Channel Surfing: What's worse: Jerry Springer or Who Wants To Marry a Millionaire? | greenbaypressgazette.com

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

What's worse: Jerry Springer or Who Wants To Marry a Millionaire?

With my DVD player on the fritz, I've been reduced to watching actual television all week - gasp - and it hasn't been pretty.

Then I saw this EW list of the 20 most appalling shows and, sadly, noted that I had watched not one - but at least two of the highlighted shows over the last week, including the much maligned "Moment of Truth." (Out of curiosity, I promise!) In fact, several of the shows we've written about here at Channel Surfing appear on the list, which begs the question - what exactly makes a show "appalling?"

Is it the show's sub-human premise (as in the case of "Temptation Island") or the participants' lack of anything resembling human decency?

EW doesn't quite explain the methodology behind the listing, although they say they were inspired by Fox's "Moment of Truth" to "look back at new lows in broadcasting." You can vote on the appalling-ness of each, show, by the way. If you're counting, MTV ran away with 80 percent voting a number of its shows including "Room Raiders," "A Shot At Love with Tila Tequila," and "Date My Mom" as "con queso (too cheesy to count)."

Although EW has clearly stuck to its guns with reality television at its most shameful, I think a few other non-reality shows deserve to be added to the list: "According to Jim," "Baywatch," "She's the Sheriff" and "Saved by the Bell: The College Years."

Any thoughts on other appalling programs that deserve to be highlighted?

-- Malavika Jagannathan, mjaganna@greenbaypressgazette.com

Labels: lists, MTV, reality shows

11 Comments:

Is it wrong that I'll remember the names Rick Rockwell and Darva Conger 'til the day I die?

I'd like to add "Boy Meets World" to the list, thank you very much ...

- Tom

By Press-Gazette blogger, At February 20, 2008 at 5:04 PM

Boy Meets World!? You deserve a cyber slap upside your silly head for such a blasphemous suggestion! That show WAS my adolescence. I grew up with those characters, no matter how lame the show was. Plus, Topanga was hot! You have to at least admit that...

By Anonymous, At February 21, 2008 at 3:35 PM

Topanga couldn't hold Kelly Kapowski's pom poms. And Ben Savage was more annoying on that show than Jaleel White ... when he was like, 27, and still forcing himself to talk in a squeaky Urkel voice. I hated that stupid rebel kid from the wrong side of the tracks. I hated Mr. Feeny. I hated that show, period. It's only redeeming quality is that Blake Sennett from Rilo Kiley was on it, and I almost didn't buy Rilo Kiley albums when I heard that information.

-- Tom

By Press-Gazette blogger, At February 21, 2008 at 3:58 PM

"Say Yes to the Dress" on TLC is a pretty appalling show. Brides-to-be bring an entourage of loud-mouthed, obnoxious women with them to pick out a garment that (while beautiful and special) will in no way deliver the "wedded bliss" they desire. One bride's mother actually slapped a sales associate, and instead of tossing her out of the store, they found her daughter another dress just to make a sale.

It's also rather appalling to see plus-sized women spilling out of strapless dresses. I know they're all about the bottom line, but isn't it the salesperson's job to make sure the bride looks good?

By Anonymous, At February 21, 2008 at 4:03 PM

"Boy Meets World" wasn't the greatest show on television, but I don't think it comes close to being "appalling" (not to mention it was a big part of my childhood). Plus, criticism of the show coming from someone who worships at the altar of "I Love New York" is pretty ironic, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou Rozwadowski.

Another Appalling TLC show has to be "Jon & Kate + 8."

By strandedtexan, At February 21, 2008 at 4:23 PM

Ben Savage's acting was appalling. And his stupid facial expressions were appalling. Even John Stamos' mullet and Dave Coulier's lame catchphrases think it's appalling.

And I hardly worship at the altar of "I Love New York." I didn't even watch the finale OR the reunion show. C'mon! If you're going to try to embarrass me, at least attack my love of "Saved by the Bell."

I actually think "Jon & Kate + 8" is entertaining. That little kid with the glasses is adorable! Where's your heart, MJ? Oh, that's right, you hate sweet children and cute, cuddly puppies.

-- Tom

By Press-Gazette blogger, At February 21, 2008 at 4:28 PM

I wasn't going to bring up "Saved By The Bell" because unlike some people, I understand how a perfectly reasonable person can have a place in his/her heart for bad television because of a certain nostalgic appeal.

But now that you bring it up, I will not only attack SBTB and its grotesque acting (Thank you, Elizabeth Berkeley, for this gem: "I'm so excited... I'm so exciteeeed... I'm so... SCARED!"), but I will mock you for owning the complete DVD series and watching it every day.

By strandedtexan, At February 21, 2008 at 4:44 PM

Guys, guys, can't we just agree that both "Boy Meets World" AND "Saved By the Bell" suck? Let's be friends again.

Oh, and I'd like to add "Cops" to this list of appalling shows. Seeing white cops chase down shirtless black guys week after week not only reinforces shameful stereotypes, it's just bad television.

By Anonymous, At February 22, 2008 at 9:42 AM

Wow, Rozwadowski, just...wow. Such vitriol for Boy Meets World. Borderline insane if you ask me. I think we'll just have to agree to disagree, especially about Topanga, which you're WAY wrong about. You'd think Blake Sennett's presence would in some way have redeemed the show for you! C'mon man!

By Anonymous, At February 22, 2008 at 10:34 AM

Topanga vs. Kapowski? We can poll that one all day long! I'll take it to the streets of Green Bay! To the California coast! Just watch me!

That's a lot of exclamation points.

And get your facts straight, MJ. While I do own all the "SBTB" sets on DVD (not the "College Years" or wedding/hawaii vacation episodes, though), I don't have to defer to them anymore. "The N" shows "SBTB" four times a night during the week! FOUR TIMES! A new generation is being introduced to the dangers of caffeine pill addiction.

Yes, I'm so excited.

-- Tom

By Press-Gazette blogger, At February 22, 2008 at 3:07 PM

And I'm so scared.

--Malavika

By Press-Gazette blogger, At February 26, 2008 at 2:48 PM