It's now been several years since some television country genius came up with the TV-reality show-concept. Maybe I'm a cynic, but my immediate thought was that the idea certainly saved the producers a ton of money in the production costs, while providing viewers with irresistible entertainment, on a larger scale than could ever be found gossiping over the back fence with their neighbor. The beautiful part of the producers was that they do not have the costs of finding and hiring professional actors, nor were charged with expensive sets, costumes, screenwriters and Hairstylists. Viewers were located on the reality TV shows, by the fact that the ordinary people as himself gross things to do, demeaning themselves can be seen and in some cases, humiliated. Maybe-I dare to say-the voyeurism factor plays a role in the huge popularity of these low cost, high rating programs.
I can't remember now the name of one of the original programs of this new genre, but I'm sure you'll remember anyway. This show features the participants in brightly colored workout wear, which they were to compete for $ 50,000 in a last man standing format. Only walked away with the prize. Stunts included drinking raw ostrich eggs, is immersed in the coffin and medium-sized boxes filled with a variety of insects, some of those little, and many other such disgusting acts. They may be asked to climb in a cylindrical tank water to retrieve a set of keys, only one of which would open the tank lid before they drowned or ' uncle! ' cried. The participant with the best time went on to keep going for the gold. Those who had the worst time were sent off home, with sad music, into oblivion, cashless. This TV-you know ... gave viewers their jollies in gross ness.
One of the most popular of the current crop of TV reality shows is "The Biggest Loser ', where some extremely overweight people are put in colored teams. They are formatted in a luxurious setting, with personal trainers, who sometimes taunt of the participants in what, to me, seems nothing short of cruelty. They work day and night, healthy, but minimum amounts of food. Sometimes, they are subject to a tempting vending machine, full of banned treats. Some of the treats are marked with ' points ' that offers an incentive of a kind that the benefits of their weight. When participants get on the scale for a weekly weigh-in, look most like they could break into tears. Indeed, some do. Nobody seems ever to reach slimness.
Another very popular TV-reality show is ' the Bachelor ' where a man is shopping for his dream girl of marriage material type, choose from a bevy of prospective wives, numbering a few dozen or so. The women fawn over the man, in the hope to be ''. Sometimes, his roles reversed, with a woman to choose from a a camp of men, who zelfdunkende in their efforts to win ' the girl. Again, humiliation is ever-present. Is this reality? In real life, people shop for a mate like this? Doesn't matter.
' Woman Swap ' is another most popular TV-you know .... Wives and mothers of two different family backgrounds, such as a well to do psychologist versus a woman whose family is nothing better than go-carts and paint ball, enjoys switch places, with each mother setting new rules and activities for the other family. This calls on conflict and numerous resentment between the two families. The alleged goal is to open up new possibilities of family life for both parties. If the two-week stay progresses, grows the tension. The most explicit relief as they finally go home.
Then there is "The Nanny", a parenting expert. In this TV you know ... adds the nanny in the family life, with all kinds of sage advice about managing the unruly behaviour of children. This TV-you know ... is perhaps the mildest of the party. I don't know about the ratings, but they are probably not as high as the bug-eating show.
I admit to looking at each of these shows at least once. There remains, however, my cynicism. TV producers are raking in the viewers, but the participants, win or lose always seem to be the losers, right on national television. However, I believe, that TV reality shows all the rage for some time will continue to come. One can only wonder what's next. The entertainment value is there.
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