chapera rocks

Feb 21 2010, 10:40 PM

How did I miss this thread??

Congrats on getting Kelly and Probst!!!

How did you get Kelly?? Anything interesting that you can tell us about her, please do. <3

growsonballs

Feb 22 2010, 01:56 AM

Maybe beatles wouldn't mind me repeating this story

Quote:

 

[Pulau Tiga] is normally a pretty affable and tolerant guy. But for this particular hour each week, he wants to be alone. His phone is off. The lights are dimmed. His roommates are silent—if they dare stay, that is. The only noise not coming from the television set is the pre-law student's impassioned reaction. For [PT], getting ready to watch "Survivor" is serious business.

"This is the rare hour of television that truly draws me in for every last minute of it," he says. "For a show like that, I feel as if I need to pay it proper respect." The mammoth reality show was the first of its kind on broadcast networks—and a decade later, it's still going strong as reality shows dominate primetime real estate: when "Survivor" topped the 2000-01 television ratings, it was one of only two reality shows in the top 30. Last season, the genre made up a third of that list. But for every diehard fan like [PT] treating his favorite show like a religious rite, there's a detractor who despises reality TV.

"Many people can't wrap their minds around what is entertaining about narcissistic, not very bright people having screaming matches about inconsequential things," says Josh Wolk, who covers reality TV as entertainment editor at New York Magazine's Vulture blog. "And frankly, when described that way, who could blame them?"

Indeed, when a "Big Brother" contestant uses a competitor's toothbrush to clean a toilet, it only fuels critics' fire. But Wolk says those who generalize reality as being "freak shows" like "Jersey Shore" are unlikely to give programs like "Project Runway" a shot, although fans become invested. "You feel like you are really knowing these competitors as opposed to just seeing pros purely in their own element."

"I love watching how people behave," says Jeff Probst, who has hosted "Survivor" since 2000. "Especially when in extreme conditions such as 'Survivor.' It's endlessly fascinating to me." Probst recently signed on for two further seasons, and doesn't see the show ending anytime soon.

Probst isn't the only one drawn to the social experiment factor. "At its core, it's real people who can't be predicted," says [PT], who hopes to become a "Survivor" contestant. "It's just human interaction, and when you watch that interaction in a very competitive setting, some really fascinating stuff comes out of it. It's just people being people, and that's far more interesting to me than anything that could be thought up on a storyboard."

Not everyone shares [PT]'s enthusiasm. Some have mixed feelings. "In business terms, it's been keeping people working," says [one of my professors], who worked in television before the ascent of reality. "In creative terms, it hurts because there's so much schlock."

Others are more blunt. "It's cheap to make and people like it," says [one of my classmates], a film student. "It's the Taco Bell of television." He remains unconvinced of its authenticity. "[Reality shows] are so scripted, it's almost like a regular production."

"The claim that reality TV is not real is a ridiculous pile of BS," says Kelly Goldsmith—and she should know. Goldsmith was one of 16 contestants on the third season of "Survivor" in 2001, winning viewers over with her tenacity and biting wit. She later did casting for the show, and while she concedes that camera-hungry hopefuls are more likely to make the cut, contestants' actions are ultimately their decision—those unhappy with their portrayals only have themselves to blame. "[The contestant] chose to be the person they were and to do the things they did," she says. "No one in production 'makes' you do anything!"

That's not to say Goldsmith wouldn't change things if she could. "When people are filming you 24/7 even the best of us are going to end up sounding dumb sometimes," she says. But overall, the experience was a positive one, despite the eternal stigma of being on a reality show. "It was fun and weird and interesting, and anytime you get to get involved in something you're really passionate about, you just can't help but feel lucky."

With the television industry rapidly changing, reality TV is in better shape than ever. "It is one of the only things saving the networks right now," Wolk says. "They're so cheap to make. Networks are finding it harder and harder to pay for a week's worth of scripted fare." And by consistently one-upping competitors, the genre always manages to capture attention. "Everything shocking eventually becomes the norm. So the envelope always needs to be pushed, and therefore shoves its way into the news." For [PT], though, it's simpler than that.

"Life is fascinating, and 'Survivor' brings all the most compelling parts of it front and center. I'm thankful for that."

Quote:

 

Goldsmith was one of 16 contestants on the third season of "Survivor" in 2001, winning viewers over with her tenacity and biting wit.