Let me say this before I mention anything else. I love and like kids. They engender in me the instinct of protection. Nothing I say in this article will reflect in any way on the kids but is directed on society as a whole.
Now that it's out of the way, WTF are we thinking? Have there not been enough case studies and statistics showing what effects of being in the public eye has on those who are still developing not only physically, but also emotionally, mentally and socially? And those are the kids with actual talent who are promoting careers, not the hot messes that are put on display to be ridiculed. Have we not seen what "reality TV" has done to grown-ups who supposedly have the emotional and mental capacity (although that's debatable) to withstand the pressures of being in the limelight for no reason at all?
How could anyone think that throwing kids into the spotlight of reality TV would even remotely turn out well for them? That's a double strike against them even before they pick up the bat. And for what? So we can sit back, with a bowl of popcorn and laugh at them? Or feel morally superior? Or what? What is the purpose of us tuning in?
The networks are making money, hand over fist. The parents are either ensuring their kids' futures if they're responsible or unwisely squandering the money that their little cash cows make. But what about the public? What does this say about us as a society that not only condones but participates gleefully in child exploitation for the purposes of "entertainment"?
Let's slap some make-up and skimpy outfits on these kids and pressure them into participating in adult activities. Let's put kids in highly stressful situations, pump them up with "Go Go Juice" filled with sugar and caffeine so they can perform like untrained monkeys. In whose mind is this a good thing?
How can we live in a society that claims to protect its young yet at the same time condones this public ridicule and mismanagement of kids' development? I just. Don't. Get. It.
Adults have the right to make decisions about their lives and their futures. Adults have the right to sign up for making themselves public spectacles. Adults have the right (forgive my language) to fuck up their lives. What they do not have is the right to tank children's lives. That's when Child Services gets called in, not when interviews get booked. We use the fact that children love attention, as a rule, and will gladly, unknowingly, follow the adults in their lives to the brink of destruction and beyond. And we sit back and laugh! Who's protecting those kids? We should be ashamed that we live in a society that thinks it entertaining to shove kids into situations that they are not capable of handling.
I say "we" out of politeness. I for one do not support these shows. I don't care what the parents do with the money, how many trust funds they start and how many charities they support. This is damaging their kids in the process. We can dress this up in any way to justify the exploiters and the supporters of these shows, but the fact remains that we might as well sit back and watch our neighbor's kid get beaten while we chomp on popcorn and Junior mints. It's sick and twisted; and it needs to stop.
Stay tuned.
2012-10-24
2012-10-21
X for Expression
Rain + baseball = X Factor FAIL, but if you know where to look, you can find spoilers. Looking through several sources online including Wetpaint, MLive and Gossip and Gab the final 16 are:
Ages 12-16: Britney Spears chose: Arin Ray, Beatrice Miller, Carly Rose Sonenclar and Diamond White
Ages 17-24: Demi Lovato chose: Cece Frey, Jennel Garcia, Paige Thomas and Willie Jones
Ages 25 and over: L.A. Reid chose: Jason Brock, David Correy, Tate Stevens and Vino Alan
Groups: Simon Cowell chose: Emblem3, Lyric 145 (One4Five + Lyric Da Queen), Sister C and LYLAS.
It's going to be a hard battle this season with a lot of favorites already. As the voters tend towards the younger and the female, a trend has developed for shows like this. Based on that, Spears' and Lovato's teams have the best chances of making it to the finals even before the show begins. Here are my predictions:
From Britney's group, although all four are very talented, it will be a neck-to-neck battle between Carly Rose and Diamond; but I have a feeling Carly Rose will prevail because she appears less polished and rehearsed in her expressions and mannerisms than Diamond. This group will probably last the longest in the competition because they're closer to the voters' age group or they have the Cute Factor.
From Demi's group, Cece Frey will probably be the first to go because her on-screen personality is highly unlikable; and although Page is very talented, she too can come off as a bit abrasive. It will probably come down to Willie and Jennel. The latter two are not only talented but are very sympathetic on camera. Their voices and performance styles are very surprising and engaging. This team's chances are good to last a bit longer than Reid's or Cowell's.
L.A.'s and Simon's protegees will probably not fare as well with the voting public, getting decimated early in the season. The voting public's age profile will make it difficult to connect with the over 25s; and the groups have not done well on this show. From those teams, Tate and Vino have the best chances of making it farther because of their stories. Talent only marginally plays a role in voting as the playing field is level on that front. Simon will find defeat a bitter pill to swallow with Lyric 145 and Playback making it the farthest but probably not to the finals.
Despite Reid's and Cowell's "reactions" to getting those teams, it more than likely was a production decision to give Spears and Lovato the two groups that have the greatest chances right out of the gate. Why? To sweeten the pot. They probably want these two to stay with the show longer; and what better way to do so than to give them a taste of success?
Be that as it may, it's shaping up to be a great season of X Factor, given the caliber of talent, human interest stories and personalities that the contestants bring to the table. Couple that with the thrill of tuning just to watch this:
How can FOX lose?
Stay tuned! :)
Ages 12-16: Britney Spears chose: Arin Ray, Beatrice Miller, Carly Rose Sonenclar and Diamond White
Ages 17-24: Demi Lovato chose: Cece Frey, Jennel Garcia, Paige Thomas and Willie Jones
Ages 25 and over: L.A. Reid chose: Jason Brock, David Correy, Tate Stevens and Vino Alan
Groups: Simon Cowell chose: Emblem3, Lyric 145 (One4Five + Lyric Da Queen), Sister C and LYLAS.
It's going to be a hard battle this season with a lot of favorites already. As the voters tend towards the younger and the female, a trend has developed for shows like this. Based on that, Spears' and Lovato's teams have the best chances of making it to the finals even before the show begins. Here are my predictions:
From Britney's group, although all four are very talented, it will be a neck-to-neck battle between Carly Rose and Diamond; but I have a feeling Carly Rose will prevail because she appears less polished and rehearsed in her expressions and mannerisms than Diamond. This group will probably last the longest in the competition because they're closer to the voters' age group or they have the Cute Factor.
From Demi's group, Cece Frey will probably be the first to go because her on-screen personality is highly unlikable; and although Page is very talented, she too can come off as a bit abrasive. It will probably come down to Willie and Jennel. The latter two are not only talented but are very sympathetic on camera. Their voices and performance styles are very surprising and engaging. This team's chances are good to last a bit longer than Reid's or Cowell's.
L.A.'s and Simon's protegees will probably not fare as well with the voting public, getting decimated early in the season. The voting public's age profile will make it difficult to connect with the over 25s; and the groups have not done well on this show. From those teams, Tate and Vino have the best chances of making it farther because of their stories. Talent only marginally plays a role in voting as the playing field is level on that front. Simon will find defeat a bitter pill to swallow with Lyric 145 and Playback making it the farthest but probably not to the finals.
Despite Reid's and Cowell's "reactions" to getting those teams, it more than likely was a production decision to give Spears and Lovato the two groups that have the greatest chances right out of the gate. Why? To sweeten the pot. They probably want these two to stay with the show longer; and what better way to do so than to give them a taste of success?
Be that as it may, it's shaping up to be a great season of X Factor, given the caliber of talent, human interest stories and personalities that the contestants bring to the table. Couple that with the thrill of tuning just to watch this:
How can FOX lose?
Stay tuned! :)
2012-10-14
The Bachelor, eh?
The Bachelor Canada premiered a couple of weeks ago, adding another reality show in a long line to follow its US counterpart. Let's see if it's more successful than Canadian Idol or So You Think You Can Dance Canada (and we can, thank you very much), or Canada's Got Talent which were all cancelled, the latter after the first season.
Why you might ask? Because the viewership is limited to Canadians, and we don't support our own shows, unfortunately. The one that baffled and angered me the most was SYTYD Canada because I personally thought it was outstandingly entertaining with better dances and dancers than most of the other sister shows. However, I've come to accept that my taste does not follow the mainstream often, so I've had to take a lot of TV-related disappointment.
Back to TBC. First of all, let's talk about production. Since there's no actual prize involved, that frees up the poor neighbor-to-the-North budget that Canadian shows have to work with for limos and helicopters and glamorous trips to New Orleans and Ottawa. What's more interesting to note is the insane amount of product placement that has to happen in order to beef up the budget of this show. We had to endure about 10 minutes of watching the bachelorettes shaving their legs to promote a shaving company which I won't mention because a) I don't remember (I'm the worst target audience) and b) I'm not being paid for product placement. :) Then on one date where Brad took Ana on a picnic they sat on a huge blanket with pillows sporting the unmistakable Bay franchise colors.
What about our first Bachelor, eh?
Brad Smith is charming, playful and quite intuitive. He caught some flack on the premier for complimenting all the ladies on their dresses. ("Holy Dress!") It disarmed me because his nervousness manifested in a positive way rather than in machismo. Brad clearly doesn't take himself seriously and doesn't need to ooze testosterone even though he's a former CFL player. He embodies the 21st century metro-sexual quite successfully: a man who's into "manly" things but not afraid to show "feminine" interests. I can't believe we still talk about those things.
Anyway, moving to the gist of the whole show: the bachelorette front-runners.
Whitney, aka the Courtney Robertson of this season, received the first impression rose because she took Brad in a vice-grip full-body hug when she first met him. This part-time boxer oozes aggressive confidence in herself and disdain for the other women, saying they're "no competition." That's always charming. Whitney kept her cool when her nemesis on the show, Gabrielle, tried to bait her into a cat fight, but clearly this woman is not a favorite among the others.
Let's hope that Brad is smarter and more intuitive than Ben Flajnik who chose Courtney to the consternation of most viewers and all the other bachelorettes. That relationship recently ended, supposedly in a save-face "mutual" decision though Courtney has had no problem immediately moving onto Arie Luyandyk from Emily Maynard's Bachelorette season. Maybe they should rename that franchise Swinging Singles because it's just a collection-pool for the real show Bachelor Pad. Anyway...
Gabrielle is not a front-runner but is clearly being kept on the show to stir up drama as Whitney's nemesis. She's unsubtle, grating, outspoken (meaning she won't shut up), abrasive and not really anyone's idea of fun. But her comments against Whitney are entertaining enough to keep her around.
Chantelle who is a giggly, self-effacing, intense pastor has captured Brad's attention by sharing a book of love-quotes from the kids in her camp and doing a burlesque show despite being uncomfortable. She cannot be more opposite to the previous women which speaks more to Brad's wide range of tastes more than anything else.
Kara, the grad student or the JoJo Spatafora of this season (only Big Brother 14 fans will get this reference), in looks not personality, has also made an impression on Brad, sharing a more relaxed chemistry with the bachelor while staying away from the drama spotlight in the show's edit. She might be the dark horse of this competition for Brad's heart and the diamond ring. She's confident without being pushy, knowing that maintaining a good relationship with the other hopefuls will keep her out of their sights.
Last, but not least, is the one I think has the most chances of being picked by Brad in the end, Ana. He made an exception for her at the first rose ceremony by adding another rose to keep her in the running. Then this week, because she didn't get a date with him at all, he created one for her, surprising her at 5:30 in the morning to take her on a plane ride and a romantic picnic on an island. You tell me those aren't signs that Brad likes this woman a lot.
All-in-all, The Bachelor Canada is shaping up to be a successful spin-off of this franchise, with all the drama and adventure, the tears, the heart-ache and suspense that the original brings to the table. Will it be successful enough to overcome the Canadian curse of sister shows? Only time will tell, as solid ratings have not come out yet. Canadian viewers are a tough crowd, with Canadian critics leading the cynical pack.
Stay tuned for next week's critique: Kids and Reality TV.
Why you might ask? Because the viewership is limited to Canadians, and we don't support our own shows, unfortunately. The one that baffled and angered me the most was SYTYD Canada because I personally thought it was outstandingly entertaining with better dances and dancers than most of the other sister shows. However, I've come to accept that my taste does not follow the mainstream often, so I've had to take a lot of TV-related disappointment.
Back to TBC. First of all, let's talk about production. Since there's no actual prize involved, that frees up the poor neighbor-to-the-North budget that Canadian shows have to work with for limos and helicopters and glamorous trips to New Orleans and Ottawa. What's more interesting to note is the insane amount of product placement that has to happen in order to beef up the budget of this show. We had to endure about 10 minutes of watching the bachelorettes shaving their legs to promote a shaving company which I won't mention because a) I don't remember (I'm the worst target audience) and b) I'm not being paid for product placement. :) Then on one date where Brad took Ana on a picnic they sat on a huge blanket with pillows sporting the unmistakable Bay franchise colors.
What about our first Bachelor, eh?
Anyway, moving to the gist of the whole show: the bachelorette front-runners.
Let's hope that Brad is smarter and more intuitive than Ben Flajnik who chose Courtney to the consternation of most viewers and all the other bachelorettes. That relationship recently ended, supposedly in a save-face "mutual" decision though Courtney has had no problem immediately moving onto Arie Luyandyk from Emily Maynard's Bachelorette season. Maybe they should rename that franchise Swinging Singles because it's just a collection-pool for the real show Bachelor Pad. Anyway...
All-in-all, The Bachelor Canada is shaping up to be a successful spin-off of this franchise, with all the drama and adventure, the tears, the heart-ache and suspense that the original brings to the table. Will it be successful enough to overcome the Canadian curse of sister shows? Only time will tell, as solid ratings have not come out yet. Canadian viewers are a tough crowd, with Canadian critics leading the cynical pack.
Stay tuned for next week's critique: Kids and Reality TV.
2012-10-06
Reality TV: The Sob Story
I'm a pretty compassionate person. If I had magical powers I would eliminate all pain, disease, violence, corruption and hatred from the world. We'd all walk around with smiles on our faces and bouquets in our arms; but that's never going to happen because, well, we're human. Life is tough and we have to navigate it.
But reality TV has taken all the misery and struggle that life has to offer, making it into a marketing tool to manipulate its audiences into tuning in. Banking, and banking large, on "there by the grace of (fill in your deity or magical being of choice) go I" adage, they have filled my entertainment with endless sob stories, complete with the accompanying soundtracks.
I sit down to enjoy The Voice, or X Factor, or So You Think You Can Dance, or even Master Chef, to name a few, and I'm bombarded by hard luck story segments about the competitors. Endless tales of human suffering, loss and disappointment drown me just before I see them stumble through the quick step, murder another Adele song or cook a licorice quiche. What does losing one's puppy have to do with how well you can sing or dance or cook? Is the public supposed to vote on the talent/ability or their hard luck? Are we just watching various renditions of My Life Sucks?
Why do I have to watch TV with a box of tissues handy at all times?
Everyone loves a good story of redemption and triumph over difficulty, but it's now become so trite that we're becoming desensitized to it. Contestants put their lives out there to be picked apart by the cynical viewership for a one-in-whatever chance of winning the money and the title. Some of these stories seem to be stretched to the absolute limit to milk "tragedy" from a broken toe. Meanwhile, the talent falls by the wayside. What happened to enjoying talent for talent's sake?
So people are voting for what again? Their personalities, their stories or their actual talents? This manipulation of editing can cripple someone's chances of achieving their dream because the person with the better story will be voted in and the other out. It's not about the issues or the talent or the abilities. It's about what story the producers have decided to sell.
This opens up a whole new kettle of fish, namely, public voting in general. It's not about being informed and understanding what each competitor has to offer anymore. It's about whose sympathy card has the most funds deposited. It's about who get the best camera time and edit.
This is why I love my PVR. It not only frees me from the endless stream of consumerism, it frees me from the endless stream of pop-tragedy. After all, isn't that what the "news" is about?
Stay tuned! :)
But reality TV has taken all the misery and struggle that life has to offer, making it into a marketing tool to manipulate its audiences into tuning in. Banking, and banking large, on "there by the grace of (fill in your deity or magical being of choice) go I" adage, they have filled my entertainment with endless sob stories, complete with the accompanying soundtracks.
I sit down to enjoy The Voice, or X Factor, or So You Think You Can Dance, or even Master Chef, to name a few, and I'm bombarded by hard luck story segments about the competitors. Endless tales of human suffering, loss and disappointment drown me just before I see them stumble through the quick step, murder another Adele song or cook a licorice quiche. What does losing one's puppy have to do with how well you can sing or dance or cook? Is the public supposed to vote on the talent/ability or their hard luck? Are we just watching various renditions of My Life Sucks?
Why do I have to watch TV with a box of tissues handy at all times?
Everyone loves a good story of redemption and triumph over difficulty, but it's now become so trite that we're becoming desensitized to it. Contestants put their lives out there to be picked apart by the cynical viewership for a one-in-whatever chance of winning the money and the title. Some of these stories seem to be stretched to the absolute limit to milk "tragedy" from a broken toe. Meanwhile, the talent falls by the wayside. What happened to enjoying talent for talent's sake?
So people are voting for what again? Their personalities, their stories or their actual talents? This manipulation of editing can cripple someone's chances of achieving their dream because the person with the better story will be voted in and the other out. It's not about the issues or the talent or the abilities. It's about what story the producers have decided to sell.
This opens up a whole new kettle of fish, namely, public voting in general. It's not about being informed and understanding what each competitor has to offer anymore. It's about whose sympathy card has the most funds deposited. It's about who get the best camera time and edit.
This is why I love my PVR. It not only frees me from the endless stream of consumerism, it frees me from the endless stream of pop-tragedy. After all, isn't that what the "news" is about?
Stay tuned! :)
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