Out of 10, what would you rate the local entertainment show 10 Over 10? Four? Two? Four and a half?
Seriously, is there anyone who thinks it is a great show? For those who’ve not seen it, the show premiered on Vuzu a few weeks ago and was hyped as the show to look out for on local TV because, for the first time, celebrities would be featured talking about each other on any subject without holding anything back.
It was punted as a controversial tell-all affair that made you want to see the celebrities comment on their peers, their lifestyles, achievements and so on. It seemed like a place where Nonhle Thema would thrive by calling out anyone she felt she could bully. It seemed as if AKA’s beef with different rap personalities would come under the magnifying glass and we’d watch in horror as all the parties belted it out.
I’m no advocate of violence, but when 10 Over 10 was introduced, one word they used to punt it was “controversial”. Now, if you have watched it and are honest, you know a book of nursery rhymes is more contentious than this show.
If we are going to call it what it really is, it is nothing but a platform for celebs to yet again promote themselves and their peers. Instead of hearing the grit and dirt these personalities hide, the show has become soft and an arena for sucking up and praising.
The topics chosen are equally sickening. The other day we had 10 hunks on, and you know who will be on that list. From Sizwe Dlomo to Kabelo Malabane, the commentators went on for days about how these men where the “It” guys. Apart from the good Men’s Health-like pictures, there was nothing peculiar about the episode except that the guys not only had gym memberships, but were actively using them.
And then you have the commentators who try to make the show interesting. At first they were on point, but now they, too, aren’t quite making the mark. All you hear from them are praises or refrains about something nasty. Either way, you don’t get much excitement from their comments because they seem to be nothing but a visual PR strategy.
The real point that inspired this story is the existence of Mzansi Magic’s Headlines, which has a Top 7 segment where they choose a subject and find seven celebrities to fit in with it. As usual Kuli Roberts and Trevor Gumbi are not looking to make friends, they just tell it like it is.
If a show like Headlines has been doing the “top what-not” very well on Vuzu’s sister channel, why do we need 10 Over 10?
It is only a matter of time before they suggest something ridiculous like Top 10 Weaves, or worse. Again I ask, out of 10, how would you rate 10 Over 10?
• 10 Over 10 airs on Vuzu on Wednesdays at 7.30pm