You know, I've rather pathetically spent way too much of my time watching bad reality TV, and it has slowly begun to occur to me that, as the years of the reality craze go on, the network news organizations have strived -- to greater and greater degrees -- to emulate the format.
This week it's the second season of The Laci Petersen show, which had a stupendous premiere season not too long ago. Last week, we had yet another episode in the years-long neverending Saga of Jacko. And when the time comes for politics, things really get sad. I'm only in my mid-twenties, and I clearly remember a time when politics were
actually discussed on network TV. These days, it's just another reality show. We get hours of coverage, but all of it focuses on the most entertaining slice-of-life snippets from each campaign. Howard Dean gives a big HYAHH!? Let's devote 20 minutes a night to it! Theresa said "Shove it!"? Wow, that's, like, almost as cool as when that seattle Real World guy slapped the girl with lyme disease!
I can hear them poring over footage in the editing room: "What the hell. He's just blabbing on about health care! COME ON, KERRY! We need something FUN AND EXCITING!"
It's just like they do on the best of the reality shows. It's not about the participants' cares and considerations. It's not about the quality of the conversations in which they take part. It's certainly not about any meaningful message.
It's about editing the footage they've got in whatever way they can, with the goal of building the most entertaining possible TV show. If there's a deeply thoughtful discussion caught on film, it's conceivable that a soundbyte or two might make it into the show. But if someone accidentally sneezes into the food they're preparing but serves it anyway, you can bet your bottom dollar we'll see every microgram of snot in glorious technicolor.
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