Mamamia Team Wednesday 20 June 2012 9:30am

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What is it about Lara Bingle?

At Mamamia, we’re divided. Some of us watched Being Lara Bingle when it premiered last week on Channel 10 – while others claimed they’d rather eat a box of hair. Yet even after the hype of the premiere has passed, the second installment last night has fueled around-the-watercooler conversation once again.

In the first episode, Lara moved into a new flat with her brother and best friend/manager, got pulled over while driving with a suspended liscence and was caught in a nude photo scandal by paparazzi on Bondi beach. Last night we saw Lara have an intimate family dinner (you know, just mum and bro and film crew including sound guys, a lighting team and director), she lived to tell the tale despite a devastating make-up crisis and had her car impounded. Lara does seem to find road rules an ongoing challenge.

Lara Bingle outside the courtroom

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The 24-year-old has been a polarising celebrity since she first time she appeared on Australian TV screens as the Where The Bloody Hell Are You Girl in a campaign for Australian Tourism.

Since then it’s been her relationship with footballer Brendan Fevola, her engagement to Aussie cricketer Michael Clarke and the nude photo scandal (or is it scandals?) that have made her one of the most “Googled” names in Australia (that is, according to the Chanel 10 website.)

And now, her new show is said to show the “real” person behind the headlines. In an interview on The Project last week, Lara said: “There’s two sides to every story and this is my side. And I’ve been portrayed in a certain way for a very long time and I guess it’s my chance now”. Take a look:

Before the show even started, people were weighing in with their opinions – journalists and columnists included.

Columnist Sam de Brito asked what it was about Lara Bingle that made her such a target for journalists and commenters:

He wrote:

Sam de Brito

Bingle did not create this game – she just won it, at least for a few years, because she received a few more of god’s gifts than most of the resentful twitterati who believe they should have a “profile” in the media because they have a broadband connection and seethe biliously in their inner-city rentals that a young blonde woman has what they don’t.

Has Bingle made some false steps, compared with another beautiful somebody such as Jennifer Hawkins? Yes, she has.

Has she got bad advice from managers and agents? Yes again.

Is she “fair game” now that she’s invited television cameras into her life for three months? I say no. At least no more than any other person who chooses to make their living from TV.

Simply put, the vast majority of the criticism directed at this woman has nothing to do with “criticism” – it’s straight up bullying, and should be recognised as such.

Ben Pobjie

It seems a bizarrely purposeless show: nobody was clamouring to know what Lara Bingle’s lifestyle was like and, indeed, it’s been revealed that the luxurious house she lives in on TV isn’t actually her house, so the lifestyle we’re watching isn’t even hers.

It would appear that literally picking any random woman off the street would yield results every bit as compelling as Being Lara Bingle, and any sensible person could, I feel, have said as much before they started.

Yet I shall defend Lara. Because me and Lara, we’re not so different, and there are many more like us. Those of us who want to make our way in the glorious world of show business, who hunger and lust after fame and glamour, and will leap at any opportunity to chase those dreams.

And it’s all very well to hope to make your name for something high-quality and worthwhile, but the fact is, a bad TV show is still more of a TV show than no TV show, and if you get offered a TV show and knock it back, who knows when you’ll be offered another.

So Lara Bingle – did you watch the second time around?

Note: Please remember our dinner party rules and lay off the bitchy comments. Imagine Lara’s reading this post and the comments, and bear that in mind when you choose to say something. Any nasty, rude or offensive comments about Lara will be deleted. Be kind. Thanks.