Confessions Of A TV Snob

[arwen undomiel]

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are the writer's, and reflect no judgement of anyone else's taste in TV. Whatever floats your boat, folks...


I am a TV snob - I make no apologies for it. I refuse to watch any program which caters to the lowest denominator, or insults my intelligence. The end result is that I wind up watching a lot of the Discover channels, History Channels and the Food Network, if of course there's no basketball/baseball/football game worth watching.

I have a confession to make...

I have begin to watch (gasp)

REALITY TV

Me, the woman who has generally turned her nose up at the flood of inanity I consider reality programming to be. Fear Factor? An exercise seeing how low a person will go to win that elusive 15 minutes of fame. Cops? Puhleeze. The Real Gilligan's Island? Don't even get me started.

It started on BBC America of all places. Faking It - an interesting concept, but somehow I've drifted away from it.

My co-worker "J" kept telling about this Extreme Home Makeover show she'd been watching. One dull Sunday evening, I checked it out just for GP's. I find TY Pennington a bit over the top at times, but was surprised at the outcome of the house when done - lovely taste on the exteriors and common area interiors. Been watching steadily since.

Said co-worker also introduced me to Hell's Kitchen. I'd seen Gordon Ramsay on an the first episode of Faking It I'd seen, so I knew who he is, and more importantly, his abusive nature. After telling my husband (who is a chef) about this, he wanted to check it out (and he laughed all the through it), I confess that I turn it on to discover just how creative Ramsay can be with his insults, and how unprepared most of the contestants are. My money's on Ralph or Mike right now.

As I seldom watch network TV, I was unaware until 2 weeks ago that Evander Holyfield was in a dance show????? This, I gotta see. Seeing as footwork is an important component of boxing, I thought perhaps he might do well. He and his partner were eliminated tonight. Ciao, Evander. Dan O'Hurley has really impressed me. He can swing me around a dance floor anytime (this coming from a white girl with NO rhythm).

I could blame my co-worker for all this, but I won't.

I could blame TDOS for this, but I won't.

I think I'll just

BLAME FINLEY!


I think I'm in need of serious professional help. I think I'll watch 2 hours of CSPAN as penance.

 

[The Freak]

haha I've been watching Reality TV, and its been pretty entertaining for TDOS. Growing up Gotti and Real World are on my list so far.

 

[VF21]

Tonight I was faced with a true dilemma. I had to keep clicking back and forth between "Beauty and the Geek" and the rerun of last week's dance show.



Welcome to TV hell, dear arwen... And just wait until you discover the joys of "Blow Out," "Project Greenlight," and "Project Runway."

Bwahahahahahaha!

 

[EmKingsFan4]

I hear ya Arwen! As much as I've tried to resist the reality tv craze..it's just too darn entertaining! My favorite right now has got to be Extreme Makeover: Home Edition...I cry every damn time!!!

 

[loopymitch]

I have not watched any reality tv and I refuse to. I hear it's very addictive and once you've seen one that's it. By the time I tape my regular shows, soaps etc. there's no time left and I'm glad. I can usually find some kind of sports on if I'm really bored or a movie.
Get help Arwen and get out before it's too late.

 

[Bricklayer]

Reality TV will rot your brain -- go back to being a TV snob Arwen. I am.

 

[GoGoGadget]

I consider myself to be a snob in most things, including TV. And, I never watch reality shows (except for the TLC/Discovery Channel Trading Spaces or Monster Garage genre, which I consider to be a different and more acceptable form of "reality TV") when they air originally -- I can very easily resist a single episode.

However, if I happen to catch a marathon of a particular show -- VH1's full season in a day marathon of America's Next Top Model, I'm looking at you -- I'm done for. Thirteen episodes in a row somehow makes the show that much more addictive.

I have seen, off the top of my head, all but the last couple of seasons of The Real World, all but one season of America's Next Top Model and the first season of Blow Out in their entirety, yet I could not even tell you when these shows air.

 

[albeitrue]

I hear what you say about marathons GGG, I could waste 8 or 10 hours of consecutive viewing, just don't ask me to come back to catch the action later; it's now or never.

The only three reality TV episodes I have watched my kids turned me onto, it was the Real World episodes with some rapper and Brigette somebody (Stallone's ex), what a gag-me-with-a-spoon romance that was, LOL! totally blew the other house members out of the water though. Then the episode where the rapper is trying to find Brigette in Italy after the show was done, geez...

Anyhoo, how can anyone call "reality" that thing you do when a camera is following you around?

I watched the second episode of "Out Of The West" tonight. My hubby said the first one was much better but I think he was covering up, hehehe... None of the characters are expanded upon, someone dies and you think "oh well" and wait for the next dramatic event, no connection whatsoever was made between characters, or with the audience. I have to say I expected more from Spielberg, maybe it's just his name being used and he has nothing really to do with it? C'mon Steve, it's TNT!

Good, funny T.V. is the old Newlywed Game.

I'm definitely a T.V. snob, there's nothing good on anymore unless you're watching the BBC (TrailerTrashBoys is my fav).

 

[6th]

Reality TV will rot your brain -- go back to being a TV snob Arwen. I am.

I absolutely agree. I shall remain a TV snob and be proud of it.

If there are no sports on, that I care to watch, I will see if there are any question/answer type game shows on the Game Channel. Failing that, I spend a lot of time on the computer. Of late, I have been doing a lot of research into homeschooling.

 

[loopymitch]

If you watch soap operas are you still a snob?

 

[thesanityannex]

Welcome to TV hell, dear arwen... And just wait until you discover the joys of "Blow Out," "Project Greenlight," and "Project Runway."

Bwahahahahahaha!

For some strange reason, I like "blow out". Jonathan is intriguing and I enjoy watching him run his business. Greenlight sucked, and Project Runway wasn't too bad (my girlfriend loves that show). I also enjoy Hell's Kitchen. I am a loser.

 

[SDKing]

^^^Blow out is freakin funny. I haven't seen any of the new season yet though. It makes me laugh how different reality is for the people on that show. Anyway, without Lost on right now, I feel pretty much, well....lost.

 

[VF21]

If you watch soap operas are you still a snob?

Depends. Do you WANT to be a snob?

Let me know, cause I can spin the answer either way depending upon what you want.

 

[thesanityannex]

^^^ I believe this was the first season of blow out, but I'm not sure. I don't even know when a set time is to watch it, I seem to stumble onto it every now and then.

 

[loopymitch]

Depends. Do you WANT to be a snob?

Let me know, cause I can spin the answer either way depending upon what you want.

I guess so, a soap opera watching snob doesn't sound right though.

 

[arwen undomiel]

After reading the responses here, I think I have a ray of hope still. I interpret the fact that I've never even heard of some of these other reality shows means that I'm not hopelessly inured in the mire.I've also realized it could be worse - I could be watching QVC.

 

[VF21]

I guess so, a soap opera watching snob doesn't sound right though.

Okay, here goes:

You can still be a TV snob, even if you watch soap operas because - actually - you'e just keeping the TV on during the day for companionship, for something in the background while you go about all your daily chores. You could turn the TV off any time you wanted. You're not really hooked on soap operas.

(Make that your story AND stick to it!)

 

[6th]

After reading the responses here, I think I have a ray of hope still. I interpret the fact that I've never even heard of some of these other reality shows means that I'm not hopelessly inured in the mire.I've also realized it could be worse - I could be watching QVC.

I have yet to read even one "reality show" name that I have heard of. TV snobbery seems to be safe with me. BTW - are all these shows, that have been mentioned, on network TV? I hardly ever watch network TV anymore.

 

[thesanityannex]

The only three reality TV episodes I have watched my kids turned me onto, it was the Real World episodes with some rapper and Brigette somebody (Stallone's ex), what a gag-me-with-a-spoon romance that was, LOL! totally blew the other house members out of the water though. Then the episode where the rapper is trying to find Brigette in Italy after the show was done, geez...

This is actually the Surreal Life, not to be mistaken with the Real World.

 

[VF21]

I have yet to read even one "reality show" name that I have heard of. TV snobbery seems to be safe with me. BTW - are all these shows, that have been mentioned, on network TV? I hardly ever watch network TV anymore.

Project Greenlight - Bravo
Project Runway - Bravo
Real World - MTV
Hell's Kitchen - Bravo
Blow Out - Bravo

 

[thesanityannex]

I actually have a channel on my t.v. thats called the "Fox Real" network. It is 24/7 reality shows, tons i've never heard of or would even want to watch. It is good entertainment for those late nights

 

[arwen undomiel]

I actually have a channel on my t.v. thats called the "Fox Real" network. It is 24/7 reality shows, tons i've never heard of or would even want to watch. It is good entertainment for those late nights

Great - the stuff nightmares are made of.

 

[GoGoGadget]

If you watch soap operas are you still a snob?

It all depends on HOW you watch the soap operas.

If you watch them purely for cheesy camp value and/or to mock the predictability and melodrama? Your snobbery is intact.

If, however, you relate to the characters as if they're your friends, refer to them as your "stories," or find yourself crying over a partuicular plot line? Sorry. Hand in your snob card.

 

[loopymitch]

Okay, here goes:

You can still be a TV snob, even if you watch soap operas because - actually - you'e just keeping the TV on during the day for companionship, for something in the background while you go about all your daily chores. You could turn the TV off any time you wanted. You're not really hooked on soap operas.

(Make that your story AND stick to it!)

Yes ma'am, works for me