Way back in the good old days of 2007, folks used to talk about what a godforsaken wasteland TV would become, if the then-only-rumored writers’ strike were to come to fruition.
Those days have come, right on time.
There’s the all-American belting of “American Idol,” the sputtering ratings grabbing of “The Celebrity Apprentice” and the borderline exploitative “The Biggest Loser: Couples.” All of these shows contribute their fair share to the predicted “wasteland” of television.
One show, however, has recently tipped the scales.
“The Moment of Truth” is not even a reality show, per se, but a game show. Game shows, if you think about it, are really the great granddaddy of reality shows. Both are semi-unscripted and usually involve “normal” people winning sums of money.
The sheer level of manipulation of contestants on “The Moment of Truth” makes it more like a reality show than a pure game show. Before the show, contestants are given a polygraph test of 50 to 75 yes-or-no questions, and 21 are selected to be asked on the show. Without knowing the results of the polygraph, the contestant has to answer truthfully to win escalating sums of money.
It sounds innocent enough. Just tell the truth and win money. But the truth of the matter is the questions are so stomach-churningly intimate, embarrassing and potentially damaging that it negates any goodwill the show may have had due to the cash prizes. In other words, it’s not worth it.
On the first episode, a square-jawed and clean-cut former football player went into the hot seat to be grilled by our pal Mark L. Walberg. He was asked a question to the effect of, “Have you ever snuck a peek at another man’s privates while in the locker room?”
Walberg had the good sense to obnoxiously ask the contestant to elaborate once he answered in the affirmative and truthfully. Later, the contestant was asked something close to, “Are you hesitant to have children with your wife because you think she might not be your partner forever?” Our boy answered yes, and it was the truth. But keep in mind that his wife is on stage with him, hearing every word. Then, on a later question, the contestant lied, and guess what? He left with no money and an angry wife.
I feel sick.
Does this pass for entertainment?
I’ll admit sometimes situations in which people are visibly uncomfortable can be funny. Just look at the success of “The Office.” Or any situation where college students feel compelled to decree, “Awkward!” every time something is remotely uncomfortable.
But this is beyond funny-uncomfortable. These are potentially damaging questions here. I don’t even want to imagine what it was like for that first contestant on the drive home with his now polygraph-spurned wife riding shotgun.
This new show is indicative of two rapidly emerging and disturbing tendencies.
First, these new shows are starting to be less and less about the framework of the game, and more and more about the merciless manipulation of the contestant. At least with reality shows like “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” contestants are asked to participate in something somewhat adventurous, with a focus on the game, be it group dynamics in “Survivor” or just plain frantic racing in “The Amazing Race.” Of course, elements on these shows are obviously manipulated in order to maximize interpersonal drama, but there were always returns to the game framework and tests of actual merit, like physical challenges and tasks.
Now that framework is just a transparent façade. Producers are just going through the motions with barely a semblance of framework in order to squeeze every last drop of drama and emotion out of a sequence or contestant.
Secondly, we’re starting to outsource.
Originally, “The Moment of Truth,” like “American Idol,” was a U.K. game show. In a scramble to fill the time slots, it appears that Fox executives borrowed the show from the U.K. because they were so desperate for a new show that they couldn’t even think up a new game show for themselves.
I suggest that we follow the path of the Dunkleman.
Brian Dunkleman, aside from having one of the more phonetically hilarious names in television, is the long lost original cohost of “American Idol,” who quit after that first season because the machinations of reality television bothered him so much. Just because these shows are on, doesn’t mean we have to watch other people squirm.
I realize Dunkleman came crawling back for the fifth season of “Idol,” but that’s beside the point. It’s not the Dunkleman I knew.
If you, too, feel betrayed and confused by Dunkleman’s return to “Idol,” e-mail Ayres at jayres@media.ucla.edu.