8Posted by Lindsey Mastis on July 9, 2009 at 8:57 PM
Reality shows love DC– but does DC love reality shows? I went to the Real World DC House (on S and 20th NW) to find out.
When I arrived, there were a handful of people. I began getting some exterior shots and worked my way up to the sidewalk. Then, I saw some cast members. I shot some video and did my best to stay out of the crew’s shots. I even fought the urge to ask the cast members how they liked DC.
When the cast members finally left, I began interviewing some fans. That’s when the photographers got in my lens. There were actually two MTV photographers doing this, a male and a female.
I couldn’t stop laughing– it was just ridiculous. Instead of making a scene, I just relaxed and focused on getting good sound (although it was a bit difficult to concentrate with all the “distractions.”)
When I was pretty much done, the MTV producers came out and asked fans and bloggers to sign release forms. They even asked me to sign a release. I did not.
People keep asking me, why did the MTV photographers do this? I don’t know. They didn’t say a word. My pure speculation is that they wanted to mark their territory. I also believe they were hoping to provoke me. I’m sure MTV would have wanted me to make a scene so they could use it in an episode, or some type of Behind the Scenes special.
Instead– I just put it all on air. Later, the story was picked up by a host of newspapers, blogs, and magazines. Here are some screenshots:
0Posted by Lindsey Mastis on April 19, 2009 at 3:40 PM
Tuesday, April 14 – The Obama Family finally got a dog. It’s a 6-month old Portuguese Water Dog named Bo. Of course, families everywhere will want one too. But these dogs are a bit high maintenence. So, I did a story to shed some light on how to take care of the dog. (yes– pun intended). It’s called “Want a Portuguese Water Dog? Find Out if it’s Right for You.”
Wednesday, April 15 – It’s tax day. What a better time to become a millionaire! Okay– not a real millionaire. But 28 game enthusiasts gathered at Union Station to compete for $20,580 during a game of Monopoly. Domenic Murgo of Arlington is obsessed with the game. You’ve got to hear his take on Monopoly and the economy. Story: “Monopoly National Championship at Union Station.”
Thursday, April 16 – It’s common sense. Don’t leave your keys in the car. Don’t leave your keys in the ignition. Don’t leave your car running. And don’t leave your 5-year-old child alone in a running van. That’s exactly what some parents did this morning in Wheaton. What happened? The child was abducted when the car was stolen. Luckily, some good sumaritains tracked the suspect down and the child is safe. Here’s the story: “Police Recover Stolen Minivan with Child Inside.”
Friday, April 17 – The Summitt of the Americas started today and on top of that Raul Castro has said he wants to open talks with the US and that EVERYTHING is on the table. Cuba will also be brought up. Any time there’s talk like this, it’s easy to start wondering what would happen if the embargo is lifted. Story: “Could US Talks With Cuba Lead to Lifting the Embargo with Cuba?”
Saturday, April 18 – Five people were found dead in a Middletown home. The cause is an apparent murder-suicide. The husband may have suffered from psychiatric and financial problems. He killed his five and four year old sons, his two-year-old daughter and his wife before killing himself. Story: “Three Children and Their Parents Found Dead in Murder-Suicide“.
0Posted by Lindsey Mastis on April 6, 2009 at 9:47 PM
Tuesday, March 31: Cindi Scafide was tired of keeping her daughter’s old formal dresses in her closets. She wanted to give them to students who needed them. So she created a dress donation program. She’s collecting dresses, tuxedoes, suits, shoes and purses. Students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford prom, will be able to look their best. Maryland Woman Collects Prom Dresses for Students in Need.
Wednesday, April 1: Until today, I had no idea dogs could donate blood. My story, Dogs Donate Much Needed Blood, taught me a lot about canines. They have blood types, just like humans. Only, they don’t have types A, B, or O. It’s entirely different. I also learned that it’s much harder to get blood from cats. I was willing to bring my cat, Mila, in to donate but cats have to be put out while it’s done. Too risky, so they don’t get blood from pet cats. Take a look at this story– it’s very interesting.
Thursday, April 2: Covered a story about a horrible crime. A boy, who was 2-years-old at the time, was burned by scaulding hot water. It was his babysitter who burned his right hand. She pleaded guilty, and today was sentenced to 12 years in prison. For hours, the judge heard victim impact statements and even saw the boy’s mangled hand. The pictures of his hand just after the burn were horrific. Here’s the story: Babysitter Sentenced To 12 Years For Scalding Child.
Friday, April 3: I learned a lot about rabies today. It’s because there have been an abundance of rabies cases in Fairfax County. Two different raccoons attacked three men. One tested positive for rabies. The other hasn’t been caught. And a cat was found suffering from the final stages of rabies. It was a wild cat, and because other cats were pawing at it, they all had to be trapped and euthanized (there were nearly 30 of these cats.) It’s a sad story: Fairfax County Sees Rise in Rabies Cases.
Saturday, April 4: I didn’t get a chance to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms today, but I did get to go to four sporting events. Well, kind of. I rode the Metro all afternoon to see how crowds made it to the Wizards, Capitals, US Armor, and Nationals games. They were all going on at roughly the same time: Metro Runs Extra Trains to Handle Weekend Crowds.
0Posted by Lindsey Mastis on March 21, 2009 at 8:36 PM
Tuesday, March 17, 2009: I got to feature my good friend Deb Lee for this story: Survey Says Women Love to Clean. A survey by Consumer Report’s Shopsmart Magazine showed that 25 percent of women find cleaning relaxing. Only seven percent hated to clean. Deb is a personal organizer, so this was right up her alley.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009: I updated the story about the boy who fell 24 feet down a ventilator shaft. It happened last week at Children’s National Medical Center in DC. The boy–incredibly– survived. He went home from the hospital on Sunday and is now in for a long recovery. I talked with the family’s attorney for the story: Update: Boy Falls 24 Feet at Children’s National Medical Center.
Thursday, March 19, 2009: I lived three blocks from my elementary school in St. Louis. I always took the school bus. That’s why this story seemed a bit surprising to me. But I’m quickly learning school bus service in St. Louis is rare. In this area, kids who live close to school walk. Even kindergartners. Schools in Frederick County are changing their policy and requiring more students walk starting next school year. I walked with a dad and his two children to school. The kids got tired easily, and their father is worried about their safety. But the school board says they need to save some money, and this policy is not unlike those at other schools. What do you think? Story: More Students Will Walk in Frederick County.
Friday, March 20, 2009:Former Senator John Warner Auctions Off Senate Office Items. Basically, he retired and his wife said he couldn’t bring everything home. Instead, he sold it. His desk was estimated to bring in about $1,500 but actually went for $5,000. It’s a testament of this retired Senator’s lasting impact on the Virginia community. And yes, this is the guy who was once married to Elizabeth Taylor.
Saturday, March 21, 2009: I had come into work early so I could change after running six miles. The moment I stepped into the office, I was sent right back out. All I knew is that children were dead. I drove to Northeast DC right away. I was still sweaty and in my running clothes– but it didn’t matter. When I got there, it took a long time to piece together what happened. Finally, we learned a deaf mom and her two little boys were stabbed to death. It was domestic violence. It’s been only a day since this happened, and already common-law husband has been charged. He was also being treated for stab wounds. (We’re still trying to find out whether his wounds were self-inflicted.) The only survivor was the woman’s two-year-old daughter. Here’s the story: Deaf Woman and Her Two Kids Killed in Northeast DC Carver-Langston Neighborhood.
Reality shows love DC– but does DC love reality shows? I went to the Real World DC House (on S and 20th NW) to find out.
