Reality TV & Gossip TV

[princessbelle]

Ok well, maybe i'm being too defensive. I guess the reason is i like reality TV shows. I don't like them all. But i like them. Just because i don't watch one doesn't make someone else that does any less of a human, imo.

Just as i stated before, whether you watch the Kardashians, or old Carol Burnett reruns or don't turn your TV on and get entertainment from online, i just don't see the difference AT ALL.

Not saying any of it is great. Heck we could all be out helping build a new community center with the time wasted for "entertainment" but i agree with Gemme, that everything should be in moderation.

Feels glad i don't have to figure out why i should feel guilty. Cause i tried and i just don't. lol.

I think honestly i get my fur raised when i start hearing "omg we are such bad people and it's all society's fault because we do such and such. How dare us all." That really gets me going. We've come so far as humans, realizing we have screwed up a lot with the environment, ect, but at least on the subject of media and communication links we have the ability to watch or turn it off. Either way is fine. I think we are doing pretty darn well as a society and the best is yet to come.

Of course i am a hopeless optimist, i will give you that.

[Gemme]

You are definitely an optimist, Belle, and I love that about you. I disagree with some points, but overall, you and I are pretty much on the same page. A little bit of whatever your preference is is fine, be it about singers or wives or ditch diggers or dogwalkers. I don't think that there should be any shaming attached to entertainment, as long as it is not hurtful to someone else.

[nycfem]

There's a lot of good and bad and complex outcomes that arise from reality t.v. imo. And I think it also depends on what we label reality t.v.

Some good:

Shows like "Intervention, "Obsessed," and "Addiction," sometimes touch me in how they have the potential to turn a life around for the good. It's sad that it takes a show to get someone the help they need, whether it be drug addiction or OCD, but to change one person and their family's life in such a profoundly positive way is a good thing no matter what IMO.

Sometimes reality shows bring different identities out of the closet so there can be a sense of relating especially for young people. In the MTV true life series they've covered kids who are gay, Deaf, stutter, have seizures, and a whole host of differences in a positive way.

Some bad:

It's been hard for Cindy and me raising Jacob and him seeing this plethora of MTV reality shows that center on filthy rich kids. It makes him demanding and expecting of things we can't provide. That may sound simplistic but it's how I experience it.

I know there was a mentally ill (maybe Bipolar?) young woman on AI who committed suicide after being put down after her singing.

There was a straight guy who went on the Jenny Jones show because he was told someone had a crush on him and wanted to reveal it on air. It ended up being a man who had a crush on him. The straight guy happened to be someone with a psychiatric history felt humiliated and killed himself. Then Jenny Jones was sued.

Some more complicated:

I read the memoir of the Beverly Hills housewife who said that she chose to be on the Real Housewives series because she was in the midst of a marriage with kids where she was victim of extreme domestic violence, and she figured she'd be safer with the t.v. crew around and everything public. Then during the series it did come out, along with all the shady things her husband was into (scams, etc.), and he ended up committing suicide. When someone's dirty laundry is public for the whole world to see I do think that's a big trigger for suicide.

[princessbelle]

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

There's a lot of good and bad and complex outcomes that arise from reality t.v. imo. And I think it also depends on what we label reality t.v.

Some good:

Shows like "Intervention, "Obsessed," and "Addiction," sometimes touch me in how they have the potential to turn a life around for the good. It's sad that it takes a show to get someone the help they need, whether it be drug addiction or OCD, but to change one person and their family's life in such a profoundly positive way is a good thing no matter what IMO.

Sometimes reality shows bring different identities out of the closet so there can be a sense of relating especially for young people. In the MTV true life series they've covered kids who are gay, Deaf, stutter, have seizures, and a whole host of differences in a positive way.

Some bad:

It's been hard for Cindy and me raising Jacob and him seeing this plethora of MTV reality shows that center on filthy rich kids. It makes him demanding and expecting of things we can't provide. That may sound simplistic but it's how I experience it.

I know there was a mentally ill (maybe Bipolar?) young woman on AI who committed suicide after being put down after her singing.

There was a straight guy who went on the Jenny Jones show because he was told someone had a crush on him and wanted to reveal it on air. It ended up being a man who had a crush on him. The straight guy happened to be someone with a psychiatric history felt humiliated and killed himself. Then Jenny Jones was sued.

Some more complicated:

I read the memoir of the Beverly Hills housewife who said that she chose to be on the Real Housewives series because she was in the midst of a marriage with kids where she was victim of extreme domestic violence, and she figured she'd be safer with the t.v. crew around and everything public. Then during the series it did come out, along with all the shady things her husband was into (scams, etc.), and he ended up committing suicide. When someone's dirty laundry is public for the whole world to see I do think that's a big trigger for suicide.

OMG i remember that about the Jenny Jones show!!! Had forgot about that. Yes there are times that Reality TV isn't great. But, such is life. Every aspect of our lives has good things and bad things. You take the bad with the good, isn't that the saying?

People do need to be responsible and they do need to be careful when they are dealing with real lives. Just as in our everyday lives and sadly some of that is also for entertainment, but just for themselves and not for the world to see.

I will continue to be selective, no i don't watch Honey Boo-Boo, saw it once that was enough, but if someone likes it...good for them.

I also agree with tantalizingfemme who alluded to the lack of intelligence in that show and other shows about kids, should actually be directed to the parent that allowed it. Not on the people who watch it, necessarily and i totally agree. People will watch anything. Have you seen some of the youtube video's out there?

Selection and moderation....good rules for all parts of life.

I'm glad i'm not alone as someone that loves reality TV.

Anyway, good dialog and now i'm off to watch Sister Wives soon!!!!

[nycfem]

Isn't it better in a way to watch real people then to watch the Brady Bunch and leave it to Beaver and all these sanitized scripts?

[princessbelle]

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

Isn't it better in a way to watch real people then to watch the Brady Bunch and leave it to Beaver and all these sanitized scripts?

That's what i think!!!! And those detective shows with all the murders and blood and guts? At least no one has died or been shot on any of the reality shows i watch. Closest thing was Robyn and Cody having a two week honeymoon and the other wives were a little put out.

I would have been too...dang two weeks? Yeah buddy i don't think so, get your Daddy butt home where it belongs and help take care of these kids.

Anyway, as i always say....


To each his/hys/her own.

[tantalizingfemme]

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

Isn't it better in a way to watch real people then to watch the Brady Bunch and leave it to Beaver and all these sanitized scripts?

Oh yes!!! So much more fun to watch. And how many times have I watched something and said to myself "thank goodness I/ my partner/my friends don't do/ act like/ that". And how many where I have thought, "hmmm I'm not the only one......"

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by tantalizingfemme

Oh yes!!! So much more fun to watch. And how many times have I watched something and said to myself "thank goodness I/ my partner/my friends don't do/ act like/ that". And how many where I have thought, "hmmm I'm not the only one......"

Dude! Where am I when you are watching all of these shows?

Things you learn about your girlfriend on the internet....

[tantalizingfemme]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Dude! Where am I when you are watching all of these shows?

Things you learn about your girlfriend on the internet....

We see each other friday through sunday.... I have a whole lotta time in between. And you know how much I love my judge shows.... And Maury when I am home during the day.



Thank goodness, at least that 's out in the open now.

[princessbelle]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Dude! Where am I when you are watching all of these shows?

Things you learn about your girlfriend on the internet....

LOL this was funny on so many levels.

Hey leave TF alone. She enjoys good TV.

[nycfem]

Reality shows BB refuses to watch with me under any circumstances: Wife Swap, Trading Spouses, Real Housewives, and My Shopping Addiction

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Dude! Where am I when you are watching all of these shows?

Things you learn about your girlfriend on the internet....

[Bleu]

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

Isn't it better in a way to watch real people then to watch the Brady Bunch and leave it to Beaver and all these sanitized scripts?

Yes. But, I think the types of shows that are available are like art, in a way. They are indicative of a collective path that society is taking. My curiosity is how do we, as butches and femmes, on a very specific sub-culture site, such as this lovely Planet, how do we filter all this?

I do not think we (BFPers) are really exactly part of mainstream society. I am thinking, I could be wrong, but... I think the way we think and feel is inherently different than your average person on the sidewalks of America. We were raised in the mainstream, very probably mostly by mainstreamers, but we are not of it.

In it, but not of it.

I dunno.... anyone, anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

[Soft*Silver]

Do not mess with the Brady's....I loved that show growing up. And the Beav...and Andy Griffith. I am So Aunt Bea as I get older...lol

Originally Posted by nycfembbw

Isn't it better in a way to watch real people then to watch the Brady Bunch and leave it to Beaver and all these sanitized scripts?

[Greyson]

Belle, I do not think you or anyone else is "bad"for watching reality T.V. maybe I am being to general with the term "Reality T.V." There are some shows, and not Sister Wives, Survivor, nor Amazing Race that has gone beyond the pale, IMO.

I will have to admit, I have never watched some of these reality shows all the way through because I just could not. I still think some of them serve no purpose, not even entertainment. Like many things in this world, perhaps the pendelum has swung far in one direction and will come back to the middle.

Bleu, I did not realize "Judge Judy" was considered to be reality T.V. I watch her too. Everyday if I get home from work early enough, I turn her on and watch her for one hour. I am amazed how Judge Judy can hear some of this stuff and keep a straight face. I do worry at times that some of this ignorance she must hear and rule on day in and day out is going to cause her to stroke.

[nycfem]

I think of reality t.v. as everything that is not ENTIRELY scripted. So reality t.v. imo includes court shows (love Judge Judy!), talk shows, documentaries, and anything that isn't 100% actors spouting memorized lines.

[Bleu]

Originally Posted by Greyson

Bleu, I did not realize "Judge Judy" was considered to be reality T.V. I watch her too. Everyday if I get home from work early enough, I turn her on and watch her for one hour. I am amazed how Judge Judy can hear some of this stuff and keep a straight face. I do worry at times that some of this ignorance she must hear and rule on day in and day out is going to cause her to stroke.

Oh well, see, I am thinking she is a pioneer of reality TV. She is a strong and intelligent vessel that shines a huge spotlight, a magnifying glass really, on the stupidity and pettiness that can infect some people. I find her fascinating in that she can spot a liar or a cheat in a second and her logic is flawless.

I dunno... that is how I take it.

[Soft*Silver]

I watch some reality shows as well. But I was referring to those shows that are debasing to someone or a group of someones. HoneyBoo Boo comes to mind immediately. Another one was the Fear Factor. Eating reindeer balls, having 200 spiders crawl all over you. There is an adolescent one (or damn close to it) about some kid who does all these dangerous stunts. Come on. Really? A simple "dont do these at home" isnt enough warning. If he can do it, kids think they can too.

The reality shows I like are Oddities, Storage Wars, and Pawn Stars. I hated Flavor Fav and his campaign to find a GF. But then I detest all the Bachelor, Bachelorette shows. Cattle calls. As does Millionare Matchmaker. Its not any different just because the featured person is privelaged with money.

television is a main tool of socialization, and it does pass along a culture's beliefs and values, and therefor can and does create new ones. Dont think so? Think of Jennifer Aniston's haircuts. On a deeper level, Ellen D's bookstore sitcom changed our culture forever. Why do you think there were/are so many groups opposed to allowing homosexuality on tv? Because once its on there as an approved and accepted lifestyle, its only a matter of time before it becomes an entrenched cultural value.

[Bleu]

Originally Posted by Miss_Tia

I watch some reality shows as well. But I was referring to those shows that are debasing to someone or a group of someones. HoneyBoo Boo comes to mind immediately. Another one was the Fear Factor. Eating reindeer balls, having 200 spiders crawl all over you. There is an adolescent one (or damn close to it) about some kid who does all these dangerous stunts. Come on. Really? A simple "dont do these at home" isnt enough warning. If he can do it, kids think they can too.

The reality shows I like are Oddities, Storage Wars, and Pawn Stars. I hated Flavor Fav and his campaign to find a GF. But then I detest all the Bachelor, Bachelorette shows. Cattle calls. As does Millionare Matchmaker. Its not any different just because the featured person is privelaged with money.

television is a main tool of socialization, and it does pass along a culture's beliefs and values, and therefor can and does create new ones. Dont think so? Think of Jennifer Aniston's haircuts. On a deeper level, Ellen D's bookstore sitcom changed our culture forever. Why do you think there were/are so many groups opposed to allowing homosexuality on tv? Because once its on there as an approved and accepted lifestyle, its only a matter of time before it becomes an entrenched cultural value.

I agree and I think this is how in a way it is a form of art, shaping and changing the way people feel and think and SEE. Ellen D's bookstore is a perfect example.

[tantalizingfemme]

Originally Posted by Miss_Tia

television is a main tool of socialization, and it does pass along a culture's beliefs and values, and therefor can and does create new ones. Dont think so? Think of Jennifer Aniston's haircuts. On a deeper level, Ellen D's bookstore sitcom changed our culture forever. Why do you think there were/are so many groups opposed to allowing homosexuality on tv? Because once its on there as an approved and accepted lifestyle, its only a matter of time before it becomes an entrenched cultural value.

Television has had a hand in influencing our society from it's inception. What is different now? I wonder how many women were influenced by June Cleaver? How many people thought blending two families may be as uncomplicated as the Brady Bunch? Talk about debasing.... my mother thought I Love Lucy was the worst show ever because of the way Lucy acted to get what she wanted.... she thought it was insulting to women. We weren't allowed to watch it. (We would sneak it because we loved it) Yet, look at how beloved that show is and Lucy is.

I was influenced by a lot of television shows from the 70s and 80s.

And games shows of the past.... The gong show, the Dating Game, Hollywood Squares....Embarrassing? Debasing? Influential? All reality Shows in a sense. People getting on television for their 15 minutes of fame and saying and doing whatever would keep them there. (I loved Hollywood Squares because of the racy chatter of the "squares".)

And talk about racy, what about the Newlywed Game? Yowza

[Random]

I watch

Face off
Top Chef and all it's lil spin offs
Project Runway (when I remember)

Face off is the only one that I actively try to follow...

I do occassionally get sucked into the kardashian world... I don't know why... I really don't have a clue as to why I like them...

I watch a lot of hgtv and food network... I really love home design /real estate and my partner is a foodie..