"Scarred"
Tuesday 10:30pm, MTV
I guess you could look at "Scarred" as the logical successor of "Jackass." Instead of following professional idiots around with cameras, capturing their various body-mutilating stunts, MTV has now turned to amateur dumbasses for footage of their grisly wrecks. Each episode of "Scarred" features several stunts gone horribly awry, as skateboarders, extreme bikers and their ilk show off their battle wounds and explain exactly how they permanently disfigured themselves for your viewing pleasure. Because that’s…cool? I guess? The best part is that MTV takes great pains telling people not to try this stuff at home, even as the network blatantly glorifies this type of behavior. How stupid do you think your viewers are? Oh, yes. Right. Carry on, then.
High School Musical 2
Friday 8pm, Disney Channel
If you are a girl between the ages of 10 and 15, or are an unabashed, twink-identified gay man, you’re probably very excited about this made-for-TV movie, the Clearasil set’s pop culture event of the year. The original High School Musical debuted in January 2006 and became a freaking phenomenon; we’re talking nationwide tours, countless high school productions, multiple DVD versions and a soundtrack that became the best-selling disc of 2006. The soundtrack for a made-for-TV movie. Let that sink in. It’s clearly this generation’s Grease, but featuring ProTooled vocals and an almost entirely charisma-free cast. (Sorry, kids, but nobody’s pegging Ashley Tisdale as the next Stockard Channing.) For their second outing, the kids of East High School nab summer jobs at a country club. Hijinks ensue.
"The Hills"
Monday 10pm, MTV
I’ll confess—I don’t entirely understand what the deal is with this "reality" show. I’ve seen a couple episodes and…is it for real? Like actually for real? Obviously these people exist, but some of this stuff has to be staged. The show focuses on Lauren "L.C." Conrad, a young woman who moved to L.A. to attend college and land an internship at Teen Vogue. As a freshman. And her internship has magically lasted for two years. Uh-huh. But that work stuff is boring; the show is much more preoccupied with the drama between Lauren and her three friends, Blonde, Blonder and Brunette. There are also boys involved, at least one of whom now has a criminal record for accosting cops, among other things. I’m told it’s like televised crack for young women, but if you’re over 30 ( O.K., 35) or have a Y chromosome, don’t bother.
