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China Cracks Down on Reality TV -- And May Be On to Something

Upset by both the popularity and content of certain of its country's reality TV shows, China has adopted a new, rather severe set of guidelines aimed at containing the genre's excesses and negative messages.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, we have Gary Busey on ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap on Tuesday, and the fifth season of MTV's Jersey Shore premiering on Thursday.

The fifth season. Of Snooki, the Situation, and other members of their mindlessly misbehaving herd.

I don't want to be the subject of a modern Joe McCarthy Communist witch hunt or anything -- but in this case, maybe the Chinese are on to something...

In China, the latest international media firestorm has been generated by a reality-TV dating show called Feichengwurao, generally translated as If You Are the One. (A different translation, which has more of a proverbial sound, is If Not Sincere, Do Not Disturb.)

In the show, attractive young women stand behind lecterns, like participants in a political debate, while men seeking their favor step up top the mike, one by one, and describe their assets -- financial as well as personal -- in hopes of getting chosen for a TV-sanctioned courtship.

The program generated controversy, and prompted format changes, because the women ended up using their positions of power to be dismissive, sarcastic, even cruel.

In China, even with 50 million people watching (second only to the state-mandated official newscast), that was called unacceptable.

Here in the U.S., it's called The Bachelorette.

China's censors set down some rules, and demanded If You Are the One follow them or be canceled.

Among the rules, according to a story in this week's New York Times, are these:

"Do not humiliate and assault participants in the name of dating."

"Do not discuss vulgar topics involving sex."

"Do not hype materialism and other unhealthy, incorrect viewpoints on marriage."

Think of it.

Rule 1, in that list, would outlaw every episode of Jersey Shore ever filmed.

Rule 2 would wipe out every reality dating show in the history of television.

And Rule 3, if nothing else, would obliterate any TV reality show with the word Housewives in its title, or any Kardashian in its cast.

However, adopting a Communist rule, even in this one instance, may be a bad PR move.

Accordingly, I have my own suggestion, and fantasy, regarding reality TV as it should be presented and policed in the United States.

Imagine a television industry equivalent of either the heavenly gates of St. Peter, or the hellish gates of a tough airport security line. To get through the gate, and get on television, you have to provide a satisfactory answer to one simple question:

"What's your talent?"

If you're, say, Justin Timberlake, and your answer is that you sing, you dance, you act, and you're funny, come on through. Be on all the TV you want.

But if you're, say, Snooki, and the question seems like an unfair, unanswerable pop quiz, then you don't get to pass through TV's gates. Period.

Go sit in the audience, where you belong.

Marry a millionaire? That doesn't mean you have talent -- just money.

Pick fights whenever anyone's watching? In a boxing ring, with rules and a trained opponent, that may indeed be talent. Otherwise, especially with alcohol involved, it's just sad, stupid aggression.

Think of all the TV series, and so-called TV "stars," that a simple "No talent, no entry" rule would eliminate. Then think of all the hours of television that would have to be filled by other, better material.

And what would poor TMZ do to fill its time, and its show, each day?

Nothing.

That's my point.

3 Comments

Eileen said:

Bravo! I'm so glad to have a forum like yours speak out against what has become the norm for television. It's everywhere, on every channel, with no let up in sight.

I've said this before, but I actually remember (as do you & all those who read this blog) when A&E was a classy cable network with all those well researched, beautifully executed "Biography" shows. At one time The Learning Channel actually taught, and by that I don't mean how to misbehave.

I just looked at a random sample of some of the "offerings" on TWC in the NYC area tonight at 10 pm -- and I would venture to say they won't ever be included in "Best Bets":
Mob Wives (VH1)
Teen Mom2 (MTV)
Kourtney & Kim Take NY (E!)
Storage Wars (A&E)
Extreme Couponing (TLC)
Texas Multi Mamas (WE)
Swamp Loggers (Disc)

Makes me feel sad that I just paid the cable bill!

What I find most fascinating about this tv "ship of fools" is that not that long ago the last place these people would be is on television. A Kim Kardashian, whose only claim to fame was a sex tape, would have been banished from view by public demand, never to be seen again. Behavior like that of Jersey Shore might have been seen on "Cops", but it certainly wouldn't have been celebrated. I could go on and on, but really, what's the point?

And, unfortunately, little by little the commercial networks have seen the windfall generated by this trash and followed right behind.

For every PBS documentary out there, lurking in the shadows, I'm sorry to say, is a Snooki knockoff waiting for her 15 minutes of fame.

But, let's look on the bright side. Maybe the dawning of a New Year will bring people to their senses. If we just don't tune in, it will all very quickly disappear. I can hope, can't I?

[Hope springs eternal -- but so, it seems, do reality shows.

Smart remarks, Eileen. Thanks. And with History Channel improving its annual ratings by more than 20 percent by televising less history, we've got a way to go before this problem corrects itself. - DB]

Comment posted on January 3, 2012 11:41 AM

Eileen said:

Actually, I watched "Celebrity Wife Swap" last night, but for different reasons that just the "shock & awe" value.

I was intrigued to see the present day Tracey Gold and Roby Marshall. Their story is more reality than anything on reality tv, and I'm surprised no one has followed up with a tv movie (are you out there Oxygen & Lifetime?).

For those old enough to remember, and I most certainly am, the noted true crime writer, Joe McGinniss, had a 1989 bestseller, "Blind Faith", based on a 1984 New Jersey murder case. "Blind Faith" was made into a 1990 NBC Emmy-nominated miniseries starring Robert Urich and Joanna Kerns. (Don't you hate when they cast Robert Urich as the bad guy?)

The book & miniseries detailed the murder of Maria Marshall by her husband, Rob Marshall; Maria was the perfect mom and wife of a seemingly perfect family. Her three boys, one of which was Roby Marshall, just adored their devoted mom.

Roby Marshall acted as a consultant on the tv movie, and became quite close to Joanna Kerns. Joanna played match maker, and fixed Roby up with her "Growing Pains" co-star, Tracey Gold. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Tracey and Roby have been married since 1994, and are the parents of four lovely boys. It was interesting to see the dynamic Roby had with his sons, not to mention his very apparent devotion to Tracey.

I was so pleased to see what a wonderful father and husband Roby Marshall became, considering the trauma and tragedy he suffered at a young and impressionable age. He not only lost his adored mom, but then had to deal with the fact she was murdered by his own father, now spending the rest of his life in prison.

This is reality tv at its best, and I'm really surprised it hasn't been made into a tv movie.

But thank you, Joanna Kerns. Good things do happen to good people.

[Wow. Your memory is even better than mine on this one. I have strong memories of McGinniss' previous murder miniseries, Fatal Vision -- which starred Gary Cole as the suspected killer. But Blind Faith, I must admit, I've forgotten about. Thanks for the update, and the perspective. - DB]

Comment posted on January 3, 2012 1:26 PM

Davey said:

Your rule would also bar your beloved Oprah as well as the likes of Ryan Seacrest, John Hannity, Paris Hilton, Jessica Hilton, 50 Cent, and 95 percent of the rest of non-fiction TV's habitues, plus half of the ones on fiction TV. Sure would simplify your job, though.

[I agree, except for Oprah, whom I believe is neither beloved (by me) nor untalented. The rest of the list, though, pretty much on target. And less bad TV, by the way, would NOT make my job easier. Just less painful. - DB]

Comment posted on January 3, 2012 2:59 PM

Behind David in the picture is the first TV owned by his father, Virgil Bianculli, a 1946 Raytheon. (The TV, not his father. His father was a 1923 Italian.)

David Bianculli has been a TV critic since 1975, including a 14-year stint at the New York Daily News, and sees no reason to stop now. Currently, he's TV critic for NPR's Fresh Air, occasional substitute host for that show's Terry Gross, and teaches TV and film history at New Jersey's Rowan University. His most recent book is 2009's Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' and he's at work on another.

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