In 1992, I filled out a 26 page application and video taped an interview (real VHS, folks) in hopes of being one of the next seven strangers, picked to live in a house, work together and have their lives taped, to find out what happens when people stop being polite… and start getting real.
Needless to say, I was not chosen. I found solace in the fact that The Real World: Los Angeles included the Christian cowboy and some Irish guy and pretty much sucked. The original Real World: New York premiered twenty years ago. Apparently they’ve even run out of kick ass party houses in the continental United States since the current season, number 27, is in St. Thomas.
While I’ve outgrown most of MTV’s programming, with the exception of Teen Mom, which is wrapping up the original cast’s follow ups this season, I haven’t given up on reality shows. In fact, I like them and still watch them. But there are some formulas that I wonder if they’re still relevant in today’s world or still work?
I am addicted to anything on Bravo, which are largely reality shows. I am an avid watcher of every Real Housewife show (with the exception of Miami because, honestly, I’m distracted by Marysol’s mom’s face). I also enjoy watching catty men sell extravagant homes. I still love Project Runway even though I’m bitter about the move to Lifetime. As much as I hate Donald Trump, I am a sucker for The Apprentice, with celebrities or not.
There are, however, some franchises that have me thinking, when will this end already?
Big Brother: I watched the first season. It barely kept my attention then. Now it’s on Season 14. I’m confused.
American Idol: From someone that has watched since the very first audition show, reluctantly liked Justin Guarini as much as Kelly Clarkson, voted too many times to count for Elliott Yamin, even used the words Soul Patrol, it is with a heavy heart that I’m saying this, but stop, Simon Fuller. You can’t find judges, and while we’ve heard some interesting twists on songs, we’ve heard contestants mutilate Elton John songs one too many times. Enough is enough.
Survivor: I watched the first two seasons. They were good. Reality competition shows were in their infancy and the drama was a new thing to watch. Sue Hawk’s rat and snake speech at tribal counsel was a definite water cooler moment that will live in infamy. However, I think there are others that are done better and smarter (Amazing Race) and the format is pretty much a dime a dozen now if you just add chefs, designers, or people looking to lose weight. I would like to see a comeback of The Mole, though.
The Bachelor/ Bachelorette: If twitter or the covers of Us Weekly are a good gauge of the popularity of reality shows, I may be alone in this one, but I stopped caring who got roses several seasons ago when it seemed clear that none of the couples were staying together long enough to have a reunion show. Not that I watched because of the promise of watching a true love connection, but it just seemed to become a group of single people looking for their 15 minutes and being insincere.
Which reality shows do you feel have worn out their welcome?
image courtesy The Village Voice
Ok, I would add to this list: Amazing Race, Bad Girls Club, Basketball Wives, RHONY, Teen Mom, and I know it just started but also, that Honey Boo Boo show.
I watched about 8 minutes of Honey Boo Boo yesterday, with my mom, whose house I’m living at, therefore I am at her mercy of the remote control. I begged her to let me watch for a minute as she was flipping through since I’d read so much about it online. After 2 minutes, I was actually more entertained by the look of pure disgust on my mom’s face than the show itself (even took a pic on my phone), since I was too tired to read the redneck subtitles. She insisted that “Mama” reminded her of one of my Aunts (on my dad’s side) that has fetal alcohol syndrome and that we shouldn’t be watching it and making fun. 100% true story. And it’s OK to laugh.
I don’t like that you want to get rid of Teen Mom. It should be required watching in high school life management classes.
LUV TEEN MOM! Yes, add it to all incoming freshmen’s schedule. I’m in my mid 30′s and it terrifies me to get pregnant!
So this is funny for me to say, because I’ve never really watched in the first place, but I think the Kardashians need to be done. I watched a couple of episodes the first season, and even then it seemed overly dramatic and the opposite of real.
I haven’t watched those shows either, Kelli, but my assumption is that they should probably be stopped.
I agree with all of the above, of course I don’t watch any of those, so it wouldn’t bother me.
Just don’t take away my pawn, storage, picking shows!
I don’t watch most of these, but I’ll definitely agree with your assessment of American Idol (it was DONE after Adam Lambert). I’m an avid Big Brother watcher so we’ll have to disagree on that one. I’ll be sad to see it go. Another one that I love but I think has worn out its welcome is America’s Next Top Model. She got rid of all the good judges and helpers! They made the show! This year it’s just sad. Not sure why I’m still watching.
Ooh, I loved The Mole. But I had no idea there was more than one season of it. I also love the MTV series Challenge: Battle of (or whatever it’s called), where past Real World peeps (and others) do crazy stunts for money.
So can we keep those as trade for Honey Boo Boo, RHOwherever, ANTM, and Bad Girl’s Club?
This is TERRIBLE……………but I really miss Paradise Hotel. The nastiest, raunchiest, trashiest people ever. I don’t even watch The Bachelor (much less Bachelor Pad), but for some reason, I loved that show.
LOVED Paradise Hotel!
Oooh, the Mole. I remember that show. It was a really neat concept.
It pains me to say this…but…So You Think You Can Dance has jumped the shark in a big way this season. And I’m in avid agreement that anything Bravo Housewives has a permanent spot on my dvr EXCEPT Miami. Booooo hisssssss. I can’t believe they’re bringing it back. And for the sake of nostalgia, I just can’t let go of Real World. However, they could seriously stand to bring back Road Rules.
Great post….except, why can’t they all just go away, especially the Bravo shows? I think TV was better when there were writers involved. Now reality shows are just an idea that’s acted out by other people. Seinfeld > reality TV. HBO >reality TV, all day.
The Bravo shows are the worst. A season is as follows:
-Women bitching at each other and creating self-induced drama.
-Tape interviews so we can recap the bitching. Insert into show.
-Have a two-part reunion show recapping the bitching, self-induced drama, and interviews. Even more bitching follows.
Awful TV.
I think written TV is great, but I also think every format has a ceiling and only so far they can go or only so many writers/networks (with the exception of HBO and Showtime) willing or able to go certain places that don’t become trite.
I feel reality TV became popular when the family sitcom and the like just seemed tired and done and we were looking for the next new thing- enter idiot regular people willing to do pretty much anything for their 15 minutes of fame. It was entertaining for a while. But it also has its limits. (See also: when all network programming consisted of game shows.)
Luckily, in the last couple years, quick-witted writers started taking chances again and we have some great ones again (Modern Family, Happy Endings, Parks and Rec).
And let’s be honest, bitchy women are cheap labor and more attractive to the bottom line from network executive’s stand point. I am not proud of my love for Bravo shows, necessarily and realize they are absurd. I just can’t help it.
I love the Housewives of every zip code except Miami, for exactly the same reason, WHAT did that woman do to her face?
Big Brother is great because it happens in real time and, if you have absolutely no life at all, you can watch almost the entire game play out unedited on the Internet.
Let’s not discuss why I know that.
The french version is really bad as well !
Un énorme merci pour le profesionnalisme dont vous avez fait preuve. C’est exactement ce dont j’ai besoin. Bonne continuation.
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