everything is rapidly becoming "Reality TV".

In my opinion and JUST my opinion it is NOT a good trend.

It is no longer even entertainment for the sake of purely entertaining people. Certainly, it is no lighthearted, good humored, good family values show like The Cosby Show in the 80's, for example. It is JUST and simply just about who can get the highest ratings at who's expense and at what cost. It's purely and simply just that.
The saddest part is that it seems that THAT'S what the audience wants to see - people eat rats and succumb to their greatest fears for money. Not survival. Money.
Then again, it does seem like a lot of people ARE willing to do whatever it takes for money. And thus, that gets taken advantage of.

What lesson is there in all this for future generations?

This all made me think of that movie with Arnold Shwarzenegger from our lovely 80's decade called "Running Man". For those of you who have seen it- THAT is where our entertainment is heading in the very near future.

Well, I just wondered if I am indeed the only person on this planet who is of this opinion.
Anyone???

: everything is rapidly becoming "Reality
: TV".

: In my opinion and JUST my opinion it is NOT a
: good trend.

: It is no longer even entertainment for the sake
: of purely entertaining people. Certainly, it
: is no lighthearted, good humored, good
: family values show like The Cosby Show in
: the 80's, for example. It is JUST and simply
: just about who can get the highest ratings
: at who's expense and at what cost. It's
: purely and simply just that.
: The saddest part is that it seems that THAT'S
: what the audience wants to see - people eat
: rats and succumb to their greatest fears for
: money. Not survival. Money.
: Then again, it does seem like a lot of people
: ARE willing to do whatever it takes for
: money. And thus, that gets taken advantage
: of.

: What lesson is there in all this for future
: generations?

: This all made me think of that movie with
: Arnold Shwarzenegger from our lovely 80's
: decade called "Running Man". For
: those of you who have seen it- THAT is where
: our entertainment is heading in the very
: near future.

: Well, I just wondered if I am indeed the only
: person on this planet who is of this
: opinion.
: Anyone???

Boy, the near future is closer than you think. This coming fall season there will be a new reality show tentatively titled "The Runner". I think it's being produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The premise is, take an ordinary person in America, start at point A and get to point B with the American viewing public trying to catch you. Gawd only knows what will happen to the poor soul who gets stalked by some self styled bounty hunter taking the show a little too seriously.
Avalon

Television today is just plain bad. In every way.

Most of the "comedies" are just 20 minute long pastiches of "jokes" involving sex and insults. The characters rarely show any real respect for one another. Compare this to the "Odd Couple" where even in the bickering and insulting, you knew that Oscar and Felix were best friends and really respected one another and one wouldn't willingly hurt the other. (I know, it's a 70s show.)

The term "reality TV" is a classic marketing label. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with reality, but the media uses the term, so it sticks. The correct term is "Dehumanizing TV", this, however is not such an appealing term. I've never seen "Running Man" but I know what it is about . . . so, I agree with you Hairspray. As a society becomes well-off, comfortable, spoiled, jaded, its taste in entertainment becomes . . . a bit crude. It happened in ancient Rome. It is happening here.

Lester, hi! Nice to meet another person who didn't watch Survivor. Now we need to know who the other ten people are.

Yes, TVLand. "Always something on." For some reason "Andy Griffith" seems to be on more than anything else, but I'd rather watch that than what's on the big networks. BTW they have a new commercial which pitches TVLAND and "UnReality TV". The beginning says something about "reality" shows being all the rage and then says, "real life, however, often sucks."

TVLand and Nick at Night . . . there's very little else.

: everything is rapidly becoming "Reality
: TV".

: In my opinion and JUST my opinion it is NOT a
: good trend.

: It is no longer even entertainment for the sake
: of purely entertaining people. Certainly, it
: is no lighthearted, good humored, good
: family values show like The Cosby Show in
: the 80's, for example. It is JUST and simply
: just about who can get the highest ratings
: at who's expense and at what cost. It's
: purely and simply just that.
: The saddest part is that it seems that THAT'S
: what the audience wants to see - people eat
: rats and succumb to their greatest fears for
: money. Not survival. Money.
: Then again, it does seem like a lot of people
: ARE willing to do whatever it takes for
: money. And thus, that gets taken advantage
: of.

: What lesson is there in all this for future
: generations?

: This all made me think of that movie with
: Arnold Shwarzenegger from our lovely 80's
: decade called "Running Man". For
: those of you who have seen it- THAT is where
: our entertainment is heading in the very
: near future.

: Well, I just wondered if I am indeed the only
: person on this planet who is of this
: opinion.
: Anyone???

I hadn't even thought about it, but you are dead on with the Running Man corelation.

There is hardly anything of redeeming value on television these days, but then I've felt that way for some time. Even as a teenager there were only certain shows I watched. Thank God for TV Land!!! The old Springsteen song "57 Channels" has never been more appropriate.

But back to the reality shows, I honestly can't comment on them specifically because I've never watched one. Last summer all the rage was Survivor, but I was probably one of the 12 people who didn't see it. One of my co-workers was telling me about some show where people are buried in rats and worms and such, but because I had not seen or heard of it (Fear something or other) I'm wierd! LOL

: I hadn't even thought about it, but you are
: dead on with the Running Man corelation.

: There is hardly anything of redeeming value on
: television these days, but then I've felt
: that way for some time. Even as a teenager
: there were only certain shows I watched.
: Thank God for TV Land!!! The old Springsteen
: song "57 Channels" has never been
: more appropriate.

: But back to the reality shows, I honestly can't
: comment on them specifically because I've
: never watched one. Last summer all the rage
: was Survivor, but I was probably one of the
: 12 people who didn't see it. One of my
: co-workers was telling me about some show
: where people are buried in rats and worms
: and such, but because I had not seen or
: heard of it (Fear something or other)
: I'm wierd! LOL

Wicked,

I, too, have never watched Survivor. I did tune in to a rerun for about 15 minutes to see what all the fuss was about, but I yawned, turned off the T.V., and put one of my old 80s cassettes in the boombox. For all the hype of the show, I'm having trouble finding anyone so devoid of a life as to watch the thing! What's the point in watching other people live their lives? Let's live ours!

ITA... most of television today is a vast wasteland. I don't watch very much TV these days.. not even the news, which is mostly a commercial advertisement anyway...