Two Shows That Need To Be Cancelled!

[Danny99]

I'm a big proponent of letting kids be kids and I take huge issues with them being trotted out in anything that takes away from a chance to play in the mud and be a real kid.

The following two shows are both on TLC and both should be cancelled not only for putting kid's lives on display, but for other reasons as well.

1) 19 Kids & Counting - My girlfriend and her mother love this show, but it's like watching a cult. Usually I'm totally on board with people having their own beliefs and sharing it, but the Duggar ideal of "God will tell us when we should stop having children" is prehistoric. There is no way each of these kids is getting the attention a kid should get, I don't care what is portrayed on the screen. They are taken into churches and other events, so their parents or cult leaders, whatever, can share how "God knows when they should stop having kids." What if these two lost their jobs (do they even work?) or the revenue from the show? How are they going to feed two children, let alone nineteen? Irresponsible is just the tip of the iceberg.

2) Toddlers & Tiara's - There's plenty of commercials in Canada about hockey parents getting out of control, but what about these mothers? We wonder why people are so obsessed with body image. These mothers brainwash their children into thinking they need to look beautiful for these pageants. What hope do these girls have to not be shallow when they grow up? Welcome to your next set of female high school bullies.

TLC should cancel both and return to Hoarding marathons and criticizing people for their weirdness, while leaving the kids out of it.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Yeah, I think TLC is among the worst when it comes to reality shows. Sensationalist at best. I told my Dad recently that I thought TLC was like a three-ring circus. The Duggars must be getting paid very well for doing this though. Just look at their house. It's freaking huge. There's no way they could live their way of life if they didn't get the support they do from having their lives filmed.

 

[bigdaddy]

I agree, they are horrible trash. I'd also add Teen Mom to the list.

 

[Guy Gardener]

If it wasn't for shit like this, there would be no The Soup.

A necessary evil.

 

[Jetfire]

I was gonna say 90210 & Gossip Girl.

Yeah these sound pretty awful.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Gossip Girl Rules!

You can't hurt my feelings like that, I'm quite very fragile.

 

[Yevetha]

Alcatraz became boring, i say cancel it.

 

[pork3]

How about cancelling every single piece of drivel that falls under the purview of "reality television". That would make my day.

As for actual television shows, "Alcatraz" and "The River" should both bite the bullet as far as I'm concerned.

-Jamman

 

[Jetfire]

Cancel everything on TV and start over.

 

[ALF]

Cancel everything on TV and start over.

I like that moxie. Proceed, please!

 

[Jetfire]

There needs to be some sort of network "draft"...show...writers...actors...etc...like Mariska Hargitay could end up on a FOX comedy and American Idol end up on The CW and Ashton Kutcher is playing a pool boy on ABC...WAIT!?

 

[Captain Craig]

For sure Toddlers & Tiara's - I only see clips of it on The Soup, never seen a full episode, and the accumulated clips I've seen over the years makes me slap my forehead with a big WTF?!

Also, Pregnant and Didn't Know It (Is that the proper name?), again only the clips on The Soup but I feel that show is killing brain cells every time I see a clip.

 

[Disruptor]

They can cancel entire networks, starting with the STYLE Network.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

How about cancelling every single piece of drivel that falls under the purview of "reality television". That would make my day.

Mine too.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Quiverfulls (as in the Duggars) are fucking scary and should be ridiculed as the emotionally-crippled crackpots that they are.

 

[Spot's Meow]

Also, Pregnant and Didn't Know It (Is that the proper name?), again only the clips on The Soup but I feel that show is killing brain cells every time I see a clip.

Hey, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant is awesome! I actually do find it quite fascinating to watch. It does have a hint of ridiculousness to it, portrayed in the Soup clips, but the rest of the episode is more like a medical documentary. I don't think it's quite as bad as the other reality/documentary style shows that TLC does since it at least claims to serve some purpose (making women more aware of how pregnancy can affect their bodies).

I have to agree though that Toddlers & Tiaras and 19 Kids and Counting need to go!

 

[auntiehill]

Every show whose title starts with "Real Housewives of..." as they are about as far from reality as a human could possibly get, nor have any of them actually done a bit of housework in their lives.

Plus, every show that involves angry, frustrated moms pushing their poor daughters into competitions that are solely to provide an ego boost for the teacher, coach or parent, but don't do anything for the actual child.

 

[Warp Coil]

TLC is a feast for the freaks and sideshow attractions, to put it bluntly. In the early-to-mid 2000s, the network was all about makeovers and home improvement. They had tons of shows that featured rooms, houses, towns or people receiving makeovers of some sort. They oversaturated the market until everyone was sick and tired of it. They've shifted gears towards weird people and weird behavior. For a while it was all about families with multiples or little people. Now it seems to be all about people with weird or extreme lifestyle choices. "Extreme Couponing", "Extreme Cheapskates", "My Strange Addiction", "My Collection Obsession", etc. It's all horrible. But Americans are watching it.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I remember when TLC was "The Learning Channel." Now, it must stand for "Tremendous Loads of Crap."

 

[Owain Taggart]

How about cancelling every single piece of drivel that falls under the purview of "reality television". That would make my day.

Here's the thing though. There are some reality shows that are actually decent and actually teach you some values, like Dragon's Den or Shark Tank. There are very few of them, but they are out there. What's being criticized are the ones that are exploitative, based on sensationalism and shock factor like what's shown on TLC. And then of course, yes you have ones like Jersey Shore, but again, there are some out there that are actually excellent. I tend to prefer the documentary style reality shows where you can actually learn a bit by watching. Pawn Stars can be both entertaining and educational, for instance. Sure, lots of it is staged, but it's still educational to see what's out there and still exists. And then there's perhaps my favourite reality show of all, Ice Pilots, which again you can learn a lot from while watching. So, while most reality shows aren't worth the time, I think it's a bit unfair to group every one of them with the bad apples.