MySpace Puts Real-Life BFFs to the Test

When you sit down and think about it, it seems clear that there should be more game show web series than there are at present. After all, many companies prefer nonfiction to scripted programming, and the opportunities for branding and product placement are baked right into the structure via prizes and giveaways. The only factor possibly getting in the way of the genre’s success is that it has never really had much of a young vibe, being more “what you watch when visiting your Grandma.”

MySpace’s solution to overcoming that problem? College Humor’s Jake Hurwitz, the snarky, self-effacing 24-year-old host of BFF, a weekly series challenging self-declared best friends to prove just how friendly they are. The show’s BFFs are judged not by their history as friends, but their knowledge of trivia and how well they know each other — it’s not even an attempt to update The Newlywed Game. But the game changes when it’s between friends, not spouses, since, after all, friendship is a much different beast than a relationship.

While Married on Myspace definitely had elements of game-show-ery, BFF’s style is much less reality and much more straight-up “answer questions and win stuff.”

The production values are pretty solid, though the sound quality fluctuates dramatically from the studio set to the backstage scenes. And while Alex Trebek doesn’t have anything to worry about, Hurwitz is confident and engaging in his role as host, having fun with the contestants while slipping in the necessary plugs. (Approximately four to five prizes/sponsors get mentioned in every 5-minute episode, not to mention the integration of the Myspace BFF application.)

There’s something telling about the fact that the show’s target audience — as well as the bulk of its contestants — is made up of teens and early 20-somethings, because sure, I could have told you in high school or college who my best friend was in a heartbeat. But as I slowly but surely drift out of MTV’s target demographic and into VH1’s, the answer isn’t nearly so simple. That’s part of getting older — people move in and out of your life — however, a true friendship never dies. So perhaps I wouldn’t bet a free printer on whether or not my closest friends can name the newest Britney Spears album. But that doesn’t mean the concept of best-friends-forever isn’t a real one.