Newlyweds and ‘Til Death Do Us Part Preview: Puppies and Morgue Slabs

Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, starring Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, is back for another season – which should surprise no one given what a hit it turned out to be. This time out it is followed by ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen and Dave, starring Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra. Clearly the companion piece to Newlyweds, this show will follow Dave and Carmen through wedding preparations, the big day, and the beginning of their marriage. Let's see how the shows and stars stack up and do a little compare and contrast as we wait for the series to begin January 21.

The Girls: Prior to this show, Jessica Simpson was mainly known for her work as one of the several and, to many, interchangeable pop princesses in the Britney-esque vein. Blonde and beautiful, she sang bubblegum-pop to an audience populated mostly by little girls (and not so little boys) the world over. Oh, and she was a virgin until she married Nick. I didn't even know who she was, really, and I knew she was intact. Why some people make the state of their virtue part of their PR I will never know, but she seems to have less issues with privacy than most. I didn't have cable last season so I hadn't seen an episode, but had read all of Sting7’s recaps, so as I watched the marathon to get up to speed it was like watching a movie after having read the book. I like her. Interesting that most of the things that has made her a butt of jokes for being somewhat… well… flaky are things that made perfect sense to me and I didn't see what was so funny. Who wouldn't take her purse camping? Who doesn't whine while lying on her husband's lap about needing more attention or get pissy about his trip to the Playboy mansion? And I totally would have mistaken the plastic bag for a jellyfish. The first year out on your own away from your folks is hard until you find your footing. When I was married the first time, like Jessica, I was 22. Although I did know the difference between tuna and chicken, I didn't know much else.

Case in point: In our first apartment the refrigerator wasn't working so I brought home take-out every night for two weeks and we kept our ice in a cooler. I went to Sears to buy a new one and didn't know which kind to get so I called my daddy for advice. Okay, more than advice – I knew he would pay for it without my having to ask. He said that since the apartment came with a fridge it was their job to repair it and to call the landlord. Then he sighed wondering, I'm sure, what kind of idiot he had foisted upon the world. Never having lived in an apartment I didn't know landlords fixed stuff. So I called and the maintenance guy came. Turns out you have to plug in a refrigerator in order for it to get cold. Who knew?

The point of this little story is that a certain amount of stupidity is part and parcel of life. My then-husband and I were both college educated and allegedly intelligent, yet we had to live with the shame of being laughed at by the service guy who came out to plug in our fridge. So when I see Jessica, I don't mock as much as I say a silent prayer of thanks that there are no cameras following me around during my less than stellar moments. When she released the video for her single With You, she was so self-deprecating while she made fun of her silliest moments on the show, I thought that was great.

On the flip side we have Carmen Electra, who wasn't exactly known for her virginal image. What was she known for? To be honest she is one of those names where everyone knows who she is but not quite exactly what she has done to become famous. Famous for being famous, reminds you of Paris and Nicole doesn't it? She was once a protégé of Prince, did time on Baywatch, posed for Playboy, and has been in some movies – the names of which escape me. Oh and she was married to Dennis Rodman for all of nine days. Image-wise she is sort of the anti-Jessica Simpson but from all appearances they share a sense of humor about themselves which makes them likable and easy to watch.

The Guys: Nick Lachey was in the boy band, 98 Degrees, but seems to be most famous for being the guy who waited to have sex with Jessica Simpson. I had no idea who he was before watching this show. To be honest, all boy bands look alike to me. He is now trying to launch a solo career and the exposure he's getting on this show can't hurt. He is clean-cut and has an image that skews well to preadolescent girls. At least it did before he was married, so you have to wonder how that will cut into the popularity of a Tiger Beat pin-up.