Vh1 makes its money by making Jerry Springer primetime. It started with a spinoff of a spinoff to its most popular series, and since then, entertainment developed its own genre: "trainwreck TV."
After The Surreal Life led to Flavor Flav's and Brigitte Nielsen's spinoff, in which Nielsen dumped Flav, the revolution of the trashy version of The Bachelor hit with Flavor of Love. Now, Vh1's programming virtually only consists of dating show spinoffs from former contestants and I Love Money, which consists of former dating contestants competing for money instead of lust -- er, "love."
The editing is heavy, most of the fights seemed staged, and almost everybody's dignity is scrapped. Vh1 creates entertainment by illustrating the negative yet comical aspects of individuals. To do this, the network exploits its contestants' naïveté.
When the media released news of the Ryan Jenkins's gruesome yet alleged murder-suicide, Vh1 canceled both shows in which Jenkins appeared: Megan Wants a Millionaire and I Love Money 3. If Vh1 aired those episodes, ratings would no doubt shoot up higher than anything the network had ever seen. Case study: If Heath Ledger's tragedy had not occurred before the release of The Dark Knight, there's no way it would have drawn the audiences it did to beat out Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope for one of the most popular movies of all time, behind only Titanic.
A classy move from a network that makes its money by exhibiting the lack of class in its contestants.
A move that respects the morals of Vh1 and the dignity of the tragedy's victims and families from a network that's accused of being morally bankrupt.
Ironic, isn't it? Yet it's a welcome irony.
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