Reality TV Crap

[shipperx]

Anyone else offended by the way that reality TV (well a lot of TV but in this particular case I'm talking about Survivor) glorifies misogynist assholes? I've found it truly appalling the way that Survivor has showcased its egregiously sexist asshole. Entertainment Weekly has host Jeff Probst doing a blog that has done nothing but praise and prop this misogynist troll. And today EW's recapper had a hissyfit because OMG the misogynist asshole got pwned! How dare they vote against the guy?! He's (supposedly) the most brilliant strategist ever for, y'know, having people around him vote in their own self interest.

It truly bothers me that the show relentlessly propped this asshole, that EW relentlessly propped this asshole, and to read all the comments on EW and on TWOP defending this misogynist asshole. I particularly 'like' the folks who post "We don't know he's a misogynist". Oh, really? The fact that he goes around calling every female contestant a "dumbass bitch" isn't a clue? The fact that he sat bragging how he'd beat that 'useless little girl' to an adult woman's face and discounting her so much that he said to her face that the best man would win when it was just him, another guy, and her. Because, it was inconceivable to him that a woman even stood a freaking chance against his Machiavellian awesomeness. The fact that today he's done multiple post-show interviews whining, pouting, and being a blatant asshole about how the "blonde bitch" beat him isn't a clue? (And yes. In a press interview he called her a 'blonde bitch')The fact that he sits on Good Morning America saying that she didn't deserve her win, isn't a clue? The fact that he was so STUPID that he thought that openly targeting every woman that his tiny penis was threatened by, ousting them and GLOATING over having manipulated 'the dumbass bitches' and giving self-congratulatory speeches about how he was so much more intelligent than "dumbass bitches" isn't a freaking clue?

He was so blinded by his misogyny that he could not IMAGINE that gloating about ousting and manipulating "dumbass bitches" might be a bad strategy and that maybe, just maybe they wouldn't vote on him to win a million dollars and instead give it to the last standing dumbass bitch. And he was shocked and offended by this outcome because OMG the jury wasn't fair! Or objective! Because he ran the best game strategy ever!!!11!! CBS, Survivor, and EW actually likes to play this as the most valid POV without pointing out -- he was a sexist asshole that lost the freaking vote because... he was an obnoxious sexist asshole! How was that 'great strategy'?

And it bothers me. It really does, that so many commentors on TWOP and EW are willing to just go "well maybe he isn't really a sexist jerk". Really? What does it take? Being smacked in the face? The guy constantly refers to women as "dumbass bitches" both in show and in post-show interviews. How is it not obvious that this is a misogynist pig?

Comments

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

ITA.

Also? This is why I don't watch Survivor! I don't like they kind of people they end up glorifying full stop. Misogynistic of just manipulative they're not the kind of people I like spend time with, even when it's virtual time. Also see the apprentice. Or really most reality shows!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

True. I don't usually watch Survivor because I got tired of it's manipulativeness many years ago. I just happened to catch part of an episode early this season and was shocked by how big of a turd this guy was. (Seriously, he did batshit things like burn his own teammates socks so that they'd have blisters, and dump out his own team's water! I was like WTF. That's not even strategy. Thats just being a bastard.) Anyway, that was all that I saw of the season until Sunday and nothing else was on TV. I was shocked that the little turd was still there. There was some schadenfreude in watching his face fall and his desperate flailing upon losing in the end. Still, I'm not so particularly shocked about the show doing this crap. What actually bothers me is the way that show critics such as those on EW and random posters on TWOP validate this guy and just go "Oh, he's not really sexist. Not really". Really? What would it take? His physically punching some woman to get this point across? His dismissively and consistently referring to women as "useless" and "dumbass bitches" isn't enough?!

[kitmarlowescot2.livejournal.com]

That is why the only reality TV show I watch is something I can learn from, such as the Antique Roadshow, or Pawnshop. Or basically anything that requires a brain.

[gabrielleabelle.livejournal.com]

Huh. Weird. I don't watch or pay attention to reality TV...this is probably why.

I've found that a lot of people apparently require a person to have "I hate women" tattooed on their forehead while they brutally beat every woman they see with a diary filled with entries about how much they hate women before they will concede that they might be misogynistic.

[empresspatti.livejournal.com]

Reality tv is cheap to produce and sells well to the most coveted audience - 18-25yr old males. Any surprise that it sucks?

Don't watch, write the networks and tell them they suck. It prolly won't get scripted programming back on the networks, but at least you've made your point.

[thedabara-cds.livejournal.com]

This is one of the many reasons why I don't watch reality TV. It panders to the lowest common denominator, it's like baby food for the mind. And misogynist assholes make for Jerry-Springer-like altercations and those make for great ratings! So the networks WILL tweak the votes to keep him on until the last round of voting to keep people watching and bitching about him.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

I dropped Survivor this season and may not be back again because I could not stand Russell or the way Probst and the show was so fucking enamored by him. I didn't even know who won the million, but I'm so very glad that not only it wasn't that asshole, but it was one of the women who won.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Well there was a great deal of shadenfreude to be had because he just could. not. comprehend that the little blonde beat him 9 to 2! He was so disbelieving, that he actually teared up. AND he offered to pay her $10,000 to give him the title and she could keep the money. (And she told him no).

The sickening thing was that he won "Fan Favorite" (?!!!) and thus $100,000 ... that he also offered her if she'd just say that he was the real "sole survivor"... and she still. said. no.

And it would be relatively easy to think it's all just for the show, except he's given multiple post-show interviews in most of the usual outlets and he's still just as pissy, just as insistent that he 'really' won, she didn't deserve it, and she was just a 'bitch' (even though she hasn't said one degrading thing about him). So,yeah, I think he's just genuinely a pathetic little man and misogynist douchebag... who will be back next season along with other fame whore such as Rob whats-his-face of Romber! ::headdesk::

[sp23.livejournal.com]

Are they doing another allstar next season? Christ, you know he'll be back if they do. Ugh, thank god Phil doesn't fawn over the assholes on his show. He usually gives them a bit of shit at the pit stop when they're douchbags.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

I watched his CBS post-show interview on youtube and he's an ASS. ASS to the mega.

He blathered on about how they say you need to play the social game to win, so why don't they call it that...if he knew that before, he should have done that, but instead, he was an ass to everyone, even his allied people. So tough shit, little man, you lost lost lost.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Delusional little shit, too. Reading some of the interviews of the other contestants, apparently as part of their own strategy Natalie, Mick, and Jaison all three hustled more than once to keep Russel from being voted out because he was such a useless, obnoxious asshole they knew that virtually no one would vote for him in the end... because he was such a mean (their words), arrogant asshole. CBS edits the footage and showcased the hell out of "brilliant strategist/asshole" Russel when according to the folks in the game it was really just "asshole." He was kept in because the rest of that alliance knew there was no way in hell he could win.

The jury wasn't a new wrinkle in the game. It's always been there. But Russel thought that the "dumbass bitchs" would just hand it to him? Who is the dumbass bitch now?

[sourisvho.livejournal.com]

It bugs the crap out of me, too. I can't believe how some people are celebrating him. It's insulting and appalling. Russell had aspects of great play, but he also had aspects of TERRIBLE play (sucking ass at the social game and being a misogynist douche). I think it was FABULOUS he got beaten by the "blonde bitch."