In an age when just about every star, minor or major, can get a reality show (think Tila Tequila, Miss New York, “Real” & “Chance”) it’s no surprise to hear that Michael Vick is going to be getting his own reality show.  It’s also not a surprise that it will raise a fuss, panties will be bunched, and protests will be staged.  What is a surprise to me is that BET will be the ones airing the reality show.  I suppose someone had to do it, but I see that also being a point of conflict.  I think the best way for me to express the impact of Vick’s reality show is to look at it from different perspectives.  As always, I welcome comments and emails with your views and opinions.

 Let’s first look at this situation from the typical Mike Vick hater perspective.  The typical hater only seems to see the fact that Mike Vick is making money, usually much more money than they are.  They see him back at his job as a football player, making more than $1 Million for one year of work, with a chance to quintuple that next year or more.  They feed into the media portrayal of him as a cold-blooded dog killer who found some kind of enjoyment in torturing and eventually killing defenseless dogs.  They could care less about the fact that he was jailed mainly for the inter-state gambling ring associated with the dog fighting.  They see what they perceive as another privileged, spoiled, misguided athlete who’s always been treated differently getting special treatment yet again.  It burns them up that his second chance at life after his heinous crimes, lies, and generally burning bridges with those who built him up and had faith in him (Arthur Blank) involves the chance to build a fortune and set himself and his family up for life.  A lot of those haters always mention that they wouldn’t be able to get their jobs back if they go to jail.  They are too blinded by hate or jealousy or emotional attachment to their own pets to realize that all jobs treat convicted felons differently.  They see this reality show as just another way to make money and lie to us about being a different man.  They feel that anything he does is only in the interest of making money and nothing more.

 Then there’s PETA.  For all the good they can do for animals, they spend more of their time trying to attract attention to themselves.  From stupid stunts like spray painting or destroying furs and leather worn by celebrities and ordinary people to staging protests at inappropriate times, they aren’t really showing a commitment to saving animals as much as punishing those they deem deserving of it.  They have committed criminal acts in the name of saving animals.  And we know they will press hard on this, we know they will do everything to spread ill will towards Vick.  “PETA, as expected, has already spoken out in opposition to the series and, more specifically, to the idea of Vick profiting in the wake of his atrocious acts.” –Gina Serpe of E! Online.  It won’t be long until an over zealous member of PETA does something stupid.

 The reason I believe BET will be a source of conflict is because I believe that there are people who will say they are airing the show because it’s “Black Entertainment Television” and Vick happens to be Black.  That may be the case, but who else is going to air it?  I’m sure they pitched the idea to other stations who perhaps didn’t want to deal with the possible PR nightmare that Vick still is.

 Essentially, the haters all feel that he needs to “show his remorse” for his actions.  The problem is that they all feel he needs to show what they feel is remorse.  They want him to redeem himself based on their standards.  They can’t and won’t accept that he only had to answer to the law, the NFL, and Roger Goodell in order to get his job back.  Once they believed he was a different man, he got his chance to get a job back.  To the hater, the reality show is just another way to make money, and stay in the public eye, and try to use the media for his own selfish desires.

 Now, let’s look at a perspective of someone who supports Vick.  The typical supporter is happy to see that someone can sink so low in their lives, and yet get a chance to make amends and make a new life for themselves.  They see someone who now has a chance to make a difference with his life and now his reality show.  They see someone who will be listened to by those who can identify with him.  Anyone can go out and tell people not to be cruel to animals.  But chances are that someone who paid the price for those actions is more likely to be heard.  Not only did Vick lose 2 years of his life, he lost over $100 Million of net worth, and valuable time with his family.  His kids can’t even have a pet because he’s not allowed to own an animal.  If that’s not punishment enough, what is? 

 Unlike PETA, the Humane Society sees an opportunity to reach out to a group of people who most likely would never be able to relate to them enough to listen to their message.  They realize that Michael Vick can do more for them and their cause by being on his side.  They can keep a closer eye on him that way.  They can use his reality show to reach a demographic that otherwise they could only dream of having an influence on.  Living in Philly I already have heard of several teens who have at least said they plan to stop fighting their dogs after he came out and spoke at their schools.  They can identify with him enough to at least hear him and his message. 

 The typical Vick supporter also doesn’t take what he did on a personal level.  They see a human being who is trying to rebuild his life and they at least are willing to give him the chance to succeed or fail.  They aren’t jealous of his money making potential, and they know that this reality show can send his message nationwide in a way that print media can’t.  I’m sure that like every reality show out there, the producers will be looking for mistakes that he makes.  Things that can raise more drama.  His life will be magnified right before our eyes, and hopefully there will be someone watching who will change his or her ways. 

 Finally, Vick’s reality show has potential to offer more substance than your typical reality show.  It has potential to be more than empty scenes of artificial drama.  It has a chance to be real.  Think about that, a reality show that’s actually real and has the potential to affect people’s lives for the better, and save a lot of animals.  Do you think The Real World, or Flavor of Love has ever been able to boast such a statement?