Those of you who want a more intellectual challenge game, tune in to Rough Science on PBS.

Poop-n-Slop: I drank a bottle of wine and a pan of brownies tonight for dinner!

How did you manage to drink brownies?

Will we discussing soap operas next? Or Opra?

We can discuss opera if you like, sure. So, what's your opinion of the fact that Samuel speaks, not sings, in Weber's Die Freischutz? Do you think it had any influence on Gershwin's decision to have the white characters speak in Porgy & Bess? Or do you feel that it was a precursor to Schoenberg's use of Schprechstimme, like in Pierrot Lunaire? Please phrase your answer in the form of taking your head out of your ass, ya troll.

I like the show and I'm happy that Danni won.

You who don't like the show can simply fark the hell off. Go threadjack something else. Farking attention whores.

no pics of these supposedly hot women?

I thought some would be conveniently gathered here along with the "she's hot" arguments, but no...


/disappointed in Farkers

Fireball
...but Danni was hotter tonight. (having gained 20 lbs, 2 pounds of which was makeup)

and at least 1.5 pounds of which were on her lips (or she spent part of her anticipated winnings on lip treatments).. Damn surprised she didn't just flop over on her face.

/still hot
//would hit her and Steph
///together or separately

Short synopsis of the final Harry Potter Book:

"Harry Potter and the Neo-Cosmos"

The final battle of Harry and Voldermort has taken place. The dark magician has fallen, but Harry has completely lost his memory.
He starts a new life among the common Muggles: working as a computer programmer in a prestigious company and sometimes hacks for fun. Harry has a new name, and the only thing that has been left from the past is his quirky urge to wear long dark coats and a faint suspicion that things are not what they seem in this world...

And then, he is discovered by Morpheus...

The final challenge was definitely rigged to the tallest person. The more upright you are gives a huge leverage advantage.

How exactly does a CBS program pre-empt a Fox program?

It's the SLED! Rosebud is his sled.

What I want to know is, where is the call in vote that roofus\rufus\whateverhisnameis got during the all-star survivor because he played such a nice game, etc. Because Rafe played an even better 'nice guy' game, and he didn't have to steal a pair of shoes either.

I seriously just hate that tye-dye wearing farker.

I always enjoy how people complain that reality tv killed television. Like television was one huge intellectual fest and then Richard Hatch destroyed it all with one blurry image of his fat ass. Get over yourselves.

For Christian Bale

This is the winner, Danni Boatwright:



/drool

And the runner-up, Stephenie LaGrossa:



/La-Gross-a indeed

I love that there are people who would denigrate someone's choice of entertainment. Exactly who decides the cultural viability standard? One could say that sports, movies, reading, music, games and hobbies or whatever are mostly mindless. My wife is a PhD. and she watches. So what? It's a game show that has a nasty greed element in it. Who the fark cares if you like it or not?.

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!

/What we talking 'bout Willis?

junkfood for the brain-at least thats how I see it. There are not that many shows that the whole household can just enjoy watching and talking about.
Its funny but just about any bbs that you can find has celler dwellers who spend way too much time saying nothing.
Its the same thing-a junk food indulgence for the socially inept.

Sandwyrm
Seriously though. What happened? Fark is not meant for this sort of bs. I thought everyone on Fark agreed that reality shows were the bane of intelligent television programming. Do we stoop to these new levels of pettiness and stupidity now? Have we degraded so far? If so, I didn't get the memo.

Yikes, what Fark were you visiting?

Reality television is an entire new genre of programming. Television hasn't had a new genre since... well, a looooong time. It's a hybrid of documentary and scripted programming. And it's FREAKIN GENIUS!

I want to see a tribe of NFL cheerleaders compete against a tribe of NBA cheerleaders. While they are topless. In a massive cherry jello pit. Can they show that on CBS?

it bothers me that nobody can have individual tastes as to what they like or don't like anymore, lest they be shiat on by someone who doesn't share that taste. It goes for tv, or movies, or music. Lighten up!

SURVIVOR is one of the few shows worth watching on TV. I've seen a number of "screw-up's" on this show before but I think Cindy made the biggest one this time. When she had a choice of one car for herself or four cars for the four other contestants, she should have given them each a car with the caveat that in the event that she does not win, the actual winner would give her their car. One Million $$ can buy a lot of $25,000 cars. She wouldn't have made the four of the mad at her, which, in the end got her voted off. Also, win or lose, she would have gotten a car in the end anyway, or, $1 million.

For those who don't like reality shows, get used to it, they are here to stay. People are tired of watching overpaid actors in sitcoms or dramas. Where else could someone the likes of Martin Sheen or Geena Davis be President,...gimme a break.

I want to see Survivor: Alabama.

One black tribe, one white tribe. Put them all the way up in the backwoods at the tail end of Appalachia where the air is so toxic it sucks the intelligence right out of your head. Then let Jeff start poking and prodding at all their insecurities. Hoo baby.

Ratings gold. Seriously. Doubt me? The highest-rated previous season started with men vs. women tribes.

Reality TV is not here to stay. It's a fad that's long overstayed it's welcome for most, the only saving grace in the ratings is that the fans are rabidly loyal, as they've allowed themselves to be convinced that the relationship dynamics are any more interesting than their own lives...

Just because people are more willing to openly stab each other in the back doesn't make it more interesting than when your coworkers steal your lunch, or your next door neighbor scrapes up the side of your car.

Pay more attention to your lives.

The point of dramas is that they can show the audience something they're not otherwise going to see in their own life. A show like survivor is something you could actually duplicate with a cheap set and a willingness to forego drive-thru in favor of rice and bugs for a while.

The show's premise is interesting, but it does not live up to the promise. All human nature, no human spirit.

I would like to thank Rafe for not eating the chicken. That was a great move and he should have won the game. The Mayan Gods will smile kindly on him the rest of his life...so at least he has that going for him.

RaenonDuiswin - Reality TV is not here to stay. It's a fad that's long overstayed it's welcome for most, the only saving grace in the ratings is that the fans are rabidly loyal, as they've allowed themselves to be convinced that the relationship dynamics are any more interesting than their own lives...

I disagree. TV execs LOVE reality TV because it is cheap to produce yet generates large profits when successful. No million dollar salaries for big name actors, practically no costs for writers/scripters, sets are generally inexpensive and easy to construct and it is easy to sneak in advertising (NBC's The Apprentice is particularly adept at this).

The show's premise is interesting, but it does not live up to the promise. All human nature, no human spirit.

Come on man... what do you expect? It's a gameshow for FARK's sake. It's entertainment. And I don't remember too many television dramas/sitcoms that elevate the "human spirit" as you call it.

I don't remember CSI or Law & Order enriching my life and exposing me to the greatness of the Human Spirit.

You're being just a little pretentious... dontcha think?

I find it rather interesting that Cindy gave up her entire life - she gave up her job, she gave up Guatamala, and she didn't win the million. Basically, her life is in shambles because of the show, and she said as much during the "reunion".

She walked away with a car (and could have walked away with less)...

I have a feeling that somebody will find her a job or something like that, but it's crazy what people will give up for what, a 1 in 20 chance at a million?

Yeah, and about Reality TV ruining society...

I think there's plenty of other things to worry about.

that reunion goes to prove that some girls are better looking WITHOUT makeup!

After 39 days of watching them look natural, it was the first time in my life I looked at 2 pretty girls (at the reunion) and said My God, they look terrible!!"

/Danni had no right winning that game
//The penii that hold grudges on Survivor because they were lied to should have WATCHED the show before they applied
///you don't see anyone holding a grudge when someone a contestant votes $1 MORE in the Price is Right showcase showdown!

Why are they always located on a tropical place? Why not on the frozen tundra of northern Canada? See which of them can survive a cold, dark winter. I may consider watching it then!

Danni can wright my boat anytime.

And I agree with buntz...only danni isn't the only one who suffers from this hot on show/terrible at reunion in makeup......I find most of the past survivor hot chicks all looked terrible in their face paint. All they really needed to do is regain the weight they lost and kept the makeup off.

And while danni can right my boat any time......god her lips were hidious......that has to be the worst fashion fad ever on chicks.....fake, fuller air bag lips.

Horrible...horrible...horrible!

How's this for weird...

Two graduates of Monmouth University, a small college on the Jersey shore...

Both of them wind up on the same cast of Survivor (freaky)

One of them comes back...

Both end up as the 2nd place finisher in back-to-back seasons.

I went to school with Katie Gallagher, didn't know Steph.

/loved Katie's boobs
//she was really annoying though
///Let's Go Hawks

spawn of skunky: Why are they always located on a tropical place? Why not on the frozen tundra of northern Canada? See which of them can survive a cold, dark winter. I may consider watching it then!

Why? Cause no one might get naked on the frozen tundra.
Whoooo hooooo..... Hot chicks in parkas!
spawn of skunky: You can be MY head of program development, ANYTIME!

/rolls eyes

people still watch this show?

Survivor of what?

Or are you idiots still watching that retarded farking show?

/never seen an episode
//could not possibly care less
///hope this pisses off the fans
////read a farking book

Dark Bastion: Survivor of what?

Or are you idiots still watching that retarded farking show?


you're a really cool guy. do you have a pamphlet or other informative reading literature I can haev to learn about your views?

"Survivor" is isn't a reality show. It is scripted. Every last one of these brain-dead "reality" shows is scripted.

Not every reality show gets high ratings. Survivor has consistantly provided high ratings for a reason.

Casting.

Enjoy "24" with Sutherland as Action Jack Bauer? Replace him with some other action TV star. The show changes.

Casting reality shows can make or break that show.
Editing also can make a mediocre cast into an interesting one.
The "Gargoyle/Slacketts" whacko woman from Trading Spouses? Who here watched that show for the first time after watching the commercials with her meltdowns? Who merely downloaded the meltdown portion clips of her?

Why? Real drama trumps fake drama.
(Yeah, and in "Apprentice", you have real drama trumped by Trump - ha!)

With Survivor, you get to see the semi-torture come face to face with greed and selfishness. Tell me, how many other non-reality shows have more than one character wrestle with greed/selfishness as a major issue? And yet, here we have it each season. Fitting for American audiences, no?

I mean, N.American audiences have always dealt with greed and doing dumb things for the money. That stuff goes back to the 50s when it really became popular. Everyone remembers the "I Love Lucy" episodes. It boils down to pain versus greed for the player... but what about those who watch?

For those who watch, we get to see the decision making process -- or at least we hope to. With Survivor, the interplay actually provides us with an insight to the decision making process.

Rafe could have been selfish and called that final deal, and he would have been in that final two. He made that decision to let Danni out of the deal they had in the heat of the competition moment. If he had thought about it, he might have made the same desicion, and for 99% of the rest of us, it was the wrong one.

Who would script that kind of stuff for a fictional character? In short, that simply wouldn't ring true if the writer did. And how on earth did the Survivor folks manage to put that sort of stuff in their show? Casting. The obvious "secret" is that the show is cast with a mind to providing the best entertainment value and not to provide a bunch of similar survival minded men who know 15 different ways to fashion a 7 course meal out of a piece of chewing gum and a paper clip.

It's the "Average Joe" concept. Other shows have even named their show with that in mind.

Survivor and the superior level of casting that they do help illustrate a piece(s) of the human condition that isn't otherwise shown in weekly fictional shows. Jeff Probst's work tries to shape that.

And, by the way, this wasn't so much to defend Survivor. The ratings do that quite well. It's just my attempt at explaining why the ratings for the show are as good as they are.

/How many went out to their local Pontiac dealer this weekend?

SuperCMC:

I agree with you. If you want to see reality, watch the news. Or better yet, turn the TV off and look around you.

TIMWHOEVER

Why did they all look like whores? ...Danni was Miss Teen USA, and ran for Miss America... if you're gonna pick people to be on TV, you pick the photogenic ones, right?

bahr: "Slim"? grossly emaciated, is more like it. steph's body was much better looking. But I gotta agree that in the finals thingy, they must have had some hollywood makeup person doing them up to look like Playboy Bunnies; Danni kept licking her lips like there was way too much gloss on it...

/don't know how to

Dark Bastion
Just an FYI for you - there's more to the world than playing D&D and watching your sister get dressed in the morning. There are things called TV shows that many many people enjoy.

When you grow up, you'll realize that people have different tastes than yours.

SVenus Everyone! A CBS casting agent!

joking, I agree with everything you said.
And I'll be honest with you, reality or not, I enjoy the show.

Maybe the "writers" could throw some magic numbers and a polar bear on the show? Then would be acceptable to some of you?

I'm not defending "Survivor" per se, either. I'm just standing up to the sanctimony of the people on here that put it down, not because it's reality TV, but because it's TV, period!
You sit in your ivory tower TYPING ON A COMPUTER then mock people who admit enjoying a TV show?
Where is the ironic tag when you need it

The winner's dad works security in this building.

That is all.

Dark Bastion

Boy. Who pissed in your corn flakes?

For the record: I like the show even more know knowing that it pisses off others that i watch it. I figure, if i ruin your day THAT MUCH just by being an anonymous show watcher, that's a small price to pay to be an annoying bastard.

/hopes you don't have kids

Sandwyrm: While I do laude the organization that made Survivor for looking beyond what was already done, I frown on the fact they remain stagnant, sticking with the same thing. Show me a program that promotes higher-level intelligence-based reasoning as opposed to base emotion-based reasoning, then I'll give it more than just one look.

Things shouldn't be considered spectacular just because it's new.


Are you for real?

Timon of Athens

Pournelle

No, no it isn't. You seem to have mispelled the word "fascist, insane" where you said "well written".

Oh, and the show's sucked since Survivor II (Australia). The only highpoints afterwards were (a) Rupert, and (b) all-star. Otherwise it's been just repetative and mediocre.

Why? Real drama trumps fake drama.

It's not real. While the winner may not be predetermined to avoid the laws regulating gameshows, the producers have pre-planned storylines for drama. They can achieve this through good editing and asking the right questions during interviews. This practice has been extensively documented in "reality" shows.

As a fan of survivor (season 11 or whatever they're calling this one), I offer myself as a sacrificial chicken, for all flamers to draw a bead on. Let's go! BRING IT ON!!

FLAME ME! Tell me what a mindless sheep I am! Tell me to read a book! Tell me how I'm just propigating mindless television! Reduce me to ASHES!!! Whatever you can conjure up to belittle me and make me feel so much smaller!

Then when you're finished, pat yourself on the back for a jorb well done, and tell yourself that you have NOT wasted your time... because now you feel so much better!

I will be monitoring the thread, so that I can offer my lame retorts!

The value of watching Survivor depends on how you watch it. I've seen three of the seasons and it provides a good exercise in game theory. My wife and I enjoy working through the most likely scenarios, much like playing chess. We also critique aspects of the production. In other words, I watch the show actively (versus passively).

Survivor and PBS's American Experience are the only shows I regularly watch. I do watch a lot of films, but mostly classic, foreign, and independent films. After Survivor ended last night, I watched 1954's Samurai I - Masashi Miyamoto.

My favorite books are historical non-fiction, and I'm currently reading Stephen Ambrose's history of the transcontinental railroad. I have working knowledge of jazz, early blues and folk, film studies, and fine arts. I have a box full of trophies from chess tournaments. I'm a decent musician. I have studied four styles of martial arts. I have a lot of formal education.

As for reality TV in general, PBS did a great job with Frontier House and Colonial House, both of which are available on DVD (and Netflix).

Sorry to let you know that plenty of Survivor fans are not mouth breathers.

DrBrownCow

that reunion goes to prove that some girls are better looking WITHOUT makeup!

After 39 days of watching them look natural, it was the first time in my life I looked at 2 pretty girls (at the reunion) and said My God, they look terrible!!"

I agree 100%. Stephanie looked extremely hot during the show. But last night on the live finale, not so.