March 3, 2009

it's the most useless anything ever

So someone I know (I won't mention names) started watching the "hit" show The Bachelor a couple of weeks ago. It's mental bubblegum after a hard Monday, so I get it. It's the woman's version of Monday Night Football, only the cheerleaders are the contestants, and instead of beer commercials we get... something else. I don't know because I don't watch and it's on DVR which means the commercials scream by while we look away.

Anyway, a week or two ago this person asked me to google Deanna, a dramatic character with a dramatic past that was going to make a dramatic re-entry into the drama. I came across a quote from the show's producer:

It's the most dramatic anything ever. (story here includes quote)
This, I had to see.

So I sat down and watched a little bit of the final episode, and the "after the rose" show in which the bachelor dumped his chosen one in favor for the one he spurned. On national TV. What a loser. I think the dumpee, who is a 25 year old hottie, will one day be counting her lucky stars.

Anyway, it turns out the show was the most boring anything ever. It was like a badly acted soap opera, a real-life dumping by an immature and overly emotive boy. It wasn't even edited very well. It looked like they pieced together sound bites out of order to pump up the drama and add intrigue to a straightforward "I made a mistake and want you back" scene.

It also turns out that the producer, Mike Fleiss (I wonder if he's any relation to Heidi since they're in similar businesses), had more to say than the most dramatic anything ever. He added, "Just when you think the show is going to end, it doesn't." Boy, I'll say. I kept hoping it would end, but it didn't.

This show would be so much better with cheerleaders and beer commercials.

8 comments:

writtenwyrdd said...

You describe my feelings perfectly, Peter. I watched Joe Millionaire and thought it was bad, but this show is a zillion times more boring.

Sarah Laurenson said...

Ok. I confess. I used to watch it. And I confess some more. I still read the recaps on Television Without Pity. It is sooooo boring but there is something about it that draws me in. The very idea that love can be squeezed into this format just floors me. And they've had 1, count 'em, 1 success where the couple actually married and are still together. It's watching these deluded souls vie to win that amazes me. What do they win? They don't care as it's all about the winning not about the prize. And the prize has been fairly Meh (as evidenced by their lack of continuing romantic success).

I must say this one does seem to be a first in that he dumps his chosen and asks the reject out. He was the reject the last time, so I'm supposing he's trying to heal his own hurt by doing what he did. I rather doubt there will be a lasting romance with either woman. But we can always hope that somehow, someday, the right one will magically appear in our lives - and I think this is what really sells. The illusion that a reality show will lead to fairy tale love. Hollywood is great at selling the fairy tale.

Blogless Troll said...

If they banned all talking on this show and made the contestants communicate via pantomime the ratings would skyrocket. Also, if they kicked the dude off and left just the cheerleaders.

It would still suck, but it would be less annoying.

Robin B. said...

I freaking hate pseudo-reality shows. I even skip the commercials about them.

Except i've now been sucked into the Ramsay vortex, because my husband's colleague knows one of the chefs or something.

When will this madness end? Seriously. When will the next thing show up?

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

I've never watched it. Never have and never will. It epitomizes everything that I despise about how women should be viewed. I gag at it.

I'd rather watch football and I hate football.

By the way, I realize in my great fevered rush to get all my revisions in, I forgot to look over that link you sent me! Am at school this Thursday and I absolutely will try to open it!!!

Sorry about that, my head's been all over the place these days!

writtenwyrdd said...

And I thought this reality show stuff was crap back in the 80s when The Real World first came on. (And it's still on, too, isn't it?)

McKoala said...

I'm a sucker for a lot of reality tv, but this is kind of a non-show. Most of the things they say make me cringe so hard I can't even laugh.

bluesugarpoet said...

I saw bits of the "Ending, Part 2"...or whatever they called the episode that was on the other night. The whole concept is ridiculous to begin with. I mean, these people only know each other for two weeks, and then they are making the life time commitments? On national television??

But there are a few reality shows out there that are still worth watching ...such as... okay, none of them are really worth watching. Although I do occasionally get sucked into watching Celebrity Rehab because there is nothing more fun than watching D list stars go through withdrawal, get therapy, and then fall off the wagon all in one episode.