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WASHINGTON -- Marsha Silverberg's book club has gathered, 10 women strong, to have dinner, discuss Ian McEwan's novel Saturday -- and dish about Tuesday Night Book Club, a CBS reality show that had its premiere Tuesday.
Their verdict? Hated it.
"It seems more like soft-core porn than any reality TV show," says Lisa Bornstein, 39, an attorney, as the club watched a preview tape last week.
"This is not a realistic depiction of how women socialize," says Ruth Franklin, 31, a magazine editor.
It didn't help that on the first episode, the TV book club never discussed the chosen book, Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner.
Instead, they talked about their unhappy marriages and unfulfilled sex lives.
"They pinned this show on a tiny thread of a book club," says Rachel Pollack, 35, a magazine editor. "This is bad reality TV."
But executive producer Jay Blumenfield says the show uses the book club as a jumping-off point. "If we did a network prime-time show talking about books for an hour, it probably wouldn't fly."
The show follows seven mostly well-to-do women in Scottsdale, Ariz. CBS is comparing it to Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County.
The first episode focused mostly on the problems of four women: Cris, 39, whose husband recently got out of rehab but is still struggling with addiction; Lynn, 28, who has been married six months and argues constantly with her husband; Kirin, 31, married to a doctor who doesn't satisfy her sexual needs; and Jamie, 25, who has had affairs and is considering leaving her husband.
"I can't believe they are doing this in front of the cameras," says Anne Whipple, 42, a stay-at-home mom.
"Can't she get through a scene without crying?" asks Renee Orleans, 37, an attorney. She was referring to Kirin, who sleeps alone while her husband polishes his motorcycle.
They all felt the women were unsympathetic characters who didn't appreciate what they have.
"They have big houses," says Diane Kelleher, 34, an attorney.
"And little, bitty skirts," Whipple adds. "And they've all had boob jobs."
But the women's overriding puzzlement with the show was summed up by Kelleher: "Why did they need the book-club angle when they don't talk about books?"
Adds Pollack: "Have them meet for dinner or to play cards or go to the swimming pool, but please don't call it a book club."
Franklin was more cynical: "I'm worried this will be bad for the book business -- the anti-Oprah effect."
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