Serious question about TV for people with elitist tastes

[XemaSab]

What makes some shows "acceptable" while other shows are declasse?

For example, why is "Project Runway" considered good, clean fun while "The Bachelor" is considered tacky?

Why is "Jersey Shore" must-see TV while "Survivor" is something you would never admit to watching?

[triguy46]

1. Very simple: if it on TV, it sucks. "Reality" is a fraud.

flame away.

[XemaSab]

2. So there is no TV you like?

You're not even down with "Masterpiece Theater"? :P

[TreasonousBastard]

3. A very nice Met production of "Tales of Hoffman" was on PBS today...

whose tastes are so lofty that that wouldn't meet them?

(FWIW I understand people who don't like opera, I just don't understand the ones who say there's nothing of value on.)

[triguy46]

4. For the most part there's not much on the vast wasteland...

but you framed it as a battle of current reality shows. So here's what i've watched since Friday at 6PM: NCAA bball; Formula 1 on speed channel; Tour of Flanders on Versus; Weather channel. Local station weather. There has been some good programming recently, "Faces of America" on PBS was very good. But I've never once been tempted to watch the shows you mentioned, I don't get the premise of comparing them as one being elitist the other not. They seem to be cut of the same cloth.
I'm an old fart, set in my ways.

[treestar]

5. IMO it's all junk, but I like to watch junk at times

Each of us who is a member of the elite has our guilty pleasure.

[jakefrep]

6. "Project Runway" requires some sort of actual talent to win...

Same for "Top Chef" or even "American Idol". "Survivor" and "The Bachelor" just seem to be more about lying and backstabbing and conniving.

[XemaSab]

7. And "Jersey Shore?"

:P

[elleng]

8. I NEVER like to watch junk! NONE of it!

[MiddleFingerMom]

9. Just watched a few minutes of "Life"...

.
...on Discover and it looks like a visually stunning documentary
series.
.
Hope to check out much more of it.
.
Watch a little TV every week -- sometimes the crime and/or forensics
shows, sometimes a sitcom (been enjoying the irreverence of King of
Queens lately).
.
It's not ALL mindless, society-ruining (and that's a serious adjective)
dreck -- just the vast majority of it anymore.
.

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. What? Anyone with taste considers them all shitholes. Especially Jersey Shore.

Not sure who you're talking to, but clearly it's the wrong people.

None of those are things that people of conscience and breeding should watch.

[rug]

14. How's your Domino's?

[Rabrrrrrr]

33. Eh, it was okay. Better than I expected, still not worth having again.

I did really like the sauce on the hot buffalo wings I ordered, too. They were very tasty, but overpriced.

The experiment was worth doing, but it will not be repeated.

[Midlodemocrat]

29. Oh, dude. Have you seen it?

Talk about hilarious. I honestly thought it was a joke until I watched it. Clueless doesn't BEGIN to cover those people.

I think they should drop them down in Martha's Vineyard for the next season.

:rofl:

[Rabrrrrrr]

32. I've seen parts of it - and seen interviews with the human garbage themselves.

It's shit like them that pisses me off so much about this country. So much good in the universe to enjoy, to celebrate, to swim around in, and there are people like those ignorant slimefuckers who prefer to wallow in the filth and celebrate anything and everything except that which is good and worthy.

AND they'll reproduce like rabbits and make more humanity-destroying jackasses.

[Midlodemocrat]

34. Admit it though. That is some funny, funny shit.

To think that there are actually child women who 'love Guidos'?

You can't make this up.

[Rabrrrrrr]

36. It is funny, indeed!

But I can't laugh very much, because I know they're real and not faking it.

The world would be way better as a no-guido zone.

[Midlodemocrat]

37. DUDE! The fact that it's real?

The best part!!! It's the ultimate point and laugh.

[Rabrrrrrr]

38. It's too sad. If they were sterile, it would the funniest fucking thing in the world!

But they are our breeding neighbors. And they vote (well, maybe not, but they have the right to do it, so there's always the chance they'll actually do it - and they will likely vote very, very, very wrong).

[skygazer]

11. I've honestly never watched any of them

The whole concept of "reality" television doesn't interest me at all - there's nothing real about it and none of the situations are at all compelling to me. But then I haven't watched actual television in years. I sometimes get television shows on DVD to watch from Netflix and in that way have watched The Sopranos which I loved, Battlestar Galactica which I loved so much I bought the series, and a few other things. But I don't watch enough to pay for cable.

[Initech]

12. I guess I'm more of an elitist because I don't watch any reality TV.

I watch some of the documentary-style shows like Hoarders every once in a while but for the most part if it's not sports or shows I have on DVD I don't watch reality TV at all.

[Odin2005]

13. I never watch ANY "Reality" TV.

In fact, the only primetime show I watch regularly is House.

[Skittles]

15. all four of the shows you mention suck bigtime

yes INDEED

[rcrush]

21. Seriouslys

SUCK ASS SHIT! MOTHERFUCKING GARBAGE!

[GOPisEvil]

16. Watch what in the hell you want.

There will always be some holier than thou a-hole try to rain on your parade, but their opinion matters when they start paying the bills.

[Midlodemocrat]

31. And, this, of course, is the correct answer.

[Touchdown]

17. Acceptable is between the top 15 and top 30.

Anything above the top 15 is for the rubes, and hicks.

[XemaSab]

18. Word

:D

[KamaAina]

19. Who in the ring-tailed rambling hell ever said Project Runway was considered good?!

Reality + .1 sec = click. :P

[rcrush]

20. I don't want to watch any of those shows.

All those shows you listed sound like garbage.

[wickerwoman]

22. My standard is "protective of human dignity"

and not many reality shows meet it.

"Survivor" sucks because they don't *need* to eat bugs... they're just doing it for money. And the show is entirely about ganging up on people and backstabbing to get ahead. Ditto most other reality shows including all the "talent" shows which are really just about the bitchiest comments the judges can come up with, never mind the effect they have on peoples' lives.

The two reality shows I do watch are Biggest Loser and The Amazing Race.

I think it sucks that people are sent home on Biggest Loser and I hated when they had to beg to keep their spot, but the show has a legitimate, laudable goal of helping people lose weight and watching people you would have thought had no chance (400+ pounds, totally out of shape) get their shit together in a short period of time is actually really inspiring.

Amazing Race is also actually *about* something- traveling to new places, challenging yourself, broadening your horizons.

And what I really like about both shows is that if you are excellent, you are safe. The mediocre and sociopathic can't gang up and vote you off because you're a "threat". In the BL, as long as you work your ass off, you're safe. And on Amazing Race only the last team is sent home- no voting.

[Mopar151]

27. I'm with you.

So American Loggers = yes, Exterme Loggers = no. (Lucas Oil) On the Edge = yes, Pinks = no Dirty Jobs = yes, Cops = no

[JonLP24]

23. Some reality shows interest me

Not all of them or the ones people think of when it comes to reality shows. I like Pawn Stars, Black Gold, Ice Road Truckers, The First 48(sometimes), Dangerous Catch, etc. I never watched more then a few minutes of Survivor, American Idol, etc. I never watched Jersey Shore or most of the VH1 reality shows. I did get sucked into a few episodes of I Love New York. I'm not sure why as it was a terrible show. I can only guess it's the same reason some people slow down to look at car wrecks.

[hippywife]

24. I don't think it's elitist

to watch only quality programming. We don't have cable because we don't want to pay for the garbage that it delivers and we don't watch mainstream network TV because it also delivers garbage. I don't like to watch people make fools out of themselves and/or be ridiculed by mean people. Even if it is all fake, it encourages people to say mean things to each other. So if there's something good on PBS, then the TV is on, if not then not.

So if wanting to learn something new, or travel to a location I'll never be able to afford to see in real life and know what the plights and pleasures are in the cultures of the people we share the world with is elitists, then the dumbing down of the American public with garbage is totally working.

[Orrex]

25. I attack people's taste in television because it makes me feel better about the crappy shows I watch

You know, the same reason that everyone else does it.


And the only thing more annoying than an elitist who says "my crappy programs are better than your crappy programs" is an elitist who says "I'm a morally superior and more highly evolved human being because I don't even own a tv." :evilgrin:

[bif]

26. Just hooked up the converter box

We had only been watching DVDs and Canadian tv. So we now have 30 channels of crap instead of one.

[Kali]

28. I'm so fucking elitist I don't even have a tee vee.

I waste enough of my life/brain function here on the intertubes.

[Midlodemocrat]

30. I don't watch reality television.

I regularly watch only about three shows, not minding the repeats.

Reality television is just depressing to me. The abuse heaped on people is something I'm not a fan of at all.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

35. All reality shows suck.

:P

But there's many great TV shows based on various factors (writing, acting, etc.) that unfortunately are not seen by too many people.