Reality Sucks by Aaron Kennedy

REALITY SUCKS

Aaron Kennedy

Synopsis

Jaimi has seen better days. As a senior agent at CAA, Creative Actors Agency, Jaimi has represented many high profile Hollywood careers, but not any more. He hasn’t had a new client in over a year and he is on the verge of losing his job. Since Jaimi has been there so long, his boss gives him a final chance to resurrect his career by giving him a reality show star turned hopeful actor as a possible client.

Jaimi is sent to a mutual friends party to first meet his new hopeful client. Christian Summers, best known for his stints on “The Real World” and Fear Factor”, is the epitome of the substanceless, pretty boy who graces every reality show on T.V.; and Jaimi knows it. The two’s meet and greet is constantly interrupted by numerous girls at the party, who are interested in Christian. All of the interruptions lead to Jaimi refocus his attention to a group of men next to him. It seems Travis, the tallest and natural leader of the group, hates reality shows and describes in detail why they have become so vapid. By criticizing the shows, he inadvertently comes up with a premise of his own. The idea at heart is a reality show but involves more character development of the contestants through a hidden camera. Overhearing the idea, Jaimi completely forgets Christian Summers and excitedly talks to Travis about developing his idea. The only problem is, Travis is a construction worker and has no aspirations, nor respect for the present world of television and Hollywood. Nevertheless, Jaimi gives him his card in hopes of Travis’ interest.

In the following week, Jaimi is divided between his boss’s orders to sign the reality show star and his gut feeling towards the potential of Travis and his reality show idea. It was this gut feeling that allowed Jaimi in the past to sign clients right before their careers developed and he still trusts it.

After another unsuccessful meeting with Christian, Jaimi gets word the reality star signed with another agency. Jaimi’s career is now hinging on Travis, the construction worker. Not only must Jaimi lie to his boss, telling him Travis is a television writer, he must convince a very stubborn Travis to go to a pitch meeting with him in hopes of a development deal. As pathetic as it is to recruit a construction worker as a client, Jaimi may just be on to something..