Reality TV show.. Are you sick of it yet. (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

80% of everything (within each genre) is crap.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I think Sturgeon had the percentage higher. "95% of science fiction is crap. Of course, 95% of everything is crap."

 

[JonZ]

I have never and will never watch Reality TV

 

[Patrick Sun]

Maybe I'm mistaken it with "80% of all problems come from 20% of the population pool at hand."

 

[MikeH1]

Unscripted? lmfao 90% of these shows are as scripted as the day is long. Reality TV? Whats so real about perfect hot blondes/brunettes with big b00bies and men that are usually built like a shit brickhouse? Whats so real about the laughable crying and over-dramatizing I saw on the last Survivor (it made me sick but instead of suing I changed the channel)

Britney Spears wants a "reality TV" show. Paris Hilton had a "reality show". These are about as un-real as people can get.

Blah, I loathe these shows. They pretend to be what there not. Just a big mega corporation money grab because there so cheap to make.

Then again, I play online video games to pass my time. At least I know its really fanatsy and hey - its unscripted

 

[Jefferson Morris]

Umm, I might watch that...once. If I'm alone.

The only reality show that has ever gotten a minor hold on me was The Surreal Life, specifically the one with Ron Jeremy and Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Baker). My girlfriend decided to watch the series when VH1 aired a marathon and I got sucked in (It was her fault, honestly!). Of course Ron and Tammy got along famously. Not quite as well as Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav, but...Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I watched part of that one too.

--Jefferson Morris

 

[Jason Seaver]

Now you're just arguing over a name. I figure "unscripted" fits - while most of them are plotted or outlined, most of the "story" construction happens in the editing room. It's a goofy argument, though - would you have fewer objections if they had different names. Say Survivor was referred to as "serial competition" and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was "wish-fulfillment". Now that you're not calling them "reality TV", does that make them OK?

 

[MarkHastings]

The problem with reality shows is, people won't tune in each week to see "REALITY" - I mean, who's gonna watch some guy, sitting in front of the TV, eating potato chips, for an hour each week? Boring!

I think a lot of what people here hate about these shows is, knowing that there are people out there who think it's "real" and unscripted. I know this is why I don't like most of these shows. Knowing that John and Jane Smith are being duped into thinking it's real, just makes me sick of the whole concept.

Just like Soap Operas or Wrestling. I once saw two guys get into a fight over The Rock beating up Stone Cold - I mean, come on! When entertainment starts becoming reality in the minds of people, I want out!!!

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I quit watching Survivor and every other reality show except The Amazing Race. And I wish the latter would cut down on the models/actors and the fake tits. There are plenty of interesting, charasmatic people out there who aren't in Hollywood and who have real body parts.

This season I'm enjoying new shows like Veronica Mars, Battlestar Galactica, Lost, and Desperate Housewives. So much better than 99% of reality TV. In all honestly, if all reality TV were wiped off the face of the planet, it'd be a net gain for society.

 

[AnthonyC]

I know it's not real, but it isn't scripted. They're put into situations that aren't real, everyday situations. But the reactions to those situations are real and unscripted. The producers play with the contestants a bit but it's their reactions that make it reality.

Would a person script the Rich/Sue incident from Survivor All Stars so soon after Nipplegate?

Besides, if any of it was fixed/scripted, they'd get into a lot of trouble considering that any show that has monetary prizes cannot be.

 

[Eric_L]

I will say that I mis family shows ala Family ties and Cosby. There is really nothing that I can watch on primetime with my kids. We're stuck with 80s and 90s reruns.

 

[Jim_C]

I love Survivor and never miss an episode.

As for the rest, I don't watch them. For whatever reason, Survivor works for me and the others don't. The reality shows on Fox are borderline insulting.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Few things about tv get my hairs to stand on end as so called "reality tv".

First off, it isn't reality tv, it's MANIPULATED reality tv. And second, these shows take everything that is good and decent about the world and just exploit them and cheapin them. Not even the sanctity of marriage is sacred to these people, and now we have shows about families swapping member's with other families and couples who go to an island to be tempted to cheat, it all sickens me, really.

And don't even get me started on shows like The Next Top Model that promote outer beauty and further enforce that ridiculous notion to young women out there that they must look like Tyra Banks, very nice. Is it any wonder why eating disorders run so rampant amongst young women? I realize that eating disorders have been around for a long time, but this show isn't helping anyone, either.

Then we have shows like Survivor and The Apprentice that promote back-stabbing, lying and deceit as a way to get ahead, terrible, and what a nice message to send to the kids out there.

Maybe if little Timmy would scheme, lie and walk all over the other kids in class, he'll be rewarded and get to play an extra few minuets in the sandbox. :rolleyes

It's watching grow adults behaving as children, really. I saw a clip from Survivor where one contestant told another contestant that she would leave her to rot with the vultures if she were hurt and ever needed help from anybody. WTF!

So, no, I don't watch this shit.

I'm sorry, Vince, for spitting on your profession, but I really have nothing but contempt for these shows. Society is slowly turning it's back on institutions that were once considered sacred and good, and it's shows like these that are speeding up that process, sad. These shows go against pretty much everthing I was brough up to believe in and take seriously.

The only shows that I DO like are American Idol, Fear Factor, Pimp My Ride, Overhaulin and American Chopper these shows are harmless and don't really teach any ammoral habits like the rest of them do.

Hell, were two steps away from Climbing for Dollars, that game show featured in The Running Man or even THE RUNNING MAN itself!

These shows need to get lost already.

 

[Patrick Sun]

John, I can tell you argue your points from ignorance:

America's Next Top Model - they actually do address eating disorders when contestants exhibit signs of it. Also, Tyra Banks is not a waif, but a curvy model. If the host was Kate Moss, you might have a stronger case.

Temptation Island - none of the contestants are married. When they found out one of the couples had a child, they booted them off the island so they could see if they could find a way to stay together since a child was involved in the relationship process.

Survivor is simply a game played on a level where the last person standing will most likely have to figure out a way to ward off competition by either winning immunity, or by socio-political savvy. The game many parallels to the workplace, I see it all the time. The ever-changing dynamics from tribal council to tribal council force an adaptive ability to stay in the game. Each person going into the game knows that they will either be lied to at some point, or might have to lie to another person to keep out of other people's radars. It's a game with more real-life parallels than you would think.

Does risking injury/health for money seem sane to you? Obviously it does it you watch Fear Factor. That's one show I don't watch because it's just gross and at the end of the day, you're left with little in terms of strategy or thought process, unlike Survivor.

The Wife swap shows are mainly designed to demonstrate the adage "The grass isn't always greener on the other side". That's about it. But for some families it's a good wake-up call, especially when familiarity has bred such a high level of comtempt amongst the children in the families, and that issue needs to be addressed. But, the need to see anymore than 1 or 2 episodes of this type of show is lost on me, so I don't watch them on a regular basis, if at all.

Pimp My Ride - the gaudy display of automotive styling can't be all that healthy in terms of useless consumerism, especially for teens that can't afford it, or should be using their hard-earned dollars on something more beneficial than pimping up something that can be totalled in the blink of an eye just driving down the street to the local mall.

American Idol milks the audience for all it's worth, when it's pretty apparent who the top 4 singers are in the competition, but we get subjected to 8 extra weeks, plus the 2-4 weeks of "the search" footage. Plus, the winner is crowned by the more fervent phone-in voters, not who will be buying their album (a la "one phone number, one vote").

 

[MarkHastings]

Which is why these shows should be off the air.

Kind of on the same topic, after listening to the commentary on the 100th Simpsons episode, FOX promoted it as "Barts biggest Prank" when it was just the complete oposite.

These shows may have nice morals in them, but the networks market the evils and this is why the public tunes in. Nobody wants to see 'moral' shows. The fans of reality tv want to see trailer trash look like fools.

I don't care how moral the show is, it's the ignorance that the studios market these shows to and that makes things a lot worse for this country. :frowning:

 

[Patrick Sun]

There's always "Seventh Heaven" for those looking for "moral" shows. There's plenty of other channels as well. Everything has a niche. There is pretty much a channel that's right for someone based on their interest/taste if you have a decent cable feed. Find yours, and stop wasting time and energy railing on what other people find enjoyable or rewarding to watch, while you think it's awful and junk. If you don't have cable, well, read a book, go play games, turn off the TV if you don't like what broadcast TV has to offer.

 

[AnthonyC]

I don't care what message it sends to people. It's a freakin' game. You're in denial if you don't think that backstabbing, lying, and deceiving will get you far in life. It's sad, but those factors truly do get people far.

I'll be honest; as soon as I turn 21 I will be applying for Survivor. I'm impressed with the game and the strategy and would love to be able to play.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Feel free, we all do.

While I can't say I care that it's "manupulated reality," because, well it has to be on TV... so it needs to have a story, drama and suspence whther those things were glaringly apparent in "reality" or not. I will say that, like everyone here, I do find myself thinking "boy, this is dumb" relatively often-- but I would never be so bold as to consider it the end of the world.

But someone out there is watching it, and enjoying it, so I guess they'll keep on makin it. And as long as they keep making it, i'll keep cashing check to try and make is sound decent.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

You know, this is why I was reluctant to say anything. Listen, this thread is not a reality tv appreciation thread, it's about whether or not people are tired of them, I am and I spoke up.

Patrick,
if my post was derived from ignorance, yours was derived out of a certain degree of intolerance. I feel that my stance is just and i'm not the only one that I know that feels this way. I found it a little condisending that you would say something like "watch Seventh Heaven", my opinion is just as valid as yours is.

You like those shows, I don't, so both sides should be argued on a level playing field and opinions from both sides should be accepted just the same. Don't single me out here, I said pretty much what others said, only a little stronger and in more detail that's all.

Anthony,
I know those things go on, but that doesn't mean they should make a game out of them much less show them on television where children can see such behaviour. I'm sorry, but I don't conduct MY life in such cutthroat ways, I was raised better than that, and anyone who does and can still sleep at night should be ashamed. Listen, it ceases to be a game to me when hatred, GENUINE hatred for others, enters the picture as it does on these shows so often.

Theses shows are the television equivelant of fast food, they may be entertaining and you may like them, but they aren't good for you. They are corrupt and ugly and it's all done with the promise that one will walk away from it with a generous cash reward. That stuff may go on, but I don't have to accept it.

Say what you will against my views and watch what you want to watch in the privacy of your own homes and i'll do the same.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Vince,
I didn't mean that these shows will bring about armageddon, that's just silly. All i'm saying is the stuff they portray is better left off-screen and out of living rooms where it can't introduce bad ideas on impressionable minds.