I guess everyone who’s anyone has their own reality show at some point. Now Mike Tyson is joining that elite group.
Here’s the thing, though. Sometimes a reality show will bring a celebrity to life for us – show us another side that we haven’t seen before. I felt that way when I saw the documentary ‘Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,’ which immediately made me want to watch her reality show, ‘Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?.’
It’s really not bad. I like it. You see a different person than the acerbic comedienne we’ve come to know over the years. You see someone with a heart who loves her friends and family and has struggled to stay in the game all these years.
Same with Tyson. What springs to mind is the tough fighter who had a history of substance abuse and, well, real-life abuse, too. He served three years for rape in the mid-‘90s and ended his fight career two years later by biting Evander Holyfield during a bout.
But you know what? I think his show, ‘Taking on Tyson,’ will have us seeing this tough guy in a new light. A sensitive light. The show, set to air on Animal Planet sometime in early 2012, will pit Tyson and his beloved pigeons against the best racing-pigeon owners in New York. Yes, Mike Tyson loves pigeons. And he’s also a family man who’s worked hard to turn his life around.
I haven’t seen the show yet, but you can bet I’ll be tuning in to see what it’s all about. I just love it when we get to peek behind the curtain of a star’s celebrity and see the real person. Plus, it seems like a fun show to watch with my two teenagers.
I’ll also be getting my hands on a copy of 2008’s ‘[amazon_link id=”B001UV4XBK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tyson[/amazon_link],’ a stunningly candid documentary about his life that some believe was robbed of an Oscar nomination.
Any thoughts on this? Are you a fan of these types of projects where we get to see the real people behind the headlines? Or will his past mistakes keep you from tuning in?
Images: Getty
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