# Reality shows that have become unwatchable. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571 "2014-04-07T17:56:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/61 "2015-07-03T23:28:30Z")
I vote for two: -“BAR RESCUE”-are there that many dumb bar owners out there (who have no idea if they are losing money)? -“NAKED AND AFRAID”-two bare-assed idiots trudging through a jungle-how come they never get sunburned or insect bitten? gross and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/62 "2015-07-04T00:24:14Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > -“NAKED AND AFRAID”-two bare-assed idiots trudging through a jungle-how come they never get sunburned or insect bitten? gross and stupid. Have you actually watched that show? They do get covered with bug bites, and in at least one episode someone was severely sunburned. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/63 "2015-07-04T01:00:22Z")
Has anyone else here ever seen more than one episode of “Fast and Loud”? The premise is that of Gas Monkey garage in Dallas that buys promising clunkers and spiff them up to sell at a profit. I know nothing about cars but the mechanics themselves seemed like fun guys. The owner, Richard Rawlings, seems like a self important douche. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/64 "2015-07-04T01:38:05Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > -“NAKED AND AFRAID”-two bare-assed idiots trudging through a jungle-how come they never get sunburned or insect bitten? gross and stupid. The biggest problem with Naked and Afraid is that they _do_ get sunburned and insect bitten. And cold. The whole gimmick of the show is contrary to anything I know about survival. One of the first things you’d do, just after finding water, is to improvise some clothing to keep off the sun and bugs, and help maintain temperature. You’d wear shoes so that you could be mobile and avoid injury. The other problem with this show is that they deliberately drop the participants in the middle of the most god-awful environments around and then ensure that they stay there rather than high-tailing it for more clement areas. This leads to shows where you watch them freeze and starve nearly to death in the middle of sand dunes or barren salt marshes, only to pass through much more forgiving terrain on their journey to the final “rescue” point. I dunno – my idea of fun TV is not to watch people starve for 21 days. Given free rein, without restrictions, I bet most of these survival experts would be living in fairly comfortable circumstances and and fermenting mai tai’s by the end of the episode. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/65 "2015-07-04T02:01:30Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > The biggest problem with Naked and Afraid is that they _do_ get sunburned and insect bitten. And cold. The whole gimmick of the show is contrary to anything I know about survival. One of the first things you’d do, just after finding water, is to improvise some clothing to keep off the sun and bugs, and help maintain temperature. You’d wear shoes so that you could be mobile and avoid injury. There have been some episodes where both people have fashioned some kind of clothing and/or shoes. However, given that their primary priorities are shelter, fire, and a water source, the clothing issue tends to take a back seat. > [@](#): > > The other problem with this show is that they deliberately drop the participants in the middle of the most god-awful environments around and then ensure that they stay there rather than high-tailing it for more clement areas. This leads to shows where you watch them freeze and starve nearly to death in the middle of sand dunes or barren salt marshes, only to pass through much more forgiving terrain on their journey to the final “rescue” point. I dunno – my idea of fun TV is not to watch people starve for 21 days. Given free rein, without restrictions, I bet most of these survival experts would be living in fairly comfortable circumstances and and fermenting mai tai’s by the end of the episode. If they weren’t dropped in the most godawful environments, there wouldn’t be much of a challenge. Plus it’d be difficult to maintain the naked aspect in more temperate climes…unless, of course you want them to seriously freeze to death. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/66 "2015-07-04T02:15:09Z")
What drives me nuts about _Naked & Afraid_ is the number of contestants who can’t seem to start a fire. If were picked to go on a show like this, all I’d be doing for 2 weeks prior to leaving would be practicing starting fires…over and over. You need a fire for making your water safe, for warmth, for cooking food you’re lucky enough to find, for keeping bugs and predators away. What the hell is wrong with these people? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/67 "2015-07-04T02:20:43Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I also keep watching **19 Kids & Counting**. :o And no, I can’t really explain why, other than a vague desire to be up to speed when one of the Duggar kids rebels, comes out, otherwise does something forbidden. I guess you got your wish! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/68 "2015-07-04T15:13:44Z")
> [@kiz](#): > > Millenials aren’t FN’s target audience; ergo, why would they cater to them? Apparently FoodTV’s target audience is people that love Guy Ferry, Booby Flay and women with huge heads. As for the whole “hashtag” thing. Watch other reality shows and they flash up a metric buttload of hashtags on the screen. So my question to you is: why AREN’T millenials part of FoodTV’s target audience and isn’t that a mistake? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/69 "2015-07-04T15:45:25Z")
> [@kiz](#): > > There have been some episodes where both people have fashioned some kind of clothing and/or shoes. However, given that their primary priorities are shelter, fire, and a water source, the clothing issue tends to take a back seat. If you say so. But if I’m dropped barefoot in an African veldt covered with thorns and told to hike two miles, I’m going to fashion sandals out of the first suitable objects I come across in preference to being crippled by puncture wounds and sepsis. > [@kiz](#): > > T > If they weren’t dropped in the most godawful environments, there wouldn’t be much of a challenge. If you say so. Most of us don’t have the skills to survive in our own back yards without a nearby kwiki-mart. Garden aside, do you know what’s edible in your neighborhood environment? For me, the interest in watching survival shows is seeing people apply their skills to survive. Most of the Naked and Afraid shows I’ve seen really do involve them sitting around, shivering and not eating for three solid weeks. The one I’m thinking of in particular is the one where they dropped them in some refuge consisting of barren tide pools in Brazil, maybe? There was no wood for burning and no food to catch. The somewhat overweight guy did OK by nibbling on a few shoots and basically not moving for three weeks. The hyperactive thin woman came pretty close to death (closer than seems right for a reality show, at least). When it was time for the guy to hike out, he ended up wading a couple of miles through a river in a wooded territory that looked a hell of a lot more livable than the sand dunes they’d been hanging out in for three weeks. So there was nothing “survivalish” about that episode – it was all about the drama from the crazy girl slowly starving to death ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/70 "2015-07-04T19:27:24Z")
Bar Rescue Some guy is losing an assload of money, mostly because his friends are “running” the place and spend more time partying. One of the friends gets in Tapper’s face about everything and the owner talks about how great his friend is to have his back. Dude you deserve to lose your bar with that attitude. On another board, people were discussing Tapper’s failure rate of 30% like he’s not really that good. Others (me included) contend that with the idiots he’s dealing with, 70% success is phenomenal. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/71 "2015-07-04T21:00:18Z")
_Deadliest Catch_ is now a sad, sad soap opera. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/72 "2015-07-05T20:27:04Z")
I didn’t even bother recording _Deadliest Catch_ this season. From your description, I take it that insufferable piece of excrement (Elliott) is still on the show? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/73 "2015-07-07T21:53:36Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > I didn’t even bother recording _Deadliest Catch_ this season. From your description, I take it that insufferable piece of excrement (Elliott) is still on the show? No kidding. I was hoping he would sink and go down with the ship. Instead, he just failed as captain due to his drug problem and had to hire someone else to run the boat. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/74 "2015-07-08T00:05:00Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > he just failed as captain due to his drug problem Hmm…not surprising, though I was expecting his downfall to involve an ex-girlfriend and violation of a restraining order. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/75 "2015-07-08T11:02:00Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > No kidding. I was hoping he would sink and go down with the ship. Instead, he just failed as captain due to his drug problem and had to hire someone else to run the boat. Elliott went into rehab right before Opie season. Jake Anderson is now captain of the Saga. According to my DC Facebook posts, he still is. I think they’re tendering salmon now. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/76 "2015-07-08T11:20:15Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > Has anyone else here ever seen more than one episode of “Fast and Loud”? The premise is that of Gas Monkey garage in Dallas that buys promising clunkers and spiff them up to sell at a profit. I know nothing about cars but the mechanics themselves seemed like fun guys. The owner, Richard Rawlings, seems like a self important douche. My husband watches that and Counting Cars, but he does switch back and forth to other channels while they’re on, so it’s not like he really watches. And I’m pretty sure his interest is mainly in the painting - he’s learning how to do airbrushing, so he likes to see how other people do artwork on vehicles. I’ve seen some of both shows by default and the invented drama is just way too much. Every time “The Count” calls someone “brother-man”, I want to punch his stupid face. And the over-the-top “heartfelt” commentary about some of the cheesy patriotic themes people want - heaven save us from plastic patriots!!! Surely, the stupidest of the batch is Parking Wars - is that even still on?? I wish I had been in the pitch meeting for that bit of idiocy. “No, you see, we follow around guys who ticket or boot cars, then we go to the impound lot where people have to pay their fines or whatever to get their cars back! It’s GOLD, I tells ya - PURE GOLD!!!” Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/77 "2015-07-08T11:42:50Z")
**The Weather Channel** has become unwatchable to me. Literally. My cable provider no longer carries it. I miss it, but perhaps now Jim Cantore can get the help he needs. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/78 "2015-07-08T13:43:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Bar Rescue > Some guy is losing an assload of money, mostly because his friends are “running” the place and spend more time partying. One of the friends gets in Tapper’s face about everything and the owner talks about how great his friend is to have his back. Dude you deserve to lose your bar with that attitude. > > On another board, people were discussing Tapper’s failure rate of 30% like he’s not really that good. Others (me included) contend that with the idiots he’s dealing with, 70% success is phenomenal. Totally agree-some of these bars are so poorly run, it is amazing they have lasted so long. A question: many states control liquor sales-some (like MA) make it illegal for liquor distributors to extend credit for more than 90 days. With the poor cash flows these places have, how do they get stock? I saw this once years ago-my favorite ski bar (the Charlemont Inn) was going down-I asked for a draft beer-they were out..a sure sign their days were numbered. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/79 "2015-07-08T14:23:05Z")
Well, since the thread is back, I have to add that there’s something called (I think) American Restoration that is just holy god awful. Pretentious idiot in a cut off sleeves denim shirt, big phony assed smile and his customers who go insanely happy when he restores their 1960 electric football game for only $5000. Horrible. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571/80 "2015-07-08T16:24:41Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > My particular bete noir among reality shows is **Deadliest Catch** which went from at least an attempt at a dramatic quasi-documentary style the first season or two to being all about manufactured/scripted personal drama and 15 minutes of fame. That pretty much sums up the reality genre for me; most of the shows are at least moderately interesting in their first season or two, right up until the producers nail down where the obnoxious drama is found, and then they center the show around that, and that’s when the shows become unwatchable. I suppose there’s some significant segment of the population that prefers that, or else the formula wouldn’t change so predictably with every show. The ones that have never been watchable are the ones focusing on either families or groups of people who have no real reason to be on camera at all, except for their eccentricity or dramatic nature, like any of the Real Housewives shows, or Honey BooBoo. Those shows are extra super dramatic and obnoxious from the get-go, and I avoid them as much as possible. . And I agree that there’s a big difference between the “Reality Game Shows” a-la Survivor, “Reality Interview shows” like say… “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”, “Reality Makeovers” a-la “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares” and an actual reality show like “Real Housewives of Atlanta” or that execrable new one about some horrid elementary school PTA in rural Georgia. The first 3 categories have a sort of explicit unreal component in having contests, or hosts who more or less run the show. By contrast, the “Reality Shows” are sort of like a window into the lives of a subset of people we’d normally never see- rich women, weird families, PTAs in Georgia, etc… even if they’re about as “real” as professional wrestling. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reality-shows-that-have-become-unwatchable/685571.md?page=5)