Reality Rant
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From: The (S)Low Country
Reality Rant
My take on today's television fare:
"Reality Rant"
I've always enjoyed watching a little television whenever I feel the need for an escape into fantasy and a good book is not available. Feeling the need to sleep on clean sheets, wear clean clothes and cook in a fairly sterile kitchen and not eat bugs or sleep with worms, I choose the early morning hours to do laundry and housework. It is a little bit of luxury to me to sit down and watch the news on television while I enjoy my lunch. This has become a bit of a nuisance as well since I'm forced to endure what seem to be fifteen minute commercials telling me that lysol lemon is better than orange breeze (during which time my lunch disappears) and those stinking commercials for "reality tv" before I can hear any news at all. Lately it has become so much more difficult to escape reality.
Those so-called "reality" programs are everywhere. Now, if I seem a bit out of touch, please excuse me, however, is it truly reality to be dropped on a desert island in a bikini along with several more similarly clad folks and be forced to survive "eating off the land" and building your own little shelter from leaves? Or, is it really a sign of great courage and strength to eat bugs or lie in a worm-filled bathtub? Perhaps my own life is the fantasy if this is the case (I must be in the Matrix), but I've just never felt the need to pick up an insect that encroaches into my space and eat the little bugger.
Is it me? Am I living a dull and boring life? Who are these "real" people who eat bugs, wear bikinis 24 hours a day, kill their own meat and eat bamboo shoots freshly harvested from the forest? Excuse me, TV LAND, I'd like a litte dose of fantasy television for a change. Give me something to strive for -- I really don't want to eat bugs, have buckets of entrails dropped over my head or be forced to wear a bikini all day every day.
I've also decided that I do not want the Fab Five to show up at my door to take my husband off to have his body hair stripped off at a waxing salon and be told this his morning regimen should consist of moisturizers, hair gel and so on that rivals my morning maintenance routine, nor do I want to exchange houses with my next door neighbors while they undertake the task of making my living room look like Dracula's boudoir.
Oh, Lucy, where are you? And . . . Mrs. Cleaver, could you rescue us?? Give me just a little Fantasy Island or some such mindless drither for a while. I've become weary of feeling that perhaps my life is dull and boring because I just can't decide which way to cook my chicken tonight or whether lysol lemon really is better than orange breeze -- not to mention that nasty guy screaming at me to OXYCLEAN!!!
"Reality Rant"
I've always enjoyed watching a little television whenever I feel the need for an escape into fantasy and a good book is not available. Feeling the need to sleep on clean sheets, wear clean clothes and cook in a fairly sterile kitchen and not eat bugs or sleep with worms, I choose the early morning hours to do laundry and housework. It is a little bit of luxury to me to sit down and watch the news on television while I enjoy my lunch. This has become a bit of a nuisance as well since I'm forced to endure what seem to be fifteen minute commercials telling me that lysol lemon is better than orange breeze (during which time my lunch disappears) and those stinking commercials for "reality tv" before I can hear any news at all. Lately it has become so much more difficult to escape reality.
Those so-called "reality" programs are everywhere. Now, if I seem a bit out of touch, please excuse me, however, is it truly reality to be dropped on a desert island in a bikini along with several more similarly clad folks and be forced to survive "eating off the land" and building your own little shelter from leaves? Or, is it really a sign of great courage and strength to eat bugs or lie in a worm-filled bathtub? Perhaps my own life is the fantasy if this is the case (I must be in the Matrix), but I've just never felt the need to pick up an insect that encroaches into my space and eat the little bugger.
Is it me? Am I living a dull and boring life? Who are these "real" people who eat bugs, wear bikinis 24 hours a day, kill their own meat and eat bamboo shoots freshly harvested from the forest? Excuse me, TV LAND, I'd like a litte dose of fantasy television for a change. Give me something to strive for -- I really don't want to eat bugs, have buckets of entrails dropped over my head or be forced to wear a bikini all day every day.
I've also decided that I do not want the Fab Five to show up at my door to take my husband off to have his body hair stripped off at a waxing salon and be told this his morning regimen should consist of moisturizers, hair gel and so on that rivals my morning maintenance routine, nor do I want to exchange houses with my next door neighbors while they undertake the task of making my living room look like Dracula's boudoir.
Oh, Lucy, where are you? And . . . Mrs. Cleaver, could you rescue us?? Give me just a little Fantasy Island or some such mindless drither for a while. I've become weary of feeling that perhaps my life is dull and boring because I just can't decide which way to cook my chicken tonight or whether lysol lemon really is better than orange breeze -- not to mention that nasty guy screaming at me to OXYCLEAN!!!
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Connecticut, USA
I believe it must be easier and cheaper to produce "unscripted" (reality?) shows and a certain voyeuristic component in many of us can't help but watch. As long as these shows are cheap to produce (no stars to pay) and still get ratings, they will flourish. Like any business, it's all about the benjamins.
I watched "Survivor" the first season, but it got old fast. I don't watch any of the others. There are, however, many scripted shows that are OK. TV produces for the masses. Those with more unique requirements need cable, or a satellite dish, or DVD's or if that fails...books.
I watched "Survivor" the first season, but it got old fast. I don't watch any of the others. There are, however, many scripted shows that are OK. TV produces for the masses. Those with more unique requirements need cable, or a satellite dish, or DVD's or if that fails...books.
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 12,980
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From: Clifton, VA
with you Darlene. But, unfortunately someone watches this crap (IMO) or they would not be airing it. On the other hand I heard a report about network TV losing the all important young adult (18-35) advertising market to cable channels and the internet. No wonder!
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Joined: Aug 2004
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From: West Springfield MA
I'm with you guys.
You want a real survivor series? Post the cameras and remove the crew, last one standing wins. Vote 'em off the island? "Here's your raft, good buy and good luck. Hope you like fish."
Trump? Fire him for letting his casinos go bankrupt while he plays bogus games and marries his newest "silicone sister with a manager, mister."
Fear factor, let them face the real fear of a traffic stop at midnight or climbing the ladder into smoke and fire or rappelling out of a Black Hawk helicopter into a hot landing zone.
Ozzie, Anna Nicole, make your kids watch this and remind them of a life spent on drugs.
At least people might learn something from queer eye and house makeovers but don't get me started on the Fox lineup of degradation on camera.
Of course sheeple will be conned into the cheap to make "unscripted" crap and be peer pressured to talk about it at the water cooler while the networks rehype this drivel on the morning news shows and reap more obscene profits.
Oh, well, take heart, Valentine, this too shall pass the way of the TV western.
You want a real survivor series? Post the cameras and remove the crew, last one standing wins. Vote 'em off the island? "Here's your raft, good buy and good luck. Hope you like fish."
Trump? Fire him for letting his casinos go bankrupt while he plays bogus games and marries his newest "silicone sister with a manager, mister."
Fear factor, let them face the real fear of a traffic stop at midnight or climbing the ladder into smoke and fire or rappelling out of a Black Hawk helicopter into a hot landing zone.
Ozzie, Anna Nicole, make your kids watch this and remind them of a life spent on drugs.
At least people might learn something from queer eye and house makeovers but don't get me started on the Fox lineup of degradation on camera.
Of course sheeple will be conned into the cheap to make "unscripted" crap and be peer pressured to talk about it at the water cooler while the networks rehype this drivel on the morning news shows and reap more obscene profits.
Oh, well, take heart, Valentine, this too shall pass the way of the TV western.
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Delaware, OH
What I find amazing is that someone can refer to a show where some ordinary guy has a dozen beautiful women vying for his attention as "reality..."
I've never watched any of this soap opera crap, except for the Discovery Channel's "As the Chopper Turns" and "Hot Rods of Our Lives." I mean, this crap has even fouled the car shows.
The older I get the more convinced I become that H. L. Mencken was right.
I've never watched any of this soap opera crap, except for the Discovery Channel's "As the Chopper Turns" and "Hot Rods of Our Lives." I mean, this crap has even fouled the car shows.
The older I get the more convinced I become that H. L. Mencken was right.
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 33,189
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From: Randolph, NJ
Val
These things seem to go in cycles. Someone comes up with an idea that attracts viewers and everybody else scrambles to imitate it. We go from one "survivor" show to a lot of survivor shows, and all of a sudden that's all there is. Its the McDonaldization of television. We're really just super sizing it. If a little is good, than a lot is better. Except, that it isn't.
I, for the most part, stopped watching t.v. a number of years ago. As I'm getting older I seem to have less patience with things that I have trouble tolerating. I can't stand laugh tracks, I can't stand contrived sitcoms whose writers think we are 16 years old and idiots, and I can't stand the reality type shows. Reality for me is getting up in the morning, going to work, scratching out a living and trying to negotiate my family as best as I can through the obstacle course of life. I really don't care who gets voted off of the island at the end of the week, and like you I really don't want to see them eat bugs (but, if the bug could eat them I might be inclined to watch).
All of that said, I've found that except for the occasional show like "South Park" and the once in a while visit to the History Channel, I really don't much miss t.v. It's not that I don't waste time, the hours spent here are evidence of that, but I just don't have the patience or tolerance for the nonsense on the tube.
The irony of all of this is that the television, the electronic device, has never been better. I am amazed at the picture quality of plazma televisions or even lcd televisions. The sound, especially in the home theatre, is astounding, and the reception, especially via cable or satellite is wonderful. Cable has given us 180 channels, unfortunately, the broadcasters haven't found anything worthwhile to fill them with.
These things seem to go in cycles. Someone comes up with an idea that attracts viewers and everybody else scrambles to imitate it. We go from one "survivor" show to a lot of survivor shows, and all of a sudden that's all there is. Its the McDonaldization of television. We're really just super sizing it. If a little is good, than a lot is better. Except, that it isn't.
I, for the most part, stopped watching t.v. a number of years ago. As I'm getting older I seem to have less patience with things that I have trouble tolerating. I can't stand laugh tracks, I can't stand contrived sitcoms whose writers think we are 16 years old and idiots, and I can't stand the reality type shows. Reality for me is getting up in the morning, going to work, scratching out a living and trying to negotiate my family as best as I can through the obstacle course of life. I really don't care who gets voted off of the island at the end of the week, and like you I really don't want to see them eat bugs (but, if the bug could eat them I might be inclined to watch).
All of that said, I've found that except for the occasional show like "South Park" and the once in a while visit to the History Channel, I really don't much miss t.v. It's not that I don't waste time, the hours spent here are evidence of that, but I just don't have the patience or tolerance for the nonsense on the tube.
The irony of all of this is that the television, the electronic device, has never been better. I am amazed at the picture quality of plazma televisions or even lcd televisions. The sound, especially in the home theatre, is astounding, and the reception, especially via cable or satellite is wonderful. Cable has given us 180 channels, unfortunately, the broadcasters haven't found anything worthwhile to fill them with.
