Reality TV

Post by **Loredoctor** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 2:08 am

What do people here think of reality tv? Trash or treasure? Personally, I hate it. I think it's vacuous entertainment. Some of the stuff that they are putting out now sounds terrible. For instance, a show is coming out called Average Joe, in which they put a a beautiful woman with 20 average guys. The thing is, this is just an excuse to make fun of overweight, skinny, or different-looking people. They keep showing the expression of the woman, as though to capture her displeasure. Another show, Fake a Date, puts a person through two dates; one real, one fake. The fake one is a male/female in it to try and win a holiday for their real partner and themself. Does anybody realise how sick that is? I sure hope the person gets some form of compensation. Reality TV is quickly becoming a way to enjoy other people's misfortunes. How malicious can humans be?

Post by **aTOMiC** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 2:13 am

I watch 2 "Reality" television shows.
American Idol- I am a musician so I find the process very interesting.
The Apprentice- I get a kick out of watching Donald Trump say "You're Fired."
I can't stand to watch even a second of anything else.

Post by **[Syl]** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 2:20 am

The person who invented the term "reality TV" should be sued for false advertising. There's no such thing. Everyone knows they're on the camera all the time, so they play it up. You also have producers and directors who get their hands all over everything, bending and twisting events to their likings. And if all that's not enough, there's always a bit of creative editing.

Seriously, the porn industry is more admirable. They take advantage of and profit off of the same human weaknesses, but at least they're honest about the product.

Post by **matrixman** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 6:26 am

I have no interest at all in "reality TV". Not now, not ever.

Post by **Loredoctor** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 8:09 am

Caer Sylvanus wrote:The person who invented the term "reality TV" should be sued for false advertising. There's no such thing. Everyone knows they're on the camera all the time, so they play it up. You also have producers and directors who get their hands all over everything, bending and twisting events to their likings. And if all that's not enough, there's always a bit of creative editing.

Seriously, the porn industry is more admirable. They take advantage of and profit off of the same human weaknesses, but at least they're honest about the product.

Good point. The thing is, the producers claim they are huge experiments in psychology. Rubbish. Reality tv is made up of greedy, vain and nasty individuals - not ordinary people at all.

Post by **Damelon** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 1:06 pm

Reality TV is a waste of time. Yes, there was something a little amusing in a mean way about the premise of "Joe Millionaire", but not enough for me to watch it.

Post by **Theo** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 3:13 pm

Looks like we mostly agree. IMO so-called "reality TV" is a major symptom of the decline of Western civilization. It's not only dumb, it's a twisted and evil form of entertainment specifically geared at exploiting and pandering to the worst qualities of humankind.

Alright, maybe I overstate things a bit. But I really don't like it.

Post by **Revan** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 3:16 pm

Reality TV is the biggest load of crap since man first laid waste.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 3:47 pm

I hate RTV; it is like having a camera pointed on all our faults all the time. I still do not understand why the terms "reality" and "realistic" are used to describe basically wrong, disgusting and outright evil behavior, while good and commendable behavior is looked down upon as childish and naive. I think that as a race we Americans at least have bought in to this lie, and I blame network news for starting and perpetuating this lie for over 30 years now. RTV is just another symptom of the disease.

I do not consider American Idol to be RTV, though. It has no stupid twists like the singers voting each other off, immunity for a week, singers performing with a mouthful of roaches, backstabbing, or any of the pointless, inane character traits of RTV.

Post by **Revan** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 3:50 pm

Couldn't have put it better myself dAN

Post by **birdandbear** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:13 pm

Where's the option for Vile Disgusting Work of Satan?

I HATE all reality tv. The exploitation of my fellow human's weaknesses/petty character flaws makes me want to vomit. The whole idea of putting someone in a stressful situation, and following them around everywhere, and manufacturing more and more plot points (I thought this was supposed to be reality tv

) in hopes that someone will crack and end up crying, or better yet getting in a fight.....is repulsive.

And Jerry Springer IS Satan.

The whole idea of reality tv is oxymoronic anyway. Reality is generally pretty boring. Which probably explains why we're all fantasy addicts....

Even those hospital shows....Life in the ER and that stuff....those are not as morally repugnant as most of them, but it's still not reality. Not REAL reality anyway. They only show the gunshot wounds, the car crash victims....they don't show the nitty gritty on any kind of hospital I've ever been in, where yeah, they get those things of course, but the depressing reality of any given ER is that it's mostly a room full of poverty stricken people with bellyaches or fevers waiting for hours to rack up a hospital bill they can't pay, while breathing in the anesthetized scent of their own apathy......

Gaaahhhh!!

WHY would anyone want to watch that? No one does - so we'll only show the blood and trauma, the tears and insults, and while the moral penury of our voyeurism may consume our souls, at least we'll be entertained.

Post by **birdandbear** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:15 pm

Ladies and gentlemen - my impression of Zephalephelah...

Post by **aTOMiC** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:18 pm

Well, since dAN doesn't think American Idol is reality tv I'm off the hook for the most part. It that is the case then I can finally vote. RTV sucks!

Post by **Revan** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:20 pm

I think so too...

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 10:43 pm

Yeah, it does suck. Although Survivor is tolerable..

Have you guys seen those new ads for that show where this guy turns his entire life over so they can tape EVERYthing?! How terrible... how stupid... how terribly stupid.

Post by **Revan** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 9:32 am

The Leper Fairy wrote:Yeah, it does suck. Although Survivor is tolerable..

Have you guys seen those new ads for that show where this guy turns his entire life over so they can tape EVERYthing?! How terrible... how stupid... how terribly stupid.

*Shakes head* What is this world coming to?

Post by **CovenantJr** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:23 am

There's a mildly amusing programme on now called The Sack Race where a couple of actor-type people are sent into a different job each, and have to compete to see who can get fired closest to three o'clock without swearing or asking to be fired. The premise slightly worried me at first, but they basically just try to be the most useless employees conceivable while doing just enough right to not get fired yet. It's pretty harmless, and can be entertaining.

Other than that one exception, I think reality TV is at best vaccuous, and at worst monstrous

Post by **Revan** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 11:26 am

Excuse me... I said all Reality TV sucks! And what I say goes

Post by **dANdeLION** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 6:30 pm

Yes! How can trying to get fired be considered reality, anyway?

Post by **CovenantJr** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 8:23 pm

I lump it in with reality TV because the "colleagues" have no idea it's not real

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Reality TV