[Sci Fi Channel] "Who Wants To Be A Superhero?"

[Felon]

Well, there's basically two reasons to be on a reality TV show. One, if it has a really big prize. The other is to be famous.

In this case, I bet it doesn't pay well, and the reward is to star in a made for TV movie, so you would expect that you'd get a lot of actors applying for the job hoping to use it as a springboard for better stuff. And not to mention, they would also have the edge in doing an audition and being photogenic.

The basic points of contention are:

A) Was the application process really open to anyone, drawn from "thousands of people around the world" as described in the opening, or was it just a casting call from an agency?
B) Is the purpose of having all these actors on the show to allow for staged events?

There are a lot of things that are pretty telling. For instance, when Stan is interacting with the heroes, how often do you see them together in the same shot?

Doesn't the whole Stan-in-a-TV-set gimmick seem to offer certain conveniences for a staged show?

Notice how they have "confessional scenes" where the characters are speaking in the present tense about events that clearly aren't taking any place near the confessional?

 

[Vigilance]

The basic points of contention are:

A) Was the application process really open to anyone, drawn from "thousands of people around the world" as described in the opening, or was it just a casting call from an agency?
B) Is the purpose of having all these actors on the show to allow for staged events?

There are a lot of things that are pretty telling. For instance, when Stan is interacting with the heroes, how often do you see them together in the same shot?

Doesn't the whole Stan-in-a-TV-set gimmick seem to offer certain conveniences for a staged show?

Notice how they have "confessional scenes" where the characters are speaking in the present tense about events that clearly aren't taking any place near the confessional?

Uh, have you ever watched a reality show? That last bit of the confessional scenes is a staple of all these types of shows since survivor.

Anyway, doesn't matter to me if it's "real" or not, the second episode completely sucked me in.

Stan is still the man.

Chuck

 

[ChristopherAnn]

Actually, I do remember seeing open call auditions for the show.

And not only do I think it would be exceedingly difficult to have scripted all that, and then find a bunch of people that nobody ever heard of (that are not working actors belonging to SAG or something) that act well enough to play those roles, I think it would be next to impossible.

But what's more, I don't think it would be necessary. The world is absolutely full of weirdos and wannabes and everyday folks with soaring imaginations.

I have no doubt that it's 'real.'

 

[DanMcS]

A) Was the application process really open to anyone, drawn from "thousands of people around the world" as described in the opening, or was it just a casting call from an agency?
B) Is the purpose of having all these actors on the show to allow for staged events?

The problem here is that you're thinking of these people as actors. What they really are is people who WANT to be actors, so they try out for every reality show they can hit the audition for, they go for bit parts on TV, movies, and commercials, etc. So they end up listed in imdb, sure, but it's not like they're on the show because of their professional acting chops.

This has been a criticism of reality shows for years now, and every time someone finds that "ZOMG, somebody on this "reality" show has been in a commercial, it's all staged!" they think they're discovering a dark secret of the universe

Some of these people are actors, by which I mean, people who live in LA near where the open casting call was, and work as waiters and otherwise in the service industry most of the time while trying to break into showbiz. They're living their dream, I can't fault them for that.

 

[DonTadow]

Iron Enforcer, and the other's have Myspace pages! HAH!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=43469713

Yeah, you got to think that you're either doing it for money or fame which are both important to aspiring actors (whom also probably have a leg up on others when it comes to tv). I''d probably disagree with you though that they live better than normal lives. Acting don't pay. I got two friends slumming it in ll.a. but THey've appeared as walk ons and extras on a number of Wbs's black shows. Often they have normal jobs and they apply for real acting gigs with acting resume and reality shows with normal job resume.

 

[Felon]

Uh, have you ever watched a reality show? That last bit of the confessional scenes is a staple of all these types of shows since survivor.

Right, and there's never been any issues regarding the authenticity of events in Survivor heh.

And not only do I think it would be exceedingly difficult to have scripted all that, and then find a bunch of people that nobody ever heard of (that are not working actors belonging to SAG or something) that act well enough to play those roles, I think it would be next to impossible.

Nothing you proposed sounds impossible, or even implausible. It's actually much easier just to have talent agencies send over actors than it is to coordinate auditions for applicants from around the world.

But what's more, I don't think it would be necessary. The world is absolutely full of weirdos and wannabes and everyday folks with soaring imaginations. I've no doubt that it's 'real.'

The availability of real people to star in the show isn't really the issue. The issue is desirability. A scripted show is just easier to do; less risky to produce, and easier to sell to a network. It certainly helps convince Sci-Fi to give the winner a starring role in a movie (although having seen some of Sci-Fi Channel's Saturday night movies, maybe that ain't such a big deal).

Having said that, I certainly don't think every little line or event goes according to a script. For instance, the crying little girl was definitely a surprise for some and not so much for others. But a lot of the reactions, like the teary-eyed emoting during the elimination process? Pure ham--they're trying to show what great actors they are, and are willing to do multiple takes to do so. And I'm fairly suspicious about the likelyhood that they're having direct one-on-one conversations with Stan by closed-circuit TV, with Stan always using perfectly chosen words with never a stumble or moment of hesitation. Stan's eloquent, but he's not that flawless a speaker (nobody is). A lot of that's edited in.

Some of these people are actors, by which I mean, people who live in LA near where the open casting call was, and work as waiters and otherwise in the service industry most of the time while trying to break into showbiz. They're living their dream, I can't fault them for that.

You're off on some completely other tangent. Fault doesn't enter into anything I've said.

Sorry, but some of you guys seem a tad adamant in your defense of a show that's not really under attack. I'm hardly panning it. I enjoy it quite a bit, but I also know what is. I don't entertain illusions that Stan really picked Iron Enforcer out of all those applicants for his fine heroic qualities, that IE was given a perfectly fair shot in each challenge, and that it's only in light of IE"s constant failures (such as easily making it across the yard, then falling down and crying "uncle" within reach of the door) that it occurred to Stan to make Iron Enforcer a villain. Then again, maybe he was equally prepared to create a Dark Cell Phone Girl, right?

 

[trancejeremy]

In a way, this show is almost a LARP. At least, instead of people just playing themselves, they are playing characters (their superheroes).

Anyway, I personally think the remaining heroes are legit, actor backgrounds or not, but I definitely believe Iron Enforcer was another ringer like Rotiart. None of the others would have made credible villains. And the way he failed the dog test - that was a dive if I ever saw one. Every other male made it through in under 30 seconds, but the one who is the biggest and strongest can't? Even though he made it within a foot?

And the ending - that was acting. Bad acting, but acting. In fact, I think that's why it look so staged - a real person would have been much more natural, while Iron Enforcer was acting straight out of a B movie (stiff and forced).

I also think the Stan we see in the final product is not the Stan they saw. You can kinda tell, because when you film a TV showing someone, it looks different than the way it looks on the show. At least it did, maybe with HDTVs it looks better, but you used to be able to see a flicker.

 

[BrooklynKnight]

Hah. Um, Trance, they very clearly overlay a sort of "picture in picture" when editing the show to remove the "flicker" effect.

I have no doubt the guys really are talking to Stan on a TV or monitor or on those blackberries, but they see the real thing, and WE see the cleaned up and overlayed picture in picture, which most likely has the PERFECT version of what Stan says (meaning its recorded sepratly from their live interactions to give it a more polished look).

 

[Goodsport]

Well, that would seem to be the case. I'll go ahead and put the rest of this post in spoiler tags, since it might represent a letdown for those who want an immersive experience watching the show:

Spoiler

Most if not all of the cast are actors, or are at least actively pursuing an acting career. They're not just a bunch of average joes taking some time off from their jobs as secretaries and encyclopedia salesman to fulfill a secret fantasy of becoming a superhero. From Wikipedia:

"There has been a fair amount of criticism of the 'reality' of the show given that several of the contestants have previous television involvement (e.g., Matthew Atherton's Navy NCIS appearance, Tonya Kay's America's Got Talent audition, Tonatzin Mondragon's numerous television roles, Mary Votava's film roles, and Chris Watters' multiple soap/serial performances)."

To match up codenames with real names:

Feedback (Matthew Atherton)
Creature (Tonya Kay)
Lemuria (Tonatzin Mondragon)
Monkey Woman (Mary Votava)
Major Victory (Chris Watters)

Spoiler

The fact that the contestants are aspiring actors/actresses actually makes the show better than what it could've been.

Despite being a reality show, the contestants still have to act like superheroes to an extent (which already differentiates it from most reality shows where there isn't really a set way that the contestants are "supposed to" act). I would imagine that there's not that many "real people" (i.e. non-actors) that can really do that, despite their belief to the contrary (similarly to how most auditioners for American Idol think they can sing but truly can't): most real people have an inate inability to constantly crack clever one-liners and act even somewhat superheroic, instead mumbling "Uh... I guess.", "Yeah.. whatever.", "Um... okay.", etc. and basically acting like their ordinary selves. There might be some exceptions to that rule, but not likely as many as would be believed.

And even if it's true that some of the contestants could be "plants" ala Iron Enforcer/Dark Enforcer, it may be a necessary evil for this particular show. It certainly doesn't make the show any less entertaining - in fact, their ability to at least act out undoubtedly makes it more entertaining than if most of the contestants constantly only said "Uh..." and such.

-G

 

[ChristopherAnn]

A scripted show is just easier to do;

I don't think it would be difficult to script the show. But having just sat through the laughably wooden acting of the current Miami Vice, what I think would be difficult would be to round up that many unknowns to play those roles without giving it away.

Nor, as I said, do I think it would be necessary. There are enough zanies out there without having to pay people to protray them.