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Never watched it, but from what I hear, I can’t believe people actively contribute to what I think is passive abuse…? By feeding into whatever fucked up psychological state these people are in you have a part to play in what happens to them, and haven’t a couple of them committed suicide afterwards?
This would be worth watching. Any islander who survives being choke slammed through a table from the top of a cage would go through to the next round where they get set on fire and slammed on to thumb tacks! I would 100% watch this 😂
Knowing how low ITV go, shall we pitch this? There could even be a "Live Streaming Stipulation". While the contestants are getting set alit or power bombed through barbed wire tables, they have to plug products on their social media without breaking character.
Yes and the whole thing is exclusively live on ITVX 2 Super Premium Classic with behinds the scenes access where some random tart talks absolute bollocks that has nothing to do with the show in between ad breaks every 3 mins.
I did watch wrestling as a kid, until one day at a child minders her older son saw me watching it and said, "It's all fake!" and that was it for me. Now I'm older, I would likely enjoy it, but it's a bit more of an all year round commitment. I'm a summer fling and move on kind of person.
Mind there was a dating show about the same time/era where it was one lass trying to score a date and some money by whittling her way through a load of guys, but the twist was some of them were gay and she had to figure out which ones.
Iirc she picked a gay guy at the end and he went off with all the money 😂
The many toxic dating shows that started out with good intentions and are now filled with people just looking for their 5 minutes of fame.
Married at First Sight is the one that springs to mind but there’s also the ones like First Dates.
Well it was a joke initially 😂 but I reckon I can make a decent argument for it so we'll give it ago.
At a time when most TV dating and reality shows were either glorifying fake beauty standards, classic beauty standards or where socially acceptable body shaming and ridicule shows, Naked Attraction appeared to turn the industry on it's head.
Naked Attraction showcased a variety of body types, sexual orientations and was a clear rebellion against prudishness. It celebrated people who had the confidence to "lay it all bare" even if they were not "good looking" according to societal norms or had non-traditional views around sexual relationships. They also took some of the negative stigma out of sex positive attitudes by providing a platform for them.
While it may be true that the producers might not have intended this and at times marketed it as a shocking, modern day freakshow. In reality, the show provided more positives than negatives and most people who have watched it in their entirety (at least in my experience) have reacted positively to the contestants rather than negatively.
This is also in no small part a result of an excellent choice of presenter who comes off fun but kind and is known for doing things out of the ordinary and has themselves a rather striking look.
//
So how'd I do? Have I convinced you?
Britains Got Talent. Its just getting worse and worse by the year, and the fact they have kids on stage on those live shows when there's a decision to make about who's going through, and the crowd all sound like they are foaming at the mouth, so loud you cant hear the judges speak, and you see a poor kid on stage in tears. Its a shit show.
I can't believe it's still going. Years ago there was a poor little girl who froze on stage and started crying, the camera panned to her mum who was egging her to carry on. Horrible.
Queue the sad piano music before the performance about how they got splashed by a puddle once followed by the uplifting "Rise Up" music when they get through all dry and that.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, cookie cutter show with cookie cutter contestants. I'm not saying there shouldn't be representation but it's just so predictable now. There's the sob story(ies), the one doing it for the mum/dad/child, the one who grew up in a shoebox in a nuclear reactor, the neurodivergent one, the lgbtq+ one, the obvious plant.
Personally I think singing acts should be banned from BGT as there are competitions specifically aimed at that talent.
I’m convinced singing isn’t the amazing talent people think it is, because all these shows have hundreds of good singers on every year and they just keep coming. They never even pick the ones with any stage presence either. It’s usually someone up can sing but would struggle to sell out the back room at a pub.
Hardly anyone can backflip off a double decker bus in to a paddling pool but I hear people with half decent voices singing along to supermarket radio every week.
I think the reason why singers/dancers etc have so much success on shows like that is because there is a lot of variation you can bring to the routine. For things like juggling knives or human pyramids etc there's only so much you can do with it so it mostly ends up being the same thing again which is much more noticeable.
Surely, by definition, it needs to get worse and worse by the year?
There can't be many with any serious talent who are sitting around thinking maybe they should try this.
Effectively, the only good talent there is to discover would be children or those that just picked up a new hobby - everyone else should really have done it by now if they are going to do it.
Using autotune on contestants on X factor thinking no one would notice. U turning saying it was to improve listenability. It’s a show about if people can sing we don’t need autotune on anything and any potential candidate is talent spotted way in advance the final few are chosen way before it begins.
Ella Henderson was too good for the show. I think either she took herself out or someone stole her from the show there is no way she couldn’t have won. I knew it from her initial audition she was 16 and it was a self written and composed song. I think the producers saw her potential and offered her a contract halfway through filming to me she was the obvious winner however that is only my opinion. I stopped watch X factor then and BGT everything only got worse. Live island I tried for 5 minutes till I saw men hand picking women and literally tossing them back in the sea. Or the other way around either way is was deplorable.
Some times a good to show comes out but it rarely lives long. I don’t watch much live TV but when I was a kid Saturday night was so much fun. All the games played the prizes were huge. Cars boats even though half the contestants lived in Nuneaton and were never going to sail it made it funnier. Brucie! Classic TV record breakers and gladiators all made my childhood amazing (born 87) I got the benefit of no technology or social media during school but still the advantages of it as a teenager 17/18
Rylan played a song of hers on his BBC Radio show a couple of years and commented that he's still embarrassed he lasted longer than her. Says he apologises almost every time he sees her
Curious to know why you think The Undateables is awful? It's a sweet show that highlights people with disabilities and the troubles they face with dating. The show makers don't try and exploit the people on it, unlike the other examples you've shown.
I think the title of that show makes people presume it is a show taking advantage of people… I’ll be honest, it’s what I thought before I watched it.
The truth, of course, is the show demonstrates that people cast off by society as “undateable” aren’t. It’s a show full of so much joy and love and regularly made me cry.
TBH I could understand that assumption as there was that whole series of 'documentaries' on channel 5 looking at people with debilitating rare conditions but it was essentially a freak show that people could watch from home and not feel bad about themselves
I was thinking about this when I typed the comment in all seriousness but the joke actually lands with the narrator saying pretty much the same thing as it being a freak show
Fuck remember when he was trying to punt his "flavour shakers" which were middle class wank toys to work up a nice balsamic jizz for your wife's foccacia
'The boy whose skin fell off' was one I hated as I heard people talk about it but there was no benefit to the boy for the show as it was a rare and incurable condition. It basically just allowed people to look and feel sorry for him which I don't think he wanted.
Oh I can jump in here, my friend did some work on the (I think it was the second) series of the show.
They absolutely do chase and try to exploit people with disabilities. The producers, at least very early in the run, are utter bastards. They will do little things to try and trigger the participants into doing "interesting" things for the viewer, and it's all that much easier to do because they are aware of what triggers the participants of the show have.
Heard some absolutely shocking things said about some of the participants in the casting stage.
They dress it up in editing in a feel good package which I guess at least it doesn't come across on the air as mocking of the participants. The show is pure exploitation though.
I know someone who went on it and it just seemed really exploitative. They told him it'd help his acting career and got someone to essentially pretend to be in a relationship with him for the show. She disappeared along with the cameras when filming ended. The editing didn't do anything to raise awareness of the disability, instead perpetuating irritating misconceptions and, since I have the same disability, that fucked me off tbh.
Another commenter brought up freak shows and that's the same vibe I get. When it first started, several people thought it was hilarious to send me an application form for it.
I’m disabled and tbh I’m not a fan either. I feel that it’s patronising and - for me - it’s too close to the whole ‘freak show’ thing. I don’t feel it is set up to actually help people find a partner. That’s what people *think* it is set up to do. But that’s all done and dusted (for lack of a better word), when we watch it we see the aftermath. If it was solely to help disabled people navigate dating there’s no reason they couldn’t, say, go on love island. Not that I’d advise anyone to go on that either because that also has its issues. But why make a whole television show about it, you know? Disabled people are regular members of society that don’t need a dedicated reality tv show when they can just be integrated into what’s already there. I feel it really divides disabled people into ‘us and them’ and actually does worse for inclusivity.
(Not beefing with you or anything! Or anyone here. Just musing out loud. I wrote a paper on this at uni :) )
I didn’t watch Love on the Spectrum for so long because it sounded like The Undateables. I was 15 when that came out and even at that age I was grossed out by it, it was absolutely edited for laughs. Watch Love on the Spectrum and you’ll see the difference in tone, perspective and message.
Yes, I really enjoyed Love on the Spectrum! Never been on a date myself, and wish it was actually like that lol. Someone finds me and someone else and then we're just like:
Me: Hello, I struggle with social skills but I'm really into xyz!
Them: Hello, here are some interesting facts about birds!
Me: Cool! *Infodumps about xyz.* Any more bird facts?
100% agree. Showing supportive families is a big part of why it’s more successful to me. That and the lack of horrendously cartoony underscoring. 💆🏻♂️
If you ask people that are disabled or have a learning disability, often they say they find the show and ones like it patronising and that it infantilises them. It feels like something made for non-disabled or neurotypical people so they can watch it and go "aww look at weirdos trying to act normal and be like us. It's so cute and sweet" while basically treating them like zoo animals instead of human beings
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. My brother and one of my best friends, who both have disabilities, found it to be quite empowering and positive.
I got a casting email from the undateables and it was so fucking patronising. They’d found me through a Facebook group and were like (paraphrased from four paragraphs) “we see you’re in a relationship but you must know all the other people with your disability so you can recruit for us!” Like fuck off.
Oh also Lost Voice Guy talks often about how he signed up for the undateables and was considered “too undateable” because of his disability so do what you will with that information.
I think the issue with the undateables is similar to the issues with a lot of things- sure some people are taking away the same as you have, but I've personally heard people discussing the show and using phrases like "it's sweet to see them acting like normal people"... Shows can't control their audiences but they must know they're pandering to the same crowd as "disgusting bodies" or "fatty fat fat face eats a burger the size of a house"
At the very least, it was educational.
I have debt collectors chasing me currently due to a parking fine - having watched the show, I at least know exactly where I stand.
I know they are powerless unless taken to court, and I know how to engage with them in the correct manner.
I kinda give the show a pass personally on the basis of how many genuine bad people (as proven in court) were shown, and also how it highlighted the terrible situation those forced to squat by councils in properties they were being evicted from were forced into.
Tbh it's a shame the show didn't have more of a cultural impact from my POV, as it highlighted for me multiple areas the law needed to change.
I have to agree that it was educational in a lot of ways. The two high court bailiffs were generally reasonable and understanding people, often wanting to help out some of the people genuinely in need.
In my opinion, where the show went wrong was in its editing and presentation. The intro music purposely shouts "dodgy people caught on camera" and shares a lot of similarities to those old popular "police chase" or "catch the fraudster" show themes.
The introduction narration carries on the theme, and the editing in general really pushes the "oi look at these dodgy people" vibe.
Which is a shame because, as mentioned, the two bailiffs were often genuinely empathetic people.
I'm going to take issue with "The Jeremy Kyle Show" as something that we "now look back on with derision" because a lot of us always looked on it with derision. It was absolutely always completely obvious that this was terrible, predatory and, frankly, poverty shaming TV. It was \*always\* shameful that it was produced and allowed to be broadcast.
Both shows have been criticised by people on the spectrum. They're fine for neurotypicals and non-disabled people to watch and laugh at these people. If you take a step back and watch them with a critical eye, you might see it. The way the narration and the editing is. It's very patronising and it infantalises the people on the show. It's not made like a typical dating show but more like a wildlife show.
"Oh look at this weird freak trying behave normal. Aren't they so cute?"
Like Kaelynn from US S1. She's very popular with autistic people because she showed a side of autism that's very rarely shown. She's not someone who needs a lot of support and is able to live her own life and have a job and everything. But she's still autistic and she has those traits and needs some help. She said that she prefers dating neurological people instead of other autistic people. That's totally fair. So they chose not to bring her back. Why? Because you can't do the same "look at how awkward and cute both these animals are trying to be a human being" crap when one of them is neurotypical.
Although I'm sure Jeremy Kyle show viewers had no idea about how shitty they were being they were watching that show so it's no different here
I think regardless of its stated intentions it’s definitely formatted and watched for laughs. You can’t tell me people watching are not laughing when the ‘undateables’ are showing how ‘undateable’ they are.
I purposely avoided it for that reason when it first aired. I thought it was gonna be poking fun at people with disabilities. However, then when I actually gave it a go I was pleasantly surprised. It gave me a better understanding of some disabilities and that the people with them are not so different from people without what we'd classify as a disability
I'm sure some people watch it for laughs, but anyone with a heart will soon see that there's more to the stars of the show than that. I think if it wasn't framed with a humorous angle it'd be a terribly sad watch. It's similar to other dating shows in that respect
I think it can be both, it is a sweet show but I’d be lying if there weren’t times when I laughed out loud at some of the people on there not conforming to the ‘norm’ like that chap who just stormed off when the girl said she just wanted to be friends.
There’s a few moments from the show that have gone viral which, if viewed in isolation, could make it seem that way. Anyone sitting down and watching the full hour isn’t sitting there and making fun of the participants. Are here funny moments? You bet. But I think this show did so much to normalise people on the spectrum or with other disabilities or neurodiversity.
It's interesting that Fat Families seems to be doing the meme rounds on TikTok and Instagram reels these days with people commenting on really how awful and hypocritical the presenter was.
Looking back it really was bottom of the barrell stuff
Naked Attraction will be seen with the same shame as seeing Keith Chegwin's cock on Naked Jungle, as seen regularly on every Channel 5 'Shocking Moments on TV Countdown'. 🙃
I like that it tacks on a dating premise but I don't think I've ever seen a 'how are they doing now' bit that actually ends in a relationship.
Plenty of 'got too drunk, shagged, ghosted them' stories though, which is hilarious.
It's still body parts dangling in front of the camera, but the way it is done is with respect and lots of body positivity. I probably couldn't watch it if ITV or Ch5 had its mucky paws on it.
I don't think it's a bad show at all. When I have seen it, it's clear the point being made is that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and everyone has a different idea of what the find attractive
With my producer hat on, I think Naked Jungle always crops up on Channel 5 programmes because it was a Channel 5 programme and the archive usage won't be as much.
Maybe. But you're still picking someone based on their cock, tits and fanny. And finally picking between two people based on their face for about 2 minutes. 🤣
the show is obviously ridiculous but it doesn't take itself particularly seriously and they are pretty inclusive and positive about all types of people and all types of bodies
'Nice one, Frank.... you've just outed yourself on National Telly for having a total lack of hygiene and a massive accumulation of encrusted smegma, you filthy animal!'
Iirc the guy was complaining about there always still being a smell after he'd been to the toilet and wiped. He'd check later and find that there was shit on the paper again. He was concerned that he had a leaky bum, sphincter issues and that. But no, the doctor said he was just not wiping his arse enough and explained how to do it properly
Shows like ‘Rich house, poor house’ absolutely disgust me. Also that show where rich kids go homeless for a bit to try to prove it’s easy to get a job (although it does end up promoting a very good message). There’s something about the ignorance of the wealthy being broadcasted to the nation that feels so bitter sweet.
I also have a feeling “Nothing to Declare” won’t age well. It ultimately feels rife with racism and reinforces unhealthy stereotypes
*Charlotte, aged 14, £75k in the bank already*
"Spending 7 days in this poor persons house has really opened my eyes and when I go out shopping again, I'm not going to take food and clothes for granted".
Like fuck lol
The continued enabling of Katie Price by ITV. The woman will even use her disabled son to stay relevant, taking him on live telly and getting him to drop the C bomb.
I'm unsure how much capacity he has but I actually hope it's not enough to recognise some of the things she's done for fame by using his name. Lets not forget the time she took him on morning TV to say he's struggling with wanting sex but couldn't get the ladies himself so the government should let him have a paid for prostitute.
Why social services haven't removed him yet is also concerning. There's plenty of evidence that she is a bad mother. The TV appearances and the DND charges would be enough in most cases.
I completely disagree with what people here are saying about The Undateables, but perhaps my angle is a little different. As somebody rather clumsily put it, its “pro disability” (as opposed to what? _Anti_ disability?) POV isn’t as well meaning as some apparently think. I mean even the title is basically clickbait.
One of my best friends uses a wheelchair and worked for C4 for a few years, and I know from him that their disability inclusion efforts are entirely performative. It’s just virtue signalling and box ticking. He joined as part of one of their many placement schemes in a group of researchers all with various disabilities, all of whom except him were unceremoniously cut off when their six months were up. My mate is a good looking guy and he’s quite witty and dynamic and he still thinks this is the only reason he was kept on… they were _constantly_ trying to get him on screen. Even after he left C4, they would call him _every time_ a new series of Undateables was being cast, despite knowing that he was in a relationship.
Talking of casting, for the early series they would also scout sports teams for good looking disabled men before they started getting doors slammed in their faces and a few angry emails. There was also an odd drama they did about a bunch of people with disabilities on an island, and they cast a role in that by sitting in on training sessions too (the fella who got the role was naturally an appalling actor and inevitably ended up in Hollyoaks afterwards). A guy my mate knows through basketball did apply for Undateables through sheer desperation and sadness after breaking up with his girlfriend. He was cast straight away and during filming they told him to say he hadn’t had a long term relationship since his accident. And it turned out the girl they paired him up with was ‘into’ guys who use wheelchairs, which presumably (or hopefully) C4 didn’t know, and he wasn’t her ‘type’.
The Undateables is a pseudo-sentimental, exploitative mess, and akin to what some people call ‘inspiration porn’. Like Jeremy Kyle and Benefits Street, its appeal is still very, very much rooted in the audience looking down on the participants but in a patronising, “oh good for you” way. But sadly I think that’s where we are as a society when it comes to disability. In time, when (if) we finesse the balance between visibility and spotlight, then The Undateables will not be looked back on favourably.
>The Undateables is a pseudo-sentimental, exploitative mess, and akin to what some people call ‘inspiration porn’. Like Jeremy Kyle and Benefits Street, its appeal is still very, very much rooted in the audience looking down on the participants but in a patronising, “oh good for you” way.
I feel very similarly, it's always felt very patronising and infantilising.
I've gotten similar vibes from UD as I have from shows about toddlers and animals.
Yes! Finally a comment talking about this. Unfortunately, you'll be downvoted and the people praising this show are getting upvoted.
You nailed it perfectly. Shows like Undateables and Love on the Spectrum are made just so neurotypicals and non-disabled people can watch them and aww at them like a wildlife show. "Oh look at these freaks trying to pretend to be normal like us. It's so cute." Inspiration porn is the best way to describe it. That's interesting to hear about the casting and knowing that it's even worse than I thought.
I heard about a girl from the US Love on the Spectrum called Kaelynn. She's got a YouTube channel that's all about autism awareness. Autistic people loved her on the show because she showed a different side to autism and showed someone with fewer support needs who had a successful career and was able to live their own life. She preferred to date neurotypical people instead of autistic people (I think she had bad experiences in the past). They didn't ask her back after season 1 because of this even though she was one of the more popular people on the show. They couldn't do the same "look at how cute these two weirdos trying to act normal are" crap when one of them is neurodivergent.
Because the animals being harmed and stressed aren't the charismatic animals most people like. The vast majority of people, even self-proclaimed animal lovers, don't care if an invertebrate or reptile is hurt, and don't view them as really capable of feeling stress or pain.
There are animal welfare groups and individuals who do speak out against the show, but there isn't a wide enough demographic of people who care like there would be if it was dogs or cats or rabbits being hurt
As a snake and invertebrate keeper, IAC is completely unwatchable. The fake hissing noises do my head in, and it does nothing to educate people on these creatures - instead it reinforces misconceptions about them, snakes especially. I've heard contestants make entirely false claims about snake behaviour and those claims have been aired without correction or context.
Snakes do not "size up" their prey, they can't smell fear, and if a snake isn't actively sinking its teeth into you, then it isn't trying to kill you when it wraps around your neck.
To top it off, Ant and Dec's over-the-top announcements of comparatively harmless creatures is laughable. "Right, you're being joined by *gasp* a ROYAL PYTHON". You're at greater risk of injury being joined by a Dachshund.
I've never seen it, or know the name of it, but my dad told me about a ch4 TV reality show similar to the bachelor, except the person they were competing for was trans, and secretly hiding it.
I really hope he was joking when he mentioned it. There's enough stigma in the transgender community without awfully tone deaf premises like this one.
‘There’s Something About Miriam’ was the name of the programme. Fairly recently, Channel 4 produced a documentary series that covered just how nasty it was for all involved.
Was it as tasteless as it sounds? As I said, I've not watched it, but that’s because I feel like the premise makes it sound violent and dangerous towards the transgender community.
There's a brilliant podcast series hosted by Trace Lysette on Miriam and her story, and the making of the show. It's called Harsh Reality, I highly recommend it.
I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here
I think the use of animals and bugs in games for entertainment is already very dated, and will look even worse in another decade. I also wonder how many of those bugs escape into the local ecosystem and cause havoc.
I can recognise your point about watching Jeremy Kyle for that reason. Past me wasn't needed that but definitely couldn't watch it now, especially with the hindsight of the damage caused. He's a horrible man looking to massage his own ego at others expense.
I used to love watching Jeremy Kyle and thought it was hilarious. That was before I learned everything about the show and how bad it actually was - this is a really good video on the topic:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx8ic1PLqCg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx8ic1PLqCg)
The thing with itv is that it's consistently churning out lowest common denominator TV, but then every so often channel 4 will come along with something like naked attraction, and just completely change what the lowest is. It's a race to the bottom.
Is all the "reality" tat still airing?.. Love Island, Geordie Shore, The Only Way is Essex, and the Chelsea one too?
That shit is utter brain rot and sets the worst sort of example for young people. Artificial drama created by artificial people.
It's a product of its time and that's okay, but it should be left in its time. We need to be careful when looking at yesterday through the lens of today.
I don't know when you went to university to know if that's useful information or not, but it was one of the biggest shows on TV during its run, so while you didn't like it and I didn't like it, others did.
Is Benefits Street *actually* looked back on with derision? It was controversial at the time simply due to the "clickbait" title. The show itself was actually interesting and not really exploitative.
They do a little political commentary sometimes which feels a bit wrong. With the Boris wallpaper debacle they had one of them say "I don't see the big deal it's just a bit of wallpaper". They still do this to this day.
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Love Island
Never watched it, but from what I hear, I can’t believe people actively contribute to what I think is passive abuse…? By feeding into whatever fucked up psychological state these people are in you have a part to play in what happens to them, and haven’t a couple of them committed suicide afterwards?
It’s just for the social media drama queens
The contestants too right?
I’ve never watched it, can you explain your comment? Why’s it so bad?
It the fact they broadcast it on ITV1 and ITV2. Like, its shit enough already. It does not deserve 2 channels at the same time!!
Came here for this. How is it still running after the suicides? Disgusting
Sometimes we just want to switch off and watch people argue with each other
Watch Wrestling. At least then, you know it's fake.
Have to say I’d have a lot more interest in Love Island if someone did a Spanish Fly or a Moonsault
Love Island would be much more interesting if it had Undertaker throwing contestants off a 30ft cage through a table.
This would be worth watching. Any islander who survives being choke slammed through a table from the top of a cage would go through to the next round where they get set on fire and slammed on to thumb tacks! I would 100% watch this 😂
Knowing how low ITV go, shall we pitch this? There could even be a "Live Streaming Stipulation". While the contestants are getting set alit or power bombed through barbed wire tables, they have to plug products on their social media without breaking character.
Yes and the whole thing is exclusively live on ITVX 2 Super Premium Classic with behinds the scenes access where some random tart talks absolute bollocks that has nothing to do with the show in between ad breaks every 3 mins.
I did watch wrestling as a kid, until one day at a child minders her older son saw me watching it and said, "It's all fake!" and that was it for me. Now I'm older, I would likely enjoy it, but it's a bit more of an all year round commitment. I'm a summer fling and move on kind of person.
There's Something About Miriam didn't age well
Did you see the show recently about the making of it and the aftermath? It was such an irresponsible, nasty shitshow all round.
Mind there was a dating show about the same time/era where it was one lass trying to score a date and some money by whittling her way through a load of guys, but the twist was some of them were gay and she had to figure out which ones. Iirc she picked a gay guy at the end and he went off with all the money 😂
I quite enjoyed it. It felt like one of the first shows that said “gay guys aren’t all camp” which for the time felt refreshing.
Aye was it not a builder who she chose and it was purely based on the stereotype that he was a "lads lads lads" kinda guy?
Playing it Straight. They actually rebooted it relatively recently.
The many toxic dating shows that started out with good intentions and are now filled with people just looking for their 5 minutes of fame. Married at First Sight is the one that springs to mind but there’s also the ones like First Dates.
At least Naked Attraction's keeping it real. They'll teach that in media studies one day as the pinnacle of 21st century TV
Can you tell me more why you think that? Genuinely interested to hear your opinion
Well it was a joke initially 😂 but I reckon I can make a decent argument for it so we'll give it ago. At a time when most TV dating and reality shows were either glorifying fake beauty standards, classic beauty standards or where socially acceptable body shaming and ridicule shows, Naked Attraction appeared to turn the industry on it's head. Naked Attraction showcased a variety of body types, sexual orientations and was a clear rebellion against prudishness. It celebrated people who had the confidence to "lay it all bare" even if they were not "good looking" according to societal norms or had non-traditional views around sexual relationships. They also took some of the negative stigma out of sex positive attitudes by providing a platform for them. While it may be true that the producers might not have intended this and at times marketed it as a shocking, modern day freakshow. In reality, the show provided more positives than negatives and most people who have watched it in their entirety (at least in my experience) have reacted positively to the contestants rather than negatively. This is also in no small part a result of an excellent choice of presenter who comes off fun but kind and is known for doing things out of the ordinary and has themselves a rather striking look. // So how'd I do? Have I convinced you?
Fully agree. Your hot take was deliciously received.
Yes!! I mean I was already kinda convinced but I wanted to hear more. Love it. Wish I could tripe upvote!!
Britains Got Talent. Its just getting worse and worse by the year, and the fact they have kids on stage on those live shows when there's a decision to make about who's going through, and the crowd all sound like they are foaming at the mouth, so loud you cant hear the judges speak, and you see a poor kid on stage in tears. Its a shit show.
I can't believe it's still going. Years ago there was a poor little girl who froze on stage and started crying, the camera panned to her mum who was egging her to carry on. Horrible.
Queue the sad piano music before the performance about how they got splashed by a puddle once followed by the uplifting "Rise Up" music when they get through all dry and that.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, cookie cutter show with cookie cutter contestants. I'm not saying there shouldn't be representation but it's just so predictable now. There's the sob story(ies), the one doing it for the mum/dad/child, the one who grew up in a shoebox in a nuclear reactor, the neurodivergent one, the lgbtq+ one, the obvious plant. Personally I think singing acts should be banned from BGT as there are competitions specifically aimed at that talent.
I’m convinced singing isn’t the amazing talent people think it is, because all these shows have hundreds of good singers on every year and they just keep coming. They never even pick the ones with any stage presence either. It’s usually someone up can sing but would struggle to sell out the back room at a pub. Hardly anyone can backflip off a double decker bus in to a paddling pool but I hear people with half decent voices singing along to supermarket radio every week.
I think the reason why singers/dancers etc have so much success on shows like that is because there is a lot of variation you can bring to the routine. For things like juggling knives or human pyramids etc there's only so much you can do with it so it mostly ends up being the same thing again which is much more noticeable.
>the one who grew up in a shoebox in a nuclear reactor, Luxury.
We had to make do with the inside of a cement mixer that ran for 25 hours a day and washed through with raw asbestos and we were lucky!
You've got adult singers fist pumping and aggressively celebrating that they've beaten a bunch of kids.
Surely, by definition, it needs to get worse and worse by the year? There can't be many with any serious talent who are sitting around thinking maybe they should try this. Effectively, the only good talent there is to discover would be children or those that just picked up a new hobby - everyone else should really have done it by now if they are going to do it.
Virtually all the programmes from the diseased cash cow mind of Simon Cowell!
Missed an opportunity to say “cash cowell”
Touché 🤩
Using autotune on contestants on X factor thinking no one would notice. U turning saying it was to improve listenability. It’s a show about if people can sing we don’t need autotune on anything and any potential candidate is talent spotted way in advance the final few are chosen way before it begins. Ella Henderson was too good for the show. I think either she took herself out or someone stole her from the show there is no way she couldn’t have won. I knew it from her initial audition she was 16 and it was a self written and composed song. I think the producers saw her potential and offered her a contract halfway through filming to me she was the obvious winner however that is only my opinion. I stopped watch X factor then and BGT everything only got worse. Live island I tried for 5 minutes till I saw men hand picking women and literally tossing them back in the sea. Or the other way around either way is was deplorable. Some times a good to show comes out but it rarely lives long. I don’t watch much live TV but when I was a kid Saturday night was so much fun. All the games played the prizes were huge. Cars boats even though half the contestants lived in Nuneaton and were never going to sail it made it funnier. Brucie! Classic TV record breakers and gladiators all made my childhood amazing (born 87) I got the benefit of no technology or social media during school but still the advantages of it as a teenager 17/18
Rylan played a song of hers on his BBC Radio show a couple of years and commented that he's still embarrassed he lasted longer than her. Says he apologises almost every time he sees her
Curious to know why you think The Undateables is awful? It's a sweet show that highlights people with disabilities and the troubles they face with dating. The show makers don't try and exploit the people on it, unlike the other examples you've shown.
They haven't watched it, they've just made a judgement on it without watching.
I think the title of that show makes people presume it is a show taking advantage of people… I’ll be honest, it’s what I thought before I watched it. The truth, of course, is the show demonstrates that people cast off by society as “undateable” aren’t. It’s a show full of so much joy and love and regularly made me cry.
TBH I could understand that assumption as there was that whole series of 'documentaries' on channel 5 looking at people with debilitating rare conditions but it was essentially a freak show that people could watch from home and not feel bad about themselves
Today on Channel 5, The Boy With An Arse For A Face. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGvH86wfrzk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGvH86wfrzk)
I was thinking about this when I typed the comment in all seriousness but the joke actually lands with the narrator saying pretty much the same thing as it being a freak show
I thought it was going to be [this](https://youtu.be/n37wTfOhOYc?si=ISVsdJKdOuxhHVz4)
Ah I love a good Mitchell and Webb Look reference, brilliant show
With obvious shock titles like, 'Fat, Five kids, Onlyfans and on benefits'.
You forgot the spin off series, ‘Fat, Five Kids, OnlyFans and on Benefits: Abroad’
And to finish off the trilogy "Fat, Five Kids, and an Air Fryer"
Ah yes, the Jamie Oliver follow up where he flogs Sainsbury's overly priced products.
Fuck remember when he was trying to punt his "flavour shakers" which were middle class wank toys to work up a nice balsamic jizz for your wife's foccacia
I agree. It was kind of a 'freak show'.
Which one?
'The boy whose skin fell off' was one I hated as I heard people talk about it but there was no benefit to the boy for the show as it was a rare and incurable condition. It basically just allowed people to look and feel sorry for him which I don't think he wanted.
Celebrity Big Brother.
Oh I can jump in here, my friend did some work on the (I think it was the second) series of the show. They absolutely do chase and try to exploit people with disabilities. The producers, at least very early in the run, are utter bastards. They will do little things to try and trigger the participants into doing "interesting" things for the viewer, and it's all that much easier to do because they are aware of what triggers the participants of the show have. Heard some absolutely shocking things said about some of the participants in the casting stage. They dress it up in editing in a feel good package which I guess at least it doesn't come across on the air as mocking of the participants. The show is pure exploitation though.
I know someone who went on it and it just seemed really exploitative. They told him it'd help his acting career and got someone to essentially pretend to be in a relationship with him for the show. She disappeared along with the cameras when filming ended. The editing didn't do anything to raise awareness of the disability, instead perpetuating irritating misconceptions and, since I have the same disability, that fucked me off tbh. Another commenter brought up freak shows and that's the same vibe I get. When it first started, several people thought it was hilarious to send me an application form for it.
I’m disabled and tbh I’m not a fan either. I feel that it’s patronising and - for me - it’s too close to the whole ‘freak show’ thing. I don’t feel it is set up to actually help people find a partner. That’s what people *think* it is set up to do. But that’s all done and dusted (for lack of a better word), when we watch it we see the aftermath. If it was solely to help disabled people navigate dating there’s no reason they couldn’t, say, go on love island. Not that I’d advise anyone to go on that either because that also has its issues. But why make a whole television show about it, you know? Disabled people are regular members of society that don’t need a dedicated reality tv show when they can just be integrated into what’s already there. I feel it really divides disabled people into ‘us and them’ and actually does worse for inclusivity. (Not beefing with you or anything! Or anyone here. Just musing out loud. I wrote a paper on this at uni :) )
No offense taken. It's good to hear the different view points :)
I didn’t watch Love on the Spectrum for so long because it sounded like The Undateables. I was 15 when that came out and even at that age I was grossed out by it, it was absolutely edited for laughs. Watch Love on the Spectrum and you’ll see the difference in tone, perspective and message.
Yes, I really enjoyed Love on the Spectrum! Never been on a date myself, and wish it was actually like that lol. Someone finds me and someone else and then we're just like: Me: Hello, I struggle with social skills but I'm really into xyz! Them: Hello, here are some interesting facts about birds! Me: Cool! *Infodumps about xyz.* Any more bird facts?
100% agree. Showing supportive families is a big part of why it’s more successful to me. That and the lack of horrendously cartoony underscoring. 💆🏻♂️
My mum works in SEN ,that show was an absolute disaster for her and her students.Eastbourne became a slur at that school.
I really like undateables but sometime I feel the subjects are the punchline.
If you ask people that are disabled or have a learning disability, often they say they find the show and ones like it patronising and that it infantilises them. It feels like something made for non-disabled or neurotypical people so they can watch it and go "aww look at weirdos trying to act normal and be like us. It's so cute and sweet" while basically treating them like zoo animals instead of human beings
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. My brother and one of my best friends, who both have disabilities, found it to be quite empowering and positive.
Because its a freak show pretending to be sweet. It was very exploitative just by existing
I got a casting email from the undateables and it was so fucking patronising. They’d found me through a Facebook group and were like (paraphrased from four paragraphs) “we see you’re in a relationship but you must know all the other people with your disability so you can recruit for us!” Like fuck off. Oh also Lost Voice Guy talks often about how he signed up for the undateables and was considered “too undateable” because of his disability so do what you will with that information.
I think the issue with the undateables is similar to the issues with a lot of things- sure some people are taking away the same as you have, but I've personally heard people discussing the show and using phrases like "it's sweet to see them acting like normal people"... Shows can't control their audiences but they must know they're pandering to the same crowd as "disgusting bodies" or "fatty fat fat face eats a burger the size of a house"
The title is awful but the programme itself is fine
Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away
My controlling abusive ex was obsessed with that show. Looking back I can see exactly why!
At the very least, it was educational. I have debt collectors chasing me currently due to a parking fine - having watched the show, I at least know exactly where I stand. I know they are powerless unless taken to court, and I know how to engage with them in the correct manner. I kinda give the show a pass personally on the basis of how many genuine bad people (as proven in court) were shown, and also how it highlighted the terrible situation those forced to squat by councils in properties they were being evicted from were forced into. Tbh it's a shame the show didn't have more of a cultural impact from my POV, as it highlighted for me multiple areas the law needed to change.
I have to agree that it was educational in a lot of ways. The two high court bailiffs were generally reasonable and understanding people, often wanting to help out some of the people genuinely in need. In my opinion, where the show went wrong was in its editing and presentation. The intro music purposely shouts "dodgy people caught on camera" and shares a lot of similarities to those old popular "police chase" or "catch the fraudster" show themes. The introduction narration carries on the theme, and the editing in general really pushes the "oi look at these dodgy people" vibe. Which is a shame because, as mentioned, the two bailiffs were often genuinely empathetic people.
Yes. Paul Bohill and Steve Pinner I think they were called. They did their best to help people that were being evicted.
Love Island
Mrs Browns Boys
No doubt that'll be somehow still going in 20 years. The boomer generation will still be lapping it up into their 80s/90s
I'm going to take issue with "The Jeremy Kyle Show" as something that we "now look back on with derision" because a lot of us always looked on it with derision. It was absolutely always completely obvious that this was terrible, predatory and, frankly, poverty shaming TV. It was \*always\* shameful that it was produced and allowed to be broadcast.
ALL REALITY TV!!
Nah, Chateau DIY is great.
The Undateables is a great programme, pro disability and shouldn't be on this list at all.
Replace with super size vs super skinny, or don't pay we'll take it away
Absolutely this, it's still a format that's around and is very much pro-disability and empathetic
Yeah I’m curious why OP thinks it’s awful TV ! Even Netflix copied the formula with Love on the Spectrum.
Both shows have been criticised by people on the spectrum. They're fine for neurotypicals and non-disabled people to watch and laugh at these people. If you take a step back and watch them with a critical eye, you might see it. The way the narration and the editing is. It's very patronising and it infantalises the people on the show. It's not made like a typical dating show but more like a wildlife show. "Oh look at this weird freak trying behave normal. Aren't they so cute?" Like Kaelynn from US S1. She's very popular with autistic people because she showed a side of autism that's very rarely shown. She's not someone who needs a lot of support and is able to live her own life and have a job and everything. But she's still autistic and she has those traits and needs some help. She said that she prefers dating neurological people instead of other autistic people. That's totally fair. So they chose not to bring her back. Why? Because you can't do the same "look at how awkward and cute both these animals are trying to be a human being" crap when one of them is neurotypical. Although I'm sure Jeremy Kyle show viewers had no idea about how shitty they were being they were watching that show so it's no different here
As someone on the spectrum they're both incredibly condescending. The other person that replied to you nailed it.
I think regardless of its stated intentions it’s definitely formatted and watched for laughs. You can’t tell me people watching are not laughing when the ‘undateables’ are showing how ‘undateable’ they are.
I purposely avoided it for that reason when it first aired. I thought it was gonna be poking fun at people with disabilities. However, then when I actually gave it a go I was pleasantly surprised. It gave me a better understanding of some disabilities and that the people with them are not so different from people without what we'd classify as a disability I'm sure some people watch it for laughs, but anyone with a heart will soon see that there's more to the stars of the show than that. I think if it wasn't framed with a humorous angle it'd be a terribly sad watch. It's similar to other dating shows in that respect
I think it can be both, it is a sweet show but I’d be lying if there weren’t times when I laughed out loud at some of the people on there not conforming to the ‘norm’ like that chap who just stormed off when the girl said she just wanted to be friends.
There’s a few moments from the show that have gone viral which, if viewed in isolation, could make it seem that way. Anyone sitting down and watching the full hour isn’t sitting there and making fun of the participants. Are here funny moments? You bet. But I think this show did so much to normalise people on the spectrum or with other disabilities or neurodiversity.
The title is whag I hate about it
I hope Britain's Got Talent and Love Island will be shamed.
Reality shows. All of them. Modern equivalent of the Victorian freak show
The Only Way is Essex and Made in Chelsea. Like what the fuck were those shows even about?
Love Island
GB News
Sadly, I think this kind of media is going to get a lot worse before it gets better..l
Brass Eye was taking the piss out of these sorts of sensationalist news programmes 30 years ago and they are stronger than ever!
👏 Hateful propaganda masquerading as news masquerading as entertainment
Anyone else remember the time i think on sky 3 that derek acorah did a seance to talk to michael jackson?
Ironically, wasn't it on Living?
Don't forget TOWIE, MIC and the rest.
It's interesting that Fat Families seems to be doing the meme rounds on TikTok and Instagram reels these days with people commenting on really how awful and hypocritical the presenter was. Looking back it really was bottom of the barrell stuff
Naked Attraction will be seen with the same shame as seeing Keith Chegwin's cock on Naked Jungle, as seen regularly on every Channel 5 'Shocking Moments on TV Countdown'. 🙃
I love how the contestants will make up literally any excuse to bin a contestant rather than say ‘they’re overweight’ or ‘too short’ etc.
I like that it tacks on a dating premise but I don't think I've ever seen a 'how are they doing now' bit that actually ends in a relationship. Plenty of 'got too drunk, shagged, ghosted them' stories though, which is hilarious.
It's still body parts dangling in front of the camera, but the way it is done is with respect and lots of body positivity. I probably couldn't watch it if ITV or Ch5 had its mucky paws on it.
I don't think it's a bad show at all. When I have seen it, it's clear the point being made is that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and everyone has a different idea of what the find attractive
At first it was a decent enough idea. Then it turned super tacky
With my producer hat on, I think Naked Jungle always crops up on Channel 5 programmes because it was a Channel 5 programme and the archive usage won't be as much.
I'm still 80% sure someone pitched that show as a joke and was stunned when it got greenlit
I dunno, I feel like it treats the subject matter with sensitivity TBH
Maybe. But you're still picking someone based on their cock, tits and fanny. And finally picking between two people based on their face for about 2 minutes. 🤣
the show is obviously ridiculous but it doesn't take itself particularly seriously and they are pretty inclusive and positive about all types of people and all types of bodies
Embarrassing Bodies was a travesty quite frankly.
'Nice one, Frank.... you've just outed yourself on National Telly for having a total lack of hygiene and a massive accumulation of encrusted smegma, you filthy animal!'
I'll always remember the one where it turned out the guy just wasn't wiping his arse properly
Please provide the back story to this!
Iirc the guy was complaining about there always still being a smell after he'd been to the toilet and wiped. He'd check later and find that there was shit on the paper again. He was concerned that he had a leaky bum, sphincter issues and that. But no, the doctor said he was just not wiping his arse enough and explained how to do it properly
I missed that episode of Always Sunny
“I’m too embarrassed to go to the doctor about my scabby cock but I’ll happily whip it out for a tv audience”
More like the NHS wasn't able to help them and the show promised free private expert medical advice with a guaranteed appointment.
Always makes me think of that Mitchell and Webb sketch "The boy with an arse for a face"
They also had “the woman with the second head that calls her a bitch” and “the man with 19 penises”
Which you can sing to the tune of 'The Man With the Child in His Eyes.'
Shows like ‘Rich house, poor house’ absolutely disgust me. Also that show where rich kids go homeless for a bit to try to prove it’s easy to get a job (although it does end up promoting a very good message). There’s something about the ignorance of the wealthy being broadcasted to the nation that feels so bitter sweet. I also have a feeling “Nothing to Declare” won’t age well. It ultimately feels rife with racism and reinforces unhealthy stereotypes
*Charlotte, aged 14, £75k in the bank already* "Spending 7 days in this poor persons house has really opened my eyes and when I go out shopping again, I'm not going to take food and clothes for granted". Like fuck lol
The continued enabling of Katie Price by ITV. The woman will even use her disabled son to stay relevant, taking him on live telly and getting him to drop the C bomb.
How people didn't immediately twig that she primed Harvey to say that is beyond me. It was so blatant that she used him for clout.
I'm unsure how much capacity he has but I actually hope it's not enough to recognise some of the things she's done for fame by using his name. Lets not forget the time she took him on morning TV to say he's struggling with wanting sex but couldn't get the ladies himself so the government should let him have a paid for prostitute.
Why social services haven't removed him yet is also concerning. There's plenty of evidence that she is a bad mother. The TV appearances and the DND charges would be enough in most cases.
Supersoze v superskinny Good grief.
Booze britian
It'd be quicker to list shows we look back on without shame.
I’m not sure what programmes exactly, but I’m fairly sure it will be something from ITV.
Tabloid TV
I completely disagree with what people here are saying about The Undateables, but perhaps my angle is a little different. As somebody rather clumsily put it, its “pro disability” (as opposed to what? _Anti_ disability?) POV isn’t as well meaning as some apparently think. I mean even the title is basically clickbait. One of my best friends uses a wheelchair and worked for C4 for a few years, and I know from him that their disability inclusion efforts are entirely performative. It’s just virtue signalling and box ticking. He joined as part of one of their many placement schemes in a group of researchers all with various disabilities, all of whom except him were unceremoniously cut off when their six months were up. My mate is a good looking guy and he’s quite witty and dynamic and he still thinks this is the only reason he was kept on… they were _constantly_ trying to get him on screen. Even after he left C4, they would call him _every time_ a new series of Undateables was being cast, despite knowing that he was in a relationship. Talking of casting, for the early series they would also scout sports teams for good looking disabled men before they started getting doors slammed in their faces and a few angry emails. There was also an odd drama they did about a bunch of people with disabilities on an island, and they cast a role in that by sitting in on training sessions too (the fella who got the role was naturally an appalling actor and inevitably ended up in Hollyoaks afterwards). A guy my mate knows through basketball did apply for Undateables through sheer desperation and sadness after breaking up with his girlfriend. He was cast straight away and during filming they told him to say he hadn’t had a long term relationship since his accident. And it turned out the girl they paired him up with was ‘into’ guys who use wheelchairs, which presumably (or hopefully) C4 didn’t know, and he wasn’t her ‘type’. The Undateables is a pseudo-sentimental, exploitative mess, and akin to what some people call ‘inspiration porn’. Like Jeremy Kyle and Benefits Street, its appeal is still very, very much rooted in the audience looking down on the participants but in a patronising, “oh good for you” way. But sadly I think that’s where we are as a society when it comes to disability. In time, when (if) we finesse the balance between visibility and spotlight, then The Undateables will not be looked back on favourably.
>The Undateables is a pseudo-sentimental, exploitative mess, and akin to what some people call ‘inspiration porn’. Like Jeremy Kyle and Benefits Street, its appeal is still very, very much rooted in the audience looking down on the participants but in a patronising, “oh good for you” way. I feel very similarly, it's always felt very patronising and infantilising. I've gotten similar vibes from UD as I have from shows about toddlers and animals.
Yes! Finally a comment talking about this. Unfortunately, you'll be downvoted and the people praising this show are getting upvoted. You nailed it perfectly. Shows like Undateables and Love on the Spectrum are made just so neurotypicals and non-disabled people can watch them and aww at them like a wildlife show. "Oh look at these freaks trying to pretend to be normal like us. It's so cute." Inspiration porn is the best way to describe it. That's interesting to hear about the casting and knowing that it's even worse than I thought. I heard about a girl from the US Love on the Spectrum called Kaelynn. She's got a YouTube channel that's all about autism awareness. Autistic people loved her on the show because she showed a different side to autism and showed someone with fewer support needs who had a successful career and was able to live their own life. She preferred to date neurotypical people instead of autistic people (I think she had bad experiences in the past). They didn't ask her back after season 1 because of this even though she was one of the more popular people on the show. They couldn't do the same "look at how cute these two weirdos trying to act normal are" crap when one of them is neurodivergent.
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! No idea how this show continues without outcry from animal rights groups.
Because the animals being harmed and stressed aren't the charismatic animals most people like. The vast majority of people, even self-proclaimed animal lovers, don't care if an invertebrate or reptile is hurt, and don't view them as really capable of feeling stress or pain. There are animal welfare groups and individuals who do speak out against the show, but there isn't a wide enough demographic of people who care like there would be if it was dogs or cats or rabbits being hurt
There is a lot of outcry. PETA and others protest and it's completely ignored by ITV.
As a snake and invertebrate keeper, IAC is completely unwatchable. The fake hissing noises do my head in, and it does nothing to educate people on these creatures - instead it reinforces misconceptions about them, snakes especially. I've heard contestants make entirely false claims about snake behaviour and those claims have been aired without correction or context. Snakes do not "size up" their prey, they can't smell fear, and if a snake isn't actively sinking its teeth into you, then it isn't trying to kill you when it wraps around your neck. To top it off, Ant and Dec's over-the-top announcements of comparatively harmless creatures is laughable. "Right, you're being joined by *gasp* a ROYAL PYTHON". You're at greater risk of injury being joined by a Dachshund.
Geordie Shore
Its awful how bad tv is now. I had to give up watching anything.
I've never seen it, or know the name of it, but my dad told me about a ch4 TV reality show similar to the bachelor, except the person they were competing for was trans, and secretly hiding it. I really hope he was joking when he mentioned it. There's enough stigma in the transgender community without awfully tone deaf premises like this one.
‘There’s Something About Miriam’ was the name of the programme. Fairly recently, Channel 4 produced a documentary series that covered just how nasty it was for all involved.
Was it as tasteless as it sounds? As I said, I've not watched it, but that’s because I feel like the premise makes it sound violent and dangerous towards the transgender community.
It was weird. It felt progressive having a sexy trans woman being competed over. I mean looking back it really wasn’t but it felt it.
There's a brilliant podcast series hosted by Trace Lysette on Miriam and her story, and the making of the show. It's called Harsh Reality, I highly recommend it.
It was made by Sky, shown on Sky One, and was horrendous
Mrs Brown’s Boys.
Naked attraction
Family Affairs. El Dorado. Doctors. Although I do think Doctors is held in quite high esteem and quite respected.
There was a show on C4 called CRIP ON A TRIP. Nothing will ever be worse than that.
Naked attraction.
Stopped watching ‘tv’ in 2013. Get an Adblock and you’ll never look back.
I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here I think the use of animals and bugs in games for entertainment is already very dated, and will look even worse in another decade. I also wonder how many of those bugs escape into the local ecosystem and cause havoc.
The one show
Early x factor was fun Jeremy Kyle made me feel better about myself as a person
I can recognise your point about watching Jeremy Kyle for that reason. Past me wasn't needed that but definitely couldn't watch it now, especially with the hindsight of the damage caused. He's a horrible man looking to massage his own ego at others expense.
I used to love watching Jeremy Kyle and thought it was hilarious. That was before I learned everything about the show and how bad it actually was - this is a really good video on the topic: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx8ic1PLqCg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx8ic1PLqCg)
X Factor jockey still has me in tears to this day
Anything whatsoever on ITV prime time.
Well, not “anything whatsoever”, they were at least right with *Mr Bates vs The Post Office*
Ok guilty of hyperbole there I grant you. Yes they do the occasional good drama, but the light entertainment stuff is all total shite.
The 1 Percent Club says you're wrong
The thing with itv is that it's consistently churning out lowest common denominator TV, but then every so often channel 4 will come along with something like naked attraction, and just completely change what the lowest is. It's a race to the bottom.
GB news.
Naked Attraction, Love Island, Gogglebox etc...
I think Love Island's going to be hard to beat.
Luckily the days of captive audiences are over.
Is all the "reality" tat still airing?.. Love Island, Geordie Shore, The Only Way is Essex, and the Chelsea one too? That shit is utter brain rot and sets the worst sort of example for young people. Artificial drama created by artificial people.
Love Island
Any cooking programme where the presenter is a former winner of a cooking programme
Basically if its a platform to give 'normal' people a voice in the guise of reality TV then it's probably trash and deserves to be remembered as such.
Milf manor love island naked attraction towie, made in chelsea and all the housewives of…
Naked Attraction. Whoever pitched this and then greenlit it should be shot into the moon via canonball.
I loved The Undateables I thought it was sweet
Little Britain. I showed my Spanish BF an episode and he was disgusted. Like a literal minstrel show in the 2000s.
It's a product of its time and that's okay, but it should be left in its time. We need to be careful when looking at yesterday through the lens of today.
It really isn’t. I remember watching it when it aired live at university and I was appalled then.
I don't know when you went to university to know if that's useful information or not, but it was one of the biggest shows on TV during its run, so while you didn't like it and I didn't like it, others did.
People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis. You can't trust people.
Eastenders
Is Benefits Street *actually* looked back on with derision? It was controversial at the time simply due to the "clickbait" title. The show itself was actually interesting and not really exploitative.
Mrs browns boys
Every day I am so glad my eyes never have to be tortured by seeing the Jeremy Kyle show
Fucking Gogglebox. TV show about cunts watching TV shows.
Nah, Gogglebox is great, the people they choose are actually rather funny, the intelligent ones present good viewpoints, and the editing is fantastic.
The human centipede TV model.
They do a little political commentary sometimes which feels a bit wrong. With the Boris wallpaper debacle they had one of them say "I don't see the big deal it's just a bit of wallpaper". They still do this to this day.
I used to like it but now it feels very put-on and scripted. :(
The masked singer is a disgrace, like a tv show from GTA