My husband and I were watching a show on... I think the "WB"... called "Cheaters," a television show where a spouse, or girlfriend or boyfriend, hires a private investigator and let the TV show follow the exploits of that individual as they are caught in the act of cheating. The segment concludes when the person who suspects the infidelity is shown a video tape of the investigation and eventually confronts his/her mate and their lover, all of this caught on tape... all of this making me wonder... is it necessary for a person to humiliate themselves, their mate, and lover on TV? Do you think that it's just punishment and deserved, or simply unnecessary, or it's a violation of people's rights and space to invade their lives with a video camera? Just curious as to what you think, if you at all care. Jerry Springer, watch out!

Caught the last few minutes of the show you mention, and it all seemed to be rage and pain and people arguing incoherently. I'm not sure why people are so fascinated by the pain of others. Voyeurism of some sort, or mass-media era gossip.

These reality type shows really suck in my opinion. I don't watch any of them and stay away from watching TV as much as possible. TV today is mostly shit topped with crap.

Well, that's certainly true!! It is all crap on crap, mostly gossip and preying on the mysery of people, or contestants willingly each other over for money. I definitely agree that it's bad but it sells though, sadly. I just don't know "Cheaters" doesn't get slapped with a bunch of law suits by unknowning lovers who are caught on the show with no idea that their dates were already involved in another relationship. Perhaps, those people do sue but we never hear about it. [Shrugs] I'm not entirely facinated by all reality shows on TV, but there are a few that I do enjoy. My latest favorite is "The Apprentice." It's an interesting concept to watch competors race for the job of their lifetime, and on their way to becoming possible millionaires. Except for the bickering among the contestants living together, "The Apprentice" seems to put a more positive spin on the reality show because it forces the inteviewees to become leaders and team-players and to use their brains to make good decisions.... and the money, of course is good. I, personally, couldn't take part in it because I couldn't sacrifice most of my personal life for work. It would be nice to have access to the luxuries that the job would provide but the little time that I would have to enjoy it (while I wasn't working) wouldn't be worthwhile to me.

Basically, reality shows are just cheaper to make. No actors, no writers, etc. You can produce an entire season of Joe Millionaire, The Apprentice, American Idol, The Bachelorette, etc, for less than it costs to pay actors and writers for a single episode of Friends or West Wing, etc. And they DO make money, so it seems that the foreseeable future will bring more and more of these shows. Ugh....

Wesmorrisbabe:
Do you think that it's just punishment and deserved, or simply unnecessary, or it's a violation of people's rights and space to invade their lives with a video camera? Just curious as to what you think, if you at all care. Jerry Springer, watch out!

Its only a testament to American ignorace- tell me, how well do you trust that these people are truly 'caught'? All this Reality TV infection going around nowadays only works becuase the public is gullible.

Ever seen the fat cow on Springer yapping about sleeping with both her mother and sister? And do you see how she keeps her eyes on the audiance at all times no matter what she's doing? Ham actors for ham actors.

You must be fucking kidding me if you believe this tripe is real.

The thing is that people who do this to those they 'love' really don't. Not that the cheaters do either. Point being though, that this show wouldn't exist unless people were willing to submit themselves to this kind of embarisment. With out people willing to do so, the show would have no 'contestents'.

The whole thing is, to me, stupid and sub human. There is no deceny or pride on either side. Cheaters, joe millionaire, the bacherlorette, are all trash, as are the people that go on the shows. I don't watch them for precisely that reason.

You must be fucking kidding me if you believe this tripe is real.

Sadly enough, a good deal of it is. I'm not saying all of it mind you. But there are enough stupid people out there willing ot not only watch this trash religiously, but would love to be on a show like those.

meh.

i like the first rounds of american idol. it's hard for me to imagine that some of those people recorded themselves, played it back and still thought it was worth a shot to go sing to simon. *giggle*

i really like the apprentice. that show has practical value. getting to see the donald at work is truly educational. he's shrewd, sharp and all about business. it's impressive. i'm not sure i'd want to work for him, as i'm not sure what variables he includes in his profit function. while i think straight cash measurement is an imperative indicator as to the success of any business venture, i think it is to the detriment of the species for only the bottom line to drive business. i think a responsible business concerns itself with contributing (to the best of its ability) to the quality of life of those within its ability of affect. could be that the donald is down with that though, i don't know that much about him. i'm pretty sure it's at least mostly real. if not it's amazingly plausible or i'm amazingly gullable.

Prole:
i like the first rounds of american idol. it's hard for me to imagine that some of those people recorded themselves, played it back and still thought it was worth a shot to go sing to simon. *giggle*

Disgusting.


Mephura:
Sadly enough, a good deal of it is. I'm not saying all of it mind you. But there are enough stupid people out there willing ot not only watch this trash religiously, but would love to be on a show like those.

And when you realize that the average American's life is a boring hole....now do you realize why all that hype you see up there on stage is an act?

It has to be.

"Reality television" is my favorite oxymoron.

Hey you know what? Fuck y'all.
I'm making a stand, reality shows kick ass.
I'm well and truely bored of cheaters, but the new breed just crack me the fuck up, I love awkward moments and they're filled with them.
I'm thinking average joe, my big fat obnoxious fiance', simple life, and yes the first round of auditions for american idol, fucking classic, that is priceless television. Close minded ignorance is what would be required to deny this.
Tv is great, really really really great.
Go back to your periodicals you boring old bastards, I'll be watching anna nicole smith split her pants, we'll see who has more fun, and for that matter, is made a better human being as a result of their chosen recreational activity.

Prole:

Disgusting.



What the fuck is a prole oh yeah and uhm.... yeah blow me.

Yeah wes, fuck that bitch.
I'm drunk as fuck.
I thought you were gonna give me props for sticking up for tv but hey, tell gendanken to suck it, thats just as, if not more, good.
Hey I know your a "d" fan, have you seen that british concert or whatever on dvd? Man I just saw it, fuckin funniest thing ever, how he keeps saying "I know what your thinking.." and then doing british accents in a condescending fashion, too funny.
"I can't man, I got fucking kids to feed" the way he says that and the look on his face, oh man.

Right wes?
Make sure you reply before gendanken or I'll look like a jackass, notice how she's a real jerk? Man wtf?!

Yeah wes, fuck that bitch.
I'm drunk as fuck.
I thought you were gonna give me props for sticking up for tv but hey, tell gendanken to suck it, thats just as, if not more, good.
Hey I know your a "d" fan, have you seen that british concert or whatever on dvd? Man I just saw it, fuckin funniest thing ever, how he keeps saying "I know what your thinking.." and then doing british accents in a condescending fashion, too funny.
"I can't man, I got fucking kids to feed" the way he says that and the look on his face, oh man.

Right wes?
Make sure you reply before gendanken or I'll look like a jackass, notice how she's a real jerk? Man wtf?!

LOL. That's why you're the king lou. Your drunk fu is strong.

No I haven't seen that d dvd and goddamnit I gotta dl it from somewhere, cuz that shit kills me.

I don't have anything againsts 'reality tv' at all, as what the shit do I care. I do however, fucking hate shows "my big fat obnoxious ass" and that forthcoming midget thing and queer blah and shit fleh. That is only though because i don't like those fucking shows. I cannot stand the "I'll lie to you and fuck over your family" premise, but apparently it's what the peoples like so... so be it. I'll just ignore the shit.

Gendy is not really a jerk, she's passionate and I admire that. Calling me "disgusting" though, pretty much begs the retort "blow me". *shrug* Okay fuck that she's a bit of a jerk, but I like her anyway as she is goddamn sharp and generally fucking relevant.

I'm 99% sure that she would have been disspointed with a response (to calling me disgusting) outside of some obvious "fuck you" kind of context, as it is quite obvious to her that "disgusting" is not worthy of further consideration.

So to recap:

lou: You fucking slay me brother. Oh yeah, and I agree that TV kicks ass.

gendy: Bite me.

As a matter of fact to me it seem like that trump think is inspiration for an entire network of business shows. It would be awesome. Every industry, you can get inside shit from the moguls, blah blah. I think the idea has legs! :) Hehe.

Yeah its wierd, most people I respect don't like shit like "my big fat obnoxious fiance'" but I honestly do.
I'm wierd though like its purely for the awkward moments, like she's such a shallow superficial bitch and she has to pretend to her friends this is her fiance'. Like I can just tell being seen with great guys would be the highlight of her life, and now she's forced to tell her friends this fat freak is who she is going to marry, that just kills me.
I love it.
And american idol, they think they're so great and wham, they're dreams are just crumbled in such an emphatic fashion, I do live for human mysery which might be the minor difference between me and you.

Regardless, I definately prefer the artform that is true comedy, like the "d" for example, but also mr show, ucb and swc.
If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, get your sorry ass to best buy and get upright citizens brigade season 1 dvd and strangers with candy seasons 1 and 2.
Now I realise how truely brilliant tenacious d is I feel have to tell you about these things. For you(as an appreciator of paranormally funny shit) to miss out on this stuff in your lifetime would be a crime.
I'm serious, make sure you make an effort to see these 2 shows(if you haven't).

Oh and yeah i guess gendy aint so bad. although she has ripped on me a couple of times, like once for being ignorant, and another time for being a faggot, I'm so not a faggot.

Ahh yes, reality TV. Now I'd like to ask, who's reality is it exactly? Who do you know, for real who has been lost in some remote place with a dozen other social misfits and then voted each misfit off to win the ultimate prize of some amount of money?, who has been taken to a big house with other women and told to fight for that so called 'dream man or woman'?, etc? Wo who's true reality is it? Can anyone honestly tell me that reality TV really is someone's true reality (as in these things happen in their real lives)? Why in the hell do they call it reality TV when it's nothing of the sort?

Reality TV is nothing but fantasy, a game, a notion of offering some form of escape to viewers who have nothing better to do with their time or lives. I mean, who in the hell gets locked up in a big house with around 20 other women and then fight like a bunch of dogs in heat for a man that they've never seen, met or know anything about and then claim that they love and adore him from first site? Who has that happen to them in real life? No one I've ever heard of :rolleyes:. It's not reality but mere fodder for the viewers who just love to watch other people backstab and kiss ass to get somewhere and wish that they could do the same in real life to someone in their own real, pathetically sad lives.

And sadly so many people fall into the trap of believing it's all real and that it's all really happening and get so excited and passionate about it all. Please, if you believe that it is actually reality TV, then I think it's time to turn off the TV and start reading a book. One thing that intrigues me though is that when true reality is shown on TV, it's called a documentary. Funny that..

Its reality because its regular people reacting to fucked up circumstances. I could watch my buddies live their normal life, this is tv, it has to be interesting.

It is reality that no one makes much money except the executives that own the shows. They take ALL the profits and just pay the help minimum wages. How's that for reality. :(

It is reality that no one makes much money except the executives that own the shows. They take ALL the profits and just pay the help minimum wages. How's that for reality. :(

they also assumed all the risk and did all the work to get the ball rolling down the right track and make all of it happen. all those "profits" also go into creating jobs like camera people, producers, gaffers, blah blah blah. then the profits from everyone with a slice (and btw not too many people on the set of a show are making minimum wage) of the show feed back into grocery stores, bars, tailors, etc.

so i'd say that any ethical, successful, profitable business venture is pretty damned good for reality, and not just for the owner.

related point: why the hell should the help be paid more than minimum wage though, if they have no means to warrent more salary? i don't think a person with the responsibility "show up and do what a monkey could probably do" really warrents much salary, as anyone could do it. it's cool how supply and demand work. if you do something that is in high demand with low supply - you get paid more, as you have more negotiating power.

related point: why the hell should the help be paid more than minimum wage though, if they have no means to warrent more salary? i don't think a person with the responsibility "show up and do what a monkey could probably do" really warrents much salary, as anyone could do it. it's cool how supply and demand work. if you do something that is in high demand with low supply - you get paid more, as you have more negotiating power.


Basically, everyone involved in anything Hollywood or showbiz is Union. They get paid whatever they can negotiate for. My understanding is that many of the people you see in the credits for movies and TV shows didn't even work on the show or movie, but they are part of a crew that is part of union or guild that worked on it, so they get paid and they get credit. So, you have a small film and you need a lighting crew, but you really only need 2 or 3 crew members to do the work, but you have to hire an entire 15-man crew. The 15 get credit and pay, while only the 2 or 3 that are needed actually work.

wesmorris.......Well , to me, a TV show should have something to it besides shit. I enjoy shows like "The Twilght Zone" which cost much more to produce but is much better to view. It gave work to all of those people plus actors and actresses plus others that reality shows don't employ like scene designers, wardrobe, make-up artists etc.. To watch these reality shows makes me want to vomit as to the worth of them at all. True , those in charge take the gamble but so did those who took the gamble with The Twilght Zone and many other great series that lasted decades.

They just want to cut everyone out of the loop that gets any REAL money but themselves, greedy little dicks they are!

wesmorris.......Well , to me, a TV show should have something to it besides shit.

I'm down with that, however you don't get to decide what is shit for other people... and apparently those shows are quite popular.

I enjoy shows like "The Twilght Zone" which cost much more to produce but is much better to view.

Oh yeah me too for sure, well besides my idea for a business network. I think that would be awesome. Learning from the most successful people in whatever industry? That would be practical TV, nice. Hehe. Okay so I'm boring - get off me. :)

It gave work to all of those people plus actors and actresses plus others that reality shows don't employ like scene designers, wardrobe, make-up artists etc..

So you're gonna nitpick about who is involved with the production of a show that you don't even like? That seems kind of silly. It contributes to the economy. You are upset because you don't like the show. That is cool, but I don't think it's wise to let that emotional problem infect your ability to see the system.

To watch these reality shows makes me want to vomit as to the worth of them at all.

Unless you enjoy vomiting then, I'd suggest you avoid those shows eh?

True , those in charge take the gamble but so did those who took the gamble with The Twilght Zone and many other great series that lasted decades.

So like, now you think you should be in charge of programming? If so, get qualified and get the job. Otherwise, it seems your complaints are rather empty.

They just want to cut everyone out of the loop that gets any REAL money but themselves, greedy little dicks they are!

I don't see how that is more than a statement of jealousy or ignorance. IMO, you are not seeing these issues clearly at all, as your opinion is clouded by irrational emotional pain. While I appreciate the validity of your emotions, I don't think they are a reasonable foundation for a rational argument.

They started a project with the specific intention of success. They were able to find that success. They created a product that is quite entertaining to millions of people. I think they deserve to reap the benefits of their labors, as I do at my job - as you do at your job, blah blah blah. IMO, you/me any individual is analagous to the risk takers who started the shows you loath, and we are just as guilty of hogging all of your profits to ourselves. The main difference is the level of success. Further, there is no saying what they do with their "greedy little dicks". By your analysis and a proper comprehension of the scenario, if they are "greedy little dicks" you are a "jealous little dick". It happens, I get that way from time to time but in order to grow I try to minimize the amount of time I spend indulging in that type of thought/behavior.

I really dont get what everyones problem with these shows is, ok personally I hate them but its no big deal I just dont watch them, or has this simple solution eluded everybody??? The shows are popular with the general public and most people I know like them, thats why they continue to be produced and shown. The real reality is that they dont even make up 10% of shows on tv yet people complain theres too many of them, btw how many channels do you have to choose from????

40 percent of the general public use cable TV so they are watching many other shows besides these. No one ever finds out what cable viewers are inclinded to be watching when these "reality" shows are on.