Top 10 Tuesday: Reality TV That Drives Me Nuts
March 11th, 2008 | by Scott |I typically loathe reality TV. I avoid it at all costs. There are a few shows, however, that I have enjoyed through the years. I still miss Rock Star and I tune in to AI and Beauty and the Geek.
But most of them drive me nuts for various reasons. And I thought I would share my reasons why.
I limited this list to current shows. The list would be too long if we were to consider all the ill-fated, exploitative and tawdry Fox shows that have aired through the years.
Of course, this is just my subjective opinion. Feel free to disagree.
10. Survivor–This show is largely responsible for the glut of dreck that has been foisted on us the past 8 years and that is reason enough to warrant a place on this list. But this show, from season 1 winner Richard Hatch, brought us the duplicitous reality show techniques of alliances and back-stabbing. There is enough of that in real life. I don’t need to watch people on an island do the same.
9. All Game Show Variations–Put what you want here (Deal or No Deal, 5th grader, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, etc). Millionaire, even when it was enjoyable, set the new wave of game shows standard of providing 2 minutes of content per hour. Give me Jeopardy which actually plays the game.
8. Big Brother–Do I really care about what happens when you put a bunch of people together who don’t agree on things together for an extended period of time? The last I checked that was called the holidays.
7. Any Celeb-Focused Reality Show–Back in the day Tracy and I watched the Anna Nicole Smith reality show for a while. We were intrigued by the train-wreck nature of the show but the sheer tragedy of her life became too much for us after a few episodes. And now, every D-list celebrity has a camera following them. No thanks. Well, except for Scott Baio. He’s just cool.
6. All of the Bravo reality shows–Is there really a need for a show to compete to be the best hair-dresser? Seriously? Real Housewives of NYC? Make Me a Supermodel? Do people actually watch this stuff? Explain to me why.
5. Biggest Loser–American Idol might be a tad bloated but this jumbo-sized show takes the cake (all puns in that sentence were completely unintended). Does every episode need to be two hours long? Is there the need to drag out what amounts to someone standing on a scale into 120 minutes? In addition, it is cool that they are losing weight and learning to lead a more healthy lifestyle but shouldn’t the criteria for elimination be solely on not losing as much as someone else?
4. Those shows that laud bad behavior–This is a broad catch-all I know. It was down to these types of shows, typified by the MTV Sweet 16 type shows, and the shows on TLC that focus on the families that are cranking out googlets and eschew birth control. I mean do we really need shows that highlight the worst behavior of people?
3. The Apprentice–A weekly forum for Donald Trump. Enough said.
2. Supernanny–I know many people like this show and praise the “good parenting advice” that comes out of the star of the show. Yet, I view this as a progression of the “Dr. Phil effect.” Bring all of your flaws and imperfections and air them out to a national television audience under the guise of self-help or self-improvement. The problem with this show is that the behavior problems are in dealing with children. Children who do not have a voice as to whether or not their problems are broadcast to the world. As a result, I view any benefit mitigated by the exploitation of the children. What are the long-term effects when the children grow older and realized that their parents aired their family laundry on Wednesday nights at 8.
1. The Bachelor–All of the reality dating shows deserve the top slot. The idea that you compete with a host of others for “true love” is unfathomable to me. Sincerity and intimacy are sacrificed for passion and promiscuity.
OK, let me have it
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16 Responses to “Top 10 Tuesday: Reality TV That Drives Me Nuts”
By Jim MacKenzie on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
I’ve watched Scott Baio… He’s a doofus that I don’t believe ever wants to change… pretty sad actually. He’s a modern day Peter Pan.
By Scott on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Yeah, he does seem to be stuck in the 70s and living the glory days. He seemed to be moving forward at the end of season 1 but having a baby has held him back a little.
By len on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Agree so much with #9. Just ask the stupid question. Jeopardy has 61 questions/answers each episode. Wonder how long it would take Regis to ask 61 questions on Millionaire?
The Amazing Race is the only reality show we watch. American Idol should be on the list.
By terri on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
I’ve given up all the the above. The Biggest Loser was the last one to go. Now, Jon & Kate +8… I can’t let that go!
By Joe on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
I can’t stand reality TV. But I just might tune in to the Biggest Loser if my Ft. Worth friend makes it onto the show. She blogged about it here: http://cowtownstacy.blogspot.com/2008/03/signs-signs-everywhere-sign.html It’s worth the read.
By Tracy on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
I love Biggest Loser, Amazing Race, Supernanny and I even gave Amnesia a shot.
And Terri, I am completely addicted to Jon and Kate too! I love how everyone is catching onto this show! They are so real and fun.
By Jeff Slater on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
I mostly agree with you. But you’ll have to explain the last part of number 4. Are you saying that having lots of children is bad behavior?
There is one reality show I love, and the new season begins tonight: “Gene Simmons Family Jewels.” Yes!
By Shane on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
I like Survivor and American Idol (with the extreme exception of the results show), but I would gladly sacrifice them if the networks were willing to quit creating new versions of the same concepts over and again…and, she might kill me for saying so, Dr. Kara watches almost all of them!
By Robin on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Can’t wait for 10:00 p.m. tonight when Gene Simmons Family Jewels returns - what fun!
By jasonk on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Love the list! I do watch Biggest Loser–the transformation is remarkable. But you’re right, every week is two hours, which is too long.
I was surprised that the new show where they hook people up to a lie detector. That is the most lame show ever. One guy edited out all the pauses, and the show lasted only two minutes. Remarkable.
Any reality show that is an obvious copy of a successful reality show gets on my nerves.
Also, our local CBS affiliate still treats Survivor like it is a hip show to get together and watch. Please. Talk about bad acting. Give it a break, no one cares.
We watch The Real World on MTV, which cracks up my kids, but it is usually pretty good.
Loved your list, dude.
By Scott on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for the comments, everyone.
Jeff, no I didn’t mean that having a lot of children equates with bad behavior. I was saying that I could have put the reality show that highlights tons of kids at number four instead of what I put.
By JTB on Mar 11, 2008 | Reply
Re #8.
(Brent’s comment) The last I checked that was called…church.
By Scott on Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
THAT is hilarious.
By Sunny on Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
I love watching Survivor. We have followed it since Season 3. I also like the Biggest Loser. This is the second season that I’ve watched (I used to only tune in to the finale night). The transformations are great. I also like The Apprentice. I thought that the last season was the greatest (but I don’t think that it did too well with the ratings). This one is pretty good because all of the money is going to Charity.
Trying to give Oprah’s Big Give a chance, but I’m just not getting it yet.
We love Idol, but I’m glad that we DVR it. There is no way that I would go back to having to watch it live!
By Lane on Mar 12, 2008 | Reply
Is it just me or does Oprah’s Big Give make anyone else sick? I don’t care what the money goes to or who it helps, because I’m so weary of Oprah. I grow tired of her.
Survivor is awesome. Biggest Loser- I agree with the two hour thing. This week, it was actually an hour of weigh ins (past and current players) and then they didn’t even “vote” on someone to go home.
And I just love Piers Morgan on Celebrity Apprentice. I hope he wins.
By Scott on Mar 13, 2008 | Reply
Don’t get me started on The Oprah. She is the world’s greatest living megalomaniac.