Friday, April 29, 2011
The Ultimate TV Show
The show Ultimate fighter comes to mind when I think about reality shows. Maybe because it is more real life than all the rest. To survive on this show you must actually win in a cage fight. If that is reality I don’t know what is. Now true shows like survivor and the apprentice are entertaining but I get this feeling like they are rigged some way. Now on the other hand you have the UFC fairly new as a recognized sport and growing fans by the thousands daily who come out with a show where guys who want a shot in the professional MMA world come and just beat on each other until just one man is left is just great as a viewer to watch. For me it is like watch a college sport verse a pro sport. The pro guys already have the big contract and fame where as the college kids are killing themselves day in and day out to achieve the dream of being a pro. So the appeal for this show is that , guys killing there body day in and day out training so that they might get that contract at the end of the show. It also shows a little bit of history about the contestants and they tell why they chose to come on the show and what it means for them to be there. A lot of the guys left there jobs and families in hope of making it so that they can better there families situation. People as a viewing community eat this type of stuff up and get emotionally attached and tune in every week just to see what happens next. The show has now been around for six years and continues to grow just like the sport does. So maybe it seemed in the beginning like it might be a season or two long show but as long as the fights keep getting scheduled then I believe the show will continue. People compare the sport to a modern day Roman Gladiator event. And I would agree. These guys are warriors. They fight with broken bones , dislocated joints and knowingly fight with a chance of death. The public knowing this comes together like a pack of wolves stalking a injured animal. The crowed always wants more. Now the show has gone International and has brought fans from all over the world. So as the sport ages and grows it seems that it controls it’s own destiny with regards to the TV show. There is no lack of support form fans or sponsors who‘s list includes very high profile companies like Budweiser, Coors, Miller, Pepsi, Coke, Red Bull and Monster. There are also smaller companies that sponsor fighters and get adds right on the fighters shorts. So the sport is well rounded in including small and large sponsorships. So all in all the sport will be around for as long as there is a want to see people bash each others brains in.
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I like how you chose the Ultimate Fighter as a reality show. I also enjoy the show and think it is pretty cool to see amateur athletes perform. They always seem much hungrier than the athletes that already have large contracts and endorsements. It is like they have more heart. The show also portrays more “reality” than other reality shows. Learning about the family lives of the fighters and seeing how hard they had to work to get where they are is also really interesting. That is what other reality shows are missing. On all the other shows, you see these people which it seems like had everything given to them their entire lives and now it is like,, hey I have a TV show. These shows really drive me crazy. The Ultimate Fighter is more of a documentary and I think more shows should follow that premise. Like add some real value to television already! Imagine all these kids who are watching the Jersey Shore. It is really giving them all the impression that it is okay to act stupid and drink until you puke. I do think one show that is played on MTV is pretty cool though and that is Made. I wonder if they have ever had one of a UFC fighter?
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