Sitting on an ACTIVE volcanoe...????

Everyone seems to want their fifteen minutes of fame, but true fame is a narrow path, and the pluspart end up disappointed. I wouldn't take part in any 'reality' TV show; I find them rather exploitative of a shallow society's obsession with celebrity. Still, it's what people want.

I just made post on another thread about appealing to the lowest common denominator in society.

On obsession with celebrity, I think those who stand outside the various award ceremonies waiting for glimpse of the "stars" walking down the red carpet are the biggest friggin' losers on earth. Why don't they get a life?

Now, I watched the first "Survivor" show, because it was new, and was a kick. I have not chosen to watch any others subsequently.

Yes, I do believe that these shows appeal to the lowest common denominator. If that's what sells soap powder, the advertisers will keep pushing for those sorts of shows.

What gets me, is if people find the shows so distasteful, why is there so much talk about them, on A2K?

Because on these forums, people will inevitably discuss subjects from two areas. Those that interest them, and those that piss them off!

I don't watch them, so they can't piss me off. I find very little on commercial TV that interests me. If I had your attitude, I could get pissed at some of those inane, bottom of the barrel situation comedies that are so pervasive on TV. Just watching their trailers want to make me barf!

Exactly, it's just trailers that make me want to barf. I saw an ad on one of our 3 commercial stations a few days ago, advertising their lifestyle programs for the coming year. So far there are 10 lifestyle/reality programs will be shown this year. The reason they do it is they get revenue from advertising, while having to pay little in wages. They're taking the viewing public for a ride, and most of them are too dim witted to see it.

You have them pegged, Wilso and Phoenix.

I think that the idea of appealing to the lowest common denominator- why do something intelligent and alienate most when we can cross boundaries with low brow crap- is very condescending, and flawed. Look at the success of things like 'Frasier' and 'Seinfeld,' which did not follow this awful formula.

Agh, crappy situation comedies. No wonder why I read instead of watching the TV. I would bet my bottom dollar that A2Kers would be able to conceive a show much better than what they're churning out.

I guess I must be amongst the "lowest common denominator" because I like the reality t.v. shows. At least to the posters here I am.

What do I like about them? The aspect of the unknown, rooting for your favourite player and basically just seeing who comes out on top in the end. I do NOT like the backstabbing, malipulative aspects that inevitably come up in these shows. My all time favourite is The Amazing Race. With the exception of bickering couples it's really just an all out race around the world and you learn a little bit about geography in the process so it isn't an entirely vacuous show as others can be.

I'd rather watch "real" people (even if some are aspiring actors) than overpaid actors/sports stars, etc. That isn't to say I don't watch "regular" t.v. but I don't watch as much of it.

Ultimately real life has more to offer than television, but it does fill in the void during those times when not much is going on. I've lived without t.v. before and I've no doubt I'll live without it again. Besides, it doesn't cost any extra if you have a t.v.