Hell

Is that where I'm going for wanting to watch this tonight?

Comments

[Harrison]

Oh god yes. And are you watching that instead of Edwards?

[Rana]

No. Edwards first. Then tacky Amish reality TV. :)

[Tish]

I'm watching the convention. It's been on almost all day. I'm in hell.

[Paige]

No. I couldn't resist either. I won't watch it ever again, but the part where the vegan tried to tell the Amish kids that cows were aliens from outer space was priceless -- even Kaufman and Tarantino couldn't come up with such a wacky scenario.

[Rana]

Oh my god yes! I especially liked Miriam's expression (as she said firmly "Cows are from God") that said "I've been working with cows all my life, milking them and shoveling their shit, and, girl, they ain't no aliens."

I'm actually finding it rather sweet. Yeah, basically, it's a reality show about a bunch of young adults trying to get along in a fab house while performing silly tasks (the "let's have them go do bumper cars in Amish dress" scene is a good example), but it's not as dysfunctional as some I've had the misfortune to see. It's more like watching the dynamics that go on in a freshman dorm the first few weeks than anything else. (They go grocery shopping, they shop for clothes at a thrift store or two, they go to dinner, they talk about their boyfriends, they argue about cleaning up the dirty dishes, and they go to the beach. Etc.) Yeah, there's that city/Amish dynamic, but neither side comes off as more naive or annoying than the other.

And there is something terribly compelling about a show in which one young woman literally trembles with joy at the sight of the ocean, and which another (one of the "city kids") stares with awe at a night-time cityscape and says she's never seen anything like this either, and so maybe she's a bit "Amish" too.

[Harrison]

Hey, there were some great bits in the convention. It's even kind of funny with they have to start with the official invocation with instructions about casting ballots. Of course, no one is there, and, of course, it doesn't matter.

[Paige]

You're right, Rana -- parts of it are quite sweet. I meant to say something about Ruth and the ocean. I'll be intrigued to see the results -- but the bad camerawork and over-the-top-ishness (the beds, the nearly see-all showers) is so obnoxious that it becomes boring. And I can't, I just can't, watch a show where they film someone who thinks he's drowning. Mose' experience and response are perfectly valid, but something changes when he's being filmed as he flails around in the water.

That, and the fact that I've got tons of reading to do, are the reasons I don't expect to tune in again. Then again, I think I've hooked my roommates on it, so I may see it either way.

[Rana]

Yeah, I see your point. But I don't see that as any different in essence with the rest of the filming -- it's what reality tv is, at base, about -- we just don't normally have such a clear picture of the possible implications of being filmed for others' entertainment. (I am assuming, of course, that the cameraperson would have acted to save him, rather than film his death.) Either you accept the premise, or you don't.

In that regard, I tend to think that the Amish are coming off a _lot_ better than their housemates -- who are portrayed, whether accurately or not, as a bunch of self-centered twits.

But, anyway, enough. If I need to opine away about the show, I've another forum for that. (Thanks, TWoP!)

[Michelle]

I've never seen any of the reality shows (because I have satellite and don't subscribe to the networks) but they all strike me as rather soap-ish. The 1980s saw Dynasty, Dallas and Knots Landing. The 90s had all 90210 and Melrose Place.

My personal favorite for the ridiculous and outlandish is Reno 911. I just don't like those too-pretty people. ;p