It really brings out the worst behavior in humankind, motivated by money, the ‘root of all evil.’ But there are decent shows, like the above two mentioned, as well as ‘The Biggest Loser,’ which encourages people to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyles (motivated by a cash prize), and ‘The Bachelor,’ which I view as harmless entertainment but others see it as a demeaning spectacle of relationships. Okay, I guess when I say ‘decent,’ I mean somewhat less undignified than the trashy shows listed below.
Temptation Island
I watched a few episodes of this show back in the day, when it was seen as shocking and controversial because of its content in a time where people were still conservative. But bring this show back now and people wouldn’t bat an eyelid. It’s about unmarried couples who are brought to an island where they experience temptations from the opposite sex, and their love is put to the test. Obviously some people failed. Sounds like real life – I don’t know why these people needed to be brought to an island when they could’ve faced those temptations anywhere. Well, I guess people tempting each other in bikinis and speedos is more entertaining than if they were in thick coats and jackets.
The Real Housewives of…
Really. I don’t know why there’s so much hype surrounding this. Ridiculously rich housewives going shopping, bitching about one another, going for manicures… Who really cares. And why are we helping them get even richer by supporting their pointless show??
Farmer Wants a Wife
When I first saw the preview for this series, I thought, “Wow, those TV producers must be getting desperate, or else their creative juices must be running on empty.” They put a Missouri farmer on TV, looking for love and choosing between several city girls… Right. It’s basically ‘The Bachelor’ in the cornfields. As interesting as watching my toenails grow.
My Super Sweet 16
Okay, first off, I have to admit I watch this series whenever I can. I know everyone else hates seeing those spoilt teenagers throwing ridiculously huge parties and receiving insane gifts like a car and some celebrity performing at their shindig, but… I just love laughing at how bratty they are, and how their parents give them whatever they want, not knowing they’re just raising their kids to be the next bimbo Paris Hilton. But it does get annoying at times, watching them toss so much cash out the window like its water. I mean, their freaking party could probably feed thousands of starving people for years, but do they care? No, they just want to scream at everyone and boss them all around and rub their decadent lifestyles in everyone’s faces! Okay, I may or may not be a teeny bit jealous of how insanely rich they are.
My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé
This poor girl, Randi Coy, agreed to have a fake marriage with fiancé, Steve, in order to win some money. Things would’ve gone much smoother if Steve played along, but little did she know that he was an actor who fit the title perfectly. Big and horrendously obnoxious in every way, he scared her unsuspecting family to tears. But they put up with it, and everyone won money in the end. I think I actually watched every episode of this one (I must’ve been bored), and it was rather painful. This is one instance where the end goal is not worth the traumatic journey.
The Swan
A mix of Extreme Makeover and every pageant contest known to humankind, this series was downright distressing to watch. I gave up after one episode. Just seeing those poor women with low self esteem go under the knife to become ‘beautiful’ by society’s standards was heartbreaking. My humble opinion has always been, say NO to plastic surgery. I think we were all created beautiful, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Seriously, a good haircut, contacts, and some makeup can change your life. I speak from experience. AND THEN, after they become unrecognizable after surgery, they enter into The Swan pageant to see who’s the most beautiful. Superficial. And talk about an immediate blow to your self-esteem. Can you imagine how awful they would feel if they went through all that surgery and STILL didn’t win the pageant??
Dating in the Dark
I didn’t plan on watching this one; I thought the premise was ludicrous, but someone told me to watch it for pure entertainment’s sake, and so I did. The show brings 3 men and 3 women into a house, and they never get to see the opposite sex until the final reveal. Their only interaction is in a dark room, where they talk, snuggle, play games, make out, etc. So obviously some couples connect, and emotions are stirred… Until they reveal their physical appearances to each other. And the ugly superficiality of humanity surfaces. Most of the time, the not-so-attractive person is left alone while the other leaves because, despite what we try to tell ourselves about inner beauty, we are a shallow generation. Everything about the show is cringe-worthy, because we all know the ugly person is just waiting to be rejected. I was relieved when the show finally ended.
Who Wants to Marry a Stranger
(This show must've been pretty obscure. Or else it was taken off air after one episode, because I couldn't find any picture of it at all.)
I just saw an episode of this show last night, and it was so absurd I totally had to include it in this list. Actually, this was what inspired me to make the list in the first place. It starts off with a woman planning her marriage. Sounds normal, right? But wait, she has no idea who the groom is. How she can plan a marriage around that, I have no idea. So it gets better – her mother, her best friend, and her sister get to meet 5 charming guys, interview them and their families in a mere 3 days, and pick one to marry the ‘lucky’ lady.
Filled with stressful moments, tense situations, and awkward circumstances, it’s actually a little entertaining, once you get past how sorry you feel for the bride. She must be paid a heck of a lot of money to do this, otherwise she’s either hearing her biological clock ticking fast and she's completely desperate to get married or she’s plain insane. I mean, meeting her husband at the altar for the first time? Not getting a chance to even see or talk to each other before they say ‘I do???’ It was definitely NOT the happiest day of their lives. And the shocker – both actually said yes. They probably thought if the marriage didn't work out, they could just get a quickie divorce. Seriously, marriage is becoming nothing but a piece of paper these days.
A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila
Oh boy. I was introduced to this outrageous MTV series in Chicago over sophomore year fall break, and I remember the girls being addicted to it. So I decided to give it a try, to see how good or bad it was. And it was BAD. It’s basically like ‘The Bachelorette,’ only this crazy Tila Tequila person is bisexual and gets intimate with girls and guys alike in the house. Talk about a messed up world. Needless to say, I wasn’t much of a fan.
I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here
I saw half of an episode once, mostly propelled by curiosity as to how Speidi (Heidi and Spencer from The Hills) were doing on the show. And my interest totally waned after mere minutes. This show just screams ‘desperate D-list actors trying to get into the limelight again.’ I didn’t even recognize anyone on the show except Speidi and Janice Dickinson, former catty America’s Next Top Model judge. The show’s concept was similar to Survivor’s, except with way less interesting people.
Are You Hot?: The Search for America’s Sexiest People
I'm guessing these are the 'hot' guys
The title says it all. Guys and girls would go on stage before a panel of judges, who would tell them if they were physically ‘hot’ or ‘not,’ AND THAT WAS IT. Superficiality at its proudest. There is seriously nothing redeeming about this show. I mean, who are the judges to say who is hot and who is not???
Marriage Ref
My friend showed me an episode of this once, and it was so absurd, we laughed our heads off. Basically, couples who cannot resolve their domestic arguments bring their case before a panel of judges (as well as the entire world), who will help them decide who wins. And some of their disputes are completely ridiculous, such as the husband who wanted a stripper pole installed in the bedroom because he wanted his wife to spice things up (of course the wife was horrified and appropriately indignant, but the husband won in the end), and the crazy husband who loved his dog so much he stuffed and preserved the dog after it died, and put it in a shrine in their house so he could see his dead stuffed dog everyday (if I were the wife, I would run away screaming immediately, and yes, she won of course). Oh the things people do. Amazes me sometimes.
So yeah, I don’t know why these reality TV shows are on air, but hey, if ever you’re really really really bored, and you've already plucked out all your hair and counted every speckle of dust in the room, then there’s always the last option of the trashy reality TV show.
