“We’re breaking ground here,” Brad Goreski declares minutes into the series premiere of MTV’s newest unscripted drama, “The Real Friends of Weho.”
We’ve seen Goreski on our TV screens for 15 years now, from his early days as Rachel Zoe’s assistant to his stints on “Fashion Police” and “Canada’s Drag Race.” He’s still styling his celebrity clients. He’s still happily married to Gary Janetti. He has a beautiful home. All wonderful things, but not groundbreaking.
“My ideal date night is pizza on Sunday,” he admits. Same, Brad, same. So why do we need to see more?
Goreski’s role appears to be the anchor for the six “Real Friends,” a group of Wehovians that includes performer Todrick Hall, actor Curtis Hamilton, CEO of Buttah Skincare Dorión Renaud, TV host Jaymes Vaughan and social media personality Joey Zauzig.
Hall’s reason for appearing on the show seems more transparent. During the premiere, he addresses head-on several “scandals” that have plagued him in recent years: allegations he has over $100,000 in unpaid rent (he shows the deed); reports that he didn’t pay his dancers (he pulls up the posting for the project said it was unpaid/for exposure) and his contentious time in the “Big Brother” house (which he glosses over). Great, now that that’s out of the way, what’s next? (Editors note: MTV only provided Episode 1 for screening purposes).
There are two entrepreneurs: Renaud, the CEO of a beauty line and Vaughan, who runs an LGBTQ+ travel company; and Hamilton, an aspiring leading man. Then there’s Zauzig, a self-proclaimed “open book,” who “wears his heart on his sleeve” and posts everything on his numerous social media accounts. If that’s so, then why again, we ask, do we need to see more?
“The Real Friends of Weho” airs right after “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and before “Untucked.” “Drag Race” has shortened its 90-minute episodes to an hour — much to the chagrin of fans — to accommodate “Real Friends.” But whereas “Drag Race” seems intentional in its casting of contestants from diverse backgrounds (ethnicities, body types, gender expressions), the “Real Friends” fall into the same mold: conventionally attractive, athletic, well-groomed and male-presenting. And while there’s equal parity between white and Black castmates, there’s nary a Latin or Asian person (even in the background; we looked) or trans person. When asked by TheWrap about the lack of diversity, the talent emphasized that they are diverse, and it is sad that most of the backlash has been from the LBGTQ community.
As for the drama, “The Real Friends” replicates a tried-and-true formula from “The Real Housewives”: gather the entire cast for a formal party, load up on cocktails and let a game of telephone — this time between guest/introvert Renaud and host/extrovert Zauzig — spiral out of control. The fourth wall breaks as camera crews position swarm to capture the conflict, but it all feels low stakes. Even guest appearances (a stunt “Drag Race” uses in its premieres) by Issa Rae, Bob the Drag Queen and Monet X Change fail to elevate the show.
It’s Hamilton who perhaps has the most compelling storyline as a newly out gay Black man vying for leading roles in Hollywood. Previews show him and Hall bonding over coming from religious families and the challenges they face. And then there’s Renaud, who freely admits he doesn’t actually hang out in West Hollywood or “the scene.” How deeply the show explores how these Black men navigate a predominantly white space (Weho is 75% white, according to the U.S. Census) remains to be seen.
And that’s where the frustration lies. Casting is the key to an unscripted series’ success, and viewers are left wondering why there aren’t fresher, newer perspectives. MTV’s sister network Logo ran a show called “1 Girl, 5 Gays” for several seasons, a lower-budget but enlightening roundtable with non-famous panelists talking about sex, relationships and queerness. That, at least, felt more “real.”
“The Real Friends of Weho” premieres Friday, Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. on MTV. Check out a preview below: