Yup, I know there’s h8ers out there – but there’s also more than a few of us who enjoy one or more genres of reality TV.
Poll list is based, roughly, on this Wiki article, though I added a couple of categories and moved a couple of things around. (I don’t consider Fear Factor a paranormal show, though I’ll admit throwing it in with Amazing Race is pretty weird also.)
ETA: Note – the list is roughly in order of documentary-type shows first, followed by competition-type shows. The examples are supposed to illuminate the categories, they’re obviously not exhaustive.
I used to like a lot more, but now I’m down to pretty much just Survivor (I suppose that be considered competition/special living) unless you include shows like Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs.
Damn, I missed the History option. I like those, too.
I can’t stand the “Follow a Celebrity around with a camera” type of show; like the Kardashians or whomever. It all seems like attention whoring of the worst kind. Having said that, I did watch a couple of the celebrity Wife Swap episodes.
I love, love, love The Amazing Race, Deadliest Catch and Dirty Jobs. Last summer I got hooked on Parking Wars and Mall Cops on Netflix. Parking Wars had maybe 20 episodes, and Mall Cops even fewer, but I’ll watch them again when they come to Netflix.
Cooking competitions would be job competitions. Hm, never seen Drag Race – that’s like “Top Model” for cross dressers, right? I’d call that a job competition also.
I chose the last option, and it surprised me to do so. I used to like a few home improvement shows and some of the competitions (Top Chef, Project Runway, the art one before Sucklord) but either I’ve grown tired of their formula (the competition shows) or they’ve gone too far away from what I liked in the first place. (I’m looking at you, This Old House and Hometime.) Either way, I’m not h8ing on the genre; I just think it and I have grown apart. IOW, I loathe the reality shows, but no more than I loathe crime dramas, hospital dramas, and wacky-family-hijinx sitcoms.
I’m not sure which category, but I really like Top Shot, part of what I like about it is that it has a culture of good sportsmanship, there might be a jerk or two, but usually the competitors go out of their way to avoid drama.
Top Shot is a shooting competition. Each season 16 people form two teams to compete in shooting challenges, as the season progresses, the challenges get more and more insane (like shooting a gumball off a golf tee, or using a bullet to drive a nail). It’s not limited to guns either, they will throw knives, and spears; fire cannons, or gatling guns.
I’m not at all into guns, but my wife and I both just really enjoy watching people compete at a true skill. After each round of team competition, the losing team has to nominate who is up for elimination. Most of the contestants maintain this sportsman demeanor that is refreshing and often will nominate themselves to be vulnerable for going home.
I’m crazy about RuPaul’s Drag Race! I want to hang out with all of them so badly (plus have them make all my clothes).
I think anything gets stale after long enough - I used to be a big fan of Project Runway and Top Chef, but now I’ll catch an episode here and there instead of DVRing the whole season.
Bravo used to have several that I liked, like Tabatha’s Salon Takeover, but now it seems to be the “all Real Housewives” channel, and that show does nothing for me. LOGO has also had some cool ones, one with Elvira Kurt planning weddings, and another one called something like “So you think you can’t get a date” which had the world’s most annoying announcer.
Edited to add: I think the common theme for reality stuff I like is learning about stuff that I would normally not be exposed to. Manufactured drama is everywhere, so I don’t need a show whose only purpose is “oh no she didn’t!”, but if I can learn about drag queen culture or special effects makeup secrets or what it takes to run a successful salon, then I feel like I’m broadening my horizons.
Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, home renovations and food shows like how to cook, not competitions like iron chef america [I like Japans iron Chef] and No Reservations. I am currently the lone paranormal voter, but it is because it is fun to trash them for their ignorance on certain things [and hope the people on Destination Truth fall off a cliff in the dark, but they never do:(]
I really don’t like the competition crap, or the faux gameshows.
