By Dixon Bledsoe
500 to 1 – those are the odds Silverton will become part of a reality show, said Stu Rasmussen who was elected as Silverton’s mayor in November.
Rasmussen has received national press coverage, including a February article in People magazine, for being the nation’s first known transgender elected official.
After the election, he said, “I was approached by three well-established Hollywood production companies, a talent agency and several independent scriptwriters wanting to produce TV programs about the November election story and our community. Initially, I was skeptical that there was much more than five minutes of usable material, but as discussions progressed it became apparent that there was some potential for an interesting program or two – possibly even a series.”
Due to a confidentiality agreement, Rasmussen said developments are in a delicate stage right now so he is unable to give detailed information as to who is on the other side of the negotiating table.
“When this first was broached, I thought the odds of it actually becoming a reality were about 10 million to one,” he said. “Then as we progressed in discussions, it dropped down to about a million to one. Now as we are getting further along, we are still about 500 to one.”
If the show idea comes to fruition, filming of a brief teaser or preview would be the first step in order to present the idea to a network or other financial backer for consideration. No dates have been set for any filming.
Rasmussen says the show’s theme would be both about the operation of small town government and its new mayor.
“It seems that the operation of local government, despite years of public education, is still mysterious to the average citizen. Although the rather unusual nature of the newly elected Silverton mayor was the catalyst of interest, expanding the scope to a documentary of how their government works and how average citizens can get involved and influence the process would be interesting and educational for people across the country,” Rasmussen said.
When asked whether approval or cooperation by the Silverton City Council and city staff was required, Rasmussen said, “No. Council and city cooperation would be helpful in telling the whole story, but no approval process is required.”
As to the benefits for Silverton, the mayor said, “Education, entertainment, a bit of tourism promotion for the local area and a ton of fun! Lots of local folks have already expressed interest in participating and the production spending would bring extra dollars to our community. A Silverton series would encourage additional tourism and visitors to our communities.”
He has discussed the prospects of a reality show hitting Main Street with many people in the community and said, “The response has been about 90 percent positive.”
The People magazine article was well-received and, as Rasmussen put it, “The magazine sold out in Silverton in about one day and additional copies were requested for newsstand distribution. The article says great things about Silverton and the feedback has been wonderful.”
In the March issue, a letter to the editor of People commends Silverton for its openness but suggests that Rasmussen be featured on another television show, “What Not to Wear.”
The mayor has a quick reply, “I shudder each morning when I first view my face reflected in the bathroom mirror – I see this image of Frankenstein’s monster with significant elements of Golda Meier and Margaret Thatcher. Neither was a beauty queen, but that was not the area of their prominence. I am certain I would be a real challenge for “What Not To Wear.”
