I watch TV to escape the horrors of real life. Why do I want to watch a bunch of people living life the same as I do or acting like caveman in some exotic country? It amazes me Survivor has done so well in ratings these past couple years. I guess there is alot of people out there that like to watch people eat bugs and play kiddie games to see if they can win money. Personally if the cash aint going in my pocket I really dont care if some person that has way to much time on their hands does. And the bickering that goes on between these people...RRRAAHHH!!!!! Just not my kinda stuff to watch I guess but I've always been different from other people. These dating shows that have invaded my late night TV, I'm not even going to say anything about you guys. You already know your terrible. What ever happened to good old sitcoms (if anyone says Will & Grace is good, you going to make sure I come and see you early) like Seinfeld, Cheers, Night Court, Wings.......Has the American people become so nosey they would rather watch teenagers living in a house yelling at each other about who ate the last Oreo or who left the toilet seat up than watch a comedy with actual ACTORS? Have we forgotten how to laugh? Or has our sense of humor became so bad that we find these people on "Real TV" Humorous. I see "Real TV" everyday and dont have to turn on a box that sends images my way.

The best thing to do with this slimey stuff Reap is to just not watch it. I refuse to watch any reality crap...C-SPAN works for me. I also enjoy ESPN. There's plenty of other decent things on the idiot box, just avoid watching the crud and lobby as hard as you can to your family and friends to stop watching it as well. Oh yes, and books are a good alternative too!

The only time I watch tv anymore is if I am at someone else's house. We have more than enough DVDs and videos to keep us busy. I gave up on tv when I started noticing the trend toward "reality" shows, and contests to win a husband/ wife. I can't for the life of me imagine what is so real about Survivor type shows, because most people in "real" life aren't going to win a bunch of money outlasting the rest of a group of people on an island.

The latest in these shows is Joe Millionaire. This should be a REAL WINNER. If anyone knows Larry David please tell him to come back to network TV and start another Seinfeld.

My taste in books dont allow me to laught that much. That's whi I try to rely on TV sitcoms to get the job done but they seem to be scarce. I do enjoy That 70's Show, Frasier, King of Queens (mostly for Leah Remini) and I did love The Simpsons but they should have quit 5 seasons ago. The rest of my TV time goes into old reruns of Cheers, Seinfeld, Andy Griffith Show, Sports and News. Although I must say that I get tired of the media at times and will ban the news for weeks at a time. Some of the questions and the way they go about things are lacking common sense. Thats a story for another thread though. Anyway If you have any books that can make me laugh and kill my need for new TV sitcoms I'm all ears.

Reap, I agree with you and I have never seen an episode of survivor, took one look at Big Brother and felt ill, and have never watched any of the so-called date shows. However, there is one that I am absolutely addicted to and that is " The Amazing Race ". That is my favorite show and the only one that I go out of my way to see. There is no sitting around, whispering, back-stabbing, and voting off who you don't like. You only survive The Amazing Race by your quick wits, courage, and ability to think on your feet. The show is exhilarating and if you haven't seen it, I recommend you give it a try. I have never understood why CBS doesn't promote this show more than it does.

The Amazing Race is a great one for all the reasons Diehard mentioned but even in that show you have to remember that the TV corporation is putting their own spin on the people as well. Remember Bill and Joe from the first series? Oh, how we hated them! but apparently the were kind of nice blokes ... even the other competitors were surpised how they had been portrayed. But, that is what made it more enjoyable, for me, was to watch and hate these two every week.

I'll probably be alone here but I like Survivor, even the bits I don't like (" it's real survival out here" yeah right ) are a kind of love hate thing. In the last series the contestants loved ones had to eat among other gross things a SPIDER! A large boiled tarantula. Now tell me that wasn't good TV .. the reward was spending time with their loved one. Now, bear in mind this is a show and the people are not permantly seperated, they;'d only been apart a month and would see each other at the most within a week ... I looked at my husband and told him he would want to be on death's door before I ate a spider and even then it would be touchy. Ahhh, it's great, perhaps, because it is so bad.

But i have to agree with the love match kind of ones. Hated Temptaion Island .. thought there was something almost immoral about it ... and all the other ones ... The batchelor and so on.

I think I'd rather trim my nose hair with hedge clippers than face an evening of 'Big Brother.' 'Social experiment'? How do they get away with calling it that? Social disgrace comes to my mind. These 'contestants' are so dull that they need 30 cameras running 24 hours a day to produce 30 minutes of crud tv. "Will the intoxicated Angie go to the shag shack with Peter" be sure to tune in so you can tune out..

Hey, just thought of a beaut. Throw the cast of 'Survivor' in the house with the cast of 'Big Brother' for two weeks, line them up in front of a giant tv, eyes wired open Clockwork Orange style, then make them watch the same episode of Survivor endlessly. Last man or woman sane wins..

funny...I agree with reap on this one...what a surprise

I like the amazing race a lot but I liked " TEMPTATION ISLAND even more!

I just saw a commercial for a new one that is going to be on ABC Family. It is called "The Last Resort". Couples who are in danger of splitting up will have 5 days to discover if they can work it out or if they should split up. Sounds like another night of fun TV (Yep, Scarcasm)

I can't imagine the fun in watching the misery of others. I guess that is why I rarely watch TV.

I heard they're making a Mole celebrity edition (hosted by Ahmad Rashad of Real TV (or BS tv as me and my friends like to call it )) and it's going to have a bunch of obscure celebrities from mid-nineties tv shows. The most recognizable one is Daniel Baldwin or something, also washed-up fashion model and some guy from Dinotopia. that should tell you something.

Yes, I've watched Survivor, and a little of Big Brother, too, at my daughter-in-laws request. Survivor was ok, if you keep in mind what it is, but Big Brother was really sad!

Two other things. I heard today that one of the BIG networks is planning a show where they move a family from the Ozarks or somewhere similar, into a Hollywood mansion and just let the cameras roll as they stumble about adjusting to their new life. For this exposure they will be paid big bucks. a la Beverly Hillbillies. I think this is just plain sad.

My second point is taken from an editorial by Mr. Greenfield tonight on CNN, where he pointed that humans are, perhaps, "hardwired" for this sort of voyeurism. He mentioned public executions (the guillotine, hangings) over the centuries, and PT Barnum's displays of human curiosities (advertised as "educational"), and even early television, with shows such as "Queen for a Day", in which three people, usually women, would give their "sob story" and the audience would vote for one of them who would be gifted with prizes to ease her current struggle!

It gave me something to think about!

Why do they think someone from the Ozarks wouldn't know how to act in a Hollywood mansion? Which party is really ignorant and backwoods?

Gee, maw, whys don't we-uns invites dem dar Hollywood critters down here south to us-uns stick house and cook em up some 'possum vittles. YEEHAW!!

Oh, I forgot! One of the audience members suggested they take one of the recently fallen "financial empire" CEO's and watch them live on $10,000 a year! Now THAT might be more like it!

I think I like the idea of the fallen CEO having to try to live on $10,000 a year better. I can see how he/she would have a much harder time adapting and learning how to live on less than it would be for anyone to learn how to live with more.