Reality Television!

Reality television; could anything be lower? It represents prime entertainment to couch slugs who enjoy a kind of public voyeurism. Granted, it can be fascinating, witnessing how people comport themselves in social situations, and perhaps even more so in intimate situations and intimate physical social situations, but doesn't it end up being rather degrading as a spectacle?

It is instructive? Does it tell us anything worthwhile about human nature? Is there anything useful in the camera focusing on people reacting to day-to-day situations, often in a way that does not credit them with social intelligence? And if producers are anxious to cash in on the public fascination with such 'entertainment' shows, what better way to garner publicity than to focus on the most pernicious of human interactions?

All the more so, if their initial feels for pick-up by various stations haven't resulted in anything positive. Create a buzz. Make people take notice. And what better way to do that than to do something verboten, something that may, on the surface at least, outrage public sensibilities? Canada vaunts itself as a multicultural/mosaic of tender acceptance.

Where people of various ethnic minorities, cultures, heritage, nationalities, (values) gather in the bosom of this receptive nation to fashion a new life for themselves and their progeny. And all together we happily exist in a state of exceptional tolerance and curiosity about the quaintness of other peoples' customs.

There is no need to be concerned about racism or anti-semitism, or either covert or overt discrimination, because Canadians, wherever they originally came from, understand fully that when they arrive at these shores, all former animosities and misunderstandings are to be set aside in favour of one big happy family.

But that's so tame, what within that scenario would impress people, compel them to turn on their sets at that particular hour to eagerly anticipate the launching of a new show, to be named Lake Shore? Well, the antidote to sleepy boredom is an injection of the naughty potential of proposing a note of anti-semitism; that'll make them sit up and take note.

And so they did. All that priceless free news-advertising, complete with interviews of the failed contestants, and the youth-blooming photographs of those selected for starring roles, particularly one fetching woman of Turkish origin who mouths the ultimate provocation..."especially Jewish people" for an explanation of her particular dislikes.

The producers are innocent of any intention to create an atmosphere of antagonism and an undercurrent of racism, to give a special frisson to the show. No, that was not their intention at all. Nor did they attempt to subtly manipulate those whom they might consider for the show to determine whether they had it in them to be well, socially provocative.

So tune in, and get your eyes plastered on that screen to watch as eight young and attractive starlets compete with one another for badge of outstanding bigot-of-the-show; reflecting real life in real time. Really.