Dress up a real turtle and win a trip to New York with Bravo's Turtle Time

Are you ready to help embarrass a turtle on cable TV and make life difficult for set designers on a weekly basis? If the answer is no, that's fine. I don't think most of us are ready for such a thing either. But for those of you who are, there's a new Facebook game that lets you do this called Turtle Time.

First announced last Thursday, Turtle Time is Bravo TV's little promotional stunt for Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live show. Cohen supposedly found the turtle, love blossomed and he decided to go steady by making her his show's mascot. Since the announcement, Bravo TV has launched a Facebook game for the turtle, given her a Twitter account (that now has 1,889 followers) and a name: "Tramona."

The game involves dressing up the turtle, and while the concept sounds innocuous, there might be some PG-13 material in the game, such as the presence of alcoholic items and profanity by the users. So I repeat, this is not a game targeted for kids. Right off the bat, when you try to play the game, it'll ask you for your birth date.

Gallery: Turtle Time

For the time being, players get 14 free items (nine Goods, three Costume pieces, and two Scenes) with 53 for sale at the store. Possibly the most outrageous item is "Gay Guys Holding Hands in Speedos," which surprisingly costs 150 Lettuce instead of Facebook Credits. Lettuce (a turtle's favorite food) is the in-game currency of Turtle Time, and you start off with 1,000 of it. But I managed to snag an extra 100 Lettuce, because I correctly answered a completely random, pop-up quiz question. And while there's no dedicated free gifts option yet, you can buy items and gift them to your friends.
Turtle Time Crowds Make Me Crabby
We can see this getting fun as more people play. Already, there's some killer entries, like surrounding the turtle with crabs or balancing the turtle on a pyramid of wine glasses or whiskey bottles--sorry, I can't rightly recall which. Overall, this is a simple game and the chance for a free trip to New York doesn't hurt either. This game has only been up for less than two days, and it's got 1,486 players. To follow the game, check out its official Facebook page.

Click here to play Turtle Time on Facebook now >

Are you playing for fun or for the free trip to New York? What's the wackiest costume and backdrop can you come up with for the turtle? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment

Bravo gifts turtle with instant cable TV fame and a Facebook game

Andy Cohen Watch What Happens Live turtle mascot eating
Just when we thought we've seen everything, US cable TV network Bravo is launching a Facebook game where you get to dress up their latest celebrity -- she's a turtle. I don't mean she's reclusive or anything. I mean that literally: She is a turtle, but she's not just any turtle. This is a turtle that caught the eye of Bravo's Executive Vice President of Original Programming, also known as Andy Cohen, and host of Bravo TV's Watch What Happens: Live.

The turle has been selected as the show's new mascot and will make her first appearance on Sept. 25. Her Facebook game will be called "Turtle Time", named after a TV episode of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York, where one of the drunk stars made a toast at "Fat Turtle", a bar and dance club in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

The Facebook game's objective is to design the turtle's tank and dress her up each week. There will be options to gift decorations to friends in the game, or to use Facebook Credits to buy special items. Results will be posted online, voting will commence, winners will be chosen and live versions of these designs will then be used on the show. Finally, when the season ends in December, Cohen will choose a past winner to fly to New York for a live taping and chance to meet the turtle.

What does the turtle have to say about all this? Well, here's a quote from Bravo's cheeky press release:

    "Ever since I landed on the shores of Sag Harbor, I have been searching for my big break in show biz. When Andy Cohen came walking down those golden sands, I knew my dreams were coming true," Divulged Yet-To-Be-Named Turtle. "I can't wait to move into the Bravo Clubhouse and to be dressed in the latest fashions."

Oh, and before anyone runs to the nearest phone to alert PETA, Bravo has contacted the American Humane Association for an animal safety monitor who'll oversee the tapings according to the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals In Filmed Media. There's no word if there's someone to monitor the turtle's dignity, but I think that's irretrievable at this point.

[Hat-tip: The Hollywood Reporter]

Is this cruel and/or unusual treatment of animals? Or just some harmless and wacky fun? Have you lost your faith in humanity yet? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment