On her word as a Barrymore

A couple of days ago we told you that America Wants To Know had been recruited to audition for a reality TV show with the gushingly flattering pitch that the show was looking for "the country’s most desirable women who have yet to meet their equal."

According to the casting director's e-mail, "This is a legitimate show being produced by a major A-list actress on VH1. Because she is producing the show, it will be very classy and tasteful as she is all about female empowerment. This is not a trashy show, there will be no cheesy challenges or elimination or no rose ceremony. It's a show about finding and maintaining a healthy relationship along with the Do's and Dont's of Dating."

This will shock you, we know, but America Wants to Know declined the invitation to participate.

We find that dysfunctional and catastrophic relationships add spice to our writing, and the second novel is coming right along.

But we didn't want to pass up a chance to illustrate the technique used by reality TV producers to rope people into these unbelievably humiliating television shows.

This is how the trade publication Variety reported the news of the "classy and tasteful" show from an A-list actress who is "all about female empowerment":

VH1 has made an eight-episode commitment to "Tough Love," a reality series from Nancy Juvonen and Drew Barrymore's Flower Films.

Skein takes a group of women, puts them in a house, and gets them ready to meet Mr. Right. Matchmaker Steve Ward will be the host.

Ward will reshape the contestants' destructive dating habits through a "Tough Love Boot Camp."

This show could run forever. Amanda Blake took a group of women, put them in a house and got them ready to meet men, and "Gunsmoke" ran for twenty years.

"We're all trying to figure out how to make love function while continuing to better ourselves," Ms. Barrymore told Variety. "This show is a fun way to do that."

VH1's executive vice president of original programming and production, Jeff Olde, said Drew Barrymore and her partner Nancy Juvonen brought matchmaker Steve Ward to the network's attention.

"The moment they introduced us to Steve, we knew that he is not your mother's matchmaker and has the rare courage to tell women what men honestly think," he said.

America Wants To Know will not comment on the rather vicious misogyny inherent in the premise of "Tough Love." It speaks for itself.

Instead, we'd like to tell you what we learned through a thirty-second Google search about matchmaker Steve Ward, who incidentally was described by the casting director as a "life coach" who charges $20,000.



Mr. Ward is a partner with his mother, JoAnn Ward, in a business called Master Matchmakers. According to the company's web site, JoAnn Ward "has successfully created a very high end service that provides a sophisticated way to meet exceptional, successful, attractive, marketable, singles who are also looking for long term relationships." Ms. Ward has been "matching up her Client Friends" for 18 years, the web site reports. "She understands these people."

Steve Ward's title is given as "Vice President and Master Matchmaker":

Throughout his life, Steven Ward has been surrounded by his mother’s business. Always encouraged by JoAnn to develop his interpersonal skills and other strengths, Steven had been groomed for this career since he was a child. As a graduate of Drexel University with degrees in Finance and Economics, he has contributed more than his childhood background to the business by implementing critical improvements to Master Matchmakers' infrastructure, as well as applying other strategic initiatives that are fueling the growth and success of the company and its Client Friends.

Steven has also gained notoriety in the media from his featured appearance in Cosmopolitan Magazine’s November 2003 Hottest Hunk edition. Prior to that, he appeared on several episodes of CBS’s soap opera Guiding Light and has performed in other minor film and TV roles. Steven was also featured as a bachelor contestant on NBC’s primetime, love based reality TV show For Love or Money 4. He was additionally featured in editions of Woman’s Own and Complete Woman magazines for his bachelorhood and matchmaking career. Steve has also appeared on Good Morning America, Livin’ It Up with Ali and Jack and Fox’s Morning Show as well as Your Morning on CN8.

Our half-minute Google search also turned up some consumer complaints about Master Matchmakers and the people who run it.

"JoAnn and Steven Ward are unprofessional and degrading," M.C. in Philadelphia complained to RipoffReport.com, "They tell you they have many matches for you, then tell you you need plastic surgery after you pay them money to give you your matches."

"JoAnn and her son were very nice to me when they were trying to get me to join their service but then began personal attacks and harsh language and criticism about me," wrote A.H. in Philly.

"JoAnn Ward & her son Steve are unprofessional, degrading, self-serving tyrants!" wrote Stephanie in New York City. "JoAnn commented that I could be matched up with a good-looking man, if I only would get plastic surgery. I have come to learn that she pushes plastic surgery on quite a few of her female clients."

By coincidence, or maybe not by coincidence, there is a "Marketplace" area on the Master Matchmakers web site where plastic surgeons can advertise their services. For instance, in Upper Gwynedd Township, Pennsylvania, "James C. Fairfield, MD of the Center for Aesthetics has been a leading authority on cosmetic surgery and dermatology in suburban Philadelphia since 1982. JoAnn highly recommends his very personal service and friends of her will receive a complimentary gift when mentioning her name at their appointment."

America Wants To Know has nothing against plastic surgery or plastic surgeons. We just don't think people who make a living by insulting insecure women -- or by having the "rare courage" to tell women "what men honestly think" -- should get away with claiming they are promoting "female empowerment."

Bring back scripted television.


Copyright 2008

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