A Lifetime reality show following celibacy advocate, unwed mother and “Dancing With The Stars” contestant Bristol Palin as she transitions from the “real America” of Alaska to her new life dwelling in a Beverly Hills mansion, “Life’s A Tripp” comes to us from a trio of Emmy Awards producers and reality vet Robyn Schnieders (“Breakthrough With Tony Robbins,” “Cupcake Wars”).
... a look at how a young, unwed mother struggles to raise her toddler son alone. But the setting and trappings in the first few episodes — an Italianate mansion in Beverly Hills that belongs to a friend of her mother’s, designer sunglasses and lots of clubbing — instead scream “Kardashians of Wasilla.” … In one episode Ms. Palin leaves Tripp with her sister Willow, 17, to work as a volunteer at Help the Children, a Los Angeles charity that distributes food to the poor. On Ms. Palin’s first day a supervisor drives her to poor neighborhoods in downtown Los Angeles. “What’s skid row?” Ms. Palin asks from the back seat, as the car glides past homeless people. “I’ve heard of it before.” Ms. Palin looks out the window soulfully but the car doesn’t stop, and Ms. Palin doesn’t get out, which makes her look less like an eager do-gooder than Paris Hilton breezing through her mandatory community service. …
... anyone expecting an unvarnished, unmeditated look at her life or any substantial take on the challenges it represents, or seems to — her child-care issues stem from not wanting to hire "some random baby-sitter," not from a lack of wherewithal — will be disappointed. … it's clear that she's really moving to L.A. to make a reality show about moving to L.A. …
... With the exception of the bull-ride-gone-bad scene, Bristol’s day-to-day life isn’t very interesting. Neither are the occasional shots where Sarah Palin pops up to offer homespun wisdom and maternal advice. … supposed to portray how difficult it is to be a young, single mom. In that respect, the show’s too late. MTV has been there, done that — and done it much better with shows like “Teen Mom,” “16 and Pregnant” and “Caged.” …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... is not very interesting, and you probably wouldn't watch if she wasn't who she is. …
... somnolent … we keep hearing about the painful glare of media attention that snapped on nearly four years ago when her values-preaching mother, Sarah Palin, ran for vice president on the Republican ticket just at the time a teenage Bristol was pregnant with a son. That glare never ended, mostly because Bristol keeps reaching to turn the switch back on. … Between sobs, she existentially wonders why she can’t escape the constant attention, criticism and sniping. The answer (to pull the plug on the hype machine) truly eludes her. Even if you have a lasting grudge against all things Palin, there’s no payoff here. It’s a new low for anyone who makes the mistake of watching.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... There's a lot that's terrible about "Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" and most of it is the same kind of terrible seen in so many other shows that purport to depict reality but are obviously more-or-less scripted confections. But this show adds additional layers of hypocrisy and silliness. … Her reasoning for the move? "It's an opportunity to show Tripp there's more out there." Really? A 3-year-old is really going to benefit from learning about other parts of the world? Maybe at 9, not 3. …
The Philadelphia Inquirer says:
… The challenge is that she's just not that interesting. She's not especially glamorous, and, at the other end of the spectrum, is no Alaskan Snooki, either. …
... Controversy aside, “Life” seems to have no meaning beyond giving the 21-year-old a platform for her parenting views and criticism of Los Angeles. Bristol, for all her whining and tears tonight, has advantages other young single moms can only dream about. Her L.A. “job” is actually a volunteer gig with the charity Help the Children. Her parents’ friends give her the use of their home — a mansion so big it probably could qualify for statehood. She teases and later berates her 17-year-old sister, Willow, into becoming Tripp’s nanny. Tripp seems like a fun kid, but what teenager wants to be saddled with a toddler full-time? Certainly not Bristol, apparently. …
10 p.m. Tuesday. Lifetime.
