Shark jumping
I was originally appalled by reality shows, or at least the concept of them. Then TBO got me all hopped up on them, and now I catch as many episodes of as many of them as we can remember each week. Our friends sporksforall and scout, one time partners in video crime along these lines, have dropped many of the "old school" shows, although for the life of me I can't see how most of them are any different than they used to be, so I'm not sure why.
In any case, the biggest of them all at one point--the flagship, if you will--CBS's Survivor, may have finally gone completely nuts. It used to be all about torturing a variety of Americans through malnutrition--or simply sheer starvation when Survivor hit Africa--in order to reward a couple people with money. In order to boost sagging ratings the last couple of years, though, the producers of "Survivor" have tinkered with the format of the show.
As an aside, anyone with 1/2 a brain knows this is incredibly counter productive; the history of television is littered with shows that soldiered on waaaay past their prime by similar methods, forever sullying once proud broadcasting future legends. "M*A*S*H*" was one of a very few shows that took major cast defections in stride, even if the last few seasons were pretty stale anyway. For every "M*A*S*H*", however, there is a Cousin Oliver-era "Brady Bunch", a post-Richie "Happy Days", a post-Duchovny "X-Files", "Archie Bunker's Place", a post-Dr. Fleischman "Northern Exposure", and far more. Far, far more.
What has "Survivor" done now? Not content with producing an "all-star" show--which is quite an ironic feat for a show conceptually designed to have no stars--or splitting up the 2 "tribes" of 8 people each into 4 mini-tribes of 4 based on age and gender last season, this season they may have completely gone officially around the bend. You see, now these new mini-tribes will be divided based on their ethnicity. Yep, there will be 4 African-Americans, 4 Asian-Americans, 4 Latino-Americans, and 4 White Americans. (What is the hyphenate for "Caucasians" anyway--Western European Melted In The Pot-Americans? I digress.) As if we don't already have enough racial tension in this country, huh? Not to say I won't be watching, of course, since I have a hard time turning away from train wrecks, but maybe that just speaks to my willful lack of productivity. I'm sure all of you would welcome more musings on world and national affairs, right?
In any case, the biggest of them all at one point--the flagship, if you will--CBS's Survivor, may have finally gone completely nuts. It used to be all about torturing a variety of Americans through malnutrition--or simply sheer starvation when Survivor hit Africa--in order to reward a couple people with money. In order to boost sagging ratings the last couple of years, though, the producers of "Survivor" have tinkered with the format of the show.
As an aside, anyone with 1/2 a brain knows this is incredibly counter productive; the history of television is littered with shows that soldiered on waaaay past their prime by similar methods, forever sullying once proud broadcasting future legends. "M*A*S*H*" was one of a very few shows that took major cast defections in stride, even if the last few seasons were pretty stale anyway. For every "M*A*S*H*", however, there is a Cousin Oliver-era "Brady Bunch", a post-Richie "Happy Days", a post-Duchovny "X-Files", "Archie Bunker's Place", a post-Dr. Fleischman "Northern Exposure", and far more. Far, far more.
What has "Survivor" done now? Not content with producing an "all-star" show--which is quite an ironic feat for a show conceptually designed to have no stars--or splitting up the 2 "tribes" of 8 people each into 4 mini-tribes of 4 based on age and gender last season, this season they may have completely gone officially around the bend. You see, now these new mini-tribes will be divided based on their ethnicity. Yep, there will be 4 African-Americans, 4 Asian-Americans, 4 Latino-Americans, and 4 White Americans. (What is the hyphenate for "Caucasians" anyway--Western European Melted In The Pot-Americans? I digress.) As if we don't already have enough racial tension in this country, huh? Not to say I won't be watching, of course, since I have a hard time turning away from train wrecks, but maybe that just speaks to my willful lack of productivity. I'm sure all of you would welcome more musings on world and national affairs, right?
posted by bryduck at 2:14 PM
4 Comments:
I hadn't heard about this. So, first props for the reality show news. Second, this may mean I drop "Vive" too. Yay, more time to blog!
euro-americans.
notice no "native americans"
Yeah, I was a little uncomfortable with the "old" women/"young" women/"old" men/"young" men thing. I don't think I want to stomach dividing based on "ethnicity."
I'd find it more elucidating and interesting to see 4 religious/spiritual divisions, even if that's controversial, since religious/spiritual is what you consciously believe (or profess to). Atheists/Christians/Muslims/Buddhists, for example. And, we could use the reality-TV forum to play out whose "god" wins. For money!!
Ooh, or how about Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Greens?! I'd pay to watch that. Oops, sorry, don't mean to tinge your apolitical posts with politics.
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