Admit it — you all watch at least one reality show. During the doldrums of winter TV, I have enjoyed (okay, watched) American Idol and Kitchen Nightmares. There are so many out there, though, and the question keeps coming to my mind: where are these contestants coming from, and what are they thinking?!
I can understand trying out for American Idol, with the chance of achieving fame & fortune, or any of the other shows where you can make a few bucks while you make a fool of yourself on national TV. What’s up with all the other shows, though?
Do I want all my friends and neighbors to see my bratty kids on Supernanny? Do I really want everyone to see (and have stay with me) a total stranger come live with me and mock my lifestyle on Wife Swap? Why does any young person sign up for The Real World? I know, if I am a friend of yours, I can see you drunk and incoherent, and making a fool of yourself in person, whenever I want. For you ladies out there: Do you really want to experience the Flavor of Love? I didn’t think so, but apparently the allure of having your fifteen minutes of fame is too much for some people to resist.
Whatever the motivations of “Reality TV” participants are, I’m afraid we’ll have to live with it.
I’ll stick to Law & Order re-runs on TNT.
Clacked by Bill White
on Feb 17, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
I watch Survivor and TAR (and Beauty & the Geek).
And since the Internet ate my comment about the muppet on your last post please visit that post and read up there, I’ll post it again now :-)
I think I might watch too much reality TV. American Idol, Survivor, Top Chef, Project Runway, Hell’s Kitchen. Wow, now that I look at that list it really looks like the list of a gay middle aged man.
https://www.joeonthetube.com
Reality shows have completely taken over TV in the past few years. Maybe because you don’t have to be an actor–just unique or memorable in some way. Some of them are entertaining, but there are many that I can’t believe stay on the air. There are a few that I watch and enjoy, but for the most part I find them annoying.
I watched the first 5 seasons of Survivor, but you couldn’t force me to watch reality shows today. I understand the initial appeal, it’s the lasting appeal that eludes me. I’m not a reality show snob, I just think they’re like sports, fun for a few outings, but after that it’s just a rehash of the same, old stuff again and again.
Survivor, The Amazing Race, Big Brother, Dancing With The Stars, Hell’s Kitchen and (though I’m loathe to admit it) Celebrity Apprentice are my reality show drugs of choice. I like the competition aspect mainly and really these are no more than elaborate game shows. My love of The Amazing Race knows no bounds and in that case it has a lot to do with the fact that it’s objective – a real race – rather than subjective – people voting or otherwise deciding arbitrarily who is the worst person this week. Plus, while the Race repeats things like bungee jumps they also have challenges that you’ll never see again. I doubt that if the show lasts another ten years (devoutly to be hoped) you will ever see cheeses rolling down mountainsides again.
Let’s face it. They’re just game shows. That’s all. And the prizes aren’t worth it. I would rather have $64,000 any day.
No matter how you feel about Rality TV, one thing is for sure, their will be a Baldwin brother on nine out of ten shows. Who doesn’t want to watch Steven Baldwin fall of a championship Bull and break an arm. It doesn’t get better than that.