For several years in the 90's, I worked as a General Sales Manager at a small independent TV station. Little did I know back then that the huge popularity of FRIENDS and SEINFELD would drive sitcom/drama TV right into the crapper. Once it became too expensive to keep ensemble casts satisfied with their hefty salaries, reality TV took over and has spread like a fungus on the TV landscape. It's a goldmine when you think about it: Totally random idiots doing just about anything and everything for FREE to get their 15-minutes of fame.
One of these days, I will write a story that has been lodged in my overly multitasked brain for the longest time. Imagine that a few light-years from Earth, an intelligent race have been monitoring our radio and TV broadcasts. After exposing themselves to endless hours of shock jocks like Howard Stern and 'reality' TV programming like SURVIVOR, this race comes to a dauntingly horrifying conclusion: They must not allow the vermin Earthlings to infest the galaxy.
The name itself is a HUGE oxymoron. REALITY? Yeah, right. Total strangers stranded on an island together forming alliances and eating bugs. Twenty-five sexy young woman agreeing to date one eligible bachelor. Supermodels dating geeks. Anything with Flava-Flav and China in it at the same time. A Brady and a naughty supermodel nearly half his age getting married. Yep, that's REALITY!
Each year, more 'non-reality-reality TV shows' are forced upon the viewing public and, for some reason, many choose to spend (a.k.a. waste) their valuable time watching this crap. Meanwhile, reasonably intelligent, witty and thought provoking programming like 6 DEGREES and STUDIO 60 don't make it through year one.
Of course, there is a positive note in this rambling anti-reality TV rant: If they fill just two or three more hours of TV time slots with reality shows, I can cancel my cable and reinvest the money in something more mentally stimulating... seasons one through three of MOONLIGHTING on DVD.
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Here's the question for you: What is the absolutely strangest thing you've seen on a reality TV show? (Yeah, it's a trick question. *grins*)
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Comments: 17
Keep on going on ;-o
thanks for stopping by...it has been a long time. i haven't been blogging much lately. i will have to catch up with you.
This week I saw Bear on Man vs Wild, watch as a goats testicles were sliced off, and then I watched Bear eat one raw. I believe that was him turning away to yack it out onto the desert ground just as the camera lense closed.
Yep, especially because I was eating dinner at the time, the above was the strangest thing I've seen.
But the worst I've seen was that same man Bear, holding Elephant dung high above his head and drinking it. I set down my fork that day. I couldn't watch that and eat!
Hugs Glitter Graphics