Thursday, February 28, 2008

Moment of Truth


Has anyone else seen that horrible reality TV show "Moment of Truth"?

It is the one that puts people on the hot seat and ask very pointed questions while hooking them up to some sort of lie detector equipment.

They ask questions like "do you love your husband", "would you rather be married to your former girlfriend" and "do you think you are a better mother to your children than your mother was to you?"

I find this horrifying! They exploit these people, break up marriages, hurt family members, embarrass and humiliate friends, all in the name of "entertainment"? The people who choose to go on are trying to win money? It's sick! And it's socially irresponsible.

What are your thoughts on this? What do you think should be the limits of reality TV?

~*

28 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

Not me: the commercials and the premise nauseate me.

WendyB said...

I don't watch these things but if people want to participate in them, I wouldn't stop them from it. People who want to mess up their lives will always find a way. I'm indifferent as to whether they do it on camera or off camera.

flutter said...

They know full well the premise of the show.

They are not wise to participate.

Liv said...

ghastly!!

Bec said...

We have recently got this on tv in the UK. Jerry Springer right? Yes it's disgusting & I won't watch it either but agree with the others, the contestants know exactly what they are getting into so they have themselves to blame if it all goes tits up.

Now punk'd, that is truely disgusting. Freaking people out with hidden cameras for the entertainment of the masses, choising to embarrass or humilate yourself on tv is one thing but these kidns of shows are just wrong.

niobe said...

It sounds like a horrible show for many reasons. One of which is that lie detectors are far from foolproof.

But I guess people will do just about anything for money and/or to appear on television.

Anonymous said...

The limits of reality TV? Well, it should be limited to outside my house, for starters.

Everydaythings said...

I could never participate in a show like this... how far do these people think a person should go in public? and yes..the $$$ is always the carrot to make them go just past the touch line past the line of decency or what they would normally say in public. We dont have that show here...thank goodness.

Amy Y said...

I am a self professed reality TV junkie... and I would never watch something like this! Yes, I'm sure it satisfies the voyeur in all of us, but at what price? I guess the folks who choose to go on the show, for whatever reason, should know what they are getting into, but I don't think we should encourage the networks to put stuff like this on the air.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, so thank goodness the writers strike is done and we can hopefully get a little better quality TV on?
I won't hold my breath though!

S said...

Horrifying is right. That's exactly what it is.

Angela said...

I've seen the ads for this show and rate it right up there with Big Brother. I think the people that choose to go on know exactly what they're doing though. This is why I rarely watch tv - reading is much better.

Jane said...

I have to tell you that I pretty much detest reality TV. I remember when Survivor and Big Brother were the first ones on the air and they were fairly interesting. Too bad everyone else and their mothers had to get on the band wagon. I stopped watching completely when they had one on about hairdressers. This one wimpy girlie-boy ran out of the salon in tears because he choked up when it was his turn to cut someone's bangs. OMG.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I've never heard of it, but I agree with Flutter.

hele said...

I think the limits to reality tv should be switching the tv on.

painted maypole said...

for the most part i find all reality TV abhorrent. i know nothing about this show, but it sounds like the worst of the worst.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I despise reality shows, but this one seems to be a new low.

It's basically a question of what will people do for money? Whom are they willing to hurt? How much humiliation can they absorb as they cry all the way to the bank?

It sounds like watching a train wreck, which is not high on my list of preferred entertainments.

Sai Hijara - Ferraris said...

It's always their choice...I just hope people who submit themselves to these things know what they're doing and are not blinded by momentary rewards.

And honestly, lie detectors are not that reliable (in fact it's inadmissible in court)...so I won't really be bothered by the results...yet, knowing that why bother submit yourself to it eh? ;)

Just my thought...

Liz Dwyer said...

I heard about this show and it made me cringe. Why would I want to regularly watch folks finding out they're unloved, unwanted or regretted?

I don't hate all reality TV. I like Project Runway and Top Chef because they require utilization of a skill. But the rest of it gets quite dull.

Girlplustwo said...

I'd say no one makes those people climb into those hot seats, so shame on the public for driving the market.

I don't watch any of it.

Jen said...

This show horrifies me on every level. It also, I'm happy to say, completely horrifies my 14-year-old son, who's actually turned off the TV if commercials for it have come on. It's absolutely disgusting.

ewe are here said...

I haven't seen it over here (yet), but I heard about it and it sounds absolutely horrifying.

Probably full of ex-Jerry Springer 'guests' who now want to get paid to humiliate themselves and their so-called loved ones. Ugh.

Angela said...

I would hope that people didn't realize what they were signing up for when they signed up for it, though I've only seen the commercials and both loathed the idea and wanted to watch the train wreck all at the same time. There seems to be no limit to our thirst for other people's misery. That's the saddest commentary for me -- that a show like this would even exist for a blip in time. It does not speak well of us.

Don Mills Diva said...

I haven't seen it but I find the premise repulsive. Just when I think it's impossible for these shows to hit a new low they do - where will it end?

Mary said...

I used to watch reality TV when it was the rage but during the last few years, producers are desperate. So the result is "trash TV". No, I haven't seen it. What I've seen is repulsive. Why on earth would a family agree to expose their lives on "Wife Swap"??? Greed and low self-esteem, I guess.

The Fool said...

Reality TV is an oxymoron, isn't it?

Annie Z said...

I so wish our society wasn't in such a place that these kind of shows actually get made, let alone create huge followings.

Catherine said...

Um, yeah. I saw the first episode (only TV I've watched in months, actually) and was SHOCKED.

storyteller said...

The Fool's comment sums up my opinion about all of these shows. I watch none of them ... ever! Life is just too short to waste my time on them.
Hugs and blessings,