Another Reality Show, Another Exploitation of American Life
by Pam MeisterHold on to your remotes – yet another reality show is coming down the pike. Fox has announced that it’s casting for More to Love, a dating competition show for “average looking” people. Which makes me wonder, of course, why bother having a diet competition show (The Biggest Loser) when there are shows being developed specifically to highlight the dating habits of fat BMI-challenged people. But there could be a tie-in - Contestant A doesn’t make the grade on The Biggest Loser, so she embraces her size and goes on to find love and happiness on More to Love – or not. Wouldn’t that be a ratings bonanza!
Actually, this rant isn’t so much about the fact that overweight people are the new target for reality dating shows, but that reality shows in general are less about reality than exploiting people desperate for stardom and/or money. Would you want to watch a show about the true reality of everyday lives? Watching someone mop the floors, go to the grocery store, pick up the kids from school, realize at dinnertime that there’s no spaghetti sauce in the cupboard and having to run out to the store for the third time that day? Watching paint dry might be more exciting.
A few reality show stars manage to parlay their reality stint into something bigger and longer lasting. Elisabeth Hasselbeck is a prime example – but who really envies her having to argue with her liberal harpy co-hosts each day? Still, most “reality stars” slide back into the obscurity from whence they came, having nothing more to show for the humiliation they endured for the entertainment of millions than a little bit of cash and maybe an autographed photo of the show’s host. Sometimes they even go to jail for failing to pay taxes on their winnings. Maybe Richard Hatch should have applied for a position in the Obama administration – he might have been spared a jail sentence.
Okay, I’m exaggerating. A little. But think about the reality shows you may have seen: what exactly do they bring to the American cultural table? We have shows like Wife Swap, where men like Stephen Fowler humiliate women like Gayla Long, saying things like “your two languages seem to be bad English and redneck” and making negative comments about her weight. Not only was Gayla put through the misery of dealing with the lovely Stephen for two weeks, but after the show aired, Stephen’s world came crashing down upon him. He not only allegedly received death threats but also ended up stepping down from the boards of two non-profits on which he served. Stephen claims the producers encouraged his over-the-top rudeness, but one wonders how much encouragement he really needed. No one will ever know. But the damage – to both families – is done.
Not all reality shows are horrible. I admit to being a fan of the SciFi series Ghost Hunters. Call me a geek if you will. In the beginning, the show focused not just on the search for ghosts but also on the infighting amongst the TAPS members, which I found annoying. However, it’s morphed nicely into a show that’s all about “the hunt” – and has even spawned a sister series called Ghost Hunters International. The only ones being exploited here are the ghosts – that is, on the episodes where they bother to make an appearance.
In our celebrity-obsessed culture, there are many people who would do just about anything for their so-called 15 minutes of fame (thank you, Andy Warhol). Sadly, that includes signing up to be on programs that bring out the worst in human nature. Many of today’s reality shows seem to have evolved from yesterday’s talk shows like Jerry Springer, Ricki Lake, Maury Povich and Jenny Jones.
Americans were shocked a decade ago when Jonathan Schmitz murdered Scott Amedure after the two appeared on a “secret crush” episode of Jenny Jones and it was revealed that Amedure’s crush was on Schmitz. Would we have been just as shocked if one of the death threats against Wife Swap’s Stephen Fowler had come true? Or would we have shrugged and said he got what he deserved for being such a putz? (I hope it would be the former.)
The problem is, of course, that shows like More to Love and Wife Swap and – dare I say it – I Want to Be Paris Hilton’s BFF will continue to thrive as long as there is an audience for them. Shows like Desperate Housewives may be sleazy, but at least they’re about fictional characters. As long as we allow ourselves to be titillated by orchestrated outbursts of anger, angst, sex and people making fools of themselves, the entertainment establishment will continue to pump the swill.
Until we begin to expect more for our entertainment dollar, we’ll continue to get less.
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42 Comments
I don't know why people want to go on shows like Wife Swap. You have to know going in that the producers are going to make a concerted effort to do everything they can to screw with you. It's just sad.
Reality shows will not die for two reasons: 1) they are cheap to produce, and 2) people watch them- at least for a while. The production costs are key; the investment is small enough that even short runs con be profitable unlike major TV series. So, that's the business dynamic. As far as content- well, we are starting to resemble European and even Japanese reality fare more and more. Largely thanks to one Mr Simon Cowell,too. The newer wave that Ms Meister points out is in the Japanese vein with emabarrasment and even physical pain as key ingredients.
Ultimately it is why smart denizens of this site view TCM or HistoryChannel (in HD, of course) and Science Channel,
and so on… you can only lose, not replace brain cells…
Being the geek/nerd at heart that I am, I have to admit was captivated by Stan Lee's "who wants to be a superhero", but have stayed away from the genre since then.
i had heard of a planned dating show for the unattractive, but thought it was going to be called "the osbournes reloaded"
As long as the tabloids thrive, there will be a market for all this.
I just got done reading The Mirror Effect by Dr. Drew Pinsky and he makes a compelling case for reality tv being nothing more than a vicious cycle in which everyday people are striving for fame by emulating the worst behavior of celebrities. You look at people like Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian, who are basically famous for sex tapes and other outrageous behavior. Neither one has demonstrated any talent but they make lots of money by just being who they are. So what you end up with is a bunch of nobodies who think if they can gain attention by acting like Hilton or Kardashian that's their ticket to wealth and fame. Frankly the cycle won't end as long as the public continues to follow the antics of Paris, Britney, Lindsey and so on. Reality tv will flourish as long as people are rewarded for acting like idiots.
Ok, I'll admit to liking Ghost Hunters probably because I grew up in a house where "weird" things happened … like they do in some of the places the TAPS team visits, but that show is just fun and not centered on trashy behavior.
But I do feel sort of left out when I come into work and every is talking about the latest episode of The Bachelor, but not enough to start watching it. Reality stuff is also a distraction to make people feel better about themselves. Folks watch it and reassure themselves that they're superior.
Never seen a reality show. Why would you want to watch these folks anyway?
That's different. On Ghost Hunters, the characters are interesting. When one of them behaves poorly, they are kicked off the team. All of the members have day jobs.
Oh, SNAP!
Ha, I love Ghost Hunters, too – though should I be ashamed to admit that half the reason I watch is for the interaction between the cast members? I love Jason and Grant, Steve and Tango, just as much as I love the spooky EVPs or ghostly apparitions.
Who Wants to be a Superhero was a fun show, too.
I don't watch much reality at all – most premises don't interest me, and I still like the (openly) scripted stuff – but I won't claim to be above it if it had good "characters" – you know, people you can root for. Too bad everyone seems to gravitate towards the trashy.
In much more heartening news, NBC just renewed the ratings-challened but high-quality show, Friday Night Lights. I know some of you would gleefully laugh at NBC falling so far that they're willing to renew a show that's attracting fewer viewers than Arrested Development when it was cancelled, but seriously, this is awesome.
If you ever find yourself staring at the computer monitor looking for something to do, please, go to Hulu and check it out. (Or get the DVDs, or watch it on Friday night, 9/8 central.) It might be boring for some – it actually does depict grocery shopping, mopping floors, lol – but it has great characters and wonderful writing, surrounding a high school football team in small-town Texas. It's pretty much a miracle that it's coming back, not just for one, but two seasons.
Yay!
"But there could be a tie-in – Contestant A doesn’t make the grade on The Biggest Loser, so she embraces her size and goes on to find love and happiness on More to Love – or not. Wouldn’t that be a ratings bonanza!"
And then they can move on to a new reality show called "Divorce court in the Cath lab." or "Why did you leave me on the table" Ha, man that was heavy.
I thank God for cable. I watch two "reality" shows, the kind that don't show the dregs of humanity (well at least they rarely do): Amazing Race and American Idol. The only scripted network shows I watch are Bones and Castle. Other than that, I watch real crime shows on cable or just have CMT on. I refuse to give the idiots on other reality shows any recognition. As I've said on earlier comments, I see red carpet reports for the awards shows and wonder who the hell most of the people in their 20s are.
My husband and I watch things like Ghosthunters, MonsterQuest, UFO Hunters (well he likes the last 2 more than I do). I even like watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition sometimes because that brings out the BEST in people, especially that one where they helped rebuild the disabled guy's coffee shop.
Otherwise I stay away from reality shows because, as you say, they are the lowest of the low – we watch other people get humiliated. Wife Swap I just never got. That was like: let's pick two of the most opposite families and watch them abuse each other. How is that entertainment?
the only bearable reality show involves meerkats.
good points Sarge… ultimately nitwittery like Hilton and Kardashian willbe held out as icons because they attract the weak, venal and stupid- all easy for the left to control. Act like this- irresponsibly, callous, and crude- be young and sexual- and don't worry about anything else… ever. We'll take care of you…
I'm sorry, but I love Survivor and Amazing Race. I'll give them up when they go off the air!
That was a darn funny show.
I'm a big fan of Ghost Hunters myself, for the same reasons, one house I lived in in college was beyond weird.
I actually like The Amazing Race too. I consider it a game show more than a reality show though, but that could just be me. Oddly enough, I don't like Survivor at all even though a case could be made for it being a game show too, the couple times I've tried to watch it it just bored me to tears.
I'm really liking Castle a lot. I especially liked how Nathan Fillion wore a brown coat all through the first episode as a wink to old Firefly fans.
I've said for years that Phil on the Amazing Race has the best job on the planet. Years from now when he retires I'd definitely go out of my way to try out for that job, I can even do the eyebrow arch thing.
Indeed. And now we have "Ultimate Gamer".
Yeah, the thing is I could never get on that, I'm better at the actual physical "real world" things they test them on than I am the games. My one friend's kids love begging me to play Guitar Hero for them to watch, and howl with laughter while watching. My friend is just as bad though, I blame it on the fact we were actually in bands in college, so we keep looking for frets instead of the buttons for notes, it confounds us to no end.
While I must agree that "More to Love" sounds like a bad idea, and definitely not anything I would watch, I believe Fox is right to give it a shot. It's not like such programming actually costs much to produce. On the other hand I have seen commercials for yet another "reality" show that has peeked my interest. I believe it's called "Inner Beauty". I am actually interested to see if these "ladies" can be reformed.
Now. With regards to Pam's Ghost hunter program I believe it to be as real as professional wrestling or the Blair Witch Project. While I am glad there are people who enjoy it and to see the Sci-Fi channel get the attention I am honestly surprised that anyone would consider it "reality" TV. As far as I am concerned the best "reality" program so far has to be Extreme Makeover- Home Edition. It encourages community involvement and helps real families.
I'm a huge Nathan Fillion fan, he's great in everything he's done. Castle feels like a Joss venture, they've really integrated the best of Nathan into the show. I hope there are enough viewers to keep it going.
Have you seen his episode of PG P0rn? Its a must-see!
http://www.spike.com/video/pg-porn-pg-porn/304185...
"It may have the P word in its title, but it's not porn. Everything is there from the awkward camera angles, horrible acting, subdued production values, and stereotypical setups, but when the moment of truth arrives it’s anyone's guess what will happen to keep things PG."
Guess it was just a matter of time before someone came up with a show like "More to Love." I watched Survivor a few times when it first came out, but usually I prefer my favorite "I wish it were reality" shows like Dr. Who and Stargate (SG-1 & Atlantis). And, yes, I am a nerd–but a happy nerd.
I despise the current/most recent Dr. Who. He and Martha make the show unwatchable for me, can't stand either's acting. Have you watched Torchwood? Great spin-off, especially if you love Cap'n Jack.
I like reality shows that have some reality involved. "Deadliest Catch" and "Black Gold" are my favorites.
David Tennant is my favorite Doctor, with Christopher Eccleston as a close second. Martha wasn't my favorite sidekick character, but I did like her. I have to admit my only exposure to Captain Jack and his crew was thanks to Dr. Who episodes. My husband, who's also a huge Dr. Who fan (he watched it from the beginning and got me hooked on it when Christopher Eccleston became the ninth Doctor), watched a few episodes of Torchwood but wasn't as impressed with it as he'd hoped he would be.
Sorry to stomp on pretty much everything you just said, but I have to defend my favorite Doctor.
Reality tv is a contradiction in terms. Even if the participants weren't "consulting with the producers"( which is something i once saw as a disclaimer at the end of, i believe, "Average Joe") the very presence of the camera makes people behave in ways they wouldn't in real life.
I love Ghost Hunters too!
Oh yeah I've seen that before, it's hi-larious.
I like Amazing Race too. It blurs the reality/game/travel/culture lines. Fun and interesting.
I think one of the best reality shows is "Pros vs. Joes." Very staightforward premise: regular guy athletes take on recently retired pros it their respective sports. The 'Joes' find out there's a reason they are in the stands…often the very hard way.
I asked Jerry Springer, "are those people FOR REAL?" "Yes…they REALLY are real," he said. And it was as SIMPLE as "getting a trip to Chicago and staying at a nice hotel," that enticed these trainwrecks to apply as guests on his show. That's what he said in the LATE 90s when we had him in for a radio interview.
Now look where we are: no more Chicago hotel rooms, but multi-million dollar Gravy Trains.
Gotta stay up with the times. How about "Slim Queer Eye for the Fat Straight Guy?"
Yay! I just found another word that triggers the filter. The innocuous post this time used a word that came directly from a TV show title. I used the q-word which describes unusually graceful men. Beware the moderation monster!
I used to enjoy such shows, but the manufactured drama is getting to be ridiculous. 'Ax Men' has set a new low with the father/son team. 'Dirty Jobs' is the best show on the tube and one of few DVR worthy IMHO.
Agreed, but I'd settle just for a chance to be on the Amazing Race!
It's probably a good thing TCM doesn't have a HD feed. I'd never leave the house if they did.
You are an idiot, Pam Meister. Simple as that.
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