So, when I originally established this blog, I had full intentions to ensure that it was strictly comedic. But something really hit a nerve with me today, and if I'm really going to critique the stupidity of humanity, this is something I need to mention.
There's this new show out, called "How's Your News". Now, I'll admit, I'm a reality television junkie. If it's got anywhere from A, to Ex-A, to D, to Ex-D, to Unknown, to Wanna-Be-Unknown celebrities, (Basically any show on Vh1), I will watch it.
I also regularly read blogs and review sites that comment on these shows, one of them being this site called fourfour.typepad.com (Hilarious, by the way, and awesome screencaps of funny moments from shows). Well, long story short, I just clicked one of his links in his goodbye post to read more about "How's Your News" because he called it "The Best Show On Teleivision, Hands Down." I saw the video there, and honestly... I'm pissed.
I just want to make something clear because I've heard both sides of the argument. On one, people say "If everybody can break into Reality TV, why can't people with disabilities?" and "But they turn the tables on the actors and other people!" On the other side, people are arguing that this is exploitation of a disability for purposes of humor.
And I have to say that while neither argument is necessarily correct in what it's trying to actually argue, if you agree with the first one, then turn your slang usage of the word "retarded" on yourself, friend. There is nothing more disgusting to me than what this show does.
Let it be known that I have a nephew who, despite only being 4 years old and therefore legally unable to be classified as "challenged", is most definitely "challenged". Whether it's with autism or what, we're not sure, but it's something. And yet that has nothing to do with me thinking this is wrong (I was an Elementary and Special Education before he was born, and helped form the P.A.L.S. program [Look it up] in my high school before my sister-in-law was pregnant the first time)... It's the simple fact that, well, look around. It's WRONG.
You cannot stand there and tell me that this show gives disabled people a fair shot, nor can you say that it "turns the tables on the interviewee." It doesn't. If you watch those sample videos with the celebrities, what happens? Arnold is shown giving special treatment to the interviewer, saying "He's one of the best he's seen on the carpet" before they even exchange words. Jenna Jameson is supposedly "punked" when her interviewer, who has a disability, is unable to respond immediately to her statement. That same interviewer, who I would venture to guess probably has some condition of Aspberger's, also doesn't laugh at Jason Bigg's remarks, probably because, as the blogger who loves this show puts it, she's "unable" to.
This. Isn't. Funny.
You're not laughing at Jenna Jameson when the interviewer can't respond to her statement at first, you're laughing at the interviewer. And when Arnold shows some courtesy to the gentlemen, you laugh at him for it. And when Jason Biggs makes a joke and the lady doesn't laugh right back, you're not laughing at Jason Biggs - you're mocking the situation.
This doesn't portray an accurate look into anything, although granted, most reality television fails to do this as well. In the same token, you don't see any television shows being put out there on the premise of "See black people eat fried chicken", "See southern people marry their own daughters", or anything of that kind, so why is this show being put out there in this manner?
Put plainly and simply, there's no room for this on television. You can make fun of a celebrity for getting owned by the media because frankly, it was something they chose to do with their life. But going so low as to mock and ridicule these people and the situations they create because, more than likely, some media mogul approached them with a "get rich quick" scheme and a false promise of true fame, and they accepted it in an effort to make it... It's just awful.
MTV has hit big lows, but this is just bottom feeding. I would like my 1998 TRL, my 1995 Singled Out, and my 1999 MTV Spring Break back, please.
Oh, and if you could stop fucking with people who can't help the way they were born, and just go focus on Heidi and Spencer for a bit, that'd be great. Thanks.
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you go man. so far, the realm of reality tv has failed to really portray disabilities in an effective manner. tlc has done some really interesting specials, and they've got a good thing going with "little people, big world" as far as physical disabilities, but tlc doesn't really operate on the "entertaining" end of the spectrum. likewise, i'm sure "how's your news" falls far on the entertaining side of the spectrum for some people, but they fail to portray the disabled people on the show in a manner that is not degrading. the only exception i could see as far as my reality-tv watching experience goes is ANTM where they had a contestant who had Asperger's, but even that went over the line sometimes with focusing on her disability. she was kicked off the show for not being able to get to enough go-sees; an ability that i'm sure was affected by her Asperger's, and yet the judges ended up saying basically "we've given you enough chances because of your disability and we just can't take it anymore." Hello, were they expecting her to overcome a disability that has affected her whole life in a period of 6 weeks? Were they expecting her to be cured by wearing heels? It was a ridiculous premise; berating someone for something that they can't change. And I feel like that's what most reality tv has done to those with disabilities. Blah.
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