At the risk of committing severe generalization, in a generation which has been conditioned to believe that praise is the norm, having shows which give constant criticism to what would normally be praiseworthy acts (by lowered standards) is a refreshing change, and people can't get enough of it.
I summed it up as "I don't have the large capability for general Schadenfreude required to enjoy this show." I don't need to see people I don't know humiliated for fun.
I also never liked sitcoms about dysfunctional families where everyone verbally abuses each other in witty ways. Schadenfreude. But that wasn't enough. They had to get away from the script and *actually* dehumanize *actual* people instead of characters. They had to cause *actual* harm in the world.
It bothers me that respectful competitions like Iron Chef are in the same category.
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At the risk of committing severe generalization, in a generation which has been conditioned to believe that praise is the norm, having shows which give constant criticism to what would normally be praiseworthy acts (by lowered standards) is a refreshing change, and people can't get enough of it.
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I don't mind the critique aspect, but I don't care for the shows being propaganda for advertisements.
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I also never liked sitcoms about dysfunctional families where everyone verbally abuses each other in witty ways. Schadenfreude. But that wasn't enough. They had to get away from the script and *actually* dehumanize *actual* people instead of characters. They had to cause *actual* harm in the world.
It bothers me that respectful competitions like Iron Chef are in the same category.
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