In a recent television article of Slate magazine, Troy Patterson discusses how MTV's new reality dating show, The X Effect is further lowering the deplorable standards of MTV's infamous dating shows. Patterson first addresses the cycles of MTV dating shows by mentioning MTV's Next, Parental Control, and Exposed. These reality shows were characterized by purposeless, cliched storylines and contentious behavior. In the first cycle, Next features two opposite-sex contestants with 5 potential love interests each. Hidden from the the contestant on a RV called the Next van, the love interests gain money for the time they spend with the contestant before he or she says "Next!" in reference to getting another dater. In regard to Parental Control, parents choose potential partners for their child to replace their offensive and confrontational love interests. Patterson slyly remarks that parents "trade insults with their current ones". For MTV Exposed, daters are "secrelty monitored by lie detectors" while the contestant's close friend provides the information. In discussing these cycles, Patterson concludes that The X Effect "[takes] cues from these uplifting programs-and also from Fantasy Island, Brian De Palma films, and police stakeouts".
With the whole premise of the show based upon the rekindling of old flames, two exes known as "the X's" spend a weekend together with their significant others looking on in an police detective-like unmarked surveillance truck. Known as the combative title, "the O's", the significant others are served by a "dungeon mistress" who provides "the O's" with instructions and choices of surveillance equipment they can use. With technology such as a "touch sensor" that alerts when physical contact is occuring, and a "transaction log" that informs the type of purchases being made, this "blatantly half-phony" premise creates an obvious rift between the current couples.
As scripted, "the X's" quickly "leap into old habits" as "the O's" characteristically look on in pain and disgust. Once the weekend is over, conflicts build to a climax where face slapping intensified by sound editors occur. At the end of his sarcastic synopsis of The X Effect, Patterson concludes that this show follows the culture in mutating common soap opera themes of "jealousy, betrayal, trust, lust, [and] Jacuzzis".
http://www.slate.com/id/2186958/
3 comments:
I agree these shows are getting out of hand, but at the same time, we all know they're scripted and not real. My friend was on NEXT cause he wanted the money and he told me about how they feed them lines and the winner's already predetermined. The success of these shows is more a reflection of the fact that as viewers we're actually sinking to watching this type of trashy television, otherwise they wouldn't keep making it. These shows also have ridiculously low production costs and therefore bring back profitable returns for the network, bringing us back to the idea that economics is driving the type of content created.
What's not mentioned in the post are the lines before and after the soap opera reference, which forms an elegant comment that turns the criticism on its face to some degree: "Shows like The X Effect don't lead the culture; they follow it, discovering, in this case, a new mutation of the soap opera and its themes— jealousy, betrayal, trust, lust, Jacuzzis. You can turn off the TV if you don't want to watch."
You can turn off the TV if you don't want to watch! -- True enough.
My only question would be does any show "lead the culture?" I'm not saying yes or no, it's a question.
Media and culture have always been and always will be in a reciprocal relationship. They both effect each other, and we can't question that fact. The fact of the matter, however, is that the personal choice lies in the hands of the consumer and what they choose to watch, they're voting with their dollars or what they pay attention to. If you pay attention to garbage I don't really have any pity for you. The networks are just trying to make their shareholders happy and "feed their families" (I use that term very loosely), which is their job. Your job as a consumer is to decide what sinks or swims.
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