reality
A few months ago, Julia and I caught the end of the season finale of Top Chef while she answered email and I embarked on the 386-step process of assembling an Ikea bureau. When it was over, we started bemoaning the fact that the wrong chef won, before stopping to laugh at ourselves. Yes, even two cynics like us are still susceptible to the manipulation of reality TV editing and production.
It’s one thing to formulate an opinion based on someone’s performance (American Idol, America’s Next Top Model), but it’s another to do so through the editing of a few judges’ opinions about food you cannot taste. Plus we had seen maybe two or three episodes the entire season. But it didn’t matter – we were just so sure that Sam was let go too early and that Ilan didn’t even deserve to be in the finals.
Neither one of us are reality TV junkies, but we’ve each had our brief periods of obsession. Julia became so infatuated with one season of America’s Next Top Model that I feared she might burn our apartment down in a rage if her favorite contestant lost (fortunately Yoanna won). And I have religiously watched every episode of The Ultimate Fighter – the only reality show where the contestants are actually required to fight.
I barely know enough about reality TV (I’ve seen maybe a total of five episodes of Survivor) to speak with any authority on the subject, but clearly the most enjoyable part of these shows is the elimination. The overly dramatic music, the quick scans of all the nervous faces, the eliminator clearly relishing in the power – made all the more enjoyable if the person is certifiably insane (see: Tyra Banks).
So that got me thinking: Why not produce a reality show (working title: Eliminated) that is nothing but one, hour-long elimination? I guarantee that with enough over-the-top production and the right condescending mix of judges/panelists, no one would even care why the people were being eliminated. You could start with 100 contestants and slowly whittle away the field. Two weeks in we’d all already have favorites and villains:
"I so hope Tricia wins!"
"That Bruce is such a smug bastard. GOD I hate him."
I think it’s everyone’s hope that they could somehow wind up on one of these shows, but I’m guessing we’re just not ready for "America’s Next Top Copywriter" yet. "NO one would watch that," says Julia. I would.
It’s one thing to formulate an opinion based on someone’s performance (American Idol, America’s Next Top Model), but it’s another to do so through the editing of a few judges’ opinions about food you cannot taste. Plus we had seen maybe two or three episodes the entire season. But it didn’t matter – we were just so sure that Sam was let go too early and that Ilan didn’t even deserve to be in the finals.
Neither one of us are reality TV junkies, but we’ve each had our brief periods of obsession. Julia became so infatuated with one season of America’s Next Top Model that I feared she might burn our apartment down in a rage if her favorite contestant lost (fortunately Yoanna won). And I have religiously watched every episode of The Ultimate Fighter – the only reality show where the contestants are actually required to fight.
I barely know enough about reality TV (I’ve seen maybe a total of five episodes of Survivor) to speak with any authority on the subject, but clearly the most enjoyable part of these shows is the elimination. The overly dramatic music, the quick scans of all the nervous faces, the eliminator clearly relishing in the power – made all the more enjoyable if the person is certifiably insane (see: Tyra Banks).
So that got me thinking: Why not produce a reality show (working title: Eliminated) that is nothing but one, hour-long elimination? I guarantee that with enough over-the-top production and the right condescending mix of judges/panelists, no one would even care why the people were being eliminated. You could start with 100 contestants and slowly whittle away the field. Two weeks in we’d all already have favorites and villains:
"I so hope Tricia wins!"
"That Bruce is such a smug bastard. GOD I hate him."
I think it’s everyone’s hope that they could somehow wind up on one of these shows, but I’m guessing we’re just not ready for "America’s Next Top Copywriter" yet. "NO one would watch that," says Julia. I would.
posted by Justin at 10:48 AM
3 Comments:
I can't believe you outed my ANTM addiction like that. Traitor.
How convenient that you forgot to mention your own obsession with VH1's "I Love New York".
I'm mortified for you both, even though I probably watch more TV in a week than you watch in in two months.
I NEVER admit it to friends, I watch "I Love New York" too. It's like watching a train wreck every week. You know it's going to be awful but you can't drag your eyes away.
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