In touch with reality

Absolutely no one admits to watching reality TV. This must be why it's so popular. There's only like a hundred some shows just about logging or, so it seems.

I look at a lot of them, even if I don't always remember the titles and some are actually quite good. Some are OK and some suck. It's just like regular TV dramas in that respect.. The characters are real even if they don't always act like it but, I think a lot of dramatic license is given and taken in the interest of story telling. It's my understanding that, in most cases, a producer and camera crew is embedded with the stars whether they be ice road truckers, pawn shop owners or gold miners. No doubt there is a lot of waiting around for something to happen and then weeks of editing to make it as interesting as possible. Well, isn't that just like real life?

Asute viewers can kinda tell when the drama is a little contrived as on "Survivor" or "Big Brother". Some of blow ups are rather obviously producer fueled to spice up the show. The world is full of crazy, overly dramatic people but not all of them are attractive enough or desiring to be on those shows. So, the producers have to dance with the ones they brung.

I like the gun shows on cable but, I also despise them. Evidently, your average gun store owner is an egotestical....blowhard who loves to blow shit up usually with fully-automatic weapons you and I can't buy but, also with bazookas, flame-throwers and mortars, also unavailable at WalMart. It's the manufactured drama that gets me though. Amidst all the gunplay, we have to see the continuing drama of the blossoming love of the owners daughter and one of his gun mechanics and the conflict that presents. Of course, the intent is to show these people as real people with real emotions that aren't simply limited to whooping and hollering when an old Buick explodes. Sheesh. I don't really care. Norm Abrahms always showed us how to hammer a nail, never how to nail Mrs Norm. I like to see how things are made and then, how they are used. Norm never built the house and then blew it up. I'm just saying. I appreciate the skill involved in shooting guns. I like and shoot guns myself. But, guns are primarily for killing people. As much fun as shooting is, when it becomes a team sport, it's called war.

With the various trucking and logging shows, if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. It's very dangerous to drive on ice roads in Alaska or those insane, 3rd world roads in Peru. Felling trees in the forest or catching halibut in the Bering Sea really is dangerous. There seems to be enough dramatic danger there to go around and, usually no chicks to fall in love with. Because of that though, there has to be male on male conflict, up to and including fisticuffs. I get that part. I have worked commercial construction for years and, shit happens when you get boys together. We weren't 'allowed' to fight but, stuff happens. Some of the confrontations- maybe all- seem real. However, I wonder if there are producers in the background....

"We just filmed Rick saying that you blow dead dogs, Butch. How does that make you feel?"

There's a very pointless show about oil workers in Texas that features macho-stunting on a regular basis. The guys are all in their twenties, buff and tatooed. They might all be on work release from prison, too. Most of them seem destined to go back.

But, of all the faults of reality TV, the most annoying is time.

Everything has to be done "yesterday".

"I need a fully functional, Abrahms A1 tank."

OK.

And I need it to fly!"

OK.

"And I need it by Saturday...."

The reality car shows are all like that. Knowing full well that there is an auction on the weekend, why not wai tuntil Wednesday to start looking for an interesting car to build at the last minute? You know- make it interesting. Fuck all that planning that non-TV businesses do. Pussies. That's just not real.