Ignore The Woman Behind The

Ignore The Woman Behind The Curtain

I'm sorta back and I'm sorta not. I haven't yet solved my connectivity issues but I'm posting from Mommy's house.

I was excited to see the new season of American Idol started last night.
I admit it. I love this show. It's contrived, conceited and completely corny but I can't wait to see it every week and crave for the new season to begin.

This doesn't mean I'm unaware of the damage reality TV does to society.

Reality TV: the purest sign that humanity is on its last legs.
As sickened as I am by the false sincerity of The Bachelorette, I found myself drawn into it. Maybe it was the warm, golden lighting, or the flowers or the beautiful clothes and limos.
Maybe it was the impossibly gorgeous men with fake smiles and tailored suits.
A beautiful mansion is the setting. Throw pillows, strategically draped afghans, candles, designer furniture, and marble floors are all there to distract us from the utter insincerity of the whole show.
It is impossible for me to believe that you can choose your soul mate from a coterie of specific men.
This is not fate. This is a television corporation choosing 25 cookie cutter personalities that she may or may not like.
Can you conceivably fall in love with ONE man when you’re surrounded by so many? How can you choose a favorite brownie from a plate full of them?

Honestly, if it weren’t televised to the entire world, this would be a girls dream come true. Aren’t we always complaining that good men are hard to find? Here they are girls! One of the largest corporations in the world has chosen them for us!
This is also our revenge. Now guys get to look like the shallow, malicious people that women have been made to look like for so long.
I’d be willing to bet anyone of those men would scratch the other’s eyes out if given the chance.

I find myself cringing and changing the channel periodically. I can’t stand to see the obvious humiliation; I don’t care who it is. When the camera does a close up on the heartbroken face of a man who doesn’t get that all-powerful rose, I’m so embarrassed for him. I have to remind myself that he got into this willingly, knowing exactly what could happen. My own fears of rejection come through when I watch this show and my heart goes out to these people.
What the hell is wrong with me? These people are allowing themselves to be victimized on national television, why should I feel sorry for them?
All of these guys are attention-seeking braggarts. They obviously have no self-respect or they wouldn’t be pouring their hearts out on TV. The women from the previous shows were just as bad. They cried over their broken hearts after knowing this man for a few shorts weeks AND sharing him with several other women.

The use of limos, evening clothes, roses, diamonds, mansions and capped-tooth smiles to sell love is false and misleading. It is no wonder men cannot win in this game of love. We have been led to believe that every man should ride up on that gallant steed, sweep us off our feet, and we are secretly disappointed when he doesn’t. We want that man to gaze seductively in our eyes as he kisses our hand, leading us into a candlelit room full of roses and make 1940s Cary Grant movie-style love to us. This show allows us to live in that fantasy world, believing we’re being deprived of the fairytale by our "ordinary men".

This is just further proof that reality TV is only reality in our dreams.

Posted by De at January 20, 2004 04:21 PM