OT: Is Joe Millionaire Scripted?

[sachmo71]

Judge for yourself...

Reality TV and the Public Trust


If it's true, I can't say that I'm very surprised. I also have to wonder if anyone cares.

[Fidatelo]

I don't really agree with his point about the stuff in the woods. If they had left their mics on, wouldn't the sound have been a lot clearer? My guess is that maybe their mics don't have an "off" switch, so they (Sarah and Evan) just took them off and tossed them with their clothes or whatnot, which is why we got muffled soundbites.

Otherwise though he makes good points. I have often wondered if the producers weren't at the very least feeding him lines at times or even scripting the parts where he just talks into the camera's. His soliloquies (sic) are far more verbose and intelligent sounding then anything he says when he's with the girls.

[Craptacular]

Originally posted by sachmo71
I also have to wonder if anyone cares.

Care about reality shows, or care that this may be a hoax? The sooner they go away the better ... that's all I care about.

[sachmo71]

Crappy,

I was leaning toward wondering if anyone would even care if the show was scripted. If people don't care that it was scripted, then the reality craze won't slow down a bit from this news. If they do care, then maybe it will slow it down, or in the very least improve the quality of the shows coming out, if that is actually possible!

[Bee]

We've got several more years of reality tv. It's too cheap to make and there are too many people out there willing to do anything for fame. That's a bad combination...

[Craptacular]

I guess I'll just have to come up with (or steal) the idea for the next "great" TV show. That way, all the dumbass producers with no creativity can make 38 knockoff shows and rid TV of these "Reality" shows.

[heybrad]

Originally posted by Craptacular
The sooner they go away the better ... that's all I care about.

Originally posted by sachmo71
If they do care, then maybe it will slow it down, or in the very least improve the quality of the shows coming out, if that is actually possible!

These quotes got me thinking. Why is it that 50 new crap sitcoms can come out and nobody cares. There can be 20 new crap cop shows that come out and nobody cares. Now that theres a new genre (reality), when some bad shows come out, people cant wait for the whole genre to disappear.

[rkmsuf]

These quotes got me thinking. Why is it that 50 new crap sitcoms can come out and nobody cares. There can be 20 new crap cop shows that come out and nobody cares. Now that theres a new genre (reality), when some bad shows come out, people cant wait for the whole genre to disappear.

Hey brad...good points

I'd say 95% of the current sitcoms and dramas are the equivalent or no better than Celebrity Mole or the Surreal Life.

[sachmo71]

I didn't like reality when the "good" reality shows were out. I wish they would go the way of the Edsel. Unfortunately, it's going to be a while before that happens, but at least the networks are doing their best to help it along.

[Fidatelo]

Joe Millionaire is the first 'reality' show I've ever watched, and only because it purports to burn the contestants. It's so trashy its actually good

Personally I don't find television very appealing at all anymore. I no longer even have cable and only watch the odd show here and there that my girlfriend tapes for me.

[Ksyrup]

It's funny that the writer missed an obvious clue as well - that Evan is not exactly an ordinary construction worker. He's had bit parts on Days of Our Lives and done some modelling. He may be a struggling actor with a less-than-glamorous day job, but he's still an actor.

He's basically an unfunny, stupid Joey from Friends. Except that line, "Where did you buy that breast..I mean dress." That was pure comedy genius.

[Craptacular]

Originally posted by heybrad
These quotes got me thinking. Why is it that 50 new crap sitcoms can come out and nobody cares. There can be 20 new crap cop shows that come out and nobody cares. Now that theres a new genre (reality), when some bad shows come out, people cant wait for the whole genre to disappear.

The difference (to me at least) is that there are some good sitcoms and even a few dramas. Yes, there is also a lot of crap (Friends spawned a whole lot of it), and I couldn't wait for it to get off my TV screen either. As far as I'm concerned, the "reality" genre is pure garbage. Perhaps part of it is the use of the phrase "reality shows".

[Hands to the Face]

Besides being poorly written and lazily argued (the author even admits that he hasn't seen every episode of JM, the show he's supposedly exposing here), the PC Mag piece's contention that the show should be investigated by Congress is preposterous. We're being told by the FBI to tape our windows shut and stockpile water in advance of an impending terror strike, the economy is tanking faster than Pluto Nash, we're sending troops halfway around the world, and this guy wants Congress to call hearings to determine whether Evan really is a dunderheaded oaf or if he's just pretending to be a dunderheaded oaf? Please.

And why does this mental patient keep repeating "It's TV, not the movies?" What's his point? I loathe poorly written articles intended to incite mass protest about nonsense like this. The most effective way to neutralize the Reality TV trend is not to watch dreck like JM. Networks listen to ratings.

[Hammer755]

Originally posted by heybrad
These quotes got me thinking. Why is it that 50 new crap sitcoms can come out and nobody cares. There can be 20 new crap cop shows that come out and nobody cares. Now that theres a new genre (reality), when some bad shows come out, people cant wait for the whole genre to disappear.

I think the reason is that we are not constantly bombarded by those crappy dramas or sitcoms. They are hyped, air for a few weeks, and disappear for the most part.

But the reality shows, and the mostly talentless (except American Idol, perhaps) participants continue to be placed in the limelight constantly. I've never watched a single episode of Survivor, Big Brother, American Idol, or any other 'reality show', yet I can probably recognize more contestants than I care to admit.

It's one thing for shows like Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, etc. to showcase them, but I see a piece about one of the reality shows on almost a nightly basis on my LOCAL NEWS. That's taking it too far.

[Kodos]

I still say Survivor is the best show on television. Joe Millionaire has been slow at times, but still entertaining. I haven't really watched the other reality shows, so no comments, although the Mole and Big Brother both looked stupid, and Fear Factor looks even worse.

[rkmsuf]

I agree with Kodos, Survivor is a great show. As for reality participants getting more attention I don't consider them any more exposed for their talent level than say no talents such as Kristen Kreuk or Alyson Hannigan. There are tons of bad shows and tons of coverage of bad performers.

[heybrad]

Originally posted by Hammer755
It's one thing for shows like Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, etc. to showcase them, but I see a piece about one of the reality shows on almost a nightly basis on my LOCAL NEWS. That's taking it too far.

Thats what happens when shows get good ratings. Ratings talk and the networks will milk them for everything they can get out of them.

[bbor]

Don't tell me reality TV is scripted......it will ruin my life.

[Ksyrup]

I'm glad the wife and I weren't the only ones confused about last Monday's episode. I was damn sure I saw a promo saying that he would make his decision that night. Of course, what we got was a crappy filler show (as opposed to an "original" crappy show).

I saw the clip from the Letterman show, which was pretty hilarious:

CBS' "Late Show" with Letterman showed a familiar video clip Tuesday of Osama bin Laden speaking in a cave -- but this time, he supposedly was fuming about Fox.

"The treachery of the infidels has reached a new height," said a voiceover offering a mock translation. "We had been led to believe that last night would be the finale of 'Joe Millionaire.' "

The next line they left out of the story was something like, "What kind of bullsh** is this?"



http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/13/joe.millionaire.ap/index.html

[TroyF]

HeyBrad,

I can't stand reality TV. I've really never enjoyed a single episode. One of my friends loved Fear Factor and got me to watch an episode of that. I hated it. Survivor has never intrigued me in the slightest.

Now that they are going for the lowest common denominator, I really have no interest.

Unlike Craptacular, I don't care when it goes away. If people get enjoyment out of it, watch it all you want. I, thank God, do not have to.

TroyF

[Maple Leafs]

The Canadian station that airs Joe Millionaire ran a sheepish apology last night. Basically "sorry we told you he was going to make his pick last night, nobody was more surprised than us, etc."

Bad move for Fox. But who's kidding who, we're all watching the last episode.

[Ksyrup]

I wouldn't be watching if not for the wife, who has also made me sit through The Batchelorette. I don't mind reality shows, but those blow (and I'll add that So You Think You're Hot show, or whatever they call it, after I sit through it tonight).

I think American Idol/Star Search are the only shows with a worthwhile concept, but they ruin them by limiting the types of musical "talent" they will accept. If I have to hear another warbling version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow or You Light Up My Life, I'm going on a shooting rampage. Giving that Hispanic chick low marks the other night because she dared to sing an up-tempo song was just as bad as when figure skating judges automatically downgrade skaters based on their music selections. Yeah, that's a really substantive way to judge talent.

Why hasn't someone come up with a "real" music talent contest? Start with 16 real bands, have them compete against each other by playing only original compositions, and give a recording contract to the winner? VH1 did that with Bands on the Run, but the stupid games they played in between weren't entertaining. I want an old fashioned battle of the bands, dammit!

Or would that be too "real" for reality TV these days?

[rkmsuf]

Why hasn't someone come up with a "real" music talent contest? Start with 16 real bands, have them compete against each other by playing only original compositions, and give a recording contract to the winner? VH1 did that with Bands on the Run, but the stupid games they played in between weren't entertaining. I want an old fashioned battle of the bands, dammit!

I don't think it's too real more too boring to attract the number of viewers they want to.

To me Idol is boring now with the audience voting and the fact that the majority of them have some talent. I enjoyed the audition phase much more due to the humor content.

[sterlingice]

These quotes got me thinking. Why is it that 50 new crap sitcoms can come out and nobody cares. There can be 20 new crap cop shows that come out and nobody cares. Now that theres a new genre (reality), when some bad shows come out, people cant wait for the whole genre to disappear.

It's because of what the genre is. It's Jerry Springer in primetime. Let's put a bunch of people on and island where they practice social darwinism and play silly games: you know, like many workplaces. It's pandering to the lowest common denominator. I realize it's guilty-pleasure tv but I just think there's too much of that out there already.

Also, even a bad sitcom or drama will likely have a couple of good actors and/or writers. For reality tv, I really feel like it's the act of lazy producers and network: "we don't need writing: just throw some idiots out there to run like a mouse through our maze". At least the quick-dying game show fad requires a decent amount of production. Plus, like the game show fad, there's the main show and then the giant mass of bad ripoffs which come with anything that burns brightly before burning out.

SI