I'm so entirely NOT into reality shows..
Yes, I watched the first season of Survivor with interest - but in the end, I was disappointed that nearly every reality show that has some sort of money prize in the end -- becomes an incredibly greed-fest of a contest that people would do anything to try to win.. Maybe that's a product of our society, maybe not.. But the clincher for Me has been the latest "scandal" that has rocked the reality world that transpired on "The Moment of Truth" where a wife had lied to say that she wanted to remain married to her husband..
Now why on earth should this be so mesmerizing?? Maybe because the whole "to tell the truth - we give you $500,000" angle..
Wait a minute..
I tell the truth and I get money??
Seems easy enough, doesn't it??
That's until you get little flings that happened to this couple -- where the sole reason engineered by one or both of them -- was just for the money.. Not to mention that these shows and their producers dig so deep that the questions would become so uncomfortable -- you'd rather shrivel up and die ... which is what they want so that they get more of a ratings draw -- which is the other greed component of some of these shows..
So the couple won, right?? No.. Because the very next question that she was asked was whether or not she thought she was a good person -- she answered yes, while the lie detector came back and said she was lying..
She lost all the money on a question that would seem easy to answer ... because you've just admitted on TV in front of millions of people around the world that you've cheated on your husband and you sought to date an ex-boyfriend ... and that makes you a good person?? But it's more than that.. They appeared on a TV show knowing what the premise was -- and they admitted to knowing the issues before hand -- yet they saw the pile of green and they were cast for the show..
While one may argue that the premise of the show was to reward one for being honest -- and I'm thinking: "yeah, but look at what happened here.. Everyone knows about it.." But ultimately it's a ploy - and a bad one at that.. The couple seemingly manipulated the situation because they knew they had problems and even talked about the infidelity that she had been doing behind her husband's back.. Now whether they shared that with Fox producers -- I don't know -- but Fox gains because the story took life and has existed for several news cycles -- it generated buzz and now more people will watch to see who else will be a fuck-up on the show..
Most of these shows are so concocted with the greed component it does nothing to help out their situation in the end.. It does nothing but to give us great gossip Monday morning around the water cooler.. And it gives Fox high ratings and the show lasts for a few more turns..
The premise for shows like "The Moment of Truth" exposes the problems with how we live our day to day.. We're not as honest and forthcoming in ourselves and thus - we go on national TV in hopes to make money off of it.. Think how distorted that sounds: we can't be honest unless someone is willing to give us a wagon full of cash..
Shows like Survivor, Big Brother, The Moment of Truth, and other greed-fests aren't doing anyone any favors.. Fox, CBS and every other broadcast company who benefits from these mis-deeds, lying, cheating, manipulating behaviors and ultimately that's doing more harm than any video game can ever do.. Because when we can't be honest and truthful with our feelings, or have this insatiable need to "screw the other guy" just to get ahead -- then that's a clear sign that we accept those behaviors because we watch them on our televisions..
The counter-angle to that is: "No Michael, we have a voyeuristic need" but ultimately I know better than that -- especially when we are flooded the incessant need to fit the Barbie ideal, or to find out that the new green is the new black, or that a certain beer will make me look smashing at my local pub.. We simply can't readily dismiss the undertones that these shows carry forward for us because we're surrounded by it..
Thursday, February 28, 2008
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2 comments:
Talk about opening Pandora's Box!
While I agree with you that greed is a major factor in most of this reality show nonsense, it's more than simple greed...its a total mind set. We've suddenly decided that everything - reality included - is just a game. We've decided everyone has to have an 'angle.' We've become so gimmicked up most of us have no idea about who or what we are.
Perhaps any TV show, reality ones included, are only more symptoms of a throw away society; just another momentary fad. So if what we think we like is only momentary, isn't that like life, making honesty, integrity, caring, relationships, etc., momentary as well? Unless and until something else momentarily tickles our fancy or feeds our festish? Self marketing and gamesmanship, right?
I've been told I'm too serious and need to lighten up, but I don't agree with that either. Shouldn't we each clearly define our own reality instead of letting an anonymous TV producer, politician, spiritualist, or autocratic mavin of taste do it for us? Of course, that means we have to actually think before we play.
Kaz
"The Moment of Truth" is absolutely my guilty pleasure. Master allows me to watch it even though he despises reality TV. The one that really got me was the "V.V.S. Moment of Truth" on Monday past where the woman told the truth about wanting to leave her husband, told the truth about cheating on the man, and told the truth about being in love with someone else, but then when asked if she thought she was a good person, said "yes", and lost all the money. I was so heart shocked. She was truthful about all those "horrible" things she did but then lied on the question that was apparent to everyone else. Now knowing that she has to go home with no money at all having incriminated herself, told her husband she had disrespected him and did not love him and professed to an ex-boyfriend that she would leave her husband for him? Her family is going to be in a shambles after that and she has no money to leave the situation and start again.
But I honestly think that more than the money, the people go on the show to come clean. They want to come clean and tell the truth and maybe it's easier under the guise of doing it for the cash. That's my guess. Maybe it's a permissible "clean slate".
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