A Place for Reality Shows

I’m not a very big fan of the reality shows that seem to have taken over TV for the last few years. I’m not into sexy vampires either, but that is a blog all by itself. I just want to say that any woman that I have bitten wasn’t very appreciative. I am thinking of Laura Snitman when I was four. Her parents were pretty pissed off and so were mine. I think my mom bit me back to teach me a lesson, kind of like the anti-Dr. Spock. No, I didn’t like it either.

 

Mark Burnett did one of the first reality shows called “Eco-Challenge” which I enjoyed. It was about teams of ultimate athletes that had to race across deserts and jungles, pitting themselves against the most horrific trials that nature could through at them. I eagerly anticipated it every year. I knew there was no way that I could ever even finish one of these courses, let alone race, but I was with the athletes every step of the way.

 

Mark Burnett moved on to produce “Survivor” which I watched for the first season, thinking it would be real people pitting themselves against nature and helping each other to survive. Boy was I wrong! I can remember a scene where there was a guy being interviewed on a beach, talking about how hungry he was with just rice to eat. During this conversation, two craps (I meant to write "crabs", but for all I know they might have tasted like crap) walked behind him across the sand. This ding-doodle would have trouble surviving in New York with a Platinum American Express credit card. I know it is still popular, but for the life of me, I don’t understand it. It seems to take all that is detestable in people and magnify it.

 

There are shows that I do like and I am not completely embarrassed to admit it. I watch “American Chopper”, even though I have little or no interest in motor cycles and I really don’t care much for the people. It is kind of like cousins, in your day to day life, who really cares what happens to them, but if they get crushed to death by a rampaging water buffalo, it is pretty entertaining. There are certain wood working shows that I have followed throughout the years. There is nothing better than watching an episode or two of “The Woodwrights Shop”. http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/ Roy Underhill is an amazing man and an incredible craftsman. “This Old House” used to be really good, but ever since they fired Bob Villa the projects that they work on are far too complex for me to take much interest in.

 

Tonight I got caught up in “Americas Got Talent”. Tonight’s show was about half way through the competition, so all of the talent were talented. I can’t get over how much time and effort that these people put into their particular interest. Some spend years training and suffering for a chance just like this to come along and for a sad few, the answer is that they just are not good enough. The judges turn them down nicely for the most part, but how do you rebound from a rejection so complete. The little kids are fine, and the younger people can always hone their craft a little more, but some of them just don’t get that they are trying to be in the entertainment business. You can’t do just what you like to do, there has to be thought given to who is watching the performance.

 

Listen to me thinking I know what I am talking about. Give me a good, well written drama or a comedy show any day. I guess there is a place for reality shows, it is made of porcelain and there is a lever for flushing.