Reality TV killing intelligence!!!

[Pauliesonne]

Ok, here is what I think;

Reality TV is dumbing down people, who are a majority, by letting them not think for themselves.

So in turn, they believe whatever nonsense they're told.

People need to watch more BBC4!!!!

[brodski]

Ok, here is what I think;

Reality TV is dumbing the people, who are a majority, by letting people not think for themselves.

So in turn, they believe whatever nonsense they're told.

have you got cause and effect confused there?
I'm not sure myself, but I doubt that it's part of a conspiracy, as your post seems to imply.

[Pauliesonne]

I did'nt mean to imply a conspiracy whatsoever.

[Nyarlathotep]

We don't get BBC4 in Nevada. So I am in deep trouble then.

[brodski]

I did'nt mean to imply a conspiracy whatsoever. fair enough, that's just the way I read it.
But the question is there, does inane TV make people stupid, or appeal to those that are allready stupid?

edited for spelling

[Pauliesonne]

innae?

[brodski]

We don't get BBC4 in Nevada. So I am in deep trouble then.
well, you can still listen to BBC radio 4.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/index.shtml?logo

I prefer it to BBC 4 anyway.

[Pauliesonne]

Not me.

I've never been one for the radio.

I don't know why...

I'm sure there is some good stuff.

[brodski]

innae?
sorry, I mean inane.

[Ossai]

Pauliesonne
Ok, here is what I think;

Reality TV is dumbing down people, who are a majority, by letting them not think for themselves.

So in turn, they believe whatever nonsense they're told.

And you thought the TV shows were bad. You haven’t seen anything yet.

World’s First Ever Reality TV Convention Coming To Nashville, Tennessee (http://www.realitytvconvention.com/)

The sad part is I live in Nashville.

Ossai

[Serenity]

Good thread!
I think the format has been getting dumbed down to the point where the reality is so contrived. It doesn’t have to be devoid of intelligence or be an intelligence killer. Maybe the problem is the market being flooded with these type shows and the quality is suffering as a result. I can think of some pretty good reality TV shows - Survivorman (http://science.discovery.com/convergence/survivorman/survivorman.html) , World's Most Dangerous Catch (http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/deadliestcatch/deadliestcatch.html), Cops, Rough Science (BBC), come to mind. Reality TV done right can be very enlightening.

[Serenity]

Pauliesonne


And you thought the TV shows were bad. You haven’t seen anything yet.

World’s First Ever Reality TV Convention Coming To Nashville, Tennessee (http://www.realitytvconvention.com/)

The sad part is I live in Nashville.

OssaiThat's too funny! An underclass of Reality TV stars seeking limelight has been created.

[Marker]

My issue is with the fact that we call it "Reality" TV.

Reality it is not.

If the peole in these shows were typical of "real" people then that would mean the world would be populated by spoilt, insecure, attention-seeking celebrity wannabe's with personality disorders.

As far as I know its only America thats like that...

[Nyarlathotep]

My issue is with the fact that we call it "Reality" TV.

Reality it is not.

If the peole in these shows were typical of "real" people then that would mean the world would be populated by spoilt, insecure, attention-seeking celebrity wannabe's with personality disorders.

As far as I know its only America thats like that...

Some people, apparently, will take any opportunity to bash Americans.

And people on another thread wonder where I get the idea that I would be treated like dirt if I ever travelled outside of the US. sheesh.

[Marker]

Some people, apparently, will take any opportunity to bash Americans.


Sorry Nyarlathotep, it was meant to be a friendly tease. I could never say anything against someone who quotes Marty Feldman (genius) in his sig.

[Nyarlathotep]

Sorry Nyarlathotep, it was meant to be a friendly tease. I could never say anything against someone who quotes Marty Feldman (genius) in his sig.


In which case, sorry if I over reacted.

[Zbu]

My issue is with the fact that we call it "Reality" TV.

Reality it is not.

If the peole in these shows were typical of "real" people then that would mean the world would be populated by spoilt, insecure, attention-seeking celebrity wannabe's with personality disorders.

As far as I know its only America thats like that...

I think the only thing Reality TV has shown us conclusively is that there are many people out there who believe that Fame is something they would strip naked, cover themselves in live cockroaches, run into public, and beat up an old lady with a cricket bat for. Yes, there are these kinds of idiots out there, but then again they have probably always been with us.

[Serenity]

My issue is with the fact that we call it "Reality" TV.

Reality it is not.

If the peole in these shows were typical of "real" people then that would mean the world would be populated by spoilt, insecure, attention-seeking celebrity wannabe's with personality disorders.

As far as I know its only America thats like that...
Ultimately it’s the viewer ship that influences the industry’s direction by voting with their eyes. These reality stars learn from their predecessors that in order to “make it” and be offered the quality, well-paying roles, you must first be recognized; stand out – sensationalism and over-dramatizing serve well here. Today’s reality actors must be privy to this and end up becoming caricatures of themselves in hopes their so-called "reality" endeavors become a springboard for future stardom or riches. There's lots of blame to go around, how its distributed, I'm not sure.

[Beleth]

The first word in the subject of this thread is unnecessary.

[Crazytree]

this is more of a chicken-egg scenario. I think people have gotten pretty dumbed-down and we're just starting to figure it out.

[Zep]

I have to go with the comment above: What the heck has the adjective "reality" got to do with this type of TV show? Nothing. Not a goddam thing.

As far as I can tell, no-one on Earth BUT these shows are involved in such stupid, utterly contrived, poorly realised and UNreal games, for the TV viewing public. They are totally on their own with this, their own redefinition of the word "reality".

If it were actually "reality", surely a reasonable fraction of the human population would be behaving like they do. Perhaps somewhere in the dim, dank depths of the Amazon there's a still-to-be-discovered tribe who vote each other off the island each week at Tribal Council to the sound of synthesised background music and noises of cickets. If so, I would expect it to appear first on National Geographic channel, with considerable scientific fanfare (and frank surprise). But I haven't ever seen it anywhere, either live or reported - have you?

No.

If I were running the game, I'd make just one rule change: Allow the viewers to vote off as many contenstants as they like each week. That way, they would become two-show specials only. That's enough, I think, don't you?

[ned flandas]

Ok, here is what I think;

Reality TV is dumbing down people, who are a majority, by letting them not think for themselves.



If so many people didnt watch it, then there's no way they could put it on year after year.

So the veiwers are to blame too.

[Complexity]

Turn off the damned TV and read a good book.

[Mephisto]

I'm wondering if Reality TV is responsible for "dumbing down" people or if it's just bringing to light how dumb people really are. Reality TV is a fairly new thing, but stupid people have been around for ages.

[Meadmaker]

Is reality TV even all that new? Wasn't there a show in the '50s or '60s called "This is Your Life"? That was before my time, but I think it basically had an ordinary person on stage, and their lives would be discussed for the TV audience, with old photos, or a sudden, surprise appearance by their first grade teacher. That seems like reality TV.



I must confess to liking some reality TV. "Trading Spaces" is a sort of reality TV, and I liked it for a while, although I never would have watched it if my wife didn't turn it on. I saw a few episodes of the first "Survivor", and found it interesting. I saw the first two episodes of this season's "Amazing Race", and I like it. I probably wouldn't watch it if it weren't on at a time when I'm doing a stationary bike exercise routine, but I don't think it is quite insulting to my intelligence.

[Ausmerican]

There is every bit as much reality in the majority of reality TV shows as there is in pro wrestling.

[scimystic]

Ok, here is what I think;

Reality TV is dumbing down people, who are a majority, by letting them not think for themselves.

So in turn, they believe whatever nonsense they're told.

People need to watch more BBC4!!!!


All TV kills intelligence. I chucked mine out when Robin Day* died (20 years ago?) and haven't missed it a bit.

*The last political interviewer to combine the intellectual honesty and accumen needed to drag BSing politicians back - time and again - to their little piles of BS, until they'd either be forced to answer the question or admit to being the shallow spin mongers that most of them were and still are.

[Serenity]

Is reality TV even all that new? Wasn't there a show in the '50s or '60s called "This is Your Life"? That was before my time, but I think it basically had an ordinary person on stage, and their lives would be discussed for the TV audience, with old photos, or a sudden, surprise appearance by their first grade teacher. That seems like reality TV.
Candid Camera immediately comes to mind also. I think the difference between then and now, is the number of shows. The Reality TV marketplace has exploded over the past years. It might have started in 1992 when the original Real World TV series aired.

I must confess to liking some reality TV. "Trading Spaces" is a sort of reality TV, and I liked it for a while, although I never would have watched it if my wife didn't turn it on. I saw a few episodes of the first "Survivor", and found it interesting. I saw the first two episodes of this season's "Amazing Race", and I like it. I probably wouldn't watch it if it weren't on at a time when I'm doing a stationary bike exercise routine, but I don't think it is quite insulting to my intelligence.

I'm not embarrassed watching it either. There's some good shows out there mixed in with all the 2nd rate stuff. Reality TV will always be with us in one form or another. I don't buy into the turn your TV off and read a book crowd unless your not reading any books. TV will always have its place, and its power to inform (or disinform) instantaneously is unmatched and will only increase. I love the fact that movies can be a shared cinematic bonding experience. It's difficult to get that same effect with books. I realize the pros and cons of each and will continue to want both in my life. We should be thinking about how to influence quality in TV and balance viewing time with other extra curricular activities, because it's not going away.

[Serenity]

All TV kills intelligence. I chucked mine out when Robin Day* died (20 years ago?) and haven't missed it a bit.

*The last political interviewer to combine the intellectual honesty and accumen needed to drag BSing politicians back - time and again - to their little piles of BS, until they'd either be forced to answer the question or admit to being the shallow spin mongers that most of them were and still are. That's a false statement. You must not be watching enough TV. ;)

[alfaniner]

The only "reality" show I was ever very interested in (other than a certain early season of The Real World) was the Eco-Challenge. Real athlete teams competing under some of the worst conditions imaginable to reach the goal first. And a rather subdued finish, at that.

Mark Burnett was the producer, then Survivor killed in the ratings, and I haven't seen Eco-Challenge since.

[slingblade]

I like "The Biggest Loser" in America ( weight-loss show) because the entrants do lose weight and get healthier. It's cool to watch them shrink each week. But of course it is also manipulative and flawed. Still, good show.

[UserGoogol]

Reality TV done right can be very enlightening.

Yes, but when "done right," a Reality TV show is really nothing more than a gonzo documentary. Or possibly a game show.

[Serenity]

Yes, but when "done right," a Reality TV show is really nothing more than a gonzo documentary. Or possibly a game show.
I think the game show is in its own special category so I’ll set it aside. I think it’s unwarranted to compare a Reality TV show to a documentary. Each category offers a different slice of pie, a unique perspective, or slant. To consider it a gonzo documentary would be to misconstrue its value by saying it’s trying to be something it’s not. It would be just as unwise to call a documentary a gonzo Reality TV show.

If I had watched a documentary on fishing for King Crab in the Bering Sea, I would likely get a clinical experience… watching someone’s “narrative” version of reality with lots of facts, interviews and footage. A Reality TV show on the same topic would add another layer or (human) dimension to the story; putting into context what the documentary, by its very nature, has trouble delivering. Also, someone interested in the social sciences… focused more on the element of human interaction… might find Reality TV more interesting and informative than the documentary.

[Ausmerican]

The only reality based show I can ever bring myself to watch is 'Monster House.' More reality than most and really gives you some cool ideas to try with your house. Not that the wife always agrees.

[UserGoogol]

I think the game show is in its own special category so I’ll set it aside. I think it’s unwarranted to compare a Reality TV show to a documentary. Each category offers a different slice of pie, a unique perspective, or slant. To consider it a gonzo documentary would be to misconstrue its value by saying it’s trying to be something it’s not. It would be just as unwise to call a documentary a gonzo Reality TV show.

What I meant was that a "good reality show" is one where you are documenting the lives of your characters in whatever situation you set up for them. To pick somewhat of an abitrary example, The Apprentice was basically just a documentary about a bunch of people competing on TV show to get a job working for Donald Trump, in that it showed their lives.

A documentary is a show which attempts to show something that is actually hapening, and a reality show is "actually happening," therefore a reality show is a documentary, although a very different style from a "normal" documentary. A normal documentary documents something out there, a reality show documents itself. I suppose gonzo was the wrong word to convey that, though.