Reality Television- Horrors And Wonders
I'll admit it, I am not a big fan of reality TV. Or TV in general, but especially reality television. Though the original concepts were somewhat interesting, by now they have mostly degenerated to shallow shock-factor let's-see-how-we-can-mess-up-people-this-time Jerry Springeresque pools of chaos and human dreck.
Mostly.
I'll admit, I liked Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" because it relied more on skills and intelligence than practically any other show out there. The challenges were hard-core, and the reward pretty impressive.
Now I like The Amazing Race, but for different reasons. It still has that human drama thing, which doesn't really do it for me, but it's fun like a Japanese game show.
That being said, last night's episode provided me with some of the finest moments of television ever. Watching people's souls break as they were forced to consume 1 kg of Russian caviar made my inner Marquis de Sade soar. Watching their faces crack with the strain of clenching their jaws was a portrait of the struggles of all humanity. Seeing them attempt to control their gag reflexes led me to remember that scene from Stand By Me where Wil Wheaton recounts the great Pie Eating Contest. The girl huddled on the floor in complete delirium made me want to jump up and shout "Where's your God now, model girl?" If any one of the contestants had lost their battle of wills with their bodies and vomited forth a deluge of fish eggs, it would have been the Best Show Ever.
Never has a show so inspired my inner Sith Lord than that episode did last night. Sometimes one single event can undo thousands of others- I say to you, verily, that that was the event that absolved the sins of countless other reality TV programmes.
And, on a completely unrelated note, last day to finish this week's daily quiz at ljdq. Come on over and play!
Mostly.
I'll admit, I liked Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" because it relied more on skills and intelligence than practically any other show out there. The challenges were hard-core, and the reward pretty impressive.
Now I like The Amazing Race, but for different reasons. It still has that human drama thing, which doesn't really do it for me, but it's fun like a Japanese game show.
That being said, last night's episode provided me with some of the finest moments of television ever. Watching people's souls break as they were forced to consume 1 kg of Russian caviar made my inner Marquis de Sade soar. Watching their faces crack with the strain of clenching their jaws was a portrait of the struggles of all humanity. Seeing them attempt to control their gag reflexes led me to remember that scene from Stand By Me where Wil Wheaton recounts the great Pie Eating Contest. The girl huddled on the floor in complete delirium made me want to jump up and shout "Where's your God now, model girl?" If any one of the contestants had lost their battle of wills with their bodies and vomited forth a deluge of fish eggs, it would have been the Best Show Ever.
Never has a show so inspired my inner Sith Lord than that episode did last night. Sometimes one single event can undo thousands of others- I say to you, verily, that that was the event that absolved the sins of countless other reality TV programmes.
And, on a completely unrelated note, last day to finish this week's daily quiz at ljdq. Come on over and play!