More on bad television

I don’t know how many people would admit to watching it, but Elimidate may be TV’s lowest common denominator (and these days, that’s saying an awful lot). I work nights, so I happen across this televised abomination fairly regularly and – like a car accident – I can’t pull myself away.

The premise of the show is that one guy, typically some handsome meathead, takes four girls out on a day-long date in his home city. Over the course of the day, he eliminates them one by one until he gets to the final girl, who “wins” a second date. In other words, it is every guy’s dream. The concept wouldn’t be bad if the scenario were not always the same. It’s as if these contestants watch this show and take it as a cue for how they should act.

The guy is always looking for a girl “just to hang out and party with” (i.e. someone easy) and the girls are always cattily picking on one another and trying to take ownership of this worthless guy (typical girl behavior). There’s always one girl who comes on very strong from the beginning, wearing revealing clothes, sitting on his lap and trying to make out with him before the first commercial break. And every time I sputter at the screen, “God, what a shameless whore! No way he’ll pick her!” Nine times out of 10, this girl wins.

The girl who speaks the least is always the first eliminated – she always loses because she’s unwilling to fight for this idiot or to shamelessly brag about herself. And she’s usually the only one that is of a different race than the guy (take that for what you will). The only female in the group with a strong will, nice personality and great sense of humor is always the second one to go, because all of these guys are idiots. Sometimes, this one sane girl they must have lied to in order to get her on the show actually quits.

The last two women are always the most abhorrent to the viewer – and they spend the last 10 minutes of the show essentially trying to outwhore one another, with the easiest lay always winning. Most of the time, this “winner” has very obvious issues that leads the viewer to always ask, “Why do men complain about women when they choose girls like this?” Case in point: Last night’s “winner” said from the beginning that she doesn’t like to work, she’s a wannabe princess and she will only date a guy “who can afford” her. I ain’t sayin’ she’s a gold digger…..actually, I am. Who willingly chooses a girl like that?

Maybe the problem isn’t the show so much as society. Maybe the other people out there my age are like this and I just didn’t know it…but it seems to me that like most “real” shows, this blind date is anything but legit. If nothing else, I wish they just lied a little better...