Thursday, November 29, 2007
Reality show judging
Four issues are in focus because of this season's DWTS. They're relevant to any reality show that counts viewers' votes.
1/ Should a winner be the best or the most improved (i.e., the least trained before the show begins)? In other words, should the contestant win who is most improved or should the contestant win who does the best regardless of whether he/she has experience (perhaps even professional experience)? This season, for example, should Mel or Helio have won? Everyone agrees that Mel was the best dancer and that Helio was the most improved. Who should have won?
2/ Should there be some way to correct it if something utterly insane happens and/or mistakes were made? Project Runway last season had one week when they voted no one off because it was evident that something had gone wrong. This season, when Sabrina and Mark were voted off, it seems highly likely that something went wrong with the phones because so many people said they got busy signals for hours. Mistakes do happen and corrections should be allowable.
3/ Should judges be required to use all the numbers or at least not only eights, nines and tens? For example, it was patently ridiculous that doll-maker-and-singing-family-member-Marie earned nines and even, heaven help us, tens when she was clearly on the four or five level. The fact that the judges suddently and finally remembered the number seven during the final night made it all the more apparent that they had ignored the 0-10 scale until then.
4/ Should judges' opinions count for (a) more than, (b) as much as, or (c) less than voting viewers'?
1/ Should a winner be the best or the most improved (i.e., the least trained before the show begins)? In other words, should the contestant win who is most improved or should the contestant win who does the best regardless of whether he/she has experience (perhaps even professional experience)? This season, for example, should Mel or Helio have won? Everyone agrees that Mel was the best dancer and that Helio was the most improved. Who should have won?
2/ Should there be some way to correct it if something utterly insane happens and/or mistakes were made? Project Runway last season had one week when they voted no one off because it was evident that something had gone wrong. This season, when Sabrina and Mark were voted off, it seems highly likely that something went wrong with the phones because so many people said they got busy signals for hours. Mistakes do happen and corrections should be allowable.
3/ Should judges be required to use all the numbers or at least not only eights, nines and tens? For example, it was patently ridiculous that doll-maker-and-singing-family-member-Marie earned nines and even, heaven help us, tens when she was clearly on the four or five level. The fact that the judges suddently and finally remembered the number seven during the final night made it all the more apparent that they had ignored the 0-10 scale until then.
4/ Should judges' opinions count for (a) more than, (b) as much as, or (c) less than voting viewers'?
Labels: modern culture, silliness, tv
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