Hiromi_X

I dunno how much reality teevee you watch; I've watched a fair bit, all the way back to the early seasons of the real world. And I've personal insight on it in that one of my friends was a producer on road rules and big brother, and another friend (lex) was on survivor africa. So I've seen the inside of this, in a sense.

The 'editing' thing has to be constantly in mind; what you see is only rarely exactly what happened. Sequences are re-ordered, reactions are spliced in out of context. IN some cases things are re-enacted for the camera (rarely, but it happens).

The thing that says this most clearly is the origin of real world, which is in effect the original reality teevee show. It was envisioned as a soap opera for young twenty-somethings, with un-known actors and in real settings, possibly taped live. Then, MTV and the producers pitching the idea figured out how much it would cost a network that really had never done actual programming. So the producers thought, 'how can we make this work'. They brought in ordinary people, filmed them without a script, and then edited the result into story lines, very much intentionally creating a soap opera, not a documentary.

That core idea is still most of what we see in reality teevee. Yeah, it's real, in that what we see happened un-scripted. But it's unreal in that the narrative and thematic elements are created in the editing room. Events are re-tooled into a dramatic story with careful pacing, heros, villains, failures, and redemptions.

We're not in any way watching documentaries; we're watching some careful fusing of reality with fiction.

When this works, it's just way too much fun. But those of us who pay attention can see the wires. We read the story they're creating, pick out the set-ups and character moments, note what's left out, and predict the outcome. I, and I think you, find this meta-watching to be a distraction, because I spend cycles trying to read the edits rather than just watching the events.

On one hand, I agree. I'd like have less chicanery from the editors. On the other, sometimes nothing interesting happens; one poor contestant (who may have been brought in with the intent of having easy targets for the first few challenges) fails to perform and gets booted. You don't then even need to see the competition and it's a cooking show with too many people doing too many dishes in not enough time (then, you might as well watch Iron Chef or Food Network Challenge ).

There's a sweet spot, a 'butter zone' as Adam Savage calls it, where the level of drama looks like it occurs naturally and there's really some question about who's in and who's out. That must be hard though, considering how rarely we see it. It's one of the reasons I like Amazing Race, but it so rarely has the wires showing in a big way.

All that said, I liked last night's episode. I like the pizza challenge because I often make pizza, and though i dislike chicago style pizza, I'm still down with what they're doing. I like challenges like that because I can pause the show and discuss what *I* would do in such a challenge. Even with an obvious send-home right from the beginning of the show, it was still a decent premier.

On the other hand, I think we need to send home anyone who says molecular gastronomy on principle, and dis-allow anything that looks like spit. I can't think of a stupider food fad ever. So I'm am standing ready to slap down anyone who starts up with liquid nitrogen or puts a foam on anything.

The good thing is, you get sorta used to it eventually (the editing factor). The bad thing is, it takes more teevee watching to get there.

The thing is, I generally hate reality teevee. I get sucked in sort of against my better judgement. The Bravo shows are very well done and driven by hosts like Tim Gun and Padma and judges like Tom and Ted Alan. But I try really hard not to let these things suck me in. I love amazing race (it's really the best of the best), I watch survivor still even though it's getting old, because it's a workhorse, always well done. But the only ones other than Bravo that've sucked me in recently were Rock Star INXS (which was unexpectedly great) and the first season of Dancing with the Stars in reruns, which I admit I watched mainly because Cheryl Burke is so damned hot.

The stuff's like hot buttered crack, though. You just can't stop once you get a taste.

I had a realization last night.

Howie from "Top Chef" season 3, and Herc from "The Wire"...separated at birth?

I don't know why, but I just can't seem to get interested in watching Top Chef this time around. I didn't see the premiere, though I guess I'll catch it eventually.

I have been irregularly watching and enjoying BBC America's Last Restaurant Standing, however. Which attaches to something Karl says. I've been a reality TV junkie from way back (though I never did like some of the most massively popular ones like Survivor, and the "wires" and product placements in the newer versions of them have really begun to wear on me. But the BBC shows seem to consistently NOT have those rough edges. Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Last Restaurant Standing, Ladette to Lady, 1900 House...they've all been pretty seamless. I think it's because while they do craft a story line, they stick to skills and facts more than just interpersonal drama. Plus, they're just better produced, no product placements, and less tacky.

I watched the very first Real World as it aired, and was immediately hooked. Although I might have been more curious about it than some because it took place where i was living, at the time I was living there, so I saw a lot of places I knew, and I consistently bumped into members of the cast just in everyday life. Since then, that series has gone way downhill. I agree with Karl, aside from the BBC shows and Bravo before they became corporate plug whores, The Amazing Race is one of the only worthwhile ones.

Of course, no one can take away my so-bad-its-brilliant America's Next Top Model. It's lost some of its completely inanity/insanity greatness luster for me over time, but I still enjoy tuning in to an episode here and there.

Oh, and i meant to say, for years i was against pizza with meat on it, particularly pizza -with-chicken. But now I suddenly find myself craving bbq chicken pizza. I went out of my way to get it twice in the past few months. I no longer think it's a sin.

The molecular gastronomy guy was the same guy with the weird little crack pipe thing he was blowing smoke with. I mean, I wanted the device, but not for food. And yeah, the fauxhawk is worse than a mullet. It needs to go away right after we do away with molecular gastronomy.

Syl, you like Last Restaurant Standing? I keep seeing promos when I'm watching Torchwood but forgetting to tivo it. It sounds entertaining. Though I personally don't see why people bitch about product placement; it's been around forever, we've just stopped being sneaky. I think it's a lot more honest to say, "look, product placement!" than to pretend it's not so.

I can't imagine cooking with the scent of guano in the air. Gross!
One of the last trips I made to the Abq Zoo, they had a big 'Picnic at the Zoo!' thing where the peacocks come up to steal your food and you're faced with a remote band shell surrounded by a goldfish/duck pond, complete with duck/goldfish food pellets everywhere, with the big cats just up the way and the African exhibit with the wildebeest, zebra and giraffes.
And people were eating in this... funk. I agree. Very gross.

I am in full agreement with KE for the molecular gastronomy statement. :D

OH! Rain gear. For the bike. Look into FrogTogs. Sick colors, but they keep you dry.

See, Hiromi, I feel exactly the opposite. I feel like they're tryin' to fake me out when they places things oh-so-casually, "oops, how'd that get in there?" I'd far rather they wave it at me and say, "here's product placement, and yeah, we know you know it so we're not fuckin' around."

The under-stated ones annoy me a whole lot more. I mean, it's commercial teevee; we know it, we're not pretending otherwise. We know that's how the show can afford to put these people in top digs and top kitchens; so fine, get on with it.

Less product placement and more molecular spit!

!!

There was a lovely story I heard here in NZ about one of the Survivor type only one winner, the nastiest takes all etc "reality" shows a tv network here tried to do.
The show only lasted one season because no matter how the network tried to edit and dress it up, it was too boring cos, 1/ the network was too cheap to set it amywhere even vaguely interesting 2/ the prize was only nz$100,000 (around US$50,000), so the stakes were too low, and 3/ the contestants were too aware that a lot of people they knew would be watching, and being an a''hole would quite possibly have real real life repercussions for one's reputation..apparently the actors basically refused to nasty to each other.
The result though is that we get all the DIY/Property developer/police/ and police/navy/army cadet training "reality" shows instead.

Hello Hiromi,

My name is Adam and I work for an organization called College Activities Board in Rochester, New York, which is near Buffalo, NY.

I am posting this since i found this blog through a search of Natto on google.

I am planning a challenging event for this organization. Basically, it is an eating challenge. the concept is a Healthy Food Bar Challenge. The twist is that the foods involved are NASTY to taste, but MUST be healthy. some ideas we have here are: seaweed, tofu, natto, wheatgrass combined with Carrot juice, Beets, Stewed Prunes, and something i just got from your site, Kami Miso (crab brains).

The thing is I would like nasty, yet healthy foods that offend the senses. and if possible, keep it away from any type of meat. Vegetarian type of foods only.

Any type of suggestion or whatever you can help me out with would be greatly appreciated.

I look forward to your response and any response your readers may have.

Please contact me at apn3011@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Adam

Sic_un has a set, top and bottoms. Bright orange, but they keep him dry. And ridiculously like a bunny suit...

I have been waiting for Top Chef to come back on for what feels like ages. I've always liked that you enjoyed the show and talked about it here, as I never seem to find people interested in it elsewhere I read.

I thought the Quick Fire challenge was pretty obvious as well with few that grabbed me as, oh wow. Although, I am defintiely curious about the sausage-peach one. I'd try that one for sure.

I was stunned that in the Elimination Challenge that the one guy was clueless as to Chicken Piccata. I'm hardly talented, but even I would have smoked him in that comepeition.

I have to say I am curious about the couple being on. I don't know why some seem to have their knickers in a twist about it, I don't think there will be any advantages. Did they just both try out and both got picked up on merit or are there producers rubbing their hands in evil expecatation of forecoming drama.

I thought I was immune to reality t.v. but somehow got bit by "Beauty and the Geek" now I may need to be de-programed.....I think it may say something about how bad the regular network dramas and comedy actually are.

will look into it. I recently visited both the local health food market as well as the local asian food markets. Found amongst these stores: natto, pitted prunes, black sea cucumber, seaweed cake, yellow pickled radish, dried and fresh seaweed, pickled garlic, dried shrimp, tofu, seasoned chicken feet, and some other things.

Thank you for your suggestion of narazuke. know where i can order it from online?

Also, any other suggestions? Thank you!