Since recently displaying an American Idol poll on this blog I have lost all credibility with a few readers. With that being so, blogging about the National Spelling Bee being on the tube tonight will probably bring me more lashes. But I am physically stronger than three of the slashers and faster than the other so I'll continue on to blogging about the spelling bee.
I am not going to watch the spelling bee tonight. Not because I am taking a high road or anything but because NBC is airing a four episode marathon of The Office. But even if The Office wasn't on, I would find something else to do instead of watching the spelling bee.
In this article last year's national spelling champion said the spelling bee is "the quintessence of reality TV." A good friend helped me connect together some thoughts I've had today. I don't like that the spelling bee is going to be televised during primetime hours, as reality TV. For me it comes down to the idea of linking kids to reality TV with quintessence - I could be nit picking but the formula doesn't work for me. Spreading the excitement of the spelling bee by categorizing it as reality TV strips away the contest's wholesomeness. But is it really reality TV?And what about when the Little League World Series is televised during primetime? Is that reality TV? Does that event lose something because it is televised? Unfortunately watching vulnerable, geeky, unsocialized spelling wizards struggle through anxiety is what will bring entertainment value to most of the audience tonight. And because of that perceived value, the spelling bee will become reality TV.
I know I should have deeper thoughts about this but what do I know? I watched American Idol this year.
3 comments:
I think it would qualify as reality TV if they made the contestants stand up to their neck in pig blood and spell the words.
Consider this: Here I am in a hotel in Pierre, SD. I'm preparing for bed, and hoping that before I begin my slumber I could log onto Burn The Ships and vote on an exciting new poll. Alas, no poll.
I actually watched part of the bee. I taped it 'cause I wasn't sure if I'd be able to catch all of it, and wound up getting back in time to catch the last 45 minutes.
I love watching it. But then, I was pretty heavy into the geography bee in junior high, so that's probably part of the reason it intrigues me.
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