Posted on 12/18/2002 8:29:38 PM PST by butter pecan fan
NEW YORK — The 25 women vying for an engagement ring on The Bachelor were well aware of the trophy boy's stats, but a new show has a surprise ending that may leave contestants more brokenhearted than ever — or just plain broke.
Joe Millionaire, a new Fox TV show, features 20 single women who fly to France to vie for the hand of a handsome American they are told is worth $50 million. But "Evan," who will tug at their heartstrings, actually only pulls in $19,000 annually working as a — gasp — construction worker.
"What will happen when the truth is finally revealed that he is a just a regular 'Joe' and his wealth is a facade? Will his true love accept him for who he is, or reject him in search of greener pastures?" the Fox promo asks.
With the reality show taking a deceptive twist, the real question is, will reality fans decide duping unsuspecting women goes too far, or that contestants who seek fame and prizes through dating are finally getting their comeuppance?
Linda Stasi, an entertainment columnist for the New York Post, has no sympathy for the hapless contestants who compete for love on the boob tube.
"If they trick you in the end, you deserve it," said Stasi. "If you're willing to demean yourself like that just to have a man support you, you deserve everything you get."
The contestants on dating reality shows merely sign up just to get on TV, she added.
"Remember Darva Conger? The highlight of their life is that they actually got on TV and people knew them for 15 minutes," she said. "It's tragic. Be on the news because you've done something fantastic with your life other than win some dopey guy."
Still, some viewers say the underhanded tone of the show gives them a voyeuristic thrill.
"This is an excellent scheme and takes the seedy genre of reality TV to its most characteristic lowly level," said Kristina Malcolm, a hotel project manager in San Francisco. "Viewers aren't meant to respect the so-called 'actors' on these shows any more than they respect the naked Jell-O wrestlers on Howard Stern."
However, other viewers feel a program that purposefully plays with participants' hearts is cruel.
"Obviously the public finds amusement in emotional exploitation of people," said Peter Soderling, a technical architect, who prefers The Osbournes brand of reality TV. "It's sad and shows that our society doesn't have a lot of value or depth in their own lives."
But people who decide to go on reality TV should be ready for anything, other viewers argue.
"Participants know what they're getting into," said Claudia Bernett, 30, of New York City. "Any shock that comes at the end is just part of the game."
And despite criticisms, Joe undoubtedly appeals to some audiences.
"I think it will be funny to find out their reaction when they find out the guy isn't rich," said Stasi. "I'm anxious to see how they react. Are they really in it for the money or the publicity? Love doesn't have anything to do with it."
Another show that's turning the tables on the looking-for-love formula is The Bachelorette, in which a woman (who was the final contestant to be rejected on The Bachelor) will be courted by a house full of men.
But Stasi for one doesn't think the voyeuristic audience that made The Bachelor a hit will tune in for the testosterone-heavy version.
"I don't think The Bachelorette will fly," Stasi predicted. "The audience that watches The Bachelor have fantasies that this could be them, and I don't think they'll care as much if it's in reverse."
In fact, with reality programs arguably scraping the bottom of the barrel, Stasi doubts the life span of the genre.
"We're seeing the last gasp of [reality TV] now," she said. "People are going to get tired of it. Whose reality is this anyway? Maybe if you were in the court of Henry the 8th, but not since then has there been a reality like that."
Still, Bernett said she understands why some would tune in. "We're all voyeurs into other people's experiences and lives and that's why people watch. There's something interesting in exposing people's values."
Perhaps because of the fact that he is crude and talentless?
and yet they outnumber... and out-vote... FReepers buy an incredible margin. Kinda makes you feel afraid for the future, doesn't it?
Were you a miner?Naw, nearly everything else though in casting, I worked for an alloyer, a die caster, and a buyer of die castings.
-Eric
So the lucky woman won't be getting $50 million, but she'll get considerably more than 19K. Of course, that realization won't set in instantaneously, so it will still be fun to see her reaction when she realizes she's been duped.
I have one additional suggestion, and that is that the pictures of all the money-grubbing women who took part in this show be posted in all Post Offices across the country, so that they might be held up to ridicule for some time. The definition of a prostitute is someone who provides sexual favors for financial gain. That is what these women are. Prostitutes.
I predict a ratings blockbuster.
I saw parts of it too (partly because of a gold-digger friend who has tried out for one of these shows already and I wanted to see if she was a contestant) and I came away thinking the guy is very likable. They obviously didn't set him up too well since he got stuck early on when one girl asked him for his middle name (which he was already using so he had to think of another one).
Also he supposedly does construction in the NY/NJ area. And he makes only $19K? You can't even make a down payment on a month's rent in NY for 19K. Either he lives with his mother, his gay lover or the $19K thing is entirely bogus. I'm starting to think the guy is really a Broadway actor/waiter who read for the part. After all, they don't tell us how *he* got selected for this.
My favorite part of the show was when they had the women compete for the gowns to wear at the ball. Anyone who has ever seen women fight over clothes had to get a laugh about that one.
Also, did you notice most of the token minorities got selected to continue with the show? Can't have a lawsuit over kicking out the token Black or the token Asian on the first show, now can we? I'm sure the producers were more afraid of Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson crashing their little party than they were any fraud lawsuits.
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