We have been bombarded with this whole reality TV craze. Everywhere I turn, radio, tv, newspapers, web, that is all everybody seems to be talking about. Am I the only one in America who has not watched this survivor or big brother show? I have no interest in it and have yet to have seen one minute of one episode. I’m not a recluse or anything like that. I fell for the Who Wants to be a Millionaire craze so it isn’t necessarily me trying to shun popular culture.
I’ve never seen a single episode of ‘Survivor’ or ‘Big Brother’, but have been keeping up with ‘FPS Game Designer Survivor’.
i have not seen one second of one episode of survivor and have not heard anything about it compelling enough to make me want to. in fact, what i have heard about it sounds pretty annoying. i do like ‘cops’ sometimes, especially when the perp is a funny drunk. i have to turn off cops though when the cop and perp are both equally stupid. then it just becomes too painful to watch.
Survivor is now on Australian TV (groan). I saw a promo for it the other night and was instantly turned off. It’s just another example of Mindless Media for the Masses.
I happened accross the show last night or maybe it was the night before. The only thing I can remember was that everybody voted for Gretchen- why I have no idea. I got the feeling that this show was a lot like a soap- you get to stick your nose into people’s personal lives, but at least in a soap there is a semi-interesting plot or some kind of story going on.
To the people that are hooked on this show I must say: it’s nice that you find other people’s lives so interesting but you really should get on of your own. 
I’ve never watched so much as a minute of “Survivor.” I don’t even know what network it’s on. Hell, I don’t even understand the concept; they’re not “surviving” anything, they’re just on a beach. You could get exactly the same thing by putting them up in a hotel, making them play games in the parking lot, and having them vote each other out. I’m not an anti-TV sort, either; I watch “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” religiously.
I didn’t even know what “Big Brother” was until I looked it up on the Web.
I was watching a show the other night wherein a bunch of pundits were talking about how this whole reality-TV craze was changing not just the nature of TV, but the nature of society itself. What a load of crap. It’s a fad; in two years the reality shows will be gone. I’d bet $100 in real cash money that “Survivor” won’t survive two seasons.
Thank God. I thought I was the only one not watching these shows. I purposely avoid all threads that seem to want to discuss the shows. Everybody here at work keeps talking about them. I can’t stand to here about the political bullcrap that goes on from them, much less watch it on TV. It sounds to me like the only thing these people have to survive is a popularity contest. That’s not real. Enough rant. Just glad to see I’m not alone.
Hello. My name is Mr.Zambezi, and I am addicted to Survivor.
I don’t know why, but I like the competition on Survivor. It is, in essence, a game that involves interpersonal skills. I anticipate that the women wil do the best. fortunate for the men, there are physical contests. I like to watch the conflicts. Plus that one woman is a really cutie-patootie!
I am usually a TV snob sticking to PBS science shows like Nova. But I have been hooked on Real World as well. I guess I am just a peeping tom at heart.
I’ve never seen any reality tv shows, admittedly because I won’t pay to get tv service in my apartment. As inane as they might be, I can see one real advantage to them. People are finally realizing that there is just no goddamned reason to participate in our so-called celebrity culture. The public would just rather see losers (er, real people) than see overstuffed, overpaid, prima donna celebrities. And that’s all right with me.
MR
I have yet to see any reality show that is anything but a waste of airtime. I’ve been railing against The Real World for years. How can anyone find it interesting? I have avoided Survivor like the plague. I see nothing remotely of value in it. I agree that it’s a fad; television is full of them. Remember in the '70s it was the variety show. In the '80s it was Hill Street Elsewhere; the '90s broght us comedian sitcoms. I guess the '00s are serving up this dreck.
I am always reminded of the words of Edward R. Murrow (spoken in 1958) when I see these stupid shows: “This instrument can teach, it can illuminate, and yes it can inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is nothing but wires and lights in a box.”
Murrow sounds like someone I’d like to meet.
And my reality looks nothing like what I’ve seen on those dumb shows.
Reality TV is sort of like watching fish in a bowl, if fish could talk and were generally stupid. But if the fish look interesting, maybe you watch a little longer.
Honestly though, I do find it a little interesting to watch the psychology of these people in a decidedly artificial and constructed environment. And then marvel at how dumb they sometimes are.
Look at it this way: it could be worse. They could all be contestants with Jerry Springer on a desert island.
Or it could have been “Who Wants to Marry a Survivor?”
I don’t really see a general question here (Well, except for the thread title: The answer is “no,”), so I’m going to move this topic to In My Humble Opinion.
Last night was the first time I have ever watched Big Brother. I was shocked and appalled at the woman who annoucned after 20-odd years of marriage that she neither missed her husband, or loved him, for that matter. The husband was interviewed as well, and his tearful response was basically “Well, that’s the first time I’ve heard about it.” I sat there thinking about the two daughters of this horrid woman and how they must feel, hearing on national television that their mother doesn’t care for their father. It makes me angry just thinking about it. Jesus! What ever happened to having a bit of class and not airing your dirty laundry for the world to see? These kind of shows, like Jerry Springer and his ilk as well, are, without a doubt, a national embarassment.
Well, he died in 1965. Here was an early broadcaster and is still highly regarded for his standards and ethics.
You can read more about him here Edward R. Murrow: A WWW Information Source
I have enough of my own reality, thank you. I don’t need to watch someone else’s.
chrisbar
I cut & pasted this post from an earlier thread. I still stand by it, and will gladly take on all comers:
I LOVE TV
It’s so easy to criticize television and garner kneejerk applause. I disagree. I love TV and think it’s a more positive influence then negative.
Moreover, I think TV has improved spectacularly over the past 10 - 15 years to the point where it’s arguably the highest quality mass media out there. For those of you who disagree with me, intending to throw WWF, Jerry Springer and Bevis & Butthead in my face, be prepared to defend Howard Stern (not NPR), Cats (not Hamlet), the National Enquirer (not the Washington Post), Rocky & Bullwinkle (not Citizen Kane), and 10 Days to Thinner Thighs (not Moby Dick).
I always want to ask people who criticize television, what they want on the air that isn’t there now.
The only part I’ve ever seen of Survivor are the clips they’ve had on the news. I’ve never heard of the other one before.