Reality TV: people seem to love it or hate it. People also seem to forget how long it’s been around…and that even its critics have probably enjoyed some kind of reality programming. This week, we’re all about versions of reality on television that succeed and fail, often in very strange ways.
We start out talking about early shows we recognized as “reality” programming before talking about the opposite ends of the reality TV spectrum. Is reality TV legitimate, or is it just lazy TV? We discuss the shows that have pulled us in, and those so bad, we were almost turned off to the medium entirely. We talk about the character of reality TV — those we’ve loved, and those we loathed. The part that surprised us both: does reality TV have value? The answer may make you think twice about knocking reality TV and realizing it’s like anything: there’s good and bad and everything in between…
We’d love to hear about which reality TV shows you’ve loved, and even those you’ve hated…
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The first reality show I really got into was MTV’s “The Real World.” I was addicted to that show. But when the spin-off “Road Rules” started, I had mostly grown out of it.
Years ago I applied / auditioned for about six “reality shows / contests.” One was a then unnamed fine art painting (as opposed to house painting) reality show in which a bunch of painters would live together and… paint pictures, I guess. Needless to say, I didn’t make the cut. I’m not sure the actual how made the cut, either. I video-auditioned to be the host of a show called “Mega Construction.” I think I might have the video saved somewhere, I thought I was pretty good. 🙂 I also video-auditioned for the Gilligan’s Island reality show, the “Best Job in the World” (Queensland), and the luxury spin-off of “Best Job in the World,” which was scrapped before they even started going through the selection process. I also auditioned for a Victoria’s Secret show, mostly for fun. (I found out I don’t have a VS body. And I obviously have no shame. None.) Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking at the time I auditioned for some of these shows, as I was (still am) married at the time.
I used to watch Joe Schmo and Dirty Jobs. Loved Scare Tactics with Tracy Morgan and loved the early to mid episodes of American Chopper. I also love MythBusters, though I don’t consider that a reality show per se. I think the show you guys were trying to recall was “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” I shamelessly watched a few episodes of the spin-off “Flavor of Love,” with Flavor Flav. It was like watching a slow-motion train wreck, with the grill of the train completely bling-blinged out.
I’ve occasionally watched or will watch Ice Road Truckers, Gold Rush, American Pickers, and Pawn Stars (I like the Old Man and Chumlee).
A reality show I didn’t watch – “The Simple Life.” I happened to accidentally see a couple minutes of it, and it actually pissed me off. The Parisite asked a middle class couple if Walmart was a store which sold stuff to put on walls. The Parisite also “worked” a shift in a McDonald’s and deliberately dispensed milkshake liquid onto the floor and laughed about it. I won’t watch Jersey Shore. But I did accidentally see Snooki stick her butt in a freezer. She said she was “itchy.”
I refuse to watch even the commercials for Amish Mafia (fakefakefake) and Honey Boo Boo (killsbraincells) on principle.
CMS: I’ve never auditioned for a reality show. You win that contest; I think that’s cool! I also think you’d be a good person to have on a show because you’re not afraid to take a stand, but you’re anything but mean. You stick to the things that are important to you and don’t go with the flow. They all missed their opportunity.
I’ve almost watched Jersey Shore, just to see how bad it is. But that’s not a good reason to watch a show and definitely not a good use of my time. I have it in me to watch really bad stuff, and the real fear is that I’d actually watch the damn thing!
Amish Mafia. I just…don’t get it. It’s either the most brilliant show of all time, or every bit as bad as I imagine. I can see some execs: “What’s the most ridiculous ‘reality’ we can fabricate?”
“How about we…cross Pulp Fiction with the Amish. Uhm…’Amish Mafia’ — yeah, that’s it! The Amish have enforcers who ensure other Amish follow the rules of the community, and if anyone comes in from the outside and gives them trouble, they blow up their cars and take shots at them with shotguns!”
“That is the most ridiculous thing ever! And yet…there will still be people like, ‘It’s on TV so it must be real!’ Let’s greenlight this — it’s cooler than Children of the Corn!”
The so-called “Amish Mafia” – it would be more believable if the extent of their violence was busting into each others’ homes and forcibly cutting each others’ hair. (There have been cases like that in the news.) But the Amish blowing up cars and shooting guns? Give me a break! LOL
I just shake my head at Amish Mafia. Just a slow head-shake, followed by rolling a single tear.