What Not to Watch - Reality TV Rant

[skelstar]

Recently I had the misfortune to watch a show called 'What Not To Wear'. It was a combination of bad timing and my friend's poor taste.

If you are not familiar with the concept of this show two women, Trinny and Suzzane, accept applications for a beautifying makeover. It starts with five (?) candidates that have been nominated by friends and family and are interviewed and paraded before the two judges. Only two can go through. We are treated to an early episode cliff-hanger!

The judges will decide by orchestrating a police style line up where they ask each candidate to demostrate their ugliness by announcing: 'candidate #5 please step forward' :shit:. They then discuss quietly how irrevocable the damage is while they shelter behind a one-way mirror. Several harrowing minutes later they ensure the beyond-ugly ones that there is little hope by sending them home.

The next passage of drama has the two judges spending time in the ugly womens shoes...at home, at their work, and interviewing their partner/work/drinking mates on what they think the ugly woman should do to improve herself :sick:. This apparently is to get a good feel for what the ugly woman needs to wear. A judge will sit at the ugly woman's workdesk and like some fraudulant medium announces that the ugly woman will be feeling this and that and can project power and still be comfortable in beige moleskin slacks and a pink mohair sweater (or something) :sick:.

The next punishment comes in the form of a mirrored room (thats 360deg girls) where the ugly woman is 'revealed' to the nation. The world. Tout le monde. Crying started about here for each of the ugly women. They get lectured, embellished with a credit card (fools!!!), and a camera man. Their inevitably flawed attempt at buying the 'right clothes' results in cellpone calls, reprimands, and more crying. The blubbering ugly women are told at this stage that they are being 'broken down like this to build you up again'. Excuse me :shit:?

Long story short, they are schooled on anti-ugliness, jazzed up and reformed to point where they can feel happy about themselves. They are fired back into their habitat where the boys approve, and the girls overjoyed that their previously ugly friend has been saved and resurrected from ugly-dom. All this is narrated by the evil ones hidden in a remote location claiming that the victims are more attractive now than their peers/sisters/pet, and they are purportedly happy.

Im not happy. I find this to be the most distasteful programming on state TV (at least on primetime). Im not happy that my very good friend puts stock in this show/concept. She has taken upon herself to 'make-over' another one of her friends and that makes me worried. say all you want about men projecting their ideals of what a woman should look like etc, but this show is downright irresponsible. Dont get me started on 'Extreme Makeover', 'The Swan', or '10 Years Younger' either.

I tell ya Im this > < far away from planting 12 kegs full of gunpowder underneath TVNZ headquarters like some Guy I know. Who is with me?!?!?!


disclaimer: I dont consider the women ugly. It is said in jest. I also have no plans to bomb TVNZ...they pay my greater family's wages...sort of. Teacher, mother, secret lover.

[Deano]

The two hosts were on Top Gear last week, and they didn't look like they knew what to wear. But, I'm no fashion guru.

They couldn't drive for shit though.

[McJim]

Like most reality TV it's best avoided.

Not worth dropping your kegs over though.

And the Guy's name was actually Guido - a lot of people think Mr Fawkes was a pom (therefore a Traitor) but apparently he was Italian (therefore an Assassin).

As a scotsman I've always been confused about 5th November. Are we celebrating the fact that someone had the balls to try to blow up parliament or are we supposed to be joyous that he was foiled?

Back on Topic - the programme's shite right enough, don't watch it again.

[Krayy]

...I tell ya Im this > < far away from planting 12 kegs full of gunpowder underneath TVNZ headquarters like some Guy I know. Who is with me?!?!?!...

A new take on an old classic.....
Remember, remember the 5th of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot,
In our PC existence, there will be no resistance,
As no double-happys we've got!!

The memory lingers of scarred and burnt fingers,
And animals scared by the roar,
Of amateurs using and sometimes abusing,
What munitions they found in the store.

But never again say the PC brigade,
Should we offer the freedom to choose,
To those who would blow off their fingers and eyes,
Because of those dickheads, we lose.

[skelstar]

V for Vendetta is a fantastic movie :).

Not going to watch it. Circumstances do dictate something though. Might have to give them the choice of my company or their 'entertainment'.

[Krayy]

V for Vendetta is a fantastic movie...
Agreed. BTW, you've given me a good idea for a reality show...."Celebrity Bombings".

You get some has-been celebs from old seasons of NZ Idol, Treasure Island et al, and the object would be to try to determine their itineraries by either hacking their PDA, mobile phones & email or setting up fake auditions and then setting off a charge to strategically take them out along with Jason Gunn and his "Thingy".

Points awarded for number of parts but deducted for ancillary damage and recognisability.

[scumdog]

TV is bubble-gum for the mind - and reality shows are the discarded wrapper....

[Patrick]

Ummm.... change the channel????

[skelstar]

Not the point Patrick. Im lamenting the fact that my friend loves watching it, and its considered as being instructional/informative for how women should dress.

[Patrick]

Not the point Patrick. Im lamenting the fact that my friend loves watching it, and its considered as being instructional/informative for how women should dress.

I'd prefer one on how women undress.....

[ManDownUnder]

What not to watch...

TV.

It's like your average herbivore. Lots goes in, it's mostly shit that comes out, with the odd tasty bit if you know what to look for.

[placidfemme]

I'd prefer one on how women undress.....

they have those... its called "porn"

[Deano]

What not to watch...

TV.

It's like your average herbivore. Lots goes in, it's mostly shit that comes out, with the odd tasty bit if you know what to look for.

KB ? :dodge:

[skelstar]

Well...wrong thread then Patrick.

Im quite serious about how I feel about this. Its not a pisstake rant. Admittedly I did write it to try and entertain :) (to help get my point across).

[ManDownUnder]

Well...wrong thread then.

Im quite serious about how I feel about this. Its not a pisstake rant. Admittedly I did write it to try and entertain :) (to help get my point across).

To be fair it's a good point, but then let's face it, all TV is designed with one thing in mind - revenue from advertisers. They have to come up with a more spectacular set of spectacles to confront viewers with on a daily/seasonal basis in order to demonstrate their superiority in their chosen demographic blah blah blah.

I (seriously) prefer to go and actually do something. It's just as much fun, and immensely more profitable

[scumdog]

To
I (seriously) prefer to go and actually do something. It's just as much fun, and immensely more profitable

Like post on KB????:shutup:

[Patrick]

Well...wrong thread then Patrick.

Im quite serious about how I feel about this. Its not a pisstake rant. Admittedly I did write it to try and entertain :) (to help get my point across).

Me too... Placidfemme got my point... pardon???!!!:innocent:

[judecatmad]

Not the point Patrick. Im lamenting the fact that my friend loves watching it, and its considered as being instructional/informative for how women should dress.

I notice they do always choose the 'easy' options. People who have lost their self esteem through various life events but are an easy fix - good figure, right height, right proportions, up for a bit of fun and adventure. I'd love to see them tackle an outsize woman who cannot find clothes to fit for love nor money (outsize guys are not too much of a challenge), or an anorexic who has such a sense of disproportion that no amount of clothes will fix his or her woes.

But you're right, who has the right to tell anyone what they should or should not be wearing? Some of the women (and men) I've observed have been nominated by their 'friends' and family and yet are more than happy wearing the frumpy or far out stuff (not that I'm a regular follower, of course... :shifty: ). Let them carry on for goodness' sake - who says you need to wear high fashion to be happy? If your 'friends' and family can't bear to be seen with you because of what you wear, then they're clearly somewhat shallow and if they need a tv crew to tell you something that they can't tell you to your face then they're a pretty spineless lot! :dodge:

I can't be doing with all this 'got to be beautiful to be worthy' attitude - but then maybe that's cos I'm an ugly f^(ker! :rofl:

That's my 2c anyway..... :done:

[Swoop]

Damn, I thought this was going to be a thread about continuation street...

I'm with you for the bombing of TVNaZi, if only to get rid of that drivel...!

[James Deuce]

I really enjoy Trinny and Suzannah.

[skelstar]

I really enjoy Trinny and Suzannah.
Now now Jim2, you enjoy advocating for the devil and trouble making.

[James Deuce]

No, seriously. They take the piss out of themselves as mercilessly as they do the people who go on their shows, and they fix some serious tragedies doing it.

I don't have an issue with it really.

[skelstar]

In my eyes I dont think that makes it right. As I see it, its sending the wrong message...there shouldnt be such a thing as 'tragedies'. As SunHunt says, often (at least in my viewing case) the person being nominated is happy with the way they are.

[James Deuce]

It's TV.

TV.

The opiate of the masses.

TV.

Not to be taken seriously.

[skelstar]

Well yeah. Dont take the program itself seriously, trouble is some people will and thats what Im worried about.

Thing is, it could well be scripted anyway :).

[James Deuce]

It's scripted the same way American Chopper is. Film for 8 hours and then keep the bitchy/screaming/violent outburst parts.

[skelstar]

Thank god OCC make some gorgeous bikes and know how to bend metal.

[Fatjim]

This kind of programme dums down the masses. Fortunately, mostly women watch it so us guys will be ok.

And Jim2, I'd enjoy the good looking one given half a chance.

[mstriumph]

........ erm ......... but reality tv isn't REAL :shutup:

[mstriumph]

It's TV.

TV.

The opiate of the masses.

TV.

Not to be taken seriously.




......... does tv make religion irrelevant? Discuss :sunny:

[Deano]

........ erm ......... but reality tv isn't REAL :shutup:

'Contender' and 'Ultimate Fighter' looked pretty real.....bits of it at least....:Punk:

[Str8 Jacket]

Quite frankly reality programs like these are great. I mean everyone needs to know what to wear and how to wear it. I need to know that Im looking great and wearing only the best.

[McJim]

Like post on KB????:shutup:

Ooooh self deprication there Scumdog - mandownunder has around 5,000 posts and you have over 7,000!

Back on topic again. TV programmes live or die based on their popularity. A commercial TV channel is therefore representative of what the general viewing public actually wants to see.

The increase in these so called 'Reality' programmes is alarming (and many of them are clearly staged and or heavily edited). It's like rubbernecking in your own home. Compulsively viewing people who are badly dressed in this instance but in others it's dysfunctional marriages etc.

I don't watch reality TV as a rule but I can see it's benefits....once my wife is glued to Rockstar/Wife Swap/Pop Idle or whatever I say - TV is shite tonight then dear - Just taking the bike out for a spin/to get fuel/warm the chain up so I can lube it etc.

[James Deuce]

Ooooh self deprication there Scumdog - mandownunder has around 5,000 posts and you have over 7,000!

Back on topic again. TV programmes live or die based on their popularity. A commercial TV channel is therefore representative of what the general viewing public actually wants to see.



No it isn't. It is an amalgalm of what TV Producers are willing to stump cash up for, and what advertisers spend money on.

TV content has nothing to do with the viewing public.

[skelstar]

I dont want to denounce all R-TV...only the stuff I dont like :).

Reality TV is a boom for TV programing, its damn cheap as it doesnt have to pay stars lots of money for each episode. Maybe a million dollars for one 'winner' at the end. Bleh, its gross.

[Patrick]

I really enjoy Trinny and Suzannah.




Its funny when they grab each others boobs...

[skelstar]

I confess that I saw about 10mins of that episode on a Sunday arvo once (bra fitting or something).

[crashe]

Dear ol' Trinny and Suzannah... they love to grab tits and bum whenever they can... they enjoy doing up people... or else they wouldnt be doing it.. would they?

The women get nominated to go on the shows... and some really want to be made over and learn to dress to their own age to be a bit more dressed in a modern style.

There have even been men on their show having a make over.

How many folks (men and women) out there stay in the same style of clothes year in and year out ... why? cos it is comfortable to wear.

But I have watched dear ol' Trinny and Suzannah off and on over the years... when they themselves were naturally huge to when they have lost heaps of weight recently (after having a baby).

They have even used their own bodies in the show to help describe what type of clothes different shape people should wear. They take the piss out of themselves all the time.

There are times at the end of their shows.. I go YUK at what they believe the person should wear. But then they are using UK latest styles.

They did a few episodes in the States... I dont think the yanks liked their tits and arse being grabbed..... :whistle:

Now as to other reality shows.... enough is enough...... bring back good drama's and decent comedies.. and wonderful documentaries...

[Skyryder]

There were two English lasses doing something about showing woman what to wear and how to choose clothes. Not too sure if this is the show that being discussed here but these two woman did not make any of their guests look foolish. I think they were on tv a Saturday in the evening. Watched it a couple of times. They also did a show with men.........but on that they had no idea. Had this guy all dressed up with his shirt tail hanging out. Might be all right for the chicks but not the blokes.

Skyryder

[skelstar]

Could have been the one, Ive technically only watched one episode (non-bra fitting related), and it was very poor. Pretty much like I described above. Lots of crying.

[Winston001]

Its funny when they grab each others boobs...

Er...yes. In fact I clearly remember the episode when they tried on various bras to show the correct style for comfort and....um....effect. :yes:

But well said Skelstar. Mightn't entirely agree but enjoyed your post. However this show is relatively benign compared with the American makeover reality shows.

Trinny and Susannah are simply saying, as Crashe pointed out, that many of us stay in the same comfortable clothes for years. Nothing wrong with that if you are completely self-confident but for many women, their self-image and poise quietly evaporates. They lose touch with how to dress and present themselves.

We can tell ourselves that looks are meaningless but that doesn't change the fact that good-looking well-dressed people attract attention. I hate it a lot but have been forced to admit this basic fact. What you see on the outside can be an indicator of the inner person.

So if some people feel inspired to go out and get new clothes by a show like this, what harm is there. Good luck to them. The show is popular so that says something.

[Virago]

Oooooh, spooky Skelstar, I was mentally composing a rant on the same topic, when I found yours........

I occasionally enjoy a bit of escapism in REAL reality shows - fly-on-the-wall stuff like medical docos, cop-type docos, etc. But they are few and far between these days.

Today's reality shows are anything but reality. They are invariably contrived nonsense, usually involving setting people up in some way and filming the result. Or worse still, pitting vulnerable people against each other for entertainment.

Reality? It's like putting a wild animal in a small cage, poking it with a sharp stick, and filming it as a "wildlife documentary".

The most sickening aspect of these TV shows, is the focus on the LOSER. The most important aspect of elimination-type shows, is to see the humilation of each loser in turn - the actual winner at the end is secondary to the elimination process.

I will not watch anything that seeks to victimise or abuse participants. It is voyeurism and pack-victimisation at it's very worst.

Where is the public empathy? True empathy for victims involves wishing that they weren't victimised in the first place.

I won't watch.

[jrandom]

I really enjoy Trinny and Suzannah.

I'd totally do Trinny.

They wrote a book, you know. Even included topless photos of themselves. Now that takes balls, which, as far as I can tell, they both have in spades. Giant hairy ones made of solid cartridge brass.

The balls, not the spades.

Not that I don't suppose you couldn't make a halfway decent spade out of cartridge brass if you really wanted to. Not much point in it being hairy, though.

[Beemer]

I don't actually mind Trinny and Susannah because they don't state the obvious - which is "you are fat and have a bad haircut" - instead they show people how to make the best of what they have got. Although the contestants moan and whinge about it, they volunteered to go on the show, no one forced them, and they end up with 2000 pounds worth of new clothes and shoes, and a new haircut and makeover! Christ, I wish they'd come and pick on me like that, god knows I could do with it!

I bought a couple of their books (sorry guys, not the ones with naked boobies in them!) and trust me, it did wonders for my dress sense. And despite not losing a gram of weight, I looked heaps skinnier and taller too.

Save your hatred for the ones where people are made to look stupid rather than one where people end up looking and feeling better. And who made you watch it?

[skelstar]

Read the first and subsequent posts and it explains why I had to watch it. I also explain what options I will be exercising in future. Last victim show I read a bathroom catalogue. Point.

[Lou Girardin]

Most reality shows are the opiate of the stupid.
(I'm on a roll with opiates this week)

[scumdog]

Most reality shows are the opiate of the stupid.
(I'm on a roll with opiates this week)

As if the stupid need any more opiates..pfff! next thing they'll be driving.

[Korea]

....and as I sign off my prayers for the evening:

"...and Lord, oh dear Lord God our saviour, oh mightiest of mighty, please please please send down your most holy and full-of-goodness bolt of lightning, that it may smite those who propogate reality-TV shows and their viewers, that they may be exploded and burn-ed and smoulder-ed away to ashes, in thine infinite mercy..."

...but they just keep making more. :crybaby:

[Edbear]

As if the stupid need any more opiates..pfff! next thing they'll be driving.




:gob: Surely the Gummit wouldn't allow that...???

[Nitzer]

disclaimer: I dont consider the women ugly. It is said in jest. I also have no plans to bomb TVNZ...they pay my greater family's wages...sort of. Teacher, mother, secret lover.

That's a relief, I work there :zzzz:

[SpankMe]

if I could get a copy with the guy scenes edited out.

Tila Nguyen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tila_Tequila) (Tila Tequila) is doing a bachelorette show called A Shot at Love (http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/tila_tequila/series.jhtml) with 16 guys and (more importantly) 16 lesbians vie for her affectation :p

[skelstar]

Jebus, her face seriously looks like its an animated character (like Final Fantasy). Weird.

I might watch that show though ;)

[peasea]

As if the stupid need any more opiates..pfff! next thing they'll be driving.


While on opiates.