How Much of Reality Television is Real?

Reality television is not really reality, by any stretch of the imagination. I can’t think of a reality show that is 100 percent real.

There is a reason that reality television has producers and directors. Nobody is going to turn on a camera and turn it off after 22 minutes of filming and show it on national television.

Duck Dynasty may seem to be a normal day in the life of its stars, but someone has to plan out what situations they will put the cast in during the filming that day.

When the shows are on break between filming new shows someone is almost certainly deciding  what situations will be on during the upcoming season.

The producers of shows like Duck Dynasty or The Duggars: 21 and Counting are not going to leave to chance what happens on their shows.

In reality there is no such thing as reality television, because all reality shows only simulate reality and try to make the scenes look like they are happening naturally.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the humor on Duck Dynasty is not always spontaneous, since the characters may even be told what to say at certain points in the show. The cutaways showing a member of the cast making comments about what is happening at the moment surely must be planned in advance.

I am a huge fan of Duck Dynasty, but accept the fact that the shows have been well thought out and presented in a way for the cast to provide fans like me laughs throughout the show.

Some shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians are not even close to reality, since so many of the situations seem contrived to create the most drama possible. Can you imagine this show with the cameras just following the cast members around hoping they would say or do something that would be worth filming? It definitely would not be must see TV.

Another example is the Big Brother reality show on CBS. How long would viewers watch the show if the show just listened on the house guests discussing the weather? There have been reports of producers telling the house guests what to do, which goes against everything reality television is supposed to represent.

Creating drama is a major goal of reality television. They don’t want a house full of house guests that all get along and only want to play chess or play games in the backyard.

Big Brother After Dark is a prime example of how boring so-called reality television can be. The house guests can be seen and heard talking about old movies and television shows and what kind of music they like. They can be seen lifting weights or stuffing themselves in the kitchen, since they are trying to stay awake until the filming ends, so they can go to bed for the night.

95 percent of that show is pure boredom for viewers. Even worse the best parts of the behind scenes action are usually saved for the filmed shows shown on CBS.

TLC is a channel devoted almost exclusively to reality television and has some of the better reality shows on television like Cake Boss, Little Couple and Little People, Big World.

Little Couple may be one of the more realistic reality shows out there, since it follows Bill and Jen Klein as they struggle to get by in a big people’s world. The storyline about them trying to have a baby on their own and eventually having to adopt was one of the most heartwarming stories ever shown on television in any form. Meeting their adopted son Will for the first time in China was one of the most special moments ever shown on television. Then when they took their son, who has dwarfism to the park their son learned firsthand what it was like to be small in a big people’s world, when he was not tall enough to ride one of the rides.

They are ideal parents for Will in that they know what it is like to be smaller, than almost everyone they see during a day.

We as television viewers can either accept that reality television is 100 percent real or enjoy the shows knowing that they are not anywhere close to being real. It is each viewer’s choice to make that decision.

Reality television may not have scripts like most television shows, but there is someone running each reality show that is deciding what will be happening on a show and in what order the events will be shown in a show.

In answer to the question at the top of this article….None of reality television is 100 percent rule, as much as we might like to think of it as being real. The reason I like reality television is that it is more real, than what a scriptwriter writes for scripted television.

There will always be a division between television viewers that like to watch scripted television more than those of us who like reality television, while knowing it is only partially real, since each show has a show runner making decisions on what will happen on any particular reality show.

Reality TV News At A Glance…..Duck Dynasty fans are anxiously awaiting the fourth season to be shown later this year. Meanwhile the cast has been doing everything except making duck calls with appearances on Jimmy Kimmel and Katie. I particularly liked their appearance on Katie, in which we learned about the beardless brother Alan Robertson, who will be appearing on the fourth season episodes. His appearance should add a new dynamic to the show and will be interesting to see how he is used in the show.

Big Brother 15 starts two weeks early this year, with the first show being shown on June 26. This is the countdown till the show for those fans eager to see the first show: 8 days, 6 hours, 16 minutes and 42 seconds. Look for announcement this week of who the 2013 house guests will be at CBS.com.

Cake Boss should be interesting and hopefully we will learn how Buddy Velastro’s mom Mary has been doing, since she has Lou Gehrig’s disease and it was very emotional for Buddy to see his mother deteriorating.

Rock My RV with Bret Michaels has rocked the world of reality television, as he remodels broken down motor homes and makes them look new again with the latest innovations in the world of motor homes today

Reality TV Poll

Groucho Marx Kept Us Laughing

The elderly lady in this photo from You Bet Your Life program asks Groucho Marx to put out his cigarette in one of the funniest moments in the history of the show.

Julius Henry “Groucho” Marx was born October 2, 1890 in New York City. He appeared as a 15-year-old singer on stage in 1905 and had an excellent soprano voice.

Marx appeared in every entertainment venue , as he was in vaudeville, burlesque, radio, television and movies. He was part of the Four Nightingales singing group with his brothers. A performance in Nacogdoches, Texas would prove to be a turning point in their careers, when they started cracking jokes, which was better received by the audience than their singing.

The Marx Brothers became a major hit when they entertained at the Palace Theater which epitomized success in the vaudeville era.

It would be 1921, before the Marx Brothers made their first silent movie Humor Risk, which was so bad that it was only shown once. Eight years would pass before they appeared in Cocoanuts in 1929 and would be followed by Animal Crackers in 1930. Groucho would appear in his last movie in a brief cameo, when he appeared in The Candidate in 1972.

From 1921 to 1968 Groucho appeared in movies and also was heard in 379 episodes of various radio shows from 1933-1975 with his last five shows having no date shown for those broadcasts. His most famous show You Bet Your Life was on the air from 1947-1956.

Television would become the new home for the show, but it was being heard on radio and seen on television simultaneously from 1950-1957. Marx appeared in 84 episodes of the television show from 1950-1961, but very few episodes were filmed in any of those years.

The show included a quiz, but the show was best known for the humorous banter, between Groucho and his guests. The best way to appreciate the humor in the shows is to watch one of the shows on YouTube.

I can remember when going to summer school back in my high school days, that I would return home and watch the show.

One of my favorite memories of the show was when Groucho asked a girl from India, if she knew who was buried in Grant’s Tomb and she replied “Me??!!” which caught everyone by surprise. He was trying to ask her an easy question and she still missed it. Another easy question was “What color is the White House?” Groucho was one of the best ad-libbers in show business and his ability to ad lib is what made this show so much fun.

Groucho was the very first guest on Johnny Carson’s Tonight show in 1962.

Some of Groucho’s quotes:

Marriage is a wonderful institution. But who wants to live in an institution?

While shooting elephants in Africa, I found the tusks very difficult to remove. But in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa…

The husband who wants a happy marriage should learn to keep his mouth shut and his checkbook open.

Even more quotes from Groucho:

The last years for Groucho were not happy ones, as his caretaker Erin Fleming treated him harshly, which is best described in this Wikipedia article:

Relationship with Groucho Marx

Fleming’s influence on Marx was controversial. Many close to him admitted that she did much to revive his popularity; these efforts included a series of one-man shows, culminating in a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall which was released on a best-selling record album and an honorary Academy Award he received in 1974. Also, some observers felt the apparent relationship with a young starlet boosted Groucho’s ego, adding to his vitality. Others, including Marx’s son, Arthur, described her in Svengali-esque terms, accusing her of exploiting an increasingly senile and frail Marx in pursuit of her own stardom.

In the years leading up to Marx’s death in August 1977, his heirs filed several lawsuits against Fleming. One allegation leveled against Fleming was that she was determined to sell Marx’s favorite car, a Cadillac, against his wishes. When Marx protested, it was said, Fleming threatened, “I will slap you from here to Pittsburgh.” Another allegation had her dancing nude around Marx, fondling herself and asking “Don’t you wish you could have some of this?” Many people close to Marx believed Fleming was abusive towards him. Arthur wanted temporary conservatorship of his father, and took Fleming to court. According to the book Raised Eyebrows by Groucho’s secretary Steve Stoliar, Fleming had several personal problems; he stated in his book that she used drugs, had mood swings, and was given to inappropriate outbursts, both in public and in private.

The court battles dragged into the early 1980s, but judgments were eventually reached in favor of Arthur Marx, ordering Fleming to repay $472,000 to the Marx estate.

Arrest

Fleming’s mental health deteriorated in the 1990s. She was arrested once in the Los Angeles area on a weapons charge, and spent much of the decade in and out of commitments to various psychiatric facilities.^{[citation needed]} She was also reportedly impoverished and homeless in her final years, living on the streets of Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

Death

Fleming committed suicide in 2003 by shooting herself.^]

Groucho Marx died on August 19, 1977 of pneumonia. His death wasn’t given much publicity, due to the fact that Elvis Presley had died three days earlier.

Little Couple: Adopt Three Year Old Child From China

Jen and Bill Klein on their wedding day.

There are many reality shows, that a viewer can instantly tell that it is scripted. However Little Couple is not one of those shows.

It is a show that tells about the real life struggles and joys of Bill and Jen Arnold, a couple of little people living, in a world of regular size people.

They have tried to have a baby in the conventional way and by having a surrogate deliver their baby. Neither way worked for them, as the surrogate mother lost the baby.

Then they tried adoption and now are parents of three year old Will Arnold. He is not a normal size child, as he is like his parents a little person. His facial expressions will melt your heart, as this one in a photo with his parents:

Jen and Bill Klein with their adopted child from China named Will.

Jen Klein works in Houston, Texas as a neonatologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, while her husband Bill Klein runs a business from his home.

They may both be afflicted with dwarfism, but they don’t seem to let it stop them from accomplishing the goals, that they have set for themselves in life.

Both of them have hopes and dreams like the rest of us. Seems like nothing comes easy for them, from buying a car that has to be fitted with extension pedals so they can reach the pedals and building a house that takes into account their size, by making drawers and door knobs easily accessible for them.

The first Little Couple show aired on the TLC Network on May 26, 2009 and the sixth season recently started, with the focus being on them fighting the red tape to adopt a baby from China.

Before the adoption they had tried having a baby the natural way, but it never worked out for them, so they then tried having a surrogate mother, but that also did not end well, with the mother losing the baby.

They jumped at the chance to adopt a three year old Chinese baby, that also had dwarfism. It is great that they will be parenting this child, because they know exactly what the baby will face in a big people world. They took Will to an amusement park in Japan and Will was not allowed on a ride, because of being too short and his dad Bill told him that it will happen many times in his life.

Will can almost instantly go from a lying position to a standing position, probably because of the dwarfism. What really captures your heart is when you see Will smile in his own special way. I couldn’t find a photo of his special smile to post, but it can be seen on the show.

The next episode will show the family returning from China to Houston, so should be interesting to see how Will adopts to a whole new culture.

Bill and Jen are also in the process of adopting a girl from India named Zoey. Hope we get to see Zoey, before Season 6 ends.

It is good to see great things happen to Bill and Jen, after all the struggles of trying to have a child and then the red tape of adopting a baby from a foreign country.

They both have a great sense of humor, which helps them through even the worst situations.

One thing for sure is that no other couple on reality television is more likeable than Bill and Jen. Shows like this make up for some of the garbage seen on reality television today, that are so obviously scripted to produce drama.

Esther Williams Dies At 91

Esther Williams 1921 – 2013

Esther Williams who was best known for swimming in her movies has died at the age of 91 in her Los Angeles home today. Williams was also born in Los Angeles on August 8, 1921.The statuesque Williams was 5 foot 9 and was a teenage swimming champion, before becoming a movie star. She was an early proponent of synchronized swimming, which was featured in her films.

She appeared in her first feature film Andy Hardy’s Double Life in 1942. She became known for her swimming  movies like Bathing Beauty released in 1944 in which she co-starred with Red Skelton and was at the time the third highest grossing film for MGM behind Ben Hur and Gone With The Wind.

Her married life was spent with four husbands, including her third husband actor Fernando Lamas. She married her fourth husband Edward Bell and was still married to him upon her death. She was the grandstepmother of Shayne and A.J. Lamas and stepmother of Lorenzo Lamas.

World War II prevented Williams from competing in the 1940 and 1944 Olympics as a swimmer. IMDB.com list this as one of the quotes attributed to Williams: “ All they ever did for me at MGM was change my leading man and the water in my pool. “

She appeared in her last movie Magic Mountain in 1963 with Fernando Lamas, who would marry her six years later in 1969.

New York Times has an extensive obituary for Esther Williams:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/07/movies/esther-williams-who-swam-to-movie-fame-dies-at-91.html?_r=0

 

 

 

 

MLB On Brink Of Suspending 20 Players In Biogenesis Investigation

Reblogged from Baseball Stats Fanatic:

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Anthony Bosch, the founder of Biogenesis drug clinic has agreed to talk to MLB, after having originally balked at cooperating with the MLB investigation. The lawsuit against him by major league baseball has caused Bosch to reconsider his original stance and he also hopes his cooperation will prevent him from appearing in criminal court.

It seems like the primary targets for MLB in this investigation are Milwaukee Brewers left fielder…

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Reblogging to fix alignment problem.

Classic Television: Donna Reed Show

Reblogged from Nostalgia and Now:

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The Donna Reed Show first appeared on ABC television network, on September 24, 1958 and would air its last show on March 19,1966.

The Donna Reed Show hasn't received the recognition it deserved over the years. I have not heard of it being shown on the schedule of any television network. It was one of the better known situation comedies, at the time but with time has faded into oblivion, for the most part since its last show 47 years ago.

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Had the wrong heading on the Donna Reed Show so changed it and reblogging.

Classic Television: Donna Reed Show

The Donna Reed Show first appeared on ABC television network, on September 24, 1958 and would air its last show on March 19,1966.

Donna Reed who was Donna Stone on the Donna Reed Show was born Donnabelle Mullenger on January 27, 1921 in Denison, Iowa.

Carl Betz who portrayed Dr. Alex Stone on the Donna Reed Show was born March 9, 1921 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Paul Petersen was born on September 23, 1945 in Glendale, California and was seen as Jeff Stone on the Donna Reed Show.

Shelley Fabares was born as Michele Marie Fabares on January 19, 1944 and portrayed Mary Stone on the Donna Reed Show.

The Donna Reed Show hasn’t received the recognition it deserved over the years. I have not heard of it being shown on the schedule of any television network. It was one of the better known situation comedies, at the time but with time has faded into oblivion, for the most part since its last show 47 years ago.

The show made recording stars of Shelley Fabares who sang the million selling “Johnny Angel” and Paul Petersen who sang “She Can’t Find Her Keys”.

Donna Reed tired of making the shows, so the show ended after 275 episodes in 1966. She appeared as Miss Ellie in 24 episodes of Dallas from 1984-1985 and died on January 14, 1986 in Beverly Hills, California from pancreatic cancer.

Carl Betz went on to star in Judd For The Defense from 1967-1969 and appeared on television and in the movies through 1977, before dying of cancer on January 18, 1978 in Los Angeles, California.

Paul Petersen has been very active in television and movies, since the Donna Reed Show ended and he appeared in eight episodes of Matt Houston in different roles. He is currently filming the movie Executive Ranks.

Petersen is well-known for his work with former child stars, who had problems adapting to life after stardom. The death of Rusty Hamer of Make Room For Daddy fame. Hamer committed suicide 10 miles from where I am writing this, when he shot himself in Deridder, Louisiana at the age of 42.

It was all the motivation that Petersen needed to strive to help child stars, who couldn’t cope in the real world.

Petersen will be 68 in September.

Shelley Fabares is now 69 and acted in three Elvis Presley movies, Girl Happy in 1965, Spinout in 1966 and Clambake in 1967.

She was the co-star of the Brian Keith Show and appeared in all 47 episodes from 1972-1974. Fabares also appeared in 27 episodes of One Day At A Time from 1978-1984.

Her most successful role after the Donna Reed Show was her run on Coach from 1989-1997, when she portrayed Christine Armstrong in all 199 episodes.

The last movie Fabares appeared in was Playing To Win: A Moment of Truth a 1998 TV movie and she has done voice work mostly and has not been active in the last seven years.

Crazyabouttv.com lists all 275 episodes in the series:

http://www.crazyabouttv.com/donnareedshow.html

This is a list of Donna Reed shows available for viewing at youtube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=donna+reed+show&oq=donna+reed+show&gs_l=youtube.3..0l10.43.2722.0.3248.13.10.0.0.0.0.712.1863.1j1j0j1j0j1j1.5.0…0.0…1ac.1.11.youtube.O_a5IEKYBPk