Should You Head for The Hills?: How Does the Laguna Beach Spin-off Fair?

Given the popularity of Laguna Beach, MTV was probably banking on “The Hills” bringing in the same success. Given that the show is over-staged and lacks significant plot lines, they could be horribly mistaken. Only the significant following from Laguna can save this show. 

The reality-based 30 minute show follows Lauren “LC” Conrad as she moves to Los Angeles to begin her college career as well as an internship at the wildly popular magazine “Teen Vogue.” The show opens with Lauren driving to her apartment with cleverly staged luggage in her black BMW convertible. Looked more like the beginning of an Amanda Bynes movie than a TV Show based on real people in real settings. 

Lauren meets up with her roommate, Heidi, who is first seen laying out by the pool in their apartment complex, which is incredibly luxurious by college aged kids standards (meaning they probably don’t have top ramen in their cupboards or a spool as a coffee table. They then go inside, where Heidi shows Lauren their new place. Lauren is in the middle of being “taken aback,” when (surprise!) 

Teen Vogue calls to tell her they need her to come in for her interview in 20 minutes instead of the 5pm start time originally plan. Lauren then has to rush to make the interview, pulling out desperate attempts of emulating Jessica Simpson as she goes (we see her ironing her skirt with her flat iron saying “it works for my hair, right?). Despite the rush, she somehow arrives on time and looking perfect.