I should clarify that. I loathe/dislike/don’t care for reality television. When I first started watching shows like Real World, Temptation Island, Survivor, Beauty and the Geek, and other shows that my brain is randomly coming up with titles for, I truly thought that they were people that the producers of the show plucked from the group of applications that got sent in from around the country. I should have known better, but I didn’t want to believe that. Reality tv has the ability to make that voice in your head say “you could have been on this show” and therefore it draws you in. I suppose I can relate this to my realization when I was about 13 that professional wrestling wasn’t real. It’s physical and requires training and experience, yes, but the plots are generated like a daytime soap opera. I apologize to anyone reading this that still thought the outcome of matches was up to the skill of the wrestler. If you want that, go watch high school/college/greko roman matches.
There is always that exception to the rule, however. Pretty much any reality show that involves music in some shape or fashion draws me in. I used to get into American Idol, but again, the money-making machine got in the way. I’ve talked to a few people who have auditioned for that show. They told tales of tables upon tables of judges with people auditioning, and even good/great singers didn’t get through. Obviously they have to let some horrible singers or jokesters through for ratings, but they really should be letting the good singers through the groups. I want to make clear that I haven’t auditioned before, and therefore don’t hold a grudge towards this. Just letting out steam.
[smartads]
There are two shows that have become now a perenial favorite of mine. America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent. Basically this is just a new version of the gong show. I’m sure the process is the same as in American Idol, but there are some true undiscovered talents that are coming through these shows.
Back to my rant. I got sucked in just like a lot of others back in 2000 when it seemed like every other show on primetime was a reality. What really broke my love was the constant barage. It all came to a head in 2007 when a guy I went to highschool with was on “The Pickup Artist” on VH1. I wouldn’t have watched the show except that I knew he was going to be on it. I knew that he was in Hollywood pursuing his acting career, and he really is a good actor/singer/performer based off other work I’ve seen of his. I found out afterwards that he was hooked up with the show through his agent. I’m sure they chose him based on his fit with the show, but I don’t remember him being anything like what he was on the show. So was it an act? If it was, how many other of these reality shows are just big fronts for talent pools. I’m taking the leap and saying all of them.
I’m going to go back to my predictable plot-line shows with characters that I can relate to. Peter Griffin comes to mind.
That is all. Have a great Monday!
–dez
