Ryan & Trista & Rob &
Amber
Gordon Pepper
In the beginning, you saw Trista Rehn get her heart
broken in a dating show, and you thought... "It's good."
Well, maybe not so good for Trista, but very good for
ratings, good enough that Trista gets her own dating
show out of the deal. During that show, Trista meets...
Ryan Sutter. Viewers saw all of this and thought....
"Very good." We once again saw them in the finale all
huggy and kissy as we all say... AwwwwwBarf.
Around 18 months later, We get Trista and Ryan's
wedding. On TV. During sweeps. Getting very good
ratings. So good, that we see them again on Thanksgiving
floats during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. So
good, that they showed up again in "Fear Factor". So
good, that you will see at least one of them yet again
in ABC's "Dancing With the Stars". So good, that it was
only a matter of time until we get to see something like
a televised reality show marriage happen again.
Let's go back again. This time all the way back to
"Survivor The Australian Outback", when we see a girl
named Amber Brkich finish in eighth (though mostly
trailing the coattails of Jerri). The ratings? The best
ever for a season of Survivor. The second highest ever?
"Survivor Marquesas", where we see Boston Rob Mariano's
debut. Four seasons later, we see Amber and Rob coupling
up on All-Stars, when at the end of the season, Rob
proposes to Amber. We all once again say AwwwwwBarf.
Fast forward to... well.... a Fast Forward, which is
featured in "The Amazing Race." Critics who feared that
this was going to be the second coming of Allison &
Donny were silenced when we saw perhaps one of the best
teams ever to play this game, and certainly a team that
could have won had it not been for a... ahem... pilot
with a change of heart and 'karma'. The ratings on this
show made this the highest watched Amazing Race ever, as
it should, since this was a fun season.
Hence, it's only inevitable that we are subjected to the
wedding of Rob & Amber. Before you all get up in arms
and complaining this Tuesday about this potential mess
about to happen, all I have to say is that it's you guys
who gave them the ratings and hence, the incentive to
display the marriage to millions of viewers. Whether we
have to deal with any more reality show weddings will
all be based on whether you watch this debacle. If you
don't, we'll never have to see it again.
Chances are, however, that you will... or you will tape
it at least. Or you will get it off of the web site. We
like to watch. We like to see people munch on animal
testicles (we've done this sort of behavior for five
years now). We like to see millions of dollars wagered
on the turn of the card, and part of why we like to
watch it is to see the torment of the people who have
just seen a dream come crashing down around them. We
like to see "The Surreal Life" and see a drunken Mini-Me
urinate all over the floor. We like to buy William Hung
albums and go to Votefortheworst.com.
Why do
we like to do this? It's in our nature, I suppose, since
I admit to watching "The Surreal Life" (though I have
NEVER bought one of his albums. I did see his "We Are
The Champions" video. Yikes.)
I know I will be watching Rob and Amber, because I will
have to. But deep inside, I am wondering if a part
of me actually wants to see this, and hence generate
more of these shows coming in.
The
movie tagline for the film "Sliver" was "You Like To
Watch." Though it seemed silly when it was released
15-plus years ago, the answer is yes. We do like to
watch. We most certainly do.
Gordon Pepper can be reached at gordon@gameshownewsnet.com. |