Reality TV Fans

Indeed, there can be no doubt that when it comes to reality shows, The Amazing Race is by far the best of them all. Even with last season's sickening win by Flo.

This time out, the father/son team looks real strong, and I'm thinkin' they're playing up the injured/out-of-shape angle with the air traffic controllers to throw us off, and that those two still have some racing left in 'em.

Not too keen on the models, though, nor the NFL wives, 'specially when they blew their Fast Forward unnecessarily.

Why can't we have Jill and Jon Vito back?

I'm not much a fan of the reality shows (although I did enjoy season I of MTV's "Tough Enough"), but I do find it interesting that (at least in my opinion) the reality shows that led to the craze were MTV's "Real World" and "Road Rules", which I haven't watched in five or six years. I haven't watched the "Survivors" etc. just because I felt that they were too similar to the MTV shows. Is "The Amazing Race" anything like "Cannonball Run"?

I would have to say the first "reality" show was broadcast many years ago and it was about the "Loud" family - don't remember the name for sure, but I think that truly was the first reality show! Anybody else agree?

I remember the Loud family. I believe it was a PBS series in the 70's. As I recall, this first reality show triggered not more cloned reality shows (as would today), but several good family-based dramatic series. Noteworthy was "Family" " starring James Broderick and Sada Thompson. It was good TV.

The Loud family scared me as a child. I could not believe a family could be that dysfunctional with such wild kids. I notice PBS has a site devoted to Lance Loud who once said, "TV ate our family." I have to say that without PBS or WNET NY, their family would have eaten itself--they were messed up, with or without TV.

A generation goes by and we lower the bar (or is it raise the bar) on what's dysfunctional. The Osbournes?

That is why I don't have cable. Not that regular programming hasn't stooped to new lows recently. I'm not too crazy about the idea of my 5 and 8 year olds being able to see previews of "Temptation Island".

I do enjoy the Osbournes, but I don't really consider that a reality show (even though it is). I'm an Ozzy fan and I find it interesting that one of rock n' roll's craziest performers is this puttering around the house husband and dad. Granted, the kids are out of control and outrageous, but I actually wouldn't consider them as dysfunctional as the Bundys from "Married With Children". Although Ozzy's clan is clearly different, I at least sense the vibe that Ozzy and Sharon are loving parents (and spouses) and that Jack and Kelly are loving (but insanely spoiled) kids who grew up in a completely strange environment. Two vivid memories from this show are 1) We've heard about you biting the heads off of things our entire lives and 2) Ozzy telling the kids "Don't do drugs, look what they did to me".

But, as I said, I'm an Ozzy fan, so I like the show. Of course, I also liked the "South Park" episode that depicted planet earth as an intergalactic reality show.

Z,

True, I guess I meant to say that they aren't as dysfunctional as some of the "Sit-com" families I've watched over the years. Of course, the sit-com families were intentionally dysfunctional. Maybe I should've just said that the Osbournes aren't as dysfunctional as my in-laws , but that's actually true, so maybe I mean

I agree with you, Bonnie! This year's Belmost is going to be very exciting! Get'em Funny Cide!

Bah, Chris and Amanda (or, as the host has it, "Chris and Amander") were philiminated on Amazing Race last night. Why couldn't it have been the dullard team, those two dudes, David and Jeff or whoever they are? Or even the clowns?

And we haven't seen the villains emerge yet. Maybe Chip and Reichen will step up to be the new Team Guido.

Reality TV? Ya'll need to watch something that's not so fake, like professional wrasslin. Oh, it's true! It's true!

I too have a great idea for a reality show. Loan officers who get GMI/HMDA right. Put live people in front of them and have them take an application. Sounds easy, but I bet alot would get kicked off the first round.

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