Poor Randi Zuckerberg. The reality show that the sister of Mark Zuckerberg is executive-producing, “Start-Ups: Silicon Valley†on Bravo, was overwhelmingly panned by critics. Wow, was it panned. Here are a few examples.
David Wiegand of The San Francisco Chronicle wrote:
If you didn't know much about Silicon Valley and watched the first episode, you'd come away with the following impressions: 1. Silicon Valley is whiter than “Children of the Corn.†2. Everyone in Silicon Valley lives in San Francisco, except for those who can afford to live in the East Palo Alto Four Seasons. 3. Young guys wear shirts only when they absolutely have to. 4. There is probably an answer to the question “How do you solve negative cycles in a graph†but first, will someone please explain the question?
“Start-Ups†isn't very good, or very original, neither of which should come as a huge surprise. But what's really too bad is that the show misses a great opportunity to capture the singular mix of ambition and creativity that makes Silicon Valley so special. When word spread that the show was in the pipeline, valley types were reportedly worried that their community would be “Hollywoodized.†On the basis of the premiere episode at least, those worries seem to be confirmed.
Sam Grobart of Bloomberg Businessweek really didn't like it:
If you're going to distort the truth, manufacture conflict and present people shallower than a dinner plate from the Kate Hudson Kitchen Kollection, at least be entertaining about it. At least populate it with grotesque exaggerations of almost-humans that I can laugh at and feel superior to. Right?
It's not just that these people are terrible - terrible can be watchable. Villainy can be delightful. But this crew is like a six-pack of nonalcoholic beer: It's lousy and doesn't even get you drun k.
Zuckerberg said her role was to “[help] make sure that Bravo could capture the real, authentic Silicon Valley.†Based on the evidence, it would appear that Zuckerberg uses words like “real†and “authentic†about Silicon Valley the same way Taco Bell (YUM) might toss them in when describing a Meximelt.
Hugh Hart at Wired.com wrote:
In surreal new “reality†show Start-Ups: Silicon Valley, the individuals presented as Northern California's best and brightest look like supermodels, behave like fools and drink like fish. The Bravo series, which debuts Monday, reveals nothing new about the inner workings of Silicon Valley culture, but it does share plenty of information about six recent arrivals who've come to the Bay Area seeking fame and fortune.
He asks:
Does actual human innovation really need to play second fiddle to wacky antics in order to keep aud iences entertained? Not at all. Sundance Channel's 2011 series “Quirky†made a strong showing by following detail-obsessed inventors through their trial-and-error creative process. And 2010 Oscar-winner “The Social Network†extracted genuine human drama from the business of innovation.
What's your take on the series?
