Recently, I started watching Myth Busters. I’ve come to love it. It is highly atypical for me to praise a reality show. I hate reality programming or populist, anti-intellectual, escapism entertainment.
In the drama Studio 60 on the Sunset script, the character Jordan McDeere referred to reality programming as “illiterate programming”. I concurred. But then I discovered Myth Busters.
We live in such an interesting and vibrant word. Why would anyone want to escape into the heavily skewed ‘realities’ of reality television? I derive no pleasure in watching people eat worms for money. I find no pleasure in watching others degrade themselves on national television for money.
If I wanted to learn more about human behavior, I’d watch a documentary about anthropology.
I’m also tired of watching human ‘drama’ unfold among bitchy reality TV contestants. I studied Mass Communications and I currently work in an advertising agency. I deal with enough drama and bitchiness everyday.
I also find personalities like Tyra Banks revolting. It scares me to think that there are many impressionable young women who may idolize this celebrity. She’s a self-glorifying, drama Queen who has her best days behinds her. There are better ways of contributing to society and the human race.
Would you allow your daughter to idolize Tyra Banks? If you would, then you’re either too immoral to read this blog or you’re too dense to understand polysyllabic words. So click here and leave.
Did you know that the Indian tradition of making gold jewelry out of coins originated with the Romans? When the Romans traded with the Indians, they paid for spices and silk with gold coins. Some jewelers strung the coins together to make necklaces and bangles.
I learnt that bit of trivia, and plenty of Indian history from watching The Story of India. You would never learn as much by watching the Amazing Race.
Fortunately, Myth Busters is as entertaining as it is informational. It’s a real treat to see Adam and Jamie challenge myths.
Would running in a zig-zag pattern help you escape a crocodile? Can you escape a hail of gun fire by diving into the water? Can you shield others by jumping on a grenade?
These are just some of the interesting questions that the Myth Busters team has answered. In a media landscape that has become dominated by mindless, populist reality programming, I feel that Myth Busters has busted the myth that a reality television program can’t be entertaining and educational.
