4.02.2008

What's Real about Reality TV?

America's Next Top Model- Okay, I'm guilty. I love this show. But my only real fascination is watching the photoshoots, and comparing them to the finished photos. They have (I mean had, this IS cycle 9!) some really original ideas for pictures. I loved Tyra's black & white scary face shoot, the one in Thailand where the girls were hanging above the floating market, and whenever they do something really dramatic with their makeup. Not so fond of the dramadramadrama. But it's part and parcel, when you have a bunch of girls living together, it's to be expected. Tyra, you are a little stuck on yourself, though. Please stop "dropping it like it's hot" on national TV. You're not as fly as you once were....

Real Housewives of NYC- OMG, this one takes the cake. Can we say "spoiled"? Helloooooooo.

Biggest Loser- You gotta love a reality show that really changes lives. One of my personal favorites, but I always have to wonder if anyone watched this show who is a normal, healthy weight. Of course, you can always just watch the show to watch Bob (yummy!).

Survivor - the original, but getting a little "ho. hum, seen that challenge before". Maybe if they film it in a place where survival is more difficult? Antarctica? Nah, they wouldn't be able to show off their boobies. Oh, and what happened to the "survivors" being hungry? Has anyone else noticed that the producers are constantly providing food rewards? Wasn't that part of the charm, watching the "survivors" scramble over a grain of rice or a rotten, fouled fish carcass? Remember when rats were haute cuisine?

American Idol-You know, last season was the first and last time I got emotionally involved with Idol, and I pretty much lost that envolvement when the train-wreck that was Sanjaya left the building. Though watching Blake was something to see. Did anyone else notice the way his face went blank when he performed? Phenomenal performer, if he would have just had some emotion in his face!

Hell's Kitchen- Ohhh, Gordon, you are a bad, bad boy. One of those bad boys that we just want to love and feed ice cream to and do backflips to make you giggle. This is a fun show, as long as you're not much of a foodie...they spend more time emphasizing how HARD restaurant life (and Ramsey, since they always show him with his shirt off) is.

Top Chef- Now this is the foodie show. So much fun, watching the chefs buy 5 items out of a gas station and make a 12-course gourmet meal with it! Who comes up with these challenges? They're using black chicken, guiduck, razor clams, and Krispy Kreme! Endlessly fascinating...

Iron Chef- Ahhh, this one will teach you something about real cooking. But more process than recipes. And you can't beat Alton Brown's ascerbic sense of humor, sprinkled over the show like the finishing fleur de sel.

Wife Swap- Oh, my. I try to never miss this show. It's a sick fantasy of mine, that they would call my house, and swap me with some selfish, career-minded, overly-strict, lazy, rule-driven mom, and in the end Yasar would swear, over a dozen roses, that he never wants to live his life without me (but don't we all watch this show with that same fantasy?). Not that I'm not appreciated here, but, well....you know. Oh, whatever happened to Trading Spouses? It was so much more entertaining when the new moms had to allocate the $50k, wasn't it?

Ice Road Truckers/Deadliest Catch/America's Port (new this week)-Kudos to NatGeo and Discovery Channel for exposing REAL reality TV. They just highlight that we don't need to watch size-zero girls fight over lipstick or 300+ pound people shirtlessly jiggle their way to the scale, to be captivated.

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