Schadenfreude TV

So, I caught a few minutes of this "Moment of Truth" show the other night. It wasn't the first time, but like every time, I couldn't watch for very long. Have you seen it? Yeah, I know. Yeah. No, really.

Brutal. The word you're looking for is brutal.

People sacrifice their dignity (and I'm not talking just the "ooh, I got all mucky", or "ooh, I just ate a rat" stuff that Fear Factor required) on air, in front of millions of viewers -- plus a group of their loved ones -- just so they can make some money. The worst part, from what I saw, was that the money wasn't all that good: a paltry sum of $100k for answers that tore apart the marriage of the woman on the hot-seat. The only thing that redeemed the show was the seeming justice, the possibly divine karma that made her lose all the money when she couldn't be truthful, even to herself, about whether she was a "good person". (She said she was, the lie detector said otherwise.)

This is game show/reality TV at its lowest. In ways, it reminds me of "The Running Man", and other such SciFi concepts from the 80's and 90's.

I can't help but wonder, really, what could be worse television than "The Moment of Truth". What's next, "Celebrity Nun Whipping"?

I can see it now (unfortunately):

"Watch as D-list celebrities, most of whom you've never heard of, and don't recognize by their pictures, take the leather to the women of the cloth."

"Cringe in sympathy as the nuns grit their teeth and cry out to the Lord for strength, all in the name of their favourite charities, and to purify their souls."

"Call in, or vote online, for the best combination of celeb and Sister. Remember, your votes help decide who goes on to the next round, and who gets left behind in the Pit of Despair(tm)! Don't let your favourites down!"

"And don't forget to go online, at celebnunwhip.tv. Join the forum to discuss the merits of crotchety school-marm nuns versus pretty, young, singing nuns like the ones in the movies. Sign up for the newsletter, with behind-the-scenes photos and facts. And best of all... PLAY THE ONLINE GAME!!!"

You totally know this would be on FOX in an instant if they thought it would get eyeballs. These are the same folks that brought us "Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire", after all.

Heck, Darva Conger could be one of the first-season contestants on CNW!


Hg