Reality shows, PR and the drive for fame/attention

Posted on | November 2, 2009 | 2 Comments

We’ve all lived through the mess of “balloon boy” – nationally and internationally; but since they are from just up the road from SMC HQ, the sting (lol, I just typoed “stink”, how appropriate) of having the Heene family’s idiocy affiliated so closely with northern Colorado is especially sharp. Not to mention the opportunity for our lovely sheriff, who I’m not a big fan of, to grab some of the spotlight for himself, all the while saying he is not interested in being in the spotlight. The power of fame is fascinating and frightening.

Last week South Park, on Comedy Central, presented an episode called “Whale Whores” where they skewered the “Whale Wars” reality show from the Animal Planet network. I watched a couple of Whale Wars’ early episodes, and it resembled more of a keystone cops on the sea than anything else. The Sea Shepherd crew were stunningly inept at accomplishing anything, and appearances suggested they were practicing their incompetence in a part of the world that could get them killed relatively easily. If they are looking to impress people with what they were doing out there, and garner financial support, this seems to be the wrong way to go about it.

It turns out that a graduate from the CSU graduate program in technical communication, which I attended, was on the crew that shot the show, and I believe he/they won an award, though I’m not sure what for, and good for him/them. The show has proven to be the 2nd most popular on Animal Planet, and was renewed for a second season, then a third.

When it comes to evaluating the merits of Whale Wars, South Park was not so kind. The show points out the foibles and ineffectiveness of the captain, crew and their tactics, and demonstrates what they might accomplish if their actions were of a scale similar to what their words all-too-often reach for.

I found the South Park episode hilarious and spot on, if typically harsh and profane, in its assessment of the show.

Richard Spilman wrote a story for the Huffington Post about Whale Wars and eco-terrorism as reality TV (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-spilman/whale-wars—eco-terroris_b_211993.html) that gives the show and the Sea Shepherds way too much credit. South Park was much closer to the mark, in reality, tagging them as goofballs with their own agenda, puttering about in boats, accomplishing not much of anything.

Another article on South Park’s ripping of WW: http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/related_news/2009_Nov_01_parodies

To be perfectly clear, I watch way too much television, but just when it seems like it can’t become any more of a vast wasteland, it reaches yet another new low – all thanks to the cost-conscious move to reality programming in recent years.

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