and if you watch it, you should feel bad. Reality TV is really, really lowest common denominator stuff. There is the stuff that shocks the conscience. What kind of human being puts their promiscuity, lies and idiocy on primetime television? Better yet, who are these 40 million mouthbreathers that can't get enough of Flava of Love, etc.? The internet also lends itself to highly voyeuristic outlets many of which I enjoy. Postsecret. Fmylife. textsfromlastnight. The difference between these and the more out there tv shows is that the internet is anonymous. ON THE INTERNET, NOBODY CAN PROVE THAT IT WAS YOU, RICK ADAMS, THAT REALIZED IT WAS A TRANNY HALFWAY THROUGH, BUT DECIDED TO FINISH. Essentially, I'm arguing the difference between (1) telling your friend you had explosive diarrhea and (2) having your friend in that stall with you reeling from the noxious fumes as your bowels spasm. Both are objectively gross but one is still much worse than the other. If you watch realityTV that as its premise chills and just stalks people as they make idiots out of themselves, you basically endorse the creation of snuff porn. Flagships of this category: Real World, Flava of Love, The Moment of Truth, Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire
From there we go to the other category. These aren't grotesque so much as they're a bit silly. The reality isn't reality and the drama is ridiculous given the low intensity nature of the interactions. Depending on the level of exaggerated drama, some of these lapse into the murder porn of group 1. You're not a terrible person for watching them but you may be an abject failure who subconsciously realizes that these shows are as close as you'll ever get to grandeur. Flagships of this category: Survivor, Man vs. Wild, American Idol, America's Next Top Model, The Apprentice
The final category is reality tv that is a-ok and is viewed by champions of men. The only show in this category is The Biggest Loser.
Friday, May 22, 2009
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textsfromlastnight
ReplyDeleteHILARITY!!!
I hate to break it to you, but chances are a good chunk of the people in your life actually are "mouthbreathers."
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are most upset with the people who go on reality TV - that's the shameful behavior in your mind. I just don't see how watching that on TV is any worse than frequenting similar internet sites. In both accounts, you are being a silent spectator looking for simple entertainment.
Lastly, regarding your 3 reality TV categories and assessments...
Category 1: "Not abject failure/never will achieve grandeur." Your statement makes many assumptions including that viewers have aspirations of the kind depicted in the show. Not all AI viewers want to and can sing. Not all Man vs. Wild viewers have/had dreams of life-threatening adventures (some watch for the educational value and unlikely thrill).
Furthermore, in realizing the diversity that is TV viewership, you should understand how some of your category 1 shows could qualify as "category 3" shows - Champions of men.
Examples include: American Idol, ANTM, The Apprentice, and even certain Seasons of the Real World (watching talented individuals achieve dreams/Defeat personal baggage).