Rant 2/1/03

            I am watching with particular interest the recent popularity of ‘reality’ shows on television. Within the past few years, we have seen shows that celebrate such high concepts as greed, avarice, and pure mean-spiritedness in the human animal. Sure, some will say that shows like SURVIVOR show the ability of the human spirit to survive against impossible odds. Yes, maybe, but why are they doing it? For the money, of course! Not for any loftier goal and certainly not to simply show the unkillable human spirit. “It’s all about the money, Jack!”

            Then we are treated to such lovely shows as men and women competing for the heart or hand in marriage of a prospective spouse. Again, why? Is it to give these people a chance at happiness at finding someone to share their lives with? No. It’s all about the contestants winning the hearts and pocket books of someone who is rich. The latest show, JOE MILLIONAIRE, twists this around by telling viewers, in explicit and mind-numbing repetition, that the man all these women are competing for is actually just a working joe and not a millionaire after all. Which shows us only that women are more interested in the man’s ability to provide money, toys and security than in his personality. There’s a great message to send to people. So now the shows are becoming just as cynical as the audience that are watching them. Yet these are the highest rated shows on television these days so what does that say about the viewing public as well? That we are so willing to watch people willing to debase themselves for the money. A new type of reality game show, I suppose. At least the days of Allan Funt and CANDID CAMERA made good-natured fun of people but these shows seem to be created out of a mean-spirited desire to show people at their worst.

            Compare this with the strange experience one gets watching the ANNA NICOLE SHOW where one can actually watch a human being crash and burn in front of you. Well, what could possibly beat the entertainment value in that? How could one not see the thrill in watching a woman with no clue that she is being held up for public ridicule? Truth certainly is stranger than fiction and, when it isn’t, we’ll make it that way.

            The world of television is definitely a strange one and, as they often tell us, they are only providing what we, the audience, want. So, is this what we want? Do we really want to see the worst, the most debasing aspects of ourselves presented on the small screen for everyone to mock and laugh at? What was happened to aspirations? To the desire of man to rise above the mud and reach for the heavens? Or have we all just realized that, in the end, we are nothing more than base animals and this is the best we can do?

            In television’s golden age, such shows would never be suggested as the networks strongly considered both the message and content of what they delivered into the American living room. Married couples slept in separate beds. Toilets did not exist. Sex never happened (children must have just spontaneously appeared as mischievous youngsters). Am I saying that censorship should be applied? No, not at all. Censorship in any form is wrong but ask yourself this, where are the uplifting shows? Where are the shows that truly show the ability of the human spirit to rise above their tragedies and survive against all odds? Do you, as a viewer, feel uplifted after watching SURVIVOR or THE BACHELOR or do you just feel better because of a false feeling of superiority. “Oh, I could never do that. I have too much respect for myself.” Perhaps the easiest way to uplift one’s spirit is on the backs of those less worthy than ourselves. Then again, maybe it’s always been that way and television has just finally become honest enough to put that mirror up to us and show us the dirty secret it’s always known all these years. Is it any wonder that I spend a lot of my time watching the CARTOON NETWORK?

            But that’s just me.