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May 15, 2006
The Comeback Of Good TV
I so need to get over reality shows.
Okay, so maybe I’m a little jaded right now, and that’s causing me to yearn for good, decent TV shows. Comedies, dramas—I don’t care. I just want something else on Monday nights at 9, Tuesday nights at 8, Wednesdays at 8, and Thursdays at 8 as well. Because after last night’s season finale of Survivor Exile Island, I’m not sure I can take any more reality TV.
I didn’t become a Survivor fanatic until about 3 seasons ago, when I had to understand what my mother could find so intriguing that if I called her at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, she’d all but hang up.
She would mumble a “call me at 9,” and then she was gone. So I started watching Survivor to see what had my mother hooked. And quickly got sucked into all the drama that is reality TV.
But I didn’t just get sucked in—I got invested. Invested as in I chose a favorite and desperately wanted that person to win. Wanted it so badly, you’d think I knew the person. That I’d personally benefit if this person won a million bucks.
On this year’s season of Survivor, I really, really, reeeeeeaaaaaalllllly wanted to see Terry win.
In the seasons of Survivor I’ve watched, I’ve never seen a player as great as Terry. He totally rocked in every way. Then, when it comes to the final immunity challenge, they come up with one that will totally give the smallest person the edge. In this case, that person was Danielle (and if you watched the show, you know she didn’t deserve to go as far as she did. And if you ask me, the show did this on purpose, to make things interesting, since Terry was such a strong player). So suddenly, Danielle’s going to the Final 2, and she doesn’t choose Terry (who totally deserved it), but chooses Aras who threatens and manipulates her into taking him (sheesh, what a nice guy), which guarantees him at least one hundred grand, and a shot at a million bucks.
Can you tell I’m perturbed?
My guy didn’t win. He didn’t come second. Yet he is one of the best players to ever play the game.
I won’t be getting a good night’s sleep tonight, and heck, I don’t even know the guy.
Then there’s American Idol. I should have known that this would be a painful season painful to watch when Mandisa got voted off. And I was crushed when the old couple on The Amazing Race came in last and were eliminated. Oh, and let’s not forget UNANIMOUS, the show that was like an evil lab experiment with humans. There was something sick about the show (watching how low people could go), and yet I still watched. And let’s face it, by now I should have had enough of Trump and his bad hair, but I still tune in on Monday nights.
What’s wrong with me?
I’m addicted. Totally and hopelessly addicted to reality TV.
When you’re watching fictional shows on television, yes, you get invested in the characters, but you know it’s fiction, so you don’t take it personally. With reality TV, it’s hard not to take it personally. You judge people for who they seem to be on the screen, which might not be representative of who they are in real life.
Reality TV is like bad wine offered to you at a party. You know it will leave a bad taste in your mouth, but you indulge nonetheless.
I almost rushed back to the hotel from South Beach last week when The Amazing Race was on, but somehow I managed to remind myself that I needed to experience life too, not just watch people living out exciting lives on the small screen.
I hate to say it, but reality television has taken a serious hold of my life. I plan my schedule around it—even when I’m out of town.
I am more than ready for the comeback of some really decent shows on TV. I love CSI, and I do watch 24, and Desperate Housewives is a favorite…but I need something else for the other days of the week when I get my reality fix.
Or, perhaps, what I need is a cold turkey cure for my addiction.
Yes, that’s exactly what I need. I need to stop watching altogether, and finally reclaim my life.
You know the saying—there’s no time like the present.
Except that this is season finale week for a lot of shows, and I’m already a little upset because this hotel in Daytona Beach doesn’t have a VCR that records, and if I’m going to cut reality TV out of my life, I should do it when it’s least painful, like once the season is finished. That makes sense, doesn’t it? I’m not sure I could live with the suspense otherwise.
So if someone out there is as much of an addict as I am, maybe you could tape The Apprentice for me tomorrow night. Because I’m going to be tuning in to 24. In fact, you could tape it, and if you’re coming to the Romantic Times convention, you can always deliver it to me in Daytona!
Hey, a girl can hope!
This blog was brought to you by The Comeback Kiss, Lani’s latest romantic comedy about first love, second chances, and the kind of trouble you can only get into when trying to do the right thing.
Posted by at 6:50 AM | Comments (7)
Comments
Kayla,
I totally understand. I did have to go cold turkey and now I don't have any broadcast TV. Of course that means that I've got the next season of West Wing and Grey's Anatomy on hold at Netflix a year before they will be released, but they are all the sweeter when they arrive.
May you survive your addiction.
Posted by: hollygee at May 15, 2006 9:53 AM
Oh, Kayla, I am so with you. I couldn't even watch Survivor last night and now I'm glad I didn't. Terri SO deserved to win. I think I'm breaking my addiction over the summer, too. After Mandisa and then Chris got voted off on Am. Idle, and now this, AARGH!
Alesia, who even wrote a BOOK on reality TV. that's how bad it is . . .
Posted by: Alesia Holliday ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.literarychicks.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 15, 2006 12:21 PM
See, now this is where qwe part ways. The only reality TV I ever watch is American Idol once in a great while--love the shows BEFORE they pick the finalists--and I used to watch The Bachelor only to get disgusted when the guys ALWAYS picked the wrong girl. My aunt loves Survivor and the Race one and a couple of others--they just make me yawn because I just think they are so over-the-top and the producers play games with the contestants and basically screw them.
As for Mandisa--the girl got robbed. Obviously the producers were afraid of a large woman of color and obvious morals possibly succeeding on their show--you know only the beautiful people who have no morals are the ones that will succeed in that soul-less hell hole called Hollywood. It is too bad because she had the most amazing voice of them all. But she doesn't fit the "profile" of a pop star... I hope she finds a producer that has guts and signs her to a contract--she is awesome! And now they dumped Chris--America is filled with morons! Eliot? Puh-lease! I hope Catherine wins--she is the only one left with any depth/versatility. Taylor sounds like a Doobie Brothers knock off--looks it too! Hate to admit it, but Simon is quite often right on the money!
Hope you get someone to tape your shows--sucks to be on the road!
Posted by: Sheri at May 15, 2006 1:40 PM
I love this blog... makes me feel less ridiculous for wanting to marry my TiVo. *sigh* Oh, yeah and now I started NetFlix too- maybe we should do a group cold turkey- after sweeps week, of course. ;) I am glad I'm on the last season on DVD of the Gilmore Girls or I might never get back to my reality! :O
Posted by: Amber at May 15, 2006 3:06 PM
Marry the TiVo? What a fantastic idea... TiVo is much more reliable than most of the men I've dated.
I've never been one for reality TV, although I used to looooove The Real World on MTV... My currently guilty-tv-pleasures are Desperate Housewives (I own season 1 on DVD and I download all current episodes on iTunes... The O.C., again I didn't start watching this from the beginning, so I have the DVDs, Lost (same story as the two above) ) I also have a DVD buying addiction, which coincides nicely with my book-buying addiction.
Cold-turkey is probably the best way to go, but I definitely agree with waiting until the seasons end. It's really only fair to you.
Posted by: laurenjharwood at May 15, 2006 4:09 PM
Oh, Kayla, you didn't even mention The Biggest Loser. I started watching when I sat down to see what Thing Two (who is five foot two and all of about 85 pounds) was watching one day and got hooked. If I had TiVo I would never get off my couch.
Posted by: Eileen at May 15, 2006 7:42 PM
Hey, ladies!
I've been busy at RT for the past week, but I wanted to say your responses made me smile! It's nice to know I'm not the only one obsessed with the reality TV craze. It's amazing how we can get addicted to this stuff. As for THE BIGGEST LOSER, I never did get totally into that one. I saw some of the episodes, but not all.
Posted by: Kayla at May 21, 2006 10:27 PM
