Reality Shows: Your opinions

Silver Moon · Apr 27, 2003

Make that two exceptions, my 10-year-old got me hooked on "Junkyard Wars", which can definately be rationalized as having an educational component to it.

Crothian · Apr 27, 2003

I avoid them. I've seen a few of them and it's obvious they really are not reality based. The people are chosen for theirt quirks so that "interesting" things will happen and the producers are doing off camera things to spice it up if it gets boring. Of course only the so called good parts actually make it on the air.

Dagger75 · Apr 27, 2003

I have only watched one season of Survivor and that was only the last half of the second season. I have seen snippets of Reality TV shows here and there but am not impressed.

My take- Networks are not creative and are to afraid to try something new. CBS took a chance with the very first season of Survivor and in succeeded, now EVERY network copies that with there own lamer and more outragous Reality show.

I hope Reality TV will go away but I doubt it.

As a side note in the Wait and See dept- Other networks will have 24 clones out soon. Fox showed them it works, so now everybody will copy it. To bad nobody copied Firefly

Mark · Apr 27, 2003

I find the term "Reality Show" to be a bit more than a smidge misleading...

Tarrasque Wrangler · Apr 27, 2003

The only "reality" show I enjoy right now is Insomniac with Dave Atell. That guy's frickin hysterical. Every time I watch his show, I have to swear off booze for a while. And he earned big points for coming to my hometown (Concord, CA) and hanging out with my favorite old customers, the local crime scene cleaners. Did anyone see that ep? Classic.

Tsyr · Apr 27, 2003

I like Junkyard Wars, if that's being considered a reality show now.

Other than that, I hate 'em. Fear Factor I hate with a vengence... It's really really sick, when you think about it. Lets scare the everlivingdaylights out of people, then show them being scared on TV. Some of them are really pretty tasteless, too. I hope they get sued off the air.

KitanaVorr · Apr 27, 2003

Here's my 25 cents on the whole reality show thing....

The problem with reality shows is that it isn't really reality.

How many of us act like we really do in real life when a video camera is in our face? I'm sure alot of it is either scripted, or suggested to the people. Even more interesting, how many of us look like the people they choose too? (super skinny girls, utterly buff boys) Not to mention the diversity of the reality cast is always suspect.

Reality shows are popular with the networks mostly because they are extremely cheap to do. And they can get rid of the people on it without having to worry about costly contracts, etc.

As most of us know, our lives just aren't that interesting day to day.

And if it is, wow with the horrible things that always happen to them, I really feel for ya!

Oni · Apr 27, 2003

I watched season one of Survivor and enjoyed a good deal. It was interesting to see the group dynamic built up. How silly people act when you stick a camera in their face. How'll they'll plot and scheme for a million dollars, or just a book of matches. I don't think it's realistic in the sense that it's like everday life, but I think that there is some interesting insight to be gathered. I don't feel bad about enjoying it either, those people on the show signed up for whatever trials and tribulations they got put through.

CCamfield · Apr 27, 2003

Reality TV shows are scrapings from even further down towards the bottom of the barrel. I'm sure some of them may have been entertaining, but the trend is also responsible for The Anna Nicole Smith show, and now there's going to be a show with OJ Simpson. CRAP.

KitanaVorr · Apr 27, 2003

Pretty soon it will all be "reality" shows. The ones where there are games to play, I understand, but the dating ones and the ones where you just follow people around...those are really...just really sad...