punky bruiser

I'm generally a fan of any documentary-style show that will immerse me in a brand new world. And on A&E, that world is... Roller Derby! I read several positive reviews of the new reality program, Rollergirls, and I just had to give it a try. Those reviews said, even though they're basically sex objects to the crowd, the women are strong-willed, independent, confident and tough. They really are. And much more. They have show names like Punky Bruiser, Venis Envy, Sister Mary Jane, and Blanche Davidian. These girls are crass, foul-mouthed and downright trashy. They get scratched and bruised and they drink a hell of a lot of tequila. And it's awesome.

The premiere episode on Monday night featured a rookie roller, dubbed Venis Envy, who just made the La Puta del Fuego team (does that mean 'whores of the volcano'?). Venis and her boyfriend, who looks an awful lot like Moby, are both art school graduates who are working temp jobs and live in an Austin, TX trailer park. I'm not sure where this show is going to go, but I imagine we'll be meeting more of the girls on the team. In particular, I'd like to know more about Cha Cha, who has a young daughter, and Chola, who has a PUTA tattoo in the inside of her bottom lip. Damn, these girls are bad ass.