Feb. 18, 2004
Did you know that there are practicing vampires in the United States? Or that the Wiccan religion is sometimes called "witchcraft"? And why, exactly, do nudists like being naked? If these are burning issues for you, you may want to tune in to SciFi's Mad Mad House — or not.
SCIFI.COM unveils its edgy new reality series, Mad Mad House. People who live in different worlds have to live in the same house. The new site http://www.scifi.com/madmadhouse/ features bios of the five Alts who act as the judges and jury of the ten Guests, who will compete for the show's $100,000 prize.
Mad Mad House cast of weirdos is comprised of five practitioners of "alternative lifestyles": a Wiccan, a Naturist, a Modern Primitive, a Voodoo Priestess and a real-life Vampire.
The witch is profiled as a best-selling author, journalist, television/radio personality and musician, Horne's first book, Witch: A Magickal Journey (Thorsons/HarperCollins, 2000), is now in its third printing. Horne also authored 2001's Seven Days to A Magickal New You, and 2002's Magickal Sex — A Witch's Guide to Bed Knobs and Broomsticks. Her new book, Witchin' — A Handbook for Teen Witches, debuted in the United States in March 2003.
Wiccans, or Witches, practice Wicca, an Earth-based religion that honors a deity divided into male and female manifestations known as the God and the Goddess. Fiona Horne has practiced Witchcraft for more than 16 years. She specializes in casting spells and providing other magical support for matters of the heart.
David Wolfe, the "naturalist" runs around sans clothing and prefers to be called "Avocado." He is the author of best-selling books Eating For Beauty and The Sunfood Diet Success System. Avocado is considered by his peers to be one of the world's leading authorities on raw-food nutrition. Naturists believe the human body is inherently dignified and worthy of respect so many naturists live their lives in a "clothing optional" state.
Art Aguirre is the modern primitive. SciFi describes him as a polite and thoughtful man, who is a professional piercing artist and body-modifier. His goal is to cover his own body with Polynesian and Marquesan art. A cancer survivor, he says that being a modern primitive is "all about a love of life...a primal urge" he is compelled to express.
Modern Primitives believe in ritual suspension and other traditions based on Native American rites of passage and are accomplished through yoga, meditation, special breathing techniques and, according to practitioner Art Aguirre, "learning to program your mind to transcend the physical self."
Iya Ta'Shia Asanti, a Voodoo Priestess, was raised in the Christian church, but later became disenchanted with it. As an adult, Asanti embraced the tenets of Voodoo and has spent more than a decade studying and training in the field of African spirituality. She is a co-founder of the Ifa Conference on African Spiritual Tradition, a priestess of Yemoja in the Ifa tradition, a civil-rights activist, a teacher of African traditions and culture, and an award-winning poet and journalist.
Voodoo — Vodun (a.k.a. Vodoun, Voudou, Voodoo, Sevi Lwa) is a religion commonly called Voodoo (a name likened to an African word for "spirit"). A sacred religion, Voodoo is unlike the misrepresentations popularized in entertainment.
The last "alt" member is a real-life Vampire. Vampires believe in their inherent ability to acquire energy resources, including pranic energy, or Chi, from humans. Prana, a Sanskrit word meaning "life force," can be acquired from direct life-giving sources such as blood and sexual energy. According to tradition, Don Henrie's life as a Vampire should be known only to his fellow creatures of the night. At this point in his life, however, he has elected to break this bond of silence and let the world know what it really means to be one of "The Chosen."
Known collectively as the Alts, they'll rule the roost. Meanwhile, 10 ordinary (translated normal) folks move into the House as the Alts' Guests — and compete against one another for the $100,000 jackpot.
Guests will live out a Survivor meets The Real World meets The Osbournes lifestyle — and try to get along living under one roof together. The eclectic and unpredictable Alts will challenge them, judge them and eliminate them one by one — ultimately deciding which Guest is most fit for life in the Mad Mad House.
If this is the pinnacle of TV viewing, maybe it's time to pull out a good book.
Commentary by Holly Deyo