Reality TV & Gossip TV

Sachita · 12-10-2012, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greyson

This was random. I came upon this today when reading morning news. Apparently a U.S. Senator from West Virginia says "Enough." Buckwild is a new show about Appalachia. The article says "Appalachia with a Jersey Shore twist."

Senator urges MTV to pull the plug on 'Buckwild' series, calling it a 'travesty'

http://theclicker.today.com/_news/20...-travesty?lite

This show is really loving the controversy. When it happened to Jersey Shore it actually increased the ratings. I'm not crazy about the show but I love Snookie! She's such a cute little train wreck.

But this Buckwild show is going to create big media buzz, get a lot of free advertising and its most likely going to be stupid. It almost reminds me of those stupid guys from Jackass.

I love all the Real Housewives. Lately Miami is my fav. I love Top Chef, Diners, Drive-In's and Dives. Actually there are quite a few Food Network shows I love.

Sparkle · 12-10-2012, 03:19 PM

I'm not a huge fan of reality television, shock jock radio or "entertainment news" - generally. Almost all of those shows make me uncomfortably embarrassed for the people participating in them. I can't even watch the 'Amazing Race', which is a great concept, because the amount of xenophobia that many of the contestants spew every time they're in a foreign culture makes me cringe and change the channel.

Don't even get me started on "real housewives" or "mob wives" or the Kardasians... or the billion dollar birthday parties for pre-teens ... or the spray tanned children ... What do those shows say about how we view women? And children? And what our values are?

...But that's me. they make *me* really uncomfortable.

I don't begrudge anyone the right to decide which shows to watch, books to read, magazines to buy, radio stations to listen to. BUT I do believe that we perpetuate it by "buying it". For example, the paparazzi only exists because magazines pay $100s of $1000s for photos of public figures, and magazines only pay that much for a single photo because those photos sell magazines.

I don't think there is anything wrong with enjoying shows or magazines or internet sites - but make no mistake your choice to participate as a consumer is not negligible, your participation is counted, it does impact what type of television shows are made, how far a photographer will go for a shot, how outrageous a act has to be in order to gardner audiences - it impacts what policies are in place and where the boundaries are...

The "entertainment news" industry is colossal and a multi-headed Hydra.

Murdoch himself has taken a huge hit in the past couple of years, his empire is starting to fall to pieces from the phone-tap scandals, but there are no lack of morally bankrupt media outlets ready to fill the gap.

The prank call that precipitated this tragedy was incredibly distasteful and indicative of how dehumanizing the "cult of celebrity" has become.

The radio hosts should be deeply ashamed of themselves because not only did they successfully invade the privacy of a person at a very vulnerable point in her life; they also acted with utter disregard, and a total lack of respect, for the medical professionals with whom they were speaking... all in the name of entertainment. All for a joke. Their act was distasteful and ill conceived and they should be held accountable for some of the blame for this loss of life.

Both of the nurses involved in the prank call would have been in serious trouble both legally and professionally. The UK does have very stringent laws (equivalent to HIPPA) surrounding patient confidentiality and access to health records. Those laws were violated. Their professional credentials and livelihoods would have been on the line, not just their jobs at that hospital. And while the nurse who killed herself may not have disclosed the information regarding the morning sickness she would have been complicit by the very act of passing the call on to another colleague (an admission that the Duchess was a patient). Beyond the legal violations of disclosing personal health information - the hospital administration would have been publicly embarrassed, they would be in the news for all the wrong reasons, they would have likely lost the patronage of the Royal Family, they would be facing legal fines for the disclosure, and it is quite possible that portions of their funding could be on the line because of the scandal; the hospital administration would have been looking to take swift and severe action against the staff involved.

I think there should be no doubt that this nurse would have been under considerable personal stress at the time she took her life.

macele · 12-10-2012, 04:17 PM

i just remembered seeing a reality show about whitney houstons family. i am a whitney lover. she is the voice of inspiration, ... the absolute greatest. i love whitney! but i can't watch the show. it is reality, ... but i don't want to see her daughter drunk, drugged, and disrespectful. i don't know who allowed this to be shown, ... it's very heartbreaking.

Sachita · 12-10-2012, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macele

i just remembered seeing a reality show about whitney houstons family. i am a whitney lover. she is the voice of inspiration, ... the absolute greatest. i love whitney! but i can't watch the show. it is reality, ... but i don't want to see her daughter drunk, drugged, and disrespectful. i don't know who allowed this to be shown, ... it's very heartbreaking.

I thought that too. Just too soon for this shit. I have not watched it and I don't think I will.

12-10-2012, 03:19 PM	#2
Sparkle Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: She, please Relationship Status: Loved Up Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Western MA Posts: 2,183 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,001 Thanked 6,554 Times in 1,553 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	I'm not a huge fan of reality television, shock jock radio or "entertainment news" - generally. Almost all of those shows make me uncomfortably embarrassed for the people participating in them. I can't even watch the 'Amazing Race', which is a great concept, because the amount of xenophobia that many of the contestants spew every time they're in a foreign culture makes me cringe and change the channel. Don't even get me started on "real housewives" or "mob wives" or the Kardasians... or the billion dollar birthday parties for pre-teens ... or the spray tanned children ... What do those shows say about how we view women? And children? And what our values are? ...But that's me. they make me really uncomfortable. I don't begrudge anyone the right to decide which shows to watch, books to read, magazines to buy, radio stations to listen to. BUT I do believe that we perpetuate it by "buying it". For example, the paparazzi only exists because magazines pay $100s of $1000s for photos of public figures, and magazines only pay that much for a single photo because those photos sell magazines. I don't think there is anything wrong with enjoying shows or magazines or internet sites - but make no mistake your choice to participate as a consumer is not negligible, your participation is counted, it does impact what type of television shows are made, how far a photographer will go for a shot, how outrageous a act has to be in order to gardner audiences - it impacts what policies are in place and where the boundaries are... The "entertainment news" industry is colossal and a multi-headed Hydra. Murdoch himself has taken a huge hit in the past couple of years, his empire is starting to fall to pieces from the phone-tap scandals, but there are no lack of morally bankrupt media outlets ready to fill the gap. The prank call that precipitated this tragedy was incredibly distasteful and indicative of how dehumanizing the "cult of celebrity" has become. The radio hosts should be deeply ashamed of themselves because not only did they successfully invade the privacy of a person at a very vulnerable point in her life; they also acted with utter disregard, and a total lack of respect, for the medical professionals with whom they were speaking... all in the name of entertainment. All for a joke. Their act was distasteful and ill conceived and they should be held accountable for some of the blame for this loss of life. Both of the nurses involved in the prank call would have been in serious trouble both legally and professionally. The UK does have very stringent laws (equivalent to HIPPA) surrounding patient confidentiality and access to health records. Those laws were violated. Their professional credentials and livelihoods would have been on the line, not just their jobs at that hospital. And while the nurse who killed herself may not have disclosed the information regarding the morning sickness she would have been complicit by the very act of passing the call on to another colleague (an admission that the Duchess was a patient). Beyond the legal violations of disclosing personal health information - the hospital administration would have been publicly embarrassed, they would be in the news for all the wrong reasons, they would have likely lost the patronage of the Royal Family, they would be facing legal fines for the disclosure, and it is quite possible that portions of their funding could be on the line because of the scandal; the hospital administration would have been looking to take swift and severe action against the staff involved. I think there should be no doubt that this nurse would have been under considerable personal stress at the time she took her life. __________________ I am made of stars

12-10-2012, 04:17 PM	#3
macele Member How Do You Identify?: a bold-assed maximus Preferred Pronoun?: she Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: mississippi Posts: 1,066 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 3,178 Thanked 3,230 Times in 847 Posts Rep Power: 21474850	i just remembered seeing a reality show about whitney houstons family. i am a whitney lover. she is the voice of inspiration, ... the absolute greatest. i love whitney! but i can't watch the show. it is reality, ... but i don't want to see her daughter drunk, drugged, and disrespectful. i don't know who allowed this to be shown, ... it's very heartbreaking.