I watched these shows tonight, and it got me thinking: are there Platonic standards of Order, Discipline, Respect, and Kindness that we’ve lost touch with? Because these shows are very much about getting average people to see how they’ve strayed from The Good. Super Nazi Nanny and The Wife I Don’t Want Swap seem to spend a good chunk of time berating the participants. I suppose it’s to make us (i.e., the viewer) feel superior, but it’s also about getting extremes (as represented by the families) to find some kind of tolerable middle. At bottom, tough, these shows are about standards that someone (a TV producer?) thinks we should live by.
As Dwight Schrute from The Office would say: “Question: Do you think these shows are helpful in addressing problems in your own family?”
ML
April 10, 2008 at 7:13 amI think these shows are ridiculous! I see them advertised all the time and cringe at the thought.
Py Korry
April 10, 2008 at 7:19 amI cringe, too. But you know what? They can hook you pretty darn quick.
Beenzzz
April 10, 2008 at 7:24 amI just hope I never have to swap spouses and end up with Dwight Shrute! Yeh, those shoes blow.
Beenzzz
April 10, 2008 at 7:24 amShoes? I mean shows. 🙂
J
April 10, 2008 at 9:06 amI’ve watched Supernanny in the past, and then last night…she’s upped the scolding quite a bit. She used to not insult them, and be much more supportive. I suspect they’ve changed it for ratings reasons. I do enjoy watching it sometimes, because yeah…I feel superior. 😉
MC
April 10, 2008 at 9:07 amI’ll admit it. These shows are a guilty pleasure for me.
I think the casting of Wife Swap is brilliant… that they can find such outrageous extremes and pair them with their opposites is consistently amazing.
SuperNanny is interesting, too. It always makes me feel better about my own parenting skills. Ever notice that they always find these far-gone situations involving relatively affluent people in nice homes with stay-at-home moms? I think it would be nice if they would try harder to lend SN’s expertise to somebody in a little more need.
CG
April 10, 2008 at 11:16 amI watched part of wife swap last night. Are there really people like those out there? My gosh! As they say in the old country “Those people are real Chammar”, J said she feels superior in comparison. That says it for me too.
Py Korry
April 10, 2008 at 3:50 pmI thought both familes were weird, too.
Autumn's Mom
April 10, 2008 at 4:02 pmI can’t watch Wife Swap. I don’t like unreal reality shows. I love how they will have a couple who profess not to even have a television in their home…um then how is it you have come to be on this show?? I used to watch Supernanny. Just so I could feel superior. Sad to say. But it gets old after awhile.
Lalunas
April 14, 2008 at 11:20 amI think these show are destructive to the family. I used to think people watched it to feel better about themselves. Now I just think Monkey see, monkey do.