Popular (book, movie, etc) that you simply don't like.

[PoBoy321]

I hated Crash.

[tuq]

[ QUOTE ]
I am curmudgeonly about lots of things, and plenty deserve them. Regarding "reality" shows, I am bothered by their lack of reality -- much of it is actually scripted, I'd bet, and the rest is very far from how people would act without a camera on at the time -- and their implied assertion of reality at the same time.

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh yeah, I definitely agree on this. That's what makes my two favorite "reality" shows (listed above) so awesome...they completely mock the outrageous behavior of the contestants or whatever you want to call them.

The origin of all these shows - The Real World - is something I did actually enjoy early in its run. They got what I thought were interesting young people from all races, walks of life, and of course a token gay or lesbian person, and recorded their interactions. When certain cast members just sat around, drank beer and watched TV all day, they got rid of the TV and forced them to work a "job" together, but not long after that their casting devolved into attractive, catty, horny people with little to no redeeming value aside from showing off their bodies. I watched the Vegas season for some reason - probably in horror - and it was the nadir of a franchise that started it all. Haven't gone back since.

[daveT]

Much of reality TV is scripted. I knew one person who was a reality TV writer. I also knew one person who worked on the crew of a reality show. They would usually tell the actor what had happened, and then coach them to act a certain way. Yes, this would sometimes take several shots to get the right thing.

For the most part, the actors are acting natural, but when they go over the top, I can assure you that they are being coached. It is the way TV is. The super-fast-paced action scene takes five days to shoot.

But don't think it is limited to "reality" TV. Watch most any talk show, court show, etc, and you have the same effect. Some of these court shows will stop the case to let the litigants know they need to step it up. The Late Nite shows work the same way. These people have to audition all day and go through several rehearsals to make it natural.

This impact is extended further. Go to a Rolling Stones concert in New York. I can assure you that if at exactly 17:13 into the concert, Mick Jagger "spontaneously" rips off his short at stage left and tosses it into the crowd, he will do the exact same motions at 17:13 in Amsterdam.

I don't where this tangent is going. At least reality shows don't try to act like they have something important to say, for the most part, unlike certain non-reality shows. I think that when certain reality shows start to act like something important is happening, and the leads act gushy (see extreme home make-over), it's just plain stupid.