Shahs of Sunset: Episode 6 Old Pals, New Series

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Charlotte Safavi
by Charlotte Safavi
18-Apr-2012
 

I don't know why but I was expecting the sixth episode and season finale of Shahs of Sunset, "Old Friends, New Problems," to go out with an outrageous bang, but it didn't.

Episode 6 was surprisingly low-key and even pedestrian in parts, already emerging through the rose-tinted lens of nostalgia. Much of the episode took place with the characters working out, taking walks en plein air, or on blind dates. Generally speaking, normal things that youngish singles do. The raciest bit was when MJ's date wasn't so blind after all and she ended up getting pawed by a chauvinistic ex. As she hightailed it out of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in her hots pants and high heels, well, there's a visual for you.

Meanwhile, "Old Friends, New Problems" went so far as to cultivate an air of quiet respectability, as if deliberately wrapping things up in a more wholesome and less controversial way. Remember, these guys and gals (and their families) have to live in the Iranian-American community after the first season ends, especially if a second season isn't a given, which it wasn't at the time of shooting.

Homa Sarshar -- a distinguished Iranian-American media maven -- even made a somewhat surprising and rather lengthy guest appearance, throwing an art-show/coming-out party for Asa at her own personal residence. A month earlier, Ms. Sarshar had condoned the show on Voice of America Persian. Surely this is the equivalent of Barbara Walters doing a segment on and then showing up for drinks on the Jersey Shore.

Do I sniff the Iranian-American community's seal of approval? Have we already forgotten the offenses of earlier episodes? Are the show's stars scrambling to save face or aberoo?

"Old Friends, New Problems" had the cast hanging out with old friends, most of them harboring their old problems. Their status updates might read:

Reza: Dad and me reconciled. Life changing!

Mike: Pulled off a work deal. I'm back.

Asa: I'm Madonna in a kaftan -- and I can paint.

GG: Still full of aggro but looking for love.

MJ: Mom is impossible; Sammy, clueless.

Sammy: What's up?

Reza best summed up the episode in his closing scene: "My group of friends and I are related to one another on a molecular level that no other person out there can understand. We have all of these common denominators -- war torn country, refuge families, went to the same high school -- all the things we were judged on, looked down on, we overcame all of them..."

One wishes this were the show.

In any case, 1.5 million viewers tuned in for the season finale. This is no small number, with 1 million of them in the coveted 18-49 demographic. So the BIG bang is -- the one GG let out of her Gucci bag too soon -- that Bravo and Ryan Seacrest Productions have officially announced that the Shahs of Sunset has been green lit for a second season.

Same pals, more of Anita judging by the PR photo (Mike and her getting it on would surely drive GG to murder), and who knows what plethora of old and new problems? One thing's for sure, the cast has Christian Louboutin scale shoes to fill in the upcoming season -- and one hopes they will be better ambassadors for the Iranian-American community. And not just in the save-their-own-necks-in-case-the-show-gets-cancelled way.

Follow Charlotte Safavi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CharlotteSafavi

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more from Charlotte Safavi
 
Charlotte Safavi

Thanks for your comment.

by Charlotte Safavi on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:49 AM PDT

Thanks for your comment. They should date and marry who they want...I did.

Best,

c 


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Charlotte Safavi

Thanks for your comment.

by Charlotte Safavi on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:49 AM PDT

Thanks for your comment. They should date and marry who they want...I did.

Best,

c 


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Charlotte Safavi

I just found out that her

by Charlotte Safavi on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:48 AM PDT

I just found out that her house was for sale from the show?!


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Charlotte Safavi

Thanks for your comment. If

by Charlotte Safavi on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:45 AM PDT

Thanks for your comment. If Ms. Sarshar is so influential in Persian circles, she shouldn't be "abusing" her privilege. Condoning a show that you were due to appear on and not disclosing that fact to your audience is neither professional nor fair. It only casts doubt on her motivation and credibility as a judge. Why not let people view the show and make up there own minds in any case? If so, I suggest they watch the "worse" episodes with respect to depicting Iranian-American "youth" - episode 2 and 4 - as well as the more mellow and OK ones, like the last episode. I don't dislike the show or like it particularly, frankly, I'm an impartial viewer who largely writes a loose opinion-based blog, with a degree of fairness. I almost never watch reality TV and only watched this show because of my heritage. I mostly write to inform non-Iranians of certain aspects of the show and our culture. And I certainly don't claim to be an Iranian-American Barbara Walters.


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Charlotte Safavi

Thanks for your comment. If

by Charlotte Safavi on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:45 AM PDT

Thanks for your comment. If Ms. Sarshar is so influential in Persian circles, she shouldn't be "abusing" her privilege. Condoning a show that you were due to appear on and not disclosing that fact to your audience is neither professional nor fair. It only casts doubt on her motivation and credibility as a judge. Why not let people view the show and make up there own minds in any case? If so, I suggest they watch the "worse" episodes with respect to depicting Iranian-American "youth" - episode 2 and 4 - as well as the more mellow and OK ones, like the last episode. I don't dislike the show or like it particularly, frankly, I'm an impartial viewer who largely writes a loose opinion-based blog, with a degree of fairness. I almost never watch reality TV and only watched this show because of my heritage. I mostly write to inform non-Iranians of certain aspects of the show and our culture. And I certainly don't claim to be an Iranian-American Barbara Walters.


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Esfand Aashena

oh contraire!

by Esfand Aashena on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:42 AM PDT

Charlotte khanoom (hope you don't mind) I agree with you on Sarshar's  insincerity for not disclosing her role in the show's season finale.  Then again that's another Iranian trait of doroogh poroogh or Irooni bazi!

Now as far as the dating scene for young Iranians in LA, I think this is pretty much how it is and the difficulties they face.  Most of them don't even date Persians and in this show they forced them to date each other!  Otherwise they would date a non-Iranian.

I mean which Iranian girl (not a hoe ;-) in her right mind would date Sammy, the fat, bald, lil dough boy?! 

Everything is sacred


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Charlotte Safavi

Thanks for your comment. I

by Charlotte Safavi on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:34 AM PDT

Thanks for your comment. I just didn't think it was terribly professional of Ms. Sarshar to give the so-called seal of approval on VOA Persian, without disclosing that she had already participated in filming an episode with herself as a guest star. Either way, this is hardly The Brady Bunch for the family to enjoy as a whole. It IS reality TV and not a good or accurate representation of all young-ish Iranian-Americans or Iranian-Americans in general.  


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Charlotte Safavi

Thanks for your comment. I

by Charlotte Safavi on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:34 AM PDT

Thanks for your comment. I just didn't think it was terribly professional of Ms. Sarshar to give the so-called seal of approval on VOA Persian, without disclosing that she had already participated in filming an episode with herself as a guest star. Either way, this is hardly The Brady Bunch for the family to enjoy as a whole. It IS reality TV and not a good or accurate representation of all young-ish Iranian-Americans or Iranian-Americans in general.  


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Esfand Aashena

Yes a reporter for ZanRooz and now legendary something!

by Esfand Aashena on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:30 AM PDT

Everything is sacred


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Anahid Hojjati

thanks Esfand for the link to Homa Sarshar's website

by Anahid Hojjati on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:23 AM PDT

I learned that she was a columnist and reporter for ZaneRuz magazine.


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Esfand Aashena

Homa Sarshar is an attention hog herself.

by Esfand Aashena on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:14 AM PDT

I did a little research on Homa Sarshar and if you go to her own website homasarshar.com and click on her Photos link you see her taking photos with bookoos of celebrities in no particular order!  Not even in the order of Shamsi kooreh arr v orreh! 

It appears that everytime there was a concert somewhere or she went to a dinner somewhere and saw a celebrity just went up there to take a photo with them to post it on her website!  Reminded me of when we first arrived in America we'd go and stand next to a random girl, take a picture and send it back home in Iran to introduce her as our latest girlfriend!

I think Homa Sarshar's presence was more of an acknowledgement to herself than anyone else.  When I first saw her on the show I said she must be from the old radio or TV shows in Iran but couldn't put a finger on it, stil not sure who she is.

 Anahid jaan I haven't heard any of Asa's songs yet but hopefully one of these days I'll listen to the imfamous Tehrangeles on i.com. 

Everything is sacred


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Anahid Hojjati

Homa Sarshar on Shahs of Sunset

by Anahid Hojjati on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:04 AM PDT

Dear Charlotte, Your take is correct. The fact that Sarshar was on this episode means that a good segment of Iranian Americans have given their seal of approval. I visited southern California last week and a young relative showed me video of Asa singing some song about Fesenjoon. Pretty interesting. Esfand might know. Is this Fesenjoon clip by Asa something that we can find on IC's archive?


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Esfand Aashena

Sammy the fat, bald, short lil dough boy!

by Esfand Aashena on Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:03 AM PDT

Season 1 started as GG saying she doesn't like ugly people and ended with Sammy, the fat, bald, ugly mug, lil dough boy saying to a pretty girl that she needs to tone her body!   

And then you had Navid the embodiment of an Iranian man who screws everything that moves, double dating with Sammy the fat, bald, ..., pushing himself on his ex girlfriend!

As we say in Farsi in the end all the pots and pans were broken on Sammy's head!  And deservedly so! 

Sammy ended up last place (6th) in a Bravo popularity contest between the Shahs with only 3% and the lowest possible popularity!  GG whom we all thought would go down the drain with her ugly people comment ended up 4th with 10%!

Everything is sacred


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