Gogglebox / Reality TV what is the point?

[43021HST]

Genuine question here, but what is the point of Gogglebox? I mean it's just watching people, watching TV. Like some weird Black Mirror looking glass. Why and how did this get popular? I'm currently trying to understand the lowest common denominator for reality TV. My original theory is that people like watching conflict hence why reality TV exists, however there's not even that with this program.

I don't get the entertainment factor behind watching footage of some simpleton, whooping and jiggling their bingo wings in front of the TV. If someone could enlighten me, that would be much appreciated.

On the subject of that, if someone would care to explain to me the appeal of the following that would be great:

- The Apprentice
- Come Dine with me (Watching a bunch of middle class people back stab each other I find is far more depressing than any Ken Loach Film)
- Love Island (Say no more)
- Can't pay we'll take it away.
- I'm a Celebrity.

I haven't mentioned obvious ones like TOWIE or Made in Chelsea as those are long understood in many quarters to be basic, vapid rubbish but the ones mentioned above tend to have a broader appeal.

 

[gazthomas]

For me absolutely no appeal!

 

[Cowley]

I’m with you Klambert. I stopped watching TV a while ago now apart from the odd thing that interests me.
I’d far rather read, go on here or listen to the radio.
I really don’t think I’m missing too much either...

 

[Howardh]

I’m with you Klambert. I stopped watching TV a while ago now apart from the odd thing that interests me.
I’d far rather read, go on here or listen to the radio.
I really don’t think I’m missing too much either...

You're not. Despite having 200, 300, 1000+ channels there's sod all on, and TV will only get worse as viewers are spread around these channels therefore less revenue for each.
Why do we have cops with cameras? Because it's dirt cheap and fills an hour.
I'm just waiting for the day when all TV will be pay-TV to see how much people will pay for this garbage!
Personally I'd rather look at a live webcam of my fave spot on Formentera and watch the sun go down.

 

[J-2739]

What you saying about Come Dine With Me!?

That show's boss!!

 

[PeterY]

I'd rather watch paint dry or the grass grow (despite the dry weather) than suffer reality TV.

 

[GusB]

I'd rather watch paint dry or the grass grow (despite the dry weather) than suffer reality TV.

Having just painted the living room, and enjoyed our first decent spell of rain for weeks, I can enjoy both activities!

I don't make a point of watching any of these programmes, but I don't mind Come Dine With Me if someone else in the house is watching it. I enjoy cookery programmes anyway, and occasionally I'll give some of the recipes a go. The likes of Love Island and I'm a Celebrity annoy me immensely.

 

[Warwick]

They're the televisual versions of the "Sun", "Star" and the daily breastfest who's title has eluded me for the moment.
Visuals for the uneducated.

 

[trash80]

I don't watch any of them. If i want something to watch there are 100s of old films, now in public domain, on youtube. A 1930s gangster movie or gogglebox? Hmm tough choice

 

[43021HST]

I don't make a point of watching any of these programmes, but I don't mind Come Dine With Me if someone else in the house is watching it. I enjoy cookery programmes anyway, and occasionally I'll give some of the recipes a go.

Come Dine with Me is as much about cooking as Holby City is a documentary about medical procedure.
See I genuinely don't understand the appeal of CDWM? What is the factor that makes it entertaining or at least watchable?

I personally find it as dull as ditch water and is about as entertaining as you'd expect from awkwardly inviting a load of strangers round and having dinner with them. The presenter/narrator gets on my nerves, it seems he'd be more suited on childrens TV.

 

[DarloRich]

The point, clearly, is that enough people must like to watch them to make them worth commissioning for the TV company. Personally I think they are bobbins but accept some people like them.

 

[nlogax]

I find reality TV and the shows you mentioned to be pretty unwatchable. There are also people who think BBC4 documentaries are awful / boring when they want to watch the TV for pure escapism and relaxation purposes. Each to their own, right? It really doesn't pay to be sniffy about this sort of thing.

 

[AlterEgo]

Each to their own, right? It really doesn't pay to be sniffy about this sort of thing.

Well quite. This thread was seemingly started with the sole intention of the OP conveying his disapproval of entertainment beneath his towering intellect. A sort of humblebrag.

 

[43021HST]

Well quite. This thread was seemingly started with the sole intention of the OP conveying his disapproval of entertainment beneath his towering intellect. A sort of humblebrag.

[sarcasm]Yes I suppose you could say that, yes, I can hardly read my screen under all this towering intellect[/sarcasm] Although your comment wreaks of defensiveness. Daft made up reddit terms, try getting away from internet forums for a bit and engage properly with discussions.

Of course each to their own however, Have you not wondered why people like certain things though? Why things get popular. For example, we're a group of rail enthusiasts, now on regular occasions we get people asking us why we like the things we do, how strange our hobby is and often we're vilified for it. Now if we were to turn this on it's head, and ask why mainstream culture becomes mainstream and why it's very broadly liked?

Also if we didn't question these things under a sweeping statement such as 'each to their own'. We wouldn't have a counter culture that creates change and renewal, that keeps things moving forward.

 

[nlogax]

Also if we didn't question these things under a sweeping statement such as 'each to their own'. We wouldn't have a counter culture that creates change and renewal, that keeps things moving forward.

You seem to forget that reality TV is a product of change and renewal.

 

[AM9]

Genuine question here, but what is the point of Gogglebox? I mean it's just watching people, watching TV. Like some weird Black Mirror looking glass. Why and how did this get popular? I'm currently trying to understand the lowest common denominator for reality TV. My original theory is that people like watching conflict hence why reality TV exists, however there's not even that with this program.

I don't get the entertainment factor behind watching footage of some simpleton, whooping and jiggling their bingo wings in front of the TV. If someone could enlighten me, that would be much appreciated.

On the subject of that, if someone would care to explain to me the appeal of the following that would be great:

- The Apprentice
- Come Dine with me (Watching a bunch of middle class people back stab each other I find is far more depressing than any Ken Loach Film)
- Love Island (Say no more)
- Can't pay we'll take it away.
- I'm a Celebrity.

I haven't mentioned obvious ones like TOWIE or Made in Chelsea as those are long understood in many quarters to be basic, vapid rubbish but the ones mentioned above tend to have a broader appeal.

I sometimes watch Gogglebox and I'm A Celebrity. The other four things I find no compulsion to even sample. I don't need to justify or defend my choice, they both have a certain amount of entertainment value. Similarly, football on TV (or anywhere else) leaves me cold. In my view it's just big business milking tribalism in the masses. What I do know though is that a far greater part of the broadcasters' revenue goes to football than to 'reality' tv. Those who do like their football and other expensive programming ought to think through that their preferred viewing means that there isn't much money left to fill the rest of broadcasting hours.

 

[DarloRich]

I sometimes watch Gogglebox and I'm A Celebrity. The other four things I find no compulsion to even sample. I don't need to justify or defend my choice, they both have a certain amount of entertainment value. Similarly, football on TV (or anywhere else) leaves me cold. In my view it's just big business milking tribalism in the masses. What I do know though is that a far greater part of the broadcasters' revenue goes to football than to 'reality' tv. Those who do like their football and other expensive programming ought to think through that their preferred viewing means that there isn't much money left to fill the rest of broadcasting hours.

Except channel 4 who screen goggle-box cover no football and ITV cover very little football these days. The BBC screen MOTD and little else. I don't think that argument holds water.

 

[BluePenguin]

Googlebox is amazing! Of course there is a point. It allows you to be a fly on the wall inside of other peoples houses to hear what their opinions are on the television programmes you and I watch every day.

It is also worth watching to find out about television programmes you have missed this week which you might possibly be interested in watching yourself later that you otherwise would never have heard about.

 

[BluePenguin]

For me absolutely no appeal!

So what do you actually watch on television then? There is nothing else on that is worth it

 

[Howardh]

So what do you actually watch on television then? There is nothing else on that is worth it

I used to like watching them play cricket on television but they won't do that nowadays as the tellys are so thin they keep falling off.

Tish....

 

[GB]

Googlebox is amazing! Of course there is a point. It allows you to be a fly on the wall inside of other peoples houses to hear what their opinions are on the television programmes you and I watch every day.

Out side of family and friends (who you can actually talk to) why do you care what some random person thinks? Its not like you can actually communicate with them.

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

Ultimately, you might think it be somewhat pointless to have Reality TV shows, but the truth is people seem to love that stuff, and as long as it gets enough ratings then channels will air it and bring in the money. For me, I too don't see the appeal in things like Love Island, and as such I just don't watch it. In fact the only time I got angry with it is when it got a BAFTA award for it's respective category but Blue Planet II didn't. It just shows that the general television viewing public enjoy watching a bunch of YouTube rejects doing it with each other more than David Attenborough showing us some of the most fascinating wildlife, in the process actually driving social change to the point where even China are now creating laws on plastics in the oceans. It really is just a case of "to each their own" at this point.

 

[ComUtoR]

I can't stand reality TV but I watched the first couple of series of Googlebox. I never thought of it as 'reality TV' I watched it more as a comedy program and TV review/critique. Caroline Aherne's narration was superb. I found that it became more 'reality TV' when it found fame and the cast became bigger than the show. You can see who is playing up for telly. I don't watch it anymore.

People read reviews of pretty much everything now days. People have made entire careers of giving out TV reviews over the tellybox. Barry Norman, Mark Kermode, Kevin O'sullivan, Sharon Marshall etc.

 

[trash80]

Googlebox is amazing! Of course there is a point. It allows you to be a fly on the wall inside of other peoples houses to hear what their opinions are on the television programmes you and I watch every day.

It is also worth watching to find out about television programmes you have missed this week which you might possibly be interested in watching yourself later that you otherwise would never have heard about.

So like being at work then?

 

[43021HST]

You seem to forget that reality TV is a product of change and renewal.

Of course, hence why it's dominated television programming for around 20 years.

 

[nlogax]

Of course, hence why it's dominated television programming for around 20 years.

Maybe you're too young to know what preceded it..?

 

[gazthomas]

So what do you actually watch on television then? There is nothing else on that is worth it

Every so often something to do with engineering or railways, though the latter is more often cringeworthy. But I've freed so much time up..... to then waste on the Internet!

 

[AM9]

Except channel 4 who screen goggle-box cover no football and ITV cover very little football these days. The BBC screen MOTD and little else. I don't think that argument holds water.

Where in my post did I say that Gogglebox and football was on the same channel?

 

[43021HST]

Maybe you're too young to know what preceded it..?

Things like gameshows and comedy sketch shows?

 

[alxndr]

I'll preface this by saying the only things I go out of my way to watch are Casualty as a continuation of a childhood routine and Paddington 24/7 (or other railway programs) when it's on unless I hear of anything interesting. If my partner has put something on I'll also watch it if I feel like it, but that's very rare too (her preference is normally GPs behind closed doors or 999: What's your emergency.) I can very confidently say I watch less than 10 hours of TV a month.

- Gogglebox - Will occasionally watch it. I suppose it's like people watching, but in a more intimate setting. I also occasionally pick up snippets of other programs that I might be interested in seeking out to watch in full.
- The Apprentice - Never understood the appeal.
- Come Dine with Me - My partner used to watch this endlessly. Personally I can only tolerate it for so long, and preferably if there's someone on there that's utterly ridiculous. The same for that B&B program, 4 in a Bed(?)
- Love Island - Never seen it, never want to see it by the sound of it. I think half the people only watch it because everyone else does.
- Can't pay we'll take it away - Occasionally ends up on if the TV actually gets switched on. We normally discuss fair/unfair/what the unseen context might be.
- I'm a Celebrity - Watched it as a kid, don't now. Used to be more enjoyable then when the people were vaguely recognisable and, being a kid, watching people eat weird things was amusing (that's also just about the only bit I remember of Fear Factor).