Negative Fan Perceptions Led Ryan Sheckler To Cancel MTV Show

Sheckler Says Decision To Stop His Popular MTV Show, "Life Of Ryan," Was 100% His

Skateboarder Ryan Sheckler's "successful-yet-sappy MTV show 'Life of Ryan' ... alienated many core skate fans," so he "chose to turn his back on the television show last year," according to Chris Nieratko of ESPN.com. The show made him a "heartthrob to a nation of television-obsessed teenyboppers." But Sheckler said the decision to stop the show was "mine; 100 percent mine." Sheckler: "When I started the show I said, 'If it gets me away from my actual skateboarding fans and gets me away from skateboarding, then I'm not going to do the show anymore.' That's why our third season was only six episodes; we cut it in half. I was, like, 'I can't do it anymore! It's going to be more detrimental to my career than positive.' We just quit. We stopped it." Sheckler added the easing up of negative feelings toward him "has something to do with" not doing the show. Sheckler: "The only reason I think it does is because with the show off the air I haven't been in everyone's face as much. So, they don't know what I'm doing and everyone is like 'Ok, cool. Maybe he's living the normal life,' which I am." Sheckler noted he is now doing "Red Bull Skate Life" episodes on his website in lieu of the show. Sheckler: "Whatever we do or whenever we go on a trip or anything that seems like it would be interesting for our skate viewers we just film it and try to put together six-minute clips every month just to keep the fans informed of what we're doing" (ESPN.com, 5/24).