Our first blogging task is to compare the three reality-TV subgenres "hidden camera", "artificial living environment" and "personal challenge". The genres are represented respectively by the shows Candid Camera (USA), Big Brother (UK) and 71 grader nord (Norway).
Just by this we can say that USA loves watching people being tricked and fooled into embarassing situations, UK finds it interesting to watch social experiments, and Norway enjoys nature and real, tough experiences and challenges... on-screen.
Do I think they're good entertainment? No.
I hate it when innocent people get tricked into those embarassing situations which later will be watched by hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of laughing people. I feel so embarassed too, like it's me on the screen.
I also find it cynical to put a lot of different people together and give them tasks to complete while having to spend ALL of their time together. I know this is completely voluntary, but still, to expose people like that is just wrong. We've heard that some of the contestants have had troubles later, like alchoholism or depression, and this just adds to my argument.
And to watch people hiking over given distances, receiving tasks and challenges on their way... I don't find that entertaining. I'd rather hike myself! Of course not those distances or those places they are put, 'cause I'm in no physical condition to manage that, but it's so much better to experience nature firsthand rather than to sit in a room with in-door climate watching some people outside in the great, wide world...
But if I did have to choose, I would probably choose Big Brother. Surprised?
Well.
I think Candid Camera is just plain idiotic, and I find 71 grader nord and other nature programmes plain boring. There's also a small part of me that's really cynical and interested in social experiments. I actually watched almost a whole season of Paradise Hotel last fall... Yes, I'm ashamed...
Some random picture from some random Big Brother-season
in some random country
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