Competition reality shows
Have you ever voted for a contestant?
Which show, which contestant, and how (phone, text, online)?
For the shows that aren’t determined by audience votes, have you ever tried figuring out who will be elminated based on the footage the show has decided to air? I hadn’t thought about this until this season of Ultimate Fighter Championship. I realized the people putting the show together, the story editors, already know who has won the fight. So how will they decide to put the lead-up material together? On the episode I was watching, I noticed one guy was really laying on the trash talking thick. And of course, he ends up losing. I figured they probably had just as much trash talking footage from the other guy, but chose not to use it. So it’s kind of fun to watch and see if I can guess who will win based on what they’ve chosen to air.
(Not that I enjoy watching men pummel each other bloody. But man, when the fighters start crying because they’ve lost or they have to go home because they’ve got herpes on their neck? That’s good TV.)
I voted for Clay Aiken (yes, yes I did) in Season 2 of AI for the finale. I also voted for Jordin Sparks last year, but once again, only in the finale. I wouldn’t have voted for Jordin last year, but my husband decided to vote for Blake, and so I had to compete with him.
That’s it. I rarely vote.
As for determining who will win based on footage, I try really hard, every time on The Amazing Race to figure it out, and during some episodes, it’s easy. But the editors do a good job, and so sometimes it’s really hard to see who makes it in time until the last possible second.
Comment by cheryl — May 8, 2008 @ 10:24 am
P.S. I voted via phone.
Comment by cheryl — May 8, 2008 @ 10:24 am
“But man, when the fighters start crying because they’ve lost or they have to go home because they’ve got herpes on their neck? That’s good TV.”
My two-year-old wants to know what’s so funny.
I’ve never voted—I prefer to just whine and complain when everyone else gets it all wrong.
Comment by bythelbs — May 8, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
I’ve never voted. Mainly because I’m skeptical of the system. I think it’s a gimmic utilized to try and increase ratings.
Comment by Abby — May 8, 2008 @ 12:12 pm
Do they play ads when you call in?
The UFC show actually has sponsors doing voiceovers in the show. “DirectTV, the number one choice for sports fans.”
Comment by Susan M — May 8, 2008 @ 12:19 pm
AI is the only phone-in reality competition show that I watch and I have never voted.
Comment by Tim J. — May 8, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
On the episode I was watching, I noticed one guy was really laying on the trash talking thick. And of course, he ends up losing.
I call it “reverse-shadowing” as in the opposite of foreshadowing. Survivor does this all the time. I said to my wife last week while we were watching that Amanda found the hidden immunity idol and would play it since they didn’t show her finding it and I was, of course, right
Comment by Darin H — May 8, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
My wife and oldest son used to watch American Idol religiously and vote several times each week by phone.
Then we got Tivo. They still watch, but to late to vote anymore.
Comment by TStevens — May 9, 2008 @ 6:09 pm