posted
I am working as a research assistant for one of my professors, and she has me looking on the internet for people's responses to the three reality tv shows "Survivor," "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "Extreme Makeover."
I have been working on this for 3 weeks; the first two were fruitful, but this past one has been blah. I've gotten a lot of info off the shows' websites, but have only got people's responses to "Queer Eye" and they were positive. I need a little more across the board.
My questions are specifically related to body image and our culture. How do you see these people on these shows? What is your response to the show overall? What does this say about American culuture? Do you judge people on shows by their age or apperance (that's more of a survivor question)?
Please help me out here. I'm sure at least one person watches at least one of these shows (I saw an episode of survivor once about a year ago, I never saw queer eye b/c I don't get cable, and the other one's on at a time I'm in class).
posted
So, this is spam, right? I'm not just imagining this? I mean, you're posting this at several forums in order to gather data, so it's spam, right?
But hell.
For the rote answers that you expect everyone to give, Extreme Makeover's a sad comment on the shallow American focus on glossy prettiness. I don't personally see anything wrong with Queer Eye, though I suppose it could reinforce the stereotype of homosexuals as peevy feminine wussies who speak with a lisp. And Survivor could probably be portrayed as a comment on the lengths of deceit and treachery Americans are willing to go to for a comparitively small sum of money.
What's next, a questionairre on the pathetic whoring women do for Joe Millionaire?
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Aw, crap, then I was just rude to a real live person? Not a marketing robot?
Sorry, Starla. If you're a friend of John's, that probably means you have enough patience to be a friend of mine.
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Sorry, not on my limited viewing list either. But let me know when you're doing a survey related to "Angel" or "Carnivale." Those are about the only two I'm watching on a regular basis.
Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
You might like to check out the website "Manly thoughts" - Once you get past the title, it may be of some use to you - it's by a guy named Rob Daugherty - a reality TV junkie who runs a weekly satirical column on reality TV, with special emphasis on Survivor. I must admit that I haven't been following his take on the current series, but I found his insights into the previous one both amusing and insightful from a pop culture perspective. I'll try and provide the link below, but I've never done this before so it might not work. Hope that's of some use...
posted
Personally, I think all reality TV shows -- not to mention shows like Springer, court shows, etc. -- are a sad commentary on what people will do to get on TV. And the incredible lack of boundaries some people have.
Sheesh, if I were going to get plastic surgery (EXTREMELY unlikely), I wouldn't want the whole world watching! I'd rather save up the $$$$, and have a tiny bit of privacy left.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
i can't help you with 'survivor'. i absolutely refuse to watch it. that sounds a lot more high and mighty than i mean it to. i just think it's stupid.
'queer eye' i have seen a couple times. i have quite a bit of ambivalence toward homosexuality. i have a fairly conservative background and my current group of friends leans more toward the liberal end of the spectrum. as far as the show, i was entertained. i would have to see it a few more times to decide if it had any kind of value beyond entertainment. it's a nice idea to get otherwise oblivious guys to stand up and take notice of their habitat, their appearance, and their wardrobe, but i'm not so sure it's necessary to make such a production about it.
'extreme makeover' however, i don't have such a problem with. i have never watched it, so i don't know exactly what it's all about, but if it's the show i'm thinking of, it involves cosmetic surgery. i am for this as a self-esteem booster. although it does play into the whole 'you have to look good in order to be worth something', i think somewhere deep down it has some value. in a way, i think it works from the inside out moreso than 'queer eye'. having someone tell you how to dress and what to eat isn't as impactful as getting to change that part of your body that's always bothered you, made you self-conscious, and prevented you from being satisfied with the way you are.
i'm not very good at expressing my opinions succintly, but i hope this helps.
Posts: 1090 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
I saw bits of the first Survivor and most of Boot Camp. I no longer watch any reality TV. I want my escapism scripted, darn it!
I really wasn't impressed with Survivor. The people left towards the end were petty, manipulative, and just generally nasty. I haven't seen any of the Survivors since.
As for the other two, I didn't get cable back when I lived at home, and now that I'm in a dorm wtih cable, I have no TV. If it's not broadcast or it's new, I haven't seen it.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
I've watched Extreme Makeover, and some of the people on it are unattractive enough that it interferes with their daily lives. Like people will cross to the other side of the street, things like that. The show itself, to me, is an interesting concept, but the reason it exists depresses me.
Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I love Queer Eye. They treat the guy with affection and respect and clearly want the best for him. They get a little too product-happy, but since watching I've picked up lots of little tips for myself - shaving is much easier for me now, for example, and I finall;y know how to get those annoying CD wrappers off...
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posted
I don't think tv in any way defines American Culture. I think the way the system is set up, tv tends to get the lowest of the low. It's bottom-feeding culture. There are so many better alternatives that I expect tv watching to die out completely in a decade or so, to be replaced by forms of entertainment in which people 1) participate or 2) choose the time and content themselves. The only exception to this will be live performances be they music, theater, or just spectacle.
I mean, who ever sits down and watches tv anymore with any thought other than to find the least bad thing that's on? That's not a sufficient basis for allocating time once there are better alternatives easily available.
[ October 27, 2003, 07:38 AM: Message edited by: ana kata ]
Posts: 968 | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Thank you everyone---and Lalo--you are forgiven
As for my personal opinion---I think "survivor" is stupid. It's the only one of these shows that I've seen and it's stupid----a show in which people are under the guise of teamwork when in reality all they want is the money.
Queer Eye seems alright, but it seems to press the idea that since the hosts are gay, they are automatically experts in their field(s). When, in reality, they are experts in these field, who just happen to be flaming.
Extreme Makeover is the only one that made me physically ill when I began researching it. I read the synopsi before I saw the pictures and some of the people I didn't think looked as bad as they made out to be. One woman said she was disfigured by scars and her big nose, when in reality, she had minor acne scars (mine are worse, and they're not even that bad) and my sister's nose is bigger (she doesn't whine and complain and hide herself from the world---she says it improves her singing voice of soprano one).
Thank you everyone---If any one else has any more input--I would be very happy
posted
starla, you should look into a book that's been put out recently and is circulating the design circles, called "the substance of style". the jist of the book is that contemporary culture has come to simply expect an acceptable level of quality out of the things we consume, and we have come to trust the vendors of these things enough that if something fails we can simply return it, so we have moved to making buying decisions almost solely upon aesthetics. The book basicly says that as a culture we have come to define ourselves in terms of our appearance, for better or worse, and that we have developed an extreme consciousness of our environment. Coffee shops for instance; people will pay $4.00 for a cup of coffe simply because the atmosphere of the coffee shop makes them feel relaxed and sophisticated. As for the moral implications of this, i guess its in the eye of the beholder, but the book is worth a read anyway.
Posts: 380 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I was wondering what Survivor was doing on your list, then I remembered.
The First Surivor, and the earlier English Version, took common people and put them on the island.
Then, as soon as ratings started to slip, the next survivors only used pretty people.
Much like "Simon" on American Idol, is suggesting for his show. Enough overweight winners. We want to see some cuties.
For some one who is addicted to TV, but would rather turn it off than watch any of the above, I am way to informed on this subject.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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