Reality television
In the 2000s, the popularity of reality television programming helped bring renewed attention to several rock musicians. The MTV series The Osbournes (2002-2005) spent four seasons following the daily life of heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne (see chapter 26), his wife Sharon, and their children Jack and Kelly. During its first season, The Osbournes became the most-watched show in the history of the MTV network. The show became popular due in part to the family’s outrageous antics, including Ozzy Osbourne’s nearly indecipherable speech coupled with the family’s generous use of profanity. The use of censorship beeps for profanity were one of the most recognizable parts of the show's identity.
At the same time, viewers of the program watched the Osbournes deal with real-life issues, such as an ATV accident that left Ozzy Osbourne badly injured, the family's troubled relationship with a daughter who refused to participate in the series, and Sharon Osbourne's battle with colon cancer.
Another popular reality television series featuring a musician was Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, which aired on the VH1 network. On the show, Bret Michaels, best known as the lead singer of Poison (see chapter 34), dated a series of women and eliminated one each week. Each week, the contestants competed in challenges, and the winner of the challenge could do on a date with Michaels. By the end of three seasons of the show, Michaels had not found a serious relationship with any of the contestants.
The show proved beneficial to Michaels's music career, though. He released a compilation album called Rock My World in 2008, and the lead single "Go That Far ♫" was featured as the theme song for Rock of Love.
Other reality television series starring rock musicians include Gene Simmons Family Jewels, starring the family of Gene Simmons of Kiss (see chapter 27), and Tommy Lee Goes to College, starring Tommy Lee, the drummer of the band Mötley Crüe (see chapter 34). Steven Tyler of Aerosmith (see chapter 34) became a celebrity judge on American Idol for two seasons. Rock musicians have also made appearances in ensemble casts of a variety of reality programs, including Celebrity Rehab, The Celebrity Apprentice, The Surreal Life, and Dancing with the Stars. Some musicians have made careers out of appearing on reality television shows. Bret Michaels not only starred in Rock of Love, but he also won a season of Celebrity Apprentice and starred for one season in a second reality show based on his life, called Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It.
