I like reality television.
There, I said it. I watch reality tv. I have watched it pretty regularly since the second season of Survivor. My favorites are The Apprentice and The Amazing Race (season premiere – the day after my birthday! yay!), and we keep up with Survivor and a bit of American Idol (though I only watch the results shows at this point). I watched Big Brother one season, but I don’t like it as much. Personally, I don’t understand the vitriolic criticism people have regarding “reality tv” (I am actually with Mark Burnett on this one – I like the term “unscripted drama”). I don’t see that it’s really any worse than any other TV. Survivor is fun to watch to see how people act in groups. The Amazing Race (which I could never ever do) is so interesting, because true colors are shown because of fatigue and extreme situations, which is similar to Survivor, but in TAR, you’re not on your own – you have someone who is very close to you along on the trip. The Apprentice was just plain fun because of Donald Trump’s enormous ego. I mean, have you seen his hair? And his apartment was the tackiest thing EVER. But he doesn’t care – everything he’s built is the most beautiful or the best in some way. I love it. And I loved how he wasn’t afraid to put the contestants down. Jeff Probst has been getting more snarky lately, and Survivor has benefitted from it greatly. Sometimes people need to be told when they are behaving like crap.
Anyway, I am tired of feeling as if I have to defend my poor taste in television. I never go to the movies. I don’t watch much tv other than these shows. I watch them for entertainment. So sue me.
The other thing about reality tv that is funny to me is that people see the characters so differently. On a regular drama, it’s easy to tell who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. And nobody really takes the bad guys’ side. Like in Alias, who is pulling for that bad guy with the fluid and the channeling? Nobody. (I don’t watch Alias - this is just what I have gathered from my friends). But, take Survivor as an example. This season I have had my sanity called into question for liking some of the characters and disliking some of the others. I just had a conversation where I said I wasn’t voting for Rupert to win the second million (I am with many TwoP-ers in supporting “Operation Deny Rupert” by voting fast and furious for other contestants because I think that he is probably going to win) and the girl I was talking to looked at me as if I was a disgusting bug. “Oh, sure,” she said, “give the money to someone who lies and manipulates. Rupert was honest during the whole game!” Well, sure, but I don’t think honesty is what Survivor is about. I think it’s about lying and manipulating while not pissing people off too much. I don’t like Rupert. I haven’t liked him either season. He’s sexist, and he relies on the “I was teased as a child” shtick too much. His popularity is very confusing to me. You know who I do like? Big Tom, until the reunion show. Alicia (which is a very unpopular choice, I know). Jerri, because she didn’t seem as bad this season (although I didn’t like her at the reunion show). Jenna L, even though she is a little dorky. I even liked Rob and Ambah okay. I didn’t hate them like most of America does, which I have been afraid to admit. I thought Rob played the game well. But I have been kind of afraid to say who I really liked and didn’t like, because I want people to like me and not think I am crazy. Who did I dislike besides Rupert? Richard Hatch. Lex. Kathy. Shii Ann. I liked Rudy, of course, and I thought Sue Hawk was telling the truth when she said she felt humiliated by Richard (another unpopular thing to say).
Mike and I enjoy pulling for teams and we usually see the teams similarly, which is fun. It’s like watching any game show, really, just with personal drama added. I have been put down too many times for watching these shows, and I refuse to apologize anymore. I like competition. I like sociology. I will keep on watching as long as I am entertained.
So, I have voted online for the second million. I have voted a lot. hehe. I have voted both the Robs, and Jenna L, and Rudy. And Big Tom a few times. I just don’t like Rupert, and I have a new policy of not apologizing for that.
It feels good to get that off my chest.
1 Trackbacks
You can leave a trackback using this URL: http://throughaglass.net/archives/2004/05/12/in-which-i-come-clean-on-one-of-my-guilty-pleasures-and-resolve-to-no-longer-feel-guilty/trackback/
cheapest cialis
12 Comments
it really is (even though you just explained it) beyond my comprehension how you can like alicia.. and rob and or amber.. or jerri.. and not like rupert… lol… I just cant in my mind make that work…
but I love ya anyway.. you know.. despite your “problem”…
What’s so wrong with Rob and Amber anyway? Why does everyone hate them? Mike and I don’t hate them.
I hate that they won.. because she put out… the only reason they won is because she is hot.. and he was horny.. so they hooked up..and had an unbreakable alliance… she was on Letterman the other night.. and he asked her the question “what did you do different this time.. than you did the first time.. that made you win”.. and before she even answered I said… “well dave.. I got a boyfriend this time” UGH!..and she prattled on about oh this and that and blah blah blah..and I thought.. NOPE>. you got a man… thats how you won..
actually.. I have less of an issue with Rob and Ambah.. than I do with Alicia and Jerri.. they are both big fat B words… lol..
anyway.. Im right.. you’re wrong.. so just say it.. and we can move on…hehehe
No. That is part of my new policy. I will not give in. We can agree to disagree, but I refuse to be intimidated.
I don’t disagree that Alicia and Jerri can be bitchy. But who was Jerri bitchy to? Shii Ann. And Rupert when he wanted to BUILD THE SHELTER UNDERGROUND. I have no problem with that.
Who was Alicia bitchy to? I don’t actually know. You will have to tell me. But I have liked Alicia since Australia. She makes me laugh. hehe. Plus . . . I mean, Rupert was bitchy to people. Why is it okay for a guy but not a girl?
I think Rob should have said, “Screw you all, I outsmarted you. And that’s why I deserve the million.” hehe. I think he should have won and not Amber.
well I disagree about Rob winning… he did outsmart people.. but he had to back bite.. and betray people to do it.. and that came back to bite him in the ass in the end… so I think he deserved what he got… and its not ok for a guy.. there were guys that I hated to.. but we were talking about a specific group of folks.. so that is who I was focusing on… what are you trying to do to me here.. make me out to be some kind of survivor sexists??….
alicia was just generally bitchy to everyone.. it was her attitude.. a piss poor one if you ask me.. she thought she was in charge of everything.. and was always smarting off.. that drove me nuts… and jerri.. well.. I held a grudge against jerri from her last season.. hehehe…
like I’ve said before…it’s a game…not a niceness or honesty contest. A. Game.
See, I think a lot of people were prejudiced against Jerri from last time. But she seemed a lot different to me. And I HATED her the first time. I thought she really did make an effort this time.
Admit it, Trey, you are a Survivor sexist. You have been exposed!
I think if Rob had been playing against people he didn’t know, he would have won a la Richard Hatch. But Lex (Mr. “This time it’s a business trip”) had to be a big crybaby about the whole thing. Alicia too. But I thought she had more cause to be upset than Lex and Kathy. And Tom had more cause to be upset than any of them.
you know.. I cheered for Tom the whole season.. (remember.. we talked about that early on).. he was my favorite… him and jenna.. but Tom deserved to lose.. and he deserved what he got.. because of this…
when it was down to the 6 of them.. and shii ann (even though I hate her) said “you can vote me off anytime.. so why not use my vote to get rid of Rob or Amber”.. and Tom voted for shii ann anyway.. I was like.. you DUMBAXE!! she was SO right.. they could have all agreed to vote her off anytime.. so why not use her… but no.. then Tom like an idiot decided that he would team with Rob and Amber instead of Rupert and Jenna.. I was like.. yeah.. thats a smart move.. cause you know.. you have a chance to win with Rob and Amber.. IDIOT!!!.. I was so mad at him… and then he wanted to act all.. SURPRISED that Rob screwed him.. whatever man.. you knew how he was.. and you decided to side with him…and he his she-devil partner..
I am NOT a survivor sexists you RUPERT HATING SPAWN OF TSGGATHOUA!!.. did the great demon lord tell you to hate rupert and like alicia.. is that what happened?.. cause then I could understand…
I think all of the final six were dumb not to get rid of Rob and/or Amber when they had a chance. So I think Tom deserved to lose since he was stupid. And I think he behaved appallingly at tribal council (although I thought he had the right to be upset about Rob calling his son dumb or whatever). But I can see why he was upset that Rob betrayed his alliance . . . I think he was dumb for sure, but he had more right to be upset than Lex. Lex was just dumb, and he wanted to blame Rob for that. He shouldn’t have agreed to what Rob asked. dumb dumb dumb.
The great demon lord is voting against Rupert as well. He will be very displeased if Rupert wins the million.
Kari, if you enjoy it, watch it. It is an interesting study in anthropology, psychology, sociology, team formation, etc.
I’ve never wanted to watch Survivor because 1) of all the hype and 2) the contest idea seemed implausible to me. Of course, it’s not as if some of the others aren’t, but … oh well.
I didn’t watch any of the genre until I was sans cable.
That’s an interesting point, Geof. We only have basic cable, so it’s network shows for me.
Aaaaand, the great demon lord is most seriously displeased. *sigh*