Uncovering the "Reality" of Growing Up Gotti
A View From the Inside - Part 2
Exclusive to RTVC
By Eleanor Meilinger
October 8, 2004
If you stop and think about it, anyone who follows reality TV must know that a good deal of what we ultimately see on the screen bears little resemblance to the "reality" of what actually took place. Certain allowances must be made for artistic license. As long as what we are presented has not been completely orchestrated by the producers and directors, we can still accept the finished product as a glimpse of the truth. Growing Up Gotti has been falling into a sinkhole as the very short season progressed and the line between reality and scripting has become blurred. Now, thanks to an interview with the very charming Paul, a gentleman who played a major role in the episode of the series that aired this week, we are about to have our suspicions confirmed and be enlightened about just how much of what we are shown is being edited to fit the producers conception of what constitutes good television.
A concept, I might add, of which they are maintaining a tenuous grasp at best.
Last week we printed a statement from a production source on the series who informed us that after many weeks of filming 24/7 the producers had been unable to come up with enough usable material to create an entire series. I wonder how long it took them to figure that out? This crisis must have become obvious AFTER they signed GUG for and additional 7 episodes. I can't imagine that they thought the family was going to become any more interesting as the year went on. However, encouraged by the terrific ratings received by Episode 1&2 that aired on August 2nd, which claimed the largest number of viewers any premiere on A&E, the network was quick to order more, sensing they had a huge hit on their hands. We speculated back then that many people tuned in to the premiere out of morbid curiosity, to see how this family who were choosing to revere their notorious ancestry and milk the infamous last name for all it was worth, would present themselves in front of the cameras. Victoria Gotti is a deft hand at media manipulation, having first learned from her father's brilliant handling of the press throughout his rise and fall within the "Mob", and later joining the ranks of the tabloids as a writer for the New York Post, Star Magazine and also as a correspondent for the entertainment television show "Extra". She was responsible for a large part of the media frenzy that followed the show in early days. But, like anything else in life, a good front will get you noticed for the first 15 minutes. After that, you need to have some substance in order to sustain anyone's interest. There have been many indications that this show was faltering. The constant re-shuffling of the schedule, the airing of repeats early on and the frenetic editing style in the episodes that have aired lately were just a few of the cracks in the façade.
With Paul's help I feel vindicated in the theories I have presented here. He confirmed much of what I have suspected all along. After reading this you might want to watch this episode when the repeat airs to watch for how many places the scenes have been staged.
Paul's Adventure with "The Family"
Denise Winston runs a successful "matchmaking" service for successful business people and celebrities who might find the normal channels of meeting new people daunting. She boasts a client list that reads like a Who's Who of eligible singles in the country and has had many successful "mergers" to her credit. Having had some good experiences with dates arranged by Denise in the past, Paul had few qualms about going out on a date with Victoria that would be filmed for an upcoming reality television show based on the Gotti family. Being an ex-New Yorker, he was aware of what the Gotti name represented but he was willing to take a chance. He was not informed that Victoria was going on these dates in order to gather material for a proposed story on Denise Winston rather than in hopes of meeting a potential match. Paul is a successful Sports Attorney who resides in Florida but has clients all over the country. His high-powered job leaves little time to meet women and he had real hopes for the upcoming date. Contacted by Kim Dunn, a producer for the show, the conditions for the date were outlined. He arranged to have Victoria see his picture and profile. Through follow-up calls the itinerary was arranged and Paul the phone call that we see in this episode took place. Here is where the initial signs of the production staff trying to choreograph the storyline become apparent. Paul was Victoria's FIRST date arranged by the matchmaker. We are lead to believe that it is her second, she even asks him on the phone if he has hair (something that puzzled him at the time since she had already seen his photograph). That question was in reference to a date that had yet to take place though it was shown in the first episode. It appears that the producers asked Denise Winston to provide a bald man for the second date. Therefore all of the action that took place in that first episode - Denise's seeming indifference to Victoria's specifications, her disparaging bald men in general, her look of disgust and obvious disinterest in "Ed" - were all planned well in advance. Sad now to look back and think that baldness was the best "turn-off" that the producers could come up with to add drama.
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