Comments on: Reality TV: The Return of the Working Class Hero http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:29:52 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Some Reality Shows Are More Realistic Than Others « The Rhetorican http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-93823 Some Reality Shows Are More Realistic Than Others « The Rhetorican Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:40:13 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-93823 [...] Some Reality Shows Are More Realistic Than Others August 21, 2008 Posted by Jehuda in Uncategorized. Tags: Entertainment, TV trackback So I was talking to an old friend of mine at Original Productions, the creators of Deadliest Catch and the always fun Monster Garage.  Reality shows come in all shapes and sizes, but I think it’s safe to say that Original has tapped into a real American fondness for working class heroes. [...] [...] Some Reality Shows Are More Realistic Than Others August 21, 2008 Posted by Jehuda in Uncategorized. Tags: Entertainment, TV trackback So I was talking to an old friend of mine at Original Productions, the creators of Deadliest Catch and the always fun Monster Garage.  Reality shows come in all shapes and sizes, but I think it’s safe to say that Original has tapped into a real American fondness for working class heroes. [...]

]]> By: jw http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-93632 jw Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:07:09 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-93632 My favorite TV shows are "Holmes on Homes" (HGTV in Ontario, about repairing botched up home renovations), "Dirtiest Jobs," and "Mythbusters" (is that Reality TV?). What's wrong with those on "Dirtiest Jobs" getting paid for their participation? I hope they do! "Deadliest Catch" has gotten me eating King Crabs in honor of the brave men who catch them! My favorite TV shows are “Holmes on Homes” (HGTV in Ontario, about repairing botched up home renovations), “Dirtiest Jobs,” and “Mythbusters” (is that Reality TV?). What’s wrong with those on “Dirtiest Jobs” getting paid for their participation? I hope they do! “Deadliest Catch” has gotten me eating King Crabs in honor of the brave men who catch them!

]]> By: Right Wing Nation » Meanwhile, On Cable TV http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-90498 Right Wing Nation » Meanwhile, On Cable TV Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:45:59 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-90498 [...] Nolte, AKA Dirty Harry, touched on this last week, in Reality TV: The Return of the Working Class Hero. Today, there are few channels out of our [...] [...] Nolte, AKA Dirty Harry, touched on this last week, in Reality TV: The Return of the Working Class Hero. Today, there are few channels out of our [...]

]]> By: Working men as heroes — Cranach: The Blog of Veith http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-89184 Working men as heroes — Cranach: The Blog of Veith Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:57:55 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-89184 [...] hails a positive trend in television. Some of the most popular reality shows celebrate WORK. From The Return of the Working Class Hero: We marvel at the men populating “Ice Road Truckers,” “The Deadliest [...] [...] hails a positive trend in television. Some of the most popular reality shows celebrate WORK. From The Return of the Working Class Hero: We marvel at the men populating “Ice Road Truckers,” “The Deadliest [...]

]]> By: space http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-89047 space Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:39:10 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-89047 REALITY TV BOOTCAMP "You've Watched It...Now Create It!" This event is planned to start at 9:00 am on Aug 16, 2008 at Hollywood. REALITY TV BOOTCAMP
“You’ve Watched It…Now Create It!”
This event is planned to start at 9:00 am on Aug 16, 2008 at Hollywood.

]]> By: Bryan C http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-87757 Bryan C Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:23:51 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-87757 Dirty Jobs is a fantastic show. I was particularly impressed by the "Brown Before Green" earth day episode. Mike Rowe advocated a surprisingly free-enterprise approach to cleaning up the environment, with some hard-working folks making money doing exactly that. Very refreshing among the usual environmental finger-wagging. I agree that the History Channel has gotten much too fluffy lately. They still run some good stuff now and then. The occasional "Ancient Discoveries" show is pretty good. The recent reality shows like "Surviving History", on the other hand, are a disappointment. How's the History International channel? My cable lineup doesn't include it but the listings look pretty interesting and I've considered subscribing. Dirty Jobs is a fantastic show. I was particularly impressed by the “Brown Before Green” earth day episode. Mike Rowe advocated a surprisingly free-enterprise approach to cleaning up the environment, with some hard-working folks making money doing exactly that. Very refreshing among the usual environmental finger-wagging.

I agree that the History Channel has gotten much too fluffy lately. They still run some good stuff now and then. The occasional “Ancient Discoveries” show is pretty good. The recent reality shows like “Surviving History”, on the other hand, are a disappointment. How’s the History International channel? My cable lineup doesn’t include it but the listings look pretty interesting and I’ve considered subscribing.

]]> By: Chris http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-87704 Chris Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:40:24 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-87704 Deadliest Catch and the like are a hoot. Most of the fleet watches, and I can tell you it's a hell of a lot more fun to crab from your couch with the heat on and a drink in your hand! I think, having also worked in cushy urban offices, that these shows respond to men's deep seated need to challenge the elements and work with their hands. We were not meant to sit in a beige cubicle for forty years, neatly dressed like women at church. Most people's lives have become so detached from the elements that these shows call out to them for a real challenge. Fair winds and following seas... Deadliest Catch and the like are a hoot. Most of the fleet watches, and I can tell you it’s a hell of a lot more fun to crab from your couch with the heat on and a drink in your hand! I think, having also worked in cushy urban offices, that these shows respond to men’s deep seated need to challenge the elements and work with their hands. We were not meant to sit in a beige cubicle for forty years, neatly dressed like women at church. Most people’s lives have become so detached from the elements that these shows call out to them for a real challenge. Fair winds and following seas…

]]> By: Jake Was Here http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-87548 Jake Was Here Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:22:47 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-87548 Casey: TruTV has distanced itself from the un-"Reality" trend... their slogan is "Not 'reality', actuality." Almost all of the series they show are documentaries -- in other words, stuff that ACTUALLY HAPPENED and wasn't faked up. Very little is scripted on your average TruTV series, aside from what's said by the narrators of each program. Real life and the pursuit of justice don't come with scripts, and they're far less boring and more compelling IMHO than most so-called "reality" series. Casey:

TruTV has distanced itself from the un-”Reality” trend… their slogan is “Not ‘reality’, actuality.” Almost all of the series they show are documentaries — in other words, stuff that ACTUALLY HAPPENED and wasn’t faked up.

Very little is scripted on your average TruTV series, aside from what’s said by the narrators of each program. Real life and the pursuit of justice don’t come with scripts, and they’re far less boring and more compelling IMHO than most so-called “reality” series.

]]> By: eilish http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-87504 eilish Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:35:52 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-87504 I was just commenting over on a thread about how much our family likes these shows because they're not network trash that portrays men as incompitent imbeciles. I would much rather watch Dirty Jobs or Mythbusters instead of a sitcom where the husband is a dummy, the wife is a shrew, and the children strive to misbehave. These shows are not just a respite from bad reality TV, they are an alternative to most of the shows on network TV as a whole. I was just commenting over on a thread about how much our family likes these shows because they’re not network trash that portrays men as incompitent imbeciles. I would much rather watch Dirty Jobs or Mythbusters instead of a sitcom where the husband is a dummy, the wife is a shrew, and the children strive to misbehave. These shows are not just a respite from bad reality TV, they are an alternative to most of the shows on network TV as a whole.

]]> By: John Moore http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/comment-page-1/#comment-87497 John Moore Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:13:38 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/reality-tv-the-return-of-the-working-class-hero/#comment-87497 I'm a storm chaser (hobby for many years). The "reality show" folks have been all over us for years. We regularly get solicitations from producers. Sometimes they do pretty good work (the folks who film for Discovery). Other times they are out for maximum thrill and other hollywood values - to take our activity and find the craziest practitioners, and then hype up the drama - oh, and the folks have to look good, too. The latter shows may give you the feel of truth, but they are as phoney as the original "reality" shows. I’m a storm chaser (hobby for many years). The “reality show” folks have been all over us for years. We regularly get solicitations from producers. Sometimes they do pretty good work (the folks who film for Discovery). Other times they are out for maximum thrill and other hollywood values – to take our activity and find the craziest practitioners, and then hype up the drama – oh, and the folks have to look good, too. The latter shows may give you the feel of truth, but they are as phoney as the original “reality” shows.

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