Diving into the latest reality fad


"Reality TV is sleazy, it is manipulative. It is as momentary as anything in popular culture." — Morley Safer

I don't care for reality TV. In fact, I think few things are as contrived and manipulative as "reality TV." I would like to believe what Morely Safer, a curmudgeon from "60 Minutes," says about them being momentary, all evidence points to the contrary.

Call if voyeurism gone wrong, call it the dumbing down of America, but it seems that the interest — and ratings — in reality TV is only increasing. For my part, I avoid reality shows like the plague I believe them to be. Once upon a time I watched season 1 of "Survivor," until I figured out that it was a race to the bottom, then I gave up. I used to watch "Last Comic Standing," but it got heavy on the drama and light on the stand up, and now it's gone.

So, much to my surprise, when I got sucked into a new reality show — ABC's diving show "Splash" — it felt a little like breaking my own theories of TV. But it happened innocently.

When they first announced "Splash" — a reality show were celebrities (after a fashion) engaging in a diving competition — I dismissed it. That was a concept that was clearly not for me. So I didn't watch the premier.

But on a Saturday night, with nothing on TV, I was persuaded by my wife to put it on. So I did. And that was the end of my aversion to this show.

On paper this seems ridiculous. Louie Anderson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nicole Eggert, Kendra Wilkinson, and others engaging in diving doesn't seem like a good idea. But it is oddly compelling, enough that I legitimately looked forward to its airing last night.

BTW, in case you missed it, Louie got bounced in a nail-bitter against Katherine Webb.

Anyway, the show is kind of fun. The celebrities are taking it seriously, the dives are fascinating, and the show has a more optimistic, supportive vibe than most reality shows. Maybe I'm biased because I watch it, but I actually think it's an entertaining and fun show.

Sure, as with all reality shows you question the judging at times. Sometimes I don't understand the scores. Sometimes I wonder if there is a hidden agenda. But, for the most part, it's just an interesting take on the reality show format.

So while I don't like reality TV, I am apparently not immune to its charms. God save us all...

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