E! Wins Satire Immunity Challenge

Dec 6, 2010

By Ken White.

Like I keep saying, the writers over at cracked continue to offer insightful political and social satire and commentary disguised by numbered fart-and-boob jokes.

But some things are so freakishly wrong in the first place that they can't really be satirized; even the best writers are left sitting back and gaping in horror, making a few half-hearted jabs.

Take, for instance, Cracked's take on the E! Channel reality show Bridalplasty, in which brides-to-be compete for free plastic surgery.

I thought, at first, that Cracked was having us on — that it was describing a fictional, over-the-top show in order to satirize reality TV.

Oh Lord, how I wish that were true. Because the show is real — and, if anything, worse than Cracked's heroic but futile attempts to ridicule it would suggest. E! thinks people want to watch this sort of shit. And they're right.

What the hell is wrong with us?

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12 Comments

11 Comments

Noble • Dec 6, 2010 @11:11 am

Recently I flipped the tube to Dr. Phil and he was offerering one of his guests plastic surgery as a reward/part of her TV "therpay." To thunderous applause.

It was one of those moments that reminded me how out of touch with my society I really am.
Scott Jacobs • Dec 6, 2010 @11:50 am

And aren't you thankful?
SPQR • Dec 6, 2010 @11:57 am

Given my general opinion of plastic surgeons, this really steams me off.
Dustin • Dec 6, 2010 @2:53 pm

I wonder… do most people really want to watch this? Or is it just a cheap to produce show that will attract people because TV as a whole is pretty lousy?

My guess is that well over 9:1 of the population would rather watch a funny and well written show.

As everything stratifies, and 200 channels means there is a demand for very cheap programs, the oddest crap gets a very powerful megaphone. It's like a PR political system.

Hell, a solid chunk of the audience will just be people watching something they find horrible. Sorta like reading about a sordid crime… they don't like it but want to understand it.

My thought is to ignore it, cancel cable, and get Netflix.
RedScare • Dec 6, 2010 @4:18 pm

The 2006 Mike Judge movie Idiocracy illustrates how stupid mankind becomes in the future by showing the top-rated 2505 television show 'Ow, My Balls!'. I think he was far too optimistic about how long it'll take us to get there…
Scott Jacobs • Dec 6, 2010 @4:56 pm

To be fair, "Ow, My Balls" sounds like something most of us would watch.
Shylock Holmes • Dec 6, 2010 @6:51 pm

On the other hand, it is performing a useful service for grooms-to-be. Does your girlfriend or fiancée like the idea of being on Bridalplasty? Run for the hills. Is your girlfriend or fiancée already part of Bridalplasty? Change your name, move countries, and think very hard about where you went wrong in your life and the bullet you just dodged.

In all likelihood, of course, the grooms went along with the plan of them being on the show, and thus deserve everything they get.
SiouxsieL • Dec 6, 2010 @7:08 pm

I haven't seen the show but have heard much about it. I am linked (via facebook) to one of the first brides that appeared. I don't get it. Maybe plastic surgery makes sense to try to improve one's lot in life. But it seems odd to do it at time when you have already settled on someone (and they have settled on you).

In any event, I am trying to pitch a show in which couples get ink and body mods before walking down the aisle together. Now that sounds beautiful to me.
Dan Weber • Dec 6, 2010 @11:28 pm

This is only on cable, right?

Aliens monitoring our radio transmissions will not see this and come to sterilize this planet, right?
Xmas • Dec 7, 2010 @2:30 am

Dan,

The problem is…those cable channels are dispersed to the cable companies by satellite transmission. So really, we are beaming that BS straight into space.

(And I'm sure E! is on satellite TV too, so we're doubly distributing that stuff straight into space).
Jen • Dec 7, 2010 @8:14 am

I don't feel bad for the grooms; they agreed to marry these women. I feel bad for any potential offspring who will learn their value systems from these people.

The only program I watch on E! is The Soup, which condenses all the nonsense into a half hour and makes fun of it.