Wednesday’s episode of Survivor was a mix of frustration and awesomeness. Guess who was the source of the frustration, like gravy dribbling off the mashed potatoes and getting all up in the cranberries? (Yes, Jeff Probst.) I was convinced for… continue reading
Archives for November 2013
SeaWorld Macy’s float; Elton John on reality stars; Breaking Bad doc; Trista and Ryan’s 10th
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the states, and it’s a time for us to gorge on food and avoid our families by going to stores in the afternoon, where we can bond with fellow shoppers injuring each other in order… continue reading
Bob Harper comes out as gay on Biggest Loser
On last night’s The Biggest Loser, Bob Harper publicly revealed he’s gay for the first time, though it’s long been well-known, and not just because he’s the trainer on the Queer Abs workout DVD or said he’s been out since… continue reading
Pawn Stars shill for Microsoft in new Scroogled ad
Microsoft has enlisted two cast members from History’s high-rated series Pawn Stars for its “Scroogled” ad campaign, in which it tries to convince people that Google’s products are bad–because of course, people already know Microsoft products suck. In the 30-second… continue reading
Why Dancing with the Stars is so much better now
ABC’s Dancing with the Stars was cut from two episodes a week to one for its 17th season, a change that seriously hurt Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance. But improbably for a series that has always skewed old,… continue reading
Duck Dynasty’s clever Redneck Christmas cash grab
Duck Dynasty has become a ratings winner for A&E, and judging by all the products the network now sells–among other things, there’s a board game, cookbook, and brand-new Christmas album–it’s also doing well generating cash outside of advertisements. In a… continue reading
Why a gay Bachelor might not work
A new Funny or Die video starring George Takei as the host of a gay version of ABC’s The Bachelor offers a somewhat convincing, if stereotype-ridden and totally jokey, argument as to why a gay season of the show might… continue reading
Bar Rescue bar owner kills country singer; fatal shooting at another Bar Rescue bar
There were two fatal shootings at separate bars featured on Spike’s Bar Rescue early Saturday, including one that involved the owner of a bar that was to be featured on Sunday’s brand-new episode. Spike pulled the episode but later apologized… continue reading
Real World Seattle Irene’s must-read indictment of Real World, MTV, and reality TV’s evolution
Irene McGee is best known for her 1998 exit from The Real World Seattle: Citing her Lyme disease as the reason, she leaves the show, only to be hit in the face by a fellow cast member, Stephen, as cameras… continue reading
Bravo’s Housewives spying; Hulk Hogan was suicidal; The Miz’s holiday bounty hunter movie
The evil geniuses at Bravo are using a Facebook product to “scan private posts” of “100 million U.S. users, anonymously combining those into useful data about who’s talking about a specific topic,” Variety reports. Note how this new Facebook service… continue reading
Survivor crushing X Factor; The Voice is the most-popular reality show
The strength of Survivor Blood vs. Water has given the show strong ratings that are leaving it as the number two reality show in the country, behind only The Voice, which airs on different nights. Survivor is far, far ahead… continue reading
Survivor: throw momma from the tribe?
How many times in the history of Survivor have we heard someone say, “it’s just a game” as a way to excuse hurting others feelings? Sure, it’s a game, but it’s also one that involves developing and then manipulating and/or… continue reading
Behind the Mask: fall’s best new reality show
The best new reality TV series this fall is not actually on a television network: It’s on Hulu, and it is Behind the Mask, Josh Greenbaum’s documentary-style reality series that follows four mascots and the people behind them. The show… continue reading
Todd Herzog on Dr. Phil: exploitative and necessary
In the preview of Todd Herzog’s appearance on Dr. Phil, the footage of the Survivor China winner was horrifying and also sensationally presented. Was his appearance on the show exploitative or critically necessary? After the broadcast yesterday, the answer is… continue reading
Jobs that Bite is an insane clone of Dirty Jobs, and Mike Rowe’s response is a must-read
The now-cancelled series Dirty Jobs was hosted by Mike Rowe and produced by Pilgrim Films and Television for the Discovery Channel; the new series Jobs that Bite is hosted by Jeremy Brandt and produced by Half Yard Productions for NatGeo… continue reading