Reality Shows - What's the Fascination?

[Barb]

I hate them, all of them.
BUT
the one shown in previews that really offended me was "Farmer Wants a Wife."
A group of women are going to compete against each other for the care and feeding of a grown assed man? Really?
Women weren't depicted as this stupid back when they wore high heels on camping trips in the slasher flicks.

 

[PatekPhilippe]

I think it boils down to a couple basic concepts...
1. People like to see the "little guy" who had no chance in hell win something....and...
2. People are interested in everyone else's fucking business/dirty laundry.

 

[Gatekeeper]

I was going to say I never watch any reality shows but realized I do watch Deadliest Catch and sometimes with the wife the one with the 'Little People". That's it, the rest, to me are a total waste of time, the "soap operas' and 'intelligent' people getting hooked on everyone's problems as poor 'managers of life' and many just plain dysfunctional human beings.

Television, I should say AD'Vision, is so bad anymore it's not even a pleasant experience, as yesterday trying to watch Band of Brothers, seemed like 2 minutes of story and 5 minutes of ads, I will buy the DVD's. That's another reason I have cut back drastically on most Television news and get most of it on-line.

The ultimate 'Reality Shows"? Would some consider, FOX, MSNBC,CNN, yada yada as the real reality shows or just another Soap Opera convoy?

 

[Mad Scientist]

You left out my favorite "Deadliest Catch". I enjoyed "Monster Garage" when it was on too. "Orange County Choppers" jumped the shark with the "John and Kate +8 Bike".

Reality shows are so much better than what passes for prime time TV nowadays. Seems to me, from just looking at the previews that most programming consists of "Who's Fucking Who".

 

[midcan5]

'Reality show' is a sort of oxymoron, a misnomer, reality happens after the show is over. I would exclude talent shows from the reality definition. The appeal is voyeurism, a look into others lives, abilities, and foibles so as to confirm our own reality as separate or better or the same or..... But I have to admit I find 'super nanny' and 'wife swap' fascinating as they touch on the reality of raising children and lifestyles. Some can't raise children and some lead some pretty strange lives.

 

[editec]

I concur that Dealiest Catch was a REALITY show worth viewing.

How can they contrive unreal situations and then pretend that they're REALITY shows?

Ten kids living in a multimillion dollar house on the beach somewhere is NOT reality.

Neither is pitting people against each other on some deserted island REALITY.

What most annoys me about those shows is the "competition" is based on which person can BETRAY the others best.

The most mendacious, greedy lying assholes win!?

Wait a minute...that is sorta like OUR reality now, isn't it?

hmmmmm

 

[PatekPhilippe]

Blame it all on MTV...they started it.

 

[PatekPhilippe]

I concur that Dealiest Catch was a REALITY show worth viewing.

How can they contrive unreal situations and then pretend that they're REALITY shows?

Ten kids living in a multimillion dollar house on the beach somewhere is NOT reality.

Neither is pitting people against each other on some deserted island REALITY.

What most annoys me about those shows is the "competition" is based on which person can BETRAY the others best.

The most mendacious, greedy lying assholes win!?

Wait a minute...that is sorta like OUR reality now, isn't it?

hmmmmm

They need a reality show like "man vs. wild".
I'd like to see Russel get water from a pile of elephant dung or give himself a birdshit enema

 

[Sarah G]

People watch it for the drama.

I forgot to add my favorite, Big Brother which I watch all summer, three times a week and they have 3 hours of things going on in the house on Showtime every night. Then they have websites that have volunteer updaters, 24/7.

It was the first reality show I ever saw and what was fascinating to me was that you could view it everyday 24/7 if you want with their live feeds online.

The contestents are not usually lovable, well you love to hate them but it's addictive.

 

[Sarah G]

I like the Shark Tank if that can be described as reality.

 

[Foxfyre]

I always watch the American Idol auditions because they are hilarious. Usually I see at least one contestant that I enjoy following through the contest, so I'll record the show and skip to their performances. They've had some pretty good musicians pass through that show over the years. This year, Crystal Bowersox was just absolutely amazing. Shame she didn't win.

I've watched Survivor since its first season. I don't see it as a reality show. When I think of reality shows, I think of all those housewife shows or those stupid day-in-the-life of a celebrity shows. Survivor is reality competition, which I enjoy immensely. Plus, my favorite Survivor of all-time is the first person to win the game twice.

Okay, that's what I was missing trying to assess what I was drawn to. It's the competition! All of the shows I listed in the poll involve a competition of some kind. Each week one or some are eliminated until one--the winner--is left standing. It isn't that what I am watching is a 'real deal', but that what I am watching people actually compete over a period of weeks/months. The human element comes in when you have time to get to know and sometimes identify with the contestants. That can't happen so much when the people or 'plot' changes from week to week.

I love seeing people learn and improve and overcome and triumph amidst adversity though, and I appreciate excellence.

As that, plus a couple of news programs, is the only TV I watch, maybe that's okay? I'm not a total schmuck?

I don't think it is much different than enjoying sports that can be all that too, but which I generally get tired of as a spectator because of the sameness of them.

Anyhow, I rarely sit down and watch TV but often have it on while working on other projects.

 

[Foxfyre]

I think it boils down to a couple basic concepts...
1. People like to see the "little guy" who had no chance in hell win something....and...
2. People are interested in everyone else's fucking business/dirty laundry.

There is some truth to this too. I think I hate Bachelor or Bachelorette because it intentionally hurts people--sets them up to be hurt. And to me that is really really stupid. That plus I think anybody who would put themselves in the position of competing for somebody to marry has to be the world's neediest or most gullible or most personally screwed up. And what sort of prize would you get in somebody who would BE the prize for something like that? Maybe they pay the contestants really really well?

So, I guess I'm not into the voyeur kinds of the shows.

But on some of these shows you have ordinary people--all unknowns; not celebrities-- with extraordinary talent competing for a great prize. Not only are there some good performances to enjoy but you pick one or two or three that you identify with or especially appreciate and cheer them on.

And okay shows like Biggest Loser and Survivor aren't 'reality'. They aren't really a documentary of folks on a desert island or a fitness ranch but rather they are television shows made to look like a fitness ranch or life on a desert island. But what the people go through is real and it is a triumph of the human spirit over adversity. And I am cheering them on and hoping they succeed and appreciate the perseverance and accomplishment of the winner.

It's just a different kind of sport that adds a personal element that baseball or football does not.

 

[Foxfyre]

Was reading tonight that Larry King is resigning after achieving icon status on CNN. Speculation is that Piers Morgan, America's Got Talent judge, will be his replacement but CNN says no decision has been made.

Howie Mendell's addition to America's Got Talent this season has been really good--he adds an element the show has been missing. But Piers would be a loss. I haven't missed David Hasselhoff at all though.

Meanwhile Paul Abdul was gone from American Idol this past season and I missed her. Simon Cowell has now also left and speculation is that Bret Michaels will be his replacement. Not sure if that will work or not, but I can't think of anybody with that kind of personality who knows the business more than Bret does. . . .

But then I was reading tonight that Larry King wants Ryan Seacrest, host of American Idol, to be his (Larry's) replacement. Don't know if Ryan would be a good replacement for Larry. Don't know if Idol can survive by losing Abdul, Cowell, and Seacrest, leaving only Randy Jackson as the only original remaining.

I know for sure that Survivor won't be the same if host Jeff Probst leaves, and that was rumored awhile back, but looks like he has signed on for at least one more year.

So much for show biz analysis and I'm going to bed. Good night all.

 

[Foxfyre]

Oh and it looks like Hells Kitchen is winning the popularity poll of the shows listed up there. Who would have thought? I thought I was its only fan.

 

[trams]

I loves Hells Kitchen!!!

 

[Foxfyre]

I just had to revive this thread to post this.

Can you IMAGINE Condoleeza Rice or Ann Coulter on Dancing with the Stars? How about Nancy Pelosi? Or the first lady? I bet everybody would watch.

Sure, the new 'Dancing With the Stars' lineup looks swell. But hearing what could have been -- Sylvester Stallone! Condoleezza Rice! Tim Allen! Ann Coulter! Suzanne Somers! -- yeah, it stings a bit.

The Hollywood Reporter nabbed a behind-the-scenes look at the show's failed conquests, speaking to a source involved with casting the reality dance series and speaking to executive producer Conrad Green. "We've approached a lot of people over the years," Green says. "People say no for a variety of reasons. Some people like the show but think they suck at dancing. It's a lot easier to say no than it is to say yes."

Other stars who've turned the show down include Kirstie Alley, Joel McHale, Drew Carey, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, the real-life Erin Brockovich and British billionaire Richard Branson.

Rejections go both ways -- stars like Melissa Joan Hart have successfully campaigned to get on the show in the past, but according to THR's casting source, Melanie Griffith tries and fails to appear on 'DWTS' every year.
Which Major Celebs Turned Down 'Dancing With the Stars'? | PopEater.com