Transgender Mayor of Silverton Oregon, Stu Rasmussen, May Get a Reality Show

Oregon has unfortunately been known in recent years for some notorious stories involving certain individuals who will remain nameless here to spare you and them the added publicity. But while one of those notorious people might be considered to be nationally famous transgender mayor of Silverton, Stu Rasmussen, he's actually highly respected in the community and by those who don't base their opinions on people through bias. His story has been covered extensively in the local and the national media--mainly because of out-of-state conservative groups traveling all the way to Silverton to protest in the streets over a transgender mayor running a small town. Some might automatically assume the drama begins there, even though the reality is that most citizens living in Silverton respect Rasmussen and yell out support to the guy daily.

That makes the prospect of reality playing out on a new reality show about Rasmussen all the more of prospective problem. Yes, despite the signs of reality shows starting to wear out their welcome on TV this year, another one could pop up down the road featuring Silverton and the daily life of the only transgender mayor in America.

There isn't any doubt that anything to do with Rasmussen attracts attention. When I wrote an article about him earlier this year, the hit counts went flying, hence proving he's probably one of the Top 50 Google searches so far this year. It explains why a production company in L.A. went after this story pronto as a possible new reality show. And they didn't waste any time coming to Silverton to start filming a short segment that will later be shopped around to networks to whet the appetite of network suits still looking for the perfect TV idea that ultimately turns out to be a bad one.

But lest we bash the reality concept into the ground completely, let's be fair and say that no TV genre is really tired; it's just what you do with it that matters. Most reality shows we've seen on the dial in the last ten years are one giant pile of dung for the simple reason that they've long ago been proven to not show anything resembling reality. Also, most of the concepts have been designed to merely mock people and exploit those with physical or mental handicaps. Only a few exceptions have existed where what you see is what exists in the real world, without having to use complicated philosophy to extract that reality.

In the world of Silverton, Oregon, the bizarre nature of Mayor Rasmussen's situation is one that's stranger than fiction. It's a very good possibility that if this reality show goes to a major network, you'll finally have a chance to see a real reality show and not one manipulated for the sake of entertainment. Of course, the skeptics behind that might say you can't make reality interesting all the time without creating fabricated dramatic moments for the viewers.

Well, seeing a conservative church group from another state marching in the streets of Silverton to protest Rasmussen (while he looks on with a befuddled expression) isn't fabricated entertainment. A mayor of a small town isn't going to have the time to react to a fabricated situation the producers dream up on the spot.

Then there's those ordinary work days of the mayor that likely also have more compelling interest than seeing Dennis Rodman having a meltdown on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice...
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Beyond this reality show perhaps redefining the genre, there hasn't been enough analysis what kind of toll it might take on the peaceful citizens of Silverton. So far, we haven't seen a reality show that took over an entire town. At least having Hollywood in town isn't foreign to Silverton residents who all have good memories of numerous well-known and not-so-well-known movies filming there over the decades and using many of the populace as extras. Silverton has been on the national map considerably for not only a place to film movies but also for the Oregon Garden that's received national acclaim for its profound preservation of nature.

As small town as it is, it's really a sophisticated place to live. Yet the citizens keep a small town approach in how they treat everybody else. Those who visit there from other parts of the world always rave at how great the people are.

Rasmussen himself admitted some trepidations about the show to the local press recently (see first source link) while also saying it could be good for Silverton if the town isn't shown through a different prism from what it really is. With that caveat in mind, it puts a tad lack of trust among the producers and the people of Silverton when anybody not ga-ga over show business knows that reality shows will always fudge something for entertainment value. Outside of all the stranger than fiction things happening on the show, there's always that possibility that the producers of the show will create a situation that shows the people of Silverton to be other than normal and affable citizens.

All of this puts Rasmussen into a predicament, especially when he stands to profit hugely if the show goes forth. When you're making six figures per episode, what's going to stand in the way of telling the producers to go high-tail it out of town because they're running his town through the ringer?

It all gives shades of the 2000 David Mamet movie "State and Main" where Hollywood takes over a small town and ultimately makes a mess of things for every citizen. In that blisteringly insightful film, we find out that we have just as many colorful characters in small town America as there is in the Hollywood community. We also find out that those small town folk are more apt to show a desperation over being famous than any well-worn actor or actress does by kissing the behind (or sometimes the other direction) of a Hollywood mogul to get work.

That makes Silverton now on the edge of a precipice that many living there are writing in about with worry that their small town values will change for the worst if the reality show becomes reality. When that much money is involved in a show, especially one that becomes successful, we may see the sights of a small town disintegrating into madness where even a beloved transgender mayor becomes a star who sells out. The same could be said of all the supporting players who will likely also get paid something--hence once normal townspeople holding out for contract negotiations right along with the Hollywood elite for the first time in entertainment history.

Such a nightmare scenario showing the disintegration of a small town on a reality show is enough of an impetus to wish all reality shows away. And to extend that old "Twilight Zone" reference, we don't want to wish them away into the cornfield...

Sources:

http://statesmanjournal.com/article/20090407/UPDATE/90407026&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/14/state_and_main.html