do you like reality tv and/or romantic comedies?

[prplchknz]

You can't beat sweet, murderous, little old ladies.

I don't know if you've seen Grosse Pointe Blank, but it is full of violence and killing. If you don't hate 80s movies, you might like it.

I don't hate 80's movie, and no i haven't seen it.

 

[Giggly]

I love both, haha.

Me too, although sometimes, I don't.

 

[kelric]

i enjoy both.
my fave reality is amazing race and survivor.

I like both of those shows (I've seen every episode of both) -- I also liked the original Mole, with Anderson Cooper. But I have absolutely zero interest in anything else I'd call reality TV. The genre's just too wide in both content and quality to lump together like that. Romantic comedies are the same way - some I enjoy, others bore me beyond belief.

As someone I can't remember once said, "90% of everything is shit." But there are wildly varying degrees of quality in everything, and I wouldn't lump ALL reality TV and ALL romantic comedies together in a shitpile. Some of the best movies ever made are romantic comedies, and some of the most compelling television comes from reality shows. I like to watch things that are good, and I don't think quality is decided by genre.

Oh, wait... once again I'm saying something the FMW already said .

 

[prplchknz]

this whole mess could have been avoided, if you people were mind readers.

 

[Lady_X]

I like romantic comedies I don't think they're in a similar category as reality T.V. Even better than romantic comedies are movies that make me go . I need to exercise my feelings

agreed...reality tv is wretched. romantic comedies are oh so gooey and lovely.

 

[Tigerlily]

Yes, I'm a sucker for most of those dumb ass shows. My husband says often, "You like some real shit!" It's true... All of those dumb ass housewives. It's sick. I know it's fake, but I still watch it. I do however have to watch the dvr version so I can fast forward past the really pitiful shit. If it's a busy week, I just catch it all on The Soup. Thanks Joel!!

 

[011235813]

my fave reality duo is amy&sami
i really really really want them to have their own show.

Your wish just might be coming true.

 

[Rail Tracer]

I don't mind romantic comedies.

Reality TV, on the other hand, I'd be happy if I don't have to watch them.

But considering how they are becoming more and more prominent on T.V. I rarely watch T.V. any more, most of the time i do watch it is because I am bored, or that I am eating and don't want to eat in my room.

It is funny to watch reality TV from time to time, though.

 

[93JC]

I don't care for the vast, vast majority of "reality TV". I've almost stopped watching TV entirely.

... and this is why. A PBS affiliate summing TV up for me:

EDIT: another one

 

[Rail Tracer]

... and this is why. A PBS affiliate summing TV up for me:

Lol, I saw that today, my favorite is this one.

But it is true though. All the channels I've been willing to watch has been flooded with shows like that :\

 

[Giggly]

Okay, I don't like reality TV anymore.

 

[Luv Deluxe]

As someone I can't remember once said, "90% of everything is shit." But there are wildly varying degrees of quality in everything, and I wouldn't lump ALL reality TV and ALL romantic comedies together in a shitpile. Some of the best movies ever made are romantic comedies, and some of the most compelling television comes from reality shows. I like to watch things that are good, and I don't think quality is decided by genre.

This sums it up for me, as well.

I think, when most people consider the romcom, they're thinking of any of a thousand super-sugary, unrealistic fantasies whose creative qualities are lacking (to say the least). They're formulaic and pandering, neither memorable nor relatable.

Films like The Ugly Truth and No Strings Attached would fall under this category. I really, really fail to understand how anyone might find them to be a worthwhile use of their time.

However, some of my favorite films might be labeled "romantic comedies," depending on whom you talk to. Woody Allen comes to mind; Vicky Cristina Barcelona is one of my favorite films of all time, and will likely remain so. It contains romance, and some comedic elements, but it's still mostly asymptomatic of the fluffy romcom genre. It's a film about people and the complexities of relationships, or as Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) states early on: "It's about...why love is so hard to define." It feels more like an existential observation, one that simply refrains from getting too heavy. It seems that others have struggled to define its flavor, so they apply "romantic comedy" and leave it at that.

Another film that carries a similar tone, for me: Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation. A little bit of romance, several amusing moments - but the overall taste in my mouth is, again, existential and probing, not at all what comes to mind when "romantic comedy" is thrown on the table. I love this film very much, and while I personally don't think of it as a romantic comedy...one could probably make a case for it.

Likewise, when I think of reality television, my initial reaction is not a positive one. Immediately, my mind goes to very dark places, indeed - Dancing with the Stars, The Voice, American Idol, Undercover Boss, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, etc. With a laundry list of atrocities like these, it's no wonder that I almost never watch TV.

But already, I've gotta stop myself, because there's a prime time reality show that I'm guilty of occasionally following: The Amazing Race. In fact, I watched the most recent season in its entirety. It's not my favorite thing in the world, but it's not the worst thing, either. And, hey, my preferred team won, so that was cool. Hockey, FTW.

Then you've got the gamut of reality shows concerning, seemingly, every hobby and profession imaginable. While I have a little more respect for shows like Storage Wars and Pawn Stars (as compared to the aforementioned celebrities in sequins, dancing in unison for a trophy because charity's apparently too much to ask for), I find these topics dry and ultimately, I really just have better things to do with my day. Actually, pretty much anything else is more stimulating to me than watching some redneck inquire about the value of his grandmother's antique collection of dried beetle carcasses, or whatever the hell.

Still, I have my interests and I therefore have my exceptions. I like Man vs. Wild. I like Storm Chasers. cry: Rest in peace, Tim and Paul Samaras, and Mr. Young.) One of my favorite shows ever is Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. (I was so bummed when it was wrapping up, but fortunately we now have Parts Unknown.) I'm watching a No Reservations episode as I type this. And now I really want to visit Dubai. That skyline with the Burj Khalifa just blew my mind!

Regarding the trashy variety, I suspect a large portion of the target demographic includes people who like to watch it because they love to hate the people involved, or they compare it to watching a trainwreck. Most of the people I've talked to who has admitted to watching something like that has always given that kind of response.

I believe this is absolutely true for most viewers, although I can't imagine how dull or disappointing one's circumstances would have to be in order to take solace in others' drama. Seems like ego reassurance, or something - "At least I'm not as ridiculous as that bitch on Bridezillas!" I think people watch Dr. Phil for the same reasons.

I can't relate. If I hate something, I don't want to watch it. It bums me out that this is what society's come to, makes me hate the human race. I'd much rather watch and look at things that make me excited and happy for the diversity and creativity in our world.

Some surface level of me wants to say reality TV is the epitome of what the old folks warned us to stay away from, regarding television. But I watch cartoons. How much better are cartoons? The same surface level of me says much, much better. But I wonder.

I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I'll throw Family Guy under the bus, too. There are talented people involved in the show's production, so why is it so formulaic, predictable, and overdone? It's post-post-modernism, the byproduct of a culture forced through its own recycling plant. Honestly, it gets my juices flowing about as well as those antique dried beetle carcasses do, and when I see every joke before it happens, I'm just out. I'm over it. Fuck you, Family Guy.

I'll head back over to NBC Sports Network and watch hockey while I do my thing at the gym, thanks.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

I like a few romantic comedy movies if the actors are charming. I like some of Drew Barrymore's and Meg Ryan's movies, although some romantic comedy movies annoy me.

I hate reality TV and loud, stupid, sarcastic comedies about angry people in love.

 

[sorenx7]

I hate both, especially reality TV, something which I'd love to see banished forever. It's a scourge on mankind itself.

 

[Lexicon]

Reality TV is a blight upon the earth.. an insatiable beast. It'll never stop. It's too cheap to make, & every 'tard on the planet wants their moment on the screen.

Romantic comedies never did much for me. Come to think of it, most romance movies don't, either. And I'm pretty picky when it comes to the comedy genre, too. Chevy Chase can eat a bag of hell. My seething hatred for him is beyond words.

The only romantic comedy I remotely enjoyed was The Wedding Singer. I don't generally like Adam Sandler comedies, but I enjoyed parts of that one.
The closest thing to a romantic comedy I like a lot is Wristcutters: A Love Story. Sort of a dark romantic comedy, I guess.

I'm not criticizing anyone who enjoys that stuff, but it just doesn't move me.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I believe this is absolutely true for most viewers, although I can't imagine how dull or disappointing one's circumstances would have to be in order to take solace in others' drama. Seems like ego reassurance, or something - "At least I'm not as ridiculous as that bitch on Bridezillas!" I think people watch Dr. Phil for the same reasons.

I can't relate. If I hate something, I don't want to watch it. It bums me out that this is what society's come to, makes me hate the human race. I'd much rather watch and look at things that make me excited and happy for the diversity and creativity in our world.

This is probably going to come off as a little judgemental, but there is something about the omnipresence of these shows that bothers me. Weird. I can watch something incredibly violent, like, say, last week's GOT, without much of an issue, but something like Toddlers in Tiaras.... it just makes me really sad. I think part of it is that these shows are now the primary focus of channels that used to be cool, like Discovery.

Of course, MTV started the trend with the Real World.

I wish I could get a job on Ghost Hunters, though. All it involves is walking around in abandoned buildings with infrared cameras and start freaking out every time you hear a rat. Occasionally, you get to yell out things like "You don't have to be afraid! We want to help you! You don't have to stay here! You can move on to the next level!" to nobody. Seems like easy money.

 

[93JC]

I think what AntiheroComplex said about ego reassurance is bang on. Reality TV can make the viewers feel better about themselves by giving them real-life examples of people more screwed up than they are.

 

[cafe]

It turns out I like BBC period farming reality TV like Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm.

 

[five sounds]

I watch one tv show, and it happens to be a reality show. Project Runway gets me because I love fashion, and I've always wanted to make clothes. I love watching people create beautiful garments from scratch! I also love Tim Gunn.

That said, the typical reality show drama bores me. I either zone out or fast forward during the dramatic scenes, and really wish they weren't in there to begin with. It kind of reminds me of Romans watching people fight in the Colosseum. Preeetty effed.

There are so many romantic comedies that are contrived and terrible, but I don't feel like I can say I hate them as a genre. Some of the old ones from the 30s and 40s are just lovely.

 

[Mole]

Reality TV like Big Brother are like encounter groups but without a therapeutic intent.