Reality shows are taking over TV

Everywhere I turn, I see reality shows. Honey Boo Boo, Forever Young, Jersey Shore (is that still on?), and countless others.

I hate all these stupid reality shows using stupid people (or people acting stupid) to get the public to watch them. News isn't actually news, and TV is no longer fiction. Sad.

Is this a conspiracy? Might be. People watching people doing dumb things might just make them dumb. Monkey see monkey do. Dumbing down the population.

Growing trend, growing stupidity.

All I can say is get outside sometime this year, or if you have to rent a movie or two. Maybe look into a local community garden or something like that.

Television sucks, and it always will. Live life to its fullest, away from the television.

I think it is a trend, so get outside. And if you ever have kids, take them outside and enjoy what's left of nature while it lasts...

Those two last posts were kind of off-topic. As far as finding good television shows to watch, Hulu can be good. There's Netflix too, but I personally have had a bad time with them in the past. Even though Blockbuster has closed down MANY of its retail outlets, you can still get movies delivered to your door through them.

A recommendation for a great 2 season series to check out would be Eli Stone. Look it up. I think it's on Hulu. Good luck.

reply to post by extraterrestrialentity

One TV show said that the programs like you mention come from the networks 'Office of Illiterate Programming'.

As long as shows like Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom", documentaries like Oliver Stone's "Untold History of the United States", and past shows like "John from Cincinnatti" are around, TV is a little more barricaded against 'the stupid'.

reply to post by extraterrestrialentity


I agree. I admit I was a survivor fan years ago when it broke the mold but no longer. All those shows now are fake tom foolery. Repo man,Breaking Amish, Storage wars ad nauseum. However, Amazing Race seems to be the only one that steers clear of that trash and the only one I like to watch.

Originally posted by extraterrestrialentity
Everywhere I turn, I see reality shows. Honey Boo Boo, Forever Young, Jersey Shore (is that still on?), and countless others.

I hate all these stupid reality shows using stupid people (or people acting stupid) to get the public to watch them. News isn't actually news, and TV is no longer fiction. Sad.

Is this a conspiracy? Might be. People watching people doing dumb things might just make them dumb. Monkey see monkey do. Dumbing down the population.

Growing trend, growing stupidity.

edit on 14-5-2013 by extraterrestrialentity because: (no reason given)

So you just noticed? Just teasin... Reality was fun at first, but I am getting quite tired of it. And now we find out that a lot of it is just perpetrated to be real, when it is not. So I guess this leads us back to square one.

reply to post by extraterrestrialentity


IMHO - a major driving force behind these "reality "shows is thier minimal production costs

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
reply to post by extraterrestrialentity

 

IMHO - a major driving force behind these "reality "shows is thier minimal production costs

Ding! Ding! Ding! Cheapskates ain't they?

Not to mention no original ideas IMHO. The networks should be forced into showing old re-runs
of Star Trek, All in the Family and Dragnet until they can come up with something almost as good.

It's more like scripted reality. How "real" can it be, when people know they're on tv? You tellin' me, ain't no acting goin' on??? Now, if they put hidden cameras in someone's house and filmed their everyday life, without them knowin' , then you could call that "reality". Other than that...it's all just a bunch of wannabe actors. Try living life without television. You'd be amazed at how clearer your brain can function.

You know I was once called by a reality TV show. They liked folks from my area, and found me interesting. But who in their right mind would subject their lives to the scrutiny of millions of people? Yikes!!!!

Originally posted by WonderBoi
It's more like scripted reality. How "real" can it be, when people know they're on tv? You tellin' me, ain't no acting goin' on???

Now, if they put hidden cameras in someone's house and filmed their everyday life, without them knowin' , then you could call that "reality". Other than that...it's all just a bunch of wannabe actors. Try living life without television. You'd be amazed at how clearer your brain can function.

Finally. My sister actually thinks it's real.

reply to post by elouina


Who needs reality TV when you have your own personal show outside that you can view anytime of day.

Originally posted by Yngvarr

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
reply to post by extraterrestrialentity

 

IMHO - a major driving force behind these "reality "shows is thier minimal production costs

Ding! Ding! Ding! Cheapskates ain't they?

Not to mention no original ideas IMHO. The networks should be forced into showing old re-runs
of Star Trek, All in the Family and Dragnet until they can come up with something almost as good.

Yes! Bring in Star Trek. Reality TV is just a bunch of people living fake lives; Star Trek is, well, Star trek cannot be explained, it can only be watched.

Bread (Obamacare) and Games (MSM and TV shows).
+ overgrown army and falling economy (large manufacturers taking over - killing small business)
and you have the final days of Rome

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
reply to post by extraterrestrialentity

 

IMHO - a major driving force behind these "reality "shows is thier minimal production costs

I agree that is most likely a major factor. Idk, did sitcoms really go down hill? Dont watch much telly so dont know whats hot, if anything besides reality shows.

That said, some reality shows are actually really good. As far as production costs, well they dont have big name stars, i dont think many reality stars are getting big money contracts, and the cameras are not high end studio cameras.

Sure i miss the old days with classic sitcoms like from the 70s and 80s, but i seriously doubt we will see shows like those any time soon.

haha, I don't call it a conspiracy but this has been happening since the 90's.

It all started with MTV!

reply to post by FinalAccount2008


Yep, "The Real World" gave birth to these crap shows that are on now.
I dont see how people can watch these shows, ever other word has to be "beeped" out, so its like.. .Hey, where the beep to you think your beeping going you mother beep..
Pitiful.
And a poster above hit the nail on the head, low production costs and the occasional tit flash, blurred out of course, attracts the teen viewers.

Just chiming in from the UK where we has reality tv shows they range from Made in Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex, the valleys, Geordie shore, jersey shore, big brother, celebrity big brother, I'm a celebrity get me out of here ... The list goes on, my own personal view on this program's I cant describe because it will break ATS T&Cs.

If I watch tv it's usually a good documentary usually about wild life or Ray Mears survival. I can't stand when I over hear people banging on about the newest reality show I think to myself ... Jeees do you have nothing better to do

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


this year there was only two new television shows worth watching. and they were both on fox

The Following and Touch fox, also i like Southland, i watch it on tnt,although i think it is a produced by another network and Person of Interest on cbs. Big Bang cbs. Grim on nbc, and a show fox took off that was a great show was Fringe.

networks that i don't watch or hardly ever watch any more due to reality tv. the history channel, a&e, discovery channel, nbc, abc, and the one i think is the worst is syfy, man that network has gone to ____.

one other thing that get my goat, suffering channels sometimes i stop to see what they have the idots up to.
and the ones that chap my ass are the ones in the south, and that phoney southern accents that the narrators use.
try and make him sound like waylan jennings doing dukes of hazzard. thats just plain sad and a inslut to all southerners.