Trash TV Secret Shame

[Ruin Explorer]

What's your favorite trash TV secret shame you're willing to admit to? By trash it's something along the lines reality TV, a cooking show, talent show whatever.

Years ago on 2000 I watched Survivor. Along with everyone else. But I never stopped and they're up to season 47. Also enjoy the Australian version.

I think the easy ones for me would be:

A) Australian Survivor. I will 100% die on the hill of this being easily the best* Survivor show.

B) Supernatural. It's awful and I don't even know that I like it but I watched all 15 seasons during the pandemic and sometimes think about watching them again!

C) The Amazing Race. First time I saw this I thought it was completely dumb. But watching like, 2010s seasons with my wife, it was actually really fun to watch with her there to talk about it. And also good fitspiration! Unfortunately it's not actually available on any channels in the UK anymore - you can't even pay for it, and seems like a lot of effort to sail the ocean blue to find it other ways.

D) Cobra Kai - I wouldn't quite call it trash though, because I feel like it's too knowing about what it is doing. I think it's actually kind of a weirdly smart show, and somehow avoids irony-poisoning despite existing in a ultra-high-irony environment.

When I was a kid I absolutely adored American Gladiators (not the inferior British version) and used to watch a lot of WWE wrestling with my friends once I was old enough to realize it was put on (it seemed dumb to me until I learned about kayfabe, perhaps perversely). Also MTV's Fear was like my favourite show for the very brief time it ran!

Oh and if if anyone knows how to watch Australian Survivor in the US (legally!) please let me know, I have a US friend who is desperate to watch more of it, but can't find it!

* = Original UK version probably the worst, recent updated UK version still pretty bad, British people just weren't made for this!

 

[Bedrockgames]

D) Cobra Kai - I wouldn't quite call it trash though, because I feel like it's too knowing about what it is doing. I think it's actually kind of a weirdly smart show, and somehow avoids irony-poisoning despite existing in a ultra-high-irony environment.

Yeah I never liked ironically enjoying something. For instance if you like hair metal, just say you like it, don't frame it as ironic. And Cobra Kai gets some of the silliness of the original movies but seems to be enjoying that in a sincere way (i.e. you can realize Karate Kid 3 isn't as good as the original movie, but truly appreciate Thomas Ian Griffith's performance and enjoy the fun of how over the top the movie is: part of what makes Cobra Kai work is it strikes this balance between the heart of the original while also embracing this other side of the franchise in a way that doesn't feel like it is mocking it).

Also if you are Gen X and feeling a little alienated by recent entertainment, this show feels like it gets where you are coming from, but also gets what is a little ridiculous about you. I think that is one of the reasons it appeals to broad age demographics too. I don't quite know how to put it, and maybe my analysis here is wrong, but something about this show has been fun for me in a way that other shows just haven't lately

 

[MGibster]

Yeah I never liked ironically enjoying something. For instance if you like hair metal, just say you like it, don't frame it as ironic.

In the words of Dave Grohl on not believing in guilty pleasures, "If you $#%# like Ke$ha then listen to $#%@ Ke$ha."

 

[Zardnaar]

Also, never let anyone tell you that TGBBO is "trash".

It's a masterpiece compared to a few secret pleasures.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think the easy ones for me would be:

A) Australian Survivor. I will 100% die on the hill of this being easily the best* Survivor show.

B) Supernatural. It's awful and I don't even know that I like it but I watched all 15 seasons during the pandemic and sometimes think about watching them again!

C) The Amazing Race. First time I saw this I thought it was completely dumb. But watching like, 2010s seasons with my wife, it was actually really fun to watch with her there to talk about it. And also good fitspiration! Unfortunately it's not actually available on any channels in the UK anymore - you can't even pay for it, and seems like a lot of effort to sail the ocean blue to find it other ways.

D) Cobra Kai - I wouldn't quite call it trash though, because I feel like it's too knowing about what it is doing. I think it's actually kind of a weirdly smart show, and somehow avoids irony-poisoning despite existing in a ultra-high-irony environment.

When I was a kid I absolutely adored American Gladiators (not the inferior British version) and used to watch a lot of WWE wrestling with my friends once I was old enough to realize it was put on (it seemed dumb to me until I learned about kayfabe, perhaps perversely). Also MTV's Fear was like my favourite show for the very brief time it ran!

Oh and if if anyone knows how to watch Australian Survivor in the US (legally!) please let me know, I have a US friend who is desperate to watch more of it, but can't find it!

* = Original UK version probably the worst, recent updated UK version still pretty bad, British people just weren't made for this!

Australian survivor is screening on the tvnz app.

IDK if you can VPN it set your country to NZ.

It's also on YouTube may be dubious legality.

 

[Dioltach]

My guilty pleasure used to be "Big Time Rush". No clue why.

 

[trappedslider]

my shame when it was airing was watching the last season of Icarly and all of Victorious on Nickelodeon (cue wall of text explain everything we already know)

 

[Bedrockgames]

When I was a kid I absolutely adored American Gladiators (not the inferior British version) and used to watch a lot of WWE wrestling with my friends once I was old enough to realize it was put on (it seemed dumb to me until I learned about kayfabe, perhaps perversely). Also MTV's Fear was like my favourite show for the very brief time it ran!

American Gladiators was awesome. It was a weird time in US television. There is a netflix documentary on it called Muscles and Mayhem I think. It was a nice nostalgia trip but I also learned a lot about what was going on behind the scenes. Not sure how accurate it is though. Worth checking out if you haven't seen it

 

[Zardnaar]

American Gladiators was awesome. It was a weird time in US television. There is a netflix documentary on it called Muscles and Mayhem I think. It was a nice nostalgia trip but I also learned a lot about what was going on behind the scenes. Not sure how accurate it is though. Worth checking out if you haven't seen it

I watched that lol.

 

[GreyLord]

I think the easy ones for me would be:

A) Australian Survivor. I will 100% die on the hill of this being easily the best* Survivor show.

B) Supernatural. It's awful and I don't even know that I like it but I watched all 15 seasons during the pandemic and sometimes think about watching them again!

C) The Amazing Race. First time I saw this I thought it was completely dumb. But watching like, 2010s seasons with my wife, it was actually really fun to watch with her there to talk about it. And also good fitspiration! Unfortunately it's not actually available on any channels in the UK anymore - you can't even pay for it, and seems like a lot of effort to sail the ocean blue to find it other ways.

D) Cobra Kai - I wouldn't quite call it trash though, because I feel like it's too knowing about what it is doing. I think it's actually kind of a weirdly smart show, and somehow avoids irony-poisoning despite existing in a ultra-high-irony environment.

When I was a kid I absolutely adored American Gladiators (not the inferior British version) and used to watch a lot of WWE wrestling with my friends once I was old enough to realize it was put on (it seemed dumb to me until I learned about kayfabe, perhaps perversely). Also MTV's Fear was like my favourite show for the very brief time it ran!

Oh and if if anyone knows how to watch Australian Survivor in the US (legally!) please let me know, I have a US friend who is desperate to watch more of it, but can't find it!

* = Original UK version probably the worst, recent updated UK version still pretty bad, British people just weren't made for this!

Watch Born Survivor and other Bear Grylls stuff.

Grylls: And here I am, in the middle of no where during a hurricane, blizzard, and oncoming tornado all at the same time with no shelter. So, here I use my pinky finger to latch onto this rock and launch it at this poisoness snake killing it. I now use it's venom to kill this huge wolf and it's mate, and skin it with that rock I had and the toenail of my middle toe.

Having done all this in 5 minutes, it's just in time to put it over my head as I lie in this ditch, and look, here we are...quite comfortable from the cold and wind beyond this skin wall. Easy as pie, you too can do this. Pay attention next as I show you how I now will find a way to build a semi truck with just my thumb and my big toe with the stuff I find left over after this storm.