I'm not even sure what constitutes "reality TV" anymore. Back in the day, I remember everyone calling Who Wants to Be a Millionaire a reality show like it's this trendy new thing when it's really just a game show like we've had since TV began.
That said, I'm generally not a fan of unscripted shows. There's usually so much padding. My sister loves those singing competition shows but she fast forwards through all the parts where they're not singing. She can get through a 2 hour episode in about 15 minutes that way.
Still, there are some unscripted shows that I've liked, usually when the whole show is a joke on the contestants, like The Joe Schmoe Show or Superstar USA. Sometimes they can lure me in with the promise of girl-girl kissing, like The 5th Wheel, Jerry Springer, or A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. I'm shallow that way. I also adore Bar Rescue but I hardly ever get to see it because I don't have cable.
Doesn't matter what the context is, I immediately stop watching if that happens. Doesn't have to be a reality show. I turned off Apocalypto after less than 5 minutes because of that.
I rarely seek out horror. I used to have friends who liked horror movies, so I would occasionally go see movies with them but that's it. And even then, I unequivocally draw the line at torture porn.
Anime is tricky. I find that most of it is either too silly or too pretentious. There are a few shows that I like but my friends who are big fans tell me that I have horrible taste in anime.
I think that it depends on the style of comedy. The newer style of deadpan humor used in single-camera sitcoms like 30 Rock, Arrested Development, and Community moves too fast for a laugh track. Broad, theatrical styles of humor used in 3-camera sitcoms like Frasier and Red Dwarf often feel naked if you take out the laugh track. The main reason why I don't own Red Dwarf: Back to Earth on DVD is because the lack of a laugh track makes it feel wrong, like it's not proper Red Dwarf.
That said, I'm generally not a fan of unscripted shows. There's usually so much padding. My sister loves those singing competition shows but she fast forwards through all the parts where they're not singing. She can get through a 2 hour episode in about 15 minutes that way.
Still, there are some unscripted shows that I've liked, usually when the whole show is a joke on the contestants, like The Joe Schmoe Show or Superstar USA. Sometimes they can lure me in with the promise of girl-girl kissing, like The 5th Wheel, Jerry Springer, or A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. I'm shallow that way. I also adore Bar Rescue but I hardly ever get to see it because I don't have cable.
Doesn't matter what the context is, I immediately stop watching if that happens. Doesn't have to be a reality show. I turned off Apocalypto after less than 5 minutes because of that.
I rarely seek out horror. I used to have friends who liked horror movies, so I would occasionally go see movies with them but that's it. And even then, I unequivocally draw the line at torture porn.
Anime is tricky. I find that most of it is either too silly or too pretentious. There are a few shows that I like but my friends who are big fans tell me that I have horrible taste in anime.
I think that it depends on the style of comedy. The newer style of deadpan humor used in single-camera sitcoms like 30 Rock, Arrested Development, and Community moves too fast for a laugh track. Broad, theatrical styles of humor used in 3-camera sitcoms like Frasier and Red Dwarf often feel naked if you take out the laugh track. The main reason why I don't own Red Dwarf: Back to Earth on DVD is because the lack of a laugh track makes it feel wrong, like it's not proper Red Dwarf.
