RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Ok, here's my theory,
We all know survival is a wisdom based skill. Most people who would go on a reality TV show have a low wisdom. After all if wisdom is common sense, willpower and observation, people with average to high wisdom would avoid a reality TV show.
It also explains how the cute ones get so far. Low wisdom = not good at sense motive vs bluff/diplomacy/wiggling girl bits.
Ok, here's my theory,
We all know survival is a wisdom based skill. Most people who would go on a reality TV show have a low wisdom. After all if wisdom is common sense, willpower and observation, people with average to high wisdom would avoid a reality TV show.
It also explains how the cute ones get so far. Low wisdom = not good at sense motive vs bluff/diplomacy/wiggling girl bits.
Hey, I resemble that ree..mark....ohhh wiggling girl bits. GO SEONI!!!!
Ok, here's my theory,
We all know survival is a wisdom based skill. Most people who would go on a reality TV show have a low wisdom. After all if wisdom is common sense, willpower and observation, people with average to high wisdom would avoid a reality TV show.
It also explains how the cute ones get so far. Low wisdom = not good at sense motive vs bluff/diplomacy/wiggling girl bits.
I've avoided shows like "Survivor" since the first season. I caught the first couple of episodes to see what it was like, then stopped watching. When people asked me what was wrong with it, I'd just say that it seemed to easy. If these people would simply sharpen up some spears they could kill the other tribe, dry or smoke their meat for food, and completely eliminate the competition in the first day or so. This would usually prompt nervous laughter or uncomfortable silences. Then I'd say "What, too much reality for you?"
"Reality" television. Yeah, right. I think those Hulu commercials are right. Aliens really are trying to turn our brains into a tasty mush for them to feast on...
I've avoided shows like "Survivor" since the first season. I caught the first couple of episodes to see what it was like, then stopped watching. When people asked me what was wrong with it, I'd just say that it seemed to easy. If these people would simply sharpen up some spears they could kill the other tribe, dry or smoke their meat for food, and completely eliminate the competition in the first day or so. This would usually prompt nervous laughter or uncomfortable silences. Then I'd say "What, too much reality for you?"
"Reality" television. Yeah, right. I think those Hulu commercials are right. Aliens really are trying to turn our brains into a tasty mush for them to feast on...
emphasis mine
I wholeheartedly agree. I make a comment to some people that my favorite reality show of all time was "The Price is Right", and they comment like that was a game show not reality t.v. Then I point out to them that hey the winner got cash and prizes, hey that sounds familiar. All "reality t.v. is a new glorified style of gameshow and it IMO sucks.
I second Shadowborn's remark of killing off one tribe drying and/or smoking the meat from the kill. Hey no starvation. If people want to see a survival show, give them the Roman Gladiatorial Arena Games and see how they like it.
Well, I have been to and taught stuff at survival; I think the shows are pathetic; not about survival with the environment but survival in a group of self serving, self centered, dregges of society. Not that they can really be blamed; their so called tribes are pathethic; the idea that they loose someone every week clearly diminishes any form of teamwork that should arise is a survival situation.
This is for primetime network shows; did any of you see the survival show that PBS did in Montana; the goal was for each of these families or other cultural units to prepare to survive a winter; they were to live in a 1850's environment for one year; the show was great, but the people were pathetic. I say this only because they were a bunch of city slickers and not at all prepared for the lifestyle that they were asked to endure; sure they got some training. The show was cancelled because sometime around the Sept-Oct time frame; they stated that basically all of them were casualties; none of them would survive even a mild winter; they had not stocked enough food or more importantly; did not stock enough heating fuel ie wood; to survive the cold.
Another one I saw was set up much like the Jamestown charter set in the 1600's under Puritain Law. It failed as well basically because those in charge; ie those that govern; had no real power to compel or act; anyone could just leave the show.
That is the biggest problem with the real shows; they exist in a vacuum of skillsets that any people in that time would have; also ;their is not real order as it is not real; you cannot in the U.S. give up your rights; so you cannot say that for 5 years you will exist under the rules of 1600 American land charters. In the soap opera of Surviver; that is not survival at all; just games and politics and social garbage. I think that is why the Army only participated in the first season; they were misled about the goal and mission of the show.
Believe it; anyone who has been to army survival skill; certainly has the ability to maximize their chances of survival; a team should make this much more likely and not be a hinderance. I would stack my family up against any in a 1850's type Montana survival situation; but then we would excell after all; we were a bunch of farmers and ranchers and understand more about the situation and the needs of that style living than some white collar worker from a big city who comes from a long line of city dwelling troglodytes. I say troglodytes as the word means cave dweller and cities are nothing but concrete jungles where apartment dwellers really are just people living in large man made caves; ok; its a stretch; was an attempt at humor. it cannot really be applied to suburbanites who dwell in houses.
so; the problem is not the people so much as it is that they are thrown into a untenible situation. People do not just exist in a vacuum without a skillset; and for Surviver, after a shipwreck; you are all competing as a team to survive; not playing games and voting people out who are the greatest threat. Its pure entertainment; confuse it not with what the D&D skill of survival is for; best to cultivate Bluff and Knowlege - politics if you wanna play Surviver.
Ok, here's my theory,
We all know survival is a wisdom based skill. Most people who would go on a reality TV show have a low wisdom. After all if wisdom is common sense, willpower and observation, people with average to high wisdom would avoid a reality TV show.
It also explains how the cute ones get so far. Low wisdom = not good at sense motive vs bluff/diplomacy/wiggling girl bits.
I agree with you Vale. I may not be in the military (but hey I still have time only 23 but a bit of a weight problem right now) Yes, I was a boy scout made it to life scout. But I also grew up in rural Iowa (is there anything else in Iowa). I hunt, I can kill, dress, skin, and butcher what I kill. You are right about those shows only being for ratings. Like you pointed out that in a real survival situation you need teamwork to survive. I still think it would be funny for a suburbanite or city slicker put into a real situation with a group of people who know how to survive in a wildneress setting. I am sure there would be a portion of them would be like "so when do we vote?" (haha....ah dam it rolled a one on humor check. Hey are those fresh tomatoes) Like what my brother and I say if technology ever failed tanked in the world, a lot of people would be screwed.
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So you've been reading S.M. Stirlings Novels of the Change stuff then, I have to say the best of this sort of show is still the SAS, Are you tough enough? shows, no prize, no audience voting just theres your jobs for these couple of days if you fail the Sergent Major kicks you off the show winnowing down as things progress. Ah happy thoughts.
They do test relevant survival skills: can you survive in an environment in which your boss: sets ridiculous challenges before you, requires teamwork but rewards backstabbing, where a project's success is measured by arbitrary and changing means, and his hiring patterns are arbitrary at best.
America's Top Model is essentially how to survive in a fascist society where the Great Leader is not only an egomaniac but also incompetent and CRAZY....
Most survival shows, in fact, are political science and psychology shows, rather than having to do with survival. If you look at it as if the primary goal of the events is to place a society under stress and to see what the society does in response, they can be quite tolerable.
yeah; survivorman is pretty good; he makes mistakes; and he has failed a few time; pretty rough by yourself. He is pretty hurrah tough; but my problem is the same as what both the Marine Corp and Army said about the guy; it is not survival in the sense of how we define it; the guy is only moving from one place to another in the fastest way he can find so others <civilization> can provide for him. he is really just living off the calories in his body with few suppliments for a few days; double tuff, sure, but not survival in the sense that left in that environment for 3 or more weeks; he would not make it with the choices he made; granted his goal is different being that his directive is to get "rescued" by reaching a goal where someone can help him.
This is why Les Stroud is my hero. :) The guy went out and filmed 3 seasons of Survivorman armed with little more than a multitool, harmonica and camera gear (no crew, just him). That's real survivor reality TV!
That is not survival; that is foolishness; anyone stupid enough to work for such a company or boss deserves to be miserable. A boss that that would have so many HR problems that the company would fail. I dont want to get into the philosophy of work environments; there are 5 most common ones; but seriously; if a company treats you like that; leave; run; heck dont pack; better that they had a survival school on how to get a job; interviews and stuff; if they want real world; set a goal like 80k a year; first one to get a job for that much wins; be hard for a hs grad or a two year college grad; probably tough with many four year degrees but easy with some others.
heeh problem with education is they dont ever say you'll be employable with that degree unless its enginnering or accounting or like that.
They do test relevant survival skills: can you survive in an environment in which your boss: sets ridiculous challenges before you, requires teamwork but rewards backstabbing, where a project's success is measured by arbitrary and changing means, and his hiring patterns are arbitrary at best.
America's Top Model is essentially how to survive in a fascist society where the Great Leader is not only an egomaniac but also incompetent and CRAZY....
Most survival shows, in fact, are political science and psychology shows, rather than having to do with survival. If you look at it as if the primary goal of the events is to place a society under stress and to see what the society does in response, they can be quite tolerable.
What about some sort of reality TV show that involves human sacrifice? Neolithic Idol, where the losers get sacrificed to your bloodthirsty god? Only half serious about this one. :)
I'm all for that. Only, you don't tell them about the sacrifice part until after it all started. Nice way to get rid of excess celebrities. They might have been stars once, but they're all burnt out. They're black holes, basically.
Do the same with Big Brother and all the other shows.
People would still watch, I tell you, and for several reasons: One, if it's on TV, people will watch it. It could be more boring than memorising the woodchip wallpaper or counting tiles on the floor, but it's on TV, so they'll watch it. People would watch the test pattern!
Two, people want to see blood. Take stuff like boxing, racing, high-wire artists, and a number of other sports and shows. People say they want to watch it because those people are really good at what they do, but what they're rooting for is for someone to be beaten to a pulp, to miss the net, to kiss the wall with his race car.
So why the pretense? Let's go ahead and show them! Has to be better than another "reality" show.
Back to the days of bread and circuses, eh? Not a good sign for the empire. :)
That's what I consider reality TV to be a sign of anyway...our civilization in decline. The Romans had their arena bloodsports, we've got "reality" show eliminations, American Idol, and the UFC.
I guess part of surviving is surviving getting your show renewed. Consider that the original star trek only ran for two years and was billed as Wagon Train, a once popular show, but set in space. I just dont understand the appeal of these "survival' shows or reality shows at all. They hold no appeal for me; not american idol or dancing with the stars; heck; I dont even like the all the darn cop shows on tv; face it; tv has gained some massive suckage, but still has some good gems like Eureka and Burn Notice.
What does it take to survive in tv ratings; I have no idea my beloved shows like Firefly keep getting canceled.
This is why Les Stroud is my hero. :) The guy went out and filmed 3 seasons of Survivorman armed with little more than a multitool, harmonica and camera gear (no crew, just him). That's real survivor reality TV!
That was a great show. Shame they seem to have replaced it with that British guy that runs around talking to the camera like he's on MTV and eating the obligatory snake every episode.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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That's what I consider reality TV to be a sign of anyway...our civilization in decline. The Romans had their arena bloodsports, we've got "reality" show eliminations, American Idol, and the UFC.
Back to the days of bread and circuses, eh? Not a good sign for the empire. :)
*nods* Though I can tolerate the later half of American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and their ilk. Once they get past the 'we're putting you on TV because you're pathetic' it is about talent, and I can enjoy the talent part.
But Survivor, Big Brother, etc etc just annoy me. My favourite episode of Big Brother, Weakest Link and What not to Wear was 'Bad Wolf.'
"Ladies. Your Ratings just went up."
With all due apologies for the thread necromancy:
We all know survival is a wisdom based skill. Most people who would go on a reality TV show have a low wisdom. After all if wisdom is common sense, willpower and observation, people with average to high wisdom would avoid a reality TV show.
I really wanted to say that Rough Science is a striking exception to this generalization, but then I hit the season 3 episode in which one of the participants is asked to make handwarmers for the rest of the team.
With all due apologies for the thread necromancy:
We all know survival is a wisdom based skill. Most people who would go on a reality TV show have a low wisdom. After all if wisdom is common sense, willpower and observation, people with average to high wisdom would avoid a reality TV show.I really wanted to say that Rough Science is a striking exception to this generalization, but then I hit the season 3 episode in which one of the participants is asked to make handwarmers for the rest of the team.
** spoiler omitted **
Yikes. I'm guessing contestants have to sign a very watertight contract that doesn't allow them to sue the producers of the show for injuries suffered from contestants' lack of knowledge/common sense, otherwise someone would have probably stepped in and said "Hey, you know that's probably not the best idea..."
Seriously. Though to be fair, although the team of scientists are meant to be on their own, the producers seem to be diligent about supplying additional safety equipment if they take an unexpected approach to meeting one of the challenges. (For example, when one of the chemists decided to process cinnabar to obtain mercury, they coughed up a mask and gloves for him.)
I watched a "reality" show called 'The Colony' on the Discovery Channel... It was like a cross between Survivor and Big Brother, but there was no "voting out" folks every week. Instead they had to rely on each other week after week to come up with strategies to survive (the show simulated what it would be like surviving in a post-disaster enviroment).
Man, I was AMAZED at what these folks could come up with, using only bits of scrap found here and there. They built a working shower, a wood-engine, a flame-thrower, a working radio transmitter-receiver, even a solar-powered dune-buggy!! I was floored.
Ultradan