"America Fools"

After watching "reality" TV several times I am surprised that someone out there, somewhere doesn't come up with a program called "American Fools". If some of these programs are seen overseas no wonder people in other cultures and nations regard us as they do.

LOL LC you shure got a point there.
I always say if I wanted "Reality", I wouldn't be watching tv.

What might (or might not) surprise you is that there are plenty of other cultures and nations all too ready to mimic or "one up" the United States in just this genre.

It spans the globe.

There are some innovative and imaginative American TV shows too, which kind of balances the books. I'm hooked on "Smallville" and "Supernatural". And let's not forget the late, lamented "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

I'm not much of a reality crazed watcher. No Bachelor, Survivor, Outback whatever, shows for me. I occassionally tune into Amer Idol. And I loved THE SWAN because everyone comes out a winner on that show.

Reality TV is not an American invention. The Japanese, German, and Brazilian reality shows came on much earlier and are much stupider.

If I am going to watch TV it is going to be History,Discovery or the Weather. The rest you can have.

Zuzu, I was thinking that myself. I remember seeing a few Japanese shows years ago with the obstacle course. It was very physical & dumb, but they sure seemed to take it serious.

When we first came to the United States in 2002, what really amazed us was the amount of television given to fear and violence. There is even a cable-tv network dedicated exclusively to crime shows. I am not sure that is good for the psyche of a nation to have so much "entertainment" focused on mayhem and mutilation. Why is gory "realism" on CIS shows popular? Even the news is unrelenting about the next thing we should fear. For example, the "public information" spots on health issues that often appear in the evening broadcasts. Should you drink coffee? Should you be afraid of your water? etc. There are places where there are real environmental concerns ('cancer alley' along the southern Missippi River), but most people are much safer than they realize - especially if they are part of the middle-class.

So it begs the question: to whose advantage is it to have so many Americans afraid of so much?

The city where I live is considered to be one of the more violent for its size - but most of the violence is by marginalized young men against other marginalized young men, mostly involving drug trafficking. This is very sad of course, but those who stay out of the drug trade and the sections of town frequented by those who are in the "trade" are as safe as those in the suburbs.

My neighbours are the best neighbours ever. Americans are extraordinarily friendly and helpful. But there seems to be fewer programs that reinforce this - and more based on the public humiliation of "contestants."

Am I misunderstanding something?

Dumb is right, Merigold. I remember one where some guy kept jumping out of the bushes and scaring people "for fun" and another one where the contestants weren't allowed to use the toilet and were tickled until they all had accidents but the winner.

Seandor, you make some good points. I agree about some of the gore, don't care for it myself. But, I will watch health channels with operations, I do find that interesting.

Zuzu, the Japanese shows are a lot like college hyjinks gone amuck! lol