Monday, June 14, 2004
Unreality TV
While I reluctantly admit to being a fan of Big Brother & Last Comic Standing, it doesn't change the fact that reality TV sucks ass. Love and money dangled on a stick on one side, testicle and/or eyeball eating on the other, reality TV has made an art form out of depths people will go to obtain the almighty dollar.
What I'd like to see is actual reality TV, not the crap that's out there masquerading as reality. In a sense, that wish has already been granted with the Ronald Reagan marathon that has graced the airwaves the past week. I tuned into CSpan at three in the morning to witness the round a clock footage of his casket. Not exactly the most exciting television in the world, but I'll take it over the primetime line up any day.
At any rate, here are some ideas for new reality TV shows that I think would be interesting to see.
Black Eye for the Racist Guy: Take five affluent white executives, preferably from companies that don't hire minorities, give them a makeover to make them appear African-American or Hispanic and ship their butts to Compton, Detroit, Cleveland, Atlanta, etc.. As part of the experiment they would be forced to apply at their own companies, attempt to join their old country clubs.
Untitled Family Reality Show: I would like to see half hour reality shows dedicated to working class minority families. The Cosby Show, George Lopez, etc., do not represent the majority of those who share their skin color, just as Dynasty and Dallas didn't represent most white people. Substitute the minority family a gay couple experiencing parenthood for the first time. It may take a bit of explaining before the networks realize that gay people are capable of doing more than just dressing up straight people and interior design, but I think it would make for compelling TV.
Real Extreme Makeover International Edition: I'm thinking this one would be about an hour long, divided into two half hour segments. Take a newly limbless soldier returning from Operation Avenge My Daddy, find an equivalent Iraqi and follow their progress. Is it really a return to freedom if you're now dependent on other people to live?
The Alzheimer's/AIDS. Variety Hour: Again, Reagan's death and the resulting media coverage is an inspiration for this one. Follow the lives of an two people living with Alzheimer's or AIDS, include their family and friends, get their feelings on such topics and stem cell research and government funding for AIDS programs. Watch the nation's ignorance towards these two disease's start to fade as we are introduced to their victims.
There's a fine line between being educational and exploitive, and I am well aware that my proposals are playing teeter-totter on that line. Still, I'd much rather exploit something for the purpose of education than I would for entertainment (if you can call reality TV entertainment).
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