Chunking Things

Saturday, April 10, 2010

People Behaving Badly

For some reason, my TV settled on the E! network yesterday.  While I was doing some minor home repairs, I saw two reality shows out of the corner of my eye.  One was a dreadful show called Jerseylicious.

This show is like a trainwreck.  You can hardly take your eyes off it.  The short piece I saw showed a married couple going to Cape May for a 'romantic getaway'.  Right inside the city limits, the guido driving said he hated the town.  Then the harpy started in on how she just suggested it and he should have said he didn't like it.  She'd just never been to Cape May before.  Then she started on him about pulling over so they could sightsee or shop.  He pulled into a parking lot where a bunch of antique cars and motorcycles were parked for a show.  Then the shrieking began.  It was horrifying.  So I turned off the TV and put on an audiobook.

After I went to bed, I switched on the TV again.  Still on E!

This time the reality show was Keeping Up With The Kardashians.  I'm not really sure how these people got to be celebrities, but folks are watching.  What amazed me about this group is that they are a real family allowing all their personal life to be played out before a TV audience.  I don't get it.

It's really "Beautiful People Behaving Badly".  I really think that all the drama and conflict might be real in a family that size, just somehow escalated for the titillation factor.  So, it begs the question:  how much money can they be paid to make this worthwhile?

I used to ask the same question about people who allowed their dirty laundry to be aired on the Jerry Springer show.  It couldn't just be a trip to NYC, could it?  What would make someone go on that show and just let it all hang out?

The rise in reality TV is all about money.  With no scripts or scriptwriters, the production costs are reduced enormously.  When you factor in no sets, it's all shot in their homes or in public, then a reality TV show is a cost saving bonanza in Hollywood.

I feel bad for the scriptwriters.  I think there must be a bunch of writers in Hollywood clenching their teeth and hoping that the American public will get tired of the view into people behaving badly and pine for the days of written dramas.  I know I am mourning their loss.

--Sandee Wagner

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Well, the thing about being an American is being able to change the channel. Or in my case, turn off the TV. Apparently, you're a big fan. So were they engaged? Dating? She kept saying it was supposed to be a romantic weekend so he could prove to her that he was romantic... but she was shrill and annoying. spw

Emmylee said...

Yes, well you DID say you were watching out of the corner of your eye so "obviously" you didn't watch very closely. Having watched the train wreck "Jersey Shore" repeatedly (you really just can't look away it's so terrible) I'm not surprised that you didn't continue watching.

The Kardashians are famous for being rich, and one of the daughters made a sex tape that was released and a huge scandal and lawsuit followed...

Unknown said...

Em,

The Kardashians have the added fillip of being good looking. The other reality shows don't even provide eye candy! spw