Sim1Reality TV Send Offs
September 24th 2008 04:07
My mind wandered the other night while I was flipping through the channels of primetime television and I had a brilliantly enjoyable flash of what it would look like if reality talent show contestants acted, well, realistically.
It seems to me that in every single reality competition that is on right now, whether it be American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Project Runway or any other talent-based competition, there is a egregious decision made by the American public, or the panel of judges. Contestants are allowed to remain on a given show long after they have worn out their welcome (and their skill), or qualified contestants are cast off too early. Whatever the specifics are, the trend is easily identifiable and not likely to end soon.
When the judges are in charge of the miscalculated decisions, conspiracy theories start to fly. People question whether certain contestants are allowed to remain on the show because they improve ratings, or reach a specific target market. American Idol judges were routinely criticized for constantly giving favorable reviews to teen hopeful David Archuleta even when his performances fell flat, allowing for the theory that the producers were hoping the judges would sway people into voting for the doe-eyed boy wonder. Similarly, on this season of Top Chef, finalist Lisa was continuously saved by the judges even though she was in the bottom of the competition more than any other contestant and frequently made the biggest blunders. In her case, it was her brash personality and frequent clashes with cast members that boosted ratings and interest and probably kept her on the show.
Then there is the annual “What Was America Thinking Moment?” when a show based on audience votes creates questionable results. One such instance would be this year’s dismissal of Will from So You Think You Can Dance before the field was cut to six, even though he was far and away the most technically-talented dancer. More famously, there is the American Idol debacle that allowed Sanjaya to stay on the show for weeks too long. This trend even continues overseas. I was on vacation (or holiday) in Australia and happened to catch one episode of Australian Idol and saw a brutal performance from a sixteen-year-old heart-throb, who was subsequently not put in the bottom three, and saved at the expense of a very talented female singer simply because the majority of voters are teenage girls.
The thing that confuses me the most about these situations is not why they happen, but why they don’t elicit a more realistic reaction from the shunned contestant. When the host walks up to you with a mic and asks you how you are feeling, why not tell the truth? Why not pass on the “I’d like to thanks everybody for this opportunity” crap and fire off at the mouth. Why not say “Actually, I’m a little pissed that some far less talented people were kept on the show because they appeal to thirteen-year-old girls, yet they can’t carry a tune to save their lives.” I’d love to see the day when I contestant can grow a pair and call out the blunder that everybody has seen right before their eyes. It’s the next step if we’re truly going to have reality TV.
It seems to me that in every single reality competition that is on right now, whether it be American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Project Runway or any other talent-based competition, there is a egregious decision made by the American public, or the panel of judges. Contestants are allowed to remain on a given show long after they have worn out their welcome (and their skill), or qualified contestants are cast off too early. Whatever the specifics are, the trend is easily identifiable and not likely to end soon.
When the judges are in charge of the miscalculated decisions, conspiracy theories start to fly. People question whether certain contestants are allowed to remain on the show because they improve ratings, or reach a specific target market. American Idol judges were routinely criticized for constantly giving favorable reviews to teen hopeful David Archuleta even when his performances fell flat, allowing for the theory that the producers were hoping the judges would sway people into voting for the doe-eyed boy wonder. Similarly, on this season of Top Chef, finalist Lisa was continuously saved by the judges even though she was in the bottom of the competition more than any other contestant and frequently made the biggest blunders. In her case, it was her brash personality and frequent clashes with cast members that boosted ratings and interest and probably kept her on the show.
Then there is the annual “What Was America Thinking Moment?” when a show based on audience votes creates questionable results. One such instance would be this year’s dismissal of Will from So You Think You Can Dance before the field was cut to six, even though he was far and away the most technically-talented dancer. More famously, there is the American Idol debacle that allowed Sanjaya to stay on the show for weeks too long. This trend even continues overseas. I was on vacation (or holiday) in Australia and happened to catch one episode of Australian Idol and saw a brutal performance from a sixteen-year-old heart-throb, who was subsequently not put in the bottom three, and saved at the expense of a very talented female singer simply because the majority of voters are teenage girls.
The thing that confuses me the most about these situations is not why they happen, but why they don’t elicit a more realistic reaction from the shunned contestant. When the host walks up to you with a mic and asks you how you are feeling, why not tell the truth? Why not pass on the “I’d like to thanks everybody for this opportunity” crap and fire off at the mouth. Why not say “Actually, I’m a little pissed that some far less talented people were kept on the show because they appeal to thirteen-year-old girls, yet they can’t carry a tune to save their lives.” I’d love to see the day when I contestant can grow a pair and call out the blunder that everybody has seen right before their eyes. It’s the next step if we’re truly going to have reality TV.
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