Reality show gone too far.

[Lynks]

http://www.abc.net.au/cnnnn/news/s968753.htm

The popular reality show Animal Farm has been setting ratings records in recent weeks after the death of one of its contestants. The deceased, Todd is now favoured to win on the back of the phenomenon known as 'Toddmania', which has seen him become substantially more popular than any of the show's living contestants.

Todd, who was a claustrophobic, died after being locked inside a crate for three days as part of a 'Face Your Fear' challenge. A quick post-mortem by the Animal Farm's expert coroner — which was performed live on national television — has confirmed a massive heart attack as the cause of death.

Now in its third series, the popular reality show locks 12 contestants inside a barn, where they sleep in individual pens until voted out by the audience. The show's numerous moles and several judges to add to the hilarious humiliation that has made Animal Farm so popular with the viewers.

Ratings for this year's show were dwindling before Todd's demise, with even the controversial ToiletBowlCam failing to attract viewers. But since he passed away, the audience has more than doubled, and the live studio audience has been packed with thousands of Todd fans dressed in cardboard boxes with their faces painted deathly white.

Some critics have labelled its producers as insensitive for keeping Todd's corpse on display after his death, but host Mindy Maleen defended her show. "We've donated $10,000 to claustrophobia research, so I can safely say that all of our consciences are entirely clear," she said. "Besides, Todd's death, in a way, has shown us all how precious life is. And for that, we owe him everything."

Reality show aficionados have hailed Todd's death as a strategic masterstroke. "It's a great way to get the audience onside — it really wins that sympathy vote," said Celebrity Big Brother alumnus Warwick Capper. "If I had my time on Big Brother again, I'd make sure I died inside the house. I reckon the audience would totally have gone for that."

My favorite quote is in bold.

Edit: Also noticed it's last year, but I heard another one happened on another show this week.

[Lynks]

http://www.insidetri.com/race/adv/articles/2404.0.html

Primal Quest Racers Struggle to Cope with Athlete Death

by Kirsten Begg
This report filed September 27, 2004

It started as a 400-mile adventure race for the sport's richest payday - a $100,000 first-place prize. Sadly though, the 2004 Subaru Primal Quest, an expedition-length race that has quickly established itself amongst the sport's top events, will be remembered as the site of the first death in American adventure racing.

38-year old Nigel Aylott, a former national and world rogaine champion and experienced adventure racer from Melbourne, Australia, was struck and killed by a falling boulder during a trekking section near Illabot Peak in Washington state's Cascade Mountains Tuesday afternoon.

Aylott's Team AROC had lead the event, which combined navigation over the remote backcountry, rivers and off-shore waterways of the Pacific Northwest, from the start Sunday. They had exchanged the lead back and forth with American/Aussie Team Montrail and at the time of the accident were approximately halfway through the 400-mile multisport course.

The two teams had checked into one of the event's 39 checkpoints on Illabot West, a 4,137 ft peak, and were descending through a rocky gully when the boulder loosened.

John Jacoby, of Team Montrail, who suffered leg lacerations in the accident, was quoted as saying: "The rock hit my ankle, went down past five others and then hit Nigel."

Although racing on competing teams three of Team Montrail's racers including Jacoby are Australian and knew Aylott well. "Any race I was doing, Nigel was there," added Jacoby who flew home to Australia on Thursday. "I did my first road race with Nigel. He was a pretty extreme individual, a real character."

Aylott's three Team AROC teammates and members of second-placed Team Montrail were racing together at the time of the accident. They managed to dodge the boulder, estimated at 300lbs, but Aylott was hit in the head.

Despite the team's immediate use of a satellite phone and GPS tracking to summon the race's helicopter medical crews Aylott was pronounced dead at the scene. The race was suspended as organizers managed the situation and teams who were spread over many miles of the race course were halted as they arrived at the nearest transition area.

Teams AROC and Montrail withdrew from the race following the accident but joined fellow racers and race staff while the event was on hold for a day of remembering Aylott. Racers scattered flowers in the nearby Skagit River and Aylott's teammates requested a quintessential celebration of their fellow Aussie: a barbecue.

More than 24 hours later, after discussion with Aylott's family, team members and other racers, the race resumed on a shortened course with the first team expected across the finish line on Orcas Island, northwest of Seattle, Friday night.

Aylott's death is the fourth in adventure racing since the sport's first fatality in February 2002 but the first in the USA.

Racers acknowledge that the sport, like any involving the backcountry, has it's dangers, however organized adventure racing - and the Primal Quest race in particular - takes many steps to mitigate the risk. Racers must pass pre-race skill certification and carry GPS tracking devices, satellite phones and emergency beacons during the event. Race organizer Dan Barger has a 35-member medical crew and in fact cancelled a glacier trekking section the day before the accident due to fresh snowfall creating unsafe conditions.

In a closing celebration at the race site of Aylott's life AROC and Montrail team members, joined by race staff, volunteers and racers are expected to paddle out into the waters off the finish line at Orcas Island Sunday to escort the final team across the line and bring a wrenching 2004 Subaru Primal Quest to a close.

[Neost]

Did you notice any of the other headlines from the first site you linked?

Or the "headline scroller" at the bottom?

It has to be a parody news show that has been taken off the air or something. No way those stories are real news.

[Dups.]

No. It's from http://www.theonion.com !! Reliable source!!!!

[Lynks]

The second one is though!

[Markulas]

Is Animal Farm a true reality show? Excuse but my knowledge of TV shows is about zero. And if it is a reality show is it anything like Orwell's book(one of the best ever btw)?

[Nick]

Yes, because the contestants have to act like horses and sheep, Todd was playing the role of 'Boxer' (no pun!)

Remember, 4 legs good, 2 legs bad!

[Aslanna]

Fake!

However, this brings us to the question: Why the hell do people watch 'reality' shows?

[Arborealus]

Fake!

However, this brings us to the question: Why the hell do people watch 'reality' shows?

Reality shows are the Geek Show of our times...People watch them to confirm that they are more normal than the people on them largely...It makes people more secure to laugh at others...

Essentially it pays to pander to people's insecurities...

[Winnow]

Fake!

However, this brings us to the question: Why the hell do people watch 'reality' shows?

Reality shows are the Geek Show of our times...People watch them to confirm that they are more normal than the people on them largely...It makes people more secure to laugh at others...

Essentially it pays to pander to people's insecurities...

We've become a watcher society. Take a look at now popular sims games are. People love to watch other people and even take control of their paths. I predict the next phase of reality TV will be one where the viewers can vote real time and change the outcome.

I admit to watching the original Survivor as it was fresh and original. Lately, you see anyone with money putting together reality TV shows to boost their egos....Trump...Mark Cuban...Sir Richard Branson (Virgin Airlines guy)...wtf...I'm sick of seeing these and all I actually see are the commercials for them.

Sadly, even HBO has a reality TV series and I thought they could do no wrong after their amazing string of successful shows.

Wife swapping..family swapping...talent shows...christ...stop it already.

[Zaelath]

Heheh... CNNNN... Australian news parody show. From the guys at The Chaser who brought us such headlines as:

Ross Cameron's infidelity proves he's a fucking hypocrite

http://www.chaser.com.au/show_story.asp?ID=964&ED=89

[Keverian FireCry]

Sadly, even HBO has a reality TV series and I thought they could do no wrong after their amazing string of successful shows.

HBO has actually had a lot of reality shows, and some they've had from before Survivor, which was simply the first big network reality show, besides Cops.

They had Taxi Cab Confessions and Real Sex for a long time, both sexually-relatated, but have value beyond making you horny. They also have AC Hookers, Cathouse, which are newer, but also very taboo.

Their newest reality show, which I think you are referring to, is Family Bonds, which is a reality show based around family who runs a bail-bondsman business which are akin to bounty-hunters. It's an R-rated+ version of Cops with family drama mixed in. Though, compared to most reality shows, it is damned well done.

Not sure how you somehow thought HBO was somehow above having reality TV when they provided some of the programming which started it all...They just do it better...Reality tv isn't real if it's censored, and HBO doesn'y censor much at all.

[Sionistic]

HBO censors penetration

[Winnow]

Not sure how you somehow thought HBO was somehow above having reality TV when they provided some of the programming which started it all...They just do it better...Reality tv isn't real if it's censored, and HBO doesn'y censor much at all.

They are trailblazers. It's time to move onto something else!*




*except The Sopranos. That gets a free pass until Tony dies.