Am I the only one who LOVES reality TV??

[CzeCze]

I wanted to post about my new guilty pleasures on TV but doubted either would get enough response from folks: Tila Tequila: A Shot at Loveand America's Psychic Challenge!

My friend told me about Shot At Love because I the HOT MESS that was Flava of Love 1 AND 2. I even watched I Love New York (only 1, not 2). I wondered how trashy and Playboy Tila's "bisexuality" (read: extreme sluttiness) would be but now I'm just awed at how all the contestants and her take the show so seriously! Everyone cries at each elimination and tell her they're in love. Day-amn, that kind of sissy behavior would have gotten you cut on Flava's show. And the guys are soooo gross. One girl who knew Tila for all of 2 weeks (if that) cried on elimination that Tila was 'my first love and my first love lost'. WTF. Where do you get these people??? And why are the lipstick lezzies so freakin' crazy?

And America's Next Psychic! I never even heard of this show before but I was flipping through the TV over Thanksgiving and I was hooked! I watched all the free episodes on Lifetime.com and now I admit I have even paid good money to dl the episodes on iTunes. Anyone want to hide in the trunk of a car and have me find them?

Yes, I love me some low-brow entertainment and I am not ashamed to stand up to the world (that is MBTIc) and declare it! My brother asks me why I watch reality TV, but when he cracks up laughing at an aspiring America's model tripping down the runway on spike heels -- he has his answer.

 

[Quiesce]

You get what you take from it.

I have so-call "refined tastes" when it comes to entertainment, which just means I am miserable with most series or films.

This is annoying more often than "good".

 

[Tigerlily]

Am I the only one who LOVES reality TV??

Possibly

I have to admit that I can get sucked into crapality TV. I start off hot and heavy for the first few episodes, then I DVR it and and fast forward to the elimination part.

 

[Totenkindly]

I enjoyed some of the reality TV shows when the trend started, but Flava Flave and New York and other shows just tend to sicken me now -- I wonder why people so undeserving of the money and attention have enough following to have their own TV show and are so high on themselves, while people who are mature and decent and responsible are scraping by when it comes to making a living.

I suppose it's funny if you are in the right mood to start with, but by now most of these people on these shows deserve to be living out of dumpsters, to be honest; and if there's any fairness in the world, the world will slap them down as soon as possible. /rant

 

[miss fortune]

I loved Flava of Love! of course, if I have too much time on my hands I also watch Blind Date and other such shows they kind of make me feel better about my own life! (not to mention the joy of laughing at other people! )

 

[cascadeco]

Most of the shows I can't stand, but I did unintentionally get sucked into the last 4 episodes or so of 'Rock of Love'. hehehe.

I have also been known to watch America's Next Top Model , and got sucked into watching a handful of episodes of LA Ink.

Rock of Love was more of a curiousity/fascination. Who ARE some of these women?? America's Next Top Model just makes me laugh. And LA Ink fascinates me from a personality perspective, just because I call the lead person (Von Dee? what's her name??) the anti-ME. - well, ok, nearly ALL reality-show people are the anti-ME, but I digress.

Oh, but the one reality show I truly like is So You Think You Can Dance. I'm most impressed by much of the dancing. (But forget that stupid Dancing with the Stars show - no interest whatsoever in that)

 

[Atomic Fiend]

I only like the tame seasons of Real World, everything else, as far as I'm concerned, is complete and utter crap.

 

[anii]

Okay, I'm in. I am a shameless reality tv whore. Currently my drugs of choice include:

- The Amazing Race
- Project Runway
- America's Next Top Model
- The Real World
- Beauty and the Geek, and last but not least...
- A Shoddaddluvvv (that's how *she* pronounces it I swear to god) with Tila Tequila

I've never heard of the psychic challenge and DON'T ! tell me about it because I'm trying to *break* my addiction, not add on another.

Okay, now on to the delightfully trashy and cheezy fun that is SOL (hehe... never noticed it could also be "shit out of luck") with TT.

I initially started watching because I like to challenge my biases (including heterocentrism and homophobia) when the chance presents itself. That is the official, socially acceptable, armchair sociologist reason. The other is... "Rock of Love with BM" (yet another unfortunate acronym...) was over and I needed a dating show in my collection of CHEEZE.

- So I thought she would either go for a guy or a lipstick lesbian, and was shocked to find that she likes Dani and even more shocked to find that I'm rooting for Dani too.
- But wait! It's not in the bag yet. I'm also rooting for Bobby because he really seems to like her. Did anybody else notice that just before the blond girl came back to apologize, when T was just 'chillin' in the kitchen for breakfast, he was holding her hand literally under the table? He had this faraway smile on his face; she seemed content too. But! His mother is "not impressed" by the looks of next week's previews. Will she put the kaybosh on Bobby's romance? To be continued...
- I couldn't believe Dominico lasted as long as he did, but it was touching to see how truly moved everyone was by his departure.
- Aren't these shows supposed to do psycological testing before they accept contestants? OMG - how many crazy-ass psychos can you fit into one 'crib'? Evidently, three - that girly-laughing black guy from week one, Ashley the stalker, and Angry Naked Chick (she had a great accent though).

Anyhoo... so my hope for the final two is: Bobby and Dani. Who do I want to win? I'm really undecided. Dani's family definitely seems cooler... we shall see.

 

[sassafrassquatch]

I'll watch an episode of one of these Springeresque celebrity reality dating clusterfraks now and then because I find stupid people fascinating in a Jane Goodall watching monkeys sort of way.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I watch American Idol

The only other reality show I watched was the first couple of seasons of Survivor. But it got pretty repetitive. The dating ones, especially the more ridiculous dating ones, kind of depress me. People are willing to debase themselves to appear on television, and no one seems to know or care about the difference between famous and infamous.

 

[PuddleRiver]

I only watch Ghost Hunters (now and then), I absolutely hate the rest.

 

[anii]

SPOILER ALERT!

So who watched "A shot at love" this week?

I'm glad the blond guy is gone. I predict the amazonian blond chick will be the next to go. Anyone else notice she appears to have a chronic "whatever" scowl plastered on her face?

I loved Tila's trip to the firehouse... I'm now firmly rooted in the Dani camp. Although I have a feeling she'll pick Bobby in the end. Meh, I'm happy with either.

 

[arcticangel02]

I'll admit it. I don't watch very much TV, but for some reason even crappy reality TV fascinates me.

I watch/have watched (not all at once and not the whole series, but still):
Amazing Race
Project Runway
America/Australia's Next Top Model
American/Australian Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Survivor (1 through 38437)
The Apprentice
The Cut
Beauty and the Geek
Survival of the Richest
The Next Joe Millionaire
Playing It Straight
(And probably one or two others I can't remember)

And other completely awful ones that I've flipped onto for an episode, been totally intrigued, and then never watched again. Actually, most of those shows above are the same - I'll catch a couple episodes, and tune in whenever they happen to be on when I'm watching TV, but that's it. About the only ones I've watched with any dedication has been Survivor and ANTM. Project Runway and The Cut also, to a lesser degree. Although Australian cable TV tends to show repeats and repeats of those shows, so I end up seeing episode 6, 2, 19, 7 and then 3 over the space of about 6 months. Or something equally absurd.

 

[CzeCze]

SPOILER ALERT!

So who watched "A shot at love" this week?

I'm glad the blond guy is gone. I predict the amazonian blond chick will be the next to go. Anyone else notice she appears to have a chronic "whatever" scowl plastered on her face?

I loved Tila's trip to the firehouse... I'm now firmly rooted in the Dani camp. Although I have a feeling she'll pick Bobby in the end. Meh, I'm happy with either.

Will I get flamed if I say that Tila is the kind of celebrity, as sweet and genuine as she seems to be (for a reality TV star) gives bisexuality a bad name? Bisexual women are so often cast as slutty lipstick femmes who are so slutty they enjoy openly sleeping with other lipstick femmes but of course, prefer hyper masculine aggressive muscular greasy dudes. Yuck.

I actually think Dani is too good for her. I'd prefer Dani to remain single.

I also love watching Gay, Straight, or Taken! Man, I wish I could get on that show. I can't believe how dense some of the het high maintenance girls are!!!

There was one episode this too good looking boy next door A&F gay boy with a labrador named DAISY was the OBVIOUS gay choice. His boyfriend even looked EXACTLY like him.

That show purposely stacks the odds against the women though (there are too many high-femme fag hags who would pwn that show) by not telling them they are on that show UNTIL she meets the men.

 

[anii]

Will I get flamed if I say that Tila is the kind of celebrity, as sweet and genuine as she seems to be (for a reality TV star) gives bisexuality a bad name? Bisexual women are so often cast as slutty lipstick femmes who are so slutty they enjoy openly sleeping with other lipstick femmes but of course, prefer hyper masculine aggressive muscular greasy dudes. Yuck.

Hmmm... well I'm no expert on the subject. But at least she's not one of those straight chicks who kisses girls in bars because that's what the guys like. It does seem to trivialize the fight for human rights that many BLTs have suffered and died for.

I actually think Dani is too good for her. I'd prefer Dani to remain single.

So do her comrades at the firehouse. But did you notice that one young guy... did you see the look on his face when Tila did the pole dance? Looked like it made his week.

Yeah, I think Dani's got everything going for her - great family, very supportive workplace. She's very stable. Which is why I think Tila's not going to choose her in the end. I have a feeling it'll come down to logistics. Bobby isn't tied down so he can go anywhere, anytime. Dani's got commitments. And being that it appears she keeps them, she just can't pick up and jetset whenever the whim strikes. And I don't get the impression Tila's ready to put down roots anywhere, even in beautiful Florida.

My personal opinion is: why should she have to choose? Maybe she's one of those people who is just naturally poly.

I also love watching Gay, Straight, or Taken!

What channel is that show on? I've never heard of it. Is it on a premium channel?

Man, I wish I could get on that show. I can't believe how dense some of the het high maintenance girls are!!!

Are you saying they don't have good gaydar? My gaydar sucks... I think they forgot to install it at the factory.

 

[CzeCze]

My personal opinion is: why should she have to choose? Maybe she's one of those people who is just naturally poly.

Well if that's the case they should have called it 'Shots at Love'

Then again, I think the contestants are all fanboys and fangirls so it promiscuity should NOT come as a surprise to them. I think some of them would be just fine with that (especially the guys at the prospect of watching her make out with another girl HA)

Hmm.. 'naturally poly' is an interesting idea. But, to me naturally poly goes beyond the physical act of being attracted/in love with more than 1 person at once and beyond being slutty/promiscuous and beyond acting on physical urges. To me it implies you frame your emotional/physical responses within a critical, responsible, intellectually and/or emotionally rigorous lense. Basically being an 'ethical slut'.

But, I take it back, Tila and this show are DEFINITELY what hetero male pop culture stamps as 'bi'. I think in one of the scenes one the contestants said that Tila came on the show because she "can't decide if she wants to be with a man or a woman" To me this screams of someone who hasn't figured themselves out yet which is understandable if you just came out OR means someone just has a really simplistic prism through which they view (their own) sexuality. And I definitely think it's possible to be extremely sexually active and have a wide range of experiences without really thinking about why you do things or what makes you tick. I think one dead give away for is if the 'bi' person in question doesn't even realize they are being manipulated to serve some hetero fantasy agenda or thrill show.

/rant

What channel is that show on? I've never heard of it. Is it on a premium channel?

Lifetime! It's one of the few 'young hip' shows Lifetime rolled out. You can also watch it for free (full episodes) on Lifetime.com

Are you saying they don't have good gaydar? My gaydar sucks... I think they forgot to install it at the factory.

Um, yes. Kekeke. They have NO gaydar. Actually, the gay man is usually the most attractive to them so they just get all delusional and don't pick him as the gay one and pick him as the date instead. It's pretty funny!

You should take the gaydar test at OkCupid! Hone your skills.

 

[Rohsiph]

I agree with the basic direction of Jennifer's rant.

I'll sometimes watch reality shows like American Idol, ones that focus on rewarding talents/skills, but otherwise most examples of the genre disgust me--

particularly any that glamorize debasement and immorality (although amorality is often okay).

 

[scantilyclad]

gah im almost embarrassed to admit this but i love America's Psychic Challenge, Beauty and the Geek, The Biggest Loser, America's Most Smartest Model and Project Runway.

 

[anii]

You should take the gaydar test at OkCupid! Hone your skills.

You scored: 55%

You personally got 11 of the 20 people correct and were better at recognizing girls than guys. Overall, you guessed better than 17% of all test takers.

 

[CzeCze]

You scored: 55%

You personally got 11 of the 20 people correct and were better at recognizing girls than guys. Overall, you guessed better than 17% of all test takers.

Hee hee, I got 17 out of 20 or 87% correct last time. It said I guessed better on the women then men (well duh).

I totally bomb the virgin test though.

I don't think it's a bad thing your gaydar is out of whack. You can just say you don't buy into stereotypes