Hook ups

I should be offended. Perhaps you should be too.

I discovered a new junk-TV show- well, new to me. "Repo Games" is, of course on SPIKE TV. It's a game show actually and not to be confused with that awful show where they recreate repossessions with all the authenticity of the Wrestlers from the WWE. Repo Games involves real people, behind in their car payments whose vehicles are to be legally repossessed.

The switch is, if they answer three of five questions correctly, their car is paid off and they keep it. Get three wrong and the car is towed away, something that was going to happen anyway. It's not a bad deal.  But, is it exploitation? Is it dragging out the private failings of people  already on hard times, for the entertainment of others?

Yes, of course it is.

But, folks can choose to not participate and just go ahead and let their car be towed and take the hit to their credit rating or scramble to get the cash to get it out of impound and never suffer the indignity of appearing on reality television. Seriously now, what would you do?

I'd go for it. The questions are surprisingly hard and surprisingly easy. It's general knowledge stuff, the stuff that you know and are surprised that others do not. The hosts are two engaging, very big guys, Josh Lewis and Tom Detone, who evidently are professional repo men, not actors. They are very personable guys who really make the show. They are there to take people's cars away and that can bring out the worst in people so, it helps a lot (I think) that you better think one, two and several times about thinking that you can kick either one's ass, no matter how upset you are. I imagine there is some other security involved...just in case. If not, there is a camera crew of perhaps ten guys that might help out. A lot of these people do come out of the house angry. However, they KNEW repossession was an inevitability without the show. With the show, it's 15 minutes of *fame* on TV and the best chance of keeping your car and paying it off. In non-TV life, the repo man rolls up quickly and quietly and wake up the next day realizing you know have to walk to- everywhere. Thanks to their size and demeanor, Josh and Tom seem to be able to defuse any situation. The cameras help a lot too! Like any reality show a lot happens that winds up on the cutting room floor. I think the hosts calm these folks down because nearly all get it together enough to have some fun during the Q & A. Some losers accept the agony of defeat and some get angry again. The winners are ecstatic.

Exploitative? Yes. We're not seeing people at their best. If they had known the repo show people were coming, they might have showered and dressed for the occasion. The victims are not the best and brightest this country has to offer. But, if you've ever seen the "Jaywalking" segment of "The Tonight Show", those knuckleheads aren't either. Those folks don't have anything to lose but a few moments of their dignity. We get a harsh scan of these car owner's lives though. These are people whose lives have been kicked around before. This might be their best shot at winning, something. You can't help but root for most of these people. They may not be too smart but they are just trying to get by in life. And, if keeping and getting a 4 to 12 year old car off gets them that much further in life, why not?