BAD Bad TV

I have a confession.  I watch bad tv.  

Yes, I like watching American Idol, The PussyCat Dolls, and America's Next Top Model.  None of these shows have any real merit.  None of the contestants on the shows are really THAT talented, whether it's singing, dancing, or modeling.  They get their 15 min of fame and it can serve as a platform to catapult them into a "career."  Every now and then, they are actually recognized as being talented and end up with No. 1 songs, a Grammy, a real modeling career.  I usually watch them with the preconceived notion that some of these people were chosen because of their messed up personalities, I mean, that's what makes for "good" tv, right?  The shows are funny to me and usually I am more interested in the process than the actual content.

I've watched almost all the seasons of ANTM and I am easily hooked when the marathons are playing because I'll remember the particular photo shoot and will want to see how all the photos end up.  PCD is interesting to see the choreography that each girl has to learn and how well they can remember that AND to sing well enough at the same time.  AI cracks me up because Simon's comments are hilarious and usually dead on, and of course, Paula is half drunk on most episodes.

I don't see any real harm to these shows.  However, this whole "reality TV" thing is just going down into the dumps.  Shows like "Moment of Truth" on Fox.  Mind you, I've never watched an episode of this show, but the commercials alone convinced me to stay away.  The whole premise of the show, from what I understand, is that someone gets asked a bunch of questions ahead of time with a lie detector strapped up to them.  They don't know what the lie detector says but they know the questions asked - obviously.  Then, they go on the show and are asked the same questions, all the while the lie detector results are presented.  Nothing is off-limits in their line of questioning, but the contestant reserves the right, and I guess their family or whoever goes to the show with them, to stop the questioning.  They get money after a certain number of "right" answers.  From the beginning, I saw that this show could be disasterous.  We've already had shows like Jerry Springer who bank on people wanting to watch the train wrecks that come on the show.  This show is no better. 

I had caught a bit of a commercial for the show where the host makes a comment along the lines of "If it were up to me, I wouldn't have allowed something like this to air..."  Of course, more people are going to watch because of it.  (I was curious too, I hate to admit.)

I was on CNN this morning and heard about the show and sadly, decided to watch it.  Click here if you want to watch it too.  Basically, this woman goes on the show, and ruins her marriage.  From the looks of it, I figure it was bound to happen, it's just so sad that it was on national tv.  Synopsis:  She gets asked (by her ex bf) if she would leave her current husband for him.  She stalls.  Her sis (?) buzzes in and says she doesn't want to hear the answer.  Question gets replaced.  She gets asked (by her ex bf again) if she thought she was supposed to be married to him and not her current husband.  She stalls... the host stalls... she answers.  Ugh!  Trashy tv!  Yay!  She's won $100,000!!!  She continues.  She gets asked if she's cheated on her husband!  Stall.  More stalling.  She answers.  She continues.  The final question... for the $200,000... "Do you consider yourself a good person."  OMG  The audacity!  These are only the last few questions!  

All I have to say is:  1.  I am so glad I don't watch this show.  2.  I am flabbergasted that the audience is LOVING this.  The host even makes a comment about how huge these questions really are to these people.  and 3.  I can only hope that a show like this doesn't continue to air.  Doubtful, I know.  I mean, seriously, if you volunteer for this show and have nothing to "hide," then of course you aren't going to get on it.  If you have things to "hide," WHY are you going on the show?  Do you WANT to potentially ruin your life?  along with the lives of friends, family, and possibly coworkers and whoever else is associated with you or with the line of questioning?  Do you want fame and money that badly that you just don't care?

I don't get it.