Is Another Bret Michaels Reality Series Too Much?

Bret Michaels will be the star of yet another reality series. The series, called Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It, will air on VH1. The show promises an inside look at Michaels' home life as he juggles his rock career with being a modern dad. A special sneak-peek will air Monday, May 31 at 10pm.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

In this first-look special and the forthcoming series, viewers will not only get a taste of Bret's life on the road, but for the first time ever, a look at his home life, a sprawling compound where his daughters and their mother, Kristi Gibson, reside. But raising two little girls and being a rock icon don't always go hand-in-hand. Now fans get to take a peek at what keeps Bret going. Is it the hoards of wild fans, the glory of super stardom, or is it the unconditional love from his family? Watch as Bret juggles life on the road, his career, raising two kids and managing his on again off again relationship with their beautiful mom, Kristi. Tune in Memorial Day night for a first-look sneak peak into the next chapter of Bret's life.

The full series has been pushed back and will likely air in the fall.

I guess the bigger question here is "why?" Why do we need to know about Bret's private life with his two girls? After his recent health scare, it seemed like Bret was ready to make some concessions and give up constant work in exchange for more time at home with his family. Now we learn he's going to put the personal lives of his daughters and girlfriend Kristi Gibson under the public microscope. It's his decision but I think it's a bad one.

I've said it before, if not for Poison there would be no Bring Back Glam! Back in the 80s they were "it" for me. No Bring Back Glam! means no job with Noisecreep and a bunch of other writing jobs no one even knows about. So for me, Poison = passion. They are why I started writing about music. But more and more, I'm getting sad about Bret's business moves. I wish he'd focus on his music a little more. Sure, he's releasing another solo album this summer...but what about Poison? I know he doesn't have any interest in that band anymore, but you'd think he'd want to do one more proper Poison record before closing that chapter of his life. After all, Poison got him where he is today. If not for Poison, Bret wouldn't have had his trashy Rock of Love series, his run on Celebrity Apprentice and his late night infomercial hosting gigs. Because he's the front man - and attractive - he gets all the plum rewards 20+ years later while the rest of the guys in Poison wait. Now we have another reality show to schedule around.

There's something to be said for striking while the iron is hot. Bret didn't waste any time getting publicity after his near-death experience last month with a brain bleed. You'll notice I'm not one of the jaded ones: I still honestly believe Bret was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage. I also think he's incredibly lucky and that some Hollywood execs are happy to help him cash in on his good fortune.

Tomorrow, Bret will be on Oprah, which is a huge boon to any celebrity's career. Maybe Oprah will ask Bret about the Poison days and even show some old clips. Maybe some new fans will be converted. I hope the Queen of All Media doesn't just fixate on Bret's reality TV career. Lest we all forget, that came much, much later.

Comments

[Kenny Ozz]

I dont think anybody thinks it was a HOAX. But I do think a TON of us are all starting to agree with Stevie Rachelle and Metal Sludge that this whole this was blown WAY out of proportion.

YES there was a hemorrhage. YES there was bleeding. And YES he was in ICU. But nobody, and I mean NOBODY goes from death-bed to the stage in a month.

Shame on Bret for toying with our emotions.

[Kiki Chrome]

Kenny, it's admirable that you felt sympathy for Bret when he had his brain hemorrhage - that's all part of being human. But that doesn't mean that he was "toying with your emotions". Bret's manager simply put out a series of press releases (not aimed personally at yourself), giving updates as was appropriate. Nothing that Janna released appears to have been overstated - certainly not according the Bret's treating physicians - and indeed she kept very quiet about the details of his condition until they had better information and more time to get a handle on what was going on. However, a lot of the celebrity news agencies seem to have invented "facts" whenever it suited them. Neither Bret, nor his staff, had any control over that. And at the end of the day, how you chose to react to those stories was entirely up to you.

If Bret Michaels ever called you up from his hospital bed and said "Kenny, man, I'm dying and I really need you to feel pity for me", THEN you would have a reason to feel personally aggrieved... But I'm just going to guess that that didn't happen.

[Kenny Ozz]

Keep drinking the kool-aide Kiki. This shit was all blown way out of proportion.

[Metalboy!]

Kidz! Kidz! Kidz!

You know I love to speculate, but first...

Kiki, glad to see you finally bustin' a move and tryin' to outwrite me with utterly nonsensical blathering on a level almost as bad as my own.

Kenny O! As always, bro, great readin' your comments -- and I want you to know, cuz of you, I'm a major Danger Danger freak and now into tons of Cheeze Metal, thanx 2 U! (Ever heard Masquerade? Cheeze at it's finest!)

And speakin' of cheeze, man, when Michaels was the real deal way back when, basically on the first record, Poison's M.O. was all high camp. It was a leg pull. His schtick and Poison's act was all tongue-in-cheek fun that defined Glam Metal quite possibly more than Crue because it was more amped up and accessible.

Yeah, it was all about the money, but it was the way Poison went about it that was, well, I contend, Pop Art!

And then slowly we watched it become more and more of a parody until here we are now, faced with what someone on here in an earlier comment observed is Marketing 101 in every way.

It's a well worn path he's taking and it's frickin' boring.

Kiki! Huh-uh-lo-oh! Nobody on here really is tellin' him how to live his life but it sure seems as though he's got handler's tellin' him.

And if it's not, they are certainly presenting all the cookie cutter scenarios we've seen now a million times played out in the TMZ world we now live in.

And yeah, I am sayin' go back to Poison and redeem yourself with a killer new album and have critics and fans alike proclaiming it's the best album since "Look What The Cat Dragged In"!

And forget all the public spectacle and putting himself and his family under the microscope for all the world to see.

Give us the record we've been waiting for!

Executed right, everything in the book could be used to hype the hell out of the project and if it was worthy we wouldn't care if some of the methods were tried and true because it would all seem somehow freshly demonstrating the quality of the subject matter.

However, if it's solo "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" retreads he's gonna foist on us after all of the stuff he has gone through and put us through, it's a one way ticket to Palookaville!

In fact, he might as well shoot himself out of a cannon right now! But he should aim it right at New Zealand because at least we know Kiki would be there to bring him back to health!

But what we really need for him to do is just Bring Back Glam like he's never had the opportunity before!

[kari]

I watched Oprah last night and I thought it was a nice interview. Bottom line about ALL OF THIS IS, Bret is not ready to go back out on the road! I just wish he'd listen to what Holly Peete-Robinson said (and many many others who are concerned for his health) and just REST! He admitted to having pain in his back, legs and neck, and I just don't think he's ready to strap on a guitar and get back out on stage. BRET, IT'S OK! You don't need to be superman! I'd rather have you on that stage rockin' for many years to come than push it too soon!

[Rich]

Why are so many people saying that Bret's situation was blown way out of proportion ? Have you read the facts that only 20% of patients survive that type of hemorrhage and that 80% die. Have any of us see him walk or go to physical thearpy ? So far we have seen him laying in a hospital bed and obviously sitting down during his first interview. Do you think that the doctors are lying about his condition. Somebody telll me what the reason for this would be or why you are saying this. The docs have said that he is one of the lucky 20%. Why can't you just believe that he has been very lucky. Sometimes there is just luck involved when it comes to health and medicine.

[kari]

I don't think anyone is denying the fact that Bret is one lucky, lucky man! God was not ready for it to be his time and he still has plenty more to give this world! It is, however, not of the norm that not only did he have a life-threatening hemorrhage but an emergency appendectomy shortly before that and I just don't feel the man has given himself enough time to heal. I've been concerned for his health over the last year or so knowing the man has not stopped in YEARS and now even more concerned becuase he's about to jump back on that train and take off again (snapple ads, apprentice, bmb tour, skynyrd tour, new tv show, Roses and Thorns autobiography, plus who knows what else will pop up). I just want him to be smart and take some more time off (even if it's only a month). That's my take on it...

[MEWIZEMGIC]

I went to the doctor too soon
about my new cartoon
My head still spinnin' from a too much news
I got a my textin' and Twitter and my foot in the grave
Haven't done Oprah in 18 days
Oh my God look what I drug in
Livin in the spotlight, sin after sin
Camera rolls up and I put my bandana on
Oh my PR rep, look what the marketers drug in
I gotta a cam'ra to the left of me a TMZ on the right
If it wasn't for my promoter, I'd think I was in a hospital last night
Oh good golly, look what the Apprentice drug in

[Metalboy!]

That about sez it, Me Wize!

Clever boy, that Me Wize!

And I'm commenting here after his stroke was reported!

Bret, see what you have rought!

Devote your energies to your art not your hype!

Let your art be praised and not feed off false glory!

And get well soon!

[Amy]

I dont care what Bret is on. If he is on TV I am watching it. I have loved him from the first moment I saw him in Poison and I still do. The man is still hot. I would love to see a reality show about him and his family to get to see more of the real Bret. Not just him singing.