Reality TV and the Decline of Civilisation.

[Michael Dorosh]

Gunnerlove is correct - this is nothing new.

Ever heard of a "freak show"?  I mean the real thing?  In the days before TV, they would find disfigured people, put them in tents and charge people to see them.  Nothing new under the sun....

 

[winchable]

Honestly I support shows like "Superstar" and "Joe Schmo" because I hope that eventually people will stop applying for Reality TV because they're afraid it's going to be fake and they'll look like total jackasses....eventually they'll have to stop making reality tv all together..

By the way, I watched the finale of "Outback Jack" tonight, and I suddenly realised..that even one of the most remote places on earth is not safe from the decline.
I'm still waiting for them to do "Survivor: Wadi Rum" put a bunch of reality tv jerks in the middle of the desert with nothing around but bedou raiders, sand and rocks...mwahhaa....

 

[bossdog]

Anyone remember RAT Patrol?

 

[RCA]

It all comes down to money and profits. Reality TV doesn't pay actors rates, and (by proof here) people are willing to watch. But like all trends, us masses will get bored and move on to the next fad. (Remember it was cop shows, then doctor shows, the sitcoms - its a never ending treadmill)

As least we moving away from the Jerry Springer type garbage. Anyone remember when a families dirty laundry was rightly kept behind closed doors?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

It all comes down to money and profits. Reality TV doesn't pay actors rates, and (by proof here) people are willing to watch. But like all trends, us masses will get bored and move on to the next fad. (Remember it was cop shows, then doctor shows, the sitcoms - its a never ending treadmill)

As least we moving away from the Jerry Springer type garbage. Anyone remember when a families dirty laundry was rightly kept behind closed doors?

Just because we talk about it doesn't mean we watch it - or more importantly, watch the commercials of the sponsors...

I suppose if people were really concerned, they would write to those same sponsors and view their concerns there.

 

[whitefang2004]

I hate "reality tv".
There's too much of it these days. I mean, I took a look at todays tv schedule and found
episodes of three different reality programmes that were scheduled to be shown within the space
of four hours. On BBC Channel 1 we had Fame Academy, a musical talent show, at 8pm.
at 9pm,on Channel 3 theres "Pop Idol", same kind of show as fame academy. Then from 10pm 'till
Midnight theres "Big Brother" on channel 4, It's a show where a group of people are forced to live together in a specially-made house, under the constant scrutiny of 24-hour video surveillance.

 

[muskrat89]

OK, OK.. I admit it!!  I like Survivor    :-[    I also like Trading Places, although I'm not sure that it's a "reality show".

All of the other ones, I don't like at all...

 

[sm0ke]

Ultimate irony would be seeing Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton step in front of a bus while taping a show   >

 

[skura]

What about the show coming on the air soon on TSN (I think the station is TSN...maybe CBC)..."Making The Cut"

I'm not sure the exact number of contestants on the show (20 I'm guessing), but they all compete for an NHL contract (regardless of whether there will be professional hockey next year)...I'm guessing the winner will be signed to a team and will play out his year (farm team or NHL team) the next full season of the NHL (whenever that will be, I heard that the lock out could last another 18 months :'( ).

At least this show gives meaning to the word "reality" in reality TV...something I'd watch anyway...

lol Muskrat89...my sister watches Trading Spaces

 

[commando_wolf63]

I dislike reality shows it's pathetic watching people degrade themselves.Have they no self respect?  Nowdays its how do I get myself on TV even if I look like a ( censored word)

 

[Cliffy433]

Sorry, to lazy to read every post - so if I'm repeating or stealing from anyone, let me know, k?

I think Reality TV is the lowest form of entertainment.  Yep, below dogfights and cockfights.  The ONLY reality TV I will watch is the Survivor episode where one of the contestants goes crazy and kills and eats another contestant.  But since the FCC in the USA was so up in arms about a nipple during the Superbowl, I doubt they'll air that one, so I'll have to download it from the internet.

They won't let a Canadian on Survivor 'cause they can't figure out how to handle the tax issue, they won't film a Survivor series in Canada because they think the snowy wasteland doesn't have any bikini weather.  Losers.  The CRTC should force Cdn broadcasters and cable companies to replace all reality TV airings with Beachcombers and Degrassi High reruns.

 

[Torlyn]

Beachcombers and degrassi...  Good lord above, that brings back memories...  I had the (mis)fortune of watching the "new" degrassi...  Good to know that Joey, Katlin, Wheels and Spike have done SO well with their post-degrassi careers...  Now, if they'd bring back 21 jump street...

 

[AlphaCharlie]

The one reality show I did enjoy was The Apprentice... I thought it was pretty original, and the fact that it just wasn't stupid was a bonus (i.e. no love scams, no false marriages, no islands, etc).

 

[JBP]

Oh god, you've got to be kidding! Someone actually flipped thier lid and killed and ate another person on survivor??!!?! You've got to be KIDDING ME! That isn't even bloody camping! That isn't even hardcore! I dunno, I suppose it's somewhat difficult and a shocker, but my god..

Is it true? And if so, which season? I wanna see that one only also. I only ever watched a couple episodes of the first season and never after that, THIS would be interesting sorry to say!

 

[Cliffy433]

Oh god, you've got to be kidding! Someone actually flipped thier lid and killed and ate another person on survivor??!!?! You've got to be KIDDING ME! That isn't even bloody camping! That isn't even hardcore! I dunno, I suppose it's somewhat difficult and a shocker, but my god..

Is it true? And if so, which season? I wanna see that one only also. I only ever watched a couple episodes of the first season and never after that, THIS would be interesting sorry to say!

OOOPS!!!  I didn't realize that what I wrote could be interpreted that way!!!!

It never happened (as far as I know) - the intent of my post was to state that IF and WHEN it happens - that will be the day I willingly watch reality TV.

Sorry for any confusion... hope you folks haven't been increasing Survivor's ratings trying to find the episode info!

cliffy

 

[48Highlander]

Why the hell do they call it reality TV anyway?  There's absolutely nothing real about it.

It never happened (as far as I know) - the intent of my post was to state that IF and WHEN it happens - that will be the day I willingly watch reality TV.

Yeah, before the first Survivor aired, I was expecting it to be something along the lines of 20 death-row inmates let lose on an island with a variety of weapons scattered all over the place.  Needless to say I was rather dissapointed by the first episode and never watched it again.

 

[ackland]

Yeah, before the first Survivor aired, I was expecting it to be something along the lines of 20 death-row inmates let lose on an island with a variety of weapons scattered all over the place.   Needless to say I was rather dissapointed by the first episode and never watched it again.

That would be some thing to watch. You could have teams murderer against rapists. Or serial killers against pedofiles. it would be hillarious to see the in fighting and to see if they would learn to work together.

 

[AlphaCharlie]

I'd watch that!!!!!!!