An Inspired Pairing
This past Monday, I observed what may have been the most interesting juxtoposition of television programming I have ever seen -- "Colonial House" and "Real World/Road Rules Inferno".
From 8pm to 10pm, we watched "Colonial House" on PBS. For those not in the know, it was 2 back-to-back episodes in which a few families VOLUNTEER to be part of an experiment thrusting them back to the 17th century to attempt to live life like the colonists. The "colonists" form a very small village, in which they have no modern appliances, and must make do with the little food they have while working to pay off their "debts" in England. These people, probably much like the early colonists, are questioning why they even volunteered for this experiment. Their meat gets rotted, they have disagreeable goats, they are forced to live by rules that are somewhat unenforceable, and there is disagreement about community responsibilities. There is no prize money at the end of this. These are mostly intelligent folk who want to learn more about themselves, about the values upon which this nation was founded and about why we do what we do today.
From 10pm to 11pm, we watched "Inferno" on MTV. Much like the colonists, these folk are put into a modest home (hehe), their success is measured by their survival, and they are sometimes forced to eat things they would not otherwise have to eat. Of course, there's the petty bickering, name-calling and general "Real World/Road Rules-i'm-famous-because-of-reality-programminng"-ness that you should expect. These people have bought their own myth. Don't get me wrong, there is entertainment value. But after a few episodes, it quickly becomes apparent how easily the castmembers lost track of the FUN and focus entirely on backstabbing and winning. Folks, this is a BONUS. This is a VACATION. Why rain on each other's parades? Is winning money and/or increasing your "reality show credibility" really worth your integrity? I read that Jeri (from Survivor) got blasted on the last show as she made a comment on how they were "real people" and not characters. I think I may have to disagree. Once you become a regular on a TV show, you become what the camera makes you. Alex Trebek is a character. David Letterman is a character. Oprah Winfrey is a character. Richard Hatch is a character. You can deny it all you want, but when they asked who wanted to play the "Back-Stabbing Stranger Who will do Anything for Money," you signed your name and your rights on that line.
To watch where we "came from" to "where we are today" is eye-opening. To see how much values have changed in a 3-hour, 3-century time warp is an experience I recommend. Your only other chance is this coming Monday night, so go for it.
From 8pm to 10pm, we watched "Colonial House" on PBS. For those not in the know, it was 2 back-to-back episodes in which a few families VOLUNTEER to be part of an experiment thrusting them back to the 17th century to attempt to live life like the colonists. The "colonists" form a very small village, in which they have no modern appliances, and must make do with the little food they have while working to pay off their "debts" in England. These people, probably much like the early colonists, are questioning why they even volunteered for this experiment. Their meat gets rotted, they have disagreeable goats, they are forced to live by rules that are somewhat unenforceable, and there is disagreement about community responsibilities. There is no prize money at the end of this. These are mostly intelligent folk who want to learn more about themselves, about the values upon which this nation was founded and about why we do what we do today.
From 10pm to 11pm, we watched "Inferno" on MTV. Much like the colonists, these folk are put into a modest home (hehe), their success is measured by their survival, and they are sometimes forced to eat things they would not otherwise have to eat. Of course, there's the petty bickering, name-calling and general "Real World/Road Rules-i'm-famous-because-of-reality-programminng"-ness that you should expect. These people have bought their own myth. Don't get me wrong, there is entertainment value. But after a few episodes, it quickly becomes apparent how easily the castmembers lost track of the FUN and focus entirely on backstabbing and winning. Folks, this is a BONUS. This is a VACATION. Why rain on each other's parades? Is winning money and/or increasing your "reality show credibility" really worth your integrity? I read that Jeri (from Survivor) got blasted on the last show as she made a comment on how they were "real people" and not characters. I think I may have to disagree. Once you become a regular on a TV show, you become what the camera makes you. Alex Trebek is a character. David Letterman is a character. Oprah Winfrey is a character. Richard Hatch is a character. You can deny it all you want, but when they asked who wanted to play the "Back-Stabbing Stranger Who will do Anything for Money," you signed your name and your rights on that line.
To watch where we "came from" to "where we are today" is eye-opening. To see how much values have changed in a 3-hour, 3-century time warp is an experience I recommend. Your only other chance is this coming Monday night, so go for it.