TV dross
Posted by Twangothan on 29 April 2008 - 1:20pm.
Rereading Andrew Collins' column over a butty I have to wonder whether we, the intelligent life on Planet Rock, actually watch the dross he refers to - Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares USA, Masterchef, Big Brother, Ladette to Lady, etc. All cynical reality TV vehicles to allow pathetic needy wannabe "celebrities" to be humiliated on prime time TV. As someone said, this is the modern equivalent of Victorian Bedlam, where the middle classes go to laugh at the unfortunates. My telly remains untroubled by this rubbish - am I missing something?
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The Apprentice
I watched this the other week. It was quite entertaining.
To be honest
I watched it too - this series is noticably more reality style than earlier ones which were more interesting from a business perspective - the candidates are more obviously certifiable and grotesque now.
Nothing new
What has the appeal of Antiques Roadshow always been if not the pre-Schadenfreude suspense while we wait for the horror-stricken reaction shot of some blue-rinsed harpie as she learns that, actually, no, this particular mint-condition Charles and Diana commemorative bogroll-cosy is not, in fact, likely to fetch quite a tidy sum at auction, unfortunately?
No appeal at all
Exactly what I don't like about it! These people should be pitied, not laughed at.
Arthur Negus
So much to answer for.
hah - indeed
anybody remember that episode of Frasier where Martin views it as a gameshow and Niles and F view it as something more.
"Nah", says Martin at one point "they always do this, lead em along and then hit them with a sucker punch about it not being worth that much at all"
I paraphrase, but you get the idea...
(the idea of a drinking game every time the word 'veneer' was mentioned has long stayed with me, mind, but 6pm on a sunday evening is a bit early to start wading into the gin and tonics...
New T-Shirt slogan
'intellingent life on Planet Rock'
Arrgh
Busted! Had to edit it. Good cop though Gatz!
Oh, and did you say
"Victorian Bedlam" or "Victoria Beckham"? Something about the middle classes laughing at the unfortunates...
Usually
if it's on Channel 4 it's tacky, shameful, exploitative rubbish. If it's on BBC1 or ITV it's not so bad. I would not include Masterchef in the reality TV trash category. It's just a cooking competition and the finalists usually get the new career they're after. I don't see any humiliation there and the judges seem reasonable although they ALWAYS HAVE TO TALK REALLY LOUD. It's a good show I'd say. Trouble is they always make too many series of these programmes and it just gets repetitive - like The Apprentice.
Although I don't...
...join in with any of the others, I was slowly drawn into Masterchef, and would agree with Sven.
The unpleasantly contrived finger-jabbing, "you effing idiot" schtick of Ramsay and Sugar was replaced with an arm-round-the-shoulder and, "it hasn't been your day today, has it?"
But, jeez, they wrung every last dribble of juice out of it. Probably not with the iconic Phillip Starck lemon squeezer either, more like my mum's old mangle.
Not seen it
but I suspect Mrs Twang has sneaked it in under the radar when I've had better things to do...