Today's Question: What do you think of reality television?

RammerJammer14

Hall of Fame
Aug 18, 2007
14,511
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UA
If reality TV is filming regular people doing stuff, I enjoy shows like "The First 48" and "Dirty Jobs". I also like "Man vs Wild", idk if that qualifies as reality tv. But I have never been a big fan of game-show type shows, and I really dislike celebrity-based reality tv shows. I feel no urge to find out what random-girl-with-big-boobs is doing to be a youknowwhat this week.
 

BradtheImpaler

All-American
Nov 16, 2010
2,001
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Sugar Hill, GA
I enjoy the competition shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race and American Idol. I've never watched Jersey Shore, but admit to having thoroughly enjoyed shows like The Real World back in my 20's, but only for the first few seasons - lost interest after that.

Like Riz said, some of it is compelling and well-produced and some of it is trash and not worth my time, and that applies to pretty much everything else on television.
I was the same way with The Real World. The first season felt 'real'. Once it was a hit, I felt like each successive cast came in with an agenda; namely to become famous.

If reality TV is filming regular people doing stuff, I enjoy shows like "The First 48" and "Dirty Jobs". I also like "Man vs Wild", idk if that qualifies as reality tv. But I have never been a big fan of game-show type shows, and I really dislike celebrity-based reality tv shows. I feel no urge to find out what random-girl-with-big-boobs is doing to be a youknowwhat this week.
The First 48 is phenomenal. It's amazing to see the differences from city to city. Birmingham, Memphis and Miami don't play. If you kill someone in one of those cities, they will find you! Indianapolis... not so much. I also really liked Crime 360. I had to watch it for an EXD class, and found it to be fascinating.

The two reality shows I will watch are No Reservations and Bizarre Foods.
Have you watched The Layover​?
 
I was the same way with The Real World. The first season felt 'real'. Once it was a hit, I felt like each successive cast came in with an agenda; namely to become famous.



The First 48 is phenomenal. It's amazing to see the differences from city to city. Birmingham, Memphis and Miami don't play. If you kill someone in one of those cities, they will find you! Indianapolis... not so much. I also really liked Crime 360. I had to watch it for an EXD class, and found it to be fascinating.



Have you watched The Layover​?
Yeah... The Layover is really good as well. Honestly, I'm just a big fan of anything Anthony Bourdain does.

The shift in the Real World happened when they did the season in Hawaii. The producers quickly realized the audience wanted to see the partying and such more so than real situations (Go back and watch seasons 1-4... incredibly tame when compared to previous seasons. Miami in season 5 also laid the foundation for what really took hold in Hawaii).
 

Rasputin

Suspended
Apr 15, 2008
5,686
1
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The longer I go without TV, the more I come to understand why my parents called it the "idiot box".
Interesting...

Do you feel like you have become less of an "idiot" or that you have now noticed how much we television watchers are "idiots"?
 

twofbyc

Hall of Fame
Oct 14, 2009
12,193
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Yeah... The Layover is really good as well. Honestly, I'm just a big fan of anything Anthony Bourdain does.

The shift in the Real World happened when they did the season in Hawaii. The producers quickly realized the audience wanted to see the partying and such more so than real situations (Go back and watch seasons 1-4... incredibly tame when compared to previous seasons. Miami in season 5 also laid the foundation for what really took hold in Hawaii).
I don't know if this is true or not, but....at wedding #3, I was told (by either the preacher or my best man, who is a native Hawaiian) we were right next to that house. Interesting....
 

BamaInMo1

All-American
Oct 27, 2006
2,012
481
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Cumming, GA
The only "reality" show I watch is Swamp People. Scripted or not, they're really hunting those gators and pulling them in the boat. One of them killed one with a knife a week or so ago.
 

happytidefan

All-SEC
Jul 24, 2008
1,576
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0
Columbus, Mississippi
I can't tell you the last time I actually watched a whole television program of any sort. Usually I'm on Pinterest or working on a project or reading while the television is on, so it's not a waste of time. I enjoy reality television sometimes - competition shows mostly. Lately I'm into Ink Masters, Top Chef, Survivor, Amazing Race Swamp People, Lizard Lick, American Idol and every now and then I cop to watching the Househo's. I don't get into the Snookies, Osbournes, IceTs/Coco and Kardashians.
 

CrimsonPhoenix

3rd Team
Dec 4, 2006
248
0
35
Cullman, Alabama
I have watched American Idol for about 5 years. It is the only reality show that I watch.
The discovery of new singers is exciting to me and especially keeping up with their development
is interesting.

Scotty McCreery (last season's American Idol) has done well this year with
his country songs and has been high up on the Billboard Top 100 Chart several times.
http://www.billboard.com/column/cha...ery-talks-clear-as-day-video-1005383452.story


But my favorite right now is Adam Lambert from two seasons ago. Adam is going on tour with Queen beginning this summer as the front man. Until now, Queen has not replaced Freddie Mercury (so great) who died in 1991. The band members are old....so who knows for how long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlWdC45tgno&feature=related
 
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RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
39,407
6
0
Prattville
Haven't read the the thread. Just posting so might be repeat of what some have already said. Sorry if that is the case...

We had a discussion similar to this last week in a class. My instructor doesn't watch much reality TV; didn't know about Swamp People or Pawn Stars.

The best I could answer the question he posed of "Why do we watch them?" was that it allows us to get away from our everyday lives. I go to work and school everyday. While doing homework, I can flip on whatever MTV reality show is on (if the lady isn't up for sports that night). I can do the dreaded homework and laugh at the characters. It's very entertaining.

One girl in the class said people who watch reality TV must want to be part of that particular lifestyle. I told her that's not the case. I watch Jersey Shore to laugh at their stupidity. Went on to tell her that I have no want to go GTL (that's Gym, Tan, Laundry for those that don't know :D).

Another point that I, and others, made to my teacher was that reality TV makes us feel better about ourselves. We can sit and think about how glorious our lives are because we don't look like an idiot like the people in ___________ (insert your particular show here).
 

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