Monday · May 22 2006
The Most Offensive Show on TV
If there's even any question, the answer is My Super Sweet 16. Like many of the commenters on that post, I find myself on the border between rage and sarcastic laughter when I see that show is on.
Most reality shows seem to work on the premise that America likes to watch the antics of really awful people who don't know that they're awful. My Super Sweet 16 just refines that concept. What could be more hateful than a rich spoiled snotty teenager?
I sort of wonder why MTV chose to do this program. Is it for teenagers who love to fantasize? Or is it to expose the awful, ugly personalities of these teens? Maybe both.
because watching well-adjusted people is dull. Face it, even the Romans knew we rabble preferred the circus over haut-theatre.
I think this is more about the fantasy than awfulness. I think the target is pretty young - pre-teen. The reason i mention this is Lisa and I have a second-niece who loves this stuff (Super Sweet 16 and Laguna Beach) and she is too young to realize how disgusting it is. I had a conversation with her about it. It is this kind of show that makes me understand Islamic Fundamentalism.
A close second in my opinion for worst show would be "Unanimous." The premise is that there is $1.5 mil that is drawn down at $1/second. There are a group of people that have to vote unanimously to give the entire sum to one person. They live in an underground apartment together. When i saw the show the prize was down to under $500k and the whole half hour consisted of people saying the following to each other: "I don't f$^%#$ care if there is no f#$^#$^ money left, I will never f#@%@# vote for you to have a f@#%@# cent. So f@#% you."
Yeah, that was pretty miserable.