Reality TV ... the Devil's Spawn

[wraithfodder]

Disclaimer: If you think reality TV is the next best thing to Cheese Whiz, move along, this entry is not for you.

I decided since well, all that was being offered tonight was reality TV, to check out some.

Deal or No Deal. I think they classify all game shows as reality now. Five minutes of people screaming at the top of their lungs sent me switching the channel to, So You Think You Can Dance. Hmm, a Simon Cowell clone is a judge. Gads, the commercials. They are endless.  Show is back. Wait forever with people yakking about each other and their feet, whatever. Where's the dancing? CLICK!  Wife Swap. Aieeee! Wow, the days of the Roman circus are back. However, it's better than any reality show that Paris Hilton shows up in. I guess America's Top Model does nothing for me. CLICK. Oh wait, Celebrity Circus is on, but wait, I have DVDs, oh wait, Criminal Minds. Haven't seen all of them. Serial killers or actors I don't know being judged cruellyl in a circus show. Serial killers win. At least the acting is good.

Deduction: to join any of these shows, you must have the capability to scream rather shrilly. I hate to say it, but I can't even watch Meerkat Manor, although I adore the critters. Trouble is that it's reality (to a degree) and I swear, any time I turn on the Animal Planet, a cute little critter dies. Usually horribly. Gah, get enough of that in real life. What's really weird is that many many years ago, my fifth grade history teacher actually predicted this drivel. And none of the reality shows are real. Survivor and its ilk are all scripted to a degree, although the one I saw  (back when it began) totally turned me off due to the sheer vitriol from the people. I mean, how do these people go back to a job after they've acted so... horridly? 

Now, shows on TLC and Discovery, in particular the medical ones which I can no longer find because the *(#@*! cable people have divvied it up into another channel which of course they don't offer (sorry, rant over) are great. I will watch some of the Food Channel shows - the ones where, say, they go to a town and give the tour of specific diners and their horribly artery-clogging foods which of course you'd eat in a flash if it was stuck in front of you ;)  Or watching how they make candy, or donuts, etc. Yum.  But the cooking cook-offs, eh, don't do anything for me.

Ack, see, see, I turn on animal planet and the cheetahs eat the poor little gazelle thing (which is sorta what happened with baby bambi in the yard last week).

Comments

[strange-magic.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way about Reality TV. And you're right, there is enough of all that in real life. And you are also right that they are all scripted to a point. I rather watch a show where people have to use their brains to create. I like Animal planet but I'm not a fan of Animal Police because I can't stand watching the abuse. It makes me either angry or cry, and sometimes both. Poor Meerkat manor. I only ever saw it occasionally, but when I found out Flower died, it made me sad and I lost my interest.
There is only one show that I will actually watch and only for one reason. It's that "America's Next Best Dance Crew", and I only watch it because I've always been a fan and envious of their ability to dance like that. Of course that may be because I couldn't dance like that to save my life, lol. But the whole Mario Lopez being the host, Randy Jackson's name being plastered across the title and the judges panel? I could care less about. I just like to watch the dancing. :) Ahahah, might as well put it on mute!

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard of the America's Next Best ... possibly because so many things have those three words in 'em ;) Yeah, when FLower bit the bullet, sigh. Glad I didn't see it.

[strange-magic.livejournal.com]

I think it's shown on MTV. That's the only channel I ever catch it on. I don't watch TV very often, only my specific shows, so I don't know what's on when and where.

Luckily I didn't see it either. I just came in on an episode after it had happened.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

No wonder. I stoppped watching MTV and VH1 when they became reality show channels. I couldn't find one solid hour of just simple music videos, so, simply gave up, and realized, wow, I don't miss any of 'em at all.

[strange-magic.livejournal.com]

Ahahahah! Yeah the ONLY time they play videos is late late at night. I say that's when they should be playing they reality shows, lol. even MTV2 doesn't play videos all the time anymore and that's what it was originally created for.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Geez, it's supposed to be music video television. Guess I can dump that upper package now!

[strange-magic.livejournal.com]

*snort* Yeah I only keep my cable package because of things like sci-fi, BBC and the discovery/history channels. Now if you coulf just buy the channels you WANT like you can with the movie channels, I'd be a very happy person, and richer. ;)

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

You get BBC America? or just BBC news? I get the latter. Wish I got the former.

[strange-magic.livejournal.com]

I get BBC America, but they still "cut" shows up. Like a Doctor Who I saw once had bits cut from it. For time I assume. I wish I had BBC3. I believe they show shows and movies unedited.

I have Time Warner Cable. It's the Watch & Surf package because I have my phone, cable (basic expanded digital) and internet through them.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

That sucks. I thought they wouldn't cut shows.