Shameful TV

Yes, I watch & enjoy reality television shows.

Should I be ashamed of this? Perhaps, but I say that maybe the popularity of reality tv shows is not just the low-brow mentality of tv watchers, but perhaps a 'vote' for better tv programing in general.

How can I say this? Well, I for one find the real dialog, the real actions, however dirty, smarmy and distasteful as they may be, to be much better than the dialog, words & actions that writers & scripts provide. I mean, look at the viewer choices?

Sure, there are a few shows that are, in my opinion (and what else would you find here?), well-written. 'Will & Grace' comes immediately to mind. But for the most part, the way writers have charcters speaking & acting leaves me void of any emotions. I don't feel inspired to laugh, to cry, or frankly to even wonder why they do & say what they do.

But, when you watch Simon tell someone they are horrible on 'American Idol' or see some of the eye-rolling on 'The Bachelor' you just can't help but have a reaction. It may be en eye-roll of your own, but it is more than I can say for most tv shows.

In fact, I guess what intriques me the most is the 'what will happen next' factor. I mean, not just who the dopey bachelor will pick, or which liar will win huge loads of money for out-tricking on 'Survivor' but I like to guess at who will react & in what way...

Maybe it is the anthropologist in me, but I find guessing the outcomes of folks reactions to be highly entertaining. And when I have guessed wrong, I am shocked. My intellect may sting, but overall, I just want to know why they did what they did...

When you watch 'standard' television programing, you just don't really care.

And, what about the way these folks look? Except for the dating/marriage shows, have you ever seen such real human beings on tv anywhere else, 'cept maybe the news? I like to see broad hipped women, balding men, wrinkled humans, and other shapes besides a well-preserved, size 2 with more personal assistants for grooming than past Queens have had.

Reality tv has real folks alright.

And real folks reactions. Gotta love watching waht happens to a couple in love as they try to out-race another team in 'The Amazing Race' -- it is like watching those old family vacation films! No one can travel well togther, and when you add a relentless pace with a huge cash prize & whomp! you see mild-mannered suburban couples act like those 7 & 9 year olds in the back seat!

I bet the camera crews have wanted to pull those cars over a few times!

And that is my absolute favorite part.

To me, it would be a dream to be the producer &/or editor of these shows! Can you imagine what you would do with all those hours of film footage? How would you string them together? Ahhhh, *that* my friends, would be a dream job...

So, if I am to be ashamed of my tv viewing choices, I say, blame it on the writers, producers & staff of tv shows in general. They should be ashamed that I find off-the-cuff comments from snotty, dirty, real looking folks more fun & interesting than trite, predictable comments from folks in fake bodies.

They say there are really only 7 stories or plots for tv shows, and that it all comes down to how you write them...

If that is true, then how can I be 'blamed' for wanting to watch those unscripted versions which are far more interesting than poorly scripted ones?