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Tell me you didn't laugh..

#61
Reality T.V. shows, I find most of them quite funny, I must admit. I find 'hanging your dirty washing out in T.V. public' a bit of a funny concept anyway, don't do it. I too, am a terrible person in this regard but I don't trust reality shows, they are too sociopathic for my liking, and I wonder why people put themselves in that frame for public consumption, when issues like that, should be discussed in privacy with those concerned.
 
#65
Skitch it! said:
Reality T.V. shows, I find most of them quite funny, I must admit. I find 'hanging your dirty washing out in T.V. public' a bit of a funny concept anyway, don't do it. I too, am a terrible person in this regard but I don't trust reality shows, they are too sociopathic for my liking, and I wonder why people put themselves in that frame for public consumption, when issues like that, should be discussed in privacy with those concerned.
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Money will do that to some folks I guess.
 
#66
Relic said:
Money will do that to some folks I guess.
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Yes, 'everyone has their price'. On the other hand I wouldn't like to think that some people are being led into that kind of situation through financial incentive, unaware of the implications of that deal, only to have plenty of time regret it later.

It's just my take on T.V, what was once of interest, has now become a media stamping ground for popularity of ratings, in that field, morals are far down the line.
 
#68
Skitch it! said:
Yes, 'everyone has their price'. On the other hand I wouldn't like to think that some people are being led into that kind of situation through financial incentive, unaware of the implications of that deal, only to have plenty of time regret it later.

It's just my take on T.V, what was once of interest, has now become a media stamping ground for popularity of ratings, in that field, morals are far down the line.
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Yep. The money and the constant presence of the TV cameras just have to affect the participants in any reality TV show. I'm sure when people on such shows act happy or sad, that's real (unless they're out to deceive others on the show). But there's so much incentive for them to be more dramatic, on the up and down sides. If the ratings are good, they can go on to another reality show...
 
#70
Kwesi said:
You can't build an argument without proper support. I've learned that the hard way ;).

I feel like I need to clarify this point though for everyone: No decent person that finds this funny is laughing at this man's misfortune. I doubt any of us even know what is going on in that scene. We're taking it completely out of context and just laughing at how these guys sound. The first time I saw this I fell out of my chair laughing but not at the pain that these two are going through, that would just be wrong.
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Well put.

I just want to add, that perhaps if the clip didn't seem so scripted, then it wouldn't be funny.

The way the guy cries kind of reminds me of Gloria from "All in the Family" when she would burst out crying.
 
#72
I did find humor in these until an old friend of mine appeared on the show Addicted on TLC. I hadn't seen him since I was in junior high, I ended going to a different high school than him, but seeing the situation he was in and what he was dealing with even back then really hit me hard and made me realize that these aren't just characters that we are watching on some sitcom, but are real people with families that are going through absolute hell watching their loved ones kill themselves. I haven't been able to get myself to watch the whole episode yet or had a chance to talk to him about why he agreed to appear on the show, but it really changed my mindset. I'm not trying to talk down to those who find these entertaining because I'd be laughing right along with you if I'd been in a different situation, nor will I try to lay any morals on you, if you watch something and it makes you laugh, keep on laughing, its good for ya. I just lost my ability when someone I once knew as a smart, witty, genuine human being had sank so low as to be publicly shown in this kind of spotlight. As to not be a complete downer, I included this, which I found to be 10x funnier anyway--->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMS0O3kknvk
 
#73
GregC said:
Yep. The money and the constant presence of the TV cameras just have to affect the participants in any reality TV show. I'm sure when people on such shows act happy or sad, that's real (unless they're out to deceive others on the show). But there's so much incentive for them to be more dramatic, on the up and down sides. If the ratings are good, they can go on to another reality show...
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+ 1 I don't think anyone would taint those situations portrayed with any comedic value in a real time setting. Call me old fashioned but I think mediation with personal issues of that nature, that the media so love making the most of, really should be conducted in privacy with an advocate/counsellor. I can't help but feel that most of the time, those people concerned are prompted for full effect for 'good copy', it's a totally unnatural environment for sensitive issues of that nature.

It loses a sense of reality, we all know what the media circus is like, bad news is good news, I'd recommend just not putting yourself in that position of public ownership, not for issues like that.

If that soundclip had been put onto radio, without the context there, it would come across as quite amusing, the context is missing. That's what I think T.V. does for those situations, it put's them way out of their proper context and depersonalises it.

Anyways, my 2 cents on it, I haven't watched T.V. in 5 years, I feel a lot better for it, each to their own I suppose, I lost the interest in it a long time ago.
 
#74
GregC said:
Yep. The money and the constant presence of the TV cameras just have to affect the participants in any reality TV show. I'm sure when people on such shows act happy or sad, that's real (unless they're out to deceive others on the show). But there's so much incentive for them to be more dramatic, on the up and down sides. If the ratings are good, they can go on to another reality show...
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I think this is true as well.
But on the flip side, I've also seen firsthand, people break down in some of the unlikeliest places... As a result, there is no doubt in my mind that at least some of what you see on such shows is 100% real and not just melodrama. People may go into for the $ at first but once they confront "deepest darkest" things that they have been avoiding or whatnot, it wouldn't matter if they were on stage in front of a million people, the pain's going to come out - just human nature I think.

To me, being honest, the guy in the vid sounds like he's got some deep deep pain and for him to start crying like that (nearly like a toddler) tells me at least that his pain might very well go waaaay back. I'm no psychologist of course but there's something going on there.
It just 'aint funny.
 
#75
Relic said:
I think this is true as well.
But on the flip side, I've also seen firsthand, people break down in some of the unlikeliest places... As a result, there is no doubt in my mind that at least some of what you see on such shows is 100% real and not just melodrama. People may go into for the $ at first but once they confront "deepest darkest" things that they have been avoiding or whatnot, it wouldn't matter if they were on stage in front of a million people, the pain's going to come out - just human nature I think.

To me, being honest, the guy in the vid sounds like he's got some deep deep pain and for him to start crying like that (nearly like a toddler) tells me at least that his pain might very well go waaaay back. I'm no psychologist of course but there's something going on there.
It just 'aint funny.
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+1 I totally agree, the stuff we're exposed to everyday desensitises to a degree. The boundaries between real emotion and entertainment have become blurred somewhere along the way, it's a symptom of where we are now as far as 'entertainment' is concerned imo. I feel it's moving in the wrong direction through saturation, and depersonalisation is the price of that :scowl:
 
#77
Skitch it! said:
+1 I totally agree, the stuff we're exposed to everyday desensitises to a degree. The boundaries between real emotion and entertainment have become blurred somewhere along the way, it's a symptom of where we are now as far as 'entertainment' is concerned imo. I feel it's moving in the wrong direction through saturation, and depersonalisation is the price of that :scowl:
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I definitely agree with that. This sort of thing is so common these days that we (collectively) really just view it as simple entertainment. How can you not when you're bombarded by it everyday?
 

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