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Screen Time
Katherine Nichols
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'Maui Fever' controversy is no surprise
LOTS of buzz surrounded the premiere of MTV's "
Maui Fever" last Wednesday -- not all of it good. An Associated Press story noted that teens on Maui felt it gave viewers a "skewed impression of their island." Since when has MTV's platform focused on political correctness? It's like feigning shock when you hear foul language in a rap song. Does it need to be done that way? No. But did you really expect something different?
"There is no such thing as an unsuccessful surf lesson, because it almost always leads to a night out partying," Cheyne says in the first episode. Mostly, the boys look for "quick hookups with girls who will be gone in a few days." Sometimes, alas, there are dry spells. After six days without a "hookup," Corbin laments he is "turning himself into a virgin."
On one hand, it's just entertainment on a network known for pushing the envelope. On the other, it can't help but reflect Hawaii to some extent. So are the lovely aerial shots of the Valley Isle enough to overcome the often unsavory content? My teenage son proved they hit the mark with their target audience, declaring it "fun to watch" and "cool." Then again, he doesn't usually plan our vacations.
EVAN LEONG, who has established himself as the formidable host of Greater Good Radio, launched "Greater Good TV" Saturday on KGMB9 at 4:30 p.m. It includes highlights from video shot during radio interviews. The first TV show featured Vicky Cayetano, president and CEO of United Laundry Services and Hawaii's former first lady. Leong's guest this Saturday is Clint Arnoldus, president and CEO of Central Pacific Bank. Each episode repeats at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
THE award-winning "One Man, One Voice -- Kris Kristofferson," written, directed and produced by Maui filmmaker Ken K. Martinez Burgmaier, has been selected for the Tiburon International Film Festival in March. Shot entirely on Maui in Hana (where Kristofferson lives) and Kahului, the story covers 40 years of Kristofferson's songwriting, singing, movies and political activism. Burgmaier is also the creator and host of the series "Jazz Alley TV," and has directed more than 20 documentaries related to Hawaii.
"ON DRAGONFLY WINGS" is a musical inspired by Alana Dung, who died of leukemia when she was 3. The play has been selected for the 12th annual ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles. Hawaii playwright Lisa Matsumoto and composer/ lyricist Roslyn Catracchia will travel to the Disney Studio Lots in Burbank, Calif., to present their original work for professional feedback over the next few weeks. It's based on a children's book called "Wailana the Waterbug," also by Matsumoto.