TV reality shows find a new theme: Religion vs. temptation

[cbayer]

http://www.denverpost.com/television/ci_22732999/tv-reality-shows-find-new-theme-religion-vs

By Joanne Ostrow
POSTED: 03/07/2013 02:45:53 PM MST
UPDATED: 03/07/2013 02:48:45 PM MSTBy Joanne Ostrow


rom left, mom Cheryl, father Mark, Emily, Audrey, Olivia and baby Eden star in the Lifetime family docusoap "Preachers'’ Daughters," premiering Tuesday, at 8 p.m. (Photos provided by Lifetime)

Can there be an untapped corner of the reality TV racket at this late date?

They've done dating and drinking and confessing to private cameras in a dreamhouse full of singles. They've done eating icky bugs, confronting phobias, appraising junk, gawking at fish-out-of-water Amish. Jousting, falling, racing and surviving. Toddlers, tiaras and Honey Boo Boo. It's all been done.

Challenge yourself to come up with a reality TV theme that has yet to be explored.

The answer, naturally, is Jesus.

more at link

[longship]

1. I'd watch if they'd show them eating icky bugs, confronting phobias, etc.

Why not just add in all the other TV Reality characteristics to the religious family one? I mean one could even add Wipeout! to the mix.

Otherwise, this will likely not be very entertaining. Probably a lot of Jesus talk, though, if you like that sort of thing. I don't.

[cbayer]

2. The last one of these kinds of things I watched was the Osborns.

It was sufficiently weird to be entertaining.

But generally, I have serious questions about the overall stability and character of people that want cameras in their personal lives and open themselves up for general consumption.

I suspect this will be no better or worse than the rest of the fodder that's out there.

[longship]

3. That's why I don't watch reality TV.

IMHO, it's just rubbish, like much of TV. These days I turn on the TV only for PBS or a good flick.

[madmom]

4. more must see TV....

[rrneck]

5. Christianity, clinging to the ragged ass end of the cultural bandwagon. nt

[cbayer]

6. Or is it the ragged ass end of the cultural bandwagon mining religion?

[rrneck]

7. I think Christianaty has always been behind.

From Thomas Nelson to christian rock all the way back to Gutenberg cutting edge content has driven developments in communications technology that Christianity has used to try and keep up. Religion didn't squirt nitrous into the engine of mass communication, somebody else did.

But, to be fair (did I say that?), religion is between a rock and a hard place here. The cutting edge of cultural change is, by definition, a sparsely populated area. Acceptance of new ideas into the general population is a process of homogenization which, by definition, takes them out of the leadership role into the back of the bandwagon with everybody else.

The problem is that the objective of most religions in general and Christianity in particular is that their primary objective is acceptance by the general population, and if they stay a small group of people dedicated to some cutting edge idea they're just a cult. That's the choice, it can be a conservative generic product or a bunch of whackos.

[cbayer]

8. I'm not completely clear on what you are saying.

Do you see reality TV as the cutting edge of cultural change?

I'm not sure these shows reflect on religion at all, but more on the prurient need of the american public to see others in compromising or embarrassing situations. By using people that call themselves religious, the feeding frenzy is just intensified.

In short, while this certainly says something about the individuals that agree to participate, I don't think it says much about religion.

Perhaps that's the bunch of whackos to whom you refer?

[rrneck]

9. Do you see reality TV as the cutting edge of cultural change?

No. I see instantaneous mass communication as the cutting edge of technological change. The prurient interest of people has always been one of the most important driving forces of the development of communication technology.

I heard an interview with a fellow once who wrote a book exploring all sorts and kinds of conceptions of God. I'm sorry, but I can't remember the author or title.

One of his conceptions was of a bunch of space alien gods that created the earth and everyone on it to see how the species would grow and learn about the universe. Unfortunately, all they did is stand around and look at each other and the experiment was considered a failure.

[cbayer]

10. So, we might be reality TV for aliens?

That's great.

[EvilAL]

11. I won't watch it,

well, maybe the episode this happens in.

"There are plenty of creepy moments, not least when one of the daughters expresses her desire to be a porn star."
hahahahah

[EvilAL]

12. Drink everytime someone mentions

Jesus or sex.

[struggle4progress]

13. .

[cbayer]

14. Great images!

We don't have cable or satellite, so we see virtually none of this stuff.

But I still like PBS and I have to have netflix streaming, so the TV stays!

[dimbear]

15. It is also worth noting the emergence of atheist characters on scripted network shows.......

Compared to a generation ago when the score total was zero. Examples: The Good Wife, Body of Proof, (including 3 important atheist characters there) and the late lamented Dr. Gregory House.

The times they are a changin......

[cbayer]

16. That's good news and I bet they are all better than this tripe.

[dimbear]

17. Can't compare since I never watch reality shows, but it's an indicator of the zeitgeist.

I wonder if Philo Farnsworth imagined this trend.