Saturday, September 12, 2009

I like my reality with a side of... "de plane! de plane!"

In other words, FANTASY.

(Those of you who have lived long enough, will remember my title riff as pertaining to that old Saturday night cheez-fest, Fantasy Island, starring the always delightful Ricardo Montalban. Those of you who haven't, well, youtube is your friend. Or possibly not, in this case.)

So. It seems that I, alone, of the Noble Order of Novel Girls, tend to eschew reality TV. It is my lot in life. I've always been an odd duck. *sigh*

I understand the fascination, I truly do. I just can't do it. I watched the first season of Survivor - mostly because it was impossible to have a relevant conversation with my mother if I hadn't seen that weeks episode - but that's about it.

Other than that, I occasionally stumble across an episode of America's Next Top Model, which I will watch for ten minutes or so, just for the the sheer roadkill factor, before I have to hit the remote. And sometimes, when John is out, there's the odd half-hour of home-decor porn (oh Debbie Travis, you wall-bashing vixen, you).

But that's really it.

I can't watch any of the dancing shows, because they just remind me of my failed age 6 aspirations of prima ballerina-dom (they were brief and fleeting, really - I was a hobbyist - but still). And even though I hear that SYTYCD is damn entertaining, I just can't commit.

I can't watch the Idol shows because I tend to exhibit violent, over-reactionary behavior in the face of aspiration-mockery. Too many years spent auditioning, I think. It's somewhat soured me on the process - I just can't watch contestants have their dreams steamrollered week after week.

I also can't watch any of the aging has-been freak-show parades. They just make me feel ooky.

And I fondly remember a blissful, more innocent, gentler time, when I had never even heard of Jon and Kate (or their eight), or that Tila Tequila chick. Who are these people, why on earth should I care, and when are they going to have the good sense to be ashamed of themselves and crawl back into obscurity where I don't have to read about them in the morning Metro??? Gah.

I guess if I have to watch something that you could call reality tv, I would have to say that I do have one form of it I will watch with an obsession bordering on the unhealthy. And that is Leafs hockey. It's heartbreakingly real. Especially every time the playoffs roll around and we're not in them.

Right! So having confessed, who's with me? Any reality haters in the crowd? Stand with me!

And while your doing that - don't forget to enter the Novel Girls Blogoversary Contest-o-Rama-Rama for a chance to win a signed copy of A Bump in the Road and a $100 Amazon Gift Card!! Details on the side bar!

6 comments:

Jillian Cantor said...

I wouldn't feel bad for being a reality TV hater. In fact, I think it's a sign that you're more intelligent than the rest of us! It's much more shameful to admit to watching some of those shows:-)

Anonymous said...

There is a lot of reality shows I will watch and then there are a lot I just can't torture myself with.Like Flava flave(?) and that Tequila lady,Bachelor and bachelorette.I just can't do it.LOL.

Doug A Scott said...

I generally find reality programs to be like any other genre of TV. Some of it's really very entertaining... and some of it is just God-awful crap.

Lynn and I are pretty religious about following SYTYCD 9American and Canadian), but American Idol makes us cringe and leap for the remote. I'll watch the occasional episode of Gene Simmons' Family Jewels because the Simmonses are just damn funny people.

And most of the back-stabbing competition programs like Survivor horrify me.

Oh, and the random episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. At least deserving people are having nice things done for them.

kristina shields said...

reality shows are okay, but i prefer actually shows that are not crap.

Kristen said...

I admit it! I hate reality TV too! The only thing remotely close that I can stand is America's Funniest Home Videos. :)

Lesley Livingston said...

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in my aversion (although let's leave the question of my intelligence at the side of the road, shall we, Jillian? ;-D)

But I totally get that, just like scripted tv, there are vastly varying degrees of merit.

Just... the Tequila chick must go.