I must admit I'm a reality TV watcher. But reality TV doesn't seem like the right term to me. Perhaps they should call it crazy-stuff-people-will-only-do-for-money TV or pain-for-the-purpose-of-entertainment TV.Some of the shows that come to mind are, of course, Survivor, Fear Factor, The Bachelor and The Apprentice. There are also some new shows like The Swan and Family Fear Factor that are particularly disturbing entertainment.The Swan, if you haven't seen it, focuses on women who feel they could not possibly go through life another day looking "ugly and fat," so they sign up for myriad plastic surgery, dental work and liposuction. Entrants unfortunate enough to make it to The Swan are photographed in their underwear and have their every flaw gawked at and grabbed by a "panel of experts," who vow to "fix" their every problem. The women are then secluded from family and friends for three months in a resort that has a strict policy about mirrors. The women are not allowed to look at themselves for the entire time and may only talk to relatives and friends on the phone. These women are so disgusted with themselves they cry about their features and say they have been "praying" they could have their bodies changed so they can "finally feel pretty."This is the sad reality of the pressures put on women to look a certain way and the negative reinforcement they are given when they don't. I don't think we'll ever see The Stallion where less-than-perfect men are subjected to the same things for the purpose of entertainment. As if it's not bad enough these women go through painful surgeries to change their appearances, they are then pitted against other women who went through the same ordeal for judges to decide who is prettier and who will advance to The Swan pageant. From the dozen in the pageant, one wins the title of The Swan, which I'm not sure comes with any duties other than signing autographs at plastic surgery clinics.So these women already have horrible self-esteem, are given painful makeovers and are still judged not pretty enough. Sick and twisted television.Another show I've seen recently that disturbs me is Family Fear Factor. Fear Factor, of course, pits adults against one another in three different events that range from eating pig uteri to being covered in rats in a coffin. It was bad enough when adults were taking part, but now kids are able to join their parents in the absurdity.I saw a Family Fear Factor show where children, who looked no more than 12 years old, were covered in cockroaches and catapulted off chairs into the ocean. Although I admit the catapult thing would be fun, what kind of horrible disappointment did most of these children feel when they lost the $50,000 prize money? My little brother is crushed when he doesn't get the golf ball through the windmill to win a free ice cream.Some things are best left to adults, like being covered in cockroaches for money, for example. Maybe we want to delight in the disgusting, but we should really leave our children out of it.I think I'll create my own reality TV show where politicians are hooked up to lie detectors for the entire election and on through the winning party's term. Maybe they'll be given a shock when they lie. Maybe I'll give a shock button to the nurses' union rep and the IWA rep. I'll keep one, too.Now that's good television.
