It’s like Gilligan’s Island with no Gilligan. How in the world could there be Ridiculousness without Chanel West Coast (Chelsea Chanel Dudley)? Especially that laugh, which no one will replace on Ridiculousness anytime soon.
But as time went on, so did the show, and Chanel became a sort of afterthought. New guest appearances brought their own personalities, contributing to the gut-busting laugh-fest in their own unique ways.
Now, the question is different. Can Chanel West Coast survive without Ridiculousness? Obviously, unless she liquidates her assets, withdraws all her cash, and has a backyard BBQ, she’ll be fine financially.
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV)
No, what I’m talking about is her name in the TV business, specifically the reality TV business.
If you’ve been paying close attention to her short journey, with Ridiculousness still visible in the rearview mirror, then you already know about her new project, The West Coast Hustle.
Then there’s her efforts as a musician, which aren’t exactly taking off like one of Elon Musk’s rockets.
Why Did Chanel West Coast Leave Ridiculousness?
Chanel spent well over a decade as a host on Ridiculousness, to the point where the show and her name are essentially bound for generations to come.
It was her choice to leave, however, and fortunately, it wasn’t because of any angst between herself and the show or her associate hosts.
I’ve always wanted to show the world what I was doing outside of Ridiculousness. I was pitching trailers, trying to get somebody to pick up a show for a while, and nobody was biting at first. And I think the universe has plans for us. It’s funny, once I had my baby, Bowie, it’s like the blessings kind of just started rolling in.”
It’s doubtful that Chanel is having a mid-thirties mid-life crisis. But that doesn’t mean making a sudden career change after 12 years of familiarity is easy.
(hoto by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Jane Owen PR )
Her name and her bank account are big enough to take a risk. Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars vanished from the public eye for years.
Others never returned, either walking away for good or mired in B-movie failures, their names fading in status and appeal.
That said, there is always the potential for failure. Nothing is written in stone, regardless of effort and time. The fact that she left on her own terms speaks volumes about her stability and future plans.
It wasn’t a matter of tossing the dice either. According to Chanel, she wanted to make a move. When MTV approached, offering her a show and her own platform, the rest was nothing but paperwork and goodbyes.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows)
The West Coast Hustle
Chanel’s The West Coast Hustle premiered on August 1, 2024, and is as far from Ridiculousness as it gets in terms of genre.
Ridiculousness sits comfortably in MTV’s top 5 and is primarily a real-footage comedy commentary — a cruder and more irreverent version of America’s Funniest Home Videos.
The West Coast Hustle is a reality docuseries primarily focusing on Chanel West Coast’s family life and burgeoning attempts at breaking into the recording artist business.
Throw in a mix of motherhood and life with her boyfriend, Dom, and you have a fairly typical reality show.
The series started off on the low end of the viewership rankings, peaked in mid-August, and is falling off to a small degree as we move into mid-September.
Chanel is doing pretty well comparatively speaking, especially against Ridiculousness, which sits in the fifth spot at an audience average of 153,000. At its peak, The West Coast Hustle hit 116,000 before leveling out in the 88,000 to 98,000 range.
(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for MTV)
Chanel’s Real Ambition
Despite Chanel opting for a new career path and partnering with MTV for her new docuseries, her ambitions are not related to reality TV.
Chanel wants to sing. That’s not to say The West Coast Hustle is just a boring stepping stone for Chanel.
But she spends plenty of time in the recording studio. Despite the glitz and glamour of life in Hollywood Hills (Chanel made a ton of money with Ridiculousness), successful recording artist is at the top of her list.
As a new mother navigating the music industry post-Sharon Stone lawsuit, I know there’s plenty of room for real-life drama — the kind of drama that attracts viewers to the show.
One of the biggest issues Chanel is focusing on is post-partum “mom-bodies.” Since she had an emergency C-section, it’s understandably something that takes some getting used to.
(Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for MTV)
Her encouragement towards young women in similar situations is a positive pull for the show, especially for young mothers.
However, there are a few problems with that, and the ultimate answer will determine whether Chanel retires into obscurity or joins the ranks of other popular pop stars.
Problems on the Horizon
For one, there’s very little about Chanel’s singing that separates her from the pack. If you’ve seen some of her recording sessions on the show, she’s not exactly bad. Unfortunately, it’s par for the course.
Chanel’s lyrics aren’t up to par with those of Smokey Robinson, Mick Jagger, Bob Marley, or Bruce Springsteen. Disney’s teenage pop singers have covered and continue to cover this ground in vibe, tone, and feel.
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
“Unique” is not a term floating around the recording studio when Chanel is in session. The fact that she’s not terrible is good, but in this cutthroat industry, there has to be some degree of separation if she hopes to succeed.
If there’s one thing movie stars prefer to avoid, it’s becoming associated with only one character for the whole of their careers.
Sure, Chanel didn’t play a character in Ridiculousness, but the difficulty for Chanel moving past Ridiculousness is that association.
Of course, whether or not she succeeds in separating herself and/or as a recording artist, Chanel is set for life unless she has a serious money-spending problem.
Her net worth is somewhere between $3 million and $6 million, which most people can very comfortably retire on.
So, the true answer to whether Chanel can survive post-Ridiculousness is a simple ‘yes,’ regardless of how things pan out with her recording artist ambitions.
(Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images)
But whether her name will survive a highly competitive industry outside of Ridiculousness reruns remains to be seen.
What do you think? Will Chanel West Coast fade into obscurity after leaving Ridiculousness, or will she become another forgotten MTV star?
Drop a comment below and let us know what you think!
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