Lately on television, reality shows have really been a bad example of the real reality in which we live. For example, on Survivor: Samoa, we have two Russells. One is definitely an “Evil Russell.” But the Good Russell is exhibiting poor leadership skills — he was the Chosen One to lead his tribe in the beginning of the season. The supposed Good Russell has a chip on his shoulder the size of Wisconsin, too.
The latest route for many of the reality shows I watch is to get the most obnoxious self-absorbed folks ever in the cast. Then they focus on those people for the action almost more than any physical competitions or such. I suppose it does take a quirky personality and a dubious psyche to want to be on the shows, but give me a break.
Then there’s the mylar balloon boy
Thankfully I was at work and my daytime television wasn’t taken up with the balloon hoax this past week. Since I’m talking poor behavior, obnoxious and self-absorbed Hollywood wannabes, I can’t write this column without a mention of this event.
I saw the original Wife Swap show with the Heene family. As a sometimes watcher of WS, I just can’t fathom where they get these extreme families. Hey, my own family was as dysfunctional as they come, but not to the zealot or bizarre level of the families they get for this reality show.
When I first saw the events on the news about the little boy (not) in the mylar balloon and they announced the family, I figured it was a hoax. Has the reality TV genre created monsters amongst us? It used to be that if you wanted to be on stage, in movies, or on television, you got a waitstaff job at a restaurant and went to audition after audition before landing a gig (or not). Now it seems evil and whacked-out seem to be the criteria. Don’t get me going on the Jon and Kate stuff.
What’s up with all the arguing these days?
I might be wrong by throwing in a tabloid show in the reality genre, but I’m doing it anyway. I sometimes have The Insider on as it’s after the CBS Evening News which is a habit for me. They’ve changed the format and now everyone on a panel takes sides in a debate?
I’m sure this says something about the state of our society that they can’t just report the Hollywood gossip without arguing pros and cons about it. For me, it would be easy. Jon and Kate are egocentric Hollywood wannabe rich kids with kids who want a free ride because they had too many kids. Case closed.
The good of reality television
There’s So You Think You Can Dance. I love this show. I can’t dance even if I had to dance for my life even though I attended obligatory tap dancing lessons for years as a child. I find the show both entertaining and refreshing. Why refreshing? Well, because the young adults on the show at this stage have all worked so hard at their craft. They aren’t sailing by on being evil or weird. They’re working hard and they’re amazing.
For the most part, The Amazing Race is still showing the good. Sure, they have the occasional ugly American or bickering team. But overall, it’s a look at a world that most of us couch surfers aren’t going to see. It allows us to get glimpses of lands, cultures, and people so far removed from our own lives. And, they’re not dependent on evil or whacked for casting.
Clacked by Jackie Schnoop 
on Oct 19, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
