Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Moment of Truth For Dummies

Okay, so basically it would be a waste of my time to sit here and point out each individual problem with FOX’s show "Moment of Truth,” and how it is slowly leading to the demise of everything humans have done to separate themselves from the animals. If you disagree it is striving for that conclusion, I urge you to watch two minutes of it, and no more, and then check to see how active your brain is. The before and after results are uncanny.
The producers/ creators of the show were not smart enough to steal another British game show or try to resurrect something that resembles the show “Temptation Island,” and that saddens me.
But, other than the think-tank of individuals who created this, my problem is with the contestants on the show and the studio audience. Now, if you have not seen the show, basically a contestant gets hooked up to a lie detector before the show, goes on the show, gets re-asked some of the questions they were asked before the show, and try to answer twenty-one of them truthfully in hopes of winning money ($500,000, to be exact).
Of course, it is not my place to put down these contestants because they all have obviously made many mistakes in their lives, but haven't we all? (Their biggest mistake so far has been going on this show). My problem is that when they are asked these personal questions about the "bad" things they have done in their life, they break down and freak out. Now, I understand most of the questions they don't want their friends and family members to hear (or a national TV audience), but that begs the question: WHY ARE YOU EVEN ON THE SHOW!?! Mr. Walberg is not going to ask if you love your puppy or if you ever lied to your parents.
Example:
While the television happened to be on FOX when I walked in the other day, I watched some of this show. I thought watching some of the show and then complaining about it might be healthier than just complaining about the obvious problems of it without having watched it. Healthy, in that, I know kicking myself in the balls hurts, but I just might do it to see how bad. The woman on the show was asked if she was ever fired from a job because she stole money from her employers. The answer was obviously yes, but this woman started to get nervous and timid. Ma’am, if you did not want people to know your problems, then do not go on the show. I hope no one forced you to go on national television and reveal your deepest secrets. If you are having money problems, and can not get a job because you steal money from your employers, please do the human race a favor and just play the lottery, or read enough assorted literature to go on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” with good ol’ Meredith. Please. Or, if you must go on the show, just flat out say that you would steal a bus, find your brother-in-law on the street, and hunt him demolition derby style, human vs. bus, through the streets of town just for sport. And when it comes down to the $500,000 question of whether or not you see yourself with your spouse in ten years, just answer what you feel. Your significant other will be happy if you see the relationship going nowhere ten years from now if they still get a share of the $500,000. Plus, if you say you don’t see each other together, and the result is false, you have already completed the first step in marriage counseling: Admitting your significant other has many problems. Recovery is funny that way. But all I’m saying is, just tell the truth as it is.
But, of course, her friends and family members give her weird looks because she is telling the truth and revealing things to them they may not find to be all that good. Leave it to Mark Walberg to pry into people’s deepest subconscious.
But, that leads me to the studio audience. In keeping this simple, they boo random crap, and applaud when the person reveals the truth.
Another Example:
Same show, same three minutes I watched. The woman is asked, being a veterinary assistant, if she would rather give food to a starving dog rather than a homeless person. She says that is true, and the audience boos. Not that I am advocating letting a fellow human being starve, but she helps animals as a profession. Think about it. Who would she probably rather help? They did the same thing on a few other occasions, but I quickly tuned them out.
My point is: the flaws of the show are not just the premise, poor set-up, or ridiculous amount of stress put upon the people (who apparently don’t feel they should be revealing their secrets even though they decided to be on the show for no particular reason). They go much deeper. What are the contestants really thinking when they agree to be on the show and who are these family members that allow them to do it? It seems like a whole lot of stress just to get $500,000, half of which will disappear after taxes. I guess one can always say, “I love my new Lamborghini, too bad my husband left me because he found out all I really loved was his money.”

Of course, none of this matters since I believe the contestants and their families to be actors. But that is a different story.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well said, my good man. I hold these same beliefs on the show, as you already know. I have had similar rants about it, except they were verbal and had very colorful language. As Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stone Sour) says, and I believe fully: People = Shit.