007, on the Bravo network.
Survivor is the American version of the international Survivor reality competition television franchise, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson created by Charlie Parsons which premiered in 1997. The American series premiered on May 31, 2000, on CBS. It is hosted by Jeff Probst, who is also an executive producer along with Mark Burnett and the original creator, Parsons.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains is the twentieth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. Premiering on February 11, 2010, it was the show's fourth season to feature contestants from past seasons, after Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Guatemala, and Survivor: Micronesia, and was only the second season to feature a cast consisting entirely of returning players, after All-Stars. The season was filmed in Upolu, Samoa. Unlike previous seasons, the preceding season and this season were filmed back-to-back with a commenced short break occurred between seasons due to budget circumstances over the worldwide Great Recession.
Russell Dennis Hantz is an American television personality, best known for his appearances on the U.S. reality show, Survivor. He was the runner-up on Survivor: Samoa, and the second runner-up on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. He also competed on Survivor: Redemption Island and Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders, where he was the second player to be eliminated both times.
Restaurant: Impossible was an American reality television series, featuring chef and restaurateur Robert Irvine, that originally aired on Food Network from 2011 to 2016. After a three-year hiatus, the show returned on April 20, 2019. It was announced that the show was canceled after 22 seasons in 2023.
Rob Has a Podcast (RHAP) is an entertainment podcast hosted by former Survivor contestant Rob Cesternino. The podcast primarily provides commentary of reality television game shows.
Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites is the 26th season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season filmed from May 21 to June 28, 2012, and premiered on February 13, 2013, with a special 90-minute episode. As with Survivor: Micronesia, the first season to have the "Fans vs. Favorites" subtitle, this season initially featured a tribe of 10 returning contestants from previous seasons opposing a tribe of 10 new players. It was the eighth season overall to feature returning players. Production of the show took place in the Caramoan Islands in the Philippines, the same location as the previous season. Participants' applications were due on October 4, 2011, with about 800 chosen for interviews in various states. From these semifinalists, 10 contestants were selected to participate in the show as fans.
Survivor 43 is the forty-third season of the American reality television series Survivor. The show was filmed from May 2 through May 27, 2022, in Fiji, for an eleventh consecutive season; it premiered on September 21, 2022 on CBS in the United States and Global in Canada. The season concluded on December 14, 2022; Mike Gabler was named the winner of the season, defeating Cassidy Clark and Owen Knight in a 7–1–0 vote. Gabler, aged 51, was the second oldest winner, after Bob Crowley, who was 57 years old at the time of winning Survivor: Gabon. Gabler has stated he intends on donating the one million dollar prize to charity. This is the first season in Survivor history where the oldest contestant of the season was the winner.
Survivor 44 is the forty-fourth season of the American competitive reality television series Survivor. This season, filmed from June 5 through June 30, 2022, is the twelfth consecutive season filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji. It premiered on March 1, 2023, on CBS in the United States and Global in Canada. The season concluded on May 24, 2023, when Yamil "Yam Yam" Arocho was named the winner of the season, defeating Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt and Carolyn Wiger in a 7–1–0 vote.
Conveyor Belt of Love is an American reality television special broadcast by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Initially intended to serve as a backdoor pilot, the one-hour special premiered on January 4, 2010. The special depicted a panel of five women selecting a suitor among a group of thirty men. The women were seated in front of a conveyor belt, in which the men were individually rotated out for a period of one minute. During this minute, the men were required to display a talent or skill in order to make a positive impression on the women. At the end of each minute, the women raised a paddle indicating whether or not they were interested. American voice actor Dale Inghram served as the special's narrator.
The first season of the American television series The Traitors premiered on Peacock on January 12, 2023, with all episodes being released. The season was won by Survivor contestant Cirie Fields, as a traitor, with Quentin Jiles and Andie Vanacore, placing as runners-up, as faithfuls.